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

[lucklessgege]

He holds up his hands and tries to wave off any of Hua Cheng's concerns. "A-ah..it's okay! So far nothing here has been dangerous. I don't think we really have anything to worry about."

And there really isn't anyone here that wants him dead so at least he doesn't have to deal with that.

[illegibly]

He takes Xie Lian's hand, because his own is shaking, and he needs something to hold him steady.

He could never, ever lose Xie Lian.

[lucklessgege]

"San Lang..it's okay..really. I'll be fine. We'll be fine." He frowns as he feels that tremble in the other man's hand. He holds it tightly and looks at him, wishing there was some way to ease the man's fears.

[illegibly]

Hua Cheng leads him to the room that's supposed to be Hua Cheng's quarters. He feels much safer like this, where Xie Lian will be in eyesight of him at all times.

[lucklessgege]

At least he had already agreed to stay by Hua Cheng's side. Perhaps once they were inside the ghost king wouldn't feel so concerned for his safety. He didn't realize that little piece of information would have been to important...and now he wishes he hadn't said it. But he tries to smile reassuringly as he walks into the room.

"I have San Lang and Ruoye to protect me so I know I am going to be just fine."

[illegibly]

"En," he agrees, though he is a little skeptical. He didn't have E-ming here, but did Ruoye still work?

"I will make gege some tea. Please make yourself comfortable."

[lucklessgege]

As if aware of Hua Cheng's unanswered question, the little silk bandage sticks one end out from under Xie Lian's sleeve and makes it appear like it is looking around before tucking back inside.

Xie Lian settles on the floor to wait for the tea and looks around the room again, still completely captivated by how much likeness there is.

[illegibly]

"Oh!" he exclaims, a little surprised as he sees Ruoye poke out to come say hi. He does suppose that Fangxin is gone, however. He'd always had thoughts about Ruoye but never wanted to ask.

"Mm. It's good you aren't separated."

[lucklessgege]

"I think whomever took our powers and our weapons didn't realize that there was something with me that could be considered both." The little bandage had stayed so still through his entire arrival in this place that even he wondered if perhaps they had taken away him as well. But it wasn't the case at all. The little bandage had managed to be smuggled in unnoticed.

"I just have to make sure it doesn't become too known what I have." It might be his only chance if anything dangerous does show up.

[illegibly]

"Mn. Ruoye will behave," he notes, because the thing has a mind of its own and Hua Cheng never knew how it worked, only that it did.

He goes over to the bed to make it up, even if the hotel staff has done so already, but he wants to make it extra nice for gege.

[lucklessgege]

Even Xie Lian isn't entirely sure how the little bandage works but he is grateful for it. There are many times when Ruoye has helped him out of rough situations. And it will likely come in handy again at some point in this place. He just hopes he never does anything to get it taken away.

He stands up to help, "You don't have to do so much, San Lang. I don't want to trouble you."

[illegibly]

"Gege is never trouble for San Lang," he answers definitively, offering him an easy smile.

Once he's finished with the bed, he goes to get a few things around. "Do you need the bathroom? I'd like to get ready for bed."

[lucklessgege]

"Go ahead and go first, San Lang. This is your room." He already feels like he is a burden by choosing to stay there. He doesn't want the other man to have to do anything special to work around him. It won't take him long to get cleaned up so he is content to wait until Hua Cheng is done.

[illegibly]

He'll go get freshened up in the bathroom quickly, and comes out dressed in just his underrobes, his hair let loose and curling around his shoulders, cascading down his back. He's taken form as San Lang, so he can take the eyepatch off.

[lucklessgege]

Xie Lian should have expected that Hua Cheng would come out of the bathroom in some form of undress, but it still makes him feel a bit embarrassed as he catches himself staring a little too long at the sight before him.

He quickly stands up and goes to head into the bathroom as well. "I won't be long." Once inside he closes the door and breathes out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Why is he getting so flustered? It's not like they haven't shared a mat before...

But things seem so different from then. He shakes any thoughts from his head and starts to get clean.

[illegibly]

Hua Cheng gets on the bed, but just kind of sits there, lounging casually with his robe a little open at the top, undoing all the little braids in his hair.

Once Xie Lian comes out, maybe he'd like to help.

[lucklessgege]

Xie Lian finishes getting cleaned up and exits the bathroom once he is sure he is fully composed, only to feels those ears heat right back up. He's just going to accept that this is his response now.

He smiles as he walks over, sitting down next to him on the bed to watch those slender fingers working on the braids. "Do you need me to do anything San Lang?"

[illegibly]

"Gege," he says, a lilt in his voice. "Do you mind helping me with my braids?" he inquires, hopefully.

[lucklessgege]

"A-ah..alright." He reaches out and starts to work on them, being careful not to pull on his hair as he tries to undo the little braids. He wonders if Hua Cheng really has an extensive morning routine to go through this every day.

[illegibly]

It's not that bad, and sometimes if he doesn't plan on washing his hair he doesn't take them out. But he smiles as gege takes his hair out. With the two of them working it, it's all loose soon, and he shakes it out with a finality.

[lucklessgege]

He smiles as he places his hands in his lap now that the task is done. But then he realizes that he is on Hua Cheng's bed and stands up quickly so that the other man can lay down if he chooses. Xie Lian could just as easily sleep on the floor.

"Now that you are all ready, you should get some rest San Lang."

[illegibly]

"En, alright." He moves to one side of the bed, and lifts the covers so he can climb underneath. "We can switch, if you want this side," he says. He only chose it because it's closer to the door, in case someone comes to attack them in the night. He'll be ready.

[lucklessgege]

He stares at that raised sheet and feels embarrassment, but part of that is because he knows that he shouldn't be afraid to share the same sleeping space. How many times did they sleep on the same mat? But somehow that seems different in the small space of the shrine.

He slowly lowers himself onto the bed. "I am fine either way." He eases himself into the place on the bed and under the cover. "I don't want San Lang to feel uncomfortable."

[illegibly]

He turns to the side, and props his head up on his hand. "Gege, I want you to be comfortable as well," he says, looking quite comfy in his underrobe and tucked into the blankets.

[lucklessgege]

It's not fair that Hua Cheng should look so handsome in bed. He lays down on the bed and pulls the cover up, resisting the urge to cover his head with it to hide any of the color that might have raised up to his face.

"The bed is very comfortable. I'm sure I'll be fine."