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

[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.

[getdrekt]

Hera?

[TOO MUCH TOO FAST]

[hydrogenetic]

[He waves a hand.] She's not important right now. [Zeus will smite him right now, probably.] Or at least I hope not. I really don't need to deal with her right now, too.

[getdrekt]

...What parts of this are your time in these murderous scenarios, and what parts are your complicated history elsewhere.

[hydrogenetic]

[He consider this.]

About fifty/fifty. They sort of tie into each other since I was kidnapped from Tartarus in the first place. [Sometimes...you're on the brink of death and then you're pulled into an actual killing game.] Pretty sure everyone's history is complicated when it comes to this stuff though.

[getdrekt]

[he

blinks.]

Malkuth's land dreadnought?

[oh boy here we go crossin over again]

[hydrogenetic]

Uh. Is that where you keep your dead after they die?

[getdrekt]

No. It's a battleship that can move on land or sea.

Are you talking about a morgue?

[hydrogenetic]

No, uh. I'm talking about the Underworld. [Will using different words help? Stay tuned.]

[getdrekt]

What?

...The Qliphoth?

[It Didn't.]

[hydrogenetic]

Okay, are you sure you're not just making up words now?

[getdrekt]

Tch. [he frowns] It's hardly my fault if they don't have such concepts in your world.

Fine, then—what is your "Tartarus"?

[hydrogenetic]

Tartarus is the darkest part of the Underworld where the gods send their enemies. Like an abyss? And the Underworld is where all of the dead go to be sorted through one of the three gates. Make sense?

[getdrekt]

None at all.

When people die, their elements go back to the earth, and their composite fonons go back to the planet.

The Tartarus is a land dreadnought owned by the Malkuth Empire.

The only "abyss" or "underworld" my planet has ever had is the Qliphoth, the space between the poisonous miasma and the world above, raised specifically to avoid the former.

[...]

I suppose neither of us should be particularly surprised by clashing cultures, considering... this.

[the bus.]

Still.

[hydrogenetic]

[He at least seems to be following along even if none of this is familiar in the slightest.]

This happened last time, too. But at least it was sort of easier to follow. [Regardless, there's a short grin.] Sorry, man. That probably was way too much of an overshare and confusing in the first place.

...then again, not sure I want to know why your world has a poisonous miasma in the first place.

[getdrekt]

It's complicated. [VERY complicated.] But not a problem any more.

[anyway. he waves a hand, brushing all of that confusion away.]

Asch.

And you are?

[hydrogenetic]

[He shrugs as if to say fair enough.]

Percy. Good to meet you. [Even on a hellish bus.]

[getdrekt]

You, too.

[he goes so far as a nod in Percy's direction!!]

We'll see how long we're stuck in here, for.

[hydrogenetic]

Wanna place bets? We can start easy and say at least a week.

[getdrekt]

One week stuck here, first murder in... [he considers.] five days.

Then, once we kill the murderer, we're deposited off the bus in a new location, on to a new mode of transportation.