unfinishedlibrary | for all the world's a stage

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for all the world's a stage - LIBRARY LOG

Who: The Editors
What: The Library changes once again...
When: January 9- January 22
Where: The Library
Content warnings: Please put them in the comment headers!

The Assistants have vanished into their backroom once again, leaving only the increasingly unbelievable “Back In 5” sign on the Help Desk, but at least they have attempted to impart some knowledge on the Editors before departing (or… attempted to do anything but, depending who you ask). The customary tea cart with drinks and increasingly stale biscuits is parked in its usual spot, though it seems that the quality of the tea at least has improved some. (Still waiting on coffee improvement.)

There’s a new crafting setup in the Maker Space, a table with an iron and machine for making vinyl designs, along with the instructions on how to use it, and a stack of t-shirts in various sizes. Usually there’s something in the correct size, but, well, mistakes happen. While this addition to clothing is a boon, there is the problem that the t-shirts can’t be taken out of the room until some sort of design is put on them. Get creative! Show off your style! Or maybe just steal one of the shirts that are there for display purposes. It’s fine, the Library can make more.

In the second week as the Library begins to change once more, the Lobby’s wooden floor shines with extra polish. The walls make an odd creaking sound as they shift, warping into brick covered with velvet drapings in a rich, dark red. Gold thread twinkles in the stitches, a sense of opulence woven through. The sound of ballroom music drifts by and, while in the Lobby, characters will be taken by the unusual impulse to dance.

Outside, in the Garden, the day/night cycle has paused firmly on a cloudless night. A full moon hangs in the air - literally. About the size of a basketball, it follows the first person who enters the Garden; hovering a couple of meters above their head. A white aura spreads from them, powered by the moon, and those who are caught in its light will find themselves unable to speak anything but the truth.

When the person to whom the moon is attached leaves the garden, the moon and its aura will leave them; and the moon will attach to the next person to enter instead.

On the circulation desk, there is a sign: “This Week’s Recommended Reading: Twilight!” The accompanying sign up sheet waits next to it for those wishing to check it out- though some will receive the movie instead of the book, with no particular rhyme or reason to it. Periodically someone might also receive something else entirely. Whoops? The Assistants at least will fix that quickly. ~~Richard will be embarrassed, while Phillip will be trying not to cackle.~~

While not advertised, various iterations of different stories will be available throughout the Library. In particular, someone seems to have left the projector in one of the meeting rooms running, with a variety of different recorded plays. These range from professional productions, to parodies, to what appear to be high schoolers (of which one production features a sixteen year old version of Phillip running around being an absolutely nuisance.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know you don't want to. I'm asking you to tell me anyway. I deserve that much, don't I...?

[ Nice doesn't give him a no, but he also doesn't start talking right away. Frowning softly, he turns his back on Wreck as he heads toward the fence line. All these thoughts were swirling around in his head, all these feelings were wanting to burst out. The pain and anxiety he was feeling back home, starts to bubble up inside him and he's pretty sure this library wouldn't allow any release. ]

[ Wreck follows him, but only for a few paces before he stops. Was that silence his answer, then? ]

Guess you... really are a Moon Magnet, huh...?

Think someone paid this moon off to put up with me too?

Your fans loved the two of you together. In the end, I think it... boosted your popularity more than...

[ ...he ever could. ]

Oh well. Like I said, at least this one's quiet.

[ Oh. That's what he meant earlier with his comment. Nice couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. ]

At least something worked. Even if it never boosted me enough.

I--

[ Wreck is silent for a long moment. He folds his arms loosely over his chest, resting his weight on one leg as he focuses his gaze on the fence instead. ]

...I'm sorry. I did everything I could.

Stupid. I wasn't blaming you. It's not your fault I couldn't make it into the top 10. it's not your fault I became an absolute joke. it's not your fault I-

[ Nice punches at the fence, only recoiling his hand in pain. he should have figured this stupid place would be harder to destroy. ]

You weren't a joke.

[ . . . ]

Your fans loved you. They were so excited when they got to see you in person. You always brought smiles to their faces, just like you'd always wanted.

