#finch x albert

[the-racer]

spot 🤝 albert = calling their strangely tall boyfriends sweetheart in both a mean and nice way

[emmedoesntdomath]

redfinch fic ideas??

OOO OKAY SO

(well, first- I said forever ago that I was going to write a redfinch fic, and it’s going to happen, I swear, just…not yet)

IDEAS!

-just like,,, domestic fluff. and you’re probably thinking, no shit, emme, but I made posts about my headcanons for things like jobs and pets and dates, etc., so one might use those sorts of things and just build a world around them. 

-the rival restaurants au. like, finch could be running a family diner or something, and then albert has a fancy restaurant right next door. he’s constantly coming over angry, and finch is just sitting there, chin in palm, sighing dreamily as he leaves. 

-the summer I turned pretty au with albert as belly and finch as conrad and race as jeremiah. I said what I said. 

-the whoopsie my best friend who I used to like a lot is getting married and now I need to find a date so it doesn’t look like I still want him so imma bring my other best friend who definitely doesn’t like me with them and sprace. something that’s been done in the fandom, but not for these two. 

-the theater kid and the band kid. finch is theater, albert is band (he must play the trombone or trumpet, I accept nothing less). 

-wrong number au, but it’s albert accidentally dialing finch instead of race for his one call to bail him out of jail. 

-the hi I think your dog’s cute, can I pet it meet-cute, but then it turns into a date at like the arcade or something and then it’s like oh, no, I’m actually allergic to dogs, I just wanted to flirt with you. 

AND FINALLYYYYYYYY

-coffee shop au, but it’s albert coming in with race every day to get his coffee before class, and finch pining helplessly because he thinks they’re dating 

[willowistic22]

For your redfinch brainrot @lostcityofny :)

Finch is a cat person. Those creatures can be assholes at times, but he thinks it’s part of the fun of having one. Albert is a dog person. His whole family is pretty active and sporty, so dogs are great company when going on a relaxing jog. Finch doesn’t detest dogs, but they make him nervous. Albert doesn’t despise cats, but he never understood the appeal of them.

Imagine the reaction they had when they learn that the other person prefers the other pet. Finch was on edge when he first met Albert’s dogs. Especially that they’re two big dobermans. But as it turns out, Zoey and Zara are two sweet angels. Despite Albert training them to stay neutral, they sometimes still get overexcited, which Finch is slowly getting used to. Finch’s cat Marbles warmed up to Albert pretty quickly, seeing that the cat loves to meet new people. And Albert finally picked up on the appeal of a cat’s occasional asshole demeanor. It’s adorable and really funny.

[bigmack2go]

When people ask what ships i have in newsies im always like

BRO??? I can maybe tell you the ships i dont have that’ll go faster. There are like three.

[fart-boys-blog]

guys i have a confession!!!

i’m up to no good again!!!!!! [cute]

( GUYS THIS BLOG WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL SOON .. 💔💔 )

(JUST NEEDED TO GET MY SILLIES OUT. )

[shutup-andletme-go]

okay poll time to find out which of my fics you want to know about first

please please please ask me about them if you're interested!! if you ask I promise I will write *extends my pinky to you*

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

*shakes these like a bag of cat treats* pspspsps

[athousandboxjumps]

the newsies after the fight

AKA: me planning out headcanons because I want to make this into a fic. Also this is pure angst, you have been warned.

Race gets back to the lodging house first. Of course he does; the combination of long legs and adrenaline means he can run really fast when he needs to. There’s nothing he wants more than to smoke his cigar, but he lost it in the fray and even if he hadn’t, he isn’t sure he’d be able to light it with his shaking hands.

Albert doesn’t speak for a long while. There are a million thoughts buzzing in his head as always but for the first time he can’t form them into words. He just sits on his bed, holding onto Race’s hand for dear life. (Race is secretly grateful for this; he craves the touch just as much as Al.)

Henry can’t stop moving. Even though his ribs ache and it hurts to breathe, he fears the breakdown that will come once he stands still. Instead he floats between the newsies, checking in to make sure everyone is doing okay — or as okay as they can be. He needs to be useful right now or else he’ll completely shut down.

Finch is inconsolable. He can still hear Crutchie screaming his name. He could have turned back. He should have turned back. But like a cowardly little bird, he flew away. The others try to tell him that it’s not his fault, that there was nothing he could’ve done. He doesn’t believe them.

In spite of everything, Specs is thanking the world for small miracles. His glasses didn’t crack; his bruises are only minor; and as Romeo lies sleeping in his lap, he makes a vow to get up as soon as possible the next day and check in on Crutchie. He charts his course through back alleys and fire escapes to make it to the Refuge window without being seen. Right now though, he rests, carding his fingers through Romeo’s hair. Things are going to be okay, Specs would make sure of it.

Tommy Boy won’t let anyone touch Splasher. He finally got the poor boy to stop wailing in agony, and he wasn’t about to let some pair of untrained hands slip up and cause Splasher to end up in more pain than he already was. Instead, Tommy Boy gently wipes the blood from his friend’s brow and whispers soothing words. He places his rosary around Splasher’s neck; Tommy Boy has no idea if Splasher is Catholic or even believes in God at all, but he says a prayer of the two of them all the same.

