Kitty Shaped Jars (Juliet)

Juliet would be the first to acknowledge that she was not necessarily what most people would willingly dub "cute." Although she had decent features when one might examine them individually, piece by piece as though she were a doll in parts (strange, but people always could be) her clear skin and odd coloring could not make up for a key few facts. Namely, the mage had little to no sense of humor, her work ethic was essentially the entirety of her life's ethics, and she was completely unwilling and incapable of admitting her feelings nine hundred percent of the time. Out of a hundred. However, there were, admittedly, certain situations and items that caught the girl's interest in a very genuine way. For one, bears. They were fierce and noble creatures, but they also could be incredibly gentle. Regardless of how badly humanity treated wild life, it deserved respect. A bear had helped Juliet escape from a very dark place long ago, and today, she had decided to abandon her normal work hours in favor of coming out to this forest. It was well known for having black bears roam about. That species was the timid, reserved type, which scared easily but could also be mildly ferocious if given the right circumstances. Truly, it would have to be the precisely perfect situation, though, because the animals were inclined to have sweet dispositions. And as much as one tried to fight against their predisposition to a specific attitude, Juliet's ineptitude at expressing herself through words, even after several years of struggling to work on her communication skills. While it was true that just about anything could be learned, from horrid habits to leadership skills, undoubtedly, some things just ran in the blood...

Turning her mind away from those thoughts, Juliet refocused on her purpose here. Despite the mage's determination to work to rid the world of evil through proactive means such as hunting down dark mages, she also had a deep love for nature. The blonde's conservatory efforts dated back to her initial arrival in Fiore. As soon as she had been settled down enough to make sure she wouldn't starve immediately, she had researched the best organizations nearby where volunteering would be helpful, efficient, and impactful. Even though she knew it was only symbolic and in name, she had "virtually adopted" several animals from varying species to help fund their care. It was an easy process and available for almost anyone to do. As a result, she received pictures of them in their natural habitats and updates on their location out in the wild. It was both fulfilling and endearing. Later today, she also planned to visit the beach and do a large amount of cleaning; that way, she would have some productivity after her morning's break spent on a leisure based trip to the forest. Being a long time volunteer, she was familiar with certain policies nearly all centers and groups shared. This one in particular had asked her to maybe teach a group of new volunteers, and Juliet would have loved to, but... she just felt like she wasn't up to the task. Since the group had told her they thought she would accomplish it fine, the mage knew she ought to trust them that she could do a decent enough job, especially as they needed all the professional hands on board possible. Having a volunteer teach another was extremely efficient. Still, the girl's insecurities could not help but prevent her from allowing them to take advantage of such a situation. After today's excursion, she intended to consider it more.

When she neared closer to the edge of the woods, Juliet's heart sunk as she saw a piece of trash littering the side of the road. Mouth pressed into a firm, thin line, the blonde leaned down to pick it up, crumpling it in her hand. After shoving the litter into the pocket of her bright crimson jacket, the mage continued to walk along, this time keeping out a sharp eye for garbage and things left behind by uncaring individuals. However, her attention was struck by a noise that came from within the forest. She wasn't yet at the entrance, where a path led down from the road further into the area. Instead, there was just an abrupt edge to the tree line where it ran along side the dirt road for cars and other vehicles to travel. Eyes peering sharply at the faint silhouettes inside the trees (it was fairly early in the morning, but the sun was still at enough of an angle that shadows stretched long across the ground, the foliage, the everything) Juliet tried to comprehend what she was seeing. Finally, it hit her! There was an- adorable, black bear, trying to nose at a berry bush. The mage nearly dropped everything she was holding (which was nothing except for her water bottle) in favor of sprinting towards the creature. Wisely, though, she managed to reign in her excitement. Juliet stepped off of the path and headed down the shoulder of the road into the ditch between that and the ever so slight hill leading back up to the woods itself. Once she made it into the line of thick trees, the blonde hid behind one of the trunks as she watched the bear, her face strewn with rapture. Tentatively, she reached out with her mind, gently nudging its consciousness to let it know that she was here. The poor thing started briefly, and the girl felt a tinge of shame at the concept of accidentally scaring the innocent animal.

Luckily, it seemed like it was open to being approached, since it didn't make any move to retreat even given the window of opportunity Juliet had offered. Part of that could likely be attributed to its probably former close interactions with humans, what with this area being located fairly close to a small town and the road being nearby. She held out her hands, both of them. A small kitty shaped jar appeared, the lid with two pointed ears while the body had a nose, two eyes, painted whiskers, and a cute muzzle. While the mage was happy to go with more efficient options for containers, she had seen these and been moved by their... endearing nature. Since it wasn't as though they took up any more space nor lasted for a shorter amount of time, Juliet had determined the purchase to be a wise one. Now, as she slowly unscrewed the top, briefly cursing internally her choice to requip the full vessel and not just the contents, she still felt pleased by that decision to get the cute kitty jars. Inside, she had a wonderful selection of berries and roots. Another held some different meats, including fish, but she wanted to start off small. It was not a wise idea to encourage wild animals to feel comfortable in approaching humans for food, and it was definitely Juliet's ego talking as she made her excuses, but- she felt that she was a little bit different from the other travelers and tourists who would try to "feed the bears." That in itself made her no different from the rest, but... the temptation was simply too great.

