Create a Family With a Twist 2

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Lyja[/name_f] [name_u]Riven[/name_u] [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] (14) is the eldest sibling, and by far the most aware of the dysfunctions of her parents marriage - striving to protect her younger siblings, but commonly plagued by lingering resentments. When she was younger, [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] assumed she was the one at fault where her dad’s disinterest in parenting was concerned. A consumate girly-girl, pink, dance lessons and princesses dominated her interests, something she misinterpreted as justifying the distance between them. Between the ages of 7 to 10, [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] actually tried to force herself to become a tomboy, believing if she just came to share her dad’s love of baseball and classic cars, he’d pay her the attention she wanted: it didn’t work. In fact he seemed bemused by it at best, usually giving her a little reinforcement for her attempts, but never actually bonding with her. This led to a bit of sibling rivalry between her and [name_u]Taylin[/name_u], as their mom was the available parent they could always confide in and enjoy time with, meaning there were the odd spats over who got her attention, thanks to their dad being wrapped up in work and himself.

By 11, [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] had come to reject her former attempts at remodelling herself, and in turn her father. She reconnected with her love of dance and moved onto figure skating, an activity she competes in now, while still attending ballet classes and experiments with makeup: quite conservatively though as she doesn’t want to make a fool of herself in public. Socially she’s quite popular, having a natural ability to be at ease around new people, and for how she’s very femininely inclined, her group of friends is a huge range of interests, personalities and backgrounds; creating a connection [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] treasures dearly. Thanks to their age gap, there was no resentment on her end when [name_u]Reese[/name_u] came along [although she did have a brief panic of wondering if her father would become attentive towards his son, given her worries gender dictated his emotional absence]. The divorce does make [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] question the future of her relationship with him, and she’s confided in her mum that she doesn’t know if pursuing a proper bond is something she wants, given the continuous string of disappointments and broken promises her dad’s left her dealing with.

[jinxed_peach]

cw: cheating, mentioned previous non-violent spousal abuse

[name_u]Harvest[/name_u] ‘Harvey’ [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] Rossum [23] and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] Rossum [1mos] are the former nanny and secret half-sister to [name_f]Lyja[/name_f] and her other siblings. Initially Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] was pretty opposed to having help for the kids “They have us! Isn’t that enough?” he would always say. Though when [name_f]Clara[/name_f] had to have an unplanned c-section to deliver [name_u]Reese[/name_u] and therefore needed to reduce her home workload, he caved and hired [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]. The young and chipper woman fit into the family with ease. She had been a babysitter all through high school and college so she was no stranger to the needs of a family such as the Arnolds.

Though she would soon fit in a little too well. Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] had taken their professional and friendly relationship into a more inappropriate one, making frequent passes at her as soon as [name_f]Clara[/name_f] or the kids were out of hear shot. She tried to write it off as him being overly kind, but being young and naive, as well as having only ever had one steady relationship in her life (her high school sweetheart) she soon fell for his tricks.

They began to see each other frequently in secret, [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] found it sort of thrilling. She had seen how [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and her husband were clearly falling out of love but begrudgingly stayed together for the kids, she thought that her relationship with him was ‘saving’ him from a bad marriage while allowing him to keep up appearances. Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] kept her loyalty by dangling the proverbial carrot of promising that he would eventually leave [name_f]Clara[/name_f] for her in front of her, allowing their secret to continue. Of course he never had any intention of divorcing [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and was shocked when she herself filed for the split. In truth he had been prolonging their marriage by tampering with the condoms they used unknown to [name_f]Clara[/name_f], which resulted in Reese’s conception.

Speaking of conceptions, after about a year of working for the Arnolds and sleeping with her boss, [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] found out that she was pregnant. She had hoped it would be the catalyst for her future with him to take off, but when she told him he was furious and took out his wallet, throwing a large chunk of cash at her feet and telling her to do whatever she wanted with it, pay for an abortion or consider it a down payment of child support (though he obviously hoped for the former). Heartbroken by his actions, but still wanting to keep the man she loved’s life intact, she took the money and quit. Telling the other family members that she needed to go back home to her older sister due to a family emergency. Which wasn’t technically a lie, she did end up going to life with her sister, and an unplanned pregnancy is kind of an emergency. Hey, she never said the emergency was her sister’s.

Her sister was supportive of her during her pregnancy, but wasn’t really shy about criticizing her for being silly enough to sleep with, fall in love with, and get pregnant by a married man. Frequently chastising her over the subject. It wasn’t out of malice, more so that due to their own parents being absent much like Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] for most of their childhoods, she ended up raising [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] practically all by herself. Seeing that she hadn’t managed to instill enough wisdom into her for her to have avoided this whole mess felt like a personal failing that she wasn’t sure how to cope with, except by voicing her disappointment.

As her pregnancy progressed Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] kept up his promise to pay child support and would wire money into her account monthly, writing it off as ‘consulting fees’ so as to hide it form his family. [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] attempted to send him ultrasound photos or pictures of herself and her growing bump but after the first few he had called her screaming to tell her to stop since leaving a digital trail made it easier for them to be exposed. Reluctantly, she apologized and ceased the image sharing.

When the time came that she went into labor she tried to contact him, but received nothing in response. That was really the moment when she realized that she had been played, that he didn’t really love her, and that she was truly on her own as a mother. Her sister acted as her support person during her labor as [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] was welcomed into the world. While holding her daughter for the first time, [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] took out her phone and sent a final message to Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m], telling him to never contact her again or send her money every again, threatening legal action if he did. Finally cutting him from her life so she could focus on the new portion of her life before her.

As far as she knows, the identity of Rowan’s father is just between her and him, but as the divorce proceedings progress and the lawyers dig deeper into their lives. One of Clara’s attorneys has been looking into the matter of a uniform sum coming out of their joint banking account that lasted approximately nine months before stopping…

[jinxed_peach]

bumping!

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Pomona[/name_f] " [name_f]Mona[/name_f] " [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] Rossum (28) is Harvey’s older sister, Rowan’s aunt and source of advice, support and [unsolicited] feedback. Growing up parentified can make [name_f]Mona[/name_f] seem stern for her years: she’s hyper organised, very blunt and can even intimidate some people with her no nonsense energy. This stems from wrangling her little sister - who had periods of rejecting Mona’s authority - while doing her best to not flunk out of school or loose what parts of childhood she was afforded thanks to their absentee parents. When the Rossum’s were around, they treated [name_f]Mona[/name_f] more akin to a friend than their daughter, and would praise her maturity to keep her from complaining too much about the unfairness of her situation; something she now deeply resents, in how they were so remorseless about their treatment of her and [name_m]Harvey[/name_m].

