Welcome to The Duality of Man, an original animanga role-play that features numerous supernatural creatures. Unfortunately, these various species have distanced themselves because of the war that occurred thousands of years ago, plaguing some with eyes that only see their dualism. While others meddle themself with their differences, two groups fight, each attempting to eliminate the other in for their definition of worldly peace. These two groups of the Terror Response Syndicate (TRS) and the Assembly of Phantoms (AP). With individuals fighting merely over their differences, it brings uncertainty to the outcome of this war.
We happily accept all role-players as long as they obey the rules and are capable of meeting our word count of 50. This does include those who are unfamiliar with this style of role-playing. The staff of The Duality of Man are willing to happily help those who are new to the role-playing world so they feel comfortable on site. Feel free to message the staff if you need help, they can be found here or in the site Discord and will gladly answer questions alongside calm concerns. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them; guests may use the support board as a suggestion area as well. Should you decide to join, may I say welcome to the site and we all hope you enjoy your time here.
Yours Truely,
The Staff
season
Summer 2024
Heat has broken through into a glorious summer. The snow has entirely dried through the spring, leaving to the brilliance of the warmer months. Terror activity has risen as people are brought out of their homes, leaving the TRS in a position of consistent work. Each are attempting to maintain victory in the endless struggle for power.
Since the wonderful members of TDOM enjoy the site enough to play around on it, this thread is to assist with the site's tidying! Functionality is important and we want to make the site functional even if its activity will be minimal at best!
Stress eating that many pickles was .. not what he had expected. Nonetheless, he really wasn’t going to say anything too terribly much about it. Bruno was lying in the entrance to the door, watching Thalassa as he moved around, pausing every so often to send a text. He didn’t let his attention waver too much, keeping his attention solidly on the task he had set for himself, though the closer and closer he got to the completion of his task the more the ghosts started to creep up, their whispers in his ear growing louder and louder.
Putting the finishing touches on the macarons, he reached for a cup and heard his phone buzz. Glancing over - expecting to see another message from Severus - made him drop the cup and shatter it on the floor. Bruno’s head jerked up and the dog stared at him with concern as Thalassa set his jaw. Picking up his phone he blocked the number, but the damage had already been done. The ghosts were screaming in his ears and dizzying his sight - so he tried to distract himself again. Picking up the shattered pieces of the cup and cleaning the area where it shattered, he sighed heavily.
Sighing heavily, he glanced over at the macarons before sitting at the table, bonelessly slumping against it until his forehead and face were pressed against the cool surface of it. His phone was silent at the counter where he had left it, still open from the blocked number. He wasn’t going through that nonsense again. A shudder ran down his spine as his eyes closed. Your fault Thalassaaaaa... The chill of the table soaked into his skin and for a moment he allowed himself to cease, his mind a static of not thinking.
He didn’t notice Bruno’s ears twitch and the large canine rise to his paws, responding to a familiar presence coming home. Bruno approached the door with a subdued gait - the wag of his tail slow and with a low whine. No, no I’m fine. Just don’t think about it.. The words echoed like a skipping stone in Thalassa’s mind, but it wasn’t doing much today. If he melted into the table, well, he probably wouldn’t notice much. Thalassa was unresponsive, even at the sound of footsteps, though he would jolt if touched. Today’s haunting was bad, and he wasn’t pulling himself out of it very effectively.
A delicate balance of sincerity and baby steps, that’s what it looked like was waiting in store. Thalassa feels almost instantly colder when Severus pulls away, but doesn’t say anything, hand still pressed over one eye to remove the clinging remnant of the fact he had shed tears. Lowering his hand after a moment, he exhales low and feels like pressure has slipped from his very bones. There was still a weight there, sure, and there were still regrets haunting his thoughts. The fact still held true that some part of himself, no matter how small, felt just a little lighter.
”Whatever it takes...” His voice is low, a promise to himself as much as Severus. An oath that he had no intention of breaking. Slowly but surely, baby steps, he would make it right. Movement in his peripherals alerted him to Bruno seated nearby, watching them. At least he hadn’t run off after a raccoon or something. The dog had always been prone to giving into his instinct to chase, but it seems he really was fixated. Or had he mellowed some since he had been gone?
“It ... will be nice. To have a place to belong again.” He had meant to say home, but that wasn’t really how it came out. He finds that he doesn’t mind, a lighter shade of light in his eyes. “Yeah..” Averting his too bright gaze for a moment, he braved himself through his hesitation. Allowing his hand to slip into Severus’s, it was the sealing of a promise. There was no reason to run anymore. Maybe this could be a new beginning ... as long as he was allowed to have one.
Focus on something to calm down. Breathing. Rhythmic inhaling and exhaling. Slow counting to ten and back down again. The presence of the breeze that toys with hair. Inhale, exhale. Eyes have stopped burning. Tears have started to slow, soon they might stop. Focus on something .... he’s here still. Thalassa can feel him here, his hold, the fabric beneath his own tightly clinging fingers. Thalassa doesn’t need to see to notice.
Time stretches on, words are spoken, Thalassa still doesn’t reply at first. One, two, inhale exhale. Three, four, Severus’s voice is familiar. Five, six, it’s actually soothing to hear him speak. Seven, eight, his trembling has calmed considerably. Nine, ten, coming to terms with something he can’t say yet. It’s not the right time. Swallowing back the sentiment, Thalassa gives a soft nod. ”Be easy to keep that promise.”
