🕊️ create a family w/ a twist

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Iskra[/name_f] [name_f]Vilde[/name_f] Jorstad (18) is Aster’s cousin, who lives in Norway but likes to visit [name_u]America[/name_u] every now and then. When she does visit, she’s very good friends with [name_f]Moll[/name_f], who she’s liked ever since she saw them. She wants to ask them out but she’s scared because she doesn’t know if a long distance will work, or if [name_f]Moll[/name_f] even likes her back- or would. [name_f]Moll[/name_f] just seems so cool, and someone like them would never date someone like [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] (at least, that’s what [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] thinks). [name_f]Molly[/name_f] doesn’t know [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] likes them that way, but if they did, they’d probably accept their offer for a date- [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] just needs to make a move. [name_u]Aster[/name_u] is very aware of this, and the two sometimes talk in Norwegian to be sure that nobody will hear them, and they discuss how funny it is that [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] likes [name_f]Moll[/name_f]- and what [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] should do about it. They’re thinking of letting [name_f]Dawn[/name_f], [name_u]Lee[/name_u] and [name_u]Alex[/name_u] (Maynard) in on the little secret…but [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] isn’t ready yet and [name_u]Aster[/name_u] has accepted that.

Though [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] lives in [name_m]Oslo[/name_m], Norway, which is very far away from the states, she often does FaceTimes with all of her cousin’s friends- she loves them all, and thinks she might want to move to [name_u]America[/name_u] full-time someday. But for now she’s holding off on it as she doesn’t want to leave behind her cousins, Aster’s siblings, who mean a lot to her, and their kids- [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] is like a second mother to Aster’s big brother’s kid, and she loves them dearly. She also writes letters to all of them and sends them nice things like Norwegian currency notes and plants from her nature walks- [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] loves nature walks and nature in general. In fact, she’s actually studying at the University of [name_m]Oslo[/name_m] to be a bioscientist- the one thing that’s keeping her away from moving to [name_u]America[/name_u]. While her American friends are disappointed, they’re all proud of her and her accomplishments. Iskra’s happy for now, but she still has to ask [name_f]Moll[/name_f] out…

[moonwriteen]

[name_f]Ovidia[/name_f] " [name_u]Vida[/name_u] " [name_f]Jocasta[/name_f] Fuertes (19) is the co-host of [name_f]Moll[/name_f] Spire’s podcast and the final member of [name_f]Moll[/name_f] , [name_u]Alex[/name_u] , [name_f]Dawn[/name_f] , [name_u]Lee[/name_u] and [name_u]Aster[/name_u] 's friend group. She is very excited about going to study in the [name_u]East[/name_u] [name_u]Coast[/name_u] - specifically majoring in Writing at the University of [name_f]Rhode[/name_f] [name_u]Island[/name_u]. Although she is without a doubt going to miss [name_u]Lee[/name_u] , [name_u]Aster[/name_u] and [name_u]Alex[/name_u] , the majority of her family - including her favourite aunt and cousin - live in [name_u]California[/name_u], so she is going to make time for them when holiday season comes.

[name_u]Vida[/name_u] has a strong friendship with [name_f]Moll[/name_f] - who stood up for her when she immigrated from Mexico in 2nd grade when kids were making fun of her accent and poor [name_f]English[/name_f] grammar. The first sentence [name_f]Moll[/name_f] learned in Spanish was “Do you want to be my friend?” and despite having learned [name_u]French[/name_u] so far in 1st grade, they asked their mom to switch her 2nd language to Spanish so that she could communicate with [name_u]Vida[/name_u] better. Now their true crime podcast has both [name_f]English[/name_f] and Spanish versions available for subscribers and [name_f]Moll[/name_f] is on nerly B2 level , so they often treat the language as their secret code. [name_u]Vida[/name_u] thinks that if it wasn;t for their podcast , she would never truly get out of her shell or let go of the insecurities about her accent - but their social media presence helped her build up confidence and grow thicker skin. Now she responds with sass to hate comments about ther accent or weight and sees how far she’s truly come , no longer being the shy 9-year-old who reads mystery stories for kids in the corner and counts on her outspoken friend to shoo away the bullies. Another situation which helped her stand up for not only herself but also others was supporting [name_u]Alex[/name_u] in her right to draw and display artwork which depicts the female body. She herself is a huge body positivity advocate and has her own fashion blog where she discusses plus-size fashion and inclusivity within the clothing industry.

