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Entry tags:
- *downtime,
- *event,
- danganronpa: toko fukawa,
- fe3h: claude von riegan,
- fe3h: sylvain jose gautier,
- ffxiv: ardbert,
- gbf: beatrix,
- genshin impact: diluc ragnvindr,
- genshin impact: kaeya alberich,
- jjk: satoru gojo,
- jjk: suguru geto,
- solo leveling: sung jinwoo,
- star wars: anakin skywalker,
- star wars: cal kestis,
- star wars: obi-wan kenobi,
- sweet home: eunyoo lee
Downtime Log - Intro
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…
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…
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…
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!
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locomo e2 traincationFAQ & Game Info / Calendar / Taken
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no subject
according to the personality test grading rubric [There is no such thing] little green fruits mean your personality is bitter and small
no subject
Well I'm not taking them back
But the blue custard should definitely balance it out
no subject
stubborn too! i'll write that down
[Technically that's not a bad thing in Satoru's book, but details.
Does the blue custard balance it out? Satoru is doubtful! But since little green fruits remain on the list...]
next question: if you had to choose between fighting a tree or a volcano, which would you pick and why?
no subject
There's actually a delay before the next reply arrives. This isn't because Anakin has found something worthwhile to do, but instead is because he's pretty sure this is a trick question.]
Which ones the stronger fighter?
no subject
Satoru stops what he's doing (harassing several people over the network at the same time) to sit up and now give Anakin his full attention, because he's right, it was a trick question, and Satoru was expecting him to answer blindly without considering the intent behind it. Now Satoru is reassessing him as having potential.
In a way, Anakin's question is the right answer.]
the one who's giving them orders
[In terms of sheer power, it's probably the volcano, though the tree is also very strong. But why are a tree and volcano out there causing trouble? Who's pulling the strings?
Someone stronger, that's who. And smarter. And much more dangerous.
And what will Anakin's answer be, now that he knows there's a third character in play?]
no subject
In the moment before the reply comes Anakin isn't sure what to expect. He takes the question at face value because it's in his nature to be helpful, and because the answers don't seem to cost him anything. When he asks which one is stronger he does so with the understanding that the universe is vast so plenty of things are possible- And that he'll be the one doing the heavy lifting.
In the last two years of all out war he's learned that his place, the spot where he can do the most, is where he allows himself to be directed at the biggest problem. It's Anakin's instinct to just cut through gordian knots.
The reply arrives. Anakin reads it, nods.]
Then go for the head
1/2
But the answer also shows a little confidence in his ability to take out a strong opponent, or at least a certain disregard for his own well-being in face of a threat. Both of which are important qualities in the people that Satoru singles out as both students and allies.
And on a this mysterious train, having a few of those around could prove useful. So!]
you're a little crazy huh
[Coming from Satoru, who happens to be a little crazy himself and values that quality in others, this is actually a compliment. Hence the message that follows...]
no subject
💯 YOU HAVE PASSED THE PERSONALITY TEST 💯
🐶 PLEASE PROCEED TO THE DOG CAR TO CLAIM YOUR REWARD 🐶
[Attached is a picture of one of the buildings in Corginia, resembling the Pantheon.
Didn't Satoru say this wasn't pass or fail? Well the parameters changed the second Anakin starting acing this made-up test!
Should Anakin choose to follow these directions, he will find Satoru leaning against one of the pillars, arms folded, having switched out his trademark blindfold for his blackout sunglasses. His eyes will remain closed until Anakin is within speaking distance, at which point he'll open them to glance over his shades and take a long look at him, attempting to see if he can pick up on any trace of power. He knows that his Six Eyes have their limitations here, and that most of the train's new inhabitants don't have cursed energy, but it's still worth checking.
He'll also offer a grin and a simple:]
Yo.
no subject
It startles a real laugh out of him.
Anakin you're too reckless. Anakin the way you fly is suicide.
Have any of them ever won a personality test? Yeah. Exactly.
In the end- it's exactly this quality that compels him forward. He's been told plenty of times that he's too curious for his own good, and he's sure he'll hear it a hundred times more. Anakin's chin dips and he references the picture he'd been sent as he goes along, looking for familiar landmarks and columns in a world where the architecture all looks mostly the same to him. Fancy. Until at last he spots his destination- and the figure standing right in it.
He doesn't know what part of him will be seen, he doesn't even know that he's been looked at. But Anakin's nature is what it is and there's no hiding it. In his world the Force flows through all living things, it's huge and cosmic and unifying- and it's present and immediate and living. It's dark and it's light. A child born with no mortal father because George Lucas ran out of original thoughts, is a little something else. He's human in all the ways that matter, but he's probably closer to a godling out of stories than a skilled prodigy. In his core runs a bottomless well of power and Anakin, who has grown up with the absence of limits and the fearlessness that imbues, offers the stranger a cavalier, two-fingered salute.]
