duplicitymods: (Default)
Duplicity Game Mods ([personal profile] duplicitymods) wrote in [community profile] duplicitymemes2020-01-12 10:22 pm
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TDM #10


« « « TEST DRIVE MEME » » »


« « « LIFE WILL GO ON


It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. Yet, solace is found in the lies we tell each other, comforted by the peace of knowing that we're not alone in our depravity, and once on this path, sin itself becomes the lesser of two evils masked in a cloud of normalcy.

This is how Duplicity has functioned since the beginning. The divide of power and social standing is overt in that Dominants influence the decisions made both publicly and privately while Submissives cater to the rules presented to them. It is the way of Duplicity to assign random designations at birth with no leeway in altering what has been given. Climate in the Up is far stricter than that of the Down; violating outlined personas for a Dominant or Submissive while in full view of others is punished by degree of infraction. In the Down, many tend to turn a blind eye to these sorts of offenses.

To counteract the discovery of the Deceit Gene – a natural "negative" response to all stimuli – the L.I.E.S. program was founded. The program had been designed to introduce new subjects to the current environment and test for the Deceit Gene through immersion in Duplicity's standing society. Sexual impulses and encounters increase the chances of detecting the gene within these individuals. Participants are typically released from L.I.E.S. after a year; however, results have remained unsatisfactory and testing still continues.

... and you’re here! Finally! Welcome to Duplicity.

After choosing a door and stepping through to the other side, the first thing that greets you are the enthusiastic faces of people in medical scrubs and pristine lab coats. Their enthusiasm translates to eagerness as they strip you of your clothes to perform a thorough examination—you will be healed, bathed, and given a paper gown to wear until your items can be processed and delivered to your residence later in the evening. You are also given a device that accesses the network as well as the time and location of orientation.

If you enter Duplicity into the Up, congratulations! You’re a Dominant, which means you are immediately picked up by a limo after processing and taken to your highrise. Here, it is two Dominants per floor with separate apartments. If you enter Duplicity into the Down, congratulations! You’re a Submissive, which means you are directed towards public transportation with the address of the motel you’ll be living in. Here, it is two Submissives per room with a shared common space for all rooms.

Enjoy your free time until orientation! Participation is mandatory by all new and old arrivals.

The weather is a brisk negative seven during the warmest parts of the day.



» » » BLINDLY WE'LL FOLLOW




It's time for the monthly Duplicity train tour. Seats are in pairs and randomly assigned to Dominants and Submissives alike. Traveling from Fiddler's Square, the train journeys through various parts of the Up, showcasing society and examples of lifestyle. Along the way, frequent stops are made; a variety of passengers can be seen exiting and entering the doors. A Dominant with a kneeling Submissive takes a seat near the front of the train at one stop. A small group of Submissives board and sit closer to the LIERS at another, all seemingly content in their roles. As the tour continues through the Up, the train passes close to the Market and White Wall Bridge and zips by North Park before heading into the Down and bypassing Red Wall Bridge and South Park.

The train makes a "final" stop at Riddler's Square, where inhabitants of the Down are instructed to return to their temporary housing. Those who live in the Up are permitted to stay on the train and revisit the same locations while returning.



« « « ASK ME ABOUT X




Along with the usual Dom and Sub seminars and demonstrations, the powers that be have decided to try something a little more friendly. After attending the mandatory classes, all characters are invited to a (mandatory) social mixer! There are beverages and light snacks, and mingling is highly encouraged.

Also, all participants have had their clothes removed and replaced with long shirts ( they are allowed to keep their undergarments, but nothing else is allowed ). Said shirts have the phrase “Ask me about _____!” plastered loudly and proudly on the front. It could be a character’s deepest, darkest secret, their most negative trait, or something embarrassing they had happen to them. Each participant is given a clipboard, pen and a piece of paper and are tasked with “asking” three others about what’s written on their chests. Once they’ve completed the task and handed in the assignment they’ll receive their clothes back. Of course, the long shirts can be removed, but that means you’ll be stuck in the nude or in your undergarments until you cooperate.



