I redrew something from 2022 :3! Yippie, now you guys get to see the old one and the new one next to each other heck yeah.
I’m gonna rant like absolutely bonkers length about Simon’s Quest and the endings and story under a cut for anyone interested:
The original version (the last image) had this like long rant about how I see the endings of the game, but it wasn’t as comprehensive cause I was still kinda new to things and well instagram character limit lol.
The endings of the game are a really really cool topic to me because of how ominous and vague they all are. They’re all left pretty open! But I’ve always gotten some sinking dread even when getting the fastest “red sky” ending. The game really sets up the ending with a lot of empty areas and suspense beforehand, especially with the still present but now more pressing clock still ticking ya know, and the final battle is kinda just there, but it ends off all this tense build up with
A eulogy. One definitely written for Simon too. In every ending.
The first ending (grey sky) is really vague, just a general statement that “Simon you will always be remembered for your bravery and courage” and that “Peace and serenity have been restored to Transylvania and the people are free of Dracula’s curse”. Which is really odd for what would be assumed to be a “bad ending”. This generally sounds like a pretty good outcome and it’s primarily the same in the Japanese version just slightly worded differently. Heck, it’s not even stated in the text outright if he died. But the visuals, oh man. Dreary greyscale and Simon doesn’t even appear on screen in front of Dracula’s grave. Did Dracula even get reburried? It’s some really bleak imagery compared to the otherwise pretty unsuspecting text.
And second ending (blue sky) is very interesting. Simon appears on screen with some nice bright generally cheery colors, but the text deliberately mentions his death in both versions. The English version however says something the Japanese version doesn’t: it says the curse wasn’t broken. The original text says “until a young man to fight against evils like him comes again to this world, Transylvanians will keep praying forever.” Which I guess you could assume means that something went wrong and the curse still exists, but it could also be taken as a general “there’s no cool badass vampire hunter guy to kill any other general threats, so we hope another one comes along”. So, again, it’s so extremely vague.
So far the first and the second don’t really have all that much different as far as implications go: Simon beat Dracula but he died.
So what about the third ending (red sky)? Would it shock you if I said there’s not much difference from the text of the first ending? It’s essentially just another eulogy text with nice things to say about him. It says “Simmon Belmont put an eternal period to the legend of Dracula” (yes the Japanese version says Simmon lol it happens), which is something we know isn’t true because well more games got made later. Also because Dracula’s hand pops out of the ground afterwards! Which is hard to say the meaning of, is it just a teaser like “to be continued” or is it actually meaning that Dracula wasn’t put down properly and will be back really soon? Because that still is in line with things since yeah Drac did kinda sorta come back early in Harmony of Dissonance. Anyway— But it’s just another way of saying “he killed Dracula” and probably “he ended the curse”. The last section is just “his blood and sweat have penetrated into the ground of Transylvania and will bring us full-blown flowers with happiness in next spring”. Which is, again, just a really pretty, poetic way of saying “we’re never gonna forget this guy”. And again, this ending never outright says if he lives or dies!
Which is so!!!!! Weird!!!!!!!!!!! Why have multiple endings in a game if they’re all so vague that they’re almost completely interchangeable and can all be argued to be the ending of the game? You could genuinely make an argument for each of the endings being the canon ending and it would affect essentially nothing. They’re so vague to the point that a lot of people assume that they were mixed up at some point in development, which I find unlikely coming from the dev team of the guy said to want his games to be a cinematic experience. But it’s so strange! Why!?!?!
But I think that this vagueness and sense of idk how to put it— um ya know when something builds something up to get you all excited and convinced it’ll go one way and then it pulls the rug out from under you? Like when it’s set up to where it feels like the protagonist is finally going to get something and then it just doesn’t happen completely unceremoniously? Like a hope crushing twist?
Idk what I mean is, to me, it feels completely intentional. It feels to me like the game is just ramping up the tension and the suspense and the dread just to cut it off with vague, bittersweet endings that just seem to imply sad things and don’t sit right. It’s like as if the game wants you to get the first ending, see that it’s really gloomy, try to figure out the game more and get the second ending, see that that one outright says he’s dead, then try to get something better only to run into another awkward seemingly negative ending and a realization that you can’t do anything about it.
