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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
[She looks at the creature. It's huge? Unimaginably big? Toko has been to a zoo maybe once in her life, on a school trip and only partly her parents' begrudging yen. She'd seen giraffes and elephants from afar. They had nothing on this thing.]
I...well. I c-can't help it. Tell it I can't help it. Why would I have any idea where its parents are?
no subject
This must be our objective.
[ He murmurs, because it fits the profile of some of their previous cars. The Corgi come to mind. Opening his eyes he looks back at Fukawa with an arched eyebrow. ]
Excellent. We can do two things at once; I have been meaning to catch up with you.
no subject
Th-th-this is...this is basically entrapment, you know!
[How could he? What else is she supposed to do? Just run away? Straight into the jaws of some other angry dinosaur no doubt, or flattened under foot of one of those enormous herbivores. And now he's got this one on his side, as if she can ignore the class one threat he's petting like a gentle stallion.
Toko rakes at her hair and gives a furious growl.]
Ugh! I can't believe you...you just use th-that monk-like attitude to get away with all kinds of things, don't you?! Well I see right through it!
no subject
The expression softens quickly, though, and he holds his hand out to her, palm up. ]
Don't be afraid.
no subject
S-stop asking for the impossible.
[She edges over in the babiest of steps, wincing as she hears the whuff of dinosaur breath. What if it's just scenting the air, trying to tell if she's a good meal?
God. She's going to die in this car.
Her hand draped in his and stifling a body-wide tremble, Toko follows his lead. Though her seething hisses are directed to him, her sidelong glances are always to the beast on his other side.]
You m-must be really pleased with yourself, after that message from the conductor. How does it feel to be right about everything?
no subject
Oh, yes, I am very pleased to have been correct.
[ He happily agrees before turning toward the giant, feathered lizard and leaping from a standstill right off the ground. Impossibly, he lands lightly on the dinosaur's back between it's spines and sits down as though he is used to taking a ride on a wild animal regularly. The giant predator doesn't even look back at them, seeming happy to wait for them to get situated. When they do, Obi-Wan has Fukawa sitting back against his chest, his arms bracketing her in as he holds on to a handful of thick feathers. ]
i can't beliEVE THIS
[It's a little like scooping a cat up for an overdue bath. She's light and lean and has zero percent of the muscle power her other half does (never had the chance to get that professionally examined by the way, is it psychosomatic or what?), so he's able to pull off the slick move without much trouble. Just a lot of ungainly fussing, limbs flailing, panicked wheezing.
She's assumed a poise of stricken fear against his chest. Her pitch has heightened to a squeak.]
Now you're k-kidnapping me?!
[WHY]
u3u
[ Even if he might be deaf in one ear now. That shrill scream had been very close to his head and extremely high pitched. None of that erases his amusement of the situation, though, because Obi-Wan is confidant in both their safety and his ability to provide it to her. ]
Let us return to where you last saw them, little one.
[ He says to the dinosaur, who turns her head just enough to look at them with one huge eye before turning and loping back the way she had come chasing Fukawa. With his own grip and bolstered by the Force, their rid is a bumpy one but there's no real risk of either of them slipping off it's scaley hide. ]
no subject
[Do turns of phrase translate across galaxies far far away?
This is a nightmare. Another nightmare on top of the one she was already having. She almost wishes it had eaten him after all. Particularly when he gives his commands to the thing, cementing the gravity of the situation. There's a heavy lurch in her gut.]
No no no no — y-you can't, I want to get off, I'd rather die on the grou—aaAAH!!
[Sorry Obi. Her chill is non-existent. At least she breaks off the scream rather quickly, shoving her hands into her face to muffle sight and sound in one go. The creature lopes ahead at full speed, bolstered by its own eagerness to reunite with family.
In the meantime she only shrinks further back into her captor (because that is what HE IS), knees threatening to hitch right up into her chest. They have to keep a tight squeeze below though, because she is ninety percent certain she'd fly off and die if she let go. Force and Jedi Knights be damned.]
Aaaaugh, I hate you!
no subject
Well, you apparently have the skill to act on such an emotion.
