Create a Family With a Twist


[name_m]Florin[/name_m] [name_m]Mircea[/name_m] Rusu (27) is Natalia’s brother and one of the group members. Despite being older and being friends with lots of people outside the group, it was actually [name_m]Florin[/name_m] who introduced [name_f]Talia[/name_f] to the group due to his outgoing nature and his crush on [name_f]Azra[/name_f]. He and [name_f]Azra[/name_f] stayed friends for some time and then secretly dated but felt wrong hiding this from the other friends and eventually decided not to hide it. He and [name_f]Azra[/name_f] are currently married but he’s still found a good balance of friendship as well and knows he’s “together with his best friend”. He couldn’t be any happier. [name_m]Florin[/name_m] is studying [name_f]English[/name_f] and literature and wants to become a writer but currently works at a furniture store to gain experience and have something on his resume. He has a collection of fantasy and sci-fi novels, none of which are published, but the group knows and encourages him to publish them. [name_m]Florin[/name_m] is a great bowler, finding this as a hidden talent during a bowling outing with friends. He’s still in good contact with the former group member [name_f]Talia[/name_f] is falling for and secretly wants to get them together.
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[name_f]Mayu[/name_f] ‘May’ [name_m]Mori[/name_m] (24) hired [name_m]Florin[/name_m] as she was attracted by his outgoing, friendly nature and desire to succeed. [name_f]May[/name_f] is currently in control of the furniture store which is a family business started by her Japanese grandparents when they first moved to the US from Tokyo. Her younger 19 year old sister [name_m]Iku[/name_m] also works there, while managing a psychology course at college. The store is called " [name_m]Mori[/name_m] Kagu " translating to [name_m]Mori[/name_m] furniture in [name_f]English[/name_f] and [name_f]May[/name_f] was thrilled to be handed the furniture store from her Dad when we had retired so him and Mays Mom could travel more. [name_f]May[/name_f] is not the oldest, her 27 year old brother is, and he is currently an engineer at NASA, and did not wish to take the family business into his hands. [name_f]May[/name_f] is considering whether to hand the business to her younger sister so she can focus full time on her engineering at college or whether she should make the business her full time career, as she doesn’t want to let the family down, especially her late grandad and her nana because she knows her sister [name_m]Iku[/name_m] can daydream and get distracted and she is only 19 which is too young to run a business
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[name_u]Xen[/name_u] [name_m]Mori[/name_m] (27) is a NASA engineer and a member of the six friends; alongside [name_f]Azra[/name_f], Nehlina, [name_f]Talia[/name_f], [name_m]Florin[/name_m], and one other man. He’s often perceived as the nerdiest but he doesn’t underestimate Azra’s periodic table knowledge. He and [name_f]Azra[/name_f] even text stuff in chemical symbols to the rest of the group like “HeY NErDs WHAtS UP” (helium yttrium, nitrogen erbium darmstadtium, tungsten hydrogen astatine sulphur, uranium phosphorus). Sometimes when talking about secret subjects, they’ll just say the elements and not the words. They called some bigots a “tungsten arsenic tellurium, oxygen fluorine, lithium iron” (WAsTe OF LiFe) and call sexists “phosphorus astatine helium titanium carbon, sulphur tungsten iodine neon sulphur, tungsten iodine thorium, nobelium, boron radium indium sulphur” (PAtHeTiC SWINeS WITh No BRaInS). It’s fun for them because they get to insult terrible people without them knowing and look smart while doing it. He lets [name_f]Azra[/name_f] call him [name_m]Xenon[/name_m] after the 54th element and calls her [name_f]Astra[/name_f] but they are the only ones who use those nicknames on each other. [name_u]Xen[/name_u] is very pro-science and adores astronomy and feels gifted working for NASA. He loves his job and wouldn’t trade it for anything and he’s grateful [name_f]May[/name_f] is doing well taking over the furniture business. He and [name_m]Iku[/name_m] are on good terms too and relates to [name_m]Iku[/name_m] being too busy to take over the position [name_f]May[/name_f] is taking over.

