#bc he's a respectable(ish) fella

[heich0e]

heyy yuujiii is your brother likeee singleee?? Just asking hypothetically... Asking for a friend even

i'm torn between yuuji CONSTANTLY getting approached by girls asking if sukuna is single and girls being too off-put by sukuna's rough edges to ever think abt pursuing him

[hobidreams]

I love your moonlit throne drabble series, so I was thinking if you ever considered doing parallel drabbles with other members and their respective oc. For example JK and Seokjin are two non-royal ranking fellas in the MV, they have their characters established so maybe describe a little bit of their daily life or a situation they have with their oc. ++

++ Tho for Eunuch Kim what if he has an admirer when he goes to the town to do stuff for the king (bc who wouldn't have a crush on him after the description of his gentle character with oc). And maybe for the others members, they can be in different parts of Korea and they are also noble ranking and we see how they have their own thing with oc such as Yoongi, maybe a secret lover they are not able to be with or their lover is a noble and they are not, so their love is not allowed ++

++ This is the last one 🥺 Please, stay strong and keep the good work, thank you if you took the time to answer this question! I just needed to know if this could qualify for the tonigh drabble series? Or if you would be willing to do these parallel drabbles bc you are the only one able to pull this off with you amazing writing style!!! (Also it's your AU, after all). In addition, sorry for any typos or weird writing, enlighs is not my frist language

i actually have all the members planned/written into the series already with their respective roles ^^ Eunuch Kim will have a named character as his love interest that will be revealed soon-ish, though the other boys are not specifically paired with someone (yet) so i could concievably create stories for them but we’ll have to see after the main series wraps up! i am definitely interested in them but the chances of me doing a spin-off series is... low. mostly because MLT is going to be like 65k+  words & the thought of doing more after that just exhausts me right now. maybe i’ll feel differently after a while! they wouldn’t be part of the Tonight series though, it would be something separate. 

[santafeisafantase]

@thattheatrefreak here ya go dood and others. it’s still just a rough draft and not me bashing newsies bc i love it so much, but i was interesting in doing the research so here we go. enjoy!!

//

Newsies vs. The Newsboy Strike of 1899

Did you know that back in 1899, the newsboys, also known as newsies, of New York City went on strike? The strike caused massive disruption to the city’s key services. Critical news stopped and strikes and protests halted transportation. At one point even the entirety of the Brooklyn Bridge shut down. This was such an important event in our history that Walt Disney Studios created a movie in 1992, which would later become a Broadway musical in 2012, about the strike called, ‘Newsies’. Disney’s Newsies represented the Newsboy Strike of 1899 inaccurately as evidenced by the fictional characters and plotlines.

Based on the Newsboys Strike of 1899, Disney’s Newsies creates many fictional characters to tell their version of the story. In fact, the main character and “leader” of the Disney’s Newsies strike did not exist in real life but was created to support their interpretation of the story..

Jack Kelly, the alleged leader of the strike, was a charismatic character created to further their story.. His character is loosely based off the actual leader of the strike, Louis ‘Kid Blink’ Balett(i)*. Kid Blink (sometimes referred to as Blind Diamond) was the leader and chief organizer of the Newsboy’s Union Strike Committee. Kid Blink was said to be between the ages of 13-18 and Italian, while Jack was 17 and (most likely) Irish. At the time, Italians were frowned upon, and otherwise not well perceived by others, including but not limited to- the Irish. So, although the change from Italian to Irish appears insignificant on the surface, due to tensions between these groups during this time it seems curious

Both Blink and Jack Kelly accepted a bribe from a newspaper, going back to work. Jack took the bride in order to keep his boys from going to The Refuge (a jail for underaged kids), and while there’s no apparent reason for Blink accepting the bride, it was most likely just for the money. Another difference between Blink and Disney’s Jack Kelly is their mannerisms during the strike. When Kid Blink came across scabs (boys who went against the strike), he would soak them (beat them up) into joining the strike, Jack used his way words to talk the scabs into joining the strike.

His more memorable speech from the Broadway production is as follows, “Listen fellas…I know somebody put yis up to this. Probably paid ya some extra money too. Yeah? Well, it ain’t right. Pulitzer thinks we’re gutter rats with no respect for nothin’, includin’ each other. Is that who we are? Well, we stab each other in the back and, yeah, that’s who we are. But if we stand together, we change the whole game. And it ain’t just about us. All across this city there are boys and girls who ought to be playin’ or going to school. Instead they’re slavin’ to support themselves and their folks. Ain’t no crime to bein’ poor, and not a one of us complains if the work we do is hard. All we ask is a square deal. Fellas…for the sake of all the kids in every sweatshop, factory, and slaughter house in this town, I beg you… throw down your papers and join the strike.” Disney’s Jack is more a verbal peacemaker than brute enforcer.

