Create A Family (With A Twist!)

[I.have.no.idea]

[name_u]Darian[/name_u] [name_m]Farley[/name_m] “Duffy” Schaefer (15) is talking to [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] and [name_u]Holden[/name_u] ‘s close friend. [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] is very charismatic and funny and has many friends from different social groups though he would consider [name_u]Holden[/name_u] one of his best friends. He loves helping out with the short films, and is one of the OGs who would reenact [name_f]Star[/name_f] Wars battles with [name_u]Holden[/name_u]. Duffy’s dad is a movie director and is partly the one who inspired [name_u]Holden[/name_u]. [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] though doesn’t really want to follow in his dad’s footsteps and would prefer continuing to make his own music and be a music producer. [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] is very pationate about music and started playing instruments from a young age, he really likes [name_u]Tate[/name_u] McRae and [name_m]Brent[/name_m] Faiyzas and likes how they’re music is produced.

[name_u]Duffy[/name_u] ‘s older sister is best friends with [name_f]Dixie[/name_f] so [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] and [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] often have to hang out together. They both do kinda like each other and are talking but don’t want to date for fear that they would mess up their sisters relationship. [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] has seen [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] coming to his soccer practices and discreetly looking at him. He knows that he might get his heart broken by her and is isn’t ready for that. His ex recently broke up with him which was hard enough.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Alison[/name_f] “ [name_f]Alo[/name_f] ” [name_f]Willa[/name_f] Schaefer (18) is Duffy’s sister and Dixie’s best friend. She knows [name_u]Holden[/name_u] from the school and is on good terms with his older sister, Esme’s half-sister, and goes to many classes with her. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] has heard about how [name_u]Holden[/name_u] is going to surprise his parents when they turn 50 and she’s so happy and excited for that! [name_f]Alo[/name_f] is really ready to graduate since she’s a great student and is very on top in terms of her grades. Teachers like her good nature and willingness to learn and some people joke she’s a teacher posing as a student. Ironically given the crimes around town, there’s actually a few narcs who go to the school – cops posing as students to report on what’s been going on within the schools. Most of the students don’t know this although to be fair, the most troublesome things students do at school ironically don’t happen until the last month of school. She remembers a 14-year-old student getting expelled last year for fighting on the last day of school – seriously couldn’t behave for one more day? She and [name_f]Dixie[/name_f] are close and [name_f]Alo[/name_f] supports [name_f]Dixie[/name_f] having [name_u]Connor[/name_u] as a boyfriend. She’s been understanding with what she knows in terms of Dixie’s family, although it’s admittedly not much. Throughout the shielding, it seems the Allerstons don’t really want people outside the family to get involved either. So [name_f]Alo[/name_f] pretty much keeps her place out of it, mainly since she doesn’t even know what they’re talking about. She doesn’t want this to get in the way of she and Duffy’s bonds with [name_f]Dixie[/name_f] and [name_f]Tabby[/name_f].

[name_f]Alo[/name_f] and [name_f]Dixie[/name_f] both believe that [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] and [name_f]Tabby[/name_f] may have a mutual attraction. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] is very much over love, at least for now. She’s had a prom date who wanted to be more than a date after prom and it was awkward for her to admit she wanted to let go. Her date’s with someone else now and they’re both fine, although [name_f]Alo[/name_f] isn’t sure if [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] is the same way about his ex. She remembers the fallout and how she would try to make things better for [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] despite not truly relating to him. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] doesn’t villainise his ex, in fact she’s heard his ex may not even be attracted to boys and didn’t want to lead [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] on anymore. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] herself is bisexual and is out to most of her school and community. She doesn’t know who Duffy’s ex is attracted to and would never think of outing anyone, even if she did know the sexuality. She supports the friendships [name_u]Duffy[/name_u] has with [name_u]Holden[/name_u] and her bonding vibe with Holden’s sister. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] and Holden’s sister have both considered the same major for college and both want to pursue basketball as a sport in college, much like they’ve done so for years prior. [name_f]Alo[/name_f] used to want to be an actress in her father’s movies but admittedly couldn’t act, and can’t find time within school and extracurriculars to be in any roles. Although she’s appeared as an extra or cameo in films, often times with her father in these films. Her father gives a lot of [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] Hitchcock/Stan [name_u]Lee[/name_u] vibes as a director who cameos in all his films and [name_f]Alo[/name_f] wouldn’t mind following just in that form. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if her appearances are purely blink-and-you-miss, she enjoys having that second of being there in a film and saying “That’s me!”

