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sugar-omi · 2 months

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Since it's getting close to Valentines Day, I wanted to ask something wholesome.

Imagine getting one of those candy and card things in school (I think they are called Teddygrams) for Cove. (This can be any step)

i looked it up, n google just showed me pictures of bear shaped graham crackers n ion think thats what you mean... but i do know what you're talking about!!! i remember exchanging happy V-day cards and candy w the class!!! i've been thinking abt step 2 mc and cove exchanging gifts, so i'm glad others are thinking abt the same thing too.. and even though this is, prbly, definitely?, different than what you want, i was alrdy writing something so here you go LOL happy valentines day everyone <33

tags : Fluff, step 2, gn reader, you or cove confessed at the end of step 2, multiple choice dialogue, your mom is out to embarrass u for sure....

synopsis : cove asks you to be his valentine for the first time as his partner.. he's probably way more nervous than he should be.

cove doesn't know what got into him this year.

well.. he does. you two started dating last summer and with valentines day decor and gifts all over town, and sly comments from his father about his plans for the week. he can't ignore it.

he also can't ignore the fact that he does want to do.. something for you for valentines day. enough though it's embarrassing and nerve crushing, and he could probably drill a hole in the ground with how much he's shaking.

but he tries to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, and he definitely ignores the way his dad looks at him, a smirk on his face as he watches cove carefully put your gift in his backpack, and when cove glares at him, he whistles around the edge of his coffee mug, his eyes drifting around the room and turns his back to cove.

cove ignores his dad's shaking shoulders, and continues to ignore him until it's time to leave.

cove throws his bag over his shoulder, avoiding his dad's gaze as he flips the locks. "i'm going now, bye dad..."

cliff smiles, feeling a bit bad that cove looks so flustered, but he's sure he'll make it worse if he tries to comfort him. "okay, have a good day at school! tell everyone i said hi."

cove peers at his dad, trying to weigh if there's any sarcasm or teasing his dad's words... but he just nods and slips out the door, deciding to lock it on his way out.

even though he can't wait to se you, he also is procrastinating the inevitable...

he eventually finds his way across the road, and on your doorstep, hypnotically knocking on the door, a habit he is used to but also falling out of ever since you two agreed on another method of entrance via your window...

the door flies open, and instead of you, he's greeted with elizabeth's bored expression.

her face morphs into a lopsided smirk, a quip on the tip of her tongue.

she turns over her shoulder, yelling. "y/n! your baby boyfriend is here!"

cove sputters, his face flushing a bright, deep red. he hears some muffled yelling and thumps, presumably from you, but your mom coming around the corner keeps him from dwelling on it.

she puts her hand on elizabeth's shoulder, squeezing. "now now, be nice! it's a bright and new day after all, don't start by teasing the poor boy."

cove eyes pamela while she speaks with elizabeth, already knowing she's just saving her comments for later, and that she's just saving cove from elizabeth's terror since noelani left for work earlier.

pamela turns to cove, smiling brilliantly. "good morning cove. lovely day isn't it?"

ugh, she's definitely hinting about it being valentines day...

cove nods, "uh, yeah... good morning, mrs. l/n. my dad said hi, by the way."

she nods, waving him in. "tell him hi for me. you two should join us for dinner one of these days! it's been awhile.."

cove nods along with her ramblings, sitting stiffly on the couch, not sure where to look since elizabeth is also on the other end, stretched out across the other couch and engrossed in her teen magazine.

the creaking of the stairs snap cove out of his daze, and he ignores the snickering and hushed words between elizabeth and pamela.

you give a look to your mom and sister, but your eyes quickly turn to cove and you brighten up.

"oh! hi, cove.." you smile, hiding something by your side, trying to shield whatever it is with your backpack.

pamela claps, commanding attention. "now that you're all ready, lets get going, i gotta get to work. liz, where's your bag?"

cove stands up, walking to you to escape elizabeth's whining about being called 'liz', running to you to greet you.

you smile, a bit flustered this morning since unbeknownst to him, you also have a gift for him.

cove scratches his arm, smiling shyly, "um, hi y/n.."

there's a stretch of silence between you, awkward glances and you're fidgeting with your hands.

"um.." you break the silence, shuffling on your feet. "i have something for you... i was gonna give it to you at lunch but, maybe now is better?..."

you hold out a box with a red ribbon around the box, a little card folded and slipped through the ribbon.

cove flushes, a soft "oh!" slipping out his mouth. he probably shouldn't be surprised by the gift, but it doesn't mean he isn't flustered still.

your first valentines together... his heart is gonna beat out his chest.

