Create a family (but it's got a twist)

[CherryBomb50]

Uncensored warning: This character is a bully.

Also for a recap on Madani family; the order is: 1) Angeline, 2) Dario, 3) Pascal, 4) Carlow, 5) Isabetta, 6) Malou. The first 5 are mine and Malou is @clemesque’s. All are lawyers except Malou and Isabetta; Angeline, Dario, and Carlow are sided in defence.

Angeline Felicia Madani (28) is the eldest Madani sibling and also a lawyer, being in criminal defence as well. She’s not in contact with her younger siblings but is closest with Dario because they’re both in the same field and knows Scarlet by his association. She pretends to be his “friend” but constantly insults him and makes him angry, which he despises. Angeline is a very toxic individual and is the main reason why Malou stays away from her family. Malou says she was a good older sister growing up who just became so wicked that she has become even more toxic than their parents. She and Pascal never talk because they are too different, with her being in defence and him in prosecution, and also because he tends to talk more with his two non-lawyer siblings. Pascal doesn’t discuss any toxicity because Angeline threatened to make his life miserable, his law firm hate him, and tell their parents how “horrible” he is at being a lawyer if he says anything bad. Ruari’s ex, one of her brothers, is her favourite person in her family because she knows he causes a lot of drama too and she finds joy in that, even if she thinks he’s an inferior public defender. She loves to be successful and enjoys being able to defend clients, but is a very expensive lawyer and loves to manipulate trials. Her parents adore her because she always sucks up to them.

Angeline knows Scarlet has been accepted by the Madani parents and she wants to “test” if Scarlet is “acceptable” enough for her, even though all the other siblings support her. She knows she can be intimidating but that’s what she loves about herself, often being rude to Dario asking him, “Why did you propose to an older girl?” despite only being one year apart and Scarlet being the same age as Angeline. She is in a relationship but her partner doesn’t want to marry her, stating, “I love her but I don’t want to get hitched to someone with a family of mostly lawyers, if we divorce then I’m screwed.” Angeline also believes that Scarlet has been acting different than usual and believes she’s “hiding that she’s a maniac” although she’d never guess it was a pregnancy, since she arrogantly believed Scarlet and Dario wouldn’t last, despite them being engaged. She tends to believe a lot of untrue stuff that she makes up in her head and is always set on those thoughts. She falsely thinks Malou’s fiancée “brainwashed her into not wanting to be a lawyer and is making her go to London”. She claims Pascal faked his asthma diagnosis to get out of the fact he was a “terrible former engineer who was going to get fired”. She also believes Ruari broke up with her brother because he and Sinead “are sociopaths”. She believes the other non-lawyer in her family “wants to get into crime and that’s why she doesn’t respect lawyers”. She loves when her brother causes drama and doesn’t care if everyone else in the family is stressed by it, finding them “weak”. She’s also bullied Leni over their lisp, ostracising herself from Leni and their friends. Leni is good friends with the 2 non-lawyers in the family and both are further against Angeline for this. The irony of her rude gossiping nature is that she started a rumour Scarlet was pregnant, although she didn’t intend it to actually be true. And what’s even weirder is people didn’t believe her and the rumour was squashed simply because she’s not trustworthy and nobody likes her.

[chamwue]

[name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] Meiyi Zhao (25) is a former friend of [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] and another lawyer at the firm. She works in defence, just like [name_m]Pascal[/name_m], but [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] managed to sink her claws into [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] before any of the Mandani siblings at the firm could. [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] initially believed Angeline’s claims that her siblings were all just horrible people to their older sister, but after [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] was extremely toxic to her the entire friendship, [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] broke off their friendship verbally. In hindsight, [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] wasn’t a very good friend— she often found excuses to put [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] down and even made fun of her home situation. Chantelle’s parents are going through an acrimonious divorce at the moment, and after one too many jokes at her expense, she decided it would be best to cut out [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] from her life permanently.

She has found other friends at the firm— a group made of [name_m]Pascal[/name_m], herself, and two others— and [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] feels horrible that they’re caught in the collateral damage that is [name_f]Angeline[/name_f]. Since their friendship had ended, [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] has had to squash multiple rumours about her, examples including she was only at the firm due to nepotism and that she had a sugar daddy. Her older sister, who isn’t at the firm but is a lawyer at a different firm, has heard the brunt of Chantelle’s complaining about [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] and tries to comfort her younger sister.

[name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] lives with her boyfriend and their two cats: Xiao and Da. Ironically, Xiao is the bigger of the two.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] Yanyu Zhao (27) is the older sister of [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] who serves as her main confidant and adviser. Working in animal welfare law, usually custody cases, Alyssa’s grown used to having to defend her choices - as some of her peers look down on the area she specialises in, considering it less importanf/valid - and this decisiveness is what’s let her become talented at offering a listening ear to her sister and friends. Having recently become engaged to her partner of five years, who she met through a mutual friend - as her partner opted against university for personal reasons - Alyssa’s desire to settle down more and start a family has increased the side eye she gives [name_f]Angeline[/name_f]. It never fails to disappoint her how immaturely some people choose to act, and [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] being dragged into the whirlwind of drama [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] enjoys creating, has made her not just annoyed at the older woman, but truly disappointed at how she behaves. She’s more than relieved that her sister has a strong, reliable friend group established now and is away from the toxicity, although she has joked about offering [name_m]Pascal[/name_m] the same listening ear if he ever needs to vent about [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] (and she wouldn’t say no if he did want to talk).

The divorce didn’t surprise [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f], and truthfully, she felt it was overdue. [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] and her’s teens were dominated by the passive aggressive undertones of her parents comments to each other, and although the sisters never got to the root of the problem, [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] suspected an affair might have been the cause of the increasing tension. She stopped trying to investigate when she was seventeen though, at the insistence of her best friend, who was worried about the stress [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] was putting herself through in the hope she could ease her and Chantelle’s minds - and her fiancé also continues to make sure she isn’t tearing herself apart trying to protect her loved one’s from unpleasant situations.

