🕊️ create a family w/ a twist

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Sable[/name_u] [name_f]Emily[/name_f] Warrinder (23) is someone Clay’s especially eager to keep ignorant of his recent dream: she is one of his fellow history graduates and has agreed to help him apply to getting his teaching application going. Warm isn’t something you could ever call [name_u]Sable[/name_u], she’s a distinctly no-nonsense person who can seem a bit impatient and strict at the best of times, but she’s very sincere in everything she does; in spite of not winning any prizes for charisma. Those who know [name_u]Sable[/name_u] better attribute her demeanour to the household she grew up in - it wasn’t necessarily unhappy but she witnessed a lot of tensions between her father and grandfather, after bankruptcy following a failrd business start up forced her dad to move back home, and there was a distinctly critical element to all of their interactions. While her mom protected [name_u]Sable[/name_u] from the worst arguments - and she’s someone the young academic loves unconditionally for how warm, gentle and encouraging she’s always been - it wasn’t something she could exactly ignore thanks to how the tension crept in at any given moment between the two men.

Curation is what [name_u]Sable[/name_u] wants to work in and right now she’s working as an assistant at a local museum, an environment in which she’s thrived. Being non public facing is something she openly admits suits her best, but when talking about history there’s a much more engaging side to her, thanks to how much passion she has for the subject matter. She has an appreciation for overlooked eras and dismissed figures of influence, although specialising is something she hasn’t quite mastered yet, which is what steered her away from applying for a bachelor’s degree. It’s never phased [name_u]Sable[/name_u] how her brother - who prefers they/he pronouns - insists she chose the most boring thing to study, but they’re close for all their differences, partly because she used to defend them at school whenever they were getting flack for being nonconformist.

Outside of her academics and work, [name_u]Sable[/name_u] spends a lot of her time volunteering at a rescue shelter close to the apartment she lives in with her oldest friend, having a dog and a cat between them. Unsurprisingly, she’s the cat owner - a very crafty and affectionate tortoiseshell named [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] - but her love of dogs has grown through working with them and her best friends pup has definitely helped with this. [name_u]Sable[/name_u] also is very into motorbikes and owns one, but doesn’t belong to any clubs as she doesn’t have the time or patience for displays of machismo often associated; instead going for rides as a means of clearing her head - and sometimes her friends go on the back since she’s gained the license rights to do that. She also has a surprising sweet tooth and any time she visits her parents her mom will have some confection for her to take back, although Sable’s started to begin baking again herself - concentrating more on vegan creations though, thanks to her roommate following this diet for ethical reasons.

[rachelheth]

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] “Lena” Linville-Warrinder (46) is Sable’s mother, and her opposite in almost everything. [name_f]Lena[/name_f] is gentle and kind and would hardly ever speak a cruel word, but that does not mean she is not strong. [name_f]Lena[/name_f] is a very patient person, and stuck with Sable’s father through all sorts of financial worries.

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] wanted all of her children to have a childhood as idyllic as her own. [name_f]Lena[/name_f] was born as an only child into a rich family - her father was a businessman and her mother was a socialite. This left [name_f]Lena[/name_f] a small fortune, but most of her parents money went to her cousin, who inherited the business. When she got married to Sable’s dad, she was sure that he wasn’t marrying her for her money. She used her inheritance to buy herself a studio - [name_f]Lena[/name_f] is a keen painter and attended art school. She saved the rest of the money for her children’s future, and was determined that the money be used only for them. When her husband’s business began to lose money, he begged [name_f]Lena[/name_f] to give him her savings to salvage the business, but she refused, insisting that the money was for the children and the children only.
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] did her best to keep the children protected from the family struggles, even though it took its toll on her too. Lena’s relationship with her husband has been rocky for many years, and seemed to be tipping towards divorce on multiple occasions, but they always seemed to get through it. This is not helped by the fact that her husband’s parents dislike her greatly, and often insult her and by publicly saying that their son marrying her was a mistake.

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] currently has an exhibition in a local gallery of her work, which she is extremely proud of. She works very hard at her art, even some of her in-laws tell her that she should get a ‘real job.’ She is delighted that [name_u]Sable[/name_u] has found her path in life, and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] will support her no matter what - and she hopes that all of her children will feel like they have found their purpose. [name_f]Lena[/name_f] has a menagerie of animals, all named after famous artists - four rescue dogs, (Raphael, Rossetti, [name_m]Leonardo[/name_m] and Caravaggio) three cats, (Frida, [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] and Bridget) as well as a cow named [name_f]Monet[/name_f], a horse named [name_m]Michelangelo[/name_m] and a goat named [name_m]Vincent[/name_m]. In her free time, she loves to bake and is famous for her toffee recipe - a secret recipe that she knows off by heart.

[mynameis1]

Benedict Joseph “Ben” (48) Warrinder is Lena’s husband and Sable and her siblings’ father. Sable most likely got her no-nonsense attitude from her father, as he was the same way with her and the children when they were growing up. He didn’t listen to their sob story when it came to unimportant things like when they didn’t get the color popsicle they desired or they were crying because their cookie was broken. Lena was the type of parent to validate all their emotions and do breathing exercises, while Ben was more the type to joke and tell them to suck it up, but he was there when the situation was serious such as when Sable got in an accident and got a head injury and Ben tried to calm her as they went to the hospital.

As regards to the business, Ben was feeling a lot of pressure at the time due to the fallout and his workers were dropping like flies and he was stressed. His father is the same as him, but a lot crueler, and as a kid would verbally abuse him and wasn’t much kinder when he grew up, calling his son a failure and said he needed to get it together. He was under a lot of pressure to make it work and provide for his family like the ‘man of the house’ was always expected to, and that’s why he was asking for the money from the children’s funds for the business, though he definitely regrets it now and is glad Lena told him no. He lets Lena know he does not think marrying her was a mistake, and does attempt to stick up for her, but the truth is he’s scared of his father and his scrutinizing words. He is thankful Lena understands and that they managed to stay together through all their struggles, and are now on better terms.

Ben often complains to Lena that they have way too many animals and they should definitely get rid of some, though Lena refuses and Ben has grown to accept the chaos of having 10 pets though he still often complains that they are in the way, but Lena mostly cares for them since they are hers. He originally had a hard time accepting his son’s new pronouns and was skeptical at first because he had never heard of such a thing but is now trying his best to refer to them in the way they wish to be referred to so his son is grateful that he’s trying.

