Create a Family With a Twist 4/29

[kitkatcookie]

cw: antagonistic character, difficult birth caused by poor parenting

Jochebed " [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] " [name_f]Lynette[/name_f] [Feldsted] Jorgensen (39) is Alek’s sister with the prized grandson their parents afford so much praise. Competitive, headstrong and highly strung, Jolie’s personality was a disappointment to her parents until her son was born and her go-getter attitude was both passed and projected on to him. She was nothing like the passive, even tempered women they dictated their three sons to look for, and in comparison to her three sisters’, [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] was constantly in conflict with her father where her demeanour was concerned. As the eldest girl she quickly became the leader of the daughters in the household on account of her abrasiveness, something begrudgingly accepted as she helped maintain some order between her sisters if their mother was overwhelmed by the squabbles and defiant spells. [name_m]Even[/name_m] her brother’s were fairly intimidated by Jolie’s nature, sans her older brother and [name_u]Alek[/name_u], although the former learned the hard way when he teased her for having a rhyming name and she promplty got revenge by forging a romantic poem for a girl he couldn’t stand, claiming some unspoken crush had long lingered in his heart.

While Jolie’s leant her absolute, unwavering support to [name_u]Alek[/name_u] in the midst of his custody struggles for her nieces, the siblings don’t have a much closer relationship now they’ve grown up. Jolie’s still the thorn in his side, quick to criticise and offer her opinions when he doesn’t want them, often reminding the family she didn’t think the marriage would last anyways. By no means is she especially sympathetic towards [name_f]Liora[/name_f] - Jolie’s quite cool towards most of her in-laws as she’s used to the comparison games her parents and other families play within the church - but she has more empathy for her nieces; having been in their shoes growing up as a daughter never seen as good as her brother’s. It also fuels her snide comments though, as seeing her son reach the status she longed for fills a void Jolie’s childhood left her with, and the fact her husband successfully manages his own temp agency is something else her mom and dad gush about. For how grating her brother’s can find her, Jolie’s marriage is surprising in the genuine happiness she and her husband share: they’re both Type A’s who love things orderly, scheduled and planned, as well as knowing what it’s like to grow up overshadowed within their family dynamics.

The birth of her beloved son was traumatic for [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] physically, and the reason why she’s differed from her siblings in only having a single child is because of the strain her body went through giving birth. While advised by her midwife to consider a c-section on account of her small hips, Jolie’s parents would hear none of it, and convinced her to go for a traditional procedure, a horrible decision. She ended up bedridden for almost a month thanks to the strain placed on her body in this process and went through even worse pain than what was to be expected, leaving her terrified of experiencing labour again, not that she’s admitted this to a single soul aside from her husband. Following the difficult delivery, Jolie’s parents were informed under no circumstances could she attempt that again - as it could endanger the foetus as well as her - and, knowing they’d criticise her for decades if she went against their instructions, she decided to only have a singular child; using home schooling as an excuse when questioned by fellow church members.

In her youth, [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] dreamed of becoming a teacher - and she definitely has the commanding presence to deal with raucous personalities - however this was shut down fast by her parents: her having a job decicated to children outside the LDS was an absolute no-go, and positions within the church community they live in are very limited. Her childhood can make [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] quick to turn defeatist in her mindset, so instead she focused on finding an ideal romantic partner to fill the void, however tutoring her son has helped with the bitterness she feels about this restriction. Currently the youngest of the Feldsted sister’s - who’s just turned twenty-six - is in the process of preparing for marriage, and as per usual, Jolie’s the main voice she’s listening to. It’s remained a constant that, as the eldest female child, she acts as a second mother to her sisters, having been parentified a lot more than her parents will admit - namely as the boy’s came first, and with seven kids all demanding time, attention and love, [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] was the first choice to pacify when her mom was busy [to mixed results].

[I_meme_it]

cw: sexism, familial dysfunction

[name_f]Ephrath[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Edie[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Delia[/name_f] [Feldsted] Veness (30) is the third-born of the Feldsted sisters’ and in the eyes of the wider community, is best comparable to a mouse: given her mild-mannered, exceptionally quiet nature. Like [name_u]Alek[/name_u], [name_f]Edie[/name_f] also married someone outside of the LDS who converted, however they tend to slip under the radar a lot easier, as the masculine-focused environment means as long as Edie’s having children and raising them to a standard her parents approve of, she’s mostly left alone to her own devices (undeniably furthered by the fact she never prickles around the louder voices).

At one point [name_u]Alek[/name_u] and [name_f]Edie[/name_f] were actually quite close - she had two daughters’, which received the expected side-eye from her parents - however upon her most recent pregnancy producing her son (who’s now 8-month-sold), this tentative bond shattered. Her brother once considered her merely another one of Jolie’s lieutenants - not entirely untrue, [name_f]Edie[/name_f] very much prescribes to the secrecy she’s established with her sisters’, given their mutual resentment about the neglect of them for their gender - but actually found [name_f]Edie[/name_f] tempered his rashness, as she’s very level-headed, and arguably the best Feldsted at genuinely considering others’ feelings.

This is tied to her husband, who’s adopted, and went through an intense crisis of faith when it came out by accident he wasn’t the biological child of his parents: worsened by the fact his two siblings were. [name_f]Edie[/name_f] was already his girlfriend by then - they were both 17 - and stuck by him, in spite of her parents attempts at meddling, which [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] managed to help facilitate, given she had more independence by then herself.