[ Nice turns so his back could be pressed against the fence and then lets himself slide down it. He held his fist to his chest as he tried to suppress the pain, but he couldn't make eye contact with Wreck again. ]

Sounds like my replacement did a much better job.

[ Replacement.... Replacement... ]

Haha.....haha..

[ His laughter starts off slow and then bubbles into an almost manic sounding laugh. ]

[ His voice goes deep. ] You let a dog get into the top 10. Now you're even lower than a dog. [ His voice goes higher pitched.] No matter how perfect you are, you'll become old and ugly one day and replaced by someone else~!

I wasn't talking about your replacement.

[ He keeps his arms folded as he approaches Nice, eventually coming to a stop in front of him. Without another word, he kneels down and reaches to wrap both arms around him. ]

[ Nice let out a startled gasp when he feels Wreck's arms around him. All the pent up frustrations, guilt, hatred. Every negative thing that he's been building up in his mind for years and years start pouring out. He was tired of feeling anything. He was mentally exhausted just being there anymore, and yet one small gesture from Wreck and those emotions couldn't stop. He tries to fight him at first, tries to pull out of his hold, but then as he starts hitting his chest, the hits get softer and more pathetic and he lets out a guttural cry. ]

[ They've been dancing around the issue for months. Every time Wreck presses him about what happened and what's going in his mind, Nice has shut him down, and then Wreck ends up deciding to try again later. ]

I'm your nemesis. You know you're going to have to punch me a lot harder than that to get me to let go of you.

[ Wreck hugs him even tighter in defiance. ]

[ Nice doesn't say anything, he's too busy shaking uncontrollably in Wreck's arms. It won't be for another 20 minutes before he thinks he can even talk at all. His voice already cracking. ]

You asked... if I missed the way things were.... well... if I go back home... the way I am now... I know I'll end up on the ledge again.

Edited 2026-01-13 05:47 (UTC)

[ Wreck is patient. He waits it out in silence, keeping his arms tight around Nice. Even when he does finally start to speak, he doesn't let go. ]

Then talk to me. You have to trust me when I tell you I won't walk away, and I won't judge you for anything you've done. Because I want to help, but I can't do that when I'm holding jigsaw puzzle with half its pieces missing....

I don't even know where to start....

[ How does he even begin to tell Wreck of all his failings, of all the horrible things he's done, all the people he's hurt. All to appease Shang De, and he couldn't even do it in the end. ]

When... I'm trying to figure things out... I find it helps to start at the end and work my way backwards.

I guess I'll slowly start to look like less and less of a scumbag if I start that way... ]

[ Nice didn't dare try to look at Wreck. he didn't dare do anything right now. ]

Between the two of us, you're the only one thinks that about you.

[ he lets out the most bitter of laughs. If Wreck didn't see anything wrong with him by the time he's finished then maybe there was something wrong with both of them. ]

The the very last thing I remember before coming here... I was contemplating. Why I even became a hero. What good I had even done. What was the point in anything. I was on top of a building near Treeman...and this boy.... was furious with me. he started yelling at an advertisement of mine...

[ Wreck nods, but he keeps quiet. He's afraid if he interrupts Nice, he might stop. ]

You must have seen the advertisements. They were everywhere.... for the Treeman home development plans... There's no way you couldn't have seen them... Well guess who was in charge of getting the plots of land all set up?

[ Go on guess. ]

I saw them. I actually... dropped what I was doing to watch them whenever I saw them.

[ It was, after all, the only "face-to-face" time he got with Nice. ]

Shang De? Since it's his company?

Me. There were still people living there.... and I had to make them all sign over their deeds so Shang De could start his work. I... scammed a bunch of elderly out of their homes... and the only reason why it's still standing is because I failed. I failed and lost to a little girl and her dog.

The... same dog who ended up as rank 8 or whatever...?

[ He's not surprised about what Shang De asked of Nice. Realty is often scummy. ]

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CW: implied suicide

CW: implied suicide

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CW: implied suicide

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CW: implied suicide