In spite of the literal distance between [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] and her best friend, they’ve maintained their closeness since they were both ten. The girls met in maths class after being sat together and, in spite of having very different interests, they’ve got very similar core values and tend to serve as listening ears in their families. Alyssa’s best friend is a professional ballerina - unsurprising, given dance was everything to her growing up - and frequently travels on tour, meaning they usually call or message to keep in contact daily. Although [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] is undeniably going to be maid of honour on her big day, Alyssa’s best friend has been given the title of head bridesmaid to commemorate their closeness, and also because [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] trusts she’ll be able to wrangle in the others’ if any wild behaviour starts on her hen night (as just because she’s self-controlled doesn’t mean she only befriends those with this sensibility, far from it). With only an iguana - [name_f]Mira[/name_f] - who belonged to her fiancé before they moved in together at home, Alyssa’s primary catsitter for [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] and her boyfriend when needed, and this close contact allowed her to realise the guy was terrified of her disapproval long before they met in person. This amused [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] and [name_f]Chantelle[/name_f] greatly, as the older Zhao sister is never someone to make quick judgments, and as long as Chantelle’s being treated well, Alyssa’s going to like you.

[CherryBomb50]

Heyo quickie reminder Pascal isn’t a defence lawyer, he’s in prosecution with Ayame (by @I_meme_it) and Sinead. He’s actually the only prosecutor, the other lawyers of the family (Angeline, Dario, and Carlow) are defence. I’ll keep the Pascal-Chantelle friendship though. I should have mentioned that when I recapped the family and will edit that, oops! Turns out I’m editing the recap anyway, because I’m writing the final two siblings who don’t have bios.

Isabetta Marina and Carlow Orsino Madani (23) are the twins of the Madani family with Carlow secretly agreeing that an affair could have caused the divorce of Alyssa and Chantelle’s parents. Isabetta is not a lawyer, being a professional ballerina like Alyssa’s best friend. Carlow, a public defender, is mostly known however for being the ex of Ruari, which makes it hard and awkward for the family. Isabetta is twenty minutes younger than Carlow and while he doesn’t care about the difference in minutes, she does and for an odd reason. It may just be a coincidence, but the further down you go in Madani siblings, the more rebellious they are to their parents’ lawyer norms. Angeline is the eldest and will be highly toxic just to support the lawyer career, acting like the best lawyer even if it hurts others. Dario is second and likes being a lawyer, but is much more chilled and is engaged to someone who isn’t a lawyer. Pascal is third and while he tends to give into personal threats, he gets along with the non-lawyer siblings more and didn’t initially want to be a lawyer. Carlow is fourth and the last sibling to have a law career, but hardly ever lets it control his life and is focused more on dating. Isabetta is fifth and is the first non-lawyer, but doesn’t have a problem with her family. Malou is youngest and is proud to not be a lawyer, planning to move to London with her fiancée.

Carlow is currently in his own personal struggle to let Ruari go, although he isn’t trying to actively chase him anymore, instead just thinking about him constantly, to the rest of the family telling him to let him go and Angeline mocking him. The twins often talk with Alyssa over how Angeline has made it a toxic environment for the rest of the family. Ruari has discussed the pregnancy rumour about Scarlett, believing it to be false while Isabetta never mentions it because she gets over “petty gossip” quickly, not realising this one is ironically true. Isabetta often travels on tour as a ballerina and isn’t always around but much of the family agrees that she is happy and deserves to be away from the drama. Isabetta has recently become bonding friends with Alyssa’s ballerina bestie, and the two talk about everything. Isabetta is currently dating another ballerina who is a mutual friend of her and Alyssa’s best friend. Isabetta and this ballerina get along with Alyssa for this reason and are attending the wedding, just as guests and as dates. Carlow hates being single and secretly envies Alyssa, Chantelle, and Isabetta for being in relationships but won’t discuss this because he doesn’t want to start more trouble. Alyssa’s fiancé and Chantelle’s boyfriend have tried to get him out of his personal issues, and even Mira the iguana has helped.

[kitkatcookie]

tw: cheating and gaslighting (not blurred)

[name_f]Violet[/name_f] " [name_f]Vi[/name_f] " [name_u]Marie[/name_u] Simmons-Brandon (22) is Carlow’s one-time nemesis and new close friend of [name_m]Ruari[/name_m] O’Brien, who went on that singular date they’ve nicknamed the “friend awakening” affectionately. Due to his inability to let go of his ex - who he dumped, as [name_f]Isabetta[/name_f] is frequently pointing out when her brother’s bemoaning tests her patience - [name_m]Carlow[/name_m] deeply resented [name_f]Vi[/name_f], a person he hadn’t ever met or heard of until they were set up with [name_m]Ruari[/name_m] by a mutual friend to help get both parties back into the dating game. From 17-19, [name_f]Vi[/name_f] dated someone who cheated on them frequently for self-gratification, and then proceeded to gaslight them into thinking they were merely being paranoid. The extra cruelty of this was Vi’s ex was completely aware they’ve dealt with OCD since they were only eleven and this can heighten their nerves anyways, but he was willing to use it if it meant getting away with his one-night stands. He was loathed by Vi’s mother and younger sister - their only family, as their father’s been out of the picture for almost twenty years (not a loss anyone’s missing); the double barrel surname being just their mom’s names, which she got from both her parents - but had a magnetic charm and sweet way with words that kept them infatuated; partly because they believed no-one would accept them quite like him.