[CherryBomb50]

Abraham “ Abe “ Garth [Warrinder] Wolfgang (47) is Ben’s younger brother and also subjected to his father’s verbal abuse. Since he was younger, he had less toxic masculinity influenced onto him but he was also belittled and expected less from — even though the age difference was only one year! Still, he has no hard feelings against Ben and promised not to let their father turn them against each other, after all they need each other. He knows Ben and Lena need each other too and their commitment despite the odds is a huge factor in how strong their love is. Abe is happily married and has two children, one of them also being 23 and his children are still close with Sable but not with their paternal grandfather, which Abe says “There’s no point trying to impress him. He’s not a role model.”

Abe and his wife are more middle-class but this is fine with him. Abe works at the local high school as the performing arts teacher and he loves the artsiness of the school but also loves the sports as well and likes how well the school balances sports and arts alongside general studies. Abe is very school spirited especially with their mascot, the barracuda. He always says, “Go Barracudas!” whenever walking past the sports teams in the halls. He’s impressed by Chris coaching the Barracudas in the basketball team to the championships and is holding out for them to win. Abe’s wife and children are all very athletic and crafty but they aren’t pushed into sports or arts unless they want to.

Chris was created by @A.B.Galaxy.

Oh and I can’t take credit for Ishi and Ivy meeting in McDonalds. That was inspired by some message @mynameis1 told me about meeting someone in McDonald’s as a kid who shared her name. Unfortunately they haven’t reunited IRL but like, it needs to happen.

[mynameis1]

Cherrybomb50 have you considered that maybe you’re the girl I met in McDonald’s?

[kitkatcookie]

cw: homophobia mention

Icarus " Ace " David Warrinder (21) is Abe’s nephew and the younger sibling of Sable. Ace’s demeanour is more of their mother’s - they’re openly sentimental and never shy away from expressing their emotions - but this never stopped them from being close with their big sister, in spite of her somewhat intimidating reputation. They used to follow Sable and their cousin - Abe’s firstborn - around as little sidekick; following them into mischief and shenanigans, but always the first one to cry and apologise when their parents found them and had a few questions they wanted answering. Sometimes Ace would wish they could have the confidence and bravery Sable embodies, never taking offense with how frank she tends to be, as they never felt as able to defend themselves when someone was criticial or insensitive about their gender nonconformity. Ace happily let their friends paint their nails or braid their hair at school, but what really turned heads was when they started wearing layered cami tops, and in turn came a lot of intolerance. Sable was absolutely unwilling to see their sibling treated poorly and got into numerous arguments standing up to those displaying intolerance.

When they realised they weren’t binary, Ace avoided their grandfather as much as possible, spending a lot of time at their Uncle Abe’s house to be spared from judgment. While there were some difficult conversations with their dad about their identity, his sincere effort means a lot to Ace, and they’ve become more openly supportive of him given the treatment he faced from his own dad growing up. It wasn’t a surprise to Ben and Lena when Ace moved out shortly after turning 19, going to room with their cousin who’s Sable’s age; and now they live with their childhood friend who’s a trans woman, having chosen to move out when their cousin wanted to live with her partner, and Ace really didn’t want to third wheel, as much as they love her and support the couple.

Currently Ace is finishing apprenticing as a tattooist - having gotten their first, a turtle, on the back of their right leg for their 18th birthday [their grandfather was mortified, which greatly amused Sable ] - and they’re loving every moment of it. Art always called them, making their sister’s love of history seem even more boring comparatively, and they weren’t sure if they wanted to become a comic book artist until they got their first ink done. Still it hasn’t stopped Ace from studying how to tattoo the superheroes they grew up adoring so much, and one of their recent clients had She-Hulk inked, which was a great experience for both parties [Ace loves any opportunity presented to unleash their inner nerd]. They work at the sister shop to the one their mentor is based at - having encouraged them to start properly tattooing given how well they’ve come on - and the owner has assured them they’ll be kept on once they’ve officially finished being tutored.

Ace has been with their girlfriend for almost 2 years - right now they’re planning the ideal anniversary present for her - and they met purely by chance while taking the same train to an art exhibit. The pair subsequently spent the whole day together after bonding, enjoying laughing and discussing their own pursuits, which culminated in numbers being exchanged, and the rest is history. It surprised no-one how doting Ace is as a partner, openly adoring their girlfriend, but they’re also careful to give her space as they don’t want to be a smothering presence in her life - which is much appreciated. As they don’t have a car of their own its public transport when they’re seeing her, but given the association, Ace never complains.

Sable was created by yours truly

[kitkatcookie]

bump!

[wandering_willow]

HUGE tw for toxic parents

[name_u]Jayden[/name_u] Ryuna “ [name_u]Jade[/name_u] “ Satō (21) is the girlfriend of [name_u]Ace[/name_u] Warrinder. [name_u]Ace[/name_u] has actually tattooed [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] once, a skeleton on her right lower back. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] was very grateful and will often show off the tattoo. [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] is madly in love with [name_u]Ace[/name_u], and loves spending time with them. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] knows about Ace’s crazy family and toxic grandfather and feels awful for them but is glad that [name_u]Ace[/name_u] doesn’t have to deal with the toxic environment anymore and is proud of them for handling it. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] works at a local mall in a clothing store called Heather’s- [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] loves working there as it’s very inclusive towards all people, uses diverse models in its advertising, is very progressive overall and they give their employees free gift cards. She works there with three of her best friends, and sometimes on their breaks they’ll go down to the slushie shop next door and order some slushies. [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] and her friends actually have shirts that say “Crackhead 1, Crackhead 2, Crackhead 3 and Crackhead 4.” [name_u]Jade[/name_u] is very proud of her title as Crackhead 3.

