TEST DRIVE MEME 002

[happyheartsstaff]

HAPPY HEARTS HOTEL

You wake up in a padded box. It rocks, gently, as though suspended in mid-air. You begin to stir, confusion or distress pushing you to try to sit up — and then the air begins to smell sweet, and you fall back asleep.

You wake up in a padded box. For a moment, you are beatifically calm. You don't know how you got here, or why, but that isn't really all that important. You don't need to know where you are. You're just... here. And here is a wonderful place to be.

But there is a niggling suspicion growing in the back of your mind. A suspicion that here is not somewhere you wanted to be. That it is not where you're supposed to be. You remember... chasing a white rabbit (or was it a person)? A mirror? Bright light, and green ivy crawling over your skin... Before you can worry too much, the box jolts, and then settles, and after a long moment the walls fall from around you to reveal —

A hotel lobby?

"Welcome to the Happy Hearts Hotel and Casino," says an attendant behind a desk. "We're so pleased you could join us. We have your room keys and Empathies here, please make an orderly line and we'll hand them out once we've confirmed identities. After that, feel free to explore the hotel! We highly recommend starting with the casino. Everyone's a winner here in Happy Hearts!"

Is this normal? It doesn't feel normal. And hey — you could swear you had shoes before!

I. THIS IS OUR GET ALONG SHIRT

You haven't been at the hotel long when you run into another Oyster. Hardly unusual for the hotel, after all. But there's something about this person, something that draws you in. Do you know them? Perhaps they're from your world, perhaps you've seen them around the hotel before, or perhaps you've never met at all?

No matter. Hopefully you enjoy this person's company, because suddenly you're unable to go more than a few feet away from each other. Maybe it's like a cord that snaps you both back together when you try, invisible but somehow there all the same. Maybe it's a feeling, a desire to stay together, a fear of being apart. Maybe it's physical pain when you're separated, and the sensation of comfort or pleasure when you're together. Maybe it's any combination of the above.

Whatever it is, looks like you'll be getting to know each other very well. The connection doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.

II. HONORARY STAFF FOR A DAY

It seems the hotel is a little short-handed at the moment. Why? Oh, no particular reason. These things happen to every establishment, of course. But since you're here, would you mind lending a hand? It's a two person job, and the staff member giving out assignments is just far too busy to help. Find a partner and report to your assigned area! They're preparing for something very exciting the Queen is putting on for guests. And of course, you'll be rewarded for your assistance.

There are a number of possible tasks that you could be assigned to.

Perhaps you'll be asked to assist with food preparation. You and your partner will be granted temporary access to the back area of the buffet to work with the kitchen staff — you can cook, can't you? Well. Perhaps you can put together some sandwiches. It will soon be clear that the food you're helping to prepare is all things that would be perfect for a picnic. Staff members will cheerfully inform anyone asking questions that the food is for the Queen's special surprise.

Or perhaps you'll be put to work sorting and cataloging a large inventory of items. Sleeping bags, tarps, pillows, toiletries, first aid kits, fire starting materials; all must be counted and sorted. A staff member will hand out a number of backpacks, and request that each be packed with one of every item. Not to worry about the size — each pack will have exactly enough room to store all the items.

Still others may be placed in a room lined with bookcases overflowing with books and loose leaf pamphlets. Examination of these will find that all are related to identifying native Wonderland plant life. Some are about edible plants, some discuss those that are medicinal, or poisonous, or likely to try to eat you should you get too close. Buried in all of that, you may even stumble across a particular poem. You will be given heavy card paper, pens and water colors, and tasked with condensing the information into portable, easy to read info packets.

At the end of the work shift, anyone who assists will have the expressed gratitude of the staff members they supported. They will also find an additional item from home, aside from what they were carrying with them, waiting for them in their room.

III. TIME TO UNWIND

What better way to unwind after a long day of work than with a massage? A staff member will hand you a token for the hotel spa. Yes, yes, all services are free, but this is an enhanced service. Premium massage oils, access to a relaxing tea, the devoted attention of the most skilled massage therapist, all for you.

When you arrive to take advantage of the offer, you'll find another Oyster waiting there as well. Did the staff member not mention it was a couple's massage? Oh dear, it must have slipped their mind. Or perhaps they just assumed, given how so many of you Oysters seem to be in pairs. Well, you're both here, you might as well take advantage of it.

Or perhaps something that gets the heart pumping is more to your speed than relaxation. A staff member may excitedly tell you about a rave occurring at the The Rabbit Hole nightclub. Invitation only, of course, but the staff member is happy to tell you the code to get in.

There is indeed a party in full swing at the club that night. Live music, flashing lights, alcohol flowing freely, the works. You may find that the alcohol packs more of a punch than you're used to. You may even find that drinks that are supposed to be nonalcoholic, ones that you've had before in other parts of the hotel, suddenly pack quite a punch as well.

It's all in the name of enjoying yourself, right? Hopefully you won't be too hungover in the morning.

IV. WELCOME HOME

Maybe you just want to be alone — well, that's what you have your room key for! Oysters room on the second and third floors of the hotel, one to a room. You were assured your room would be exactly what you'd always wished for — and for some, that's right! It's exactly as you would have decorated it yourself. But for others, their rooms are totally wrong. A grizzled cowboy can't have a pink room! Hotel staff are firm, though: every room is exactly as its owner wants it to be. Search your feelings, Oyster. You know it to be true.

On each bed are the Oysters' personal effects, minus weapons, as well as a towel folded in the shape of a heart, and a single foil-wrapped chocolate. If eaten, the chocolate is delicious, and incites a feeling of tender warmth in Oysters — not lust, but a desire for closeness. Why spend time in your room, when you could go find a new friend in the casino?

