#moment: baxter step 4

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

I'm really sorry if this has been asked before! I was wondering what the differences were in the initiative level for Baxter. How much does this change things and what changes etc.

I haven't answered this one, no! :D

Step 3

Sightseeing

N/A

Hang

On low/medium initiative or Fond, if the MC does not have the same ice cream as Baxter and wants to share, they have the option of tipping the ice cream towards him or handing it off to him. On high initiation and Crush (it has to be both), Baxter will hold the MC's wrist and eat directly from their hand automatically.

If the MC does not have the same ice cream as Baxter, agrees to taste his, and Baxter's ice cream is the cartoon face popsicle, he'll pass it to the MC on low/medium initiative or Fond, but will hold it out to the MC on both high initiative and Crush.

If the MC spreads their arms to Baxter for a hug after the sprinklers event, there's an extra line about the MC resting their arms comfortably around his waist on both medium/high initiative and Crush. Baxter will always thank them for their thoughtfulness and body heat, but on both high initiative and Crush only specifically, he'll lean in towards the MC's ear first.

Drinks

On high initiative and Crush, the MC will reach out for Baxter when he's distressed over having left his wallet at home, though they'll stop short since they don't want to push him.

Mountain

On Crush, medium/high initiative, and not dating Cove, the MC will adjust the collar of Baxter's khaki shirt after he tells the story of how he got it and after the MC responds. They'll brush his neck in the process, leading to Baxter flushing pink.

If the MC teased Baxter over the khaki shirt (either the blackmail, "beige isn't your color," or theft options), he'll tell them that no one will believe them regardless, but squeeze their shoulder on medium/high initiative specifically.

When having lunch with Baxter, he will lay down on the flat rock on low/medium initiative or Fond, but will lay against the MC on both high initiative and Crush instead.

If the option You followed after him. was chosen after Baxter goes to walk across the trunk, Baxter's shirt will get caught on a branch; the MC will unhook it instead of him doing it himself on medium/high initiative and Crush.

If the MC chose to climb onto the trunk with Baxter and gets unsteady or starts wobbling wildly, Baxter will catch the MC's sleeve on low initiative or Fond, but will take them by the shoulders on medium/high initiative and Crush.

Planning

If the MC chooses to take a cheeky lick off the whisk, Baxter will tell them to be careful regardless, but on low/medium initiative or Fond, the MC will give the whisk back and he'll "betray" them by taking a lick too, whereas on high initiative and Crush, he'll swipe frosting from the side of the MC's mouth and eat it.

If the MC disapproved of Baxter's drinking by telling him it was a bad idea, on low/medium initiative or Fond he'll simply state that it wouldn't be the first bad idea he's had and it won't be his last either (with the MC concluding that they should mind their own business), but on both high initiative and Crush, he says a similar line, but, well... I don't think any summary I can give will do it justice (I'll just say that he uses the word punishment with emphasis and, by the end, the MC is left no longer thinking about his underage drinking).

If the option By this point, even your fumes were running on fumes. was chosen after the alarm for the cupcakes in the freezer goes off, then when the MC is led back to their home by Baxter, they'll recall the gentle sound of his voice guiding them on low/medium initiative, but on high initiative they'll recall the gentle touch of his hand on their back.

Step 4

Baking Cake Scene

After the frosting is dyed gray during the cake-making scene, on low initiative or Fond Baxter will merely wipe it from his fingers, but on medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, he'll reach to wipe off the MC's fingers before stopping himself.

After Baxter tells the story about his dyed hair, on low initiative and Crush/Love, Baxter will look at the MC's hand but close his fist rather than doing anything, but on medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, he'll lightly press his fingers to the MC's arm.

After the discussion of the MC sleeping over, only if the MC is on both Crush/Love and medium/high initiative, and was not upset with Baxter after meeting him again, he'll raise his hand towards the MC as if to touch their hand, but think better of it and pat the MC's arm (there's another option in the code but I think it's a mistake/looking for an incorrect flag).

The Morning After the Sleepover But Pre-Wedding

When Baxter is heading out for the wedding after dropping the MC off, he'll tell them that he'll see them later regardless, but on medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, he'll catch them by the elbow when doing so and give their arm a slight squeeze before letting go.

MC's Wedding Confession

On high initiative, Baxter will automatically take the MC's hand on the way back to meet with the others, otherwise it is a narration-less choice by the MC.

MC's Morning Confession

When Baxter collapses dramatically onto the couch, the MC will sit next to him on medium/high initiative, but give him space by taking the opposite end on low initiative.

On medium/high initiative, Baxter will automatically kiss the MC, otherwise he only suggests it and leaves it up to them instead.

Some time after Baxter details Jude and Scott's worry about him, he'll cup the MC's cheek on medium/high initiative only. Baxter will move his hand to thread his fingers through the MC's as well on medium/high initiative, but it can also be any initiative so long as a kiss has happened.

Baxter will kiss the top of the MC's hand only on high initiative.

When Baxter talks about being a "morning romance person," the MC will laugh and squeeze his hand on medium/high initiative, or any initiative if they've kissed.

Meeting With Xavier

When Baxter and the MC are with Xavier, they are referred to as "two people sitting comfortably side by side" on low initiative or Fond and "two people/a couple (depending on if they're dating) sitting snugly" on medium/high initiative and Crush/Love.

After Meeting With Both the Moms and Xavier

When Baxter brings up the topic of going dancing with the MC, he'll assure that the MC doesn't need to dance with him (meaning touching him) on low initiative or Fond. On both medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, he will instead talk later about finally having a partner to dance with.

Baxter and MC Going Out to Dance

If a Direct MC dresses glamorously, they will tell Baxter that they "learned from the best," laughing teasingly on low/medium initiative but teasingly nudging him on high initiative.

When Baxter is leading the MC through the dark, he will automatically take their hand on high initiative, whereas the MC can choose whether he does or not on low/medium initiative.

If the MC is on Crush/Love, is dancing together with Baxter, and is on medium/high initiative, Baxter tightens his grip and pulls them up to his chest (with the MC thinking about how unnecessary it was, in a good way).

If the MC is on high initiative and dating Baxter, he will automatically cup their face, touch, and kiss them, whereas the kiss is a choice by the MC on low/medium initiative.

Baxter and MC in the Office Room

If the MC chooses to sit next to Baxter, he'll cozy closer to their side on medium/high initiative.

Baxter's Confession (assuming the MC accepts his confession)

On medium/high initiative, Baxter will automatically kiss the MC, otherwise he only suggests it and leaves it up to them instead.

Some time after Baxter details Jude and Scott's worry about him, he'll cup the MC's cheek on medium/high initiative only. After that, he will also kiss the top of the MC's hand, but only on high initiative.

Intimacy Scene

If the MC chose to kiss Baxter, he will eventually place his hand on their thigh on low initiative, but outright rake his hand up their leg on medium/high initiative.

