William 'James' Lawrence

[James Lawrence]

William 'James' Lawrence


FACE CLAIM: Alex Turner

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AGE: 26, born May 28th 1989

GENDER: Male

ORIENTATION: Heterosexual

POSITION: Powers trainer at Bellefonte Academy


POWER: Enhanced hearing


The ability to hear with the utmost clarity. Put simply, James' hearing is better than the average person's. Not only is the quality improved, but James can also hear sounds and voices at farther distances compared to the average person. He is able to faintly distinguish sounds normally outside the range of normal human hearing, but isn't always able to register it or make it more than a murmur in his ear. After training his power, James has learned how to tune out certain sounds, but it does take a decent amount of concentration in order to choose what he listens to. Naturally, the louder and closer a sound is, the easier it is for his ability to pick it up and makes it harder for him to ignore it.



LIMITATIONS:

• The farthest James has been able to hear something is across town. This takes a great deal of strength and makes the side effects harsher; a comfortable range is within the same building as him
• Sounds that are closer and louder are easier for him to pick up and otherwise can be hard to ignore
• Usually a subconscious effort; takes more concentration and energy in order to consciously choose what to hear but can still be done

SIDE-EFFECTS:

• Constant ringing in James' ears, varying from minor and not very noticeable to severe and the only thing he can hear, depending on the day and if he used his power more than usual
• Increased sensitivity to loud and high pitched noises
• Headaches ranging in pain from minor to severe
• If overused, James may eventually become deaf. He takes care to ensure that this is likely not to happen but it is likely that he will experience hearing loss earlier than most

And this is how it starts;

New York City had always been there from the beginning.


Born and raised in the city that never sleeps set high expectations for James Lawrence. It would always be a part of him, the strong, innate connection between him and his home town formed from a young age. He remembered it all; his childhood spent outside on sidewalks and walking around the neighbourhood, as if he and his friends owned the place. They were young and didn't know any better. But it was easy to buy into the image and attitude that came with New York City.


Being the only child only helped shape the persona of James. Two loving parents who spent their free time giving all their attention to him. There wasn't a lot of spare time, as both Edward and Katherine Lawrence had to work hard to survive. He found comfort in a group of kids that lived in the same apartment complex as him. As one of the younger kids, James always had to prove himself; but that was easy given the personality he already was developing. An ego, there from a young age, that would only grow with time. The framework of his personality was already set in stone, because it was necessary.


Because he was James Lawrence.

On music and childhood

Frustrated, the nine year old looked up from the string tightly pressed underneath calloused fingertips. "Come on Dad, don't you think this is a little easy?" Scales? He'd been playing for almost a year now; he didn't have to continue the easy chord progressions that he had memorized both forward and backward.


Raising an eyebrow, Edward Lawrence looked to his son with a grin that revealed his amusement with the situation. "Nothing wrong with that. This is how you started and it's good to warm up."


James scoffed. "I don't need to warm up. You already know I'm the best guitar player in the neighbourhood. I could play circles 'round everyone else."


"Maybe."


"And?"


"Until your name is permanently engrained on a billboard somewhere in Times Square, does it really matter if you're the best guitar player the world has seen?" His father asked, not to be a buzzkill but to get his son to think. Even if it was rather blunt. "You need talent to reach fame. And with an attitude like that, it doesn't matter how skilled you are because..."


"See, that's the thing. I already know all of this. You'll see, one day I'll be famous. And you won't be able to go anywhere without seeing my name." James set his guitar aside, temper flaring. "I'll show you!" He stood up from the couch, ready to cool his temper by taking a breather outside.


Edward grinned, shaking his head. "Say, when you get famous, how about you come back here and say 'I told you so?' I'll be waiting."


It was that moment where his obsession with fame started.

Addiction

It was a rainy day. James stood outside, underneath the protection of an awning of a building in the neighbourhood. Him and his friends had been laughing and joking around when the rain had started. They found shelter inside a local convenience store, until the cashier had asked them to leave unless they were going to buy something.


