synthneon | oceanview (different path) || ❝ turn the page i need to see something new. ❞

[ Whatever Alan was expecting from Jesse, it wasn't that. Clearly, she's taken him by surprise, and it's enough to pull him out of the fit of moping he's fallen into because of the impending divorce and the feeling that everything is spiraling out of his control.

He stares at Jesse, confusion plain in his eyes, but behind the confusion, there's a kind of longing too: longing he's reasonably sure he shouldn't be feeling, but he can't just shut it off. Still, whatever's going on with him isn't nearly as important as whatever's going on with Jesse. The way she's standing isn't the posture of someone who's completely fine. It's the posture of someone who's upset and very much not okay. He should have known that before he asked, but he wanted to hear it from her.

She presses her forehead into his shoulder, and immediately, his arms wrap around her, pulling her in. He's not much of a shield, and he never imagined he'd be holding someone like this, but he finds he wants to do it. He wants to be whatever protection he can be, even if it's not much. He's still not entirely sure why she would choose to stick with him, because he's really not a good guy. His life is this side of messed up, and it looks like it's about to get a lot more complicated; why would anyone choose him? But as long as she wants to stay, he'll take it. ]

I won't. I'm staying right here. [ Screw this story and screw whatever it's trying to make happen. ] If I have to run off anywhere, you're going with me. But if you want to get off this train anytime, no hard feelings.

[ I still don't know why she'd choose to stay, but I'm for it as long as she is. ]

[ Her eyes close the moment he wraps his arms around her. There's an odd feeling of comfort that springs in her. Odd, because it's been so long since she's felt anything like it. She can't even remember the last time it felt like a true genuine feeling of support. Foster parents tried, but, no one would ever really accept what she said. It created a barrier between her and the world. A barrier she finds she wants to let down around Alan, but, also one that she fears will need to come up once his rejection of her world truly comes out. He knows the pieces and fragments of Ordinary and her story... but not all of it.

« He doesn't know YOU. My supposedly imaginary friend. He knows about a friend, but, I can't tell him more than that. He would never look at me the same way. Just another person who sees crazy Jesse Faden, talking to the voice in her head. »

Arms curl around the manuscript pages further. ]

There's no getting off this train, Alan. [ A frown tugs on her face. « Dylan loved trains. » ] Not really. You can pretend, but you're always aware the train exists. Even if you put a poster to cover the hole on the wall? You always know the hole is there.

[ In contrast, Alan doesn't feel comfort. He feels like he's trapped and cornered with his back against the wall, and the only thing that makes him feel just the slightest bit better is something that's not even a guarantee. He's not guaranteed another minute with Jesse, no matter what his personal resolve might say. Either the story forces them apart or she leaves on her own. He doesn't like it and he wants to reject it, but he knows he can't. Even her deciding to leave on her own could be the story forcing her to act.

But even with those realizations circling in his mind, he feels his resolve growing. He's going to hold onto her as tightly as he can, and he'll have to be pried away from her if the story wants to push them apart. Maybe he hasn't realized it in so many words, but he wants to know her. He wants to see the way she sees the world. He wants to be in that world with her. ]

Yeah. I'm getting that feeling. Whether I like it or not, I'm stuck. But- you know what? The company's pretty good. Really good, actually. [ He pauses at the mention of a poster on the wall, and then he just gives a half smirk. ]

I never liked posters anyway.

[ A choked laugh comes from her at his comment, head tilting to gently rest against him. Her shoulders relax and she simply lets him hold her. One arm leaves the manuscripts pressed against her person to lift and gently wrap her hand around the crook of his arm. Finger tips gently move along the tweed jacket with elbow patches that she's quickly coming to associate with him. Someone trying to look the part of some big shot writer--because he is--but also is just a regular person. She feels a smile form on her lips and she's sure to hide it. Something only for her to know, even if he can hear it in her voice. ]

When it's Hartman's smug face? I can't blame you. [ A finger raises from his arm to gesture to the picture on the wall nearby. It stands out even though the room is dark. She figures they're in Hartman's office, which makes her willing to dig her feet in just a bit more. Just to push it in the therapist's face.

