#&&. 'lets see what pulitzer has to say to ya now.' || spot answers.

[havencfear]

meme. || @defyingrcvity​ sent: "jesus fucking christ" (spot x jack) || accepting. 

Spot rolled his eyes as he sighed, finishing off the beer in his hand. He’d just finished telling Jack what had happened with Crutchie, what actually happened -- he was the only one who could know exactly why. “ Yeah. ” He peeled at the label on the bottle, not looking at him. “ And then Davey and I fought because I couldn’t tell him, and now we’re here. ”

[sl-newsie]

Chapter Sixteen: Who Are You? (Spot Colon x Female Newsie)

Tha fellas didn’t get Jack oudda tha Refuge- not that I’s surprised. David said he’d been act’n a little funny. Just like I thought: a questionable cause. Now Jack’s all alone too.

So I’ll go visit him.

I quietly sneak out while the oddas are play’n a card game. Throughout tha streets, a small mist has draped over everyth’n, add’n more tension in my already-full mind. When I reach tha refuge, I can already see Jack look’n out a window behind bars.

“Psst! Jack! Down here!” I call from behind a wagon.

He looks down and sees me. “Becca? Whadda ya do’n here?! If Snyder catches ya you’ll be thrown in too!”

“I had to see ya- I didn’t want you to be alone,” I say softly.

“Don’t worry about me, Becs. I-”

“Is that Becca?” I hear a voice ask. Crutchy?

“Crutchy’s up there? Hey, Crutchy! Ya do’n ok?” I call up.

“I’m ok, Becca,” comes a happy but small voice. He don’t sound ok.

“They’s been treat’n you bad, aren’t they?”

“Just forget about it, Becca. Go back to tha lodg’n house.” Jack sounds as if all hope has been sucked oudda him.

“Ya can’t let them beat ya, Jack! We’s ain’t beat yet!” I yell up.

Jack sighs. “We was beat when we was born. Go back, Becca. It’s ain’t any good for you to be here.”

My mouth hangs open. Jack, of all people, push’n me away. But maybe that’s how ya act when you’s in jail?

“Alright, alright. G’night Crutchy! G’night Jack.”

I offer one last sad, hopeful smile, then turn and walk slowly back to tha lodg’n house. David was right- Jack ain’t himself.

Tha next day we stand in front of tha distribution center, without Jack. First Crutchy, now him.

“Morn’n, Beauty!” Spot calls. All tha Brooklyn newsies are here, and so are all the oddas! I smile, feel’n a sensation of pride.

“Good morn’n to you too, King of Brooklyn! You’s all ready to strike?” I yell.

“Yeah!”

“Stop the World!”

“No more papes!”

A wagon drives by and breaks us up, and when we’re back togedda Spot calls Race and me ova.

“Tell me I’m see’n things. Just tell me I’m see’n things!” 

I follow his gaze and see… Jack?

It’s Jack, in a suit, walk’n out with Weasel.

“Y-You ain’t see’n things,” I say, shocked. “What’s he do’n?”

“He’s dressed like a scabber!”

“Jack? Jack, look at me, will ya? It’s me, Mush. Look at me! What’re ya do’n?” Mush tries tO reach him.

“This can’t be happening…” Blink says.

“Come on, what is this?” Boots asks.

“Where’d ya get them clothes?” Race asks.

Soon Bulls are hold’n us back, then Weasel says: “Mr. Pulitzer picked them out himself. A special gift to a special employee.”

Employee?!

“He sold us out!” Spot yells.

“Look at him in his suit. Ya bum! I’ll soak ya! Ya fake!” Race screams.

Spot sneers. “Hey, lemme get my hands dirty! Come here ya dirty rotten scabber! I’ll soak ya, son of a bitch!” Tha Bulls hold him back, while I’m still star’n at Jack.

“Oh, you want to talk to him?” Weasel taunts. “Come on, come on! Sure! Go right ahead!”

David and I walk up, and I stare Jack dead in the eye.

“So this is why you didn’t escape last night?” David says. “You’re a liar! You lied about everything!”

“Oh yeah? Whaddya gonna do about it, huh?”

“How could you?” I sneer. “How could you?! Answer me!”

Jack’s face is blank. “For tha first time in my life Becs I got money in my pocket. Real money.”

I scoff. “What ‘bout us? We’s don’t got money if we’s don’t sell papes. You’s was supposed to help us win tha strike, Jack!”

“What, you’s gonna cry about it?” My eyes widen at his remark. “Lemme spell it out Becs: I’s godda look out for myself, and I can’t have you’s to deal with too.” He looks at David. “I ain’t got anyone tuck’n me in at night.”

I can’t believe what I’m hear’n.

“Ya had tha newsies,” I croak.

“What’s tha newsies ever got me? A dime a day and a black eye? Forget it, Becs! You’s just a-”

“Goil?” I finish for him. “Yeah, Imma goil, and this goil’s still on strike!”

“Good luck with that,” Jack says unconfidently. “The newsies won’t get you’s anywhere.”

My eyes narrow.

“Yeah, and what ‘bout tha promise ya made me? ‘Bout Santa Fe?” I sniff. “I shoulda known it was a lie. My whole life's been a lie! We don’t need you!”

“All those words you said, they were never yours. They were mine,” David backs me up.

“And ya neva had tha guts to put ‘em across, did ya?” Jack pushes.

“I do now,” David says confidently.

“And here’s your proof!” I yell, send’n my fist into Jack’s jaw. I give him one last glare, then turn on my heel and march away.

“Traitor!” I hear Spot scream at Jack.

“I trusted you!”

“Seize tha day, huh Jack?”

“He’s fooling ‘em, he’s a spy or something.” Les holds back tears.

Walk’n away, I choke a sob. No, Les. Jack’s gone...

I sit up against tha fountain, stare’n at my tear-stained face. I notice Spot’s reflection join mine, so I turn to face him.

“Lemme guess- you’s oudda tha strike?” I mumble.

“Sorry, Beauty. There ain’t a reason for Brooklyn to waste it’s time here-”

“Save it. I shoulda known.” Ya can never depend on nobody.

We sit for a minute.

“You’s still in tha strike?” Spot asks.

I nod sharply. “We’s still got rights, so we’s gonna fight for ‘em. Plus, I’ll do anyth’n to get on Jack’s well-dressed nerves.”

Tha odda fellas come over and sit down.

“What now?” Mush asks blindly.

“Now, we strike.” 

“I don’t know, Becs. Without Jack-” 

“So now it’s all ‘bout Jack?” I ask Race. “I thought this was ‘bout us newsies gett’n respect! We’s finishing this strike tha way we’s started it, with or without Brooklyn, with or without Jack!”

(Nobody from Bandstand)

I stand up and sing:

“You know who tells me "no"?

You know who tells me "I don't think so"?

You know who tells me "no"?

Nobody!”

Some Bulls, includ’n Jack, begin to gather nearby, with Jack have’n a disagreeable look on his face.

Race joins in:

“You know who tells me "wait"?

“You know who tells me "That ain't so great"? Skittery sings. “You know who tells me "wait"?”

“Nobody!”

We all join in, push’n our arms out:

“So get outta my way!”

David adds:

“'Specially if you don't have something nicer to say!”

“Go try to break someone other-”

Spot sings:

“Go find yourself someone else to smother!”

“No oooh, nobody no!”

I smile, then start ta sing again.

“You know who tells me "slow"?

You know who tells me "that's a no go"?

You know who tells me "slow"?”

We all scream:

“Nobody!”

Blink sings:

“You know who tells me "quit"?”

Boots joins:

“You know who tells me-”

We all sing-

"You ain't worth spit"?”

Blink asks again:

“You know who tells me "quit"?”

We all sing:

“Nobody!”

“So get outta my way!

Find somebody else

Who gives a fig what you say!”

Spot, Race, and I sing:

“Go discipline someone other!

Last time I checked

You were not my mother!” We all point at Jack, who’s still scowl’n.

Tha rest join in:

“You know who tells me "stop"?

You know who tells me

"You don't have what it takes

And you will never reach the top"?

You know who tells me "stop"?

Nobody!”

Spot and I sing togedda:

“So get outta my way!

Find somebody else

Who gives a fig what you say!

Go discipline someone other!

Last time I checked

You were not my mother!”

Tha fellas join in again:

“You know who tells me "stop"?

You know who tells me

"You don't have what it takes

And you will never reach the top"?

You know who tells me "stop"?”

Spot and I start softly-

“Nobody,

Nobody…”

We all get louda:

“No, no one tells me!

No, nobody

No one tells me!

No, nobody

No one tells me!

No, nobody

No one tells me!

No no no no no

Nobody!” We all finish, with me and Spot face’n each odda.

“Alright, break it up!” Some Bulls yell.

“Never!” We scream back, then go scrambl’n through tha streets. Spot follow us to tha lodg’n house, and when we get there he pulls me over.

“I’m with ya, Beauty. I’s truly is. But tha odda newsies ain’t gonna see it tha same way. Brooklyn’s still out.”

“I know,” I say simply. He looks surprised. “We can’t satisfy everyone, so we’s all can’t always do what we want. I’s just glad to know ya still care.”

“And I always will,” Spot says, his eyes peer’n through my soul and mak’n me blush.

