مالك السيف ((malik al-sayf)) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
singlehandedly) wrote2012-10-08 02:08 am
singlehandedly) wrote2012-10-08 02:08 am
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asgardeventide
IC Information;
Character Name; Malik Al-Sayf
Canon; Assassin's Creed
Canon Point; Shortly after the events of Assassin's Creed.
Age; 26
House; HEIMDALL
Power; Energy Lending
Personality;
Like many men, Malik Al-Sayf believes in something that is bigger than himself. For him, that is the Creed, and so Malik is first and foremost, an assassin. He lives by this Creed of the assassins, has internalized their rules through his upbringing but also by choice. He's evaluated each tenet and knows what it is they mean, and he finds that they're good rules, sensible, and necessary. It wouldn't occur to him to look for loopholes, because he has faith in the Creed, and he follows it dutifully. This duty and loyalty are a very big part of him and of his life, because he has devoted himself to the Brotherhood with no ands ifs or buts. It was, for a long time, nearly blind devotion, despite all his common sense and perceptiveness, as for the longest time, he did not think to question the motives of the Order's leader. This has changed, by the end of canon, which has left him a lot less trusting of those who simply bear a higher rank than he does, and more likely to think things through for himself before accepting them.
A few more things go hand in hand with his upbringing and training as an assassin. One is strength: mental as well as physical. He's very enduring on both accounts, skilled in all things an assassin needs, and he is proud of what he's capable of. All of these skills are things he's worked hard for, training diligently for years, giving him a solid basis for his confidence and pride.
Another is perceptiveness. No assassin can survive without it. He thinks on his feet well, even though he prefers to be prepared, and has to notice a lot of things at once, from the way a crowd moves to the location and direction the guards are going, to reading bodylanguage in order to judge whether he's being told the truth or not. As such he excells at gathering information, and it's second nature to him to pay attention to detail. He can easily judge a situation, and as long as his mind is on the job, he will keep his wits about him and a level head no matter what. In all, Malik appreciates carefulness and caution. It simply does not do to rush into a situation blindly, and is wary of overconfidence in any shape or form.
That said: the man has a temper. As calm and collected as he usually is, some things can and will set him off. Mostly, these things are arrogance, incompetence, disloyalty, and combinations of the above, especially when they result in people getting hurt. His isn't the type of anger that will have him make a scene in the middle of the street, but rather, the kind that will earn you a verbal beating you won't forget for months. Not that he's likely to let you forget, either. He will hold on to a grudge, and he will let you know what he thinks of you and what you've done and what you're doing, until he has good reason to think better of you. Forgiveness is possible, but it takes time, depending on the grievousness of the offense. One way or another, even when he's not been severely offended, he has a very sharp tongue and does not hesitate to use it to make himself clear.
At the same time, Malik is a very respectful man. He values manners and he values skill, and this colours most of all his interactions with strangers. He is usually polite about his honesty and knows what not to say, how to stay subtle. He is well aware of what his place is in a hierarchy, specifically within the Assassins' Order, which means he knows, accepts and respects decisions that come from higher up. While may protest and argue, make his position known and try to reason with people, he will not complain once a decision has been made.
Actually he's just not the complaining type, period. He does speak his mind, but once presented with a situation, he is pragmatic, finding a way to deal with it instead of mourning the could-have-beens. So he deals, accepting the circumstances and consequences of the things that happened, if there really is nothing to be done about them. He's a determinator in the face of injury, loss, and betrayal, showing not just physical and mental but also emotional endurance, and a great deal of stubbornness but also an astounding maturity. Maturity his life has required of him, really. With their parents' early death, it was his responsibility to care for his little brother, a fact that left him quite serious from a young age. Recklessness was not something he could indulge in, and often he expects his level of maturity, wisdom and common sense from his peers - who very often fall short. In fact, he holds himself to a high standard in general. Because of his determination and willingness to work for his goals, he expects himself to be good at what he does - and he is. But his pride in his own skill and his dedication caused much resentment towards Altair over the years, jealousy that a man so reckless, with so little regard for others, for the Creed, for fellow assassins would rise above him from skill and talent. It certainly didn't help that his younger brother Kadar looked up to Altair, either.
For all his severity, occasionally brutal honesty and sharp tongue, Malik cares a lot about those he is close to. He's just not all that gentle or kind about it, most of the time. Instead, he is often harsh to those he cares about most, because he worries, not wanting them to get hurt, urging them to be careful, to take care of themselves, and to do what they do well. He gives good advice, but feelings simply aren't something that he readily discusses with people. None the less, he cares about lives and about people in general as well, though he won't easily take pity on someone. It's a matter of principle: Life is precious, as is freedom, as is peace. These are the reasons the assassins exist, after all, and so it all comes back around to internalized values and to duty. Within the brotherhood, they are as one, and Malik's devotion to the brotherhood and the creed extend to the point where he would lay down his life to complete a mission, or rescue or protect another assassin. This is how far his faith goes, and he takes pride in it. He is not afraid. Not of injury, not of death, not of betrayal, and not of the truth, either.
