Create a Family! Twist!

[I_meme_it]

Marijana ’ [name_f]Jana[/name_f] ’ Perica Gleđević (33) is another one of Clint’s clients, who actually introduced him to his girlfriend, one of her oldest friends. In contrast to [name_f]Teresa[/name_f], Jana’s work is exclusively for adult readers: she specialises in crime fiction and detective stories, alternating between perspectives to create a diverse range of novels for readers to enjoy. Jana’s published as Perra Gleđević, having opted for a pen name to grant further privacy for herself, as she knows her distinct name makes her easily identifiable, although she doesn’t want to discredit her identity as a Serbian-American.

She’s bilingual and visits Kragujevac frequently, as it’s where her maternal great-grandparents were from and met; then going onto Prijepolje, where her dad was born. Like [name_m]Clint[/name_m] and [name_f]Teresa[/name_f], Jana’s a parent, having a 5-year-old daughter. Her daughter’s father lives in [name_f]Manhattan[/name_f] and she retains primary custody, after her ex admitted he wasn’t ready to commit to raising a child, and [name_f]Jana[/name_f] told him she wasn’t getting an abortion or giving the baby up for adoption. Although her career hadn’t taken off then, she absolutely knew she wanted to have kids, and she’s protected her daughter from being let down - being strict with her ex about sending birthday cards and making monthly phone calls.

Ironically, Jana’s a friend of [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] and Mick’s older child, who she’s hired on several occasions to do cover art for her books. The older DeGuye sibling has been on holiday with [name_f]Jana[/name_f] a couple times - in the company of their mutual friends - and she acts as a big sister of sorts to them. As an only child, [name_f]Jana[/name_f] often adopts this dynamic with people, having longed for a brother or sister growing up, however her parents struggled to conceive her, and didn’t want to go through a painful process trying to have any more children once they had [name_f]Jana[/name_f].

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Zora[/name_f] [name_f]Mirjana[/name_f] Gleđević (5) is Jana’s daughter, a Canadian of Serbian and American descent. Her middle name is an honour to [name_f]Jana[/name_f], when her ex believed she should have a tie to her primary caregiver. However given her value of privacy and her belief that her daughter should feel like her own person, [name_f]Jana[/name_f] opted for the middle name slot and didn’t use her exact name, but retained the origin. [name_f]Zora[/name_f] is well aware of her culture, having visited Kragujevac and Prijepolje with her mother and knowing her maternal side. [name_f]Zora[/name_f] is aware of her father but is well-kept by her mother from the fact that he wanted to give her up. [name_f]Zora[/name_f] doesn’t always call him by “Dad” or any other paternal nicknames, always feeling like this is “optional”, while she always calls [name_f]Jana[/name_f] “Mama”. [name_f]Jana[/name_f] hasn’t commented on this and feels it’s better to let her be than to question it and rub it in. [name_f]Zara[/name_f] does look up to other adults [name_f]Jana[/name_f] knows, but doesn’t see them as parents and considers these other adults more as role models or guides. These are [name_m]Clint[/name_m] and [name_u]Blaire[/name_u], [name_f]Teresa[/name_f] and [name_m]Mick[/name_m], and the grown children of said couples. When in Serbia, [name_f]Zora[/name_f] is very close with her maternal family!

[kitkatcookie]

[name_m]Albert[/name_m] " [name_u]Albie[/name_u] " Chunmeng Wu (33) is Zora’s biological father and the ex of [name_f]Jana[/name_f], who maintains the contact with his daughter as requested by his ex and pays alimony, however that’s as far as their relationship goes. A successful video game motion designer, [name_u]Albie[/name_u] has never been considered particularly reliable, with his spontaneous personality charming [name_f]Jana[/name_f] initially, only to grate on her when she hoped he’d grow up more for the sake of their unborn child. Commitment is something [name_u]Albie[/name_u] fears, and unfortunately he projects this onto others, including [name_f]Zora[/name_f] - which is something he seldom confronts about himself and prefers to ignore, much to the frustration of [name_f]Jana[/name_f], but she’s no longer arguing with him as it’s a redundant exercise. Growing up, [name_u]Albie[/name_u] and his brother were acutely aware of their parents failing, unhappy marriage - something he knows probably plays into his attachment issues but, again, dislikes fixating on for too long [then again he’s generally an expert at ignoring the past whenever it suits him, including guilt over missing milestones in Zora’s life].

