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

[billowing]

[ He thinks about it. Really, thinks about it, compares the two of them. When he closes his eyes, he doesn't see Mo Xuanyu's body. When he looks over, he's still surprised a little to see it in place of Wei Ying's. So, with careful consideration, he says: ]

No.

You are always smiling.

You have the same mannerisms.

[ And the same way of speaking, the same cadences. Both heavily flirtatious, both full of energy and life and mirth, both beyond everything: kind. Moral. Motivated by what's fair and good and just. And, of course, beloved by Lan Wangji. Perhaps not just the one. If they are truly the same, then he would have both - all, if there were more - at his side, patiently waiting, dedicated. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[Relief washes over him as he settles back into step beside the other man. He doesn't know why that question is so important to him but it is. As if he is worried his presence by Lan Wangji's side would simply make the other upset because he is not the person he expects to be there.]

Then I guess you are stuck with me.

[But he's pretty sure the other doesn't mind that. Not that he would have simply left him if they were different but it does make it a little easier to know he can probably get away with the same things he always has.]

There it is! This is the exercise room I found when I was blind. Or..it found me might be more accurate since I couldn't see it and it moved right where I was going.

[He had been looking for the bar at the time...]

[billowing]

[ Lan Wangji mutters a curt "mm" in assent to Wei Ying's comment that they're stuck together. Of course they are. Across the universe or not, he is still Lan Wangji's greatest friend, still his soulmate. Having two of them, well.

Alright, maybe it wasn't his dream, one is definitely a handful and a half, but two is certainly better than none. Any would be better than none.

They approach the training room, and Lan Wangji is very confused at all this equipment. ]

This appears to be a dungeon.

[ These are obviously torture devices. He looks at an elliptical. Like. Wei Ying, what is happening? ]

[scaredofdogs]

Exactly what I thought! It looks even worse then I was thinking it would look when I was here last.

[He walks in and does a wide arc around what he assumes is the treadmill that tried to kill him.]

This thing..is not safe.

River said people use this stuff to get in shape because you can't go outside to exercise. There is also a pool towards the back that apparently you can use to swim laps.

[billowing]

What do you mean?

[ He eyes the treadmill suspiciously and then moves onto the Smith Machine next to it. Thankfully, there are pictures on the side depicting how one should use the machine to exercise. It's even colored in which parts of the body will be affected by such an exercise, and what position to take.

Lan Wangji gets under the Smith Machine bar and uses it to do a squat. Since there is absolutely no weight on the bar, it's dead easy, and he looks skeptically at it until he realizes what the random weights are for.

At least the machine is intuitive.

He does another squat, which is a little harder this time, but no one told him he had to do reps and sets, so. Yeah, he's not feeling this. ]

This is a child's toy.

[scaredofdogs]

Lan Zhan..you're also ridiculously strong so this stuff might not work for you.

[Wei Wuxian on the other hand would like to not feel embarrassed by how much weaker this body is so will be avoiding strength exercises. He sees a random ball laying in the middle of the floor and goes to pick it up, only to be shocked by how heavy it is when he lifts it up. His eyes widen and he resists the urge to just throw it back down. With some effort he carries it over and places it closer to the wall, making sure to avoid his bare feet when he lets it go.]

Maybe I'll sit in the pool.

[billowing]

[ He is not ridiculously strong, he is a moderate amount of strong!

But he supposes if Wei Ying can't pick up a ball, perhaps his new body is... not the strongest.

Lan Wangji, somehow understanding gym etiquette without understanding the gym, quickly reracks his weights and then goes over to attempt to help. ]

You won't swim?

[scaredofdogs]

I don't want to spend a lot of time in the pool if you want to explore some more.

[Plus he doesn't exactly have any under layers on for swimming in..]

Or do you plan on trying more of the equipment?

[billowing]

No.

[ Though, he does want to find a place to train still, so he keeps poking around the gym.

There's a closed-off area with punching bags against the walls, clearly meant to be hung off hooks on the ceiling, except that they're not hung up so that the floor can be clear. On the other side is a rack of yoga mats, and there's a whole wall of mirrors for some reason, as well as a bar. He walks in curious as to this setup, looks for a light and finds something that--

--Turns the room a soft red and starts playing bachata music? Not that Lan Wangji knows what the hell that is or what language this is even playing. He's somehow stumbled into the shared-space dance studio.

He immediately turns off the light and the music.

