Jessie Wright

If you want to know me, you'd better ask.

[belladonna-wright]

Profile

Name: Jessie Kamaria Wright.

D.O.B.: November 28th, 1835 [Appears c.32]

Magick Status: Vampire [Secret]

Nationality: British (Naturalised citizenship. Originally an American citizen)

Ethnicity: Saudi Arabian* (Maternal line) and White British (Paternal line).

Sexuality: Bisexual

Accent: Faint American twang.

Physical Appearance

Height: 5’9”

Build: Slim, with a wiry sort of strength

Complexion: Somewhat pale olive/light brown skin (lack of exposure to direct sunlight has made it paler than it once was).

Hair colour/style: Long, black hair. Worn in a variety of styles - frequently up whenever she has a task on her mind, but down when relaxing.

Eye Colour: Brown

Piercings/tattoos: Ear Piercings: Many. Jessie has a whole raft of ear piercings and is almost always wearing some combination of different studs, rings and cuffs. Tattoo: She has a small crescent moon tattoo, designed to cover up her Damzman mark (but this is quite heavily faded).

Everyday Jewellery/Accessories: In addition to her earrings, Jessie often wears several rings that she mixes and matches according to her mood and outfit. Always wears a chain with a pair of silver rings on it.

She is almost never without a pair of large dark sunglasses to protect her eyes from the glare, and in summer will almost always be wearing a hat.

She also often wears a bandana as a necktie. Old habits.

What would you find if you googled them:

Remarkably little. Most recently a few social media accounts that have hardly any posts on them. If you went back far enough you may find some accounts of the Infamous Round-Up Gang and their Jessie Wright… but that’s just a coincidence, right?

There would be a few photographs of old, badly drawn Wanted Posters, and a few mentions in obituaries, but Jessie Wright really isn’t that uncommon of a name historically.

What would Swynlake natives know about them:

Lives in The Woods.

Is friendly with Xuemei Song, Mads Morey, Nick Wilde.

Has money.

Knows a lot about art.

Other:

Usually always has a jet black thermos flask mug on her person somewhere, the contents of which are best left unknown.

Timeline of Backstory Available Here.

*Anachronistic - Saudi Arabia as a state did not exist when Jessie was born but she identifies with it for ease (and so as to not give away her age).

[belladonna-wright]

A Little Un-hinged - Gessie

[gem-mohanty]

"Mmmmmmm, we'll see," Gem said.

After all, Jessie had danced at prom. Hadn't she? She was totally capable of it. And, besides, it was just fun. Gem was a shit dancer. He wasn't planning to bust out any slick moves. Mostly, he danced around the Hauntley kitchen with Snow or in the garden when no one else was watching him.

"We're curating a banger playlist. Not to brag. Trust me, once you hear Sadi Gali, you won't be able to help yourself."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Oh, I'm sure the playlist will be perfection, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate it from a nice sensible table, or perhaps a barstool, who knows, I won't limit my options just yet," Jessie quipped.

But no, on this occasion she would not be dancing, she felt it too deeply in her stomach.

"Have you picked out a first dance song yet?" She pried, voice a little bit light and teasing. "Or is the most important song on the playlist yet to be decided?"

@gem-mohanty

[belladonna-wright]

Taking an Interest - Nessie

[wilde-fun]

Nick exaggerated the shudder at that. "I only ever read those when I was picking out targets before. I'd like to keep it that way."

True enough in a sense. Find the people who either were low down and on the way up, they had enough confidence and hunger that you could sell them a chance at something better. Find the people who had been at the top and on the way down, you could sell them the fix that would send them back up. Figure out who they were married to, you likely had a spouse that was currently being ignored while business was the focus, and they might want a listening ear and a dream of love.

There were a lot of ways to make the stock market work for you if you were enterprising enough.

He followed Jessie back to the snug, settling in with their drinks and their tea. "So, anything else I should know? Anything exciting in your part of the town?"

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Well that explains even more," Jessie added a little scathingly. Really, it was almost upsetting to think about how much money Nick had probably lost out on over the years by not thinking further ahead in his life- but there was no real time for that right now.

