it feels more like a memory / Characters

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John Adams

The second president of the United States.

Adaptation Expansion: Downplayed. He was cut from the musical, but still gets mentioned and definitely exists in the musical's universe. He gets mentioned in the first lifetime and appears himself in the second and third lifetimes in this fic.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, John Adams is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure. He’s the second president and one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America.
Minor Major Character: A Founding Father, second President of the United States, and a minor character.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc)

An extremely important historical figure In-Universe, not just because of her accomplishments (which are the same as her real-life ones, leading the French to victories in The Hundred Years War against Britain) but also because she's one of the great Seers of the past and was the last internationally confirmed and recognized one for centuries until Aaron Burr came along.

Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: A famous Real Life historical figure, and a Seer. Downplayed Trope because her in-universe accomplishments are the same as her real life accomplishments.
Boyish Short Hair: Hers is "cropped far shorter than usual women's styles."
Burn the Witch!: According to Word of God here, the British burned and killed Joan of Arc for witchcraft, and it's heavily implied they knew full well she was a Seer, not a witch.
Famed In-Story: An important historical figure In-Universe, even moreso than in real life because she is a Seer in this fic's universe.
Hearing Voices: Word of God elaborates on her power's manifestation, which includes "angels telling her how to win battles."
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Joan of Arc is a real human being who lived and died. She’s known for religious conviction leading her to lead French troops in battles against the English in The Hundred Years War. In-Universe, she’s a historical figure who’s also known for being a Seer. Not in the Hamilton musical.
Historical Domain Superperson: A Seer and Historical Domain Character.
Military Mage: Military Intelligence type. She managed her real-life military accomplishments with the help of her Seer powers In-Universe.
Posthumous Character: Never makes her own appearance, only getting discussed in the past tense as an important historical figure who's been dead for centuries by the time of the fic, which is itself set in historical times (latter half of the 1700s to the first half of the 1800s).
Real Event, Fictional Cause: Her real historical accomplishments still have the cause of her and her visions of saints, but those visions are now attributed to very fictional Seer powers, and it's possible her Seer powers were involved in more than just the visions of saints.
Seers: Internationally confirmed and recognized as one, and considered one of the "great seers of the past." Her particular Seer power is described as having an "extreme Catholic presentation."
Small Role, Big Impact: Namedropped 20 times^note13 "Joan"s, 7 "Jeanne"s in the fic as of chapter 36, nowhere near a main character, but an incredibly important historical figure In-Universe and has a huge impact on the story.
- According to Word of God here, she's the main reason Britain made a council to confirm Seers. Without this council confirming Aaron as a Seer, making him internationally recognized too, Aaron probably wouldn't had his level of fame and influence. That means Celebrity Is Overrated, The Chains of Commanding, or his fear of becoming a Visionary Villain wouldn't influence his actions nearly as much as they did. And he probably wouldn't have been as effective in anything making use of his influence or the trust others had in him actually being a Seer with accurate future visions, like ending or preventing wars with other countries^note, the Continental Army's boost in membership because he joined, Washington taking his advice in the Revolutionary War as much as he did^note, France sending lots of help in the war^note, and getting the public angry about people not listening to his visions of the Civil War at the Constitutional Convention in order to pressure the delegates to listen and try to avoid the war by outlawing slavery.
- Aaron thinks the extreme Catholic presentation of her power is where the association between Seers and the Judeo-Christian God comes from, which opened the door for Seers' particular denomination of Christian to play into debates of which denomination is most valid. According to the earlier-linked author comment, this is the reason behind the huge debate of whether John Calvin, founder of Calvinism, was a Seer or not, and is a large part of why Aaron wasn't taken by Britain and instead got to do what he did in America, because they didn't want to risk putting him in Britain and having him come out against the Anglican Church.
- She may be why her native France has more resources on Seers than America, and that's the reason why Aaron goes to France. He studies his powers with Franklin there, which produces the evidence Thomas Jefferson needs to suspect Aaron of being the Seer, manipulate him with that knowledge to use him for his own political gain, and try to kill him. That time with Jefferson makes up most of the third lifetime.^note
- Her case gets used in Aaron's treason trial: one of his arguments for his innocence is that under his circumstances, the charge of war treason is "an attempt to use an archaic law [about Seers in wartime] implemented by the British to retroactively legalize their murder of Joan of Arc." That law wouldn't exist without her. Word of God says many countries have a similar law about Seers revealing themselves to the government, and since America's version is said to be because of her, it's likely the other countries' versions of that law are too.

Aaron Burr

Aaron Burr Jr.

The point-of-view character for most of the fanfiction, and one of the main characters.

