Post by Lori on Aug 15, 2017 19:52:05 GMT
Full Name
Harper Genevieve Phipps
Nicknames
None
Age/Birthday
20/July 2
Zodiac
Cancer
Reputation
It's not so much a reputation as it is a fact. Harper has a big mouth. Xe is not afraid to tell anyone off if they're mean or in the wrong, which either works out very well with people or not so much. Harper is basically one of the students on campus that is just there and people will either not have a problem with xer or don't go out of their way to communicate with xer.
Job
None
Class
Sophomore at Metric College
Major
Entertainment with a focus in Voice Acting
Grades
Harper is a good student. Typically xe is a B average student with a couple of C's. While not particularly the smartest kid in class, Harper is far from in danger of failing.
Friends
TBD
Enemies
TBD
Interested in
Harper is asexual. While nothing against anyone who wants to do anything, Harper personally feels that it's something that can only be shared with someone intended to be kept around for a long time and has the utmost respect for xer and xer body. Xe has not felt a physical attraction to anyone before and currently has no desire to change that.
Relationship Status
Single. Xe is not actively looking to pursue a relationship nor has the complete desire to be in one at this time. Harper feels xe needs to focus on xerself, what xe wants, xer own body and make sure xe is together completely. Harper is not a patient person, but in this case xe makes an exception.
Body
Harper has nice curves when xe wants to flaunt it, which is rare. More often than not, Harper doesn't enjoy that. Particularly when it comes to xer boobs, it feels like they get in the way too much and xe can't help but feel like xe's carrying extra weight when xe runs. Some days xe will remedy that by binding her chest, albeit loosely. Other days, for whatever reason, Harper doesn't want to be bothered and lets it be what it is. Harper stands at 5'2, only ever adding barely an inch if a shoe has a heel. Xe is unsure of xer weight at this point and doesn't really care.
Eye Color
Brown
Hair
Harper has loose dark brown curls which xe typically keeps at least down to her shoulders. Even though that does make it get in her face most times, Harper will usually leave it down rather than tie it up. Xe doesn't need to do anything with xer hair, put it in a bun or ponytail or whatever to make it look pretty. That's not xer style. Sometimes, though, xe will decide to add some color even though it takes longer at the salon. Generally Harper's hair is high maintenance so xe just doesn't want to be bothered putting too much time or effort into it. If there's really a day where xer hair is that bad, xe'll just make it easy and put a hat on. No need to make the process more complicated than it needs to be.
Style
Harper typically gravitates towards a grungey style. Xe feels it allows xer to be more ambiguous that way, rather than how certain clothes or styles emphasize a body. Though Harper keeps a few other outfits in xer closet that may not fit that particular style, flannel and jeans are a must have. Nothing is more comfortable to xer than jeans and xe likes how flannel can just be worn in layers. Harper is hardly ever seen wearing any sort of jewelry, although xer ears are pierced. Makeup for Harper is also off limits - xe has nothing to hide!
Playby
Alessia Cara
Positives
Outspoken; Casual; Maternal; Sober; Tough; Sympathetic; Simple
Negatives
Stubborn; Boyish; Reserved; Impatient; Noncommittal; Blunt; Bigmouthed
Likes
Gum; Pixar; Gelato; Watching sports; Rodents; The beach; Cheesecake; Poker; How to Train Your Dragon; Jeans; Music
Dislikes
Social media; Makeup; The smell of gas; White chocolate; Running; Leggings; Drinking; Politics; Cleaning; Dresses; People using the wrong pronouns on purpose; Little dogs (why have one of those when you can just get a hamster?)
Nervous Habits
Harper has a tendency to bite xer nails.
