William 'James' Lawrence
Jun 20, 2014 1:15:27 GMT -5
Post by James Lawrence on Jun 20, 2014 1:15:27 GMT -5
The Basics
Name: William James Lawrence
Nicknames: James. He will not respond to his first name.
Age: 25, born May 28th, 1989
Orientation: Heterosexual
Desired Rank/Job: Trainer
Powers: Enhanced Hearing: The ability to hear with the utmost clarity. James can also hear sounds/voices at farther distances than the average person. To some extent, James can hear outside the normal frequency of human hearing, but can't distinguish it all too well. It's more of a distinct murmur. Since graduating from Hammel, he has learned to tune out certain sounds and has the ability to choose what he listens to. (turning the power on and off) The enhanced hearing, though superior, still only works within a certain distance, usually within a small town. The farther he tries to broaden and project the enhanced hearing, the harsher the side effects will be.
Side effects include: Constant ringing in his ears, increased sensitivity to loud noises and high pitched noises, and may eventually lead to deafness if overused.
Play By: Alex Turner
The Details
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Dark brown
Any Piercings? N/A
Any Tattoos? A traditional dagger on his left forearm
Any Scars? A few insignificant ones scattered over his body from the years.
General Appearance: Standing at 5'11, James is on the taller side of average for a male. He's lean, with a bit of definition on his biceps. At a quick glance, James looks like someone stuck in the 50's. If not for his interesting and relatively unique style, James would be a rather unimpressive looking man, with a large nose and large ears. He styles his dark brown hair in a sort of pompadour fashion, a cowlick creating a half curled strand of hair that makes James' hairstyle stand out. James has dark brown eyes and a very faint, light sprinkling of freckles across his nose in the summertime. The way James carries himself is confidently, most of the time with a smirk on his face.
As mentioned above, James is inspired by the 50's rockibilly look. On a typical day, he will wear a plain t-shirt or a plaid shirt, denim, and a pair of black work boots. He enjoys dressing up in suits and oxford shoes when the occasion calls for it. Any wardrobe essential from the 50s, James probably has.
One thing you will never see James without is a pack of smokes. He has a hardcore nicotine addiction and smokes a lot. It's not unusual to see him with a cigarette tucked behind his ear, in his lips, or between his fingers.
Personality: James fancies himself as a musician, and a rather good one. His expertise lies with the guitar and piano, but he dabbles with the bass guitar and drums as well. He is extroverted, and prefers spending his nights out in the city, whether it be in bars, at concerts, or on the streets. Although, due to his enhanced hearing, if he ever feels overwhelmed by the sounds, James will have a night in to himself. He craves attention, which could explain his desire to dress like he's stuck in the 50's. His attention seeking ways can irritate people, as he feels a constant need to be in the spotlight.
He is also incredibly suave and charming. Once he gets to know a girl, be prepared for James to pull all the stops to get her in bed. His ego is pretty big, especially once he's had a few drinks. He knows he's good looking (except for his nose and ears, but most people overlook it), and uses his charm to bed girls. James isn't thinking long term; he much prefers to keep it casual. His arrogance and cocky behavior can frustrate those close to him and strangers who meet James while intoxicated.
Being a trainer has taught James to be encouraging and kind to his students, even if he still loses his rather short temper from time to time. He focuses on the positive aspects of a person and can be seen as a mentor to the youth at Hammel. While his main expertise is in training and music, James considers himself knowledgeable in day to day issues and won't hesitate to listen to anyone who needs help. All in all, James is a reliable friend/mentor once you break past his arrogant and seemingly all knowing exterior. He gets along better with his students than his peers.
Your Vices
Likes: Smoking/cigarettes
Music, specifically classic rock and alternative
A good night out
Coffee
The aesthetic of the 50's
Pomade
Action movies and documentaries
Leather jackets
Concerts
Tattoos
History
Dislikes: Long term relationships
Modern pop music
Flying
Summer/sunny weather
Being ignored
Cats
People who illegally download music
Strengths: James is a strong musician, especially with the guitar and the piano. His charming nature allows him to drop compliments easily and worm his way into women's beds. Due to his ability, James' hearing is better than the average person.
