Aster Vega Blumenthal/Relationships

## Amen Said

> *"A testament that it doesn’t have to end here, that life’s treasure chest of grace, hope, and redemption can be uncovered if we don’t stop digging."*
>
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Someone astoundingly eccentric and indulgent. Aster wonders what goes through Amen's head every single second they interact with each other, as if observing a newly discovered specimen whose behaviours are entirely inhuman and alien. He fears what Amen possibly has in mind for him after seeing what... unhinged types of acts he's performed on others. He dares not question it in front of him, in case he opens himself up as a victim.

Even so, he has some respect for Amen's ability to be so unrestrained, as well as the fact that they have one or two similar interests. Perhaps there is some common ground between the two.

## Briar Amaria Wilkes

> *"It turns out you can kill the earth, crack it open like an egg."*
>
>

Briar carries herself with a sense of poise that Aster relates to, enough to provide him some form of comfort at the familiarity. Still, the two have not spoken in length, though even now he recalls of her passing comment for him to cheer up, and looks upon it with a sense of pensiveness.

## Chunlin Wu

> *"When you stitch the cut, don’t forget to put all these back in my ear. Put them back in order as you would do with books on your shelf."*
>
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There is a conflict within him whenever he sees Chunlin. The two struck a conversation in the past that left Aster with an impression that stays with him to this day, and leaves him choosing his words with a little more care when she is in the vicinity. Even so, despite it, he thinks of her incredibly highly, and takes her opinions into account, no matter how different they sometimes are from his own.

If one were to look at him when he glances over to her, they would see the gaze of someone staring up at a depiction of the figure they choose to worship; frightened, but awestruck.

## Cicero Alesandro Price

> *"We bloom with the outcasts, our soon-to-be sunlit, we dreamers. We are strange and unbelonging."*
>
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Cicero and he have enough of a similar standing that he feels less inclined to worry about whether what he is doing, or saying, is appropriate enough for the casual setting they're in. The two have comparable concerns about themselves, as well as personal pursuits, that if almost feels as if Aster is staring into a mirror; an alternate version of himself, just barely different from him. In spite of it, he cannot help but feel concerned as to whether he has stepped to far in pursuit of some sort of closeness with him. He hopes Cicero does not think him any less for it.

They are on similar paths, in life, Aster barely one step ahead of him. He only wishes to help Cicero along it, if he is willing to accept some of his guidance.

## Diana Abeque Joy

> *"I failed the gods, their nullifying tests, and wanted to be dead like the child I lost, buried deep in the earth, a crumb of gold."*
>
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Though he would never dare say it to her face, Aster considers Diana especially uncouth. Be that as it may, he cannot deny some of the, in a way, favours, that she has done for him. He respects her both due to her age, experience, and her relationship with the rest of both of their colleagues, and if she were to provide him with advice, he would take heed of it with the same care one uses to handle the scripture of old; of great importance, and something that shan't be taken for granted.

He hopes Diana doesn't attempt to convince him to drink copious amounts of alcohol next, on her journey with him of showing him the lifestyle outside the one he's so used to.

## Gia Mai

> *"All that we are is the result of having come out. We came walking out of our thoughts to be loved."*
>
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If he were to definitively—at least for the time being—determine who he's grown most accustomed to, it would be Gia. The two sparked a connection from the very start, one that strengthened with time, and one that Aster treasures dearly even now. He holds great admiration for her commitment to her craft and her skill regards to it, as well as her capability to be so laid-back and free, and still believes that if there is one crewmember on the Parable that is absolutely essential to its function, it is her. Even for the short time they've known each other, there is a level of trust there, enough that he would hesitate much less to reveal any parts of himself to her. He considers her a friend, and hopes she sees him the same.

He regrets to see Gia in what seems like a rivalry with Cicero, but he does not dare intervene any more than he already has, unless it is called upon him to do so. He will only hope the two come to equal terms at some point, for the sake of themselves, and everyone around them.

