Choose Your Own (Reading) Adventure

A Strange Afternoon At the Library: The morning continues to greet you with that discordant buzzing routine: entering first from your phone before it creeps into your nervous system. Before the sleep can be rubbed from your eyes, the weight of the weary world descends upon your daily demands. Regardless, the work must be done. Whether you've come to crank out an email, crack into a work project, or to fax and file your documents, this visit to your local library is a surefire way to carve a slice of solitude from the day's quiet chaos. Distracted in your tasks as you work away, you nearly miss the moment when the buzzing silences. All is still, and there isn't a soul to be seen. Peering out a window reveals the commercial strip you've known has been overtaken by a dense forest on all sides - lit only by a glowing twilight sky. Past the window's edge sits a figure on a neighboring tree, nestled upon a sturdy branch with a book in his hands and a banjo slung on his back. Before you can glean any details, a startling sound of...chainmail? Rushes and clanks in a flurry of movement. You turn around to catch a shining glint of armor slipping past the front desk followed by the slamming shut of the office door. Will you...? [[|Knock on the office door...?->Fantasy]] or [[|Investigate the figure in the woods...?->Nature]]

History is fixed, but creativity is always with us in the present. Imagine how things could have been, to envision how things could be. Such imagination can shine a light into our own dark histories, or cast shadows on our legacies. May it give you pause. Until then... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

The figures in the firmament dance across the sky, and within their dance, you find the rythym for your melody. The pulsing heartbeat of our collective history - everything that makes up who we are. From that collective rythym traces back each individual culture, heritage, and people; like veins to the heart. Wherever your place in the great dance, however small: You begin to sing. And all of creation sings along. (align:"=><=")[ It is beautiful, it is tragic. It is brutal, it is tender. It is ours. ] And eventually, it comes to a close. your branch-neighbor in the tree-top canopy starts a slow //clap// that reverberates throughout the canopy. He turns to you he says: "I have no words that would do justice, so allow me to borrow some from (link-replace: "a beloved old friend of mine") [ (align:"=><=")[ '' "A Prayer For Words" - N. Scott Momaday 1934 – 2024''] ^^My voice restore for me. —Navajo^^ Here is the wind bending the reeds westward, The patchwork of morning on gray moraine: Had I words I could tell of origin, Of God’s hands bloody with birth at first light, Of my thin squeals in the heat of his breath, Of the taste of being, the bitterness, And scents of camas root and chokecherries. And, God, if my mute heart expresses me, I am the rolling thunder and the bursts Of torrents upon rock, the whispering Of old leaves, the silence of deep canyons. I am the rattle of mortality. I could tell of the splintered sun. I could Articulate the night sky, had I words.] Beaming with warmth this profound experience and nestled in the twilit forest canopy, a feeling of contentment blends together with the emotional exhaustion that follows witnessing such raw history. As you drift towards sleep... Where do your thoughts turn to? [[|A warm meal...->Traditional Cookbook]] or [[|Imagine a different way the song could be sung...->Alternate History]]

A journey is only as good as the people you meet - you should do your best to really get to know them. It's a long and lonely journey to walk by yourself, and you'll never get to know who you are if you aren't able to see deeply the journeys of others, so that together, you may walk each other home. And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

Nothing like a trip to the cinema to jog the old memory! Making your way to the ticket booth, you purchase your fare and settle in. A fresh and fragrant bowl of popcorn rests on your lap as the trailers play, and you can feel your anticipation building. Once the story starts, you feel the puzzle pieces of this case are beginning to come together: The case you're cracking is a Missing Person Case, and it' been cold for a while now. It seems looking for inspiration was the right idea, but maybe the wrong medium - like someone had told this story before, and maybe in a way that was better suited to what it had to say.. Regardless, you leave the theater with more hunger for inspiration than you started with, and feelings of frustration, confusion, and disorientation bubble close to the surface. A few ideas come to mind. You could... [[look for some words that better understand how you feel. ->Poetry]] or [[|Visit an art gallery, experiencing your feelings in a visual medium.->Graphic Novel]]