And I was thinking about this again a bit ago and realized that it really fits with the rest of Simon’s story. Simon kinda has this general “hero goes to save the day” plot in the first one with some slight mention of Christopher before him and the fact that this is a clan and a repeating 100 year Dracula cycle right? But things go wrong and he gets cursed and presumably either struggles to figure out what to do or just puts it off for like 6 ish years. Add the general vibes of “will I ever be as good as my ancestors?” and repeating themes of being alone and then compare that with Dracula’s Curse that comes out not long later and this game is suddenly the most “power of friendship” “seeing the good in people” “together we can overcome this” kind of story in the whole series and it hit me: Simon feels like a subversion of the lone hero trope. Like this super uplifting, unlikely band of heroes story coming out right after the solitude if it were personified as a 1600s vampire hunter story feels so so so so important to me. And then The Adventure and Belmont’s Revenge come out and what are they about? Christopher goes into the castle alone and something goes wrong! And I’ve noticed how other Belmonts and protagonists in later games get companions or friends or helpers or somebody else, and oh boy does that make how alone Simon is that much more noticeable.
It just all comes together in a messed up way. I really feel like Simon dies in all of these endings. And I didn’t even get into weird symbolism discussion lol—
And maybe this is just me looking too hard into an old game from a modern used to stories in games being detailed perspective, but idk man, I love the Simon’s Quest because it never fails to baffle me. Honestly so much of Simon’s Quest genuinely haunts me (affectionate), like I’ll just be sitting around and think of another possible answer to something and it’ll end up just as vague and full of holes as any other speculation, it’s wild. This game will have you sitting around looking for answers only to consistently run into dead ends with sad or nonexistent implications. I hope any of this makes sense, this game drives me insane I love it debating replaying and overthinking it again hmmmmmmm—
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plant themed names and pronouns (this includes vegetables fruit herbs ect)
trees
tree/trees/treeself
carrotwood/carrotwoods/carrotwoodself
ash/ashes/ashself
palm/palms/palmself
birch/birchs/birchself
aspen/aspens/aspenself
basswood/basswoods/basswoodself
beech/beechs/beechself
elm/elms/elmself
hawthorn/hawthorns/hawthornself
locust/locusts/locustself
pine/pines/pineself
weeping/weepings/weepingself
weep/weeps/weepself
willow/willows/willowself
spruce/spruces/spruceself
cedar/cedars/cedarself
walnut/walnuts/walnutself
oak/oaks/oakself
darkoak/darkoaks/darkoakself
redbud/redbuds/redbudself
hickory/hickorys/hickoryself
maple/maples/mapleself
cypress/cypress/cypressself
alder/alders/alderself
holly/hollys/hollyself
fir/firs/firself
balsam/balsams/balsamself
