[February] Starting her day off like any other, The Waitress looks after her devoted customers, who compliment her incredible work ethic and dedication as she refills coffee cups and tidy away pie plates. Just as she finishes her rounds, she takes a question from a customer who urgently calls her over. As the "town's literature buff", he asks her for a book recommendation, a question she eagerly answers, suggesting the latest in a new "crime thrill-ogy". She makes her way to the back of the diner and through the storage room to retrieve the book to loan to him.
As she reaches her desk, the talking fish ornament on the wall bursts into life with the voice of her beloved writer. He begs her to save him. Inspired, she heads to her weapon room behind the kitchen, picking up a hunting rifle and automatic shotgun and heads off, before heading off into the town, accompanied by the enthusiastic cheers of the local residents.
Finding the boatyard bolted closed, she remedies it with a swift kick. Emerging on the other side, she discovers a familiar-looking man tinkering with a motorcycle ahead, and discovers for the first time that her writer had a wilder and evil twin brother. He dismisses her idea of a family night, instead revealing that he and fellow haters would love to see the writer gone.
As he disappears, the haters emerge from around the boatyard, attacking The Waitress who valiantly fights them off with her shotgun. In the fight, a fence is broken, providing the path to her writer. She follows the flaming tracks left by Bad Boy's motorcycle, leading to a wooden cabin by the shore. Enticed in by a "Beloveded Voice", she discovers his deception when he mistakenly comments about tea, instead of coffee.
After searching throughout the cabin, Bad Body agrees to meet with her on the beach. After being scolded, he breaks down and admits that he was only a distraction while the haters stormed his brother's mansion. Once again, he disappears suddenly, and The Waitress rushes to the manor in her chunky kitten heels.
In the woods, she sees a sighting of a deer with the voice of The Writer who reassures her that he believes in her. As the deer walks off, she regains motivation to complete the rescue. She walks up the hill to the manor, familiar burning treads leads the way. As The Waitress arrives at the gate, Bad Boy stands at the bottom of the steps, threatening to stop her from reaching her love. In his fight that follows, he reveals that he's a werewolf, along with his motorcycle. As The Waitress takes them both down with her graceful shotgun skills, he realises that it wasn't his brother he hated but himself. He shows remorse as she heads inside to rescue her writer. Heading upstairs to the attic, she finds him at his desk and they embrace.
Characters Introductions & Progressions
Locations & Importance to Chapter
Ties to the Remedy Connected Universe
Chapter Development
Characters, Introductions & Progressions
The Waitress (aka The Protector of Night Springs)
Owner of Nite's Diner in Night Springs, the Waitress prides herself on offering good service and fantastic food. Adorned in pink, she takes care in maintaining the presentation of her place of work, described as the "hottest spot in town" and the county's best diner. Considered the expert in romance; her mutual infatuation with a certain bestselling author is public knowledge, and something that she's proud to have known. Referred to as "everyone's favourite waitress" as stated in her "Employee of the Decade" award, she is best known for his pies "to die for" and coffee that only she knows how to serve right. She plans to enter the pies for the statewide pie competition once again, hoping to win it for the twentieth win in a row.
Although her natural talent, hard work, and skills aren't solely tied to the diner, The Waitress is the proud owner of the number one fansite for the writer and helps in a local bird sanctuary in her free time. She has recently taken in six macaws who had contracted "rare bird lupus" from a young girl. She had also saved every kitten from a bear attack, an ability she credits to her yoga lessons. The Waitress is also a collector, of sorts, having kept all of the writer's used coffee mugs.
Called into action, in her journey to save her beloved writer, she leaves Nite's Diner in the safe hands of her customers as she arms up and heads out. Encouraged by the local residents, she soon crosses paths with her writer's evil twin, dubbed Bad Boy. Believed his brother to be holding him hostage, she tracks him along the coast, holding back haters with her shotgun. When she defeats Bad Boy in the final showdown, he apologises to her, complimenting her dedication.
Bad Boy
The Writer's evil, slightly-less-handsome, wild twin brother. While he is estranged from his only family, he still feels as though he has been living in his shadow. Filled with self-loathing, he had sought revenge on his brother after a trip across the Nordics had led him, and his motorcycle, to contract lycanthropy.
