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synthneon2023-11-01 01:57 am
outlierdirector) wrote in synthneon2023-11-01 01:57 am
oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞
I cannot feel her by my side
Even in this placе inside my mind
— meeting.
It's taken so long to get where she's at. Which, to some, a random bed in some random motel in a backwater town in Washington isn't much. It would of been some inconsequential thing if not for the man she's sharing the room with. That makes it everything in that moment. The last time they had done this feels so long ago that it may has well been in another lifetime. And, some researchers in the Bureau might call it that with the various levels of altered reality they've all slipped through.
She's dimly aware of the arms around her as the gentle familiar tug comes to her mind. Jesse rolls more into the pair of arms holding her. Maybe it's a childish notion, but, she might also be owed something like that. She wants just this one thing without needing to jump to action as soon as some paranormal entity calls. Unfortunately, that paranormal entity happens to be the one she plays host of resonance to. Ignoring her is pretty impossible.
« ...what? Talk to Anderson? Why? I'm here, with Alan. Whatever it is can wait a few hours, can't it? How many ever hours we have until nightfall. Just let me have this time for myself. Please? »
Polaris shifts. Insistent. Time isn't on their side and the story is growing to its next story beat.
Jesse turns further into Alan's hold, as if he'd be able to keep everything out. Of course, he can't, but this one time she wishes she wasn't a hotline for paranormal voices that want attention.
« Fine. How am I supposed to talk to her? I'm not leaving... and you didn't like her inside my head the first time. Not that I enjoyed the idea either. You're sure the Board won't get upset? ...alright. Do whatever it is you need to. »
Polaris' resonance beats through the Sheriff's Station, amplified by the agents wearing the HRAs. Most people would never pick it up, but those that have unique abilities can. A gentle hum that beats like a steady heartbeat. One that can reach out to any needed. Those with unique abilities can sense words sometimes, otherwise it feels like an idea that has suddenly come to them. Maybe even to others it may come as a flash to an image.
That is how Polaris reaches out to the FBI Agent Saga Anderson. A gentle flash of an image of a woman with brilliant red hair, and the inclination to reach out to her again. Gently this time. No intentions of shoving her way in.
Jesse opens her eyes to find herself in the field office of the FBI in the Elderwood Lodge. She glances side to side, turning slightly to note the ordered papers on the wall.
« Huh. I have to admit, it's not quite what I expected. I thought it might be something like when someone uses the Hotline. »
She picks up on the shift in the room. Fair enough, given this isn't Jesse's own mind. Her gaze moves to across the table to find one Saga Anderson. She sets her jaw and lifts her chin slightly. Guarded. She can't help it, even in a mental projection. She hates being profiled, being examined.
« Maybe we can make this more like a conversation than anything else. »
Her hands at her sides raise slightly as if to say tah-dah! Her hair is down, and this time, dressed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. That is who Saga tried to poke after all. ]
Anderson, right? [ Her tone suggests everything about this is very normal for her. It's a little unusual, even for Jesse, but psychic conversations aren't necessarily weird. ] You wanted to talk earlier. So, here I am.
no subject
In the other scene, Saga Anderson is pacing around lost in thought, or so it appears. She needs something, needs to talk to a specific person. Not just to get information, but to... apologize? Somewhat, anyway. The first time she tried speaking to this person, nothing went the way it should have, and it ended with her being forcibly dragged from the room.
But this time, it's not her doing the reaching. Or the breaking in. Not that the sensation in her mind feels like a break in. It's more like a nudge.
Alan, however, senses a shift. Maybe not from Jesse herself, but from Polaris. Or maybe it's just him reacting to Jesse shifting positions in her sleep and not wanting her to leave the bed or him just yet, even if his sleeping mind has no awareness of what time it is. His arms curl a little tighter around her, not enough to restrict movement, but just enough to hint at an unwillingness to let her go.
But when she stills, he does too, as if he only relaxes when he feels her do the same. Of course, the opposite is true, but as long as she's relatively still, it doesn't take much for Alan to sink deeper into sleep.
Saga's pacing continues, but it's not in the cell she was put in. Thank goodness for that. Even if I'm not really out of there, those brothers were really starting to get to me.
