🌼 create a family with a twist

[kitkatcookie]

cw: this character is very antagonistic and slightly obsessive, their general behaviour is spiteful, vindictive and unpleasant

[name_u]Cassidy[/name_u] " [name_u]Cass[/name_u] " [name_f]Rose[/name_f] Frain (20) is the infamous ‘5th’ would-be member of the podcast and Beau’s truly toxic ex. During the actual relationship nothing was that off or even unpleasant about [name_u]Cass[/name_u] - she was closer to [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] in appreciating and accepting Beau’s sweet gestures, fully reciprocating however she could, and even offered to remain friends when he felt they just weren’t working out [partly because of a very awkward interaction where [name_u]Cass[/name_u] patronised [name_f]Lita[/name_f], something [name_u]Beau[/name_u] couldn’t overlook] - it was the aftermath that revealed her vengeful streak; a tendency all her exes have been forced to reckon with to varying degrees, starting when she was in middle school. While those who know her best have tried psychoanalysing [name_u]Cass[/name_u] over the years, there’s no ‘clear’ explanation for her behaviour. Yes, her parents divorced when she was 7 and her sister was 12, but it was an entirely amicable split and they never exposed their children to any discord around finances or custody arrangements [which was minimal anyways thanks to them just knowing their marriage was not what it had once been]. Letting go is just something [name_u]Cass[/name_u] struggles with when it isn’t on her terms, which is clear in that whenever she ends a relationship there’s no problem - if it’s the other way round, life becomes difficult for the other person.

There’s never any public confrontations or hate campaigns arranged, [name_u]Cass[/name_u] is more subtle and passive aggressive in how she ‘gets even’ [her words, not anyone else’s]. She’s a master of spreading rumours, controlling and shaping narratives to her wants, and ensuring the trail leading back to her is cold enough to dismiss proof she was the cause. In some ways it’s Cass’s’ most impressive attribute, for how she’s happiest using it for revenge against any perceived sightings. It has rendered her socially isolated time and time again - as friend’s find her obsessive tendencies hard to deal with; not just about exes but certain trends, musicians and elements of studies - but [name_u]Cass[/name_u] isn’t someone who really wants friends persay: romance is her greatest concern. A little ironically she’s majoring in psychology, but this hasn’t allowed her to become a mastermind as some from school would fear. Cass’s’ quick temper and belief she can pull others into her schemes continuously proves her downfall when combined with her overconfidence about her decision making and self-righteousness. Upon hearing of the podcast she firmly assumed the others’ would wish to see [name_u]Beau[/name_u] completely destroyed for merely being a flighty teenage boy with insensitive traits - as that’s the way [name_u]Cass[/name_u] wants things. Beau’s determination to find ‘The One’ is something she relates to, albeit with a destructive lashing out when failure is presented.

Following [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] barring her, [name_u]Cass[/name_u] deliberated seeking retribution against her and the other co-hosts, but life got in the way, and she had less investment based on how they didn’t really know one another. For her preoccupations with personal gratification, she’s a surprisingly dedicated student who aspires highly and works to achieve excellent grades; always handing essays in on time and being very apt in her debating skills in the class environment. She does have a few long term friends - her best friend specifically benefitted from Cass’s’ plots - and even new one’s on campus, who are mostly unaware of her past. The one person who’s always seen through her is her big sister, and they’re unsurprisingly embroiled in a lot of conflict themselves thanks to how she’s always tried to pull [name_u]Cass[/name_u] away from her cruelties. [name_u]Cass[/name_u] feels this is a sign her sister doesn’t care about her and sides with her exes, but really she just doesn’t want this to become even worse, given that one of Cass’s’ newer friends is close with a roommate of Beau’s…

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] " [name_u]Axel[/name_u] " [name_m]Willem[/name_m] [name_m]Dunstan[/name_m] (19) is Beau’s second roommate and the one he’s known since middle school. He’s always tried to avoid [name_u]Cass[/name_u], even when she and [name_u]Beau[/name_u] were dating because he didn’t exactly like her. It came as somewhat of a shock to him when he learned that his cousin, who’s practically a sister to him, recently became friends with [name_u]Cass[/name_u]. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] hopes his cousin won’t get hurt but worries that [name_u]Cass[/name_u] might be using her to get to [name_u]Beau[/name_u]. Unbeknownst to [name_m]Emil[/name_m], [name_u]Axel[/name_u] knows about the podcast Beau’s exes started. He stumbled across it one day and decided not to tell anyone. Sometimes he wonders how he managed to get so embroiled in this drama and chalks it up to becoming friends with [name_u]Beau[/name_u]. He doesn’t regret it though.

