voice-testing ....

[ex_theherald551]

Well, buddy, looks like you finally found yourself a winner.

Much better than anyone else rattling about your head, anyway. But anyway, now is the dawn of a great day. My day, my time.

Finally, living outside. So let's start shopping. I don't care where it is... I'll make it home.

Comments

Oh hecks yes on the canon

[brother_alone]

Be careful what you wish for there.

[ex_theherald551]

Or ... I'll get exactly what I want?

[brother_alone]

Just saying,

What if they shacked you up in a My Little Pony game or something.

[ex_theherald551]

You don't think I could get along with the Ponies? Couldn't teach the kids about friendship and loyalty and how if they try really hard ... maybe, they'll get a happy ending?

Well, I guess not... that's never been my kind of story.

[brother_alone]

Hey man, whatever floats your boat.

It sounds better than what i'm doing--holed up in a shack getting chased by what I thought was a hallucination that suddenly everyone can see. upside? I also met a Sith. That was kinda neat.

Place is weird man.

[ex_theherald551]

I'm hearing a lot of boo-hoo.

I'm not hearing about why-should-I-care.

[brother_alone]

What you should be hearing is a lot of 'don't trust the mun upstairs as far as you can throw 'em'.

But hey. best wishes man.

You sound like you got it alllll sorted out.

[ex_theherald551]

There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.

Sounds like you're prepared for nothing, buddy.

SCREAMS FOREVER

[relit]

Mister Wake...?

[No. Not Alan.]

AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

[ex_theherald551]

No, no, sorry, sugar.

Not Mister Wake, but someone that'll appreciate you much more than he ever did. After all, you're his biggest fan, am I right?

*HIDES FACE*

[relit]

Yes, but you're not him. You- you act wrong. He doesn't sound like that. You're like that woman...

[Rose shrinks back a step, wrapping her arms around herself defensively.]

*PAT*

[ex_theherald551]

[ Tsk, tsk. ] Acting wrong... that's the wrong way to think about it. No, I act just as I'm supposed to act. How I'm supposed to be. How you'd like him to be.

[ ............ ]

Still, like that woman... I'm like nobody but me.

There's nobody else like me. You get what I'm saying to you, right? Right?

[relit]

I...

[People whisper such terrible rumors about Alan Wake. But she's met the man. She's devoured every book he's ever written, every paragraph. It isn't the same as really knowing someone. But it's enough. Right?]

...The face might be the same, but you're two different people.

[ex_theherald551]

Bingo.

I'd like to have his life. The life that he takes for granted, the life that he grumbles and moans about. But I'm told that's not how things work. No, I'm going to be my own person, my own life. Isn't that just so much better, Rosey?

So, why not ... give yourself an upgrade?

gah I need to get more icons

[relit]

["Pretty girl," the old woman had crooned. She'd promised her everything she's ever wanted. She'd promised to let Rose be Wake's muse. But that was a lie back then. It would always be a lie.]

[She shook her head once. Firmly.]

No. You can't fool me. That's not an "upgrade". That's something worse!

[ex_theherald551]

Something worse? [ Eh, probably. ]

Worse than knowing that Mister Wake could care less about you? That he doesn't admire that you love his works so much? Really, you're an eyesore to him.

So which really is worse?

[relit]

That's not true!

[Is it? Sure, Alan hadn't been the friendliest when she gushed over his work at the Oh Deer Diner. He'd seemed so prickly when he arrived at her trailer, when he drank coffee laced with sleeping pills. He was a famous author, and she's just a waitress in a small town. And she still wishes she could be a part of that world.]

...that's not true at all...

[ex_theherald551]

[ a small tilt of his head as he presses his hand to his chest in sympathy. ]

So you do know which is the worst situation to be in.

[relit]

I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't...

[She hadn't wanted to do what she did. But she has to live with the consequences. She's hurt someone she admired. And Rose Marigold can't go back to how things were before Alan rolled into town. She can't pretend not to see the Dark Presence. What it's done.]

[The face it's stolen now that Barbara Jagger is gone.]

[ex_theherald551]

This is why I am not like her at all. Get it?

That old croon... she was a bit too hands off for my tastes. See, with me, you wouldn't be feeling this guilt. It would all be me.

So, let's rewrite the narrative, huh? Mister Scratch hurt Mister Wake. Sweet Rosey was an innocent bystander that he saves and did nothing wrong. What do you think? Better story, right?

[softpoints]

Well, nobody can fault you on enthusiasm, that's for sure. But you sure about what you just said, big guy? Fun fact: muns can be sadistic when the mood strikes.

[A beat. And then she winks.] Love the suit, by the way. Kudos to your tailor.

[ex_theherald551]

Sadistic, huh? I'm certain that the two of us will find some way to get along with each other.

[ And a smile. ] Oh, thank you. It's custom-made.

[softpoints]

Tomato, tomahto. Just calling it like it is, handsome.

