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!
Leo finished strapping themselves up in black clothing, not unlike one would see in the movies. The Virtual Dimension was active, and the inconspicuous door was attached to a nearby building in an alleyway. The door was styled in an utility access way, with spray paint on the front of it. It was a multicolored mark that seemed almost flawless in execution, no signs of any paint being out of place. This was the mark that would let her hired hand know which door to enter to get prepared.
Within the door was a spacious room covered in ash gray panels on the walls and floor. They were a matt gray color, but steps along the floor would betray that the panels were made of metal. At the center of the room was a round futuristic looking table with multiple projectors creating various different holograms. One hologram was a floor layout of the building, which had within it overlaid red arrows that signified guard patrols.
Along each arrow was a small document icon, which could expand to show the guards most likely to walk each path. Within the holographic building was 2 green arrows, one of which led to the basement, and another to the penthouse floor.
There was no doubt that the mercenary would come prepared, but Leo had been working on some technology just for such a purpose. While it was possible for her to monitor cameras, track guard locations, overwrite the video feed, and intercept problematic communications, it was exceptionally hard to do all at once. Thus, she had come up with a few solutions in order to lighten her digital load.
The first solution, was a badge that could be worn on the clothing. This would create small scale interference in both radio signals and video cameras. It would essentially act as a digital mask, intercepting different types of signals and making the person mostly invisible to the digital eye. While someone viewing a camera feed would still be able to see them, it would make the person blurry and transparent. For Leo, this was like outsourcing labor. Instead of doing this herself, they would only need to focus on actively scrubbing the feed of the remaining interference.
The second solution was the fabric they were going to wear. This fabric had minor camouflage capabilities, as it would scan one's surroundings and utilized a hyper flexible display mesh that would reproduce opposing sides. It wasn't perfected yet, as the variance and large pixel size created distortion. Essentially, you couldn't move and walk around in it without ruining the image. Like someone who had been painted to match a wall, it would try and figure out how to blend you in. As such, the image would start out poor, but slowly reach a high level of blending.
Leo once again checked the time, and knew that their mercenary should be there any moment. "Mariem, double check the equipment. We can't have anything go wrong." Off to a side a well dressed woman that was neither old nor young condensed from the air out of a mass of swirling pixels. Mariem was wearing a gray pantsuit that was perfectly tailored for her body, her hair shoulder length hair pinned up in an immaculate bun. Not a single hair out of place. Within Mariem's hands was a folded suit with a badge sitting atop it. The badge resembled Leo's, a small ring shape with a pin on the back to attach to the clothing. "Everything you requested is ready, and the scanning lab has shown no defects in the equipment."
"Good. I want Triage on standby incase I need it later." Just as Leo was saying this, the door to the virtual dimension began to open inward.
It was a good day. Penny had, for once, gotten a good night’s sleep and somehow avoided her near-daily headaches. Training had gone smoothly enough, the usual unbearable exercises shortened in light of a mission she’d been assigned. [break][break] The details of the mission were clear enough; she was to accompany some supposed tech genius into a lab to help steal a bit of techie gibberish Penny had neither the interest nor the need to try to understand. Her job was to take care of any living, breathing liabilities they may come across, including a few scientists that could, apparently, replicate the tech. [break][break] Robbery wasn’t usually her beat, but it seemed like the client was an important ally and, upon hearing the age of the client, she suspected it was a part of her mentor’s secret plan to set her up with more friends. She hardly saw the point, but as long as he kept teaching her to survive she’d play along. It wasn’t like she had much of a choice. Betraying his command would be close enough betraying the Black Order that Penny would never dare consider it. This was the life her father had wanted for her and she was determined to excel. [break][break] She was dressed in simple, dark clothes. They would do well enough if she needed to blend into any shadows and the outfit, accidentally fashionable hoodie paired with well fit leggings, was casual enough that she wouldn’t seem suspicious to the common observer while managing to flawlessly hide her supply of weapons. It also maintained enough mobility that she wouldn’t be hindered. It was an outfit she commonly wore for missions like this for its sheer practicality. She could easily be confused for a high school student and no one suspected a student, especially not a female student, of being the one they should keep an eye on. [break][break] She didn’t know what the client had in mind, but she was as prepared as she could be. She’d even done a bit of research into the grounds they’d been invading, checking for any potential exits that wouldn’t be marked on a simple map. Things rarely went as perfectly as planned and she didn’t want anyone getting away when things went downhill. If they ended up being the ones running she had a few escape plans depending on how deep into the mission they were. [break][break] The goal was to get in and out undetected and leave the chaos to be found in the morning. From her understanding their faces would be hidden from the cameras so there was less risk of exposure than she usually had to worry about. That was a rarity with modern day security systems. Considering the nature of the targeted lab Penny suspected most of their security would be automatic but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be guards to look out for. If the client was ok with it and they didn’t see their faces she’d try to stick to knocking them out rather than actually killing them. She’d added a lockpick to her collection of tools as well, just in case the need for them arose. [break][break] Between her preparation and the fact that she was merely an accessory to take out any unwelcome guests, Penny felt pretty confident that this would go well. The only thing she really had to look out for was a trap. The last thing she needed was to be dealing with a vigilante setting up a mission just to take out a foolish assassin. She was prepared in case of that emergency too. [break][break] She arrived at the location a few minutes early, but stayed hidden until their exact meeting time. She was neither early nor late as she entered a grey room through a marked door. She’d been briefed, told that this was some sort of Virtual Dimension, but it looked like any other room to her. The door shut behind her as silently as it had opened. As long as she didn’t get locked in she’d be alright. In a single moment, her eyes had taken in the details of the room and landed on the supposed client. Her face remained a blank mask. She wouldn’t be the one setting the tone for their interactions. [break][break] “Leo?” she asked, confirming the client’s identity more for the comfort of the client than any actual interest.
