Part 35: Blackwell Convergence - Update 10

Update 10

So yesterday Rosa's spidey sense started tingling and she got all paranoid about the Meltzer Foundation. That was a bit of a diversion, so today we'll return to matters at hand.

The Minetta



Rosa and Joey want to find Claude to speak to him about his painting of the Countess. Josie mentioned he was off getting drunk, and we know artists love to frequent the Minetta. Could he be there?



Of course he is. The Adventure Game Law of Conservation of Locations strikes again!

Wow. If I still had a nose, I could smell the whiskey from here.

And, apparently, he is well progressed in his quest to get shitfaced.



Hopefully that alcohol will have loosened his tongue a bit.

Rosangela Blackwell the writer! Come on over. Have a drink.
You remember me.
Who could forget someone who could down three glasses of claret in half an hour?
Heh.

Hahaha, Rosa's wild night of drinking continues to haunt her Notice that Claude has a new "drunk" portrait just so he can look extra disheveled and unkempt.



Says the woman who was carried home to othe night by an old Indian lady. My opening is tonight and I intend to be well and truly plastered. It's the only way I'll be able to bear it.

I'm actually not sure if the alcohol will make Claude more or less insufferable than usual.

I'd like to talk to you about your work.
I'd love to, but I'm not drunk enough.
I really like that painting of yours, "The Dark Lady."
Pff. My paintings aren't meant to be *liked*. They are meant to be understood. But nobody does. I feel like Joe Gould, sometimes.

Joe Gould, again? We'll follow up on him in a minute, but for now Rosa keeps pushing the issue on the painting.



I have a rule. I don't talk about my work unless I'm drunk enough.
How drunk is that?
I'm not sure, but I'm working on it!

This isn't working. We'll just have to talk to him tonight once he's well and truly smashed.

What do you think of the Park Gallery?
It's all right, I guess. I dunno what Josie sees in my stuff. She doesn't understand it at all.
She likes it enough to risk her money on it.
Liking it isn't the same as understanding it. Still, Josie's been good to me. How could I say no?

Seriously, Claude is such an annoying fuck with all this "nobody understands me" bullshit.



She was at the gallery the other night, yeah?
Uh huh.
She told me my work was awful. I liked her.
She insulted your work, but you liked her?
Sure. She was honest. She didn't pretend to be awed by it, like all the other phonies do.

Hahaha, I think I like her a bit more now, as well



Enough. It's old fashioned, you know?

This is a good enough lead-in to ask about Joe Gould.

You know Joe Gould?
Sure I do. He was one of this city's last geniuses. Or maybe he was just nuts. I dunno. Maybe I'm just nuts too. Either way, he's famous now. Thanks to Joseph Mithcell.
...
Did he just say Joseph Mitchell?



In case you haven't bothered to look Joe Gould up, this is a good clue that he and Mitchell are related somehow. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, the real-life Mitchell wrote two articles and a book about Gould, and the book was later made into a moderately successful film, so Claude isn't kidding when he says Mitchell made Gould famous.

Could you tell me more about Joe Gould?
He was a genius, really. No matter what anybody else says. He paid attention to the world. Actually talked to people. And he wrote it all down. Every last word.
Why?
He was trying to find the connections that bring everyone and everything together, simply by observing and cataloging everything he saw. He called it the oral history. Nowadays, you'd call it blogging.
And that made him a genius?
Think about it. After Joseph Mitchell wrote Gould's biography, Mitchell never wrote again! No other subject could be as satisfying.
Gould was that interesting?
It was said that the city's unconcious was trying to speak through Joe Gould. Maybe it was true. Maybe it wasn't. But to even attempt such a thing... I call that genius.

That's not why Mitchell stopped writing, Claude Also, maybe it's just me, but Gould's oral history sounds kind of useless. You can't infer meaningful connections by just recording every conversation in a book.



Now that Claude has mentioned Mitchell, he's in our notebook so Rosa can ask people about him.

Another of this city's great geniuses. Gone. He could talk to you for five minutes, and then write a biography that made you seem like the most fascinating person alive.
They wouldn't be alive for long.

Hahaha, Joey is at his snarky best in this scene

But then he stopped writing. Nobody knows why, at least not for sure. He published a book about Joe Gould and then poof. No more writing. He went to his office at the New Yorker every day for thirty years, but never wrote a single word.

That's all Claude has to say for now. Rosa excuses herself...