[kitkatcookie]

[name_u]Piper[/name_u] [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] Crofton-Baker (19) is a Holden’s aforementioned sister and the middle child of [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] and [name_m]Wendel[/name_m], who’s recently departed for university. She’s only two hours away on a train opposed to having gone halfway across the country though - which is partly why [name_f]Alo[/name_f] still sees her quite often, as [name_u]Piper[/name_u] visits her family as much as possible. Spending time with her niece is especially important to her, as she absolutely adores Esme’s daughter, although Piper’s reassured her parents this doesn’t mean she’s intending on pursuing motherhood yet for herself [even her mom and dad might have a slight breakdown when facing the shock].

A disinterest in dating was the initial bonding point between [name_f]Alo[/name_f] and [name_u]Piper[/name_u], as they were both surrounded by friends who absolutely were focused on meeting their soulmate and planning their wedding. Piper’s always been open about the fact she loves the visual aspects of marital ceremonies, however the whole eternal commitment isn’t for her yet. She just feels happiest being untethered, and has been clear whenever asked out that it’s not personal when she says no: the time merely isn’t right.

Studying digital media and marketing at university, [name_u]Piper[/name_u] isn’t entirely certain what she wants in her future, aside from hoping creativity is something she can professionally pursue. Fashion as well is something she and [name_u]Esme[/name_u] can discuss for hours, even if [name_u]Holden[/name_u] makes unimpressed remarks the whole time as how can clothes be so interesting? Of course, Piper’s intent to dress their niece in stylish outfits too, but she won’t be bothered if Holden’s outlook is the one ultimately followed by Esme’s daughter. This ease at adapting is something [name_u]Piper[/name_u] has vague awareness her brother longs for, but right now she just doesn’t know if you can teach someone that…

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for ableism and aforementioned domestic violence.

[name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] [name_m]Brent[/name_m] Anderton (30) is associated with [name_f]Piper[/name_f] and the Crofton-Baker family, being an unofficial ‘uncle’ to Esme’s child. He and [name_f]Piper[/name_f] aren’t related and don’t have too much in common but both get asked a lot about the irony of their rhyming names. Kuiper’s parents are into space which is what inspired his choice of name, but the Crofton-Bakers giving Piper’s name was a sheer coincidence. Both [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] and [name_f]Piper[/name_f] are naturally excited for [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and both also tend to not be very romantic despite the awkwardness some teens give about that. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] is well aware he is not a teen and is literally 30, but it hasn’t stopped some of the people half his age about asking him if he’s dating anyone. Once during a family gathering with him, [name_f]Esme[/name_f], and a few others associated with the Crofton name, one of the teens roped people into a “Truth or Dare” and seeing many of the adults didn’t want to play, [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] took pity and decided to play but only for [name_m]Truth[/name_m]. Nobody has ever caught him in a lie but that’s because he doesn’t lie. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] wasn’t prepared for the awkward question being literally asked, “If you could date [name_f]Esme[/name_f] or [name_f]Vi[/name_f], who would you pick? Awkward silence but [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] did answer, responding, “Uh, I’d pick [name_f]Esme[/name_f] because [name_f]Vi[/name_f] is with Darius.” While his explanation was clear and honest, some teens still thought it was because [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] loved [name_f]Esme[/name_f]. A very weird moment, seeing they only saw each other as friends but thankfully the game didn’t ruin their friendship. And [name_f]Vi[/name_f] and [name_m]Darius[/name_m] were thankful that [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] didn’t pick [name_f]Vi[/name_f], who was actually pregnant with their son at the time but hadn’t known yet.

[name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] wouldn’t have picked [name_f]Vi[/name_f] anyway because he and [name_m]Darius[/name_m] also happen to be very good friends. They’ve had a lot of time together as friends and he’s grateful [name_m]Darius[/name_m] never treated him as “broken” despite [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] being mostly blind. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] gets asked a lot of questions about whether he needs help with stuff, which is counterproductive when he’s asked all the time and it actually makes him more afraid to ask when he really needs it because he doesn’t want to affirm what they thought. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] is a phone operator for the hospital his uncle [name_m]Les[/name_m], a paediatrician, works at. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] is quick to shut down accusations that his uncle “gave him the job” seeing [name_m]Les[/name_m] is not his boss and having an honest eloquence, it’s a skill for him to get the job done. His cousins are close with his friend too and [name_m]Darius[/name_m] and Vi’s son doesn’t even seem fazed about Esme’s daughter “overshadowing” him because with his milestones, he’s already getting prouder and prouder to be a “big kid”. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] is perfectly fine being asked about children, while he’s fine with none, he’s both the godfather of Darius’s son and the surrogate uncle of Esme’s daughter, but he doesn’t find it a “juggle” and he’s honoured to be a part of both these new lives. Speaking of honour, both kiddos were going to have an honour in their names in some way to [name_f]Lilias[/name_f] [name_f]Adela[/name_f] [name_f]Darling[/name_f], who despite her age is also very active in these lives as well, mainly since she always has been a family-oriented person. [name_f]Esme[/name_f] herself loves her own middle name also being [name_f]Adela[/name_f], feeling a close connection herself with [name_f]Lilias[/name_f].

