Downtime Log - Intro

[locomodo]

Log 01 Downtime Intro
Maybe you were walking to class, or riding into battle, or at your father's funeral, or gazing into the abyss as you brush your teeth and think about your waning youth. Maybe you're from 1000 years ago, or the far-flung future. But it doesn't matter how different you are, because all passengers will wake up sprawled on the same floor of the same car...


The Perfectly Average Everyday Normal Train Car

As characters stir from their slumber, they'll notice their new(?) phones vibrating in their pockets. An unread message is waiting for them...

FROM: clownductor one

Welcome to the Existential Express, car #83045029342000001.

[CHARACTER NAME] is currently engaged in Tutorial Mode.

Objectives:
> Read the Existential Express (E2) brochure.
> Access the user directory and send a message.
> Ask one of the other passengers to be your friend.
> Find the exit door.

By completing car objectives, passengers may proceed through the exit and onto the next car.

Thank you for riding with the Existential Express. Please enjoy your journey into the great unknown.

>>>>SUBJECT: New Passengers
How is that? I attempted to make it sound welcoming.

The message, strangely, cuts off there. The brochure goes over all the basic 'what is a train' questions people may have, but nothing else.

However, characters may find that the exit door is locked until they complete the objectives, so it's icebreaker time! On the bright side, it seems this is a dining car, so there's a few nice plates of treats and a bar that magically serves beverages when people make orders. The exit door will be locked until the objectives are complete! (Please see OOC notes below for more details.)

In any case, when they unlock the door and move on through the exit, there is a walkway to the next car. Please watch your step, and check out the FAQ for more details on trying to leave the train!

Immediately proceeding the intro car is...


The Land of Corginia Car

As characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…

> Lend a helping paw.



Because this historical city is occupied with... dogs! Mostly corgis. They are smart, verbal, and very good boys and girls. The dogs are happy to play with anyone, and will also help passengers get to anywhere they want to go. The car itself is basically Rome, with low doorways and ceilings.

And because corgis do have short legs and zero thumbs, they will sometimes need and ask for assistance. For example, you and a partner may need to help the corgis cross a river, give them belly rubs, or reach a ball on a high shelf. They are easily distracted, squirmy little babies and will make life very difficult, but they're just so darn cute!


The Museum Car

(tw: body horror)

As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…

> Complete yourself.



As passengers enter this car, they'll find themselves feeling notably lighter. This might be because they're suddenly missing a leg, or perhaps an arm, or their eyes, or tongue. Whatever it may be, a part of them has been taken away. There's no pain, or danger to their lives from the missing part, it simply isn't there.

It's been whisked away and hidden somewhere in the musty old museum that they've found themselves in. Luckily, it's currently closed, so there's nothing stopping them from raiding everything in sight! The displays span all manner of topics, from history to biology to space. Passengers might even find displays on familiar historical events or persons from their home worlds as they search—the collection is seemingly endless! Just watch out, because sometimes objects (and body parts) will come to life and lunge through the glass at anyone who walks a little too close.

NOTE: Characters can snipe items from the display cases in the museum! However, they'll discover the items are actually toy replicas made of flimsy plastic. They're completely non-functional and will break if handled too roughly.


The Birth of the Wind Car

As the characters enter the car, their phones will notify them of a new objective…

> Collect all the korogu seeds.



The world that lies ahead of the passengers is vast and lush; a spectacle of nature that spans snow-capped mountains, dense forests, deserts, and lakes. Aside from unusually large and extremely territorial fauna (1, 2, 3), the car appears devoid of any signs of civilization, and passengers might think themselves completely alone…

… Until they hear the tinkling of a bell, and a cheery, "yahaha!" in the distance. Upon closer inspection, the car is in fact populated by small, wooden creatures known as korogus (here). They hide at the tops of trees and mountains, on lone islands in large lakes, and under rocks. Once a passenger stumbles across their hiding place—whether knowingly or otherwise—they'll appear in a puff of magic holding a golden korogu seed. Simply finding them isn't enough for them to hand over the precious item however, and they'll require passengers to offer up one truth in exchange for a seed. And don't bother lying, they'll give you a solid bonk on the head and disappear if you do!


Numbers

Numbers! Everyone starts with one that glows on their bodies — as a fun thread mechanic, we suggest they're somewhere visible, but it's up to you!