Jade’s job is part time- she’s attending university and studying to be an animator. This definitely isn’t what her parents wanted her to be. Jade’s parents are strict conservative immigrants from [name_u]Kyoto[/name_u]. [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] is the second-eldest of 5, and as a result was always pressured into being the best. Her half-brother, who’s 24, is only her mother’s child and a laid-back skater boy who doesn’t care about expectations, so he ‘doesn’t count’. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] always actually looked up to her brother, which her parents resented. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] is smart, but not in the way her parents want her to be- when she was diagnosed with a mild form of dyslexia and ASD, her parents labeled her as stupid and even told her this to her face, pushing all the expectations onto her younger triplet sisters and proceeding to ignore [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] and all of her needs, to the point that it could be considered mild abuse. Jade’s sisters are 18 now- two are identical and one is fraternal. One of them (the fraternal one) came out as agender at 15, and another attempted at 16 due to the expectations being too much for her (thankfully she failed and is still living today), which caused their parents to hate them both too, forcing the expectations onto the last triplet.

Thankfully, one of the triplets reported their parents to a counselor at 16 (their parents forced [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] and her older brother to provide food and clothing for their “two failure daughters” as they believed they didn’t need to anymore because they didn’t deserve it, while coddling their “golden child”). When the counselor discovered this, she was shocked, and their parents are now in jail for this. Unsurprisingly, none of their kids visit them. All five kids are still close with the counselor- Jayden’s brother got custody of the triplets and “raised” them for the last two years, which was certainly an interesting situation. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] doesn’t talk about this much with [name_u]Ace[/name_u] as she doesn’t want them to pity her, but she knows [name_u]Ace[/name_u] would care and she’s grateful for that. [name_u]Jayden[/name_u] is trying to live life happily and carry on, but sometimes that kind of trauma can be hard to forget. Luckily, she has her three crackhead besties, her wonderful partner and four amazing siblings, and she’s living her best life.

[CherryBomb50]

Tamako “ Tama “ Miyawaki (20) is a best friend of Jade. She’s a sister of Ishi and Haru and also known as Crackhead 1. While she and her sisters tend to bicker, Tama and Haru were often the mediators although Tama was the one more outspoken and said she’s not picking sides on petty arguments no matter what. Tama was always the most impartial but also the strongest with her views and has several longstanding views that will never change. Sometimes Tama can be quite timid, to the point her sisters call her “Timid Tama”, but to her it’s for the greater good. She and her sisters were outside during a thunderstorm and Tama freaked out and demanded everyone get inside for safety. But her siblings asked her, “You’re still afraid of thunder? That was a fear we had when we were six.” But once lightning struck a tree, catching it on fire, Tama said, “Told you. I knew it was scary since I was six.”

Tama senses this with Jade’s family and that her parents also have firm views that will likely remain. However Tama is not anything like Jade’s parents and finds them to be “maniacs”. Tama doesn’t associate with Jade’s parents and knows it just “won’t happen”. Tama is close with Jade’s other siblings though and they bond over their mutual Japanese culture. Tama supports the counselor who guided them through and thinks some of her sisters need it instead of forcing Haru to mediate for them all the time. Tama is grateful her sisters aren’t as toxic and will never be as toxic as Jade’s parents. Tama is currently in university studying to be an accountant. Some think she’s just trying for that job because it’s successful and pleases people, but no she’s actually wanted it from a young age and it’s another longstanding view of hers. One very respectable thing about Tama is her anti-plastic views, refusing to use it unless it’s recycled, and reducing plastic packaging. The Crackheads support this and are supportive of ending plastic waste as well, given how much of a problem it’s been in recent years. Tama discusses this a lot but the thing the Crackheads like most about her is that she’s been ahead of the time when she’s reduced plastic and she’s kept this longstanding view — and doesn’t feel the need to brag about that.

Ishi was created by me.

Haru was created by @chamwue.

[wandering_willow]

[name_u]Avery[/name_u] [name_f]Sachiko[/name_f] (left), [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] [name_u]Ohara[/name_u] (middle) and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] [name_f]Michiko[/name_f] (right) Satō are the aforementioned triplets, who go to [name_m]Eastwood[/name_m] High and are in sophomore year- the same school and grade as [name_u]Haru[/name_u] Miyawaki. Nevertheless, they still say hi to her in the hallways and talk to her when they can. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] is agender, and hates the trauma associated with their parents- luckily they are doing hormonal treatment therapy, and have started dressing more masculine and embracing their identity, which all of their siblings are proud of them for. Avery’s initials are ASS, which her siblings make fun of her for, but otherwise they all love each other to the ends of the earth and never fight. All three triplets have very different interests but they love each other and support each other. They’re all very grateful to their brother and his wife for taking them in with him. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] loves skating with their brother, and they’re actually getting really good at it with their brother’s help. All of them are close with [name_u]Tama[/name_u], and the other two Crackheads.

Naturally, all three triplets took the pressure differently. Luckily they had [name_u]Jade[/name_u] and their older half brother to help them through the tough situations but sometimes it was just too much for all of them. When [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] asked their parents to try out for the soccer team as a little kid, their parents told them it was “too masculine for a little girl,” however when [name_u]Avery[/name_u] asked to try out for gymnastics her parents told her the outfits were too revealing, despite [name_u]Avery[/name_u] being a literal 4 year old. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] is on their school’s rugby team now and has been for two years, but their parents never came to any games when they weren’t in jail- which hurt [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] a lot. When they cut their hair, their parents scoffed at them and told them how stupid their decision was, because “men don’t want to date a woman with a boyish haircut.” They knew [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] identified as agender, but still continued to refer to them as a woman- which hurt them a lot to the point where they’d stay up every night crying.

[name_u]Avery[/name_u] and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] often heard them and tried to comfort them- they shared a bedroom. It wasn’t that the Satō family was poor, but they just didn’t want to have to deal with paying for a bigger house. They often blamed the triplets whenever times got tough as they “didn’t ask for two extra daughters.” They even told them all multiple times that they wished they’d never been born. [name_u]Jade[/name_u] stood up for them and comforted them along with their brother, but sometimes their parents won, like when [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] attempted. She used a razor and sat in the bathtub, but luckily [name_u]Avery[/name_u] found her and pulled her out which caused a lot of trauma for both girls. [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] is very grateful to her sister for finding her, and happy that everything happened how it did. [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] is just glad to be alive right now.

