#bae over bay

[pixieshauntedmyjoy]

they are the cutest

[whatsjulietslastname]

Rachel Amber is the ultimate girl’s girl because she literally sent a storm after her death to avenge herself but she made it so her girlfriend and her girlfriend’s girlfriend could go and have their happy gay ending together.

[sorrywh]

Discussions about Max and Chloe's breakup, along with sentiments like "this is disrespectful to fans" and "my Pricefield can't be like this," are bound to persist. It's clear that many fans are frustrated, and while I understand and share the love for Chloe, the overwhelming focus on her is excessive. I am concerned that it will overshadow the actual discussions about Double Exposure itself (the game's characters, their relationships, possible discussions about the development of events). From the outside (to those who could potentially become a part of the fandom), it could seem that in Life Is Strange, only sapphic relationships matter. As sad as it may be, this is further confirmed by the absence of any accompanying materials (books, comics) for LIS2, while True Colors has two (mutually exclusive!!!) sequels that focus solely on the female love interest—one in the form of a book, the other in the form of a comic.

Besides that, Life Is Strange as a franchise has never been limited to a single timeline. The comic Forget-Me-Not took as its basis the timeline with Rachel alive and living together with Chloe. The book Steph's Story directly stated that it's based on the events of bae over bay ending. There is even a whole six-volume comic series concluding its story with Max and Chloe's happily ever after and the restoration of Arcadia Bay, while in Life Is Strange 2, the town destroyed by the tornado remains a mere ghost town.

I don't see that supporters of the sapphic love line have a lack of content—there's space for Pricefield, Amberprice and Chenrich, and I don't see a problem with Deck Nine taking a completely different direction in the development of the characters' relationships.

We just have to wait for this discourse to quiet down, and for discussions about the game itself to become much more prominent. I want to see Life Is Strange as it was 9 years ago - full of discussions, theories, whodunnit guesses, symbolism explanations, and longreads connecting the dots. I've been a fan since the release of the first episode of the first season, and I'm grateful that the franchise is still alive and that new content is still being released.

[chloe-caulfield94]

Double Exposure proves Bae is the right choice

While Double Exposure will factor in the final choice of Season 1 in some capacity, we already know the game will always start the same way.

With Max attempting to rewind time to save Safi's life.

This is very different from the time Max saved Chloe's life in the school bathroom on Monday. Saving Chloe's life, Max had no idea about the potential consequences of rewinding time. Hell, at first she didn't even know she had any power at all and simply reacted instinctively. On Monday, Max made no choice. She had the option to erase her rescue of Chloe on Friday. But rewinding time on Monday she didn't know she could bring about a Storm.

But ten years later, Max is painfully aware that by rewinding time she could cause terrible consequences. Yes, I know her powers evolved in the meantime and conveniently there's not going to be another Storm this time around. But Max learns that only AFTER she attempts to rewind time to save Safi. When Double Exposure Max makes her choice, she decides to rewind time to save a friend's life, knowing full well the potential destructive consequences and accepting them. It's only after she attempts to do so, she ends up in a parallel timeline, instead of the past (and she's still going to attempt to rewrite the past, as she says she has to prevent Safi's murder in both timelines, including the one in which it already happened).

In essence, Max's choice to rewind time to save Safi's life is a repetition of the Bae vs Bay choice. Knowing full well about the potential consequences of time travel, Max had to choose - whether to risk said consequences to save a friend's life or to let that friend die, the fear of consequences preventing her from acting.

And Double Exposure Max, no matter if it's Bae Max or Bay Max, always chooses to act, to rewind time consequences be damned. She chooses not to abandon a friend, no matter what.

It makes perfect sense for Bae Max to attempt to use rewind to save Safi. Because she has already proven she wouldn't be able to stand idly by while a friend is murdered. So Double Exposure Max attempting to use rewind, knowing full well what it might inadvertently bring about, is perfectly consistent with Bae Max's philosophy.

But it makes zero sense for Bay Max to attempt to use rewind. Because she has already proven that the fear of consequences would prevent her from using her power, even to save her "number one priority". That is of course assuming that Bay Max stood by her choice. Because the above-mentioned discrepancy could be easily explained by Bay Max regretting her choice to sacrifice Chloe, concluding she did the wrong thing and being unwilling to repeat the same mistake with Safi.

