#astral rambles and analyzes characters

[astralsyst3m]

Tim Stoker is Such a fucking fun character to pick apart first of all he copes with humor and I love that.

He is however Very quick to anger when humor doesn't work.

He feels as if he has failed not only Danny but also Sasha, especially since he lost them both to the Same Entity and isn't that the fucking kicker? Losing the Two People he cared for to the same Entity. Tim will do Anything for those he trusts and once you break his trust there is no getting back in his good graces.

Even if Jon was close in a way. Jon hurt Tim, betrayed his trust but Tim in the end was a hurt and angry man who had lost the two people he cared about most and found anyone and everyone to blame.

You could even argue that he lost three people as its commonly thought that Jon and Tim did used to be friends. Tim died for revenge because he felt it was his Duty to do what he could to rid the world of the Stranger. Because He Failed Danny and He Failed Sasha and destroying that which killed them was the Only way he could avenge them, to do what was right, to show to Himself that he didn't fail them.

Tim is an Incredibly complex character who many write off as a comic relief or a sacrifice but damn if he is not the most relatable fucking person in the podcast doing all he can for those he loves. Calling out the bullshit and protecting that last bit of normalcy and hope he has however he can until he Snaps.

[luchicm04]

lost in the forest - part 13

Masterlist

Summary: The clan is officially presented with their guest, and not all of them are happy.

Pairing: Senju Tobirama/Original Female Character

Tag: #lost in the forest fic

posted on ao3

Word Count: 3.4k

Overall warnings: canon-typical violence, adult content, time skips, angst, kidnapping

She can’t help comparing this with a day of bad meetings, where your boss just looks for who pays for the broken dishes of a poor planning where sales expectations were placed at the highest, with worse results. The tension, the looks... As a marketing manager, everyone points to this department as the one to blame for the lack of momentum. 

Being that it is not. 

Karen is familiar with that. She raises her chin, stands straight... and although this is not the same, she follows the rhythm of her light walk with her uncomfortable shoes and extravagant clothing. She wants to run, to not see these people who look at her with shamelessness. 

The road is long... accompanied by the old woman named Kaori. 

“Very good,” Mikami praises seeing the movement and judging her even at this moment. Seriously, she took this task very strictly to the letter.

A true professional. 

Karen doesn’t say anything. She wants to turn around, analyze and observe this part of the house that she is sure she hasn’t been to before. Well, what is there to say of that hallway with a door she never saw but is the least of it being involved in the panorama of the event where silence reigns. 

It’s obvious people are curious, morbid... they don’t want her there. 

They arrive at a house of enormous proportions right in the middle of the cobbled roads of a complex of humble houses full of wood. Many dressed in kimonos form around the large plaza that forms in front of their goal. 

Mikami and Kaori bow in respect... Karen doesn’t want to do it but gives in to the formality of those she can see in front of her. She wonders what kind of position Hashirama and Tobirama have whom they see in the middle, surrounded by a bunch of old people who she almost swears is the accursed council. 

The people who have forced her out of her isolation... her depression and loneliness. 

The culprits of her torture disguised as cultural learning. 

“So this is the woman.” An old man with a long beard lightly caresses said facial decoration with curiosity, breaking the silence that spread through the place. 

“Yes, she is.” Tobirama is the one who responds with a scolding gesture. She looks at the one with long hair who remains haughty... imposing. She never thought that the cheerful and mysterious Hashirama could look more intimidating than his brother. Karen gives him a point for it. 

Making him stand out like a sure toe. 

“Today is a day of festivities...” The softest of her kidnappers is in the front, while the bustle around her accelerates at her side... approaching as if she were the most important thing in existence. The civilian does not avoid being scared. So many presences maker her anxious after a year locked up without any contact. 

Her beautiful anniversary is months away... how ironic. 

She loses herself in what the host says, spending a few seconds rambling between the plans she wants to make from now on, what these people expect and preparing for the worst. “Karen-san?” Mikami is the one who calls to her side, making her blink at the interruption of her astral absence. 

Almost projecting herself somewhere else mentally than where she is physically. 

She feels how all eyes are focused on her back. There are whispers of ‘rude woman’ that she ignores among many other insults. “Karen?” Someone calls her forward. The man who shakes his hand smiles brightly, animated and full of life. “Come.” 

