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cmndstab posted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mxAIZydec0&t=248s Sorry, it was the first thing I thought of.
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Jul 25, 2014 16:09
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| # ? May 11, 2024 16:27 |
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Bingo! I was right! Works for me.
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Jul 25, 2014 16:40
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This is not going to turn out well for Rosa. Unless it ends with a bittersweet, "she's dead but happy in the afterlife". 
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Jul 25, 2014 16:42
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At risk of being a bit spoilery, apparently Gilbert's original plan was to have Jocelyn there before he learned Dani Marco was in town. Is there by chance going to be a Word of God update later on Gilbert's original plans and how things would've different in this and future scenes if Dani Marco wouldn't have been in town? I kinda feel this would've worked better with Jocelyn but then I was never quite as attached to Lauren as other fans either.
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Jul 25, 2014 16:54
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Literally everything except for the Deacon and the prologue ghosts is Jocelyn's fault. 
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Jul 25, 2014 16:57
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I'm afraid not, cartoon duck. Actually, I didn't know that Jocelyn was going to be there instead of Lauren. I knew that Gilbert hadn't intended to use Lauren until Dani Marco became available, but didn't know what the alternative was. I can make a couple of educated guesses based on other things I do know - and probably will, now that you've told me that (although not until after we finish the game). But in terms of getting it from Gilbert's mouth, I'm afraid not. cmndstab fucked around with this message at 17:02 on Jul 25, 2014 |
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Jul 25, 2014 17:00
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WickedHate posted:I refuse to believe the series will end any other way but with a happy Rosa. WickedHate posted:This is not going to turn out well for Rosa. Unless it ends with a bittersweet, "she's dead but happy in the afterlife". Oh what a difference a year makes 
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Jul 25, 2014 17:01
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Jocelyn just banished a ghost that was haunting her, in her mind. You can hardly expect this to Butterfly Effect its way into several serial killings. In fact having Jocelyn reflect on how everything spiraled way out of control is one of the reasons I feel having her instead of Lauren here would've made this scene better.
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Jul 25, 2014 17:03
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cmndstab posted:a cold message from The Countess.
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Jul 25, 2014 17:13
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WickedHate posted:Literally everything except for the Deacon and the prologue ghosts is Jocelyn's fault. Hey be fair, she had nothing to do with Gavin, did she?
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Jul 25, 2014 17:31
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Cestrian posted:Hey be fair, she had nothing to do with Gavin, did she? Okay, that too. That plotline's thankful irrelevance made me completely forget it.
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Jul 25, 2014 17:33
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MysticalMachineGun posted:B-b-but, Joey shoving Rosa should've saved her, not condemned her If it helps, that was the best thing he could have done. Imagine if Madeline had been in control - she would have weirded out Cory, then probably done something very stupid when the police took over the area. There's no way the police would accept "Sorry, but I have to stay next to the decaying corpse of the priest for a while. Don't worry though, I'm not the killer, I never touched him" as an argument, and even if she managed to not get forced out of range immediately, she eventually would have been, likely with much more violence on her part since there would be living bodies to injure.
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Jul 25, 2014 18:40
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It had to happen anyway, Madeline would been a terrible Bestower in the modern age. Magnify Joey's problems with current technology times ten and without anyone to help her.
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Jul 25, 2014 18:51
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Pierzak posted:Madeline. Gah! Thanks  Fixed.
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Jul 25, 2014 19:18
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On the plus side, I bet Cory and Joey will make quite a team!
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Jul 25, 2014 19:19
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Tin Hat posted:On the plus side, I bet Cory and Joey will make quite a team!  That's Officer Palmer!!
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Jul 25, 2014 19:23
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Luckily the one cure for having the universe pour into your head is being caressed by a light breeze...
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Jul 25, 2014 19:39
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Lucky that Palmer somehow did not manage to shoot before Rosa headbutted him.
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Jul 25, 2014 21:54
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Kopijeger posted:Lucky that Palmer somehow did not manage to shoot before Rosa headbutted him. I don't think Cory really wanted to shoot her, to be fair. He's angry, but he doesn't seem like the type to want to shoot young women when he doesn't even know what's going on. This is going to be great. I loved this update a lot. Is Joey in the void now? They seem to be. Maybe he can wander over and yell some sense into them. I can understand the apathy, and I don't know if this can be fixed, but they have to at least try.
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Jul 25, 2014 22:49
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Kopijeger posted:Lucky that Palmer somehow did not manage to shoot before Rosa headbutted him. The other thing as well is that it honestly seems to me that narratively speaking, Rosa probably moved a lot faster than the animation suggests. Mainly because to headbutt someone unconscious implies a LOT of force.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:18
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Even possessed by Madeline, Rosa is still gonna trample that snow.
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Jul 25, 2014 23:19
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Man, now we really get to explore us some cosmology.
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Jul 26, 2014 01:27
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NullBlack posted:Even possessed by Madeline, Rosa is still gonna trample that snow. When I saw that, I thought that we were getting to play as Madeline-controlling-Rosa, and that was the 'trampling-the-snow' remark for that scene.
