Juliana Vale

Juliana Vale
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	None
Age	29
Height	5 fulms 10 ilms
Weight	135 ponze
Nameday	1st Sun of the 6th Astral Moon

Biography

The Past: Juliana has a habit of keeping her past to herself, unless directly questioned about it then there isn't much she won't share. She was raised by her grandmother until she was fifteen, then she struck out on her own and did some things, and then some other things, which led to another thing, then she disappeared for six years. Currently, she's settled into the little cottage her grandmother left to her.

The Present: She makes a tidy sum hunting bounties for the Twin Adders. Quite honestly, she's more than happy for any excuse to vanish for a day or two. Not that she doesn't love her cottage; a soft bed, warm food, marble bath and all are fabulous, but sometimes domestic life can prove a bit overwhelming, and you just need to go out and kill something.

Personality

The Outside: Charming and sweet are words that have been used to describe Miss Vale. Her good-humour and easy conversational skills make her ever-welcome company; she can wile away the evening with tales of adventure or a tuneful ditty depending on the audience, or she can be reclusive and shut herself away with a good book in her study for hours on end.

The Inside: Secretive and introverted, there are just some things not everyone needs to know. In fact, there are some things no one needs to know. Like everyone who survived the Seventh Umbral Era, she has her demons.

Appearance

Hair: Juliana spends less than no time thinking about her hair, outside of the pink highlights she adds to accent the natural auburn shade. Her hairstyle is simple and quick, and if it doesn't require any effort then it's perfect.

Physique: Like any adventurer she's fit, hunting things down and running the occasional incredibly useless errand keeps most in her occupation pretty svelte. Her height is average for a Highlander, maybe even on the short side, but she still towers over the majority of Eorzea's inhabitants.

Attire: Everything from holiday costumes to cocktail dresses, Juliana's wardrobe is extensive and eclectic. She believes every occasion should warrant a special and unique ensemble.

Jobs

In the Field: Juliana is, currently, retained by the Twin Adders as a bounty hunter. She has a variety of weapon skill-sets at her disposal, though she prefers her bow. Blood stains are hard to remove, and it's best to keep things at a distance.

Off the Field: Scholarly by nature, Juliana is quite content to spend the day with a book or star-gazing. She also loves gardening and cooking, pastries mostly.

Tendencies

Likes ■  The sea, when she's not on it. Or too close to it. ■  Music, especially when someone else is playing. ■  Alone time. ■  Duet, her chocobo. ■  A good book in front of a warm fire. ■  Mail, despite the inept moogle. ■  Lazy mornings.

Dislikes ■  Too much noise. ■  Too much company. ■  Too many questions. ■  Running out of pastries. ■  That moment when you walk into a room and realize you have no idea why. ■  Liars. ■  Dealing with fish meal.

Talents ■  Archery. ■  Anything having to do with music. ■  Cooking. ■  Growing things for said cooking. ■  Caring for small creatures. ■  Killing large creatures. ■  Honesty.

Favorites ■ Favorite Food: Mulled Tea ■ Favorite Place: Woad Whisper Canyon ■ Favorite Weather: Rain and Thunder ■ Favorite Season: Just as the leaves start to change ■ Favorite Color: Regal Purple ■ Favorite Scents: Fresh Rolanberry ■ Favorite Sound: Waterfalls

Relationships

Friends and Family ■  Alainoix - Alain was hired by Juliana's grandmother back when she was knee-high to a goobue to act as a bodyguard to the precocious youngster. Over the years he's become her close friend and confidante, and the only person in Eorzea who knows all her secrets and likes her anyway. She endearingly refers to him as her Bardyguard, and he generally refers to her as Insufferable Creature, which she interprets as a pet name. ■  Pippa and Patsu - When Juliana's grandmother had hired them they had been a young, newly-wed couple anxious to share their skills and prove their worth. That, however, was thirty years ago. They had promised to take care of the small estate after the old woman had passed on, and insisted on remaining to do so once Juliana reluctantly returned to claim her inheritance. If she had ever actually wanted replacement parents, she couldn't have chosen a better set herself though she'd never admit it.

Enemies and Rivals ■  The Black Tide - A scruffy group of pirates that few people have heard of and fewer people care for. It's unknown why they're at odds with the generally harmless girl, but they are just the same. Well, unless you're Alain. Then it's known, but he's not likely to share the tale. They've yet to discover Juliana or her quiet little cottage. For now.

