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

[ Maybe Alan should have a better idea of what he's doing, but if he's being honest about it all, it feels a little like he's throwing ideas at the wall and hoping something sticks. Maybe even this meeting with Jesse is some half thought out idea. It's certainly desperate, and probably dangerous, but he really wanted to see her. He missed her, but maybe him missing her shouldn't have been reason enough to drag her into all this.

But wasn't she already involved the second you showed up at her door in Bright Falls?

He can't really argue with that, even though he wishes he could.

Then, he feels the tug on his hand and he returns to the present and to Jesse. Oh, right, they were going to step into the shower together. He knows that she's right; he shouldn't second guess himself when he's the one who put the offer on the table, so he steps in closer to her, moving into the bathroom properly.

The next step is obvious: getting ready to step into the shower, but he pauses, not out of unwillingness, but more from a place of letting her set the tone of how this is going to go. ]

[ An eyebrow raises at how he pauses once again. Jesse shakes her head slightly at him. Then, she lets go of his hand in order to start pulling off her hoodie. Just a simple t-shirt underneath it as well as jeans and a pair of sneakers. Clothes covered in dirt and dust of the Arizona desert. She's thankful he hasn't asked about how long she's been without a proper place to call home.

The hoodie is thrown to the side. Then, she reaches up and pulls her hair from the ponytail she has it in. Green eyes dart to his gray ones. Does he want to undress her? Should she do it herself? Is this supposed to be something intimate--as she hopes it is--or just something to awkwardly clean off with? It hasn't escaped her notice he's covered in dirt, what looks to be mud, and maybe even... oil? ]

Do you like hot showers, or...

[ He watches her set to work removing her layers, noting how she stops after removing her hoodie. He's not even paying attention to how he looks or what he's also covered in, but maybe a shower would be good for both of them, in more ways than one.

He steps a little closer and one hand reaches out to rest on her shoulder. It doesn't just stay there resting, however; he gives a slight tug on the fabric that bares the skin of her shoulder, and he offers her a small smile, not even bothering to hide the desire he has for her. ]

Yeah. Hot showers are good. Good for relaxation and... other things. What about you?

[ Eyes quickly dart to the hand as he tugs, then back to his eyes. There's a heavy beat in her chest. A familiar feeling rises up inside her then. A desire she knows but hasn't felt in ... awhile. One that she knows is directed at him.

Then, her heart stops.

« What if he doesn't want anything to do with me now that you're gone...? What if... he won't be interested because I'm... normal. »

She feels like a part of her has been muted. Turned off. Polaris doesn't answer and she feels almost disconnected. Numb and disconnected. Out of control.

A hand raises to touch one of his elbows. ]

I like them. Yeah, I do. [ A pause as she feels a blush on her face. ] "Other things"?

Edited 2024-06-22 10:41 (UTC)

[ Maybe that's what this was about all along: pleasing her, making her feel good, giving her what she wanted even if he wasn't initially sure if she really wanted it. Maybe he wasn't even sure he wanted to give this to her, but now he knows he does.

It matters to him that Polaris is gone; it bothers him that she is, and he wishes he could do something to bring her back. But he's not in a position to make that happen.

... Or is he? What if he could do something that might draw her back in? It's a thought that comes from seemingly nowhere. Well, not nowhere, but it's not anywhere that makes sense to Alan right now. Grow brighter and maybe she'll come back.

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Alan's brow furrows because he doesn't understand it, or where that idea even came from. He has a suspicion, but it's an insane one. No more insane than anything else going on around you.

For now, Alan tries to tune out the weird voice that sounds unsettlingly familiar so that he can focus on Jesse and on what she wants. Maybe he'll come back to that voice later. Maybe. ]

Yeah. Other things... [ He pauses because he wants to word this in just the right way. ] Couple things. Things couples do in- you know. If you wanted to think of us as a couple.

[ Couple things.

