Just also another head’s up if you’re having trouble finding it:
Since it’s an optional memory sequence you can only access it if you went with Ricky to the party.
Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!
(Let me know if anything has gone screwy.)
So…I know this game is good, obviously. And, going in, I was expecting to be charmed and impressed, the way I usually am, but…um, wow, you really out-do yourself with every update. I love the attention to even the smallest details, like how getting information from Natalie in a specific way can tie into Ricky, and the wide variety of options which, I feel, very few COGs manage to do in a way that is natural, and yet: here you are, doing it.
I tried every single combination for the Exes: Raf’s in-love one was adorable and his falling-in-love-afterwards path definitely tugged on my heart strings…and actually contrasted a lot to Lucy’s late-love pathway because there we actually got a love confession. Unless I missed something with Raf’s but I’m pretty sure we didn’t get a late-love confession. Which would make sense for their characters, but I could have missed something . Actually, though, Raf is my ‘canon’ Ex, Lucy’s late-love pathway was my actual favourite and I L-O-V-E that, if you had dropped some hints, she just casually goes yeah you weren’t exactly subtle LOLOL.
Ricky, as always, never fails to disappoint. I managed to get his approval to 40% so, funnily enough, on the relationship stat bars, he’s actually the one who likes me the most. Oh, Ricky, we’ll be reaching 100% soon enough, no worries.
But seriously, thank you for posting this! It definitely made my day, if not my entire week.
Aw geez, this made me smile- a lot!!! 
Thank you so so so much! I’m super thrilled that you enjoyed it and to know that it went well!! 
Yay!! I’m honestly super excited that you noticed that! I love putting in those tiny things whenever I can because I just like the knowledge that they’re there. But it’s even better to know that you also enjoyed it as well!
I also want all of the three options of people you can talk to the party to actually come back in different ways later on, so depending on who you talk to and what the response you got from them is it’ll actually come into play even more later!
Ahh, honestly I don’t know what to say I’m so super flattered (I should come up with a different word other than ‘super’…)- and extraordinarily (there we go!) happy that it came across well!!
Wow!! I applaud your dedication!!
Yay!! (Again! Triple Yay!) The memories have become some of my favorite things that I’ve written so far in this game so I’m absolutely, positively thrilled that you enjoyed them as well! (Fun fact about the contrast thing: I realized as I was writing Lucy’s late-love scene, which was actually the last I wrote, that the two kind of worked in reverse- Raf’s love being super sweet and sappy, while the late-love is more bittersweet and sad, while Lucy’s love is bittersweet and sad while her late-love super sweet and sappy- and that wasn’t at all planned but just kinda a funny coincidence that turned out to work pretty well. I also liked it personally because no matter what, Lucy is still going through what happened/is happening with her dad, but in one she’s looking to talk to someone she trusts unconditionally and in the other there’s still a barrier between her and the MC that makes her feel not quite as comfortable with the idea of talking to them about it and so instead she’s looking for a distraction. As for Raf’s it works because if the two of you married for love then you’ve already earned Cátia’s trust, so she has nothing to ask of the MC because she trusts them to take care of her son and even if she’s still worried she’s not as worried because she knows he’s not alone. Meanwhile if they started out just acting and the MC hasn’t yet proven themself to her she’s even more worried because she doesn’t know whether or not to trust them. But she still gets the feeling that maybe they could be there for her son but she needs to know whether or not this is someone she’s willing to trust with one of her children. So either way both are happening but in one it’s not directly addressed due to trust/lack of full trust and in the other it is addressed because for the same reasons- which also kinda makes them opposites in that way as well?? It was a weird coincidence to find out after the fact but I liked it. Ok, long rambling over, ahaha.
And no, you also didn’t miss anything! Lucy is just much more direct than Raf. It’s gonna take a little while longer for him to express his own feelings… err… it did, since all this was in the past.
Lucy’s late-love path was a joy to write. She and Ash are both such energetic characters so whenever they came into the memories it was always just a great time all around. Yeah, ahaha, Lucy will absolutely call you out on your lack of subtlety. 
Woah- 40? I’ve been running tests to try and get his option the highest I could and I could only ever get it to 38! (To make sure the extra little dialogue/larger changes in dialogue for him wasn’t too difficult or too easy to get.) Looks like my own character likes you better than me, ahaha!
Well, thank you as well! You’ve also made my week with this comment, too! 