Jessie laid the tray down for Nick, and looked it over to be sure she had everything before she frowned.

"Oh, sorry, I've forgotten a spoon. Won't be a second," Jessie sighed, "Feel free to choose a record or have a browse," she waved a hand over at the shelves that contained books and vinyls, before she turned to go and fetch a spoon so that Nick could make his coffee the way he actually wanted.

@wilde-fun

[belladonna-wright]

A Little Un-hinged - Gessie

[gem-mohanty]

"Uh, there will definitely be forced dancing," Gem said, looking over his shoulder at her with a 'well, duh' expression.

Five years ago, he would've never. It wouldn't have crossed his mind. He couldn't even hold someone's hand, let alone let loose on the dance floor. But that was the beautiful thing about not having his magic. He didn't have to worry about that shit anymore.

In all ways: he was free.

And a free Gem wanted to dance.

"A wedding without dancing is, like, literally so boring." He'd never really been to any weddings, but he'd watched enough Bollywood movies with his sisters (and Frank.)

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"You can dance your little heart out with your bride," Jessie told him in a voice that sounded curiously like a warning, "I will be staying put."

If everyone else danced, then she would not complain, she simply would not be partaking herself. Besides, flash mobs or anything of the sort was decidedly beneath her.

@gem-mohanty

[belladonna-wright]

The Wedding Planning Crasher - Sessie

[lady-snow-flower]

Snow tilted her head as she looked at each option with fresh eyes-- with Jessie's eyes, specifically. Now, that was something a person could only do with a few very dear, very close friends. Snow thought she could do it with Ting-Ting too-- step into her friend's shoes and imagine what she might think. Most of Snow's friendships weren't like that. They remained a little shallow, a little distant. But that was the kind of friendship she needed to have for most people, since when she let herself care, she cared very deeply.

Jessie, she had known for several years now. They had frequent visits-- a friendship built mostly on familiarity and proximity, but such friendships often became the most comfortable. They asked very little of you every time you met them, but each meeting was another grain of sand. Eventually, the sand became a castle, without you even realizing it.

And so now Snow could perform that magic trick: seeing herself through Jessie's eyes.

And she agreed with her.

Snow smiled and nodded. "You're right, I think the second one is the most like me. I'm not sure if it's the most like Gem-- but then, these really don't seem like him at all." She pushed the other options away. "I think he'd at least like this one. It's less assuming."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"I think, though he'd not thank me for saying it, Gem would like whichever one you chose the most," she pointed out with a trace of fondness in her voice.

"Or he'd say something about not caring if people showed up or not, and he'd make it sound very grouchy but actually it would be because as long as you're there he's happy."

Sickening, really, she ought to think.

"But yes, I think you're probably right," Jessie said with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

@lady-snow-flower

[bullseye-stoddard]

Shopping Trip || Jesseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

When Jessie had come to his apartment, Bullseye had appreciated her offer of helping him redecorate, but he had not been ready to tell her that he was thinking of relocating since he had still been in the planning process. But now he had gotten things started, and had just been to a real estate agency who had sounded very optimistic about finding some land within the size of the acreage he needed.

So when he met up with Jessie to shop for his new furnishings, he knew he could not keep the good news from her any longer.

"I know when you said you'd help me pick out new stuff, we were talkin' 'bout th' apartment," he began, as they strolled through the store, "But I gotta confess somethin' t' you. I still wanna pick out new stuff, but hopefully it won't be for th' apartment. 'Cause, well, 'm lookin' t' start a new ranch for myself over here. I been thinkin' 'bout it for a while, but I finally decided t' do it. I already went t' a real estate agency, an' things are lookin' up. So if all goes well, you'll get t' help me furnish a whole new house!"

Bullseye beamed, proud of himself for taking a big step once again and confident that Jessie would be just as proud.

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

Jessie was letting her fingers run over some sampled of fabrics as they made their way between areas; she was determined to find him a sofa first that would say home. Something that might help him settle a little more. But she was silent as Bullseye talked, determined to give him the room to make decisions today.

