'Ribbons' sidequest

[laurazzles]

Hey guys, this is my first post here, though I've been lurking for quite a while now

I didn't see any threads about this sidequest yet, so I hope it's okay to make a new topic about it. I was just wondering, on the missing child poster, where you can start this sidequest, it specifically says that Ariadne has 'a strong aversion to the colour blue' and will alter her route to avoid it. At the end of the quest, when going to her house, her front door is blue. Did anyone else think it was another measure her mother took to stop her from getting home? Or I could just be overthinking things...

[Cyrus Hanley]

I think you're overthinking things. That door texture is used for numerous other doors in Silent Hill and I think that the distinct colour is actually for the player's benefit more than anything else.

EDIT: But it was a nice thought, I hadn't noticed the connection until you just mentioned it - even though I completed the quest just a few hours ago.

[Aerith Gainsborough]

That's a very nice observation. If you read the memo in the house (which you have to to complete the quest) her mother actually wanted her gone from her life, because she was pretty much a burden for her. She may have painted the door blue so that her daughter wouldn't come home, but instead lead herself into the lake and drown herself.

[Harlequin]

I just realized the irony that she hated the color blue, and yet she drowned in a lake. It was a darker blue, but it was blue nonetheless.

[laurazzles]

I loved this sidequest when I finished it but at the time it really confused me. I stood staring at the water for so long, thinking that I must have gone wrong somewhere! That is ironic; it confuses me how she went into the water if she hated blue so much. Ah well, I think I just became fixated on the line about her hating blue as I thought it would be vitally important in the sidequest later on.

[AuraTwilight]

Water isn't blue.

[Overlooked Motel]

This sidequest was amazing. When I first read the flyer and saw that Ariadne was severely autistic, I thought "Uh oh...this can't end well." Then when the trail of ribbons led towards the pier, the sense of dread was palpable.

Man, it really sucks to be a child in Silent Hill, doesn't it? Between depraved paedophiles, corrupt orphanages, murderous parents and insane cults, there's only, like, a 50% chance you'll reach adulthood.

(Please tell me I'm not the only one who heard the dripping noises in the Johnson house? Maybe Ariadne found her way home to mommy after all...)

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Maybe her mother lead her there and drowned her, herself?

Also, water doesn't always look blue. Sure, it reflects the sky, but I don't think it would look blue, say...on an overcast day. River water, for example, always looks murky, as does some lake waters (from my personal experience).

ETA: Aura, thank you!

[laurazzles]

I think what made this sidequest stand out to me was that it didn't really involve supernatural elements, but the story is horrific nonetheless. It's horrible to think of Ariadne's mother slowly being driven to breaking point by her own child. It's possible that Ariadne's mother physically led her daughter into the water, but it seems somehow more tragic if Ariadne was by herself, following her mother's instructions so carefully and trusting her mother to keep her safe, then falling into the lake.

[The Adversary]

>Water isn't blue.<
No, but it looks blue in certain instances, and Ariadne had an aversion from the color blue as she saw it. I'm not saying a connection exists, but to say she wouldn't avoid it isn't necessarily true.

[Aerith Gainsborough]

@laurazzles: All of that is why it was my favorite side quest. It was tragic, and it had such a twist at the end. I expected her to be killed somewhere or kidnapped by Napier or something. I never dreamed that her mother would kill her, when it seemed so much like she was trying to help her. It definitely tugged at my heart.

It looks blue in some instances, yes, and maybe her mother drowned her in the lake when she tried to repel from the water on a clear, sunny day, making her death more tragic and disturbing. Perhaps the sky was overcast and she fell in and drowned herself. You just never know.

[The Adversary]

That's why this entire "water isn't blue" discussion is irrelevant.

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Perhaps Aura does acknowledge that water can appear blue, but felt the need to state the fact that water isn't naturally blue, in the case that one thought water is actually blue..? In that case, it would make it completely relevant, as it would be providing information that would allow for further speculation and clear up any misinformation.

[The Adversary]

I have a feeling everyone is totally aware that water generally isn't blue. . . .

[fudgestix]

Relevant or not, just so you know guys, water IS actually blue

/chemistry

[The Adversary]

Science always wins.

[Harlequin]

I'm aware that water is clear, as I do have sinks and bottled water. I was making the comment because water is usually portrayed as blue. It was portrayed as a dark blue/grey through a majority of the game.

[AuraTwilight]

No, but it looks blue in certain instances, and Ariadne had an aversion from the color blue as she saw it. I'm not saying a connection exists, but to say she wouldn't avoid it isn't necessarily true.

I bring it up because, being autistic, and depending on how her particular case of autism might work, the fact that water isn't inherently blue could be a deciding factor. Some autistics obsess over details, so even if something appeared blue, she could insist in her internal logic that it actually isn't (or, conversely, she could insist it is literally blue because it's how it appears to her eye).

The reason I bring it up is because people commented on Ariadne just casually walking into the water and drowning, but she should've been averse to doing so due to the water's color, etc.

But then, her mom probably drowned her, so, whatevs.

[Cyrus Hanley]

It's implied that Amy altered the path so that Ariadne would walk off the pier.

[Nel]

The Ribbons is my second favourate sidequest in the game. I already walked all around Silent Hill and noticed the ribbons on the ground near the water that lead to a dead end. When I found the missing poster and went looking for her I had no idea they were connected. Then when I was slowly advancing the area I kept thinking about it and dreading about it. Then I reached there and found the key. I hated the mother so much. How could she do that to her own daughter that needed her?
Also I would like to know what's up with the underwear lying on the bed? Did the mother pack and forget about it?