Since the breakup, which was followed up by Vi’s ex pleading for a reunion: as while he was perfectly happy to mistreat them, he relied on them to keep him organised and in-check for university deadlines, they’ve not dated until being set up with [name_m]Ruari[/name_m]. While a different connection sparked between the pair, Vi’s incredibly glad they went, as even new friendships felt too much to take on thanks to their exes lies, and they’ve just been out with someone else who proved romantically suited - but both parties want to keep things moving slowly. [name_f]Vi[/name_f] knows about [name_m]Carlow[/name_m] and [name_m]Ruari[/name_m], and - although they haven’t got involved as they feel it’s not their place - is very relieved their friend didn’t agree to giving things another chance, as Carlow’s willingness to disregard things seemed set up for disaster once more, especially with [name_f]Angeline[/name_f] refusing to not interfer with people’s lives or choices. They suspect if [name_m]Carlow[/name_m] knows about them he’ll only have negative feelings but experience has allowed them to brush this off, as now they’re away from their ex they’ve been working to avoid excess and transferred guilt.

[name_f]Vi[/name_f] works as a bartender at a popular local spot while training to become an animal welfare worker. They’re living with their mom, younger sister and family pets currently: two rabbits named [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_f]Flo[/name_f], as well as their beloved, elderly Sheepdog [name_u]Walter[/name_u], who used to belong to their grandparents before the responsibility of exercise became too difficult for them to manage.

[I_meme_it]

Rahal Hakim Matar (28) is Vi’s current shift manager and the partner of Angeline, he who refuses to marry her. While many would assume bar work is unacceptable to Angeline, with her ridiculous standards, she accepts Rahal’s job as he’s covering for the business he owns while a new employee is sought out, and even uses this to hold up her facade to her parents about being their ‘best’ child. Many don’t understand the two’s relationship as Rahal is a thoroughly decent person, but Angeline is careful to conceal her toxicity from him, as the humiliation of a breakup is something she cannot face. She’s also been willing to threaten to ruin her siblings lives - in most cases, their law careers - if they try informing him of her true nature, and no-one wants to risk facing her anger given how generally vindictive she is.

A second generation Jordanian immigrant, Rahal has set up several businesses celebrating his culture, and runs them with his younger half-brother, who he openly calls his best friend. Aside from his brother, the majority of the Matar family live in Chicago, which is a relief to Angeline - as she struggles biting her tongue enough around one member of her partner’s family, never mind his dad, stepmom and four other siblings: his older sister (who shares the same mother as him), youngest half-brother and two younger half-sisters. His forward focused attitude and generally sunny disposition means Rahal doesn’t open up much about loosing his mother suddenly when he was young - after a car accident involving a drunk driver - and he does have an unfortunate attitude of working through the pain.

Angeline’s siblings are more of a mystery to Rahal, as she doesn’t want him getting close to them and seeing how they react. The one he knows the most about is Carlow - who unsurprisingly has been described in only the most unfavourable of terms - and Rahal chooses to keep a distance as the idea of being wrapped up in relationship drama really makes him uncomfortable. What Rahal knows he’d like is to start a family in the next 2 years, but he doesn’t really think Angeline shares this dream, and it could lead to their relationship coming to the ending she fears so much…

Angeline was created by @CherryBomb50

[CherryBomb50]

Aziza Marjani Matar (20) is one of Rahal’s younger paternal half-sisters. She’s in a relationship with a Madani member too, dating Isabetta. She is also a ballerina and is best friends with Isabetta and Alyssa, alongside Alyssa’s best friend who is also a ballerina. Given the fact that Isabetta and the ballerinas travel a lot, they don’t have time interacting with the rest of the Madanis, so Aziza doesn’t know much about Angeline or the others. Aziza isn’t a fan of a family where 4 out of 6 members are lawyers but at the same time she knows how hard it was for Rahal to lose his mother so she supports their roles in justice and knows it was also parental pressure for them to have these careers. Pascal recently won a case where he served as prosecution lawyer to a drunk driver hitting (but thankfully not killing) another driver while Dario won a case as a defence lawyer defending someone wrongfully convicted for a non-fatal hit-and-run. She’s happy Isabetta and Malou pursued their own careers outside law and knows the most about Malou since she is not a lawyer. Aziza supports Malou and her fiancée. She knows Rahal is dating Angeline and has secretly wanted a double date but knows it’s highly unlikely given the fact that they’re always away, not realising Angeline would have shot down that idea anyway. Aziza does have a soft spot for Chicago and visits most of her family there. She’s close with her siblings and half-siblings and recently went to the bar Rahal and Vi work at just to enjoy the atmosphere and the city Rahal is from. Aziza and Vi get along great too as Isabetta gets along with Vi even though Carlow, who Aziza barely knows, does not. Aziza doesn’t know the Ruari-Carlow drama and Isabetta, Angeline, Vi, and Rahal tell her it’s for the best which she understands. Before Aziza dated Isabetta, she was used to being single and wasn’t obsessed with trying to find love with unattainable people so if she knew that Carlow was single and hated it immensely, she’d find him quite desperate. Carlow isn’t the only single Madani as Pascal is single too and he’s also not the only dramatic Madani as Angeline is dramatic too, but none of the Matars know this as Angeline doesn’t like to give out information to the Matars in case it all goes wrong with her and Rahal. Aziza is very close with her father most of all because he is a strong and loving, patient individual and is close with her mother, who she is impressed by her helping her father all the way.

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_f]Gaia[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] Summerfields (21) was in the same ballet class as [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] from 6 up until 14. [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] was raised by snobby perfectionist parents who had [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] and her brother [name_u]Leon[/name_u] doing ballet, clarinet and singing and lots of studying so [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] had never had time to meet up with friends and envied how natrually popular and sweet [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] was and began teasing other girls in her class until she was kicked out at age 14 for bullying. You would of thought she would of stopped ballet, but her career took off. She auditioned for a massive ballet school and was let in. [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] tried to stop but her parents insisted. She is in a long term relationship with a rugby player and has a baby girl on the way which meant Gaia’s performances had to stop

Sorry for cutting you off!

