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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.]
Re: I love this.
…if that same person hadn’t been jumpscared by the TV turning on, which changed the context for his old fashioned gesture, dinnit?
Unable to contain her curiosity, and biting back fear that this was how she’d end up abducted and taken elsewhere, she walked over to the stranger’s table and leans over.
“Holding doors open for the fairer sex, startled by the TV… didja just pop in from the Queen’s coronation, then?”
Given the number of cheerful weirdoes popping up, time travellers made as much sense as extraterrestrials.
no subject
When Michiko approaches, Jonathan is still staring at the television. So many questions were swirling in his mind until she spoke. When she did, his eyes shifted back to her. Almost wanting to ask right away, but her words caught him and made him chuckle before he could even let his horror show more.
"How old do I look? I am surprised the Queen is still alive."
As soon as he said it, he realized how that might have sounded, so he quickly changed the subject. "Is holding the door such a bad thing?" Yeah, his eyes kept shifting back from the television to her. "And I am not startled." Yes, he was.
no subject
“So are we, given that Her Majesty Elizabeth II is still doddering along at 93, but you look awful young for your age.”
At his asking if a little chivalry was a bad thing, she rolled her eyes - but not at her time traveller. “Most times people did it for me they meant something by it, but you, you’re just being polite, then.”
No comment about how he was totally startled.
Why yes, I did have to google Queen Victoria's full title.
"Ninety-three is rather old; I do not know how she is still going. And for the record, I am one and twenty." Yeah, that one went out of style a few years after his son was born, and Quincey Harker was not even conceived when Jonathan was stolen to the library. Twenty-one was important; it was when one became a full-fledged adult in Victorian England. It was when one could take their solicitor's exam and change their situation.
"It is just bad form not to." He motioned to the seat across from him. "Please, if you would, take a seat. It makes me a touch uncomfortable when people linger when I sit." Which, in truth, was more etiquette; he should be standing if she was standing, but he would rather not draw more attention to himself. Granted, it was also partly Dracula fraying his nerves.
Re: Why yes, I did have to google Queen Victoria's full title.
Curiosity wins over caution, so sure, she’ll sit across from him and start scanning the menu.
“So, then, Sir One-And-Twenty, is there something better I can call you? Call me Michiko.”
And never mind her last name.
no subject
So much for not standing out. He offered over his hand then at the introduction. "I am Jonathan Harker; it is a pleasure to meet you, Michiko." Much like Hikaru's name, his accent does sound a little strange on the name, but he does his best. "Might I ask if you are from here?"
The question spoke, as he pulled his hand back, if she shook or not, as his food and drink were placed down and he thanked the waitress before looking back to Michiko.
no subject
She's not lying, and she'll gladly shake. Holy shit he is a time traveller, Shadow is going to flip out.
"From Woodhurst? Yes," she says, as she sprinkles malt vinegar on the thick-cut chips that came with her chicken sandwich. And she won't get more specific than that, because she has some self-preservation instincts. "I'm a high schooler, I hope you'll understand if I won't say from which - and that would be the one before university."
And there is one burning question she has.
"You're not from around here." That's not the question. "You with the other strangers in town, or are you a secret third thing?"
no subject
He was thankful she had ordered food as well; he was hungry and did not care to be rude and not wait. "Oh yes, it is safer that way for most." He didn't say ladies, but it was left unsaid. Taking up his fork and knife, he started to cut up his food. "Ahh, yes, how did that slip my mind." He at least knew what a university was. And that lie is not the best.
Jonathan looked up then, a little embarrassed, before taking a drink. Thankfully he hadn't choked on the bit of pie he had started on when asked. "What strangers?" Oh, he knows, but that lie is better, as he knew something else was happening here. Details could only help. "I am not sure what you mean; I am taking a holiday here from Exeter."
no subject
It's cool, Harker. She'll help you with your cover story. But she does lean in to conspire about his other question.
"All sorts of people giving out extra smiles and a free pastry with your tea, or asking pushy personal questions," she says, after having asked pushy personal questions, her voice low. "People who are taller and longer limbed then they ought to be, or who's ears seem a tad sharp, like a - like a bloody elf from out of the Three Jewels books. Speaking perfect English, but I think one was a substitute teacher, and - uh -"
She looks away, frowning, and leans back, suddenly affecting detachment.
"Other languages trip them up," she finally settles on. "My mate Shadow thinks they're aliens, but he thinks when someone's out sick it's because of aliens."
no subject
Leaning in a little as he nods, keeping eye contact. "I can see why you might think I am one of these people." He was a rather tall young man and asked questions, though she asked more. "I do not know the Three Jewels book, but that does sound very peculiar indeed." Holding his fork still and not eating yet, he seemed concerned. "If your substitute teacher is one, you should take care not to be taken by one. I have heard terrible things about aliens."
No, Jonathan, those were the old ones. "I would argue being sick is probably not a sign."
no subject
"I'll be careful," she says. It's a good thing they come in peace, because she'll eventually learn that won't help. "If that stopped clock is right he'll crow about it for the rest of my life... but better to know than not."
She puts her finger on her lip, thinking. "And you believe," she adds.
After a moment, she leans over and mutters something so only Harker can hear. "...you may want to go to Mr. Carter's shop, the Dream Palace. I know how it looks from the outside but I promise it's a bookstore - science and science fiction both, with the biggest collection of speculative xenobiology I've seen. If anyone knows something, it's Howard Carter."
no subject
"Good, it would do no good to end up in some kind of danger simply from being curious." If he was an alien, warning her probably wouldn't be wise. But now he was worried. Reaching over for the vinegar to pour some on his own fries.
"I don't know if I believe, but I fear it all the same." He didn't believe in vampires six months ago either. "The Dream Palace, alright, I will go there once I finish eating. Thank you for the advice."
this feels like scene. Scene?
"The truth apparently really is out there," she says, shaking her head, taking her sandwich.
Before she takes a bite, she stops, and looks - well, not in his eye. She always hated looking folks in the eye. But she's found she could fake it but looking at foreheads or just past them.
"Be careful, Mr. Harker and, uh, enjoy your holiday."
Scene!