Jenna Higgenson

[Jenna Higgenson]

Name of the Character
Jenna Higgenson

Malkavian

B a s i c s
Name: Jenna Higgenson
Age: 115
Species Human/Malkavian
Birthday: 15th July 1893
Sexuality: Bisexual
Special Power: Healing


A p p e a r a n c e
Hair Color: Long, dark brown hair.
Eye Color: A deep brown
Height: About 5ft 10”
Weight: Shouldn’t ask a lady…


I n D e p t h
Personality: Jenna has always been compassionate, she feels everything deeply, especially other’s pain, she is driven by a need to try helping others, she doesn’t believe there’s much of a point in life if you don’t help everyone else around you, and in turn they might just give something back. That had been her rather naïve attitude on first becoming a nurse, but she soon realised the world wasn’t such a nice place, and has developed a somewhat feisty attitude to deal with it all. She comes off as a bit of an idealist sometimes but does know that the world is sadly a dark place.

Jenna is warm hearted and very kind to those she loves, but her trust isn’t easily gained, she’ll be cautious wanting to take the time to get to know another person, but importantly she is willing to put the time and effort into a relationship. She is very protective over those she loves and worries over them a heck of a lot more than is really necessary.


Family and History: Born into a large post-Victorian family in 1893 life wasn’t particularly easy for little Jennifer as her father and older brothers struggled to keep their small cutlery workshop afloat with the increasing pressures from far larger factories with large assembly lines and less of a need for their more skilled labour. Jennifer was quite contented to stay at home looking after her younger, and even her older siblings, and her mother thought her a blessing with her kind, maternal nature influencing her to help out in any way she could. Yet there was a restlessness within Jennifer who wanted to see more of the world, and help more people, not just allow her own family to become dependant upon her, so when she was old enough to leave home she did so, beginning her nurses training at the age of 19 in 1912, her father was particularly sad to see her go, especially as she didn’t look a day over fifteen and she would be sorely missed about the house. She was a natural nurse, caring and compassionate willing to help every patient and take the time to sit by their beside nursing them back to health whenever she was able to. Experiences hardened her, she hated seeing anyone pass away under her diligent care, but with the outbreak of the devastating First World War she had to get used to it. Angry and near broken as so many young men died screaming in her arms Jenna became embittered to war, hating it utterly and sorely wishing she could do something to help those young men dying about her. Even now there is a deep sorrow clear in her eyes, it was her eyes that showed she was old before her time, though her body seemingly hadn’t aged a day.

Over the two years before the outbreak of the Great War Nurse Higgenson as she had been known had been noted for her diligence and attention during her time training and then when she became a nurse, and it was remarked upon how few patients actually did die in her care, believing she paid such careful attention and was somewhat lucky too they immediately sent her off to the front to aid the war effort in the hospitals there. She didn’t even know how she managed it, but somehow those under her care did have a great life expectancy, gradually she began to realise that her tiredness wasn’t just the cause of the strains of war and being a nurse but that she was expending energy to heal these people. For a long time she refused to believe the truth of it, even though she tried her hardest to use her “talent” to save those she could, but her power wasn’t strong enough to do much to begin with, and as she would put it later; she could only dribble so much energy into each patient she saw or else she’d be exhausted within an hour, the large amount of energy required to heal was too much and she could easily burn out, of course at the time she couldn’t understand it all, and she told no-one for fear of being primarily exploited by the army and even tested upon, even then she knew it wasn’t natural what she was managing.

In 1916 after the Battle of the Somme a young army officer was brought before her, if she’d known then he’d be the love of her life she might not have acted so coldly when he tried giving her a playful slap, he’d instantly received the reproach “you’re supposed to be injured” and he was, his face had been badly disfigured from a flying shard of deadly shrapnel that had in effect torn his cheek off, but that wasn’t the worst of it, that wasn’t life threatening; the leg injury that had so nearly severed a major artery was, and feeling pity well up inside of her Jenna had felt utterly compelled to try curing him. She’d stayed by his bedside all through that night and the next, barely checking her other patients as she pretended to clean and then sew up his wounds, she was in fact healing them quite completely, but she kept the bandages upon him demanding that he tell nobody what she had done.

That was how she first met Thomas Higgenson, even then there had been a spark, she should have known that fate would continually draw them together, time and time again.