No one hears from Elmer for a frighteningly long while. An unspoken trepidation that he had been arrested passes through the boys until Jojo silently appears at the doorway with Elmer in tow. He holds a prayer book, his face puffy and red from crying. What he’d said to the sister was right, it had been bound to rain sooner or later. He just hadn’t expected the torrential downpour of his own tears to finally bring him back to church.

Davey and Les come home to a terrified mother and a proud father. Sarah bandages them up, listening to Les’s every word about how things had been going so great until they hadn’t. Mayer jokes that now he and Davey have matching wounds. Davey doesn’t say anything. He can’t stop thinking about Jack.

Jack is nowhere to be found.

[upside-down-theater-kid]

A Bouquet For The Dead

“Anyways,” Albert says, no doubt in an attempt to change the subject. “Katherine was telling us about the Refuge, that old haunted orphanage. What if we lived out our high school fantasies and went���” he pointed a flashlight on his chin and spoke in a deep voice, “—ghost hunting!” Everyone laughs at the absurd idea. After all, they think, ghosts aren’t real, right?

I wrote this for @smallsies for the @seizethefanfics winter gift exchange

Content warning: death and violence

Thank you to all of my friends who gave me feedback!

ao3

Very few people visit a flower shop on a Monday afternoon, so Albert is watering the plants on display. It’s mostly quiet at this time of day, within the place he owns with his longtime boyfriend Finch and their best friend known as Race. A familiar face enters.

“Oh, Katherine. It’s you,” says Race. Kath is a frequent visitor to Manhattan Florists;she comes so often she’s becoming a friend, although they'd never admit it.

“Hi! The newspaper has been absolutely crazy lately with some reports of disturbances in the area near that abandoned orphanage where many children died back in the late 1800s…” Albert turns his focus to Finch, who is looking distraught.

“Are you okay?” he asks, throwing his arm around his partner.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Finch replies. “It’s just that orphanage and all of those dead kids…I just hope that someone remembers them.” Katherine leaves after buying her bouquet and the trio decide to take their lunch break.

--

“Do you remember us in the ninth grade? We all wanted to be ghost hunters,” Finch remarks while playing with Albert’s hair. Race laughs.

“I remember ninth grade! You two were so in denial about being soulmates for each other, but here you are. Still the same losers, just out of the closet,” Albert laughs.

“You’re one to talk! Even after transitioning, you still tell people to call you Racetrack!” Race throws his hat at Albert.

“Anyways,” Albert says, no doubt in an attempt to change the subject. “Katherine was telling us about the Refuge, that old haunted orphanage. What if we lived out our high school fantasies and went—” he pointed a flashlight on his chin and spoke in a deep voice, “—ghost hunting!” Everyone laughs at the absurd idea. After all, they think, ghosts aren’t real, right?

--

After the last customer leaves, the trio is almost prepared to leave. Race has an outrageous proposition.

“So, do you guys actually want to go ghost hunting in that old orphanage?” Before they can say anything, he starts defending himself. “Yeah, I know that we’re actual adults now, but hey it might be fun! We might as well live out our teenage dreams on a Monday night.”

“Definitely,” says Albert. He looks over at Finch after he says it. He doesn’t want the sadness from earlier this morning to reappear.

“Sure. Why not?” Finch says, much to Albert’s surprise.

“I’ll grab flashlights,” says Race as he runs to the storage room.

“Can I kiss you?” Albert asks once Race is out of sight. Finch nods. For a few seconds it’s just them together and everything seems alright in the world.

“Sorry to interrupt, lover boys; but, I found the flashlights.” Race has a shit-eating grin on his face and Albert’s face turns redder than his hair.

“I still need to grab something.” Finch procures a bouquet from behind the desk.

“What’s it for?” asks Race. Finch looks solemn.

“It’s a bouquet for the dead. I’m sure that most of those orphans didn’t get gravestones, so this is my way of honoring them since no one else would.” There’s a brief silence until he says that he’s ready to go if everyone else is. And so the ghost hunting begins.

--

“Wait, I think I forgot my phone,” exclaims Race when the three of them are halfway to the Refuge. Finch and Albert check their pockets. All of them left their phones back at the shop. “I guess it doesn’t matter. We’re going back to the shop later and we’re not exactly going to die in an abandoned building.” No one laughs at his half-hearted attempt at a joke. Albert grips his flashlight a little tighter.

“I did a bit more research on the Refuge after lunch,” Finch announces. “It opened in the late 1800s and it ran until 1899. At that point the residents had been dying from neglect and one day the warden of it–someone named Snyder–mysteriously died and it shut down.” Albert stops in his tracks.

“That’s seriously messed up.”

“It is,” agrees Race.

“Let’s keep walking. We’re almost there and it’s getting darker out.” Finch is a few steps ahead of both of them. Suddenly, they see a decrepit building ahead of them and they know that they’ve found their destination.

The building looks even worse once they’re closer. Only some of the windows are boarded up and a few are broken. They soon realize that the door is closed but not locked. Finch places his bouquet near the door and then slips his hand into Albert’s, and they go inside.

--

“Hi, ghosts! We’re right here!” exclaims Race once he’s inside the entryway.