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[name_m]Dante[/name_m] [name_u]Luca[/name_u] Romatei (25) is the final and youngest member of the friend group. He grew up with a picture-perfect life, but (like most people) he took it for granted. He always wanted more. He was a highly esteemed competitive swimmer, and was going to go to the 2021 summer olympics, but he dropped out after he received the most devastating news he’d ever gotten – his girlfriend, the love of his life, had been in a fatal car crash and died on impact.

[name_u]Ever[/name_u] since that day – one year, six months, and ten days ago – [name_m]Dante[/name_m] has kept a little diamond ring on a chain around his neck. It’s the same ring that he had bought only a week and a half before his girlfriend passed. He was going to propose. They were going to get married. They were going to have four lovely children. They had planned their whole life out… together.

Although his family (mom, dad, and two little brothers, 17 and 20) were always there for him, his childhood best friend, [name_m]Florin[/name_m], was the person who got him through the pain.

Everyone in the friend group (except Florin) has encouraged [name_m]Dante[/name_m] to find another girl, but he’s still heartbroken. It would feel like betrayal to go out with someone else.

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Warning for aforementioned death by car accident. Also, I felt like giving Dante’s lovely lady (pictured behind Philip) a name & face because I felt the late lass deserved one. The birth date was random and the death date was calculated from 1 year, 6 months, and 10 days ago. I do not take ownership of her however, the character still technically belongs to autumn.leaves so credit to autumn.leaves!

[name_m]Philip[/name_m] [name_u]Hudson[/name_u] Romatei (17) is Dante’s youngest brother and was always there for [name_m]Dante[/name_m] during the passing of his girlfriend [name_f]Perla[/name_f] [name_u]Kaye[/name_u] [name_u]Swan[/name_u] (30 [name_u]November[/name_u] 1996—29 [name_f]April[/name_f] 2021, aged 24). [name_m]Philip[/name_m] feels bad because he knew how much [name_m]Dante[/name_m] and [name_f]Perla[/name_f] wanted for their futures. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] even talked about wedding details with [name_m]Dante[/name_m] when [name_m]Dante[/name_m] told him he purchased the engagement ring. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] and Dante’s other brother even debated about how to propose to [name_f]Perla[/name_f], with [name_m]Philip[/name_m] saying [name_m]Dante[/name_m] should propose at the Olympic Games because it will be memorable forever, while their other brother said public proposals are embarrassing and [name_m]Dante[/name_m] should go for something more private and intimate. Both were completely shocked that neither would happen and [name_f]Perla[/name_f] would pass away so horribly and unexpectedly.

[name_m]Philip[/name_m] feels bad that [name_m]Dante[/name_m] didn’t compete at the Olympics and believes he would have been a fierce competitor but knows ultimately Dante’s heart wasn’t in it. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] himself does karate but isn’t at any professional level and not a black or even brown belt. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] himself visited [name_m]Dante[/name_m] a lot after school and just talk to him. [name_m]Just[/name_m] recently, [name_m]Philip[/name_m] wanted to make [name_m]Dante[/name_m] feel a little better and shine the diamond ring chained necklace while [name_m]Dante[/name_m] was at a pool party with the group. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] did but then realised he had to hurry over to karate practice — and mistakenly took the necklace with him. When [name_m]Philip[/name_m] left karate that night, he realised he accidentally took the necklace and felt bad. It was getting late and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] needed to sleep because exams were all week at school and it would get tedious. He left the necklace on the nightstand for safekeeping but was so distracted by tests that he forgot he was supposed to return it. It wasn’t until [name_m]Florin[/name_m] and [name_f]Talia[/name_f] asked [name_m]Philip[/name_m] why [name_m]Dante[/name_m] was mad at the friends’ group that [name_m]Philip[/name_m] remembered to give back the necklace with the ring. On [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] afternoon, he went back to his room and noticed the necklace on his nightstand, so he immediately drove to Dante’s house and left it on the doorstep before he could forget again. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] called [name_m]Dante[/name_m] to ask why he was mad at his friends and [name_m]Dante[/name_m] said it was because the ring necklace was gone and he thinks one of the friends took it. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] reassured [name_m]Dante[/name_m] that the taker would return the necklace and he shouldn’t worry anymore.

