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unfinishedlibrary2025-11-14 08:20 am
libraryassistants) wrote in unfinishedlibrary2025-11-14 08:20 am
It's a beautiful day in the village - TAKE A LOAD OFF, LOG 1
Who: Readers and Actors
What: Beta Story Start - At the start of any particular Story, characters will be drawn to a section of the Stacks. Those inclined to resist will find themselves there anyway, through the shifts and changes inherent to the Library's structure. The Story manuscript will be laid out neatly on a side table, its pages lit by a faint aura that draws focus and beckons insistently to the Editors. Touching it will bring them into the Story.
Characters can either voluntarily touch the Story to enter it, or the Librarian will eventually sweep them in. Regardless of how long it takes them to enter, everyone will arrive at the same point in time.
When: November 14- November 27
Where: Woodhurst (UK) and the SS Radiance (in space!), 2019
Content warnings: Please tag warnings in comment headers!
In Woodhurst
It’s another Monday morning in Woodhurst, and as is often the case for the United Kingdom in the fall, it is raining. It is, all in all, a rather typical Monday morning. People shuffle off to work, dropping by the various cafes and shops for their morning caffeine. Polite (if meaningless) greetings are exchanged, vague comments about the weather are made. Heads down, trudging along, just keeping things going.
By midday, it’s clear that this Monday is a little bit… different. There are some people who seem especially cheerful and helpful. Perhaps you’ve just been served a free upsize of your morning coffee. Or a stranger held an umbrella up for you. People keep talking about the benefits of yoga? And it’s not just a bunch of people seeming to be having an especially good day and paying it forward (that would be strange enough). Some of your friends and loved ones aren’t acting like themselves, aside from being remarkably cheerful. They don’t seem to remember basic things, don’t know their normal rituals, and are generally just very off. You think one of them might have blinked sideways? Whatever it is that’s happened, it doesn’t seem right.
As for those ‘friends and loved ones’… The novices from the Interstellar Group are largely inexperienced with such a thing as covert operations. Fresh off the ship and with no frame of reference, their human disguises may have a few significant flaws.
However many fingers it is they have, they’re keen to help - perhaps a little too much so. Whatever it takes to make these human lives easier, whatever they can do to help them relax - the Group are on it! Hopefully they’ll catch on quietly.
On the IMW Group Supply Ship: Radiance
No plan survives contact with the enemy, is how the saying goes. But within the Interstellar Mindfulness & Wellness Group, the concept is usually applied to patients. Patients are, almost entirely across the board, unpredictable creatures - and while the science behind wellness is robust, there’s simply too much individual variation for a standardised approach. That being said, this particular plan seems to be going… rather more poorly than expected. It starts to break down once the word ‘kidnapping’ is brought up. It’s such an ugly word to use. The Group tries to avoid it. But in some of these cases, the humans need the Group’s own facilities! The idea was to convince the humans to follow them to a very not suspicious space capsule, or to get them to touch this particularly strange teleportation device, and they’d be on their way to recovery. However, most if not all the humans seem to be reacting… quite negatively to that. It’s almost like they don’t understand that this is for their benefit!
The ship is very nice, and perfectly designed to relax and comfort (--for the species the Group are familiar with, at least). Soothing music plays along the spaceship’s halls, which are lit in a soft violet glow. Potted plants are artfully displayed, though none of them are recognisable as any species found on Earth. For those with a sensitive nose, the flowers give off a bright, delicate scent; not unlike that of lavender and lemon myrtle. An entire stretch of glass is dedicated to the view outside, the Earth looking so serene from this distance; stars shining in the space around it.
For those Aliens aboard the mothership, maybe you’re delivering this hour’s yoga session. Maybe you’re leading a group chant or meditation. Are you perhaps talking humans into resting in the healing spa, or - for those so inclined - are you delving deeper, forming a connection, and really getting to know these humans? For the humans… well, at least the spa looks really nice, right?
