Gisèle Descoteaux

***Full Name:*** Gisèle Descoteaux

***Birthdate:*** June 22nd, 1952

***Age:*** 57

***Gender:*** Female

***Height:*** 5’8

***Weight:*** 127 pounds

***Hair Color:*** Black with gray strands

***Eye Color:*** Light green

***Species:*** Human

***Alias:*** Gisèle

***Family Members:*** Raoul Descoteaux (husband)

Fantine Descoteaux (daughter, deceased)

Achille Descoteaux (grandson)

***Occupation:*** French Cook (formerly)

***Residence:*** Ghoulsby, Massachusetts

Paris, France (formerly)

***Abilities:*** Cooking

Sewing

***Status:*** Alive

***Quote:***

> “He’s just rightfully protective of his family, that’s all,” Gisèle nodded in understanding. “I would be scared, too, if my precious nephew brought home a skater boy like you.” *-Gisèle talking to her grandson during Chapter 10*
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**Gisèle Descoteaux** is a reoccurring character in the novel *DOBREV*. She is the legal guardian with her husband of their grandson Achille Descoteaux, and the mother of late Fantine Descoteaux.

### Early Life

Gisèle was born in France in 1952, where she would live until meeting her husband, Raoul Descoteaux. They moved to Ghoulsby, Massachusetts, and had one daughter together. Giséle raised Fantine while also working as a French cook, Raoul working as an auditor; the family visited Paris together every summer. Since she is a skilled French cook, it is likely she attended schooling for these skills while still living in France.

### Appearance

Mina Anderson describes Gisèle as not looking her age, having long, wavy black hair with only a few gray streaks and a small figure. Like her daughter and grandson, she has stunning light green eyes and dark eyelashes. Gisèle is fairly tall, standing at around 5'8, only a few inches shorter than her husband Raoul, and is noted to have thin, elegant hands.

Due to her French roots, Gisèle still speaks with a heavy French accent, which Dobrev Reign has difficulty understanding at first.

### Personality

Gisèle has a very gentle and loving personality, especially towards her family members (and Dobrev Reign). She seems to silently worry about everyone, doing her best to be prepared for anything; Achille describes his grandmother as being extremely accepting of his abnormal abilities and skater personality. Gisèle is also welcoming and cheerful, such as when Dobrev Reign came over for dinner for the first time and showed him baby pictures of her grandson.

> “Yes—his mother sent us pictures almost every month! We were so happy when he came to live with us.” *-Gisèle to Dobrev in Chapter 10*
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Much like her grandson and husband, Gisèle was likely devastated by the suicide of her only child, Fantine, although she was happy to have Achille come live with them in Ghoulsby. She is very close with her grandson as a result of this tragedy, always encouraging him to express his feelings and spend time with his friends.

### Relationships

**Family**

**Raoul Descoteaux**

Raoul is Gisèle's husband of many years, having been together since they were very young. The pair know each other extremely well, and are often seen talking about their beloved grandson or making teasing remarks to one another. Achille's confident character is due in part to the sturdy, loving relationship of his grandparents, who immediately stepped in to raise Achille after the death of his mother. Raoul is the less serious of the two, not above making suggestive comments even in the presence of his grandson, to Gisèle's light annoyance. They often go to shows and operas together, sharing their love of theatre and the fine arts.

Although close before, the suicide of their only child Fantine Descoteaux likely drew the couple even closer together as they decided to raise Fantine's son. Talking about her death doesn't seem to come easily to them, subject tip-toed around, especially when Achille is around. Much like their grandson, Raoul and Gisèle likely feel partially to blame for Fantine's untimely demise, but do not let it negatively affect their bond.

**Achille Descoteaux**

Gisèle and her grandson have had a close relationship since Achille was young. Fantine Descoteaux sent them many photographs of Achille every month when he was a baby; after Fantine's suicide, Gisèle and her husband flew to Paris to live with him for the remainder of the school year, then moved him back with them to Ghoulsby, Massachusetts.

Achille and his grandmother have a deep connection, sharing a love of opera and often practicing French cooking together; Gisèle acts very soft towards Achille, never raising her voice, though she does tease him on occasion, such as when Dobrev Reign came over for dinner with the family, and Achille's grandmother showed him pictures of baby Achille. Her nickname for him is the *"précieux,"* the French word for *precious*. Gisèle doesn't mind his edgy and, at times, genderbent style, aside from the Halloween party when she would not allow him to dress as a sexy Queen of Hearts for his costume. They always greet by kissing the other's cheeks.

According to Mina, Gisèle couldn't dream of grounding her only grandchild, and allows him to get away with minor infractions as long as nobody gets hurt; she did, however, order Achille to get rid of a Ouija board he owned, but Raoul secretly allowed him to keep it. He is much more open with his grandparents about his feelings and life events (including ghosts) than Dobrev is with his adopted family.

**Fantine Descoteaux**

Not much is said about Gisèle's relationship with her daughter Fantine, but it is likely she gave her a similar childhood to Achille Descoteaux's. Achille once remarks that although he and his mother had the same upbringings, it must not have had a lasting positive affect on Fantine as it did for him. Gisèle kept in close contact with her daughter when she moved back to Paris, France after graduating high school, and visited every summer with her husband. When the couple found out Fantine could not afford to send her son to school, they gave her enough money to enroll Achille, which Fantine reluctantly accepted.

Gisèle was likely heartbroken when her only child committed suicide, and remained guilty about it for many years after. As a last act of love for her daughter, Gisèle and Raoul took custody of her son, Achille, and raised him as their own in Ghoulsby. Due to their extreme sorrow over the loss, the Descoteaux family do not keep many photos of Fantine around their home, but do have a few to remind them of the nicer times.

**Others**

**Dobrev Reign**

Gisèle is immediately affectionate towards Achille's only friend, Dobrev, having heard many good things about his character prior to meeting. When Dobrev comes over for supper, Gisèle kisses his cheeks and calls him *"darling,"* ushering her grandson out of the way so she can lead him to the dining room. She already plated food onto Dobrev's plate, knowing from Achille that he has anxiety over simple things, and doesn't pry about his personal life throughout the dinner. Dobrev notes that he always feels at-ease around Achille's grandmother.

### Trivia

-The name *Gisèle* is a French variant of the Germanic *Giselle*, meaning "hostage, pledge"

-Both Dobrev and Achille agree that Gisèle is an outstanding French cook; this is likely due to the fact that she studied French cooking while living in Paris

-Although her grandson is clairvoyant, there is no indication that she or her husband Raoul have the ability to see spirits

-Gisèle did not want Achille to keep an Ouija board he owned, but had her own voodoo doll she keeps on a shelf that her grandson used to play with