Because while this is not IC knowledge yet, numbers are determined by how troubled your character is. This may be based on their past actions and crimes, but also alienating habits, regrets, personality flaws, trauma, etc — a higher number does not necessarily mean they're a bad person, but it may signify a difficult time in their life, or substantial personal issues.

Numbers change as characters work through their issues... which we'll cover next time! However, for this log, please note that numbers will remain static. They may flicker or warp occasionally, but don't worry about them going up or down for the intro! As a bonus, numbers can glow in any color you would like.


OOC Notes

Car Order: While the cars are linear and in the order shown, characters can freely move between these four cars for the next three weeks — players may assume 1:1 IC:OOC time ratio.

Locks: Passengers may follow other characters out of cars after they've been unlocked — so in general, players can assume optional cars on downtime months are unlocked if they don't want to play in them. Likewise, if your character ICly would not participate in a car but you still want to play with those prompts, you can assume they're locked in and must complete objectives. Feel free to pick and choose what you'd like to play from any downtime log!

Update: We will also have a small update in the coming weeks — the setting won't change, but there will be a few more (optional!) aspects to play with later.

Feel free to direct questions to our Discord help channel. Welcome to Locomo, and have fun!

---

locomo e2 traincation

FAQ & Game Info / Calendar / Taken
Applications / Reserves / Hiatus & Drops



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Comments

kurapika | hunter x hunter

[constrainer]

I. the everyday average car

[ Kurapika is the extremely practical sort when it comes to these things, once he realizes there's no getting out of here without going through the motions of the objectives. The extent to which he wants to get this over with will become painfully obvious once he selects a user (that's you!) and sends them a message: ]

@ rat
Hello. You don't know me, but we both have something to gain by making a temporary alliance. Come to the front of the car, the fourth table from the front. I'm unarmed.

[ Did he totally pick someone at random from this list? Yes, yes he did. That much will also become obvious when it becomes apparent that you're really only 5 or 10 paces away from the table he's sitting at - he could've just as easily called out to you, if he'd bothered to look at the profile picture and scan the car. But no, he's busy combing over the brochure for some kind of clue, sitting and minding his business at the table he'd described in his message. ]

II. the museum car (cw: body horror, descriptions of nausea)

[ He only gets a fraction of a second to read the objective, complete yourself, before his vision goes totally dark. The physical sensation may be painless, but the grueling seconds it takes for him to process what just happened— his eyes are missing— are excruciating nonetheless, cold, cold dread and paranoia washing over him.

Frankly, he looks like he's about to be sick, as his free hand moves to press at his now closed eyelids— a cold sweat beads up onto his skin, a slight tremble in his hand. He'd been putting up with the train's antics up until this moment, but beneath the initial shock of the theft, something vicious and raw and wounded boils over in him. Something that seems a like it cuts a bit deeper than the typical level of aggravation this inconvenience should cause. Sightless, it's no question that he brushes shoulders with whoever's nearest, but he wrenches away, as if burned, scowling. ]

Don't— don't touch me. [ With the bitter way he snaps the words out, is as if he thinks you're the one responsible. But once he retreats a step away, he barks out something else, looking like an animal on the defensive in every sense of the word. ] What does your objective say? Answer me.

III. birth of the wind car

We're more likely to find them beneath something.

[ He offers, unprompted, once the two of you make it to the summit of a small mountain. In his mind, he likens the mystery creatures they're hunting to some kind of small rodent or bug - something that needs to hide away to survive. And just like that, he over turns some rock and one comes popping out to the two of you, yahaha!-ing and all. ]

You found me! Now just answer my question: what was the last lie you told?

[ Without missing a beat, Kurapika looks to you expectantly, gesturing with a hand. Because obviously this question is not directed at him?? ]

Well, answer it.

IV. wildcard

( anything else goes here!! feel free to wildcard me in any of the cars and i will roll with it... and also his starting number is 697! it's on his right hand underneath some fancy chain rings.)

i this is the funniest prompt

[badtempered]

[Eunyoo's first instinct is to ignore it, but something about this message sounds familiar. "temporary alliance", "unarmed"... If she was the type who liked to pretend, then she could easily imagine Eunhyuk writing this. But she's not the type, and it's simple enough to check the directory to see who actually sent the message.

It's not Eunhyuk, obviously. There's a weight in her stomach that she wants to ignore right now, which is why she slides into the seat across from Kurapika, staring at him.]

So are rats your favorite animal or...?