[Space Spa Features:
Yoga - you’ve been herded into a room where a flexible alien encourages you to breathe deeply; holding it in your stomach and feeling your heart beat before letting it out in a big sigh. The routine is not very different to yoga on Earth, except… well, if you can’t find your proboscis, maybe that particular pose won’t work for you.
Sauna - the heat promotes circulation, but the temperature in here seems to be a little off.
Spa - you know what a spa is. Or, you thought you did. It looks like the aliens aren’t quite on the same page. Where there would normally be cucumbers, there’s a strange pink fruit. Where you’d expect water, there’s… a viscous fluid, gently rotating through a myriad of colours, that seems to soften and soothe your muscles as you soak in it.
And Others - the aliens have no shortage of remedies for what ails you! Since this is their first time experiencing humans, results may vary.]
Optional prompts (player-run):
An alien adrift, unsure what task to complete? Seek guidance from your leader.
In Woodhurst, unnerved and skeptical? Drop in at your local seedy bookshop to chat with some alien enthusiasts.
[Have a plan to drive the Story direction? Let us know, and we’ll add it to the list!
Info post can be found here.]
What: Beta Story Start - At the start of any particular Story, characters will be drawn to a section of the Stacks. Those inclined to resist will find themselves there anyway, through the shifts and changes inherent to the Library's structure. The Story manuscript will be laid out neatly on a side table, its pages lit by a faint aura that draws focus and beckons insistently to the Editors. Touching it will bring them into the Story.
Characters can either voluntarily touch the Story to enter it, or the Librarian will eventually sweep them in. Regardless of how long it takes them to enter, everyone will arrive at the same point in time.
When: November 14- November 27
Where: Woodhurst (UK) and the SS Radiance (in space!), 2019
Content warnings: Please tag warnings in comment headers!
In Woodhurst
It’s another Monday morning in Woodhurst, and as is often the case for the United Kingdom in the fall, it is raining. It is, all in all, a rather typical Monday morning. People shuffle off to work, dropping by the various cafes and shops for their morning caffeine. Polite (if meaningless) greetings are exchanged, vague comments about the weather are made. Heads down, trudging along, just keeping things going.
By midday, it’s clear that this Monday is a little bit… different. There are some people who seem especially cheerful and helpful. Perhaps you’ve just been served a free upsize of your morning coffee. Or a stranger held an umbrella up for you. People keep talking about the benefits of yoga? And it’s not just a bunch of people seeming to be having an especially good day and paying it forward (that would be strange enough). Some of your friends and loved ones aren’t acting like themselves, aside from being remarkably cheerful. They don’t seem to remember basic things, don’t know their normal rituals, and are generally just very off. You think one of them might have blinked sideways? Whatever it is that’s happened, it doesn’t seem right.
As for those ‘friends and loved ones’… The novices from the Interstellar Group are largely inexperienced with such a thing as covert operations. Fresh off the ship and with no frame of reference, their human disguises may have a few significant flaws.
However many fingers it is they have, they’re keen to help - perhaps a little too much so. Whatever it takes to make these human lives easier, whatever they can do to help them relax - the Group are on it! Hopefully they’ll catch on quietly.
On the IMW Group Supply Ship: Radiance
No plan survives contact with the enemy, is how the saying goes. But within the Interstellar Mindfulness & Wellness Group, the concept is usually applied to patients. Patients are, almost entirely across the board, unpredictable creatures - and while the science behind wellness is robust, there’s simply too much individual variation for a standardised approach. That being said, this particular plan seems to be going… rather more poorly than expected. It starts to break down once the word ‘kidnapping’ is brought up. It’s such an ugly word to use. The Group tries to avoid it. But in some of these cases, the humans need the Group’s own facilities! The idea was to convince the humans to follow them to a very not suspicious space capsule, or to get them to touch this particularly strange teleportation device, and they’d be on their way to recovery. However, most if not all the humans seem to be reacting… quite negatively to that. It’s almost like they don’t understand that this is for their benefit!
