Part 10: Winston's Love...

Update 10 - Winston's Love...



We are in control of Gemma for this bit, though there's nothing special that can be done.



I'm so glad to see you! Ugh, what a weird week it's been. I can't help but feel uncomfortable with all of these Kanko walking around... They've been here for 3 days, when are they gonna leave?
Oh, I don't really mind... it's fun when the Kanko come to trade with us, don't you think?
Yeah I suppose... But still... You've heard about what the Kanko are like... they're no good! I'll be happy when they're gone!



How have you been?
The Kanko don't belong here. I don't care what kind of goods they bring from across the Great River. It's of no use to me!



There's always a part of me that can't wait until they leave our lands.



How are you this fine morning?
Good, thank-you! I just stopped by to see what the Kanko Traders brought this time.
Hm... Yes, well please be careful Gemma. The Kanko Leebles may look like us, but inside, they are very different. They aren't to be trusted.
Of course, Elder.





...



I helped my mom dye it, and my hands were purple for weeks!
Hahaha!
Oh... um...



Are you okay? Do you need help with anything?
Oh I'm sorry, I'm just... I'm not supposed to...
Not supposed to talk to strangers? I understand. Well, my name is Winston.
I'm Gemma...
Now we're not strangers anymore.



Oh I love them... I have a garden at home I tend to everyday!
Now that we're not strangers anymore, I have a gift for you. Come with me!



.....

I can't believe after some light flirting, he just invites her back to his place. This dude has got the moves apparently.







And the boy is back. No place to go but down through the stairs.



... Oh good, more sewers. Though this part is relatively easy.





My home is underwater



Back to this thing. It's still very simple to get to the end, but it's a bit longer this time so the time frame allows for fewer mistakes. Take too long though...





... and you get a game over! Fun Fact: The only reason that I even thought about waiting here was because I found the game over screen in the files and was wondering if that would pop up here.



Game over does send you back to the main menu, but the autosave is right before you go down the hole, so you lose maybe a minute of your time?

Anyway, let's do things right this time.













Oooh, a special door! At the very least, it takes us outta the sewers.





Ride with me



I was so worried about you.





I've been waiting all spring to share this with you... Come this way, they shouldn't be able to see us from here...



Have you ever heard of the Hikaribana?
No, I haven't...
Hikaribana is the name of the Kanko tribe's most important festival. It's named after a very special flower that grows every spring. Look down by the river bank... Do you see those big flowers?



And they're glowing!
Every year, the Kanko Lunaflies lay their eggs inside those flowers. Come spring, the eggs hatch and the Lunaflies feed off of the nectar inside. But until they learn how to fly, the Lunaflies are weak and vulnerable.



Yes... but the really special part is about to begin. The Lunaflies and the Hikaribana are actually very good friends, you know.
What do you mean?
In return for food and shelter, the Lunaflies help the Hikaribana before they fly away. As practice learning how to fly, they literally lift the flower up with them!
You're lying!
No no, it's really true! As the flower floats through the air, the Lunaflies' fluttering wings help spread the flower's pollen across the land. Gemma look!









I've never seen anything like this in all my life... It's so beautiful... Thank-you, Winston...
I'm so glad you could finally see it.



Uh oh, they heard us! Quick follow me!







It really doesn't feel good to keep following him into the sewers. Ugh.



Storage Area



The next room puts us right back in the thick of it.



>Page 1
12 March (APN) - Police had confirmed 1,480 peopole missing across the affected areas. It is feared that the final death count could rise sharply once a full picture of the catastrophe emerges.

>Page 2
14 March (JNR) - The NSA said the number of people exposed to radiation was expected to rise. Workers in protective clothing scanned people arriving at evacuation centres for radioactive exposure.

>Page 3
15 March (APN) - It only took a few minutes for the 30ft wave to wash the town away with terrifying force.

While we've read the second one before... it can probably be seen in a different light now. On the counter is a letter someone wrote. As we seem to have no qualms about reading people's private letters, let's read this one!

posted:

I sure miss the Korean food though! Did you know that at Korean restaurants here, they make you buy the appetizers? Even the kimchi! Isn't that weird? Oh... and I met a girl. I really like her a lot, I'm sure you will too. Anyways, I'd better get going. Take care! Love you both!

Winston

Wow what is this, 3 Winstons we've met now? Lot of coincidences!



Do you even need to ask?



Granted this time it's for an actual purpose. We want to keep our bucket filled with water at all times.



