Latest Posts by toastthief - Page 2
Hitmantop
In regards of the Trump government scraping all trans inclusion in its queer information portion of its websites I have made this thing. Spread the word. Don't let them pretend we never existed.
P.S: Don't like! Reblog! <3
who up thinking about how arthur john and Javier were all nothing but scared hungry strays when dutch picked them up. idk. all three of them, all they had was fear until dutch held out his hand to them. theyre all the same in the end. they were all scared. they bear the same wounds, caused by the same hands. ate out of those same hands and leaned into the hot slick blood that coats those palms. each looking at each other with pity, pity for the clueless kid that gets strung along, pity for the bitter previous cradled one now thrown aside for the new younger follower. kicks a rock.
Time for some art dump! (and oh boy you can really see the progression)
So as part of that Red Dead Supernatural AU I'm working on it's going to feature a Ghost Rider!Arthur. Or in this AU a "Harbinger".
Goes from most recent to oldest because of tumblr show more and I definitely want to show off the most recent one, and my favorite, first. Can't wait to draw more of this and get back into the groove of writing out that AU.
My friends and I used to do this thing where we'd dress up on a theme and go do something totally normal.
We dressed up as pirates and went bowling.
We dressed as vikings and went to the grocery store. The security guard told us we had to move our longship because it was illegally parked.
We dressed as Romans and went to Blockbuster. The staff chanted, "toga! Toga! Toga!" at us.
We dressed up all steampunk and went to the museum. Tourists kept taking our picture.
I was talking to my mutual about Cole when I had a surge of Thoughts so per usual you all have to hear them now. I was considering a couple things, namely his development and place as the "strong guy" on the team and his masculinity (and how it presents in the show vs in fanon).
Cole's pretty often typecast as the gruff strong guy in a lot of fan-media (from fanfics to fanart etc) which isn't wrong because he was like that, especially within the early seasons. The way he spoke, the way he acted, his place as a sort of leading force. In season three you even see him in that stupid lumberjack fit (said affectionately), it's all very traditionally masculine. Which fits his whole Strong and Big guy of the team role (the five man band archetypes etc etc). However, it's interesting to say because at his core, he's very emotional and very driven by a strong sense of internal compassion (with a canonical affinity to children). Which obviously none of that is opposed to masculinity but these traits begin to show more as the gruffness pulls back. The first real example of that I think is in ToE with his fight with Jay. I don't read him as being invested in their fighting the same way Jay was. Jay was fueled by insecurity and a very strong sense of jealousy and possessiveness. Cole? I think he was just reacting to Jay's aggression, which didn't put Nya in a better position but it is a difference.
So when their match rolls around, he's the first one to realize what they're doing is stupid and give in. He reaches out emotionally to Jay. However, Jays still is a friend so that is easy to write off as a symptom of friendship. And then following ToE we have possession and DOTD which I think are where he really begins to develop, and have the strongest examples of what I'm getting at. I'm going out on a limb and saying that I really see his prior gruffness as a sort of armor, to be good enough for the team (insert that one Wu note of him staying up late before missions) and also there his whole rebellious streak against his father trying to force him to be someone he's not. (Note: I wouldn't be surprised if how Lou raised him really had a impact on all this) Then, we get to Possession and both his self worth and self image are shook badly by literally dying. He outright says he's not a ninja anymore, which I think he based a lot of who he was on (<- which is why struggling with it hit so hard).
Finally DOTD comes up and I think we see the strongest example of where his compassion really become a core trait. It's his fight with Yang. He had no reason to reach out to him, to be honest he had the right not to, but he did and it worked! He didn't get out of DOTD in the end with brute force, he got out of it with emotional support (his team showing up), a stubborn adherence to his moral code, and reaching out to Yang with empathy. From that point on, I think he's softer and more prone to being emotional, it's like there was a very real shift. To circle back to Jay, because I think he makes for a good comparison, he does not develop like that post ToE. Actually, the issues carying from s3 (though, they do exist prior just not as starkly) all the way to Skybound where it gets violently (literally) addressed. Jay fans can probably say it better than me but the season is about his insecurity and treatment of Nya and there's a reason both Nadakhan and Cliff are like that (read: they're parallels). It's just interesting because both Cole and Jay have issues with self worth and image but they present and develop very differently.
