WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL

[gatonina]

ARRIVAL

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PASSENGERS: 41 You know how the story goes by now. One minute you’re somewhere familiar, and the next you’re suddenly somewhere else. Unlike previous times before, the source of your rude awakening isn’t a mystery. A harsh jostle causes your body to lunge forward as a tire jumps over a pot hole in the road. Try as you might, it’s hard to ignore the steady thrumming of an engine and the gentle sway beneath you. The faint scent of gasoline seems to waft from the outside, but as you look around you’ll notice that the windows are locked, tinted, and impossible to see through. Likewise, the door ahead of you appears to be locked as well. Perhaps the scent is your imagination…? Regardless, though the lighting is a tad dim, it becomes apparent that you’re inside a large bus dotted with the occasional seat and amid a jumble of other bodies. The people you were last with may be among your fellow passengers. Perhaps they are not. But worry not; there’s plenty of time to look around and get to know one another on this long, strange trip. It may even be wise to examine the staircase at the other end of the bus. Who knows what awaits you on the other floors? Ah, but before you move too far it may be best to assess the situation. On the bright side, any injuries you incurred have been healed! Isn't it nice to have your limbs in place again? Miracles happen. But...what happened to your clothes? You’re fairly certain you weren't wearing this t-shirt before...and what's with the denim shorts? Maybe you were fortunate enough to get the knee-length version, but for those of you waking up in bootyshorts...well, we're sure you look great! And what better way to tie the whole look together than white socks and tan sandals? At least you'll be comfortable for the ride. Lucky for you, your new threads aren't the only gift you'll receive upon waking up. Attached to your waist is a high-quality bag filled with some fun goodies for every passenger! For those of you who unzip your bag to check its contents, you will find: -Dry shampoo -Wet wipes -Deodorant -Travel pack of toilet paper -Travel toothbrush + toothpaste -Poncho -A stylish travel guide No other items are on your person at this time, even if you were holding onto it as you began your previous departure. That's a bit troublesome, isn't it? Not really; it's still a bus. Be grateful for the extra elbow room, alright? Oh, and one last thing...on the wrist of every passenger is a small, equally fashionable white scrunchie. Not your style? Perhaps it's a good idea to give the travel guide another read. Searching the bus from top to bottom will net zero results in the way of an escape. All of the windows are similarly tinted and locked, and the only exit door appears to be the one on the first level that can't be opened at this time. But hey. You're all old pros at this, right? You know what to do next! Get to know the people around you, trade stories with your fellow passengers, and...well. Buckle up for the bumpy ride ahead.

Comments

[shixiong]

a. nooooo my emotional support mask

[ one minute you're on a boat with the ghost king, discussing the sheer amount of paperwork you have to do when you arrive back at home, and the next... this. first of all, the jostling? the smell? what the actual fuck is going on. yin yu who grabs at the closest seat and pushes himself up into a crouching position as the bus rattles around, looking vaguely stunned and ready to fight the bus, drawn into a fighting position....

...upon realizing that he hasn't been swallowed by some horrific monster, he drops it, and quickly goes into crisis mode. he was just with dianxia and chengzhu, and they're missing. there are a lot of people (forty or so), and...all of his things are gone. a quick check over himself reveals that he's wearing... something absurdly weird, his clothes are way too colorful, his legs are showing (this is very improper), his hair is down around his shoulders, and yin yu pauses as he reaches up and touches his face.

most importantly than anything else, his mask is missing.

there's a long pause before he just kind of. sits back down, and covers his face with his hand.

what in the three realms. ]

b. lets explore the bup

[ once that's over, it's time to go into actual crisis mode. the best thing you can do in a strange situation is learn your surroundings. so! though he still looks vaguely shook every time the bus rattles too much, but .yin yu's tied up his hair with the... stretching, rabbit eared thing, so it's no longer touching his shoulders, and is going to get to it helping others. a quiet presence might appear at your elbow if you stumble and fall when you stand, carefully providing support with a soft - ] Careful.

[ or! despite being on a bus in a tiny space he somehow still manages to be as quiet as ever, and moves from floor to floor, exploring each level of the bus itself. if you feel like someone's sneaking up on you... it was an accident, we promise.

if you catch him by himself, you may find him looking slightly curious at the entertainment area as he takes one of the blankets and folds it up. he's never seen anything like that ever in his entire life. if you notice him, you may read the curiosity straight off of his face. what is that. what are these things. what is happening we hate this. ]

b

[disreguarded]

[ oh. hello quiet presence. beau stumbles when she tries the stairs, really just unfamiliar with the bus and everything it entails. she's kind of freaking out a little bit about it, but it's fine. she startles like forty feet into the air, and then glances over at yin yu. ]

Oh. Uh. Hey. I'm good. Thanks?

[shixiong]

[ oh. oops... well, it's not like yin yu's not used to doing that, unfortunately. he winces for the young lady he's startled, and immediately folds his hands in a proper fist in hand salute, giving her a bow. ]

...I didn't mean to startle you. My apologies.

[ if it helps, he also isn't looking super keen about this whole bus thing. the bus rattles over a pot hole and he too, jumps, and grabs onto the railing of the stair. ]

[disreguarded]

-- No, you're fine. [ he's so polite...

she also stumbles again at the pot hole, grabbing the railing as well, and then just making the most exasperated face. ]

You okay? This thing just cannot fucking make up its mind.