"feel free to open it up and taste it, i [ made it myself / made it with ma / bought it ], so i hope it tastes good..." you ramble, watching cove read the card, his blush only spreading to his ears.

he pulls the ribbon, opening the box with slightly shaky hands.

he brightens up when he sees the brownies inside, white and pink chocolate drizzled on top with heart shaped sprinkles. it's cute, and looks extra yummy with caramel and chocolate chips inside the perfectly cut cubes of brownie.

he looks up, like an eager puppy, "can i really try it now?"

you nod, and cove breaks off a piece, chewing on it happily.

he licks his lips, eager to eat it right here and now but he decides to save it for later, remembering he has something for you too.

"uh, i have something for you too..." cove grabs his bag by the door, unzipping and reaching into an inside pocket and pulls out a pink, plush bunny holding a heart, and a box with a pretty ribbon wrapped around it.

you take it from him, squishing the rabbit in your hands and enjoying the fluffy fabric. reluctantly you put down the soft rabbit, in favor of opening the box that cove said you could open too.

you look inside, happy to see your favorite, [ chocolate / chocolate covered strawberries / cookies ] inside it.

you look up at cove, trying to meet cove's dodgy gaze. he scratches his cheek, shyly meeting your eyes. "i'm not good at cooking, so i just bought 'em. but i promise they're good! at least, i think.. i hope, they were the nicer ones so.." cove trails off.

you wave him off, closing the box. "they're perfect! thank you cove.."

you open your arms, silently asking for a hug which cove all but dives into, snaking his arms around your back and melting in your arms.

he's so happy.. and his heart has returned to a more reasonable beat.

you break apart, and cove covers his mouth and cheeks, feeling shy. "so.. does that mean you'll uh, be my valentine?" cove mumbles just loud enough for you to hear.

your smile wide, unable to keep the grin off your face. you nod, "i'd really like that, cove."

cove smiles, so happy he could float. "so.. do you wanna eat lunch with me? i mean.. i know we do already but like.. just you and me? maybe?" cove anticipates your response, buzzing with new, good energy.

you bite your lip, trying not to laugh at how cove is just missing a wagging tail to match his enthusiasm. "yeah, i'd like that too."

but your mom shouts from the door way, her keys jingling in her hand.

"okay lovebirds, now that you've set a date, lets go! you're late for your date with algebra!"

"mom!" you groan, looking at her laughing form with a scandalized look, cove shrinking, hiding his face.

#olba #our life: beginnings & always #cove holden #cove holden x reader #cove holden x mc #cove holden fluff #fluff

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nikiswonderland · 20 days

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The Last Family’s New Year’s party!

Lee was pretty upset she couldn’t go, so Liz kept her on video call for the majority of the night. Noelani asked Liz to look for Cove and Cillian, since the countdown would start soon and the family wanted to do it together! Elizabeth sighed but complied, keeping Lee on the phone while she went to find her little brother and his “baby boyfriend”. She heard their voices behind a closed door and stifled her laughter, wanting to scare them suddenly. She’s a big sister, okay?! She has to scare Cillian every once in a while….

Shushing a giggling Lee on the phone, she positions the camera to look at herself and most likely the two boys in the room. She bursts open the door, grinning. Unfortunately, both girls managed to walk in on the exact moment Cove decided to give Cillian his first kiss….

Snap!

Lee took a quick screenshot.

“…WHAT THE—“

“LIZ! GET OUT!!”

The next day, Cove and Cillian ended up becoming boyfriends.

#our life #olba #cove holden #our life cove #olba cove #i love cove holden <3 #elizabeth last #lee last #theyre so silly

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differenteagletragedy · 5 months

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With the Baxter angst with mc drowning in a riptide, I’m curious as to what Cove’s (and our family in general) reaction is when we’re found and the days/weeks after our death. Thanks, I love your writing

Thank you so much! Here you go :)

"You ok, son?"

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine."

Cliff watched as Cove came into the house, his arms full of shopping bags. He was most definitely not fine.

It had been a little over a week since you'd drowned, and Cove was just not himself. Not that Cliff expected he would be after such a traumatic loss, but his behavior was becoming more concerning every day and he wasn't sure what to do.

That night you'd gone out for a swim, your moms came knocking on the Holdens' door frantically around 10:00. Cliff had answered the door and hearing the commotion, Cove came out of his room. Pam and Noelani explained how you'd wanted to go to the ocean by yourself, but then you didn't come home and you didn't answer your phone. When they went to check on you, your things were on the beach but you were nowhere to be found.

Both men had set out to help look for you, as had many of the other neighbors. Authorities were called -- it was an unusually chaotic night for the quiet little street -- but by the morning, your body had been found.

Cliff was pretty sure Cove hadn't slept since.

He hadn't been down to the beach, which was understandable, even though it had been a nearly daily activity for him. But he also hadn't showered. Cliff had taken time away from the shop to be there for his son, but when he'd gone out for a quick grocery run one evening, he came back to a pile of sand in the hallway.

