application | diadem

[virtuose]

Player Information

Player: Mart
Contact: riyuji on discord, riyuji
Invitation: Terra
Are you over 18?: Yes


Character Information

Character: Maelle
Canon: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Mid-act 2, after defeating both Axons and seeing a vision of the Paintress in camp.
Age: 16. Despite only being 16, Maelle has taken on the responsibility of joining the Expedition with people twice her age. It isn't expected of her, but she insisted, despite having an idea of the horrors that might await them. Since the beginning of the expedition, she has experienced terrible things, from death surrounding them from every angle and constant violence, still pushing on despite it all.
History: Game Plot from the wiki
Possessions: Clothes on her back, Gustave's expedition armband, a few (3) pictos.
Weapon: A rapier, specifically Facesum

Powers/Abilities:

With the game being friendly with how you distribute character's stats, I will have Maelle's stats focusing on agility, might, and vitality. She will be quick on her toes and pack a decent punch that most people might not expect from someone who looks like her, and have her be a little hardier than most. Her weapon will also cause small burns on contact when she is able to land a hard, solid blow on those who might attempt to attack or provoke her.

Considering both the canon point she is from and the game setting, I will make sure that these stats do not seem overpowered and provide plenty of opportunity for her to fail as well, depending on the circumstances and scenarios she finds herself in.

Application Questions

Who is the most important person in their life and why? What might be different if this person hadn't been around?

For the longest time, Maelle didn't have anyone that she could rely on. Since her parents' gommage, in which they die upon reaching a certain age, she had been bouncing around the orphanage and families since the age of three. As such, it was hard for her to form any real bonds, or even feel the need to rely on people, learning to look out for herself instead. Her caretakers during this time said that she was a difficult to deal with, which explains why she hopped around from family to family. That is likely one of the factors to why Maelle felt like she didn't belong in Lumière.

While that feeling never really went away, she eventually found a stable home with Gustave and Emma, siblings who took her in as their ward. Little is known about her full relationship with Emma, but there is an obvious, strong bond forged between Gustave and Maelle.

Acting like both a father, in the need to parent her, and a brother, by always being on her side, Gustave gave Maelle the room to grow into her own person, not by stifling her behavior, but instead by providing her with some guidance and wisdom and letting her make her own decisions. He is the first adult who really showed her care, which Maelle never had much of in the past. Despite the teasing and banter between them, there is a trust there that Maelle doesn't really show to many people. Around him, there wasn't any need to put up a brave face, allowing herself to show a little bit of vulnerability as well.

Without Gustave in her life, Maelle might not have joined the Expedition, and would have remained aimless in Lumière. In more ways than one, Maelle and Gustave both needed each other to keep on going, and to help Expedition 33 to get to the Monolith and discover the truth about the Paintress.

Is there an event in your character's life that they'd do differently? How so and why?

If there is anything Maelle could take back, it was that she wouldn't have teased Gustave back then at Stone Wave Cliffs. As it had been a hobby of Gustave's to throw rocks at the Paintress, Maelle kid that it was an opportune time to try and hit her, now that they were making progress towards their goal. All this was done realizing that they were not alone and would be ambushed by Renoir.

That joke led to Gustave's death, with Maelle being the only one in their current Expedition at the time to witness it. This led to trauma on the immediate onset, and survivor's guilt after she got away from Renoir. If only she hadn't done that. If only Gustave ran like he had promised her, instead of going toe-to-toe with Renoir, maybe he would have survived.

A lot of what ifs and maybes play out in her mind, and with the Expedition's task at hand, Maelle is given very little time to grieve and digest what had happened. There is an expectation to move on quickly, but it also strengthens her resolve to avenge Gustave, while keeping his legacy alive, through his journal and by continuing the Expedition's journey to the Paintress. While she may not fully understand why he went back against his word, she knows that he would've wanted her to keep on going... For those who come after.

What's the greatest challenge you foresee your character facing in the setting?

Technology. Clair Obscur's setting was based off the Belle Époque era of France from 1871 to 1914. As such, despite the more rudimentary technology of the world, it is still far more advanced than what she is used to. While Maelle is a quick study for a number of thingss, the sheer amount of information that she will need to take in might be a bit much. Thankfully, Gustave will possibly be around to help her with this, considering his engineering skills to help break things down further for her. If not, she will do it on her own, not immediately asking for help unless absolutely necessary.

Also driving in general. She may have her share of a few accidents here and there, driving around with reckless abandon.

What's the easiest thing you foresee your character adapting to in the setting?

One of the main driving forces that made Maelle leave Lumière was the need for an escape. She felt little attachment to the city, having felt like an outsider for so long. She needed the change, thus joining the expedition despite being half the age of most of the other members, risking their last year of life to take down the Paintress. This gave her the opportunity to learn more about the world and gain more experiences that she never would've been able too in the domed city.

The setting would be able to provide her with that as well, to help sate her curiosity, learning and experiencing more along the way. One edge that she would have is that she had acted as a runner for warehouses in Lumière, working odd jobs where it was necessary. This allowed her to get a better lay of the land, learning of the city's ins and outs, so she could take the best and easier routes to her destination. I'd like for her to do the same with Panorama, finding ways to traverse the expanse and possibly map places out as she learns of them and how to get there.

Samples

Sample: TDM top-level, TDM thread.