The ship is very nice, and perfectly designed to relax and comfort (--for the species the Group are familiar with, at least). Soothing music plays along the spaceship’s halls, which are lit in a soft violet glow. Potted plants are artfully displayed, though none of them are recognisable as any species found on Earth. For those with a sensitive nose, the flowers give off a bright, delicate scent; not unlike that of lavender and lemon myrtle. An entire stretch of glass is dedicated to the view outside, the Earth looking so serene from this distance; stars shining in the space around it.
For those Aliens aboard the mothership, maybe you’re delivering this hour’s yoga session. Maybe you’re leading a group chant or meditation. Are you perhaps talking humans into resting in the healing spa, or - for those so inclined - are you delving deeper, forming a connection, and really getting to know these humans? For the humans… well, at least the spa looks really nice, right?
[Space Spa Features:
Yoga - you’ve been herded into a room where a flexible alien encourages you to breathe deeply; holding it in your stomach and feeling your heart beat before letting it out in a big sigh. The routine is not very different to yoga on Earth, except… well, if you can’t find your proboscis, maybe that particular pose won’t work for you.
Sauna - the heat promotes circulation, but the temperature in here seems to be a little off.
Spa - you know what a spa is. Or, you thought you did. It looks like the aliens aren’t quite on the same page. Where there would normally be cucumbers, there’s a strange pink fruit. Where you’d expect water, there’s… a viscous fluid, gently rotating through a myriad of colours, that seems to soften and soothe your muscles as you soak in it.
And Others - the aliens have no shortage of remedies for what ails you! Since this is their first time experiencing humans, results may vary.]
Optional prompts (player-run):
An alien adrift, unsure what task to complete? Seek guidance from your leader.
In Woodhurst, unnerved and skeptical? Drop in at your local seedy bookshop to chat with some alien enthusiasts.
[Have a plan to drive the Story direction? Let us know, and we’ll add it to the list!
Info post can be found here.]
Hikaru Aozora > Michiko Tsukuda
1: We Don't Need No Education (CW bullying, sophmoric humor.)
[Well, the day is proper buggered from the start. Michiko Tsukuda's parents insisted on the skirt in her uniform, despite the dress code allowing trousers, though at least her helmet and trenchcoat protected her from the rain. Mostly. Wet stockings? The worst, off they go, good thing she had spare shoes in the locker.
But the cruelest blow is when roll call happens in her first class and the substitute teacher - a freakishly tall teacher, some hippie granola twit with hair longer than most of the girls - read off her name.]
"Succ-U-da, Michiko?"
[And the bastard just blinked - that was a blink, right? - uncomprehending as the entire class laughed or sniggered, and she sunk six inches into her chair, face burning.]
"TSU-KU-DA! It's pronounced TSU-KU-DA, sound out each syllable, the- the bloody T's not silent!"
[And the teacher apologized, but the damage was done. Anyone wanna make things better? Anyone wanna make things worse?]
1B: If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding!
[The hammer fell at lunch, of course.
She grimaces at the stacked boxes with the floral pattern in her lunchbox and makes a silent prayer that what's in there is Normal and not mockable - and...
For a moment it seems her prayers are answered, as the first box has a ham and cheese sandwich, cut neatly into triangles, and a little side cups of pickles, tomato, lettuce, mayo and mustard, and Michiko sighs relief.
Until one of the rugby shitheads stands behind her and loudly asks:]
Hey, Succ-Your-Da! How much did me da pay you to suck him?
[She takes a deep breath as his mates caw laughter, then turns and looks him in the eye.]
Twenty quid. Would have been five but your mum wanted to watch.
[There is a long glorious beat of silence as he absorbs this, and that his mates are laughing at him, before he slams Michiko's face into her lunch boxes. Or tries, as Michiko twists out from under him and flings the contents of her thermos at him. Which happens to be lukewarm ramen noodle soup.
