🌼 create a family with a twist

[kitkatcookie]

Clover Saeko Ito (26) is the eldest child of Norman and Margaret, who unsurprisingly has nothing much to do with her mother. This is a somewhat ironic situation as Clover’s career success has caused the socially obsessed Margaret to want more to do with her: after all, your daughter getting her first editorial shoot for a popular fashion magazine would increase anyone’s interest in you. She’s been pestering Clover for information about the project, getting vague and noncommittal answers in return, with her daughter being most shocked that her mom actually thinks this is going to work. It’s even more difficult as Clover tries to be there for her youngest sister, visiting to see she’s doing okay and offering as much emotional support as she can - trying to convince Margaret to let her stay over at the apartment Clover lives in with her partner - but of course, if their mother’s around, she’s trying to steer the attention back onto herself.

Given Margaret’s nature, a lot of people are surprised by how well-adjusted and level-headed Clover proves to be. For her, designs and reading the fashion magazines she collected were the perfect escape from her mom’s antics, and she spent a lot of time with her dad or sisters’ when she wasn’t hanging out with friends or attending Fashion Society events at school [being vice president of that club by the time she was 17]. Some of her closest friends were aware of what a nightmarish woman Clover’s mom was, but she kept it quiet after one told their own parents, who questioned her when they came to pick their daughter up from a sleepover; leading to a blazing row in the driveway, mortifying Clover and her friend. This incident didn’t ruin their bond - she is grateful for what was said - but made her cautious about expressing things to people, as she doesn’t want to place more undue pressure on her dad, who she feels bares the brunt of her mother’s selfishness, bigotry and irresponsibility [just to name a few of Margaret’s glowing qualities].

Rook Ferryman’s sister is someone Clover recently became closer to after they were paired up to work on a photo shoot together and bonded due to relating over their less than ideal mothers’. Clover’s become even more expressive of how much her dad means to her upon hearing of how the Ferryman siblings were just left to be paraded around, and has given special tickets to an upcoming show she’s working on to him for safe keeping. They’re for her dad and siblings but she absolutely is not letting her mother attend, as Clover feels stressed enough about this - surprising given she’s usually collected and composed no matter what - but thankfully her mom’s not that interested because it clashes with some big party hosted by their rich neighbours. To relax, Clover enjoys yoga and cooking, having developed an especial love for Japanese cuisine which she gained from her dad. She even has cultural elements in her designs due to wanting to pay homage.

Rook is credited to yours truly

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Sakura[/name_f] [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] Ito (16) is Clover’s sister and the youngest child of [name_m]Norman[/name_m] and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. She wishes she could have been born earlier and have already moved out like her older siblings but their visits to check up on her and her amazing dad help a bit. School is a lifesaver for [name_f]Sakura[/name_f]. She’s the assistant editor of the school newspaper, a cheerleader, a part of the debate club, and according to her best friend, most likely to be valedictorian.

[name_f]Sakura[/name_f] has a diverse group of friends due to the different things she’s involved in. Her closest friend is a year older and the newspaper’s editor. She was surprised to become friends with the cheerleading captain but they get along really well. Her other two friends are in the debate club and the student government respectively. [name_m]Just[/name_m] about all of them have already decided what they want to do when they grow up but [name_f]Sakura[/name_f] hasn’t narrowed that down yet.

[name_f]Sakura[/name_f] is secretly dating a boy on the football team. Secretly meaning her mom is the only one who doesn’t know. Her dad likes her boyfriend but she was not under any circumstance going to let her mom meet him. She is excited about her sister’s upcoming show and is glad [name_f]Clover[/name_f] isn’t inviting their mom. [name_f]Sakura[/name_f] loves to cook just like [name_f]Clover[/name_f] and her dad has taught her quite a few Japanese recipes which she’s fallen in love with. Sometimes she feels like a career in cuisine might be for her, especially since her dad says she can cook better than him now. [name_f]Sakura[/name_f] loves to cook for her friends too and they always say whatever she makes is delicious.

[wandering_willow]

[name_f]Lilac[/name_f] [name_u]Aoi[/name_u] “ [name_f]Lila[/name_f] “ Ito (25) is the middle child of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_u]Spencer[/name_u] and [name_m]Norman[/name_m] Ito. She’s a fashion model who’s become semi-famous in the industry, which was incentive for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] to spend more time with her- but [name_f]Lila[/name_f] doesn’t like associating with [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], and feels sorry for [name_f]Helen[/name_f], though she’s never met her and hasn’t really even heard about her from anyone other than her mother, who described [name_f]Helen[/name_f] as a careless whore who made irresponsible decisions and wound up pregnant and homeless because of it. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] has always been wary of everything her mother says, partially because her mother blatantly lied to her multiple times in her childhood- also because she yells at her children. [name_f]Lila[/name_f], [name_f]Clover[/name_f] and [name_f]Sakura[/name_f] grew up in fear of their narcissistic mom who made everything about her, and often competed with her daughters.

As a result of this all the girls grew up close with their dad- but especially [name_f]Lila[/name_f]. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] and [name_m]Norman[/name_m] enjoy listening to underrated, up-and-coming bands together like Sephirah- Sephirah is actually their favorite band. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] was a tomboy in her childhood and was “the little boy her father never had,” which made [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] green with envy. However, [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] never tried to hang out with her daughter or attempt to bond with [name_f]Lila[/name_f]- or any of them, for that matter. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] has had many body image issues through her life, and [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has actually caused most of them. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] told her she looked “ugly” and “too masculine” whenever [name_f]Lila[/name_f] received a positive comment on her looks, or anyone said [name_f]Lila[/name_f] was pretty and looked just like her dad. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] was a very jealous, unhealthy woman who projected her insecurities onto her daughters- and still does.