She privately admits her husband is at the very least not talked down to because of his gender, although the fact he once stood up to her critical parents - when they attempted to dissuade Edie’s desire to give her firstborn a unique, botanical name (tied to how much she adores gardening and flower arranging) - helped with this matter. Edie’s a little distant from her parents - not that they notice given there’s 6 other children, and the 3 boys are obviously the primary focus (they are male after all!) - which she won’t admit she prefers.

This also could be influenced by the fact her name is partly why [name_u]Alek[/name_u] agreed to incorporating Liora’s culture into, as [name_f]Ephrath[/name_f] is actually a Hebrew name, not that any attempts to point this out by [name_f]Liora[/name_f] were taken into account. Being reasonable is not in the script of Mr and Mrs Feldsted, a doctrine they very much do their best to instill in all their children.

[CherryBomb50]

Haran “ Randy ” Erik [Feldsted] Featherly (29) is the fourth-born and youngest son of Edie’s family. He was intimidated the most by Jolie as a child but was also the one who was most moved by her to not stick to his parents’ bias. He’s the brother-in-law to Josie Featherly, having married the youngest Featherly sibling. His marriage is completely something his parents would be shocked by - he claimed he was going on a “mission” at age 20, but secretly escaped from his parents’ and church’s influence. He met the youngest Featherly sibling and started a relationship with her. While Randy felt bad he had left his family for so long, he was convinced somebody, particularly Jolie, would have secretly left the church. Somebody else had, but it’s not her. Randy and his wife eloped when they were 24, something his parents would never have approved. The Featherly family is mostly a family of those who deal in hot rods, especially his older brother-in-law, Josie’s husband, who is a mechanic. Randy and his wife currently work at a car dealership. He’s basically lived a secret life away from everyone but still contacts family to avoid any suspicions. He and his wife took a new step in their marriage but not necessarily the traditional step in a relationship: they got their first cat together. His white kitten [left] Catie has been his main source of comfort.

It was Edie’s husband, Mr. Veness, alongside the other rebelling sibling, who opened Randy’s eyes to the fact his siblings were still being indoctrinated by the church and their parents. Randy admits he left out of disdain but was unaware of the damage given his privilege. He felt seeing them like this was like “coming home to a house torn and blown in by a tornado“. He hasn’t introduced his wife to his family seeing that she’s requested him not to do so especially since she’s definitely an outspoken proud liberal within her family. What’s disappointed him the most is what happened to his sister Jolie, the person whom Randy really thought would leave for freedom, and he couldn’t help but be burdened that her dreams weren’t really happening. He has constantly used the “going on missions” excuse around his parents as to why he’s never around and it’s working for the most part. Randy hates that he feels the main reason they think they’re okay with him is likely because he’s male and they’ll praise him in some ways they wouldn’t praise Jolie or Edie. Jolie and Edie are suspecting he’s hiding something but they haven’t looked into it and the youngest Feldsted, who’s 26, is almost sure of it. Randy often spends more time with the Featherlys than the Feldsteds and says the “Feldsteds are a construct and Featherlys are his true family”. He’s often been away from his Feldsted family lately and stayed with the Featherlys but he feels he can’t really neglect his siblings through what they’re going through. He’s just invited the youngest Feldsted sister to his house and wrote an enticing note, but hasn’t said what he wants. It’s secretly because he truly doesn’t support the man she’s about to marry. He wants her to escape while she still can and wants to stop the wedding from happening. However this Feldsted sister isn’t sure if she wants to visit Randy, seeing that he’s barely around the family and she doesn’t really know him. But at the same time she misses seeing him and she feels bogged down by some of the family members whom she sees all the time. She doesn’t know what he has planned and has no idea how much this is going to change the course of her life and future but ultimately she makes the final choice: does she take up the note’s offer?

Josie was created by @kitkatcookie.

[jinxed_peach]

cw: intense religious and conservative views

[name_f]Tryphena[/name_f] ‘Thea’ [name_f]Annamarie[/name_f] Mecham (nee Feldsted) [33] is the second born out of the four Feldsted daughters. She’s been married the longest of all her siblings, having tied the knot to her childhood sweetheart when she was freshly out of high school. Fifteen years of wedded bliss later the couple is honestly one of the most stable relationships of the Feldsted marriages, some attribute that success to the fact that they hardly see each other. Her husband is all over the country as an athletic recruiter and she fills her days with constantly chasing their brood of children around but since she’s currently pregnant with their eighth child she’s had to reluctantly slow down a little bit. Their other kids are 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2 respectively. Her other siblings, mainly the women of course, have been helping her out as she nears her due date.

[name_m]Just[/name_m] because they’re hardly in the same room together that’s not to say they don’t talk, the couple does communicate frequently via text and video chatting so they can stay on the same page. Some nights [name_f]Thea[/name_f] falls asleep with her laptop set up on the nightstand and her husband on the screen somewhere states away. They’re just as in love with each other as they were on their wedding day and with the failure of Alek’s marriage their parents are ecstatic that [name_f]Thea[/name_f] seems to have met her soulmate. They are also quiet delighted by the medley of grandchildren she’s brought them often saying things along the lines of ‘more spirits delivered from preexistence into a good Mormon household to serve our [name_f]Heavenly[/name_f] Father and not an unfavorable home’ or similar. Constantly preaching their conservative beliefs which [name_f]Thea[/name_f] then teaches upon to her own children, they all attend a private school that shares her family’s views to ensure they stay in the faith.