A slow, methodical melody comes forth from within you. It is complex, but once its foundations have been built and you have preserved past the wanderings of your mind, the scope and scale of the story and its beauty are near-trancendental. A slow tear is caught in the wrinkled eye of the man resting on his branch as the song reaches its profound and devastating conclusion. Your branch-neighbor in the tree-top canopy starts a slow //clap// that reverberates throughout the canopy. He turns to you he says: "You should be mighty pleased with yourself, friend. Few folks can sit with stories like that these days.'" Beaming with warmth from your artful acomplishment and nestled in the twilit forest canopy, it's hard to feel anything other than pure contentment, blended together with the exhaustion that follows such a mighty performance. As you drift towards sleep... Where do your thoughts turn to? [[|Retelling one of old stories you saw in the skyline ->Myths Reimagined]] or [[|Getting back to the Library ->Stories About Libraries]]

Your visor gently rests before your face, not fully obscuring vision, but providing enough of a blinder to help you focus and ground yourself. Again, there is stillness. (after:6s)[ . . .] (after:10s)[You remember what led you to the room in the first place, what led you to the library. Was that only moments ago? It feels like ages. Collecting your thoughts, the code seems to settle, and the room returns to some semblance of normalcy. In the stillness, you feel free to think, and conceptualize what all this has meant for you. Do you... [[|Work out how to take this stillness with you in your future...? ->Parenthood and Family Planning]] or [[|Reflect on what the constant noise could cause in our future? ->Dystopia]]]