Despite being a tomboyish person, [name_f]Lila[/name_f] loves modeling and makeup- [name_f]Lila[/name_f] would often do “runway walks” with [name_f]Clover[/name_f] styling her outfits. Once [name_f]Clover[/name_f] stole a drape from the living room window, and cut it to make a dress. [name_m]Norman[/name_m] found the situation quite funny, but [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] was horrified. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] roared at [name_f]Lila[/name_f] and [name_f]Clover[/name_f], and stormed out of the house angrily. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has done many unexplainable things regarding her daughters- [name_f]Lila[/name_f] was a straight a student with not many friends who was well known in middle and high school as a loner, but [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] wouldn’t quit and told [name_f]Lila[/name_f] she was too rebellious. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has actually driven some of Lila’s friends away, even going so far as to tell a girl [name_f]Lila[/name_f] spent time with that her outfit was slutty and she was distracting boys, and that she was “too big” to wear something like that. Luckily this friend stuck around, and found the incident hilarious. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] hates her mother and her behaviors that are unsupportive of her daughters. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] has always wanted to be a model, but her mom told her she was too ugly and skinny for it.

When [name_f]Lila[/name_f] finally conquered her fears and submitted her modeling portfolio to a big company to pursue her dream, her mother was infuriated and yelled at [name_f]Lila[/name_f]- she was bewildered when she found out [name_f]Lila[/name_f] broke into the modeling agency. She said to her daughter’s face, “how could such an ugly girl with such masculine features get into a modeling agency?” Which hurt [name_f]Lila[/name_f]. Her whole family outside [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] reassured her she wasn’t ugly, which is true- [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is beautiful, but she even now had a hard time seeing this. But now, she’s happy- she cut [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] out of her life and is now happy. She lives with a sweet beloved 8-year-old tortoiseshell cat named [name_u]Chai[/name_u], and a cream colored kitten named [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f]. [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is happily single and doesn’t want to date until she’s at least 30, referring to herself jokingly as the “late bloomer” of the sisters, but she’s super supportive of both her siblings’ relationships- she just hopes her mom doesn’t freak out on them…

[moonwriteen]

Janessa " Essie " Charlene Ferryman (27) is the older sister of Rook Ferryman. Essie and Rook grew up being quite the inseparable pair and their mom took advantage of their closeness by parading them both around local child beauty pageants although Rook was very vocal about having no desire to take part and being nervous, then eventually downright anxious at those events. Essie was pretty neutral about them and tried to do everything to better herself at the performance part of the whole ordeal, because judges would often tell her mom that Essie was " a very pretty little girl , just not very charismatic or boisterous." which was and still is a true of her to this day. She would rarely win the pageants because no mater how hard she tried, her attempts at being a “showgirl” came out as forced to judges. The one thing she was an expert in from a young age is emotionally supporting her brother - Essie was the first to spot Rook 's panic attack and went after him immediately when he attempted to flee the beauty pageant venue - then she put her foot down and told her dad about everything, which had both him and her mother fuming - for very different reasons. Essie & Rook 's father would forbid their mother from bringing his son to the contests and from then on Essie would be the only one attending them - which soured her relationship with her mother. To this day she is trying to turn things around and say " See, he’s in a band, my Brooklyn never had an aversion to performing, you and your father just decided to coddle him too much". What Essie is trying to tell her is that in Sephirah , Rook always has his boundries respected and band members who he can rely on to the point where they’re second family - which was not the case in Essie and Rook ‘s mothers’ instance - she would brush off Essie 's and Rook 's true feelings by favouring the monetary incentive, glitz and glamour of the pageant world. As much as she was dismissive in that aspect, she was not entirely narcissistic and her love of pageantry was manily due to the fact that she wanted her children to gain “people skills” while performing - she always taught them independence, with them knowing how to make food, clean their rooms, wash dishes, fold their own laundry and so on from the age of 9 onward. Essie is grateful for that to their mom because she can live comfortably on her own now that she’s an avant garde model travelling a lot aroud the world for shoots. She thinks Rook should learn to live alone as well - although she appreciates that he has a support system in the members of Sephirah , she believes that too much of a good thing is a bad thing and that him living with those people in the frontman’s mansion on top of touring and playing shows with them will eventually lead to some serious conflict which will not end well and cause a very public media-feeding drama. She firmly believes in the separation of private and proffesional lives - her current fiance , who she’s planning to have a child with after they get married, works in an entirely different sector - as an internal auditor for companies. He’s Italian-American, so being bilangual helps him find jobs and is convinent for her too since Italy is famous for its fashion and a bunch of opportunities for castings, auditions and photoshoots - she feels the most comfortable in front of a camera , but catwalks are not exactly foreign to her - not even those in Venice or Milan.