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Jul 26, 2014 03:09
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Update 20 Yesterday, we finished with Rosa sitting next to Lauren in the void, them both silently contemplating the Universe, and enjoying each other's company for the first time in decades. Rosa won't move, and there's nothing left to talk about with Lauren. So what now?  Blackwell Lament  Now, we click back over to Joey, who is in a very different place.  It's like they are reading from a playbook. The scene fades in, and we see that Joey is hovering over Rosa - the Rosa back in reality - who is now confined to a straitjacket in a padded cell We're in Bellevue Hospital. In a week they'll move you to another ward. Then they'll poke you full of needles, and nod thoughtfully while taking notes. Then they'll move you to a long-term care floor, keep you drugged and fed and washed.Joey sounds heartbroken here.  ... And then... I'll watch you turn grey. I'll watch your skin weather and dry. And then... I'm so, so sorry. It's all my fault. I can't blame the universe. Or death. Or even you. This one's on me. Maybe I deserve it, but you certainly don't.After all this time, to end up like this. Rotting away in an asylum, just like our aunt and grandmother before us. It's a tragedy.  Steeling himself, Joey refuses to let it end this way.  There HAS to be.He considers his options. He can't interact with anything in this room but Rosa. She's still there. Physically, at least. I don't know what else to do. Or say. Or anything.He looks around at the padded walls that surround him. The padded room might be overkill, but if the drugs ever wear off... Better safe than sorry, I guess.He even considers using his magic tie, but that's no use either. She can only touch it with her hands. And those are... unavailable.With nothing here to help him, Joey phases through the door to see what he can find. Asylum  Home sweet home.The music here is really well done, I think - it's haunting, melancholy, but not hopeless. Bellevue is looking as vibrant and colourful as ever, I see. A light flickers erratically as Joey floats across the corridor to the adjacent cell.  Empty. For now, anyway.Nothing here. Joey turns to leave...  ...when suddenly, a spirit comes into focus. There is someone here after all - and judging by the way he's holding his arms, I'm guessing he was a long-term patient here. Middle-aged guy. Maybe early 50s? He must've died in that straitjacket. Perhaps out of habit more than anything else, Joey floats over to see if he can figure out why the ghost is sticking around.  Yes? Hey. Are you okay, pal? I... should be okay. You should be okay... but you're not?As usual, the ghost is pretty confused. I'm not like them! It should have worked... What, exactly, should have worked? Everything! Nothing! Maybe. Regret. Maybe. You regret something? You know nothing of regret! ... I might know a thing or two.Yeah  Looks like this ghost has retained in death whatever mental issues he had in life. Joey keeps asking him questions. I guess there isn't much else for him to do. Everyone. No one. So many thoughts... so many! Huh. I can see why you ended up here. Look. We're gonna be neighbors for a while, so maybe you can tone down the crazy?He shakes his head, however. No! I'm not that. Just the opposite. The folks who run this place might disagree. It's... so hard to think.At this point, Joey just gives up. It's not like we can help him to move on anymore, anyway. Look. Forget it. I got my own problems to deal with.The ghost turns away and Joey leaves, floating up one of the other corridors.  Looks like a duty roster for the orderlies. No point in reading it. I'll become very familiar with the staff here after a few years.It's horrible to think that Joey has already had to do this two times before. Rosa is in her early 30s - she could easily stick around for decades. Joey heads through the open door.  Well, would you look who it is. Oh. This guy. Dr. Donald Quentin. Or as I like to call him, Dr. Quack. That guy was Lauren Blackwell's doctor when she was here. Did nothing but plug her full of drugs. I guess it's Red's turn now.If we wait around and listen, Quentin is actually describing Rosa's case in detail, presumably recording himself talking for future reference.  Age: 34. Height: 5 feet, four inches. Weight: 118 lbs. Subject assaulted a police officer, then herself. When restrained by a team of officers, she reacted so violently that two of them were hospitalized. Deemed a danger to herself and others, she was sedated and brought to this facility. Subject exhibits the same symptoms as other members of her family. Violent behavior. Incognizant of surroundings. Unresponsive to stimuli. Four years ago, I advised the subject to submit herself to testing and regular visits. The subject declined. *sigh* X-rays of the skull show no abnormalities. Scans of the brain show increased activity in the parietal and occipital lobes. They are exhibiting short, but regular, bursts of intense energy. These findings remain consistent with what we know of her family history. It is as if she is receiving sensory input from elsewhere, and it became too much for her brain to handle. ... There is so much we do not know. I will continue to observe, and report any findings.Sounds like he doesn't really have any idea what is causing her problems. How could he? Also, drat - Rosa took out three cops before going down, apparently  Joey briefly considers yelling at Quentin. Oh I wish. I've been wanting to give that guy a piece of my mind for years.In a fit of anger, he uses his magic breath instead. No reaction. No surprise there. Nothing could get through that fat head of his.He then looks around the room for anything that might help him. That thing needs a date with a needle and thread. Or a fireplace. Some kind of abstract thing. No idea what that could be. Another computer. Doing something incomprehensible. Can't use it. Wouldn't know how. It's a tray of medical stuff. Bandages. Scalpels. Forceps. I don't want to think about what they do with them here. It's an x-ray of Red's noggin.None of that is any use. Joey leaves the room and heads into another one.  