Samples;
Network Sample;
[It's just the voice you're getting today, Asgard. Heavily accented, calm enough.]
So then, residents of Asgard. I am curious; what do you think of those powers we have been given? I understand for some they are replacements, or approximations, of things that come naturally to them in their home worlds. Is this an appropriate replacement for your normal abilities?
I also heard that there is more than one power associated with each House. I would be grateful if you could tell me what they are.
[Best to know what's possible in this.. realm, if this is where he is to stay, for now.]
Log Sample;
Having moved back to Masyaf in accordance with the new Grand Master's request, Malik made it a habit to visit the training ring in the morning. After all, it would hardly do to let his skills atrophy, even though his new calling was that of a dai, no longer that of a master assassin. His pride would not allow it. It did not take long for the other assassins to remember, and the novices to find out, that they should not take pity on a one-armed man, for the one-armed man certainly took no pity on them.
There were no edged swords allowed in the training ring, and for good reason. Malik did not go easy on anyone, and though he lacked the capacity to weild a hidden blade now, he certainly did not lack strength, speed or skill. Twisting his sword just so, he wrenched his opponent's weapon out of his grip, sending it flying into the dirt.
"What is this? Surely this can't be all that you've learned since arriving in Masyaf," he challenged the younger man currently cringing and cradling his swordarm with the other. Not the first lower ranked assassin to yield today. Malik frowned, sheathing his sword, and stepped forward, grabbing the young man by his shoulder as he turned to leave.
"Show me," he demanded, and looked over the bruising wrist with a frown. "I apologize," he said, sincerely, letting go of the younger man's arm and looking him in the eyes with some concern. The pain still hadn't faded from his expression. It could just be that he was not used to it, or it could be that he had caused more damage than he'd intended.
"There should not be serious injuries during training like this. Make sure that it is seen to, and listen carefully if you're told not to use your arm for a while." Malik held his gaze a moment, then nodded, sending him on his way. Finally, he sighed, a bit disappointed in his own lack of control, and returned the practice sword to its proper place with the brother in charge. This would not do. If he was to train with those less skilled like this, he would need to clear his mind, first.
Character Name; Malik Al-Sayf
Canon; Assassin's Creed
Canon Point; Shortly after the events of Assassin's Creed.
Age; 26
House; HEIMDALL
Power; Energy Lending
Personality;
Like many men, Malik Al-Sayf believes in something that is bigger than himself. For him, that is the Creed, and so Malik is first and foremost, an assassin. He lives by this Creed of the assassins, has internalized their rules through his upbringing but also by choice. He's evaluated each tenet and knows what it is they mean, and he finds that they're good rules, sensible, and necessary. It wouldn't occur to him to look for loopholes, because he has faith in the Creed, and he follows it dutifully. This duty and loyalty are a very big part of him and of his life, because he has devoted himself to the Brotherhood with no ands ifs or buts. It was, for a long time, nearly blind devotion, despite all his common sense and perceptiveness, as for the longest time, he did not think to question the motives of the Order's leader. This has changed, by the end of canon, which has left him a lot less trusting of those who simply bear a higher rank than he does, and more likely to think things through for himself before accepting them.
A few more things go hand in hand with his upbringing and training as an assassin. One is strength: mental as well as physical. He's very enduring on both accounts, skilled in all things an assassin needs, and he is proud of what he's capable of. All of these skills are things he's worked hard for, training diligently for years, giving him a solid basis for his confidence and pride.
Another is perceptiveness. No assassin can survive without it. He thinks on his feet well, even though he prefers to be prepared, and has to notice a lot of things at once, from the way a crowd moves to the location and direction the guards are going, to reading bodylanguage in order to judge whether he's being told the truth or not. As such he excells at gathering information, and it's second nature to him to pay attention to detail. He can easily judge a situation, and as long as his mind is on the job, he will keep his wits about him and a level head no matter what. In all, Malik appreciates carefulness and caution. It simply does not do to rush into a situation blindly, and is wary of overconfidence in any shape or form.
That said: the man has a temper. As calm and collected as he usually is, some things can and will set him off. Mostly, these things are arrogance, incompetence, disloyalty, and combinations of the above, especially when they result in people getting hurt. His isn't the type of anger that will have him make a scene in the middle of the street, but rather, the kind that will earn you a verbal beating you won't forget for months. Not that he's likely to let you forget, either. He will hold on to a grudge, and he will let you know what he thinks of you and what you've done and what you're doing, until he has good reason to think better of you. Forgiveness is possible, but it takes time, depending on the grievousness of the offense. One way or another, even when he's not been severely offended, he has a very sharp tongue and does not hesitate to use it to make himself clear.
