Bullying Mael some more because he is my chewtoy. Yes, he has the unique power to remove his face. Go away.
Anything above 60 is very rare and you generally won't have luck getting to the higher tiers with flirting or horny talk, he's shameless. It really takes dragging up something stupid he did and teasing him mercilessly with that.
Hinata stepped into the brightly lit store, with pop music playing over the loudspeakers.
In Good Spirits [SasuHina - Rated T]
The wind passed through the tree as a whisper, making no sound of its own but rustling the leaves and bushes as it brushed by.
House Husband [ItaHina - Rated T]
“By converting the location to be a luxury resort, we hope to bring Hyuga into the new era.” The presentation ended, and the lights came back on. There was a round of polite claps that all slowly stopped as the attendees realized the head of the table wasn’t clapping.
Better Late [SasuHina - Rated T]
Sasuke flinched as Naruto bumped back into him again. He gave him a not-very gentle shove with his good arm, accompanied by a glare that was happily ignored with a big dumb smile and an apology that would feel more sincere if he even tried to be careful.
Selfish [HidaHina - Rated M]
The sun rays outside the window beaming over her desk were making her drowsy. It was warm and had the oddest feeling of nostalgia that she couldn’t place.
Lavender Lights [DeiHina - Rated T]
“Do you know what he called us in here for?” Hanabi asked impatiently, leaning against the wall beside their father’s office.
The Yakuza and Miss Bunny [KisaHina - Rated T]
Hinata strolled between the short desks that were grouped in squares. Tiny hands holding crayons in their fists did their best to stay inside the lines.
A Kiss Between Strangers [GaaHina - Rated T]
Hinata ran her fingers into the sand just shy of her beach towel. The bonfire in the middle of the group cracked and gave off almost too much heat.
The Best Revenge [ShikaHina - Rated T]
Hinata tried not to let the disappointment show on her face as she stared into the mirror.
Heart Shaped Gifts [InoHina - Rated T]
Ino loved gifts.
It's clear that first lines are not my strong suit. XD
You come for the tropes and happy ending not the hook.
Choose a song title for each letter of your username and tag the same number of people.
I was tagged by @cozy-writer thank you!!
also i apologize, my username is long as fuck. Here we go! I'm gonna try not to repeat an artist...we will see
Lovesong by The Cure
After Many Miles by The Ghost of Paul Revere
Vienna by Billy Joel
Everywhere, Everything by Noah Kahan
Night Shift by Lucy Dacus
Decode by Paramore
Everlong by Foo Fighters
Reflecting Light by Sam Phillips
Curses by The Crane Wives
Old Number Seven by The Devil Makes Three
Linger by The Cranberries
Outer Wilds by Andrew Prahlow
Rolling in the Deep by Adele
Ecstasy by Crooked Still
De Selby (Part 2) by Hozier
Gimmie Mine by Karen Kilgariff
Landslide by Fleetwood Mac
Achilles Come Down by Gangs of Youth
Stray Dog by Amigo the Devil
She by Dodie
Enemy by Imagine Dragons feat JID
Squabble up by Kendrick Lamar
How it will be done: New entries will be added to this post!! To avoid spamming the dash too much. The entire thing will be reblogged periodically with a readmore after a certain point, if it gets long. (Edit: readmore fucks up the numbering noooo)
The facts will be very random, as I have many.
🫶
Edit: putting all of it under readmore now!
In a hypothetical life where he wasn't the Commander, Mael would not even be a necromancer, since developing talents for it was part of his Wyld Hunt to slay Mazdak. Likewise, joining the Priory was also done for the purpose of studying how to end the lich. A non-Commander Mael who was still a Valiant would have been a guardian in the Vigil.
Mael grew up primarily on human cuisine since he moved to Divinity's Reach for his studies rather quickly. It began his love for sampling other cuisines and made him a rather adventurous eater. He will, however, not eat just anything like the running gag with the Commander's Hero Points. Well, unless it's rich in magic. That's what the chest mouth is for :)
Mael developed a sylvari equivalent of bipolar disorder sometime near the middle of the plot. He's high functioning, but it still affects his moods and he tends to swing between feeling like Tyria's #1 sexyman and a loathsome monster. He has a great deal of self-discipline and tries not to make his moods too difficult to deal with, but as it is with all mental health disorders, it's not entirely within his control and teaches him to accept he can't micromanage every single aspect of himself.
After death, he has a very strained relationship with Caladbolg, which begins to change physically. It takes on a darker hue the longer he carries it. Since it's a lich-slaying weapon by design, wielding it is unhealthy, and could burn his hands down to bone without his enchanted gloves. Even with them, he gets burns regularly, and they take longer to heal than usual. Still, for a time he clings to the mantle of the Knight of Thorn regardless, considering the sword to be his last link to Trahearne and his people. Letting it go eventually is symbolic of finally setting his grief to rest.
