No 
she is alive it was minor and was fixed
2 Likes
5 Likes
cw: relationship age gaps
[name_f]Reverie[/name_f] ā [name_f]Evie[/name_f] ā [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_m]Haddon[/name_m] (15) is Hopeās younger sister and hopeful engineer. A lot of the time, her visions for the future surprise people, as Evieās often characterised as an easygoing person, whoās quick to laugh and tends to be naturally drawn towards making others giggle too. While not massively popular at school, she does get along with people easily, and has a tight group of friends, who are likewise from lower income backgrounds, meaning thereās a shared understanding about the financial pressures and restraints of every day life.
Usually [name_f]Evie[/name_f] ignores the ongoing family politics regarding careers and class, but due to her own ambition, she has become more directly pulled into the trajectory recently. She understands thereās a lot of uncertainty about the future for her brothers, as her one closest in age has opted against pursuing higher education in order to go straight into a job so thereās less stress placed on the heads of their parents. [name_f]Evie[/name_f] herself is working hard to obtain a scholarship, to ease any pressures, and has been in some spats with her oldest brother more recently, although the second eldest has been mediating, and in turn helping her understand the origins of this mindset.
Given the world of medicine is often populated by wealthy people, [name_f]Evie[/name_f] knows snobbery makes her family nervous, especially her eldest brother who isnāt an academic (and while she tries her best to assure him that isnāt everything, she knows he feels frustrated about it). The prospect of meeting the family of Hopeās fiance has upped the anti of these worries, and [name_f]Evie[/name_f] can see even her much more easygoing brothers have anxieties about any kind of class clash that comes from the meeting.
[name_f]Evie[/name_f] herself was shocked when she learned [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] was a qualified surgeon at the time he began dating her sister, and doesnāt quite know how to voice her apprehension about this, thanks to the considerable age gap between the couple. Her best friend is the person sheās confided most in about the gap, as while she knows her brothersā are also uneasy, speaking to them could spark an actual argument, and she wants whatās only best for her sister and especially her unborn nephew.
3 Likes
[name_u]Sailor[/name_u] [name_f]Myra[/name_f] Cavendish (15) is in [name_f]Evie[/name_f] Haddonās friendgroup, and [name_f]Evie[/name_f] will often confide in her about her familyās struggles. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is no stranger to complicated family structures themself, as toxic relationships are rife within the Cavendish family. Her family is odd, to say the least- their autocratic, conservative grandfather governs the house and their parents have a strained relationship. The only reason the two havenāt divorced is because Sailorās grandfather has condemned it, and her grandmother is bedridden sick and in hospice. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] has one older sister, whoās a flighty and petulant 21-year-old and mother to a 3 year old son, who, like his aunt is not amused by his motherās antics- she will often throw tantrums when she doesnāt get her way. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] and [name_f]Evie[/name_f] have bonded a lot over this kind of thing, despite their families being very different.
Unlike [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is an introvert who prefers to paint rather than socialize with actual people. Her clothes are often covered in paint stains, and her room is full of paintings that sheās much too shy to share with anyone. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is also a demigirl, using she/they pronouns, but she hasnāt come out to her family yet due to knowing her grandfather wouldnāt approve of their gender expression. However, [name_f]Evie[/name_f] and all her other friends know, and [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is eternally grateful for their support. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] and [name_f]Evie[/name_f] have only been friends for one year, as they met in freshman year through the other friendgroup members, but theyāre so glad to have met each other. [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] is actually dating one of the other friends, and the girls arenāt exactly official yet, but the whole group ships them. They even have their own designated ship name!! [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] knows their family wouldnāt accept them dating a girl but she doesnāt care as she feels she really likes her and itās her choice anyway. They also have a black kitten named [name_u]Binx[/name_u], who ships them tooā¦.because of course.
4 Likes
Warning for parental irresponsibility.
[name_m]Gable[/name_m] " [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] " [name_u]Brett[/name_u] Cavendish-Dean (3) is Sailorās nephew, son of their sister. Granted his parents do not have any questionable age gap but definitely have a questionable āmaturity gapā. [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] is very close with his father given his motherās temper tantrums and being a parent hasnāt calmed her down, only made her worse. [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] currently lives in an apartment with his father and fatherās roommate, the latter being very respectful of his roommateās parental situation and has helped his roommate to be the best father to [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] he can be. The two roommates have a brotherly bond and the roommate of Gabeās father is an unofficial roommate.
