A story she can't control. Being unable to support the man she's fallen in love with--even if he says she's helped. How can she be of help if he's still stuck here? Bringing him back to being awake is great, it's what she's wanted to do, but what will happen when she leaves? Will he be able to stay awake?
Or is he going to drown again? What if he drowns to the point she can't pull him back up?
« I know we'll need to leave. We can't stay here... even if there's a part of me that wants to stay with him. It's too dangerous for you. For me. We can't properly recover here. And, Alan won't want us here. Not for much longer. It's the one thing he never wanted to have happen, but Door and his message... we ended up coming anyways. »
Her gaze lifts to his once he speaks again. Alan has most likely caught on to when she is speaking with Polaris. He's been around her so many times that he's had to notice. Learned when she speaks to her oldest friend and for how long.
A slow nod to his request.
Then, her eyes move to the manuscript in her hands.
She turns the title page and begins to read.
The edits Alan have made are obvious to her. Even if she hadn't seen the page where he wrote them back into the last loop? She can tell what is him and what's Scratch. Reading all the Alex Casey books certainly helped with that. Spending time with him has been the biggest way she has grown to notice it. Just, knowing him and his mind.
Jesse falls silent, but Polaris continues to hum, naturally coexisting with the Light brought by the Diver. She wishes that hum could help soothe her nerves as she turns the pages. The expression on her face turns ever so slightly to horror bit by bit. Then, it picks up speed. Everything Saga had faced and dealt with.
« No wonder she was so angry at Alan. »
Her hands come to a stop after some time. She stops at the point in which they would have crossed paths. Alan taken by the FBC, Saga going her own way to solve personal mysteries. She can tell the page with them reuniting would have fit right here... but it's not, because she has it. Safe keeping or something. Her finger taps idly on the pen before turning one page back and gently writing in the tip of the corner:
Faden and Sevastopol enter here. Been held up trying to get things in order for the fights to come. Faden sends Estevez to bring Wake to the station. Preparations already made. Faden and Wake meet. Reunite---if Wake wants the page back. — EDIT: J.F.
She draws a few arrows to it to make it stand out. In case he forgets any of this ever happened.
Jesse glances up at him before handing him the page and then moving to the following ones. A small note is made on a handful of them, where to put her and Steve, how to have them interwoven at key points to try and bolster Alan and Saga's chances at success.
Faden and Saga here. Make sure Saga has help remembering it's been looping. She KNOWS. Faden reminded her in a loop before. — EDIT: J.F.
Another page. A new chapter. Her heart sinks and for a moment all she does is stare at the page.
RETURN 8 - SUMMONING.
« This is where he died last time. Saga got him to take out Scratch. It's where I failed to save him--to be the hero. Maybe, I'm not supposed to be the hero, even though it's what Alan wants. The story already has a hero--Saga. I'm clashing with that role because Alan wants me in it. Maybe... maybe I'm the hero for him as who he is: Alan Wake. Not the hero of Return. »
Jesse slowly turns the page again and writes in the next corner:
Faden and Sevastopol here. Saga is the main focus. Faden gives back up power with her guiding star to Estevez and Casey. Sevastopol is back up for Saga. Cover her blind spots. — EDIT: J.F.
Polaris shimmers. That's enough for now. This is as far as Alan has gotten. They can't make anymore edits because the Writer doesn't know where the story goes from here. He'll have to take the threads left and weave them in from this point on. However, Polaris has a suggestion. She shifts.
Jesse frowns and makes one more note.
Ask for Saga's help to finish the ending. — EDIT: J.F.
For a moment, she simply sits there with the manuscript in her lap.
Then, she neatly places it back in order and sets it to his other side so he can go through it when he has the strength. Physically and mentally. The story is a monster, and he's been fighting with it for so long by himself. Do her little suggestions really help that much for his mind?
She lifts a hand to rest on his cheek. Their eyes meet and Jesse leans in to kiss him again. A gentle one with enough pressure to simply let him know she's there. She'll be here in some way or fashion for him, even when she's forced to go back home to their reality.