She can’t wait to move to [name_f]Rhode[/name_f] [name_u]Island[/name_u] where she will reunite with her long distance boyfriend of three years - they met when she was travelling with her parents and discovering the beauty of the [name_m]Norman[/name_m] [name_u]Bird[/name_u] Sanctuary in Middletown, RI. They then found each other on social media and when they are asked what brought them together, they tend to jokingly reply " love of chocolate lava cake". [name_u]Vida[/name_u] ’ s parents are avid travellers who have visited the majority of the fifty US states and convince her that she needs no long trips to Europe or [name_f]Asia[/name_f] to see the beauty of the world - [name_u]Vida[/name_u] and her older brother also travel regularly to Mexico to visit their extended family. Her brother took after their parents more than herself - studying Geography at UCLA. [name_u]Vida[/name_u] jokes that he should keep an eye on [name_u]Aster[/name_u] when she goes there eventually. She and her brother are very close and as the tourism expert that he is , her brother helped [name_u]Vida[/name_u] prepare a "custom travel guide " of [name_u]California[/name_u] for [name_f]Iskra[/name_f] meant for the moment when she finally picks up the courage to visit her cousin [name_u]Aster[/name_u] and ask [name_f]Moll[/name_f] out. [name_f]Moll[/name_f] is oblivious to all of this, but how doesn’t have some little secrets before their best friend?

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Rysio[/name_m] ’ [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] ’ Ibai Fuertes (22) is Vida’s older brother, who’s preparing to graduate from university next year with a degree in geography. His decision surprised even [name_u]Vida[/name_u] initially, as [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] is someone heavily invested in graphic design and filmography - having made little projects with his friends using camcorders growing up - but his interest in the environment ultimately overpowered those. Since his late teens, it’s become an increasing preoccupation for him, and [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] knows he can still be involved in his creative pastimes without sparing his principles about environmentalism: something he’s very outspoken about - having made leaflets specifically for this.

Because of their closeness, people tend to assume [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] objected to Vida’s boyfriend when he entered the picture but he actually went the opposite way. As far as he’s concerned, his sister’s business romance wise is her own, and he’d only have intervened if he was worried about her being mistreated. He trusts Vida’s judgment given her close friend circle and how she’s been able to build up so much confidence in spite of others trying to hold her back, as well as thinking it isn’t any siblings place to just but in on something that brings joy to their life. [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] himself isn’t too phased about seeing anyone. If it happens, it happens is how he views these things, and he’s very laidback about getting out there now he’s got so much academic pressure facing him.

Thanks to their siblings friendship, [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] also close with [name_f]Moll[/name_f] Spire’s sister, who’s a year his senior. They compliment each other in nature: both are very laidback, unphasable people who take things on the chin - contrasting with their intense beliefs in the paths they’ve taken. When they’re not working away at something they’re chilling at music venues or playing the world’s most relaxed basketball games on the nearby caught (even though Rhys’s aim is genuinely awful). The two actually live together in an apartment with their friends - a couple - as well as Rhys’s pet iguana, [name_m]Sebastiano[/name_m], and her [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_u]Charles[/name_u] Spaniel.

[A.B.Galaxy]

Dr. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] Spire (23) is Moll’s sister and Rhys’ friend. Wanting to become a pathologist as soon as she could, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] decided to start taking college classes in high school. After graduating she decided on one of the medical schools that had excepted her where she was able to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time. She graduated college this year and is now starting her internship.

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] is very passionate about her line of work and knows it’s extremely important. She wanted to become a pathologist ever since she was 13 years old and read a book on the birth of forensic medicine. In high school, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] had been valedictorian of her class, took quite a few honors classes, and was quite popular as well. Not counting her intense nature regarding academics, she’s always been rather easygoing and credited that to why she and [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] are such good friends. She’s glad that they were able to get an apartment together with their other friends and enjoys their frequent hangouts.

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] got her [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_u]Charles[/name_u] Spaniel two years ago and loves him dearly. She got [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] and their other friends to suggest names but ultimately went with [name_m]King[/name_m], earning playful groans from her friends. Hey, she can be cliche if she wants. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is very close to her parents and [name_f]Moll[/name_f]. She goes to see them as much as she can and always tries to get her dad to tell her about his cases, though he hasn’t cracked yet. For the last few years, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] has been feeling different around [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] but has only just now taken the time to try and sort out her feelings. She’s concluded that she sees him as more than a friend now but doesn’t want to ruin their relationship by saying anything. The only people who know about it are their friends and she made them promise not to tell [name_u]Rhys[/name_u], though that doesn’t stop them from giving her advice.

[CherryBomb50]

Kazuo “ Kasey “ Hashimoto (23) is a friend of Alice and her mutual friends. Kasey looks up to Alice as his intellectual role model and is proud of her for always being such a wise person since the start. He is in a family of 5 children and is one of four boys but is neither eldest nor youngest. His youngest sibling is his only sister Luna. Kasey is gay but just got out of a relationship and isn’t ready to start dating again but is supportive of his friends’ relationships. He’s glad to be in a good friend group — he was in a toxic clique in middle school and these “friends” wouldn’t even let anyone else outside the clique talk to members in the clique or vice-versa without approval. Unless the person someone is trying to befriend is a horrible person, Kasey doesn’t like people who say that someone can’t be friends with people they want to befriend. He’s glad his friend group isn’t crazy-restrictive like that and he’s found great friends anywhere. Outside his friend group, he’s friends with the Fuertes siblings and he too is also studying geography and plans to be a geography teacher himself. Kasey is very close with Rhys as a friend and unlike Alice, he’s always only seen Rhys as a friend. He loves playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero and plays it with his friends.