That resolution didn't last very long.

"What?" Jessie turned towards him, trying to work out how on earth he had thought not to tell her before?

Roots? He wanted to put down roots. Properly.

The very thought crept up her spine like a dread chill.

"Well that's not very fair of you Bullseye!" Jessie chided him. "How on earth are we s'pposed to pick something out when you don't even know what your new space is going to look like!" She thumped him good-naturedly in his granite shoulder.

"Honestly, I gotta throw away all of my plans now! Why didn't you tell me first!?"

@bullseye-stoddard

[knightley--phillip]

Market Research || Open

[knightley--phillip]

“You mean severed animal heads mounted on the walls wasn’t welcoming?” Phillip snorted. “Don’t worry — I don’t hunt nor do I plan on showing off any animal heads. I was thinking of leaning into the Swynlake of it all. Old town photos and stuff. Might get people to donate a photo or picture from a favorite Swynlake event at the opening or something and get it up on the wall. The past, present, and future —”

He gestured his hand in a rainbow arc across his head. 

"Is that too corny? I dunno. It's a work in progress."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Aright, good," Jessie agreed with a terse nod. That might make the whole place feel a little less medieval (in the strictly perjorative sense, she had a great appreciation of all of the old medieval buildings in the town, rather less so the attitudes of certain residents).

"A little corny, yes," Jessie said, feeling it was a touch twee for herself but ... "But people like corny. I mean, around here? They eat that sort of thing right up, so far as I can tell."

@knightley--phillip

[belladonna-wright]

A Little Un-hinged - Gessie

[gem-mohanty]

"Uh huh," Gem shook his head at the protest.

He wasn't gonna push her. Though, she could've just asked him around for tea and biscuits. Or lunch. Like a normal person. (Would he have found a reason to say no? Maybe. But he did like Jessie. And, y'know, he appreciated anyone, these days, that wasn't coming at him with a pitchfork--or pity.)

"Secret's safe with me, I don't have anyone to tell," Gem said causal and joking. It was true, though.

And it didn't surprise him that Jessie was a romantic. She was rich, but she filled her house with old things--vintage. Things that lasted. There was a sentimentality to that which couldn't be hidden.

"I'll let Snow know. She's doing most of the planning. I just say "yes, dear" and "no, dear" when prompted."

That wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't untrue either. And not because of disinterest, but because Gem had no bloody idea what went into a wedding. He was so nervous about it, whenever they talked details, he felt like he was going to throw up. But, he had opinions, and he was never shy about giving them when Snow asked about seat charts (stupid, let people sit where they want) or the food (definitely sit down, buffet seemed tacky.)

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

Jessie chuckled. "Ah, a wise man then," she joked with him. It was so much easier when you said yes to all things wedding-planning.

When she had been married it had been ... one endless list of things that her mother-in-law had insisted were what had to be done, how things were done in their family. Perhaps even then she had felt as if her own family were being pushed aside but, perhaps, she had been too young and too giddy and too foolish to care.

She hoped that Gem would have his say too, that he would get to include things that meant the world to him, on their special day.

But then, with the careful attentions of Miss Song, Jessie was sure it would happen.

"But yes, if there's anything you need a consult on, consider me at your service." Gem had good enough taste to do nice things for Snow, but if he needed a friend to be there ... well, perhaps Jessie could be there. "So long as there's no talk of forcing people to dance at the celebration, I won't be forced to dance," she warned, teasingly.

@gem-mohanty

[belladonna-wright]

The Wedding Planning Crasher - Sessie

[lady-snow-flower]

"Well, stationary, of course! I've got to send out those save the date cards-- actually, I should just skip those and mail the actual invites, it's such a short turnaround," she amended.

She fished out a few samples from underneath some of the brochures. "Here are a few options-- what do you think?"

[option 1] [option 2] [option 3]

"I like the frayed edges on this one--" she held up the second card. "But I also really like an interesting shape. But maybe this one--" she held up the first one "-- is too much."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Impressively traditional," Jessie teased with the bright flash of a grin. With so little time, honestly many people would have cut corners and resorted to an email invitation (Jessie had very literally shuddered upon receiving an 'e-vite' to a vow renewal recently, even if they had no way of knowing her postal address), but not Snow.

