[name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] [name_u]Yao[/name_u] [name_f]Ekko[/name_f] (22) is Xena’s best friend and is relatively close in helping repair any awkward moments between [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and [name_u]Jemison[/name_u], as well as being there for [name_f]Xena[/name_f] through her challenges in life. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] was not around the high school yet given that she didn’t attend the high school until senior year, where she was a new student. Feeling welcome wasn’t too hard of a challenge for her but she’s drifted away from most of the people she met for just that year, so it’s been great that she and [name_f]Xena[/name_f] still have a close bond and contact. She’s closer now with [name_f]Xena[/name_f], interacting more with her children, and has become well-acquainted with [name_u]Jemison[/name_u] and [name_u]Florence[/name_u] too. She’s learned some Chinese and while a few non-Chinese people mistake her for being part-Chinese given her middle name, she’s actually Togolese. Her middle name is also Ewe, a language spoken by the Ewe people of Togo, Ghana, Benin, and a few other [name_u]West[/name_u] African countries. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] is very close with her [name_u]West[/name_u] African culture and proud. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] is planning to get her teaching credentials after university because she really wants to become a teacher.
[name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] has a romantic life of her own with a kind and caring love interest, although this love interest is a woman. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] is an open lesbian but she’s only really fallen in love with one woman in particular. She and her girlfriend are much more casual with their dating and don’t dare to discuss kids at any point. On the surface, they look like a newly dating couple just coasting with it, but the relationship is much deeper than that. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] and her girlfriend were a close couple despite their much different styles, dating from age 17-19, but split when they worried they were too different to make it last. Now they’ve realised their differences are what make them a special relationship, and most of the stuff they differ on aren’t relevant to dating anyway. They’ve only recently gotten back together, but they’re taking it slower and steadier, making sure one another is listened to and respected. Deep down, [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] knows she and her girlfriend are right for each other and from what she learned by [name_f]Xena[/name_f], you never know who will be the right person in your life.
[name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] is also inspired by [name_u]Kody[/name_u] and her fashion, perceiving her as a wonderful babysitter for [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] herself doesn’t have enough time to do babysitting herself and while she loves children, she’s always nervewracked by caring for them. She values her sleep a lot, having to take sleeping pills on nights that are too hot or cold, and knows children take a toll on sleeping. Also, [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] has never even changed a diaper before! Aside from babysitting, [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] also respects Kody’s fashion and wishes she had the confidence [name_u]Kody[/name_u] had when [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] herself was in high school. [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] is intrigued by Kody’s [name_f]Sioux[/name_f] and Mexican heritage and is always intrigued and fascinated by cultures other people come from.
3 Likes
[name_f]Viridiana[/name_f] " [name_f]Dido[/name_f] " [name_f]Alice[/name_f] Betancourt (22) is Carmelles’ girlfriend, who’s been delighted to reform their relationship, in spite of having once feared things would never work out between them. Dido’s the cheese to Carmelles’ chalk: she’s vibrant, gregarious and always on the move, seemingly never having time to stop. This fits her job perfectly, she’s an assistant events planner, who opted against attending college in favour of becoming the protege of her dad’s long-term friend, as she knows being in the centre of other people’s exciting milestones is what compliments her nature perfectly.
Coming from a Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage, [name_f]Dido[/name_f] speaks [name_u]French[/name_u] and Spanish alongside [name_f]English[/name_f], with her appreciation of her heritage being a bonding point between her and [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] when they met. [name_f]Dido[/name_f] was coming to terms with her own bisexuality at the time, having questioned her sexuality for a couple years before recognising she was attracted to girls as well as guys, and at first she reached out to [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] for perspective.
While she’s always fun, the whirlwind manner [name_f]Dido[/name_f] conducts herself gets on the nerves of those who love her, which is why she and [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] didn’t always see eye-to-eye. Lateness and sudden changes of plans used to be a given when it came to [name_f]Dido[/name_f], and even her family struggled to handle how much of a yo-yo she proved to be. Her spontaneous pursuits have their charm and fun, but [name_f]Dido[/name_f] also recognises why it was frustrating for people in years prior, as there was an uncertainty that could make her seem like she wasn’t committed to anything.
@szinkle
@chamwue
@Tasia
@moonwriteen
@olivelovesnames
@rosemary.luella99
@mynameis1
@go_ask_alice
5 Likes
[name_m]Carlos[/name_m] [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] Betancourt (61) is Dido’s grandfather. A man of great wisdom, [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] was born in Puerto [name_m]Rico[/name_m] and moved to Wisconsin and met his lovely wife he’d then have 6 children with, one of them being Dido’s father. [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is a kind man who loves to knit and write stories. Having been a children’s author for years who’s now retired, [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] now works hard to knit sweaters and hats for the kids in his life such as his many grandchildren who are all very important to him. He also knits for [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and [name_f]Lily[/name_f], having knitted Lily’s hat.
