Basic Appearance
At 6'2 Theodore could definitely be considered tall with a lanky, almost gangly appearance. But don't let his thin frame fool you- underneath his slightly rumpled suits is a wiry, lean body that moves with a surprising amount of grace. His black hair is in a constant mess of spikes and, no matter what he does, some always seems to stick up in the back. His bangs tend to get in the way of his dark blue eyes that have constant dark circles under them from a lack of sleep. During his work as a detective, as previously mentioned, he wears a suit and tie with whatever color button-up he happened to pick out that day. He doesn't have the most put-together appearance. Really, he looks like a bit of a mess, like a bumbling detective whose about to pass out from exhaustion, but that just may be a clever tactic to make himself appear like less of a threat and, generally, it works. On his rare off days or when attending class, Theodore opts for functional over fashionable clothes, usually wearing sneakers and whatever he found in his closet that morning. His body is littered with the odd scar from old cases and scuffles, one of the reasons that he took to learning self defense.
(From a police meeting when asked to comment on the Black Cat thefts):
"It's not about what's popular, it's about what's right. Stealing is a criminal offense and they will be brought to justice."
Name:
Theodore Etienne Valentine. "Theo or Teddy is fine when I'm off the clock."
Age:
Twenty-Two-Years-Old "Yeah, yeah, I know I'm young. You don't have to say anything."
Gender:
Male "It doesn't take a detective to figure that one out."
Weapon(s):
A pistol, a pocket knife, and his own skill in hand-to-hand combat. "What can I say? Being a detective is a dangerous job."
Personality:
How would one describe Theodore Valentine? His colleagues on the police force would probably say blunt and dedicated, citing how brisk he could be during interviews and how he immerses himself in each case. His family might say that he has a strong sense of justice and takes too much upon himself. Both groups would be absolutely correct. Theodore is, admittedly, not much of a charmer. He lacks the patience and finesse that it takes to coax and cajole others, instead relying on bluntness and honesty to get his work done. It sometimes rubs people the wrong way, but Theodore isn't trying to be rude; he just wants to get to the heart of the matter, brushing aside speculation and petty emotions to find the truth hidden beneath. That's not to say that he's a bad guy, just very determined.
He is almost disturbingly dedicated to his cases, delving into them with a disturbing intensity. He immerses himself within them completely, often forgetting to take care of himself in the meantime. It's a definite fault of his and he needs someone to look after him during the most confusing cases, remind him to eat or take a nap. This dedication is in part due to the stress that he feels he's under- the pressure to be the best, to solve the case, to not let anyone down. Speaking of his stress, it's one of his biggest problems. It eats him alive, forcing him to turn to cigarettes and the occasional drink in an attempt to control it. Most of the stress is self-imposed, but it is prevalent. As a young detective, there are many eyes on his, waiting to see him fail.
Contrary to popular belief, Theodore is actually a pretty fun guy to be around. He has a dry sense of humor, has fun jokingly teasing people, and is always ready for a night on the town unless he's on the brink of a break in one of his cases. And, during his downtime, he's actually quite relaxed, enjoying days just lazing about. Sadly, though, those days of downtime don't happen often enough.
Likes:"Yeah, I guess I can list a few."
~Coffee
~Tea
~Wine
~Mysteries
~Cats
~A wide variety of music, but particularly classical and music he can dance to
~Paris, especially at night
~Most sweet foods
~Home-cooked meals
Dislikes:"Ugh, no thanks."
~Criminals
~Failing, but especially when it means lettings others down
~Pineapple
~Storms
~Octopus and squid
~Egomaniacs
Talents:
~Hand-to-hand combat
~He's a crack shot
~His detective skills
~Trilingual (he can speak French, Italian, and decent English)
~Playing the cello and violin
~Cooking
Flaws:"I'll admit it, I have a lot."
~He cannot paint to save his own life
~He has a tendency to become too involved with his cases
~His stress levels are almost constantly off the charts
~He's incredibly blunt and can come off as rude
~He hesitates to actually pull the trigger of a gun
~He doesn't take care of himself during a big case
~When he's stressed, which is nearly all the time, he smokes like a chimney
Hobbies:
~Taking long walks around Paris
~Playing the violin or cello
~Going out with colleagues for drinks
~Collects works of art that he finds personally interesting
Bio:
Ironically enough, Theodore was born into a family of artists. His mother, an Italian woman named Leah Angotti, was a college student majoring in art, her work primarily in sculptures, when she met his father, French native Hugo Valentine, a professional painter in Montmartre. The two quickly fell in love despite their five year age different and were soon married, choosing to stay in Hugo's beloved France. Leah and Hugo had two children together, a daughter named Alice and then, four years later, their only son, Theodore. The Valentines were far from rich, but they still managed to scrape by. Leah got a job as a sculpting instructor at a local university and Hugo continued his work as a painter in Montmartre.
