libraryassistants: (Default)
Unfinished Library Mod & NPC Account ([personal profile] libraryassistants) wrote in [community profile] 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.]
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 12:55 am (UTC)(link)
Penance? That might be why Kai was here. That would be Tsang's guess, but Revanians had ideas about penance that other species perhaps did not share.

"I did!" It totally did read the briefing, but it's becoming clear, through the triangular nosemask, that Kai was disappointed. "I got excited." Its head drooped low, the plush creature on its back bending forward as if bowing. "Please don't ban me from going down planet." Please please please please please PLEASE!!!

bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
That outfit gets more ridiculous the more he looks at it. "I'm not going to ban you from going down to the planet," he says, largely because he's not sure he can but Tsang doesn't need to know that, "Just... reread the briefing, and then come up with a different outfit, please. And-- you know what, tell me what you plan on doing down there. So I can get an idea of people's plans." And how much damage control he can expect to be doing. Tsang also doesn't need to know that part.
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 01:08 am (UTC)(link)
It should! Tsang put a lot of work into this outfit. Parts of it even light up, but it figures out it's already in enough trouble and it doesn't want to make it worse by activating the lights.

No time like the present, so obviously Kai didn't have other plans for right now other than to watch Tsang pull up the briefing.

"So. Jeans and...hoodie?" Weird word, but it has the same concept as its creation of something over the shoulders, so it wasn't totally WRONG. Some soft mumbling. "Muted colors. OH! Can I do the 'manbun'?" It's probably better to ask for permission at this point.

"I want to see this Earth and talk to people down there. Do a quantitative analysis of the types of struggles they have." Because SOMETHING has to pay for this grant it's on. "Possibly divided by 'gender'."
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Jeans and hoodie," Kai repeats with a nod. That seems to be a normal but nondescript outfit, which is, nominally, what they are going for. Blending in. ...He's worried Tsang would still find a way to stand out with that.

His face scrunches up a bit at the 'gender' part but he sighs, nodding. "Probably best to collate by a variety of demographics. Skin color is apparently also a factor for them?" Which is stupid, but... whatever. "Just remember that your priority is to avoid notice. We are not authorized for first contact." But here they are anyway.
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
What? NOOOOO!! Tsang just wanted to explore. It was its first mission and sure, it wanted to get an actual souvenir, as well as do real, quality research, but Kai could trust it!

"Skin color. Right. Got it." It is SO ready to do research. "Anything else you want me to do?" Please give it Tasks.
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Talking])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
Kai really should give Tsang tasks. It might- might- keep it more on track.

"Keep an eye out for people talking about 'aliens,'" he says, "I think that's the word they use for people who aren't from here. I don't think we're going to get out of this with no one noticing, but we want to minimize it and keep it as positive as possible, to make it easier for whoever comes after. Identify anyone who might need services. And if you're worried about how things are going, you can always withdraw and come back to the ship."
Edited 2025-11-16 02:43 (UTC)
angel_of_baal: (pic#17968992)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
"Yes. Good!" Don't mind it taking notes. First mission and it was going to ACE it.

Wait. Uh. "What should I be worried about?" People chasing it with pitchforks?

"ALSO! 'Beanie'?" It didn't hear back about the manbun, so it was revising on the fly.
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hopefully not that." Pitchforks seem like an older thing? But then again Kaiisteron is almost as blind as the rest of them on this. "Just... anything that makes you uncomfortable. We don't really know what we're dealing with and your safety is important too."

Oh right. He conceals a sigh. "The... manbun is fine." Aren't they also just called buns? Is this a gendered thing?
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"Why would anyone want to make me unsafe?" It's so idealistic! It's here to help! What could go wrong?

(Hopefully Kai's budget includes headache medicine)

"I will go with the 'beanie' just in case." It's been doing more research and that is definitely a look.
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh boy.

"There are a lot of reasons," Kai says slowly, trying to figure how to warn Tsang without crushing its spirit, "They might think you're a threat, and so they'd do it to protect themselves. ...Some people are just mean." You know that, right Tsang? That people can be mean???
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Tsang's spirit is uncrushable. Its taste in fashion, however, is pretty awful.

"Me? A threat?" Look at it! Uh, metaphorically, not right now in its dashing but apparently Too Much outfit.

Not a threatening spine on its entire body. "If they are mean, that's a sign they are traumatized and need a more direct intervention!" Obviously!
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-16 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Why does he even try.

"No, I'm pretty sure some people are just mean," Kai says dryly, "The point is, if you don't feel comfortable or safe, you can leave." If he had any idea of what people might do, he'd give more clear instructions. He can tell this is probably going to go badly.
angel_of_baal: (Default)

[personal profile] angel_of_baal 2025-11-16 11:34 pm (UTC)(link)
He tries because he *cares*, obviously. Either that or there's a huge bonus at the end of this trip. Or both?

*Nod nod nod* "Understood. If I feel unsafe, I will withdraw to privacy to engage in emotional regulation techniques as described in our training protocol." Practicing what you preach is what it's all about, right?
bashasasdemon: (Kai [Exhausted])

[personal profile] bashasasdemon 2025-11-17 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
This is going to go so badly. Should he start the paperwork now? He might start the paperwork now.

"Please do." Kai sighs. They can only put this off for so long. "And report to me when you get back."