“We want to meet you!” yells Albert while holding his flashlight in a death grip.

“I’m sorry that you’re dead!” says Finch with a bit less zeal.

The trio wanders around for a bit, trying to ignore their gut instincts to leave. Eventually, they stumble upon what was probably a dining room once upon a time.

“How many people do you think lived here?” Albert asks.

“More like how many people do you think died here?” Finch contradicts. “You also see how many of these chairs are crowded together. It wouldn’t have taken a lot for diseases to spread.”

Suddenly, two windows open all on their own and the wind comes barreling through and the cold seeps into the bones of Albert, Finch, and Race.

“Do you think that the ghosts opened those windows?” jokes Race even though his hands are clearly shaking.

“It’s weird but maybe it was the wind? And it is an old building–” Finch and Race raise their eyebrows at Albert. “Never mind, I’ll just go with ghosts. We are ghost hunters after all,” says Albert, but his voice is shaky.

The three friends march on while holding hands and white-knuckling their flashlights. Eventually, they stumble upon what must have been the sleeping quarters. There are rows upon rows of tiny beds with moth-eaten mattresses. They try not to think about what the old stains are and how the floorboards are just a bit too worn out to be safe. It smells of death and decay, lost dreams and hopeless nights. For a second, it feels like they lived here in a past life. That feeling soon fades. The floorboards creak, but they’re not walking around. Everyone is anxious, but no one will admit it. Albert starts to pace back and forth and he sees something out of the corner of his eye.

“Race, Finch, come over here,” he says quietly. The two of them obey. Finch gasps. They all see a crutch. It’s broken, and even though over a hundred years have passed, there’s still an unmistakable substance on the rotting wood.

“Is that….blood?” asks Finch with a quivering voice. No one answers, but they were all thinking the same thing. grips Albert’s hand and closes his eyes in the hopes that it will be gone when he opens them, but it’s still there.

All of a sudden, a broken window opens and the cold wind fills the room. All three of them scream. Under his breath, Finch whispers that he wishes he never came here. Against his better judgment, Race wanders over to another bed. He finds a faded drawing on old paper, but he can still make out the meaning; the terrible conditions of this place back when it had living inhabitants. Finch and Albert squeeze each other’s hands. Race picks up the drawing and then–

“Hey, don’t touch that,” exclaim mysterious voices behind them. Race, Al, and Finch turn around and are absolutely petrified. They see two figures. One of them has an old-fashioned hat and a very wrinkled blue shirt and vest. The other is wearing the tattered remains of a shirt and picks up the broken crutch.

“Is this real?” whispers Finch.

“I’m Jack, this is Crutchie. We’re as real as you,” says the taller figure.

“Are you ghosts?” asks Race, even though he thinks he knows the answer.

“No, we just happened to still live here after 123 years,” Crutchie rolls his eyes. “Of course we’re ghosts.”

“So ghosts are real. My entire life is a lie. Ok then-” Race is quickly interrupted by Albert.

“So how did you two die?” Finch gives his partner a look.

“I don’t think you can just ask them how they died-”

“It’s fine,” Jack interjects. “Snyder the Spider used to run this place. He’d let vermin run all over and wouldn’t give us medicine when we were sick. We got sick a lot. There were three of us to a bed. That big dining room that you walked through earlier? It’s just for show. Crutchie and I starved to death like most of the others.”

“There are others like us. Ghosts. We don’t like showing our faces to outsiders for the most part,” explains Crutchie.

“How many others are there?” Race asks while looking around the chilly room.

“Eh, around 30. Including Snyder, but he hasn’t shown his face for a while,” says Jack.

“And sorry about spooking you with the windows in here, but since there’s always a chance that Snyder could come back, it’s not really safe for the living to be here,” Crutchie chimes in. “I think Specs was the one who spooked you in the dining room.” The floorboards start creaking, as if someone was anxiously jumping up and down. “Elmer doesn’t want to show himself, but he wants you to leave. We don’t want to accidentally bring back Snyder. He can’t kill us anymore but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain.” Finch checks his watch.

“He’s right. We should be going. It’s getting late.” Albert nods.

“Wait, what’s down that hallway?” Race walks out of the room and through several other identical ones and then he reaches a hallway with a singular door at the end of it.

“Don’t go down there,” yells Jack. “That’s Snyder’s office. That where I–” Jack cuts himself off.

“That’s where what?” Finch asks that question even though he already knows the answer.

“That’s where I…..that’s where I killed him,” Jack replies slowly. “I had died a few days before and I realized that I would be stuck here forever. I saw him bribe an inspector to not shut this place down. I couldn’t take it anymore so I grabbed a knife from the dining room and barged into his office and……” Jack trails off, but everyone understands what he means. Nobody blames him.

Race is becoming more and more uncomfortable in his surroundings. He doesn’t want to accidentally awake a murderous ghost, and he can see how Albert is shifting from side to side and clearly uncomfortable as well. In an attempt to slowly leave the corridor without seeming rude, Race takes a step to the side and accidentally trips over rat bones that have been sitting there for over a hundred years. He tries to grab on to something, anything, so that he doesn’t fall through floorboards that are one moment away from breaking. He reaches for something. Unfortunately, that something is the doorknob for the entrance to Snyder’s resting place. Jack helps him to his feet when they hear noises coming from inside the office.