In the family of artists, it was reasonably expected that their children would immerse themselves in the artistic world as well. Alice did not disappoint. She was practically a prodigy, an expert in whatever discipline of art she threw herself in, but specialized in painting. As for Theodore, well, he was not so lucky. He tried, of course, to make beautiful works of art like his parents and sister, but nothing ever turned out as he wanted. It all came to a head when he was twelve and working on his first(and last) masterpiece. It was a piece that he poured his heart and soul into, his last ounce of creative genius, working for months on the project. On the day he decided to unveil his chef d'oeuvre, everything went downhill. His older sister had just returned home from school, flourishing her own painting, a beautiful piece with intricate details and true creativity. Next to it, Theodore's painting was pitiful, ugly and no matter how hard his parents and sister tried to assure him that it was very nice, he could see the disappointment in their eyes that all but vanished when they turned to Alice's painting.
He gave up art that day and his relationship with his parents and sister became strained, leaving Theodore to cling to his paternal grandparents and his uncle, a police officer. He began trying out new things, trying to find his path in life. He developed a fondness for music and began to take lessons for both the cello and, later, the violin. But with his uncle he found his niche, a talent for observation and creative thinking that, quite ironically, he'd begun to develop due to his parents' countless lessons on art. He couldn't put it into practice with art, but with it he was able to become something of a detective prodigy. His uncle was more than happy to encourage his interest in solving crimes, occasionally bringing him old case files to see if he could solve them. Amazingly, he could, using only crime scene photos and witness statements. Finally he'd found something he could do, something that others could be proud of.
He solved his first crime at sixteen, almost by accident. There had been a break-in in one of Paris' wealthiest households where a priceless jeweled tiara was stolen. It was, of course, instant a media sensation. That very day, Theodore had accidentally locked himself out of the house and went to find his uncle to get the spare key and found him in the middle of the insanity of the investigation. There, standing amongst all of the milling police officers and reporters, after taking only a moment to glance at the clues as he collected the spare key, he correctly deduced that it had been the family's youngest stone who had stolen the tiara.
"The Boy Detective" the papers had called him and, as if pressured by the media blitz, Theodore was offered his own place as something of a consulting detective, then, once he turned eighteen, as a real detective. While it may sound like a fantasy, the truth was more grim. With his special status, Theodore began feeling an immense pressure on his shoulders, partially due to his own personality flaws but mostly due to the ever-watching eyes on him of people less than pleased by his success, waiting for him to fail. He took to smoking, sometimes to drinking, to stave off of the immense stress, immersing himself almost bodily into every case, every problem. Sometimes he would forget to eat, to even sleep, but his record remained perfect.
Soon the media circus died down with other more interesting news coming along and things became slightly more relaxed for Theodore. He was no longer an anomaly once he hit his adult years, just another young detective in the Parisian police force. Still, he remained dedicated to his work, ignoring University in favor of continuing on. However, the work slowed down eventually and, for lack of anything better to do, Theodore decided to go to University, a bit older than the other students but still eager to earn his degree.
That was, of course, when the Black Cats arrived in Paris. Vanishing paintings, spectacular art thefts like a modern day Robin Hood... And, of course, Theodore was thrust into the middle of it. Stress was building up once more with the pressure of his perfect record, school life, and the fact that no one really wanted the art thieves caught. After all, they were just returning art to the masses. As much as Theodore could sympathize with the idea, breaking the law is breaking the law. It's his job to bring them to justice.
Other:
~He does not hate art, even if he may pretend that he does on occasion. He doesn't always get it, but he can appreciate the hard work that goes into it
~He's been visiting this lovely, new little cafe recently- The Black Cat Cafe. With all of the girls and women flocking there, it can feel more like a host club, but they make wonderful teas and coffees, perfect for relieving stress or, alternatively, giving him the caffeine boost he needs to pull all-nighters.
Relationships/Thoughts towards Other Characters:
WIP