"It's time we got this out of the house," Cove had muttered, broom in hand.

Cliff didn't want to be overbearing -- honestly he had no idea how to help Cove through this -- so he'd watched as Cove did an overhaul of his bedroom. He took out his surfboard and tucked it somewhere out of sight, then packed his swim trunks and wetsuits in a trash bag and set them by the curb. Cliff did grab those up and put them away for him, sure that someday he might want to return to the beach, but as the days went on he stopped being so sure.

That day, when Cove had come in with his bags after a trip to town, Cliff followed him to his bedroom. His son didn't seem to notice, or if he did, he didn't care that he had an audience. From the bags, he pulled out bubble wrap, a pack of rubber bands and some smaller plastic bags. He left again without a word, went back to his car, and came back with a cooler.

"What are you doing?" Cliff finally asked.

After taking the time to sort out his newly acquired supplies, Cove knelt down and grabbed a box from under his bed. He opened it, grabbed a few more items, then pushed it aside. He used his free hand to grab one of the smaller bags, and that's when he answered Cliff.

"I'm getting rid of the fish."

Cove was expressionless as he began the task of getting each individual fish into its own bag, securing it, then placing it inside the cooler. Cliff was taken aback for a number of reasons, a big one because he knew how much his son loved his pets. Another was that he was taking the fish off, with everything else that was going on, without a single tear falling.

"I think we need to talk," he said at last, but Cove wasn't interested.

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't want them anymore. Some guy in town is taking them, I'm going to drive them down there in a little bit."

"Cove," he said softly, reaching out to grab his son's shoulder. They both stayed silent, then the younger man let out a shaky sigh.

"I can't sleep, Dad," he said, looking at him for the first time that day. "I can't sleep with them in here. The water ..."

He glanced over to the tank, the little piece of the ocean he'd been so excited to have in his own room years ago. But now, since you were gone, it wasn't welcome anymore.

"Is that why you haven't been showering?"

He nodded.

"Have you been drinking?" Cliff asked. He'd known Cove hadn't been eating that much, but if he was developing this deep of an aversion to water, he wanted to make sure.

"I haven't been thirsty," Cove answered.

Cliff sighed, then decided it was time to take charge. He emptied Cove's hands, setting the scoop and net on the floor, then took him in his arms.

Cove started crying almost immediately.

"You have to take care of yourself," Cliff told him. "And if you can't right now, then you have to let me help you."

"I don't want to," Cove replied, his body wracked with sobs. "I don't want to do any of it."

He cried for a long time, sometimes slowing to a a near stop before starting up violently again. Cliff cried too, feeling utterly helpless. But eventually, when he didn't have any more tears, Cove went a little limp. He was exhausted.

"Come in here," Cliff told him. "I'll take care of it."

He moved to stand beside Cove, letting him lean against his side. He took him to the living room and laid him down on the couch, then grabbed the blanket that was thrown on the back of it to cover him up.

"I'll take care of it," he told him again. "Just sleep for now."

He kneeled on the floor next to Cove, stroking his hair until he drifted off. Then he went in his own bedroom, cleared off his dresser, and began the task of moving the fish tank in there.

When he was almost done, he heard a knock at the door. He moved quickly, not wanting to wake Cove, then quietly opened it and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. It was then that he saw Liz standing there stone-faced, a box in her arms.

"Hey, Liz," he said, trying for a smile but failing. "How are you all holding up?"

"Not great," she answered frankly. "Ma won't get out of bed. They're talking about selling the house but they want to think it through."

He nodded, not sure what to say to that. Liz looked down at the box, then back up at him and asked, "How's Cove?"

"About as good as you'd expect," he said.

"That bad, huh?"

Without waiting for a reply, she held up the box to Cliff.

"What's this?" he asked, taking it from her.

"It's ... it's for Cove. I think he'll appreciate it the most."

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Liz excused herself, walking back across the street and going inside. After she closed the door, Cliff lifted the box's lid and took a peek.

Seashells, all different kinds and colors. He remembered you collecting them with Cove when you were younger, how much time you'd spent together on the beach looking for the best ones.

She was right. Cove would appreciate it the most.

He snuck back inside, box in hand, and moved past a lightly snoring Cove. He went back to his bedroom and put the box safely on his dresser by the tank.

Someday Cove would be ready for this again. He'd be ready for the water, and ready to remember you. Until then, Cliff could keep these memories safe.

#our life beginnings and always #our life #olba #cove holden #olba cove #our life cove #our life cliff #cliff holden #our life cove holden

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bamb-procrastinates · 1 month

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Who's your favorite Our Life Series Parent

(Just to be clear this poll is based on how much you like their character as a parent and not how attractive they are💀)

#our life parent appreciation time ✨#so sorry not so sorry I won't be including Baxter or Tamarack's parents ☝🏻#there was no space left for Mrs Murray 💀#olnf #olba

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now-and-4ever · 8 months

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Top 3 OLBA Voice Clips

Kyra saying "My baby!"

