▬▬▬▬▬ MELIK TASEE • • • • •
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ as played by Xavi

❖ Sandman or Melik
❖ Valsozn terra, specifically sand
❖ Male
❖ Pansexual
❖ Currently single
❖ 26
❖ 5-6"
❖ Reddish-orange eyes with fleck of a sandy golden-brown color around the iris
❖ Rusty red/brown hair that's almost always messy

❖ APPEARANCE When it comes to looks, Melik steals the spotlight. He's the shortest of his friends and quite arguably the most adorable. He's almost always wearing a smile and he really loves to laugh. He talks with his hands and his eyes are always aglow with life. He's a very cheeky fellow with an expressive nature.

Speaking of expression, Melik has been known to wear quite the array when it comes to his wardrobe. He has no issues dressing in frills and lace. Or, to contrast that, fishnet and studs. His suits are always white in color with accents of either red, orange, or gold. If he's not going for the fancy look, he tends to stick with neutral or earthy tones like blacks, grays, hunter greens, or browns. His pants are... unusually bright. Red, orange, gold. He has a bright purple pair too.

Melik enjoys accessorizing too. Hat, scarf, tie, bracelet, belt, necklace, nail polish--he'll wear anything. He likes to keep his outfit fun and fresh. If he's wearing a black shirt with red pants, he'll probably have on a checkered scarf of white and black and a bracelet of white. He's known for being fashionable, sometimes being the go-to person within his group for attire help.

Can't forget his shoes. Melik has an obsession with Converse. He only wears Converse.

As Melik wears a layer of sand over his skin, his body has no scars. Any should-be scars just fall off when he molts his sand-skin (he does this about once a week, unless he's in an active war zone; then it's daily). Mark-wise, he has a small golden-orange tattoo in the shape of a horned lizard is located on the inside right wrist.

❖ SKILLS Melik is eccentric so it's only natural that his choice of weapons be just as odd as he. He mainly uses a whip. Yes, a whip. If it's not a whip, it's his sand, which he can turn into a whip. He also has a fan-blade and a chain-sword. One time he wielded a mighty toilet plunger in battle. Let's just say, the enemy didn't see that shit coming (ho ho ho, puns!). He's also a master of chi clocking, which causes prevents the user from using magical or super human abilities.

As previously stated, Melik controls sand. He can create whips or spikes that erupt from the ground. When shielding, he can create a literal wall or shield to block. He can also coat his skin with a thin layer of sand to serve as a final line of defense. And, when he wants to show the enemy up, he'll conjure up a sandstorm or, if he wants to be theatrical, a pirate ship that will crash into the enemy.

❖ WEAKNESS Perhaps the only element that causes Melik any issue is the element of wind. Water? He can mud-bend. Fire? He can control and manipulate glass. But wind? When his sand gets blow about, it becomes hard to control. The closer the same is together (like in mud or glass), the easier it is for him to use it. Dispersed sand requires concentration and a lot of sweat. Not to mention, it's hard to shield when it's so far apart.

Melik cannot create sand. He can merely manipulate it. This is a weakness, pending location, sand is not always present. He has no mastered his full element nor does he look to. Earth (as in rocks, metal, ground) isn't really his thing. He likes sand. It's coarse and small, something one often overlooks (just like him).

As the shortie is a Valsozn, he does have a kill-switch organ. His organ is located where one's gull bladder would be. It's roughly the same size too. Like many of the others, he can get sick.

❖ PERSONALITY A fun loving sweetheart. That's probably the quickest most direct way to describe him. He prefers cutesy over manly any day. He loves being coddled and snuggled with. He adores all forms of endearment. Gush and shower him with love, he'll soak all of it in. He loves the spotlight.

Odd as it may be, he's a fan of lizards and spiders (spiders because of Fritz). But when it comes to rats and large creepy crawlers, he's absolutely fearful. He also doesn't like ugly things and he cannot stand hairballs. They are 'icky grossy gross.'

Melik hates being alone, so he demands someone be with him at all times--even if it’s his stuffed kitty cat plushie (he calls her Kiki). He loves flowers and eating sweet stuff, but for the love of all that is good in the world, he cannot cook or bake to save his life. He's tried and he's nearly burned down a house. Or seven. Nonetheless, this cutie makes up for his lack of kitchen skills with his charming, innocent mind and large eyes.

Don’t mistake him for being a weakling though! While he isn't nearly as strong as Fritz, he does know all the weak points on a body so letting him get too close is a bad idea! Not to mention, Melik's absolutely brilliant, sometimes giving Rroy a run for his money.

Melik is also fiercely loyal. When his friends are in trouble he won’t back down. He would rather be dead then abandon those he cares about!

