Meet Your GelCub with Gwyn
Previously on: We discovered Finnley's backstory through playing "Alone Among The Stars." He was originally an alien from outer space who used to travel the stars looking for problems that he could fix. On his journey he learned that a planet once thought to be dead could still be useful and recover. When he found Earth and saw that it had many things that could be fixed, he felt like he had finally found his purpose. No one on Earth knows that he's an alien.
What game I'm playing: Meet Your GelCub by Glaiza (Early Access)
Which character(s) I'm playing: Gwyn and Wallie
Let's meet a new gelatinous friend!
Choose a name for your GelCub that is 6 letters: Wallie
I realized while playing this game that I was probably inspired by Ludo from Labyrinth, who looks like a monster but isn't, and has the ability to affect the earth through sound.
My GelCub's 6 adjectives from the letters in their name: Wallie: Wise, Awkward, Lovable, Loyal, Inconceivable, Embarrassed.
Prompts from the website link:
1. You open your eyes at the beginning of the day. What sounds do you hear, if any β and what is the first thought that you think?
Answer: Gwyn is staying in this strange town with Finnley, so they wake up in an unfamiliar bed and hear the wind outside. The town is near the ocean and is often windy. The first thought they have is wondering if Finnley is awake yet, and if so, where is he. For some reason they are always slightly afraid that one day he will be gone after getting bored and moving on to the next place. They feel a little embarrassed about this worry, because it might just be their anxiety talking.
2. You go through the same motions every single day for a long time now. What is it that you do and what feelings does it inspire in you?
Gwyn is volunteering to help clean up the town after it has fallen into supernatural disarray. They feel good being useful and doing quiet, busy work, but they also feel awkward working with people they don't know.
3. Among your responsibilities, you also protect something important. Why is it important and who wants to take it away?
Finnley is Gwyn's best friend. He built his own mechanical, possibly magical, bird that is very lovable and special to him, so Gwyn feels protective of it. They are a tiny bit suspicious of Owen, who doesn't seem to like Finnley very much. They hope he won't try to mess with the bird.
4. At the end of the day, when you're tired of the demands of your schedule, you take the time to rest. What do you do to quiet your mind and does it work?
Gwyn plays the future to relax and forget all the embarrassing things that happened during the day that reply over and over in their mind.
The Change:
1. You need to leave your home for a specific errand. How often do you leave and where do you go?
Gwyn feels awkward separating from Finnley and traveling around the town by themselves, so they don't go very often. Their errands mostly have to do with finding food or interesting items for Finnley to build with in town.
2. You are waylaid on this trip. Who stops you and do you like them?
Gwyn is stopped by Roan, who is currently drawing a map of the area they are walking through. Roan is another awkward person but they are very lovable, so Gwyn doesn't mind. Roan gives them an update on their map-making project.
3. You come home and something terrible has happened. Why are you afraid and who do you blame?
Gwyn is afraid because Finnley and his mechanical bird are missing. They hope they haven't finally decided to continue their life's journey without them. Or worse, maybe something happened to them. Gwyn is not sure who to blame, but wonders about Owen. How they can continue without Finnley is inconceivable to them.
The Solution:
1. You have to decide that you cannot leave your home because of that terrible event, but something made you change your mind. What was it?
After panicking for a few minutes, Gwyn plays the flute to calm down. After thinking about it, they are embarrassed to think they should just stay home and wait. They should go out and look for a way to help.
2. Someone approaches you with a solution of getting a protector for your home. Who is this and where do they tell you to go?
To Gwyn's surprise, Owen approaches with, even more surprisingly, wise advice. He tells them that Finnley knows what he's doing and is probably deep in one of the ruins of this place looking for spare parts. He also tells them about a part of town he found with Roan where a protector can be found. People in this town need all the protection they can get, so it is not hard to find. He offers it as a possible way for Gwyn to feel more secure here.
3. After they've left you to think about it, what made you decide to look for the gelatinous cube rancher?
Even though Gwyn is very awkward around Owen, they could tell he genuinely wanted to help. Also, he made the recommendation on Roan's behalf. This made Gwyn trust his advice.
The Rancher:
1. After making the proper preparations β you're ready to make the journey. How far do you travel and what do you see along the way?
Gwyn knows they have to travel to the other side of town, and they tend to overthink, so they pack a big backpack that makes them feel like they take up too much space. They pass the strange beach and the pockets of frozen time on their way, but eventually the other side of town seems more lively and, well, normal. There are stores and houses and people walking on the sidewalks. It seems less dangerous over here.
2. You walk up to a building that rises in front of you. What color are the walls and what do you read from the sign planted in front of it?