[congrats kurapika, u get (1) randomized teenager with sloppy hair and flecks of dried blood still on her face. she's also carrying a metal bat covered in barbed wire, which she places on her lap. he said he wasn't armed, but she's already shown a lot of trust already just by coming on over.]

[constrainer]

Hardly.

[ He offers, aloof. His eyes had glanced up as soon as she sat down, but he waits to answer until she's settled in, confirming that she was really the person in the profile picture he'd (extremely briefly) looked at. You know, underneath that dried blood. And sans that dangerous looking weapon.

It doesn't seem like her appearance bothers him, though, nor does it elicit any obvious sense of pity or concern, as he takes in her disheveled state with an even, cold stare. ]

It's just a random codename. I don't know who else is aboard this train. [ Does he have something to hide, or is he just overly cautious? Only time will tell. ] Shall I assume the case is the same for you?

[ this seems like it should be sarcastic, but he sounds like he's being genuine... maybe middlefinger has a deeper meaning he's not aware of!! ]

[badtempered]

[He feels both overly cautious and someone with something to hide. Not that Eunyoo's any different there either.]

Assume whatever you want. [the truth is that Eunyoo is rude, and she's fine if he picks up on that answer. Maybe if she were smarter, then she'd have picked an actual name. Something to confuse people when they look at her profile.

But that feels pointless when her full name is already online. She looks back at her phone to see the directory again,]

It says lie detecting on your profile. Can you read minds or something?

[or is he like Eunhyuk? She's like five seconds into this conversation, and she's already getting an Eunhyuk vibe.]

museum car

[shaft]

[ Claude's about to make a snarky comment back at the person who suddenly bumps into him, but he stops short when he sees the state that Kurapika is in, grimacing and instead stepping back to give him the space he needs. ]

I couldn't tell you.

[ Unfortunately, he's lost both his hands! And so he has no fingies with which to check his phone. ]

But if you can hold up your phone, I'll read the screen for you.

[constrainer]

[ With the sense of suspicion he's feeling, he immediately thinks of all the ways that kind of response could be a trap. It would be a fool's move to trust someone he hasn't even seen blindly (figuratively and literally). Thus, Kurapika even briefly considers just trying to find his own way, no matter how stupidly dangerous it would be to walk around aimlessly without help from anyone— he isn't thinking straight. It's only after a long pause, and a sigh through gritted teeth, that he decides to cooperate (half way). ]

I already read it. [ He informs him, crisply, his empty eyes blinking a few times before pressing shut and staying that way. ] It says, "complete yourself." I'm sure the reason as to why is obvious enough to you.

[ He doesn't trust the other person enough to hold out an item to him... but he will begrudgingly not storm off. Instead: ]

Unless I'm mistaken?

[ it's not like he can use his sight to see if everyone is getting stuck with such a creepy objective/punishment - but thinking back to what the other said about not being able to tell him, it seems likely. ]

[shaft]

[ Kurapika might regret choosing cooperation, because Claude doesn't hesitate before dryly noting, ] Ah, so you were testing me?

[ Or something. Maybe he was trying to determine if everyone had the same objective? Whatever the case may be, he doesn't seem all that bothered by it, though whether Kurapika can determine that just on tone of voice alone will remain to be seen (so to speak).

He glances at his missing hands, and then back out at the museum around them. ]

Yeah, I can imagine why that would be the objective. [ He doesn't mention what exactly it is that he's missing. ] If you didn't get a good look around, there are plenty of display cases in this space, so it's just a matter of searching through each one and finding out lost items.

What colour are your eyes?

birth of the wind car - koroks are like pokemon if u squint

[ascends]

[working alone is preferable, for various reasons, but if suguru is to be trapped on this train for the foreseeable future—well! well. there's merit to leaning what, exactly, his fellow passengers can do, which is why he chose to follow this particular individual. up a mountain. not his first choice, really, but when in rome (aka a new car)...

...at least this person isn't particularly chatty? and it least it pays off, in the end, with a strange creature popping up to pose a question—that his partner immediately dodges.

listen: suguru is standing here in his full monk gear, arms tucked within the wide sleeves of his robe; it's practically his job to give this kid a sidelong (and mildly amused) look.]

Ashamed? [hmm, hmm, hmm.] Avoiding your lies won't make them disappear.

[meanwhile, the korok is just dancing around... as koroks do...]

and we've gotta catch em all.....

[constrainer]

Not at all.

