Downtime Log - 04

[locomodo]

Log 04 - Downtime

Outcome to The Mine Car

And so, Minecraftia is saved! Overall, characters opted to focus on closing the mines. Passengers will receive a summary of their results on their phone (though there's still no sender), and will see it play out around them.

• With the deep mines closed off, the fungus responsible for the plague will no longer escape to the surface. Thanks to your thorough efforts, the dynamite has exposed new silver ore and treasure that the townsfolk can live off of, and the ancient mole civilization has also been laid to rest. They pass along this message:
  
  
  Totally radalicious for ya to do us a solid like that bros. You wouldn't believe how bad those acid spores were harshin' my buzz. See ya on the flip side. Cowabunga, dudes!
  
  
• Mayor Chadsef has been slain. The people of Minecraftia are grateful that his devious plots have been revealed, but are unsettled by some of your behavior. They are left without much leadership.
  
  
• Continue to fulfill objectives. Do not dwell on completed cars.

Though passengers can stay in Minecraftia for a while, the exit door is now open! Because presumably some of them killed and ate Chadsef, the denizens will eventually chase them out for being weirdos.

Numbers: All numbers will change as a result of this log. Overall, those who focused on the mines will see their numbers go down, and vice versa. However, this is character-driven: a character that went to the mines solely to loot for treasure may still see their number go up, and likewise, those that attacked Chadsef may still see their numbers go down if it coincides with character growth.

Illness: Those who fell ill will have lingering effects, but the plague will clear without exposure to the spores. Symptoms can fade as quickly or slowly as players wish.

Then, as characters exit Minecraftia, they will receive another new message.

FROM: clownductor one

Well, that was unexpected.

Regular train cars will now resume. Please note that to end your journey aboard the Existential Express, the numbers located on your body must go down to zero. Indulging in your bad habits will cause your number to increase indefinitely and infinitely. Do not think of it as a prison sentence, but...

...A journey along the railroad of self improvement.

And from here on out, we're back to our regularly scheduled downtime log! Good work, everyone!

The Dinosaur Car

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

> [ this video starts to play. ]



That's not really an actionable objective, but you probably don't have much time to worry about it because in this car… there are dinosaurs! They seem to be engulfed in a vicious turf war between bickering herbivores and carnivores, and in the middle of the fighting is a flock of baby dinosaurs separated from their parents. :( Their size easily dwarfs the passengers, but compared to the adults, they're small and helpless and could use someone to take them back to their dens.

Unfortunately, not all the babies are cooperative. Some have no sense of danger, and others have too much sense of danger. While others won't stop crying, and some have decided that you're their new mother! Navigating them through the bickering adults won't be an easy task.

All carnivores except velociraptors have poor senses, so they'll only see you if you move. The herbivores will largely leave you alone... because they won't notice your presence at all, and will stomp on you with no reservations. Both sides will react poorly to violence against their own, so be prepared to run or fight if you're the hack-and-slash type. That said, these oversized reptiles are no pea-brains, and may actually be open to diplomacy…

The Crystal Car

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

> Sing, baby, sing ♫



The inside of this car is peaceful and #aesthetic — everything is made of varying types of crystal, geodes, etc, and the pink sunlight glitters across every surface. What does this have to do with the objective? Nothing! Not everything in life has a meaning, you know?

However, there is one particularly shiny crystal not far from the door here, with a few fairly obvious hand-shaped indents. When touched, the crystal will shimmer and shine to an emotional song. But not just any song — it has to have sentimental value to the singer. That's right, you can't just pick the classiest tune of your Sp*tify to pretend you have good taste to your friends. This is about a mother's lullaby, or the horrible mix tape your first boyfriend made you, or the randumb song you made up with your friends as a kid. Once the crystal is satisfied with your performance, the exit door will open.

The Otome Car

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

> Unlock a good end.



The assorted NPCs of this neo-noir world are occupied with solving grisly murders. Passengers will find themselves in roles such as jaded private investigator, lackadaisical forensics tech, vigilante hacker, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dame, etc... but more importantly, above every character's head is what looks like a progress bar.

When someone encounters another passenger, the bar will fill up according to how much they trust and/or like them. (Yes, this will out anyone who's been sneaky or dishonest about their feelings.) In order to fill this 'trust gauge' to max, characters must pick the right dialogue options with each other (i.e. not piss each other off, flatter one another, etc. You may also interpret this as literal otome dialogue prompts, if you like), or otherwise convince all the NPCs that they care for each other. Maybe it's by holding hands, or fake dating, or pretending Wheatley is your beloved son orb (sorb).

Once both bars are completely full, characters will abruptly discover the murderer was the cop all along. They'll receive a bag of Sn*ckers for their detective work. Good end! If characters do poorly at this get-along task, they may get various Bad Ends, which will usually result in them nearly dying (or actually dying) before starting over from a previous checkpoint. Successive bad ends will turn more and more ridiculous over time.

The GBBO Car

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

> Impress the judges with a delicious creation.