Bae Max stands by her choice ten years later. She saves Safi's life just like she saved Chloe's. If Bae Max regretted sacrifing Arcadia Bay, she wouldn't attempt to rewind time to save Safi, afraid of destroying another town. But she does attempt to rewind, standing by her previous choice, exhibiting unwavering devotion to friends.

Bay Max clearly regrets her choice to sacrifice Chloe and does a complete 180, choosing to save a friend's life this time around.

Don't you see? When Max is left to her own devices, when she makes the choice, not the player, she chooses to save a friend's life.

Double Exposure confirms something that in my opinion was obvious from the start. If Max, not the player, was tasked with making the final choice, she would save Chloe.

Just listen to what Max ALWAYS says about Chloe, regardless of player choices:

“I'm with you to the end, Chloe. You know that”.

“Sorry San Fransisco. Chloe comes first!”

“Chloe, you���re priceless”.

“I’ll always believe you, Chloe”.

“I never want to hurt you! Ever!”

“I always wanted my life to be special, an adventure. But not without you!”

“You are my number one priority now! You are all that matters to me!”

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. I have to save Chloe!”

“Nobody is going to hurt Chloe ever again!”

“William, I just want you to know that whatever happens, I'll always be here for Chloe”.

“Because I will never abandon you, Chloe. I'll always have your back”.

"I'll miss Chloe more than the rest of Arcadia Bay combined. It's not even close".

Unexpectedly, Double Exposure settled the Bae vs Bay debate for good. Max would choose the Bae. When she was left to make the same choice with Safi, independently of any player input, she chose the Bae.

[longmaxsilvarg]

just think that it's maybe like really kinda a tiny bit cruel that chloe and joyce don't get to be together no matter what ending

[scenegloomy]

there’s a storm outside. max caulfield. which blue haired lesbian’s death did you prevent this time.

[obi-wokenobi]

Life is Strange creator, Michel Koch, has had his patience tested on Twitter by some fans...

This toxic reply motivated Mr. Koch to say something that raised some eyebrows:

He was not being serious, tho:

Toxic fans need to chill out, g'damn!

[krysto-art]

"Max… you okay?" It was Chloe. I'd somehow made my way unsteadily through the trees to where she sat. A blue jay scratched at the ground nearby, its brilliant plumage matching her short blue-dyed hair. "No... I don't know," I replied, my voice cracking.

I stood on the bluff, letting the sea breeze fill my lungs as I gazed up the coastline, hoping for a glimpse of Arcadia Bay.

TV and rescue helicopters circled like gnats in the far distance.

All was quiet except for the wind and the faint rolling surf below. Even the animals had fallen silent.

I gasped in surprise as Chloe's arms encircled me from behind. Distracted as I was, I hadn't heard her come over. She let out a soft breath and rested her chin on my shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered.

****

I finished this a few years ago. Rough pencils with digital colours done in Sketchbook on my phone.

The mini story is from a fanfic I wrote in 2015 (kristos on ao3)

[chipitu0]

they can never make me hate you please come back

[4-ndr0meda]

[awesomecoolswaggirl]

i used to be a firm sacrifice chloe defender. now i’m a sacrifice arcadia bay girlie. it’s true character development at its finest

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

save chloe // save sean

(inspired by this)

[whatsjulietslastname]

Headcanon that Max became kinda paranoid after the Storm, so each single time the weather was a little violent and each single time Chloe broke her arm or was a bit sick she thought it was the universe finally trying to get its revenge and she grew a little more clingy around those times because she didn’t wanna lose Chloe again.

[sophiearts97]

went back to this game... ouch

added one more pic hehe

[snkpit]

Happy Bae over Bay day! the storm is coming and i know who im choosing.

[4paralleluniversesahead]

Storm Week in Arcadia Bay

October 7th- Chrystalis

October 8th-Out of Time

October 9th-Chaos Theory

October 10th-Dark room

October 11th-Polarized

This working week was the timeframe in which the first life is strange game took place 11 years ago (Oct.7th 2013-Oct.11th 2013).

Although this game has a lot of GLARING issues i still love it a lot for it's aesthetic,characters and cheezy millenial humour. I don't know why but i will always love this game despite how 'bad' it is from various standpoints there's just something special about it

(bae over bay sorry Warren)