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Downtime Log - 04
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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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no subject
Kurapika doesn't make a habit of looking closely at the train profiles, finding them unreliable sources of information. It's easy enough for him to jump through the mental hoop required to make this situation make sense: that Jill must have a sister. ]
You hardly know me. [ What's that? Even though he says that as coldly and as bluntly as a good ol' smack on the head from a baseball bat would ring, his stupid otome meter does seem to go up a few percentage points. Maybe that's not something he hears often...? ] This stakeout will be dangerous. You could be killed, if you're not prepared.
[ > I don't care, I'm still going with you. 😖
> Can't you protect me, though...? 🥺
> That's exactly why you shouldn't go alone! 😠 ]
no subject
I'm just—
[Following the prompts? Which shudder and refresh as he speaks. Toko's eyes dart from his face to the new options above, then to the meter. Which moved. Upward.
Her nose wrinkles. Hmm. So this guy is a chilly type outside, but inwardly he's seeking some sort of comfort? She thinks that's the way these things go. Toko's never had much chance to play video games, but she knows damn well what an otome is. Even if she went her whole life without seeing them in stores or hearing the jokes in classrooms, you couldn't exist next to Yamada for more than five seconds without finding out.
What she does know is romance. She's a best selling author after all. She's going to work the crap out of this challenge.
Does she remember this is a passenger and not a train prop?]Th-that's exactly why you shouldn't go alone! [She doesn't mean to mimic the accompanying emoji, but it's hard not to when crossing her arms and giving him the business.] It's n-not as if this is my first time, either. And if something h-happens to you...well, I'd never f-forgive myself.
[Wow, she's really outdoing herself! This is actually kind of fun?]
no subject
I can't stop you from coming. [ He admits, turning half way back towards the direction he was going. ] But my priority is the mission. Understand that if you're going to come.
[ Fukawa will notice that his bar continues to slowly creep up— Kurapika takes a liking to noble types, loathe as he is to admit it. Besides, he's typically functioning under the assumption that no one would care if he went off and did things on his own, so even the imitation of words like these has an effect on him. ]
I'm following someone by car. If you have some kind of relevant experience, you should tell me now.
[ She did say it wasn't her first time... anyway, he's leading them over to some undercover precinct car that he has the keys to, unlocking the doors as he goes. ]
no subject
Please, for the love of god, do not make her solve another mystery under pain of death. There has to be a limit for one lifetime.
She approaches the vehicle with no further pleas, glancing over her shoulder only once to check for suspicious characters. They're not being followed, at least as far as she can see. This train car was one of the weirdest yet. It feels like...someone was mixing two plots together, but they kept slipping over one another. Like oil and water. Why bother with all this criminal activity when the point was to make someone respond to you positively? Couldn't this train car have been based off a quiet school life otome instead?]
Oh! Um... [Experience? She hovers by the passenger door and searches the air above his head, suddenly unsure. Why aren't there any prompts this time? Was she supposed to make something up?] Well. It's n-nothing professional. It was more that I've been f-forced into certain situations.
[Toko hooks her fingers into the car door handle but neglects to open anything. That's not nearly good enough, is it?]
I've. [Her mouth has gone a little dry. Toko winces.] It's c-convoluted, but. I've been trapped in situations where murder was expected of you. And where p-people were endangered. Or already dead.
[There's a lot she could add to that. Certain skills in particular, but the last thing she wants is to let on about Jill when the situation is so precarious. Besides, how would confessing to a murderous split personality inspire any kind of confidence? She probably sounded like a psycho already.
Meanwhile, Kurapika may see the air above her head shimmer. When it settles, his options are laid out clear as day.
>Good. Then I can count on you, partner.
>That must have been so awful! 😥 Were you afraid?
>I didn't ask for your life story.]
no subject
The method doesn't matter, only the result. Kurapika doesn't judge what people may or may not have done in the past— mostly everyone is a potential ally to him, no matter how dirty their hands. So long as they're useful. And right now, he can admit it'd be useful to have another person who knows what they're doing come along. As a result, his chilled expression doesn't falter, simply taking the information in stride. What she's describing isn't so different from the Hunter's Exam, or the proposed battle royale he'd just been dropped into prior to his arrival on E2. She's not any different from him, from his current perspective. ]
We have that in common. [ Kurapika says calmly, while opening the door. Might as well try to play along with whatever the train is trying to make him — the first choice seems good enough, but even he's too embarrassed to say the words exactly. Just the sentiment should count, right? ] I expect you can handle whatever we may come across, then. That experience is more than enough.
[ The serious way he says it conveys just how much he means it. Kurapika settles into the driver's seat, turning the keys in the ignition as he does so. ]
In the best case scenario, though, we won't have to get close to the killer. If that is what you are hesitating for.
[ He's looking up expectantly for her to get in the car!! And, huh?? For some reason, the choices aren't even really dialogue this time, allowing her another free-write:
> Admit that the mission makes you nervous
> Deny it ]
no subject
[He slips into the car, leaving her blinking in surprise at the side door. After a moment she hurriedly plucks at the handle and scurries inside, buckling up with a ponderous knot between her brows.
Is it just her or does he seem a bit familiar now? Not in his voice. Maybe a little in his looks, but that doesn't seem to be it either. Someone from the network?
