angryhearts | you want to hear it? well

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mo dao zu shi: wei wuxian

you want to hear it? well —

ONLY, MY SECRET'S MINE, AND I WON'T TELL

The garden may no longer be available upon return to the hotel, but there is still a bustle of energy. How fortunate all the Oysters are, to reside in such a renowned place! It's a great honor for those in Wonderland to be granted opportunity to teach their skills or ply their trade here, and the Queen permits only the best. Hotel staff themselves seem to delight in the presence of the traveling merchants. Many trade teas or favors for enchanted items, and will eagerly discuss their purchases. "Oh, it happens regularly enough," they will say if asked, "but you never know if the merchant you liked or the item you eyed will be back next time!"

The talk lingers after the guest instructors and merchants have departed, but it isn't the only thing left behind. Glimmers of green may catch your eye, tucked away in hidden places that seem almost impossible to reach without drawing attention to yourself. Those who manage it will find a scrap of heavy paper with a drawing of a stylized caterpillar, a series of numbers, and the words call a friend.

Are you curious enough to input the numbers into your Empathy? It will ring, if you do, until an answering machine picks up and asks a single question — How doth the little crocodile improve his shining tail? Do you dare leave a message? What will it be? Whatever you decide, the call will disconnect after a few minutes. It seems the only thing you can do now is wait for a call back.

But of course, the hotel is not in the habit of allowing such a thing as idle waiting. Her Royal Highness has noticed that some of her beloved Oysters seem quite reluctant to partake of the many splendors that the hotel provides, and she will be offering a special treat — indulgence.

QUEEN'S GAMES
8/12 - 8/22

What's more fun to indulge in than a little healthy competition? It's time for the Queen's Games, a truly dazzling spectacle. Competitors come from all over Wonderland, and this year for the first time ever, Oysters are invited to join! Announcements for the games schedule will be posted all throughout the hotel, along with directions on how to register to join.

The games will be held in either the pool area or the gym, which seems to have expanded to accommodate the number of spectators. Available games include:

archery
chess
croquet
artistic swimming
diving
gymnastics
flamingo flying
ice skating
ice sculptures

Of course, even the games that Oysters are familiar with may not be quite the same. Chess in Wonderland is a team sport, for example, with each member of the team filling a role as a chess piece and a coach as a strategist directing the plays. Attempting to capture one of the other team's pieces includes having to successfully win a fight against them. Gymnastics and diving competitors include growing and shrinking in size to their routines, ice sculptures come to life when they've been completed, artistic swimmers and ice skaters change costumes and swap partners in the blink of an eye.

If they're lucky, Oysters may find one of the competitors willing to show them the ropes. If they're even luckier, or more persistent, there may be a spot or two open on one of the teams that Oysters can slot themselves into. For the most part, team members will be delighted to have Oysters there.

"You all just feel so much," one may say, sounding a little awed.

"Show off those emotions, it'll get us points," another will add.

Although competitors are friendly, with Osyters and with each other, it's clear that most of them are here to win. Rivalries may flare up throughout the month, ex-lovers may be reunited and broken up again, infighting may spark among the teams — all things that can be soothed or exacerbated, for Oysters who may have inclinations towards utilizing such things to increase their chances of winning.

Or to fan the flames of drama for its own sake.

THE CALL
8/16

Starting in the early morning hours and continuing late into the night, any who left a message will get a call back.

Those who completed the poem will be greeted immediately by a friendly male voice, with an apology for the delay. "Ugh, our lines are backed up like crazy," the caller will say. "Where are you reporting in from?"

Those who somehow identified themselves as an Oyster, as residing in the hotel, from off world, being held by the Queen, or otherwise potentially against the Queen, will have their call returned by a cold female voice, guarded and wary.

"Show me your Oyster mark," the caller will request. "We can't risk giving you anything without proof."

Regardless of which caller contacts them, anyone who cooperates will receive similar information.

The friendly caller will readily provide assurances that the resistance base was not found, despite Mad March and the Order's attempt at reconnaissance in the old kingdom.

"Can't say much more than that over these channels, you know, but worry not! Everyone is safe. We have a follow up from the last mission — sorry about the air conditioning, you know, couldn't be helped — you ready for this? Keycodes. Access keycodes. Didn't get more than a handful, of course, and the intel is vague about what they access. Are we glad to get your call! How about it, you ready to try one out and see what information you can get?"

The guarded caller will allude to the Order not being able to find what they wanted out in the ruins.

