libraryassistants: (Default)
Unfinished Library Mod & NPC Account ([personal profile] libraryassistants) wrote in [community profile] unfinishedlibrary2025-12-12 07:10 pm

The real alien abduction... LIBRARY RETURN LOG

Who: The Editors, and the Assistants
What: Library Return!
When: At the end of the Story
Where: The Library
Content warnings: Please put content warnings in the headers!

It’s been an eventful month in Woodhurst! The alleged alien abductions have caused tourism to absolutely boom. What was a small, peaceful town a few weeks ago has turned into a bustling hub. There are claims that the local bookstore has been run by an alien for the last 20-odd years - met only with mutters from the locals about having heard that one before - and a plethora of people taking to the internet to tell the stories of their own abductions.

With the return of most of the humans to Earth, the Wellbeing Group have recalled their agents to the SS Radiance. With a few exceptions, almost everyone should be back to where they were on that first day - November 14th, 2019. It turns out that the humans of Earth just aren’t ready for the Group’s efforts. Perhaps there’s something to be said for following protocol and allowing First Contact to be established… well, first.

Amongst all the chaos of reunions and goodbyes, Editors may miss the signs of the Story ending. It starts slowly, ramping up over a matter of hours. The smell of old books tickles at their senses, and the rustling of pages reaches their ears. There’s something like the scritch of pen on paper, like a bookmark being placed.

And then, between one slow blink and the next, Woodhurst and the SS Radiance begin to fuzz out of view. Like rubbing your eyes after a dream, the Stacks take shape around them; and with the thud of a hardcover closing, the Story comes to an end.

Welcome back, Editors

For some, recovering from the effects of the Story might be as easy as turning a page. For others, there might be a lot left to unpack. Readers - those who had remained themselves during the Story - will likely find it easier. Those who were Actors, fully absorbed in living another life, may need a minute to sort themselves out.

The Library itself seems to have some trouble shaking off the Story in full. Here and there are the same floral arrangements that had been on the Radiance, the scent of them much weaker now. There’s an echo of soothing music in the air, faint as if it’s fading out. And wherever these flowers can be smelled or the music can be heard, there’s an urge that is felt – a lowering of one’s barriers, a soothing sense of safety, and a compulsion to express oneself. So go on. Ask and answer the question. How does that make you feel?

The customary tea cart is set up in the Lobby again. It looks like it’s just recently been put out, with weak tea still only starting to steep. The coffee is as terrible as ever. Mismatched creamers and sugar packets sit in a neatly organised box, with a tin of butter cookies nearby. Paper cups have been replaced by ceramics with matching saucers, dainty napkins just waiting to be used.

Notably, there is no phone provided. Instead there is a sign:
Please direct all complaints to the Help Desk.


The Help Desk itself is along one wall of the Lobby. The large window, previously closed and locked, is now open. The ‘back in 5’ sign is gone, replaced by one that instructs you to ‘please take a number’. A stack of cards with bold numbers printed on them sits beneath it.

And behind that window, sitting at the Help Desk, is someone whose voice may have only been heard over the phone until now. He will not be assisting anyone who approaches out of turn, so you should get comfortable mingling while you wait.

Perhaps in the hopes that some people will get distracted and wander away, there is a poster next to the Help Desk window.

Skills 101
Learn from the best the Library has to offer!
Join the study group in Meeting Room 1.
No food or drinks permitted.


In case anyone would like to avoid the Assistants as much as possible, or would like something else to do after yelling at them, there is another display that can be found periodically outside one of the doors of rotating locations. It says ‘Seed Library’ and, as the name implies, has little packets of seeds that are available! When seen outside the door, it will always lead to the garden. Time to get your hands dirty!

Interestingly, it seems the garden seems to follow the same general rules as the rest of the library- whatever someone expects the weather or season to be is what will be reflected in that outside space, with a sunrise/set pattern to match. When two or more people with different ideas of what it should be occupy the space, however, it gets… muddled.

