#Rusty-James

[your-unfriendlyghost]

i love your matt dillon-se hinton-verse au where dally is tex and mark’s half-brother but i was wondering is rusty-james also a part of this au? (since he’s also played by matt)

Good point. Honestly, I haven’t thought much about that- which is weird cos I really like Rusty-James honestly. Idk, for some reason to me, Rumble Fish feels like a whole other world compared to the one of Tex, TWTTIN, and the Outsiders. I blame the movie for that, since it’s so art house and surreal.

If Rusty-James is in this AU, then he’s the same age as Tex. If they ever meet, it’s at Buck’s place- Tex is there ‘cos that’s where Dally lives, and Rusty-James is there to try and fail at hustling pool. They’re both impulsive rule-ignore-ers with a penchant for chaos- so they get along great.

Meanwhile, Mason hates the Motorcycle Boy’s guts. He’s never met the guy, but he hears what Tex’s weird little hood friend says about how tough the Motorcycle Boy is- and Mason thinks he’s a bad influence on Rusty-James. Who, in turn, is a bad influence on Tex. This hatred is one sided, as the Motorcycle Boy isn’t aware of Mason’s existence.

Idk if anyone ever finds out that Rusty-James is another half-brother. Maybe Dally has a passing suspicion, but he doesn’t think hard about it. Rusty-James has a dad. Dally’s not gonna bother pursuing it. His dad was a whore- if Dally adopted every half sibling he has out there, he’d have enough kids around to start his own gang bigger than any of the gangs in Tulsa.

TL;DR- Rusty-James and Tex briefly are friends, for like a summer maybe. Rusty-James probably doesn’t even remember Tex by the end of Rumble Fish. Tex remembers tho, and sometimes wonders about that kid who looked and acted so much like himself that he hung around with when he was twelve…

If they ever meet again, Tex won’t see any resemblance to himself anymore, and Rusty-James won’t recognize Tex at all. Sorta a bummer, but hey, Rumble Fish is sorta a bummer too (love it tho)

Slightly unrelated random hc- At this time (like 2 years pre-Rumble Fish canon) The Motorcycle Boy is really into local author P.M. Curtis’s book “The Outsiders” and relates a lot to the character “Dean Marlboro” who totally isn’t Dallas Winston, killed off for dramatic effect. He has no idea that his kid brother is hanging around with his hero’s kid brother.

[troyssix]

no because what do you mean i relate to rusty-james because i know someone who's a motorcycle boy-type figure to me???? that's impossible !!

[skysole]

Far Away From It All

The Motorycle Boy told him to escape to the coast. And by God, Rusty-James was going to do it. Even when his thoughts revolve solely around everything he's leaving behind in the process.

fandom: rumble fish (s.e. hinton novel and 1983 film)

warnings: mentions of death, grief, angst, hurt no comfort, open ending

wc: 778

He rode.

He rode and he rode and he rode and he rode.

He rode until it hurt to keep his eyes open, until his legs were completely numb, until he felt nothing but the biting wind cutting through his jacket, until the scenery changed from the familiar streets of Tulsa to the desert lands of New Mexico and then finally the sandy beaches of California.

He didn’t stop, not even when he nearly crashed from exhaustion, not even when the tears fell for the second time that night, not even when sound started returning and cars honking startled him so bad he swerved off the road into a bush.

He just righted his cycle and climbed on again, speeding towards the coastline. The same coastline the Motorcycle Boy had seen just a week before.

And while he rode, he thought.

He thought about Steve, his sweet best friend who would wake up in the morning to the news of the Motorcycle Boy’s death and his best friend’s disappearance. 

He thought about Patty, not knowing that he loved her with every fiber of his being, falling asleep in the arms of Smokey. 

He thought about Smokey too, and how he had considered him a friend and all Smokey considered him was competition to steal the top spot from - the top spot, and the best damn girl in all of Tulsa.

He thought about Benny, who didn’t like him, but would wonder why he no longer showed up to play pool and raise business.

He thought about Donna - sweet little Donna, who would wonder where he ran off too, wonder if he was okay.

He even thought about his dad, his poor, drunken father who may not even notice his absence until he was far, far away.

