Glass Hero: Tae Turner by Jodee
For a Glass-themed contest on @deviantart
Name: Travontae Turner (GAZE) Super Power: Hypnotic Suggestion
Tae Turner spent her life growing up with her head down, keeping her eyes on the ground as she walked, avoiding eye contact to protect herself from the snide comments and jokes that inevitably came when a tormentor knew they had her attention. As a fat child, encouraged by everyone she met to just be less, Tae avoided interacting with people who seemed to revel in disparaging her, wondering miserably why she had even been born. The only person she felt she could really trust was her grandmother, who always told her how her eyes lit up a room when she was happy. “They could make the world feel at peace, Tae,” she always encouraged her.
Tae cried for what felt like forever when her grandmother died. Her mother tried to console her in her own callous way, but the fire in Tae’s eyes warned her away and, at a loss, the family left her to her own devices until she made her way out of her devastation on her own. It was finally embracing the things that made her a target that ultimately revealed her powers.
That golden glint in her eyes, her grandma had it too, and they shone like a beacon when she looked at Tae. It always made her feel warm and safe and whole, a feeling otherwise foreign to her. Now, understanding, with strong feelings, her soul was projected through her eyes and it entered those who held her gaze– when she was content, usually a deep brown, Tae’s eyes glowed like pools of gold and she could feed the minds of the people with thoughts and feelings, guide them to act. With the same effect, anger gave her eyes a terrifying glint, like sparking fire opals – and understanding her gift, it dawned on her, why, for once, her mother spared her in a time of anguish… she had no choice. Tae had directed her away with that one look.
What would she do with her gift?
She had been hurt her whole life by people who gleefully crushed her spirit. She was abused and aggrieved by everyone but her beloved grandmother who could no longer advise her. Armed with the memory of how warm and content her grandma’s golden gaze made her, Tae knew that she could never use her powers to hurt people indiscriminately. She wanted to do good. She wanted to set herself apart from all the people in the world who reveled in the pain of others. She would look into their eyes, harness her inner peace, the acceptance she had come to know, and she would change their minds for the better.