"I like the second," Jessie said, surprising herself a little as she looked at it. She didn't know what it was, the frayed edges or the charming watercolour that turned the whole thing into a memento itself, but something twinged ever so faintly inside her at the sight of it.

What would her invitations have looked like, if she had had the chance for them?

"But of course all of them are very charming. There's something to be said for the clean lines of the third too, but it feels less like a keepsake ... perhaps a little less you?"

@lady-snow-flower

[belladonna-wright]

Taking an Interest - Nessie

[wilde-fun]

Nick took hold of the card, looking down at it for a moment. Out of habit, he used a sleight of hand trick to make it disappear before it reappeared back in his other hand.

Silly. Sure. But in some ways it was comforting to show off a little of that skill instead of grappling with what the card represented.

He'd make the call. Maybe not today, but soon. He'd asked Jessie for help, and even that had been a long slow process of trying to get himself there. But it didn't change the persistent itch along his spine at needing to have the conversation. It was one thing when it was Jessie who already knew, who knew because they'd stumbled into each other after decades. It was another to say it on purpose to a stranger.

"This makes me feel disgustingly grown up. I was enjoying avoiding this," he said, half jokingly.

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

Jessie watched the card disappear and rolled her eyes fondly at Nick. Once a hustler, always a hustler, regardless of where their paths took them, there were some instincts that were too well ingrained to die.

"Well the good news is, that this route allows you to hand over a lot of control and avoid doing terribly boring things like reading through the stock-market columns in the newspaper," Jessie joked with him, knowing that it wasn't truly so much that. But how did one talk about the other things? She simply tried not to.

"Come on, let's go and settle down somewhere a little more comfortable," she suggested, loading up a tray with the cafetiere while it brewed, and a cup and saucer for him. "That's more than enough business for the afternoon."

She led the way back through to the hall, and then off to the other wing of the house, down towards the snug, where her records and books lay waiting.

@wilde-fun

[belladonna-wright]

The Wedding Planning Crasher - Sessie

[lady-snow-flower]

"The latter. Though-- I think we'll end up going very classic. Roses," said Snow fondly.

Was it a bit cliche? Yes, but Snow and Gem both loved red and Snow especially loved red for weddings. It was the color of good fortune. She was already trying to find a wedding dress that might incorporate some red, as a nod to her heritage.

"Which is good because almost all stores have roses. It's just the timeline and the amount, of course. It would be great if the Garden Grove could do it. I know they get their roses from some place in Africa, I think!"

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Lovely," Jessie agreed. At least with something as commonly used as roses, most places would indeed have a supplier, rather than having to source something different, Snow was entirely right about that. "Roses are timeless," she pointed out, not wanting Snow to doubt her choice. "And the richness of colours on the petals are something spectacular."

Indeed, she grew some in her own garden - or rather had inherited a beautiful old rambler from the preious owners. She would have to bear it in mind.

"Hopefully if you get the order in soon enough, they'll be able to make sure it happens." There was still time, plenty of time. It was not as though it had taken more than a matter of weeks to put everything together for Jessie's own wedding, although expectations had been a little different then. "What else is on the list?"

@lady-snow-flower

[belladonna-wright]

A Little Un-hinged - Gessie

[gem-mohanty]

Gem was still resolutely not looking at Jessie.

He could feel her soft gaze on him, hear it in her voice, featherlight and fond. It made him feel itchy. It made him want to light on fire, burn a hole right through her door. The impulse was so strong that for a moment, he forgot that even if he wanted to (he didn't), he wouldn't be able to.

There was a now-familiar ache behind his breastbone, where his fire had once lived.

He swallowed. It was a nice sentiment. Gem didn't know what to do with nice sentiments. Especially when he didn't think he deserved them (he rarely did.)