Noelani saying "Funny..."

Step 2 Cove saying "Oh my god!"

#olba #our life #kyra preece #noelani last #cove holden

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kurtisthesnivy · 5 months

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So about six years ago, I created a homebrew system for a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon tabletop game. It didn't quite pan out, so I migrated to a heavily homebrewed version of DnD 5e (also designed by yours truly.) Until about 4 months ago, I was running two different campaigns as well as a handful of smaller adventures. I can't take full credit, my boyfriend has been a massive help with running games and coming up with homebrew. Over the last half decade, I've kept a record of all of the characters that have played in our games. And as a celebration of finishing such a long journey, here's all 72 characters that have been played in PMDnD.

Also, I recorded the timelapse of the whole process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0b3rYlGvFU

All characters in rough order of being drawn

Xaio, Oshawott Rogue (old system)

Byron, Nidoran Mercenary (old system)

Qyzen, Litten Fighter (old system)

Tobu, Oricorio Black Mage (old system)

Argaveus, Scyther Zealot Barbarian/Blood Hunter

Tovu, Togedemaru Grave Domain Cleric

Issac, Riolu Gunslinger Fighter

Lest, Arcanine Pyromancer Sorcerer

Dolon, Sylveon Life Domain Cleric

Blaze, Charizard College of Swords Bard

Skye, Zoroark School of Illusion Wizard

Ludwig, Dartrix Oath of Redemption Paladin

Noelani, Floatzel Life Domain Cleric

Roger, Monferno School of War Magic Wizard

Joshua, Hakamo-o Gunslinger Fighter

James, Toxicroak Arcane Trickster Rogue

Micheal, Pachirisu Ancestral Guardian Barbarian

Koishi, Oricorio Dancer Bard

Clay, Lycanroc Battlemaster Fighter

Grace, Comfey Totem Master Fighter

Gabriel, Auroros Hexblade Warlock

Elena, Floatzel Horizon Walker Ranger

Allen, Scizor Way of the Kensai Monk

Haku, Zoroark Assassin Rogue

Alex, Weavile Thief Rogue

Stella, Chesnaught Fortune Teller Astrologian

Iona, Cinccino College of Valor Bard/Trained PKMN

Akira, Kekleon Alchemist Artificer

Shift, Eevee Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer

Justin, Sceptile Oath of Ancients Paladin

Arin, Roserade Pact of the Deep Warlock

Zhang, Smeargle Eldritch Knight Fighter

Firokhan, Houndoom Way of the Kensai Monk

Camilla, Gardevoir Divine Soul Sorcerer

Hyargrum, Alolan Marowack School of Necromancy Wizard

Lilliana, Audino Spiritmaster White Mage

Koko, Thwacky Dawnbringer Warlock

Aiden, Lopunny Path of Wild Magic Barbarian

Dex, Sableye Echo Knight Fighter

Jae, Banette Order of Scribes Wizard

Minet, Cinccino Way of the Kensei Monk

Ergin, Houndoom Arcane Trickster Rogue

Audra, Manectric Circle of Wildfire Shaman

Tristan, Goodra Cavalier Fighter

Kasi, Frogedier Way of the Dragon Monk

Mobius, Decidueye Gloomstalker Ranger

Rook, Krokorok Inquisitive Rogue

Jack, Decidueye Drakewarden Ranger

Guinness, Haxorus Path of the Totem Barbarian

Kadmos, Sceptile Way of the Kensai Monk

Pluto, Delibird Oath of the Ancients Paladin

Meryl, Golurk School of Abjuration Wizard

Penicillin, Meganium Life Domain Cleric

Cleo, Ampharos Celestial Warlock

Quin, Quilava Drakewarden Ranger

Rheda, Hisuian Sneasel School of Illusion Wizard

Rian, Zangoose Path of the Beast Barbarian

Lucas, Delphox Knowledge Domain Cleric/School of Divination Wizard

Rubix, Typhlosion Arcane Archer Fighter/Soulfuse

Henry, Kecleon Storm Sorcerer

Floss, Delibird Spiritmaster White Mage

Cassandra, Absol Celestial Warlock/Soulfuse

Calvin, Archeops Oath of the Crown Paladin

Ballard, Azumaril College of Whispers Bard/Hexblade Warlock

Adachi, Toxicroak Way of the Open Palm Monk/Barbairan

Zeish, Lucario Swashbuckler Rogue/Celestial Warlock

Sol, Charizard Gunslinger Fighter/Artificer

Thalnor, Charizard Oath of the Ancients Paladin

Ariana, Nidoqueen College of Swords Bard/Fighter

Clade, Absol Hexblade Warlock/Soulfuse

Jace, Luxray Battlesmith Artificer

#my art #pokemon #pokemon mystery dungeons and dragons #dungeons and dragons

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flower-seeks-the-moon · 3 months

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your move (future chapter teaser)

The next chapter will come out on February 9. Here's a snippet from future chapters illustrating some of Baxter's thought processes (my speculation on part of why he's so drawn to the MC). This isn't taken from the upcoming chapter, though.

