Tomas Vega

[Tomas Vega]

Tomás Vega Cervantes
FACE CLAIM: Doug Jones [as Abe Sapien] and Diego Gonzalez Boneta [Human form]
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AGE: 17 years old
GENDER: Male (Yes! He has a penis! <.< Sky asked)
ORIENTATION: Heterosexual
POSITION: Student

POWER: Amphibian form
The first thing people will notice about Tom is his appearance isn’t exactly human, but that’s merely a side effect of his true powers. The boy can pretty much breathe underwater like a fish. That doesn’t mean this adaptability keeps him from breathing outside of water, rather he possesses both lungs and gills that let him be as long as he wants underwater as he does outside of it. Apart from this, he can see very well underwater, thanks to a secondary set of eyelids that bends light in a way that makes sense, though this takes some time to get used to, like the usual eye adapting from bright to dark. He’s also very skilled when swimming, thanks to his webbed feet and hands. Not very attractive among normal looking people, but effective underwater. He also has no hair and his skin has a sleek, smooth texture to allow easy movement, not to mention bright blue to be confused and difficult to find underwater.

Sadly, all these things have no use on ground. In fact, His webbed feet make him clumsy while trying out any sort of running, and his webbed fingers make him drop things all the time. His bright blue skin makes him stand out easily on ground, particularly in dark places, so he’s bad at hiding. Sadly, his skin gets easily dry and cracked whenever he spends too much time outside the water.

While he can breathe underwater, both salty and not, he can’t breathe in any water treated with chemicals such as chlorine, since ingesting it in plenty quantities can make him sick. This is also true when swimming in overly contaminated water. While most things just make him a tad sick, something really harmful in the water could easily kill him. He’s also extremely sensitive to heat and his skin will burn easily under temperatures over 38ºC.


LIMITATIONS:
His speed underwater, while faster than most humans, still couldn’t beat a speedster.
While he can see clearly underwater, he still needs some light for it to happen, so he can’t really go too deep.
He can’t filter out harmful chemicals from breathing underwater.
No, he can’t talk to fish.

SIDE-EFFECTS:
His appearance isn’t human, which keeps him from blending in with regular people.
His skin gets dry and cracks easily when he doesn’t wet it at least twice a day, though a shower usually takes care of that.
Hair loss. No, really. This hit him hard.
Clumsiness outside of water because of webbed feet and hands.
A faint but certainly there fishy scent he tries to hide with cologne.



Student Record.
Name: Tomás Vega Cervantes
Counselor: Dr. Javier Mendoza Pérez
Power: Fish Mimicry (Underwater breathing, appearance)
Parents: Mariana Cervantes de Vega and Gustavo Vega Álvarez.
Hometown: Villa del Mar, Chile.

Notes:
Entry 1.
Date: April 12, 2011.
In all my years being a counselor in this school, I never had the pleasure of meeting someone with such a unique look. I’ve heard of powers manifestation having an effect on physical appearance but this is my first time actually seeing it. The boy was frightened, of course, but that was completely normal after what had happened. Poor boy. I can just say I’m pleased I was there, thanks to curiosity, and could see the story with my own eyes. Well, the aftermath, but I got the story first hand from his parents.

He’d been swimming with his family in la Serena. Fancy place. Odd, since it’s getting cold. But there they were, his parents, his two younger sisters and some cousins. Like usual, two parents proved to not be enough to care for so many children. So in goes Tom into the ocean and a wave took him away. The search went on for hours. I think they must’ve thought the kid to be dead. And then, of course, the monster came out. A monster shaken and calling for mamá and papá, while they retreated in fear and shock. What a mess. It took a lot of me and our representatives to stop the media for getting involved. At least Tom was taken the very same day. He didn’t have to deal with his family rejection for long. His mother was understanding, like most mothers are. I can’t say the same about his father, but I wouldn’t blame the man. It can be a big shock to find out your child is now blue, without any hair, and huge black eyes, instead of his olive skin, his brown curly hair and brown eyes. His appearance belongs to fantasy, not reality, yet here we are.

I hope things get better for him at school. Thirteen can be such a difficult age.

