open post; alan wake

[twains]

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[twains]

[If he didn't already know better, he would take the comment to mean it's nothing more than another hallucination. But there's just something about the way Scratch says it that gives him pause.]

Is this where you give me the spiel about how you're too popular an antagonist to kill off for real? [He gives the TV his full attention now - God he hopes Alice doesn't come home and catch him talking to a TV that's not even on. Or worse, showing some shitty talk show.] Because so far? I've had nothing but bad reviews about you. Especially from Emma and Serena.

[Alice too, but he's not going to give Scratch any room to talk about his wife. Not now, not ever.]

[youbutfun]

Oh come on, we both know that doesn’t count!

[Loud disapproval directed at Alan, if the TV is on, anyone listening would probably yell at Alan to turn it down. Or wonder why Alan is yelling at..Alan. Having the same voice is fun, or at least Scratch thinks so.]

That’s like Alex Casey leaving a one star review for some hack writer on Amazon. Subjected me to terrible things, would not be in the next book if I had a say in it!

[After that, Scratch calms down a little, looking briefly apologetic. Sorry not sorry.]

Besides, I was just having a little fun.

[A sheepish smile breaks out on his face, definitely not sorry.]

Maybe more than a little.

[twains]

[Alan barely suppresses an eye roll. Can't let Scratch think he's getting to him more than he already has.]

None of this counts. You're not here.

[Alan, don't admit you're probably crazy to the TV Man. His fingers itch, missing the weight of a flashlight.]

You can't be here.

[Smooth amendment, writer man. His eyes dart to the closet where they've stockpiled what is probably half the city's supply of light bulbs, flashlights and candles. They dart back to the TV. Their emergency supply of lights was big enough before Bright Falls. Now? Now they have to make sure nobody ever opens that closet.]

[youbutfun]

So now you've got two possibilities, either I'm not here and you're having a complete breakdown! Famous writer loses last marble he didn't know he still had. Or! I am here, and you're wondering if all those lights you've stockpiled aren't enough. Suddenly thinking about heading down to the nearest big box store and buying them out of house and home!

[Which...would probably make people think Alan has lost his mind too. That or gone full doomsday prepper, not that the two are mutually exclusive.]

Don't worry though, fun as it would be to leave you in the dark, you'll get to find out which one it is soon enough. You, Alice, hell if I feel like it, I might even pay Barry a visit just for the hell of it. Get some real answers real quick then, wouldn't you?

[twains]

[He did not miss the way Scratch was able to immediately know what to say to get to him. His face contorts into what could only generously be called a snarl.]

Stay away from them! [As much as he abhors the idea of playing whatever game Scratch clearly has planned, he'd much rather do that than subject Alice or Barry to his whims.] This is between you and me, going after them is just lazy writing.

[youbutfun]

That’s right, this is between me and you! Besides, don’t tell me about lazy writing when you know as well as I do that collateral damage is a great way to spice things up!

[He’s not saying it’s not lazy though…]

But if you really want me all to yourself like that, I'm sure we can work something out.

[twains]

[Alan frowns. There's only one entity he'd like to make a deal with less than Scratch, and it's... technically part of this conversation, isn't it.]

What I want is you gone from my life forever. [Don't sugarcoat it, Alan.] I'm not making any deals with you.

[He sucks in a breath.]

And you're not going to hurt Alice or Barry, either.

[youbutfun]

Hey, I'd like you out of my life too. You're like one annoying roadblock keeping me from really tearing up the highway and seeing what this baby can do.

[Though he does also enjoy tormenting Alan, so maybe that comparison doesn't entirely work that well.]

Feeling's mutual, that's what I'm saying.

[twains]

Is it?

[Scratch, you fucking liar.]

The fact we're talking right now says otherwise.

[youbutfun]

Okay, so maybe I like watching you squirm a little. Or a lot. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, in fact.

[Probably not the answer Alan wanted.]

[twains]

I'm not interested in your warm fuzzy feelings.

[Gross?

Alan is honestly tempted to just... walk away. As long as he stays away from the TV, Scratch can't do anything to him. Right now, anyway. If he's really back, then it's only a matter of time before he makes a personal visit.]

[youbutfun]

I'm hurt. I really am.

[Except he's got that same unpleasant grin he usually has.]

But that's fine, you don't want to talk right now, I get it. You're a busy guy, and hey, so am I. So I'll let you get back to your writing or pretending you haven't lost your fucking mind. We'll talk again soon. Some conversations are better had face to face anyways.

[Equally unpleasant laughter follows before the screen switches off.]

[twains]

[Scratch signs off and the temperature in the room might as well have dropped sixty degrees from the way a chill runs down Alan's spine. Sucking in a breath, Alan begins to set up the contingency plans he and Alice had come up with.

Cynthia Weaver would be proud, even if Alan fucking hates the fact they know how to turn their apartment into the Well-Lit Room 2.0 as quickly as possible. Granted, it takes longer without Alice here to help, but Alan is nothing if not determined.

