funnyhearts | TEST DRIVE MEME 002

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TEST DRIVE MEME 002

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!

PREMISE RULES FAQ TAKEN RESERVES APPLICATION MOD CONTACT HIATUS & DROPS WORLD INFO NPCS CALENDAR AC REWARDS

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"Mm," he agrees, grinning at his victory. Part of him should probably remember that this is a different Lan Wangji, but all he can really think is how yes, he can fall asleep now, because Lan Zhan is next to him.

He waits for the man to join him, ignoring the deliberate space left between them in order to take advantage of his favorite pillow, Lan Zhan's shoulder. He crawls over before dropping deliberately down beside him.

"I'll sleep," he yawns, feeling rather content.

Lan Wangji was tensed at first. He felt Wei Ying planted his face right on his shoulder. His warmth, his weight, it felt as if his warm energy is flowing through him, melting away whatever doubt and uncertainly he has about himself.

Breath in, breath out. His breathing becomes steady as tension lowers and relaxes, trying not to panic. In his line of vision, the familiar ponytail and his red ribbon, and seeing his friend's eye closed, resting as if he have never truly rested for a long time.

"Good." He murmured softly. Although he is powerless, and without his powers and his instrument, he won't be able to play a lullaby, this closeness will do.

Intuitively, he brought a hand to place on his back, to gently stroke and rub to comfort him, and assured him he is welcome to sleep and stay.

"Good night, Wei Ying."

Wei Wuxian has no such tension. The excitement of the evening seems to catch up with him as soon as he's no longer vertical, and it's only a handful of minutes before his breath evens out in sleep, body going soft and slack. He doesn't so much as flinch as the hand brushes his back, only rubs his cheek lethargically against Lan Zhan's shoulder, hands clutching lightly at his clothing.

"Mm," is the last burbled response before sleep takes him.

Eventually, he relaxes completely. Feeling this is quite surreal to have the other Wei Wuxian resting on the bed with him.

It was dark in the room, and eventually, the sound of his breathing puts him at ease and the peaceful sleep follows in suit. All is quiet in the room.

When he finally wakes, it's a groggy, slow thing. The bed is comfortable, the scent like he remembers, and the one next to him is the usual size and shape. There's no reason to think anything might be amiss. His head is pounding though, with the remnants of his hangover, something he rarely suffers from despite how much he loves his drink. He must've really hit the bottle hard last night.

Opening his eyes feels too much, and too bright, so he just taps Lan Zhan's chest a couple times.

"Head hurts," he mumbles, "c'n you get me some water, Lan Zhan?"

In Wonderland, days are meaningless. Outside the window, it is eternal twilight, a fixed scenario so it's hard to tell whether it's night or day.

But for Lan Wangji, it felt like it's early morning. He was still asleep when Wei Wuxian who lies next to him gently stir him awake. He opens his eyes and rose.

He figured where he was and already, with a sense of defeat, he must endure another monotonous day of doing almost nothing in the hotel again. Slowly, opening his eyes and sees it's Wei Wuxian, he relaxes, his expression soft.

"Wei Ying? All right." Very slowly, he rose to fetch a glass of water from the cold metal box, and then when he returns, offering the glass close to his lips.

"Wei Ying, here. It's water. You can drink."

Things are enough like they should be that he doesn't realize anything is amiss, at least not right away. The voice sounds the same, the bed just as comfortable, the hands that offer water are familiar.

"M'thanks..."

He takes the offered glass, barely propping himself up enough to drink it, and even then, a good portion of the water ends up running down the sides of his mouth and chin. There's a headache that throbs dully around his temples and behind his eyes that speaks of a night spent drinking far too much. He hasn't hit his limit like that for a while, the drinks at that strange dance party were powerful indeed.

Water helps, even if it's not right away. It's cool and refreshing, like a soothing balm, and he rubs at his sleepy eyes, trying to focus. As he does, there's a subtle feeling that something isn't quite right. The room looks different, for one, have they updated the interiors? Maybe his room is less of a nightmare now.

Still, he sets the glass aside, rubbing at his temples and trying to will the headache away. It doesn't click for a few moments. The rave. Running into Lan Zhan. Hide and seek. And...

He finally looks up, studying the other man's face as recognition dawns on him. He's stayed the night in the other Lan Wangji's room, apparently. At least he's still fully dressed in last night's clothing, so things hadn't gotten too crazy.

"Ooooh no," he grumbles, fumbling out of bed and immediately toward the door. Before he gets more than a dozen feet away though, his wrist is tugged, like there's an invisible wire around it, connecting vaguely in Lan Zhan's direction. Wei Wuxian makes a startled noise, immediately off-balanced, and tumbles to the floor.

