Editing WtHQM:Maple

[[File:Meliai_Maple1.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Maple laughs a lot]]A PC in [[Welcome to Holy Question Mark]], a campaign set in the Amberverse using modified ''Lords of Gossamer and Shadow'' rules.

==Maple Charlevoix MacAlistair==

''Curiosity killed the cat''<br>
''but satisfaction brought it back''

===Childhood and Family===

Maple was born March 25, 1999 to Elsinore and Flannery MacAlistair, the second of their three daughters. She grew up in a small apartment in Woodside, a neighborhood in Queens, NYC where her father's side of the family has lived since the early 1900s. The two-bedroom apartment was cramped but, aside from the occasional inevitable quarrel, she'd always gotten on well with her sisters so it was far from unbearable.

Still, when whether permitted Maple often spent her free time outdoors, wandering the neighborhoods, covering the sidewalks with chalk drawings for blocks around the apartment, or just generally getting into places she probably shouldn't. Climbing fire escapes and scaling fences was usually the extent of her delinquency; she liked to explore more than she liked to break rules (though she did quickly learn that looking like she was about to cry and claiming she was lost could get her out of most trouble).

She showed an interest in art early on, which her parents encouraged. The occasional pack of pencils and pad of cheap drawing paper never set them back much after all, and kept her out of trouble. Though she wasn't lucky enough to be gifted with much natural talent the sheer number of hours she spent doodling and sketching and painting helped her quickly outpace her less persistent peers. Of course, the fact that her drawings occasionally came to life and spoke to her certainly helped cement her interest.

The family hovers around the border between middle and working class. Envy is frequently an issue for Maple, spending so much of the year surrounded by people born with silver spoons in their mouths, but she wouldn't trade her family for anything.

===At the Socinian Institute===

By middle school Maple's artistic skills had matured significantly, and in 7th grade she earned a spot in a summer arts program for gifted students. The scholarship offer to Holy Question Mark came shortly after, blindsiding the whole family, who otherwise never would have been able to afford even a fraction of the tuition. Maple feels a bit guilty getting an opportunity like this where her sisters didn't, and is determined not to take it for granted. Her younger sister, Willow, jokes that she's the one who really lucked out, because with Maple at the Socinian Institute and Magnolia off in the military, she's the only one of the three who has a bedroom all to herself.

Maple was a very different person her freshman year; quiet, shy, and afraid of her own shadow. Easy prey for her then-roommate [[WtHQM:Minor NPCs|Gwendolyn]] and her coterie's bullying. She quietly endured the coordinated campaign of harassment for nearly their entire freshman year, convinced (mostly by Gwen) that she could risk losing her scholarship if she made waves. Everything came to a head near the end of the school year; after a week of particularly vicious bullying she broke down in a mess of tears over a minor mishap in Advanced Spirituality and spilled all the gory details when Reverend Foley pulled her aside. It was near enough to the end of the year that Maple declined offers to have the roommate situation rectified immediately and toughed it out for the last few weeks of school after being reassured that she wasn't going to be kicked out. From sophomore year onwards Maple's roommate has been [[WtHQM:Minor NPCs|Kennedy Brookens]]. The two don't really talk much but it's not a particularly awkward silence. With Gwendolyn's toxic influence drastically diminished Maple came out of her shell sophomore year and gradually evolved into the friendly, flirty girl everyone knows and at least tolerates today.

Maple's grades are consistently high, though she usually falls just short of a 4.0. She breezes through most coursework, but often has trouble focusing on subjects that don't particularly interest her (namely math and the science classes that mostly consist of memorizing formulas). Homework and studying for those classes tends to be put off to the last minute, but she discovered early on that she seems to function well with considerably less sleep than most of her classmates.

A good deal of Maple's free time ends up spent in the school's art studios, but she's also worked on the school paper since freshman year. She writes the occasional article but more often provides photographs and illustrations. At the start of her junior year Maple somehow charmed the editor and staff advisor into appointing her as the paper's art director. Her stint as the guiding force behind the paper's look has been a bit…avant-garde. The poor Editor's exasperation seems to endlessly amuse her.