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Madison[/name_u] " [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] " Tomjia Aratama (27) is Alyssa’s best friend and a mentor-turned-friend of [name_f]Aziza[/name_f], who’s performed in several shows alongside [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] (who was never aware [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] figured out who she was). Like many dancers, precision and dedication are what [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] attributes to her success, although her mother would add passion helped her daughter to excel at ballet - as the moment she started classes, it was obvious they completely clicked with her. [name_m]Born[/name_m] to an American father and second generation Japanese immigrant mother, Maddy’s chose to live as partners instead of marrying and split up when she was six and her older brother was ten. Like the looming divorce of Alyssa’s parents, the outcome of her parents relationship wasn’t a surprise to [name_f]Maddy[/name_f], as there was a string of heated rows between them about moving - something Maddy’s father wanted to start over after growing tired of his job, but her mom opposed because it meant moving their children away from their extended family, and subsequently cutting off more cultural heritage their grandmother passed onto them. Maddy’s maternal grandfather died four months before her dad proposed moving and it was the blatant insensitivity of his actions that offended her mom so deeply - as while he could always be a selfish at times, this total disregarding of her grief was too much.

While she’s kept in more contact than her brother, Maddy’s semi-estranged from her dad now, after he promised to come to numerous dance shows throughout her teens and never arrived. She’d always confide in [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] about the disappointment as she knew her mom and brother were already incensed enough, going through dismay before realising this was merely the man he was, in spite of all the happy memories she maintained from childhood. Aside from dance, Maddy’s got a love for swimming, sewing and rock climbing, but being around her loved one’s is what truly makes her content. There’s always been a homebody side to her character - and she’s at her happiest lounging about in sweatpants with her Shiba, [name_u]Rei[/name_u] (who’s looked after by Maddy’s longterm partner when she’s away), when she gets time off - but travelling never phases [name_f]Maddy[/name_f], and she does have a love of photographing the natural landscapes she encounters, even though she’s by no means the greatest photographer.

With a reputation for her kindness in guiding younger dancers - having not just worked with [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] but several people across the companies she’s been employed by, it took a lot of self-control on Maddy’s behalf to not confront [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] when it dawned on her who she was briefly working with. The stereotype of ballerinas being snobby, callous and cold is something [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] loathes at the best of times, but meeting someone who took this further into persistent bullying genuinely angered her. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] wasn’t a personal friend she wouldn’t have tolerated this, as dance is something [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] feels should be tied to happiness - based on all it’s done for her - and spoiling it for someone else is particularly cruel in her eyes. She didn’t say anything though because dragging up the past could only cause more problems and she knew [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] would be mortified at the thought of [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] seeking an apology on her behalf, even if the older dancer’s known for her forthright attitude and willingness to voice her opinions uninvited. What ended up happening was [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] confiding in [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] frequently about the situation and venting to her best friend helped considerably…but those who know her well noted the cool reception [name_f]Gaia[/name_f] always received from [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] who’s known for her friendliness.

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@lemon_swirlxx No worries ^u^

[CherryBomb50]

Petro “ Petey “ Daisuke Aratama (31) is Maddy’s older brother. Petey is a photographer and professionally photographs the ballerinas which is how he knows most of the dancers. He and Maddy‘s oldest cousin is the mother of Ayame and Sakura, and their two siblings, meaning they are Petey and Maddy’s second cousins. While Ayame and Sakura didn’t live in the same community as the Aratamas, they opposed the father trying to force them to move away. Petey and Maddy’s father seemed not to get along with them and they feared the Aratamas would never visit them if their father had it his way.

He has always been close to his word and won’t ever say he will show up to Maddy’s recitals unless 100% sure. That being said he’s gone to many recitals and loves to watch her dance. He also supports Aziza as well and considers her a great dancer and is happy Maddy has been such a good mentor to her. He is a fan of other types of photography like landscaping and is actually very good, but quite shy to show his pictures although Maddy has encouraged him to do so. She reassures him that she isn’t the best but she still enjoys it anyway. Petey has never met anyone from the Madani family, only knowing about Pascal from him being Ayame’s co-worker and only knowing about Isabetta from her being Aziza’s girlfriend. He has only briefly met the Matar family, supporting Rahal and his older sister’s sweet nature when they watched Aziza perform. He is secretly very attracted to Rahal’s older sister but isn’t deciding to make any moves yet as he doesn’t want to come off as creepy. He somewhat knows Gaia as he’s photographed her before and knows she’s not currently performing due to her pregnancy. He considers her tougher to work with photography-wise but has his beliefs that her rugby playing boyfriend and her motherhood-to-be could help soften her.

Sakura was created by @kitkatcookie.

Ayame was created by @I_meme_it.

[chamwue]

[name_u]Lisa[/name_u] Yoojung [name_u]Park[/name_u] (19) is a ballerina and an acquaintance of [name_m]Petey[/name_m]. [name_m]Born[/name_m] in [name_u]South[/name_u] Korea but rained in both Seoul and the U.S, [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] is fluent in both Korean and [name_f]English[/name_f] and sort of forced [name_m]Petey[/name_m] to learn some Korean words. Not out of malice though— [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] is what her friends call “golden retriever friendly” and tends to try to befriend whoever she meets, willing to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

She knows this attitude has come to hurt her: due to Lisa’s friendliness and naiveté, she’s been through abusive friendships and relationships alike. Her friends often wonder how [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] manages to keep her happy demeanour up so well, and Lisa’s secret is that… well… that it’s real. Sure, people can break your trust, but [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] knows that a lot of the people she meets are good people. The good always outweighs the bad, in her experience, anyway. [name_m]Even[/name_m] so, her friends and family are very protective of her: her older brother and her friend group need to approve of you first before you can even approach [name_u]Lisa[/name_u].