Instead, Jesse rubs her cheek into his shoulder. A small amount, almost like a cat making themselves comfortable in blankets. ] No one has ever said that to me. That I'm "good company."

[ This feels right; it feels real and natural and right, and Alan just wants to stay like this for as long as they can. He feels her shoulders relax and his hold on her tightens, but he moves a hand to begin tracing light patterns against her shoulder, in hopes of soothing her too. He can't remember the last time he felt this content with another person, but he's feeling it now with her, and he doesn't want this to end. He can hear the smile in her voice even if it doesn't show in her face, but his own face brightens just a fraction as he smiles in response. ]

Let me tell you, it's not the kind of face you want to see anywhere, but definitely not when you're waking up from being drugged. [ Alan's tone is light and his smile hasn't dropped off, but there's a hint of tightness in it that wasn't there just seconds ago. ] You ever see someone's picture and think about drawing on it to deface it? Yeah, that's kind of how I feel.

[ His smile widens when she rubs her cheek against his shoulder. He's not sure what it is about the gesture that he likes, but- well, he likes it, and he moves his hand from her shoulder to cautiously touch the ends of her hair. ] Really? Well, trust me when I say that you are.

Do you need to sit down? [ Jesse's tone almost immediately shifts to uncertainty and worry. Her hand curls around his arm once more to help steady him. It contradicts the desire to melt against him again as his fingers move over her shoulders. But, if he needs recovery time before they head out again? She needs to address that first. ] We can, if you need to...

[ Jesse glances up at him. The small smile is in her eyes. Green eyes that are bright but are missing a certain shimmer and light that her older counterpart seemed to have. Maybe it's age and wisdom, or something else. Something that's waiting to be unlocked inside her when the time is right.

She moves to speak again when the power cuts. Darkness covers the room. Her hold tightens and she looks around. Ambient light floods from the windows with a storm approaching. Barry is yelling in the room next door. She looks side to side, trying to determine if something is going to jump from the shadows or not. ]

Huh? [ He notices how her tone shifts and he pauses before responding. ] No, I'm fine, I don't need to. I'll be fine. [ He doesn't want to stop, doesn't want to delay them any more than they already are. He traces another small pattern over her shoulder, wondering why he's doing it. It feels comforting somehow, but he wonders if she likes it or if she wants him to stop. ]

Unless... unless you wanted to sit down with me.

[ He knows he wouldn't mind having a quiet moment with her, either talking or simply sitting in silence. He opens his mouth to suggest it, almost at the same time that she starts to speak again, when the power abruptly dies. Alan stiffens and although he doesn't stop holding her, there's a sudden unease in his eyes that wasn't there just seconds ago. ]

Shit, that's not good. Hey, let's go back to make sure Barry's good, okay? Then we can pick this up again. [ Whatever this is.

Instinctively, his hand reaches for hers, intending to hold hers as they make their way back to join Barry. ]

[ She would respond she wouldn't mind sitting down with him. Talking. Just being held, touching--kissing. The story seems to have other ideas, as always, and she is starting to wonder if she has to force the story's hand to have that connection. Should she? Can she?

Would he want her to?

Her hand around his arm curls more to give support. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see how the Darkness has started to affect Alan. She motions for him to grab the gun and flashlight. They might have to fight. ]

Yeah. We should. [ Jesse nods.

Once she's made sure that Alan is alright and armed? She opens the door. A step in, a "Wheeler?" said before she gasps.

Hartman is there, gun in hand, Barry with his hands up. ]

[ Alan would much rather do all of that with her instead of having to follow the twists and turns of the story. But lest she think that he'd choose her simply to avoid the difficulties and demands of the story, he'd be quick to say that that's not the case. He wants to be with her, to get to know her, and to let her get to know him.

