#[dutch vdl voice] i got a plan‚ john

[australianklaviergavin]

MASTERPOST

SOOO it's finally time. MAEL STRONGHART! To go with the other mythical creatures in the cast, he, absolutely and without a doubt, gets assigned dragon. He was so overwhelmingly DRAGON that he's the reason I changed my stance on mythical creatures in this AU. More yapping + sketches below the cut, with vague implications about his character.

Now, what good dragon is complete without wings? I omitted one for reference, but Stronghart has two shiny dove wings! And yet... Hmm, it's strange. Those aren't his, are they?

Nope! Not at all. You can imagine them being grafted on however you'd like, but the bottom line is those wings do not belong to him. They've been stolen from, well... Someone else.

Also, lazy bonus with the reason I was so deadset on him being a dragon AHAHDJKSKD I WANT THEM TO BE SUNCATCHERS but I'm Tired... SOMEONE ELSE DRAW HIM BUT BETTER BEAHAHSH (/J)

[verdemoun]

the parallels between characters oh my goodness gracious

charles and micah, kieran and sadie, ough

I LOVE CHARACTER PARALLELS

you can definitely draw parallels between Charles and Micah, joining the gang at similar times, both becoming a voice and confidant of one of the old guard, ect but you got me thinking so bad about other parallels. Before I continue, petition to rename red dead redemption to dead mom redemption.

Arthur & Micah: On paper, they are the same person. Both were raised by single fathers after losing their mothers young in non-descript ways. Both their fathers were outlaws, who assumedly died due to their criminal activity. For both Micah and Arthur, being an outlaw became the only option for them because, tragically, it was all they knew and the only way of life they had ever witnessed. Both would find Dutch van der Linde, and eventually have their loyalty to Dutch van der Linde be what lead to their demises. When Micah rocked up and I can imagine Arthur immediately recognizing 'it's me but worse', and it's probably where his idea that Dutch could change/save Micah came from: resulting in him arguing less about Micah's presence in the gang despite obviously not liking Micah from Chapter 1.

Charles & John: Again, characters that could be doubles on paper. Both were raised by single fathers, and both lost their fathers to alcoholism before they were 12 years old. Both would turn to crime as a means to survive, with no one else in the world they were safe to turn to. Both would live a life of relative isolation, for the most part experiencing the most cruel aspects of human nature, before meeting Dutch van der Linde and gang. Both would form unique, powerful bonds with Arthur. Both, possibly due to that overlapping upbringing, would be far less trusting of Dutch's ideals. Both John and Charles are amongst the first to question Dutch: his motives, his 'plan', what they are trying to accomplish and what Dutch would sacrifice to be there. Both would survive 1899, but never forget what Arthur meant to them: willing to abandon their own ideals for the opportunity to kill Micah in revenge for Arthur's death in 1907. Both would consider this the end of their gunslinging ways, with John returning to his family and Charles leaving for Canada to seek a family of his own inspired by John.

SADIE AND KIERAN SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE SCREEN TIME TOGETHER. GOD. THEY SHOULD'VE BEEN FRIENDS AND HAD LIMP WRISTED CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COLMMMMM.

Kieran and Sadie are more like foils than parallels but both had their lives rapidly change trajectory due to encounters with Colm, followed by encounters with the VDLs. Both were forced to join the VDLs as a means of escaping Colm, and despite immeasurable factors against them found something akin to happiness with the VDLs only to have it ripped from them again- Kieran through death and Sadie through the downfall of the VDLs. The main difference is that their time with the VDLs was spent at different points of their own narrative arcs, Sadie seeking revenge and Kieran seeking redemption.

All the characters and their relationships are so interesting in terms of the overarching narrative of red dead redemption, aka a character redeeming themselves for acts of violence and revenge they are trying to create a life separate from only to still meet their demises due to that inescapable past.

Kieran is Wish-version Arthur. Kieran's defense of Colm in Paying a Social Call is almost exactly how Arthur defends Dutch to John in The Battle of Shady Belle, acknowledging their leader's wrong but making excuses for it. Kieran literally says riding with the VDLs is an attempt to make amends for the wrongs he's done as an O'Driscoll!! He incidentally abandons gunslinging in favor of the more peaceful life of tending horses and helping out within camp (which btw when Arthur does it are honor-boosting activities). He's softspoken and gentle in the way Arthur can't afford to be until Chapter 6, where Arthur's the one trying to made amends to both the debtors and the Downes. The only time he canonically fires a gun is to save Arthur's life. He's just a high honor guy trying to live a better life - only for that past of being an O'Driscoll to lead to his demise. He only exists to foreshadow no matter how much Arthur and John are able to redeem themselves, their fates have already been determined by their past and choices they made to survive. They're all so doomed by the narrative.