In Night Springs, he claimed to have locked his brother up, who he refers to as "Mr Fancy Pants", somewhere secure with an army of people who hates "the hack" as much as he does. He departs suddenly, setting an army of haters on The Waitress and disappears, leaving only burning motorcycle tracks. He takes refuge in a wooden cabin situated by the shore. His cabin is filled with semi-motivational posters including "life is not unlike a highway" and "muscles don't cry they sweat", alongside with self-help books on embracing a wolf pack lifestyle. Pretending to be the Writer as The Waitress draws, he makes the foolish mistake of commenting on drinking tea, breaking character. After being scolded by The Waitress, he admits he never had the writer and was only the distraction while his mansion was stormed.
The Writer
Author of Will Hurt, Death Will Hurt, and Love Will Hurt. His infatuation with The Waitress is public knowledge. He drinks his coffee with two sugars and no milk, with The Waitress collecting his mugs after he finished with them. Reaching out to The Waitress through the means of a talking fish ornament, he begs her to help him from terrible danger, as he is tormented by his twin brother. He kept The Waitress in the dark about his semi-evil twin brother, with her speculating that he was waiting until their third or fourth date. While he has been estranged from his brother, he continues to miss him as he journeys around the Nordics.
Self Help Book Lady
Located in a booth, Self Help Book Lady celebrates the arrival of The Waitress who she describes as "everyone's favourite". She asks for a cup of coffee, complimenting that only she knows how to make it just right. As The Waitress refills her mug, she inquires how she manages to juggle her work and hobbies. The answer leaves her in awe, commenting "us regular folk can't keep up" and admits defeat in not being as successful. The Waitress slams her, saying that she shouldn't be comparing herself, a statement which changes her whole world view.
Lady With That Ugly Green Car
Located in the booth near the window, the Lady With That Ugly Green Car reveals that she is in love with the pie offered at Nite's Diner. As The Waitress makes her rounds, she reveals that she saw a new report about the server saving every kitten from a recent bear attack.
Lady With Seven Corgis
With a seat by the window, the Lady With Seven Corgis eagerly asks for a top up of coffee after The Waitress offers around the room. As she received her top-up, she asks her server if it's true her website won "best fansite in the world", and offers hearty congratulations.
Gossipy Girl From The Bank
The Gossipy Girl From The Bank brightly gets a coffee top up from The Waitress as she makes her rounds. She is in awe of The Waitress' passion for the writer, and wishes she had something similar, calling their relationship "destiny".
Guy Who Only Eats Burgers
The Guy Who Only Eats Burgers politely requests a cup of coffee as The Waitress emerges from the staff only area. He feels like someone with The Waitress' skills are wasted at just serving coffee.
Hardware Store Guy
Having fallen in love with Nite's Diner, the Hardware Store Guy admits that he wished he lived here.
Guy With Fun Hat
At the diner, Guy With Fun Hat shares his disappointment having left his hat at home. He asks if Nite's Diner is planning to enter the statewide pie competition this year.
Guy With That Concerning Mole
Disappointed with his date the previous night, the Guy With That Concerning Mole asks The Waitress for advice on how he might improve, as she is an expert on romance. He devulged details on his date, stating that she said that he dressed like "a divorced gym teacher". She reassures him, stating that his personality will see him through, though he could buy a jacket with elbow patches.
Guy Who Works With Computers
A polite customer who asks for a good book recommendation from "the town's literature buff". She eagerly tells him to read the latest instalment in the crime thrill-ogy.
"A Young Girl"
Prior to the story, a young girl, who dreams to be like The Waitress one day, asked her for help regarding her six macaws. The birds had contracted a "rare bird lupus", and she desperately reached out, hoping for her to be able to cure them.
Guy Who Nurses His Coffee
As The Waitress heads out to rescue her writer, Guy Who Nurses His Coffee offers to help run the diner in her absence but reassures her that he would be "way worse at it".