Looks like it's a storage room. Just a file cabinet. Probably been here for years. They brought Red in on this thing. Just an old closet. Full of junk and old clothes. Looks like an old ventilation system.On the wall there, to the right of the closet, is a piece of paper.  Huh. This letter is dated several years ago.Benjiro, hey? I guess that's who the ghost is. Maybe we'll finally be able to get some answers about the Grace Group and what he did to the members, even if it is too late to do anything about it with all the spirits devoured and Rosa incapacitated Joey tries phasing through the ventilation system...  ...and finds himself back in Rosa's cell. That gives him the idea to try phasing through wall on the left, but he doesn't find anything interesting in that direction. Just old piping on the other side.There's only one corridor he hasn't gone down yet. The one that leads out of here.  He goes out to the front desk. This place has changed since Rosa broke in back in Legacy. ...Wait a second. Is that some kind of... energy vortex in the night sky out there?   Jesus. What the hell is going on out there? I don't know what that is, but it can't be good.That's... not good, I assume. I'm guessing normal people can't see it, since the guy there at the front desk doesn't even seem to care. Guy manning the front desk. He wasn't around the last time I was stuck in this place. One of the few things that's changed around here. Asylum  Let's get some answers here. You're Benjiro, aren't you? Ben...jiro? Yeah. Benjiro Hatori? You were the last guy to occupy this room. So I'm guessing you're him. ... What do you know of me?Aha. He remembers. Joey can respond in multiple ways. He can mention the Grace Group: You ran those Grace Group meetings.He can accuse Benjiro of causing all his problems: You started this whole drat mess. Mess? Yeah. With those Grace Group meetings!Or he can start getting threatening  You're owed a punch in the face, is what I know. I... what? What for? For starting up the Grace Group. For causing this whole mess.Either way, Benjiro seems to remember the Grace Group. I... yes. That was... so long ago. How long has it been? Twenty-five years. Benjiro is also voiced by Gilbert, and he does a pretty good job of it. Benjiro sounds shocked here. Have I really spent two decades of my life in this place?Again, Joey can respond in multiple ways, none of them very polite. He can say it's been longer than that: More than that, Benjiro. More than that?He can hint that Benjiro is dead: The last two decades, I'm not sorry to say. The last...?Or he can simply say that Benjiro deserves it: Couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. What do you mean? You died here. You're haunting the padded room where they locked you up. ... Huh. So he kind of knew he was dead, but wasn't sure? You thought as much? You're saying you know you're dead? I suspected. But I couldn't be sure.Joey can respond in three ways again. He can ask how Benjiro could have not known: How could you not know for sure?! Well, I never died before, did I? ...He can give Benjiro some sass: You suspected? What gave you your first clue? Folks stopped returning your calls? No need to be flippant.Or, he can simply state the obvious: Well you're dead. Welcome to the club. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. It happens to us ALL eventually. No. You don't understand.Benjiro continues. My people spend so much time avoiding death that we refuse to believe it when it happens. Your... people?Here we go. I saw this coming. Yes. I am part of... society. Some would call us vampires, but not the kind from stories. We extend our own lives by consuming the positive energy out of willing subjects. They die, but we live.So Benjiro is (or was) part of Gavin's cult. This time, Joey has only two options. He can tell Benjiro to get on with it: Get to the point, Benji. Very well.Or, much more satisfyingly, he can brag about having killed Gavin We ran into one of your people last year. Guy by the name of Gavin. He killed a bunch of people. He tried to kill us. He's dead now. I... see.I love Joey's evil grin In the portrait files Gilbert sent me before I started this LP, it has the name "joey_hapgry", hahaha. You must understand. I am not like my... colleagues. I never liked hurting people, but I didn't want to die either.Now where is this going?  The Epiphany Experiment? I wanted to... improve the lives of those I fed upon. Not destroy them. Instead of removing positive energy from a subject, I increased it. I enabled them to achieve their heart's hidden desire. To create a SURPLUS of positive energy. And I... skimmed off the top.Huh. That's a different take on the whole spiritual vampire thing. It's actually kind of a clever idea. Joey, of course, is not impressed, and can respond in three ways. He can ask whether it worked: And this worked? Yes... and no.He can simply state that it didn't work: Let me guess. It failed. Yes... and no.Or, he can bitch out Benjiro: You have no idea what you started. I wish I never DID start it.Benjiro continues. It worked too well. My mind... couldn't take the energy. I went... a bit mad. Ended up committed here. And here I am.So I guess it wasn't that clever after all. Still a nice twist on the spiritual vampire thing though. A little less "hand-wringing evil" than Gavin was.  Having heard the whole story, Joey is still unimpressed. Your "experiment" ended up killing your subjects. Even worse. Their souls. Their... souls? You made 'em weak. Weak enough that they got... well, soul-napped. By this spook named Madeline. I see. I did not consider that eventuality, but... it does explain much."Explain much?" What does it explain? Eh? Come with me. I must show you something.Benjiro floats out of the cell, with Joey in pursuit.  Benjiro takes Joey to look at the vortex we saw earlier. Why? What is it? Energy is siphoning through the void at an alarming rate. Something is calling it. Drawing it like a beacon. Something with enormous power. Something, huh? And what is this something? I cannot say. But don't you recognize the location? That vortex is over Grace Church.Ah. I see.  