“I… I godda go,” I say abruptly. “I got a performance tonight.”

“I’ll be sure to attend.”

“Thanks. You’s probably be tha only one I can count on not to make fun of me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

I give a quick smile and take off run’n towards tha theatre.

[livesincerely]

you render me in a thousand details

Also on Ao3

00000

“Hey, Davey, can you grab me another can of paint outta the closet?”

Davey looks up at the sound of Jack’s voice. The man in question is perched precariously on top of a ladder, the latest backdrop for Ms. Medda’s new show set up in front of him

He places the book he’d been reading while Jack worked to the side. “What is it I’m looking for?” Davey asks, clambering to his feet.

Jack’s head turns in his direction but he doesn’t take his eyes off his painting, his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he carefully adds a series of fluffy white clouds to a cheerful skyline. “The extras should be just inside the closet on the right⁠—I need the dented can with the red stripe on the lid.”

Davey makes his way over to the tiny supply cupboard that Jack has claimed as his art closet. It’s a floor-to-ceiling collection of paint cans, canvases, brushes, and other supplies, and it never fails to amuse Davey how Jack can take one look at the mess and immediately unearth whatever item he needs for a particular project. Most of it belongs to the theater⁠—requested by Jack but paid for by Ms. Medda⁠—but Davey knows that Jack sometimes stores his personal pieces and supplies in there as well, if only to keep them safe from the daily mayhem of the Lodging House.

He reaches for the pull chain and a lone light bulb flickers to life. Davey takes a couple of tentative steps, squinting his eyes against the dust in the air as he scans the shelves for the can Jack had asked for, then lets out a squawk as he immediately trips over an unopened box of paint thinner.

His elbow knocks against something as he fumbles for balance and there’s a loud thunk and the flutter of paper as he sends a sketchbook full of drawings careening to the floor. Davey lets out a quiet curse, crouching down to pick up the scattered pages and tuck them back into place. 

His movements slow as he suddenly understands what he’s looking at⁠—what he’s discovered. Because this is one of Jack’s sketchbooks, but it’s not one that Davey’s ever seen before. And the drawings inside...

Dazed, Davey wanders back into the larger room.

Jack glances back at him, one eyebrow raised. “What, did ya get lost in there? What took so long?”

Davey swallows. When he finds his voice, it comes out tremulous. “Jack, what is this?”

“What is what?” Jack wipes his hands on a spare rag, then comes over for a closer look. He gets within a couple feet of Davey, then staggers to a stop, his face going alarmingly pale. “Where did you get that?”

“I, uh, I knocked it off the shelf by accident,” Davey says. “Why do you have⁠⁠— What is this?”

Jack lurches forward as if to snatch the sketchbook away from him, but stops himself mid reach—like he can’t bring himself to actually tear the pages out of Davey’s hands. He paces in place for a moment, then takes a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“What, that?” Jack says, and it’d be a passable attempt at nonchalance if not for the nervous waiver in his voice. “That’s nothing, really. Just practice sketches, and, uh, doodles and stuff.”

Davey looks at him. Then he carefully opens the sketchbook to the first page. There’s an inhaled breath, the tiniest twitch of the hand, but Jack makes no move to stop him and Davey takes that as permission.

He’s quiet as he flips through the assortment of pages. Or maybe it’s that he’s stunned into silence. 

There are all types of drawings. Some are only outlines, vague sketches with just enough detail to be identifiable. Others are fully-worked—entire pages of careful shading and texture and blending. He’d caught a few glimpses in the dim light of the closet, and this closer look only confirms his suspicion: these are all drawings of Davey.

There’s one of him from the other day, where he’d gotten caught in a storm and came back to the Lodging House sopping wet, his clothes dripping and his hair curling up at the ends from the rain. There’s another of him on his building’s fire escape, hands curled around the railing and head tilted towards the stars. There’s a series of drawings that are just of his eyes, all done in various shades of blue and in a couple of different mediums, which are the only bursts of color in any of the drawings so far. Davey asleep at the table in the mess hall with his head pillowed in his arms, a pencil starting to slip from his fingers. Davey sitting on the corner of Jack’s desk at Pulitzer’s, studying his latest political cartoon. Davey with the other Newsies, their bodies drawn in hazy silhouette, Davey standing at various street corners, hawking newspapers to faceless passersby.

A few of the scenes depicted are things Davey recognizes, distinct instances that he can place in his memory. Others are more nebulous, ordinary moments in an ordinary life. He turns to a new page, this time finding a sketch of him reading an unlabeled novel, curled up in the corner of one of the dorm beds. Davey frowns, a little perplexed. Although it’s beautiful, as all of Jack’s artwork is, he can’t begin to imagine what inspired Jack to draw this particular scene. He’s not even really doing anything in it⁠—it’s just Davey being Davey.

He turns to another page and his breath catches in his throat.

It’s a drawing of him⁠ caught mid-laugh with his head thrown back⁠, the morning sun shining brightly behind him and a slew of crisscrossing lines in the background⁠. Davey recognizes it as a moment from a couple weeks ago, when he and Jack had made the trek across the Brooklyn Bridge for a meeting with Spot. 

Davey traces a finger gently along the broad strokes of charcoal. Jack had remembered this moment, had kept the image in his mind until he’d had a chance to commit it to paper, then rendered it in astounding detail. And Davey’s no artist, but even he can tell that this drawing must have taken Jack hours. Days even.

“This is what you think of me?” The question falls out of his mouth, so unexpected that not even Davey had realized he was about to ask it. “This is how you see me?”

“Whaddya mean?” Jack responds, shifting uneasily, his voice a little gruff in his discomfort. “‘S how you look.”

“Jack…” Davey trails off helplessly, unable to elaborate, unable to explain the fragile hope that’s blooming in his chest. He starts flipping through the pages again.

It’s a wash of ink and charcoal and lead, the occasional flash of blue, but all of him. Davey pauses on one particular page, which features a drawing of him from the shoulders up with his eyes rendered in vivid color.

Colored pencils are expensive. Paint even more so. Davey imagines Jack in an art shop, imagines him hunting through the rows of supplies for just the right shade of blue with the same determination that made him start up a strike, deciding that this color is worth handing over some precious amount of his hard-earned paycheck… Davey’s heart starts beating frantically in his ears.

“These are beautiful,” Davey whispers hoarsely. “The way you’ve drawn me… you’ve made me look beautiful.”

Jack’s eyes dart here and there. Davey gets the sense that he’s looking for the ‘right’ way to respond to this statement.

“...I don’t hafta make you look beautiful, Davey,” Jack eventually says, scrubbing a hand along the back of his neck. “You already are⁠—I just draw what I see.”

Davey calmly sets the sketchbook down on the nearest bit of clean, flat surface. Then he steps forward, grabs Jack by the straps of his paint smock, and kisses him.

There’s a split-second where Jack freezes, startled. Then he groans somewhere deep in his chest, wrapping his arms around Davey’s waist to draw him even closer, and the press of his lips against Davey’s is deep and soft and wonderful.

It’s Jack who pulls away first, moving back all of a hair’s breadth, his eyes flitting across Davey’s face like he’s savoring every detail of his expression⁠⁠—like he’s perfectly content to just look at him.

It’s only now that Davey realizes the significance of that gaze: Jack looks at him like he can’t believe his eyes, like he’s something out of his wildest dreams, and he cups Davey’s face between his hands with aching tenderness, like he’s something to be cherished. Davey can only press up into that embrace, can only hold Jack close and hope that he understands, that Jack sees the emotion in his eyes the way he sees so much of Davey’s everything. 

But there’s one question he needs answered. “Why?”

Jack leans in and presses a kiss to Davey’s temple. “It’s just… you have so much to you, Davey. No drawin’ could ever be all of you. But that didn’t stop me from tryin’.”

A kiss on the high point of his cheek. “And once I got started, I couldn’t stop. I would see you sittin’ somewhere, anywhere, laughing or sleeping or shouting and⁠— and you just buzz behind my eyes and I can’t get it to stop unless I grab a pen and some paper and sketch out whatever picture of you I got in my head.”

A kiss right at the corner of Davey’s mouth. “And I couldn’t never show ‘em to nobody, couldn’t risk anyone seeing ‘cause there’s too much of my heart in ‘em and I couldn’t⁠—”

Davey lifts up and kisses him again: slowly, reverently. He whispers into the seam of Jack’s lips, “I love you too.”

[hannahlovestheatre]

A RANT ABOUT RENT LIVE AND HOW GOOD IT WAS

Okay so I need to stand on a soap box real quick to make a point. Please read the whole thing. I feel like Rent Live not only needs to be reviewed but is the perfect example for what I am about to say. If you have a problem with this, thank u next.

Let me ask you a question. How many people do you know named or are probably named Sarah? How about Taylor? Maybe Alex? Okay, now that you have a number in your head think about this: are they all exactly the same? Same hair color? Eye color? Body type? Do they all play soccer? Do they all love the same kind of music? Are they all the same race? Same sexual orientation? Is your answer no? It should be. They are all different yet special in their way.

Now let's look at Rent. We have Rent, the Broadway musical (which is actually a reincarnation La Boheme, an opera with a lot of other versions as well!!! It all comes full circle) ; Rent, the movie; and Rent Live. All share a name but none of them are the same. They are all special in their own way.