[name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] became friends with [name_f]Esme[/name_f] shortly after meeting [name_f]Vi[/name_f], in which both [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] and [name_f]Esme[/name_f] bonded closely on their honesty and the importance of people being believed, especially in Esme’s career helping survivors of domestic violence. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] finds [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] a sweet and strong woman and he is passionate about erasing stigma on victims of domestic violence being called “weak” for being a victim or “stupid” for staying in that situation, both being labels given by people who were obviously never in these situations and can’t determine how hard it is. Especially since many give off the “it’ll never happen to me” approach. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] himself has it different, thankfully he’s never been in an abusive relationship but he’s had name calling before on his condition and that’s why he’s very close with the people who supported him as a person. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] relates most with [name_f]Piper[/name_f] of Esme’s siblings and he too uses public transit a lot since he can’t drive. He doesn’t find shame in it and dislikes when people stereotype it as something “for poor people”, not that anything is wrong with being poor to begin with. He and [name_m]Hollis[/name_m] are close and [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] feels he probably wouldn’t relate to the teens as much if it weren’t for Hollis’s bonds with [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and her family. [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] is honoured to be the surrogate uncle for Esme’s daughter much like [name_m]Hollis[/name_m] is the surrogate aunt, and the two work together well in the life of Esme’s daughter. They both love the name [name_f]Esme[/name_f] chose, since [name_f]Esme[/name_f] is so great with names and [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] tried to suggest using [name_f]Thalia[/name_f] as the daughter’s name. [name_f]Esme[/name_f] laughed and had to decline, she loves it but it would be too confusing since that’s her Siamese cat’s name, but she’s grateful she got to use it on somebody because she enjoys the name too.

Hollis and Vi were created by @A.B.Galaxy.

Darius and Esme were created by @I_meme_it.

Les was created by me.

Lilias was created by @rachelheth.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_m]Legend[/name_m] [name_m]Alias[/name_m] Crofton-Baker (1) is Kuiper’s godson and [name_m]Darius[/name_m] and Vi’s son. His favorite food is baby food. [name_f]Lilias[/name_f] is his role model. He loves [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] so much and he loves his parents. He wants to meet Esme’s baby. He met [name_f]Piper[/name_f] and looks up to her. He was nearly a VBAC at birth. He dreams of a sibling one day since he is used to so many people. He is stellar at games like hide-and-go-seek. He watches Cocomelon. He plays the xylophone with a lot of skill. His parents protect him a lot. He loves his home and his little nursery. Ladybugs are cute to him.

[I.have.no.idea]

Eli Bjorn Taylor- Manjeul (1) is Legend’s friend and hide and seek partner. Eli can be very silly and loud but also has a shyer side. His mom has started to bring him to a mommy and me yoga class to bond with him before his younger sibling comes which has also helped stem Legend’s want for a sibling. Eli already has an older sister in pre-school who often teaches him her favorite songs and also really likes holding him and putting him on her lap. The two are pretty close and both really like Bluey , since their cousins actually live in australia and during spring break they actually got to visit them. Eli really liked swimming in the ocean and actually spotted a starfish on a walk with his dad. The two of them both really like nature and often go on early-morning walks before work and nursery which they both really value.

Eli doesn’t want another sibling and to not be the baby anymore but is excited to move in with his sister and become a “big kid”. He also really liked going through him and his sisters old baby clothes and picking the ones for the new baby. For their first two pregnancies Eli’s parents wanted to learn their babies gender but are going green this time around. Eli doesn’t really care and much rather cares about whether he gets to get a shimmery scooter like his sister’s once the baby’s here.

Please don’t immediately introduce the new baby

[I_meme_it]

[name_f]Dottie[/name_f] [name_f]Mirja[/name_f] Taylor-Manjeul (3) is Eli’s big sister and guide through life, something their parents find absolutely precious. As she’s so used to having [name_m]Eli[/name_m] around, Dottie’s much more optimistic about the welcoming of another sibling, something she does downplay a bit around her brother. She’s little but not blind to how [name_m]Eli[/name_m] obviously isn’t delighted at the prospect of losing his baby status - not that [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] can imagine much of what that’s like. A new baby means a new playmate anyways, which is much more important in her world!