Luna was created by @chamwue.

[chamwue]

cw: brief mention of a stalker

[name_u]Haruka[/name_u] " [name_u]Haru[/name_u] " Miyawaki (17) is a maternal cousin of the Hashimoto siblings and the same age as [name_f]Luna[/name_f]. They don’t go to the same school— [name_u]Haru[/name_u] goes to [name_m]Eastwood[/name_m] High, which is a few miles from Luna’s school— but they’re very close. [name_u]Haru[/name_u], like [name_f]Luna[/name_f], is the youngest of five siblings— except [name_u]Haru[/name_u] only has older sisters. [name_f]Luna[/name_f] says she’d rather have an older sister sometimes, and [name_u]Haru[/name_u] jokingly offers to trade out siblings for the day. She’s on the yearbook club and had to interview [name_f]Dawn[/name_f] and [name_f]Moll[/name_f] at one point— and is acquainted with them. [name_u]Haru[/name_u] isn’t too close with Dawn’s friend group due to being in a grade younger than them, but [name_f]Dawn[/name_f] will say hello to [name_u]Haru[/name_u] in the hallways— something she cherishes due to Dawn’s famed stoicism.

Known across the junior class for her love of everything retro, [name_u]Haru[/name_u] is an avid collector of memorabilia from the past. She vehemently despises the word hipster. She insists she’s not one. Still, her vinyl collection says otherwise. [name_u]Haru[/name_u] doesn’t think of herself as a hipster because she believes the label implies elitism, which she opposes: just because she likes analogue things doesn’t make her better than anyone else. It’s made her more knowledgable of different technologies, though: Haru’s been experimenting with photo development techniques from the 1800s, specifically daguerrotypes. She doesn’t get to use the equipment often, but she’s been taking vintage photos of the yearbook team, who always love her work. [name_u]Haru[/name_u] is vice president of the photography club as well— and everyone knows she’s going to be president next year without a doubt.

Growing up the youngest of five girls wasn’t easy for [name_u]Haru[/name_u]. Because each girl is only one or two years older than each sister (meaning the fourth youngest is 19, the third is 20, the second is 22, and the eldest sister is 24), there was a lot of bickering amongst them. Sometimes the fights were so bad they didn’t speak for months at a time. [name_u]Haru[/name_u], however, was used as a bargaining chip between her two eldest sisters: often being forced to choose a side. This type of conflict doesn’t happen anymore since they’ve all grown up, but because of this, [name_u]Haru[/name_u] hates giving her opinion on petty fights she’s not involved in and refuses to be a mediator for them. She’ll provide advice on saying sorry and comfort her friends if she needs to, but unless someone did something blatantly cruel, Haru’s not intervening. She understands that some wouldn’t like her wishy-washiness— [name_u]Haru[/name_u] has lost a friend because of this— but she thinks that her mental health should come first before anything else.

[name_u]Haru[/name_u] plans to be a photography minor, not a photography major. Her real love lies in history and debate— which is very odd for someone who hates conflict. She plans to be a lawyer one day, though, and even though it doesn’t seem like it, [name_u]Haru[/name_u] has a solid moral compass for conflict that she deems important enough to intervene. One such incident was when [name_u]Haru[/name_u] caught one of her friend’s ex-boyfriends stalking her, which prompted [name_u]Haru[/name_u] to give him a verbal beatdown. Since the incident, he never bothered them again. Haru’s friends call this version of her “Beast Haru”, which she finds amusing.

[kitkatcookie]

tw: stalking, coercive control

Qīngxiǎo " [name_u]Florence[/name_u] " Yang (17) is Haru’s close friend and the friend of her’s subjected to stalking by her former boyfriend. It was alarming to Florence’s friends when her vibrant, aspirational spirit began to dim considerably and her confidence started to decline. At first it was chalked up to the fact she had a serious disagreement with her older brother, who got arrested for property damage on a night out, but once the siblings were back on good terms it became obvious something else was the cause of her change in behaviour. Florence’s ex was a master of coercive control, slowly breaking her down and making it seem he was her saviour to finding self-belief again, even starting to insinuate they shouls get engaged and move in together the second graduation was finished. As her then-boyfriend attended a different school, living in the next town over, it helped him keep secrets from her increasingly suspicious loved one’s: always appearing sincerely loving and caring when he did surface at random intervals.

It was when [name_u]Florence[/name_u] decided she wanted to go on a mini roadtrip with [name_u]Haru[/name_u] and their two other close friends to celebrate one of them earning her drivers license that she finally realised how awful of a person he was. Instead of accepting her wishes - and being happy his girlfriend was experiencing proper independence, something his parents gave him in ample amounts - he immediately tried talking her out of it, going as far as to insinuate [name_u]Haru[/name_u], her other friends and even her own family were trying to force her to do something she wasn’t ready for. But [name_u]Florence[/name_u] knew she was ready, and the absurdity of this lie shattered the illusion her ex carefully crafted to trap her in.

