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]

I don't know what I feel!

[He shouts and then immediately feels guilty about it. Even after all this time, he has gained no more clarity then he had when the fight occurred. At first it was just games..a way to get a reaction..testing the waters to see what the other would do. He doesn't know when things became more complicated for him. But he wasn't ready to be told about love...]

Everything was just happening too fast..

[He lowers himself to the floor and wraps his arms around himself. He can't forgive himself for how he reacted then or in the meeting after. His voice is small.]

I don't want to talk about this anymore.

[billowing]

Wei Ying...

[ He doesn't know what he should do in this case. Should he reach out and console him? Would he even want to be touched by Lan Wangji right now?

He does suppose it must be fast for him; Lan Wangji has had two decades to mull over these feelings. Though he had been sure too, sixteen years ago. ]

Alright.

[ He slowly pushes the tea towards where Wei Ying is curled up. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[It only got worse when he tried to apologize and then got yelled at. He had been fragile enough at the time. That caused him to be completely broken. He had just started to try and bounce back into normal behavior when he encountered this Lan Wangji.

He looks over at the tea and then slowly up at the other man. There is a little pout left on his face but he scoots back over to the table and picks it up.

Ultimately this whole unfortunate conversation was also his fault..by bringing up the archery contest he dove right into those uncertain feelings again like the fool he got accused of being. He lifts the tea to his lips and sips it quietly as he tries to heal his wounded pride.]

[billowing]

[ Wei Ying shrinks into himself and Lan Wangji doesn't know how to help him. Not when the cause of his sadness is himself. Okay, not really himself, but honestly what was the difference? ]

Wei Ying.

I will speak to the other Wangji.

[ So odd, he doesn't even call himself by his personal name. Wei Ying is the only person who gets to use it, so how could he ever have thought he'd get past Hanguang-Jun so easily? ]

[scaredofdogs]

[He nearly drops his tea at that suggestion.]

L-Lan Zhan! What could you say to him?? You really don't need to!

[He's used to figuring out his own problems. It's just that this time it is a little more complicated. How can he possibly expect Lan Wangji..to help with Lan Wangji? His brain hurts just thinking about it. And what if somehow it gets revealed exactly what he did and what he didn't do?? He's already embarrassed enough without actual details coming out...

But honestly what could their conversation be like? A lot of staring and knowing nods? Certainly nothing personal can be revealed through that...maybe he actually doesn't have anything to worry about.]

[billowing]

[ Yeah, honestly, if they talk to each other it'll probably have like three words between them and they'll come away with a better understanding of both themselves and the universe. But in a slightly more realistic scenario: ]

I will ask him to explain his situation.

[ And then he can offer advice based on what the other him says. After all, he has a vested interest in both their happinesses. So why wouldn't he help? ]

[scaredofdogs]

[Or they could both walk away thinking how terrible and not worth their time Wei Wuxian is. Horrible scenarios are already playing out in his mind. But he doesn't think he can really stop the other man from doing it either. He sighs and lifts his drink..possibly the last tea drinking he will ever get to enjoy with a Lan Wangji. He pauses and there is a soft smile that comes to his lips. At least if he had to have one last encounter, this day had been a pleasant reminder of how things used to be.]

I had fun today, Lan Zhan.

[billowing]

Mm.

[ He also had fun today, and this is as much confirmation as he gets, but it's also just a sudden change in topic.

He does appreciate that Wei Ying wishes to focus on the positives, so he drops the subject. ]

I can see why you favor the pool.

[scaredofdogs]

[There is relief that Lan Wangji doesn't push to continue with the conversation. He's had enough with talking about that kind of thing. He's willing to talk about the past and how it compares but he's going to be more selective from now on about what he says.

His smile brightens as the other man mentions the pool.]

Does that mean you'll go swimming with me again?

[billowing]

[ He looks up from his tea, and then places it down on his saucer. ]

If Wei Ying wishes.

[ He could prove, he supposes, that just because both the Lan Wangjis are madly in love doesn't mean that they expect reciprocated feelings. Even being dead was good enough for him. Being alive, and being near him... that was more than either of them could bargain for. And it is against Lan rules to be greedy, to covet for more than you can reasonably hope to have. ]

[scaredofdogs]

I do wish it. We have the bathing clothes and everything now, so we need to take advantage of that!

[He puts his elbow on the table and shifts into a more comfortable sitting position and puts his face on his hand. Not at all how one should sit properly but it's just a casual tea between friends and not a proper setting. If Lan Zhan scolds him he will always sit up straight again.]

When I went back home, I used to think about how I wished I could show you Lotus Pier. And go swimming with you, pick lotus seeds..all the fun things you don't get to do at Cloud Recesses.

[billowing]

We did.

