synthneon | oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞

oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞

OCEANVIEW II

into the dark, dark, dark.

I’m fighting to save my love somеhow
I cannot feel her by my side
Even in this placе inside my mind CODE BY TESSISAMESS

Entities, darkness, shadows- things that force people to do certain things. [ It's still all so very unbelievable, or at least it would be if Saga hadn't seen proof of the weird and wild unfolding in front of her. ] Just how much control over what happens does Wake have?

[ 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? ]

Not as much as you'd think he does. [ She shakes her head slightly with a frown. ] The Dark Place is hostile for human life is what he told me. Imagine being constantly attacked for thirteen years while trying to escape. Trying to find a way that won't let that same entity out when you get out. Wake's not perfect and he's an asshole, but, I know he wouldn't purposely put your little girl in danger, Saga.

[ 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.

But he's the writer. He's doing all this writing with the story, with who gets pulled into it. Doesn't he have some control over it? [ Saga shakes her head too, in something that's a cross between disbelief and frustration. ] Hostile to human life... it sounds like you're describing another planet.

[ 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. ]

No. [ Jesse gives a firm answer. ] He didn't write it. He can only make edits that will work with the outline already made... otherwise it spins out and we start over. Again. He can change the ending, but, he can't control the genre or the demands that genre gives.

[ 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?

[ Saga rubs the side of her face as she takes all of this in and tries to digest it. It's not how she thought things worked. But it's becoming clear to her now that what she thought and what's really the reality of the situation are two very different things. ]

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.

None of this is how I thought it would be. Or continue to be. [ Jesse agrees with a nod. ] Alan would tell you that the rules of the story mean they have to be followed to a T. But, that doesn't mean he likes it. Or wants this to happen. Alan is an asshole... but he does care.

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. » ]

Edited 2023-12-27 18:08 (UTC)

[ Saga sets her jaw firmly, that familiar resolve settling in the more she hears. She can help somehow, she just has to determine how and where she's most useful. ]

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?

[ A nod is given to Saga offering her cooperation. That will make all of this so much easier. Saga was dragged into all of this like the rest of them. It's only fair she gets a voice in what happens and where to go.

« 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.

[ The way she sees it, she could keep trying to work things out on her own, slamming herself into walls and probably getting nowhere, or she could work alongside Jesse and the FBC and lend what knowledge she has and combine it with theirs. It's a win-win for everyone, really. Unless, that is, the Dark Presence gets wind of that partnership too and tries to pull them apart as well. But if that happens, Saga is stubborn enough to fight back with all she's got. ]

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.

Theoretically anyways. [ Jesse gives an apologetic smile. ] The Buearu doesn't have all the answers. It's why we study what we do. And... too many scientists do what they want without thinking of consequences. It was a problem under former management. Something I'm trying to fix.

[ « 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.

Right. Theoretically. But believe it or not, neither does the FBI, although you won't hear many people admitting to that. [ Saga eyes Jesse as if weighing whether or not she should say what's really on her mind. In the end, she decides to simply try it. ]

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. ]

Sure. [ A brief nod. ] It'd probably help the two agencies if we had more... middle ground. Someone who knew about one side and could know a little on the other.

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?

Yeah. [ Saga nods in return without hesitation, knowing that a partnership with the FBC might raise a few eyebrows with her colleagues and the higher-ups, but she's certain that it will only be beneficial for all of them in the long run. ] I'll share what I can, and go from there.

[ She chuckles and then smiles. ] If there is, I'm all over it. The more I can learn about these AWEs and what goes on in and around them, the better. I- Well, I don't see a point in not admitting how curious I am. But don't get me wrong, I won't be running headlong into danger. [ Maybe. It depends on what's going on and how dangerous it is. If I can get answers... Well, I know I have to be careful. ]

Wait, you were? And it came back eighteen years later? Wow. [ So maybe she's not at the center of events, because it sounds like these events just happen, but she's got a pretty strong connection, from what it sounds like. I don't want to pry, but that's not just a coincidence. ]

Yes, I agree. That seems to be a good starting point for both of us. So, what now? What do you need me to do?

[ It's going to be an adjustment, but I've worked alongside other partners before. I can learn to work with her. ]

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oceanview || ❝ i must guide my love through the night. ❞

OCEANVIEW II

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