unfinishedlibrary | It's a beautiful day in the village

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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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Midnight at the abandoned video store is one of Shadow's favourite places to be. It's quiet out here, and only one person ever comes looking for him. It leaves him free to wait for a clear sky, or to play old videos on the VCR that was left behind as part of the store's display. Not valuable enough to remove or sell, left behind to languish with the cassettes.

It's such a familiar place that he could navigate it with his eyes closed. It's one of the few places he can't skate, the old carpet sticking messily in any wheels, so he's forced to - ugh, walk along the aisles to find the tape he's looking for. ('Looking' is such a word. He knows where it is. He's the one who keeps putting it back there.) And it's that familiarity that makes something about tonight ring as weird, something prickling the hairs on the back of his neck. It's overcast outside, and the only light inside is from the static of the TV screen that he's hooked up to a portable generator. It casts an eerie glow over the shelves, that normally Shadow is fine with--

--but was that a shadow that just flickered on the corner of a shelf? He jerks his head to look, but there is, of course, nothing. He's being paranoid.

...but the locks on these doors haven't worked for years. He's only been here for maybe two minutes. He certainly didn't bother checking every aisle to see if someone else had discovered the goldmine his haunt is, at this late hour of just past midnight.

Hand curling into a fist, he takes a cautious step towards the corner of the aisle. Heart hammering. If it's Charles about to spook him with more ghost stories, swear to God--]

[All things are as they should be at the front end of the store. It's the back end that might feel like...they may not be the only one here. It could just be the rodents or critters scuttling about though. Run down places like these do attract those kinds of company.

But critters don't speak in a muffled voice that sound vaguely human, and yet not. Behind one of the back doors that should be locked, that voice is coming from behind it.

Zarnex was here under the impression no one would come to an abandon human establishment, threatening to possibly collapse one day. An ideal spot to log his findings for the day and relay it to his people. Humans are...well, a disorganized society. They tend to look out for themselves, even when helping others would benefit them as a whole. It could just be the location he's chosen, but they are very independent thinkers, which interestingly lead to a variety of life here. But also decision making from the higher up tends to take an egregious amount of time. No wonder they're so dispassionate outside of their daily lives.

He could do with less of this rain too. Ugh.]

[These flickering shadows really have him on edge. There's nothing around the corner of the aisle, but he can't breathe a sigh of relief. ~~Dammit Charles, he can't stop thinking about ghosts now.~~ He hasn't put a video on yet, but he swears he can hear -- a voice? Muffled and quiet, easily missed if not for his paranoid checking.

It's not like this is Shadow's store. But he's still a bit possessive over it, indignant that someone else would come here. (And, Jesus - does the wind have to blow that hard outside? The way it's rattling the doors almost made him jump out of his skin.)

Having had enough, he whirls on the door to the back room with a scowl. The door that should be locked, but unless he's going crazy - is the one he thinks he heard something from.]

Who's there? [He's very demanding, for being in an abandoned store at midnight, confronting a stranger while holding no weapon. The hubris is strong with this one.]

[Ah frak. Humans and their rebellous nature of ignoring warning signs. It's already too late, but he's stopping everything he's doing to wait, listen. He starts to put away his devices with some convinient alien hammerspace. Eyes glance at the door as he moves to stand.

How does he look? He fixes himself before looking around to find an alternative route out of this room. There is none, unless he dares to go through the dirty vents. Ugh.]

[He's still, and silent, for a long moment. Listening hard. But all he can hear now is that damn wind outside, and the patter of rain starting to fall fresh on the pavement.

This is stupid, he grouses to himself. He's not scared of a muffled voice in the dark. There's probably not even anyone back there. And he'll prove it to himself by---

...ah, crap. The door is unlocked, he finds, when he reaches out to grasp it. It turns easily under his hand, and Shadow has a moment of oh shit that seizes his chest. But he's committed. Converting the startled rattling of adrenaline into a solid scowl as he roughly pushes the door open.

It's dark. Shadow himself is backlit by the flickering static from the TV screen in the main shop area, casting enough of a glow for him to make out a person but not their precise features. Not that he needs to see them properly to issue a stern:]

What are you doing here?

[--as if he, himself, is not trespassing.]

[The other can talk all tough they want, but he can feel their uneasiness as they approach from the other side of the door. Why is the door not locked though?? Why can't it be automated dammit-oh, it's already too late.

At least he managed to put away anything that was clearly not of this world. The room has nothing but an office desk and dusty old empty shelves. There were some old televisions, presumably meant to record security footage when this place used to function. There's a mark on the desk, where he had placed his arms while communicating with home base.

