🌊 Nate Astraia ☁️
Cautious • Loyal • Protective
🌌 history
| ☁️ Introduction
── ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ──
Nate Astraia is one of the deuteragonists in Bewilthred. Cautious and abrasive, Nate’s heart, unlike his sister’s, has never been worn on his sleeve. Always putting up walls, the boy comes off to many as “rude” and “unpleasant”. However, those who break past these barriers quickly discover this disposition isn’t as sincere as it first appears. Though critical, Nate is ultimately protective, loyal, and caring to those he cares about. Ever since he was young, he was placed into the role of caregiver and protector for his twin sister, Lia. As a result, he’s been put on the defensive his entire life, constantly needing to shield himself and his sister from any potential harm.
Between his tendency to overwork, his nonstop self-sacrifice, and constant paranoia towards the “what-if’s” of the world, it’s abundantly clear that the boy needs a break. But how could he possibly let himself rest if his sister’s life is at stake? He’s all Lia has ever had, and she is all he has ever known. Losing a childhood, he could bear, but losing his sister would be like losing everything. If he has to take this responsibility to let her live a happy life, then so be it.
But…ever since joining the warriors, a repressed desire keeps bubbling to the surface time and time again. He knows that he can never pursue it, but he can’t help but wonder…
Could letting go be so bad?
Would it be so terrible to finally let himself live a little?
No, not now, not ever. If he let his guard down for even a second, it could spell out disaster for everything and everyone he’s ever loved…But it was nice to think about, wasn’t it?
Maybe one day, with some help, he’ll let himself relax and finally enjoy the life he’s been missing out on for so long…
| ☁️ Before The Story
Warnings: Abuse, Parentification, Child Abandonment
── ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ──
The “Astraia” surname has always carried an air of prestige. The Astraia family has had a long line of successful descendants, from lawyers, doctors, scientists and more. As a result, high expectations are placed on all future children to maintain the legacy built centuries before they were even born.
They are told from the moment they are conceived that in due time, they will grow up to shine like “the stars they are”. Whether or not the children actually want to pursue this, though, is often overlooked entirely in favor of appearances and keeping up a name that is older than most of its members combined. It is no wonder then, that in practically all of Lia and Nate’s parents' teachings, the same sentiment always arose. “Always do your best to shine, no matter how much you have to burn to do so.”
With these factors in mind, it’s not really a surprise to know that when the time came for their parents to “pass down” the legacy by having a child, they obliged the best they could. It’s a tradition in the family to keep as much information possible secret until the baby is actually born. As a result, Lia and Nate’s parents were not prepared or informed in advance for what was to come.
While the specifics cannot be delved into due to spoilers, the circumstances of the Astraia twin’s birth led to some…interesting decision making by their parents on how to raise them. When Lia was born, she was viewed as a “prize”, a “trophy”. From the moment she was born, her parents were already thinking of what she’d become. Nate, in contrast, always came secondary. He was attached to Lia by the hip and became extremely protective of her. Essentially, he took up the job of taking care of her when their parents couldn’t. Additionally, his abrasive personality put off those who did try to care for the two, as he wouldn’t trust anyone around his sister, not even their own parents. The two were inseparable from one another, and their parents knew it very well.
As their parents ranked up in their positions at work, they often moved around. Their huge focus on work kept both of them from regularly interacting with their children. Their parents, especially their mother, were chronic overworkers, constantly spending long days away from them and leaving other people to take care of them while they were away. This led to the two twins getting even closer, as they quite literally only had one another most of the time. The constant fluctuation in their life, from where they lived, to whether or not their parents would be present led to the two basically relying on each other in their childhood.
However, Lia remained optimistic that one day, their parents would settle down and spend time with them like a normal family. She held onto the hope that eventually, the idea of the perfect family they worked so hard to portray to everyone around them would become a reality. Maybe, if she pushed herself a little harder, if she fulfilled what they wanted, things could be next to something normal. Nate, however, was never optimistic about anything in regards to their parents, he knew deep down that unless their parents put in the effort to change to accommodate for them too, it was unlikely the two were going to get any sense of “normalcy” anytime soon.
Time ticked by. Years would pass and the cycle would remain the same. Move, settle in, get just comfortable enough, and then be forced to restart. As the twins both got older, Lia’s pipedream became even more unrealistic as the twin’s parents took multiple job opportunities farther away, meaning they’d have to go months without regularly seeing their children in person. This, to their parents, was a natural development in their life, but to most sane individuals this is a level of isolation and borderline neglect that unsurprisingly informed how the Astraia twins felt about each other and themselves.
No matter if their parents “supported” them financially or were giving them a roof under their head, it was obvious that alone wasn’t going to pull the two through everything they needed. This is why Nate, who’d already been taking up a role of protector and caretaker since the two were small, saw himself as the only one who could work to maintain any illusion of stability. He took it upon himself to keep the two together at any cost. As a result, he threw himself into studying, exam preparation, anything that could help propel them out of the situation they were in. He ran errands, he did most of the house chores, he did the shopping. When he was old enough, he got his drivers license, and right before the events of the main story, Nate was already applying for part-time jobs.
