TEST DRIVE MEME 004

[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. TIME TO PARTY

What timing you have, to be arriving at Happy Hearts now! The hotel is bustling, filled to the brim with guests that don't bear the green mark denoting them as Oysters. Hotel staff are equally as busy, catering to the needs of their extra company on top of the Oysters. Musicians arrive in a flurry of fanfare, demanding the attention of everyone in their wake. If the hotel staff are a little more hurried, a little less friendly and accommodating to new Oysters, surely they can be excused, right?

No matter. There's a party to go tonight, the very one that the musicians are here to play at. They set up in the massive pool area, roping off some areas for dancing, others for tables lined with all manner of food and drink. Indulgence teas make an appearance throughout the night. Anyone who drinks one will find themselves with lowered impulse control, lack of restraint, a desire to partake of things they would normally be wary of, giving into their particular vices much more frequently, etc.

If you intended to miss the party, you may find it difficult to ignore. The celebrations spill out of the pool area and into the hotel lobby, the restaurants, the bars, even up onto the floors of the Oysters' rooms. The music is loud enough to be heard anywhere in the hotel, making sleep a difficulty. You might as well enjoy yourself, right? Or perhaps find someone else attempting to avoid the celebration to commiserate with. It will stop some time in the late hours, at least, and all signs of it will be gone the next day.

II. ATTRIBUTABLE TO HUMAN ERROR

Even after the hotel is no longer quite so full, hotel staff always seem in the middle of doing something or other when they're asked for something. There's just not enough time in the day, is there, for everything that must be done? Any Oysters who point out that there seems to be several other staff members mingling about with nothing to do will be met with silence.

But not to worry! All your needs will still be met. The hotel does have its automated customer service system, for times such as these! Computer screens are available at the counter of every store, at every table in the restaurants, at the bar and spa and gym. Calling for room service? Needing more towels at the pool? Want to book a service at the spa or get a drink at the bar? Simply place your request directly with the system, and whatever you desire will be delivered right to you!

There are still some bugs to be worked out, of course. Were those not the clothes you wanted? Oh, dear, perhaps someone else got yours by mistake. You can't even eat whatever type of food was served to you? Better double check the system — and look, what you have in front of you is exactly the order that was placed? Are you sure you're not the one who was mistaken?

A hotel staff member will eventually correct whatever went wrong, should Oysters not being able to sort out the mix up themselves.

III. WERE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Just when it felt like you were getting the layout of the hotel down — you were getting the layout of the hotel down, weren't you? If you thought so before, you may doubt it now. There was a night club here just last night, wasn't there? And a spa over there, a gym just beyond them? If there ever was, there's certainly no sign of them now. There's only a blank wall, a dead end.

Turning to go back the way you came will be of little help. There is no way you came, just another hallway. And another, and another, until you may find yourself quite hopelessly turned around. If you're lucky, it may not be too long before you run into a helpful member of the hotel staff.

They'll be happy to direct you anywhere you need, of course. "The spa?" they'll say. "Do we have a spa? That's news to me. Oh but we're always adding new amenities, of course, that's one of the joys of the Happy Hearts Hotel and Casino!"

Perhaps you'd like directions back to the lobby? Well, they can certainly provide that. You're not alone, are you? A shame. They're much too busy to escort you back themselves. It's a bit of a maze, during renovations, one always easier to navigate with a friend to keep an eye on things.

It won't take long to realize they mean that literally. The hallways don't move as long as someone's watching them, and it will be much easier to follow the staff's directions back to the hotel lobby with one person to look in front and one behind. Hopefully you'll find someone else just as lost as you are.

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?

All hotel amenities on the world info page are available except for the nightclub, the gym, and the hotel spa. 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

[inquiryguqin]

He was in Nightless City, witnessing the massacre and madness of Wei Wuxian with the resentment energy. For him, it was over a decade ago.

He would have the answer to that question. So even if he hadn't said out loud. "Sect Leader Nie Mingjue. Much time has passed. For me, it has been 13 years. Wei Wuxian came back." There is much time required for explanation such as the forbidden ritual of his resurrection.