“Uh... ” She wants to say a lot of things, especially that she is not the best at this moment for this kind of spectacle. Karen hesitates... She ends up smiling out of nervousness as she takes the hand of the one who waits calmly, precious seconds that many begin to misunderstand although it means little to her, including the look of death that Tobirama gives her. 

“She will be important for the next step of our clan,” says the man next to her when he sees that all the people are looking at them. She smiles... hiding her nervousness by giving a warning squeeze to who does not let go. “In order to achieve something similar to peace.” 

Hashirama looks confident, so honest in his desire that many people begin to applaud. She can see that the council does not look satisfied, much less understands her role at this point. 

Karen doesn’t look, she stays in her safe position so as not to say the opposite. 

“Hashirama?” The woman says almost in a whisper knowing that there will be no turning back from this. Things will change and she will be so tired of dealing with them. 

“Do not worry... I told you, have confidence,” the man assures his accomplice and then looks at the council who is confused by thus action, denoting how rare her presence is among those people who she believes have the same bloodthirsty profession. “As a civilian noble, she will be important to continue dealing with the nobles, as you will see she has the necessary etiquette to negotiate with those who fear us and perhaps we can achieve peace.” He sounds so visionary that the others just smile. 

But Karen knows what kind of smiles and false calm there is, remembering bitterly the meetings where the bosses... her superiors wanted to cut off heads for things that are not within their hands. Plus Hashirama just said that she is a noble... a title that isn’t hers. 

“As a clan leader, you are an idealist,” says one with a high ponytail, a bitter old man who raises his chin without showing any type of expression. The people continue whispering... oblivious, obedient to what the two tall factions are exchanging. 

And Karen is in the middle... great. 

“I am... but for the future of the family,” Hashirama assures firmly. 

“Does Tobirama-sama think the same?” Another calls, with a long beard and an ugly scar on his cheek. 

“You do not have to ask,” the albino bites poisonously. “My brother has the idea and now, we can ensure that it lasts.” 

“A civilian... Do you really want to entrust the future of our clan to a civilian?” Another old man with short hair and a lost look questions sincerely and harshly. 

“She is not a simple civilian noble, she is a visionary... she does not fear us like the others,” the clan leader assures firmly. Karen feels that he is giving her a lot of credit either to saving her life or to prove her worth without knowing her. 

Where does he get so much confidence from? Why does he put her in this predicament? Is it her only salvation? Couldn’t he say something less compromising? 

“What do you say, girl?” Another spits poisonously, seeing her between two of the most powerful men of the clan. She blinks to gulp thickly and pretends... she remains her voice and gaze to those who look down on her. 

“I may be a civilian, gentlemen, but I will adapt to what is planned and I shall give the pertinent suggestions to ensure that this does not remain in simple words and can have the best results,” Karen affirms, putting one last nail in that figurative coffin that she is easily making for herself. 

Tobirama huffs from her back but doesn’t add anything else, although Hashirama laughs, lightly hitting her back almost making her fall. “I told you... it will be a new future...” 

“Mph... we hope so, child,” the first old man who spoke to them accepts to look at the rest of the members of that mafia firmly. 

“It is time to start the event. Enjoy the food and drink,” Hashirama declares with a solemn gesture in front of all eyes. The others cheer, smile and begin to organize themselves to start an event between gallant clothes together with smells that awaken hunger. 

“Was it the only way?” Karen questions in her harsh language. She frowns at who returns a gesture different from the previous one. 

“It was.” 

“At least you could have warned me, right?” She feels irritated, used and extremely offended for being placed in this predicament. 

“No... it was necessary,” the man stubbornly states, giving a gesture to Tobirama who snorts and rolls hie eyes. 

“Of course... like everything else,” she complains. Remembering that she shouldn’t ask too many questions, she crosses her arms to look at the man. She has a lot to say, things to shout at him but in the midst of so many eyes that are still waiting for her to react badly it’s necessary to lower her presence when she is clearly the center. “And let me tell you... I am not a noblewoman,” she complains again. 

“You are not?” The one with long hair blinks like an innocent owl and she frowns. She knows this is a performance but she doesn’t comment on anything else. 

“It will not be difficult to appear to be. You do not look like someone who has worked the land hard nor a murderer,” Tobirama adds with a cold touch to the conversation. 