Her friend group, which consists of her older brother and four others, have all assigned each other dog breeds to continue the joke about [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] being a golden retriever. She finds this very funny— ironically enough [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] is a cat person and owns a white cat named [name_f]Snowy[/name_f].

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Lilith[/name_f] [name_f]Morgana[/name_f] [name_m]Beresford[/name_m] (19) is one of Lisa’s close friends who belongs to her circle. Lilith’s assigned dog breed is whippet thanks to her notoriously fast run - most commonly utilised when public transport comes into equation - and how precisely focused she gets when it comes to her goals. The daughter of a romantic novelist, who chose to go through IVF with a close friend acting as the donor, to become a single mother; [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] jokes she’s a disappointment in many ways, as her chosen major is Theological Studies and while she loves writing her own stories, they’re never the feelgood escapism her mom specialises in. What she’s eternally thankful for is that her mom uses a pseudonym for her books - as [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] feared people identifying her at school and bombarding her with questions or teasing: either way it mortified her as she very much is someone who keeps her head down in class and just wants to complete her work in piece. It would surprise some of her peers to know how genuinely intimidating [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] can be when looking out for [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], as she was such a quiet presence in classes - and continues to be at uni - they’d imagine her more likely to flee.

Her protectiveness comes not just from how much [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] means to her as a friend - never being discouraged by her shyness or mistaking it for thinking she doesn’t want/need friends - but because [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] saw people trying to take advantage of her mom’s kindness when she was young, including a woman who’d known her for years and claimed to be a good friend. She’s confided in the group about her hostility towards this person - which became more blatant as she grew up - and how they tried to use this to create conflict between her mom and her, which while unsuccessful in the long run, made [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] quite pessimistic and withdrawn. It irriates and disappoints her how when faced with sincerity, some see a perfect chance to exploit, but her loved one’s have helped her get away from being quite as cynical as she used to be and it mostly manifests in her sense of humour now. [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] drives her own vespa - she has a standard license too but a car’s too much maintenance for her right now - and visits her mom frequently now she’s at college; inviting her friends once they’ve agreed her mother will not tell any embarrassing stories or go over her latest novel plot (as all the smut is really something [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] hates hearing anyone she’s biologically related to recite).

Like [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] she’s also a cat person wholeheartedly, owning two rescue black cats: [name_m]Tom[/name_m] - who’s one eyed from an illness and not always the friendliest - and Twitch - who’s got a nervous disposition when you first meet him but really is a complete softy. She works on-off crocheting bralettes, hats and snoods online for some extra cash, but usually can be found collecting 90s/2000s fashion mags for style inspiration or baking - as she’ll tell you sweets are always simpler once you become a vegetarian.

[chamwue]

uncensored tw: crime ment, abuse ment, family dysfunction, forced out of the closet

Luelle " [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] " [name_f]Margaux[/name_f] [name_m]Beaumont[/name_m] (19) is another member of [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] and Lilith’s friend group. Lulu’s assigned dog breed is chihuahua due to the fact that she’s the shortest of the group at 5’0"— and the fact that she has the shortest temper amongst them all. [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] disagrees— she’s annoyed easily, but she’s rarely furious. [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] is the youngest of five siblings and wears her badge as the "problem child: very proudly. The [name_m]Beaumont[/name_m] family are a prestigious family, and while [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] had followed her parents’ wishes to go into STEM in university, they strictly disapprove of her fashion, lifestyle, and friend choices. It has gotten to the point where [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] is disowned in all ways but officially— the Beaumonts don’t want a public scandal, after all. She’s currently crashing at a friends’ place before she gets her own place at the moment.

[name_f]Lulu[/name_f] came out as lesbian to her family at fourteen after one of her older brothers mistakenly outed her. This was the start of the end of Lulu’s relationship with her family— [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] decided enough was enough and started dressing in ways the Beaumonts disagreed with, culminating in her severing ties with her family once she was 18 and independent. She does keep contact with her older siblings though, even the one that caused her a lot of pain: he’s the reason why she isn’t cut off financially yet and still fights for her place in the family. [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] understands that it was a complete mistake, but it doesn’t take away the hurt and the alienation it had caused within her family.

[name_f]Lulu[/name_f] has deemed her friend group her new family, and thus she’s ready to fight for them at any cost— even getting a misdemeanour when she beat one of Lisa’s abusive partners out of her apartment. That is one example of [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] losing her temper, and the rest of her friends have agreed to never get [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] like that again. She still says she’d do that for [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] again, and [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] pleads [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] to not.

[name_u]Lisa[/name_u], [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], and [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] call themselves the “Triple L’s” due to their shared initials and their flaws in life— [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] for her naiveté, [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] for her standoffishness, and [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] for her impulsiveness. She jokes that they’ll never find love, but she knows that they’re all deserving of it.

[kitkatcookie]

tw: severe injury - not blurred

[name_f]Ngoc[/name_f] Bich " [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] " Tham (19) is another member of the friend group, who joined thanks to her friendship with Lisa’s brother - who she met through the skate park they both frequent. Sapphire’s a trans girl from a large Vietnamese-American family and, knowing all the awful treatment [name_f]Lulu[/name_f] has faced, feels especially lucky that her own parents are nothing but generous, loving and accepting people: the sorts who embrace all their daughters friends. She’s been assigned border collie due to her very reliable nature, high energy skating style and athleticism: both naturally and by choice as she’s part of her college’s gymnastics team. Her chosen major is a combined one of biology and physiotherapy, as [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] hopes to become a specialist in working with paraplegic individuals, as her dad was paralysed from the waist down and partially on his left side after being hit by a joyrider when she was fifteen; and while he’s still retained his bright spirit in spite of the injuries, it’s painful seeing how much his life has been limited.