[ He segues smoothly, turning her own declaration neatly against her like he is parrying an attack. ]
I thought at first it was the fault of the possession, but I cannot blame the presence of a specialized weapon on such a thing.
no subject
[What a dirty trick! She even peeps out from behind her fingers in shock. Honestly, how can she have been so gullible this whole time? She's been painting the Jedi as such trustworthy do-gooders, but they're warriors too. Educated ones, who have to deal with the callous and unruly curs of outer space.
In short, she should have guessed he'd be playing her like a fiddle.
She looses another grumble of fury. It's mostly lost to the swish of wind and underbrush. The ride isn't smooth sailing by a long shot, but at least the creature's found some steadier pace. She's able to think a tiny bit straighter.]
Does anyone know anything about m-mental illness in your "galaxy"? Or do they just call people crazy and th-throw them in a cell?
[Let's start with the basics, shall we? She never got a handle on how their society works. Some social aspects seem antiquated, but their technology is leaps and bounds beyond her own.]
no subject
We do, though it depends on where you live how thorough the knowledge is. The Jedi have mind healers for such things.
no subject
There's a bump in the road or their ride just stubbed a talon. Either way she jolts in his grip, forced to wind her fingers around that boney reptile spine for dear life. Toko wrenches her eyes shut. This is the pinnacle of bad timing. And does she need to be wrenched against his chest right now? She doesn't think she's had so much prolonged contact with a person in her life, let alone a grown man. If they weren't riding a prehistoric abomination she might have slapped the beard off his smug face.]
Okay, well. I'm sick. [She grits her teeth. She's already done this over text with Rubén, it should be smoother going to spit the words out now.
Then why is she sweating? Her heart was already racing, but did it just hitch a little faster? Is she closing her eyes to shut the carnivorous beast out, or him?]
I have a...a sp-split personality. All right? L-like a second person in my head. She's the one who can...I can't d-do the things she does.
[To put it mildly. Her shoulders wrench in, her head bows low. That's explanation enough.]
Satisfied?
no subject
What a thing to live with. Having just barely encountered this other personality, he knows she is radically different from the meek girl in front of him. Those were deadly weapons, the movements of a killer. What must that be like, grappling with this person living inside of you that you could not control? He can empathize in the manner of his learning of the Force: he will always struggle with the Dark Side and the emotions that can lead to that path, but that is something he could learn to direct.
This doesn't seem like something Fukawa could just meditate away.
Obi-Wan is quiet for a little while after her punctuated Satisfied? as his entire understanding of the universe makes a substantial shift. When he finally speaks again, there's a gravity to his tone that wasn't there before: ]
That must be incredibly difficult to live with.
no subject
Not that she's any fonder of water than she is of the dark, or even her other half. It's the best metaphor she can summon. She takes a deep breath and feels immense gratitude to the air. The trees. The steadiness of Obi-Wan at her back.
His silence lingers. Her nerves tingle again. Just when she might interject, he gives her his verdict.]
...
[Toko twists and cranes her neck. She can't see much of him, both the closeness and her timidity prevent her from trying to square off proper. What she can see is simple empathy. Something a little sorrowful.
She snaps her gaze back to the front at once. Stricken. Maybe even choked up. It's not the reaction she was expecting. That's because you're leaving the worst part out.]
W-well, obviously. [Sarcasm makes a lame bid for some measure of control, but she can't speak plainly. She's embarrassed herself enough.] She's...sh-she's a lot better than before, though! So don't go making a big deal out of it. I don't want...
[Her lips purse.]
M-maybe it's inevitable, but I don't want everyone to know. I have enough problems already.
no subject
Nanu had asked him if he had every had to do something he was capable of, but didn't want to do. Is part of the reason Fukawa is as nervous as she is coming from a deep seated fear of the other personality? Obi-Wan assumes she must have done some incredibly awful things that Fukawa, if not privy to, still shares the body to have done them.
He can assume what the rest of that aborted sentence was going to be. Of course she wouldn't want that information going around. Obi-Wan is an understanding person, but he has met many more people in his life that do not have the same kind of sympathy. He has met people here that might change their minds about her radically because of the blood on her hands. ]
I would never. Your secret is safe with me.