“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Karen comments bitterly with a growing headache, she frowns and raises her eyebrow at who smiles expectantly. “So... leader, huh?” Better focus her attention elsewhere in this strange environment. 

“Yes, the leader of the Senju clan,” Hashirama confirms with a tone full of pride. 

Karen does not avoid raising her eyebrow. She more or less calculates his age at less than 25 which makes him very young for so much responsibility. “You are very young.” 

“I am,” the leader blinks amused. 

“Wow... I guess I won’t have any more surprises today... I hope,” Karen complains looking at the albino. “And your brother?” She reminds the one who remains indifferent and bitter, as if he had lost a fight that he had not been told about. 

“Hashirama is my brother,” he says with a dignified frown, after exchanging a look with the black-haired man. Karen does not avoid looking at them with doubt, she compares them and notices a certain resemblance that is not so quick to grasp... again she exchanges a gesture between both of them to snort tiredly. 

“I want to go now,” she complains with no desire to say anything else. She doesn’t want to think about the plot she got into where politics are so difficult to deal with. She massages the bridge of her nose, being ignored by both men who have a plan behind her back. 

The beginning of such a drastic change in her routine. 

──

She sits far from the noise that extends all night and gives another long yawn, looking at the stars with no desire to continue pretending to have a role in this society. 

They have kidnapped her, isolated her enough that they dare ask her to maintain a role as a civilian noble who will help this clan grow. 

It’s not her business... but it’s what she has in her hands. 

“What would you do, dad?” She better decides to remember her old father, the one who always had the best solutions to problems and advised her in her difficult moments of crossroads. 

She misses him... She wants to leave and Karen can’t. 

“So you are noble,” some calls, scaring her. She recognizes her which makes her frown. “Wow... don’t be so hostile, I just want to be your friend,” she assures. 

“...” 

“I won’t take you out now.” The woman better focuses with a funny raise of her hands. 

“What do you need?” She raises her eyebrow with dignity. She wants to shout so many things at her... because she went through a lot when she was taken out and found that first village. 

Because she knows it was her... she will never forget it. 

“Wow... now you understand my language, it was so tiring dealing with you.” 

“...” 

“I’m just saying, to be the leader’s pet you turned out to be of good blood.” 

Karen does not take this bluff quickly. She frowns looking around where no one happens to pass by and tries to follow the path leaving this discomfort far away but is swiftly stopped by that woman. 

Denoting that she is just as rare as Hashirama and Tobirama. 

“You know... I don’t know what Hashirama-sama sees in you... or even Tobirama-sama... What did you did you give them?” 

Karen simply raises her chin. “You better tread carefully...” 

“Senju Touka,” the woman points out with pride and an ironic smile. She takes part of a lock of her hair lightly. “For a woman, you don’t have much to offer... noble or not, you’re just still a civilian.” 

Karen does not avoid frowning at such a cheeky comment. She sighs to raise her hand. “I have no relationship with the brothers.” 

“Huh?” The woman blinks. 

“I know it’s uncomfortable to accept, but you don’t have to make me a target for intimidation when I have nothing to do romantically speaking with those men.” Karen prefers to clarify their relationship before this gets complicated. “I’m not interested in them.” 

“What do you mean?!” The girl turns red at such an insinuation. 

“Look... It’s complicated but as Hashirama said, I only come to see how I can help as a civilian... even if you think I’m useless, I have my uses.” 

“You...” She shinobi simply blinks and opens her mouth a couple of times. “You don’t have to tell me that!” She squeezes her shoulders harshly. 

“I just... Well, I think I misunderstood,” she frowns at the pain of such a small action. 

“I... well, Hashirama-sama and I are childhood friends, I saw him grow up... it’s... well...” The woman stammers, a little uncomfortable with what she has said. Karen tries to escape when she thinks she is no longer paying attention. 

The civilian simply falls on her back without any care. Touka is blushing at the little that was said, pointing out that in fact... although she does not accept it, she is romantically interested in those men. 

She doesn’t roll her eyes because she’s busy rubbing her shoulders. 

“You don’t know how hard they have tried! ...You  won’t help them in ANYTHING when you’ve gotten them into so much trouble!” 

“Touka!” Someone orders from behind the woman. She gulps to show a controlled Tobirama looking at her on the ground with little delicacy. “What exactly is happening here?” 

