Part 8: Blackwell Legacy - Update 6

Not much in the way of discussion I see (I assume some people are actually reading this thread?) but let's push on with the updates anyway!

Update 6

So now we've got the band together - Rosa and Joey are ready go out and chat up some ghosts!

Before they do that, though, let's have a bit of a chat with Joey.

Rosa's Theme

Psst! Joey!
What is it, dear?



In Blackwell Legacy, Joey is really little more than a companion. Obviously he's integral to the story and will be with us every step of the way, but Rosa is the protagonist. She can speak with Joey and ask him questions, and he'll pipe up himself regularly, but other than a couple of scripted sequences (such as when he talked to the ghost in the dog run), he's really just along for the ride.

This will change in later games, where Joey becomes a playable character in his own right who can be controlled at (almost) any time, and puzzles will require us to switch between the two characters at various times.

What was Auntie Lauren like?
What do you wanna know about her for?
I just do. Can't you tell me anything?
Hey, we've got lots to do. Ask me later.

This is something that the game does pretty well. We've received a few massive plot dumps throughout the first day of the game, but for the remainder of the game backstory is doled out to us in bite-sized chunks. At this point, since he's only just finished meeting us, Joey doesn't have a lot to say, but he will open up about Lauren at several points throughout the game.

What was my grandmother like?
Her? We have to talk about her?
What's wrong with her?
Nothing. Forget it. Ask me later.

Rosa can also ask about Patricia, but it is very obvious that Joey was not a fan in the slightest.



As I said earlier, Joey is really just an NPC that tags along. He'll often just float around the room and look at random things, hence Rosa's comment here.

Huh?
The way you float all over the room like that. You're making me dizzy.
Pff. You sound like my mother. You're gonna just have to get used to it, babe.

I guess it's not like she can do anything to stop him...

Can you ever leave?
Leave? What do you mean, leave?
Leave! Get out of my apartment. Go somewhere else.
What? Don't you like me?
It's not that. It's just, well... what about privacy?



Hahahaha. Somehow I don't think Rosa will be convinced by this

And what about personal space?
I'm a GHOST. It's not like I take up any space.
You know what I mean.
Sorry, darling. No can do. I told you, I can't travel far from my... hosts. I can go maybe thirty feet before something stops me.
That must be annoying.
Eh, it's not so bad now.



This seems like a fairly insensitive thing to say, but realistically I guess he knew Lauren a hell of a lot better than Rosa did anyway.

Speaking of being insensitive, Rosa decides to try her hand at it as well!

How did you die?
Excuse me? How did I DIE?
Yeah.
That's a bit of a personal question, isn't it?
Is it?
YES.
Sorry.

Next up, Rosa tries to figure out if Joey is actually useful in any capacity outside of his magical tie and casual witticisms.



Do?
As a ghost. Any powers, or anything like that?
What you see is what you get, dear. I can float through walls, as long as I'm still near you.

Floating through walls is actually an extremely useful ability in terms of fact-gathering, especially as he can never be caught while doing it.

But you can't touch anything?
Not really.

"Not really?" What does that mean?

Not really?
Well, you remember that breeze you felt when I... manifested myself last night?
Yeah.
That's the extent of my physical presence.



Everyone's a critic.

If Rosa asks him to demonstrate it again, Joey sarcastically proclaims:



Again, while Joey's light breeze powers just add to his character in Legacy (I think he does use it once, but in a scripted sequence), they will actually become a part of the puzzle mechanics in later games.



Rosa can also speak to Joey about the clues on her notepad.

I don't suppose you know anything about JoAnn, would you?
Nope. No more than you. Judging by the picture, she knows that sob story in the park. But that's all.
Why would JoAnn commit suicide?
Who knows? Maybe she was in a hurry.
That's not funny.



Hahaha, I have to say, I'm very quickly warming to Joey here

What do you think of Adrian?
Adrian? Hah. His parents must have really hated him, to saddle him with THAT name.
Joey...
Still... to be sharing a floor with a bevy of young college ladies... Hm. Maybe he doesn't have it so bad.

Again, we get a comment from Joey here about Adrian being a bad name for a man to have.

Rosa asks about Kelly:

What do you think of Kelly?
That kid? I suppose once you get past all that metal... and the clothes, and the hair, and the nasty makeup...



Hahahaha...

...MAYBE... Nah. Forget it.

That's all we'll get out of Joey for now, so it's time to get on with the game. Before heading out, Rosa checks the photograph again.



And Joey too, I guess. It's funny. With Joey there, we almost look like a real family. So Auntie Lauren was a medium, as well. All this time, and I never knew... I can't believe Joey was around when Auntie Lauren was taking care of me.

Looking at the photo closer, Rosa remarks:
When I was a little girl, I'd try to talk to my younger self in this picture. I was trying to give myself advice about the future. It didn't work then, and I doubt it would work now.
That's definitely Auntie Lauren. Even way back then, Joey was following her around. How did she manage it?



