"I'm not a very interesting person. Chasing me around... just what are you doing?"

With a cold, unwelcoming visage and sharp reflexes, Lawrence seems like a delinquent or criminal to those he first meets. His tongue is witty, sarcastic, and often cutting in tone. He rarely stays in a single place for an extended period of time, leaving locales as suddenly as he enters them.

However, if you speak with him for longer than five minutes without being brushed off or ignored, it becomes very apparent - Lawrence is a huge softie. All of his words are said out of concern for the other person, even if they may seem rude at first. He can't stomach being actually cruel to another person, especially if they're suffering. He also tends to worry about those he meets, and has a nurturer's personality. His soul is altruistic and sympathetic in nature.

This is true in a literal sense as well - Lawrence's strength lies in his sympathetic soul. It is sensitive to "fate." It is a vague ability that mostly relies on his own instincts and feelings. Lawrence can sort of tell when somebody does something that would doom them or lead to their death. He also has a good intuition when it comes to avoiding dangerous situations himself. This nature predisposes him to other spirits and barriers/exorcism, even  though there is no precedent for such a thing in his lineage. When he interacts with certain people he is destined to become close with - a 'soulmate,' so to speak - his soul will resonate with theirs, and he will often gain an ability that is similar to theirs, albeit watered down and weaker, if the person is a magic user. 

However, every person with whom Law has formed this synchronized bond with has met an untimely, tragic death. This has caused Law to believe he is cursed, and that the people he grows close with will inevitably die tragically. Whether he is actually cursed or not remains ambiguous.

Lawrence was one of two sons to a wealthy family. When he was an infant, his sibling and parents died in an accident during a vacation. He was adopted by a family friend and lived as wealthy elite in China. He was a well-behaved, generally liked boy with good grades. However, when he was sixteen, his adopted sister, no longer wishing to be the family heir and manipulated at length by a demon, despite Lawrence's best efforts, took her own life. At this point, he started to believe he was cursed in earnest. 

Not wishing to doom his adopted parents either, Lawrence dropped out of high school and began globetrotting. He avoided getting close with people for fear of inadvertently killing them, living a lonely but not entirely desolate life as a vagrant. However, his true nature would get the best of him very often, and he would end up bonding against his will with two more people-

In Kyoto, Japan, Lawrence volunteered to exterminate a demon that had been causing mischief in the neighborhood in exchange for lodging. While successful, he sprained his ankle during the incident. A self-styled hero arrived on the scene after everything had already resolved, and noticing Law's injury, forcibly ushered him into her home for medical treatment. Midway, the girl's sister returned from grocery shopping. A pit formed in Lawrence's stomach as he felt their souls resonate. After explaining his woes to his new soulmate, she merely tilted her head to one side, confused.

"I'm already dead, though." Law was so bewildered he didn't realize that he'd basically been adopted by the Hijiri siblings (and their god-dog). 

Then, in the streets of Milan, Italy, Law rescued a young man being accosted by a group of suspicious people chasing him. However, the boy wasn't even slightly grateful, berating and insulting Law. Even though Law had little urge to help the ungrateful swine, he couldn't leave someone alone when they were very obviously in peril (though the boy seemed oblivious to this). After pulling the truth out of him, like dentist with teeth, Law swore as Cerise finished his story - he hadn't even noticed their bond forming. Law helped Cerise escape Italy and strong-armed his way into Cerise's journey, to the other's annoyance - Ikiru was already dead and much more capable than Cerise, so it seemed to Law that Cerise was the one most at risk in regards to his curse. Lawrence began traveling with Cerise as his companion, protecting the other boy from his own family and his terrifying lack of common sense.

"So, shall we proceed with a love consultation?"

It was the fourth session they'd had over citron tea, with salted rice crackers and yuzu oranges, perfectly sweetened for the season.

Lawrence did not quite remember how this little arrangement started, which was about par or the course when it came to his dealings with the Hijiri clan. Events flowed into each other like myriad intersecting rivers - naturally he would find himself swimming in the ocean sooner or later.

Ikiru sat, her posture probably the best out of every woman currently wearing a nurse cosplay in Japan. She refilled their cups and grabbed another rice cracker in a single movement, without spilling a single drop of tea. 

"Though, perhaps breaking out the sake would be more prudent, considering the subject matter," she mused.

"You're joking."

"I am," she said, taking a tiny bite of the cracker. Lawrence waited for her to finish chewing before speaking again. "I am certain we have some sacred ceremonial wine stored away in a closet, if you so wish for it."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Well, the offer remains. You've been sighing quite a bit as of late. Your caretaker is concerned."

He had become rather adept at decoding her indirect-yet-nosy way of speaking, but one part of her statement struck him as strange.

"You consider yourself my caretaker?"

She hummed. 

"Well, you do eat my food and live in my house when you are in Japan. And I pay for your cell phone bill. According to the family dramas I've been shown, it is a sign that I am basically your parent."

Who had exposed Ikiru to dramas? Moreover, was she the type to enjoy that type of thing? Lawrence figured that she would consider it tripe, but the more he thought about it, the idea of Ikiru enjoying a drama didn't seem so foreign.

"They're kind of like pulp fiction novels, aren't they?" he asked.

She looked down, as if ashamed. "Yes. They are self-indulgently enjoyable." 

"Well, it's nice to find new hobbies," Lawrence said. "I wouldn't mind a recommendation or two if you find a really good one."

"I will keep you in mind," she said, and tucked a lock of golden-brown hair behind her ear. "I know of one that you might like. It's a romantic comedy that ends tragically."

"Oi."

"Does it strike a nerve?" She tilted her head to one side, a movement Lawrence learned was her "teasing" pose. "If you're troubled, you may rest your head on my lap and ponder your options."

Lawrence considered it, resting on Ikiru's thighs and letting her meticulously run her hands through his hair and stroke his ears.

"I appreciate your graciousness, but I might wake up covered in spider bites the next time I sleep if I did that." 

Ikiru nodded, a barely visible spark of amusement gleaming in her eyes. The police sirens in Lawrence's head stopped wailing.

"Well then, I suppose we will have to settle for talking."

"Yeah, I suppose."

misc

• His tail glows with a faint golden light. He can will it (as well as his ears) to become dim or not shine at all, but it must be an active desire.
• He likes hearty, milk-based dishes like stews and creamy soups. He hates bitter foods.
• If he were able to attend university, he would most likely be a Chinese Literature major.
• In regards to the bonds he has formed with others and the powers he has gained thus far, it is like so:
  • ???: Orange, "Good instinct" - ability to tell when someone is being generally deceitful, or has poor intentions for him.
  • Mother: Yellow, Ability to summon fiery will-o-wisps of variable temperature.
  • Father: Blue, Ability to "sense" exits and entrances.
  • Lilly: Violet, Ability to temporarily paralyze others
  • Cerise: Green, Ability to calm others/very slightly accelerate healing whenever he hums.
  • Ikiru: Red, Ability to temporarily sharpen blunt objects, slight increase in ability to barrier seal.
• He seems to have a maximum capacity of 9 abilities.
• He's not really sure why he's so attracted to Cerise, either, to the point of being disgusted with himself sometimes. Comparatively, his rival Alto is much more pleasant and likable by his own admission. Law attributes it to "dumb teen hormones," or something. 
• Despite his general look and demeanor, he knows quite a bit of etiquette due to his upbringing. He is a good dancer, too.