#jatherid

I love this line. And I'm going to analyze it to shreds.

WE'VE GOT FAITH: Katherine, fundamentally, is an embodiment of hope. Beneath her quick wit and somewhat sharp tongue, she's unflinchingly optimistic. When she believes in something, she believes in it with her whole self, and that hope infects anyone who comes in contact with her. She convinces the Newsies (including Davey) to not give up by showing them the Sun's article. Her hope anchors Jack and keeps him going, which is stated most explicitly in 'Something To Believe In' but is true throughout the story. She even believes in herself. Although she can be frustrated by those who would try to stop her from achieving her goals, she's never shown to be discouraged.

WE'VE GOT A PLAN: Davey, according to Jack, is the brains of the operation. Before he even agrees to participate in the strike, he can't help but give suggestions on how to structure the union and how to properly go about striking. Throughout the story, Jack and the other newsies look to him, almost instinctively, to keep them on the right track, and he does. And Davey is loyal. Once he has committed to a plan, he won't deviate from it. Katherine matches him for intelligence, but she's less grounded and practical than he is. Both she and Jack would be lost without Davey to keep the operation running.

WE'VE GOT JACK: The biggest significance of this line is that rather than being sung by Jack himself, it's sung by someone who looks up to him. One of Jack's greatest strengths is his charisma, his magnetism, his ability to get others riled up about a cause. He's a name and a face to fall in behind. "The famous Jack Kelly," as Davey calls him. The thing is, even though Katherine and Davey theoretically could've organized the strike together without Jack, they wouldn't have. They needed to follow Jack's lead. And even if they did organize the strike without Jack, they would've had a nightmare of a time trying to get many other people to join in. Meanwhile, Jack gets people to join in just by showing up.

The point is that no two of them are complete without the third member. They need each other in order to be balanced and effective.

Without Katherine's faith, Jack and Davey would've given up. Without Davey's plan, Katherine and Jack would've been scattered and disorganized to the point of being ineffective. And without Jack, Davey and Katherine wouldn't have started this particular fight in the first place.

ohhh jay. my darling jay. THANK YOUUUU

when they all cuddle, jack is typically the one in the middle. when david has bad days and needs the physical pressure, he slides in between jack and kath— kath is typically in the middle when she’s had a really great day and wants her boys to hold her about it !!

katherine is abysmal at cooking, so she typically buys the groceries; david and jack are great cooks and david is a lovely baker, so they make it work, and katherine is particular about how dishes are done so she handles clean-up.

they have times when they’ll all sit in silence and do their own things- jack will sketch or paint, david will read or play piano, katherine will read or write- and it’s a very healthy dynamic for them. they’re all creatives in their own right and they love that about each other.

sometimes, jack has bad nights. memories of the refuge, or his family, or the bulls busying up the strike, flood his dreams. on the nights he wakes up gasping for breath, katherine is there to run her soft hands through his hair and david is there to squeeze his hands and wipe the tears away. they don’t let jack run away. they keep him anchored when the thoughts get too loud and the regrets eat at his heart and the scars on his back start burning with phantom memories. they’re always there.

sometimes, david has bad days. the weight of it all gets to him- being the responsible son, the perfect older brother, the one dragging his family from poverty to something better- and it’s like a ten ton weight has been sat on his chest. he can barely sit up in bed, let alone get out and be productive; he doesn’t talk, barely reacts to stimulation, and it’s hard to even look them in the eyes. katherine sits with him, his head resting on her thighs. jack makes easy food and brings him water and blankets and hums spanish lullabies his mamí used to sing. it doesn’t fix him, but it helps.

sometimes, katherine has bad evenings. work is draining, being underestimated and underutilized weighs heavily on her shoulders, trying to live up to her own expectations of herself- especially after her successful cover of the strike- means she’s constantly burning herself out. jack and david take care of her when it happens. david makes her favorite tea, jack massages the tension from her shoulders, they listen as she airs her frustrations out; when it gets to be too much and she ends up crying, they hold her and soothe her and make her feel seen.