Turns out Joey was also in this photo, confirming that Lauren was already dealing with Joey by the time of the wedding, like Jack expected.



And, yet again, Joey is in the photograph haunting Patricia, who looks pretty concerned about Joey's death glare.

I have to wonder how a ghostly visage shows up in a photograph. Even if we accept all the stuff about a connection to the spirit world in Rosa's head and stuff it still seems a bit weird that a reproduced image would contain residual spiritual images that can only be seen by mediums. I guess we'll just accept it for now.



Continuing to stall for time, Rosa decides to check in with Nishanthi.

Come in!

Nishanthi's Theme



Come in. Come in.

Upon entering, Moti immediately trots up to Joey.



You look a little... preoccupied.
I'm fine.

Rosa clearly sounds anything but fine here.



Displaying pretty sound judgement, Moti begins to bark up a storm at Joey.

Oh jeez. In case you haven't noticed, some animals can sense me. Are you getting a good look, mutt?



I'm sorry. He must be sick, or something.
It's all right.

Joey's response is to startle the shit out of Moti, sending the dog yelping and whining away.

Rosa can attempt to talk to Joey here, but he quickly shuts her down.

Jo-
Shhh! You wanna start a riot? Keep your yap SHUT until we're alone.

Joey actually has a different "shut the hell up" message for each location, though most of them boil down to this.



Rosa gets talking to Nishanthi, who can tell that something is clearly wrong.

Yes?
Could you tell me more about that?
Well I'm not psychic or anything, if that's what you mean. I'm just observant. Anyone could tell something was wrong, if they kept their eyes open. Speaking of which... Care to tell me what's wrong?
What do you mean?
You look... ill at ease. Uncomfortable.



Nishanthi is indeed pretty observant.

Is everything alright?
Say you're fine, kid.
I'm... fine.
Yep. Everything's just dandy.
Just dandy.
And could you stop looking at me? I mean, I know it's hard...

Hahaha, Joey's such a wonderful asshole Nishanthi can tell that Rosa is not right, but let's the subject drop.

I see. Well, I'm here if you need me.

Rosa quickly excuses herself and gets out of there before she makes things worse.



Dogs, cats, birds. Any dumb animal.
So what does that make me?
I dunno. A gerbil? You kinda look like a gerbil.
Shut up.

Hahaha, these two have some great back and forth.

Washington Square Park



Don't worry. I'll do the talking.

Time to get stuck into this. You can't really see in this screenshot, but the ghost is still skulking around in the background there.



No. Maybe.

Let's see if Joey can work his way through this conversation a bit more smoothly than last time. He has three choices for approaching the ghost. He can tell her the truth:

Can you tell me the last thing you remember?
Candy. I was eating candy.
Candy?
Candy to make the Deacon go away.
Ahh... I think I understand. Did it work?
I don't hear him anymore. But he did something to me... I... they all go away.

So this ghost obviously commited suicide, apparently because of someone called the Deacon. Joey tries the direct approach.

Young lady, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you're dead.
It's so quiet. I...
Sweetheart, are you listening to me?
They all go away. The Deacon made them go away.
Listen, you don't have to worry about it anymore. Whatever it is. Just... let go.
He haunts my dreams. He gets into my head. He poisoned me. He's trying to kill me.
But you're... oh forget it.



Joey is also able to quiz the ghost from Rosa's notepad.

Are you friends with a girl named JoAnn?
JoAnn... JoAnn... Beware JoAnn when her plan's unfurled. For she intends to take over the world. She had to go away. He drove her away. She didn't understand.
Do you know why JoAnn killed herself?
JoAnn? She can't be dead. She'd going to change the world. She's not dead. Even though she had to go away. They all had to go away. Because of the Deacon.

The ghost recites the little poem about JoAnn in a very sing-song way, for some reason. Combined with the echoey voice it sounds pretty creepy.

How about Adrian? Do you know him?
Adrian the man. The man with the plan.
Do you know Kelly?
Kelly... Kelly... Crazy Kelly. Made of ice jelly. We all drove her away. But that was okay. It wasn't the Deacon's fault. It was hers.
Do you recognize the girls in this picture?
Oh. It's so hard to see. Maybe I need glasses.
Hm. Worth a try.

Joey decides to cut to the chase.



The Deacon is the Deacon. We called him and he came. He got into my head. He's scared. He's diseased. He's made me diseased, too. Now everyone goes away.

Unfortunately, without anything more to go on, that's all the sense Joey is able to get out of the ghost. At this point there's nothing else to do but go away and try to figure out who the hell the Deacon might be.

Look... just sit tight. We'll figure this out. And we'll be back.



What, you don't like dogs?
You know what I mean.

Outside, Rosa is still creeped out about this. If you visit the ghost again, we get the following amusing exchange.

She is so... strange! Don't you think she's strange?
Not really. I think she's a choice bit of calico, myself. Maybe it's a ghost thing.

