Writing Prompt #4: Downtime

[Crystal Dragon]

After a particularly long day or night shift, your main character arrives home. What is their usual routine for unwinding and downtime?

 

For my dragon, she tends to spend a lot of time with her friends and her family both during her off shift hours, it's a great way for her to unwind and just meet new people as her friends introduce new people to the circle that's developed over the last couple years following her shifts with raid leading in the Vanguard HQ. Following that, she heads home to prepare a meal and make sure her kiddos are fed, gotten their homework dealt with for school the next morning, and settles in to cuddle with her mates in the den. Her routine does sometimes gets shifted around, adding a visit to help out at the local hospital for a night shift, or assisting with welcoming newcomers to the city, or even Prime occasionally. As odd as it sounds for a disco-scale colored dragon, she's very much an ambivert, she has a difficult time being in crowds of people she's unfamiliar with for long periods, and "recharges" in a fashion by reconnecting with her friends and her family every night.

Edited December 8, 2021 by CrystalDragon

[Greycat]

Hmmm

 

Well, if Cat's not in one of her "Downtime? What's that?" periods... long hot shower, fluffy robe, book.  Rarely thinks about going out, though she'll come along if invited. Not like she has a ... what's that word... life. 🙂

 

Rez: Time with Robert. Or family if they're visiting. She does literally need to recharge, but that doesn't take long, and the forced downtime - now that she's with someone - she finds rather nice. She *has* to slow down and chat (and flirt.) 

 

Ish ... well. She's a "somewhere in her late teens" character. Not sure how old, and she's doing extra schoolwork and getting tutored - her old world's priorities were "what were you going to eat" and "oh, you're still alive" more than "Let's do long division" or "Why did George Washington fight the Japanese at Waterloo?" But she's doing all right at catching up. She enjoys her martial arts and dance classes, listens to music (loves Ann Lee, even if she can't sing - another bit of damage from a damaged world,) going out on dates and occasionally hamming it up when her brother's trying to do a Youtube video.  (She has fans, which she still doesn't get, but finds amusing.) Sleep's not ususally just relaxing for her - she's finding herself back on her home world and learning about her heritage, so she's growing there. 

 

Pri... Sings, when she can. Downtime hasn't been a thing for her, really. She might, finally, be able to relax and not be on a hair trigger. 

[Latex]

Being always connected to the internet is a curse for a machine so my character severs that connection and reads the Rogue Isles Protector newspaper in the smokey corner of a shady crimson club. At other times she'll likely re-oil and keep her mechanics tip-top, don't want your mantis blades jamming when there is something (or someone) to slice and dice.

[Coyotedancer]

The Sanctum has a hot spring... That's Kai's usual answer to the end of a long, annoying day. 

[Bushranger]

The general wind-down for my characters is "hang out with their friends". When not doing that ("offscreen"), Dorothy unwinds by doing courier work, Cassie likes to tinker with building new things - she takes armor scraps from her work and makes them into knick-knacks to sell at a farmers market - and Lisa hasn't told me yet.

[Grey-Ghost]

Grey-Ghost: Goes home and snuggles on the couch or in the love seat watching movies with his girlfriend Misty, or relaxing in the hot tub or sauna. Otherwise you will find him reading a book of some type or writing poetry (he's actually quite good)

Brick.Wall: If his girlfriend Trixie is available, he spends time with her, if not he practices playing his acoustic guitar (recently purchased from a pawn shop) 

Peanut-Butter is a homeless 11-year old, so he spends a lot of his spare time trying to find a safe place to sleep, places to scrounge food, and places to shower. He will also look for things he can sell so he can make money to buy clothes when his wear out. All while trying to avoid adults finding him and trying to put him back in an orphanage.

[Chrono-Bot]

Quickfrost is usually looking for ways to improve I&E Services, which could be anything from a new book on accounting tips to bugbombing the warehouse to kill the red cap that haunts it. She's put more of herself in her business than anything else she's ever done.

 

Chrono-Bot is usually researching or recharging when she's not doing direct study of our time with various superheroes (or villains). She has to learn fully about the past before she goes and buries herself in the desert to be found in her own time when her battery wears out, after all. Alternate answer: She's cleaning out her joints after another horrible sewers experience. Or she's lying in a bed of rice for similar reasons.

 

Blazed is trying to relax. Anything to relax. Trying to find a hobby. Trying to nap. Trying a new meditation app. Sometimes she tries going to a club but that doesn't make her relax anymore.

 

Dr. Harcus is shit-talking Crey on her anonymous social media account. "Try and fire me," she thinks.