Video games were what helped him handle the pain of seeing his friends parents genuinely happy, and it surprised no-one that the moment Albie’s younger brother also departed for college that they separated, finalising their divorce just over a year later. [name_u]Albie[/name_u] doesn’t have much insight into how or where things went wrong between his mom and dad - as they were a very happy couple when he was little, the problems starting shortly after his eighth birthday, but quickly ramping up to a serious contention between both parties. The fact [name_f]Jana[/name_f] was raised in both [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and [name_u]America[/name_u] but had a preference for the former also suited [name_u]Albie[/name_u], as it meant that he could have periods focusing on his work and interests - such as windsurfing and hiking - while she was busy elsewhere; never being unfaithful to her during their separations, but also being emotionally unavailable. His immature side meant whenever [name_f]Jana[/name_f] sincerely needed support he wasn’t someone she felt able to turn to, an especially hurtful reality when she fell pregnant - and Albie’s extreme avoidance means he’s never properly apologised for how poorly he phrased things.

Zora’s birth at least prevented his usual habit of quickly burying himself in a new pastime to avoid old regrets and mistakes, and [name_u]Albie[/name_u] actually hasn’t had a serious relationship since then, due to the awkward explanation as to why he doesn’t have traditional contact with her. He is more transparent at the least, not pursuing women who want to have children, although one of his friends is insistent on setting him up with a single mother they work with [although if [name_f]Jana[/name_f] hears of the woman’s reputation, she’d argue [name_u]Albie[/name_u] had a soulmate in the waiting wings].

[CherryBomb50]

Rebekah Genevieve Carpenter (30) is the single mother whom Albie’s friend wants to partner him with. Growing up as the eldest of six, she’s matured fast but she’s never been the type to be bossy. She too is in the gaming industry and she’s made such good friends, especially with Albie’s mutual friend. She is unaware that there’s a setup going on. Deep down, Rebekah has had feelings for Albie before but this was years ago, before she became a single mother. Rebekah has a bad habit of sending mixed signals in dating and has been called “confusing” a lot, which she’s reluctantly used to. Rebekah loves the outdoors and getting fresh air. She always has time to stroll Central Park but this won’t be the same for long…

The main reason for this and why she may not be available for dating is because she’s planning to move back to her hometown of Boston. All of her siblings still live there and she misses being away from them, even in her 30s. She’s not sure if she can accept Albie being away from his daughter in another country and Rebekah could never imagine doing so with her son. Rebekah is closest with her sister Josie, who is in uni studying biochemistry, despite the decade age gap. Josie is the third-oldest and Rebekah has always found her “wicked smaht“, both in studies and outside of studies. She’s not sure how her son will handle the move but she knows this will help him bond closer with his aunts and uncles. Rebekah’s siblings are super excited to see her and her son too. Rebekah isn’t sure about anything quite yet but she’s not counting out the possibility of long-distance dating, especially since her parents met this way.

Josie was created by @I_meme_it.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_m]Dyson[/name_m] " [name_m]Dex[/name_m] " [name_u]Beckett[/name_u] Carpenter (5) is Rebekah’s son and self-appointed protector, for how some find this amusing given his age. Having chosen his own nickname, as it sounds terribly futuristic in Dex’s’ mind - influenced by the fact he absolutely adores sci-fi, having drawn himself several lightsaber’s for when he graduates as a [name_m]Jedi[/name_m] knight - and he values courage more than anything. At school he’s known for being willing to step up when he sees someone being picked on, but his mom tries to quell his fearlessness, as she doesn’t want him getting into an altercation with a kid who could hurt him seriously; in spite of being proud of how he stands up for his peers and refuses to let anyone get hurt by others. His mom being the eldest of six is something that sometimes plays on Dex’s’ mind, as he absolutely would not want five siblings of his own - the noise of babies crying is something he can’t stand being around, although he’s willing to weather it more for his little cousins - but he has been wondering more about becoming a big brother as he’s seen how happy his aunts and uncles make his mom, and in turn his extended family mean the absolute world to him. [name_m]Dex[/name_m] is constantly drawing them pictures and writing them little stories about his life defending the galaxy, which they find both charming and amusing for how wild his imagination tends to be. As for the matter of his mom dating? For [name_m]Dex[/name_m] that’s absolutely inconceivable.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Kingston[/name_u] [name_m]Junius[/name_m] Carpenter (6 months) is the closest to a crying baby in Dex’s life - he’s Dex’s youngest cousin. [name_m]Born[/name_m] in [name_u]Boston[/name_u] to the fourth-eldest Carpenter sibling, who is only 19, [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] is loving only child status despite how tough things can be on the young parents. He’s the cutest and kindest baby but can be noisy at night - he’s just a small guy trying to get a good sleeping position. Unfortunately many of the Carpenter adults have joked that they still can’t find a good sleeping position themselves - poor [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] [name_f]May[/name_f] be out of luck for that! [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] doesn’t quite know how to interact with [name_m]Dex[/name_m] when he visits [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]York[/name_u] or [name_m]Dex[/name_m] visits [name_u]Boston[/name_u], but [name_m]Dex[/name_m] loves his extended family and likes to “be a hero” and “protect” [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] for fun even if there’s nothing he’s particularly protecting [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] from. [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] loves clapping his hands at things he likes and it’s the easiest way to see how happy he is - and [name_m]Dex[/name_m] loves it when he makes [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] clap!