As Leo sensed a shift at the entrance of the Virtual Dimension, they turned to inspect the new arrival. As the white light began to highlight the young mercenaries features, Leo found themselves quite surprised. Someone who looked almost the same age as themself with dark hair and soft features. Despite the smooth teenaged skin, there was a certain hardness to their eyes that left Leo wondering how someone so young had gotten into this line of work. The description of the mercenary they had hired matched the young girl to a T, easing some of the tension Leo had not realized was building in their chest.
"Leo?"
"Yes, that is me." Leo quickly snapped their fingers, "Mariem, help our guest get dressed. I know it may be a bit unconventional, but trust me the suit will make your life easier. Here let me demonstrate." With that, Leo tapped the wrist of the thin suit twice. Almost immediately a matte gray color began to flash in a stripe over Leo's form multiple times. Each time the stripe crossed the distance of her body, she began to blend in to the gray panels more and more. Leo's head was not covered by the suit's headpiece(resembles spiderman hood), so it looked more like a floating head. If one took the time to more closely inspect the edges of Leo's body though, the reflections and lighting was slightly distorted. Leo snapped her fingers again, and the lights dimmed slightly, making the suit blend in even more.
"It works best if your standing still. I'm still working on getting it to be more effective while moving. That said, its better than not having it. The headpiece has a built in earpiece so we can remain in constant communication. The glasses also act as a display, and using GPS we can overlay the information I have in this hologram here." With a point of one blended finger, Leo demonstrated that even in lower lighting the suit became more visible and also brought The Mercenaries attention to the 3d model of the target building covered in arrows and profiles."Oh where are my manners, whats your name?" With that, Mariem had finished setting up a japanese style changing screen and set the suit on a rack next to it.
Penny blinked at the display of technology. Any higher-tech and they'd be some sort of shining beacon of electric energy. She wasn't against gadgets and technology, but she was usually trained to rely on as little as possible. The more dependent you were on things outside yourself the more there was to go wrong. If there were any electric manipulators in the lab things could go downhill rather quickly. If that was the case the suits could serve as a good decoy, though. In the meantime Leo was right; they would be useful. [break][break] Her mind attacked the new tools Leo described from every angle, trying to discern weaknesses that could pose an issue when it mattered most. Assuming the mechanics were completely reliable, which wasn't something Penny would put money on, there weren't any flaws she wouldn't be able to work around. [break][break] "Penny Grey. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am." Every word served it's purpose and her polite tone had little to do with actual respect. There were very few people who had truly earned her respect. In fact, as she tried to list them in her mind she came up blank. Thus far everyone she placed an ounce of respect in had proven less worthy than they appeared. Still, the act tended to make her life easier. It was the path of least resistance, and it set people up to underestimate her. [break][break] She grabbed the suit, testing the elasticity of the fabric before disappearing behind the screen. "What's the plan?" she asked as she loosened and removed any weapon sheaths that wouldn't fit under the new costume. "And do these things have pockets of any sort?" Camouflaging would be useless if not everything was camouflaged, and she had no intention of going in any less armed than she had to.
Seeing Penny move forward to change into the stealth suit made Leo happy. It had taken Leo and their various NPCs a couple days of dedicated work to get them made. Each of the NPC's were capable of doing anything else another human could do, but only if Leo gave them the knowledge of how to do it. This in turn required Leo to know how to do something in order to have an NPC do it. Thus, Leo had needed to study different stitching methods along with the tech required to embed the pixels in the fabric.
As Penny inquired about the plan, Leo enhanced the hologram's size, making it fill the empty space in the center of the room. As Leo did this, the question of pockets caught her off guard a bit."The pockets are slightly limited, but it should be enough. Feel around the thigh and bicep areas. You should find a raised bump of cloth, it covers a zipper that leads into the sleeve and pantlegs. There is one on each arm and leg, for 4 total. If you have something large and bulky like a gun, you'll just need to get creative. Though we shouldn't need a gun unless things really go south."
