Create a Family with a Twist 1

[chamwue]

[name_f]Ivy[/name_f] Xiaoqian Zhang (18) is a childhood friend of [name_f]Bonne[/name_f] and [name_f]Aina[/name_f]. [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] is one of the oldest of her grade, her birthday being just beyond the cut off of being a grade higher. She’s seen [name_f]Veronica[/name_f] a few times and personally stays away from her, disliking preteens on principle. It’s nothing personal— [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] is the eldest of five children, and having four younger brothers makes you avoid children like the plague. She has her own circus to manage.

She mostly spends her time outside her home due to the fact that it’s always crowded. Although [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] loves her parents, she wishes that she had her own space at home: as the eldest, she’s expected to accommodate her younger siblings and take care of them at the same time. [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] is one of the top students of her class and is on the student council, but she thinks her parents don’t notice.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Brenton[/name_m] “Brent “ [name_m]Jonas[/name_m] Hanwick (34) is the honours [name_f]English[/name_f] teacher of [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]. He is a paternal uncle of the Hanwick sisters, being the younger brother of their father, but keeps an unbiased nature. He and his wife have only one child but his wife is currently pregnant, although this new baby isn’t his — or hers. She’s serving as a surrogate mother for her sister, his sister-in-law. He and his wife may have other children after the one they already have, but aren’t sure yet.

Having [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] in his class makes him proud of her because she excels at his class and he is always happy to see what she submits for his assignments. He is a honours teacher but still makes sure not to make everything too difficult, instead just making the pace a little faster. He has always given his students feedback on their assignments and he would like them to feel good about themselves and feel rewarded. He feels [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] doesn’t get that support at home as much and hopes she isn’t always feeling discredited.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Vida[/name_u] [name_f]Coraline[/name_f] [Greene] Hanwick (31) is Brent’s wife and the mother of their son, who’s just celebrated his third birthday. [name_u]Vida[/name_u] often jokes she’s the polar opposite of her husband, as she’s quite a bit older than her two youngest siblings - one who’s non-binary and a brother - with her the older of the two being ten years younger than [name_u]Vida[/name_u]. Her parents were only nineteen when [name_u]Vida[/name_u] and her twin sister were born and actually spent part of her childhood living together but not being a couple, as they wanted to prioritise raising their child over forcing a relationship: a decision that actually allowed them to reconcile shortly after Vida’s fifth birthday. Currently working as a dental nurse, Vida’s always been a natural academic, but this hasn’t dulled her romantic sensibilities - as she’s dedicated to ensuring she and [name_m]Brent[/name_m] have time together as a couple; although she loves her son dearly and dislikes being away from him for an extended period of time.

Aside from planning impromptu date nights for herself and her husband, [name_u]Vida[/name_u] is heavily invested in environmental causes, and has been vegetarian since she was ten. She doesn’t insist anyone around her has to change their diet but is very pleased both her siblings are interested in conservationism and animal protection, with the three spending time attending protests or environmentalism meetings together. [name_u]Vida[/name_u] has plans on taking her son with them when he’s a little older, as long as he feels comfortable, but spoke to [name_m]Brent[/name_m] about this before he was even born as she didn’t want to go into parenthood without being as transparent as possible. The couple met through Vida’s twin - who she’s serving as a surrogate for - as they had mutual friends, with [name_m]Brent[/name_m] being introduced to [name_u]Vida[/name_u] at a party, and she still suspects her sister planned on setting them up.