This has led to [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] and her siblings - her sister who’s genderfluid and brother - helping out at the family business: a boutique specialising in fair trade clothing, most of which is imported from Vietnam, as supporting their ancestral country is very important to Sapphire’s parents, and she shares these opinions. She visits her extended family whenever possible, some of whom live on rural farms, but thanks to her athleticism she excels in these environments and has extended the invite to her friends if they want to experience this.

More recently, [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] and Lisa’s brother began a tentative relationship - something that initially terrified them in case it ruined the group dynamics. He wasn’t just the person who introduced her to his best friend and the Triple L’s, but also who she’s confided in the most about what happened to her father and how the difficult situation has pained her greatly. [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] always wants those around her to be happy - sometimes at her own expense - but even she, in her soft-hearted dependability, can’t forgive the guy who was driving, as he didn’t have a license and only made excuses when tried for injuring her dad, instead of accepting his recklessness had ruined someone’s life. She’s never dated much in spite of being so easy to get along with, as [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] hates the idea of ruining her established bonds - which unfortunately conflicts directly with her demisexuality. Still, she’s undeniably happy being with him, although she’s not going to subject [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] (or anyone else for that matter) to PDA.

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Adam[/name_m] Seung-gi [name_u]Park[/name_u] (19) is Lisa’s older brother and Sapphire’s boyfriend. Given his sister started the trend, [name_m]Adam[/name_m] was the second member of their group to receive his dog assignment, and he received Belgian Malinois, shortened to Malinois usually, as he’s a very loyal and protective person. Unsurprisingly, the second trait came from seeing his sister mistreated for having such a good heart, and exploitation of any kind is something [name_m]Adam[/name_m] loathes with a passion; but he isn’t domineering in how he expresses his opinions or advice.

His decision to study to become a counselor stems from wanting to encourage kindness and empathy, while helping people work through their own forms of trauma - although [name_m]Adam[/name_m] isn’t annoyed when someone assumes he’ll be apprenticing as a tattooist thanks to his love of body art. One of Adam’s oldest friends is currently learning and he’s more than happy to be their ‘human sketchbook’ as he refers to it as, letting them practice on his skin as he’s confident in their talent and also believes self expression is worth taking risks (as long as no-one else is getting hurt). This is what led to him bonding with [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f] in the first place after their initial meeting, as [name_m]Adam[/name_m] will tell anyone she’s the far more capable skater - he’s just there for some fun.

Dogs and cats don’t phase [name_m]Adam[/name_m] really but he’s absolutely mad about his pet rats: [name_u]Lemon[/name_u] and [name_f]Peach[/name_f]. They were given to him by a friend who had to abruptly switch uni accommodation to a building that forbids pets, and frequently visits the duo at their new home, but even he admits the rats have formed a stronger attachment to [name_m]Adam[/name_m], who’s even built them a mini obstacle course to keep themselves entertained while he’s studying. [name_m]Adam[/name_m] and his best friend - the final group member - are living together as students, and in spite of having pretty different natures, find coexisting incredibly easy.

[CherryBomb50]

Christino “ Tino “ Mario [left] and Daniele “ Dan ” Vincenzo [right] Perri (23) are twins who know the group, with Dan being the final member of the group and Adam’s roomie. Dan is assigned the Jack Russell Terrier, for his energetic and supportive nature and because he’s the eldest member and Jack Russell terriers live relatively long lives. Adam and Dan are pretty different, Dan is older than the rest due to taking community college before university. Dan has often been the type to struggle with school early on, always taking summer school while his brother was in arts and entertainment camps. The group supports Dan however and knows he’s not a “stupid person” just for going to college later, motivating him to enjoy who he is and his potential. Dan clicks best with Adam since he’s not his oldest friend and appreciates how Adam’s older friend is great with self-expression and tattoos. Dan is also a fan of sweets like Lilith and loves fruity desserts, his fave fruits ironically being lemon and peach. He and Sapphire are also close with their cultures and like to learn about each others’ - Dan and Tino are originally from San Marino. Dan is often talking to Adam the most especially since he can relate to taking risks in a love life and because of the complicated broken-up love life his twin had. Dan himself is crushing on someone and is fearing how it will go.

Tino is not in the group and the other members don’t mind him, after all they too have siblings that aren’t part of their group. He has said he supports Sapphire and Adam together even though Adam is a group member. Although only being 7 minutes older than Dan, Tino is at a mostly-different place in his life than Dan due to being a college graduate and having a full-time job. He currently works as a publicist for various famous people in the arts, helping popularise their careers and painting them in the best light. Growing up, he studied a lot of the arts, specifically dance and music, and when he was 17, he attended a summer camp all summer long for those who were talented in dance and/or music. There, he met Gaia who was a professional ballerina and he fell for her and the two dated at camp. He helped her break away from her “mean streak” and made her happy to get to interact with people while motivating her not to leave ballet over her past reputation. While they were very closely dating, they never actually called each other “boyfriend and girlfriend” or said they were in love. So after camp ended, the two of them returned to normal lives in their cities and while they still communicated on text and social media, Gaia was starting to fall for a different boy, a rugby player at her school. Tino tried to save their relationship and Gaia did feel bad for leading him on, but he had no chance against a guy who lived much closer to Gaia, went to the same school as her, and was her age. Gaia’s new boyfriend often gave Gaia hugs and liked to make her refreshing iced teas and lattes, which angered Tino because that’s what he did to Gaia all summer. This really made him dejected and he worried maybe she wasn’t a nice redeemed person after all. At first he just gave up contacting her but then decided to try to work this out in a friendly manner because Gaia and her boyfriend never truly bullied him. The year Gaia was accepted into a massive ballet school, she and her boyfriend split and Dan asked Tino if he’d make a move on Gaia again. He declined, saying he has no interest in being a rebound date. He and Gaia were less close but later started to bond as friends again when he was 22 and she was 20. He attended all her dance recitals and even anonymously sent her flowers and a poem right before a recital. However what he didn’t know was Gaia and her boyfriend were back together! They had only temporarily split and Tino thought they were not back together since Gaia never posted anything about them on social media, but really that was because Gaia was always busy and had very little down time. Recently, he and Gaia had a conversation and ended up hanging around a pier at sunset, which made him think of camp life all over again. Truthfully Gaia was only hanging out with him because she knew he was a publicist and thought he was trying to publicise her career better. However after their time that evening, he asked her out for another chance at a relationship and he was awkwardly rejected. Not only was Gaia taken, but she was expecting a baby girl with her boyfriend! Tino walked away in shame, but Gaia said, “Wait! Don’t leave! I’m sorry! I just have a very strong relationship and a daughter on the way and I don’t want to ruin that.” He stopped for a moment to hear her out but then Gaia unintentionally twisted the knife by saying “He sent me a sweet poem and flowers last year and didn’t even want credit. At that moment I knew we were meant to be back together,” which made Tino leave again, storming off this time because she thought her boyfriend was the one who sent that.

