#tmi characters

Sage Beaufort ☆ They/Them

name | Sage Beaufort age | 34 pronouns | they/them

personality | cynical, nurturing, intelligent, adaptable, mistrustful

appearance | Sage has no interest in "passing" and dresses in a way they find comfortable and practical. They keep their long hair dyed pastel colours at all times, wear goofy space and alien themed accessories, typically have 5-o'clock-shadow, and always wear a choker. Sage's vibrant purple eyes are a minor physical mutation.

metahuman power | Teleportation metahuman level | Alpha

☆ DESCRIPTION

How do you trap a teleporter? How do you trap a teleporter that can teleport over 25 miles (40km) in a single leap? You take everything they love and force it to rely on a singular geographic location: Veda. By one year, Sage has been on the Alpha list longer than anyone else currently on it. They've been an Alpha for over twenty years and with each passing year they know the higher ups of Veda are more and more concerned that Sage is going to explode, just like several Alphas before them. Sage isn't worried about that. But they are worried about what the people in charge will do in order to soothe their own doubts and anxieties. The government can't be trusted. Hell, no one in power can. Power and money destroy minds, hearts, and even souls. Veda is no different than any other part of the world, in that way. In many ways, actually, Veda is much, much worse. Because all those people, all that corruption, all those problems all exist in Veda, but amplified a thousand times over by metahuman powers and an isolated city. Sage knows Veda is fucked. Sage knows the world is fucked. Their main concern is protecting their home, their family - their wife, Ghada, and their corgi, Whiskey - and their livelihood. And until Nat Carter walked into their life, Sage hadn't cared about a new person in a while. Hadn't met anyone worth risking anything for in a long time. Damn kid just has to drag them into their mess. Doesn't matter that Sage tells Nat not to fall down the rabbit hole. Doesn't matter that Sage knows the dark side of Veda better than they should - way better than this damn kid. But does Nat listen? No. Because nothing is ever fucking easy. Damn brat. What the hell is Sage supposed to do? Leave them? No. That's not their style. They never leave anyone who asks for their help. So, how do you trap a teleporter as powerful as Sage? Easy. Be their only option.

tmi/tda/tid couples: kiearan & mark blackthorn

Nicki ☆ He/They

name | Nicki age | 27 pronouns | he/they

personality | ruthless, withdrawn, persuasive, sentimental, good-humoured

appearance | I don't know what to tell you man he's just Ben Barnes. He's been Ben Barnes since 2011. Look at him. He's perfect. The stubble. The eyes. Yeah. God. He always looks tired. He always looks thoughtful. He's tall and poised and has an elegance to him that doesn't quite seem human most of the time.

metahuman power | [redacted] metahuman level | [redacted]

☆ DESCRIPTION

Nat meets Nicki in an empty church in the middle of the night. And speaks. This is not the first of Veda's mysteries, but it is one that draws Nat inward, curious and hopeful. How do you describe a man you see only briefly? How do you sort out his details when he refuses to be observed? Nicki is a spectre, a ghost, a vanishing act. He tells you nothing. You learn nothing. You may never see him again. Or at all. Veda has it's ghosts, it's demons, it's haunting spectres and urban legends. If you ask Nicki, he'll tell you he's all of the above. But what is he, really, and why does Nat keep running into him?

Liesel Jaeger ☆ She/Her

name | Liesel Jaeger age | 22 pronouns | she/her

personality | perfectionist, generous, insecure, perceptive, affectionate

appearance | much more the left than the right in terms of complexion, skin tone, hair. Jaw line and mouth shape taken more from the right. Logan Browning, the right, serves as the inspiration for Liesel's appearance.

metahuman power | body language analysis and adaptation power level | beta

☆ DESCRIPTION

Work harder. Everything has to be perfect. Every move. Every schedule. Every act. It doesn't matter if Liesel was barred from any and all athletic competitions when she was nine years old, she's kept the discipline from her ballet lessons and brought it forth into the rest of her life. No matter how hard she tries, Liesel cannot find confidence in her life outside of her metahuman power. She knows her body, it's limitations, and how to take everything she sees into herself. But what she reads? Or hears? Or talks about? Those things don't click the same way. What if she says the wrong thing? What if she makes someone upset? What if people leave? Liesel sees the way people move when they're hiding, when they're thinking, and she uses it to reach out. You can't lie around her, as she always knows, and she may call you out on it. But more often, she simply tucks that information away for later, because she isn't fond of getting in people's faces. Her power blends with her natural perception and she becomes a hawk for every minute change in movement. In the community, she works with her synagogue to help out in park restorations and clean-ups, in helping children, in helping new citizens, and in all sorts of initiatives. She cleans up after community dinners and stays late to put things away - but she never cooks. She's probably never used her oven in her apartment. Her parents always taught Liesel that a person should always help, always give, as long as they are able. If you have extra, someone else could benefit from it. Even after so long away from her parents, she clings to that. That's all she really needs - to help people - or so she says. To make sure they know that she loves them, cares about them, wants to protect them. So long as people know, and so long as Liesel keeps helping them, they'll stick around. She wants them to stick around. Because it's nice to love people, but she wants them to love her too. She wants them to reach back when she reaches out. She wants them to want and need her just like she does. But she won't say anything. Not when she could be asking "how can I help?" instead.