Family
Parents - Clyde and Dereka Phipps - With addiction tying the two of them together, the goal was to help each other beat their problems and build a life together. If only it were that easy. At first everything was great. Sometimes when one faltered the other was able to get them back on track. But other times, when one fell off the bandwagon so did the other. The only saving grace was when Dereka found out she was pregnant. She found out when she was nearly three months in and quit cold turkey. Every day continued to be a battle for her but she pushed through for the sake of her child. If anything happened to Harper because of Dereka's irresponsibility she would've never been able to forgive herself. Clyde was a different story; he didn't live with the same fear that his wife did. Instead he lived for the fear. He was barely managing to handle his addiction sometimes; how was he supposed to juggle that and a baby? He didn't know if he was strong enough. During the pregnancy, Clyde mostly turned to drinking to help ease his fears. He drank behind Dereka's back, knowing if he came home with anything in his hands there was a chance she would follow him. And she was nervous enough about the pregnancy and delivery; even Clyde wasn't stupid enough to bring her down then. When Harper was born with no medical issues, Dereka thought it a saving grace and swore she would never touch drugs again. Clyde couldn't make the same promise. As he suspected, parenting and managing an addiction was too much for him. He did admit to going out drinking sometimes, though smoking outside was also a go-to. Dereka thought nothing of it at first; it wasn't anywhere near as bad as some of the things they'd done before and at least Clyde didn't do those things around their daughter. That changed when Harper was two years old; the toddler had gotten into a drawer and found some needles. Clyde had been hiding needles and drugs for who knows how long and Harper could have gotten hurt or worse because of them. Deciding she wasn't willing to take that chance again, Dereka had no choice but to turn Clyde over to the authorities. She had every intention of raising Harper as a single parent and was going to make it work. But as Harper grew older, the pressure became more for Dereka to handle. When Harper was in fourth or fifth grade, Dereka had an episode with a bad crowd. She disappeared for a bit, causing Harper to live with her aunt and cousin for the time. Not too long after Dereka returned, Harper had a choir recital at school and Dereka showed up high. She was acting questionable enough for someone in the audience to call CPS. Dereka failed a breathalyzer that night and was taken away. Harper had not seen her since.
Aunt - Donna Watson, Event Planner - Dereka's much older sister, Donna was someone who thought she had every aspect of her life planned out. Everything she did was with meticulous detail and for a reason. While it always worked with her schooling and career, Donna's love life never seemed to follow suit. There would always be something missing with the guys she dated, or something just never clicked. By the time she was in her early thirty's all of her friends were married with families of their own. Donna felt like she was missing out and felt like her biological clock was quickly ticking away. Taking matters into her own hands, Donna looked into sperm donors, though not looking into anything in their profiles other than appearance and medical history. Via in vitro, she became pregnant with Gabriella. At that time, as well as after Gabriella's birth, Donna had been living in Sydney, Australia for her work. Gabriella was nearly four years old when Donna decided to relocate to the states, the timing causing Gabriella to be a year behind most of her age group school0wise. It was worth it, though, for the family; Dereka and Clyde were going through some issues with their addictions, and sometime after became pregnant with Harper. Donna wanted her sister to know there was someone nearby to count on and to call if she needed any help. It couldn't have been more of a blessing, especially when Dereka became a single parent. Then came Dereka relapsing. When she disappeared, Donna watched over Harper. When Dereka was arrested and Harper was placed in a foster home, Donna did whatever she had to do to get her niece in her custody. It took two years, longer than intended, but before Harper entered middle school she was able to go home with Donna and Gabriella. Donna had been raising Harper since. Though Donna loves her own daughter deeply, she's even more protective of Harper. After everything Harper had been through, especially when she asked to go by different pronouns, Donna knew people were going to look at xer differently. She wanted to do everything she could to protect her niece and didn't want xer to feel like xe was in any danger again. Though Harper loves and respects xer aunt for everything she's done, sometimes xe just wishes that Donna would give xer some space and let xer live xer life. Harper will never get anywhere on xer own if xe's got something watching over xer shoulder all the time.
