Callum Ratcliffe

## Intro

Callum is one of Pip’s closest friends, as well as Emery’s boyfriend. He was born in June 1999.

## History

Callum met Pip when they played rugby together, as they are in different forms at school (Callum is in a lower stream than Pip). They became friends, and it’s because of this friendship that Pip embraced his sexuality.

They “dated” when they were 15, which was nothing much more than hanging out with each other all the time, hugging and kissing a bit.

Callum plays the guitar, and always wanted to be in a band. His favourite band is Metallica, but he enjoys a wide variety of music, from classic rock to fuck and jazz. It’s one of the things which surprises everyone about him, and when people see him as a one-dimensional laddish type, Emery becomes infuriated.

He met Emery when he went to visit Corvus Christie in January 2015. As they were playing rugby against the other school, he and Pip decided to check out the school with the possibility of moving there to do their A levels. Callum went to check out the music department and saw Emery playing the violin, and a surprising friendship developed.

Callum always identified as pansexual, but after meeting Emery (who is asexual) he began to wonder if he was maybe just panromantic. He doesn’t really understand all the labels, he has always just really enjoyed hugging people he likes. He’s totally devoted to Emery now, though, and wouldn’t dream of kissing anyone else.

A perfect weekend for Callum is to go on a long hike somewhere, preferably with water and trees, with some sandwiches in his rucksack, He used to do this alone, but now he and Emery go out every weekend together, usually to somewhere they can have a pub lunch afterwards.

He had no ambitions to go to university, choosing instead of A levels to do an apprenticeship, in a wood shop owned by his dad’s friend. This involves one day a week in school doing an AS level in “Design Technology”. On this day, he spends most of his time annoying Pip in the sixth form common room, usually using the kitchen to bake for everyone. He never gets the AS level, but he becomes successful in his chosen field of making and fitting custom built furniture.

He is the quintessential “good bloke”, has a heart of gold, and everyone who meets him instantly falls in love with him.

## Important events in Incomplete

We first see Callum, albeit briefly, in volume 1, when Pip mentions asking his advice about his fantasies about Matt.

The first time we meet him properly is in Volume 1, chapter 6, when he and Emery pick up Pip and take him to the hospital to meet Matt for a night out at the pub. He drives them all, picks up flowers for Pip to give the nurses, and has a brilliant time, He has no idea about Emery’s angry outburst at Pip until later.

Callum returns in Volume 3, chapter 18, in a flashback to January 2015. He asks Pip if he’s okay, and they chat about possibly attending the school.

He returns in the same volume, in chapter 19, when he attends the charity rugby match working on the bar and challenging everyone to arm wrestle him. We see him again in chapter 24, sitting in Emery’s university room in Liverpool.

## Influences/references

Callum is a miss-mash of personality, including a lot of people Chloe knows in real life, as well as Bokuto Koutarou from Haikyuu.

His surname is taken from a close friend of Ian and Chloe’s, who believed Callum’s appearance might be based on him a little bit. He does actually look a bit like this friend, but the likeness was accidental. As the comic went on, however, Chloe made him look more like this friend, and named Callum after him.