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Jones[/name_m] (19) is Kingston’s mom, the girlfriend to his dad, the fourth eldest carpenter sibling. They have been together since high school, and they live together with [name_u]Kingston[/name_u], her parents, and her niece, [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. Emma’s boyfriend is planning to propose to her, and they hired Emma’s best friend to be the proposal photographer.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_f]Darcie[/name_f] [name_m]Jones[/name_m] (25) is Emma’s sister, aunt of [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] and mother of [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. Currently living between her parents house and her new apartment - the first home Rachel’s bought, having saved fastidiously at her job, working as a divorce lawyer’s secretary - it hasn’t been hard for [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] to spend nights away from her beloved daughter, but this has been an unfortunate necessity, so she can ensure all the utilities are in order before her 3-year-old joins her there, with a bedroom of her very own, decorated in the mythical creature paraphernalia [name_f]Willa[/name_f] adores so strongly [unicorns being the winning creatures, followed closely by griffins]. Unlike her younger sister, [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] isn’t involved with the father of her daughter, a reality she has mixed feelings about. On the one hand, single parenthood - especially the stigmas mother’s endure - has been difficult and knowing [name_f]Willa[/name_f] will soon be starting nursery and realising the differences in families isn’t a conversation she’s looking forwards to having; however, [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] also knows her ex, who she only dated for 2 months, would not be a responsible father by any means, having insinuated frequently that he couldn’t be the one to get her pregnant, and when he came to terms with the fact he was going to become a parent, his biggest concern was all the freedom he’d have to sacrifice for their child.

Although he was around for the first few months of Willa’s life, [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] knew he’d bounce at the first opportunity - so much so, she saved up a special fund from her then-job as a dermatology administrator, to see her daughter secure - and it occurred when his father offered him a job in [name_f]Florida[/name_f] at their family business. [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] refused to move, partly as they weren’t a couple at this point, but primarily due to her not wanting to leave behind her family, who fully embraced and cared for [name_f]Willa[/name_f] just as much as her; and while contact was maintained for a while, he eventually went silent. For the sake of their child, Rachel’s made attempts to contact him, but even when he’d reply on a low key level, it fizzled out quickly. His parents were just as disinterested - only communicating with [name_f]Willa[/name_f] through yearly birthday cards - and, thanks to how consistent her mom and dad have proven, [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] doesn’t consider them potential allies either.

Admittedly, [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] did envy [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and her boyfriend a little for a while: their happiness, his devotion, and the way they strove to both be there for [name_u]Kingston[/name_u] were a little awkward to see thanks to her own circumstances, but she was never harsh towards them, or unfairly compared her nephew and [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. She knows Kingston’s going to find it hard saying goodbye to his cousin, once Willa’s at the apartment full-time alongside her mom, but has already set up space for him to sleepover whenever he wants; and while there’s not space for a spare room, she’s got a futon bed in case her sister or parents want to spend some time at her’s. Outside of her work, moving process and motherhood, Rachel’s a dedicated jewellery maker - who can actually metalwork, being exceptionally talented in high school; crafting special rings for her parents latest wedding anniversary - who also goes running in her spare time, and enjoys baking to relax. [name_f]Willa[/name_f] is her chief culinary assistant, and one of Rachel’s favourite things is decorating biscuits with her daughter to relax on afternoons, treats she shares with her friends as well as her family.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for deadbeat father and some foul innuendo.

