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Over the years, Earth had been a fun venue - even if it was the place their least murdery shows took place. But the crowds were always good and each album always went down extremely well. In all honesty, the planet mostly served as an ego boost to the Mechanisms. After all, even immortal space pirates were prone to a few moments of narcissism on occasion. As such, they all felt a mild disappointment at the news of Earth going through its first apocalypse. It meant they had lost the planet as a venue for a while. But it also meant there was a story to be found there. Inspiration had been running low since the Bifrost Incident and this was the exact opportunity they had been looking for. So they had gone down to the planet, indulged in the drama of the apocalypse, and tried to be surprised when Marius picked up a collection of strays.
It was inevitable, really. Lyrassir Edda had been the last survivor of the Yggdrasil system and Marius had begged for the now ex-inspector to join their crew. And sure, no one had been big on a former cop tainted by the Bifrost joining their crew but Lyf was...Lyf. They all had more than a little fondness for them - even if Jonny venomously tried to deny it. But then again, Jonny d’Ville wasn’t exactly known for his ability to express emotion. But this was different. This was extremely different. Marius hadn’t picked up one human. Instead, he had picked up six . How wonderful. Apparently it had been hard to choose between them and had thus ‘mildly kidnapped’ them all - something no one but Marius and the Toy Soldier was particularly happy about. But the Toy Soldier was happy about most things so it hardly counted. But as time went on, and they discovered the Aurora’s newest crew members had been gifted their own brand of immortality by whatever now tainted their world, a fondness grew between them. Though, perhaps ‘fondness’ was putting it lightly. But there are very few words capable of describing the brand of love that only immortals could share. They all had their own quirks and differences but perhaps...perhaps that was why they all fit together so well. They were a jigsaw put together with mismatched pieces.
Jonathan Sims had been treated as a spectacle at first - much to their chagrin.. The way the Eye’s influence still lingered was curious. The right words allowed them to get a story out of anyone with a tape recorder always conveniently there to capture the story. It was a skill any immortal storyteller would crave - particularly those always eager to put such tales to music. Then came their ability to simply...know things. Any question seemed to have an answer Jon could provide. As such, it made any and all game nights interesting . It also made them the only person that had ever correctly called Ashes out on their cheating. It was what had initially brought them closer to the others - Ashes’ demands for constant rematches and the others eagerly watching. That closeness turned into friendship then very much into something more. It also provided Ashes with their favourite technique in any card game against Jon; kiss them in order to make them far too flustered to notice any cheating. But Jon’s use of their abilities came with a price. No matter how far they travelled from Earth, the Eye still demanded to be fed. It demanded stories and statements or it would feed itself from Jon. No matter how much they tried to hide their moments of weakness, it never lasted for long. But that was one of the benefits of dating millenia old space pirates; they had an infinite number of stories to tell.
Martin Blackwood struggled to fit in most of all. There was a grief for the loss of the Earth and the instincts of self-isolation and loneliness still continued to linger. So rather than that bond with his new - kidnappers? Friends? Lovers? - he stuck to those he found familiar. He stuck to Jon or Tim or Sasha, or even Georgie and Melanie on occasion. And when he wasn’t with them? Martin made an effort to be alone; to give into the loneliness that still called to him. It was on such occasion that Lyfrassir found him. They had been more than a little bit alarmed to find him almost...fading out of existence so they had grabbed him; grounded him; brought him back to reality. Rainbow eyes met bright blue and an understanding was formed between the two. Both were marked by an entity that tried to call them away from those they loved. Both were living reminders of a world long gone. That was where it started, really. It was what drew Martin closer to the others. Lyf had clearly relayed the message of Martin’s need for contact; the need to not be alone. So he found himself with the occasional hand on his shoulder, a multitude of hugs, and enough kisses to leave his ears tinted bright red. Of course, his heart still belonged to Jon and Tim but more people began to start sneaking their way into his heart. And in all honesty? He couldn’t bring himself to mind.