[name_m]Carlos[/name_m] has two cats with his wife and their names are Mumbo and [name_u]Faraday[/name_u], and they are both very old but just as wise and relaxed as [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] himself. Carlos’s cat [name_u]Faraday[/name_u] is actually blind in one eye and his other cat Mumbo has only one leg. [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is a firm believer in rescuing animals with disabilities who some people would otherwise not want due to their complications. [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is also a firm supporter in LGBTQIA+ and always stands up to some of the more conservative couples in his bingo club, albeit in his kind but firm way. He and his wife attend [name_m]Bingo[/name_m] every [name_m]Friday[/name_m] and are also very avid members of the church, but they are not bigoted in the slightest.
[name_m]Carlos[/name_m] personally really likes [name_f]Carmella[/name_f] and gets along well with her. He could not think of a better girlfriend for his granddaughter. He enjoys learning about her Togolese culture and hearing her speak Ewe, often speaking [name_u]French[/name_u] and Spanish to her as well. When [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] was a young boy, he always wanted to grow up and do good things for the world and be a good person, and he can say he successfully achieved that goal. He’s often seen around the neighborhood offering to give people his wonderful sweaters and gifts he knits for them. He and his wife are pretty amazing people and he is overall very happy with his life.
hope this is ok, thank you so much for the invite!!
4 Likes
[name_f]Josefa[/name_f] [name_f]Mariana[/name_f] [Vargas] Betancourt (61) is Carlos’s wife and the mother of six. [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] is the eldest of four siblings, with [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] [name_m]Vargas[/name_m] being the youngest. [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] never felt that “big” growing up despite being the eldest because she was a short child growing up. She often dealt with the height limits and being told she wasn’t tall enough to ride certain amusement park rides. Sometimes with friends, a friend would pull her over privately to remind her that she wouldn’t be able to ride some of the rides. She knew, so she was tired of hearing it. While she hated those talks and felt singled out, she’d prefer it to the time a childhood friend announced, “Hey some people can’t ride some of the rides because they’re not tall enough, so just letting you know.” [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] wouldn’t mind this approach as much if she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t. It was awkward because the other kids were obviously tall enough to ride and although no names were mentioned in the announcement, they all knew the announcement was because of [name_f]Josefa[/name_f]. Never mind the embarrassment when some looked at her. She’s more open on it now and she’s happier now. [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] is a head taller than [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] standing together but love is love, and they’ve made sure their children and grandchildren are comfortable whether they inherited Carlos’s height, Josefa’s height, or are in the middle.
Besides her family, [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] also loves the cats! She and [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] have had a history of rescue cats, many of them being senior cats. But these are the first disabled cats they’ve had and they basically loved them as soon as they saw them. The cats [name_u]Faraday[/name_u] and Mumbo are so sweet and the couple keeps the cats as comfortable as possible. [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] works at an animal shelter for small animals so she has experience with other pets but she’s always been a cat person since her childhood. She’s remembered the times as a child when she couldn’t bring her cat to church and was saddened. She’s still very active with both cats and the church, but not at all active with bigots, and has made sure her family is accepted by her if they’re in the LGBTQUIAP+ community. She also shares Carlos’s support for [name_f]Dido[/name_f] & [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] as a couple, liking that she and [name_f]Dido[/name_f] both found a lover with a name starting with “Car.” Cultures intrigue her a lot and she believes cultural studies should be a required school course. [name_f]Josefa[/name_f] is close with her Latina background and loves to see it within her family especially with the Puerto Rican-inspired things [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] makes for the family.
[name_f]Josefa[/name_f] is very good at repairing furniture and loves to help her family out with that as well. She can be petty over random stuff however, like refusing to call (former) [name_u]Sierra[/name_u] Mist “Starry”. It’s cringey when she still tries in restaurants to order “Sierra Mist” and be asked “Do you mean [name_u]Starry[/name_u]?” “Yeah, that,” she’d reply. She even jokingly snarks, “We don’t use that word here.” when guests at her house talk about [name_u]Starry[/name_u] although she doesn’t really care what others call it, she just finds the rebrand cringey. She also has a few other petty things she snarks on, like insisting that a woodchuck isn’t a real woodchuck if it can’t chuck wood. Therefore the tongue twister should be, “How much wood can a woodchuck chuck when a woodchuck does chuck wood?” Don’t even ask why, [name_f]Dido[/name_f] & [name_f]Carmelle[/name_f] question it but they go along with it anyway.
Melissa was created by @lucyxo.
4 Likes
mw: extreme poverty mentioned
[name_f]Stacia[/name_f] [name_u]Romy[/name_u] [Vargas] Thuley (25) is Josefa’s niece, Melissa’s older daughter and Cheyenne’s sister. She jokingly refers to herself as the ‘boring one’ in comparison to her sister’s social life and pursuits, however nothing could tear [name_f]Stacia[/name_f] away from her job as a charity finance senior assistant: it means a great deal to her. Stacia’s involved in helping with applications and support for those in poverty who are in social housing, which is something that ties to her family history, as her maternal great-grandparents worked hard to escape from the absolute bottom end of the wage ladder, and while they’ve both sadly passed away now, [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] ensured her two daughters’ knew about the struggles that have seen them raised in comfortable stability.