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_u]January[/name_u] [name_u]Matty[/name_u] Edwards (Prev. [name_u]January[/name_u] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] Edwards) (21) is the 3rd eldest sibling and is outgoing and confident. [name_u]January[/name_u] gets on with [name_u]Vida[/name_u] and Vida’s family but is more close with their younger brother who is 2 years younger than them. They are a cyber security analyst and they met their wife in work because their wife is the Ceo of the company they work for. [name_u]January[/name_u] has always been in too computing and has their degree in computer science. January’s wife is 23 and they have 2 year old twins together and are adopting another child from Japan next year after the tech company have released their new product. The mother is expecting the child who they will adopt after birth, they are close friends with the mother, who has reasons to want to give her child up.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Tomas[/name_m] [name_u]Mason[/name_u] and [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] Edwards (2) are the 2-year-old twins. [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] likes to finger paint and is very confident in doing so while [name_m]Tomas[/name_m] is more shy except when watching his fave TV shows when he’s full of energy. [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] sometimes likes to stand tall on pillows and act like she’s the older sibling for fun and act like a “big girl” but little does she know she’s 14 minutes younger than [name_m]Tomas[/name_m]! She loves having big natural hair to look taller and [name_u]January[/name_u] and their siblings support this, seeing that people should always be confident in their racial attributes and knows the twins will be excited for their new Japanese adoptive sibling-to-be when the baby is born. [name_m]Tomas[/name_m] always acts proud of his parents and he is, even if her doesn’t understand technology. However he is already a self-proclaimed geek and loves robots and aliens. The twins also love their cousin, the 3-year-old son of [name_u]Vida[/name_u] and [name_m]Brent[/name_m], and are excited for their new cousin.

[lemon_swirlxx]

Emily Leila McDonnell (2) is Brittany’s best friend. Emily is similar to the roberts family (on the create a family, but its got a twist forum) in Emily is the youngest of 8 siblings. Recently, Emily’s family have been grieveing the fact that the eldest McDonnell’s child’s boyfriend was murdered brutally. Emily loves her older siblings but it is always really noisy. Emily loves going to Brittany’s house because it is calm. Emily is a bouncy, sporty toddler who is already playing in football tournaments and swimming races.

Create a family (but it's got a twist) - #189 by lemon_swirlxx Roberts family is all posts down from here

[I_meme_it]

[name_f]Ruth[/name_f] [name_f]Alicia[/name_f] McDonnell (20) is the eldest McDonnell sibling, who recently lost their boyfriend to an act of violence initially assumed to be a singular focused random attack but which has grown into something far worse. Recently, [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] was informed it’s suspected their late boyfriend lost his life in a calculated plot orchestrated on the behalf of an ex-girlfriend, who never forgave him for breaking things off once the two reached the end of high school and he felt it was best they ended things with college on the horizon It was while studying Geology that [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] met him, at a point in their life where stress was quite high. Only recently they’d come out as non-binary to the family and had to explain their preferred pronouns - they/she - to extended relatives, something that wasn’t entirely accepted.

Meeting someone who not only understood Ruth’s identity but respected it and decided to pursue a relationship did wonders for their confidence, which has been shattered in the wake of loss. They’ve moved out of their student house on account of how devastated they are right now - postponing all studies thanks to the immediate shock that set in - and haven’t even moved back in with their parents, instead choosing to go to their maternal grandmother who lives closer to their boyfriend’s family, allowing them time to spend together mourning. While [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] appreciates their own family being there, spending time with the people who knew their boyfriend better than anyone else means a lot right now, but they’re visiting home whenever they feel up to it - which varies based on their energy levels.

Lost is the best way to discuss [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] currently. With the impending trial - now the charges have been filed against the three conspirators and perpetrators - as well as what their future holds, especially the idea of going back to the college where their life would be altered so much, honestly feels impossible.

@CherryBomb50 Sorry for cutting you off!

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Blaise[/name_u] [name_m]Dalton[/name_m] McDonnell (14) is Ruth’s younger brother and within the middle of the pack. He bonds the most with [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] since he’s genderfluid, going by he/they and occasionally she and fluctuates, currently using him/his/he/himself pronouns at the moment. His best friend is the younger brother of Ruth’s late boyfriend, making him have a bond with the late man. He realises [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] needs their time alone as well and he respects that. [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] feels he has matured faster than this, but not as quickly as some of the older siblings.

@I_meme_it No worries! I was writing a different character anyway!