Nat Carter ☆ They/Them

name | Nat Carter age | 21 pronouns | they/them

personality | self-destructive, patient, determined, kind, volatile

appearance | more similar to left than right, with addition of the right-side freckles. Nat picks up the piercings throughout the first book. Right-side image is Fo Porter, the inspiration for Nat's appearance.

metahuman power | electro-magnetokinesis power level | currently unknown

☆ DESCRIPTION (tw for self-destructive tendencies & family death)

Nat has always been family-oriented. The love and loyalty of their family means everything to them, and Nat gives their family their whole heart and soul in return. When's Nat family is murdered, that drive to protect them turns to a drive to avenge them and find justice for them, no matter what that might entail. Nat is not a brash person, not usually, but they're blunt, and honest, and volatile -- the last meaning that they have a tendency to switch emotions quickly, get upset easily, and assume the worst. They're also fairly oblivious to lies, deceit, and sarcasm (though they're quite good at performing sarcasm), which is one of many traits of their autism. Don't mistake this for easy trust and naivety though, Nat is fairly skeptical and dislikes and distrusts everyone in a position of authority, especially those who impress said authority onto Nat. Because Nat has spent the last twelve years living in a tiny rural community of less than 300 people, they haven't experienced much in city life or cultural shifts, nor have they had their metahuman powers retested since they were two years old. Due to this, it is impossible to know what Nat's technical power level is at the moment, which is even further complicated by the massive power boost they received around the time of their family's murder. Nat did get top surgery two years ago, though, when they were nineteen. They have very little idea how their dad pulled that off without them getting forced into a retesting. And, unfortunately, now they'll never get to ask. In Heron, Nat's home, they spent their days rock-climbing and hiking with their father, their evenings doing puzzles and crafts with their sister and mother, and their nights staring up at the stars while they planned out their next adventure. In Veda, Nat has one goal: find the killer and make them pay. But Nat cannot work alone and knows this. They struggle to speak, they don't know how to get around, and the culture is extremely different and jarring. If they want to find the killer, they'll need to ask someone for help. Nat is not proud, nor are they overeager. They take their time and study options, first - though do not mistake this for caution or fear. Nat has no caution for themself, no fear for their safety. Living doesn't matter, not anymore. All that matters is bringing justice to their family so they can be properly put to rest. Whatever happens to Nat, so long as they finish that task, doesn't matter.

Alejandro "Al" Hunter ☆ He/Him

name | Al Hunter age | 20 pronouns | he/him (trans man)

personality | impulsive, easy-going, rebellious, loyal, playful

appearance | Dead even between both pictures. Permanent flush to his cheekbones. Double piercings at the top of each ear and none at the bottom. Usually bruised and bandaged. Usually very light stubble above his lip and on his chin. Tyler Posey, on the right, serves as Al's inspiration.

metahuman power | Friction Manipulation metahuman level | Gamma

☆ DESCRIPTION

The youngest of a three sibling family, Al's used to being told what to do - and just as used to ignoring it and doing his own thing. He and his siblings, both significantly older, have been on their own since Al was very young. His parents were caught in the Scarborough Zero Impact Incident, which Al and his siblings missed by only a few blocks. He remembers more than he's ever told his siblings, despite only being 4 years old at the time. It haunts him. Al started going to the gym as a way to affirm his gender and make his body look the way he wants, but he fell in love with the beauty of activity and athleticism. He doesn't enjoy fighting so much as playing the trickster, the jester, but he's been learning for over six years now and has some moderate skill in a couple areas. But what he really loves to hone and play with is his meta power. Al uses his friction manipulation to skate with his shoes anywhere, to turn his skateboard into a high speed transport, to dance, to play, to tease, to prank, and more. He is a meta who lives and breathes his power and his love of other metas. And it's part of what draws him to Nat, initially. But the city leaves his dissatisfied. He can't figure out why. No thrills, no excitement, no dangers, have ever left Al feeling satisfied in Veda, and he's running out of ideas to chase. Sure, he can just hang with people, but he's always aware of the walls around him - even when he's outside. Nat's life promises to be the danger - the adventure - that Al's been dreaming of. One that might finally drag him out of his funk and back into the light. And if he gets to help them along the way - perfect. He'd love the chance to repay them for reigniting the spark in his veins.

Minerva "Vin" Caballero ☆ She/They

name | Vin Caballero age | 13 pronouns | she/they

personality | gullible, resourceful, impulsive, sentimental, funny

appearance | Vin is short, lanky, and entirely too much limb. She's too thin for her age and her ribs show if you look closely. She has red, birthmark-like discolourations all over her face. Vin's hair is often greasy and messy, her clothes are typically dirty and layered.

metahuman power | N/A metahuman level | N/A

☆ DESCRIPTION

There are two ways to get into Veda without powers. One, be an important person that is required in the city. Two, be a necessary family member of said important person or a meta who requires assistance. Vin was the first. Her parents, neither Metahuman but both necessary workers - her father a city maintenance worker and her mother a nurse - had Vin several years after moving to Veda. She was born in the city. As long as her parents were there, Vin could be there too. Then, several years ago, Vin's parents died and Vin was left alone. And Vin, like every other child born in Veda, was a citizen of Veda and Veda alone. With her parents gone, Vin would be forced to leave. But if she left, she had nowhere to go. So Vin followed her fathers tales of abandoned tunnels under the city and found a community of people in similar situations. There, she has honed her skills as a thief and a lookout, learned to trade and find her way in the tunnels by feel and smell, and even started to find friendship and family. When Nat appears, Vin wants nothing to do with them, no matter how helpful they are. Vin was terrified, but the more Nat came around, the more Vin found themself trusting Nat. They were kind, and honest, and all they ever did was try to help. So Vin wants to help Nat, too. And she knows she can. The question is how much will it cost?