Cuz we need more of this stuff!
[name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] (25) is an actress and singer who lives in Los [name_u]Angeles[/name_u]. She is originally from [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]Zealand[/name_u]. She is best known for playing an LGBTQ character in a CBS TV show. She most recently gave birth to a baby girl that her boyfriend (and soon to be fiancé) actually delivered by himself via a home water birth, when the midwife couldn’t make it. She is still nervous about motherhood, but it’s worth it!
2 Likes
Harper Rachel Malcolm (2mos) is Rachel and her soon to be fiance’s daughter. She is very wide eyed and loves looking around. She is usually found sleeping or eating, but shes a very vocal baby and loves screaming when she wants something. Her favorite person so far is her mommy, but she also loves her 4 year old cousin, who loves showing her toys to Harper.
4 Likes
[name_m]Nate[/name_m] [name_m]Mac[/name_m] [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] (26) is Harper’s uncle and Rachel’s brother. He is the middle child of his family. He’s a proud uncle of his two nieces, the 4-year-old by the eldest [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] sibling and [name_u]Harper[/name_u] by [name_f]Rachel[/name_f]. [name_m]Nate[/name_m] loves seeing them around and loves buying them cute toys. He currently lives with his girlfriend and he is also a co-star in the same show [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] stars in. [name_m]Nate[/name_m] has overheard from his 4-year-old niece that Rachel’s boyfriend wants to propose to her. He’s really excited for them but also
seriously hopes his niece doesn’t accidentally spoil the surprise to [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] - that would be very awkward!
4 Likes
[name_f]Galatea[/name_f] " [name_f]Gala[/name_f] " [name_u]Jet[/name_u] Cordeau (4) is Nate’s elder niece and Harper’s cousin. A surprise baby, Gala’s birth was a shock to her parents, who were in the midst of setting up the plant nursery they own and run when she was conceived. This led to a lot of intense scheduling for the couple, as they wanted to ensure their daughter always had a parent at home while not being able to abandon the business or see it dissolve. They’ve opted to hold off having more children for the time being, as while their business has now flourished they want to see it permanently stable, and admittedly, Gala’s active imagination and love of questions keep them preoccupied as she asks why they can’t have a pet mammoth or griffin on a regular basis - not that it stops her doting on the family cat, [name_u]Roscoe[/name_u] the tabby.
Where her uncle Nate’s concerned, [name_f]Gala[/name_f] tends to be in two minds: she loves spending time with him and being gifted a lot of undivided attention, however she isn’t shy in voicing her opinion she thinks he and his girlfriend need to start a family of their own. After all, Gala’s parents aren’t going to have another child until she’s at least 5 and she’s in desperate need of more familial playmates! Thankfully, Gala’s love of games kept her from ruining Rachel’s surprise, as her mom made out that this was a top secret spy mission and the message could only be delivered by Harper’s dad. When this plan proved successful, Gala’s compensation was getting to excitedly tell her friends at nursery that: not only has she passed her first test as a secret agent, she’s also going to be the flower girl at the upcoming wedding!
@rachelheth
@wandering_willow
@jinxed_peach
@chamwue
@A.B.Galaxy
@szinkle
@Swimmere1223
obligatory tags of terror!
8 Likes
[name_u]Davin[/name_u] [name_u]Ezer[/name_u] [name_m]Aubert[/name_m] (19) recently got hired at Gala’s mommy & daddy’s plant nursery. [name_u]Davin[/name_u] is known for having quite the green thumb. She has loved plants and the earth since she was a little girl, practically growing up in her grandmother’s garden. Like her grandmother her favorite flower is their shared birth flower, the larkspur.
[name_u]Davin[/name_u] recently moved to a new city for college & was looking for some plants for her off-campus apartment when she stumbled into Gala’s parents’ nursery. She frequented the establishment often & became very close with Gala’s parents who eventually offered her the job, exclaiming she is now a part of their family.
[name_f]Gala[/name_f] loves seeing [name_u]Davin[/name_u] at the nursery & even calls her Auntie [name_f]Nini[/name_f]. Davin’s favorite moments with [name_f]Gala[/name_f] is when they make flower crowns together and pretend to be princesses. She has fond memories of her mother teaching her how to make the crowns & playing dress up with her older sister.
