What If. What If Newt's Leg Sometimes Played Up Worse Than Usual And He Couldnt Walk And So The Builders

his eyebrows look like 🦅

In honor of jdash confirming newt is gay

it's been 3 years since the tweet(s) and i still have a lot to say. the discourse surrounding it has long since calmed down, but to this day some people's responses bother me immensely and i wanna get a few things off my chest.

"it undermines his friendships"

um.. no ? i can't believe people still have this weird mindset. straight people can have friends of the opposite gender, gay people can have friends of the same gender. bi people ?? pan people ?? they can have friends. (don't even get me started on the weird spot nb people land in with this weird friend mindset some homophobes have).

if you never saw newt's relationship with thomas/minho (or even alby) as anything other than platonic before, then newt being gay literally changes nothing.

"he did it as fanservice"

no. if it was fanserice he would've pandered more to the ships; newtmas being the most popular but thomas was not mentioned. if it was fanservice and for any personal gain he would've hinted at other characters also potentially being queer. if it was fanservice he probably would've at least confirmed newt was into thomas; but he didn't. cause it wasn't about any romance, it was about newt and a part of his character.

the crank palace would've been the perfect opportunity to pander more to shippers if that's what he was doing, but there were no explicitly hinted romantic feelings there either. (there were certainly ways to read certain parts of this book as queer, but i won't get into that in this post.)

"he was forced"

yes and no.. the final push to him confirming newt's sexuality was because someone criticized him for donating the proceeds from the crank palace to lgbtq+ (and BLM) charities. however, the way his tweets were phrased leads me to believe what he says. he voices his apprehension to confirm something so long after the work was released in fear of it coming across as insincere. (*cough* jkr *cough*). he also mentioned in this same 2-part tweet that his upcoming series (at the time) would feature lgbtq+ characters much more prominently and explicitly (no plausible deniability).

tldr for this point: it was someone criticizing him that finally made it happen, but i do believe he genuinely stands for what he said. he'd gone through a lot of personal development during the 11 years between the first book's release and the tweets, i don't doubt that for a second.

"there were no hints in the books"

this is a hard one to talk about without outing myself as a newtmas shipper, but i have a few things to say.

james did not intentionally write newt as a queer character. if you read through the books and didn't pick up any queer subtext/undertones, then that was how he, at the time of writing, intended it. however . does this mean there was nothing there ? how come a huge part of the fandom read him as queer then ? it's all up to reader interpretation whether certain subtext is or isn't present in the work they're consuming.

link to the part 1 that i never see people acknowledge when discussing the "announcement": https://x.com/jamesdashner/status/1336775453755895809?s=20

A quick sketch of Dylan O’Brien at Comic Con ✏️

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Thomas: change is ineditable

Gally: you mean inevitable?

Thomas *spitting out coins*: no.

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he's so important to me i had to pick up my digital pen again after centuries and draw him *sobs* (thomas is also there for emotional support)

(quality’s better if u click on the image ^_^)

site that you can type in the definition of a word and get the word

site for when you can only remember part of a word/its definition 

site that gives you words that rhyme with a word

site that gives you synonyms and antonyms

Preliminary Poll

Chuck

Submission reason:

Shot to save the main guy

Propaganda:

The main guy (Thomas) kinda sucks

my tmr headcannons

this is a work of disaster i am bringing over from my alarming twitter. my headcannons. all together. enjoy.

while minho runs the maze, he's thinking of everyone back in the glade, individually, and why he needs to keep going for them.

alby once got in a huge screaming match with gally over who should be second in command.

gally has a soft spot for newt and they've accidentally fallen into really deep conversations by the campfire.

when newt did his leg thing alby let him pick which job he wanted.

zart once started a food fight and alby threw him in the pit for wasting food.

ben once knocked a candle over and burned one of the huts down.

gally concussed himself on the job and actually shut up for a week.

chuck once called out for his mum in his sleep and everyone heard but nobody ever acknowledged it.

nobody ever told newt that they'd finished mapping the maze.

gally once got so mad he threw a hammer and alby put him in the pit for a week.

gally was the pit's most frequent visitor.

during an argument at a keeper's meeting, winston once told newt that "not everyone got to pick their jobs" and newt walked out.

winston immediately came out and apologised and there was a bit of crying, some confessions, and hug. from then, winston and newt really saw eachother eye-to-eye.

in ben's legendary hut fire of '85, gally threw his 'trade secret' drink on it and made it much much worse.

still on the topic of the hut fire, alby froze and didn't know what to do, while newt barked orders and managed to get it under control. people called him 'fire chief' for weeks.

