Peter Pan and his Descendant, being in Disney’s Descendants. My personal notes of them for my fanfic.
(Made a short fic, which inspired me to post my notes, while I’m gaining inspiration to flesh it out. I went on for a while, even with shortening them. But it was so much fun, so I just let the creativity train keep rolling. Hope you enjoy!)
I’ve always felt that Peter’s age has been changed to whichever age would be the time when one is on the cusp of adulthood and childhood. When someone is grasping at still being a kid and having to ‘grow up’. When the book was first made Peter was said to still have all his baby teeth. Disney’s was 13-14 same as Wendy was believed to be. In other mediums it’s 14 to 17. All are correct in a way. Peter is meant to be symbolistic of when a child has to choose to become an adult.
So? What age would I put Peter knowing all this? In Descendants I’d put Peter at 19-21. The age when someone is being told they need to be an adult, but they’re still stuck in the teenager mentality more often than not.
How would I fiddle with this when all the players are adults or midteens? I’d place him as one of the rulers, but also as just another punk kid who hates authority. I could see in Descendants everyone would most likely be a bit shocked whenever they see him. Remembering his stories about him being some 14-16 yr old or so. Now being a bit older and much more smarter than before. But great news? He’s just as childish.
So of course, this is Descendants, but he’s young and clearly wouldn’t be the kind to marry so young, so who’s his Descendant? Simple. Rufio.
In Descendants instead of the Hook route of Peter up and leaving for Jane, he’s the ‘King/Representative’ of Neverland. Since he has to go to meetings, over the years of coming and going to meetings, parties, meet and greets, and invitations, he has noticeably aged. Being outside of Neverland has made him age only 5 yrs or so over the course of a little over almost two decades.
I imagine one of the times he comes into the meetings looking about 15, he’s holding a child a little older than a toddler on his hip. Everybody looks at him funny, but he just sets down the kid on his lap with a compass. The kid remains there, quietly watching the compass, while Peter looks up and explains his complaints with the other kingdoms treating Neverland.
Peter isn’t the kind of person to sit through meetings usually and especially if you’re thinly veiling an insult of him being stupid, immature, or too young to understand. He’ll stand abruptly and storm out or pull out his dagger demanding a fight. After four meetings everyone immediately got the message. You respect him just as much as the adults or you’ll have no cooperation on his end.
Rufio has stayed outside of Neverland longer than any lost boy. It is actually a point of pride since he can use it as a way of saying ‘well I know better!’ just as any kid would. Peter after a while decides Rufio’s in charge of the lost boys while he’s gone and is also able to go to meetings in Peter’s stead.
Rufio at around 14 or so decides he doesn’t want to get any older (about the same as Peter was back in the day, but Rufio still ages to 16 by the canon timeline). So he only leaves Neverland whenever needed. Lately it’s to check out Auradon Prep. That school that Peter’s been grumbling how they are trying to force him to make Rufio go there. So what do two troublemakers do when they are being bothered by authority? Oh yes the spray paint is being cracked open as we speak. XD
Of course knowing Descendants focus on fashion what would they have?
I would love more of a punk look to counteract the 70′s punk to prep punk of Mal’s crew and the Prep’s ‘neat and prim’ fashion. So I’d say more of a classic punk look for Peter. Do a ripped sleeveless jean jacket with a hand painted design on the back with handmade patches all over it, maybe even painted handprints from each lost boy on it. A green shirt/short sleeved hoodie with a graphic on it fitting of Peter. Give him very ripped acid washed jeans. With the final touch of a green beanie to symbolize his iconic hat maybe a pin on it or an actual very red feather.
Keep Rufio’s look. He breathes teen 80s punk and I’d only slightly tone it down so he wouldn’t seem so out of place in the movie.
How would I tone it down? Hm, probably ripped and acid splashed black jeans, keep the sleeveless black jacket with red fringe, still a black shirt, but a graphic on the shirt that fits a Neverland theme. Keep the red and black hair, but make it more styled. The bone necklace. *wiggles hand* It’s much. But a good much. I’d settle it down to a necklace with different sharp teeth such as shark and crocodile, with bones but only about a hands-width amount from finger to wrist on a leather/silver necklace.
Would I change much about Peter’s personality? Hm, not really. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Disney version and I feel Return to Neverland expanded his character a lot. So keep the brash, reckless, rash kid that is impulsive and fun seeking. But also keep the fact he’s quite smart, cunning, playful, insightful, and ruminative. Maybe he’s the kind who is laughing and jumping into things. But when he needs to take command you can see him quietly pausing to think about their situation and coming up with a plan.
Overall I love the idea that Peter gets along better with the Isle of the Lost kids, always having been more of a morally grey chaotic good/neutral than the other people who live in Auradon. I feel Peter is more of a ruler who is getting sick of rules or proper etiquette of being one of the ‘Rulers’ of his kingdom. So he has fun where he can and avoid the ‘Official’ stuff like the plague.
Hope you found some enjoyment in my notes! Have a lovely day! ^_^
