Post by Lori on Jul 3, 2017 23:28:17 GMT
Full Name
Chelsea Lydia Collins
Nicknames
Chel or Chels are the most popular and obvious ones. Maybe someone could get away with calling her CC because of her initials. She will obviously answer to Anna while in costume, although she wouldn't be entirely insulted if someone called her that anyway!
Age/Birthday
26/June 1
Zodiac
Gemini
Job
Chelsea's primary job is the algebra teacher at Salem High It's essentially a class that not all students 'need' but is recommended, particularly before the core math subjects become more difficult. She also fills in as a substitute Spanish teacher - of course her idea of filling in typically means showing a cartoon translated into Spanish. During the summer, Chelsea dresses up as Anna to entertain for kids' parties. Not only does she genuinely love that job, but it also brings in extra money when she's not at school.
School/Class
Chelsea is a new teacher at Salem High, this being her second year as a sub but her first as a full time math teacher.
Subject/Age Group
The majority of Chelsea's algebra students are sophomores, although she does get freshmen and occasionally a few juniors as well. Depending on the class sizes and how many people sign up - be it by suggestion or their own accord - Chelsea typically teaches two or three classes a day. When she subs, Chelsea is willing to cover for any of the classes.
Friends
Amber Rocks is Chelsea's best friend ever. Her foster son Quincey is in one of Chelsea's classes and the two women have sat through multiple PTA meetings in Chelsea's first full year at Salem High alone. The two of them hit it off right form the start. Chelsea feels completely comfortable around Amber, whether it's helping each other through the difficult times or hanging out having a girl's night. There's even a chance that Amber will join Chelsea at birthday parties as Elsa which she would absolutely love, whether it's for a few times or every time - though preferably the latter! She does not always feel the need to be fake happy around Amber as she does so many other people. Honestly, the connection Chelsea has with Amber is the kind she so desperately wants and would love to eventually have a partner just like Amber. But in the meantime, she is just proud and actually happy to call Amber her BFF!
Wren Irosi is a coworker at Salem High and has been so good to Chelsea easing her into the position of a full time teacher and being such a supportive mentor. Though he doesn't know the extent of what Chelsea has been through, he knows she has a lot on her plate. He also recently found out she pulls off a great Anna. His daughter Jack loves Frozen so Chelsea is exactly what he needs - an excuse to hear more of the music over and over again! Really though, Chelsea has no idea what she would have done at the high school without Wren around. The very least she could do is come over as Anna whenever he asks. It's not even close to a bad thing!
Enemies
TBD
Interested In
Connections. After last year which felt like hell, Chelsea is most concerned with having an actual connection with someone. She won't decide to date someone because they're cute or she has anything in common with them. Because of her desiring such a strong emotional connection and for someone to understand her, both mentally and as a person, she identifies as demi.
Relationship Status
Single. After everything that's happened the past year Chelsea doesn't feel as though she has the time, care or energy to put into a relationship. Only after she establishes a connection will she consider the possibility. Currently, simply having that initial bond with someone is something she desperately desires more than any physical partnership.
Body
Chelsea likes to think that she has a healthy body in general, though she personally thinks her butt is a little big. She feels like she's pretty tall for a woman, standing at about 5'9. Typically she'll describe her body as an Anna body - how else would she be able to pull off the character if she doesn't look like her?
Eye Color
Blue-green
Hair
Chelsea is a natural redhead. Last year she dyed it to look more blond, wanting a change she could actually control. She may decide to re-dye it again, though it would only be during the school year. Her hair is naturally thin, which Chelsea hates. She prefers it after it's been washed when it appears more voluminous or after it's been in braids for a day. Most days she will leave her hair down and attempt to add some volume to it, reserving braids only when it's time to dress as Anna.
Style
She describes her clothing style as vibrant. Chelsea has a tendency to gravitate towards brighter colors although she does keep a few black or grey articles of clothing around as they go with anything. She had always preferred bright colors but has been hoping more often now that if she wears loud colors it will make her feel as happy as she looks. As to what she wears Chelsea does not have a preference. Tank tops, skirts, scarves, sweaters, leggings - she will wear whatever she'll feel comfortable in for the day. The only thing that Chelsea will try to avoid as much as possible are heels. She has a difficult time walking in anything with more than a couple of inches. When it comes to makeup she prefers to keep it simple. She'll put on the basics - foundation or blush, a little lip gloss - and only put more effort in when she feels it necessary.
