PHASE I [ 10 00 ] No matter how you feel about reading activities, you’re going to the library today. Whether you accepted that flier and its promise of 1000 credits if you came to experience the joys of reading, or you didn’t and one of the truancy bots grabbed you and dragged you there, kicking and screaming, the fact of the matter is that you’re going to the library. Today.
Now that you're here though, remember to please be quiet while in the library. The librarian will not appreciate it if you’re loud.
In fact, said librarian will gladly hunt you down if you’re loud. She hasn't had lunch yet and you look ever so tasty, after all. If you don't want to be eaten though, apologies and a hefty donation to the library will get her to back down. See how simple that was? And all you had to do was shut your piehole.
Also hey look, all of your friends are here too! You should go read with them. Quietly.
Welcome to the library.
PHASE II [ 1015 ] And once you’re in the library, well… you may feel drawn to a book. It can be any book. It may not even be the typical sort of book that you’d read. But you’re drawn to it, you pick it up, you read a few pages, and then something happens.
The effects may take hold slowly and worsen over time, or they may immediately grab you by the throat, but either way, you’re no longer acting quite like yourself.
And now that you’ve read a book, you’re allowed to leave the library without a fuss, book now safely in your arms along with your new CERES-issued library card app on your CereVice. The app is handy for things like seeing if a certain book is at the library or checked out, requesting for a specific title to be available, renewing books from the comfort of your home and checking on events happening weekly. (Tuesday Afternoon is the "Romance Lovers Book Club" and it seems to be personally recommended by Mosley himself! Wow!) Look at how handy that is! Of course, you can also try to escape through the windows without a book, but nobody will let you leave until you’ve at least checked out at least one.
Reading is good for you, kids.
PHASE III [ 100 ] Either way, you’ve escaped the library, right? You’re safe now, even if everyone around the city is acting totally strange. And, for a day or two, everything will just stay that way. Everything will probably be fine, right?
Wrong.
The third night after this disaster began, you’ll find yourself back in the library. You don’t know how you got there or why but you sure are here. One moment you were asleep in your bed, or reading like the night owl you are, and the next you’re in the middle of the library, wearing whatever you wear late at night. No judgment here, you rock those pikachu pajamas. You really do. ... Oh wait, you weren't wearing pikachu pajamas? Oops. You are now.
Anyway, the library is completely dark, and eerily quiet. But there are skitterings of creatures right outside of your field of vision, and no matter how you try, you can’t find a light switch. While nothing is jumping out at you immediately, this is also Cerealia. Who knows what’s lurking out there in the dark? Maybe you should take a swing and see what happens.
Of course, if you do get the zombie skeletons, you should feel bad about it; it seemed they were just trying to sort the books with a lot of enthusiasm. It's not their fault you were in their book-sorting way.
(Or... maybe it’s just your friends. It sure would be bad if you killed them. Please don’t kill them and get blood all over the books.)
PHASE IV [ 645 ] From the sun shining through the windows, it... seems to be morning. Yayyyy! You survived the night.
But you also made a mess. There are books everywhere, along with (re)dead zombie corpses, and they need to be sorted back into their proper places. You do know the system that Cerealia’s books are sorted by, right? Of course you do.
... What the heck is a Dewey Decimal System?
Well, either way you’d better get to work fast, because if the books aren’t sorted, you will be. If you inspect the corpses, you might notice that there's something off about them. That maybe they weren't there to attack you last night but to... clean up the library. And you stopped them, oh. So now it's your job to sort through this mess and if you don't, a certain giant metal claw will happily grab you and stuff you into a bookshelf regardless of whether or not your limbs fit.
(Also wow, rude, did the claw sort you onto the dinosaur erotica shelf?)
Either way, you can probably leave once the librarian gets here and forget this whole PR stunt ever happened. Thanks for reading with CERES!
BONUS [ xxxx ] So, remember those book clubs? It seems like they're not doing nearly as well as the library would hope (even with their sponsorship from Mosley!) so the library has decided to do something about that. Sometime during the next week, even if the effects of that book you checked out have worn off, you might be approached by some robots (holy shit are they huge too). They don't look friendly either. They'll have the official Cerealia Library logo on their chest and when they spot you they'll make a beeline right over, so you might want to run.
They're here to collect you and no matter how many times you try and outrun them, they'll just keep coming back. If you finally give in, don't mind the robot as it scoops you up (bridal style, naturally) and carries you straight to the library.
When you get there, everything's less threatening, of course. You'll be dropped right at the circle of chairs with everyone else (maybe you see a friend there too) and given a book to read. Is this... is this dinosaur erotica again? Of course it is. (Or maybe it's the robot western, the zombie noir? All these genres to choose from!)
And it seems like those robots aren't going to let you leave until you've given a detailed, thoughtful account of the main character's struggle either. They want to see tears.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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Phase II a
Shit. CERES, why do you do this to him? Why?
Mikleo will just play along and take it at face value. He will sandbag you, Yuri. He's had practice with Zaveid.]
Uh...sure. What genre are you interested in?
