Mello survey 2.0

[worldsrunnerup]

Mello
Canon: Death Note

Body and Appearance

1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Petite in every sense of the word. Mello is very small and very skinny, standing at 5’6” and 124 pounds.

2. How old is he?

20

3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?

Mello carries himself with a lot of pride.

4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?

Despite being so skinny Mello is actually in excellent shape. His scar causes his only physical problem. The damage done to his left shoulder’s tissue creates almost chronic pain.

5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?

Mello is very graceful and fluid. He’s also deceptively strong and fast.

6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?

Mello is very attractive, downright beautiful, even with the scar. However, Mello himself can’t see past the scar that covers on third of his body.

7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?

His skin is very pale. He really has very beautiful skin where it hasn’t been burned, soft and smooth. However, then there is the burn. It starts at his hairline and goes down his left side, covering his face, neck, shoulder, chest, and stomach stopping a bit above the waist. On his back it spreads almost to his spine and on his front roughly two thirds of his chest are covered, receding like a tide as it goes down. By his stomach, most of it is on his side. It stops almost abruptly a few inches above his waist. He has a few islands of scar tissue elsewhere, on his legs and on the right side of his lower back, but these are less severe than the one on his left side. It is a dark red color in some places (almost burgundy in some of those) but mostly a deep ugly beige. The skin of his scar is obviously rough and upraised.

He's got a bunch of other scars, a few of them are covered up by the big one. But he's been shot five times and has scars from that, those are on his stomach and right side, one is covered by the scar, one is partially covered so it sort of blossoms from the mass of the burn. He's got a knife scar on his upper thigh from being stabbed. And he's got a scar on his palm from when he and Matt became Blood Brothers as kids.

Mello is self-conscious about a lot of things, not the least of which being his scar.

8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.

His hair is blond, incredibly soft and light. He wears it around his shoulders it used to be extremely neat, not a strand out of place, but over time he’s let it get overgrown and lets it fall in front of his scar.

9. What color are his eyes?

Impossibly blue.

10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?

Glorious boy-hips. A great ass. An inferiority complex visible from space

He has a large tattoo on his back. It’s a cross with the words “Deuteronomy 16:20” written below it in Cloister Black font. The tattoo spans from his shoulder to exactly where the scar starts, the very tip of the cross’s left arm lined up perfectly with the red mark. Mello considers proof he was saved by God the day of the blast since the tattoo survived.

He got it when he was sixteen to remind himself why he was doing this, why he was in the mob doing the horrible things he did.

11. What are his chief tension centers?

Neck

12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?

Two words: black leather.

And some more words: fashionable, effeminate, dominated by dark colors, tons of shoes, lots of different kinds of the same basic thing: vests, crop-tops, tight pants, and long coats

13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?

Yes, he likes his clothes tight and he likes the way he looks in them.

14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?

In Mello’s mind he’s always on the job.

15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?

Commando (boxers when forced to)

Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?

I’m really bad at describing voices. Um… it’s not really deep but not high. It’s attention grabbing, demanding, commanding, and always one word away from shouting.

2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?

He speaks loudly and emotionally. He gets worked up easily and you hear it in his voice changing pitch and speed.

3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?

In his life Mello has had three different accents when speaking English. Originally he had a thick German accent that he shook off after years of effort (it got lighter and lighter as time went on, still somewhat present when he left England) then a English accent (which was slowly replacing the German one), then, once he traveled to the US, he consciously adopted a flat US accent shedding all hint of the other two.

In terms of verbal tics, he curses a lot and tends to “tch” at people when he’s annoyed.

4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?

His native language is German but he can speak a plethora of others. He is fluent in English, Japanese, French, Latin, Russian and Italian, he’s almost fluent in Mandarin, Spanish and Korean, and he knows bits and pieces of a bunch of other languages.

5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?

He can pull out any one of those languages at will without really thinking about it. In every language he usually speaks like himself, proud, rude, brief.

6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?

Mello always seems to have a speech in his back pocket. He speaks very eloquently on the spot even if it is dotted with off color similes and metaphors. Mello never seems to get tongue-tied or stumble over his words, even when he’s really pissed. That is not to say that his anger doesn’t show through it his voice, it certainly does, but he can still speak eloquently.

7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?