"Happy enough to trap me here so you could talk about it, eh?" Gem flashed her a smile and pointed to the hinges. He went back to what he had been doing. "But, thanks," he said more softly.

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

Jessie couldn't help but smirk as Gem confirmed that by now he had seen through all remaining vestiges of her ruse.

"I don't know what you mean, Mr Mohanty. I'm just making polite conversation after an unfortunate accident with my door," she joked, not failing to notice the fact that he found it easier to speak softly when his face was focused on the door.

For that she would not criticise him. It was so much easier, sometimes, to say what mattered when your face was turned away.

"Well, while I am sure you will have things very much in hand, if either of you need any advice on good wines for the big day, or other little touches, I'm your girl. Just don't tell anyone. Would be terrible for my reputation for anyone to know I'm a romantic," Jessie joked, even as her fingers tangled in the chain around her neck.

@gem-mohanty

[belladonna-wright]

Taking an Interest - Nessie

[wilde-fun]

"I think we have that part covered."

Not through any work of his own of course. He had Seamus to thank for that. He'd dumped money into their company because at the time they were partners and he'd wanted to help Seamus finally get ahead. In the years of his disappearance, Seamus had tended that investment without knowing if Nick would ever be back to claim that part. He'd signed it over.

It meant Nick now had a stupid amount of money. Enough to indulge almost any whim, or to buy freedom for decades. Maybe centuries. Not necessary a lifetime's worth for him - unless someone else kept tending it that way.

"If your firm is...open to new clients, that sounds like a reasonable recommendation to me. I can see the proof of the success."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"I'll double-check, but I'm sure that would be fine," Jessie reassured Nick as she went about making him his drink. "In fact, I can- one sec," she held up a finger and finished pouring the water before she disappeared off deeper into the house. There was the sound of a few cupboards opening before Jessie came back with a card in her hand that she slid across the counter to him.

"Here, those are the contacts for you. But I'm sure if I let them know to expect to hear from you, and you let them know I've referred you, things should go fairly smoothly."

It was all just ... different, to try and take on this position of admitting how very long-lived you were.

@wilde-fun

[belladonna-wright]

Home Inspection - Jesseye

[bullseye-stoddard]

He still could not imagine what he could know more about than Jessie. The fact that he could not seem to figure it out should have contradicted what she was trying to say, but Bullseye was not about to argue with her. Whatever she thought had to be the truth. So he obviously was just going to go on being great at whatever that might be, yet still being totally clueless about it. Which actually could describe him in a lot of ways, really.

Throwing a party for her, however, was something he could absolutely grasp. "Oh for sure! I ain't gonna let that milestone pass wit'out celebratin'! Plannin' might not be my strong suit, but I know I can put somethin' good together. But, uh, what do we do for a cake?" They could not exactly stick candles in a bowl of blood. Or were there floating candles? Somehow he thought there were.

Again it sounded like he had actually done something right without realizing that he had done it. "Huh, this is soundin' like th' story o' my life. William Stoddard: th' guy who did things righ' but had no idea how he did it." Oh, wait…now he was starting to get it a bit. So was that how people came up design terms and stuff like that? They just slapped them on certain things? "Really? Dang, and here I thought it was all high-falutin' stuff. Now you're tellin' me that I could jus' throw some things together an' say it's--what was that?--mid-century? Guess that's not wrong. Th' couch definitely was from th' middle o' th' last century."

He would not mind recreating the room here the way he had had it at the ranch. But at the same time, Bullseye felt this should be at least a little different. "I'd prob'ly want t' go for somethin' similar, yeah, but not 'zactly th' same. I've really gotta work on tryin' t' change somethin', even if it's jus' th' furniture."

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Darlin', we're all just making it up as we go along and not knowing how we did it when it works out," Jessie laughed out.

He really was the only one who brought that side of her out. With anyone else, she would insist that everything was calculated, that she did indeed always have a plan. Most of the time she did. It felt safer that way, as if she could truly control the world around her if she foresaw enough of the answers and the way that people would behave and respond.

Sometimes she even believed it. But deep down, she knew that the very best things were the ones you could not predict; the things you found out that you loved purely by accident, the friend who came back from the dead after so many years.