"Hey guys, look." One of the older boys said, the name slipping from his memory with time. "Got this from my older sister." He bragged, procuring a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket and a cheap lighter. Pairs of wide eyes stared, as he took out a single cigarette and lit it up after a few tries. A deep inhale and exhale, sputtering coughs. He extended a hand, an offer to everyone else.


Another hand reached for it. Then another.


His own had hesitated. But the thirteen year old was impressionable and couldn't let his confident image fail him now. James' own hand reached out to take hold and with some hesitation, lifted it to his lips. He inhaled, the smoke burning down his throat and lungs and back up on its way out. He let out a cough, casually playing it off as not a big deal.


To further prove his point, he put it to his lips once more and took a deep drag.

On manifestation

"I don't know, I can just hear things. With more clarity." James tried to explain, trying his best to hide the nerves he felt. The thirteen year old fidgeted with his fingers.


His mother and father looked between each other, quizzically, before two pairs of eyes landed on their son at the same time. "What do you mean?" Katherine asked.


"For starters, in band class I heard the bassist tuning his instrument. The amp was off. I shouldn't have been able to hear it but I knew what chords he was playing. That was a few days ago." James let out a deep breath. "Then I could hear my friends whispering across the hall. It was too loud, and I shouldn't have been able to. Then there was the grocery store..."


"And we all know what happened there."


James nodded. "Yeah, we know. But it was still weird. I shouldn't be able to hear someone across the grocery store and know exactly what they were talking about!" He said, voice raising with fear and confusion. It was never okay to be vulnerable but around his parents was a little more excusable. "I heard their conversation." Which is why he had panicked and caused a minor scene. "That's not normal."


Two quick knocks on the door before a stranger opened it. "You're right, it's not." He answered with a soft smile. "Sorry for interrupting, but I can answer your questions..."

Image is everything

Identity was important. To construct the perfect identity took careful planning on his part. Moving from New York to Montana was the perfect opportunity for James to shape an identity that would help him start new.


Calm and collected, with enough arrogance to drown out the rest of the student population. With the ability of enhanced hearing, he really did hear everything; both the good and the bad.


Either way, they were talking about him.

Meeting her part 1

They met in high school. Only once, in a crowded hallway. James had approached her with full intentions to flirt with her and move on with his day.


But he found something more. Someone who wasn't willing to succumb to his natural charm. Someone who questioned his actions. A conversation that felt deeply personal considering he had never talked to her before. Which led to him open up to her in a way he never thought possible after she asked the perfect question about cigarettes and why he smoked. Offering an answer even when she had changed her mind.


There was little distance between them, breaching personal boundaries even in a crowd. The student population had stepped back, all eyes on James and the unknown girl. The proverbial spotlight shining down on only them, intensely focused eyes staring. Because what else were they going to look at? He felt his heart race as his hand reached to close the space in between.


But then she took a step back, covering her nose. Running away.


He didn't want that; he had wanted to follow her and continue with whatever had been going on between them. She said no and he wasn't about to risk his reputation to chase her down the hall. James stopped, watching the distance grow between them. The most genuine conversation of his entire high school experience. James wanted more of her.


But it'd be the only conversation they shared. They only talked to each other once throughout their respective high school careers.

Leaving

Crossing the stage, an eighteen year old James looked out to the crowd with a charming smile. His parents sat somewhere in the crowd, amongst the population who were clapping whether they meant it or not. Surprisingly, he had managed to graduate both academically and powers training on time. Average; never excelling at academics, he found himself excited with the future possibilities that life had in store for him.


Graduation. A time for him to finally experience the world outside of a sleepy Montana, where he'd entertained himself through music and sleeping around with female students. Where he had built the image of someone confident and too large for the town. Where he could go back to New York and make himself known to the rest of the world.


He could hear someone say "He's gonna make it big some day."

Failure by design

Years passed. A dejected James drove down familiar streets, one hand on the wheel and the other wielding a cigarette between his fingers. His return to Kalispell, Montana was made unwillingly.


It had been six years. Two years of trying to make it big, to make sure his name left an impression on everyone's lips. Two years of rejection. Two years of carrying around a guitar while bar hopping in hopes of catching the attention of someone, anyone. Two years was an awful long time to wait.