Tino and Dan are usually pretty close but now they’re in some turmoil. Tino grumbled, “I’m such an idiot. I wanted to send her flowers and write her a poem but I was too shy and made the choice to send them anonymously. Now she thinks her boyfriend did it and my stupid blunder got them back together and with a soon-to-be baby.” Dan replied, “Okay wow, stop calling yourself an idiot. You are not the one who had to go through summer school and community college just to attend university. I’ll admit, I was hoping she’d take you back. But don’t worry, you don’t have it that bad, man. You get to be a publicist. Can’t you just be happy for them?” “I’m trying to because I know there’s no way back. It would be different if I never had a chance. But I feel I keep having a chance and losing it over and over until it slowly diminished completely. Maybe choosing not to make a move when you asked me was my first falter but I’m just not the rebound type and I didn’t want to ruin ourselves like that. I never told her about the flowers and the poem, it’s far too late to confess. Decided not to be her publicist, it’s too painful for me and at least I’m not the kind of ex to be using my job against her. Aren’t you happy you’re finally in a good university?” Tino asked and Dan responded, “Yeah, but not without so much work. I burn the midnight oil just to get up to this level. I have stuff I never tell people, like I never told my friends I went to summer school every summer because they’d tease me. I never felt like I had real friends until I joined this group I’m in. I always felt stupid and wondered if there was something wrong with me. I never had a learning disability so I truly believed I was just this hopeless inept individual. It’s a terrible feeling. It just sucks because there’s people who don’t learn anything and get by thinking they’re more educated than they are. Then there’s me who’s just trying to get more and more educated so I don’t end up failing at life.” While the two of them often clashed for having problems the other one couldn’t relate to, they are recently taking different paths. Tino is taking his publicism to artsy people who care about their intellect and how the arts influences education. Dan is going on to a date with someone despite how risky this can be — Sapphire’s genderfluid sister.

Gaia was created by @lemon_swirlxx.

[chamwue]

[name_f]Alina[/name_f] " [name_m]Al[/name_m] " Esteva [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] Méndez (19) lives in the same neighbourhood as [name_m]Dan[/name_m] and [name_m]Adam[/name_m]. She’s at the same school as [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], [name_f]Lulu[/name_f], [name_f]Lilith[/name_f], and [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f], but she doesn’t share the same social circles as them. [name_m]Al[/name_m] is a first-generation college student, paying her way through university through scholarships and her small business: making clothing. She’s established her brand at the age of fourteen when she first started making jewelry— which quickly changed into making clothing once she learned how to use a sewing machine. She finds the act of sewing calming: the repetitive sound of the machine soothing her. [name_m]Al[/name_m] has a friend group of her own that are made of first-generation college kids, finding themselves bonding together due to shared experience.

[name_m]Even[/name_m] though [name_m]Al[/name_m] is grateful for the business opportunities that she was given at such a young age, she doesn’t want people to think that her income is disposable yet. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though her wardrobe seems immaculate and that she has a lot of it, [name_m]Al[/name_m] simply cannot afford to stop her clothing brand— her family isn’t that wealthy at all and she’s paying for half of her tuition. She was once friends with some so-called popular girls in high school when they noticed [name_m]Al[/name_m] never bought them stuff, which led [name_m]Al[/name_m] to realise they were simply friends with her because of perceived status. This incident left [name_m]Al[/name_m] wary of new people, preferring to stick to her college group and that’s it. The only person who’s managed to bypass this is her lab partner (Al didn’t want to take a science class but had to, as she accidentally signed up for classes late) and [name_u]Lisa[/name_u].

[name_m]Al[/name_m] is currently dorming with her best friend from in the group.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Jacinta[/name_f] " [name_u]Jack[/name_u] " [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] Epps (19) is Al’s best friend and roommate. It was the sudden, and quite recent, passing of Jack’s grandma that made college possible for them - as while they were offered a scholarship for their chosen subject of geology, there were financial requirements only inheritance could provide for. This is a difficult situation for [name_u]Jack[/name_u] as their grandma was always someone they could turn to in a crisis, intensified slightly as they’re the eldest of four being raised by a single mother, following their dad’s sudden passing; and they wish there had been another way for them to pursue higher education without losing someone so dear to them. They’re determined to do well to honour her memory though, as she always did her best to build up Jack’s confidence when they faced bullying for not having new stuff thanks to tight finances at home; and attribute their determined nature to her and their mom, who [name_u]Jack[/name_u] loves dearly, and has defended from criticism for working long hours as a nurse to ensure her children are financially stable. [name_u]Jack[/name_u] keeps in regular contact with their closest sibling in age - their sister - to make sure everyone’s okay back home, and they get the train once a month for a visit, as unsurprisingly they chose to attend a university close to home. While they’re seen as a little intimidating by some on account of their outspokenness and abrupt manner, [name_u]Jack[/name_u] just wants to look out for those they care about - friends included - as they hate how people can look upon first generation attendees as charity cases.