She did take some time off school following the shock of realising what had happened to her, being devastated and even facing misplaced self-blame as [name_u]Florence[/name_u] never imagined someone could hurt her that way. [name_m]Even[/name_m] her plans of becoming involved in the fashion industry - specifically creative directing and style composition - were uncertain now thanks to how overwhelmed she was, but the support of her loved one’s (especially her brother, who’d matured a considerable amount) helped her return to school, and she attends weekly counselling sessions to continue building herself back up to the headstrong person she enjoys being so much. [name_u]Florence[/name_u] has joined the school paper, which now has a fashion section - perhaps in the wake of the [name_m]Maynard[/name_m] sisters revolution - and is just enjoying the small parts of life, in particular collecting beanie babies and other cutesy y2k toys, which she decorates her room with.

The emerging of “Beast Haru” is something she’s very grateful for and she jokingly calls the other girl her knight in shining armour too - having even bought her a little dragon plush for a gag gift. She’s always been an openly affectionate person, and with her friends this is especially apparent. Dating understandably is something [name_u]Florence[/name_u] really isn’t invested in or even considering, but she still encourages her friends to follow their hearts, especially as one of their group has confessed a crush recently…

[chamwue]

cw: mention of a terminal illness & descriptions of parental abuse. graphic descriptions are censored.

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] [name_m]Richmond[/name_m] (17) is a part of [name_u]Haru[/name_u] and Florence’s friend group and the only boy in the group— their “token white man”. It was only after the breakup that [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] could contact [name_u]Florence[/name_u] freely: the girl’s ex didn’t “allow” her to have male friends, which [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] found absolutely stupid. He suspected that Florence’s ex was abusive but didn’t want to overstep. Once [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] got the news from [name_u]Florence[/name_u], he simply responded to her with a “Where does he live again?”— causing much-needed laughter and relief amongst the group. He hated the man for ruining his relationship with his friend but learning that he also abused [name_u]Florence[/name_u] turned that hatred into loathing.

The vice-president of the student council and president of the National Honours Society, [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is your perfect example of a model student. He keeps up an easy-going front for the rest of the students and teachers, but only the group knows about Thomas’ severe atychiphobia. His parents raised him with high expectations, and there was no room for failure. The few times he did fail, [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] was hit by his father or forced to skip meals. His mother doesn’t intervene because she can’t: she’s in the hospital for terminal cancer, and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] won’t tell her bad news on what could be her literal deathbed. He wanted to keep this a secret from the group, but to no avail: [name_u]Haru[/name_u] caught him after a distressing phone call with his father and soothed him after a panic attack. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is thankful that they treated him the same after the incident— simply letting him know that if he needed a place to crash, their homes would welcome them.

For college, [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] plans on leaving the country and thus the clutches of his family. He hasn’t told the rest of his friends yet but plans to during the summer. [name_u]An[/name_u] aspiring creative writing major specialising in poetry, [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has published several chapbooks under his pen name [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] [name_m]Richmond[/name_m]. Thomas’ next book will be under his real name, and he’s apprehensive yet excited about it. Outside of academia, though, [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has been playing wingman for the person who has a crush on the student council president, and he just set up a date for them…

[kitkatcookie]

cw: parental loss

[name_f]Chantel[/name_f] " [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] " [name_f]Luella[/name_f] [name_m]Claybourne[/name_m] (17) is the final member of the group and harbourer of the crush the others find so endearing. It’s not been hidden at all well by [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], as she’s such a composed, level-headed and practical person the second she so much as blushed mentioning the president everyone knew exactly how she was feeling. She’s always the most organised, forward focused one, who can be relied on to help you sort yourself out and destress. If any of the other’s are feeling overwhelmed, Tessa’s the person to lean on, as she’s more comfortable refereeing than [name_u]Haru[/name_u] thanks to her home life. Considering what [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] especially has been through - with [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] being moved to tears learning what his father had done and making it clear her spare room is always open to him - she’s incredibly grateful for her grandparents, who’ve raised her since she was a toddler and her brother a newborn baby, following the passing of their mother. Tessa’s father was already gone by this point, having been killed while serving in the army before her younger sibling was born, and without his parents she can’t imagine what would have happened to them.

Political sciences are what she’s most interested in, specifically looking into custody arrangements and the treatment of BIPOC in the system, based on what her granny told her about the process of becoming legal guardians for [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and her brother. It also came in handy regarding Florence’s nightmare of an ex, as [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] knows about legal workings and is more than willing to flaunt this information if he surfaces again, wanting to protect her friend from being subjected to more of his terror. Realising what the people she cares for so much have been through impacts [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] more than she lets on: she’s determined to provide strength and subsequently can burn herself out a bit - something [name_u]Haru[/name_u] is aware of and encourages her to step back more, which she’s gotten a little better at.