By envisioning the way that things could, and must not become, it becomes easier to see where the world seems to be on right footing and where things slip and fall. Despite the dreariness of possible and potential futures that shine truth on a painful present and past, there is a determination and a hope to pull us forward. (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[= (if:(History:) contains "Fantasy")[ Your First Genre is... Fantasy! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/79q1q2rs204b723y7o1l0/Fantasy.png?rlkey=mmgbjpgbr3ql7ytkss8fntjz1&st=2kqp1qz8&dl=1">(link: "Fantasy Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783939887")]] (if:(History:) contains "Nature")[ Your First Genre is... Nature Writing! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5ndd29erx19jdrlc430py/Nature-Writing.png?rlkey=51xbgnorob2oenw4czwuoivl3&st=pswk5a7t&dl=1">(link: "Nature Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783945037") ]] (after:5s)[(if:(History:) contains "Science Fiction") [Your Second Genre is...Science Fiction! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v25pusf21l3pba8sq1zt5/Science-Fiction.png?rlkey=7c3x4r8boqprvkw0iq3i6vou8&st=ewaqi9bk&dl=1"> (link: "Science Fiction Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783948217")]] (if:(History:) contains "Mystery") [Your Second Genre is...Mystery!!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/65k4x59cfwemanz1oacpp/Mystery.png?rlkey=7tg4hhyeo6v1tsw2fkcgdo0vy&st=25xypi0l&dl=1"> (link: "Mystery Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783950854")]] (if:(History:) contains "Historical Fiction") [Your Second Genre is... Historical Fiction!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/or30pfei78dyc1h5crvpk/Historical-Fiction.png?rlkey=4vggcq6ocenw11do8o02srrx4&st=tqwkxlgh&dl=1">(link: "Historical Fiction Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783968028")]] (if:(History:) contains "Historical Nonfiction")[Your Second Genre is... Historical Nonfiction! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tvwmk8sxeu3vum52w2gwq/Historical-Nonfiction.png?rlkey=zfbd8u5ti3qva08ndup8gipnn&st=0calnhcw&dl=1">(link: "Historical Nonfiction Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783969697")]] (after:10s)[(if:(History:) contains "Digital Wellbeing") [Your Third Genre is... Digital Wellbeing!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oon6j49rrutlnml4vzi43/Digital-Wellbeing.png?rlkey=n8ejws9so7k2pqx6anacixjbz&st=2tofo5wh&dl=1">(link: "Digital Wellbeing Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783977217")]] (if:(History:) contains "STEM") [Your Third Genre is... STEM!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cnbajol62tuq7gk0oakbv/STEM.png?rlkey=vphuquly5qm6gtk42wc9d3g7z&st=hcirpxcs&dl=1">(link: "STEM Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2783980697")]] (if:(History:) contains "Spy Novel") [Your Third Genre is... Spy Novels!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3y5gry67v3awu8fchoqvm/Spy-Novels.png?rlkey=buc6kq6ew5jfwj7o89kbfu7v7&st=9dz6wlza&dl=1">(link: "Spy Novel Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784274377")]] (if:(History:) contains "Book to Movie")[Your Third Genre is... Books adapted into Film! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/opoqhbz0yr25jbun0gy0g/Book-To-Film.png?rlkey=svj1sxdp28w9ff1y5j6or2icy&st=ncmdmgzl&dl=1">(link: "Book-to-Movie Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784000877")]] (if:(History:) contains "Sociology") [Your Third Genre is... Sociology!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kad9h1sziommro88cf7fj/Sociology.png?rlkey=ctvsu7iqmtyo6c6vx43k1vkap&st=qthkf0db&dl=1">(link: "Sociology Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784010487")]] (if:(History:) contains "Anthropology") [Your Third Genre is... Antrhopology!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/at7itxwswhjk8h8c871md/Anthropology.png?rlkey=aj8pw6mlw1czkjaqov1qx6cga&st=qor207b3&dl=1">(link: "Anthropology Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784025757")]] (if:(History:) contains "Classics") [Your Third Genre is... Classics!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mpn1ymhgcslgj6fa5cdr9/Classics.png?rlkey=54ujf2i7g19q5xkqa7y00d0bi&st=lgsapxn5&dl=1">(link: "Classics Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784040319")]] (if:(History:) contains "Read Local") [Your Third Genre is... Read Local!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/agb6mj4dybv8hwnbac0fp/Read-Local.png?rlkey=mmieztde8cwm1aj36weyfly2r&st=vwk8b7p1&dl=1">(link: "Read-Local Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784047217")] ]] (after:15s)[(if:(History:) contains "Parenthood and Family Planning") [Your Final Genre is... Parenthood and Family Planning!!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wjqmig19mhrk3k21e7ogo/Family-Planning.png?rlkey=yrve2u9wjab6laa4v0oqm32xt&st=ilbqg5ru&dl=1">(link: "Parenthood and Family Planning Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784050957")]] (if:(History:) contains "Dystopia") [Your Final Genre is... Dystopia! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l0t6m859nh3ba1ax2niot/Dystopia.png?rlkey=00k5se3rg17lceu9258z6ldiw&st=06b95swp&dl=1">(link: "Dystopia Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784260307")]] (if:(History:) contains "Philosophy") [Your Final Genre is... Philosophy! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ey9nqla6qfqp1a6p1m67c/Philosophy.png?rlkey=nslh3jhwlv786j0y69uijsi35&st=1hui1nu3&dl=1">(link: "Philosophy Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784261877")]] (if:(History:) contains "Romance") [Your Final Genre is... Romance! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h8gs52y41xgi09omatk71/Romance.png?rlkey=wu7ax88wms1m8a71pj9bsc16o&st=wdt8ns8z&dl=1"> (link: "Romance Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784274377")]] (if:(History:) contains "Horror Thriller") [Your Final Genre is... Horror/Thriller!<img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n5a0olqe4t4r206o1z0bv/Horror_-Thriller.png?rlkey=zthi98pp48xvb8fj1cdpc4qxv&st=f1em064g&dl=1">(link: "Horror/Thriller Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784000877")]] (if:(History:) contains "True Crime") [Your Final Genre is... True Crime! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tnslzm1rak6i4jegbkpn4/True-Crime.png?rlkey=krhipo7frd3rzzoanoepq3hxe&st=hmfclmcq&dl=1">(link: "True Crime Recommendations")[(goto-url:"https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1248967987/2784269240")]] (if:(History:) contains "Poetry") [Your Final Genre is... Poetry! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zanpztdc4enfa0avvr9gj/Poetry.png?rlkey=stjdqn85ffmk40j0xawnhm6q2&st=4pmo2e4h&dl=1">(link: "Poetry Recommendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793061307")]] (if:(History:) contains "Graphic Novel") [Your Final Genre is... Graphic Novels! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ovv02cffyy0c7m7meosho/Graphic-Novels.png?rlkey=qzvggsf90e5chhtvnuancbcue&st=xocmz42b&dl=1"> (link:"Graphic Novel Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793097987")]] (if:(History:) contains "Travel Stories") [Your Final Genre is... Travel Stories!! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wvcmyxquzgq0czs9e95z6/Journey-Books.png?rlkey=2sdlag1hsr99q6vhrc1x8ex0o&st=5neifewl&dl=1">(link:"Travel Story Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793094187")]] (if:(History:) contains "Biography") [Your Final Genre is... Biographies! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h8pnzoedfg4s3o44zgb0w/Biography.png?rlkey=pf8q55cfrqp7hnjc1ikapo963&st=45bibl80&dl=1"> (link:"Biography Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793068537")]] (if:(History:) contains "Traditional Cookbook") [Your Final Genre is... Traditional Cookbooks! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vo3dn30zbu4b7exlox1vc/Traditional-Cookbooks.png?rlkey=18ub26uii9xdue8p7zcsl7nk5&st=ipd48pog&dl=1"> (link:"Traditional Cookbook Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793089967")]] (if:(History:) contains "Alternate History") [Your Final Genre is... Alternate History! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/tmlhe1433ur8atxzyw5qd/Alternate-History.png?rlkey=wzjio7n586vthvhzndlitljln&st=brbe9z00&dl=1"> (link:"Alternate History Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793072037")]] (if:(History:) contains "Myths Reimagined") [Your Final Genre is... Reimagined Mythology! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/airbjz0lda47wdd98ja60/Myths-Reimagined.png?rlkey=ate3f63gi4ivrshzl52ddkmdr&st=05dvy6im&dl=1">(link:"Reimagined Myth Reccomendations")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793081877")]] (if:(History:) contains "Stories About Libraries") [Your Final Genre is... Library Stories! <img src=" https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mjn8qis3lhrks4wm5pmby/Stories-about-Libraries.png?rlkey=wtkhl5k70agtayn8opc6n04zq&st=31t94xz6&dl=1">(link:"Libary Stories Reccomendaions")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793079937")]] (if:(History:) contains "Friendly Recommendation") [Your Final Genre is... to ask for a book recommendation! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/klpytkwhrhhsyaxmp9fx0/Get-a-suggestion.png?rlkey=9igw51vuoblw0neamux6wnbti&st=i7nhvcxs&dl=1"> //''Ask a friend, a colleague, a family member, or a librarian for a recommendation! ''//] (if:(History:) contains "Travel Guide") [Your Final Genre is... Travel Guides! <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/38juiezvdem8a3n1kd2pn/Travel-Guide.png?rlkey=xtqhb2lp160u1229v2y1sl8jx&st=as6js0lj&dl=1"> ]]] Want to see what else could be in store for you? You can always start again and make new choices! (link:"Get the full Genre List here")[(goto-url: "https://wccls.bibliocommons.com/v2/list/display/1618398080/2793138667")] Once you've settled on your path, fill out your reading log to track your progress. Return once it is finished to be entered into our prize pool by the end of the summer! Happy reading!

