→ ( cdc - canon update )

[desequilibre]

BASIC INFO.
✖ Character Name & Journal: Athos (desequilibre)
✖ Application Link: Here.
✖ Current Canon Point: Season 1 - Episode 10: Musketeers Don't Die Easily.
✖ New Canon Point: Season 2 - Episode 6: Through A Glass Darkly. ( Aired: 20th February 2015 )

✖ Personality Section: Season two, as a whole, confirms many of Athos' previous personality traits. He is a man of dignity and honour who is still often plagued by the demons of his past. He depends on his role as a Musketeer and his adopted family and does everything he can to protect that. He is still too secretive at times and he continues to shy away from the responsibilities that might have shackled him down once upon a time. Athos is also very much the same quick to judge, righteous man that he was before. What this season brings about is more introspection in regards to how he has become the man he is today. We've seen more of his past through his own memories, but also heard a lot from other characters about how he changed from Comte to Musketeer.

Athos' relationship with Milady de Winter is one big piece of evidence. Their's is one that never really settles on any one emotion. We see a whole range of them throughout season two. Athos would like to pretend all there is left is hate between them, but like she says in episode 3 - "whatever I am, you love me and you always will" - there is nothing but evidence for that, his silence when she is in the King's court, his offer of aid and assistance to her after she falls out of favour, his continued acceptance of her existence in his life. Where Athos threatened to kill her if he saw her again in season one, he makes no such move to in season two. He even goes as far as to tell her she's won his respect when she comes to the Garrison to save the King and Queen. He wasn't there at the party because she would be. It's easy enough to see that she'd know that, but the fact that he puts it all aside to go with her and save them means he can swallow down some of his anger. So this season is not one that shows him getting over her exactly, but accepting his own part to play in her down fall.

We see that he knows of her accusations towards Thomas and might actually be coming round to the idea that he should have done something more to help her. In this it also shows a weakness that is in him. Instead of asking her the questions that any man upholding the law should, he asks "Was any of it real? Did you ever love me?" which perhaps shows that his slight was more personal. Even Catherine brings it up later, asking if Milady's greatest crime was murdering his brother or lying to Athos himself. His belief in the truth is something that holds out for many years but it also shows something of his pride being wounded, his hurts more personal, and therefore his guilt in what she has become more profound.

He had his part in her becoming what she is. While he cannot reconcile himself to her crimes - he still accuses her of being a liar and a cheat - he goes some ways in trying to protect her. He's allowing her a new life, when all it would really take is a word about her crimes. In some ways this rings back to season one where he says "perhaps I was saving myself". He just continues to do so throughout the months that pass, and by letting Milady walk around as bold as brass is letting himself heal a little too.

One place we don't see this acceptance of the past is when he is drugged and taken back to Pinon by the local villagers. This is the place he grew up, the town he was Comte over, and he reacts to it as violently as we ever see. They are being threatened by a Baron Renard who is intent on claiming Athos' lands for himself. It's clear he has no care for this and would probably accept were it not for the violence that Renard treats the villagers with. Athos only starts to fight back as one man is whipped. In Pinon, Athos becomes snarling and undignified, physically weaker looking, and haunted. He is beaten and clearly close to giving up. It's through the other Musketeers that the real change in Athos is shown. They all approach him about giving up his title and abandoning Pinon. It's not the Comte and all the trappings that they care about, they know Athos doesn't need any of that. But the fact that he is willing to abandon innocent people is something they never see. He says "I have nothing to offer them" but he is thinking about who he was, not who he is now.

The turning point comes half way through the episode. His conversations with Catherine are important factors in showing what makes Athos Athos. That he married for love, that he was betrayed, that he finds nothing wrong in not being a Comte, but being a soldier instead. He has the support of his friends around him and they remind him that he can get beyond the darker times, that he cannot let all of those ill feelings eat him up. We see him slowly start to regain some of his colour and life when he goes to find weapons, when he helps the villagers learn to defend themselves. And ultimately, Athos is kind. He gives the ownership of the village to them. He doesn't want to be tied down to the place where he lost his brother and his wife but he seems to realise he cannot abandon them to a life without anything set in place. And so he hands over his estate to the people. This ties in neatly to how he was in season one, he was never one who enjoyed the life of a nobleman ( "servants make me uncomfortable" ) and he sought for equality where it was reasonable. Women weren't any less capable than men, people of colour didn't have any less worth. He doesn't enjoy the system of putting oneself above others. It leads to greedy men and those are the kind he fights against. His joy at that shows that beneath the gruff exterior he actually wants people to be happy and he wants to give up some of his past.

While it doesn't seem to get worse, season two throws a lot of light on Athos' issue of addiction. Several characters remark on his drunkenness, and Aramis even goes as far as to tell a woman who is detoxing that Athos has experience in those matters. While we've never seen this happen we can assume it had something to do with how heavily he drank in season one. There are fewer scenes with him and a bottle in hand this time round but it's commented on enough to be obvious. The thing that has changed is that he is less likely to want to be alone. Athos' reliance on his friendships has grown stronger with time. In season one, episode one they imply that he prefers to drink alone, but in season two, episode two he chooses not to, instead he accepts d'Artagnan's company. He allows him to see Athos in a certain light whereas before it was pretty obvious he didn't want any of them to see him as weak.

Other things to note about season two is that Athos becomes more relaxed in his friendships. By being honest with them about Milady and about where he's come from, he's lost a lot of the weight of guilt that was wearing him down. He's more friendly and caring to them, more keen to be included in their camaraderie. He doesn't hold himself as something other and is more likely to be found smiling at their jokes where before that was a rarity.

The thing about season two is that Athos doesn't change exactly, he just allows himself more fluidity of feeling. He's no longer as contained inside of himself. It means he's quick to smile but he's also quick to anger. He's less of a man wearing a mask and more of a fleshed out person. He's learning to be different, and although he's not quite there yet, it's still something.

✖ Abilities Section: Athos is proficient with any number of weapons ( swords, knives, pistols, muskets ). In season one, Captain Treville goes as far as saying he's the most gifted swordsman in the regiment. He treats combat with style as well as using the advantage of rough and dirty fighting the four of them seem to prefer. He's a remarkable fighter and an educated man who should speak more than one language.

He's also a man who used to have money so he's obviously well able to run an estate and keep his affairs in order so we can assume he has a good grasp of numbers etc. As well as this he has a good leadership quality. In season two it's suggested that he might be the one to take over the regiment when Treville's replacement is needed. It's a prestigious position and shows just how capable he's seen to be.

✖ Inventory:( 1 ) black leather jacket.
( 1 ) undershirt.
( 1 ) scarf.
( 1 ) leather trousers.
( 1 ) undergarments.
( 1 ) pair of boots.
( 1 ) Muskeeter arm guard.
( 1 ) belt.
( 1 ) cape.
( 1 ) hat.

Confiscated: ( 1 ) rapier.
( 1 ) main gauche.
( 1 ) pistol.
( 1 ) coin pouch.
( 1 ) flask of wine.