Its still baffling that at no point whatsoever has she considered getting a job.
In episode 3, Maya started to really think about getting a job. Or was that giving a job: Handjob, blowjob, thighjob... And if you played your cards right, she did.
But seriously:
Josy: "Yeah, of course there is. I think I will spend that time getting some work experience and earn extra money."
Maya: "That's cool. I never had a summer job...or any job for that matter."
Josy: "This summer I sold strawberries. It was pretty sweet."
Josy: "I basically sat outside listening to music all day and if I sold a lot I got to go home early."
Josy: "I got a great tan from it, too!"
Maya: "It sounds fun!"
Josy: "Why don't you try it this summer?"
Maya: "I don't think my dad would want that."
Josy: "Ok? But it's your choice, isn't it?"
Maya: "Hm... He's pretty fussy about what we do for vacation."
Her whole life has been controlled by her father. She would have basically just given in to his whims most of the time. It's only since he's stopped her seeing Josy that she's starting to fight back.
So it'll take time for her to step out of her "comfort zone" and start doing things like... just get a fucking job!
What's baffling is that there are still people who think you can pay for uni with a part time job.
The mc suggests his 5K is almost enough for 1 semester (Maya's doing a "Social Work Degree"). So 10K a year shouldn't be impossible for a part time job. This actually lines up with real life. The in-state tuition and fees for social work programs is around 10K.
It's not like she's studying medicine...
Yeah, lawyer's are so cheap.
Paying for advice from a lawyer isn't the same thing as paying for one to represent you in court. It'd be less that a thousand dollars for a one off consultation.
The Maya loan is actually very simple, Maya believes she signed a contract that gives her father power over her. Her father is a used car salesman, she got screwed over and didn't even get a car. Is it naive? Yes, is it impossible? No...
Instead of her getting a job, breaking up with Josy, lawyers fixing her problem she is trying to get "free tuition", a choice that already got her (and Josy) into the HOT's, but without any doubt will lead her into a situation she feels her only choice is to have sex with an old man to solve her problems with her dad or seek another escape. (possibly a very bad ending)
Maya's blackmail situation, Quinn's restaurant and Burke's sex for tuition are effectively the same storyline, there's simply not gonna be any story progress if Maya's problem is solved before its time.... The restaurant girls suck happy ever after and Burke will make many girls happy with free tuitions. And we all know it's not gonna be like that...
It's a game, not a legal documentary, Maya believes this is her situation, just believe in Patrick's power of convincing...
If there's a law there's a used car salesman (or a telemarketeer) that knows the way around it...
Absolutely. It works because Maya believes her dad.
In episode 3 Maya had a revelation that her dad was a liar. She was still too naïve that it extended to the details of the loan too.
For all we know, he signed on as the co-signer (which makes sense), the loan was paid out directly to the college for the semester (which is how it typically works), and he's just bullshitting her to scare her into doing what he wants.
How many parents outrightly lie to their children to manipulate them? Too many.
Again the problem is her father, he just will not allow her to have a job, the guy has a key to her room, he's basicly a stalker.
She even tells MC she isn't allowed a job....
The fact that he is stalking her and controlling her to the degree that we see is an obvious red flag in a relationship between a father and his adult daughter.
A "friend" of my parents did that to her son. In the end he became institutionalised; her interference in his life actually caused him to have a mental illness.
Different people react differently to that kind of control. People like Derek rebel, and the father loses all power. More submissive people like Maya just do as they are told and suffer major self confidence issues.
The 'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' at the end of EP8 happens no matter how you play. The same with MC overreaction after Jill's recital, even if your MC is a 'virgin' and kept contact to a minimum with all girls.
It might have been minor in past episodes but the Crossroads episode shit the bed in that regard.
The 'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' scene has now been diluted by the end of the Interlude, to make it a little bit more context specific, but it will be interesting if episode 9 just picks up exactly where episode 8 left off.
I'd hate for us to start up further down the road. I want to see that scene play out properly.
But regarding the "Crossroads", I just played the entire game from scratch this week and it all felt fairly natural.
He has an upset with Maya and Josy and then either forms a relationship with them or accepts them as friends. He's also forms a potentially messy relationship with Bella and Jill (which you can take further or slow down). On the side he's forming a relationship with Sage who's already in another relationship.
Even if you pull out of all the relationship's above, it was pretty fucked up. So by the time the mc is at the recital, and all the girls that he's been making out with (and having significant feelings for) over the course of 3 months come together (except Sage) and start forming friendships, it'd be a little fucking awkward.
My favourite scene with all of this is the "Study!" scene in the library when Jill, Josy and Maya are all talking and getting to know each other and their relationships with the mc and he starts to panic.
