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!

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

© tessisamess

Comments

[scaredofdogs]

Wei Wuxian hides in a corner and then when the coast is clear changes into a small bird. Luckily he has started to figure out how to change into things and keep his clothing on so there is no longer a telltale pile of clothing!

He quietly flies up to the green piece and with his beak carefully pulls it out of its hole. Lucky it isn't in there very tight so it is quite easy to get it out. Then it is just a matter of flying back to his little corner to change back into his regular body.

Once back and the note is in hand, he strolls back to the other with a victorious smile on his face. "Victory is ours."

[aries_saint]

Which is good, Mu is tire of talking in circles to distract the others. When he announces he fetch the paper.

"You got it? What did the paper say?"

[scaredofdogs]

He holds the paper out to the other man. "Looks like some sort of message. I don't know much about caterpillars. I've not even seen one on this world."

But if they are friendly then he is all about trying to contact one.

[aries_saint]

"Caterpillars are bugs where eventually at one point, it will turn into a butterfly."

Still, reading the paper. "Message? Who would leave messages for others to find in a place like this? What are you going to do with it?"

[scaredofdogs]

He gives the man a look. He knows what a caterpillar is but he can't really guarantee that what they know is the same as what is actually going on in this place. The creature could be as big as this building or it could talk. But he doesn't comment and instead stares at the note.

"It says call a friend so.." He starts putting the numbers into the empathy.

[aries_saint]

"Hm. Call a friend...?" He watches Wei Wuxian dial the number into empathy, making the call. Oh, he realized empathy should be used to call anyone.

He waited. Raising an eyebrow, "Anything...?" Did anyone pick it up and call back?

[scaredofdogs]

He holds up the empathy so they can both hear the strange voice on the other end. "How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail?"

"Sounds like a riddle..or a poem. But I don't really know the answer." He frowns and considers what options he might have for finding it out.

[aries_saint]

Mu has the same perplexed look. He simply smiles since he is glad to be of help to him.

"I have no idea. Sound like a riddle. Do you ask on the phone to figure out if there is anymore?"

[scaredofdogs]

He doesn't know and after awhile the call just simply ends. He frowns and looks down at the empathy. "I think we are supposed to answer it but I've never heard that kind of riddle before. I'll have to ask around and see if anyone might know the answer. if they do then I can always call again and see if anything different occurs."

[aries_saint]

"If you like, I will try to help and asked around. I'm new to this place, so I'm getting around in gathering information."

Then Mu realized he forgotten his formalities. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Mu."

[scaredofdogs]

He circles his arms and gives a little bow, "Wei Wuxian. It's nice to meet you Mu."

He lowers his hands back down and types the the words into the empathy as well as the number and then hands the piece of paper to Mu.

"You can keep this to help with your researching. If we find anything out then we can let each other know through the Empathy."

[aries_saint]

The gesture is a bit lost on him as he haven't seen much of the greeting during his travels through the provinces and to the mountains in the Himalayas, but in return he pressed his hands together at chest level and makes a bow. Without empathy to auto-translate, he won't be able to pronounce his name correctly.

"It's nice to meet you, Wei Wuxian." He smiles warmly, almost serene, and lowers his hands. Taking the paper and carefully folds it to put in his pocket. "You're giving this to me? Really. Thank you. I want to be of help to others and do research and study. So if I discover anything, I'll let you know."

[scaredofdogs]

"I'm sure the more we can find out about this number and that poem, the better off we will be in the future. If it really is a friend then we could use all the ones we can get here!"

Mostly it has been the queen and the mad march. And he doesn't trust them. If there is someone on this world he can trust then he is all about meeting them.