Rent, the Broadway musical, is one of if not the most revolutionary musical to hit the Great White Way. Without it, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen and The Prom and The Band's Visit and Fun Home probably wouldn't exist. It inspired artists to cross the borderlines and expressed the true meaning if love and being a part of a community, a family. It inspired composers like Lin Manuel-Miranda do even make musicals. It swept the Tonys, it won the Pulitzer prize, it ran for a very long time. It was so important that they filmed a pro shot of the final performance. However, that proshot was not a one take deal. They pre filmed some stuff to get those epic close ups, like the beginning of Out Tonight. Again, it was crucial to the world of theatre.

Next we have Rent, the movie. It was filmed as an independent film, kinda like how The Last Five Years was. They got most of the original cast to reprise their roles. Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson swept in to save the day. They are honestly the best Joanne and Mimi that I've seen. Tracie has played Joanne literally everywhere: in the movie, on Broadway, and at the Hollywood Bowl. And it was also a good thing for Rosario to put on her resume. The actual movie itself cut and rearranged the order of songs from the musical and doesn't focus much on being in the 90s but the present day. There's nothing wrong with that, but the creative team wanted this Rent to be it's individual being. People that see the movie might have only seem the movie and not the Broadway musical. When they see it's mostly the same cast, they got excited and were looking forward to seeing the other Rent. It's not the same Rent, but it's called Rent and is similar to that other Rent, but it's not that Rent. It's like Rent the II.

And as of yesterday we have Rent III, Rent Live. Now I get it. Technically this wasn't live as in broadcast live and everything you saw was happening in real time and that sucks but also thank God they filmed that final dress or it probably wouldn't have happened at all or at least not in the way they planned. The whole concert version they released clips of would have been what we saw for those 3 hours instead of the full out production that we deserved to see. People would have stopped watching right away if they only got to see poor Brennin in a wheelchair and the cast just sitting there in the same spot watching with the live audience they have in front of them. But ya know what? It was still live. They did'nt lip sync or animate themselves to be CGI dancers. They sang live, they moved live, they had a live audience. That's why it's called LIVE THEATRE. It is happening in front of a group of people. This was also the first live musical that had an issue that prevented them from putting on the production as is. Grease Live had some weather and audio issues but guess what? They added pre filmed video and audio to fix that!!!! Tbh, I would not be surprised if they stop broadcasting it live and make it live meaning LIVE theatre in front of a LIVE audience that you prerecorded and show the world on whatever night.

The cast was unlike the other two in the sense that it was part Broadway performers, part music artists, part actors and dancers that can sing, and one phenomenal drag queen. If you want my opinion, Valentina is tied with Wilson Jermaine-Heredia as the best Angel. For someone who has never done anything like this, she did a hell of a job and was literally perfect in the role. Vanessa Hudgens, again in my opinion is probably the best Maureen. Her Over the Moon soars over any other one I have seen from the costume to her comedic timing to her commitment to the whole damn thing. She killed it. We also got see Jordan Fisher live his lifelong dream of being the first POC Mark and he did the role justice. The way they wrote Mark's monologues and made him feel as isolated from his group as friends as we've seen him was BRILLIANT. Especially at the top of Act 2 where they incorporated Seasons of Love into the plot, something that was not done in the other Rents which was literally genius. It was where I shed my first tear. Then we have Brandon Victor Dixon who did the best I'll Cover You Reprise EVER. I thought Michael McElroy was the best before last night. I was a wreck when Brandon did it. He is definitely one of the knots that binds these things together. And then we have Tinashe, Mario, and Kiersey Clemons. These three did their roles justice as well. I think Tinashe was up to par with Rosario's Mimi but her Mimi was definitely the most believable because she played it so young, she is supposed to be 19 but also a little coy and super sexy, which she did. Mario's vocals popped off and he definitely showed how much of a jerk Benny is. And Kiersey had a rocky start in my opinion but still played a great Joanne that had the perfect amount of spunk, sass, poise, and intelligence. Oh and don't get me started on Keala Settle. That woman took me to theatre church to bless the lord of blessing us with her talent. They rewrote Paul to be a woman named Cy which to me felt so raw.

And now the censorship thing. Idk what everyone else saw but I saw the same risque and edgy components of Rent that the Rent I and Rent II. The lyric changes were obvious ONLY TO THOSE THAT KNOW OF THE OTHER RENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE. And the changes they did make were seamless. On these main broadcasting networks, you cannot say shit, fuck, dildos, expose bare asses, be overtly sexual, etc. etc. unless that creative team anticipates a lofty fee and a potential lawsuit. They were only able to cross a certain amount of lines before it got out of control. The final line was clearly mucho masturbation. They had things taken away from them and saw it as the perfect opportunity to really make this Rent the 2019 Rent that is different from the other 2 but doesn't try to be the most superior of the three we know of.

Do you see what I mean though? All of these things are called Rent but none of them are the same or trying to replace the other creations. Sarah A isn't trying be better than Sarah B who isn't trying to beat Sara, the one without an H at the end of her name and the same applies to any new adaptation of a book or movie or musical. Every time this happens, that same story is trying to be expressed to an audience that needs to hear it. This messed up world we live in now needs to see a place where people are loved and accepted and are a part of a tight knit community. Rent does exactly that.

So the next time you see that ______ Live is happening or _______ the Musical is happening or a certain musical is getting a film adaptation, don't compare the two as one entity. Call it _____ II or the Sara without an H at the end.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[myheartissetinmotion]

all my thoughts watching 1992 Newsies for the first time in 4 years

Buckle your seatbelts this is a lot longer than I intended

- this music still means so much to me

- YAAAAAS SLAY PATRICK’S MOM why wasn’t this in the stage musical

- Elmer is so frikkin adorable

- look at them goooooooo

- ugh I love these bois

- C R U T C H Y

- I just can’t get over the feather in Oscar’s hat

- ENTER THE JACOBSES WOOOOOOOOOOOO

- loving these instrumentals and harmonies

- LES WITH A TINY SWORD okay I love him

- I feel like I’ve seen Wiesel in something before

- “not like last time” “uh-huh” RACE WHAT AN ICON HAHAHA

- “must be from brooklyn” SPOKE TOO SOON ABOUT RACE BEING AN ABSOLUTE ICON

- Davey I love you

- LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

- that look in Crutchy’s eyes when he says “ya learn from the best” is Priceless

- okay one glimpse of someone who may or may not look sorta like Katherine

- Where. Is. Hannah.

- “now, when I created the World-” *eye roll* haha love this guy

- *dramatic disney villain music*

- sTILL NO SIGN OF HANNAH

- 57 rounds of boxing oof

- is that Snyder? that’s probably Snyder

- yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyep

- JACK WHAT DID YOU DO oh wait nope false alarm he’s fine

- “WAIT TILL I GET YOU BACK TO THE REFUUUUUUGE” good to know Snyder hasn’t lost his flair for drama

- “well you have a way of improving the truth” okay I see what all you Javid people mean now

- THAT’S MEDDA?!?!?!?!

- Larkson? wonder why they changed it

- Les I love you

- “oh, you’re good” okay she’s okay

- MEDDA SWEETIE I KNOW IT’S THE ORIGINAL BUT WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!

- WHAT EVEN IS THIS SONG I’m very uncomfortable

- OH HIS PARENTS ARE OUT WEST IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW that’s really cool wonder why they cut that

- ooh we actually get to meet the whole Jacobs family!!!!!

- SARAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- those Knowing Looks TM between the Jacobs parents

- Les...sweetie...

- why is my head blaring “tonight” from west side story...the scenes looks so similar

- oh wow Santa Fe comes a lot earlier and THE FAMILY ASPECT UGH so good

- “ain’t you glad nobody’s waitin up for you” Jack sweetie aaaaaaaa!!!

- so this guy is totally cool with the fact that a random boy is singing on his wagon

- oh okay there’s a hat now?

- y e e t

- I’m not sure if we know enough about Jack to feel enough sympathy for him at this point, but it’s a short movie so

- so THIS is the dance break y’all have been talking about

- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

- P R I C E L E S S

- he just. steals a horse

- and it all comes back to the family aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

- the instrumentals, lovely as usual

- that was a Ride

- still no Hannah.

- “dghdghdghdghdghdghdghdghdghdhgdgh” -the distinguished Joseph Pulitzer

- so they’re just giving Hannah’s lines to this guy. I like this guy but still bitter about The Severe Lack Of Hannah

- We Are All Love Mush

- “s w e l l” in case you didn’t know, I. LOVE. CRUTCHY.

- Les being the first one to agree with the strike and holding up his lil wooden sword- AAAAAAAAAAAAA

- oh boy here we go

- from what I’m seeing Boots is important WHERE IS HE BROADWAY I WANT ANSWERS

- this singing. wow. okay. cool.

- Davey just walking around them like “okay is this what we’re doing? musical numbers every day? right here in the street?”

- yas get those turns

- is this Denton? I feel like this might be Denton

- Jack honey that’s not how you pronounce it (I. Love. This. Movie.)

