TEST DRIVE MEME 001 (#2)

[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 for our grand opening gala. 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. THE CASINO FLOOR

As you pass through the entrance to the casino floor, an attendant passes you a small bag of chips. The casino is loud and bright and filled with games of every kind — you want to play poker? They've got a table for that. Sabacc? There's a table for that, too. Slots, pachinko, and bingo are just a few of the other games on offer. The attendant in the lobby wasn't lying, either — everyone who plays wins. Everyone, every time.

Servers wander the floor with trays of shotglasses full of multi-coloured liquids, offering them to every Oyster "Compliments of Her Royal Highness." If you're expecting alcohol, though, you'll be surprised — these drinks are teas made of the distilled emotions of every Oyster in the hotel. Each colour of tea corresponds to a different emotion, and as soon as you take a sip, you feel overcome with that emotion.

JOY — the distilled essence of happiness, this tea makes even the most rough and tumble of Oysters giddy with happiness — for a moment. The effect fades into a general sense of contentment and affability after a few seconds, and that itself fades away slowly over the course of twenty minutes.

ANGER — this tea, anger in liquid form, can make the most even-tempered of Oysters ready to absolutely blow a gasket. For twenty minutes, anyone who drinks this tea will find themselves much more easily annoyed, frustrated, and all around irritable and snappy.

SADNESS — distilled sadness is a potent tea, capable of turning a stoic, stalwart Oyster into a blubbering mess in moments. Events that may have previously only been a minor disappointment become the end of the world, every repressed unhappiness comes to the fore, and for twenty minutes, any Oyster who drinks a sadness tea can hardly keep themselves together.

II. MAKING WAVES

If gambling isn't to your interest, there are many other areas of the hotel to explore! For the moment, only The Pool Of Tears and the Pig & Pepper Buffet are available for Oysters to peruse, but the staff assure anyone who asks that the other facilities will be open by the next day. Unfortunately, that means no one can buy any swimsuits from This Elegant Thimble, but the staff aren't going to kick anyone out of the pool for jumping in in their clothes!

There are four main attractions to The Pool of Tears: the pool, the jacuzzi, the wave pool, and the lazy river. The water is always just the right temperature, clean and clear and refreshing. It feels as if the sun shines down from above you, warm and comforting. Scattered through the pool area are clusters of modern lounge chairs, just waiting for someone to come relax in them. The Pool is, in a word, serene.

But not for long. The waves generated by the wave pool begin to get choppier, and larger, until it becomes clear that the generator itself is malfunctioning — too late, however, to avoid the tsunami that crashes through the whole Pool and leaves it flooded. Thankfully, no water escapes into the rest of the hotel, and the hotel staff work quickly to rescue those trapped in the Pool and drain the flooding — but you better hope you can tread water until they get to you!

III. EAT ME, DRINK ME

The Pig & Pepper buffet serves lunch foods from across all different cultures, offering something for everyone, and some things you've never even heard of.

On offer with these lunchtime dishes are cookies and biscuits and scones of all kinds, held on tiered trays with signs that proclaim Eat Me! in delightfully whimsical calligraphy. Nearby, hotel staff man a small booth for doling out cups of fruit waters from large pitchers, which have Drink Me! painted playfully on their sides.

It takes a while to feel the effects — perhaps you've even left the Pig & Pepper by the time it happens — but those who eat the cookies and scones inevitably end up growing in size, whether a few inches or feet, and those who drank the fruity water similarly shrink. Eat enough and you might strain the ceiling; drink enough and you'll be the size of a thimble! It's not permanent — if no one else can help you figure out how to get back to normal, the staff certainly will — but it's definitely inconvenient!

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?

Welcome to the (second!) first TDM of Happy Hearts, a new panfandom roleplaying game here on DW! If you have any questions, please direct them to the first comment on this page. Happy playing, Oysters!