« This is the first time I've really kissed him... isn't it? When he's wide awake. » ]
no subject
A story she can't control. Being unable to support the man she's fallen in love with--even if he says she's helped. How can she be of help if he's still stuck here? Bringing him back to being awake is great, it's what she's wanted to do, but what will happen when she leaves? Will he be able to stay awake?
Or is he going to drown again? What if he drowns to the point she can't pull him back up?
« I know we'll need to leave. We can't stay here... even if there's a part of me that wants to stay with him. It's too dangerous for you. For me. We can't properly recover here. And, Alan won't want us here. Not for much longer. It's the one thing he never wanted to have happen, but Door and his message... we ended up coming anyways. »
Her gaze lifts to his once he speaks again. Alan has most likely caught on to when she is speaking with Polaris. He's been around her so many times that he's had to notice. Learned when she speaks to her oldest friend and for how long.
A slow nod to his request.
Then, her eyes move to the manuscript in her hands.
She turns the title page and begins to read.
The edits Alan have made are obvious to her. Even if she hadn't seen the page where he wrote them back into the last loop? She can tell what is him and what's Scratch. Reading all the Alex Casey books certainly helped with that. Spending time with him has been the biggest way she has grown to notice it. Just, knowing him and his mind.
Jesse falls silent, but Polaris continues to hum, naturally coexisting with the Light brought by the Diver. She wishes that hum could help soothe her nerves as she turns the pages. The expression on her face turns ever so slightly to horror bit by bit. Then, it picks up speed. Everything Saga had faced and dealt with.
« No wonder she was so angry at Alan. »
Her hands come to a stop after some time. She stops at the point in which they would have crossed paths. Alan taken by the FBC, Saga going her own way to solve personal mysteries. She can tell the page with them reuniting would have fit right here... but it's not, because she has it. Safe keeping or something. Her finger taps idly on the pen before turning one page back and gently writing in the tip of the corner:
Faden and Sevastopol enter here. Been held up trying to get things in order for the fights to come. Faden sends Estevez to bring Wake to the station. Preparations already made. Faden and Wake meet. Reunite---if Wake wants the page back. — EDIT: J.F.
She draws a few arrows to it to make it stand out. In case he forgets any of this ever happened.
Jesse glances up at him before handing him the page and then moving to the following ones. A small note is made on a handful of them, where to put her and Steve, how to have them interwoven at key points to try and bolster Alan and Saga's chances at success.
Faden and Saga here. Make sure Saga has help remembering it's been looping. She KNOWS. Faden reminded her in a loop before. — EDIT: J.F.
Another page. A new chapter. Her heart sinks and for a moment all she does is stare at the page.
RETURN 8 - SUMMONING.
« This is where he died last time. Saga got him to take out Scratch. It's where I failed to save him--to be the hero. Maybe, I'm not supposed to be the hero, even though it's what Alan wants. The story already has a hero--Saga. I'm clashing with that role because Alan wants me in it. Maybe... maybe I'm the hero for him as who he is: Alan Wake. Not the hero of Return. »
Jesse slowly turns the page again and writes in the next corner:
Faden and Sevastopol here. Saga is the main focus. Faden gives back up power with her guiding star to Estevez and Casey. Sevastopol is back up for Saga. Cover her blind spots. — EDIT: J.F.
Polaris shimmers. That's enough for now. This is as far as Alan has gotten. They can't make anymore edits because the Writer doesn't know where the story goes from here. He'll have to take the threads left and weave them in from this point on. However, Polaris has a suggestion. She shifts.
Jesse frowns and makes one more note.
Ask for Saga's help to finish the ending. — EDIT: J.F.
For a moment, she simply sits there with the manuscript in her lap.
Then, she neatly places it back in order and sets it to his other side so he can go through it when he has the strength. Physically and mentally. The story is a monster, and he's been fighting with it for so long by himself. Do her little suggestions really help that much for his mind?
She lifts a hand to rest on his cheek. Their eyes meet and Jesse leans in to kiss him again. A gentle one with enough pressure to simply let him know she's there. She'll be here in some way or fashion for him, even when she's forced to go back home to their reality.
« This is the first time I've really kissed him... isn't it? When he's wide awake. » ]