While she overachieved and worked hard academically, [name_f]Mona[/name_f] didn’t go to college in the end. She knew her parents couldn’t be trusted with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], and didn’t even consider them reliable enough to help with tuition fees; instead looking for an apprenticeship. [name_f]Mona[/name_f] managed to land one after four months of searching and this allowed her to pursue her interest in mechanical engineering [not that her parents knew, as they were barely aware ot any of their daughters interests or aspirations]. The complexity of her work is something [name_f]Mona[/name_f] prefers, as she admits it allows her to refocus her mind away from all the unfair demands her childhood was dominated by, and the resentment over constantly being let down by her parents. This is another reason as to why she was so dismayed at Harvey’s relationship with Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m], as everything about him promised the same cycle of empty promises and lack of caring; subscribing to the same mentality of Mr and Mrs Rossum that as long as you’re not leaving your kids alone with no food, a long dinner with friends where your 9 year old daughter’s acting as the babysitter is completely justified.

Her other discomfort was the fact there are children involved: now not just the three Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] had with [name_f]Clara[/name_f] but also her young niece. [name_f]Mona[/name_f] feels torn about how she wants [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] to go about dealing with him, as on the one hand getting the owed money is wholeheartedly important, but on the other she can’t help wonder if he’ll try weasling his way back into her sister’s good graces; using the same method of preying upon her empathy and willingness to give people a chance. Something about his M.O. just gives [name_f]Mona[/name_f] the impression he’ll look for one of the women to fall back on as a means of saving face, if his behaviour regarding [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] so much as acknowledging her pregnancy was such an issue for him. The main person she’s confided in during this whole situation is her girlfriend, who’s an assistant prosecutor, and perhaps the most reliable person [name_f]Mona[/name_f] knows. They’ve got some plans on moving in together at some stage, however [name_f]Mona[/name_f] wants to ensure [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] feels comfortable with that, as there’s no way [name_f]Mona[/name_f] will ask her sister and niece to leave.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Colette[/name_f] [name_f]Ombeline[/name_f] [name_m]Bouvier[/name_m] (28) is the assistant prosecutor and Mona’s girlfriend. [name_u]An[/name_u] astute woman, things have definitely changed for the better with her. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] successfully tried her hardest in helping [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] gain custody of [name_u]Rowan[/name_u]. She feels Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] wasn’t even treating [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] like a human, instead like a pawn in his little manipulative games or a fancy prize to “win” away from [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] despised this and initially didn’t want to think that was the case but she has been feeling this more and more the longer she knew the [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] - Rossum conflict. In addition to successfully getting [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] full custody of [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], she and the legal team were also successfully able to get [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] the money back from Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m]. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] is on very good terms with everyone on her legal team, especially a friend who’s helping with restraining orders. She’s learned about [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and her children [name_f]Lyja[/name_f], [name_u]Taylin[/name_u], and [name_u]Reese[/name_u] and admires Clara’s fortitude in the sweet family. She also really appreciates [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and getting to know her through her sister [name_f]Mona[/name_f]. At first [name_f]Colette[/name_f] couldn’t relate to Harvey; [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] was the “naïve” type growing while [name_f]Colette[/name_f] was the “skeptical” type growing up. But [name_f]Colette[/name_f] sees the human in everyone and uses this for empowering people. She listened to [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] discuss her life, how relationships were like for her, and what she wanted in the future.

So what did she do after the court case? She’s helping get [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and Clara’s children to file a name change petition - to change their last names so they’re no longer [name_m]Arnold[/name_m]. Secretly, [name_f]Colette[/name_f] has been wanting [name_f]Clara[/name_f] to do that, so she’s happy [name_f]Clara[/name_f] will. However like [name_f]Mona[/name_f], [name_f]Colette[/name_f] is convinced Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] has more dirty tricks for [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and her next step for them is to get them to file a restraining order with the help of her aforementioned friend. Also secretly, she really liked [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] with her old high school boyfriend, who has only gotten better, and wishes they were together and that Harvey’s relationship with Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] never happened. She’s seen him around and she’s heard [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] talk about him and in all honesty, [name_f]Colette[/name_f] feels Harvey’s high school former sweetheart really truly loved and cared about her while Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] never did. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] herself had a first love too, but the relationship was very very short and too much was going on to keep it together. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] doesn’t hate her first ex but knows she’s much happier with [name_f]Mona[/name_f] and that her ex is just too different from her now to have a connection anyway. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] is a genius and uses her intelligence a lot for matters like this, lying awake in bed at night for hours thinking of all the logical steps that need to be taken, sometimes even writing these down to avoid forgetting them in the morning. However she isn’t all nerdy and sometimes geeky thanks to her sister [name_u]Marie[/name_u], a developer in [name_u]Halcyon[/name_u] Nights Studios. She’s also inspired by Marie’s husband [name_u]Spence[/name_u], a proud cowboy. She and [name_f]Mona[/name_f] have ridden horses together and enjoyed the rustic scenery of [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and Spence’s place and it’s a main reason why [name_f]Colette[/name_f] likes outdoor dates best. They’re not all rustic though, they’ll go anywhere. One of her favourite spots is at a restaurant, but not indoors but instead outside on the terrace. She remembers [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and [name_u]Spence[/name_u] talking about this restaurant and they were the ones who introduced her to it. [name_f]Colette[/name_f] couldn’t be happier at seeing such a nice and well-balanced marriage for a change.

Marie was created by @moonwriteen.

Spence was created by @kitkatcookie.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Jameson[/name_u] " [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] " [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] Bouvier-Link (16 months) is the ‘psuedo nephew’ of [name_f]Colette[/name_f], as some would call it, and her cousin-once-removed. His dad’s her cousin, who opted to take on his wife’s surname when the two wed, and it led to the double barrel one [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] carries. The geek gene is strong for the Bouvier’s, as [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] was named for the iconic J. [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] [name_u]Jameson[/name_u], his parents both being huge Spider-Man fans who met at a cosplay convention, but [name_m]Peter[/name_m] or [name_u]Parker[/name_u] were common choices within the social base, so they wanted something a little more unusual. Jamie’s parents now actually work in the comic industry: his dad’s an inker for prints while his mum’s involved in marketing, jobs they find incredibly fulfilling, however if he isn’t as taken by superheroes, they’re not going to be seeking any radioactive writers to change his mind.

