I like your idea but I don't think that the rumors and gossip are a thought out plan to tarnished Nika reputation
Well, let's not put it past Ocean. As much as we talk about things being plausible, he will stretch what is probable to fit his agenda. We already know the cabin is located too far to drive to for a day trip, but close enough to walk to. Compared to that, rumours will be Ocean's 'get out of jail free' card. "How did they knoy THAT? ...oh right that person in the background ...rumours." It's quite a clever mechanism. Any important event, we'll have to think, what it professor plub or colonel mustard?
As far as Nika's reputation, there are parallel lines in the game concerning that. One is Nika is going to be a rising star of the team, so he'll be exposed to public scrutiny, triggering panic attacks etc. What better way to expose him to panic attacks than rumours he has no control over? He suffers one in the middle of an important game maybe? Then there is is record, he's been charged, even if the charges were dropped. Ceril has it out for Bella, rumours (such as assault or theft) will give her excuses to investigate Nika. Reputation will confirm her suspicions to start tracking him.
And don't forget Emilio deals in rumours. He sends Desiree out to dig up dirt, she's there behind the reporter.
Robin and Nika, it could well be any of these, even Robin herself, but I remember that she was as surprised as Nika when they mentioned the rumors.
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As for Nora, I would even be surprised if there weren't some rumors kkkkkk.
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As for Sai, it could be anyone, including Sai himself, just to burn Nika.
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Looking at each independently is wise, I don't think there's a specific orchestrator of a smear campaign (although Sasha's 'maybe he did deserve it' comment about Nika getting locked up suggests some people have axes to grind.
First instance - there can always be someone else listening in. It'd just be poor form. Nora is likely to start rumours just by speaking anyway, even if Miriam tells her off. Nora probably wouldn't consider it gossip, because she's telling the facts ...she's intentionally designed as a character to be flighty, ditzy and loose lipped. But we know Robin mentioned it herself to people at the bookclub, so there's the chance that the rumours have multiple sources.
Second instance, yeah, can't imagine any of them signed non disclosure agreements. JUst a guy being locked in the locker rooms would be enough to joke about and be in their social media feeds. Surprised there's no post on aurora of Nika in handcuffs yet.
Last, consider that Bella's absence is noted by the girls, and that's a pretty minor thing, but her going out with Nika is an established fact without NIka, Nami or Bella having said anything publicly - except for Nika at the bar, talking with Ayua, Trey, Jeff, Damian - oh and Robin's there. So imagine Sai turns up with a face looking like a split tomato, and Nika's got a split lip. Even NOra will put two and two together. Even if no one has seen it other than those, everyone would be asking Sai what happened, just like they asked Nika. And Jeff knows about it from the hallway moment and the bar talk. So there's no NDA's here either, and people don't need to see the event to start a rumour.
Nika has the option to press both Maja and Robin for favors. At this point, I suspect he'll cash them in to aid one of his various plots/schemes, rather than asking for sexual favors.
Nadia also owes a favour depending on your choices (ie not on Bella's path):
What if one of these plots is to indict Mario's father for alleged abuse? Nika looks like a fool, but the crazy guy is intelligent and he only didn't take revenge on Bella because she is an ally.
Well, with what Bella writes on Mario's car, the whole basic plot to get Stefan cucking Mario, it's already decided that Nika and Bella are trying to do that in some form.
Further on that, from WiaB we know the Holgerson's had a 'paper' business, and the parents were resisting digitising it. I suspect paper means newspaper, not a paper mill. That might mean the reporter is Stefan's employee.
You know, we don't have that many options at all.
Either it's all five together or one of the five or Robin or possibly this mysterious ''thingy'' + or another one of the crazy theories, namely Robin + (Sasha Clique).
This whole discussion about this rumor has brought to my attention a certain thing that I haven't noticed before.
Namely, we're not really dealing with two cases of rumors spreading, both of them optional, but three.
The question that bothers me is who spread the rumor that Nika one-punched Sai and was close to sending him to the hospital. Let's think about who knew about this
It's doubtful that Sai and his gang would go around the College talking about how Nika kicked his ass
Bella doesn't give a damn about these types of situations
The only additional people who saw the confrontation happen are Sasha and her Redhead friend so what? this mysterious ''thingy'' again or Redhead is actually a troublemaker or another crazy theory Redhead + (Sasha Clique)
And finally the third rumor, namely Nika and Nora
Each of them saw what really happened and there was no sex. And again the whole group is spreading lies together, either one of them or again this mysterious ''thingy''. But again does anyone stand out from them?
It stands out in the case where we assume that we are dealing with one and the same person.
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The design of the tattoo is different, but it may be, as Bob once mentioned, Ocean's imperfection. It is also worth noting that she is visible in one of the previews during the visit to the student house, which automatically reminds us of her connections with Robin, and of course Sasha's trademark painted white hair.
So again the mysterious third angel + (Sasha Clique)
What am I getting at? Namely, that the only thing that connects these three instances of rumor-mongering is the fact that in each of these events there is at least one person present who was seen during that memorable supposedly accidental sit-down in the cafeteria.
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What is the actual effect of spreading these rumors?
In isolation, we focus on a single event, so Nika had sex with Robin in the bathroom, Nika almost sent Sai to the hospital, Nika had sex with Nora. But as a series of events and rumors, it makes all of this only and exclusively about Nika, portraying him as one of the bigger Chads and bad guys in College.
Why and for what long-term purpose they would do this I have no idea, but this discussion about rumors brought to my mind this series of connections resulting in this twisted theory about who is supposedly behind spreading these gossips
Halfway through this reply, I realised I should mention there are more rumours. Kate already calls Bella Nika's girlfriend the night after they go to the diner (if you get that locker room scene because you didn't kiss Bella). Vanessa also knows things. And not all rumours will be based on Nika.
We also assume Emilio is on our side, but we don't know anything about Emilio other than he's for hire these days, which presumably means he's had a falling out with the Zanes.
If you look at the set of Season 2 renders that Ocean released in dev log #15, there is one entitled "Shadowy figures" that shows a female looking at and/or eavesdropping on a group of four other females. The female wears a baseball cap turned backwards...
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Could the baseball cap wearer in both these renders be the same person? Does the dev log #15 preview render tell us anything about that person? i.e. is she someone who listens in from the background and spreads rumors? I know this is wild speculation, but, hey, why not?
And for all we know, her character exists only to gossip with her smirks. But if this is the grey dyed version of the brunette we saw earlier with Sasha, she talks with Coates in the mensa. So she might actually have a serious plot.
Did she really tell? Because we know how gossip spreads very quickly among women, maybe one of the women involved in the bathroom told her friend, and that's how it spread.
Oh and I missed this one:
So we don't know which rumour, but given Robin's embarrassment, it's probably the one about her, so yes, she did dpill the beans.