Maybe it doesn't tell her anything, but he leans into her just slightly as her hand curls around his arm. He wants closeness with her, both on a physical level and perhaps on a more intimate one as well. He wants to tell the story that it has to wait, that getting to know Jesse is more important. But maybe the most he can have is just keeping Jesse with him, until she says she wants to leave. He'll take what he can get. ]

I hope I'm wrong, but I have a sinking feeling about all this. [ He says as she opens the door and they're greeted by the sight of an armed Hartman and Barry with his hands up. With a speed Alan didn't know he had, he turns his own gun on Hartman and knowing that this could very well get him shot, he winds up one hand and as quickly as he can, closes the gap between them and tries to punch him in the face. Again.

No, he doesn't have any issues at all concerning Hartman. ]

Now, Alan-- [ Hartman is cut off by the sudden gun and then subsequent punch to the face. He goes over, stumbling until he hits the desk behind him. One hand stables him while the other raises. ] Alright, alright!

"Don't let up, Al!"

[ Jesse lowers her out stetched hands, glancing between all three men. That subtle shift in reality brushes along her and she realizes what is happening. The story has subtly taken over once more. Arms come around her once again to hold the manuscript pages close. Protectively. ]

Ah, well. It was worth the shot. [ Hartman stands gun in hand, staring at the three in the room. His eyes linger on Jesse only to narrow at her, annoyed she and Barry are even there. He looks back at Alan. ] Let's be frank, Alan. We both know the Lake can change things through art. If you and I work together we can change the world to how we want. You could have your failing marriage back--your success back!

"Yeah, what about you? You're no good Samaritan, Hartman." [ Barry pipes up. ] "You've got an angle."

Yes, well, I will finally he proven right. It's a powerful motivator. [ Hartman dismisses Barry's question before turning his gaze back to Alan, bleeding nose and all. ] Let's put all this behind us, Alan. Get to work on saving your wife and then we can change the world!

"Don't listen to him, Al! He kidnapped and drugged you! Kept me and the kid locked up!"

[ A small realization comes to Hartman's face. He turns his gaze to look once more at Jesse. His eyes narrow.

Jesse feels a chill shoot up her spine. She firmly plants her feet on the spot, but it isn't hard to see that it isn't her Hartman is looking at.

He's looking at Polaris. Or, trying to. ]

[ Barry tells him to not let up, but the actions of pointing a gun at Hartman and punching him again seems to take something out of Alan. He doesn't lower the weapon, but he doesn't threaten the man any further than keeping it pointed at him. Maybe he never really had that much fight in him, or he did and the story changed it, but either way, Alan just stands there staring at Hartman and only half-listening to what he's saying.

That is, until something he said registers and Alan just pins him with a glance. ]

What the hell are you talking about? "Change the world"? What do you care about changing the world? Oh, I get it, you want it to be how you want it.

[ Alan shakes his head. He knows he's not the most selfless man ever, but he doesn't go around talking about changing the world to make it how he wants it to be. ]

How do you even know that's how any of it works? What if- What if you get something worse in exchange for getting what you want? [ Alan isn't speaking from any kind of experience, but he can't help but feel that making any sort of deal with anything bigger than them is just asking for trouble. ]

I... I want to win Alice over, to get her back, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to become the world's greatest writer, but-

[ Alan's had his moments of being an arrogant ass, and he knows it, but he's not so far up his own ass that he can't see that doing something like what Hartman's talking about could have consequences. ]

That's your motivation? Being right? [ Alan scoffs. ] That's a pretty sad motivator, man.

[ Barry's reminder just seals the deal for him, really. Hartman's off his rocker and although he can't pretend he doesn't feel the lure of Hartman's grand ideas, he knows he doesn't trust the man at all.

He opens his mouth to say something else, but then he notices the look on Hartman's face. ]

Hey, Hartman, what do you think you're looking at?

[ Jesse feels her shoulders curl under the piercing gaze of the therapist. He can't see Polaris--but he's trying to. She feels her foot slide back slightly. She wants to put more distance between them. She wants to run away.

« I can't. I ran once. Dylan...he... I left him! I can't leave anyone else! » ]

We both know you're a bit more than you're leading these men to believe, girl. Do yourself a favor. Hand over those pages and I'll allow you to leave without issue.