Ethnicity
Irish American
Playby
Elizabeth Lail
Positives
Sensitive; Dedicated; Loyal; Accepting; Caring
Negatives
Fake happy; Disorganized; Scatterbrained; Forgetful; Sensitive; Closeted; Self-critical
Likes
Kids' shows; Halloween (she loves dressing up); Minions; Popsicles; Her summer job; Lilo and Stitch; Pie; Disney Jr; Waffles; Languages; Happy Meal toys; Inside Out; Breakfast for dinner
Dislikes
Coffee; Letting people down; Jewelry (especially anything flashy); Steak; Coconuts; Water/swimming; Wasps; Thin hair; Vegetables; Cooking; Smell of gas; Parenting (not that she doesn't love her nephew but she wasn't planning on raising a teen in her twenty's!)
Health Issues
She has not been to a doctor to confirm this but there is a possibility of her suffering from depression. She doesn't have the motivation to always keep her apartment clean nor does she put much effort into preparing meals. She gets out of bed and goes out specifically for work or to buy the essentials, though some days are better than others. Chelsea is not genuinely happy at this point in her life despite her pretending to be around others. She knows she's not happy and is unsure what, if anything, can be done to completely remedy that.
Family
Parents - Sebastian Carter Collins and Ursula Iris Collins, Deceased - Chelsea did not have the time with her parents that most children do, partially because they had her when they were older. Sebastian passed away from a heart attack when Chelsea was young, leaving her only with Ursula and her older brother. Prior to Sebastian's death, Ursula worked as a paramedic. Due to her unpredictable hours she felt as though she could not do everything for Chelsea on her own. She relied a lot on Reese as a result. A few years after Ursula took an opening as a nurse at the hospital, allowing her to be slightly more available to her family. Unfortunately that did not last too long. She was not remembering all too well; it was little things at first, things that didn't seem to be such a big deal. When Chelsea started high school, however, it was confirmed that Ursula was suffering from dementia. She moved into a nursing home and remained there until her passing. Between her memory loss and her at times sporadic hours, the bond that Ursula had with her daughter was about as strong as it was between Chelsea and Sebastian.
Brother - Sebastian Reese Collins, Deceased - Named after his father, Reese always went by his middle name. He was in high school when Chelsea was born and the best brother she could have ever asked for. He stepped up and put in a lot of extra effort after Sebastian passed away, going above and beyond what was expected of him. Reese and Chelsea were always very close, doing everything they could together. He would sit through Nick Jr or Disney Jr with her, take her to the park or to pick up food; Reese might as well have been Chelsea's father instead of her brother. Chelsea even moved in with him and his then-fiancé Mayweather after Ursula was diagnosed with dementia. Although Reese couldn't have kids of his own, he and Mayweather were very active in fostering, which they began after they got married. Most of the children they fostered were young and didn't stay long. Chelsea would help watch them and babysat while she could, which particularly served as a nice distraction after losing Ursula. Eventually, Reese and Mayweather took in a teen named Shane; he was a bit of a troublemaker and very much kept to himself. If the couple didn't step in and adopt him when they did, he more than likely would have aged out of the system. Although Chelsea was iffy about the kid at first, she was supportive of her brother, knowing he and his wife were doing what they set out to. Unfortunately the three of them had little time together as a family. One weekend Chelsea was at their house with Shane while Reese and Mayweather went on a drive to a conference. They never made it back. Chelsea hadn't been the same since.
Nephew - Shane Deacon Collins, Student - Shane was never related to the Collins by blood; he was originally taken in by Reese and Mayweather as a foster child. Unlike a lot of the other kids they brought in, there was little to no chance of Shane reuniting with his birth family. The adoption became official when he graduated from middle school. It should have been the thing to turn him around and give him hope for the future. Unfortunately Shane had numerous bad habits. Never having anyone to consistently show him love and affection he turned to hookups. Not having a lot of support, he cared very little for school and grades. Despite Reese and Mayweather saying this was going to be forever, Shane never believed it; he turned out to be right. He was completely prepared to return to the system until Reese's will revealed that Chelsea was his new legal guardian. Shane still isn't too sure what to this of his aunt, especially knowing she's not in the best place mentally. Fortunately for Shane, Reese and Mayweather left enough money to cover him and Chelsea for a few years - including his education. Currently a student at Metric for playwriting, Shane is going to finish high school there before it's determined what comes next for him. Though he and Chelsea haven't exactly bonded, there's not much of a choice for them now except to try. Chelsea is fully aware of his past; one of the few things to get her through the difficulties of the last year was finding out how involved Shane was with another girl. Between that and moving into their new apartment, Chelsea almost wishes that more would happen with Shane to keep her distracted. Though preferably not anything illegal or questionable!
