Biography
Life started in DC. That's not to say there wasn't life before it, but it wasn't a life Charles Coupland identified with, nor was it one of his choosing.

He always wanted the romantic story, the one where boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl falls for boy, boy and girl get married and have babies, and live happily ever after. He always wanted to be able to say his parents were the epitome of epic and storied and that he and his sister were that union's result and nothing could come between their reciprocal joy. Sure, with his parents, he got as far as the boy and girl get married and have babies part, but the joy part wasn't so much an aspect of their every day life because when Charlie was seven, and his sister three, his mother morphed into an Italian Rose Kennedy and found Jesus, deciding that she wasn't having anymore kids and was thereby not having any more sex. To make up for that, Charlie’s very Irish father decided to make Clontarf Single Malt (among other pretty Irish dames) his mistress. The tragedy of Camelot played out in Charlie’s home and the family they had been for a handful of years didn't survive.

He was sure what he remembered about the beginning was the stuff of rose-colored glasses. He was sure that whiskey wasn't something new and that Jesus was an easy way out. His father was always a hard-ass and his mother was always soft and that only meshed through gestation and the momentous birth of a son, and four years later, a daughter. The years could have been good. They could have been great right up until the day Charlie turned seventeen and got caught with his hands down Jake Stein's pants (sweet Jesus, double whammy). There was no genetic explanation when his father tried to beat the gay out of him and his mother called the priest to exorcise the homosexual demon. He’d been so good at hiding that part of him and one slip... one slip, and the world went to hell in a handcart with the heavy smell of alcohol and incense in its wake.

Enter Washington DC. Charlie signed his life away in college loans to attend American University in the nation's capital where the world converged and he didn't have to hide any part of who he was. He studied history and public administration during his undergraduate years and found himself an intern at the Human Rights Campaign. It was his work at the HRC that focused his interest of study. He did his graduate work on the Civil Rights movement and he’s currently doing his PhD studies in the field of human rights.

Personally, Charlie was simply driven. He was consumed with research, books, and volunteer work. His friendships were built in libraries, HRC events and rallies, and in basement parties where shitty bands tuned their guitars and twenty somethings spouted their optimistic, romantic, and sometimes pretentious rhetoric. It was their answer to the Beat generation, their Revolution and it didn’t matter that outside of it, Charlie was shy, quiet, and walked with his head down. It was shitty beer and even shittier food, but their faith in their abilities to change the world was infinite. They were the best and brightest, ready to lead the majority towards mass reprogramming to change generations and generations of bigoted upbringing and religious fallacy that was keeping the nation from being a truly free society.

Enter Geoffrey. Geoffrey was a whirlwind of a creature, fun and funny, but as driven as Charlie. It took Charlie almost a year to finally give in to dating Geoffrey, but once he did, the two became inseparable. They supported each other through their rigorous years of school and made all of the big plans for marriage and family. Geoffrey had an uncanny ability to draw Charlie out of himself. He got Charlie talking, arguing, singing, and even dancing. He drew Charlie into love and it was that love that kept them together for five years and had him following Geoffrey north all the way to Maine. Geoffrey's family needed him and so did Charlie. It was in Farmington that Charlie found his work with the university both in teaching and chasing his doctorate.

Things ended in Maine. Charlie spent most of his time studying and working and Geoffrey spent his with his family and their business. They didn’t fight much in those end days and mostly just resigned themselves to it being over. It wasn’t amicable, but it wasn’t heated either. It just was and Charlie pulled back into himself and buried himself further in his work.
It was through his work that Charlie met Jake, a student with a story that pulled Charlie in. Despite Charlie’s ethics and Jake’s motorcycle club, the two formed a friendship that became much more. They’ve had a tumultuous few months, but have left Maine behind in favor of Washington, DC, Charlie’s home.

PERSONALITY
Charlie is the quintessential shy guy, socially awkward, bookish, and quiet. He’s confident in the classroom, with the material he knows and with the students he teaches. He loves his work, is dedicated to his studies, and he desperately wants to make a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s in the classroom or on a broader scale. He’d considered politics once upon a time, but in the middle of the nation’s capital realized he didn’t have the stomach for it. When he’s comfortable with people, he has the ability to talk and laugh. He’s oddly trusting, always faithful, and really just wants to be challenged and engaged.