Trigger Warning: A large part of this story involves mental health, suicide is mentioned in a couple chapter, and quite a few secrets ended up involving murder. I did my best to avoid anything too graphic or actively upsetting, but it's best to proceed with caution if anything like that upsets you.

Individual chapters will have their own trigger warnings. I added them as I posted (before I posted this general one) and decided to keep them up.

I don't know if this is overkill or not, but better safe than sorry, you know?

To whom it may concern,

As you have been informed, there has been a slight disruption in processing the will of one Albert Ainsworth. We have received you messages on the matter, and would wish to remind you that we acted with the upmost hast to clear up any issues.

This contact is to information that all documents are in order. Your presence has been requested at 21 Teesdale Road on the date of January 2nd, 2021. Please response, promptly.

With best wishes:
Valamir Alinsky, Esquire

RUNS IN THE FAMILY

THE AINSWORTHS WERE A FAMILY OF PRODIGIES. It started when Albert Ainsworth crawled his way out of obscurity, armed with a break out novel by the name of The Maywood. With this money, Ainsworth opened his arms to as many orphans he could find. Gathering six of them, he nurtured their dreams, raising them for their truest potential.

Years later, and they had done just that. Spread across the country — and even the world — Ainsworth had become a house hold name for thousands of things.

Then, one day, Ainsworth died by something as simple as a heart attack. A unfortunately uninteresting death for someone with as strange a life as Albert Ainsworth. All he left behind was 21 Teesdale Road, a will, and a lawyer by the name of Valamir Alinsky.

Along with their slice of fortune came a gift. After a blizzard and power outage turned their visit into a sleep over, the family awakes to everything the same and nothing quite right.

Snowed in and cut off from the world, the Ainsworth family find something lurking along the halls of 21 Teesdale Road and the secrets of the Maywood far more real than one might have assumed.

Because the Maywood needs a replacement, and here they find many.

RULES

I — Applying

The application process is pretty simple. Go to the spot where you're told to apply, then comment with your character's name. Under that, reply with your form. This keeps it organized and allows people to easily find your characters.

I will be choosing six applications. It will be due January 1st, 2022. To celebrate the new year (and also because that's when a month after this is posted happened to land.) You may apply as many times as you want, but keep in mind I might not accept all of them.

II — The Family

Obviously, as you can tell, all of these characters are related. They're also adopted, however, a choice I made because it allowed for people to make their characters without having to worry about coordinating everything perfectly. It allows for more diversity, and even some influence of their past family.

Keeping this in mind, I may edit things to make chosen characters connected better. Like if I get five characters saying they're the "baby" of the family or the "favorite" or the "black sheep", obviously that wouldn't actually work. I'm going to have to edit that.

III — Secrets

For those who don't know, this fic is inspired by a past fic with a similar secret connected gifts idea. I realized the issue was that I made the gifts with an idea in mind, and people sort of had to build an idea out of that without really knowing.

So, instead, I will have you DM me your character's secret. Then I will chose a gift inspired by that.

I'm not going to say what the secret is, but it has to be something they really don't want people to know. Something they feel will ruin their life. Please don't make it just "they sometimes don't hold the door for people." I get wanting to have a soft baby character, but that doesn't work for this story.

IV — Details

Please try to be as detailed as possible! I know some of the stuff is optional, but really, having that detail will make me a lot more likely to chose your character. It makes it easier to write the character. You know, you know.

The password is to include a smiley face in your form. :) Which ever one you want.

V — Diversity

As I mentioned above, diversity is 100% appreciated! Yes, even physical, since they're adopted they don't all have to look the same. However the most important one is unique talents, personalities, and secrets, since that is what your character will really stand out on.

FORM

* means optional

FULL NAME —
(Last name will probably be Ainsworth, unless they kept their birth name or changed it later on)

*PREFERRED NAME —

NICKNAMES —

AGE —
(I'd say about 20 — 30)

AGE WHEN ADOPTED —

GENDER & PRONOUNS —

FACECLAIM & BACK-UP —
(No age range, but at least make them look like the proper age. Gifs aren't needed, and you can include extra info if there is a specific way you want them to look)

*ZODIAC SIGN —
(As detailed or basic as you want)

PERSONALITY —
(BE DETAIL!)

*MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE —

TALENT —
(Very important, these are natural skills, not superpowers. So you have things like athletics, or music or art or rock collecting. Anything that fascinates your character, Albert would have supported them in it)

INTERESTS —

PET PEEVES —

FEARS & INSECURITIES —

*FAMILY —
(This is for things like any past family they still interact with, or if they married or had kids after they moved out. We already know they're related to the other siblings)

CURRENT RESIDENCE —
(This can be anywhere around the world, honestly, since the family spread out when they went on to follow their dreams)

SECRET —
(DM me, duh)

AESTHETICS —

QUOTES —

PASSWORD —

*TAGS —
(You don't have to, it'd just be nice to spread it around if you could)

~ APPLY HERE ~