[I_meme_it]

Samuel ’ Sam ’ Larkin McDonnell (18) is Blaise’s older brother, the second of the 8 siblings and Ruth’s main confident in everything, including their grief. In many ways, Sam resembles his older sibling, having a quiet and introverted disposition, in spite of belonging to the school baseball team where he’s earned a lot of praise. Due to Ruth needing their space and time with their late boyfriend’s family, Sam’s taken over a lot of their duties in an emotional sense, including being the sibling Emily comes to when their parents’ are busy and she wants some comfort (or attention, she’s always happy for Sam to read to her or play races, which she mysteriously always wins).

It’s not a secret that Sam and Ruth’s closeness does sometimes upset Blaise, who’s felt he has to prove his maturity even more in comparison to his older brother, so he tries his best to give them time - and usually his conversations with Ruth take place late at night when they can be certain Blaise is asleep and won’t feel overlooked. Sam himself is bisexual and is currently dating a trans girl who he met at a baseball tournament, with her being the main person he talks to about the ongoing devastation impacting their family.

Although he hates to admit it to anyone, Sam and his girlfriend have discussed violence purported towards trans people, as the murder of Ruth’s boyfriend has made them both hyper-aware of what awful events constantly plague the trans community. Sam cares very little for concepts such as toxic masculinity and is open when it comes to his emotions, even if he hates being the centre of attention at school - so this usually occurs when he’s around those he trusts. Aside from sports, Sam’s always been interested in criminology, and now is even more determined to pursue it academically, so he can help raise awareness of how the LGTBQIA+ community is targeted, as well as put away those like the people who conspired against Ruth’s boyfriend.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Joanna[/name_f] " [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] " [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] McDonnell (10) is the fourth sibling and fellow middle child to [name_u]Blaise[/name_u], although the four year age gap means people tend to perceive them very differently. [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] has always been sensitive and emotionally open, being called a ‘crybaby’ by some of her classmates as she can’t hold back tears if something effects her - usually in the pages of her current favourite book. The ongoing pain regarding [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] and [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] has affected [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] greatly, to the surprise of no-one on account of her strong empathy, and she feels frustrated that there’s not much she can do to help either one of them, especially her eldest sibling. [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] also has spent time with their nana for extended periods of time: namely when she was moving schools after some of the boys in her class subjected her to harassment for crying in a PE lesson, and the teachers did next to nothing to stop this from happening, giving the impression it was acceptable to mock someone for being delicate.

A little awkwardly, [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] saw these boys recently when she went to support her best friend at a swimming gala, and the atmosphere was incredibly uncomfortable for them due to people no longer accepting their attitudes towards their classmate - which helped Jojo’s confidence considerably. She’s always been the closest to her mom on account of her kindness towards her younger siblings and sharing her mom’s interest in watercolour painting - with art being Jojo’s greatest passion, and the subject she feels most confident in. In spite of seeming high strung to some, [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] isn’t possessive when it comes to her mother’s attention and is perfectly happy sharing it with the others, not trying to monopolise something so important. Thanks to having spent so much time with her nana, she does visit [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] when possible and is always doing her best to return the kindness they always showed her - mostly by giving them updates on how the others are doing as [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] finds this the best pick-me-up given what they’re going through right now.

Thanks to her sweetness, [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] is actually pretty popular at the school she’s attending currently, and is a lot happier - although she’s maintained contact with her other friends too. She’s been going to some sleepovers recently after not leaving the house much in case [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] stops by, now knowing her sibling calls ahead or will ensure Jojo’s contacted so she can come back and they can hang out too.

[lemon_swirlxx]

Just to make things a little less confusing (for me mainly)

8th born: Emily Leila McDonell (2)
7th born
6th born: Adam Fischer McDonell (5)
5th born: Kennedy Olivia McDonell (7)
4th born: Joanna ‘JoJo’ Paisley McDonell (10)
3rd born: Blaise Dalton McDonell (14)
2nd born: Samuel ‘Sam’ Larkin McDonell (18)
1st born: Ruth Alicia McDonell (20)

Kennedy Olivia McDonell (8) is the 5th born, and a middle child with Blaise and Jojo. Kennedy is sensible and likes to be the leader of her 3 younger siblings, and has taken Emily as her pet. She likes acting in particular. Her best friend is complete opposite to her, as she is mature and her best friend is quite childish. She is adaptable and quiet but closest to her Dad.