Dusting himself off, he calms himself. The disguise is still holding, and he just needs to talk his way out of this. The other sounded like a youth earthling. Some "hooligan" as they call them? ] Me? What are you doing-

[He doesn't even finish that sentence as he turns around and faces...well someone with the same likeness as his chosen human disguise. Their clothes are different, but structuraly, it's the same build and appearance. Huh.]

[That's a voice that Shadow's only heard in videos before, jarring in how familiar and weird it is to hear oneself speak.]

What--

[He's startled by the other's appearance when he turns. Even in the dim light, Shadow can make out the choppy spikes of hair and streaks of red; though the finer points of the stranger's features are lost to the - well, shadows.]

Who the hell are you?

[It comes out brashly, and Shadow shifts to the side - letting more light filter in to see his own face on the stranger. Despite the tense atmosphere and biting words, there's a sense of shock rattling him; and a weird, conflicted feeling steadily rising in his chest. Something that's a bit like excitement that's being repressed and constrained. ~~Not for the first time, he's cursing that all of the files around the experiment of his birth have been suppressed. Now would be a great time to know exactly how many kids came out of all of that.~~]

[His face, but wearing a more casual attire, but still tasteful for the modern human era.

Zarnex is just as visibly confused as the other, but for a different reason. He was very sure the database showed this individual wasn't present on Earth. Already taken to the "wellness" center. Miscalculation, malfunction?

The sight of him unsettles the human, even with their brash questioning. Act tough, but not really on the inside.] I'd ask the same of you. Who are you? I--no, I don't have time for this.

[All right, he just needs to find another disguise once he can get away from this one.] Let me leave and I'll pretend I didn't see you.

No.

[Letting him leave is the last thing Shadow's going to do. Still riding that adrenaline, he puts a hand out in front of him with a scowl - a 'stop' gesture, even though the only way out is past him.]

What do you mean, you don't have time? [it's midnight, man, and also. how often do you run into your twin in an abandoned video store. Shadow has so many questions, his mind trying to tick through them all. There's so much swimming in his head that he's getting irritated by it, and also landing on a sense of indignation that the other teen wants to apparently forget all about this.] You're not going anywhere until we figure this out.

[Stubborn human. He swats at the other's hands, feeling no intimidation from the other.]

Move. [He really does not want to resort to physical violence, but if he must.]

[Rude--he swats back on instinct, and does not budge.]

You're here for a reason. Why?

[An eyeroll.] And what about you? You definitely don't own this dump, therefore I don't need to answer you.

[Fine. We'll do this the hard way. Grabbing the other's extended arm, he pulls in an attempt to swing them away from the door.]

[Hard to tell if he's more offended by the grab or calling the store a dump.

Either way, it's pissed him off ~~(especially because it's true that Shadow has no actual claim to the place)~~. There's a hot flush that speeds through him; his temper heating at the call-out. And when his arm is pulled, Shadow follows through with a grunt; using the momentum and anger to make a bid to grab a fistful of the other teen's coat - aiming to roughly force him back a step or two.]

Edited 2025-11-18 06:04 (UTC)

[Oh, well they're in a gridlock.

Both trying to push back the other. There's a scuffle of his feet as he tries to swing a leg to catch the other off balance while he's being pushed back. The objective is not to kill the humans afterall. But damn does he wish he could just use one of his devices to get out of this situation.]

[The other teen's leg does connect - and Shadow, as his balance is failing, makes to grab that scarf and yank on it hard. Between that and the fistful of jacket he's got, if he's going down; he's set on bringing the other teen with him.]

[And he's going down with the other. But he ain't going down without fighting back. The other is going to feel immediate pain from the forehead, and maybe see some lights. Zarnex had smashed his head into the other in hopes of throwing them off enough to free himself. Even if also rings a numbing pain to his own head.

The imagery starts to glitch, the other possibly catching something very not human beneath that facade for just a milisecond.]

[They've got a similar idea about not going down easy, except Shadow's goal was to drive a knee into the other. A movement that still goes ahead, aiming for nothing except 'to hit', even as his head erupts in pain from the headbutt.]

Asshole-- [It's practically snarled out as he reels back momentarily, not letting go. Are those stars in his vision or did his twin's face just glitch out? With a splitting headache, eyes squinted and teeth grit, he's determined to win this grapple- shoving with force to try to pin the other beneath him. If successful, then using that grip on the scarf to yank the other up and raise a fist ready to punch him.]

[A gasp escapes him, heaving from getting kneed in the stomach by the other. This kid is really living up to the "rebellious teenager" category he's read about. He feels the other try to get get him the slip and put him against the floor. Not happening.

