Dad - [name_m]Jack[/name_m]
Mom - [name_u]Vivien[/name_u]
Older Sisters - [name_u]Courtney[/name_u] (42) and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] (40)
Husband - [name_m]Robert[/name_m] “[name_m]Rob[/name_m]”
This character is a 36 year old male with short, slightly curly brown hair and blue eyes. His has a slender body build and is nearly underweight for his height of 5’9”. He wears glasses and always wears long sleeved shirts and pants because he is embarrassed and ashamed of the self-harm scars on his wrists and thighs.
He is quiet, somber, and permanently exhausted. He believes the world is cruel and unforgiving, especially given his past, his husband’s trauma, and the abduction of his sister’s child. He has a really hard time leaving the safety of his house, much like he did as a child. Home is where he knows no harm will come to him, so that makes attending weekly therapy a monstrous battle. He is terrible at taking care of himself and has his husband or his immediate family help him with typical, mundane tasks on bad days.
On his good days, he bakes, writes poetry, takes care of his cat [name_f]Juno[/name_f], and plays his instruments. [name_f]Music[/name_f] is a major outlet for him. He plays piano, drums, guitar, trumpet, tenor saxophone, and the trombone. He is a sleeping enthusiast and loves napping, especially with his husband. He likes reading about disasters and watching crime TV.
When he was in 3rd grade, he had to go to the school nurse daily for his asthma treatment. The nurse used to lock the door, turn out the lights, and make him lay on a cot with her with his clothes off. She touched him inappropriately, and he never felt safe at school after that. He was abused from 3rd to 6th grade and doesn’t tell anyone. He starts self-harming with disposable razor blades when he’s 11, but the urges get really bad when he’s 13. He nearly bleeds out while hiding under his bed. His dad finds him and rushes him to the hospital, and this is the beginning of several attempts, in-patient treatments, and therapies.
At his core, he wants to live a ‘normal’ life one day. He feels trapped by his childhood and like he can’t escape it. He would love to be able to leave his house without getting so nervous he pukes or has a panic attack. He wants to surprise his husband at work with chocolate and a first addition copy of his favorite book. There are so many things this character would love to do and accomplish, but his anxieties about the outside world hinder him from that normalcy he craves.
Names I am considering:
[name_m]Adam[/name_m]
[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] “[name_m]Ben[/name_m]”
[name_m]Charles[/name_m] “[name_u]Charlie[/name_u]”
[name_u]Evan[/name_u]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]Peter[/name_m]
[name_m]Stephen[/name_m]
I am leaning toward [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], but I honestly don’t know yet. Any help you could give me would be wonderful!
Thank you. 