#nothing against Jen and Josh for real

[tugadork]

Discussing Hans' Hypothetical Return in Frozen 3

So... been a long while since I've made a post on here. For the few Frozen peeps who follow me, my Fractured fan-fic is currently on an indefinite hiatus (I still very much plan to continue writing it and seeing it through to the end and actually post it at some point, but writer's block continues to pester me and I still need much more storybeats to properly flesh out before I get any serious work done; by now I've only written like half the prologue section).

With that out of the way, and with Frozen 3 being officially greenlit, the question still wonders in the air whether or not everyone's favorite dastardly prince has the opportunity to make a comeback after being left out of Frozen 2 (though, at least we know via that one Santino Fontana's old interview that Hans was intended to be a part of the second movie very early on during development, or at least, the idea itself was discussed).

As of right now, and realistically speaking, I don't think it's very likely for a few reasons: Jen Lee clearly has changed her mind between Frozens 1 and 2 in regards to Hans' character so I don't believe she would begin to consider revisiting his character; him literally being called an unreedemable monster by Elsa in F2 is not a good indication for any chances of a redemption arc with him should he return; in that one group interview with Santino, Josh Gad and the Lopez a few years back, Hans was brought up and Gad even supported the idea of him coming back for a Frozen 3, but Santino seemed very hesitant to the idea so, if he doesn't want to do it assuming they want Hans back, then I don't think he would do it (unless maybe they give the character some depth or give him an overall importance to the plot. I don't know, something that could convince him to come back to the role.)

But I also like to consider what-ifs, and one of those what-ifs is with what to do with Hans' character should he be revisited, because there are quite a few storytelling routes they could go with him, which I will discuss below and you guys can tell me your thoughts if you're particularly interested. These are just basic ideas that came to my head:

1 - Hans is hellbent on revenge against the Arendelle sisters, is the main villain of Frozen 3 and somehow manipulates his family (who is 100% innocent and comprised of good people) into starting a war with Arendelle because of Elsa's unlimited power; still being portrayed as he was during the fireplace scene in F1. [a very generic and boring option for me; many people take issue with how almost unnatural his shift to mustache-twirling villain was, so fleshing his character out a little, villainous or not, I think would help in the long run. Plus, him being the sole main villain would get stale imo]

2 - Like F2 and Frozen Fever, Hans does return somewhat but is made into nothing but a punchline throughout the whole movie, aka the General Hux effect while one or some of his family members play the main villain(s) and ridicule him. [the least interesting and most cringeworthy route to take, and the joke would get old real fast. Not to mention, canonically speaking, Hans' family life hasn't been... great, so I feel like portraying an abusive family relationship like this, even if Hans isn't a good person, would be very uncomfortable and send the wrong message]

3 - Hans' abhorrent actions and consequences, as well as his backstory bit by bit, are fully explored, and he's disowned and exiled by his family following a trial that takes place shortly after his arrival home. Stewing with anger and resentment as he wanders alone, he is eventually approached by the actual main villain (another elemental user would be cool and long overdue for these movies in my eyes) and is ironically manipulated into taking vengeance against those he feels wronged him (Anna and Elsa included) when said villain promises him the rule of the Southern Isles and the happiness he so desires. The villain only intends to use him for their own agenda and someone to take the fall for their actions, choosing to stay in the shadows until the right moment to strike. Hans goes along with the plan, and at first he's thrilled and vindicated, but one tragic moment shatters his concept of morality (this could be any number of things as long as it results in him having a serious wake-up call) and makes him realize how catastrophically wrong his actions are and not being able to cope with it. In the end though, and through moments of actual self-reflection, he helps Frohana to take down the main villain. If he dies, then Anna realizes that people aren't black-and-white like in the storybooks she read as a kid, and decides to forgive him despite what he's done, while Elsa does not. If he survives, either Anna still forgives him or none of the sisters forgive him, but they recognize the change in his character. Hans ultimately gets to make a life for himself, one where he's not shackled by the past. Also, he gets to interact with Olaf in this (seriously guys, immediate comedic potential here, this is literally one of the reasons why I want them to bring Hans back) and Kristoff which he never got to do in the first one. [this, to me, would be much more interesting. Hans' actions would not be taken lightly and the story would later punish him, but through that experience owning up to his mistakes and starting to atone; maybe meeting a few commoners during his exile which he eventually grows to care for or something would gradually kickstart his change. I really love this concept and will probably make a separate post on this that's much more elaborate and better detailed if anyone's interested. It would have to be a different beast than Fractured though, and less of a handful to write for 😅]

4 - Hans is brought back and is still portrayed as a villain, but is given the proper time for his character to be explored and given depth. He also gets an actual villain song. He plots to take vengeance on those who wronged him, but instead of being portrayed as the cunning snake he was in F1, it's more a drive out of desperation and anger. He ends up doing things he would not normally do, horrible things that do weigh on his mind but he pushes on because he sees no other way to claim his happiness; that since barely anyone cared for him when he was younger, that he learned to only care for himself. He's given moments to stop what he's doing and not escalate things further, and despite pausing, he still chooses the worst option. In the end he becomes his own worst enemy, and accidentally dies by his own hand. His defeat is not something that brings either Elsa or Anna joy despite how much he's wronged them and how justified they'd be feel some relief, his family is affected by it, and so the ending of the movie is bittersweet. [let me start off by saying that there is no way in hell Disney would have the cajones to do something this depressing, but man I would kind of love it if they did. One thing I do love about the idea of bringing Hans back and keeping him a villain is turning him into a Shakesperean tragedy, and his quest to claim his happiness by any means unnecessary would be so compelling to watch imo. Sort of similar to Lord Shen from Kung Fu Panda 2 in that regard. You could still have another villain in this, either one with powers - seriously, introduce another elemental user in Frozen 3, Disney, pretty pls - or one/some of his family members that are up to their own nefarious plots]

And that's it! Let me know which plot idea sounds good to you or if a combination of certain elements from all these would be more preferable in your opinion for his hypothetical return. 👍

#frozen #frozen 3 #prince hans #hans westergaard #princess anna #kristoff #frozen olaf #the southern isles #just me rambling about how fascinating I find this character and how great he could be if given the opportunity #hans nation rise up

[hutchhitched]

The Vintage Joshifer Series: End of Love—Chapter 21 (Final Chapter)

End of Love by hutchhitched

Finally, y’all! A million years ago during Catching Fire promo, I stumbled into a friendship with some amazing Joshifer fans. Despite not being a full-blown shipper, I was absolutely thrilled to see an interest in writing historical AU fanfiction. For a long while, I knew what I wanted to write, but I couldn’t get the words to come. By the time I started posting, it seemed most of the Joshifer fandom had (understandably) moved on, but I still wanted to write this story and complete the commitment. After numerous delays and more stutters and stops than I can count, my contribution to @thevintagejoshiferseries​ is complete.

Big thanks to @burlesonspride​ for the banner and encouragement to join in on the fun. I know we don’t talk much anymore and you’ve moved on to other ventures, but I still adore you. There are a lot of others who deserve thanks, too, but you know who you are.

I chose the 1960s because the decade of rebellion speaks to me in so many ways. With recent events, I hope it does with some of you, too. There are so many people still struggling for political, economic, and human rights. The fight’s not over. Keep going.

Historical events in this chapter include the following:

The concert at Altamont in December 1969 became the symbol of excess and the end of a peaceful counterculture. If Woodstock was the ideal, Altamont demonstrated excess and danger and a drug culture that was out of control. There’s a lot of information on the event itself, but here are some great articles from Rolling Stone, the History Channel, Forbes, and The New Yorker.

Berkeley, California, December 1969

 “Oh my GAWWWWWWWWWD!!!!!” Brenda squealed as Jen emerged from the airport and streaked toward her college roommate. “It’s been so long. You look so good!”

 “You look so good, too!” Jen cried as she enveloped the other girl. “It’s so good to see you. I missed you so much, honey.”

 “You don’t miss me. I’m nobody. Unlike my former roommate who’s the toast of the networks. I’m so proud of you, Jennifer!”

 “Well, my professional life is great anyway,” Jen offered wryly and swallowed against the anger and pain that always lingered just below the surface since Josh’s disappearance over a year ago. “I’m happy about that.”

 “You really haven’t heard from him at all? No phone call? Not even another letter explaining anything?”

 Jen chuckled as she imagined Josh sitting down to write to her. The last time she’d seen him, he hadn’t been very interested in the written word. She couldn’t imagine that had changed much in the past twelve months, no matter how badly she wanted to hold onto the image of her former whatever-he’d-been as the guy she’d met in college and fallen in love with despite her best intentions. And now look where that had gotten her.

 “Nothing. Besides, I don’t live in Chicago anymore, remember? New York City’s a better fit, and my coverage of Stonewall made my career. He knows how to find me if he wants to hear from me again.”

 “But Jen—”

 “I looked for him, you know,” she admitted. “When I was in the Village and the protestors were marching in the streets. I saw Andre, Josh’s college roommate. He’s been part of the gay underground for years, and I thought maybe he might be there. Still an activist. Still fighting for change. To make the world better, but he wasn’t. None of his friends have heard from him since Nixon was elected, and I’m damn sure not going to call his family. They don’t know me, and I’m not going to beg him to be part of my life anymore. I’ve sacrificed enough for him.”

 Jen’s pronouncement hung in the air, and Brenda had enough grace to pretend she believed her. The silence stretched between the two women until Brenda shook her head and suggested they make their way to the cab line and head to their hotel. After all, they had a limited amount of time to get reacquainted before the alumni event they were supposed to attend.

 Jen blinked away tears as they drove through town and by campus. Memories assailed her at every corner, and she suddenly felt very old for someone who’d only graduated from college a few years prior. She wanted to kick herself for running out on Josh the night they’d first slept together, and she regretted not working through their problems when they lived together in Chicago. It had just been so easy to run or to seduce him instead. Sex had always been good between the two of them, and she liked it. She’d felt empowered when he lost himself in her or when he’d turned to her body for comfort. The problem was that he’d stopped looking to her and started hiding, too. When they’d both ignored their problems, they’d lost each other.

 A year later hadn’t dulled the ache of his absence. She’d been grieving since the election, but Josh had been for far longer. If she was fortunate—no, lucky—enough to find him again, she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice or however many times it was now. It would have to be pure luck to run into him again after all the ways fate had brought them together in the past, and she’d never been one to find four-leaf clovers. Unfortunately, last November seemed to be the end of their love story, no matter how much she wanted it to be another way.

 “You know there’s a big Stones concert tomorrow not far from here. Some of my friends are going.” Jen jumped when Brenda’s words broke through her reverie.

 “Really? I love them.”

 “I know,” her old roommate said with a grin. “Want to go?”

 “Absolutely! Wait, is this at Altamont? Woodstock West?”

 “I knew you’d know what I was talking about. Sometimes it’s hard to remember you’re in the news business and have your ear to the ground more than us mere mortals.”

 “Please,” Jen scoffed, but the wheels in her brain started turning. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to make a quick phone call.”

 With that she made a beeline for the payphones on the far side of the hotel lobby. If she could pull a few strings, she could tie this to her job and make her friend really happy. What use was working herself to death and making her way up the ladder, slapping away the roving hands, working ten times harder than her male colleagues only to get a third as far—what use was any of that if she couldn’t sometimes cash in her success for press passes at a major counterculture event? None, that’s what, so she was damn well going to call her affiliate and let them know where she was.

 After she completed her call, she made her way back to Brenda and they retired to their room to get ready for the alumni event. Jen made it through with as much grace and class as she could while attempting to stymie the rush of emotions that hit her every time she turned her head. She drank a little too much and laughed louder than she would have if she’d been acting completely like herself, but she survived. More than anything, she held onto the promise of seeing her favorite band in concert the next day. If she managed to score the press passes, even better.

 “We need to make a stop on the way to the speedway. Can you be ready to go in 30?” Jen asked when they woke the next morning.

 “What’s going on?”

 “I need to stop by the local NBC affiliate to pick up some papers. My boss is being a real stickler about my time off while I’m out here. Something about an assignment. I want to make sure we have plenty of time to get to Altamont before the big names go onstage.”

 “Why?”

 “Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but… Because I got us press passes. We’ll be able to get anywhere with them—including backstage.”

 Brenda squealed and hugged her friend, which made Jen smile. It felt good that her hard work could help make someone else feel so good.

 “Altamont, here we come!”

 ****

 “This is a gas!” Brenda yelled into Jen’s ear. “These passes are the best.”

 Smiling, Jennifer nodded and then pointed to the crowd indicating she was headed into the fray for a little bit. Brenda indicated her approval, and Jen headed off by herself for a few minutes. There were so many people at the racetrack. The music was loud, and she needed a break. Besides, she wanted to check out the crowd in case she could use the information she gathered for a news story later. After all, she was a journalist, a damn good one, at that, and her career came first. Now that her love life was dead, something had to.

 Experiencing Altamont made her regret not taking her boss up on his suggestion she cover Woodstock. She’d considered it for a second, but she’d been exhausted from coverage of the Stonewall riots and then traveled home for a family function. At the time, she hadn’t wanted to take off on another assignment when there was plenty of news to cover in the city itself. If she had, though, she’d be able to compare the two music festivals.

 The crowd at Altamont seemed perfectly content, albeit jittery. The lower the sun dropped in the sky, the more unrest she felt. She stepped around a shirtless, bearded man on the edge of the mosh pit in front of the stage and froze. There, not even ten feet from her, was Josh Hutcherson, alive and in the flesh. The man who’d haunted her dreams and had made her weep far too often over the past year was there, cheering and whooping as the Rolling Stones shifted into another song.

 People surged around her. Frozen in place, she couldn’t drop her gaze from his face. Josh’s face. She’d imagined reuniting with him a million times, but now that the opportunity existed, she had no idea what to do or how to act or what to say. Stunned and breathless, she tried to smile, but she was positive her face held more of a grimace than anything else. And then he turned slightly, and she could tell the exact moment when he saw her. His handsome face went slack in shock, and he took a tentative, hobbled step toward her.

 It took a minute for her to realize something had shifted. Someone pushed while another shoved back, and the concertgoers pressed closer together. Squeezed between two large men, she fought for space and scrambled frantically to keep Josh in her sights.

 All hell erupted around her as men in black leather infiltrated the crowd. She saw a person fall and then another. Panicked fans stepped over the bodies on the ground, and she had to fight to stay upright at people swarmed around her. She struggled against the tightening noose, but she was losing ground.

 “Jennifer!”

 Suddenly, he was in front of her, pulling and tugging her free from the throng. He grabbed her hand and bulled his way toward the perimeter where it seemed there wasn’t quite so much danger.

 “What are you doing here?” he shouted over the noise. “I thought you were in New York?”

 She gaped at him. “How did you know that? Why are you here? Where have you been? And why the fuck did you leave me in Chicago, you shitless bastard?”

 Josh opened and closed his mouth a few times before his face broke into a wide grin. “God, I missed you,” he laughed and cupped her face in his hands. Before she could shake him off, he leaned forward and kissed her.