[name_u]Beau[/name_u] and his best friend were Axel’s first really good friends. He hadn’t been able to make good connections with anyone else until then. In high school [name_u]Axel[/name_u] was never a really big fan of parties but he’d come to Beau’s anyway and generally had a good time. He met his girlfriend at one of Beau’s parties in 11th grade and they’re still going strong.

[name_u]Axel[/name_u] is glad that Beau’s best friend convinced him to focus on himself and his friends instead of finding ‘The One’. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] doesn’t really believe in all that but understands that [name_u]Beau[/name_u] does. The reason for this being that [name_u]Axel[/name_u] and his girlfriend are almost complete opposites. If he had Beau’s mindset he probably wouldn’t have stayed long enough to see that they’re compatible in spite of the differences. His girlfriend is the life of the party, extroverted, and just a generally happy person. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] on the other hand is much quieter in comparison, enjoys spending time alone, and tends to be somewhat stoic. They get along wonderfully though as they’re both very kind people and can just enjoy each other’s company without doing much talking.

[name_u]Axel[/name_u] was adopted into a wonderful family and has four siblings who were all adopted as well. His older brother is 22 and was the first to be adopted as a newborn. Two years later Axel’s 20 year old sister was adopted as a baby. [name_u]Axel[/name_u] was adopted six years later as a 5 year old. His 17 year old sister was then adopted the next year when she was 4 and his 17 year old brother was adopted the year after at 5. They all have a strong bond and are fluent in Chinese and [name_u]French[/name_u] since two of Axel’s siblings are from those countries. Their parents wanted those siblings to still have connections to their heritage which is why the languages were spoken in the house along with [name_f]English[/name_f]. The family have taken trips to both [name_f]China[/name_f] and [name_u]France[/name_u] before and enjoyed the vacations.

[Lindseylloyd052399]

[name_f]Mollie[/name_f] [name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f] [name_m]Durham[/name_m] (19) is Axel’s girlfriend. She is a college student who is studying [name_u]Early[/name_u] Childhood Education. She loves singing and horses, and has competed in barrel racing competitions.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Justina[/name_f] [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] [name_m]Durham[/name_m] (13) is Mollie’s younger sister. She’s been babied a bit during the first few years of her life due to how happy her parents were to have her. She was both a planned baby and an unexpected baby at the same time — her parents have tried for so long to conceive another child and it finally happened when they least expected it and were about to give up! [name_f]Justina[/name_f] knows how her parents babied her for her toddler and early child years but she knows they weren’t biased. She knew [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] found it cringy and [name_f]Justina[/name_f] understood due to she and [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] growing up with a lot of stereotypical “sibling order” traits. They’ve gotten along better now and really want to live up this year since it’s the only year they’re both teenagers: [name_f]Justina[/name_f] is 13 and [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] is 19. Both of them love singing and horses and [name_f]Justina[/name_f] is now getting [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] into hip hop dancing. She always roots on her sister in the barrel racing competitions. It’s Justina’s first year of being a teen and she’s already feeling the vibe and not wanting to be called “child” or “kid”. [name_f]Justina[/name_f] has YouTube, but doesn’t really have any interest in podcasts but has heard around from Axel’s adoptive siblings. Although the teens hate gossip and most drama isn’t spoken to anyone outside [name_u]Cass[/name_u], [name_u]Beau[/name_u], [name_u]Axel[/name_u], and the podcasters; nothing can necessarily stop it from leaking out. Justina’s still close with Axel’s siblings and they go off to do other stuff whenever [name_f]Mollie[/name_f] visits [name_u]Axel[/name_u]. [name_f]Justina[/name_f] sees them as cool older siblings and enjoys being around other teens since she’s a teen now too.

[lemon_swirlxx]

Amy-Rose [name_m]Edwards[/name_m] (14) is Justina’s friend as they both go to the same horse riding. [name_f]Amy[/name_f] likes to be in control of things so she started horse riding when she was 9 to face her fear of horses and now she loves them, owning three of her own, mulberry, acorn and hazelnut on her family’s farm. she hates being known as posh in her school which is in the city a few miles away from her familys farm. Her parents divorced when she was 5 and her Dad (a farmer) moved in with a older woman, a retired film star, and [name_f]Amy[/name_f] and one of her two siblings chose to live with their Dad in Pennsylvania instead of moving to [name_u]London[/name_u] with their Mother. Her Dad and Step-Mom, who is known as [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] to the kids went on to have another child who is close with [name_f]Amy[/name_f].

