NAME: Jesse Waters
AGE: 19
SPECIES: Mutant
ABILITY: Siren Song
GENDER & PRONOUNS: Male, He/Him
OCCUPATION: Freelance Musician
FACECLAIM: Grant Gustin
BACKGROUND:
Born to a preacher and church organist, Jesse has had religion thrown at him since he was born - especially considering he was in the epicenter of religion: Birmingham, Alabama. He was the perfect little church boy, always attending church on Sundays and other weekly activities where he would play with the other kids. He never found his life to be particularly exciting. That is, until he attending church camp his Freshman year of high school.
The idea was simple and appeasing to parents in the church: send your kids to a bible camp for three weeks where they can learn about God and spiritual beliefs while the adults get a break and chance to destress. For the kids, it was a chance to have some freedom and let loose without prying eyes over them at all times. Of course, there were a few kids who felt like they had to stick to the rules provided by the counselors; Jesse was one of those people. He saw no fun in sneaking out at night to go down by the lake and drink with the older kids or skipping out on a bible group meeting; to him, this is what he thought every year that he went to camp. Until he met Clay Bradshaw, a Junior at a high school in Pelham.
Jesse wasn’t out of shape or anything, but he wasn’t physically fit. He was lanky and not very tall, hiding himself in loose fitting clothes unless it was his Sunday best. Clay, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He was a baseball player at his school, and he looked the part. He was 6’4, tanned from his days out on the field, and well built. The two met after having been assigned as cabin mates for the duration of the stay. There was something odd about Clay, something Jesse couldn’t put his finger on. He didn’t say a whole lot to anyone at the camp, really, and kept his nose in his book when back in the cabin.
One Sunday evening, after supper, Jesse came back to the cabin to do his nightly reading and get ready for bed. As he walked down the short gravel pathway that lead to the old wooden door, he could see the lamplight from one of the windows. Clay was waiting for him and asked Jesse if he would like to go swimming with him and a few other guys that evening. As stubborn as he is, he downright refused until Clay promised that there wasn’t going to be any alcohol involved.
Thus began the moment that Jesse Waters felt a change in himself. He actually had fun that didn’t involve singing a hymn or playing guitar for his worship service. He let himself go and felt what it was like to be himself. But he also felt something else… a strange shift in his gut he didn’t really know how to describe - a tightening when he hung out with Clay.
That feeling continued to come back every time he was with the boy. He would catch himself sitting in his bed and looking over his bible to watch the baseball player mindlessly flip through his novel, the way his fingers would trace the cover of the book as he let himself get caught up in the action within those pages. Jesse had no way describe what that feeling was because he never felt it before. He thought he was getting sick - but an answer came to him the second week of camp.
Jesse was standing in front of a floor length mirror, practicing his violin. He liked to watch how he moved; there was something about making sure his technique was right all around. He was playing “Jesu Sweet” by Gustav Holst, humming along with the vocal line - meant for a Soprano but he’ll be singing it in church next month, taking the octave down. He was a passionate player, letting his eyes shut and instinct take over. After playing the piece, he opened his eyes to see the reflection of Clay staring at him, his mouth hanging open. The two locked eyes, and electric surge travelling even through the medium of the mirror.
He doesn’t remember much about that night, except that there was an entanglement of limbs, and undiscovered feelings.
Clay and Jesse kept in contact after leaving camp, constantly texting each other and sending sweet messages to each other. It didn’t last long until his parents found out about the boy’s romance.
Jesse left his phone on the counter when he received a message from Clay, a message anyone wouldn’t want their parents to see. He was called downstairs by his father’s booming voice.
Things didn’t go over well for Jesse, but it could have been worse. His parents didn’t understand why he didn’t tell them sooner about this “phase” he was going through, because they knew they could help him. They took his phone, cutting off all contact with Clay. He was to focus on school and the good Lord, they told him. He was sent to have meetings with a therapist once a week to discuss his progress in overcoming his “sinful urges.”
But the moment that changed everything was the day Jesse performed “Jesu Sweet” in front of his entire congregation. The violin was a skill his mother had taught him at a young age and she had coached him vocally since then as well, so it was no surprise the boy had talent. What shocked everyone occurred the moment Jesse opened his mouth to sing. He never saw it happen, but everyone else can recall the exact moment that their minds drew blanks, that their bodies shifted as one towards the sound of Jesse’s voice.
As the final notes sliced through the air and the congregation fell out of their trance, they began to murmur and whisper. Sitting center in the front row, looking horrified, were Jesse’s parents. Wasting no time they pulled him off the stage and to the car, driving him home.
His father and mother fought the whole time back to the house, and they only got louder as soon as they were behind closed doors. He was sent up to his room and told to wait there until he was called back. From upstairs, Jesse could hear them say things such as “he’s like your freak sister” and “why didn’t we know?”
Jesse was never called back downstairs.
The next day he woke up to an empty house and a note taped to his door; “Your mother and I have a meeting with some of the elders. Pack your bag. Your ride will be here at 3.”
Jesse wasn’t one to disobey his parents, so he packed a small bag including toiletries just in case. He had no idea who would be here at three, but he waited outside on the porch swing fifteen until. A sleek black car pulled up and parked on the edge of the street. Walking towards the vehicle, he looked around his street. People were standing in their doorways, watching him with fearful eyes and clutching their loved ones. Opening the passenger side back door, Jesse slid in and glanced at his house. He had no idea this was going to be the last time he’d ever see it or his neighbors.
Things then became an even bigger blur for Jesse, as he was taken to a whole new town he had never heard of before. He didn’t know where he was exactly, just that the place was called Arcadia and apparently his mother’s sister, his aunt, lived there. And now he was to live with her.
TRAITS: Imaginative, Indecisive, Sympathetic, Sweet, Melancholic, Depressed
AVAILABILITY: Taken by Chase