As the current youngest member of the [name_m]Bouvier[/name_m] family, Jamie’s doted upon by just about everyone. He’s already known for being energetic and constantly wants to be on the move, rebelling against naptime if it means getting some more exploring done [not that his parents can ever stay annoyed once he gives them a cheeky grin]. Climbing is also something he’s starting to show interest in, and yes, his mum and dad have heard every joke given their introduction. On the [name_m]Link[/name_m] side he does have a younger cousin, however [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] hasn’t taken any issues with having to share the attention, even if it’s something he embraces wholeheartedly.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Emilien[/name_m] [name_m]Guillaume[/name_m] [Bouvier] Bouvier-Link (28) is Jamie’s father and the cousin of [name_u]Marie[/name_u] and [name_f]Colette[/name_f]. He’s a huge Spider-Man fan. It’s very well-known on his social media; loving the Spider-Man pointing meme, and Emilien’s also a follower of [name_u]Tobey[/name_u] MacGuire, [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] [name_m]Garfield[/name_m], and [name_m]Tom[/name_m] [name_u]Holland[/name_u]. Before he met his wife, he joked with his cousins he’d always be single given his geeky ways, but that all changed when he met his now-wife at that cosplay convention years ago! [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] is a proud inker for the prints, something that shocks nobody in the family, and he says he could be a fan of comics forever. Hey, [name_m]Stan[/name_m] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] made the [name_u]Marvel[/name_u] universe and he lived to 95! He knows [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] is into climbing and it makes him so happy, even if he comes off as a “dopey dad”. Dopey, dorky, and damn proud.

[name_m]Emilien[/name_m] and [name_u]Marie[/name_u] are very close given Marie’s work in [name_u]Halcyon[/name_u] Nights Studios. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] is a fan of the project and loves her contributions to make the games so good. However he’s grateful for [name_f]Colette[/name_f] and her friend, who have successfully managed to get [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] to file a restraining order against Mr. [name_m]Arnold[/name_m] like they wanted. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] is also happy [name_f]Clara[/name_f] has taken the move to change hers and her children’s surnames away from [name_m]Arnold[/name_m]. Regarding his own hyphenated surname; [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] shrugs that it’s “no big deal” that he hyphenated his last name, after all his wife did the same, and part of their marriage was uniting the two families as one anyway. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] loves having [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] explore the [name_m]Link[/name_m] side of his family too and finds the bond with Jamie’s young [name_m]Link[/name_m] cousin to be sweet and inspiring. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] has been spending a lot of time with the [name_m]Link[/name_m] family lately and he’s found a lot of joy.

[moonwriteen]

(warning: body dysmorphia, metntion of intimacy , body image issues following pregnancy)
[name_u]Aster[/name_u] [name_m]Siem[/name_m] VanderHaise (3 months) goes to the same nursery as [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] even though they go to different groups - [name_u]Aster[/name_u] 's a member of the Sapling group for little ones between the ages of 0-6 months. The middle group for babies from 6 to 12 months is called the Budding group while [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's group (for 12-18 month olds ) is called the [name_f]Blossom[/name_f] group. While [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] and [name_u]Aster[/name_u] have never played together in the nursery, they did in other circumstances because their mothers know eachother well. [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's mother is a frequent customer in the antique shop set up by the husband of [name_u]Aster[/name_u] 's mother , [name_f]Elysa[/name_f] VanderHeisen.

[name_f]Ellie[/name_f] loves her friends’ quirkiness and her intrests in not only comics but also history and antique furniture - she thinks the mid-19th-century lamp and 1950s couch that she got from [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] 's husband’s antique shop compose a great design in her living room. They connected due to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] 's natural extroversion and being inclined to chat with customers of her husband’s shop. They had a lot to talk about because they not only had parenting experiences to share but also both loved nail art and make-up. Jamie’s mom was extatic when [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] invited her over for a girl’s evening complete with drinking wine, getting your nails done and gettig dolled up to go to see a horror movie at the cinema. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] warned his wife against the meeting because he was convinced that [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] 's invitation is only to get [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] 's wife to try on an MLM make-up product or nail polish, buy it, sign up as a loyal customer and then eventually join the pyramid scheme to have self-help books shoved down her throat and recruit other people. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] was very careful as those schemes made his mom (and [name_f]Colette[/name_f] & [name_u]Marie[/name_u] 's aunt) go into debt and it was not until his mom went on a couple’s therpay session being on the brink of divorce that she discovered her codependence on the MLM higher-ups and the manipulation she was subjected to, which caused the financial problems and upheaval in their marriage.

Fortunately, [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] had good intentions and used nail polish and make-up from a regular retail store while not supporting a predatory business model - all that mattered to her is making a new friend because she could only talk so much to her co-workers and her sisters [name_f]Olga[/name_f] & [name_f]Kendra[/name_f] are warm to her , but not particularly close to the point where they really understand each other on a deep level. The young moms noticed that [name_u]Aster[/name_u] and [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] both are very energetic for their ages, as [name_u]Aster[/name_u] would smile to [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's mom while being sang to and would try to touch his mom’s and the other woman’s hair even though he was only suppoused to touch the toys on his playmat. [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's mom found it hilarious and admitted that’s what her son would do also. Eventually [name_u]Aster[/name_u] was taken out of the room by his dad and older sister [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f] , so as to not distract the conversation.

