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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.]
no subject
As if it didn't occur to him at all that this was something anyone else deserved. So quick to give the understanding and grace to others that he almost refused to accept for himself. "That's a load of tosh, they wouldn't 'deserve' a bollocking like that!"
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no subject
"I-I've gotta be though," This reply is a bit more hesitant. Something in it shivering like a glass on the brink of flying to bits, something seeking in the suddenly widened eyes fixed on Min'a. "It's different, if I'm not-"
no subject
“Because if it’s not you, then it’s him?”
Charles needs to understand that his father doesn’t abuse him because he’s bad. His father abuses him because he’s an abuser.
no subject
The smile falters. While he's rooted in his seat, there's a quiet jog of a foot against the floor, a tense sort of fidget to his hands as he takes a breath that was supposed to be steadying, but just had his heartbeat ramping up.
"I’m serious, though. I have to be bad. I have to be, because if I’m not…" The roil of emotions isn't calming, like a storm in the shape of a boy, a thing he has no clue what to do with, where to put, if he even has the right to. His voice cracked audibly, tone thickening with the threat of tears. “If I'm not bad, if I'm not… defective, then why doesn't she… Why doesn't she pick me? Why doesn't she protect me?"
His breaths are quicker now, voice rising in pitch along with it, the words all but spilling out in a flood he can't seem to contain. "Why doesn't mum love me enough to make it stop? And if I'm not bad, then what does that make her? What does that make all those nights where I... where he-"
There's a fury there, a helpless sort of thing that he doesn't know what to do with, mixed in a nauseating blend with a fear of that self-same emotion, a despair at the idea of it. His eyes are bright with it as he finds himself all but unable to stop himself from venting now that he'd started, like a shattered vase spilling it's contents in a violent rush.
"I can’t believe she chose him. I can’t. I can’t make myself think she just… That she sees me hurting and decides it doesn't matter enough. She… she lets it happen. On purpose. Or because I'm not worth the trouble of stopping him-" He's practically sobbing, tears tracking bright streaks against his face as he makes one last-ditch effort to strangle this back under control. To get a grip. It doesn't work. It does stop the gulping sobs, but his voice after is heartbreakingly small in contrast, a sadly weak smile returning to his face. "So it has to be me. It has to be my fault. Because if I 'm not bad, then it's just 'cause I'm... nothin' innit? Not worth it. But if I'm bad, it makes sense. It adds up-"
no subject
She'll have to talk to Kai about him. See what they can do, who they might be able to contact. If this were any other situation, there would be protocols in place, but there are no protocols for Earthlings.
"I can't speak for your mother," she says finally, when he starts winding down a bit. She nudges the box of Kleenex in his direction. "But might I offer up another theory? Perhaps, she is as victimized as you. Perhaps, she knows that attempting to intervene will only make it worse.
"And perhaps, it's not so much about you as it is about them, and their failures. Your parents do not define your worth as a person. You do."
no subject
"It's been years though. And... he never lays a finger on her." Charles grimaces, fingers tensing. "Before she stopped talkin' to them... my aunties all were offering to come get us. We would've been away for ages before he knew. Her mum offered to let us stay with her, mum didn't know I was hearin' their conversation. I... I really hoped she'd do it, they would've made sure we got out safe, but she just... she said she wouldn't leave him."
He shook his head, with a quiet little hiccup of a sound that he managed to strangle away before it resolved to anything else. "How am I worth anything if my own mum won't take care of me?"
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She's supposed to stay professional, here, but she just can't. "Do you have anyone that you can call, so you don't go back to them? A relative, or friend?"
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He can't help but shake his head immediately. "No. No, if I'm not there and he decides that's when he's gonna take it out on her-"
A sad thing really, so immediately intent on protecting his mother at his own clear expense, when she'd so far seemed to leave him out to the proverbial wolves.
no subject
"What about the authorities in your town? Humans have - police, I think you call them? Surely they could be called on."
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"Bobbies're bleedin' useless-" Charles replied with a grimace. "Even if you could get mum to admit what he was doin' he'd probably be out and about same evenin' and that's assumin' they actually took him in."
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It may be the only way to solve the problem.
"I want you to know," she says earnestly. "I will do all in my power to assist you with this situation." She meets his eyes, letting him see she means it. Her time here on this planet may be limited, but she's not just going to leave knowing that Charles and his mother are at the mercy of this monster.
no subject
It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to intervene but couldn't in the end. She'd do all she could, he got the sense that she wouldn't abide doing anything less in this situation, but... she'd said it herself before. They weren't here long. This was a pilot program.
"Managed this long though, what's a couple more years, yeah?"
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She feels like she needs to say that.
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"That's just...the way the world is sometimes, innit?" He replied quietly, gaze dropping down to his hands. "Lots of folk don't... get what they deserve. Good or bad."
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A single conversation, no matter how emotionally revealing was not about to undo years of issues, especially not for this mess of a teen!
no subject
Because it can't all be doom and gloom. She'll need to talk to Kai about him. Until then, he's safe here on the ship.