After that, the food fight is fucking on. Anyone want to leap to her defense, or just have an excuse to throw a slice of pizza?]
1C:No Dark Sarcasm In The Classroom!
[After that being in detention is inevitable. Michiko Tsukuda sighs and gets out her phone.]
Mum? Yeah I'm - I'm in detention again. No, it's not - look, I'll explain later, just... letting you know I'll be late. ...hai, shikata ga nai. I don't know how I keep getting in here with grades like mine either. Will stop by the bookstore, may bring friends after. Mhm. ...Love you too mum. Ja ne.
[And then she slumps, and starts doing her homework as long as she's here.
Detention's not so bad. Most of her friends are here. Are you one of them?]
1C
"Those boys started it," she says under her breath. "I don't see why we are here just because we finished it."
She'd been about twenty feet away when the rugby thug had tried to smash Michiko's face into her own lunch and as soon as she'd saw it, she'd started grabbing whatever could be thrown and aimed it directly for the rugby creep's head, concentrating her fire on him and only him. Given that it had included another thermos, the results had been rather unfortunate.
Re: 1C
“Oh it’s bollocks. Complete bullshit,” she agrees. “But we can’t do anything about it so as I said to mum: shikata ga nai. It is what it is. Good time and place to get homework out of the way at least.”
She offers her hand - she bows mostly as an excuse to keep her distance from strangers.
“You were brilliant back there,” she says. “My name’s Michiko, can I ask for yours?”
Re: 1C
"This is my first time in this village," she adds. "Are all the boys here so awful?"
Re: 1C
Michiko breaks it first and puts that hand behind her head, averting her eyes, still smiling enough to crinkle the corners of her eyes.
“Nah, only the rich, successful ones whose folks let them get away with murder,” she says, completely honestly if a tad… shall we say oversteeped. “The blokes who end up in the afterschool cram club with us are quite decent once you get to know them.”
She shakes her head. “God, that stupid sub. It’s not even a hard name, just pronounce each syllable and don’t stress any one in particular. …Shivhohn, huh? It’s lovely. Is it Welsh?”
Re: 1C
Re: 1C
It is a pretty name, Michiko agrees. So why does it grate on her?
“Mum and dad came moved here from Tokyo in I think the late 80’s? Da’s good with cars, and mum translates and sells books. Picked up a bit of Dad’s talent with a wrench.”
She pauses for a moment and her smile shifts, no longer quite reaching her eyes.
“Mum wants me to learn how to keep home, though, like she does. Still can’t quite properly sew.”
Re: 1C
Which is a totally normal thing for earth people to have! She knows this from Mina!
Re: 1C
In the end her crush leaps off the top rope like a bolt from the blue for the hurricanra and the pin, and she nods.
“Sure thing,” she says. “…you could come to my place. Mum likes seeing my friends, and I’ve got a Swop and a ton of dvd’s and tapes.”
She shakes her head. Focus. No time to lose your nerve now.
“A trousseau sounds fancy. Harder than some of my work with costumes. What is it?”
Re: 1C
It may be becoming increasingly clear that Siobhan's dad is more old-fashioned than Michiko's parents.
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“That working out for you?” she asks, trying not to be too judgey. “I think my folks would prefer I go for a boy heading for law or medical school, but their folks trusted them to find each other and they trust me to find someone sensible too.”
She does beam at her other question, though. “Oh yeah. I made a killer Space Force uniform from out of the 90’s Ad Astra reboot. Not many local cons to show it off in, but there’s always Halloween.”
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incredible. scene?
SCENE
2: You Must Be This Cool To Hang
[Things start to get better after school. Off goes the uniform, on goes denim jeans and her shirt with Paragon's blue triangle emblem on a white field and her overcoat. Michiko loves to ride her motorbike, and she also isn't half bad with a skateboard, and she is here to meet with Delinquent Sentai Teenranger.