Upon entering the car, passengers will find themselves in a large tent. The tent contains rows of baking stations, equipped with ovens and a variety of kitchen equipment. Along the sides of the tents are fridges and freezers, and at the back of the tent is a pantry which will manifest any ingredient a passenger can think of. As passengers bake however, they'll find that they need to work together as access to the gadgets and ingredients is split between individuals. Whether it's the oven refusing to start, or eggs consistently slipping from their grasp, passengers will need to rely on a partner regardless of skill level. Characters that try to work on their own will consistently end up with a terrible tray of brownies, no matter what they're trying to bake.

Passengers will have 3 hours to create the dish listed on their station before being subjected to the scrutiny of celebrity judges: Haul Pollywood and Bary Merry. Ready... set... bake!

The Hand Holding Car

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

> Bring the light to the cauldron.



Upon entering this car, passengers will find themselves in total darkness. There is nothing around them except, visible by the light of their phones, a single torch. They'll find that they can't light it using magic or matches, and that it only blazes bright when they hold the hand of another passenger. As soon as that contact is lost, the torch will go out.

There is no path or indicators as they trek forward—nothing but the black nothingness, their fellow passenger and the torch. But eventually, whispers. A cold sensation crawling up their spine, and the sudden, unshakeable fear of the person whose hand they're holding. A voice will warn them of the evil hidden in their partner's heart, the weapons they carry, and describe to them in vivid detail all the ways they could end their life, or worse. There's nothing more terrifying to you than this person, but if you let go, then there's only darkness.

One final catch: this connection goes beyond fear. Characters will find themselves able to read each other's thoughts while holding hands.

The Vacation Car

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

> Slow down and get some R&R. You deserve it! Some of you, anyway!



The vast interior of this car is filled with a white, sandy beach. Clear water stretches as far as the eye can see, and the shoreline is dotted with everything you'd find at a popular boardwalk: food stands, cool drinks, tacky swimsuit huts, a brightly lit ferris wheel. Vendors don't accept money, but will gladly share their goods in exchange for good deeds. The beach is open to all, and sports all manner of coral and sea creatures.

(This may include flying sharks and giant octopi.)

And to top it all off, there's an enormous seaside spa! There are various different rooms, providing all kinds of treats to relax: bathing pools both hot and cool, luxurious showers, wet and dry saunas, lounging areas with refreshing drinks and snacks, and even several outdoor hot springs! Above them is always a clear night sky, with auroras dancing against the darkness if you get lucky. How does this all work in the same climate? Don't worry about it.

The spa is largely autonomous: bathing products automatically replenish themselves, food and drink appears and cleans itself up on its own, and there are somehow always warm towels and fluffy robes. This also means that no one is actually running some of the stations — namely the manipedi and massage rooms — so you may have to lend a helping hand or two.

OOC Notes

Car Order: While the cars are linear and in the order shown, characters can freely move between these six 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. Have fun!

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Comments

[himbomb]

[Rex's watches Vanadi's ears move, the frown on his face deepening. Between now and their last text conversation, he's struggled to carry one of the Earth's most powerful, burgeoning heroes for several days, going with little sleep, food, or water, because he had been so worried that the only friend he had made in this godforsaken place would be dead.

And then he would be alone again.]

Am I wrong?

[This line is spoken with the tempestuous nature of an impudent child, his nostrils flaring all the while. It's confusing, this attempt at diplomacy. What's it for?

Saving face?]

[vadarta]

[ He's heard accusations like this before. Coldly disappointed words — or worse, tired and exasperated. He didn't know how to defend himself then and he doesn't now. His ears twist unhappily back and flat despite his best efforts at keeping them neutral and he shifts in place as he fights the urge to turn and go. ]

I liked you well enough. [ Does that mean Rex wasn't just a thing to him? Maybe. He doesn't like to look that closely at these things. ] But you'll notice the past tense. I'm certain there's little use in keeping anyone about who will explode over a handful of written words.

[himbomb]

[Rex has noticed that Vanadi's ears move in conjunction with his emotions. Even now, even though Rex is thick-headed enough to maintain his current amount of useless, unnecessary anger, he does think find that attribute to be rather charming.]

Huh?!

[Oh, the past tense implication is certainly hurtful, much like the jabs at his running mouth even during their first interaction. Thankfully and perhaps luckily for the elf, Rex is bewildered as to why the dark-haired beauty would even waste time confronting him in the first place.]

But then why bother? There's no use in keepin' up appearances on this thing!

[The train. He means the train.]

Most of the people and, uh, non-people, 'round here don't really seem to give a rat's ass. Monkey's butt, dragon tail, baboon hiney! Take your pick.

Seriously! When I touched down I tried to get the dirt on whether there were any superpowered, psychotic looneys I had to steer clear of, nobody else seemed to have a goddamn clue! Even though there's an entire list of profiles on all of our phones! None of which we seem to've filled out on our own?! What gives...

[vadarta]

[ Vanadi blinks, anger defusing as he tries to follow this — tearing into, what, phones? Rex's search for danger? Set-back ears revert as his brow furrows. ]

What are you talking about? [ Even the body language is no help this time, all he can read is hurt anger. ] Rex, you are a headache to try and keep up with. Do you understand I'm not trying to fight with you?