- okay Javids I can see where you’re coming from this is Really Something

- CALLED IT THAT’S DENTON

- “he has to!” *thrown out of door* That’s movies for ya

- okay lET LES HAVE THE LINE

- “so...is the newsie strike important? it all depends on you.” I like him. Give him a Watch What Happens come on disney I want a Denton song

- wow nice zoom-out this is so 90s I love it

- SPOT CONLON THERE HE IS WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- @ disney on broadway: Where. Is. Boots.

- that slingshot tho

- WHY DID THEY CUT THIS SCEEEEEEEEEEEEENE

- Davey you’re doing amazing sweetie

- okay he’s wearing The Hat again

- OPE IT’S THE SEIZE THE DAY INTRO HERE WE GOOOOOOOO

- Davey getting into the Dramatics TM

- jumpy bois

- HE DID THE LEG THING

- okay we’ve still got a few backflips and jump splits

- RACE HAS A HARMONICA?!?!?!?! love that for him

- Denton just kind of taking notes about their revolutionary dance number

- ooh here come the scabs I’m so ready for the monologue-wait where’s the monologue

- WHERE’S THE MONOLOGUE

- ok so it just breaks into a fight? what happened to “we’re all in this together”?

- yas tip that wagon just like in actual history! rip those papers! woooooo!

- oh no here come the bulls

- I’M NOT READY

- CRUTCHY NO

- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- WHY ARE YOU STILL WEARING THE HAT

- HOW ARE YOU EMOTIONALLY STABLE THIS IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

- ominous musiiiiiiiiiic

- wow this is...quite a plan

- OMG WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE THE REFUGE

- “Heya Dave, how ya doin?” I LOVE HIM.

- look at his faaaaaaaaaaaaaace

- he doesn’t want anyone carrying him? tell that to livesies Albert

- CRUTCHY SAVING THE DAY AGAIN

- well yeah of course they’re not going to “just go away”

- “done with once and for all” heh heh

- THOSE H A R M O N I E S I love a capella

- yas you go drum kid

- oh boy it’s dance break time

- *t w i r l*

- I love them

- oh boy it’s the scabs

- Davey...honey...you tried

- uh oh someone has chains this can’t be good

- OSCAR STILL HAS THE FEATHER

- IS THAT BROOKLYN

- LOOK AT THEM POPPING UP

- HAHAHAHAHA ICONIC SO ICONIC

- slingshots!!!!!!

- Spot you’re doing amazing sweetie

- y e e t

- Those fake punch sounds tho

- YES JACK TEAR THAT NEWSPAPER YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL

- I love the picture this is so ugh I just love it

- oooooh I can feel it coming, KONY is coming

- “you’re famous you get anything you want! that’s what’s so great about NY!” HAHA RACE I’ve said it before I’ll say it again WHAT AN ICON

- so Jack is here for KONY, this is new (well for me at least)

- DENTON APPRECIATION LET’S GO

- “and payin’ for lunch” R A C E

- the “dead or dreamin’” bit is still just so awesome

- TAP DANCING WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- this is just so filled with joy I’m in love with this movie

- CEILING FAN TWIRL=ICONIC

- this guy just “okay kids lovely musical number please leave”

- CRUTCHY SWEETIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING

- “how was your supper” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- “hey, that’s Jack” Crutchy...sweetie...no....wait no wAIT NO WAIT NO

- SWEETHEART NO THAT VOICE CRACK ON “goodbye” I HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS UGH

- Race steppin up to save the day

- what. an. icon.

- THE REACTION TO “is he dangerous” UGH I LOVE HIM

- ooh nice fire escape shot

- SARAH HAS RETURNED

- WE STAN A QUEEN

- okay romantic subplot time I can see where this is going

- the way he leans against the window awwww

- wow these are...very typical gender roles

- she’s so pretty I can’t

- “there’s nothing for me to stay for is there” She. Is. Standing. Right. There. Whatareyoudoing

- “I’m not sayin it should matter to you" are you though “I’m just sayin...does it? matter?” okay AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW 

- this pulitzer isn’t half as dramatic, he’s not quite showing the Actual Scary Capitalist, he’s more Typical Disney Villain

- MEDDA WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU

- oh there’s the don’t come a knockin melody

- they’re all dressed the same like a little gang of evil capitalists

- Davey looks so done I love him

- “what are we supposed to do, kiss em?” RACE IS SUCH AN ICON UGH

- wow they really shuffled the plot around

- hERE’S the monologue!

- Medda what’s happening

- WHAT IS HAPPENING

- I love their fan freak-outs in the audience

- is Sarah the only person that doesn’t know the song

- wHERE DID THE SWING COME FROM

- so extra

- Denton are you planning something

- YES HE IS

- “as in SNIDE? smile, sir” Denton is the greatest

- RACE NO

- Medda come on you’re a dancer you’ve got to be stronger than that

- uh oh

- just y e e t up to the box seats

- STOP HURTING THEM

- that was the fakest of fake punches I’ve ever seen

- Dramatic Slo-Mo TM

-I’LL NEVER LET GO JACK

- “the grounds of Brooklyn” SPOT OH MY GOD I LOVE YOU

- HEY JUDGE YOU NEED TO STOP THEY WERE PEACEFULLY ASSEMBLING SO UH SHUT UP

- Denton to the rescue once again

- I actually don’t know how this is going to go

- wait his parents aren’t actually in Santa Fe????

- davey’s face aaaa

- this is heartbreaking

- “a useful and productive life” NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- SNYDER YOU JERK

- LEMME AT HIM

- Denton why are you smiling what are you doing

- you don’t tell a huge group of kids that their story isn’t important you just don’t

- come on Denton we trusted you I mean I get it but still

- poor Davey

- omg he crumpled it up right in front of Denton? ooooof

- LES HONEY

- JACK?!?!?! WHAT’S HAPPENING

- is this where the bribe and everything comes in?

- that screen swipe tho

- so I’m guessing this is Pulitzer’s mansion or something?

- DAVEY YES

- Pulitzer what are you wearing

- the way the statue is positioned to be shooting at him-nice touch

- it’s villain monologue time

- okay uh he wasn’t talking that time

- he’s not actually looking Jack in the eye?

- yes Jack

- ooooooooooooooooh the suspense

- Dramatic Villain Look

- it’s not a disney movie without a banister slide

- so THIS is the alleyway scene

- OH WOW YEAH I GET IT

- even the music wow

- oh Sad Reprise time

- “you’re the only light that’s guidin me today” *crutchy appears* yeah that was intentional

- Crutchy’s face....

- this is Heartbreaking

- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- Wiesel’s face makes this 8000 times worse

- BLINK’S ANGER

- WIESEL YOU NEED TO STOP

- I CAN’T BEAR THIS

- oh no...dAVEY OH NO NO NO NO NO

- I CAN’T BEAR IT

- DAVEY’S SPEECH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- I AM NOT OKAY

- JACK NO DON’T SAY THAT THEY GAVE YOU EVERYTHING

- YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW WHAT FAMILY IS DO YOU

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- “we don’t need you!” this is Real Pain

- “never!” DAVEY I LOVE YOU

- Les sweetie you’re so trusting and they’re still trying to protect your feelings ugh I love

- Jacobs Family Antics for the win

- so he just leaves

- I WISH WE HAD SEEN MORE OF HOW IT AFFECTED HIM IN THE MUSICAL

- WHICHEVER DELANCY THAT IS STOP NO STOP

- at least the other stopped him

- DELANCYS YOU NEED TO STOP NO STOP STOP STOP

- STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP

- yes Sarah punch him

- NO NO NO NO NO NO

- oh god here come the brass knuckles

- Jack finally coming to his senses

- it’s about freakin time

- “remember Crutchy?” *bash* ICONIC

- “no, smart.” Jack I love you but you really don’t see how important your newsie family is do you

- Denton spilling the tea

- he shushes Sarah but they’re gonna have a musical number soon yep makes total sense

- wait the whole song is in their heads? MUSICAL TELEKINESIS

- once and for all will always be a bop

- “just hope I get to thank him for it someday” LOVE

- YAS THROW THOSE PAPES

- Y      E       E      T

- yes boys hold that long note as you dramatically pan across a brick wall

- so this is Roosevelt

- so this is where Blush comes from

- it’s just. really good music

- LES HONEY I LOVE THE REPRISE

- RACE I LOVE YOU

- what’s up with these bike people

- everyone knows the words now apparently

- beautiful chord

- what an epic, triumphant feeling this must have been

- THERE’S SO MANY OF THEM

- “and such awful language” glad that’s in there

- but you didn’t break him now didja

- so THERE’S WHERE THE LAMP THING CAME FROM HAHAHAHAHAHA

- so you really think yelling “go home” is going to change everything

- shouting match ftw

- “we only use the best, Joe, so I just wanted to say: thanks again” AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LOVE

- what’s he whispering to Les-wait AWWWWWWWWW

- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- WE WON YALL

- this is such a Disney movie I love it

- WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- wait now what

- is this what I think it is

- “you don’t have to run. not anymore” I officially love Denton

- okay the “blessed children” melody playing while kids are freed is Poetic Cinema

- IT IS WHAT I THINK IT IS

- HE’S BACK YALL

- CRUTCHYYYYYYYYYYYYY

- still not used to that spelling btw

- “share what you got in common” CRUTCHY I LOVE YOU MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF

- almost makes you feel bad for snyder. key word: ALMOST. hahaha

- “wait who comes walkin in” OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HERE WE GO

- JACK’S FACE HAHA I LOVE IT

- “that’s roosevelt?” Race I love you

- “so, uh..could he...drop me at the trainyards?” Jack. Old buddy. Old pal. What

- his face shaking teddy’s hand and the music slkdfjlshgoeibnclfboeifvl

- what’s happening he’s just riding away?!?!?!