Timothy Stoker was a flirt. It was the closest thing he had to a defence mechanism. It was the easiest way to get other people to lower their defences; to get close enough to try and find what he could about Danny. It was also the mask for his anger. It was how he hid the rage he had spent so long suppressing. As it turned out, his flirting was very easily reciprocated. It felt like a game of wits, really as terrible pick up lines and compliments were bounced around. But it was...nice. For a while, Tim forgot about his rage. He forgot about Danny. He forgot about the ruins of his home. He was...happy. But nothing lasted forever. No peace was eternal - especially when you were - Blessed? Cursed? - with immortality. There came a day when the dam holding back his anger broke and it flooded over Tim; drowning him in raw rage. A rage he had never learnt to handle. But it wasn’t a rage he was allowed to deal with alone. No, his lovers made sure of that. It was ironic, really that someone who shared his name would be the one to understand his rage. But Gunpowder Tim had taught him how to shoot, taken him to a makeshift shooting gallery and watched as Tim let out his emotions on empty cans and scrap metal. He had also ‘accidentally’ shot Jonny a couple of times which was honestly more cathartic than he would ever admit.
Sasha James was the calmest about the transition. She had lost her home before when the Not!Sasha had replaced her; locked her away in the Stranger’s domain until Not!Sasha’s death. It had hurt to know only Melanie had known she had been replaced, but Sasha had not held it against anyone. It had not been by choice that they had forgotten her. But the looks on their faces when they had seen her followed by the feeling of their arms around her was like nothing else. She craved to be held; to be seen; to be remembered. She always feared that perhaps she was just another replacement. Perhaps she wasn’t really Sasha James but unknowingly another replacement. As much as she loved her boyfriends, she had found a group of people who truly understood her. They understood what it was like to have one defining moment change everything you were; to lose yourself entirely then spend the aftermath trying to build yourself up again. For the first time since Jane Prentiss attacked the institute, Sasha James felt like she could breathe.
Melanie King had hated being on the Aurora. She had hated what it meant. It meant that everything she had lost had been for nothing. Everything she had given to escape the grasp of the entities had been for nothing. She had blinded herself for nothing . Because apparently they could easily just be whisked away and saved like it was nothing! The only true comforts she had were Georgie and the Admiral. Georgie who always knew the right things to say and the Admiral who always seemed to know the exact moment she needed to be snuggled. Her girlfriend and their cat. So Melanie isolated herself from her captors - for they were her captors. She had not left Earth willingly. But she didn’t isolate herself for the same reasons Martin did. She did it out of spite . After all, spite was the one emotion she knew inside out. That, and her stubbornness. That wasn’t to say the others didn’t at least try to talk to her. One of them who apparently had fucking wings had even offered to try and fix her eyesight. Melanie had just told her to fuck off without so much as a moment of hesitation. But Melanie couldn’t stay angry forever. It was draining. There was only so much she could give before it just became...too much. So Melanie had broken down entirely. Somewhere within the maze that was the Aurora, she slid down the wall and sobbed. Eventually, someone came to sit besides her but it wasn’t Georgie - Georgie didn’t have a metal hand. The two had sat in silence for a while before the man had offered to play a tune for her on his violin; insisting that music was good for the soul. Melanie surprised them both as she found herself laughing. For a single moment, she felt calm.
Georgie Barker felt...nothing when she found herself amongst the crew of the Aurora. She had long since lost the ability to feel fear. But she had Melanie and the Admiral - she even had Jon! - and that meant everything was going to be okay. Her lack of fear became a quick fascination as attempt after attempt was made to scare her or intimidate her. Georgie just found them...boring, really and went on with the rest of her day. She was almost disappointed that that was how a band of immortal space pirates were choosing to waste their time. The worst by far was Jonny who seemed to grow more frustrated by how...unimpressed she was. She couldn’t help but note the similarities between Jon and Jonny. Of course, the two were beyond different in an infinite number of ways but they had their similarities. Mostly excessive recklessness and a terrible relationship with emotions. But she just...got on with her life. She spend her time amongst her friends and as much time as she could trying to calm Melanie. But Georgie also found a new fascination. Octokittens . She hadn’t been entirely sure what to think when she had found the Admiral playing amongst the adorable abominations but they had quickly grown on her. After all, she was very much a cat person. As was Jon and the way their face had lit up upon spotting them for the first time was still one of her favourite things to tease them with. But then Jonny d’Ville had made the mistake of threatening to shoot one of the octokittens in front of Georgie. It was a mistake no one would repeat again. Georgie may not have been able to feel fear but she was certainly capable of inspiring it. The look on her face as she offered up a rather creative list of threats had, apparently, been the most beautiful thing Jonny had ever seen.