jeff hated his job.

newt has insomnia and alby used to stay awake and keep him company as they walked around the glade.

minho used to just come and sit beside newt without saying anything and somehow that meant so much to both of them.

alby swore once and everyone threatened to throw him in the pit.

minho snores.

gally is janson's son or nephew i haven't decided.

when newt started working in the fields everyone came up and either hugged him or gave him a pat on the back and he teared up.

zart once fell on his head while trying to do a cartwheel and everyone thought he was dead until he got up and did another once, successfully, with the others all screaming at him to stop.

alby used to have this little spot in the deadheads where he'd go to have a breather and everyone knew just to leave him alone.

gally got sick once and lost his voice and minho took the opportunity to insult him until he got punched.

newt is gay.

newt had a crush on alby but never ever would have told him ever because he didn't think it was relevant to their situation and nothing would ever come of it.

newt found out he was allergic to sheep when wckd sent one up in the box and he had a sneezing fit every time he walked past it. 

he'd insist he was fine until his eyes swelled up and winston realised what was going on and yelled "kill the sheep!"

gally and newt once got so drunk at a bonfire that they waltzed together.

it ended abruptly when gally tripped and they both almost fell into the fire.

minho and alby caught them and alby yelled at everyone to go to bed.

zart can draw. really really well.

when chuck first arrived he didn't speak for two days.

newt once fell asleep on alby at the bonfire and everyone just let him

they had glade-wide games of hide and seek and it was chaos

ben once ate a bug and was worried he'd get superpowers

gally's excuse for quitting being a runner was that he got bored

if someone's having a rough time, frypan arranges their breakfast into a little picture before giving it to them

alby's scared of mice

newt's double jointed in a lot of ways and it freaks alby out but zart loves it

ben replaced newt as a runner.

chuck once sat in some mud and gally lent him a shirt to tie around his waist to cover it up until he could fix it

when ben replaced newt they both found it hard to talk to each other

and minho literally only talked to ben about running and had no patience for anything else... to begin with

zart kept trying to come up with his own catch phrase and was always cycling through them

frypan gave everyone a safety briefing before they started work in the kitchen, mentioned it to gally once and he started doing the same with the builders

winston always slept in and had to be woken up by alby or newt

gally built the homestead before he had a growth spurt, so all the doorways are too low for him

when thomas got stung, teresa and chuck stayed by his side the whole time

and during that time chuck told teresa that he wanted to see his parents again

newt once said alby's name in his sleep and minho heard and starting laughing so loudly that everyone woke up

ben once sneezed on alby and everyone screamed and ran

gally once tripped on a fence and fell into the pig pen

ben decided he was going to give frypan a night off and cook for everyone. the kitchen caught fire.

there were relationships in the glade but none of them were ever 'public'

on bonfire night frypan always walked around making sure everyone was hydrated and fed and not drinking too much of gally's drink

on bonfire night gally always walked around making sure everyone was drinking too much of gally's drink

clint could sing

jeff could too and sometimes you'd be able to walk past the homestead and hear them harmonising together

ben was by far the most susceptible to gally's drink. by far.

minho was actually a super anxious person but really good at hiding it

for a week the glade had a pet caterpillar

it went missing and zart tried to launch an investigation before alby told him they needed food more than they needed caterpillars

alby remains the prime suspect on zart's list to this day

minho and newt literally ran into each other in the maze once and newt went FLYING

minho was laughing too hard to help him up

alby once called a meeting to put an end to everyone calling each other "bro" because it was "annoying and stopping work from getting done"

minho had started the trend

gally once got so annoyed with everyone that he went and sat in the box

minho checked in on the runners because he didn't want anyone losing hope

for a long time alby was the one who could really make minho smile

when newt and minho met up at the end of their routes, minho would look at newt expectantly, newt would just shake his head and then minho would pat him on the back and they'd run back to the glade in silence

newt used to give chuck his leftovers

alby fell asleep in the homestead during the day once and everyone started placing bigger and bigger items on him until zart tried to balance a table on his head and he woke up

winston really admired alby and wished he could lead as well as him

whenever frypan was sad, he would talk to alby

-there was this running joke that alby shaved every morning because he didn't want anyone to know that he was an old man

newt was initially REALLY shy

approximately 40% of them sang in the showers

frypan made special meals for anyone who'd been in the med shack that day

if anyone left rubbish lying around newt would kick it at them

zart would follow him around picking it up

minho was quietly fascinated by zart

zart was loudly fascinated by everyone

friendship bracelets were a thing for a while, thanks to zart and clint

alby would throw his arm around whoever was nearby

clint's job stressed him out big time but he couldn't imagine doing anything else. it was just really frustrating not having the resources to really help when he needed to.

