MC (Zenith): I Can't Believe I Kissed Him...

MC (Zenith): I can't believe I kissed him...

MC (Atlas): Can't be worse then when me and my lover(s) first kissed.

MC (Zenith): Didn't you thank them?

MC (Atlas): I thanked them.

Purple = Our Life: Now & Forever

Blue = Our Life: Beginnings & Always

ello! I was wondering if I could request an idea I had for "Our Life: Now & Forever" step 1.

No worries if you can't, just wanted to place it in.

So, what if MC/the reader (demi-girl or nonbinary, either work) was actually 13 when they arrived in Golden Grove, while Tamarack and Qiu are ten. They still look for whoever through the paper airplane, cause they're angry at the person, but the anger went away when meeitng Tamarack.

Basically MC becomes like an older sibling to the two, and meets the boys club when going to the classroom to bring Tamarack home (Granny/Omi asked MC to.) And yeah, that's it!

Like I said, no worries if you don't wanna write it. Thanks either way.

Working on this now! Thank you for your request! It should be out by 6am EST!

For those of you still waiting for your requests- please be patient! Some of them I can't do until either a question is answered or I can't do it until I finish getting through the step 2 preview of OL:N&F so I can better connect to the characters. Thank you! ^^

👀 a plus-sized love interest in a game? please tell me more

yuuuup you heard me right

in our life 2, one of the romanceable leads is plus-sized and the other lead starts off using he/him pronouns but comes out as genderfluid part way though the story

our life as a game essentially functions as a visual novel that takes place during your early childhood (step 1), preteen/early teen days (step 2), young adult (step 3) and then finally with step 4 adulthood where you and your extremely customizable mc (that you can name, customize the hair color/texture of, change your pronouns throughout the story if you desire, if they're ace or not, the kinds of people they're interested in, etc. etc) as you grow up with your friends, family and of course the leads whom you can either have a purely platonic, romantic or familial relationship with

basically, everyone gets a piece of the pie as the game is incredibly inclusive and the base games are free, you only pay for the dlcs (which are about 3.99/4.99 each) if you want additional content

in our life 1 the primary love interest is cove holden, your shy but 'opens up like a flower when you get to know him childhood friend' whose dad offers you $20 bucks to befriend his son over the summer, will you take the money? or nah? whether or not you do, you do have the choice to tell him or keep it a secret. either way, cove is a lonely kid in love with mermaids and the ocean whose parents are going through a divorce and maybe a special kid born and raised in sunset bird can help him out. (canonically on the autism spectrum as well)

but with some fairly priced dlcs, you can also unlock two more love interests

derek suarez: oldest of 3 brothers and while playful, he means very well. sometimes that well-meaning nature can get him into trouble though. he has a crush on the mc and if given the chance, asks if you're both single as adults if you can get married. you mainly get acquainted with him in step 2 as step 3 he's a bit too busy to be around, but depending on your choices you can stay in touch despite all that or perhaps you'll lose touch over time only to rekindle old feelings in step 4.

and baxter ward: an eccentric but extremely charming tourist that comes to sunset bird in step 3 with a penchant for dressing in black and white all the time. if you choose to get close to him, he asks if it's possible if he can be your suitor for the season (it's possible, through a moment in step 2 to meet baxter earlier than his intended proper introduction though). either way, you do have a chance to take things to a more permanent relationship in step 4 when you reunite once again when you've become a bridemaid for a wedding and oh shit baxter is the wedding planner

ol1 takes place in a fictional town called sunset bird which is essentially a touristy seaside retirement community. you're raised by your two moms along with your sister liz, the both of you being adopted.

also, this game is told through various summers in your life.

our life 2, on the other hand, takes place in a completely different fictional town called golden grove located in oregon (baxter's hometown) and there are 2 base leads you can romance (idk if there will be anymore though):

qiu "autumn" lin: to start, qiu is very charming and that leads to him being very popular in step 1. he's the guy everyone adores to the point each semester there's a 'who gets to sit next to qiu' chart so it's all fair. by step 2 though, they're going through their emo phase and if you aren't close to them by that time (or choose that you stopped being friends between steps 1 and 2), then as far as they're concerned you're just another face in the crowd. by step 3 though, they're back to the charming rizzler they were back in step 1

(step 4 designs/info not out yet for for ol2)

and tamarack baumann: who starts as a bit of a wild child in step 1. she prefers to the forest to the city and can spend all day there. she's blunt and can be loud, but she has your back from day 1. by step 2 though, all that self-assured confidence where she knew herself is gone and tamarack is considerably shyer and more awkward. she can find solace in your friendship though should your promise to be friends forever in step 1 still hold out. by step 3, she's evolved into a quietly confident grandma friend

also contrast to the first game, ol2's story is told throughout various autumns of your life.