"Did you think they took you out there to show you the sights? They're looking for us, obviously. No I'm not going to tell you more than that — just because you're an Oyster doesn't mean we can completely trust you. All right, look. Last time we broke into the hotel, we recovered a few access codes. We had to get out of there before we could find out what they accessed. How about a trade? We give you the code, you call us back and tell us what you find."

INDULGENCE
8/13 - 8/23

Throughout the event, there will be a number of activities available alongside the games designed to encourage unwinding. A concert set up in the hotel lobby will kick off the start of the games, at which indulgence teas will be made available for the first time. They will continue to be served readily at all hours of the day. Enhanced spa facilities will be made available as well — dazzling pedicures and manicures with nail polish that can do anything from change colors based on your mood to emit light so bright it can function as a flashlight; makeup that gives you a kiss that will literally stun the recipient; aromatherapy that will cure any kind of hangover; oils that double as aphrodisiacs, for those interested; healing massages that will take away your aches and pains, wiping away any bruises or injuries with no questions asked. A clean slate, ready to indulge again.

Then, of course, there are the less official activities. Whispers will begin to spread about another kind of competition being run after hours, when all good competitors should be sleeping. No one quite knows who's running it — one person heard it was the coach of one of the chess teams, eager to get her players extra practice; another heard it was one of the chess players themselves; still another will say it is an ice skater, a flamingo pilot, a gymnast. After all, it hardly matters, does it, as long as it runs, and there is a fight every night? Oysters are welcomed into this competition as well, where the only rule is not to kill your opponent. Teas of all kinds exchange hands as bets are placed on the fights, and the champion is rumored to receive a truly spectacular prize.

If fighting is not to your speed, fear not. All of the competitors seem to have different ways to unwind after the games are completed for the day, and all are happy to allow Oysters to indulge in attending the various get-togethers and parties they host. The knight on one of the chess teams has the most renowned wine collection, and he's brought some of his finest with him to be enjoyed alongside cheeses and poetry. One of the swimmers is a passionate musician, and has recruited anyone who can play an instrument to discuss musical theory and play together. A croquet player is known for hosting the wildest parties, with free-flowing moonshine and sips of ecstacy tea readily available. There is a flamingo pilot with a book club, an archer who is a fabulous chef, a diver who is a skilled debater with a wicked tongue — whatever you like to indulge in, chances are, someone's throwing a party for it.

The games will end on the 23rd, with a roaring celebration of all who participated in the competition. The pool area will be taken over for the farewell party, with music, food, alcohol, and dancing available. It is here that the winners of the competitions will be announced, and prizes will be awarded.

If you have any questions, please leave them over here! Results for the access code sign ups and the distractions will go out on the 14th, so players have until then to sign up. Characters can use the keycodes to access areas and cause distractions from the 16th through the 23rd — and beyond, but after the final party they may no longer have an easy excuse. If you wish to have your character compete in one of the competitions for the prizes, you can sign up here! Winners will be RNGed.

PREMISE RULES FAQ TAKEN RESERVES APPLICATION MOD CONTACT HIATUS & DROPS WORLD INFO NPCS CALENDAR AC REWARDS PLAYER CONTACT

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"These? Oh, I've always had them. Actually, it's much harder to... hide them, here," he says. "I spent six thousand years without them!" he explains. "So nice to have them out again." He stretches out, and takes a drink of champagne.

Then he also offers Wei Ying some of his snacks, which are nice and sugary and fatty and from all places and time periods, but mostly fancy little treats enjoyed by aristocracy. Because he's extra like that.

"And have you been well, Wei Wuxian? I'm afraid I haven't been doing a lot of fluting lately..." Which might be for the better because now that he doesn't have Wei Ying's musical ability, he'd sound like Titanic noises.

There's an awful lot to unpack in very few sentences, but after a couple months here, it's hard to phase him. So Aziraphale was probably some sort of demon or deity. Probably some kind of meddling match-maker god if his other powers were anything to go by.

"You must have, ah... missed them," he tries for sympathetic, "Six thousand... You look great for your age."

He clears his throat, not even sure where to start among the many and varied sweets, but he takes a few of the brightly colored and intricately decorated ones.

"I've um- don't worry, that's fine! I haven't talked to many rats lately, so there's hardly need for apologies," he tries.

"Did the amulet work at all for you?"

He does sort of look like a large baby cupid, doesn't he? And though he doesn't exactly matchmake for anyone, he does love love. He loves to see it flourish, loves to see humans fall into it, build it, do whatever with it.

"Yes! It worked very well! Many undead showed up, it was quite fascinating. Helped a lot with fighting against the jub jub bird. Quite a vile bird, those things. Vicious!"

But now isn't the time for talking about jub jubs. No. Instead, he asks: "What do you think? Is it good? Too sweet?" He snaps his fingers, and more sweets show up to fill out the offerings overflowing.