What is she up to now? Yes. If she has harnessed as much energy as you say, that is the only answer. But why would she do such a thing? What she is doing will destroy her soul. Rip it into shreds. She said she wanted to stop existing. I guess this was her backup plan. Good riddance.That woman is just full of surprises. I guess Joey figures she'll be out of our hair if she goes through with this plan, so he's not too bothered by it. However, Benjiro isn't done. You don't understand. This energy. It won't stop at just her. It will expand until it dissipates. It could destroy every soul - living or dead - within a ten mile radius. ...Wait, what? Oh, seriously? loving hell, Madeline. Of course it will. drat it. This is my fault. Again. I set her loose. It's not enough, is it? It's not enough to destroy three generations of women. It's not enough to destroy half-a-dozen spooks. As if things weren't bad enough already. Joey turns to Benjiro. *sigh* So what do we do? Benjiro, however, just phases out of the window. I am leaving. I must get myself out of range. What are you gonna do, haunt Jersey? If I must.Oh geez. He's taking the coward's way out. I guess I shouldn't have expected any different from a guy who was willing to delve into spiritual magic because he was scared of dying. What about the rest of us? I'm sorry. I'm sorry? That's it? That is all I can offer. I fear that everything I've done only makes matters worse. With that, Benjiro turns his tail and flees. Joey, tied to Rosa, has no such capability. For better or worse, he's stuck here. He stares at the vortex in awe. Jesus. If that Benjiro guy is right... We gotta find a way to stop that thing. That vortex is gonna fry every soul in the city if we don't get out of here. Benjiro might have turned tail and run away, but I don't have that option.With nothing left to do, Joey returns to Rosa. A Rose Falls  With nothing left in his arsenal except for his voice, Joey talks gently to the comatose Rosa. Are you even in there? Are you somewhere else? You're still breathing. You're still alive. I figure... somehow, maybe, you can hear me? Maybe I'm wrong, but talking is all I'm good for these days. So what else can I do?He's pouring his heart out here. You gotta wake up. Things are bad out there. Really... really bad. So bad that I'm not sure we can stop it. But we gotta try. We're the only ones who can. You understand? WE. It's gotta be the both of us. Because... I don't know what to do. Just... get up. Get up and we'll fix this. Somehow. I promise. ... Please?Joey implores Rosa to move, hoping against hope that his words can somehow reach her. The Void (Alternative)  Somehow, deep in the void, Rosa hears the echo of Joey's voice. She looks around, while Lauren seems unmoved.  Did you hear that? Hm? No. I... There it is again! Looks like Joey talking to Rosa is actually helping. Are you hearing that? Get up and we'll fix this. I don't hear anything. I think... Suddenly it dawns on Rosa that she doesn't just want to sit here for eternity. She's got unfinished business back in reality. I REALLY think... Please?The screen starts to slowly shift away from the amazing view back to the dark blue void.  I'm fine. I'm going to look around. Sure, kiddo. I'm not going anywhere.Rosa looks down at Lauren. Suddenly it dawns on her - Lauren has been sitting here for thirty years. That's not natural. Something is keeping her here. Auntie? Could you get up? Why? I thought we could maybe take a walk around this place? Maybe find a way out? I'm fine right here.Rosa tries pushing a bit harder. Please Auntie? I think you really need to get away from there. I told you. I'm fine right here.She doesn't want to budge. Lauren was always pretty hard-headed in that way. Rosa gives up and heads around the corner.  Looks like there's another path up there.What's up there?  Rosa tries to pull herself up, but it's no use. It's too slick to climb.Obviously we'll need Lauren to help us out here.  Hopefully this will be enough to convince Lauren to walk away. What's the point? There might be a way out? Something to get us out of here? Why would I want to do that?Rosa struggles to think of a reason. I think... Joey needs our help. Hmph. He doesn't deserve it. Auntie. Please. Don't Auntie me. Let me smoke in peace.Lauren's kind of cold here. I'd say that is is being influenced by whatever power is keeping her here, but to be honest, she was kind of like this about smoking her cigarettes when she was alive too  Rosa, however, has developed a fairly tenacious attitude over the last four years. She keeps pushing. Only after putting us in danger in the first place. You can't blame him for that. Just watch me.She tries another angle. This isn't right. This place. We shouldn't be here. I've never wanted to be anywhere else. Fight this, Auntie. Please. I'm done fighting.Finally, she goes with a guilt trip. I'm dying out there. If I stay here too long, I'll die. Is that all? Life and death are just the opposite sides of the same door. Doesn't matter which side you're on. It's all the same.Geez. Looks like nothing will get through to Lauren.  Rosa finds herself bitterly disappointed with her aunt. What do you mean? He doesn't say much about his past, but get him talking about you and he won't shut up. "You should be more like Lauren, Red." "Your aunt wouldn't take that from nobody." He didn't mean to, but for years he made me feel like I couldn't measure up. That I was nothing. Insignificant, when compared to you. You don't actually care. About anything.Rosa is not being nasty here - if anything, it sounds like this revelation is devastating to her. However, it does succeed in getting Lauren a bit fired up. How could I? Joey's voice in my ear. Always pushing me. Following me around like a lost puppy. And all those ghosts. Night after night after night. I just got... numb.It doesn't seem like Lauren handled the whole ghostsaving thing anywhere near as well as Joey made out  That something was raising you. So don't you dare throw that in my face.Rosa isn't done, however. I'm sorry, Auntie, but I can't believe that. If you really cared, you'd fight. You'd help me. *sigh*Finally, Rosa's words get through to her. As much as Lauren is numb, her love for her niece does still manage to win through in the end.  