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Isabella III: Zzzzzz...



Last time, we encountered someone in dire need of a pedicure. Time to handle this situation by facing it directly!
But first, let's see what could have been and take a quick peek behind door number two...


Close eyes and pray…
Story Branched

I shut my eyes tight, muttering fervent prayers under my breath.



Prayers taught to me as a child by my Mama and my Papa slip out endlessly through my teeth. Because God, oh God, if you have to listen to any of my prayers, please listen to this one! And if God doesn't listen... at least, I won't see the thing that kills me.
A cold comfort. … I wait. And I wait some more. But when nothing happens, I dare to take a peek—

Music: BGM Tension 1

Only to find that the ghost—the thing— whatever it is... Gone. Relief washes over me as I shakily get up to my feet and back away towards the door. Wrenching it open, I slip out without a second thought and make a run for it; down the stairs and on to the hallway.

Music: Ambience Mansion Exterior



Any other person might have stopped, dismissed it as a trick of the light and an overactive imagination. But I am not taking any chances! I am not giving that thing another chance to catch me off-guard.

Music stops.

I don't think I'll ever feel safe until I get out of here. Whatever that is, every warning bell in my mind is telling me that it's going to jump out at any moment and get me while I'm still in this place.



Well, that was easy. But most of you voted for the hard way. Let's instead be brave!



Be brave and look up! (click for video)
Story Branched

I need to face it. Whoever, whatever these feet belong to, I need to face it. And… And if I'm going to die? If they're going to kill me? At least I'll know what my killer looks like.
A cold comfort. So, with a deep breath, I summon every ounce of courage I have left in me and shift my gaze upwards.



(*spooky piano chord*)

Music: BGM Tension 3

P-Pl-Please...don't hurt me!



(*ghost laughs*)

(*sounds of a Kayako cosplayer*)

Without thinking, I scramble towards the door.

(*door rattling*)

I struggle to open it, but it won't budge.
Sta-stay away! Go away! Please Lord! Make it go away!
Why now?! Why won't it open now?! My heart sinks as reality dawns in. I'm locked in. Locked in with that thing.



It slowly approaches me as I wrench the doorknob violently back and forth.



We encounter our first QTE. They're just tiny specks of interactivity thrown in now and then, and i think all of them are different, at least. For those of us who don't want to hammer buttons, we can just hit TAB to auto-succeed, as the text in the upper left helpfully indicates. Although we miss out on an achievement for, well, not skipping a QTE.
In this case, we're supposed to rapidly press Z as a stand-in for Isabella rattling on the door knob to get out, all the while the ghost slowly lumbers on over to her. That door-rattling noise plays every time you press the button, so if you want to succeed in the QTE, imagine a hellish cacophony of the same rattling sound layered approximately a hundred times over itself.
Yeah.

If we fail the event...

Music stops.
Necrotic Paralysis - Lose a QTE

It's gone. Where is it?





Well, that was quick. Dead after only two choices. Luckily, 'Continue?' brings you right back to just before the QTE, so the game is really forgiving about it. A good thing, too, since the game can kinda catch you off-guard with what a particular QTE asks of you, and there's no grace period. You only get instructions when the clock is already ticking.


If we succeed...

Music stops.
Can't Stop, Won't Stop - Win a QTE
Grasp the Nettle - Win a QTE without skipping

Yes! The door finally swings open and I couldn't have been happier. Wasting no time, I leap out the door and don't look back. My feet pound against the floor in rhythm with the loud, fast beating of my heart.



But that's nothing compared to the feeling of hope the sight of the exit gives me.



Both routes converge here

Racing down the stairs, a breathy laugh escapes me, and—

(*Isabella screams*)

My shoe slips and I find myself falling… Until my back hits the ground and pain racks my body.

(*horror sting*)



... No... G-Go... Away…
This game just cannot make up its mind whether it wants to use ... or … and sometimes it's really ticking me off. I'm too lazy to do a search & replace though and it's barely noticeable in a non-fixed width font.




Journal Updated - OCT 21
While looking for her missing co-agent, Isabella Santos found a mysterious letter in the Ermengarde Mansion’s attic. Driven to fear by what she read inside, thinking it’s the place’s curse at work, she hurried to leave the place, only to meet–



[INSERT ANIME OPENING HERE]



Yes, that is actually an Anime Opening. I'm not kidding. Click the picture above.
This game really wants to be an anime, you guys.
Thankfully, the game doesn't adhere to a Japanese writing style, or Japanese anything really, aside from the obvious horror influences. That said, i cannot actually pass any quality judgment on this opening movie, since i always immediately skip it and have never watched more than the first 10 seconds of it. Let me know what it's like.