As the war drew to a bloody close Jenna had had enough of death, so returned to her shattered family in Birmingham, her father had been too old to go to war, but her six brothers had each been conscripted in, and only one had survived, now a mere shadow of his former self, the brightness and good humour he had once had was now vanished driven away by the horrors he had witnessed, Peter was no longer young and enthusiastic, but embittered and withdrawn, he worked hard to keep his ailing father’s workshop afloat, but the lower sales rates after the war as people scrimped and saved every penny, forced him to consider closing the business and instead working at the local steel factory.

Yet in 1920 Sharon, visiting her sister with her 11 year old daughter Francis in tow to show her the sights of Birmingham, revealed her secret to her beloved sister Jenna, showing her how when she drove her hands deep into the flames of their father’s forge she felt nothing, shocked to the core Jenna realised she wasn’t the only one in her family with extraordinary abilities, her sister was impervious to all heat her skin impenetrable. Together they confronted their mother and father, and so it was that they learnt of their mother’s side of the family, how all the females had special gifts that had apparently been passed down to them too, but on telling them this their mother also urged caution, as her family had suffered greatly, calling their talents not a gift but a curse. It was then that Jenna began wondering how Heidi had always managed to slip away and hide from her so easily as a boisterous child; disappearing without a trace and she learnt that she could become invisible but that she too had kept her talent hidden from her family for fear of being cast out. Inevitably Susan’s gift of absorbing any language she heard and becoming fluent in it became apparent when a distant Irish relative came to stay to talk to them about their powers. After listening attentively to their mother’s advice in particular the girls agreed to keep their talents a secret, only to be used in emergency cases, each believed the others would stick to this agreement but none of them really did, as all wanted to try making a difference to the world in their own little way. Leaving Birmingham in 1920 Jenna moved to London, chancing upon Thomas once again and beginning a secret love affair that was doomed to failure, not of their own making, but by fate’s intervention; they weren’t supposed to be together, not yet. In 1921 news of her father falling ill reached her, setting out for Birmingham at once she still wasn’t in time to save him and he died of his heart condition. Jenna blamed herself completely and ended the affair believing it to be the cause for her not being there when her father had really needed her. As a terrible guilt afflicted her, Jenna devoted herself to the hospital, doing all she could to save anyone and everyone, but it was never enough. Intermittently she saw Thomas, spurning his affections as she still felt the terrible guilt of her father’s death, and saw George each time she saw him, for he had perished at the Battle of the Somme, where she had first met Thomas; that memory would ever plague Jenna, but her love for Thomas slowly, but surely, overpowered her guilt.