Morgan’s parents felt differently- they were mad at they golden child for pulling [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] out of the water and acted as if they wanted their daughter to die, which hurt all five siblings. This was when [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] gathered the courage to tell the counselor about everything that happened. Their parents had a trial and got sent to jail and won’t be getting out for a very, very long time. Now all three triplets are mentally happy- Morgan’s on the cheer team and has an awesome boyfriend who’s supported her since day one of their relationship- they’re coming up on their one year anniversary. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] has a girlfriend who’s actually best friends with [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and is on the cheer team- [name_u]Avery[/name_u] doesn’t have time for dating as of now but she’s best friends with [name_u]Lee[/name_u] Dubois’s brother, who likes her a lot, more than a friend- she doesn’t know that, but if she did she’d be more than happy to go in a date with him, maybe go out for coffee. The two are both on student council, and it’s pretty funny watching Lee’s brother fail at flirting. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] has actually advised him to go for it, as they’re a very perceptive person and picked up on it right away, and he’s planning on it.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning…!!

[name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] [name_f]Yumi[/name_f] Satō (42) is the paternal aunt of the Satō siblings. She’s been pretty much absent from their lives until recently and the siblings know who she is but feel seeing her is a “shot in the dark” — is she trustworthy? Their maternal half-brother, who shares no blood relation to [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] and her brother, doesn’t really trust her but admittedly, it’s mainly because he doesn’t trust anyone on their maternal side let alone paternal side. [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] has no husband or children so what she’d be like as a wife or a mother is completely unknown since it hasn’t happened. However [name_u]Jade[/name_u], [name_u]Avery[/name_u], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] were invited to visit [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u]. They accepted but their older half-brother told them to leave immediately and contact him if anything goes wrong.

[name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] herself lived in an apartment but it was a luxury apartment and she lived on the third floor, but always envied the top floor for its closeness to the rooftop. The apartment had a pool with waterslides, rooftop spa, fitness room, game room, and free unlimited slushies. [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] enjoyed it so much that they wanted to take their dates there for a double date. “Ok but you’re not spending the night here. There’s only one bed in my apartment room and that’s where I sleep,” [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] stated. “Relax, we weren’t planning to do that,” [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] said but they were fine as long as they got to have the double date. [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] didn’t mind if they did and she complained that her brother and his wife were always calling her careless. She asked the triplets and [name_u]Jade[/name_u] if they thought she was careless and if they thought their half-brother thought she was. They told [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] they didn’t and that their half-brother wouldn’t think she was careless. However when the triplets went home, their half-brother said she was careless. “Kelsey is careless; here’s why. She’s letting you four just wander around the apartment knowing you’re not residents there and will likely get kicked out. Maybe they have guest passes there but hardly ever do apartments do guest passes for four guests especially when it’s four guests for just one resident. Sure she made it clear you’re not spending the night but even then she’s just enforcing that only because she has one bed, no other reason,” he explained. “But we planned this with our dates already and they’re super excited! Are you making us bail on them?” [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] asked. Their older half-brother sighed and said, “Well… no. If you already had this planned out then you may go. [name_m]Just[/name_m] be careful. And call me when you need to get out.”

[name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] were having doubts, especially since their half-brother specifically said “when” and not “if you need to get out”. [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], just to be safe, asked [name_u]Jade[/name_u] and [name_u]Avery[/name_u] what to do. They told them to ask [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] about how guest passes are handled and to come an hour early to the apartment before the double date. They arrived an hour sooner as promised and asked [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] about guest passes as promised. She replied, “There’s no guest passes here. If they ask who you’re with, just say my full name and room number and they’ll be fine.” Charlie’s girlfriend knocked on the door to the apartment room and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] opened it. She saw their Aunt [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] lounging on the bed barefoot smoking a cigarette and asked, “Oh am I too early? Sorry!” [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] said, “You’re good. Make yourself comfortable here.” Charlie’s girlfriend asked, “Don’t mind me asking but can you not smoke? I’m surprised this apartment would allow even smoking if it does and besides I’m not—“ but [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] cut her off saying, “Sorry you had to see that, Kelsey’s just not used to having guests here and we can leave the room and explore the building if you want.” She said it would be great and [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] tagged along too. [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] dropped the cigarette butt and waved goodbye and said if she’s not at her room, she’s out and about watching a film. The three went to the benches at the front of the apartment until Morgan’s boyfriend showed up and the date officially started, which at that point [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] left.

At that point, [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and her boyfriend were enjoying the pool while [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and their girlfriend were playing in the game room. [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and her boyfriend were having a conversation about how far they’ve come and she thanked him for helping her mentally and how happy she is for her life. They’ve talked about mutual excitement about reaching one year in their relationship and what to do. In the game room, [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and their girlfriend were happily playing games and had played both old and new games. They’re just having some fun with all the games when Charlie’s girlfriend has something serious and important to say: she is in love with [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]. She starts her sentence saying, “I…” but can’t get herself to finish it. [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] pauses and she continues, “It’s important… I… think I…” [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] says, “It’s okay you can tell me anything.” Deep in her mind she’s worried to say it in case they don’t feel like taking that step yet. A thought in the back of her mind goes, ‘Why can’t you just tell them you love them? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you love [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or not? If you’re too afraid to tell them, maybe you don’t love them. Heck, maybe they already think you don’t love them since you won’t have the nerve to tell them.’ She gathered herself together but ultimately said, “Let’s go back to playing games.” She wanted to tell them and did truly love them but felt like she already messed herself up on words and vowed to try again another time when nerves don’t get the best of her. She and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] played games but it wasn’t the same and she looked bummed out but didn’t want to talk about it, making herself look as focused on the games as possible whenever she looked glum. Now she was just worried if she was ruining the date. If she hadn’t attempted to take a chance to tell [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], the date would have gone much smoother. She didn’t want to ruin the date and continued in the games to avoid ruining it, but she felt she already had. She hoped [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] and her boyfriend were doing much better and believed they were, but still felt bad for [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]. She thought about [name_u]Avery[/name_u] and wondered if [name_u]Avery[/name_u] was having the same issue with [name_u]Lee[/name_u] Dubois’ brother. At least she and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] were together although she didn’t make the first move. She wondered if her date with [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] was already soiled from the start with the awkward moment when she asked [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] not to smoke in front of her. But that’s not her fault, is it? Well maybe she won’t blame herself for literally hating cigarette smoke… but for coming to the date early when no one was ready? She feared that was definitely her fault and she could have avoided the whole scenario. Was she overthinking? Indeed she was. But there was something everyone was underthinking surrounding Kelsey’s smoking habit but it wasn’t the smoking itself…it was the cigarette butt. That cigarette butt she left on the ground after she said goodbye and left her room to catch the flick. [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] truly was careless after all, she left a cigarette butt on the floor and well…it started a fire. It smoked around in the room for quite some time before making flame and then — spread to the other rooms and people were frantically evacuating. At that point the smoke alarms and sprinklers were on in an attempt to stop the fire. At this point; [name_u]Morgan[/name_u], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], and their dates were able to escape the apartment safely thanks to their older half-brother. They had no idea Kelsey’s cigarette was the cause of the fire and didn’t know that cigarettes were actually not allowed at the apartment after all. The fire had been tended by the fire station and the police are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Fortunately for Charlie’s girlfriend, [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] had forgotten about the awkward moment and if anything, believed it was her warning them about the fire. Going through everyone else’s minds: ‘What the—?!’

