[ As they make their way along, Barry keeps up a running commentary, chatting with Alan about anything that comes to mind, and Alan nods along, sometimes even offering a comment or two when the topic turns to something he can comment on. But as the drive continues, Alan feels his mood begin to turn: moodiness, Barry would call it, and maybe he wouldn't even disagree. Maybe it's the environment starting to get to him, as darker thoughts seem to flow in and out of his mind. Still, he can play the part, keep up the act of going along with Barry's energetic chatter.
Eventually, they reach the barn, and a short ways off, he hears the familiar Night Springs theme and the equally familiar narrator. Barry grabs him excitedly by the arm when he recognizes the TV show, and he drags him off to the television, not noticing that he's taken Alan by surprise or how Alan's shoes catch on the rocks and gravel of the path as he's dragged along. Still, he doesn't put up much of a fight because well, it's Night Springs. It's where he got his start as a writer.
Barry's frenetic chatter continues, and Alan continues listening, but the need to just go somewhere and be quiet and think is growing stronger all the time. Something chimes in his mind and he realizes he hasn't seen Jesse around for the last handful of minutes that Barry's been talking. Well, it's been more than a handful, but that's not the point. The point is, he doesn't know where she is, and the chime turns into a warning bell. It's not safe to wander off alone, but he can't detach himself from Barry, not yet.
That becomes even less likely as something that should be completely incomprehensible happens. A song by the Old Gods of Asgard blasts loudly around them and there's a stage and Alan finds himself swept off by a wave of adrenaline. Well, he'd take that over a wave of darkness, anyway. The moment eventually ends and Barry just goes off on an excited ramble about how great and thrilling that was while Alan tries to regroup and settle back down from whatever that was. The story doing its thing, probably.
He was aware of Jesse lingering around during the chaos, but before he could so much as even approach her, she's gone again. He shakes his head; he needs to find her and talk to her and make sure that she's okay. But before he can do that, the power goes off and he reluctantly sets to work trying to get the lights back on. They can't just sit in the dark and let themselves become targets for the Taken. It takes a few tries but eventually he manages it, and after a bit of shuffling around, they all make their way inside the farmhouse.
Finally he has a moment to try and talk to Jesse, but she seems to keep herself at a distance, maybe even holding them at arm's length. He keeps glancing over in her direction, but every time he tries to talk to her, Barry interjects. He doesn't resent his old friend, because he knows that's just how he is, but he wants a second to talk with Jesse.
The record goes on the player and the song starts playing, and Barry launches into another excited barrage of words which only halts when he finds moonshine. In no time at all, Barry's drunk and Alan's tipsy and veering closer to being drunk himself (maybe accepting the moonshine wasn't the best idea, but when did he ever make good choices?). With his mind becoming muddled by alcohol, some of those darker thoughts that he tried to keep at bay earlier start swirling around again, but rather than feeling anger or like he's being swept away, he just feels sad. Why sad? He's not really sure. Maybe it's a combination of everything, of being caught up in this story, of knowing his marriage is on the rocks and heading for disaster...
He looks over to Barry who's still rambling away but his words are becoming slurred and slowing down, and before too long, his old friend is passed out and snoring on the couch.
Alan sits there for a few seconds as he tries to figure out what the hell he should do. Sitting here lost in thought isn't getting him anywhere, and he hates when his thoughts start spiraling away from him and getting all weird and depressed. But weird and depressed seems to be the mood he's in at the moment, helped along by the darkness around them and the melancholy tone of the song on the record player.
He pushes himself up from the couch and wobbles a bit as he tries to move through the house in search of someone who's purposefully detached herself from everyone. He keeps stumbling along the way, sometimes tripping over objects in the way, but eventually, he makes his way to the room Jesse's been holed up in for the last hour and he leans heavily against the doorframe. ]
Hey. What- [ He starts to ask what she's doing, but he catches sight of her curled up on the floor. Oh.