You never were this stubborn as a five year old. ... I grew up.You know what? Lauren slouches. She's completely numb to the world and it sounds like she'd be perfectly happy to just shut herself in a box and smoke forever. It's only speculation on my behalf, but it kind of seems like Unbound is an "as told by" story in which Joey related the case to Rosa. I can't help but think that the "real" Lauren Blackwell wasn't anything like the forthright, aggressive, overconfident woman that we saw in Unbound. That was just Joey's impression of her. The real Lauren Blackwell was emotionally stunted, selfish, chemically dependent, and incapable of dealing with reality in any kind of adult way. In the end, it seems Madeline was right - Rosa, despite all her flaws, is a much stronger person than Lauren ever was. Tomorrow, we'll see if Rosa and Lauren can escape from... wherever the hell they are. Can Joey and Rosa stop Madeline from destroying Manhattan? We're very quickly spiralling towards the end of Epiphany. Join me tomorrow for another dramatic update!  So is Lauren's attitude tarnished by whatever force is keeping her staring at the universe? Or was she really so numb even back when she was alive? We saw at stages throughout Unbound that Lauren claimed she felt numb, but then just as often she was prone to emotional outbursts or spur-of-the-moment decision. Gilbert gives his opinion. Lauren was always numb - and Joey didn't recognise it because he was infatuated with her Lauren always had issues - probably from before Joey even came into her life. She struggled to get interested in anything she did, and her mum going insane only made things worse. Funnily enough, Joey coming into her life actually helped matters. She didn't get so emotionally involved in the cases like Rosa does. She just did her duty with a minimum of fuss and got it out of the way so she could have another cigarette. Having the obligation to save ghosts, at the expense of whatever else she might have been doing, gave her an excuse to avoid the real world. She never had to deal with maintaining relationships, or holding a job, or anything else. She could just focus on individual ghosts and live in her own little world. If anything, as I discussed yesterday, it was actually learning to care about something that was Lauren's undoing in the end. Her love for Rosa, and her familial instincts to protect her, brought Lauren out of her numbness and gave her a purpose in life - one that meant more to her than any number of saved ghosts. It was in this state that she became vulnerable to Madeline's possession, and ultimately ended up dead. From Joey's perspective, Lauren was the first person to willingly speak to him in years - decades, even, if we think back to 1931. Again, her numbness probably helped that; rather than throw a fit like Patricia when Joey appeared, she just kind of accepted it and moved on. Joey immediately became attached to her, seeing only the good and none of the bad. That attachment in turn led to him wanting to be near Lauren day and night, which didn't help her issues at all. With Joey's voice filling her every waking moment, she embraced the numbness and allowed herself to just smoke her life away, emerging only as often as it took to save some ghosts and placate Joey. It's quite a complex and sad backstory, all told, and really interesting to delve into here. I just wish we'd had more scenes with Lauren over the course of the series to really flesh out her character. cmndstab fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Jul 26, 2014 |
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Jul 26, 2014 12:34
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A Rose Falls is a beautiful piece of music, my stars. Also, I say we take Lauren's pack of cigarettes and throw it into the void if we're in danger of losing her interest again. That'll definitely get a reaction.
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Jul 26, 2014 12:51
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Surely she has an infinite supply of cigarettes somewhere? They've lasted decades so far, after all. That's a sad tale about Lauren Looks like Rosa is going to break the family trend/curse in more than one way. If Lauren manages to escape the void, I wonder if Rosa can end up sending her?
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Jul 26, 2014 13:59
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Ghost nuke? I know they want to raise the stakes for the series' end but, that's a little iffy. I am enjoying how wrecked the status quo is though, and the tunes.
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Jul 26, 2014 14:32
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VagueRant posted:Ghost nuke? I know they want to raise the stakes for the series' end but, that's a little iffy. Be happy it's not a soulnado.
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Jul 26, 2014 17:36
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Well that explains who Benjiro is if nothing else. I do like how Gilbert raises the vampire cult thing but adds a new spin to it. As well as the fact that the dude caused the problem, but he was genuinely trying to avoid causing damage. I'm a particular fan of good intentions backfiring. It feels almost appropriate for Rosa to appear in Bellevue. It's one thing to say that Rosa has a stronger will than her family, but here she gets to show her growth in the same trials they underwent. Though I can't help but think of what happens after, normalcy is quickly going out the window. If there is an after. Edit: The soul nuke makes sense to me. Madeline has had a lot of time to think about what she'd do, it makes sense that she has more than one plan. It's also sensible that this is the last ditch effort. Madeline was crossing lines with eating souls, yes, but blowing up New York is something she'd probably hesitate on unless she thought she had no other way out. Keldulas fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Jul 26, 2014 |
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Jul 26, 2014 19:19
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Also, she's got a helluva lot of energy to do it with. The energy from five extremely powered up (but brittle) souls. This makes sense in setting, and drat, is it one helluva note to end on, win or lose!
