TDM I

[thetonmods]

The Ton Test Drive Meme I

Welcome to the The Ton's first ever Test Drive Meme!

The game will officially open on the 1st of April (lol) and we will announce this via the game's Plurk account. Applications will open on this date - please do not submit an application before then as it will be ignored until the opening date.

Please note that the Test Drive Meme does not require an invite.

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Arrival

I. WELCOME

You don't remember when or where you fell asleep exactly.

Perhaps it's the tickling sensation of a low hanging tree branch brushing against your nose or the feel of the slightly damp grass underneath you that causes you to awaken but when you do you'll find yourself lying amongst a glade of wisteria trees. You're not alone - nymphs of the trees laugh and dance about you, clearly amused at the new arrival. Along with them, your new loyal servant is here on Pheme's bidding. How this servant looks is different to each arrival. Some are saddled with short, stout butlers, others are welcomed by towering, busty maids. Regardless of their appearance, they introduce themselves with a kindness and warmth that is simultaneously reassuring and strangely impossible to resist when they beckon you to follow them from the grove and out into the city of Andovale.

The closest structure within sight is the Palace and its grounds. It is here that the Lady Pheme resides and from here that she rules over the city, your servant explains to you. You have been selected and brought here personally by her. It is she who assigned the servant to guide you through the regency-inspired city that is your new home.

Eventually, they will bring you to your new residence within the outskirts of somewhere called the "Trade Quarter". You are now the resident of a room within one of the many imposing town houses which make up the Grand Crescent. Throughout your stay here the servant will be your own personal butler or maid. This is where all new arrivals will be living for the time being you are told. Your servant will also give you a crash course on life here and the concept of Thumos - the energy or life force that keeps Andovale and all life within it going - including you now that you are here. It's generated through acts of intimacy, whether that be physical or emotional.

Once you have been shown to your room, you are given two things: a network communication device and a letter. The letter reads as follows:

My dearest reader,

Welcome to Andovale.

The delights of our fair city are yours to explore.

I do hope that you make your stay here a most interesting one. I shall be frightfully disappointed if you do not - and we do not want that, do we?

You will hear from me again very soon.

Yours Truly,

Lady Pheme

You are free to wander about and explore the house and its surroundings as you please. It's certainly spacious enough. As well as your own quarters, each of the townhouses of the Grand Crescent have large communal areas, which includes the kitchens (although why you'd like to go there when your servant can fetch any delicacies you'd like for you!), a dining room, a parlour with its own small library, two drawing rooms (somewhere you can go to chill out basically - harp music anyone?) and a generously sized garden. Strangely, unlike most accurate regency townhouses, there do not appear to be any servant's quarters - perhaps these servants don't need to rest? Or they go somewhere else entirely for that.

Why not introduce yourself to your new housemates? Or enjoy some tea and cakes that have been prepared for you personally by your retainer, which they seem to keep insisting on bringing to you?

---

II. AN INVITATION

Your arrival coincides with the beginning of spring and with it the height of the ton's social season. What kind of social event can signify the start of this better than a grand ball?

Coincidentally you won't have long to enjoy your new home in peace and quiet. Wherever you are within the Grand Crescent your house's assigned butler or maid will track you down sometime during the day. They are not empty-handed and they carry a silver tray, upon which is an envelope with a wax seal bearing the letter "P". Inside the envelope is an invitation. An invitation from your benevolent ruler, Lady Pheme herself.

Each character will receive an invitation identical in wording to the one below:

MASKED BALL

YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME HERE


Is requested to attend the ball at THE PALACE, on 25th of March current, at 9 o'clock p. m.


Do not trouble yourself - masks will be provided upon your arrival.

Lady Pheme

You have already been told that an invitation to the Palace from the lady herself is the only way in. So if you want to find out anything about the tyrant lady then you better get yourself gussied up. Your servant can help you find something appropriate to wear - or not appropriate, the choice is entirely yours after all. The ball awaits.