He's going to keep the momentum going, grabbing a hold of their jacket and pushing against them. To the point that they'll just start rolling around on the floor. Both refusing to allow the other to pin them down. He can out last the human, probably. He might have to go with plan B. The challenge is keeping himself in the fight while trying to reach for something in his pants pocket.]

[He can't notice the other trying to grab something out of their pocket while they're rolling on the floor like this. But the second there's any give, he's going to shove his knee up in between them; trying to use the momentum of the next roll and just gravity to press his weight harshly down onto his knee and into the other. That should do it--]

[And just as it seem like the other managed to pin this one down, it's right when he manages to pull something from his pocket. Doesn't know which or what he grabbed, but he's going to use it.

And quite suddenly there was a flash of light, even brighter than the anything a flashlight could muster. Similar properties to a flashbang almost. Hopefully it's enough to disorientate the other so he can either kick or push them off and get himself up and maybe out of this place.]

[He gets no time at all to feel like he's gained some ground before that intense light flashes. It'd probably be blinding at a good time, but given how dark it is it's super effective. The way he flinches from it, a strangled noise in his throat, is pure instinct - one hand flying up to his stinging eyes.

There's no control now over the amount of his weight - spoilers, it's all of it - pressing down through his knee in that moment after the light goes off. Which means it's a stupidly easy feat to throw him off-balance, the combination of blindness and movement having a dizzying effect. He doesn't give up that easily though; grasping for any part of the other teen to seize onto. If the other insists on getting up, he'll find himself dragging Shadow's weight with him; and as soon as he's got a foot underneath him, Shadow will be aiming to stamp the hard roller heel of his shoe into the other's foot or ankle. (--that's gonna hurt Shadow too, but. with his head stinging from the headbutt, squinting through the starbursts in his eyes, and overall pissed off, he's not exactly thinking it through.)

[The sound of the other making a noise from the flash of light, was his cue to act. He twists his body in a way to force the other off balance and hit the ground beside him. He doesn't wait, he scrambles to get back onto his feet.

For a moment, he thought he was going to finally escape, but he feels a sudden weight grabbing onto his leg. He doesn't fall back down thankfully, but this was still as problem.] Let go! [Hope Shadow was ready to have his fingers or arm stepped on. That moment's pause to get the other off is enough for them to swing their leg into his. A yelp escapes him as he goes back onto the ground.

Damn, that really stung. His leg felt like noodle that he couldn't put any weight on it.]

[He jerks reflexively when the other steps on his arm, a pained noise coming - but he heard that yelp, the one that didn't come from him, and good. Now they're both hurting.

He, for one, needs a moment of recovery now they're both back on the ground. Despite everything, he really hasn't gotten into many fights in his life - and definitely nothing like this. His own heel hurts from how hard he'd slammed that wheel into his twin, and he can only hope that the other is starting to get worn out.]

Just stay down. [He's not letting go of the leg he's got. But also--trying to shift some of his weight onto his twin's legs to pin them, because he's not keen on taking a kick to the face.]

Absolutely not! [He's hurting, more than he's ever hurt, but he's not calling it quits yet. The human image glitches once more, fighting to hold shape. He wiggles and worms along the ground, making it difficult for the other to get a grip and actually pin him. He's rummaging through his pockets once more. He can't get free, but he's still got gadgets and gizmos aplenty.

Hands, the hands are a problem right now, so-

Shadow is going to feel something cold, and slimy in texture, creeping down his hands. Zarnex had gotten himself sitting slightly upright and administers something almost gelatinous from a vial, onto Shadow's hands. They make it harder for him to keep his grip as it spreads to cover his hands, making the surface slippery. Good luck trying to get it off, cause it'll stay stuck to him.]

[There's that glitch again -- Shadow's going through it right now, but he's pretty sure he's not imagining that.

He grits his teeth, scrabbling along with his twin as the other tries to squirm away. He manages to get as far as getting a grip on the other's waist - practically straddling him with knees knocking hard into the other. He's got a fistful of fabric, but before he can do anything about it - there's something cold and slimy squelching over his hands, like oil mixed with cornflour.

He immediately makes a disgusted noise, and at this proximity he will let go of the other (not that he has much of a choice, the way his grip is sliding) -- only to shove his hand hard into the other's face, aiming for his nose with it (as much as he can, why is this so slippery) while trying to get the right angle to pin him with his other forearm pressed over his neck. Trying to serve two purposes. One - is that some sort of mask or something, why and how does it keep glitching out. Two - a fuck you if ever there was one. Shadow's not going to lose sleep over it now if he breaks his nose or smothers the guy a bit.]

[Closed to the Shadows]

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