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Jul 26, 2014 22:06
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I really liked the way Benjiro was handled, too. Gilbert mentioned in his commentary that he kind of did it on purpose - in all the previous games, you slowly learn about who the bad guy causing all the problems is, and then you spiral towards a confrontation with them. In this game, you spend the second half trying to track down Benjiro, but when you find him, he's kind of harmless and whatever damage he's done is already over with. The actual bad guy is the character that's been helping you all along. It's a nice way to change things up.yamiaainferno posted:A Rose Falls is a beautiful piece of music, my stars. It really is gorgeous, isn't it? Between that and a couple of other pieces, this game has some wonderful music to finish up the series.
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Jul 27, 2014 07:02
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I really like Benjiro's presence here and how it ties the psychic vampires into the plot while simultaneously putting a capper, a conclusion, closure on them as a concept. It made them less like a raving cult of Sith Lords and more like a group of flawed people with powers and a fear of death. Even using their powers on willing subjects, like Benjiro says they do is questionable at best, but it takes them away from the Sith-Illuminati the maniacal George Lucas clone painted them to be. Without Benjiro's inclusion here, the fact that Rosa and Joey never took down the society would feel like unfinished business. Not so much a plot hole, but a dangling plotline that never got resolved, and the ending of the series would have a flaw in it. As it is, we can reasonably they expect aren't going to plunge the world into a thousand years of darkness under vampiric rule if Rosa and Joey don't destroy them all. Drakli fucked around with this message at 07:38 on Jul 27, 2014 |
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Jul 27, 2014 07:33
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Update 21 Yesterday, Joey discovered that Madeline was intending to destroy herself through the use of a spiritual vortex - and that the resulting explosion would level Manhattan. For the first time this series, things have gone beyond individual lives. The entire city needs saving from Madeline now. Rosa and Lauren  With Joey's gentle but constant prodding for Rosa to get up, she was able to tear herself away from the view of the Universe, and convince Lauren to join her. The music here is actually The Void, but you know what, we've heard that track enough this game. I want to listen to Rosa and Lauren, so that's what we're going to listen to. So. Are you married? Kids? No. Dating anyone? Is this really the time for this? I have to ask this stuff. It's in the aunt manual. ... No. I'm not seeing anyone.Hahaha These two really are sweet together, even if it's somewhat depressing to see just how vastly different they are from one another. I have some pictures. And I still have that teddy bear.Rosa brings up her beloved Griff, the P.I. bear However, Lauren has some disturbing information for her. Really. Did it work? ...work? I thought it would help prepare you. Prepare me? How? You know - the hat and tie?Hahahaha, holy poo poo   Rosa is horrified  You're KIDDING. So it didn't work. No, it didn't work.Rosa delivers this line with a perfect mixture of disbelief and anger Well, I was new at the mom game. Sue me. So how is Joey these days? He's... Joey. Huh. I guess that says it all. Come on. Let's move it. Rosa and Lauren rounds the corner to the ledge Rosa discovered yesterday. Sure, I guess. Hmph.Hahaha  Rosa manages to scramble up, and then offers her hand to Lauren. ...Lauren, however, finds herself drawn back to the perch she's been sitting on for the last several decades. Come ON. I'm not leaving you here. *sigh* Fine.Fortunately, Rosa's voice seems to do the trick, and Lauren takes Rosa's hand and hoists herself up the ledge.  As they make their way along the ethereal path, Lauren seems to hesitate. ... Auntie? Are you okay? Nothing. It's just...Something is definitely bothering her.  As Rosa continues, Lauren lags behind, before turning around and starting to head back. What? We need to keep moving. It hurts. Don't you feel it?I guess the pain isn't numbed so much here? Yes. But I can't stay here. And neither can you.Lauren looks on at Rosa, and seems to take strength in her resilience.  As they continue along the path, the pain increases. Yeah. Let's keep moving.The path seems to be converging on the bright light - the passageway between our world, and the next plane of existence. It's so... beautiful. But cold, somehow. As they enter the light, Lauren speaks. After I'd send a ghost off, I'd just sit and stare. Try to make sense out of it. Wonder what was on the other side. Suddenly, the light dims, and Rosa and Lauren find themselves in Rosa's nodespace. I guess they were on the other side before?  I'm dead out there. Aren't I? Back in New York. Yes. I'm... sorry. I should have realized. I've had this conversation so many times.Here, back in reality, Lauren is a ghost. She's dead. Rosa, on the other hand, is still alive.  As we're used to seeing with ghosts, Lauren's mind clears up a bit once she's in this place. Someone trying to take over my mind. It... cracked my head open. Let the universe pour through. It... hurt. I know. It happened to me. A part of me escaped. Hid. Out there in the void. Anything to get away.She looks over to her niece. You brought me back.Rosa can respond in multiple ways. She can comment that it was a joint effort: We brought each other back. I just gave you a boost. You didn't really need me. But of course... you never really did, did you?She can say that Lauren is family: You're family. What else could I do? *sigh* You're as sappy as your father. I wish... you could have met him.Rosa did meet him, for the first five years of her life, but anyway. Finally, she can indicate that Lauren would have done the same in her shoes: You would have done the same. Maybe. I wasn't quite myself. But when I'm honest with myself... I never DID know who I was.So, here we are, in the void. Lauren's a ghost, and she needs to finally move on. Auntie, I think... I know how this works.After all this time, it's time for the Bestower to help her predecessor move on. Lauren tries to settle on her final words. Say hi to Joey for me, huh? And tell him... You know what? Don't tell him anything. It'll drive him crazy.Oh man, hahaha  With that, Lauren heads on to the next world, not as someone trying to deny their own death even in the next place of existence, but as a spirit ready to move on, as it was meant to be. Rosa watches as she leaves, and then returns through the portal to reality.  