 Stunned, she stiffened under the onslaught, but she gradually melted into him. She’d forgotten how good he was at this, how his lips and tongue and teeth combined to weaken her knees and shatter her resolve. Then, she was kissing him back, passionate and frantic as he held her to him. She was seconds from tearing his shirt over his head when someone slammed into them. Hard.

 He broke away and glanced around them to assess the situation. “We need to get out of here,” he shouted and grabbed her hand to pull her along.

 “Wait! Brenda’s here. She’s backstage. I can’t leave her.”

 “Jen! I want you safe.”

 She shook her head and twisted to look at the stage. Everything was in chaos, but she glimpsed her roommate briefly. She waved and ducked away under the arm of one of the workers who’d been flocking around them when they’d first arrived. If the wide grin on her face was any indication, Brenda would be absolutely fine.

 “Let’s go!” she yelled but allowed him to pull her behind him through the rioting crowd and into a clear area near the parking lot.

 “Are you okay?” he asked, his hands running over her shoulders and arms and then back up to her face. “Are you hurt?”

 “I’m fine. I’m okay. Josh…”

 His lips were on hers again, warm and comforting and more than a little urgent. She wanted to lose herself in him, find comfort in a way she hadn’t been able to for so long. More than anything, she craved his skin against hers. More than she wanted to know why he’d gone or where he’d been or what his future plans were. She just needed him in a way she couldn’t explain. She only knew that she felt like she’d come home when she was with him. After all this time, he was still the person that made her feel more herself than anyone else.

 It felt like seconds and decades at the same time, but finally, their frantic make out session ended and they could look at each other more fully. She had a million questions, but the most important was the one she managed to blurt as he studied her with his hazel gaze.

 “Do you love me?”

 He raised his hand to her left cheek and traced her cheekbone with his thumb. His eyes flickered over her, and his lips curved into a smirk. “Of course, I love you,” he laughed. “I always have. I’ve been an idiot—worse, I’ve been a complete ass—but I’ve been in love with you for a decade.”

 “I live in New York. I’m not moving.”

 “I’ve already got my plane ticket back there. I was just staying with Connor through the holidays.”

 “I don’t trust you.”

 “I don’t blame you. I haven’t been very trustworthy, and I’m sorry.”

 She glared at him, but she couldn’t find her anger. His presence was a balm she hadn’t even known she’d needed. When he’d left, she’d thought it was the end of their love, but maybe tonight was really the beginning. If the last decade had taught her nothing else, everything was a gamble. Maybe she had another big one left in her.

 “Hey, Hutch.”

 “Yeah?” It felt like the world around them was holding its breath.

 “Take me home.”

 When he reached for her hand, she took it.

 ****

 The drive to his brother’s apartment seemed to take forever and not nearly long enough. She wasn’t nervous, exactly, but it had been over a year since he’d left. How would it feel to be with him again after all this time and so much pain between them?

 “Connor’s out with friends tonight. Spending the night with his boyfriend,” Josh announced as they pulled into a parking spot.

 “Okay,” she replied and sucked in a breath to hold. At least they wouldn’t have an audience for their reunion.

 “We don’t have to do anything,” he said, and she raised her eyes to his. Vulnerability poured from him, and she suddenly wanted to soothe him. She had the ability to provide him comfort, and that’s what she wanted more than anything else in that moment.

 “I want to do everything,” she answered firmly.

 He led her up the stairs to his brother’s apartment and unlocked the door. When they were inside, he tossed his keys on the table and turned to her. She went to him, and he pulled her close. His arms wrapped around her back to nestle her against his chest. Slowly, he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers.

 It was a chaste kiss, but it lit a fire inside her. She deepened the kiss by tilting her head and opening her mouth. Her tongue begged for attention, and he slid his against hers. His muffled grunt was matched by her lusty moan, and the thin veil of control they clung to snapped.

 “Jennifer,” he sighed. Their hands grappled with their clothing as it fell piece by piece. Frantic, she hopped onto the kitchen table and tucked him between her legs. He rubbed her quickly, just a tiny bit of prep, and then he was inside her, thrusting with his head thrown back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on as he rammed into her. The table creaked under them, and she gripped him inside her tighter and tighter as he plunged erratically into her depths.

 “Fuck!” he shouted to the ceiling when his body tensed. He sank into her, and she felt a wet heat pulsing inside her when he came.

 She cradled him to her, grateful for his warmth in the chilling apartment, until he came back to himself. His mouth sought hers in a lazy journey across her cheek until they were kissing and kissing and then kissing more and more and more. She couldn’t get enough of him. He surrounded her, made her feel like she’d found everything she needed, and grounded her to the present.

 “I love you,” he mumbled against her lips. “I’m so sorry for leaving you.”

 She whimpered, both at his words, and him pulling out of her, but that turned to a forceful howl when he sank to his knees in front of her. She spread her legs further, and he leaned forward. Falling back on the table, she pressed her eyes closed and allowed herself to float. His tongue and fingers and lips and facial hair all worked to drive her over the edge, and she gripped the edge of the table as an orgasm rushed through her. Panting, she begged him to keep going.

 He took his time, nuzzling against her until she writhed under him. He prodded her legs into different positions, interspersed sucking on her clit with shoving his fingers inside her until she was wailing. She couldn’t control the sounds that poured from her any more than she could stop from climaxing multiple times as he took her apart.

 She lost track of time, of her name, of her roles and responsibilities. Nothing mattered but him on her, connected and intertwined in a way she always wanted them to be, that they’d never quite managed when they held back from each other. For the first time in ages, she felt he was completely open to her, and she responded in kind. Any inhibitions she still held fell away, and she ground against his face harder and harder.

 “Josh, I need more,” she whined, desperate for him to be inside her again.

 He stumbled to his feet and scooped her from the table. Half-carrying, half-supporting her, he walked them across the room to the ratty couch in the living room. Woozily, she glanced at the rumpled blankets and sheets where he’d obviously been sleeping and sank onto his lap when he sat.

 “You deserve so much better than a shitty couch in a rundown apartment. I’m sorry—”

 “Stop apologizing,” she slurred and kissed him. “I forgive you. I love you, too. Now, fuck me.”

 Josh buried his face in her neck and guided her thighs to the outside of his. She sank onto him and rocked her hips, meeting his stroke with hers. She rode him, then, bouncing and moaning his name, clutching his hair and raking her nails down his back as they raced to the finish. They reached it together, clinging to each other as they panted each other’s names. Her back bowed, and she dove over the edge, reaching for him, clinging to the man she’d met so many years ago, who’d helped her discover who she really was, what she believed in, and how she could fight for those principles. She didn’t want anyone else to take his place, and this time she’d battle for him as long as she needed to keep him by her side.

 When they finished, they lay together, hearts beating rapidly, and caressed every inch of bare skin they could reach. They made promises and plans, both grandiose and mundane, but most importantly, they made a pledge.

 Despite everything, there wouldn’t be the end of love. Instead, they were at the beginning.

#the vintage joshifer series #end of love #joshifer #joshifer fanfiction #joshifersource #joshiferrecs #jhutchdirectory #fyeah-joshifer #1960s

[blurry-fics]

Chapter Six

Tear In My Heart | Series Masterlist

Warnings: Profanity, angst

Word Count: 2742

Authors’ Note: Enjoy the chapter! :) (picture credit)

October 2014 - Middle of the Quiet is Violent Tour

You idly stirred your coffee with one hand as you texted out a message to Beau with the other. The tour bus was quiet, aside from Tyler and Jenna chatting on the couch across from you. Josh had just come back from a run and was currently showering before all of you got a start on the day.

“Are you going to be ready to leave once Josh is out of the shower?” Jenna asked, looking over to you.

Ever since she had joined you and the rest of the boys on tour a few days ago, the two of you had become fast friends. You already found yourself going to her every time something new with Josh came up, and she already knew all the details of your rocky relationship, right from the moment that you joined the tour crew. You hadn’t realized how much you needed a best friend - that wasn’t one of the boys - on tour until she came along.

“Leave? Where are we going?” you asked, finally setting your phone down.

“You, me, and the boys are going to explore the city on our day off.”

A chill ran down your spine at the mention of the boys, because that undoubtedly included Josh. The two of you still hadn’t had a discussion about what happened that one day at the beginning of tour and had been avoiding each other because of it. Tension was always present when you were in a room together.

“I think I’m going to pass. Beau wanted to FaceTime later.”

Jenna shook her head, “You’re coming. It’s decided.”

“Jen,” you pouted.

“We’re going to go out there and have fun, ok?” She leaned around Tyler for a moment to check the bathroom door, then added in a whisper, “And you and Josh are going to tolerate being around one another for awhile.”

You groaned and leaned your head back against the wall, knowing there was no changing Jenna’s mind once it was decided. She smiled and leaned back into Tyler’s shoulder, letting her arms wrap lazily around him. He lightly ran his fingers along her arm, letting the slightest hint of a smile cross his face.

You didn’t mean to stare at them, but it was hard not to when you began to think about sitting with Josh on that same couch with your arms wrapped around one another. Warmth began to spread throughout you, matching the places where Josh’s arms had been wrapped around you.

“I’m going to get ready,” you said, standing up so suddenly that you nearly spilled your coffee all along the table. “Oh sh-”

“Hey!” Tyler said, pointing a finger at you. “We do not tolerate that kind of language on the bus!”

“Shove it, Joseph,” you laughed.

You grabbed your coffee cup and wandered towards your bunk where all your toiletries were sitting. The shower had finally shut off, meaning the bathroom would be free for you to use before long.

“We leave in ten minutes,” Jenna called after you.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be ready.”

*     *     *

The streets of Austin were surprisingly warm as you wandered down them, taking in all the little shops and restaurants. Jenna and Tyler were at the front of your tiny group, blissfully unaware of the silence between you and Josh as they walked along hand in hand. You had tried to break the silence a couple times, but no matter how hard you tried you just couldn’t seem to get words out.

A few blocks down, Josh and Tyler had finally managed to start their own conversation about some upcoming shows that they were excited about. This was your chance. Pretending to seem interested in the nearest store window, you linked arms with Jenna and pulled her toward it unsuspectingly. You were mentally yelling at her for doing this to you.

"Why the hell did you bring me out here, Jenna? You know exactly what's going on between Josh and me. This is so awkward. For the both of us," you yell-whispered at her, not looking in her direction but through the glass, so you didn't draw attention. Jenna just smirked a bit and shook her head as she looked inside with you.

"Tyler has told me how long this has gone on and it's ridiculous. You two need to have a talk. You can't spend all of this tour avoiding each other... he's your boss, Y/N. Not to mention your friend... and something else."

"Something else?" You quirk a brow, curiously.

"Don't play dumb, goofball. Tyler sees it... I see it... don't pretend that you don't see it yourself."

As you and Jenna looked into the window, Josh and Tyler stopped walking and stood on the other side of the sidewalk a little further down to give you space. Tyler planned it that way, so that nothing was heard and Josh was out of earshot. There was a temporary silence between them as Josh was pretending to be preoccupied with his phone.

"So, how has Y/N been doing?" he asked Tyler nonchalantly, but received a slight scoff.

"Josh, you can ask her yourself. She's literally a few feet away." Josh looked up from the cellphone screen and narrowed his eyes to his friend with a shake of his head.

"Are you kidding me? We couldn’t even find two words to say to each other on the walk here. That's not happening," he mumbled and shoved his phone back in his pocket, becoming grumpy.

A soft chuckle escaped Tyler's lips and he shook his head, seeing you and Jenna finally make your way back over to them. He instantly gave her a look that she shared with him, secretly letting one another know that their plan wasn't working. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they started walking again.

"There's this coffee shop that I heard of and it should be just up here. Do you mind if we go in and get something?" Jenna asked Tyler softly and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't see why not."

You walked in uncomfortable silence beside Josh and ran your hand up and down your arm while staring down to the ground. You could tell that he was trying to come up with something to say, but the words weren't coming out. You knew the struggle.

“Y/N/N, what do you want?” Jenna asked, turning over her shoulder to look at you.

“Um, I think I’ll just have a medium iced tea?”

Jenna repeated your order to the teenage boy standing behind the register. You started to reach into your wallet for some cash, but Tyler held out a hand to stop you.

“I’ve got it.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, Jenna dragged you out here, so it’s only fair I pay.”

“Hey!” Jenna laughed, turning to him.

You glanced at Josh, only to see that he was smiling along with the rest of you. He started to turn towards you, so you quickly averted your eyes to look at your beat up shoes. Your gaze remained there until Jenna linked arms with you and led you to one of the tables near the window. She plopped you down in a seat that ensured you would be sitting right next to Josh.

“I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick,” Josh said before he had a chance to sit down. “I’ll be right back.”

You watched Josh’s back as he disappeared down a small hallway and around a corner. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jenna and Tyler leaned in towards you. The movement shocked you enough that you leaned away and pressed your back into the wall.

“We’re really trying here and you are giving us absolutely nothing to work with,” Tyler sighed.

Your eyebrows furrowed, “What?”

“This whole not-talking thing is getting really tiring, Y/N. Even the crew members are starting to take note of it.”

“Every single one has asked me at least once why you and Josh keep giving each other longing glances,” Tyler chimed in.

“Longing glances? What does that-”

“Listen,” Jenna reached out and rested her hand on top of yours. “Everyone can tell that you two are into each other.”

You started to shake your head, shooting looks at both Tyler and Jenna, “I have no idea what you two are talking about. I have a boyfriend, for Christ’s sake. Did you just forget about him?”

“Y/N,” Tyler’s voice dropped to just above a whisper. “I’ve seen you and Beau together. There’s no love between you anymore. Just loyalty.”

“This is outrageous,” you huffed, though you couldn’t help the nagging feeling in your stomach that Tyler had a point. “I do not have feelings for Joshua Dun.”

Jenna and Tyler shared a knowing look.

“Not even a little?” Jenna asked.

You looked into her eyes and with the most deadpan expression you could muster, you repeated her words. “Not even a little.”

The two of them leaned back in their chairs just as Josh emerged from the little hallway again. As much as you wanted to be angry at Tyler and Jenna for what they had said, you knew they were doing it from a place of love. They wanted you to be happy, and they knew that Josh would do that for you.

Now all you had to do was convince yourself.

“Did I miss anything exciting?” Josh asked as he took a seat next to you.

You slowly shook your head, never letting your eyes leave the table.

The coffee shop had been a nice little distraction from all of the awkwardness that had been going on, as Tyler and Jenna talked to the both of you and didn't try to force anything more between you and Josh. It almost felt normal again, despite the fact that you two had to sit right beside one another. That was the only thing that you would've changed. But, it seemed to be going well enough that you weren't too worried about it. Once you all felt revitalized enough with caffeine, you all rose from your seats and left to do some more walking around town.

As you took in more of the area, you heard Josh ask Tyler a question but it went unanswered as he and Jenna were too infatuated with one another to reply. Either that or they were purposefully ignoring anything that you both had to say so that you would have no other choice but to speak to one another. You looked over to Josh, who seemed a bit irked at the silent treatment and then sighed deeply. Damn, their plan was working.

"So, um... how have you been?" you asked Josh softly, seeming a bit nervous to even initiate anything.