Outside of religion though [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is a genuinely good mother, there may be seven of them but she always manages to spend at least some alone time with each of them to make them feel special among the chaos that is a family nine members (eleven if you count their two labradoodles, Hinkley and Monson.) She manages to keep track of all their individual interests and hobbies so they all know that she cares about each of them. She’s such a good mom that Thea’s mother is hoping that they won’t be stopping after this latest pregnancy. As much as [name_f]Thea[/name_f] would like to continue having children since both her and her husband are open to the idea and are well capable of providing for perhaps one or two more, Thea’s blood pressure has been steadily increasing with every pregnancy which slowly and gradually increases her risk for the potentially deadly preeclampsia. Her doctor is advising her to make this last baby, her last baby. The though does make her a little sad but she would rather be alive for her existing children than risk leaving them all motherless just to please her own mother.

She feels deeply for Alek’s divorce and was horrified to learn about [name_f]Liora[/name_f] returning to Judaism and dragging [name_f]Galilee[/name_f], [name_u]Alma[/name_u], and [name_f]Sariah[/name_f] into it with her. She’s rooting for him to regain custody of his daughters again and ‘show them the truth’ once they’re back ‘where they belong.’ With all the failures he’s had in court Thea’s beginning to wonder if he had a good Mormon wife he might seem more trustworthy, pitiable, and therefore more likely to win his case. She’s been looking around for a potential girl to set her brother up with but since he’s been divorced most of her friends won’t let their sisters touch him with a ten foot pole so her search has come back largely empty.

Like [name_f]Edie[/name_f] and [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] she’s beginning to suspect that [name_u]Randy[/name_u] is sitting on a bit secret that just might bring even more shame to their family than Alek’s divorce has. Since she’s close with their youngest sister and very supportive of her upcoming marriage (Thea’s husband was a church youth counselor to her fiancé) she’s been doing her best to warm up any cold feet she might be having about the wedding. [name_f]Thea[/name_f] thinks her life is absolutely perfect, it’s exactly what she’s always wanted, and she thinks that her youngest sister is going to be as happy as she is if she goes through with the wedding. She also can’t help but see the upcoming marriage as a distraction from her brother’s legal troubles too, it’s hard for their relatives to be talking poorly about [name_u]Alek[/name_u] when they’re having fun at a Feldsted wedding!

[I_meme_it]

cw: sexism and religious/conservative views

[name_f]Mehitabel[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] ’ [name_f]Clara[/name_f] Feldsted (26) is the youngest child and fourth daughter of the family. While less reserved than [name_f]Edie[/name_f], Mitzi’s not in possession of the loudest voice either, and very much is another one of Jolie’s confidants, meaning [name_u]Alek[/name_u] keeps his distance given the discord between him and his older sister. [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] does have a very close bond with her eldest brother as well though, having never felt stifled by his protective streak - unlike her sisters sometimes did - and was a decorated violinist throughout high school; something her parents were proud of, but they consistently reminded [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] that she was not to prioritise music over settling down with a good Mormon husband and having children.

This was adhered to by [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f], and she’s soon going to be married to a guy she met while attending Ensign College. They were both members of the orchestra and bonded over their mutual love of classical pieces, with him coming from a very respected family based in [name_m]Ogden[/name_m] - the main source of nerves for [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] ironically.

Upon tying the knot, she’ll be moving there to be close to the extended Rasmussen family, something she knows her own parents are a bit unhappy about. While the Rasmussen name is absolutely one they’re proud to see their daughter take on, Mitzi’s always been the most placating, agreeable one of their children, and losing that assurance is a Big [name_f]Deal[/name_f], especially with Alek’s divorce scandal.

In spite of admiring, and somewhat envying, how [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] carries herself, [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is absolutely the sister [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] aspires to emulate the most: specifically her excellent mothering skills. She adores her many nieces and nephews, but spends the most time at the Mecham household thanks to there being the largest brood, and [name_f]Thea[/name_f] understandably needing help with certain tasks while pregnant. [name_f]Music[/name_f] is something she’s introduced the children to, and Thea’s eldest actually has violin lessons with [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] on a [name_m]Friday[/name_m] afternoon, something tentatively accepted by their parents.

Alek’s circumstances have further intensified Mitzi’s anxieties about marriage though, with her being horrified at the idea of her own future family falling apart, and it’s been [name_f]Jolie[/name_f] who she’s confided in about these nerves (given her parents insist a stiff upper lip is the cure to all emotional ailments). With her sensitivities, it’s unsurprising [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] isn’t involved in the ongoing legal and interpersonal battles, and at a recent family dinner she burst into tears when [name_u]Alek[/name_u] snapped at her for mentioning how much she misses [name_f]Galilee[/name_f], [name_u]Alma[/name_u] and Sariah; being comforted by her sisters in the aftermath.

She knows her fiance doesn’t especially like any of her brothers - [name_u]Randy[/name_u] for his secrecy, [name_u]Alek[/name_u] for upsetting [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] frequently and the eldest for giving ‘suggestions’ (see: insisting) about what the couple do regarding their future together - but he genuinely loves her as much as she does him, and is willing to weather the Feldsted issues to be with [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f]. This is something that’s helped win more of Thea’s approval of him, thanks to how he echoes the spirit of her husband, and her choosing to defy their parents for the sake of her own safety is something [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] admires (again, only her sisters’ have had this made known).

