Steven Grant (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summonthesuit) wrote2022-05-11 01:37 pm
summonthesuit) wrote2022-05-11 01:37 pm
Application | Ryslig
SPOILERS for Moon Knight! CW: for mentions of Dissociative Identity Disorder, trauma and child abuse.
OOC INFORMATION
Name: Meowzy
Contact:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
meowzy / Meowzy#8807 @ Discord
Age: 33
Other Characters: Otto Octavius
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Steven Grant
Age: Presumably around 37 years old (we get a canon birthday, but not the exact year the series takes place in)
Canon: Moon Knight (live action series)
Canon Point: Post season 1
Character Information: Beware the spoilers!
Personality:
"Your mind, I feel it. Fractured. Broken."
Here we have not a typical man, but rather, a man who was born from someone else's trauma. To really understand who Steven Grant is, first we need to review Marc Spector so that we can compare the two. The stoic one, Marc is a very curt and gruff person at first glance. He doesn't mince words and rarely ever smiles. He doesn't joke, nor does he seem to have any real hobbies. Not only does he find it very difficult to talk about his emotions, he actively hides things from people he cares about. When in need of information from shady individuals, his first instinct is to beat it out of them. Marc is a mercenary and a soldier through and through.
Looking a little deeper, we find that the trauma of his childhood had a very grand impact on him. Blamed for the death of his little brother and beaten by his mother, Marc has become bitter and cynical. He doesn't easily trust other people, and he certainly doesn't open up to them. As the main alter and 'origin' of the others, so to speak, Marc is very much aware that he's a troubled individual. When the Ennead ask him whether he's "unwell", the desperation is clear on his face. Even so, he admits that he is unwell and that he needs help. The afterlife taking the form of a psych ward doesn't come as a surprise at all. Marc is consistently bogged down by guilt and it was his desire to escape which first gave birth to Steven at a young age.
Steven Grant is the opposite of Marc in numerous ways. Steven is kind, apologetic, open about his feelings and somewhat meek, allowing his co-workers to walk all over him. He reads books and poetry, he does puzzles, he's a vegan... He loves archaeology, particularly related to Egypt, and gets very excitable when these sorts of topics come up. Whereas Marc is rather sober, Steven is the one who holds most of the pop-culture knowledge. He's the one talking about 'evil magician mancaves' and referring to Doctor Harrow's look as "very Ned Flanders". While Marc has already been married for several years, Steven has never asked anyone out before in his life. On the flipside, while Marc doesn't know a dang thing about Egyptian history, Steven can read hieroglyphs and put together complicated star maps just like that. Despite characters like Khonshu referring to him as 'the idiot', he's actually the (book) smart one, so let's pour one out for intelligent.
As mentioned earlier, Steven is rather awkward and meek at the start of the series. Unlike Marc, who clams up easily, Steven is incredibly talkative. His only friend is a living statue who he talks to about his problems every single day, and who never talks back because, well, living statue. He also spends extended amounts of time chatting with his pet fish and often calls his mother with updates on his life. However, as we learn later, she hadn't spoken to him in years and is actually dead by the time the series kicks off. (He was just... talking to no one on his phone.) When he finally gets to go on a date for once, he puts his best foot forward even though they're set to eat at a steak house. He simply doesn't have the nerve to schedule the date elsewhere because he's just that grateful to be going on a date in the first place. No matter how rude the other person is, he's still very kind and polite to anyone he meets. Even actual cult leaders like Arthur Harrow are spoken to in a rather calm manner, with Steven questioning the man's line of thinking rather than outright dismissing it. It isn't until later on in the series that he finally grows a backbone in social interactions, but even then, he retains his open nature and his optimism.
'When danger is near, Steven Grant has no fear,' or so goes the catchphrase that started it all. One might assume this means Steven is courageous, but that was certainly not the 'intent' behind Steven's birth. Rather, when danger is near, Steven Grant is purposely made unaware of it. The point of him, or so Marc later claims, is that Steven gets to live a happy, peaceful life, thinking that he had a mother who loved him- a mother who's still alive. Steven is kept in a blissful, ignorant fantasy and so, he knows no fear up until the moment his life begins to intertwine with Marc's. Every time he finds himself in a dangerous situation in the first few episodes, he becomes frightened and panics. It isn't until much later, when he realizes he has the same sort of skillset that Marc has, that he comes into his own and finds the courage needed to fight. When it comes down to it, Steven has a very protective nature. That's precisely why, when Marc's in trouble on the ship's deck down in the Duat, Steven springs into action to protect him, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. Steven was born to shield Marc from a life of grief and trauma, so shielding him is what Steven will do. Moon Knight's head writer, Jeremy Slater, confirmed that the reason the scales balance out at that moment isn't because Marc's come to terms with who he is, it's because Steven did. Marc already knew exactly who he was, but the truth hidden within his memories has Steven embrace his role as 'the protector of the system'.