This is also a good time to take note of another feature in this game. When we took one of the choices earlier, it signaled to us that the story branched, together with a symbol depicting a butterfly, like this:

This usually means that the story branched, either because of a decision you just made or a decision you made in the past, or maybe even a decision taken in an earlier route. The game offers a route flowchart, which is pretty simple at the start, but for later characters quickly balloons into gargantuan sizes. Here's where we stand so far:



The journal icons just stands for "Story happens here". The question marks are opportunities for a decision - Rebecca and the ghost encounter so far. The butterfly symbols right after a question signify the answer you took, but they'll show up later on for any case where the story splits based on your decisions. The exclamation mark points to a QTE and i think you know what the skull means.
Due to the nature of the flowchart and the fact that there are dead ends in it, you can surmise certain spoilers for future happenings, so i won't show this off very often. It's also meant to scroll horizontally (you can see the red scroll bar at the bottom) and even Isabella's first, relatively simple, flowchart is pretty big.



Music: BGM Rebecca Theme


(click for video)

I start to rouse, pulled into consciousness against my own will; I've never felt this tired before.

(*muffled voices*)

I just want to sleep but the insistent buzzing, poking, and prodding isn't letting me. My old mattress may not be the comfiest of places but that doesn't make me anymore eager to wake up.
???: Isabella?
Five more minutes, Becca…
I swat away at what is nudging persistently at my side.

(*background chatter*)

Come on. Can't I just get a few extra minutes of sleep today? I promise I'll work hard once I'm up!
A hand lightly taps my cheek, and something cold is suddenly being pressed at the back of my head. The icy sensation slowly spreads throughout the area, giving me an uncomfortable feeling.



???: Isabella? Isabella? Gosh. Can you hear me? Isabella?

'October 21, Friday | Mansion Foyer | Afternoon'
Music: Ambience Atmospheric 1

The fog immediately lifts from my mind the moment I recognize the voice and my eyes snap open.



Now that we have more than one person on-screen at once, you can easily see how many people end up with a samey face. Especially when you shrink down the resolution a bit. All the 2D-model people's faces end up looking similar, and stylistically very different from their own POV-shots. Speaking of, we haven't seen any others yet, but - guess what - the POV mugs of people (at least most women) also end up looking similar to each other!
Basically, every character in this game has three different distinct looks: Their 2D-model, their own mug shots, and their appearance in CGs.

Another woman loiters beside her, but my attention is too focused on my co-agent to even ask why there's someone else with her. Rose's posture just screams worry, although she's keeping a straight face. Or trying, at least. I can't help but feel bad for making her fret. A wave of dizziness washes over me as soon as I try to get up, forcing me to lie back down again. Luckily, the feeling subsides after a few seconds, until only a mild throbbing somewhere at the back of my head remains.
With a little assistance from Rose, I push myself upright. She hands me an ice pack and gestures for me to press it where I suspect a small bump has already formed, if the light ache in the area indicates anything.
During this monologue the two women just silently stare at you and slowly oscillate. I think it's supposed to be breathing.
To be honest, it's still pretty restrained with these two. There's other characters who quite noticeably shrink up and down in a comical fashion.



The Ermengarde Mansion. Why?
Ouch, my head.
And the date today?
October 21? Rose—
Last one: can you count to fifteen in reverse order?
Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelveteen ...No, that's wrong. Why are we doing this?



This time, I curiously regard the woman standing beside Rose. It's impossible to overlook her. What with the way she towers over us! And here I thought Rose is already tall!
Next to you, everyone seems tall, Miss 5'2''.
Who is she anyway? One of the remaining cleaning crews? But with how primly-dressed she is? I don't think anyone would want to clean in a suit—an expensive suit at that. The gloves alone must've already cost a fortune!
Her eyes slowly shift between me and Rose, considering us with an almost unreadable expression, before finally fixing a sharp gaze on me. I can't help but fold my arms protectively over myself as she does so. She may be far from a cleaning crew, but she certainly looks like our supervisor during evaluation!
Just do it, please?
I eye them both warily, but recite everything as she has asked.



You scared me for a moment there. I was about to call for an ambulance. Are you alright?
Exasperation soon replaces the dull ache. The memory's a little fuzzy, but... the attic? And—
There...there was someone, Rose. In the attic.
Someone? You mean a client? Oh, that's unlikely. It's just probably one of the cleaning crews. The boss sent a few of them back this morning for some last minu—
No, not any of those. They're… ugh, I'm not actually sure.
Wait, didn't I call you? You said you were in the attic when you answered. That's why I went there in the first place!
Both Rose and the lady look at me like I've just grown another head. Did I say something weird?