[shixiong]

[ yin yu holds himself perfectly still, like a cat trying to avoid being put in water, all of his muscles tense... and then, as it stops rattling, he slowly relaxes. ]

...I'm alright, yes. [ as alright as you can be in this situation. ] This is the strangest cart I've ever seen.

a

[muragas]

[ oh, there's another face she knows! haha, terrible. she'll drop down next to him with a quiet sigh. ]

You okay?

[shixiong]

[ ah... ]

Minako. [ he ducks his head politely in greeting, feeling that same twinge at the sight. it's nice to see someone familiar, but... less nice to end up in such a situation, again. ] ...I'm as fine as I can be, I suppose. Are you alright?

[muragas]

Oh, you know, same boat. Or bus! That's fitting, right? Same bus.

[ she wants a refund ]

There's a lot of people here who came from different places with similar situations, though. It's kind of upsetting.

[shixiong]

[ hm. concern flashes across his expression. ]

As dangerous as ours? [ Hm.

also, after a moment, he admits: ] I have never seen a 'bus' in my life until now.

b!

[overruns]

[ He's not so much stumbling with the gentle moment of the bus as he is staggering from trying to ram his shoulder into one of the windows. It's not a peaceable impact, and he's landing hard beside—a familiar face. One he really never expected to see again. ]

—Yin Yu! [ Hi! Dimitri's surprised enough that he forgets his manners for a moment, blinking wide. ] Your mask... [ At this point it's pretty strange to see him without it. ]

[shixiong]

[ dimitri gets it!!!

anyway, much like the others, its as much comforting as it is concerning to see a familiar face. yin yu opens his mouth to greet him, and then pauses, reaching up to touch his own cheek for a moment.

...he huffs, a not quite laugh, and shakes his head. ] It's alright. [ it is not! ] I can only hope it will turn up. How strange of a situation we've found ourselves in again, Lord Dimitri.

[overruns]

[ It looks like it isn't just Yin Yu's mask that's gone, but everything they had, right down to the clothes on their back. Just a moment ago they'd been on the ships back home... where could it all have gone? Where are they?

It should be a comfort to see the others, but he feels a sort of dread in his gut. He does his best to smile around it, though, looking tired. ]

Please, just 'Dimitri' is fine. No one is royalty here.

[ If this situation is anything like their last one, such titles really mean nothing, and he's never been fond of them anyway. ]

After all we've been through, speaking casually to each other is only fair, is it not?

[shixiong]

overflow!! i am weak

b

[snyaiper]

[Yeah, Ogata is paranoid and cagey, which means he's all the more on edge in this weird terrible situation, so when Yin Yu comes up behind him, he flinches as if he was about to do some sort of violence but stopped himself.

And then he squints.]

Don't I know you?

[shixiong]

[ haha well, at least he would have dodged,

anyway, that's the reaction he's used to getting, so. when ogata squints at him, he lifts his hands together in a proper bow. ] We were in the same place, that strange island, before this. Yin Yu.

[ he helped investigate your death! awkward. ]

[snyaiper]

[He blinks a moment, then frowns, whether at that not clicking or simple irritation at his own lack of recall.]

Right... you were the tall quiet one with the mask.
[Actually, now that he's thinking about it.... did he ever see Yin Yu without it.]

I'm half surprised to learn you have a face.

b

[hydrogenetic]

[Uh. Okay, that's fine, Percy's going to watch Yin Yu fold up a blanket and his own curious look probably matches.]

Did the blankets personally offend you or something? [Why so confused, my dude.]

[shixiong]

[ it's not so much the blanket, but rather, it was something to do with his hands... he was staring at the television.

a beat, and he looks down. ] ...Ah. No, I suppose it was habit. [ and gets a little embarrassed, then sets it down... ]

[hydrogenetic]

chacha slides to overflow

a.

[getdrekt]

[oh, mood]

Get up. If you sit in the middle of here, some idiot is likely to trip over you.

[shixiong]

[ it's fine. everything is fine. (its not).

this person does have a point. unnoticeable though he may be, he is still a physical presence in a fairly small location. yin yu pulls his hand away from his face and looks up. ]

Mn. [ but, with minimal difficulty, at least stands up to his full height, adjusting so he can stand properly and not get knocked over by the next pothole. ] My apologies.

[getdrekt]

Tch. There's nothing to apologize for. I wouldn't have tripped over you, anyway.

[but some yelly girl might have........]

a. the mask!

[machinetranslation]

[Despite how it may seem, Threepio is actually pretty attuned to the sensibilities and social needs of people around him. Enough to know that the reason Yin Yu was always wearing his mask must have been quite an important one. He also seems to have no difficulty in recognizing him without it.]

Master Yin Yu! It is you!

[He notices him covering his face, and his voice turns from excitement to polite concern] Oh dear, sir, what happened to your mask? Are you alright?

he's suffering.

[shixiong]

Ah, C-3PO...

[ at least after two weeks and all they've been through, it's not so odd to see this walking talking statue anymore. he's a real bro for knowing who yin yu is with his face showing, and for noticing him, too. yin yu doesn't quite manage a smile, but he shakes his head. ]

I'm fine. I'm sure it will turn up eventually. [ it better, anyway. he hates this. ] ...At any rate, please don't call me that...

[ it makes him feel so awkward, and he is no 'master', not nowadays. ]

[machinetranslation]

Oh! [He corrects himself] My apologies, Sir Yin.

Are you feeling well? You seem pale. Well, more than usual.