- THE JACOBSES

- THEIR FACES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- im heartbreak

- and jack smiling so big okay Big Sad

- LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

- LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES

- love how they’re playing like it’s the end of the movie and by love I mean endless angst

- You know that part in the sound of music when they’re trying to sing but it’s just Not The Same without Maria? Yeah that’s this

- Davey’s lil smile ugh I love him

- the music is building Jack is coming back I can Feel It

- Les reacting! aaaa! this has become a Les Appreciation Post

- Denton’s reaction!

- “besides, I got family here” HIS FACE AND DAVEY’S FACE

- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

- okay Javids I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND

- Les just beaming up at him AAAAAAAAA

- THAT LITTLE SMILE. THAT ICONIC LINE. DAVEY YOU’RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE

- THE SPITSHAKE

- CHARACTER. DEVELOPMENT.

- SARAH

- okay gotta admit this is REALLY FREAKIN CUTE

- LES HUGGING THEM

- of cOURSE SPOT IS IN THE CARRIAGE HAHA KING OF BROOKLYN INDEED

- look at them go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Y E E T

- I LOVE THEM

- did someone in the crowd just say “it’s crazy”

- YES ICONIC HEEL CLICK KID

- well, guys and gals and nonbinary pals, this was A Ride

- thank you for joining me on this journey

[rivertellsstories]

Case of the demon’s den Chapter #6

Chapter 6: Jack and Crutchie have friendly conversations with the walls.

Tumblr refuses to post these in the newsies tag, but if you are interested, you can find the whole thing on ao3.

David takes a deep breath as he navigates himself through the house. With his eyes closed, he searches for him. He knows he's fucking with him, knows he is playing him like a damn fiddle, but the fact that he's actually able to, is most worrying. Around him the walls constantly rearrange themselves, forming new corridors and rooms but he ignores them until a wall materializes right in front of him and on his right side, the wall opens up and reveals a cozy looking room.

It's filled with more pillows than he can count and the sight of it makes him smile. "Thank you Leah, but you and I both know that hiding isn't an option when he wants to play." The entire house creaks, signaling it has definitely heard him, but the door opens a little bit further anyway. The house's protectiveness fills David with warmth, but he doesn't have the time to dwell on it. He'd rather find him, than be found by him. The wall disappears and David before he continues his quest, he asks the house to lead Crutchie and Jack out. What's coming isn't pretty and he'd rather spare them the sight.

As Jack and Crutchie make their way down the ramp, the place starts changing again and Crutchie halts Jack by holding an arm in front of him. "I think it's better to wait until it's done changing. We might get stuck in a wall otherwise." As the room slows down again, there's only one way to get off the ramp. The left, right and back have been blocked by walls and Jack recognizes the door in before them as the front door.

"I take it we've got to go?" Jack utters and the entire wall with the door in moves up and down, as though it's nodding. "But it isn't even sundown yet", he says and tries to not sound too disappointed. The wall drops and Jack tries to read its facial expressions. It's kind of hard because it doesn't exactly have a face, but when the lights dim a bit, Crutchie catches onto what the house is trying to say. "It worries you", he states and the lights return to their previous brightness.

"What can we do?" Jack asks, determined to help even though he has no idea what's going on. The door swings open and Jack and Crutchie peer outside in confusion. "There's nothing there." They look at each other and Crutchie shrugs. "Maybe the house is a bit confused."

Jack screeches as something touches his back while Crutchie calmly turns around. The wall behind them moves slowly forward, pushing them towards the door and right in front of it, it stops moving. It's then that it clicks for Jack. "You want us to leave." The lights flicker and Jack has the feeling that he's thinking in the right direction, but hasn't said the exact thing the house means.

It's Crutchie who hits the nail right in the head. "You don't want us to leave, but we have to. It's dangerous for us to stay, but only now." The lights flicker enthusiastically and Crutchie claps with his hand against the wall. "Crutchie, what are you doing?"

"I figured the house would appreciate a high five." Jack covers up a giggle by bidding the house farewell. "Bye bye demon's den. You're a bit wacky, but I think it's swell. See ya tomorrow!" Crutchie keeps waving at the house until it's entirely out of sight.

The last thing Leah had told him, was that both Crutchie and Jack exited the house safely and after that message, her presence had disappeared completely? Nowhere in the now cold walls of the house can he find her and he knows that he's on his own now. Well, not completely on his own, but he thinks he would appreciate it more than the Red Lady who keeps pestering him.

"David dear, take off that godawful hoodie, would you? It's not becoming of you." She sounds so awfully ingenuine and patronizing. If he could, he'd make her leave the house, but there's not a lot you can do against a ghost who's stuck to a house. Some time ago, he probably could've exorcised her without batting an eye, but right now, he doesn't have that kind of power anymore.

"Your hair is kind of shabby over here", she says while tugging harshly on the curls at the nape of his neck and he tries to ignore her at all cost. "Fine, be that way. Maybe I should talk to those other boys, they seem nicer than you." Fully knowing that she's baiting him, he stops and gives her a glare. "Leave them alone."

"Boo, you're stingy", she drawls, "share your new friends with us, Davey. We're bored too you know? That Crutch boy? Friendly enough, do you think he'd be up to any games? I'd be funny to watch him crawl-" With the tiniest bit of magic, he draws a sigil on her upper arm. Barely any thought and furious intention combine themselves and with a high wail, she pulls back from him. With flaming eyes she spits out: "It's no wonder you're alone. I certainly wouldn't stay around you if I had the choice."

"Then leave", he brings out between gritted teeth and as they stare each other down. The air hums with magic and David thinks, no hopes it'll come to an explosion. Some part of him yearns for confrontation with the woman who has been pestering him for two years. But as she turns up her nose and comes floating closer again, he knows it's not for today.

"David, you and me, we're stuck with each other for a little while. But, don't worry we'll part ways soon. Though it won't be me who's leaving." David's eyes darken and before he can retaliate, she waves it off. "Come now David, we both know it's inevitable. Make the most of the time you've got left, I'd say."

He hates her, deeply so, but she's the liveliest and most talkative spirit in the house and she's all he's had for two years. The sudden arrival of a rowdy group of teens isn't going to change the fact that she's the only person he could talk to when the longing for companionship got the better of him. Even now, the almost desperate craving for someone to talk to wins over his hatred and he speaks to her.

"I shouldn't get them involved." Although he says that, he can't help but want to involve them. He wants friends, wants to talk to people who aren't dead yet, wants to know what has happened outside the house for the past two years, wants... Of course he also has other wishes, but they are so unattainable that he shouldn't even voice them.

Hanging with those teenagers will only increase his hope for his deepest wish to come true and he knows that he would not be able to survive the disappointment that would certainly follow. He needs someone to crush his budding hope and as he looks at the Lady in red, he knows that at least one of his wishes will come true.

"You are right, dear. It would be utterly selfish of you. Endangering innocent teens because you think us ghosts aren't good enough for you? Dear child, how selfish can you get?" He shoves his hands in his pockets and looks away. "I won't let them in next time", he mumbles and the Red Lady sighs impatiently. "It's too late for that, dumb child. You should've scared them off the very first day. Do you have any idea what you've unleashed unto those poor children?"

When he doesn't answer, she forcefully grabs his chin and looks him in the eye. "Where is your grimoire, David?" As his eyes widen in realization, she lets him go and pushes him backwards. As David stumbles to the floor, she brushes a red strand of hair behind her ear and looks down on him. "It has chosen a new owner. You know what that means darling."

"Also David", she pauses and smiles with pure joy. He doesn't like that expression on her face, because it usually means bad news for him. "Yes?" He tries to not sound too skeptical, but as he feels claws getting jammed into his ribcage, mercilessly piercing through his flesh, he knows he should've paid more attention to his surroundings.

As he gets absolutely bludgeoned and blood stains the plush carpet underneath him, he catches the high sound of the Red Lady's utterly amused laughter. He hates her, but it's still nice that there's someone there. "You've been found, darling." G-d help him, the sun hasn't even gone down yet.

Katherine Pulitzer stares at the locked door in front of her and debates whether she should kick it in or not. Jack had told her that he would be here after school, but she has rung the bell several times and knocked and yelled loudly, yet no one had come to open the door.

Kath: Where are you? Been yelling at a closed door for half an hour now.

After she sends Jack the message, she spots an open window and decides to let herself in through that. Without any difficulties she smoothly gets inside and lays eyes on what seems to be the living room. Her phone vibrates in her pocket and as she reads the message, the window slams shut behind her.

Jack-o'-lantern: Me 'nd Crutchie left like an hour ago? U should go home.

CutestKath: Lol, my entryway closed itself. I'm going exploring boy!