Though Davin’s biggest passion is gardening she has other hobbies as well. She loves to thrift, crochet, & paint (thrifting & crocheting also being past times she learned from her grandma). She loves to crochet her own outfits & has even crocheted a dress for [name_f]Gala[/name_f] & is currently working on getting a degree in art history.
[name_u]Davin[/name_u] is typically very shy & has struggled to make new friends in school. Though she has made one friend who she shares a [name_f]British[/name_f] Literature class with, she is very appreciative of her relationship with the Cordeaus.
.
.
.
(thank you for the tag @kitkatcookie 
)
6 Likes
[name_u]Happy[/name_u] [name_f]April[/name_f] Fool’s [name_u]Day[/name_u]! Still, serious warning for bigotry.
[name_f]Adelita[/name_f] [name_f]María[/name_f] [name_m]Dorado[/name_m] (19) is Davin"s [name_f]English[/name_f] Literature friend. In her free time away from studying for her [name_f]English[/name_f] Literature degree, she loves to tend to various types of flowers. She has a very kind demeanor, and a soft smile, and she’s a very warm person. She is the goofy one of the two and loves to prank people and [name_u]Davin[/name_u] knows this. She [name_m]Rick[/name_m] Rolled [name_u]Davin[/name_u] the past 2 [name_f]April[/name_f] Fools Days but this time, pranked her with a list of real-life weird baby names. Admittedly, [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] needs a quiet and resourceful person like [name_u]Davin[/name_u] and she loves Davin’s warm and understanding nature.
Unlike Davin’s grandmother, [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] feels uneasy about hers. She knows her grandmother is not a bigot and has never said or done anything of the nature, but has bigoted friends. As in, very close friends that she sees a longtime bond with. [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] hates when her grandmother compares [name_u]Davin[/name_u] and Adelita’s other friendships with the bigoted friends she knows. [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] rarely interacts with her grandmother’s friends, only knowing one who was sour to her after an unsuccessful prank she pulled on the older woman when she was 8. [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] has asked her older sister what she thinks of this “slippery slope” of wanting their granny not to turn out like her friends and Adelita’s sister agrees.
[name_f]Adelita[/name_f] often bonds with [name_u]Davin[/name_u] and her grandmother a lot, with Davin’s granny being a good mix in personality between [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] and [name_u]Davin[/name_u]. Both [name_u]Davin[/name_u] and [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] have bonded with handmade stuff and love learning new skills. [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] used to be highly into sports but now considers herself one with the arts, but still enjoys volleyball, having the same teammate for years.
4 Likes
[name_f]Yadira[/name_f] [name_f]Soledad[/name_f] [name_m]Dorado[/name_m] (23) is the older sister of [name_f]Adelita[/name_f]. She used to really enjoy [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] 's pranks but it went too far when last [name_f]April[/name_f] Fool’s [name_u]Day[/name_u] she pranked [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] 's fiance by sending him a picture of baby shoes and a list of weird baby names which made the fiance think that [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] is pregnant and hence he panicked, blowing up [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] 's phone and berating her for " not telling him first". [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] thinks that [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] needs to grow up and not be so immature. She and her fiance sorted it all out and [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] told him about how it was just a prank or false alarm, but the relationship between [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] and [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] is stil strained as a result.
[name_f]Yadira[/name_f] has somewhat of an inclination towards cottagecore an aesthetic. The house her fiance recently bought for the couple with the help of his parents smells mostly like vanilla and freshly baked bread. She hopes that once they do have kids she can be a stay at home mom - she really gives her all into making this house a home, decorating it , keeping it clean and cooking for her and her fiancee. She is a pool manager at the local swimming pool and conducts daily tests of pool water , making sure it has the right amount of chemicals. She also organises schedules for the janitors that work there and oversees any events that take place there including swimming classes for teenagers. This made her think that she would rather adopt a school-aged kid or teen rather than go through the pregnancy process and baby stage of development , which she thinks would destroy her body and prove potentially dangerous for her health, as her family have a high risk of gestational diabetes.
