Tephain'a and Josevalain really didn't get along when the squad was first formed. Things changed after the events of Heavensward, firstly because Josevalain was shaken by the events that led his nation to an unprecedented crisis, but also because Tephain'a learned to open up and trust other members of the squad than Fox. They still had their run-ins, but there were also moments when they grew closer as fellow Echo-bearers.
One evening, Tephain'a found himself anxious. There was no one in the FC house but Josevalain, and the silence was unbearable for the miqo'te. Josevalain hadn't planned to stay awake. Nevertheless, with the situations the squad had been through, he had become accustomed not only to helping but to being helped . Every member of the squad had his or her strengths and weaknesses, but also his or her problems, and the other members helped out as much as they could, with their talents, their resources and sometimes just their presence. Weary, but aware that Teph needed help, Josevalain offered to stay with him for the night. Nothing tendentious, Josevalain is married. And he had every confidence in Teph.
For his part, Teph was not yet used to showing his vulnerability to Josevalain. He'd been an awful man before he'd changed his ways. Tephain'a always took the comments he received too much to heart, and feared he'd receive more this evening, even more so now that he valued the elezen. Nevertheless, he had no other choice, and deep down, he hoped Josevalain's change of heart was real, for he was beginning to appreciate her uprightness and strength of character.
"I'm not sure how to help on this. Is it ok if we just sleep ?"
"Y-yeah, I'm sorry but there is no wind and it's too hot for a fire, and... !"
"Teph, calm down, it's fine. Echo can be... bothersome. You've helped me many times with mine."
"I'm worried to ask you that. You're married and..."
"Faithful, just as you are respectful. And no offense, but you're no my type."
"[giggles]"
"Say Josevalain, can I see your wedding ring?"
"My wedding ring? What for?"
"I'm... curious, and I've never had the chance to see one up close. I realize I've never been around a lot of people who are married. Or they often hide their rings. Fox wear his ring on a chain because he works a lot with his hands. But you always wear yours."
"That's what you're supposed to do with your wedding ring. I'm not supposed to take it off."
"Oh, it's, ahem, it's a no then?"
"What do you want to do with it ? It's really precious to me."
"Really, just, look at it. I could look at it on your hand but you don't like when we touch your hands, right?"
"They might hurt, yes. ... [sight] It's a weird fixation, but after Rohan'ya ask for an allagan droid, leave you my ring for a while seems reasonable. Don"t lose it, it's precious."
"It's shiny ! And already used."
"Well, I fight with it and my fighting style is not smooth..."
"You will replace it when it's too damaged ?"
"I won't. A wedding ring must be kept for life. If it breaks, I'll have it repaired. I take care of it as much as possible."
"Wow... That explains why they cost so much ?"
"Maybe, they have to be solid and beautiful. Don't try to sell it !"
"I won't! I understand why it's precious..."
"How come you know so little about wedding rings? Don't the miqo'tes have them?"
"They... They do. Well, I heard that some Nunhs don't have one because they have many wives. I lived in a tribe where they were uncommon. After that I lived on a pirate ship and after that, Limsa where I wasn't close to people. Weddings and wedding ring are not something I've ever thought about before."
"But now you're thinking about them?"
"... Yeah, I, hum, no... The truth is, I thought about it when I was a kid. I wanted to get married and have a family. It was in my plans."
Josevalain frowned. He didn't notice anyone who can make Teph thinks this way. He's not really nosey so not really surprised to consider only now that the miqo'te might have a serious relationship. But he wasn't sure if Tephain'a want to talk about it with him. So he preferred to remain evasive.
"Do you think about those plans for a reason ? "
"I guess. I don't think that's ever going to happen to me."
"What..?"
"I'm not... suited for marriage? I'm a... I don't..."
"Who the fuck told you that?!"
"I wasn't told that! I... ! it's obvious, isn't it?"
"No! Why wouldn't you get married?"
"I, hum, I don't know how to explain it... Thank for lending it to me, here, take it back."
"You don't know how to explain it, or you don"t know how to explain it to me?"
"...[ears down]"
"[sight] I know how mean I can be, Teph. I spoke badly of your past life and your behavior. I understand part of it now and I can apologize again. Has anything I told you makes you think you don't deserve to... ?"
"No ! Not at all ! I... ! Well you said things back then, but you also helped me... ! E-Even the fact that you say I… deserve… I like this !"