But most of all, more than anyone, he thought about his brother.

He thought of Motorcycle Boy, who looked older than he was, who couldn’t see color and couldn’t hear half the time, who spoke softly in strange tongues no one could decipher yet everyone understood. Motorcycle Boy, who was the coolest guy in all of Tulsa, who led the gangs and ended the fights. Motorcycle Boy, who nearly every person would have followed into battle without a second thought simply because he asked them. Motorcycle Boy, who had only wanted to free the fish, give them space to keep them from killing each other and themselves.

And the more he thought of the Motorcycle Boy, the more the tears obstructed his view, and the more he remembered why he hated crying so much in the first place.

It hurt to cry. It made his head hurt, and his skin felt sticky with the salty tears that traced paths down his cheeks.

He would never see Motorcycle Boy again, never hear his strange way of speaking in that odd manner that captured everyone’s attention and wouldn’t let go. He’d never feel that overwhelming relief that washed over him like a wave when his brother returned home.

Because the Motorcycle Boy would never return home.

He was gone, and he was gone for good.

He would never see his best friend again. Steve would move on, make new friends, maybe he’d follow Smokey blindly too, and he wouldn’t have to think for two people anymore.

He’d never look into Patty’s warm, caring eyes again while he held her close, her body soft and emitting a warmth that always made him feel on fire, but the flames had always been gentle.

He’d never sit up when his father came home, guiding him to bed and wishing he would just stop drinking.

He wasn’t sure what broke his heart more: losing Patty, losing the Motorcycle Boy, or leaving everyone he knew - everything he knew - behind.

Maybe it was a combination of the three.

But the Motorcycle Boy had been to California, had seen their mother and been photographed. The last place he had visited before his life was cut short was the coast, and nothing short of death would keep him from going there himself.

He had been to the hospital, and as soon as those bandages were on his cut wrists, he had bolted. Tore out of there faster than they knew what was happening and grabbed a cycle, riding out of that stupid town and riding far away from where the Motorcycle Boy lay lifeless, his eyes still open and his lips twisted in that stupid, smug smile he rarely wore but would never, ever get to wear again.

And when the coastline came into view, he stood there, taking it all in, wondering the only question on his mind: what happens now?

[hailsbellsl]

Rusty-James and Motorcycle Boy parallels make me want to SOB

[bubblegumflavor]

Finally got my desired copy of Rumble Fish and since I pushed through the weekend with my work, now I have some time and calm to read it. I was looking forward to read it again so much!! I just love Rusty-James, he is so unique and feels so real. ♡

[doll-days]

Outsiders & adjacent Hinton book fandoms, give me your saddest headcanons. Like, you think about it & your GRIPPING your pillow SOBBING your EYES out.

I’ll go first. :3

Spoilers for That was Then, This is Now!

I think Mark is a loud crier, but not naturally. I think that, when his parents were still alive, he had to be loud just so he could get comfort from them. Later, it became deeply-rooted in his psyche, so he just. became that way.

Rusty-James didn’t learn how to speak properly for…the longest time, so he had to be mute for years. Also, he learned Spanish first, & his peers didn’t know Spanish, so he couldn’t. talk to them. (Steve had to teach him English because of the issues, & Rusty’s way better at it than Spanish, but…every time he gets stressed out, he goes non-verbal for hours.)

[neiljousten]

drinking a cold one for rusty-james

[featherwhiskered]

if the freaks over on ao3 can have rusty-james x ponyboy then i should be able to have dallas x the motorcycle boy. cringe dead teenage boys

[farawayfrom-tulsa]

i read rumble fish for the first time the other day and oh my gosh its so much better than the movie makes it, i am an avid rusty-hays shipper now and oh my gosh i AM rusty-james. like hes literally me. and someone should get me the rest of se hintons book soon I NEED TO READ TEX NOW.

[motorcycle-boyy]

this is a bit of a broad question but how did you interpret rumble fish? What did you take away from the story?

well uh

i am the motorcycle boy !!!!!

anyway its beena while since ive read it; i think the basic rundown of it is that rusty-james was too caught up in becoming something he couldn't, that he didn't realize the effect on himself and others until it was way, way too late he painted a picture for himself in his head of his brother, and ignored his actual advice, which ultimately let to his downfall. he didn't truly want to be like his brother, he wanted to be like how he thought his brother was, or perhaps a younger and more reckless version

[changesxnight]

dating rusty james??

if you can, could you do sfw and nsfw?