Adaptational Badass: Aaron confesses to being a "terrible shot" in Hamilton. In this fic, he's “always been a good shot”—just like he was in Real Life, so it's no Historical Badass Upgrade.
Adaptational Heroism:
- The Hamilton musical version of Aaron is implied to have no political beliefs, and leaves out any mention of his real-life anti-slavery or women's rights activity. The fic gives him his real-life anti-slavery and women's rights beliefs back. They're not always strong enough to push him to take action, but the key word is always: sometimes he does act on them in the fic, especially if it's an action the real-life Burr took. Musical Aaron is also implied to want power for its own sake, while fic Aaron has been an influential public figure from a young age thanks to being a Seer and is more concerned with avoiding abusing the power he already has than with gaining more.
- Both the musical and fic Aaron avoid committing to a side at least partially because they don't want to end up on the losing one, and aren't usually forthcoming on their political beliefs. However, fic Aaron's reticence is also motivated by moral inhibition. If he advocates for a side or reveals personal beliefs, some people will think it's because he saw that side's victory or that the belief is an objective truth, especially if it's a belief about what will happen in the future. Because of this, he usually feels speaking out about anything he hasn’t foreseen would be an abuse of the power he holds as a Seer. Musical Aaron doesn't have nearly enough influence to make this a concern.
Adaptational Sexuality: The historical and Hamilton musical version of Aaron Burr were most likely sexually attracted to women. In this fanfic, he's asexual. Downplayed, as in the fic he's a romantic asexual with the capacity for romantic attraction to women, and he also had romantic attraction to women in the musical and reality.
Adaptational Sympathy: The story is now from his point of view instead of focusing on Alexander, which usually adds sympathy. He also has some Adaptation Personality Changes and Historical Hero Upgrades that make him more heroic than his musical counterpart, most notably giving him actual political beliefs that are sympathetic (antislavery ones) and making his equivocation less about a strategy to grab power and more about avoiding abusing the huge amount of power he already has.
Adaptation Personality Change:
- In Hamilton, he’s concerned with gaining power and his legacy. This Aaron Burr already has power and knows he’ll probably get a legacy just for being the Seer. It makes him uncomfortable and he sometimes wishes he didn’t have any of the power he does have.
- Historically, he has a reputation for being a womanizer and definitely visited prostitutes frequently while in Europe. In this fanfic, he is asexual. Though asexuality alone would not preclude the historical traits (asexuals can still enjoy and engage in sex, flirt, and be in romantic relationships), Aaron also doesn't think of sex at all, doesn't spend a great deal of time flirting, and is shown denying the temptation to cheat on Eliza or to be the man Alexander cheats on Eliza with. However, he does still court Theodosia Bartow Prevost while she's married to a British officer; and has lots of sex in Europe, likely visiting prostitutes, in the first lifetime after he shoots Alexander and his legacy is ruined.
Affair? Blame the Bastard: Defied. Aaron refuses to treat the children produced by his wife Eliza and Alexander’s affair as less-than and loves them as his own.
Aaron: I love them all, they are all mine, they will all bear my name and carry my inheritance, I won’t—I can’t—I won’t throw any of them to the wayside, I helped raise them, I love them, I won’t abandon them.
Age-Gap Romance: With his wife Theodosia, who is 10 years older than him. The fic follows history, so they marry when he’s about 26 and she’s about 36.
Ambiguously Bi / Ambiguously Gay: He's clearly a Romantic Asexual who has romantic feelings for both men and women in the fic. But in the second timeline In-Universe^note after he's long dead and a historical figure, people debate his sexuality, mostly whether Alexander was his lover or not. It's not clear what in-universe people think about his capacity for attraction to women, or about his asexuality, let alone if that's a consensus or another debate. It's only clear that they debate his attraction to men. So at least one of Ambiguously Bi/Gay definitely applies, but it's not clear which one applies or if both apply.
The Atoner: Aaron is wracked with guilt over killing Alexander Hamilton. Once he gets his second lifetime, he resolves to keep him from dying a premature death to make up for it. He also tries to make up for the consequences Alexander’s death at his hands imposed on Alexander’s family.
Beethoven Was an Alien Spy: Or, Burr Was A Time Traveling Seer. Real historical figure, definitely did not have the power to see the future or wake up in a new timeline as a baby after dying.
Best Friend: With Alexander Hamilton in his first and second lifetime, with James Madison in his third.
Celebrity Is Overrated: Aaron Burr feels this and The Chains of Commanding to the point he tries to hide his Seer status in his third lifetime to avoid this problem. His Seer status makes him a public figure. Like most public figures, people usually want to make use of his influence, only see him for what he’s famous for instead of the person he is, give him special treatment he doesn't want, everything he does is scrutinized, and people value his words over those of others.
Aaron: My life hasn’t been my own since I was confirmed as a... confirmed at the age of four.
The Chains of Commanding: Aaron’s Seer status makes him an authority on the future, which, to him, dwarfs all the other positions of authority he has, which themselves would usually cause this trope. During both lifetimes in which he serves in the Revolutionary War, his authority on the future, which can include future military movements^note, as the Seer makes military commanders ensure his safety when other soldiers are fighting and dying, giving him tons of Survivor Guilt. His position of authority also means he exercises caution in voicing his personal beliefs, especially political beliefs, because his position gives him tons of influence: people will think he holds those beliefs because he foresaw their explicit confirmation and side with him instead of thinking it through themselves; and nobody can contradict what he says about the future with any level of authority because he is the only known Seer alive at this time.
Character Development: Lampshaded in the fic's tags: "Aaron Burr x Character Growth." So far, he's grown more comfortable with lying, and gained and at least partially lost a guilt complex.
Character Filibuster:
- Aaron isn’t usually as long-winded as Alexander, but he still gets a filibuster in in the second timeline, where he talks for six hours at the Constitutional Convention.
- Aaron’s a lawyer in every completed timeline. The audience gets to see a trial of his, in which he delivers an uninterrupted, multiple-paragraph opening statement. Context-wise, not a filibuster since it’s likely a regular length to speak at for a courtroom, but it comes off as a filibuster when compared to regular dialogue in the fic, which usually does not consist of multiple paragraphs from the same character going uninterrupted. One can surmise he gets many more of these “filibusters,” long for a story’s dialogue but normal for a courtroom, offscreen.
Child Prodigy: His language skills are extremely advanced for a 2-year-old in his second lifetime, and on the third he's writing in a code he makes for himself before he turns 4. Justified since he remembers past lifetimes. As for his first lifetime, he applied to Princeton at 11, was admitted a year later, and still thinks he should have been admitted at that 11 after he graduated, suggesting this trope still applied to his first-lifetime self.
Cradle To Grave Character: Not in the first lifetime, but in all complete lifetimes afterwards the story shows him starting at 1 year old at the very latest, and follows him up to his death.
Culturally Religious: Aaron was raised Presbyterian. Although he isn't very religious himself, by the fourth lifetime he feels that...
though he has no particular attachment to that particular strain of Christianity, he is loathe to betray it. It is the one piece of his family that he does carry with him.
Defiant Captive: Hunger strikes once while kept under house arrest by Thomas Jefferson, and trolls him the whole time he’s kept under his thumb. In the treason trial, he locks eyes with Jefferson when committing suicide to try to give him nightmares, and planned out his death in advance so as to make himself into a martyr and ruin Jefferson’s legacy.
Doting Parent: Aaron to Theodosia. He gives her the education a young man would receive at the time, and oversees her social education after her mother dies.
He can’t help but dote on her, she’s brilliant, smarter than him, he thinks.
Famed In-Story: In the timeline of Aaron's second lifetime, and the timeline of Aaron's third lifetime, people in the 21st century consider Aaron an important historical figure as all Seers are, and write a musical about him In-Universe. Though some things are lost to history, they end up painting a mostly-accurate picture. This makes two musicals about him across all timelines^note, since the first timeline is not explicitly stated to have a musical for him or include him as an important historical figure one learns about when learning about Seers.
Family Eye Resemblance: Both of Aaron's daughters have his eyes: Theodosia from his first lifetime and Angie from his second.
Family Man: He comes home to the Theodosias every night and dotes on his daughter, overseeing her education. In the second lifetime, he does his best to make time for his family despite how busy he is. He’s essentially taken Alexander’s role in this lifetime, but unlike Alexander he makes time to go upstate with his family almost every summer. When many of the kids are revealed to be Not His Child, he still treats them as his own. And in the third lifetime, where Philip is again Philip Hamilton, he tries to save him even though it might put his “not the Seer” act at risk, and the happy memory he chooses to fall into when he commits suicide is a domestic scene with him and the Theodosias.
A Fool for a Client: Aaron is charged for Alexander Hamilton's murder in New York and New Jersey, and he chooses to represent himself in court for that charge, but neither charge ever goes to trial, making this a Downplayed Trope. It helps that he's a lawyer by trade in all completed lifetimes, including his first one in which the aforementioned charges happened. Not downplayed at all in the third lifetime, where he acts as his own defense attorney both times he is accused of treason in the third lifetime. Both of those charges do go to trial and the reader sees him represent himself in court.
Good Parents: Along with Theodosia, he's a good parent to his daughter who is also named Theodosia. In the second lifetime, he's a good parent along with Eliza to their 5 children.
Handshake Refusal: Aaron's hand touching someone else's forces him to see the other person's death. Not a pleasant experience. Usually, he wears gloves to sidestep this issue, but when they're not on hand he explains this situation when refusing handshakes.
Happily Married: To Theodosia Bartow Burr in his first lifetime, just like in the musical.
Hates Being Touched: Downplayed, but Aaron actively avoids touch because skin-to-skin contact with a person he hasn't had skin-to-skin contact with yet in that lifetime forces him to see how the person he is touching will die. ^note Also Played for Drama, since touching his daughter means he'll have to see how she dies. He sidesteps the problem by wearing gloves whenever he touches her, but it's not the same to him.
Heroic Neutral: In the first lifetime, he doesn’t get involved with the Revolutionary War until the British come for him personally.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Aaron Burr is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure.
Historical Domain Superperson: A Seer and Historical Domain Character.
Historical Hero Upgrade:
- Owned three personal slaves in real life that are completely omitted from the fic. Aaron Burr acted on his anti-slavery beliefs in reality as well as in the fic, even before his Civil War vision, but it's likely he's more passionate about this in the fic than in real life, although his real level of conviction is ambiguous. His feminist leanings and the education he gave his daughter are real, but the fic doesn't include his letters that were derogatory towards women who conformed to the gender roles of the time. A comment from the author explicitly acknowledges these facts and that they've done a Historical Hero Upgrade.
- People remember the real Aaron Burr for attempting to be Emperor of Mexico, specifically establishing an independent country there and in parts of the southwestern United States. The fic has his worst offense be wishing for a war, and what that war would have been fought for is left unclear in the fic. He gets a hero upgrade from the widely-held picture of him as wanting that land for himself to be Emperor of Mexico, but it's uncertain whether this upgrades him from his real self since it's ambiguous what his real self wanted or planned to do with that area of land.