Interior Design Lady
Celebrating The Waitress' braveness as she heads out with her shotgun, Interior Design Lady calls out that she will be saving literature.
Nice Tackle Shop Lady.
Wearing a white and pink chequered shirt, Nice Tackle Shop Lady encourages The Waitress from the sidelines as she makes her way to the boatyard.
Always On His Phone Guy.
A voice calls out from the crowd, cheering The Waitress on as she walks deeper into town.
Locations & Importance to Chapter
Nite's Diner
Owned by The Waitress, Nite's Diner is considered to be the hottest spot in town" and was voted the county's best diner. The diner is home to the award-winning pies, having been crowned the best nineteen years in a row. Dressed in pink and teal, the diner is a cosy establishment for anyone, local or visiting, to stop by and relaxed. Every Friday at 8pm, they hold a Beat Poetry Nite for "the literary advancement of Night Springs". In the back, behind the kitchen, is a selection of guns including crossbows, fully-automatic shotgun, and handguns on display for writer-related emergencies.
Night Springs
Illuminated by a pastel pink sunset, the roads are surrounded by romantic and encouraging statements for The Waitress. Banners reading "you can do it", "you got this, he needs you", "love him" "nothing can stop the power of love", and "1 Waitress + 1 Writer = 4Ever". The pastel buildings surrounding the diner sells seafood, books, bird stuff, cakes, and stationery.
Anchors Aweigh, Boat Repairs
A boatyard on the coast of Bright Falls, although locked, is accessible via a swift kick from a chunky kitten heel. The area is lined with disused boats, and equipment cache (located on the dock, near the floatation device, by the forklift, and to the right of the hole in the fence.)
Woodland & Shed
Following the flaming motorcycle treads, The Waitress catches some of the Night Springs woodland, dispersed regularly with emergency supplies to increase her stash. In the middle, just after a particularly troublesome bridge, is a wooden shed packed with extra storage crates. The woods are also home to a romantic tribute, either to or from the writer.
Bad Boy's Cabin
Filled with semi-motivational posters and self-help books, the dark wooden cabin sits on the edge of the lake. With its lack of furniture and partly disassembled motorcycle in the living room, the cabin feels bare-bones but well-lived in. It is just minutes away from its own private beach.
The Writer's Mansion
Located in the Night Springs woods, the mansion is home to The Writer, and protected by a iron fence. The rooms are packed with typewriters and box filled with story notes. Though semi-destroyed by violent haters attempting to get to the man himself, the attic remains safe. Inside, The Writer is waiting for his love to rescue him.
Ties to the Remedy Connected Universe
- Rose Marigold. The Waitress bares a similar connection to Rose Marigold, the waitress at the Oh Deer Diner, who adores Alan Wake. She leaves lunch boxes with messages of support and kindness around the woods, sometimes referencing the writer as something much greater than people understand. Throughout all these years, she believes that Alan Wake talks to her in ways that only she can comprehend.
- Cleared Pathway. In the first fight scene, a bigger hater smashes through the fence leading into the next part of the level. This is a pathway expansion technique that the Alan Wake series has used before. In the original game, it is used with the introduction of the chainsaw-welding Taken in Episode Two. It returns again in Alan Wake's American Nightmare after Alan regains his firearms at the start of the game.
- Doppelgängers play a huge part in Remedy's games, from John Mirra in Max Payne to Mr Scratch in Alan Wake and Alan Wake's American Nightmare, as well as Essej in Control. The studio usually portrays these doubles as being a fractured part of a character or an evil version. In these portrayals, the twin is usually devilish and violent, filled with a confidence that makes them unpredictable.
- In the cabin, Bad Boy has various torture equipment set out on the desk, similar to Mr Scratch's weapon walkthrough video in Alan Wake's American Nightmare. It's not the only connection to that version of Mr Scratch, with Bad Boy also referring to his brother as a "hack".
Some concept art for The Waitress’ stash of accessories in Number One Fan. This episode was so much fun to style visually. #alanwake #alanwake2 #nightsprings #remedygames #numberonefan pic.twitter.com/5w6Quae6a1
— Juhani Jokinen (@artofjokinen) June 9, 2024