[name_f]Yadira[/name_f] also thinks that [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] is behaving condescendingly towards their grandmother by insinuating that she’s so easily swayed as to adapt her friends’ bigoted views in spite of being over 80 years old and a wise woman experienced by life and standing strong when it comes to her principles. [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] owes her grandmother a lot of knowledge about cooking and keeping a clean, organised home and has a lot of satisfaction from learning it. [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] is closer to her grandmother than [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] is , that’s why she takes her side and is of the opinion that the elderly lady can be friends with who she wants even if their views differ - it’s better than being another elderly person plagued by lonlinesss.
3 Likes
tw: transphobia
[name_f]Cassia[/name_f] " Kaz " [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] Ritzner (22) is a childhood friend of both [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] and Adelita’s, albeit her relationship with the former has been a bit strained due to their different opinions about the nature of the grandparent situation, stemming from issues within her own family. Kaz is currently estranged from her grandma because of a situation in which dismissal of bigotry reached a head: Kaz’s grandmother also has friends with troubling views, and a fallout has occurred within the family since her brother began using they/he pronouns, preferring to go by they/them usually [but he’s more than happy to be known as brother and grandson by family members]. While their paternal grandma respected these entirely, her friend’s were much more affronted by this and Kaz’s brother subsequently felt unsupported by her, leading to a family dinner turning into an argument after once more, the subject of at the very least asking their pronouns were respected came up.
As the eldest of 5, Kaz is used to playing mediator, but this has pushed even her to a limit. She loves her grandma, knows she respects her brother’s gender identity and isn’t a bigoted person, but in the same vain wishes she’d take a firmer stance when it comes to the deluge of protests from certain friends. The fact the disagreements between [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] and [name_f]Yadira[/name_f] coincided with this dilemma has left Kaz feeling a lot of stress - the sort even her even temper struggled to handle - and she’s not been seeing as much of her old friend because she knows if the parallel comes up in conversation, she’ll either burst into tears or say something she’ll regret out of frustration. Through their extended mutual friend circle they’re by no means estranged, however both women have been keeping some distance as they don’t want their bond suffering thanks to external issues.
This is difficult for Kaz as her younger sister - a very close friend of [name_f]Adelita[/name_f] - has been relying on Kaz to fix things between the sister’s following the prank debacle. Her sister’s someone who fears conflict at all costs and crumbles under pressure easily, not that Kaz holds her sensitivity against her, as she has a surprisingly strong resolve when it comes to blood: ideal as her sister’s studying to become a nurse. The fact Kaz isn’t especially close with Yadira’s fiancée [not bred from conflict, they’re just usually working opposite schedules and don’t attend the same hangouts incorporating wider social circles] helped her in mediating and not becoming too critical where Adelita’s concerned, in spite of her mom trying to pull her away from getting sucked into drama as frequently. Given Kaz’s training to become a psychotherapist, she feels it’s good practice for future clients, even if spending time with her friends who avoid drama like the plague is proving the greatest influence on her right now. Well, them and the family cat, [name_m]Gustav[/name_m], who insists on sleeping in Kaz’s room [much to the chagrin of her two youngest brothers’]
3 Likes
Gabrielle " Gabby " Maya Ritzner (19) is the sister of Kaz, the 2nd eldest of the Ritzner clan and the aspiring nurse who’s unafraid of blood. She largely jokes that it’s due to her highschool emo-phase which she grew out of in her senior year after breaking up with her first boyfriend who would shower his black cat with affection and have Halloweeen decorations & candy at his house all year round. Gabby misses him dearly and often wonders why he broke up with her abruptly - even Gustav seemed to have a hard time getting over the fact that he no longer was able to meet up with Buzz , the ex’s cat, however Gabby tries to not think about it too much. It was largely the break-up with her boyfriend that led her to connecting more with the emotional problems of her friends and family as a means to pay back for the support she was recieving from them. That’s how Gabby got involved in trying to ease the prank debacle between Adelita and Yadira - she even tried to talk to Yadira 's fiance outside the local library which he frequents , but got cold feet last minute and decided it would be too much of an interferance after all.
Much like Kaz, Gabby supports her brother and uses their preferrred pronouns while firmly believing that her paternal grandmother should take a stronger stance against her friends’ prejudice. Even still, she knows that her grandma isn’t a hateful person and wears the pearl necklace she got from her for her 7th birthfay anyway - it was the only valuable piece of jewellery that their family had when coming to the US from Austria in the late 1900s.