Is the prize one of the dogs? Because I don't think you can give me that.
no subject
Anakin is not necessarily an exception: Satoru doesn't sense cursed energy within him. He cannot read him as he would an opponent from his world, nor can he conceive of the breadth of his potential. But Satoru can see something within him, a source of undefined power that exists beyond his understanding. It would be impossible for him to give it shape or label, but he recognizes that it's there.
But that isn't what takes his attention. In looking at Anakin, he notices a particularity that is unusual even among those he's met on this train so far. He discovers a sense of limitlessness — one that he recognizes not because of his Six Eyes, but because Satoru Gojo himself exists within the absence of limits.
It's only a glimpse, but Satoru feels like the chose the correct candidate for this reward.
He pushes off the pillar, grinning in response to both the salute and the suggestion that he'd be handing out dogs as prizes. It's the kind of move that Satoru might make for kicks, but he has something else in mind, so both Anakin and the dogs are spared.]
Nah, I got something better than that.
["Better" is debatable, because Satoru doesn't have any belongings other than his blindfold and shades. What he ends up pulling out of his pocket is a single wrapped mint that he took from the dining car. He holds it up.]
Your prize is my undivided attention. [Exciting, isn't it?] And this!
[He tosses the mint at Anakin.
Satoru's supply of sweets is extremely limited and he has no plans on looping back to the dining car any time soon, as he needs to continue forward to follow the traces of cursed energy he recognizes. Given Satoru's reliance on sweets to appease his cravings and keep himself energized, this is actually a grand gesture. But it is just a mint...]
no subject
He stops just far enough away to be polite, and though he doesn't fold his arms over his chest or tuck them into his pockets, there's no tension to be found in the line of his shoulders or crease between his brows. For better and worse, everything that's said about Anakin's blunt, straight-forward tendencies encompasses not just the words that come out of his mouth, but the way he moves through the world. Though one could probably argue that he's just never been warned about taking candy from strangers.
The mint is tossed and Anakin catches it in the metal palm of his mechano-hand; the response is precise enough that it'd be easy to mistake the limb as organic. If he didn't already have an uncovered organic hand to compare it to. Unselfconscious, Anakin unwraps the candy and immediately throws it into his mouth.] No offense- [This is how most offensive statements start isn't it? And the polite, professional façade probably goes right out the window as soon as he starts talking with his mouth full. The mint clicks against his molars.] But why would I want your undivided attention?
Doesn't that sound like a lot of work?
no subject
But he is also a teacher, and for all his questionable teaching methods and undesirable antics, he knows how to be serious when the situation calls for it. He knows how to rein himself in to look closely, have productive conversations, and facilitate learning. Satoru has helped his students achieved breakthroughs, and has given them what they need to one day stand among the strongest. He did not do that by always running his mouth and annoying them.
So he is observant of Anakin as he accepts the mint without hesitation — notes his movements, the way he catches it in that hand, and chooses to eat it immediately. And he approves of all of this: straight-forward behavior and blunt questions are both within Satoru's own repertoire. In fact, the comment Anakin makes is astute: it is a lot of work to be singled out by Satoru Gojo.
Hence:]
Sure is.
[Satoru puts his hand back in his pocket and this time keeps it there, casual in stance as well as speech.]
But you gotta work hard to get anywhere.
[A lot of people seem to have the opinion that everything comes easy to Satoru — and it's true. Everything comes easy to him now. But there was a time when he had to work hard to master his techniques — and he lost a lot in the process. So he understands this lesson better than many think.]
And with the way things are going, putting some work into making allies will go a long way.
[Mostly, because he wants to fight his way off this train, but there's also the small matter of the two very big problems from his world hanging around these very cars.]
no subject
Anakin rolls the mint to the other side of his mouth and with it, his head tilts fractionally to one side. A generous person would call the expression thoughtful, but it might be more accurate to say that this is Anakin quite literally trying to look from a different perspective. When he'd asked doesn't that sound like a lot of work he'd meant that he would be the work- after all, Anakin has been on the other end of enough disciplinary meetings, lectures, and spontaneous holocalls to know he has a reputation. It hasn't occurred to him yet that he could meet his match out there in the wider universe; for a guy who so often represents unpredictability to the Jedi, he isn't used to anticipating it from others.
His weight shifts, a kind of wordless invitation to start walking- especially with the dropping of the a-word.
Allies.