Er, her friends who jokingly call themselves the Troubled Teen Troupe. She pops her helmet off, shakes out her hair, and slides off her backpack with practiced poise and ease.]
Hey. Got some chocosticks and Doritos, and Mum said we can go to my place after, I've got a Swop and the new Bambino Kart. Anyone learned any new tricks?
2B: Netflix and No Chill, Chill Is Forbidden
[Her room is pretty big, a fact that her Da won't shut up about when he goes on his tears about how much Michiko owes him and why must she be such a tomboy etc. etc. But who cares, it's her room that she can invite her friends to and her parents respect her privacy, decorated with wallscrolls of the latest, including a very risque one of a Masamune Shirow cyborg assassin who looks more naked in her armor and skinsuit than naked but technically shows nothing.
Wanna play games? She's got games. Wanna watch anime and sci fi? Her collection is decently broad and carefully curated, and a quarter of it is fandubs on VHS.
Wanna make out? Too bad, her mom's just outside.]Gentlemen, ladies, and other esteemed guests, what should we do first?
2B
I don't even know what to suggest, assumin' you didn't get any more of that Orihime show?
[He didn't entirely get anime, but he was always willing to watch things his friends suggested. But he'd definitely wound up a bit hooked on magical girl shows. Something about it just was... it was nice.]
Re: 2B
She grins and grabs a VHS tape from a shelf. "From where we left off, then? Just after they freed the Lady Virgo?"
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"Yeah, that sounds right to me," He nods with a grin of his own. "Shadow Virgo was proper wild."
2A
suppress the urge to pull out her glaive, such ASSHOLES some of the students arehide when a fight broke out, she wasn't supposed to break things right, she hopes that's the case.UNFORTUNATELY, this particular New Transfer Student wound up in detention too, for attempting to do a backflip for reasons that totally made sense until she broke a door.
It's a more reliable way to seem cool than saying 'how do you do, fellow kids?'.On the bright side, this got her to be aware of the Skate Park and more or less invited into the Troubled Teen Troupe! Because someone this out of touch has to have something wrong with their parents, right? They're so permissive it's like they don't exist!
She's watching Michiko with the skateboard, and just kinda impressed.]
How do you pull this level of cool off??? I thought knowing the memes was key, but...
[It probably doesn't help that some of her memes are from twenty years in the future relative to this story's timeframe.]
all skating tips are lifted from a video tutorial I'll link in the discord
I mean we're not posting on Chirp, so most of it's being yourself and hang the consequences. But if you want to pull of skateboard tricks...
This is gonna sound weird but could I see your shoes?
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... These are not the correct shoes for skateboarding, are they? I have seen people use them before but... That's different than them being right.
[She also has no pads or helmet. She might have money?]
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[She puts her board out.]
You try. Just standing on it and keeping steady for now. You may want this.
[She hands her a spare helmet. Her head's about the same size, right?]
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[Laina's head does indeed fit this helmet, and she quickly puts it on. She even gets the buckle on correctly first try, which she's secretly proud of.]
Okay. Okay, I can do this, Laina, just... One foot on, then-
[The board launches, because she put too much weight on the first foot. Laina at least knows how to land without, well, ragdolling comically like she did in one cutscene Hikaru may be reminded of when returning to this in his memories later.]
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[Since she clearly knows how to fall, she waits till Laina's done rolling before offering a hand up. Will she take it?]
Yeah, that's why you stand over the wheels. And start with the side wedged in the crack in the pavement.
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That does seem like it'd help, yes. Sorry, there wasn't a lot like this in my area.
[Did you know bicycles weren't invented until the 19th century?
She retrieves the board, and adjusts her positioning carefully. This time, she manages to stay on.]
I see how leaning makes the wheels shift...
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Dexterity builds yay.]... Movement normally starts by, from what I saw... Turning one foot a bit forward, then the back foot...
[She doesn't kick yet, but at least seems to see what the idea is.
No way she makes it to kickflips before sundown, though.]
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