“I...” She purses her lips, looking at the civilian who sighs. 

“I fell... It's obvious,” she sighs bitterly, clumsily getting up with such an uncomfortable suit. “Touka just... well, she wanted to share part of her mind,” she shrugs. 

“Touka,” with a little warning and imposing feeling, she sighs to apologize and leave. 

“Uh... you were hard on her.” She feels bad that she is scolded by one of her idols, blamed for it... but the situation was so lamentable. 

Tobirama as always is not so surprised. “Hashirama sent me to look for you.” 

“I didn’t run away.” 

“You cannot.” 

Karen doesn’t say anything. They both have enough history to add more bitterness to a bond that won’t be fixed and they both don’t want to have, so she allows herself to be escorted in silence without saying anything more that could break that strange pact. 

The woman looks at Hashirama, who is talking to another old man very different from the ones presented before, although this one looks older than the previous ones. Ending up discussing politics is not the best closure for such a strange event. 

Less when she has a lot to say and a few words that come to mind. 

Karen thus had the first contact outside of her isolation, out of political obligation... The start of a series of triggers that would lead to another destiny so different from the one she believed. 

──

She feels so tired that she can no longer keep her eyes open. The party continues and she is obviously the only one who is losing at sleep resistance as she sits on the edge of that main house in the middle of the enormous field. 

There are drunk people, many who tried to approach her being interrupted by Tobirama... Mikami sometimes comes to scold her for her position as does Grandma Kaori. 

“Do not fall asleep here,” Tobirama complains, looking at her pathetically leaning on the edge of her seat with the table in front of her. 

“I’m sleepy.” 

“Can you not hold on ...anymore?” He adds awkwardly in English, a stratergy he uses when he feels there are people listening to their comments. To be the leaders... they are too observed. 

“I... I’m not used to it.” 

“Seriously... are you not a noble?” 

“I’m not,” she laughs just as much at that comment. 

“You cannot hold on.” 

“I’m not sorry about that,” the woman snorts slightly, yawning. “I’m not a noble but that’s already more than clear...” 

“Then?” 

“Then what?” 

“You have little training... muscles, but I do not see your hands hurt. You are not a worker.” 

“Not from the countryside or anything manual,” the woman clarifies, looking better at the sky when she feels her dream will not be soon. “I don’t know why I have to talk to you...” 

“Mmmmm...” Tobirama raises his eyebrow in a call for attention. 

“Look... I still dislike you, you don’t have to accompany me.” 

“Hashirama is not here.” 

The girl doesn’t comment anything, sitting in such an uncomfortable environment. She wants to leave, ignore the guy but people around her are so happy that she could break this strange moment. 

“Is what Hashirama said true?” Karen asks out of nowhere to her silent partner, that gargoyle that always stands next to her. 

“What?” He snaps bitterly. 

“About peace.” 

“It is none of your business,” the man declares coldly. 

“If I remember correctly, Hashirama said I would help, so if you are going to get me into this, at least we must exhange something...” The woman frowns, not at all intimidated by the man’s position of respect for the clan, the fact that he could kill her or anything that makes her shut up. 

A difficult thing... Karen is not one of those who keeps everything in her hoarse chest. 

The albino frowns to look at the panorama they share in the middle of the festival. “We are at war.” 

“I see.” Karen now understands why there was so much bitterness and mistrust if they are in difficult times. “War is complicated... a thing that should not exist.” 

“Mph... you do not know what you are saying.” 

“Just because my hands aren’t full of calluases or I haven’t seen the blood doesn’t mean that I don’t know what war is.” The woman twists her mouth, crossing her arms in an annoyed scold. “I know what it is, what it takes away and makes people change.” 

“...” 

“Where I come from... there were many wars, nations that fell... I just,” she sighs, not wanting to talk about the things she knows, the sad things in her world. “It can be achieved... peace...” 

“Mph...” 

“Do you not believe it?” 

“It is not that I believe it... as long as Hashirama believes it,” he said with a cold tone... but somehow warm, strange about him, which makes her notice that he appreciates his brother a lot. 

“Having siblings is great.” She focuses her interest better on another funny point of such a bitter conversation. Karen may be curious but she notices that there are things that are better to remain ignorant of. 

“...” 

“I have one... a little sister.” 