The update is so cool! Your writing is so smooth and fluent I just about cried when it ended. I adore the MC, and all the characters! I can’t wait to see where this goes!
AND…She is a vampire bat! (Lame reference?)
Did a quick play while on the bus earlier and just wanna say that Ash is precious and I love her ;w;
And Raf’s mom being a cop? Interesting… 
!!! Thank you so much!!! (But also- oh no! I don’t want to make you cry yet!) I’m so happy you like them all!
Not a lame reference at all! Introduced me to something new!
Isn’t she?! I love her so much. (I’ve been jazzed about people getting to meet her because I love her so much!)
If you think that’s awkward wait till you meet his dad.
Whoops! Thank you for pointing that out! I’ll fix it up right away!
EDIT: Should be fixed!
Thanks for the update.
I laughed
I cried
I died a little inside.
The update is wonderful!
I like Raf so much 
plz come back 
I think Raf just figured out a way to make me worry about him more. Now I’m concerned if the poor boy is eating and sleeping well! LIke he didn’t even think twice aboutdriving for 8 hours straight without waking the MC Cause now I’m worried he’s bad at taking care of himself. Lucy I worry if she’s getting her sleep and not breaking her stuff and leaving it all over the ground to accidentally cut herself on. Even if that kinda thing might only benefit her power output, but still. She still has to feel it and I worry. Though Raf just makes me worry about his everything right now.
Jesus, it’s official my MCs will probably end up even if they aren’t in a relationship with them texting them at least once a day to take care of themselves and reminding them to eat. If not just outright showing up at their homes with comedies and what snacks they could manage on their budget.
Wait, @RenaB. How did you make me sincerely worry about if fictional characters are caring for themselves?! Like I felt genuine concern like I would for one of my friends if I felt like they were skipping too many meals. Props much deserved. Great job on making characters that feel so real and just genuinely well written!
Though yes the update is fantastic! Thank you so much I also loved the Ricky bit. which by the way I nearly spazzed out in one of my classes when I saw that I could apologize for the blackmailing in one of the options! That was really neat to see a Ricky that is actually concerned a little. (or you know might be fishing for his own blackmail to even things out. He could be doing both. I can see both.) I think the highest I’ve gotten on him is 41
Ex!Raf I got 32 at the highest While Ex!Lucy I got a 35 at my highest.
how are you guys able to get ricky that high? would you mind sharing your secrets?
I’ve only managed to play through Lucy’s path, but that was sickeningly sweet in the best way possible. I suspect I might start puking little cute cartoon hearts when I finish Raf’s flashback.
Thank you for the update Rena!
I played this a few times a long time ago while I was still a lurker lol (at least I don’t think Ive ever posted here? 
usually superhero themed games really aren’t my thing, but I like the more unique approach of being a non-powered MC living a (relatively) non-heroic life in a city full of soaring capes.
So far the game mechanics in general: the writing is snarky but emotional enough in angsty moments, and the number of options that divert into rather long separate paths so early into the game is impressive and a real treat for replays. For example because I always chose to talk to Finley bc i thought it made more sense detective plotwise, this run-through is the first time I went to the cafe instead and met another potential RO (the justice-fueled law student!) . The numerous options for customization were also a nice addition.
As for the romance aspect, I have basically imprinted on Ricky and only Ricky for this game I think it’s rare (at least I’ve never come across this before) in COGs for an antagonistic RO to be antagonistic pretty much bc of MC’s own dubious actions’ fault, and I love the ambiguous love-hate (or more like grudging admiration-hate at this point lol) relationship between Ricky and MC. I love charming and uh jerkass characters in media, but for an RO to be charming in public and (reasonably) antagonistic in private should not be so attractive to my MC LmAo. Also I saw from the intro blurb that male/NB MCs will have a different romance path than female MCs for Ricky? That’s like x2 the Ricky content and I am so ready LmAo for bucket loads of angst. I look forward to how MC and Ricky can resolve their convoluted relationship into a trusting one at least I hope, although I’m curious if we can play a manipulative MC to the end (since the first chapter gives us that option) …?
As for the other ROs, Raf is such a sweetie so far! I look forward to more angsty angsty flashbacks and reunions in the future lol. Lucy (she’s the one you meet as your college friend at the party if you don’t make her your ex, right?) is great too so far (I love her personality, although I see that everyone is hiding something from MC lol). I’m not sure bc of lack of interaction w the other ROs (for now V and mysterious informer are intriguing, but Finley to me seems more like a non-RO supporting kind of character at this point) but I anticipate you fleshing them out as well as you have with the rest!
