Jesse Reeves - Application
Canon: The Vampire Chronicles: Queen of the Damned (movie-verse)
Character: Jessica (“Jesse”) Miriam Reeves
Timeline: Movie-verse, taken immediately after Akasha interrupts Lestat’s concert in Death Valley
Personality:
Curiosity, they say, killed the cat. In Jesse’s case, this has very nearly been her fate on numerous occasions as well.
Jesse is an orphaned young woman-in her mid-thirties in the book, mid-twenties in the movie-verse-in the service of the Order of the Talamasca, which is a secret society with global connections focused on observing supernatural phenomena in our world. The supernatural phenomena observed includes witches, vampires, werewolves, and ghosts and spirits. The organization is said to have existed since the first century AD, and has bases in such places as London, Amsterdam, and Rome.
As a result of her work with the Order, she engages in activities that are often quite dangerous and consistently without her superiors’ consent-but all in the name of her personal, insatiable curiosity. In all forms of canon, Jesse defies the Talamascan code to not interfere in the world of the supernatural and only observe it. She is not completely rebellious and adheres to some rules, but her thirst for knowledge and experience often drives her to step out on her own, following her own path in the face of contrary advice. In the book, this defiance leads her to an encounter with the spirit of Claudia, who was the child-turned-vampire ward of Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis de Pointe du Lac. In the film, Jesse’s acts of defiance are too numerous to count.
Her identity as an orphan is further magnified to a greater degree when she is cast out of the only home she’s ever known-that of her Aunt Maharet. Maharet sends her away for her own protection, but in Jesse’s eyes it is an abandonment, and a painful one. Jesse’s struggle to make sense of the loss of her family is another driving force behind her character’s sometimes reckless and risky actions.
Jesse’s interest in Lestat, in both forms of media, blossoms from curiosity to full-blown obsession. In the book, her fixation with him is more related to her suspicion of Maharet and her lost “family”; in the film, however, the obsession is taken further. After reading his journal, which has been in the possession of Talamascan leader David Talbot, she is driven to meet Lestat at all costs-even going as far as placing herself completely unprotected in a vampire den to catch his interest. Eventually, even Lestat is impressed with her boldness and tenacity in such a situation.
Jesse feels she and Lestat have a special kinship born of loneliness; Lestat because he is a several hundred years-old vampire who craves companionship, and Jesse because the only family she’s ever known, she believes, might be a coven of vampires. Her obsession leads to love. Lestat tries to tear down her rose-colored goggles with the truth, that being a blood-sucking corpse is not as romantic as he might make it seem on the outside, but ultimately he does so in vain. She is as stubborn and hard-headed as he is, in many ways. She sees the human side to Lestat-the side that he himself has often forgotten, but one that manifests quite often in her presence.
It is perhaps Jesse’s unwavering faith and trust in Lestat that ultimately ends up endearing herself to him, by the end of the movie…and he does not disappoint her.
Background:
In the film version, Jesse is orphaned at age five or six, and initially lives with her Aunt Maharet and others in their secluded compound. Something happens-Jesse doesn’t quite remember what it is-and she is sent away by Maharet to live with other relatives. Young Jesse only recalls feeling as though she is being cast out of the only place she has ever felt she belonged.
Years later as the story begins, she is already in the apprenticeship of the Talamasca in London, working under David Talbot. Quite by coincidence one day she is listening absently to Lestat’s music, and she picks up on a quote from the lyrics of one of his songs: “Give your life to my charms, in the Admiral’s Arms”. Curious, Jesse looks up lease records in old London and discovers there was in fact a tavern in a corner of the city known as the Admiral’s Arms that was popularized in the late 17th century-one that was linked to black magic, and where people mysteriously disappeared. Jesse shares this information with her Talamascan superiors, convinced that instead of a rock star with a gimmick, she’s stumbled onto a real vampire…and one that is leading them to a real vampire coven.
After a proper scolding for having done the footwork on the case herself as a mere apprentice, Jesse is informed by David that they are already quite aware of Lestat’s true identity. David shows her paintings in his office of another vampire named Marius, his own little research project, and informs her that not only is Marius a more ancient vampire than Lestat, but he was responsible for making Lestat a vampire. Jesse is completely consumed by curiosity at this point. David reveals to her then that he is in possession of Lestat’s personal journal, and agrees to let her view it on the condition that she leaves the Talamascan fieldwork to the more senior members.