Tessa’s also been given the honour of proofreading parts of Thomas’s work - although even she hasn’t seen everything he’s written. Thanks to her own parental losses, she’s done her best to be there for him since his mom’s diagnosis and has offered to help him speak to her grandparents who have a better firsthand understanding on account of her being so young when her mom and dad separately passed. She’s got a close relationship with her brother, in spite of their different interests and personalities, and suspects he looks up to [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] in particular but has decided against embarrassing him by revealing it just yet…

Her feelings were entirely incidental and a shock for [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] herself. She’s someone who admires others sincerely, but her feelings for the student council president quickly evolved into a lot more than just admiring what her peer is capable of. Crushes are absolutely something [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] handles better when it’s someone else’s, and the idea of rejection made her completely dismiss asking them out, even when her friends tried hyping her up. A lot of it stems from a time in middle school when [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] wrote a valentine’s card for a classmate, who just laughed when she tried handing it over, and it’s a memory very fresh for her these years on. While she knows people like her, she considers herself fairly boring in comparison to a lot of people, and this means she doesn’t think her crush would ever sincerely like her back on account of their vibrancy. Thankfully, Thomas’s help has proved this to be completely untrue.

[chamwue]

cw: child abuse

[name_f]Marissa[/name_f] Boyoung [name_u]Lee[/name_u] (17) is the junior class student council president and the object of Tessa’s affection. [name_f]Prim[/name_f], proper, and polite, she’s the epitome of gentleness and, on the surface, seems too fragile. However, as her closest friends and the student council know, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] is the opposite of weak. She’s polite and soft-spoken because she finds no reason to be harsh— she can easily break your argument apart with a serene smile on her face.

Though they have different friendship circles, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] are as thick as thieves: they’ve known each other since they were little and are best friends. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] can verify that Marissa’s wrath is terrifying in its own way. At the beginning of the school year, their former treasurer (who was expelled because of this stunt) was found embezzling funds from the school for their own personal gain; the only reason anyone found out about this was that [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] quietly piled up a week’s worth of evidence against them. Once the news reached the rest of the council, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] reminded them that if you “screwed her over, she’ll do worse.” The only member who was relatively unfazed by this was [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], who has seen [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] do worse.

Some may call [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] passive-aggressive for expressing her anger in this way. Still, she would disagree: [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] refuses to yell because that’s the only thing her abusive sperm donor did. While he never was physically abusive, Marissa’s father was incredibly verbally abusive, so much so that a male voice yelling is still a trigger for her. When she was younger, even an audio recording of a man yelling would send [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] into panic attacks— it’s gotten a lot better now, but she’ll still flinch at the sound of it. [name_u]Ever[/name_u] since her dad exited her life, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] has vowed to never use her anger to intimidate another person, especially if they’re weaker than her.

[name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] know each other through [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]— [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] stopped by the two when they were eating lunch and said hello to the both of them. Since then, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] has expressed interest in getting to know [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], but because they didn’t share classes, she couldn’t find an excuse to talk to her. Like [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] doesn’t handle her crushes very well: [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] tried to get [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] to ask for Tessa’s number to no avail; [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] was a stammering mess even at the thought of asking [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] such a thing. The only reason why [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] is making a move first is that [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] simply can’t— she’s not good with emotions and doesn’t know what to do with them. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has been complaining about [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and Marissa’s antics to [name_u]Florence[/name_u] and [name_u]Haru[/name_u], who always ask for updates on " [name_m]Cupid[/name_m] [name_m]Richmond[/name_m] "— the moniker for Thomas’ operation.

Outside of her love life, [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] is interested in biochemistry and has an extreme love for science. The one place she loses control is the school’s laboratory. Many of the experiments she has done involved toxic chemicals, and Marissa’s almost always getting in debates with the science teacher about whether or not what she wants to do is viable with what they have on hand. [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] knows she’s her teacher’s favourite student, though: if [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] isn’t with her friends, she’s in the science classroom. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has told [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] to make a cheesy science pick-up line to ask [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] out, but [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] says she’d rather drink hydrochloric acid than do that.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: harassment mention

[name_f]Polly[/name_f] [name_f]Natasha[/name_f] McGuiness (17) is Marissa’s close friend and while not a comoponent of Thomas’s operation, she’s very much an avid overseer of his ongoing plans. Similar to [name_f]Marissa[/name_f], people don’t find [name_f]Polly[/name_f] at all intimidating in spite of being a top STEM student - having what she calls the T-Virus (as when she isn’t experimenting technology she’s gaming to her hearts content) - because of how she carries herself. Her personality is what you could call ‘aggressively down-to-earth’: Polly’s straightforward, unassuming and perfectly charming in her approachability. She can disarm people with a lot of barriers, for whatever reasons they’ve been formed, and this is what allowed her to develop such a tight bond with [name_f]Marissa[/name_f]. [name_f]Polly[/name_f] never pushed or demanded her friend open up about the past, she was content to wait and most importantly respected her boundaries, never trying to pry anything out once they started talking about it. For [name_f]Polly[/name_f], she believes no-one’s business concerns her unless she’s invited, and even then, she works hard at silencing her natural curiosity for their benefit.