“WHICH ONE OF YOU USELESS ORPHANS STOPPED ME FROM RESTING IN PEACE?” The door bursts open- and out comes Snyder in all his ghostly presence. He towers over all of them. There’s rage in his eyes and pure evil in his heart. He looks like a man who wants them dead so that he won’t be the only one who has to suffer in this pathetic excuse for an afterlife. “I’M GOING TO KILL WHOEVER DID THIS!”

Jack, Crutchie, Albert, Finch, and Race start running with Snyder chasing behind. They run from room to room and eventually end up back in the first room with places to conceal themselves. They never should have done this, Albert thinks. They might die, all because they wanted to be stupid ghost hunters. Some dreams are best left in high school before they turn into nightmares. They hide under beds and hope that their enemy won’t hear them crying. Some of Jack and Crutchie’s old friends make themselves visible and hit him however they can. Snyder hasn’t reappeared since 2012 and they’re desperate for revenge. Jack silently gestures for the trio to go. They’ll have a head start and maybe they can make it out of there alive.

The trio make their way to the dining room. They’re almost out of this awful place. They’ll be free if they can run for just a bit longer. Finch and Albert are almost at the door, Race lagging behind. He’s almost free when Snyder catches up with him. He’s grabbed a knife. The very same one that Jack stabbed Snyder with back in 1899. Jack knows what’s going to happen before it does. He closes the door on them. Race screams. He never thought that his friends would leave him behind. Maybe he can’t stop Race from dying, but he can save Albert and Finch. Snyder stabs Race five times before he falls down. Lying in a pool of his own blood, he tries to say his final words, but he’s choking on his blood. He stops coughing at the same time that his heart stops beating.

--

Time both stopped and sped up. Albert and Finch scream louder than they ever have. They have to see their best friend die right in front of them and they’re helpless. Completely helpless. There’s blood on his face where there used to be a smile. Their friend who was always so full of life is now nothing more than a wilted flower on rotten wood. Jack begs them to leave. There’s nothing they can do. They wanted to become ghost hunters, not have their best friend be hunted. Eventually, the two lovers walk away from the house. They’re in shock until Finch trips over the bouquet that he brought. Then they start to feel the weight of everything that has happened and they collapse on the ground, holding each other and sobbing.

[we-were-both-born-today]

The sequel to Papers, Post-It Notes, and Protests is here and completed!

This is a sequel to the Newsies College AU and here is the summary for this story:

It's senior year! David's nervous about taking his art credit, Jack is struggling with his internship, Race and Spot have growing pains while Spot starts grad school, and Specs has decided he's going to say something to Romeo about his crush; all while the threat of real life and graduation looms over them.

This has 12 chapters (11 full chapters and an epilogue) and is around 35K words! Every chapter is up on ao3 so you don't have to wait for the next chapter to be uploaded! I hope that if you read Papers, Post-it Notes, and Protests before you'll check this out and if you haven't ready either, please take a gander at my Newsies College AU series on ao3!

[the-racer]

okay. he knows albert isn't a hugging kind of person. he never has been. he's never seen albert hug anyone.

"well, i just ain't touchy like that," albert had said at one point. it's true. he pulls away from anyone who tries to touch him, yells at people for getting too close, and is generally a very closed off person. defensive and angry and aggressive when people get near.

"it makes me itchy," he'd said. finch had never tried to touch him, even though albert said he really did like him. they aren't anything. they just are. finch gets as close as albert has ever let anyone. so close he can sometimes feel albert's breath on his neck. he doesn't touch albert.

"i'm violent. people who touch me get hurt." finch nodded, even though it hurt to know albert thought like that about himself. albert is violent. everyone knows that, knows that he shows up at the lodging house with blood pouring from his nose and bruises all over his face. but he can be gentle. finch has seen it.

"i like ya so much but i can't- i can't hug ya." albert scares himself. he hates that he's violent and wants to be normal. he can't have finch touching him because he'll get addicted to it, addicted to finch holding him. and then he'll end up hurting him, bruising him, and he'll feel worse than he ever has before.

so finch stands by albert at all times. near enough he can almost feel heat radiating off of him. he takes as much as he can get. when they get soaked by the bulls for striking, he stays up, laying in albert's bed until he gets back. albert stumbles in, bloodied and bruised, and gasping for breath. finch sits near as albert strips off his shirt and cleans up every cut and bruised he has, on his chest and stomach and neck and face and-

"i'm okay. just don't want ya helping me." albert bandages his hands. finch watches because albert won't let him help. he itches to hold albert, to hug him and make him feel better. tell him everything's gonna be okay. but albert jumps away when he tries, angry and scared.

"it'll be fine. we're gonna win." he wishes he had albert's confidence in their strike. jack comes out of the building, smirking like usual. he hoists les up on his shoulders, grabs davey, and announces that they won.

everyone screams, grabs at each other, jumps around. finch screams with albert, jumping with him. and then stops as albert yanks him into a bone-crushing hug. albert holds him so hard he can't breathe right, squeezing him. finch doesn't say anything, wraps his wrms back around albert's waist. he feels albert press his forehead against his neck and then his lips brush against his shoulder.

albert doesn't hug right. his arms dig hard into finch's sides, his hands grip his hips too tight, he's too warm, he doesn't quite know how to hold someone. but he fits against finch painfully well.