At the same time, Malik is a very respectful man. He values manners and he values skill, and this colours most of all his interactions with strangers. He is usually polite about his honesty and knows what not to say, how to stay subtle. He is well aware of what his place is in a hierarchy, specifically within the Assassins' Order, which means he knows, accepts and respects decisions that come from higher up. While may protest and argue, make his position known and try to reason with people, he will not complain once a decision has been made.
Actually he's just not the complaining type, period. He does speak his mind, but once presented with a situation, he is pragmatic, finding a way to deal with it instead of mourning the could-have-beens. So he deals, accepting the circumstances and consequences of the things that happened, if there really is nothing to be done about them. He's a determinator in the face of injury, loss, and betrayal, showing not just physical and mental but also emotional endurance, and a great deal of stubbornness but also an astounding maturity. Maturity his life has required of him, really. With their parents' early death, it was his responsibility to care for his little brother, a fact that left him quite serious from a young age. Recklessness was not something he could indulge in, and often he expects his level of maturity, wisdom and common sense from his peers - who very often fall short. In fact, he holds himself to a high standard in general. Because of his determination and willingness to work for his goals, he expects himself to be good at what he does - and he is. But his pride in his own skill and his dedication caused much resentment towards Altair over the years, jealousy that a man so reckless, with so little regard for others, for the Creed, for fellow assassins would rise above him from skill and talent. It certainly didn't help that his younger brother Kadar looked up to Altair, either.
For all his severity, occasionally brutal honesty and sharp tongue, Malik cares a lot about those he is close to. He's just not all that gentle or kind about it, most of the time. Instead, he is often harsh to those he cares about most, because he worries, not wanting them to get hurt, urging them to be careful, to take care of themselves, and to do what they do well. He gives good advice, but feelings simply aren't something that he readily discusses with people. None the less, he cares about lives and about people in general as well, though he won't easily take pity on someone. It's a matter of principle: Life is precious, as is freedom, as is peace. These are the reasons the assassins exist, after all, and so it all comes back around to internalized values and to duty. Within the brotherhood, they are as one, and Malik's devotion to the brotherhood and the creed extend to the point where he would lay down his life to complete a mission, or rescue or protect another assassin. This is how far his faith goes, and he takes pride in it. He is not afraid. Not of injury, not of death, not of betrayal, and not of the truth, either.
Samples;
Network Sample;
[It's just the voice you're getting today, Asgard. Heavily accented, calm enough.]
So then, residents of Asgard. I am curious; what do you think of those powers we have been given? I understand for some they are replacements, or approximations, of things that come naturally to them in their home worlds. Is this an appropriate replacement for your normal abilities?
I also heard that there is more than one power associated with each House. I would be grateful if you could tell me what they are.
[Best to know what's possible in this.. realm, if this is where he is to stay, for now.]
Log Sample;
Having moved back to Masyaf in accordance with the new Grand Master's request, Malik made it a habit to visit the training ring in the morning. After all, it would hardly do to let his skills atrophy, even though his new calling was that of a dai, no longer that of a master assassin. His pride would not allow it. It did not take long for the other assassins to remember, and the novices to find out, that they should not take pity on a one-armed man, for the one-armed man certainly took no pity on them.
There were no edged swords allowed in the training ring, and for good reason. Malik did not go easy on anyone, and though he lacked the capacity to weild a hidden blade now, he certainly did not lack strength, speed or skill. Twisting his sword just so, he wrenched his opponent's weapon out of his grip, sending it flying into the dirt.
"What is this? Surely this can't be all that you've learned since arriving in Masyaf," he challenged the younger man currently cringing and cradling his swordarm with the other. Not the first lower ranked assassin to yield today. Malik frowned, sheathing his sword, and stepped forward, grabbing the young man by his shoulder as he turned to leave.
"Show me," he demanded, and looked over the bruising wrist with a frown. "I apologize," he said, sincerely, letting go of the younger man's arm and looking him in the eyes with some concern. The pain still hadn't faded from his expression. It could just be that he was not used to it, or it could be that he had caused more damage than he'd intended.
"There should not be serious injuries during training like this. Make sure that it is seen to, and listen carefully if you're told not to use your arm for a while." Malik held his gaze a moment, then nodded, sending him on his way. Finally, he sighed, a bit disappointed in his own lack of control, and returned the practice sword to its proper place with the brother in charge. This would not do. If he was to train with those less skilled like this, he would need to clear his mind, first.