In 1925, after 4 years working as a sister in a London hospital, Jenna decided she couldn’t live in the past and had to move forward with her life, she would have picked that exact moment to walk back into Thomas’ life…when he was dating another, of course he was perfectly at liberty to do so, but that didn’t stop Jenna giving him one hell of a slap and storming out before he could even try explaining it away. Mortified that she had let him slip through her fingers she fled from London going to stay with her sister Sharon, her husband Chris and their three adorable children in Gretna on the England/Scotland border. Chris, a doctor, was a kind and generous man who didn’t mind in the slightest that his sister in law stayed with them temporarily, though his wife managed to persuade him to help her beloved sister by considering her for a part time nursing position at the local doctor’s practice that he ran jointly with a wealthy business partner. Jenna’s experience and natural caring nature allowed her to easily get the job and settle there for a number of years. She loved helping the children, who were Francis a sweet girl of 16, the eldest, with a winning smile, Gregory a 10 year old boisterous lad, who yearned to grow up and little Charlie 4 years of age who dearly wanted to chatter away. Though she adored the children she couldn’t help but want kids of her own, and Sharon noticed the melancholy looks that would overcast her dear sister, and knew the long walks were spent dwelling upon the past, and a certain gentleman she’d heard so much of.
The ever enduring happiness of her sister was enough to keep Jenna contented too, for a time, but she grew restless over the years, beginning to fill Francis’ head with stories of romance that she herself yearned for. In 1929 pretty Francis, at the tender age of 20 became secretly engaged to a young man of 24 years, Sebastian Campbell, a wealthy only child and the chemist at her father’s surgery. She confided this information to Aunt Jenna who was faced with a terrible dilemma, to inform her sister of the match or to keep quiet. She chose the former breaking the confidence she had refused to keep from the outset, but it was too late, the lovebirds had already flown the nest. They had been rather foolish in doing so, as Aunt Jenna had said their parents did actually approve of the match, but filled with tales of tragedies and romance Francis and the impetuous Sebastian fled instead. Blaming herself yet again Jenna was set to leave, but Sharon persuaded her against such a rash action made in the haste of the moment, and told her sister not to “keep running away from your problems,” but a year later after several dark looks from Christopher who had not only lost a beloved daughter, though everyone knew his affections were for his boys who would inherit, but also his clever chemist and he felt rather put out and annoyed at his sister in law, believing her the cause for his unruly daughter’s elopement. Before the year was out Jenna was moved to feel so guilty that she eagerly seized upon the first opportunity to go visit her sister Susan who was soon to be married herself. Susan was somewhat more practical than her sisters, having a firm control over her emotions Jenna had even called her heartless once, so it was no surprise that she was marrying more for the money and the man’s professional career than following her heart and going through many men like their youngest sister Heidi. Susan was to be married in the summer to William Lloyd a successful businessman whose first impression to Jenna was a lasting one; surrounded by books in his study he’d been puffing away on a pipe of all things, though Jenna herself was partial to the odd cigarette she didn’t know many young men who liked to smoke a pipe. Truth be told he wasn’t all that young either, nearer fading forty than thriving thirty. But Jenna was happy for her sister, knowing she would be quite contented with such a man. Organising the wedding took it’s time, but Susan walked down the aisle with her sisters all bridesmaids and Peter to give her away, there Jenna met Samuel Shaw, William’s best man, and quite unlike him, he was cheerful and complimentary, the sort of man few could dislike, at first Jenna tactfully spurned his advances, but he was persistent and unperturbed by her reluctance and his natural charm and cheerful manner soon won her over, especially on seeing him dance with her sister, Heidi who Jenna had to admit didn’t have the best reputation regarding the opposite sex. So at first she believed herself just saving the poor man from the clutches of her sister, who was so restless and feisty that Jenna knew she’d never settle down with any man. Samuel’s heart was lost to Jenna on first seeing her, for Jenna’s youth and vitality was ever plain, she barely looked over twenty still; which showed how much she’d used her healing power to care for others. So struck was he, that he did all he could to persuade her of his love but it was still not enough as she knew deep down, though it had taken the advances of another to persuade her of it, that her heart belonged to another. It broke her heart to break his, but she did it for their own good, as she’d known she’d never have been truly happy with him, for she had unfinished business with one Thomas Higgenson. After the wedding and her short fling with Samuel she moved back to Manchester with her sister Heidi and tried to get a job as a nurse once more. As Jenna began night shifts at the main hospital Heidi continued to the live the reckless high life, sponging somewhat from her older sister, and breaking the hearts of many a young man, such was her reputation, and such was the annoyance of her sister at the time that she was even called a “whore,” during the many blazing arguments the passionate sisters had. On one such an occasion when they out in broad daylight Heidi did a disappearing act, storming back to their small apartment in a huff, but unbeknown to both sisters this had been noticed by the Malkavians. The underground group of talented people like themselves soon came knocking at their door, and as Jenna got over her surprise and was persuaded that her power of healing, which they had been watching for some time now, was invaluable for helping people, and they would help her nurture her power to save even more people. So it was that Heidi fled, not wanting the responsibility and Jenna began helping out the Malkavians in their ongoing war with the Lycans and Vampires.

For six years Jenna aided the Malkavians but in 1936 she was visited by her a grim, tear stained nephew Gregory who told her the terrible news that her sister Sharon, her husband Chris and their youngest Charlie had been brutally murdered in their home. Temporarily overcome with grief, Jenna dealt with her most beloved sister’s death by at first refusing to believe the truth, but she comforted Gregory, who had moved out of the family home and had been studying at Edinburgh university, she learnt later that there he’d met with his sister Francis again, but she had sworn him to secrecy immediately, threatening that she’d burn him alive if he told their mother her whereabouts, at first Gregory had scoffed, until his eyebrows had been singed off by her wielding fire. It seemed that Francis had gained a talent of her own, and was drawing attention to herself too. She doted upon her younger brother so had frequently met with him, but one time she hadn’t turned up to their meeting place and then he’d learnt the terrible fate of his parents and younger brother, Jenna immediately put two and two together, realising that Francis had gotten herself so noticed and into such trouble that somebody had dealt with her, and the rest of her family, save poor Gregory. Jenna decided not to confide her suspicions to Gregory believing he would fear for his life and instead persuaded him to move down to Birmingham with her to stay with her mother; Luella, and dear Peter who still remained devotedly at her side. So it was that Jenna left the Malkavians, moving back to Birmingham and helping out her brother run the workshop that was still struggling valiantly along.