Always eloquent. I can’t think of anything that would rob Mello’s voice from him. He is also an excellent writer.

Well no, there is ONE thing that can shut Mello up. The only time he ever gets tripped up is if Near is around. Near will ALWAYS manage to stop Mello in his tracks in every sense of the phrase.

Mental and Emotional

1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?

Mello is beyond genius in terms of both book and street smarts.

2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?

Mello is reckless although he’d tell you he’s fast thinking. He can think on his feet but his plans are always better when he thinks them through all the way. Mello is always thinking, really. When he takes conscious time out to think things through you know it’s important.

3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?

Mello’s thought process makes my head hurt. When he thinks things over he pulls them apart and holds each piece up to or compares them to dozens of different events or people or things in his own mind. Things get held against his morals, his knowledge, his understanding of the situation, his skills, and his inferiority complex.

For example, is this moral? Is something just? Is this good? Does it make sense? What laws does it break? What laws does it uphold? How logical is this? (That one only when he’s thinking things through.) What will it achieve? Do the ends justify the means? What do I know? How do I know it? How sure am I? What can I do? Is this the most I can do? Is it the best I can do? Would L do it? Could Near do it?

HOWEVER

Mello does have the habit of diving headfirst into things without thinking. It's actually how he gets things done. By doing them. Waiting can bring failure and life is not about standing on the sidelines. Mello does think things through when he feels he has time but that's not his go-to. He's emotional, he responds to his emotions, he acts quickly. Sometimes (a lot of the time) too quickly.

4. What kind of education has the character had?

He was educated in one of the best schools in the world and one of the least heard of. Mello was a student at Wammy’s House from the age of four until fourteen. Wammy’s House is an exclusive school for genius orphans, or as my friend used to say “Wammy’s Home For Children No One Will Miss.” Quillish Wammy takes kids in and turns them into tiny crime solving machines, sacrificing a lot of their more human qualities. He’s creating the next generation of L’s, the world’s greatest detective. Mello is one of the fourth and most successful generation of Wammy Kids, codename: M.

Since leaving Wammy’s House Mello has not attended school but has gotten more than enough education in the mob about the real world and the world of crime. He has learned how to be secretive and shrewd, how to kill, how to take a bullet out of someone, how to lie without getting caught, how to avoid the police, etc. It’s been quite a learning experience.

5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?

He’s knows a lot about a lot. But Mello knows the most about organized crime, law (international and domestic for most countries on Earth), forensics, firearms, explosives and demolitions, literature, history, and religion.

6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?

He internalizes a lot of things and doesn’t tell anyone anything overly personal. Most of personal life is secret to everyone but himself and Matt. However his emotions keep him from being a true introvert and he is a social creature whether or not he likes it. He needs someone.

7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?

Angry. Just. Angry.

Angry, bitter, short tempered, always on edge. But he is extremely driven and dedicated. Mello believes in giving everything for the sake of the greater good. However, self sacrificing is not the word I would use. Yes, he has accepted his fate and believes he’s Hell bound, but he is also “the bad guy.” He does what other people won’t because someone has to. So no, he’s not giving to charity or babysitting orphans, he’s killing, kidnapping people, and spying.

8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?

Suspicious bordering on hostile in most cases.

9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?

Act. If he wants something, he will take it. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t react as well. If Mello sees something that he views as unjust, immoral, offensive, or just plain pisses him off he will do something about it.

10. Which is his default: fight or flight?

Fight and fight until he literally cannot go on. Never ever give up no matter what.

11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?

Mello has a very grim sense of humor although he also likes teasing people. He’s a fan of irony. Also, he’s a big believer in schadenfreude. But yes, his gallows humor is pretty disturbing to most people who aren't him.

12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?

Bi-polar disorder and not very well.

13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?

Hoh boy, list time. (not in order)

• Being abandoned as an infant in an orphange run by nuns
  
• Being introduced to Catholicism
  
• Writing an essay for a contest that Wammy happened to see.
  
• Going to Wammy’s House
  
• Meeting Matt (and their relationship)
  
• Being chosen by L
  
• Meeting L
  
• Meeting Near
  
• Losing to Near. All the time.
  
• L’s death
  
• Figuring out the mob was fairly Kira-safe
  
• Joining the mob
  
• His first shootout
  
• His first murder
  
• Being shot
  
• Saving one of his mob comrades.
  