There's also the fanon aspect with those two that's really funny. I think everyone's aware of the infamous fanon-bruise, the 2010s-yaoification. Uwu Jay, Big Strong Man Cole, and how weirdly racist it is. It's just funny to note because the issues projected onto Cole in fanon are ones Jay has, like, in the show. Cole's the more emotional and compassionate one of the two, but because of the strong guy role, it gets flipped around in fanon. Going by the 'traditional' (read: toxic) masculine standards, in terms of personality and character, I think Jay more closely aligns. It reminds me of this post I saw once, it was of Hunted where Jay was making the plane (?) and Cole was with baby Wu. It called Jay the 'mom' and Cole the 'dad' which I find kind of funny because if you look at it through that hetero-normative lense, it really should be the other way around. Cole's the one caring for the baby pretty consistently, Jay's the one making a machine and Working. Did Jay just get called the 'mom' there because people think of him as smaller and weaker and therefore more feminine? Did Cole get called the dad just because he's strong and considered bigger? It's interesting. Fanon does Cole really dirty sometimes.
To get back on topic of Cole's narrative development, then we get to MOTM (like a bajillion years later which no I'm not complaining except I am). Cole's characterization in MOTM is so fucking good. MOTM does a fantastic job at tying together several of his strings. It ties in Lilly, his self esteem, his staunch morality, affinity towards leadership, and compassion into one, pretty bow. MOTM puts Cole back into a leading role, and it gives him several groups to reach out to (Vania, the munce and geckle, the uppily). It draws back the insecurity present in him, letting it show again to be addressed. It even ties in his relationship to Wu in a really lovely way to me. MOTM is the season where Cole finds who he is, his identity and his place as his mothers son.
Speaking of that, I have a very strong love for male characters who exemplify who their mothers were and what they taught them. The scenes with Lilly really put his entire character into a different perspective. At the start he was this tough kid fresh off grief and pressurized so strongly by his dad and himself and he goes through loops and hurdles of strength and identity and by the end he finds himself exactly where he needs to be. Where he's the strongest and it's in his mothers footsteps, as someone both emotional and strong. It's a really lovely character arc to take him on, and though I haven't watched DR, I've heard they continue that on.
Anyways, consider it positive masculinity, consider it anything else. I just had a lot of thoughts to share and hope I don't sound too 'reading-too-deep' about it. Bye bye Kar ramble over.
Still thinking about a fic idea where Dutch decides to break up the gang because Micah is whispering in his ear about the efficiencies of a smaller crew.
Not that Dutch would completely separate the gang. More like he has Hosea set up camp somewhere else while he and his "perfect crew" go on a robbing spree somewhere else. And slowly they visit the other camp less and less.
It would be the train robbery crew: Micah, Bill, Javier, Arthur, Lenny, and Charles. Dutch would be oblivious to the tension.
John and Arthur’s Established Dynamics With Dutch And How This Impacts Redemption: An Analysis
What makes Dutch Van Der Linde such a compelling antagonist is his extreme narcissism, both covert and apparent. Red Dead Redemption 2 is particularly keen on showcasing this, as players get to experience Dutch’s charisma and mental decline through the eyes of Arthur Morgan, who loves Dutch dearly. On the contrary, Red Dead Redemption 1 displays John Marston grappling with the order to eradicate his former gang members, including Dutch. Through John’s perspective, players get to understand the complexities that come with having to confront a path that has both benefited and destroyed you. Yet, both protagonists serve the same purpose: the complex relationship one may have with a narcissistic “parent” figure. While both John and Arthur appear to have conflicting personalities with one another, they find a common understanding with one another through their sibling-like bond that has arisen from both being raised by Dutch.
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Arthur was only fourteen when he was taken in by Dutch. After a childhood filled with death, brutality, abuse, and homelessness, Dutch was able to swoop in, take Arthur off the streets, and give him a sense of security. This meant everything to Arthur, and with Dutch, Arthur was able to finally have a stable, present, and attentive father figure in his life. However, what Arthur consistently struggled to pick up on was Dutch’s true intentions, which were not as loving and fatherly as Dutch wanted them to seem. By recognizing Arthur’s underlying anger and need for validation, Dutch was able to condition Arthur into being the perfect bodyguard: violent, strong, and eager to do the job right.
Arthur is heavily reliant on Dutch to the point that he sacrifices self-autonomy for Dutch’s sake. The storyline with Mary Linton is a prime example of this. In actuality, Arthur could have chosen to protect himself and run away with his former lover, but Arthur’s entire life has been centered around Dutch’s gang. When Mary says that there is a good man inside of him wrestling with a “giant,” there is a reason why she does not claim that this “giant” is evil or inherently bad; it is only larger than Arthur is. This internal struggle centered around remaining loyal to himself or to the people he calls his family is central to Arthur’s redemption arc, especially through the use of the honor system. Both low and high honor result from a series of cations that allow Arthur to redeem himself, but high honor means that Arthur’s time concludes with the acceptance that he was able to fight for what felt true to himself, while low honor is Arthur getting killed fighting against the very thing that caused the gang’s destruction.
