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

[scaredofdogs]

He stops his small tantrum and looks up again, "Wonderland?" He isn't sure he sees anything too wonderful about it right now. It's noisy and things could step on him in his current state.

"Since it looks like this is our new home for awhile, we're eventually going to see all of it."

He picks up the little cookie again. "Which means i probably need to get big again soon." Although now he is quite enjoying this tiny body.

[inquiryguqin]

"Wonderland." He stated. "I haven't gathered much info other than it's a type of inn and gambling place."

Gambling is a type of vice. Coming from a sect that is entirely built on 4,000 rules that guarantee that anyone who follows the path religiously, will be virtuous with self-discipline.

With a nod, he hopes Wei Ying returns to his original size. "I think and suspect there's more to this place than it looks. I can't sense it, but I think this place is enchanted with a magic."

[scaredofdogs]

"Something must be magic if it can make people shrink. That's not exactly a skill I've ever heard of anyone having back home."

He starts to munch on the cookie again. Now that he has had a drink it makes it easier to eat a little more of it.

"Whomever it is must be pretty strong if they were able to drag us from our worlds. Either that or we are in some kind of strange group dream and the person has put us all to sleep."

[inquiryguqin]

His observation isn't wrong. Knowing Wei Ying also has a repertoire of spiritual magic and knowledge on his own.

"Mn, it's in the food as well."

Lan Wangji wished he could offer more, but he haven't discovered his spiritual powers is sealed yet. Sipping a bit on his tea.

"Still, I'm happy that I had found you and you're all right. If this ever happens again with you being small, at least call for my help."

[scaredofdogs]

"I'm going to be more careful about what I eat from now on. We'll have to just keep track of what each of us are doing at all times just in case we run into anything else."

Who knows what will happen the next time he eats something. It's a little concerning. He doesn't want to starve here.

"We'll figure it out. It will just take some time."

[inquiryguqin]

With consideration, Wei Ying's strategy works. "That's a good idea. If we're staying here for a while, then we need to keep track."

On that thought, "You have that device with you? It's how I call you and write to you. It's not a carrier pigeon."

[scaredofdogs]

"Yeah I think I still have it.." He searches around his robes for a moment before pulling it out. "How did it shrink too?" Strange magic indeed...

"I think we need this to communicate with everyone. There are a lot of different languages around here but everyone seemed to be able to understand everyone else. Apparently if you stick his in your ear it will translate it." He holds up the now very tiny cord with the earpiece attached.

"Obviously we don't need it for us..but apparently we will for everyone else."

[inquiryguqin]

With a nod, "Mn." He simply acknowledged it. "It's good that you have it. I have figured it out."

Wangji looks around. He very much wants to explore more of the place, but with Wei Ying this small, he has to postpone exploring.

"Wei Ying, do you want to take a rest in your own room? I think we can explore more to look for information, but not until the spell on you is broken and I'll figure out a way for you to grow back."

[scaredofdogs]

"Do you still have the cookie? Pretty sure I just need to keep eating." He tucks the device away again.

"I think I'm a little bigger. It's hard when I can only eat things that are as big as a bug." But he did finish another piece of cookie so he was feeling like he took up a little more space on lan Wangji's lap.

[inquiryguqin]

"Mn, I still have the cookie. Your spell is not permanent, I've been told."

It seems to be working as he observes, that Wei Ying slowly grow a few inches bigger on his lap.

He offers his hand, so Wei Ying can climb on it for a ride.

[scaredofdogs]

He climbs onto the hand and then sits down since he feels way more secure that way. "I'm ready for more cookie. Let's think big thoughts."

He actually is enjoying this being little thing now. He really gets to be lazy since Lan Wangji is carrying him around. And its no worse of a ride then Lil Apple can be.

[inquiryguqin]

He wondered if he's small, would Wei Wuxian be able to detect him? He wouldn't mind carrying him around.

"Mn. I want you to be big again."

As Wei Wuxian climbs on his hand, Lan Wangji broke off a small piece, a crumb of the cookie, and offers it to him within reach.

[scaredofdogs]

He takes the crumb and starts eating it again. He's going to be really sick of cookies after this. "Apparently we all have rooms. Did you see your room yet? I haven't been to mine..everything is too far away when I can only take tiny steps."

[inquiryguqin]

Cookies isn't the only sweet food. There's scones, biscuits, and cakes, but Lan Wangji is pretty sure they might bring similar effects.