He had applied to a small college back in his home state. Shifting his dedication from music to school, James was able to graduate with his bachelor's and no idea of what to do with it. He entertained the idea of trying again, but it seemed like the only way possible was through television auditions or knowing a connection in the entertainment industry.


Dark brown eyes landed on the school, flickering between Bellefonte and his reflection in the mirror. Nervous, but it never showed. He got out of his car in order to make it on time for his interview for the position of training powers.

Meeting her part 2.

James never thought he'd see her again.


He honestly never expected to see a familiar face, let alone hers, once he returned to the school. Settled into the routine of training students, he found himself in the staff lounge when she entered.


Ella.


He remembered her name. Of course. 


Another deep conversation followed in an empty hallway and almost more importantly, the physical connection between them. A physical bridge drawn between two former high school classmates, who only ever had one conversation.


Her fingertips touched the skin of his wrist. God, he was nervous. But he worked to maintain composure even though it was futile. Not that he was aware of.


Physical contact was important. The way their hands interlocked so perfectly. The way it made him feel. Holding onto someone who he was drawn to without explanation. He didn't know why he felt this way. How it felt so natural to be around her. There was no explanation. 


It just was.

She's got a boyfriend, anyway

Standing in the middle of Times Square on New Years Eve, James looked to Ella, an arm around her waist as they stood in the crowd waiting for the ball to drop. A crowd of a million plus, all waiting for the exact same moment. His hand resting on her back as she drew in closer. The all important connectivity.


Seconds away from midnight. So close.


She noticed the rise in his pulse, the way his heart worked to calm the erratic notions and how her own responded to the beat. The topic of their friendship had come up; one that had happened in such a short period of time. About who they were and what that meant. "It's not about me," She replied to him, "We're talking about who you are."


"Why can't it be about you too?" He asked. She, who had a boyfriend back in Kalispell as they stood together in New York City. She, who was closer to him in both the physical and emotional sense in comparison to everyone else. His heart raced, pulse driving into a frenzy as dark eyes met hers. "Can't you see Ella? It has to be about you too." James spoke, losing control over his words. He didn't know what he was saying, or what he wanted to say. The crowd began to count down, in synchronization. But he wasn't listening to a single word.


A few seconds before midnight, James leaned down to kiss her, his lips meeting hers. Driven by impulse and desire. The previous conversation didn't matter as the crowd celebrated the new year, but all he could focus on was the reciprocated movement of her lips against his own. It was driving him crazy, in the best way possible.


Crazy. Absolutely crazy. He was absolutely crazy for her.


It would be one thing to let that moment pass. To call it a night. They made their way through the crowd, eager to make their way back to the hotel room that was theirs for the weekend. Being in the crowd was arguably the worst place possible for them to be.


Being alone probably wasn't the best idea either.


James had no intentions to act further on his feelings, but it was hard not be consumed by the way she made him feel. Everything felt so fluid and natural around Ella; not forced or succumbing to the pressure of the image and identity he had built up throughout his entire life. He could just be himself, which had to say something.


Eyes landed on her as the elevator of the hotel began its ascent. Heart racing and thoughts out of control, her hand to his chest as a reminder of how hard it was to be around him with an out of control heart rate. How difficult it was for the both of them.


Her eyes met his. "Do you want it to stop?" Ella asked, her hand resting on the left side of his chest still as no empty space was left inbetween, her back to wall of the elevator.


"No." James answered, and with that, kissed her with an edge of desperation.

We're concentrating on falling apart

Two months was a long time to go without talking. Without a single text, or phone call, or even a conversation in person. Without her, his life felt empty. Like there was no longer a purpose. To be left in the dark without any answers.


Why?


Showing up to the dorm monitor's apartment had been futile. Every knock ended with more silence, even though he could hear her there. Every footstep. Every breath.


Met with forced silence; the worst kind. 


He stared at the blank wall of his office, empty of thoughts and words.


The door opened; a younger student hesitated, still holding onto the doorknob. "Uhm, sorry Mr. Lawrence I can come back another time if you want..."


Waving his hand, either dismissing the notion of the student coming back another time or inviting her into his office; James wasn't entirely sure. The action was also done without thought. "No, come in. And please call me James." He looked to the opened file folder on his desk. "You must be Jennifer."