"am i hurting you?" finch shakes his head. because how could albert be hurting him when he's holding finch so tight? he's not hurting him, albert can't hurt him when he's hugging him- neither albert's bruising grip on his hips nor his too-warm skin against finch's hurts.

finch just smiles.

[emmedoesntdomath]

emme’s newsies ships

it occurred to me that I never actually shared what most of my ships are, so. *gives you this list* yell at me ‘bout ‘em in any way you choose. also, inform me of the ship names if you know them. thanksssssssss

Javid (Jack Kelly/David Jacobs) <- duh.

Sprace (Racetrack Higgins/Spot Conlon) <- not against ralbert, but I think that was more one-sided.

Sarah Jacobs/Katherine Pulitzer <- I’m a sucker for the adorable wlw ships.

Bumlets/Skittery <- sorry, I’m not changing my mind on this one. I love them too much.

RedFinch (Albert DaSilva/Finch Cortez) <- have you seen @crystallizedtwilight ‘s comics?!?!?

Blush (Kid Blink/Mush) <- just think about it. think about it.

Jojo De La Guerra/Buttons Davenport <- no, they’re so cute.

Snitch/Itey <- it makes me laugh.

Hotshot/Sniper <- no idea, actually.

Bart/Myron <;- @sparkedblaze convinced me.

Henry/Elmer <- I literally said awwww while typing this.

and crutchie and romeo are vibing in ace and aro.

the end. *bows*

[a-three-part-mini-opera]

holy... this is my third poll of the day. Anyway, I present:

I forgot jatherid, sorry kids

[skywalkin-in-the-papes]

Newsies And What Instruments They Play - Headcanon

Hey there! Here's some Newsies headcanons that me and my pals @nycnewsgirl and @newsies-but-theacadianway came with about what instruments the boys would play. I added the details just to make it a little more fun. Anyhoo, I'm curious about what you think so feel free to agree or disagree or come up with your own ideas in the comments.

-Jack sings and plays the guitar. And Katherine equally loves it and makes fun of it being the most cliche way ever to romance a girl (which he definitely does take her up to the rooftop of the lodge and strums away on his guitar while singing to her. He loves the vibe and romance of it. She...doesn't always roast him.) He just enjoys the simplicity of his own voice accompanied by a guitar. And also, he can sing whenever he wants up on the rooftop and most of the time no one sends out a noise complaint. Jack likes to sing and play a lot of pop and country songs but he'll branch out and try new things if someone introduces him to it. Mostly, he just likes to play things that the boys (mostly Crutchie) want to hear or play along with him. He just loves getting to sing and play because to him, it helps him feel free and like he can do anything. Jack also will occasionally play harmonica because Santa Fe. Need I say any more?

-Davey plays piano and he can play most of your typical classical pieces by memory. He has the perfect piano posture and is fairly graceful and delicate. He likes to lead a group from the piano but doesn't like to play piano duets with anyone else really (ask Sarah.). He's actually really good at jazz though and likes being creative with classical pieces by putting a jazz spin on them.

-Crutchie plays mandolin and banjo. He loves to strum little folksy tunes and sit outside on the rooftop. Sometimes he'll convince Jack to learn the words to the song and sing along with him (oh who are we kidding? Jack 100% learns the words to the songs and how to play it on the guitar.). Crutchie is very chilled out by his music and sometimes he'll come down into the bunkroom and play songs so the little boys will go to sleep. He's a beast at the mandolin too (which is a feat considering it has twelve strings) because he plays at least once a day for awhile and Jack can't say no so he'll join in and then it'll wind up being more like 2 hours of play time.

-Race can play the triangle (yes, he wakes the boys who won't get out of bed up with it every morning and yes, they HATE it.). He uses it every time any kind of a meal rolls around when everyone is home (the boys kinda hate this too but not as much as the other aforementioned triangle use). At Christmas time, Race will play the slap stick in Sleigh Ride and will leap across the stage like a reindeer (claiming that it helps him feel more like one) as he slaps the two wooden 2 x 4s together. In a regular setting, he usually has both of these percussion instruments nearby. Race can also play guitar and he likes to play...any kind of music really. He likes anything that he can strum fast and/or hard to. He's not a very gentle player (which when he plays with Finch who also plays guitar, they play things that have an equal amount of picking and strumming). He also likes to collect picks and NO ONE can touch his precious picks without his permission. (Thanks, Nutcracker for helping come up with the last couple things for Race). None of the boys question it anymore because they've put up with Race's antics long enough that they know better.

-Albert plays barry sax and/or drums. He likes that with the barry sax he gets to be a solid presence but still stable and not have to do anything too fancy most of the time. He appreciates the occasional solo that'll get thrown his way but he just likes to stick to the fun low rhythms. When he plays drums (and he's not too busy hardcore judging Race for his triangle or slapstick playing), he likes to be a little bit fancier with the rhythms and he likes to be a little bit louder. He likes to remind people that he is there and he IS the stable rhythm. He likes to play any kind of rock or metal songs on the drums. Something that has drive but a stable rhythm. On his barry sax, he likes to play anything that's got a fun but stable groove to it.