Upon reading Lestat’s journal, Jesse learns of the details of his making by Marius, and Marius’ attempts to teach him. Lestat is an eager learner and enjoys his newfound powers immensely. At the same time he is still too enamored of mortals and wishes to be known, to walk among them as a god-something Marius will not allow. Marius informs him that he must stay in the shadows and conceal his identity, for the protection of vampires everywhere. In a particularly upsetting moment, Lestat pauses in their walking discussion to spontaneously join some gypsies playing the violin; when his eyes gleam inhumanly in the firelight, the gypsies scatter, shouting with fear. Marius commands Lestat to dispatch the talented gypsy girl violinist he was playing with, and as he reluctantly takes her life, he realizes she would have lived if only he hadn’t revealed himself to her.
Jesse then learns that Lestat discovers “Those Who Must Be Kept” in Marius’ lair. They are Akasha and Enkil, an ancient Egyptian queen and her king, the first original vampires from whom all others were made. Akasha and Enkil are frozen in some sort of marble-like catatonic state-like statues-and have been that way (according to Marius) for thousands of years. Lestat stumbles upon them and plays the violin for the two silent and still figures, and when he is finished he notices with surprise that Akasha’s arm is raised, almost as in offering. Lestat goes to her and drinks from her wrist, tasting the blood faintly pulsing underneath her statuesque exterior-and goes into something of a catatonic state himself, drunk with her power. He has strange, violent memories of ancient Egypt and orgies of blood.
Marius discovers Lestat’s trespasses, and chains Lestat to prevent him from returning to Akasha. Lestat is infuriated, insisting Akasha called to him and chose him, but Marius assures him that if the queen were to fully arise it would mean the end of mortals and immortals alike, as her bloodlust knows no bounds. Lestat falls into slumber. When he awakens, he is distraught to find that Marius is gone for good, as are his statues of Akasha and Enkil. Lestat calls to him repeatedly in vain, with no answer.
In his journal, Lestat laments that his teacher left him to his darkest lesson-that ultimately he is totally alone, and that nothing endures but the cold, dark wasteland of eternity. Jesse is profoundly moved by Lestat’s writings, and her pain from being abandoned by her strange family years ago echoes his. She resolves to seek him out at all costs, feeling she understands him better than anyone.
Her search for him begins at the Admiral’s Arms where she willingly puts herself on display and proclaims she knows Marius the Ancient, in an attempt to lure Lestat out into the open. It works; he ends up saving her from what would have been an untimely death at the hands of weaker vampires. Lestat questions how she knows Marius, and Jesse responds that she knows personal things about Lestat, including the guilt he felt over the gypsy violinist’s death and how it ties into one of his songs. Lestat is a bit uneasy to know a mere mortal-and a Talamascan, at that-has possession of some of his innermost thoughts, and he tries to intimidate her and frighten her off. Despite himself, he later seems impressed with her insight into his music.
Jesse’s curiosity isn’t slaked by any means, and despite warnings from her Talamascan superiors she decides to follow Lestat to his concert in California. She manages to get to Los Angeles and hunt down Lestat’s band manager just as he is selecting women for Lestat’s nightly “feast”. Jesse is selected along with another goth fangirl, and both are whisked away to his LA mansion.
Lestat is amused at her persistence. He sends the other girl away-to his manager’s relief-but allows Jesse to stay, and they have a brief discussion of her motives. Jesse asks Lestat to show her what it’s like to be like him. Intrigued by her tenacity Lestat quietly acquiesces, and teases her slightly before embarking on a nighttime flight through the hills of Los Angeles, with her clinging to him in his embrace.
He is unusually playful with her, most likely in an attempt to figure her out. He impresses her with his feats of agility and strength, tossing her in the air as though she’s a featherweight, and again her fearlessness draws him in. Unwillingly, Lestat realizes he is attracted to her. Jesse presses the issue of immortality again, and goes as far as pricking her skin to tempt him to bite her. Lestat is nearly drawn in, fangs bared for the kill above her breast, but he suddenly detaches himself and pushes her away angrily. He is now cold and remote, and insistent upon showing her the ugly truth behind the glamour of his dark gift.
He drags her from the steps of the observatory into a nearby park, and pauses. A drunken woman and her lover are stumbling to a bench not far away, giggling and embracing. Jesse watches as Lestat unleashes a monstrous hiss into the darkness, and the male lover’s eyes are illuminated by an unearthly light in the glow of the streetlamps as he looks up. Jesse gasps with realization, and the weaker vampire flees the scene in the blink of an eye. She is further stunned to see Lestat moving towards the abandoned woman, who eyes him with trepidation-before he attacks her and sinks his teeth into her neck.