Nodding, she closed the door behind her. "That's correct. I... they sent me here because we share the same ability and you're apparently good at helping students out.


The rest of their meeting past by with a blur. Even as a young and unpractised student, Jennifer could hear the underlying tones in her trainer's voice that gave away his absent mental state.

I just wanna believe in us

Everything between them seemed to culminate in an empty hall. James might have laughed if he was in a better mood, if he wasn't left in such a state of mind. Instead, he felt angry; he felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins that pumped from an over-active heart. He should have been relieved to see her standing opposite of him in said empty hallway.


He looked like a mess with his dishevelled hair and reeking of cigarette smoke. The cracks beneath the surface were beginning to show; certainly not the image of James Lawrence most came to know. 


An empty hallway was not the place for this conversation to be held. Exposed and vulnerable, anyone could come by at any moment and interrupt. It was necessary to talk and figure out just where they stood. To solve the disconnection that had formed between them, through a locked door.

It wasn't going to be easy. But when had it ever been?

Through still and storm

As James rolled over, he bumped into her sleeping form beside him. He held his breath, only exhaling in relief one she didn't wake up from the close encounter. Brown eyes scanned her features, holding onto the moment. How peaceful and at ease she looked while sleeping; it drew out a genuine smile from his lips. He raised a hand to push strands of hair off of his forehead, his view of her now completely unobstructed. 


His gaze lingered for quite some time. His hand moved to rest against her cheek, down the curve of her neck and shoulder to land on her waist. Bridging a small and necessary connection.


The changes in his life had not only personally affected him, but also their surroundings. Kalispell was no longer the quiet town either of them had grown up in. The world was changing but they still appeared to be safe within their community. Acceptance of people like him would be a difficult process that wouldn't happen over night, but he believed it to be a reasonable that it could happen one day. 


Although the SPRITE epidemic had not personally affected James, for better or worse, he did have to deal with the consequences through work. Through terrified students who were confused. Truthfully, there were some days James questioned his own ability to handle the influx of students with out of control powers.


Ella still slept beside him. Leaning in, James' lips hovered over her ear but before he could say anything, his throat had closed up. No words came out; the three words he had been wanting to say for some time now frozen in place. The tempo of his pulse shifted, and James pulled back before the change could wake her up.


It was too late for that, though. Her sleeping form stirred, dark eyes tiredly meeting his. A smile lit up her features. "Everything okay?" She asked, concern lining her voice.


"Yeah, it's nothing." James replied with his own smile. "Don't worry about it." Now he was glad he couldn't find the means to say it. To say one of the most defining sentences in a relationship. Pulling himself closer to her, he pressed his lips to her forehead.


Love. Love was an interesting and once unfamiliar concept that James didn't plan on letting go of any time soon. Not with her by his side.





SAMPLE: Confidence was a lethal weapon to have in his arsenal; it was arguably hard to ignore someone like James when he walked into a room. Overwhelming. And sometimes, that wasn't the best mix for a student, someone more shy and withdrawn who took a bit of time to adjust. He didn't expect Ella to change, but to instead bring her own experiences and find a way that worked best.


He couldn't say that one way was better than the other. Two years into the job and James still had moments of uncertainty, which was natural. He knew that she would find her way and that students would benefit from having her as a trainer. Afterall, he had enough confidence for the two of them; there was something about Ella that made her easy to confide in. The relationship between them felt so easy and natural. Students wouldn't ignore someone as genuine as herself.


Eyes flickered briefly to her book again, before landing back on her. It was hard not to see the way her eyes lingered as he spoke. His hand tracked down the curve of her neck, down the length of her arm before finding her hand to hold. He laughed on an exhale, smiling. "Well, I used to get frustrated. Took it real personal. Then I realized that I can't do anything unless they want help."


"Thankfully, it usually doesn't take long for students to realize they need guidance." Breaching the distance inbetween, James gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "You can do this. Easily."


USERNAME: Deb or Debfresh


AGE GROUP: 19


EXPERIENCE: A while


WHERE DID YOU FIND US? My bae brought me here

[James Lawrence]

Ready for review!

[Deleted]