Nellie Clarity Johnson (25) is one of Rachel’s “biscuit friends” and is close as Rachel’s “sole sister”, but she’s never going to rival with their other friend, whose also close with the two. Nellie loves being a blonde like Rachel and having a similar common surname. Nellie loves children and she’s a Ferris Wheel operator at the local childrens’ carnival, something farfetched compared to Rachel’s job, which is the main thing their other friend has in common with Rachel that Nellie doesn’t. It hasn’t affected their friendship however and Nellie adores that the biscuits that she and Rachel have, especially since Nellie believes they taste much better than the ones at the carnival and they’re not “crazy expensive”. Nellie does have a serious cause she volunteers for - she volunteers at a local Boston organisation to provide food and water to children in need. This isn’t a paid job; she’s a volunteer and the organisation is non-profit, but the experience is always worth it.

The idea of this came from her father, who is not the deadbeat father that has made Nellie uneasy. It’s actually Nellie’s eldest sibling, her brother Moby Johnson, who is currently 32. Nellie has tried not to call her brother a Dick over his deadbeat parenting, but feels really bad that he’s never been around in his son’s life and left the mother of his children. In fact Nellie’s father is the only one who’s been there for Moby regularly despite his abandonment of his children although their mother sometimes visits. Nellie herself isn’t close with Moby at all and can’t understand why her brother would abandon his son. The woman raising said son alone was Moby’s ex-fiancée, who had her engagement broken off by him in abrupt circumstances she hasn’t discussed with anyone. Nellie has no children of her own and is afraid to have them with a partner given the possibility of having a deadbeat. She dislikes Rachel’s ex and finds his ways extremely untrustworthy and worried that he would be a permanent deadbeat. However she and the third friend help with Willa and make sure Rachel never feels alone. Likewise, Nellie and her sister Chloe close with their nephew even if Moby isn’t.

Nellie often questions what went wrong with Moby and why he’s a deadbeat father who doesn’t care about anything. The last time Nellie spoke with Moby was a year ago when she argued with him asking why he was so selfish. Nellie works at a kid’s carnival and donates food and water to children, her other brother Harlan was an arcade co-owner who passed away saving a little girl Wave, and her sister Chloe is a practicing midwife who loves her job delivering babies. Moby told off Nellie, “Stop acting like I’m the selfish one. You’re selfish because your charity only helps children when loads of people of all ages are hungry and thirsty. Harlan is selfish because he made his family and friends grieve him over a complete stranger. Chloe is selfish because she thinks she’s such a nurturing person at delivering, but she’s never bothered to bring her own child into the world.” Nellie responded, “Bold of you to say despite you bringing a child into the world, being a complete stranger to him, and making your ex-fiancée provide all his food and drinks.” Nellie knows Chloe doesn’t want to bring in children anytime soon and neither does she, but she does have a nice “dog baby” she lives with, her 6-year-old male golden retriever Charlie. Nellie jokes that her dog has “such an extremely common dog name” to go with “her extremely common last name”. But the name choice has a unique story: it’s a smoosh honour name on every Johnson sibling that is not Moby: Chloe, Harlan, and Nellie. Nellie loves this and only a few close people know that secret and even Moby’s ex-fiancée, who found out on her own, likes it. Nellie secretly would give her first future kid the middle name Charlie for this reason. However as Rachel and their other friend know, it’s not so much a diss against Moby as it is an honour to the three Johnson siblings who actually do care.

(@jinxed_peach @Lindseylloyd052399 @moonwriteen @lemon_swirlxx How do you do?)

Chloe was created by @emily_becca123

Harlan was created by me.

Wave was created by @wandering_willow.

[I_meme_it]

Laili (Bin Ishak) Wahab (25) is another member of [name_f]Nellie[/name_f] and Rachel’s close friend group. Currently expecting her first child, Laili was someone [name_m]Moby[/name_m] used to have a crush on and asked his sister about putting in a good word, a request she never fulfilled. At this point, the extent of his behaviour hadn’t become apparent, however Laili’s relationship with her husband was just beginning to flourish, and [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] didn’t want to intervene when it was obvious her friend had met such a compatible person…never mind the awkwardness that could rise if her brother and friend dated, broke up and ended up running into each other at a family event.