She is happy to work in New York for the time being , as an American she always felt patriotism and attachment to her country even though she knows it’s not a common thing among those in her career path, many of whom are and feel like cosmpolitans. However, within Essie there is still the small town girl vibe and humbleness - she’s not in the industry for the fame and fortune , but rather the beauty of the clothes and the fact that she sees fashion as art - that’s why working with photographers like Clover Ito - who puts her soul into her shoots and only does them for brands that refrain from claiming other culture’s traditional clothing styles as their own and give credits to POC artists. Essie and Clover bonded about the difficult relationships with their mothers - and Essie admits that Clover has it worse , as unlike her she cut Margaret entirely out of her life, having absolutely nothing she is grateful for to her. Essie still wants to give her own mom a chance but would never preassure anyone - be it Clover or her own brother, Rook - to do the same, because she knows that deciding on the extend of the parent-child relationship is an extremely personal decision which should be handled maturely by each person on an individual level. Essie never tells her mother about what’s happening in Rook 's life - all she knows is whatever the tabloids write about Sephirah - because she knows he wouldn’t want her to. Rook and Essie talk almost daily and she even arranged for the Ito siblings to meet the band through Skype next Friday - finding it extremely heartwarming that the whole family except Margaret are fans. She wishes she could work with Lila Ito on some shoots - unfortunately , she knows she wouldn’t be able to do that because she’s extremely allergic to cats and any remains of Chai 's fur would make her swell. Some of Rook 's friends from other bands - like Marin Kostyukevic - are also off-limits for that very reason. However, Essie wishes both Lila and Marin nothing but success.

Rook was created by @kitkatcookie
Marin was created by her also

[CherryBomb50]

[name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] [name_m]Pietro[/name_m] [name_f]Lotti[/name_f] (27) is Essie’s fiancé and works as an internal auditor in The [name_m]Bronx[/name_m], NYC. He just recently proposed to [name_f]Essie[/name_f] and are constantly shifting between the excitement of the upcoming wedding and the casual content of enjoying engaged life. [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] doesn’t get involved in tabloids and doesn’t really want so much fame but respects how the band manages such a lifestyle. He does support [name_m]Rook[/name_m] and is on good terms with him and is grateful he wasn’t forced into child pageantry because that’s something he definitely could not do. [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] was raised by good people but he doesn’t get along with his aunt, who is a constantly lazy person who expects the world to do everything for her while she does nothing. But if anyone calls her out for her laziness, she denies it and acts super offended. [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] isn’t religious but feels some people do fall into the 7 deadly sins: his aunt being Sloth, [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] being [name_f]Envy[/name_f], and [name_m]Rook[/name_m] and Essie’s mother being Pride; and sees how these deadly sins affect them and ruin relationships with their families. While [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] isn’t super fame-focused, he’s a supporter of famous people like his siblings and always supports Essie’s career path. He too supports POC artists and he and [name_f]Essie[/name_f] make sure they’re represented in fame and fashion.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: anxiety mentioned

[name_f]Ottavia[/name_f] " [name_f]Avia[/name_f] " [name_f]Angelina[/name_f] [name_f]Lotti[/name_f] (19) is the youngest of Salvatore’s siblings and the most anonymous in comparison, granted she has no plans of attempting to surpass anyone, including her brother. Currently majoring in philosophy and theology as a combined degree, Avia’s always been the quiet one of the family, but she’s never been unhappy about this; in fact being up in her room with a good book and an iced coffee is her favourite place to be. This doesn’t stop her respecting how other people handle the spotlight - especially her eldest sister, who’s just had a major breakthrough in her career as an opera singer - but it’s really something [name_f]Avia[/name_f] enjoys being removed from. She’s relieved her sister used their mother’s maiden name for career purposes, as the idea of everyone at school badgering her for autographs or insights into the world her siblings inhabit terrified [name_f]Avia[/name_f] in high school; where even being vice president of the Photography Society took a lot of deliberating when the suggestion was made by one of her close friends. The group she belongs to mostly met in middle school - as one of the local one’s closed down meaning a greater influx of new people - and they’re a second family as far as she’s concerned, trusting them with all her fears, hopes and dreams.

Sometimes [name_f]Avia[/name_f] seems a little lost in her own world - when she isn’t fixed on knitting [an interest she picked up from her other oldest sister] or continuing to capture the natural world on the polaroid her parents got her for graduarion - but she’s more in tune with her surroundings than she seems. At school and college she unintentionally has a talent for uncovering gossip due to people assuming she’s wrapped up in work then spilling ongoing drama, so [name_f]Avia[/name_f] tends to get questions from her own group about what’s going on. This has led to [name_f]Essie[/name_f] joking about never letting her go to Rook’s house, as she’d be an ideal mole for publications looking for the inner workings of the bands dynamic, but [name_f]Avia[/name_f] and he have met a few times, getting on well due to how much privacy means to both of them [and of course, she’s approved of by the sister he loves so dearly, which gets some extra points].

Now entering her second year of university, [name_f]Avia[/name_f] recently moved in with three friends - two she’s known from school, one’s also part of her philosophy course and they bonded after having to find the classroom when it was moved for a couple days - and also accompanying them is one of her friend’s guide dogs, [name_m]Hector[/name_m], who’s become the clear favourite of the house. The group take time to participate in ‘house activites’ - including bowling, bingo and thrifting - which [name_f]Avia[/name_f] enjoys more than she wishes she could express, as its helped improve her confidence considerably. She was officially diagnosed with anxiety only a few years ago, a relief of sorts after debating this internally for several years, and her family supported her following this; especially [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m], who she tends to spend a lot of time with, and always clung to when they were growing up. His metaphor always amuses her, although [name_f]Avia[/name_f] grants herself lucky as the youngest, as by this point in time their parents had practically no contact with the infamous aunt who to proves such a drain on them.