[name_m]Dante[/name_m] got his necklace back from the doorstep and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] was hoping the negative feelings would blow over, but unfortunately they didn’t. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] wasn’t worried or angry anymore but now he was disappointed. He had no idea [name_m]Philip[/name_m] accidentally took it and he believes one of his friends temporarily took it. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] and his other brother try to tell [name_m]Dante[/name_m] that his friends would never do that. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] said, “Apart from [name_m]Florin[/name_m], I think one of them did. They don’t know what I was going through and suggested I love someone else besides [name_f]Perla[/name_f]. One of them had to have taken it because they felt like I’d never let go if I had that ring on the chain.” At this point, Dante’s friends had stopped pressuring him to find new love and had been much more understanding of his grief, apologising for what they said before. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] forgave them but still mistakenly felt they were just saying that to hide suspicion that one of them “stole” the necklace. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] says he “knew” the necklace was stolen and returned because it was left on his doorstep with no explanation of why it got there and none of his friends directly said, “Hey I found your lost necklace”…and according to [name_m]Dante[/name_m], it wasn’t lost, it was stolen. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] is regretting his mistake and wishes he just told [name_m]Dante[/name_m] that it was him who accidentally took the necklace and feels awful that this accident is straining the friend group. He really wants to confess to [name_m]Dante[/name_m] because Dante’s friends are all innocent and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] doesn’t want [name_m]Dante[/name_m] to lose any of them as friends. But he feels truly terrified of how to own up to the truth of what happened and he needs serious advice before [name_m]Dante[/name_m] turns on his friends.

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[name_m]Louis[/name_m] [name_m]Matteo[/name_m] Romatei (20) is the brother of [name_m]Dante[/name_m] and [name_m]Philip[/name_m]. He’s the most introverted in the family, as well as the most empathetic. When [name_f]Perla[/name_f] passed away, it affected him greatly. Yes, he hurt for his brother, but it also scared him on a different level. He was engaged to his then-fiancé Lucja, and Perla’s death was a bit of a shock back into reality. Although he was tempted to some level to call off the engagement, for fear of losing his girl, encouragement from his friends and brothers led him to go through with the marriage – and he has no regrets. He is now eight months married to his beautiful fair-haired bride, and they’re expecting a baby girl in four months.

[name_m]Louis[/name_m] is the only person that [name_m]Philip[/name_m] has told about the necklace incident. While he usually tends to be on the passive side of things, he has strongly pushed his little brother to admit it to [name_m]Dante[/name_m]. After all, [name_m]Dante[/name_m] is a very forgiving person, and he’d acknowledge that it was just a misunderstanding. Besides, he hasn’t been the same since he suspected someone of stealing from him. [name_m]Even[/name_m] so, [name_m]Philip[/name_m] won’t budge, and guilt is getting the best of him.

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Luciana ’ Lucja ’ Jadzia [Bajorek] Romatei (20) is Louis’s’ wife and expectant mother. A second generation Polish-Canadian, Lucja’s paused her plans to study architecture in order to prepare for the arrival of the couple’s daughter. This did cause a bit of contention within her family: namely her parents worrying she was throwing away her career prospects, and - while they very much are fond of Louis as a person, as well as his family - they’re still a little wary about the rush into official marriage; the major concern being if Lucja feels she made decisions without properly having time to deliberate them, as she is someone who very much acts first and contemplates later.

In spite of this slight tension, Lucja is confidence in the decision she and Louis made, although it does pain her to know it was spurred by the untimely passing of Perla. The two weren’t especially close - mostly thanks to the age gap, with Lucja’s two older siblings (one’s 25, the other 22) technically being closer in age to her and Dante - but the tragedy was all too familiar given how she saw it devastate her now-husband and his whole family. While she can seem a little flighty and highly impulsive, Lucja is an exceptionally affectionate person, who spends just as much time doting on her husband and friends as she does their dog, a poodle rescue named Stanley, who was actually given to her by her oldest sibling, who’s a veterinary nurse.