Cousin - Gabriella Cyrus Watson, Bartender - If neither of them mentioned they were cousins, no one would probably guess there was a relation between Gabriella and Harper. It was a bit difficult for Gabriella growing up, as she looked nothing like her mother and only told she took on attributes of her mystery father. As a result Gabriella always felt like she had to hide something. Whether it was how she was feeling, what she was doing, or even who she really was, Gabriella kept more to herself than anything. Gabriella was naturally independent growing up, but became more so after Harper lived with her and Donna. Going away to college gave Gabriella even more of an opportunity to stand on her own. She was able to explore who she was as a person. Though Gabriella loves her cousin and wants the best for her, Harper has unknowingly complicated things. One winter break Gabriella was preparing to come out as bisexual, at times even preferring women; she had been hiding it for a while at that point. But once again, Gabriella was pushed to the back burner and everything was on Harper. Harper came out as non binary and Donna's need to protect her niece kicked into high gear. Deciding it was best for her to take a step back, after earning her Associate's Degree, Gabriella moved to Salem. She thought it would be a perfect opportunity. She was far enough from her family to be able to be herself completely, but still only being a few hours away via plane. Then Harper received an acceptance letter to Metric College. The only saving grace was that Gabriela talked her way out of Harper living with her. Gabriella played it off as Harper needing to be independent and see how it went, but the argument was really for Gabriella's personal gain. She still hadn't come out and isn't even sure if she should at this point. Though she doesn't have to worry completely about sneaking around behind Harper's back, the whole situation had taken a toll on Gabriella emotionally to the point where she's become insecure about herself and is questioning everything she's doing. She's currently taking some online classes while working full time as a bartender and hoping that the time will be right where she no longer has to hide anything.
History
It was supposed to be a match made in heaven. Two addicts hoping to get clean and make it through life together. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. There were ups and downs, but none more than when Dereka found out she was pregnant. Dereka was almost three months in and hand't completely stopped taking drugs at that point. She was terrified for her unborn child. Every ultrasound she was hold her breath in fear that the doctor would tell her something was wrong with the fetus and it was her fault. Every time nothing had been found, which only made her more nervous for the delivery. If only Clyde could have offered her better support. But he could never begin to imagine the horror that his wife felt, the guilt that consumed her throughout the pregnancy. The more Dereka talked about it, the more on edge it made Clyde. It's very possible that's what pushed him over the line and caused him to start drinking and smoking. Having a kid meant giving up all that completely. Having a kid meant less time to focus on him. Kids meant more responsibilities. Those thoughts in tandem with Dereka's fears consumed Clyde and, though there were days he seemed alright and very attentive, there were other days where it was just too much for him to handle. Fortunately, Harper was born happy and healthy which Dereka classified as a miracle. If only there could have been another miracle in Clyde. But the drinking and smoking continued. Dereka at first didn't think too much of it, since at least Clyde didn't do those things with Harper present. Even so, a few glasses of alcohol and a little weed couldn't be anywhere near as bad as some of the things he'd done in the past. Dereka just had to keep telling herself that.
By the time Harper was a toddler, Clyde was once again sucked into the world of addiction. He did everything he could to hide how bad it was up to that point, but then Harper found his stash. It was in a drawer in the garage; there were needles and drugs. Fortunately there was nothing in the needles at that point and Harper doesn't personally remember the incident. She just knows she poked herself. Thank god Dereka rushed in when she did and got Harper away. It was an even bigger relief that the needles weren't dirty or infected. With no choice, Dereka had to call the cops on her husband. Clyde was taken away and Harper has had no contact with him since.
For a while after that it was just Harper and Dereka. Things were alright, and having a little family nearby to support certainly helped. Dereka managed as best as she could on her own, trying her hardest to control her addiction. Sometimes she did turn to drinking, but it was never more than a glass. She was sure she had everything under control. There were some slip ups, unfortunately. And when those days happened it was up to Harper to pick up the pieces. Very quickly Harper learned to take on a mothering role. When days with Dereka were bad, Harper made sure to bring her a bottle of water, or at the very least a box of crackers. When Dereka had a headache Harper would be the one to read her bedtime stories. They were little things that only a child could do, but sometimes they were what made the difference. It shaped Harper into who she was and, times like that when she would see Dereka so happy afterwards, Harper would genuinely feel everything would be ok.