[ Jesse looks between Alan and Barry. A frown touches her face. They won't believe Hartman, will they? ]

I'm sure they've noticed by now you're here whenever it's convienent.

[ Alan's eyes shift away from Hartman to look at Jesse, because some instinctual feeling is telling him something is going on with her, and he can't help but feel worried. ]

Hey, her name's not "girl", and you better watch what you say to her. [ The gun in Alan's hand is back to being pointed at Hartman, and there's a glare plainly written on Alan's face.

He keeps his attention on Jesse, however, and when he speaks to her, the anger he directed at Hartman is gone from his voice. ]

What's he talking about, Jesse? [ Personally, Alan wouldn't ever believe Hartman, not after all this. He's not exactly someone who's proven himself to be trustworthy. ]

"Kid, what's he mean?" [ Barry speaks the same time as Alan. He too turns to look at Jesse.

Jesse looks back and forth between the two men once more. Eyes dart from one to the other. Shoulders curl. The stack of manuscript pages hugs closer to her chest. Polaris "tells" her not to let go of them. Hold onto them. They're vital.

Hartman moves his head back slightly at the gun. ] She's hardly been in town long. No one knows who she is or where she comes from. Now, she's involved in this mess she had no part in being in. Almost like something told her to be.

[ Jesse's eyebrows raise slightly as that chill shoots down her spine. Eyes widen as they snap to Hartman. Polaris tugs at her mind and she can see it suddenly. The Darkness seemingly like tendrils coming off Hartman. Can Alan see it? Barry?

Hartman's eyes narrow once more. ] Like I said, girl. Give me the pages!

[ Polaris suddenly flares up in her mind, like the volume turned up to almost max. Jesse barely moves in time to avoid the shot from Hartman's gun. It's not just Hartman, it's...

Barry is shouting again, grabbing onto Harman's gun arm. Jesse is whirling on her feet to dodge back into the room she and Alan had just been in. Hartman--but not only Hartman, a voice over played on his of an older woman--snaps to Alan once again. ]

She has the pages to finish this story, boy! You have work to do, don't you? Get them back and we'll finish this story!

[ Alan's head whips around to glare at Hartman, and his fingers curl against the gun to the point that they start to turn white. ]

Shut up, Hartman. Maybe you've been in town too long. And where did you come from, anyway? Why does anyone trust you? Did something tell you to get involved?

[ Suddenly, as if something is driving Alan to act, he moves to try and stand between Hartman and Jesse. It's not that he thinks Jesse needs protecting, but he wants Hartman to back off. ]

Like I said, you don't get to make demands.

[ He stands there still glaring at Hartman when something strange seems to happen before their eyes. Hartman's gun goes off, and Alan visibly flinches but he's launching himself at Hartman almost at the same time that Barry grabs Hartman's gun arm.

But before Alan can do anything more, a voice that sounds like Hartman but layered with something else... someone else, draws his attention and he freezes. He doesn't answer right away, and then, abruptly, he bends over, hands clasping at his head even with the gun that he still holds.

Get to work, boy! I said GET TO WORK.

A second later, the gun drops from Alan's hand with a clatter as he appears to fight something he can't see. ]

I- I don't need to get the pages back! She'll give them to me, I don't have to take them from her. Get out of my head!

[ Things happen so quickly that Jesse misses seeing most of them as she tries to dart into the other room from the gunshot. Her head turns back, seeing Alan and Barry both rush Hatman. Barry makes contact and grabs the arm with the gun. Alan, however, is clutching his head and bending over. A part of her still screams to run away before anything worse can happen, but the other part pushes her to turn back. Face it all. Help fight.

That is the part that Polaris seems to agree with as well.

