memesoftheton

TDM I

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There were only nine inches of difference between them, Gregory's height not reaching six feet - rather common in Japanifornia. When she turned to face him, though, he gave her a respectful nod that became a half-bow, hand raised toward his chest. "Madam. May I presume that you are another of the inhabitants here? Perhaps one guided by either a maid or a butler?"

He spoke with certainty in his calm, not-quite-baritone voice, and more than a small measure of careful diction, as if used to making sure his words were heard exactly. She appeared to be more used to this apparent time period than he, himself, was, but appearances could be deceiving. After all, he'd already contemplated changing his mode of dress to fit the surroundings more.

She, in return, sketches a loose curtsy, gaze lowering demurely. Her accent is European, though pinning it down further might be hard, because she's from an entirely different geographical fuckery than him, a city-state plonked right where Italy, France and Switzerland meet.

"You may safely make that presumption. I'm another new arrival, so there's only so much I can offer guidance with, though."

Curtsey - interesting. Her time period did seem to be more like their current surroundings indeed. But at least there was one concern, it seemed, that he could allay. "I only intended to make acquaintance with the others who share this housing," he assured. "Especially as it seems we all have quite a bit to learn about this place - though I will say you appear to be more suited to it than I.

"Though I'm being lax in introducing myself." Again, he gave that half bow. "Gregory Edgeworth of Los Angeles, Japanifornia. Back home, I am a defense attorney."

And a father, but...

But that wasn't here. And he suspected it wasn't there, either, but that wasn't in question just yet.

"Ducky DeCecco, from Gallery. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm a housemaid, where I'm from. Which makes the fact that I have a servant assigned to me chafe a little. I hardly trust anyone to do my own work as well as I do."

There's more to her mistrust in her maid than that, but that's the easiest explanation to deliver with a smile, before knowing more about the person in front of her.

"Though...did you say Japanifornia?"

Gallery. Not a name he knew, but he supposed it was one of the many small European nations, perhaps like Babahl or Allebhast. All the same, he nodded at her question. "I did. Though you may know it more as the southern part of California in the United States, on the west coast."

There was a greater amount of history there, though he was unsure of her time period, exactly, and how familiar she'd be with the area, especially given the divide between... Hm. Her mode of dress was of an age much earlier than his, though fashion history had never been his specialty. But he'd guess... Late 1800s? Perhaps early 1900s? He wasn't sure. But either way, it was before the state divided.

"I've been to California. I'm trying to imagine the circumstances under which part of it would...merge with Japan? Be annexed by Japan? Did this occur after the Franco-Armorian War in your world?" She is assuming, of course, that his world has an Armoria.

All worlds have an Armoria. Right?

Armoria? His brows lowered, his hand at his chin as he tried to place the name and ended up shaking his head. "I can't say I can place that war, but the split of California happened after World War Two, when, in the wake of Japan's defeat, the US made reparations to displaced Japanese citizens and offered haven to those who hadn't been collaborators. Enough moved to the area surrounding Los Angeles that it was seen as prudent to split the state."

"...'World War Two'?..." She blinks a few times, then shakes her head as if trying to clear it. "Our timelines are clearly divergent, and finding the exact point in history that happened could be a fascinating exercise, but beyond knowing we're not from the same world, I'm uncertain if that will help us here."

It chills her to the bone to consider even one 'world war'. The Platinum Wars were bad enough, but those were primarily a European affair, extending as far as the Isle of Pilaf and no further to the East.

"To be fair, Madam, I feel I do need to inform you that I'm certain I'm from a place very distant in the future, as you would perceive it. From my point of view, with my admittedly limited knowledge, you appear to be from... I would say the turn of the century, perhaps? Approaching the twentieth century? Meanwhile, the last I knew, we had just entered the twenty-first."

A large time gap, to be sure.

"I'm from 1913, so...nearly a hundred years behind you." She smiles faintly, despite the implications of that fact. "But neither of us are at home here, so we're on equal footing, now."

"Quite true - though in proximity, I think your footing may be a bit more firm than mine," he said with a touch of a smile. An honest smile. It's not really a normal expression on his face, but neither is it unpleasant. If anything, it softens his face quite a bit, just that hint of a smile. "So I may need to ask your advice on things such as manners from time to time."