Anakin's gaze lifts, catching the other's profile. There's no avoiding that the word has immediate relevance and he knows that; the whole galaxy has been embroiled in war for two years now, and it shows no sign of stopping. Alliance is a word that gets bandied around all over the place- in the hopeful faces of foreign planetary citizens, in war rooms, in high end diplomatic balls full of wealthy politicians. Disgust momentarily curls his lip, turns his stomach. But this isn't the same thing, not really. So shouldn't he just be happy to have run into someone equally focused on hurrying out of here?] Something tells me you aren't asking for help with the locals.
no subject
But Anakin's preferences for an aimless stroll are less important than what Satoru accidentally discovers in his choice of words — impossible to miss, with how his reaction spreads itself across his face. And interesting, too; Satoru's use of language hadn't been intended to hit a sore spot, though he is aware that what an ally means to him, coming from his own kind of war against jujutsu society's corruption, could be a far cry from what an ally means to someone else coming from an environment where the term is much more political — and perhaps even dangerous.
But Satoru takes all things in stride — even this. He does not harp on Anakin's reaction, nor does he pry — yet, at least. Though irritating and often seemingly uncaring of people's personal boundaries, Satoru is capable of sensitivity when it matters; he wouldn't have gotten very far with his students, otherwise.
Hence, he allows Anakin to steer the conversation.]
Those guys? [Satoru indicates a distant group of local corgis with his thumb. They seem to be engaged in a game of keep-away with a ball which is endearing and not at all threatening.] Nah, they're harmless.
[These locals specifically, at least. They're part of the train which is admittedly suspicious, but Satoru has a loose theory in his mind that they are also caught up in whatever the higher-ups of this place are doing.]
And we have bigger concerns.
[And here Satoru tells Anakin something he has told no one else on this train.]
A couple problems from my world followed me here. [Actually, Satoru wonders if he was brought here to keep an eye on them. But he has no way of confirming that. All he knows is that they're on this train with him.] And if there are problems from my world on this train, who knows what problems have come from other worlds.
[Not to mention, whatever the future train cars have in store for him. Things may seem calm now, but Satoru doesn't believe they'll stay that way.]
no subject
[Stillness doesn't come naturally to Anakin. On Tatooine, any time he didn't spend building droids or racers he spent running around with the other kids in the slave district. And later in life, when he struggled to find the kind of internal quiet and calm that the Jedi told him would be found in meditation- he could always find something to do with his hands. There's a simplicity to be found in both combat and in fixing things; the scope of the universe narrows to only a few seconds where Anakin can easily find good and bad, broken and repaired, before and after.
The decision to walk is an extension of the habits he's never tried to hide and the needs he's never learned to address. His hands remain at his side, one flesh and one metal- both visibly empty and visibly still; this is the detail that's strategic. His Master may be the one to have earned The Negotiator as a moniker, but despite his own hard-headedness Anakin's managed to absorb a tip or two. On a more even-tempered man it might even be called an attempt at manipulation. For better and worse, Anakin possesses neither the will or the inclination. Moments like these, where he's trying to get a feel for another person, are mostly an exercise in patience. In his experience someone always tips their hand.
But the man matches his pace easily and they move with enough symmetry for conversation to flow. An instinct he doesn't try to name keeps encouraging him to bear north- so he does, making his way in the direction of a series of dog-chores that he doesn't even realize are waiting for him. They pass through what looks like a park, where a few of the stubby locals are bounding excitedly through a game of their own; even without the assessment that follows, harmless is a good word for them. The most work he's had to do so far was help one pick out a new ball.
Until now, by the sound of it.
It's clear that the opening salvo lands, because 'bigger concerns' immediately draws his eye. While used to standing apart, being other, Anakin knows what it means to be called to serve. To want to help. Bigger concerns implies a point of focus, a task. Something to be done for the greater good.
Unfortunately the elaboration that follows is just vague enough for Anakin to misjudge the request. His expression flattens, not hostility, but an unequivocal rejection.]
I'm not an assassin.
[And then, because experience is a memorable teacher:]
Not intimidated either.
You're gonna have to play nice like everyone else.
no subject
Aside from the laugh, Satoru remains easygoing, not at all put off by Anakin's response. It's smart, after all — a complete stranger bringing up vague problems that have nothing to do with him is cause for a preemptive rejection. Regardless of how the rest of this conversation goes, Anakin has proven to have a decent head on his shoulders.]
I'm not looking for an assassin. And I'm not trying to intimidate you, either.
[There would be easier (and quicker) ways to intimidate a person if he truly wanted to; but based on the glimpse of the power he saw within Anakin, and taking into consideration Anakin's answers on the impromptu personality quiz, Satoru has a feeling he would be difficult to intimidate regardless.]
I'm questioning why the conductor of this train would choose to bring extremely dangerous beings from my world and put them on a train with passengers who can't defend themselves. [Adequately, at least.] I'm wondering who else is on this train, and what else is in store for us.
[He looks over at the corgis that bounce around the park, barking and chattering their way through requests, and considers the train cars that lie ahead. The possibility that more problems from his world, or others, could be summoned here — and what that means for the passengers and locals alike.]
It's like the question about the volcano and the tree. There's a volcano and a tree on this train [Not that either of them would appreciate being compared to those curses] but that's not the real problem.
