funnyhearts | TEST DRIVE MEME 001 (#2)

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TEST DRIVE MEME 001 (#2)

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

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[ He doesn't even know how he would answer. Yes, he loves Wei Ying. He has loved Wei Ying since they were children, young boys a lifetime ago. And yet... so much has happened that there hasn't been good opportunity to tell him so.

He hasn't been able to talk about it to the Wei Ying from his home, and there are many answers to questions that he does not want to know without that one present. ]

If I anticipate that you will, I will not be disappointed.

[He can only resist for so long before he starts to get itchy to harass the other and he has reached that point. He slides along next to him and he tries to be very sneaky about reaching out towards that headband. The eyes are closed so certainly he can be stealthy enough...]

[ As soon as Lan Wangji can feel Wei Ying remotely near him, his hand snaps up to catch his wrist.

His eyes are still closed. ]

[Knew it wouldn't happen. Still couldn't resist.]

But Lan Zhan I was just going to straighten it for you! It got crooked when you were splashing the water.

[Not really but whatever..He leans a little closer to study it, not used to seeing the little metal piece in the center.]

[ Lan Wangji lets go of Wei Ying's wrist to adjust his headband as he lays in the water. ]

Is it straight?

[ He opens his eyes to look at it, but instead, gets an eyeful of Wei Ying being very physically close. Lan Wangji doesn't seem to mind. ]

[He nods as he looks at it. It's actually a little slightly off now that Lan Wangji has messed with it but he isn't going to tell him that. It's taking every ouch of control not to reach out and touch that metal piece since he knows it will just mean his wrist is caught again. Not that he minds the contact..]

The design of the center piece is pretty.

[He wonders what it would have been like to be tied up with that headband. Would the little metal piece have rested on the top of his hands? Is it cold to the touch or warm like the forehead it is resting against? Questions he'll likely never know the answer to.]

[ The front of it is cold, but the part of it closer to the skin is warm. ]

It denotes whether or not you were born into the Sect. Surely you noticed?

[ Lan Wangji, Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen have these ones, but the Juniors have a more simple style.

On the bright side, Lan Wangji hasn't told Wei Ying to get further away, yet. ]

They are a little different where I am from. But the meaning is the same.

[his eyes travel back down, meeting the other man's eyes. Another difference and yet still the same. The difference only in color, but the soul behind them and the expression inside them is unchanged. He wonders how much of the two of them is like that.]

If you use it to tie someone's hands..what does that mean?

[All the juniors acted so shocked when they saw it that Wei Wuxian has often wondered what other rules he has broken.]

[ His expression immediately heats as he looks angry at Wei Ying even asking such a question.

Then he just looks confused. Is this a test? ]

It means I don't want you to get assassinated by my ancestors.

[He sees the anger and it surprises him for a moment but then so does the answer.]

...why would they assassinate me? Wow..does messing with you when you are drunk make even your ancestors mad? No wonder the junior Lans were so shocked when they saw me tied up. They probably thought I was being attacked and you were protecting me. And here I thought you were just being..odd.

[If that is the case then he is never letting lan Wangji ever drink again. He doesn't want to be killed by some mad ancestor.]

[ Wei Ying is not making any sense, but he does have a bad memory. Lan Wangji just thought he'd remember something so important. ]

Lan Yi told us of the stygian iron.

Did you forget?

[ He gets up on his elbows to look at Wei Ying, searching his face, seeing if he's joking or not.

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<s/mall>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

[ <small>Wei Ying is not making any sense, but he does have a bad memory. Lan Wangji just thought he'd remember something so important.</small> ]

Lan Yi told us of the stygian iron.

Did you forget?

[ <small>He gets up on his elbows to look at Wei Ying, searching his face, seeing if he's joking or not.<s/mall> ]

[He studies Lan Wangji's expression and then slowly shakes his head. It appears there are more differences then he originally thought.]

I've never met Lan Yi..How could I? The only Stygian iron I know..is the Stygian Tiger Seal I made. But I destroyed that just before I died.

[He lowers his eyes as he tries to remember. The memories of his previous life are hazy but he is sure he couldn't forget things like that.]

I made that in the Burial Mounds..but you're saying we knew about it before then?

[ Did he not know what that metal was imbued with? ]

The pieces for your seal contained so much resentful energy, that the Five Clans broke the metal into four pieces.

We had looked for them, to keep them from Wen Ruohan who wanted to remake the Stygian Iron for himself.

[ He looks at Wei Ying, wondering if this part really never happened for him. It seems like much was different.

And if Wei Ying had never met Lan Yi, how did he come by the parts of the Iron? But if so, then... ]

You did not force me to drink and break curfew.

[ He wonders this, because it was the whole reason he came to the springs that day. ]

It definitely had a lot of resentful energy but I only recall it breaking into two pieces..

[He lifts his eyes back up and there is a small smile on his lips.]

Oh no..I definitely made you break curfew and you definitely drunk. [this part he can't help but remember well.]