The last message doesn't get send, but Katherine shrugs it off. She's close to the woods, there's a big chance that the reception is a bit wonky over here. She walks further into the living room and smiles when she sees traces of different newsies all over the place. There's enough ingredients to make a few five course meals (Henry's stuff, no doubt), a stray slingshot (one of Finch's. Sniper has slingshots too, but she doesn't carve F's into them), a sewing kit (hello there, Buttons), a prayer rug (also Buttons') and Specs' shoes.

She pauses for a moment and picks up the pointes from the floor and puts them in her backpack. For someone who's very eager to break gender rules in the world of dancing (without injuring himself though, luckily for him, his ankles can actually take pointe work), he forgets his materials more often than not.

Wandering through the house, she wonders if she'll meet the David Jack keeps talking about. A teenager living on his own is worrisome enough, but as soon as Jack mentioned 'Davey' she can't shake the feeling that she's heard the name before. Almost immediately she associated the name with the smell of coffee way too late in the evening, black ink in a messy handwriting and strangely enough, Sarah. The harder she thinks about it, the more the fragments of David disappear.

As she enters the hallway, she stumbles over something and lands against the staircase. "Fuck!" she yells and when she notices what she tripped over, she whispers a quiet: "Oh fuck."

The other teenager is laying on his stomach, face downturned and despite the torn state it's in and the gruesome red stains on it, she recognizes the hoodie he's wearing as Jacks. Carefully she kneels down beside him and with shaking fingers, she reaches for his wrist. His cold skin makes her fear the worst as does the absence of a pulse. 'He's dead', she thinks until his fingers softly grab her own wrist. The grip is weak, but she lets out a breath she wasn't ware she was holding. "I'm going to turn you around, is that alright?" she asks and his grip tightens the tiniest bit and looses again. Katherine takes that as a yes.

Ever so slowly, she grabs his shoulders and turns him around. His hand drops weakly back to the floor and as he lays there unmoving, she fears that the movement might've been too much for him. But then he manages to open his eyes and tries to get up.

"Easy there", she remarks and moves to support his back. As something warm and wet touches her arm, she looks down at his torso. There are horrid scratches, stretching all over his ribcage. "Do you think you can make it to the kitchen? That needs bandaging." He looks doubtful, but tries to stand up on his own anyway. His knees buckle and immediately, Katherine has one of his arms over her shoulder as she hooks her own arm underneath his armpit. "I meant with help, dumbass."

The comment draws a breathy laugh from his lips and immediately after, he clutches his torso. "Ugh, that hurts." Katherine clicks her tongue in sympathy and manoeuvres him unto the couch in the living room. "Stay here, I'll get some water and towels from the kitchen."

As Katherine is filling a bowl with water, cold fingers wrap themselves around her wrist and thirteen years of self-defence classes kick into gear. Swiftly she delivers a quick jab to her attacker's solar plexus and raises the bowl in her hand to bash it to the side of his head. Luckily enough for Jack Kelly, she does not do that. Instead she calmly puts it on the kitchen counter, while Jack groans. "Jesus Christ woman, what was that for?"

"Valentine's day when we were still a couple."

"Look, I thought we weren't going to bring that up again. Also, don't act like our anniversary never happened, you know what you did."

"That's fair."

"Here take these." She presses a bunch of towels in his hands. "What are we doing?" He asks and follows her to the living. As they approach the room they hear a woman's voice talking and both of them stop to listen. "It's awfully rude to spy on people", Katherine remarks and Jack nods. "We totally shouldn't do it", he agrees but neither of them moves. They quickly exchange glances, spit in their hands and shake their hands.

"We're gonna listen anyway, aren't we?"

"Oh absolutely. Let's look too."

Katherine and Jack peek around the corner and watch as a ginger lady dressed in a red dress talks to David.

"I'm disappointed you know. The carpet's ruined thanks to your blood."

The sarcasm drips from David's voice as he answers. "Oh, I'm awfully sorry about bleeding all over the carpet. I thought for sure that you'd appreciate the red, since you've got the whole aesthetic going on. I'll stop bleeding right now."

"I hate you, boy."

"The feeling's absolutely mutual, Madam."

The lady sits down on the sofa and slowly drags her fingers over David's wounds. "David, David, you keep making everything harder. That poor girl had to drag you all across the hallway, because your sorry ass couldn't be bothered to get up. The sun has gone down by now and the house won't let anyone out until sunrise, you know that. You made her lose time and now you ruined her chance of getting out. The poor lamb is going to die because of you, darling."

Jack can't keep quiet anymore and casually enters the room. "No one's gonna die tonight, Miss walking period."

[racetraxk-higgins]

Bruises - Sprace

Soulmate au- spot hates the whole soulmate thing that is until he meets the cute guy who just so happens to be in detention with him and just so happens to have the same bruises as spot does.

- first ever time writing on tumblr so sorry if it’s bad?? also i’ve never written a newsies fic before so probably ooc.

- if you want a next part lemme know i guess???

—-

“This whole soulmate thing is fucking bullshit.”

Jack looked up from the sketch he was working on for art class to see his foster brother, Spot, burst into his room. Spot, who had been hiding in his room all day, seemed to have a very impressive bruise on his cheek.

Jack whistled as he put down his pencil, “That’s some bruise you have there. Who’d ya get in a fight with this time?” He asked.

Spot only groaned as he flopped down on Jacks bed, “That’s the problem. No one. Instead my soulmate decided it would be fucking perfect to get into a fight and get as many bruises as possible.” Spot grumbled as he crossed his arms.

Jack sighed and closed his sketchbook, already knowing that a rant was about to come, “So there’s more than just one?”

“There’s so fucking many, Jack! Like yeah, I get into fights but I’m never fucking stupid enough to get this beat up! It’s all over my fucking ribs, I honestly think whoever it is has their fucking ribs broke it’s that bad. Not to mention either that there’s fucking hickeys on my neck that definitely came from my soulmate because lord knows I haven’t hooked up with anyone lately.” Spot took a breath before continuing, “I don’t even understand why the hell we have soulmates. Sure, you and David turned out lucky. But do you know how many turn sour? I mean just look at my parents, that was all messed up. I don’t understand why we can’t just choose our own damn partners. What if I wanted to be alone for the rest of my life? I wouldn’t be able to because this whole soulmate shit won’t allow it. And who in the fuck thought it was a good idea to have it so when your soulmate gets all fucked up you do too? Now Medda is gonna think I’m off causin’ trouble again!” Spot finished his rant, his Brooklyn accent becoming thicker as he got even more pissed off.

Jack just rolled his eyes, “Spot calm down. Yes, okay it is stupid that when your soulmate gets hurt you get the marks too but at least you can tell who you were destined to be with. And yes, maybe your parents relationship did turn sour but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen to you,” Jack paused, “You’re a good guy, Spot. You deserve to be with someone who will stick with you. And concerning the Medda thing, if you explain to her that it was your soulmate she’ll be fine with it. She knows you weren’t out today, so you won’t get her mad or anything.”

Spot, who was taken aback by the sudden niceness of Jack, sighed and stood up, “Oh fuck off with all that nice shit. I just wanted to rant. Besides, I don’t care if I ever meet my soulmate. Hell, they could die for all I care.”

Spot was about to leave the room when Jack spoke up. 

“Spot, just don’t give up, okay? Maybe this soulmate thing won’t be so bad after all.”

Spot just mumbled a “Whatever you say, Kelly.” in response and walked out of Jack’s room to go out onto the fire escape to have a smoke.

——

That Monday Spot was sat down in the school’s cafeteria with a pissed off look on his face, his now bruised knuckles now gripping onto the table.

Jack, David, and all his other friends all made their way over to Spot’s table. Everyone was talking about different things as they sat down but once they noticed Spot’s expression they all quieted down.

“Woah, you looked more pissed off than usual, Spot.” Elmer exclaimed.

“Your knuckles are bruised and bleeding.” Blink joined in.

“Who’d you soak?” Asked Romeo.

“What the hell happened this time?” That was David, or as Spot liked to call him ‘Mouth’. He was the responsible one out of them all and sometimes pissed Spot off, but he was Jack’s soulmate and Spot’s kind of friend, so he didn’t mind him all that much.

Spot rolled his eyes, “The Delancey’s. Fucking assholes think they own this damn school, someone had to knock them down a peg.”

Crutchie, who was quietly sat down next to Finch, spoke up “You get in any trouble?”

“Of course I did. Weasel hates me, loves the Delanceys. Got detention for two whole weeks.” Spot snapped as he gripped the table tighter.

Jack let out a laugh, “Well hey, I’ll be happy to report you’re not the only one in detention today.”

“What? Jack, what did you do?” David asked as he looked at Jack who just chuckled again.

“Oh chill out, Davey.” He said as he wrapped his arms around David’s waist, “It wasn’t me. There’s this new kid in the school and he’s in my English class. So Mr. Pulitzer was going on one of his famous rants about how the gays shouldn’t be allowed to get married and that it was a sin. Along with something about not drinking that tap water because the gay’s put chemicals in it to make all the straight who drank it turn gay? Anyways so this kid right, his name is like Tony or something, he went off on Mr. Pulitzer. Callin’ him all these names, at one point he even grabbed the kid next to him, another new kid, and kissed him. They seemed to know each other so it was fine but still. And now, because Mr. Pulitzer is a homophobic piece of literal shit he’s got detention for god knows how long.” Jack finished his story with a small laugh, “Guy’s got balls.”