Either way, Arthur redeems himself by fully embracing the notion that Dutch is a flawed and selfish individual who has proven his own safety to appear more vital than protecting the gang as a whole. Yet, it takes the duration of Red Dead Redemption 2 for this truth to be fully embraced by Arthur, who continues to base his actions and existence around pleasing Dutch. Getting called “son” or “my boy” by the man Arthur has been conditioned to rely on is what pushes Arthur to continuously combat his own moral code. Additionally, Arthur cannot fathom the idea of being disappointing to Dutch in any sort of way, even if it causes him to abandon his own sense of right or wrong. By beating up Thomas Downes despite feeling wrong about it, Arthur contracts tuberculosis and is forced to run on dwindling time as a result of his vile actions. Yet, this extreme realization that self-betrayal is equally as harmful as rejecting the expectations of somebody you love is what ultimately catalyzes Arthur’s journey of change.
Arthur’s conflict with John also tells a lot about Arthur's life and for other people. When John turns his back on both Abigail and the gang as a whole, Arthur struggles to find the reason for this. Rather than recognizing the deep-rooted fear and self-doubt that John has been facing, especially when it comes to continuing to live for the gang, Arthur berates John because John is doing something Arthur himself has done and regretted: making the wrong choice when it comes to standing by a loved one. While Arthur chose to “love” the gang more than Mary and then had to endure the consequences for such a choice, John, who is both terrified of disappointing Abigail and conflicted about his changing perspective on the gang, is choosing to avoid both entirely and run away for an entire year. Upon John’s return, Arthur is furious that the gang, especially Dutch, is willing to welcome John back with open arms. This makes Arthur resent John for the choices John has made, but at the same time, have a deep-rooted jealousy over the fact that Dutch treated John well for being disloyal, while the expectation from Arthur is that he will never act in such a way, and thus, Arthur feels John is receiving blind loyalty from Dutch. However, Arthur is misunderstanding a much more complicated relationship dynamic.
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Like Arthur, John also has an underlying incapability of living apart from the gang. Despite his issues with Dutch, John will always have a complicated sense of reliance on Dutch whilst resenting the life John believes was given to him. However, while Arthur falls into the role of being Dutch’s “golden child,” being Dutch’s trusted right-hand man and gang enforcer, John gets a much more complicated role. John is Dutch’s scapegoat child who is heavily criticized and berated no matter how hard he may try to prove himself worthy; however, if John tries to reject Dutch following this treatment, Dutch knows how to masterfully reel John back in. For example, even though Dutch welcomed John back into the gang, it is something that gets used against John in his weaker moments for his guilt to corrupt him into obeying Dutch. Additionally, Dutch making John say “yes, Dutch” out loud is a way to force John into a position of submission and lower status in the instances where he dares to challenge Dutch. John tends to be much more direct when it comes to critiquing Dutch as opposed to Arthur’s display, which comes across as concerned rather than combative. Thus, John and Dutch kind of have this established dynamic where John acts as a defiant child whom Dutch must remind to be loyal and obedient, consistently forcing John to align with an outlaw lifestyle that he is contemplating the morality of.
John is more independent than Arthur in the sense that he is deciding who he wishes to be dependent on. Throughout both stories, it is evident that John resents authority figures, and this is where his childishness shines through. While Arthur will respect authority if Dutch tells him to or if Arthur feels that person is worthy of respect, while John is much more weary and combative from the start. This is simply part of his nature, and Dutch understands and fuels this so that John can serve him. However, Abigail offers a stark comparison to Dutch. While Dutch ultimately demands blind obedience, Abigail demands change in John because she wants John to be less afraid of himself. Abigail understands John’s internal struggle with power, loyalty, and abuse cycles, and she directly combats it. She is somebody who challenges John to do better, which is something he has lacked his entire life. In a world where he is expected to serve for the sake of others, Abigail pushes him to serve himself, which will ultimately allow John to serve her, too.