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

© tessisamess

Comments

[sixrealmsofhell]

I'll sit when I'm ready. [He's testing his own theory on this little chocolate drug and continues to pace like the cat after the canary]

You're just full of compliments today. [Mukuro finds that fascinating considering he may tolerate the other guardians but that didn't necessarily mean he liked them. He still didn't like the mafioso but some members have become more tolerable then others.]

[smoking_bastard]

Suit yourself. [He really wishes Mukuro wouldn't, though. Please just a bit closer? Gokudera's trying to seem aloof, but his eyes read a little longing. He's watching the other pace about, hoping the metaphorical cat will be drawn to him.]

I'm just being honest. [There is a little he can relate with Mukuro on. While the Storm Guardian is very much involved in the Mafia, was born and will likely die in it, it's also chewed him up a great deal in his developmental years.

Not that he can say his past scenarios are even a fraction as bad as what the Mist Guardian has been though. It's none of his business, but there's unspoken respect.]

So, are you still feeling influenced by the chocolate? [He's curious how long this feeling is going to last. Mukuro hardly drank enough water, but Gokudera isn't going to mother-hen him.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

[Mukuro finally walks a bit closer, settling on the love seat.]

I'm still in this room, aren't I? [Which means he can't bring himself to leave. It's unfortunate but it seems the candy is going to keep its grips on his body just a bit longer.]

So far the time limit is undetermined but most definitely too long.

[smoking_bastard]

[Gokudera really doesn't want to, but he gets up and approaches where Mukuro is sitting. The proximity does help, unfortunately. He's just standing before him, pretty much looming over him, though there's no more longing in his eyes. Ah, that's better.] Yeah.

Well, it could be worse.

[It's not embarrassing, just incredibly awkward. Gokudera glances down at him, then turns his head to look at the door. Ugh, he feels like there's some kind of magnetic pull.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

[Mukuro relaxes back against the chair and smirks up at the other with a rather victorious expression.]

Are you still feeling fine? Because to me it seems like you are craving human contact in a close proximity.

[smoking_bastard]

[He's not a fan of that smug expression, but he'd rather not get too upset, risk the urge to leave out of annoyance, or kick Mukuro out of his room and again... he doesn't want to lose this proximity.]

Fuck no.

[Does he look fine? Gokudera can't really hide his expression, which is still as much a habit now in his twenties as it was in his teenage years. If he weren't downright looming over the Mist Guardian, he may be able to mask his expression. Unfortunately, even a complete idiot could see how nervous the silver-haired man is.]

Scoot over.

[sixrealmsofhell]

Why don't you just sit in my lap if you are so desperate?

[Mukuro is only marginally kidding with the other man, moving just slightly over.]

[smoking_bastard]

[There is a dangerous flash behind Gokudera's eyes. He's not so easy to bait into a fight as he was when he was younger, but Mukuro can't -even though he just did- challenge what he needs.

He definitely is lacking the kind of self-control the illusionist so obviously has.]

Oh yeah? [His tone is agreeable. Yeah, good idea, Mukuro!]

[And so he does just that, gets right up in the Mist Guardian's personal space, cages his thighs with his knees before turning and sitting beside him, legs draped right over his lap. He wouldn't want to actively sit on him, because while neither of them are heavy, that wouldn't be very comfortable. It's enough contact, the underside of Gokudera's thighs rested on the top of Mukuro's.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

[Mukuro huffs in amusement. He's the last person that would ever be concerned with personal space. He rather enjoys invading people's bubbles. Being in their mind and body is kind of what he does. So he isn't bothered when the other man does exactly that.]

For someone who seemed so confident earlier that you would feel no effects, you certainly have given in to the chocolate quite well. It makes me wonder how docile you become after more then one.

[smoking_bastard]

[Oddly enough, considering Mukuro has possessed Gokudera before, this kind of invasion isn't something that bothers the Storm Guardian too much. It would embarrass the hell out of him, and he wouldn't normally do this, but there is nothing wrong with what he's just done.