“...I did not ask.” 

“Uh... jerk," Karen does not avoid commenting, seeing that the guy really does not want her to share part of her thoughs. “That’s why you are the worst company... I jjst wanted to tell you things.” 

“I do not need them.” 

“Well... jerk,” she repeats in a frank complaint. The good thing is that Mikami and Kaori come at the same time to end this debate before they end up fighting for different opinions. They respectfully greet Tobirama to give the order to return to the house she now longs to be in. 

She’s socialized enough tonight... too much for her liking when she’s already so used to isolation, loneliness and so on, that taking off her kimono would be the best gift along with the hard sandals. 

Karen only had one thought when she got the her room... sleep.  It woundn’t be such a bad idea. 

A/N: As you can see, they will use her as something political, something that Hashirama has discussed a lot with Tobirama behind closed doors, because they have seen it... they know she can be useful in a non-combatant perspective... at least it was not the option of getting married as the councilors said.

Karen from now on will necessarily have more participation in different bureaucratic things that she will begin to correct and address. Not as an assistant because there are classified things... but at least the simplest things such as organization of what was purchased as input or things like that for the clan.

Finally going out to meet more people... Could it be?

Thank you for your comments. The story develops slowly, but surely it will go making its way little by little. Also, I remind you that the things written in bold is the local language of the Elemental Nations.

Author-chan out! 

[pretendcr]

im sure ardyn is the only villain in this fucking series that wants to die

this was probably suppose to be a crack ask, but let me go wild on this one information. Yes, let me tell you just HOW MUCH Ardyn wanna die because this is a part of this character that I definitely find as interesting as tragic.

First of all, why is his will to die so strong ? Because somehow, it actually becomes a NEED. Of course, there’s this whole concept concerning the fatigue of one’s long life : Ardyn is 2000+ years old ( if not more ) and he has seen the world change for the best and, I think, the worst. He has witnessed all that is to be witnessed, probably lived all those years in the dark, experimenting about his immortality and discovering his powers which leads me to my other point : when you live for so long that you know everything and that you have reached the paroxysm of your capacities, I think boredom kinda settles in. Of course there’s always a way to find amusement ( just look at all the fun he’s having making everyone’s life meaningless ), but I think it’s only superficial when there’s nothing left to discover in a world you probably know by heart.

Seeing all the same old stories repeating themselves, wars roaring, kings falling and rising, but more than that, the Gods being caught in their loop of jealousy probably pretty much left him indifferent in the end. And the fact that, indeed, he finally saw the Gods for what they are probably comforted him in his idea that not even the Astrals were worth more than human lives - because I definitely think that Ardyn used to be a very faithful believer of the Gods ; that during his time as a healer, he did revered them. Of course, his devotion was tainted when the Scourge claimed him and that they all abandoned him, but still, I think that maybe some kind of hope still laid dormant within his heart ? Hope he lost within those years spent observing the world and discovering the secrets of those he once served ( and this is the moment when I’m linking you to this fantastic theory ).

But more than that, I think that his death was also meant to bring something - and while I believe this man wasn’t exactly ( well, not at all ) willing to do good, there was some kind of prophecy attached to his name. Lunafreya speaks about it, kind of, and it concerns the rest of the souls touched by darkness, meaning that the Starscourge would be completely healed once the king of kings would ascends. So YES, in a way, I think that Ardyn death is the only way for him to fulfill his duty as a healer : his ultimate sacrifice would mark the end of the plague. And analyzing his background, I’m sure the Astrals knew what was going to happen to Ardyn, that inevitably, absorbing the Scourge would kill him - but Hek, nothing went according to plan. And since his fate is linked to the king of kings, who seem to be the only one able to kill him, I think it means what it means : the oracle and the king were meant to put an end to Ifrit’s curse with their own life ( something that so many people didn’t managed to do in like 3000+ years, congratulation y’all ).

So is there a bit of good left in Ardyn ?? Some kind of his old self knowing that his death would cure the world ? Or was it never intentional and purely out of egoism that he wished to die ? Well, the answer is : I should make another post for that.