The siblings have Swedish heritage through their paternal grandma, and subsequently their middle names reflect this. Their mom’s Filipino-American and likewise has introduced her cultural heritage to them whenever possible, something Dottie’s become more curious about as she’s grown older. Of course, she’s invested in adventuring about - always wanting to find butterflies - and dressing in her princess outfits, but recently the family visited Ms. Manjeul’s cousins in Davao City, and the experience was amazing for [name_f]Dottie[/name_f].

Given her name, she’s also enamoured with ladybirds and loves to scribble down in her mini notebook whenever she sees one. They all get their own names, the most recent being Spottina - as suggested by her dad.

[cara_murvolio]

Floribeth " [name_f]Flora[/name_f] " [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f] Manjeul (35) is [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] and Eli’s mother who’s 7 months pregnant with her third child, who will definitely be her last baby. She and her husband have actually taken precautions to ensure this is going to be the case. It’s not that [name_f]Flora[/name_f] doesn’t love being a parent, she absolutely cherishes her children, but she and her husband feel that between their jobs and the needs of [name_f]Dottie[/name_f], [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_f]Baby[/name_f] #3, it wouldn’t be fair continuing to grow their family at the cost of what their kids have in time and attention.

Working as an illustrator, primarily for children’s books, [name_f]Flora[/name_f] has been able to keep working through her pregnancy, however she’s started winding down more recently, as she’s getting tired out easier and prefers to relax instead of having to fully focus on her work. She jokes she ‘got lucky’ with her job by being friends with an aspiring children’s author, so the two started pairing up in their late 20s, and are still working together all these years on to create stories to be enjoyed!

They’re both Asian-American and incorporate elements of their culture into what they produce, as well as always inviting others’ to contribute, which has been the case with Floras’ mother-in-law, so her children have their Swedish routes also celebrated. Through her son [name_m]Eli[/name_m], she’s also met and befriended [name_f]Vi[/name_f] and [name_m]Darius[/name_m], Legends’ parents, who she’s already got a wonderful opinion of.

---

Darius belongs to @I_meme_it

Vi belongs to @A.B.Galaxy

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for racism.

[name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] [name_f]Tyas[/name_f] Moto (35) is Flora’s friend and co-writer, who’s of Japanese and Javanese descent. The similar names of her descent wasn’t intentional – she was born on the Indonesian island of [name_f]Java[/name_f] to a second-generation native mother and third-generation Japanese father. Her birth was ironically not intended to be there, with Yukiko’s mother visiting her side of the family and unexpectedly going into labour while on the trip. Which [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] jokes it was meant to be and that she “couldn’t wait to get out and see her culture”. There’s been some hardships about her mixed culture, such as full-Japanese or full-Indonesians believing she isn’t enough of their heritage to “count”. She loves visiting both countries and doesn’t let it bother her, but she’s so tired of people gatekeeping and pointing out how she doesn’t “look like them”. By no means does she want people to act as all Asians are the same, but she wishes for a more culturally accepting world. She’s happy for [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] thriving as biracials especially since their racial background of white and Southeast [name_f]Asian[/name_f] is farther than a background of [name_m]East[/name_m] [name_f]Asian[/name_f] and Southeast [name_f]Asian[/name_f].

[name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] loves her identity as an Asian-American and is open to telling her story. Still, she often loves telling the stories through other characters, loving how characters see the world. She did a lot of plays growing up where she acted as characters, but considers this a hobby more than a career. [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] and [name_f]Flora[/name_f] both agree with the importance of incorporating [name_f]Asian[/name_f] protagonists to give representation for [name_f]Asian[/name_f] children. Still, they don’t mind if their readers aren’t [name_f]Asian[/name_f] and believes kids deserve good heroes regardless. [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] is very positive and focuses her writing on making people happy. She knows kids need positive influences in literature, people to “be like”, and a happy nature to make them feel more joyful in expressing their childhood. [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] loves that [name_f]Flora[/name_f] is a friend to her, not just a writing partner. When she did plays growing up, she only had one person there who really felt like a friend, everyone else feeling like someone “to work with” – and some people weren’t enjoyable to work with! [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] is still close to her acting friend, whose recently eloped. The two love busting out musical tunes, a guilty pleasure of [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f], even if she never did musicals due to her lack of a good singing voice. [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f] is bonding with Flora’s husband and his side of the family, open to hearing how his culture influenced him as well.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] [name_m]Thompson[/name_m] (35) is Yukiko’s acting best friend and influence, who’s been recently eloped to the love of her life. They empower each other, shared precious times, and speak volumes about each other’s life paths.

