Post by prodigiousbirth on Aug 2, 2010 21:36:49 GMT -5
Hi! I'm Jen and this is my first character. I found this site through the Romeo + Juliet IMDb message board. I'm a Harry Potter junkie (good thing I live 30 minutes from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - be jealous), I'm addicted to chocolate, I'm training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February, I'm getting married in November of next year, and I'm a writer for a living (surprised? 
).
Canon: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Custom Title:
PHYSICAL
Age: 20 (birth date: July 31, 1990).
Gender: Female.
Appearance: Juliet is of an average height for her age and gender. She has long, dark brown hair that she usually wears down straight, but sometimes curly or wavy. She wears it in a ponytail/bun when lounging, or out running. She also wears reading glasses on occasion. She embraces her light skin over natural or artificial tanning.
Height: 5'4".
Body: Slim, and somewhat athletic.
Other distinguishing features: Juliet is almost always seen in heels - she wore them from a very young age and her feet usually hurt when she isn't wearing them. She has a single tattoo on her shoulder, in black script. It reads "Jai guru deva om.", a Sanskrit phrase translating loosely to, "Glory to the shining remover of darkness.", and made famous by lyrics from The Beatles' song "Across the Universe". She also has numerous scars on her upper left thigh, though most have faded substantially. She is never seen not wearing a white-gold chain and locket, with a "B" carved into the locket. The only physical feature Juliet really loves about herself are her extremely long eyelashes.
Wardrobe: Juliet dresses very neat and precisely, and prefers skirts and dresses over jeans or pants, though she does wear them on occasion. She loves lace and ruffles - anything feminine. She wears very little makeup - just enough to make her features pop. She loves clothes, and it is very tough for her to control herself when out shopping. She prefers to shop at stores on Fifth Avenue, and favors the lasting quality of high-end designers like Chanel, Gucci, and Miu Miu. She also loves vintage clothes, and is obsessed with shoes, pea coats, and designer handbags.[/ul]
Play By: Natalie Portman.
PERSONALITY
General personality: Juliet is organized, detail-oriented, and idealistic - her head is always in the clouds, and she is always dreaming of something more. She is generally introverted, albeit friendly. She will not be the first to approach someone, but is warm in accepting attempts at a conversation or connection. She is extremely intelligent and ambitious, and loves learning about everything she can. She has a soft spot for animals and children, and is honest, even when it hurts. She is very maternal, and naturally sees the best in others, even when they don't see it themselves. She is calm and collected, and rarely loses her temper.
Juliet is also quite naïve. As an only child of an influential New York City politician and a fussy socialite, she was fairly sheltered. She is stubborn, and has a hard time accepting information that varies from her beliefs or morals. She sets extremely high standards for herself and, as a result, is easily disappointed. She has a difficult time letting people get close to her for this reason, and has had very few romantic relationships in her past. She has a huge fear of speaking in front of crowds, and becomes flustered easily. Juliet is a planner, a thinker, and a perfectionist, paying so much attention to details that she sometimes neglects the bigger picture. Juliet has a generally hard time peeking out of her shell, for fear of rejection or disappointment.
Juliet is an INFJ personality type.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: Juliet strives to live by the quote, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." It is said by Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a series of which she is a fan.
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
BACKGROUND
Family: Juliet is the only surviving child of Fulgencio Capulet, an Italian-born politician, and Delphine Laroche Capulet, a former French model and current New York City socialite. Juliet has two blood cousins - Tybalt Capulet and Rosaline Capulet, both current New York City residents.
Education: Bachelor of arts (English); currently pursuing a master's degree in English literature from Columbia University. Juliet's parents pushed her hard in school, which led to her high-school graduation shortly before her 17th birthday and completion of a bachelor's program in three years. Juliet attended private Roman Catholic elementary and secondary schools in New York City, but is currently unsure of her personal religious beliefs.
Occupation: Full-time graduate student at Columbia University and part-time cashier at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Fifth Avenue (a job she pursued on her own, to attempt to gain a little independence from her father's wallet and notoriety).