She looks up when she sees Jesse walking towards her, and she can't quite help the feeling of vague respect that rises up when she sees her. There's something about the way she carries herself, the energy that she gives off. It's pulled Saga's focus, at least. Maybe she really did go about this the wrong way. But maybe it's not too late to extend an olive branch. ]
Yeah. [ This is a little awkward. But it's awkward because of me, so I need to fix it now. ] Yeah, I wanted to talk. But first-
[ What do they call that? Humble pie? Yeah. That's it. I can admit when I've screwed something up, and Sevastopol made it pretty clear I screwed a few things up. ]
First things first. I owe you an apology, so... I'm sorry, Director.
no subject
She isn't one to go poking around in someone else's head. If only because she wouldn't appreciate it being done to her. Still, she notes the various things Saga has taken notes of. The fact the desk in front of Saga is covered in pictures of faces--hers on one of them. ]
Jesse is fine. I don't really do formalities. [ She gives a little bit of a smile. People still call her "Faden", and she has the feeling Saga would fall into that camp. ] And, apology accepted.
[ Jesse glances to the side quickly. Polaris shifts, but, is relatively silent. Maybe because she doesn't want to tip the other woman off just yet. Fine by her. ]
These... abilities we have. They're not really mapped out or have handguides to them. So, just, be a bit more cautious, I guess? [ « Very directorial of you, Jesse. Smooth. Arish and Steve would never let it down if they heard that. » ] I'm sure it's obvious that I don't like people poking around in my head--even without my own abilities. So, we'll just call it a misunderstanding and move on.
[ She rolls her shoulder a bit before gesturing to the side. ] I can't garauntee I can answer every question you might have. But, I'll give you what information I can.
So... fire away.
[ « We don't have the time to be enemies. So, as open as we can be. » ]
no subject
In Saga's opinion, although she is very much still working on forming it, the FBC Director is much more competent and solid in her abilities than Saga is. That's not to say she can't learn, and she wants to learn, but recent events have made it clear that she has a long way still to go. ]
All right, Jesse, then. And Saga's fine as well. [ To use Jesse's first name feels strange to her, but she decides that's just something she'll have to deal with. ]
You're telling me. And from the talking-to I got from that ranger, I was- Well, I am a bit of an idiot. But Wake had me believing that getting him the Clicker was the most important thing, and- did you know that my daughter Logan's gotten dragged into this mess?
[ Saga's tone shifts then, betraying her agitation and upset about that. ]
I need Wake to fix what he did. [ And fast. ] But I won't be poking around anyone's heads like that again if I can help it. [ I mean it, I won't be doing that again. It was a mistake, and I get that now. ]
But yeah, I have a few questions about things. About Wake, about you. About whatever the hell is going on here. What's the deal with Wake, anyway?
no subject
Saga it is.
[ « I really thought she'd call me Faden. Huh. »
Her expression sobers as she listens to everything Saga tells her. It's... a lot to unpack in a small amount of time. A "Clicker"? Saga's daughter? Questions about herself, Alan. Those aren't surprising. The last question is a bit broad in that sense. So, maybe it's best to start with that one and move down the list.
She turns and walks a few steps to one side, then a few steps to the other side. Well, time to get answering questions, she supposes. ]
Well, basics, I guess. Wake is a best selling author. He came to Bright Falls in 2010 with his wife. An AWE--sorry, altered world event--similar to this one happened. We still don't know all the details ourselves. People went missing. The "threshold" as we call it was closed. Cauldron Lake is the site of where our reality and another reality--the Dark Place--interact. Wake went missing in 2010, but his wife survived. Then, the FBC moved in to watch the Lake and try to keep people away from it. That was before my time as Director. [ Jesse stops at the other side of the table again. ] Wake's been stuck on the other side of that threshold--the Dark Place--for thirteen years. Trying to get out.
[ « How much do I tell her and how much do I keep between Alan and I? There's things he wouldn't want others to know. Things he's trusted me with. » ]
Caludron Lake reacts to art. It alters our reality to make it real here. The FBC arrested a known therapist who set up shop at Cauldron Lake years ago. He was trying to pull artists to the area that could have their art manipulate reality in the way he wanted. Wake got caught up in that unknowingly. So, the only way to open the threshold on either side seems to be through art.
[ She pauses then, looking back at Saga. She feels Polaris shift. ] And, no. I wasn't aware your daughter was apart of this AWE. How is she involved? And, what the hell is "the Clicker"?
[ Jesse tilts her head back slightly. ] What about me did you want to know?
no subject
For now, though, Saga just quiets and listens as Jesse gives the summary of what she knows concerning Alan and everything that's going on around them. Questions rise up in her mind but she forces them to sit back down until she's gotten the whole summary. ]
I knew that he'd been missing since 2010. That was all over the news and the internet for a long time. You can still find the conspiracy theories about it if you look. The Dark Place, though... I got bits and pieces from Wake about what that is, but...