Whoever he is, he's rather astute. Or maybe she's just got a shit poker face. Toko's shoulders hitch as she flinches into the back of her seat. Almost as if she's been stricken in the flesh and not the ego. Her options are not helpful in the slightest. Thanks for nothing, cosmic script supervisor.]
I-isn't it just natural to be nervous? Who the hell likes this crap? [Well. She knows a few. One of which is pretty close to home.] That d-doesn't mean I'll be totally incompetent. Besides, if we're just tailing them, th-there shouldn't be any need to wind up in some big shoot out. It's not a Wild West theme. And you're the one driving, anyway!
[Though the cop and killers angle doesn't rule it out, either.
She casts him a suspicious squint, head tilting.]
Did you...ever t-talk about those sort of things on the network?
[It's the only option that makes sense. There were plenty of people who responded to her post, and not all of them were insufferable bullies or bitches.
> It's not important right now. Why don't we put on the radio and set the mood? 😉
> My past...ah...I've been afraid to reveal myself to anyone thus far... 😞
> So what if I did? It's none of your damn business! 🤬]
no subject
[ He hesitates, remembering he's supposed to be playing along with whatever's going on in this car. Kurapika's been around the bend with a few CYOA novels, he knows how this sort of thing goes. That's what "get a good ending" must be about! And stiff as he is, he can bend his pride and play pretend if it's for a good enough reason. ]
It's not important right now. [ You know what's more important? Pressing random buttons on the radio as he fumbles with trying to turn it on. ] Why don't you choose something to listen to.
[ He gestures to the contraption with his chained hand, turning backwards so he can back them out of the parking lot. However, there's a quickly apparent problem arising in the form of Kurapika's driving. Does he get them out of their parking spot? Sure. But does he stop at all at this obvious stop sign towards the exit of the lot? Of course not, and that's because he 100% has not driven in a city this big before. Been driven around, yes, but actually been behind the wheel?? Not exactly. Someone honks at them because Kurapika totally cut them off, but he pays it no mind, turning them onto the busy streets of the city.
> ...Are you sure you should have the radio on while driving?
> Nevermind that— look out for that red light.........!!!!!!!!!!!
> (Reckless driving doesn't scare you - choose some awesome tunes to show how good your taste is.) ]
no subject
AND WE SHALL REPENT, FOR OUR SAVIOUR IS A MERCIFUL—
She immediately spins the dial as far as it will go. Smooth jazz. Everyone can put up with that, right? She doesn't know, she's never cared enough about music to pick a preference. Pop stars were always such flashy self-centered skanks.
That lasts until he's finished backing out of the parking lot. Toko grimaces as another hot saxophone riff blares off and reaches for the dial. That's when everything goes awry.]
W-wait— [They miss the other car by too narrow a margin. Far too narrow. He's not paying attention to the speed limit either? She turns to yell at him and is appalled to find that there's new dialogue prompts. EVEN NOW? REALLY?]
F-forget the radio! That's a red light!
[You can't tell her how to say things anymore, otome gods.]
You're supposed to stop!
[All the while that sax is hitting some hot licks man, give the band some snaps.]
no subject
[ He knows, like, the basic rules of driving? But he also knows it's dangerous to try and slam on the brakes if you're going too fast when approaching an intersection... it's probably fine to just go through. You know, probably? It was basically yellow! Basically!!
Anyway, that well-thought out plan crashes and burns near immediately, because there's someone zipping across the crosswalk on a bicycle, and they're on course to slam right into them. Kurapika can occasionally be shortsighted, but it's not like he actually wants to kill anyone. Naturally, he does what he can to swerve out of the way, tires squealing. ]
— Hold on.
[ He at least manages to not seem too freaked out by this turn of events, the only tell of his distress being a slight furrow in his brow. By the luck of the draw, they manage not to strike the biker, though it becomes very clear that this vehicle wasn't ever meant for such stunts - Kurapika's pulling back on the wheel in the opposite direction as hard as he can, but the tires seem locked in the position they're in. ]
We may need to jump out. The pedal is stuck. [ He says this as calmly as he can, because 1) he doesn't want to admit fault for this horrible situation they're in, and 2) he's stupidly confident for someone who has an 80% chance of not having their driver's license. ] Is— can you break the window?
[ No matter what he says, with the car not under in control, they're fully hurtling towards park on the side of the road, which wouldn't be so bad— except for the fact that there's an enormous lake at the center of it. ]
the latest in the world, please feel free to ignore this
BEEDAP-BADOODAP-BEE BAP BAP BWAAOOOW—]
W-wait! JUMP?!
[WAPAWAPA WAH WHA WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOW
Toko slaps at the radio, expecting to cull the jazz saxophone. The volume only increases. She yells overtop of it.]
WHY DID YOU G-GET IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE?! IDIOT!!
[Can she break the window? Can she break the window, yeah, sure, just look at these twig arms, they hold so much untold power.
Well, actually, they do, but if she switches over to Jill right now she's 90% certain she'd kill this guy. She wouldn't even feel that bad about it.
Instead, she unclasps her seatbelt with trembling fingers and fights with the lock on the door. It's a new model of car and she can't figure out where it is.
ZIBBIDY ZAP DO-WAP BA-BAP ZIP-ZIP-ZOOO!]
I can't g-get it op—IS THAT A LAKE?!
[It sure is.
The car flies off a low mound, coming inexorably closer. They have mere seconds to act.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
SKIDDLYBAPBAPBAP-BADOOP!]