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happy holidays!

also hello how is everyone, my name is kris. I ran from this account some time back because I couldn’t handle getting a follow back from three huge art idols of mine which was very very very silly in hindsight (thanks anxiety)

I want to draw more from now on and I’d also love to talk to y’all! thanks for taking the time to read this, too

This is a tricky question and I can see myself going back and forth depending on what evidence I happen to be looking at. My instinct is to say a bit of both because I think there's a lot of complexity at play here. There's no doubt to me that Dutch was more than comfortable using Arthur and John as extensions of himself, but "Tools" implies a level of disposability that I don't think is quite true. The truth is none of his men were disposable to him, not until his fear of rejection and betrayal set in. In Guarma when Javier gets shot Dutch doesn't hesitate to put himself in a lot of danger to get Javier back, even though it would have been much easier to leave him to die. The one sticking point Dutch had with Micah throughout the game was that Micah wanted to abandon the girls and the older men for not being strong enough and Dutch refused outright more than once. On top of all that it isn't until that one moment at the end, the first time Arthur "insists" that Arthur is considered a threat.

Now clearly for Dutch disposability seems to be contingent on Loyalty, but I personally think based on a lot of his dialogue Dutch has "loyalty" and "love" mixed up in his head. A lack of loyalty isn't just betrayal of his leadership, of his wants and goals, but of the values that prop up that relationship completely. Betrayal and the fear of betrayal dug his fear of rejection and failure. Like I said: complex.