romance
Rose Marigold
1
Rose Marigold is a waitress from Bright Falls, Washington, and a devoted fan of author Alan Wake. Her backstory includes a quiet, lonely life filled with a deep obsession with Wake, which later plays a significant role in combating the Dark Presence. She first becomes possessed by the Dark Presence when she meets Alan, but she eventually becomes one of his most crucial allies, acting as a caretaker and helper who receives cryptic messages from him. Rose grew up in Bright Falls and was raised by her father, who often told her, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." She works at the Oh Deer Diner and leads the official Alan Wake fan club. Her home is filled with Alan Wake memorabilia, and she even has a life-sized cardboard cutout of him in the diner. Despite her cheerful exterior, Rose is lonely and fantasizes about a grander life, sometimes talking to the Alan Wake cutout. In 2010, Rose first meets Alan at the diner, and her enthusiasm annoys him. She later becomes possessed by the Dark Presence and, under its influence, leads Alan and Barry Wheeler into a trap. This event leaves her mentally scarred but also makes her a key person who will help Alan later on. Over the next thirteen years, Alan sends her messages from the Dark Place, which she uses to learn how to protect herself and others from the Dark Presence. Rose continues to help people, working as a caretaker at the Valhalla nursing home. At the end of the first game, she takes the Angel Lamp from Cynthia's room and places it in a shoebox, sending it into the Dark Place, which helps Alan escape. The end of Alan Wake 2 implies that she took over the role of The Lady of the Light from Cynthia, a character who helps Alan by getting his manuscript pages and fighting the Dark Presence. She is instrumental in helping Alan. She receives messages from him that guide her actions, and her actions help him both in his story and his escape from the Dark Place.
