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Name Jesse Elijah Clarke
Age early 20s
Height 6'1"
Weight 180 lbs
Ethnicity Caucasian
DOB February 2
Birthplace Los Angeles, CA
Current Residence Berkeley, CA
Appearance He looks like the poster boy for clean living, the kind of guy you'd expect to see in a poster advertising American values or something. Very WASP. Brown hair, hazel eyes. He has the kind of build that says he works out to keep in shape, but doesn't do any serious bodybuilding. He likes sports, but he's more into the fun and camaraderie than competition, which explains why he isn't on any teams. He has a confident, buoyant air around him, like he's prepared to take whatever life throws at him and keep going. His usual attire is jeans and a t-shirt. No jewelry, unless you count a watch. He likes to be punctual.
Family John William Clarke (father), Ellen Mary Clarke (mother), Matthew Peter Clarke (younger brother)
Likes Italian food, being in shape, whole grains, his family, Alex, archaeology, ancient Rome, soccer, green
Dislikes Bigots, racists, Christian fundamentalists who make everyone else look bad, homophobes, politics, bacon, gum



Bio:

Jesse was born in to a family in the suburbs of Los Angeles and lived a very normal life, all things considered. His mother and father are a very committed, loving couple, and he has a brother four years younger than him. He did well in school and was accepted to several schools in the area, but opted to attend school up north because he felt it would do him good to be away from his family for a while. His parents heartily agreed that some independence was a good thing and encouraged his decision. He was rejected from Stanford, his institution of choice, but accepted by UC Berkeley.

There was another reason that Jesse decided to get farther away, and that was his suspicion that he might be attracted to men. He dated women in high school, of course, and had sex with them, but certain dreams and reactions to certain imagery had him wondering if he swung both ways. The Bay Area supposedly had better queer culture than the area he lived in, and UC Berkeley was a good school in a liberal area that would be conducive for some exploration.

Jesse didn't really fit into the LGBTQ crowd, though. He tried; he attended a few meetings and a few anonymous chats, but he never really felt comfortable. The queer crowd was just too intense and extreme for him. He just wanted to explore--experiment, if you will. He did develop feelings for a floormate and member of the queer community, Alex, but was too anxious to act on them, especially since it seemed like Alex was quite popular and could have any sexual partner he chose. Happily for him, Alex reciprocated his feelings, and they deepened their relationship sophomore year and were a happy couple until the end of their college careers.

Jesse spent six months after graduation on an archaeological excavation in Europe. After he returned, he found that Alex had also apparently been "missing" for six months. He tried his best to help Alex's family locate him, to no avail. Alex had disappeared without a trace. After speaking with the sister, Alicia, he determined that Alex wouldn't be found unless he wanted to be found.

It took a while for Jesse to move on with his life, since he'd never really gained closure with Alex. He attended Stanford's graduate program in archaeology--he'd always had an affinity for history and the past--and started dating again, both men and women. He met Laura Stevens, his wife, in one of those classes, and she captivated him with her intelligence and wit. They married, eventually (their relationship was difficult and long-distance at times, since both their jobs involved traveling), and settled down in Palo Alto.

He has never told his family about his sexual relationships with men.


History of the Character:

Jesse has never had a really concrete personality, although he's started filling out recently. When I first started writing him, he existed mainly as a foil for Alex. I tried to write a few standalone stories in an attempt to get a grip on his character, but they never really panned out. A lot of the problem was that Jesse's entire identity, at first, revolved around his religion, which just wasn't the way to go.

As it so happens, I've become a lot more spiritual in the past few years (to the point where it's started getting a little difficult to write Alex, who has serious problems with religion). Jesse's also become a lot less. . . well, I don't want to say religious, because he's still religious. But I decided to make him Protestant instead of Catholic, which helped a lot. It's made him less angstridden, which I enjoy.

Ironically enough, Jesse's first incarnation was a singer in a Christian band, which makes me laugh to think about now. I don't remember what he was studying in school. Probably religious studies or something. I don't know what I was thinking.


Other Notes:

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