Lawful Good would probably suit him best.

❖ HISTORY Melik was born into a family of wealth and riches. The Tasee Valsozn had a monopoly on mining, namely coal and diamonds. It only made sense that they be one of the richer Valsozn names on the planet.

As such, Melik, an only child, was sent to the finest academies to learn. When he enrolled at 5, they were quick to note that he was accelerating at a rate faster than his peers. Bumping him up one level didn't seem to help though. He was still gobbling up the knowledge too fast. Still, they had never advanced a student two levels so he was forced to stay back.

Bored, Melik would often spend all his free time helping his best friend Fritz. Fritz was forced to advance with him, despite not being a genius. It was part of the arrangement. Whatever happened to Melik, had to happen to Fritz. This caused Fritz a lot of mental strain but Melik helped make everything all right.

Finally, at nine-years-old, Melik was allowed to jump ahead another level. The reason? Another student, one a year younger than Melik, had created a learning gap so large that they couldn't ignore it. Melik, being the prodigal child of the school, had to join that class to see if his wits could match those of the new student.

He, much to his displeasure, could not.

Melik had no interest in befriending the scary new kid either. Everything about him was far too scary. That matter was only made worse when he threatened to kill the class bully, Varun.

Time and time again, Varun would pick on the little kid but Fritz, far stronger than meets the eye, would step in and nullify any advances Varun attempted to make. So when the navy-haired boy was finally put in his place, Melik could let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't minutes later that Fritz pleaded Melik befriend the odd boy. Melik hated the idea but soon came to see things as Fritz did. After all, he trusted Fritz with his life. If the cyan-eyed boy could see light within, then Melik could find it too. In time.

Meandering across the courtyard, he extended a hand to the raven. "I'm Melik," he flashed a grin. "Let's be friends."

Whatever doubt Melik had soon vanished when Nieko came bounding up to the duo. It took only seconds four the four to become the best of friends. Although Rroy claimed it all to be one-sided (where he didn't care) the others knew it not true. Rroy cherished their friendship and Melik purposely brought an extra lunch every day for Rroy. He knew the boy lived on a farm but he never seemed to remember to pack a lunch. Melik fixed that. He also persuaded his father to let him buy Rroy a new school uniform.

The two remained friends even past graduation. Melik swore he would follow Rroy wherever he went as he could not imagine having to work for someone lesser than he. He also asked that Fritz remain with him for he couldn't imagine living without his so-called shadow. Fritz, naturally, agreed to join and commented that if Melik hadn't joined Rroy, he was going to force the shortie to join eventually.

Of course, working for Rroy wasn't an easy task. Time and time again, Melik's morals were tested. Not out of hate or fear, but more so out of concern. Rroy wanted to make sure that Melik could fulfill his desire to bring about peace. To do that, Rroy made Melik face his demons and ultimately told Melik that if he wanted to grow and became a man who could bring about change, he would have to kill his mother.

It wasn't easy.

Later he would have to kill his girlfriend. It was hard to kill the woman he loved but he knew her loyalties laid elsewhere. If he had it his way, he would have just banished her but she was a magical being that could teleport anywhere. Banishment just wouldn't work.

Melik found it odd though. Two people he loved dearly. And yet, he found the strength--no the craze to kill them both. Why? Because Rroy deemed it necessary. It seemed the more time he spend with the raven, the more he learned the truth--that sometimes those closest to you hold the darkest of secrets.

Again, he vowed he would never leave Rroy's side. Having proved his loyalties over and over, Rroy never doubted the boy. He said he never had and apologized for agonizing him as such.

Still, despite the darkness he endured, Melik still seeks out the light. He still laughs and loves. But why? Why would he with such a tainted past?

"Melik," Rroy's voice was soft and rich, "don't ever change. You're the one good thing in my life."

"Eh?" Melik's brows furrowed. "What do you mean good? Fritz, Varun, Arvin, Nieko... they're all good."

"I'm not talking good in that regard." Rroy tapped Melik's heart before leaving his hand on the kid's chest. "I'm talking good within. You're the light to my darkness. Always smiling while I scowl. You can't change. You have to stay... happy."

And thus, Melik remained happy. He knew that, should he change, Rroy would change. Melik didn't want that. He needed Rroy to be strong, to lead. He needed Rroy help guide the world to peace--the peace he so desperately dreamed of.

With Fritz still at his side, Melik knew he could accomplish anything. He had people who believed in him and he had someone who could make his desire a reality. Now all he had to do was find someone worth saving. So when Aleu asked him to join her on her mission, he couldn't say no. Perhaps, finally, he could create peace for those who needed it most.

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