Gabrielle loves video games and especially strategy games. She has a few friends on Discord and is the main admin of the Discord server that people studying Nursing at her uni have. Being quite nerdy, she doesn’t really keep her stuff organised and eats lots of junk food , especially dorritos, Although , she doesn’t like Mountain Dew or D&D so she’s “not that much of a nerd " anyway, as she herself says. She failed an exam once because she spent the entire previous evening arguing with someone over the Internet over why " mitochondrion is the powerhouse of the cell” is actually useful information. She laughs about it to this day, especially with her brother, who regularly tells her to , quote " touch grass" . She would like to do that and start going out more with her friends but she has huge impostor syndrome when it comes to relationships. She feels like she can’t fit in with the other nursing students.
4 Likes
[name_m]Olivier[/name_m] ’ [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] ’ [name_m]Benedict[/name_m] Ritzner (13) is the youngest Ritzner, bonding closely with [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] on her bravery. [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] always knew if she had junk food out in front of [name_m]Ovi[/name_m], that she’d definitely be asked to share, something siblings joked she should, “eat with caution”. He’s close with Kaz too but jokes that Kaz “steals” [name_m]Gustav[/name_m] every night. He slept with [name_m]Gustav[/name_m] in his room before and woke up with the door open and [name_m]Gustav[/name_m] out, sleeping in Kaz’s room, in which he shook his head and rolled his eyes. The family notes that just years ago, [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] was practically the little kid and proud youngest, and that he’s growing up fast now. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] loves his nose ring, a “family secret” that it’s not a real piercing, but he wears it with pride even when some family members ask if wearing it makes him uncomfortable. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] himself doesn’t care about fitting in with people although his fake nose ring is the clear exception.
He used to never know about anything going on but now he knows and he’s fully aware the world is far from perfect. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] is aware on the situation on his grandmother’s controversial friends and he’s never gotten involved with her friends, instead instilling positive energy on his older brother. He wants no involvement in the friends of his grandmother and has no desire to listen to excuses. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] notices his grandmother is genuinely changing for the better to help accept this sibling’s identity. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] wants to give credit for that especially because his grandmother likes to create good memories whenever she’s around.
[name_m]Ovi[/name_m] supports his siblings’ paths they want to take in life, such as Kaz’s psychotherapy future and Gabby’s nursing future. He always tells [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] that she is a strong woman despite her tough breakup with her ex but deep down, he missed Gabby’s ex too and loved when he had candy. He stays out of his siblings’ paths in romance but he’s always felt like Gabby’s ex had more good potential than the other exes he’s seen from siblings and their friends. For now, [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] is trying to focus on grades and not letting his clear love for action movies get in the way of that. [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] can’t wait until the next unit of physical education and is a very fast individual. The other siblings secretly miss his adorable side when he was the kiddie of the bunch. But truthfully they like him better now, because they finally perceive him more like a sibling and not a child.
5 Likes
[name_u]Jonah[/name_u] [name_u]Kirby[/name_u] Ritzner (19) is the trans brother of [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] , [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] and Kaz. [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] chose his name according to the meaning - " dove " symbolises peace and he is glad he had a chance to find himself through the long proces of getting diagnosed with gender dysphoria at 14 , undergoing treatment and then gender reasingment surgery at 18. He is finally happy to have reached peace with himself.
[name_m]Born[/name_m] as the twin sibling of [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] - the word " sister " seems icky to him and he would rather not tell anyone his deadname. He’s easy-going and likes to tease [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] about her nerdiness or annoy [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] about " still being the baby of the family" even though he has matured greatly ever since becoming a teenager and [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] admires his dedication to his studies.
He wants to instill the same kind of passion in kids and so is studying [name_u]Early[/name_u] Childhood Education at a university but still goes home every weekend. He jokes that it’s " [name_m]Just[/name_m] because he wants to complain along with [name_m]Ovi[/name_m] about how Kaz is stealing [name_m]Gustav[/name_m] ".
He is definitely the least artistic one of his roomates - having three of them who form a pop group called [name_u]Sunbeam[/name_u] Chasers and all have experience in something related to music. They want to stand out from your typical boyband soullesly formed by a record label and he applauds them for that although their harmony in singing and dancing sometimes make him feel like he’s the odd one out.