Her romance is fresh and unique. Since meeting [name_f]Yukiko[/name_f], she has been a successful stage actress and MC. She dreams of a [name_m]Tony[/name_m] award, followed by hundreds of accolades.

She wouldn’t be where she was if she wasn’t thankful for her family, friends, cherished lover, [name_f]Flora[/name_f], and [name_f]Vi[/name_f]. She wants to stay in the United States, but desires reign above her to leave [name_m]Hampden[/name_m]. Her mind and soul are important to her, and she values the nourishment for herself.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Gustaf[/name_m] “ [name_m]Gust[/name_m] “ [name_m]Sören[/name_m] [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] (35) is a fan of watching Jennifer’s plays, though he knows her by associations as well – he’s Flora’s husband! He understands how [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] isn’t really small-town type, though he loves [name_m]Hampden[/name_m], even if he does wish it was warmer. He likes the people there and knows his wife and children thrive well where they are, which also gives him hope. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] is also the father of Flora’s three children! He and [name_f]Flora[/name_f] mutually agreed three children is enough for them but it never made them any less excited. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] is a lifeguard and teacher in lifeguarding, welcoming more teens and tweens learn the ropes of being a [name_m]Junior[/name_m] Lifeguard. The classes are big in the summer but his job is more low-key the rest of the year, where he does small classes and even one-on-one teaching. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] also happens to be a child with two siblings, being the middle, though he’s closer in age to the eldest than the youngest. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] and the eldest look much more similar to one another than to the youngest [name_m]Taylor[/name_m], due to inheriting their mother’s appearance more than their father’s. People ask a lot if the youngest is really related, something that can be tiring to hear, but the [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] siblings have never acted like they weren’t. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] doesn’t mind that [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] look much more like [name_f]Flora[/name_f] than him, they’re all family.

[name_m]Gust[/name_m] is close with both his side and Flora’s sides of the family, and the family loves talking about [name_f]Sweden[/name_f] and Philippines mutually. [name_m]Gust[/name_m] is a huge Olympics fan and practically roots for the Swedes and Filipinos. He is glad his kids are so happy, finding [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_m]Legend[/name_m] to be wholesome friends and loves helping [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] find ladybugs – he enjoys Spottina! [name_m]Gust[/name_m] is the type of parent who encourages his kids to try stuff before making an opinion about them. And [name_m]Gust[/name_m] himself was on the receiving end of trying stuff as well! He used to have no idea what Eli’s hype for Bluey was, but then he watched it with [name_m]Eli[/name_m], and wow! He was hooked! [name_m]Gust[/name_m] had such little knowledge about the show before that he thought Bluey and [name_m]Bingo[/name_m] were male dogs and was pleasantly surprised to learn they were female, alongside the fact that he agreed the father dog was a great paternal role model. He loved Dottie’s happy spirits as well in being excited for a new playmate, which has made him and [name_f]Flora[/name_f] more excited to talk about planning for the arrival of a newborn. It’s definitely a different perspective for the siblings than the parents, but [name_f]Baby[/name_f] Taylor-Manjeul is important and special for the whole family.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_m]Max[/name_m] [name_m]Aric[/name_m] Taylor-Manjeul (nb) is the newest arrival to greet the family, having been born following Flora’s shortest labour, something that made her joke about how he’s already going to be the most impatient of her children. For now, [name_m]Max[/name_m] has proven to be sleepy though, spending most of his time cuddled up with one of his parents or extended family members - and his brother and sister when in the presence of an adult.

The arrival is something everyone was thankfully ready for when it happened, with [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] actually being a bit unhappy she was still waiting to become a big sister again, but now [name_m]Max[/name_m] is here, everyone hasn’t hesitated to show their delight and excitement. Well, [name_m]Eli[/name_m] was still a little unsure about the arrival but he’s coming round too!

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Jenssen[/name_m] “ [name_m]Jens[/name_m] “ [name_m]Olav[/name_m] [Taylor] [name_m]Digby[/name_m] (36) is Max’s uncle and the eldest of the [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] siblings – even though he’s not really a [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] anymore! He’s married his husband four years ago and taken the [name_m]Digby[/name_m] surname, and he and his husband are currently in the process of getting their adoptive son’s last name changed as well. [name_m]Jens[/name_m] is currently working as a bank teller, which some feel is lucky since they perceive him as “richer” while others fear for him because they feel he’s more likely to get robbed. [name_m]Jens[/name_m] sees it from both sides but he’s not the type to make his job be his entire life, especially not with a family. He and [name_m]Gust[/name_m] were very close growing up though they are also really close with the youngest [name_m]Taylor[/name_m] sibling now, especially with how far everyone’s come. It’s awkward for [name_m]Jens[/name_m] to know how the youngest “doesn’t look like him or [name_m]Gust[/name_m] at all”, as people say, but it’s not something either brother uses to exclude the youngest. In fact, looking different gives a sort of uniqueness, which tends to feel more happy than sad. It’s just awkward when the three stand next to each other and the differences are so easily seen.

