TEST DRIVE MEME 003

[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. SHALL WE DANCE, SHALL WE FLY

Those of you hoping to make use of The Pool of Tears today are in for a disappointment — it appears to have been shut down for the day to make room for a special event! Dozens of small vehicles that resemble pink flamingos are parked along the grounds by the pool, and others are being flown above it with varying levels of skill.

People wearing name tags identifying them as guest instructors mingle around the parked vehicles to offer lessons on how to fly the flamingos. They'll also allow the flamingos to be checked out to be used for recreation, regardless of whether the person checking them out has had flying lessons or not.

Why is this taking place in the pool area and not outdoors, you may ask? Why, because a crash landing in water is so much softer on the bones than on solid land, of course.

Or perhaps you were hoping to spend some time at the Caucus-Race, making use of the hotel's private gym. It seems that, too, had been taken over for an event — dance lessons! There are more guest instructors there to lead dances of all kinds, from groups to couples to private instruction. Even if you didn't intend to partake of them when you came here, you may find yourself bustled away and facing your partner for the lesson before you know it.

Still another handful of guest instructors have set up in the Mad Tea-Party, offering a variety of art lessons — from paintings to drawing to pottery to glassblowing! Have a glass of wine, or something stronger, and try your hand at one! Anyone who chooses to do so will get to keep whatever masterpiece they produce.

II. WE TRADE IN FAVORS

The guest instructors aren't the only ones visiting the hotel today. It seems some traveling merchants have come to pitch their wares, and they've set up shop in the hotel lobby. There's display cases of delicately crafted jewelry, all manner of glassware, bolts of fabric, boxes of precious stones and crystal.

Why come to them when you can get what you need for free from the hotel's boutique? There's just no comparison when it comes to exquisite craftsmanship, of course, or the quality of their raw materials. But should you need a reason beyond that — there's something a little magical about their wares. This necklace is spelled to ward off evil, that circuit will grant clear thought, anything made from this bolt of cloth will always keep the wearer perfectly warm or cool, carrying that crystal will give a boost of healing or luck.

They deal only in trade. Teas, if you have them, will fetch the highest price and get you the most unique items. If you don't happen to have a tea, you're not out of luck — they will also accept favors. Perhaps they will ask you to convince someone else to make a purchase as well, perhaps they will send you on a hunt for a specific item. Perhaps they will ask you for something more intangible, like the shape of a smile or the salt of tears. Not your own, of course, you must inspire them in someone else. Hopefully there's someone nearby who can help you with that.

III. SECRET MESSAGES

By your second or third pass around the hotel, after all the visitors have left, you may notice something that looks a little out of place. A loose rock in the otherwise solid structures of the pool area, a shimmer of green tucked in among all the white abstract sculptures in a hallway, an odd knot in the wood of a bench or chair somewhere in the hotel.

No members of the staff seem to have noticed it so far, but for that to remain the case you'll have to work quickly — and work together. Maybe the rock is up too high for one person to reach, maybe the sculptures are too heavy for one person to move, maybe someone needs to stand guard or distract the hotel staff while the other pries out the wood knot.

All those who succeed in retrieving the piece of heavy green paper hidden away will find the same message: a drawing of a caterpillar, accompanied by a series of numbers and the words call a friend.

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?

Anyone who participates in the second prompt will receive an item with a minor enchantment of their choosing! For players apping in this round, you can include it in your list of items. Current players can reply to the second comment on this page to receive approval of their enchanted item. Please direct any questions to the first comment on this page, and happy playing, Oysters!

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© tessisamess

Comments

[scaredofdogs]

They still haven't really figured out how much will have to change when they are all married but Wei Wuxian is hopeful that it isn't going to be much. He likes being able to count on this Lan Wangji and spend time with him just as much as his own.

"I promise I won't forget. And I promise I won't forget the dance either so that we can enjoy it at the wedding."

[billowing]

He leads them into a dance, and says: "You shouldn't forget." Because listen, he's giving Wei Ying some good moves here. He spins Wei Ying around again, pushing him away only to pull him back.