[rachelheth]

[name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] [name_f]Paola[/name_f] [name_f]Lotti[/name_f] (24) is one of Avia’s older sisters, who is embarking on a career as an opera singer. Despite being involved in a creative industry, [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] is extremely calculating and was nearly obsessively dedicated to timing her success in the opera world. She uses a stage name of [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] [name_m]Fortunato[/name_m], which is her mother’s maiden name, which she uses to avoid confusion with another opera singer with a very similar name. The separation between who she is on stage and who she is off it has been a good decision, as it has kept her family away from any unwanted attention - especially her younger sister [name_f]Avia[/name_f]. [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] tried to support [name_f]Avia[/name_f] the best she could through her anxiety, but she admits that she could never really understand in the way that [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] seemed to. Despite this, [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] is supportive in her own way and often mails ‘self-care packages’ to her sister and they are nearly always texting each other. [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] tries her best to stay as close as she can with all her siblings, but finds it difficult when she is constantly touring the world with her various operatic performances. She gets along well with [name_f]Essie[/name_f] too, and admires much of her work She really appreciates the support of [name_f]Avia[/name_f], [name_m]Salvatore[/name_m] and their other siblings, but worries that her career will make them drift apart.

[name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] has already felt that she has damaged the trust of one of her siblings, after she and her older sister ended up falling in love with the same man - a famous composer who [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] worked with and befriended. [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] introduced the man to her family, and he was liked by them all, especially her older sister, as they shared an interest in art. When [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] began a relationship with him, she had no idea about her sister’s feelings towards him. When her sister found out, she was upset with [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] and they both ended up saying things they probably shouldn’t have. They forgave each other eventually, and [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] is still with her boyfriend. She plans to move to [name_u]France[/name_u] to be with him at some point, and would like to get married - but she is happy to wait while they both focus on their careers.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] [name_m]Osmond[/name_m] (82) is the opera vocal coach [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] thanks for her success in opera. Ironically [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] didn’t actually teach opera until she was in her 60s and while she grew up appreciating it and and sang opera as a hobby, she was pursuing other talents instead. She grew up as the daughter of two film actors, both of whom started their careers as silent film actors before going to sound films before going to colour films. Doing so put pressure on her to be a movie actress as well and she starred in movies. She didn’t star in as many as her parents mainly because she couldn’t quite escape their shadow and because she didn’t have the willpower they had. She liked it but felt listening to directors and doing multiple takes until she nailed what they wanted was not “creative” or “artsy” in her mind. She was just too dramatic of an actress for the big screen and when she played, she always had the same similar roles and couldn’t branch out.

[name_f][/name_f]

So did she turn to opera right away? Well, supposedly but not quite. The only opera she starred in at that time was a soap opera[name_f][/name_f]. A lot of people laugh or say [name_f][/name_f] when they hear she was a former soap opera actress but her dramatic acting skills worked for it. While it’s less surprising now seeing that [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] is an old woman and most soap operas tend to be viewed to that audience; [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] was in her thirties when she started and acted for over twenty years until leaving. She said that she could be doing this longer but didn’t like the way the writers were doing the seasons and hated how her characters were portrayed. It was only in her sixties that she decided to make her lifetime hobby of opera become a career.

[name_f][/name_f]

Now at 82, [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] has become a vocal coach for opera. She doesn’t quite have that opera voice she used to have and retired from performing, but she’s grateful she had it for over sixty years and only regrets not doing so sooner. [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] is inspired by [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] and encourages her to go after the man she loves. [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] hasn’t told [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] about her sister liking her boyfriend at some point since it’s probably not the best idea to tell relationship drama to someone who used to act in soap operas. However [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] does know a bit about Giulietta’s family since one of Giulietta’s cousins and one of her friends also does opera. [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] often tells the [name_f]Lotti[/name_f] siblings all about Giulietta’s success when she’s away traveling. Giulietta’s friends in opera inspire [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] when [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] isn’t around and know that [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f] is closer now with her boyfriend although no marriage plans are yet in order.

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_u]Hunter[/name_u] [name_m]Osmond[/name_m] (15) is Maybelle’s 2nd eldest grandchild out of 5 grandchildren coming from Maybelle’s one son and one daughter. [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] uses they/them pronouns, and they came out to their school a few months ago, it was very strange transitioning from [name_f]Danielle[/name_f] to [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] as they got lots of looks, lots of support, lots of gossip and lots of kind words. Occasionally, they get called [name_f]Danielle[/name_f], but they brush it off and focuses on being [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] and not letting anyone else get in the way of that. If you asked their friends one word to describe them, they would definitely all say determined or assertive. When [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] wants something, they get it and if they want to say something, they’ll say it. [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] does not share a love of opera with her grandmother, infact they hate singing and lean more towards acting, like their great-grandparents and they love horror films. They have 2 siblings, a 19 year old sister, [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] and a 12 year old brother, [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. [name_f]Cassie[/name_f], their sister, and [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] are very close and [name_f]Cassie[/name_f] was the first person [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] came out too. [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] knows about Hunter’s prounouns and always respects them, and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] was very embarrassed about his dyslexia and only [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] and their parents knew, but after [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] told [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] about them being non binary, [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] finally told his sibling and their older sister. [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] loves her family, for them, family always comes first.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Vittoria[/name_f] “ [name_f]Vira[/name_f] “ [name_f]Isabetta[/name_f] [name_f]Lotti[/name_f] (26) is Hunter’s co-star in the horror movies they act in. Unlike [name_u]Hunter[/name_u], [name_f]Vira[/name_f] loves art, to the point where she was romantically interested in a composer but he preferred her sister [name_f]Giulietta[/name_f]. [name_f]Vira[/name_f] has gotten over a lot of her jealousy and is now close with all her siblings. She can live in [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]York[/name_u] City forever but she doesn’t live in The [name_m]Bronx[/name_m] borough, she resides in Queens.