And for those with hands just itching to express themselves with violence… the Safe Zone awaits. The Library’s safety mechanism triggers as damage is registered, whether to an Editor or a piece of the Library. As if in anticipation of some long stays, the previously-empty yacht does now have a few creature comforts. Food, drinks, a place to rest. Just try not to extend your stay too long or your more peaceful friends might start to wonder where you’ve gone.
aetherweaver: (surprised)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-13 01:45 am (UTC)(link)
Nara'a approaches him - the face is familiar, even if he's taller and a bit older. ... Hm. Should he - oh to hells with it, he might as well.

"... Charles, yes? Are you all right - well, I suppose that's a stupid question, isn't it?"
hellandbackpack: (pic#18068783)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2025-12-13 01:55 am (UTC)(link)
Welp, looks like he's locked in now. The smile comes easily (it always does) as he looks to the other, noting the similarities and differences between when they'd met in the Story.

"Wotcher- Nara'a, wasn't it?" Nothing's wrong here. Nothing's wrong, everything's totally fine. "That was... well, aliens, pretty wild innit?"
aetherweaver: (tilted up)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-13 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
"It was. ... But you seemed like you were dealing with a lot in there."

He pauses, presses his lips together. Feels his fangs poke at him. Hm. "I'm sure you're tired of talking about it, but I'm... around if you want to. Don't know how much of that was true to your experience, but..."
hellandbackpack: (pic#18111221)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2025-12-13 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Nah," Lies, lies, time to lie like a goddamn rug. At least Nara'a didn't have the whole picture. Just an unpleasant glimpse. He hadn't seen nearly as much as some of the others. "They were playin' things up for the Story or whatever, yeah?"

A faint huff, a wry twist to his smile. "Thanks though mate. Right decent."
aetherweaver: (smirk)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-13 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
It's still a lot to deal with, but he'll let it drop. For now.

"Of course. We're all in this together - whether or not you were actually from the Library or not. Every world has its own problems..."

At least he was able to amuse the other during yoga. "I'm glad you're all right, though." He reaches out to shake the other's hand.

"Nara'a's actually my name, though as you can probably tell it's not a hyur - hume - er. Human one."
hellandbackpack: (pic#18111216)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2025-12-13 09:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Charles is absolutely relieved the other is willing to let that lie stand- he's pretty sure he wasn't nearly as easy with it as he normally was, so he'll take what he can get in the moment.

"Sounds kinda after-school special like that, but you're not wrong." He teases lightly to steal back some of his equilibrium, his smile coming a little easier for it.

"Likewise!" He'll easily reach out and shake the offered hand, his own grasp chilled, with almost a thin field of static to it, even with the gloves he wore. "I'm still Charles. And yeah, goin' by the ears and tail and the like... I was gonna guess some kinda Fae, but suppose I can't assume based on home here!"
aetherweaver: (uh oh)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-13 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
After school what now? But hm. The aether feels... fuzzy? Charles doesn't seem to be concerned, but something to note. He lets go of the other's hand after he shakes it.

"Oh, no. I'm not one of the fae, though I do have a contract with Titania, King of the Faeries of a world that I've been to." This is a completely normal thing to say, okay. "But no, nothing as grand as that. Simply a miqo'te, though a Keeper of the Moon... we're a bit less common than the other tribes. ... Though I suppose that means nothing to you - nocturnal. My set of clans is more nocturnal than the others." His tail flicks a little bit nervously. It's fine, he's fine.
hellandbackpack: (pic#18111187)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2025-12-13 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't worry about it Nara'a! Ghosts are just Like That sometimes.

"Titania?" Charles whistled, a low sound. "Well you sure aim high there mate! It's goin' well for you, yeah?" Nara'a would definitely recognize the air there- a protective sort of person quietly trying to figure out if someone else was safe, so they could fix the issue if not. Charles was, at his core a defender, a helper, for all the good it did him in life.

"Miqo'te..." He said the unfamiliar word carefully, listening to what the other was saying with a nod. "Don't think we have your kind back on Earth, but it makes sense. So there's your lot that are nocturnal, and then I'm guessin' another lot that's not?"
aetherweaver: (content)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-13 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"To be fair, they started as a lower level pixie, and when I defeated the previous Titania they took their place. ... The other option was me becoming a fae, and I had other places I had to be..." So no, no thank you. He hunches his shoulders a little bit - it's fine. That fight wasn't traumatic in its own way at all... "'Going well' is... sure. As well as can be expected in my world at this point. It's... complicated." He waves a gloved hand through the air. A story for another time.