[name_m]Jens[/name_m] loves how his son is equally happy about [name_m]Max[/name_m], and asks a lot about how his cousins are doing. Sometimes his son talks too much about the excitement of a new cousin, as it’s different than a new sibling, though he feels for [name_m]Eli[/name_m] coming around to welcome [name_m]Max[/name_m]. [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] and [name_m]Eli[/name_m] always have such a cool mood seeing [name_m]Jens[/name_m] and he feels its no surprise that [name_m]Max[/name_m] will as well. [name_m]Jens[/name_m] and his husband have considered adopting internationally and have asked [name_f]Flora[/name_f] for advice on this, knowing she’s close with family who live abroad in the Philippines. [name_m]Jens[/name_m] has been a foreign exchange student as a teen, and while the experience of culture and studying abroad was fun, he didn’t get along with his host family. So now he’s trying hard to be as welcoming and enthusiastic as he can to bring in whoever he and his husband choose to adopt. He loves how [name_m]Max[/name_m] and his siblings are so comfortable being multicultural. He praises their parents for giving them these opportunities and [name_m]Jens[/name_m] values his culture as well. He’s glad [name_m]Max[/name_m] was a quick labour, even if it felt like only one day he was unborn and the next day, he was seeing the world and his family.

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Alan[/name_m] [name_m]Pierce[/name_m] [name_m]Digby[/name_m] (35) is Jens’ husband, who loves being an uncle to [name_f]Dottie[/name_f], [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_m]Max[/name_m] almost as much as fatherhood. A bit ironically, [name_m]Alan[/name_m] used to be certain he wanted to be childfree, something that only started to change once he hit his mid-twenties and the future played on his mind in a less be all/end all manner. Part of it was tied to how [name_m]Alan[/name_m] grew up moving around a lot with his mom, a single parent who belonged to the army, and so it took a while for him to settle in himself.

At fourteen he decided he didn’t want anything to do with his biological father, who did sometimes get in touch but it never stuck, and really [name_m]Alan[/name_m] felt it was happening because someone else in the family was pressuring him to try.

Surprisingly, Alan’s always been close to his parernal grandparents - his grandpa and nana - who have been consistent in his life, disagreeing completely with how their son’s treated [name_m]Alan[/name_m]. They’ve got a likewise meaningful bond with [name_m]Alan[/name_m] and Jens’ son, who visits them on their horse ranch every summer, as its on the way to where Alan’s mom retired, and spending time with the animals is something their son absolutely adores. [name_m]Alan[/name_m] himself is actually an agricultural vet, specialising in working with livestock, as he jokes about how he might’ve been raised in the city, but the mark of country living never left him.

Although he’s an only child himself, Alan’s closest female friend is known as an aunt to his son, and it’s something he completely approves of. He admits that in a way he’s happier just being by himself as it meant for more time between him and his mom when she wasn’t working, often having to take longer shifts to provide for them both. It’s why he’s determined to support her now given his career, as she sacrificed for him when it came down to it, and [name_m]Alan[/name_m] hopes to emulate her strong values at all times.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for deadbeat parents and unpleasant childhood.

Maurecia Holly Digby (67) is Alan’s mother and proud military veteran, though she’s recently retired after making lives far easier for disabled veterans. She’s actually had this career pace since her discharge, and she’s grateful she is so close with her son now. She is like a puppy when her son visits, always perky and eager to see him. She loves to talk to him about everything and genuinely loves his stories about him, Jens, their son, and his female best friend. She has a similar vibrancy when they show up and she is just grateful her son has such great influences. Admittedly, Maurecia can be a corny grandmother, being obsessed with shopping at Hallmark and watching the channel. Many of the decor in her house is either bought at Hallmark or inspired by decor that she’s seen in their movies. She’s also a diehard fan of family sitcoms even though she ironically hates family YouTube channels. She naturally cares about people and likes that families don’t all have to be the same, so it’s no surprise she’s accepting that her son married a man. Maurecia would much rather him marry a man and be happy than forced to marry a woman and be as unhappy as she was with her husband.