History
Chelsea came very much a surprise to her parents. A couple in their 40's and 50's, Sebastian and Ursula were sure they were done having children. Upon finding out they were expecting, they were already parents to thirteen-year-old Reese. He was a very smart and well-rounded kid; doing so well with him the parents didn't think about having any more. Chelsea changed those plans when she arrived on June 1. Reese took to being an older brother fairly quickly and had little problem with skipping after-school activities to do things for Chelsea. The siblings had a bond from the very beginning. Reese would come home after school and watch some of Chelsea's favorite cartoons. Then she would sit and watch Reese work on his own homework The first couple of years went by very smoothly.
Unfortunately they wouldn't last. Shortly before Chelsea started elementary school Sebastian suffered from a heart attack. 911 was called but he didn't make it to the hospital in time. From that point on, Reese didn't just do the typical sibling activities with Chelsea. He stepped up in his father's place, to be the figure for his sister that his father had been for him. It was especially helpful to Ursula, whose hours could very much be all over the place. Fortunately Reese never had any plans to go away to college; living at home those four years very much facilitated looking after Chelsea. Although she wasn't quite as well-rounded as her brother, Chelsea was smart in her own right. Math was one of her easiest subjects and she caught onto languages fairly easily. After she did her homework she would go online - without Reese or Ursula's permission - and look up clips from her favorite shows in other languages. Despite her father being gone and her mother not being around as much as she would have liked, Chelsea liked to think she had a pretty content childhood.
Shortly after graduating, Reese moved into a small apartment with his college sweetheart, Mayweather. The two of them got engaged shortly after. Chelsea couldn't be happier for her brother. He had a decent enough job when he graduated, he found the love of his life, they knew what they wanted to do, and he lived less than ten minutes away from her. Chelsea was over their apartment every chance she could get. Sometimes Reese would help her with her homework while other times the three of them would sit and watch a movie. Part of Chelsea wished that she could actually live there rather than just visit. But when the time came for her to start high school, she got her wish. Ursula was diagnosed with dementia. Prior to that, Chelsea didn't think anything was wrong; to her, Ursula was just tired and scatterbrained. She should have known something was up when they'd gone to the post office asking to fill up the car with gas. Although space was tight, Reese and Mayweather were happy to make room for Chelsea. Sometimes it did get hard; Reese and Mayweather had to rework their schedules around Chelsea and her schooling, plus feed a third person all the time. They put off their wedding as a result, which they insisted they were fine with. This was like their own little family, so naturally the priority was to make sure Chelsea was ok. And Chelsea was always alright so long as she had her brother there.
After graduating, Chelsea went to college in New Mexico. It was the furthest she'd ever been away from her family, but the scholarship she earned covered dorming and part of her tuition. It was very difficult to turn that down. She majored in education, focusing in math and minored in Spanish. Although Chelsea would have preferred languages in general, Spanish was the most common and every chance she had an elective she would use it on another language.Her first year there went near flawlessly. She made friends, she had a brief relationship, she got nice enough grades; everything seemed to be going her way. Sadly, when her third semester was almost completed she got a call from Reese. Ursula had passed away early that morning. Chelsea wanted to go home straight away, but she only had a couple weeks of classes left. Reese insisted she stay there to finish; they would hold off everything else until then. Although Chelsea's focus was anywhere but her life at college, let alone merely grades, she complied with her brother. She returned to Salem as soon as she got the chance and took a leave of absence from college. She had never been that close with her mother, but the passing still hit her hard. Chelsea didn't remember her father much and they had no other family. How was she supposed to react other than feeling like things were starting to fall apart? It was her first real bout with anything so devastating. She had a hard time focusing on anything and the motivation to do much was minimal. It wasn't until she took a part time job as a cashier that she found herself slowly distracted. She used the money she earned to pay Reese and Mayweather a little bit of rent and occasionally came home with fast food. Chelsea didn't want them fussing over cooking food for her when she got out late nor did she want to put in any effort herself. Though she continued to have the support of her brother, getting back on track proved to be more of a challenge than she anticipated.