Jesse suddenly is behind Alan, throwing her arms around him from behind. Her face is pressed between his shoulder blades. Hands sprayed across his sides as she physically tries to pull him back. Her eyes are shut tightly, feeling as if she's suddenly in a tug-a-war with something she can't even see. Something that Polaris seems to know. Jesse can't really understand what is happening, but she feels almost like an energy in her palms. Energy--a resonance--leaving her and echoing throughout the writer. ]

Get off me! [ Hartman's voice dominates once more. The therapist whirls, punching Barry in the face. He shakes off the more sized man, raising his gun once more to Alan. ] I don't get to make demands? Maybe you can't see who is in control here, Alan, but it's certainly not you or the girl! Now, I'm not going to ask again. Let's just stop all this and work together! Take the pages that you've written and I'll help you write the rest.

[ Jesse's eyes widen, looking over her arm at Hartman. She presses herself closer to Alan as the energy in her hands seems to increase and decrease. Almost as if trying to find the right frequency to attune to. Jesse keeps trying to pull Alan back with her, eyes moving to Barry as he holds his face, then back up to Alan, then to Hartman again.

« Polaris, what do I do?! What can I do?! This isn't--this isn't like Ordinary! There's no slide projector to just TURN OFF. We can't even keep the power on to keep the lights going! What do we DO?! »

Despite the chaos around them? A gentle sound comes to Alan's ears. One that sounds like a gentle shift in momentum--if such a thing has a sound. Something around Jesse that finally makes the room seem to look a little brighter. It can be brighter still, if the Writer can remember the lessons the Diver gave him.

You should go into the light. You're only safe there.

There's no light in the room. Maybe there is light somewhere else that he can use. Somewhere inside him... ]

｟ Alan. ｠

[ That same gentle sound is far away, yet somehow, filling anything Alan could ever hear in that moment. A voice that should sound familiar as someone else in the room. Yet, gentler, more open, older, wiser. A sound that seems louder the more one can focus on light. One that is beating back the waves that lap around him and try to drown out anything but the story in his mind. ]

｟ Alan Wake. ｠

[ Hands placed on either side of his face, even if no one is truly there. A woman standing in front of him with red hair and green eyes he should know almost by heart now. A light shimmering in the eyes and the red hair that seems to glow somehow. They're not in Hartman's office now. A room with a desk facing the wall, two windows, an owl above, and a door open to a hallway that leads to another door. Stairs that descend down into the cabin.

A poet's cabin.

Darkness like waves outside the window.

The young woman he should know by now smiles at him. Breathing from a diving suit can be heard in the distance. ]

｟ The sound made the light louder, the light made the sound brighter. It's time now. ｠

[ The young woman's smile widens before she's suddenly at eye level with him. Floating in the air. She puts her forehead to him. The poet's cabin that should be filled with nothing but darkness suddenly seems to lighten. ]

｟ Alan, wake up. ｠

[ Alan feels more than he sees Jesse coming up behind him and throwing her arms around him. He's still bent over even as her hands spread across his sides and she takes hold of him. He feels something stirring, a sound... a noise. A source of energy? He isn't sure what it is, but it's not a violent feeling, not a feeling of being drowned out.

But that drowning feeling intensifies when he registers Hartman turning the gun on him once more, and the force of it almost sends Alan dropping to his knees. He would have fallen if not for Jesse's arms around him, but as it is, his knees waver as if they want to give out.

Alan's desperation rises as darkness seems to cloud the edges of his vision, and in a moment of panic, he tries to lean himself more into Jesse's hold, as if her touch will counter the darkness that's threatening to smother him. That is, until he hears something over the splashing waves. It's hard to explain it, but it's just a sound... a calming one, gentler than the darkness pulling at him. Is the room turning brighter? He can't tell.

Brighter. Turn the lights on. You're only safe there.

He remembers something, something about lights. But what is it?

It's dark here. The darkness is coming, I can hear the waves. The water. I'm- No, I have to remember... remember what? I don't remember.

But then Alan stiffens in Jesse's hold, and he hears something, something that isn't the waves or Hartman or Barry or-

Help me. Please.

He hears the sound then, and it sounds far away because of the distance, but it's filling up all of Alan's senses. It's all he can hear, and brightness is all he can see. But he can make the brightness brighter. How? He just knows it somehow.