If the MC chose to smack Baxter's behind, they'll give him an extra squeeze on middle/high initiative (provided they weren't embarrassed with themselves by their smack).

Baxter and MC's Last Night and Morning Together Before the MC Has to Leave

If the MC is sleeping with Baxter, he'll wrap their arms around them on middle/high initiative.

Continuing from above, after the MC wakes up the morning after, they will stroke Baxter's head on medium/high initiative. When Baxter wakes up and he and the MC linger in bed, there will be contented sighs on low initiative but contented kisses on medium/high initiative.

Baxter Going Out Into the Water

If the MC went out with Baxter to feel the water, he will instinctively reach for their wrist on both medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, then cautiously let go.

Continuing from above, when Baxter starts feeling more confident, Baxter will hold hands with the MC if they're dating him on high initiative, otherwise it is choice-based.

The Party

Baxter will automatically ask the MC for a dance on medium/high initiative and Crush/Love, but otherwise the MC has to prompt it.

Once outside with Baxter, after he talks about being less frightened/skittish with people than he imagined he could be, he will meet the MC's gaze on low initiative or Fond, otherwise meeting their gaze and holding their hand if they're dating or pressing his hand to their arm if they're not.

When Baxter is about to make his promise to visit the MC on his break, he will kiss their hand if they're dating and also on medium/high initiative.

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

*jazz hands*

After replaying OLBA for the umpteenth time

I have found it

The proof we all were searching for

And shared it with @differenteagletragedy

The holy grail has been located

BAXTER ALEXANDER WARD HAS DIMPLES: CONFIRMED

[kimbapisnotsushi]

baxter dlc sure was something

[gifti3]

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

OC x Canon Week 2025 Day 6 — Hug from Behind + Floral/Animal Print & ("Jealous much?")

Anyways! Here's the next piece for @theocxcanonweek

Game: Our Life: Beginnings & Always Characters: China Schuyler x Cove Holden (ft. Baxter Ward}

tfw your new girlfrend's boyfriend is still salty with you for your past transgressions...

Ngl, sometimes I feel like Cove is just a soundboard for all my strongest impulses 🤣 I love him so dearly and I get a very distinct joy from watching Baxter's struggle to get on his good side.

He's definitely going to have to work harder this time around for that approval rating, though. After Step 3, Baxter's popularity score plummeted into the negatives amongst Ai's family and friends 😂 I'm sure he appreciates that she's still got a positive opinion of him, but I'm also sure he probably thinks her regard is severely misplaced!

What can she do 🤷‍♂️ the girl just loves who she loves, okay?

Anyways, I imagine this moment is not too long after the Step 4 confession. Terry and Miranda may have saved Baxter from a bruised jaw, sure, but certainly not a bruised ego LOL

A/N: If you look closely, you can see that Baxter isn't too impressed with Cove right now either! 🤣

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

isn't (s)he lovely?

cw. f!reader, step 4+ (pre!olnf release), established relationship, pure fluff

pairing. baxter x reader

synopsis. "it's a lot more golden in the fall," baxter chuckles. (or, your boyfriend of 3 years takes you to his hometown)

notes. a christmas present for my glorious queen @cafedanslanuit. to think we really became besties over a commission from ages ago. we've gone through our fandoms and our recommendations, so i wanted to give you a nice little holiday surprise. enjoy the rest of your trip in germany! this took so long to edit because tora kept interrupting TuT

"For a town called Golden Grove it isn't very gold."

"My hometown is a lot more golden in the fall," Baxter chuckles, brown eyes meeting yours playfully. "You'll see the next time we come here. It'll live up to the name then."

He squeezes your hand and you squeeze back, enjoying the summer-hued warmth in your chest. There's a stark contrast in the summer of Oregon and the summer of Southern California. What Sunset Bird lacks in trees Golden Grove more than makes up. It's hard to imagine spending summer here when you're more than accustomed to waves and sand at your every turn.

Here, green eaves and shade reign supreme.

"Yes, the diner's name is an intended pun. My parents never ate there but I would on occasion with my friends."

"This used to be a barber shop, believe it or not."

"We should stop by the park before we head to Qiu's place; we used to ride our bikes there. Renee and Qiu always had to have a race."

He tells you about Qiu Lin, the charismatic ringleader of the long gone Boys Club. The one who glued everyone together with how they seamlessly looked to include everyone. How the two of them learned at the same dance hall, although Qiu's interests lied in ballet rather than ballroom.

He tells you more in-depth about Renee Murray. You'd been aware of her first before even the other friends Baxter told you about. It had all been thanks to Instagram recommending her account to Baxter as someone he may potentially know. Sure enough, she had been although she'd look completely different than when Baxter saw her last.

He even tells you about Tamarack and Nyla, the girlfriends turned fiancees who had moved to Golden Grove around the same time in their youth. He'd never been quite as close to them but things are clearly looking up as he'd been planning their wedding presently.

All friends you'd be meeting in person once his tour of Golden Grove finally came to an end.

His anecdotes make you nostalgic for a time that has never been your own.

You try to imagine it, Baxter as a young boy running down the streets of the town as he points out his various haunts. Hair not quite black and a band of friends he enjoyed the company of. You wonder briefly if it's selfish of you to wish you'd met then before the pain and insecurities set in? If that would have made anything different?

Maybe there could have been another sad boy in Sunset Bird if his parents ever decided to rent a condo. They certainly had the funds for one, all things considered.

There could have been many summers shared between you both if things had been just a little different. More times you could have run through sprinklers hand in hand, unaware that Sunset Bird was short on trees and ice cream trucks. We should find another one while we're out here! Make an inter-state tradition.

It isn't that selfish, is it?

"Things happen as they're supposed to," you can hear Lee telling you. "Live in the moment! Have fun and all that jazz!"

She isn't wrong but you decide it's fine to wish Baxter had been another one of your childhood friends. You'd spent enough of your life being selfless enough to justify wishful thinking. In another life, you'd choose him again. You release a soundless breath with a smile, watching as Baxter's eyes light up with familiarity and fondness at a weathered convenience store. "Did I ever tell you about this Snack Master game we used to play as kids?"

"I haven't heard this story, no." You brace yourself eagerly.

He's beautiful when he looks down at you, hand on the small of your back as you step closer to the store's window. His grin is wide and from this close you can see the tracest hints of his natural hair color. He isn't quite ready to let go of the tradition he's maintained since he was 14. You'll wait patiently for the day he potentially decides he is. "We'd play rock-paper-scissors," he doesn't note on the familiarity of the store clerk, so you wonder if the cashier has changed in the years since he moved. "The winner would have to buy snacks for everyone before we went out somewhere."