yew/yews/yewself
torreya/torreyas/torreyaself
cottonwood/cottonwoods/cottonwoodself
buckeye/buckeyes/buckeyeself
buckthorn/buckthorns/buckthornself
flowers
flower/flowers/flowerself
rose/roses/roseself
whiterose/whiteroses/whiteroseself
orchid/orchids/orchidself
daisy/daisys/daisyself
sunflower/sunflowers/sunflowerself
carnation/carnations/carnationself
tulip/tulips/tulipself
iris/iris/irisself
Lily/lilys/lilyself
daphne/daphnes/daphneself
daffodil/daffodils/daffodilself
dahlia/dahlias/dahliaself
peony/peonys/peonyself
marigold/marigolds/marigoldself
aster/asters/asterself
buttercup/buttercups/buttercupself
lavender/lavenders/lavenderself
lav/lavs/lavself
wolfsbane/wolfsbanes/wolfbaneself
roseum/roseums/roseumself
cornflower/cornflowers/cornflowerself
bellflower/bellflowers/bellflowerself
belladonna/belladonnas/belladonnaself
bergamot/bergamots/bergamotself
cardinal/cardinals/cardinalself
primrose/primroses/primroseself
clover/clovers/cloverself
forgetmenot/forgetmenots/forgetmenotself
foxglove/foxgloves/foxgloveself
hibiscus/hibiscus/hibiscuself
honeysuckle/honeysuckles/honeysuckleself
hydrangea/hydrangeas/hydrangeaself
poppy/poppys/poppyself
nightshade/nightshades/nightshadeself
jasmine/jasmines/jasmineself
lilac/lilacs/lilacself
canna/cannas/cannaself
lupin/lupins/lupinself
lotus/lotus/lotusself
magnolia/magnolias/magnoliaself
mallow/mallows/mallowself
moonflower/moonflowers/moonflowerself
morningglory/morningglorys/morninggloryself
pansy/pansys/pansyself
pointsetta/pointsettas/pointsettaself
snapdragon/snapdragons/snapdragonself
sweetpea/sweetpeas/sweetpeaself
violet/violets/violetself
zinnia/zinnias/zinniaself
fruit
fruit/fruits/fruitself
apple/apples/appleself
apricot/apricots/apricotself
banana/bananas/bananaself
BlackBerry/blackberries/blackberryself
blueberry/blueberries/blueberryself
melon/melons/melonself
coconut/coconuts/coconutself
cantaloupe/cantaloupes/cantaloupeself
cherry/cherries/cherryself
clementine/clementines/clementineself
cranberry/cranberries/cranberryself
dragonfruit/dragonfruits/dragonfruitself
durian/durians/durianself
fig/figs/figself
grape/grapes/grapeself
grapefruit/grapefruits/grapefruitself
guava/guavas/guavaself
honeydew/honeydews/honeydewself
kiwi/kiwis/kiwiself
lemon/lemons/lemonself
lime/limes/limeself
lychee/lychees/lycheeself
mandarin/mandarins/mandarinself
mango/mangos/mangoself
nectarine/nectarines/nectarineself
orange/oranges/orangeself
papaya/papayas/papayaself
peach/peaches/peachself
pear/pears/pearself
passionfruit/passionfruits/passionfruitself
pineapple/pineapples/pineappleself
pomegranate/pomegranates/pomegranateself
plum/plums/plumself
raspberry/raspberries/raspberryself
strawberry/strawberries/strawberryself
strawb/strawbs/strawbself
tangelo/tangelos/tangeloself
tangerine/tangerines/tangerineself
tomato/tomatoes/tomatoself
watermelon/watermelons/watermelonself
bloodorange/bloodoranges/bloodorangeself
veg
veg/vegs/vegself
vegetable/vegetables/vegetableself
artichoke/artichokes/artichokeself
asparagus/asparagus/asparagusself