Gossip

Easily Heard Rumors ■  "The girl has gil, and she's not stingy. All silks and sugar with those servants of hers." - Ruby Road Merchant ■  "She's caused trouble in The Shroud, I know. No one volunteers to work with the Adders without compensation or motivation." - Drunken Wood Wailer

Difficult to Hear Rumors ■ "You won't hear me saying nothin' about the girl. But if you ask me, she's not the same little girl her grandma loved and that's the truth." - Pippa, before being elbowed by Patsu. ■  "Some women have clothes, others have men. She has weapons and a lot of secrets. It's a common formula." - Alewyn

Rarely Heard Rumors ■ "You didn't hear this from me, but that girl... well. Let's just say I don't want to be around when she finally snaps." - Scarlet, Serpent Lieutenant ■  "Juliana stops in every now and then, for findings and the choicest metals. But she'll never find what she's looking for here. The Twelve knows it's not in a shiny bauble." - Memedesu ■  "She is my friend." - Alainoix

Soundtrack

Theme Music:

■ Ironspy

■ All Things

Battle Music:

■ Need vs Want

■ Karma Slave

Image Music:

■ Presumed Lost

■ Thunder

Story-Time

"My hands aren't shaking." she thought to herself, grating a stick of cinnamon for her tea. "Shouldn't my hands be shaking?"

The scent of mulling spices permeated the air of the little cottage in the glen that, with the sound of absent-minded humming, lent it an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality.

"Sounds and smells are always what you remember." she mused, still humming while sprinkling a dash of the fresh cinnamon into a teapot. "Years from now I'll recall the chigoes chirping, the scent of the tea, the tune I hum." The dirge, her mind tried to correct, but she disregarded it.

She sipped her tea with unnerving calm, though she hadn't fully understood the phrase before catching her reflection in the kitchen window. Her pale, serene features unconcerned and unreadable. She felt certain had anyone else seen the expression they would have shuddered in response.

The tea was perfect, it always was, but had been made with the last of the leaves she'd had imported from Thanalan. She'd have to order more. "No, I'll fetch them myself.” , she decided. It would be better to try to convince herself she had a pleasant destination.

Her mind went over the list again as she peacefully sipped her tea; enough food to last a day’s journey, a change of cold weather clothes, a little money, her weapons. At the thought her eyes fluttered over to the entryway to the study. A bow and quiver leaned against the door frame and she'd have to collect them. She briefly considered leaving them, then shook her head.

"Silly girl." she said aloud and startled herself.

Leaving the tea at the table she moved to the study and stood motionless in the entryway, surveying the contents of the little room. Would she miss them once she'd gone? It took three steps to reach her husband's desk.

"Husband no longer." she corrected herself inwardly.

She stood only a moment before turning her back on the room and retrieving her bow and quiver, shouldering a small satchel and leaving the cottage. Sunlight and her chocobo greeted her with warmth as she stood in the stillness of a lovely morning.

Swinging herself onto the back of the chocobo she brushed a strand of hair away from where it had stuck to her face and withdrew her hand to find it smeared rusty-red.

"I suppose I'll remember this too." she sighed, and urged the chocobo into a gallop.

* * *

"You have something on your cheek.", a Lallafel said, reaching out with a handkerchief. The hand was seized abruptly.

"Thank you. I'll take care of it myself."

Juliana rose from the kitchen table and moved to the sideboard to pour herself a glass of water.

"What's the point of having servants if you don't let them serve you?", asked the now perturbed Lalafell as he bustled around the kitchen, stirring a pot on the fire one moment and removing a plate from the table the next.

"I don't have servants, Pippa, I have someone else's furniture that insisted on remaining with the house."

"Well, young miss, we promised your grandmother we'd care for this house and we have no interest in what you think on the ma--"

"And do you think she's like to change her mind about us with you scolding her every meal?", another Lalafell asked as she gently patted the Hyur on the hand before sitting at the table and helping herself to the ceourl steak her husband had made.

"I'll be heading to market tomorrow morning, do you want me to fetch the tea leaves you like?" she asked around a mouthful.

"Yes. No. I prefer chamomile." Juliana replied, rubbing vigorously at her cheek with a damp cloth.

"Since whe--" Pippa started to inquire when he was silenced by a look from his wife.

"I'm retiring for the evening. You can see yourselves out. Good night." and with that, the two Lalafells were left to themselves.

"Such a sweet girl, I hate to see her when she gets like this." Pippa said, sitting next to his wife and taking her hand, "You won't really get her chamomile, will you Patsu?"

"Of course not, she hates chamomile. This shadow will pass same as the others. At least she's come home." Patsu replied squeezing his hand before standing to clear the table.

Pippa still sat, staring at the doorway the mistress of the house had disappeared through, musing on where she had been all those years while they had stayed and cared for her grandmother's cottage. She really had been a sweet girl, and still was for the most part. Always had a smile, a kind word, a sweet song. But fifteen years had scattered "shadows"', as his wife called them, over her usual sunny demeanor. If her grandmother had still been alive she would have uncovered the cause in a heartbeat. But, she'd been dead as long as the girl had been missing, and he was as likely to hear the truth from her as her grandmother. Less so, what with the new advances in alchemy and all.

"No better than a sack of popotoes." Patsu snapped, interrupting her husband's reverie.

"I'm up!" he snapped back and rose to help. "Suppose she's got us whether she wants us or not. That's family for you."