Jesse feels the air catch in her throat. Are they a couple? We're they a couple? She was never sure. They were two people caught up in a level of weirdness and insanity. People who were wrapped up in the feelings of the moment. At least, she thought they were in the moment. It was only after he left her behind she realized it was more than just heated momentary passions.

She does love him.

Now that the undercurrent of driving emotions from that otherworldly part of her is muted? It's so clear to her as she stands in the bathroom of some altered motel with him. She can feel how her heart pounds at his touch on her shoulder. The rush of desire and also happiness at the idea of kissing him, being intimate in any form with him. The excitement at the idea of just being near Alan Wake, adventures or no adventures.

The feeling of wanting to be his.

« Is it... really okay if i love him? » ]

Are we a couple?

Edited 2024-06-23 17:55 (UTC)

[ He notes how the air seems to catch itself in her throat, and he pauses, wondering if he's said the wrong thing. He's just speaking aloud how he feels, and how he feels is that they are a couple... a new couple, perhaps, and still figuring everything out about each other, but his mind has already made itself up.

On some level, his mind has decided that Jesse completes him, and because of that, they're already a couple. In some ways, he doesn't yet know how to reconcile his history with Alice and this unexpected discovery of his feelings for Jesse, but it's a process and an undertaking he's willing to go on until he figures it out.

He loves her, and he wants to explore that love, so that's what he intends to do. ]

Do you want to be one? I mean, do you want to be one with me? It's not fair of me to ask, but could you be happy being with me?

Yes.

[ The answer is quick, immediate, and might encompass all his questions. Even if all of what he asks is unrealistic. How could they truly be a couple with him trapped in another dimension? When they can only manage moments of time together? Even then, knowing that, she wants to be with him. She wants to be with someone who understands what she has been through. Someone as not-normal, someone touched by otherworldly beings.

And, even then, a smaller part of her hopes that she somehow inspires him to write again.

Her heart pounds. How did she fall in love with him? When? Do the little details like that matter at all? They do, don't they? It isn't just some rush of emotions though. She felt this way before... she just didn't realize it all. No, she was afraid to admit it in case he left. And, he did.

When did she fall in love with him?

All she can think is it had to have been an attraction from the start she refused to realize. Something that quickly grew the more he was insistent on knowing her and learning her story. How he never refused what she said or believed, even when he struggled to believe it. How when they held hands everything just felt... right. As if everything was going to be okay no matter what happened. Things don't feel that way now.

Is it because they've been apart for two years?

Her hands flex slightly at her sides, but she doesn't move to touch him. His hand is still on her shoulder. Her heart keeps pounding as she waits for him to do something. Anything. What if she moves to do something and he disappears as if all of this is a dream? It's stupid, but the fear is still holding onto her. That determination he saw in her eyes has taken a hit. How could it not? There's been no one in her corner. Everyone left.

Now what do I do? I can't find Dylan. I don't know where else to go. Alan says I can't talk to the people from the government in Bright Falls. Breaker said that too. So what do I... Could I go into the Lake after him? ]

Edited 2024-06-24 09:07 (UTC)

Good. [ He pauses for a moment, eyes looking her over, taking in everything of her that he can see. ] I say that because I want all of that too. I don't know how we can be that, but I want it. I- I didn't want to say it if you didn't want it too.

[ But is wanting enough? Could it ever be enough, when so much of this is bigger than both of them? It's so much more powerful than them. Alan's no fool; he knows that love doesn't always conquer all. Still, that doesn't stop him from having romantic tendencies.

If their time together is limited, shouldn't they make the most of it?

He believes so, even if a part of him wonders why she even fell for him in the first place. Surely loving him isn't fair to her. She could have better; she deserves better. But if she fell for someone else, he knows that he would hate him because that person isn't him. He'd be jealous of them, and yet happy for her that she found someone who could be there for her all the time. Why? Because that's what she deserves. That's who she deserves.

He notes how her hands flex, but she doesn't move. She just stands there waiting for... something. And that's really all he needs; if she wants him to do something, well, he will. He moves his hand from her shoulder to take hold of her hand, and with his other hand, he sets to work removing the t-shirt that she wears. He was about to just pull her into the shower with him, but at the last second, he remembered they haven't finished undressing yet.

