The first time she had to make this choice was hard. The second time is somehow even worse.
The first time, she was choosing between her two best friends. She's since had to make much, much more difficult decisions, but here again, in the same situation as last time, it somehow feels extraordinarily weighty again.
Now, she's choosing between realities.
She doesn't want to go back to Boom Town. The place was loud and scary and stressful, and she really, really wants to avoid going back. And she can. All she has to do is choose Olivia, right now, and they'll both go to Redstonia instead.
But at what cost? What will happen if she changes things?
When she woke up yesterday morning, she thought she was losing her mind. She should've awoken slowly in the Order's new house, the day after finally returning home from the madness of the Portal Network.
Instead, she'd been shaken awake by Olivia telling her she needed to get out of bed, or they weren't going to have enough time to collect supplies for the building competition.
She still isn't completely confident in her sanity. The whole nightmare with the Witherstorm had been over three months ago- and yet here she is, doing it all again.
Well, at least now she knows why Ere had said 'loops' when referring to the phenomena of her dying and respawning again.
She still doesn't trust the mysterious mirror image of her she'd met when she died, but unfortunately, they're her only hope of getting information. She's so confused, and so scared. Why are things repeating? Why does she have the ability to respawn when she dies? Why does she have to live this chaos over again?
All she's been able to do is go along with it. She could change it all- could've stopped the Witherstorm and prevented all of this right from the start.
But she'd been too afraid. She didn't know what would happen if she did something drastic, how it might affect her, or worse- reality itself. There's clearly something horribly weird going on, and she hasn't dared to step a toe out of line.
But what about now? This choice had been available to her last time, so...will it actually mess anything up to make it? Is it worth the risk?
Jesse closes her eyes, dragging in a deep breath and trying her best to focus. Axel and Olivia are still bickering about whether to go after Magnus or Ellegaard- it is time to make a decision.
Play it safe, or take a gamble?
"You're a smart person, Jesse. And obviously, the smart thing to do would be to go get Magnus." Axel is saying.
But it wasn't the 'smart thing to do'. Magnus can't help at all. In the end, neither did Ellegaard, but that isn't the point.
"I, hah, I think Axel meant Ellegaard there, Jesse." Olivia cuts in.
"Uh, no, I don't think I did. Pretty sure Axel meant Magnus." he shoots back, folding his thick arms over his chest.
Before either of them have a chance to say anything else, Jesse turns to Olivia. "Sorry Axel, It's nothing personal. Olivia, you and I are going to Ellegaard's."
A moment passes.
Reality doesn't collapse.
Olivia grins triumphantly. "Awesome."
Axel says something complain-y about getting stuck with Lukas, but Jesse isn't listening anymore.
She did it. She's dared to deviate, and the world hasn't fallen at her feet.
Whatever is truly going on, whatever these loops mean...maybe she has a shot at figuring it out after all.
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And with that, I think I've managed to write a oneshot about every first-round catalyst! :D
This one is Virgo, by the way, and she's the 3rd girl