It's her saleswoman smile—the same one she taught me back when I was still her trainee.
As much flak as i give the wonky 2D-model looks sometimes, this DOES actually look just as the text advertises - a professional business smile. I like it.
I should show this to troublesome clients or just to avoid trouble in general, she advised. It's also the same one she gives me when I've done something particularly absurd that may cause us to lose a potential sale. Her eyes are serious when she turns back to me. She takes both of my shoulders, gently squeezes it, and with as much patience she can muster…
As much as I'd love to have gotten at least a heads-up of your arrival, I didn't really get a call from you. You know, the signal here is absolutely horrendous! I was in the garden earlier and couldn't even make a single call!
Isabella, I'm going to ask again: Are you really alright? What happened?
I—I don't know? It's all a bit blurry. I remember I was looking for you, but you weren't in the attic and—and there's—whoever it is… then I must have tripped on a rug or something on the way down…
Oh. Oh, no. Do you think someone came in while you were out? You left the main door open!
We are so going to get into big trouble if something gets stolen, Rose!



Are you sure you feel fine? We could still call for an ambulance. I could cover for you—
No! I'm fine! I'm okay, Rose. I can work.
Wait, wait, wait. Hold your horses, Rose! I can't just miss an important sale because of a minor bump in the head! An extremely minor bump. I've had worse when I was a kid. This is nothing!
Besides if I leave, you'll have to shoulder everything in the open house. Alone! And in a mansion this big?!
Well, there's also the part where I may lose that bonus BRC promised, but that's completely beside the point. Rose gives me a skeptical look when I return the cold compress to her and push myself off the floor. I have to use the staircase's railings to steady myself, but otherwise, I feel fine!
See?! I'm a-okay!



I bite my lower lip in anticipation. If she says 'no'—
Alright, you win.
A smile threatens to slip out from me.
But if I see that you aren't feeling well, I'm taking you personally to the nearest clinic to have you checked, clear?
Clear as day, ma'am! Thanks, Rose.
You insisted. But remember what I said: first sign of you looking… not okay, and we're off. No questions asked!
It's just a small bump. Don't worry!
You shouldn't downplay these kinds of things. It could be a serious injury for all we know.



The woman is looking expectantly at the two of us, her stare making me shrink back a little on myself. She isn't really intimidating… Well, she is. But not in the scary, negative way! Far from it, actually; her demeanor simply commands an air of sophistication and respect. In a different world, a younger me would have probably wished to be like her.
At our lack of response, she coughs again, lifting a well-trimmed eyebrow at me in question. Words get caught in my thoat at the sight of it, and Rose, as usual, is swift to catch my blunders.



Miss. Miss McCollough. Marianne McCollough.
And finally, we get a name to go with the face. Said name comes with a hilariously dodgy Irish accent. At least, i think it's supposed to be Irish? It's hard to tell sometimes. And now we know why she keeps coughing so much. A vestigial left-over from the end of her last name.



Part of me wonders whether that's a real number, but i'm not gonna make an international call to find out.
The words "interior designer" catch my eyes, before my partner flips it over. Oh. Probably someone interested in the mansion for its 17th-century influences, then? I won't hold it against her, though. Despite the hearsays and remaining uninhabited for years, the mansion's original fittings and furniture have been kept completely intact and restored to pristine condition. I suppose some people find that 'trip-to-the-past' feeling appealing? After all, with what it offers, this place could also be a haven for people looking to live somewhere with a classic, historical charm!
Miss McCollough. I'm Rose Cooper and this is my partner, Isabella Santos. We're just ironing out a few things, but we'll be starting the tour soon enough. In the meantime, we've prepared some refreshments for you in the parlor while you're waiting. If you could please—
Thanks. There's no need for it, though. I just dropped by for a quick survey of the place. I thought I should check the estate before I meet with the homeowners.
Rose's confusion is impossible to miss when she glances at me, and I return it with an equally perplexed look. And, against my better judgment, I blurt out the first question that comes to mind.
I'm sorry. Homeowners?
I should've kept my mouth shut.



Yes. Hannah Wright? I was hired by her to handle the interior design for their newly-bought home.
This is the Ermengarde Mansion, right?
It is. But…
She pauses, possibly trying to find the right words to fix the awkward situation without offending someone.



The real estate agency hasn't even opened up the property for visits from potential buyers yet - that is what we were here to do, before we met a ghost - and this Irish giant claims someone has already bought the mansion?
How do we handle this "Interior Designer" lady?

I know, it's a step down from "react to ghost legs", but we'll get back to the spooky stuff in due time, whether Isabella wants to or not.


Poll: How do we handle this "Interior Designer?"

It's also worth mentioning again that the game has a free demo on Steam that AFAIK covers the entirety of Isabella's route, so if you want, you can play along or even ahead a little and see a good part of the game in motion for yourself!
Alternatively, open this address as a link in your browser if you have Steam installed: steam://install/612850