Stepping passed the front counter, you find yourself where only library volunteers and staff (and on the rare occasion: small, wandering children) congregate. Working up the courage and curiosity, your closed fist hits the door in a series of dull *thuds* shortly followed by the sound of locks turning and latches lifting. The handle turns, and as the door swings open, the entryway is blocked by a full suit of gleaming plate mail: Helmet, gauntlets, cuirass, greaves... The visor of the helmet lifts up to reveal that the suit is empty and held aloft without any support. In the mirror-like shine of the armor, you catch your reflection and could swear it almost looks like you're the one wearing the plate mail. In a blink of confusion, you look back and see the doorway unimpeded, as you walk forward, newly adorned in a suit of armor. Before reason can reach your present moment,, two rather unusual office desks catch your eye. At one desk, stands a massive monitor with wires coming from every which way that radiates a neon-static glow.. At the other, a worn typewriter clicks and clacks all on its own while a black-and-white cigarette sits half-smoldering in an ashtray before the paper table comes reeling back for the next line. Do you...? [[|Investigate the futuristic monitor...? ->Science Fiction]] or [[|Investigate the self-typing typewriter? ->Mystery]]

A song or story is only as good as the people you share it with. It's time to share yours! And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

Seeing the strokes of paint on the canvas, the color and form, you feel a rush of understanding as it speaks truth to your mystery. The Missing Person in your case? (after:4s)[It was you. Seeing the beautiful, complex and complicated shapes and colors before your eyes, you recognise them within yourself as well. And with that... ] (after:8s)[[[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