It could be argued that John’s sense of “redemption” is vastly different from Arthur’s. The very fact that John ran away for a year following Jack’s birth is very telling of the internal conflict eating him alive; John knows he cannot exist on his own, and he must now decide who to be loyal to. While in his heart, he wants to dedicate his life to Abigail and Jack, John does not know how to live a life independently from the world he was brought up in. John wants to be a good dad but never had a good father himself, and John wants to leave the gang, but this would isolate him from both Abigail and the only community he knows. This endless feeling of servitude is something John understands he cannot escape. In Red Dead Redemption 1, this sense of being used by others is crushing John, especially because the United States government has kidnapped John’s family and will only release them if John vows to kill former members of the now-disbanded gang. John wants to protect his family more than anything, but he still struggles with obliterating people from his past who once meant everything to him. As a result, John’s avoidance is displayed through his acceptance of impending death. Throughout both games, John acts in reckless, death-seeking manners, putting himself in high-risk situations where death is a possible reality, such as straight up walking to Bill Williamson, essentially setting himself up to be shot. Yet, to John, being rescued from death serves him as a sign that his purpose on this Earth has not yet been completed, and there is more work to be done for those he loves before death can finally greet him. Ultimately, this shapes John’s redemption arc; John has to keep pushing forward so that he does not die at the hands of the gang and, instead, can conclude his life protecting the people at the core of his heart, which is why his death at the hands of the government following John’s completion of taking down his former gang members is both tragic and beautiful.
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One other major element of Dutch’s manipulation is how he treats John and Arthur like they are too dumb to understand nuanced topics. Yet, this is far from the truth. While John and Arthur are not the most well-read or academically savvy, the two display a deep level of thoughtfulness and insight about the world around them. John is hyper-aware of both himself and the world around him, and he is even one of the first people who recognized something deeply troubling about Dutch’s increasingly erratic behavior. This allows John to read people and situations based on intention rather than bias or false judgment. Even in Mexico, when John is being manipulated by multiple people, he understands that the people he is involving himself with are untrustworthy, but since he has no other options, he must wearily follow through with the situations he gets put into. While John often appears highly pessimistic, this is just a portrayal of his awareness of the harsh realities of the world he exists in, and there are just menial means for him to express this. Even if he did, Dutch would likely berate him until John regretted speaking up in the first place. On the contrary, Arthur appears to be more sheltered than John is, likely because Arthur grew up knowing fewer people and crimes. Yet, Arthur has a much more artistic soul than he lets others see, taking a lot of time to analyze and sketch what he encounters in this world that he finds interesting. His journal displays introspective writing that highlights the faults of both himself and the world around him that he prefers to pretend do not exist, and Arthur gets along very well with people who are atypical thinkers or live alternative, authentic lifestyles. Yet, because neither John nor Arthur read philosophy or desire “high-society,” Dutch demeans the two into believing they are unintelligent and incapable of complexity. Thus, if either one questions what Dutch is doing, he knows that he has the power to make John and Arthur believe that they are too stupid to do so. Yet, John is much more combative to this perspective than Arthur is, and John frequently makes comments to Dutch that question his decisions. In these moments, Dutch feels the most challenged and resorts to harsh insults that directly call out a personal struggle either John or Arthur have, reestablishing that they must remain loyal to Dutch because otherwise they are “worthless.”
Red Dead Redemption is beautiful in many ways. The intricate world design, multitude of storylines, and raw portrayal of complex realities make for a story that is compelling, relatable, and thought-provoking. Yet, one aspect that I think sets the Red Dead Redemption franchise apart from other stories is its hopeful and honest representation of the struggle to find a meaningful conclusion for a life filled with violence, abuse, and uncertainty. Neither John nor Arthur displays a sense of dreading their mortality. Instead, death in Red Dead Redemption serves as a reminder that the future is never promised, so it is important to make the most of the present because what is happening now is the only inherent truth of life. For a multitude of years, Dutch prevented the acceptance of such a reality for John and Arthur, and Dutch sold the false truth that he is the only truth in either man’s life, and as their “God” and “father,” both must worship him above all else. Yet, as fate closes in more and more on both John and Arthur, the realization that Dutch is dangerous not only gets embraced, but it allows for the opportunity to spend the time both have left doing what feels right rather than remaining with what is familiar. While the past can never be altered and the reality of death cannot be evaded, there is a sense of power in the realization that life cannot be foreseen or controlled, and thus, one must live each day remaining loyal to oneself. You are the only thing guaranteed to be both born and ended with you, so why betray the very being that allows you to exist at all?
