SA | Odette | Talori Craftsman

[EDIT] 9/8/2018 - resubmitted for familiar design approval

             "I know exactly what I want and who I want to be,

                      I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine.

 

                I'm now becoming my own self fulfilled prophecy,

 

                             Oh, oh no, oh no, oh no..."

Name: Odette
    Pronunciation: Oh-deht
    Meaning: Wealthy
    Nickname(s): None that she tolerates

Age: 25
    

Before Birth:
    Dominic and Gracia met at a very young age, their parents having introduced them with the idea that if they got along an arranged marriage could be made. The two foals, having no idea what was going on just assumed it was a normal playdate and they got along wonderfully --thus the betrothal arrangements were made.

    The colt and filly remained close friends through their childhoods and as their teenage years approached Dominic found himself developing a crush on Gracia, which grew into love as they became young adults. Gracia never felt the same way, her love for Dominic purely platonic. Despite this their wedding arrangements were not in her hooves and therefore she could do nothing but smile and bear it as she and Dominic were wedded.

    At first Gracia thought it would be perfectly fine being married to Dominic. He was still her best friend, and really the only difference from how their relationship had been before was that they were now living together.

    The issue came when Dominic wanted children. Feeling pressured by wanting to make her husband happy and by both of their families asking her when she was going to be having children, Gracia relented. When their daughter was born Gracia immediately attached herself to the filly, who was named Claudia, and she hardly spent time away from the filly.

    Another year going by saw Gracia pregnant once more, but during this pregnancy is when things began to change. While on a walk one evening Gracia came upon an injured vagabond stallion, who she would learn was named Alistair, and her kind nature couldn’t allow her to just walk away. The two of them got to talking and the sparks flew instantly, Gracia feeling for Alistair more than she ever did, or could, for Dominic.

    Gracia and Alistair continued to meet in secret after that, though they were careful to never take things too far --if Gracia were to fall pregnant with a foal that wasn’t Dominic’s it could spell disaster. Gracia gave birth to her second daughter a few months into her hidden relationship with Alistair and the black pinto was named Felicity.

    One more year and another foal, a colt named Nathaniel this time, later and Gracia couldn’t take it anymore. Dominic was still her friend sure, but she was in love with another stallion and all she really wanted was to run away with him. She began to bring Claudia with her to meet Alistair, swearing the young filly to secrecy about it. She started to become reckless in their relationship in other ways as well, almost as if she wanted to be caught and banished somehow.

    Eventually Gracia became pregnant again, and during the pregnancy she herself didn’t know who the father was, but when Odette was born it was obvious it could hardly have been Dominic. Even so she played it off as though he was and Dominic was none the wiser.

Birth - Childhood:

    Odette was born into a warm and welcoming household, her three older siblings more than happy to welcome her into the world. Despite this, as time went on, it was clear that her mother payed much more attention to Claudia than any of her other children. Not to mention she was often out of the house for long periods of time. Needless to say Odette never grew particularly close to her mother, though that didn’t stop her from trying to be.

    As a young filly Odette was often following her mother around, trying desperately to gain her attention in some way, but Gracia --feeling guilty about her affair-- would hardly ever glance her way. Maybe this wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for the small moments they would sometimes share. Gracia of course still wanted the best for her children even if she wasn’t a very good mother. She mostly educated them herself, and the time they spent in lessons was joyous and hardly seemed like work. Outside of these lessons, however, Gracia continued to be distant and aloof, and Odette often wondered if she had done something to make her mother act this way.

    Rumors began to spread once Odette was old enough to be going out and about in the city frequently. As the daughter of well respected citizens it was hard for her to go under the radar like Gracia may have wanted, and soon enough Odette’s parentage was being questioned in hushed whispers all around. Of course this led to other foals picking up these whispers from their parents and foals are not nearly as good at holding their tongues. Odette, still fully convinced that Dominic was her real father, often started fights --quick to anger at anyone who suggested that he wasn’t her father.

    Because of this Odette had no friends outside of her father --who often had duties away from home-- and her older brother Nathaniel. This changed a bit after Odette met another filly, Kali, who was only a year younger than her. From then on out the two were practically inseparable, which Odette had no problem with seeing as Kali was her only friend who wasn’t related to her. After Kali came several more friends as Odette became much more friendly with the good influence of her best friend.

    Odette’s life was relatively normal after that, other than Gracia’s continued distance, though things were about to get much worse from there.

Child - Teen:

    Odette was ten years old when Gracia decided to leave. Her mother had had enough of lying and feeling guilty. Of hearing rumors that were far too close to the truth. And so she left. She told Dominic, though not her children, the truth of what had happened, and then she left. Claudia, feeling closer to her mother than to her siblings, left with her; the two of them leaving the Talori territory all together to go in search of Alistair.

    Dominic, who was absolutely heartbroken by it all, kept the true reason behind Gracia’s leaving a secret from his children still, though in the end they managed to pick it up from other herd members who knew what happened. Still being young, however, Odette didn’t quite understand what was going on. All she knew for sure was that her mother and sister had gone, and it was somehow her fault.

    For a while Odette shrank into herself, becoming closed off and bitter --cutting off all ties with her friends other than Kali. Nathaniel tried to help her, but he was only a year older than her and still grieving himself. Felicity didn’t even try to help, she herself becoming secluded and focusing wholly on her work. Dominic probably tried the hardest but his own duties often kept him busy, and so he made the decision that what his children needed was a mother who could give them the love and care they obviously needed.

