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

[shixiong]

[ why is the question he's been struggling with, too. it's the question he's struggled with quan yizhen. why did he follow me? why couldn't i stop myself? why did i finally snap? why didn't he hate me when it was over? why won't he leave me alone?

and it echoes here, too. why did wen ning forgive me? yin yu would like to meet the person that wen ning and quan yizhen both thought that he was, because he has never seen any action he's taken as worth any sort of forgiveness. he'd hoped that wen ning would cut him down, but he'd known he wouldn't, because wen ning -- was that kind of person, kind, good. a person who did not deserve a single thing that came to pass. not the execution of his first lifetime, and not the one yin yu put on him. on the final day of the island, yin yu stood in front of him in that cave, ready to be cut down, and received undeserved absolution, instead, for the second time in his life.

he and giyuu had talked about it at the end, when giyuu was freed of his curse, and giyuu had pointed out the same thing. he chose who had to kill--chose that the curse took control of yin yu and made him hunt someone down--but he didn't choose the victim.

he looks at his hand, the cursed shackle wrapped around his wrist, the way his fingers tremble clenched into a fist. ] I...

[ there will be others like you there.

he chokes up with everything that threatens to spill out, feels the burn of tears at the back of his throat and swallows it down, forcing his voice to stay as steady as it can as he admits out the only reason he can think of, that's been haunting him since the moment he returned to consciousness, and realized what he'd done. ] ... I knew I could bring him back. I took his ashes because I knew that if I brought them to Hua Chengzhu, we could restore his spirit into a spirit flame, and he-- I.

...I promised him I'd take him to Ghost City. [ softly. ] And his sister, as well.

[wowcool]

[He doesn't know Yin Yu well. They barely talked. All he has to go on is little perceptions of the man from afar, from Wen Ning's own observations, and then his actions. Still, overall, a rather vague picture of a man who did so much.]

[He listens to his words, but he's more taken by the minute details of his reaction, the way his fist clenches, the voice falters. And still Anaido sits, impassive. The jolly cheerfulness has been turned off, like a switch.]

[The mention of Wen Ning's sister makes him raise an eyebrow, but he doesn't comment on it.]

What does turning into a "spirit flame" entail?

[shixiong]

It keeps the soul bound to this earth, until it gains enough strength to return to a physical form. Whether that's through reincarnation, or other means.

[ he's easy to give answers. for the first time, to let it off of his chest. it has to leak, first, but it's oddly freeing, just to let it go.

there's no reaction to the impassiveness either--the battle that yin yu is having with this information is more internal than anything else. it's his own guilt that is the monster. his own actions are the things that hurt him. as far as he's concerned, anaido could cut him down here and it would be something he deserved. ]

[wowcool]

...

[Why does this sound like...such a good thing?]

[Admittedly, a part of him wanted to be petty. Of course, Wen Ning wouldn't want to go with this masked man, go to his city, along with his sister, and then...have the chance to be reborn again? Ergh. Even saying it himself, he can't get mad at that. He can't be annoyed. Wouldn't he want that for Wen Ning? The chance to live again?]

How long does it take? Are there any...downsides, to that?

this thread is worth the captcha, grips heart

[shixiong]

It depends on the person who cares for the flame, and their cultivational strength, and the dedication they can task to it. I would have made sure it was done. [ chengzhu's spiritual energy was nearly limitless; he shared it with yin yu when he needed it, frequently, and each time made it feel like he was a fully charged battery. it wouldn't take him much, and it would be the second greatest favor yin yu had ever asked of him, but he was willing to do it. it would have been worth it. his willingness to dedicate his time to return wen ning to a physical form is evident; yin yu is a dedicated, hard working person, who would repent for this for hundreds of years, if he had to, and will continue to do so, as he lives.

he looks down at his hands, squeezing at his wrist over the mark, speaking softly. ] ...it is not a natural way to re-enter the cycle, but I don't believe he... or his sister, would have been able to do so otherwise. If...if it hadn't been me, or if it had. [ her ashes had been wrong, somehow, the rich red color, the fact that they were being carried around instead of properly enshrined in a tomb... and wen ning, as a fierce corpse, something that shouldn't have been living. the fact that he had been the executioner didn't change the fact that to let the soul die was to end the cycle of reincarnation, and to bring a corpse back was an unnatural means of surviving something. the woman that wen ning had called his sister had been long dead with no chance of returning, but the ghost city could've been the chance to revive it.

in their world, those deaths would have been final, unless a spirit flame was conjured and cared for. a cursed, miserable death, a soul doomed instead of destined to continue on in life. it's hard to express how much that means, how awful it is to be kicked from the cycle.

hua chengzhu may be a fickle master, but he is not without his kindnesses: and he showed yin yu one in the moment where he needed it the most. his faith in him is unwavering, even now. in his mind, that had been the only way to even possibly begin to make it right. ]