You’d think Lia would notice this imbalance, and to a degree she does. Though it’s important to consider, Nate refuses to let burden any responsibility for their upbringing. In his eyes, she was already dealing with so much considering her parents' desires for what they wanted her to be. After all, to Nate, Lia is his primary reason to exist truly, so he doesn’t care about the sacrifices he has to make for her sake. Though, that doesn’t stop Lia from feeling indebted to her brother for essentially becoming her caregiver. The complications of their upbringing hurt both of them deeply, leaving one forced to be a protector and provider in the face of adversity and the other constantly paranoid of slipping from the strict and sharp expectation of her entire family.
The Astraia twins live a complicated life. But despite it all, they still promise to stay by one another. They still have each other, at the end of the day, and for now, they’re both convinced that’s all they need to keep marching on…
| ☁️ Act 1
── ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ──
By the time Bewilthred’s story begins, Nate and Lia had just moved into yet another new home. Dealing with a new house, a new school district, and yet another “house warming” party was nothing new for the two, they’d cycled through this many times before. As rumors floated of a “Great Shake” spreading across the world, Lia suggested the two take one venture into the woods to get their minds off things…
What they’d find there, however, wouldn’t be what they’d expect. Stumbling upon a universal rift, the two became both fascinated and confused…
…and they both immediately fell inside.
Long story short, due to a series of mishaps, the two stumble upon a garden on another planet named “Quescillia” and meet five other teenagers just like them. Together, they meet Peace, the Keeper of Peace and Order. The seven of them are told they are part of a prophecy which says that one day seven warriors all from rifts would unite to save their universe from a rising galactic threat known as Omne, and learn that they just might be the last hope in stopping said threat from taking over the world as we know it. Peace assigns them her second in command, Hanabi to help guide them throughout their journey…and later assigns Lia the role of leader within the group.
Initially, Lia is fine with taking up the role and doesn’t plan to take it too seriously. She views this new “warrior” group as a way to fulfill her purpose. For now, she won’t let it get to her too much…at least, she hopes.
Despite that, however, the group strives to do their best. Together as The Warriors of Peace (Or The WOP for short), they swear to always come out on top, and become who they’re meant to be…no matter who or what stands in their way.
Let’s just hope their efforts aren’t completely in vain…the universe depends on it.
"So promise me that they'll fall."
| 🌌 Introduction
── ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ──
On first impression, Nate is cautious and abrasive, but also protective, caring, and loyal. He comes off as “rude” to many because of his defensive nature. He often shuts people out in order to protect himself and his sister from any potential threats. However, when these walls are broken down, his true personality shines. He was raised to be a caregiver, so he treats those he loves like his own kin. He is like a sardonic, critical mother hen, but he means well in the end.
Additionally, Nate is a chronic overworker and overachiever. He’s thrown himself into studying and preparation to ensure a future where he and Lia are safe. Some could also call him a “control-freak”. Living in constant instability has led Nate to crave control at every avenue, so he’ll take any chance to have a say in every decision before it’s made. Nate has little trust in any person to begin with, let alone in random chance. He believes he has to be “ready” for everything, afraid that if he lets his guard down for even a moment, he’ll lose everything he’s ever cared about.
Many would note that Nate matured much quicker than most children would. This would make sense considering how he has been in a parental role since he was young. He often represses “childish” behaviors and/or emotions to keep up a strong appearance. He believes that if appears more mature, it’ll keep any potential tormentors at bay. He often sacrifices his own enjoyment and happiness for the sake of maintaining this maturity, as he has to take on responsibilities no child normally has to.
Nate is also quite reserved. Since he’s constantly vigilant at all times, he rarely ever gets close to anyone. He remains serious and “to the point” within all of his surface level interactions. His loyalty is not to be tested, as although usually he’s only on the defense, he isn’t opposed to biting back if a threat presents itself, especially towards Lia.
In contrast to his optimistic sister, Nate is more “realistic”. This would make sense, since Nate was exposed to the reality of their situation much earlier than Lia. It doesn’t help Nate purposefully shields Lia from said reality. His more sardonic and sarcastic outlook is only complicated by his tendency to be critical and skeptical of any new ideas outside of what he’s already comfortable with.
Most of Nate’s key points of learning throughout the story is to learn how to live outside of the role of “caretaker” and deal with his anxieties properly. Though his fears are justified considering how he and Lia were raised, both of them are now separated from their initial environment and are provided with more active and healthy parental figures (I.E, Hanabi and later Eira). Because of this, he finally has the chance to let himself enjoy life as a teenager instead of sacrificing it all to keep things under control. It is also astonishingly clear how unhealthy taking on such heavy responsibilities with little to no rest is affecting Nate. His constant stress about the future, his sister’s safety, and whether or not he can remain in control at all times only adds to his endless loop of anxiety.