She doesn’t live in Hampden, Maine but she still lives in the state and loves to plant blueberries. Maurecia doesn’t mind that Alan loves seeing her in-laws, seeing that she would feel the same. She expected better from her husband in a sense because of those in-laws and while she didn’t want to sound mad because he “wasn’t like them”, the stark difference was too overbearing. She knew for the sake of Alan that he was not going to be a wise father, even if he kept telling her he would be during the pregnancy. Maurecia grew up with parents she didn’t really like, who shipped her off as a toddler to a training academy to try to make her the next big Olympian. When it wasn’t working out for her by her teenage years, she dropped out of the academy, but knew her parents would be very disappointed in her, so she joined the military to make up for that. Now she’s completely fine with herself and she doesn’t talk to them let alone care anymore if they approve. It’s obvious to most of the people who know her that she’s not letting her elderly parents live with her after that. Though given her former career helping disabled veterans, she at least let them go to a good nursing home. The way she sees it, they shipped her off, so she ships them off. It’s been motivation for her to be a kindhearted mother to Alan and while she felt she was only meant to have one child, she’s more than welcome to treat any of Alan’s close bonds or any disabled veteran she’s worked with as her own child as well.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_m]Benson[/name_m] (35) is Alan’s female best friend and enjoys Maurecia’s company. While not related by blood, she sees her aunt figure very dearly to the child. She considers her sister a role model as well, especially given her sister’s attempts to try for a lovely baby herself.
She lives in [name_m]Hampden[/name_m] and enjoys blueberry muffins, making them from scratch beautifully. She loves to make bracelets for her friends and is close with people who care about her. She wants to change the world and is inspired by people who have.

Her life is full of challenges and successes. While many surprises awaken her, there is nothing she can’t do without [name_m]Alan[/name_m] and her other friends. She is a motivational speaker and is inspired when many people call her a role model.

She loves to watch lifestyle shows on television. She is a massive fan of morning talk shows and likes to wake up delighted. [name_f]Every[/name_f] day is a wonder and every person is a friend.

[I_meme_it]

[name_m]Nils[/name_m] [name_f]Holland[/name_f] [name_m]Digby[/name_m] (4) is [name_m]Jens[/name_m] and Alan’s son, who’s always excited to spend time with [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. Named to pay tribute to both sides if his family, [name_m]Nils[/name_m] mirrors this in how he’s always enthusiastic to see his various relatives, usually because it means he gets a lot of fuss and treats - not that it’s been overlooked by his dad’s. Now that he’s at nursery full time, [name_m]Nils[/name_m] is also very excited to share his stories about what’s going on with his friends, and how he’s proving himself cool in the imaginary games he and his friends love to play.

He also loves playing with his cousin [name_f]Dottie[/name_f], who he tends to spend the most time with as she can keep up with his boundless energy a little easier than [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and [name_m]Max[/name_m]. [name_m]Nils[/name_m] isn’t grossed out by bugs which [name_f]Dottie[/name_f] appreciates a lot, although he’s more into beetles and worms than ladybirds (maybe a good thing to stop bickering between the cousins). To the relief of [name_f]Flora[/name_f] and [name_m]Gust[/name_m], Nils’ enthusiasm for meeting people has also helped ease any of Dottie’s social anxieties for now, as he’s very set on introducing her to his new friends.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_m]Kenelm[/name_m] " [name_m]Kal[/name_m] " [name_m]Brandon[/name_m] Rookley (34) is the father of one of Nils’ good friends, who he met thanks to the friendship between [name_m]Kal[/name_m], [name_m]Alan[/name_m] and [name_m]Jens[/name_m] prior to any of them becoming parents. [name_m]Kal[/name_m] and [name_m]Jens[/name_m] served as interns together after completing their economics degrees at university, although their paths did diverge, as [name_m]Kal[/name_m] currently works as a researcher in the academic circuit, mostly because he’d rather keep away from the front line of monetary transactions. He and [name_m]Jens[/name_m] actually became friends because of being the two people at the company their boss always struggled remembering the names of - referring to them as [name_m]John[/name_m] and [name_m]Ken[/name_m] often - which they found pretty funny instead of taking major offense.

Currently a parent to one child - his much loved daughter, who has a unique name chosen in the vain of the Rookley family - [name_m]Kal[/name_m] isn’t sure if he’s going to welcome any more, but he’s open to the idea. He and his partner were considering adoption at the time they learned they were expecting, and it’s not something they want to dismiss, given the importance of providing a home to a child in need of one, but they’re also mindful of not adding excess pressure to their family while it’s still being adjusted to.