On his paternal side, [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] has one paternal aunt, a relatively new member of [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] and Evieās friend group. Gabeās paternal aunt is well-aware and supportive of Sailorās she/they gender identity. However she and the other friends will not āoutā [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] - it is Sailorās own decision in the coming out process when to reveal their preferred pronouns. Gabeās father is not close with Gabeās mother anymore, but he supports [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] having connection to [name_u]Sailor[/name_u]. Heās actually grateful his sister is friends with [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] - at first he worried it would make things worse for [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], but granted, it actually makes things better and breaks the ice.
[name_m]Gabe[/name_m] loves cereal and loves holding onto flying things, like balloons and kites. Gabeās father would like for [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] to learn skills he didnāt get to learn. Gabeās father and his sister grew up with family members who didnāt like them doing anything extracurricular that they considered ātoo dangerousā even if it wasnāt that dangerous. They have never been on a plane. The siblings didnāt know how to ride a bike until age 10 and couldnāt swim until teenage years. They felt embarrassed not knowing about these and felt like it was completely inconvenient to not know for so long, because there were times where this would be needed. Gabeās father has promised not to deprive [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] like that, even if itās not all at once, because he knows his son does not deserve to miss out. [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] rides a tricycle and is taking swim lessons but the plane trip has still not happened. Gabeās father hates to admit it, but all his time being away from planes, heās scared to ride for the first time. When this happens, itās a first time for both of them. His sister and roommate have been nothing but supportive to him however, and equally so to [name_m]Gabe[/name_m].
4 Likes
cw: parentification, emotional neglect, unplanned pregnancy
[name_u]Blaise[/name_u] [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] Cavendish (21) is Gabeās mother, Sailorās sister and general source of immature antics. Some might attribute Blaiseās terrible approach to responsibility to being raised in an environment defined by discord and restriction: her parents unhappy marriage, the iron fist of her grandfather and illness of her grandmother. The irony is no-one remembers that when [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] herself was a child she was parentified frequently. With her grandfather and dad fighting about the chance of a divorce, grandmother already too unwell and mother planning on moving out, she bore the brunt of responsibility where [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] was concerned for 2 and a half years, until her mom agreed to return on the grounds she moved into the summerhouse and didnāt have to see her husband often. [name_m]Even[/name_m] once Mrs Cavendish was back, Blaiseās responsibility didnāt cease in entirety, as arguing with her estranged husband took precedent for a few more months until she settled.
From this point on Blaiseās attitude took a sharp turn, mostly for the worst. Her defiance was accompanied by her outbursts when confronted, resenting how only bad behaviour drew any attention from her family members but unable to let go of this reliable means of gaining their eyes on her. The age gap between her and [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] - on top of the years [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] spent looking after them - meant she never spent much time around her sibling once freedom was in her line of sight. When it became obvious the adults in her life werenāt going to provide any of the reliability she wanted, [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] devoted time to dating, and would spend as much time out the house as possible. Gabeās dad was the person who came closest to getting the full picture of her personal struggles, but she never felt able to speak properly. After all, her mom and dad didnāt care, she was quite scared of her authoritarian granddad and didnāt want to burden her grandmaā¦so who else was there to turn to?