@I_meme_it and @kitkatcookie there is 8 kids actually

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Adam[/name_m] [name_m]Fischer[/name_m] McDonnell (5) is the 6th sibling who’s going through the obligatory rebellion many do when they start to come into their own. Although [name_m]Adam[/name_m] used to be happy deferring to Kennedy’s authority, he started to tire of getting bossed around and her expecting him to be as complacent as [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is on account of being so little, meaning he’s broken away from the pack. This is also thanks to [name_m]Adam[/name_m] having become very close with another boy who attends the same nursery group as him, as they share a love of superheroes and intergalactic space battles, which he never felt [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] was that interested in playing.

While [name_u]Jojo[/name_u] and [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] prefer going to their nana’s house for an escape, [name_m]Adam[/name_m] has found their paternal grandparents - grandpa and gran - the best place to find some space where he can watch his cartoons or practice reading more. He used to try with [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] but she was impatient he wasn’t as quick as her, so their parents stopped this unofficial teaching process from happening as they didn’t want [name_m]Adam[/name_m] to loose his confidence or compare himself unfairly to his sister. While he’s not too interested in academics, sports already intrigue him, and he’s an excellent climber.

~

@lemon_swirlxx That was my bad not @kitkatcookie 's!

@CherryBomb50 It’s 8 not 6 kids

[CherryBomb50]

Onni Rasmus Jarvinen (5) is Adam’s best friend in the nursery group. He is the youngest of his family and youngest brother of Nik Jarvinen although he has other siblings besides her. Nik is much older than her other siblings and has a smart and “take charge” attitude and while he can be more of the playful type, he not-so-secretly wants to follow her footsteps and likes to lead in the sense of “being a superhero”. Nik sometimes plays superheroes with him when she’s not busy and Onni calls her his “Super Sister” which she finds cute. He is also into the Finnish culture but not as deeply, instead just lightly getting immersed in his roots. Onni is also close with his grandparents since they have gotten him into Finnish and play Finnish music in their house. Sometimes whenever he wants to sing or play space heroes, he recruits Adam’s younger sibling or his older sibling to join them.

Nik was created by @kitkatcookie.

@I_meme_it Oof! Where did I say there was 6 siblings? I’ll fix that.

[I_meme_it]

@CherryBomb50 No no you didn’t that was me, but I wanted to warn you of my mistake!

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Viggo[/name_m] [name_m]Asmund[/name_m] Jarvinen (7) is Onni’s older brother and third of the 4 siblings. Unlike his little brother, [name_m]Viggo[/name_m] wishes the age gap between the siblings was smaller, as his rebellious tendencies are much stronger than his other two siblings combined. He’s the most likely to ask a dozen annoying questions if he feels like it, but what started out as a means of amusing himself has morphed into [name_m]Viggo[/name_m] genuinely recognising how much science intrigues him, and he’s calmed down considerably now he’s spending more time reading kid appropriate books on the subject. This hasn’t stopped him from being highly energetic at school and continuing to lead his pack of friends about during break times in the pursuit of their private adventure games.

Although he belongs to the same class as [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], the closeness of their siblings hasn’t reflected in the pair, but on Viggo’s end it’s because individualism is very important and he feels becoming friends with Onni’s best friends’ sister wouldn’t do much good for his self-esteem. Kennedy’s best friend is someone he knows quite well though, albeit [name_m]Viggo[/name_m] is completely blind to the fact she has a mini crush on him, thanks to how daring and bold his nature is. They also share a strong sense of imagination and, thanks to sitting next to one another, discuss made-up ideas all the time. While being uncompromising nature can drive his parents, [name_u]Nik[/name_u] and other older sibling mad from time-to-time, his unwavering personality means [name_m]Viggo[/name_m] feels creativity and academics shouldn’t be sacrificed for one another, so he’s firmly chosen both.