Although to some people she’s disparagingly called immature, it’s undeniable that motherhood is absolutely something Lucja’s prepared for, and not just in a sense that she and Louis have purchased everything they need well in advance. She’s clear she wants their daughter connected with her heritage - like Lucja, she’s going to have a Polish middle name, and will also be taught the language - but otherwise is determined to let her child be whoever she wants to be. Lucja also isn’t making plans on deliberating more children until she’s got a proper taste of parenting with her little girl.

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[name_m]Szymon[/name_m] [name_u]Karol[/name_u] Bajorek (22) is Lucja’s brother and Louis’s brother-in-law. Lucja herself had been in a car accident not too long after getting her licence but thankfully she wasn’t harmed, but it took her quite some time before her car was repaired from the crash. She often carpooled with [name_m]Szymon[/name_m] and during a carpool to a school dance, he also picked up [name_m]Louis[/name_m], who he was tutoring in math at the time. Both [name_m]Louis[/name_m] and Lucja didn’t have dates and literally became each other’s dates at the dance itself, but they really hit it off! He is grateful she and [name_m]Louis[/name_m] are tied the knot and Szymon’s not interested in marriage or children at the time but is excited for their baby girl to arrive. [name_m]Szymon[/name_m], who is studying biology, was surprised when Lucja was pregnant but completely understood and never wanted that to hurt the family. He is already sensing some hurt within Dante’s friend group.

[name_m]Szymon[/name_m] doesn’t know about much of the details about the necklace incident but has overheard [name_f]Azra[/name_f] saying, “My parents died in a car accident. No way would I be the one to steal it. If it was taken by any model, it would have to be Talia.” [name_f]Talia[/name_f] says there was no way she’d have it and that her brother [name_m]Florin[/name_m] can vouch for her. Nehlina doesn’t like being involved and stays out for the most part but [name_u]Xen[/name_u] thinks it’s because Nehlina did it. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] himself isn’t arguing or fighting with any of his friends and has kept a distance from them. He says that whoever took it should just own up now so that nobody innocent has to be cut off and things can resume. [name_m]Szymon[/name_m] doesn’t know who took it and is convincing [name_m]Louis[/name_m] and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] to speak up if they know anything. However given Szymon’s somewhat abrasive side he says, “Someone stole it and returned it suspiciously and won’t own up?! How can they be such a jerk!” which isn’t helping [name_m]Philip[/name_m].

[name_m]Szymon[/name_m] himself is on the debate team so he can be quite tough in terms of seeing morality. The eldest sibling, who is very close to him, has helped him calm down and completely understands his ways of debates. While he’s not the type to act first like Lucja, he’s the type to speak first and contemplate later, which isn’t exactly what his parents raised him to do. However, he’s very good at heart and doesn’t judge people and he’s used his outspoken nature to help human rights. [name_u]An[/name_u] openly gay man, [name_m]Szymon[/name_m] is very pro-human rights and takes a stand for what he believes in.

