WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL

[gatonina]

ARRIVAL

▽ FULL NAVIGATION ▽ LOCATIONS ▽ STATUSES ▽ IC PROFILES ▽ IC RULEBOOK ▽ MURDER PROPOSALS ▽ PCS ▽ CURFEW ▽ ??? ▽ ??? ▽ ???

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

[givethemhell]

[WELL, THIS IS A LOT, AND ALSO VERY TIRING after an equally tiring couple of months in demon island hell. For the record, Wow! Wideload Xian is absolutely in the booty shorts camp because it's only right. He also ties his hair up in a ponytail with his scrunchie a few seconds after reading their very sparse rulebook. Very stylish. Give him a second here to regain his bearings, anyway, and crawl out of this pile of tired people who crave death--]

i - bar;
[After the initial "not this shit again" phase cycles out, Wei Wuxian can be found exploring! And why would he explore any farther than the bar right away after he comes across it? NOPE, he can be found behind the counter, pouring this and that into a mixer and grinning at whoever decides to grab a bar seat.]

I've gotten quite good at bartending after my last venture! Let me make you a drink, yes? Name your preferences - I'll come up with something good!

[EVERYONE GETS THIS OFFER except maybe the 10 year old.]

ii - kitchen;
[WELL, THEY ALL KNOW WHAT'S COMING PROBABLY. Life's about to get real hard once more, so he'll just shelve his sex demons trauma to make something comforting. He won't subject everyone in this tiny, cramped bus to death by pepper fumes (this time), either! Maybe. Hm. He's distracted for now, though, standing in front of the pantry and opening it and closing it OVER AND OVER as different ingredients appear each time.]

This is quite convenient, actually!

iii - reading corner;
[Second verse same as the first, of course he's going to be looking through all written publications that he can find here. Does he expect them to have anything useful?? Not at all! He's still curious, though. You can catch him flipping through home&garden magazines, squinting at their tips for growing tubers. Or, once he's come across the horror novels:]

Why is it that other worlds have so many problems with the undead biting and infecting other people? Being dead isn't contagious. ...Hah, well! Mostly, I think.

wildcard
[U KNOW THE DRILL we are here to die]

i

[axilium]

[immediately—]

The strongest thing you can make. I'm not picky on taste. [a beat.] I'll even promise not to complain that much if it's poisoned, if we're going to get a head start on murdering each other.

[givethemhell]

[oh no he's fond already]

Haha! Don't you worry - if I were to kill anyone, it wouldn't be in such an underhanded way.

[HE'D KILL THEM TO THEIR FACE!! Anyway, he'll grab a few more bottles, tossing this and that in and giving it a good shake. Then, because he's gotta ask:] How do you feel about spice with your liquor?

iii

[shixiong]

[ similarly to wei wuxian, yin yu is the type of person to learn all the things as fast as possible, so. he might not have noticed another person in the reading corner, quietly leafing through one of the magazines on his own. there's absolutely nothing useful in here, except another occupant, so he quietly eyes wei wuxian for a moment where he's settled, watching him.

there's a weird sense of familiarity here? he at least looks like he could be, hypothetically, from somewhere like yin yu, like... like wen ning had been. hm. bad thought. or maybe it's just the ominous feeling of a nearby redblack.

anyway! wei wuxian talking keeps him from going down a total spiral of guilt and running the other direction. maybe this person reminds him of chengzhu, with a comment like that, and, seemingly out of nowhere, a quiet voice responds to wei wuxian. ] The bite of a ghost could easily kill someone, but to kill them is somewhat of an 'infection'.... isn't it?

[givethemhell]

[THE OMINOUS FEELING OF A NEARBY REDBLACK... Fair though yeah, he does have the Aura Of Redblack on him that he will never be able to shake.

If he's startled by the sudden voice, it doesn't show, either - he just turns to Yin Yu like a little demon flower, flapping the book he's holding in one hand.]

Isn't that just dying? Unless it's different wherever it is that you come from, of course! But where I come from, a bite from the undead can certainly kill - in the same way that a knife to the gut would, or a blow to the head with a rock, you know.

i

[daifukus]

[ lays his head on the bar ]

That one you made last time- the strong one. Perhaps another would be good now.

[givethemhell]

[TONBOOB. Wei Wuxian's face lights up despite the HORRIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY'RE IN (having to share one bathroom with 41 people, that is the worst of it) and he reaches across the bar to fondly ruffle his hair.]

