1973: Arthur is introduced as a dreamy, private teenager with a penchant for daydreaming, a restrictive and cold home life, and a hidden passion for glam rock. Through his favorite musicians, Brian Slade and Curt Wild (loosely based on David Bowie and Iggy Pop, respectively), he discovers his own homosexuality, which gets him physically assaulted and kicked out of the house by his father; his mother says nothing to stop it, but is seen waving goodbye to him as he takes a bus from his hometown of Manchester to London, the epicenter of the much more permissive glam scene. Arthur befriends and becomes flatmates with a glam band called The Flaming Creatures, based on The New York Dolls, and quickly becomes close with them.
1974: Arthur and The Creatures are in audience when Brian Slade enacts his infamous hoax. This is how the film's opening credits roll: an excited pre-concert montage, the joyous audience thrown into chaos at the sound of gunshots before the intro of the first song has finished. This is the end of the glam rock scene, but it's the anachronistic beginning of the story, which largely told via interviews from ten years in the future, conducted by an adult and much less glittery Arthur.
1975: Curt Wild, Brian's ex-lover and the reason for his death hoax, holds one last concert: the Death of Glitter. The Flaming Creatures open for him, and after a poignant, raw and painful tribute to Brian, Arthur, dressed as Brian's stage persona, catches his eye. They meet on the roof of the afterparty and have sex under the stars, hanging out until well into the early morning, talking and laughing and sharing beers.
1984: Although we're never told what happens between '75 and '84, Arthur's present incarnation is understated and conservative, a world away from his younger, wilder self. As an investigative journalist and apparent fan of "old-time rock and roll", Arthur is picked by his boss at the New York Herald to do a piece on the Slade assassination hoax for its ten-year anniversary, which eventually puts him back in Curt's orbit. Curt gives Arthur a brooch he received from Brian, which Arthur refuses; Curt slips the brooch in Arthur's beer and leaves with a promise to "see [him] around". The film closes with him taking a swig of beer and nearly choking on the brooch, laughing when he realizes what he's spit in his hand.
EUDIO
Arthur comes into the city of Eudio immediately after the Death of Glitter concert, and for his incentive he requested to cross paths with Curt again. He is unaware that this is already in his cards. At this canonpoint, he's shy, but more emotive and open to intimacy; as an adult, he becomes almost reclusive, but as a twenty-ish very recent groupie, he hasn't yet had whatever experience closed him off to others.
He's still rather awkward, though, and the only real friendship he's made so far is with Amanda Perry. They initially bonded over mutual discomfort with crowds, and found over time that they share a dreamy, quiet way of observing the world. They also share some tastes in music, and have a similar communication style.
POWERS: N/A STARTING EQUIPMENT:
magenta dress shirt; blue v-neck t-shirt, trousers, platform shoes, an assortment of buttons/pins, a pair of dangle earrings.
a small suitcase; inside are a makeup collection, some records, a half-full sketchbook, and an emerald green blazer/trousers set.
EXIT STRATEGY: Arthur is coming along with the rest of the Eudio denizens, through a portal that shows up in his apartment. He didn’t get a chance to realize his incentive, and the eponymous death of glitter is weighing heavily on him, which gives him little to look forward to. He’s a bit of a romantic at heart and desires something bigger than what’s back home. Even before he actually becomes a reporter, he has a journalist’s instinct for leads, which he follows with an intense, almost obsessive focus; he hasn't honed this skill yet, but he will get a sense there's something more to uncover, and quickly pack everything he can fit into his suitcase before following the scent. MORALITY: Arthur is painfully shy, to the point where he doesn’t think of himself as the sort of person to stand up and fight for something, but when it comes down to it, he is much more idealistic than he realizes. He doesn’t talk about his morality--he rarely talks about himself at all, except in recollections through narrative that are mostly his observations on others--but he seems to put a lot of weight in sincerity and personal integrity. Liars, cheats, and bigots don’t sit well with him. WAR ATTITUDES: He’d prefer to stay in the city--he’s somewhat rangy and waifish, and not really cut out for physical fighting. He will likely seek information, and will spend considerable energy verifying it and making sure it’s accurate before disseminating it, whether through an official paper or on his own. He communicates most effectively via writing, and will try to use that to inspire and inform the population without having to talk to anyone directly. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS: Arthur is taciturn and quiet to the point where he’s nearly silent, and doesn’t make friends easily. When he does, though, he is intensely invested in them, quickly becoming wrapped up in them and their lives.