[kitkatcookie]

Tehila " Leela " Zaneta Berkovich (8) is one of the former nieces of Mitzi’s brother Alek, being the youngest child of Ewa and Casek, who’s a point of concern from the Feldsted’s given her encouraging her cousins to engage with their Jewish faith, culture and heritage. Unlike some of her cousins, Leela never has an issues with being the baby of her family: she loves being doted on by her parents, brother and sister, who she’s just as full of adoration for. Leela’s especially close with her dad, who was the one to originate her nickname - namely as when she was a toddler, Leela couldn’t pronounce her full name, and Ewa loved Casek’s suggestion - and if allowed, everyone knows she’d be working at the family business alongside Avielle if called upon. Instead, she enjoys spending her time painting and practicing krav maga - something introduced to her by her mom and best friend, who’s Israeli-American and likewise belongs to the Jewish faith; the two having bonded because of how they both speak Hebrew, treating it as a secret code to this very day, much to their parents amusement [not so much teachers].

Aside from her older siblings, Leela notably admires her cousin Iris, who’s only a few months younger than Avielle and a history buff. While she’s nowhere near on their level, Leela is becoming more fond of history from the angle of arts: Renaissance literature and art is absolutely enchanting in her eyes, and Iris is always happy to indulge their little cousin’s questions whenever she comes running [usually when her sister and cousin are hanging out]. Although she’s mostly been protected from the ongoing drama, Leela was a little worried about her maternal cousins reactions to Galilee and the twins - who she’s becoming closer with, thanks to her very accommodating and sweet nature - given Alek has slandered Iris and Clive’s father, something solely done out of jealous spite. To her relief, there’s been no animosity - not a huge surprise given the ages of her cousins - and Leela’s been wanting to invite Alma and Sariah to a krav maga class, although she’s hesitated a bit as she doesn’t want it to cut into the time she loves spending with her best friend during lessons.

---

Ewa, Casek & Iris belong to yours truly

Clive belongs to @CherryBomb50

[jinxed_peach]

[name_u]Archer[/name_u] [name_f]Maaza[/name_f] Mecham [13] is a former cousin of [name_f]Leela[/name_f], the eldest daughter of [name_f]Thea[/name_f] and Mr. Mecham and first of their soon-to-be-eight children. Like her siblings her name is somewhat defiant of gender expectations and contains a hard consonant sound in contrast her her mother and maternal aunts and uncles lengthier more biblical names. Like her mother she’s very headstrong and independent nearly to a fault as she’s gotten into a handful of fights with the girls on her gymnastics and basketball teams. Her mother is somewhat amused by the rebellion but doesn’t let her stubborn daughter know about her secret approval, instead trying to help her learn to control her emotions. However [name_f]Thea[/name_f] does encourage [name_u]Archer[/name_u] to never let herself be controlled, much to Grandma Feldstead’s disapproval who wants to see her granddaughters getting ready for one day becoming a wife and mother.

Of the Mecham siblings she sort of acts as a third parent of her own choice, helping her little siblings get ready for school and helping them with homework. She’s somewhat of an overachiever and is on the honor roll in school. Her father is beginning to worry that this level of achievement is unsustainable but [name_u]Archer[/name_u] is insistent that she can balance it all just fine. Whether or not she’s right remains to be seen.

She’s closest to the maternal cousin from the oldest and final Feldstead son. His eldest daughter was born just four days after [name_u]Archer[/name_u] and the two are pretty inseparable, when they are apart they’re constantly texting and sending one another silly videos and memes. Over this past summer the two girls spent an entire weekend on a Feldstead wide family vacation planning a double wedding down to the very last detail, from the dresses to the place cards at the tables.

She’s sort of an extreme type-A person with big dreams of someday becoming an athletic recruiter like her father, although that is her plan B if going pro in gymnastics or basketball don’t pan out.

[jinxed_peach]

bump!!

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] [name_f]Kynthia[/name_f] Mecham (6) is one of Archer’s sisters’, known for her fun-loving outlook on life and habit of trailing around after her older siblings, always wanting to be involved with absolutely everything. Although her confidence is balked at by her maternal grandparents sometimes, Sylvie’s parents didn’t firmly believe in discouraging it: after all, she’s highly vocal about her religious belief and adherence to their teachings, qualities greatly approved of by the wider community. In spite of how firmly she cherishes her faith, [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] isn’t against leaving her bubble in certain senses, having a good friend from nursery who isn’t in the LDS church - something her parents oversee with unspoken caution in her presence, just to be certain [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] isn’t being pulled away from their faith.

Her mom is someone [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] undeniably hero worships, and with [name_f]Thea[/name_f] expecting again, she’s determined to be involved in supporting her: offering to do extra chores and trailing around after her to ensure her mom’s alright. This is only rivalled by how much [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] adores animals, especially big cats, and she was disappointed when her dad told her they couldn’t adopt any stray cougars they encountered on vacations. Sometimes her stubbornness annoys her siblings, but the older one’s have gotten better at recognising [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] just hates being patronised or clubbed with their 2-year-old and unborn siblings respectively, usually being very eager to get along with all her family members. She usually draws these animals and has a large array of toys based around them, although Sylvie’s loud and clear in letting everyone know her absolute favourite is a lioness push named [name_u]Nikita[/name_u], who her dad purchased for her while on a business trip.