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_u]Jodi[/name_u] [name_m]Aureli[/name_m] Jarvinen (13) is [name_m]Onni[/name_m], [name_u]Nik[/name_u] and Viggo’s sibling and they are the 2nd born. [name_u]Jodi[/name_u] is non-binary but more fem-leaning and is experimenting with she/they pronouns. [name_u]Jodi[/name_u] is really smart and shares Nik’s intrust in writing, recently winning a 100 dollar prize from a writing contest. [name_u]Jodi[/name_u] is really into healthy cooking and recently got a job in a restaurant. Jodi’s best friend is a Mexican American boy who emigrated when he was 5 with his large extended family to escape abuse from his bio father from Mississippi

[kitkatcookie]

tw: domestic violence, child abuse

Rafael Cristiano Tirado (13) is Jodi’s best friend and the eldest boy in his family, although he has two older sisters, one of whom mirrors Nik in her authority figure role to the others. Early life is something Rafel has limited memories of, thanks to the awful environment he was born into. His father, a man he only remembers screaming and destroying furniture, was an incredibly violent partner, who subjected physical abuse to his wife and eldest daughters; having begun to verbally assault Rafael when his mother fled with her children - a warning sign things would worsen. The surname all six siblings share is their mother’s and she’s a woman Rafael hero worships for her strength.

While many in the neigbourhood labeled Carla Tirado as “weak” for staying with her husband for years, the situation was far more complicated than they gave her credit. Financial abuse was key to the control he excerted and any money she made working short-lived jobs was watched over by him in a joint bank account, meaning if she withdrew anything to escape, he’d immediately know thanks to obsessively checking the family finances. To escape him, Carla had to set up a secret mailbox for relatives to send money to, and only when these transactions were finalised with enough money left to pay off the boxes rental company could she flee with her children overnight when her husband disappeared on a bender. She followed her own younger siblings who had to go earlier, as Rafael’s father was no stranger to using his aunt and uncles as leverage, threatening them with retribution if Carla turned to them for help leaving. It’s mostly through his older sisters that Rafael knows the details of their fleeing, thanks to being so young when it happened - although his godmother, Carla’s childhood best friend who helped her find their current house, has told him a few details to help him fully appreciate his mom’s bravery. She’s greatly respected by him, his siblings and extended family for what she did, even though in the early years she endured severe depression after learning her ex-husband had become physically violent with their daughters.

It’s also Rafael’s godmother who Jodi works for, picking up groceries and delivering them to the restaurant, as she’s currently too young to be employed in any other capacity. Music is his greatest passion - especially the guitar which his aunt taught him to play - and it’s led to Rafael getting to know Nik better, in spite of her initially terrifying him on account of her confidence. She’s leant him music sheets to practice with and has even taught him more about Finnish culture, being the sibling most involved and invested in this part of the family identity, which fascinates Rafael. He himself tends to be laidback and quiet in class, only coming out of his shell when music is being discussed, or participating in Spanish lessons for extra credit; but his teachers like him for always being polite and thoughtful, especially towards staff. Something he used to keep to himself was his worries about his older sisters, but this has alleviated much more now they’re both in therapy.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for physical abuse and aforementioned murder.

[name_u]José[/name_u] [name_m]Cesario[/name_m] Tirado (11) is the fourth oldest Tirado, directly behind [name_m]Rafael[/name_m]. He has gone to therapy himself, telling his mother [name_f]Carla[/name_f] that he needs it, and her never denying her children any sort of therapy if they need it but [name_u]José[/name_u] has never told anyone his secret reason why — he’s been physically abused by his father on two separate occasions and doesn’t want to discuss that with his family. He knows his mother has sacrificed so much for them and he can’t bear to make her feel worse. He also doesn’t want his sisters to be depressed by this as well since they were abused physically too, but more often. At least the therapy has helped him tremendously since he goes to the same licenced therapist as his sisters. When he’s with his family, he is closest with [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] and considers him a good brother. He is close with [name_u]Nik[/name_u] and her siblings and is trying to learn Finnish, already knowing [name_f]English[/name_f] and Spanish. [name_u]José[/name_u] also has an attachment with his older sisters and mother. [name_u]José[/name_u] isn’t close with the McDonnells yet due to the murder of Ruth’s boyfriend personally scaring him.

