Fan Theory/hope: Maelle's ending and hopeful DLC/Sequel Content

Just wanted to share my thoughts on possible future storylines in the world of Expedition 33, as I watch my partner play through the game from the start...

Things we know:

• The Canvas survives by the grace of Renoir's patience and both Aline and Maelle's weakening will (on account of their physical deprecation)
• Maelle has resurrected all the previously gommaged/destroyed Lumerians, Gestrals, Esquie, Monaco...etc.
• Verso has aged and has been healed of his scars - he is seemingly being coerced into being a puppet pianist
• Maelle reacted from emotion, not logic - unfortunate but nonetheless, true. She is however, not stupid.

Things we can probably infer:

• Renoir's 'mercy' is likely temporary; I don't see him watching his daughter waste away without interfering no matter how much he wants to trust her judgement
• Aline, once she has recovered her strength, will try to re-insert herself into the canvas
• Clea is probably going to stop interfering and focus on the war with the writers
• Maelle is unlikely to give up on the canvas any time soon
• The human painters - selfish though they are - are ultimately not monsters

Things that aren't certain but which I think do need to be addressed or at least discussed in a DLC or sequel:

• The resurrected Lumerians - if they're not 'the original' versions of themselves, are the new creatures sentient like their predecessors?
• Were the original Lumerians themselves ever 'real'?
  • TBH, personally, I think any argument that they're 'not real' leads to a larger question on human existentialism. If we find out tomorrow that WE are in fact, part of a simulation, I doubt we'd simply go easy into the good night simply because our coding overlords decided they wanted us deleted. Discounting the validity of an individual's right to exist is largely the reason society is in complete chaos at this moment in many parts of the world
• Verso's state of mortality of lack thereof - he was 'allowed' to finally age but does this mean he will pass away in due time? Or is he simply stuck in another iteration of his immortal existence?

My personal theories and hopes for the DLC:

• Theory: Given that Maelle is not stupid and knows her parents will probably once again try to either destroy the canvas or rebuild it in their image (Renoir and Aline respectively), there's a very high chance she's actively strategizing a permanent way to protect the Canvas and its current inhabitants even as she weakens
• Hope: Maelle, given the benefit of time, and lessons learned from her own mother's mistakes, may possibly develop enough empathy to ensure the inhabitants retain their free will (including Verso)
• Theory: The inhabitants of the canvas - the few who were part of Expedition 33 (led by Lune, and including Gustave) - will find a way to protect the existence of all Canvas-dwellers, thereby removing themselves from the mercy of all Painters (including Maelle). This could mean figuring out how to jump between the magical canvasses created by the Dessendre family, or somehow reaching the Writers to make a deal of sorts (the power and immortality of the written word isn't exactly an unknown cliche)
  • Note: I do believe the canvasses are somehow connected, based on some of the paintings we saw in the 'real world' mansion during Alicia's flashback
• Hope: The painters (including Maelle) will see the immorality of controlling/destroying an entire group of sentient beings they created simply because they can. At best, they can coexist peacefully; at worse they (including Maelle once again) leave everyone alone
• Theory: Verso will find oblivion, but he'll likely die a major villain in his quest to end his own existence (since he's already sort of a villain tbh, considering he tried to genocide everyone so he could die). Maelle will be the one to deal the final killing blow, and because of that, exile herself from the Canvas (therefore freeing herself from her own gilded cage). The Canvas will either remain as it is, or become less necessary
• Theory: Gustave will die once again trying to protect Maelle from herself, which will further drive Maelle into true despair at the understanding that she cannot protect the people she loves from the ravages of life itself

That's it, those are my theories.