if newt was in a stroppy mood he'd sit down next to someone and pull his legs up and drape them across that person's lap

in response to that: zart would smile, minho would pay no attention, alby would worry, jeff would start checking his legs over (and newt would try to kick him), and gally would laugh

oh and chuck would hug his legs

chuck secretly wanted to be a medjack but it scared him

there was one person who would always talk to whoever was upset or crying and that person was jeff

when ben and minho ran past thomas and chuck that very first time, they got to the map room and immediately cracked up laughing at thomas' face

alby was actually the best friend in that he would ALWAYS laugh at people's jokes

zart wanted to celebrate when each glader had spent a year in the glade but alby firmly told him no because it wasn't something to celebrate

but zart got frypan to sneak each person an extra helping of bacon at the bonfire when their day came around

when ben got made a runner he just subconsciously started spending all his time with minho. he was just drawn to him, wherever he was. so they ended up spending every minute of every day together.

ben was always the guy who didn't get the joke but laughed anyway

frypan was super perceptive and could always pick up on someone feeling upset or off in any way

chuck subconsciously looked up to EVERYONE. he wanted to be brave like minho, funny like zart (he always laughed at zarts jokes), smart like alby, friendly like winston, caring like newt, loyal like ben, cheerful like frypan, the list goes on

and my point is he didn't see any of this consciously but he took on little pieces of them all every time he spoke to them. they all influenced him like older brothers and helped him to feel at home, one of them.

gally did little things to make everyone feel at home. that thing he said to thomas about being "safe with us" he said to everyone in one way or another. he reminded them that the glade was their "haven" from whatever was out there

i don't believe thomas had a crush on newt "from the moment he saw him" but i think newt mesmerised him a little and once he mentioned being a runner thomas decided he was definitely worth getting to know above anyone else

there was one day when everyone had a turn styling chucks hair around the campfire

winston yells at flies

one day, when newt was sad, minho came up behind him and just starting brushing his hair until it fluffed up

chuck always had clammy hands and was subconscious about it until gally told him it just meant he was working hard all the time

oh and the fluffy hair newt thing, alby was watching and smiling from nearby as newts smile slowly grew too

ben was even more optimistic than zart and that's saying something

and minho went through moments of being SUPER pessimistic like "the world is ending" type stuff and ben would always be like "no i don't think so"

newt was honestly a pretty good runner

^but not in a competitive way, like minho was. he just quietly went out and got the job done really well.

there was a dance move known only as "the zart" and no i won't describe it

when alby cried you KNEW it was serious

they had three banishments before ben's

when newt felt sad he tried to help out more with the animals because it felt good taking care of someone else

alby arrived with a blank book and he kept a journal of every day in the glade.

zart has four aloe vera plants growing up the back of the vegetable garden and he treats them with utmost importance

they grow sunflowers and eat the seeds

gally was the one who taught chuck how to carve the little chuck doll

gally would tell people if they had food on their face

zart has a bad back

the medjacks had a little "how to-" book which was all of the information they'd learned over the years

newt wrote a sassy note in that book when he was in a bad mood one day that basically said "how to piss off newt: leave him in here, alone and bored"

clint drew little doodles around the entries

minho and alby used to have thumb wars

the runners had meetings each week to discuss anything they'd found

clint was really good at opening jars

zart and frypan figured out how to make herbal tea and they always left peppermint tea out on the kitchen bench for when newt couldn't sleep

ben and gally were mates

frypan was by far the best hugger

they all SUCKED at communicating their feelings

except for clint who's an oversharer - lena

they once had a limbo contest and jeff was the winner by far

going way back to the subject of zart being able to draw, he would stay up late drawing by candlelight before bed. and because they didn't have mirrors he drew portraits for everyone so that they could know what they looked like.

and back to the subject of newt not sleeping, sometimes he would sit with zart. zart tried to teach him to draw but newt got frustrated and found it much more relaxing to just watch zart create his magic.

and when newt was in a good mood he'd sit there making requests for zart to draw and zart would always put his own little spin on whatever newt asked for and complicate it.

like one time newt asked him to draw a cat and zart drew a whole forest of animals and hid a cat in one of the trees.

newt, minho and zart had discussions about sexuality together. nothing hugely revelatory like coming out, but enough to feel comfortable with each other and know that they could if they felt the need.