[name_f]Vira[/name_f] is also close to [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] because of mutuals in their siblings, with Hunter’s sister [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] being a roommate of Vira’s sister [name_f]Avia[/name_f]. While [name_f]Vira[/name_f] and [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] aren’t as close as [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] and [name_f]Avia[/name_f], [name_f]Vira[/name_f] and [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] enjoy that they’re about to be co-stars in an upcoming horror film. [name_f]Vira[/name_f] is close with the cast and completely adores her “horror fam” but hasn’t left her real family and enjoys being a [name_f]Lotti[/name_f], saying she’s proud of how amazing they are at art. [name_f]Vira[/name_f] admits it’s awkward being around Giulietta’s brother but has no ill will towards him or his family.

[PaperGirlAC]

[name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] [name_m]Osmond[/name_m]

Hunter’s sister and Avia’s roommate. [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] is a sociology and safety major. Through living with her and Avia’s friend with a guide dog, [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] has secured a passion of working with people with differently abled bodies. She’s specifically interested in making urban areas more accessible to all bodies. A professor recommended an internship at a local school for blind children and [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] has flourished in this role. It is through a field trip with the school [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] realized she’s a great bowler. Wanting competition her own age she now enjoys bringing her friends to the bowling alley. She loves getting cheese fries after a game at a small dinner where she might have a crush on the line cook.

[name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] is normally confident and outgoing. Her genuine interest in people makes her a great listener that many people find themselves confiding in. She is patient except while driving and then the road better watch out. When it comes to love though, [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] is shy and feels awkward about approaching people. Her friendliness often makes people feel friend-zoned when she’s actually flirting.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_u]Bret[/name_u] [name_m]Reginald[/name_m] [name_m]Osmond[/name_m] (84) is Cassandra’s great-uncle. He’s the brother-in-law of [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f]. [name_u]Bret[/name_u] himself is blind in one eye but it’s not from being old, he’s had this since he was 7. He loves opera and is also an opera teacher. [name_u]Bret[/name_u] knows his brother and [name_f]Maybelle[/name_f] are about to celebrate their 50-year wedding anniversary and he knows his brother wants to make his and Maybelle’s anniversary extra special. He’s heard they’re renewing their vows and he’s nothing but supportive of that.

He and [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] have bowled before with some other family members but he’s kept his space and not gotten angry when [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] just wants to bowl with her friends. [name_u]Bret[/name_u] truthfully isn’t a good bowler given his eyesight so he doesn’t do it often but he enjoys it. Another thing he enjoys doing but isn’t good at is dancing and he’s notoriously bad at dancing, but it’s hilarious and he doesn’t mind being ridiculously terrible. He’s close with his great-nieces and great-nephews and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] has just taught him how to rollerblade, which he loves.

[kitkatcookie]

tw: referenced ableism

Eleanor " Nelle " Lucinda Fenlain (19) is Cassandra’s roommate and Hector’s owner, who knows of Bret because of what’s been mentioned by her friend. Technically Nelle’s the newest member of their group, being Avia’s fellow philosopher who’s also a double major, her other subject being English Language; however this didn’t stop them becoming close friends in their shared class. Nelle was born fully blind in her right eye and is impaired in her left, receiving a full diagnosis when she was a toddler after her mother decided she needed an assessment. It wasn’t always easy growing up, primarily thanks to people treating Nelle with distinct degree of patronising that impacted on her self-confidence, and pushed her to become a much cagier person; generally placing barriers between herself and others, as well as preferring to fade into the background academically thanks to how she found her successes were always specified as being in spite of her disability. High school did provide something of a respite to Nelle, as she found the confidence to speak to her parents about what she’d been going through, and they spoke on her behalf: for how she’s confident in keeping to herself, she didn’t want to draw any ire.

Once she was in her mid-teens, Nelle met more people who’d experienced similar prejudices to her thanks to high school being a much more diverse environment, and this is where she was able to find the confidence that had often been denied to her. While she never lost her touch of introversion, she was able to concentrate on her academic achievements without the same tint of undermining, and helped form the school’s Anti-Discrimination Society; which focused on addressing all forms of prejudice varying students experienced. Here she met several of her soon-to-be closest friends, although the bonds she made during middle school and her younger years weren’t diminished. Nelle’s best friend is currently studying at Yale - she amuses herself by making people guess the other girls major [as it’s pretty niche] - and recently came to visit her place, quickly becoming Hector’s absolute favourite human second to his owner; that led to a great deal of joking about betrayal from her roommates. He isn’t the first service dog Nelle’s had but has been with her the longest, since she was 12 to be exact. Hector was recommended by her uncle, an animal patrol officer, who was friends with his trainer, and the fit turned out to be absolutely perfect.

To relax, Nelle enjoys either knitting or crochet, she isn’t too fussed as long as it’s a rhythmic pastime to get her head away from studies for a while. She made the blanket commonly used when winter ushers in, which is proudly displayed in the front room, and of course is the source of numerous gifts and commissions by her extended circle. Nelle’s mom actually runs a clothing repair shop - her mother’s met thanks to her mama needing a skirt repaired and her mom being suggested by a mutual friend - which is where she gets her supplies from, as well as working there when she returns home during break periods. Typically she prefers hiding in the back and away from the prying questions of customers, but her no-nonsense side makes her a good backup when a Karen situation is erupting. She also has an older sister who’s currently in Alaska, working within wildlife conservationism, and admittedly wishes her schedule was less demanding, but doesn’t hold a grudge about not seeing her in person much. Unlike some of her friends who were born using sperm doners, Nelle is aware of her biological father’s identity - he was an old friend of her mama and fellow medicine student - but they don’t have a familial bond as he’s someone who is child-free by choice. Technically she has half-siblingd as he’s anonymously fathered children too, but would rather just stick to her mother’s and sister as she very much feels happiest with the family she’s always known and loved so dearly.