Worst past experience: The death of her nurse/surrogate mother, Luisa, at the end of Juliet's junior year of high school.
Best past experience: Studying abroad in London during the final semester of her undergraduate career (Jan. - April, 2010).
Image: Juliet is usually first perceived as a bit stuck-up due to her introversion, obvious high-class upbringing, and young age compared to some of her classmates. Upon getting to know Juliet, most see her as intelligent and friendly, albeit a bit uptight.
History: Juliet was born Giulietta Marie Charlotte Capulet in Verona, Italy on July 31, 1990 to Fulgencio and Delphine Laroche Capulet (her parents had her name Americanized and shortened upon moving to the United States). She was the Capulets' third attempt at a child - her mother had a miscarriage in 1984, and her elder sister Charlotte died shortly after birth in 1987.
During Juliet's infancy and early childhood, her parents were rarely present - her father was always off fulfilling busy political agendas, and her mother was a French model who traveled the world. Juliet was raised primarily by her nurse, Luisa Bianchi, whom she considered more of a mother than her biological one. Due to Fulgencio's desire to become an influential face in American politics, the Capulets, Luisa, and their servants relocated to a penthouse suite on the Upper East Side of New York City in August 1994. Juliet's parents enrolled her in kindergarten immediately.
Throughout Juliet's childhood, it was apparent to her mother and father that she had a thirst for knowledge and was a quick learner, leading them to push Juliet toward overachievement. She took part in a number of extracurricular activities, such as ballet, violin, and horseback-riding lessons, in addition to being expected to achieve top grades in school. Despite the constant exposure to new peers and experiences, Juliet was always more of a loner than a social butterfly, very unlike her mother. Juliet considered Luisa her closest and only trustworthy friend, and confided in her for everything from her favorite color to her first menstrual cycle. However, her alienation from her peers kept her from developing serious friendships and romantic relationships, and as a result, she was diagnosed as clinically depressed at the age of 13.
At 14, under stress of teasing from high-school peers and rebelling against her medication, Juliet began using an X-acto knife she had procured from her art class to cut into her left thigh when she was especially distraught. Juliet's nurse, Luisa, caught her in the act one afternoon and brought her to a psychologist. Luisa vowed not to mention the incident to Juliet's parents, as long as Juliet promised to try her best to work out her problems without hurting herself. Juliet kept her word, and through the help of her psychologist and a newfound love of books, eventually began to heal and wean off of medication, though she still possesses slight obsessive tendencies and is prone to occasional night terrors.
Luisa contracted ovarian cancer during Juliet's treatment for her depressive episodes. For fear of giving Juliet a reason to relapse, Luisa didn't tell the Capulets about her illness until Juliet was about to turn 16 and she was almost on her death bed. She told Juliet she knew she was meant to make a difference, and made her promise to take care of herself, always follow her heart, and strive for greatness. Unmarried and childless, Luisa told Juliet how she had loved her like a daughter, and would always be with her. She gave Juliet the necklace she had always worn - a faded white-gold family heirloom chain and locket, with a "B" for Bianchi carved into it. The locket held a photo of Luisa holding Juliet as an infant. Juliet hasn't taken it off since.
Inspired by Luisa's words and her desire to leave home and build her own life, Juliet graduated third in her high-school class in May 2007. She was accepted to Columbia University on a full scholarship, studied abroad in London her final semester, and earned a bachelor of arts in English literature in May 2010. Unable to fund her own apartment yet, Juliet still lives with her parents and their servants in the same penthouse she grew up in, though she spends as little time at home as possible. Her parents vacation in The Hamptons every summer - 2010 is the first summer Juliet stayed behind, using the excuse of having to "focus on preparing for grad school" to escape the constant bickering and blatant reminders of her parents' adulterous and failing marriage. She has spent her summer working at Barnes & Noble, and is anxious to go back to school to earn her master's and avoid the real world a little longer.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
[This sample takes place while Luisa, Juliet's former nurse, is telling a 15-year-old Juliet her final good-bye from her death bed.]