Entry 2
Date: April 27, 2011
Things didn’t get better for him at school. I understand our school might have a reputation amongst the others world wide, but I always thought it was outsiders being cold and unemotional, not understanding the passionate behavior of our youngsters. How wrong I was. These children have no moral compass.

I had my first session with Tom and hoping to learn he’d been setting in fine. He wasn’t. He has a name already, ‘Fishito’. Can’t say those kids are not clever. At least he enjoys being near the sea, being able to use his powers and stay so close to his parents, merely a few hours away from home. What surprises me is how lightly he talks about it, almost laughing. I know better, since I remember his fearful face when he first got here. I know it gets to him, that it hurts him. It would hurt any child his age, really. With time, I’m sure he’ll be able to admit that to himself.

Entry 3
Date: December 17, 2011
Tom won’t go home. He told me that during his last visit. He mentioned his family had been planning a trip and he can’t join because of his looks. He doesn’t want to impose. I have a feeling he’s been asked not to go, after what happened last summer. Tom hinted at his mother crying every time she saw him. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to go home to that either.

Entry 4
Date: November 3, 2012

They did it again. How much can they torture that poor boy. I have no idea what to do or how to deal with this kind of bullying. Someone figured it would be funny to throw paint at the boy, and now he’s pink and in the infirmary, unable to go to the local hospital for obvious reasons. Paint got into his gills. He woke up today, laughing it off, but he cried when the nurse left and we were left alone. What am I to do? I can punish anyone who touches him, but I’m afraid giving him special treatment will only make things worse. At least this is giving Tom some character, and he’s taken refuge in his studies and comic books. I’m glad. At least he has something to smile about.

Entry 5
Date: June 15, 2013

Tom refuses to join the winter ball. I thought every kid his age would be pleased. I fear he’s gotten rejected by yet another girl. That’s been happening far too often lately. I understand he’s at that age where every girl who dares smile his way will get a special spot in his heart, particularly so because of his appearance. I still wish he would go to any social gathering. It can’t be good for any kid to be so lonely. I don’t think he’s ever mentioned a single friend.

Entry 6
Date: September 3, 2013

Another prank. I don’t get it. How is it that they don’t get bored of this? We had a riot a week ago and of course Tom refused to join in. That was his doom. They tied him up and tossed him in the lake. I was so worried. It took us two days to find him. I have no idea how he managed, but he walked out the sea as if nothing, tired, but smiling. He told us what had happened, merely because I was present and he can barely keep secrets from me, but he refused to name anyone. I don’t understand that child. I’m sure of one thing though, this is getting out of control.

Entry 7
Date: July 3, 2014

Tom got angry today. I’m not sure if this is his hormones speaking or if his anger at his circumstances has finally exploded out of him. He hinted it’d been yet another girl. Or maybe it was yet another prank. Maybe both. Kids here are cruel enough to play with his heart like that. They find it fun to pester him, to annoy him. I found out yesterday that there’s a bet going on. They wonder if Tom’s eyes are able to cry. I think they want to find out. I found out today. They can.

Entry 8
Date: December 2, 2014
Tom will stay at school again. It’s been years since he last saw his mother. She still calls, he says, but he won’t go home. I called her, despite it being unprofessional of me. I think I’ve gotten fond of the boy and I can’t bear to see him in such pain. Sadly, I don’t think I’m able to fix things. I recommended he had to go away, to move to another school and start over, maybe a place where people would be more understanding. Mrs Mariana was understanding, though she got emotional. Tom’s upset about my suggestion, though he didn’t say anything about it. He glared at me though. What a gaze he has with those alien eyes, but he accepted leaving. He might think I’m trying to get rid of him. How wrong he is. I think this might pain me more than it’ll pain him. I’ve grown to think of him as a son. He’ll leave next semester. He says he’ll miss the sea. I know he will, but I think it’s for the best.



SAMPLE: See Terry or Rachel.

USERNAME: Maggie

AGE GROUP: 29

EXPERIENCE: A looong time.

WHERE DID YOU FIND US? WoM

[Mel *]

You know what to do by now, gorgeous!