Josh looked over to you and had a look of surprise on his face as you started talking to him. Taking a deep breath and shoving his hands into his jean pockets, he shrugged his shoulders a bit and chewed on his lower lip slightly.

"I've been alright. Busy, but, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Busy. I get it," you responded, starting to rub the back of your neck out of pure stress. You looked ahead to the precious couple up ahead and briefly saw Tyler looking back over his shoulder at you with a small smirk, before shaking his head and giggling with Jenna. You threw an icy glare in his direction, before softening your face to look to Josh as it seemed like he would start talking again as he turned to face you. He gently grabbed your arm to stop the both of you from walking, looking down into your eyes sincerely.

"Look, Y/N... I..." he started and was then interrupted by the sound of Jenna's voice yelling at Tyler as he had his fingers pinched, dangling his cellphone over the edge of the bridge that they were now standing on, threatening to drop it into the water below. You forced yourself not to groan at Tyler and Jenna's impeccable timing and then shook your head, looking up to Josh as the both of you had turned to see what all of the commotion had been about. The both of you just laughed shyly and pretended as if nothing had almost just been brought up.

Not wanting to get caught in another awkward silence, you closed the space between you and Jenna and linked arms with her before Tyler had another chance to steal her away. She seemed a bit surprised by the sudden movement, but happily adjusted her arm in yours and started to walk the rest of the way across the bridge.

“Was that,” she paused and looked over her shoulder for a moment, “conversation that I heard between you and Josh?”

“Briefly,” you sighed. “He was about to say something to me when Tyler decided he needed to hang his phone over the side of a bridge.”

You and Jenna both turned to see what the boys were up to. They were still standing in the middle of the bridge, except now Josh was filming Tyler as he dangled his phone over the edge. Jenna shook her head and kept walking.

“Has Tyler told you about his habit of interrupting Josh and I all the time? Almost every time something serious is about to happen, he comes running in.”

“He hasn’t mentioned it, no. Probably because he’s absolutely oblivious that he’s even doing it.”

“Of course he is,” you scoffed. “He gets mad when Josh doesn’t make a move and then ruins it when he does.”

“So you’re admitting that something is going on between you and Josh?” Jenna asked, one of her eyebrows raising.

“No, not at all. That’s not - Jen, please. I’m so tired of this conversation.”

“Oh, Y/N, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stress you.”

Jenna held her arms out, inviting you in for a hug. You gladly accepted it, happy to have a bit of physical contact with someone. Between being apart from Beau and Josh generally avoiding you, the most affection you got was a playful shove from Tyler every now and again. It was nice to hug someone.

“It’s ok. I guess… I just have a lot going on in my head that I haven’t been able to sort out.”

Jenna pulled away so that she could hold you at arm’s length. Her blue eyes shifted to the space behind you for a moment before meeting yours.

“You know you can always talk to me, whether I’m on tour or not. And I know Tyler likes to get involved in these things, but if you need something to be top secret, I’m your girl.”

You were so relieved to hear those words from Jenna that you almost started crying on the spot. It seemed that the stress of a bigger tour, things with Josh, and being away from home was really starting to get to you. Maybe even more than you had realized.

The boys’ laughter slowly started to grow louder, prompting Jenna to drop her hands away from your arms. Tyler was quick to put his hands on Jenna’s waist and press a gentle peck to her lips. You tried not to scrunch your nose too much at the display of affection.

“Coming?” Josh asked, resting a hand on your shoulder.

After averting your eyes, you hadn’t even realized that Tyler and Jenna had made their way down the sidewalk. Josh had seemingly waited behind, just to make sure that you didn’t end up lost in a city that you had never been to.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Josh let his hand fall away, leaving you with only a hint of warmth where his fingers had been. You tried not to focus on it too much, knowing that it would only make figuring everything out harder. Speculation never did you any good.

“It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” Josh said.

An attempt at conversation from him was enough to make you look at him with wide eyes. His own gaze remained on Tyler and Jenna ahead of you, so he didn’t notice. You figured that was probably a good thing.

“Yeah. I’m surprised it’s this warm out, you know, with it being fall and all.”

“Fall and all,” Josh smiled. “Yeah.”

You took a deep breath and let your shoulders relax a little. Maybe this didn’t have to be so difficult, after all.

*     *     *     *     *

Taglist

@topownsmyheart​ @faceofcontvsions​ @ohprettyweeper​ @tylersheavydirtysoul​ @svintsandghosts @wearebxnditos​ @breadbinishigh​ @patdsinner33​ @leam-2001​

#josh dun #josh dun x reader #josh dun fanfiction #twenty one pilots #twenty one pilots fanfiction #josh dun imagine #josh dun drabble #josh dun fluff #josh dun angst #josh dun series #twenty one pilots x reader #twenty one pilots imagine #twenty one pilots drabble #twenty one pilots fluff #twenty one pilots angst #twenty one pilots series #timh #tear in my heart #timh series #tear in my heart series #skeleton clique #spookyjiimfanfiction #blurry-fics

[rwby-redux]

Preface

RWBY is the breakthrough anime web series created by the late Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth. Originally teased on November 5th, 2012, and officially debuted July 18th, 2013, the series follows the journeys of four young women enrolled in an academy that trains monster-slaying warriors known as Huntsmen. Set in the fictional world of Remnant, the story initially focuses on the surface-level plot of fighting against humanity’s ancient adversary, the ever-present Creatures of Grimm; over time, it becomes apparent that things aren’t what they seem, as the cast slowly begins to connect a string of heists committed by a criminal syndicate with the violent acts of a terrorist cell. The series is aired weekly on Rooster Teeth’s website, with its main arcs spanning 12 – 16 episodes per volume. In the years following the show’s initial release, RWBY has spawned numerous merchandise and related media, including two spin-off shows, multiple side-stories published as mangas, two standalone books, three mobile games, a behind-the-scenes artbook, and OSTs for every volume to date.

As of Volume 7 there are 98 episodes in total with a collective runtime of 18:52:00, or approximately 1,132 minutes, with more episodes and side content underway.

At best, they’re visually interesting; at worst, they’re disappointing.

Let me take a second to backtrack before the lynch mob starts to sharpen its pitchforks. The series deserves much of the praise that it’s gotten. RWBY was the first American-produced anime to be released in Japan (and if you’re a fan of anime, you know how insane those words sound). The 3D models and animation from Volume 4 onward are breathtakingly stunning, and even before the show made the leap from Poser to Maya, the fight sequences managed to be equally creative and entertaining. The show was nominated for and received multiple Streamy Awards, and was awarded Best Animated Series by the International Academy of Web Television. The Volume 1 soundtrack reached number one on iTunes, beating out the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Such is RWBY’s (and Rooster Teeth’s) reputation that it managed to attract the attention of, and later bring on, industry veterans and vocal legends such as Jen Taylor, Josh Grelle, and Aaron Dismuke.

That’s to say nothing of the fandom this franchise has amassed, of kids, teenagers, and young adults alike. RWBY has generated dozens of forums dedicated to fanfiction, fanart, and roleplaying. Thousands of people the world over have bonded over this show, fans from all walks of life. They’re passionate about this series. The fact that I’m writing this post is a testimony of that. If I didn’t care about RWBY, I wouldn’t be sitting on my couch at 3 AM, hunched over my laptop in my pajamas.

If RWBY is so good (or occasionally threatens to become good), you might be wondering, why, then, does this blog exist?

Well, because…when you stop and look at it critically, it actually kind of sucks.

Despite initially being written by a three-man team, the series is full of inconsistencies and an underdeveloped cast. The characters, especially from Volumes 1 — 3, are full of one-dimensional stereotypes whose contributions to the story amount to a three-word summary: “The School Bully,” “The Wacky Professors,” “The Racist Cop,” “The Cutthroat Bitch,” “The Anime Waifu,” “The Audience Surrogate,” “Discount Elle Woods,” and so on. Fundamental elements of the story, like Aura, Semblance, and Dust, are either poorly-explained or not explained at all, and the limitations of those core concepts can change at a moment’s notice to suit the needs of the plot. The primary antagonist of the first three volumes is universally hated by the fandom for having no discernible motivations beyond being “ambitious and power-hungry,” and having a personality that consists exclusively of irritating smug. The show-writers, despite repeatedly promising queer representation, have failed to make even one of their ten central protagonists queer. This isn’t touching upon the fact that the first openly-gay character on the show was an antagonist, or that the next two were side-characters who were relevant to the plot for all of seven episodes, before vanishing from the story entirely. The two leads that are currently being hyped as our first queer main-cast members have only been repeatedly teased, with said characters never once uttering the words, “I’m bi,” “I date women,” “I’m not straight”—nothing but narrative subtext and playful winks from the VAs whenever a fan asks if they’re queer. Subplots end up having no pay-off or get entirely forgotten mid-volume. The story is so protagonist-biased that the heroes are frequently able to get away with being hypocritical, or committing criminal acts because “it was the right thing to do,” with their POV framed as an infallible “fuck you, got mine” verbal gut-punch to the audience (while other characters in the show, who often make the exact same calls as the heroes, are ridiculed by the show and the fandom). Whenever the story isn’t spray-painting stolen cars and selling them to their original owners, it manages to clumsily handle allegories for real-world issues such as systemic racism, mental illness, abuse dynamics/victim survivorship, and gray morality. The worldbuilding is absent from the main show and has to be supplemented through RWBY’s spin-off series World of Remnant. The story’s setting feels flat and lifeless at times because the “cultures” of this world are never established.

The list goes on and on.

So if this show has so many flaws, why are we still having this conversation?

Because I’m captivated by the untapped potential of this world. When you brush away all of the detritus, you can see the wealth of raw material buried beneath. This is a world where the gods have forsaken their creations, with one having even deliberately created the monsters that hunt humanity. The two characters who are central to the history of this world are tragic figures, one cursed with immortality as a punishment for demanding that the gods revise the first draft, and do away with needless death; and the other, cursed to ceaselessly reincarnate into the minds and bodies of like-minded souls, waging a war of attrition against a person warped beyond recognition by the capricious spite of the gods. This is a world of forgotten magic, of shifting allegiances, of characters embarking on personal journeys and unearthing deadly secrets. It’s a story of people from all walks of life learning to cooperate and work together, forging friendships and alliances in order to face the challenges that lie ahead.

It could easily have the bones of an epic fantasy series as long as it remembers to drink its milk.

RWBY’s issues aren’t insurmountable. Most of them are the byproduct of the series’ blind adherence to “rule of cool,” the motto that practically codified the beginning of the show. From Volume 4 onward, the series took a radical shift in tone that tried to be “more mature,” and only succeeded in making the earlier episodes absurd in hindsight. Why, in Volume 6, are the characters concerned about civilian endangerment, when in Volume 2 they happily pursued a giant mech in a highway car-chase scene that would’ve caused untold collateral damage and civilian death? This change in storytelling created a thematic disparity that reoccurs time and time again, retroactively emphasizing just how inconsistent the worldbuilding and storytelling are.

It tried to be Avatar: The Last Airbender, and what we’re left with instead is Game of Thrones Season 8.

Now, I’m not using this blog as a platform to damn Monty Oum (or claim to be a better creator than him). But it’s important to address the flaws in his story, and to acknowledge that his passing doesn’t make RWBY somehow sacrosanct or immune to constructive criticism. RWBY has flaws, ranging from nitpicky to potentially capable of causing real-world harm (in the case of the aforementioned queerbaiting and racism analogies). I’m a firm believer that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum; art is informed by our beliefs just as much as art informs our beliefs. We can still respect and admire the potential RWBY has to offer, while being mindful of where it needs to improve.

That’s where this blog comes in.

At the end of the day, the RWBY Redux exists as a thought experiment. I’m writing it chiefly to entertain worldbuilding ideas and headcanons I’ve spent years musing on. I’m not asking readers to agree with any of my numerous stances, nor am I going to shy away from other fans’ criticism as I hammer this project out. With a little TLC, perhaps I’ll manage to create something that manages to be more complex than its source material. And if you choose to follow along with my endeavors, hopefully you’ll find this project equal parts engaging and entertaining.

Wish me luck.

#preface #deconstruction #writing

[hamelaisley]

prague...dedicated to becky

PRAGUE

Chapter 1

"we could run..........you and me. we could go now and never look back"

"are you serious???"

"i have money saved up josh. i could get us new identities. create a escape route. for now just keep up appearances.........,go to berlin like were gonna shoot. well leave to go to prague from there"

"what are you saying jen?????"

"im saying i wanna be a real person again........with you. thats what you want right???? i mean this is it josh. will you run away with me????"

-XX-

"aaaaaand action!!!!" yelled francis lawrence.

any other time this would have been joshs idea of heaven. working with his friend all day. but now.... it was just really awkward and he couldnt wait until the wrap.

josh started to mumble his lines but was cut off by jen.

"im really sorry francis but........i cant do this right now......." she said and then walked off to her trailer.

it had been like this ever sense....ever sense prague.......

-XX-

josh walked up to the train platform trying to find jen. suddenly he saw her standing with a suitcase and wearing a red jacket with cute black heels on. she spotted him and immediately smiled at him. he walked over to her.

"hey!!!!! i was starting to think you werent coming!!!" she said.

josh looked down at his shoes. jen didnt notice or care. jen pulled a folder out of her purse.

"k so here are our new identities. for now on your name is thomas campbell and mine is elle sinclair. we can talk about there back stories or whatever on the train ride to prague" she said.

"jen........." josh said.

"oh dont worry about the ride......... its only a hour long and if your bored you have me to talk to" she said.

"jen i.......i dont think we should do this........."

jen looked kinda confused.

"what do you mean?????"

"i mean we..... we made a promise that we would make these movies. we have a responsibility to the fans and everyone in the movie to finish it.... this is our life jen. this fairytale about running away is nice but this is where we belong. in hollywood. living our real lives....."

"josh its not that simple....... you dont understand but everything here is fake.....but this" she said and grabbed josh's hand. ".....this is simple. this is our real life. we have to go josh...... are you coming????? please come with me josh....."

josh paused and let go of jen's hand.

"i cant......im sorry........"

-XX-

josh walked up to jen's trailer and knocked.

"jen its me.....please let me in........"

"josh no. i dont want to talk to you now"

josh could tell she was crying.

"jen......."

"go away!!!!!"

josh leaned against the door and felt a single tear on his cheek.

"ok" he whispered.

Chapter 2

things were awkward on set. jen was avoiding josh and it was making him feel awful and lonely. he was always talking and laughing with her and now that he wasnt he felt empty and hurt. he hated being alone because then your forced into listening to your own thoughts instead of someone elses voice. god he couldnt wait for this to end.

but.......but what if this awkwardness never ended?? what if jen never forgave him???

he stared at the script in his hands. he was trying to memorize his lines because he had to and to distract himself from the situation with jen. it wasnt really working. he looked out the window of his trailer and saw jen in her own trailer looking straight at him. but when she saw that he saw her she looked away.

josh threw the papers on the ground frustratedly. he needed to talk to jen. even if she didnt want to talk to him. fuck, hed tie her up and force her to listen if thats what it took.

he walked out the door and to jen's trailer. he knocked and waited for her to answer nervous that she wouldnt. but she did. thank GOD thought josh.