[name_m]Born[/name_m] to second generation Malaysian immigrant parents, Laili’s faith is very important to her, and she was relieved her husband (‘soulmate’ as she knows he is) was also Muslim, as she’s quite an introvert who didn’t know how she’d feel about asking someone to convert for her. As the older of two sisters’, she admits she’s a bit more traditional however it never dampens the bond between Laili and her sister: a dentistry student who she’s supported wholeheartedly, including in all her personal forms of expression, and they respect one another’s preferences: Laili keeps out the spotlight, her sister thrives in it.

Currently on maternity leave, Laili works as a special education teacher. She started out as a personal helper to one little boy - who was non-verbal - before transitioning to leading entire classes, although it hasn’t dampened Laili’s bond with the child she used to give one-on-one support to, and he always makes her a birthday card, something that makes her incredibly happy. Sometimes she worries she seems a little naive and idealistic when compared to her friends, but they encourage her to never change, as her optimism helps to see them weather the difficulties of interpersonal drama, and she’s always happy to lend a listening ear.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Zuben[/name_m] Wahab (25) is Laili’s husband and fellow proud Muslim, although he’s African, specifically Djiboutian. He’s also second-generation and used to live in [name_f]Miami[/name_f], [name_f]Florida[/name_f] in his childhood before the family moved to [name_u]Boston[/name_u] when he was 8. While this is [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] and Laili’s first child, [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] can be seen sometimes spending time around a little boy, although it’s not his son - it’s his nephew. He and his nephew are close, being born to Zuben’s older sister, whom he is also close with. [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] and Laili relate to having such a close sister in their lives despite different birth orders and [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] loves the connection Laili has with her sister. Zuben’s nephew knows a bit about the little non-verbal boy whom Laili’s guided and [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] feels his nephew wants to befriend the other kid. Zuben’s nephew wants advice from Laili on how to have interabled friendships and get a bond despite the other boy’s condition. Deep down [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] finds it really sweet and adorable that his nephew wants to do this and he knows the child of him and Laili will grow up very open and accepting too.

[name_m]Zuben[/name_m] has seen Laili’s friends [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] and [name_f]Nellie[/name_f] and supports them but doesn’t like Rachel’s ex or Nellie’s brother [name_m]Moby[/name_m]. He’s grateful [name_m]Moby[/name_m] hasn’t gotten in the way of Laili lately but doesn’t forgive him. Likewise he believes [name_f]Willa[/name_f] deserves better than Rachel’s ex. [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] is happily married to Laili, and he is a carpenter by trade. He is very talented in his profession and he works hard to make sure that all of his projects are as high quality as possible. His family also very proud of his work and encourage their friends and family to hire him for their carpentry needs. [name_m]Zuben[/name_m] is a hard worker but is also very creative, and he enjoys making beautiful furniture and other home belongings for his customers. He loves handiwork and has several handmade items in the house.

[ash_tree]

Premium Photo | Cute caucasian little boy 3 years old on a straw hat walking...

[name_m]Abdallah[/name_m] [name_m]Moussa[/name_m] (4) is Zuben’s nephew. Although he was born in Djibouti, [name_m]Abdallah[/name_m] lives in and loves [name_u]Boston[/name_u]. He is one of the cutest AND kindest little boys on the street and he can and will befriend anyone he meets. He is a full-on extrovert and REALLY wants to become friends with this one non-verbal boy in his class…

[EloiseM11]

Zachary Beckett McQuinlan (4) is in Abdallah’s class. He has autism and is non-verbal. He mostly keeps to himself, but thinks Abdallah is very cool and hopes to befriend him, in addition to a girl named Summer, who is also in their class. Zachary sits with Summer and Abdallah at lunchtime, and loves how kind and understanding they are. He also loves spending time with his teacher Laili and spends hours making pictures and cards for her.
Zachary lives with both his parents in Boston, and they go for outdoor trips as often as they can. His parents appreciate all of the support Laila has given their son.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: fertility issues

