History Characters / OurLifeBeginningsAndAlways

* HelloInsertNameHere: Both their first and last name can be changed. If chosen from a certain list, their first name can also be voiced by Cove.

* UsedToBeMoreSocial: Downplayed and zig-zagged, depending on how he develops. It's possible for Cove to be have a warm personality in Step 2, but have his personality become colder by the time he's a young adult depending on your choices. That being said, Cove is still a kind-hearted guy no matter what - his personality determines his willingness to socialize outside of his circle of loved ones.

* AmicableExes: While things were initially a little rough, he and Kyra are this by Step 2, having a positive co-parenting relationship and have become close enough to joke with one another again.

* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: In Reflection, it's revealed Cliff had a terrible relationship with his parents. He clearly made an effort to not be like that to Cove, and succeeded.
* ButtMonkey: Man, he really tries, but Cliff isn't the best at thinking things through, so he often ends up being the subject of others' ire and the butt of jokes.
* ChildrenRaiseYou: He has trouble taking other people's desires into consideration, which is heavily implied to be part of why his marriage failed, but raising Cove and working with him to understand his frustrations helped him grow as a person.
* DadsCantCook: Averted. Cliff is an excellent cook, as complimented by Kyra in Dinner (Step 2). Yet for some reason it's always Cove having dinner at the MC's house...
* DoesntKnowTheirOwnChild: One of Cliff's biggest issues early on. Cove hates having to deal with surprises and situations he isn't prepared for, yet Cliff is privy to doing so, with the genuine belief that it'll make him happy. Thankfully, he gets better about this over the years.
* DotingParent: Cliff is very proud to be Cove's dad and essentially dedicated his whole life to raising him.

* FamilyMan: He struggles sometimes, but Cliff is devoted to his son and encourages him whenever he can. [[spoiler: Kyra notes in Reflections (Step 3) that the moment Cove was born, Cliff dedicated his everything for him and in Derek's Step 4, the MC can note that while the Suarez brothers are very much loved by their father, it gets outshined by all the love and doting Cliff gives his son]].

* ParentsAsPeople: While he always has others' best interests at heart, it's how he acts on it that can chaff others. His "surprises" to make people happy only seem to upset them, which greatly upsets him and makes it hard to really call him out for it. This is a particularly big issue for Cove, who wants his father to ask him what he wants instead of guessing, [[spoiler: and also a rather major issue that negatively affected his marriage with Kyra]]. Thankfully, he gets better about it by Step 3.

* TeenPregnancy: Based on his age, he had Cove at only 19 years old. If the protagonist ends up sleeping over in Cove's room at the end of Step 3, he also comments that he was barely older then Cove when he found out he was gonna be a dad.

Cove's mother and Cliff's ex-wife. Kyra is very friendly and playful. She loves Cove very much and enjoys teasing him whenever the opportunity presents itself. She and Cliff have been divorced since the start of the game, with her only getting visitation rights. However, she is still on friendly terms with her ex and likes to tease him from time to time. She first shows up in Step 2.

* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler: Reflections (Step 3) reveals her own set of insecurities regarding her role as a parent, should Cove decide to call her. Despite the crumbling state of her marriage to Cliff, she resolved to have them stay together for Cove's sake, only finally asking for divorce when she had no other option. She also chose to give up custody to Cliff because she believed he could provide Cove with a more stable environment, knowing Cliff would do the same if the situation was reversed. But due to this choice, it makes her overcompensate a little with her affections due to feeling like a 'fun aunt' to Cove rather than his mother, something he vehemently denies]].
* MissingMom: Subverted. While Kyra is divorced from Cliff and isn't present in Step 1 (having moved to Nevada), she visits Sunset Bird in Step 2, and from then on is seen frequently throughout the story. However, being unable to always be physically there for Cove growing up is something that still bothers her at times, as seen in Reflections (Step 3).

* TeenPregnancy: Based on her age, she had Cove when she was just 18 years old, something Kyra confirms in Reflections (Step 3) if Cove decides to call her. Notably, this happened just six months after she and Cliff started dating, though Kyra admits that she was happy to raise Cove alongside Cliff despite everything.

