Info
Baxter Ward is a character from the visual novel Our Life: Beginnings & Always by GB Patch. He is one of the two side love interests romanceable through additional downloaded content, the other being Derek Suarez. The base game is dedicated to Cove Holden. He also appears in the sequel Our Life: Now & Forever which takes place in his hometown.
Bold, courteous, and eccentric, Baxter appears to be unflappable when he first appears before the protagonist. Without delving into his route or perhaps the Cove Wedding Story, his struggles may not be apparent. Players often have strong feelings on him, pleasant or otherwise. They’re either taken by his seemingly confident charm or repelled by his strong personality.
Background
Baxter had both a fortunate and less-than-ideal upbringing, raised by wealthy parents who spoiled him with material possessions. On the other hand, they are also discriminating, controlling, and overly protective. His parents' image of an ideal son and outlook on life contradicted the values he gained as he grew alongside friends during his childhood in the fictional town of Golden Grove, Oregon.
Influenced by his guardians, he struggled to find self-worth outside of the shallow qualities they emphasized which affected his ability to maintain platonic or romantic relationships up to adulthood. He eventually cut off ties with them and his childhood town.
Traits
Even before getting into his route, Baxter proves himself endlessly generous. He offers to drive around the locals despite being the tourist and is quick to help with generally anything.
Baxter pays great attention to detail, seen in his skill in party and wedding planning, sense of aesthetics and fashion, and reading people. He’s seemingly quick to pick up on others' thoughts and feelings even without them outright saying anything. Baxter is superfluous with his words, often doling out full speeches in normal conversation. He can also be particular about when and how he makes comments, sometimes never being able to voice his thoughts if he feels the situation isn’t to his specifics.
Despite coming off forward, Baxter emphasizes a great respect to boundaries. Immediately after realizing he’s made Cove uncomfortable with his compliments, he backs off. Throughout his route, however, it becomes clear that his respect to boundaries goes so far as to be excessively “boundary-happy,” using it as a defense mechanism to the point of unhealthy isolation. He uses boundaries (as well as his outward persona) as walls to hide behind. This mechanism serves as the crux to Baxter’s story.
Baxter extends great empathy and understanding towards others, but struggles to grant himself the same. Whenever anyone fails at things such as adequately preparing for occasions, he understands that it’s due to inexperience. Despite being controlling over processes and his perfectionism, not once does he blame people (at least, anyone except himself).
Baxter’s a troll. When he was a child, he’d keep picking rock in rock-paper-scissors to amusedly watch “who would use the advantage they had to win and who would be willing to take the loss, and why they seemed to do so.” He also likes to tell random lies. Throughout his route, he praises strange food combinations and watches the protagonist’s reactions with no clear tell as to when he’s lying. He likes to mess with people, and based on the descriptions from the game, he’s very good at muddling truth that at least the protagonist is unable to tell.
Contrasting traits
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physical nudity vs mental/emotional nudity
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personal vs others' affairs (physical belongings & relationships)
Baxter: But of course, when it comes to work, I absolutely can make decisions. It’s only in my personal life where I lack conviction.
Jude: I don’t get that dude. He’s got a head for dealing with stuff- he handled me and Scott’s issues. Why can’t he do it for himself?
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paradox in social intelligence (sharp enough to seemingly “read” minds, but struggles to connect with others)
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impropriety vs formality
Baxter: I’ve always been improper. I’m merely formal about it.
Protagonist: For someone who acts exceedingly professional, you can be so silly.
Baxter: Now that is a fact.
Baxter halted his frolicking to tuck his shirt back into his pants. It started coming loose when he took another flying skip. He was having fun.
Naturally, his fingers moved with grace and confidence to fasten the buttons. Then Baxter exited the seating area entirely. He went to press his face into the marble counter of the kitchen island.
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rigidity vs flexibility
Baxter: How’s yours?
Protagonist: It’s better than not having a treat!
You grinned, easy to please after your busy day. Baxter took another bite and contemplated something while he chewed.
Baxter: Sadly, I think I am pickier than that. But it’s a wonderful concept.
As soon as other people are involved in a situation, he bends and is true to his self-proclamation of being flexible. But it seems when it comes to only himself, he’s strict and rigid even with simple preference of taste in even the seemingly minor choices in life.
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rebellion vs conflict-avoidance
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being seen vs. being seen (liking attention/showing off vs not wanting to actually be known on a deeper level)
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confidence vs crippling insecurities
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sincerity vs masking
He hides his issues, but people like to generalize his charming demeanor as fake just because of his desire to impress people without disappointing them.
Cove: Why do you keep doing that? You don’t know us, but you talk like you already do.
Cove spoke, firm yet genuinely confused. And Baxter smiled cautiously.
Baxter: I don’t feel the need to keep words of praise to myself. And when I say something, I mean it.
Facts
There is a compilation of Baxter facts answered by GB Patch on Tumblr put together by riding-the-sunset-bird. Below are random tidbits found in his route.
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In Cove’s Hang, Baxter’s playlist in his “rental” car includes alternative, hard rock, punk, and screamo. In Baxter’s Hang, only “punk metal” is mentioned. In Mountain, his radio is set to classical.
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in his route, his being a ballroom dancer and growing up in the town where the autumn-themed sequel to the visual novel takes place (Our Life: Now & Forever) are the main themes often referenced as metaphors for his evasive behavior and personality
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unsurprisingly, fall is his favorite season
- he is good at waltz, tango, foxtrot, and rumba while he struggles with salsa, swing, and merengue
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he “has a soft spot for trees”
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he likes black-and-white movies
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he likes alcohol, peaches, and sparkling drinks
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unfortunately (though unsurprisingly), he’s a business major
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interests he could share with the protagonist are music, reading, TV and movies, and fashion
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interests he doesn’t have before the protagonist are sports, writing, games, and art
Trivia
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Baxter was first supposed to be an XOXO Droplets character, but got scrapped and repurposed. The initial idea for him was “an obnoxious ‘I’m in a band’ kind of dude who could play the guitar and sing fairly well and he thought that made him the most impressive man alive despite overall being a loser.”
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Baxter fits a good portion of the idea of ikemen
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Considering Baxter’s strong contrasting traits, desire to go against what’s expected of him, and multiple/mysterious hidden side(s), he embodies gap moe
Footnote: The quote from GB Patch Games at the top of this page can be found here.