"Well, one of these days, I'll take you shopping and we can pick out a few more things for you," Jessie assured Billy. It would be a nice occasion, and that way he could really get a look at things, and she could get a look at what he responded to.

@bullseye-stoddard

[belladonna-wright]

A Little Un-hinged - Gessie

[gem-mohanty]

Gem blushed, his head ducking again before he paid attention again to what he was doing. (He'd started unscrewing the hinges so he could pop the door off and set it aside.

"Well, would've sucked if she said no." For the second time, he added to himself. "Considering it cost me a pretty penny. So, yeah, I'm glad she likes it."

It wasn't exactly what she'd commented but...he was still shy at heart. And talking about Snow also made him uncomfortable. Like he might say something wrong. Or that people would judge him. Even with Jessie and her knowing smile, he wondered if she actually approved, or if she was just trying to catch him out.

But then he worried that he didn't sound enthusiastic enough and Jessie wouldn't think that Gem loved Snow down to his bones.

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

Snow would not have said no, Jessie knew that with a certainty that was almost laughable - so much so that she let out a soft laugh of her own.

"After everything, Gem, I hardly think she was going to."

After the waiting that Snow had done, after nearly losing Gem to prison again (and far worse, indeed), Snow would not have borne it against Miss Song if she had not taken Gem back. All that pain would have broken many a couple. But Snow had taken him back, and from that moment, Jessie was sure, nothing would have prevented her saying yes.

But she was a lot older than Gem, and a little wiser, in her humble opinion. Besides, she had seen love, she had watched it enough to know it when she did see it.

"I'm very happy for you both, you know?" Jessie said, allowing a moment of briefest sincerity.

@gem-mohanty

[belladonna-wright]

The Wedding Planning Crasher - Sessie

[lady-snow-flower]

"Oh--yes! Well, maybe. We're aiming for July 15. I called a bunch of places around Swynlake to see if there is availability and there should be. Not a lot of weddings happen here," she said, raising her eyebrows.

You'd think more would but...it was such a little town, and what Snow had realized, upon drawing up a list of venues, is that there really were very few venues. There was certainly a business opportunity, then, for Snow's dream BnB down the line... though she still felt so far from her dream. If she were to have a baby in the next year or two, then she probably wouldn't really be ready until she was forty.

But she supposed that was a nice thing about some dreams. They waited for you. Snow didn't feel in a rush, not when so many of her other dreams were happening right now-- her wedding months away and hopefully a baby too.

"You will be free, right? You've got to come. I won't take no for an answer," Snow said.

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Fifteenth of July, I'll book it out," Jessie joked - although she would of course make sure that she was free, it would take a major catastrophe for her to not attend for this pair of youngsters she was so fond of.

"Of course I'll be there," Jessie assured Snow more softly, reaching out to give her hand a quick squeeze. "Wouldn't miss it for the world. I love a wedding," she said, a little glint in her eye. "So you're looking at flowers," Jessie redirected, "At current. Have you decided the sort of theming you're looking for, or are you just looking at seeing who could fulfill the orders first?"

@lady-snow-flower

[knightley--phillip]

Market Research || Open

[knightley--phillip]

“Oh a proper one for sure,” said Phillip, without hesitation. “No ice cubes in any drinks unless requested.” He winked. “Though considering how many Americans we’ve got in town, I can’t do away with the ice all together now.” 

@belladonna-wright

[belladonna-wright]

"Hm, good." Jessie said, a little thawed by the assurance, although she wasn't sure whether he was making fun of her accent or not. Not that she usually bothered to put ice in everything; it wasn't as though she needed anything to cool her down, and she especially didn't favour diluting drinks that didn't need it.

"Well I suppose when the rest of them are all on the soft drinks, that's fine," she sniffed. "I have to admit, I never really warmed to the previous Pub either... it always felt a little too old world, you know?" Almost to the point of parody with all those hunting trophies around, but perhaps she was biased. Gaston never had seemed like the warmest soul.

@knightley--phillip