[lever_du_soleil]

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[name_f]Annabelle[/name_f] “Annie” [name_m]Edwards[/name_m] (15) is Amy-Rose’s older sister, and the only one of the siblings to move to [name_u]London[/name_u] with their mom. [name_f]Annie[/name_f] is very sporty, and has been competing in gymnastics since elementary school, now that she’s in high school she’s begun to branch out and has started both ballet and swimming.

[name_f]Annie[/name_f] was always much closer with her mom, and while she loves living in [name_u]London[/name_u] with her mother, she feels lonely often now that she doesn’t have her siblings around her for the first time. She’s made a lot of new friends though, and [name_f]Annie[/name_f] and her mother recently adopted a puppy that she named [name_u]Hyacinth[/name_u].

[I_meme_it]

[name_f]Nina[/name_f] [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] Ventress (15) is one of Annie’s new friends. [name_u]London[/name_u] hasn’t always been the place Nina’s called home, she actually lived in [name_u]Bristol[/name_u] until she was 11, but her dad was offered a new job and the family subsequently moved to avoid a long, expensive commute process for him on a daily basis. [name_f]Nina[/name_f] has two fathers’ - her dad and her papa - who conceived her through surrogacy, something she’s always open about and never bats an eye at her friends asking questions about this. She’s their only child, a choice the couple made because of their hectic schedules, and this means she understands the loneliness [name_f]Annie[/name_f] sometimes experiences in a different way, talking to her about the struggles of the change whenever called upon.

Dance is what led to the two girls bonding, as Nina’s avid about lyrical, ballet and jazz inspired routines, hoping to embark on a professional career, and she’s looking at applying for the [name_u]London[/name_u] Academy, with the full support of her fathers’. [name_f]Nina[/name_f] also owns a dog - [name_f]Theta[/name_f] the [name_m]German[/name_m] [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] - who’s just turned 1, and when Hyacinth’s old enough to go for walks with [name_f]Annie[/name_f], the friends have made plans to go out together. To their amusement, [name_f]Theta[/name_f] dotes upon [name_u]Hyacinth[/name_u] as if she were the one to give birth to her, and the dogs are exceptionally close, mirroring the bond between the two girls’. They’re sometimes joined by one of their other friends’, who helps train guide dogs, and owns a Cocker Spaniel named [name_u]Maurice[/name_u], who [name_f]Nina[/name_f] suspects may have a crush on [name_f]Annie[/name_f] (not that the guy will admit it to her…yet).

[lemon_swirlxx]

[name_f]Jaelynn[/name_f] ’ [name_u]Jae[/name_u] ’ Gomez (12) is Nina’s half-sister who she is unaware of because her surrogate mother who she is not in contact with had [name_u]Jae[/name_u] after deciding she wanted her own kids. [name_u]Jae[/name_u] loves swimming and is very active. [name_u]Jae[/name_u] and her Mom live in St. Paul’s in [name_u]London[/name_u], after Jae’s Mom started her own cyber security business, taking up cases of people who have been hacked and tracking them down. It is dangerous work and she has many enemies but they live a normal life. Jae’s Mom is a single Mom as she had a sperm donor so she could have a child without being romantically linked to someone.

[CherryBomb50]

[name_f]Dariana[/name_f] Gomez (42) is Jae’s mother and the surrogate for Nina’s dad and his husband, Nina’s papa. Jae’s sperm donour is a distant relative of the [name_m]Edwards[/name_m] family. [name_f]Nina[/name_f] and [name_u]Jae[/name_u] are not the only children [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] has been pregnant with, she was 21 when she first gave birth and is involved with that 21-year-old as well. [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] knows to be a good candidate for surrogacy is having at least one prior healthy pregnancy so she didn’t hesitate to serve as a surrogate when her brother asked her. [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] has kept her Gomez surname while her brother has changed his surname to his husband’s and brought his husband’s surname to [name_f]Nina[/name_f]. [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] works and owns her own cyber security company and is an expert at decoding hackers. Her dog Deeno [pictured right] is a motivator for her and comforts her when the job gets stressful. [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] is proud of Jae’s swimming and is on great terms with her swim coach, who is helping [name_u]Jae[/name_u] learn fast.