Hope Bringer: In regards to the Revolutionary War. In the first lifetime, some say Aaron siding with the Continental Army is the biggest thing turning wavering Loyalists to the side of the Continental Army, and in both the first and second it gives everyone hope they can and will win the Revolutionary War.
In-Series Nickname: “Prodigy of Princeton College.” Lafayette calls him “the American Seer” or “American Jeanne D’Arc.” In his third lifetime, he's derisively nicknamed "Little Burr" at Princeton. In his fourth lifetime, he's the "Stolen Seer" since he was born in the colonies and somehow ended up in Britain. Specifically, he was dragged off a ship he was boarding by British soldiers and taken to Britain, but it's not clear if everyone knows that.
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Madison says at least two of the Burr children are Hamilton's biologically (Philip and Alex), maybe three (John). Word of God says that Angie’s the only second-lifetime Burr kid that’s biologically Aaron’s.
The Matchmaker: Aaron plays Romantic Wingman to James Madison who’s crushing on his future wife, and in his second life he tries to get Alexander and Eliza together.
Mental Time Travel: Part of how the lifetimes work in this story. When Aaron dies and starts a new lifetime, he ends up back on the day he was born, as a newborn baby, and still has a baby brain that needs time to develop before he can walk and talk. Not a perfect transferring of the mind over time. However, he also keeps all his memories from past time loops, including ones that happened in that loop's 1800 or so (Aaron's a 1750s kid). Later experiments with Benjamin Franklin reveal that though his mind doesn't perfectly transfer over time, his memories do: he has perfect recall of every loop he completed before. This mitigates some of the imperfect mental transfer, greatly accelerating his re-learning of things he already knew like how to read and write.
Military Mage: Second-lifetime Aaron knows how the war in his first lifetime went, and uses that knowledge to help the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War.
Nephewism: In the second and third timeline, after Aaron’s grandparents die, the Shippen family takes in him and his sister Sally. Then his uncle demands and receives custody of them, meaning that for some period of time Aaron and his sister were raised by their uncle. In the second timeline, this uncle marries a woman, making Aaron and Sally also raised by their aunt for a period of time, and it's possible this happened in the third lifetime too but just wasn't important enough to be explicitly mentioned. And because the fic generally follows history when it's not explicitly diverging from it as part of Alternate History, and Aaron and Sally were raised by their uncle and the woman he married for a period of time in real life, it can be assumed this also happened in the first lifetime.
Nom de Mom: Seems to default to this when he can still be American but needs to not be "Aaron Burr." In the first lifetime, he starts a law practice under his mother's maiden name, Edwards, after his reputation was destroyed by shooting Alexander. In the second lifetime, he signs up for the Continental Army as "Aaron Edwards" to get sent somewhere other than Quebec: if he's recognized as Aaron Burr the Seer he'll be sent to Quebec to prevent his capture.
Not Actually His Child: In Aaron's second lifetime, James Madison reveals to him that based on the kids' birthdates and when Aaron was away from his family, Philip and Alexander Burr are definitely not his biological children, but Hamilton's, and that it's possible John Burr shares the same fate. Word of God says that all the second-lifetime Burr kids that aren’t Angie fulfill this trope.
Not a Morning Person: Does not appreciate being awake at the crack of dawn.
Outliving One's Offspring: Outlives his daughter, Theodosia, in the first timeline, as well as Theodosia’s son (his grandson). And his son Philip in the second timeline.
Peggy Sue: When Aaron dies, he starts life again as a baby, remembering everything from his previous lifetime(s).
Plagued by Nightmares: Always has them, according to himself in chapter 14. Fittingly, every time Aaron’s dreams are shown or mentioned, it’s a Nightmare Sequence.
Portent of Doom: Aaron's power is to produce these whenever he touches someone skin-to-skin for the first time in that particular lifetime: he sees how they die.
Power Incontinence: Aaron cannot turn off his power to see how people die the first time he has skin-to-skin contact with them in that lifetime.
Preacher's Kid: In the fic, Aaron is primarily raised by his real-life grandfather Jonathan Edwards, a Protestant preacher and theologian known in real life for his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Though Aaron himself isn't all that religious, his upbringing means he learns a great deal about religion, and his grandfather is the reason for his ethics regarding his Seer status and duties, especially that Seers shouldn't lie.
Price on Their Head: In the second lifetime, during the Revolutionary War, the British offer a dukedom to anyone who can bring them Aaron’s head, since he’s part of why the Americans are doing so well in the war against them.
The Protagonist: The principal character of the story and usually the viewpoint character.
Psychometry: Skin-to-skin contact with a person Aaron hasn't yet had skin-to-skin contact with forces him to see a vision of how that person dies. Further skin-to-skin contact with that person will not produce any more death visions. This resets across lifetimes: if he has skin-to-skin contact with someone he had skin-to-skin contact with in a previous lifetime, but hasn't yet touched them skin-to-skin in the current lifetime, he will see their death. Further skin-to-skin contact with that person will, again, not produce any more death visions until the next lifetime.
Raised by Grandparents: In every loop, Aaron's parents are both dead when he is 2, leaving him in the care of his grandparents until they are both dead, which happens when Aaron is 8.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Aaron's personality and approach to life contrasts with Alexander's: Aaron's patient, controlled, reserved; Alexander's quick to react, passionate, and Hot-Blooded. These differences are a frequent source of conflict. The exact nature of their relationship varies wildly over the course of the fic, from friends to enemies to lovers to various places in between, but their relationship always has a big impact on their lives. Even when Aaron doesn't prioritize Alexander in the third lifetime, his past experiences with Alexander as friend, lover, and enemy still inform his choices, perspective, and feelings even when interacting with other characters.
Remarried to the Mistress: Aaron’s the Mistress in this trope. He had an affair with Theodosia while she was married, and married her when her husband died.
Resurrection/Death Loop: After Aaron dies, he’ll wake up again as a baby. He often thinks it's a curse or punishment from God, but whatever it is he's pretty sure that it has to do with having to suffer through a death and remember how the death felt. He thinks it's a finite experience though, and Word of God confirms he's right in the chapter 28 comments.
Retroactive Precognition: Aaron's memories of previous lifetimes allow him to know how certain events will play out, provided he didn't change anything relevant to those events.
Ripple-Effect-Proof Memory: Aaron keeps all his memories from past time loops.
Romantic Wingman: Aaron introduces James Madison to his future wife Dolley Payne Todd after Madison spends months pining after her because he’s too shy to introduce himself to her.
Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers!: Terrified of doing this, knowing he can claim he saw something with his powers that he didn't actually see, and nobody can fact-check him on it. Downplayed, because the reason this is dangerous is also because of how much social influence he holds. People will listen to him if he lies. Without social influence, people could still think he is lying, even if they couldn't ever provide proof. This social influence was given to him by the world, albeit specifically because he is a Seer, and is not something he is guaranteed to have as part of his power as the Seer.
Seers: He can see future events, specifically how people die. When he dies and starts a new lifetime, he also has Retroactive Precognition for his past lifetimes. He has perfect recall of those timelines, and Franklin guesses that he sometimes blurts out things that happen to be true. Upon rereading the story, many statements he makes do come true later in the story, or even in real life far after the time period the story covers. The first internationally confirmed and recognized Seer since Joan of Arc at least in timelines where he doesn't hide his Seer status, and the first Seer to be found at all in nearly a hundred years.
Significant Name Overlap: Aaron Burr Jr. (the Seer) was likely named for his father, Aaron Burr Sr. Aaron Burr Jr. names his own second-lifetime son Aaron Burr Jr., after himself and/or Aaron Burr Sr.
Sixth Ranger: The Revolutionary Set from the musical and the first lifetime consists of Alexander Hamilton, John Laurens, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan. Aaron joins this group of friends in the second lifetime after he becomes Washington's aide-de-camp, after the group's already formed.
Teen Genius: Aaron Burr applied to Princeton at the age of 11, gets in at 13 as a sophomore, and graduates in two years in his first, second, and third lifetime, just like in real life. In the third lifetime, 13-year-old Aaron's essays are much better than they should be for someone his age, although that's at least partially thanks to living life several times over and his perfect recall of past lifetimes, letting him lift phrases from works (both his own and those of others) that have not come out yet in his current lifetime.
Troll: Aaron in his third lifetime, especially to Thomas Jefferson. During the treason trial, he turns to trolling Alexander when court isn’t in session.
Jefferson: Is the sole purpose of your existence to follow me around and say tiny, petty things to me?
Undying Loyalty: to Alexander Hamilton, because Alexander wanted him for who he was instead of for what he and his Seer power and influence could do for him. Goes away after Aaron’s second death.
Visionary Villain: Scared of becoming this, since nobody can fact-check him on whether he really had a vision or lied about it, and because of all the influence he has due to his Seer status, to the point where some people think he always has a better reason (foresight) to say what he says than others do.
Aaron: I…I can never be in a position of power. I can never truly, honestly hold office. People will always give my words special meaning, people will always weigh what I say more than my opponents, because in the back of their minds they’ll think that I have better reason to say those words. And…and if that alone isn’t enough, it would be so easy for me to take it a step further. I could have gone to that Convention and said that I had a vision of another war, a civil war, of more people dying than in any other war in U.S. history, of slavery tearing this country apart, and they would have written gradual emancipation into the Constitution. Both of us can agree that it would probably be an improvement, but even if it was for all the right reasons, what if it wasn’t? There’s no one who can stop me. No one who can contradict me. Don’t you see how…how dangerous I am? I can’t be…I can’t be near any of that.
We Used to Be Friends:
- In the first lifetime, his relationship with his "closest, dearest friend" Alexander Hamilton deteriorates in the first lifetime to the point Alexander says nasty things about him in the news, they exchange nasty letters, and end up dueling.
- Also happens with James Madison in chapter 22, after Madison says their relationship is defined by more than just political motivations and Aaron removes the "more than," saying it's exactly defined by political motivations. Not as extreme as the example with Alexander, since even at the lowest point in their relationship, they don't end up hating each other or dueling.
Will Not Tell a Lie: A huge part of the moral code Aaron's grandfather instilled in him. The first timeline sees him become laxer on regular lies, but he still refuses to lie about the future. Seems to be loosening up on that, too, given he has a few predictions he intended to be fake released after his third death.
Wise Beyond Their Years: In every lifetime after the first one, Aaron starts as a baby again. Sometimes his apparent age shows, since the human brain physically changes as you go from baby to adult, and Word of God confirms here that he's emotionally and mentally 19 when he is physically 19 even in future lifetimes when he has lived far more than just 19 years. However, he still has knowledge and perspectives on life you wouldn’t expect a baby, child, or teen his age to have, and knows that he should hide this trait to avoid attracting even more unwanted attention than he already has as the Seer, and even with the author's above confirmation, they also confirm the presence of this trope for all timelines so far in this comment.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Aaron's grandfather taught him he shouldn't lie because of the weight his words carry as the Seer. He takes this lesson very seriously.
Aaron: Every word that I say carries weight, every glance that I give, the people that I associate with, the opinions that I voice, they’re all dissected and analyzed and remembered. They have power. So I’m careful before I open my mouth.