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[name_m]Iku[/name_m] [name_m]Mori[/name_m] (19) is also on the debate team and is the sister of [name_f]May[/name_f] and [name_u]Xen[/name_u]. She really doesn’t want to take on the responsibility of the furniture store. A social butterfly, [name_m]Iku[/name_m] thinks her career lies in more than a furniture store. She is studying psychology at the moment which she loves. She isn’t that close with [name_u]Xen[/name_u], and she finds it kinda rude how he chose NASA and a new friend group over his family and helping out with the struggling business. She understands that this is a big opportunity but she is all about loyalty and staying loyal to her family and friends is what matters most to her. She misses her parents and she can’t wait to tell them that she met someone at college who she is dating, as it’s her first boyfriend. Her Dad is Japanese and her Mom is latina, which in her opinion is a beautiful mix and she and her sister are both pretty. Her parents were quite strict growing up especially since she was their baby and when [name_m]Iku[/name_m] was 14, her prime teenage years, [name_u]Xen[/name_u] was 21 and had moved out and [name_f]May[/name_f] was 19 and didn’t need looking after anymore so her parents attention moved on to her, unfortunately.
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[name_m]Tiago[/name_m] [name_m]Jon[/name_m] Corte-Real (18) is Iku’s friend who works at the furniture store part-time when he’s not a student. He’s the younger brother of Nehlina Corte-Real and youngest sibling. He’s bisexual and dating a male in his school orchestra but he’s not quite “fully out” of the closet due to his shyness. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] has become good friends with [name_m]Louis[/name_m] and knew [name_f]Perla[/name_f] to some extent, with them both loving rowing, but he was surprised to hear about the necklace incident. Given his own timid ways, he understands Philip’s awkward fear but he and [name_m]Louis[/name_m] both know [name_m]Philip[/name_m] is better off telling the truth and hiding it longer only makes it worse. The two convinced [name_m]Philip[/name_m] to tell [name_m]Dante[/name_m] and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] would confess and say it was an accident. He wanted to do something nice for [name_m]Dante[/name_m] by getting the jewellery cleaned but made a horrible error by forgetting to return it and then dropping it off anonymously. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] says he should have said he was returning it or better yet, ask first before taking it to clean it. [name_m]Philip[/name_m] says he felt beyond awful when [name_m]Dante[/name_m] had believed his friends took it and that [name_m]Philip[/name_m] hated that he had indirectly caused tension among Dante’s friends. [name_m]Dante[/name_m] forgave him and was actually very happy, knowing now that none of his friends had actually stolen it. However he felt terrible for accusing them and gathered them all over to apologise and say what had really happened. They apologised back to [name_m]Dante[/name_m] because while they didn’t steal the necklace, they did pry into his love life and told him to find another love when his heart wasn’t in it. They promised never to suggest anything of it unless [name_m]Dante[/name_m] brought it up first, and that promise was a keeper.

Now that the friendship troubles ended and everyone was on better terms, [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] became close with [name_m]Iku[/name_m] and felt good having a friend whose also related to a member of their older siblings’ friend group. It felt much more comfortable now for [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] and Iku’s friendship. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] knows [name_m]Iku[/name_m] is on rough terms with [name_u]Xen[/name_u] for other reasons, her disdain that [name_u]Xen[/name_u] is focusing so much on NASA. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] feels odd talking to [name_u]Xen[/name_u] about this but he’s reassured [name_m]Iku[/name_m] that she may just be worried seeing her siblings growing up and having lives outside of what they used to have. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] knows what it was like when his siblings moved out and became adults when he was still a juvenile and how fast it felt like things had changed. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] credits his boyfriend for how to adjust and he’s on great terms with Nehlina and their elder brother, despite Tiago’s bickering with the latter. [name_m]Tiago[/name_m] knows that although [name_u]Xen[/name_u] is simply moving with NASA, he still feels [name_u]Xen[/name_u] could spend more time with his sisters and he’s talked to [name_m]Iku[/name_m] and [name_f]May[/name_f] and the two sisters are going to have more connection and spend some more time doing stuff together.

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Mateus Levi Corte-Real (29) is the older brother of Nehlina and Tiago. While he doesn’t have much association with the friend groups, given that he is a few years older, he spends a lot of time with his little sister and hears about all the drama.

Mateus has always been the rebellious child, but for the most part his parents were unaware of his defiance. He is very intelligent and cunning, which is probably why he was so successful in medical school. However, his rebellious lifestyle has lead him to make many mistakes that he cannot take back.

The first mistake was during his third year of medical school, when he and his then-girlfriend, Lorelei, unintentionally got pregnant. Neither of them wanted children, so Lorelei planned to have an abortion. However, Mateus convinced her to go through with the pregnancy, because he couldn’t bear the thought of losing his unborn baby. Although they eventually broke up and Mateus was given full custody of their newborn daughter, who he named Belle.

The second mistake was getting back together with Lorelei. Four years after Belle was born, they started dating again and were soon engaged. But Lorelei suddenly called off the wedding only two weeks before it happened and moved away.