"hey" jen said not looking at him. she was wearing a pretty white dress that would probably blow in the wind if it was windy. it reminded josh of the first time he saw jen.

-XX-

he put some cologne on his wrists and pulled on the jacket he was wearing. then he looked in the mirror and fixed his hair. he felt like a girl but he wanted to look perfect before meeting his co-star jennifer lawrence. they talked on the phone a few days ago and he has instantly fell in love with her. she was so funny and comfortable with who she was. and josh knew she was gorgeous. he saw her at the oscars when she was nominated for winters bone. she was irresistible to josh even though he didnt meet her in person yet. but that was going to change in a few minutes if josh didnt die from his heart beating so fast that it fell out of his chest.

he looked at his watch and took a deep breath. if he didnt leave now he was gonna be late.

he left his house and got into his car and drove to jen's house. when he got there he couldnt help but laugh at the garden nomes in the yard of her house. they were cute just like her.

josh wiped his sweaty hands in his pants and rang the door bell. jen answered.

joshs mouth went dry when he saw her. even though she was wearing a super simple white dress she was still breathtaking stunning. her eyes were the bluest blue josh had ever seen. her lips were full. her cheeks were pink like she ran to the door or something, and she had a cute button nose. jen smiles and you could see her dimples.

"well what are you waiting for silly!!!!! come in the damn house its frickin cold outside hahah" she said.

josh did as was told and went Ito her house. suddenly he stopped and just looked at her. he didnt think it was possible to be more attracted to this girl but that was before he saw her in person. it was love at first sight for him.

oh god josh thought im inlove with a girl and i dont even know her full name.....

"uh.....jen???"

"thats mizz lawrence to you" she joked.

he laughed. "k so this is kinda super weird but i was wondering........ can you tell me your middle name????"

she looked at him silently for a few seconds before saying something. "shrader. my middle name is shrader" she said.

"jennifer shrader lawrence" josh said. and it was the most beautiul name hed ever heard.

-XX-

"hey......can i come in????" josh asked. jen nodded her head "yes" so josh went in.

"look josh about the other day........"

"its ok jen. really its fine like dont worry about it" josh said.

"i just really miss you so much. what happened in prague......im so sorry jennifer for hurting you. i didnt mean to hurt you. and i want us to go back to the way things were. please????? i dont wanna loose you.......... i love you"

"josh.........."

josh cut her off as he leaned forward and kissed her. to his disappointment though, she pulled away after a few seconds.

"josh..........we need to break up."

Chapter 3

"josh..........we need to break up."

out of all the things josh thought jen would say that did not even make the list. he expected that theyd need to talk some things out but.........

"....i....jen what?"

"josh its.....please dont look at me like that....i just think that were not the same people we were when we first fell in love.....i dont want to ruin our friendship"

she was right about one thing. they werent the same people they were when they first fell in love. the old jen would never do something like this to him.

-XX-

"oh you can do better than that!!!" jen yelled at josh as she flew through the air. josh laughed and pushed her back harder. his arms were getting kinda sore. who knew that pushing someone on a swing could be so much work??

"jen my arms are tired." he complained. "im gonna take a break"

"your WEAK JOSH HUTCHERSON. YOUR FUCKING WEAK!!!"

"well not all of us can be nicholas fucking hoult jen. maybe you should call him so that he can come push you" he said. but right after he said it he wished he didnt. it wasnt fair to jen. she didnt know how much it hurt him to see her with nick. and even if she did he didnt have a right to be mad. it wasnt her fault that she loved nick and not him.

"look jen im sorry" he shouted up to her. she ignored him.

he stepped back away from the swing and sat down. he watched her for a little while until suddenly jen let go of the swing and literally went flying through the air. he knew she did it on purpose because she was laughing like an idiot the whole way until she hit the mulch. but even then she was still laughing. josh ran over to her to make sure she was okay. her knees were scraped and her hair was messed up and had pieces of mulch stuck in it.

"i wanted to come sit with you but i didnt want to do the whole slowing down thing normal people do when there done swinging" she told him.

josh rolled his eyes and laughed.

"god dammit jen!!! you know i love you but you can be such an airhead sometimes!!!" he laughed. jen didnt. she stared up at him and met his eyes.

"you love me????"

josh started to panic. did he say that out loud???

"josh....do you???? love me????"

he couldnt tell if she was kidding or not. he could easily get himself out of this one. of course he loved jen. she was his best friend!!! but for some reason he didnt want to get out of anything. he wanted to tell her. there. in the hawaiian park under spring clouds.

"i.......jennifer how could i not??? ive loved you ever sense that very first phone call. sense i very first saw you. ive loved you every time weve laughed and every time weve fought. i loved you when you had a boyfriend and i loved you when i had a girlfriend. ive loved you during my proudest moments and my weakest moments. ive loved you during nothings and somethings and everything in between. so yes jennifer i love you. ive been hopelessly inlove with the girl in the white dress from the very beginning and will be right up until the end."

jen didnt say anything for a while. instead she just took his hands in hers and leaned into him so that there faces were pretty much touching. josh fought the desire to just lean forward and take those perfect lips into his own.

finally she said something. "so you DO remember what color dress i was wearing when we met!!!"

josh smiled. of course thats what she got from that.

"ya i guess i do"

"josh??"

"ya????"

"we broke up. me and nick"

josh tried not to look excited. not that he really was. he was just worried about jen.

"why would he break up with you??? your the most perfect girl in the world and if he doesnt see that then he doesnt deserve you!!!!"

"i broke up with him josh...."

"what???? why???"

"because i love you too"

and then like belle and her beast there lips met taking away the beast and leaving only a prince.

-XX-

"jen thats bullshit and you know it....." josh said to her. "you know i hate being lied to......why dont you just tell me the real reason???"

jen sighed not looking him in the eye.

"josh after prague i.....was hurt. you hurt me when you said no. it made me feel like you didnt love me and i......called someone who i knew still loved me....."

"huh??? who???"

"josh.....i called nick"

Chapter 4

"josh.....i called nick. okay?!? i called nick and one thing led to another and we decided to give our relationship another chance. im sorry josh. i didnt mean to hurt you......."

josh felt his eyes start to sting with salty tears. how could she do this to him???

"did you screw him???"

"what??"

"i said....did you screw him"

"josh......."

"answer me"

".....yes. but josh you need to understand that you hurt me....."

he didnt hear anything that she said after that. her lips were moving but there was no sound. he stared straight through her.

"josh........josh please say something......."

"you.....jen you *cheated* on me??" josh asked.

"it....we were on a break and i was hurting josh you need to know that please know that"

josh fell out of his daze after hearing that.

"god jennifer you are so full of shit"

"uh excuse me?????"

"and to think i actually felt bad about prague.... i called you 273 times after that jennifer. you didnt answer 273 times. and it turns out that was because you were too busy sleeping with someone else????"

"thats not fair-"

"actually i think it's perfectly fucking fair jennifer. god i worked my ASS off for this relationship. i felt guilty for those whole three months we didnt talk. i missed you. i just wanted to make things better and i was stupid enough to think that you wanted that too!! god im such a idiot!!!"

jen was mad.

"how dare you say that stuff to me??? do you think it was easy for me to not talk to you for three months??!?!" she yelled.

"well after what you just told me ya i do!!" he shouted.

"i thought we were taking a break!!!"

"you know what??? fuck our friendship. you fucking disgust me and i dont want anything to do with you. not anymore"

jen didnt say anything.

josh stormed out of the trailer taking jens silence as his time to leave.

-XX-

"jennifer.....im so sorry. i was scared. scared to leave behind the life ive worked for my whole life. im a coward and im sorry. i shouldnt have left you in prague. i love you"

"i know that your mad and hurt and i know that i made you feel like that and im sorry im so fucking sorry. i love you jennifer"

"its been a week now......jen your scaring me. im worried about you.....please call me so i know that your ok??"

"jen im going crazy here.....its been a month sense i last kissed you......touched you......or fucking saw you...... i know your ignoring me but..... stop ok?? i miss you"

"jen......the decision that i made in prague. i know what it looks like. i know that it looks like i chose being an actor over.......over being with you. but thats not what happened. how i feel about you is real. very very real. and i know that you know how ive felt about you for a long time..... i told you.....we told each other and......and.........look jen i know that i probably hurt you. your probably hurt that i didnt run away with you in prague........but jen......i love you. i love you and i cant live without you. so.......please call me back"

the smell of pool water and listening to his voicemails was making jen feel dizzy. she held the phone to her ear and tried not to cry. but what she and josh had.......it was over now. she was never going to let herself get hurt like that again. she was stupid to think that josh would ever run away with her. her fairytale of running away from the fame and getting married and having kids and just living.......it was never gonna happen. and part of her knew she knew it wouldnt happen before this but that didnt make it hurt less.

she took the phone away from her head and looked at it one more time before she threw it into the pool.

"hey babe who was that???" nick asked.

"no one" she said. she leaned down and kissed nick on the ear. "absolutely no one"

Chapter 5

josh was so mad at jen he didnt even know what to do. the only thing he knew was that he had to get out of here before he exploded. so he went to the only place he could think of.

"oh hi josh" jena malone said when she saw it was josh who knocked on her trailer door.

"hi jena" josh said. jena opened the door a little bit more. he didnt move.

"well what are you waiting for silly!!!!"

josh felt like he was gonna throw up when she said that. even though jena didnt know that that was what jen had said to him when they first met didnt mean it didnt bother him a lot.

"i.....actually was wondering if i could maybe......take you out tonight??"

she smiled when he said that.

"ya id love to!! just let me get my purse and we can go k??"

"ya sounds good"

-XX-

"josh??? what are you doing here??? its midnight!!!" jen said after she opened her hotel door to see josh standing there with daisies.

"tonights our last night in hawaii" he said.

"ya so we should be sleeping because getting back to LA is gonna take forever"

"no.....we should be walking to the picnic i set up on the beach for us so that we can sleep on the plane" josh said. he took a purple daisy and put it in jen's hair. after that he gave her them.

jen smiled. "alright lead me to it"

they walked down to the beach holding hands. josh loved holding her hand. it made him feel so connected to her.

"oh my god josh this is awesome!!!!!" jen said when she saw joshs picnic.

they sat down and started to eat. jen looked up at the night sky. the moon was full and reflecting on the ocean.

"this is the most beautiful thing ive ever seen" she said. she was looking at the full moon.

"sure is" josh said. he was looking at jen.

-XX-

"so where are we gonna go????" asked jena. they were in joshs car.

"lou's" he said.

"whats that????"

"a club"

"oh fun"

on the drive there joshs phone started buzzing and didnt stop.

"sheesh!!! someone must really wanna talk to you!!!" jena joked.

"huh....weird" josh said.

when they got to the club josh checked his phone"

37 missed calls from Jennifer Lawrence and 37 new voicemails. his phone started buzzing again.

josh glared at his phone before turning it off. screw her josh thought.

josh went inside the club and saw that jena had already ordered them some drinks.

"just a few shots" she said. josh smiled. this was just what he needed to get his mind off jennifer shrader lawrence.

it got later and josh and jena got more drunk. they decided to go dance on the dance floor.

josh watched jena dance and realized how pretty she was. he never thought about jena like that before because he was too busy thinking about jen like that. he got close to her and started to dance with her.

"you are so gorgeous" he said. she laughed.

"your not do bad yourself handsome" she said.

josh leaned in and kiss jena. he pulled her waist closer to him and she put her hands around his neck.

"do you wanna come home with me???" josh asked.

"yeah but were gonna have to wait because were both to drunk to drive" she said. "lets see i called her like 20 minutes ago to come get us so.... oh there she is!!!!"

josh turned around to see who jena was talking about.

standing there was jen with tears on her cheeks. she looked at him and ran to the clubs bathroom.

"whats her deal....." jena laughed.

josh didnt care about jen anymore. he couldnt care about her. and besides what right does she have being hurt when she was the one who cheated on him?!?

josh smiled at jena and kissed her again.

with each second he kissed jena he could feel himself thinking less about jen.

this was just what he needed.

[orendamagau]

Bi-Weekly TV/Movie Wrapup (Part One)

Fallen behind in the world of visual entertainment? Well fret no more as Cal Behrendt take a look at some exciting new shows and movies that have dropped in the last two weeks!

The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards (NBC)

The biggest award show for the television industry, the 2018 Emmys (hosted by SNL’s Michael Che and Colin Jost) were a very mixed bag. Bill Hader and Henry Winkler — who won his first-ever Emmy despite five previous nominations stretching back to 1976 — picked up Emmys for their work in Barry. The Academy finally recognised some of the best talent to grace our screens in a long time, but even a shock mid-telecast proposal couldn't even save a trainwreck of a ceremony.

Even a shock mid-telecast proposal couldn't even save a trainwreck of a ceremony

Arguably the biggest surprise of the night was The Americans picking up two Emmys for its swan song run. Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg picked up the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Emmy for the series finale START. In the same episode, Matthew Rhys finally picked up the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Phillip Jennings (one of my all-time favourite characters and acting performances). But despite this, the Emmys still dropped the ball in many spots. How the hell did Keri Russell not win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and how did the consensus worst season of Game of Thrones win Best Drama Series ahead of The Americans? To me, nothing was worse so than the awkward-as-hell gags where Che and Jost kept cutting back to Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen — self-claimed Emmy ‘experts’ — throughout the ceremony. These gags were painfully unfunny and poorly timed, and they really took away from the rest of the telecast. It only shined in the unexpected moments, like Glenn Weiss’ proposal to Jan Svendsen, and Sandra Oh awarding the Emmy to LaLa Land after ripping the envelope.

How the hell did Keri Russell not win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series?

BoJack Horseman Season Five (Netflix)

Everybody’s favourite sad horse show has returned for another season. Once again, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and the crew have created a strong season of one of the best shows currently running. Season Five continues to make these characters feel so real that it is hard to believe this is a cartoon about anthropomorphic animals.

Everybody’s favourite sad horse show has returned for another season

The season also hits many topical issues right on the head, from the perfectly-timed examination of #MeToo to casting race-appropriate actors and actresses. Season Five is a perfect addition to a series that seems to get stronger every year. Once again we have a handful of standout episodes, but the episode Free Churro stands high and proud above everything else this show has done. It pushes the boundaries of what an animated show should be doing. If this episode and Will Arnett’s performance don't find their way into the Emmy winners circle in 2019, I will be madder about this than I will be about Twin Peaks' Emmy snubs.

American Vandal Season Two (Netflix)

Also dropping on the same day as BoJack, true-crime mockumentary series American Vandal makes its return. Season Two introduces a new setting and crime, with the crew travelling to Washington to investigate the ‘Turd Burglar’ — a student who is doing crap-filled pranks at St Bernardine’s. It could have easily been a re-tread of the first season, but Season Two expands on a lot of the previous issues to make yet another engrossing season. Not only do we get another fantastic mystery filled with twists and turns, but we also get a perfect examination of high school culture and how, in this social media-driven age, a lot of us feel lonelier than ever. But American Vandal is not content with just doing all that. It also pulls together a number of strong performances to anchor the season: from Travis Tope’s oddly charming Kevin McClain to Melvin Gregg’s MVP performance as DeMarcus Tillman, a basketball prodigy who, underneath the bright and popular exterior, is an insecure individual who just wants to be loved for something other than his basketball. American Vandal Season Two is a fantastic follow-up and shows why this program has quietly become one of the best shows out there.