Theodosia Bartow Burr

Theodosia Bartow Prevost, later Theodosia Bartow Burr

Aaron Burr's wife in the first lifetime. Born Theodosia Bartow, becomes Theodosia Bartow Prevost upon marriage to the British officer Jacques Marcus Prevost, and becomes Theodosia Bartow Burr upon marriage to Aaron Burr.

Adaptation Expansion: She's mentioned in the musical, but in the fic she gets both mentions and actual appearances in this fic. Her death is only obliquely referenced with "this man will not make an orphan of my daughter" in Hamilton, but gets explicit attention in it feels more like a memory.
Age-Gap Romance: With her husband Aaron, who is 10 years younger than her. The fic follows history, so they marry when she’s about 36 and he’s about 26.
Good Parents: Along with Aaron, she's a good parent to her daughter who is also named Theodosia.
Happily Married: To Aaron Burr.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Theodosia Bartow Burr is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
Proper Lady: Intelligent, very understanding of her husband Aaron, graceful, controlled, great at navigating high society, and very likely upper class given that fact, that the fic follows history where she had many friends in high places, and that she married the well-off Aaron Burr. Aaron calls her beautiful, but he’s her husband, but then again The Other Wiki says her mother’s family was noted for her beauty, giving her another quality that would make her fall under this trope.
Remarried to the Mistress: Had an affair with Aaron Burr while she was married, and he married her when her husband died.
Significant Name Overlap: Her daughter Theodosia is named for her.

The Burr children

In the first lifetime, Aaron and Theodosia Prevost Burr have a daughter who is also named Theodosia Burr, and who later becomes Theodosia Burr Alston upon her marriage to Joseph Alston.

In the second lifetime, Aaron and Elizabeth Schuyler Burr have five children. In order from oldest to youngest, they are Philip, Angelica, Alexander, Aaron Jr., and John.