[And now he looks at Anakin, dipping his head to look at him over his shades, giving him a grin as he takes his finger and mimics slicing his throat.]
I'm going for the head.
[He has never been a fan of authority, absent figureheads, and higher-ups who think they know best when they're too corrupt to see beyond themselves, and this train seems to be run by that exact kind of leadership style, given who else is here with him and what he's seen so far.
But it's more than that. This is also about the passengers who are at risk. This is about all of them being here against their will. This is about an even bigger problem waiting for him back in his world, while he's busy going from train car to train car because he's trapped.
And that's his pitch: They didn't get to choose this hell, but they do get to choose how to deal with it. For Satoru, the objectives are secondary to his overall goal of finding the conductor and doing something about all this.]
no subject
Truth be told, to some extent Anakin is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Attempted hirings like this usually end in a handshake or a drawn blaster and while he isn't afraid of the eventual flip, he'd prepared for it. And that's why his gaze lingers when the man laughs. Anakin looks at the pale column of his throat and at the corners of his mouth that... lift. Like he's found something genuinely funny.
Wrongfooted all over again, Anakin's gait begins to slow simply because his focal point is changing. Instead of letting himself be drawn in the direction of their next task, it's on the man beside him, who begins to elaborate as his face turns in the direction of their far off charges- yipping and chattering as they trot around. Maybe this neutral ground gives them both enough space to examine the theory. Why bring so many powerful people here? Why bring the volcano and the tree? Why bring people who couldn't protect themselves?
The man looks back and for the first time Anakin can see the blue of his eyes over the top of his sunglasses. He looks back. But the thought won't settle just yet- it drifts too near the surface, not ready to be accepted as fact. He can appreciate expediting as fight as much as the next guy- but the people from his world that have been brought here... They aren't a danger to others. They were in danger themselves. And more than that, Anakin has been at the whim of powers greater than himself- that were able to pluck him out of the universe and keep him out of reach until their own needs were met.]
Maybe they were brought here to keep them out of the way.
[He isn't trying to argue the point so much as test it, to see what it feels like to say the words aloud. Anakin's brows come together. He sees the value in confronting the conductor, it's exactly the kind of straight-to-the-point approach he's always made. But Cal and Obi-Wan had both spoken of a genocide they've been trying to outrun. If the conductor was responsible and they really did want their deaths- why rescue them by bringing them here? Why offer refuge?
His gaze lifts.]
I'm ready for some answers. But what's going to happen with your volcano and tree in the meantime? They the type to sit on their hands?
no subject
But that isn't the whole story; Satoru's motivations are more complicated than simply getting his way. If he's obnoxious, people tend to pay more attention to his obnoxious behaviors than whatever else he's doing; if he's flippant, he will seem less like a threat to the current leadership of jujutsu society who must be watched closely and more like an annoyance no one wants to handle.
But no matter how he behaves, no matter how lacking his interpersonal skills may be, Satoru doesn't take cooperation for granted. Not anymore. He learned that lesson long ago, and that's why he understands the importance of having allies who are capable of standing beside him. It's why he's here at all, instead of making a plan to face both future train cars and the conductor entirely on his own.
As he trusts his students back home, he would like to trust others here — should the worst come to pass.
But this is an entirely voluntary proposal. Just as Satoru once learned the cost of taking others for granted, he also learned that he can't force others to do what he feels is right.
When Anakin slows, so too does Satoru, still allowing him to choose the pace, just as he will allow him to choose how to respond to this interaction as whole. He's still grinning, though his expression slides toward a more thoughtful smile when Anakin makes that astute suggestion. He maintains his stare just over his shades for a moment longer.]
I don't think that's the case. One was already gone. The other was contained.
[It's a lot more complicated than that, and difficult to explain in full without getting into all of the nuances of jujutsu society and cursed energy, but it's still true: both problems were handled, however temporarily. By unleashing them on this car, the conductor either made a huge mistake or they have bad intentions. Satoru's experiences lead him to believe it's the latter, but even if it is a mistake, one of this magnitude can't go ignored. Regardless, this would be a terrible containment system, given that they're allowed free reign of train cars and passengers alike.
But Satoru nods upon hearing Anakin say he's ready for answers. No matter what the intended reason behind all of them being on this train, no one should be content with having no explanation.
Satoru tilts his head back, once again looking through his shades rather than over them at the well of potential that is Anakin. Then he answers his question.]
Nope. But I've gone a plan to convince one of them to sit tight.
[In a manner of speaking. It's a risky plan, but the risk is Satoru's alone. If it works out as he intends, then the passengers will be spared.
The other is a lost cause. Satoru has already tangled with him once; there will be no convincing him of anything.]
I'll keep my eye on the other for now and [a little cheekily, considering Anakin's earlier statement:] play nice.