* MultipleEndings: Interestingly for Shiloh, [[https://gb-patch.tumblr.com/post/676491749358714880/which-shiloh-personality-is-which-like-which there are four possible outcomes for his future by Step 4]], as indicated when bringing up Shiloh during breakfast. It is not influenced by player choice, and are decided randomly[[note]] [[spoiler: though this can be rigged by reloading saves before talking about him]][[/note]] as follows:

--> '''Voiced by:''' Yu Wang (Step 1), Caleb Yen (Step 2), Jonathan Flores (Step 3), Brandon Acosta (Step 4)

* EveryScarHasAStory: One of the first things you can notice about Cove at the start of Step 1 is his pink cast, which is eventually removed to reveal a long, thin scar that persists throughout all Steps. When asked about it during the Step's epilogue, to which Cove admits he got it in a jet-ski accident.

* HollywoodAutism: Inverted. While he does show symptoms from the very beginning of the game, he is far from the traditional media streotype of people on the spectrum.

* EveryScarHasAStory: At the end of Step 1, asking about his cast has Cove admit he got it in a jet-ski accident.

* UsedToBeMoreSocial: Downplayed and zig-zagged, depending on how he develops. It's possible for Cove to be have a warm personality in Step 2, but have his personality become colder by the time he's a young adult, depending on your choices. That being said, Cove is still a kind-hearted guy no matter what - his personality simply determines his willingness to socialize outside of his circle of loved ones.

* NotSoAboveItAll: Despite telling you off about eating the fruit bouquet if you decide to share the fruit bouquet at the start of Step 2, if you let yourself be caught by Elizabeth, she cheerily offers to pin the blame on Cove and Derek instead.

** He's a bit of a picky eater in Step 1 (notably in Sleepover), but by his teens he's a strong appreciator of good food, putting away most meals away in just a few bites.

* EnterStageWindow: Cove develops this habit at the start of Step 2, which becomes a common occurrence from Step 2 to 3. The MC can poke fun at him for this, and hilariously enough, he only gets caught sneaking around at the very end of Step 3 (though Lani did have her suspicions).

* SingleTargetSexuality: Cove generally only has eyes for the MC, should their relationship turn romantic. WordOfGod has noted that while it's fine for players to have their own headcanons, [[https://gb-patch.tumblr.com/post/639515728562864128/ask-answers-january-5th-2021 there wasn't really anyone else he could potentially see in a romantic light other than the MC growing up]].

* WackyParentSeriousChild: He's not exactly serious all the time, but Cove is definitely more stoic than his laid-back dad.

* NotSoAboveItAll: If you decide to share the fruit bouquet at the start of Step 2 and let yourself be caught by Elizabeth, she cheerily offers to pin the blame on Cove and Derek instead.

* BigEater: He's a bit of a picky eater in Step 1 (notably in Sleepover), but by his teens he's a strong appreciator of good food, putting away most meals away in just a few bites.

* LastGuyWins: He's the last of the [=LI=]s you meet in Step 3, and you can choose to date him if you have his DLC. [[spoiler: While you separate at the end of that summer, you can reunite and eventually get back together with him by picking his Step 4 epilogue]].
* LongDistanceRelationship: Averted. [[spoiler: He shoots down any possibility of this at the end of Step 3 when suggested by the MC, regardless of interest level. He ends up cutting contact with everyone in Sunset Bird, and isn’t seen again unless you play Cove’s wedding DLC or Baxter’s Step 4]].
** [[spoiler: Later played straight by the end of his version of Step 4. Having been able to make amends with everyone, he earnestly promises to keep in touch, and even decides to plan a trip to visit the MC]].

* NotAMorningPerson: Baxter fully admits this in Drinks (Step 3), noting that he's considerably less alert in the morning, with this trait being evident throughout his Step 3 moments. Unsurprisingly, he's a [[TheNightOwl night owl]] instead.
** [[spoiler: His scheduling of a meeting in Step 4 at 9AM genuinely shocks the MC for this reason, though he does admit he only does this for clients.]].
* TheOneThatGotAway: He can be this to an MC who dated him in Step 3. [[spoiler: Whether you get back together with him is up to you, however.]]
* OldFriend: Disappears from the MC's life after his departure from Sunset Bird. They are reunited when Baxter turns out to be their wedding planner in the wedding DLC [[spoiler: or for Jude and Scott in his own version of Step 4]].
* PoorCommunicationKills: As explained by Baxter in Step 4, part of his reason for cutting ties was him [[spoiler: genuinely believing that the MC (and their friends) had no need or reason to see him again, even if they attempt to argue against this. In hindsight, Baxter realized that he had no right to make that assumption, but was more preoccupied with protecting his own feelings and justifications at the time. He comes to deeply regret this]].
-->'''Baxter''': [[spoiler: "You never asked me to leave you alone. I created that fiction.” ]]
* RomanticRunnerUp: It's possible for the MC to have a summer fling with him in Step 3, but ultimately wind up tying the knot with Cove. [[spoiler: If this is the case, Baxter will lampshade his status as this when he and the MC run into each other again in the Wedding DLC. However, he holds no ill will towards this outcome, and is genuinely happy that both the MC and Cove are able to make each other happy.]]