[jinxed_peach]

[name_u]Lexis[/name_u] ‘Lex’ [name_f]Brienne[/name_f] Mecham [4] is one of [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] and Archer’s many siblings, being the penultimate child between [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] and Thea’s unborn child. She idolizes her older siblings and is often trailing along behind her older siblings. Though the connection between her and her two year old little sibling is solid and she loves being a big sister, making her very excited to meet the new baby, especially because with their arrival the number of boys and girls in her family will be split perfectly even. Which she finds very amusing.

Like [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] she also has a love for big animals, though for her instead of big cats it’s horses and cows. She’s been asking for one for pretty much every birthday and christmas since she’s been aware that those holidays exist. Her parents try to placate her with stuffed animals and other hooved animal themed toys but it does nothing to dull her desire for the animals. She’s also been starting to ask about riding lessons, which thankfully she’s started to hold off on since her parents told her she could do it ‘when she’s big enough.’

Of her siblings she’s also very close to her 11 year old brother, she loves seeing him at his baseball games and always cheers the loudest. His team, particularly the parents of his teammates, have grown quite fond of her and are trying to persuade [name_f]Thea[/name_f] and her husband to enroll her in the t-ball league but the Mechams are hesitant to take on more responsibilities with the new baby on the way, but [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is still considering it since she hates to say no to her children, or to her husband, hence the soon to be eight kids between them. Thankfully he’s the same way to her.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for brief mention of parental abandonment and cults.

[name_m]Cayman[/name_m] [name_u]Dawson[/name_u] Mecham (11) is Lex’s baseball-playing older bro and an enthusiastic person overall. He is religious but not strictly so, and he’ll never treat his sisters as lessers. One of his friends has an inactive father, who left his family to join a cult, and basically abandoned everyone in his family for not following suit, making the church his life now. [name_m]Cayman[/name_m] has always been there for his friend without being against any religions but he also steps back when he can, given that he doesn’t like to have a set ‘role’ in anyone’s lives. He doesn’t really believe in that.

He enjoys singing but thankfully doesn’t sing out loud because he’s terrible at powerhouse singing - truly. Yet he’s not bad at singing softly, like for nursery songs. So he’s excited to have a new baby sibling on the way to sing to. He’s been doing a parenting project to take care of a baby simulator, which he considers the baby to be “creepy” but cares a lot about his responsibilities and wants to prove he cares about other stuff besides baseball. Like [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] and [name_u]Lex[/name_u], he loves animals too but prefers snow animals like penguins and polar bears. Normally he doesn’t get along with Type A personalities, but [name_u]Archer[/name_u] is an exception.

[wandering_willow]

tw: father walking out on kids

[name_f]Olive[/name_f] [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] Holgate (24) is the teacher of [name_m]Cayman[/name_m]. She likes [name_m]Cayman[/name_m] a lot and while [name_f]Olive[/name_f] tried to be the most unbiased teacher possible, she’d say [name_m]Cayman[/name_m] is one of her favorites. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] has always wanted to be a teacher ever since she was Cayman’s age, and finds her job to be very satisfying. Her fiancee is also an elementary school teacher, and the two are set to be married in [name_u]July[/name_u]. They met at university and hit it off right away, both being passionate about education and literacy. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] grew up in a poor background, and she found that her elementary school teachers changed her life, particularly her fifth grade one who encouraged her to follow her dreams. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] was raised by a devoted single mom who, while despite loving [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and her little sister who’s a year younger than her, didn’t have much time for them due to working as many as five jobs a week.

[name_f]Olive[/name_f] is determined to make her future kids’ lives as good as possible- she isn’t pregnant or trying to be, but knows that she wants kids and wants them to be her fiancée’s. Her own father walked out on her when she was four, which caused a profound impact on her mental health to this day which is still constantly hurting her, which is another reason why she wants to work with kids- because she believes that their mental health is very important and she wants to make their lives better than hers when she was that age. Of course she also wants her future kids to be happy and mentally healthy. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] is seeing a therapist and confronting her issues and getting better with the help of her husband and her red retriever, [name_u]Misha[/name_u], who’s just turned 5 this month. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] loves [name_u]Misha[/name_u] and takes him on walks often.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Thyme[/name_u] [name_u]Julie[/name_u] Holgate (23) is Olive’s younger sister and soon-to-be sister-in-law to Olive’s fiancée. She’s super excited about the wedding and secretly wants to be the one to catch the bouquet - she will jump for it like a basketball player! [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] remembers when she and Olive’s maternal aunt got married; [name_f]Olive[/name_f] caught that bouquet. And she really was going to be the next one married. Ironically, [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] doesn’t want marriage yet but she feels catching the bouquet might give her some luck of love in her life! [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] used to be very crush-crazy in her teenage years but she’s gotten past that and she won’t settle for someone bad just because she wanted a relationship. She may not have anyone now but at least she has closeness with her sister and BFFs.