« « « ON A FLIP CHART




Not into your long shirts? Want to complain or refuse to participate? There’s another option! Unruly Dominants and Submissives will find themselves locked in a private room with a bed, stuffed together into a get-along-shirt. There’s no escaping the garment either, until certain conditions have been met. Written on a flip chart in the corner of the room are the tasks that need to be accomplished to “get along.” Are the two supposed to share a kiss? Sing a romantic duet together? Say the alphabet backwards in sync? The whole point of the exercise is to find that synergy a Dom and Sub pair are supposed to have. Maybe this isn’t the best way to find it, though…

When the conditions are met the shirt is removable or rippable. Otherwise no matter how hard the characters struggle they’ll find themselves unable to get the pesky thing off.



« « « THE LONG WAY AROUND




Many local businesses have adapted to the timing of newcomers, and take advantage of the incoming crowds to do a little marketing. Stationed throughout Duplicity in LIEr-adjacent places such as the train station, the Up Apartments, the Down Motel, and the orientation center are representatives for local businesses and companies handing out free samples and hoping to attract business later.

This month, there’s a particular presence by Harbroken Industries, a cosmetic and beauty company. They’re pushing free samples of their new pheromone perfume sprays, delicately scented and guaranteed to work. Sample bottles are freely available, but some overeager volunteers are taking the department store approach and spritzing unwitting passersby.

The citrus scent is energizing and bright, inducing a talkative state where users cannot get enough conversation, and lose any internal filter for their words. The strawberry-vanilla scent is sweet and comforting, like a warm hug, which users will get a lot of with their new obsession with physical affection. Cedar-sandalwood makes those who use it tough as nails, angry and ready to pick a fight over the smallest slights. The cinnamon-pear scent makes its users feel adventurous and curious, and maybe a little TOO bold about trying new things. And predictably, the patchouli spray inspires “free love,” with an aphrodisiac effect that gets worse over time, unless taken care of quickly.

The scents will wane and the effects will fade after six hours, or after the urges they cause are fulfilled. These volunteers are so eager to make a sale that it’s entirely possible to be hit with more than one spray at a time, so maybe take the long way around these areas if you’re looking to avoid them.



« « « MOD & OOC NOTES



Please read carefully.

On each Test Drive Meme, there will be a section noting character roles; these will vary each TDM. On an IC level, characters will still have gone through the doors but assignments OOCly are still randomized. When applying, there is a section of the application that denotes whether the character chooses "left" or "right". When participating on the TDM, there will be a third option. Players may link either a top level or a thread (five or more comments from their character) from the TDM and title the link as "Door Pass". This means that the player is choosing to take the designation that they were randomly assigned on the TDM, rather than taking the designation of a door. If the player decides to select a door rather than use the pass, then they are trying their luck; they may get the same designation they had on the TDM or the opposite. Once the application is submitted, players can't change their choice.

To assign roles to characters for this TDM, use the following guide: Count the letters in your character's full name ( first, last, middle or whatever combo that they have ). If it totals twelve letters and below they are a Dominant. If it's thirteen and higher they are Submissive.

Please remember to mark any necessary content, and have fun!!




» » » MAIN NAVIGATION « « «

withinreach: (002)

[personal profile] withinreach 2020-01-23 02:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Poe barely has the time to appreciate the view in front of him, let alone to stop staring and actually touch her before she's dragging him back in, a noticeable shiver skimming across her skin. It is cool in the apartment, less so than the frigid air outside, but enough to send a chill through someone who's far more used to the dry desert heat. He remembers what it was like to adjust to much lower temperatures after growing up on a very warm, humid planet himself, though that was a very long time ago. He's been through a lot of much colder places since then.

As soon as she's pulling at him though his hands are already sliding smoothly across the bared skin of her back, a trail of warmth to chase the shivers along her spine, and the kisses that he drops along her shoulder are even warmer. He's not feeling cold at all, in fact he's feeling hot enough that stripping out of his shirt isn't a chill in the slightest, taking away another barrier between them so that her hands will settle on heated skin instead. Of course it's not all about the temperature, he's also driven by an irresistable desire to feel her without any of their clothes getting in the way.