"Provided that the manners in this world resemble my own, I would be glad to help. Though certain things are universal, of course." Like 'don't be an asshole', for example. Not that she can imagine him being one. A defense attorney, he'd said--that might be something to prod at later, once they're both more comfortable.

"And in return, I'll be glad to aid you in whatever way I can. I do know that, comparatively, standards of behaviour changed quite a bit in the years between our times. If there are instances where you'd need a man in your company, just let me know." Another of those half-bows. He was being as honest as he could be. After all, it was the least he could do.

"You seem a decent man to have, when those occasions arise. What made you choose your career path, Mister Edgeworth?"

His honesty and openness is appreciated, even as she plays her own cards close to her chest. There's a very limited number of people, even in her own world, that know Ducky's background.

A good question. But thankfully, it's one he knows the answer to and knows it well. "Being a defense attorney in Japanifornia is something of a thankless job," he began. "The conviction rate is 99-point-eight percent. If someone is prosecuted in criminal court, they are almost guaranteed to be convicted, no matter if they're guilty or innocent. I found I couldn't live with that." It was almost reflex, how his stance shifted - feet shoulder width apart, hands sliding into his jacket pockets. "The innocent are sent sometimes even to their deaths if they were sentenced for something they didn't do. I know well that not every person is innocent, but every person accused deserves competent representation."

"And you're more competent than other defense attorneys who might be available to help them?"

There's the gentlest hint of tease behind the question. His confidence in himself isn't a bad thing, but it does say something about other attorneys around Japanifornia.

"I don't claim to be the only competent defense in Los Angeles. I do, however, refuse to let myself get beaten down by the corrupt system." Or--

His expression faltered for a moment. Not that he didn't believe himself, but what he did remember before waking up in the wisteria... It didn't point to anything pleasant.

She notices that shift in his expression, not saying anything immediately. She lets him have a moment, glancing off to one side, adjusting how one of the books sits on the shelf rather than prying into his personal matters (yet).

He had noticed, though, and her reaction makes it clear to him that so had she. "I'm very sorry, Miss DeCecco. I seem to have reminded myself of what happened just before my arrival in the wisteria grove. Not something to trouble anyone else with, though."

He only hoped Miles was all right.

"But to finish answering your question, I became very aware of how corrupt our legal system had become and I'd seen on the news just how many defense attorneys had given up in the face of the prosecution. It didn't seem fair in the least."

"There are some speculating that what happened in our lives before we arrived here is significant somehow. I'm not sure if they're right, and I'm not going to pry into your circumstances, Mister Edgeworth. It wouldn't be kind of me to do so."

Kindness isn't often Ducky's priority, but she's decided that this is a man she wants as an ally, and being delicate about their acquaintance at this early stage of the game is only prudent.

"I've nothing to hide," he said, shaking his head once. "It's part of being an attorney. I'd just finished a year-long case against a notorious prosecutor. The fact that I've arrived here when the last thing I remember is stepping into an elevator with my son..." He was suspicious to say the least, but what he said was, "It's... concerning."

“Your son wasn’t brought here with you? That’s…certainly very concerning.” She pauses, frowning. “What’s his name? I’ll keep an ear to the ground for you.”

"Miles. His name is Miles. Nine years old, roughly this tall-" Gregory held his hand out to just below chest height. "-with grey hair and grey eyes."

He paused, then, caught in the memories of his son. How, when he was born, they'd not known which of them he'd take after, but soon enough it was evident he'd have his mother's colouration, but he'd ended up with his father's cowlick.

Gregory had to clear his throat before continuing: "It would be less concerning, but he lost his mother four years ago."

She nods sympathetically. “I will do what I can to get you back to him as soon as possible, Mister Edgeworth. It may not be a simple matter, but we’ll work through it. Together.”

He nodded, again with that half-bow. "I appreciate your support - and all I'd ask is that you allow me to help you as well. No aid should be one-sided."

TDM I

I. WELCOME

II. AN INVITATION

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