Steven is kind, with a very strong moral compass. He's the little voice telling Marc to put the knife down, often in a literal sense. He's a pacifist above all and will always try to find the most peaceful way out. When there's collateral damage, or someone's about to get hurt, he feels quite guilty and does his best to smooth the situation over, even if it's not really his fault. This goes hand in hand with being forgiving. A main theme in Moon Knight is judgment, and when it should be dished out, but it's abundantly clear Steven believes in second chances and redemption. There's very few people who could piss him off to such a degree that he'd hold a grudge. He doesn't even seem particularly upset with Arthur Harrow, the guy who shot him and began to condemn countless souls. Piling on even more, Steven doesn't like to lie or hide information, either. He wears his heart and his opinions on his sleeve. When Layla first leans in to kiss him, he interrupts her and instead tells her the real reason why Marc left her. Does he still kiss her after that? Yes. But at least Layla has all the information she needs to make her own choices. As she tells him, 'honesty is more of a Steven thing'.
Another aspect to Steven that grows as the show goes on is his defiance. In the asylum, when searching for the truth which will balance the scales, he actively ditches Marc to traverse the memories on his own and find the answers he wants. When 'Doctor' Harrow states his mother is dead, the first thing he says is that it's not true. He even attempts to force a better deal out of Khonshu when they finally reunite. In fact, he already actively goes against Marc several times in episode 2, flat-out refusing to return the body to him because he knows it will lead to more violence. When Marc finally does gain control, Steven insists he won't give the man even a moment's peace, scolding him through his reflection at every turn. What a stubborn guy! Meek as he may be, Steven learns exactly which battles to pick.
Something worth noting is that despite living in London and speaking with the accent, Steven isn't actually a born and bred British man. He's more a facsimile of it. Originally, Steven was based on a posh British character from a hokey Hollywood movie, so you can imagine the British he speaks can turn a bit 'over the top' at times. He may have lived in London long enough to ease himself into a more natural use of British slang, but that doesn't change that Steven first learned the key phrases from pop-culture sources. He does have the British passport and identifies as such, so at least he's got that going for him.
By the end of the series- or at least the first season- Marc has come around to see his alter as a strength rather than a weakness. He considers Steven's existence the only true superpower he ever had. Steven has his own soul, his own heart and his own identity.
5-10 Key Character Traits:
- Intelligent
- Protective
- Kind
- Defiant
- Stubborn
- Awkward
- Forgiving
- Overly-talkative
- Excitable
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? Fits
Opt-Outs: Minotaur, troll, goblin, pooka, waldgeist, manticore
Roleplay Sample:
Ryslig's Test Drive Meme
OOC INFORMATION
Name: Meowzy
Contact:
Age: 33
Other Characters: Otto Octavius
CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Steven Grant
Age: Presumably around 37 years old (we get a canon birthday, but not the exact year the series takes place in)
Canon: Moon Knight (live action series)
Canon Point: Post season 1
Character Information: Beware the spoilers!
Personality:
"Your mind, I feel it. Fractured. Broken."
Here we have not a typical man, but rather, a man who was born from someone else's trauma. To really understand who Steven Grant is, first we need to review Marc Spector so that we can compare the two. The stoic one, Marc is a very curt and gruff person at first glance. He doesn't mince words and rarely ever smiles. He doesn't joke, nor does he seem to have any real hobbies. Not only does he find it very difficult to talk about his emotions, he actively hides things from people he cares about. When in need of information from shady individuals, his first instinct is to beat it out of them. Marc is a mercenary and a soldier through and through.
Looking a little deeper, we find that the trauma of his childhood had a very grand impact on him. Blamed for the death of his little brother and beaten by his mother, Marc has become bitter and cynical. He doesn't easily trust other people, and he certainly doesn't open up to them. As the main alter and 'origin' of the others, so to speak, Marc is very much aware that he's a troubled individual. When the Ennead ask him whether he's "unwell", the desperation is clear on his face. Even so, he admits that he is unwell and that he needs help. The afterlife taking the form of a psych ward doesn't come as a surprise at all. Marc is consistently bogged down by guilt and it was his desire to escape which first gave birth to Steven at a young age.
Steven Grant is the opposite of Marc in numerous ways. Steven is kind, apologetic, open about his feelings and somewhat meek, allowing his co-workers to walk all over him. He reads books and poetry, he does puzzles, he's a vegan... He loves archaeology, particularly related to Egypt, and gets very excitable when these sorts of topics come up. Whereas Marc is rather sober, Steven is the one who holds most of the pop-culture knowledge. He's the one talking about 'evil magician mancaves' and referring to Doctor Harrow's look as "very Ned Flanders". While Marc has already been married for several years, Steven has never asked anyone out before in his life. On the flipside, while Marc doesn't know a dang thing about Egyptian history, Steven can read hieroglyphs and put together complicated star maps just like that. Despite characters like Khonshu referring to him as 'the idiot', he's actually the (book) smart one, so let's pour one out for intelligent.