In the meantime, Mateus got back on the right path and worked hard in his part-time job in the hospital. Belle introduced him to her teacher, who he soon fell in love with, and they married only six months after they met. They now have a baby son together named Cyrus. The little family couldn’t be happier. Seven-year-old Belle loves her baby brother, and Mateus is relieved to finally be settled down.

However, trouble stirred up when Mateus received a call from Lorelei last month, informing him that she was tired of taking care of their two-year-old twin girls – who Mateus didn’t even know existed. But it explained why Lorelei ran off so suddenly before the wedding. Mateus ended up taking in the girls, Apple and Honey. The situation is stressful, especially since none of the custody is legal, but he and his wife love the twins just as much as Belle and Cyrus.

ETA: I just realized I accidentally said that Mateus and Lorelei had a son, and proceeded to say they named her Belle. My bad! I meant daughter. I changed it, don’t worry :sweat_smile:

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[name_u]Abilene[/name_u] [name_u]Harlyn[/name_u] [name_u]Swan[/name_u] (29) is Mateus’s wife and mother to [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]. She’s taken on a stepmother role. She’s the older sister of the late [name_f]Perla[/name_f] [name_u]Swan[/name_u] and admits she’s had a kind but rocky relationship with her sister, mostly on her end. [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] was always jealous of [name_f]Perla[/name_f] given her fantastic rowing skills and envied that [name_f]Perla[/name_f] and [name_m]Dante[/name_m] were such a wonderfully perfect couple while her relationship with [name_m]Mateus[/name_m] was very awkward at the time due to [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f]. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t grieve [name_f]Perla[/name_f], she wishes she was a better sister and feels she wants there for [name_f]Perla[/name_f] enough. [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] is questioning herself as a mother and that she should be there for her children and stepchildren more as well, even if she didn’t expect to be married to [name_m]Matheus[/name_m] so soon. She’s gotten some confidence back and adores being a teacher and knows it deserves its praise for being such a wonderful career and believes teachers need more pay.

[name_u]Abilene[/name_u] has always worried how [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] feels about [name_m]Matheus[/name_m] moving on so soon even if [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] wasn’t the most active mother. She sees herself as a happy stepmother to [name_f]Belle[/name_f] and would welcome the twin girls and doesn’t see them as any lesser than [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]. [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] still admires [name_m]Matheus[/name_m] especially given his successful and courageous career in the hospital and [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] has even befriended the midwife there who helped her deliver [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]. [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] knows Matheus’s life can get very chaotic and even she’s felt that way but she’s always had to keep a brave face and motivate [name_m]Matheus[/name_m] every time he improves in his life. She has a journal she keeps to vent about her stresses on the death of [name_f]Perla[/name_f] and the involvement of [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] and wouldn’t be so calm without it. She often feels like she’s in a position where she can’t get super emotional and that’s worried her sometimes but as a teacher, she’s always been a rock for her students.

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Belle Amethyst Corte-Jonas (7) is Abilene’s step-daugther, Mateus’s eldest daughter by Lorelei. She’s very much the opposite of her daddy, being a perfect rule-following girl. Abilene has been her step-mother for a year-and-a-half now, and she absolutely loves her. They decided as a family that Belle would call her Mom, which makes Abilene feel so loved.

Belle is a very quiet person for the most part, but she’s also a very sweet and caring person. In her book, everyone’s her friend. Despite this, Mateus and Abilene have discovered a bit of a jealous streak in Belle, now that she’s jumped from no siblings to three in just a couple of months. She does love her baby brother, but she’s hesitant about her sisters, Apple and Honey, who are the naughtiest bunch she’s ever laid eyes on – even though they look so much like her. The two-year-olds are quite the mystery to Belle, seeing that she never knew Lorelei, her birth mother.

Belle loves math, and sometimes Abilene calls her “her little mathematician.” But she struggles in every other subject, especially since she’s in second grade now and doesn’t have Abilene as her teacher. After two years of being in “Mom’s” class (the tiny school combines kindergartners and first-graders), she hasn’t really been able to adjust to a new teacher and new classroom.