Flipping through the tome, the history on the page comes to life before your eyes above the twilit treeline: stories of industry, nations built and nations crumbled, daring exploits, lessons, and tragedies. The man beside your branch looks up in wistful recognition, as though his old eyes had seen this all once before. The gestalt of history sprawls out before you, and inspires you to tell a new song with what you see. Perhaps inspired by the muses of old, you begin to play. what do you sing? [[|A duet with the wise-old-man ->Sociology]] or [[|A folk tale of a people's long history->Anthropology]]

Flipping through the tome, the history on the page comes to life before your eyes above the twilit treeline: stories of industry, nations built and nations crumbled, daring exploits, lessons, and tragedies. The man beside your branch looks up in wistful recognition, as though his old eyes had seen this all once before. The gestalt of history sprawls out before you, and inspires you to give life to an old song that tells the story of what you see. Perhaps inspired by the muses of old, you begin to play. To where do you look to find what you sing? [[|Look to the greatest stories ever told from the distant past ->Classics]] or [[|Find stories from close to home->Read Local]]

You have lept into uncertainty, hurling from danger towards imminent danger, soaring through the air. Your heart is racing, your blood is pulsing: You have never felt so alive. (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

Trying to see what this self-typing typewriter is putting to page; you lean forward to get a closer look only to be assaulted by a reem of flying papers! The newly acquired visor on your head slams down to protect your face from paper cuts. Half a minute passes before the barrage slows to a halt. As the visor rises, the setting you see has shifted entirely and the hues of light feel...grittier. Shades of black and white light up a grimy city street. Walking down an alleyway, there's just enough brightness from a nearby streetlight to catch your reflection in a puddle. Your armor has been replaced by a trilby cap and a large overcoat. The sound of smooth, slow jazz permeates your mind as a nagging flash of insight makes itself known: You've got a case to crack. Do you... [[|reach out to your high-profile informant...? ->Spy Novel]] or [[| find inspiration from watching your favorite detective flicks->Book to Movie]]

People have been looking to the stars for inspiration for as long as we have been around. Imagining cosmic dramas, and seeing ourselves amidst the action. To pass down a story, you must also pass down the rite of storytelling. Looking to the stars, these stories are in your hands now. The spirit of the story remains the same, but the perspective you bring to it, and the world in which you get to speak it into existence, have changed and will keep on changing. It is a gift to yourself and to the world to make stories our own. and with that... [[Your journey comes to a close...->End Results]]

Stepping out past the library doors, the twilit sky feels gentle and reassuring. The grass beneath your feet is springy with give and vitality. Walking up to tall tree you saw from the window, the gentleman you noticed before calls down to you: "Climb on up! The view is unbeatable from here!" Whether or not you had previously been inclined as a climber before you visited the library today, something about the encouraging invitation from the high branch fills you with confidence and ease to scale the tree. You make it up to a neighboring branch, and the man meets you with a smile. There's something old, maybe ancient about this man, but he seems lively and kind, and in a perfect kind of peace. You see in one hand, a guilded tome with maps, reciepts, journal entries and travel logs with dog-eared pages. In the other, he holds out his banjo. "Since you're up here, why don't you sing me an old song, or sing me something new that still feels like home" Looking out at the view of the forest, he sure was right. The view is hard to beat. Despite the oddity of his request, he's got an affect that's as gentle as the wind, and a toothy grin that could charm the hardest of hearts. How could you say no? Will you...? [[| Find something in the tome to sing about, word for word ->Historical Nonfiction]] or [[Find inspiration from the tome, but sing your own song ->Historical Fiction]]

Thinking about what you want your future to look like, and how you can take the lessons you have learned and incorporate them in your own life, and to pass it down in the lives of those that come after you; whether your own children or the children in your communities, leaves a feeling of hopeful determination dispite dreary circumstances. (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

The code speaks back - "Honor the question, honor the asker, honor the asked. That is the beginning of wisdom. But what do I know - I'm just a machine." (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

