[ « He's here. Here, in Bright Falls. He's here somewhere. Can you find him? »
Jesse Faden presses her nuckles to her lips. It's still early evening. They have a handful of hours before the sun sets. That is plenty of time to find their missing writer and prepare for whatever terrors are in the night.
She's in her tacticle gear--ready for a fight.
This loop has been drastically different. They were never tipped off that Anderson and Casey found Alan. Maybe they hadn't found him yet. The monitoring site was a disaster the moment she and Steve arrived. "Racoons", they said. There were multiple alerts about the active AWE. Estevez went ahead to investigate while Jesse and Steve did what they could to fortify the site.
Then, she felt him. Or, Polaris did and told her.
Alan Wake was in Bright Falls.
She remembered the first loop--what she could anyways. Their relationship, the fact it was written out of the story. Now, she hopes Alan kept true to his promise and wrote it back into this version. It's so different that maybe he did...
Steve cuts the engine outside the Sheriff Station. Estevez had sent word that they had set up there. Jesse wastes no time exiting the rental, slamming the door shut, and pushing her way into the double doors.
« He really is here. Where? » ]
Director Faden. We have the situation under control. Lights outside with power, a black rock holding cell. It's not protocol, but with the limited resources--
Where is he? You took a parautalitarian into custody, didn't you? Alan Wake. Where did you put him?
[ Estevez blinks as she is cut off and looks to Steve as he enters the building. He pulls the aviators off and shakes his head. The new director will just know things, and apparently, the Polaris Resonance hasn't made its way down the chain. ]
Yes, I mean. We did find and confirm him at the site of the Motel here in town. The Cult of the Tree attacked, Wake was in the forest outside. We have the two leaders of the Cult here too. They're beside him. Director Faden. We've got this covered.
Where. Is. He? [ Jesse catches a shimmer beyond the door. Without waiting for directions, Jesse is pushing the door to the holding cells open.
Steve sighs and shakes his head . He's going to be the one to catch up the field agents on everything. He takes a look around, then gestures with a nod of his head. ]
Got any coffee? I'll go over the basics, Estevez. Which, reminds me. We brought something with us from the Oldest House for everyone...
[ Jesse immediately rounds the corner and sees the three occupied ones. She ignores the first two grumbling pacing people, muttering about the Cult and their job. A glance is spared at them, but her attention is more on the cell that Polaris shimmers towards. In a few almost instant steps she's there at the front.
He's sitting on the bed provided in the cell. Head in his hands. Long hair, beard. Jesse feels her heartbeat skip. Then, it speeds up.
He's really here.
How long has it been since they actually met in person? The Motel is one thing. Messages sent through dimensions is another. This, though, feels so, so different.
Her hands curl around the bars and she leans against the cell doors. She doesn't say anything at first, not wanting to rattle him. Instead, she rests her forehead on the bars and waits. The moment passes into two, then three.
Finally, she speaks up: ]
What did they get you for? Speeding? Jay walking? Oh, flannel out of season?
[ « A joke. That's a good start. »
The two men in the cell next door make biting remarks under their breathe. She sends them a pinned glare. It makes the louder one straighten up and the quiet one rinse his eyebrows. She turns her attention back to Alan. ]
🕯 reunion.
Jesse Faden presses her nuckles to her lips. It's still early evening. They have a handful of hours before the sun sets. That is plenty of time to find their missing writer and prepare for whatever terrors are in the night.
She's in her tacticle gear--ready for a fight.
This loop has been drastically different. They were never tipped off that Anderson and Casey found Alan. Maybe they hadn't found him yet. The monitoring site was a disaster the moment she and Steve arrived. "Racoons", they said. There were multiple alerts about the active AWE. Estevez went ahead to investigate while Jesse and Steve did what they could to fortify the site.
Then, she felt him. Or, Polaris did and told her.
Alan Wake was in Bright Falls.
She remembered the first loop--what she could anyways. Their relationship, the fact it was written out of the story. Now, she hopes Alan kept true to his promise and wrote it back into this version. It's so different that maybe he did...
Steve cuts the engine outside the Sheriff Station. Estevez had sent word that they had set up there. Jesse wastes no time exiting the rental, slamming the door shut, and pushing her way into the double doors.
« He really is here. Where? » ]
Director Faden. We have the situation under control. Lights outside with power, a black rock holding cell. It's not protocol, but with the limited resources--
Where is he? You took a parautalitarian into custody, didn't you? Alan Wake. Where did you put him?
[ Estevez blinks as she is cut off and looks to Steve as he enters the building. He pulls the aviators off and shakes his head. The new director will just know things, and apparently, the Polaris Resonance hasn't made its way down the chain. ]
Yes, I mean. We did find and confirm him at the site of the Motel here in town. The Cult of the Tree attacked, Wake was in the forest outside. We have the two leaders of the Cult here too. They're beside him. Director Faden. We've got this covered.
Where. Is. He? [ Jesse catches a shimmer beyond the door. Without waiting for directions, Jesse is pushing the door to the holding cells open.
Steve sighs and shakes his head . He's going to be the one to catch up the field agents on everything. He takes a look around, then gestures with a nod of his head. ]
Got any coffee? I'll go over the basics, Estevez. Which, reminds me. We brought something with us from the Oldest House for everyone...
[ Jesse immediately rounds the corner and sees the three occupied ones. She ignores the first two grumbling pacing people, muttering about the Cult and their job. A glance is spared at them, but her attention is more on the cell that Polaris shimmers towards. In a few almost instant steps she's there at the front.
He's sitting on the bed provided in the cell. Head in his hands. Long hair, beard. Jesse feels her heartbeat skip. Then, it speeds up.
He's really here.
How long has it been since they actually met in person? The Motel is one thing. Messages sent through dimensions is another. This, though, feels so, so different.
Her hands curl around the bars and she leans against the cell doors. She doesn't say anything at first, not wanting to rattle him. Instead, she rests her forehead on the bars and waits. The moment passes into two, then three.
Finally, she speaks up: ]
What did they get you for? Speeding? Jay walking? Oh, flannel out of season?
[ « A joke. That's a good start. »
The two men in the cell next door make biting remarks under their breathe. She sends them a pinned glare. It makes the louder one straighten up and the quiet one rinse his eyebrows. She turns her attention back to Alan. ]