Leo then proceeded to wait for Penny to get done, their nerves starting to amp up in anticipation of the mission. This was going to be the first time they had "gone behind enemy lines", since before each brokering session was in the virtual dimension. As Penny walked back around the changing screen, Leo couldn't help but slightly blush. The suit was required to be near skin tight, as any overlapping fabric would distort the image, things like wrinkles or bagginess would break its function. They couldn't help but admire the well built woman in front of them, but thoughts of the mission brought Leo back to the task at hand. With a slight cough to clear their throat, Leo began to outline the plan for the mission.
"This is the layout of the building, with the guard patrols outlined by red arrows. I have done a fair amount of research on each of the guards that we are likely to encounter, and where they might be patrolling from a few surveillance photos. This only accounts for routes above ground, but the server room is in the second basement floor." With a wave of Leo's hands, the hologram shifted to the bottom two floors. This part of the hologram was less detailed, "I don't know as much about this since its off network, but based on where I've seen the other guards and how many patrol the upper floors there should only ever be 2 stationed in the basement at any given point."
Another shift in the image, and one of the rooms highlighted red. "Using predictive analysis, I think this is likely where the guard station is. Two guards in here to watch cameras, while 3 more move above ground." The image then zoomed out and displayed the rest of the building. Three red circles began to glow and dim on the penthouse, with 3 separate documents flashing to the forefront. "Each circle represent one of the target researchers. Your suit is able to run facial recognition on anyone you see, and as long as I have data on them, it will display their traits and capabilities. The ideal path is laid out in green, with ideal timings at the various cross sections."
After this, Leo turned to face Penny, their eyes hardened yet alight with anticipation. "Any questions?"
[attr="class","dangertxt"] Penny nodded, although she knew the client wouldn't see the motion, as the nature of the pockets was described. She slipped on the skin-tight outfit and undid one of the zippers, feeling for just how much space she'd been permitted. It was, as Leo had suggested, enough but not preferable. She slipped a knife into each of the pockets at the legs and her simple work phone in the pocket of her left sleeve. Accessing any sort of weapon in the right sleeve would take a moment too long, so she put her lock pick set in that one. It probably wouldn't be needed, but it was the most useful thing she had on her that would fit. [break][break] Leo was right. She probably wouldn't have to use a gun. She only bothered with them as a last resort, but they covered a lot of distance very quickly, which was a nice feature when she was in charge of protecting someone else. That was alright. A knife could do the same, just with a bit less accuracy. [break][break] After a moment of apparent distraction, Leo began discussing the plan, using a holographic model to help. Multiple floors always made things more difficult to plan. On one hand, the guards on the top level should be out of their way. On the other, the soundproof nature of any given building was guesswork at best from an outside perspective. Too much of a racket could lure them down. [break][break] The client ended the plan with a simple phrase everyone seemed to consider important. 'Any questions?' It was a stupid thing to ask, and one of the few things Penny truly hated. She always had questions, it was more a matter of whether she planned to ask any of them. [break][break] "Yes." she said simply, but she didn't pose them immediately. Rather, she spent another few moments scanning the map. She made a point to memorize what she was given. No matter how transportable information was, it was faster to just have it in her brain in case of any emergencies. Besides, the information was easy to remember. Through a mixture of training and good genes, Penny's memory was something unmatched by others. [break][break] Her gaze flickered up to the blonde client, curiosity surfacing in their amethyst pools. What sort of brain could create a scheme like this on their first try? She had no doubt this was the first such endeavor for Leo. It was a bit too cautious and the client seemed a bit too... eager. [break][break] The client was young. They couldn't possibly be much older than Penny herself. She had to wonder whether she was actually prepared for the weight of having done something like this just to get sole ownership over a piece of tech. She wasn't interested in dealing with any childish disillusionments about how simple this would be. Emotionally and logistically, things always played out a bit differently than expected. [break][break] "Ma'am, all plans can go south, no matter how carefully they're laid out or executed. This is relatively low risk; the guards probably aren't trained to shoot to kill. Even if they were, there is a difference between knowing how to pull a trigger and actually taking a life. You're more prepared than most of my clients and I am confident it won't get too far off track, but are you prepared for things to get messy? Once we're in you can't exactly back out." She paused for a moment to analyze Leo's reaction and decide on the rest of what she would say. "On that subject, you should know that I won't kill anyone you haven't specifically told me to unless there already happens to be a target on them, which is not likely. Any shots I take otherwise are on your conscience, not mine. Assuming you care about that crap." [break][break] There wasn't a trace of criticism in Penny's face. In fact, when she fixed her stare on Leo, there was nothing but cold indifference. It wasn't her place to tell Leo what to do, she merely wanted to make sure her client knew what to expect, now and in the long run. "Do you understand?"
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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.
