๐ป๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ด ๐ป๐ธ๐๐
๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐น๐น (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
happyheartsstaff) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
funnyhearts2020-09-23 07:30 pm
happyheartsstaff) wrote in funnyhearts2020-09-23 07:30 pm
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME 005
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. INFESTATION
It starts with soft squeaks echoing in the hallways, the lobby, even Oysters' rooms. There's no accompanying scratching or the scurrying of feet that would usually signify an animal in the walls, only incessant squeaking that never seems to let up. Less than a day after it begins, the first squeaking creature makes its appearance. It is quickly followed by another, and another, and another, until one can't take more than a few steps without encountering one.
They range in size from no longer than an inch to almost a foot in length, and can be found everywhere from the pool area to the buffet to crawling beneath the blankets at night. Aside from their constant presence, they seem harmless. The creatures are soft and squishy, warm and dry to the touch, and don't seem to have any claws or even teeth. If they are treated with kindness, they may even become attached to certain Oysters, who will begin to find they can tell the creature apart from the others.
They can also be killed quite easily. They are resilient, and will bounce if dropped, but they have no defense against anything sharp and the smaller ones will not recover if stepped on.
The hotel staff view the little green creatures with varying levels of distaste, from mild irritation to shrieking at the sight of one.
"It always happens this time of year," one staff may say if asked. "The weather changes, they come in from the garden."
"They're hiding," another may state. "Who wouldn't? It's much safer in here."
Safer from what, you may ask?
The hotel staff give no answer to that.
After only a few days, the small creatures will begin to change. Those who have been shown kindness will become softer, fluffier. Prolonged contact with them will invoke feelings of happiness, will bring daydreams that feel real, though no one else can see them.
Those who have not been treated kindly will become more resilient, with spikes sharp enough to prick skin at the slightest touch. Stumbling over one of these will cause terrible hallucinations, waking nightmares that can only be dispelled with assistance from another.
They range in size from no longer than an inch to almost a foot in length, and can be found everywhere from the pool area to the buffet to crawling beneath the blankets at night. Aside from their constant presence, they seem harmless. The creatures are soft and squishy, warm and dry to the touch, and don't seem to have any claws or even teeth. If they are treated with kindness, they may even become attached to certain Oysters, who will begin to find they can tell the creature apart from the others.
They can also be killed quite easily. They are resilient, and will bounce if dropped, but they have no defense against anything sharp and the smaller ones will not recover if stepped on.
The hotel staff view the little green creatures with varying levels of distaste, from mild irritation to shrieking at the sight of one.
"It always happens this time of year," one staff may say if asked. "The weather changes, they come in from the garden."
"They're hiding," another may state. "Who wouldn't? It's much safer in here."
Safer from what, you may ask?
The hotel staff give no answer to that.
After only a few days, the small creatures will begin to change. Those who have been shown kindness will become softer, fluffier. Prolonged contact with them will invoke feelings of happiness, will bring daydreams that feel real, though no one else can see them.
Those who have not been treated kindly will become more resilient, with spikes sharp enough to prick skin at the slightest touch. Stumbling over one of these will cause terrible hallucinations, waking nightmares that can only be dispelled with assistance from another.
II. THE QUEEN'S GARDEN
The creatures have been in the hotel over a week when a new archway appears in the hotel lobby.
It is nearly October, hotel staff will say. There is a wedding to prepare for, and the yearly harvest festival. The Queen does so love her Oysters, of course, that she is opening up her gardens for both.
The garden itself is expansive, spanning multiple acres. There is a winding path lined with neatly manicured rose bushes in all colors, another overgrown with ivy, another leading through trees with leaves of reds and golds. Groves of fruit trees are heavy with apples and pears. Elaborate water fountains and delicate streams flow between small ponds, each bordered by different types of water plants and filled with everything ranging from goldfish to koi. There is a chill in the air, and scattered throughout the gardens are stone fire pits, a stash of blankets, bags of marshmallows and cartons of fresh pressed apple cider.