ANYWAY. do I think it’s a suicide ? Not really. Hear me out : I definitely think that Ardyn desires nothing more than dying ( and see the Lucis Caelum bloodline die too because of vengeance but also perhaps to see the achievement of one’s duty ), but I would not call that a suicide. A suicide is a desperate act to escape from the pain of this world, and I don’t think it quite Characterizes him. I think that, for him, death only means peace, it only means the end of a life that should have never been that long ( and the ascension’s of one’s duty ). It’s just the natural continuation of it all : he should have died, he was willing to, and he embraces it. Long story short, he’s too old for that shit, so let him take this big eternal nap.

While of course I think he suffers from his status and craves his own death, but I don’t think he’s trying to escape from anything by disappearing : in fact, he’s even facing his own damn trial ( you can see that in the beyond ). So I think that for him, dying meant also bringing some kind of justice to his name, for his good deeds as for the horrors he brought upon this earth. Since no one was willing to judge him, not even the Astrals, it was time for someone else to take this matter in hand ( while also taking his revenge upon the world ).

So hek, that’s it. I don’t know if it will make any sense to y’all but I could ramble about this for hours.

[astralsyst3m]

Melanie King is So much more complicated than just an angry lesbian.

Melanie is a woman who is so used to being over looked that she has decided she is going to make a name for herself, the opinions of others be damned. When everything she's built comes crumbling down because she just wanted some damn answers, she continues to look, to search, to get answers.

She's so standoffish because she is used to men shutting her down, to seeing her as nothing but a woman who knows nothing. She busts her ass to get what she has and she is angry at so many things. At how she's treated being one of the main things.

Then she's shot and everything angers her so easily. Something should be done and if busting her ass doesn't help, maybe busting some heads would?

She sees herself in Sasha, a woman pushed aside by a horrid system. She's pissed when she's treated like she's crazy for saying that the Sasha in the Archives is Not Sasha, because she knows she's right yet this man is treating her like shit for no good reason.

She's angry, sure but she has so many reasons to be angry.

She tries to kill Elias because it is the only way she can see to get out of this system. To stop others like Sasha from dying and being forgotten. Killing him makes her blood Sing.

Then she loses the closest friend she's had in this fuckass job and yet her boss who she's never liked somehow lives.

Then the bullet is cut out and her blood doesn't quite sing so much when angry.

Then she's given a way out. Sure she has to gouge out her eyes but it's a way Out. She has a support system and she has a way out and fucking hell she's going to take it because if she doesn't this will kill her. She isn't willing to die for something that makes her blood boil. She isn't going to die for men who treat her as if all she is is an angry woman.

Yes she's angry, but her anger is justified. She's out of this cycle of trauma and abuse and she is loved. Sure she's still angry, but isn't everyone?

[astralsyst3m]

Gunpowder Tim is So Fucking Intersesting

He is human, the only human member of the crew. He is surrounded with aliens, no matter how much they may look human at times they are aliens, yet they feel at home more with the crew than he would on Earth.

Tim has loved before, he loved Bertie with every bone in their body, loving Bertie was as easy as breathing. Then Bertie died in a violent war that stole away his lover and any bit of normalcy he may have had.

Of course Tim goes insane, the one person that she loved was killed, likely in front of him and it's extremely likely that they had to eat the body afterwards due to a lack of rations.

Tim lets go of any humanity he may have held back consciously or unconsciously to avenge the death of their best friend and lover. Tim is given the chance to kill the person who caused the war and therefore Bertie's death and kills them, losing his eyes and almost his own life in the process.

Then Jonny swoops in and saves them and Tim is unable to reunite with Bertie in whatever afterlife there may be and she is Pissed. Angry at this man for not telling them he was immortal, for playing soldier instead of killing the moon kaiser before Bertie's death, for saving Tim who was so close to reuniting with Bertie.

Tim and Jonny eventually fall into a love that is violent. As violent as the war where they met, yet still soft when needed.

Tim does all he can to protect those she loves and cares for, does everything possible cause while they may be immortal that does not mean that he wants to watch them die. Them dying in his arms reminds him of Bertie's death, no matter how much time passes Tim doesn't fall for anyone who can die, not wanting to be hurt in the same way they were when mortal.

Tim's morals died with Bertie. There is nothing stopping him from killing and killing. The other mechanisms sure don't discourage the violence, infact they encourage it, say that with a name like Gunpowder of course he's this violent. His own name is a self fulfilling prophecy of violence, something he can't escape. He loves violently and dangerously, yet he also at times shows a softer and kinder side, one that they used to only show Bertie.