"Ok, now listen..."
Josevalain never thought he'd have to reprimand Tephain'a for his lack of self-confidence. But now that he knew that not only did Teph want to get married and how much happiness it had brought into his life, he sincerely hoped that one day the miqo'te would find the right person and have no doubt that he'd make a good spouse. Their discussion occupied them for part of the evening. It was unexpected, but between a few sarcasms and a few jibes, their conversation went a long way towards calming Teph's doubts and helping Jos to get to know the miqo'te better.
They eventually fell asleep, however Jos understood that Tephain'a was far less confident than he showed others, and that he only revealed these details to people he trusted. He was sad to see in one of his companions traits he himself had long maintained, but happy to help him grow.
Imagining my squad at the second trial of endwalker.
They didn't participate with the WoL and Scions but they felt the outcome, through their Echo power. Every of them felt it, so strongly they looked at each other, and each began to reach their chest with shaking hands, sniffling or crying right away to the feeling.
Tephain'a would seek support in Fox's arms, Josevalain would hide his face, Chipp would instantly call Arenwald and Momona would check on Krile, Rohan'ya would be so, so lost to this feeling he would begin many words but never finish them until Naome and X'Shuni take him in a strong embrace. In silence, they understand.
When the WoL returns, they would all check on him and mourn with him.
So yeah, non-WoL Echo users who felt the trial's outcome together.
Josevalain is one of the few true orphans of the squad. Born in Ishgard to a noble family related to the Dzemael lineage, he is the second child and first son of his parents. He was engaged at an early age to a noble girl, shortly after his eighth birthday. But during this engagement, a dragon attack set the noble residence ablaze, killing most of Josevalain's family on the spot, and pursuing the survivors. Josevalain's sister tried to protect the fiancee, but they were discovered by a dragon that swallowed them, while Josevalain looked on, trapped under some beams and only owing his life to the late arrival of the dragon knights.
Wounded and orphaned, he was to lose his title and his wealth, but he asked for an audience with Thordan VII and begged to keep his family's emblem and perpetuate the name of the Pentagarde lineage, in exchange for his enlistment among the dragon knights to defend the city. His request pleased Thordan, who granted his request but warned him that he would manage his affairs alone.
Josevalain grew up with a heavy load of responsibility and duty. Barely recovered from his grief, he denied himself any attachment to others, in fear of suffering more and more. He quickly lost his naivety when he had to do business with unscrupulous merchants, when he trained to fight a war in which he had already lost a lot, and in a combination of noble values and cold loneliness. So he naturally became cold himself, living frugally, guided by his faith and values. As an elitist, he gave little to no credit to outsiders and fought like a lion against enemies of Ishgard. His piety would have made him join the clergy if his fighting skills were not as remarkable.
Although he wished to perpetuate his family's lineage, he soon found that his life, between trade and battles, was not compatible with a marriage, or an unhappy one. Bitter, he did not court any noblewoman and pursued his path alone.
His journey across Eorzea was more forced than voluntary. The 7th Calamity having transformed Coerthas into an frozen land, part of Josevalain's rents disappeared, since his family's lands were not farmable in this cold. Losing little by little the money he had managed to accumulate, he looked for new incomes and went to Sombrelinceul, a barbaric country to his eyes but more hospitable than the two other city-states. During his journey, Chipp met him and introduced him to the squad.
His first impression of it was very bad. He did not consider the members of the squad as companions, and for some, he ignored them so that he would not have to insult them. The Miqotes, Vieras and Au'ra were beast-men in his eyes, and Fox was too young and too low-class for him to consider him a leader and obey him. He disagreed with all his directives and always made corrections or questioning comment. But of all people, he couldn't stand Tephain'a, and the two of them always argued when they had a conversation. Especially since the Miq'ote's sharp tongue tended to be aimed much too accurately for Josevalain. Nevertheless, he respected Chipp and Momona, two experienced merchants from noble families in their respective countries. And these two knew how to set limits on the ishgarian that he did not cross.
Then came the events of Heavensward, which severely affected Josevalain. His beliefs and certainties were completely shaken, his faith was put to the test and did not stand and his devotion and trust to his archbishop and savior collapsed. He was of course wounded in his pride, but also in his esteem for his people, its History and the reasons and motivations that had brought him this far. At first, he has lost all support he ever had, and he went forward without thinking, deaf to his fears because he was a soldier and had to fight. Then he mutated into silence, moving away when he could and lost in his doubts.