-Les plays baby bongos(the Davey approved instrument) and trumpet(obviously the non-Davey approved instrument). He would never tell Davey this but(he actually enjoys the baby bongoes because they sound fun). He really likes to play the trumpet because it's loud, he can play fast on it, and it annoys Davey. The baby bongos are almost a little too small and a little too boring for him because Davey just teaches him really simple rhythms while Les wants to learn something more...intense. Hence why he had Finch teach him trumpet (Finch plays a lot of things.).

Speaking of the bird boy...

-Finch plays a lot of different instruments....like a lot. He plays guitar, flute, trumpet, and really any kind of brass instrument to name a few. He appreciates them all for the different styles of music he can experiment with. He spends a lot of time playing guitar and learning all kinds of different pieces on it but he really plays a variety of instruments for a variety of occasions. He likes being able to play the different instruments just whenever he feels like it (Jack had to tell him he could only play flute and guitar late at night because they're quieter). Oftentimes during a performance, he'll be running around the stage, filling in on different parts or playing a song here only to run across the stage to play a song on a completely different instrument. Somehow he manages to keep all of his different clefs and keys straight (just don't ask him what happened during a performance of The Little Mermaid for his high school. He was playing trumpet and picked up his flute and had the trumpet music in front of him and it got confusing real fast. Thankfully, Finch got his flute music and it was all good.). Finch likes playing with the other boys who play instruments as well as teaching some of the other boys instruments. He loves random little jam sessions and watching one of his friends achieve a new skill on an instrument (they all joke that he's the one going to Carnegie though). Finch just enjoys sitting in a tree with an instrument after a long day and playing while forgetting his problems, sometimes by himself or with a couple of his close friends.

-Romeo plays the accordion and some hand percussion (give that boy a tambourine and....well you'll feel whatever you feel when he starts playing it). Why? So he can croon romantic songs while playing the accordion. Does it work? Ummm..... Nah, he really loves it because he likes to learn love songs on it and he feels that the accordion is a very romantic instrument. He also likes that you get to play keys and push a lot of buttons. It's very hands on which is a good thing for him. When Race annoys (he doesn't think it's annoying but ask Romeo) the boys in the morning with the triangle, Romeo gets out the accordion and then things escalate into a noise war (Jack eventually kicks them both out onto the fire escape or something). Most of the time though, Romeo likes to play the accordion out on the fire escape to see if a neighboring apartment has a fair young woman who would be interested in hearing his playing. He appreciates how the accordion allows him to be flamboyant and expressive all at the same time while being his (in his book) most mastered attribute....romantic. As far as the hand percussion goes, he can be as loud and enthusiastic as he wants with it and nobody judges. He loves the tambourine (it's his favorite one) because it's loud and requires a lot of movement. If he wants to impress someone though, he goes for the accordion.

-Spot plays the violin. He..surprisingly plays some very pretty classical music on it (which Race totally makes fun of him for from the percussion section), folksy songs (boy does have some Irish heritage) and he likes playing as the violinist for groups who perform rock operas. His classical training enables him to do...so much with his violin. He started by taking violin lessons as one normally would and just playing a lot of different kinds of music which in turn made him a very versatile musician. The other violinists he knows all think he's amazing (and his reputation is something Spot doesn't let others think they can trifle with). Spot basks in this but purposely appears hard to please so he can maintain his tough reputation. He really enjoys the classical music as much as the other music but he can't let anyone know because that would reveal that he has a soft spot and Spot Conlon does NOT have a soft spot.

-Jojo plays ukulele and playing it takes him right to his happy place. He'll sit on the beach in Brooklyn (Spot won't kick him out because he actually likes the peaceful vibes of Jojo's playing) and just strum a song. Sometimes it's some kind of island song that he learned from the Internet, a pop song, or some kind of Spanish guitar song but Jojo thinks it sounds better on ukulele so that's where it gets played the most. When some of the younger boys are struggling to go to sleep, he'll strum some peaceful music to go to sleep. The other boys don't care because it actually helps them go to sleep better too. That and it's Jojo and the music is very peaceful. Sometimes he hums along but he's kind of shy about his singing voice so he mostly just strums. Once he picked up ukulele, he realized that this is the one habit which soothe any nerves that he has. He'll sit somewhere and play by himself and just enjoy the peaceful rhythm of his strumming or he'll play for others so they can feel the same kind of calm and peace that he does.