[name_u]Thyme[/name_u] has one BFF whom she’s known for 15 years, a genderfluid pal who has an awesome father (although he checks every box when it comes to being a dorky dad!) and a very sweet mother. [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] wishes her own father could be there but she’s never underestimated her mother - a true powerhouse. She was always a little less mature than [name_f]Olive[/name_f] growing up due to being the younger sibling but was never too immature, given it was just 1 year and the departure of her father matured her. As a small child, she used to celebrate half-birthdays with a smaller cake, something she doesn’t do anymore, but her mother always supported it when she was a little girl because she wanted her daughters to enjoy childhood. Ironically, [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] are currently 24 1/2 and 23 1/2, but haven’t really paid attention to that and simply say they’re 24 and 23 now. [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] is super close with her mother, taking on one of the careers her mother once held while working so many jobs. She’s really supportive of Thyme’s fiancée but has a bad secret - she secretly dislikes the fiancée’s sister. [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] finds this woman “grating” and finds her tastes in music and books to be “terrible”. She won’t say anything bad about her and doesn’t want to hurt the other woman’s feelings, especially since the other woman isn’t a bad person. She really wants to resolve this because she knows they’re going to be each other’s in-laws and [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] doesn’t want to become that “rude, nasty in-law”. Still, she has hardly any common ground with the woman yet she completely supports [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and her fiancée’s engagement.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Vivianne[/name_f] " [name_f]Viv[/name_f] " [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [Hingewell] Markley (30) is Olive’s future sister-in-law and the source of annoyance for [name_u]Thyme[/name_u]. Being six years older than her brother meant [name_f]Viv[/name_f] became comfortable voicing her opinions without a filter quickly, and even before he was born, no-one was calling her shy and retiring. She can strike up a conversation with just about anyone, an ideal component as she works as a hairdresser and stylist, usually focusing on weddings, proms and other special occasion based work. This is arguably what makes her hard to be around for people: [name_f]Viv[/name_f] naturally wants the spotlight, it’s almost a compulsion for her, and is very confident in her opinions as a side effect of this trait. The real problem is she tends to be a bit presumptuous, notably where her loved one’s are concerned, and will take over a conversation if she thinks it’s the helpful thing to do: this isn’t always the case though.

Her devotion to the tooth rotting romance works of an author named G.D. Marchess also frequently comes up in conversation, and they’re very much marmite novels. You either love their tales of grand romance - usually involving rivals turned lovers for good measure - or find them the most sickly sweet stories ever penned, which don’t accurately reflect the complexities of relationships. Viv’s been reading them since her teens, having been introduced to them by her aunt [a woman she’s often compared to by her parents in demeanour] and the hook was firm. [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] could probably ignore this quirk of Viv’s if she wasn’t constantly trying to convince her and [name_f]Olive[/name_f] to read them - something the sister’s tried but they really couldn’t get into the style of writing or sugar subject matter - as she [name_f]Viv[/name_f] feels she and her in-laws need to have as much in common as possible.

Currently child-free, Viv’s got more going on beneath the surface than even her brother - someone who knows she means well, even if he tires of her conversation dominating and finds her media tastes a bit too twee for his liking - is aware of. She feels her husband isn’t ever going to be ready to start a family, and that he underplayed his doubts when the couple met. It all started when she was helping her sister-in-law [not [name_f]Olive[/name_f], her husband’s sisters’ wife] get ready for a premiere event, and something was let slip about how he’d once mentioned he didn’t see himself as a father: massive news to [name_f]Viv[/name_f]. He told her he merely needed time to adjust, as she’s always been forthcoming about her dreams of motherhood. Their’s was a whirlwind romance - six months of dating, a four month engagement, then at just after the year mark they were wed, approximately 3 heads ago - and while at the time this was all she’d ever dreamed of, [name_f]Viv[/name_f] now can’t help but wonder if she acted too impulsively…

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] ’ [name_m]Thane[/name_m] ’ [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] Hingewell (24) is Viv’s brother and Olive’s fiance, as well as the fellow devoted owner of [name_u]Misha[/name_u]. With a sister like [name_f]Viv[/name_f], [name_m]Thane[/name_m] naturally was considered an introvert, but it’s not reflected in his job: he’s a phlebotomist, who plans on returning to university at some point to gain qualifications to work in the scientific field analysing the samples he currently takes. While quiet, Thane’s an expert at assuring patients, especially given how prominent a fear of needles is, and ironically, [name_m]Thane[/name_m] hated them himself as a kid, with his eventual career being a surprise to many family members (and a source of many jokes).

He actually met [name_f]Olive[/name_f] through his job, as he was hired to give a talk on injections to the students of the school where she works, and they struck up a conversation as she was the teacher asked to give him a tour of the school by a colleague. [name_m]Thane[/name_m] hasn’t asked this woman if she was matchmaking, but something about the way she smiles whenever seeing the couple together gives him the impression she may have had a plan or two up her sleeve with this introduction…not that he’s ever going to complain, as he absolutely adores [name_f]Olive[/name_f], and is half-convinced she’s his soulmate given how easily they communicate.

While even he can find [name_f]Viv[/name_f] too much at times, [name_m]Thane[/name_m] loves his sister completely, and does his best to prevent her from grating on [name_u]Thyme[/name_u] too much. She was the one to nickname him [name_m]Thane[/name_m], as when [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] began attending school, she already had two friends named [name_m]Nate[/name_m] and [name_u]Nat[/name_u], so he jokes about being indebted to her for standing out on name basis alone. Thane’s confided in his best friend, the youngest brother of someone [name_f]Viv[/name_f] went to school with, that he feels his sister’s going through something at the moment, but he doesn’t quite know how to approach her on this, as he understands she’s devoted to always seeming positive and upbeat, which makes convincing her to open up a challenge to say the least.