Additionally, Nate has spent his whole life shunning his own needs, especially emotionally in order to keep Lia safe. As a result he has a hard time identifying and understanding his emotions and often has a hard time breaking out of either feeling “stressed” or “numb”. Being in a more free environment will allow him to understand himself in a safer way without huge amounts of risk attached.
While this cycle will be hard to break out of, it won’t be one that he has to do alone. Both Lia and later Kai help get Nate to let loose and spend some time for himself instead of feeding into his anxieties. Though Nate refuses himself leisure time out of fear he “won’t be ready” in case something does happen, Kai helps encourage him to view rest as not a want, but a need. Kai helps break Nate out of the endless stress of his life and allows him to have a little fun once in a while. Maybe then, Nate can finally catch a break for once…
| 🌌 ACT 1
── ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ──
Nate starts out Act 1 similar to how he’s initially introduced. When the main events of the story kick off, Nate is initially incredibly terrified and uncomfortable with the sudden new situation he and Lia have been placed in. He was the most skeptical of Peace’s motives when they first met and was the one who actively challenged her the most in their first meeting.
Though initially Nate was opposed to joining The Warriors of Peace, Lia was able to convince him into going along with it, stating this was the purpose she had been looking for. Nate, though not exactly thrilled, wanted to let Lia pursue what she wanted. She’s already been denied that option for most of her life by their parents, so if this really could work out and save people in the process…maybe it was worth the sacrifice.
However, despite this, Nate still isn’t over the moon about being a member of the team. He has the hardest time out of anyone adjusting to the circumstances present and jumps at any chance to protect Lia from danger, even if the danger is incredibly small. The new sudden change and risks ahead is admittedly terrifying for Nate to process. This situation is one that is completely out of his own reigns, and if he lets his guard down for even a second, something terrible could happen to any of them. The threat of universal destruction also doesn’t help matters, as the looming Omne becomes a more and more prevalent threat in their day to day lives.
Nate’s main learning point in Act 1 is to acknowledge his fears, but not to let them control his life. Kai especially helps with this, as in contrast to Nate, Kai seems to not really worry about anything in regards to the WOP’s mission or Omne. This comes across as INCREDIBLY strange to Nate, who’s never spent a day without overthinking at least once. However, Kai helps show Nate that while it is fine to be afraid of what lies ahead, Nate won’t be alone in confronting it. He reminds him that he alone doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibility of protecting everyone, especially his sister. They’re a team after all, they have each other to hold onto, and they certainly won’t go down without a strong fight.
Kai also shows Nate how to enjoy himself.. Even though a new situation presents a lot of frightening possibilities, it also presents some new opportunities. Kai helps Nate let loose every once and a while and have some amidst everyone going on around them. Despite looking like complete opposites, they actually compliment each other a lot. The two help each other mature emotionally, and actively help each other become better people as a result.
☁️ personality
ㅤ
However, both Lia and most the WOP start to note the obvious drawbacks of this cycle. Nate is encouraged by Lia and later Kai to allow himself some leeway every now and then. He cannot keep complete protection and control of Lia forever, and has to put some trust that she will be able to handle herself. If he cannot do that, then he will only keep succumbing to the unhealthy patterns of worry he has been used to for so long. He spent his whole life teaching Lia how to be a person, maybe it’s about time he learns how to be one too.
ㅤ
🌌 trivia + memorable quotes
| trivia
Originally, he wasn’t meant to be Lia’s sibling! This has since changed (obviously).
He and Lia are fraternal twins, which is why they don’t look super similar despite being twins. Specifically, Lia takes more after their dad, and Nate takes more after their mom.
His favorite food is sour candy
Out of all the WOP, he’s had the most drastic color palette changes.
He has a small interest in storytelling. This mostly came from the fact he used to make up stories to help Lia sleep when they were kids.
He likes to stargaze and finds planetariums comforting. He and Lia used to visit planetariums regularly when they were younger.
His middle name is Allen. This is because my little sister keeps calling him Allen instead of his actual name and I think it’s so funny I wanted to incorporate it into him somehow.
| memorable quotes
Work in Progress. Take everything here w/ a grain of salt!“If I don’t, then who else will? And I like seeing you happy.” (Chapter 2 of the Bewilthred Script)
“But what else can I do? If I don’t prepare, then when something bad DOES happen I won’t be ready!” (Chapter 2 of the Bewilthred Script)
“Listen, we are NOT the warrior people you’re looking for! Even if we wanted to help, what could we do? Barely any of us know how to fight!” (Chapter 12 of the Bewilthred Script)
“If anything bad happens, I’m blaming you.” (Chapter 12 of the Bewilthred Script)