He used to be dearhearts with Trahearne, with the two becoming lovers after the final step of the Personal Story. Trahearne used to call Mael his Sunlight, something that Mael later says to Maol. Conversely, Maol calls Mael his Starlight.
Mael's normal hunger is separate from his magic hunger, and he can't always tell the difference. He always carries pieces of mistonium or other magic-rich minerals or items to avoid feeling constantly ravenous. Having the Soul Eater's magic is not great on that front...
He believes Awakening is a breach of bodily and spiritual autonomy and does not ever revive people. His undead minions are called "Shadebound" and are soulless husks inhabited by summoned shades. That way, the energy cost of pulling souls back from beyond the Mists is avoided, and the minions still have a degree of intelligence required to follow his orders. As for his stance towards existing Awakened, he treats them just like normal people, even if he can let his pity slip out at times.
His only Awakened is Safiyah, the skyscale of the Primeval Dynasty, whose ghost longed to be reunited with her body to take revenge against Joko. Her revival, carried out with permission, helped rally the Primeval army against the other lich.
Mael has a severe phobia of fractals which began when he accidentally stumbled upon one of his fractal alter-egos, the Harbinger. It caused his mental health to take a nosedive and kickstarted his plot to assassinate Isgarren.
Mael and Caithe have always been close by the virtue of having related Wyld Hunts, but their relationship had been through some rocky terrain to say the least. Though Mael forgave her for stealing Aurene's egg, she found it difficult to forgive Mael for becoming a lich, and for a time she quietly grappled with the idea of killing him. Ultimately, Aurene's influence helped the two reconcile, as they both would do absolutely anything to protect her. That, and they bonded in both having to keep a horrible secret for the greater good.
When time allows, Mael likes to do crafts such as woodcarving or puppet-making. Nowadays, the hobby has atrophied somewhat due to the aforementioned lack of time, but it's still a treasured creative outlet for him even when all he does is make tiny figurines or carvings of flowers. He gives one such flower to Maol as a good-luck charm. Maybe one day he'll make shadebound dolls again and make them dance through Divinity's Reach, just like the old times before everything got so messy.
His armor is a gift from Grenth (acting through the Judge) in exchange for taking down Balthazar. All of the fabric is woven from pure darkness and the cape can have a flowing shadow-y effect (Anet has recently fed me well with the Villainous cape). It's also enchanted with a recall spell, meaning he can teleport the pieces back onto his body. It comes in handy if he loses any limbs.
The origins of Mael's sealing magic lie in his studies of ancient Deldrimor - particularly the dwarven chains once used to hold back the Destroyers. It was one of the few spells he hypothesized strong enough to seal Mazdak the Accursed in his tomb, should Caladbolg not be recovered. Years later, he wields Deldrimor magic to strategically suppress his own power to avoid losing control over the Soul Eater's volatile power.
Mael knows a bit of the Deldrimor language and uses it to swear disgustingly when he doesn't want others to know. He makes friends with Lyhr, often talking to him in broken dwarven. In turn, Lyhr helps him improve his communication abilities, and stink eyes him when the occasional swear word slips past.
Since Mael, as a being of darkness bound to Aurene's light, grows talented in the domain of Balance, his friendship with Lyhr is further strengthened.
At some point, he auctioned off his holy weaponry used in the campaigns of Orr and Maguuma.
His name, pronounced as /ˌmeɪl ˈmɔːrə/ mayl MOR-ə (I tend to call him Mael for short like "Mayl/Mile", since the modern Irish equivalent of his name is Miles) means "majestic chief/prince/hero", or "devotee/servant of the majestic". Some alternative spellings of his name include Maelmórdha or Mael Mórdha.
He is named after a Gaelic doom metal band. This ended up becoming a pun, because the Soul Eater is a minion of Dhuum.
One of the overall inspirations for his personality as it solidified overtime is Khun from Tower of God. (I have yet to read the whole thing, though. It's been a while.)
His leaves turn green when soaked, since he's based on a xeric tillandsia air plant, some of which have silver leaves until wetted.
He's good friends with Rytlock and the two occasionally meet up in the Citadel for spars and eating spicy meat.
Sometime after EoD, upon sustaining and surviving a fatal wound, Mael's lichdom was discovered and he was forced to stand before the Pact War Tribunal to answer for his crime. Though he avoided the worst punishment by virtue of justified circumstances, he was essentially sentenced to social service. This is the main reason he is "invited" to the Tyrian Alliance, to serve as their attack dog. Despite this, some members such as Councillor Ludo do not want him there, claiming that including a lich as a member of the Alliance automatically discredits its legitimacy. Owing to Queen Jennah and Marshal Thackeray's advocacy, Mael gets to function on more or less equal terms with the other players in the Alliance. He is still bound by law to aid their cause, however. Not that he minds too much, having resigned himself to penance through being Tyria's weapon.
