Thanks Peder!
Now that I'm practically done with Emerald City Confidential, I've had a LOT more time to work on Blackwell. Here are examples of how all the new backgrounds, sprites, and portraits all work together:

Joey gets asked a difficult question.

Nishanthi is back, frequenting art galleries, and gossiping about Rosa.

Rosa attempts to develop a sense of humor, with flat results.

A job well done.