[ Saga's expression turns thoughtful and apprehensive as she tries to sort out her understanding of the Dark Place. Realities colliding, interacting, dragging people in- she's handled weird cases before, but this goes a lot farther than just weird. ]
If I hadn't talked to Wake myself, and seen some crazy things firsthand, I'd dismiss all of this as more craziness. But I'm getting the feeling that I haven't seen anything yet. And part of me doesn't want to.
[ She still doesn't feel all that sympathetic towards Alan, not just yet. Sure, she knows that it must have been hell, being trapped in the Dark Place for thirteen years, but that's just objective knowing. She can't know the extent of what he's seen or what he's gone through. She can infer it from looking at him, from seeing how strung out and rattled he is at times, but that's still not the whole picture. There has to be more to this story. That's what I want to find out. ]
I didn't know it either, until... Rose, the waitress at the diner, kept talking about how sad it was that I lost my baby girl. But she's not lost; she's at home where she should be. But Rose is convinced she's- she drowned. [ Saga's voice wavers a little at that admission. If the story changed, if reality shifted, then who's to say Logan isn't in danger? ] I don't know why she's involved, or why Wake thought it was a good idea- no, a sane idea to bring a little girl into this. What the hell was he thinking?
[ Saga forces down the anger she still feels about that, because anger isn't going to make this conversation go any smoother. ]
The Clicker is important somehow. It doesn't even look like anything, just a piece cut from a lamp, but Wake says he needs it to fix the story, so he needs to have it. All of that to say, I don't really know what the Clicker is, because he didn't give a blow-by-blow explanation, but if it's important, I have to get it to him.
[ And it'll save Logan. It has to. ]
I know why you're here. The FBC is looking into things, and you're the FBC Director. I get that.
[ She watches as Jesse walks back and forth before stopping at the table. ]
What is it you're hoping to do here? Stop the... what did you call it? Altered world event? [ I really want to ask why she's so interested in Wake, but that wouldn't be a good opening question. ]
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[ Jesse nods. ] Not everyone is meant to see how crazy the world is. I wouldn't expect you to hang around on this side once this is over.
[ « Rose, waitress at the diner. She sounds like she'd be important... someone to ask questions to once we're done here. But, killing Anderson's daughter? That doesn't sound like Alan. There are stakes and causalities, but, he wouldn't put a child in harms way. I mean... sure, Casey lost his wife and daughter in the books, but that's different from this. This isn't something Alan would do. Should I tell her? » ]
Wake wouldn't involve a child into something like this. This isn't his story. It's one he's had to edit and change. One that's written by someone else. Which means there's a way to stop it all and save your daughter. We just need to find out what it is. That Clicker might be the a major key of it.
[ She takes the notes in her mind. Piece cut from a lamp... it'd be a powerful lamp. Alan's lamp? The one in his messenger bag? Maybe, but, it feels reaching. There's not enough facts to really make anything conclusive, and Jesse doesn't like acting on blind faith. ]
Altered World Events allow paranormal entities to enter our world. Wake calls it the Dark Presence, the FBC calls it the Shadow. It will try to cross over into our world. That's what we're here to stop. Which sounds like we need to get this Clicker to Wake. He's the only one who can stop it at the core, because he's the one who can change the story. He knows what we're really fighting against. We only have a base somewhat understanding of the Shadow.
[ She looks back at Saga. ] Beyond that there's... FBC related things to deal with. Internal things.
no subject
Are you kidding? After all of this, I don't think I can go back to blissful ignorance, and I'm not even as close to it as some of you. [ But I am, in a way, aren't I? He dragged Logan into this, and now I'm involved. I have to be. I guess I won't know what I can and can't do until all of this is over and I know that Logan is safe. ]
I suppose you would know him better than I do, although why that is, I'm still not sure. [ Saga gives Jesse a once-over as if just looking at her will tell her how she's so acquainted with the strange writer. ] He did say something strange when Casey and I interviewed him. Or, we tried to interview him. I asked if he'd written the pages we found, and he acted like he couldn't remember. He was trying to remember, he said. I suppose that doesn't strike you as odd.