Masked Ball

For the first time tonight, the gates of the Palace are open. Whether you're arriving on horseback, by carriage or on foot, you must travel through those gates and down a wide sweeping roadway, lined with immaculately trimmed hedges and roses bushes.

Stone steps and huge double doors greet you at the other end. Once you go through these doors, you will enter a grand entrance hall. You will see this room and the ballroom only. All other rooms are out of bounds and no amount of physical force or magic powers will get you to them.

In the short time that Andovale has been in existence, Lady Pheme has already built herself a bit of a reputation for being rather erratic when it comes to the Palace's interior. She seems to change it on a whim whenever she feels like it. She does so hate being bored after all. The colour scheme she fancies on this particular evening is black, white and silver. The many servants and attendants milling around are dressed all in white and are of course, wearing masks themselves. Every free surface is covered in grand flower arrangements, also in white.

Upon arrival, you are handed two very important items. The first is your dance card, the second is your mask. You will not be able to enter the Palace ballroom without both of these items.










The delight that is the dance card is key to every regency ball experience. Traditionally held by young women, at this ball everyone gets one. The dance card is used to record the names of those with whom you intend to dance each successive dance with at a formal ball such as this.

Got cold feet? Dancing not your thing? You might find that card being magically filled out for you. One second it's completely blank, the next you look down and find yourself with a list of delightful individuals with whom to show off your dance moves. (You have Pheme to thank for that - she's just looking out for you!)

Curiously, there is no sign of your generous hostess herself. Just a throne sitting empty at the top of the ballroom.

As for the masks, well... they're not quite what they seem too. It isn't as though you'll have any choice but to find that our for yourself. As previously mentioned, there's no entering the ballroom without one on. You might be able to persuade someone to swap masks with you or ask a member of the Palace stuff for another one - but they're all about as chaotic as each other.

Hey, at least the drinks are unlimited.

A typical regency ball usually ends around 5 in the morning so you might be here a while.

Note: The images below are just a guide, you can decide exactly what your mask looks like as long as it fits within the colour/animal category described.

Silver Mask

Simple and classic - unless you go for one of the more elaborately patterned ones.

The wearer of this mask will find themselves experiencing only the most pleasant of hallucinations. We'll leave the interpretation of that up to you.

You're also hungry. Really damn hungry.

Blue Mask

Masks of this hue will leave the wearer with an overwhelming sense of sadness. You're just plain bummed out.

Unless that is, you get yourself someone to dance with. In fact the only way to feel remotely normal or cheerful while you're wearing this mask is to dance the night away and you will feel compelled to do just that. Otherwise you're just going to be a giant sad sack all evening and nobody wants that.

Peacock Mask

Wow, so you like to make a statement, huh? Or maybe it was the only one within reach. Either way, nobody's going to fail to notice you in one of these.

Seriously. No, seriously, is it just you or is everyone staring at you? You know the mask is pretty garish in comparison to the others but this seems like an overreaction...

The truth is this mask makes you irresistible to others. So you have the personality of a shovel? Your problems are over, my chum. All of the ton will now be dazzled by your sparkling wit and the positively flawless way in which you conduct yourself. Everyone's laughing at your jokes, even when you didn't make one. Everyone wants to be the first name on your dance card. You might even find yourself with a couple of marriage proposals by the end of the night.

You lucky thing you.

Pink Mask

Two words: MEET CUTE.

Come on, it's everyone's favorite trope! You know that romcom hero or heroine who is delightfully and cutely clumsy? Always bumping into their future love interest? Well, this mask lets you become just that.

You know, after your third spilled drink of the night this could actually get really annoying.

Harlequin Mask

There is no such thing as privacy for those who end up with a harlequin mask. It may take you a while to realise (unless someone else takes pity enough to point it out to you) but this particular mask projects the wearer's innermost private thoughts onto the front of it for anyone else to read.

Let's hope you're not thinking anything too insulting. Otherwise, we might have a fight on our hands.

Cat Mask

This mask causes the wearer to start acting... well, like a cat.