First things first... But if it takes too much time, he might just pull her in and follow after her, clothes and all.

... It's not like he's eager or anything. ]

[ Her gaze softens. How can they be it when he's realities away? When all they have are these snapshots together? It's not really a relationship or conventional in the regular sense. Does that matter? Do they need to be?

Her fingers slide between his on instinct. She can feel a spark of that old feeling. Something feeling right at his touch. Then, he sets about trying to remove her top, and she helps move out of it. Then, she moves to help take off his flannel. Undo his belt.

A glance upwards is given to him if that's alright. ]

Or do you want to...

[ It doesn't seem possible. It seems insane, foolish, out of their reach... and yet, Alan feels as though it's something he'd fight for. It's something they both want, so that makes it worth trying to hold onto.

Her top comes off as a result of both of their efforts, and once it's off, he strokes her forearm once before she starts to help remove his own layers, starting with the flannel and the belt he wears. He sees her glance at him, and a small smile comes to his face followed by a nod. ]

I do want to, with your help. If you want to.

[ Jesse nods to his statement and helps him undress.

She hates how timid she feels. Almost like all the confidence and stubbornness that made her Jesse Faden has evaporated. Gone. Not just because Polaris is gone. That was the last straw, when she thinks about it. She has no direction, no idea of where to go, no one to rely on to help. Polaris had been there even when the rest of the world had never believed her.

Green eyes raise up to his gray ones once again.

« I love him, even if he can't love me for being... normal. » ]

Can I stay with you?

[ « This time. Can I follow him into the dark? » ]

Edited 2024-07-01 09:44 (UTC)

[ Once all their layers are off, he has to force himself to (briefly) resist the urge to just press himself against her again. Maybe she really doesn't want him constantly invading her space; maybe she wants this to go slower, or at least, not at the pace he's going. Or maybe she really does want it, and he's overthinking it. He brushes his hand against her forearm once more, in an attempt to satisfy his want to just feel her.

Maybe if Polaris is gone, at least temporarily, he can step in and help be what she needs to ground herself. At least she can lean on him for support if she finds herself needing that. He's willing to do that for her, because he loves her. ]

... Yeah. I want you to stay with me, so- you're staying.

[ Don't tell me I'm going to eat my words. I'll find a way for us to stay together.

Alan tries to push away the voice in his head telling him he's only giving her false hope. There has to be a way. He needs there to be a way. ]

[ Her heart pounds. She's really going to stay with him? Not just in the story, but go wherever it is that he's stuck at? Maybe she can help him. They might be able to find a way for him to come home. They can find out how to do that together. That's what she wants to believe.

Something tells her that what they want doesn't necessarily matter to the forces at play.

Her expression softens, a smile tugs at the corner of her face before disappearing again. ]

Okay. [ A quiet tone but one that says she wants to believe his answer. ] Then I'm staying. We'll go into the night together this time.

[ Her other arm reaches out to turn on the shower. A glance is sent back to him at his touch with a shy look in her eyes. It's no less inviting though. The water comes on and then is redirected to the shower head. She steps in, fingers raising to brush along his. This is something she's never done before.

Warm water hits her hair and rolls down her body. The loose dirt and dust begins to roll off her easily. A glance down, shifting side to side, then back up at him as the curtain to the shower closes. Now what? ]

Edited 2024-07-06 10:24 (UTC)

[ He smiles back at her too, and while it's not the only time he's ever smiled a genuine smile at her, he feels like there's something different about this smile and about this moment. He feels calmer somehow: more relaxed, not stressed out about anything, even though there are things he could be stressed about. ]

I'm going to be honest, it'll be nice to have company. Your company. It'll be nice to not be... alone.

[ He might have hesitated about making that admission, but now he sees no reason to hide anything from her or to hold anything back. He loves her, after all.