Along with Jack Kelly, David ‘Davey’ Jacobs, and the entire Jacobs family didn’t exist either. In the 1992 Newsies movie, the Jacobs family took Jack in when David and Les, two brothers, became newsies. Davey suggested the strike and became Jack's right-hand during the strike. Sarah, Davey and Les's sister, was Jack's love interest, but an otherwise unimportant character who was written out in the stage production. The Jacobs parents aren't in the stage version, as well. They’re mentioned a few times, but never shown or talked about in much detail. The family, in the movie, showed Jack what it was like to have a real family, as none of the newsboys really had families. This idea of a perfect family and Jack;s want of this idea becomes a recurring theme in Jack’s storyline. There’s a possibility Davey was based off Dave Simmons, the president of the Strike Committee who was voted out alongside Blink for betraying the strike. Simmons was treasurer for the second half of the strike after being forced to step down from his higher position. Davey could’ve also been inspired by/based off Morris Cohen, who replaced Simmons as president of the strike committee. Consistent with the transition of Jack from thug-ish to more of a charismatic leader, Disney gave Jack more relatable family ties and direction.

Furthermore, Bryan Denton did not write the big stories that won the boys the strike. In fact, those articles don’t exist at all! As well as that, Bryan Denton did not actually exist. He was originated for the movie. It’s likely he wasn’t based off anyone in particular, seeing as though the articles from the time came from all over the place. Bryan served to unify the storytelling in somewhat of a narrator fashion that the audience can rally around.

On the topic of the newspaper reporters, Katherine Pulitzer/Plumber (Plumber having been the name she allegedly published under) did not write for ‘The New York Sun’ or anywhere, for that matter. While Katherine Pulitzer was a real person, she died of pneumonia at the age of 2 years old. In the Broadway musical, she’s written to replace both Sarah Jacobs, as Jack’s love interest, and Bryon Denton, as the reporter for the strike.

Another misrepresentation is the infamous leader of the Brooklyn Newsies, Spot Conlon. Spot Conlon, and the Brooklyn newsies, according to the musical/movie, were major influences on the strike. Disney makes it out like without Spot they wouldn't have won the strike at all. Racetrack Higgins, in Disney's versions, is just a newsie from Manhattan who loves to play poker and bet on horse races, when in actuality, Racetrack was the real ‘voice of Brooklyn’ and is mentioned throughout the papers as a major influence on the strike. He also gave a speech at the rally in Irving Hall, claiming to have confronted the chief of police, as well as threatening the boys if they thought of betraying the strike. Racetrack was temporarily vice-president of the strike committee after Blink and Simmons were voted out.

Disney also claims after Kelly betrays the strike, he joins the strike again to assist in writing and printing their own paper that helps them win the strike. Joseph Pulitzer, the owner of ‘The New York World’, sees the paper and makes Jack and the newsies an offer. He would lower the raise of price by half if they went back to work. Jack rebutted by saying that ‘The World’ would also buy back whatever papers the newsboys don’t sell, full price. In truth, over the two weeks that the boys were striking, ‘The World’ made many offers to which the Union’s Strike Committee turned down. Most of the newsies disagreed with the Strike Committee refusing to accept the offers. Eventually, Pulitzer made an offer to the newsies, not the Official Decision Makers of the strike. Pulitzer offered them 100% return rights. The newsies immediately accepted the offer, agreeing to go back to work, while the Union Committee, who disagreed with their decision to accept to offer, said they would continue to strike.

According to Disney’s Newsies, Pulitzer decided to raise the price of papers because once the war ended, they weren’t selling enough papers. Joseph Pulitzer wanted to put more money into flashy photos and headlines, so they could sell more newspapers. In order to do so, they raised the price of the newspapers from $.50 per hundred to $.60, meaning the newsies would have to sell 10 more papers just to make the same about as always. When the newsies saw the raise in price, they were immediately enraged and decided to strike. When the boys organized their first rally, Pulitzer tried to get the mayor and Snyder (the warden of The Refuge) to arrest Jack and get the rally shut down.

In actuality, ‘The World’, and most of the newspapers in the city, raised the price of their papers during the war, knowing that the headlines were dramatic enough that papers would sell easily. When the war ended, all the newspapers brought the prices back down, except for ‘The World’ and ‘The Journal’. Because the war had ended, papers weren’t selling as well, and the newsies couldn’t make enough money to survive. That being said, the newsies didn’t strike immediately. The war ended in August of 1898, and they didn’t strike until July 1899. They elected a group of boys to lead the strike called the Union Committee which consisted of Kid Blink as chief organizer, Dave Simmons as president, Little Mikey as an orator, and Jim Gaiety, Young Monix, Barney Peanuts, Crutch Morris, Crazy Arburn, Scabutch/Scabooch, and Abe Newman. The intention of Pulitzer was not as ill-intentioned and specific as Disney indicated.

Even the conclusion of the strike was changed to suit Disney’s narrative! They make it out to be more willing and accommodating than what actually happened. So, all that said, Disney’s Newsies represented the Newsboy Strike of 1899 inaccurately as evidenced by the fictional characters and plotlines.