[ She falls silent then as Jesse launches into an explanation about Altered World Events and the threat they're all facing right now. ]
I really hope he knows what he's doing. I'm- Well, I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure just how much I trust him or this Clicker. I get that he believes it's important, but how can one object and one person fix this whole mess? [ Why does she believe in him so much? ]
It's classified, right? [ Saga's face twists into a half-smirk. She's half amused, half not. Of course she knows that some information must be kept classified. It's standard operating procedure across agencies. But maybe if she's cooperative, she might get some level of cooperation in return. ]
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[ « For the big time celebrity he was? Alan was a private guy. He still is. Maybe thats why more rumors exist than anything. How it affected his doppleganger. Does Saga know about Scratch? Maybe it'd help if she knew. We may still run into him this time around. » ]
He contacted me four years ago, despite the internal lockdown our HQ was under. We... had a mutual issue we needed to take care of. I hadn't heard from him again since all this started. [ No lies, just facts. ] That's because he didn't. I'm sure it's another level of crazy to add to it, but, he has a doppleganger. Something that's made by the Dark Presence to impersonate him. Mr. Scratch. I don't know how, but he wrote the manuscript. The one that's involved your daughter. The manuscript Wake is trying to change before it really does become apart of our reality. Permanently.
[ Jesse nods to Saga's concerns. ] Certain ...objects, sometimes people, change when they are caught up in events like this. They get unique properties that certain kinds of people can use. I don't know if this Clicker is one of them, but if Wake can use it to stop it? Then it must be. I'll see what I can find out.
[ « Alan is going to be the person to ask. » ]
None of our case files from the AWE in 2010 mentioned a Clicker. Or anything unique. Well, other than the coffee thermoses.
no subject
Because the person or persons involved wasn't readily available to give information? I imagine if Wake was the linchpin to what happened then, since he was considered missing, it would be a little difficult to get any sort of information at all.
[ She eyes the other agent as if trying to fill in the gaps in between what she's saying. Or not saying. ] Also, I take it to mean that a lack of information means any other possible witnesses either didn't exist or weren't reliable sources. [ She doesn't know that's the case, but it seems like a somewhat probable deduction, as well as being something that just happens with mysterious cases like this one.
Wake is the person at the center of all this. Don't go down rabbit holes just yet, Saga. Still, that might be something to look into later on.
The idea gets written on a mental post it note and filed away in case she has time to look into it after this. ]
I'd ask about the security of your- your systems, if he was able to contact you even with that, but- I can't claim any sort of familiarity with those systems, so I won't be asking that. Even if it looks like I just did, I know as well as anyone that no system is truly infallible.
[ But her piercing look is back as she resumes staring Jesse down. ]
You say that with such confidence, so you must have seen definitive proof that Wake is more than what he appears to be. A doppelganger that conveniently is impersonating him. [ She doesn't think that's suspicious? Too contrived? ]
Sorry, I have to ask: how do you know that this isn't an elaborate ruse set up by Wake to shift suspicion away from him?
[ I still don't understand this seemingly unshakable belief she has in Wake. In what he claims.
In the interest of collaboration, however, Saga tries to push down her usual approach: going in full force with her questions and her need for answers. Jesse could shut her out and refuse to cooperate if she goes in too hard, and she'd like to avoid that if at all possible. ]
So... if Wake tells you more about this Clicker, you'll pass that along, and then we can use whatever information he gives to go forward. [ To somewhere. I still can't see where all of this is going. I know where I want it to go, but I don't think it's going to be that easy. ]
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« This is Saga's mind. Can we do that? It wouldnt be invasive, right? It's from MY mind. My mental projection. Should we try it? »
Jesse holds her hand up. A surge of power can be felt in the room, but it's a gentle pulsing. A resonance. After a moment a vanilla folder appears with the FBC logo on the front. She opens it and takes a look over some of the documents, noting how she's already misremebered some details.
Shit.
Jesse hands it over to Saga. Bright Falls AWE. Summary. Supplement. ]
Sorry. If I got details wrong. It's been four years since I read these. [ « I'm not trying to hide things or important details. » ] I found these after I became Director. It happened well before my time. So, what I know comes from these, a few other documents about altered items, and from Wake. Which isn't as much as you'd think.
[ Her hands come to rest on the table as she leans against it. ]
I'm guessing the light switch mentioned in one is our Clicker.
One of them mentions Tor and Odin Anderson. From the Old God's of Asgard.... any relationship? [ There is an edge of excitement in her voice. She's always loved their music. Then, she realized how much their music seems to intertwine with everything. Bright Falls. Polaris. Who knows what else. It's the same excitement now that was there when she first met Alan. Other paranaturalarians. Potentially. ] The FBC decided not to monitor them due to age. So, if you do have a relation, I can promise they didn't bug the retirement home they live in. At least... I didn't see anything that would say they did.
[ She huffs a laugh. « I'd say you and the Hotline are pretty secure. When another parautalitarian isn't barging her way in. » ] Only certain... frequencies can tap into that line of communication. Wake managed to find the right one and send me the messages.
[ Jesse feels a spike go up her spine at the piercing gaze. Not intimidating, but, the kind that's trying to go right through her. See what they want to see. It makes her defensive walls want to climb up. She hates being around profiles, but, Saga is at the center of this too. Jesse can't afford the liability of her own emotions getting in the way more than they already have with Alan.