Interestingly, he got his first opportunity for an unpaid internship as a teacher’s aid in the same school where the girlfriend of [name_m]Nate[/name_m] [name_u]Joseph[/name_u] works as a teacher. He is excited about the prospect and won’t stop telling his friends about it.
@jinxed_peach
@lilac_elixirxx
@cara_murvolio
@I_meme_it
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you know this thread ?
5 Likes
[name_f]Natasia[/name_f] " [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] " [name_f]May[/name_f] Inchfield (26) is Nate’s girlfriend and the soon-to-be colleague of [name_u]Jonah[/name_u]. Having heard every joke possible about the similarities between her full name and her boyfriend’s, it’s a relief to [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] that she chose her nickname long before they met, and no - as she’s told her younger brother, who finds himself wholly hilarious - if they had a child the name [name_f]Natalie[/name_f] is completely off the table. [name_f]Patience[/name_f] is something Tasha’s always had, although there’s no obvious rhyme or reason as some question when they meet her. She grew up in a happy home, with the only real chaos being her parents attempts at scheduling family trips, and while her brother loves to wind people up, he’s never cruel or insensitive, just your regular younger sibling pushing buttons. Having majored in psychology at university, teaching was a path [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] only found herself drawn to when her course was finishing up, and she had time to reflect more on how she often saw unfair treatment of her classmates with more complex backgrounds, prompting her to take the plunge into education.
Tasha’s nickname is the ‘modern hub’, as she’s usually the staff member educating others on the changing familial conventions they encounter. One of the kids in her class has parents in a poly relationship - 3 adults to be exact - and Tasha’s been fully supportive of explaining this to other children, as she doesn’t want a divide emerging between pupils. Her even temper is also ideal when a [name_f]Karen[/name_f] parent emerges from the woodwork, and as her students are 8-9 years old, she’s faced a fair few thanks to academics being incorporated further in the future plans for her students. This is why [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] sadly won’t be placed in her class, as while Tasha’s more than happy to mentor him, the school agreed it would be a lot to face the personalities she’s come into contact with when he’s just starting out.
Away from her career, Tasha’s enthusiasm is directed towards dance and rollerskating - hobbies she picked up in childhood. While she’s never considered herself exceptional at either, it’s the fun that matters for [name_f]Tasha[/name_f], more so after growing up seeing one of her close friends excel and go on to pursue tap and jazz professionally. As a child, this was upsetting for her, as she always felt she appeared poorly in comparison, but by the time she was in her mid-teens, [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] was her friend’s greatest supporter, and she admits a physically intensive career wouldn’t be for her long-term, as she’s someone who gets exhuasted quite easily; a possible remnant of her maternal aunt, who has ME. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if a prospective [name_f]Natalie[/name_f] isn’t being discussed between her and [name_m]Nate[/name_m], [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] has a surrogate child in the form of her beloved cat: ginger tabby [name_u]Rocco[/name_u], who she got from a shelter and completely dotes upon, having a collection of pictures her pupils have drawn of him as part of a decoration in her living room.
4 Likes
[name_f]Harriet[/name_f] " [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] " [name_f]Mikaela[/name_f] [name_u]Park[/name_u] (24) is a friend of [name_f]Tasha[/name_f]. They connected because of [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] 's interest in rollerskating. Then it turned out they enjoy dance, too, although [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] has always been jealous about how carefree [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] can be while dancing, not realising that [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] had some insecurities going on when dancing with her because she seemed to appear poorly in comparison to [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] who was precise in her movements and paid a lot of attention to them, especially when it comes to her feet - she tap danced too, after all.
[name_f]Hattie[/name_f] grew up with a lot of pressure on her. She was overscheduled, always going to tap dance or jazz dance lessons and often eating her mom’s homecooked meals on the go to those lessons in the car. She also would get yelled at if any of her grades were worse than a B+ . Her very strict parents treated her two siblings like that , too - expecting her brother who just liked to draw to be an engineer instead of a graphic designer like he wanted, and getting in frequent arguments with the principal of her younger sister’s school about moving her sister up a year or two because she’s a “gifted kid”… No, she wasn’t that gifted in [name_f]English[/name_f], she just liked to read classic literature and write stories for fun. She sometimes shares those stories with [name_f]Tasha[/name_f] , knowing full well how it is growing up with " [name_f]Karen[/name_f] parents " and empthatising with her experience even if she was just a child in this situation and all she could do is die out of embarassment when her parents were being argumentative with [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] 's teahers, rude to waitstaff or demanding of customer service workers.