This is why. You've likely seen these plants before. Each of them need to be watered as they hide either a secret or even progress!





Oh, a teddy bear?



Dawww.

A special door is here, so let's go through and hope we don't end up in another sewer.



Gemma and the River



We're back in control of Gemma, but it's only for a couple of steps.





You've been spending a lot of time with that Ilbo girl, Gemma.



Yes... I really enjoy spending time with her. I feel like we have a bond... I've never felt that before.



But Winston, she is a friend, am I right?
What do you mean...
Winston, we're open-minded Leebles... We know that trading with the Ilbo tribe has many benefits.
I bought some very nice artwork from an Ilbo woman.
Why are you telling me this?
Winston, you're young. There are a lot of things in this world that you don't understand.
I'm old enough to know that I love her.



No.
I've never been more sure of anything in all my life.
Do you even remember what the Ilbo did to us? To our people? What they show you, and how they are inside are completely different! You may think you can trust them, but you can't.



He needs to hear this. It's for his own good.
No.
What did you say?
Gemma is not like that.
That's not how she is...
You leave me no choice. You are no longer allowed to see Gemma. Not as friends, not as anything.







...







Storage Area



So yeah, unless you've just not paid attention at all- It's quite clear what Kanko and Ilbo are supposed to be. I go back and forth on whether I like this scene, because it can come off a bit too cliche, melodramatic, and almost cartoonish... But uh racism still definitely exists, especially between Japan and Korea. Either way, it does establish that them being together was not exactly conducive to a happy family.

Anyway, back to the bad part!

We'll check out the journal first:



Did he really come for me? I'm so alone, I'm so afraid.

A very uplifting journal entry.



It seems the boy's soul also got a bit down as it decides to just walk on out of here.



Hmm, so what exactly happened to Gemma then?





Well, immediately we can see a bunch of Envoy above us. We'll likely need to be careful.



Wait, that wasn't careful at all!



Rather than a game over, like you'd expect, we just wake up in this bed back in the room we came in from. As an added bonus, the Envoy that ran into us, is now gone as well. It's... a bit weird and feels like they redesigned some things, and didn't redesign others. Honestly, this whole section is a bit of a mess gameplay wise.

That note I was trying to read, says this:

20 March - I hope that help will arrive soon. My staff has been working 24 hour shifts just to keep things moving. Without electricity, and with our medical supplies dwindling, I fear the worst... But I will not give up hope.

Hmm, I think we can start making deductions as to who's been writing all these notes...

Anyway, back in the main room.



Flooding has caused extensive damage to the basement and 1st floors. Don't be a casualty of structural instability. WATCH OUT!



Hmm, this could be a problem.



Problem solved!







Right is red... left is green...

We've got a clue of what to do, but we don't know where we need to do it or how. So let's keep exploring.





20 March - Our small generators are pumping water out of the basement at a rate of about a centimeter an hour. We can compensate for some of our losses by improvising. Unfortunately, we've still lost 11 patients this week to the harsh conditions.

The rest of this area has nothing of note, except for the hole in the floor.





Oh... good... more sewers.



We need to hit that switch over there, so we'll have to get into the water.





Bingo, we needed those spikes to be gone to get past.



Hmm, a door on the left, and a door on the right... I wonder what that could mean?



We go through the right first, and the light is kind enough to even be in the color you want it to be.





At this rate, we'll have to relocate several of our patients. But I fear that the transfer would be the death of many of them.

posted:

I don't care what they say, I know in my heart that this is right. When I've saved up enough, I will return to the place we first me and we can start a new life together away from all of this.

And now, to turn the light on...



Those are all the options. We, of course, need the right light to be red...







... And left to be green. There is, yet again, a journal on the counter.

19 March - How long will it be before help arrives? We wrap them in blankets, we work 24 hour shifts... But unless we receive help, I don't think we can hold out much longer.

Both lights are now on, and so we can head back to the locked door!



Which has already opened for us!



There was an exit downstairs that we couldn't get to because of the water. So if we use this, it should drain the water and let us get over there.



The water has indeed been drained!





It leads to a damned box puzzle.



It's easy, but it's also tedious and feels like busy work at this point. I really hate that I've spent the past two updates moaning about the gameplay, but it's in my face with its big hairy and zit filled ass. I just want it to go away!



The gate has opened and we can now head through this door. See, what was the point of the switch in the other room? We could have just skipped that, and had a switch upstairs that opens this door.







We are almost done...