She sighs. How can she explain this? ]
This is the first time we've talked. But, it's not the first time you've done the investigation. Visiting Cauldron Lake. Found Wake. We're in a loop. Going around and around until we get the pieces right and solve the AWE. Stop reality from changing.
And you know it. [ Jesse stands up once again and half turns to show off the case wall behind her. A hand lifts to all the orderly string and clues that Saga has pinned up. ] You just haven't wanted to see it. Probably because you think it's too impossible after everything else you've seen. But, is it really?
[ « And... there goes the poster. Is she going to run away and screaming? Deny it? I hope not. We need her to help fix this. »
Jesse has no idea what Saga will see--if anything. But, she has the feeling that if Saga left any notes to herself about deja vu or the feeling of doing the same thing? It would be there. Polaris confirms the idea. ]
I'll share whatever information on the Clicker I get. I don't see why keeping details like that from you would be helpful to either of us. Agencies aside. This is sort of bigger than whatever issue the FBI and the FBC have with one another.
[ She steps aside so Saga can move as she needs. A silence falls as she waits for Saga's reaction to all of it--how reality really is. Jesse shifts side to side, rolling each shoulder out of her natural motions. There's no point in rushing the FBI agent through it all. That'll only make it worse.
Once she can tell Saga is ready to talk again? Jesse lets out another shift of resonance. This time just around her. Once Saga turns back around, she'll find Jesse is dressed differently. There's also another change.
Blood, and a decent amount of it.
She's sure Saga is going to pick up on the injuries right away. Multiple head wounds, all from blunt force. Broken parts of thr skull because of it. Lacerations on the cheek from glass. And, a similar cut in her chest where her heart would be. ]
As for your question about Wake's doppleganger? Yeah. There's definite proof of it.
no subject
She snaps back to attention when she sees Jesse moving... doing something. It's faint, but she feels something, a pulsing sensation. ]
What is this? What are y- [ She stops mid sentence when the folder appears and Jesse opens it. I guess anything's possible in a mind projection, right? The rules of normal engagement don't apply somehow.
When Jesse hands over the folder, she takes it without too much hesitation. If we're cooperating, I need to extend some kind of olive branch in return. But what? I don't expect the FBC to just share everything they have and get nothing in return. But somehow, it seems that they have all the cards and bargaining chips. What do I have? I'll have to think about that.
She peruses the information given, taking it all in, trying to digest it. ]
So Wake caused this event in 2010, shifting reality and making it change around him as he wrote about it. But then at the end of it all, he disappeared into the lake- the Dark Place. Right? [ At least, that's the general idea of things that she's gotten from talking with Wake, either in person or when she sees him in the overlaps. ]
Tor and Odin, the old rocker guys? Yeah, I've met them; I didn't realize the connection at first, not until we met, but... [ That was unexpected, finding out my grandfather and great-uncle were here. But I guess family can show up in all kinds of places. ] I can't believe they were swept up in all of this. Well, I can, because that seems like the kind of crazy excitement they thrive on.
This is all really crazy. These Altered World Events keep happening; Wake's been at the center of two of them now. He can tap into weird otherworldly connections with- with what, his writing? [ And people once thought psychics didn't exist.
She almost bristles at the wording Jesse uses. Who is she to tell me what I have or haven't wanted to see? I- No, I can't get angry, because there's no TIME for that. I don't have to like it, but I guess I have to just accept that maybe she knows what she's talking about. Looping? Going in circles? Is that really what's going on? ]
You know I can't just believe something like that without proof, right? Accepting things on blind faith only goes so far with me. [ It doesn't actually go that far at all. It's just how I am.
But her gaze shifts to the case board and she steps in a little closer to look over it. ]
I know this is my writing and my case board; I recognize some of what's on here. But this- [ She points to a post-it that she doesn't remember seeing before. Did that just materialize there? Was it just like how she made the folder with information about the AWE appear? ]
Say that I believe you for a second, that I believe this note. How many times have we looped around? [ And how many more times will we loop? I don't want to know the answer to that. Not that I think anyone could know that, not even Wake. ]
For whatever it's worth, I see now that it's better for us to work together than to butt heads. So if I get anything of use to this case, I'll pass it along as well. Maybe between both of us and whatever the hell Wake's doing, we can put an end to this whole mess.
[ She opens her mouth to say something else, to maybe comment more on the Clicker, but the words die before she can form them. What the hell?
