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

ash

[hydrogenetic]

[And there it goes, bouncing off the window to another window.]

Right? I could almost get used to this.

[voidbreaker]

[ nice ]

As long as it doesn't clobber you in the back of the head in the process, sure.

[hydrogenetic]

Just think of it like a training exercise for agility or something. [Please don't assume everyone trains, but okay.]

[voidbreaker]

We just use monsters for that. If you don't want to clawed in the gut you either speed up or learn to take more hits.

[hydrogenetic]

We train for monsters instead, but half the time we don't get enough time to practice. [Shrug!] What're you usually up against?

[voidbreaker]

[ Ehhh. ]

There's loads out on the main roads. Cities are fortified against them, but when you're going from A to B if you go by foot you're gonna end up fighting something. They have names and classifications, but it takes longer to scan that than it does to kick their asses.

[hydrogenetic]

[Percy internally: sounds like a video game?
Percy outwardly: mood.]

We're usually tracked down by monsters when we're outside of camp and on quests but not everyone can see them. It's a full-time job keeping mortals safe.

[voidbreaker]

[ a video game? surely not. ]

...

That sounds like a load of crap. Everyone can see monsters back home -- if you choose to go wandering out in the wide open spaces without transport and you're not trained in fighting, then that's on you.

[hydrogenetic]

I don't even want to think of how bad it'd be if everyone could see monsters all the time. Do they actually stay out of city limits on their own? [Because that's also totally unfair.]

[voidbreaker]

[ jprg logic ]

Yeah, but you don't just... hope they stay out. Big cities have military at the gates, smaller ones tend to build themselves in places where it's difficult for monsters to all rush at. Keep away from their haunting grounds and it's usually fine.

[hydrogenetic]

Figures. [There's a shrug following.] Camp has a magical barrier to keep from letting monsters in while we're training, but out in the real world as soon as they track us down they'll come after us. But most people don't see them as monsters. They see them as something else.

[voidbreaker]

...

[ squints ]

Monsters are just monsters, and then sometimes they're really damn big monsters. What else are they gonna look like?

[hydrogenetic]

People, dogs, statues, stuff like that. Whatever could be perceived as normal.

[voidbreaker]

...

That's kinda weird, y'know. They don't just run around doing their own thing?

[hydrogenetic]

Usually they have an agenda. Right now? Most of them are joining an army. But there are some that go rogue on their own.

[voidbreaker]

...

What kind of weirdass monster have you got running around that they've got their own union and life goals?

[ excuse? me? ]

[hydrogenetic]

Legends that currently don't know how to stay dead. It's kind of a long story.

[voidbreaker]

Maybe don’t inflate their little monster egos by calling them Legends, as a starting point.

[ do monsters suffer from acting out based on ego? it’s a mystery. ]

[hydrogenetic]

I'm not the one who started it. Mythology is kind of one of those things that people talk about for centuries.

[voidbreaker]

... So, what. They’re literally things from old stories?

[hydrogenetic]

The stories are real, but yeah. They're literally things from old stories and currently they're having a problem staying dead when they should be dead.

[voidbreaker]

[ ................ ]

Damn, why is dead stuff not staying dead a literal multiple world problem now?

[hydrogenetic]

[....ffs.]

Please tell me you only mean the game you came from and not an actual world problem.

[voidbreaker]

Nah, people seem to be showing up alive when they should be dead back home too. Jury’s out on if it’s good or bad, I guess. Depends on who you’re asking.

[hydrogenetic]

Wouldn't it depend on what they're doing when they come back in the first place?