Searching the streets, that feeling of dissatisfaction at a lack of words propels you forwards. Like a blood-sniffing dog, you prowl through alleys and side-streets, unsure of what it is you are even looking for, but the sun is setting on your obsession. Once again, that buzz has crept into your system, almost causing you to miss the slow pluck and strum of a banjo from a tent on the streetside. looking closer, the inside is lit by a lantern, casting a shadow of a figure you swear you recognize from the twilit tree-line outside the library. The ''//Library!//'' You'd almost forgotten how this all started! Plagued with curiousity and in the near-climactic thrill of lucid recognition at dream's end, you enter the tent. (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")['It was only a matter of time til' you found your way back here.] (link-replace: "Take a load off, stranger.'")['' - Buddy Wakefield - "The Information Man"'' I can tell you're looking for answers In the same way I can see when Kenny Rogers is out of aces So for a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice - Listen If I didn’t have so much of this life all wrong I would have gotten it right by now I talk a whole bunch, but I really know only a few things So I'll just tell ya the things I tell myself The things I know And you can see what sticks I know our shoes were stitched from songs about highways The best songs are the ones about Georgia Even though I've never been there it's the only place I still believe in Jesus I know that no matter what it is you believe in You've got to spare yourself the futility of making fun of God Because that guy hasn't even talked Ever I know troubleshooting yourself in the foot And acting as your own universe is a tricky dichotomy to deal with But, yes, you are the center of the universe If you weren't you wouldn't be here So as the middle of space, and everything floating in it It is your job to know that the emptiness is just emptiness That the stars are stars And that the flying rocks //''hurt''// So please, stop inviting walls into wide open spaces I know everything is out there It's why they call it everything I know there are times When you will lay your head to rest And have a moment of brilliance That will grow into a perfect order of words But you will fall asleep instead of painting it down on paper When you wake up you will have forgotten the idea completely And miss it like a front tooth But at least you know how to recognize moments of brilliance Because even at your worst you are//'' incredible''// It comes honest So return to yourself even if you're already there Because no matter where you go Or how hard you try Or what you do The only person you're ever going get to be And I know it Thank God Is you] (more:)[you feel a rush of understanding as they speak truth to your mystery. The Missing Person in your case? It was you. Hearing the beautiful words from someone else, you recognise them within yourself as well. And with that... [[|Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

Your thoughts dwell on home, and the tome lights up the sky with stories and storytellers of the Pacific Northwest. As you sing, you are joined by a host of familiar voices. Their stories dance and converge with yours into a melody that gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of the place you call home. As the chorus from the firmament comes to a close, your branch-neighbor in the tree-top canopy starts a slow //clap// that reverberates throughout the canopy. He turns to you he says: "You should be mighty pleased with yourself, friend. There's no place like home.'" Beaming with warmth from your artful acomplishment and nestled in the twilit forest canopy, it's hard to feel anything other than pure contentment, blended together with the exhaustion that follows such a mighty performance. As you drift towards sleep... Where do your thoughts turn to? [[|The friends you've made in this great place you live ->Friendly Recommendation]] or [[|Finding new places to explore and visit ->Travel Guide]]

And the code speaks back: "Be bold, be gentle, break open, and make new. Weave yourself amongst the love you seek, and tend to every tug and knot. Above all, remember you are never alone. But, what do I know? I'm just amachine." (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]

You sidle up to the desk and get comfortable as you begin to track what you observe. Hours quickly pass, and days shortly follow. The more you recognize, and the more you understand, the more you are able to interact with the code. The longer you spend with it, the more you realize that, through applied study and observation here, you can find the answer to any question. Leaving the world of numbers and figures for a moment, you collect yourself long enough to wonder... " What should I ask?" [[| Who, or what, is truly wise? ->Philosophy]] or [[| How can I love and be loved in return? ->Romance]]

It's hard not to stare as the neon-static glows into the rest of the room. Before you can break your eyes away, ones and zeros start to project from the monitor screen and dance around the room. They coat the walls, the floor, the ceiling, and even reflect off of your shining plate armor. There is an uneasiness as well as fascination to the exponential increase in the code projections. You are starting to forget what the room even looked like before. Will you? [[|Flip down your helmet visor, shielding your eyes ->Digital Wellbeing]] or [[| Study the patterns, learning their significance ->STEM]]