Lan Wangji becomes alarmed as the water drips down his mouth and chin, so he helps to tip the glass so that the water goes down correctly. Silently, he reaches for the tissues from the bedside table and with it, wipes him dry, taking care of him with great care. He realized Wei Ying is ill and is too weak from the hangover, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes.

He waited dutifully by his bedside, waiting on him. Maybe he needs to make another hangover tea for medicine? Yes, he should do that, make another medicine tea, so that Wei Ying can get better.

When Wei Ying came to, becoming gradually alert to his surroundings, he becomes alarmed. "Wei Ying? Where are you running off to?"

It was then he felt a sudden tug, an invisible force that made Lan Wangji loses his balance, stumbling over on the floor at the same time when Wei Ying came tumbling down. "Wei Ying?!" What's going on?

Once Lan Wangji collects him and regains his balance, he goes over to Wei Ying. "Wei Ying, are you all right? Where are you running off to?"

The questions go largely unanswered, as the only thing running through his head is how many messages he's probably missed already from Lan Wangji, and how he'd somehow been too drunk to tell the difference and ended up in the room of the other Lan Zhan.

It doesn't catch up to him until he's looking up from the floor, head still pounding. He groans softly, eyes closed and brows knit.

"Ah, that... I've caused you some trouble Lan Zhan, I thought this was-" he tries a few times to start explaining, mind running ahead of his tongue.

There was a mild confusion and eventually, he understands. There's no need to explain. He figured out eventually the source of his panic and where he would be running off too.

With a solemn expression, "I understand. You were ill and I couldn't gain access to your room. So you stayed the night here because you had too much to drink. We didn't do anything, I assure you. We played hide and seek, and that was it."

Lan Wangji rose and then kneels by his side. He placed a hand on his forehead to feel for his fever.

"Wei Ying, you're still unwell. Come back to the bed and rest. I'll go and make you another medicine tea to help with your hangover."

It makes sense when Lan Wangji says it, even if Wei Wuxian's thoughts are still as scattered and messy as ever. At least there's the reassurance that nothing more serious than a children's game happened. But he's not sure if this Lan Wangji quite understands just how jealous his soul-twin gets. Or how even dropping the other's name in conversation can make him second guess and worry Wei Wuxian going to run away for greener pastures.

"Lan Zhan is gonna kill me," he covers his face with his hands and lets out a sigh, his hangover, for once, on the bottom of his list of worries. Slightly above that, is whatever made him feel like the floor slipped out from under him.

"I... okay," he says resignedly. He's already this late returning, what's a few more minutes? Especially if it cures the pounding in his head.

He figured it's time for them to part ways. His expression becomes stonier by the moment. He forced to push down his selfishness and set it aside.

"He won't. Trust me. That's the one thing we will never do." He draws in a deep sigh, and then gently leads Wei Ying back to the bed.

With his guidance, he helps Wei Ying rose on his feet and nudges him back to the bed. "I'll go make the medicine while you rest. Then you can go."

"Ah- right. I just mean, I'm sure I've worried him is all," he corrects, managing to have put his foot in his mouth along with everything else. Still, Lan Zhan is kind enough to lead him to the bed, supporting his weight when he wobbles. He sits on the edge of the bed, taking in the room now, without the haze of alcohol.

"Ah... Mm," he agrees, much more amiable about drinking the tea now that he would like very much for the effects of his night out to subside.

"Sorry to trouble you," he clears his throat, "again."

"Yes, he'll be worried." He said solemnly at the mention of other. Of course, he thought about him too, and he tries to remember that he's another mirror version of himself, so he must be fair and courteous too, and also be mindful.

"And no, you could never be trouble for me." Still, seeing the dazed look in his eyes, Lan Wangji goes to make that medicine tea again, focusing on taking care of his health. Once it's done, he returns to give him a cup. It was hot, but he waited for it too cool down to become lukewarm, so it's easier to drink. It's a strong herbal tea that is hard to go down due to it's herbal, medicine taste almost bitter.

"Here. Drink it. Give it half an hour to work and then..." He trails off. "And then you can go back to him." Since that's fair.

Then pretending to be stern as he sits next to him, "No more nightclubs for you or I'll catch you again. Understand?"

He'd have to find Lan Zhan and apologize properly later. Hopefully he wouldn't be too upset, though he had managed to find a Lan Wangji! Or, rather, Lan Wangji had found him. So he had to know he was in good hands, right?

"Never?" he manages a laugh despite his head, and winces, immediately regretting it. Wei Wuxian was an endless source of trouble, but Lan Zhan was luckily quite the problem solver. He cradles his head for a few moments, for once enjoying the silence, as it helps ease the ache, at least a little.

