2. Their mother? How do they think of her? What do they hate? Love? What influence - literal or imagined - did the mother have?
It’s no stretch to say Albert holds his mother most dear of both his parents, even before Fernand’s death. Mercedes was constant, she was the one who Albert would crawl in bed with after he had a nightmare, who would clean him up after he got into some mischief with Franz and Eugenie, who would scold him for sliding down the banisters of the mansion. Mostly because she was always there, where Fernand was often away fighting in the war. She means the world to him and always will.
The only time he’s ever felt any level of contempt for her was after Franz’s death, and it was for the shortest of times that went away the moment he saw her bleeding on the floor after being shot by Fernand. He was upset at almost everyone at that point and it still stands as the only time he’d ever yelled at her.
Mercedes’s influence is...perhaps not obvious but certainly there. It’s there in his pacifist nature, in his respect towards women, in his taste in art and music, and, what is probably most obvious, his indomitable inner strength and capacity for love.
Also, must add this as it is my personal headcanon; Albert took the portrait of his mother home. It remains in his room at their little home in Marseilles.
5. Were they overprotected as a child? Sheltered?
Now this is a harder question to answer, just from how different Albert’s world is compared to ours. In his modern day verse, no, he wasn’t.
However there were many things he had little to no experience with as he was growing up in the world of Gankutsuou. He never experienced the death of a parent, as Franz did. He never grew up in an unloving household like Eugenie. Both of these set him apart from his best friends, and meant that he would not understand until later in life how much that could affect a person.
I don’t think he was so much sheltered or overprotected however, he knew about the war and learned from his father how to shoot from the time he could properly hold a gun (though he was never talented with it). Sexually he’s never had experience with it (either seeing or taking part in it) but he knows what it’s about. He got the talk from his father when he turned fifteen.
Moreso than anything his childhood was idyllic. He wanted for nothing, had two parents who loved him very dearly, had two close friends and just grew up blissfully ignorant to things as they really were.
8. How does your character feel about religion?
Albert has no real religion, and was never raised with one. He believes that destiny is in the hands of the person and only that person can change it. I suppose if I had to put a name on it he would be an existentialist.
24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually?
Albert is a member of France’s branch of Earth’s interspace diplomacy; mostly working with Janina in the wake of the war on the planet. He currently serves as a secretary to the ambassador, but hopes to rise in the ranks to become ambassador himself. If he socializes much at all, it is during events to do with this. He’s usually the wallflower in these sorts of situations, but not overly so. If drawn into a conversation, he’ll join it but he’d be just as happy watching the room and listening.
In the past he wasn’t involved much in groups outside his circle of friends. Among them he was the earnest one, the one that earned jesting pokes at his ignorance towards certain subjects.
25. What are their hobbies and interests?
During the main verse his greatest hobby is quite simply, traveling. He enjoys visiting new places and seeing new things. He gained a wanderlust when he entered the diplomatic service and if he’s not holed up somewhere studying, he’s out wandering the new place; whether it be the marketplace of Janina or Times Square New York. He just loves travel.
When he was younger his favorite solitary hobby was actually working on vehicles and computers. He fixed up and tuned his bike himself more often than not, and helped Renaud occasionally with his car collection. He and Franz built the computer that is in their secret hideout themselves; he did all the hardware while Franz did the software. He also occasionally indulged in horseback riding, mostly while visiting Eugenie. It wasn’t something he excelled at, but he has an appreciation for the sport.
26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste? Clothing? Hair? Appearance?
In a word; simple. He’s adapted well going from the opulence he grew up with to the seaside life he has in Marseilles as well as the life of a constant traveller. He never really needed anything expensive in his life, and it shows.
Albert is also rather tidy. He doesn’t indulge much in over the top hair or clothes (his pirate costume was from a masquerade party and was the most, as Peppo puts it, flamboyant thing he owned). He usually sticks with his collared shirts and jackets, and has toned down the patterns, not that they aren’t there, but they’re much more subtle. His reading glasses are simple, rimless affairs that don’t distract from his appearance when he wears them. The nicest clothes he now owns are his two suits; one dark brown the other black. He wears them only for formal affairs.