## Xǔ "Henry" Weihao

> *"Start with a luxury barge. With human hubris. With having no teeth but eating meat no matter what."*
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A courteous and... *aberrant* figure. Henry takes great care of him, and coddles him, as if he were a new-born—a sentiment that be both does, and does not mind. Aster is aware of some trivial similarities the two have, and because of it, holds Henry to a higher regard, even if it may be somewhat miniscule. Assessing his own feelings, he understands that he may hold a bit of envy with respect to Henry's practically overflowing charisma; it may just be another form of admiration for him that he hasn't managed to fully process yet, however.

He wonders what type of crowd Henry involves himself in, with some of the friends he's personally interacted with.

## Lucius Jan van Niel

> *"The older we get, we are always late."*
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His gratitude for Lucius has become so vast that it's practically uncomfortable for him to bear. Even if the man had brought him to quite an unfortunate place, on one of their trips, and still confuses Aster when he attempts to determine Lucius's character, he finds him a wise and dependable figure. He worries for his mental wellbeing though; a bit hypocritically, as the two of them seem to share a similar disposition, from what he can tell.

There has to be a day where he can return the favour for all the kindness Lucius has shown him. It sounds as if he's in desperate need of something to pick him up from the slump he's found himself in.

## Mallory Blackwell

> *"You would see & hear & now you are here, crossing the street—like a deer crossing wide-eyed an empty road, out in the middle of nowhere, looking for those dreaded twin lights hurtling toward it, like its mother or father spoke of so many times*
> before."
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There is a ghostly feel to him, as if staring at a soul already outside someone's body. Aster sees Mallory as a younger sibling, a child whose questions need answering, despite the lack of an immense gap in their ages. There are moments where he finds himself apprehensive on his behalf, or even disturbed, when Mallory shares an unexpected piece of his life, and often worries for his safety, even when the two are not interacting. Nevertheless, he considers Mallory a decent colleague, and is eager to help him in any way he can, in whatever pursuit he has in mind as he walks on the Parable.

## Misora Hayashi

> *"No one taught my mother how to bring us back to life, so no one taught me."*
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Mimi reminds him exactly of the image of a typical mother: tired, mature, and with too many responsibilities. There is a part of Aster that tries to avoid her simply for that fact, and then there is the other, that tries to sees her for who she truly is. Though he and Mimi have spoken little, he has hope that appearances are not a proper judge of character, and that she is in fact a much more kind and understanding woman underneath that exterior.

## Octavian Englle

> *"Only the sea can erase our boot prints in the clay or destroy the sandcastle."*
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The two share similar views of Lucius, despite Aster being certain that Octavian is more familiar with him than himself. He cannot help but feel as if Octavian sees him as a small child; defenceless, sweetly innocent, and completely unaware of what goes on around him. It may as well be true, to some extent, but Aster refuses to confront it, or rather, he abhors the idea of someone having that specific impression of him, when what he wants to be is something completely different. He will only hope that he is either mistaken in his assumption, or, if he's correct, that Octavian will change his mind on him soon enough.

## Thomas Pertz

> *"Happiness. It comes on unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really, any early morning talk about it."*
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A daredevil, in some ways. From what Aster has seen, Tom is just as eager as Amen and Henry to indulge and to enjoy himself, in more ways than one. He recalls when he offered him a ride up to the roof of a building, with nothing more to carry him other than his own flesh and bones, and shivers at the memory. No other person he knows of could be so forward with such an outrageous request. All the same, he knows that Tom is at least a carrier of good moral values and a relatively sound mind, so he does not think him dreadful or unpleasant.

## Cordelia “Cor” Jackson Sommers

> *"Here where I must live every moment and breathe in every breath."*
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The Captain herself. Aster holds her in high regard, as is expected of him, and hopes she does not think little of him, despite his past. Unbeknownst to him—or perhaps something he is unwilling to admit to himself just yet—he hopes by impressing her, or at the very least gaining her favour, he will prove how he has not reached the point of being *completely* useless; of still having some true purpose, despite everything he has went through.