American Vandal Season Two…shows why this program has quietly become one of the best shows out there.

Also Released:

Maniac Season One (Netflix)

Jonah Hill and Emma Stone star in this Cary Fukunaga-directed miniseries about two strangers who connect during a pharmaceutical trial. Many critics have praised the performances and the direction as well as the overall aesthetic of the series. I think my friend summed it up the best so far: “No idea what’s going on, but Jonah Hill and Emma Stone are great. It is well and truly some weird shit.”

It is well and truly some weird shit.

American Horror Story Season Eight (FX)

The long-running FX horror anthology has returned for another season with the eighth instalment, Apocalypse, which marks a departure from previous seasons. Not only is it set in the futuristic year of 2021, but it crosses over two past seasons — Season One’s Murder House and Season Three’s Coven — into one story. Two episodes have aired so far, and early reviews state that it's another solid entry into the franchise.

The Good Cop Season One (Netflix)

Do you like Josh Groban? Well then, I have the show for you! This Netflix police procedural stars Groban as a cop who goes by-the-book rather than become like his father (played by Tony Danza), who went to prison for being a dirty cop. The Good Cop sees them pair up to solve mysteries in New York, in a premise that sounds as 90s NBC-core as you can get. Most of the reviews I have read have pegged it as pretty mediocre, but if you love shows like Law and Order running in the background while you do other stuff you'll get a kick out of The Good Cop.

A premise that sounds as 90s NBC-core as you can get

Movies

Lizzie (Saban Films/Roadside Attractions)

The story of axe-murderer Lizzie Borden has been covered a lot over recent years. But this biographical thriller directed by Craig William Macneill jumps on top of the crowd, covering the story from a more feminist angle. According to critics, Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart turn in strong performances as Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan respectively, but it appears a common complaint is the story is not as gripping as it could be.

Colette (Bleecker Street/Lionsgate)

Colette follows the life of French novelist Gabrielle Colette, with Keira Knightley taking on the main role. It's directed by Wash Westmoreland, one of the most interesting names in the business,  having directed 2014’s Still Alice. Early reviews have been glowing across the board, with critics praising the performance of Knightley who turns in one of the strongest performances in her career to date. Also praised is the direction and overarching themes of feminism and the battle against misogyny Colette experienced. Colette won’t be released in Australia for a while yet, but keep your eyes open for this film when it does release. It's a potential early Oscar contender.

Early reviews have been glowing across the board

The Sisters Brothers (Annapurna Pictures)

This Western dark comedy focuses on a pair of hitmen searching for a chemist in 1800’s America. It features one of the most stacked acting lists I have seen in a while: John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix take on the titular roles of the Sisters brothers alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Allison Tolman and Carol Kane. Early reviews peg this film as one driven strongly by the Western genre whilst focusing on a strong character study of family and familial relationships. This movie has already picked up an award for director Jacques Audiard, who claimed the Silver Lion for Best Director at the 2018 Venice International Film Festival. This film will definitely be one to watch when it drops in Australia in the near future.

#movies #tv #bi-weekly wrapup #emmy awards #bojack horseman #netflix #american vandal #maniac #american horror story #the good cop #lizzie

[dissmal]

2019 in Review

Highlights/Memories of 2019: 

Began the year in Tokyo! TeamLab with Jonathan, walking around Tokyo at night 

Eating in the Chinese restaurant at Pike Place, with the ferris wheel glowing behind us

Grinding late at night for hotel comp, and then going to Aurora Ale w Yiwen and Rhonda

Sitting at the top of the mountain after snowshoeing with dried mangos and Andre3000 playing in the background

Traveling to Boston to consult for Converse, wandering around the museum with my friends and Jon’s mom, and meeting up w Rebecca Hayoung

Eating bento in the trunk of a rental car with Jon, maker faire, dancing like I didn’t give a fuck in an SF club and feeling like I’m a part of the 20s

Watched my senior friends graduate (Bailey, Y, Zach, Maya, Jen) and packing like crazy

Moving into a new apt with Eme, very sweaty

Feeling really scared and praying at mom’s surgery at NYU

Chilled in Tina’s place eating coke chicken wings

Watching 4th of July fireworks at Connor’s beach house, lying in Jonathan’s arms

A/D/O, the future of work with Maya and Creativity Inc. w Emily and Pam

A lot of Crunch, battle ropes and abs, and crying on the treadmill

Dinner with Chanel and Maya at Hanon Noodles, milk bar after that

Hiking in Maine, climbing up the rungs of Beehive and watching the Office while eating Phillip’s chicken parm

Watching Harry Potter with Jon in the Flushing Airbnb, Congee Village and talking about the future, biking along the west side, or just wandering around in williamsburg

Medium theme meeting where we group hugged and I almost cried 

Getting high at the griffith observatory. 

Breaking up, then breaking down, and having sex

eLab Pitch Night and entrepreneurship summit with Jessica and Josh 

Ordered room service in Sheraton hotel with Jonathan over Thanksgiving 

A night of mahjong and Louie’s fries with Yiwen, Ophelia, Anthony and Eme

Wine tour with Yiwen and Eme after graduation 

Christmas with Jon: walking around the emerald necklace, gropius house and sculptures, sleeping together

This Year I Have: 

Filed a provisional patent, got a lawyer to represent us

Became the president of an organization

Completed 1 year of long distance

Did my first real internship- earned 10k and spoke to clients! 

Learned how to animate! and design apps! 

Took working out seriously- went to the gym and got a trainer

Consulted for Converse and other companies through HLW

Got my first sex toy, thanks to Jon

Went on my first camping/hiking trip! 

And got to know Connor, Phillip, Jon’s grandparents, met Lev

Traveled .. even more? (Seattle // Lake Tahoe & Reno // San Francisco & Half Moon Bay // Boston // Maine // Los Angeles) and many many art museums in between..

New competition wins? (Big Idea Competition // Hotel Typology // Contribution Project) 

Did a lot of interviews for summer internship (nbbj, perkins eastman, arrowstreet, continuum, memorial sloan etc)

Started using apple calendar, sort my emails differently, got on a whole new level of productivity and understanding of management, learned a lot about business and strategy

A real friend group, hung out a ton with Eme, Yiwen, and Ophelia, and I feel like I’ve really built up the Medium creative community

My Goals for 2020: 

Have a new website

Complete my thesis

Graduate college!!

Get a job

Move out and get my own place, with Jonathan hopefully

Learn how to drive on the freeway (from 2019)

Make progress on my personal projects (ldr, clinic, my blog, a book etc)

Read... read all those design books that you’ve bought but never got around to

A year of no lateness

A year of working out, fitness and healthy foods

Get back to cooking! 

Spend more time with grandma (from 2019) and old friends from hs

2019 was a really tough year.. Long distance has changed the pacing of my life. It’s a lot of waiting, counting down the days, saying goodbyes at airports and crying. It’s a lot of front loading work so that i can have free time with Jon, moments of such highs when I’m with him and lows when I’m not. Tbh there was a lot of time wasted. Times where I sit and stare at nothing and just feel so down without him. Time where I curl up in bed and just say his name over and over. This past fall semester I felt like I lost my edge. I used to be so much more hardcore and I feel myself slipping, my expectations for myself falling. When Jon was by my side I felt twice as productive and motivated to work. 

But when I evaluate myself against my goals for 2019, I feel pretty proud. I’ve learned and accomplished so much, gained so much skill. I’ve found creative communities, met new people, became close friends with others, experienced so many new things, and felt more independent than ever. 

For 2020, I want to regain the hardcore, productive me. I want to be on top of it, on time, prepared, getting As, pushing my body when working out, applying for jobs and more. I’ll also be turning 23, and with each year I find that the time in my 20s is so precious and fleeting. I find myself asking, when will I have the chance to do this again? Before I have to get married and start a family? Before my grandparents pass away? 

2020 will be a year of risks and last chances and big changes. Let’s get it. 

#p #year in review

[snarkyoracle]

BLACK BETTY #1

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Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Michela Da Sacco (artist), Rosa “Rosakaz” Rantila (colors) Cover A – Michela Da Sacco Regular Cover (unlimited) Cover B – Michela Da Sacco Battle Damaged (limited to 2500) Cover C – Marco Maccagni Artist Variant (limited to 2000) Cover D – Marco Maccagni Tattered & Torn (limited to 2500) Cover E – Mendoza variant (limited to 2000) Cover F – Mendoza risqué variant (limited to 2500)

Meet the newest member of Zombie Tramp universe!   Black Betty has made a living killing the unkillable. She has taken down monsters of every shape and size with a style all her own. But when a man’s daughter is kidnapped by a local legend, Betty steps in to save her… for a price!   If you need it dead (and you’ve got the cash!), Betty’s your girl!

32 pgs./ M / FC                   $4.99 

THE CONSULTANT #2

Writer(s): Jason Sterr  Artist Name(s): Daniel Mainé  Cover Artist(s): Daniel Mainé

After a client’s devastating arrest, Marcus rushes to eliminate any and all evidence that could implicate the rest of his rolodex. While The Guardian’s frantically scour the globe, Arzon investigates the leak that led to Spartan’s incarceration.  When another hero is tragically attacked, it results in an epic clash between the team and the authorities.

32 pgs./ M / FC                   $3.99

  DANGER DOLL SQUAD TPB

Writer(s): Jason Martin, with Dan Mendoza and Bryan Seaton Artist Name(s): Winston Young, Marco Maccagni, Celor Cover Artist(s): Celor 

Our three most popular Danger Zone titles: Zombie Tramp, Vampblade, and DollFace come together to form the all-new Danger Doll Squad! When each girl’s deadliest foes merge together, our terrible threesome must enter “the black room”, a virtual reality inside cyberspace, to do battle against Necro Magic AI!!! Can they handle it?! Can you??

Collects issues 0-3, the complete Danger Zone crossover spectacular event!

128 pgs./ M / FC                   $14.99

  DOLLFACE #13 

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Writer(s): Dan Mendoza & Bryan Seaton Artist Name(s): Marco Maccagni Cover A – Dan Mendoza (unlimited) Cover B – Dan Mendoza Tattered & Torn variant cover (limited to 2000) Cover C – Danielle Gransaull Pin-up variant cover (limited to 1500) Cover D – Danielle Gransaull Pin-up Tattered & Torn variant cover (limited to 2000) Cover E – Dan Mendoza “Real Girl” (limited to 1500) Cover F – Dan Mendoza “Real Girl” Tattered & Torn variant cover (limited to 2000)

You’ve heard the rumors. You’ve heard the tales. The Malicious Melora and her band of Vicious Vixens.

So, hide your children and lock your doors. Melora comes.

Retailer exclusive coves are available, please contact [email protected].

32 pgs./ M / FC                   $4.99

  DOLLFACE VOLUME 3 

Writer(s): Dan Mendoza & Bryan Seaton Artist Name(s): Zoe Stanley and Danielle Gransaull Cover Artist(s): Dan Mendoza 

Welcome To New Orleans! After the events of Volume 2, Emily wants nothing to do with Lila, but Ivan isn’t ready to let things fall apart. Meanwhile, as Lila’s powers grow strong, she reflects on her past and finds help from an unlikely source… a good witch.

Collects issues 9-12 of DOLLFACE.

128 pgs./ M / FC                   $14.99

  THE HARCOURT LEGACY #3

Writer(s): Brendan Cahill Artist Name(s): Jason Federhenn (Art), Josh Burcham (Colors) Cover Artist(s): Jason Federhenn and Josh Burcham (Cover A), Jen Bartel (Cover B)

Edwina’s attempt to control Edward’s legacy leaves Violet with a difficult decision to make. But even with the help of some unlikely allies, can she find the strength to do the right thing—or even figure out what the right thing is?

The conclusion of the three-issue occult family drama!

32 pgs./ T+ / FC                   $3.99

  MISBEGOTTEN VOLUME ONE: RUNAWAY NUN 

Writer(s): Caesar Voghan and Eric Granger Artist Name(s): Justin Case, Casey Bailey; William Bohm (Letters) Cover Artist(s): Justin Case

In a post-apocalyptic world turned medieval, the Church sends their top crusader to infiltrate a renegade scientist’s enclave and kidnap a Jesus look-alike cloned from a drop of blood off the Turin shroud. Meet the clones of Marilyn Monroe, Hitler, Gandhi and Jesus: Misbegotten is cyber-punk religion gone mad!

Collects issues 1-4 of MISBEGOTTEN.

128 pgs./ M / FC                   $14.99 

  PUPPET MASTER CURTAIN CALL TPB

Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Daniel J. Logan (pencils/inks), Yann Perrelet (colors) Cover Artist(s): Daniel J. Logan (pencils/inks), Yann Perrelet (colors)

The final chapter of Action Lab’s epic Puppet Master story starts now! Everything from the past two years comes to a head as the demon god Anapa makes one final play at world domination! Can Andre Toulon’s puppets stop him, let alone survive??

Collects issues 1-3 of PUPPET MASTER CURTAIN CALL.

96 pgs./ T+ / FC                   $11.99

  VAMPBLADE SEASON 2 #11

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Writer(s): Jason Martin Artist Name(s): Winston Young Cover A – Winston Young regular cover (unlimited) Cover B – Winston Young Risqué variant (limited to 2000) Cover C – Jason Federhenn artist variant (limited to 1500) Cover D – Jason Federhenn artist risqué (limited to 2000) Cover E – Dan Mendoza 90s variant (limited to 1500) Cover F – Dan Mendoza 90s risqué (limited to 2000)

With Katie near death and her comic shop in ruins from the latest Glarkian space vampire invasion, it’s up to The Intergalactic League of Vampblades to save the day!!

Features 3 covers (regular, artist, and 90s style), each with a risqué variant – including one by Dan Mendoza (Zombie Tramp, DollFace)!

32 pgs./ M / FC                   $4.99 

  ZOMBIE TRAMP #43 

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Writer(s): Dan Mendoza  Artist Name(s): Marco Maccagni Cover Artist(s): Celor (cover A – regular, B), Jason Federhenn (cover C-D), Dan Mendoza (cover E-F) Cover A – Celor regular cover (unlimited) Cover B – Celor Risqué (limited to 2500) Cover C – Jason Federhenn artist variant (limited to 2000) Cover D – Jason Federhenn artist risqué variant (limited to 2500) Cover E – Mendoza variant (limited to 2000) Cover F – Mendoza risqué variant (limited to 2500)

The horrors that lie below Madam George’s brothel are more than just emotional for Janey. As she goes deeper, she’s physically pushed to become the monster that she fears!

Features 3 regular and risqué variants, including two covers from series creator Dan Mendoza (DollFace)!!