 

Zippzapp is working off her day with weights. Or designing a new tattoo. Both let her unwind.

 

Beloved Emily haunts the city and stands facing corners in peoples darkened rooms. It's her idea of fun.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Chrono-Bot

[TigerEmperor]

Canonically, Raphael Firestar was a recently graduated archaeologist before being possessed and losing time. So when he's not hero-ing or helping out around town, he's most likely at the university so he can catch up on what he missed, find studies, write papers, etc. Or at a comic store because he may not look like it but he describes himself as a full time geek.

 

Ra-Akhnaten doesn't have downtime in the strict sense on account of being a disembodied spirit possessing someone using a non-Oranbegan method. Most of his time not actively being villainous is spent maintaining and improving his mechanical armor to keep control of his unwilling host while having more access to his magic powers and re-studying magics and rituals.

 

Raphael Firebane spends much of his downtime in Praetoria training and studying up on potential enemy groups, opportunities to impress, figure out how to be better at what he does. On Primal Earth, since he's a known Praetorian "immigrant", he's kept under watch but actually finds it easier to just relax and not worry about what to do to help. So researching Primal Earth and reading are new favorites.

 

And Carmilla De Borgia spends most of her downtime finding more or with the "converts" she already brought into the Carnival of Blood, being pampered and trying to find some semblance of satisfaction. And on ways to subvert "traditional" vampiric weaknesses. If she wants to rule, it's best to do so with the certainty that she will not be deposed that easy.

[Itsyagirl]

LGBT Plus Ultra: 

 

Cassie doesn't get all that much time off. Between volunteering, her band, working her day job, and doing the hero stuff, she's lucky if she gets more than an evening or two a week. 

 

When she does find herself at loose ends, she goes and works the bar in Pocket D.

 

Now you might think that's a little unusual; who the hell relaxes by working another job? Usually she would agree with you, but working the Pocket isn't really like any other job. People don't order all that many drinks, and when they do, it's weird and wonderful stuff she has fun making. Heroes and villains both tip well, and everyone has a smile for the person bringing them alcohol. 

 

The rest of the time, she gets to lean on the bar, chill out, and meet new people. There are a lot of very attractive women (in giant, tiny, animal, insect, or ghost varieties) hanging around. It's practically a queer bar! Plus you're guaranteed to have a fight-free night.

 

All in all, it's a good experience to unwind after a stressful day.

[White Cobra]

((The Lady Cobra relaxes after a mission.))

Finally at home, Emily thought as she locked and chained the door behind her.

Off came the long, white coat so useful for concealing the Lady Cobra costume from prospective prying neighbor eyes and then the costume gloves and boots. The mask she had already removed in the car.

It had been a rough night but also a rewarding one, Emily persuaded herself, as she sipped from a cup of heavenly peppermint tea. For too long the Ngo Damh thug Mee and a couple of hangarounds had been terrorizing the dockside bars and in particular the female patrons and working girls dependent on making their living there. Protected as the thugs were apparently by some higher-up authority, nobody had dared challenge them. Eventually, word on the street had reached Emily’s ear and she had soon come to realize that the Lady Cobra would have to intervene. The thugs were not protected from the Mistress of the Martial Arts.

It was hostile and dangerous territory but after following the thugs for several nights and learning their routines, Emily had chosen the confrontation time and spot well. The alley was narrow, dark, and deserted. As she had hoped, it was just her and them. The battle had been short but intense. The men did not go down easily, especially Mee, but there was never any real doubt about the outcome. And now she was home safely and could finally relax.

Finishing the tea, Emily went upstairs to the bathroom, unfastening and stepping out of the costume skirt. Steam soon started rising from the bathtub as she opened the hot water tap, together with the divine scent from a generous dosage of Jasmine bathing oil.

Emily winced as she pulled off the costume top. Mee was pronounced with  a rising tone and meant bear, and it was a highly appropriate name for the lead thug. He was built and attacked like a rabid grizzly on superadine, and the Lady Cobra had not emerged from their battle completely unscathed. Emily finished undressing and checked herself in the mirror. Sure enough, a couple of nasty bruises were forming on her lower back and across the left hip, but hopefully it was something the hot bath could help soothe.

Emily gasped as she lowered her weary and battered body into the steaming embrace of bathwater awaiting her and closed her eyes. It was pure rapture and just what she had dreamt of all evening. Now if only there had been a special someone to gently kiss and scrub her back. But no. The chances of that part of her dream coming true were…bleak to say the least.

She sighed and opened her eyes again. Well, nil desperandum she thought and reached for the shelf above the tub. At least she had the company of one of her favorite romantic poetry books, and the ability to dream. Life probably wasn’t too bad after all.