Bye Claude.
Yeh. Oh man. Look at the time. I guess I gotta go face the art public. See you at the Gallery later. Or not.

...and suddenly it becomes night time. That's convenient.



Claude cuts a bit of a wacky route on the way out of the Minetta. I'm not sure if this was done intentionally to show how fucking drunk he is, or if it was just a bit of awkward pathfinding that never got patched up.



Why wouldn't I be?
You didn't seem to like it two days ago.
That was different. This is personal. Looks like we've come full circle. This started at the gallery, maybe it'll end there.

Now that it's gotten dark, the public opening at the Park Gallery would have already started. Hopefully Claude is now drunk enough (despite apparently not being drunk enough right before leaving the Minetta) to talk to us about his Dark Lady painting.

The Park Gallery



There are a couple of random artists and art-lovers standing around, but it's still fairly empty in here. I'm not sure Meltzer are going to be getting their money back out of this investement, somehow. Nishanthi is off to the side as well.

Rosa approaches Claude.

Claude?
Hey, you came!
You're drunk.
Very much so!

No point worrying about that - let's squeeze him for some info!



Who?
The Dark Lady.
I don't talk about her.

Or not, gah. Here comes another runaround.

So you do know her?
Don't try to understand my work. I haven't met a single person who really understands art. Not one.

Oh geez I really, really hate this douchey little fuck.



Let's chat with Nishanthi instead.

Rosa! You came for the opening!
Oh, yes. I did. That's why I'm here.
Good. It's so nice seeing you out and about.
Yeah. Out and about. That's us.

Despite indicating his willingness to come earlier, Joey already sounds sick of this place. Mind you, I can understand him being frustrated after listening to Claude's bullshit.

I spoke to Monique.
Oh, wonderful! That story is fascinating, isn't it?
It certainly came in useful.

The story itself was pretty boring actually, but it did lead to a case, so I guess that's something.

You'll show me your story when it's done?
You call those things stories?
Shh!
Hm?
I mean, shhhure I'll show you. I'd be glad to.
Smooth.

Hahahaha, this is so perfect Nishanthi is fairly underused in this game, actually, which is a pity because she brings out a different side of Rosa which is nice to see.



Maybe Nishanthi will know some way to get Claude to stop being a pretentious asshole.

Kind of enigmatic, isn't he? He's hardly said a word to anyone, all night! Of course, I think he's had a bit too many. If you get my meaning.
What do you think of that painting, "The Dark Lady"?
It stands out, certainly. I don't know who that woman is, but she looks familiar.

Wait, she does? Don't tell me Nishanthi's mixed up in this as well.

Really?
I can't put my finger on who. But that expression... such a feeling of frustration and loss. But maybe that's the idea - the frustration and loss that we all feel sometimes?
Very deep.
Maybe.

On second thought, probably not.



That's an understatement. He's also hard to want to talk to.

Yes, I saw you speaking with him. I think you two would get along famously.
What do you mean?
He's an artist. You're a writer. Do the math.
It's not like that.
If you say so.

Oh God, please do not give us a Rosa/Claude romance subplot. I'm begging you, Gilbert.

Have you spoken to Claude?
No, I've let him be. He doesn't seem to want company. I do like art, but I don't understand artists.



I know exactly where this is going, and it's not good.

I'm going to look around some more.
Of course! Go and mingle. Don't let me keep you.



Josie is also buzzing around but won't stop to chat. Let's head back to Claude.



Tell you what. Let's start over. Tell me what you think of this painting behind me.
Who says I don't understand art?
Hmph. You understand my work? All right. Tell me what you think of this painting behind me.

I think Claude's first line of dialogue is a bit messed up here - that's what he's supposed to say if you answer his question wrong and have to start over, but he says it the very first time. A dialogue flags mishap, I suspect.



So as you may have already guessed, we need to use the advice from the "Artists" page on Oogle to talk to Claude in a way that will convince him that we understand his shitty paintings. First, let's try a wrong choice...

I think this painting is really good!
You have no idea what you mean by "good."
I don't?
No. Excuse me.

Ugh Fuck you, Claude, and fuck your stupid fucking paintings too.



Claude cycles between three paintings, and wants an appropriate critique for each of them. Let's just give him what he wants to hear...

Does this painting represent darkness in shadow?
It could. Is that what it feels like to you?
Sure.
Then it does. Excuse me.

Claude is seemingly satisfied with Rosa's answer, and moves to another of his works of art.