avacado/avacados/avacadoself
beet/beets/beetself
broccoli/broccolis/broccoliself
cabbage/cabbages/cabbageself
carrot/carrots/carrotself
cauliflower/cauliflowers/cauliflowerself
celery/celerys/celeryself
corn/corns/cornself
cucumber/cucumbers/cucumberself
eggplant/eggplants/eggplantself
garlic/garlics/garlicself
gourd/gourds/gourdself
kale/kales/kaleaelf
lettuce/lettuces/lettuceself
mushroom/mushrooms/mushrooms/mushroomself
onion/onions/onionself
parsnip/parsnips/parsnipself
pea/peas/peaself
pepper/peppers/pepperself
potato/potatos/potatoself
pumpkin/pumpkins/pupmkinself
radish/radishs/radishself
spinach/spinachs/spinachself
squash/squashs/squashself
sweetpotato/sweetpotatos/sweetpotatoself
turnip/turnips/turnipself
waterchestnut/waterchestnuts/waterchestnutself
yam/yams/yamself
zucchini/zucchinis/zucchiniself
spices/herbs
spice/spices/spiceself
cumin/cumins/cuminself
cayenne/cayennes/cayenneself
dill/dills/dillself
fennel/fennels/fennelself
nutmeg/nutmegs/nutmegself
paprika/paprikas/paprikaself
vanilla/vanillas/vanillaself
basil/basils/basilself
cinnamon/cinnamons/cinnamonself
clove/cloves/closeself
ginger/gingers/gingerself
peppermint/pepermints/pepermintself
oregano/oreganos/oreganoself
sage/sages/sageself
turmeric/tumerics/tumericself
peppercorn/pepercorns/pepercornself
chai/chais/chaiself
parsley/parsleys/parsleyself
thyme/thymes/thymeself
nuts
nut/nuts/nutself
almond/almonds/almondself
cashew/cashews/cashewself
chestnut/chestnuts/chestnutself
hazelnut/hazelnuts/hazelnutself
macadamia/macadamias/macadamiaself
peanut/peanuts/peanutself
pecan/pecans/pecanself
pistachio/pistachios/ pistachioself
walnut/walnuts/walnutself
other
sprout/sprouts/sproutself
stem/stems/stemself
sap/saps/sapself
leaf/leafs/leafself
trunk/trunks/trunkself
branch/branchs/branchself
twig/twigs/twigself
splinter/splinters/spilnterself
seed/seeds/seedself
root/roots/rootself
grass/grassys/grassyself
grass/grass/grassself
shrub/shrubs/shrubself
Bush/bushs/bushself
bud/buds/budself
vine/vines/vineself
ivy/ivys/ivyself
pollen/pollens/pollenself
cactus/cactus/cactuself
acorn/acorns/acornself
bean/beans/beanself
bark/barks/barkself
bamboo/bamboos/bambooself
blossom/blossoms/blossomself
berry/berries/berryself
bloom/blooms/bloomself
brush/brushs/brushself
flora/floras/floraself
fern/ferns/fernself
evergreen/evergreens/evergreenself
forest/forests/forestself
garden/gardens/gardenself
grow/grows/growself
herb/herbs/herbself
kelp/kelps/kelpself
nectar/nectars/nectarself
moss/moss/mossself
petal/petals/petalself
sapling/saplings/saplingself
soil /soils/soilself
thorn/thorns/thornself
weed/weeds/weedself
wood/woods/woodself
algae/algaes/algaeself
seaweed/seaweeds/seaweedself
aloe/aloes/aloeself
wheat/wheats/wheatself
mint/mints/mintself
eucalyptus/eucalyptus/eucalyptusself
elderberry/elderberryself
anemone/anemones/anemoneself
juniper/junipers/juniperself
creeper/creepers/creeperself
thistle/thistles/thistleself
reed/reeds/reedself
wildflower/wildflowers/wildflowerself
ginkgo/ginkgos/ginkgoself
plant/plants/plantself
pinecone/pinecones/pineconeself