A sudden noise and stirring occurred in the adjacent bed, and Juliet's eyes snapped open immediately. She detached herself from the chair - and the strange dream - and positioned herself next to the bed's headboard in record time. The whirring and beeping of the machines that were keeping Luisa alive were just white noise to Juliet now, and she lifted her nurse's cold, clammy hand gently without a moment's hesitation. The old lady turned her head with as much effort as Juliet imagined lifting a truck would require, and Juliet peered worriedly into her half-open dark eyes - heavily lidded oculars that housed decades of secrets, joys, and despairs.
"Giulietta," the old lady breathed, using Juliet’s birth name – a name she had reserved for scolding Juliet when she had done something less-than-ladylike as a young girl. "Mia bambina." She struggled to lift her hand to Juliet’s face.
Juliet leaned down and placed Luisa's palm gently to her cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to take in the features of the woman she had entrusted every part of her life to for the past 16 years – the wizened features that looked like they could tell stories of old Italia for years and years. The headdress that hid a now-bare scalp that once held an endless reserve of thick, dark, and unruly hair that had gone gray in the years before Juliet was born. The kindly smile that never showed signs of worry or lost hope, even in irreversible illness.
"Shhh," Juliet replied softly, patting her hand tenderly. "You shouldn't talk or move around more than is absolutely necessary."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Luisa'a pale, cracked lips as she peered into Juliet's eyes.
"Juliet, I'm not going to be here much longer," she continued, her thick Italian accent apparent even under the stress in her tired voice.
Juliet had been prepared for these words, but it didn't prevent her from pressing her lips together in a line and shaking her head curtly from side to side. A breeze from the partially open bay window at her back ruffled the skirt of her dress slightly.
"Don't-don't say that, Lulu. You're going to be fine. Mother and father have gotten you the best doctors in the world, and you're getting better every day." The second part wasn't fully true, but through researching the cancer, Juliet knew that hope was crucial at this stage - she vowed to remain optimistic and strong, even though she felt that any moment she would break down in tears. Juliet reached down to adjust Luisa's blankets. The large, antique grandfather clock the Capulets had given Luisa two Christmases ago chimed noon in the northwest corner of the room.
The old lady coughed once and exhaled heavily, but continued. "We have been through a lot together, you and I." Juliet listened, ready to argue a self-imposed death sentence but not wanting to interrupt the woman she loved and respected so much - the woman who had been a surrogate mother to her. "The two musketeers, right?" She opened her arms slightly the way she did when she knew Juliet just needed a hug and someone to listen.
Juliet offered her a small smile and, in spite of herself, climbed slowly into the bed and rested her head gently on the small section of Luisa's chest that wasn't covered in wires.
Luisa cradled Juliet and rocked her slowly, and Juliet let her, knowing arguing would be futile against her nurse's persistent Italian demeanor. "Do you remember, when you were a little girl, when I used to sing to you, and tell you stories? 'Il Leone Dorato', and 'The Fair Fiorita', those were your favorites. You did love your princess tales."
A lump formed in Juliet's throat, but she nodded her head. The pair lay in silence for a while, the elder woman humming an old lullaby she would sing to get Juliet to fall asleep as a toddler. The younger girl closed her eyes and remembered.
"Juliet, I know that you have been through a lot in your young age, and that it is in your nature to be humble and accepting. But you must never forget to follow your own dreams and take the things you deserve and want out of life. You will only live this life once." She stroked Juliet's hair. "I know you are meant to leave a great mark on this world - I have know it since you were a baby. You were always a special child."
A faint glimmer caught Juliet's eye and she adjusted her head slightly to gaze upon the white-gold locket she had always seen Luisa wear and never take off. Luisa held it in her hand, and presented it to Juliet.
"I want you to take this."