In 1938 Jenna encountered Thomas Higgenson again, in more than mysterious circumstances. One dark evening in February a young man arrived at the workshop, banging incessantly to gain entry, as Jenna withdrew the latch Samuel Shaw shouldered his way into the room, at first she didn’t recognise him, so worn, tired and rugged he had looked, but with a loaded pistol in hand his intent was clear. For Samuel had been shattered, his spirit crushed with Jenna’s refusal to take his hand and the bitterness inside had driven him mad, it hadn’t taken much to persuade the embittered young man to fund the Lycan cause with one requirement, that Jenna’s life be ruined in the way his had; for his sorrow at rejection had soon turned to a raging anger, and a terrible lust for revenge, he set out to destroy everything that was precious in Jenna’s life until she was left with only him. Naturally the Lycans had also turned the young man, which had only fuelled his bitterness and yearning for Jenna, and so as he transformed into the terrible beast he had become Jenna had never known such paralysing fear, fear that had rooted her to the spot and left her defenceless. Whether it was fate, mere coincidence or in fact the government keeping tabs upon all Lycan and Vampire activity, that saved her could be argued for an eternity, but it was then that Thomas Higgenson arrived, dealing with the broken Samuel Shaw with brutal efficiency, of course in true hero of the hour fashion he arrived just in the nick of time.
Jenna found the redemption she’d sought then and fell into his arms apologising over and over again about how she hadn’t heard him out, and how guilty she’d felt for long, she told him everything, really opening her heart to him, and then came the question of, “you didn’t stay with that other girl did you?” How she’d wanted him to say no, and thank God he had said no, her breathless enthusiasm bubbled over then and she leapt into his arms, declaring “we have to promise we’ll never leave each other again.” Of course that was a promise neither of them could really keep.

For war broke out the following year, and each had to fulfil their duties; one as a nurse, healing and saving, and the other as a soldier wounding and killing. During these dark years the two continually wrote to each other, and Jenna had hope throughout the darkness, then when they emerged, mercifully unscathed from the war they immediately married, knowing they had to make the most of each and every moment, for they could never know when it would be there last…

That’s what Jenna would have wished for, but Thomas hadn’t answered her question, he’d left without another word, heedless of her pleas for him to stay, and so it was that Jenna went into the Second World War already full of despair which was further heightened by the chaos and devastation she witnessed in those terrible years, she emerged from the war further embittered by deaths she couldn’t stop, still hearing the dying men’s cries of help to this day. It even cost her dear family members, as Gregory was killed at Dunkirk, Peter was shot down in his plane over the channel and even her mother succumbed to an illness. Jenna felt heartbroken, all those dear to her were gone.

Even when the war ended the heaviness that had fallen upon Jenna didn’t shift; until she met Ruby Maye, a dazzling young lady who was more worldly wise than her years suggested; being a Malkavian might have had something to do with it, but Jenna didn’t know that at the time. All she knew was that Ruby was showing her the light, and drawing her out of the darkness, she showed her how to enjoy life once again and to not care about the world’s troubles. Ruby was beautiful, wherever she went the men sighed, and the women shot her dirty looks, not knowing where her interests actually lay. War had driven away Jenna’s caring nature and Ruby was replacing it with a carefree attitude, though Jenna was always emotional she felt the extremes of all emotions, including love and hate. Ruby and Jenna’s relationship was curious, they loved each other in a differently and became more than sisters sharing everything with each other, for 8 years they lived together in a small, shared apartment in London, though their relationship was tested cruelly when Ruby eventually told Jenna she had been a Malkavian and could send jolts of electricity flying from her fingertips, but they got through it and together they spent their time enjoying themselves, Ruby just wanted to, and Jenna felt it her right after comforting dying young men. Each kept one single thing from the other; their work, Jenna didn’t want to know what Ruby got up to and she didn’t want Ruby judging her for still being a sap helping others as she worked night shifts at a local hospital.