• After a raid gone horribly wrong having his plan work out and becoming a rising star
  
• When a girl was forced to have sex with one of the others, unmedicated, she screamed and tried to run. She caught Mello’s eye as she started to cry and kept watching him until the door was closed. Mello couldn’t do anything to help her.
  
• Hiding a body for the first time. The guy was wrapped in a sheet but his head was cracked opened and brain-matter dripped everywhere.
  
• Writing Another Note
  
• Getting the Death Note
  
• Using the Death Note
  
• Finding Matt again
  
• Being told that he was to Rod Ross “the son he never had.”
  
• The explosion and recovery
  
• Being forced to talk to Near again
  
• Sacrificing himself to bring down Kira
  
• Losing Matt
  
• Failing.
  
  14. What does he fear?
  
  Losing control over himself, mind, body, or soul.
  
  Also failure. But he deals with it all the time.
  
  15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
  
  To become L.
  
  16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
  
  Basically everything that happened when he was in the mob, all of the horrible things he’s had to do…just thinking about it makes him sick.
  
  Relationships
  
  1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
  
  He never knew them and he doesn’t remember ever having a parental figure.
  
  2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
  
  None and they probably wouldn’t get along.
  
  3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
  
  Mello is alone in the world in terms of family and he's happy like that.
  
  4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
  
  Mello doesn’t care about family, it’s not something he grew up with and the idea is sort of uncomfortable and alien. He has people he cares about but he doesn’t call them family. He calls them Matt.
  
  5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
  
  Matt. Mello couldn’t really live without him. He can’t function. He needs Matt to ground him, to keep him sane, to keep human. They met when Matt came to Wammy’s House. Just the night before Mello had prayed for a friend and Matt, Mello feels, is God’s answer to his prayers.
  
  6. Does he have other close friends?
  
  No, not anymore. He had a group of friends at Wammy’s House and was relatively social (especially compared to Matt who rarely left his room.) But now that's sort of a thing of the past. Mello's become increasingly reclusive in hsi old age.
  
  7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
  
  Mello doesn’t trust people anymore. He says, he’s seen too much of people.
  
  8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
  
  Matt.
  
  9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
  
  He lives with Matt, the two are honestly soul mates, although Mello detests the term and refuses to acknowledge the sentiment (as he’s “not a goddamned woman.”)
  
  10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
  
  He only loves Matt, he will only love Matt.
  
  11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
  
  Matt and it will always be Matt.
  
  12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
  
  Matt.
  
  In just a boy-toy he likes thin, clean, attractive men. He’s actually pretty non-discerning as long as they are good-looking, after all in these cases, it’s just sex without a real relationship.
  
  13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
  
  Mello doesn’t like kids, he doesn’t want kids, and, being gay, he feels he doesn’t have to worry about it.
  
  14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
  
  NEAR!!!!!!!!
  
  15. What is the character's sexual orientation? Where does he fall on the Kinsey scale?
  
  Gay. Very, very gay.
  
  16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
  
  Mello is a big fan of sex. Kinky sex.
  
  17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
  
  Smoking, elevator sex, car sex, almost-in-public sex, oral sex (giving it and getting it), whips, chains, when his partner begs him for it, restriction, biting, scratching, almost anything that leaves bruises, redheads.
  
  Turn offs are anything to do with Near or the Kira case or anything about the world outside of that moment.
  
  He bites. A lot.
  
  Beliefs
  1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
  
  Mello is a bit of a wanderer, but mostly that’s his independent nature and not boredom. He also does have very changeable emotions (usually however they just go towards angry.) He is also very knowledge hungry and religious. And he is athletically inclined (not that he cares anymore.) He is straight-forward to the point of being rude.
  
  However, Mello is not the life of the party. He is not outgoing. He is far from optimistic. He is not usually pleasant to talk to. He is neither jovial nor good-natured. While Sagittariuses are supposed to be fun to hang out with for most people Mello is the opposite.
  
  2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
  
  Mello is a Roman Catholic, he is extremely religious and takes this with him everywhere he goes and in everything he does.
  