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I replayed blessed are the peacemakers the other night and had a radical idea,,
What if Micah coordimated the parley with the o'driscolls, specifically to get Arthur out of the way? He's definitely not above it, and he's definitely clever enough to pull it off.
See like, Dutch aside, I think Micah is jealous of Arthur. Arthur is considered one of the most, if not /the/ most capable members of the gang. They respect his opinion on things and usually follow his lead without much fuss. They invite him to take a load off, sit by the fire and have a drink. The girls invite him to chat. He has an easy camaraderie with the rest of the gang.
Contrast this with Micah, who seems constantly at odds with everyone. Crazy homicidal tendencies aside, he does seem to want a connection with at least some of the gang. He'll sit by the fire and tell a story. He'll try to talk to the women, who brush him off with disdain or scorn. His sense of humor is fucked 9 ways to Sunday, so most of his "jokes" involve blatant sexism/racism, or he's just otherwise cruel (though I think his cruelty is half him lashing out, half him being cruel for the sake of it)
Half of the gangs rejection has to do with him just being a shitty person, but I think Arthur's attitude also plays a big part. Arthur makes no effort to hide his feelings about the man. He doesn't like him, he'd wish he'd get gone, he only tolerates him bc Dutch, ect. And because Arthur doesn't like him, the rest of the gang, subconsciously or not, follows his lead. I say this because you also have a man like Williamson, who is racist and filthy and a drunk, and yet because Arthur doesn't outright hate him, the rest of the gang tolerates him well enough.
And then there's Dutch. If there's anyone's opinion, anyone's esteem Micah truly wants to be held high in, it's Dutch's. And yet again Arthur stands in the way of this, at least in the early chapters. When Dutch wants something done, he sends Arthur. When Dutch wants to take a load off and fool around, he fucks off with Arthur and Hosea. On the rare occasions that Arthur offers his opinions on things, Dutch takes it into consideration, even if he ultimately does whatever he wants anyways. And oh I just know that Micah was stewing over the fact that the gang moved camp to Clemens Point, the place that Arthur and Charles found, instead of Dewberry Creek, the place he suggested.
All in all, Micah is envious of Arthur's place in the gang. He wants that for himself. Ultimately he manipulates his way to Dutch's right hand, but before he got to that point, he may have figured the best way to the top was to simply remove the competition.
So he runs into a few stray Odriscolls and instead of killing them, urges them to pass a message along to Colm. He plants the idea of kidnapping Arthur to lure the gang out, except he was never planning on turning them in, at least not yet. He has them suggest the meeting via Pearson to avoid arousing suspicion, though he throws his weight behind Pearson to make sure everything falls into place.
All so that Arthur when fails to meet them at the fork in the road after the parley, he can convince Dutch that it's fine, he probably saw some pretty buck or damsel in distress and went after it, you know how he is, he'll turn up.
All the while betting on the fact that Colm will eventually get tired of waiting for the rescue and just kill Arthur and be done with it. And with him out of the way, Micah can finally secure some authority within the gang.
Something I think about a lot is how Dutch managed to turn Arthur into this perfect and dependable killer/enforcer.. Like, I know Dutch basically saved him and therefore could use Arthur's gratefulness as a manipulative tool, but still - how did he manage to shape a teenage Arthur so precisely into what he needed him to be? (I never really questioned this before, but I've been working with/teaching teenagers lately and it's so fucking hard to get them to do basically ANYTHING??)
