kat

darry curtis = george bailey

in some aspects, not all of them, i see darry, the oldest brother. him being the one who wants to get out of his hometown so bad, but he just can't. he can't leave because every time he wants to go, something (or someone 👀) holds him down.

they could never make me hate you darry curtis.

ESPECIALLY in musical canon (e.g. "I've run this family right into the ground/maybe you'd be best without me," "Maybe I've been afraid to say/that I'm just not cut out for this/just another failure on a growing list/and it's harder now than ever/it's more than I can take/There ain't no one to bail me out/there ain't no saving this now/I think I'm throwing in the towel" and. Yknow. The whole rest of Throwing In The Towel.) and then the realization that quitting on them would hurt them. that yes it's hard and yeah you're struggling but you matter so much and they love you so much, whether you feel like you deserve it or not, and their lives would be so much worse if you weren't there.

but also! the character in all areas of media! repeatedly unquestioningly giving everything he has for the people who need him. and simultaneously, attempting to scrape by on his own.

and struggling because of that isolationism! doing and saying things he regrets!

and when his situation is resolved, when he is redeemed, it is by the hands of those he has given everything he has for, not by his own hands. by accepting forgiveness and help, by accepting not by earning, when earning is all he has thought of for so long.

coming back to this, I know it's been a minute but last night I had a thought

correct me if I'm wrong but in musical canon, don't their parents die on Darry's birthday?

and Ponyboy says something to the effect of "if I hadn't forgotten to get that chocolate frosting, they wouldn't have died, and it's my fault they're dead"

this is like. beyond headcanon atp and might be really ooc but for purposes of a theoretical fic that I probably won't write but if I did would that be okay if I cited your idea? as the inspo paralleling It's A Wonderful Life,

yes yes I think its something along those lines, im not entirely sure but I think so???

I would be absolutely HONORED ‼️🤍 yes yes of course please feel free to use it!! if you ever do write it and decide to share i would absolutely LOVE to read it!!

im literally in so much shock right now, I think at times he would definitely feel that sense of guilt for even having a birthday, a day where all the attention is on him, he comes to hating it so much because on a day surrounding him, it led to the death of his parents that were just trying to do something sweet for him🥲

aaaaaah yay, tysm!! :))) I will absolutely let you know and if you're okay with it, I'd love to keep back and forthing ideas and takes like this if that's something you might be interested in? it's a truly inspired idea, thank you so much for sharing it!!

aaaugh. yeah 😭 and the guilt of feeling like the prioritization of something he wanted led to their deaths would probably stick with him for years

dude thank YOU! this is a lot of fun to find parallels in!!

also Idk how timing things might go down but there's potential I think for either Harry Bailey + WWII -> Sodapop + Vietnam (to keep the same straight war-to-war translation, but with very different tonal and thematic undertones, and maybe with very different results, but idk if we should be that mean, so maybe just with different apparent results)

Or, Harry Bailey + WWII -> Ponyboy + the book and coming back having money (to keep that same victorious return pull-you-out-of-a-ditch but viewing it as just beginning repaying undertone but losing some of that direct translation aspect)

IM SO DOWN IM HERE TO LISTEN AND GO ON AND NO ABOUT THIS IDEA. im all here for it to go back and forth, im so so happy my idea has sparked even more in you 🤍

OH YES.

I've literally never even considered the fact of putting either Pony or Soda in that position but now I CAN'T UNSEE IT

I love both ideas my jaw is literally on the ground as im reading this and thinking about the possibilities of either being in each position :') Soda being in that position i think really has a good alignment with the storyline considering we have that idea of soda being drafted later on in his life, but the one of pony is also so good because I had never even thought about him in that way so my mind is currently in shock ‼️‼️

darry curtis = george bailey

in some aspects, not all of them, i see darry, the oldest brother. him being the one who wants to get out of his hometown so bad, but he just can't. he can't leave because every time he wants to go, something (or someone 👀) holds him down.

they could never make me hate you darry curtis.

ESPECIALLY in musical canon (e.g. "I've run this family right into the ground/maybe you'd be best without me," "Maybe I've been afraid to say/that I'm just not cut out for this/just another failure on a growing list/and it's harder now than ever/it's more than I can take/There ain't no one to bail me out/there ain't no saving this now/I think I'm throwing in the towel" and. Yknow. The whole rest of Throwing In The Towel.) and then the realization that quitting on them would hurt them. that yes it's hard and yeah you're struggling but you matter so much and they love you so much, whether you feel like you deserve it or not, and their lives would be so much worse if you weren't there.

but also! the character in all areas of media! repeatedly unquestioningly giving everything he has for the people who need him. and simultaneously, attempting to scrape by on his own.

and struggling because of that isolationism! doing and saying things he regrets!

and when his situation is resolved, when he is redeemed, it is by the hands of those he has given everything he has for, not by his own hands. by accepting forgiveness and help, by accepting not by earning, when earning is all he has thought of for so long.

coming back to this, I know it's been a minute but last night I had a thought

correct me if I'm wrong but in musical canon, don't their parents die on Darry's birthday?

and Ponyboy says something to the effect of "if I hadn't forgotten to get that chocolate frosting, they wouldn't have died, and it's my fault they're dead"

this is like. beyond headcanon atp and might be really ooc but for purposes of a theoretical fic that I probably won't write but if I did would that be okay if I cited your idea? as the inspo paralleling It's A Wonderful Life,

yes yes I think its something along those lines, im not entirely sure but I think so???