[name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] " [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] " [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [Richter] McQuinlan (31) is Zachary’s mother, who’s currently pregnant with her second child. The news was a shock to [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] and her husband far more than [name_m]Zachary[/name_m], as they went through IVF to conceive their son, and assumed the same process would be needed to have another child. After some discussion, [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] and her husband opted to have a gender reveal - just for themselves, to help ready things in the easiest manner at home - and they’re delighted to know they’re expecting a little girl; the first one born in the McQuinlan family for over 10 years. This doesn’t diminish how her son means the absolute world to her, and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] began learning ASL when her sons diagnosis happened, as this is the main means of communication [name_m]Zachary[/name_m] uses at home - being what he feels comfortable with. She did find him attending school a little stressful at first - her big concern being bullying - however Laili has inspired absolute confidence, and she’s written numerous thank you cards to her son’s teacher to express her gratitude.

A phlebotomist, [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] is known for never having a squeamish reaction to anything. She credits this to growing up spending a lot of time at her grandparents farm, where she witnessed animal births on a frequent basis, and is very at ease when it comes to her job: calming patients in turn given how confident she is when performing her duties. [name_u]Loving[/name_u] the outdoors, [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] does find the restrictions of pregnancy a little frustrating - she loved going camping and hiking with her parents, brother and sister growing up - however she never asks for her husband and [name_m]Zachary[/name_m] to hold back on their trips, and instead has busied herself making a scrapbook detailing the family adventures, including the father-son outings happening currently. It also helps that Laurel’s close friend lives 5 minutes away, so they’ll usually hang out if she’s needing some company to prevent going on another 90 [name_u]Day[/name_u] Fiancé binge as, hey, we all need a bit of reality TV TLC sometimes.

---

@ash_tree & @EloiseM11 [name_m]Abdallah[/name_m] & [name_m]Zachary[/name_m] are both beyond precious!

[jinxed_peach]

[name_f]Griselda[/name_f] ‘Grizz’ [name_f]Monet[/name_f] Saville [32] is Laurel’s best friend. They’re extraordinarily close for having each other just about two years. Grizz is actually Deaf, she comes from a multigenerational Deaf family where the last four generations have all been moderate to profoundly deaf. She adores her family and appreciates how rare it is for her to have been born into a Deaf family since 90% of deaf or hard of hearing children are born to hearing parents, and even fewer of those parents learn sign language for their children. This always broke her heart so she decided to go into teaching ASL classes. Many of her students are new parents of Deaf children, people with interest int the language, or parents like [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] and her husband who have non-verbal or otherwise disabled children who could benefit from ASL.

Grizz and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] hit it off very early on in class and she was actually the one who offered to hang out and have a private session with the McQuinlans since she noticed that they were struggling in class. She also thought it would be a good idea for [name_m]Zachary[/name_m] to be around other signing children, so eventually the mothers set up a playdate between him and Grizz’s two children, who are Deaf as well. The kids get along just as well as their parents and since they’re disabled themselves the Saville kids are very understanding with his autism and other disabilities in general.

Being Deaf has always been a point of pride in her life, she’s proud to be a member of the Deaf community and loves to educate others on various aspects of what it means to be Deaf or hard of hearing. Dispelling myths is often her biggest topic of conversation, such as how most Deaf people don’t read lips since only about 20% of words can be deciphered this way, how 80% of Deaf people have some level of remaining hearing, even if it’s not meaningful, the difference between ‘deaf’ with a little ‘d’ which typically refers to someone who has a medical diagnosis of deafness and ‘Deaf’ with a big ‘D’ which refers to those who tie their status of deafness closely to their identity and are active in the Deaf community, or how some Deaf people choose to use their voice and some don’t. As well as if they do choose not to be vocal, that doesn’t make them ‘mute’ since ASL is a verbal communication.

Grizz herself typically chooses to go ‘voice-off’ as it’s often called since that’s the best way for her students to learn in class, as well as personal comfort since she finds using her voice to be a lot of effort. Though sometimes she chooses to speak vocally if it’s convenient for her. When she and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] hang out she tends to do a mix of pure ASL, using just her voice, and ‘sim-comming’ which means ‘simultaneous communication’ and describes the act of signing while speaking vocally.

