I'm Thinking Of Paul Beating Up Ponyboy, Cornering Him In An Alley, Knowing It's Him, And Attacking Anyway.

little ralbert drawing i did. I need you all to understand how much I love these two (either platonically or romantically I am so not picky)

(featuring the reference image which i found on pinterest)

random modern newsies head cannons (with absolutely no evidence or reason) pt. 1

main characters first!

Jack:

Draws all over his clothes. Put a pen in his hands and he’s immediately doodling on all over his jeans. Ff there’s a design he likes and doesn’t want it to wash away, he’ll ask Davey to embroider it.

Also draws on other people’s clothes (with permission. unless you're Crutchie and then he's just gonna draw on you).

Leather jackets and cowboy boots.

Never says I love you but always shouts after people to be careful.

Never drinks water and always complains about having a headache, but claims drinking water means he wastes time going to the bathroom when he could be painting.

Can't touch his toes. This is random but I feel it so strongly.

Davey:

CANNOT sit still (or normally). is always shifting, sitting backwards in chairs, pulling his knees to his chest. Claims it helps him think better.

Majored in the humanities in college with an incredibly niche concentration/focus that he will always explain in detail, even if the person who asked about it doesn't care.

Designs his own clothes (and decorates Jack's). He wants to look stylish but is picky about the fabric and fit, so he makes his own stuff and it's rly cool and unique.

Goes to parties to watch people and silently judge them. Stands in the corner with a glass of wine.

Everybody loves him. He is so popular but has no idea.

Katherine:

Rock climbs. Jacked back and freakishly bendy.

Runs the school paper and is everyone's campus crush. She doesn't know this and also could not care less what anyone thinks about her anyways.

Has this one bright red jacket she wears from fall through spring, and is therefore never dressed warmly enough for winter. Her cheeks are always so pink but she claims she's never cold.

Stands with David at parties and takes notes for inspiration.

(I read this one in the fic Nothing but Old Doubts Now by CoraRemarks on AO3) but she has two dads; Plumber and Pulitzer. This is fact.

Sarah:

Plays soccer (midfield, though she did goalie for a bit too) and is insanely good at it.

For two years only wore her hair in two french braids. Immediately after she cut it all off.

DJ'd at frat parties for a long time and would always mix in the weirdest, nichest music. Was threatened to be fired many times, but never was.

Is always injured but you'd never know it; she broke her wrist once and it took her two days before she decided it actually hurt.

Nobody knows NYC like Sarah. She knows every store, restaurant, etc. and has ranked opinions on everything as well.

The WORST at sympathetic words but the best at sympathetic actions.

Everybody is in love with her. She knows.

everything sucks (i've read the whole redfinch tag on ao3)

taking boots out of the bway version fundamentally changed the dynamic of the newsies and i miss boots every time i watch it #in my boots era

random modern newsies head cannons (with absolutely no evidence or reason) pt. 2

more bc i can!!

Race:

The most aggressive, reckless driver, but is dangerously good at it. Will cut across multiple lanes but has never even scratched a car.

Lied to everyone in his first week of college about his entire life (different lie per person) just for fun. He finally started telling the truth but nobody believes him.

Started a school poker club and promptly got kicked out of it for betting too much, and then winning it every time. (He just wanted a way to make money. The school did not like that).

STEM major. His work is impossible but he never complains about it. Also a dancer (not my hc). He complains about that a lot.

Has worked almost every retail job under the sun. Also complains about that.

Carries around cigarettes for the vibe but rarely smokes them. Just in case anyone else wants one. Has made friends with many random people this way.

Spot:

Brooklyn baby. Cannot drive. Is terrified of it but, when Race tried to teach him, he yelled at everyone and blamed other people for what was definitely his fault. Refuses to admit that.

Played football but seriously injured his knee (explanation for the cane) but doesn't talk about it much. Always comes up with a new reason for the injury that is entirely ridiculous, but since he delivers it with a straight face everybody believes him.

