video | 003 | day 35

[rigging]

[ He means for the broadcast to be private, but his expression and the circles under his eyes are probably indicators that sleep deprivation is the cause for his mistake. He rubs at his face and curls up more tightly, hood pulled up over his head. ]

Hey, uh. Bruce. Y'there? I gotta talk t'you about something. Remember what I told you about? I think it might be happening.

Comments

[private]

[rigging]

[ It really is nuts, and Jesse wouldn't blame the guy for thinking he's crazy as hell, but it's a sincere enough warning. However, the mention of Kenzi makes Jesse's expression shift into something more surprised. What? Yaba... Gaga?

Jesse rubs at the back of his head. ] Uh... I dunno, the fuck is that?

[private]

[magnets]

Hell if I know, wasn't like she even told me. She just tries ta tackle me, outta nowhere, and tells me not to look at my face, alright?

[ Shit, that expression on his face was a real change, though. He's not ratting, is he? He's totally ratting. ]

Why's someone gotta wake me up, again? I feel like I'm gonna asphyxiate in my sleep.

[ It sounds more like 'aphyxate' in Jesse's mouth, but it's the thought that counts. ]

[private]

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[ Wow, that's weird. Jesse makes a mental note to ask Kenzi about that, because it's not the same as the Nightmare, but it's... still concerning. Jesse wrinkles his nose. ]

Yer not gonna... that. [ Asphyxiate. ] Yer gonna be fine as long as someone's watchin' to make sure you ain't like, literally getting scared t'death or being massively fucked over in your sleep. Look, d'you got someone? 'Cause I can keep an eye on you if y'want.

[ He's a stranger and something in the back of his head is shrieking at him not to trust anybody he doesn't know, but Jesse puts that aside because he doesn't ever want anybody to have to have their own memories used against them. He can be selfless for once in his life. ]

[private]

[magnets]

[ Maybe that was it. Maybe everyone in this town was just fucking nuts. Gather up the crazies and see what makes 'em tick. Jesse was overly reluctant to put himself in that category right now, but- it had been a weird couple of days. ]

[ He rubs at his nose, and it's almost shy how he does so, peering at this guy a bit carefully as he regards the offer. Because he doesn't have anybody. But they're just stupid dreams. But this dude seems really serious about it. ]

I don't know- man, you're kinda- freakin' me out. Here. Ya ever hear that saying? You know, 'it's just a dream'?

[private]

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[ His expression gets a little tighter, and he looks away for a second. ] No, I know, s'fucking crazy, and trust me, man, if it hadn't happened t'me I'd say the same thing, I'd fuckin' run from a crazy bastard tellin' me my dreams are gonna kill me.

[ He looks back up. ] All I got is my word that I ain't lying to you, man, and I can't expect y'to trust me at that.

[private]

[magnets]

It's your word versus a whole lifetime'a thinking. Man, I can't have Kreuger all up in my brain.

[ Christ, he hasn't heard someone sound so genuinely earnest about something so ridiculously crazy since- a couple of days ago, actually, but he can't just go around assuming everybody in this damn town is smoking the schwag. That'd be some heavy fuckin' use to get this bad, though, and this isn't necessarily the worst he's seen here yet. ]

So what're you gonna do? Just never sleep again? That's crazy.

[private]

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[ He shrugs, thunking his head back against the wall behind him. ] I just gotta... figure out what m'gonna do. I gotta stop it, and then I can sleep. S'gonna recognize me and go for me first though, 'cause I know about it.

I was in college for a bit, I know how t'pull a few all-nighters. [ Hey, there's a joke! It's weak, but. ]

[private]

[magnets]

[ This is nuts. This is nuts. There's a half a look of disbelief somewhere in Jesse's expression as he wrinkles his nose, but whatever his problem is, he doesn't voice it. ]

Yeah, how you gonna do that? Huh? [ Jesse taps two fingers against the side of his head, the echo of a gun to the temples as he peers him down, just as seriously. ] Ya said it was a monster, right? But how do you, like- kill - like, I mean, kill - a monster? Right? Totally goin' at it alone.

[private]

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[ Good question. Honestly, Jesse's just surprised the dude's taking him at all seriously. ] ... I dunno. Last time, I didn't do it. Got my ass handed to me when I tried, ended up being G -- my friend who fixed it, and now s'here, and I dunno how t'get rid of it. But m'gonna try.