Thanks for writing this, I really enjoyed it despite my usual preferences in gaming lol, and I’m glad it’s still being consistently updated! Good luck! 
Heyy listen, is it possible to fall in love with like 10 people at the same time because I sure as hell did!
I love every single one of your characters, they are so well written and lovely and real they all have their own personality and quirks I can’t help but adore them! 
Furthermore, I simply love (i should probably use another verb bc it is starting to sound repetitive but I can’t help it ) the fact that nearly every choice you make influence the later dialogues with the other characters, it is such a nice touch!
Also, thanks for the update @RenaB! Please keep up the amazing work!! My initial plan was to rekindle the relationship with Raf and be best friends with everyone else, but the conversation with Ricky in the car when you apologize to him, especially the bit where he taps his chest and point at his heart and their extremely funny banter makes me wanna romance him instead but then the past memories with Raf make me wanna romance him again! Rena you are an evil mastermind how dare you!
Is there a romantic scene with Yolanda ?
I’m not sure if I made the wrong choices, but the demo ended exactly where it did before the “update” for me. Weird.
Well congrats for making me bawl on V-Day (which I feel V would actually hijack for the name) like Raf and MC in a very married relationship are diabetes inducing but are broken up now so RETROACTIVE TRAGIC FEELS
Congrats @RenaB :))
Other than a few spelling errors though everything plays well? No glitches on my end
You’re welcome!
You also wrote a great poem, apparently!
Yay! I’m so happy you liked it!
He’ll return eventually, don’t worry! 
Ahaha, he might be a worrier, himself, but he’ll turn you into one as well, eh?
They might be super powerful villains but that doesn’t mean that either of their life-management skills are good, this is true. Also being a super villain isn’t exactly… conductive to good health, really, of any kind. So I won’t lie, the two of them definitely do suffer for it sometimes. (I’m probably not helping much with the worry right now, am I?)
((Also on a weird side note- is 8 hours too unbelievable? I wasn’t sure if my perception would’ve been skewed because I make a 6 hour drive semi-regularly so it’s become somewhat mundane to me… and those 6 hours do actually often have a tendency to become 7 or 8 depending on the day and the traffic (or, at its worst which I only ever had to experience once, 12 hours) so I thought it was long enough to be a bit on the ‘why would you sensibly do this’ side but not too unbelievable? Just double checking I haven’t been messed up by my own long drives ahaha.))
Aha, well, I mean, you’ll definitely get the chance to. The MC can absolutely become a supportive friend trying to help Raf/Lucy get their life together more without romancing them. So, technically, this is wholly possible!
Witchcraft and a couple of sacrifices to the old gods.
Awww, geez, thank you! I’m always so happy to hear when people like these characters too! Especially if you’re actually concerned about them! Thank you very very much!
Yay!! I’m so happy you liked it!! And that part as well, ahaha! Yeah, the MC can definitely be a very reluctant blackmailer and be trying to make up for it- so there’ll be more of those moments later on! As for Ricky… you can’t quite be sure that with that boy, eh? Is he concerned? Or is he looking out for himself? Or… both? Or maybe one of them is true but he doesn’t realize it’s true? You never know 
…
You people… how are you so good at making these characters like you? 
Ahaha, it’s all good, just means maybe I need to make it more difficult to charm everyone…
My leading theory is that Ricky’s gained some sentience and is now messing with us.
Aww, well, I’m so thrilled to know you enjoyed it! (I hope the hearts aren’t… too messy.)
Of course! Thank you for playing it!
Yay! I’m so happy you decided to give it a shot and that the storyline intrigued you!!
Aww, thanks (again!) I love adding the little paths so I’m glad that people enjoy checking them out and seeing all the little things I’ve tucked away!
(Also, yes ‘justice-fueled law student’ definitely fits Jacob well, ahaha!)
You can’t escape that lovely Ricky bitterness charm!
I’m so happy you like it! (Boy howdy do I sound like a broken record, eh?) Yeah, aha, the MC isn’t exactly a paragon of virtue and there’s definitely a case to be made that would say that Ricky’s anger and dislike of the MC is definitely well-founded. (And ‘grudging-admiration-hate’ is another great way to describe their current relationship. Ricky can definitely respect some of the MC’s professional skills, but that doesn’t mean he likes them as a person yet, aha.)
Ahaha, he’s got you trapped in a paradox, my friend!