[kitkatcookie]

cw: abandonment

Kerensa " Keren " Grace McCullough (20) is another one of Kelsey’s detractors, granted it’s more through association, given she’s one of Jade’s closest friends. While it didn’t exactly surprise her, given the absolute nightmare her friend endured growing up, Keren had tried to be a little more optimistic for Jade’s sake, and the disappointment was palpable once the shock of the incident had receded. She’s not a stranger to being let down herself - Keren’s parents were teenagers when they had her, and she subsequently grew up constantly waiting on a father who barely attended agreed visits and missed child support payments whenever possible. He was around enough briefly to conceive Keren’s younger sister - who’s in her first year of high school and greatly admires Haru for getting Florence Yang’s abusice ex to back off - but responsibility caused him to abscond again. This is arguably where her pessimistic streak stems from, but Keren’s tried her best to let go, as she wants her mom to feel proud for how much she did for her daughters, including facing lots of stigma and chiding from those around her, simply for putting faith in the wrong guy.

Unlike Tama, Keren - aka Crackhead 2 - is absolutely not someone you’d call timid. Although she isn’t particularly loud or outspoken, Keren carries herself with an aura of authority, and her quiet confidence is always present. Based on how people treated her mom, she’s good at dismissing opinions of no importance, but can be a little cagey: distrusting a teacher who offered her support for quite some time as she loathes the idea of being pitied or looked down on. She was always the sister more suspicious of social services and any outsiders to the family unit, partly as her mom grew up in foster homes and became estranged from her siblings due to the courts splitting them up for placements; leading to a fear in Keren that this would be considered for her family. This isn’t something she’s that open about with many people, only Crackhead 4 has the full picture of her past concerns and anxieties, as they’re adopted and subsequently know more about the system Keren feared so much herself; allowing comfort and understanding on a level she very much appreciates.

Seeing Jade with Ace is something that makes Keren incredibly happy though, and she’s also involved in artistry. Currently, she’s doing an apprenticeship in special effects based makeup and also regularly takes commissions for street art or personalised murals; using both spray paint and more traditional materials to get these works completed. Keren likes keeping herself busy and always has a book or podcast on the go, as well as a fascination with etymology that keeps her busy when she’s not with her friends. She’s more academic than her low effort approach to school implied, passing classes but sometimes scraping by when she didn’t have an interest, effort was never a guarantee. The one thing Keren wouldn’t allow is for anyone to blame her mom though: who worked two cleaning jobs to support the family and was often exhausted on an evening, in spite of trying to do ‘normal’ mom things with her daughters. Arguably she’s the route of Keren’s success, as she wants to make her proud in a way others will appreciate, as she’s very aware people will consider her achievements being ‘in spite of her background’ instead of crediting her mom for everything she’s done for her.

Coffee is her favourite thing - to drink or eat in cake - and her friends joke about how if caffeine were to be banned, Keren would rise up in rebellion to dismantle the powers that be herself. She doesn’t correct this assumption and arguably isn’t the sort of person to unferestimate when it comes to retribution [as someone who spread rumours about her once learned in the form of a terrifying passive aggressive confrontation]. Also never call her Karen without it being an honest mistake or you’ll have a while before she considers forgiveness.

---

Florence is credited to yours truly

[CherryBomb50]

Archer Dennis Wolfgang (23) is Keren and Jade‘s close acquaintance but not Crackhead 4 — that’s his younger sister. Archer is the older child of Abe Wolfgang and he is very close with his cousins Ace and Sable. Archer is gay but is not currently in a relationship. Archer is a high school teacher’s assistant at the school Keren’s sister attends and he helps her and a few other students to make sure they do exceptionally well. Keren’s sister is not a bad student, she just has mild dyscalculia although it’s much lesser now than when she was younger. He knows Keren has distrusted teachers despite support and he’s used that to ease tensions and to make sure he’s working with the students and not working above them. Even as an adult, Archer never supported unfair and incompetent adults who believed they deserved respect solely because they were adults. He knew this as a child and those adults claimed he “didn’t understand” but now as an adult, his stance hasn’t changed a bit. Archer relates to Jade’s older maternal half-brother and his wife and is glad they’re doing great.

Archer has a good relationship with his parents but feels his uncle Ben needs to improve himself a lot for the sake of Ace and Sable. He is thankful Abe went against the toxic ways and broke the cycle in a sense but feels Ben has potential and a lot of the reasoning why Ben was so different from Abe was the way they were raised despite Ben being only 1 year older than Abe. Archer and his sister Crackhead 4 are very close however and even before she joined the Crackhead friend group, she’s been a fan of the number 4 and has always considered it her lucky number. Archer doesn’t have a lucky number but he does have a lucky charm — a special seashell he brought back from the beach that he rubs when he needs motivation.

Ben was created by @mynameis1.

Sable and Ace were created by @kitkatcookie.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: adoption discussions, mental health impacted by pregnancy

Arrow Zara Wolfgang (20) is Archer’s sister and Crackhead 4 - and yes, they’ve heard every joke feasible about their names. Surprisingly, Arrow’s never had any issues with this: she finds it very sweet that her mom wanted to create such an association between her children, and it helps she grew up idolising Black Canary, so much so Arrow frequently dressed up as her for Halloween [and is planning on doing this again]. Her love of comics has continued into adulthood: alongside her impressive collection of prints and omnibuses, she’s currently studying creative writing at university with an emphasis on comic books and graphic novels, faciliated by her professor who also used to be a writer for said industry. For Arrow it was a toss up between this and poetry, as she’s very much enamoured with medieval bards, frequently quoting Dante’s Divine Comedy to Keren whenever she’s in a bad mood and needs cheering up. Never let her alternative aesthetic fool you: this one can tell you endless trivia about Star Wars alien species, avidly plays D&D once a week and knows the aliases of every classic Spider-Man enemy [and some of the subsequent mantle holders as she’s no snob about modern writing either].