-Kid Blink plays alto sax. He likes that it's kind of loud but can do some really cool things and can be as smooth as butter. It's kind of an aggressive instrument but it can do some amazing things. Part of the reason why Blink likes it so much. He can play some of the punchiest melodies on the planet that are loud and biting while also being able to play some of the smoothest jazz pieces. Blink typically likes to play band music or jazz. He loves band arrangements of pop songs (even though he finds the actual pop songs annoying, the band version to him is a ton of fun). He likes to play music with Albert, Mush, and really any of the guys. He also likes to compete with Race's triangle and plays louder than Race so that way people can hear something more fun than just Race banging jingle bells on the triangle for the umpteenth time. He and Romeo then get into a "who can play louder" competition and...yeah, you can imagine how that goes. There's a lot of loud accordion and saxophone music going on. Blink likes playing smooth jazz pieces that sound beautiful and he likes some of the more fun and fast jazz solos. He's someone who really really likes to see how fast he can play so he'll pick something ambitious to play and just goes to town on it. He and Albert get into little who can play faster competitions and the boys cheer them on. Crutchie, Mush, Jojo, or Buttons will tell them that they really play equally fast but the boys don't listen. They want to WIN. (Except any of those boys most definitely can shred more than Blink and Al but they don't need to know that). Blink just likes playing saxophone because it's freeing. He can be as loud as he wants and it still sounds cool. Much like how he has a somewhat loud and outgoing personality, but he can do a lot of cool things with it.

(Okay, this next one might get really long because I love Mush and his instrument. I'm sorry but I also love Mush so I'm not that sorry)

-Mush plays clarinet and he's really good at it. He loves getting to play pretty jazz things, pretty classical things...etc. He also likes playing things that are a bit more loud and flamboyant but he likes playing quieter too and some of the more elegant styles. That being said, Mush likes to play just about anything as long as he doesn't just sit there and hold notes. He thinks that that is really boring even if the melody on top is really pretty. Davey loves to play music with him because they can play some really pretty duets and Mush typically follows the music or Davey's directions. They play some really pretty things that surprisingly will captivate some of the younger boys on any given night. Mush LOVES to play in the pit for musicals. He loves it when he gets to play fun little solos or the melody that the cast is singing. He likes the jazzy musicals the best because then he gets to bust out his jazz skills as well. And maaaaannnn, does this boy have jazz skills? He can do slides and vibrato and growls pretty well. Sometimes they go sideways and it makes him and whoever is playing with him laugh. Mush plays music with a lot of the different boys. He likes to learn new songs and styles and try out different tricks that he learns on his clarinet with these new songs. He'll play just about anywhere and at anytime really. If there's a girl he likes in the room, he'll just casually start playing from somewhere else in the room and see if she notices. Jack will periodically kick him out to the fire escape at night if there is some peace and quiet needed in the lodging house. He'll just sit on his bunk(which is a top one for the sake of this headcanon) and casually swing his legs back and forth while he's playing. But seriously, he'll play just about anywhere. He can play really high notes on his clarinet and sometimes that's more effective in getting the boys to be quiet than shouting or whistling at them because high notes on a clarinet are super loud (Skittery hates it when this happens and it's not in a piece of music). Mush likes to play in a little jazz combo with Finch, Albert, Skittery, Davey, and sometimes Crutchie or Jack. They have a ton of fun playing little jazz songs from the 30s but they usually do that when the littles are out for the night so that they can just enjoy their music. Blink and Mush also play a lot of music together because they both play woodwinds (yes, I'm aware that sax is also technically a brass instrument) and they play jazz songs and all kinds of things. Sometimes Blink joins in on the little jazz combo when he has free time to do so and he and Mush will trade solos back and forth just for fun. Mush and Finch play together a lot too and they also would trade solos back and forth (Finch plays a variety of instruments that go well with Mush's clarinet so it would depend on the day and his mood what he's playing). Mush plays in a lot of different groups when he has time and similar to Finch, has a pretty well rounded musical skill set.

Also, I did actually write something on Wattpad where Mush plays clarinet: https://www.wattpad.com/1116924147-life-with-the-newsies-one-shots-open-to-ocs-all

It's a 20s AU oneshot and I had a blast writing it. I am hoping to write some more for him in the future.

-Skittery plays drums and double bass/bass guitar. He likes the drums because he can hold down the rhythm but it also helps him get out any...frustrations. He really likes rock and metal music for this reason because he can hit the drums as hard and fast as he wants and no one's complaining as long as it sounds cool. He sometimes will play bass guitar but only in a more chill setting. He enjoys getting to play some cool bass solo every once in awhile in some kind of fancy rock song. Bass can get really gritty and Skittery can really let some of his more negative emotions just get lost in the bass solos. He also will play double bass in orchestral or jazz music. Orchestral music is something that Skittery....tolerates. He just...for some reason doesn't find it very interesting. He LOVES jazz though because he can play some fun and fast jazz solos. He also likes that they don't sound as gritty but that his jazz solos can just be so...pleasant to play. Again, it really helps him get out of his crappy mood (even though he'll deny it) to just go to town on some kind of jazz song where he gets to go all over the bass' register. Skittery likes things (and he would never admit this) that are just...fun to play on an emotional level because they really do make him happy. He doesn't like to stick out but he likes to have his moments of fun and he likes to hold down a reliable rhythm that people can count on.

-Buttons plays the banjo. He honestly love the more...rustic sound of it. He enjoys playing fast folk songs but he'll also play a soothing ballad and get into it just the same. Buttons can finger pick across the fret board of a banjo quite well and aspires to be like some of the great bluegrass players someday (seriously, just look at this man's Spotify Wrapped. It's all FOLK). He and Crutchie, Jack, or Finch will sometimes play together. Buttons also really enjoys Southern Gospel music so he'll play that too sometimes. He just enjoys all of the things that a banjo can do and yet, it feels so simple because it's all on one instrument. It can add a lot but it's still simple and can stand up on it's own, much like himself.

