Step 2 (Our Life: Beginnings & Always)

*This article is about Step 2 from Our Life: Beginnings & Always. For Step 2 from Our Life: Now & Forever, see Step 2 (Our Life: Now & Forever).*

   **Step 2** is the second Step in Our Life: Beginnings & Always, which takes place five years after the events of Step 1. It is divided into five free moments and five paid, DLC-exclusive moments which can be purchased in Itch.io and Steam. The said moments are listed below. In addition, there are five paid, DLC-exclusive moments separate from the Step 2 expansion for Derek, which can be purchased on Itch.io and Steam.

Take note that the dialogue and availability of both events and choices will be heavily influenced by the main character's personality and relationship with the deuteragonist, Cove Holden. Some choices become unavailable the lower their interest level is with him. The player can choose to start any of the Moments in no particular order. However, playing some Moments will slightly add or change the dialogue in others. Once a Moment is viewed, it cannot be replayed again without reloading back to an earlier save.

The characters will remember most of the player's choices from both the current and previous Steps, and will open opportunities or create new dialogue in future Steps accordingly unless reverted. This page will act as a guide of sorts, giving some insights for each moments regarding choices as objectively as possible, and **will contain spoilers**. Proceed with caution.

## Introduction

After the end of Step 1, the main character will be open for customization again except for their skin color, eye color, and last name. Something that is different from the last Step is that the player now has a brand-new option to wear earrings or an earring.

The player can then change their personality/comfort level and interest towards. If they player selects 'yes' when the game asks them if they wish to use the Cove Creator, then they can customize Cove's appearance and/or personality to an extent as well. Afterwards, the events that took place between Step 1 and Step 2 will be narrated to the player.

The Step then officially starts with the main character in their room. The player can choose their height for the Step which will affect some of the dialogue and options in the story. A **CG** will automatically unlock afterwards. Several new characters will be shown for the first time, namely Derek, Jeremy and Kyra in that order. The player's fruit skewer choice will slightly affect a possible outcome in Step 3 if they are friends with Cove and chose to eat it with him and Derek. After the encounter with Jeremy, Cove will leave if he is not friends with the main character. Later on, the player is introduced to Lee, the main character's cousin.

The moment will start with the main character either being woken or visited by their older sister, Elizabeth. She will let them know that Cove has come to visit them and is bringing them a gift from his dad, Mr. Holden. Depending on the main character's relationship with Cove, Elizabeth's moniker for him can range anywhere from the 'neighbor boy' to the player's 'baby boyfriend.'

When the player comes downstairs, they are greeted by both their Moms. When they go to the door, a CG of Cove holding a fruit bouquet will come up, regardless of their interest toward or dynamic with Cove. Cove is less friendly about having to do the task with an Indifferent main character, regardless of his personality.

While standing at the door, both Cove and the main character will hear Cove's friend and the other lead love interest, Derek, calling out to them. If you own his DLC, the main character is always at least friends with him and can even have a crush on him. If the DLC isn't owned, then the relationship is up to the player's interpretation, but the relationship will not be mutual. Even if the main character sees Derek as a friend, DLC owned or not, Derek will always have a crush on them.

Derek greets Cove and the main character excitedly before telling them that he saw a new kid in Sunset Bird. Cove and main character's curiosity will always be at least mildly piqued, no matter the choice the player makes. So they will always follow Derek to go see who this new boy is, which leads to their first meeting with Jeremy King.

Despite the casual, friendly greeting he receives from Derek, Jeremy reacts hostilely. He always will, even if the player makes choices that incline more towards being nice. He ends up revealing to Cove, Derek and the main character that his family forced him to come to Sunset Bird to visit family. The main character can even choose to punch him, but will always be held back by both Cove and Derek no matter what. Eventually, Jeremy leaves the park, leaving everyone feeling a little down about the small debacle.

Derek suggests everyone eating some of the main character's fruit to lighten the mood. The main character can either insist on them not eating it or agree. A colder version of Cove will take some anyway, even if the main character declines. A warmer version will not or will ask if he can have some to, if the main character agrees. Even if the main character does eat the fruit bouquet, though, they can choose to still not be over what happened with Jeremy. Either way, the atmosphere does appear to calm at least a little bit and Cove, Derek and the main character talk about summer plans and the like if Cove's relationship with the main character is Fond or higher. If not, Cove will leave and Derek and the main character will just talk.

