#join me in the nostalgic joy these games are freeeeeeee

[soleminisanction]

Did I spend my Saturday putting together character write-ups of my two main Our Life: Now & Forever MCs? Yes. Yes I did. What can I say, I'm addicted.

Alvis Norling - Step One

Pronouns: He/They

Alvis was born intersex, so their mother opted to raise them gender-neutral from birth and leave their pronouns and gender up to them as they got older. The he part of he/they is a fairly recent development. 

Despite identifying as “kind of” a boy, Alvis has a preference for feminine clothes. Not skirts or dresses, they almost never wear anything like that, but they tend to wear women’s pants and girls’ blouses, that sort of thing. 

His biological father was of Russian heritage, while Opal is Welsh. 

Favorite color is silver. The thought that it pairs so nicely with Qiu’s gold makes him happy. 

Fell for Qiu pretty much the moment they met. He’s the prettiest person they’ve ever seen, so cool and graceful, it’s like hanging out with a prince. Alvis is completely blown away that this guy would even talk to them, and is just happy to spend whatever time they can with him. 

Tamarack overwhelms them, but in a good way. They’re pretty content to be dragged along by her like a doll, deferring to her in pretty much everything. He admires her a lot, and just the fact that somebody so fun and confident seems to like him makes him happy. She’s their best friend, and he especially appreciates the way she looks out for him when his social anxiety acts up. 

He starts off afraid of the woods but he’s going to learn to love it with Tamarack’s help. Getting used to the people who hang around Qiu all the time takes considerably longer, particularly after Darren's less-than-stellar first impression. Alvis also finds Baxter intimidating.

Due to his missing leg, Alvis walks with a prosthetic and sometimes with the assistance of a cane. While he can usually manage on his scooter, there are some days when he has trouble getting to school by himself; luckily, Opal’s arrangement with the Lins and the Baumanns includes Qiu and Tamarack’s respective guardians cluing them in on the situation, so he can always count on leaning on Tamarack’s shoulder or catching a ride on Qiu’s bike if he needs to. 

Opal calls them a starling as a term of endearment because their voice is sweet and they’re tiny and light. As they get older, the use of that name extends to a small handful of their most precious people, most notably Qiu.

Alvis Norling - Step Two

Pronouns: He/Him

By fourteen Alvis is pretty settled in Golden Grove, but is far from the most popular kid in school. He's more of a quiet fixture in town, a common presence in the local library, park and craft store, but one who mostly keeps to himself or to the company of his best friend Tamarack.

He's still head-over-heels for Qiu, and the fact that they're not as close as they used to be is a source of a lot of melancholy and longing for him.

Biggest hobby is jewelry-making. He makes a lot of his own accessories (including the earrings hidden by his messy hair) and often gifts the rest to friends and family.

Overall demeanor is of a somewhat restrained, academic, effeminate gay man -- less flashy and flamboyant than most queens, but in the same rough area of the gender spectrum. Like a queen who's also a librarian.

Very much the mom friend.

Chandra Dúskar - Step One

Pronouns: She/Her

Cisgender female and an incorrigible lesbian pretty much from birth. Chandra has flirted with a lot of girls in the past (and let boys simp for her to get her way) but none of them have ever struck her with full-blown love at first sight the way Tamarack did when she burst out of her leaf pile. Chandra came home and told her mum that very afternoon that she was going to marry Tamarack one day, and she sticks to it.

She also decides, on her first day of school, that she's going to be popular someday, and goes after that goal with confidence to spare.

Style isn't full gothic lolita but she's close to it. The outfit she wears in this picture has jeans, for example, but also a sporty skirt worn over it, and she definitely favors the black with colorful accents look.

Adores spooky things and is super excited by the prospect of her house, the town, or anywhere else being haunted. Naturally, autumn is her favorite time of year because it has Halloween, the best holiday ever.

Give Qiu a run for his money in terms of friendly showing off. From the moment they meet Chandra wants to match him toe-to-toe in terms of athletics, popularity, and dance performances. So naturally, they're best friends.

Thinks Baxter is cool and mysterious and Darren is cute and fun to tease.

Wears her hair over her eye like that because she likes to surprise people with her heterochromia. And also because she's a little self-conscious about her birthmark, though she'd never admit that.

Favorite colors are black, pink and cranberry. Favorite drinks are hot chocolate and Shirley Temples.

Doesn't know how to ride a bike and has no interest in learning, especially not when she can hitch a ride on Tamarack's scooter.

Chandra Dúskar - Step Two

Pronouns: She/Her

Her personal style remains more feminine than the head shot might lead you to believe, it's just taken on a distinctly goth-punk edge as she grows into her rebellious phase.

Super stylish. Super confident. Super witchy. Always gets her way.

She and Qiu are the top dogs on campus, and also best friends. Chandra picks up the slack where they've stopped caring, though at a glance people usually find her the more intimidating of the two just based on her looks and style.

Is completely unsubtle about how much she adores "her Tammy." It might not help Tamarack's confidence to be showered with compliments all the time but dammit, Chandra's going to try.

Fully intends to get an eyebrow piercing and/or a tattoo once she's older.

#our life now and forever #olnf #olnf mc #olnf oc #I'm a little sorry to those who followed me for my DC content #but also not #join me in the nostalgic joy these games are freeeeeeee #:D #my characters #my ocs #original character #time i've spent playing this demo: 40 hours #time I've spent playing Baldur's Gate 3: 30 hours