(part 2) I guess what I’m trying to get at is: Teenagers are so different from children, and I think teaching/influencing them is a LOT harder? (let alone shaping them into violent right-hand thugs, looking at you Dutch) Or maybe teenage Arthur was already like that so Dutch just had to use that rather than change or manipulate him? I just find it so hard to believe this whole thing worked out as well as it did…(I meant to ask for your thoughts on this but instead I just rambled, I’m so sorry)~~~~~~~~~~No need to apologize, Nonny. <3 If I remember the phrase right, Arthur is described in his official bio at the point Dutch and Hosea took him in as “the life of a criminal is all he’s ever known”, “living on the streets ever since losing his parents at an early age”, and “particularly angry and damaged”/”seemingly a lost cause who responded well to some structure and mentoring”.We also know he barely remembers his mother, he watched his father die, his dad was a criminal, and he remembers his father with absolutely no fondness. We see he’s overly anxious to please Dutch, to the point all Dutch has to do is issue a casual challenge implying Arthur’s doubting him or not measuring up, and Arthur scrambles frantically to fix that. So what I’m thinking we have here is a kid who grew up suffering both psychological and physical abuse from his father, who was probably forced into learning criminal talents early (pickpocketing, in my headcanon). He learned very young that he had no worth as a person, and the only value he had was to produce results. He seems to have loathed his father so I doubt he worried about winning Lyle’s love, but he recognized that succeeding meant approval, at least insofar as probably being abused less.His father dies. Arthur’s left living on the streets for several years, probably in a big city that he could so utterly disappear. The message that he has no worth is further reinforced. He’s alone, scared, fighting to survive, and there’s no Sister Calderon or anyone else to save him or tell him he’s worth saving. Given the need to fight for food, sleeping space, safety, etc. against other street kids, he certainly lived in an environment of heightened aggression and anger and violence here. He’s living the life of Dutch’s social Darwinism: the (violently) strong survive, the weak perish.So you’ve got a kid with shitty self-image, a history of abuse, and a lot of capacity for anger and violence. Then Dutch and Hosea take him in at fourteen and things change. He’s given a place to belong. Clothes that fit and aren’t ragged. A safe place to sleep. Enough food to eat. He learns to read and write.And Dutch isn’t hitting him, so Arthur assumes this new father figure is how it’s supposed to be. But he’s missing the other facet: the psychological abuse. The same produce results or you’re worthless to me mentality he likely got from his father, but Dutch is far cleverer than Lyle Morgan in it. He gaslights. He manipulates. He alternately flatters and praises, and then insults and questions, so that Arthur’s left always hungry for earning that love and approval again.You’ve got a pissed off teenager, and given Arthur’s got plenty of sarcasm I imagine he was, as I have Hosea put it fondly, “a smart mouthed little shit”. But he’s also a scared boy who’s been repeatedly taught he’s dispensable trash. He’s started to like this life he has and its comforts and security compared to the bleak hell he had before, started to become comfortable in it. He’s terrified that if he screws up, if he gives Dutch reason to not value him anymore, he’ll be thrown away again. So yeah, he’s going to jump through every hoop Dutch presents him eagerly, and even be trying to anticipate the man’s needs and wants if possible. Because in his mind his place in this family, his continued survival, absolutely depends on this man still finding value in him. The question of having worth as an intrinsic right as a human being doesn’t even register with him. All he can see is constantly proving his having external value. So he doesn’t have the luxury of typical teenage defiance and sometimes telling his self-proclaimed dad to go get fucked as part of the pursuit of discovering and asserting his own identity. Because honestly, Arthur doesn’t have much in the way of his own identity.Given the emotional damage he’d already suffered, and the fact he’s being further abused and taken advantage of, that’s the status quo for the next 22 years. Arthur doesn’t ever really get the chance to grow beyond that blind loyalty and eagerness to please and be regarded as valuable, and really form his own identity and principles, until the 1899 crisis forces him to do so.So if Dutch wants to teach Arthur to shoot, wants him to learn to rob a stagecoach, wants him to go teach someone a “lesson” with his fists? It’s absolutely “Yes, Dad, I’ve got this.” Anything at all to make Dutch happy and make himself more valuable to the man. He’ll work until he drops to become the best man for the job, the one Dutch absolutely can’t do without. If he protests at all, it’s a token grumble, but he’ll give in readily and go do it, because he prides himself on being able to get the job done. Dutch clearly only values his brutal and violent skills–it’s Hosea who encourages other things in Arthur.I also think this is part of why Dutch openly favored and identified more with John as his clear “golden boy” while relegating Arthur to being the gang workhorse. Arthur’s snarky defiance largely died down and transformed into awkward gratitude and absolute loyalty when he realized he could stay. John stayed something of a cocky brat. Arthur is far more versatile and useful, but Dutch enjoys John’s “unbroken spirit”–so long as he doesn’t question too much.
"I was gonna say you're like a son to me.. but you're more than that."
"It ain't that complicated!"
How quickly that shoulder pat of comfort turned into a condescending one.
I SIMPLY HAD TO DRAW THIS OH MY GOODNESS GREASY!!!