Weaknesses: James' biggest weakness is his massive ego. He knows that he's great. His arrogance grates on the nerves of other people. A fear of flying makes it near impossible for him to travel via plane without a lot of panic. His addiction to cigarettes makes physical activities harder on his already weakened lungs.
Fears: He has a fear of flying, and a fear of becoming insignificant.
Secret: James has a deep rooted fear of becoming a nobody, which is why he craves the attention of others.
Family Ties
Father: Edward Lawrence, 54, mechanic
Mother: Katherine Lawrence, 53, stay at home mom
Siblings: N/A
Any Other Important People:N/A
History
James was born in the suburbs of New York City to a mechanic father and a stay at home mom. They lived semi-comfortably paycheck to paycheck, with little money left over for other expenses. The small family lived in an apartment with other lower, middle class families. The lack of money left Edward and Katherine Lawrence with the decision to not have any more kids, deciding to invest entirely into James' future. He's a city boy, growing up on the sidewalk, playing games with other kids. James caused a bit of trouble in his neighbourhood as a kid, pranking and causing mischief. Eventually, James matured and stopped partaking in those kind of activities. The only thing he has left from it is his addiction to cigarettes, as he started smoking when he was only thirteen years old, attributing it to hanging out with the 'wrong crowd.'
His childhood was also when James discovered his passion for music. He started learning how to play piano at the age of five, taught by his mother who use to play on an old piano set crammed into the apartment. James can also play the guitar proficiently, his two preferred instruments of choice. James manages to get by playing the drums and bass guitar, but his skill is not as high.
His teenage years were spent at Hammel Institute. James was thirteen, almost fourteen years old, when he manifested his power. He'd been in band class, sitting at the piano bench when he heard... something. It was a series of low frequency sounds coming from the bass player in the back. The kid had the machine near muted. Nobody could hear the sound but James. Confused, he ended up going home that day and ignoring it. Four days later, James went out shopping for groceries with his parents and heard a conversation between a clerk and a customer on the other side of the store. He caused a scene, as his parents tried to hush the frantic thirteen year old boy. James was scared, and confused as to what had happened. One day later, a recruiter flew out to New York to explain what had happened and what he was; a meta. Hammel had heard about the scene and sent a recruiter to explain to James that it was likely he had developed the power of enhanced hearing. It explained the outburst and the other smaller event where James has heard more than the average human would.
At the age of eighteen, James graduated high school. He'd managed to successfully train his power, to listen to specific people and noises and tune out others. James can turn his ability on and off, to some extent. The ringing in his ears is a near constant when the enhanced hearing is on, but is something he has learned to deal with and manage.
Upon graduation, James decided to go back to New York to try and get a start on his music career. The boy in him still dreamed of becoming a rock star. Unfortunately, there were a lot of young adults just like him, and the music scene was a vicious one. After a year, when he turned nineteen, is when he finally decided to give in and set aside his dream... for now. People his age were now in college, furthering their careers while he was stuck at a dead end. He enrolled in Empire State College, completing his Bachelor of the Arts with a major in history. Upon completion, James now had to decide what to do as a career.
He decided to give back to the school that helped him out, getting hired as a trainer at Hammel shortly after returning to Vermont and completing the general teacher's certificate there. James isn't strict with his training, preferring a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for his students. His expertise lies with abilities to do with the senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) but will accept any student and do his best to help out. He's there to help refine students' abilities and their musical talent in his free time. James considers himself an asset to these kids (though that may just be his arrogance speaking) and so far, enjoys his job back at the school that had helped him and has been a trainer for a year now.
Roleplay Example
*points to Carleigh Davidson, Kristina Novak, Oliver Barnes and Vanessa Rodriguez*
What About You?
Name: You can call me Queen D. Or Deb I guess.
Age: (now) 18!
Experience: A while now
How Did You Find Us? The lovely Sydnee
Ready To Play? Of course!