Things began turning around when a little over a year later Reese and Mayweather married. Shortly after they opened the discussion of becoming foster parents. Reese had learned from a young age he wouldn't be able to have children biologically, and Mayweather never felt a strong desire to become pregnant anyway. Of course this meant things had to change; they would have to move into a small house with more space and Chelsea would have to learn to stand on her own. Together the three of them reached an agreement; after moving Chelsea could continue staying with them as long as she worked and earned her degree. The answer easily became yes; Reese had done so much for her, how could Chelsea stand in his way of starting a family? He had helped her since the day she was born and now it was her turn to help him. It wasn't long after earning their license and settling into their new home that the couple fostered their first child. When Chelsea wasn't working, she did whatever she could to help the young boy. She would help watch him and research schools online to complete her degree, but wait until he was settled in before actually signing up. The child didn't last long, returning to his biological parents after three months. Chelsea enrolled in online classes - a school a couple of hours away that accepted most of her credits from New Mexico. After a few weeks being back in school, a pair of siblings were welcomed into the Collins household. They were loud, rambunctious and one of them had a strong tendency to break things. Needless to say, Chelsea's time spent alone with the siblings didn't allow her much free time to focus on her homework. She passed the semester, but it wasn't exactly her finest work.
When she turned 24, Chelsea officially earned her Bachelor's Degree. At that point, Reese and Mayweather fostered about three other children, all of which eventually returned to a biological family member. Chelsea spent another four months as a cashier while working as an intern. She would intern at a school in the morning and then work anywhere from four to eight hours later in the day until, at times, midnight. After completing her internship, Chelsea became a teaching assistant at the school, so long as she earned her Master's Degree in the process. She left retail work behind and used the money she saved up to move into her own studio apartment. It was also around that time that Reese and Mayweather took in a teen named Shane. He had been through a few foster homes by that point and was having a difficult time building connections. It was believed for the best that he went somewhere where he would be the sole focus of the foster parents. The Collins believed it to be a match and officially adopted him a year later. While Chelsea didn't spend much one on one time with her new nephew, she was happy that her brother finally had the family he'd been wanting for so long. Shane appeared to show so much promise that his new parents were even looking to enroll him at Metric. He was (and is) a talented writer, although Chelsea felt his stories could get a bit dark at times. Overall, things seemed to be going very well.
Rather, they were for that first year. It wasn't long after Shane started his sophomore year. Mayweather had a conference a couple of hours away to attend for her job and Reese was going with her. They made the drive out that late rainy afternoon. Unfortunately, they never made it to the conference. Chelsea got a call a little after midnight that night; there had been an accident. The road had been flooding and there was another driver. It was believed that Reese was going well under the speed limit, but the other driver suffered an aneurism while on the road; apparently the guy's foot landed on the gas and stayed there as he suffered, ending in a crash. Reese was pronounced dead at the scene, his side having been hit; the doctors attempted to save Mayweather and contacted Chelsea with the news after failing. The news completely broke her.
After the funeral, Chelsea cut herself off. She stayed at her brother's house, rarely leaving the basement where she'd stayed before. She didn't eat much nor did she contact anyone. She didn't leave to get food or make any for herself. Shane fended for himself in the meantime, she supposed. To Chelsea, it didn't make a difference. There was little need or desire to do anything, including going to work. Though her boss offered a leave of absence, or a suggestion to come back when the next school year began, Chelsea quit on the spot. She couldn't be there. Not around all those people. Those happy people with their friends and grades and parents and siblings. She just couldn't take it. Despite the fact that part of her knew she had to get her life back on track and do something, Chelsea couldn't will herself to do that.
A couple of things helped her start on the right path. The first was learning of Reese's will. He and his wife saved a trust fund for Shane which would cover his schooling at Metric at least until graduating. The second was that their car was left to Chelsea, one of the few pieces of him that she knew she could hold onto for a number of years. The last thing mentioned in the will was that custody of Shane now belonged to Chelsea. The Collins refused to let him go back into the system and wanted him to stay with family. It was a huge responsibility, let alone for someone who was only ten years the kid's senior. But this was for her brother; Chelsea had little choice. Her brother was trusting her with his son now and Chelsea had to find a way to live up to it. Of course, it would have been easier had Shane not continued to be so distant. Or apparently knocked a girl up. Chelsea didn't understand at all; this was going to be his only family, why just pretend like it wasn't happening? But Shane simply wasn't interested. Nor did he likely have the emotional or mental capacity to be a parent. Chelsea had little choice but to respect his wishes, hoping that in the process the two of them could get closer.
