Just played through the demo. Firstly, it's truly mind-boggling what you've managed to achieve in real-time using a slim selection of Ren'Py shaders, Carrot! Some of the stuff, like the introduction sequence, would be done as video in other VNs. But here? Pseudo-3D effects, picture-in-picture animation, and such fluidity that it was just as much a joy to read as it was to watch.
The group dynamics are gloriously set up almost immediately. From the "brothers from another mother" duo of Ze and Grady trying to touchdown poor Gum into an apple bucket to wash off their hair dye to the pillow fight to the glorious gadfly who is Grandma Marsh, this was a great read, and I can't wait for things to go downhill so I can feel all the horror feelings.
Also, is it just me, or is Gum written like Iggy 2.0? The two are definitely different and their trajectories are clearly different from each of their beginnings, yet they share some suspicious similarities, namely an introvert struggling in their chosen field and have been out-of-contact with their friends for awhile. Not complaining, just asking. :D