It is the only place aside from the pool that Oysters will be able to see the sun instead of the eternal twilight outside of the hotel windows.
Night will fall here, too, and with it all the fire pits are lit. Lanterns line the paths, and some glow from the thick of the gardens themselves, though there are still shadowy places that one can retreat to if desiring privacy.
It is nearly October, hotel staff will say. There is a wedding to prepare for, and the yearly harvest festival. The Queen does so love her Oysters, of course, that she is opening up her gardens for both.
The garden itself is expansive, spanning multiple acres. There is a winding path lined with neatly manicured rose bushes in all colors, another overgrown with ivy, another leading through trees with leaves of reds and golds. Groves of fruit trees are heavy with apples and pears. Elaborate water fountains and delicate streams flow between small ponds, each bordered by different types of water plants and filled with everything ranging from goldfish to koi. There is a chill in the air, and scattered throughout the gardens are stone fire pits, a stash of blankets, bags of marshmallows and cartons of fresh pressed apple cider.
It is the only place aside from the pool that Oysters will be able to see the sun instead of the eternal twilight outside of the hotel windows.
Night will fall here, too, and with it all the fire pits are lit. Lanterns line the paths, and some glow from the thick of the gardens themselves, though there are still shadowy places that one can retreat to if desiring privacy.
III. HEDGE MAZE
The garden is bordered on all sides by a massive wall of shrubberyย โย a hedge maze, hotel staff will say. They may even warn that those who go in without an escort will find themselves hopelessly lost.
There is nothing stopping Oysters from trying anyway, of course. The entrance to the hedge maze is difficult to find, but not impossible for those who are persistent. No matter what time of day it is in the garden, it will be night in the hedge maze, with no lanterns to guide the way. The entrance back to the garden will glow warm and bright for only a few moments after stepping inside, and will then disappear entirely.
It seems there is no way to go but forward.
The deeper into the maze, the darker it gets, as though even the moon and stars are growing dim. Oysters may catch sounds of soft breathing in the night, and may even observe that the hedge wall itself seems to sway as though something just beyond itย โย or in itย โย is moving. Those who enter the maze will find themselves wandering for what feels like hours, days. Does that turn look familiar? Have you been down this way before? Who can tell, when nothing about the maze ever seems to change.
Eventually, Oysters will find that they have been lead back to the garden, exhausted and hungry, though no time at all has passed for everyone else.
There is nothing stopping Oysters from trying anyway, of course. The entrance to the hedge maze is difficult to find, but not impossible for those who are persistent. No matter what time of day it is in the garden, it will be night in the hedge maze, with no lanterns to guide the way. The entrance back to the garden will glow warm and bright for only a few moments after stepping inside, and will then disappear entirely.
It seems there is no way to go but forward.
The deeper into the maze, the darker it gets, as though even the moon and stars are growing dim. Oysters may catch sounds of soft breathing in the night, and may even observe that the hedge wall itself seems to sway as though something just beyond itย โย or in itย โย is moving. Those who enter the maze will find themselves wandering for what feels like hours, days. Does that turn look familiar? Have you been down this way before? Who can tell, when nothing about the maze ever seems to change.
Eventually, Oysters will find that they have been lead back to the garden, exhausted and hungry, though no time at all has passed for everyone else.
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?
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?
Please direct any questions to the first comment on this page, and happy playing, Oysters!
ยฉ tessisamess
no subject
He doesn't exactly know if he was brought back the same exact way as his soul twin since they haven't ever discussed it and who really wants to talk about something like that? But he will assume that the path to resurrection wasn't too different just so he can try to feel his way through what Huaisang might know without outright accusing him of anything.
no subject
"Do you know?" he asks instead of confirming or denying, not looking at the other still. He could go for some wine right about now. "You don't have any alcohol on you do you?"
no subject
"I know a lot of things. And I know more then some people probably realize." I know what you did.