He doesn't believe it until he feels hands on his face and sees a glint of red hair and bright green eyes that, yes, he knows just as well as he knows the back of his own hand. He might not recognize where they are or what it means, but he knows the woman, and he knows she's trying to help.

It's time... I don't know what I'm doing, but you know what you're doing and what I need to be doing, so... Here goes?

He closes his eyes for a moment, feeling a little silly, but he chooses to focus on letting the sound resonate through him, focusing on the faint breathing from the diving suit, focusing on the light and making it grow brighter.

Wake up. We wake up when the sun comes up. When the light comes back. The light has to come back. Wake up!

Suddenly, Alan's eyes snap open and a kind of glow seems to come from his gray eyes. Is the room bright because of the sound or because of something else? Because of him? He doesn't know; he barely understands how this works or what he's doing, but he's doing something.

But is it enough? ]

[ The young woman's smile widens as he opens his eyes. Hers lock onto his instantly. The intense look implies she is looking at no one else--sees no one else. Her entire attention and gravitational pull is centered on the Writer. ]

｟ The Champion of Light. It taught you how to wield the Light to push back the Darkness . ｠

[ Her intense gaze turns fond. Despite the other worldly appearance? It is quite obvious who the red headed young woman is. Not the older self that he has met in his dreams. Her, as she could be, if she was able to tap into that inner power. Just as the Bright Presence taught Alan, her friend is trying to teach her.

She leans forward the fraction needed to place her lips to his. A gesture he should know, a feeling he should recongize. Her hands cradle his face. ]

｟ Alan, wake up. ｠

[ Jesse's head snaps up the moment a roaring scream fills the office. Or, maybe it's outside the Lodge. She can feel the shift in the room. The Darkness pulling back to the corners of the room. Hartman moves to aim once more, but the Darkness grabs him. Pulls him back with it. He yells in frustration before disappearing into... nothing.

Jesse looks to the side through the windows. The outdoor lights flicker. The lights within the room blink before turning back on. Barry rushes over to the pair, hands on Alan's shoulders, giving his friend a shake. ]

"Al? Al! Hello, earth to Al! Hey. Did you see that?! Hartman just got ... I don't know. Sucked up into a vacuum cleaner!"

[ Jesse slowly pulls her arms away from Alan and takes a step back. Then another. Her eyes drop to her shaking hands. She can feel Polaris hum loudly before she returns to the gentle presence Jesse always feels with her. Hands flex.

« What... what did you do? What did WE do? I don't understand. I don't... what is Alan going to think? »

She raises her gaze to the two men in the room. Her hands curl before reaching down and picking up the manuscripts she dropped. It keeps her busy, her mind busy. Everything is too close to what happened in Ordinary. All she can think is how they turned off the slide projector. How it all stopped.

« What is he going to think when he finds out about you? » ]

Edited 2024-04-23 17:38 (UTC)

[ It tried to teach me. Did it work? I guess it did, kind of. I know I'm not much of a good listener or learner. But I must have learned something, because I can sense her. I can see her.

Alan smiles too when he sees the smile on the young woman's face. He stares, watching her, searching her face as if he's trying to figure something out. She looks like Jesse, both Jesses that Alan's seen, but there's something else about her. Something different. There's a knowledge in her eyes that the Jesse he knows doesn't have. She doesn't have it yet, but she will. In time, she will.

And then he feels her lips pressing against his and all thoughts seem to fly out of his mind. All he knows is her and the feel of her mouth on his, and then- then the moment ends. He hears the roar and he snaps to attention even though he immediately regrets it. The feeling is like having a bucket of cold water poured over him, and he shivers.

Barry shakes him, hands on his shoulders, and he freezes, eyes wide with fear. He didn't see what happened to Hartman, but he heard the roar and he felt a suffocating darkness and a terror he can't explain.

For a few seconds, even as Barry tries to get his attention, Alan's expression seems far away, as if he's not really there with them. He can't even put it into words, but it's like the darkness and the light are pulling at him, both wanting to claim him as theirs, and he's caught in the middle between them both.