[ Is this not a memory he shares with the other Lan Wangji? That's a shame. ]

We sat on a boat, and filled it with lotus pods.

[ And Lan Wangji, who hadn't wanted so many lotus seeds to eat in the first place, had picked some out for Wei Ying, and offered them to him one by one as they sailed away. ]

[scaredofdogs]

Really? I really get to show you Lotus Pier?

[Does that mean in some way he gets forgiven by Jiang Cheng? It seems hard to believe..but if Lan Wangji and him were there then something must have happened. He can't help but seem really happy by the thought as he envisions them picking lotus pods on a boat. He wishes he had that memory but it's nice to think that his future might hold something brighter.]

I'm glad. At least I get to fulfill one dream. And it might not be lotus pier..but getting to swim with you here kind of fulfills it too.

[billowing]

[ Well uh, he's not going to explain the part where Jiang Cheng came over and tried to fight him, and that was the whole reason Lan Wangji had to bring him away on a boat. And why they didn't get to go swimming. ]

Yes.

You wanted me to meet your ancestors.

[ He's not going to contextualize why, because he doesn't want Wei Ying to panic. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[Wei Wuxian lets himself bask in this knowledge. To not only be allowed into Lotus Pier...but to be able to visit the place where his senior sister and everyone was. It's a pleasant thought that he won't ruin by trying to learn too many details. He's afraid of what other truths might lie with it.]

I hope I get to have this memory too..but if not it's nice to pretend that I do. What other good memories do we get to have?

[billowing]

[ He thinks about this. A lot of them were good. ]

The day I came to Yiling, and A-Yuan introduced himself to my leg.

[ He smiles so softly at the memory, of being reprimanded by strangers who thought he was A-Yuan's father, of buying him toys, of buying them both something to eat that wasn't turnip soup. ]

[scaredofdogs]

Mm..that was a good day. I never expected to see you in Yiling. It made me really happy, especially with how A-Yuan got so attached to you. I was supposed to buy the meal but I never got the chance.

[But there is a twinge of sadness with that memory as well. Thinking of how the Wen clan was killed in the Burial Mounds after he lost control of himself at Nightless City. How A-Yuan and everyone was lost..]

He was a good kid. He liked you a lot. He kept asking when rich brother would come back.

[billowing]

[ Oh, he doesn't know.

He hasn't gotten there yet. ]

Wei Ying... there is something I never told you.

But you must promise me if I tell you, that you will act no differently once we return to our homes.

[ Our homes, because he doubts that the other Lan Wangji will appreciate this one having to deal with Wei Ying knowing this and springing it unsuspectingly on Sizhui. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[He gives him a confused expression. What could possibly be such a big secret?]

That's a hard promise to keep but I guess I can do my best.

[He sits up a little, curiosity growing.]

What is the big secret?

[billowing]

There is no try your best. You will or you won't.

[ He knows it's for the best, and he knows that Wei Ying wouldn't want to hurt him, but he still wants to hear him say it. ]

Promise me.

[scaredofdogs]

Okay okay..I promise Lan Zhan. I will not tell whatever secret you are about to give me.

[He holds up his fingers as he swears to everything that he will not tell. This must be some serious shit...]

[billowing]

I returned to Yiling too late to prevent...

[ His voice tapers off but he has no doubt Wei Ying knows what he means. He closes his eyes and swallows down the sadness that starts, because almost everything about that time was something that he doesn't like to think about. He moves on, swiftly. ]

I found a child hiding.

A-Yuan is alive, Wei Ying.

[scaredofdogs]

[he really does drop the cup this time but at least it had already been pretty low and mostly empty. He sits up quickly and latches onto the front of Lan Wangji's robes, not sure if he can handle dealing with this if it turns out to be a lie.]

He..he can't be. They came and killed everyone..I'm sure..

[Not that he could have done anything about it at the time since he was barely conscious but if he had known...certainly he would have tried harder to resist the resentful energy. Maybe he could have found a way to hold on..]

This isn't a lie? You promise?

[billowing]

I would not lie to you about this.

[ He wouldn't lie to Wei Ying at all, but yes, he definitely wouldn't attempt to play with him in such a way. ]

He is nearly grown.

But he does not remember his life from before. You cannot tell him.

[ That's why he made Wei Ying promise. ]

[scaredofdogs]

[He lowers his face, still clutching Lan Wangji as if he might disappear before he tells him the whole story. He is trying to hide the fact that there is happiness and relief and all of it wants to come flowing out of his eyes, letting his bangs hide his expression. The trembling of shoulders threaten to give away his secret as he tries to keep himself steady.]

How...? Where is he...?

[And how is he possibly going to keep the happiness a secret the minute he lays eyes on a grown up A-Yuan? But he did promise and so he knows he needs to keep it. So for now he has to get all these emotions out.]