It was good to know, that if he's ever able to get his demonic cultivation powers back, it's something they can put to use. It might not be in the best shape anymore, but they'll need all they can get in order to have a chance against their captors. He opens his mouth to ask more, but Aziraphale seems intent on other topics. And drowning him in sweets, apparently.

He still has one of the petit fours in hand, decorated with sugar flowers and bright frosting. It's small enough that he can pop the whole thing in his mouth and once, and chewing gives him a moment or two to think on how best to answer. Just how is he doing that, anyway? Snacks from nothing?

The sugar is... overpowering, if he's honest. Like eating one of those animals made from molded sugar whole. Though with more vanilla maybe, and a hint of some sort of berry.

"It's um..." he swallows and takes the opportunity to drain half his champagne glass.

"Really sweet," he agrees, "I- how... exactly are you doing that?"

"This?" he asks, snapping his fingers and procuring a smooth egg tart in his hands, sunny and bright yellow, the crust crisp and lightly golden brown. "These belong to Crowley, actually. I was hoping he'd get mine, and we could do a swap."

"Unfortunately, since the powers aren't permanent, the effects don't last for more than a few days, but. It is still useful for eating." He snaps his fingers again to produce a bunch of table grapes so shiny and plump they look like they belong in a renaissance painting.

"What do you think?" he asks, and then, changes his mind. "No, tell me, what do you desire?"

Well that hardly seems fair. Wei Wuxian had only gotten the ability to talk to rodents, when he'd had a part of Crowley's power. He could magic things into being from nothing? No wonder Crowley was so keen to have it back.

"No such luck, hm?" he nods sympathetically. He hasn't run into any of his Lan Zhan's teas, and the only one he's managed of his own has been the dubiously useful papermen. Which, useful or no, thankfully, seemed to stay with him.

"What do I..." the offer is startling, and for once, he's at a loss. How often did someone ask your heart's desire?

"...anything? Or is it only desserts? Maybe... some white lotus taishi cakes?"

"Anything, but it'll only stay for three days, I'm afraid!" he explains, though he doesn't actually know if it'll stay for days or not. The last time he consumed some, it did, so he has hope.

But he looks up and smiles warmly. "A lotus seed man, I like your style." He snaps his fingers again and then lifts a lid as if it were a cloche, revealing a whole plate of very intricately-decorated cakes, with shiny outsides and a filling of sweet lotus paste wrapped inside the pastry.

"Here you are! Help yourself, dear."

"Mm, three days is more than enough time to enjoy something like this."

Three days... though it did make it harder to think of what to wish for. His immediate thought is, something Lan Zhan would like, but his fiance rarely mentioned things he wanted. Rabbits, was his first thought, but it seemed mean to get attached if they were only going to vanish in a few days. A comfort from home? Lan Zhan knew all of his favorites, but Wei Wuxian felt a bit guilty realizing he wasn't sure which Lan Zhan would like, which of the many bland Lan dishes he preferred.

Still, the cakes were a nice medium, he thought. Something that wasn't spicy, but with a sweet and mild sort of flavor, and yes, maybe it was a bit selfish to want the white lotus filling, but he would argue it was the best one. Was it foolish to let this opportunity pass by? Wei Wuxian was surprisingly satisfied, couldn't think of much he wanted for. So, he figured, the cakes were just fine.

"Is it alright if I take some back for my- for Lan Zhan?" he asks, as he reaches for one.

"For your betrothed, you mean?" he asks, smile easy as he snaps and makes a bigger pile of them. "Of course. These are all for you. I do wish you congratulations on your engagement," he says.

If he could, he would give them a more substantial gift, something more celebratory, but honestly if it won't last very long, it's better to give them something that is easily consumed.

"And do tell Lan-gongzi I gave him my regards," he requests, because he hasn't met that one for some reason but the other one is quite nice, very polite and gentlemanly. So he likes him; this place needs more gentlemen.

"Mm! You remembered," he smiles, pleased and a little tickled at Aziraphale's formality, as well as his congratulations. The pile of cakes is staggering, and he's pretty certain even if he and Lan Zhan eat them with each meal, they still won't finish them before the three days are up. Though, maybe he can give them away to his other family members; Lan Xichen, Jin Ling, his soul-twin, and the other Lan Zhan too. Between them all, there was easily enough, and he's sure most of them will enjoy a little taste of home here.

"I will, I will, that's- it's more than generous, Aziraphale," he pulls the plate closer, selecting one from the top and taking a bite and- and it's just as he hoped, lightly crusted on the outside, the sweet lotus filling not quite as bright as eating them fresh, but still tasty in its own way.

