Julian

**Julian** is a side character in the visual novel Echo. He is a friend of TJ's from high school and appears during his route.

## Appearance

Julian is a cream-colored deer with blue eyes and short antlers. He wears brown glasses. a gray shirt with pink sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark khaki pants.

## Personality

Julian is polite, helpful, and considerate towards others. However, his neutral, friendly demeanor can make him seem bland and boring, at least according to Chase.

Like TJ, Julian is a Christian, although he seems to be more laid back about his faith.

## Story

#### Prior to 2015

Julian and TJ initially met in TJ's Bible study group during junior high school and became close friends in their senior year, after TJ's older friends had all graduated.

Presumably Julian lives in Payton or a nearby town, as he attended Payton High with the main cast. Julian currently attends community college at Mesa and works at the diner in Echo because of its flexible hours. He drives a truck and enjoys listening to podcasts about the paranormal.

Julian and TJ lost touch after leaving high school, and Julian is eager to reconnect with TJ when he learns the lynx is in town.

#### TJ's Route

Julian is first introduced on Wednesday, filling in for Janice at Echo's diner when Chase and TJ come in for a meal. On Friday, Chase comes into the diner alone and Julian sits down to chat with him. Chase initially thinks Julian is boring but warms to him when he realizes Julian and TJ were very close, and Julian becomes the first person outside of his core group of friends that Chase opens up to about the day Sydney died.

Julian joins Chase on a filming trip to Danicka Mine and they find TJ, who previously went out for a hike and then stopped responding to any of Chase's messages, barely conscious beside the mine entrance. Julian then accompanies Chase, TJ, Jenna, and Carl on a portion of the treasure hunt seemingly left by Sydney, and is present for the reading of the clue hidden in Injy's house. After Chase begins to vent his suspicions that the notes are targeting him and tensions run high, Julian excuses himself.

On Saturday, Julian witnesses the confrontation that occurs at Lake Emma after the final clue implies that Flynn and Carl have been staging the hunt. When Carl breaks his ankle trying to get away from TJ, Julian calls an ambulance at Jenna's instruction and gives her a ride to the hospital so she can look after Carl. Julian then joins TJ and Chase at the Familyplex in Payton, where an irrational Chase increasingly regards him as a rival for TJ's affection. On the road back into Echo, the three come across Janice stranded with a flat tire. Julian is eager to help and presumably fixes her flat.

After Chase tries to kiss an unwilling TJ, Julian gives TJ a ride to his home and lets him stay the night. Julian is not seen again in person, but he calls Chase the next day to inform him that TJ has left with Flynn instead of taking the bus back to his university as planned.

#### Other Routes

Julian gets a brief reference on Friday during Flynn's route. TJ mentions that he went to the diner with Jenna the previous day and saw Julian working there as a busboy, but Chase is unable to recall who Julian is.

## Relationships

### TJ

Though they haven't spoken in several years, Julian was a supportive friend to TJ in high school and reliably attended TJ's Bible study group. TJ trusted Julian enough to talk with him about Sydney's death, and Julian expresses to Chase that while he doesn't fully know the circumstances, he understands that the day deeply affected TJ.

### Chase

Chase remarks that he's never had more than five conversations with Julian in his entire life and considered him 'part of the background' during school. Despite this, Julian's genuine interest in TJ's wellbeing reassures Chase when they meet again and the two are able to open up to each other, and even bond over their mutual care for TJ and a shared interest in Echo's history of mass hysteria events.

However, as Chase's mindset deteriorates over the course of TJ's route, he begins to resent Julian's attempts to rekindle a friendship with TJ, and ultimately Julian is put off by Chase's attempts to coax TJ into a romantic encounter.

## Trivia

* Julian is a backer character added to Echo as a result of his creator's support for the Echo Project. He shares this distinction with Daxton, Kudzu, Micha, and Raven. Uniquely, Julian and Micha were contributed by the same backer.
* Unlike Kudzu, Micha, Raven, or Daxton, Julian is the only side character whose life is never endangered during the events of the route in which he appears. This is likely due to him also being the only side character who does not experience the Hysteria firsthand at any point, due to the event's absence during TJ's route.
* Julian is very good at Skee-Ball.

## Gallery

DefaultAnnoyedConfusedHappySadUpsetSheepishWryPlaceholder shadow for Julian (left) prior to his sprite being finalized