Typically, Arrow serves as the listening ear to all her fellow Crackheads, and friends external to this particular group as well. She’s a very patient person who’s got time for just about everyone, granted there’s a couple exceptions she’d rather not talk about, such as her paternal grandfather. While she and Archer have been shielded from the worst stories regarding his treatment of his children, they’re very aware he was a cruelly critical man, and Arrow appreciates the distance implemented by her parents. For their outward differences, she’s close with her cousin Sable thanks to their shared love of history, and the intimidating reputation the older girl carries never bothered Arrow, even when she was a little shyer. She isn’t exactly someone looking for socialising, but her reputation for kindness and patience has led to a degree of unintentional popularity, and she won’t deny it feels good to be appreciated.

Arrow was adopted under circumstances considered unusual by some. Her mom is godsisters’ with her biological mother, who was going through serious mental health problems at the time of her pregnancy - partly stemming from having undiagnosed schizophrenia - and didn’t feel able to raise a child. As pregnancy exacerbates her symptoms due to the change in chemicals [in particular, she had severe postpartum depression that led to her choosing to spend time at a specialist clinic], Arrow’s birth mother chose to never become pregnant again, but did go onto adopt two children. She admits she did consider asking for custody, but Arrow was so happily settled with her adopted family it didn’t feel right, especially as it had been quite a last minute request. Since her mid-teens, Arrow’s had consistent contact with the family, and she’s come to consider her mom’s godsister an aunt, which is more than enough for her. Her biological mothers’ kids are also aware of who she is now - one’s 14, the other’s 11 - and she’s always very happy to see them too, but it’s undeniable how strong her bond with Archer is, and she wouldn’t trade her family for anything.

Jade dating Ace was a surprise to Arrow - she’s not really nosey about relationships, partly because she’s ace and not too phased about entering the scene - but it’s never something she’s taken issues with [aside from jokingly threatening her cousin to treat Jade right, which she was terrible at, and it just made Arrow and Ace hysterical]. She’s begged them to never name any kids they could have with ‘A’ names given the influx in her family, and is firm this is not a trend she’ll give into [even if she absolutely adores the name Arabella]. Aside from her studies, Arrow works part-time at a vinyl and unusual technology repair shop, having opted for employment there because she gets free pick of the metal tapes and CDs. When she was in her teens she could drive her family mad blasting Static X from her room and it only ended when her parents got her a hamster - Lime - with emotional blackmail doing a fantastic job at avoiding a noise complaint hitting the family.

---

@moonwriteen
@jinxed_peach
if i’ve tagged you already and this is a repeat i am so sorry!

@CherryBomb50 i hope making Arrow adopted is alright, i just read back Keren’s description and it was specified so i wanted to keep continuity!

[jinxed_peach]

cw: mental illness

[name_f]Pearl[/name_f] [name_f]Elise[/name_f] Milligan {43} is Arrow’s bio mother and godsister to her adoptive mother. Though her and Arrow’s relationship has since been simplified to and ‘aunt and niece’ type. Which she is more than enough for her since she considers it a privilege to be in her life at all.

Growing up was tough for her, between the her parents and their ‘not exactly rocky but far from perfect’ marriage. Her family never really noticed her mental struggles, writing her off as ‘creative’ and ‘different’ in her childhood. Her respite from strife came in the form of her godmother and godsister who always welcomed her with open arms when she needed a safe space away from her homelife.

She chose to opt out from college, much to her parents disappointment. Instead she poured her time and money into doing a lot of mixed media art which helped keep her mental health somewhat stable, though she was often victim to the self-harming behaviors that mental illness, particularly schizophrenia. One of these behaviors included taking risks in her social life which would eventually lead to her conceiving [name_u]Arrow[/name_u].

Pregnancy brought on more extreme symptoms of her undiagnosed illness, she felt unsafe in her own apartment and suffered from delusions that lead her to stay awake for several days in her darkened apartment while trying to grapple with what aspects of her life was real and what was not. Thankfully her godsister noticed the fact that Peral had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth and went to her apartment unannounced. This was instrumental in her getting the help that she needed.

She was diagnosed with prenatal depression and was in the process of being screen for other mental illnesses (which would lead to her official diagnosis of schizophrenia in her second trimester of pregnancy) while she and her godsister worked out the plan for her to take custody of the baby. As much as she loved her unborn child she knew that she would not be able to provide the life that they would need, the life that she had always promised to one day give a child, while she was still growing herself. The knowledge that the baby would be safe and with someone she knew and trusted allowed her to begin the healing she needed to do.

When [name_u]Arrow[/name_u] was born she held her for less than five minutes before requesting that she be taken away so she wouldn’t get overwhelmed and let her emotions try to convince her to change her mind. Before leaving with the baby her godsister promised that this would not be the last time that she saw her baby.

As her doctor had anticipated her prenatal depression continued into post partum depression and she was referred to a specialty program for women with PPD and existing mental illnesses. This was the start to her upswing.

Through the years, aided by a supportive family, team of medical professionals, and the occasional photo of baby [name_u]Arrow[/name_u], she began to get her mental health under control. It was a long and arduous journey but after many, many years, she feels confident that she knows how to manage her own life now. Though her symptoms never really go away, they are manageable and she has the support of her partner and regular therapist.

Now she lives within a days drive of [name_u]Arrow[/name_u], [name_u]Archer[/name_u], and their family with her own family and works as an art therapist. Occasionally she struggles with the guilt of ‘replacing’ [name_u]Arrow[/name_u], but she knows that if she had chosen to parent when she was not yet healthy, it wouldn’t have been good for either of them. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time she sees [name_u]Arrow[/name_u] today she knows that she made the right choice, and is happy with where her life has ended up.

---

thanks fot the tag!!