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he leans forward a bit, dipping down to bring his face closer to mikleo's. personal space? yeah, we're having none of that right now. never mind the fact that they're both subtly spoken for these days.]
That's the things... I'm not sure. Maybe you could help me by showing me your favorite.
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So, Mikleo is going to take a step back. A big step back.]
Normally, that'd be history books of the nonfiction sort, but since there are none here....
[He shrugs slightly.]
I guess whatever looks interesting to read is my fallback.
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which means he'll take a step forward; it's not tough with his long strides anyway.]
Yeah? Maybe you could show me what you think is interesting, then.
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...He's really trying, here. Mikleo is also unsure if he wants to show his back to Yuri at the moment. He guesses that if worse comes to worse, he can always freeze Yuri's shoes to the floor and make a break for it.
The seraph sidesteps to get around Yuri and heads to one of the bookshelves. He reaches out to pick one of them.]
This one had an interesting premise. You seem like the type to enjoy a good adventure novel.
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the overabundance of testosterone that comes with morphing into a terrible fabio-clone is so real right now.
...and that's why while mikleo's back is still turned to pull a book from the shelf, he hovers behind mikleo. yuri leans down with his chin practically resting against mikleo's shoulder. his tone drops in volume, but remains flirtatious.]
So you think I'm the adventurous type, huh?
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Oh my gosh, are you okay?!
[ACTUAL BODILY HARM HAD NEVER BEEN THE INTENT, ESPECIALLY SINCE HE HAD A RIB BROKEN OH LORDS]
I'm so sorry, Yuri. I swear I didn't mean to hit you like that. Do you need a healing Arte or a gel?
[Even if Yuri's acting extremely weird and uncomfortable, it's still Yuri and he's never done anything to warrant that before now.]
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You're pretty strong. [a short pause; that almost sounded like something he'd normally say. almost.] Your honesty and consideration is admirable.
[which would probably sound normal if he were being sarcastic, but he's not. does he sound... charmed? he might sound charmed right now.]
I'd be an idiot to refuse your kindness. [at least he hasn't gone full purple-prose yet, but he's probably well on his way at this point.]
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Yeah, well, I mean...I don't just stand around to cast Seraphic Artes all the time in a battle.
[Though, really, slender as the water seraph looks, it does make people underestimate his physical strength.]
...I'm really sorry about that. [He won't be stuck on this for long, probably.]
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[is he getting sappier? yeah, he's definitely getting sappier by the moment. the more time passes, the less like yuri lowell he sounds like.
his hair may also have that sudden appearance of a breeze blowing through it, despite being inside. things are getting weird. but it can't be helped, mikleo's kindness is just so endearing that yuri wants more of it for himself. so now is obviously a good time to get up in mikleo's personal space again.] Don't judge yourself harshly for it. It would wound me greater than being slapped in the face.
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Uh...okay. Um, Yuri? Your hair is moving by itself.
[Mikleo can't believe he said that. Neither can he believe that it needed to be said. If it was Zaveid, he wouldn't think anything of it, but Yuri is not a wind seraph.]
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Is it? It must be because I'm so blown away by your kindness, Mikleo. [something must be wrong. yuri is being punny.]
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Ugh, I can think of two people who can pun better, and that's not really saying much.
[Stepping back, now.]
Yuri, I haven't known you for very long, but I think that maybe you might be sick or something. I mean, your sense of humor has been more dry and sarcastic from what I've been able to tell. Not...punny.
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[yuri................]
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I think the fact that you're trying to hit on me is the biggest indication that you're sick or something.
[...In fairness to Yuri, he'd think that of anyone hitting on him.]
Maybe we should find you a medical professional to make sure.
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Maybe you should check to see if I'm feverish, then. [yuri.]
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[Mikleo's also pretty sure that touching Yuri's forehead is going to end terribly for him.]
Or perhaps we should find Flynn instead. He can probably take better care of you than I can.
[Little does he know.............................]
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That's a bit adventurous, isn't it? [yuri, no?? no?] I think you and I could handle things just fine for now.
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No. [Okay, now he is desperate.] Look, Yuri, you and I? It's not going to happen. We're not compatible, we hardly even know each other, and I'm sorry, but I'm spoken for, okay?
[MAYBE THIS WILL STOP THE MADNESS....]
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[well, that gets through to him at least. he may look a bit crestfallen at those words; he was trying here pretty genuinely, even if it didn't seem like that.]
I see. I can't sway your heart if it already belongs to another. [he takes a step back, giving his head a small nod.]
It looks like I'll have to keep searching. [it's flynn, you idiot. why are you dumb, yuri.]
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Well...good luck in your search. Maybe that person you're looking for isn't as far away as you think.
[Mikleo doesn't know. He's just trying to be a little kind about it while also bullshitting his way out of this situation.]
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[ah, the sadness of a missed opportunity. his hair is blowing in that mysterious wind again, and with it comes more flower petals.
weird. seriously weird. but yuri's turning on his heels now; his search has to continue, after all. he's not all that interested in staying in the path of disappointment anyway.]
Stay well, Mikleo.