[ He huffs, not taking particularly well to the amused look coupled with the (what he takes as) mildly condescending words. It would be the mature thing to just answer the Korok. And the efficient thing. And possibly the respectable thing, if this person is a monk?? ]

I told a young woman in the first car that I was unarmed.

[ He responds to the little Korok, extremely bluntly, and true to his word, he does not seem ashamed that he told a lie that could very easily be interpreted as for being for a nefarious reason. Whatever. He offers the information with ease, and the Korok jumps around happily, confirming that he's telling the truth. And yet, no seed to be seen... ]

I only thought it was asking you - nothing more. But if it wants an answer from both of us, then, so be it... unless you won't answer it.

[ He gestures with his chain-adorned hand, quirking a brow, similarly thinking that that was an awfully suspicious way of trying to avoid ponying up some details. Kurapika's pride isn't so strong that he won't surrender it for something he sees as relatively harmless. ]

[ascends]

[there are, so far as suguru can see, many problems with answering questions with abandon? something—or someone—could be collecting these answers, perhaps—and/or one stands to lose whatever advantages they have at their disposal. suguru certainly isn't eager to take such risks, considering how recently he was, you know. dead as a doornail.

but details, details! his little smile remains in place as he watches this person offer up sort of information that he, for one, would prefer to keep to himself. almost as interesting as his, like, defensiveness? is this defensiveness? monkeys these days...]

Why wouldn't I? It's only fair, now that you have. [he SUPPOSES!! but if this is how it's going to be—] But I can't remember the last lie I told.

[nice. he even pretends to ponder this for a second, tilting his head back to look up at the sky—until he turns back to the korok and says, as easily as anything:]

Ah, right. It was that one.

[...well! it's the truth; like, the korok does do another jig, but it's decidedly less animated than the first? and there is little fanfare when the seed is held out for pikapika to take. sorry, buddy! his secrets are his to keep!]

i

[unrepentant]

[Practicality isn't nurtured on Tatooine, it's essential- and as Anakin has grown and changed and left that home behind one might have expected that quality to wane. It hasn't. But then, he hasn't learned subtlety either. Or tact, depending on who you ask.]

FROM skywalker

Why did you have to make this sound so weird?

[constrainer]

[ He does what he can to avoid making a face at the message, only tightening his lips as he scans the words. Him?? Weird?? It couldn't be... ]

FROM rat
...And what part of it do you find weird?

[ Kurapika genuinely does not know. He did the other party a favor by saying he was unarmed and exactly where he was, so he thinks he's being quite professional!! ]

[unrepentant]

[kurapika please...]

Other than making this first objective a whole lot harder on yourself

Can't say I've ever trusted anyone who says they're unarmed to be unarmed

i.

[sociably]

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






user @ ✨ BEATRIX ✨ is typing...
you can just say you want to be friends you know

[constrainer]

user @ rat is typing...
user @ rat is typing...
user @ rat is typing...

[ Here's where he types, "I don't want to be friends.", then promptly deletes it when he remembers the objective at hand. ]

user @ rat
I prefer to meet acquaintances face to face.
More than that, personally, I'd find a message asking to be friends from a complete stranger more suspicious than my offer.

[sociably]

[ binch, everybody wants to be friends!! ]

what do you mean more suspicious??
your message was already super suspicious!!
asking for some kind of temporary alliance? saying you're unarmed??
it's way too detailed!
for all i know you could be lying in wait ready to stab me in the back as soon as i show up

i (am sorry)

[philandery]

[ To Sylvain's credit, Kurapika looks ambiguously pretty from 5 or 10 paces away. To his discredit, literally everything else about this interaction that's about to go down. ]

Never had anyone ask me out on a date like this before.

[ 'rat' is sort of a weird username for a cute girl ("girl") to pick, but who knows, maybe it's an equally cute ("cute") personality quirk, or something?

Anywho, he helps himself to the seat in front of the other passenger and folds his hands behind his head. Hoping the gesture makes him look roguishly charming and not at all like the flirtatious turd he is. ]

No need to be shy, I promise I don't bite.

[ Unless... ;^J ]

im crying

[constrainer]

[ That was fast... and corny. Kurapika actually manages to look a little surprised when Sylvain settles down across from him, quickly assessing the man before him. No visible weapon. In decent health. Obviously forward. Passable, if not a potential nuisance. ]

You're mistaken. [ He settles on, bluntly, moving the brochure closer to his side of the table. ] This is not a date.