In the early years of Stacia’s life, [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] continued pursuing her acting career, however once she’d given birth to [name_u]Cheyenne[/name_u], anxiety about missing out on her children’s milestones fully took hold when she got updates from their dad. Both daughters’ took her surname thanks to their dad being in the process of changing his own, and it ended up sticking as [name_m]Vargas[/name_m] thanks to them not wanting to change everything by the time he’d sorted out separating from his own less than stellar childhood [something reflected in how only Stacia’s paternal uncle and his family attended her wedding from her dad’s side of the family].
Things were a bit awkward for her when classmates realised who she’s the daughter of, and questions come pouring in about who she was working with at the time. Stacia’s always been the sort of person happiest away from the spotlight, which is reflected in her pastimes of painting and yoga, preferring relaxing over any form of excitement [although she’s actually accomplished at Spanish guitar]. [name_m]Art[/name_m] was how she met and connected with her husband, who’s a sculptor, and someone she always feels comcortable confiding in: quite the feat given [name_f]Stacia[/name_f] usually prefers to not bother people with her problems, as she views them that is.
[name_f]Stacia[/name_f] married her husband 4 months ago after five years of dating, and the day was as magical as she’d hoped, with a great gathering of loved one’s, and Cheyenne’s beloved rescud [name_u]Boston[/name_u] terrier - [name_m]Tavish[/name_m] - was given a special position as canine ring bearer, something that delighted her sister. The couple have actually been living together for three years, so there weren’t any major changes or developments in their circumstances, yet the sende of it now being official means a great deal to [name_f]Stacia[/name_f], who hates leaving loose ends in any part of her life - something that makes her surprisingly tenacious for a usually mild-mannered woman.
Melissa’s credited to @lucyxo
Cheyenne’s credited to @Lindseylloyd052399
@chamwue
@olivelovesnames
@I.have.no.idea
@mynameis1
@Era_Laine
4 Likes
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f] ’ [name_m]Flin[/name_m] ’ [name_f]Andrea[/name_f] Hatch (25) is Stacia’s best friend and resident source of advice when it comes to handling the status of being the daughter of a famous actress. [name_m]Born[/name_m] into somewhat similar circumstances, Flins’ father is a highly respected journalist who’s exposed several political scandals in the pursuit of justice, which did lead to her deciding that writing wouldn’t be her chosen pursuit when she grew up. She does enjoy it tremendously, and has published poetry under her pseudonym of [name_f]Dree[/name_f] [name_m]Anderson[/name_m], however the chance of comparison means [name_m]Flin[/name_m] doesn’t want to look at it as a career path.
Instead, [name_m]Flin[/name_m] decided to become a midwife, and it’s a decision she’s never regretted. Currently she works at a specialist clinic, as it prioritises the perspectives of those trained in delivering babies and parents above outside voices with higher educational degrees: something that [name_m]Flin[/name_m] did hate being plagued with at a general hospital, where her voice wasn’t listened to properly. It isn’t a deal breaker always for her, but being completely overlooked proved too much and she had to move on.
While she worked there though in her trainee phase, [name_m]Flin[/name_m] was actually one of the two midwife’s who worked with [name_f]Raina[/name_f] [name_m]Brandt[/name_m] and [name_m]Joe[/name_m] [name_m]Banner[/name_m], young a couple who welcomed a baby on [name_f]June[/name_f] 30th, 2023. She’s actually kept in contact with the pair since then, as it was obvious they were extremely nervous to become parents, and so [name_m]Flin[/name_m] offered them pointers in terms of the best support services. It’s surprised a lot of people that [name_f]Raina[/name_f] and [name_m]Joe[/name_m] have remained together, given how they were only just college graduates when they became parents, but [name_m]Flin[/name_m] hasn’t been - as she witnessed their dedication to each other and sincere love.
Raina was created by @A.B.Galaxy
Joe was created by @CherryBomb50
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[name_m]Amon[/name_m] [name_m]Leonti[/name_m] [name_m]Brandt[/name_m] (8 months) is [name_f]Raina[/name_f] and Joe’s son, who loves visits from [name_m]Flin[/name_m] to the house - granted, Amon’s the sort of child who loves seeing his extended family, especially his aunt and uncles: [name_f]Marlin[/name_f] and [name_f]Tati[/name_f] [name_m]Brandt[/name_m], [name_f]Celia[/name_f] Rast [Tati’s long-term girlfriend] and [name_m]Zeke[/name_m] [name_m]Banner[/name_m]. Being surrounded by loved one’s makes [name_m]Amon[/name_m] incredibly happy, although the excitement isn’t always ideal for his mom and dad, as once the little boy’s worked up it’s not easy settling him down once more for a nap.
