Name: Emmy
DW username: intothedark
E-Mail:xlittle_pyrox@Yahoo.com
IM: EmmyNine
Plurk: EmmyNine

Other Characters: Dean Winchester | righteously

Character Name: Jesse Swanson
Series: Pitch Perfect
Timeline: post canon
Canon Resource Link: here.
Character History:

The first time we see Jesse, it's in the back of a cab singing the notes to the guitar solo to Carry on My Wayward Son. He spots a pretty, mysterious looking and completely hot looking Alternative girl, and rather than feeling embarrassed or ashamed, he does what any man should do: he points at her and attempts to serenade her to the sweet, sweet sounds of Guns n' Roses. This quirky gesture does a remarkable job of setting the tone for his character throughout the entire movie.

Jesse arrives to Barden university as a brand new freshman. He kicks off the year by walking in on a roommate who decided to take it upon himself to build some kind of Star Wars shrine on his half of the dorm room (half being a generous estimation), and while he's initially taken aback by the excessive display, he quickly rolls with it in order to spare any awkwardness his new roommate might feel. While it's apparent that Benji is several levels of weird, Jesse doesn't judge or insult him. Considering he refers to himself as a total weirdo several times throughout the film, he's not exactly the type of guy to go around pointing fingers.

Rather than make a big deal out of Benji pulling a days-old hamster out of god knows where to do a spur of the moment magic trick, he just accompanies the guy down to the activities fair to check out the goings on around campus. The pair of them happen upon the Treblemakers, an all-male acappella group which Benji shamelessly fangirls. Searching for an excuse to talk to them, Benji asks Jesse how good his singing voice is. Jesse's response? Shamelessly and casually start singing in the middle of the walkway, and actually not suck at it (unlike his earlier off-key rendition of Kansas).

The pair of them approach the Treblemakers, Benji makes a fool of himself, and Jesse amusedly consoles his roommate after being spurned by the lead singer of the group.

After this, he sets himself up for his first campus job and applies for an internship at a radio station. He arrives a few minutes late, spends the first few minutes preoccupied with trying to place where he's seen that Super Attractive Alt Girl before, and immediately declares the pretty boy DJ running the place his secret arch nemesis. A few witty barbs are traded with Beca the Alt Girl, he confesses his deep love (sarcastic italics implied) of stacking CDs, and shamelessly hits on her in a quirky, casual way.

It's around this time he starts to dig her.

Later that week, in a display of sudden and easy loyalty, Jesse joins Benji in auditioning with the Treblemakers despite their rough start, and goofs his way through them with a few added comments thrown into the audition song. His voice, however, is pleasant enough to get him in regardless of his goofery. He sees Beca again in the process, and is blown away by her performance. It's at this point it's apparent to him that she's more than meets the eye.

During initiation that night, he's disappointed and disheartened to realize Benji wasn't accepted alongside him. He stays with the group, though, and attends the initiation party. He gets a little drunk, gets a little charming and rambunctious, and kindly informs Beca they're destined to be together and have (aca)children.

As time passes, Jesse's status with the Treblemakers improves. His startlingly good performance at regionals and during the riff-off grant him not only a shared spotlight with the leader, but a sort of second in command position despite being relatively new to acappella. His status with Beca also improves, as he continues to build a rapport with her at the radio station. He follows her around the store, holding up albums with faces on them over his own face and popping out of random places to make her laugh.

He gets to know her outside of work, too. Follows her to her spot on campus and sets up a makeshift picnic with juice boxes and movies. When Beca informs him that she isn't a movie person, he can't seem to wrap his mind around it. He names off all of their qualities passionately, lists movies with excellent endings, and confesses that what he'd really like to do "when he grows up" is score movies. In his opinion, nothing can make you cry or feel as much as climactic moments in movies, and that would be completely impossible without music. He cites the Breakfast Club as an example for one of the most heartfelt movies ever, and explains to her the importance of the ending song.

The Treblemakers do an excellent job at Regionals. It's only the next hour that makes things difficult- an old Acappella group starts some strife with them in the lobby, and one of the members attempts to pull Jesse into a fight by demanding Jesse hit him. Jesse protests with an affronted why would I want to do that? I don't want to do that! and, for the first time, Beca reciprocates their friendship and steps in to punch that guy on his behalf. In the process, a plate glass windows gets shattered by a trophy, and Beca takes the wrap. She's arrested.