As Rosa returns, things are definitely not what they normally are Her eyes glow a blinding bright light that fills the room, and obviously pains Rosa. Holy...! Jesus. Red? Is that you? Joey? Oh my God, my head...Joey's concern for Rosa is overriden by his joy at hearing her voice again. You're back? You're really back? I... think so? Where am I? And... what am I wearing? Short version. You're in the looney bin. You wouldn't believe what's going on out there...Before Joey can fill her in, however, Rosa's eyes glow a bright white again  Jesus, that's not normal. After speaking, Rosa's eyes dim back. Ah. Yeah? How'd you know that? Um. I think it's the universe pouring into my head.So that's still happening, huh? That's not good, although it does seem to be helping Rosa out somewhat, giving her access to the composite knowledge of the Universe. Joey, however, is confused. ... What now? It is how both Lauren and Patricia met their end. Their mind could not take the pressure. Their souls hid in the void until they died. I found my way back.Her eyes dim again, while Joey looks on with obvious concern. Ow. You're not... gonna relapse, are you? No. It's... bad, but not as bad as before. I can control it. Kind of.Control it? I guess that could actually be quite useful, even if it's very obviously bad for her. Well, we'll deal with that later. Can you get out of that jacket? Urf. Um. No. Okay. First things first. Let's get you out of here. Yeah? Don't you dare scare me like that again.It's good to see that these two have really developed a strong bond after these four years together Unlike in Convergence, where you got the distinct sense that Joey was interested in Rosa's wellbeing primarily because he was scared of being stuck in an aslyum again, by this stage he seems to actually care about her. It's a lovely bit of character development, and in many ways feels much healthier than his attachment to Lauren. Joey, I don't think I can get out of this thing. I can barely move. Don't worry. There's got to be something around here that can help. Somehow.I'm not sure there is - this room is pretty bare. Joey and Rosa exchange glances. She's awake. Now we just need to get her out of that jacket. I don't know how, but I think he helped bring me back. No time to thank him yet, though. We need to get out of here.Rosa isn't content to wait for Joey to think of something, and continues her struggling. Urf. Almost moved that time. Come on. You can do this. With an enormous effort, Rosa manages to wiggle an inch or two across the floor. It's not much, but it's something.  Meanwhile, Joey heads out into Bellevue to see if he can find something to help her. Asylum Danger  As he emerges in the storage room, however, the entire building starts to rattle and shake.  He quickly ducks back to Rosa. This whole building is shaking! As Rosa tries to think about what's happening, the lights come back on in her eyes. The entire city has fallen unconscious. We're the only ones awake.Everyone else is unconscious? That's pretty dramatic We're the only ones? Why? We have both been to the void. We are immune to most of its effects. But we will not survive if and when the energy reaches critical mass.Her eyes dim out again. Ow. Damnit. All right. This new ability of yours? Scaring the crap out of me.Hahaha Actually, it's a very fair call. Still. One crisis at a time. We need to get you out of here. Joey floats around the hospital looking for something to help Rosa. Sure enough, everyone is unconscious, just like Rosa said. I can't do anything to help him. Doc Quentin is out cold as well. Joey ignores him, but spies an object on the floor. A scalpel. Must have fallen out of the tray. Time to take advantage of his one power. Joey scoots up behind the scalpel and sends it sliding out of the room with a series of deep breaths.  He continues it on it's way down the corridor. Good thing they wax these floors pretty regularly. Finally, he brings it to Rosa's door. There is a flap down the bottom, but Joey's breath isn't strong enough to send the scalpel through the flap.  Back in the cell, Rosa continues writhing around as best as her straitjacket will allow.  Inching her way over to the cell door, she sticks out her foot and holds the door flap open with her toes. It's a small door flap. I think it's for food trays. With the flap open, Joey is able to send the knife in, hopefully avoiding Rosa's feet  Summoning what remains of her strength, Rosa folds herself up and slices the straitjacket open on the scalpel. She's free!  My arms are gonna be numb for days. I don't want to be NEAR that thing ever again. It's just rags now. Good riddance. This room is locked tight. I don't think I'm going to be much help, here. Right. It's up to me, then. There's got to be a way out of this place. There has to be.Joey tries to offer support. Just try and keep calm. We've been in jams worse than this. ... All right, maybe he haven't. I'm trying to be supportive, here.Hahaha Now, Rosa doesn't have her phone or anything here, so that scalpel is her only inventory item. She tries using it to get out the door, but... All that does is scratch the lock....there's no dice there. If only we had a paperclip!  