Her parents’ behaviour improved ever since [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] 's brother has been officially diagnosed with anxiety disorder. [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] tries to always be supportive towards his mental health struggles and is happy that the family life of the [name_u]Parks[/name_u] is changing for the better with her parents having a more relaxed approach towards her younger sister’s academic achievements and no longer bashing her brother for choosing to be a graphic designer over an engineer and " having a family too young " - he became a father when he was 22 and [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] 's nephew is now 3, while he and his wife married straight out of highschool, just a few months before the huge anxiety attack at a family function of his wife’s house which made the wonderful woman push her husband’s parents to start treating mental health seriously. When [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] is tired of her roomate - who she’s not on the best terms with because she barely acknowledges her or does anything to keep a clean , organised environment - she loves visiting her brother, sister-in-law and nephew.
Having pursued jazz and tap dance professionally , she is the pride and joy of her parents and they often brag about how they " pushed her towards that career " and " how she’s going to have increasing success as a dancer and model". Actually , her first step towards " stardom " was starring as the main love interest in [name_u]Sunbeam[/name_u] Chasers’ debut song " In The Darkness , You Are Lit " which became a TikTok hit for not taking itself too seriously while still having good production value and sticking to the 90s boyband first love ballad aesthetic. [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] actually became the girlfriend of one of [name_u]Sunbeam[/name_u] Chasers’ members which has been taking gossip magazines by storm - she does not appreciate having her privacy invaded, but if that 's what is going to get her boyfriend’s efforts as an artist a wider audience, then so be it.
4 Likes
Takehiko " TJ " [name_u]Jasper[/name_u] [name_u]Park[/name_u] (3) is Hattie’s nephew, and the primary source of joy for his family members when they’re hoping for some cheering up. When he isn’t trying to beat his own sprinting records - why bother walking when you can run? - TJ loves telling his family members stories, usually about his favourite stuffed toy, [name_u]Boo[/name_u] the bear, who he’s decided has a fascinating career as a detective. His quickness does mean it’s further appreciated when [name_f]Hattie[/name_f] or a friend comes round, as it gives his parents a break from chasing TJ when he insists on running marathons in the back garden just before tea is served.
Speaking both Japanese and [name_f]English[/name_f], TJ’s mom - who’s a second generation immigrant herself - is very encouraging where his cultural expression’s concerned, and she likewise has introduced as much of it as she can to her in-laws. His dad’s been careful to protect TJ from the pressure he was exposed to growing up, and it’s thankfully proven successful, as their son’s very happy moving at his own pace. The only major concern in TJ’s life currently is that his parents aren’t willing to get a dog, which is completely baffling to him as everyone loves them, so why can’t the family have one? Granted he is very attentive where their fish - [name_m]Luthor[/name_m] and [name_m]Magnus[/name_m] - are concerned.
6 Likes
[name_u]Takara[/name_u] [name_u]Leigh[/name_u] [name_u]Park[/name_u] [25] is T.J’s mother and Hattie’s sister-in-law through her graphic designing brother. [name_u]Takara[/name_u] is sort of artsy too, but more so in the musical sense, she’s been playing violin since she was little. Being one of the ‘art kids’ in high school is definitely what brough her and T.J’s dad together, they both understood what it was like to be pigeonholed as well. For a while her parents really wanted her to fit in with the white kids at school and encouraged her to go by her middle name, a more Americanized name they chose on purpose to be ‘less wave making’ than what they picked for her first name, but [name_u]Takara[/name_u] was never ashamed of her Japanese culture and proudly displayed it both at home and in school. Her pride has thankfully been contagious to her parents who have been little by little leaving behind any urges to hide their heritage, seeing it in their grandson has certainly helped.
