Part 2: Blackwell Legacy - Update 2 (Part 1)

Time for continue this wacky ride in Asbergers Simulator X-treme!!


Washington Square Park



I can't take you anywhere, can I?

Last time, Rosa had almost strangled a dog in order to interrupt its master from playing the flute, because she was apparently incapable of doing it herself. Now to pluck the fruits of her dubious labour.

Oh, it's you! The lady next door.
Yeah. Hi.
Rhonda, isn't it?
No. Rosangela.
Well, Rosangela. I hope my friend here hasn't been giving you any trouble.

It's probably a bad sign that Nishanthi doesn't even know Rosa's name, since she's supposed to be vouching for her.

At this point, Rosa has three options, to either compliment the dog, shrug off the trouble, or explain why she just tried to choke the poor thing.

That's a... cute dog you've got.

Rosa figures this kind of sentiment deserves a big toothy grin.



Hahahaha, Rosa is such a fucking dork

Isn't he just! Normally he behaves, but he seems to have taken a shine to you.
Oh. Great.

If Rosa instead tries to shrug it off, she ends up being a doormat instead.

Oh, no no. No trouble.
Now don't go defending him. You'll just spoil him.
Sorry.

And if she tries to explain the situation:

He... started following me. I'm not sure why.
That's because he recognizes you. He's just being friendly. Right, Moti? Just being friendly, eh?

At this point, the dog yaps a bit.

See?
Right.

Of course, Rosa is still too awkward to actually continue the conversation, so Nishanthi takes the lead.

Anyway, I don't think we've formally met. I'm Nishanthi.
Rosangela.
So you said.
Oh. Right.

Come on Rosa. Take the damn initiative.

Um...
Yes?



Finally.

Go ahead and ask. What are neighbors for?
You know that building servicemen's strike?
Yes. Jim Burdo is covering, isn't he?
Yeah, that's the problem, see. He doesn't recognize me.
Oh? Oh! So you need me to vouch for you?
Yeah. I know this is pretty stupid...
Don't worry about it. Moti is getting a little cranky anyway.

Nishanthi is actually a pretty decent person, all told.


Thanks.



Rosa, Nishanthi and Moti head out of Washington Park Square, though Moti seems a bit spooked as he trots past the dog park, letting out a bark.



Not one to be outdone in terms of causing a fuss, Rosa immediately suffers yet another stress-induced migraine, to the concern of Nishanthi.

I'm fine. I just... need to get home.
Alright. Let's keep walking.

At this point, Nishanthi is probably wishing she had just kept playing her flute.

Not Quite Right



Hello, Jim.
Hey, Miss Sharma.
Jim, this is Rosangela. She lives here.
She does? Okay. Sorry about earlier. Had to be sure.

At this point, Rosa has three choices of how to respond. Of course, all three choices involve her being a stroppy, whiny little jerk

There's the angry response:

Fantastic. You're sorry.
I am, lady.
The name is Rosangela. Will you remember me now? Or do I need to do a little dance as well?
Hey, relax. I'm just doing my job.

The sarcastic response:

Well, now you're sure. And you must be SO proud of yourself.
Well...

And the passive-aggressive response:

Oh, it was NO problem at all. Do you want anything else? Milk or orange juice, perhaps?
Um...

No matter which one you choose, Rosa makes sure she burns her bridges by finishing with a snappy:

Never mind. Just get out of my way.



Well. Here we are.
Yes. Finally. That stupid kid...
Well, perhaps. But try not to be too hard on him. We're all neighbors, after all.
Yeah, I guess.

Nishanthi is really nice, actually.



Moti is pretty cute, too. Nishanthi excuses herself, but not before extending an open invitation for Rosa to drop around.

I'd best get this spoiled puppy fed. Feel free to drop in anytime you want.

Rosa again has three options, a surprised response:

Really?
Yes, really.

An uncertain response:

Sure, maybe...
No maybes.

And a polite response:

I'll think about it.
No thinking needed.

None of which make her look particularly confident in herself. Rosa has serious self-image problems I think.

I know we New Yorkers don't usually talk to our neighbors, but who cares? The city can be a lonely place, especially when you live alone. I've got Moti. Who do you have?

Uh oh. A personal question. As usual, Rosa has three different ways to embarrass herself!

She can get defensive:

Look, I know what you're saying. But I don't need anyone to "look out" for me. I'm fine.
Oh? I'm sure. No doubt.

She can literally just give Nishanthi the silent treatment and say nothing at all:

Oh look, now I've offended you. That's what I get for butting in. I'm sure you're fine.

Or, my favourite, she can try to crack a really awkward joke!!

Oh, I have three great room-mates.
Oh?
Yes, um. Their names are "me", "myself" and "I."
...



Hahaha, even Nishanthi has no idea how to respond to Rosa here.

Um... It's a joke...
Yes, I get it. Very funny. I'm sure you're fine.

Seriously, Nishanthi has the patience of a saint. She follows up with concern for Rosa.

Although your episode in the park tells me otherwise. And your eyes... Well. Let's just say the offer stands.
Sure.
You go home, now. We'll see each other soon, Rosangela, I'm sure.

I'm riding Rosa pretty hard here, but in fairness to her, she will get considerably less awkward as the game progresses. So I'm just going to enjoy it while it lasts



Before entering her apartment, Rosa has a rare moment of social awareness.

Hey...
Yes?
Um... You can call me "Rosa", if you like. Rosangela is kind of a mouthful, you know?
All right, Rosa. You have a good day now.

This is actually a nice touch throughout the series that is played very straight. Whenever Rosa likes someone, she asks them to call her Rosa. For everyone else, it's Rosangela.