When Harper was about eight, everything changed. She had no idea what happened; only that Dereka didn't pick her up form school that day. Fortunately, Gabriella's school was only a block away from Harper's. She made the brief walk and found her cousin at one of her after school activities. She asked Gabriella if she could go home with them that night. What turned out to be one night was really two weeks, although Harper thought it was much longer than that. When Dereka did come back she apologized profusely and asked for Harper's forgiveness. Harper only asked that Dereka would make it to her choir performance the next month. Dereka agreed and did show up...only not as herself. She kept talking over the performances and getting too much into peoples' faces around her. During that month, Dereka had unfortunately relapsed miserably. Nights when Harper thought her mother was asleep were nights Dereka really ended up drinking or taking something. The choir performance was no exception. With one of the teachers realizing that Dereka was high, he made the phone call to CPS. Cops arrived by the end of the show and Dereka failed a breathalyzer test (and later, a urine test). One cop took Dereka in their car, and a second cop took Harper in his. An investigation was done at Harper's home; mostly marijuana was found, but it was clearly in Harper's best interest she not stay there or go anywhere with Dereka. She was moved to a foster home with no idea what was happening.
When Donna heard about what happened, she sprung into action. She did everything in her power to get custody of her niece, from filling out paperwork to having her home inspected to even talking with Harper's foster parents. The couple had every intention of reuniting Harper with her family, but the process took much longer than expected. Harper went home with her aunt and cousin shortly before starting seventh grade.
A lot of kids heard about Harper's situation and had no problem rubbing it in her face. Harper, on the other hand, didn't take kindly to their words. She had already developed a thick skin after everything that happened, so she wasn't going to let some bullies get to her. She had no problem telling them off when necessary. Finally being able to speak her mind and use her words, it made Harper feel strong. Her body, unfortunately, made her the opposite. As she completed middle school and entered high school, Harper took notice of everyone's changing bodies. Everyone seemed comfortable enough with the changes except for her. She hated the way her boobs jiggled when she ran. She hated the cramps and bleeding that came with periods. She hated dresses and makeup but wasn't opposed to keeping her hair long. She wasn't quite sure how to feel; all she knew was that she felt weak. She didn't like her body, but she didn't want to change it to be a boy. She could be tomboyish, but she didn't feel that was a good description. Somehow though, whenever people referred to Harper as 'she', it made her skin crawl. When finally asked how to put it into words, Harper didn't know how to answer except 'don't call me she'. Anything else but that. A meeting with the guidance counselor quickly followed, which Harper felt was all too personal. She had no idea how to answer anything and the topic made her uncomfortable. With nothing established by the end of the meeting, all the counselor could do was give her a pamphlet to look over. It was about being transgender and non binary. There were lists, brief descriptions and stories of how some came to figure out who they really were, as well as a website to go to for more information.
In eleventh grade, Harper finally shook up the nerve to talk to Donna. Her exact words were, 'I don't feel like a she'. Donna was confused, having never herd anything like that before nor having a clue as to how Harper had been feeling. All she could really bring herself to do was ask 'then what?'. They looked through the pamphlet Harper had kept, checked the website, and examined it from every angle they could together. Harper knew transgender wasn't the way to describe her, but then she saw that people could choose what pronouns to go by. There was the option of going by 'they/them/theirs/themself' but Harper could only associate that with multiple people. There was only one of her What ended up sticking out the most to her were 'xe/xer/xem'. Donna looked into talking with the school and seeing what they could do to use the pronouns Harper preferred. With Donna being on board and everything starting to be set in stone, it was the first time Harper started to feel like xerself.
Unfortunately, not everything worked out that way. Unbeknownst to Harper, that was around the time Gabriella had planned to come out to Donna as bi. Harper's plans completely detailed xer cousin's and, as a result, Gabriella took a step back. And even though Harper felt better, there were still kids at school who didn't understand and would give xer a hard time. Sure, some would just forget xe changed pronouns and would accidentally say 'she'; that was ok. Harper had no problem with anyone who needed to be reminded. They meant no ill will. The ones that said it on purpose, otherwise, xe did have a problem with. Some people just had no intention of changing three simple letters. They would say xe was the one in the wrong; xe's biologically female so xe's a she. They would confuse Harper as being non binary with wanting to be a guy. They would say Harper was in the wrong. Much as xe tried not to let it bother xer, there were times where Harper just had to open xer mouth and stick up for xerself. Unfortunately the only real conclusion they were able to get to in the meantime was, if people really didn't know what to say, just use 'they/them/their' pronouns. It wasn't what Harper preferred, but it was certainly better than the alternative.