The wise-old-man gives a surprised grin. "You'd sing with little old me? Well be still my heart. (align:"=><=")[Flipping through the tome, he finds a dog-earred page and smiles with his eyes. ] "How things ought to be, and how they are. I'll count you in, I'm sure you'll keep up just fine" You play, he sings, and the two of you find harmony. The figures in the firmament show a story of power, struggle, people coming together and breaking apart. It's as beautiful as it is tragic, and eventually, it comes to a close. your branch-neighbor in the tree-top canopy and duet partner sheds a tear, and for the first time, begins to truly look his age: "I've been singing this song for as long as I can remember, and it's never quite ended how I'd hope. I don't know how much more I've got in me. I know it's easy to feel small in all of this, but don't you fret. You've got quite a voice you've got on ya, maybe your song will turn out for the better next time. (link-replace: " Ya know, an old friend of mine once told me - before he had to go...") [(align:"=><=")['' Kahlil Gibran - "The Prophet"''] 'How shall I go in peace and without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city. Long were the days of pain I have spent within its walls, and long were the nights of aloneness; and who can depart from his pain and his aloneness without regret? ... Yet I cannot tarry longer. The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark. For to stay, though the hours burn in the night, is to freeze and crystallize and be bound in a mould. Fain would I take with me all that is here. But how shall I? A voice cannot carry the tongue and the lips that gave it wings. Alone must it seek the ether. And alone and without his nest shall the eagle fly across the sun.'] (align:"=><=")[I know it looks grim, kid. Keep singin' - who can say where that voice will take you."] Nestled in the twilit forest canopy, a feeling of contentment blends together with the exhaustion from the weary weight, that begins to drift you towards sleep... Before dreams take you, where do your thoughts lie? [[|Where it is you're headed next...? ->Travel Stories]] or [[Who you'll meet along the way...?->Biography]]

You look through your notepad for a list of informants, when a name catches your eye: Dr Dr. Madeleine Swann. You can't quite remember what she knows, or who she is to you, but you do know that you are terribly underdressed to meet with her. You pull yourself into a tailor shop and are met with a fine quartermaster who ensures you are dressed to kill. You rendevous with Dr. Swann at an extravagant gala event, and after stealing away a quick dance, you are able to find a moment alone on the penthouse balcony to question her: "My word is my bond - the people you are pursuing are not to be trifled with lightly." "Nor am I" "As you wish... I'll tell you what it is you are looking for, so long as you tell me something in return." "For you? Anything." "What flowers shall I rest on your grave?" She always had a way with words. Even moreso a way with concealed firearms. She draws on you, and you have a mere moment to make a choice. Do you...? [[|Flee: Dive off the balcony ->Horror Thriller]] or [[|Fight: Hope your Judo reflexes can disarm her in time->True Crime]]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[= <img src="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ebfbma3suy1lj7ft3xnjg/Small-Title-Page.jpg?rlkey=te4z2h59pozjtz0fpaj389itn&st=jsqvwbt9&dl=1" > (t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3.5s)(click-goto:?page,"A Strange Afternoon at the Library")

You wake and find yourself back in the library in the same state it was when you arrived this morning. You had fallen asleep on your half opened laptop - your mundane work whose pressure and weight had been insidiously building in the background of your life, feels lighter and more purposeful now. What a joy, what a gift, to re-enchant this wonderful space. Carry that library magic with you wherever you go. But for now... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]] //Congrats!! You found the true end!//

A journey is only as good as the wind in your sails and the food in your belly. Experiencing the pulse of culture through time, it would be foolish to not experience its life-blood: Cultural Cuisine. “I've long believed that good food, good eating, is all about risk. Whether we're talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime 'associates,' food, for me, has always been an adventure” ― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly Here's to taking some risks. Until then... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

Start a new adventure in a new place, and the possibilites are endless... But for now, [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

A pilgrimage is a good story. Who knows where it will take you? Only your feet. Keep walking. Out of the overflow of your heart, you will speak your journey into existence. And with that... [[This Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]

In bullet time, you swat her forearm as she fires her snubnosed pistol - just glancing past your ear. The sound rings - and you close the distance. Thankfully, your (Q)uartermaster equipped you with a watch that deploys emergency handcuffs in a pinch. Your key witness apprehended, the last thread of this case's sweater will be pulled and unravelled in time to come. (after:6s)[And with that... [[Your Journey Comes to a Close...->End Results]]]