“Damn, Spot he seems as bad as you!” Finch said as he stabbed at the cafeteria food with his fork.

Spot just shook his head with a small smirk, “No one is as bad as me, Finch.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But I’d love to see him try to beat the number of days you’ve been in detention with Denton!”

Spot just chuckled in response as David cut into the conversation once again.

“Alright enough about Spot’s habits. Everyone eat or you’ll start complaining halfway through fourth period that you’se hungry.”

——

Spot walked into the detention room and greeted Denton who was sat at the desk.

“Hey Denton. How was your day?” Spot asked as he took his normal seat down in the back.

Denton laughed, “In again, Spot? Whatcha do this time? Terrorize some freshmen? My day was shit, as usual.” He replied as he pulled out Spot’s “Days in Detention with Denton” sheet and put down a tally mark before putting it back in his desk.

Spot just shook his head, “Nah. Beat up the Delanceys. You know they really don’t pay you enough.”

Denton was about to answer when the door to the classroom opened. In stepped the new guy, at least that’s what Spot assumed. He never seen him before, and Spot knew almost everyone.

The new guy looked around before deciding on the seat right next to Spot in the corner. Spot watched him quietly. The guy had blond hair and bright blue eyes, his skinny jeans were tighter than Finch’s and he was about half an inch taller than Spot. He walked with confidence and sat down in the seat, kicking his feet up onto the desk.

Denton didn’t care, never did. The sooner he could get out the sooner he would be less miserable.

“Alright, boys. Spot, you know the rules. Tony, no talking, no texting, basically just sit there for an hour and reflect on what you’ve done. Or don’t. Not like it makes any difference to me.” Denton said then got up to leave the class room, Spot knew he’d be gone for at least ten minutes, Denton always went on a few smoke breaks during detentions.

Spot turned towards the new guys, “So, Tony, huh? Little rumour going around school that you told Mr. Pulitzer where to go.”

Tony, who didn’t bother looking at Spot, just replied coldly, “Yeah, what’s it matter to you? And it ain’t Tony, it’s Race.”

“Ah so you don’t know who I am.” Spot said. Tony, or Race, just shrugged.

“Oh I’m sorry, your highness. Forgot there was such thing as royalty in this goddamn school.”

Spot just rolled his eyes, “The names Spot Conlon. That ring any bells?”

Race looked over at Spot and raised an eyebrow, “So you’re the famous Spot Conlon, huh? I was told to watch out for you.” He scoffed, “I thought you’d be taller. How does someone so small win a fight?”

Spot wanted to choke the guy. Race was only like half an inch taller than him and a lot skinnier too. Not to mention the bruise that was on his cheek was a dead give away that he probably lost a fight, or at least got the shit beat out of him before he could stop the person.

Spot gritted his teeth, “You can’t say anything either, asshole. That bruise you got on there is pretty nasty. Did you loose a fight?”

Race just clenched his jaw in response, deciding that someone like Spot wasn’t worth wasting his breath on. Instead he took out a cigarette from his pocket and started to chew on it, praying to Jesus that the hour will go by quick. If he had to deal with that asshole for even another five minutes he was going to out right kill him.

Spot was sat back in his desk, staring at the white board in front of him. He turned, looking over at Race who was now completely zoned out and that’s when he payed more attention,

The bruise was the same size, colour, and in the same exact spot as Spot’s was. Believing it to be a coincidence Spot let his eyes trail towards Race’s neck and almost straight up left the room when he seen the three hickeys that was on Race’s neck, once again in the same place as Spot’s.

Holy shit.

Placing a hand over his own neck where the hickeys were he quickly pulled out his phone and texted Jack.

To: Annoying Brother (jack kelly)

   jack holy shit i think i just found my soulmate??

Needless to say Spot was not ready for what was about to come next.

—

part two now up!

[kimmyiewrites]

Finding Home | Chpt 2

Catch Up      Masterlist

Chapter Summary:  Darcy comes for a visit during breakfast and a new roommate moves in.

Katherine had yet to register the world around her. She knew that the boys had gone to get their somewhat new roommate. Well, he was new to her, not new to them. Apparently he was moving back to New York after some time out in California. She just hoped that he was a little nicer than Tony even if near the end they were beginning to get along. She smiled around her coffee cup at how happy the boy had been when his boyfriend, Sean had asked him to move in. With Tony now in Brooklyn, that left the apartment down a roommate and so in came Romeo.

“Well, good morning, beautiful.” The latest addition entered the kitchen, going straight for the coffee pot.

Katherine snorted. “I now see what Charlie meant to you living up to your name.”

“You’ve been talking about me? Was it anything good?” He asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee before offering to refill Katherine’s.

She shook her head and flashed him a grateful smile. She had been soaking in the warmth, lost in thought so she had barely even taken any sips.

“You just got here, Romeo. Why don’t you lay off the flirting with our roommate, will ya? You’re not man enough for this one, anyway.” Jack said before yawning as he made his way into the kitchen.

Romeo smacked Jack’s arm as Katherine shuffled out of the way, sitting down at the island just as Charlie joined her. “Why don’t you leave that to the pretty lady to decide? You guys could have warned me a little better, ya know.”

“He already starting to try and butter you up, Kath?” Charlie asked, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl.

“Yup, but nothing’s working so far.” She hid her smirk behind her coffee cup as she noticed the way Jack grinned towards Romeo as if saying, ‘I told you so.’

“How many eggs am I making?” Jack asked as he pulled out the carton out of the fridge.

A chorus of ‘me’ rang throughout the kitchen before the sound of Katherine’s phone chimed in. “You actually might wanna add in two more, Jack. Darcy’s downstairs.” She took another sip of her coffee and grabbed her phone before making her way to greet her best friend.

Grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch, she wrapped it around her shoulders and rode the elevator down to the lobby. Darcy was standing a bit awkwardly in the middle trying to take everything in. They were certainly not in the upper east side anymore.

She had to laugh when she saw her friend. “You look like you just landed in Oz. You know this is a lot better than my place in Chicago, right?”

“It doesn’t seem like it.” He swiped a finger over one of the tables in the lobby and held it up so she could see the dust. “I mean when was the last time this place was cleaned? Come back and live with me. We’ll find you some place nicer.”

Katherine rolled her eyes and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards the elevators. “Here I thought Bill was the judgy one. I didn’t even have a lobby in Chicago. You went through an alley to get to the stairs. C’mon, the guys are nice and the loft is too.”

“I’m not judging. I’m worried. We don’t know these people.”

“And I didn’t know you at first either and we turned out just fine.”

Darcy sighed as the elevator dinged, signaling that they had arrived on the fourth floor. “I’m not really worried about that. I mean you haven’t gone missing yet so they’re clearly not gonna kill you.”

She stopped, halfway down the hall to her new apartment door. “Then what are you worried about?”

He stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m worried about your safety, Kath.”

“But you just said.” Her brows furrowed in confusion as she was trying to figure out what her best friend was getting at.

He shook his head. “Not with them. I have it under good authority that your father has hired a PI to locate you, maybe even bring you home.”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. The only reason why she didn’t step out of Darcy’s grip was because he was holding on to her just tight enough that she wouldn’t run. “No. I’m not going back. That place isn’t my home anymore. He ruined that. I mean his personal assistant Darcy, for a man who prides himself for being so original he went with the most cliche person to have an affair with. How did I not see it coming?”

“Katherine, we’ve been through this a hundred times before. They were wrong for not telling you about the divorce. You need to stop blaming yourself over this. You weren’t the only one who was shocked to hear the news.” He shook his head, not wanting to get into this argument again. “That’s besides the point. You have a PI following you and you’re living with three strangers who I can’t trust to protect you.”

“Well, then good thing you’re here, so you can meet them.” Her shoulders were now set and her eyes were hard with determination.

“You’re not going to tell them are you? Do they even know that your dad owns The World?” He quirked an eyebrow.

She just shook her head. “They don’t need to know and they don’t need to worry. It’s my problem, not theirs.”

Darcy sighed. “Katherine Pulitzer, you’re gonna be the death of me.”

She smacked him in the chest. “It’s Plumber. You even helped me with the name change, remember.”

“Right, right. Sorry.” He rubbed at the place on his chest where she hit. “Let’s go meet these roommates of yours.”

Walking back into the kitchen, Katherine took her seat back and patted the spot next to her for Darcy to sit. “Darcy, this is Charlie, Jack, and Romeo. Guys, this is Darcy. The one I was staying with until I moved in.”

Charlie looked around Katherine and waved, his usual large grin lighting up his features. Jack turned around briefly, waving the hand he was holding the spatula with. “Hope you like scrambled eggs.”

“Yeah, thanks. I didn’t realize I was interrupting breakfast.” He turned to Katherine with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re not interrupting anything, sweetheart. Maybe except for my regular heartbeat.” Romeo smirked as he came over with the coffee pot and coffee mug. “Coffee?”

Darcy looked at the other boy warily. He felt as though it was a loaded question. Or was it because he found him cute despite the awful pick up line? Katherine just rolled her eyes and took the cup from Romeo. “Yes, he’d love some.”