Absolutely no rhythm. Never goes to parties, even though he is in a fraternity (a very chill one, thank you very much). If he's ever at a party, it's because he's a sober contact, and he is the most unsympathetic person when it comes to taking care of drunk people unless it's Race.

Insists on sitting alone in the back of the lecture hall, even if he has friends in his class.

Crutchie:

Also an incredibly reckless driver but HAS gotten into accidents before. (Only twice, both times because he was racing a friend on the highway. Never serious but always stupid).

Very fidgety and usually making noises under his breath/drumming on shit. Drives everybody around him crazy.

The kind of guy to argue with a professor in a lecture, but only when he's sure he's right (which is always).

So many illegal things in his dorm: candles, toaster, air fryer, multiple animals.

Double majoring in a STEM and humanities field, always references one when in classes for the other and confuses everybody, but he sees a connection between them.

I like the idea that he goes to the gym with Albert a lot. (U wld never catch me taking away his disability so in my head he loveeees to bench and is so buff).

Albert:

(a lot of driving hcs. i wrote this in a car). gets so violently carsick. everyone thought he was saying that so he could ride shotgun; they made him ride in the back once and he made them pull over after ten minutes cause he almost hurled. safe to say he is now always shotgun and always playing the worst music.

Played too many sports, got too many concussions, and now is a crazy gym bro.

Peanut allergy. Would rather die than admit this. Has almost died because he forgets to tell servers at restaurants.

Finch:

his shoes are never tied. he never trips over them and refuses to tie them.

has a million weird, artsy minors that sound and should be fake.

floor sitter. is never in a chair.

JoJo:

his shoes are also never tied. he ALWAYS trips over them.

drank coffee, had a panic attack, thought it was a heart attack, and spent an hour in the ER.

also had the same reaction when trying weed for the first time.

Mush:

RIPPING up the dance floor at a party, fully sober too

Everybody's favorite frat bro; super great energy and incredibly respectful

Volunteers at local elementary schools; talks to young children like they're frat bros too.

Blink:

Dorm recluse. His suite mates have called Mush many times just to check that he's still alive in there.

Has no license and hates public transit, so he walks literally everywhere.

something about Jack and David both presenting in the way the other is internally (Jack being chaotic and angry on the outside, but masking his fear, while David appears more proper and stereotypically anxious when he’s actually very frustrated). Growing up in vastly different environments with different social expectations, they’ve learned to cover up, but by becoming friends they offer each other the space to be themselves and ugh. i love them.

somebody else said this first (@make-friends-with-the-rats) but im thinking about race’s character being split across him and albert in the stage version.

but i think that explains so much about the twinkification of race (which so many people have so eloquently critiqued). all his anger and traditional masculinity is placed into albert, who’s only identifier in the script is ‘tough guy’. (again, somebody posted these character descriptions but unfortunately I can’t find that either, pls correct me if i’m wrong about this).

I love Albert and Race and their stage dynamic (particularly in livesies with sky and ben) so i’m not upset about this choice, but I do think it explains a lot of what bugs me about fandom interpretation of Race.

anyways, maybe that’s why i’m such a ralbert truther, because it brings these seperate halves back together. who knows.

Jack and Davey, Senior year of high school.

So, @pigeonwit and I have had a LOT of discussions about alternative/punk javey and I have NOT stopped thinking about the concept so I had to do a little art for it. And I’m pretty sure there’s gonna be more following on from this lmao. I’m bad with writing so I’m not gonna go into detail, but essentially Davey had always been drawn to punk/alternative culture, but was convinced that he wouldn’t suit it or fit in so he never got involved. Enter Jack Kelly, resident school punk who manages to persuade Davey that he can wear what he wants, as well as stand up for himself and what he believes in. Whatever could happen???

This AU is very far from canon so I’m a little nervous but I hope it still reflects them.

listening to casmir pulaski day on repeat so many times that my tummy hurts

still not over illinoise btw