from Wintermoor Tactics Club.
Cutscene. Dramatic, Heartfelt.
Written/designed with Kyla Furey.
Context: Throughout the entire game, the player character Alicia has been avoiding the student council president Septavia. They’re the only two black girls at Wintermoor Academy, and Alicia has recurring stress dreams that she’s not living up to the ultra-accomplished Septavia’s standards. In this scene near the ending, Alicia’s Tactics Club has just been named the “Ultimate Club” that will save Wintermoor from an insidious evil called the Gatekeeper of Ilemauzar, and Septavia has summoned Alicia to talk. (As a side note, this was by far our most-revised scene, since it has to balance being the emotional crux of Alicia’s journey, a major plot turning point, and the resolution to the game’s thematic arcs about diversity and the value of empathy.)
ALICIA Um... hi. You wanted to talk to me? SEPTAVIA Ah, Alicia. I’d like to congratulate you on the title of Ultimate Club. There is, however, something I must tell you. ALICIA I- I think I know what you’re going to say, and… I’m sorry. You’re clearly the better club. It should have been you. I’m sorry that you’re working so hard to make the world a better place, and I’m just playing a game! I’m sorry that you’re out there dealing with politics, and I’ve just been making some fantasy world! You would have been a much better champion. I can’t be... on top of everything, all the time, like you are. If it wasn’t for Tactics Club, I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere to fit in at this school. But you… you’re always able to work so hard. You never falter or doubt yourself. I couldn’t live up to your example. I... SEPTAVIA Alicia. I’m honored you think so highly of me. But no one is without doubts. I have fought and struggled to get here. If I do not show the strain, it is only because I cannot afford to show any sign of weakness. Alicia, you know as well as I do that black girls like us are seen as outsiders here. Succeeding beyond everyone’s expectations was the only way I could succeed at all. The reason I’m walking this difficult path is so you can be free to do the important work you need to do. ALICIA Huh? Me? SEPTAVIA That is the advice I wished to give you. Alicia, I am the one who chose to concede the title of Ultimate Club to you. ALICIA But… why? SEPTAVIA You are correct that the Student Council is unmatched in willpower and conviction. However… I do not know if those traits can truly defeat the Gatekeeper of Ilemauzar. It twists willpower into distrust, and stokes conviction into fanaticism. I’ve been watching you, Alicia. Out of everyone, you have been finding new, more thoughtful ways to solve problems. You refused to work within a broken system, and instead found a better way. You’ve applied your tactical creativity to helping people, forging unexpected paths and bonds. I have succeeded in every way I thought possible, but this problem can only be solved by imagining a new way to succeed. ALICIA Wh- that's a lot of pressure. (pause) I mean, thank you. I'm so happy that you believe in me, but… what can I do? How do I- SEPTAVIA First and foremost, believe in yourself. Your heart and your intuition are your strongest assets, Alicia. Use them to find a better path.