At his humorous expression, you can already predict where your boyfriend's story is heading. "Let me guess, you played 'rock'." You almost dare him to tell you otherwise. That there was, even if it was brief, a period of time your boyfriend played anything but 'rock'. His snort tells you otherwise. "Seriously?" You chortle in disbelief. It's all too easy to imagine a younger Baxter unabashedly. "Even back then?!"

Even Baxter can't help a chuckle at the absurdity, "I'm consistent. You said I was a stereotypical earth sign."

You roll your eyes, leaning into him with another chuckle. "Yes but even then? For this long? Why not through in 'scissors' or a 'paper' from time to time to spice things up; keep people on their toes."

"Would I be Baxter Ward if I did otherwise?" Pecan brown eyes glint as he beams down at you smugly. Even with that smugness, you still see his joyful fondness for you in full.

You sigh pleasantly, pressing your lips against his cheek, "no, I suppose you wouldn't."

[differenteagletragedy]

could you do the olba boys response to mc saying "How could you ever love me?"

YESSSS let’s make it post Step 4 ok

Cove does not understand. Cannot compute, because for him, the question is how could he ever NOT love you? You became his person during the hardest time in his life, when he was just a little boy, and you never for one second stopped being that person. But he knows you better than anyone, he knows when you’re being sincere and he can tell you mean it. So his heart breaks, and he starts reminding you of all your good parts, all the good times you’ve shared. How you changed his life and how it naturally became molded around you, so much so that if you were missing, you’d leave a sizable hole in him. You’re part of him now, and that’s why he loves you. He’ll talk you through it until you feel it again too.

Derek takes it as a personal failing. Not in a way that makes the moment about him, but he thinks to himself that he had to have done something wrong for you to even think that. He’d pull you into a tight, tight hug, trying to press all his feelings into you that way, maybe that’ll work. I think he’d try a few nervous jokes too, but they’re so weak there’s no way you wouldn’t be able to see through them. It’s just a gut punch, you asking him that question, because all he wants is to be the best man he can, to be someone you deserve, and if he can’t even make you understand how much he loves you … yeah, I think he’d keep you firmly seated on his lap until he saw a sincere smile or at least a flicker of understanding of what you mean to him.

Baxter is quietly taken aback at first, because asking that kind of question? That’s his move. He’d take a moment to process it, probably gently take your hand while he does, and ask you where this is coming from. If it’s insecurity, he’d assure you, with elegant words and soft touches, that you’re incredibly easy to love, and that it’s his favorite thing to do. If it’s because of something that happened or something he did to cause you doubt, he’d do whatever he could to rectify the situation. Because on top of loving you more deeply than he ever thought he could love anyone, Baxter also believes that fate brought you together. You were meant to be his, and he was meant to be yours, and he knows that in his bones. So if he needs to put in more work, he’s going to roll up his sleeves and do it.

[rui-drawsbox]

Ruri x Baxter posting! Many stuff after the cut cuz I'm gonna say random facts about Ruri

They are SO in love with each other honestly what's wrong with them

Also in game moments where i think Baxter started to/ fell harder for the MC, i added a badump everytime cuz i thought it was funny

Gonna reblog this one with the zoom ins later

Random Ruri facts!

If IF Derek confessed between steps 2 and 3 she totally 100% no doubt wouldve fell for him at the moment, but he didn't so rip🥺

The only thing she wanted as a teen was someone that showed her some interest (she had Derek! But was always oblivious bc she thought it was in a friend way)

↑also main reason of why the mysterious soiree boy stuck on her head so long, the leg compliment was so random and unprompted that she made a whole novel inside her head the rest of the evening lmao

Not very smart, academically sucks, passed the last high school years cheating (and with some of Cove's help)

Mainly cheating bc on her reinforcement classes after school she had this "friend group" of older and problematic kids that adopted her like the pet of the gang (she was like 15 and the others like 18-19)

Never really got her into big problems but she became disturbingly skilled with knifes and at throwing things bigger than her head

If the mean not-grandparents made Cove cry when they were a little older than ten she wouldve throw a rock at their window

A hopeless romantic, also a hopeless idiot

You know how we can tell Cove that we found an animal skull on the beach once in Ghost? Well she kept it and named it Ramón (because I have an animal skull in my room I found on the beach and I named it Ramón)

Found a new confidence after she had to move out with Cove, things about being a responsable adult and such

Main love language is physical touch! Second is quality time

Romantic inclination? Whatever that likes her back tbh (became pretty picky after step 3 but it's bc she never got over Baxter). Sexual inclination? Her beloved partner

A night owl that tried to keep up with an early bird (Cove), that's why she has more droppy eyes and eyebags in step4, she's always at her 70%

Cove relatioship was nervous fond at steps 1-2 and relaxed fond at steps 3 and 4 (they're family!). And Baxter was nervous crush at step 3 and direct love in step 4

Scared of driving cars so she has moto in step4! Baxter think is hot (Trust me, he told me)

[v3x-y0urs3lf]

Qiu Lin x Loner / unpopular / shy? MC

Written during the demo ⭐️

Tamarack x Popular reader

Depending on what steps I’m talking about, I’ll change Qiu’s pronouns..

Also, I’m aware that being a ‘loner’ or unpopular doesn’t necessarily mean you’re shy. I do occasionally mention the MC being shy, unlike step 1 Qiu I’m not always going to be able to be too accommodating.

I kind of got sidetracked during the end of Step 3, I’m sorry it doesn’t really fit with the theme.

I am incredibly tired right now, apologies if the English isn’t clear. I did not proof read this.

————————————————————

I feel like this trope perfectly fits Qiu during a majority of the steps (1-3 I don’t really know about 4.) mainly because Qiu - despite not really intending on it, just is naturally popular even during step 2 (somehow?)

Step one Qiu just doing his usual thing with being overly accommodating and super welcoming to the new neighbour and they’re just.. not accepting it?

You can try and turn Qiu down softly or even just straight up ignore him and he’d.. accept it? I dunno, going off by Qiu’s normal reactions to when you choose to dismiss him.. he doesn’t seem like he’d care unless someone’s starting to judge or bother the MC and vice versa.

I’d like to just highlight that like.. everyone knows Qiu? I quite literally just imagine a bunch of kids during school constantly asking to play with him and while Qiu feels a bit too mean to decline.. he really wants to go play with his new neighbour?

Qiu would try and introduce the MC (and Tamarack.. maybe.) to all of his other friends but.. Neither of them are really budging which puts Qiu at a bit of a cross point.

I’m honestly not too sure what he’d do, lol. My heart wants me to say that Qiu would just go play with the MC anyways, regardless of how many people want him to play with t them but. My brain is telling me he’d give in to all the majority and play with them for a while before going to find the MC later.

Does that mean Qiu doesn’t want to go play with the MC instead? No. Does that mean Qiu doesn’t look their way occasionally while he’s playing tag with the other kids? No. Does that mean Qiu hurts the other kids’ feelings by straight up turning them down? Also no.