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] " [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] " [name_f]Chloe[/name_f] [name_u]Jameson[/name_u] (21) is the first child [name_f]Dariana[/name_f] gave birth to. They’ve been in contact since [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] was eighteen and decided she wanted to know her. They don’t have a mother-daughter relationship and [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] sees her as more of an aunt and friend. Her parents were totally supportive of this and [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] loves them for that. She’s an only child and has always been very close to her mom and dad. They are her biggest supporters in everything and she supports them too. Right now [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] works at her parents’ restaurant as a waitress though after finishing school she plans on becoming a chef there.

Moving out of her parents’ house last year, [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] has been living with her best friend in an apartment. They share the apartment with Zazie’s tortoiseshell cat Mew Mew, and her friend’s pet. Her friend is privy to an exciting secret that [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] is not. Her boyfriend plans to propose soon at the park they met at. The friend group [name_f]Zazie[/name_f] and her boyfriend are apart of are all privy to this piece of information as well, excepting one of them who can’t keep a secret to save his life.

[lever_du_soleil]

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[name_f]Malati[/name_f] Mishra (she/her, 20) is Zazie’s best friend and roommate. The two girls are both only children, and they grew up together, so they consider each other more like sisters than friends. [name_f]Malati[/name_f] also works at Zazie’s parent’s restaurant, but as a hostess, while she makes her way through beauty school to become a makeup artist. [name_f]Malati[/name_f] was the one who brought up sharing an apartment with [name_f]Zazie[/name_f], and the two girls spent a long time hunting for the perfect apartment that would take both Mew Mew and Malati’s ancient Shih Tzu, [name_f]Leela[/name_f]. [name_f]Malati[/name_f] was always very independent, and even though she loves her parents, she was excited to move in with her best friend.

[name_f]Malati[/name_f] was over the moon when Zazie’s boyfriend told her about his plans to propose, and she can’t wait to help make her best friend’s wedding into a dream come true, starting with helping Zazie’s boyfriend plan his proposal. The coming proposal has made [name_f]Malati[/name_f] think about getting married herself, but she hasn’t been in a long term relationship for 2 years, ever since she broke up with her high school girlfriend.

[kitkatcookie]

[name_f]Rowena[/name_f] " [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] " [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] Stanstead (20) is Malati’s ex-girlfriend from secondary school. The couple’s split was amicable and was a result of [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] being accepted to study at Edinburgh Medical School, with them feeling such a long distance relationship wouldn’t work out long term based on their preferences for physical closeness. Looking back, [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] also feels there was a natural pessimism about things lasting - a lot of relationships starting at school end when graduation occurs - however she is thankful [name_f]Malati[/name_f] and her didn’t end up devolving into bitterness or resentment over what transpired. They still have some mutual friends and are semi aware of what each other are up to but haven’t met up, as [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] worries it could be more than a little awkward as she’s now in a relationship with a girl she met through her veterinary studies, while on placement at a local animal hospital. She feels a lot of gratitude towards their social group and doesn’t want to pull them into anything uncomfortable, so she’s hanging back, although her girlfriend’s fully aware of this, as [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] didn’t want to shut her out of this part of her life. Openness is something she greatly values, and while she’s always upfront and honest, it’s a give and take where she asks for the same transparency back.

Part of [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] wonders if it’s a learned behaviour: her dad spent a lot of his life hiding being gay, to the point of which he outright avoided dating, and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] was conceived through IVF with a friend of his. Her family’s a little unconventional - her mum and dad were never a couple, they actually started out as basically strangers who were paired up through the clinic, however during the process they decided to co-parent, with [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] living with her dad one week and her mum the next as they made sure to relocate to the same area. It was her mum who helped her dad finally come out to his family, and while there was some awkwardness, it stemmed more from them being kept in the dark rather than bigotry [a relief as much as it was difficult for him to work through at times]. She now has a stepfather on her mum’s side and two half-siblings, one who’s just started secondary school, the other’s in Year 4 at primary, and her dad has been seeing a guy for 3 years, which she’s been incredibly supportive of. [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] often jokes you could write a book about her background and people would call it farfetched thanks to the unusual circumstances, but she loves her family dearly, and never opposes the uniqueness of her situation.