Last week, Juliet had agreed to take a mission protecting a merchant and their cargo package. While she preferred to actively hunt down evil doers, the mage understood the necessity of supporting civilians in their every day encounters. After all, piracy was a crime; if she were to encounter anyone participating in it, her attempts to render justice would be swift. Now, today, the blonde was due to meet another mage to be a partner of hers. Their departure point would be at the port of Hargeon Town. As the city was famous, possessing one of the largest populations in Fiore, several trains were available at practically all hours of the day headed to the location.

Therefore, reaching the location would not pose too much of an issue. It was understandable for their client to desire setting off from that coast. Well protected and with busy traffic, the seas in that area were fairly well patrolled and safe compared to lesser known ports where thieves freely wandered. However, pick pockets did run amok on the city. Juliet tightened her grip on her satchel as she stood in the queue, patiently waiting for her opportunity to buy a ticket. The costs shouldn't be too bad this time around. Lately, the girl had been paying out of her nose for travel fare on account of the value of leaving a paper trail. Although the mage was perfectly able to just teleport on her own, she wanted to have proof of her presence throughout the nation. Perhaps that was a silly notion, but after being trapped in another country and unable to provide proof she lived in Fiore... the girl was markedly more self-conscious about these things. Besides, the cost was not actually debilitating; Juliet simply was unused to the fees.

Finally, it was her turn to step up to the counter. The mage did so, pulling her bag around from her side so that it was now situated more in front of her body. Now able to see inside, she rummaged through very briefly before producing her wallet. After nearly having her wallet swiped straight out of her hand, the girl preferred to not have it visible until absolutely necessary. As she waited for the employee to confirm her purchase, Juliet thought more about her mission. Her client was named Kat Hunter, a woman in her mid thirties who ran a tight ship. Her business of importing magical crystals and exporting manufactured goods was steadily successful, if not extremely so. Apparently some of her imports had been disrupted. A polite voice reminded her that the transaction was confirmed. Smiling at the worker, the mage thanked the attendant for her ticket and moved away from the counter, a brand new ticket clutched in her hands. Without another moment of delay, Juliet disappeared in a swirl of lavender light. She could easily walk onto the platform, but it was more efficient to save time and travel straight there. Despite the mundane nature of riding on the train, the girl found enjoyment in the experience. She could skip over it, at the cost of perhaps her routine. But to be completely honest, Juliet didn't want to. It was a nice change in pace from the hustle and bustle of daily life, the eternal move along factor which kept the girl constantly on the move. She could always do better and do more.

On the train ride, the mage took the opportunity to study the job description even further. Although she had already reviewed the details several times over, it never hurt to be extra prepared. When possible, she did not shun over preparation, either. Keeping this in mind, the mage glanced through the details. Kat Hunter had gotten a tip that the oceans may experience higher degrees of danger for the next few weeks. Apparently, some smaller bands of pirates had joined together under a new leader. Whether the alliance was purely temporary or to be sustained for an extended amount of time was yet to be seen. Regardless, the fact was, danger was on the horizon now. Even as a semi weak mage, Juliet thought she was capable enough to handle magic-less pirates. With the help of her trusty armor and weapons, and perhaps the power of her crest... shaking her head, Juliet tried not to think too deeply about the still unknown properties the giant mark on her back had. While they had saved her a few times in the past, the effects were unpleasant, and the backlash on her surroundings and allies could be a danger. Anyway, returning back to the task at hand, Juliet discovered a piece of information she had glossed over before. The ship would be moving at a slower speed than was typical, due to a few of the crew going missing. Even though the structure was completely sound and could handle being pressed, it was not wise to force a faster pace than the crew could handle. Juliet found that reasonable, although it was a possibility they could be more vulnerable to attack. During the remainder of the travel time, a few hours in total, the girl continued to muse over the possible ways this mission could go.