One night, in 1953, Ruby arrived back at their apartment in a state that she could ill conceal from Jenna who knew her far too well by now, she simply said, “yeh we gotta go now, pretty sharpish mind.” Jenna hadn’t needed telling twice, and so they fled London, moving to Liverpool where Ruby knew some friends, and they weren’t even Malkavians. Time and time again things went slightly wrong, and they moved from city to city, but strangely enough Jenna was quite contented, each time she found work easily enough, as everywhere needed an experienced nurse and she felt that this was the life for her, even if there was a small nagging doubt in the very back of her mind. Slowly, but surely, after a further 13 years travelling from city to city they were beginning to run out of cities to frequent and so Jenna persuaded Ruby to try their luck in Manchester, and if worse came to the worst they could stay with the Malkavians if money became too tight.

Ruby had somehow neglected to mention the Malkavians having fallen out with her somewhat, stealing from them wasn’t the best idea. Learning that Ruby had been brought up by the Malkavians but had fled when a young male Malkavian had turned up dead, they had naturally assumed it had something to do with her, so Ruby received quite a reception when they arrived in Manchester. But the Malkavians were peace loving and hadn’t wished to bring Ruby in for questioning without her consent, but Ruby had gotten the wrong end of the stick, and acting impulsively through fear had tried frying the two women sent to try persuading them to come back to them. Ruby had again made ready to run, but on asking Jenna if she’d join her she’d refused saying she couldn’t leave them here to die. That was the last Jenna saw of Ruby for a long, long time.

Managing to save the life of the Malkavians she was again taken under their roof for a time, but with her newly found freedom and passion for life Jenna was restless within a few years. So in 1967 she set off into the world again in search for her beloved Ruby, but instead happened upon another love of her life; Thomas Higgenson, she merely saw him across the street, but before she could follow him he had gone, this had happened several times over the years and Jenna believed he was purposefully hiding from her. Realising she could find neither of her loves she returned once more to the Malkavians, who were kind enough to welcome her with open arms each and every time.

For 12 years she was a healer for them; working and playing hard but never feeling quite fulfilled, she was able to nurture her powers, becoming a very capable healer and she was contented for those years, only when Thomas Higgenson walked into her life again did she realise how lost she’d been.

In 1979 when she was accompanying a field team tackling a rogue Lycan trespassing on their turf, when government operatives got to it first, government operatives which were led by one Thomas Higgenson. Normally the Malkavians would have slipped silently away, contented to leave the dirty work to the government, but on seeing their healer, whom the leader had a deep crush upon, led his men into the fray to save her. Neutralising, but not killing the government operatives as they fell on them from behind and used their powers of Telepathy to bind them in place Jenna rounded upon Thomas, who had hardly changed one iota; first off he received a slap, followed quickly by a kiss and a near deathly embrace as she clung to him, “you’re not running away this time,” she’d whispered to him then, and in a sense he never had, well not disappeared for years on end at least, and Jenna took that as a good start.

Whether Thomas was actually a prisoner in the conventional sense of the word was debatable, later Jenna would realise the full extent of his power and know he could have tried escaping and the fact remained that the Malkavians didn’t treat him like a prisoner, but more of an honoured guest, especially when his connections were known. But he remained for a time, and Jenna flattered herself that it was for her, she’d loved him all those years, from the time just beyond the trenches, when he’d been wounded and unable to escape from her, for it had felt like he’d been hiding from her all these years, even though she had seen him every so often it had never been for nearly long enough. But she was pleased, thrilled, to find that he loved her too, and though they courted for a further two years, everyone who saw them knew they were destined to be together so happy were they in each other’s company. Early in January of 1981 they married, with the agreement that this ironically wouldn’t be binding, that each was still free and could do as they pleased, particularly this meant that Thomas could continue with his work, Jenna agreed because she knew that if it came to a choice between the job and her she wasn’t all that sure of actually winning.