[jinxed_peach]

cw: deadbeat father

[name_u]Brayden[/name_u] ’ [name_u]Brady[/name_u] ’ [name_m]Forrest[/name_m] Markley [30] is Thane’s brother-in-law and Viv’s husband. He also happens to be the source of that underlying drama in their lives by being the one to shatter Viv’s dreams of motherhood. [name_u]Brady[/name_u] never meant any harm to [name_f]Viv[/name_f], he loves her deeply and after their quick courtship felt as though he had found ‘the one.’ It’s just that he’s a little traumatized when it comes to the subject of parenting. He and his siblings were effectively raised by a single mother. His father had a gambling habit and a drinking habit that often took precedence over his family.

Often he would just blow into the family home like a tumbleweed where he would gather up some of the money that Brady’s mom earned from her multiple jobs, she had to work twice as hard considering her husband was unemployed, and use it to be spent on booze and bookies. Brady’s older sister also took on sort of a parent role since she was the eldest of the Markleys. She would try to distract the other siblings from the chaos that surrounded them and keep spirits up when their mother was on the brink of a breakdown. Though [name_u]Brady[/name_u] could always see through that veneer.

It wasn’t just his own father either, his paternal grandfather wasn’t exactly an involved parent either. As [name_u]Brady[/name_u] grew older and began to reflect on his own family, he began to fear that despite not really sharing any traits beyond his eye color with the other men in his family, he would end up just like them should he ever dare to become a father. He’d resigned himself to it so long ago, probably sometime during his teens, that it’s essentially all he’d ever known. Though he never really speaks about why he doesn’t want children in depth. His older sister knows why, she was there to witness the events that lead to his outlook. She was the one whoes wife let it slip to [name_f]Viv[/name_f] about him not thinking he would ever see himself as a father.

The newfound tension in their relationship has lead him to discover that he and his wife don’t see eye to eye on the subject of children like he had previously thought that they did. It hurts him to think that he’s the thing standing in the way of Viv’s dreams, he just isn’t sure about being honest with her. If his lack of desire for children isn’t driving her away fast enough, he’s starting to wonder if him telling her about what kind of men he comes from would make her run away even quicker. Though one thing he’s sure of, is that now he’s considering attempting to try therapy to get a better look at his own issues since he would do anything to try and keep [name_f]Viv[/name_f] in his life.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_u]Carter[/name_u] [28] is a cheerful and outgoing person who works as a graphic designer at the same advertising agency as [name_u]Brady[/name_u]. She and [name_u]Brady[/name_u] met on their first day of work and quickly became friends. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] often invites [name_u]Brady[/name_u] to join her for lunch or coffee breaks, and sometimes they hang out after work at a nearby bar or restaurant. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is aware of Brady’s marital problems and tries to offer him support and advice. She thinks that [name_u]Brady[/name_u] and [name_f]Viv[/name_f] are a great couple and hopes that they can work things out. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is also a single mother of a four-year-old boy named [name_u]Noah[/name_u], who she adores. She had [name_u]Noah[/name_u] when she was 24 and broke up with his father shortly after. She has been raising [name_u]Noah[/name_u] on her own with the help of her parents, who live nearby. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] loves being a mom and often shares stories and pictures of [name_u]Noah[/name_u] with [name_u]Brady[/name_u]. She thinks that [name_u]Brady[/name_u] would make a good father someday, but she respects his decision not to have children. She also doesn’t push him to open up about his past, but she lets him know that she is always there to listen if he wants to talk.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for dishonest parenting.

[name_m]Marko[/name_m] [name_m]Josip[/name_m] [name_u]Green[/name_u] (28) is Lila’s friend, who’s also had difficult parent circumstances. He doesn’t hate his family but he’s bothered by his past. His father divorced his wife before [name_m]Marko[/name_m] was in his life, but [name_m]Marko[/name_m] had never met her in person. He was adopted from Montenegro as a baby but wasn’t told he was adopted until he was 12. Marko’s father remarried and had another son, this time biologically. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] assumed his name was just his parents’ naming style, seeing they named his brother [name_u]Ryker[/name_u]. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] did grow up with most people not noticing although a few people, particularly other of Balkan heritage, asking where he was from and [name_m]Marko[/name_m] simply answering, “Oh just here.” One day after [name_m]Marko[/name_m] told his father this, his father admitted he was adopted from Montenegro and that only his brother [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] was biological. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] knew his father seemed to favour [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] more but [name_m]Marko[/name_m] never would have guessed it was because [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] was the only biological child he had. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] felt a disdain on his father for passively misleading him all those years and [name_m]Marko[/name_m] grew up in his teenage years holding some hostility on [name_u]Ryker[/name_u]. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] has since made amends, he knows [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] is not at fault with this, and the two love bonding over music.