He doesn't say anything more, but he stumbles over to her and tries to lower himself to the ground so he can sit next to her. His legs accidentally give out about halfway down and there's a dull thud as he lands on the floor. ]
Shit. [ He curses quietly to himself, hoping he didn't disturb her too much. Maybe she's already asleep and she didn't hear a thing. Still, he mumbles out a slurred apology. ] Sorry.
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Eventually, they reach the barn, and a short ways off, he hears the familiar Night Springs theme and the equally familiar narrator. Barry grabs him excitedly by the arm when he recognizes the TV show, and he drags him off to the television, not noticing that he's taken Alan by surprise or how Alan's shoes catch on the rocks and gravel of the path as he's dragged along. Still, he doesn't put up much of a fight because well, it's Night Springs. It's where he got his start as a writer.
Barry's frenetic chatter continues, and Alan continues listening, but the need to just go somewhere and be quiet and think is growing stronger all the time. Something chimes in his mind and he realizes he hasn't seen Jesse around for the last handful of minutes that Barry's been talking. Well, it's been more than a handful, but that's not the point. The point is, he doesn't know where she is, and the chime turns into a warning bell. It's not safe to wander off alone, but he can't detach himself from Barry, not yet.
That becomes even less likely as something that should be completely incomprehensible happens. A song by the Old Gods of Asgard blasts loudly around them and there's a stage and Alan finds himself swept off by a wave of adrenaline. Well, he'd take that over a wave of darkness, anyway. The moment eventually ends and Barry just goes off on an excited ramble about how great and thrilling that was while Alan tries to regroup and settle back down from whatever that was. The story doing its thing, probably.
He was aware of Jesse lingering around during the chaos, but before he could so much as even approach her, she's gone again. He shakes his head; he needs to find her and talk to her and make sure that she's okay. But before he can do that, the power goes off and he reluctantly sets to work trying to get the lights back on. They can't just sit in the dark and let themselves become targets for the Taken. It takes a few tries but eventually he manages it, and after a bit of shuffling around, they all make their way inside the farmhouse.
Finally he has a moment to try and talk to Jesse, but she seems to keep herself at a distance, maybe even holding them at arm's length. He keeps glancing over in her direction, but every time he tries to talk to her, Barry interjects. He doesn't resent his old friend, because he knows that's just how he is, but he wants a second to talk with Jesse.
The record goes on the player and the song starts playing, and Barry launches into another excited barrage of words which only halts when he finds moonshine. In no time at all, Barry's drunk and Alan's tipsy and veering closer to being drunk himself (maybe accepting the moonshine wasn't the best idea, but when did he ever make good choices?). With his mind becoming muddled by alcohol, some of those darker thoughts that he tried to keep at bay earlier start swirling around again, but rather than feeling anger or like he's being swept away, he just feels sad. Why sad? He's not really sure. Maybe it's a combination of everything, of being caught up in this story, of knowing his marriage is on the rocks and heading for disaster...
He looks over to Barry who's still rambling away but his words are becoming slurred and slowing down, and before too long, his old friend is passed out and snoring on the couch.
Alan sits there for a few seconds as he tries to figure out what the hell he should do. Sitting here lost in thought isn't getting him anywhere, and he hates when his thoughts start spiraling away from him and getting all weird and depressed. But weird and depressed seems to be the mood he's in at the moment, helped along by the darkness around them and the melancholy tone of the song on the record player.
He pushes himself up from the couch and wobbles a bit as he tries to move through the house in search of someone who's purposefully detached herself from everyone. He keeps stumbling along the way, sometimes tripping over objects in the way, but eventually, he makes his way to the room Jesse's been holed up in for the last hour and he leans heavily against the doorframe. ]
Hey. What- [ He starts to ask what she's doing, but he catches sight of her curled up on the floor. Oh.
He doesn't say anything more, but he stumbles over to her and tries to lower himself to the ground so he can sit next to her. His legs accidentally give out about halfway down and there's a dull thud as he lands on the floor. ]
Shit. [ He curses quietly to himself, hoping he didn't disturb her too much. Maybe she's already asleep and she didn't hear a thing. Still, he mumbles out a slurred apology. ] Sorry.