Tim has seen war, lived through it. It runs through his veins and there is no escaping it.

[astralsyst3m]

Nastya is the older sister sibling of Jonny, the younger sister of Scuzz, who over time interacts with the crew less and less and the adoptive daughter of Carmilla, who is thrown out of the airlock by her own son.

Nastya is a woman who has lost so much, yet has so much left to lose. She isolates herself out of habit and fear of what may happen should she get too attached, yet she ends up attached anyways.

Nastya, despite all of her isolation habits falls in love. She falls in love with Aurora and with Ivy and Raphaella. She loves her crew as her family and she fears losing them. She fears them changing in a way that leaves them unrecognizable.

Nastya goes Out because she thinks that Aurora has changed because there are none of her original parts left. She does not realize that over the course of the millennia she and the crew have lived they have all changed in so many years. She fears the worst, fears that she will lose or has lost the woman she loves. The woman who in a way was her only connection to Cyberia she had left, even if she hates that place with her entire being.

Nastya goes Out and leaves behind a mourning crew, thinking that her leaving is for the best. She does not realize how loved she is, does not realized how her leaving affected the crew and Aurora. It is not until she is floating in space that processes Jonny's screams of her name. It is not until she is floating in space that she starts to realize what she has done and who she has left behind, yet by then it is too late.

[astralsyst3m]

Ivy Alexandria Analysis

Ivy remembers nothing of her past. She remembers nothing of what made her Ivy Alexandria.

She does however remember every moment after she was mechanized.

Everything is catalogued in her brain.

She remembers everything she's done and said and heard. Ivy remembers how she met each of the mechanisms, remembers everything how it happened rather then the muddled mess that the others remember through the distortion of Time.

Ivy seeks knowledge, to preserve the knowledge of the places they visit and pillage. She is unsure why (A library she lived in, burning to the ground, years and years and years of knowledge she happily soaked up burning and burning and burning and gone). She keeps her Archive safe from anything that could harm or destroy it.

Ivy does not only collect books and history She also collects people She does all she can to catalogue every moment spent with her lovers, her lovers who she falls in love with again and again and again and again. She remembers what they like, hate and love. Ivy holds the knowledge of all of their home planets. Of what they were like, good and bad.

Sometimes she has digital archives from the planets themselves, other times all she has are their memories and stories, lies, truths and half truths.

Ivy enjoys analyzing data, gives percentages as easy as one breathes. Ivy knows the chance that one of the mechanisms will enjoy a book she has in her Library Archive and recommends them, even offers to read them to the others as sometimes only she knows the language.

Ivy catalogues every movement and spoken thought and facial expression. She knows more than anyone would think and she hoards the knowledge. Hoards what she knows of the crew as close as she holds the crew members in her arms.

What does a past matter when the here and now has her crew and their knowledge in her arms and her brain?

[astralsyst3m]

Jonny D'Ville lives on lies, it's the only way he sees he can survive, even if he's immortal, he lived on lies in New Texas, it's all he knows. Not everything he says is a lie, however several of the things he says and does are. They're his way of protecting himself. His backstory is a lie, each mech knows it's a lie, knows that's not what happened because they can tell when Jonny is lying. Nastya and Scuzz are the only ones who know what really happened. The only ones who know many things about Jonny, because while he may hide parts of himself from the crew he won't hide many things from his sisters. He either tells them things of his own free will or they bully him into spilling whatever he's holding back.

Jonny truly loves and cares for the Mechs, he tries his best not to show it, he wasn't really taught how to show his love well so he does it subtly, in ways that could be traced back to anyone but himself. He sews, he mends their clothes and leaves them in their closets, not once speaking a word about it. When Lyf joined he recreated their jacket for them after seeing how important it must have been to them for them to have been wearing the small rags left of it even though they had other jackets and things to wear.

Jonny will do anything for his crew. They're his lovers, his sisters, his family. Jonny brought Tim onboard because not only was Tim wonderfully violent, he was also just a wonderful person. Jonny broke his biggest rule, he fell in love with a mortal, with someone who could die. He wasn't going to lose Tim, not like this, he wasn't thinking when he asked the others to Mechanize Tim about how Tim would feel because all he wanted was for the man he fell in love with to be safe and alive.