---

Avia is credited to yours truly

[moonwriteen]

(tw: burnout , mail order bride mention)
[name_f]Yaba[/name_f] [name_u]Honor[/name_u] [name_m]Latham[/name_m] (19) is one of [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] 's friends and former members of the anti-discrimination society. She’s Ghanian-American and joined the society after feeling disconnected from her heritage due to the discrimination she faced as a biracial girl , feeling isolated from both her African-American peers and Caucasian ones. Relying solely on self-depricating humor stopped working for [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] around the beginning of high-school. Being part of the Anti-Discrimination society made her feel like she’s actually making people aware of the different kinds of prejudice that people face daily based on things they can’t control - be it because of their race, sexuality , gender or disability. [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] also experienced disconnect from her heritage due to uncovering the secret of their parents - they had been lying to her about how they’d met her entire life until she was 16 , when she found the documentation of her Ghanian mother which was necessary for her to obtain a legal immigrant status , as well as a flyer from the [name_m]Mail[/name_m] Order [name_f]Bride[/name_f] agency about fees that need to be paid after the bride-to-be agrees to marry the potential future husband. It explained the rather large age gap of 12 years between her father and mom - she was a [name_m]Law[/name_m] Student at the University of Lagos , which is one of the most prestigious in [name_f]Africa[/name_f] , but was desperate to emigrate even further from Ghana and get her PhD in [name_u]America[/name_u]. Her father - who had previously ben unsuccesful in dating and lost hope of getting into a marriage via natural progression when his friend from a Dungeons & Dragons club who worked at the same IT company broke off the engageent - decided to help out the hopeful Ghanian lawyer , resulting in a story straight out of “90 day fiancee”. [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] felt betrayed after discovering the truth , especially because their parents ended up really falling in love and their wedding was a giant , over-200-person endevour involving both sides of the family. She , however, ended up understanding that just because an agency helped bring them together it doesn’t mean that their relationshop remained purely transactional over the years - something her younger brother still has a difficult time grasping.

[name_f]Yaba[/name_f] and [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] bonded over their love of dogs and self-depricating humor. [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] 's guide dog [name_m]Hector[/name_m] and [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] ’ s mutt , Furcules love playing together even though [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] 's four-legged friend is notouriously more rebellious and in no way as well-trained or gnetle as [name_m]Hector[/name_m]. They also engage in self-depricting humor a lot but no longer allow the nay-sayers in their life seriosuly bring them down. [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] always smiles after being reminded that [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] brags about her going to [name_u]Yale[/name_u] and majoring in Global Affairs - her end-goal is to work in an international organisation , ideally UNICEF , as she seriously believes that children are the future of this world and investing in their wellbeing should be a priority. However, the workload of studying at [name_u]Yale[/name_u] and working to be on top of the class is getting to her to rhe point where she’s feeling burnt out and neglecting her social life entirely - something that [name_f]Nelle[/name_f] and her roomats - [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] & [name_f]Avia[/name_f] - are worried about , however [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] 's stubborn nature doesn’t let her quit working herself to the ground.

[jinxed_peach]

[name_m]Kwame[/name_m] [name_u]Justice[/name_u] [name_m]Latham[/name_m] ‘K.J.’ {15} is the younger brother of [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] and the more rebellious of the children in their family. He’s always had a knack for finding trouble and has been known to cut class here and there, much to his parents’ frustration. Especially since he learned about how they had met he’s been acting out more as he feels betrayed by their deception. Though [name_f]Yaba[/name_f] has been trying to convince him otherwise. He’s always looked up to his parents and their relationship and admired how after so many years of marriage they’re still so in love, finding out that their marriage was arranged shattered that perception, as well as effected his idea of love, because if that wasn’t real then what chance does he have for finding love himself.

Outside of his family life he spends a lot of time with his friend group at school in the robotics club, something that they are all founding members of. He wants to go into computer science someday and after visiting his sister at her college town apartment he has a rough idea of where he wants to go to school himself, though he still needs to get the grades to make that happen.

One of the girls in robotics club has had a not-so-secret crush on K.J. for the last few months now, and truthfully he feels the same, but he’s scared for it to end up a disaster. He also doesn’t want to ruin things in the club as in they have all been friends for so long that to introduce a romance and to make the other members feel like third-wheels would seem like a crappy thing to do. Overall he’s trying to just take things one day at a time and go along with what comes.

[A.B.Galaxy]

Emiko Laras Takahashi (15) is the girl in robotics club with a crush on KJ. They’ve never spoken about it but she knows he knows. Keeping secrets, even her own, has never been one of her strong points. She doesn’t think he feels the same since he hasn’t said anything and has been trying to get over it, without much success. Emiko is biracial like KJ and his sister and involved in the Anti-Discrimination Society. Her mom is an Indonesian immigrant and her dad is Japanese-American. They both faced a lot of prejudice and Emiko knew she wanted to join the Society after hearing about their experiences.