Rosa's Theme



In general, Rosa has to return to her apartment to have any meaningful conversation with Joey, so I'll often return here between plot points to shoot the shit.

No idea. Although he must be a pretty formidable fellow, considering what's been going on.

This is a bit of an odd comment since we're not really sure "what's been going on." Nonetheless, he obviously has something to do with the ghost in the park.

Rosa is also able to ask Joey about the two photographs he appears in (other than the Brooklyn bridge photo), and he'll open up a bit about Lauren and Patricia.

Joey, you're in this photograph.
So I am. That was Jack and Maria's wedding.
My parents?
Yeah.
Why were you at the wedding?
Because your aunt insisted on going, and I go where she goes. I could have talked her out of it, but she put her foot down.



There are interesting emotions in this bit of dialogue. Joey comes across as still being annoyed that he was forced to attend the wedding, but his voice is also brighter when speaking about Lauren. It's pretty obvious that he misses her.

You don't look very happy in this picture.
That's because I wasn't. There was a spirit trapped in an alley, down in Chinatown. A little girl, five years old. Lost and confused and needing our help. But did your aunt want to solve the case? No. Going to the wedding was IMPORTANT, she said. More important. Can you imagine?
I... don't know. Can you tell me anything else about the wedding?
I don't know. There was music? The bride wore white? It was over thirty years ago. Just because I'm dead doesn't mean my memory is perfect.

This bit of dialogue gives us pause to think - how much of a life can you have if you're doing this medium thing? Joey begrudged (and apparently still begrudges) Lauren attending her own brother's wedding.

Asking about the photo with Patricia:

Can you tell me anything about this picture, Joey?
Ohh yeah. I remember this. This was taken about forty years ago. Your grandmother there insisted on it.
So that's my grandmother?
Yep.
And that's my... dad? And Auntie Lauren?
In the flesh.
What were you doing in this picture?
Being ignored, as usual. Real strong believer in denial, that woman.
Do you remember anything else about that day?
It was over forty years ago, doll. Stupid hair and ugly sweaters, that's all I remember.

By contrast to Lauren, Joey is just sarcastic when speaking about Patricia. I get the impression they didn't get along well at all.

Once last thing for this update - Rosa can head back to good old Doc Quentin and have another chat.

Hospital Clocks



I was stuck here for twenty five years. Why'd you have to drag me back here, huh?

Joey is not happy about coming back here.

What was it like, staying here?
Like? I was on a different floor, but it's all the same. Twenty-five friggin' years. Hovering over your aunt's shoulder. Staring at the ceiling. You wanna know how many cracks there were in that ceiling?
Not really.
Fifty four! Or maybe fifty five. I was never sure about that last one..

The anger and frustration Joey feels about those 25 years are really evident here.

How well did you know Dr. Quentin?
That quack? He'd come into your aunt's room. Poke her. Prod her. Try to get her to speak. He didn't know from nothing. I'd just as soon never see him again.
What was Auntie's condition like?
She was a rotting vegetable, sweetheart. They kept her so drugged up that she could hardly move. Which is probably for the best, come to think of it. Without the drugs, she... wasn't pretty. But the doc told you all about that. You don't need to hear it again from me.

Joey doesn't want to see Quentin again, but bad luck for him. Rosa heads in anyway.



Rosa can ask Quentin about Joey, or even try telling him straight out that she is being haunted by him. We'll go with the former first...

Did my aunt and grandmother ever say anything... specific about Joey?
No. Why? Have you learned anything?
Oh, no... I was just wondering.
Oh, real subtle.

Have to agree with Joey here. Meanwhile, trying to tell Quentin directly does not go well.

Doctor Quentin, I've got something to tell you...
Hm?
Yes?
It's about Joey.
Oh?
Oh, no.



This is the first time we've seen Joey's angry face.

Yeah...
Darling, you seem like a sweet kid. Don't ruin everything this early in the game.
I...
Hey! Whatever you think you're doing, stop right now.

Joey moves in closer and closer as he starts raising his voice here.



He...
Are you LISTENING? I just spent twenty five years in this dump. I'm not gassed up to do it again, you dig? You wanna be locked up in a padded cell with ME for company? Cuz that's what'll happen.



He can be pretty damn intimidating when he wants to be.

Um...
Think about it.

Joey scooches right up behind Rosa's ear and drops his voice to a low, menacing whisper for the final line. Rosa, wisely, decides to leave the topic alone.

Yes, Miss Blackwell?
Nevermind.
Good girl. Keep your yap shut and we'll get on just fine.

Joey is a pretty damn likeable character, but geez, he can be a real intimidating asshole when he wants to be.


We'll stop there, but tomorrow we'll head back to the Brittany hall dorms at NYU to see if we can get any more information!

Who is the ghost at the park? Who is the Deacon? Why did Joey hate Patricia so much? Debate it today, tune in tomorrow!