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"I HAVE A LOT OF WORDS TO DESCRIBE ARTHUR CHARMING; AND 'CHARMING' IS NOT ONE OF THEM." |
—Urtica Swan, describing Arthur | |
Arthur Red-Charming is Apple White's cousin; more specifically, the son of Rose Red and her Prince, from Snow-White and Rose-Red.
Vice president of the Student Council, Champion debater, star Bookball Player, and general all-around overachiever, Arthur's always been likable and popular. On paper, he's downright perfect. And in school, he commands a great deal of respect through his family name, his connections... and the fact that he can kick your ribs in if you oppose him.
He's the Royal's answer to Mariya Moroz: a muscular, no-nonsense brawler, who believes in the Royals wholeheartedly.
Supposedly destined to take his father's place as another Prince Charming, let's just say Arthur's destiny has recently been... complicated slightly. By a beary big problem.
Character[]
You've probably gone to school with someone like Arthur. And you probably hated this guy: popular, athletic, and somehow, still clever enough to have the second highest GPA in his year, Arthur's despicably... perfect.
He reeks of practiced charm, politeness, and an attitude that lets you know that he's better than you. And, by god, Arthur will not let you forget that. From pushing students around, to subtly blackmailing them, there's little Arthur won't do to get his way. Everything must go according to plan for this guy - and he tends to panic when they don't.
Much more subtle is the thin thread of sheer desperation that runs through most of the things Arthur does. He might be an obnoxious teacher's pet and a bully, but he's also constantly seeking some kind of reassurance in his life.
He's rather flirtatious with most female students - believing falling in love with one of them will help him accomplish his destiny sooner.
History[]
Arthur was born into the extended Snow White family, and raised under a similar level of parental pressure as Apple.
Ever since Raven Queen granted everyone their powers, and destroyed the Book of Legends, Arthur has been pushing for the Destiny system to be reinstated - even going so far as to emotionally manipulate his cousin into doubting whether what Raven did was right.
You see, ever since receiving his own powers, Arthur's been shapeshifting. When he's upset, or if he hasn't transformed recently, his body undergoes a transformation into a large golden grizzly. Which is technically impossible: Snow White's husband was the one cursed into a bear shape, not Rose Red's.
The bear transformation
His parents have been taking him to a myriad of doctors, none of whom can cure him. He's been told to keep this a secret. With his collar, and a host of anger management exercises, he's trying his best to hide this large, hairy, imperfection from the rest of the student body.
Fairytale[]
Snow-White and Rose-Red is unrelated to the other Grimm's Snow White story (the one with the dwarves), but both have recently merged together in pop culture into a single entity (i.e. Willingham's Fables).
| Snow-White and Rose-Red | Snow White and Rose Red are siblings living at the edge of the woods with their mother. In the winter, they're visited by a bear who pleads with them for shelter. The girls treat him with kindness, and he stays until spring.
Throughout the following year, the girls are terrorized by a small, anti-semitic stereotype; each time de-powering him by cutting off bits of his magic beard. When the autumn comes and Rose and Snow cut his beard down to his chin, the bear reappears and kills the racist fairy. The bear reveals himself to have been a cursed prince, and married Snow-White as she's the older sister. Rose Red marries his younger brother. They live happily ever after. |
Where does Arthur come into this?[]
If it wasn't obvious before... Rose Red cheated on her destiny with Snow White's bear prince. Both of them doubt Snow even noticed, and even if she did, Snow has yet to say anything about it. Arthur is unaware of his mother's infidelity as the cause of his curse, and none of the family knows that he and Apple might be closer than they think.
Shapeshifting[]
Arthur's transformations can be repressed by his collar; but not all the time.
Arthur's shapeshifting occured after Raven Queen 'liberated' everyone using the Storybook of Legends. His transformations are normally kept in check by a magic collar, which Rose Red had enchanted so he can't remove.
However, his bear-form tends to emerge when he's angry, physically tired, or feeling a rush of adrenaline. As he was instructed by his mother not to let anyone know, he has a habit of excusing himself to the bathroom when he feels he's about to change shape.
As a bear he's a massive golden grizzly bear, large as a family car and extremely strong. As a result of repressing his powers, his bear from is almost like his own personal Mr Hyde - destructive, violent, and damn-near unstoppable.