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[name_f]Apple[/name_f] [name_f]Ianthe[/name_f] and [name_f]Honey[/name_f] [name_f]Eluned[/name_f] Corte-Jonas (2) are the twin sisters of [name_f]Belle[/name_f] and [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]. The duo are the epitome of twins who love being twins, always wanting to wear the same outfits and constantly being found together; although it’s easy to tell them apart as Apple’s favourite colour is blue, whereas Honey’s is pink - the only point of difference they have currently. It’s a relief to [name_u]Abilene[/name_u] and [name_m]Mateus[/name_m] that [name_f]Belle[/name_f] and [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m] are so close, given how [name_f]Apple[/name_f] and [name_f]Honey[/name_f] are forever running around together, usually trying to find butterflies in the back garden. While they can’t articulate their happiness quite yet, they’re ultimately happier with their dad, as [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] was a very emotionally absent parent who quickly began to display her feelings of frustration where responsibility was concerned.

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Sameer Sergi Mostafa-Rusu (4) is a friend of Belle, Cyrus, Apple, and Honey. He’s the son and elder child of Azra Mostafa and Florin Rusu and has a younger 3-year-old sister. He’s grateful for both his parents being active and loves playing with sidewalk chalk and using it for games like hopscotch and four-square. He loves talking about butterflies with Apple and Honey although Sameer prefers dragonflies. Whenever he hangs out with Apple and Honey, they talk forever and lose track of time and he always feels bad leaving them but it only makes him more excited to see them again.

Azra was created by @wandering_willow.

Florin was created by me.

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Yánmèng " Tilly " [Táo] Yang (40) is the mother of Sameer’s best friend, who makes up a quartet between him and the twins. This development was a relief for Florin and Azra, as while it’s evident how much the girls’ mean to Sameer, they worried he’d feel some exclusion given their natural bond as twins. Tilly, her husband and their children - 11-year-old daughter, 8-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son - are newer to the area, having only been living in their current house for a year, following a decision to move. The passing of her father greatly impacted Tilly - having been an only child herself, losing her mother when she was starting college and requiring a year out to come to terms with her grief; something her dad greatly helped her come to terms with - so she wanted to be closer to where his memory is strongest, as he was a well-known doctor who was beloved by people for his kindness.

This process took a while, as Tilly’s an anesthesiologist and needed to find a new job at a fairly local hospital, but has been a great decision for the well-being of the whole family, and her late fathers’ best friend has become something of a surrogate granddad to her kids; having never had any children of his own. He isn’t Chinese-Canadian like Tilly and her family, being Hungarian actually, however knows a great deal about their culture, which is something always upheld in the Yang household. Tilly herself is trilingual, speaking English, Chinese and Mandarin; while her husband’s actually a translator, who works across a huge range of sectors.

Cycling is Tilly’s favourite activity - it both calms her while also being very personally fulfilling - and her children are also into it, using it to travel to school alongside her. She was a little intimidated meeting Azra, as being older she knows some assume she’ll be an authoritarian or dismissive because of the age gap, but the two have formed an unlikely friendship thanks to their son’s bond; with Tilly greatly respecting how Azra is with her own children, and they regularly organise events for the younger kids to be involved in. Tilly also helps keep her older daughter’s schedules in line - her eldest is starting to become enamoured with art, and her younger’s mad about gymnastics, passions she fully encourages them to pursue.

Sometimes she is a little more cautious with her son, as coming home to a house muddied by adventuring outside isn’t the most relaxing evening, but she’s willing to let him get a worm farm when he’s a little older [and her daughters are fully accepting of this of course]. They currently have two pet hamsters - Lolly and Jellybean - who are doted upon by the children, something Tilly and her husband find ridiculously charming; not that they admit it openly, as it’s terribly embarrassing as far as the girls’ are concerned. Tilly humorously made a pact with them years before about not being a cringey mom, and she’s determined to stick by the promise, even if it means she misses out on some laughs.