Adaptation Expansion: Theodosia Burr Alston. She’s mentioned in the musical, even making it to the title of a song, but never actually appears. She gets mentioned in the first, second, and third lifetime and appears in the first and third. If you count the Burr kids that were actually fathered by Hamilton to be the same people as they were when raised as Hamilton kids, albeit with different personalities due to being raised in a different household, then those kids also receive an Adaptation Expansion, getting mentioned by name and a section dedicated to their point of view, which is more than they got in the Hamilton musical.
Annoying Younger Sibling: Alex says "little brothers are annoying," implying he feels his younger brothers Aaron Jr. and John are this trope.
Bastard Angst: Angelica Burr worries about possibly a bastard from an affair instead of a legitimate child. She’s legitimate, but Philip Burr is not and he goes dueling over his bastard status.
A Boy and His X: An Aaron Jr and his Martha the cat. The part of chapter 24 from his point of view is entirely about how special Martha is to him, telling how he adopted her, how he misses her in New York City, and how she comes all the way from Philadelphia to be with Aaron Jr.
Child Prodigy:
- Angie Burr.
- Theodosia Burr, who Aaron thinks is brilliant and smarter than he is. He’s a former Teen Genius and Child Prodigy.
A Day in the Limelight: All the second-lifetime Burr kids get one in chapter 24, which has all of them as point-of-view characters.
Family Eye Resemblance: Both of Aaron's daughters, Theodosia and Angie, have his eyes.
Fan-Created Offspring: The second-lifetime Burr kids. At least, the ones that Aaron biologically fathered. The ones Alexander fathered are the same kids he had in real life, if with different personalities due to being raised in a different household, and are thus not fan-created.
Half-Sibling Angst: Angie Burr worries about possibly a half-sibling product of an affair instead of a legitimate child. She’s legitimate, but Philip Burr on the other hand goes dueling over his bastard status.
Historical Character's Fictional Relative: For the second-life Burr children, this comes with the territory of being Fan-Created Offspring of the real human beings Aaron Burr and Eliza Schuyler. At least the ones that aren't Alexander's.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Theodosia is a real human being who lived in the time period portrayed in this fanfiction. However, the second-lifetime Burr children don’t count because no children between Aaron Burr and Eliza Schuyler existed in real life. At least, not any fathered by Aaron. Some were fathered by Alexander, and although they did grow up as different people since they were raised in a different household, they are still genetically the same people as the real-life Hamilton children so you may want to count those ones as Historical Domain Characters.
In-Series Nickname:
- Alexander Burr: Alex.
- Angelica Burr: Angie.
- Theodosia Burr Alston: Theo.
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Madison says at least two of the Burr children are Hamilton's biologically (Philip and Alex), maybe three (John). Word of God says that Angie’s the only second-lifetime Burr kid that’s biologically Aaron’s.
Massive Numbered Siblings: The second-lifetime Burr children just barely qualify for this trope, since there are 5 of them in total.
Middle Child Syndrome: Downplayed with Alex. He knows his parents love him, and there’s no mention of him acting out unacceptably, but he feels overlooked on account of his status as the middle child.
Not Actually His Child: In Aaron's second lifetime, James Madison reveals to him that based on the kids' birthdates and when Aaron was away from his family, Philip and Alexander Burr are definitely not his biological children, but Hamilton's, and that it's possible John Burr shares the same fate. Word of God says that all the second-lifetime Burr kids that aren’t Angie fulfill this trope.
Outliving One's Offspring: Theodosia’s son dies of a fever before she does, and she herself dies at sea before her father dies. Philip dies after being shot in a duel, before either of his fathers (Aaron in most senses, Alexander in the biological sense) die.
Significant Name Overlap: All the Burr kids are named for a relative or for their parent’s best friend. Notably, Philip, Angelica, Alexander, and John were the names of Alexander Hamilton’s children too: three of them are named for Eliza's relatives, which still holds true when Aaron marries her; and when Aaron marries her "Alexander" is still used for a name because he's Aaron's best friend. Significantly, Philip and Alexander are also Alexander Hamilton's biological children, and John might be his too. Those three don't just share names with the first lifetime Hamilton kids, they (might be) genetically the same people.
- Theodosia Burr is named for her mother, Theodosia Prevost Burr.
- Aaron Jr. is the most extreme example of this, since his full name is Aaron Burr Jr. and his father is also named Aaron Burr Jr. His grandfather is Aaron Burr Sr. He’s named for his father and/or his grandfather.^note If he’s named after his grandfather, he’s also a Dead Guy Junior since his grandfather has been dead before Aaron Jr.’s birth.
- Philip Burr is named for his grandfather Philip Schuyler.
- Angelica Burr is named for her aunt Angelica Schuyler Church.
- Alexander Burr’s full name is Alexander Hamilton Burr, named for his father’s best friend Alexander Hamilton.
- John Burr likely has John Church Burr as his full name and is likely named after his uncle John Church. It’s not confirmed, so he could also possibly be John Burr, no Church, and be named after Aaron’s friend who served as his best man in his wedding, John Laurens, instead.
Switching P.O.V.: The second-lifetime Burr kids are all point-of-view characters in chapter 24.
Teen Genius: Angie Burr and Theodosia Burr once they grow out of being a Child Prodigy.
Took a Level in Badass: Peggy teaches the second-lifetime Burr children how to shoot guns.

Angelica Schuyler Church

Eliza and Peggy's older sister. Born Angelica Schuyler, becomes Angelica Schuyler Church upon marrying John Church.

Big Sister Instinct: Very concerned with ensuring her little sister Eliza is happy, delivering several If You Ever Do Anything To Hurt Eliza threats, and tried to protect both her younger sisters Peggy and Eliza from the fact they’d be expected to marry rich.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Angelica Schuyler, later Angelica Schuyler Church, is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
Historical Hero Upgrade: Her slave transactions, and Alexander helping her with them, are omitted from the musical and the fic.
In-Series Nickname: Angelica Burr calls her aunt and namesake Angelica Schuyler Church “Auntjelica.”
Significant Name Overlap: Angelica Hamilton and Angelica Burr are named after her, since she's their aunt.
Smart People Play Chess: An intelligent character, and her chess skill is used as a further demonstration of it. She trounces everyone staying at Philip Schuyler’s upstate mansion, including Peggy.
Took a Level in Badass: Learns to shoot a gun along with the rest of her sisters in the second timeline.

Benjamin Franklin

Entirely offscreen in Hamilton, shows up in this fic.

Adaptation Expansion: Overlaps with Ascended Extra, and Downplayed. He was cut from the musical, but still gets mentioned and definitely exists in the musical's universe. He appears in the second and third lifetimes in this fic.
Ascended Extra: The extent of his inclusion in the musical is a single lyric namedropping him and his “key and a kite” experiment with electricity. Makes an appearance himself in the fic, becoming a minor character in the second lifetime and a supporting one in the third.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Benjamin Franklin is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure (one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States of America).

Alexander Hamilton

The protagonist of the musical this story is a fanfiction of, and a main character in this fanfiction. Married to Elizabeth Schuyler, who becomes Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, in the first and third timelines.