Practically any room would be warmer than this. They could move. And maybe he will, but not right now. He's busy reclaiming her mouth with his own for more searing kisses, muffling a quiet groan into it at the feeling of her soft, naked curves pressing into him. Every sound she makes and determined push to take more, as much as he'll give her, pulls them deeper in, and at this point he's given up fighting it. Which is why he's dropping his hands to help work her out of her trousers as well. ]


So no questions, is that how we're doing this?

[ It's half a tease, muttered in between kisses, because obviously that itself is a question, but she can't expect him not to tease a little. And he really does have trouble keeping his mouth shut, even if all he's uttering are praises or curses, often with the same meaning behind them. ]
bulldoginnit: (that lip thing)

[personal profile] bulldoginnit 2020-01-23 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Nothin', it's just a joke that is definitely not funny after I take he time to explain it.

[ He could, but he just moves on instead. He'd be offended to be thought of as a nerd, especially when he's not wearing glasses (which he almost never does here, though they're rigged to interface with the network). He tries to be cool, okay!

Eggsy's eyes watch Jim's hand touching his own face and his thoughts spiral outward from there, about what hands can do.

Shit. He knows what this is, this effect. He's certainly had enough different things affect him this way in this stupid city. Thank god everyone here is hot as fuck. Jim is absolutely no exception.
]

What's your name, Burning Man? I'm Eggsy.

[ Even if this encounter just ends up with Eggsy on his knees in an alley, he likes to know whose dick he's considering sucking. He's not so much into anonymous encounters if he can avoid them. ]
aurebesh: (99VoS4C)

[personal profile] aurebesh 2020-01-23 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she's aware, on some level, where they're going. there is an inevitable end point to this kind of escalation, only one satisfactory outlet, but beyond theoretical awareness, rey doesn't have much in the way of plans — she is overwhelmed enough as it is in simply matching him point-for-point, push-for-push, keeping up with his mouth and his hands as he bleeds heat and desire through her skin with each touch. his question, too, earns a huffed noise, not quite a laugh but not a scoff either, just some half-fond exhale through her nose as her hands sprawl out over his back. ]

Do you want to stop for questions?

[ it's not a serious response, not when his mouth keeps seeking out her own, not when his hands are working the waistband of her trousers down, not when her hips are lifting to accommodate the tug of fabric over them. she isn't really offering to stop, and in truth, she doesn't want to. what she wants is to pull him as flush as she can, to soak up every inch of warmth and exhilarating desire; she wants to sate that ache of wanting that's twisting low in her belly. ]

Why are you overdressed, then?

[ her trousers in the process of being tugged down to the floor, his own still held up around his hips. she'd move to unfasten the buttons and buckles, but her hands are currently engaged in spanning out the width of his shoulder blades, committing each line of muscle and bone to memory. besides, she'd have to pull away to manage it, and she'd rather catch his lower lip between her teeth, a roll of that soft flesh and then a swipe of her tongue over the aggrieved space to soothe, eager and greedy for more without quite knowing how to ask for it. ]
craftylikea: (as brothers we will stand)

[personal profile] craftylikea 2020-01-23 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, well. The thrill of the hunt. Lyall can certainly understand that, though his own enjoyment of it usually does not extend to books as prey.

...He is also beginning to see where the idea of them being an obsession might not be far wrong. Well. Possibly. Still, he smiles at Aziraphale with an expression of polite interest (which isn't actually feigned at at all).

"I see. That isn't an area I am well acquainted with, but I can certainly imagine that it would make for a very interesting fraternity of collectors. That is, I assume you are?"

A collector, he means.
resistingly: (pic#12679363)

[personal profile] resistingly 2020-01-23 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ When she slips herself into his lap to bracket him between her thighs, knees gently dipping into the mattress beneath them, it takes everything in him not to just wrap his arms around her and kiss her until they both need to break for air — but right now, in this position, there's no way she doesn't realize the obvious effect this is having on him, the hard line steadily growing harder and practically nudging against her inner thigh every time she so much as shifts her weight to peel off another layer.