[name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's mom revealed to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] that after [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] was born she had trouble bonding with him for the first couple of months and she envies [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] for the connection she has with both her older daughter [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f] and 3-month old [name_u]Aster[/name_u] already. She also had body dysmorphia and would even shed tears in front of the mirror seeing stretch marks and the C-section scar , also confessing that she didn’t know whether or not [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] even found her attractive as a wife after the birth because she surely didn’t feel that way and also felt guilt for being shallow and worrying about her appearance while [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] was so tiny and needed nearly constant attention when it comes to being taken care of. To battle her appearance-related insecurities she turned to a gothic style and her interest in 19th century fashion history in order to be comfortable in her skin again… Which firstly weirded [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] out but in time he began to see it as mysterious or even sexy. Nearly a year after [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's birth they finally had a romantic night together with [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] suggestively telling his wife to go to the bedroom with only her [name_f]Alchemy[/name_f] Gothic necklace on… Well, she didn’t tell that part to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] directly, but despite the renewed intimacy making her feel extatic and way better about herself for the following months , [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] 's mom still felt lingering insecurities especially seeing her brother grow into the role of a father beautifully and her sister-in-law gleaming all throughout her pregnancy with Jamie’s cousin while also still staying active, doing yoga and organising her own baby shower with only the minimal help of her 2 college best friends. [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] related to those insecurities as she also felt inferior to her sister’s sometimes , and even though being social and extroverted at school made it seem like she had it all even then, she knew that [name_f]Olga[/name_f] was judging her due to her lack of academic achievemets. [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] told Jamie’s mom that comparison is the death of joy and told her about the Mental Health Clinic in St. [name_u]John[/name_u], [name_u]New[/name_u] Brunschwick where [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] 's therapist [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] works. Upon recieving the leaflet [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] 's new friend cried tears of gratitude and when she came back home she had a honest conversation with [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] regarding her body image issues , their intimate life and also the comparison game [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] 's wife couldn’t help but played regarding how well her sister-in-law and brother deal with the pregnancy and newborn stage of establishing their family as opposed to how she and [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] handled [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] when he was even younger. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] did everything he could to console his wife and say that she’s a great mother and wife. He also supported her in getting a therapist and even drove her to the clinic so she could ask for a meeting with Dr. [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] [name_f]Hathaway[/name_f]. After one initial therpay session [name_f]Ofelia[/name_f] referred the new client to her fiance - a specialist in body image issues like body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

The sessions really help the woman work on herself and her relationship with husband [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] who also was made aware of his wife’s tendencies to restrict calories so he cooks for her or involves her in the process of cooking while ensuring that the food is nutricious, healthy and that they eat together in a good atmosphere instead of in front of their laptops. They think that the next step is attending couple’s counseling so that they could grow together even more. [name_m]Emilien[/name_m] even noticed the issues that his wife had following the pregnancy as well as her remarking how cute the relationship between her friend’s baby [name_u]Aster[/name_u] and his older sister [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f] is - the Bouvier-Link family is currently exploring option of getting an older siblings for [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] through adoption.

Ellie was created by @kitkatcookie
Godelieve was created by yours truly
Ofelia was created by @wandering_willow

[kitkatcookie]

cw: difficult conversations regarding gender identity

[name_u]Quentin[/name_u] Hengshen VanDerHausen (30) is the father of [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f] and [name_u]Aster[/name_u], husband of [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] and friend of the Bouvier-Link’s. Difficult conversations within families aren’t something Quentin’s unfamiliar with, which is where some would argue [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] got her practice helping Jamie’s mum from. When he came out as genderfluid to his own family - using he/they pronouns - [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] was met with disbelief by his parents. They didn’t outright reject the notion but insisted he was being rash, and it worsened as his paternal aunt and her husband began fueling the fires of disbelief. His aunt and uncle’s reasoning was [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] merely wanted attention from his parents: he’s one of three adopted children [having been born in Shenzhen, China; joining the family when he was two and a half], and growing up tended to be the quietest one of the bunch, content with his own company and not prone to the bickering his two brother’s are practically infamous for. Although he didn’t want to believe his parents bought into this narrative, [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] knew they were genuinely struggling to understand his identity, and any explanation might be easily accepted.

[name_f]Ellie[/name_f] was the one who stopped things escalating. She dealt with Quentin’s aunt and uncle - not instigating an outright confrontation, but standing her ground and forcing them to acknowledge their stirring - while he focused on speaking to his parents and helping them understand who he is. [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] received support from his siblings [two younger brothers and an older sister, his sister being the biological child of their parents], who never questioned his revelation and wholeheartedly embraced him, which not only helped with his confidence, but Mr and Mrs VanDerHausen firstly stopping their questions and then making a genuine effort to educate themselves further in genderfluid identities.

Quentin’s career is something [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f] loves for the dainty, porcelain dolls, and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] finds terribly charming [a compliment that always makes her husband blush. Alongside Flemish and [name_m]Dutch[/name_m] he speaks Chinese, having wanted to connect more with the other part of his heritage, something his family supported and aided him in. Quentin’s middle name is the name he was born with in [name_f]China[/name_f], and the VanDerHausen’s wanted to keep his link to this firmly established, as their respective cultural backgrounds have remained important to both his mum and dad. He’s spoken to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] about introducing more of Chinese culture to [name_f]Godelieve[/name_f], beginning with their lunar new year celebrations, that went over very well [as, for how he can seem a little self-conscious, especially next to his wife, [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] will always put on bunny ears for the smile of his daughter] and he’s noticed she’s asked more questions recently.

There has been a recent query to come to him and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] that’s caused some stirs of anxiety. Quentin’s cousin [the daughter of his aunt and uncle who decided to psychoanaylse] has realised she’s pansexual, and due to this drama, is worried about coming out. He’s promised to help her when she feels ready to speak to then directly, although [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] and he are trying to not let their past influence things, as they don’t want the family to be divided. While [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] would also like to speak to his siblings about this - thanks to the strength they gave him, and his cousin’s an only child - he doesn’t want to overstep her boundaries, as he and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] are the only family members she’s told. Thankfully, Aster’s sunny presence always helps cheer his dad and provide a respite from the complexities of adulthood, something he admits to cherishing.

[jinxed_peach]

[name_f]Melissa[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Missy[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Natalie[/name_f] [name_u]Odell[/name_u] [22] is Quinten’s biological half-sister, sharing a father with him. Like him she was adopted out of Shenzhen, [name_f]China[/name_f]. She’s largely unaware of their existence however since all she knows about her adoption is the name of her birth mother and the city she was born in. She was once told by a court worker when she went looking for information at eighteen that she may have other siblings but was never confirmed. [name_f]Missy[/name_f] doesn’t worry herself too much about the status of her bio family since she’s pretty occupied with her adoptive family whom she considers her ‘true family’ since she grew up knowing the full story and apparently lengthy legal battle that transpired in her parents’ efforts to bring her home.

She’s not the only person in her family who’s adopted, she has four adopted siblings, two of whom are biological siblings as well that were adopted a year apart. While she lives pretty far away from her family now thanks to college and her first ‘real job’ outside of school she stays close with her family. Though her social life is mostly filled by her school friends. She’s been close with her freshman year dorm roommate since they first met. They’re moving into a shared apartment as they graduate this summer.