Logically thinking, despite what he wants- Qiu would pick to accomodate for the bigger crowd but leave a section of his time to make up for ‘ditching’ the MC for a moment.

It’s very obvious around that Qiu will always go back for the MC. No matter how fun the game is, No matter how distracted/forgetful he usually gets, No matter how many people he’s playing with- He will. Without a doubt. Go talk or play with the MC for at least 10 minutes before break or whatever ends.

Now, Step two.. “All they want in life is a little peace with the ones they trust. Such as, potentially their very favourite neighbor/neighbour.”

Qiu is still very obviously and very much ‘popular’. That never changes throughout their life (probably). They just don’t want to be.

Picture Qiu and MC, chilling by themselves and just avoiding people. By this stage there shouldn’t be any shyness or complete hatred and so, the two of them just sit with each other comfortably as Qiu rejects and declines any and all offers to hang out with anyone else but MC, Ren, Baxter(?) and.. potentially Tamarack? (Not sure about the last two.)

Unfortunately, Qiu can’t control their popularity or ‘Acquaintances’/old friends and everyone does notice when the ‘popular kid’ starts solely hanging out with one person in particular.

I’m not saying MC is getting bullied.. I’m just saying everyone can tell there is obvious favouritism and high school students can and will be mean.. take that as you will.

This is totally the time for “doesn’t get the hype but warms up to person B”.

I might just be biased but.. After 4 years you’d think you’d warm up to the neighbour kid enough to start to.. tolerate? Be content? .. perhaps even enjoy the presence of?

I don’t want to describe the MC too much but let’s just say the feelings between the both of them are mutual. (As in two teens just wanting to get away from the world.)

The two of you find solace in each other’s presence, the two of you having a mutual understanding that you both don’t really want to interact with the world but you’re totally fine with each other.

I hate how short step 2 was but I don’t know how else to describe angsty teens being angsty teens. So we’re moving onto Step three.

Qiu now understands the MC more, After having 8 years knowing each other and at least 4 years of deep conversations as angsty teenagers they can now officially say they understand your point of view.

Qiu doesn’t try to push the MC out of their comfort zone like he would’ve back in Step 1 but they certainly wouldn’t leave the MC to exactly stay in their own shell of aloofness.

Qiu does try to suggest getting out there, meeting new people but if you totally don’t want to- Up to you! They aren’t you and so they will NOT make that decision for you.

Autumn is up for a chat if you’re looking for one though, even the quietest, shyest, most aloof people in town sometimes need someone their age to talk to. Qiu gets it.

You were there through a very deep part of Qiu’s life and they are ready to be for you too if you want them there. Qiu can’t promise that they’ll help solve your problems or make you the talk of the town, but you better bet that they’ll cherish your relationship far after death do the two of you part.

[riding-the-sunset-bird]

Hello! I really love your content because it helps me understand more about the game and how much work was put into it, so thank you!

I was wondering if you could explain about a scene in Baxter's Step 4 which takes place after Scott and Jude's wedding and before Baxter explain his backstory? I have no idea what triggers the scene since one run I get the scene while another has me skip it entirely.

Thank you again!

Oh! I think I know the one you're talking about. (Also, thank you for the compliment! >///<)

You're referring to the potential chat that the MC can have with Baxter where they get to elaborate on how they felt about him leaving, yes?

Because very specific conditions need to be met first, which might be why you didn't get it on other playthroughs.

But fear not, fellow Baxter fan, for I shall guide you! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

The Step 3 Ending

First things first is how your MC feels about Baxter during the Step 3 ending. If they're upset (this can refer to being either sad or mad), then a few additional steps will need to be made to make sure the right options will pop up later, but if not, then this step can be skipped.

This amount of explaining almost definitely won't be necessary but I'm a loser who likes over-explaining things and figured that people might want to know exactly how the game is reading their choices.

Anyway, your MC will be marked as "upset" if they choose any of these options after Baxter says his goodbyes to the MC:

(if the MC was dating him)

"Hold on- why can't that be you?"

"Wait, you're dumping me?!"

"Are you… breaking up with me?"

You stared in disbelief.

(note: if any other option besides these was chosen, they can still be marked as "upset" if they then choose:)

"We don't have to date long-distance. I just wanna keep in touch."

(if the MC was not dating him)

"Take care. See you sometime."

"You're making it sound like we're never gonna see each other again."

"Hey, it's not that serious- we'll keep in touch."

You stared in confusion.

The player must also avoid these two options later on if they want to keep the MC marked as "upset":

If that was how he felt, you didn't mind. He clearly wanted to go.

If that was how he felt, you would live with it- even though it hurt…

An angry MC may also choose this during the conversation:

You were furious at his glibness!

It's not required, but opens a few more options.

Once Baxter gets to the end of the discussion and is about to leave, you'll get two different choices back-to-back. Any of these will work and you only need one from either set (so if you chose one from the first set, you don't need one from the second set and vice versa):

from the first set of options

You smiled at him. / You managed to smile at him. (depends on if You were furious at his glibness! was chosen earlier)

Tears were rolling down your cheeks.

You were smiling as tears gathered in the corners of your eyes. (if You were furious at his glibness! was not chosen earlier)

You glared at him. (if You were furious at his glibness! was chosen earlier)

You glared at him through the tears. (if You were furious at his glibness! was chosen earlier)

You couldn't keep a frown off your face.

from the second set of options

"Fine! See you never, you Victorian emo man."

"It doesn't have to be this way…"

"I'll miss you."

"Screw you, Baxter Ward." (if You were furious at his glibness! was chosen earlier)

If all of the above two sets of options are avoided, the necessary options needed for the Baxter scene won't appear later on, so either any of those need to be chosen or the MC should avoid being marked as "upset" and then choose to be upset later during...

The Step 4 Intro

Here, the player will again be given options on how the MC feels about Baxter, this time during the five years they spend apart. Choose any of these:

(if your MC was upset at Baxter; which one appears depends on the specific emotions the MC felt)

You hadn't forgiven him. Any time you remembered, you were newly angered. (available if the MC reacted angrily to Baxter at the end)

It still hurt. Any time you remembered, you were brought down. (available if the MC reacted sadly to Baxter at the end)

(if your MC wasn't upset at Baxter)

The longer he was gone, the more it frustrated you!

The longer he was gone, the more it saddened you…

You may then proceed as normal~

Texts In the Guest Room

After the MC goes to the guest room and gets the first texts from Baxter in the planning group chat, you'll be given some option on how your MC feels about seeing him again.

Either of these will do:

(if the MC is sad over Baxter)

It hurt so much because the truth was, you still wanted to be with Baxter. (only available if the MC is at Crush/Love with Baxter and not dating/at Love with Cove)

Getting to speak with him hadn't changed anything. You were just sad.