THE ORIGINAL POST THAT LIVES RENT FREE IN MY BRAIN
Just noticed how very wide I drew Arthur lmao
On that cowboy shit again (pls click for better resolution probably ♡)
THOR, SON OF ODIN.
art belongs to @uniiiqueart thor odinson (mcu) belongs to marvel/disney
Y’know the truth is I don’t think Tony Stark would bother me nearly as much if his fans were just even slightly normal about him. Like antis get this reputation for being crazy obsessive hateful people, but in my experience they’re just frustrated fans that want a place to vent about an otherwise very popular character. It’s the stans who will cross tag and send death threats to blogs that dare disparage their precious baby. It’s the stans that clamor for unfair amounts of screen time and encourage the co-opting of other characters to surround Tony Stark. I don’t see antis writing a thousand 10k fanfics about Team Iron Man getting tortured and groveling to Steve. Idk maybe this is an unfortunately common fandom behavior?? It just seems so unnecessary to me
i was supposed to work on a zine illustration but my hand slipped and I drew Doc Holliday from Tombstone ;(
ive had this in my edit ideas forEVER someone be proud of me for following through for once
i <3 him
is this anything p. 3
Concept: My favourite flavour of Dark Jason Grace is when you play into that theme of him being The Lost Hero.
This idea that prior Jason was a great hero. He was known for his feats and his kindness. And the respect he had for any deity and demigod regardless of status or rank.
He bought glory to his camp, to his patron and his father and it should have made him beloved by them all.
But his father felt threatened by him. Because he overthrew his father who overthrew his father. And he was terrified that Jason would one day try to overthrow him.
Even though Jason had no intention of ever doing that it didn’t matter for those feelings only continued to grow.
I imagine the day everything changes is the one where Jason breaks the rules and stands up to his father. Similar to Jason’s canon “unwise” speech when Zeus was unfairly punishing Apollo.
But Zeus takes it even worse here and scolds his son and his insolence before all of Olympus. Some kind of speech about how these demigods need to know there place.
And how he shall be an example for them.
There’s a vote and while there are those who stand by Jason. Hestia’s saddened gaze, Hera’s angry tears, Hades silent head shake.
The rest, including many of his own half-siblings follow their father without giving Jason a second thought.
Something in Jason snaps. That everything he served, everything he ever did never made a difference. He had been trying to foster better connections, to aid his brethren.
And it had all been for nothing.
All he ever was to them was a tool that they deemed uncontrollable.
They don’t kill Jason because he’s much too powerful, much to useful to lose. He’s granted partial immortality like the hunters while Hephaestus creates chains that hand from his ankles and wrists.
To bind him to their service for however long as they require him.
Like a dog on a leash.
Jason’s imprisoned in Tartarus instead of any other prison. So that he’ll be forced to continue fighting and sharpen his skills. While he’s kept like a trophy for the day that his power will be required once again.
It’s like being in the Wolf House again. His powers are limited and he has no weapons but his own chains. And all the while down there Jason fights to survive he plans for his revenge.
They tell Camp Jupiter and Thalia that Jason died on a quest and his body unable to be recovered. She grieves him for years to come.
But because of Zeus’s speech and Artemis following him, Jason thinks Thalia knew and agreed with them.
The years go by and rumours spread of a beast from below driven mad with anger with the face of a man. Imprisoned for going against the gods and that all who try will meet his fate.
No one knows his name and simply call him The Lost Hero, a once great hero reduced to nothing because that’s all Jason has become.
And then the day comes where the prophecy of the seven comes to pass and Jason is bought to Olympus once again. He’s a mess and there’s a cold anger about him even though he’s weirdly nice to the assembled demigods.
The first thing Jason does is cross the room and kneel before not the king but his queen.
Hera who has always been so cold and cruel, weeps at the sight of him. Hugging him in her arms, mindful of the chains that hang behind him to give the illusion they’ve been cut.
Jason lets himself be held and he tells her not to waste any more tears on him. Before facing his father and it looks could kill the man would be dead.
He’ll play along with their quest but he’s got his own agenda. He’s not letting the world fall to Gaia nor is he going to let these demigods get hurt.
But he will be the storm that brings Olympus down with him.
Wanted to do a sketch for art, ended up with series of gifs, so there's Jason (rip his scar 'cause I forgor)
Jason: Hi, it’s me.
Dakota: Hey there he is, there’s our titan slayer. We had every bit of faith in you man. Look at you alive and not dead.
Jason: Yeah I’m not dead which is an awful surprise considering how many of you wrote my obituary yesterday.
Jason: Pre-emptively incase I did die.
Dakota:..Okay who snitched?
Reyna: Wasn’t me.
Jason: But I didn’t so suck on that.
Concept: Jason hates being in charge but Camp Jupiter keeps putting him in charge.
Jason’s whole battle with leadership is that he’d rather do literally anything else than be in charge of these idiots.
He hates the way camp jupiter is run and does all he can to abolish harmful traditions and rework the system.
