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

[coastal]

They were used as motivation for us to kill each other - the universe brought us to a location and a corruption took ahold of someone each week. We had to defeat the corruption in order to go home, but it also took killing all but one person. That one person remaining decided the fate of everything.

[and so she'll turn to him, though she's frowning]

Run into anything similar on your island?

[wowcool]

[Wow, that sounds intense. He furrows his eyebrows - it sounds like something out of a science fiction novel.]

No, not at all. Where I was, the island was sentient, and wanted sacrifices for some kind of ritual. We had to murder over half of us to sate its hunger.

[coastal]

Half...

[hm. she still doesn't seem to like it, but it's slightly better news than 'all but one']

How did that turn out for you?

[wowcool]

Oh, I died.

[He says, matter-of-factly, like he just said "I went to the grocery store for some sweet donuts on sale".]

[coastal]

Mm, me too.

[ALSO

SO CASUALLY]

Brought back at the end?

[wowcool]

Oh, yes! Yes, actually, I was brought back. You too?

[coastal]

Mm-hmm. But if they let me stay dead, I would've haunted them forever. So they made the right choice!

[SHE'D BE SUCH A BITCHY GHOST]

[wowcool]

Ooh, being a ghost is fun, though! I was a ghost on the island after I died. Though all I could say was "waka waka"...

[don't ask]

[coastal]

Is there anything you don't get oddly excited about?

[wowcool]

The number seven.

[...]

[what]

Also I'm not really one for hard work, honestly...

[coastal]

[blandly:]

Do you have seven trauma.

[she'll get to the hard work thing but like.]

[wowcool]

[He just laughs brightly at that.]

No, no. It's an alright number. But it's a bit too pretentious for my liking.

[coastal]

But six, eight, and nine are fine?

[??????]

How about seventeen? Seventy-seven?

[SHE'S SO PERPLEXED SHE'S JUST ASKING NOW]

[wowcool]

[Hmmm.]

Those numbers are interesting. And actually, seventeen and seventy-seven aren't that bad. It's just that people attribute a lot of meaning to seven. It makes it way more important than it is, so I kind of dislike it on principle.

[coastal]

Does it mean something...?

I can't think of anything important related to the number seven.

[wowcool]

People call it a lucky number. God created the world in seven days. There are seven wonders of the world. The Koran speaks of seven heavens, and so on. Apparently people think seven has magical and lucky properties on top of it too. But it's just a bunch of coincidences.

[coastal]

Oh, so people think you're a heretic.

[that's the conclusion she's coming to]

[wowcool]

Hm?

[And he shakes his head.]

Haha, no, its just part of a lot of things, including religion. But seven is the most popular number. I wouldn't be burned at the stake, but a lot of people wouldn't like me for my opinion.

[coastal]

[weird...... and yet - ]

I'm going to be honest, I didn't actually expect you to have a semi-decent answer.

[wowcool]

[He grins.]

I think a lot of people would say that about whatever I say.

[coastal]

Well, in this case, it was a compliment.

[a terrible compliment]

[wowcool]

Ah, a compliment. I'm flattered.

[He actually does look touched.]

[coastal]

Mm. You're welcome.

[i can't believe lili doesn't hate anaido]

Any other stellar insights you've got to share?

[wowcool]

[Charming people with numbers: the Anaido way.]

That depends. What do you want insight on?

[coastal]

How you left your island, maybe? Where you were exactly before you got here? Whether or not the sentience of your island might've affected a large metal container?

[????

she's running out of ideas but

she's trying]