chia/chias/chiaself
sesame/sesames/sesameself
catnip/catnips/catnipself
tigerlilly/tigerlillys/tigerlillyself
cattail/cattails/cattailself
floral/florals/floralself
emoji pronouns
🌵/🌵s/🌵self
🌲/🌲s/🌲self
🌳/🌳s/🌳self
🌴/🌴s/🌴self
🌱/🌱s/🌱self
🌿/🌿s/🌿self
☘️/☘️s/☘️self
🍀/🍀s/🍀self
🎍/🎍s/🎍self
🎋/🎋s/🎋self
🍃/🍃s/🍃self
🍂/🍂s/🍂self
🍁/🍁s/🍁self
🍄/🍄s/🍄self
🪵/🪵s/🪵self
🪸/🪸s/🪸self
🌾/🌾s/🌾self
🪴/🪴s/🪴self
💐/💐s/💐self
🌷/🌷s/🌷self
🌹/🌹s/🌹self
🥀/🥀s/🥀self
🪷/🪷s/🪷self
🌺/🌺s/🌺self
🌸/🌸s/🌸self
🌼/🌼s/🌼self
🌻/🌻s/🌻self
🍏/🍏s/🍏self
🍎/🍎s/🍎self
🍐/🍐s/🍐self
🍊/🍊s/🍊self
🍋/🍋s/🍋self
🍌/🍌s/🍌self
🍉/🍉s/🍉self
🍇/🍇s/🍇self
🫐/🫐s/🫐self
🍓/🍓s/🍓self
🍒/����s/🍒self
🍈/🍈s/🍈self
🍑/🍑s/🍑self
🥭/🥭s/🥭self
🍍/🍍s/🍍self
🥥/🥥s/🥥self
🥝/🥝s/🥝self
🍅/🍅s/🍅self
🍆/🍆s/🍆self
🥑/🥑s/🥑self
🫒/🫒s/🫒self
🥦/🥦s/🥦self
🥬/🥬s/🥬self
🫑/🫑s/🫑self
🥒/🥒s/🥒self
🌶️/🌶️s/🌶️self
🌽/🌽s/🌽self
🥕/🥕s/🥕self
🧄/🧄s/🧄self
🧅/🧅s/🧅self
🥔/🥔s/🥔self
🍠/🍠s/🍠self
💚/💚s/💚self
🤎/🤎s/🤎self
🤍/🤍s/🤍self
💙/💙s/💙self
🖤/🖤s/🖤self
Names
ash
ashly
ashlynn
Asher
ashlen
ashey
birch
aspen
aspeni
hawthorn
locust
pine
elm
elmest
piney
pine
willow
will
cedar
spruce
oak
walnut
cypress
cy
cypre
maple
alder
holly
holl
aldern
yew
torreya
cotton
buck
thorn
rose
rosey
Rosen
orchid
daisy
daisetta
daiset
daisen
iris
tulip
lilly
irise
tuli
Lillian
lillette
lillet
lillon
daphne
daffodill
dill
daff
dahlia
dahlian
lia
marigold
aster
peony
lav
laven
lavender
bane
roseum
bell
bella
belle
Bellamy
bellen
bellet
Bello
bergamot
belladonna
prim
primis
clover
cloverton
fox
hibiscus
honey/hunni
hon/hun
poppy
poppet
poppen
popetta
jas
jasmine
jasemy
jase
lilac
lil
lila
canna
cannas
cannan
lupin
lotus
magnolia
moon
flower
flora
floral
floren
floretta
flores
glory
glorian
glore
mallow
pansy
poinsettia
poin
dragon
violet
vio
violette
zinnia
apple
apricot
melon
melonony
mel
coco
cherry
cher
clementine
fig
durian
kiwi
lemon
lem
lime
lychee
mango
peach
orange
plum
strawb
artichoke
arti
kale
garlic
pea
yam
zucchini
fennel
fennet
fenn
fennen
fennein
nutmeg
vanilla
val
nilla
paprika
rika
basil
cinn
nammon
cinnamon
sage
turmeric
meric
chai
cashew
almond
peanut
pecan
sprout
trunk
twig
splinter
root
shrub
bud
vine
vinnie
vin
ivy
ivet
acorn
bloom
evergreen
fern
forest
kelp
nectar
moss
sap
algae
juniper
thistle
reed
ginkgo
chia
hazel
haze
heather
bay
baze
cam
camellia
azel
azalea
alyssum
amrarilla
amra
elowen
indigo
indi
meadow
myrtle
olive
Oliver
olli/ollie
wisteria
wisterian
wister
Rian
briar
briarwell
coleus
coriander
koru
koruna
korun
lyndon
narcissus
cissus
narci
orrin
otteran
creed
ren
rennie
rush
sorrel
vinca
Vienna
yarrow
lei
Leilani
lani
Lanier
crispr
casseus
venus
oleander
Acadia
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James Joyce reads “Anna Livia Plurabelle” from Finnegans Wake
Well, you know or don't you kennet or haven't I told you every telling has a taling and that's the he and the she of it. Look, look, the dusk is growing! My branches lofty are taking root.
And my cold cher's gone ashley. Fieluhr? Filou! What age is at? It saon is late. 'Tis endless now senne eye or erewone last saw Waterhouse's clogh. They took it asunder, I hurd thum sigh.