Jesse grimaces in horror as the woman fights and struggles for her life. Lestat finishes, his chin covered in her blood, and quickly advances on Jesse again, asking her darkly if she’s ready and if she still wants to become like him. No, of course you don’t, he sneers, seeing the fear in her eyes. He stalks away into the night, leaving Jesse behind.
But again she is not so easily intimidated, and days later she is in attendance as Lestat’s concert kicks off in Death Valley. David Talbot appears amidst the concert-goers, having followed her to try to stop her, but Jesse evades him. Also roaming in the crowd are several ancient vampires, calmly overseeing the buzzing excitement of the gathering-including Jesse’s Aunt Maharet.
As Lestat’s concert starts Jesse becomes aware of multiple menacing presences in the crowd-vampires, who have come to attack Lestat for betraying their code of secrecy and exposing their lifestyle to the public. She tries to shout to Lestat from the audience, attempting to warn him, but it doesn’t do any good. The vampires leap onstage and attack; fortunately Marius arrives to help Lestat, and they fight many of the vampires off together. The crowd goes wild, believing the fight is orchestrated and part of the show. However there are too many of them, and Lestat and Marius are quickly surrounded. To their surprise, the attackers suddenly begin bursting into flame, their torched carcasses floating up into the night air like ash. At that moment Jesse finds herself cornered by a vampire she remembers from her aunt’s house, protecting her on Maharet’s orders; Jesse looks at him with surprised recognition as realization dawns in her eyes.
Then the stage explodes underneath Marius and Lestat, throwing them backwards, and out of the splintered floor Akasha rises into the air. Lestat’s rock music has awoken her fully, and she has killed her king for his blood and is now more powerful than ever. She draws Lestat to her and they take off into the night sky, much to the amazement of the audience below.
At Maharet’s remote mountain compound, Jesse is told the truth-that she is the mortal descendant of Maharet herself, who is a vampire so ancient that she lived in the time of Akasha and Enkil. Maharet tells her that she kept watch over her human family even after she was made a vampire by Akasha, and that Jesse is all that ties her to the world of the living.
It is soon apparent that Maharet and the other ancients with her-Pandora, Marius, Armand, Mael and Khayman-know that Akasha is coming for them. They are not sure if they are to be spared or not, and they discuss whether she can be defeated in the name of mortals and immortals alike. Jesse asks about Lestat and her question is brushed aside, the others assuring her that Lestat has joined with Akasha and is lost to them.
Akasha and Lestat predictably arrive, the Queen of the Damned herself clothed in her ancient Egyptian finery, and Lestat dressed as her royal consort. It is obvious to all at the compound, including Jesse, that Akasha has literally brainwashed him with the drinking of her potent blood.
Maharet and Marius attempt to reason with the deranged Queen, telling her the world has changed and is incompatible with her reign, but Akasha refuses to listen and instead turns to Lestat. She asks him if he loves her and as he replies that he does, Jesse’s heart visibly breaks. Then to test his loyalty, Akasha commands Lestat to kill the human girl. Unknown to Akasha, Lestat has already had enough of her insatiable bloodlust and is already plotting against her; however he knows it’s too soon to disobey, and he is unable to find an immediate way out of the situation. He approaches Jesse with trepidation, concern in his eyes, but he is reassured and understands when Jesse speaks and informs her aunt that it is in fact what she wants, to be bitten by Lestat.
The others look on, horrified, as Lestat comes face to face with the human girl. Maharet tries to intervene, but Akasha throws her aside. Then the group is silent as Jesse calmly moves her hair over her shoulder for him, baring the space above her breast for him to bite, and embracing him as a lover would. Lestat takes her blood and drains Jesse to the point of near-death, lowering her to the ground gently afterward.
As Akasha gloats, Lestat returns to her side and demands his reward now that he’s earned his crown. Akasha lets him taste her blood once more, reminding the others still watching that they will learn to obey her as her consort does. However Lestat drinks heavily, and when Akasha tells him to stop he hangs on, turning his bloodlusting eyes on the others as if in a signal of some sort.