Oddly enough, it was also the last push that she needed. Even if Shane may not have been handling the situation the ideal way, he was getting through everything. He was still going to school. He was still living his life. Why couldn't Chelsea do the same thing? It wasn't even about her anymore. She had to do this for her brother, for the sake of his son. Chelsea reluctantly went through all of Reese's and Mayweather's belongings, saving only the most important items. She sold their house, as well as her studio apartment, and moved her and Shane into their own place. Chelsea used the last bit of her own savings to get by, not wanting to touch anything Reese left her except in an emergency. She completed the last bit of classwork she needed to do before earning her Master's. She got a job at Salem High, first as a substitute Spanish teacher. Fortunately for her, that was also the last year the algebra teacher would be present. Chelsea interviewed and got the job as the new teacher, although would continue subbing Spanish as well. That only left getting through the summer, which was filled by sheer luck. Salem High held an end of the year costume party, where Chelsea attended dressed as Anna from Frozen. One of the students' younger siblings believed she really was Anna. It was one of the first times since her brother passed away that Chelsea actually felt happy, because she knew for a fact she was making someone else happy. The feeling only heightened when she went as Anna to a birthday party for the first time. It was the last thing she needed to indicate she was making the smallest amount of progress.
Some days are harder than others. There are times where the happy face Chelsea puts on is nothing but bs. She doesn't feel it's anyone's business to know what she's been through nor does she want anyone feeling sorry for her. She wants to be able to get through this difficult point in her life; go for more than one day without fighting the need to stay in bed. Maybe what she needs is help, or maybe just someone to talk to and be there for her the way her brother was. Until then, she's going to do her best to keep her focus where it needs to be and take it one day at a time. And if she fake smiles enough, maybe the day will come when she will want to stay smiling.
Random
☁Chelsea likes fruit flavored things but won't eat fruit on its own.
☁Yes, her favorite shows are meant for children under age ten. Don't judge.
☁She bawls like a baby if she watches Big Hero 6 because of how close it hits home for her.
☁She loves her summer job! If it paid more and being a teacher wasn't as time consuming, Chelsea would be content with dressing up and acting as Anna as much as possible. She considers it one of the few things that can put a smile on her face.
☁Prior to her brother's passing Chelsea relied on public transportation. She now drives what was his 2013 Hyundai, one of the things he specifically left for her. Reese had always looked out for her and with him leaving Chelsea his car and money for Shane's education it feels as though he's still looking out for her. Chelsea has every intention of driving this car as long as humanely possible.
☁At the beginning of the school year Chelsea and Shane moved into a new apartment. After cleaning out Reese and Mayweather's home Chelsea had no choice but to sell it; she had stayed there personally, moving out of her old studio apartment as a result, until everything was taken care of. Between her two jobs and keeping it as maintenance as possible Chelsea is just able to afford the two bedroom.
☁As horrible as it is, Chelsea can't help but blame the driver that killed her brother and his wife. Part of her knows he couldn't have controlled when the aneurism happened, but why did it have to be while Reese and Mayweather happened to be on the same road? She never met the guy's family for herself or even knows if he survived, but it is his fault her family's gone now. She tries not to think about it, bottling up the anger and sadness as a result. Even if it was just a heartbreaking freak accident, is it so bad she wants this person to feel the pain she does everyday and that he knows for a fact how badly he broke her heart?
☁Chelsea's favorite movie ever is Lilo and Stitch. Reese had taken her to see it when it was released in theaters, one of her favorite memories. She had since also watched it in Spanish, Italian, a few clips in Japanese and knows almost all of the words to the song Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. After everything that's happened Chelsea couldn't help but relate even more to the movie and it is one of the few things to make her genuinely happy. Scenes from Lilo and Stitch are also her go-to material for substituting Spanish classes.
Music
☁Iris - Goo Goo Dolls
☁Poker Face - Lady Gaga
☁Photograph - Ed Sheeran
☁Over You - Cassadee Pope
☁Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
☁One Step at a Time - Jordin Sparks
☁Do You Want to Build a Snowman? - Frozen
☁Say Something - A Great Big World/Christina Aguilera