The building in front of Gwyn is trying to stick out way too much. The colors of the walls are bright neon colors, a different one for each wall. It is so bright that it seems inconceivable that it was normal paint or materials. The sign in front says, βA GelCub of any color for any personality!β
3. The door opens and the rancher greets you. What stands out the most about rancher?
The rancher is the opposite of Gwyn in every way, which embarrasses Gwyn a little bit. The rancher is big and loud and not afraid to cause a scene. He is also very colorful and calls himself βthe Rainbow Man.β Gwyn shrinks in this presence, but overall he is very nice.
The Picture:
1. You tell your story to the cube rancher and he brings out a book filled with pictures. What color catches your eye?
The color yellow catches your eye because it radiates an optimistic and lovable feeling.
2. The cube rancher tells you the name of this GelCub and the type of food that it favors. What is this GelCub's favorite meal? The GelCub's name is Wallie, and their favorite food is bananas. Gwyn briefly wonders if that is why it's so yellow. (the game instructions say to draw favorite food on 5)
The Return:
1. With the papers signed, your baby GelCub is finally ready to come home with you. How do you carry them home?
Gwyn's backpack is so full that there is no room for the GelCub. Instead, Gwyn carries the GelCub in a little carrier. Gwyn ends up very tired on the walk home because of everything they are carrying. (Draw an eye on 5)
2. After the journey, filled with its own ups and downs, a moment occurred when you and your GelCub needed to trust each other completely β what silent feeling was shared between your GelCub that made you realize you made the right choice?
There was a moment when Gwyn was too tired too continue and put everything down on the ground. The area where they had to stop was near a forest full of pockets of frozen time, and it looked quite frightening as the sun was going down. Gwyn wasn't able to bring their flute to help them relax. They and the GelCub awkwardly sat there, wondering what to do for a few moments. Then the GelCub started to hum their own sounds, a little like music. They both shared a feeling of calm. (Draw an eye in 2)
The Room:
1. With the help of the guidebook that the rancher gave you, and the happy noises that your GelCub made β you were able to help set up a comfortable place in your home for them. What new thing did you give them to decorate their new home and what old thing did they bring with them for the same reason? Gwyn wanted to be loyal to the GelCub be connecting with them through music. They gave them a small, flat piano mat to add to their home. The GelCub brought a special mat for their body that had originally been in the carrier, but was brought out to be like a rug for their home. The rug was silent but the piano mat made sounds when the GelCub rolled over it. (Draw mouth in 4)
Our Home:
1. You could tell when your GelCub realized that they're now home and that they weren't going anywhere else. How long did it take for them to realize that and what happened that made you a hundred percent sure that they felt at home with you?
Gwen and the GelCub didn't feel awkward in silence around each other anymore. Instead, they could sit in companionable silence together, or either hum or play the flute or piano in each other's presence. (Draw nose in 2)
Our Fight:
1. Do you remember when you set out to adopt your very own gelatinous cube and the reason why you did it in the first place? The danger has returned. How does your baby GelCub protect you and yours? What terrible thing happened to your baby GelCub?
The first time, Finnley and his bird were actually fine and were not missing. This time, however, they were in trouble because Finnley brought back a cursed fossil that tried to suck him and the home into quicksand as punishment for moving it. The GelCub protected them by suddenly humming a special kind of hum that seemed to control the earth around it, which interrupted the cursed quicksand so they could escape. Unfortunately, the curse started to cause an earthquake in response, and the GelCub was caught and scraped up when the ground split around it. However, the GelCub didn't give up, and soon their body vibrations and humming stopped the earthquake too, and the fossil was able to be put back where it belonged. (Draw wound on 2)
Our Promise:
1. After a long struggle, you both survive the ordeal and come out of it closer than ever. As you lie next to them with Finnley and his bird, exhausted and spent, what do you say to your baby GelCub and how does it respond to you?
Gwyn doesn't speak out loud very often, but they speak for the GelCub in this moment. They say, βYou are amazing and were very wise to think of a way to stop that curse by using sound.β The GelCub chirrups in response. (Draw a gift you would give to the cub on 1 - The gift is a scroll of musical notes that tell the story of how Wallie saved the day.)
The End:
1. It's been a couple of months since that exhausting struggle. The GelCub rancher has sent you a letter to check in on your baby GelCub's progress in your home. What do you say to them?
Gwyn writes back that the GelCub brings so much joy to the home with their music, and also provides protection and connection to the earth through sound. Gwyn also shares that they feel less embarrassed about being such a quiet person now because their GelCub makes such wonderful sounds.