Unlike KJ, Emiko is the oldest of her siblings. She has two younger brothers who annoy her terribly but she loves them. Emiko has always been interested in robotics and knows it’s what she wants to do as a career. Her mom is in that field and Emiko enjoys asking her about her job. Emiko loves her friends on the robotics club and is so glad they founded it. Her best friend from little isn’t in the club but they are still very close and hang out often. They’re the first one Emiko told about her crush.

[moonwriteen]

[name_u]Reeve[/name_u] [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] Tannhauser (15) is [name_f]Emiko[/name_f] 's friend from outside the Robotics Club. She has no time for after school clubs because she takes care of her many pets - her rabbit , [name_m]Donatello[/name_m] , who she’s pictured with in this photo as well as her Newfoundland , [name_m]Crispin[/name_m] . She loves them both dearly and wants to work part-time at a pet store when she’s a little older - she’s sick and tired of the boring sweaters and overalls her mom gets her and wishes she could be more stylish. Her favourite pastime other than taking care of her pets is reading romance books and watching comedies, hence why [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] advised [name_f]Emiko[/name_f] to " play hard to get " and "be mysterious " when [name_f]Emiko[/name_f] asked her for advice on how to make KJ like her. [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] has never been in a real relationship so she doesn’t really realise the importance of communication in one yet. She had a crush briefly on a boy in her [name_u]French[/name_u] class but got over it when it turned out that the guy is a cat person and hates dogs.

[name_u]Reeve[/name_u] enjoys when [name_f]Emiko[/name_f] goes to her house to hang out for pajama parties sometimes , as being an only child can be lonely for her. She doesn’t really know what she wants to do when she grows up. Her mom is a social worker and while [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] thinks that what she does is admirable, she sees the job as rather emotionally demanding and thankless. Her dad is a math teacher in the school and she doesn’t want to do that either - not only is the subjects hated by most people but also dealing with teenagers seems exhausting for [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] - she knows she can be moody sometimes , too.

[kitkatcookie]

Gyeong-hui " [name_f]Lita[/name_f] " Jeong (15) is another member of [name_f]Emiko[/name_f] and Reeve’s friend group, typically considered the most mature on account of how she carries herself, and the scope of life experiences she’s had. The daughter of a diplomat and a lawyer specialising in immigrant rights, [name_f]Lita[/name_f] typically exudes a low-key form of confidence and calm. She isn’t that popular - in spite of having a keen interest in fashion, always doing her best to cultivate an understated sophistication to her outfits - on account of not really being an approachable personality; but is always polite for the aloofness projected. While [name_f]Lita[/name_f] can tell her friends a lot about travel, the [name_u]South[/name_u] Korean traditions upheld in her family home and even some legal terms, romance is where she’s completely lost. There’s never been anyone she’s had a crush on - not anything Lita’s found remarkable at least - and she tends to give the best advise when she feels connected to the topic in question; rendering relationships out her ball-park. Some people argue Lita’s perspective stems from her older brother - who’s dating history is semi-notorious around the school as he was constantly breaking up with then dating new people, seekingly never comfortable settling down but desperately wanting such companionship - however it’s never been a question directly posed to her, and really, she just isn’t that into dating, brother or not.

One of the jokes shared between the three friends is how [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] couldn’t get past her former crush being a cat person when [name_f]Lita[/name_f] blatantly is one. Her mom has three - two tortoiseshell rescues [Thimble & Thread] and a Norwegian forest cat [Anya] who was adopted off an elderly family friend - who she absolutely adores, doting upon them with vigour and building her own photo album to capture her favourite moments with them. Thanks to her mom’s diplomatic responsibilities, Lita’s become more involved with their care as she’s gotten older and it’s very much a point of pride. Taking care of the cats without as much help from her dad is maximum maturity as far as she’s concerned, although she doesn’t openly express this to people as she’s worried it’ll come across as somewhere between cringey and arrogant: traits [name_f]Lita[/name_f] hopes she never embodies. When she was younger she did want to become a vet - as animals are very popular within the Jeong extended family: her granny, who lives in Cheonan-si, fostered dogs for many years and now helps educate other people interested in doing so [she’s too frail to take on such responsibilities now, regrettable as she finds this] - however she came to realise having to put them down would be too upsetting for her, and instead she hopes on adopting rescues like her mom.

Thanks to her parents advise and stories about their work, [name_f]Lita[/name_f] has decided she’d like to become involved in a more political field, although she hasn’t settled in if legal matters or diplomacy is preferred yet. She hasn’t mentioned this yet to her family as she’s worried her brother might not be too pleased - he’s an art student and had a lot of concerns his parents would completely fight against his university choices, as there had been some contention about partying and dating always coming before preparing for the future and studies. The two aren’t the pinnacle of closeness - mostly due to their different personalities and interests [you wouldn’t catch [name_f]Lita[/name_f] going rock climbing as she hates heights; her brother doesn’t have the patience for jewelery making] - but love each other regardless of their spats when he leaves a mess somewhere and she decides to leave a passive aggressive note behind once she’s cleared it up: Lita’s trying to move past this bad habit. Based on her fashion concerns, she’s also been deliberating offering [name_u]Reeve[/name_u] some clothes to borrow, but doesn’t want to seem patronising or as if she’s pitying her dear friend.

[I_meme_it]

Byung-woo ’ [name_u]Beau[/name_u] ’ Jeong (19) is Lita’s older brother and quite the hopeless romantic, who’s currently studying visual communication, although he hasn’t decided what exactly what path he wants to follow post-graduation. His parents have assured [name_u]Beau[/name_u] to not feel he needs to rush things, and this is a common piece of advice he’s gotten before: although that tended to be about his relationships. Unlike the atypical players he knew of during high school, Beau’s long string of failed relationships stemmed from how desperately he wanted to find ‘The One’, and his impatience meant he tended to not date long enough to really figure out his compatibility with whoever he was seeing.