(if the MC is angry over Baxter)

It was so infuriating because the truth was, you still wanted to be with Baxter. (only available if the MC is at Crush/Love with Baxter and not dating/at Love with Cove)

Getting to speak with him hadn't changed anything. You were as mad as ever.

At that point, most things should be set up and you should be able to do as you please until the wedding.

The Wedding Conversation

You'll know that you've done everything right depending on the dialog Baxter gives after having explained himself to the MC at the end of the wedding.

If he says, "No more running away. I'll listen to whatever you have to say to me, even if it's difficult to hear." then something has gone wrong, but if he says "I'd like to listen to what's on your mind, as a true friend would, even if it's challenging. And I will explain myself as well." then everything is going as it should.

Presuming you've successfully gotten the latter dialog, you'll be given options of how the MC responds to Baxter and you'll want to choose either of these:

(if the MC is at Crush/Love with Baxter and not dating/at Love with Cove)

Yes. You should talk about that, and maybe later you could tell him what you really felt… (choose this one if you plan on having your MC confess to Baxter later on)

That was all you'd asked for, the chance to connect. And maybe you'd find out if he felt the same as you… (choose this one if you plan to have Baxter be the one to confess instead)

You were still hurting. There was no denying it. But you weren't unwilling to talk.

(if the MC is not at Crush/Love with Baxter)

It was a relief to know he was willing to hear you out, finally.

In truth, deep down, you'd already forgiven him. But you couldn't say it yet.

Maybe you couldn't decide how you felt this instant. But you could still talk.

While you were still hurting, you were okay with talking.

Finally (finally!), if all conditions have been met, you'll hear the unease music start during the drive back to Baxter's apartment and the atmosphere will be tense. The scene begins immediately afterwards.

Recap

During the Step 3 ending extension with Baxter, either don't have the MC be upset at all or have them be upset but ensure that they lean towards being sad and/or mad during the last choices.

In the Step 4 intro, have the MC still lean towards sadness/anger over the situation.

After receiving the planning group chat text from Baxter, have the MC think that they either still want to be with them even if it hurt/was infuriating, or that the meeting didn't change anything and they were still mad/sad.

Once Baxter offers to hear the MC out if they have anything further to say, do not have the MC confess nor want to become friends again right away: focus on the conversation still needing to be had.

[mycurrentobsessionis]

After the Happy Ending: Do They Stay Together?

I don't believe that Baxter and Jamie are "in love," per se.

I made a post the other day talking about Baxter's rigidity and tendency to assert control over his relationships, and one of the reblogs included in the tags that there is no way that somebody still has feelings for someone that they met 5 years ago. This got me thinking on the realism of relationships in OL and the way pacing plays into the perception of that realism. Objectively, the best written romance in OLBA is the one between Cove and Jamie. Their relationship is the most deeply developed, includes the most content, and is the best supported textually. Baxter and Derek, on the other hand, have approximately the same amount of content. I found myself somewhat disappointed with Derek's romance (though I intend to replay his a few times to see if I can get some more satisfying outcomes) as it felt less like the slow-burn I expected and more meandering. Baxter's, on the other hand, felt a lot tighter in terms of pacing, despite the fact that in terms of in-universe timelines, he spends very little time with Jamie.

What do I mean by this? I mean that the player perceives less time passing over the course of Baxter's route. Or, more accurately, there are less "slow" spots. For the rest of this analysis, I will be making the following assumptions:

I am assuming all possible Baxter-related content.

I am assuming order of play as recommended by the creators (a Baxter-run includes replacing the 5 base-game moments with Baxter's moments and in chronological order).

Baxter develops a mild crush on/interest in Jamie at the Summer Soiree in Step 2.

Baxter and Jamie form a romantic attachment in Step 3, regardless of whether they formalize that attachment or not (e.g., Jamie being at "crush" but not actually dating Baxter).

The interest/comfort indicator does not necessarily represent Jamie's feelings at the beginning of each step.

I will admit to burying the lede a bit here. If the question is, "Do I personally believe that Baxter and Jamie are in love by the end of Step 4," then the short answer is no. I believe that being truly in love requires time, effort, and patience, and I think that Baxter, with the shortest timeline in-universe, does not have the time to cultivate that kind of relationship with Jamie. Rather, the questions I want to answer, and the ones I think are more interesting are these: Do Baxter and Jamie believe they are in love? Why do they believe this? Is their beginning a relationship realistic? And, are they likely to last as a couple?

Before we begin answering these questions, I think it's important to clarify the timeline of their relationship. They first meet in what is presumably late summer of 2011, and they have an approximately 3-5 minute interaction that includes minimal dialogue. There is no contact until the summer of 2016, during which they form a romantic attachment wherein Baxter is romantically and sexually attracted to Jamie, and Jamie returns at least the romantic feelings and possibly sexual feelings. This relationship lasts, generously, 3 months, and realistically 2-2.5 months. During the relationship, Baxter attempts to impress Jamie, shows his best side, and is largely performative, though there is genuine affection for Jamie, who is generally kind, cheerful, and inclusive. The relationship ends in August, either amicably or dramatically, and does not resume until approximately August of 2021, during which they work together on the Eckert-Adam wedding for four days, followed by the two days after the wedding, during which they begin a romantic relationship.

So, let's start with the question of whether Baxter and Jamie beginning a relationship is realistic. Personally, I think yes. You have to consider that this is a fictional romance story, and thus there is some suspension of disbelief that is required. The trope of two people working on a wedding together and falling in love through the process of that is not an uncommon trope. If the best man and maid of honor can fall in love under those circumstances, I don't see why a planner and a member of the planning committee couldn't. Frankly, the plot of Step 4 alone would not be out of place if this were a Hallmark movie.

Then we must consider the circumstances. These are two young people who are currently attracted to one another and have been attracted to one another in the past. They have just spent several days working in close proximity under intense pressure and on an event that tends to evoke thoughts of romance and love.

In addition to these circumstances, there are personal factors involved. I will start with Baxter, as his character is more "stable" and less influenced by player choices. Baxter has significant attachment issues that lead him to form unstable, short-term relationships that he quickly abandons at the first sign of conflict, which is likely related to childhood emotional neglect (I elaborate on this topic in this post). This has led to Baxter suffering from extreme loneliness and self-isolation as a young adult, as he has, at this point, burned most bridges in his life. Developmentally speaking, Baxter should be seeking connections with other people at this age in his life.