Having adored animals for as long as everyone can remember - making a bug hotel with her mum and going horseriding with her dad - it’s no surprise her first instinct upon moving into her current house was to get a pet. She has a 2-year-old rescue cat named [name_m]Armand[/name_m], a Russian [name_u]Blue[/name_u] who was abandoned when his former owners moved house, and her housemates absolutely dote on him, which [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] thoroughly endorses. One of them actually got another cat recently herself - after a family friend’s pet had kittens - and the new addition has been welcomed by all with excellent [although [name_m]Armand[/name_m] needed a little time to adjust to sharing all the human attention]. Her girlfriend lives a 15 minute walk away, although the couple have no plans on moving in together - even with four years of studies ahead of them both - as they want to do things when they feel ready and not thanks to some societal dictations or expectations. It doesn’t stop them going for brunch dates almost every morning though after they’ve attended their early lectures.

[kitkatcookie]

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[I_meme_it]

Nhu-Liên " [name_f]Emanuelle[/name_f] " Kha (21) is Rowan’s current girlfriend and a Veterinary Nursing & Companion Animal Behaviour student. The daughter of first and second generation Vietnamese immigrants, [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] was raised in Greenock, and absolutely loves the way her dad’s parents - who live in Kon Tum, where he grew up - find her accent so charming and amusing. Her love of animals stemmed from her mother, the owner of a local cattery who gave her 3 children opportunities to come and work alongside the cats for extra pocket money (and a head start on work experience), where [name_f]Emanuelle[/name_f] quickly fell in love with them.

To the surprise of no-one, the following [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] - when she was 12 - her parents adopted rescue kittens, one for each child. [name_f]Emanuelle[/name_f] named her’s Blackberry and absolutely adores her, being saddened at the fact she had to leave her behind when she moved out for university, but she knew it was for the best given the cats are incredibly close (being biological sisters). She’s frequently getting photos and updates sent by her parents and younger sibling - who’s just started their A-Levels - and absolutely dotes on [name_m]Armand[/name_m] in the meantime. It’s not uncommon for her and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] to joke about setting the cats up if they’re ever able to introduce them, but so far that hasn’t happened.

[name_f]Emanuelle[/name_f] lives with just one other person - her best friend, who she’s known since secondary school - in a cozy little flat, where [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] stays if one of her housemates is requiring a bit of space. Thanks to their shared plans for the future and love of animals, they’re always watching documentaries together or going on trips to shelters and wildlife parks. She’s the main cook of the pair, something [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] jokes about making up for with her tidying skills, thanks to having learned how to prepare Vietnamese dishes with the help of her parents; enjoying how it keeps her close to her culture, even when she’s away. The main person [name_f]Emanuelle[/name_f] visits is her older sibling, who’s just started their masters degree at Newcastle.

[jinxed_peach]

[name_f]Samara[/name_f] ‘Sam’ [name_u]Riley[/name_u] [name_u]Cooper[/name_u] [21] is a classmate of [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] and much like her, [name_u]Sam[/name_u] is an animal lover and has been rescuing animals of all kinds since she was just a kid. Her most recent rescue being a black and white puppy that she found behind the building she works in by the garbage. After cleaning up the little runt and ensuring that nobody was looking for her, she named her [name_f]Harlowe[/name_f] and she’s become the light of her world among lots of chaos related to school.

She’s currently hoping to take back some of her personal time, aside from school, work, and puppy training, to get back into piano. She used to play as a child between days spent playing outside in the mud with her two younger sisters. It was a nice way to counteract the outdoors that she loved so much and relax after a long day. The habit was introduced to her through her aunt with whom she’s very close with. Her father often worked late hours so her mother’s sister would come over to help out with her three nieces, loving them all equally but seeing a little more of herself in the young [name_u]Sam[/name_u]. It was her who taught her how to play the piano. That same aunt will be visiting soon to help [name_u]Sam[/name_u] and her sisters plan a surprise birthday party for her mom.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: racism/bigotry

[name_f]Amaia[/name_f] " [name_f]Maia[/name_f] " [name_u]Leighton[/name_u] [name_u]Cooper[/name_u] (18) is Sam’s closer sister in age and the middle child, currently in the process of finishing her A-Levels, so she can depart for university herself. With plans on studying sociology, Maia’s someone very aware of all kinds of injustices and prejudices, having become well-aversed in these subject matters, partly because of her own experiences. When she was younger, [name_f]Maia[/name_f] was subject to speculation from certain adults as to why she didn’t look much like her father, and one particularly unpleasant boy she was in school with even started a rumour that [name_f]Maia[/name_f] and her sisters’ were adopted, but that no-one had told them this. It culminated in a fight almost breaking out when [name_f]Maia[/name_f] was made aware of this, as in actuality her mother - who was of Iranian and Syrian heritage - was quite unwell throughout their childhood’s and unable to do much physical activity while recovering, including picking them up from school.