[name_f]Missy[/name_f] often struggled with her identity as a child since she was often torn between her birth heritage and her adopted heritage, which kept her quiet and reserved since she didn’t know who she really was so she felt uncomfortable in voicing her opinions. As she aged, she thankfully aged into more confidence and she stresses less about her heritage, she’s just [name_f]Missy[/name_f], and she’s happy with that.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for mentions of sexual assault (aforementioned, not graphic but blurring the most sensitive parts).

[name_m]Arlan[/name_m] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Craven[/name_m] (28) is one of Missy’s adoptive siblings, whose changed his surname back to his birth surname but remains close with his family. [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] still feels closer with his adoptive parents but has been more understanding of his birth parents. They didn’t plan to have him and wanted a better life for him, something [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] has grown up to understand, despite [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] himself having an unplanned son who he and his partner adore and chose to keep. Still, he may hyphenate his surname in the future - not with his birth family but actually his recent fiancée’s family - he’s gotten engaged to [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] DuMarr! The two already share a son [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], who has a hyphenated surname from the couple and [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] is the light of their lives. He and [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] have been very close throughout all their journey together, and it was an emotional finish throughout Sutton’s and Mary’s (Charlie’s godmother) families. The assailant to [name_u]Ainsley[/name_u] and [name_f]Helen[/name_f] has been sent to prison for a hefty sentence after [name_u]Tegan[/name_u] and [name_m]Saul[/name_m] persuaded not to let the assailant get off too easily, especially as a double offender. Tensions and emotions were high in the courtroom, especially given [name_u]Ainsley[/name_u] and [name_f]Helen[/name_f] backtracking to detail what the assailant did inconsensually and how it hurt them and their lives. Especially given the fact [name_u]Ainsley[/name_u] wasn’t initially believed, but now felt a weight lifted off with everyone in the courtroom believing her. The two survivors will not forgive what their assailant has done and have not forgotten the incidents, but their lives move forward for the better knowing there is justice out there.

As for his engagement with [name_u]Sutton[/name_u], it was recent, given it was months after the court case. Everyone in both families believed that the two would get married one day, especially the youngest [name_m]Jotham[/name_m], who was unbreakably close with everyone in his family despite the blended nature. They know for sure [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_u]Ainsley[/name_u], [name_f]Missy[/name_f], and any other sisters or female friends of [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] will be bridesmaids and that [name_m]Jotham[/name_m], [name_m]Eitan[/name_m], and any other brothers or male friends of [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] will be groomsmen. They don’t care if there’s bridesmaids from Arlan’s side or groomsmen from Sutton’s side given they’re all going to be united as one family anyway - not to mention Sutton’s family is blended and Arlan’s is adoptive.

[name_m]Arlan[/name_m] currently works as an engineer specialising in renewable energy. [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] loves his career - one of his co-workers happens to be Quentin’s cousin! [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] is a very chill individual but he’s very supportive and lends a hand to his co-worker and bonding friend. His family often thought he’d be something more laid-back given his less serious approach on life itself. [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] has seen the best sides of life and the worst sides of life and that’s how he’s managed to take things seriously without being a completely serious person. [name_f]Missy[/name_f] has caught on to this the most but the eldest [name_u]Odell[/name_u] sibling knows a lot too. [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] hopes his adoptive siblings are content with themselves regardless of where they were born or what they’ve retained. According to both [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] and the eldest adoptive sibling, the best day of everyone’s lives objectively already happened. It was the day we were born, because without it, none of the other moments of life would exist.

Charlie, Eitan, Saul, and Tegan were created by me.

Helen, Sutton, and Ainsley were created by @kitkatcookie.

Jotham and Mary were created by @moonwriteen.

[moonwriteen]

(tw: homophobia , economic exploitation of animals)
[name_f]Femke[/name_f] [name_f]Petra[/name_f] VanderHeisen (34) is Quentin’s pansexual cousin and [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] 's coworker at the renewable energy company. Having studied environmental science and feeling underappreciated by her former boss, she is happy to have set up a great business with [name_m]Arlan[/name_m].

She supports [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] in their identity and doesn’t her parents about her relationship status or her identyfying as pansexual because she knows they are bigoted but doesn’t have the strenght to stand up to them directly , instaed quietly supporting [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] behind the scenes and admiring [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] for standing up for her genderfluid partner when they tried to reduce the identity of a 30-year-old person to attention-seekig behaviour as if he was a hormonal teenager.

[name_f]Femke[/name_f] is a divorcee but still believes in the institution of marriage and so is very happy for [name_m]Arlan[/name_m] and [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] to be getting married.

It just didn’t work out for her the first time because her husband wanted her to move to northern [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and participate in selling fur coats and acessories with him - and that wasn’t meant to be faux fur. As someone who is big on animal rights, [name_f]Femke[/name_f] disagreed but it became so much of an issue that her husband set up the shop anyway and filed for divorce. [name_f]Femke[/name_f] now lives with her 3 children in Moncton. She has two girls and a boy aged 11 , 9 and 6 and their Alaskan Malamute , [name_f]Kiska[/name_f] .

Their father visits the kids twice a month and they always spend summer vacation with him because they love the snow and “survival” feel of northern [name_f]Canada[/name_f] , even if they disagree with their dad’s business. [name_f]Femke[/name_f] knows that her husband plans never to remarry and be a lone wolf. She, however, has found a partner who is female and they have been penpals via email. They met each other on a suppport forum for pansexuals which [name_f]Femke[/name_f] joined shortly after she divorced her husband and began discovering her sexuality. [name_f]Femke[/name_f] 's penpal plans to visit from Belgium but [name_f]Femke[/name_f] needs to trust her first before moving any further with the relationship - she just wants to meet her in person but it will take some time before she introduces her partner to her family and let alone kids.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Teije[/name_m] [name_m]Gijsbert[/name_m] VanderHeisen (6) is the youngest child and only son of [name_f]Femke[/name_f], who is a fan of colouring books and word searches. He’s bonded very closely with [name_f]Kiska[/name_f] and loves being able to have the Alaskan Malamute for love and support as well as fun times. [name_m]Teije[/name_m] is currently attending a local school and is doing exceptionally well, possibly being able to skip a grade, but it’s unknown yet if he will and he will be happy either way. He doesn’t really bond with his father the way other children with two-parent households do and he’s worried how this will affect him, but he’s only 6 and happy with his life right now, so his family doesn’t want to create problems for him if they’re not already existing. Thatbeing said, [name_m]Teije[/name_m] still enjoys the spirit of Northern [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and has considered getting a penpal of his own, although he prefers snail mail and sending cute drawings. In terms of Femke’s penpal, he’s more than eager to see where this friendship between his mother and the other woman goes. [name_f]Femke[/name_f] hasn’t told him about the in-person meetup the two women are having to avoid getting his hopes up and to keep it more personal before bringing her children in. [name_m]Teije[/name_m] loves summer and winter equally and doesn’t care about spring or autumn, although some of his family members who love those seasons always give a good reason for him to enjoy it when he’s sad about summer or winter ending. [name_m]Teije[/name_m] really looks up to [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] too and always has a happy-go-lucky support when he’s around.