She tries cutting away the wall padding, hoping to find a way out of here, but as Joey discovered earlier, there's only old piping on this side. Rosa grabs the bit of pipe anyway.  On the back wall, Rosa discovers the vent Joey has travelled through a few times, which leads to the storage room. Looks like it was part of an old ventilation system, before this room was converted into a padded cell.The scalpel doesn't make a dent on the vent, but what about the pipe?  Rosa jams it in the vent, and with a small effort, manages to pop it off. We're breaking out of here!  Rosa crawls through the vent and kicks her way to freedom  You know, considering the first puzzle of Legacy was to trick a dog into barking because she was too scared to speak to her own neighbour, Rosa has come a hell of a long way. She's had several action girl moments so far in Epiphany! Joey doesn't give her any time to enjoy her badassery though. Kid, we don't have time to stick around here. Move it! I'm going as fast as I can!They look around the storage room. First thing is to get her some proper clothes. She wouldn't last two minutes outside in this weather. Rosa cracks open the closet to see if she can find anything. And my clothes. Thank God. You mind? Right. Right.She quickly changes...  ...and coat-wearing Rosa is back! Let's go. I'm right behind you, sweetheart.As Rosa exits the door, she hears what sounds like a small explosion. poo poo is obviously getting worse outside. Murderer on the Loose  The only thing I can do to help him is to stop Madeline.Rosa quickly scouts out Bellevue, but there's nothing here for her.  On the way out, she stops to consider the vortex. She looks a bit unsteady. I guess with everything that's happened, I can't blame her. Fortunately, the key from the closet allows her to access the elevator. I guess it was there as an adventure game puzzle mechanic to prevent you from trying to leave without your coat.  Exiting Bellevue, Rosa has three destinations for some reason. It's strange, because there is clearly only one place to go, and Rosa won't even attempt the other two. I can't go home. Not yet. The police can't help with this.Obviously, we're off to Grace Church to put an end to all this. Join me tomorrow for the dramatic conclusion of Epiphany. Will Rosa and Joey manage to stop Madeline, and save New York? Will Rosa be able to tap into her newfound powers? It all comes to a close tomorrow night. Don't miss it! No Word of God update tonight, sorry guys. To make up for it, there will be a double dose after tomorrow's update - since there will be plenty to talk about when whatever final reveals Epiphany throws at us are unveiled. See you all then!
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Jul 27, 2014 09:39
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cmndstab posted:
How is Rosa even getting to the church? On foot past the flames and corpses?
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Jul 27, 2014 09:58
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VagueRant posted:Sooo...about a million cars just crashed? Probably planes at the airport, complicated machinery will have killed and maimed a few people, people at hospitals have probably straight up died. Anybody on a ladder or on stairs or anything else have probably broken their necks or cracked their skulls. And everyone driving into the city just outside the radius of the effect is going to be very very confused and scared. Yeah, I thought the same - I even intend to mention it in tomorrow's update. Rosa doesn't seem to think that's happened. For now we'll just go with a vague "everyone kind of started to feel tired so they drove home and put themselves to bed first" explanation rather than city-wide mayhem
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Jul 27, 2014 10:01
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VagueRant posted:Sooo...about a million cars just crashed? Probably planes at the airport, complicated machinery will have killed and maimed a few people, people at hospitals have probably straight up died. Anybody on a ladder or on stairs or anything else have probably broken their necks or cracked their skulls. And everyone driving into the city just outside the radius of the effect is going to be very very confused and scared. I always get annoyed by this whenever they pull the 'everyone magically falls asleep' card in fiction. I remember it happened in one of the x-men movies too. Something like that would have an insane death toll. But you know, suspension of disbelief and all that.
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Jul 27, 2014 11:37
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cmndstab posted:Yeah, I thought the same - I even intend to mention it in tomorrow's update. Rosa doesn't seem to think that's happened. Yeah, that'd still cause the deaths from hospitals and emergency services issues, especially since you can see Dr. Quentin didn't go to that much effort to lie down. Still, it's small potatoes compared to the death toll if the spirit-bomb effect goes off. It's a shame that Madeline's Plan A wasn't just to head to the North/South Pole and do this there.
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Jul 27, 2014 12:05
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Probably a silly question but if Madeline can rip souls in half, why doesn't she try and do that to herself?
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Jul 27, 2014 12:29
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MysticalMachineGun posted:Probably a silly question but if Madeline can rip souls in half, why doesn't she try and do that to herself? The only souls she could do it to were weakened by Benjiro's feeding attempts.
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Jul 27, 2014 12:34
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Neddy Seagoon posted:The only souls she could do it to were weakened by Benjiro's feeding attempts. If you are what you eat, shouldn't she be weak by now too?
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Jul 27, 2014 12:36
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