WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL - OVERFLOW

[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

asch

[hydrogenetic]

You think? Normally I don't get much warning for that kind of thing, so this is sort of an improvement.

[getdrekt]

[wait what]

"Normally"?

[hydrogenetic]

Yeah. Sometimes these things happen.

[getdrekt]

...And how many times would you say they've "sometimes" happened so far?

[hydrogenetic]

To other people? No idea. To me personally? I can count them on one hand so that's probably not so bad.

[getdrekt]

[...]

I'm up to two.

You?

[hydrogenetic]

Counting this? Three. [He's the winner.] Rough break, man.

[getdrekt]

Counting this? Hah.

[the good nature about it is actually pretty funny.]

You, too. I guess neither of us should be surprised when the inevitable happens, then.

[hydrogenetic]

Guess not. [There's something about what Asch is saying that actually gets him to relax his shoulders a little, expression light and mostly curious.] But it just means we have a better chance of getting out of here faster doesn't it? Less time wasted trying to figure out what'll happen.

[getdrekt]

Agreed.

So we'll both jump head-first into the closest opportunity?

[maybe it's a joke? it's a dark one. but maybe that's his humor??]

[hydrogenetic]

Sounds about right. Think anybody will actually stop us?

[He can accept this, it's fine. I can't believe this.]

[getdrekt]

Hmph. They'll definitely try to.

[the ubiquitous bleeding heart "they"s of the games.]

We'll just have to do it when they don't expect it, and can't do anything about it.

[hydrogenetic]

[To be fair, Percy can also be a bleeding heart but it doesn't stop him from coming up with bad ideas.]

So what, the dead of night when everybody's asleep?

[getdrekt]

Come on. There's always someone awake.

[We Are Lampshading Murdergames!]

It has to be better than that. A double-blind.

[hydrogenetic]

[There's a derisive snort.] True. Okay, if you've got a better plan I'm listening.

[getdrekt]

Simple.

We volunteer to any task that puts us close to the danger. If we prove ourselves, people stop watching. Then, when no one has their eyes on us, we don't even have to wait for nightfall. They just trust we're doing what was asked.

[and then we DIE]

[hydrogenetic]

You've...done this before, haven't you? [The worst part is that the strategy would absolutely work.]

[getdrekt]

Maybe.

[he shrugs in relatively good spirits—not that any of it shows on his face or posture, but whatever.]

How did you die? Tell me.

[hydrogenetic]

[Uh. Wow okay.]

I won the game. Why, how did you die?

[getdrekt]

I was shot in the head.

[that's the whole story.]

Are you telling me you died thrice before you were ever kidnapped into one of these murder scenarios?

[hydrogenetic]

[It's about then Percy realizes they may be talking about two separate things.]

Oh, uh. No. I only died the once but the first kidnapping erased all of my memories.

[getdrekt]

[FROWN.]

What?

What do you mean, it erased all your memories.

You can't remember anything about your past?

[hydrogenetic]

Not until recently. For about six months I didn't even know who I was, where I came from, or what I was supposed to be doing. And then not long after that got fixed, I got pulled into a game where we were told to murder each other.

[getdrekt]

Oh.

[huh.]

"Fixed"?

[hydrogenetic]

After Hera got what she wanted, my memories finally came back.