[moonwriteen]

[name_f]Saskia[/name_f] [name_f]Doortje[/name_f] VanderHeisen (9) is the middle child of [name_f]Femke[/name_f]. [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] loves her brother but is nowhere near as active as [name_m]Teije[/name_m] is and doesn’t like running around with [name_f]Kiska[/name_f], only cuddling on the couch with her. Much like [name_m]Teije[/name_m], she had a good reaction to her parent’s divorce and doesn’t consider herself less happy than she was before. As long as she still sees her dad reguarly and gets to have cool vacation time with him, she doesn’t mind that they live separately. If anything , it’s good that she now lives only with mom becuse [name_f]Femke[/name_f] puts less restrictions on her kids’ lives than her husband would and lets [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] has sweets whenever she wants. This however led to [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] putting on weight and getting bullied at school. When [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] were at [name_f]Femke[/name_f] 's house , [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] pointed out that [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] has cavities and should see a dentist, showing [name_f]Femke[/name_f] the online information to get to the dentist’s office where [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] works as a receptionist. The dentist visit scared [name_f]Femke[/name_f] and she understood the importance of brushing her teeth regularly but also eating healthier to avoid cavities. The whole family makes an effort to have a healthier diet - the 11 year old sister , the oldest, is a particularly strict enforcer of the dietary rules when mom isn’t looking. [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] and her bicker a lot about it but [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] ultimately knows that her sister has her best interest at heart - she even got detention once for spilling red paint all over the backpack of [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] 's bully.

[name_f]Saskia[/name_f] knows that her sister is a huge daddy’s girl and she is the most sad that their dad doesn’t live with them anymore , while also being upset at mom for having a new friend from Belgium. [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] doesn’t understand her being upset about that , since “everyone is allowed to have best friends” , but still she supports her sister emotionally. None of the children know that their mom is pansexual since [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] are the only ones that know, but [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] 's sister knows that something is “up” if their mom tells them about a friend in an official manner instaed of just casually mentioning that she’s going shopping and dropping them off at the houses of one of her cousins.

Unlike [name_m]Teije[/name_m] , [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] loves autumn not only for the colors but also the pumpkin spice flavoured everything. She especially loves going to the house of [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] 's older sister - who she calls simply " Auntie " even though she is not technically her aunt - because she is a professional chef and makes the best pumpkin spice waffles. She’s excited to drink hot chocolate at her father’s northern [name_f]Canada[/name_f] cabin the whole summer - and loves the contradiction of spending summer in a harsh, wintery climate while [name_f]Kiska[/name_f] leads the dog sled with her siblings in it.

[kitkatcookie]

Marloes " [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] " [name_f]Jante[/name_f] VanderHeisen (11) is the eldest of Femkes’ children and obviously the leader of the pack. She’s got the most curiosity when it comes to the adult world, especially her mum’s life, although her questioning tactics have become more subtle as she’s grown up. [name_m]Teije[/name_m] is her ‘little lieutenant’ though - as their mum affectionately calls him - always wanting to emulate the confidence of [name_f]Lotte[/name_f], which she finds precious and always works to encourage in her only brother.

To make sense of her many internal queries, [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] takes [name_f]Kiska[/name_f] on walks, and when she was little, she’d actually hide behind the husky when strangers intimidated her: something [name_f]Femke[/name_f] has numerous photos of for this tendencies adorable quality. While [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] no longer does this, this bond hasn’t faded, and she’s firm that when she gets her own home someday, a dog will be her first choice of roommate [although, privately, [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] wonders if her closeness with [name_f]Kiska[/name_f] could be found again].

Lotte’s always been the definite spitfire of the family. When she vandalised the backpack of Saskia’s bully, it wasn’t a surprise, as she refuses to let anyone she cares about receive mistreatment, including her friends. This quality always reminded her father of Femkes’ firmness in decision making, and this has led to them butting heads when she’s spent time with him. It doesn’t get to [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] long-term, but she does wish her dad would listen more, instead of taking her assertive nature as an invite for conflict: she knows her own mind and isn’t merely seeking a confrontation.

A little awkwardly, zoology and conservationism have intrigued [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] more as she’s matured, resulting in her thinking she’d like to work with animals, something that could naturally breed conflict with her dad. [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] really doesn’t want this, but staying true to her principles is of paramount importance, and she just hopes as she grows older, he’ll take her perspective more seriously.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Elisma[/name_f] [name_f]Behati[/name_f] [name_u]Odell[/name_u] (27) is Kiska’s dog groomer who knows [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] the best of the three siblings, seeing she’s taken dog walks to her nearby dog salon. She is adopted, being adopted into the [name_u]Odell[/name_u] family alongside fellow adoptive children [name_f]Missy[/name_f], [name_m]Arlan[/name_m], and two others. She considers all her siblings the same in terms of faves but doesn’t shy away from her Namibian culture. [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] speaks [name_f]English[/name_f], Afrikaans, !Kung, and a little [name_m]German[/name_m]. She’s strong in her desire to increase the life expectancy for Namibians, having a life expectancy just touching 60, and she works with groups to help people from her home country. While she and [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] are different in their views on health, both find it very important and both enjoy the perspectives of one another. [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] has stayed out of Saskia’s eating habits since she is not a dietitian or doctor in any way, but she knows [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] is aware on this. [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] just wants to look out for [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] in a big sisterly way to get her on the right tracks of life. She’d never bully [name_f]Saskia[/name_f], in fact she’s well proven how hard she’s against bullying.