[name_m]Marko[/name_m] is on-again-off-again with his adoptive parents. He’s closer with his culture now and he spends his days “making up for lost time” given how long he’s been stripped away from that as a child. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] has been understanding to both [name_u]Brady[/name_u] and [name_f]Viv[/name_f] following the dilemma of having children or not. His adoptive father never told him or [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] about his past divorce given he felt it was “irrelevant” since he was with his current wife. [name_m]Marko[/name_m] only found out from his father’s second wife, Marko’s stepmother, who he assumed was his true mother. From what [name_m]Marko[/name_m] knows about his adoptive father, he finds him selfish, and honestly he is. He claimed the reason he divorced his first wife is because she didn’t want children and he did, but he misled [name_m]Marko[/name_m] and [name_u]Ryker[/name_u] into thinking she never existed in their father’s life just so they’d not have desire to look for her. Much like not telling [name_m]Marko[/name_m] he was adopted so he wouldn’t try to contact his birth parents. He was a person so fixated on people focusing on him that he often got jealous simply if his children were close with other adults besides him and his wife guiding their lives. Before moving into the neighborhood with [name_f]Lila[/name_f], he used to work as a tattoo artist alongside [name_u]Josie[/name_u] Featherly. He learned about her twins [name_u]Jett[/name_u] and [name_f]Joanie[/name_f] and [name_m]Marko[/name_m] has been proud of the former’s improvement to change for the better. [name_u]Jett[/name_u] recently had a setback after making lots of progress to change but [name_m]Marko[/name_m] is determined to see him get back up because [name_m]Marko[/name_m] feels a sense of his old self in [name_u]Jett[/name_u], although [name_m]Marko[/name_m] was more bitter at age 20 than a troublemaker.

[name_m]Marko[/name_m] has been reminding Lila’s ex to stay involved in Noah’s life and at least let the boy know where he stands. He’s often been the one there helping Lila’s ex raise [name_u]Noah[/name_u] when Lila’s ex is around [name_u]Noah[/name_u]. It’s awkward for [name_m]Marko[/name_m] to be around Noah’s father when [name_f]Lila[/name_f] isn’t there but it’s helped [name_f]Lila[/name_f] deal with her ex. Plus [name_m]Marko[/name_m] is getting paid as a babysitter, which he needs because he’s losing his current job in 2 months because the store he works at is running out of business and announced it will close. As for the conflict of [name_u]Brady[/name_u] and [name_f]Viv[/name_f], [name_m]Marko[/name_m] hopes that they can come down to a decision on children and they can have an honest and meaningful conversation. He’s been understanding with both of them and both he and [name_f]Lila[/name_f] have been supportive given their recent decision now to attend couples’ counsel.

Ryker was created by @Lily_Grace.

Josie was created by @kitkatcookie.

Jett & Joanie were created by @rachelheth.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Anya[/name_f] [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] Petrovic (26) is a childhood friend of Marko’s from his Montenegrin community. She moved to the same neighborhood as [name_m]Marko[/name_m] and [name_f]Lila[/name_f] a few years ago and they’ve reconnected since then. [name_f]Anya[/name_f] is an artist and often collaborates with [name_m]Marko[/name_m] on various projects. She’s also a bit of a free spirit and enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and learning new languages. [name_f]Anya[/name_f] is fiercely loyal to her friends and will always stand up for what she believes in. She’s been a great support system for [name_m]Marko[/name_m] through his struggles with his adoptive family and encourages him to embrace his heritage and culture.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Ramona[/name_f] [name_u]Majesty[/name_u] [name_u]Carter[/name_u] (31) is a fellow free-spirited friend of [name_f]Anya[/name_f] and older sister to [name_f]Lila[/name_f]. She loves buying her clothes from thrift shops and handmaking her own jewellery. [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] has no children but is strongly bonded with nephew [name_u]Noah[/name_u] and the two love to play fun games. She loves Anya’s loyalty to her culture and closeness she and [name_m]Marco[/name_m] have helping one another. Despite her cool side, she is very serious in her career, since she’s the counsellor that is helping [name_f]Viv[/name_f] and [name_u]Brady[/name_u].

[name_f]Viv[/name_f] and [name_u]Brady[/name_u] have taken a short break from each other, granted this is not a break-up and neither are seeing others during the off-period. [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] understands how hard this was, given she had been in an on-again-off-again relationship that wasn’t progressing and the two were only together because it felt wrong completely splitting after all the time [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] knew her ex. However they did make the difficult decision to let it go and not get back together, since it wasn’t working. As for [name_u]Brady[/name_u], [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] has convinced him to cut off any toxic family members. Block them and don’t associate. In Brady’s case, he and his siblings cut off their paternal relatives in hopes of not growing up to be like them. The eldest Markley has since built up a better life for herself through writing books, something that [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] admires, and she bonds with this Markley woman.

There’s still an important decision to think about in terms of [name_f]Viv[/name_f] and [name_u]Brady[/name_u], and that’s whether to have children or not. In an odd decision, [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] has taken some advice from [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and her students, and the two are using - yes! A baby simulator! A little out there, but it’s meant to be lifelike and help the couple think it over. At first [name_m]Thane[/name_m], [name_m]Marko[/name_m], and [name_f]Lila[/name_f] asked what [name_f]Viv[/name_f] and [name_u]Brady[/name_u] were doing but slowly got into the idea of the baby simulator and have played along. But besides the baby, [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] wants the couple to know where they are in their position in marriage and how likely they’re going to stay together. She won’t rush them and knows they will make progress at the pace they feel best in, on deciding on the next move for their love…but ultimately knowing it’s only their place to say.