Just binge played the Blackwell games. Like many I was less than fond of the ending. I offer here two pieces of fanfic, The first, a different ending that imagines that Joey and Rosa could use Joey's tie even after acquiring Maddy's Flaming Sphincter.
The second is a sort of Epilogue to the game as it stands.
1. Revisionist:
Joey watched as Jeffrey Fielding's ghost dashed off to visit his father's grave. It was risky, if he laid eyes on the wrong gravestone, he would become aware of his own death and then he'd be vulnerable. They went to Maggie's apartment, and Rosa worked that passive aggressive magic of hers on Maggie that made her decide that she too would visit his grave. Of course they followed Maggie to Greenwood. Rosa approached her, and began speaking with her about her father and their history. The conversation revealed to Jeffrey that dad was abusive, he became shaken and saddened. Joey held Madeline's totem at the ready. Rosa managed the conversation in a way that facilitated dialogue between the two without the Maggie even guessing. Soon Maggie turned to Jeffrey's tombstone, addressing her words to him. Maggie made peace with Jeffrey's ignorance, and Jeffrey understood why his relationship with Maggie was always tense. Jeffrey looked at his own gravestone and his apparition wavered.
Joey had a flashback:
"Grace"
"Is"
"Not"
"Safe"
George Ostin's dying words. He put the totem away and removed his tie, handing it to Rosa.
"This isn't right" she said, "he'll break up."
"Trust me Red, I've had an epiphany."
He gave the other end to Jeffrey and she pulled.
FWOOM!
She and Jeffrey are in the portal. He admires the light. Thanks Rosa for bridging the gap between him and his sister and moves on in peace. She thought of Gavin. "Do they ever thank you?" He asked. They ALWAYS thanked her. She returned to Joey.
"Well, Red?"
"He stayed whole"
"Thought so. It's Madeline that's our problem. I think she's doing something to these spooks."
"What makes you think it's her?"
"C'mon, Red, when was the first time this happened?"
"Gavin. But I just thought that was part of his bargain, or whatever."
"Me too. But then it kept happening, and Cooper told us that the Grace Group only began dying once she became his guide."
"That does add up, but why not here?"
"Because Cooper has her trapped at the church. He won't leave, so she can't."
They then investigated Ray's prostitution ring and got to the bottom of the Corsey-Goffstein matter. That ghost too went peacefully on her way.
As they entered the Grace school, Madeline's oh so dignified chuckle could be heard wafting down the corridor as she concluded a story with "And that's how Mallone wound up with the Blackwells!"
"Hey! Hey! Maddy, you frickin gossip, my death isn't a tale for your host's entertainment."
"Mallone, I seek to edify as well as amuse. My host needs training."
As Joey and Madeline bicker, Rosa approaches Michael. "They're safe, and safely moved on."
"But how? I thought they could only be safe in this circle of protection."
"I'm sorry, that's not a circle of protection. It's spiritual tupperware. Madeline's been consuming souls to try to regain her strength."
"What?! I can't believe it!"
"Really? Where were you yesterday afternoon?"
"Madeline said there was a dead child that needed our help. When we got there, there was no ghost. I was upstairs in the bedroom while Madeline searched. It was like she'd been cheated of something." Then you and Joey showed up, said 'Kendra' was safe, and Officer Pierro killed herself. You took her, I felt a small surge from Madeline, and then you were telling Joey what happened. It WAS her! What do we do?"
"Let me talk to Joey. You just let Madeline continue running at the mouth. Oh, and give me the chalk you used to draw that circle."
Rosa headed toward the Sanctuary where she heard yelling.
"I assure you Mallone, it was only for didactic purposes. That is allowed. Read the rules."
"Rules?! After that flapper host of yours sent me off and locked you up, I went straight through the light into my first Blackwell living room. Everything I know, I picked up on the streets!"
Rosa pursed her lips and whistled through her teeth.
"Maddy, much as I would love to continue this, Red needs me."
Joey descended to Rosa's side. "You bellowed?"
"Tie. Now."
"Er."
"Don't worry, I'm not ditching you."
FWOOM!
"OK Red, what's up?"
Rosa dropped to her knees. "Joey, that thing Madeline gave you? Figure it out." She drew chalk circle on the floor, and plucked a stray cigarettte butt from the cobblestones.
"Pall Mall?"
"Your Auntie's brand. Bought 'em by the case."
"I'll deal with this later. Right now, Joey, get as close as you can to the Light and just . . .bask."
Joey hung out near the light.
Rosa shouted at the top of her lungs "NO. ONE. SMOKES. ON. MY. PORTAL!"
Auntie Lauren appeared, cigarette in hand. "Hold your horses, kiddo, it was mine before it was yours."
"Auntie, we need to trap a spirit."
"Madeline?"
"..."
"What, y'didn't think it was Joey drivin' me nuts all those years in Bellevue, didja? Yeah, I'm completely on board for whatever you have in mind."