She never wants her son to feel like anything she and her husband felt. Their main priority is his happiness, though the little boy’s desire for a dog will have to wait. There’s actually a pretty big reason that they’re holding off on any new furry additions to the family, it just so happens that there’s a different kind of addition on the way. [name_u]Takara[/name_u] is currently three months pregnant with her and her husband’s second child. Being that T.J. is just three they’re not sure that he’ll be able to wrap his head around the whole pregnancy thing so they’ve been holding off on telling him just yet. She’s just waiting for a little bit more of a bump so that there’s more of a tangible proof that something is happening. Though there have been hints being dropped to start warming the toddler up the idea of becoming a big brother, it’s just that he hasn’t really picked up on them. Though [name_u]Takara[/name_u] would rather have an oblivious response than a negative one.
5 Likes
[name_u]Aspen[/name_u] ’ [name_u]Asa[/name_u] ’ [name_f]Scarlet[/name_f] Newand, nee Lyme (27) is a friend of Takara’s, who she’s met through maternity swimming classes the pair both attend. Their bonding came from the fact they’re usually the first two people to arrive for classes, and one time the class got delayed so they got a coffee while waiting, leading to a friendship blossoming as they got to talk more about themselves. Unlike [name_u]Takara[/name_u], [name_u]Asa[/name_u] is expecting for the first time: G/B twins! It isn’t really a surprise, as her husband’s parents were both born into families with multiples, and while he was a single birth, he has older twin siblings.
A good-humoured, easygoing and usually laidback person, [name_u]Asa[/name_u] has felt comfortable telling [name_u]Takara[/name_u] she’s nervous about motherhood. The expectations, pressure and responsibility are things she anticipated before she and her husband started trying to conceive, however she’s determined to be the best parent possible. As the firstborn of her parents, her younger siblings currently don’t have children of their own, so she doesn’t have any immediate comparison points, not that it’s diminished how delighted she is at their support of her; never mind her network of friends, and those she’s met since learning she was pregnant.
Currently on maternity leave, [name_u]Asa[/name_u] works as an administrator for an animal charity. She knows people assume she can’t find her job the most interesting, but that’s far from it. The environment is absolutely what she hoped for when she graduated university with her degree in mathematics: a place that’s supportive and focuses on creating a positive influence. [name_u]Asa[/name_u] and her husband have 3 rescue pets of their own: Fincher the Italian greyhound and tabby cats [name_f]Kika[/name_f] and [name_f]Tiggy[/name_f], who she adopted through the contacts she’s made via work.
6 Likes
[name_f]Serene[/name_f] [name_f]Valora[/name_f] [name_m]Newland[/name_m] (nee Turner) [26] is a Asa’s sister-in-law through marriage to one of her husband’s older twin siblings. They were friendly before but have grown especially close now that they’re due within a few days of one another. [name_f]Serene[/name_f] already has two step-sons back at home, who are six and three, but the G/G twins she’s pregnant with now are her first biological children, though she’s not really too caught up in all that since she considers the boys her own kids just as much as the ones she’s carrying now. In the early days of her and her husband’s relationship she worried if him being a little older and already having children would make things more difficult, but she fit in surprisingly well to the dynamic and the boys happily dubbed her ‘Nene’ for her parental title once she wed their father two years ago. Which she plans on using interchangeably with ‘Mama’ for the girls once they’re old enough to babble.
Her husband is still on good terms with the boys’ mother/his ex-girlfriend. They split up while she was pregnant with the three year old after realizing they had some incompatibilities when it came to their respective ideas for the future of their family. To work past them and stay amicable they found they needed to continue their relationship as ‘mom and dad to the boys’ instead of ‘boyfriend and girlfriend to each other.’ As they put it to the six year old when they explained that daddy was going to be living in a separate house, “Sometimes the prince and the princess in the story live happily ever after together, and sometimes they live happily ever after in separate castles where they can each be their own king and queen.”
The boys’ mother also has a partner of her own at the moment as well. They also have children of their own from a previous relationship and the couple are content with their blended family without any desire for more kids to be had together, but they’re happy for [name_f]Serene[/name_f] and her husband deciding to expand their part of the family.