Chasing shiny objects, randomly knocking glasses off the drinks table, rubbing yourself against somebody else's legs... all of that. You weirdo. What will it take to ward you off? A spray from a water bottle? A laser pointer? If only those had been invented...

Golden Mask

This mask will really amp up your Thumos production. When we say really, we mean really.

The slightest touch from another will suddenly feel like ecstasy to you. Even something as simple and bland as someone tapping you on the shoulder is liable to have you feeling weak at the knees.

Naturally this could get a little awkward if you've never even met the other person before. Oh well, at least they can't see your face properly.

Red Mask

Red is the colour of passion. That must be why you're passionately angry at that person. Specifically the first person you lay eyes on once you enter the ballroom. You might even say that they are your nemesis.

Does this person even know that they're your nemesis? Probably not. (Unless they just happen to also put on a red mask and lay their eyes on you at exactly the same moment!) It doesn't matter. Clearly they must be stopped.

Now no decent, upstanding member of the ton would condone actual violence of any kind. Particularly not at a high society soirée such as this. Your fighting must be sneaky, subtle - make them feel like they're simply not welcome here! Throw thinly veiled insults at their attire, literally throw one of the vol-au-vents at them when their back is turned, accidentlly spill your glass of lemonade in their lap... Do whatever it takes. Well, within reason.

How do you like them apples?

The bustling market of Andovale's Trade Quarter is known for having only the finest produce. This week there is a new stall that has never appeared before and it does not specialise in your run of the mill fruit and vegetables.

This particular stall is selling golden apples. In appearance they appear to be literally made of solid gold yet the beautiful woman minding the stall demonstrates that they are perfectly edible. In fact, they're downright delicious - you just can't stop yourself taking a bite. We would venture to say that they are probably the most delicious apples you have ever tasted.

They also come with side effects.

The legendary Golden Apples of the Garden of Hesperides were a wedding present to the goddess Hera from Gaia, the ancestral mother of all life. The apples promised immortality and anyone who ate them would never again experience hunger, thirst, suffering or illness... well, these apples are but a pale imitation of that. No, you won't become immortal but for exactly twenty-four hours after you've taken your first bite you will find that you don't need to eat, drink or rest. Your strength and stamina will increase tenfold and things that would normally cause harm to you cannot. Optionally, you may also be feeling extremely concupiscent, as the locals would put it - aka horny to you and me.

Somehow there's always a bad apple in the bunch though, right? Or several.

Unfortunately some of these apples are Apples of Discord. If you happen to pick one of these, one bite will still give you all of the traits mentioned above but for the next twenty-four hours you will find that unluckiness and chaos seems to shadow your every step...

So maybe you're passing beneath an open window and a maid accidentally empties a vase of water and some dead flowers on your head. Maybe you're in your local inn just trying to have a quiet drink but find that others are constantly trying to start a fight with you. Trying to get lucky with that special someone? Maybe certain parts of your anatomy just will not get with the program. And we advise you to maybe avoid carrying anything delicate and breakable for the next short while.

Wildcard

To assist you with inspiration our full list of Andovale's locations can be found here.

Want to play something that isn't listed here? Go ahead!

Please note that TDMs are considered game canon.

Both prospective and current characters who are already in game will be permitted to top-level on TDMs.

As your first port of call, we would recommend having a read of the premise page, as well as our rules. For any general game questions you may have which are not answered by the FAQ then please leave a comment on the FAQ page - for any questions specific to this TDM then please respond to the questions comment below.

Most importantly - have fun!