you and your mom are a solo duo who have recently moved into golden grove about a week after tamarack (a fellow new kid! it makes it easier for you to connect with her), your mom being a single mom by choice through ivf (but it's strongly hinted that a waiter at the local diner (born intersex, assigned female then transitioned into male) is into her and i am MANIFESTING MY ASS OFF they get together at some point). ol2 also will have a poly feature that comes in the game for those who wish to be committed to both of the leads!

the leads themselves are all pansexual, leading to them being able to date your character regardless of gender and sexual identities and are just extremely wholesome and lovely overall. i always play them whenever i need a mood boost. between the two though, ol2 is not yet done BUT there is a demo of step 1 out right now on itch.io and steam

it's a fun game where all your choices matter and are referred throughout the game as a 'hey remember when yn and cove tried running away from home? that was such a nightmare' or 'hey i met you! a few years back at the summer soiree! wow, if anything had gone slightly different, we might not have even met then' or even 'yo remember when we spent that summer doing beach cleanup??? we should do that again'

even the side characters you grow up with or become acquainted with throughout the steps have journeys from either transitioning and identifying with different pronouns than they were initially introduced with or pursuing specific degrees at school, moving away and either you stayed in contact or hell maybe it's one of those situations where a friend of yours moved away and you never heard from them again etc etc. the ol universe also extends partly into the universe of the xoxo droplets game (made by the same team and also free, unless you wanna pay for the paid version with 3 more romanceable leads and a mc with a hilariously unique personality) with some characters from that game making cameos as childhood encounters in ol. it's all really fun! i really recommend giving the game a try, you'll fall in love with sunset bird and golden grove i guarantee it

you can have a peaceful run with the normal amount of growing pains, or you can go full novela and have lots of drama and flair but rest happily knowing that in ol everything ends up working out. your mc can be shy or bold and out going in one step and then be completely the opposite in the next. maybe you have a very biting attitude or maybe you're extremely gullible. you can change it up with each run, it's extremely replayable

can't stress enough how much i love this game and the characters in it

What are your OL 1 & 2 OCs 👀

Okay- thank you for asking. I've been dying to ramble a bit about them for awhile.

So- I've only drawn out my OL2 oc once (a second is in the works). But their name is Atlas Emerson. My OL1 OC's name is Zenith Collins.

Zenith Info:

They were born female and used (she/her) in step 1, (all pronouns) in step 2, and then decided on (they/them, masc leaning) in step 3. They came out as genderfluid openly in step 3, but also declared a preference for words like 'sir' instead of 'ma'am'. They're average height and weight most of their life, but started gaining slight muscle definition in step 2 & 3. By the end of step 3, they were toned but not as much as Cove was. (They use a chest binder and sports bras, but they got their uterus removed for medical reasons.)

They've got hazel-green eyes and dirty blonde hair, which over time changed to be more of a brunette color in the future (after which they dyed the front half black, and got a matching nose piercing with Noelani).

Zenith's original name was Astra, something Pamela picked out during the adoption process. Noelani helped them pick out Zenith later on when they didn't feel connected to the name anymore. They've always been ever so slightly closer with Noelani then Pam, which was due to her more relaxed nature while Pam was far more protective which was slightly overwhelming for them.

When Z met Cove the first thing they noticed was how soft his hair looked, as they sat next to him and called him 'space cadet'. Their interest in space was obvious as their denium jacket had embroidered constellations on the back and space themed patches and pins on the front and arms. Eventually when Cliff and their moms were heard in the distance they didn't say anything, just gave him their jacket with a gentle smile before calling out for the adults. If they hadn't of heard Noelani's worry through her voice they wouldn't have said a single thing, knowing what it was like to be overwhelmed by a new situation.

Step 1 was purely childhood friendship, but step 2 they developed a crush on Cove. They damn near slapped the shit outta Jermey for calling Cove's eyebrows weird that one time, and at the party? Ohhh they wanted to make him eat some serious dirt. Their relationship with Derek was slightly strained by his feelings for them, an awkward tension obvious between them.

Oml- the family trip. Snuggling together in the overhead loft, it was their first time being the one to engage in excessive physical contact with Cove. The shockwaves that went through their touch starved form, they don't like being touched often, when he held them close only secured their feelings even more. Finding out about the anklet thing and immediately ordering some to the house for when they got back. Subtly saying that they really liked his hair, how it'd look good long and admitting his scar was another thing they enjoyed about him.