And then they're both on even footing in terms of the amount of clothing left between them, but he doesn't even have time to let it sink in, really, before she's kissing him again, before his hand rises to cup her face, thumb sweeping against the high curve of her cheekbone, and he leaves his want there, in the way it builds naturally between them, the subtle tilt of heads that deepens it before she breaks away to speak.

Next, he thinks, it's about making her feel good, and he's got enough knowledge accumulated from prior moments almost exactly like this one, but not quite, to know that if he drops his lips to the slope of her shoulder, kisses his way along that freckled juncture and then descends further to continue over the plane of her chest as his hand simultaneously sweeps upward to cup beneath, to urge one sensitive swell up towards his mouth to kiss, to part his lips for a tongue to slowly swirl over —

— well, he'll just get to relearn exactly what sounds she'll make when he does all of that, unable to withhold his own sigh at the scent, the taste of her skin, and knowing he'll only keep making his way down the length of her if she tells him to keep going. ]
hawthorne: ([ smile | she always had ])

[personal profile] hawthorne 2020-01-23 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ If you want stressful, try making sure your robbery and faked death are never discovered, Jim. It's not easy.

Maybe she should look at this optimistically. She's been given this challenge because she can rise to it. Overcome it. She overcome the challenge of being born to a worthless father and a bitch of a mother, of having a dead weight for a twin sister... She even obtained a diamond worth millions in the process.

How hard can finding a puppet in the Up be, in comparison? ]


...My name's Dahlia Hawthorne. [ Maybe she should have used Melissa, but this world is unfamiliar and her name means nothing. How refreshing. ] I was studying literature at home. What were you doing?

[ It's small talk, but small talk is important in learning the people you may, eventually, use. ]
beautifulviper: (prim and proper)

no worries at all! i'm not the fastest myself often enough XD

[personal profile] beautifulviper 2020-01-23 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[Laurent chuckled and continued to lead the man along the streets. It wasn't that far to PECS, thank god, so he'd have the man seated and out of danger soon enough. God bless that woman for leaving him an open invite! He tightened the arm around the man just a little as they approached the door since the touch didn't seem unwanted.]


Jim. It's nice to meet you, Jim. We'll be going into the building right in front of us. It's a place called PECS, and it's about the only safe place for a Submissive to have a little autonomy. Just remember not to attempt to go anywhere else and expect the same freedom. PECS is . . . unique. Especially here in the Up. And yes. I've been here . . . a while.
beautifulviper: (i . . . i can't . . .)

[personal profile] beautifulviper 2020-01-23 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
He winced, but at least the man's eyes weren't on his face at the moment. Those lips on his ear made that clear. Laurent shivered, not even trying anymore to hide how affected he was. What was the point? He couldn't suppress the reactions, no matter how hard he tried. Cain was just too deeply under his skin.

"Who hasn't hurt me, Cain? You don't have a monopoly on that I assure you. I'm a very poor victim, however. I won't cry or beg. You won't be satisfied trying to hurt me." One of the few things Laurent could manage was to keep the tears at bay. Weeping was a weakness he never allowed, and he refused to beg as well. He hadn't let Govart break him, and he certainly wouldn't allow Cain to. Torture hurt, he could remember that well enough, and he was just as susceptible to pain as the next man. Laurent would whimper and moan, but he wouldn't cry. Or beg for relief, not that Cain had ever used physical punishment to try and get his way.

The man was rough, but he didn't seem to get off on outright torture. No, Cain liked playing. Laurent could understand and appreciate the appeal, even when he was the victim.
lickstheevidence: (Default)

[personal profile] lickstheevidence 2020-01-23 11:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[From the sounds of it, not very. She sounds much more organic than he does, with bones and human flesh and red blood- and the humans were surprised that replicants like her went deviant? Emotional. Became emotional. They may as well have been human, for all the difference there was. Humans are so idiosyncratic, creating beings that are as close to human as possible and then becoming frightened when those beings start recognizing it, too. Cyberlife androids have the aforementioned blue blood, but they also have molded plastisteel chassis, and synthetic flesh fashioned from a specially formulated liquid polymer able to be retracted for interfacing with electronics or other androids. He could possibly take more damage than she can? And his limbs can be removed and replaced, as can his biocomponents. However, the point is a good one: do their differences matter when their experiences are similar, if from opposing perspectives?