zart and newt both knew the other wasn't straight. minho gave nothing away and just said "i'm down with that" to whatever they were discussing

somewhat related to pride, newt was easily distracted by rainbows

gally became a builder because he wanted a job that kept his hands busy and that he could really keep track of his progress and see his achievements

newt and minho kept each other company whenever they sensed they needed it

one time alby told them all to shut up and go to bed, got in his hammock, it broke and it was so unexpected that nobody knew what to say

then newt quietly went "are you okay?" and zart started laughing

gally got up and silently helped alby fix the hammock before going straight back to bed

minho could keep a secret. and he knew EVERYONE'S secrets because he paid attention.

when thomas arrived they genuinely all thought he'd be a slopper and nobody doubted it

anyone who slept with their shoes on got their laces tied together by minho

once newt went to hug alby and accidentally kissed him on the cheek out of instinct, panicked, and started power walking in the other direction

minho witnessed the whole thing and immediately started crying with laughter

alby had to go after newt and check he was okay without laughing too

newts one of those people who, when he gets angry or frustrated, he tears up. and it just makes him more frustrated to he tears up even more and he hates it because he thinks people won't take him seriously if they notice.

gally and newt both fidget a lot.

oh and so does thomas but like next level fidgeting. he has to be DOING something all of the time or he can't sit still.

alby loved all of the gladers so much so so so much

winston, clint and ben were all left handed

the trackhoes used to have the worst back problems after gardening all day every day, so clint became the resident masseuse

zart used to literally have daily massages

newt always got leaves stuck in his hair

zart always stuck leaves in newt's hair

newt's favourite food was bacon. like he LOVED it and everyone else was like okay mate calm down and newt was like BACON

there was one day that little bouquets of flowers started appearing around the place and everyone knew it was zart but he never admitted to it

when minho wanted someone to know he cared about them he'd give them a little pat on the back

minho used to love taking part in the bonfire nights but as time went on he found them more and more pointless

frypan is one of those people who can really REALLY hold it together for so long. nobody gets to know if he's feeling sad until he breaks down.

alby is surprisingly good at impressions and accents

zart has a love-hate relationship with the goat: it's cute, but it can also completely destroy all of his hard work in the span of an hour

the goat had been put in the pit numerous times before newt suggested that was a bit cruel and they should tie it up outside and release it under supervision instead

newt has the biggest "okay, fuck you" face out of anyone in the glade and it comes out extra strong when he's being mocked (inspired by visro's brain)

and when newt's "fuck you" face comes out, it usually earns him a little ruffling of his hair, courtesy of minho of course

and every time, newt will swat his hand away but every time, he'll also smile

anyway that's enough about newt because clint makes necklaces

gally's biggest priority is making sure the med hut is in good shape and asking the medjacks if they need anything built or replaced

ben is the kinda person to say 'ow' even when something doesn't hurt

gally looks up to everyone (even though he literally doesn't show that ever at all, just believe me)

minho was really REALLY pissed when gally quit being a runner and they had this huge fight that they both never really got over

anyway minho doesn't know what it feels like not to constantly work hard

zart once tried to make alby a wig out of hay. alby wore it once and then didn't stop sneezing for a week

clint takes every decision and outcome to heart and jeff has to talk him down each time

after newts accident jeff forced clint to take a break because clint was convinced he was making the wrong decisions for newt

gally has ocd

they have this whole book of theories for why they're in the maze

alby contributed the least to the book because he was convinced that it didn't matter why they were there

winston was super brainy

somebody made a "caution: wet floor" sign and threw it in the pond

the bonfires were frypan's idea

zart was a big hugger

gally built crutches for newt and sanded them down until they were perfect

at first, newt was convinced he didn't need them but after a stern word from jeff about how hard gally had worked on them, newt gave in

winston is super flexible

whenever anyone's feeling down they eventually end up with a pep talk from alby or newt

gally built board games for when they had to shelter from the rain or rest inside for any reason

zart plays snakes and ladders with anyone who's willing

alby makes a point of talking to every single person on bonfire nights

newt tries to do the same but gally's trade secret recipe often gets in the way of that

because im watching tdc and minho dropping to his knees inspired me: when minho found newt in the maze he skidded to a stop on his knees beside him

when ben got stung minho tried to talk to him for hours because the others all thought he'd be the best one to get info out of him

newt had this big chat to alby about feeling bad for whacking ben in the head when he probably didn't need to and gally poked his head in and reminded newt that ben was trying to kill thomas

and newt took gally's word for it that it was okay because gally had been hit in the head so many times they'd all lost count

okay that's it for now oh my god

that was two years' worth of headcannons

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Minho: if you can’t beat them, dress better than them.

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me after my very big walk today

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