Rosa summoned Joey.
"Red, I figured it out, I think I can do this. Oh, and I got a real charge from my tanning session."
"Great." Rosa points at the chalk circle. "Light it up."
An Aurora sprung up from the circle as Joey touched his tie to it. Joey's tie began to glow.
Rosa turned to Joey.
"Joey, you got tricked into the Work. Is it what you want? Or do you want the light?"
"The light. I've seen more death than any dead guy oughta."
"We'll get you that. But let's finish this first."
They left the Portal to find Madeline regaling Michael with the sleeping habits of every host she's ever known.
Rosa touched Madeline's totem to the aurora surrounding Michael. It dropped. Joey whipped the tie around Madeline. She disappeared. On Rosa's platform Lauren shoved Joe Gould out the portal and then sealed it. Madeline is trapped in Joey's Aurora.
Lauren drops the Aurora. Madeline sputters "Gould?! What manner of jape is this? I never went into that diner, you know, because he was no gentleman!"
Lauren sneers at Madeline. "He actually WANTS the job. He never gets bored. If you weren't such a burnout, none of this mess would have happened. But what's done is done. We can both go to the light now."
And so they do.
"Hey Red, our link is fading."
"Yes. I gave auntie Lauren back what was hers."
"I'm not going back to her!"
"No. I'm giving you back what is yours."
"And you? Won't you wind up in Bellevue?"
"No. When Auntie locked Madeline in, she locked me out. No void in my head."
"So what, I'm stuck with Michael now?"
"He will do for you what Madeline and Jocelyn could not."
"How did you know that?!"
"You always thought I was stupid, Joey, but I can make inferences you know."
As Joey approached Michael, the ghost of Joe Gould offered him a paper. It is the manuscript for an article entitled "Insanity." Michael took the other corner and dropped to his knees. Joey was gone.
Rosa watched Joe Gould madly scribbling in a composition book with a fountain pen. He was slowly fading. She would soon no longer see ghosts. Michael got up. Rosa smiled. "A priest, genuflecting, nice cover."
Michael smiled back. "Joey got through. He made it into the light. Said it was a pleasure working with you. But phrased it less politely."
"Thank you, here." From the depths of her purse she draws a crushed cigarette. "Your guide gave me this once. It's probably the only thing he can touch."
Michael turned and the cigarette disappeared into thin air. She heard a faint whisper at the back of her mind: "a fine contribution to the Joe Gould fund."
2. L'envoi
Blackwell's Haberdashery
14 Delancey St
New York, NY 10004
Joseph M. Blackwell, Proprietor
I don't make hats. A Haberdashery, these days, is a specialty shop for people who like to dress like they're from the 1920's. Perfect market for me. I'm also doing some contract fabrication for a design house called Sharming.
So yeah, now I'm flesh and blood. In a single moment, my "list of things I cannot touch" flipped. I can touch everything physical, nothing spectral. First place I went was the Cup of Clay. Nearly broke my nose on the door before I remembered that I can't just phase through them. Saw Sam Durkin. Told him everything. He had no choice but to believe me, or at least suspend his disbelief for me. I could tell him things Rosa couldn't know, like what expression was on his face when her back turned. Funny thing, he seemed totally unsurprised. He just sat and listened. Asked me what I wanted to be called, for the record. Joey Blackwell.
I knew in 1931 that there would be no Mallones from my loins. I made that choice. Rosa didn't get any choices, and I'm damned if I'm going to let the Blackwell name be erased from the earth because I made that choice back then. I owe her that much, at least.
Durkin told me to meet him again the next day, and I did. He pushed a file at me. An honest to goodness paper file, not some stick thing for some glowy thing.
A birth certificate, driver's license, a few credit cards and Rosa's phone, now in my name.
I went to the Wired Abacus. Boy, you shoulda seen the look on old Emil Haskins' face when I just let myself into his office. I made him an offer he couldn't refuse. It went very much like this:
Me: Hey Emil, you sick of this place?
Him: Yeah.
Now he runs my business. Handles all the computer stuff. As for me, I'm typing this on a typewriter I bought from the New Yorker. Belonged to some guy named Joe Mitchell. The name seemed familiar, and it just seemed right that I should have it.
Durkin also gave me a box. Rosa's ashes.
I wouldn't be alive right now if Rosa hadn't died. That's hard for me. Kind of casts a pall over everything, and puts a lot of pressure on me.
This is what I did to Danny, all those years ago, when I died in his place. I died for his sins, and it broke him, his kids, even his granddaughter. He never shook the guilt, and he waited for me, couldn't die until he asked me why.
I need to do better than that, my kids will know they had an auntie Rosa, a hero who stopped a serial killer from becoming a mass murderess. But I won't lord it over them, I won't bring another Lisa Tenzin into the world.
That much, I promise. Or, at least, hope.