Attachment issues, like Rome, are not built in a day. They occur over a lifetime of neglect. As a result, they often create habitual and reactionary behavior that takes years to unlearn. In Step 3, we see a few of these behaviors, such as in "Drinks." In this moment, Baxter makes a minor mistake due to sleepiness. Jamie attempts to comfort him and/or brush off the mistake as no big deal, while offering an easy solution. However, Jamie is unable to connect with Baxter at all or to coregulate. Instead, Baxter becomes emotionally dysregulated and runs through possible solutions that he can implement on his own before reluctantly accepting the necessary assistance but refusing to be soothed. Compare this to a similar moment on Derek's route where Cove and Jamie forget their wallets, Derek offers to make the purchase for them, and they can either accept his generosity or offer to pay him back. Unlike Jamie, Baxter's negative feelings (embarrassment and disappointment), which are otherwise completely normal and valid reactions to the situation, persevere far beyond what is normal.

The major difference between Baxter's attachment issues in Steps 3 and 4 is that he is semi-aware of them in Step 4. In Step 3, he has poor insight into his own behavior and is extremely sensitive to perceived rejection, which he anticipates and attempts to circumvent. Baxter engages in various cognitive distortions, most frequently rationalization and catastrophizing, that cause him high levels of anxious distress in relationships and make it difficult for him to continue them for very long and lead to him attempting to assert control over the relation. As @mistyscenter says here, Baxter engages in a behavior called impression management, wherein he is attempting to influence Jamie's, and others', perceptions of him through regulating and controlling the information they have about him. This is likely a subconscious process for him -- basically second nature -- and allows him to feel safe in the relationship.

As of Step 4, he has ended his relationship with his parents, which was likely defined by seeking love and approval through minimizing his own needs and emotions and managing theirs. What does this accomplish? It removes the relationship that reinforced Baxter's worst habits. As long as this relationship was maintained, Baxter would be caught in a feedback loop of being positively reinforced for conforming to impossible standards set by his parents. As he could not hope to actually conform to the standards set for him (Derek actually does something similar), he is instead rewarded for manipulating the information that he gives his parents and that is what is reinforced. While we don't know when this split happened, I would assume he did it around 2019, when he no longer relied on them financially. That gives two years for those behaviors to fade. The reason those behaviors flare up again in step for is, in layman's terms, a case of slipping back into old habits. In psychological terms, this is known as spontaneous recovery -- Jamie's unexpected appearance provides a trigger for anxiety, which leads to the old avoidance behavior (leaving the restaurant), which reduces anxiety, which reinforces the avoidance behavior, and essentially lights those old neural pathways up like a Christmas tree. This is why the increased insight is important. While Baxter has fallen out of some of his worse habits, he hasn't actually formed any new, positive coping mechanisms, which means that when he is distressed, he immediately runs for the familiar. It isn't enough to just know he has a problem -- he has to actively choose to change his response. Because 19-year-old Baxter spent so much time rationalizing what were actually unreasonable emotional responses to perceived rejection and abandonment, he was incapable of doing anything different. The older 24-year-old Baxter is capable of facing past mistakes and doing something about them, though it will likely take years to relearn how to self-regulate and connect with people in a positive way habitually.

So, what does all of this have to do with my questions? A lot, actually! Baxter will tell Jamie after the wedding that he often revisited his memories with Jamie in Sunset Bird and treated them as precious, particularly those involving Jamie. Memories are not like files on a computer -- they are unstable and liable to change each time we recall them. On either side of these memories are long periods of loneliness, isolation, and self-doubt. It is probable that Baxter sees these memories as a lighthouse in a storm, something that he heavily romanticizes and clings to for comfort, much as he does his memories with Qiu and Ren. He also later adds that Jamie was the most stable relationship in his adult life. There is also the point that Baxter engages in mild superstition (or magical thinking), such as assigning meaning to coincidence (repeatedly running into Jamie over the years). This is part of why I don't think they are actually in love -- at least part of Baxter's feelings are based on a romanticized ideal of Jamie. That isn't to say I don't believe he could fall in love with the reality, just that it will take time. It does, however, lend credibility to the idea that he would restart the relationship. It is important to note his timing. Jamie is back in town for 6 days, and if Jamie does not restart the relationship themselves, Baxter will. He, notably, does this on day 5. Why is this important? It's simple, really. Days 1-3 are spent reliving memories from the first time he and Jamie formed an attachment, likely triggering the dormant feelings he had back then. While this caused him negative feelings, such as shame, guilt, embarrassment, and self-loathing, nostalgia is also a hell of a drug. On day 4, when Jamie responds positively to the idea or them reconnecting, that eases his anxiety regarding their relationship. He will protest a relationship early on if Jamie attempts to begin before he has explained his behavior and properly apologized. However, Jamie is also leaving soon. While Baxter is no longer choosing to see relationships as finite and time-bound, it's probably hard for him to kick the habit entirely. For an example of this in Step 3, he makes several comments in "Mountains" about how "it will be over soon" and "I wish it wouldn't end." He has some semi-conscious anxiety that Jamie leaving will mark the end of his opportunity to re-establish their romantic relationship, something that he holds on a pedestal, and hurries to do so to avoid feelings of abandonment. Also hence immediately wanting to visit Jamie after the events of the game.

It's hard to list personal factors for Jamie, as so much is essentially headcanon. However, there are some common factors. The first is, again, nostalgia is a hell of a drug. They have revisited many moments in which Jamie likely has very positive associations. The second is that while Baxter is not necessarily their first crush/relationship, he is their first adult relationship and one that ended against their will. There are a lot of "what ifs" that go along with that, particularly if one tends to ruminate.

So, do I think that these two maintained feelings for each other across 5 years of no-contact. Well... kind of, but not really. I think that Baxter likely did carry a flame for the idea of Jamie -- i.e., the idea of being in a loving relationship with someone who accepts you despite your worse tendencies. Baxter probably ruminated on the relationship and romanticized it. If he didn't date in the interim, then that was the last positive, stable relationship that he, and he ended it prematurely. If he did... well, basically the same thing is true. Jamie is a little more complicated, but I think it would have been more a case of lacking closure, which they can get without dating him, if they so choose. For both, I think the nostalgia of an old teen romance does a lot of heavy lifting. I do think that with personal and situational factors in mind, it isn't a stretch to believe that two people who are attracted to one another would reconnect in this way.

These two probably believe they are in love for many of the reasons they chose to get together in the end. The next question is, do they last? It's left up to the audience what happens next, so let's speculate. What kind of problems will they face as a couple? Most likely it will be similar problems to what they've already dealt with. Baxter has a lot of bad habits to unlearn and currently his support network is severely limited. His primary support person is Jamie, which is a heavy burden to place on another person, and likely to put strain on the relationship. His friend group consists mostly of Jamie's closest friends from childhood, which means talking to them about any relationship issues would likely be uncomfortable at best and unproductive or harmful at worst. His personal support group is basically Xavier, with whom he is fairly friendly, but there isn't a lot of depth there at this time. His outreach to others is primarily spurred by Jamie's encouragement and assistance. What would help them? I think that most of all, regardless of their future as a couple, Baxter needs to participate in some kind of counselling to learn distress tolerance, develop healthy coping skills, and reframe his understanding of relationships. Couples therapy would likely help them both learn healthy communication and give them a safe place to discuss developing problems in the relationship, especially during stressful times. It's normal to have some conflict in a relationship, but that is also when Baxter is most likely to relapse. Knowing how to work through those problems before they crop up will prevent the relationship from breaking under pressure. Lastly, Baxter needs to develop a healthy support network that exists outside of Jamie and that is likely to survive should his romantic relationship fail. A relationship is like a bridge: you want both embankments to be strong and stable, and you want there to be a little give. If there is too much pressure (such as Baxter equating losing Jamie to losing his entire social circle), then it won't take much for it to snap.