I would be absolutely HONORED ‼️🤍 yes yes of course please feel free to use it!! if you ever do write it and decide to share i would absolutely LOVE to read it!!

im literally in so much shock right now, I think at times he would definitely feel that sense of guilt for even having a birthday, a day where all the attention is on him, he comes to hating it so much because on a day surrounding him, it led to the death of his parents that were just trying to do something sweet for him🥲

darry curtis = george bailey

in some aspects, not all of them, i see darry, the oldest brother. him being the one who wants to get out of his hometown so bad, but he just can't. he can't leave because every time he wants to go, something (or someone 👀) holds him down.

they could never make me hate you darry curtis.

ESPECIALLY in musical canon (e.g. "I've run this family right into the ground/maybe you'd be best without me," "Maybe I've been afraid to say/that I'm just not cut out for this/just another failure on a growing list/and it's harder now than ever/it's more than I can take/There ain't no one to bail me out/there ain't no saving this now/I think I'm throwing in the towel" and. Yknow. The whole rest of Throwing In The Towel.) and then the realization that quitting on them would hurt them. that yes it's hard and yeah you're struggling but you matter so much and they love you so much, whether you feel like you deserve it or not, and their lives would be so much worse if you weren't there.

but also! the character in all areas of media! repeatedly unquestioningly giving everything he has for the people who need him. and simultaneously, attempting to scrape by on his own.

and struggling because of that isolationism! doing and saying things he regrets!

and when his situation is resolved, when he is redeemed, it is by the hands of those he has given everything he has for, not by his own hands. by accepting forgiveness and help, by accepting not by earning, when earning is all he has thought of for so long.

Darry thinks that Pony only ever needs Soda, and Pony will never admit when he needs Darry.

But when Pony has a nightmare and Soda’s usual methods of soothing him don’t seem to be working, he’ll notice how Pony’s eyes keep darting toward the door, only drooping closed after Soda has shepherded him into their oldest brother’s bed. When Pony is sick and shivering, Soda can tell when all the blankets in the house plus his own body heat aren’t enough without the person who runs the warmest. When Pony is scared of something and he needs more than Soda’s gentle calming, he needs someone to slay the monster; someone whose love and protectiveness is more ferocious and animalistic than the beast.

And Darry, well, Darry will never admit to needing anyone, especially his youngest brother who it’s his job to care for, to protect. It’s his job to be needed by Pony, not the other way around.

But Soda knows that on the days when Darry feels like he’s failing, his own reassurance won’t mean as much because it’s nothing he hasn’t said a million times. So he’ll make offhanded comments like “Pony, Darry made the cake this time” so that Darry can see Pony’s eyes light up with the reminder that Darry’s cake is his favorite. Or when Darry’s had a rough day, Soda will nudge Pony to go sit by him on the couch, “maybe read him that part of your book you liked so much that I didn’t understand.” Pony will look at him like he’s crazy at first, but soon he and Darry will be locked in a conversation about a book that Darry remembers reading for school but never looked at the way Pony does, Pony’s head on Darry’s shoulder and Darry petting Pony’s hair.

how darry sees ponyboy gazing at the sunset instead of taking the trash out

Darry.

December 1st, 1969. Number 101. That’s the number he was given—the number all men born on January 5th were given. He still remembers the way his heart stopped. He wishes he could’ve reminded the TV—did he hear them right? Maybe they said January 15th? The only thing that reigns him to reality is the suddenly gaunt look on Soda’s face. He looks sick. Pony’s mouth is ajar, notebook slipping out of his fingers. Soda swallows thickly. This is real. This is all real. Too real. Soda’s hand finds its way to Darry’s arm, squeezing too tight. He can se the way Soda’s head is spinning, undoubtedly trying to plan so him and Pony could survive without Darry…possibly forever.

January 1st, 1970. 4 days before Darry’s 25th birthday. He still remembers packing his bags. Pony and Soda helping him, sneaking little photographs into his wallet. They don’t say much—what is there to say? They may never see each other again. They may never hear Darry’s voice again. They may lose their big brother. That’s looming over all of them. As he gets ready to leave, he can’t ignore the way both his brothers are bawling as they pack his car—Soda stressing about finding a second, maybe even third job while Pony can’t even look Darry in the eyes. They hug him, clinging onto the last bit of their big brother they can. This could be their last hug. Their last time he would come home. Their last goodbye.

January 15th, 1970. Darry fails boot camp. It wasn’t his fault—his back pain went unnoticed during his mandatory pre-training physical. Five years of lifting heavy lumber finally got to him—basic training exercises felt like torture. He felt like his muscles were getting ripped apart, but they didn’t seem to care. Send him to the medic and let him rest, try again, rinse and repeat until they decide they’ve had enough and transfer him to a different training ground in hopes he’d be suitable there.

March 1st, 1970. Darry’s been transferred to 8 different training grounds now, failing at every single one. He’s finally been discharged (with hesitance—the sergeants weren’t too thrilled to let him go). they transport him back home. he’d written a letter home a week prior letting hid brothers know he was coming home—he hopes they received it.

March 2nd, 1970. Darry steps through the door. It feels so…barren. Soda’s asleep at the table, a pile of bills surrounding him. He wonders how many times Soda’s seen him like that. Pony’s on the couch, curled up in a ball. He knocks on the door gently and both his brothers shoot up. It takes a moment. then two. but they both immediately bolt over to him, hugging him so tight it almost hurts more than any of the boot camps he’s been to. They’re both bawling—he is too. They were all so scared. The uncertainty of everything stressed them out horribly, and part of them is relieved Darry couldn’t go through with it. They were whole again.

“Heroes shouldn’t have curfews. I should get to stay out as late as I want.”

“So you runnin into a burning building means I oughta let you out unsupervised more?”

“Ya know Darry, you shouldn’t order around a hero about doin chores.”

“Is that so? Well, why don’t you pretend all your dirty clothes all over the floor are kids you gotta rescue all heroic like. Then maybe you’ll pick’em up. I’ll even write an editorial and put it on the fridge.”