Mm, of course, of course! Right away. [And, as he begins to work:] --You know, remiss as it is to say given we don't know where we're going this time, I'm glad to see you again so soon.

iii.

[ruffboi]

You can definitely catch being dead from undead guys! Usually more from them having swords and weapons than biting, but if you bite hard enough, I guess anything's possible!

[givethemhell]

[THIS IS FASCINATING TO HIM. He beckons this stranger forward and pats the ground beside him, holding up the book on a zombie apocalypse that he'd been paging through.]

Yes, yes! That's the way it's like where I come from, too. But there's an implication in a lot of the stories here that you can catch being undead in addition to the being dead part! Just from a bite! Isn't that something?

iii

[disreguarded]

[ she squints over his shoulder at the horror novel. ]

Gross, zombies. Wait, what do you mean they infect other people? [ she'll get back to panicking about being stuck on a bus later, this is more important. ]

[givethemhell]

[Sometimes you just gotta set your bus panic aside for zombie judgment. He shifts over, shoving books out of the way and gestures for her to sit with him if she'd like.]

Mm, that's what seems to be the case! Not everywhere, mind - but the whole "becoming a zombie" trend elsewhere seems to be tied to other diseases you might spread by blood or spit. Imagine that! Considering being undead a disease!

ii

[psychedelica]

[ well that's fucking weird

hikage is also doing his best not to be too traumatized at the moment, even if he kind of wants to be dead right now. That doesn't mean he's not miserable. ]

You call this convenient? This is Hell.

[givethemhell]

[Sometimes you just have a whole lot of TRAUMA that you gotta bag up...]

Haha, well! [WELL. HE CAN'T DISAGREE. He waves a hand, though, closing the pantry again and opening it back up to a fresh lotus root, which he plucks from the shelf.] This part is convenient, at least. Do you like lotus?

i

[applechemist]

[ Well hello there, familiar face. Escha takes a seat at the counter and gives him a smile. ]

Can I just have some water or something?

[givethemhell]

[FAMILIAR FACE CLUB. He brightens up.]

Escha! You know, is it alright to say that it's wonderful to see you here...? [Considering they don't know a damn thing about where they're going or what they're getting into but ALSO...

at least it's not demon island.

He'll also point toward some of the sugar syrups.]

Shall I make you a non-alcoholic drink to go with your water?

i

[wowcool]

[This seems like a friendly bartender, alright! Seems like a kindred spirit - he grins right back, leaning over the counter.]

I don't actually remember my preferences, so....you should surprise me!

[givethemhell]

[DON'T SAY "SURPRISE ME" TO WEI WUXIAN. Actually, considering they are in fact kindred spirits, this will probably turn out just fine.]

A bold move! Though I have to ask - why is it that you can't remember your preferences? Were you drinking too, too much?

[Seems legit to him if they're all coming from various hells, honestly.]

closes eyes........

[okitactless]

[This would be funnier if yams was from Hakuouki

But alas, he just looks--concerned?!]

You think?

[Wei Wuxian did you catch the death]

ii

[haw]

[ there are so many things majima could say right now as he watches wei wuxian cycle through different ingredients, but what ultimately comes out of his mouth is a very flat: ]

Keep openin' and closin' it 'til ya find a way out.

i

[successives]

[Immediately:]

Yeah, no, absolutely not.

[wwx does not deserve this and yet]

iii.

[muragas]

Maybe it's just un-diagnosed Apathy Syndrome.

[ is the totally clear and understandable possibility floated in his direction. hello, wideload, Minako's got her nose buried in a trashy music magazine. wow, that's a lot of pleather and gossip. ]

ii.

[chaoticlootral]

[hey sup]

Listen, space in this here kitchen is, uh, real limited, so I don't think you have clearance to be in here, my man.

ii!

[overruns]

[ Goddess, he's really learned his lesson about letting his guard down about mysterious murder scenarios, but... even then, even with all that, that's so much food. He looks conflicted a moment, like he's doing his best not to be amazed and failing a little. ]

I... I suppose it is. [ woaaah. ] But perhaps you ought to be more cautious about it.

i

[shortforever]

[He is 15 and has had maybe one alcohol total so far. I can't remember if he actually drank or not in Blue's Clues but whatever. He's still going to act like a confident asshole even if he knows jack shit about liquor.]

Surprise me with something you're good at making.

ii.

[getdrekt]

[asch firmly puts a hand on the cupboard.]

Stop.