Jesse's appearance changes before her eyes, and the sudden unexpected sight of blood and wounds and skull fragments all but causes Saga's heart to stop. She might be an experienced FBI agent, but there are some things that still shock her. And whatever Jesse just did has shocked her. ]
What in the- What the hell? [ She stares at the other agent, obviously shocked, but her mind is still at work cataloguing all the gory evidence in front of her. That cut on her chest draws her attention the most. The cult? The sacrifices? What does this mean? ]
... You're telling me that he did this?
no subject
She watches Saga move to the caseboard, gesture to the note that wasn't there before. ]
From what I understand, the entity in the Lake made Wake write the story that happened in 2010. The Dark Presence, the Shadow. It wants into our world. The connection point just happens to be Cauldron Lake. But, Wake changed the ending of the story, and that stopped it then. I'm guessing whatever is really going on this time is something similar.
It wants out. It wants here.
[ She nods to the fact its all crazy. But, there's not much more to do than accept the reality around them. ]
I don't know how many times we've looped. How many more times it'll take. That's why the more we work together to try and change it, it'll help Wake, and it can get to the finale.
[ Jesse's gaze drops to the side. That appearance of the stonewall confident Director wavers for just a moment. She doesn't remember all the details, and she imagines that's Alan's doing. He won't even begin to talk about that event, let alone let it happen again. Which .... well, it was a point of contention between them. Jesse wouldn't budge and made him change the story for it.
« It was the right choice. Wasn't it? Not just because I'm selfish. Could we have gotten to this point if I didn't force his hand? Is he ... really happy that I did? » ]
Yeah. Scratch did. [ Jesse looks back at Saga. Her hands raise at her side as if to once again say "Ta-dah"! ] You might as well take whatever notes or... whatever it is a profiler does. Just in case we need it. In case this isn't the last time around.
[ Not all the memories are gone, but, enough where she can't paint the picture clearly in her mind. She can remember where it happened. The sound of Scratch's voice--how he tries to mimic Alan's but it comes off as disturbed and higher pitched. The way Scratch grinned. But, even more than that? She can recall the feeling of visceral hatred the doppleganger has for her. Not even really her, more Polaris, but the two are so interconnected it doesn't matter to another entity most likely.
« It was almost like... he hates me as much as Alan loves me. A mirror, I guess. Distorted and reverse but just as intense. »
It brings to mind the memory of her mirror self. I'm much wilder than you. ]
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[ Slowly and reluctantly, she's having to come to the conclusion that maybe Alan isn't the puppetmaster behind all this. Maybe something bigger than him is forcing his hand. ]
I might not know very much, but I do know one thing: it can't get out. It can't have us, or this world. Our world. I don't know what I can do to help, but I'll do whatever I have to, to help stop it.
[ It helps Wake, it helps the FBC, and it saves Logan. That's what matters: saving my daughter. And, well, the world, if I'm understanding everything correctly.
Saga sets her jaw resolutely, a determined look taking her face. There is a lot at stake here, and for her personally, everything is at stake. But also it doesn't take a genius or a profiler to look at Jesse and see that she has a very personal investment in all of this too. Saga might not be sure just how far her involvement with Wake goes, but she can imagine she has a very clear reason to want Scratch stopped for good. ]
I'd say I don't need to take notes, as there's no forgetting that, but... In the interest of being thorough... [ She surveys Jesse with a careful eye, even though she knows she's not going to forget the sight of those injuries anytime soon.
Seemingly inexplicably, more notes appear on the case board: descriptions of the violence that was done to the FBC's Director. ]
No one's safe in this story. That's what I'm figuring out. [ I knew it the second I learned that Logan was involved. But if even the Director isn't safe, then who is?
And if none of us are safe, where does that leave Wake? [ It's a thought she hadn't had before, but she's finding herself forced to confront the possibility that even Wake is in danger. If they're all in danger, that "all" includes him too. Doesn't it? ]
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[ Jesse gives a firm nod. ] There's more out there than just the Shadow--Dark Presence--but that's the immediate threat. So, we need to find a way to stop it. The story is just the mechanism the AWE is happening by. We need to help him find an ending that can stop Scratch, save your daughter, and what we can of the town. We do that and the AWE should be over.
[ Her gaze moves over to the board behind them as notes start appearing. An eyebrows raises slightly, but, it's due to being impressed and a little surprised more than anything. She's never really seen other paranaturalarians at work. They're living through what Alan's abilities have created, but she's never seen him use his. Minus when things come to his attention and he blanks out. ]
No. No one's safe.