Juliet took it gently and unhitched the clasp. Inside was a tiny black-and-white photograph of Luisa holding an infant Juliet. In that moment, Juliet was overwhelmed with a plethora of emotions - sadness, despair, love - emotions so strong and plentiful that the lump in her throat burst and tears began streaming down her pale cheeks.
"Lulu, it's beautiful...but I can't take this, it's yours."
Luisa smiled. "I want you to have it, bella. I kept it to keep you close to my heart when we were apart. Soon, I will always be able to see and hear you, and I will know you are safe."
Juliet sniffed softly and nodded once, propping herself up on her elbows and fastening the chain around her neck. She pushed a lock of hair from her face and resumed her position in Luisa's arms, the tick-tock of the grandfather clock becoming apparent for the first time in her memory.
"You have always been a daughter to me," Luisa said after a moment. "I want you to know that I will always be with you." Her voice shook slightly as she hugged the girl closer. "Ti amo, Juliet."
The silent tears continued to flow from Juliet as she let the reality of the moment sink in. She fought the tremors that coursed through her veins and swallowed hard, managing to reply in as clear a voice as she could muster: "I love you too, Lulu."
A silence filled the air again, and after a few minutes, the heavy breathing of the older woman ceased. Juliet felt her grip loosen, and after a few seconds, she heard the unmistakable flatlining of the heart-rate monitor. Juliet inhaled deeply and, upon exhaling, let the tears flow freely, no longer bothering to keep the noises of despair to herself.[/blockquote]
).Juliet Marie Capulet
| High Class |
| High Class |
Canon: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Custom Title:
Broken angel, learn to fly; get up, and earn your wings tonight.
- Hanson's "Broken Angel"
PHYSICAL
Age: 20 (birth date: July 31, 1990).
Gender: Female.
Appearance: Juliet is of an average height for her age and gender. She has long, dark brown hair that she usually wears down straight, but sometimes curly or wavy. She wears it in a ponytail/bun when lounging, or out running. She also wears reading glasses on occasion. She embraces her light skin over natural or artificial tanning.
Height: 5'4".
Body: Slim, and somewhat athletic.
Other distinguishing features: Juliet is almost always seen in heels - she wore them from a very young age and her feet usually hurt when she isn't wearing them. She has a single tattoo on her shoulder, in black script. It reads "Jai guru deva om.", a Sanskrit phrase translating loosely to, "Glory to the shining remover of darkness.", and made famous by lyrics from The Beatles' song "Across the Universe". She also has numerous scars on her upper left thigh, though most have faded substantially. She is never seen not wearing a white-gold chain and locket, with a "B" carved into the locket. The only physical feature Juliet really loves about herself are her extremely long eyelashes.
Wardrobe: Juliet dresses very neat and precisely, and prefers skirts and dresses over jeans or pants, though she does wear them on occasion. She loves lace and ruffles - anything feminine. She wears very little makeup - just enough to make her features pop. She loves clothes, and it is very tough for her to control herself when out shopping. She prefers to shop at stores on Fifth Avenue, and favors the lasting quality of high-end designers like Chanel, Gucci, and Miu Miu. She also loves vintage clothes, and is obsessed with shoes, pea coats, and designer handbags.[/ul]
Play By: Natalie Portman.
PERSONALITY
General personality: Juliet is organized, detail-oriented, and idealistic - her head is always in the clouds, and she is always dreaming of something more. She is generally introverted, albeit friendly. She will not be the first to approach someone, but is warm in accepting attempts at a conversation or connection. She is extremely intelligent and ambitious, and loves learning about everything she can. She has a soft spot for animals and children, and is honest, even when it hurts. She is very maternal, and naturally sees the best in others, even when they don't see it themselves. She is calm and collected, and rarely loses her temper.