In Amon’s world, naps are the worst thing possible, as they cut time to act as a take in the world around himor enjoy cuddles with his family, but without one he becomes seriously grumpy. Recently Amon’s been even more joyful as his Uncle [name_f]Marlin[/name_f] started dating someone seven months ago and he recently met them. Outside of humans, he cherishes and loves spending time with [name_f]Goldie[/name_f], the Belgian Malinois owned by his mom long-term.
Zeke’s + Marlin are credited to @CherryBomb50
Tati’s credited to @rachelheth
Celia’s credited to yours truly
6 Likes
Warning for escaped convict.
Delfina Xuliana Betancourt (26) is Marlin’s new partner, who’s more than happy to meet Amon. She’s proudly pansexual and Marlin is the first male she’s dated, but he’s been reassuring on her that dating him doesn’t make her less of a community member. Delfina is an author and self-proclaimed dork, writing a lot of science fiction about aliens, and loves the movie E.T. She knows aliens aren’t real and won’t try to act like they are although she’s had some crazy dreams at night about that. She’s laughingly taken blame for making Amon think Mars is covered in green goo – she didn’t mean to make him think that, but on the bright side, at least he’s not afraid of aliens! She and Marlin are a bit different in terms of their geekiness, with Marlin more of a band geek, but that’s because she helped him get back into playing the flute! The two are happily together and like taking it slow but feel each other’s vibes. Delfina felt like things were looking up whn Marlin broke out of his shell and got comfortable around her.
Delfina is in the Betancourt family and is close with Dido although they’re not first cousins. They’re actually aunt and niece, Delfina is a daughter of Carlos and Josefa, and the eldest child of theirs is her brother and Dido’s father! She feels more like a cousin however, being one of the younger children of Carlos and Josefa. She’s on great terms with Flin, who is very impressive as a midwife. Delfina doesn’t blame Flin for not taking the path her father did despite his noble causes, because she feels Flin deserves to feel freedom wherever she works. Delfina also found Flin and the other midwife to be such a great team in helping Amon enter the world. Delfina herself is an author but she thinks a lot about a student she grew up with who committed crimes in adulthood despite being voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in the yearbook. What drives this crazier may be the “success” - the former student fled the scene, got pulled over by police, but fled again after conviction. Delfina is still shocked this happened and knows the criminal is still out there, but never feels comfortable enough to discuss this.
She loves to talk a lot when she’s happy about stuff, especially her happiness about Raina and Joe welcoming Amon as parents. She loves to ask them what’s new with Amon and loves how the little things about him matter so much to them, which inspires her to live that way and see people she loves in that light. The fact that Amon is more joyful with Marlin dating Delfina makes her feel so warm inside! She loves to see Amon happy and she supports Raina and Joe, even despite them being college students at the time. They’re both very smart nonetheless and feel very happy in San Francisco. Delfina moved to Daly City for Marlin but supports the SoCal-based relatives and friends as well. She never really found herself a label of any place but she doesn’t mind being called “Californian”. She loves staying close with people regardless and has a sense of being a true friend…well a true friend of anyone who doesn’t mind having a “dork friend”!
4 Likes
[name_f]Carmen[/name_f] [name_f]Adriana[/name_f] Betancourt (she/her, 32) is another of [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] and Josefa’s children, and the sister of [name_f]Delfina[/name_f] and Dido’s father. [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] currently works as a translator who helps Spanish-speaking families, but she wants to become a Spanish teacher. [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] can be a bit prickly and sarcastic, but her family knows that’s just her sense of humor, and she knows when to pull back and be more sensitive. She has an interesting position in the Betancourt family, as she is one of their older kids, but she doesn’t feel as much of an adult as her brother, Dido’s father, because he has a adult kid, while [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] just got married, and hasn’t settled into her career yet. She is closer with her younger siblings, like [name_f]Delfina[/name_f], because of this, even though she’s technically closer in age to her older siblings.
[name_f]Carmen[/name_f] is a lesbian, and she came out in high school, but she wasn’t nervous because she felt totally loved and supported by [name_m]Carlos[/name_m] and [name_f]Josefa[/name_f]. She’s super proud of her parents for their willingness to stand up for their LGBT+ friends and family, and she always says that she couldn’t wish for a better mom and dad.
[name_f]Carmen[/name_f] just married her wife, who she’s been with for nearly 10 years, and the two are still in their honeymoon period. They just started renting a new house together and have adopted two older rescue cats, [name_f]Mocha[/name_f] and Latte. [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] and her wife both want kids, but they’re unsure of they should start trying for a baby now, or wait until [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] has made her career switch.