[kitkatcookie]

tw: mental health issues, child neglect

[name_u]Cadence[/name_u] " [name_f]Cady[/name_f] " [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] Milligan (14) is Pearl’s elder child and first adoptee in her home. The placement was decided because of Cady’s own familial background: her mother had severe postpartum psychosis, leading to her abandoning her daughter alone for hours at a time as she went looking for imagined ‘saviours’ who could protect them from her hallucinations. After a neighbour became aware that [name_f]Cady[/name_f] was left alone for prolonged periods of time, CPS were contacted and she was taken into their care with immediate effect. Her biological mother was hospitalised and remains there now. She’s become much more stable than when [name_f]Cady[/name_f] was little, but clearly cannot live independently thanks to how severely her breakdown affected her, and the fact she asks to take custody of her child again concerned staff thanks to how her delusions persist. There was an attempt to place [name_f]Cady[/name_f] with her biological father in the aftermath, but he was openly disinterested in parenting and actually told her social worker as such, leading to it being decided an alternate option was preferential. This is how [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] ended up being contacted, thanks to her own understanding of mental health issues adjacent to pregnancy, and her interest in adopting. [name_f]Cady[/name_f] was 3 by the time this happened - having been in foster care for almost 2 years - and it would be several years before [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] adopted again, to ensure she settled properly.

Now a preteen, [name_f]Cady[/name_f] loves little more than sports: baseball, running track, gymnastics, netball - you name it, she’ll have tried it and probably enjoyed it. Team sports especially appeal to her because she’s quite an outgoing person who loves building up others and encouraging them to work together. This is only challenged by how much [name_f]Cady[/name_f] adores the family cat - a ginger tom named Marmalade, who was found by her one day when she was spending the afternoon with [name_u]Arrow[/name_u] and [name_u]Archer[/name_u]. After some deliberation, it was agreed [name_f]Cady[/name_f] could keep him - in part as the older two couldn’t bear her disappointment, as she instantly adored the grumpy beast - and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] was happy with this suggestion, as her daughter was 10 and had proved herself responsible enough to care for him. She has a lot of friends in the neighbourhood where they live and her mom jokes you can’t find [name_f]Cady[/name_f] on a weekend because she’s attending a sleepover: not untrue, she’s absolutely mad about them. Arrow’s someone she greatly admires - it’s no secret how much [name_f]Cady[/name_f] wants a nose piercing, but right now Pearl’s firm she’s too young - and she’s pleased to have her own friend group of 4 mirroring the Crackheads [although they don’t have a nickname yet]. Her memories of childhood are mostly faint - something [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is grateful for given what [name_f]Cady[/name_f] was witness to, from both her biological parents - but she has wondered about visiting her birth mother someday. Cady’s therapist has advised against this for the time being - because her mother’s still quite unwell - but is keeping tabs so she can make contact if it becomes appropriate and she feels ready. Still, this pales in comparison to how absolutely she loves her mom and considers her the greatest woman she knows.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for terminal illness and widowing.

Cataline Paula [Charleston] Tenney (24) is Cady’s track coach and Cady happens to be Cataline’s adoptive second cousin. Motivated by charity runs, Cataline has found running to be her new favourite sport. Cataline is a daughter of Pearl’s cousin and she’s helped Pearl get closer with her extended family when her immediate family ignored her mental health issues. Cataline is the eldest of three. The youngest is a girl Cady’s age and the middle is a 17-year-old boy on Chris‘s basketball team. Cataline and Chris get along as fellow coaches and Cataline is excited to see her brother play in championships. Cataline and her younger sister have bonded more as sisters lately despite the decade age gap and a lot of that is because of Cady.

Something Cataline isn’t vocal about when you first meet her is that she’s a widow. Cataline dated a guy when she was 16 who was ill with a rare autoimmune disorder he’s had since birth. During their teenage years, he was fine as long as he took his medicine and their relationship seemed pretty normal. However it took a turn for the worst in adulthood as unfortunately people will the illness don’t live very long. Despite his degeneration throughout his illness, she never stopped loving him and never saw him as lesser to her. She hated when people called him “crippling” or asked her, “Why would she want to date that sickly guy?” Even comments that meant well like, “That’s really nice that she puts up with him and all his medical drama,” were comments Cataline absolutely despised. They’ve still managed to have a relationship and do things and talk about things unrelated to illness and medical because Cataline’s boyfriend was a person too. He proposed marriage to her in college and planned to marry after college, but ended up pushing the wedding sooner given his condition. The marriage only lasted two months until he passed away. Despite his unfortunate inevitable death, Cataline is grateful she met him and had a romantic relationship with him. She truthfully never wants to remarry and if she has children in the future, she wants adoptive children only since she doesn’t want a pregnancy from someone else‘s sperm even if it’s just an anonymous donour. She goes to the same therapist about grief and stress as Cady does for her conflict regarding her birth mother.

Cataline credits Pearl for the amazing changes she’s made in her life and she says Pearl is always welcome to hang out with her cousin and that part of the family whenever she wants. Cataline lives alone but loves visitors and is good friends with another coach of Cady’s. Cataline always loves to have snacks whenever she hangs out with people and memorised every family member and friends’ fave snack. Her brother sometimes snuck her snacks into basketball practices. He’s gotten caught but Chris is cool and decided if the players want refreshments to keep them motivated for the games, then they deserve them as long as they don’t make a mess. She hasn’t seen Pearl’s godsister much outside family reunions but she wants to know more about her and how she’s helped Pearl. Cataline’s younger sister has been supportive of Cady and is in her friend group of 4. Cataline also sees Pearl’s youngest adoptive child like a sweet cute younger sib, although they’re technically second cousins.

Chris was created by @A.B.Galaxy.

[wandering_willow]

tw: discrimination, gambling, separation

[name_f]Fatima[/name_f] [name_f]Mariam[/name_f] [name_m]Al[/name_m] [name_m]Omar[/name_m] (47) is the therapist and friend of [name_f]Cataline[/name_f], who also sees [name_f]Cady[/name_f]. She hates restricting [name_f]Cady[/name_f] from seeing her mother and wishes she could help reunite them faster, but unfortunately cannot and knows she’s doing it for her client’s safety. [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] is a very naturally emotional and empathetic person, which makes being a therapist hard for her- when she can’t help someone she’ll often go through the pain with them, and her heart will break with them. Like [name_f]Cataline[/name_f], [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] has experienced the loss of a partner- though not through death. Fatima’s husband would constantly steal money and use it to gamble and buy alcohol, until [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] decided it was enough and took her four children (all infants and toddlers) with her to raise on her own. At first, it was hard- [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] couldn’t pick up any jobs due to racial and gender discrimination, and she had five mouths to feed including herself. Her family had shunned her, as getting divorced was heavily frowned upon in their family. But, slowly but surely, [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] applied to many jobs and got one at a school as a janitor and started saving up for her very own college fund.