32 pgs./ M / FC                   $4.99 

    Solicitations January 2018 BLACK BETTY #1 Writer(s): Shawn Gabborin Artist Name(s): Michela Da Sacco (artist), Rosa “Rosakaz” Rantila (colors)

#11.6 #2018 #Action Lab: Danger Zone #JANUARY

[topimagines]

Tease- Josh Dun Smut

You had an early flight in the morning. You and Josh were headed to Columbus for a week to visit his family. Josh has always been a little over protective when it came to people looking at you and today was no different. While traveling you liked to be comfortable, so this morning when you put on a pair of black leggings that complimented you butt and a shirt that showed a little too much of your cleavage, Josh wasn’t all that happy.

“Babe people are gonna be looking at you, and I don’t like when my baby girl gets checked out by anyone else but me.”

You just ignored him because you knew he like your outfit just not for other people to be looking at.

Once at the airport he kept you extremely close. You knew he was jealous that guys were checking you out, but you enjoyed seeing his like that. It often lead to great sex when he got really jealous, so you pushed your limits a few times by brushing against his crotch.

Once landing in Columbus, Josh’s brother picked you up and brought you to his parents house. You were greeted by his parents who were so excited to see you two.

“You guys had an early flight and look tired. Why don’t you go lay down for a little and we’ll go out for dinner later.” Josh’s mom suggested.

Josh didn’t think twice before he held your hand bringing you upstairs to his old bedroom.

You noticed that his usual soft touch wasn’t there. His grip was tight on your wrist and when you got into the bedroom he had you pinned down on the bed before you could even speak.

“Josh what are you doing?” you asked as Josh hovered above you with darkened eyes.

“Y/N you know I don’t appreciate when you wear things that get me excited and other guys look at you. I’m not dumb, I felt you purposely touching me earlier. Your such a tease baby.” he said as he placed kisses to your neck.

“Josh stop. Your parents are downstairs.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do baby girl.” Josh pressed his lips to yours and he forced his tongue passed your lips and you both fought for dominance. A knock on the door broke you two from your heated moment.

Josh got off you and walked to the door pulling down his shirt in attempt to hide the tent that was forming in his pants. You also stood up walking over to your suitcase, trying to look busy.

“Sorry to bug you guys, but your dad and I’s friend is in town for just tonight and we made plans with them to hang out today. Can we take you two out tomorrow?”

“Yeah no problem mom. Have fun.” Josh said.

“Y/N , if you want there is stuff you can cook dinner with if you want. I know how much you enjoy cooking. The kitchen is all yours.” Laura said.

“Okay, thank you. I’ll find something to cook for Josh.” you said with a smile.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Ashley and Abby are both out of town tonight and Jordan is sick so there won’t be any surprise guests.” Laura added before walking off.

Josh shut the door again and turned to look at you.

“No surprise guest, parents going out for the night, one really hot girlfriend. This night is going to be fun.” he said with a smirk on his face.

“Sure is. So I was thinking maybe we should have Jenna and Tyler over for dinner.” you said.

“Um, no. Tonight I want it to be just you and me baby.” he said pulling you into another heated kiss. You pulled away after a few second and he had a confused look on his face.

“Too late, they’re coming at 6. Be ready.” you said still in Josh’s arms.

“What Y/N no. I want to fuck you. Why do you always do this.” he said annoyed. He was right you loved to get him really excited and horny then make him wait by inviting people over or leaving.

“Because it leads to better sex. Haven’t you caught on yet?” Josh chuckled and walked with you into the kitchen.

“Well don’t expect me to behave tonight.” Josh said.

The house was empty at this point and you had about 4 hours before Jenna and Tyler were due to get there. You decided to make lasagna because everyone always loved your recipe. While making it Josh stood behind you with his arms around your waist, head on your shoulder, and he would occasionally kiss you neck.

He knew not to push you into having sex now because you would cancel all plans of fucking for the night.

Around 5 you put the food in the oven and made your way to the bathroom to shower. You stood naked waiting for the water to heat up. You heard the door creak behind you.

“Josh, what the hell are you doing in here.” you asked as he walked in.

“Come on please Y/N. I need you baby girl.” he said pulling your bare body into his clothed one.

“Josh not now. You can wait until Tyler and Jenna leave. But this is the last time you get a warning before I tell you no sex at all.” you said kissing him and getting into the shower. You could see he was pissed and your plan was still working.

The shower curtain pulled open quickly and you were met with a naked Josh standing outside of the shower.

“I said I can’t wait. Y/N please just something. Anything. I can’t go downstairs with this.” he said gesturing to his very erect dick.

“I’ll make you a deal since you can’t handle a little teasing.” You said with a smirk turning off the water and walking out to Josh.

“Okay what?” he said eagerly.

“We can have a quickie and be done for the night or you can be a real man and wait until later.” Josh stood there for a second contemplating. As much as he didn’t want to be known as not a  ‘real man’, he needed you now. He picked you up tossing you over his shoulder and bringing you to the room.

“God I can’t take it anymore baby girl. I need to fuck you now.” he said kissing you passionately.

“Then do it already Josh.”

With that he lined himself up with your entrance and pushed inside of you.

You let out a gasp trying to adjust to his considerable size, but he didn’t give you much time before he started to move.

“Fuck baby girl. You’re so wet, how did you not want to fuck all day?”

“It’s called control. Maybe you should learn some.” you said moaning.

The look of pleasure quickly changing to anger as his pace began to speed up.

“Oh I have fucking control, but not when it come to you babygirl. Fuck.” he said as his voice cracked a few times. He kept hitting your g-spot and you knew you weren’t going to last much longer and neither was he.

After a few more thrusted you were on the edge of your peak. “Fuck, Josh, I’m gonna cum.”

“Me too. Let it go baby.” he said and you did. Your entire body was taken over by pleasure. The feeling of Josh pulling out brought you back to the real world.

“Fuck Y/N you made such a mess. Maybe you were the one that needed to have control, you squirted all over the bed.”

“I told you the sex is better when I make you wait.” you yelled to Josh who was now in the bathroom grabbing you a wash cloth to clean up with.

“Imagine what it would’ve been if I did wait until later.”

“Yeah, but you couldn’t be a real man. Guess you’ll never know what ”

“Baby only real man can make their girl squirt. I must say it was really hot seeing you make such a mess in the same room I slept in as a child.” he said giving you the cloth.

“Well maybe round two might happen tonight.” you said winking at him.

You both cleaned up and got dressed. You were just applying the last of your makeup when you heard the doorbell ring and the timer on the oven going off at the same time. Josh got the door as you pulled the meal out of the oven placing it on the table.

“Smells great.” Tyler and Jenna said walking into the dining room.

After greeting them with a hug you all sat down to eat.

“Oh my god Y/N, your food taste so good. How do you do it every time?” Jenna said from across the table.

Josh placed his hand on your upper thigh and rubbed small circles on it. Dinner went fine and he didn’t try anything, thank god.

As you and Jenna sat in the living room catching up Tyler and Josh cleaned up dinner.

“So is your plan working?” Jenna asked. You were best friends and told each other everything. When you texted them earlier you told her how you wanted to do this to Josh and she was totally okay with helping you out torturing him.

“Yeah, before you guys came over Josh couldn’t wait any longer so we did some stuff really quick and I told him he wasn’t a real man and he wasn’t going to get anything later.” Jenna laughed.

“You’re so bad Y/N. he’s going to make you fuck either way.”

“That’s that plan.”

“Well you better have my back later when I need to this with Tyler.”

“Don’t worry Jen, I got your back.”  you both laughed and the boys walked into the room.

“What’s so funny in here?” Josh asked as he sat next to you on the couch.

“Oh nothing.” Jenna said and you look at each other holding back more laughter.

“Hey Jenna I think it’s time we get going.” Tyler said grabbing her hand.

You said your goodbyes at the door. As the door shut Josh pushed you against it and started kissing you.

“I have plans tonight and I would really enjoy if you would join me.” Josh said kissing the spot on your neck that made your knees feel weak.

“Oh really and what do those plans entail?” you teased.

Josh started to kiss you again. He swiped his tongue across your lips and you gave him access to explore the inside of you mouth. He moved his hands that were pressed to the door on either side of you head to grip your ass.

“Jump and I’ll bring you to the bedroom and you can find out.” you did as he said and he blindly navigated  his way through the house to the bedroom keeping your lips connected with his.

He put you down and slammed the door behind him. “Undress now. No noises or you’ll get punished.” you quickly shedded all your clothes as Josh did the same.

“Center of the bed, I’m not playing around baby, you better follow all my directions.” you laid on your back in the center of the twin sized bed. Josh crawled onto the bed and resumed the kiss that broke only a few minutes before.

“Fuck Y/n, you had me so hard today and I just wanna fuck you like you deserve.” he said leaving kisses all the way down your body. You were concealing your moans as Josh made his way to your core.

He pulled your legs apart and started kissing your inner thighs. “Damn, you’re so beautiful.” he bit the inside of your thigh before moving to you core. He pressed his tongue to your clit licking it slowly.

“This might taste better than the great dinner you cooked.” he said starting to put a finger in you.

You let a moan come out and Josh immediately pulled away from you.

“What the hell did I say?” his eyes were so dark. You didn’t know if you should answer or not so you just looked up at him through your eyelashes.

“Sluts that like to tease and torture don’t get to make noises. Get off the bed and bend over.”

You did, bending over his lap.

“You’re gonna count for me okay princess. How many do you think you deserve?”

“I don’t know, just do something already.” you sassed.

“God with a mouth like that I think you deserve 20 but I’m gonna cut you some slack, 10.” with that hi calloused hand made it’s way to your ass. You counted each time his hand met your bare skin. When he was done he rubbed the red skin.

“Okay little slut, I want you to put that mouth to good use and suck me off, then you can get your treat.” Josh said standing you up and pushing you down to your knees.

You placed your hand on the base of his cock and start to suck on his tip. His head fell back as you took more of him in your mouth. He thrusted into your mouth and you hollowed your cheeks.

“Fuck, I’m not going to last much longer.” he moaned. “Come here, I wanna fuck you and teach you a less to not tease me like you did today.” he said pulling you up by your hair. He put you on the bed and attached his lips to yours as he lined himself up with your entrance.  

“Fuck you’re so tight baby.”

“Josh, you feel so good.” that was enough to encourage him to go faster and harder. With each thrust it brought you closer to your climax. You felt Josh twitch inside of you and then felt him release inside you. His pace slowed before e pulled out and collapsed beside you on the small bed.

“Fuck, that was great for me. Probably not you though.” he chuckled.

“Josh, please finish, you can’t just leave me like this.” you begged.

“You know, I’m getting tired. Long day traveling and all.” he said as he pulled back the blanket on the bed to get under them.

“I hope you learned you lesson baby girl.” he said kissing your forehead and turning over in the bed and falling asleep.

#josh dun #josh dun imagine #josh dun x reader #josh dun smut #twenty one pilots #twenty one pilots imagine #twenty one pilots smut

[road2nf]

The Greatest Weekend of My Entire Life

This story was originally published here.

Over the weekend, I experienced what I can only call the greatest experience of my life. I attended NerdCon: Nerdfighteria 2017 in Boston MA, where along with 3499 other nerdfighters I celebrated 10 years of Vlogbrother’s videos and the community that has been created because of what they did in 2007.

I guess I will begin this where it all began, which was in my dorm room in 2008 after my friend Jen AIM instant messaged me a video of a nerdy man singing a very enthusiastic video about the book release of Deathly Hallows. This was, of course, the classic Hank Green song, Accio Deathly Hallows. As I mentioned in the post a couple weeks ago celebrating Jen’s birthday, I then spent the next 2 weeks watching all of the vlogbrothers video, which I thought was a lot at the time. There were about 300 four minute videos covering 2007 where each weekday there was a video posted, and up until September of 2008 when I started watching. I then joined the Nerdfighter Ning wrote DFTBA on my arm in sharpie and fell head first into being a nerdfighter.

I loved everything about this community. I loved the people I met in the forums, the books and authors that were being shared: not only John Green but Maureen Johnson, Scott Westerfeld, Lauren Myracle, David Levithan and more. I loved the music. The Harry Potter Wizard Rock, the parodies, the original stuff. I loved the different vlogs like the 5 Awesome channels especially the five awesome girls. I loved being part of this creative, fun, quirky, interesting, smart, group of people.

When Paper Town was released, I attended the second stop on the Paper Towns Book Tour de Nerdfighting. There were probably 75 people there, maybe, and that was a pretty large crowd. I remember watching the most of the rest of the tour on Blog TV as groups topping off at probably 150 gathered in libraries and bookstores and similar venues to see John and have him sign their copy of his book and listen to Hank’s So Jokes album.Which held such groundbreaking material as It’s too Hot, Helen Hunt, and I’m Gonna Kill You. Lauren Fairweather performed, Kristina Horner performed.  I got a twitter account to follow the Tour de Nerdfighting 2008. This was a big part of my life my senior year of college. Becoming a part of this community and having a safe space to be weird, was groundbreaking to me. A whole new world opened to me.

It was great. I spent years growing up and becoming a better person because of this internet group.

Then The Fault in Our Stars happened.

I  become a little less active in the nerdfighter community after the book release and the blow up of John Green’s popularity as an author, and therefore the vlogbrothers exploded. It was about this time that the Green Brothers started doing other things, SciShow, CrashCourse, everything else they do. My own collab channel had died out, we weren’t making videos anymore, and I moved on to other things. Also one of my best friends passed away around the time that I stopped being active in nerdfighting.

I was still on the peripheral of the community. I followed Maureen Johnson’s Twitter, and I would watch the occasional video that seemed particularly popular. Maureen Johnson became my only real connection inside the nerdfighter community after a while, and it was because of her that I found out about the con last weekend.

I decided why not. I might not get all the inside jokes anymore, but I knew enough, and I was there in the early days. It wasn’t overly expensive so I figured if nothing else it would be fun nostalgia. I’ve been trying to do more things, and that’s very hard when you’re closest friends either have kids so you have to plan things out way in advance or live halfway across the country. I decided to suck it up and go alone. I knew that I would meet people and nerdfighteria is an inclusive community. So I entered the raffle to win a Maureen Johnson book signing (and won) and planned out my weekend of unapologetically liking things.

I met up with a group of people for dinner Friday night, and different people Saturday morning before opening ceremonies for breakfast. These people, though perfect strangers felt like friends. That’s my favorite part of being a nerdfighter. If nothing else you have a fall back topic. There is not searching for what to talk about. When in doubt talk about your road through nerdfighting. Then jumped into the activities.

Then jumped into the activities.

My first stop was a book signing by my all time favorite author Maureen Johnson. Maureen means so much to me. She’s a great human besides being a wonderful writer. Her books have this tone and voice quality that I love so much. I adore her and nearly everything she does. I got to meet my idol Saturday morning at the Hynes Convention Center.

Don’t let that look on my face fool you. I was freaking out and started crying about 31 seconds after this picture was taken.

I then spent an hour writing in a room with a bunch of other people with Kristina Horner, in a mini NaNoWriMo style writing session. The room next to us was supposed to be the Nerdy singalong, but the room was locked, so they just sang in the hallway, so while we were writing, we got to listen to a group singing songs from Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked, and also Hamilton. It was great. If you look at Kristina Horner’s Instagram, there is a photo from this panel where you can find me. I’m against the wall in the left middle of the room holding a notebook.

