Aubade Atelier

Maria Clara's weapon is called "Makahiya" and is written in Baybayin script. It is named after three things:

> the Filipino plant of the same name that closes its leaves when touched

> the fact it themes/references one of the English title translations of Noli Me Tangere "Touch-me-not"

> the Filipino concept of 'hiya' or 'shame', something deeply tied to ideas of dignity, honor, and can be deeply tied to ideas of Catholic guilt to some degree

Makahiya's form is inspired by a processional cross and is tied to Maria Clara's past. I was originally planning giving her a bolo/machete-type weapon or a fan, but decided a spear seemed more in-line with this idea of her avoiding touch and contact.

I would have loved to give Maria Clara long pretty hair, but I thought short hair is more reflective of her character at the moment. She also has her hair cut short during a period of deep regret and repentance and shame. (It's also sort of meant to mirror the practice of some irl nuns in cutting their own hair as a show of dedication.)

I positioned her coat off her shoulders to try and get the 'Maria Clara' outfit look.

Drawing the background hit me with unexpected angst

In terms of her personality, this Maria Clara starts out fairly quiet and tries to remain subdued. Yet as the story goes along and she gets along with Dante and the rest of the Sinners, she starts to banter and enjoy herself-- except, when she realizes she's enjoying herself, she forces herself to stop.

Maria Clara is all about self-torment and self-punishment. She sees herself as a broken and impure woman, because of what she did to the man she loves, Crisostomo Ibarra (yes, the letter incident where she gives the letters that get used to incriminate him to keep the secret of her true parentage) and the trauma she faced when Salvi sought to take advantage of her. She blames herself for everything and is driven to the point of thinking every misfortune, every bit of pain and suffering is deserved.

Unlike in the original stories, Maria Clara does not die or continue to suffer as a nun-- She tries to continue suffering in silence, but she snaps. She can't take anymore of Salvi's advances and kills him. Following this, she runs.

Maria Clara's Canto is all about her finally facing the shame that holds her back + realizing she can never meet nor keep the expectations of being the ideal of a pure, passive, and saintly woman-- and in truth, it's never what she truly wanted.

The final boss she fights is some amalgamation of people in her old community-- Salvi, Damaso, her parents, her old friends, even Ibarra.

Immaculate Thuribulum is an Equipment-Type Anti-Akuma weapon which takes the form of a pomander and a thurible/censer. The innocence's accommodator is Mellicent Hayes. Later in the storyline, this innocence evolves into a Crystal Type at a point in-between the Hearst Orphanage Arc and the Artificial Exorcist Arc.

Pomanders are containers holding herbs, spices, and other items with pleasant fragrances. Old beliefs say that disease and other kinds of misfortune come from 'bad' or foul smells. As a result, it became popular to keep around items to ensure an individual would be surrounded by 'good' smells.

Thuribles/censers are containers used to hold incense. Religious beliefs all around the world believed the smoke of incense purified and blessed the surroundings, people, and items touched by them. Thuribles in specific are swung by a chain.

[COMPARTMENTS] Immaculate Thuribulum starts out with 6 compartments to hold assortments of plants and other pleasant smelling items. When every compartment is filled, this gives Mellicent 6 total special use charges. Once out of charges, Mellicent must reload the compartments and undergo a cooldown period until she can regain the charges. An alternative is for Mellicent to use her energy to make up for the charge. This is costly as it requires substantial energy which can cause the accommodator to pass out.

[SPECIAL USES] There are two special uses of Immaculate Thuribulum. In order to engage any of these uses, a compartment's contents must be burned up.

Purging Pellets [Pomander Form only] A pellet is created from the contents of the compartment. This pellet cures Akuma poison as long as the infected individual ingests the pellet in time. The pellet also gives a 30 minute resistance to reinfection.

Purifying Plume [Thurible Form only] Smoke emerges and flows, fueled by the contents of the compartment. This smoke irritates Akuma and Noah. Akuma weaker than the accommodator suffer from paralysis. The smoke also serves as a counter to Akuma gas, protecting those in the area from its negative effects. Allies (ex. other Exorcists) receive a boost in both stamina and resistance when near or in the smoke. (Extra Note. The radius or the duration of the plume can be extended through the usage of more compartments.)

[CRYSTAL TYPE Immaculate Thuribulum] Eventually, during a mission with Allen Walker, Mellicent manages to reach beyond her limits and her innocence transforms into a Crystal Type. With this change comes new significant additions to her skill set.

Sanctity Veil When activated, Immaculate Thuribulum automatically produces smoke which turn into a veil that crowns Mellicent. This veil stays in place on its own. It is far more potent than the smoke of Purifying Plume. It has the added advantage of distorting the perception of adversaries, making it difficult for them to perceive Mellicent. The veil can also be extended and wrapped around allies to give them the same cloaking, but they must stay close enough to Mellicent and the veil to maintain it.