"What I don't know is if I should share Gusu's best wine."
no subject
His eyes go to the jar though and then to Wuxian's face with a tilt of his head and a pout forming. "Wei-xiong would you really be so mean to me?"
no subject
"If I agree to share this precious jewel, what will you do for me?"
no subject
"What do you want?"
no subject
"And I do have more, but when has that ever been enough? Especially when people make a habit of taking them away."
no subject
"And we can always share it. There would be more to go around if you didn't spill half of what you pour on yourself."
no subject
Wei Wuxian takes offense to that other comment though which he will handily ignore for now. He can't really fight truth even if drinking wine that way is the best way to enjoy it.
no subject
no subject
no subject
"It started after you died," Huaisang says carefully, closing his eyes. "There had been a disturbance in our ancestral tombs. Da ge... insisted that I go with them despite all my objections. I was upset about it and he was more unstable than ever." He takes another drink then.
"I tried to insist that since I was no good at martial arts that I should stay behind and take care of the family but he couldn't be moved. I thought he was punishing me, I felt like I was the victim of his rage," How stupid he had been back then. "Meng Yao gave me a flute to help soothe da ge's anger if it was necessary."
And Huaisang continues explaining that they had gone he leaves out some of the parts that aren't really relevant, his time spent saving Mingjue and them making some things right between them. That's too painful and personal to recount to someone who seems to have some suspicion of him. Who's asking this of him for their own reasons. Instead, he explains what happened with the saber's spirit in the tomb. That Mingjue had started losing control and turned against Zonghui. So, Huaisang had started to play the melody that Meng Yao had taught him, taught to Meng Yao by Lan Xichen only it wasn't what Huaisang had thought it was. Instead of calming Mingjue, he had killed Zonghui, nearly killed Huaisang before he found himself. By the time Mingjue had vanished, Huaisang had known without a doubt but he only started realizing Meng Yao's true nature that night in the tomb.
"Everything I did was for da ge."
no subject
Once the story and the wine are finished he sets down the glass. Does it make him doubt this man any less? Maybe only slightly. But he also can't completely fault him for doing what he did. The loss of family can make someone do intense things.
"With how everything turned out..are you satisfied?" An eye for an eye. Revenge at its finest. Did he not do the same thing to the Wen sect in order to pay back what they did to Jiang sect? When it came to cruelty, there were few that could rival the Yiling Patriarch.
no subject
"He was responsible for a lot of the things that happened to you are you upset that I did what I did to expose him? Are you upset that I brought you back so you can live a full life, you can... not everyone you love is gone. Do you, of all people, judge me?"
no subject
"I can't blame all of my bad choices on the things that he did." He lost control of himself and killed Jin Ling's father. He is the one that caused those deaths at Nightless City. Meng Yao might have moved a few pieces into place, and for those he does hold slight resentment, but his choices were his own.
"So I do not judge you for what you did but I also will not commend you for it either." All of them made poor choices but none of them can change the past to fix their mistakes or find a better solution. No one should have had to die and yet, many they cared about did.
no subject
Huaisang takes a long drink from the jar and stares at the fire pit. "I don't regret anything I did for him. I only wish I had known sooner there was a viper in my own home and we all would have been spared many losses."
no subject
"I think most of us would change the past if we could with the knowledge we have today."
There are so many things he would do differently. But then perhaps if he did things wouldn't have worked out as they have and he wouldn't change what he has now for anything.
no subject
"Isn't that the way it goes always?"
no subject
It's not that Wei Wuxian has avoided him, it's just that their paths haven't crossed. Perhaps he has unconsciously been avoiding him without realizing it..
no subject
"He's supposed to be dead!"
no subject
no subject
no subject
He wiggles his finger at him, "Would you like me to continue to hold a grudge against you or move on and consider it all done and over?"
no subject
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)