Adaptational Intelligence: In the Hamilton musical, Alexander publishes the Reynolds Pamphlet out of paranoia that his enemies would reveal his secret, but the publication ends up exposing it in the first place and making him look worse. In this fic and in reality, he publishes the pamphlet for a more sensible reason: the speculation and infidelity accusations are already in the press along with copies of actual letters he sent, and denying everything would make it clear he's lying, so he tells the truth with the pamphlet that he didn't speculate but did have an affair. This case of Adaptational Intelligence is really just reverting the case of Adaptational Dumbass that Alexander suffered regarding the Reynolds Affair in the Hamilton musical. The fanfic doesn't make him smarter than he was in reality, it adjusts his musical self back to his real level of intelligence.
Adaptational Sexuality: Downplayed, since it's unclear whether Alexander Hamilton was bisexual or straight in real life, and the musical this is a fanfiction of keeps it ambiguous. The Alexander Hamilton of this fic is clearly attracted to both men and women.
Ambiguously Bi / Ambiguously Gay: He clearly has romantic and sexual feelings for both men and women in the fic. But in the second timeline In-Universe^note, after he's long dead and a historical figure, people debate his sexuality, mostly whether Aaron was his lover or not. It's not clear what in-universe people think about his capacity for attraction to women, let alone if that's a consensus or another debate. It's only clear that they debate his attraction to men. So at least one of Ambiguously Bi/Gay definitely applies, but it's not clear which one applies or if both apply.
Artistic License – History: Portrayed as more liberal than his real self. He opposes the Alien and Sedition Acts in this fanfic, but supported them in real life. He also thought the president should hold that position until they died or got impeached, which greatly contributed to the idea of him as a monarchist sympathizer.
Bastard Angst: Alexander Hamilton, born out of wedlock, takes insults about his bastard status very personally.
Best Friend: With Aaron Burr in the first and second lifetimes.
Biography: In-Universe example. In the third lifetime, he writes an autobiography about 1000 pages long.
Character Filibuster: In the first lifetime, Alexander becomes a lawyer and is known to speak for hours on end in court, and talks for six hours at the Constitutional Convention. His tendency to write and speak at length probably makes him a poster boy for this trope, and it likely carries over to all the timelines. Most of his filibusters are just mentioned, but the audience gets to read one of them when the story covers a court case playing out, although that filibuster is likely a regular length for a courtroom instead of unnecessarily lengthy, and only comes off as a filibuster in contrast to regular story dialogue.
The Charmer: Can be and was very charming at all the social gatherings his and Aaron's family frequented. And how else would the "tomcat" get all those people he slept with to want him, aside from good looks?
Cope by Creating: Alexander deals with the grief of John Laurens' death in Aaron's first lifetime by spending all his time working, likely penning opening speeches and arguments since he's a lawyer.
Deuteragonist: The main focus of Aaron Burr in his first and second lifetime. His main goal is to avoid killing Alexander as he foresaw himself doing, and to generally keep him alive. Alexander is also his best friend/lover/enemy at some time. Though he gets deprioritized and takes a backseat to James Madison in the third lifetime, he still shows up as a supporting character at the very least, and their interactions in the first and second lifetime still influence Aaron's decisions heavily. It helps that he's the protagonist of the musical this fanfiction is based off of, and part of the official pairing Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr.
Doorstopper: Known for producing downplayed versions of these. 50-page letters don't hit the 500 page requirement to be a doorstopper, but that's still an excessively long length for a letter. Fits with his verbosity, and his tendency to write a lot in general and to talk at length. And according to the fic that also contains Burr: An American Musical, he writes an autobiography that's appproximately 1000 pages long in the third lifetime.
Driven by Envy: Starts downplayed, with Alexander's jealousy being very obvious but not harmful, first manifesting when he tries to derail Lafayette's flirting attempts in a nonhurtful way. Grows worse as the story continues and Aaron's relationship with Eliza progresses to marriage, even though Aaron told Alexander he's not in love with her. Alexander starts lashing out when he talks about her. The trope is played completely straight when Alexander admits he tried to ruin his love Aaron's marriage with Eliza out of jealousy. This involved having sex with Eliza behind Aaron's back.
Famed In-Story: In the timeline of Aaron's second lifetime, people in the 21st century consider Aaron an important historical figure as all Seers are, and learn about Alexander since he's extremely important to Aaron's story: if one knows anything more than "Aaron Burr was a Seer," they know he was close with Alexander. Some things are lost to history, but they get a mostly-accurate picture.
Green-Eyed Monster: It's downplayed during the Revolutionary War in Aaron's second lifetime, where Alexander's jealousy is clear but not very harmful, but it grows worse and causes more problems after Aaron marries Eliza.
Hero of Another Story: Almost everything we saw from Alexander's point of view in the musical still happens in Aaron's first lifetime, even if it gets much less focus since this fanfiction follows Aaron Burr instead of Alexander.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Alexander Hamilton is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure (one of the "Founding Fathers" of the United States of America).
Historical Hero Upgrade: It's ambiguous whether the real Alexander owned slaves himself, but at the very least he traded them for his in-laws. None of this makes it to the fic. Not Adaptational Heroism, since it also didn't make it to the musical this work is fanfiction of.
Historical Villain Upgrade: As in the musical, Alexander punches a bursar when seeking an accelerated course of study in every completed lifetime. The real Alexander Hamilton’s quest for accelerated study never involved bursar-punching.
Hot-Blooded: Passionate and determined. He cares so much about his work he neglects himself in favor of getting it done. He also has a hot temper. He's upfront about what he believes, and quick to react to slights, having a difficult time letting them slide.
In-Series Nickname: “Alex,” occasionally. Once mentioned to get nicknamed “the little lion” but the reader never sees it used.
Motor Mouth: Talks all the time, at great length, and will not shut up.
Orphan's Ordeal: The fic might not have a song outlining Hamilton's awful childhood, but he clearly still went through an ordeal in this fic thanks to his circumstances at birth, mentioning things like the hurricane, his mother's death, and his cousin's suicide that made up part of his ordeal.
Outliving One's Offspring: Outlives his son Philip after Philip is shot in a duel in all completed lifetimes so far, since Philip is his biological son with Eliza in the second timeline.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: Alexander's personality and approach to life contrasts with Aaron's: Alexander's quick to react, passionate, and Hot-Blooded; Aaron's patient, controlled, reserved. These differences are a frequent source of conflict. The exact nature of their relationship varies wildly over the course of the fic, from friends to enemies to lovers to various places in between, but their relationship always has a big impact on their lives. Even when Aaron doesn't prioritize Alexander in the third lifetime, his past experiences with Alexander as friend, lover, and enemy still inform his choices, perspective, and feelings even when interacting with other characters.
Significant Name Overlap: Aaron's son Alexander Hamilton Burr is named for him, since he's Aaron's best friend. Alexander's son Alexander Hamilton Jr. is likely named for himself, and if not, for his grandfather or first cousin who were also named Alexander Hamilton.
Son of a Whore: At least according to a pamphlet attacking him. His real-life mother was not a prostitute, though she was imprisoned for having sex out of wedlock which was done under the charge of “prostitution.” It’s ambiguous as to whether the fic followed real life on this matter or if it has Alexander as an actual son of a whore, but either way Alexander is very sensitive to insults attacking his mother for being a prostitute.
We Used to Be Friends: In the first lifetime, his relationship with Aaron Burr, who considers him his "closest, dearest friend," deteriorates to the point Alexander says nasty things about him in the news, they exchange nasty letters, and end up dueling.
Windbag Politician: Very verbose, and very much a politician.
Workaholic: In every timeline. Still hard to pull away from his work, still works late hours while neglecting to take care of himself unless someone pushes him into it, still writes like he’s running out of time. It’s also how he copes with John Laurens' death in the first timeline and likely the third.

The Hamilton children

Alexander and Eliza Hamilton’s children. From oldest to youngest: Philip, Angelica, Alexander Jr., James Alexander, John, William, Elizabeth, and Philip.

Adaptation Expansion: Downplayed in the case of Hamilton's non-firstborn children. None besides the firstborn, Philip, get an appearance or a mention by name in the musical. All we know is that Hamilton has a daughter and multiple sons by the time of “We Know,” and still has “children,” plural, after Philip’s death. All eight of Hamilton’s real-life children are mentioned by name in Aaron's second lifetime in the fic, and four are in his first lifetime. If you count the Burr kids that were actually fathered by Hamilton to be the same people as they were when raised as Hamilton kids, albeit with different personalities due to being raised in a different household, then those kids also receive an Adaptation Expansion, getting mentioned by name and a section dedicated to their point of view, which is more than they got in the Hamilton musical.
Adaptation Name Change: In chapter 13, Aaron lists all of Alexander’s children from the first lifetime. One of them is Elizabeth. The real Alexander Hamilton had no children named Elizabeth, but he did have a child named Eliza. Yes, even though her mother Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton used “Eliza” as a nickname in real life, this child’s full first name in real life is “Eliza,” not “Elizabeth.”
Dead Guy Junior: Just like in real life, the youngest Hamilton child, Philip, is named after his deceased older brother Philip.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, the Hamilton children are real human beings who lived in the time period portrayed in this fanfiction.
In-Series Nickname: The younger Philip is nicknamed “Little Philip.”
Killed Offscreen: The reader and Aaron learn the firstborn Philip Hamilton died dueling after it already happened, and Philip’s death scene isn’t shown. His death scene is shown in the second lifetime, so the trope doesn’t apply then, even if the reader doesn’t see the actual shooting that led to him dying. In the third lifetime, the trope applies again since the reader learns he dies after it already happened, when George Eacker gives testimony about Aaron trying to stop him from dueling Philip. Though Eacker lays out what happened in the duel, up to him shooting Philip, the reader still doesn’t see Philip’s actual death scene.
Outliving One's Offspring: The older Philip dies after being shot in a duel before his father and mother die in every single timeline, including the one where he’s a Burr, albeit still the biological child of Alexander and Eliza.
Massive Numbered Siblings: There are 8 of them.
Named by the Adaptation: The Hamilton musical mentions the Hamilton kids that aren't the firstborn Philip, but never by name. This fanfic names all 8 kids, including Philip.
Significant Name Overlap: Named for their relatives. Significantly, in the second lifetime, Philip and Alexander Burr are Alexander Hamilton's biological children, and John might be his too. Philip, Alexander Jr, and John Hamilton don't just share names with the second lifetime Burr kids, they (might be) genetically the same people as them!
- Philip Hamilton is named for his grandfather Philip Schuyler.
- Angelica Hamilton is named for her aunt Angelica Schuyler Church.
- Alexander Jr.'s full name is Alexander Hamilton Jr. He's likely named for his father Alexander Hamilton, but possibly his great-grandfather or first cousin once removed who was also named Alexander Hamilton.
- James Alexander Hamilton is named for his grandfather James Alexander Hamilton.
- John Hamilton's full name is John Church Hamilton, named for his uncle John Church.
- Elizabeth Hamilton is named for her mother Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.
- The younger Philip Hamilton is named for his deceased older brother Philip.