Jonny d’Ville had just been exasperated by the news that Marius had taken in even more strays. Sure, he did have some affecting for Lyf but really? Six new arrivals and a fucking cat on top of that ? The only thing that had stopped him from just throwing them out of the airlock had been the assurance that they had one hell of a story to tell. Well, anyone stuck in the middle of an apocalypse would. He wasn’t entirely sure at first why they needed all six (and a cat) at first but as they began to tell their stories...Well, Jonny would be lying if he said they didn’t at least intrigue him. Apparently, the cat was non-negotiable so he would tolerate the Admiral for now . The fact two of them shared names with crew members on the Aurora amused him greatly. Even more so that one of them shared his name. Though Jonathan Sims had mildly disappointed him on their face meeting. They were just so...serious; too stern at times. It was boring . But then they began to show off their...abilities and Jonny grew more interested. Now, that was definitely something worth watching. It was because of that that he could pin down the exact moment interest had morphed into affection. Jon had seemed distant all day; drained, even. They weren’t themself, at all - barely even able to concentrate on a single conversation. Out of more frustration than anything, the first mate (captain) of the Aurora had demanded to know what the fuck was going on. That frustration had died down slightly about their admission that they needed to feed something called the ‘Beholding’ through stories. Jonny had never been one to shy away from telling a story so he had gifted Jon the story of One Eyed Jack’s; his own origin. It had kept them satisfied and if the way they had fallen asleep against Jonny afterwards had been adorable...Well, that was just an added bonus.
Gunpowder Tim had heard tales of the first apocalypse; how fear had consumed the world until humanity had managed to rebuild once more. He had always assumed it was some exaggerated romanticism of a gruesome war but meeting those who had been living through it proved him wrong. Simply being on that version of Earth had overwhelmed him with fears he had long since tried to hide and would never admit to. But Tim saw kindred spirits amongst those Marius had dragged aboard. Fellow earthlings that had lost everything through the manipulation of an authoritative figure. Though, none of them ever spoke much of who Elias Bouchard was or what he had done - bar Melanie’s constant cursing of his very name. Melanie King. If Tim had to pick a favourite of their new arrivals, it would easily be her. There wasa wildness within her that Tim was eager to see play out if she were ever handed a gun. He could also empathise with her eye trauma and the respect he had for her refusing to let Raphaella fix them. He hadn’t had a choice in if his eyes were replaced or not but she did, and she was most definitely standing her ground. Even when she told him to fuck off, there was something there that drew him in. Wait. Was this a crush? Did he have a crush on her? Well, that was inconvenient. Particularly as the only person she seemed to truly care for was Georgie. But then he caught sight of her laughing with Marius - and God , she had a pretty laugh - and he smiled. It was the first time he had seen her look truly peaceful. And not the kind of peace he felt whenever he shot Jonny but the peace you felt when everything seemed like it could be okay; when nothing in the universe mattered except for that single moment.