[sh1zuchan]

Grimoire of the Void came home, plopped on the couch, loosened his tie, and stared at the ceiling. He had been on duty for 48 hours straight, but he didn't feel tired at all. In fact, the only reason he wasn't still working was that he wasn't allowed. He'd already been yelled at for forgetting to go off duty before.

 

In Grim's old life, it was normal to come home at 10pm after a 12-hour shift and get called back in at 4am. Now he had this strange new magical body that didn't require sleep and 60 hours of free time he had no idea what to do with.

 

He looked at his phone. The time was 6:15pm.

 

He had dinner even though he wasn't hungry (and didn't require food). He took what felt like a long shower. He turned on the TV and couldn't find anything he felt like watching. He found a novel with a bookmark in it, read a few pages, and remembered why he put it down. He found a game console collecting dust in the closet but couldn't find a game he felt like playing. He got on his computer and futzed around online for a bit, but he couldn't find anything that interested him. Eventually, he was just pacing around the living room.

 

He looked at his phone again. The time was 8:00pm.

 

Grim plopped on the couch again and sighed. This was torture! He was free to do pretty much anything he wanted except work, and all he wanted to do was work. He didn't have anyone he could hang out with because his old work didn't allow him to have a personal life and he hadn't been able to use his newfound freedom to make friends yet.

 

He got back up, paced around, tidied up his apartment a bit, and looked at his phone again.

 

The time was 8:30pm. AAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!

 

He was ready to toss his phone across the room when he heard it buzz. The message came from one of the people tasked with helping him when he was still getting used to his powers, a guy named Hector.

 

Hector made Grim a little uneasy. He was a reformed supervillain who was helping new heroes get their careers started. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he came off as the carefree and irresponsible type. Despite his misgivings though, Grim felt just then like an angel had handed him a missive.

 

"hey can u help me w something?"

 

Grim put on pants and dashed out the door.

[White Cobra]

((Rei Mizuni takes a rare Saturday afternoon off from work and is acting very secretively – whatever can she be up to?))

Rei Mizuni checked her watch and gasped just as she and Tanaka-san were finalizing the final details on a non-binding indicative auction bid.

“I must please be excused. I have in shortest moment most important….”

“Teleconference?” Tanaka-san asked before Rei could finish.

Rei’s eyes widened in surprise. “That is most remarkably accurate assumption!”

She left Tanaka-san to finalize the Mizuni bid and hastily retreated to her private quarters, instructing Mouse that she was under no circumstances to be disturbed and locking the door behind her.

As expected there were several large packages and parcels left on her desk after being cleared by security. She scanned them and picked out the one from the Mizuni Entertainment division first. The Mizuni Fashion packages demanded more close scrutiny. At the moment she wasn’t interested in the ones containing new Mizuni fashion line clothing items for her to wear and promote. No, she was looking for the deliveries she was expecting from Subdivision X. With a satisfied smile, she found and retrieved the correct parcels.

Looking around in a conspiratory manner, the young heiress then activated her combined conference phone and sound system device and quickly tapped instructions on her cell. Seconds later, hours of prerecorded business calls started to play out loudly in the room.

Balancing the selected parcels, Rei then hurried to her bedroom.

The Mizuni country mansion was filled with secret rooms and passageways and - most importantly for her current purpose – also an underground lair that was accessed from a secret elevator at the back of her large walk-in closet. Only Mouse and her combined cook, housekeeper and childhood Nanny, Ikeda-san, knew about it, but even to them it was strictly off-limits except in the event of emergency or after prior arrangement with Rei.

Finally arrived in her underground quarters, Rei eagerly opened the Mizuni Entertainment package. She marveled at the contents. A selection of rare original Lady Cobra comics from Thailand and to her absolute joy an obscenely rare recording of the legendary final Lady Cobra movie, The Cardinal of Death. According to rumor, production had been cursed by several accidents, and the Lady Cobra herself had almost been killed in the final climaxing fencing duel with the cardinal in heavy rain on the roof of his castle. The actor playing the cardinal had proven to be mentally unstable and the son of a serial predator once brought to justice by the Lady Cobra and had seen the movie production and his role as the cardinal as the ideal opportunity to avenge his father. The movie had never been finalized or screened, and it was thought to have been lost to the world, but now it was Rei’s to add to her collection.

Then came the Division X packages. The first two contained the white attire she had ordered for her “friend”. Several new costume variants ensured that the Avenging Angel would still be looking fashionable fighting crime. Rei couldn’t wait for her “friend” to try them on, but for now, her focus was on the fourth and final package.