(or just sfw oif your uncomfortable with nsfw)

hi honey! give me an age, over 18, and I’ll definitely do some nsfw headcanons. I just feel weird trying to think of some for a fourteen year old, you feel?

how old do you see him as?

[your-unfriendlyghost]

Is Rusty James/motorcycle boy part of the Dallas Tex and Mark au?

Not really. I talked about it here, but Rumble Fish is so…different feeling from The Outsiders or Tex to me that the idea of them being in the same AU is hard for me to get my head around.

They’re unofficially part of it still, but no one ever knows Rusty James is their half brother too. Well, maybe Dally does/suspects something, but he doesn’t seek out a connection.

Basically, Rusty-James and Tex are friends for a summer when they’re like twelve. Tex notices that they’re similar looking, but doesn’t make the connection that they could be related.

By the time they’re older, like at the end of Rumble Fish when Rusty-James is like…twenty-ish I think, Tex remembers Rusty-James fondly. Meanwhile, Rusty-James does not remember Tex at all because of all the brain damage.

As I said in the other post, if they were to ever meet again, Rusty-James wouldn’t look like Tex anymore. He’d just look like the Motorcycle Boy. Tex would be horrified and sad, but ultimately unsurprised at the way life treated his childhood friend. Rusty-James on the other hand would wonder why this weird cowboy is talking to him, and would probably try to leave.

[lestangestthing]

thinking about jonathan sims and daisy tonner both feeling more like themselves than ever in the coffin because in there they were simply two scared people and not avatars. they felt their lightest when the weight of the world was pressing down on them. in this essay i will-

[ivorylambs]

Old art on The Magnus Archives! I really miss the old gang.

[tulsaspubliclibrarian]

one thing i love about S.E. Hinton’s books is that they’re all completely and totally written from the main characters point of view. like reading The Outsiders for example is a totally different experience from reading Rumble Fish because Ponyboy and Rusty-James could not be more different. Ponyboy is really introspective and observant so of course a book from his perspective will be full of the tiny details that make each character unique and entire paragraphs trying to explain the way he sees the world. But Rusty-James is much a more action focused, look before you leap type of person, so when reading his description comes across as a lot more blunt and to the point, leaving much more up to the reader themselves for interpretation. Also The Outsiders is told as if Ponyboy is telling the story a little while after the events of the book take place as a school assignment where as Rusty-James is telling the story of Rumble Fish about 5-6 years later while dealing with memory issues which also impacts how the story is told. I just think it’s incredibly interesting and it’s really neat how S.E. Hinton deliberately chose to write her books differently like this to show how similar circumstances can effect people in completely opposite ways. (Something I think is really cool is that she originally wanted to write the story of Rumble Fish from Steve’s perspective (a character who is very similar to Ponyboy on his outlook on life and personality) but decided to write it from Rusty-James’s POV instead because she thought it was “too easy”)

So. Between The Outsiders, Tex, and Rumble Fish, Tex was the most fun to read first read (because it was the most action packed). While The Outsiders was best after multiple reads (little character details, interesting messages, the like), and Rumble Fish SUCKED to read but it was the best book in retrospective (due to the way the book was written, it wasn't as interesting to read, but the message, when you think about it, is the most compelling)

.

[bubblegumflavor]

One thing I never get... Matt had long hair he had to cut for Dally but Dally is the one who doesn't like haircuts and his hair is described longer with partly curling and all... And he HAD that. And he didn't like his hair getting cut for the part and I think as Rusty-James, his hair is like I imagined it. I have that one poster on my wall and whenever I look at it I think it fits the exact description, just not the color but I think with almost white hair he would have stuck out too much and the way he's discribed I always kinda think of Legolas? XD I prefer Matt over Legolas but the length should have been like Rusty-James, maybe even a bit longer.

I often feel Rusty-James gives me more of a book!Dally vibe than him as Dally and I can't even describe why. He's somehow a little bit more.. idk.. raw?