  He attends church every Sunday and has for as long as he can remember. Back in the orphanage he spent his first four years in Mello spent most of his time in the sanctuary, away from the other children he couldn’t relate too. God is a comforting and grounding force in his life and, as an orphan, he as an attachment to the Virgin Mary, as he views her as sort of a mother (which, you know, she is, but you see what I mean. He has no other mother so the Virgin is the closest he can get.)
  
  Mello’s real name is Mihael, the German equivalent of Michael. He takes this to heart as well, the Archangel Michael is the one who will lead God’s troops during Armageddon. He considers his job to be the earthly equivalent. Serve God on Earth, make sure his will is done.
  
  And what is God’s will? Mello finds the most powerful passage in the bible to be Deuteronomy 16:20 which begins “Justice, justice shalt thou serve.” Not a word in the bible is wasted and “justice” is repeated twice. In Mello’s eyes to serve justice is to serve God.
  
  It's unclear however how much of this is his own theorizing and how much he's sort of supplanted because of his Wammy's training, but that idea terrifies him. He can't bear the thought that Wammy's actually got into his head and under his skin. So he chooses to believe his justice obsession has always been there, although that's a blatant lie.
  
  3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
  
  This is a going to be a friggin’ essay for Mello.
  
  Mello’s code is that he will bring justice to all those who deserve it, whether or not they can seek it for themselves. He will fight for it until the injustice is eliminated (or he is.) Because of the nature of the Kira case Mello had to go around the law. Mello will do whatever it takes to do what’s right as well as be the best. He’s obsessed with beating Near, and, while with the Mafia for so long, Mello lost sight of what was really important, focusing not on justice but stopping Near.
  
  In the end, his only compromise is his means. He will do whatever he has to win and to bring justice.
  
  That’s the very, very condensed version.
  
  4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
  
  Attempted tolerance and he is tolerant, to a point. However, he has a hard time grappling with Atheism. He can’t imagine a life without God.
  
  5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
  
  His only prejudice, Mello would say, are against those who are doing something he views as wrong. And he will fight and hunt down injustice and uphold good. He wants to be righteous, he wants to do what’s right, he wants justice for all who deserve it. The dead can’t cry out for justice but Mello will bring it to them. Those who stand in his way will be dealt with, however this is out of necessity not out of hatred. (As if that’s an excuse, but to Mello, it is.)
  
  Daily Life
  1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
  
  Formally extremely wealthy with the ability to have anything he wanted now he’s living in a crappy apartment with a dripping shower that smells perpetually of mildew. Things have changed.
  
  2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
  
  He used to be one of the most feared and wealthy people in the country, now he basically lives like a college student, hiding from those who were once afraid him. However, this hasn’t changed Mello’s personality in the least.
  
  3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
  
  Shitty little apartment, as he describes it. And it’s just a place that he and Matt live. What he loves is the person he shares it with nothing about the apartment itself. Although he would never admit to something so sentimental.
  
  4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
  
  List time!
  
  
  • Chocolate (I know that’s food thus a “basic necessity” however, he buys far more of it than he needs to.)
    
  • bullets
    
  • material to make explosives
    
  • leather clothing
    
  • Inappropriate things for Matt and him. >_>
    
  • other things he needs for his guns
    
  • whatever he needs to keep the apartment from falling apart (even more.)
  
  5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
  
  Mello is a detective, or so he calls himself. He’s not officially a detective, even if he is one of the best in the world (the second best in fact.) Mello was trained to be a detective and because of the process involved Mello cannot imagine being anything else. He is very good at it, he’s the second best detective alive. He enjoys it because he enjoys what it means. It gives him purpose. As I said, he can’t imagine doing anything else.
  
  6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
  
  Making explosives, shooting at the firing range, guns, demolitions, solving crimes, chocolate, fashion, fiction, poetry, writing (OMG WRITING)
  
  7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
  
  Chocolate. He seems to live off nothing but coffee and chocolate, sometimes he’ll eat red meat. He’s not a big fan of vegetables and really shouldn’t be able to survive off of how little/how he eats.
  
  Associations
  Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
  
  1. Color? Black (or red)
  2. Smell? Dust, books, and old buildings
  3. Time of day? midday or midnight
  4. Season? Winter
  5. Book? The Bible (>_>)
  6. Music? not a real music fan
  7. Place? church
  8. Substance?
  9. Plant?
  10. Animal? Cat (not his favorite, but he is one)
  
  END
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