Juliet is also quite naïve. As an only child of an influential New York City politician and a fussy socialite, she was fairly sheltered. She is stubborn, and has a hard time accepting information that varies from her beliefs or morals. She sets extremely high standards for herself and, as a result, is easily disappointed. She has a difficult time letting people get close to her for this reason, and has had very few romantic relationships in her past. She has a huge fear of speaking in front of crowds, and becomes flustered easily. Juliet is a planner, a thinker, and a perfectionist, paying so much attention to details that she sometimes neglects the bigger picture. Juliet has a generally hard time peeking out of her shell, for fear of rejection or disappointment.
Juliet is an INFJ personality type.
Quotes, frequently used expressions: Juliet strives to live by the quote, "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." It is said by Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a series of which she is a fan.
Likes:
- literature (especially English and American)
- animals
- fashion
- art/photography
- Audrey Hepburn
- long-distance running
- cats
- traveling
- tea
- musicals
Dislikes:
- bigotry/racism
- insects
- heavy-metal music
- violence in any way, shape, or form
- politics
- playing sports
- public speaking
- cigarettes
- coffee
- big dogs
Strengths:
- intelligence
- ambition
- compassion
Weaknesses:
- naïveté
- stubbornness
- clothes
BACKGROUND
Family: Juliet is the only surviving child of Fulgencio Capulet, an Italian-born politician, and Delphine Laroche Capulet, a former French model and current New York City socialite. Juliet has two blood cousins - Tybalt Capulet and Rosaline Capulet, both current New York City residents.
Education: Bachelor of arts (English); currently pursuing a master's degree in English literature from Columbia University. Juliet's parents pushed her hard in school, which led to her high-school graduation shortly before her 17th birthday and completion of a bachelor's program in three years. Juliet attended private Roman Catholic elementary and secondary schools in New York City, but is currently unsure of her personal religious beliefs.
Occupation: Full-time graduate student at Columbia University and part-time cashier at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Fifth Avenue (a job she pursued on her own, to attempt to gain a little independence from her father's wallet and notoriety).
Worst past experience: The death of her nurse/surrogate mother, Luisa, at the end of Juliet's junior year of high school.
Best past experience: Studying abroad in London during the final semester of her undergraduate career (Jan. - April, 2010).
Image: Juliet is usually first perceived as a bit stuck-up due to her introversion, obvious high-class upbringing, and young age compared to some of her classmates. Upon getting to know Juliet, most see her as intelligent and friendly, albeit a bit uptight.
History: Juliet was born Giulietta Marie Charlotte Capulet in Verona, Italy on July 31, 1990 to Fulgencio and Delphine Laroche Capulet (her parents had her name Americanized and shortened upon moving to the United States). She was the Capulets' third attempt at a child - her mother had a miscarriage in 1984, and her elder sister Charlotte died shortly after birth in 1987.
During Juliet's infancy and early childhood, her parents were rarely present - her father was always off fulfilling busy political agendas, and her mother was a French model who traveled the world. Juliet was raised primarily by her nurse, Luisa Bianchi, whom she considered more of a mother than her biological one. Due to Fulgencio's desire to become an influential face in American politics, the Capulets, Luisa, and their servants relocated to a penthouse suite on the Upper East Side of New York City in August 1994. Juliet's parents enrolled her in kindergarten immediately.
Throughout Juliet's childhood, it was apparent to her mother and father that she had a thirst for knowledge and was a quick learner, leading them to push Juliet toward overachievement. She took part in a number of extracurricular activities, such as ballet, violin, and horseback-riding lessons, in addition to being expected to achieve top grades in school. Despite the constant exposure to new peers and experiences, Juliet was always more of a loner than a social butterfly, very unlike her mother. Juliet considered Luisa her closest and only trustworthy friend, and confided in her for everything from her favorite color to her first menstrual cycle. However, her alienation from her peers kept her from developing serious friendships and romantic relationships, and as a result, she was diagnosed as clinically depressed at the age of 13.