Jesse is the only one to step up and take action, and he contacts her father to bail her out. She's livid with him, and he's confused and affronted by the fact that she doesn't understand why. After she yells at him and leaves with her father, Jesse takes the hint and backs off. The next time he speaks to her, it's to come to her defence and tell the leader of the Barden Bellas that he isn't, in fact, sleeping with her. Once again, Beca tells him off for getting involved in her business, and he pulls back, wounded.

When Beca comes to apologize later, Jesse explains the reason why he doesn't want to be with her anymore- it's not because she yelled at him, it's not because she gets angry with him, it's because he noticed that she pushes away anyone and everyone that cares about her. Beca seems surprised, seems not to have even realized that herself, and Jesse makes her leave. Shuts the door on her, and submerges himself into his movie with a giant bowl of popcorn.

Right before Nationals, the lead singer for the Treblemakers informs the group he's leaving to sing back-up for John Meyer. He gives no parting words or advice, and leaves them to scramble to get themselves together. Jesse steps up to the plate and is unanimously accepted as the leader by the other members of the group. His very first act is to recruit Benji, his friend and roommate still broken up over not getting in the group in the first place. It's assumed that it's by his direction the Treblemakers organize their new act, an act which very nearly wins them the competition in a feat of excellent song compilation and choreography. Jesse, of course, is the front man.

Despite their strained end, Jesse is polite and well-wishing to Beca before she begins her set. Watching her perform is initially hard for him, and he can't seem to be able to keep his eyes on her without looking away. At least, not until she cuts in with her rendition of the end song from the Breakfast club. As he watches, he understands the message she's trying to send him, and is endlessly happy with the sentiment. When she approaches him after the performance, he informs her he told her the ending was the best part, she calls him weird, and they kiss.

Six months later, he continues to lead the Treblemakers into the new semester.


Abilities/Special Powers: Sweet ass guitar riffs. (nothing actually)

Third-Person Sample:

[He jogs quickly along the walkway, takes the steps at a two-at-a-time bounce to get under the massive doorway and out of the rain. He's just about to disappear inside when a blur of color and flickering light in the distance makes him double-take. He stops, his brows knit together in confusion, and he can't help but stare at what his eyes find through the drizzle.

That's a cake.

...Isn't it?

His lips part a little in confusion, and he glances around with a wha- to see if anybody else is catching this. Nobody else is around, though. It's just him, just the rain, and sitting politely atop a table with a single cheerful, flickering candle is what can only be described as The Ultimate Birthday Cake.

Okay.

First things first- mental check- is he stoned? Nope, no, pretty sure he didn't start today with a massive joint. Not drunk, either, because he'd probably remember that or something. Also, the cake would be way, way more blurry. Dreaming? He reaches down, pinches himself. Jerks a little, muffles an ow. Nope, definitely not dreaming.

...And it's definitely not his birthday, at least he thinks it isn't. It wasn't back home, but then again, the calendars are a couple of months off here.

...The longer he stalls, the wetter that cake's going to get...]

Uhhh.... hello?

[He calls, ambling down the stairs a little and peering around the bushes.]

Did somebody accidentally leave a... multi-tiered cake on a deliberately placed perfectly sized table out here? Guys? Anybody?

[Not

A

Soul.

This can only mean one thing.]

Alright, well if nobody's claiming it...

[Free cake.

Score.]

First-Person Sample:

Soooo, I don't mean to be a downer or anything, but- you guys... the music here is seriously outdated. I'm talking Oops I Did It Again and Do you believe in life after love levels of outdated.

[He flips through CD after CD, pulling an incredulous face.]

It's like 1999 threw up all over the pop section. And don't get me wrong, the nineties were all that and everything, but I think everybody knows the music left a lot to be desired. Sure, the grunge was cool, but Brittany? N'Sync? That's the kind of thing you just want to plug your ears and pretend never happened.

[He tosses the CDs down onto the pile and shrugs.]

That's it. I'm taking my bubble bath in silence.