===Advanced Spirituality===

Maple's drawings have moved ever since she was little, scribbling with crayons on the kitchen table while her parents made dinner. The first person to be on the receiving end of one of Maple's fledgling Icon contacts was her father, Flannery, who took it surprisingly well. His mother, who passed away when Maple was quite young, had possessed a knack for prophecy and claimed to be able to see things in mirrors. With a bit of experimentation, Flannery taught Maple to draw without accidentally turning her artwork into potential magical artifacts.

Maple kept quiet about her odd talent, even after 2004 when such things became more widely believed in. Freshman year she wasn't initially enrolled in Advanced Spirituality despite Rev. Foley's encouragement, but after hearing an odd comment from an upperclassman she went snooping and found out what the class was really about. She approached Foley during her office hours and demonstrated her "weird art thing" and transferred in partway into the semester.

===Skills and Hobbies===

'''Art''' - Drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, even a few moderately successful forays into sculpture; Maple likes visual arts of pretty much every variety and flits enthusiastically between numerous styles and mediums. Showering is pretty much the only time she doesn't have at least a sketchbook on hand.
Her favorite artists are James Jean, Edgar Degas, Edward Gorey, and Alphonse Mucha.

'''Fashion''' - Maple is an armchair fashionista, largely because of a distinct lack of enormous piles of money. For the time being she contents herself with second-hand copies of ''Vogue'' and offering advice to wealthier classmates (if they ask nicely).

'''Sewing''' - With much of her wardrobe consisting of hand-me-downs from her older sister and thrift store finds, Maple found it handy to learn how to sew and custom tailor clothes early on. She earns most of her pocket money doing alterations for other students.

'''Lockpicking''' - Maple found a set of lockpicks in her favorite flea market over winter break and decided to teach herself how to pick locks on a lark.

===Personality===

Maple is equal parts curious and creative, a potentially dangerous combination that she's shown no inclination whatsoever to temper. She likes to try new things, to the point of coming off as a bit flighty when a new interest occasionally causes her to abandon some other project part-way through.

Unless you've given her a reason to be otherwise Maple is very kind, with a particular soft spot for people who are being bullied. She makes it a priority to remember the names of anyone she encounters with any sort of regularity. Her innate curiosity can cause her to be a little nosy at times, but she doesn't gossip and is quick to offer a shoulder to cry on or an encouraging word for anyone who seems like they're struggling.

===Relationships and Sexuality===

Maple is bi, a fact fairly well known thanks to the fact that she's flirted with probably half the student body (and a number of staff members who she thought would take it in good humor). She's had a handful of relationships during her time at the institute, though they generally only last a month or two. After a particularly messy breakup with Rowan Lowell (who "thought he was buying blowjobs when he paid for dinner, I guess") early this school year Maple swore off relationships for the time being, a vow she's stuck with so far.

Though certain segments of the student body have her labeled as a tease, Maple is careful to make it obvious her flirting isn't anything particularly serious, and immediately backs off of anyone who fails to understand that or seems to feel uncomfortable with it in any way. It's all in good fun, as far as she's concerned.

===Appearance===

Maple is quite petite, and at almost 17 has more or less given up hope that a growth spurt is coming. She stands at a whopping 4'11", her height having not increased much since freshman year, though her figure has filled out significantly. Her hair is a bright coppery red, currently cropped to a short, scruffy bob. Her skin is quite pale, with a faint dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, though they're hard to see unless you're quite close. She has large, almond-shaped brown eyes and a heart-shaped face.

Though she has a keen interest in fashion her family's finances don't allow for a pricy wardrobe, so she makes do with thrift-store finds, her own amateur tailoring, and generally cultivates a sort of "soft grunge" art school vibe. Her clothes usually flatter her figure, but she doesn't risk drawing the disapproving stare of the dreaded Archetypal Grandma—often.

==Photos==

{|style="margin: 0 auto;"
| [[File:Meliai Maple3.jpg|thumb|upright|x250px|Before the latest haircut]]
| [[File:Meliai Maple4.jpg|thumb|x250px|Wait…where's her sketchbook? It's an imposter!]]
|}

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[[Category:WtHQM Characters|Maple]]