Hanako Games

Nancy Meyer [spoilers]

#1 by zeru57 - Jun 15 2021

I am intrigued by the Nancy character, and the explanations for her leaving midyear. I never played Horse Hall, so perhaps it is explained more in that game. The three girls in Wolf Hall that talk about Nancy most are Minnie, Barbara and Suki. Minnie cares about expelled wildseeds; Barbara was Nancy's roommate; and Suki picks up lots of information about everyone.. Barbara describes Nancy as being from a small town, like another time. She says she didn't think Nancy liked it at the school and that "[Nancy] liked walks. She walked like she didn't see anybody. Where she came from, she knew all the faces, we weren't real."

But what made me take notice was Suki's explanation at the May Day Ball for why Nancy left: "Nancy was a ghost, and then she was supposed to contain a ghost, but the ghost didn't come, so there was no place for her." Since the game establishes Suki as an offbeat but uncannily accurate narrator, I think we have take these words seriously.

It sounds to me like Suki is suggesting Nancy had something to do with Musette - that she had found out about Musette and was looking for a way to send her to the otherworld or let her possess herself. And that maybe Musette didn't show up at an appointed time, and Nancy could not save her. But then saying that Nancy *was* a ghost, puts Barbara's words that Nancy walked like she didn't see anybody in a new light. Maybe she didn't? But why would a ghost be in the freshman class? Was Nancy an other part of Musette come to claim the recording?

Suki's words are ambiguous, especially the last part about "there was no place for her." A place for who? Nancy? The ghost? Anyway, I want to know what other people think and if they can shed light on who Nancy was and why she left.

Re: Nancy Meyer [spoilers]

#2 by MillaMaxwell - Jun 15 2021

I'd never really connected Barbara's comments with Suki's randomness. That's a really interesting point! I feel like she's probably not related to Musette because Musette's story was kinda already covered... And I feel like Suki would know the difference between an echo like Musette and a real ghost, since she seems way more tuned into how things work with spirits and magical creatures than most (if not all) of the other characters. But there's definitely something going on with Nancy beyond just being an unhappy wildseed and now I'm really hoping to learn more about her in a future game!
I don't remember her having any significant role in Horse Hall, for what it's worth. I think she's briefly mentioned if you're treasurer and take note of the missing wildseeds post-break, but that's it.

Re: Nancy Meyer [spoilers]

#3 by zeru57 - Jun 15 2021

Toward the beginning of the game Suki asks PC if he knows Musette. When he says no, Suki says that Musette needs "more friends" to help her. Could mean she already had a friend?

The other reason I suspect Musette was involved with Nancy is that Ellen doesn't start interacting with Musette until after Nancy is gone.

Barbara's comments could mean that Nancy was looking for Musette or other spirits, and not really focused on the world around her. But how to square that with Suki's weird remark, IDK. Lot of ambiguity here!