The kiss after Step 2 caused a chain reaction between the two, both flustered messes- too embarrassed to talk to each other alone for about a week.

They got together finally in Step 3 (Cove asked), and Zenith started surfing again (a hobby they dropped so Cove from step 1 wouldn't be left out). They ate shit a few times near coral reefs, gaining small scars litering their arms, legs, and sides. Step 3 patreon bonus moment happened, but it was only that once. They both decided it wasn't a necessary thing for their relationship, but knew they could talk to each other if either of them needed it.

Zenith chose to do online university to stay close- double majoring in writing, and astrology as they worked for Noelani's boutique- helping her expand her horizons into gender neutral formal wear.

Step 4 Zenith proposes to Cove, by the tree surrounded by white poppies. Wedding was held in large white poppy field, after party was held in the aquarium. Honeymoon was booked to take place in Greenland- at the blue lagoon.

Atlas Info:

Once again they were born female and used she/her pronouns until step 2 which they changed it to they/them and came out at nonbinary. They're a tall, slender, kid and remain tall their entire life- despite developing curves due to their originally assigned gender. (They get a top reduction by step 3 and a chosen uterus removal by step 4. Periods suck.)

Their eyes are two slightly different shades of blue and blue-gray, it's almost unnoticeable. BUT their hair is their most defining feature. The front half is a darker cranberry then their moms, while the back half is a golden-brown which they got from the donor their mom got. The donor had green eyes- but the blue came from his side of the family as well.

Before moving to Golden Grove (GG), them and their momma lived in a crowded city- similar to New York. Traffic was hectic, nights were loud, stars impossible to see, yada yada.

About a year and a half (they were 9) before they moved to GG they got pulled into an alley way and mugged at knife point while headed to school. It's how they got their scar on their neck, which they keep covered with turtle necks, scarfs, and band-aids.

When Opal found out about the incident she became overprotective and determined to find a job or promotion to get out of the city, til that happened she insisted that she accompanied Atlas to and from school daily.

After to moving to the small town of Golden Grove, they meet Qiu first- feeling comforted by his soft and friendly demeanor, this led to them being fast friends. Bonding over their mutual love of writing, sketching, and playfully teasing their friends.

When they met Tamarack they were slightly freaked out, anxious after she jumped out from the leaf piles- but slowly calmed down when they realized she was just a tiny, happy-go-lucky kid. When discovering her innocent nature they quickly adapted to being very protective of her, willingly becoming the scary dog friend of the group.

During step 2 they are a comfort for their two friends, but also a sheild from them from everyone/everything else. If someone picks on Tamarack? They're getting their ass beat. Someone annoys Autumn just a bit too much? They'll have a word with said person, scare 'em off. However- because of them taking care of their friends more than themself they unintentionally cause internal damage to their mental health, especially with the unresolved trauma from before they moved here.

Step 3 is when the roles get reversed, "their candle has burnt out, and they need someone else to guide their way." During this step Tam and Aut convince them to start going to therapy, eventually getting diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, Generalized Anxiety, and Bodily Dsymorphia. Another thing that happens because of going to therapy and talking with the two alot more without drama, they start to realize they've got feelings for them both and don't know what to do.

Sadly- that's about all I got rn for them since the game's not done yet, so their story may change once the game comes out.

Hi! The thing I was doing of Zenith & Atlas is done, but I'll post it later this evening! Gotta get back to work for right now! ^^

Lmao- I can imagine at first nobody knew the dragon was a person until they took Cove.

Like I can picture a scene of the kidnapping where Cliff is holding an event- maybe for his son to find a suitor or a welcome home party for Kyra. And Dragon!MC, in their human-ish form barges in and just takes him.

Internally they're probably like:

MC: "Pretty prince. He's mine now. Gotta bring to the rest of my hoard. New center piece. Protect pretty boy."

Cove: "The fuck is goin on and why is this half-reptile person kidnapping me? WHY ARE THEY ATTRACTIVE?! Oh my god..."

Okay hear me out for a second-

Prince!Cove and Dragon-Shifter!MC.

It's got the forbidden romance, it's got possible spice, it's got Cove being gorgeous (as always), and- now hold on a second and let me cook. Baxter as a knight sent to 'save' Cove only to see him absolutely whipped for the dragon keeping him away from home.

YOURE ONTO SMTH

dragon mc: *turning every knight that tries to fight them into crisp* cove: *watching thru the window, kicking his feet like a school girl*

he'd be so confused as to why baxter is here, like literally get outta here and stop interrupting yalls alone time!!! or go fight and give him a show, there hasnt been that many knights trying to save him lately, its getting boring....