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Haitao ’ [name_m]Fergus[/name_m] ’ Yang (3) is Tilly’s son and Sameer’s best friend, who makes up the group consisting of them and the Corte-Jonas twins. Like [name_m]Sameer[/name_m], [name_f]Apple[/name_f] and [name_f]Honey[/name_f], the natural world is favoured by [name_m]Fergus[/name_m], who loves helping his dad with gardening duties; usually planting the fruit and vegetables the family grow - granted it saddens him knowing the bugs aren’t welcome to join in enjoying the produce. His sisters’ love of being ‘mature’ amuses [name_m]Fergus[/name_m] greatly, as he’s got a very silly sense of humour, but it only charms those around him, and the girls never mind, even if it’s not something they’re going to go for. A few times he’s made his mom breakfast when she’s worked a long shift: usually cereal with his eldest sisters’ help, and he’s always proud to see her smile at this gesture.

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[name_f]Baojin[/name_f] “ [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] “ Yang (8) is the middle Yang child and an elder sister to [name_m]Fergus[/name_m]. [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] wants to be “mature too“ the way her elder sister does but she’s rather irresponsible. To give her some responsibility, [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and her husband gave [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] an egg and told her to take care of it like a baby for the day. [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] found the idea ridiculous but soon got used to it and enjoyed it. However after the day, [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and her husband replaced the egg with a plastic one telling her that the plastic egg is her new responsibility. [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] was confused but went along with it. Truthfully the replacement was for realistic reasons, a real egg can easily crack and would end up rotting, which would be disgusting. The fact that the egg didn’t crack at any point while [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] was taking care of it was a good sign at least that she was being a good “mother” to it. Not to mention, [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and her husband were using the egg to cook dinner and didn’t want to tell [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] that because she would be heartbroken her egg would be “killed”.

[name_f]Jenni[/name_f] is just learning multiplication and is doing great in school. She feels a bit odd doing schoolwork the Western way since the Eastern part of the world studies differently but she’s always an attentive and active learner. She loves to laugh which is easy for her to do given Fergus’s jokes. [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] loves jumping up and down and dancing and she’s definitely into doing stuff that gets her body moving. She loves amusement parks and has enjoyed them especially more now that she’s tall enough to ride more rides this year. She finds the rides to be another “maturity boost” for her and while it’s more of a height thing than an age thing, it still helps that [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] isn’t afraid of any rides.

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Li-hua " [name_f]Mira[/name_f] " Yang (11) is the artist of the family, as well as the eldest daughter and most naturally mature out the trio. A natural leader, [name_f]Mira[/name_f] isn’t the atypical artistic personality, being quite an orderly girl who’s firm and meticulous in everything she does - including organising her paints, chalks and pencils - but she’s absolutely joyous when it comes to visiting art galleries or exhibitions, something her parents try to make time for as much as possible. She’s easily inspired and experimental with her work, wanting to try out as much as possible so she can figure out a consistent style, and can name every artist she’s taken cues from [something [name_f]Jenni[/name_f] is amazed by, whereas [name_m]Fergus[/name_m] doesn’t really get what the whole fuss is about]. Mira’s learning Mandarin alongside her creative pursuits, having been raised bilingual but she now wants to follow in her parents footsteps and become confident in a third language. Her best friend speaks Hindi, which fascinates [name_f]Mira[/name_f], and being from households where cultural expression is encouraged, they’ve developed a fast friendship with a strong loyalty shared between the girls.

This is why Mira’s the only person who knows her friend has a crush on an older boy who lives down her street. She’s admitted to her mum it seems fruitless - she’s 90% certain he’s seeing someone and he’s 17, which is too old as far as Mira’s concerned - but doesn’t want to dampen her friend’s spirits; although she drew a line at attempting to write an anonymous Valentine’s card, as she couldn’t stand seeing any humiliation happen. Mira’s been a bit wrapped up in this, much to Jenni’s displeasure as she goes to her big sister for advice on being grown up, but she made her sister a congratulatory poster following her successful care of the egg, which has eased this minor bump between them greatly. Although she isn’t as fond of cycling as her mum, Mira’s become more enthusiastic about hockey after a taster at school, and she’s admitted to her parents she might like to join a team once she’s older, as the comradery, precision and adrenaline are great as far as she’s concerned.

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