Pregnant was the last thing [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] should have become at 18 given her unaddressed emotional issues, however when it happened she couldnāt bring herself to consider termination or even an open adoption. Her grandfather raged, her father gave a dozen reminders of his disappointment, her mother barely registered it, and [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] was only 12, so everything was confusing enough for them due to the family dynamics already being fraught enough. [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] had hoped herself that giving birth would help sort out their headspace but nothing much changed. She was sill easily overwhelmed, guided by frustrated resentment and only outbursts seemed to get anyone in her family to listen. Due to [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] being the centre of his fatherās world, he knew he had to break things off with [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] for the sake of their son, in spite of how devastated she was by this. Now working for a stationary company on reception duties, perhaps this could give [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] a much needed lesson in maturing. Although, even she isnāt feeling entirely hopefulā¦
3 Likes
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] ā [name_m]Ned[/name_m] ā [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] [name_u]Dean[/name_u] (21) is Gabeās father and Blaisesā ex, whose understandably glad to be out of the family home, as he couldnāt imagine how they would have behaved around his son. It isnāt a surprise that Nedās sister visits as much as possible, to enjoy some freedom, however he makes sure there isnāt an atmosphere where absolutely anything can happen. [name_m]Ned[/name_m] works from home as a moderator for popular gaming servers and also does transcribing for educational videos, having pursued jobs that make it possible for him to be with his son as much as possible, although heās a bit more relaxed now [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] spends at least two days a week at nursery, where heās flourishing socially.
The relationship leading to Gableās birth started because [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] was the person who primarily helped [name_m]Ned[/name_m] learn to swim in his teens. While heās seen a lot of her less mature behaviour, [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] never mocked him for how he was restricted from so much, and it causes him to question her nature more. She often confused him, even during the happiest times of their relationship, as while [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] had her moments of overreacting or easily becoming upset, she had surprising insight to stressful situations and proved unphased by responsibilities Nedās friends couldnāt imagine she never faced.
Itās his sistersā friendship with [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] thatās given [name_m]Ned[/name_m] subsequent insight into the Cavendish family, as [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] seldom spoke about them: in fact she actively avoided them as a subject and preferred to focus on things outside of home lives. When he was a teen, [name_m]Ned[/name_m] was all too happy to buy into this himself - he didnāt want to linger on his controlling parents with their paranoia - but now he wishes they had spoken more openly, as he canāt help but come up with questions he now doesnāt feel he has the right to ask.
At one point there were suspicions a friend of his roommatesā had a crush on [name_m]Ned[/name_m] and he was even more relieved that Gabeās unofficial uncle stepped in to help him navigate that situation; partly because thereās a very awkward side to [name_m]Ned[/name_m], who doesnāt handle romantic attention very well. Deep down he does admit there was a connection between him and [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] that wasnāt explored (and a part of him does have feelings for her still, not that he speaks of this much at all, and heās careful in how he expresses these), so heās relieved nothing was pursued, as [name_m]Ned[/name_m] hates anyone feeling second best.
4 Likes
[name_f]Margreta[/name_f] ā [name_f]Margie[/name_f] ā [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] [name_u]Dean[/name_u] (15) is Nedās younger sister. She knows her family is quite protective but wishes they didnāt always hold grudges on her, even if some of this was her fault. Her uncle married a new woman three years earlier and she was excited to get to know her, but on her first impression, she blew it. Once at her new auntās house while trying to make pancakes to impress her aunt, a then-12-year-old [name_f]Margie[/name_f] accidentally dropped and broke the glass bowl she was using to make the pancakes. She ran off in shame and when the aunt asked who did it, she just replied, āI think the dog knocked it overā¦or whatever pet you haveā. This sounded like an obvious lie at blaming a dog though, especially since the aunt doesnāt have a dog ā or any other pets. Awkward moment and the aunt has always seemed to make things uncomfortable with [name_f]Margie[/name_f] ever since. Whenever [name_f]Margie[/name_f] helps around the house, her aunt would passively-aggressively āreassureā [name_f]Margie[/name_f] that she doesnāt need her help and tells her that itās better for her to ājust go back to sitting aroundā.
She and [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] are friends and sheās gotten a greater bond with them over the years. [name_f]Margie[/name_f] is nervous about any sort of role where sheās considered āvitalā. However she knows sheās important to [name_m]Ned[/name_m] and [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] because she feels like the āglue that sticks them togetherā. Gabeās āunofficial uncleā has also been a good help as well and [name_f]Margie[/name_f] thanks him for taking some pressure off of her. She knows her friend [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] has a much easier life than [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] but never chastises her friend or blames her friend for hard things in Blaiseās life ā especially those that arenāt relevant to [name_u]Sailor[/name_u]. Sheās been learning to swim thanks to [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] which is what opened her eyes to who [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] is as a person and has learned more about the Cavendish family. Sheās also learned a lot about this from [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] and she loves how motivating [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] can be despite their struggles in the family. Despite the lingering tensions behind the Cavendish and [name_u]Dean[/name_u] family trees, [name_f]Margie[/name_f] is still open to talk to [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] about other fun friendly stuff, with some other friends in their group, especially [name_f]Evie[/name_f]. [name_f]Margie[/name_f] knows nobody has fallen for her and jokes about her forever alone status with her friends. Still, she knows Nedās friends are different from her friend group and she hopes the roommateās friend who once fell for [name_m]Ned[/name_m] is happier now even if there wasnāt a true love connection within them.
