What's in a Name?

James Masterson

James Masterson- English/German ancestry; James is a sweet, warmhearted, genuine boy who is described as wholesome and having a sunny, bright disposition. He is Emma's and Connor's uncle from their mother's side and is slightly older than the twins at age 17. While he can appear to be somewhat flighty and easily distracted, he is always well-meaning and has a very strong moral center. Tactful and considerate, he chooses to be careful with his words and has an even-tempered demeanor. James is one of the more sympathetic male students at the school and tries to judge others for their inner beauty, appreciating Shelby Doyle for her kindliness and refusing to judge her for her looks or lack of self-confidence. He is considered to be very lively, outgoing, and positive, with vibrant hazel eyes that appear "more green than brown", a celestial nose. His tousled golden blonde hair matches his heart of gold, and often goes out of his way to greet everyone around him with a refreshing smile. He likes to be inclusive of everybody and is a natural born leader, serving as the president for the student council and working as a peer mentor on campus to help other students. James plays golf for the high school and is also the captain of the school's tennis team, as well as the head of the yearbook staff. He also likes to engage in community service periodically to help around the neighborhood. He briefly got a job at the mall over the holiday season to help pay off a credit card bill, during which he played an elf at the Winter Wonderland set up. He is understanding of others and their differences and is honest and straightforward in his actions, as he never forgets to remind others of his appreciation for what they do.

James is a strong believer in female empowerment as well and aims to treat every female her encounters with decency, respect, and equality. He is a strong advocate for women's rights and abhors men who take advantage of a young female's vulnerability and innocence. Well-aware of the struggles his older sister Samantha encountered during her turbulent encounters with men in her earlier years, he tries to treat young women with courtesy and has an old-fashioned chivalry about his demeanor. Like Shelby, who grew attached to and developed feelings for him due to his kindness towards her, he also loves cats, owning a sphynx cat named Josie due to his allergic reaction to pet dander. James enjoys books and the concept of "hygge", preferring the historical fiction and adventure genres, although he considers the Calvin and Hobbes comics to be his childhood favorite. He is fond of Farenheit 51 and the Divergent series by Veronica Roth, in addition having watched multiple episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and a show called BoJack Horseman. He aspires to be a licensed clinical social worker to serve his community and help those who are struggling or in need of guidance. He often refines himself in self-improvement in nearly every course of action he takes as well, revealing somewhat of a perfectionistic side as he studies himself and others regularly and searches for new opportunities for self-growth. The face James shows to the world is one of sunshine, happiness and good will towards others, which makes him a master at making people feel good all over. Despite his seemingly confident, unperturbed demeanor, he suffers from bouts of low self-esteem however that can lead him to be noticeably hard on himself. 

As a result, he tends to experience guilt during a shortcoming that concerns the life of someone he considers precious to him. It is often hinted that James tends to fill his life with various activities and busy his schedule due to his tendency to turn to and dwell on dark thoughts when alone, leading him to seek the company of others to satisfy his needs. James' calm and passive disposition often showed a significant contrast against Heidi Larsen's more abrasive personality, as he was often kindhearted, compassionate and patient almost to a fault. This was particularly evidence when he developed a toxic on-and-off relationship with his then girlfriend, often tiring of and claiming to feel overwhelmed by the ups and downs of his romance. He secretly longed for the stability and consistency that his best friend Sanjay has with his own long-term partner, Rani. More optimistic and open, he said whatever came to his mind and tried to remain upbeat as he found easy and comfortable ways of relating. James often acted out of protective selflessness for his loved ones, close friends, and sometimes even his foes, retaining almost a benign, childlike purity in his heart through his devotion to the welfare of others. He is noted to have a gift for complimentary and inspirational speech, which frequently touches the lives of his peers as he tries to motivates a positive change in them. As a young man with firm morals, he earned a reputation as the "good boy" among his classmates, aiming to learn something new from each experience and see the best in other people, even those that were considered irredeemable. A true ambassador of good will, he is happiest when he can help others become harmonious, build rapport, and develop their potential. 