There there was a panel about writing which Maureen was on along with Josh Sundquist, Emma Mills, George Watsky (who is on the Hamilton Mixtape) moderated by Kristina Horner. This was a fun discussion about the writing process and how different writers prepare and write their books. I also learned a lot about RL Stien.

My next event was a live taping of the Dear Hank and John podcast, which I had never heard before, but was really fun to be a part of. I have no idea what the Ryan thing was about or why we were all wearing Ryan nametags, but someday I will understand.

Then there was the concert. There is something so galvanizing about being part of a Harry and the Potter’s show. Standing with hundreds of people screaming the Weapon we have is Love and knowing that there is nothing we can’t do if we do it together.

Then there was Hank. Hank Green is a lyrical genius. I mean, his songs are simple and weird, but they are lyrically just good songs. Where else will you find a thousand people singing about the reproduction of the anglerfish or about quarks? Nowhere.

There is something about standing in a group of people yelling “We’re all gonna die!” and jumping around that is so heartwarming.

Nerdfighteria is a weird, weird place.

Sunday I got to meet the 5 awesome girls!

The 5 awesome girls were a movement, kind of. They spawned all the other 5 days of the week collab channels. Every single one of them was based on these girls. They created a culture of acceptance and understanding female friendships. These girls changed so much for me personally. I found myself tearing up many times during this panel and knowing that everyone else in the room felt the same was surreal.

Up next was a panel about growing up on youtube which included Charlieissocoollike.

I liked this panel because it gave us, the viewers, who consumed their content while they were still in high school and while many of us were still in high school or college to hear the impact of what having that kind of pressure to create can have. It was interesting to hear each of these panelists talk about how they got their start, what it’s like to be a “big deal” on the internet. Especially when no one else had done that kind of thing before and what it’s like when that pressure is eased when they took it off themselves as they grew up.

Next was a presentation by the podcast Reading Harry Potter as Sacred Text. Look this up if you have never heard of it. It was brilliant and a new way to treat the books that shaped so much of what I am.

Then there was a seminar about translating fandom into a resume. Learning how to word something like NaNoWriMo or GiShWHes or fanfic writing or blogging or having an Instagram that is dedicated to books or cosplay or whatever was a learning experience. Basically, everything we do can be put on a resume. It just has to be worded right. GisHwhEs sounds a whole lot less weird when it’s written as “Completed a weeklong multinational creative art project in conjunction with the charity Random Acts with a team of 15 members for four different countries.”

And then it was over. Time for the closing ceremony.

Here we sang a song about eating butts to the tune of the Indiana Jones theme with my personal hero Maureen Johnson, and we got to make John and Hank cry as they discussed not only what this community is, but Ester Earl, a nerdfighter who died of cancer in 2010 at age 16. Needless to say, it was an extremely emotional hour and 45 minutes.

Then I was on a train.

Forty-Eight hours of nonstop craziness and meeting people and seeing what drew me to being a nerdfighter in the first place. Being a nerdfighter and identifying as a nerdfighter has nothing to do with watching John and Hank’s vlogbrother’s videos. It’s conceivable that there are nerdfighters who have never seen the 2007 videos. It’s the community that was built because of what these two brothers created. They understood pretty quickly when they started to gain popularity on youtube that they had a responsibility to create a safe space where everyone can be themselves. Because they did that 3500 people sang a song about butts in the Auditorium of the Hynes. Nerdfighting is a culture. Nerdfighting is understanding that one person can make a difference if they want to. Nerdfighting is a collection of music and art and videos that have an audience of supportive people who will lift you up. Nerdfighting is accepting difference and growing as a person with everyone you meet.

And I somehow forgot that. But I never will again.

This weekend changed my life much the way that watching that first vlogbrothers did 9 years ago. I will never be the same.

The only bad thing about it is when you have experiences like these, these indescribable passion filled, intense experience that describing them doesn’t do justice to how you felt during it is that on Monday you have to go back to your office job and sit and pretend that your life didn’t change because no one else in that office is going to understand. No one else can except for those 3499 other strangers. Those 3499 other friends.

Until next time Internet,

via @decoolz

#the road to nerdfighteria #nerdcon: nerdfighteria #john green #hank green #nerdfighters #nerdfighteria #accio deathly hallows #the fault in our stars #tfios #nfstories #road2nf #submission

[taylorscorner]

Where I Stand

This is where I stand on the 45th President, his power hungry cronies taking positions of authority in his Cabinet and administration, and the majority of Republicans in Congress are a real and active threat to me, my way of life, and all the people I love. Some people are saying that we should give Trump a chance, that we should "work together" with him because he won the election and he is "everyone's president." This is my response: •I will not forget how badly he and so many others treated former President Barack Obama for 8 years... • I will not forget how he disrespected a gold star family based on their religion. • I will not forget how he discriminated against a federal judge based on his ethnic background. •I will not "work together" to privatize Medicare, cut Social Security and Medicaid. •I will not "work together" to build a wall. •I will not "work together" to persecute Muslims. •I will not "work together" to shut out refugees from other countries. •I will not "work together" to lower taxes on the 1% and increase taxes on the middle class and poor. •I will not "work together" to help Trump use the Presidency to line his pockets and those of his family and cronies. •I will not "work together" to weaken and demolish environmental protection. •I will not "work together" to sell American lands, especially National Parks, to companies which then despoil those lands. •I will not "work together" to enable the killing of whole species of animals just because they are predators, or inconvenient for a few, or because some people want to get their thrills killing them. •I will not "work together" to remove civil rights from anyone. •I will not "work together" to alienate countries that have been our allies for as long as I have been alive. •I will not "work together" to slash funding for education. •I will not "work together" to take basic assistance from people who are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. •I will not "work together" to get rid of common sense regulations on guns. •I will not "work together" to eliminate the minimum wage. •I will not "work together" to support so-called "Right To Work" laws, or undermine, weaken or destroy Unions in any way. •I will not "work together" to suppress scientific research, be it on climate change, fracking, or any other issue where a majority of scientists agree that Trump and his supporters are wrong on the facts. •I will not "work together" to criminalize abortion or restrict health care for women. •I will not "work together" to increase the number of nations that have nuclear weapons. •I will not "work together" to put even more "big money" into politics. •I will not "work together" to violate the Geneva Convention. •I will not "work together" to give the Ku Klux Klan, the Nazi Party and white supremacists a seat at the table, or to normalize their hatred. •I will not "work together" to deny health care to people who need it. •I will not "work together" to deny medical coverage to people on the basis of a "pre-existing condition." •I will not "work together" to increase voter suppression. •I will not "work together" to normalize tyranny.I will not “work together” to eliminate or reduce ethical over-site at any level of government. •I will not "work together" with anyone who is, or admires, tyrants and dictators. •I will not "work together" to help private corporations build pipelines to transport their oil, at the expense of our safety and environment.This is my line, and I am drawing it. •I WILL stand for honesty, love, respect for all living beings, and for the beating heart that is the center of Life itself. •I WILL use my voice and my hands, to reach out to the uninformed, and to anyone who will LISTEN: That "winning", "being great again", "rich" or even "beautiful" is nothing... When others are sacrificed to glorify its existence.

Signed:

Kathrine Iacofano

Susan Goldberg

Debbie Slavkin Linda Rosefsky Rebecca Tortorice Anna Konya Karen Redding Wendy Lemlin Patricia Rollins Trosclair Andrea Dora Zysk George Georgakis John Christopher John Bowles Patrick St.Louis Carla Patrick Darnell Bender Vickie Davis JMichael Carter Janice Frazier-Scott Rev. ELaura James Reid Jeanette Bouknight Rev. Dollie Howell Pankey Gerald Butler Carolyn McDougle Vaughn Chatman Adrienne Brown Gary Trousdale Steven E Gordon Isis Nocturne Debi Murray Maureen O. Betita Mona Enderli Fernie James Tamblin Myrna Dodgion Alan Locklear Tom Wilmore Jackie Evans Donna Endres Lora Fountain Roberta Gregory Heather A Mayhew Stevo Wehr Nathan Stivers Jen RaLee Joan Holden Leigh Lutz Deborah Kirkpatrick Linda Levy Tom Rue Nancy Hoffmann-Allison Beejay McCabe Michael James Myers Edward T. Spire Rupert Chapman Dawn R. Dunbar Robin Wilson Monique Boutot Laura Brown 💪🏼 Susan Aptaker Steve Katz Bonnie Wolk Risa Guttman-Kornwitz Angela Gora Butch Norman Sharon Tolman Sue Zislis Maurice Hirsch Satch Dobrey Jim Krapf Don Starwalt Deb Johansen Daniel Anderson Diane Kenney Rebecca Koop Nancy Shuert Bill Pryor Patrick Lamb Bob Travaglione Margaret Ragan Martha Peters Steve Wilson Lauren Sullivan Scott Bevan Roger Saunden Susanne Lavelle Benita Yimsuan Kathryn Scarano Kathleen E Neff Evey G Quines Debbie Dey John Dennehy, Jr. Marsha Vaughn Adam Sklena Larry David McGregor Blumenthal Gustavo Rodriguez ARJ Alva Freeman Yvette Ellard Rory Thayer Wilson Wayne Booth Streven King Phyllis Vlach Adrian Sandy Miller Castellano Nick Strippoli Ben Papapietro RenaePerry Ann Elliott Maria DelloStritto Kimberly Bauso Rebecca Smith Theresa Taylor Terri Feldman Cheryl Pitman Molly Spalding Janice Wiles Michael Bello Vicki Carlson Gloria Salazar Angie Sincell Dana Shimrock Cheryl Josh Henderson Danielle Luscombe Clint Bickford Jason C. Frank Aviad C. Sasi Michel L. Poli Quintin Kreutzer Malcolm McHugh Sharon Hamer Bob Melvin Mike Feinstein Allison Parker Barbara Darrow Amy Levitt Michael Chechanover Bruce Kanin Rhonda Friedman Tina Bug Dave St.Hill Arty Williams Al Ward Charline Forrest Donna Fargas Alice Bowdwin Terri Holman Ronald Jones Dollise Howard-Whitehurst Miriam Lucas Simmon Anita Jackson David E. Early,Sr. Alexander Thomas, Jr. Delano Tucker Donnie Fitzgerald Michael j Washington Vern Owens Jr. ALFONSE P. JOHNSON SR.😡 Tom Outland Millard whatley Jr. Joseph Kane III Bill Dix Ruth Price Scott Taper Bernard Coley Susie Richardson Marde Ross Carol Landa-McVicker Lindy Cater Ben Cater Cameron Smith Becky Oos Lori Freshman Ellen Moody Brian Cummings Tom Hall Jeff Cohen Wayne Humphrey Kenneth Felz Tom Schneiter Patrick Ley Lynn Ray Allen Jill Williams Sheila Woods Deandra Clark Allan Dunlap Roger Morales Veronica Rios Angela Quiles. Michelle Villanueva Alexis Castro

Bobby Lewis

Your turn. Copy, paste, add your name, post...

#notmypresident #resistance #dumptrump

[hutchhitched]

The Vintage Joshifer Series: End of Love—Chapter 19

End of Love by hutchhitched

A kazillion years ago, I started posting this story. I never intended for it to drag on this long in between updates, but life happens and so does writer’s block. I know there’s little readership in the Joshifer fandom anymore, but I needed to finish it. If you’re still around to read it, thank you. If you want to dive in, I’d appreciate it. You definitely don’t have to be a Joshifer fan to read it since Josh and Jen’s characters are historical actors and not versions of their modern selves.

Historical events in this chapter include the following:

Richard Nixon won the presidential election of 1968. He triumphed over Vice President Humphrey and third party candidate George Wallace, who famously defended segregation at the University of Alabama earlier in the decade. Nixon won by appealing to the Silent Majority, those who believed the radicalism of the 1960s had gone too far. During his presidency he worked to build a national Republican Party after it all but disappeared during the Great Depression during the 1930s. Nixon called this the Southern Strategy (downplaying civil rights by rejecting the GOP’s original stance of the anti-slavery party in 1860, when Lincoln won the election).

After winning the election, Nixon did stop further troop deployments to Vietnam and reduced the numbers already there. Instead, he instituted a bombing campaign of the Vietnam and neighboring Laos and Cambodia. This was called Vietnamization.

 Chicago, Illinois, November 1968

 “Hutch, what’s good?”

 “Andre, my man. It’s been too long.” Josh clapped his friend on the back and welcomed him into headquarters. Volunteers buzzed around them, and Josh reminded himself that spending time with a good friend in from out of town for a day was just as important as working to support the Democratic candidate for president—even though Josh was almost positive his party was going to lose the election.

 Nothing had been the same since Bobby died. The Kennedy magic was gone. Instead of the former Attorney General being the nominee, the current VP who was tainted by LBJ’s Americanization strategy in Vietnam would likely lose to Nixon. If that happened, and it almost certainly would, he knew the positive changes in civil rights and economic equality would disappear with when the GOP took power. It was beyond comprehension, but election day loomed in two days. Two days until the world fell apart.

 “Let’s grab lunch,” Andre suggested. When Josh hesitated, he offered, “My treat.”

 Reluctantly, Josh agreed, and they headed down the street to a local diner he and his friends had frequented during the campaign season. He settled into the booth and stared across the table at his friend. It had been too long. Since that night with the two girls. Before he admitted how much he cared about Jennifer. When he hadn’t sold out.

 “Fucking Nixon,” his friend swore, and Josh grinned. Leave it to Andre to put everything in the bluntest format possible.

 “What the fuck is ‘the silent majority’ anyway?” Josh asked with a roll of his eyes. “Too fucking scared to speak up for what’s right? Racist a majority of the time?”

 Josh was sick to death of Nixon’s campaign strategy—catering to what he termed the “Silent Majority,” a group the Republican candidate insisted comprised the bulk of American society and were sick of the protests in the country. Nixon argued conservatives who were okay with the status quo were the majority in the nation and only radicals demanded change from the government in treatment of women and minorities. It wasn’t true, but a lot of people bought it. Josh just assumed that meant most people were god damned stupid.

 No matter how hard he and other activists worked to right wrongs and get real democracy to win out against conservative assholes, they were met with GOP rhetoric that villainized the very people he’d marched with, who’d sat next to him in jail, who burned their draft cards along with him in unheard protests against American presence in Vietnam.

 Of course, the New Left had grown more radical, pushed for more change and faster, dropped out, doped up, and raged against Johnson’s administration. The problem was he and the other activists had worked and fought and hoped for real change, and the administration and rest of the nation was dragging its collective feet. Josh’s question was why hadn’t more people sought to right the wrongs he and so many of this friends saw as glaring inequalities that only weakened the state of the nation rather than strengthening it. It was time. It was past time, and he was getting really antsy.

 “So, how have you been? Really?” Andre asked. “The last time I saw you, you were hightailing it out of bed with two women in New Haven and coming here to get your girl. Seems like different priorities.”