Once she's stepped into the shower, he follows in after her, moving to stand next to her, or behind her, wherever there's room. He spots a bar of soap that looks to be brand new, so he picks it up and wetting both it and his hands, he gives an experimental scrub on her back. If she doesn't protest or pull away, he'll continue, but he figures he'll take it slow to start with. ]

[ Her gaze drifts to the side at his admission.

« He's been alone this whole time? Outside of the story we're in now, I guess. Has he written other stories? Why didn't he reach out to me or you before? He KNOWS I wanted to go with him in Bright Falls. That I'm on his side. He could have reached out. He should have. »

Jesse's gaze shifts up towards him at the touch on her back. A look of realization crosses her gaze. That is what he meant by couple things. Actually bathing together. Not... extra activities.

« Good job, Jesse. Now you look like an idiot. »

Her shoulders visibly relax. He'a fewe to continue. ]

You just move town to town like this, trying to get out?

Edited 2024-07-07 04:19 (UTC)

[ Alone, or feels like he's been alone? Maybe even Alan doesn't know the difference. Maybe being with Jesse feels as special as it does because it's her, but also because he's missed ther that much.

He rubs his hand against her back once, but he knows he wants to do more. He keeps rubbing her back, but his other hand slides around to her front and fingers ghost against the side of her breast. He doesn't curl his fingers around it, just simply rests them there, ready to pull back at a moment's notice if the touch isn't welcome.

His expression turns thoughtful as he considers what he's been doing in an effort to find his way home once more. ]

Not really town to town. It's complicated, really. There's... Well, it's like an old shirt that's worn thin. Sometimes there's spots in the world that are kind of worn thin too, I think. [ A lot of this is just guesses on his part, but it kind of makes sense somehow. ] This town seemed like a good place, or a convenient one.

[ I never thought I'd end up using an entire town for something like this. I'm hoping everything goes back to normal after... well, after I'm done. Whenever that is. ]

[ Jesse's eyes drift shut at the feeling of his hand on her back. The gentle rubbing of the soap foam into her skin. The dirt loosens, and no doubt he can see it all melt off her body into the draining water below. The touch is soothing.

Then, his fingers ghost along the side of her breast.

She inhales and gives a visible shiver. A blush creeps on her face. Hopefully he won't notice. ]

Places like Ordinary. Bright Falls. [ Her tone is thoughtful but also a hint of sensuality to it. ] You're trying to find places like that to come home through?

[ Even though the's the one touching her, there's something calming about the motion of his hand rubbing her back. It contradicts the hand he's placed at her breast, because inside, he's anything but calm. Desire and want is flaring up, and he's trying his best to control it.

... But why? If there was a moment for being uncontrolled, isn't it right now?

This time, his fingers actually do curl around her breast, and he feels like he's able to continue with his touches. The shiver she gave didn't escape his notice, although he has yet to notice her blush. ]

Yeah, places like those. I don't really understand it or how any of this works, or what happens when the connection or whatever it is ends, but- It's worth a try, isn't it?

[ His lips turn up slightly once he detects that slight tone of sensuality in her voice. His own voice deepens by a few decibels in response. ]

[ "Worth a try." What if it's the only way he has in order to do it? Though, the thought does occur to her that why doesn't he simply reopen that doorway in the Lake? She'd be back in Bright Falls in an instant.

Something--maybe whatever is left of her bond with Polaris or her instincts--says not to suggest that.

His hand curls around her breast and she feels that familiar jolt run through her body. That feeling of being touched by him. His voice has deepened too. Her hands curl at her sides slightly as it's obvious she's trying to control her emotions and desires. They're having a serious discussion, he's washing her... ]

What's wrong? It hasn't worked yet. So, something isn't working.

[ Something in his gaze seems to darken as if doubt and uncertainty and worry is fighting with him to threaten his composure. He knows that he might look like he knows what he's doing, but underneath it all, he really feels like has no idea at all what he's doing or what he should do.