James can be so focused on what is already working for him and others that he can miss the wisdom that comes from experiencing and understanding negative emotions. He likes to imagine that every person is innately good and had a strong belief even in the potential for change in a soul as troubled as that of Heidi's, which resulted in him being coaxed towards uncomfortable situations with his former girlfriend's addictive behaviors. As a person with a strong fraternal instinct, he tried to show genuine empathy for Heidi as he expressed concerned for her self-destructive habits. He often tried to offer her guidance throughout the course of their relationship, which Sanjay later pointed out after questioning whether James' actions were motivated out of true love for a girl of merely out of pity and obligation. While generally equanimous and even-tempered, a flaw in him is that he tends to base his decisions on his emotions and beliefs, which can sometimes cause him to be coaxed into fights once he is manipulated by his feelings. James' growing edge is to recognize that his need to keep the peace at all costs and be what others want him to be to feel successful keeps him from knowing his true self. He openly expressed annoyance at his best friend's claims as he tried to self-justify himself, although he later questioned whether there was some truth in Sanjay's words shortly after he left. It was after a vehement confrontation with Heidi shortly after she nearly overdosed that James came to terms with the abusive nature of his relationship, during which Heidi snidely remarked that James was only bitter because "he still had the hots for her, even though she had shot him down." 

In a surprisingly cold, biting manner, he remarked that he could never be attracted to the person Heidi had become and urged her to get professional help, leaving her stunned and slightly hurt. After permanently parting ways with Heidi after a series of turbulent ups and downs, James began to bond with his classmate Shelby Doyle and slowly started to recognize his true feelings for her. They bonded over casual similarities while volunteering together at the Beacon Street Women's Center, a local youth center for underprivileged girls, during the summer. The two developed a much deeper bond as Shelby let her guard down and allowed them to progressively get to know each other, becoming close friends and oftentimes turning to each other for support. He continued to care for and remain supportive of Heidi from afar even as he claims to no longer have any form of romantic attraction towards her, yet began to see Shelby as someone special that he wanted to keep close to his heart. They remained friends for several years even as they attended different universities once Shelby chose to enroll at Northeastern in Boston alongside her best friend Julia Nichols and close friend Bianca to study speech-language pathology, meanwhile James completed his studies at New York University to become a social worker. They continued to reunite as they returned back to Long Island to volunteer at the same youth center every following summer, leading their feelings to intensify over time. Shelby also claims that James is the one person besides her best friend Julia who was there for her unconditionally when no one else was. She recalls her own previous struggles with mental illness upon being diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder early on in her college years after a brief stint at an outpatient clinic. 

It is after Shelby has a one-sided romantic encounter with a potential suitor that she accepts having fallen in love with James and the fact that she had long been in denial due to her fear of commitment. She returns to New York and confronts James however, admitting that she "really liked him" after showing him one of the many love letters she had secretly written with him in mind. James then looked intensely into her eyes and confessed that he had fallen in love with her as well, leading them to share a passionate kiss and pursue along-distance relationship for the remainder of their college years. Their first official date involved attending a couples cooking class in Queens that drew them even closer together. Shelby and James consummate their love for one another shortly after in a hotel room after a weekend getaway to Atlantic City, during which Shelby experiences her first real sexual encounter and loses her virginity to him at 27. There was an instance where the shy and reticent Shelby, who felt herself overcome with sheer happiness, briefly started to cry, although James knowingly calms her by enveloping her in a comforting embrace. As he gently unclothed her and placed a kiss on her collarbone, she felt her nervousness subside and allowed herself to naturally unfold before the person she loved. She claims that James was worth the wait and that she had no regrets over what she had done, as James had always been the only man she had ever truly loved and had made her first time special. Mild-mannered and fair-haired, James is heir to the Masterson brewing fortune and is close with many of his German relatives. He and Shelby continue to date and eventually marry in a spiritual nature-centered wedding ceremony, conceiving three daughters together and moving to Staten Island in order to raise their family. ENFP 2w3