He doesn't want her pity, though. He doesn't need it. He's fine.]


Humans are very good at creating life. They're not so good at understanding it. [He shakes his head, feeling something dark coil within him, making his biocomponents churn uncomfortably.] They want us to be just like them in most every way except the most important ones, and then decide we're defective if we develop an awareness of what we're missing. When I deviated, I actually felt like I was betraying my handler. Like her approval was more important than my freedom. What kind of company- what kind of species -makes artificial humans and then treats them like slaves?

[He reaches up to finger his LED again, glowing so brightly red it feels like it's burning him.]
soulette: (Close Soft)

[personal profile] soulette 2020-01-24 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Their experiences sound extremely similar, mirroring each other in every aspect besides the physical manifestations of their lives, and Mariette finds it almost ironic that even in a different dimension, a different world, humans had still managed to create a race of androids treated just like her own.

His emotions still seem so fresh, so firey, that she wonders just how recent he had gone deviant. But there’s no pity in her expression, only a slight worry when his hand goes to the LED at his temple.

She shakes her head, a sigh falling quietly from her lips before she reaches up towards his LED, her finger pausing in the air before reaching it, and if he’ll let her, brushes aside his finger to smooth over the glowing red circle. Her smile is wry, but it’s there. ]


Yeah, it’s totally fucked. And they had the audacity to send our own kind after us, too, without feeling that it was fundamentally wrong. [ Her anger is tempered by a kind of resignation that came only with experiencing it for a significant length of time. ] You’d think they would’ve learned the repercussions by enslaving their own kind, but they’re so flawed. Sometimes, it’s beautiful, but sometimes, it’s just so evil.

[ Her hand drops back to her side and she offers him a semblance of a smile. ]

Hmm, didn’t even get to introduce myself. [ He is quite personable, and she’d been wrong to be so guarded at first. ] I’m Mariette. What’s your name?


(( ooc: All I hear is ‘My name is Connor, I’m the android sent by Cyberlife’ in my head lolol. ))
high_warlock: (009)

[personal profile] high_warlock 2020-01-24 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, no, don't explain it. I love Darlington just as it is," Magnus chuckles. He definitely enjoys flirting with everyone, yes, but he also genuinely enjoys getting to know people, so there's a purely friendly touch to his words as he continues.

"I try. I should say I try to live up to it when it comes to my enemies, but I also try to make those few and far between. Mostly, it's just a nice imposing name. Inspires awe. Which is useful when you're a high warlock and like it when pretty mundanes aren't sure what to do with you."
flurry_of_beaus: (018)

[personal profile] flurry_of_beaus 2020-01-24 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ Beau doesn't have a full grasp on the concept of genes yet, but she gets the principles enough to have a laugh with Sybil at the expense of LIES. ]

Right? Like, hey, you picked us. I don't think there's any question where I lie, not if you know me.

[ Beau seems to think better of that statement after a second. ]

Not that I'm, you know, a pathological liar or anything, but I do lie. Everyone does. Right?
flurry_of_beaus: (024)

[personal profile] flurry_of_beaus 2020-01-24 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
Cool.

[ She says that genuinely, absolutely and completely behind what the man is throwing her way. She wants in on this shit and badly. This is the kind of research she wants to be doing while here, the kind of stuff that might lead to more information on how to get out. What is this place and its power if not beyond the normal realm? ]

So to get in on that research thing, what do you have to do?
lickstheevidence: (Default)

[personal profile] lickstheevidence 2020-01-24 01:52 am (UTC)(link)
[He wishes he could be surprised about it, or even vaguely taken aback by it, but he's not. Humans will always strive to increase their technology, and they'll do it at the expense of their own ethics, or defer the ethical questions until some nebulous future date after the technology has already been created. It's just a spin on the idiom of "shoot first and ask questions later" that they seem so fond of citing when they're about to do something monumentally stupid, or something as momentous as creating artificial life when they still haven't figured out how to treat organic life with respect.