To some people Kals’ wry sense of humour can make him seem indifferent and over things quickly, to the point of being misinterpreted as insensitivity. He’s very good at not taking things to heart however this does mean [name_m]Kal[/name_m] can assume that of other people, and it’s something he’s worked more on to be considerate of, with some gentle prompting from his partner. Once someone’s used to [name_m]Kal[/name_m], and knows he’s not trying to be harsh towards them, he pretty easily can bond with them, thanks to having an extroverted nature, even though it manifests a bit differently than the typical idea.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Lyric[/name_f] [name_f]Harmony[/name_f] [name_m]Rowan[/name_m] (34) is Kal’s partner. She mothers their daughter with a very unique name. She is best friends with [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] and they talk often. She thinks the [name_m]Digby[/name_m] family is amazing. She currently works as a producer for music videos. She has one sister. Her love to [name_m]Kal[/name_m] is special and unique, and it inspires similar love to her child.

[CherryBomb50]

Warning for deceased character and widowing.

[name_m]Justice[/name_m] [name_f]Selphie[/name_f] [name_m]Foley[/name_m] (26 [name_f]April[/name_f] 1989 – 31 [name_m]August[/name_m] 2021, aged 32) was Lyric’s good bestie, a kindred spirit in the ways of weird. Having passed from TSS three years prior, [name_m]Justice[/name_m] left behind a child, her daughter [name_f]Josie[/name_f] [name_m]Paxton[/name_m], who is now raised by her sister [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]. [name_m]Justice[/name_m] and her husband married just a month before graduating college, and the two were happy but kinda insecure. It wasn’t Josie’s fault by any means, but it seemed the two weren’t sure of themselves and what to do now with their married life like they used to. [name_m]Justice[/name_m] used to worry it was from her body post-pregnancy turning him off, but her husband was so reassuring that it wasn’t. And [name_f]Josie[/name_f] loved that about him, that he was truly comforting no matter what. Still, [name_m]Justice[/name_m] had a feeling he didn’t want her to be “overly whimsical” forever just because [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] liked it. It wasn’t negatively affecting her parenting, in fact [name_f]Josie[/name_f] loved how her mother would play with her and the other kids wished their parents were more like that. [name_m]Justice[/name_m] was someone who came off as immature by her interests but wasn’t this way by personality. She loved the woodlands and the concept of magic, though she didn’t believe in it personally. She always had a scented candle in the room and liked to make flower crowns for her friends. [name_m]Justice[/name_m] was fond of growing berry fields.

Her husband sometimes wished she’d “grow out of it” as it wasn’t his aesthetic, even though she wouldn’t force it on him. They just didn’t have the vibe that [name_m]Kal[/name_m] would have with [name_f]Lyric[/name_f]. There were a lot of majestic baby names [name_m]Justice[/name_m] wished for her daughter that her husband insisted he would never have a daughter named that. Thankfully they had a name they both liked, [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] “ [name_f]Josie[/name_f] “, which [name_m]Justice[/name_m] felt was honourific to hers and her sister Jessica’s names while he felt it was serene but not crazy. By no means did [name_m]Justice[/name_m] want to villainse her husband for not liking the other suggestions, it was their child and having a name both could agree on was only fair. Not every parent wants to name their daughter [name_f]Parthenope[/name_f] or [name_f]Jacaranda[/name_f] and it’s completely understandable. [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] knew she wanted a child one day and was worried about how things would go, but [name_m]Justice[/name_m] reassured that it would turn out alright. When he passed away, [name_m]Justice[/name_m] was shocked and heartbroken by this, feeling a sense of paranoia if she said anything that bothered him greatly before his passing.

Admittedly sometimes [name_m]Justice[/name_m] wished that her marriage was stronger though she’d never make anyone feel bad even if she would envied [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] and [name_m]Kal[/name_m]. While neither [name_m]Justice[/name_m] nor her husband ever wanted to leave one another for someone else during their marriage, both of them knew that there were other people who liked them. They both turned away the possibilities of finding other matches since they’ve never felt that out of love, and honestly they had a daughter to care for. At least until [name_m]Justice[/name_m] herself was widowed. She was nervous about feeling her aesthetic again because she knew her late husband didn’t care for it, but [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] convinced her that he wouldn’t want her to hate herself for it just because it wasn’t his thing. [name_m]Justice[/name_m] wasn’t a fan of spy movies but she wouldn’t have wanted her husband to give up on them. She thanked [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] for helping uplift her when she needed it, alongside her sister [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] who was always happy and friendly. She knows they’re in pain after losing her though she’d be happy to have known about their support system they’re giving one another since. It was no surprise that [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] would end up being the one who took in [name_f]Josie[/name_f], who still attends therapy and still has memories of both her parents. [name_f]Josie[/name_f] has seen [name_f]Lyric[/name_f] and Kal’s daughter quite a few times since being introduced to her by [name_f]Jessica[/name_f], and she loves seeing that fun little girl.

Josie was created by @wandering_willow.

Jessica was created by @A.B.Galaxy.