It's not like Mukuro is invading his space. Gokudera feels pretty in control. Aside from the chocolate.

Yeah, he's definitely being influenced by it.]

Why fight it? You gave me fair warning.

[Gokudera is straight-up lounging, and takes another pull from his modded vape. Then, he offers it up to Mukuro, and glances over at his coffee going cold on the desk near the other side of the room while exhaling a sweet-smelling vapor.] It's vanilla custard.

Fuck, if I had more chocolate, I'd only be satisfied by being... dog-piled, probably. [His nose wrinkles at the thought. He does not want more chocolate.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

I just hope there is chocolate on this world that doesn't encourage unnecessary touching. [Because damnit he loves chocolate...but he does not love people.]

[He will be making a face a that thing Gokudera has just offered him as if it is the most appalling thing in the world. He is the mist, not smoke.]

Though I'd almost like to see that. [The dog-pile..on top of Gokudera, while he sits a good distance away.]

[smoking_bastard]

Like I said before [He hums and then puts the vape away.] Could be worse.

[Could be actually poisonous. It's not disfiguring or hurting him, and nothing can bring the kind of trauma he's experienced from the food his sister had fed him.]

You would. [Yeah, it would be amusing to see, but not experience.]

Those teas... [He's coming up with a plan.] How much tea was there?

[sixrealmsofhell]

There was three types of tea. If you are thirsty I would certainly not recommend those.

[Unless he wants to cry his eyes out, beat up some random person, or laugh like a crazy person.]

Unless you desire to be punished, in which case feel free to drink all three at once.

[Now that would be a show.]

[smoking_bastard]

Yeah yeah, you told me about the three different types. [Geez, Mukuro must really think he's a forgetful idiot, or that he was ignoring him.]

I wanted to know how much was there? Like... did they just have teapots? A pitcher. I'm talking serving size. [And he has no intention of consuming any of it.]

Was there a bartender pouring it out of bottles? How much did you see? [He lifts a hand, holding his index finger and thumb and inch apart, expanding it, just... the general gesticulating he's prone to.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

Waitresses with trays of cups, distributing it throughout the casino. It's not confined to one area. They want to make sure as many people as possible are affected. The portions are small and the effect is very short lived. Just enough to get you in trouble.

[Mukuro is never sure if this one is actually paying attention.]

[smoking_bastard]

Think it'd be difficult to smuggle some out?

[Maybe he could empty out a water bottle or something, collect shots of the tea... Make something of it.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

You could probably order as room service if you are so desperate to embarrass yourself.

[Mukuro has no interest in further losing his cool collection again. Though now that he knows the effects he feels like he could control it a little better.]

[smoking_bastard]

[He makes a soft, exasperated noise and puts his palm to his forehead. Oh yeah, that's... a much better idea than going to the Casino and trying to smuggle out large quantities of the tea.]

It's not for me.

[And just so Mukuro doesn't get the wrong idea]

Or you.

[He pulls out the device he'd been given upon arriving, trying to figure out how it works before actually requesting any kind of room service.]

[sixrealmsofhell]

[Its okay Gokudera. He never thought you were one of the sharper crayons in the box.]

Good to know you don't intend to drown me in tea.

[He drums his fingers on the arm of the chair.]

So what do you intend to do with it?

[smoking_bastard]

[He hums his acknowledgement.]

Make a concentration of it. Mostly I want to see what I can do with it... aside from drinking it myself.

[Though he knows he may have to use himself as a test subject...

Or... he could just go down to the Casino, target random people and see what multiple shots of the tea would do to them. It's not... nice, but it's also not completely boring.]

If I can order it, then I'll just have it sent up here to fuck around with later. Kind curious what it'd be like to see someone drink all three, though...

[sixrealmsofhell]

I would suggest saving that kind of experiment for when you encounter someone you don't particularly like. Then offer it to them without their knowledge.

[If you want tips on being evil, Mukuro is your man.]