Mael's eyes are naturally gold, but change color to blue whenever he channels his magic. It doesn't happen with every spell, but rather whenever he enters a higher state of magic usage. This includes channeling lich magic to remain alive when his body would have died, such as when bleeding out or otherwise mortally wounded. It also occurs with highly elevated emotion. In a dormant state, you can still see his magic as a very subtle blue light inside his pupils.
Mael awakened 5 years before canon, and as such, has a different mentor in the Priory - an older human necromancer woman who puts a big emphasis on teaching the impressionable sapling the limitations and ethics of necromancy. This also means Sieran is later assigned to him as his student. Yes, she still dies during the attack on Claw Island, and Mael still occasionally blames himself when his moods hit rock bottom.
His fangs (in his actual facial mouth) also came in after his resurrection.
The flames of his magic burn close to 0 degrees Kelvin, and are similar to ghostfire.
He uses a painkiller spell, but does not activate it for just anything, such as small scratches. Instead, he keeps it mostly for combat scenarios, to prevent himself from suffering too much in a body which cannot die, but still retains mortal function. Notably, holy magic completely bypasses his pain resistance.
Decades down the line, he begins work on a solitary residence in the Northern Shiverpeaks, using primarily spells and golems to do the work. Centuries later, the residence evolves into a small castle, and is the place where he holes up for most of his long existence. It stands for millenia and gradually becomes a second Wizard's Tower when it comes to being a repository of knowledge and magic. Though his reputation fluctuates throughout the ages - from mere myth to a prophesied evil overlord - Mael welcomes the Archons of the Priory to partake in the library he had amassed.
Despite becoming a lich and losing his connection to the Dream, Mael retains his strong racial and cultural identity. Protecting the Grove is his priority, and he treasures other sylvari and is always willing to help out saplings and even aid in interpreting their Dreams if Luminaries are not present.
He used to be well-liked by fern hounds, but directly after his revival they would back away, snarl and even snap at him if approached. It certainly did not help with his identity crisis, but the Pale Mother's trust in her fallen son despite his state caused the dogs themselves to mellow out over time.
He was known as the "Hound of the Pact" for his tendency to lead critical kill ops for the Pact. The wolf head design on his belt (on the Grenth armor) reflects his canine motif.
He tends to glow relatively weakly for a sylvari, but his glow intensifies greatly when he's flustered.
There's a running gag with Mael's height. He's 5'10" (178cm) yet calling him short next to guild wars' ridiculously tall NPCs sort of stuck. Making fun of him for it results in him throwing massive tantrums. He may have a slight complex about his height now.
There is also a running gag with him being a cartoon villain. He's not evil, if anything, he is an antihero type, but he revels in causing fear and can be selectively sadistic (it's relatively rare, but it happens). He dresses like an edgelord and can be genuinely terrifying, but is an extremely soft father figure to Aurene and Taimi and is entertaining to bully.
He occasionally models for fashion magazines and is generally considered to be one of the most attractive celebrities on Tyria. Once the lich scandal comes out and the initial uproar dies down somewhat, Snargle's hit series "Commander of Your Heart"... increases in sales numbers. Somehow.
As a model, he is extremely vain and greatly values his face, leaves and figure. If any of those take a hit of any kind (be it him sampling Canthan soda and causing his leaves to turn pink, or indulging too much in kodan cuisine during long desk work hours at the Janthir frontier) he falls into a pit of despair and can be found at his and his dearheart's homestead, brooding surrounded by his 30-50 feral shades.
His metabolism is extremely fast.
He hates getting his leaves wet because it causes them to change color to green. This does not apply to him taking a shower, of course. His personal hygiene is impeccable as long as he's not on the field and stuck having no access to his usual routine. In which case, he swallows his pride and makes do with what he has.
He loathes Isgarren with all his might, but begrudgingly works together with the seer if necessary, especially when doing so can help his Wayfinder dearheart.
He frequently shows up in other sylvari's Dreams as "the black wolf who guards the hearth that cannot warm him".
Malyck became one of his earliest friends while he still lived in the Grove, at least for the short while the two knew each other. Unfortunately, the family Malyck sought turned out to be Mordremoth, and Maelmordha was forced to slay him to put him to rest.
As a sapling, he used to have a phobia of asura as a result of the Secondborn trauma projected through the Dream. The Priory forced him to confront his prejudice, and the instinctive fear response was gradually put to rest as he spent more and more time around Taimi.
Caladbolg Orchida's red leaves come from it becoming attuned to Mael (he was much different before revival and was known as the Red Knight at the time.)
He keeps a piece of Brand from Aurene for good luck and to remember her by.
