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 does do that, but he does that not out of obligation. It's because people treat Wei Ying unfairly. If he deserved it, Lan Wangji would not come to his rescue.

Okay, maybe that was a lie, but still.

What he says is: ]

Mn.

[ And then, very quietly: ]

You are only supposed to tie your headband to a very special person.

[OMG an answer. Having never expected to actually get one the question had since been forgotten. But then there it was..like a bright golden trophy being handed over.

His back straightens and the shock on his face is more because he was given an answer then what that answer actually was. But then it starts to sink in...

Very special person..

And his heart starts to pound a little faster as he feels his ears heat up. It is like the answer to the problem he has been struggling with for..weeks.]

So..you would tie up someone you care about?

[Said hesitantly..as if afraid of the answer. Just how deeply does the care go? Would you tie up a brother or a best friend? He is thankful the answer he received and holds back on all the others, not wanting to appear ungrateful for that small bit of precious information.]

[ How is he supposed to answer Wei Ying? He looks around slightly nervously, as if searching for a wall to bang his head against so he can exit this conversation.

No, it's fine, he looks at Wei Ying as if he is asking too many questions, because Wei Ying is always asking too many questions, and Lan Wangji does not like to give him answers.

Instead, he starts to stand up. Yeah, now would be a good time to stop talking and also not have Wei Ying so close to his person. Had he really tied him up with the headband? And did it really count to have done so to keep Wei Ying from being assassinated? ]

Ah! Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! I'm sorry. I won't ask any more.

[He covers his mouth with his hand as if to prove his point, reaching out to grab the man's arm with the other. The response the other gives with his body is almost enough to answer him. The looking away, the sudden attempt at removing himself. Wei Wuxian is perceptive enough to know what his questions were ones he could probably answer on his own just based on that. He knew the man well enough at this point. Well not this man..but the one who shared everything except a few memories.

He won't ask any more about the headband, but the last thing he wants is for the other to suddenly be mad at him. So he will look at him with apologetic puppy dog eyes to make sure he knows that he promises not to ask any more. Keeping that hand planted firmly on his lips.]

[ He's in the middle of standing up out of the water, on one knee, and casts a glance at Wei Ying's puppy eyes.

That was a mistake. That was such a big mistake, he's such a goner.

How can he resist? This is unfair. He may not have Wei Ying's face, but he has all his mannerisms, his microexpressions, all the little subtle details about Wei Ying that make him so. Lan Wangji settles, seated in the pool. ]

We should see what else is different.

[ Comparing notes is an important task. Especially for a serious man like Lan Wangji. He wishes to know all. ]

[Victory! Knowing that he can't possibly talk about what might be different unless he talks, he lowers his hand. He knows it won't be easy to figure out what other differences there is but he is also rather curious about it.]

How should be figure that out? Maybe ask about certain points and see what we remember?

[That could make very a very emotional trip down memory lane and his memories are not always the clearest but he can do what he can.]

[ Lan Wangji doesn't really want to take that trip down memory lane either, but if he'll do it with anyone, he'll do it with Wei Ying. ]

Not here.

[ Not that anyone's eavesdropping, but he definitely doesn't want anyone else to hear. And if they get a little emotional, he doesn't want to be in public. ]

Should we go back to the rooms then? Obviously that is going to be the most private of places.

[He understands the need for a less open area for something like this. There are going to be some touchy moments regardless of if their memories are the same..or different.]

I'll warn you..sometimes my memory isn't the best.

[He stands up so that he can head out of the pool.]

I know.

[ At least that hasn't changed. He gets up in one easy motion and starts to walk back to the chair where they've left their towels, wrapping one around himself before turning to Wei Ying and wrapping one around his head, helping him to dry his hair. ]

[He follows Lan Wangji to the towels. He smiles as the other helps him with his hair. It will take a lot of time for all that hair to dry.]

Do you want to go to to your new room or should we go to mine?

It does not matter to me.

I will let Wei Ying choose.

[ He continues to ruffle. These towels are so plush and soft, it has a nice tactile feeling to help Wei Ying dry his hair. ]

Mm..lets go to yours. I want to see what your room looks like!

[He reaches down and squeezes some of the water out of his swim trunks while Lan Wangji is distracted by his hair.]

[ He hangs the towel around Wei Ying's shoulders eventually, and moves away so they can get back to the store to pick up their clothes. ]

Mm.

[ Surprise of all surprises, it looks exactly like the silent room... There's even an indoor part that has the little white rocks that dot the Gusu Lan courtyard ]

[He is fairly quiet until he collects his clothing. Even pretty quiet as they make the walk to the rooms. But he can only be quiet for so long.]

When we were fighting the water demon..you said you didn't touch strangers and that was why you carried me by my collar. When did you officially start seeing me as a friend?