At 14, under stress of teasing from high-school peers and rebelling against her medication, Juliet began using an X-acto knife she had procured from her art class to cut into her left thigh when she was especially distraught. Juliet's nurse, Luisa, caught her in the act one afternoon and brought her to a psychologist. Luisa vowed not to mention the incident to Juliet's parents, as long as Juliet promised to try her best to work out her problems without hurting herself. Juliet kept her word, and through the help of her psychologist and a newfound love of books, eventually began to heal and wean off of medication, though she still possesses slight obsessive tendencies and is prone to occasional night terrors.
Luisa contracted ovarian cancer during Juliet's treatment for her depressive episodes. For fear of giving Juliet a reason to relapse, Luisa didn't tell the Capulets about her illness until Juliet was about to turn 16 and she was almost on her death bed. She told Juliet she knew she was meant to make a difference, and made her promise to take care of herself, always follow her heart, and strive for greatness. Unmarried and childless, Luisa told Juliet how she had loved her like a daughter, and would always be with her. She gave Juliet the necklace she had always worn - a faded white-gold family heirloom chain and locket, with a "B" for Bianchi carved into it. The locket held a photo of Luisa holding Juliet as an infant. Juliet hasn't taken it off since.
Inspired by Luisa's words and her desire to leave home and build her own life, Juliet graduated third in her high-school class in May 2007. She was accepted to Columbia University on a full scholarship, studied abroad in London her final semester, and earned a bachelor of arts in English literature in May 2010. Unable to fund her own apartment yet, Juliet still lives with her parents and their servants in the same penthouse she grew up in, though she spends as little time at home as possible. Her parents vacation in The Hamptons every summer - 2010 is the first summer Juliet stayed behind, using the excuse of having to "focus on preparing for grad school" to escape the constant bickering and blatant reminders of her parents' adulterous and failing marriage. She has spent her summer working at Barnes & Noble, and is anxious to go back to school to earn her master's and avoid the real world a little longer.
THE SAMPLE
In Character Sample:
[This sample takes place while Luisa, Juliet's former nurse, is telling a 15-year-old Juliet her final good-bye from her death bed.]
Juliet sat slumped in an antique cushioned armchair in her nurse Luisa's quarters of the Capulet penthouse, her eyelids shut softly in a hesitant sleep marred with intermittent inhalations and the occasional twitch. She was dressed in a pale pink summer dress and white stockings, a white headband keeping her long, wavy, dark brown hair pulled away from her face. A myriad of abstract images manifested within her broken dreams. In her current dream, Juliet opened her eyes to the sky, surrounded by billowing white clouds that formed a harder-than-expected bed under her back. She exhaled deeply and propped herself up on her elbows, shaking her head side to side and rubbing her right eye. She paused, furrowing a brow at the sight of a shapeless mass just out of reach. Something told her she should stay away from the mass, but she felt a magnetic pull toward it. She extended her arm and reached foward...
A sudden noise and stirring occurred in the adjacent bed, and Juliet's eyes snapped open immediately. She detached herself from the chair - and the strange dream - and positioned herself next to the bed's headboard in record time. The whirring and beeping of the machines that were keeping Luisa alive were just white noise to Juliet now, and she lifted her nurse's cold, clammy hand gently without a moment's hesitation. The old lady turned her head with as much effort as Juliet imagined lifting a truck would require, and Juliet peered worriedly into her half-open dark eyes - heavily lidded oculars that housed decades of secrets, joys, and despairs.
"Giulietta," the old lady breathed, using Juliet’s birth name – a name she had reserved for scolding Juliet when she had done something less-than-ladylike as a young girl. "Mia bambina." She struggled to lift her hand to Juliet’s face.
Juliet leaned down and placed Luisa's palm gently to her cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them to take in the features of the woman she had entrusted every part of her life to for the past 16 years – the wizened features that looked like they could tell stories of old Italia for years and years. The headdress that hid a now-bare scalp that once held an endless reserve of thick, dark, and unruly hair that had gone gray in the years before Juliet was born. The kindly smile that never showed signs of worry or lost hope, even in irreversible illness.
"Shhh," Juliet replied softly, patting her hand tenderly. "You shouldn't talk or move around more than is absolutely necessary."