6 Likes
[name_f]Azra[/name_f] [name_f]Nicolette[/name_f] Hewell (31) is Carmen’s wife, who somewhat acts as her polar opposite, being much cooler in temperament, in contrast often being viewed as aloof by those who don’t know her that well. This is partly why she was so fond of [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] from the moment they met, as the prickly and sarcastic humour preferred by the other woman charmed her quickly. They were introduced by a mutual friend - who [name_f]Azra[/name_f] worked with at a furniture shop, while [name_f]Carmen[/name_f] had been friends with them since high school - and even though it wasn’t intended for them to become a couple, the attraction was fairly instantaneous.
As an interior decorator, Azra’s demeanour tends to work well with clients whose personalities aren’t the easiest to handle. She’s patient without loosing confidence in her expertise, and tries her best to accommodate people’s requests while stopping anything too insane that they’ll regret. Having attended private school on a scholarship, Azra’s no strangers to navigating big personalities, and her diplomacy is something she developed around her peers, many of whom came to the school from personalised bubbles. While some people ask if she hated this period, thanks to how the stereotypes of rich kids are, Azra’s genuine when she replies she didn’t mind it; the benefits were good enough for her future, and she’s got genuinely close friends who weren’t in line with the traditional idea, be they fellow scholarship kids or born into wealthier families.
While she’d definitely like to have children some day, Azra’s patient and supportive of Carmen’s career, wanting her wife to be happy before they take such a big step. Her older brother rushed into marriage, and while he and his wife have overcome their struggles, she knows it would’ve been easier for her nephews if their maternal grandparents didn’t expect so much of two high school sweethearts. For how people consider [name_f]Azra[/name_f] the sort who wouldn’t put huge amounts of weight in such things, she’s always been invested in her brother and sister-in-laws’ happiness, so them overcoming the pressure and strife means a lot to her. There’s an understated sentimentality to her, which she only properly expresses around those she’s comfortable with.
5 Likes
Tw: unlikeable character, evil, misinformation
[name_m]Sidney[/name_m] [name_f]Colette[/name_f] [name_m]Yates[/name_m] (37) is one of Azra’s first client and the beginning of her experience with not so easy to please customers. [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] is very specific and wants everything to be exactly like she wants it whiich makes it really hard to work with her, she also isn’t consistent with her ideas and has hired multiple interior decoraters in the past few years. [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and her wife are also trying to move up in social class and sent their girl/boy twins to the school [name_f]Azra[/name_f] went to. They don’t believe that the education is that good but sent them there for connections.
[name_m]Sidney[/name_m] doesn’t really have many close friend other than her wife but a lot of superficial friends she goes for brunch with every few weeks. Her wife and her are very calculative and like to gossip. They like knowing everything about everyone all the time. That’s what has made their relationship last, they don’t talk about themselves but others. The two of them had dated girls before dating each pther so their family were used to the idea and support them. They want to make sure their kids understand that families come in many shapes and sizes.
Although [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] loves her kids she is a part-time nutritionist and advises people of different ages on their diet. She doesn’t believe in eating disorders and thinks that people who admit they have an ED are doing it for attention. She is very popular in the area since she had an incredible transformation and lost a lot of weight because she crafted a personalized diet for herself but what [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] won’t tell anyone is that she actually used Ozempic.
4 Likes
tw: aformentioned misinformation; entitlement; shitty behaviour
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f] [name_f]Karin[/name_f] Donnigan (40) is Sidneys’ wife and partner in gossip, pot stirring and spreading of misinformation. Working as the owner of a photography business, which specialises in weddings, [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] tends to let her employees do the face-to-face stuff, as she’s unsurprisingly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way with her needless critical attitude and opinion that she has any say in how they celebrate marriage. Namely, if it’s not grandiose and theatrical like her and Sidney’s wedding, what’s even the point in going?
Although her family are supportive and have never been homophobic towards [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], she isn’t close to them, mostly seeing her parents because they’re reliable and loving grandparents who’ll babysit the twins at short notice. [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] has two siblings - an older brother and younger sister - who do their best to avoid her. She used to try and pit them against it each other to be the ‘favourite’ of the trio, however they caught on to her game and have ironically come to form a stronger bond together, with [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] being bitter about being left out. However she refuses to acknowledge if she hadn’t played her cruel games and changed her behaviour, she’d be embraced by them readily.
It’s a source of frustration for [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] that their efforts to socially climb aren’t really paying off. They’re so wrapped up in themselves they aren’t aware most people find them tacky, regardless of if they’re rich or not, and their inability to not be judgmental and rude is a detriment. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if they’re trying to be subtle, their vibe is always unpleasant. Most notably, the pair got banned from a toddler group when the twins were born as [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] couldn’t not comment on other women’s weight post-pregnancy, which she and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] insist was ‘totally fair’. They’re always the victims in their own world.
4 Likes
Warning for aforementioned rude personality and weight shaming.