A lot of Polly’s demeanour is shaped by familial experience. Her aunt starred on a very cheesy, melodramatic 2000s dating show and subsequently was hounded by people online as her portrayal wasn’t particularly flattering: being delegated as a pathetic figure unable to open up to the chosen heartthrob. Seeing how much pain it caused subsequently, with people feeling fit to psychoanalyse and speculate about a woman she loves dearly and knows is intelligent, articulate and worthy of respect caused a lot of resentment for [name_f]Polly[/name_f], who refuses to let anyone else be treated in the same vain. It’s why she also shies away from being the centre of attention herself, as one time [name_f]Polly[/name_f] did get asked by a classmate about her aunt…and her reaction was completely a shock when she became very cold, immediately shutting down the conversation with abrupt authority. There is more acknowledgement of her family background now around the school - woe betide the ex-newspaper editor who wanted to run a story about it - but [name_f]Polly[/name_f] doesn’t bother with conflict unless it concerns her or someone she loves.

Next to [name_f]Marissa[/name_f] she jokes about being very uncouth: having a pretty notorious tendency of openly using profanity, which the teachers aren’t thrilled about, but her academic capability tends to get her away from too much trouble. [name_f]Polly[/name_f] lives with her two mom’s, 13-year-old sister and the family [name_u]Jack[/name_u] Russells - Ratchet and Clank - who she describes as being cheerfully obsessive, as they absolutely adore her and any friend she brings round. Outside of technology, she enjoys kickboxing, surrealist art (which activates her lizard brain) and collecting bizarre keyrings. She’s prone to joking her intelligence is what keeps her parents from having her evaluated or cross-examined, but loves them dearly for how they encourage and support her passion for technology. Being demisexual, she hasn’t found anyone she’s overly fond of yet but it doesn’t matter, as Polly’s busy routing for [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and Marissa’s happiness. She was the one who joked about stealing the acid y’know…before promptly offering up a series of truly appalling puns just to make sure her friend has enough cringe alternatives.

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Lainey[/name_f] [name_f]Winona[/name_f] [name_u]Carlisle[/name_u] (26) and her twin sister own the gym that [name_f]Polly[/name_f] goes to for kickboxing practice. Their mom is also friends with Polly’s parents. Despite the almost ten year difference between them, [name_f]Polly[/name_f] and [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] have become good friends. They’ve bonded over their love of kickboxing and the fact that people think them uncouth as [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] uses profanity almost as much as [name_f]Polly[/name_f].

[name_f]Lainey[/name_f] is most definitely a foodie and loves learning about new recipes that she can make. She’s always one of the first to try out a new restaurant in town and drags her four friends and sister along with her. [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and her twin are quite different personality wise but run with the same friend group. The six friends have different interests, are at different stages in life, but are as thick as thieves.

[name_f]Lainey[/name_f] is quite the adventurer and in the past three years has visited seven different countries including [name_u]France[/name_u], [name_f]Italy[/name_f], Mexico, and [name_u]England[/name_u]. She actually met her fiancé while she was in [name_u]England[/name_u]. He was on a business trip and had taken a day off from work to tour [name_m]Buckingham[/name_m] [name_u]Palace[/name_u], she was on the tour as well. They ended up talking and realized they lived in the same city. At the end of the tour they exchanged numbers but she didn’t really think he’d call. A month later [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] was surprised to get a call from him asking her if she’d like to attend a concert with him and his friends. She agreed and the two later got engaged on their six month anniversary. It’s been a year since they met and they’ll be getting married in a few weeks.

[name_f]Lainey[/name_f] has two older brothers who she’s close to but her and her older sister don’t get along as well and never have. Not for lack of trying on Lainey’s part though. The two have just never seen eye to eye on anything. Including her getting engaged less than a year after starting to date her fiancé.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Foster[/name_m] “ [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] “ [name_m]Brian[/name_m] [name_u]Carlisle[/name_u] (27) is one of Lainey’s brothers. He has a good bond with Lainey’s fiancé so he doesn’t see why their older sister doesn’t support them — and this is coming from [name_m]Fosse[/name_m], a person who likes being single and child-free! Some people wonder why [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] is so excited with other people’s weddings but doesn’t want marriage for himself but that’s actually why he’s always excited for them. If he wanted marriage, he’d probably be less excited because he’d be too focused on when he’d have his own big wedding and feel lonely. [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] has even said, “When I die; whether it’s in 70 years or literally tomorrow, please never say ‘Oh how sad, he never got to get married!’ I never wanted to get married, ok?”

[name_m]Fosse[/name_m] enjoys his family and sometimes wishes he had a twin like [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] but enjoys all his siblings regardless and truthfully, enjoys having his birthday to himself. [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] loves [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and Polly’s bond and sees [name_f]Polly[/name_f] as a younger sister to the Carlisles. [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] also loves to travel and has a pen pal of his own. [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] currently works at the ice cream parlour that [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and her friends go to. He relates to Lainey’s friends being at different stages of their lives since that’s how he perceives his siblings at times and he assumes his older sister is also at a different stage in her life and “just doesn’t get it”. [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] is very excited to see [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] marry her fiancé and while he’ll never match the excitement she has, he’s still nothing but happy for her.