[ How else can he say it? It's better to just nip the implications in the bud right away, isn't it? He washes the mild surprise off his face quickly, face easing down back into a tense neutral, before he peers down back at his phone and sees the username of the person he'd randomly chosen— @ handsome? Typical. ]

I'm just... trying to clear these objectives. Quickly. That's why I messaged you.

[philandery]

[ Not a date? Not with that attitude, Kurapika...

Sylvain, though he's not so obtuse to be incapable of reading the room, nevertheless gives a noncommittal hum. As if he thinks Kurapika's just playing hard to get.

...And also, he's still not sure if he's talking to a guy or a girl. Hearing their voice only furthers the confusion, though a little uncertainty has never deterred him from giving his best (or worst). ]

And who says we can't do both?

[ Ever heard of mul-ti-task-ing? ]

You're looking for a new friend, I'm guessing. Just so happens I am, too. [ He winks at his not-date, most unnecessarily. ]

Heh, what're the odds?

ii

[overruns]

[ Excuse you, he is just standing here :/// But no, Dimitri starts a little when he's bumped into, a hand pressed to his chest with a stunned look on his face, but Kurapika is obviously going through it right now, so he's quick to withhold any retort.

Besides the one he asked for, of course. ]

...'Complete yourself.'

[ He stays where he is, cautious but plainly concerned, his voice a little soft and winded. ]

Do you need some assistance? It looks to be a very large car.

[ Especially to try and navigate blind. ]

[constrainer]

[ Kurapika turns over what the other says several times in his own head for any hint of a hint that this is some kind of trick. No, by all accounts, this should prove that this passenger is also missing something, and can't have possibly been responsible. Without a target to direct his resent at, Kurapika remains on edge, but at least lowers to a simmer. ]

And how can you assist me? [ He asks, wishing he could see the person before him, read their expression. ] You're missing something yourself, aren't you? Tell me what it is, and I'll consider it.

[ Perhaps they lost something that impedes them less... but Kurapika is a stickler for the details, not feeling bad that he's turning this into an interrogation, even if nothing about the person's offer seems to warrant distrust. ]

[overruns]

[ Distrust is the sensible reaction here, isn't it? Anyone blinded and trapped somewhere new is bound to feel like their back is against a wall, vulnerable in a way that's discomfiting when they're still getting their feet wet.

It's understandable. He doesn't sound offended by it; after all, he had been withholding his own loss out of habit, a typical downplaying of what ails him, but it's clear now that he needs to be the open one, here.

That suits him fine. Easily, ]

Mm. I'm missing a... lung, it seems.

[ It's hard to describe the sensation, and by all accounts he should be dead, but sometimes cars just keep you alive through the oddest things. ]

All the same, I have my eyes, and can use them to look for yours. If you'll allow me.

iii

[cuedoves]

[ zuko's number, 523, is glowing plainly on his forehead, while zuko scowls at these shenanigans and kurapika throwing him under the bus ]

Me? Why do I have to to answer it? You're the one that found this... whatever this thing is supposed to be!

[ that, and zuko is having a hard time thinking of lies -- he let his father give him credit for killing the avatar even though he knows aang is alive, and he lied about his identity when he was a refugee in the earth kingdom. would those even count? ]

[ not that he's going to admit it to this weird creature anyway ]

[constrainer]

Because it's asking you. And I answered one before.

[ Kurapika returns, his tone infinitely flat, gesturing to the dancing creature. Was Zuko there when Kurapika answered the last little spirit? No, probably not, but he still thinks this is a fair way of going about things. More than that, anyone who refuses that hard probably has something to hide. His eyes do lock onto his forehead number, unable to just ignore it, and you know what else he's unable to ignore? The need to be a smart aleck: ]

They're called Korogu, you know. [ He busies himself with rolling the stone back into it's proper place behind the spirit, gently. ] They told us very clearly in the objective.

[cuedoves]

It was obviously asking you!

[ zuko's used to being stared at, so he assumes kurapika is staring at his scar instead of his face and his expression darkens one iota..... ]

[ but he's had three years to get used to the stares, so that's ultimately all he does before he moves on ]

I don't care what they're called! They're annoying!

[ miraculously, the koguru does not vanish at this supreme rudeness, and zuko, who is ultimately kind of a loser.... ]

I lied about my name.

[ does that count?? i will let u decide ]