[name_m]Daniele[/name_m] [name_f]Amélie[/name_f] [name_m]Yates[/name_m] (36) is Sidney’s sister and Amanda’s sister-in-law, who’s also quite devious and supportive of [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f]. Unlike Amanda’s siblings, she enjoys the lifestyle and would do just as much to be a “social superstar”. She only just moved to [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and Amanda’s town after moving out of the previous town she was from. At that town she was very liked, but that’s because she was working hard to keep her positive image in-check. In real life, she was very rude and never made friends since she’d basically push them to the side when she didn’t feel like “being their friend anymore”. Basically went through friends very quickly but liked to make them think they were still her friend. That caught on however and people got mad, which in her logic, “If they’re mad at me, it’s because I’m right.” However, she still felt leaving was necessary so she could have a reason to throw away friends she still had and maybe they’ll keep in touch if she needs them for something. But they’re not good enough for [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] to stay. She worked then in an office job and she’s done so now as well, but she’s in a cubicle and enjoys it better rarely talking to the co-workers she has.
[name_m]Daniele[/name_m] envies [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] in a sense because [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] has “the perfect wife” but at least when the two argue, they make up right away and are back to being two peas in a pod. [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] loves this about her sisterhood which [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and uses it to prove that she and [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] “aren’t drama queens because they’re too resilient”. Needless to say, [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] is part of the brunch group [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] are at, finding them to be the only friends that are good enough for her. She won’t listen to anyone who says what a true friend is because most of them wouldn’t want to be Daniele’s friend anyway. [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] is not a mother, exclaiming she would never put her body through growing a child. She knows people have been making babies for thousands of years but she still scoffs when she sees someone pregnant…unless they kept their body toned during and after pregnancy. She knows that [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] uses Ozempic and supports keeping this secret even though she feels the only reason people keep it secret is because of “weight shamers’ getting angry”. That’s what she considers weight shaming and as for “fat shaming”, she cringes at the term; saying, “It’s weight shaming. Fat shaming is what fat people say because they’re ashamed.”
[name_m]Daniele[/name_m] has a pet dog [name_f]Laila[/name_f], which despite her claims she’s a purebred, she actually isn’t and she is surprisingly a rescue puppy, although [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] would never rescue any dogs who weren’t puppies. She finds it ridiculous that people would want a dog that’s less cute and won’t be around as long with their owner. [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] also hates reptiles, finding them creepy and disgusting, although she proudly nicknames Amanda’s estranged siblings “The Reptiles”. They’re creepy, geeky, and in her eyes, cold-blooded. [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] has had some spats when she met them. At first she was trying to do her “friend trick” where she’d try to befriend them and then toss them, although she was planning to do this a little longer to get information from them. However they quickly caught on that she’s a [name_m]Yates[/name_m] and while they didn’t turn this against her given they were Donnigans, they said a lot of bad stuff about [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] and [name_m]Sidney[/name_m], to the point [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] screamed at them. The next day, she regretted this and tried to get on their good graces, but they didn’t believe her, especially when Amanda’s sister remembered when [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] tripped her to catch the bouquet at [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and Amanda’s wedding. It’s ironic because [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] didn’t even end up being the next one married after that! [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] had only had one attempt at a relationship ironically, with Carmen’s older brother, although he kept rejecting her since he’s married with a daughter [name_f]Dido[/name_f]. It didn’t move forward and she tried to persuade him to cheat but failed…miserably.
5 Likes
tw: toxic relationship; ableist views
[name_m]Lamar[/name_m] [name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Brewer[/name_m] (34) is one of Daniele’s exes who she frequently tries to contact, given he’s made a success of himself and she sees him as a ticket to social accomplishment - regardless of the fact he wants nothing to do with her. Having dated [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] for three years, between the ages of 27 and 30, [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] looks back on this period with a sense of discomfort, embarrassment and relief, all of which relate to the nature of his ex. Now a renowned documentary filmmaker, [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] was just honing his first project - a personal story about his younger brother, who has a prosthetic leg, competing in the Paralympics - when he met [name_m]Daniele[/name_m], who presented maximum charm that quickly hooked him in, and he politely dismissed the advice of a friend, who’d heard about the reputation of the woman he was so taken by.
While she was never abusive, [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] wasn’t a good person for [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] in the slightest. She began pushing for them to live together way too fast for what he was comfortable with, only just managing to stop [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] trying to rush things along. Often she tried to influence his projects, arriving on set without warning, and even made insinuations her family should be the subject of a film [this never happened as, truth be told, [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] had no idea what would be learned showcasing Danieles’ relatives].
His family, on the other hand, was another tool for her. She often would act as if his brother’s achievements were somehow hers to gush about, and of course she was so ‘brave’ for being with a man with a disabled sibling. This thought ptocess and series of comments were why [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] ended things: it took some time for him to learn what [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] had been saying, but it was absolutely a point of no return when he found out how she’d spoken.
