Mélis Quinby

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A fastidious scribe who specializes in finding and organizing every detail. They are the secretary and right-hand man of Castiel Luciano, never to be seen without paperwork relevant to every situation.

Even their non-professional activities seem like a roundabout way of performing reconnaissance.

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• Under the impression that their career path would be strictly in operations, they pursued classes and internships in office and business administration. Their current position was only possible through word-of-mouth recommendation to Castiel.
  • Castiel has described Mélis’ complete lack of Program fanaticism as their strongest selling point. Too many applicants had tried to suck up to him - a loathsome quality, he noted.
• Born the sixth and youngest child of the Quinby family, Mélis acted as the quiet observer and mediator of their siblings. Whenever an argument broke out, they could be trusted as a source of unbiased information. However, the lack of favoritism stemmed from a general emotional distance from the family, so much so that, even while keeping in touch in the current day, Mélis’ demeanor lacks any sentimentality.
  • Mélis claims that this role was the only way to maintain order in their meager, cramped household.
• In the evening, they can be seen taking a lengthy smoke break. This appears to be their only vice.
• Monotonous to the point of deadpan, Mélis’ disposition is best described as calm and aloof. Their most cheerful moments are typically around food while their most cantankerous are with people.
• Even with their thick-lensed eyeglasses, they have poor eyesight. They are completely blind without them.
  • They do best with what is close to them, hence why they wander around in order to take notes of their surroundings. And bumping into things, whether by accident or not.
• Like their boss, they carry a personal firearm with them at all times. Castiel trained them to shoot as part of their responsibility as bodyguard and retainer. Unlike his classic pistol with wood polish, Melis’ is a less formidable black air gun. Fortunately, they have yet to face a situation that requires lethal force.
• In their youth, they dreamed of becoming a pilot. They had a particular admiration for aviation brigades due to their coordinated mastery over the skies.
  • They have a private but sizable UAV collection they like to fly in their spare time.
• Since their adolescence, Mélis has struggled with ageusia. It began weakening the taste of food, rendering it blander and blander until they could only detect texture. As a result, they prefer strong flavors that pierce through this disability. They keep condiments and other preparations with them at all times to make their meals edible, even if they look a little ridiculous slathering an enormous amount of honey onto a sweet treat.
• Inside their stationary case are pens, pencils, highlighters, and sticky notes of all sizes. They use intricate symbols and color-coding to mark their notes, to the point where one would struggle to understand them without an accompanying explanation.
  • Sticky notes are their favorite supply of choice, with packs of five distinct colors - white, yellow, red, green, and blue. This is for timekeeping purposes, apparently.
• Because ENTOM requires extensive multispecies language learning skills (an animal equivalent would be FAUNA), Mélis has practiced both listening and speaking from a young age. It’s given them a unique accent where certain syllables have a subtle buzz and hum to them.
  • Their favorite species to consult are, of course, the bees. Not only are they just as organized with their intel, they also seem to know more about humans and human society than other bugs.
• Insects have always found them, even before their Value matured. Mélis scornfully notes that they were all too common at home, and they despised them before growing to like them as much as they do now. Flies in particular are drawn to them, likely due to their choice in food.
• Although Mélis lacks the charismatic sway Castiel wields so famously, they are the preferred mouthpiece when it comes to communicating with the broader public. With sharp oratorical skills and a thoroughly organized regimen, even the most out-of-left-field question is answered with ease. They are particularly skilled at guiding speculation - a useful trait around Program gossip.
• Program-wise, they are not without some personal bias.
  • Of all previous season alumni they’ve connected with through their job, the valedictorian and salutatorian of the 180th hold their interest the most.
  • They don’t agree with certain strategies Castiel employed during his season. In some ways, they’re more similar to his rival. Of course, they have no need to discuss this with him directly.
• Every outfit of theirs includes a motley of technological accessories. This includes a portable two-way radio, a wired earpiece, and a smart watch. Even their glasses are rumored to have a computerized element.
  • Being out for too long generates enough static electrical charge to attract particles and leave their hair pointier than usual.
• Subordinates of the 190th season’s podium winners (Idina Morozov and Philip Nilsiam) are typically seen together in the background of Program-related social gatherings. It was initially Mélis’ professional responsibility to communicate with them, but they all got along enough to form a cordial relationship even outside of work events. Besides them, Mélis doesn’t appear to have any friends.