"A~ah, they're perfect," he sighs contentedly as he finishes the first bite, then gives a short laugh, "your Crowley is so lucky to have a power like that. I'd make Lan Zhan spoil me rotten."

Hardly seemed demonic, did it? Talking to animals and offering up champagne and treats.

"Oh," he says. "Well, I've got miracles too!" he explains. "But usually... you know, Heaven, they read through all my logs. Say I perform them frivolously! No one watches what Crowley does." He does suppose he gets spoiled by Crowley all the time, but he won't tell because Crowley would find it embarrassing to let Wei Ying know that he was soft in any way.

Even if he was only soft because he loves Aziraphale so much, even if Lan Zhan is the same way, all icy sharp angles except for when it came to family.

"Yours might get this power next time they decide to dole out powers," he says. "Miracles really are... quite all-encompassing. There's only one trick to them," he explains. "But I'll tell you that later if you get them!"

Miracles, huh? It was pretty miraculous, he supposes, to be able to magic whatever you want into existence, even if it only lasts a few days. So both Aziraphale and Crowley could grant miracles, but Aziraphale worked for Heaven and Crowley was a demon? Perhaps that was common knowledge, wherever they were from, but he can't help feeling just a little lost as he nods along. It must balance out, he supposes.

Either way, it was probably far better if Lan Zhan ended up with that power instead of Wei Wuxian. Power and might and armies of the dead were no great temptation to him, but being able to conjure up whatever he pleased at a moment's notice? He'd probably be doing just what Aziraphale was.

"Mm, I'll be glad to seek your guidance, if I'm so fortunate," he grins, "for now, I'm just glad I got back a bit of what I lost!"

He pulls out one of his paperman talismans and with a quick hand-seal, sets it loose on the table, to climb on the pile of sweets in front of him.

Aziraphale reaches out with curiosity for the paperman, careful with it as Wei Ying had somewhat explained it to him earlier and also because it looks rather delicate.

He lets it climb onto the desserts and then waves to it with just the one finger, giving it a smile.

"Ah, what a cute spell. What's its name?" he asks, whether he means the talisman type or the actual paper man, it's hard to tell. But he is quite fascinated in this cute little gingerbread looking man.

The paperman waves back enthusiastically, once he's reached the summit, then seats himself on the edge of a cake, little legs swinging back and forth.

"Oh um, I just call them papermen," he brushes a finger over the end of his nose. Perhaps naming things hadn't been his strongest point, but he was sure he was better at it than Jiang Cheng, at least.

"This one just has a little bit of my spiritual energy," he explains, "but I can also use it as a vessel, if... I guess if there's somewhere this guy can sneak into that a full size person like me couldn't."

"Papermen," he repeats. "Interesting." But mostly that part about being able to sneak in with someone else.

He likes the idea of it, but he also thinks it's interesting that Wei Wuxian feels a little embarrassed about the name as if he was the one who'd invented the talisman.

"How long can he last? --What happens if he gets harmed?"

The little paper doll jumps up from the cake, dusts himself off, then glides over to Aziraphale's sleeve, patting it twice.

It's also a great communication tool! But I'm afraid it just works one way.

He tries to send the thoughts through, the same way he'd once begged Wen Qing to help him on the march to Xuanwu's cave. He wasn't sure it would work as well with heavenly miracle workers, but it was worth a try.

"Hmmm, it varies, I guess? On how much spiritual power I give it, and how detailed the commands. These simple sort... maybe a couple incense stick's time," he explains, "and not much, I suppose? I used to send them out to bother Lan Zhan, when we were attending classes together as teenagers. He'd crinkle them up if he caught them."

If it was while he was using the paper body as a vessel for his own though, it was hard to say. It wasn't as if he'd tested it extensively, but in any sort of spell that put the user's soul in a fragile casing as paper was bound to have consequences. If his research was right, it could be anything from losing consciousness to losing bits of what made him who he was.

"The longest I've had it last while I was using it..." he scrunches his nose for a second. The timeline was vague, since he didn't know how much time passed between activating it, and the trip back to the hotel, and then waking again in the Carpenter's operating room.

"Several hours? I think?"

"Doesn't seem very nice to crumple you up," he says, gingerly picking up the paper man and then placing it onto his shoulder as a sort of shoulder-angel, which is ironic, a not-so-fallen angel who didn't exactly follow the rules of Heaven, getting a shoulder angel in the form of a slip of paper representing a demonic cultivator who didn't exactly fit everyone's given image of him of Hell.

"Useful, except the one-way communication thing. I wonder how easy it would be to give this little man some ears."