[ He looks at Wei Ying and stops on the step into his room, to think about it. Then he opens the door, and allows him entry.

Only after that, does he speak: ]

Do you remember, not long after that, when we were making wishes on the lanterns?

You painted me a rabbit.

And when you let go, you said, 'I, Wei Wuxian, wish to live so that I can always stand with justice, and have no regrets.'

[He looks around the room, amazed by the familiarity of it. Each one really is set to match their owner. He turns around to face Lan Wangji.]

I remember that. It was such a cute lantern..and you looked so surprised. It was a promise that I tried to keep but I'm not sure I did a very good job at it.

Unfortunately I also remember getting into a fight shortly after and getting sent home to Lotus Pier.

Mm.

But we were not separated for long.

[ It was a very cute lantern. Lan Wangji can still recall exactly how the rabbit looked, just like all those ones by the cold springs. Wei Ying, that entire time, and then with the statue that came alive, with the lanterns... he really became important to Lan Wangji. Lan Wangji finally understood him. Finally saw his intentions for what they were.

He offers Wei Ying take a seat, and then goes to make them tea as he usually does. It's almost like being home. ]

[He settles and folds his arms in front of his chest as he remembers back to that time. That really was a very long time ago..]

Is that when you determined we were friends? And yet you still acted so cold.

[But there is something different about their next memories..he can feel it based on what Lan Wangji said.]

For me..it was almost a year later before we saw each other again. Jiang Cheng finished out his year at Cloud Recesses and then we all went to Nightless City. It was at the Wen clan's archery contest that I finally got to see you again.

Yes.

You asked me to put my band around your eyes. In front of everyone.

[ He's not going to tell Wei Ying that he wanted to, just to see what everyone would say. After all, Wei Ying was already scandalizing everyone all the time. And something about him then... so stubborn, so strong. Everyone starting to see him come into his own.

Lan Wangji had looked to him then, as a friend, but something about how he tied his wristband around his eyes, making himself blind... No more of that thought. ]

Ooh! Yes and you turned me down! So mean..I had to use my own tie to do it.

[But what happened later..well he wonders if this one has that same memory.]

But wasn't that a nice shot that I made? Even though everyone said I was just showing off. That's why I left the blindfold on when I went into the woods. Figured I'd might as well prove the shot wasn't just lucky.

[His brain feels muddled for a lot of the time between Cloud Recesses and the archery contest. He even wonders what happened in that time and if he actually remembers things in the right order or if it is all just one big blur. But there is something about that time in the woods that sticks out. A secret that unraveled itself recently.]

And so I sat in a tree and something interesting happened to me while I was there.

[He pauses to see if his memories are still lining up.]

[ It didn't, so he asks: ]

You never told me. What happened?

[ Even though it hadn't happened, he has a mild panic about it, though he tries not to let it show. After all, he had thought about him, had thought about what it would have been like instead if he'd had a blue ribbon wrapped around his eyes with a silver medallion in the spot the Jins draw their sun-dots. ]

[He considers his options at that moment as unconsciously he brings a finger up to tap on his lips. If he tells him then he might end up upset, but if the memories are different..then this one didn't do such a shameless act and didn't have to be embarrassed about it. And since it seems he doesn't know..]

I think this is where our stories might differ slightly. I'm not sure you really want to hear about it.

Wei Ying, you keep doing this.

[ He's slightly amused, but also extremely exasperated. What does his face say?

Nothing. ]

If you do not wish to tell me, do not tell me.

I just don't want you to feel jealous, Lan Zhan, because I think my memory is a good one. You see...

[He looks off as if recalling a very pleasant memory and wanting to visualize all the details.]

As I was sitting in a tree someone came up to me. I was still blindfolded so I had no idea who it was but they grabbed my wrists and pinned me there. I thought I was in trouble but they actually kissed me! It was such a surprising act..but they kissed with such force..I thought it was a maiden that had a crush on me! I was quite admired back then after all..

And they didn't even ask..and just as fast as it happened, they left! I didn't even have time to take the blindfold off!

[ So.

While he was in a tree.

Someone who has excellent sneaking skills and balance, who managed to get close to Wei Ying without tipping him off, kissed him the way that-- kissed him, and sped off again so quickly and silently that he didn't even get a chance to witness who it was? ]

Hm.

[ No, he's not jealous. He's not seething with jealousy. He's not imagining that time he asked Wei Ying not to be a shameless flirt and Wei Ying accused Lan Wangji of having a crush on Mianmian which he absolutely did not. If only he had landed on his head, he would have survived, because his head is denser than bronze. ]

HAPPY HEARTS HOTEL

I. THE CASINO FLOOR

II. MAKING WAVES

III. EAT ME, DRINK ME

IV. WELCOME HOME

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