Both boys turned towards Katherine who gave them an incredulous look. “Am I gonna have to pour the coffee too?”

Charlie and Jack laughed. They were really becoming happier with the decision of having Katherine move in. Romeo shook his head and poured the coffee as Katherine got up and patted Darcy’s shoulder.

She came around the island and pulled out the loaf of bread from the cabinet. “How about some toast with our eggs?” She asked Jack as she plugged in the toaster.

“Exactly what I was thinking.” He smiled over at her. “These should be done soon.”

After a few moments of them working side by side, Jack spoke up, well whispered so she would be the only one who heard him. “Where are you and Darcy from? I ain’t never seen two people dress so nice to look at apartments or see a friend.”

The conversation she just had with Darcy replayed in her mind. “We’re both from New York. What’s so wrong with looking nice?”

“Yeah, but what borough?”

She looked up at the ceiling as if it would hold the answers she needed. Why couldn’t he just drop it? “Upper east side.” She mumbled, figuring there was no point in lying about this. It wasn’t like he asked who her father was.

“Then what the hell are ya doing in lower Manhattan?” He looked at her with wide eyes. She definitely didn’t fit the image he had of the people who lived among the elite.

She sighed, shoving two more pieces of bread into the toaster. “Because I never liked the attitude of the so called high and mighty. I’d rather work for what I have than have everything given to me on a silver platter. Darcy’s only still there because he’s being groomed to take over when his father steps down.”

“So he came to make sure you were still living, huh?”

She laughed a bit. “Yeah, something like that.” She placed the last pieces of toast on the plate and looked up at him. “This isn’t gonna change anything, is it?”

He looked back at her, saw the worry in her eyes and smiled.  “Nah, we’re good, princess.” The smile quickly turned into a smirk.

Katherine groaned, rolling her eyes. “That’s not going away is it?”

“Nope.” He grinned, distributing the eggs on each plate.

[havencfear]

@adastrvs​ sent: [ panic ] + [ cry ] + [ fix ] + [ sacrifice ] for spot and regina

--> [ panic ] for your muse to grab mine’s arm or get behind them in a moment of danger // [ cry ] for your muse to wipe mine’s tears away // [ fix ] for your muse to treat mine’s injury // [ sacrifice ] for your muse to get hurt protecting mine

Of all the things that could happen that night, this wasn’t what he had anticipated. They’d been heading back from their weekly coffee when the guy ran up to them, clearly part of the gang and trying to pull a fast one. The sunlight caught the blade tip, tipping him off to what was happening -- but, thankfully, Spot knew to be prepared for this stuff. He felt Regina grab onto his arm when he stopped, stepping behind him for protection just as Spot punched the guy, holding him up by the front of his shirt and shoving him against the wall of the building, voice low. “ Think again. You outta know by now that you can’t ambush me -- I’m always on my guard. And in broad daylight? What’d you think you were gonna accomplish, huh? ” He shoved the guy away, watching as he ran off before turning to her, shaking his hand out. In his rush to punch, he’d somehow caught the blade across his knuckles and while it wasn’t deep, it was bleeding. “ Hey, you okay? ” He asked softly before wiping at a tear on her cheek. “ Okay, c’mon, it’s just a cut, no need to cry over it. ” Spot joked, though he knew that it was a scary thing for other people to be rushed by a guy with a knife. He didn’t even protest when she grabbed at his hand, making some comment about the afternoon being ruined before she pulled him into a store, demanding a first aid kit. By now, he’d learned better than to argue with Regina George on anything. “ You ain’t gonna go all soft on me, are you? It’s just a cut. ”

[havencfear]

Spot: What is the best thing in your life right now?

Spot steeled his jaw, no emotion showing as he mumbled. “ Davey. ”

@seizethxdavey

[havencfear]

@thctgolden​ sent: [ fix ] for riff and spot

--> [ fix ] for your muse to treat mine’s injury

Spot had no clue where he was or who the guy wrapping his hand was. All he knew was one eye was swollen and his hand was throbbing and he’d finally gotten food. Tonight’s fight had been rough, to say the least, and he’d literally walked into him -- Riff, he thought his name was, but he wasn’t sure -- and next thing he knew he was sat at a table, hand being wrapped carefully and bread set in front of him. “ Thanks. For this. ” He offered a smile, though it probably didn’t look good; he knew he looked like a wreck. “ I got into a fight and thought it’d be easier than it was. But hey, you should see the other guy. ” The other guy, who ended up knocked out on the ground of the ring and probably had a broken nose. 

[havencfear]

@crxtchiemorris​ sent: [ guard ] + [ hit ] for spot and crutchie --> [ guard ] for your muse to step between my muse and danger // [ hit ] for your muse to attack mine

Spot and Crutchie had just been walking along after getting coffee, grinning about something the other had said. It was nice to get to just hang out after everything that had happened in the last few weeks, no stress or worries, just the two of them having fun. He opened his mouth to speak when he saw a bicyclist barrelling towards them and did the only thing he could think of: he tackled Crutchie into an alley, thankfully landing on the mattress he’d planned for them to land on before the guy could run into them. Before Crutchie could say anything, Spot was standing up and face to face with a random guy with his arms crossed. “ Nice trick, asshole. What’s your plan, have your buddy run people over and then you snatch their wallets while they’re trying to get up? ” As soon as he called the guy out he was taking off down the sidewalk, and Spot sighed as he turned to Crutchie, offering a hand to help him up. “ Sorry... You good? ”

[havencfear]

MEME ANSWERS: Spot

( luxury ) ( late night ) || not accepting. || mentioned: @walkingmxuth​, @defyingrcvity​, @crxtchiemorris​

penthouse: what would you consider your dream home? describe it.

“ Just... Having a roof is good enough. Better than I’ve had in the past. ”

jazz: name a song that resonates with you and your emotions. explain the reason why.

“ Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade. I’m not explaining. ”  It makes him think of Davey, but he hates to admit to something like that.

sweet dreams: are you happy?

“ That’s deep. Uh... Technically yes. In many ways, fuck no. ”

night light: who/what makes you feel safe?

“ Davey. Jack. Crutchie. ” 

soothe: what's one thing that always makes you feel better when you're upset?

“ Punching things? ” 

[havencfear]

for spot: thoughts on every member of the newsies? uncensored and honest?

“ Crutchie is one of my oldest friends… I hate that he got dragged into my mess, but I’m doing everything I can to make things right before he finds out. Jack is my other oldest friend, and I trust him with everything. Kat… Her talent’s wasted on those shitty fluff pieces. She should be covering things she likes and are important, but y’know, capitalism and all that bullshit. Sarah and Les I’m not very close to but are quite honestly two people I’m most afraid of ( and I’m in a gang ) simply because… ” He paused, not wanting to continue. “ Davey’s the most important person to me and they could probably stop him from talking to me. ”

@crxtchiemorris, @defyingrcvity, @kingofnxwyxrk, @thatjacobsgirl, @dimplcsandcurls, @seizethxdavey

[havencfear]

@crxtchiemorris​ sent: a kiss on the temple for spot and crutchie

( FLASHBACK -- TWO YEARS AGO )

Spot wasn’t one for affection -- that much anyone knew. Even with his close friends, he never was that affectionate. But with tensions in the gang running high and his own pending promotion, he’d started getting scared. Things were more violent than he could remember it being before, carrying a knife with him at all times, always on high alert. He’d started the habit of checking in on his friends despite the fact he knew they were protected -- it was always a risk, the chance of someone stepping outside of what was set in place and trying to get revenge for getting picked over while Spot was being moved up the ladder. The bad thing was, he always checked in when it was late, and tonight, Crutchie was definitely asleep when he came by. Instead of knocking, he simply knelt down and picked the lock with no problem ( making note to tell him he needed a deadbolt or chain lock to add ) and walked in, silent as a mouse. And, just like he thought, he found Crutchie tucked into bed, sleeping soundly and no sign of harm on him. Spot stood there for a moment, realized just how fucking creepy he was being before leaning down and giving the guy a kiss on the temple, just silently happy that he hadn’t added any more pain to his life. Locking the door back before climbing out the window, closing it behind him, he just hoped he’d be able to keep everyone safe for as long as he could. 

[havencfear]

@kingofnxwyxrk​ sent: [ guard ] for spot and kat

--> [ guard ] for your muse to step between my muse and danger

Spot would never admit to it if anyone asked him, but he was Kat’s biggest online defender. People could try and talk shit about her work online if they wanted, but they’d catch the wrath of anonymous4568. He read all of her works, and any time someone had something bad to say he’d argue with them. And sure, he wasn’t the best debator and resorted to nasty comments directed back most of the time, but it was his way of protecting Kat. Something told him that if she logged in and saw the negative comments and no one defending her, it’d be a bad impact. So he stuck up for her in the best way he could. Which was how he found himself sitting at a computer and three in the morning, writing a full blown paragraph on how her piece on Easter candies was actually really good despite the shit topic ( ‘ who tells a talented writer to write about the shittiest candy on Earth? ’ ) instead of sleeping like he should’ve been. And sure, Kat would never find out, but that was the goal. That’s why his username was anonymous.