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 5 MATCH 4

Derek propaganda:

“Extreme hot take but Derek is the best OL1 love interest. He has the best and sweetest confession in the game. You play video games together. He seems reserved until you actually start dating and find out that he's actually just a gentleman who didn't want to be overly forward with someone he's not in a relationship with. He's a family man. You get to blatantly abuse your 'dating' privileges in front of his brothers. He's just so insanely sweet and caring and makes me wanna cry whenever I play his DLC.”

“- Impossible to dislike

- No, like, literally impossible. OL1 will allow you to be indifferent to it's two other LIs, Cove and Baxter but you actually can't pick that option for Derek. Game decided that You Will Be (at least) Friends With Derek

- This boy is so good!!!! He's a sweetheart and has your back in the best way and he's constantly doing his best to make sure the people around him (especially you) are happy

- This is also a complex flaw of his because he feels like he needs to be the best that he can be and to be worth something

- This both manifests in how he treats others (he's exceedingly well-mannered and does everything for others because he secretly hopes that someday someone will do the same for him) and his career prospects (he takes on excessive practice to get good at football/soccer so that he can potentially get a scholarship and become famous all so he can potenially feel like he's worth something. This is actually a major conflict in his Step 4)

- His DLC also has some of the best moments in the game

- He also has a family and they're also really good and you get to see a lot of them

- His dad is hilarious, his mom is gorgeous and their relationship is very cute

- Meanwhile, Derek's brothers are great. I wanna gush about them because I love them but also play Derek's DLC yourself!!! See how good they are for yourself!!!!

- I will say that these three have a really good relationship dynamic and the development it takes in the 10 years between when you first meet Jorge and Nico as little kids to Step 4 where they're adults (and a teenager, Nico is 16 in Step 4) is genuinely very well written

- If you're into the steamy stuff, Derek also has the best make-out session out of all of the boys

- He's also just. Very funny. This boy will invite you to a waterpark and then ask you if its a date so he knows whether or not it's ok to check you out in your swimsuit

- Or, if you aren't dating by that point (but you do want to to date him), the narration will note how he's trying so so hard not to check you out, he's just trying so so so hard

- Puppy dog face. Look at it. Tell me you can look at that face and not want to smooch him

- His confession is also the best, did I mention it's the best? Because it's absolutely the best one in the entire game

- He has a whole thing about having to confess to you on a ferris wheel and he's so committed to it that he actually avoided ferris wheels for a long time before this confession because he promised himself he'd do it the next time he went on one

- And then he went on one...and he literally doesn't confess when he does it because he lost track of time and he had to get off

- so he asks you to go on the ferris wheel with him again so he can actually confess this time

Just. Just vote for him!!!!”

“He's sweet, polite, and out-going and is always willing to put you first (sometimes too willing).”

“polite responsible jock u r NOT immune to this”

Asra propaganda:

“He GIVES AWAY HALF HIS HEART TO REVIVE YOU okay but like. He's the MCs roommate and they were together for a few years before the MC caught a plague and died and he obsesses over a way to bring them back before succeeding by making a deal with a god to trade half his heart for MC and betraying the emperor. And then when MC comes back but without any of their memories, he takes care of them and teaches them how to live all over again and he never asks for anything in return. On all the routes where you don't choose him he's really supportive and helps you out despite your history and overall he's just really nice and supportive of the MC and is their rock no matter what route you go down. Also he has a pet snake named Faust and I love her she's so <33 

Idk I just appreciate him so much”

"He gave you half his HEART!! He would literally go to hell and back for you!! He wants to take you on adventures all around the world—doesn’t matter where, as long as he’s by your side!! AND he’s nonbinary!!!"

[marrrrss]

Lost and Found: Crossed Path, ch.2

Hank Voight x Reader, +basically all CPD and extra characters

Summary: lucas mom comes around. and so does a part of voights past.

Word count: 1.3k

TW: none? missing kid, overworking?

Author's note: helloooooo, this one actually fun to write, because this was the main idea that came up to me in the beggining.

>chapter 3 gonna be the past, chapter 4 the closing of this case, and chapter 5 the future (somthing along this lines) and maybe something more? dk yet<

chapter 1

chapter 3

>>>English is not my first language<<<

Chapter 2: The Past and Present Collide

7:37 AM

Clara Neves wasn’t herself. The grueling 24-hour shift at the restaurant had taken its toll. She had worked a double—first slinging plates at the diner, then serving drinks until late into the night at a bar that was always packed with people who weren’t there to relax but to forget. Her body ached, but she needed the money. The place was understaffed, and she was grateful for the hours.

She’d left the bar when it opened again, just after the junkies had cleared out and the mess of the night before faded into a new day. But walking into her apartment, Clara never expected to find it so... silent.

The moment she stepped inside, she called out, “Lucas?”

Silence.

“Buddy?” Her voice cracked. The apartment was too quiet, too tidy for a Saturday morning. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like home.

“Katie?” she called, the name of the nanny she'd trusted with her child.

Katie Baxter was supposed to be there, supposed to have stayed the night, kept Lucas safe as she always did. But Katie’s backpack was gone, and Lucas... was nowhere to be found.

Clara’s pulse quickened. She grabbed her phone, dialing Katie’s number. Straight to voicemail.

Her heart began to race. Panic crept in, cold and fast, making her hands shake as she dialed again. And again. But nothing.

As the dread grew, the thought of calling 911 didn’t even cross her mind. It was too much. Instead, she grabbed her car keys, her heart heavy with fear, and rushed out the door.

8:02 AM

Clara stood on the front steps of Katie's apartment building, banging on the door, ringing the bell repeatedly. “Katie, open up! Your car is out front!”

Her voice was getting louder, more desperate, but there was no answer. No sign of Katie.

Clara’s nerves frayed at the edges. She was about to knock again when a patrol car pulled up on the street, the engine rumbling like a bad omen.

“Ma’am, everything all right?” one of the officers asked, approaching her cautiously.

Clara, already close to tears, barely kept her composure. “Look, this is my kid’s nanny’s house. I came home, and the place is empty. Her phone’s off. This is her apartment, but—" She paused, trying to steady her shaking hands. "I just want to know where my kid is.”