[name_f]Elisma[/name_f] knows about [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] from [name_f]Femke[/name_f] and is convinced that there’s a connection between them and her adoptive sister [name_f]Missy[/name_f]. [name_f]Missy[/name_f] seems to just want to be left alone on the matter so [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] won’t pry into it but she couldn’t help but ask her other adoptive siblings. She feels [name_f]Missy[/name_f] and [name_u]Quentin[/name_u] look and act more similar to one another than they lead on and are more than “just two people from Shenzhen”. As for [name_f]Elisma[/name_f], the only thing she really knows about the Quentin-Missy theory is them both being from Shenzhen and [name_f]Missy[/name_f] supposedly having biological family living in her current country, but with [name_f]China[/name_f] such a populated country, [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] sometimes dismisses the notion that they could really be related on the mere chance. She finds it ironic that they’re both adopted into other families but from Missy’s limited knowledge on her family, it doesn’t quite line up with Quentin’s. Technically that’s because they’re half-siblings not full siblings. [name_f]Femke[/name_f] has discussed some information about this but not all of it, especially since a lot of her mind is focused on her Belgian pen pal alongside her children seeing her ex-husband. As for [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] herself, she’s a fan of cross stitching and she enjoys tandem riding. She is not interested in having children herself, realising early on that she’s meant for a child-free life, but she’s very close with kids, especially Arlan’s son [name_u]Charlie[/name_u].

[moonwriteen]

(tw: death of a spouse , depression )
[name_m]Boaz[/name_m] [name_m]Kurtis[/name_m] McKelvey (27) [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] ‘s neighbour and a dog owner. His Shiba Inu , [name_f]Yoko[/name_f] and his 10-year-old daughter are the lights of his life , especially in the recent turbulent times he has been through. He has just moved to [name_u]New[/name_u] Brunswick and lives in Moncton with his dog and daughter. He used to live in [name_m]Quebec[/name_m] with his family and got married to his wife straight out of highschool at 18 when their daughter was 1 year old. [name_u]Nine[/name_u] months ago he lost his wife to septicemia. The move was initiated by Boaz’s daughters’ foster family. They supported him in changing up his life after he fell into a deep depression and nearly risked losing custody of his daughter to the foster family , who thankfully were cooperative and experienced foster parents. The foster parents understood that the first and most important goal of foster care is reunification , so they did everything in their power to help [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] and his daughter. They knew [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] had no siblings and both his own parents lived in a care home , so there was no family to take care of [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] 's daughter to speak of. The family of [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] 's wife only spoke [name_u]French[/name_u] and they were weary of the language barrier between them and his daughter. [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] knew he needed a fresh start , but he regrets that he spat out all his trauma at [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] when they first met. He doesn’t know how it happened or why, but appreciates that [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] is still friendly and not using [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] 's grief or mental anguish against him. He doesn’t know that it’s because [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] has deep sympathy for [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] , having gone through depressive episodes before after seeing people in dire living conditions in Namibia and then going back to her Canadian family like nothing happened. The amount of survivor’s guilt she felt left her unable to get out of bed for weeks at a time. She never opened up to her family but did to her boss , who alarmed said family. [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] is convinced that her boss and her siblings, especially the eldest one, saved her life. She therefore now has a “I can fix him” mentality around [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] , something that has increased tenfold once she installed a dating up and then deleted it after a month because she realised on a first date there that she couldn’t stop thinking about how much more handsome [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] was than that guy… However, [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] tries to stay realistic and knows that he may not let her into her heart and that his daughter may not accept her given her behavioral issues. After a conversation with [name_f]Femke[/name_f] , [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] put two and two together , realising [name_m]Boaz[/name_m] 's daughter is the one whose backpack has been vandalised by [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] as revenge for her bullying [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] 's younger sister [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] for being plump.

[olivelovesnames]

tw: death of a parent, depression, unfit parenting, bullying, body shaming, ableism

[name_f]Zoey[/name_f] [name_f]Bastienne[/name_f] McKelvey (10) is Boaz’s daughter and Saskia’s bully. Zoey’s behavior cannot be excused, though it is acknowledged that she has had a hard nine months. Her 10th birthday was 4 months after the death of her mom, and 2 weeks after she was placed in foster care. While she got to call her father and he sent her a present, it was the worst birthday she has ever had. The bullying started at the school she went to during her time in [name_m]Quebec[/name_m], a few months after her mom’s death. It started with exclusion and rudeness, but quickly escalated to bullying a little boy in a wheelchair and body-shaming. After she moved to [name_u]New[/name_u] Brunswick, she found the new main target of her bullying, [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] VanderHeisen. She was invited into the popular girls’ group, consisting of 4 other girls, and she quickly rose to the unnamed “leader”. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] has easily taken hold of the whole 5th grade class, a sweetheart in front of the teachers and a bully behind the scenes.

Zoey’s time with her foster family, The Loumons, was not easy, but still comfortable. She was respected and the parents, [name_u]David[/name_u] & [name_f]Laura[/name_f], were kind and provided a loving and warm environment. But for [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], she saw a happy family of four (David and [name_f]Laura[/name_f] had two young sons), and felt very on the outs. She couldn’t stop herself from missing her own father and obviously her mom. And for a little while, the older son, [name_u]Leo[/name_u], who was 7, was very mean and said some disgusting things to [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], which could be blamed for some of her behavior. She was a very kind girl before all this happened, but a lot can change, especially as children grow up, and so it’s hard to tell what exactly caused Zoey’s behavioral issues. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] did grow closer to the younger Loumon son, [name_m]Gavin[/name_m], who was 4. He was somewhat a little sidekick to her for the 4 months [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] was there. He was attached to her hip and cried almost non-stop for the last week [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] was there, not wanting her to leave. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] still keeps in touch with [name_m]Gavin[/name_m] and his parents, but doesn’t have any kind regards for [name_u]Leo[/name_u], no matter what. “People can say what they want, but I’m stronger than they will ever be.” Has become Zoey’s catchphrase.

Zoey’s friends are also a bunch of bullies, but they find her bossy nature to be quite annoying, all but Zoey’s new best friend, [name_f]Diana[/name_f]. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] are taking the school by storm, and while they have “friends” they are really the Queen-Bees of the school. Diana’s mom was born in [name_u]France[/name_u] and her dad was born in [name_m]Quebec[/name_m], so she knows [name_u]French[/name_u], and while [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] isn’t fluent, she has learned a lot from her mom and fraternal grandparents. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to go to her Grand-Maman and Grand-Papa, because she was worried about messing up her speech and it was all too hard for her, especially because, at the time, speaking [name_u]French[/name_u] reminded her too much of her mother. Now though, [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] takes [name_u]French[/name_u] lessons after-school on Wednesdays and Fridays, and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] and her have many conversations in [name_u]French[/name_u], hoping to make the other kids feel left-out.