With Wei Wuxian in hand. "I'll take you to yours." He rose to his full height, being slow in case he'll feel vertigo or dizzy from being so high up.

"Just tell me your room number and I'll find it."

[scaredofdogs]

"Oh.." He doesn't know it. He pulls out the little thing they were given to see if he can find it written down somewhere. "I'll figure it out.." He clearly should have paid more attention when they arrived to if he had been told such a thing but he had been too distracted by..everything.

"Hopefully our rooms are close."

[inquiryguqin]

His friend's room can be anywhere! For now, Lan Wangji's room is on the third floor. "Do you have your room key?" Perhaps it's too tiny to even fit to open the door to his room.

"It's all right. You can rest in my room until you're big again."

Lan Wangji quietly walks through the corridors of the hotel. Reaching inside of his pocket to take out his room key, with the key he pushes it in and opens the door.

Inside, his room will look exactly like his jingshi back in design and aesthetics with a scent of sandalwood incense recently burned fresh in the room.

[scaredofdogs]

A key that small could be anywhere..Wei Wuxian frowns as he realizes he probably won't be able to figure out his room for awhile.

When they enter the room, Wei Wuxian blinks a few times..reaches up and rubs his eyes to make sure he isn't dreaming or something and then drops his hands down so he can look again.

"How is this possible?" He really shouldn't question anything this world does considering how small he currently is. He wonders what his room will look like..he has a feeling if it is tailored to the person then it will be very much like Lotus Pier and that makes him just a little excited.

[inquiryguqin]

"I really don't know. It looks like this when I discovered it. This world gets stranger and stranger."

But he has no further complaints. The way the room is decorated fits exactly to his ideal. It was calming with the scent of the sandalwood to bring a sense of peace and tranquility.

"But it feels like home." Still feeling the buzz of the pink tea, he felt washed with calm and happiness.

Lan Wangji settled Wei Wuxian gently on the pillow. "Here, you can rest. You are safe."

[scaredofdogs]

He flopped down on the pillow and snuggled against it. "It's the fluffiest bed ever when I'm this small. Make sure you don't fall asleep on top of me!"

Realizing what he said and what their last night had been like , Wei Wuxian feels his cheeks heat up a little. He had behaved himself and not slept in the bed but that is only because he had done something so bold that Lan Wangji put himself to sleep. He buries his face in the pillow to hide it.

[inquiryguqin]

"I will not go to sleep."

Seeing Wei Wuxian is now safe, resting on the pillow. Lan Wangji sat on the edge of the bed, quiet and reflecting on today's events, his hands resting on his lap.

"..." He remembered last night's events or part of it. Having drunk last night, he usually don't remember in the morning. As usual, he said nothing. "If you need food or drink, I'll fetch for you."

[scaredofdogs]

"I'm scared of the food and drink." Nothing is safe. They better not have spiked the alcohol with bad things or he will be really upset.

"Do you think this will wear off on its own or do I really have to eat all of that cookie?" He has a feeling he knows the answer and it would involve sitting up.

[inquiryguqin]

"All right. None at all. But I do know what sweets and tea can do." While Wei Wuxian is scared, Lan Wangji still feels content and strangely happy, having drank more of the Joy tea, and he's start craving more of the tea. Even though his face express nothing, he's more relax.

Lan wangji isn't sure of the answer, so he makes a mental note to study the magic of this place later. "I think so. Maybe if you take a nap and sleep it off, you might return back to your full size."

[scaredofdogs]

"I don't think I want to take that chance." He pushes himself up and holds out his hands, ready to get cookie crumbs all of Lan Wangji's pillow.

"I'm going to finish this cookie no matter what and then I'm going to be back to normal." And potentially still crash in lan Wangji's room since he doesn't know where his is and he doesn't really feel like being alone.

[inquiryguqin]

Lan Wangji took out cookie from his pocket and laid it all out on the pillow. He broke it up in tiny pieces. Usually a tidy man, he would have scold about crumbs and eating on the bed, but no scolding came.

“Mn. This is all the cookie I have. Take care not to have a stomach ache.”

[scaredofdogs]

Wei Wuxian scooches up to it and sits there like he is sitting at an edible table. He reaches down and pulls off another piece, starting to munch on it. Eventually as he eats he does seem to be getting a little bigger,which makes it easier to eat even more of the cookie without getting full.

"It's working!" There is no mistaking the size difference now as he moves to sit on the bed next to Lan wangji with the cookie in hand. "Still can't reach anything but at least I can't be stepped on."