locomo | Downtime Log

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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…

> 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!

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

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. TUTORIAL DATE

[ Don't mind this 6'1" redhead suddenly invading your personal bubble. He's not in a particular rush to move to the next car, but he's a social pest by nature and it just so happens he thinks you're pretty cute, or in need of company, or both. (Or maybe he's addressing another passenger entirely and you've overheard him, that's fine too!) ]

You got the same weird message, right? [ He waves around his smartphone by way of explanation. He has no idea what it is he's holding, except that it spits out text like a magical book. ]

Whaddya say? [ Here, he takes a friendly step closer, putting on the most "effortlessly charming" smile he has. ] How about we get to know each other a little better over dinner and drinks? On me, of course.

[ A facetious wink, because obviously he hasn't paid a lick for anything in this car... ]

ii. BODY HORROR
cw: please watch out for this one if it's not your jam!

[ The first change Sylvain notices is, well, everything. His vision goes out abruptly, a plummet into darkness that kicks his instincts into overdrive. A sharp breath he doesn't actually take, because there suddenly isn't any air moving in or out of his system. (There's no pain, no searing loss of oxygen in his lungs, and yet he still feels like he's being suffocated.)

The noise of alarm he makes is a terrible buzz in his throat, and when he reaches up to inspect his face, he finds it's missing. The front his skull is rendered flat, the blank canvas of his skin stretched over smooth bone.

(His face is on display somewhere in the museum, nestled between several other decorative masks of unknown origin. Problem is: do you know what he looks like?)

Sylvain's second order of business, after abject horror and panic, is to blindly crash into the passenger closest to him, with another throttled grunt of surprise. ]

iii. YAHAHA!

[ After a no good very bad time in the museum car (and finally being reunited with his face), Sylvain is taking a breather. He's picked the nicest napping spot he can find, which happens to be under the generous canopy of one of the few trees dotting the open fields.

Somewhere above him, a lively yahaha sounds, but he seriously cannot be assed to deal with any more bullshit at the moment. He'll wave his hand at your character, bestowing them the honor of collecting whatever golden seeds are up there with a yawn. ]

's aaall yours.

[ Not enough excitement? Maybe he's already asleep, and there's a menacing creature that's closing in... And/or perhaps he unconsciously tries to tug your character down to join him in for some impromptu cuddling... (haha just kidding... unless?) ]

iv. WILDCARD

(( CYOA! ))

[Whole-bodied and half ready to faint, Toko Fukawa is five strides from the door when she hears it. Another open and close, and then after...

She pauses. Whatever it is surely can't see her from here. There's so much in the way, she's got good cover. And she may need it, because any sane person would say something the second they got into this madhouse. Or scream, or gasp. Not whatever that guttural groan was. Were the exhibits coming to life? Was there some horrible Frankenstein creature, looking for body parts to make himself a wife? PLEASE NO—she couldn't take being married to a rotting, undead monster! Even if they used all the most handsome parts to make him! She refuses! Let it take some other idiot girl, there's plenty of them around!

Toko waits for a count of seven. She peeks around a case but can't see the entrance from here, not by a long shot.

It occurs to her then that something's wrong. In that case there, wasn't that a nose? Could that noise have been...

Oh, she was going to regret this. Toko creeps out, peeks out, shivering from head to toe.]

H-he...hello?

[She was going to die.]

[ Sylvain might be able to detect a note of genuine fear in her voice, were he not still completely clotheslined by the removal of his face. So he doesn't at all consider how he might appear at the moment to the unsuspecting passenger (like a corporeal nightmare, that is), turning towards the source of the sound a little too quickly in his desperation for some help.

There's a clatter and skid as he accidentally kicks away the lance he'd dropped, a few unsteady footsteps that follow as he shuffles forward. Wherever his face is chilling, it's doing so with its eyes closed, or else he might be able to see the both of them from a distorted distance. ]

Mmhh!

[ He bumps into another exhibit, some sort of artifact encased in glass, though to him it's merely a stationary object he can cling to in order to steady himself. ]

[Is it running for her?

Toko's heart leaps into a galloping beat. The thing blunders, clattering on its way to find her. Calling out in that stymied, tortured moan. Her skin turns to pure gooseflesh, her muscles tense to flee, and the creature conks into something too close for comfort. A glass case with macabre candelabra inside (is that bone?), teetering under the force of impact. The thing clings to it. Two human arms. A head of finely shorn red hair.

And no face beneath it.]

GYAAH!!! FACELESS DEMON!! [Without thinking, she snatches for whatever's in reach — a ceramic white snake — and hurls it at the intruder. It goes wide and smashes apart on the wall six feet away from him.

Honestly, considering what Jill can do, it's a miracle that she's still so bad at this.]

Edited 2021-08-14 14:16 (UTC)

sylvain | fe:3h (cw: body horror)

ii, gimme the gorn

gorn in the dort

cease

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i. crashing ur date

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iii!

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