Avatar: Taryll Jackson
Player: Desdemona
Character Name: Okal Laffitte
Formerly: Okal no' Valerian
Age: 28
Birthday: Jan 1st
Height: 5'11"
Rank/Title: Untitled Noble
Race: half d'Angeline half Nubian
Country/Province: L'Agnace
Home: Thorn Shadow
Appearance: It's obvious to anyone with a keen eye that Okal isn't fully d'Angeline. He is half d'Angeline and half Nubian. His hair is dark brown and his eyes are hazel, his skin a warm brown. His features are somewhat masculine, but also a little angelic since he does carry d'Angeline blood. He is not overly tall standing at 5'11" but he does have broad shoulders and a strong body.
Personality: Okal is a man of many moods. Sometimes he is cold and seemingly trapped in himself. Other times he is friendly and outgoing. He is not always the most obedient adept when he is with his patrons, however. He has learned that a patron lashing out with a whip will often times mimic the very specific type of pain that he truly enjoys, a pain that he is somewhat obsessed with.
Additional Information
Signale: Warda (the Arabic phonetic for rose)
Marital Status: Single
Known Languages: d'Angeline, has learned a small number of Nubian words
Strengths: Okal can be very loyal (which can also work against him), he's also learned how to cook and can grow some amazing roses
Weaknesses: Okal can be prone to depression at times, he has a touch of his mother's need for love and doesn't know what to do with himself when he is single. Though Okal's fetish isn't frowned upon in Terre d'Ange, it still borders on the edge of unhealthy at times in that he'd wouldn't stop someone harming him unless they were literally trying to kill him (blade fetish). He has a few scars as a result
Family Members:
Mother: Noomi Devalier-Laffiette
Father (adopted): Dorian Laffiette
Siblings: Evrard, Clementine, Pauline
History:
Okal was born to a d'Angeline mother and unknown Nubian father. Noomi's family loved to travel far and wide. They saved their money and planned expansive trips that would take them away for a couple of months once a year. When Noomi was 23 her family decided to travel to Nubia. There she found one particular Nubian man incredibly attractive. While most were not impressed with the flirty d'Angeline, he was willing to return her favors. They had a short affair, her for love and him for pleasure. When her parents told her that they would be leaving in a few days she decided to bring a little piece of him home with her.
She bought a candle and held her own vigil for Naamah, praying and asking to open her womb. Unsure if the ceremony would work without a Priestess, she also found a local Priestess to perform the ritual they used to ask their gods for fertility. Noomi didn't know which gods listened, but at least one of them seemed fit to bestow a child on her. When they left Noomi carried a child within her.
Noomi gave birth 9 months later and at the age of 24. Her parents were not impressed with their child's decision, but they accept their grandson with open arms. She named the boy one of the few Nubian words she had learned, "to cross," or Okal.
When Noomi was 29 she finally found the love of her life and she married him. He was a untitled noble that owned a bit of land, grew flax, and owned several looms that made bolts of linen, and other forms of cloth. Dorian loved Noomi and even invited little 5 year old Okal to participate in their wedding.
Though Dorian accepted Okal as his child and gave him the family name, Laffitte, never loved the child like one of his own. It didn't take long for Okal to go from being an only child to being one of three and an strange outlier in the family. He always ate meals with the family, had tutors, and all of the things that his siblings had. But, Dorian gave just a little more attention to his biological children and Noomi gave most of her attention to Dorian.
Noomi embodied the Heliotrope motto almost to an unhealthy level. Okal was not completely neglected since his parents could afford a nanny and a few servants. But, as Okal grew older he was left to his devices more and more. As he aged Okal became more aware of the differences in how he was treated compared to his half siblings. He started to fell a little left behind, but he did embraced it at first. He had more freedom than his siblings did. He was still included in family outings and therefore did not feel completely unloved.
As he grew older, however, he found it harder to ignore the lack of attention that his parents gave him. He started to spend much of his time watching his parents from afar. He took note of their deep love and felt that it was something he was lacking. The fact that he was still only a young child did not matter to him. He wasn't anywhere near as passionate as his mother was towards anyone that he knew. He started to wonder if maybe that was part of the reason why he seemed to be ignored. Eventually he went from occasionally wondering about it to being unable to think of anything else. He tried to find something he loved as much, but could not.
When he was nine Okal was playing a game with one of his friends. His friend, a boy named Marcell, had just received a birthday gift of a small knife from his father. The two boys were admiring it when the other boy decided he wanted to try it out. He had limited options so he gave Okal a sheepish look and asked if he could borrow his arm. Okal agreed and the boy made a small cut on his arm. Though Okal had felt pain before, this was different and he couldn't stop thinking about it. At home he tried small cuts on himself, but he did not find the pleasure the same. He soon gave up on this venture and tried to seek out his friend. His friend was alarmed when Okal asked him to cut him again and told his parents. Naturally they told Okal's parents.
The boy was unhappy with his life and didn't know what he wanted or needed. He finally spoke to his mom of his frustrations, and she told him of Valerian. On Okal's 10th natal he was taken to the House. Okal was given the candy and he had no difficulty in passing the test. He did not find the pain pleasurable in the same way as the little blade had been, but he could figure out the correct answer well enough.
The contract was made up and Okal's mother kissed her pretty little Nubian good bye. She was a little sad, but she was also glad to see her eldest child follow a similar path that she had taken. She knew he would be happier here, receiving the attention he needed.
Okal's training begain immediately since he was of age. It did not take him long to figure out that he had pretty specific pleasures. He learned to enjoy, or at least pretend to, all of the things that were expected of him. His one true love was for cutting and knives. Something about the shiny blade and seeing his thin line of blood made his heart sing. He also enjoyed needles and sometimes a thin lash could mimic the pain well enough. His pleasure in being bound, slapped, shamed, and other similar treatments was only minimal at best.
Okal sold his virgin marque at 16 as is tradition and continued to receive patrons. He did not keep loyal patrons for long, sometimes purposely driving them away himself. At 19 he had only a little over half of his marque complete. After a long talk with the Dowayne he was a little less antagonistic and his mark grew a little faster. At 21 he still had not completed his marque, but he was at least close.
Updates: When Okal was still earning his marque he met a patron named Remy Lebeau who loved slicing Okal up as he loved being sliced. When Okal was near the end of his marque Remy made sure he was his last Patron and responsible for Okal's marque being complete. Then he swept Okal out of Valerian and into a house that he bought specially for him. Remy didn't fully move in with Okal, but he did spend a lot of time with him when he first moved him out. Over the years he spent less and less time with him until he eventually stopped coming over. He sent Okal a note officially ending their relationship, but let him keep the house. Okal has stayed in it, not wanting to move back home, but doesn't really know what to do with himself. He is a decent cook, but doesn't have enough passion for it to use it as income. His mother sends him a little money now and again, when she remembers. When Remy left Okal offered himself up as a Servant of Naamah again and see's an occasional patron now and again to keep some gold in his coffer. He doesn't really enjoy it that much, though he makes sure his clients don't know. He's looking for something, but doesn't know what.