Rei pulled back the lid and gasped. Division X had outdone themselves. She must make sure to thank Yamada-san most profoundly and see to it that she received a generous bonus. The blue, red, white, and golden outfit was an outstanding replica, and ten minutes later, Rei stood dressed as a perfect imitation of the Lady Cobra, albeit in an unusual ponytailed variant.

Rei checked her watch and for once didn’t gasp. She was in perfect time. The underground lair was a veritable fox den of secret exits and one of them led to a nearby barn, where she had a number of vehicles waiting – a black Ducati, yet another indigo Lexus from the Mizuni fleet, and her vehicle of choice for today, a much more nondescript grey Mazda.

Soon she was on the road and headed for the city. The Comic-Con opened at four and Rei couldn’t wait to reveal her new outfit. Her cosplay friends and rivals were in for a big surprise.

Edited January 19, 2022 by White Cobra

[huang3721]

As a cop, Mara's job is dull: patrolling, waiting for a call, filing paperwork. The best portion of her job - fighting rogue Powers Division - rarely happens. Because of it, she prefers more exciting after-work routines. Working out at a nearby gym is one of them. It is beneficial for her, cheap, and doesn't take too much time. Aside from exercising, she also squeezes a cooking class and book club meeting into her schedule. Both are infrequent, but they satisfy the urge to hang out with friends. Mara loves meeting people, after all. Still, her limited time keeps her network circle small. Occasionally, she drinks with fellow officers at Auntie Matter's Reactor, a bar across the road from Precinct 4. Mara isn't a lightweight, so she needs a copious amount of alcohol to wash away all the terrible acts she did in the precinct.

[DoctorNorth]

Malik - Downtime

 

Doctor North browses his data pad reviewing his notes. Malik has progressed nicely since being placed in his care. 

 

"Lot of trauma in this kid," North muses gently to himself as he reviews the discussions about Malik's childhood, or genuine lack thereof. 

 

The doctor removes his glasses and massages his eyes.  His wizened porcelain white hands shake a little as he places the glasses back. The doc is still active, even at age 90, but the long hours and the tough hill fight of putting a kid like Malik's life back together again have long since taken their toll on him. 

 

The door opens and there stands a 7 foot bull-headed minotaur, as if from Greek legend itself. Two crooked horns protrude from his head, black nostrils flare with each deep breath, toned, muscular, fit, lean and strong, Malik is a sight to see, even for the old doc.

 

"Hello Malik," Doctor North smiles gently as he places the data pad under his seat. 

 

"Hey Doc, someone answered my ad...you know about playing bass!" Malik is enthused, his shoulders are square, his head is up, his smile is luminous. "Brixton Clash...some punk band that plays out of Bronze Way..they need a player. Mostly old covers, Stiff Little Fingers, Killing Joke, Wire, kinda perfect actually," the minotaur eagerly grabs a seat across from the doctor.

 

"We need to talk about downtime then Malik, I feel the time has come," the Doctor offers this statement up with a huge grin.

 

"Downtime?" Malik cocks his black bull head sideways and the brass ring between his nostrils dangles back and forth with the movement.

 

"You didn't expect to have to stay in the institution the whole time did you?" the Doctor asks. 

 

"Well as part of my parole conditions, yes I did," Malik confesses, suddenly staring at the floor in shame. 

 

"You keep that ankle bracelet on and I'll issue you a day pass," the Doctor's voice is suddenly cautionary, low and resonant. 

 

Malik stares at the bizarre cue-ball head of Doctor North. "Are you for real Doc?"

 

"Look Malik, you've been here over a year. You've gone from threatening to kill us all with a plastic knife every day to playing bass guitar at night and writing kind letters to your old Mom in the morning. You are responding well to your meds, you help out the staff with chores, you attend therapy regularly and eagerly. You are ready for this level of trust. Keep the ankle bracelet on, call us if you have any troubles. Good luck with the audition."

 

The Doctor then leans down to pick up his data pad and looks at the door to indicate the session is done for the day. 

"Wow, downtime, okay guess I'm going to stinkin' Steel Canyon to play bass guitar. The bougie boomers over there better prepare!" 

 

And with that the happiest Minotaur that ever was grabbed his bass guitar and set out for adventure...

 

Edited June 1, 2022 by DoctorNorth

[Rahabina]

Bina - Downtime means sleeping any other time is for exploring and experiencing the world around her.  She used to watch humans drink at Pocket D but she finds they don't like this very much so now she enters the Astral Plane and watches them from there.  She has been known to tip over a glass of two when someone seems too loud or boisterous.