3 Likes
unpleasant character alert
[name_f]Stacie[/name_f] [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] [Norton] Elweiss (49) is [name_f]Margie[/name_f] and Nedās aunt through marriage, being the wife of their momās brother. Petty is a trait Stacieās possessed from a very young age, spurred on by her capacity to hold a grudges and need to always have the last word. She and her sister fought incessantly, usually spurred on by the fact [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] enjoyed getting her into trouble the moment such a possibility became semi-apparent, and even now donāt have a very good relationship, thanks to how [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] still enjoys being hyper critical. While her husband thinks sheās merely ātoo honest for her own goodā - praising how sheāll always speak up - heās ignorant to the side of [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] that just enjoys feeling superior, mostly because sheās careful to conceal it.
It stems from how [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] always felt her sister was praised more than her growing up, on account of being a successful dancer, who won numerous regional competitions. While their parents tried to be fair in praising their daughters, the more overt accomplishments of their eldest meant she got the more conventional congratulations, something [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] never forgot or quite got over. Sheās not passive aggressive around everyone she meets, instead saving it for people she knows will have a reason to read into her comments, and Margieās mistake [which was a normal childish reaction by anyone elseās standards] was the exact opening [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] needed to start up her vindictive behaviour once more.
Jealousy is her motive, albeit a little different from how sheād lament over her sisters successes. The way her husband is with his niece and nephew - sharing private in jokes, wanting to hear everything going on in their lives, offering them advice and answering questions they feel awkward giving to their parents with - gets at her inferiority complex once more, and in truth, itās likely she was always going to end up being spiteful towards them. [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] initially thought she wouldnāt have to contest with this as thereās no stepchildren for either of them, however the second [name_m]Ned[/name_m] and [name_f]Margie[/name_f] were mentioned, she noticed the absolute joy on her husbandās faceā¦and the green eyed monster reared itās head again.
Margieās mom has started to notice the tension between her sister-in-law and daughter, which has made [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] tone down her behaviour somewhat as she knows a confrontation will make her look awful, as thereās no justification for her behaviour - and public shaming is the one thing she canāt face.
4 Likes
[name_u]Wesley[/name_u] [name_m]Stefon[/name_m] Elweiss [52] is Stacieās husband and brother to [name_f]Margie[/name_f] and Nedās mother. He may not be aware of his wifeās jealousy issues but he certainly is of some of their shared problems. Their marriage is fairly contentious and many nights in their home are spent sitting on opposite sides of the living room or dining room with them each on their phones and their own glasses of wine while they attempt to ignore one another to safe themselves from a new fight.
After the awkward blame game they played about the whole āyour dogā situation that set [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] off on the wrong foot with his family, [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] was sure he could fix thing with a big, dramatic gesture like the ones heād admired from his own parents. So he went out and bought a puppy to surprise her. Of course the little furball chewed up her shoes and peed on their bed, so it was soon rehomed with a family member. Since then been fairly uncomfortable in the home any time [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] brings up any ideas he might have. So he tends to keep them to himself now.
He spends a good amount of time in his shed out in the backyard putting together little carpentry projects, trinket boxes, napkin rings, and the sort of little knickknacks like that. With some of his friends he makes jokes about how itās the only thing keeping him sane, though some days he really feels like he means it.