Thomas Jefferson

A supporting character in Aaron's first and second lifetime, and a major character in Aaron's third.

Adaptational Heroism: The Hamilton musical made no mention of his belief in expanding voting rights, albeit the expansion would still be very restrictive by current standards^note. Instead, it portrayed him as elitist. This fic gives Jefferson's belief in wider voting rights as a reason why Aaron supports his Democratic Republican political party, and shows him opposing the authoritarian Alien and Sedition Acts. Not a Historical Hero Upgrade since he really did believe in expanding voting rights.
Adaptation Personality Change: The musical most overtly portrays him as extroverted and boisterous, though some see hints at a shyer nature underneath. He is also implied to be extravagant, wearing an ostentatious purple velvet suit. Meanwhile, the fic more explicitly acknowledges his historical shyness, and mentions that he at least cultivated the appearance of simplicity and humility.
Biography: Like in real life, he writes an autobiography.
Cope by Creating: The grief of his wife's Death by Childbirth^note and the death of that same child two years after she gave birth to them drives him to become Ambassador to France.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For a given value of evil, even with the Historical Villain Upgrade, Thomas Jefferson loves his late wife and cared for the Marquis de Lafayette.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Thomas Jefferson is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure. He’s the third president and one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America, and wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Historical Villain Upgrade: Real-world Thomas Jefferson probably would not have convinced 32 members of the House of Representatives to perjure themselves to make sure a man carrying his dirty secrets gets silenced by being executed for treason, though he did actually give blank pardons to potential witnesses who would help get real-life Aaron convicted, and he gives blank pardons to anyone in the House of Representatives who could help do the same in Aaron’s fictional third-life treason trial. He also did not hold Aaron Burr in France with him under house arrest under false charges of debt and blackmail about a true fact should Aaron expose those debt charges as false, and continue using these facts afterwards to make Aaron help him politically. The repeated attempts to get Aaron convicted are probably in-character with his real self, given his real self twice put out an arrest warrant for Burr, who got acquitted and let go both times, and then had him taken to a military base until the trial happened according to this comment.
Hypocrite: “We hold these truths, to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” except for the ones he owned. Alexander also accuses him of pretending to care about simplicity and humility as a way to hide hedonism. James Madison points out he fought against federal power, only to overreach with federal power in an attempt to get Aaron Burr executed for treason.
Outliving One's Offspring: His child dies at the ripe age of two while he is still alive. As the fic generally follows history, it’s relevant to mention that historically, he also outlived three other children he had with Martha before he himself died, and it’s not clear exactly how many children Sally Hemmings had, or which ones he fathered, but two of Sally Hemmings’ children (out of six recorded total) also died before Jefferson.
Past Experience Nightmare: Aaron tries to give these to Jefferson by staring at him while drinking poison. Jefferson has no idea Aaron will wake up in a new lifetime, and thinks it’s a regular suicide. Word of God says he succeeded and Jefferson had nightmares for the rest of his life.
We Used to Be Friends: With John Adams and in the third lifetime, James Madison.

Marquis de Lafayette

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

French. Alexander Hamilton's friend.

Happily Married: Happily talks about his wife in French when he's supposed to be speaking English, and Aaron knows he'll be heartbroken when she dies. She reciprocates his love, turning herself in for imprisonment after he's imprisoned so she can stay with him.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, the Marquis de Lafayette is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure.
In-Series Nickname: Aaron briefly calls him “French Lancelot” before switching to “the French Knight,” which the reader never a actually sees used outside of one sentence saying Aaron calls him that in chapter 9. Most characters usually call him Lafayette.
Obfuscating Stupidity: Word of God says that he doesn't actually need the English lessons Aaron gives him beyond the reading and writing lessons, he's just pretending to need them so he has an excuse to hang out with Aaron.
Overly Long Name: His full name is Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.
Spell My Name With An S: His actual name is La Fayette, but he’s known in the United States as Lafayette. The fic always spells his name as Lafayette, but it spells his son’s name as La Fayette.
You Are Worth Hell: If the French Revolution happens, when he's imprisoned, his wife gets herself jailed in order to stay at his side.

John Laurens

Alexander Hamilton's best friend. Son of rich landowner Henry Laurens. A supporting character in the second lifetime.

Abusive Parents: At least a downplayed version is implied with his father. John visibly stiffens when his father Henry requests to speak with him, says Henry said "the usual" of John being a disappointment who did nothing, replies to "death is a rather permanent solution to things that are often rather temporary problems" with "my father's not going away any time soon," and says his mother used to "protect" him from his father but didn't "stand up to him directly."
Adaptational Sexuality: Downplayed, since it's unclear what John Laurens' sexuality was in real life, and the musical this is a fanfiction of keeps it ambiguous. The John Laurens of this fic is clearly attracted to men, although his capacity for attraction to all other genders is still left ambiguous.
Hero Secret Service: Commands a 20-soldier squad meant for Aaron's protection during the Revolutionary War, and is supposed to remain at Aaron's side at all times for the same purpose. Also acts as head of his guard during the Treaty of Paris negotiations. Probably not in his guard for the Constitutional Convention, though, especially since he resigned as head of his guard when the Treaty of Paris negotiations were over.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, John Laurens is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
Killed Offscreen: The reader finds out Laurens died in the first lifetime when Aaron remembers finding out Laurens died through Alexander finding out Laurens died. His actual death scene isn’t shown.
Team Mom: He comforts Aaron and calms him down several times, acts as the voice of reason to his friends, scolds Alexander and Lafayette for talking behind peoples' backs, tries to make sure his friends take care of themselves whether it's making sure they've eaten or making sure they drink water after getting drunk, and generally takes care of his friends as the responsible one.^note

Dolley Todd Madison

Dolley Payne Todd Madison

A minor character in the third timeline. Born Dolley Payne, adds “Todd” in her first marriage and adds “Madison” upon her marriage to James Madison.

Adaptation Expansion: Overlaps with Ascended Extra. She appears in the musical but is only named in the script. In the fic, Dolley is mentioned by name during her appearances in Aaron's second and third lifetime.
Ascended Extra: A background character in the second lifetime, and a minor character in the third lifetime, in contrast to her musical role which is to show up and have nobody know who she is unless you check the script.
Happily Married: To James Madison in all of the completed lifetimes so far. Their relationship gets more focus in the third lifetime.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Dolley Todd Madison is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure. She shaped the role of First Lady, though the role wouldn’t be known by that name for a long while.
The Social Expert: Able to charm people enough to the point she gets political opponents to give their opinion on her president husband's administration, and either figures out peoples' motivations and social assumptions right then and there or asks the right questions to find out.

James Madison

A major character in Aaron’s second and third lifetime. Instrumental in the writing and ratification of the Constitution, but has a very poor constitution himself.