I dunno if y'can kill it. Ahah. Fuck. [ Wow, that's a little bit of panic creeping out in his tone. ]

[private]

[magnets]

[ As seriously as he can manage. Then again, he knows pretty intimately how to approach someone being this delusional. Not to mention the effects of sleep deprivation on someone's body, and the judgment's therefore getting a bit of a sidebar. ]

Cool it, it's all good. [ Jesse's eyebrows knit together, and he sniffs again, pinches his nose briefly in thought. ] It ain't all bad, right? This little monster bitch, yeah? What happens it catches you?

[ Might as well get to the bottom of the crazy to figure out where exactly it's going. ]

[private]

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[ He sighs a little. Right. Right, chill. ] Takes your bad memories and uses 'em against you. 'Least, that's what it did t'me. Someone else, they died of a heart attack. S'just an invasion. Drives you crazy, maybe even infects you. [ He's been sitting down too long, because he's almost drifting off mid-sentence. Can't do that, he can't. ]

[private]

[magnets]

What, like a nightmare?

[ There's full circle again, back to those goddamn things. Have they been getting worse since he showed up in this place? Was that a thing? Christ, the crazy was catching. ] Holy shit, man, someone died? Like here? Who died?

[ And then, after a beat. ] Man, do you need someone to keep- you awake?

[private]

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Yeah. S'like - s'like a living nightmare. [ Oops, his eyes are closed. ] Nobody here, nobody died here, s'back home, it fuckin' followed us here.

[ He's quiet, then he sort of jolts, shakes himself awake. ] ... Maybe. Maybe, I dunno, I just can't be sitting, that's all. I gotta go home soon, too, I promised Kenz.

[private]

[magnets]

[ Crazy or not, this shit's giving him goosebumps. He's not sure if it's because this guy sounds totally into the idea or if it's stacking onto his own growing paranoia here, but it's some legitimate crap. ]

[ Followed him here, the fuck was that supposed to mean? ]

So walk around or somethin', yo, Jesus. [ Jeeee-ZUS, it sounds like, and Jesse scrubs a hand over his head. ] She your, uh. Keep awake person? Point person? [ Because, Jesse doesn't know, but the dude looks like he could go for a good solid nap right now. ]

[private]

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[ He stands up, pacing to keep himself lucid. ] Nah, she's just - a friend. But I ain't been back in a few, s -- so... [ He squints at the screen. ] Y'keep asking me questions. Why you so curious? [ STAHP ]

[private]

[magnets]

Uh.

[ 'Because you're crazypants shitstirringly whacko right now and it's kinda cool' probably isn't a very kosher answer. Think fast, Pinkman. ]

Y'know. Nightmares. And shit. [ wow this is so not working ] And plus, uh, the broad kinda tackled me. I think I can ask a question or two about 'er, hah?

[private]

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[ SQUINTS. SO MUCH SQUINTING. ] She don't got anything t'do with it. Look - I gave you my warning, fuckin' do what you want with it. [ TOO SUSPICIOUS TOO PARANOID CAN'T DO IT, STARS, NOT TODAY ]

[private]

[magnets]

[ CALM DOWN HOWARD HUGHES IT WILL ALL BE OKAY ] Well, hang on, I ain't just gonna leave ya, [ drenched in your own paranoia, ] not without a- face-poker or whatever the hell you're lookin' for. Man. You're gonna pass out.

[private]

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[ Fidget, fidget. He probably does look like a tweaker, funnily enough. ] ... Lemme. Lemme go home, first, I gotta check on Kenz and Galen.

... M'not gonna pass out, I'll be fine. Y'really don't gotta do anything. I don't even know what your name is.

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[magnets]

[ He's definitely topping the list of possibles, at this point. ] Alright, cool. Just- keep it upright. I ain't scrapin' you off the pavement if you pass out.

[ Whatever. ]

Oh hey, yeah. It's Jesse. [ Good to know your current deepest fears and then meet you. In that order. ]

[private]

[rigging]

[ Snort. Pass out, that's... ]

[ ... A beat. ] Wait, seriously?

[private]

[magnets]

[ Jesse's eyes shift off to the side momentarily. ] Uh. [ Wasn't like it was a weird name, right? ] Yeah, pretty sure.

[private]

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Uhh, alright. Nice t'meet you, Jesse, my name's Jesse. [ Okay, maybe he looks amused, now. ]

[private]

[magnets]

[ It takes Jesse a beat, and then two, before he points at the screen and, ]

For serious?

[private]

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[ Gigglesnort. ] Yeah, for serious. Fuckin' weird, I ain't met many other Jesses. [ ... For whatever dumb reason, sharing a name with this dude makes him less uneasy. ABACUS ]