[ There's no teasing or sarcasm in his voice, at completely odds with the defensiveness in Fukawa's own. And, after a moment, he continues: ]
My opinion of you has not changed, Fukawa. Regardless of what this other girl has done.
no subject
Which means what she's seen of Obi-Wan is nothing close to the whole of him. And why would it be? Their age and ways of life are too far separated to come together without a pair of handcuffs and an impossible challenge. The latter may apply here, but she can't say for certain she trusts him wholly.
But she has to.
He sounds like he means it, at least. And she's so tired of walking on eggshells.]
Th-that's easy to say.
[Harder to prove. At the very least, he isn't pressing for every last detail like Vidal had. But that interaction had been oddly clinical. She should try to contact him again, there's something still bothering her about the whole thing, but that's a matter for a different time.
For now?]
But, um... [She fidgets, grip uncertain on the reptilian spine.] ...thanks.
[Who knows if he'll keep his word? Will Jill force his hand, make it the whole train's business when she loses her temper? Or will he keep his sunny disposition in tact when she walks his way? If she were to tell him about how Jill did it, how many boys she crucified, how many walls she painted with their blood?
Who forgives a thing like that so easily?
Oof. When is this ride going to be over?]
no subject
[ Obi-Wan doesn't ask because he doesn't, arguably, need to know. Now that he knows the potential for violence, he can be prepared for if and when it happens. She says the alter ego is better than she was, but that frame of reference could mean anything. Either way, the idea of throwing Fukawa to the wolves was repulsive, and he wouldn't be about to let some kind of mob mentality decide they can be judge and jury over something they wouldn't understand. Obi-Wan has turned a blind eye too many times. No more.
Not everyone is lost completely when they fall to the dark, and that was most often a choice. Fukawa doesn't deserve to be derided, she deserves to be helped and protected. Just like Anakin.
A frown has beetled Obi-Wan's brow as he digests these revelations, and is jarred from his expression when the dinosaur suddenly gives a cry. It's startling, and he prepares to catch Fukawa on reflex when she jumps, because the sound reverberates through their legs for it's decibel. In the distance, he sees two impossibly huge dinosaurs turn their direction. Obi-Wan, not wanting to tempt fate regardless of the situation, releases one hand to pat the dinosaur on her neck. ]
This is our stop. [ And as the beast obediently complies, follows with: ] Good girl.
no subject
It's for the best that neither dive any deeper. Toko doesn't want to sob her heart out on the back of a dinosaur, and definitely not in front of Obi-Wan. Saving face should be the least of her worries, but it presses her tongue to stillness just the same.
What loosens it is the absolute boombox blowout of a roar that the dinosaur gives.]
GUWAAA—
[How fortunate that he anticipates the need to brace her. She does jolt (nearly out of her skin at that), slamming her hands against her ears instead of holding on like an idiot. If he hasn't saved her life, he's at least saved her a broken bone.]
I-it is? [She says, voice trembling.] Oh, oh thank god. I want off. I don't ever w-want to do that again.
[Two unearthly pairs of footsteps rumble ahead. The parents are nearby, and coming closer. Obi-Wan got this tyke under his sway, but is he going to work his charms on two ornery parents wondering where their baby is?
She does look at him then, over her shoulder and wide-eyed.]
Um! Shouldn't we h-hide? They might be mad...
no subject
Yes, you might be right.
[ He agrees casually, and no sooner as he done so he is both picking up Fukawa and standing up on the dinosaur's back. His grip on her is firm, though whether she still feels safe when he hops off the back of this huge beast and has them free-fall back to the ground remains to be seen. Their velocity remains controlled and slows enough that Obi-Wan lands like a cat, even while holding Fukawa against his chest.
As soon as they are clear, and Obi-Wan is putting her feet back on solid ground, the predator they had just ridden over pounds off to meet it's parents. Obi-Wan raises one hand as a visor over his eyes to watch and turns back to her only once the family is happily reuniting, looking back at her with a small smile. ]
Shall we find that door?