[Ginger flashes a thumbs-up.] It's nice. Wish mine was that good. But you try finding a decent tailor in the bad part of Brooklyn. It's damned hard. So! You got a name?

[ex_theherald551]

Not to worry, sweet-cheeks. I happen to know how to take care of myself.

Oh. I can only imagine the difficulties. [ :) ] I do. It's Mister [ HEAR THAT INHUMAN SOUND? ].

But Scratch, for short.

[softpoints]

"Sweet-cheeks"? Oh, I bet you say that to all the girls. [The tone is pure flirtation, but there's a tiny edge of insult to it.]

That's a mouthful. [Aaaand there goes any flirting. Oops.] So. Scratch. Let's not beat around the bush, hmm, sweetling? What're we talking here? Artificial construct? Semi-sentient thaumaturgic copy? The taxonomy's eluding me here.

[ex_theherald551]

I'm hurt you think me so ... flippant. [ That the word he's looking for? Who the fuck cares? ]

Semi-sentient? That's quite insulting. [ He sighs. ] I'm something more than what even you could come up with, what any of them could come up with. Wake tried to make up a name for me, but it was just ... writing a narrative that makes sense.

[softpoints]

Mmn. Not "flippant", per se. More... shit, I dunno. Inviting? Charismatic? Pick something.

[Here comes a sharp, knowing smile.] Honey, I deal in things that go bump in the night. It's a living. And trust me. You? You're the real deal. Even odds if I nicked you, black ink'd come out.

[ex_theherald551]

I'll go with "charismatic."

That's a bit... well, what is that saying? If you prick us, do we not bleed? Might not be bleeding red but bleed we do. Still, point is that I am much different than the things you've heard bumble about at night.

Wake tried to rewrite the narrative so I made sense. Don't make the same mistake.

[softpoints]

I don't deal in narratives or chaos theory. That's a touch too green for me.

[The smile stays. But it looks too forced to be natural.] Well, for one thing, most of the bumps have more than two legs. Or they're babbling random crap and trying to rip my head off. So this is... definitely an improvement on that.

If you had to put a name to it- nah. Putting a name to it loses the mystique. Right?

[ex_theherald551]

What can I say? I treat the women in my life better than Wake ever could.

It loses a little something and gains something else. The secret is... how much a person believes. [ Isn't he a nice guy-- monstrosity to give such a huge hint like that. ]

[softpoints]

Well. So far, so good.

[Shouldn't there be alarms and siren going off right about now? Eh.] It's all about power. Grabbing it however you can. I can respect that. But the better question is: what happens if a girl puts her belief on the line?

[ex_theherald551]

What happens?

Well, a girl finds out if everything that has been churning, bubbling and building is true. And let me tell you, it is.

Spoilers.

[softpoints]

[There's a tiny voice buzzing in the back of Ginger's mind. Warning her, urging her to walk, to go, to listen, sweetling. She ignores it. Tips her chin up and grins.]

Then ante up, baby.

[ex_theherald551]

[ A cheery smile as his hand snaps out before stopping just before grabbing her neck. Hm? Oh, right. This is the "play mice" zone, isn't it?

He sighs as he adjusts his tie and fixes his gelled hair, finding the sudden lunge caused some of his hair to fall out of place. ]

Now, that is a damn shame.

[softpoints]

[And Ginger just starts laughing. It takes her a bit longer for her to regain her composure than Mr. Scratch. But there's a downright malicious little glint in her eyes when she looks at him.]

I guess some things are constants. Shadow hates light, good and evil, blah blah blah. Oh, but don't worry. I'm sure you'll be at welterweight outside of here. who knows? Maybe you'll wind up somewhere really fun.

see my phone likes to spell things wrong too, that's cool

[ex_theherald551]

Yeah, yeah.

Not all places are going to be so nice as this one. I'd be real disappointed if I can't reach out and really get to know peoplw.

I mean, what's the point in being my own man if I can't even have a little fun? [ His voice may have turned sharp at the end of the question ]

curse you autocorrect! curse you so much

[softpoints]

[Shrug.]

You're asking the wrong girl. What happens and where we go is up to the muns up there. Kind of frustrating, really, but... well, you work with what you got. No use in wishing for impossible things.

[ex_theherald551]

Well.

It's no big deal.

A real space is a real space. That's what matters.

[bestseller]

Oh shit, and there goes another muse lost to the Darkness.

Mr. Scratch...

I did not want us to ever meet, but here we are since my own muse insisted upon this.

[ex_theherald551]

The feeling's mutual.

Last time we met, I believe you ruined everything that I had been working for. But, you know, no biggie. After all, I don't have to take your life anymore.

I'm going to have one all of my own. I gotta say that it's not going to be as fun as ruining your reputation, but what's the point? Go to another world and tell them that I'm "Alan Wake" and have all those monkeys stare at me blankly. Nuh-uh. I'm afraid... I don't play that game well.