4 Likes
[name_m]Fernando[/name_m] [name_m]Paulo[/name_m] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m] (56) is Wesleyās best friend and one of his confidants about the situation regarding Wesleyās relatives. The main worry [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] has is fears [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] may envy him since he has a much better family life. Ironically [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] doesnāt feel this envy but [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] does, especially at her sister. [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is in a good place with his family, he and his wife are still married and have a brave and charismatic 30-year-old daughter [name_f]Aracely[/name_f]. [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] is a prison psychologist and a very strong and smart individual. [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is [name_m]Black[/name_m] and Dominican, with some Jamaican in him as well. His wife has some Puerto Rican in her heritage. [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is a hairdresser and loves perfecting peopleās styles.
[name_u]Wesley[/name_u] has joked with [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] about these hobbies keeping him sane, but [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is starting to see through and worry if [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] is truly okay. [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] isnāt the type to follow the āothers have it worseā mentality and finds it more toxic than helpful, especially when the people saying this donāt do anything to help said people who āhave it worseā. Heās decided to help [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] with these problems and worries he has with his family, but heās somewhat worried about [name_f]Stacie[/name_f]. [name_u]Will[/name_u] she be as willing to accept help? Does she want to change for the better?
With the help of his daughter [name_f]Aracely[/name_f], [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] has managed to find [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] some psychology and has gotten [name_u]Wesley[/name_u] and [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] into couplesā counsel. The issues of [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] stemmed from jealousy of her sister and how this has affected her attitude for the worst. Stacieās pettiness didnāt disappear overnight but it did set her emotions straight about how she perceived her sister. [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is only friendly acquaintances with the couplesā counsellor but heās seeing progress, especially with [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] having more understanding and willpower. As for Stacieās sister, [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] is also friendly acquaintances with her, but heās tried (for the sake of his friendship with Wesley) to not take sides on debates the sisters have had, since [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] feels doing so will only fuel the fire. Admittedly [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] does feel bad for her that she hasnāt had the best sibling life growing up with [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] but [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] hopes itās not too late to at least try to change.
Aracely was created by @wandering_willow.
4 Likes
[name_u]Alijah[/name_u] [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m] [29], [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] [name_f]Monique[/name_f] Domingues-Rowe [29], and [name_f]Estrella[/name_f] [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m] [ub] are the nephew of [name_m]Fernando[/name_m] and his growing family. [name_m]Born[/name_m] to Fernandoās brother who shared the same family values as he did, [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] was always pretty close to his uncleās family. Growing up alongside [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] heās always been a cheerleader for her career and considers her just as close a family member as his other siblings. It was through her that he met [name_u]Paisley[/name_u]. She was employed as a nurse at the prison that [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] works at and they often crossed paths during patient transfers, eventually bonding over being some of the few women employed there. At Aracelyās birthday party a few years ago she introduced her cousin to her friend, thinking they would hit it off and was proven correct when the pair was engaged about a year later.
At the wedding she cracked a joke during her speech that the couple should name their first child after her. The happy couple replied āYou got it!ā and everybody laughed, though nobody seriously expected that [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] and [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] would make good on their promise. But they proved to keep their word when they announced that they were expecting a baby girl, as well as their daughter-to-beās name in the same social media upload of an image of an embroidered baby blanket bearing the name ā [name_f]Estrella[/name_f] [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m]. ā
The couple has been very busy prepping for their babyās arrival, due in just about two months. Things had to drastically change when they found out they were expecting, including a bit of a role swap. [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] used to be the breadwinner of the household as [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] was working on his masterās degree in a subfield of engineering, but when [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] boss expressed concern over her working alongside inmates while pregnant. While the facility is moderate security and many of its inhabitants are those with more intense, but not extremely violent charges, it wasnāt a risk that the prisonās management was willing to take and she was placed on indefinite leave.
[name_u]Alijah[/name_u] stepped up to handle the familyās finances by returning to the workforce thanks to a friend of his having a connection to a local civil engineering firm. [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] misses her work greatly since she felt as though she was really making connections with some of the āfrequent flyersā in the infirmary. [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] has even informed her that sheās been asked by one of the inmates about where [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] has been, said inmate also asked her to pass on a congratulations to her as well when [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] said that she was on maternity leave.
Sheās unsure if she wants to return to that field of work once sheās no longer pregnant, but has been trying not to get too caught up in those anxieties so she can simply focus on enjoying the impending newborn snuggles she and [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] will be sharing with their daughter.