    He brought his case to the council, asking permission to remarry since his first wife had obviously not been faithful to him and had abandoned him with three children to take care of. The council took pity on him and granted him permission to choose a new bride for himself. After a month of debating with himself he decided on a quiet mare from a small village who was more than happy to move herself to the city to be with Dominic and his ‘three beautiful children’. In truth Diana loved Felicity and Nathan, they were pure Talori, well mannered, ‘blessed by Cascade’ as she would say.

    Odette on the other hoof, as far as Diana was concerned, was an abomination. Diana believed that Cascade would have never allowed a mixed herd foal such as Odette to be born under her blessing and therefore Odette must be a curse. Around others Diana was nothing short of perfect. A caring and obedient wife to a well standing citizen and a sweet and loving mother to his three children. Behind closed doors however, Diana became a monster to Odette; but only when they were alone. Odette tried several times to tell someone about the terrible things Diana said to her, but nobody would listen --believing Odette to just be a stupid twelve year old angsting over getting a stepmother. She never brought it up with her father, though, it was obvious Dominic was falling for Diana and Odette didn’t want to ruin his happiness.

    Diana and Dominic eventually had foals of their own, twin fillies named Vivian and Thalia whom Odette was not allowed by Diana to interact with one on one, thus making her hardly closer than acquaintances with her younger sisters.

    In the end the only one who believed Odette about her stepmother was Kali who had gone from ‘best friend’ to ‘only friend’ to ‘crush’ in the past two years. With anyone other than Kali Odette became a nightmare, snappish and bitter. Maybe that’s what drew her to Eden in the first place, that and her desperate need to feel wanted for once as well as the fact that she was thoroughly convinced that Kali would never love her. It hardly mattered to Odette that Eden insisted on being referred to as a stallion, and after he told her once she never thought of him as a mare --despite getting ‘up close and personal’ with him on several occasions.

    Did she love Eden? Though she’ll deny it vehemently, there may have been a time where her insults to him held some softness, where her scowls didn’t quite reach her eyes. No words of endearment were ever shared between them, however, before they broke apart. Kali admitted to Odette that she never quite felt like a mare or a stallion all the time. Odette was more than okay with this and took that time to admit to Kali that she herself found herself attracted to both mares and stallions --and Kali as well. She ended up breaking things off with Eden to be with Kali. She was seventeen at the time.

Young Adult - 26:

    Odette had only been with Kali for a year when they were discovered by her stepmother in a rather compromising position. Odette could only lower her head in shame while Diana yelled, even as she promised to get Kali shipped off to Eithne for being ‘sick’ for ‘attacking Odette in such a way’. Of course Kali’s ‘crime’ wasn’t nearly of the calibre to get her sold off as a slave, but Diana was content enough with the sentenced imprisonment.

    To the public she was sorrowful, and upset that her ‘precious daughter’ had been ‘traumatized’ in such a way, though she knew fully well that Odette and Kali had been in a relationship. Odette hated the attention it brought to her, and once again she grew bitter alone, without Kali nor Eden there to comfort her this time.

    That’s when, despite Odette doubting it could, her life got worse. Diana, deciding she no longer wanted the ‘monstrosity’ in her house, offered her up to the emperor as a concubine under the guise of ‘keeping her away from anyone else who might wish to harm her’. Needless to say the offer was accepted, and Odette was shipped off to the palace where she’s lived ever since.

    For a while she was miserable living in the palace, and she let her bitterness slowly consume her --that was easier than facing the anxiety and depression lurking in her mind. She became what she is today, jaded and angry at the world while on the inside still desperate for love. She’d become obsessed with getting Hawkeye to love her, growing terribly jealous of the other concubines. She convinced herself that this is where she wanted to be, that Hawkeye was who she wanted to be with and nobody else mattered anymore; not Kali or Eden or her family.

    She’s now been a concubine for seven years, enough time for her to fully form into the two-faced, manipulative horse she’s become in order to shield herself from the monsters still lurking in her mind. Very recently though, it's become worse. The arrival of the new ‘empress’ has Odette often gritting her teeth through a forced smile as it's her duty to help take care of the child.


Group History:

    After seven years living with Hawkeye Odette had grown fond of the stallion. It was not romantic, but it was a sort of love all the same. Even so she found herself growing unfaithful to their marriage as Eden came almost literally stumbling back into her life. He made a promise to come back for her in three days time and they would be rid of the herd which caused them such misery. The promise was ultimately broken as Odette and her fellow concubines were shipped off to an island for safeties sake as hell broke loose on the mainland. Once they were allowed home once more, driven by desperation and a need for her own emotions to be validated asked her husband if they could try for a foal.

    They conceived, and a week passed when she should have birthed is when the Flight attacked. Odette tried to protect her husband and the others from the onslaught but was severely injured in her attempt. On the ship taking them to safety in Sedo Odette gave birth to a colt whom she named Haven, a secret homage to Eden who she could only pray has survived. 

    Hawkeye's death hit the mare hard, as hard as losing a dear friend always will, but with his death arose the chance for a new era. An era of change.

    Now with her return to Aquore, Odette wants nothing more than to keep close to the Empress. She has been through hell for this herd and she refuses to step aside now. Not when the future of her family is on the line. Despite this she found herself instead drawn to settling down with Eden in his home. After all Haven deserved the chance to have a family and a childhood full of love, and so she instead put her energy into building a career from the hobbies she had picked up from her days as a concubine.