Your brother told me where the cold spring was and let me go there to heal after we were both punished. [He shivers as he remembers.] that water was so cold and you wouldn't let me get close to warm up! I said I wanted to be friends but you were so mean. [pouting a little].

[ Oh, great, why is he not surprised by this? ]

We are friends now, are we not?

[ He still doesn't understand Wei Ying's tactics for trying to become friends, but he can't say that it didn't work. Lan Wangji has just accepted that his friendship comes with a lot of touching and also a lot of trying very hard not to roll his eyes as he completely misinterprets a situation. ]

[That smile brightens.]

We are definitely friends now so I guess it all worked out.

[He just wished it didn't take dying for him to figure it out. Of course if he had just opened his eyes the signs were there before but with everything going on it was all too much to piece together. And Lan Wangji's silent nature didn't make it any easier.]

I guess in your world the Wen clan started the fear of the dark cultivation..but in mine, the fear of that was all my fault. Figures I'd have the rougher path. Guess it's a good thing I don't mind being everyone's scapegoat.

[ For obvious reasons, that makes Lan Wangji's heart break all the more. ]

I know.

I never blamed you.

[ Only himself. Let's not talk about that. ]

For anything.

[He settles in the water beside Lan Wangji and lays his head on his shoulder. He knows the contact is probably a little odd for this Lan Wangji but Wei Wuxian can't help himself with everything he knows and has done.]

I know Lan Zhan. I didn't at the time..but I've learned a lot since I've been back and you shouldn't blame yourself for anything either.

[ He wants to say that he does, he should've done more for Wei Ying. He should've been there to save his sister. He should have wrapped him up in his arms and taken him back to Yiling.

They could have stood their ground together. ]

Promise that you will let me help you. So that we never do this again.

[That is a promise that Wei Wuxian will make a hundred times over.]

It's a promise, Lan Zhan. No matter what from here on out, everything we do, we do together.

[He holds up his fingers as a swearing to the promise. He's made a lot of mistakes in his life and perhaps the biggest one was not letting Lan Wangji help him more. He always thought he had to bear the burden alone. The loss of his core, the learning of the dark arts, struggling to keep his mind and heart clear...all of it he tried to bear alone when he could have just looked beside him and had the support of the person he least expected to be standing there.

He knows his choices were not always the best in his previous life. Things have been made clearer since he's been back. And even more so since being in this place. Perhaps he has started to understand himself a little bit better as well as Lan Wangji.]

[ Lan Wangji nods his assent, and leans his head a little so that anyone looking from above can see they're leaning towards each other. It's a lot of touching. It's more touching than Lan Wangji would have ever allowed previous to Wei Ying's death.

But now that he's returned, what could Lan Wangji deny him? ]

Why did you ask me about my headband?

I'm worried you won't like it if I tell you what happened..but I think it's important that I know.

[He lifts a hand out of the water and looks at his wrist. His last night in their world had been a strange one and he's still trying to wrap his brain around it. From Lan Wangji's drunken escapades to the reactions of the disciples. All of it sent warnings off in his brain.]

It's the last thing that happened before I ended up here. We had just left Yi City and we stopped at an inn. All the disciples and Jin Ling were with us. You drank..and we were outside but I was trying to get you to come back inside and you tied my hands with your headband.

[He holds his wrists together, remembering how tight it was and how he had to pull at the knot with his teeth to get it to loosen after Lan wangji had gone to bed.]

But when the Lan disciples saw it they were...pretty surprised. And I mean I know it's important but I feel like there is something I'm missing.

[He drops his hands back into the water.] But if you tied your hand with the other me..in the cave that you went to. Then maybe I'm just overthinking things.

[ Lan Wangji's ears turn bright pink, so it's a good thing that Wei Ying can't see him from this angle.

He does, however, become extremely stiff. And move slightly further away. ]

--You let me drink?

[ Wei Ying, you know what happens when Lan Wangji drinks!! ]

I didn't let you do anything!! You just took it and drank it!! It's not like I could have stopped it!!

[He knew saying it was going to make things go badly but he had to know and the only thing that would make Lan Wangji do such a bold thing would be alcohol so leaving that part out would have been a bigger mistake.]

When you want to do something, Lan Zhan, it's not exactly easy to stop you..

[There is no one who knows Lan wangji's drunken antics better then Wei Wuxian. But when the man simply picks up the cup and downs it before he can say anything..well..what is he to do?]

I knew I shouldn't have said anything..forget it..

[And so he still doesn't have an answer. His shoulders droop.]

[ Lan Wangji tenses, and then tries to figure out how to explain this, and tries so, so hard to unclench. ]

I wrapped it around your wrist because there was an enchanted qin that would play chord assassination to anyone who was not a Lan.

Otherwise...

[ He looks away again. ]

You are not supposed to touch it.

HAPPY HEARTS HOTEL

I. THE CASINO FLOOR

II. MAKING WAVES

III. EAT ME, DRINK ME

IV. WELCOME HOME

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wow that realy borked lmao

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