[scaredofdogs]

He laughs as those spins cause his hair and his robes to flair out around him. He enjoys the spins but he also likes the times when Lan Wangji brings him in close too. "We better not wear anything that will make it hard to dance when we get to the wedding."

[billowing]

"Hmm, not too many layers," he resolves.

That way, they can dance all night. Maybe they could just switch off between both pairs of husbands, for added complexity. And it might make both Wei Ying dizzy, in a fun way.

[scaredofdogs]

Wei Wuxian would probably get rather frustrated by anything that doesn't let him run around and do anything he wants to. Having to deal with a lot of long layers would only get in his way. He looks forward to being able to do everything with both Lan Wangji's on that day. Eating and dancing and everything that the day will bring.

"You aren't allowed to drink at the wedding, Lan Zhan. You need to be able to remember the day."

[billowing]

"I would not," he answers. "Alcohol is not served at Lan weddings."

A beat.

"An exception will be made for you."

[scaredofdogs]

For a moment his face held an expression of shock and despair but luckily Lan Wangji fixed it quickly. No alcohol would have certainly put a slight damper on his night. He would have dealt with it but he is definitely happier knowing he won't have to worry.

"You scared me for a moment, Lan Zhan. I don't need to have alcohol to be happy on our wedding day but it will be nice to have it."

[billowing]

"You would have snuck some in," he accuses, but gently. "Though it is true that Lan weddings are severe affairs. We will need to borrow customs from Yunmeng Jiang."

That might be slightly more palatable to their wedding goers.

[scaredofdogs]

He probably would have..Lan Wangji knows him well. But to borrow from the other sect is problematic too. He didn't actually get to see his senior sisters wedding to know exactly what they did..

"I think we need to just borrow from every world so that everyone really will feel included."

[billowing]

"Mm," he responds. "Though I would like to cook for the wedding, if it is possible." He doesn't want to have to eat the food prepared by the hotel at his own wedding, and he'd even learned how to make soup from Shijie.

[scaredofdogs]

"I'm sure that everyone would really love to have your cooking." Even he wants to eat nothing but Lan Wangji's cooking. But he wants that all the time and not just at the wedding.

[billowing]

He'd make that happen if he could. He'd much rather eat his own cooking than that of the hotel's, and he'd much rather feed his family.

"I will make some dishes spicy, for Wei Ying."

[scaredofdogs]

"I look forward to trying them since you'll have the entire kitchen to work with and not just what we can harvest in the woods." Although Wei Wuxian is still rather proud of how he was able to help out with the harvesting and the cooking while they were out there. he might not have done much in the way of actual cooking, but he was there..and he helped get the food so in a way it counted.

"It will be the best meal that anyone here has ever had. And if you want my help then I will assist." Even though it's probably better for everyone's health if he didn't step foot in the kitchen.

[billowing]

Oh, it's definitely best that only Lan Wangji have to eat Wei Ying's cooking, and no one else. "I think that will be unnecessary, but if you wish to come help... you may."

He doesn't want to turn Wei Ying away when all he wants to do is help, however.

[scaredofdogs]

"I guess we need to see how busy that day is. If I don't have anything else I have to get done then I will come help you." He honestly has no idea what is going to happen that day and he doesn't want to say he will do something and then not be able to.

[billowing]

They will probably want to do pre-wedding things, but he anticipates that he will do a lot of prepwork the day before so that he can enjoy his wedding as a groom, and do some of the traditional wedding activities.

[scaredofdogs]

Wei Wuxian will happily help with anything that the others will let him help with. He knows how important the day is and he wants it to be perfect but he also feels quite out of his element when it comes to preparing for it. And so he will gladly do anything the others tell him to do.

"Is there anything you think I need to do before the day comes?"

[billowing]

"Mm," he thinks. "Wei Ying is painting some lanterns. Would you like to help him paint some?"

He had received a few blank lanterns, and it was quite nice to have that for the wedding.

[scaredofdogs]

"Sure I can do that!" That is something he knows he can handle. And there is no reason why his soul twin should have to do all the work when all he is doing is sitting around waiting for someone to give him a task.

[billowing]

He nods and thinks that this is actually perhaps something that is safe, that Wei Ying can handle. So he's satisfied.