He could have stayed that way, had he not been around the squad and WoL beforehand. To end up as a shadow of himself. But he had already changed, already started at least. His wanderings brought him back, not so much to the Cathedral, which he often saw as a sanctuary, but to the Scions of the 7th Dawn, and the squad. His squad mates became unexpected supports - unhoped-for, he had to admit -. Chipp was a friendly listener of his mourning, Momona also helped him to express his doubts, Tephain'a confronted him to let out his anger, Naome helped him to find what he still loved in his native city, each one bringing him what he would never have asked for. Fox, whom he had confronted and disrespected so much, remained an understanding leader. Josevalain found out that if he did not question his decisions, Fox did it himself now, as if he had adapted to the Ishgarian. Josevalain learned that far from holding it against him, their leader appreciated his honesty and his military outlook on their group.
As the Dragonsong War came to an end, Josevalain realized that the squad had become his new home and he chose new values accordingly. He gradually changed his elitism to tolerance, his faith to curiosity, and he kept only an uncompromising attitude towards himself and others as he helped them advance in their fighting skill. Not very easily at first, due to his age and stubbornness. He opened his eyes to what he had not deigned to see before: Naome's grief, Tephain'a's insecurities, R's desire for independence. He helped in his own way and accepted the help, subtle or not, of his companions. His belligerent nature became a strength when he agreed to train the members of his squad.
I really like this character because he is constantly evolving, and he has a trope that I don't find enough (at all?) in FFXIV: the redemption arc. He was biased, he was wrong, but then he questioned himself, he changed his values, leaving the ones that no longer fit his new worldview, and taking the ones that allowed him to move forward. And by changing his values, he changed his actions.
He has learned to tolerate, to help, he still has trouble with dragons or customs too far from his, but if he is suspicious he now gives the benefit of the doubt. He respects the other races more and more, he has finally integrated himself into the squad. He was the one who least liked the family feel of the group, but having grown up alone, he found that he enjoyed the atmosphere once he got used to it. He is also aware that he could easily lose that comfort because of their involvement with the Scions, against great enemies. That's part of the reason he's so strict when training one of his companions for battle: to make sure that when faced with the future, they'll be ready.
Some trivia about Josevalain
When he was younger, he didn't get along with the young trio Aymeric, Haurchefant and Estinien. He remains on the fence with them but more out of indifference than anger or hatred as before.
Having never had a confident, nor any close friend, he has not learned to freely express his feelings, so he has long used the language of flowers to convey what he thinks about people. He is learning more and more to speak in ways other than commands or basic information. He remains very taciturn by habit.
He could never claim to hold the rank of Azure Knight.
Josevalain is an Ishgarian, descended from the great founding families and his bloodline remains pure. He has dragon blood in him and could turn into a dragon if he consume dragon blood. He thinks of it, sometimes but has no reason to do so.
He became skeptical after the death of Thordan VII, but he is seeking to regain his faith or an equivalent, because he misses the inner peace its brought him.
When he is in love, he is very romantic and serious. His position as a nobleman prevents him from fooling around, but if he comes to truly fall in love, he either keeps it hidden forever, or declares it and takes his relationship very seriously.
He can play the cello very well. He can also play the piano, but he is less skilled.
Although he is a nobleman, he does not have a very lavish lifestyle. He takes care of his wealth and does not intend to squander it. He will use it mainly for the reconstruction of Ishgard.
In the same idea, he eats everything without reluctance, being able to swallow a bad dish without showing anything. He doesn't like sweet things, and prefers very salty or bitter things. He will also discover spicy food during the adventure, which he will appreciate a lot.
In another life, he could have been an excellent architect.
He has bad eyesight up close. He doesn't say so. But it is known among the squad.
He never uses minions, and hates being followed due to bad experiences. If he's walking in a group, he's at the end of the walk. With one or two people, he slows his pace so that they are at the same speed.
His power of Echo makes him experience reminiscences of battles and combats, and he can get lost in those during intensive training, or on old battlefields. He has quick reflexes if touched in these moments, but eventually comes back to reality when called or if a noise is made. Tephain'a has already brought him out of his reminiscences with music.