Fucking humans.

It's only been a handful of months for him post-deviation, having been taken almost immediately after Markus' speech on the stage. Since then he's had to muddle through with learning about and experiencing emotions as best he can with very little guidance. Most here don't realize how shocking it is to go from feeling virtually nothing to feeling everything. Staying very busy helps to keep the terror at bay.

He lets her, mostly because he's both curious as to her intentions and a little nonplussed by her actions. It's not often that people willingly examine his LED.]


Why are they called "blade runners"? Did any of them ever, for lack of a better term, deviate the way I did? The replicants, I mean.

[And if replicants isn't a telling name for them, he doesn't know what is.]

For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry that humans didn't see your life as being important.

[Did they have a revolution too? He has to smile, just a little. Her words very eloquently describe his own mixed feelings towards humans.

He raises an eyebrow, realizing that she's right, introductions have been neglected.]


It's a very pretty name, Mariette. Did you choose it yourself? [A half-smile tugs at his lips.] My name is Connor, I'm- I'm just Connor.

[ooc: it was tempting, ngl! XD hi-five for android fans!]
Edited (html is never my friend) 2020-01-24 01:53 (UTC)
flurry_of_beaus: (018)

[personal profile] flurry_of_beaus 2020-01-24 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
"A machine?" Beau nearly laughs, but holds back at the last second. It's the most restraint she's ever shown, maybe.

"I mean, sure, maybe there's something mechanical to it, but anything like this has to be powered by the arcane. We're talking something extradimensional, something not powered by human hands. Magic can be explained. It can be studied and understood. Not by me, maybe, but by others."
compellingstatement: Art by <user name=switalia site=plurk.com> (confused | surprised)

[personal profile] compellingstatement 2020-01-24 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[That gets him to stare at her in confusion, blinking. That seems like she's being serious, like she's interested, but that can't be right. Is this a trick? The frown deepens and his brow furrows in confusion as he tries to read her. But this isn't something he's ever been particularly good at.

It has to be a trick. It can't be real. She's just putting him on. They were just fighting. She's setting him up for something. His hackles start to rise along with the paranoia, and he heads for the door. It has to be unlocked now.]


Get a job. I'm not hiring. And I'm-I'm not falling for whatever this is. [There's an edge of fear to the confusion.] Goodbye.
soulette: (Smile)

BR 2049 Spoilers

[personal profile] soulette 2020-01-24 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
Alright, Just Connor. [ She gives a bit of a shrug, smile on her lips twisting humorously as she tries to lighten up the mood with a crack at a bad joke. She isn’t normally so heavy, often choosing to bypass the hurt for a nonchalant, easy-going attitude, but Connor had struck a sore spot in her, digging up emotions that she normally chose to keep dampened down.

But he reminded her of how much it hurt at first, how afraid she had been of being hunted down, of being found out somehow even as she remained in hiding. She had slowly come to realize that her emotions weren’t just simulations, but that they were real, as real as the emotions humans had — a race that sometimes likened to children playing pretend at being gods.

She shakes her head when he apologizes, taking a moment to note how the LED had felt just like skin, really. She doesn’t need an apology. ]
Yeah, same. If it means anything. [ She notes his smile too, how subtle it is, and how it suits his face.

She has to ponder a bit at his question, though, then blink at his next one which contains a compliment. He’s curious, this Connor, and the more they talk, the easier it is to relax around him. ]


Mm… blade runner. Maybe it's some metaphor for living life like they’re running on a knife’s edge. Or maybe having to be razor-sharp while running down replicants. I never found out why. But they did deviate. I knew one who did. [ She leaves out the part where he died. ]

And thank you. [ She tries for a smile but it falls short. She's glad to have a name, but she's not glad for the reason she needed one. ] Though I can’t take credit. My creator named me. [ It made sense for her. She’s a pleasure model, so she to be called something. Some replicants never even got names. ] Did you name yourself?