As an aspiring geologist, [name_u]Jack[/name_u] does their best to try and inspire [name_m]Al[/name_m] about science, even if the ecological aspect of their chosen subject is what they’re truly passionate about. Her business and work ethic impresses them greatly, but they’re always offering to help out so [name_m]Al[/name_m] isn’t exhausted or left without time to spend with their group because she needs to get an item completed - although hand-stitching is what Jack’s better at following some fights with their mom’s sewing machine which almost wrecked their prom dress (and that would’ve tipped them over the edge). They work part time doing admin for a local homeless charity but are mostly home based thanks to their studies, using a company supplied laptop and holing up in their room to concentrate better: if one of their friends comes round and [name_u]Jack[/name_u] is there, they will loose focus in favour of chatting and offering a hot drink (any snacks in the apartment quickly disappear so asking can just lead to disappointment). [name_u]Jack[/name_u] and [name_m]Al[/name_m] are currently conspiring to purchase a pet cat from a local rescue shelter too but the big question is who’s going to be put on the vets bill…

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Florinda[/name_f] " [name_f]Flori[/name_f] “ [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] Epps (18) is Jack’s sister and the second sibling. She is on good terms with [name_u]Jack[/name_u] and always close with them but secretly is wary of [name_m]Al[/name_m] and also of the “dog” friend group. [name_f]Flori[/name_f] has had some issues with friends in the past but under different terms than [name_m]Al[/name_m]. [name_f]Flori[/name_f] used to be in a clique of very toxic people and felt trapped due to the fact that they wouldn’t ever talk to or let her talk to other people outside the clique. So [name_f]Flori[/name_f] took the risk and left the clique and has not respected people who only stay in their friend group and avoid people outside it like the plague. She’s glad she left the clique she was in because the leader was in a cheating scandal after cheating on her boyfriend. As told by [name_f]Flori[/name_f], “Dating should be exclusive and friendships should be open. Not the other way around.” It took some time for [name_u]Jack[/name_u] to convince her that they weren’t in a clique and that some people are just more social than others. [name_f]Flori[/name_f] understands at least that the group is consisting of first-generation immigrants and that’s what holds their bond. She is on better terms with the friends in the group who are more open and less exclusive. Deep down she knows many of the groups are more overprotective than shallow so she’s learned to see their way but will never join one of those groups as her past experience was just too much for her.

[name_f]Flori[/name_f] is currently in her last year of school before heading to university, opting for one close to her home, and is friends with all sorts of people, not in any one group. She misses her father and grandmother dearly, since they helped her get out of a rough spot with her former clique and with being a first-generation immigrant. She has a side-hustle making stuff with her talents in woodshop and like [name_u]Jack[/name_u], she wants a pet as well but despite her open nature socially, she’s not as open hobby-wise and constantly focuses on school and woodshop. [name_f]Flori[/name_f] actually signed up for woodshop with her mother and the two find it their best bonding activity with the two of them. While [name_f]Flori[/name_f] and [name_m]Al[/name_m] don’t see eye to eye, they are not enemies and secretly [name_f]Flori[/name_f] will do whatever she can to help [name_m]Al[/name_m] and [name_u]Jack[/name_u] get their cat, as she believes the cat will benefit their lives.

[I_meme_it]

trigger warning: homophobia - not blurred as there isn’t intense detailing

[name_m]Evander[/name_m] ’ [name_u]Evan[/name_u] ’ [name_m]Montague[/name_m] Epps (16) is the third sibling and brother to [name_u]Jack[/name_u] and [name_f]Flori[/name_f]. Although by far the most quiet around strangers out the four, and typically the best at compromising - with [name_u]Jack[/name_u] coming in second - [name_u]Evan[/name_u] is someone who values his privacy greatly, which has bought him into conflict with [name_f]Flori[/name_f]. Given the reaction she had to Jack’s friends - who are the least toxic group of people imaginable - [name_u]Evan[/name_u] keeps his social life closely guarded because he’s also part of a small, close group; as the idea of [name_f]Flori[/name_f] interfering, passing judgment or taking offense to his friends is something he couldn’t handle.

They haven’t fought much, as he’s much more prone to shying away from conflict when it starts, but the few times they have it’s been explosive as once Evan’s pushed, he’ll be as deliberately stubborn as possible to make it clear he’s no pushover. Although he understands Flori’s reservations - having been bullied a lot in middle school after one of his classmates began speculating about his sexuality (leading to [name_u]Evan[/name_u] only coming out as bi 3 months ago) - he doesn’t want the friends who helped him through this awful time to be pushed away or feel they have to justify themselves, when he’s always trusted his group as they met in kindergarten.

He’s visited [name_u]Jack[/name_u] a few times, thanks to liking their friends - even if he was very quiet until he’d become fully comfortable around them - but right now is more of a homebody due to wanting to do well in his exams. They were the sibling he confided in about the bullying and suspects they had a word with his worst tormentors older brother (who was in Jack’s year group), and he still always turns to them if he’s feeling particularly anxious. [name_u]Evan[/name_u] doesn’t know if he wants to attend college, as while he dreams of becoming a writer, he knows academics aren’t the clear path to this - and he also doubts he’ll be able to get a scholarship offer like his older siblings, but this doesn’t phase him now, as Evan’s finally settled into who he is as a person and old doubts are much less troubling.