in other words, I.

[divertissements]

Claude Legrand

Who in the face of love dares speak to me of Hell?

stats

Name: Claude Jeanine Legrand

Alias: Cleïs

Gender: Female

Status: Single

Profession: Writer

Hometown: Paris, France

Age: Mid-twenties

Height: 172 cm

Orientation: Lesbian

history

Sappho speaks words mingled truly with fire;
through her song she communicates the heat of her heart.

- Plutarch

Born in the early summer of 1859, Claude's nanny has always insisted that Claude was a herald of heat, a description Claude has later adopted as her own. She is the youngest child and only daughter of prominent Parisian merchant, Emmanuel Legrand and his wife, Agathe who already had two sons when Claude announced her arrival, relatively late in their lives. As the only girl among the children and with an age difference of almost ten years between the firstborn, Adrien, and herself, Claude soon became used to getting most things her way. As she grew older, she showed a great talent for language in general and writing in particular - and was, unusually so, encouraged to pursue these interests professionally, after it became apparent that she had no desire to marry. A well-known university professor was hired to teach Claude Latin and Ancient Greek, just as a poet of her choice was engaged by the house to mentor her in her writing. She wasn't soon to develop an affinity with the Symbolist movement.

Aware from the age of twelve that she nurtured a romantic interest in other girls, Claude was very outspoken about her feelings and early on made it known to her parents that she would not willingly marry. Having two sons who were already starting their own families and thus, fully capable of continuing the Legrand business, it didn't seem a complete catastrophe to Emmanuel and his wife - and after a couple of years of hesitation around the time Claude debuted, they came to accept her decision and her desires, now continuing to support their beloved youngest child in every way they can.

Through her studies of Ancient Greek, she was introduced to Sappho whom she immediately came to love and relate to. One of her most celebrated works is a poetic rendition of Sappho fragments, a free interpretation of the original. It was while she worked on this that she met Fanny, Stéphanie Firmin, who would become her first great love. Fanny was also a writer, although not as prolific as Claude would eventually come to be, and they bonded over their shared interest in literature and their dedication to the written word. They became lovers and would soon found the artistic society, the Artists of the Tenth Muse, a space for female artists who love women to express their feelings within their various art forms. Not soon after, Fanny's childhood sweetheart, the conservatory pianist, Olympe Belrose, would join their ranks. For a while, everything was pure bliss and creativity.

Then, one day, Claude met the painter, Isabelle Traverse who also worked in the Symbolist idiom. It was love at first sight. Claude had to break it off with Fanny, in order to truly pursue Isabelle and the two became lovers not soon after. Upon hearing of its existence from Claude, Isabelle was interested in joining the Artists of the Tenth Muse, but Fanny's initial jealousy made this a slow and agonizing process. Not until the first year had gone by did Fanny's stormy emotions settle enough to fully make room for Isabelle in their little community and the other writer's feelings towards Claude would never truly change, creating a tension between the three women for good.

personality

( Spoiled. ) Being the youngest child of the Legrand family and the only girl, Claude has always been spoiled rotten, the way many little sisters tend to be. As the daughter of a rich merchant family she has enjoyed the obvious perks of wealth since childhood and materialistically, she has never been in want. However, more so than money and the basic necessities, she has received plenty of affection and love from both her brothers and her parents which has in the end created a very confident and balanced individual, emotionally. Albeit also a very demanding one. Since she has now become used to receiving both things and feelings in abundance, she expects to be the recipient of people's full attention when she's around, just as she expects unfaltering loyalty and complete honesty.

( Playful. ) Somewhat childishly, Claude has stayed the playful type long into adulthood. She likes games of wit and games of words, often ending in very stubborn exchanges with people. Equal parts sore winner and sore loser - and extremely competitive at heart, she can swing from victorious jubilance to pouty dissatisfaction in the matter of minutes and sentences. Still, she likes nothing better than to take others by surprise with her clever comments and make pretty girls fluster with her teasing air.

( Thoughtful. ) Although her attitude can at first seem nonchalant and somewhat arrogant, Claude is at heart a very caring person who will do absolutely everything for those she loves, most notably the three women forming Artists of the Tenth Muse along with her. Isabelle, her girlfriend, is both her weakness and her greatest strength, their relationship very loving and committed with Claude supporting Isabelle's artistic endeavors wholeheartedly. If the other members of A. T. M. should ever need something from her, be it money or moral support, she will be there for them and step in, unrelentingly, until the situation has been resolved in the best possible way. As such, she has sponsored Olympe's concerts multiple times and once had her publisher look at Fanny's writings. She is also the type to bring gifts, outside of the more natural scope of birthdays, holidays and name days as well. If she finds something that reminds her of her friends, she will get it for them without a second thought. She is definitely a helpful acquaintance whose favor to have gained.

( Pensive. ) Behind these outer layers of energy and confidence, Claude is at her core very pensive, a pensiveness that drives her creativity in the particular directions she's going when she writes - working with darker, more gritty and also more sensual material. Although she isn't particularly religious, not an atheist, but neither a believer, she often contemplates subject matters such as death and depravation, especially in a sexual light. Along those lines, she is one of the few female voices in Paris that takes an interest in and debates the relationship (although she herself refers to it as a battle) between the sexes and the question of female emancipation. Even when she isn't writing, these are matters of great importance to her on both a creative and a personal level.

( Dedicated. ) In her relationship to her girlfriend, Isabelle, her dedication really is on show. As well as being loyal and committed to the other woman, only ever flirting, never taking other women with her to bed, Claude would perhaps do everything to help, guide and protect her. Although Isabelle is also from a wealthy background, she is now an orphan and doesn't have Claude's strong family ties, so Claude has initiated her into her own family instead. Both the Traverse children are frequent guests there. This strong dedication is an automatic bi product of her feelings for all her friends and her family, too, and should anything ever threaten them, one would watch Claude become a fearsome lioness. Also in her writing and in her studious strive is she a dedicated soul and she will work tirelessly on a project until the last full stop has been dotted down and the last page has been read.

abilities

Writing: Claude is a published writer who works mostly in poetry. She has a small, but devoted following.

Languages: Besides speaking French and English fluently, she is well-educated in the dead languages of Latin and Ancient Greek. She can write in and translate from Latin as well as translate from Ancient Greek.