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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
[ YOU'RE KILLING IT!! He lets go of the top to drag Dimitri away from the appliance (fully releasing more spurts of batter, like somehow the blender is multiplying whatever they've put in)—but it is far too late, the damage already done.
Little sparks fizzle across the console solely for dramatic effect, and then it goes completely dead, along with their hopes of finishing a cake within the time limit. ]
No...
[ His is the voice of a broken man, covered in baking ingredients. He would plant his face in his hands despairingly, but they're absolutely disgusting—instead he appropriates a corner of Dimitri's cape as a napkin. Pray forgive the discourtesy. ]
What do we do now? ...Maybe we can bake a very small cake.
[ There's still some stuff left in the blender, right... ]
no subject
The blender... is dead.
Despairingly, ]
...We may have to, considering the time.
[ He turns a blind eye to how his royally tailored cloak is being made into an oversized napkin, though he uses a tea towel to do the same to clean off his own hands. As he regains his composure though, he lets out a long breath, scanning his eyes over the wreckage. There's still plenty of flour and sugar and eggs, and they shouldn't have much trouble chopping up more dried fruit (which they can at least recognize). He can't use a
stand mixerblender, but he knows his way around a knife.Whether it's stubborn, spiteful determination, the desire to do his best at this completely menial task, or a mix of both, he directs Sylvain at the eggs again. ]
Why don't we try using the methods we're more familiar with? No reason we could not mix things together with wooden spoons rather than machines.
[ They can try again. Even if it's not great... ]
no subject
bodyblender. They will have to live with the weight of their sins and the stern judgement of the celebrity panel, who is giving their station pointed looks.Anyway. They must keep baking. Sylvain gives Dimitri an affirmative that sounds suspiciously like おうさ！and starts rounding up the exact same ingredients as before, save in lesser amounts because wow are they short on time. ]
Can you mix the batter? I'm gonna get started on the 'royal icing'.
[ There's 'fond-ant' on the recipe too, but as Sylvain has no idea what gelatine, glucose, OR glycerine is, he's skipping over that one. He'll add the food coloring to the icing and hope for the best... This cake is gonna have maybe 3 components out of 10, but sometimes it be like dat... ]
no subject
[ At least Sylvain hasn't lost his spirit. They're in it to win it. Or at least complete it. Though even that seems like a monumental task. It's actually not very hard to mix the ingredients by hand—baking does come up occasionally in cafeteria duty—and even filling the tin with the goopy cake mixture isn't too bad.
It's that even when they safely deliver it to the oven, there's still... all these decorations to do. Sylvain is tackling one component of many. Dimitri looks at this ''''fondant'''' that's supplied with a rolling pin and green food coloring. He picks up the former to beat the fondant to death with. ]
...Sylvain, no matter what happens, I want you to know that I'm proud of our efforts.
[ It's a class bonding activity! They've been through much worse competitions than this. ]
no subject
He also realizes Dimitri is being entirely sincere, and has to hold back a self-deprecating grin. He closes his eyes and presses his palm to his chest in a reverent salute. Unsure which is dirtier at this point, his apron or his hands. ]
Thank you, Your Highness. It is an honor to serve with you.
[ A brief pause, before Sylvain finally lets that crooked smile slip. ] Though I'm a little worried for our judges, if I gotta be honest with you.
[ Spoken as he begins to fill piping bags with what is hopefully royal icing, ] I uh, just don't want anyone to go home sick...
[ That green food coloring... does not look appetizing at all... ]
no subject
...Surely it will be edible. [ HE'S SETTING THE BAR ON THE GROUND ] Though I cannot promise it will be appetizing.
[ It's a disaster, and Dimitri's expression stays a little concerned, but he's not upset with how this is going. If anything, this is the most relaxed activity that the two of them have been tasked with in ages. Stressful, but no stakes.
It could even be described as fun, not that he knows anything about enjoying himself. It's fun, but not successful, and the green turns an unappetizing, patchy color when he squirts out way too much of it into the fondant. The color distributes so poorly it turns almost... leaf-like in pattern, which is impressively bad. ]
Maybe we should try it ourselves once it comes out of the oven. To test if we will fall ill.
[ Royalty turned taste testers... the turns table... ]
no subject
But this is pretty fun. He can't remember the last time he and Dimitri had spent any time together like this outside class... (Weeding duty definitely doesn't count.)
He wouldn't exactly equate it to their carefree days as children, but it's similar in the way this is like an uncharted baking adventure, rife with problems which they cause mostly on accident...
Anyway! All those pleasant memories quickly crumble to ash when Dimitri suggests a taste testing. It is... certainly the proper thing to do. But is it the safe thing to do. ]
I... yeah. Heh, of course we should. [ should they tho Sylvain knows for a fact that neither of them have a spare Antitoxin on them. He takes one look at the fondant and pretends he didn't see it. (No offense or anything to Dimitri or anything, there is no way Sylvain could've done any better.)
They both have to live with this anxiety while their cake slowly rises in the oven... Until finally, some 30 minutes later (i am blatantly pretending this recipe does not call for a 2-HOUR BAKE TIME), it is time to decorate. ]
Remind me again what a 'tennis' is? [ Just guess, Dimitri, and Sylvain will try to draw it like the world's saddest game of Pictionary. ]
no subject
But he layers the fondant onto their terrible fruit cake and leaves the final, delicate details to Sylvain. ]
Um... from context, I believe it is—some sort of courtly image?
[ There is no context. ]
I'm not sure how you can evoke that on a cake, but I have the utmost faith in you.
[ Sylvain is definitely the more creative between the two of them. The perfect man for putting the final touches on their cake :) ]
no subject
You'll need to have a little less faith in me, Your Highness.
[ From what he can see of the neighboring stations (again), the other bakers are making... a grid-like pattern on their boxy cakes? Sylvain tries to follow suite, though inevitably the result looks like he just squeezed a bottle of kewpie mayonnaise over the top of their misshapen bake. White, squiggly lines with no distinguishable design or purpose. ]
...Let's just call it an abstract tennis.
[ :)
Sylvain steps away to survey their work. It is an abomination. But he does feel a teeny, tiny bubble of pride at creating something from scratch... Even if that something may not necessarily be edible... ]
So... Shall we, uh. Give it a go? [ (The cake is such a disaster, it's not like it would really be missing anything were they to cut off a piece to taste test.) ]