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_u]Jameson[/name_u] " [name_u]James[/name_u] " [name_m]Mark[/name_m] [name_u]Carlisle[/name_u] (30) is the older brother of [name_f]Lainey[/name_f], her twin sister, and [name_m]Fosse[/name_m]. He’s the second born of the Carlisles and tends to play peacemaker quite frequently between [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and their older sister. [name_u]James[/name_u] is thankful that neither Lainey’s twin nor [name_m]Fosse[/name_m] get involved or take sides in the arguments and disagreements as he’s sure that would make things worse.

[name_u]James[/name_u] really respects his mom as she raised them mainly by herself since his dad was in the military. He has a great relationship with both of his parents. [name_u]James[/name_u] is working as a mechanic and hopes to have his own shop one day. He recently broke up with his girlfriend and things ended rather badly. He’s not sure if he’ll be ready to date anytime soon but is happy for [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and has become good friends with her fiancé. [name_u]James[/name_u] is positive that he’s a great guy and perfect for his little sister. He’s begun to wonder if their older sister is jealous and that’s why she’s against the engagement but he isn’t sure.

[wandering_willow]

There was a troll I think

[I_meme_it]

[name_f]Brynn[/name_f] [name_f]Rochelle[/name_f] [name_u]Carlisle[/name_u] (26) is Lainey’s twin sister and business partner. She tends to be the sibling more behind the scenes, focusing on the organising aspect of the gym and currently her primary focus is advertising now that she and [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] have managed to garner a consistent customer base. Most people consider her the more aloof twin, tending to be more of a listener in social situations, and [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] does like her own space, partially stemming from being the sibling most commonly involved in mediating disagreements between [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and their older sister.

Travel isn’t something Brynn’s as into as [name_f]Lainey[/name_f]. They’ve been travelling a few times together - their major trip being to [name_f]Thailand[/name_f] when they were 19 - however her greatest passion is pottery. [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] regularly makes an array of things, including plates, vases and even figurines - having an eye and appreciation for detail; which also comes out in how she embroiders and customises clothing for her friends and family when asked. She enjoys quieter and more relaxing pastimes when she gets time to herself, as running a business naturally involves a fair deal of stresses, and [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] admits she’s someone who experiences this quite vividly - much more so than [name_f]Lainey[/name_f].

Unlike their older sister, [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] is happy her twin’s met someone she’s come to form such a profound connection with. While she doesn’t encourage the idea of having some psychic radar when it comes to her sister, [name_f]Brynn[/name_f] recognises Lainey’s fiance is a genuinely loving person - but at the same time is trying to placate the fears of their older sister, which she can empathise with. She’s been with her girlfriend since they were 22, but currently there’s no marriage plans for them, and they’re content being dog mom’s to their springer spaniel [name_u]Coco[/name_u], although they would like to start their own family.

[CherryBomb50]

Rajani “ Rani “ Geeta Tamboli (26) is Brynn’s girlfriend. She feels it’s no big deal if Lainey and her fiancé want to marry and even though she feels it’s rushed, she won’t say a word since she knows they love each other. Rani’s own parents married too quickly in their relationship but that’s because her mother was pregnant with her at the time. Both were from religious families who do not support babies before marriage so Rani’s parents secretly and quickly arranged a small private wedding before anyone knew Rani’s mother was pregnant. They ended up divorcing after 2 years and Rani’s father would remarry 1 year after which again Rani believes was too rushed. But in his defence, he did not rush to have another child and was married to his wife for 6 years before bringing another daughter Divya and he and his wife didn’t have another child Sara until a decade after, proving their love was legitimate and worthwhile after all. Rani says she wouldn’t make the choices they made but has learned from them and has never told anyone else in her family that she was conceived before her parents’ marriage. Rani also finds it nice to bond with her two younger paternal half-sisters, Divya and Sara and wouldn’t change that if she could.

Rani works at a plant nursery and helps plant and care for trees, bushes, and other types of plants until they are big enough to be sold to the public for them to have. Rani loves doing this and her place has a lot of small apple and orange trees. She loves being able to grow her own snacks and lets visitors pick and eat some for their own. She’s had Lainey and her fiancé go to her house and have some fruit, considering them “guests that can come in anytime.” She also is excited for them to marry because again, they’re truly in love and not choosing to marry out of pleasing their families. She’s definitely not letting their relationship overshadow how much she’s in love with Brynn and absolutely adores her pottery. She and Brynn have a special bond with Coco and adore her as their shared dog and Rani too wouldn’t mind children at some point.

Divya was created by @Lindseylloyd052399.

Sara was created by me.