* ThreeAmigos: You can have this dynamic with a female-identifying MC together with him and Cove.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: As a child, he had a tendency to bluntly state whatever was on his mind, no matter how mean it can sound. Notably, it once reached a point that [[CheerfulChild Shiloh]], of all people, got angry at him in Sandcastles (Step 1), and the MC can call him out on this later on. He gets better as he gets older, thankfully.
* LackOfImagination: Comes up occasionally. He struggles with naming his fish things that aren't immediately obvious (such as naming an orange fish Tangerine or a small fish Squirt) and has trouble describing the style of his wedding cake, deferring to you when the topic comes up during the Wedding DLC. WordOfGod claims he struggles in creative fields because of this trope.
* MessyHair: A possible hairstyle for a Step 4 Cove, especially when compared with the other options.

* ProneToTears: While mostly prominent in Step 1, [[TenderTears he still tears up when emotionally overwhelmed, which still happens a fair amount throughout the game]]. The MC can gently poke fun at him being something of a crybaby from time to time.

A childhood friend of the MC and Elizabeth in Step 1. Nothing seems to faze or annoy him; he always goes along with what everyone else wants with a smile on his face. He is particularly close to Elizabeth.

* TheBabyOfTheBunch: He's the youngest of the friends in Step 1, being just seven.

* BlindObedience: Shows this to Lizzie in Step 1. [[spoiler:Revealed in Step 3 to be an act done in order to fit in better and to not be at the bottom of the social ladder among the group.]]

* DisappearedDad: He says that he doesn't have a dad and no one ever talks about him.

* ExtremeDoormat: Comes across as this in Step 1. [[spoiler:Turns out it's an act.]]

** '''Leon''': [[spoiler: [[IHatePastMe Utterly depising his past self]], he sheds his hat, dyes his hair blonde and [[MiddleNameBasis goes by his middle name, Leon, instead]] in an attempt to [[ThatManIsDead distance himself from his old identity]]. However, as he's lost the desire to use others, he sees no reason to be nice, either, [[ReformedButNotTamed developing a blunt, ruder personality]]]].

* KidsLoveDinosaurs: While not technically a kid, he gets very excited at the thought of dinosaurs.

* PintSizedKid: He's short for his age, but enjoys a growth spurt by the time you meet him again in Step 4, though depending on your choices, you can still be taller than him by then.

* OldFriend: Disappears from Cove/MC's life after his departure from Sunset Bird. They are reunited when Baxter turns out to be their wedding planner in the wedding DLC [[spoiler: or for Jude and Scott in his own version of Step 4]].

[[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_77_21.png]]

Miranda’s older brother and his boyfriend-turned-fiance, Scott, who are first mentioned at the start of Step 3 should Baxter's DLC be installed. They get engaged sometime between Steps 3 and 4, leading the MC to get involved in their wedding planning in Baxter’s version of Step 4.

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* HelloInsertNameHere: Both their first and last name can be changed. If chosen from a certain list, their first name can even be voiced by Cove.

* InsistsOnPaying: Can be done several times throughout the game, usually by promising to pay the gifter back. Notably, when Cove offers to get them a ticket for the charity dinner (if they aren't volunteering with ORCA) in the aptly named moment Charity (Step 3), the MC can insist on paying for it for themselves.

* PatientChildhoodLoveInterest: Potentially. They can have a crush on Cove since they first met him, but still hold off until he chooses to confess ten (or even fifteen) years later.

* SecondLove: A possible route for the MC. With DLC, it's entirely possible to have crushed on other [=LIs=], only to commit to someone else. Notably, you can date Baxter in Step 3, but end up getting together with Derek or Cove in the end, [[RomanticRunnerUp something that he can lampshade in the Wedding DLC]].

* SweetTooth: While he grows to love all sorts of food, he always had and continues to have a fondness for sugary treats, whether it's cinnamon pretzels, fudge or ice-cream.

* TookTheWifesName: If you marry Cove, you have the option of having him take your MC's last name, vice-versa or combining them them together. WordOfGod confirms that Cove doesn't mind any of those options, so long as he and the MC shared a last name together.