For purposes of the TDM, you're welcome to play with having more than one linked partner! If you choose to app in the next round after playing on the TDM, there will be an extra add on to the application for you to claim your additional item from home. Please direct any questions to the first comment on this page, and happy playing, Oysters!

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© tessisamess

Comments

[billowing]

He looks at Wei Ying and offers a sweet, small smile. He doesn't want not to see him anymore, either. Once they return home, he'd like to be able to visit. See that other world so close to his own.

"We won't see each other every day," he does warn.

[scaredofdogs]

"I know..we'll be much busier on our own worlds too." Not like the freedom of the hotel where they don't really have any obligations. That will all change when they go back.

"But you said you and your Wei Ying part ways for awhile, right? I could visit you so you don't miss him too much." Even if it isn't every day like they can here, at least being able to see each other occasionally rather then never again would be better.

[billowing]

He stops reading for a moment, to turn back to face Wei Ying, and gently caresses his cheek with the back of his hand.

"I'd like that."

Wei Ying can keep him company, as he goes out to convince the others of his innocence.

He could do that.

[scaredofdogs]

He reaches up and catches that hand so that he can keep it against his cheek longer. "Then it is agreed. We will have to hope someone comes with that power. And since I look different, no one will know who is actually by your side and visiting!"

It actually works out in their favor a little bit. And he even has a name he can give if someone asks! How convenient.

[billowing]

He is about to say that Mo Xuanyu's family should know what he looks like, but he isn't planning to visit the Mo family anytime soon, after having technically walked off with Mo Xuanyu already.

"What will happen when I visit you?"

[scaredofdogs]

"My Lan Zhan already knows you exist so you don't really have to worry about him. We just coordinate so you both aren't in the same place at once. It's a little harder since I don't know what happens for us..You know so much more then we do."

He wonders how much their future differs from the events that this Lan Wangji has already lived through. Or if they are different at all.

[billowing]

"He won't mind having to share?" he asks, just a little bit skeptical. That would be rather generous, since he knows he gets jealous from time to time.

But he knows now that their hearts are built for one person, but if that one person happens to be two distinct people, things get complicated.

[scaredofdogs]

"He already said it's okay that I like you on this world, why would that change back on our own?" He doesn't seem worried about it at all but he also doesn't truly understand the depths of Lan Wangji's jealousy. But the other has never given him a hard time about how he spends his time with this version. And he's well aware of the fact that they see each other basically every day.

[billowing]

He remembers that Wei Ying had said this, but he still doesn't know if he can believe it. They can continue walking, researching, mapping. "We can talk about it later," he says, with finality.

[scaredofdogs]

He nods and looks back down at this map, "Once this area is mapped..the next is the food and bar areas." He looks at the map. It's a little messy right now but he'll make sure to do a nice clean version to post somewhere public.

[billowing]

He follows along in tow, head still in the books, occasionally steadying himself on Wei Ying's shoulder.

"This will not work. There are repeats."

[scaredofdogs]

"Repeats?" He stops walking and looks up at him again. "What do you mean?"

[billowing]

"This plant. I've already read about it in the last book." Which means there are probably not as many as he had thought, but he would still have to go through all of them in case some had one or two the others missed.

[scaredofdogs]

He frowns and thinks about all the books in that room. "So that means there might not be that many plants out there?" That seems hard to believe..unless he really does have to fear that the plants are just what are inside the hotel. In which case..time to avoid touching all plants to make sure he doesn't encounter the rash one.

[billowing]

"I've counted a hundred and seven distinct varieties so far." He keeps looking through. "I am sure there will be more. So far, only five have overlapped."

But it would've been nice if the texts were all volumes of the same one, and not distinct ones by different scholars.

[scaredofdogs]

"You've read about that many plants already?!" He really is Hanguang-Jun..impressive even here. He's barely even gotten a map started in that amount of time!

"Are you really going to read all the books in there to find out all the different ones?

[billowing]

"I will have to, if they are not distinct. Otherwise the information will be fractured." Which means he'll have to be a sole reader for all of them. Unless they can create a new text with only additions for unique entries. But they hardly have that amount of paper.

[scaredofdogs]

"Does this mean I'm going to have to visit you in that room?" Because reading all of those things is going to take awhile. But at least if he does then it will give him an excuse to finish the second painting.

[billowing]

"You should carry on with the map. It is important." But it will take him awhile to pore over everything. "When one of us completes our task, we can visit the other."

[scaredofdogs]

"Okay..But if you need me to bring you anything, just send me a message. I'll be around the food and drinks anyway." He has to map those areas, the spa and the pool..then head to the other areas for the rest of the little shops. It's going to be quite the process.

[billowing]

"Mm," he responds, affirmatively. "We will be done soon." By soon he means in a few days, because Lan Wangji's idea of an arduous task and Wei Ying's idea of an arduous task probably differ greatly.

Which means, he probably will just send hearts from time to time, as he sits in the den with the books, reading and cataloguing everything.

[scaredofdogs]

Which means he will be checking in on him and bringing him stuff even when he doesn't ask for it. But he has a lot of rooms to map, steps to count and a final clean version to post on the board. And..a proper dinner to eat since his lunch was mostly lettuce.

"Make sure you learn a lot, and I'll make sure this is the best map it can be."

[billowing]

"I will." He takes Wei Ying's hand one more time, grasps it firmly in his own, just one more touch before he departs to go do his task.

[scaredofdogs]

He gives the hand a little squeeze as he smiles up at him as they part ways, starting to count his steps towards the pool.