Whether he finishes before Scratch makes true on his threat is another thing. ]

[youbutfun]

[Honestly, it’d be a pretty effective revenge to just do nothing and watch the Wakes bankrupt themselves investing in lightbulbs and batteries and electric bills. Slowly going insane as the wattage goes up and up and up.

But Scratch is a petty bitch egotistical and just has to have that hands on touch, that screentime, that face to face confrontation. So while Alan does whatever, probably scurrying around with the aforementioned lights and batteries, a voice echoes from in the apartment. From a suddenly dark corner that surely wasn’t there before. That’s not good, but…]

Can you hurry it up a little? I’m dying of boredom over here. And sure, I get creative when I’m bored, but we’ve seen this before! You put up a bunch of lights and the darkness can’t get in and then what a surprise! They go out!

[That darkened corner appears to be spreading now, definitely not good.]

[twains]

[Joke's on you, Alan's a hack and people will eat up the crap he publishes for years to come.

Alan doesn't even jump when Scratch appears because like Scratch says, they've done this before and the exact same thing always happens. It's all very formulaic. Though, he's tempted to fire a flaregun directly at the asshole. Instead he just raises a remote so Scratch can see it, and presses the button.

Alan might be a hack, but he's not stupid. The corner Scratch is in is instantly flooded with light from what might just be miniature suns with how fucking bright they are. They were the first thing the Wakes had installed, a cursory inspection revealing every room in the apartment's ceiling to be lined with the obnoxiously, painfully bright lights.

Will it solve the problem? Doubtful. But if it hurts Scratch, it's all worth it.]

[youbutfun]

[There’s a pained yell and that sizzle noise that accompanies the darkness burning out. But the corner of darkness just respawns in another area of the apartment. Seems like it’ll take a bit more to get rid of him.]

Speaking of repetitive, here’s a light show! Too cheap to provide a soundtrack this time though.

[Scratch is entirely expecting to get blasted against given all the lights. Not really his idea of a good time, but it can’t be helped. He’ll let Alan pingpong him around the apartment with these light traps for a while and then...well, then the real fun begins.]

Is it a licensing thing? If so, would've thought your buddy Barry could cut you a deal.

[twains]

[Alan... does not actually blast him with the lights again. Honestly, that measure was more for the garden variety Taken. He knew it wouldn't be enough to take Scratch out permanently, so honestly... It was just to hurt the bastard.]

And if I'd given the moment a soundtrack, you'd have something to say about running out of ideas, right?

[Remedy did the same thing in Control, so he knows how Scratch would react.]

[youbutfun]

Maybe.

[He was expecting another blast, so having a breather is a bit of a surprise. Sure it'd take more than that to get rid of him, but he still expected Alan to try.]

Speaking of ideas though, what are you thinking here? You know I'm not like the others, you can shine a light on me all day and hey, it sucks, not saying it doesn't, but I'm not gonna burn up like the rest of them. I'm just built different, one of a kind you might say!

[Or Alan might not, Scratch doesn't really care.]

[twains]

You want to look in a mirror and say that again?

[So dry it's almost the Sahara.]

I knew it wasn't going to be enough to get rid of you, but after everything you've done, you deserve it.

[youbutfun]

You know what I meant. And I do look into a mirror pretty often. Someone out there has to make sure this looks good.

[And it sure isn't Alan, actually he'll say that part out loud.]

And hate to break it to you, but it's not you.

[twains]

[He is not feeding into Scratch's narcissism more than he already has.]

So that's why you're here? To be petty?

[Alan rolls his eyes, fingers idly playing with the switch in his hand.]

Sounds like I'm not the one running out of ideas.

[youbutfun]

Does that sound like something I'd do?

[Yes, yes it does.

And while he asks that, the darkness starts to creep across the wall towards that switch, like Alan's got some real structural issues here...or he's picked out a house from Resident Evil 7.]

I can do so much better than petty.

[twains]

[Do not even want to think about Taken Molded, thanks.]

It is exactly something you would do.

[His thumb turns a dial on the switch, making more lights turn on. Not with enough intensity to make it seem like he's trying to blast Scratch back to Hell, but certainly bright enough to force the Darkness back.]

[youbutfun]

Can't wait to see your electric bill.

[There's more annoyance here than amusement, especially as the darkness recoils, not blasted away, but just kind of retreating and held in check by the light.]

Careful though, crank things up too much and you might blow a fuse, would hate for that to happen.

[From somewhere in the apartment, there's the sound of glass shattering. Some of those lightbulbs broken by darkness elsewhere.]

At the least you sound like you've got a real mess to clean up, but good thing you bought in bulk, right?

[twains]

[Alan doesn't react to the sound of shattering glass, outwardly anyway. Internally he's frustrated, because it's only going to get worse and he can only do so much. He just needs to make Scratch get to the point, because he's expecting this to go as it usually does. Scratch shows up, says his threatening spiel, leaves again to torment Alan later.]

I get it, you've been watching us. I hope that wasn't meant to be a surprise twist.

[It's only natural that Scratch has been spying on them since he's apparently back, the only question is for how long.]

So why don't you go back to doing that and let me clean this up.