"That's right. The Seekers of the Sun. I believe a friend of mine described the difference as 'the Seekers keep a man around for his uses, the Keepers think a man's use is further away from them'." The tone's light - it's just the way it is for him and his kind. It legitimately doesn't bother him. "Keeper men tend to travel when they come of age, so I wasn't lying when I said I was passing through." Some people feel the need to have a 'home'... not so much with him.
hellandbackpack: (pic#18068783)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2025-12-24 09:00 am (UTC)(link)
"I get that- gotta be careful with the Fair Folk and all, believe you me." Charles laughed softly. "We deal with 'em back home during investigations sometimes. Nice enough, but they're always keen on tryin' to trade for me."

Not nearly in a threatening sort of manner, if the easy roll of his eyes was any hint.

"Yeah, that's a difference," But it sounds like Nara'a is pretty content with the arrangement, and who is he to say what's right or wrong for a race he'd never even heard of before? "But bein' able to travel all over's pretty brills all the same innit?"
aetherweaver: (heroic)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2025-12-25 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
“You do? Ah, the Fuath wanted to keep me… thankfully I can breathe underwater, else I might have drowned. So I think I can understand.” They sure did try very hard.

He nods a little. “It is. There’s so much to see in the world. I want to be able to see everything I can and help everyone I can.” No matter what it takes out of him, but… seeing people happy makes him feel happy, too.
hellandbackpack: (pic#18068790)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2026-01-03 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Absolutely! No better place to get information if you've got the right stuff to trade. Or charms, they're brills at charms," Charles huffed a sympathetic noise at the Fuath wanting to drown Nara'a all the same. "That's rough though. I'm already dead or I think a few would've tried stuff like that. Guess it makes it easier for some ways to keep a person, and harder for others from what I understand."

The addition seems to cheer him somewhat regardless- some of the chill of the area seems to ease, as Charles grins with a nod. "Absolutely, mate! Nothin' like helpin' those in need!"
aetherweaver: (eh?)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-01-04 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
Wait, hold on. "You're dead?" He's not unaccustomed to speaking with the dead in some instances, but this is a bit of a new one. No wonder something felt off...

... But in any case, he continues. "That seems to be my job. I prefer to think of it that way, rather than 'being a hero' which is how others might describe it. ... I just like to help others."
hellandbackpack: (pic#18111269)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2026-01-04 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Yup! Goin' on 35 years now." Charles confirmed easily, though if Nara'a wasn't going to question it, he was just as willing to follow the conversation elsewhere.

"Don't need to be a hero or whatnot to help people. Like me and my best mate back home are detectives," He shrugged, hands idly going into pockets for the moment. "Every case we close is someone that needed a hand yeah?"
aetherweaver: (surprised)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-01-04 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
'Only 35? Amateur.' He ignores the voice in his head. Thanks for the commentary, friend.

He nods at that and smiles. "Exactly. Cases, though... you're a detective?" He's met weirder detectives, even ones that are alive. At least this one doesn't seem to have an assistant with him bearing explosives.
hellandbackpack: (pic#18068790)

[personal profile] hellandbackpack 2026-01-06 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
"Sure am! Edwin and I run the Dead Boy Detective Agency back home in London." He replied with a beaming smile. "Nobody better for your supernatural mysteries. Or the ones where the normal cops are useless."

Joke's on Nara'a- Charles is the one bearing explosives! What else would he keep in his lovely bag aside from whatever Edwin needed on a case? Clearly bombs and moltovs are key investigative tools!
aetherweaver: (serious)

[personal profile] aetherweaver 2026-01-06 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
So more ghosts. Interesting. "True. There's a lot of things that the authorities can't really deal with." He tilts his head a little.

"Though there are plenty of places I know of where laws are loose if not... non-existent."