david is autistic. jack and katherine know when to be blunt with him and how to lay everything out in a way that makes sense for him. they can tell when he doesn’t want to be touched, can tell when eye contact is too much, can tell when he’s drained and doesn’t want to talk— they understand that life can be a bit much.

jack has abandonment issues. david and katherine understand when he takes an hours-long walk to have time to himself and ‘run away’ for a bit- he can’t feel tied down, can’t be a caged animal, has to be the one to leave and can’t be the one left. there’s always tea waiting for him when he gets back.

katherine has family issues. jack and david can tell when she’s had a rough day and when she’s had a rough family day. when her father has belittled her once again, tried to convince her to quit her silly job and come home; they ask her more in-depth questions about her work those nights, ask about interviews she’s conducted, stories she wants to write— they’re her biggest fans.

katherine and david are cat people. jack is a dog person.

jack sometimes struggles with the fact he’s “not as smart” as david and katherine. it’s something he doesn’t talk about, but it’s always there.

david sometimes struggle with the fact he’s not as charismatic as katherine and jack- doesn’t understand people the same way. he hates it, but admires their ability to wow a crowd.

none of them can sit idle; they have to be doing something, all of them, because if you’re still you’re not productive and if you’re not productive you’re not doing enough— it’s a group effort to rest, but those lounging times are so special all curled up together and murmuring lazily about their days and laughing at stories they tell each other.

katherine is plus sized <3 jack kelly is not white <3 david is tall and lanky and awkward <3

(note: this is based off of both Livesies and 92sies, if u don't like my hc then u don't have to agree and scroll past :3 also there are a few hc concerning mental health so two for those whom it may concern)

idk how to do this so we're going for a list :3

Trans man Jack Kelly

Arospec cuz broski got no use for moonlight or sappy poetry

Bisexual: exhibit a - Katherine Plumber, exhibit b - Davey Jacobs

in a qpr w crutchie (they both just don't know it)

gets really guilty for liking both Katherine and Davey cuz he doesn't understand romance but really really wants to kiss both of them in a like a sensual way (smth like that) which confuses him and he feels bad because it feels like he's using them for their bodies when rationally he knows it's wayyy deeper than just that

his past relationships was more like fwb but he still called it romantic cuz broski did not know why he would get hella uncomfortable when his partner would say things like ily in a /romantic way

when the uncomfortableness got too much he would always be the one to break it off

and then avoid them until the end of time

when he first got to the lodging house, he often brooded at the rooftop and sketched on the backs of the papes he couldn't sell

he also woke up with nightmares a lot of the times so he just didn't sleep to avoid them

then race needed help w something in the lodging house and ask Jack for help cuz he was the closest one around

and that's when he started to become more and more of a leader w/ Race's help

has a fascination with animals, specifically birds, just absolutely adores them, there was a small sparrows nest on the rooftop few years before the strike started and the rest of the newsies wouldn't hear the end of it from jack

When he and Crutchie got into their qpr (ig they don't rlly call it that), they both thought their mutual feelings were romantic and kissed before they both went "nah that doesn't feel right" and got really confused but they eventually figured it out

surprisingly good cook

he hangs out w the bowery beauties back stage and gossip (w buttons tagging along too) during his Medda Mandated Breaks when he goes to paint the backdrops

Jack's dad used to work with Medda so Jack's known Medda since he was just a wee little lad

but when Jack's dad died it was Medda that stepped up to help Jack

He first heard about Santa Fe after a strange man that came to Meddas theater was talking about the place

and also articles in the pape

After the cops beat the newsies up and took Crutchie away during the strike, Jack had REALLY BAD TIME on that rooftop, but he scared himself with his thoughts and what he did to himself, to actually go out to seek help from Medda

Anxiety

he likes to run away from things that make him anxious

he also isn't that great of a dancer

(I'd like to think Davey and Katherine are amazing dancers and then u have Jack)

he loves music

he frequently sings songs even subconsciously like mumbling the lyrics as he wanders

he also likes wandering

and climbing random buildings

he just explores random places in Manhattan

Uhhhh that's it from me sorry if it sucked