His hand curls further around her, as if he needs to touch someone- touch her and feel her to try and ground himself again. Maybe he should just fall into silence as he continues washing her and touching her. Maybe words aren't appropriate right now. Maybe... so many maybes. ]

I don't know. Maybe I'm not doing the right things. Maybe I haven't found the right things. It's- [ He inadvertently puts a little too much pressure on where he's washing, and he catches himself and stops his progress before he goes too far. ]

It's like throwing things at the wall and hoping something eventually sticks, but I don't think that's working either.

[ Jesse tilts her head back at his touches. The back of her head rests against his shoulder as her eyes close. Then, she tilts it towards him as he presses his hands into her. The hand at her breast sends once set of signals, while the other at her back sends another. Alan has always been someone that is complicated and of two thoughts at once. Though, she felt that things had gotten better before he left them behind. That he had focused on one thing and knew what he wanted to do. ]

You're trying to write yourself out, but you're not ... [ Her eyebrows knit together as she shifts against his hands slightly. One hand rests on the arm around her, the other against the arm thats at her back. ] You're a writer. Don't writers plot their stories out?

[ Maybe in a way, having something to do with his hands is helping with his focus. It's something for him to do for her while he tries to make sense of what he needs to do as a writer and as someone trying to write his escape. He continues touching her and letting his hands wander as his thoughts swirl around and words start to leave him almost on their own. ]

I'm trying, I really am. I wish I could just write something as simple as "he turned the corner and a door opened for him to walk through", but that's not how this works.

[ He rubs a small circular pattern against her back as he mulls over things and tries to find answers to her questions. ]

Writers do that, yeah. I'm trying to do that, and I have some ideas. I have my writing, or what's supposed to be my writing, and I'm trying to use it to put things together.

[ He falls silent then as his words trail off. I'm trying to put things together, but it's not working. So far, it's not working. Will it ever work? ]

I'm hoping that one of these days, something actually comes out of what I've been trying to put together.

[ A shiver runs up her spine as he rubs the circles into her skin. She reflexively leans back into him despite her attempts. A gentle sound manages to make its way from her as his other hand moves at her breast. Still, he keeps talking, and she has to force herself not to pay attention to the way his touch makes her feel. That idea feels nearly impossible. ]

So... this--this story, [ she feels she needs to clarify so he doesn't misunderstand it for his actions, ] what is it you're trying to do to get out? What is it you need to end this story and come home?

[ She opens her eyes and looks up at him. A hazed look already is there in her eyes thanks to his advances. However, there is a determination to focus on his words as well. She'll do what she needs to in order to bring him home. Whatever that is. Even stopping him from touching her so they can focus on it if needed. ]

[ He doesn't respond right away; one hand keeps making circles on her back, traveling in a wider circle to get more of the soap spread around, but his main focus is on making her feel good. The hand at her breast stays there, but his fingers spread out as if they want to explore an area that can't be touched except in private moments like this one. ]

Well, I think it's already written. Or parts of it are. I'm not sure if it's completely finished, you know, with a beginning, middle, and end. I think I can still make changes to it.

But...

[ His frown returns and his brow furrows and his head dips lower although he doesn't stop touching her. ]

What's the point in making changes if I don't know what's going to get me out of this story?

[ A proverbial wall has been built, and Alan doesn't know how to get around it. What kind of equally proverbial explosive can he use to break down the wall? How does he fight a story that seems to be as alive as any ordinary person? The story isn't ordinary; it's powerful, maybe even more powerful than Alan who's still trying to figure out what he can do. ]

Sorry, I know that doesn't answer the question. But I think I need to change the story in just the right way to let me come home. How I'm supposed to do that, I'm still figuring out.

[ He stops then as a sudden overwhelming urge to just be done with this story rises from out of nowhere. I just want to go home. I've written so much...

It feels foreign somehow, as if the emotion doesn't belong to him. It's coming from far away, maybe even from someone else. ]

I'm going to figure this out. [ He doesn't bother hiding the note of determination in his voice, because why should he? ]

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

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