What do you think about this painting here?
Why is one side so colorful and the other so dark?
Well, look at it. The darkness is eating away the color, overwhelming it.
That's a bit bleak.
It's a bleak world. Excuse me.

That satisfies him too. One more to go...



Tell me what you think of this painting behind me.

We're back at the original painting now.



"Provocative"?! They're literally black smudges on canvas This puzzle frustrates me to no end, despite it's simplicity.

You think so, huh?
Oh yes. The hard lines against a soft world.
Really.



Forward?

If he makes some euphamism about his hard line and Rosa's soft world, I swear to God...

It's been a great pleasure talking to you.
Really?
Yes. Very refreshing. You seem to have a greater understanding of art than most of ther rabble here.
I do?

Hahaha, I love the way Rosa is immediately terrified by Claude's appreciation



Oh, call me Rosa.

Oh man, she told him to call her Rosa. And look at the awkward smiles these two are sharing. She is clearly digging Claude here. Or maybe she has just gotten better at flirting after the incident with the gay security guard in Legacy?

Rosa. I'm suffocating in here. I need a breath of fresh air. Come meet me out on the fire escape. We can talk more in private.
Hey, way to go!



Claude then heads out the fire escape, much to Josie's concern.

Just some fresh air, Jos. I'll be back. No worries.

The Fire Escape



Sure enough, Claude is waiting for Rosa out in the rain. Rosa decides to get straight to the point.

We need to talk about the Countess.
Yes. She's so... sad. And angry. I wonder why?

He doesn't know? After all the shit he gave everyone else for not understanding his work, he doesn't seem to understand it himself.

Why is she sad?
She's looking for something she lost.
Yeah, her mind.
It consumes her every thought.

Her spirit guide, I guess?



I don't know. I wish I did. I think she's being forced against her will. Being turned into something she shouldn't be.
Like what?
I don't know.

You know, Claude is pretty vague here, but his description does match the Countess pretty well. It sounds like he has somehow gained an understanding of her existence, without actually knowing anything about her. How the hell did that happen?

How do you know her?
I see her in my dreams. She's looking for me. She hasn't found me yet, but I'm hoping my painting will help.

Wait... she's looking for you? And you're trying to help her find you? That's really, really not a good thing, Claude



Yes. She's trapped, and looking to escape. She needs me to help. She's chosen me.
Oh, I get it. He's the chosen one. Why don't we ever meet anyone sane?

Oh jeez. Claude thinks the Countess is looking for his help, but my guess is it's the other way around, if you catch my drift.

Why did she choose you?
Because of my work! She is dead, I think, but she will live through my work.
Artists. Nuts, all of them.

I guess it's possible she is pursuing Claude because of his artistic skills. After all, she did kill Frank, who was an artist of sorts. This seems like blind guessing by Claude, though.



Rosa recognises that Claude is in legitimate danger here, and tries to fill him in.

Dangerous? No. She's lost and angry, but nor dangerous.

Boy, are you mistaken.

I've met her. She's killed many times.
You? Why would she seek you? You're not an artist.

Look, just shut the fuck up and listen, Claude.

No, but I have still seen her. She's... powerful. Power you don't want to mess with.
I just want to help her.
Hey pal? Helping ghosts is our turf.

I get the feeling this guy isn't going to listen to reason.



Careful? Just who are you? How do you know so much about my dreams?
I'm... well, I know things.
Know things? Like what?
That you're messsing with stuff you don't understand.
And you do?
Well, I'm working on it.



Rosa flashes up her serial killer smile in the hopes of... well, I don't know. Convincing Claude that she can be trusted? This isn't exactly an appropriate time for your dorky grin, Rosa.

*sigh* All right. Teach me. I need to know.

But apparently it does the trick. Suddenly, Rosa is at a loss for what to say.



She glances back at Joey, but he's got nothing for her.

Look. There's... something about me. I shouldn't tell you. But you're in danger.
What is it?

Rosa is about to spill the beans, when suddenly...

Claude's Swansong



HOLY SHITFUCK GAH The Countess materialises behind Claude, and in one motion she lifts him off the ground and crushes his windpipe, while Rosa screams helplessly.



Rosa is in shock, but the Countess doesn't even seem to notice her.



In a matter of moments, she deposits Claude's lifeless body off the side of the fire escape, and vanishes into the night, leaving a silent Rosa and Joey to stare at each other in horror. The Countess has struck again.


Shit is starting to get fucking real now. Join me tomorrow as Rosa and Joey try to pick up the pieces and figure out what the hell to do.