Of course, Alan knows which of the two he wants to follow, and although the darkness doesn't like it and tries to pull him back, he reaches for the light. He reaches for Polaris. He reaches for Jesse's friend.

Will anyone be there reaching back? ]

"Hey, Al! Snap out of it! Come on, man. The lights are one. We're good, right? Safe in the light!"

[ Jesse holds the manuscripts to her. She looks back up at Alan and Barry. Whatever happened, Alan hasn't quite returned to them. She glances to the side, frowning not sure what she should do. What if he thinks she and Polaris are just like the Dark Presence and Hartman? What if he wants nothing to do with her now that she did... whatever it was.

Polaris gently tugs at her mind. Her gaze turns to where her friend directs her and sees Alan's outstretched hand. She only hesitates for a brief moment before her hand reaches out and wraps around his. ]

[ Alan's eyes look several shades darker than they should, as if some of the darkness got inside him and is doing its best to pull him away like it did with Hartman. But Alan's fighting back, because the darkness is terrifying and it scares him; he doesn't want to be like Hartman, even if Hartman may not have deserved what he got. Maybe he did. Maybe it's a kind of poetic justice. But Alan doesn't want to end up that way.

Fingers stretch out as desperation rises, but finally... finally he feels his fingers latch onto Jesse's hand as she reaches out for him in return. His fingers curl and he holds on as tightly as he can without hurting her.

When he speaks, there's a hint of shakiness in his voice as if the brush with darkness rocked him. ]

It- It's still dark; it's always going to be dark, as long as that thing is around. That thing that's not a thing; it's not something you can fight or hit or-

[ Alan's gaze shifts, eyes looking around as if searching for more light sources. They need more light. The lights in the room aren't enough. Maybe a floodlight would do it, but where are they going to find that? ]

I think- I think we need to get out of here, get somewhere safer. And keep the lights on.

"Al, buddy. Hey, helloooo. Look at me. The lights are on, okay? The weird... I don't know, evil cloud thing? It's gone for now. We got the pages we need so we can figure out where to go now."

[ Barry puts his hands on Alan's shoulder and gives another good shake. Something to try and focus Alan on the present. They need to be able to move forward and get the next steps done to save Alice. ]

Alan. [ Jesse hates how small her voice sounds. She curls her hand around his and gives a squeeze. An anchor just like Barry is trying to make. ] The lights are on in the whole building.

[ Barry gives him a shake, and even though it's not what he intended, for just a few seconds after, his shoulders continue shaking until he collects himself enough to stop the shellshocked response.

It takes another second for him to be able to look Barry in the eye, followed by yet another as he shifts his gaze to look at Jesse. There's tension in his face that has yet to fade, as well as a scared, wary look in his eyes. ]

It's gone for now, but it'll come back. [ He shifts his weight to lean against Barry just a little, and he squeezes Jesse's hand in return. ]

I don't know if we're safe here, even with all the lights on. [ But are we safe anywhere? ]

[ Jesse and Barry share a worried glance between them. Barry may have no real idea of what is going on, but she has seen something similar. Alan isn't flying into an absolute rage screaming at the top of his lungs about how the Dark Presence will get them all in the end... but it's close to what happened in Ordinary.

Almost too close.

She presses her lips together and looks down. ]

"So, then let's get the hell out of here before it comes back! Where do we need to get to? Back to town? Unless there's a huge ass battery here somewhere."

[ Alan would be lying if he said he wasn't worried too. He's worried, terrified, unsure where to go or what he should be doing. He can't help but feel that there's no escape; there's darkness everywhere, and how much good will staying in the light do? But he has to put on a brave face for Barry and Jesse, and that's exactly what he does, as best as he can. ]

Yeah. We need to get going; I'm not sure where to go, but we have to go. Maybe something in the pages will tell us where. We can't keep hiding; I mean, you two can, but I have to figure out what I need to do next. Maybe... maybe if I split off from you, the darkness will leave you alone. Or- maybe it'll come after you to make you chase me. No, I can't leave you behind.

oceanview (different path) || ❝ turn the page i need to see something new. ❞

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