As mentioned earlier, Steven is rather awkward and meek at the start of the series. Unlike Marc, who clams up easily, Steven is incredibly talkative. His only friend is a living statue who he talks to about his problems every single day, and who never talks back because, well, living statue. He also spends extended amounts of time chatting with his pet fish and often calls his mother with updates on his life. However, as we learn later, she hadn't spoken to him in years and is actually dead by the time the series kicks off. (He was just... talking to no one on his phone.) When he finally gets to go on a date for once, he puts his best foot forward even though they're set to eat at a steak house. He simply doesn't have the nerve to schedule the date elsewhere because he's just that grateful to be going on a date in the first place. No matter how rude the other person is, he's still very kind and polite to anyone he meets. Even actual cult leaders like Arthur Harrow are spoken to in a rather calm manner, with Steven questioning the man's line of thinking rather than outright dismissing it. It isn't until later on in the series that he finally grows a backbone in social interactions, but even then, he retains his open nature and his optimism.
'When danger is near, Steven Grant has no fear,' or so goes the catchphrase that started it all. One might assume this means Steven is courageous, but that was certainly not the 'intent' behind Steven's birth. Rather, when danger is near, Steven Grant is purposely made unaware of it. The point of him, or so Marc later claims, is that Steven gets to live a happy, peaceful life, thinking that he had a mother who loved him- a mother who's still alive. Steven is kept in a blissful, ignorant fantasy and so, he knows no fear up until the moment his life begins to intertwine with Marc's. Every time he finds himself in a dangerous situation in the first few episodes, he becomes frightened and panics. It isn't until much later, when he realizes he has the same sort of skillset that Marc has, that he comes into his own and finds the courage needed to fight. When it comes down to it, Steven has a very protective nature. That's precisely why, when Marc's in trouble on the ship's deck down in the Duat, Steven springs into action to protect him, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. Steven was born to shield Marc from a life of grief and trauma, so shielding him is what Steven will do. Moon Knight's head writer, Jeremy Slater, confirmed that the reason the scales balance out at that moment isn't because Marc's come to terms with who he is, it's because Steven did. Marc already knew exactly who he was, but the truth hidden within his memories has Steven embrace his role as 'the protector of the system'.
Steven is kind, with a very strong moral compass. He's the little voice telling Marc to put the knife down, often in a literal sense. He's a pacifist above all and will always try to find the most peaceful way out. When there's collateral damage, or someone's about to get hurt, he feels quite guilty and does his best to smooth the situation over, even if it's not really his fault. This goes hand in hand with being forgiving. A main theme in Moon Knight is judgment, and when it should be dished out, but it's abundantly clear Steven believes in second chances and redemption. There's very few people who could piss him off to such a degree that he'd hold a grudge. He doesn't even seem particularly upset with Arthur Harrow, the guy who shot him and began to condemn countless souls. Piling on even more, Steven doesn't like to lie or hide information, either. He wears his heart and his opinions on his sleeve. When Layla first leans in to kiss him, he interrupts her and instead tells her the real reason why Marc left her. Does he still kiss her after that? Yes. But at least Layla has all the information she needs to make her own choices. As she tells him, 'honesty is more of a Steven thing'.
Another aspect to Steven that grows as the show goes on is his defiance. In the asylum, when searching for the truth which will balance the scales, he actively ditches Marc to traverse the memories on his own and find the answers he wants. When 'Doctor' Harrow states his mother is dead, the first thing he says is that it's not true. He even attempts to force a better deal out of Khonshu when they finally reunite. In fact, he already actively goes against Marc several times in episode 2, flat-out refusing to return the body to him because he knows it will lead to more violence. When Marc finally does gain control, Steven insists he won't give the man even a moment's peace, scolding him through his reflection at every turn. What a stubborn guy! Meek as he may be, Steven learns exactly which battles to pick.
Something worth noting is that despite living in London and speaking with the accent, Steven isn't actually a born and bred British man. He's more a facsimile of it. Originally, Steven was based on a posh British character from a hokey Hollywood movie, so you can imagine the British he speaks can turn a bit 'over the top' at times. He may have lived in London long enough to ease himself into a more natural use of British slang, but that doesn't change that Steven first learned the key phrases from pop-culture sources. He does have the British passport and identifies as such, so at least he's got that going for him.
By the end of the series- or at least the first season- Marc has come around to see his alter as a strength rather than a weakness. He considers Steven's existence the only true superpower he ever had. Steven has his own soul, his own heart and his own identity.
5-10 Key Character Traits:
- Intelligent
- Protective
- Kind
- Defiant
- Stubborn
- Awkward
- Forgiving
- Overly-talkative
- Excitable
Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, EITHER, or opt for 100% RANDOMIZATION? Fits
Opt-Outs: Minotaur, troll, goblin, pooka, waldgeist, manticore
Roleplay Sample:
Ryslig's Test Drive Meme