Akasha flings him aside and the other ancients attack her, feasting on her. Akasha manages to kill two of the ancients before the others are able to weaken her sufficiently. They stop before they have fully drained her of blood, knowing that they cannot kill her themselves or it will mean their own deaths; however, Lestat rises to his feet again and takes it upon himself to finish the job, throwing her jeweled collar aside angrily before sinking his teeth into her neck. It is only Maharet who tells him to stop, and she is the one to drain Akasha dry and takes Akasha’s statue-like sleep unto herself.
Lestat quickly turns again to Jesse and kneels down to cradle her head in his lap, opening a vein in his wrist for her to drink.
The movie ends with a last visit to David Talbot, by Lestat and the newly-immortal Jesse. They return Lestat’s journal, and Jesse tells him goodbye. As they step back out into the night air, walking away together, Marius is seen entering David’s office after they leave.
Abilities/Additional Notes:
Jesse’s abilities in Adstringendum as a human are quite ordinary. In the book’s version of her character, she’s gifted from birth with the ability to read minds and see and hear ghosts and spirits, including that of her deceased mother; however in the film version she has no extraordinary powers, despite retaining her ancestral link to Maharet. I am choosing to go with the film’s adaptation of her in this respect, as I think it would generate more drama in-game without her having the ability to read others’ minds and without having an unfair advantage over other characters.
However if Jesse is turned into a vampire, for whatever reason, her abilities would directly correlate with the vampire that has “made” her. By drinking her sire’s blood, she would be able to acquire some of that vampire’s abilities, depending on the relative age and power of her maker. While she becomes a vampire by the end of both the film and the book, it is only the book that mentions that she is extremely powerful, because it is Maharet-an Ancient One-and not Lestat who turns her. On the other hand, though it was Lestat who turns her in the movie-verse, it’s very possible that Jesse is just as powerful as she is in the novel. David Talbot in the novel is made a vampire by Lestat, and his powers are potent (mainly because Lestat’s powers have grown over time after feeding on Ancients); therefore the same could potentially be said of movie-verse Jesse.
What these powers would specifically be, could vary; I could discuss with a mod if and when such an event occurs.
Additionally, Jesse has no formal or informal combat or fighting training, so she will actually be quite helpless in dangerous situations, requiring other players to assist her or rescue her. She will be prime “monster fodder”, if you will.
Sample Journal Post:
[There is a bit of static as the PCD flickers on; then, the video feed comes through, revealing a young woman with tousled red hair peering into it curiously but with a slight note of concern.]
...I have no idea where I am, right now...I was with Mael, and he was sheltering me from the chaos of the concert, and now...I've ended up here. Wherever here is.
All of this...decay. Everything here is in shambles. Is this some sort of mind control? Some kind of apparition? Is this...[quietly, fearfully] ...is this a trick of Lestat's?
If anyone is listening, on this thing, if this is on some sort of intranet or network, someone...
Would someone tell me what's going on?
Sample RP:
Jesse turned the creased, yellow pages of the journal carefully and reverently. In a lot of ways, the vampires in the writings reminded her of Maharet’s family, and the ethereal beings she’d known as a child.
When she closed her eyes, she could see them; pale, their eyes shadowed, dressed in fine silks and robes of eras long gone by. She saw herself as a child surrounded by them as they caressed her long, red hair and touched her hand. Their touches were always cold, yet so familiar to her that she did not mind the chill.
Most of all she remembered Maharet, statuesque and graceful, with her long dark red hair tumbling down her back. Her aunt always had seemed sad and slightly melancholy, especially after…
Bits and pieces of her memory floated in and out of her thoughts. She recalled a pale man dressed in a fine suit, his white hands reaching for her, pulling her onto his lap. Someday you will be one of us, he said to her, and in her memory her five-year-old self nods obediently. He brushes her hair from her neck, eyeing her soft skin, and says, Perhaps you might want to become one of us now, instead of later?
From across the room, Jesse hears the panic in her aunt’s voice. Jesse!-
A scuffle ensues…she is pulled away from the pale man in the suit; her vision blurs. The only thing she remembers after that is her aunt, saddened and resolute.
You cannot stay here. You must be with your own.
But Aunt, she whispers, I want to stay with you. I want to be with you forever.
You can’t, Jesse, her aunt says, anguished. You just can’t.
Her five-year-old self cries, bewildered. She had obviously done something to upset Maharet.
Opening her eyes again, Jesse sighed from where she rested her chin on her arms over the parchment of the journal. She brushed the lingering moisture from her eyes, and turned the page to continue reading.