Meridian

Meridian, a character in the Across the Void book, is the medic on board the Atlas and one of the Main Character's love interests. He is first seen in Chapter 5.

Appearance
Meridian has light skin with pink lightning streaks, brown curly hair, and pink eyes. His facial hair is light stubble. He wears a green scarf around his neck, brown holsters on his shoulders, a muted yellow waistcoat on top of a black one, and a gray t-shirt underneath. Main Character notes that he is tall and muscular when they first meet. He also has physical scars on his body.

Personality
He is a skilled medic due to serving with the Vanguard in the past. He is cautious towards the wounded Apri rescued in Chapter 5, deducing that pilots with unmarked uniforms are most likely spies or assassins. In Chapter 22, he says before he came onto the Atlas, he was on "autopilot". He spent long enough taking orders, that it started to change who he was. Main Character makes him want to be a better person, and reminds him why he became a Medic in the first place.

Series/Book: Across the Void

 * Chapter 4: Among the Crew (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 5: Distress Call
 * Chapter 6: Art of Interrogation
 * Chapter 7: Mark of the Lektra (Off-Screen)
 * Chapter 9: Cross-Examination
 * Chapter 10: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody
 * Chapter 11: Under the Mask
 * Chapter 12: Last of the Assassins
 * Chapter 13: The Capital
 * Chapter 15: Library of Souls
 * Chapter 17: Fallout
 * Chapter 19: Breaking Point (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 21: Homeworld (Determinant)
 * Chapter 22: Sanctum

Main Character
He is one of Main Character's love interests. In Chapter 5, s/he has the option to get to know him better when they first meet if s/he decides to help him with the injured pilot. There Main Character discovers his Vanguard allegiance and if s/he decides to hand over the pilot to the Jura, he looks uncomfortable with this decision. If Main Character decides to hand Heze to the Vanguard, he looks at ease. His feelings toward the Vanguard are not unwavering though, as he cares about saving lives on both as sides.

He says as a Romly, he tends to pick up on others' true natures too. If asked if he has had trouble on the Atlas due to prejudices, he says he doesn't let trouble find him anymore. If Main Character allows him to help him/her calm down, s/he feels his empathic abilities when he touches your shoulder. On the surface, there is his concern and a deep sense of curiosity, and something else you can't discern.

If you decide to take your romance further in Chapter 10, you find Meridian likes to be in control, but also likes to be challenged. Because of his Romly empathic abilities, you share his emotions and desires, and can share your own with him. He tells you that he really feels a connection with you. In Chapter 22, if you decide that Meridian is the one you want to be with, he tells you that you make him want to be a better Medic, to find the person he is outside of the uniform.

Kepler
He first meets Kepler when she appears in the Med Bay to interrogate Heze. He and Kepler don't appear to interact much without you present as she works Security and he works Medical. In Chapter 6, he ignores her when he has to talk to you about the Apri and in Chapter 9, if you decide to work with them to fix the Hangar Bay door, you notice their flirting styles differ. She scoffs at him when he tries to impress you with his knowledge of Vanguard inspections. He shakes his head at her when she uses innuendo on you. Where she acts on impulse, he would rather think about consequences. If you decide to give them batons to help Main Character fight off the assassins, Kepler has to grab Meridian's baton to jab it into an invader's side because he was slashing the baton around without hitting anyone.

Trivia

 * Meridian was confirmed to be part of the Romly alien race in Chapter 5. He says his race has the ability to influence emotions, which causes a lot of suspicion from non-Romly's.
 * In Chapter 17, he tells Main Character that Romly usually search for peace and quiet, a place to rest and call home. Enjoying a meal and dancing under the stars together is a tradition for family and friends; and despite rumors, Romly wear layers of clothes (and do not frolic naked).
 * In keeping with the astronomy naming theme of the story, Meridian is an imaginary line around a planet that intersects its poles.
 * In Chapter 9, if you decide to fix the hangar doors, he tells you that he loves spacewalking. It makes him feel connected to the whole universe.
 * In Chapter 17's premium scene, you learn he knows how to create balloon animals. He once did it for his patient (who was also his friend), decorating his entire room with balloon animals. His friend laughed so much that Meridian had to redo some of his stitches.