He takes the cup this time, sipping and making a face at the bitter taste, but swallowing anyway. At least he could trust this tea to not have a bunch of weird side effects. He takes a beat, glancing up at Lan Zhan over the teacup, an amused smile still on his lips.

"That's hardly a threat," he teases, "sounds like all the more reason to do it."

"Never, Wei Ying. Never a heavy burden. Worth all the trouble in the world. Now, wait and rest for a while so that the medicine can work."

He managed to smile softly, albeit sad inwardly. If only because this Wei Ying is a mirror of his Wei Ying and yet, he senses of this one's own unique warmth and it's a warmth he's leaning toward to also like a flower leaning toward to the sun, and he is like a sun to him, warm and bright.

"I mean it. If I find you and you're inebriated and ill, I'll take the matter in my own hands. It's not a threat, but because I'm worried you're going to get hurt."

If his head weren't pounding quite so much he might try to argue that just because Lan Zhan thought him worth the trouble, didn't mean it wasn't an awful lot to carry. Instead, he heaves a sigh and finishes his tea before leaning back against the pillows.

"I can hold my drink," he huffs, pulling a pillow over his face because even the low light of the room feels a little too much.

"That was just a fluke. Those drinks had no right being so strong! I've never had anything like that!"

Lan Wangji sighs wearily as he sat on his rocking chair as he lay on his bed to let the medicine work.

"I understand but don't drink anything from the nightclub again, at least for a while. You'll get hurt. And then what we'll do?"

It's hard to miss that long-suffering sigh, even with his face under a pillow. He gives a wobbly salute to show he understands, then lets his arm drop to his side.

"Dunno," he groans, "what'll we do?"

He fidgets, then pulls the pillow from his face, peering over it somewhat apologetically.

Sighing again, let it be said with Wei Ying, his work will never be done.

Rocking back and forth on his chair, then a loving answer, as if his love for him is boundless as the sea and sky itself. "Then you leave me no choice, but to save you. again and again." He is a never-ending source of trouble, but no matter what he will live for him.

"No matter what, I'll happily do so. That's a promise. But don't be reckless and selfish to hurt yourself."

Wei Wuxian thinks that sounds like a lot of work, though he supposes the amount of work he gives Lan Zhan depends entirely on him. Not so different from when they were teens together. He lets out a sigh, headache finally starting to ease a little.

"Not on purpose," he relents. The reckless one was harder than the selfish one. He didn't necessarily mean to get into trouble, but it was known to happen often enough.

Wei Wuxian didn't realized it, but he's only gently scolding him. Lan Wangji continues to rock back and forth on his chair, contemplating and waited for Wei Ying to feel better from the hang-over and the headache.

He closed his eyes, going into meditation mode, and waited. After waiting for a long time, even though he enjoy being in his company and presence.

"Do you feel better yet, Wei Ying?"

There's silence for a while, and though he'd usually be glad to fill it, for now he's grateful, and just hoping he hasn't been too much of an imposition on this Lan Zhan's good graces. He sits up, when Lan Zhan asks if he's better, already feeling a bit guilty for making himself such a nuisance.

The hangover has cleared up, at least a little. Headache receded to something dull, the queasiness in his stomach mostly settled, and it was probably high time to make himself scarce.

"Mm, much," he confirms, "I'll ah... see myself out."

Even as he goes to leave a second time (much slower thankfully), he doesn't even make it to the door before there's that tug at his wrist again, pulling him back toward Lan Zhan. It isn't enough to knock him over this time, but it does prevent him from taking another step. He tugs at his wrist, even leaning his weight on it to try to pull away, but gives a defeated sigh when that doesn't yield results.

Seeing that Wei Ying made up his mind to take his leave, he felt inwardly sad. It must be a drunk reverie, a game between them both, and yet he's telling himself he cannot be selfish. Perhaps, he is a little unwilling to let him go, but go if he must.

"All right." He murmured. The tugging sensation was painful at first, physically. Part of him didn't want to let him go.

After a few moments, after Lan Wangji watched him wanting to go with all the tugging. He took a few deep breaths and eventually, knowing in his heart this is the right thing to do.

"You may go. But will we meet again...?"

It's as if someone cast his binding spell between them while he'd been asleep. But there was no telltale glow of faint blue thread to link their wrists, whatever it was, it couldn't be seen, but it connected them all the same.

"I um... I'm not sure I can go. I seem to be ah... well, stuck."

He paces a bit, trying to figure out this new mystery before he realizes Lan Zhan asked him a question.

"Will we meet again? I... Lan Zhan, I'm just down the hall. You can see me whenever you want, you know? You're my dear friend, you don't have to feel like you're in exile here or waiting on an invitation."

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inquiryguqin - 2020-07-21 03:11 (UTC) - Expand

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