[name_m]Lamar[/name_m] actually ended up shocked to learn [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] hadn’t cheated on him during their relationship, a suspicion formed when he learned of her trying to seduce a married man. While a thoroughly selfish and entitled person, [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] wasn’t a complete fool, and Lamar’s connections through directing were something she wasn’t going to miss out on; even if it meant a brief source of attention - she planned for the long term. What [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] knows will insight more bother is when [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] finds out he’s in a new relationship…with none other than Amanda’s younger sister, who she’s done her best to belittle and bother so much.
5 Likes
Warning for aforementioned toxic people.
[name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_m]Brewer[/name_m] (32) is Lamar’s brother and proud Paralympian cyclist. He loves the way his brother represents him and how he didn’t let [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] control the spotlight. [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] loves to talk about his sports career and feels the Paralympics deserve more viewership and credit. He’s currently gearing up for [name_f]Paris[/name_f] in a couple of months and is grateful for his fans, built more importantly his family who helped him strive in life. He was born with a deformed leg which wouldn’t have grown properly and he’s happy for the science of prosthetics, which helped him become a more able person. He is not just disabled, he is also gay, and he feels those ways of being a minority have given more challenges, alongside that he’s [name_m]Black[/name_m]. He doesn’t regret anything he is although he regrets letting [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] date [name_m]Daniele[/name_m], whom [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] trusted as Daniele’s sister [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] was also in the LGBTUIAP+ community and was with [name_f]Amanda[/name_f]. He feels he and [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] should have listened to the warnings of Lamar’s friend but thankfully Lamar’s past relationship with [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] didn’t hurt the friendship they had, even if [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] wanted to be Lamar’s only social contact.
Both [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] and Lamar’s aforementioned friend are surprised with Lamar’s new partner, despite being glad he’s moving on. They worry about [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] staying within the Yates-Donnigan clan but know Amanda’s siblings are nothing like Sidney’s sister [name_m]Daniele[/name_m]. [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] hated [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] cashing in on his achievements although he can’t help but respect the irony of [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] with Amanda’s sister. Especially since [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] tried to get on her good side and failed, not to mention the prior wedding bouquet incident. [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] remembers [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] and [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] shaming him for eating at buffets after the Paralympic Games but that wasn’t his way of celebrating and he wasn’t “fat” – she’d be envious of the protein he intakes before the games anyway. [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] finds [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] and [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] highly superficial siblings who only care about good looks and good graces. As for [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], he’s glad [name_m]Lamar[/name_m] didn’t have her involvement in his projects because she would have spread misinformation any chance she would to her own liking. [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] loves his career but loves life outside it, like relaxing and watching movies and plays in the theatre and he doesn’t listen to people who act like he’s less serious because of it. He’s more supportive of Amanda’s older brother and younger sister and while he was nervous, it seems he’s warming up to them.
4 Likes
TW: homophobia; disownment; misinformation & ED denial
[name_m]Lawrence[/name_m] " [name_m]Lance[/name_m] " [name_m]Simon[/name_m] [name_m]Boynton[/name_m] (32) is Dwayne’s boyfriend and good friend of the [name_m]Brewer[/name_m] family, who’s been there through thick and thin, including the ‘Daniele Saga’, as he refers to it. The attitude of said woman and her sister was nothing other than appalling in the eyes of [name_m]Lance[/name_m], who actually got into an argument with [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] about her comments when [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] would eat following competitions, only to come away dumbfounded when she told him ED’s ‘aren’t even real’. Her being a lost cause made absolute sense then.
Denial and delusion aren’t unfamiliar concepts to him though. When [name_m]Lance[/name_m] came out as gay in his teens, there wasn’t much kindness or acceptance from part of his family. His stepmother is from a very conservative background and she banned him from coming to the house, quite literally claiming he would ‘teach’ his half-brothers to be gay. Now they’re all older - his brothers being 21 and 19 respectively - he’s regained contact with them, however the years of being cut off were painful for [name_m]Lance[/name_m], who did spend some time wondering if he was at fault somehow.
Thankfully his mom, stepdad and stepsister - who’s now 30 - were nothing but supportive and accepting, with him going by his mom’s surname as he wants nothing to do with the father who didn’t speak up for him. Unlike his stepmother, [name_m]Lance[/name_m] knows his father has no inherent bigoted beliefs, but he’s always been someone who’ll put a romantic partner before his children - the same pattern occurred when his brothers started asserting their own identities. Amidst this chaos though, Lances’ stepsister welcomed his nephew, who’s now 2, and the little boy is a source of joy for not just him but [name_m]Dwayne[/name_m] as well, which means the world to [name_m]Lance[/name_m].
4 Likes
tw: aformentioned homophobia, parental loss
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f] " [name_f]Livia[/name_f] " [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] [name_m]Morton[/name_m] (30) is Lance’s stepsister and confident through the [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] Of It All, as well as the cruelty of his stepmother and her prejudices. Livia’s always considered herself a bland person, as she’s very content to be a homebody and live a quiet, peaceful lifestyle away from the madding crowd so to speak. She works from home designing customised dolls and creates DIY felting kits based on her own passion, allowing young people to craft their own companions; something ideal since becoming a mother herself.