[himbomb]

[At the precise mention of a headache, Rex groans loudly, both hands reaching up to massage his temples. He may have enhanced stamina and strength, sure, but super as all heroes might be, they need sleep. Which he hasn't gotten a lot of as of recent, not for the past week and half.]

Well, yeah! And that's, like... Weird.

[Calm down, don't panic.

This is yet another episode of Rex having a tantrum, trying to bottle his anxieties beneath the surface only to have them bubbling up again.]

People in my line of work don't do that! They punch first and ask questions later. I don't get you.

[vadarta]

[ He makes a face. Punch first and ask later, yeah, that sounds pretty human. Or whatever the people of Rex's world qualify as. ]

I'm really not particularly complicated. [ What was the root of all this? Ah, yes. He purses his lips. ] And I don't look down on humans, if that was your impression.

[himbomb]

[Rex responds to that face with another face. Oh no. He's gone and fucked up #yetagain.]

Youuuuu don't?

[The young hero's memory is not the most precise, not when it comes to words and unpleasant, non-violent interactions that he'd like to forget. Rex has a habit of twisting stories to suit his own narrative, painting himself as a victim when he was in fact the perpetrator, or a hero when he was simply the victim. Broad arms fold over an equally bulky chest as, like any run-of-the-mill cave person, Rex begins to communicate with a series of grunts and confused noises, the errors of his ways beginning to dawn upon him slowly.]

Mmmm-hm. Uh-huh.

Oh.

[Without the tightly-fitted headgear to cover the noteworthy parts of his face, there is nothing in their immediate vicinity to cover the redness that now colors his cheeks. If Vanadi asks, he will simply blame the steamy spa-water.]

Shit.

[vadarta]

[ Aha, maybe that was the magical combination of words to smooth all this back down again. One half of Vanadi's mouth quirks into a smile, quickly smothered. ]

If you want blanket disdain, look to anyone else in my family. Unfortunately, I like you hairy, obtuse, loud lot.

[ That flush that he absolutely doesn't miss is incredibly gratifying. He won't mention it, but he certainly enjoys it. ]

[himbomb]

[Rex's eyes dart around the room as he begins to feel himself working up a sweat, particularly over the area that the high collar of his supersuit would typically cover. He even begins to reach for it reflexively, his fingers then dangling in an awkward fashion over his usually perfectly waxed chest. When they make contact with skin, Rex notices that there's some texture which certainly wasn't present a few weeks ago.

Hairy? Oh god. Oh god, oh god. That reminds him. He can't go to his usual guy?! Forget spa tomfoolery, is there a waxing salon around here?]

I wouldn't say we're all fuzzy, dumb, n'... Yelpy?

[That does describe Rex perfectly, however.]

And, honestly I don't remember exactly whatchu said, it's... Time's a whole, um, thing? The days sorta blur together, aaaah...

[Mustering up an apology really shouldn't be this difficult, but very much in line the punch first and ask questions later mentality, in some ways Rex would rather throw hands than apologize with words, so it's going to take him an extra minute to cough up the words he's owed Vanadi all this time.]

It was also very late at night, I was in a bad mood, and I'd gotten drool all over my clavicle area, so... Oof...

[just say u misread/misintrepred/overreacted!!! bro WHY is it so hard]

[vadarta]

[ The other half of Vanadi's mouth joins the first in a complete, if wryly amused, smile. It's as much an apology as he'd ever expect, or seek. He waves a dismissive hand. ]

It was quite the time all around, for all. [ His attention goes a little sharp again. ] But don't say anything to me that means anything to you in text. Save it for when we can see one another.

[ It's almost an embarrassing request, to admit he'd take Rex so seriously — but anything to avoid this mess again. ]

[himbomb]

[The new Guardian is perplexed by that casual dismissal, as he'd have expected to be shaken for a real apology, which is what Vanadi does deserve. Rex was the one being the asshole, after all.]

Okay?

[He tilts his head to the side, not unlike a very big, dumb dog trying ot get a better look at something in the distance. Rex is thinking, only to blurt out-]

So that means no nudes! Got it.

[That... That wasn't the message...]

Sorry.

[theRE it IS fiNALLY!!!!]

This must be really weird for you, huh? All this crappy new-fangled tech mumbo jumbo...

[vadarta]

[ An actual spoken apology feels excessive — but that's humans for you, he supposes. Always embarrassingly over the top. He makes the same dismissive wave, but this time it sharpens into a point. ]

No. Nudes are fine. [ He can guess what those are, so — just to be clear. ] And it's not so bad, most of it is very interesting. I find it odd how much you're willing to put into a such a sad, stunted form of conversation, is all.

[himbomb]

Oh, well.

[He would be right in that it was sad and stunted, cowardly, too. Rex isn't someone who engages in social media like a normal civilian would, especially considering the fact that his life was seriously in danger for a good period of time.]

It makes it easier. The no-face thing.

[The young hero shrugs off-handedly. God, he's going to have to get out of this bath before he gets too pruney... Although it might already be too late.]

You're right, it's not the same... I think that's why people do it.