He is also gay, and grew up in a home where it was treated as something filthy and shameful, if it was talked about at all, which has given him some hangups. His family, especially his father, seems distant and detached and even sometimes scornful; Arthur, while quiet and private, can also be a hopeless and somewhat flamboyant romantic, and threw himself into the solace and freedom he found in the glam rock scene.
Over his years rooming with The Creatures, he blossoms under the freedom and belonging, and becomes more and more comfortable with his own sexuality and expression. He’s still his shy, quiet self, but he enjoys being a flashy part of a flashy crowd, and his repressed upbringing has made him skin-hungry. He’s nervous and reluctant to make the first move, partly because of his shyness and difficult home life, but he’s eager to please and still basking in the glow of being able to be open about his sexuality. COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: As I previously touched on in the attitudes section, Arthur’s primary contribution will be through his words. He will likely start with things like music reviews and listening to others’ stories, but may eventually begin to start digging around the circumstances of the world, and may even become a war correspondent.
He will also be interested in the lives of his few friends and acquaintances from Eudio, since they share a displacement story, and at least one of them has earned his intense loyalty.
no subject
PLAYER NAME: Ember
AGE: 25
CONTACT:
INVITED BY: Adelai
IC:
CHARACTER NAME: Arthur Stuart
CANON: Velvet Goldmine
CANON POINT: 1975/post-Death of Glitter concert
CRAU: Yes,
AGE: 20
BACKGROUND:
POWERS: N/A
STARTING EQUIPMENT:
SAMPLES:
eudio log
test drive sample
In-Universe:
EXIT STRATEGY: Arthur is coming along with the rest of the Eudio denizens, through a portal that shows up in his apartment. He didn’t get a chance to realize his incentive, and the eponymous death of glitter is weighing heavily on him, which gives him little to look forward to. He’s a bit of a romantic at heart and desires something bigger than what’s back home. Even before he actually becomes a reporter, he has a journalist’s instinct for leads, which he follows with an intense, almost obsessive focus; he hasn't honed this skill yet, but he will get a sense there's something more to uncover, and quickly pack everything he can fit into his suitcase before following the scent.
MORALITY: Arthur is painfully shy, to the point where he doesn’t think of himself as the sort of person to stand up and fight for something, but when it comes down to it, he is much more idealistic than he realizes. He doesn’t talk about his morality--he rarely talks about himself at all, except in recollections through narrative that are mostly his observations on others--but he seems to put a lot of weight in sincerity and personal integrity. Liars, cheats, and bigots don’t sit well with him.
WAR ATTITUDES: He’d prefer to stay in the city--he’s somewhat rangy and waifish, and not really cut out for physical fighting. He will likely seek information, and will spend considerable energy verifying it and making sure it’s accurate before disseminating it, whether through an official paper or on his own. He communicates most effectively via writing, and will try to use that to inspire and inform the population without having to talk to anyone directly.
INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS: Arthur is taciturn and quiet to the point where he’s nearly silent, and doesn’t make friends easily. When he does, though, he is intensely invested in them, quickly becoming wrapped up in them and their lives.
He is also gay, and grew up in a home where it was treated as something filthy and shameful, if it was talked about at all, which has given him some hangups. His family, especially his father, seems distant and detached and even sometimes scornful; Arthur, while quiet and private, can also be a hopeless and somewhat flamboyant romantic, and threw himself into the solace and freedom he found in the glam rock scene.
Over his years rooming with The Creatures, he blossoms under the freedom and belonging, and becomes more and more comfortable with his own sexuality and expression. He’s still his shy, quiet self, but he enjoys being a flashy part of a flashy crowd, and his repressed upbringing has made him skin-hungry. He’s nervous and reluctant to make the first move, partly because of his shyness and difficult home life, but he’s eager to please and still basking in the glow of being able to be open about his sexuality.
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS: As I previously touched on in the attitudes section, Arthur’s primary contribution will be through his words. He will likely start with things like music reviews and listening to others’ stories, but may eventually begin to start digging around the circumstances of the world, and may even become a war correspondent.
He will also be interested in the lives of his few friends and acquaintances from Eudio, since they share a displacement story, and at least one of them has earned his intense loyalty.