When will they reassemble it? O, my back, my back, my bach! I'd want to go to Aches-les-Pains. Pingpong! There's the Belle for Sexaloitez! And Concepta de Send-us-pray! Pang! Wring out the clothes! Wring in the dew! Godavari, vert the showers! And grant thaya grace! Aman. Will we spread them here now? Ay, we will.
Flip ! Spread on your bank and I'll spread mine on mine. Flep! It's what I'm doing. Spread ! It's churning chill. Der went is rising. I'll lay a few stones on the hostel sheets. A man and his bride embraced between them. Else I'd have sprinkled and folded them only.
And I'll tie my butcher's apron here. It's suety yet. The strollers will pass it by. Six shifts, ten kerchiefs, nine to hold to the fire and this for the code, the convent napkins, twelve, one baby's shawl. Good mother Jossiph knows, she said. Whose head? Mutter snores?
Deataceas! Wharnow are alle her childer, say? In kingdome gone or power to come or gloria be to them farther? Allalivial, allalluvial!
Some here, more no more, more again lost alla stranger. I've heard tell that same brooch of the Shannons was married into a family in Spain.
And all the Dunders de Dunnes in Markland's Vineland beyond Brendan's herring pool takes number nine in yangsee's hats. And one of Biddy's beads went bobbing till she rounded up lost histereve with a marigold and a cobbler's candle in a side strain of a main drain of a manzinahurries off Bachelor's Walk. But all that's left to the last of the Meaghers in the loup of the years prefixed and between is one kneebuckle and two hooks in the front. Do you tell me. that now?
I do in troth. Orara por Orbe and poor Las Animas! Ussa, Ulla, we're umbas all! Mezha, didn't you hear it a deluge of times, ufer and ufer, respund to spond? You deed, you deed! I need, I need! It's that irrawaddyng I've stoke in my aars. It all but husheth the lethest zswound. Oronoko ! What's your trouble? Is that the great Finnleader himself in his joakimono on his statue riding the high horse there forehengist? Father of Otters, it is himself! Yonne there! Isset that? On Fallareen Common? You're thinking of Astley's Amphitheayter where the bobby restrained you making sugarstuck pouts to the ghostwhite horse of the Peppers. Throw the cobwebs from your eyes, woman, and spread your washing proper! It's well I know your sort of slop. Flap! Ireland sober is Ireland stiff Lord help you, Maria, full of grease, the load is with me! Your prayers. I sonht zo! Madammangut! Were you lifting your elbow, tell us, glazy cheeks, in Conway's Carrigacurra canteen? Was I what, hobbledyhips? Flop! Your rere gait's creakorheuman bitts your butts disagrees. Amn't I up since the damp dawn, marthared mary allacook, with Corrigan's pulse and varicoarse veins, my pramaxle smashed, Alice Jane in decline and my oneeyed mongrel twice run over, soaking and bleaching boiler rags, and sweating cold, a widow like me, for to deck my tennis champion son, the laundryman with the lavandier flannels? You won your limpopo limp fron the husky hussars when Collars and Cuffs was heir to the town and your slur gave the stink to Carlow. Holy Scamander, I sar it again! Near the golden falls. Icis on us! Seints of light! Zezere! Subdue your noise, you hamble creature! What is it but a blackburry growth or the dwyergray ass them four old codgers owns. Are you meanam Tarpey and Lyons and Gregory? I meyne now, thank all, the four of them, and the roar of them, that draves that stray in the mist and old Johnny MacDougal along with them. Is that the Poolbeg flasher beyant, pharphar, or a fireboat coasting nyar the Kishtna or a glow I behold within a hedge or my Garry come back from the Indes? Wait till the honeying of the lune, love! Die eve, little eve, die! We see that wonder in your eye. We'll meet again, we'll part once more. The spot I'll seek if the hour you'll find. My chart shines high where the blue milk's upset. Forgivemequick, I'm going! Bubye! And you, pluck your watch, forgetmenot. Your evenlode. So save to jurna's end! My sights are swimming thicker on me by the shadows to this place. I sow home slowly now by own way, moy-valley way. Towy I too, rathmine.
Rec: London, 1929
Recording: James Joyce
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