Drooping, he rests his cheek on his palm and sets the phone down. His empty condo feels the same as ever: sterile and absent of the light and laughter that he glimpses often outside.

The household across from his rental is so full of love that something in Baxter aches and hungers. How appalled must his mother be, if she learns how much he longs for the easy smiles and affection shared between the couple of older women a walk’s distance away? Meeting Pamela and Noelani Blanc hurts like an old, healed scar, for here’s a well-known secret in Golden Grove:

Adrian and Amelia Ward do not love each other.

In the world of his parents, love matches don’t exist. There’s only the smiles to be shown on camera, picture-perfect down to the last tailored button, and well-placed cuff link to show the world the perfect nuclear family.

Genuine love does not exist in the circles that his family runs in.

Neither do same-sex relationships.

Pamela and Noelani Blanc are all the more beautiful for how unafraid they are to show their affection to the world.

And their daughters, as different as the sun and the moon, shine all the brighter for it.

Wisteria Blanc is everything that his father would loathe, from the shape of her eyes to the very family that nurtures and shelters her.

Like a moth to a flame, he can’t help but draw closer despite the only possible outcome that could come of this. He’s always been weak, like that.

#our life #our life: beginnings & always #baxter ward #fanfiction #wip

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sunbloomdew · 7 months

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my olba mc timeline!

introducing my darling buttercup, Haru Nakamura :D

finally i can post this! i'm very happy to talk about a character i have been working on since may haha. does that mean they are fully cooked? let's talk about something else :) insert why do they call you babygirl meme

you don't wanna know how long was the process of making this one drawing,,,, 1/10, would do it again no question, but god did that take time. here's the sketch for comparison :]

(hopefully) short and concise description of each step below + a couple of songs that i assign to each step, from their playlist because i can and i will

ʰᵃʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃᵃᵃᵃ ᵗᵘʳⁿˢ ᵒᵘᵗ ⁱ ʷʳᵒᵗᵉ ᵃ ᵇⁱᵗ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ʰᵃʰᵃʰʰᵃᵃʰ ⁱᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ʳᵉᵃᵈ ᵃˡˡ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰⁱˢ ʸᵒᵘ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵐʸ ʰᵃⁿᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵐᵃʳʳⁱᵃᵍᵉ ᵇᵗʷ

now before i move to each step, i want to take a moment to talk about Haru's name. they are japanese american (their biological parents were both japanese people who moved to california) so i wanted them to have a japanese name.

first their birth name, Kaito. i picked this [快仁] way of writing it. 快 means "pleasant, comfortable, agreeable" and 仁 means "humanity, benevolence and kindness". i chose it as their birth name because of a few reasons:

first, some other ways of writing this name include a kanji that means "ocean, sea". it's an obvious connection to the setting of olba, as well as the character's deep connection with sunset bird, especially in their childhood.

the meanings assigned to the version i chose, describe haru at their core and during step 1 when they use this name. they are a comfortable presence whose greatest desire is to make meaningful, genuine connections with other people (fucking extravert). while they are pleasant they are a people-pleaser as well - part of their journey is to unlearn that.

it sounds very cute and they are the sweetest kid

now the name people actually know them for, the one they feel describes them the best - Haru. the kanji that i picked [春] means "spring, season of growth and renewal" and it's precisely what Haru's 'arc' is about. the meaning and value of their personal growth, understanding themselves and working with oneself instead of against.

a little tidbit about their name: there is a kanji with which it can be written that means "cherry blossom". those flowers are considered as a symbol of spring in japan, usually blooming between the end of march and beginning of may. another fun fact, haru's birthday is on the 2nd of april :]

Nakamura is a surname i chose instead of Last in the game. i thought it would be fun to headcanon that the family's surname is actually from Noelani's side (some Hawaiian last names are Japanese in origin, hence Nakamura). The kanji i picked to write it are [中村] - 中 meaning "in, inside, middle, center" and 村 meaning "village, hamlet". I think of it as a reference to sunset bird itself.