[kitkatcookie]

tw: child abuse, domestic violence, depression & associated mental health struggles

Almeria " Alma " Martina Tirado (18) is the second eldest sibling and generally considered the most overt in how she expresses her experiences from childhood. For Alma, her father was a confusing figure throughout the early years of being away from him. While he was incredibly cruel, selfish and aggressive, he was far more prone to apologising to his children after beating them, and gaslit them about what happened. His preferred tactic was claiming they’d provoked him by disappointing him or misbehaving - an even more ridiculous accusation given how the children were always walking on egg shells. Subsequently, Alma struggled with misplaced blame throughout her pre and early teens, developing depression at just thirteen which manifested in self-harm and skipping school when she started having panic attacks. She struggled with reconciling memories of her fathers’ glimpses of kindness with the monster he embodied just as easily, only really confiding in her big sister, but held back when she realised the strain could devastate her even more.

What Alma did use as an effective distraction technique was her work ethic with what she enjoys and natural interest in writing. Journalistic pieces, poems, fiction, whatever it is, Alma finds herself drawn to it and puts in as much effort as possible. This caused her teachers to reevaluate what they first saw as acting out in distraught anger as how much she feared failing, mirroring the way her father made her feel, and with proper counselling, she had a lot of capability in numerous subjects, not just her favourite one. While she sometimes does skip class when her mental health is at its worse point, Alma no longer just walks out of school and is allowed to see the counsellor before taking study leave in the library. Her best friend is Ivy Zhang, who often accompanies her to the library on account of her notable achievements, and Alma’s always supportive towards her, recognising how much ability, talent and potential Ivy has, which she does her best to encourage. More than anything, Alma cannot abide pity and becomes very cagey when she senses this being directed. She’s usually quite polite and aloof, but there’s a coolness that comes over Alma when she’s angry, causing her to shutdown and ignore whoever’s aggravated her.

Alma has suspicions regarding what prompted Josè to go to therapy but doesn’t consider it her place to ask him questions why - knowing it could bring back painful memories. To her younger siblings, Alma tends to be seen as a little elusive - spending her time reading, watching so-bad-it’s-good films or hanging out with her friends - but the youngest (twins who were born after Carla and the others fled) have a special place in her heart, as she wants to protect them from the pain given they escaped meeting their father. She’s fine with her tight-knit group coming over due to having her own space - the largest bedroom going to her and her big sister as they opted to share, on account of their closeness, which is apparent to this very day - even though the eldest Tirado sibling’s started college and is studying most of the time, or off with her own friends. On one occasion she did fight with her mom - going to stay with her uncle - after Carla discovered Alma had been smoking (a habit she picked up independent from any friends, merely choosing it for stress relief), but they reconciled quickly after the guilt ate away at Alma, prompting her to call her mom and they talked things through properly. Her older uncle is someone Alma loves dearly though, seeing him more akin to a father figure in certain ways, and she babysits his kids (her very little cousins) in thanks for how he always got her secondhand books when she was feeling down.

Ivy is credited to @chamwue

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_f]Romina[/name_f] ‘Rome’ [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] Tirado (21) is the eldest sibling. [name_u]Rome[/name_u] feels like she must look after her 5 younger siblings. [name_u]Rome[/name_u] was usually the one who stood up to her Father but also by that cause she was beat the most. [name_u]Rome[/name_u] has panic disorder and like her elder sister experiences panic attacks. Her natural insticts when she hears loud noises or shouting is to hide and she has mild PTSD. She was around 10 or 12 when the abuse was happening so she was old enough to remember. She is sensible and quiet but she wants to be a therapist and she gives talks on recognizing child abuse and other issues.