Ten, nine, Thalassa was coming back from the brink. Eight, seven, he didn’t ever realize just how deep those feelings ran. Six, five, inhale, exhale. Four, three, it takes all he can muster to not nuzzle himself in closer like an affection starved kitten. Two, one...things seem more stable now. Thalassa loosens the bruise-knuckle grip of his clinging fingers, bringing one arm close to swipe the back of his hand at his eyes. ”Home, huh? I...I guess that makes sense.” Home isn’t a word he’s heard in a long time.
The emotional overture was a long time coming, years of trauma and emotions kept under a lid that was packed so tight that any release would make it explode. Tears flowed down Thalassa’s face without restraint or pausing; his eyes remaining closed as he tried to regain control of his erratic breathing. His heartbeat echoed in his ears, and though his eyes were closed, he felt as though the world was spinning a little too fast.
At first, the only acknowledgement he could give to Severus’s words were a tiny, almost inaudible whimper. Fingers closing around whatever he could reach, Thalassa actually clung. His fingers, no, his entire body frame was likely quivering the slightest degree, and he had no way to tell just how tight his grip was. Yet, he needed it right now, needed to feel as absolutely close, as grounded as possible. After a moment, Thalassa swallowed back more tears. “I’m tired, but .. I - I swear I won’t stray again.”
The tiredness from the emotions running wild is slowly sweeping over him, the slight way his shoulders droop now. Eventually, slowly, his breathing starts to calm, and Thalassa lets out a exhale that he feels from his bones. “I’ll remain by your side until the day you no longer want me to be there.” Just a little longer like this, just a little more ... and Thalassa thinks he’ll be okay. No matter what happens after, he’ll be able to make it through.
Thalassa couldn't stop himself once it started, the wet slipping off his face more freely. His breathing was louder and uncontrolled, uneven and he gave up even trying to hide it anymore. He didn't deserve what he perceived as such benevolence, would never have expected anything close to it. He had thought that he was going to be alone forever with the ghosts in his mind, until the day someone tracked him down and gave him what he deserved. Thalassa has always been known as strong, had always been an unbreakable fortress, but time waits for nobody. "I'm n..not...okay.." Admitting it hit him like a ton of bricks, as close to a scream that Thalassa would ever get.
Severus could have Quicksilver, keep it if he really wanted to, as long as he could stay. It all seemed too cruel, and yet it was fitting that he would have lost everything he once had as well. He deserved it, he deserved it, he really fucking deserved it, though it still didn't feel like enough punishment. It didn't hurt enough yet, surely it couldn't compare to what he had caused, but he had to start somewhere.
"Together..." The words are hardly more than an echo of a sentiment, though there's a sense of relief through the broken words that can barely get through his rough vocals. Thalassa closes his eyes tighter, his eyes burning as his teeth return to digging back into the wound he had already inflicted on his lip. Coppery blood washes over his tongue but he doesn't dare release his lip, not when he was trying to keep from choking up more.
It's still difficult for Thalassa to fight, keeping his foot wedged between his barriers and instincts and stopping the door from slamming back shut. Keeping everything behind lock and key was so much easier, it was what he was used to. Ice and silver had always been his birthright, his duty to keep himself safe. Even though they were supposed to, in hindsight, haven't they already failed that purpose?
"I won't leave you again. If .. if I have to I'll even give you Quicksilver." It was a risky move, offering to hand over the broadsword like that, his only weapon and his most cherished possession all in one. It would leave him unarmed, defenseless, and yet it was also offering back a vulnerability that nobody had ever gotten from him. Something that nobody else ever would get, and it had every instinct he had flaring in his blood.
Quicksilver had been with Thalassa since he had joined the TRS, it was the blessing his parents had given towards his future. "I wish things were different. I could have been..less.." His voice is low, weak, and for a moment that he could not stop, he audibly choked. Water welled up around closed eyelids, Thalassa knowing that if he allowed his walls to fall now, there was no coming back from it. He had never truly lost control in front of anyone, had never allowed himself to cry.
It was already too late, water tracking down his face now, burning against his skin with all the fury of every regret that ghosts every breath. Thalassa's breath keeps catching in his throat, there wasn't any hiding it any longer. "O..one day.. I will make this...right.." His voice was faint, broken, and for once Thalassa sounded as pathetic as he felt. One day...one day...one day it had to get better.
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credits
The skin is created by Wolf of Adoxography and Gangnam Style. The thread and conversation remodels are by Kagney. The Strange Reality board list, Heal My Soul info center, I Remember Now mini profile and Electric Requiem profile remodel is made by Pharoah Leap. The Who's That Member member list remodel was made by Tictactoe. The Cbox.ws Shoutbox remodel was made by Trinity Blair. All templates used for claims, information sheets, applications, etc are credited to their owners; credits for these can be found in the threads the templates are use on. Images that are used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners, however, they have been edited by Zac with a few being edited by Chibi Magician. The plot, rules and various other information pieces for The Duality of Man are written by Chibi Magician with the assistence of her co-admins, Finnegan and Dremulf, alongside other unlisted people who were kind enough to give their input. The TRS, AP and face claim were all created by Fleur for specifically the use of TDOM. All plugins used on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners. The templates my members use are credited to their maker, if you find a template that belongs to you, but is uncredited, please speak to Chibi Magician or the member themself. Characters created on The Duality of Man are credited to their owners and should not be used elsewhere without the creator's permission.
Special thanks for the members of TDOM who make suggestions to help make this site better. Even though we can not accept all suggestions, we immensely appreciate it. Thus, we give credit to any additions that you thought of and were later implimented by the staff, because we are glad you give us these excellent ideas.