so once we put all of the ingredients together it already forms an image of a character. i've been reading a book by david day "the hobbits of tolkien" in which the author describes j.r.r. tolkien's process of creating the hobbits. it's very fascinating, the way in which he used his philologist knowleadge - digging up the word first and then tracing it's origins and the word family to slowly create the hobbits we know today. my process of creating haru was somewhat similar in methods, though definitely not the process (god no, i am nowhere near tolkien's level). i wanted to mention that because the words we use to describe the world, or in this case characters are important.

i like to think that haru's whole name means "spring in a village", with them being the embodiment of said season, connected to an undeniably summer town. a little bit like baxter, our resident autumn boy stumbled into a seaside tourist town. only in haru's case the lines are more blurry. i think of them as the manifestation of the spring/summer period, when the sun shines brightly and trees bloom but the wind is still chilly and strong.

in any case, let's move further! fairies know i could talk just about their name forever

Step 1: welcome to childhood folks! in step 1 Haru uses their birth name, Kaito, and he/him pronouns. Kaito is a lonely child who wants only one thing - to have a friend. he is too fat, too shy, too different from other kids his age, which leads to him being isolated from them. this plants the first seeds of his insecurities that will follow him into the future. being ignored and laughed at really impacts Kaito, who only wants to make friends with anybody. it makes this thought slowly grow at the back of his mind: "there is something fundamentally wrong with me." thankfully, he has the support of lizzie and their moms and the soothing sound of the waves and the warm sand at the beach, which make his social isolation feel less hurtful.

when it comes to his personality, Kaito is an open-hearted, open-minded kid who is quite shy. he is naive, terribly impatient and impulsive which can be a fatal combination. curiosity is another defining trait of his - not really with any things of an academic nature, but definitely about other people, so much he can be very nosy. despire that he is pretty good at reading social cues and figuring out people's feelings. if only he had enough foresight to actually confirm his thoughts with others - he is prone to assume things solely based off his judgement. he is empathetic and a good listener. his tendencies in people-pleasing are only starting to grow, but it will be a huge problem down the line.

a sidenote about his design: colours chosen for each step hold a meaning. the colour palette for step 1 is a triadic colour scheme with purple, teal and yellow. i chose those colours because they remind me of summer, and in step 1 kaito is at the beginning of his growth as a person. at this point in their life, they are connected with summer as a season the most, because they have yet to begin the process of figuring themselves out and understanding themselves.

Cove moving in is a turning point for Kaito. he changes his life by befriending him. it doesn NOT alleviate the insecurities and doubt still nestled in Kaito's heart. rather he views Cove as someone special for befriending him. the setting for their relationship is Nervous Fond. Kaito likes Cove immediately (as they do with most people, they are very open) but is very nervous about this whole making friends process.

Alright this all probably sounds very angsty but this internal turmoil of Kaito's is (for now) very much in the background. think of it like a box covered with sheets, dusted over and hidden in the attic. step 1 is mostly cute kid shenanigans (and some crying).

Songs:

hawaiian roller coaster ride - mark keali'i ho'omalu, kamehameha schools children's chorus; lilo and stitch original soundtrack

the right amount of dumb - kan gao; finding paradise (original game soundtrack)

i have a hole in my tooth (and my dentist is shut) - dodie

take me anywhere - kan gao; to the moon (original game soundtrack)

second child, restless child - the oh hellos

(the right amount of dumb is like their theme in step 1 because they are a bit of a dumbass <33 silly little kid)

Step 2: ahhh early teenage years. i think 12yo and older is the time when you start to realize how profoundly fucked up reality is and react appropriately! which is exactly what Haru is going through, on top of being obsessed with becoming popular. sigh.

step 2 is very rough for Haru. for one, their insecurities from childhood only grow. they see their inabilty to create a large circle of friends as a reflection of their worth. their self-esteem is at all time low, which is why they do everything they can to cover it up. kids are cruel so they cannot show any weaknesses. in order to cover up their low self-confidence they become very arrogant,they arrive at this conclusion: if they are so unlikable (false) then they only need to pretend to be someone else entirely to make people like them (bruh. teenage brain is a mystery).

and so begins their fabrication of themselves, altering parts of their appearance, personality even giving up and picking up hobbies just to appeal to the 'popular kids'. deep inside they know that this is futile. you cannot make people like you, you cannot make them respect you if they don't no matter how hard you try. but they are so starved for social interactions, that it doesn't matter at the moment. if they get to hang out with the cool kids, if people wave to them in the corridors then what does it matter that the person they are greeting is fake?

those purposeful but forced changes consume them. they are constatly playing a role around people they know but don't trust - they can only relax with their family, Cove and Derek. but even then, they aren't fun to hang out with that much. seeing as they can reveal their true thoughts only then, it makes them constantly angry (at everything, but at themselves the most probably) which affects their relationships with their friends and family.