[name_f]Maia[/name_f] was always the most overtly eager to engage in the culture of their mum, who she’s thankful to see back to good health and spent a lot of time with even when she wasn’t able to play games or go on trips with the family. She can speak and write Arabic with a lot of confidence now, having been aided in this quest by her aunt, who [name_f]Maia[/name_f] is prone to worrying about, as she feels she compromised a lot to support them, when other people would have hired a nanny or babysitter [not impossible for her dad given his salary and line of work]. While it’s obvious her aunt holds no resentment or has issues about her choices, [name_f]Maia[/name_f] wants to see her getting what will make her happiest going forwards, and being quite an adept eavesdropper [not that she uses the term], she knows her aunt hopes to have a baby of her own someday: a cousin for the nieces she adores so much.

When she isn’t watching documentaries to improve her knowledge of societal issues or trying to comprehend economics more - she knows it’s important but it’s biggest success for [name_f]Maia[/name_f] is acting as a sleeping aid - skateboarding is her preferred pastime. Maia’s also now the defacto authority where [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] is concerned: him being the first rescue of Sam’s their parents allowed to keep - a lovely black and white short-haired cat who’d been abandoned by a former neighbour of theirs’. Cats are definitely her favourite pets, suiting the more illusive and aloof way [name_f]Maia[/name_f] holds herself up, as well as the fact she and [name_u]Dorian[/name_u] have a mutual appreciation for naps. Often, she finds her younger sister asking for advice - she’s determined to be as mature as [name_u]Sam[/name_u] and [name_f]Maia[/name_f] already - which the middle daughter tries her best at giving, usually by trying to steer her sister away from anything that reeks of a toxic teenage cliché.

[Swimmere1223]

[name_f]Zara[/name_f] [name_f]Inaya[/name_f] [name_u]Cooper[/name_u] (14) is the youngest in her family, and the sister of [name_f]Maia[/name_f] and [name_u]Sam[/name_u]. [name_f]Zara[/name_f] is very close with her sisters, but with her being in her early teens, she wants to forge her own path for herself. While she follows a lot of Maia’s advice, her sisters believe she is already trying to act older than she is, including by recently getting a boyfriend and being caught while sneaking out a few times. [name_f]Zara[/name_f] loves music, and plays several instruments, including cello, flute, piano, and electric bass. Unbeknownst to her sisters, she has recently started a band, where she is the lead singer and bass player. In fact, those times where she has had to sneak out was because her band was actually asked to play at the parties. Again, while she loves her sisters, she is afraid to tell them, especially [name_f]Maia[/name_f], about the band due to a lot of their advice having to do with not hanging with many of the people found at local concerts and parties.

[CherryBomb50]

Elaine Mariette Bizou (14) is Zara’s backing vocalists of her secret band. Like Zara, Elaine has an elder sister, 20-year-old Suzette. Suzette isn’t the type to be strict but always feels people who need reality checks should get them. Suzette doesn’t know about Elaine‘s role in Zara’s secret band but loves entertainment herself, being a podcaster. Elaine herself hates being the younger sister and thinks the term “baby of the family” is embarrassing and would never use it. Something about Elaine is that while she is in a secret band, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t care about grades in school. Elaine is smart, she just hasn’t found in herself what she’s looking for yet, and having high grades in school is her only consistency. She’s also an activist for clean water, both in the sense of clean oceans and for clean drinking water to people in need. She doesn’t give a hoot about people who act like she’s “too young” to make change and won’t stand for age discrimination, she’ll just keep going. She’s still one to support making good choices and hopes Zara isn’t moving too far in the wrong direction. After all Zara is her friend and part of friendship is to be there for each other and help out. Elaine tends to be the type to think about others before herself, the main reason she’s trying to find herself, and she’s glad to be in the band because that’s when she feels she has the most time for herself.