Compared to his little sister, he’s always been considered the ‘fun one’: great at spontaneous decision making, cheering others’ up and getting parties, hangouts and get together’s sorted. [name_u]Beau[/name_u] maintains a popularity in spite of dating a lot, which stems from his genuine belief in love, and the fact he’s genuinely apologetic and kind towards his exes, without crossing boundaries once things ended. The downside of this is he operates in an incredibly chaotic manner, that drives the orderly [name_f]Lita[/name_f] mad, and led to their arguments thanks to her tidiness contrasting with how he never minds clutter.

Part of the conflict was also spurred on by how their parents never seemed to question [name_f]Lita[/name_f] as much - something [name_u]Beau[/name_u] attributed to her being much more willing to abide by rules and focus on her schoolwork - however the attention was because they worried he’d sell himself short. They’re very proud of his artistry (they both admit to having no talent in that field, which is a running joke among the family now), with [name_u]Beau[/name_u] having actually traveled with his mom a few times, as he loves the social aspect of her job and excels at events she invites him too.

Right now, [name_u]Beau[/name_u] has taken the advice of his closest friend - the one person who’s feedback and suggestions never got him on the defensive - and isn’t dating anyone, which floored [name_f]Lita[/name_f] when it came out at a gathering between the families. He’s come to recognise he needs to be more realistic about romance, and instead is just enjoying spending time with his friends or pushing his limits climbing. Beau’s been trying to get into meditative practices too, as he wants to be able to slow down a bit and concentrate more on making big decisions, as he’s just managed to purchase his own car after focusing properly on saving up. His two roommates are one person he’s known from middle school and another he met in high school, as he and his best friend can’t live together because [name_u]Beau[/name_u] knows they’d drive each other completely crazy.

[moonwriteen]

[name_m]Emil[/name_m] [name_m]Adam[/name_m] Litwin (19) is one of [name_u]Beau[/name_u] 's roomates. Being Polish-American , they met in a school for international students that [name_m]Emil[/name_m] attended - his dad is a rather succesful investor who works investing in stock exchange. [name_m]Emil[/name_m] has therefore been raised mostly by his paternal aunt when he was in Poland and was very glad to finally “take a breather” when he convinced his dad to sign him up to a boarding school in [name_u]Boston[/name_u] , Massachusetts. [name_m]Emil[/name_m] is notoriously photogenic and rather vain. He used to always interrupt fun outings with the boys from his dorm by posing for a selfie or being semi-present looking at likes. He’s gratedul to [name_u]Beau[/name_u] that through being blunt , sometimes even rude and through making his "carpe diem " mindest viral among the group , he has taught [name_m]Emil[/name_m] quite a lot about living in the moment and enjoying what’s happening outside of the Internet. [name_m]Emil[/name_m] no longer uses his phone while eating takeout nor does he go to the bathroom with it that often anymore - not only because he got laughed at in a friendly way by highschool roomates but also because he discovered his passion for make-up due to being more present and now spends more time in the bathroom applying concealer or eyeshadow rather than taking simple mirror selfies.

[name_m]Emil[/name_m] sometimes worries that he might have contributed to [name_u]Beau[/name_u] ‘s obsession with finding "The One " given that he would always go through his potential girlfriends’ profiles on social media and scrutinize their online activity “Oh, that one is too studious for my bro” ; “No , that’s too much of a gangsta vibe , she’ll eat you alive” and so on and so forth… However, he is happy for his friend now that [name_u]Beau[/name_u] has a car and takes his roomates on outings, making sure to never interrupt them with social media posting or recording lives now that he’s actually in college and learned his lesson about the fact that being a TikTok influencer doesn’t have to consume his life. - and certainly , it doesn’t as much as it used to now that he’s studying Economics at university. One of the girls in his [name_m]Money[/name_m] and Banking course showed him a podcast recently , suggesting that he might want to collaborate on a video with one of the girls there… Well, the podcast was called " Survivors of Modern Mr. Darcy" and consisted of four local girls sharing life stories of various topics from fashion through make-up to dating… The podcast description read as follows:

“Four girls who were such a catch that one guy wanted to put a ring on them too fast , 19-century style , talk about how modern life and dating goes in the eyes of a [name_f]Gen[/name_f] Z”.

Well… To [name_m]Emil[/name_m] it sounds like [name_u]Beau[/name_u] 's exes united and are making a big audience out of lifestyle-themed chats and jokes at the expense of both “alpha male” types and especially overzealous romantics like [name_u]Beau[/name_u] himself. [name_m]Emil[/name_m] isn’t sure how to bring it up so he decides not to do it at all - however the day he found out he decided to cook schabowy for all three roomates because he knows that it’s [name_u]Beau[/name_u] 's favourite Polish dish. He plans to consult the other roomate about the situation when they all go bowling next [name_m]Saturday[/name_m] , using [name_u]Beau[/name_u] 's new car. [name_m]Emil[/name_m] doesn’t want to admit it, but the idea of collaboration with one of [name_u]Beau[/name_u] 's exes could further his TikTok career , and he doesn’t want to choose between staying loyal to his friend and the incentive of actually growing a following that doesn’t consist solely of other Polish-Americans and helps him expand into what looks like future brand deals with make-up manufacturers.