He's terrified of what Trahearne would think of him, were the Marshal still alive.
Since he's no longer with the Pact, his income has taken a hit. While officially he doesn't make any money from his work for the Alliance (what with essentially being social service) he gets a salary "under the table." Also, he'd made enough money selling trophies. He's not particularly rich, but he's decently well-off.
This does not stop him from micromanaging expenses and complaining about it.
Mael's speech patterns... swing wildly, lmao. On one hand, he's a Dawnborn, and a natural at diplomacy, with experience attending all sorts of high echelon events. On the other, he tends to vent his frustrations in private and swears like a sailor. (Sighs and attaches meme image below)
You've heard of Lyhr, Facets of Emotion of Logic? Get ready for Mael, Facets of Swearing and Politeness.
IT BROKE THE NUMBERING -
49. He's staunchly against ever taking over a country like Joko, duh. Still, a solid portion of Tyria continues to see him as a monster, a trend that goes on for however long he lives. Interestingly... some of his fans eventually turn to a cult worshipping him as Tyria's next "Lich King" despite his numerous public statements speaking out against such practices. As a mockery against the practice, many years down the line, he has a crown forged and proclaims himself the "Lord of Nothing." He then holes up in his mountain residence, takes a nap for a little bit and is later surprised people have taken to calling him "The Dark Lord."
50. He just runs with it. Yes, he technically starts roleplaying as a villain without actually harming anyone. He invests in a gauntlet of traps in his castle and enjoys the company of the occasional adventurers coming over, heroically, to slay him. He'll kick you out of his house if you don't bring a healer.
51. Though he originally planned to end his immortal life once Tyria had no more need for him, he allowed himself hope, awaiting Aurene's return. The thought he may just live long enough to see her again brings him much-needed solace.
52. His Wayfinder dearheart, Maolmuire, eventually ascends as the Wizard of the Mind. Unfortunately, this does cause him to lose his memories, and Mael is forced to go through one of the hardest periods of his life, becoming quite the hermit up in the Shiverpeaks. Thankfully, Caladbolg, being a weapon of the Mind domain, helps Maol regain his memories in an unprecedented freak accident among Wizards. The two get bacl together, now happier than ever as immortals.
53. Due to his vanity, Mael's self esteem is deeply intertwined with his public perception. He didn't even realize it was that much of a factor until the public began to largely hate him directly post-lich scandal. It got to the point he couldn't even go shopping normally, with people outright refusing to sell to him at times. The worst of it has since abated, but the period directly after his trial was extremely mentally taxing for the former Pact Commander.
54. Due to the aforementioned "cancellation period", Mael became highly neurotic about his appearance, even moreso than his usual. Despite everything, he would not ask his mesmer allies to conceal his identity, believing the backlash he faced to be justified and due punishment.
55. His favourite color is red. He rarely wears bright red these days as it clashes with his color scheme, but he can be seen donning dark and muted reds occassionally.
56. He is agnostic in the sense of not believing gods to be genuinely superior beings in anything but power. They are more akin to powerful mages to him, and even Grenth - the only human god he has a positive relationship with - is not someone whose reign over death is absolute in Mael's eyes. He is merely the closest intermediary, and the true nature of the Mists is largely unknowable.
57. Despite the above, he is obsessed with the concept of "punishment" and "absolution", believing himself barred from a kind afterlife even if he cannot tell you who would deem him to be so. A part of the reason he's no longer actively suicidal is simply because he fears what comes next for him.
58. He does not particularly care about labels, but is what I'd describe as pansexual. Gender is a bit of a nebulous divide to him in anything aside from "social aesthetic", and he has no preference related to his partner's equipment in bed. Still, he only experiences attraction towards human and sylvari - maybe norn as well, but too big a height difference is a turn off.
59. He is monogamous due to the way he was influenced by human culture and his general unwillingness to make his partner feel less than/insufficient to satisfy him.
60. He graduated in the Priory as a Magister of History, with a particular focus on Krytan and Deldrimor history. Unfortunately, he had his diploma revoked on the grounds of breaching academic trust by employing the knowledge gained therein to become a lich. Mael is furious about it and is contesting Steward Gixx's decision fiercely by flooding him with appeals. While I would not say he lowers himself to kissing ass, he sure attempts to butter him up here and there.
61. He voted in favor of using the Scepter of Orr in JW, believing the Titans to be a greater risk than an artifact with a centuries-long record of successful use. Though he advocated for Livia's use of the Scepter, he did not approve of her stealing it. Still, he chose to mediate in the conflict by condemning the theft but agreeing to use the artifact since it was already present. Isgarren and several other members of the Alliance did not approve of the decision, with some calling out Mael's persistently high influence as a security issue. He's content accepting whatever symbolic punishment they may deem necessary - after all, he's rather well-acquainted with jail cells already.