[name_f]Zoey[/name_f] really likes [name_f]Elisma[/name_f], who she fondly calls “Ellie”. She sees the chemistry between [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] and [name_m]Boaz[/name_m], but isn’t sure if she is ready for her dad to love someone new. They are both still grieving the loss of Zoey’s beautiful mother. She doesn’t know, however, that [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] is a good friend of [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] and Saskias’, and she would probably be ashamed if [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] did. [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] doesn’t know that [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] knows [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] either, and this has all gotten a little complicated. [name_f]Elisma[/name_f] likes both the VanderHeisen girls and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] (as well as her father), but doesn’t know what to do about this situation. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] was really mad when her backpack was splattered in red paint, and while [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] would normally find it a fine punishment for being a bully, she understands how hard it is for [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], since that now-ruined backpack used to be Zoey’s mother’s, and she had a special note and necklace in there that have now been ruined. And, considering [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] only just found out that [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] is Saskia’s bully, at the time, she thought someone was bulling [name_f]Zoey[/name_f]. She recently talked with [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and hinted that she knew about the bullying, and hopes that [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] takes her words to heart and becomes a kinder person. She does truly like the young girl.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Corinne[/name_f] " [name_f]Cora[/name_f] " [name_f]Dulcinea[/name_f] Scislowski-Cook (9) is one of Zoey’s classmates, who used to be friends with [name_f]Diana[/name_f] before the transformation of [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Bee[/name_f] overtook her. [name_f]Cora[/name_f] was offered a place within this group as her aunt [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] [technically step-aunt but this term’s meaningless given their bond] is an actress and dancer who’s managed to start making waves in the film industry, however she declined, as Diana’s shift in attitude really rubbed her the wrong way. At the time [name_f]Cora[/name_f] couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but now the change is underway, she knows exactly what it was and is relieved she kept her distance.

The maneuvers of [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] typically win eye rolls from [name_f]Cora[/name_f], who thinks their antics are the opposite of cool and sophisticated, something she’s spoken about with her best friend at length. It does sadden [name_f]Cora[/name_f] though, as she remembers the accepting and encouraging person [name_f]Diana[/name_f] once was, who never dismissed Cora’s fascination with history and drive to learn as much as possible about ancient empires. Now [name_f]Diana[/name_f] has labelled these things ‘incredibly boring’, and of course this means [name_f]Cora[/name_f] has nothing desirable in terms of friendship.

Cora’s confided in her dad about a lot of this, as he’s a behavioural therapist, so she figures if anyone could stop [name_f]Diana[/name_f] burning her bridges entirely, it’s him. They share a lot of swimming as well, often going the pool once a week to race each other [but Cora’s wise to the fact her dad absolutely should always beat her]. He and her mom are typically amused by Cora’s stubborn side, most notably when she decided to name her Russian dwarf hamster Unit, and refused to back down. Unit’s still going strong and even now, [name_f]Cora[/name_f] just laughs at eyebrow raises at his name. When [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] VanderHeisen retaliated against [name_f]Zoey[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f] was admittedly not that sympathetic, but this is tied to the fact Lotte’s good friends with her sister, 11-year-old [name_u]Camille[/name_u].

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Camille’s credited to @BookSneakersMovie

Caroline’s credited to @babynamesfactory

Jacqueline’s credited to @Lindseylloyd052399

[moonwriteen]

[name_f]Sariah[/name_f] [name_f]Opal[/name_f] Blanton [10 ] is one of [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] 's friends and the most introverted , quiet one of the bunch. She, too, has trouble with accepting how [name_f]Diana[/name_f] began acting like the de facto leader not only of the group , but also the school and in what manner this leadership is executed by both [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and [name_f]Diana[/name_f]. [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] understands that threy both want to be cool , but flaunting their above-average [name_u]French[/name_u] skills to make other kids feel left out, body-shaming others and displaying ableism is not the way to go . [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] also understands why [name_f]Cora[/name_f] doesn’t want to introduce the girls to her step-aunt, because she knows how [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] both made fame and notoriety their priority and would probably pester [name_f]Cora[/name_f] 's aunt about starring in a commercial or something. [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] and [name_f]Cora[/name_f] also try to help [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] in the grades departamnet, because other than [name_u]French[/name_u] , [name_f]English[/name_f] and maths she has some problems with history and physics. [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] loves both physics and history, but isn’t as proficient in the latter as [name_f]Cora[/name_f] is. Lately [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] has been feeling like [name_f]Diana[/name_f] and [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] throw insults at [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and her for being " nerds" and " smartasses " , but still rely on them for copying homework or following the teacher during the lessons - for [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] it’s annoying because it’s hard to explain anything to someone who doesn’t seem to listen and instaed is too busy paying attention to criticizing someone 's outfit.

[name_f]Sariah[/name_f] misses the days when she was president of the school’s book club and best friends with [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] Kretschner , a smart and organised girl who always had her to-do list completed and was way more reliable than [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] , [name_f]Diana[/name_f] or [name_f]Cora[/name_f]. However, [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] 's parents are now divorcing because [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] 's dad found out that he is not the real father of [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] 's youngest brother , [name_u]Sammy[/name_u] . [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] is devastated and although she has not let her grades go , she withdrew entirely from after school activities. [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] doesn’t know that her mother [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] discovered that *she is not [name_u]Sammy[/name_u] 's mother either , and appearently babies at the hospital had been swapped. However, [name_f]Loretta[/name_f] 's husband doesn’t believe her story despite the DNA tests, so the divorce will probably go through anyway. [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] doesn’t know the real reason for the divorce but she would like to become friends with [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] again and support her in this difficult time. She is done being taken advantage of for her smarts. [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] acknowledges that [name_f]Cora[/name_f] is not as much of a mean girl as [name_f]Zoey[/name_f] and [name_f]Diana[/name_f] , but the girls don’t have enough in common to form a united front against her and so [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] wants to withdraw from the friend group entirely.

Ollie was created by @kitkatcookie
Sammy was created by @jinxed_peach
Loretta was created by yours truly