He's extremely self conscious about his bear powers, and desperate to find a princess who can free him from them - that's how the story goes, isn't it?
Relationships[]
He has a habit of fiddling with the collar when he thinks no one's looking
Rose Red and Prince Charming[]
Arthur's parents. His mother lives an heiress' lifestyle - keeping up with the Kardashians taken up to eleven - she's extremely concerned about his bear form and it's impact on their family image. As such, she's made him wear his collar and keep his secret at all times.
Apple White[]
Arthur's cousin, unaware of his curse, but still the person he defers to in the Royals. Apple is the closest thing Arthur has to a leash. While under an equal amount of pressure to follow her destiny, Apple's kind and gentle, and seeks to show just how nice the Royals can be.
Arthur believes the Royals need to be more assertive - and disagrees with her on many matters like how their society should be run. Still, Arthur knows his place in the pecking order, and listens obediently to his cousin's decisions. However, recent events have made him worry she's getting a little too close to Raven for comfort.
Konrad Kohler[]
A cousin on his father's side, Arthur has mocked the Lion Prince for his animal transformation since they were small. He finds Konrad's shapeshifting unnatural and weird, and hasn't changed his opinions despite being similarly cursed himself now.
Konrad is the one of the only students aware of his curse - having recognised Bruno's collar as a magical remedy - and has attempted to extend his hand to help Arthur work his way through his issues. Arthur's not taking it yet.
Bruno Igel[]
Another member on the student council, Arthur has gone beyond seeing Bruno as an adversary - he's downright made Bruno's life hell. From flushing the hedgehog-boy down the toilet in a waterproof container, to making Bruno afraid to wear an open shirt around him, Arthur does not like being upstaged in the student council, and he will make sure Bruno "knows his goddamn place!".
Urtica Swan and Ruaridh Minch[]
Arthur has acted as if Urtica was deaf-dumb, as opposed to just mute, talking to Hildy and not directly to her. ("You know, she can still hear you,"/ "My mistake; tell her I'm sorry, won't you?")
Urtica's grudge against him is legendary, and she blogs about him (and White Industries' many Dwarven Rights breaches) angrily on her call-out blog, The Carrying Net. She once enlisted the very openly gay Ruaridh to come sit by Arthur in the Royal's common room and whisper sweet nothings into his ear. Arthur hasn't made fun of Urt since.
Sloan Fiadh[]
Sloan's the guy with the clipboard that follows Arthur around, keeping tabs on everyone's little secrets. If you thought Arthur was a villain, Sloan's his henchman. However, Sloan's habit of finding people's secrets has got him to notice Arthur's: it didn't take Sloan long to discover Arthur's shapeshifting. By keeping the 'bear issue' under wraps, he's become Arthur's confidante and a very best friend... and maybe more.
Appearance[]
Faceclaim[]
Though not quite as heavyset as Arthur, Toby Regbo, in his role as Francis, has the perfect face and flippy blonde hair one can imagine Arthur having.
Description[]
Arthur is a large teenager, a little on a chubby side, but also extremely muscular. His hair is the same shade of blonde as Apple's and he has two notable dimples on either side of his mouth.
| Art | Outfits |
|---|---|
  lines and inks by Garbagebabypossum |
Basic[]Arthur's usual look - a fur-lined jacket and a fur-collared inner shirt. Arthur wears his collar under his clothes at all times. |
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Thronecoming[]Arthur plays up his destiny as the next Rose Red with a rose motif on his vest and vest buttons, and roses on his boots. |
Trivia[]
- Arthur has dated Blondie Lockes before, when she said she "Really loved bears!" - he broke it off when he realised she was too self-absorbed to pay him the attention he wanted. He also fell into a mutually destructive 'friends with benefits' relationship with Faybelle Thorn in his final year.
- He once used the hashtags #AllLivesMatter and #NotAllMen on twitter.
- He may or may not be plotting on how to sell you out to enhance his CV.
- Like Apple, he needs glasses, but never wears them. His depth perception is horrible and he squints when he reads.
- Hero Training isn't Arthur's best subject: it's Beast-biology. He's very interested in the natural world, plants and evolution.