When the time came to apply to college, scholarships were the way to go. Donna did well enough with her job, but when she took on raising two kids she had to figure out how to split money for their educations equally. Gabriella opted to go away to earn her Associate's Degree, which helped at that time; it was less money and after graduation Gabriella could find a job and work out a payment plan with Donna to continue her schooling. Harper was personally unsure what to pursue at that point. Donna recommended something to do with music; she'd always thought Harper had such a nice singing voice. It was tempting, and Harper did like listening to music as well as singing. But when xe sang, xe was clearly female. Xe didn't always want to be known that way. Even though, yes, xe was biologically a female, xe didn't think xe'd be able to handle everyone screwing up the pronouns if xe were in the spotlight so much. What Harper really wanted to do was change xer voice. Guys could voice girls - DW from Arthur, anyone? - and vice versa - EG Daily was Tommy on the Rugrats its entire run. Harper wanted to be like that. To be able to sound one way in public but also to be able to change completely as a character. He, she, them, xe, ze, it didn't matter to a voice. One voice could belong to anyone. And xe was still Harper.
Metric was one of the colleges Harper looked into. It had a great entertainment program, and plenty of students went there for acting and music. There were also plenty of classes with other options, maybe even some that could help train xer voice the way xe wanted. It was expensive, but if xe could get a scholarship it would be perfect. Admittedly, Harper's voice had been shaky during xer audition. Most of the professors couldn't get a read on what character xe was trying to portray. Then they asked xer to sing. And when Harper opened xer mouth, the potential was heard. If xe could do that with xer natural voice, imagine what xe could do with the right training. There was just enough potential there for Harper to earn a small scholarship. It wasn't as much as Donna would have liked personally, but it was good enough to send Harper there. The only other issue? It was in California. While Gabriella had moved to that area herself, Donna was unsure how she felt about Harper living in a new place on xer own with people xe didn't know who could be just as cruel or perhaps more so than the ones xe grew up with. None of them really had any idea what to expect. It was why Donna pushed for Harper to live with Gabriella. There was a lot of back and forth, mostly with a lot of refusal on Gabriella's part. Though it was really for herself, she also knew Harper needed space. Gabriella suggested Harper dorm at Metric for the first year - the scholarship did cover most of that after all - she would check up on her cousin and they'd see how everything would go. It was hard to say who was more relieved at how successful the first year went - Harper, for having people accept xer for the most part, or Gabriella for being able to continue to hide her lifestyle.
Metric came with plenty of drama. There were cliques, secrets, parties, and of course Campus Sweetheart. Harper never tried to pay attention to any of that. Xe knew how to handle xerself. And if anyone xe got close with had someone messing with them? Screw them. Harper's looking to make a name for xerself and for people to be accepting. It's that simple. Xe's not going to be known anymore as the girl with addict parents; the girl with the unconventional family; the freak; the secret tranny; whatever. When xe's done at Metric, Harper's going to be known as the person with the voice. And xe's going to use it for as long as xe has it.
Random
☄If someone really doesn't know what to call Harper, xe'll recommend they/them pronouns. Xe hates being a she on purpose. Using she pronouns in the past tense, however, as long as they are talking about xer prior to high school, is acceptable.Xe was a she at some point, not always knowing otherwise. Harper accepts that about xerself.
☄Harper couldn't be more relieved to have a unisex name.
☄Although athletic with a decent enough endurance, Harper prefers watching sports over playing them.
☄As much as Harper would one day like xer own biological family, partially as a way to make up for what xe missed out on with xer own parents, Harper does not personally ever want to be pregnant. If or when the time comes, no matter who xe's with, xe will fight to use a surrogate.
☄Xer favorite color is scarlet.
☄Though adopted by xer aunt, Harper still has xer own last name. Due to not having contact with xer father most of xer life, Harper is unaware of his ethnicity and only knows half of what xe is.
☄Knowing there is a history of addiction with xer parents, Harper avoids drinking.
☄Xer dream is to voice a Pixar character.
Music
☄Roar - Katy Perry
☄Who I am - Nick Jonas
☄Step Up - Cheetah Girls
☄Titanium - David Guetta
☄Love Yourself - Justin Beiber
☄Piece by Piece - Kelly Clarkson
☄Catch my Breath - Kelly Clarkson