#cie plot

there is space in the game for New Kid to come from a family of immigrants

i... have to figure out how much work and tracking this would be. i also have to figure out how large or disruptive any ripple effects of this option would be on the backstory, major plot, and continuity. but thank fuck i figured it out. and thank fuck i figured it out early 😆

some of you likely know, but I'm the first American born in my family — I'm pretty positive my entire family?? So I never loved that the MC had to have an American background to make them an Emerson local. Had, because I feel very good that I just figured out a completely sensical and natural way to include that. I obvi couldn't get complex about it, what with there being a thousand countries or whatever, but a few painless options are most of what it would take to integrate it into an MC's narrative.

I think.

Anyway, if I'm right, the MC will still be American-born but your parents could be immigrants. Not going to get into more detail than that since this literally just struck me right now while I'm cuddling with my cat on the couch and reviewing notes 😅

Like, taking scandalous pictures for blackmailing or perhaps drugging someone with cookies?

oh, good question! Yeah no, these two function differently from everyone else 😅

The main RO intros are fairly straightforward, but meeting the Emerson you don't have class with only happens in passing. So if you've got Heidi in first period, your only chances to meet Curt before the Emersons' birthday party will be at the school fair during Spirit Week or through an interaction involving Rupan/Rohan. Same applies to Heidi (just sub out R for Jessie).

I explained what getting close to the Emersons requires of the player here. You'll still have some interactions and a potential run-in with them if you don't join their social scene, but you won't be involved in any of their sub-plots or character development. If you do manage to join their scene, congrats! You can befriend or romance either Heidi or Curt now, regardless of who you have class with!

noo the poor baby 😢 and that plus the constant pressure to be making important friends ughhhh

perfect storm to get super attached to people they really shouldn't tho 👀

never stopped to think about in detail before, but the MC starts off a pretty sad character huh? and then the situation only gets worse and worse from there 😭

i almost feel bad for the ROs that don't know what they're in for, getting mixed up with the MC 🥲 just stumbling into the 10/10 angst route that is the MCs shit-spiral life

not gabe and kile tho, they deserve whatever mess the MC brings into their lives 😂

The main Conspiracy in Emerson playlist had a few too many songs on it that felt less about the story and more about the MC. So it got split up into two!

New Kid's playlist

The Updated CiE playlist

Yes! If your friendship with an RO is high enough by then, you can choose to have a hangout with both your parents and theirs. Parents in the setting aren't Super Important until Book 2, but the MC for sure has a chance to meet, form an opinion about, and make an impression on all of them!

Yes, there are! So many actually. The obvious is Gabe and Kile, but I'm also fond of:

Gabe + Rain - because they have beef and Gabe doesn't know to handle it

Kile + Jessie - they get along better than you'd expect 🥰

Kile + Vi - Kile's low-key the annoyed bully of an older sibling of their dynamic, something Vi desperately needs

Jack + Rain - Rain is an intrepid explorer and Jack is their hapless companion; a leader and a follower in the best ways

Jessie + R - this is just a very sweet combo ok 🥺

Rain + Vi - two shorties of two wildly different temperaments... save for being excessively feisty and holding a steadfast belief that they always know what they're talking about. extra fun since Rain almost never does lol

and Heidi + Curt, to be honest! They're so different from one another, I don't even know where to start 😆 One of the 1st Semester electives the MC can take features them together, so everyone will eventually know what that looks like.