Her husband is Deaf as well, the couple met one another at the famously all Deaf university Gallaudet University. They’ve been married since they graduated and will be celebrating their ten year anniversary later this year in the summer. Which should be shortly after they welcome their third child. Being pregnant at the same time has also made her and [name_u]Laurel[/name_u] even closer and they’re sure that the babies will be good friends like their respective older siblings.

sorry to infodump about deaf culture lol, i’m semi-fluent in ASL thanks to 2 semesters worth of classes. we covered a lot of this stuff in my classes. i’m also planning on going into a career in disability advocacy as well so i might as well bring some awareness to nameberry

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Sophia[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] Saville (nb) is the third child and first daughter of Grizz and her husband. She is deaf as well, as well as she has severe acid reflux being treated with medication. Grizz was so excited that she finally got her daughter that she always wanted!

[EloiseM11]

Tobias “Tobby” Lambert Saville (6) is the eldest child of Grizz and her husband. He is also deaf, and hopes to be an interpreter when he grows up. Tobias’s favourite activites are writing stories to share with his family and playing with his younger brother, and he can’t wait until he can play with Sophia too.

[jinxed_peach]

oh he’s cute! though i did mention in grizz’s bio that all her children are deaf also just a quick fyi i think the term your’re looking for is ‘interpreter’ not translator. the difference is that interpreters work with spoken communication, translators work with written communication. unless that’s what you mean!

[EloiseM11]

Ah, apologies! I have edited it.

[jinxed_peach]

it’s all good! <3 glad it’s settled

[name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] [name_u]Elliot[/name_u] Saville [33] and [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] Saville [4] are Tobias’ father and brother, respectively. Both of whom are profoundly deaf. [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] wears hearing aids like his mother and brother, though [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] does not, instead he actually wears nothing at all. Being one of the 90% of Deaf children who are born to hearing parents, he received bilateral cochlear implants as a baby and wore them for the majority of his adolescence. He was sent to a hearing public school and exclusively used his voice for communication since he did not know sign. Many of his classmates didn’t really notice that he was different other than him wearing his implants since his parents put him into extensive speech therapy to make him ‘normal’ and ensure he did not have a ‘deaf accent.’

Though many of his peers didn’t view him as different, [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] certainly saw himself that way. He felt too deaf for the hearing world and too hearing for the deaf world, leaving him in a strange middle ground. He spent a lot of time alone, despite being one of four kids, often occupying himself with writing poetry or other forms of self expression. Which would later end up being his career as an author.

When he got to high school things changed when he learned of his school starting an ASL club. Out of curiosity he joined, there he met the person who would go on to continue to be his best friend all these years later. They’re a CODA and were the person who started the club. Besides [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u], all of of the other members were hearing accept for their faculty advisor who was hard of hearing and knew some sign. Together the club began to become closer and learn the language together.

This inspired [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] to embrace his status as a member of the Deaf community and he quit wearing his implants (however sometimes he does put them back on during certain occasions when he worries that he may ‘need’ to hear), much to his parents chagrin as they felt he was ostracizing himself for no reason. This has caused a bit of a rift between [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] and his family, which has especially upset his sister who continually reaches out to him in hopes they can one day bury the hatcher.

He felt impowered by his choice and found it freeing to stop pretending as if he wasn’t disabled. Which of course inspired his decision to attend Gallaudet for college where he of course met Grizz. They both had several classes together and were constantly running into one another which sparked their friendship and later romance.

When Grizz became pregnant with [name_m]Tobias[/name_m], truthfully she was sort of scared that he might be hearing. She had no idea how she would raise a hearing child when she was so immersed in the deaf world. [name_u]Lyndon[/name_u] supported her and tried to ease her fears, but secretly felt the same way. So when the day after his birth and the nurse very solemnly informed them that their baby boy had failed his hearing test she was very confused as to why the couple celebrated. To them he hadn’t failed a hearing test, he passed a deaf test!

The couple of course reacted in the same manner when they received the results of [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] and Sophia’s tests. Though they would’ve loved their babies no matter what, hearing, deaf, or otherwise. Though they will admit that deaf babies are a tiny bit more easier when it comes to making sure nobody wakes them from their nap.

Much like his brother, [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] has friends who are both hearing and deaf, as well as some friends who are disabled in other ways, one of his closest friends wears a prosthetic leg. He’s very outgoing and loves to meet new people and learn their stories. He often loves making up his own as well much like his father. He wants to be a story-teller in some manner when he grows up but he’s also considering a career in dragon riding too.