Although [name_m]Lance[/name_m] insists she’s too hard on herself about this, [name_f]Livia[/name_f] isn’t blind to the way some people have ditched her over the years for not enjoying constant partying and wild pursuits. It’s not that she judges anyone who does like them, they’re just really not her thing. Part of her reasoning for not attending college was because [name_f]Livia[/name_f] didn’t want to end up being invited to parties and turning people down, as she’s very personable and friendly, easily striking up conversations with new acquaintances, which can lead to people assuming she’ll want to be at the centre of every event [the furthest thing from reality].
Like her stepbrother, [name_f]Livia[/name_f] goes by her mother’s surname, although her reasoning is different. When she was three, Livia’s mother passed away following a battle with cancer, which resurfaced in the years following her first diagnosis, and keeping some form of closeness is important to her. The [name_m]Morton[/name_m] side of her family live in another state, which takes a long drive to get to, so it also was another means of keeping them in her mind constantly when she wasn’t able to make trips out to see them. Her son has a double barrel surname keeping her own there too, and she took inspiration from the meaning of her mom’s first name when choosing his.
4 Likes
Warning for unpleasant divorce and family denial.
[name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] [name_m]Wyllow[/name_m] [name_m]Vennor[/name_m] (30) is Livia’s husband, who’s been respectful and understanding about Livia’s stepfamily. He isn’t going to take homophobia lightly, especially since his younger sister is currently questioning her own sexuality. It was a matter of “she thought she knew, but there’s much more than she thought”. Coming from a Cornish family, he’s implemented some Cornish flair into his son’s name, though he really considers Livia’s mother as a huge inspiration. [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] is closer to his father than his mother, though he really wants to be as inclusive with his mother as possible. He doesn’t use this in any way to see her less, in fact, he wants to see this more. It’s just that his older half-sister makes it difficult for him and his younger sister. She’s not a bad person, but she makes it way too clear that [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] is “not her brother” and emphasises the “half” part in half-siblinghood. He’s half her brother, but half not her brother, and sometimes prefers to act like he and his younger sister “aren’t entirely related” to her. This is because she never truly got over the way her parents divorced and refused to see each other. And at least she’s seen him in a good light sometimes, even if she feels she “has to”. She still calls her stepfather by his first name.
She’s attended [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] and Livia’s wedding but not the baby shower of their son, who she doesn’t feel any aunt/nephew connection with. She’s also never been insterested in Mawgan’s career, even though most people would find his career “cool”. He “lab grows” diamonds, which is basically pressurising carbon into its diamond form. [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] wants to be nice to her but hates that she rarely has a place in her “half” nephew’s life, especially since he tries not to villainies her. He knows she’s not like [name_m]Sidney[/name_m] or [name_m]Daniele[/name_m] and never compared her to them. His younger sister just lets her be and wants her to enjoy life without the [name_m]Vennor[/name_m] influence, and doesn’t quite understand. Though she doesn’t mind as much by her decisions to gatekeep, though she’s really close with [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] and [name_f]Livia[/name_f]. [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] has a hard time letting go though he and his sister aren’t going to make their half-sister feel like a bad person. He hates when people want to cut him out when he’s done nothing wrong, so he listens to [name_f]Livia[/name_f] and [name_m]Lance[/name_m] for advice on this. He is understanding of Livia’s grief, though he’s never felt anything like it personally, and doesn’t compare that to letting his half-sister “free”. He believes Livia’s mother is an amazing person and deserves to still be here, so he feels for [name_f]Livia[/name_f] that she isn’t. He also agrees Lance’s mother is a truly wonderful person without ever trying to be anyone’s replacement. [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] hopes [name_m]Lance[/name_m] can get on closer terms with his younger brothers again, despite the difficulties stemmed by homophobia. [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] is grateful nobody in his family is homophobic but also that Lance’s half-brothers are actually open and accepting to [name_m]Lance[/name_m].
4 Likes
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] Seargent (34) is Mawgan’s half-sister, longing for more within her family. She tries diligently despite knowing [name_m]Mawgan[/name_m] isn’t fully with her as a sibling, and she knows in her heart she has to feel like he and his sister are family.
Her own life is filled with ups and downs. Within the struggle of her parents divorcing, she strives to create a sense of peace and hope. While half-siblings was never ideal in any situation, she has powered through her life gracefully, even thoughtfully attending [name_f]Livia[/name_f] and Mawgan’s wedding.
She divulges an understanding beyond her typical life and chooses to remain out of his life for her time. Her time is dedicated to helping children in need and she is determined to make a difference for them. She hopes for the best and doesn’t let anyone control her destiny.
While she doesn’t get along with everyone, she has found peace of mind within herself, wishing her distraught family would do the same in return. Her wisdom and responsibility keep her motivated when she’s down, alongside a plethora of happy friends.