I like how Rosa finds the concept of someone being pleasant to her strange. Presumably she doesn't actually have any friends.



Rosa gazes at Nishanthi's door. Should she immediately visit?

Yeah, she invited me to come over... But so soon? I just saw her. I can't just invite myself over now. Besides, I'm more eager to see my OWN home.

At least she has that subtle little social nuance down pat. Alright, let's get Rosa into her apartment.

Rosa's Theme



Rosa has a typically tiny New York apartment, which is presumably all that she can afford on a journalist salary. Other than this main kitchen/lounge, her bedroom is the only other room in the apartment (and we never see it).

One interesting point on Rosa's apartment, when the game was in development, the lead artist simply disappeared a month or so before the game was to ship, leaving several of the locations unfinished. The most notable of them was Rosa's apartment, which is close enough, but left Gilbert unhappy. He pokes fun at it in a later game, which I'll point out at the time.

Home. Thank God. I've never been so happy to see a 500 square foot room in my life.



Unfortunately, Rosa's peace is immediately interrupted by her phone ringing.



This is Dr. Quentin, from Bellevue Hospital?
Yes.
I was your aunt's primary care physician. Did you receive my letter?
Yes, I received it. I haven't had the time to come by, though...
That's all right. I'm sure you're busy. However, should you find the time today, my entire schedule is free.
I... sure. I'll keep that in mind.
Thank you. Good day.



I suppose I should just get it over with.

This is the game's subtle push to tell you what to do next, but I do like how Rosa considers her physician literally clearing his schedule and booking an important appointment for her as a "bother".

First though, let's take a bit of a look around the apartment.



Just some old book review clippings.



My computer. It's a bit old, but it lets me access the internet and do my writing.

Rosa's computer is a useful object in this game, but less so than in the third game where it becomes useful in almost every puzzle. In the fourth game the computer gets replaced with a mobile phone, which is a cool sign of moving times.



Just a trashcan filled with crumpled-up novel ideas.

Rosa is a freelance journalist, as we will soon see, but she also has dreams of being a creative writer.



That leads to my bedroom. It's an oversized closet, but it suits me fine.



This is the only living plant I own. I bought it two years ago. It's still living, despite my total lack of care.

Total lack of care? Surely not, Rosa!



That's Griff, the P.I. Bear. I've had him for as long as I can remember. He's in horrible shape, but I don't have the heart to throw him away.
...

I seriously love Rosa's adorable little dorky smile



There is a photo here of Rosa's (recently deceased) Auntie Lauren, from when Rosa was a child.



It's a photograph of Auntie Lauren and me.

Rosa can look at the two of them individually:

I look scared out of my mind. I don't remember when this picture was taken, but I look about four or five years old.
Auntie Lauren. She took care of my after my parents died. For most of my life, Auntie was a vegetable, slowly rotting away in a hospital bed. I don't remember what she was like before that. This picture is all I have to go by.

This probably explains why Rosa has absolutely no idea how to communicate with other human beings.



It's a pity that a quarter of Rosa's entire apartment is taken up with a kitchen she apparently never uses.



No. I open those curtains and a dozen windows can look directly in here. Those curtains stay shut and prying eyes stay OUT.

In a stunning wave of character development, Rosa will actually slowly open the curtains further and further in subsequent games.



Rosa's computer is currently only useful for attempting some writing, but Rosa is not interested right now.

*sigh* I am just feeling so uninspired today. Maybe tomorrow I'll feel up to it. But today...? It's just not happening.

Alright, that's enough stalling. Time to go to Bellevue to chat with the psych.



Washington Square Park is no longer available to visit, but we'll be back later.

Hospital Waiting Room



Rosa enters the hospital to flickering lights. This place is pretty run down.

Bellevue has probably one of the better music tracks in the game, despite only being 40-odd seconds long.



Looks like a fusebox. Judging by the flickering lights, it must be broken. You need a key to open it.

Rosa, of course, immediately scopes out the place. Just in case she feels like messing with the fuses later on. Spoiler alert: She will.



Clicking on pretty much anything has Rosa indignantly deny she's trying to steal something. Sounds like a guilty conscience to me.



It says that this floor is undergoing renovations. That explains a lot.

This, again, is Gilbert's subtle dig at the artist who left this room clearly unfinished. A second artist cobbled together the back area and made it join together well enough to look like a midway-complete construction job.



Some small keys. One of them is labelled "F.B.", I assume that means fusebox.

I love the way Rosa is looking the other direction, very discrete. Of course, Rosa still has her mind on that fusebox for whatever reason.



As usual, Rosa, the master of social nuances, launches into conversation with the security guard by immediately insulting his place of work.

Hey, old buildings. You know? Always got problems.
If the plumbing ain't broken, the lights are on the blink. It's giving me a headache, let me tell you.
Did you have contact with Lauren Blackwell while she as here?
Nope, doesn't ring a bell. She was in temporary care?
No. She was in long-term.
That's a whole different floor. This is the floor for temp patients.
I see.

This dialogue is decent exposition, but a bit strange. Surely Rosa would know where her Aunt was staying, since she was apparently there was years.

Also, that security guard looks dumb as fuck.

So what exactly happens here on the temporary ward?
It's just that. Temporary. Most insurance plans only cover a two-week stay, so this floor is designed for a high turnover rate. That's why the doctor's offices are usually down here. They need to be on hand when new patients arrive.
I'm here to see Dr. Quentin.
Uh huh. Is he expecting you?
I've got this letter right here.
Okay. Looks legit. Go right in. His name's on the door. You can't miss it.
Thanks.



Rosa waddles on to Doc Quentin's room, primed and ready for the first of several plot dumps this game is going to throw at us.

(continued next post...)