4 Likes
[name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] [name_u]Rio[/name_u] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m] (58) is Alijahās father, Paisleyās father-in-law, Estrellaās grandfather-to-be, Aracelyās uncle, and Fernandoās brother. He is grafeful [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] and his cousin [name_f]Aracely[/name_f] are super close and he believes [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] is a wonderful woman for [name_u]Alijah[/name_u]. Like [name_m]Fernando[/name_m], [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] has been close with his family and shares the same values. While both brothers have grown up, married, and had children, theyāre actually closer to one another, not farther. Itās been made evident by [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] and Aracelyās bond and having Aracelyās name as an honour middle name for [name_f]Estrella[/name_f]. [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] is excited to be a grandfather and he promises to give the best bond ever to [name_f]Estrella[/name_f]. [name_f]Estrella[/name_f] is planned to have a hospital birth and [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] is glad [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] is getting the best pre-natal care.
[name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] is a family therapist who specializes in dysfunctional family relationships. He has a lot of experience with families like Stacieās, and he provides her with valuable insight that helps to heal the damage and repair the relationship. He is a close friend of Stacieās sister, and he talks openly in a serious manner with her. Alongside his younger brother [name_m]Fernando[/name_m], he is a gentle and calm person, and his advice brings clarity by breaking down the issues and showing them that kindness is always possible. Between the two of them, they help [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] and her sister to try and mend their relationship and create a new start. [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] has encouraged [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] to change for the better rather than expect the relationship to change for her. Itās not easy, especially on Stacieās side but the brothers are determined to help the sisters. While Estrellaās soon-to-be birth is a direct example of a new beginning, [name_f]Stacie[/name_f] and her sisterās relationship can be a new beginning as well.
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[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] ā [name_f]Ella[/name_f] ā [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m], nee [name_m]Preston[/name_m] (58) is Alfredoās wife, Alijahās mother, Paiselyās mother-in-law and Estrellaās grandmother to be. Ellaās what she calls āproudly unexceptionalā: working as a pottery teacher, she spent her former years running community art projects, usually with those overcoming mental health struggles. Sheās very content to live a quiet, unassuming life, happiest around her loved oneās, whose nature is similarly mild like her husbands. Thanks to her job, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] can have a more authoritative side to her when compared to [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m], but heās never affronted by this, and their core values are identical.
Like her daughter-in-law, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] didnāt grow up in the most stable of environments. Her parents marriage was essentially one of necessity for keeping up appearances: her fatherās true love was his work, while her mother had a lover who [name_f]Ella[/name_f] actually met on several occasions. She was their only child, something [name_f]Ella[/name_f] argues was for the best, as while she would have loved a companion in the form of a sibling, she knows such an awkward environment wouldnāt be healthy. Ellaās father is still alive and she visits him, although she was careful when introducing him to her children, as she didnāt want too much of the past effecting their futureās.
[name_f]Estrella[/name_f] will be [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and Alfredoās second grandchild, although the excitement is just as palpable as when their grandson was born: to their daughter and her husband (who uses he/xe pronouns). It wasnāt a surprise that [name_f]Ella[/name_f] chose to have more than one child herself, especially as she loves to see how meaningful the bond between her husband and his brother is. Learning that her granddaughter will share part of her name was something that moved [name_f]Ella[/name_f] to tears, although sheās insistent that they donāt need to share a nickname: not just to avoid confusion, but so her granddaughterās identity is firmly her own.
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[name_m]Selasi[/name_m] [name_m]Asqar[/name_m] Yeboah-Dominguez (30) is the son-in-law of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m] and a proud father of one, although heād love his son to have another sibling or two. [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] is actually biracial himself, coming from Ghanian and Kazakh roots and heās really close with fellow multiracials to discuss their stories. He loves doing pottery, something he learned from [name_f]Ella[/name_f], and this is how he first became acquainted with Ellaās daughter, his now-wife.