[ Jesse pauses, glancing down at herself and then at the wall behind Saga. Should she say it? How much does she trust to her? Then again, Alan cast Saga as the hero of the story. She needs to know as much as she can. ]
I... wouldn't tell Wake that you know. About this. [ She gestures to her head and chest. Then, glances to the side as she chews the inside of her lip for a moment. ] It happened... a while ago. I don't know how many loops ago. But, he's never let it go. He doesn't like putting people in danger other than himself, Saga. Any little reminder is probably going to send him on a trip thats going to make it easier for the Dark Presence to get him. It gets him, it can write whatever it wants him to, and we can't end the story.
[ Jesse frowns. It's obvious that Saga is going to figure it out. Figure out that she and Alan are.... whatever form of "together" they are. She's a profiler. If she doesn't learn it from Jesse, she will from Alan. Or a manuscript page. ]
He cares more than he realizes he does about everyone involved.
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[ But Saga isn't without a sense of empathy, and Jesse's descriptions do touch a nerve inside her. ] If it's that hostile, how has he not... well, died?
Okay, say that he isn't as much of a monster or an asshole as I've been thinking. What kind of ending do we need to stop the threat, save Wake, and get my daughter out of this whole mess? And, obviously, get you and everyone else out too.
[ Saga's frown deepens. When phrased like that, this whole thing seems all but insurmountable. ]
Are you sure that this is even possible? I don't mean to doubt, but I don't like the odds we're up against.
[ Still, Saga's getting the idea that she's misjudged Alan by a lot. She feels a twinge of sympathy for both Jesse and the trapped writer. It can't have been easy on either of them, but especially not for Alan. He's not the coldhearted villain that she painted him as in her thoughts. ]
Well, let's not send him on any trips, unless it's a trip out of wherever the hell he is. I won't mention it to him, don't worry. And, well, while we're on the subject of Wake...
[ Something like a knowing look comes to her eyes as she looks over the other woman. ]
Call me crazy, but- you care about him too, don't you? Just a hunch. [ It's just how she talks about him, and little things that happen to Jesse's voice when she's doing it. Maybe it's just worry, but that can appear as a kind of caring too. ]
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[ She smirks. ] Well, a different dimension, but, sure. Another planet.
[ « Because that's entirely normal to say. Good, Jesse. Good job. » ]
From everything we've gathered? It's hostile, but not fatal. You can't use a dead artist to dream you into reality. It needs you alive and your mind. But not what makes you who you are.
[ Her head tilts at the leading statement.
Then, she asks the question.
« There it is. I was waiting for that question. Or, implication. I knew she'd start to wonder or figure it out. Even if I didn't make it obvious... it's probably obvious to normal people. People who have relationships and aren't a magnet for paranormal entities or whatever. » ]
Yeah. [ A short semi-guarded answer. She can't help it. ] I do. Is that going to be a problem?
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I'm going to be honest with you, that's not at all how I thought this worked. [ Is it possible that Wake's as much a victim of all this as the rest of us are? ]
I never thought of Wake as anything but someone dragging people into his crazy story just because he could, and not even thinking for a second about how he's impacting those people and their lives.
[ It's not until Jesse goes on to talk more about the hostile nature of the Dark Place that Saga's opinion really shifts and changes. ]
So what you're saying is that the last thirteen years haven't been a walk in the park for him. I mean, I didn't really think that, but- I guess I didn't know just how bad it was. And I kind of still don't, but you paint a really grim picture even with the little you've told me.
[ But a smile that wants to become a grin takes Saga's face then. She's not some cold agent who doesn't smile or doesn't like seeing people making connections. Building relationships. If Jesse's doing that with Wake, well, more power to her, really. ]
No, not a problem. I just- Well... It must not be that easy for you, being on this side of things while he's dealing with hostile realities and who knows what else.
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He's complicated.
[ « And definitely in need of a good shake. »
Jesse nods once more. She doesn't expect Saga to see the whole picture. The profiler doesn't work on the scope of the world that she does. All Saga needs to know is that Alan is as human as the rest of them and the newest in a long line of the people used and destroyed by the Dark Presence. Alan may have facilitated the cause of the horror story, but, he isn't an evil megalomaniac that everyone thinks him to be. ]
No. It's not easy. But, I focus on what I can. Stopping the story, fighting it in different ways. Maybe he'll come home this time.
[ « I can't shake the feeling that in order to change the story... I need to be in less control. I need to be more hands off. Take a step back and, I don't know, guide things. I don't like it. » ]
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Alright. So what can I do to help? From what I can tell, there needs to be more people helping Wake by fighting back against the story, so I'm ready to do that. [ Maybe the shift seems sudden, but that's how Saga works sometimes. She knows how to be decisive, and now seems like a time for decisiveness. ]
I might not really agree with Wake or his methods, but I can put that aside. There's more important things going on here. Perspective, right?
