lime bitters is a character i invented to supplement my version of tempest shadow's backstory. we never learn anything about tempest's home life/parent situation - even in the comic where she meets a friend from her past, the consequences of tempest leaving home at such a young age are never discussed.
given what we are told and, in an effort to explain some details of her transition into the mare she becomes, i felt it necessary to create a family member who plays a big influence in several aspects of tempest's character even before the incident in which her horn is broken.
LOTS more yapping under the cut.
there were a few major questions regarding tempest's backstory left unanswered that i wanted to address using lime:
1) did tempest have anyone looking after her and, if so, why was it so easy for her to successfully run away from home?
2) why does tempest so quickly feel that isolation, violence, and "fixing" herself are the only ways she can move past her trauma and take control of her life, when it feels it has been knocked completely off course?
3) under what circumstances would tempest, who is implied to be a fairly young child when she runs way, be able to travel and survive on her own, seemingly without any help, for at least several years?
point 3 felt the most relevant to me when i first considered filling out tempest's backstory. i decided the reason tempest has the gumption and ability to strike out on her own, even as a young child, is because she was brought up in a way which demanded she learn how to fend for herself, at least to an extent. however, orphaning her and/or having her be some degree of homeless felt a little cliche, especially when nothing else about her backstory implies her situation was abnormal compared to her friends'. the whole idea is that tempest was once part of the group, but her traumatic accident and new disability Othered her to a degree where she thought connecting with (and depending on) others was impossible.
so, i decided lime bitters would be a relative, but not a birth parent. tempest is orphaned at a young age, yes, but taken in and raised by her aunt, who is her father's sister. lime's relationship with her brother was close but complicated near the end; his death was unexpected and a huge emotional blow which lime did not cope with well; also, lime never intended to have children, and never expected to be responsible for raising a unicorn with developing magical abilities. lime already owns and runs her own adult-oriented business when all this happens, so she (and tempest) must adjust to a messy new normal quickly.
lime takes full advantage of having a new pair of hooves available to help - even moreso than she might, if tempest wasn't a unicorn, as she believes if tempest has magic, she better be putting it to good use. tempest takes on a lot of chores and responsibilities at home as part of the family business. it's a little difficult to adjust early on but she gets used to it... if only because she is taught, swiftly, that she must get used to it.
there's a subtle element of neglect here. lime bitters is present, but she is almost more an employer than she is a parent. she's not affectionate or sweet, has a short temper, and was raised to believe children ought to know their place and obey their elders without question. she's a very busy mare who doesn't trust others easily - if at all - which means it's only she and tempest running the show. lime hasn't much of a social life and very few friends - one or two perhaps, holdouts from childhood.
so tempest is kept busy but can also get away with a lot, like disappearing for a day or two as long as she's willing to deal with a firm punishment when she comes home. lime bitters doesn't even realize tempest has run away for most of the week after it happens, not until tempest's friends (or their parents) come by to ask after her. in a fic i wrote, broken solitude, lime bitters is briefly mentioned and it's implied that she never fully acknowledged that tempest disappeared, never speaking much of it and never trying to look for or organize any sort of search party.
that covers the broad strokes... there's more in my mind that gives lime some depth, but if i got into that i'd be typing all day, plus i'm considering writing a story that covers things in more detail someday. we'll see.
