WEEK ZERO: ARRIVAL - OVERFLOW

[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

[givethemhell]

[May he never get attached because he will age at a rate of 100 years a minute if he does.]

In this moment it's good, at least! That has merit in and of itself, wouldn't you say?

[He's a very "live in the moment" kinda guy anyway and being trapped in murder hell has only amplified this.]

[baori]

[ oh, maybe he should so that he can perish.

though he'll think about what he tells him and considers it for a moment. for the moment? well, the moment kind of sucks but at least they're not actively having traumatic happening to them. just that the future doesn't look exactly bright.

hmmm.... ]

I don't have any reason to disagree.

[givethemhell]

[Giyuu... He grins a little at that, since it's such a funny way of talking??]

Haha, you're a pretty reticent guy, aren't you? Reminds me a little of someone I know back home! [HE'S TOO OBNOXIOUSLY ENERGETIC and always ends up drawn to these types of people, god.

Speaking of, with his 2 second attention span:] Want a snack?

[Yeah.]

[baori]

[ the fact that he jumps from something like that to immediately offering him a snack has giyuu blinking a few times before closing his eyes for a moment. it's too soon for him to laugh or smile (god forbid), so he'll just have a moment before he looks back up at wwx.

there's someone that wwx reminds giyuu of as well. or, well, depending on how things go, he could seem very familiar in that sense. and now i've fucking cursed myself. ]

What snack are you offering?

[givethemhell]

[wow i wonder who that person could be. WELCOME TO CURSETOWN!! POPULATION GIYUU, as usual honestly. He crosses his legs and pulls his little fannypack in front of himself, unzipping it. Inside he's got a little pouch of spicy lotus roots...]

Lotus roots! I toned down the spice so it wouldn't burn anyone else's tongue out of their mouths, hah. They're very good, I promise!

[baori]

[ honestly????

yeah. giyuu doesn't want to be here but he is. also, if it ages him 100 years per minute then maybe he'll finally be put to rest. he'll also watch all of this unfold before his eyes and the first thought that comes into his mind is— ]

When did you have time to make those?

[ does giyuu like lotus roots? probably, but that's not really the issue here. ]

[givethemhell]

[nah no one who wishes for death ever gets it, it's the law of the land.]

When everyone was panicking and exploring the upstairs. I'd already been able to take a bit of a look around by then! Ah, and they don't take that long to make, either.

[They're pan fried, after all. DELICIOUS.]

Here!

[baori]

That was clever of you.

[ aki don't do this. i can't live to endgame knowing that ara will find ways to kill shinobu. he needs to be set free from this mortal coil and repent for his sins. but he'll take the root offered to him. ]

Thank you. [ and he's not one to snub free food so he'll take a bite of it and yeah. definitely not bad. obliviously he has his favorite foods but this is good. he'll be polishing it off without any trouble. ] It's good.

[givethemhell]

Haha, clever, is it?

[NO, YOU GET TO SUFFER WITH ALL OF US. let ara have her day, she's earned it.

Anyway he's absolutely beaming at that. Is there anything quite as satisfying as getting good reviews on your food?]

I'm glad you like it! I learned the recipe a long time ago, but I've made it so often that I know it by heart.

[baori]

[ please giyuu is so tired... let him die for all for all of the people who came from the island so he can rest. giyuu doesn't deserve to make it to end game sobs.

that said, he'll be thinking of what he could cook for memory and it's a bit on the short side of things. does onigiri even count as cooking?? ]

Do you cook often?

[givethemhell]

[That's precisely why he will make it SEE!! PRETEND YOU DON'T WANT IT death likes those who play hard to get.]

Not as much as I probably should, lately. [He was revived and immediately started eating out on Lan Wangji's dime.] But I cooked a fair amount back on the boat. It's one of the best ways to cheer people up, you know?

[baori]

[ i can't even pretend tho. how do i pretend that i don't want to die when giyuu is like this...... ]

I know.

[ he thinks of a particular meal he shared with someone. ]

The island didn't have much of resources. We all had to make due with what there was available.

[givethemhell]

[resign yourself to giyuu for endgame then, the tragic reality.]

Mm, up to scavenging? That is a difficulty... No one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from when they're also worrying about whether or not they'll live to see the next week. The pantry here is a small blessing, in that way!

[Only a small one though. Very small.]

[baori]

[ someone will answer my prayers and kill me. i'm like. 80% positive. i can't have my shitpost thing for the game be playing otomes. i'll want to die.

also he'd tell wwx that they didn't have proper bedding or shelter either but it's fine? one step at a time, maybe. ]

It wasn't too miserable. There were only two weeks to worry about.

[givethemhell]

[THAT 20% WILL FIND A WAY. Also wow they really were roughing it out there, huh.

He blinks at that, though, visibly surprised.]

Two weeks? Did you run through your people that quickly? Did you even have trials at that sort of speed?

[baori]

[ please 20%. please i'm begging. ]

We were given two weeks to sacrifice eleven people or otherwise we would have all died.

[ which they did succeed in the end but also did a double good. ]

...except they also found a way to break the curse.

[givethemhell]

[Hm that's a bad ultimatum. But also a good outcome! Despite his own cursedass luck, he seems genuine when he says:]

I heard the part about the curse being broken. Good, good - I'm glad you all found a way. What was it?

[baori]

[ if only giyuu could be as happy about it all. ]

To kill the person who was responsible for it.

[givethemhell]

That actually worked for you?

[AGAIN, HE'S SURPRISED. That's... that is so straightforward.]

[baori]

[ he nods but also— ]

They almost didn't find the person who was responsible for it all.

[givethemhell]

[Another lilting, aimless-sounding hum as he considers.]

Were they hiding somewhere far away or hard to reach? Posing as another person?

[baori]

It was possessing one of their own.

[ there's really no point in dragging it out any further, honestly. ]

The person that was killed was me.

[givethemhell]

[THAT'S ROUGH BUDDY.

He actually does look a little more somber at that, though. Understanding, certainly. If anyone knows how rough possessions are, it's the necromancer who went through demon hell.]

—What would have happened if they hadn't found you? Only the living got to leave and the cycle would have repeated? Did you know you were possessed, or was it a covert sort of possession?

[baori]

[ thanks wwx.... giyuu hasn't hid this from anyone who has asked and he isn't about to start now. he nods. ]

If they had just killed the right number of people then the remaining survivors would have been able to leave. All of the dead that were on the island would have remained their trapped by the curse.

It would be hard to say when the next cycle would take place but another ritual would be called for.

[ so, you know, that's good that wasn't the route that they ended on. ]

I didn't realize I was under any kind of control or influence until I was killed. [ he gives wwx a moment to digest if needed. ] ...and even after I was freed of it, I remember what I've done.

[givethemhell]

A particularly insidious form of possession.

[All possessions are insidious, but also, he has personal experience with the "you don't even realize you've lost your mind" variety. It ain't fun!!]

It sounds like a difficult burden to carry - but it's a good thing you were freed. Being able to carry that burden is the better of a largely miserable set of alternatives.

[Even if it was a close shave, apparently.]