And if you think Camp Jupiter would hate that then you’d be wrong.
Sure most of them don’t agree with his policies at all but even his most vocal competitors can’t deny that things run better when Jason’s in charge.
And unfortunately rather then adopt his principles or ideals and fix the issues they’re creating. They instead choose to keep voting him in.
So that Jason can fix everything and he hates it.
But it’s not like he has much of a choice when things are getting tough out there. And the entire 5th legion are trying to bribe him back into power.
Jason’s a great and effective leader, and it pisses him off. And oh sure he could be horrible while in charge but he’s got these pesky things called morals.
He wished the others would get some already.
Jason jumped for joy when Reyna showed up and managed to secure her place as Praetor. Because finally someone else who is a good and effective leader who won’t fall into corruption.
He celebrated for all of 5 seconds before Reyna reminded him she needed a co-Praetor and wouldn’t accept anyone else but him.
Basically Jason’s Praetor-ship is the equivalent of that one poor soul carrying the group project. And sure Reynas here too and now both of them have to carry it.
Percy’s very confused because he knows how horrible it is to feel replaced. So of course he resigned as Praetor immediately when he realised Jason was returning.
And sure he wasn’t expecting him to like that he almost replaced him…but why does guy look like he’s about to kill him where he stands?
Percy asks Reyna because erm I thought you said he was the nice one. And Reyna, barely holding back her laughter says not to worry about it.
Octavian straight up surrenders because he can’t deal with these idiots anymore. He actually hates them more than the Greeks what is wrong with them?!
And Jason just nods sympathetically while also laughing because oh buddy you think this is bad? You haven’t seen anything yet.
Concept: After the Battle of Mount Othrys Camp Jupiter grew afraid of Jason.
Jason had always been there golden boy. Sure he’d always pushed for things they didn’t approve of, like ending beloved traditions because they were “harming others.”
But he’d always been someone they trusted, relied on and looked to for aid.
Seeing him go up against Krios, a titan and the power and skills that he showcased. It reminded them all that Jason wasn’t just any old demigod, he was a son of Jupiter.
Jason only pushed himself that hard to save them, surviving the ordeal hadn’t even crossed his mind. But seeing how far he went scared them all.
What if one day he turns on them?
Most of them were legacies after all, little more than mortals. What could they do against one who could do the impossible like he just did.
They couldn’t kill him and none were even brave enough to try. So they began to shun him. Slowly but surely isolating Jason away until he was left with no one.
Even Reyna who had thought the whole thing was ridiculous had already begun to distance herself from him because of Venus’s words.
Jason didn’t know what he did wrong. He threw himself into work hoping that maybe his efforts would change things. But nothing did, if anything the more effort he made to help the worse it became.
Octavian was front and centre trying to diminish whatever credibility Jason had left. He spoke of tragedies that would occur in his name.
And how he’d be much better suited in the position of Praetor. People didn’t treat it like it was something outrageous anymore.
The day Jason vanished they all sighed with relief.
Concept: Percy and Leo are arguing over the whole burning of Camp Jupiter but their tiff is interrupted by a scream.
The two of them spring apart, instantly on guard and surveying the scene. But neither are prepared for the sight that takes their anger and turns it into sorrow.
Jason.
Jason Grace who had always been in the short time they’d known him, a pillar of strength. A picture perfect image of one who stay composed in any situation.
That picture shattering before all of their eyes as tears cascade down from his.
Jason’s hands grip the sides of the ship like he’s about to leap off. Yet his legs remain frozen in place. He doesn’t respond when they call his name.
For all his attention lays on the burning embers of the only home Jason has ever known. His whole frame shaking with tremors and sparks.
His mouth open whispering something that at first no one can identify. But soon realise is an apology he chants like a mantra.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
Like the way a mother would sing her child a lullaby through a storm.
Leo almost wishes Jason would just turn around and start yelling at him for all of this. It would hurt sure but not as much as seeing him like this is.
Frank and Hazel are upset of course but Camp Jupiter didn’t mean the same thing to them as it did it Jason.
Piper is the first one to walk over and gently puts a hand on his shoulder. It gets his attention but oh does she wish it didn’t when Jason looks at her with haunted eyes.
“It’s all my fault” he whispers with shame colouring his words. She shakes her head, firmly “no no it’s not. It’s not anyone’s fault but those eidolons.”
Jason shakes his head as new tears well up in his eyes. He lifts a shaking hand to the wind that’s billowing around them.
“I can hear them…all of them blaming me.”