Yep! Part of Ricky’s character arc (whether or not the MC is female) is that he’s never really… discovered himself? I can’t say much, because spoilers, ahaha, but Ricky’s character arc is very much focused around self-exploration, and one of the things that he’s in the middle of figuring out is his own sexuality. (And figuring out that he is not, in fact, straight).
Which of course will effect his relationship with any non-female MC because part of his figuring out of it in that romance route is also him coming to realize that he has feelings for them in tandem with questioning and eventually figuring out his own sexuality.
And since Ricky is pretty deep in denial at the beginning of the game it means that a lot of his feelings for a non-female MC are going to confuse him for a while- so, yep! The romance route is going to be a bit different for a female!MC and a non-female!MC with Ricky!
If you want angst then you definitely came to the right place, ahaha.
That is absolutely a possible option in the future!
You definitely can, but it will limit your options (depending on how manipulative you are).
The MC can actually get fairly evil in this game (I have routes planned in which you essentially ruin every single person’s life in this game. You’ll have to work for it, of course, and you wouldn’t be able to romance or befriend anyone since you’d be out to try and ruin their lives anyway. And there’s no promise that it won’t come back and probably bite your MC, or at least try. Because that’s definitely going to be the most difficult route since, y’know, literally everyone in the game would be trying to stop you. So you wouldn’t escape unscathed… but if you really want to play an absolutely evil MC then it’ll be possible.)
As for playing a more manipulative but not evil MC, again it’ll be possible, but also limiting in some ways, and depending on how you manipulate). (Ex. using Ricky since you asked: If you manipulate others for your stories and work then he won’t mind, might even be impressed if the MC can do it well without getting caught, but if you try to manipulate him specifically too much then that would lock you out of a relationship/friendship with him. Nobody likes to be manipulated, after all.)
It’s safe to assume that for most of the ROs, if you manipulate them too much then they won’t want to be friends (and definitely not in a relationship) with the MC. But with varying degrees of tolerance.
(The only exceptions would be in a purely physical relationship with Yolanda since there’s already no real expectations of friendship or any emotional attachment/trust there, and V, who would probably get more of a kick out of the MCs attempts than anything else. Granted they’re also probably the one who’d be down for most things and therefore manipulation with V wouldn’t really be… needed? Like if the MC needed something crazy done and needed V to do it they’d probably just have to have an ok relationship with V. Or even if they didn’t- if V thinks it’ll be fun enough to warrant the effort then they’ll do it.)
(Conversely: Jacob, who probably has the strongest moral code out of anyone here, does not tolerate manipulation at all in pretty much any form- to him or to others. He might be somewhat understanding of the MC’s job depending on how necessary it is, but his own moral code is pretty strict and he definitely couldn’t ever be with anyone who went around blackmailing everyone.)
That definitely sounds like Raf’s path in the future, ahaha…
That is indeed Lucy! (You meet whoever you didn’t make your Ex at the party). She’s great, isn’t she? (And perhaps also a little secretive, ahaha… but then again, welcome to Nickelport.)
I’m excited for you to meet the rest of them! (And get to know those you’ve already met more!) I plan to have everyone introduced by the halfway point of chapter one! And you’ll also start to get to know them better soon, too!
Aw, well, thank you for giving it a chance! I’m so happy to know you enjoyed it!
I’ll do my best!
Ahaha, well, then I guess it is possible, then!
Ahhh, thank you!!! I’m so happy you like them all!!!
Yay! I’m so happy you like it! (Ahaha you don’t have to worry about repetition with me- I mean, have you seen my responses? They’re basically all ‘I’m so happy’, I’m basically a broken record at this point, ahaha.)
‘Evil mastermind’ is the best compliment I’ve received all day and I love it, thank you. 
(It means my plans are working…)
Just remember that wonderful chant, my friend: Multiple. Playthroughs.
Words to live by, eh?
Thank you very much!!! I’ll do my best!!
Not yet! There will be some more romantic banter with her when I get her interview finished. Next on the to-do list is to just finish up the non-romantic memories with Raf and Lucy since those are already started, and then right after that will be Yolanda’s interview! (And then right after that we’ll get to the cliffhanger I’ve been so excited for.)
Did you go to the party with Ricky? You should get the optional memories if you do that.
Ahh, you’re welcome but also I’m sorry!
They absolutely, positively would.
The best kinda tragic feels
Thank you!
Amazing! Do you know where those errors were? I can go in and fix them right away if so!
