Birthdate: May 20th, 1993 ( 25 )
Gender and Pronouns: Female, she/her
Hometown: Santa Monica, California
Neighborhood: Downtown
Occupation: Investigative / Freelance Journalist
Face-claim: Medalion Rahimi
Trigger Warnings: None.
The third and oldest daughter of Iranian-American parents, Jemima Majidi grew up on the golden beaches of Santa Monica, soaking up the sun, swimming in the sea with her sisters and sneaking out with her friends at the weekend. Her parents were neither wealthy nor poor, affording Jemima a comfortable childhood. Her mother was their primary caregiver, with their father often working long and late hours in the restaurant he and her uncle owned and ran together. Jemima didnât mind, often helping out in the diner at weekends for a little bit of cash. Though closer to her father, Jemima was undoubtedly shaped by her mother; a woman of complex contradictions. She was strict yet fair, forthright yet tactful, caustic yet calming, and Jemima was no different. A hardworking, intelligent teen who dabbled in disobedience and seemed unable to keep her mouth shut. Sometimes quiet at the worst of times and unbearably outgoing at the best. Refusing to date yet agonisingly alluring. Jemima went where the mood and the crowd took her, flitting from group to group since she didnât seem to really fit in anywhere. Jemima was one of a kind, and it wasnât until college that she learnt to just be herself, however fierce and deceptive and contemplative and truthful she was. Her wit and intellect was unrivalled, however, and her natural affinity for reading people and ability to see through bullshit lead her down the law route when the time came to pick a college and a major.
No one expected her to actually get into Harvard Law, least of all Jemima herself. Sheâd applied on a whim, throwing caution to the wind and thinking âscrew it.â But as the acceptances rolled in (because her 4.0 GPA wasnât going to be declined) she was exceedingly shocked to see the Ivy League university had even considered her, let alone accept her. Law was prestigious, law was respected, law was what she excelled in. Yet Jemima found her niche in writing, taking up a position in the student newspaper. Law may be prestigious, but journalism was a hell of a lot more engaged to Jemima. She graduated with honours and whilst she likely could have walked into any law firm and found herself a position, Jemima geared herself towards writing professionally. It started with internships, and then she turned freelance, specialising in investigative journalism. From there on she bounced from place to place, following the work she could get wherever she could get it, using her law degree and unshakeable determination to get the most out of the subject matter given to her. Her writing developed an honesty and Jemima made it her mission to get right to the bottom of each and every case she came across.
Yet her career hasnât had the major breakthrough Jemima needs to give her the credence and respect she desires. Whilst she wanted to uncover and expose corrupt politicians, police cover-ups and money-laundering celebs and dangerous criminals alike, Jemima found herself writing the same thing again and again. Minor celebrity going to the grocery store without make-up on. Police officer helping an old woman cross the road. A dog whoâd been taught to paint. Boring, mundane, ordinary. It wasnât Jemimaâs gig but she needs the money, and so when she was asked by an Atlanta magazine to write a puff piece about a small town girl-turned local social media star-turned actress, she couldnât really turn it down. Alexis Hawthorne seemed like the kind of girl Jemima would go out of her away to avoid, but she was being paid to kiss her ass. And so she drifted into Westport, securing herself a cheap little apartment downtown she figured sheâd be out of by the end of the summer. Small town gossip revealed a few interesting rumours and secrets, and talk of a local gang had Jemimaâs ears pricking, determined to rinse Westport for all it was worth. Jemima made a few friends, even managed to get herself invited to a wedding, but then Alexis disappeared. Jemima had never been presented with such an opportunity and she knows if done right then Alexisâs case may very well be the making of her career. Competitive, obsessive and thorough, Jemima is determined to get every last drop of information she can however she can. She has her own suspicions, but people wonât pay to hear what a nobody writer has to say- theyâll pay for the truth, though.
Jemima never expected the townâs gaze to turn on her, however. But what are people supposed to think of a stranger turning up out of the blue asking questions and prying into the life of Alexis Hawthorne only weeks before she disappeared? Jemima might be desperate for the truth, but she hadnât considered what the consequences of implicating herself in the investigation may be.
( + ) adaptable, erudite, passionate.
( - ) amoral, imprudent, obsessive.