Comments

⚔ masked ball

[sharktrash]

[ that makes two of them. ]

[ squalo knows his way around balls and socializing and ridiculously overdone clothes. he doesn't enjoy it. the only socializing worth doing is done with blades at each other's throat, and the best kind of dancing is a duel to the death. ]

[ except now, clad in white and blue, he finds himself inexplicably drawn toward the thick of it. ever since he's been wrangled into the blue mask he's currently wearing, something felt off, something coiled in his chest like grief, acidic like regret, tanking his mood completely except for the brief respite whenever he drew closer to the dance floor. ]

[ and just as he's finally caving in and taking a step in -- he's almost running into someone else. someone who may indeed be on his dance card, and someone who looks even more out of place than he feels. the woman is huge. he doesn't mind that, though. he thinks he's seen her earlier, when they were arriving. he's curious. ]

[ he puts on what he thinks is his least intimidating, albeit still smug, smirk and extends a hand to her, offering a dance. he can play the part just fine. ]

You look much more comfortable in armour, my lady.

[sapphireisle]

( she's waiting for the joke that follows a proffered hand — the cutting jibe that usually accompanies an offer to dance, or for it to dawn on her (slowly, always too slowly) why someone might want to dance with her. there has to be a purpose, an ulterior motive; she might be lord commander of the kingsguard, a hero in her own right, but time has not made her any prettier or more conventional.

yet this man, the man in the blue mask with white hair that seems impossible (valyrian?), doesn't seem to be joking in spite of the smirk. he's nearly of a height with her, remarkable in its own right, and after eyeing him suspiciously behind the peacock mask, she takes his hand. )

I was persuaded otherwise by my ... ( well, she's not entirely sure what to call the stout man who insisted on following her around everywhere and seeing to her day to day needs. squire? bloody hell, it nearly has her missing pod. ) Guide.

( brienne lets him lead her further onto the dancefloor — or, more accurately, battles with the man for who is leading whom. surveying him, her feet, and the dance the others have picked up around them, she adds (with no small flare of blush to her cheeks): )

I should warn you I may step on your feet. ( dry, almost peevishly. )

[sharktrash]

[ Conventional is boring. Besides, it's not her looks that Squalo is intrigued by anyway. From what he can gather, she is some kind of a fighter, perhaps even a swordswoman; he is curious about her skills as one. Ballroom dance is hardly an indicator of such, so he deems it unimportant, even if it is still a part they must play. ]

Persistent creatures, aren't they?

[ Sure enough, they were scarily effective with a mixture of bribery, thinly veiled threats and just being insufferably frustrating until paid mind to. But in the end, they were both here, so clearly their overbearing tenders had won. ]

[ His grip is firm but not patronizing; if she really wants to, he'll allow her to take the lead, but she may need to fight for it a little bit. ]

[ He seems amused by her warning -- in a good-nature way rather than mocking, though. His smirk widens a little. ]

I should warn you I'm quite quick on mine.

[ If he's managed to avoid getting shot in the foot by his short-tempered boss, he can certainly avoid getting stepped on by a giant amazon warrior. ]

[sapphireisle]

( she snorts in spite of herself — brienne does not want to find this stranger funny, but he's certainly put a pin in the attendants. for all that she could likely lift the stout butler over her head and toss him across the room, he'd been shockingly unphased by her growling, grunting, and other such indications of unhappiness. in fact, he almost seemed pleased by the challenge. gone were the days of giving pod a look and sending him scattering.

she can't help a quick flinch when his hand lands on her waist; alien, uncommon, something new. it'd be much easier if he'd punched her, or if they were dueling. she understood that. a bit woodenly, she lets him turn her, eyes narrowing on his face. )

For the better, then. ( a mis-step, that will have her trodding on his foot quite hard, if he doesn't step out of the way. she winces, curve of her lips uncertain. ) Do you dance often?

[sharktrash]

[ she may not want it, but clearly, he's hilarious. and he very much wants her to dance with him. in fact, it feels like the most important thing in the world right now, the only way he can fend off that unfamiliar, crushing feeling threatening to collapse his chest from within. ]

[ no, it's not unfamiliar. he remembers it from some moments of anguish he does not want to think about. and while he too would much rather be dueling right now, this is fine. this holds the unfathomable upset at bay. ]

[ he makes sure to tune up the charm, too, merely shooting her a quick smile as he expertly moves his foot out of the way right as hers is about to descend on it. somehow, he manages it so smoothly that it looks like an intended dance step rather than a last moment scramble to avoid collision; most people probably wouldn't be able to tell a crisis has been averted here while looking from the outside. ]

Not very, but I was expected to learn still. [ Keeping up appearances. Varia did not end up in high-end balls like this as often as the main branch did, but they still could not afford to look clumsy or awkward. After all, the familia's reputation was important. ] What about you?