The conversation is always cut short by the main character's sister, though. She reprimands the main character for running off with the fruit bouquet since Mr. Holden had gotten it for the entire Last family and asks the main character where it is. If the main character let Derek and Cove have some, the entire thing ends up being gone, which results in Elizabeth being shocked and further teasing them on a Fond or higher route. If they didn't share any or Cove just snatched some, she'll see it's relatively fine. But the main character always has the option to run off with it. If Cove is still there at that point, he will join Derek and the main character in making an escape for it. Even if the main character doesn't join either of the boys, though, they always run off.

If the main character is friends or crushes with Cove, there will be a scene with him visiting them at night. This is the first time he uses their window to come visit them. He tells the player that whilst eavesdropping on his dad's call with his mom, he has found out that his mother is coming to spend the summer with him and Mr. Holden with neither parent having bothered to ask or tell him about it. Him and the player talk for a whilst and in the end Cove spends the night sleeping at the main character's bedside. Depending on the main character's method of waking him up, Cove can fumble in a way which causes his head to hit their concrete floor or things can go a little bit more gracefully. Neither of these have any worryingly long-term effects. Nonetheless, he'll be frazzled when you wake him up.

Depending on the player's choices in Step 1's *Grown Up*, (primarily rather or not they chose to keep the fight between Cove and Elizabeth a secret or tell the main character's and Elizabeth's Moms) Elizabeth's dialogue will change if they tell her about this encounter. The player will be presented will meal choices afterwards and opting for the vegetarian or vegan options will also change some options in a few moments.

They will then meet Kyra and have lunch with her and Cove in one of the restaurants in Sunset Bird. The player can choose rather they eat at the Chinese Restaurant or the Tropical Place, both of which are unnamed throughout the entirety of the game. If the player insist Kyra or Cove make the decision, they will choose the Tropical Place. Which drink the player chooses during this event will slightly affect an outcome in Step 3's "*Errands*". The player will then be asked to elaborate on the main character's interests. Once prompted to ask questions to Kyra, choosing to ask why Kyra and Cliff had a divorce will immediately end it and will result in Cove becoming briefly irritated or annoyed with the player, regardless of their relationship.

After they've eaten, Kyra finally asks Cove what she's done to upset him and with a little hesitance, Cove tells her. It is then revealed that Cliff actually told or at least implied to Kyra that Cove wanted her to come. Kyra calls this one of Mr. Holden's infamous 'Clifford' surprises (this is also the first time the player finds out Cliff's actual first name is Clifford and not just 'Cliff') This revelation resolves things quickly between mother and son. However, they are both a little cold toward Mr. Holden when they arrive back home.

At that point, the moment ends and the player is sent to the Moment selection screen. Things go slightly different if Derek's DLC has been purchased.

## Family

The main character and Lee are sitting on a blanket on the poppy hills conversing when Lee suddenly has an idea to create a performance for others to see. The main character can either agree or disagree with the idea. If they agree, Lee will sing and the main character can pick three different things to do for the show out of all the given options. This is a moment where the hobbies picked by the main character in the intro (when asked by Kyra) come into play. It is also possible to determine whether main character is a good singer or not and whether or not they like to sing.

The cousins return to Last's home but find Noelani, Pamela and Elizabeth having a very serious conversation. As it turns out Elizabeth wants to know about her biological parents and what happened to them. She does not take the news well and storms out the room.

The main character is given an opportunity to also hear about their biological parents:

* If they select to know the truth and depending on what choices they pick and how they react, the main character can leave the situation by going to their room or leaving the house. If their reaction is mild, they can also remain with their mothers. If the main character does not go to meet Cove but decides to leave the house, he will eventually find the main character and comfort them if he is not Indifferent to them. Depending on the player's choice, Lee can be in their company too.
* If the main character decides not to hear the truth about their parents, they will ponder thoughts of Elizabeth and her parents instead. They also can leave the house to do so. Again, if you're not indifferent to him, Cove still eventually finds the main character and listens their thoughts.

No matter what the main character decides, Elizabeth comes to find them, too, and asks to speak with the main character alone. The siblings settle their thoughts together and return to Last home with Cove (and Lee, if she is present).

United again, the Last family and Cove decide to have "golden family time". The main character and Lee can perform the show they practiced before which gains high approval from the whole audience. If the main character does not feel like performing anymore after whole family crisis before or did not want to do it in the first place, the family will watch a movie of the main character's choice together.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 https://gbpatch.itch.io/our-life-step-2-dlc