Diana starts going to monthly school counselor meetings to review her academic proccess and consider her various major options since she wants to consider all her options. Potentially, she might even start focusing and idealizing a limited-access major. She also wants to socialize more, even if finding the time (or willpower) to try out different clubs and events is difficult.

We may even want it where she DID get into a limited access major and that has her choked up a little because it’s hard to go back if you try something else and end up realizing you liked this better.

She makes progress on the socializing aspect throughout the year thanks to the vampires and afterlifers, but she partially used them as a distraction and half-hearted attempt to not focus on schooling versus immediate fun bonding, constantly flipping back and forth between not worrying about school and placing too much importance on it. (College is only what you make of it, after all, and most of her networking is outside the university.)

Feeling guilty about not utilizing resources more and also apathy, we go through ups and downs as Diana doesn’t really acknowledge school concerns when she could be busy nurturing the others and trying to prove her worth through that. She sees the circle development as her chance for something big, but still can’t stop the acknowledgment that it contributes nothing to her academia besides further networking and earned favors.

In a sense, she’s basically chasing the prestige of academia half-heartedly, and doesn’t want to completely give up on it but hasn’t really given it a proper try either.

Spring Break happens, and then her honeymoon period is skewered by her backstory being revealed to the public and the death of the doctor. She shuts herself off from the friendships she develops, and goes to confront Charlotte on her own and nearly dies from it.

After the excitement, she hits another lull period because even if academia is a pressure, it’s not quite “fight a serial killer” burst-y. Afterwards, she’s still a little unrepentant about it but also realizes that wasn’t how she wanted things to end after all. With exam season coming up, she just tries to find her footing with the limited time we have left to explore the relationships and she ends up, if perhaps not 100% confident that this is the major she’ll even lock into, then she at least has a game plan and the knowledge that the kids’ll be alright.

This is in contrast to how her fear of growing up and abandoning high school left her paralyzed, just like how she was paralyzed from the choice of picking one person or another to date in HS. She’s been forced to make a lot of decisions that, while cruel, still made her grow.

At the end, she talks with her counselor and asks herself some questions and looks back on what her videos, friendships, and other skills mean to her.

In the context of Madison’s route, it may go something like this:

Diana and Madison start going on a few dates and testing the waters. Diana also wants to be more involved with what Madison gets up to besides biting, especially now that they have extra free time since Madison has to bite less. Diana might go out to a few dinners/hangouts with Madi’s circle and feel left out, both deservedly and not. Her insecurity can be fed since no matter what she’s not particularly good with STEM and has no interest in becoming a nurse or anything. And while Diana is rich, she wasn’t raised rich - not to say that there isn’t poor smart people in this circle, but I think even then she’d be a little shy from their obvious ambitions and confidence.

There’s also the aspect that, maybe, dorms are only offered to sophomores and below. (My university only admits first year students, not even transfers.) Regardless of route, Madison brings up the idea of them rooming together which Diana is game for. This isn’t necessarily a conflict point but still something I wanted to bring up.

As time ticks down and Diana has to pick a major, she may ask Madison for advice but end up feeling frustrated as Madison doesn’t give relevant advice. It’s not like she ever had doubts about what she’s wanted to do since childhood, and while she admits this is rare, she literally just hasn’t had to consider anything else seriously and went with her gut. She’s also thriving in the area, especially now that she’s learned to be a touch less abrasive.

Post-Charlotte, I think Madison in particuarly would feel betrayed by Diana’s actions to go off on her own. This is mostly because no matter what route they’re on, before the confrontation Madison and Di have a bonding moment where they decide they’re not going to leave everything to the adults and just sit back. However, while Madison vaguely had some idea of confrontation, she was still planing more to just do detective work to find the killer versus Diana’s direct confrontation without even informing Madison or the others at all. They were supposed to be two pals bumping up to the adult table together, not her roommate basically trying to kill herself.

 It doesn’t help that Diana may intentionally be cruel in the hospital, rubbing in Madison’s own insecurities in re: how Diana didn’t even try to explain what went through her head because Madi wouldn’t get it, she’s been trying to embrace life as much as possible, which Madison thought she was doing the same. While her trust isn’t shattered(?) she is unsure of how to really take in the “real” Diana, and isn’t sure how to console her or help. This can lead to a fracturing, before Madison may either - not sure - decide to give her space or forcefully shove herself in after enough time or what. This does however mean that Diana hasn’t really put in her own work, so maybe Di’s scrambling for an apology. While it may be problematic for some readers or in general, that’s relationships baybee.(.?)

And I think it’s a bit like handling Sloth. Like… you can sit Diana down and be “here I’ll do whatever you want to help you figure your major out” but if she doesn’t want the help she doesn’t want the help, and then it’s just up to Madison to decide if she wants to give up, or keep pushing, or find another way.


So something like: Diana tries to be a little more proactive, starts having doubts about Madi’s friends, Madi rightfully points out she’s insecure but still wants to do stuff with Di. Diana tries to an hero, they’re awkward for a bit, Diana realizes she needs to stop being a bitch and Madison is put in a tough situation as a sort of almost!similarity to the november group project, but they decide to keep trying. Madison won’t admit to insecurities that weren’t there in the first place (like being unsure of her major) but she really likes Diana and stuff, even if it’s only been a couple months, she still values her as a friend and wants her in her life.

There’s likely a sorority angle to this to capitalize on the fact that at least part of that questline is mandatory in January.

Viewing epilogues:
- Madison becomes likeyl either a surgeon or a pediatrician. Physical therapist specialist of some sort would be funny, esp if inspired by having to help take care of Di after she got fucked up.
- Di could stay in AD/PR, working with hospital marketing or with another agency. Her videos still do well, but it feels right in a way to tie something related to her academia in a Madison route.
- Diana could be a novelist, it’s just a gut feeling but I could see her doing that.
- There’s also a chance Diana ends up working with vampires in some way, particularly as it ties into the academic breaking down of circles or finding some way to continue the doctor’s legacy.
- She may be an entertainer, branching out from youtube to something more prestigious. Hell, imagine her as an actor. N*ce.
- They have at least one dog.
- Diana goes into business and creates her own gacha with somehow non-predatory gambling practices and they create a publishing empire for marginalized creators. This is very serious.
- Diana becomes an accountant since Madison is way too rich person with her money. Not in the sense that she goes in the red but it still pisses her off in an Ouran way. It’s mostly teasing. Mostly.