However, he knew Nie Mingjue has other interests. He wanted information of this place.

"So far, the Queen released a few, though the process of selection remains a mystery. At the moment, no one has granted an audience with her yet."

[shootthesun]

Thirteen years before Wei Wuxian came back into the body of that other man. It doesn't answer the questions he doesn't want to acknowledge - how did they go from fighting all the time to getting married, but he supposes, on second thought, that he has no reason to assume Wei Wuxian was dead for all thirteen of those years.

It might make more sense that he wasn't, actually.

But gratefully, he can still ignore that, in favor of yet more information.

"Of course not. It would be too easy, if we could get our answers directly."

He's quiet, for a moment, before, "Have you been outside of this hotel? I've yet to see a door, or window that could actually open."

[inquiryguqin]

"The staff wouldn't let us out. They locked the doors and windows. Not even let us access to a garden. However, two months ago, they let us out to investigate the Old Kingdom in the forest, but they want us back. The Queen assigned her warriors to put us under surveillance."

With a sigh, "Other than that, I haven't see anything else. No villagers. No cities or even oceans. No one from the outside. This hotel is all that is and we're the Queen's prisoners."

[shootthesun]

It can't be that the hotel is all that exists of this Kingdom - too many of those swarming the pool and main area seemed neither staff nor kidnapped inhabitants. But then, he couldn't be entirely sure, so...

"It may be that this Queen has condensed her kingdom to the confines of this hotel. Or it may be that a maze array keeps anyone from escaping. Either way - we will escape."

[inquiryguqin]

"That's correct. She condense all of her kingdom into one building. I think the inside is bigger than it looks since the hotel tends to shift and changes shape."

With a thoughtful look, "With the maze, that's true. To keep us trapped. I think we can attempt escape, but every door and exit is locked. And outside, there's a lot of wilderness, so finding a horse to travel will be difficult because there isn't any."

[shootthesun]

Difficult, but perhaps not impossible.

"She must have some method for bringing food and other supplies in, and waste out. If we can find it, that may be the way we escape."

[inquiryguqin]

"Most likely it's her staff that takes care of those tasks. They kept it under wraps and if we try to investigate or attack them further, they'll report it to the queen, and there will be dire consequences and punishments." Especially if his method is letting his temper and fists get the best of him.

"Still, that's a good idea. Since you just arrived, let's think of a strategy later until you're settled down. Did you figure out your room yet?"

[shootthesun]

"I have a room here."

It's too flat a delivery to be a genuine question - more a state of irked disgust. It does however make it clear he has not found his room yet.

[inquiryguqin]

He does his best to be helpful despite his state of rough arrival. It's the least he could do as a fellow sect leader, to show hospitality and orient him at least..

"You should find it by the end of the day. You'll know it's yours once you go to look, it's upstairs. It's your place of rest by the end of the day. The staff is accommodating, so should you require food or drink, you can ask for it in the dining room or call by room service."

Speaking of which, he shows him a device that looks like a small cellphone. "You can also call us through the device called empathy. Everyone has it. You used it to send us messages. I can show you how to use it in case you get lost."

[shootthesun]

He looks over the device, pulling an identical one from an inner pocket. "Empathy. Ironic."

Their captors, after all, clearly have no empathy for them.

"I'd appreciate that, if this device has such purposes."

[inquiryguqin]

It seems he discovered it, and that's exactly the device they all have. "It should work."

With a nod, "Mn. Give it a test. Try to call me to see if it works. It's faster than a pigeon carrier."

[shootthesun]

He tries just that, pressing buttons until the little machine activates, portraits - uncannily realistic ones - connecting each name.

He presses the button beside the familiar looking Lan Wangji.

[inquiryguqin]

One he did that, Lan Wangji did the same. It's a simple set up of exchanging numbers, and he send him a testing text message.

Eventually their pictures show up. "Just like that. Consider it an emergency contact." Because who knows what will happen here on a bad day.

[shootthesun]

Just like that. No need for talismans and spells, no need for messengers man or bird.

He nods, sharply.

"I'll remember that. Consider the same for yourself." In an emergency, he can be relied upon.