[ She slides her hands onto her hips. ]
So, what are these different ways of fighting the story?
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« Better to work with her and solve this than fight with each other. That's probably what the Dark Presence wants anyways. The more we fight, the more we seperate, and the easier it wins.
...that's what happened before, isn't it? Alan and I got close. We were winning. So, it pulled us apart and used that against him. Keeping him in a loop more and more. »
Jesse turns and looks at the case board. ]
What have you found out about the story so far? It changes every time, I think. Or at least little parts here and there. We need to figure out what is familiar and go from there. [ She sighs, rubbing her shoulder out of a habit. ] Like I said, I don't know how many loops there has been. But, you picked up on and know that it's just repeating several things. I'm guessing you've made notes to yourself... because I found a way to remind myself.
[ The wounds disappear and she stands there in the same outfit. ] When you try to change the way things go, it starts fighting back. It tried go turn us on one another using the fact you wanted to get this Clicker to Alan. So, finding out what hasn't changed will give us an idea of what we can try to do this time around differently.
Then, we go from there.
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Well, it probably seems like nothing, but it has to all mean something, right? Like pieces of a picture sliding into place.
[ And just like that, the case board changes, with all the pieces of evidence Saga has found so far sliding into place so that Jesse can peruse it. It's all there, the information gained about Nightingale, the Bookers, the Koskelas, and of course, Alan himself.
She startles just a bit when she sees how the wounds disappear from Jesse just like that, but it's one more thing she chalks off to the weirdness of dream logic. ]
Well, if it fights back, I'll fight back too. And maybe between the two of us, we can make something happen. Obviously, changing the story and saving my daughter is important; but what about saving everyone?
[ Saga knows she has moments of being distracted because of her duty as a mother and that protective mother bear instinct, but when she's not feeling so emotionally charged, she can still see the bigger picture. Sometimes, anyway. And the bigger picture is that changing the story and fighting it when necessary will eventually save all of them. ]
I think the basic framework of the story hasn't changed. Cultists, rituals, deaths... [ Saga's eyes seem to darken briefly as her daughter comes to mind. ] I don't know if you and I striking a kind of partnership was factored into it, though.
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[ « I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks we're doing a shit job. »
Jesse steps forward to inspect the Case Board as it changes. Her head tilts slightly at each little note. She can tell how the story has almost drastically changed in some regards. Though, certain things always stay the same. Casey goes missing at some point. The FBC is present almost too late. The FBI doesn't trust Alan. Some details--like the relationship she has with the Writer--aren't present. At least not yet. She's sure Saga will put it together. ]
Alan would say he doesn't deserved to be saved. [ Her tone is flat and factual. ] He's going to try and change things so he gets the brunt of the damage and everyone else gets out with as little damage possible. It's not all his fault, but he blames himself for it anyways.
I don't think it counted on the FBI and FBC being in on it together, no. You'd have every reason not to get along with us or trust us. [ Jesse glances over her shoulder with a smile. ] I tend to be the outlier.
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Between the two of us, I wouldn't mind the chance to study some of that.. the strange and unexplained, or what people think of as unexplained. Maybe I'm naive, but I still believe that the more something is studied, the less unexplained and unknowable it becomes.
[ As for what she thinks about the FBC and the job they're doing, Saga hasn't fully developed an opinion as yet. The preliminary feeling she has is that the odds are stacked against them, or maybe they're stacked against Jesse who has a lot on her plate. That doesn't mean she's doing a bad job; it just means she's doing the best that she can. But if Jesse's anything at all like Saga, she might want to do more than the best she can. Still, it feels like one of those things that's done one step at a time.
She watches Jesse inspecting the Board, and as she does, Saga re-reads the notes as well. ]
I don't know whether to call that admirable or futile in the long run. Self-sacrifice might be honorable or respectable, but it's not always necessary. Perhaps I misjudged him. Perhaps.
[ She turns her gaze back to Jesse, giving her a considering gaze. ] If the shoe is on the other foot, you have every reason to not get along with us or trust us. [ She smiles back at the other agent, hoping to try and extend an olive branch of sorts. ]
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I'm pretty sure there's always going to be something to be studied, Saga. One AWE is never the end of them. [ Jesse pauses, glancing to the side. Polaris shimmers and she nods. ] I was part of one as a kid. It came back eighteen years later in a different way. There's always more.
[ « "Perhaps" is better than nothing for now, I guess. » ]
Then the one common factor is if both of us can trust each other over Alan Wake. What do you think?
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