Duplicity Game Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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duplicitymemes2020-01-12 10:22 pm
duplicitymods) wrote in duplicitymemes2020-01-12 10:22 pm
Entry tags:
TDM #10
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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. |
 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. |
 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. |
 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. |
 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. |
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!! |
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"You keep an archive? Fascinating. Almost anything back home people consider supernatural isn't really. People have marvelous imaginations and very creaky pipes. But you're saying that here it's real? Would you be so kind as to elaborate? What sorts of happenings?"
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Jon sniffs disapprovingly. "My predecessor didn't feel compelled to actually do much weeding out of the wheat from the chaff. It's two hundred years-worth of materials, though. The archive I have here is a bit more manageable and I've been able to do quality control and authentication as things come in, rather than trying to follow up decades or even centuries later."
He's clearly getting into it, because he rolls right along to Aziraphale's question. "Oh, there are all sorts of things here, it's really interesting. There was an account from a deaf gentleman who found himself moved to violent slaughter by string quartet that he was somehow able to 'hear,' as it were. He found himself the only survivor at a theater massacre when staying late one night. When he went back the next day to 'face the music,' as it were, for the crime, there weren't any bodies, though. Nothing. I did a bit of modest follow-up, though. There had been several instances of violent deaths in the vicinity of the theater days or weeks earlier with injuries matching those that he described in his Statement. Ah, and then there was a unicorn on the beach, eating people. That turned out to be some variety of kelpie with a fishing spear stuck in its head. One of my associates dispatched the creature to ensure it wouldn't kill anyone else."
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"Now you know, I have heard of that, psychic impressions. Violence leaving behind traces of itself that some can pick up on." He has witnessed it in some very small instances, just as traces of love can linger on.
He lets out a sad little sigh. Such a pity about unicorns.
"Do you ever allow anyone else to read? If it's private, of course I wouldn't be offended at all. If it isn't, I'd love to have a peek."
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He clears his throat, expression returning to a mild frown and a light blush touching his cheeks. "It's certainly fascinating. We've discovered a relatively basic authentication method for whether or not the Statements are legitimate or whether they can be placed in the discredited file immediately. Real Statements can't be recorded on digital devices like a computer or phone. It just comes out covered with static. We record them on tape recorders, instead. Or, well... I record them, really."
Having thousands of years on Jon, Aziraphale may or may not be aware that audio recording of a written collection is an extremely odd practice for archiving. At least when it's not the voice of the original document writer.
"I don't allow review of the Statements I have from other LIERs unless they've explicitly provided me with permission, but if you have a research project specific to something that might be in the archives, the ones from the native public can be made available. I don't allow people to look simply out of idle curiosity. I can appreciate it, but these stories are grim tales detailing the terror and horror people have experienced related to supernatural occurrences.
"It would be a disservice to them to let just anyone have a look-in. As I'm sure you can appreciate, Mister...?"
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"If the natives have anything to say about how others are kept here or experiences that relate directly or indirectly to our abductions I would be most interested." There's a project. He didn't have to think twice about it.
"Oh, yes, of course. I respect confidentiality." It's usually meaningless around him, but he respects it. In this context, he'd have to actively try to cheat. He sees no merit in attempting such a thing.
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He does do the man the courtesy of thinking for a moment, expression pensive. "Nothing's coming immediately to mind, but I can check my files when I get out of here. I suppose that's something most people would want to know about. I'm Jonathan Sims, the Archivist. I do have a branch of the Magnus Institute here in Duplicity in the Up." He'll give the address. "If you come by in a few days, I can let you know if I've found anything.
"And perhaps you might write a Statement for me, yourself. How you came into existence would be highly intriguing." There's a rather hungry look in his eye as he speaks. "Or anything about your unusual interactions with humans on Earth, maybe."
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"I would greatly appreciate it. If you do find anything, a second set of eyes won't hurt." His own little joke given his true form. "I'm Mister Ziraphale." He accepts the address and clips it to the top of his clipboard for safekeeping. Normally, he'd spirit it away somewhere safe. Summoning objects and sending them away seem to be suppressed in this room.
"I truthfully don't know. I don't recall being created at all. I've always been." He knows that can't be completely true, because She came first. It's as close as he can get to describing how it feels. "I'm afraid it would be unethical for me to talk about my dealings with humans. Similar courtesy. I'm sure you understand." To another human not so bad. To whatever power lurks behind that gaze? Absolutely out of the question.
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The Archivist's gaze is once more intent upon him, though not quite as intense as it was the first time.
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He makes an uncomfortable little sound. "Thank you. This has been lovely." And he's turning on a soft bare foot to pad away.
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