Upon arriving at the town, Juliet immediately tried to get her bearings. The train station was east of where she needed to go. Nodding to herself, the mage set off, the little capelet of her uniform flipped over her shoulder. Nearby, she saw a girl trip and fall on the cobble stones, the basket full of books in her arms bouncing across the street, the contents scattering all over. Juliet immediately took a detour from her course, heading straight for the child. "Are you alright?" She helped her get to her feet and led the kid over to a nearby chair of a cafe, glancing at the owner to make sure they weren't ready to cause a ruckus over it. Then, the mage set out to collect all of the belongings. A few had been crushed by those passing by who had no time, regard, or both, for someone else's possessions. Murmuring a soft spell underneath her breath, she repaired the items to the best of her abilities. Slipping them back into the basket, the girl handed the full receptacle back to the child. "Be more careful, alright?" Even though her voice was a bit reprimanding, it also had a soft quality, and the worry was not concealed. The mage then continued on, going about her business as though nothing had happened. She reached the little building marked "Hunter's Trade" and pushed open the right door of the double glass set. Glancing around, Juliet tried to assess whether any of these folk could be her job partner. There seemed to be a few magical individuals within the area, going by her sensory information. Meanwhile, the captain herself did not seem to be in sight. Juliet could be a patient person, especially in times like these; she would wait.

The boat trip had gone smoothly, and with nothing of note. In fact, the journey had gone along in such a standard way that she had begun to let down her guard and muse to herself about random topics and the job at hand. For example, if she were to express herself with complete honesty, Juliet adored cats. They were kindred spirits with her. Preferring to be left alone and stay inside whenever possible, both herself as well as felines loved meat and took pleasure in eating. Even though all of her love would forever belong to bears, any cat, from kitten to tom, held a special place in her heart. Despite this, however, the idea of a neko people unsettled her. No matter how hard she tried not to judge anyone according to appearances, Juliet was invariably affected by assumptions. She couldn't help it. Reminding herself that everyone was human inside only went so far when she was standing in front of a man with cat ears, wearing nothing except for a pair of shorts. Behind him, a tail waved slightly in the air as he talked, and it was more than mildly distracting.

Attempting to focus back in on the details of his report, she coughed and glanced to the side, still listening. "...as you can see, for the past month, we have been waiting patiently for the arrival of our shipment. Cooking supplies are running more and more scarce, and we cannot afford to wait any longer. Our delivery boy is very good, and he has never been this late before..." He trailed off, as if at a loss on how to further explain. As her mind turned over the series of events in her head, Juliet brought up a question of hers. "Do you have reason to believe something happened to him? Aside from the obvious lateness of the delivery," the mage amended, waiting for an answer while studiously looking away from his immodesty. She wasn't one for shaming people for being open in their behavior, but at the same time!... Wasn't walking around half naked all the time a bit too much?

Readily, the leader of the humanesque cat people- or was it feline human people?- explained further his suspicions. According to a report from some of their scouts, bandits had been prowling along the path from the settlement to the larger city where the supplies originated from. Juliet had taken a different route to reach the small town, approaching it from the direction opposite. For that reason, she probably had avoided any such bandit attacks. Thanking him for the information, the mage pulled her iLac out of her satchel to check the time. Just as she was exiting the room, the leader of the cat people called out. "Wait!" Juliet slowly swiveled back, her expression expectant, and patently open. "Everything alright?" The blonde asked, her eyes trained on him as she awaited a response. "Yes, I just wanted to say, I've also hired another mage to recover the package. He hasn't arrived yet, but he elected not to receive the details of the mission in person. You may run into him on the road, or he could be in town somewhere. All of the report and job description have already been made available to him, but if he would like further information, please let him know to come see me here." With that having been said, he waved Juliet out of the room.

Belatedly, she thought she ought to have asked the man for the name of her partner to be. She had been so surprised when he had introduced himself as the famed Kat Hunter that she hadn't been able to process much more than her confusion. As far as Juliet was aware, Kat was a woman and not part of the neko people. When they had arrived at this place, she was extremely confused, and this sense persisted. Unfortunately, turning back and heading into the meeting room she had just exited revealed an empty space. Undoubtedly, the leader had used some sort of magic or an unknown device to depart instantly. Resolving to figure out who her ally would be through sensing him out (mages did have a distinctive magic signature, after all) Juliet reluctantly left the building. Initially, as with every undertaking, her first instinct was to set off as soon as possible after plans were set. A bit more thinking had her changing the agenda to first waiting a day or so in the town and searching for her supposed comrade before assuming they were on the road and heading off.

Luckily, the job was pretty straightforward. Juliet had been expecting having to protect a ship carrying magical crystals and such, instead of cooking supplies. With any luck, this meant there would be less risk involved. There was absolutely no sign of her teammate, which was fine with Juliet. She tended to work better alone, either due to her awkwardness or lack of conversational skills. By the time the shipment was supposed to arrive as an import, Juliet had finally understood what she had to do. It would be much easier to protect an export, since she could simply ride with the ship the entire way. However, unless she magically teleported to the harbor where the cargo was leaving from, this would be difficult. Speaking of teleporting, though, Juliet did have the ability to do so. Chastising herself for thinking so closed mindedly, she muttered a few words under her breath. Then the crest on her back glowed hot underneath her uniform and she disappeared in a flash of purple light.

Unfortunately, Juliet never returned from her mission.