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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
Ah. I guess I cannot just leave you to deal with it, then.
[Suddenly she's grateful that she didn't try harder to shake off the bat. She holds her hand out, giving Nanu a place to land. Time to think.]
I'm going to assume this is the train car's doing and not some special... thing that pokemon trainers do sometimes. You haven't always been able to be a bat, have you?
[She doesn't wait for a response, already guessing that her question is pretty ridiculous.]
I don't know any transmutation spells. But I could... make a little bubble around you.
no subject
As for her offer he cants his head, apprehensive. (Transmutation? Probably what it sounded like. Not his luck, huh.) He's not really sure how a bubble is going to help him right now, but being around someone who can keep him safe is probably not a bad idea. He flutters up to her hand and immediately is struck by how warm it feels, even contrasting the warm sand. Or could have something to do with being more exposed to the sea breeze up here. Either way he shudders and scuttles up the rest of the length of her arm and settles in the crook of her neck, drawn to the heat of it, wings folded against his body and pressed up against her. Maybe he can just wait this thing out while she goes about her business. ]
no subject
[In the meantime however, she is going about, trying to get some information about said bat transformation and although Nanu is just along for the ride, she seems to be working tirelessly. Asking strangers and gesturing to her little bat friend. Mostly she just gets strange looks, but one person offers an important word that stands out:
Vampire.
Away from the crowd again, she considers it.]
Nanu. You heard all of that didn't you? [She trusts just because he can't speak doesn't mean he can't understand.] Have you been feeling... thirsty?
no subject
The first few inquiries go without much incident but after a while the conversations start to become irrelevant background noise, his hunger quietly gnaws at him more and more, the warmth of her skin becomes an awful temptation, and every pulse of her heart thrums loudly right in his big ears. By the last stranger and the revelation of that pivotal key phrase comes out, Nanu had been staring at her neck with predatory eyes and a guilty pang in his heart that may as well have, appropriately, been a wooden stake.
Thirst hardly described it. He nods, entranced.
There comes a moment when he realizes the tips of his clawed fingers were digging into the cloth around her shoulder. Maybe he should reconsider the bubble thing, ask her to put it around his stupid mouth. He likes and respects Lucretia too much. This was a mistake. He can't do this. He'd rather suffer and starve. Find him another meal; a stinking fish from the ocean, anything. Maybe Persian will let him bite her (if she doesn't return the favor). He makes a protracted squeak of frustration and wraps his wings around his face. ]
no subject
Well, [She chuffs a little laugh, one that is slightly more nervous than she'd like to let on.] You should have just said something.
[The answer was clear enough, and Lucretia was the type of person who worked in straightforward solutions. But there's still a queer feeling in her stomach when she considers the mechanics of it. Nanu's mouth on her neck-
Well, if he's just a bat, it should be fine.
Before she can talk herself out of it, her free hand loosens the button at the top of her collar, exposing a stretch of flesh.]
Just. Try not to go overboard.
no subject
...really, how long would he seriously expect himself to carry on refusing? What little he knew of her she could be just as stubborn and stalwart as him. She wouldn't let him sit here and starve to death for the price of a bite... so long as he didn't lose control of himself or something, which, when he thinks about it, might be the other half of his fear here.
It's hard to justify even a modicum of self-caring in this situation, especially when the context is literally feeding off of someone else in the name of self preservation. He'd do the same if the roles were reversed here, wouldn't he? He'd insist. He shudders, feels his body ache with weakness, and squeezes his eyes tight.
In a blink his tiny teeth puncture her neck and the warm wet of his tongue laps at the wound. It's euphoric. He drinks greedily and keeps his mouth on her, unaware even as he transforms back and cradles her by the shoulder and waist. After what seems too short and too long of a time he starts to regain some semblance of composure and pulls his fangs out, but tenderly kisses her neck, trying to sooth the ache away. His mouth is smeared with blood and he holds her close, forehead pressed against her temple. ]
Tell me to stop... [ He rasps, pleading, barely a whisper right by her ear. He's pretty sure continuing would undo anything the train was trying to do for him right now anyway as his numbers start to slowly tick down, seemingly just as conflicted as he feels about this development. ]
Gotta play some will-they-wont-they :D
Even stranger, it doesn't hurt as much as she thought and instead it's a tingle that goes down her spine and warms her from the inside out, seemingly radiating warmth where Nanu linger, a bat no longer.
Silly. Vampires don't have body heat. Her mind wanders uselessly, distracting herself even as her pulse quickens, the rasp in his voice doing things that she could later blame on blood loss.]
I- [For all her careful way with words, her tongue felt heavy in her mouth now. Her hand touches Nanu's shoulder. To ground herself. Pulling away she meets his eyes, only a breath apart.] Oh.
[Pull it together Lucretia!]
It, ah, seems like it worked! [The words punch out all at once, breaking the spell.] Wonderful. That's. Perfect!
ust ust ust
It did... [ As she grounds herself so does he, feeling the saccharine flavor in his mouth turn more iron-heavy. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and goes further to stick a finger in his mouth, feeling the once too-long fangs recede back to their normal size and shape. He feels normal. It really worked.
Her nervousness is palpable and on any better day, in any better context, Nanu would have readily taken advantage of it with a morbid quip, a smartass remark, something to get under her skin. He should also be mortified but his genuine concern for her overrides either of that as he shakes out his own nervousness and embarrassment by rubbing the back of his head and neck. ]
I didn't-- it didn't hurt, did it?
no subject
It didn't. It- [felt good?? She stops short from saying that, and instead just shakes her head again. Tries again, and cuts the tension with a smile that quirks on wry.]
I'm a lot more tough than I look. [That managed to land just on the side of casual. A hand rubs her neck,] Oh. It's. Still bleeding though. Just a little. I'm fine.
no subject
Even if the teeth have receded from his mouth and the taste left in it growing more acrid by the moment, more like blood is supposed to taste like (mind, his experiences limited to his own blood), still seeing the nape of her neck and the wry smirk on his face threatens to make his mouth run dry again.
Right. Fine. Time to nuke this with a weird quip. Make her get offended or something so this ends. Now he flashes a wry, more shit-eating smirk of his own. ]
Could kiss it and make it better.
no subject
[Her response is immediate, bad joke reflexes honed over a century of dealing with people with equally shit-eating grins. Her smile even pulls a little fond. It's not often that people treat her like anything other than Madam Director.
A few moments later, she pulls her hand back and gives a nod,]
Looks like old fashioned pressure did the job. [She wipes her hand off on her cover up. Gross.] Well. [Hm. It's still awkward. It's time for Lucretia to end this the best way she knows how,] I'm going to go now.
no subject
She does seem truly fine though, which is a different kind of relief. He gets a whole second or so to enjoy it before the awkwardness creeps back in. She seems to know it. He was about ready to just pull a blunt 'I should go' card himself too. ]
Yeah. Sure. I owe you twice now. [ He's content to turn heel and walk away from this, go wash his mouth out with something that burns his tongue, but he does wave behind his head and forces out one departing thank you as he goes; ]
Thanks, Lucretia.