When Nastya goes Out Jonny is broken. He's more violent than ever and he's often found in his room, screaming at the walls or crying where no one can see him. He's just lost his sister and he is Not doing well. For as rude as he and Nastya are to eachother, they care for one another and the thought of his sister, alone in the vast of space, hurts him. He can't imagine his sister floating as his mother. For Jonny was the one to push Carmilla out of the air lock, the one to push his mother out into space and seeing his sister willingly choose the same treatment they gave their mother hurts and terrifies him.

[astralsyst3m]

Daisy is. Such a complicated character.

She's introduced as a cop who doesn't want anything to do with the Institute, not really. She doesn't trust anyone but Basira. She thinks Jon killed Gertrude and she isn't scared to blame anyone in order to get her way and find who she thinks the killer is.

She went through so much hell and was marked by the fears as a fucking child. She hid how much it hurt her as much as possible, though in a way it controlled her. Her name, Daisy is from the scar that resulted from the attack. She was Sectioned because of the Coffin and later is thrown into it.

Daisy doesn't know how to do much besides Hunt, it has gotten to a point where the Hunt is all she knows how to do. Its all she knows. She's a Hunter through and through. The only person she trusts (precoffin) is Basira. Her partner, the one who has her back. Afterwards? She realizes how Dangerous life is and how she could die or have a fate worse than Death, a fate without Death, trapped by the Buried or another similar Fear.

She begins to trust others, terrified of being alone when she used to thrive in the times she was alone. She stops Hunting, she doesn't want to Become a Hunter, she knows what happened to others and doesn't want to become that. She doesn't want to disappoint Basira. She's seen how Jon's treated. She doesn't want Basira to shun her as she does Jon.

Then she Becomes and loses herself to save Jon, Martin and Basira. She asks Basira to kill her because she trusts her. Because Basira is the One Person she trusts with her Life and with her Death. She trusts herself to not hurt Basira. She knows that if it comes to it she would let Basira close, wouldn't dare kill or Hunt Basira. She could trust Basira to kill her because she could trust herself not to kill Basira.

[astralsyst3m]

Martin is a man used to caring so much for others he forgets about himself.

He does not put himself first, he puts others before himself. He calms people with tea and he cares for everyone as if it is all he can do.

Martin is a man who has been forced to care and work from a young age, he never really got to be a child or a teenager, he has always in a way been treated as if he is a man.

Martin holds everyone close to him, as close as he can. He is kind, but he is not used to people being kind to him. Martin does all he can to help others, though to him it Never feels as if it is enough. He sacrafices himself time and time again for people, as seen in S4 when he gives himself to Peter to keep Jon safe, to do all he can for a man who as done nothing but harm him because that is what Martin does, he cares for everyone he can, even if they treat him as if he is gum on their shoes.

Martin is a jealous man when he finally has someone to call his who will hold him and do anything for him as he will do anything for him. He is jealous of Oliver because he was not able to wake Jon, yet Oliver was. He thinks he failed because Jon would not wake up for him, yet woke up for a man none of them knew. Martin thinks he failed Sasha, not recognizing when she was replaced. He thinks he failed Tim, seeing him spiral in front of his eyes, knowing why, and being unable to save him.

After the Unknowing Martin is left alone. He does not care for Melanie and Basira as he did Sasha and Tim, as he cares for Jon. He will do what he can to care for them, but as they push him away he stops pushing to help. He tries to care for Melanie, to warn her, to help her and she shoves him away. After Tim's death he stops pushing, because he knows what happened to Tim and he doesn't want to lose someone as he lost Tim. He hates Daisy for what she did to Jon.

[astralsyst3m]

Basira is such a complex character and so easy to love and so easy to hate.

She's a cop who leaves because she's scared, because she has seen what happens to Section cops and she doesn't want a part of it. She's dragged back into it all because she knows Daisy, she cares for Daisy and Daisy cares for her.

Most of what she does she does For Daisy. Yet when Daisy comes out of the Coffin she treats her like glass, like she will shatter while treating Jon like trash. She turns a blind eye to Daisy's actions constantly because she Knows that if she pays attention she won't like what she sees but she doesn't want to lose her, can't stand to lose her Partner. Then she does, and she is the one to pull the trigger, the one to kill Daisy.

Basira is left alone and it is All Her Own Fault.