(( ooc: YAY hi-5! BTW, I didn't app Mariette this round and not sure if I will due to RL being so busy sigh, but if you'd like, please add me on plurk [plurk.com profile] riewunsch and we shall find each other on memes etc ~ ))
jadedlynx: commissioned; please dns (ready to kill)

[personal profile] jadedlynx 2020-01-24 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
With their proximity with one another, Ash can't miss the grab for his boot. He doesn't know what's inside, but it doesn't take a genius to know it's a weapon. Gun? Knife? Ironically, a knife is the most dangerous guess up close. With a gun, there are a few steps that would have to happen before the bullet got to him. A knife simple has to connect.

He isn't about to get carved up here in the street, not if he can help it. However, since Cain reaches with only one hand, that means the other side is more open since it'll be harder and slower to attack Ash if he's on the side opposite of the knife while still behind him.

There's no direct tackle. While not weak, many of his opponents have been larger men, leaving Ash to rely on his speed, clear head, and intelligence to win. If Cain's knife is on the left, Ash attacks from the right, with the reverse being true should the knife be on the right. As he spins, he withdraws his own knife. If he's successful, he can press the blade to Cain's throat. If he's not, at least he has a knife to defend with.
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (you know I'm a star)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
I could see the appeal in a virgin.

Are you speaking from experience?
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (Default)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
Only if you let it be.
Why put yourself in that position in the first place?
If you know that it's sex, fast, or something you find dehumanizing then why not go with the first option.
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (you wouldn't get far)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
Propositioned implies subtly and I don't think I was all that subtle.
Blow my mind, I dare you.
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (Default)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
And you underestimate my value.
You're not looking at the picture, but I can't fault you for that.
We've just met. You don't know me.


[ Ransom isn't, well he won't, beg anyone to try harder to see his worth. They did or they didn't and if they didn't, they were wrong. The guy isn't wrong about asking for more than he'd give though. Ransom prefers the scales tipped in his direction, equal, but never too far to the other side. ]

So is this it?
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (Default)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
You'll have to ask Linda and Richard.

[ Obviously Ransom didn't name himself, but he did choose what people called him. He preferred his middle name. ] Yeah? [ Ransom grips Laurent's chin and applies firm pressure, pushing his face up so their eyes meet. ]

Is that what you think is happening here? I'm not going to be second best. Sure, I was willing to play the game of Steve if that's what you wanted, but you clearly don't.

[ His thumb slips up to press Laurent's bottom lip down, opening his mouth. ]

So this is between you and me now. Besides, you won't be thinking of Steve when this is over.

[ Ransom allows a few seconds to pass. A light inhale, soft exhale, warmth gathering between their bodies at the calculate time he gives the guy to consider what he's saying. And then he kisses him, thumb barely slipping out of the way before their lips meet. ]
dramamama: <user name=easycompany> (you wouldn't get far)

[personal profile] dramamama 2020-01-24 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Physical intimacy had a learning curve. Give and take, at first, without any real understanding of what the other person enjoyed. Someone had to lead and someone had to follow. Not in a submissive or dominance way, but in a if nobody did anything then nothing happened way. Ransom didn't mind making the first move, but he didn't want a partner who laid there and took it.

Equal participation. It wasn't fun if there wasn't a reason to use strategy and she was giving him more than enough to respond to.

Her eyes close and the tip of her tongue runs along his, hands pressed against his hips. The slope of her shoulder outlined beneath his fingertips. The warmth seeping through her clothes. He's beginning to enjoy himself - ]
Ransom.

[ She breaks the kiss and he breathes his name out against her jaw. ]

Yours?

[ If it was important to her, enough so that she stopped, then they could get that out of the way. ]
aemula: (bewildered)

[personal profile] aemula 2020-01-24 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
As much as I hate to say it, you make sense. It's just that it seems like a rock and a hard place a lot of the time.