The officers exchanged a look—one that made Clara’s blood run cold. “What’s the nanny’s name?”

“Katie Baxter,” Clara replied, almost pleading now.

The officer didn’t respond immediately. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and showing Clara a picture. “Is this your kid?”

Clara’s breath caught. There was Lucas, his face streaked with tears, his wide, glassy eyes staring at the camera, empty and distant.

Tears welled up in Clara’s eyes. “Yeah, yeah, that’s my kid. Where is he? What happened?”

The officer’s expression softened. “Lucas is at District 21. He was found earlier this morning at a park, don’t worry, he’s okay. As for Katie—she’s missing. She hasn’t been seen since last evening.”

Clara’s hands trembled harder, and her voice cracked. “My kid was missing since last evening?”

The officer nodded. “We’ll take you to your kid. C’mon, we need to get a statement from you too.”

Clara’s mind was racing. She couldn’t focus on anything except one thing—her son. She had to get to him.

8:37 AM – District 21

Lucas had fallen asleep on the break room couch, exhausted after his ordeal. He looked peaceful now, but Clara could see the faint marks of fear in his tiny body. His stuffed elephant was still clutched in his hand, as if it was the only thing that had kept him tethered to the world.

Meanwhile, Hailey and Dante were on their way to Katie’s apartment. They had a lead on Eric Vincent, a man tied to too many crime rings for comfort. Vincent’s name had been linked to a lot of things, but whether or not he had anything to do with Katie’s disappearance wasn’t clear yet.

As Hailey and Dante pulled away, Kevin knocked softly on Voight’s office door.

“Got anything?” Voight asked, his voice sharp but calm.

Kevin stepped inside, his expression serious. “Lucas’ mom is downstairs. Her name’s Clara Neves. I looked her up. She was involved in a case about 15 years ago—visual testimony—but she disappeared from the case files after that.”

“Clara Neves?” Voight’s tone shifted slightly, something in it almost unrecognizable.

“Yeah. You know her?” Kevin asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

Voight didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he stood up, his chair scraping against the floor as he crossed the bullpen, heading for the stairs.

It had been 15 years since Voight had heard that name. Fifteen years, and yet it felt like yesterday.

Voight descended the stairs quickly, his focus narrowed, his mind already spinning. He had to deal with the present, but the ghosts of the past were rising, uninvited.

When he reached the bullpen, Clara was pacing near the bench. As soon as she saw Voight, she froze. The memory of him, from so long ago, hit her hard.

“Voight…”

He didn’t let her speak more than her name. “Don’t explain. Lucas is upstairs. C’mon, we’ll talk later.” He turned sharply, leading her toward the break room.

Inside, Clara’s breath caught when she saw her son. Lucas was curled up on the couch, still asleep, his face pressed into the pillow. His teaddy bear still in his arms.

Voight nodded to the rest of the team. “I’ll give you two a while. We’ll talk after.”

Clara couldn’t tear her eyes away from Lucas. All the panic, the fear, the helplessness, it all faded away when she saw him. Safe.

The door clicked closed behind Voight, and as Clara sat down beside her son, she let out a shaky breath.

Voight turned to his team in the bullpen, his voice low and steady. “Let’s... give them a while. Keep looking into Eric Vincent. When you get something, tell me. And when Hailey or Torres come through with their findings, let me know.”

Kim, Adam, and Kevin nodded in unison. “Copy that, boss.”

Before he returned to his office, Voight paused, turning back to face his team. “One more thing. The case where Clara’s name pops up—don’t even look it up. Not a word about it. Got it?”

Adam spoke first, his voice firm. “Got it, Sarge.”

Voight turned on his heel, heading for his office, closing the door.

Fifteen years.

It wasn’t a case that everyone should know about.

Not now.

taglist: @drakelover78 @pear-1206 @skywalker0809

[just-a-modder]

Complete Step 4 Mod Info

Hi all! Just wanted to update you all on some stuff concerning the mod (nothing bad, so no need to fear). The mod is still in the works, I just haven't completed anything visually exciting yet (although I can totes post code and/or WIP screenshots if you guys want that, I just didn't know how many people would be interested). It's going slower then I was hoping, between classes and work, but spring break is soon for my college and I'm hoping to work on a good chunk of it then! But while I'm working on it I just wanted to give you all an idea of what to expect to hopefully get some other people as excited about it as I am haha. In the completed mod, you should be able to:

Complete up to all 3 epilogues + the Wedding DLC in one playthrough (it will still work even if you don't have all of these DLCs or even if you don't have any, but there won't really be a reason to download the mod if you don't have at least either Baxter or Derek's DLC).

Have relationships and choices from other epilogues cary over to the next (wouldn't it be nice to greet Derek with a kiss in Cove's epilogue if you started dating him in the previous epilogue moment?)

Be able to invite Derk's family to be in/come to you and Cove's wedding if you own the Wedding DLC and complete Derek's epilogue.

Be able to invite Jude, Scott, and Xavier to be in/come to you and Cove's wedding if you own the Wedding DLC and complete Baxter's epilogue.

The ability to have Baxter come to you and Cove's wedding as a guest and even be apart of your wedding party if you own the Wedding DLC and complete Baxter's epilogue (he'll still be planning your wedding so no need to fear).

I'm really looking forward to continuing to work on this project and hope you all have as much fun playing it as I am making it!

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

OC x Canon Week 2025 Day 1 — Kiss in the Snow + (Monochromatic / "Promise Me")

Here's our first piece for @theocxcanonweek!

Game: Our Life: Now and Forever Characters: MC (Michael) x Baxter Ward

So, context: Micha doesn't do well in the snow, he goes hypothermic pretty dang quickly and prolonged exposure will lead to hospitalization. So, when Michael disappears mid winter and no one can find him? Well, then search parties are clearly in order.

Of course, Baxter finds him, since he had the best guess as to where Michael likely ran off to. Mainly because it was his damn fault Micha ran off in the first place.

Now, added headcanon context: Anyone familiar with this blog knows I simply love and adore Baxter, and so there was no damn way I could play another game with him in it without putting some kind of focus on him honestly 😂 So, despite not actually knowing anything about the later steps yet (since they're still in development) I have already built and rebuilt the relationship these two would likely have over and over and over again in my head already.

Honestly, I jump back and forth between the relationship being platonic or romantic - since Ai eventually ends up with Baxter and Michael has Qiu and Tama in the rings. I really do love them having an ambiguously close connection to one another though and, of course, I love the added drama and tensions it adds to their inevitable future. Especially with Micha's abandonment issues and Baxter's flighty nature.

They love each other, but they never really pick out exactly what kind of love that is. Eventually, they don't get a chance to, but for this moment right here? It's what drives them both from and towards one another - again and again and again.

A/N: If you want to see the full concept of Micha's face in panel 4, the link is right here!

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

👀 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