At first, [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] knew it wouldn’t be enough. She joined the lottery as a joke- she did it cautiously as she knew the harm that gambling had caused her family already- but was surprised when she won 200 grand! She used it sparingly and spent it on college funds- she wanted to study to become a psychologist, so she did. She bought a good home for her family and was stunned when her ex, clean from gambling, reintroduced himself to her. [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] decided not to take him back, but the two are still friends and both heavily invested in their kids’ lives. [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] and her husband still had a strong connection- after all, the emigrated from Dubai to the USA together and enjoyed a few years of peaceful marriage before his addiction spiraled out of control, but she’s happy that he is trying to redeem himself and be present in his kids’ lives.

Now, Fatima’s kids are all in high school (except the oldest, who’s a freshman in college). One of them, the youngest, is a year older than [name_f]Cady[/name_f] Milligan and is good friends with her, which [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] loves to see- her daughter says [name_f]Cady[/name_f] is the little sister she never had. All of Fatima’s kids have vastly different interests, but [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] loves them all regardless and hopes they continue to follow their dreams.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Nizar[/name_m] [name_m]Rahim[/name_m] [name_m]Abdul[/name_m] (47) is the father of Fatima’s children but the two have no plans to get back together. [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] lost his job not too long before his theft and gambling and [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] was aware but despised that he’d use any money he did have to buy alcohol. They got into a dispute when [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] told [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] that she should handle his money and decide when to give it to him. [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] refused, saying he’s an adult, not a kid with allowance. [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] argued back that it wasn’t a case of “allowance” but rather because he is being too irresponsible with money and he can’t use it in the state he’s in. She said it was the same concept as taking away car keys to prevent a drunk person from driving. She encouraged [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] to find another job but [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] was too stubborn and their relationship collapsed.

The turning point was when [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] took the children to raise by herself. [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] again made it clear why she was taking this from him. It seemed the kids were happier with just [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] raising them, which made [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] sad but reluctantly understood and deep down he wanted to keep them happy. When they divorced, [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] got majority custody which [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] felt horrible about but was realising the reality that he had made himself too unfit to be a parent. Now that the children are much older, and [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] has been much cleaner, he’s been welcomed into their lives more and [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] has given him another chance to fix what he’s broken. There are two conditions to this: 1) [name_f]Do[/name_f] not regress to past ways, 2) [name_f]Do[/name_f] not try to get back together with [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] as a couple. He’s now become closer and wants to make up for lost time and for how he was before. [name_m]Nizar[/name_m] went back to community college and went to university to get some studies so he can find a much better job, a suggestion the eldest child said he should do.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Najah[/name_f] Yeira [name_m]Al[/name_m] [name_m]Omar[/name_m] (19) is the eldest child of [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] and [name_m]Nizar[/name_m], who’s currently majoring in geology at college, inspired by her great love of the natural world and environmental causes. For how she usually seems subdued and introverted, Najah’s vocal about what’s meaningful to her: be it her love for her family or protests she attends with her friends [a blending of fellow course students and those she’s known since middle school in some cases, being at a college close to where she grew up]. Being the eldest, [name_f]Najah[/name_f] has the clearest memories of her father when he was in his worst behavioural period, meaning she had the wariest reaction to when he returned to their lives - especially given her understanding of what her mother went through in terms of stress and turmoil. She was never antagonistic or confrontational when he was present - the main source of ire for [name_f]Najah[/name_f] is everything to do with environmental issues - instead holding back for the most part until he’d proven he was actively changing and respecting her mother’s boundaries. While her quietness has sometimes caused him to think she’s still resentful of him, [name_f]Najah[/name_f] now goes out of her way to invite him to major events of her life and keep him updated in what milestones she’s passed in her life.

Currently Najah’s preparing to go on a class trip to [name_f]Iceland[/name_f], something she’s terribly excited about. She took on extra shifts at her job to provide financially for the expedition - so her parents weren’t going to endure any pressure - but didn’t mind, as her job working at a stationary store is actually one she’s fond of. This comes primarily from how well she’s bonded with her colleagues - one of whom she actually went to high school with but hadn’t spoken to much before - and they’re frequently spending time together outside of their shifts. When she isn’t tending to her collection of succulents or working at the college allotments, [name_f]Najah[/name_f] loves spending time making beaded or clay jewelry; going outdoor swimming or visiting antique shops [not that she exactly buys much but she’s gotten good at finding hidden gems for genuine deals]. [name_f]Najah[/name_f] hasn’t bothered with decorating her dorm room much, given she knows she’ll only be there for a year, but is planning out her first house share with some friends, three others alongside her: two fellow students and one of her oldest pals who chose to not go through higher education thanks to her mental health not suiting the environment.

Thanks to her inheriting the natural sense of calm [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] carries, [name_f]Najah[/name_f] is the unsurprising peacemaker among her siblings when she’s at home. They luckily all tend to be quite easygoing, but it’s undeniably [name_f]Najah[/name_f] who’s called upon if [name_f]Fatima[/name_f] isn’t around, even taking phone calls from her sibling closest on age if they’re in need of some advise about withstanding petty bickering. She also recently acquired a chameleon - [name_f]Hortense[/name_f] - who used to belong to her friends’ boyfriend, but his landlord changed and he was forced to rehome her; an opportunity [name_f]Najah[/name_f] was delighted to take on. He’s frequently visiting, and she knows there’s a likelihood [name_f]Hortense[/name_f] will return to him if he finds a new place allowing pets [he’s been honest with her about pursuing this], but the experience has made her determined to adopt a lizard of some sort if this transpires. [name_f]Najah[/name_f] herself is asexual-demiromantic - having come out to her family when she was 17 - and it was a great relief that both of her parents fully accepted this [granted she didn’t have too many reservations about this]. This doesn’t stop her from supporting the relationships around her - her siblings included - but she’s pretty firm about not pursuing dating currently, instead having all her excitement reserved for the [name_f]Iceland[/name_f] trip that she’s impatient to get going on.