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]

As the music ends, Wei Wuxian stops and leans up to kiss Lan Wangji lightly on the cheek. Even if he behaves himself for the most part, he can't help but indulge just a little bit. It's hard for him to simply stop showing his affection to this one when he isn't usually afraid to do whatever he wants. Eventually perhaps they will be lucky enough not to have to have such an agreement so he doesn't have to always hold back so much.

"Thank you for the dances, Lan Zhan." He lowers himself back down, and smiles with an equally as soft expression.

[billowing]

Wei Ying is cute, and Lan Wangji hates himself a little bit for being so weak to his cheek kisses, to these furtive little gestures, to holding him so close.

"Mm," he says, and then, slightly more sternly: "You should teach them to your Wangji."

[scaredofdogs]

"I will, I will. It's a promise." It's not like it would do him any good to be the only one who knows all the dances. Even if he did modify a couple of them slightly. As long as he teaches him the modified ones and not the originals then he doesn't have to worry about doing that normal odd foxtrot.

It's like being punished for misbehaving. To show his affection for this one and then immediately be reminded of the other. His own Lan Wangji is always on his mind. He doesn't forget him when he is with this one.

"I'll be a very good teacher."

[billowing]

"And he, an enthusiastic student." He watches as the other couples bump into each other and laugh trying to learn the foxtrot. He really doesn't understand it.

"Wei Ying," he asks, out of the blue. "Which animal is your favorite?"

[scaredofdogs]

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the random question. He asked the same thing of Lan Wangji once before but that was a long time ago. He wonders what is prompting it now. He tilts his head slightly as he considers the question.

"I haven't ever really considered what my favorite animal might be..but I think if I had to pick something I would say a fox." Bunnies and donkeys are fun and he has grown attached to them but he certainly wouldn't consider them his favorite animal.

"Why do you ask?"

[billowing]

"I require ideas for what to carve into the ring." A fox might be a bit oblique, there's nothing else tying him to foxes - that might not go over well.

It does seem random, but. He can't help it, they're getting married. All four of them.

[scaredofdogs]

"Ah..but my favorite animal might be different from his favorite animal. I'm not sure I can be much help in that way." While the same they are still ultimately different.

"You'd probably be safe to just carve a rabbit." Since at least that is something he knows they bonded over..or he assumes they did. Except now he isn't entirely sure of that himself. Their teenage years seem to be the ones with the most divergences. "He did bring you rabbits right? To the library, when we were studying there?"

[billowing]

He shakes his head. "We found rabbits, in the back mountain at Cloud Recesses," he answers. But he had really liked the rabbits. Why would Wei Ying have brought him rabbits as a gift? He supposes in both universes, it was mandatory that there be some.

[scaredofdogs]

Ah..that is quite a bit different. He does wonder what kind of animal his soul twin would chose then. "Oh..our times at Cloud Recesses really were very different it seems." They still had the lanterns at least. That didn't change.

"I really won't be much help with your present after all." He pouts a little since Lan Wangji had been so helpful with his own.

[billowing]

He shakes his head. "If I don't think of anything to carve, I will carve a date on the inside of the ring," he says. He isn't sure which one - maybe the day when Wei Ying returned to life. Maybe the one when he'd first come to Gusu.

[scaredofdogs]

"Do you remember the date when you first realized how you felt?" If the ring is a symbol of love and infinity then perhaps the first day that would be the start of forever is the best one to put inside that symbol.

[billowing]

He shakes his head no. "I don't remember the date I realized it, but looking back... the date I first felt that way was..." And then he goes to name the first day that his Wei Ying had shown up at the Cloud Recesses, and had sat astride the roof, and tipped Emperor's Smile into his mouth but mostly down his chin.

[scaredofdogs]

Even he knows what that date is and stares at the other man in shock. That is not the first time they met but definitely the first time they actually talked. Is this what they consider love at first sight? Is his own Lan Wangji the same?

"If you knew then, why did you waste that precious jar of Emporer's Smile!? You don't treat people you like with such hostility!" He's going to assume at least this much was the same. A fight on the roof top, the loss of one jar, the breaking of so many rules on just his first night.

[billowing]

"Wei Ying broke the rules," Lan Wangji responds. "And I did replace his jars," he adds, though he's sure he told this one that already. For him, those incidents happened on the same day, so it is the day he met Wei Ying, the silly boy who he had always thought would be trouble, and trouble he was.

He also had no idea what to do with his feelings then, clearly, as Lan Wangji hadn't figured it out by the time he got to the archery competition. Or by the time he'd gotten drunk. Or really, until very recently. And he knows the other one is the exact same.

[scaredofdogs]

"Well..I would certainly be shocked to see that date carved into a ring but I think the dates would mean a lot more then an image. Because it's something you both would know and appreciate."

It is surprising but even after everything he has learned and now knows, he can still be caught off guard by the things Lan Wangji has done or felt in the past. It doesn't matter which one it is..they both can still do things that he doesn't expect.

[billowing]

Wei Ying might be surprised by how long Lan Wangji has loved him, but he shouldn't be. He's such a romantic; Wei Ying should know to expect this by now.

"Mm. I think I will. Or the date of our wedding," he says. "Once we decide when that is."

[scaredofdogs]

"The date does seem to be the difficult part..." It seems it is hardest to get things together when you don't know exactly what day those things are due by.

He doesn't mind when they get married but he knows that the date can be particularly important.

[billowing]

He nods. "It would help if we knew what date it was," he says, enjoying that they're able to see the sky here. But they don't know what month it is.

[scaredofdogs]

"Perhaps the staff would be willing to let us know. I mean..it isn't like a date is so important that they couldn't tell it to us." He couldn't begin to know what month or day it is. He stopped mentally counting the days, weeks ago.

[billowing]

"It is summer," he says. "So we may be able to be prepared by Mid-Autumn," he adds. "And we can celebrate with lanterns."

Well, if they can. Get lanterns.

[scaredofdogs]

His eyes widen slightly and he looks excited by the idea. A lantern festival at the wedding seems like a perfect way to celebrate given it was one of his first fond memories with Lan Wangji.

"I'd like that! I hope we will be able to do it."

[billowing]

It's also one of his fondest memories with Wei Ying, so it's very meaningful for him if there are lanterns at the wedding, if they set some off into the sky.

"For Wei Ying, I will make it happen."

[scaredofdogs]

"I think everyone would really enjoy it, especially anyone who has never seen a lantern release before." It's always such a pretty sight to see all those lanterns float into the sky, particularly at night when they are soaring up into the stars.

[billowing]

He nods. "We should ask if we can give everyone a lantern for the occasion." He's already conscripted dafu into painting them.

[scaredofdogs]

"Do you think the hotel staff will be willing to help out with things if we ask them? I don't mind seeing if they will be able to help with food or supplies. They might even have decorations already if anyone else has ever had a wedding here."

They have no idea what kind of attitude the staff will have towards a wedding but certainly they would be receptive to it. Who wouldn't want to attend a wedding?