PERSONALITY

As Maelle, she is shy, solitary, distrustful of others, and struggles to form deep connections, a consequence of her past as an orphan rejected by several foster families in Lumière because of her rebellious and unconventional nature. Orphaned since her parents' Gommage when she was only three years old, she has never truly found her place in this cyclical and oppressive society. She deeply cherishes Gustave, her adoptive father/brother, who has provided her with stability and affection. Curious, independent, and yearning for freedom, she joins Expedition 33 not to save Lumière, but to escape, explore, and forge her own path—a quest for identity and autonomy.

As Alicia Dessendre, she is marked by profound trauma: a survivor of the Dessendre Mansion fire that claimed the life of her brother Verso (who sacrificed himself to save her), she bears permanent physical and emotional scars (partial muteness or difficulty speaking). Haunted by guilt, sadness, and familial grief, having grown up in the shadow of her parents' sorrow, Alicia is more introspective, wounded, and conflicted, torn between two lives: the idealized one within the Canvas as Maelle, and the painful reality of the real world.

When she finally regains her memories, merging her two identities, she must confront agonizing moral choices regarding the destruction or preservation of the Canvas, embodying the themes of grief, acceptance, and redemption.

BIOGRAPHY

Maelle is one of Lumière's many orphans, having lost her parents to the Gommage at the age of three. After years spent bouncing between different foster families, often rejected due to her difficult nature, she eventually found herself with Gustave and his sister Emma. Gustave acted as both a brother and father figure to Maelle, helping her feel more comfortable with her unorthodox attitudes and personality.

Maelle worked odd jobs during her teenage years, including as a runner for a warehouse and a volunteer at the orphanage. Disillusioned with her life in Lumière, she decided to join Expedition 33 despite her Gommage being nine years away.