[wandering_willow]

Amala Nombuyiselo Nkosi (23) is a friend of [name_u]Rani[/name_u] and [name_f]Brynn[/name_f], who grew up in the same neighborhood as the Tambolis and viewed [name_u]Rani[/name_u] as a big sister figure for her. Amala never had a sister- only brothers, three older ones, two of which are twins and the other one is a single (?) like Amala. As a result of the family dynamic Amala was always her parents’ clear favorite. Amala’s father is a [name_u]South[/name_u] African, who emigrated from Cape Town for college. Her father works at an airplane manufacturing company as a head engineer. Her mother is American, and has lived in her city all of her life and is simply a stay at home mom, who loves her children more than anything- Amala is super grateful for both her parents, they’re wonderful people and she adores them. However, when she was young she always wanted a sister and this spiraled out of hand to the point where she’d tell people [name_u]Rani[/name_u] was her sister in public- being the chill person [name_u]Rani[/name_u] was, she just went with it. Ironically, one of Amala’s twin brothers is thinking that she’s not actually a man after all and is planning on coming out to her parents soon.

Amala is the least athletic person you will ever meet, but she supports [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and Brynn’s vision and sometimes tries to come by their gym and work out (but mostly fails)- however it doesn’t really matter to her as she’s just there to have fun. Amala just finished school- she’s trying to become a teacher as that’s what she studied for and has just applied for a job opening as a kindergarten teacher. The company is going to accept her application soon, but Amala is terrified- she has severe chronic anxiety and has since kindergarten. Amala also has obsessive compulsive disorder, and has odd quirks where if she does something on one side of her body, she has to do it on the other or it physically hurts her, and she doesn’t step on sidewalk cracks for fear that she’ll die. It’s getting out of hand and she’s trying to mute her symptoms but she feels horrible for having it and wants to just get rid of it forever, though she knows it isn’t her fault at all.

Amala has been conversing with a therapist- a man who she thinks she might be slowly falling in love with. The therapist is single and her age, and they’re becoming friends outside of their work too- Amala is a straight ally, though she went through a bit of chaos regarding her identity- she had a middle school girlfriend, realized she was straight and had to break it off with her for fear of hurting her feelings or leading her on, and the girl was hurt at first but they went back to being best friends and still are now. She’s told her middle school ex about the therapist crush and she’s been super supportive and kind about the whole situation, and is telling Amala to pursue him- but she’s scared he hates her because he’s a dry texter. Amala knows she’s going to overcome her anxiety someday and ask him out…just not now.

[CherryBomb50]

Kemi Nikisha [left] and Kehinde Shya [right] Nkosi (56) are twins, with Kemi being Amala’s mother and Kehinde being her aunt. Kehinde is a general surgeon and her husband Ernest is a family doctor, but they manage to juggle their medical careers with their musical careers, because they’re in the reunited 80s band Slam with Kehinde as a vocalist and Ernest as a drummer. Kehinde is often nicknamed “The Singing Surgeon”, which she adores. Kehinde and Ernest have four children: Talya, Jax, Addie, and Neve.

Kemi is a stay-at-home mom and while she loves Amala and enjoys mom-and-daughter time with her, she doesn’t want to make it unfair on her other children and always brightens their lives too. Kemi does pay special attention to Amala however, due to her mental health, and always provides her with resources. She loves being a twin and having a set of twins, which Kehinde low-key envies. Kemi doesn’t realise that Amala isn’t technically the only daughter she has — one of her twin daughters was born a son and is waiting for the right time to come out. Kemi and her family are very supportive of the community and would welcome their other daughter with open arms, but it’s Kemi’s daughter’s decision to make when she feels comfortable.

Ernest and Neve were created by me.

Talya was created by @wandering_willow.

Jax and Linda was created by @A.B.Galaxy.

Addie was created by @chamwue.

[rachelheth]

[name_f]Maude[/name_f] [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] St [name_u]Clare[/name_u] (28) is a retired ballet dancer who is now works as a florist. [name_f]Maude[/name_f] had a very intense childhood, as she was raised by her perfectionist grandmother who was desparate for her to continue her family’s legacy in ballet. Although [name_f]Maude[/name_f] enjoyed ballet, she is happy to have it as hobby rather than a career so that she can dedicate herself to floristry. She owns a little florists shop which she has decorated meticulously, and has built up a steady clientele. Her absolute favourite thing to do is making bouquets for weddings.

[name_f]Maude[/name_f] does not have a close relationship with her family, but has found a family of her own in her big group of friends. [name_f]Kemi[/name_f] is her favourite customer at her shop, and, despite their age difference, they ‘click’ with each other and have become firm friends. Over time, [name_f]Maude[/name_f] has got to know Kemi’s family too. Although she loves to hang out with them, she can’t help being jealous of their happy family dynamic. She often gifts flowers to the family, and knows which kinds are everyone’s favourite.

[name_f]Maude[/name_f] is a vegetarian, and has a white cat named [name_f]Dolly[/name_f], who she adores. She is currently single, and although someone has caught her eye, she is too scared to do anything about it, but she is hoping that things will change soon…