Telomerase

Have you ever wondered if your cat would fight the government for you? No? Okay.

Basic Info

Name: Telomerase

Nicknames & Titles: Tee, The Bloodhunter

Age & Birthdate: At least 10,000 years (immortal); birthdate unknown

Identity: Demisexual yaket

Vi Color: Pink (connection)

Allegiances & Ranks:

• Self
• Mettalus Rebels (formerly)

Personality & History

Personality

Tee is very stubborn and holds little respect for others unless they can defeat him in battle (or at the very least, match him). After a long time of watching both mettalus and tirten mistreat others, he has little faith in civilized beings. He prefers the company of animals, even if most of them have language processing abilities far below him, and spends a lot of his time with the yaketir that live on Yaketiren Island. Despite his rough exterior, he does care, but he shows it in strange and socially inappropriate ways (because, y'know. He's literally a cat).

Hobbies and Interests

• Observing other universes
• Maintaining his yaketir colony
• Hunting yaketir

Mannerisms

• Tee speaks formally in an almost passive-aggressive manner.

History

Summary

Tee was born as a yaket and taken in by a mettalus, Carbon. When Carbon was killed by the government, he went on a quest to avenge her. During this quest, he gained a mettalus form and met Robin, who he lost when he got his headplate placed. He joined a rebel sect after meeting Anura. When Anura was KIA, he attacked the government's offices and successfully destroyed it. He left the rebels to live in the wilderness, deciding society wasn't for him.

Detailed History

• He was raised by Carbon, a mettalus, after being abandoned by his mother. Tee never learned who his birth mother was or why she abandoned him, and he doesn't care to know. Carbon was a member of a rebel sect, and he learned their symbol (and the government's) from her. When the government came for her, he fought to defend her but ultimately failed. Since then, he swore to eliminate anyone wearing the government's symbol. But as the fight continued and the bearers of the symbol seemed endless, he knew his strategy needed to change. So, through sheer force of will (and a lot of practice with the forces), he created a mettalus form.
• Despite being able to wander freely through mettalus society in his new form, he was missing crucial skills. A young mettalus who couldn't speak, seemed not to understand most words, and went into violent fits at the sight of the government's symbol stood out. A mettalus family took Tee in (as much as they could, anyway--he was a feral cat) and taught him to speak. He formed a close bond with their oldest son, Robin, which soured when Robin got old enough to have his headplate placed. In ways imperceptible to his family, their son had changed. Gone was his will to resist power and the dreams of anarchism that he told Tee about. Tee drew the connection quickly: plates were the way the people bearing the symbol kept control. So, when the family decided he was old enough to have plates installed, he fled.
• For years, he stole from homes to feed himself and slept in the woods, moving from town to town as he fought the bearers of the symbol. Some spoke of him, and the government had a lengthy file, but he was never caught. Then, he slipped up while stealing. The owner of the home, Anura, entered as he was grabbing the final thing he needed and stopped him. She bore a familiar symbol--the one that Carbon used to wear.
• Tee joined her rebel sect and fought alongside her until she was KIA. He held her body as she died, trying to defend her until he realized she was truly gone. He saw two familiar faces that day. Carbon and Robin had been transformed into perfect commanders for the government.
• Swearing vengeance for a final time, Tee took the fight straight to its source. On the way, he was forced to kill Carbon and Robin. But he succeeded in taking the government down. While the rebels celebrated, he slipped into the forest, never to be seen again.
• Though, this claim is false. He was spotted again, but those who saw him most often couldn't report the sightings. He fed and protected stray cats as he came across them in his travels, becoming known among them for his deadly hunting skills.
• Tee eventually decided to return to society, but found it changed immensely in the time he was gone. There were no longer mettalus, but tirten. Horrified by his appearance, they attempted to chase him off. He decided to watch from afar and quickly grew disillusioned. The tirten had just recreated the oppression he sought to eliminate. Was there any point in his sacrifices at all? Later, he moved to what would become Yaketiren Island.

Relationships

Allies

• Anura: Tee joined Anura's rebel sect after she caught him stealing from her house. He was distant at first, but grew to admire her over multiple missions. She became like a sister to him.
• Carbon: Carbon raised him from kittenhood. He loves her deeply and regrets having to kill her, but he knows she was no longer the mettalus who raised him.
• Jaes: Tee has met multiple versions of Jaes across the tirtenverse. As one of the few beings more proficient in the forces than him, he has immense respect for any version of Jaes. It doesn't matter that the Jaes in Catcross hasn't quite figured it all out yet. Tee cares for him and is determined not to let him die this time, but simultaneously wants to protect himself from the pain of loss.
• Kendra: Tee saved Kendra's life, but doesn't have a strong connection to her beyond that. He taught her to heal after she asked him to, and recognizes her determination, but knows she'll never be a match for him.
• Robin: Robin taught Tee about society and language. They had a close bond before Robin got his headplate placed. Tee admired his rebellious spirit.

Foes

• YTIY: Tee despises YTIY, disapproving of the harm it has caused, especially since one of its attempts to kill Checksum resulted in the death of a version of Jaes he was very close to.

Misc

• Tee is inspired by the black cat of anarchism and riot dogs.
• He is meant to be a mirror/foil to Jaes. Same nature, different nurture.
• I associate him with I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin, Born Without a Heart by Faouzia, and Circus Monster by CircusP (Steampianist Remix/Coru Cover).
• He is a perisex female in yaket form and a perisex male in mettalus form.

Gallery

Art