Being a writer for a local news station, [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] is very factual but also focuses on making sure people can feel like they can share a story. Unlike the [name_m]Dominguez[/name_m] family, the Yeboah parents wasnāt quite impressed with Selasiās wife at first. Before they married, they didnāt vehemently hate her per sĆ©, but they were skeptical about [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] marrying her because she wasnāt the type that their children usually dated. Also, Selasiās older brother found a woman they considered āthe perfect matchā for him and always gloated about her. Things totally changed once the couples actually got hitched - Selasiās wife gets along with them and they really respect her and the coupleās son while Selasiās sister-in-law always argues and causes tension with the parents now. So first impressions really arenāt everything.
[name_m]Selasi[/name_m] loves being a father! He and his wife always make the best moments with their son and their son is adorably sweet to them. Theyāve kept a good parenting style raising their son together and itās made their relationship more meaningful given they both really wanted kids. Selasiās brother and his wife donāt have children but [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] feels itās for the best and one of the few things they do agree on. Selasiās excited to see [name_u]Alijah[/name_u] and Paisleyās new daughter [name_f]Estrella[/name_f] when sheās born. His son is pumped for a new cousin as well. At first the little boy was hoping his cousin would be male but was happy it was female when he heard her amazing name. And he still doesnāt know the best part - itās honour names! [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] and his wife love seeing how sweet people in their family can beā¦but always make quality time for each other as well.
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[name_m]Kojo[/name_m] [name_m]Isidro[/name_m] Yeboah-Dominguez (3) is [name_m]Selasi[/name_m] and his wifeās son, being the elder grandchild of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and [name_m]Alfredo[/name_m]. The absolute apple of his parents eyes, Kojoās relationship with them only further improved relations between Kojoās mother and his paternal grandparents, finally healing the rift between them as she recognised they genuinely appreciated and respected how devoted to her son she always is. [name_m]Kojo[/name_m] does think his parents are āgross and mushyā - as he loves telling his nana and grampy (Ella and Alfredo) - but they find it very charming.
What [name_m]Kojo[/name_m] does approve of is bravery. He absolutely adores superheroes, knights and firefighters, constantly talking about these things, as well as instances of when he thinks his family members embody these values. At the moment heās constantly reminding his Aunt Paisely how brave he thinks she is, as all he knows about childbirth is that it hurts, and if she can endure that, sheās very courageous in his book! Kojoās also made it clear heās going to teach [name_f]Estrella[/name_f] how act as a superhero when sheās old enough to become his sidekick, although heās yet to decide on a codename for himself so he isnāt too phased by the wait.
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Rita Viola Yeboah-Dominguez (30) is Kojoās mother, Selasiās wife, and Ella and Alfredoās daughter. Sheās close with her brother Alijah and his wife Paisley and canāt wait to know their little one Estrella. She isnāt as close with her brother-in-lawās wife, the woman who kept causing feuds with her husbandās family, and isnāt sure what to think of her. Rita feels bad for Selasiās brother though because she does think heās a good man despite the snooty nature of his wife. She often felt an obnoxious comparison to her before she married Selasi because Selasiās parents loved the other woman so much but were unsure if Rita was right for Selasi. Rita was never very good with first impressions to begin with but also had a knack for proving people wrong, so she wasnāt worried about Selasiās parents initially doubting her as a wife for him. As for Kojo, she absolutely adores him, always giving him so much care and respect as a parent, a main reason why they grew to love Rita, since they had a lot of the same caring values with their own children. Rita has always been so encouraging to Kojo about his heroic dreams and sheās always so kind to her side and Selasiās side of the families.
Rita knows a big red flag her in-laws saw about her and thatās the fact she was actually unemployed when they first met. She was going through applying for jobs, which was hard for her given her difficulties making first impressions. Rita actually just got out of a career she hated after having an intimidating and rude supervisor whom she felt made the job impossible to work for. After realising she wanted to make use of her biology major rather than apply for jobs she wasnāt suited for, she sought higher education and went to medical school to be a surgeon, which she still does while juggling a few part-time jobs. She knows the part-time job juggling may look āunprofessionalā to some people but sheās really proven to Selasiās parents that she is worth it, something she cares about deeply and she doesnāt care about other critics because she isnāt keeping them in her life. Sometimes Selasiās parents have even gloated that Rita is a surgeon and Rita has kindly corrected that sheās a surgeon in-training but deep down, sheās flattered that they think highly of her now. Sheās overheard from Ada, a friend of Selasiās cousin, that this chick named Hope has been telling people her surgeon-in-training boyfriend RaphaĆ«l is a āsurgeonā too. This makes Rita laugh about the whole thing although she low-key wishes Hope wouldnāt confuse her 4 siblings when she talks about him. However Rita knows she too has definitely confused people before in the past, as her brother Alijah has joked with her about, and Rita knows sheās always going to have a heart of gold, even with her awkward first impressions.