Drumbot Brian was fairly certain ‘tired’ was just his default state at this point. He may not have had a physical body anymore but it seemed that - no matter which way his moral switch was flipped - emotional exhaustion was not something he could escape. How wonderful. It was an exhaustion that filled him when Marius had introduced them to the ship’s newest inhabitants. He wasn’t surprised or mad. Just...disappointed. What the hell were they supposed to do with six humans? A cat, he could handle. Dealing with the Admiral was like dealing with an octokitten but with less steps. His favourability for the cat also had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he was known to curl up on Brian’s lap whilst he was piloting. Not at all! But it was alway what led to his friendship with Georgie. She had apologised profusely for the cat making him his newest napping spot. But he had just waved her off. It was fine; it was sweet even. Thus so began their talks. Georgie soon seemed to join him just as often as the Admiral did. Unlike the crew of the Aurora, she was...calm; friendly even. His appearance had never seemed to unnerve or intimidate her as it had her friends. Georgie just saw him as any other person and he was grateful for it. She always offered him stories about her life on Earth and the podcast she used to make there. Brian had never been much for ghost stories but there was a sheer excitement to the way she told them that kept drawing him back in. In return, he had offered her his own stories about his strangest and ‘spookiest’ occurrences - if only to watch the way her face lit up every time he told one. It took him a while to notice how she began to sit closer and closer to him. It wasn’t until she was close enough for him to offer to teach her to pilot that he really paid enough attention. But it was nice and she was eager to learn. Afterwards, she thanked him with a simple kiss on the cheek. If he was able to blush, Brian’s face would have gone every shade of red.
Ashes O’Reilly wasn’t easily impressed. They never had been. Unless it involved arson; flames always left them impressed. That was how Jon and Tim caught her attention. Together, the two had blown up a wax museum - Jon out of necessity and Tim out of revenge. Though, they thought that the simple act of a wax museum was adequate cause for burning it down. But it was Tim’s reasoning that Ashes understood most of all. He had been trying to avenge his little brother but it was the reckless kind of vengeance; the kind where you didn’t care about your own fate - only that those who had hurt you burned . It was what had obliterated their lungs in the first place; led them down the painful road to immortality. But somehow...Tim and Jon had both survived. The two of them hadn’t left unscathed but they had left alive. And in all honesty? They respected that.
Raphaella la Cognizi was...curious about the group of six. How could she not be?! They were clearly human but at the same time, they...weren’t. They were all tainted by something and she so desperately wanted to find out what that something was. So she had set her eyes on Jon. For whatever reason, they seemed to have been affected the most. They stood out amongst the rest. Somehow, they agreed to her experiments under the condition that she kept them ‘ethical’. How boring. Still! Jon made a fun test subject. They were polite! It was a nice change to the blatant rudeness and disrespect she was used to. It was...refreshing. In general, Jon proved to be good company. Sure, they were jumpy at times; paranoid even but Raphaella had dealt with worse. They had a good sense of humour; a dry one. Soon enough, the two had warmed to each other and the experiments felt less like experiments and more like two friends catching up. Eventually, the experiments began to offer her no new information. Not that she told Jon that, of course. She didn’t want to lose her excuse for spending so much time with them, after all. Besides, a little white lie had never hurt anyone.
Ivy Alexandria was proud of her role as an archivist and the immaculate order she kept her library in. As such, she was horrified to learn of Jon’s status as ‘The Archivist’. They could barely look after themself! Least of all an entire archive! It was a terrible choice! The absolute worst! Her opinion did waver slightly as she learnt the details of what being the Archivist had entailed. But it didn’t change her opinion that someone else would have been better at the job. Someone like Sasha. Ivy’s fondness for Sasha James had been almost instant. From the second the two set eyes on each other, there had been...something between them. She was good at organising and seemed to have at least some idea as to what she was doing in a library. Ivy couldn’t recall the last time someone had entered her library without causing some sort of mess. But Sasha never did. Sasha seemed to understand her methods of organisation. Sasha seemed...comfortable in her library. She had even helped curate books from Earth a few times! It was nice! Ivy quickly found herself declaring Sasha as her new assistant. Her fondness for the woman was second only to that she felt towards Raphaella. But not quite on the same level. As much as she offered her heart to her fellow Mechanisms, Raphaella would always own the largest part of said heart.
Baron Marius von Raum did not have a habit of picking up strays! Not even remotely! It would be absurd to allude to otherwise! He just liked interesting people and if those people happened to come from doomed worlds...Well, that was just luck! What was even luckier was his seemingly keen eye for this that were...adverse to death or simply tainted by some eldritch entity. He had not known the six newcomers as well as he had Lyfrassir before bringing them aboard but he saw the same drive in them as he did with Lyf; that same determination to survive. It wasn’t an uncommon trait but when it was pushed to the limit? When it was someone holding onto hope when there really was none? Well, there was something about that that Marius found simply beautiful . Though, he would cause the six he had brought aboard beautiful on their own anyways. Perhaps not entirely conventionally but each held the same mismatched energy as each of the Mechanisms prided themselves in. As time went on, he knew it had been the right decision to bring them all in. He wasn’t quite sure of the best way to describe the relationship between them all but they certainly fit right in.
