Charles Piper

> "Oh, nothing's ever as simple as just getting what you want. Nothing is free, but sometimes you just have to take what you're handed and find tiny scraps of joy in it."
>
> - Charlie giving students advice.

## General Information

Charles Piper, otherwise known as Charlie, is a Professor at Eastwood Academy. He is a 30 year old trans, gay man living with several physical and mental health conditions.

## Personality

Charlie is typically known for his warm personality. Whilst he doesn’t completely lack confidence, he has enough confidence to get through each day without as many problems as he used to. He’s known for being considerate and thinking things through, trying to find a way to include everyone. Charlie tries to avoid being optimistic or pessimistic, simply looking for realistic and logical answers instead.

He’s rather stubborn- once he’s got an idea in his head, he usually won’t let go of it. He’s incredibly determined- as a disabled person, he’s learned to fight for his rights and accommodations. Whilst he’s not intimidating, he no longer finds himself afraid to stand up for himself and push someone to their full potential.

Charlie is a very patient person, but is also incredibly honest as he sees no point in lying. He makes a point to come across as smiley and as friendly as possible, in the hope that he and his classroom could become a safe space for students. He may not be the most talkative person, but he’ll always be there if someone needs to talk. He’s good with kids of any age.

He's also known for having an interest in art, often more than happy to show students the art he does when he has the energy to or offer criticism and praise on their own art. One of Charlie's favourite things is teaching, as he believes that there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher. It doesn't matter to him if what he taught was academic or not- as long as he taught someone at least one thing that day, he'll be happy. Whilst he can no longer play his instruments, he finds some joy in at least looking at his old guitar and ukulele. On the other hand, he's known for an intense dislike of spiders, claiming that they've always freaked him out, and cigarettes and alcohol due to his health and previous experiences with them.

## Appearance

Charlie has very pale skin which bruises easily. When he has flare ups, a red butterfly rash often appears over his nose and cheeks. He is usually seen with traces of smiles on his face. He has dark almond shaped eyes which usually look very tired, and often has dark circles under his eyes. His hair is also very dark brown, short and often messy. Rashes can appear on his arms and legs when they're exposed to the sun for too long.

He dresses in typical dark academic styles, and is usually wearing joint tape or joint braces. Charlie usually uses a wheelchair, but on good days, can walk with a cane or crutch. It is rare to see him walking without a mobility aid. He's 5'9 and 130lbs, having a low weight due to his health conditions meaning he struggles to gain weight.

## Eastwood Academy Information

Charlie teaches Physical Health and Education, as well as Science. In terms of extracurriculars, he teaches Digital Media and Photgraphy and Film. Charlie does his best to make his classroom a safe, confidential space for students- anything said in his classroom stays in his classroom. He's a fairly lenient and patient teacher, though he knows when he needs to be strict or push his students. It's incredibly rare to see him lose his temper with a class.

## Backstory

Charlie was born into a rich, but abusive household. He spent his childhood being physically and verbally abused, and unknowingly developing several medical conditions. His teenage years were consumed by recklessness- drinking, smoking, self harming- as he was also abused harshly at school, where he found a group of friends who were all facing similar treatment and all acting on reckless impulses.

After collecting a ton of evidence, at 18, Charlie sued his parents for the abuse, and won the court case. He moved out, deciding to go to university and took two courses- BA (Hons) Fine Arts and BA (Hons) Healthcare and Health Science, and passed, earning his degree in Fine Art, and Healthcare and Health Science.

He considers himself lucky to have gotten his degree, as when he was 19, his health crashed big time, and he wound up being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses and disabilities. This was difficult to cope with, but he found a way to work whilst being in and out of various wards.

He stayed on another two years to study Early Years Education and Further Education.

At 22, he began working in nurseries, specifically with babies, and then moved onto work in primary schools, preferring to work with Year 5s and 6s. Eventually, a bad flare up at 24 meant he had to take a long break to recover.

During that break, he began to foster young teenagers and babies. He fostered a particular girl for a few weeks initially, however her social worker had a hard time finding a home placement for her, and so Charlie offered to adopt her as they’d bonded. Her name was Ellison Rose, though her name was shortened to Ellie. She chose to add his last name onto hers. He adopted her at 27, when she was 12.

When Ellie was 14 and Charlie was 29, they decided to move to France. Ellie had to stay off school due to severe mental health issues, so Charlie would homeschool her, earning money from disability support, selling his art pieces and from generous donations from his older friends.

Charlie heard of Eastwood whilst visiting a cafe nearby, and encouraged Ellie to apply as a student, and after Ellie was accepted, he decided he also wanted to teach there after hearing of the school’s education.

## Health

Charlie suffers from a number of chronic and mental illnesses, including:

* Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
* Rheumatoid Arthritis.
* Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
* Dysautonomia.
* Chronic Pleural Effusion.
* Empyema.
* Endometriosis.
* Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
* Anorexia Nervosa. [Recovered.]
* Nicotine Addiction. [Recovered.]
* Alcohol Addiction. [Recovered.]

## Relationships

### Ellison Rose Gallagher-Piper - Daughter.

Ellie is Charlie's adoptive daughter. He loves her with all his heart, and would do anything to keep her safe. She means the world to him. He is often very patient with her sarcastic and pushy personality, as he understands where it comes from, though will be stricter on her if needed- though it rarely is.

## OOC Information

Charlie Piper was created by Elijah (sometimes called Pluto or Plutocry) in 2020, initially as a student in a high school roleplay. He has no faceclaim.