[name_f]Serene[/name_f] and [name_u]Asa[/name_u] often get together and share their anxieties about what it might be like to deliver and then parent multiples, as well as their excitement about those same concerns. They’ve also been ensuring that there won’t be any potential confusion between the names of the soon-to-be-cousins since they have similar tastes in names but don’t have any exact matches on their baby name lists, just ones that are similar enough to cause some puzzlement during the holidays or other times when there might need to be names written down on things.
6 Likes
[name_f]Lauryn[/name_f] " [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] " [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] Lyme (25) is a lifeguard at the pool where the women are doing maternity swimming classes. [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] is temporarily going to be acting chief lifeguard - the true chief is actually pregnant herself and taking the class. [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] is Serene’s friend and Asa’s sibling closest in age, serving as a bridesmaid at the former’s wedding and maid of honour at the latter’s. She often lives by, “Always a bridesmaid; never a bride,” but truthfully, she doesn’t want marriage. She’s close with the stepchildren of [name_f]Serene[/name_f], who have taken regular swimming lessons before.
[name_f]Ryn[/name_f] used to be a college roommate of the ex-girlfriend of Serene’s husband. The two had been studying different subjects, with [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] majoring education, while she was a little older and had a different major, but it didn’t stop them from bonding when they could. Looking back, [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] regrets some of her roomie behaviour. She wasn’t mean but she was loud, often talked on the phone too late at night, and always got annoyed when her roommate did stuff so early in the morning. She was a night owl and her roomie was an early bird, what can ya say? Both she and Serene’s husband know what it’s like living with her at one point, the ups and downs, but neither blame her and both realise they have bad habits too themselves. [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] is curious how the household now with the husband married to [name_f]Serene[/name_f] - but two little boys and twin girls on the way! [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] also is excited for the B/G twins [name_u]Asa[/name_u] is having and can’t wait to see how hers and husband’s lives progress with twins on the way, making room for two new people. Outside of her job and family, she plays clarinet and duos with [name_u]Takara[/name_u] on the violin.
6 Likes
[name_f]Velma[/name_f] [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] Quintal (27) is the true chief lifeguard, but is currently on maternity leave. Though her & [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] are not best friends they get along quite well & on occasion go out together after work. [name_f]Ryn[/name_f] has even been invited to the baby shower.
[name_f]Velma[/name_f] & her husband met when they were only 8 years old when his family moved in across the street from her childhood home. They began dating their freshman year of high school & their parents were supportive. They enjoyed getting the kids ready for their dates & taking all the photos they could. They had no clue the relationship would last as long as it has & we’re sure they would break up come college. [name_f]Velma[/name_f] & her husband attended colleges on opposite sides of the country & spent most of their relationship over the 4 years they spent there over FaceTime, only seeing each other over summer break & [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] time. [name_f]Velma[/name_f] attended the University of [name_f]Florida[/name_f] & got a degree in Economics. She was on her schools swim team as well as her high schools.
As a young girl, [name_f]Velma[/name_f] dreamed of becoming an Olympic swimmer & took her swim training very seriously. Her mother acted as her coach & pushed her towards greatness. It wasn’t until [name_f]Velma[/name_f] did some volunteer work in college that her dreams changed and she decided she would rather work with her community. Her mother remains supportive of her, but is something saddened she gave up her Olympic dreams.
[name_f]Velma[/name_f] & her husband tried for many years before becoming pregnant with their baby girl & are so grateful to be welcoming a little one into the family soon. Their daughter will be the first grandchild on both sides of the family so everyone is so excited for her arrival. Velma’s younger sisters are especially excited to be aunties & her husband’s younger brother is so excited to be an uncle. Recently, the family has been working together to paint a moral on the back wall of baby girl’s nursery. It will be a beautiful forest scene with a magnificent unicorn prancing through amongst the other forest animals. [name_f]Velma[/name_f] and her husband have yet to decide on a name, but are looking for something with a magical theme.
7 Likes
[name_f]Luna[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] Quintal (nb) is the baby daughter of [name_f]Velma[/name_f] and her husband, welcomed via a home water birth. Velma’s husband actually delivered her by himself, when the midwife couldn’t make it on time. However, Velma’s parents and sisters were present after the birth. They even brought over a birthday cake for baby [name_f]Luna[/name_f], and sang [name_u]Happy[/name_u] Birthday to her. They didn’t have any candles, though…
2 Likes