Ada was created by @kitkatcookie.
Hope was created by @lilac_elixirxx.
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[name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] McDonell (31) is also a surgeon-in-training and is the oldest surgeon-in-training as she started her course late, after being put off by her family telling her to pursue other career options as they didnāt think she was smart enough to be a surgeon. [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] soon proved them wrong and has cut off her parents and grandparents but still remains to be there for her two younger siblings who have also been underestimated by their parents and have not reached their full potential. [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] believes that if they stay in that environment that their academic potential will only be stunted even further and has decided that as soon as she gets a stable career that she will try and gain custody of them because they are both under 18 (they are 14 and 16) and even when they turn 18 they will still be really financially insecure. [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] loves rock-climbing and public-speaking. [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] has spoke at lots of different events about racism and the difficulties of being dual-heritage.
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Warning for unsupportive parents.
[name_m]Frosti[/name_m] [name_m]Becket[/name_m] McDonell (14) is Topazās brother and the youngest family member. His parents treat him, as [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] stated, like āhalf his ageā. He doesnāt like being the youngest and knowing he has more time with them than the 16-year-old. He also has some internal insecurities that he is behind in puberty compared to his peers so he feels like a young kid when he wants to be seen as a teenager whoās becoming an adult in 4 years. Heās still exceptionally close with the middle child because theyāre both in the same boat for now and are both close with [name_f]Topaz[/name_f]. [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] doesnāt like the feeling of relying on people especially when he doesnāt know when or how he will give back. It makes him feel indebted, as if he owes something. [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] hasnāt discussed what his adult career plans are in fear, but supports Topazās path. He also supports [name_f]Rita[/name_f] and the other surgeons-in-training.
[name_m]Frosti[/name_m] doesnāt care for his parents but supports his dual heritage in the [name_m]Black[/name_m] community. He is one of the nicest students in his school, making sure nobody feels alone and accepting everybody. His friends are people he befriended himself and didnāt want them to feel lonely. Plus, theyāve given back to him as well. From his upbringing, [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] hates the idea of being āunderā people, since it gives an uneven bond, but heās not rebellious per sĆ©. He just happens to be more respectful and kind to those who will give him the same respect. This is why he enjoys [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] but also why he refuses to parentify her. The middle child has a similar mindset to [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] but isnāt the same as him in every way, but [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] loves both his siblings equally. [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] enjoys drawing pictures of him with his siblings and the three have a shared music playlist of songs they all love.
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[name_u]Tempest[/name_u] [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] McDonell (16) is Topazās younger sister and Frostiās older sister. [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] is really mature for her age and ever since [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] left home when she was [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] was 8 and [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] was 23, [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] took it upon herself to look after [name_m]Frosti[/name_m]. [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] gets annoyed by this sometimes because he is 14 and doesnāt want to be seen as a baby and has told [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] about this.
[name_u]Tempest[/name_u] has always loved her name but in 8th grade when they started to learn about [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] she realized there was a play with the same name as her! She fell in love with the play and all of Shakespeareās work and continues to study it in her spare time and would love to focus on it in college. [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] hasnāt told [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] or [name_m]Frosti[/name_m] this yet, but she wants to move to [name_u]Scotland[/name_u] for college. After watching All the boys Iāve loved before when she was 14 and reading it when she was 12, she loved the rational, level-headed character of [name_f]Margot[/name_f] and thought she was lots like [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] and she wants to follow in her path by going to the UK for college. [name_u]Tempest[/name_u] loves ballet and competitive dancing and her team of dancers has got her through lots of things.
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