*according to some sources, it could also be spelled ‘Balett(i)’

Works Cited

Anonymous. “‘The Looker-on’ Observing Racetrack Higgins”. Brooklyn Life, 29 July 1899. cityhallpark1899.com/2015/07/29/the-looker-racetrack-higgins/

Nasaw, David. “Read all about it: The story of the newsies’ two-week strike against publishers Pulitzer, Hearst”. New York Daily News, 14 August 2017. nydailynews.com/new-york/story-newsies-strike-titans-pulitzer-hearst-article-1.2858550

Siegrist, Julie. “Newsies the Movie: Is it Historically Accurate?” When I Can Breathe, Blogger, 19 January 2014. whenicanbreathe.blogspot.com/2014/01/evaluation-newsies-movie-is-it.html

Romero, Kristina. “Newsies: The real story compared with the movie/musical”. Calling Extra, WordPress, 24 March 2012. callingextra.com/author/kristina/

Newsboys of 1899, Tumblr.

Torin. “Historical Context Newsies”. The Gilder Lehrman. www.gilderlehrman.org/content/historical-context-newsies

Stern, Liz. “Blast From the Past: Newsboy Strike of 1899 “. History Detectives, New-York Historical Society, 27 July 2012. historydetectives.nyhistory.org/2012/07/blast-from-the-past-newsboy-strike-of-1899/

Morisako, Kira. “Kid Blink”. Extra! Extra! Newsboys Take A Stand: The Newsboys Strike of 1899, Weebly. newsboysstrike1899.weebly.com/kid-blink.html

Anonymous. “Newsboys' strike of 1899”. Wikiwand, Wikipedia. www.wikiwand.com/en/Newsboys%27_strike_of_1899#/Louis_%22Kid_Blink%22_Baletti

Anonymous. “Newsies Historical Research”. Newsies History, Tumblr. newsieshistory.tumblr.com/post/91454605563/some-things-we-know-about-the-real-kid-blink-part

[lronhusbands]

a double date with steve and tony and bucky and rhodey: end up being awkward or awesome? do they end up hanging out with their best friends more or their dates more? assuming this is early-ish on in the relationships.

Alright look nonny, I tried to figure this one out but I have no god damn clue how to write something like this mostly bc I don’t know how to write Bucky/Rhodey. So… I took some creative liberties and turned this into a poly thing. I’m so sorry.

--

Rhodey sat opposite of Tony with Bucky sitting next to him, and Steve sitting next to Tony. It had been quiet for the past five minutes.

“What are we doing here, Tony?” Steve asked, finally breaking the silence.

“There are some things we need to talk about,”

“Talk? Tones you never willingly talk about anything,” Rhodey joked, fondness clear in his voice.

Tony just smiled at Rhodey. Rhodey’s stomach did a funny little flip. Tony was gorgeous. He was always gorgeous. Even coming off of a 74 hour engineering binge with oil and grease covering his body.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you two trying to woo me,”

Bucky and Steve became suddenly interested in the food on their plates. Tony watched them with a smile on his face.

“And at this point honey bunch we’re just kidding ourselves if we keep insisting we’re only friends,”

Rhodey narrowed his eyes, trying to see where Tony was going with this. He knew Tony better than anyone.

“I… I don’t usually get to keep the things I love and I’m taking a huge chance with this but even I’m done with how pathetic I’m getting with the pining,”

Tony’s gaze was caught on the fork he was playing with. There was a crease on his forehead as if he was concentrating hard on something incredibly important.

“I love all three of you- which to be honest still freaks me the fuck out. I complained to Pepper so much I think I owe her at least three new pairs of shoes for my relentless calling,” Tony mumbled- more to himself than to the men he was with.

“What are you trying to say, Tones?” Rhodey asked.

“I think… well, there might be a way for this to work,”

Almost simultaneously Steve and Rhodey looked at each other. Both of them thinking the exact same thing. There was no damn way. Rhodey didn’t want to be with Steve and Bucky. He was only interested in Tony. Steve respected the hell out of Rhodey, but he did not want to be in a relationship with him. He couldn’t see it working out.

“Shit doll, when do we start?” Bucky asked.

“Bucky!” Steve sounded scandalized.

“What? It’s obvious what he’s gettin’ at,”

When neither Steve or Rhodey responded, Bucky looked at them incredulously.

“Maybe you gotta spill it out for ‘em, doll,” Bucky said.

Tony nodded and smiled nervously at Bucky.

“Honey bear I know you don’t like Steve like that- try not to take it personally Rogers,” Tony said, clearly gaining some of his infamous snark back.

“Tones,” Rhodey warned.

“What if it was us…”

Tony made a triangle with his finger of him, Steve, and Bucky.

“And then us,”

He pointed between himself and Rhodey.

“What?” Steve asked.

“You’re in a relationship with them, and with me,” Rhodey said quietly.

“But you’re not in one with us,” Bucky added.

“Thank you for that clarification,” Rhodey’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

“It was for Stevie,”

"I think it’s a pretty ingenious idea,” Tony said.

"Look at this asshole, praising himself,” Bucky teased.

“Can’t believe he’s our boyfriend, can you Rogers?”

Steve smiled, his cheeks a little pink.

“Not quite sure why we got a fella like him,”

Tony didn’t look offended or anything like that. He just smiled. He was fairly certain his heart was going to burst or some cliche bullshit, but he was just too damn happy that his boyfriends were three of his favorite people in the world.