Best Friend: With Aaron Burr in the third lifetime.
Big Brother Instinct: He knows this instinct well. It also plays into his relationship with the nearly-5-years-younger-than-him Aaron Burr, as confirmed by Word of God here.
[James] had grown up with seven younger siblings, and he understands the all-consuming urge to protect someone from the horrors of the world.
A Day in the Limelight: Gets one in chapter 24, which is partly from his point of view; and another one in chapter 35, which is wholly from his point of view.
Happily Married: To Dolley Payne Todd, later Dolley Todd Madison, in all of the completed lifetimes so far. Their relationship gets more focus in the third lifetime.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, James Madison is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure. He’s the fourth president and one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America, and wrote the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments to the Constitution).
In-Series Nickname: Jemmy.
Irony: This very sickly character lives a long life in every completed timeline.
Massive Numbered Siblings: The fic explicitly states he grew up with seven younger siblings. This still leaves the possibility for even more siblings in the form of older siblings, but checking history shows the number really is seven: he was the oldest of twelve children and eight of them lived past their 5th birthday, seven if you don’t count James Madison himself.
Plot-Induced Illness: Has always been sickly, but the timing of of his worse illnesses is convenient for the plot. Aaron‘s able to meet and bond with him in the third lifetime because his sickness made him stay in his room so he was easy to find. Another illness helps create a large problem and complicates solving it. Yellow fever leaves him deathly ill right when Aaron and Jefferson tie for president in the third lifetime. Aaron stays at James’ bedside, too worried for him to remember to step down and give Jefferson the presidency. Jefferson thinks James is also controlling Aaron, so he sees the deadly illness and not stepping down as Aaron making a move to break from their control and grab power for himself, and tries Aaron for treason to stop that. Aaron says he has witnesses that could vouch for his whereabouts during the presidential election, which would be James’ doctors and family members, but because they’re in New York tending to James they can’t come to the trial in Virginia in time to vouch for Aaron’s whereabouts.
Switching P.O.V.: Part of chapter 24 and all of chapter 35 is from his point of view.
We Used to Be Friends: With Aaron Burr in chapter 22, after James says their relationship is defined by more than just political motivations and Aaron removes the "more than," saying it's exactly defined by political motivations. Not as extreme as most examples of this trope, since even at the lowest point in their relationship, they still don't hate each other or go dueling. In the third lifetime, he Used To Be Friends with Thomas Jefferson, though he doesn’t reveal his new opinion to Jefferson for a very long time and keeps pretending they’re friends.

Hercules Mulligan

Alexander Hamilton's friend. A textile importer, and ardent Son of Liberty.

Adaptational Villainy: A “revolutionary manumission abolitionist” in the Hamilton musical, with no mention made of him owning slaves. In this fic, it’s clear he’s a slaveowner, with his slave Cato appearing in the second lifetime. Because Hercules Mulligan did actually own a slave named Cato, this isn’t a Historical Villain Upgrade.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Hercules Mulligan is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.

Maria Reynolds

Maria Lewis Reynolds Clingman Matthew, at one point Maria Clement

Appears in all completed timelines and becomes a supporting character in the third lifetime, reprising her role as a domestically abused Honey Trap for a married male politician.

Beneath Suspicion: Why third-lifetime Aaron gave her the documents with all his predictions. She's not a high-profile politician, and given it's the 1800s divorced women were probably overlooked and looked down on, so people wouldn't suspect her of holding predictions of a Seer, let alone a Seer they don't even know exists, since Aaron hid his Seer status in this lifetime.
Biography: In-Universe example. She writes an autobiography in the third lifetime.
Domestic Abuse: James Reynolds abuses his wife, Maria Reynolds, in every completed timeline. Thankfully, she gets successfully divorced from her abusive husband in every completed timeline too.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Maria Reynolds is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
Honey Trap: In all three lifetimes, her abusive husband James Reynolds used her as one by sending her to a married man hoping the man would have sex with Maria, so that James could demand money in exchange for keeping the affair secret from the man's wife and the public at large.

Elizabeth Schuyler

Elizabeth Schuyler, later Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler Burr

Angelica’s little sister, Peggy's big sister, and a major character in the second timeline. Born Elizabeth Schuyler, becomes Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton when she marries Alexander Hamilton in the first and third timeline, and becomes Elizabeth Schuyler Burr when she marries Aaron Burr in the second timeline.

A Day in the Limelight: Gets one in chapter 24, which is partly from her point of view.
Good Parents: Her life goal is to raise a family and fulfill this trope. She's a good parent to her 8 children with Alexander and her 5 children with Aaron Burr.
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Elizabeth Schuyler, later Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
In-Series Nickname: “Eliza,” or more frequently, “Betsey.”
Irony: Eliza is the best shot out of the Schuyler Sisters. Not quick-learning Angelica, or Peggy who’s enthusiastic about learning to shoot and eventually teaches Eliza’s children how to, Eliza who seems to find it distasteful.
Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Madison says at least two of the Burr children are Hamilton's biologically (Philip and Alex), maybe three (John). Word of God says that Angie’s the only second-lifetime Burr kid that’s biologically Aaron’s.
Outliving One's Offspring: Outlives her son Philip after Philip is shot in a duel in all completed lifetimes so far.
Significant Name Overlap:
- Her daughter Elizabeth Hamilton is named for her.
- This is more of a coincidence, but Eliza(beth Schuyler) marries second-lifetime Aaron Burr, while Eliza (Jumel) becomes first-lifetime Aaron Burr's second wife.
Switching P.O.V.: Part of chapter 24 is from her point of view.
Took a Level in Badass: Learns to shoot a gun along with the rest of her sisters in the second timeline.

Peggy Schuyler

Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler

Angelica and Eliza's younger sister.

Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, Margarita Schuyler, later Margarita Schuyler Van Rensselaer in real life, is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution.
In-Series Nickname: Peggy.
Smart People Play Chess: Her chess skill is used to demonstrate her intelligence. She trounces the Marquis de Lafayette at the game and would probably be much better than “Prodigy of Princeton College” Aaron at it if she didn’t fall for his mind games about predicting her moves.
Took a Level in Badass: Learns to shoot a gun along with the rest of her sisters in the second timeline. She levels in badass enough to the point where she starts teaching the Burr children to shoot too.

George Washington

The first president of the United States.

Adaptational Villainy: The Hamilton musical may imply he owned slaves, since he looks shocked and sad and steps back when Eliza sings “I speak out against slavery,” but it’s not explicitly addressed. This fic explicitly mentions he owns slaves, which is not a Historical Villain Upgrade because it’s true.
Adaptation Personality Change: The Hamilton musical doesn't show his political cunning nearly as much as this fic does. Justified Trope since this is shown through the eyes of second-lifetime Aaron Burr, who has extensive experience being in the public eye and an entire past lifetime of political experience behind him that might give him more insight on why Washington says or does certain things. Alexander didn't have either the political experience or time in the public eye when he was Washington's aide-de-camp, so he might not have noticed this side of Washington the way Aaron would.^note
Historical Domain Character: Like almost everyone else in this fanfiction, George Washington is a real human being who was alive at the time of the American Revolution and is now a known historical figure. He’s the first president and one of the “Founding Fathers” of the United States of America, and led the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War where America fought for independence.
Significant Name Overlap: The Marquis de Lafayette's son, Georges Washington de La Fayette, is named after him.
Supporting Leader: Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States under the Constitution, in a fic that follows the American Revolution and the newly-created America from the perspective of Americans, meaning he'll be seen as leading the forces of good. He's definitely not anywhere near close to being the main character.

Characters / it feels more like a memory

John Adams

Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc)

Aaron Burr Jr.

Theodosia Bartow Prevost, later Theodosia Bartow Burr

The Burr children

Angelica Schuyler Church

Benjamin Franklin

Alexander Hamilton

The Hamilton children

Thomas Jefferson

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

John Laurens

Dolley Payne Todd Madison

James Madison

Hercules Mulligan

Maria Lewis Reynolds Clingman Matthew, at one point Maria Clement

Elizabeth Schuyler, later Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler Burr

Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler

George Washington

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Characters / it feels more like a memory

Edit Locked

John Adams

Joan of Arc (French: Jeanne d'Arc)

Aaron Burr Jr.

Theodosia Bartow Prevost, later Theodosia Bartow Burr

The Burr children

Angelica Schuyler Church

Benjamin Franklin

Alexander Hamilton

The Hamilton children

Thomas Jefferson

Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette

John Laurens

Dolley Payne Todd Madison

James Madison

Hercules Mulligan

Maria Lewis Reynolds Clingman Matthew, at one point Maria Clement

Elizabeth Schuyler, later Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler Burr

Margarita "Peggy" Schuyler

George Washington

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