(Can you tell that I like things to have deeper meanings? These all end with these instruments relating to the boys in some way).

-Elmer is Buttons' (and sometimes Crutchie's) folksy partner in crime with his fiddle/violin. These two will play together for HOURS. Elmer and Buttons have learned all of the folk songs together and they both know all of the little solos that make those songs sound the way that they should. Elmer also will play classical music and periodically a pop song or two, but folk is really where his heart's at. He has played jazz occasionally and enjoys it too. Elmer loves violin because it sticks out in the group. It's also something pretty unique in and of itself (even though Skittery literally tells him it's the most POPULAR string instrument. Yes, Elmer gets very passionate about that topic.) and Elmer just really likes its versatility. He primarily uses it for folk music but he enjoys having an instrument that meshes well with a lot of different styles. He likes being able to blend in and stick out all the same. He wants his moments of solo time to shine and to be heard but, he wants others to be heard too.

-Specs plays tenor sax. He loves how low and mellow it is. He can play some pretty things that stick out but, he prefers to keep things smooth and chill. He and Finch will play together a lot to just sort of jam. Specs like just getting to vibe and play smooth jazz music or pop songs. Most of the time, he prefers really chill and slow jazz. He finds it soothing and it gives him a chance to stand out without overdoing things too much. He particularly likes French sounding jazz because it has a lot of smooth and pretty tenor saxophone in it. He loves getting to sustain notes down in that lower register just because they sound absolutely reassuring. He finds it easy to lose himself in music like that. This boys absolutely LOVES to play gentle soft jazz when it's raining outside. Like he just loves the rainy jazz vibes that tenor sax allows him to experience. He's not the most vibey person but this gives him all the feels for sure. He also has a lot of fun playing more energetic music though and will play some fun solos in more exciting swing music songs (and he will sometimes prove to the boys that yes he CAN in fact solo and keep up with the rest of them and he doesn't prefer to stick in the background all the time...). The smoother jazz is more relaxing to him and it allows him to play things that he wants to play without it always being chaotic and loud (even though he plays a notoriously loud instrument) because he enjoys getting to have his moments but he prefers them to be more chill and relaxing, just like he is most of the time. Being slow and more relaxed calms the anxiety that he has about always having to...perform well and allows him to just be himself.

(Yeah, sorry if that was a crappy ending on that one. I feel like some of these background Newsies are all starting to seem the same even if they're very different people.)

And last but not least....

-Henry plays the cello and takes it VERY SERIOUSLY. He's the kind of guy that people play to have Pachelbel's Canon in D at their wedding. Yeah, that's Henry. For some reason, holding half notes to him isn't super boring. He's very particular about his music and will really only play classical music (no seriously, he low-key scoffs at any of the boys who play jazz). He also practices for HOURS a day because he wants to be the best at what he does. Like the absolute best. He plays in nearly every orchestra that he can try out for and he tries to learn ambitious solos. He gets really cranky if he can't find a quiet place to practice in the Lodge where he KNOWS he won't be interrupted. The only people he will sometimes play music with is Davey or Elmer. They're and I quote "the only ones who appreciate classical music enough" (even though Mush, Finch, and Skittery also play classical music. He's tried playing with each of them before...and well. And yeah, don't even ask about Race.). He will sometimes even give both of them the stink eye just because they've been and I quote again "tainted by jazz". He chills out though once he starts playing his music. He just gets lost in it. He's the kind of guy who will talk about one gorgeous chord for a literal ten minutes (and I mean...he's not wrong because it is a beautiful chord.) and the other boys are just nodding their heads. Henry likes the cello because he can be precise and expressive. It allows him to be very present but still allows him to play in a way that is very precise and makes his style well voiced, much like he carries himself.

Alright that's the end.

PSYCH

I'm throwing in a bonus. Merry Christmas!

No actually, Merry Christmas! I'm writing this on Christmas.

Well parts of it, this has been a work in progress for months now but I think I'm finally finishing it. Hectic semester and all that.

-Mike and Ike play marimba and xylophone respectively (and yes, those are different instruments and no, don't tell them they're the same because they may actually fight you. If you really wanna know, ask Race.). They love to play songs together and bounce different rhythms and melodies off each other. They'll play just about anything and they absolutely love songs where they can just go crazy. They work together (periodically even their music wars against each other's but who does that surprise?) and despite their...occasional disagreements, have a ton of fun. The faster they play and the more energetic they can be, the more they feel like themselves. They love sometimes even switching instruments mid-song or playing one song on the same instruments. Their feats are unmatched by the other percussionists within the Lodge because they are 100% the legendary dynamic duo. They enjoy the energy that they get from playing their instruments and the joy that they get by playing together.

Alright, I'm done for real. Merry Christmas, you guys! Hope you have a wonderful day!

[daveyfvckingjacobs]

me with a whiteboard and one of those hand pointer things you get at the book fair using these to explain my elaborate finch x albert x race x spot dynamic