On the 23rd of November 1981 their tiny daughter Lauren Higgenson was born, Jenna’s mothering instinct took hold and she doted completely over their small child, giving her all the care and attention she could ever need. Lauren grew up to be a tall, headstrong young lady, she was ever resourceful and quick witted, sharp and clever her tongue was rather wicked at times as she often believed herself to be right, but as she developed into a young woman she held her emotions in greater check and was less wilful. From a very young age it was clear that Lauren had an affinity with nature, she spent much of her time outdoors and demanded that her parents take her on long walks in the countryside even when she was little, and above all she loved going to the zoo. When she was 7 Lauren admitted to her mother that she thought she could talk to animals, Jenna’s first impulse had been to laugh but seeing her daughter’s serious, bordering grave, expression she had listened and found that the monkey’s they’d been viewing at the zoo did seem to obey her daughter’s every command and it turned out that this was no mere coincidence; that Lauren’s gift was a complete affinity with nature.

On the 1st of March 1987 Jenna gave birth to their second daughter; Rebecca who was a ever a small and feisty red haired girl, or rather more a tomboy that was evident at quite a young age as she loved machines and often acted very rebellious, a trait that Jenna declared she got from her father. Rebecca didn’t work so hard as Lauren, who was in comparison very studious, she didn’t much care for working at all and paid little care or attention to anything, other than her friends, which she had many, for she was a talkative passionate girl who attracted followers like flies, she was always fiercely loyal caring for others rather than herself really. Rebecca learnt of her power when she ‘accidentally’ burned her elder sister for not allowing her to borrow a dress.

On the 5th of December 1991 their third daughter was born, and Jenna knew Thomas was trying to hide that he was rather disappointed, they’d both grown up in a time when a male heir was loved above all others, so little Maire, meaning “beloved” had a more difficult time gaining her father’s affections than the rest, but she was unperturbed, for she was a very pleasant and caring young girl, she was very compassionate like her mother, more so in fact and cared perhaps too deeply for others feeling their hurt awfully. She went out of her way to be nice and kind, yet some people found this infuriating, her mother not included who nurtured this kind trait in Maire. Maire worked very hard throughout her schooling, working far more diligently than either of her sisters before her, and receiving the good grades for it, but unlike her sisters her power has not come into fruition yet and this is something she has ever been annoyed at.

Then on the 13th of November 2004 Thomas had his wish of a son, and Joshua was born, his power was realised quite early on in his life, as he literally flew about the room, smashing into everything and anyone, a crawling baby was bad enough but a flying one was a plain nuisance and Jenna always had to keep a watchful eye on him, luckily Maire was keen to help out too or else little Josh would have flown away long before now…

Persons of consequence
Parents-
John Clemons 1869-1921 (52) [Died of heart condition]
Luella Clemons 1870- 1943 (73) [Peacefully passed away, formerly Flanagan, Irish descent]

Siblings-
Robert Clemons 1887-1915 (28) [Sergeant killed at Vimy Ridge]
Sharon Clemons 1889- 1936 (47) [Murdered]
Steven Clemons 1891-1915 (24) [Sergeant killed at Neuve Chapelle]
George Clemons 1892-1916 (24) [Soldier killed in the Battle of the Somme]
Jenna Clemons 1893-present day
Peter Clemons 1896-1941 (45) [RAF pilot shot down]
Jimmy Clemons 1898-19417 (19) [Private killed at the Battle of Arras, Vimy Ridge]
Henry Clemons 1898-1916 (18) [Private killed in the Battle of the Somme]
Susan Clemons 1902-1941 (32) [Nurse killed in London Blitz]
Heidi Clemons 1906-1958 (52) [Disappeared legally classified dead]

Relations-
Christopher Audley 1887-1936 (49) [Murdered]
Francis Campbell {Audley} 1909- 1936 (27) [Missing; presumed dead]
Gregory Audley 1915-1940 (25) [Killed in the Battle of Dunkirk]
Charlie Audley 1921-1936 (15) [Murdered]
Sebastian Campbell 1905-1936 (31) [Missing; presumed dead]
William Lloyd 1891-1958 (67) [Died of Pneumonia]

Lovers-
Thomas Higgenson 1820-present
Samuel Shaw 1906-1938 (32) [Killed]
Ruby Maye 1922-present

Children-
Lauren Higgenson 1981-present
Rebecca Higgenson 1987-present
Maire Higgenson 1991-present
Joshua Higgenson 2004-present