to them it feels like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. they can't bear their soul to the cool kids group, because that would mean admitting that they are not a person they pretended to be - this loud, out-going, larger than life, perfect person. and in their head they think they can't reveal anything to their loved ones either - it would mean admitting defeat in making friends.

so yeah, the struggle is there y'all. despite all the harm that comes from their behaviour and their environment, they learn a couple of things too. they realize they aren't a mind reader and perhaps asking people about their problems is better than assuming you know what is wrong, even if you are like 99% sure you know. doesn't mean they won't ask in the most blunt, tactless way possible tho. their shyness as if evaporates completely - you're not gonna make it far in middle school being shy. funnily enough, they are a massive people-pleaser. you'd think that this bold, boisterous teen star would be far from it, but every action Haru performs in their school circle is for the approval of others. if there are any mild upsides to their state is that they can fulfill their innate need of connecting with other people. it's not deep or meaningful in most cases but what can you do.

as you probably noticed, the main colour of this step is green. but why? green is such a nice colour, with so many positive meanings... sike! i mean yeah it is, but you know what else green symbolises? greed and envy. i used green for this step to highlight haru's desire of becoming popular not as a genuine dream, not even as a way to connect with others but because of the immense jealousy they felt. of other people who got to have friends that liked them for who they are. of elizabeth especially, who never seemed to struggle with making people like her. in this stage of their life, green is definitely a negative colour for them.

the comfort level in step 2 is Direct Fond for both Cove and Derek. no matter which route i'm deciding on romantically, haru does not have a crush on anyone in step 2, or at least doesn't allow themselves to have.

Songs:

freaks - surf curse

kawaki wo ameku [カワキヲアメク] - minami [美波]

carnivore - starset

stand out fit in - one ok rock

remember my name - mitski

(i especially like carnivore for this step because haru starts avoiding eating meat, cause they don't like the taste that much. the choice of this song is a bit of an inside joke for me, also the lyrics fit very well)

Step 3: we enter era of healing! i'd say in step 3 haru is at a solid 3/4 way to doing better internally. step 2 was their lowest, but now they are beginning to bloom. but growing older doesn't only bring knowleadge and growth, it also brings a new lot of issues to deal with.

Haru has been confronted about their behaviour. the impact it had on others and on themselves (there was a lot of crying and broken confessions, not a good time). as they reached their limit, they finally decided to speak their feelings and accept help from their loved ones.

now, it's hard to simply get rid of one's insecurities, especially those that seemed to be reinforced by the outside world for a long time. they use a strategy as old as time to deal with (not cover up anymore) their low self-esteem - fake it till you make it. some of their arrogance stays with them, as a blanket of security in a way, but they are determined to be confident in themselves.

their growth starts with a somewhat superficial thing but one that they always cared about: their clothes. they were always interested in clothing and fashion but only in step 3 they move a bit further with that interest and begin to make clothes on their own. it's an important passion to them, not only being very therapeutic but also allowing them to express their true self, both in terms of their personality as well as gender.

a major shift in their perception of their relationships with others was caused by realizing, that gaining popularity was not going to make them feel fulfilled. they had always desired deep, meaningful relationships, and while being recognized at school was nice, it wasn't really what they were looking for. this in turn make them rethink their whole "pretending to be someone you're not" business and with their loved ones assistance they figured out that... it simply wasn't worth it.

and because haru is the most impulsive person on this side of the globe, they did not ease themselves into this realization but again forced themselves to abandon their old ways in favor of being painfully true to themselves. and then everybody smacked their foreheads.

haru is a lot kinder to themselves now, courtesy of cove and others, but they still tend to ignore themselves in favor of somebody else. their shyness returned, and they no longer try to force themselves into acting more out there than they are. since the let down their walls, they speak their mind without thinking and are prone into agreeing to things immediately, often finding themselves in uncomfortable or annoying situations.

right now their most pressing struggle is dealing with becoming an adult. they feel as if they had just got peace and stability in their life and yet their friends are leaving or staying, getting jobs, time is slipping through their fingers like sand and everything is different. haru themselves feels very lost and overwhelmed by the future, so for now they latch onto people, their friends, sister and moms and try to spend as much time with them as possible, drowning the sound of their own fear in their laughter. on top of that there is a new guy in sunset bird, who seems to have a bit similar internal struggles to them, and haru feels like they could make a connection for life. i wonder how that will go :]

step 3 colours! they wear a lot of different colours because their style is mostly inspired by the 80s, plus they like to go crazy with the clothes they make. but colours that appear the most are definitely pink and yellow, plus a little bit of green. green appears in smaller amounts and in shades closer to yellow to express it's different nature than the green in step 2. this time it represents growth, freshness and hope.