[sapphireisle]

( ordinarily, she'd insist that he mind his own business — tell him in no uncertain terms that whether she dances or not is irrelevant. but she had asked, in an ill-fated attempt to make small talk, and the stranger has yet to laugh at her, or otherwise indicate that this is some kind of jape. she may not owe him anything, but she might as well answer the question.

the fact that he steps out of the way of her misstep so quickly has her interest piqued; it's instincts above and beyond what you'd normally find when dancing (she thinks, she has no real experience in any of it). and he's subtle, too. she's thankful for the peacock mask for the first time that night, it hides a rather brilliant red creeping across her cheeks. )

It was expected. ( along with the dresses they'd stuffed her in when she'd so much rather be wearing breeches and riding. selwyn tarth had made an admirable attempt at it, as had the tutors he'd hired. ) I'm not sure who was more relieved when I quit — my teacher, or the servant they'd demanded partner with me.

( thankfully she'd proved a much defter hand at the sword and once she got a grasp of her size in relation to space? well, dueling had been much easier than dancing. )

[sharktrash]

[ He thinks he hears some self-depreciation there. It's fine not to like things; but this feels different. He lifts their joined hands high up, guiding her into a slow turn-around. ]

What about yourself? Were you relieved?

[ If yes, perhaps it is for the best. But if she had wanted to learn and the others gave her grief about it, well, that's some bullshit. He doesn't usually feel offended on a stranger's behalf, but something about her piques his interest even more than he knows a promise of a fight normally would. ]

[sapphireisle]

( he — seven — he actually turns her, in a way that isn't ridiculous or doesn't involve brienne having to stoop so they don't both fall over. it's a sensation she's wholly unfamiliar with. even when she'd been learning, she'd already towered over most of the boys by at least two hands-width.

trying not to appear flummoxed, she loses track of the conversation and then finds it again, mouth set in a grim line. )

Somewhat. I was never good at dancing. ( it's honestly a miracle (or due to the agility of her partner) that she hasn't seriously injured him yet. ) My father taught me the sword not long after. Insisted I learn it right, if I was to learn it at all.

( there is a note of fondness there; for all that she hated dancing, it's clear brienne can't hold it against selwyn tarth for trying. )

[sharktrash]

[ well, look at that. perhaps dancing isn't entirely awful when you actually have a suitable partner. who would've thunk? ]

I'm glad you found something you could enjoy.

[ he lowers their hands as the turn is done, stepping a bit closer again, though he does remain alert for any foot-crushing mishaps. he's not letting this nice moment get ruined, not when he's finally rid of that crushing sadness and when she's looking like queen of the world in that peacock mask that definitely has nothing to do with it. ]

But have you considered that they're not so different? Swordplay and dancing, that is.

[sapphireisle]

( another squint behind the mask — he’s laughing at her. or else poking fun. being sarcastic. something along those lines. lord commander or no, she is still a woman. and women, other than her, are not knights. perhaps it’s her singleminded focus on her suspicion and his face, but she manages not to nearly trod on his feet while studying him — go figure? )

No. ( she decides to answer honestly. she hadn’t considered it. she’d been more than happy to leave that part of her life behind, as quickly as she could. ) I try not to think of dancing at all, if I can help it.

( it reminds her a bit of arya stark, then. what had she called it? water dancing. )

[sharktrash]

[ Lucky him. He does note it, though, that her steps seem to have improved when she stopped thinking about it and focused on him. Perhaps it's not that she's actually bad at it, but that too many people in her life had told her so. ]

[ He wonders if he could break through that block with words, or if action is the only way. ]

Both require you to mind your footwork, don't they?