Lyfrassir Edda understood what it was like to lose everything; what it was like to have everything you knew obliterated after an unstoppable series of events. Fate had handed them a lit fuse and they hadn’t been fast enough to put it out. Lyfrassir had been blind to truth of the Black Box until it was too late and Jon had been unaware of the truth behind being the Archivist until they could no longer stop the Watcher’s Crown. They understood the survivor’s guilt of being the last remnants of a lost world; a lost civilisation. If ever they saw one of the others overwhelmed by the grief they themself still felt, Lyf would do their best to be nearby; to sit with them if they needed or hold their hand and just remain in eyesight. They never asked for details nor did they offer up their own trauma. But they were there as a reassurance that everything would be okay. They would never be alone; they would never have to suffer alone. It was worst with Martin who seemed to have such instincts to isolate himself but Lyf always did what they could to pull him back; to pull all of them back.
The Toy Soldier didn’t entirely understand loss. After all, it was only playing along at being alive! All of its actions and emotions were an attempt at putting on a jolly good show! It did not act upon romantic love but it at least tried to act as if it could feel the platonic kind. It was friendly and warm to the Mechanisms as often as it could be! Even when not ordered to be! So what if it kept being used for target practice or was once again being thrown out of the airlock? As long as its friends were happy! The second it had met the seven (for it most certainly counted the Admiral!) strangers, the Toy Soldier had decided they would be its friends. It would make them feel as welcome as it could! It would be a proper gentleman as much as it could be! There were some like Melanie who would just ignore it but then it had Sasha and Goergie who would always offer a smile! And there was Martin! Martin who always got so excited over tea and would gladly have tea parties with it! He was friendly and gave exceptionally good hugs! At least, it was fairly certain that was what a good hug was supposed to feel like!
Nastya Rasputina was not as open to romance as those she called family. To her, there was none but the Aurora she could ever be in love with. There were none but the Aurora who would ever understand her on such a deep emotional level - none but perhaps Jonny (if he ever decided to acknowledge his emotions!). But that did not mean she was incapable of platonic love; familial love. It was a love she proudly held for the Mechanisms and a love that eventually extended to their newest arrivals. She had kept her distance at first; hiding away in the vents so she could watch to see if they were a threat. But they weren’t. They were as broken as the rest of them; lost souls looking for somewhere to call home. They were kind to her too. She liked Tim the most. He always had a smile for her and made sure to offer to help her come up with terrible pick up lines for the Aurora. And when he eventually stopped trying to hide his sadness; when he told her about Danny, Nastya liked him even more. If he was willing to trust her so deeply then she had no choice but to trust him back.
The Aurora was far more than simply a ship. She was alive; she was aware . Not only of her surroundings but those that travelled with her; that called her home. They meant almost as much to her as Nastya did but not quite. No one meant as much as her Nastya. No one ever would. But these newcomers treated her well. They didn’t seem shocked or horrified by her sentience. They simply...accepted it. They treated her with civility. Jon in particular seemed to be aware of her. They seemed to know if her attention lingered on them for two long. She knew they did not understand her language but they always knew she said when she spoke to them. Jon had always made time to speak to her; to treat her as if she were a person. They did not treat her as a ship but as a friend and well, she had very few of those. So, the Aurora warmed quickly to her new passengers. She gladly let herself be their home.
When it came to a group of space pirates and the survivors of an apocalyptic Earth, things were never going to be easy or conventional. There was no linear way for things to move forward (or back) in time. There was no predictability for it. They embraced it. It was through their dysfunctionality that they functioned. Their love held no conventions but it was true; it was strong. So fourteen living hearts and one mechanical one beat for each other. In spite of it all, they loved; they survived.