Because obviously, it's cursed. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[He had just rolled the culottes up to his knees and dropped his feet into the water when there was some really loud noise coming from where Lan Wangji headed. He tries to lean so he can make sure the other man didn't encounter another untrustworthy machine.]

Are you okay, Lan Zhan?

[billowing]

It's nothing.

[ He follows, or, ushers, Wei Ying back out. ]

Just an empty room.

[ He thinks maybe he will just follow him back to the pool, and stay close. ]

[scaredofdogs]

That didn't sound empty..

[That sounded like noise but kind of also sounded like music and he wonders why Lan Wangji is so quick to make him leave it.]

Is there a reason you don't want me going in there?

[billowing]

I tried to find a light and someone started playing music and the lamps were red like campfire.

[ He didn't stay long enough to figure out that the music was definitely not war music, but rather, very light, pretty dance music, just played at a very high volume for someone to really get into the groove while they practice.

Someone should explain to him later that he can change the lighting color to normal and he can even find some guqin music on Spotify or something and do his martial arts training. ]

[scaredofdogs]

That's when you are supposed to experiment and see what it is! You might have just pushed the wrong button. You can't give up so easy, Lan Zhan. There are lots of new things in this world we've never seen before. You'll miss out if you just walk away.

[but he lets himself be herded. It's not like he would know what the correct things to turn on would be and he could potentially end up with much worse.]

[billowing]

[ Yes, it's much safer in the pool. Maybe they could check out the dance studio later, or get a staff member to show them how to use it. Actually, why isn't there a guide like there is with the exercise machines?

The pool smells chlorinated, which, surprise surprise, has Lan Wangji wondering just what they've gotten themselves into. On the bright side, the water is a lovely shade of blue-green and the tile work is immaculate. He also does enjoy the markings of height. Very useful. ]

Is there also a pond?

[scaredofdogs]

Mm..it's not really a pond. But it's really nice! They have it all made up like you are actually outside and it's supposed to make you feel like you're at this exotic beach. I've been there a couple times.

[Which makes him pause as his last visit to the pool comes into mind.]

Ah..there is also this hot spring like part that bubbles up and feels really good.

[billowing]

A hot spring.

[ Sounds like it could be dangerous, but mostly because the springs at Cloud Recesses tend to lead to frozen caves where you get stuck with your friend for like three days?

But he will take the recommendation into consideration. ]

Would it be better to swim in the area made to look like outside?

[ There's just a lack of ambiance. He knows Wei Ying likes to dive off of the pier and swim amongst lotus flowers. A shame there won't be any of that, here. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[He nods enthusiastically. As someone who grew up around water, being by the pool at least gives him a little bit of that back. Even if it isn't the same, it's still nice to pretend he is actually outside.]

It's a lot better then this room. Are you saying you want to go swimming, Lan Zhan? We can continue the tour and I can take you there if you would like.

[billowing]

Perhaps we can continue the tour and end it outside.

[ He doesn't really want to go swimming, but this is a lot of time spent indoors. There is so much indoor space. He'd never considered himself outdoorsy but everything just feels a little too futuristic, too clean and empty.

A beach might be a nice place to be for awhile, stand in hot sand, listening to the waves. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[Somehow he keeps ending up at the pool with Lan Wangji's..this is a sign of something. He's just not sure what. Excuses to see him undressed? Whatever the reason it's good enough as he heads towards the door.]

We might have to make a detour back to the boutique..

[These new clothes are not good for getting into the water.]

And if we are going, you need to get in the water too!

[billowing]

[ Definitely not an excuse to see him undressed when he could just as easily ask... ]

If the pond is big enough for the two of us to swim, I don't see a problem.

[ Exercise might be nice. And honestly, somewhere more comfortable feeling than this would be really nice. ]

[scaredofdogs]

It's huge! Big enough for lots of people to swim.

[He grabs Lan Wangji's hand and pulls him back towards the door.]

I need something to wear in the water so we'll go back to the shop first. We can also get stuff delivered to the pool area if you get hungry and want a snack.

[billowing]

--Are they enchanted?

[ Because he did wind up kinda small and uh, yeah, he's not going to tell Wei Ying that. ]

[scaredofdogs]

Not everything they have here is going to do weird things to you. Most of the stuff at the restaurant is actually safe.

[He's had good food experiences now so he isn't so worried about it any more.]

[billowing]

Hm.

Alright.

[ They can eat at a pool and go swimming. Sounds like a proper vacation.

He'll concede to this, for now. ]