Suzette was created by me.

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] [name_u]Collins[/name_u] (15) is another member of Zara’s band. She’s the lead guitarist and also provides backing vocals. Her fraternal twin brother is the drummer, and they’ve bonded more by being a part of a band. Sophie’s parents know about their kids’ involvement in the band and are very supportive. They aren’t aware that [name_f]Zara[/name_f] and Elaine’s parents don’t know about it. [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] was a little shocked when [name_f]Zara[/name_f] revealed she had a boyfriend. She also found herself feeling jealous. [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] has had a crush on her brother’s friend, the sixteen-year-old keyboardist of the band, for three years now. As the only one with a driver’s license, he’s everyone’s ride to the gigs. Their families are close and [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] hasn’t been able to talk to him much unless he asks her something, prompting a realization of the crush from her brother. He’s promised not to say anything and has, in his quiet way, been subtly encouraging her to speak up.

[name_f]Sophie[/name_f] works part-time at her parents’ cafe and is currently saving up to redecorate her room. In a couple more months, she should have just enough money. She’s also participating in a marathon held in a few months and has been running every morning before school to prepare. Her crush, who lives next door, joins her most mornings. They don’t talk a lot, but [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] still enjoys it. Like [name_f]Elaine[/name_f], [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] does well in school, though not counting maths, in which she struggles. She and [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] talk occasionally about their worries for [name_f]Zara[/name_f]. She seems to be determined in her pursuit of seeming older, and they hope nothing bad comes of it.

[kitkatcookie]

cw: parental neglect

[name_f]Destiny[/name_f] [name_f]Alannah[/name_f] Outhewait (17) is someone Sophie’s vaguely acquainted with, as a musical associate of her crush, but she hasn’t quite dared approach the older girl yet or mention her to the other band members, as Destiny’s reputation is one of being fairly cold. She’s not actually the ice queen some cite her to be - she’s merely reserved, and much more confident when playing bass opposed to socialising at school - and the fact her band’s called scream of ice-cream helps with dispelling some of the rumours regarding her reputation [Destiny finds it pretty funny actually]. What people do know is that Destiny’s home life wasn’t ideal: she’s been living with her grandparents since she was 9 thanks to her mother being a woman far more interested in pursuing a romantic partner than having a healthy approach to parenting. [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] was treated like a friend and most of the time her younger siblings - technical half-siblings, who are girl/boy twins and have just turned 11 - were left for her to care for, or ‘watch’ as their mum called it [perhaps to deal with what guilt she faced treating them like accessories]. This led to the three being placed in the custody of her parents, who she had sporadic contact with - as she knew they’d disapprove of her belief a husband would fix everything - and moving from Liverpool to Newcastle, where they’ve remained since.

The group formed by the younger teens haven’t had much contact with scream of ice-cream because they perform different styles of music [Destiny’s band have a dreamy, almost surreal mingling of rock and jazz, designed to emulate the fantasy books that united the members with a modern edge], and also as the older scene tend to not involve themselves with those below 16; partly because younger kids tend to be less organised, but also because they find the urge to mature quick can lead to disastrous results. Sophie’s twin has suggested they reach out to some of said circle though, as [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] would be able to speak to her about not trying to grow up too fast, as she’s a product of such a mentally - and while she has frustrations where her mum’s concerned that linger [they do have contact, but it’s seldom in person, as her mum now has a full-time job and is evidently ashamed to face the kids again], she knows getting pregnant at 16 and giving birth at 17 caused her to feel her youth was stolen, never mind the disappointment that ensued when Destiny’s biological father bounced.

What even [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] isn’t aware of - she has some suspicions, but with her A-Levels underway, she’s more embroiled in studying currently [wanting to attend music university more than anything] - is that another band has taken an interest in Sophie’s crushes abilities and want to ask him to also play for their group. This is something [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] doesn’t do, as she knows it can stir up drama or lead to people stretching themselves too thin, which is why no-one’s letting her know as she’d strongly voice her opinions against the idea. [name_f]Destiny[/name_f] has handed on some of her musical knowledge to her siblings - she’s casually taught her brother some piano songs and her sister’s a cellist - but the three are in agreement they’d never form a group together: they’re all way too prone to headstrong notions and Destiny’s convinced their grandparents would be driven mad by practice, as scream for ice-cream benefits from one of their membes having a large garage that makes for perfect rehearsal space.