Jessa
Jessa "Doe" (unknown) (a.k.a. Little wāpos)
Jessa is a street-rat orphan of mixed ethnic heritage. Formerly "enrolled" at the Odynova Children's Workhome, she took to the streets of Eavesdown Docks on Persephone where she used her wits to survive by picking pockets and swiping unsupervised merchandise.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
The best you could describe Jessa is "multiracial" if that means anything out in the Black. Maybe she's got some Native American in her. Maybe something more Asian, like Chinese or Japanese or Vietnamese. Hard to tell. Something more Earth-That-Was Mediterranean or Hispanic or a pinch of African heritage? Sure, why not?
She's awfully scrawny, though, from living on the streets of Eavesdown Docks. She's probably malnourished and perhaps, as a result, a bit underdeveloped for her age. But she's quick and agile, and there's a hidden strength that comes from somewhere that keeps the boys running feral around there from pushing her over.
Special abilities
MAJOR SPOILER
The Pax didn't seem have an affect on her. She didn't turn into a monster, nor lay down and die like the settlers on Miranda. Don't quite know why. But, boy howdy, you can bet that the Alliance would be right curious to cut her open and find out now, won't they?
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Reconstruction
According to the Headmistress of the Odynova Children's Workhome, Alexeyevna Yakovlena, Jessa was delivered “unto her care” by spacers who had chanced upon her in a life pod with her dead mother. The pod had originated from a zone somewhere between the Uroborus Belt and the planet, Shenzhou, in the Blue Sun system, but with its emergency locator beacon disabled. The ship the pod came from looked like it had been hit by brutal pirates...only, none of the valuables had been removed.But it was the last piece of information that Jessa discovered that hurt the hardest. The reason why her mother was three days dead in that pod was because she had killed herself. Why had she done that? To save air? It was a miracle that the pod was found at all with its locator beacon disabled. Or had her mother—a wedding band still on her finger—gone mad, killed the crew of the ship, and then ejected in murder-suicide style? But if so, why take Jessa with her? It made no sense to a little eleven-year-old girl. It made no sense to anyone.Jessa was found by Captain Phil "Nate" Nathan and his crew and taken to the Odynova Children's Workhome on Persephone where she was brought up during the Unification War along with many other war orphans. It was a difficult life enough, but as Jessa got older, she became more of a problem for the headmistress of the Workhome, Alexeyevna Yakovlena whose own motives for the children of the workhome were less than honorable. Punishments and sequestration did little to alter Jessa's behavior, and she attempted to run away from the home three times. On Christmas Night, 2512, Jessa finally escaped and took to the deep streets of the Northgate District of Eavesdown Docks where she found refuge among the many street urchins who had either been orphaned and never sheltered, or had themselves run away from similar orphanages. Then, in March of 2513, Jessa met Tom Beartooth, another petty criminal on the streets of Eavesdown Docks. Actually, truth be told, she stole an IdentCard he had himself just lifted off of a wealthy tourist. After pursuing her and coming to a place of mutual agreement and respect, the two soon bonded like siblings. The two of them scraped by until an encounter with an old enemy threw their worlds apart.
Jin Dui
(WIP)Education
Jessa was "educated" at the Odynova Children's Workhome under the tutelage of Alexeyevna Yakovlena. Of course, the education was more for appearance and the bare minimum standards allowed by Persephone law to shadow the fact that the workhome's true purpose was to sell its children as "indentured servants" (i.e. basically slaves) to the wealthy aristocracy of Persephone's elite. As such, she's behind in comparison to other Core kids her age.
Okay Subjects
- History—as long as it's the interesting kind
- Practical Science (experimental rather than theoretical)
- Literature, stories—-reading comprehension
- basic Geometry
Frustrating Subjects
- Math, especially Algebra
- make that double for Finance/Economics...or is that triple???
- Grammar & Spelling
- Fine Art, Painting, Music
- Civics or any kind of Social Studies involving numbers
- theoretical Sciences
- anything having to do with hygiene, cooking, etc. would turn any Home Economics teacher pale
Good Subjects
- Physical Education
Personality Characteristics
Savvies & Ineptitudes
She's very good at making booby traps. Trip wires. Improvised explosive devices. You know. All the stuff every eleven year old girl oughta know.
Vices & Personality flaws
She's got a temper. You could call it "passion" when it doesn't get her into trouble.
Hygiene
She tries to be as clean as one can when living on the streets. She doesn't mind being dirty, though.
Social
Family Ties
basically adopted (and adopted by) Tom Beartooth
nêhiyawêwin terms
Social Aptitude
Jessa acts different depending on time, place, and situation. In new an unfamiliar surroundings, she is cautions, observant, and is quickly trying to work out the situation that would best suit to her advantage.
As she grows more comfortable, she will rapidly seek to establish her dominance, aptitude, or stature. She'll make sure those around her think she's formidable and not to be messed with. She'll try to prove herself if she wants to impress, even if it means overdoing it. Basically, she's like a cat, arching the back, hissing, and mewing to show she's top dog...er, cat?
To those she loves, admires, and respects, she shows much greater care and tenderness. It comes off almost as cute and innocent. But she's a passionate one. Mess with her, and watch out. But mess with her friends and family, and you'll soon regret it. Fiercely loyal, you'd rather have her on your side than against you.
Speech
She speaks like a lot of poor Border and Rim folk in improper English/Chinese/etc. She knows some of Tom's Cree language, and tries to use it whenever she can (probably trying to impress him and bond with him in that way).
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
none to speak of: she scrapes by on the streets of Eavesdown Docks
Alignment
chaotic everything
Current Location
Year of Birth
2503
11 Years old
Birthplace
Show spoiler
Miranda
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Current Residence
Gender
female
Eyes
black, a bit almond-shaped
Hair
dark to "dirt brown"
Height
5'0" (1.53 m)
Weight
74.1 lbs (33.6 kg)
Related Plots
Jessa Doe (2D) by Holly H.
Comments
Author's Notes
There is a lot more work that needs to be done here, but I'm publishing it for word count credit for the World Ember challenge.