A small smile tugged at the corners of Luisa'a pale, cracked lips as she peered into Juliet's eyes.
"Juliet, I'm not going to be here much longer," she continued, her thick Italian accent apparent even under the stress in her tired voice.
Juliet had been prepared for these words, but it didn't prevent her from pressing her lips together in a line and shaking her head curtly from side to side. A breeze from the partially open bay window at her back ruffled the skirt of her dress slightly.
"Don't-don't say that, Lulu. You're going to be fine. Mother and father have gotten you the best doctors in the world, and you're getting better every day." The second part wasn't fully true, but through researching the cancer, Juliet knew that hope was crucial at this stage - she vowed to remain optimistic and strong, even though she felt that any moment she would break down in tears. Juliet reached down to adjust Luisa's blankets. The large, antique grandfather clock the Capulets had given Luisa two Christmases ago chimed noon in the northwest corner of the room.
The old lady coughed once and exhaled heavily, but continued. "We have been through a lot together, you and I." Juliet listened, ready to argue a self-imposed death sentence but not wanting to interrupt the woman she loved and respected so much - the woman who had been a surrogate mother to her. "The two musketeers, right?" She opened her arms slightly the way she did when she knew Juliet just needed a hug and someone to listen.
Juliet offered her a small smile and, in spite of herself, climbed slowly into the bed and rested her head gently on the small section of Luisa's chest that wasn't covered in wires.
Luisa cradled Juliet and rocked her slowly, and Juliet let her, knowing arguing would be futile against her nurse's persistent Italian demeanor. "Do you remember, when you were a little girl, when I used to sing to you, and tell you stories? 'Il Leone Dorato', and 'The Fair Fiorita', those were your favorites. You did love your princess tales."
A lump formed in Juliet's throat, but she nodded her head. The pair lay in silence for a while, the elder woman humming an old lullaby she would sing to get Juliet to fall asleep as a toddler. The younger girl closed her eyes and remembered.
"Juliet, I know that you have been through a lot in your young age, and that it is in your nature to be humble and accepting. But you must never forget to follow your own dreams and take the things you deserve and want out of life. You will only live this life once." She stroked Juliet's hair. "I know you are meant to leave a great mark on this world - I have know it since you were a baby. You were always a special child."
A faint glimmer caught Juliet's eye and she adjusted her head slightly to gaze upon the white-gold locket she had always seen Luisa wear and never take off. Luisa held it in her hand, and presented it to Juliet.
"I want you to take this."
Juliet took it gently and unhitched the clasp. Inside was a tiny black-and-white photograph of Luisa holding an infant Juliet. In that moment, Juliet was overwhelmed with a plethora of emotions - sadness, despair, love - emotions so strong and plentiful that the lump in her throat burst and tears began streaming down her pale cheeks.
"Lulu, it's beautiful...but I can't take this, it's yours."
Luisa smiled. "I want you to have it, bella. I kept it to keep you close to my heart when we were apart. Soon, I will always be able to see and hear you, and I will know you are safe."
Juliet sniffed softly and nodded once, propping herself up on her elbows and fastening the chain around her neck. She pushed a lock of hair from her face and resumed her position in Luisa's arms, the tick-tock of the grandfather clock becoming apparent for the first time in her memory.
"You have always been a daughter to me," Luisa said after a moment. "I want you to know that I will always be with you." Her voice shook slightly as she hugged the girl closer. "Ti amo, Juliet."
The silent tears continued to flow from Juliet as she let the reality of the moment sink in. She fought the tremors that coursed through her veins and swallowed hard, managing to reply in as clear a voice as she could muster: "I love you too, Lulu."
A silence filled the air again, and after a few minutes, the heavy breathing of the older woman ceased. Juliet felt her grip loosen, and after a few seconds, she heard the unmistakable flatlining of the heart-rate monitor. Juliet inhaled deeply and, upon exhaling, let the tears flow freely, no longer bothering to keep the noises of despair to herself.[/blockquote]