He snaps his fingers to give the talisman some paper ears, and whispers into the paper, "Hello there, can you hear me?" and then hums a little song for it.

"Oh, no, I absolutely deserved it, I was a menace," he concedes, knowing full well how often he'd pestered Lan Wangji in those days. Lan Zhan couldn't even go for a soak in the cold springs without Wei Wuxian following close behind.

The paperman runs around, exploring his new heights before coming to a rest near Aziraphale's collar. Wei Wuxian is relieved, and a little delighted, that the communication aspect of it still works, even with people who might not be quite human. The talisman's round, nubby hands go to reach up and touch his new ears, and though he bobs along to the tune, he shakes his little head.

"I'm sure if I fine tune it, change some of the sigils around, I could get it to work like that. Or if someone else finds the tea with that same ability, we could each make one to talk to the other?"

He shrugs. Something to think about, at least. He'd sort of forgone that step when he placed his soul into one, since he could then just experience what the paper doll did. But he can definitely see how it could be useful. Who would've thought his childish toys might have uses outside of bothering the object of his affection?

Aziraphale picks up the paperman carefully to get a good look at the sigil. After all, he did know some Chinese and he was very familiar with all sorts of sigils for all sorts of reasons, even having a summoning circle hidden underneath one of the rugs in his shop.

"May I?" he asks, though he's not sure it'll work because he doesn't have cultivation powers, and certainly he is not doing any cultivation sitting around drinking wine.

Still, he thinks it's fascinating, and he always thinks of humans as making such interesting inventions to help them with their lives and livelihoods. Watching them grow and improve over the years, it really made him a proud angel.

He'd stayed out of their hair, mostly. It would be disallowed to help the humans with their inventions, their literature, their natural growth. Most of the time it'd been forbidden to even protect or heal them from things that needed happening: plagues, wars, that sort of thing.

He's no longer bound to those rules, and it makes him feel a little gleeful.

"Sure, sure," Wei Wuxian waves a hand in a sort of go ahead gesture. It's not as if he makes any great secret of them. Aziraphale had already proven his wealth of knowledge before, and while he didn't know if the man would understand how it worked, as an incredibly curious natured person himself, he could hardly fault him for wanting to know more.

"Handwriting's a little messy, I didn't think anyone would be looking up close," he laughs, tucking into the rest of his taishi cake as Aziraphale looks it over.

He takes the paper and studies it for a bit before adding a few short strokes to it with a brush that materializes out of nowhere, and disappears into the ether.

He doesn't have any spiritual power, but he thinks maybe a miracle might work - that's his spiritual power.

He snaps, and then tries to whisper again. "Hello?"

He fully expects the little paperman to flutter lifelessly to the dessert trays, but instead he hears Aziraphale's voice echoing in his mind. Wei Wuxian sits up, startled, and scrambles for the paper, intense curiosity winning over any sort of pride at being shown up at his own game.

"Wait, wait, what strokes did you change? How did you-" he starts turning it over in his hands, scanning for the differences himself, and okay, maybe just slightly annoyed he hadn't thought to try that particular array.

He tries to point them out, and explains, "When you connect it here, I think, it's slightly more fluid than here... And I thought, perhaps then there was this connection missing here..."

And that was that.

"But I would have never thought to make these strokes together," he says, pointing to some on the original. "Very clever!"

When he puts it that way, he feels a little silly, not having thought to try the characters and strokes in such an order, or that such subtle changes could yield such results. But just as he could reverse a talisman that could repel spirits, to one that attracted them, with only minimal changes, this too, wasn't so different.

"Ah, mm," he nods along, "I can't believe I missed that."

The paperman flutters into stillness, and Wei Wuxian turns it over a few more times, making mental note of the changes before tucking it away into his robes.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" he asks, only half-joking.

"Oh, yes," he says. "Plenty." he smiles, sweetly. "But you're very kind, Wei-gongzi." Not very often did people praise him anymore, nor did they have any reason to. Crowley, of course, being a recent exception.

But he'd always liked the feeling, being such a strange angel as himself. It gave him such satisfaction.

"But I do hope you like the cakes. Let me know how your dear husband-to-be finds them?"

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sadflutenoises - 2020-08-22 00:20 (UTC) - Expand

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you want to hear it? well —

ONLY, MY SECRET'S MINE, AND I WON'T TELL

QUEEN'S GAMES 8/12 - 8/22

THE CALL 8/16

INDULGENCE 8/13 - 8/23

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QUEEN'S GAMES
8/12 - 8/22

THE CALL
8/16

INDULGENCE
8/13 - 8/23