now yellow is a very important colour that i consider haru's main colour. they are simply inseparable in my head. it was completely gone from their colour palette in step 2, and in step 1 it had more of a golden shade, one reminiscent of summer, but in step 3 it brings forth thoughts of spring more. it is purposeful, as Haru is finally growing into the person they want to be. yellow's positive meanings are among others optimism, happiness, creativity and enthusiasm. but it can also be associated with fear and cowardice and that is definitely something that fits haru in this step as well.

pink is prevalent in this specific outfit, but like i said, the clothes they wear in this step are pretty colourful. still, it holds meaning, seeing as it's also visible in their step 4 clothes. pink is invincibly linked with romance and romantic feelings - something haru allows themselves to open up to in step 3. like most things about them, if they have a crush on somebody their infatuation comes fast and strong, seemingly out of nowhere. but other than romance, pink is a colour of youth and playfulness.

after dealing with all that teen angst, they are very playful. combined with the dread of the future and genuine excitement they finally feel, they are a sweet, sociable person. the comfort level is Relaxed Fond, unless they have a crush on either Cove or Baxter, then it's Nervous Crush.

Songs:

permanence - bears in trees

wishing well - the oh hellos

infinite - lyn lapid

summer depression - girl in red

what if it doesn't end well - chloe moriondo

(i didn't put this song here despite it being the first one on haru's playlist, but teenage dream by katy perry is such a step 3 haru song)

Step 4: sweet woes of adulthood! Haru has grown and grown up but of course, life is a continuous string of things happening and us having to deal with them. some things stayed the same, for example their big ego. from aiming to cover up their low confidence, to actually gaining a healthy amount of it, like in most things they do, they went overboard. and while some of it is still a little bit of a defense mechanism, they are also completely insufferable and a beast of self-esteem. you win some you lose some.

they grew into the person they were always meant to be: free spirited, open, empathetic and creative. even so, they still retain their oh so recognizable traits. their curious, almost nosy demeanor, impatient nature and people-pleasing ways. they are still reckless though not quite as impatient, they learned to be a bit more chill.

haru learned to manage their intense nature. especially when it comes to meeting new people, they realize and respect the fact that not everybody will be eager to form a deeper bond, as much as it confuses them sometimes. they have always been ride or die type of person, but growing up has mellowed them out a bit.

the most growth happened with their way of managing their relationships as well as their perception of themselves. they are a lot more mature and as such manage to maintain their relationships. even if they still sometimes assume other people's thoughts or take up too much upon themselves, they see what they have accomplished and are very proud of themselves.

their struggles now involve the usual perils of adulthood, but mostly keeping up with their friends and making sure everything is alright. other than that though, they eagerly travel and go out of their way to meet even more new people - they do need someone to anchor them, or they will get carried away and eventually step on somebody's toes (or fail to return from another state on a scheduled date).

speaking of their adult relations, baxter leaving was a huge blow to them. like traumatic event rank S type of thing. when they meet again it's a storm lol

when it comes to Haru's other dreams and goals, i picture them with a business that makes custom clothes, like handmade ones. their side job would be helping out cove with surfing lessons and his business. they like to work with other people and are a fairly good leader, but they dislike doing the simple tasks because they are so boring.

last design notes! so there is yellow and pink, a bit of blue and white, at least in this outfit. yellow, pink and white are their characteristic colours, but green finds it's place here too sometimes (to drive home the spring theme more).

like i mentioned, haru's colour is yellow. it's the colour of sunshine, buttercups, the sand and some birds and fish, and most importantly it's the colour i associate with spring (along with green). haru is a character that represents the late spring, teeming with life and joy, intense in growth and weather, downpours or clear skies alike.

i don't think there is much more to say about the colours in this step, as in my opinion yellow is most significant. pink also connects with haru's acceptance of femininity and figuring out exactly how much they associate with it. and blue is the colour of the sky :)

in step 3 they are at Direct Fond or Crush. I like their energy in relationships with other people :]

Songs:

hey blondie - dominic fike; barbie the album

everybody loves me - onerepublic

never gonna not dance again - p!nk

sick of losing soulmates - dodie

rebel rebel - david bowie

dancing with myself - billy idol

(hey blondie is such a bop holy shit you guys- also very much a haru song <3)

wow i can't believe i actually wrote this. i am very particular about my characters so now that i have this sort of "introduction" for haru posted, i can post other things about them! don't ask me how that works, it has to be chronological

if you've read this thank you very, very much <3 and if you didn't, fair i feel you lol. feel free to ask about them if your heart desires :]

toodles~

#my eyes are closing on their own #so tired #but i'm proud of myself for finishing this :]#if you've seen any typos you didn't!!!#mei's kids #olba mc #olba #our life beginnings and always #our life beginnings & always #our life #sunbloom draws #sunbloom talks #<3 #this post is over 3.5k words long btw

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