 Josh shook his head and tried to work his mind around his friend’s words. He’d been feeling unsettled for a long while, but the conflict between him and Jennifer had been growing since the protests in August and her trip to Atlantic City to cover the pageant. He’d considered leaving while she was gone, but he couldn’t quite make himself slink away like a coward. He still had work to do in Chicago, and he loved his…whatever she was to him. They’d been living together for months, but he hated labels. She hadn’t pushed, and he’d been grateful for her willingness to let it go.

 But this election would change everything. He knew it, and he also knew he was biding his time.

 “I don’t know, man. It’s such a bad scene right now. Since Bobby and King and ’Nam and everything, this country’s a bomb.”

 “But you’re a good cat, Josh. You’re making things better.”

 Josh laughed and smiled ruefully. “Am I? It seems to me I’m getting laid a lot by a doll who works for the man instead of the people.”

 “Do you love her?”

 “I…” Josh paused and swallowed hard. He did. That wasn’t in question but admitting it was another thing completely. “She’s fab. She is.”

 “But?”

 “I should be doing more,” he admitted. “I don’t know what, but I keep feeling like I should bug out and work somewhere else. Or dropout all together. Go live with the beautiful people and leave everything behind. Get high and blitzed and commune with nature.”

 Andre took a bite of his burger and shrugged. “Sounds like heaven to me, man, but I don’t think you’d be happy that way. You’re going steady, right?”

 “I’m not sure—”

 “Hutch. Man. You’ve been shacked up with her for months. You’re not sleeping with anyone else. Tune in. You’re together, and you’ve been head over heels for her since college. Wake up,” Andre said, exasperated.

 Josh sat silently for several minutes as he processed the information. No one had forced him to face what was happening until now, and he wasn’t sure he liked what he saw. Jen left him the night of his graduation. Maybe he’d never really forgiven her for that. Perhaps that’s why escaping was always in the back of his mind, to punish her for hurting him so much. Or, it was also possible that he really wasn’t comfortable in such a position. He’d always been restless, always been someone who pushed the boundaries, and falling in love with Jennifer, who came from privilege and affluence, didn’t seem like it fit. None of this was fair to her, but that didn’t change how he felt.

 “Maybe I am,” he admitted, “but I’m not sure it’s enough.”

 “Then be up front with her once you figure it out. You both deserve that.”

 “After the election,” Josh breathed. “After Tuesday.”

 “By then we’ll know if the world’s ending or not.”

 “Right on.”

 ****

 The world ended. Josh sat on the couch in Jen’s apartment as the sun set and the room darkened around him. He’d chosen to watch by himself, unsure how he’d feel when Nixon and Spiro Agnew were declared winners and all the gains over the past eight years would be overturned in a matter of time. Jen was at work, covering local reaction to the election results, and he’d intentionally not watched with his activist friends. Hippies were either remarkably anti-political or flying high, and he needed to be lucid and engaged for this.

 Election results rolled in one after another, and none of it was good for the Democrats. Texas went blue, but the West went red. Big time. George Wallace stole the South for the Dixiecrats, who couldn’t reconcile themselves to JFK or LBJ’s Democratic party of Civil Rights but weren’t on board with the GOP either. A hundred years prior, Republicans were the party of Lincoln and “freed” the slaves.

 “People are fucking stupid,” Josh spat into the emptiness. “Racist fucks. God bless Texas for sticking it out.”

 One by one the states reported, and his hope for the future of his country sunk lower with each call for Nixon. At least there was hope for a pullout in Vietnam. That was big, but would that be enough to make up for what would happen domestically? If Johnson had been able to focus on his Great Society instead of getting caught up in Southeast Asia, things could have been so different.

 “Fuck the Cold War. Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

 When Nixon got 270 votes, Josh lit up a joint and took a long, hard drag. He stared at the TV, the electoral map, the celebration in California at Nixon’s headquarters, the concession speech by Humphrey. His muscles relaxed, his mind wandered, and he turned off the part of him that cared. He started drinking next, and he was blitzed by the time Jen returned. She looked at him, her face a mask of concern mixed with a hint of fear, and he knew she dreaded what he already knew he’d have to do soon. He couldn’t stay. He just couldn’t. He already couldn’t breathe, and the election wasn’t even official yet.

 Jennifer curled up on his lap, and he let her undress him. He couldn’t move. His limbs weighed a million pounds apiece, and he couldn’t feel anything except despair. She kissed him, and he responded, but he didn’t feel anything.

 “Josh?”

 He heard his name, but she was a million miles away from him. Her voice was barely audible, and her face swam in his vision. He wanted to leave, to getaway, to run. He must have vocalized his desperation because Jen raised her hand so he could see her palm. Four sugar cubes lay there, and he breathed a prayer of thanks as he put one on his tongue.

 Josh had tripped before, but none of the other acid he’d taken had given him quite the same effect. The apartment bent and sparkled as the drug spread through his system. Jen’s eyes shone beams of sunlight, and he swore rainbows spilled out of her mouth and ears. He tried to swallow them, his mouth against hers, his fingers wrapped in liquid gold that flowed from her temples and past her shoulders. He was warm and flying and soaring above the earth, and he felt nothing except his skin against hers.

 Every nerve ending was on fire, and her fingers against his chest created bright purple sparks that exploded into golden stars. She straddled him and rocked against him, and he idly wondered why. His lap was warm and damp. His mouth swallowed the diamonds on her chest, hard and cutting against his tongue. Jen’s head fell back, and he realized the diamonds were tits. He bit down hard on her nipple, and she screamed. It sounded like a folk song, a call for peace and justice.

 She grew louder, and he sang with her. Her name fell from his lips, a litany of what was right with the world and everything that was dreadfully wrong. He needed her, and he had to escape. Tears streamed down his face and they glistened from her eyelashes. He palmed her ass and counted the contractions as she milked his cock. They were fucking, he realized. It felt like he was flying, but instead, he was shoving her onto the floor, bending her in half, and rutting against her.

 The floor underneath him shook and exploded into fiery heat. A vice gripped his cock. A melody of praise. Flashing lights. Unicorns flew by his head. His dad walked toward him, out of his wheelchair. His grandfather waved hi, even though he’d died several years ago. Josh wondered if he was going crazy, but he didn’t really care.

 Josh sat up, and Jen lay in a heap on the floor. His right hand jacked his dick mindlessly. It was wet and sticky, just like the puddle beneath his girlfriend. That’s what she was, he admitted. It was easier in his altered state, easier to accept the truth that they were together. She was radiant, skin glowing, as she watched his hand get faster and faster.

 When she spoke, it was in a foreign language. Urdu, maybe, or ancient Greek. Whatever it was made complete sense to him.

 “Jerk it, baby.”

 She reached over and took his cock from him, and he realized he was the one talking, not her.

 “I don’t know Urdu,” he slurred.

 “I do,” she said before swallowing him.

 Her cheeks hallowed out, and he fucked her mouth hard. He was crying, and she joined him as he thrust down her throat.

 “Did I hurt you?” he asked, although he was still inside her. He should have asked if he was hurting her because he hadn’t stopped. He didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to go.

 He had to. He had to. He had to. He had to.

 His body split in two. Part of him drifted up to the ceiling and danced there on happy feet. The other sank into the floor in a puddle of melted wax. Streaks of cream-colored icing decorated Jen’s face, and he leaned over to lick her cheek clean. It wasn’t sweet enough. Needed more sugar.

 They had two more cubes. One on his tongue. One on hers. They stumbled to the bedroom. He flew around the room, his wings flapping, circling and swooping and riding the currents. He landed on the bed. The lights went out. She was on top. She was on his face. He was in her mouth. Waterfalls. Waves. Giggles and jokes and mapping body parts with tongues and fingers and marking each other with bands of dried moisture.

 Hours and minutes and seconds and days and decades and centuries passed. No time passed at all, and then a curtain pulled behind his eyes, and he slept.

 ****

 The next morning dawned with a throbbing headache, aching limbs, and a broken heart. He opened his eyes, and he instantly regretted losing control so badly the night before. Their bed was destroyed. The sheets were filthy, striped with evidence of multiple orgasms. The room stunk like sex and piss. His mouth tasted as if something had died inside, and he wanted to murder someone when he saw Jen curled into herself.

 Josh hadn’t been in control of himself last night, and he was scared to death he’d hurt her. She didn’t warrant that. She deserved better than him. She should be lavished with only the best. He’d always been less than he wanted for her.

 He vowed to do better.

 ****

 On Inauguration Day, he wasn’t doing better. January 20 came and went, and Josh had spiraled into a mess. High every day, he’d fallen into a cycle of depression and spent more days on his friend’s couches than doing anything even remotely productive. He was twenty-five and hated what he’d become. He had a brief moment of clarity on New Year’s Eve when he was convinced 1969 would be a good year, but then Nixon took office.

 The new president catered to racist southerners and turned a blind eye to FBI stings targeting the Black Panthers. Riots broke out, more men came home in body bags, and women raged. Jen stayed busy at work, while he tuned out. He avoided his family and Jackson’s. He barely talked to Jen. He was a mess, and he knew it.

 A few weeks after the inauguration, Nixon announced a reduction of American troops in Vietnam, and his younger brother called him from Stanford where he was enrolled in his first year of grad school.

 “The son of a bitch did it,” his brother said when Josh answered the phone.

 Josh blinked rapidly and attempted to ground himself. He was high, as usual, and he found he needed to concentrate inordinately hard to understand what the words his brother spoke meant.

 “Did what?” he garbled and slid down the wall to sit on the kitchen floor.

 “Nixon. He’s pulling us out of ’Nam. We’re safe.”

 “Safe?” he asked. “Safe from what?”

 “What’s wrong with you, man? Are you tripping?”

 “Not today,” Josh sighed and grinned dopily at the wall. “Maybe tomorrow. Definitely was yesterday.”

 Connor grunted in frustration and snarled into the phone, “Have you been paying attention to what’s happening? We’re not going to Vietnam. No more new troops. A pullback of boots on the ground. They’re calling it Vietnamization.”

 “Yay, America…” Josh drawled and waved his finger in the air in celebration.

 “Come to Cali, man. I’ll help you get straight.”

 “Why bother?” Josh asked. “It’s all going to hell anyway.”

 “Just come,” his brother insisted. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, but you’re not the big brother I know. You wanted to save the world, not wallow.”

 “We lost. As soon as Bobby died, it was over.”

 “If you’re not here in four days, I’m coming to get you,” Connor threatened. “Mom and Dad don’t need to know about this, but I’ll tell them if I have to.”

 “Don’t tell them,” Josh entreated. “Dad can’t take the stress. I’ll be there.”

 “Four days.”

 Josh replaced the receiver and looked around the apartment. There were so many good things about his relationship with Jennifer. He’d loved her for a very long time, but he wasn’t where he needed to be—physically or mentally. He wasn’t an undergrad anymore, and he wasn’t doing anything to help the world. He was dragging her down, and the last thing he wanted to do was make life worse for her. Whether or not he liked it, Nixon was the president for the foreseeable future. Josh needed a change of scenery, and his kid brother was a genius. If anyone could help him get back on track, it was Connor.

 With a breaking heart, he entered the bedroom, grabbed a rucksack and started packing. He shoved his clothes into the bag but was careful to leave some of his things that Jen loved to wear when they were alone in their apartment. He grabbed a few books—his dog-eared copies of The Catcher in the Rye, Howl, and On the Road—and his toothbrush. He shuffled through a stack of papers and found his draft card, which he shoved in his front pocket. Once he got to Palo Alto, he and Connor could burn them together in celebration. When he had everything he needed, he grabbed a pencil and a notepad and wrote Jen a note.

 Dear Jen,

 I know you’ve been expecting this for a while, but I didn’t mean to leave while you were at work. I know I have to, though, or I won’t be able to walk away. I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you at Berkeley, but I was too stubborn and terrified to admit it. You’ve always had the same fire as me, even if it’s been directed somewhere else than mine. I’ve lost myself. I’ve got to find the spark again. You deserve that. You’ve always been better than me. You shouldn’t settle for someone broken. Right now, I am. When I’m fixed, I’ll let you know. I love you. Don’t ever doubt that. You’ve been the best part of me for a very long time. I’m so sorry.

 Always, Josh

 He was crying by the time he finished writing. He’d put this off for so long because he wasn’t strong enough to leave, but Connor’s phone call had woken something in him he hadn’t been able to find for ages. He’d call her in a few months—once he had himself together again. He wouldn’t leave her without any word, the way she had with him. He wondered for a second if he was punishing her because of what she’d done, but leaving her was much more of a penalty for him than it was for her.

 He swiped at the note he wrote her, and the tear that had fallen smeared his name. He was already fading in this place. All that was left was to walk out the door.

 Just as he turned to go, he noticed a picture of her peeking out from the corner of her desk. Her long hair was down and falling over her shoulders in blonde waves. She wore a white, high-collared lace dress that made her look like an angel. He tucked the image in his wallet and grabbed his bag before slipping through the door and locking it.

 He was to the bus station within ten minutes and halfway across the state before she found the note. He was almost to California before she stopped crying.

#joshifer #joshifer fanfiction #fyeah-joshifer #joshiferrecs #the vintage joshifer series #joshifersource #end of love #1960s #jhutchdirectory

[buddyrabrahams]

15 biggest disappointments of NFL Week 4

Week 4 of the NFL season got started off with a high-scoring affair on Thursday night between the Vikings and Rams. The trend of big offensive games continued on Sunday, with multiple teams scoring in the 30s and several quarterbacks torching defenses. We saw some head-scratching coaching moves, some defenses get burned, teams that failed to show up, and players who put up stinkers.

Let’s take a look at the 15 biggest disappointments from Week 4.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buccaneers

Fitzmagic is over. Fitzpatrick was benched at halftime of Tampa Bay’s blowout loss to Chicago, though things weren’t solely his fault. Despite his 400-yard game against Pittsburgh, the cracks began to show last week and were put on full display against Chicago, as he went 9-of-18 for 126 yards and an interception. He’s unlikely to get his starting job back after facing a quality defense for the first time and proving to be little match for them.

Browns/Raiders referees

Cleveland became the first team to lose to the Raiders in 2018, but they really shouldn’t have. Cleveland appeared to have a first down with 1:41 left in the game and a 42-34 lead. That first down would have enabled them to kneel out the clock on the Raiders, but after an automatic review, the referees inexplicably changed the spot and left them short of the first. The decision left even Dean Blandino stunned in the FOX studios. Oakland got the ball back, scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion, and then kicked the winning field goal in overtime. It never should have gotten that far, and Browns fans have every reason to be aggrieved with how this game ended.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins seemed like a good bet to be competitive on Sunday in New England. The Patriots have been struggling and the Dolphins came in unbeaten. Instead, they were thoroughly outclassed in every department, losing 38-7 and generating just 172 yards of offense, meaning Tom Brady threw for 102 more yards than Miami picked up as a team. In the end, it looked like the Patriots were the unbeaten team and the Dolphins were the franchises in crisis. The blowout will help redefine the narrative for each team going forward.

Frank Reich, head coach, Colts

Reich will certainly have some supporters, but his decision to go for it late in overtime on 4th and 4 from his own 43 was risky at best and ill-conceived at worst. Reich and his players stood by the call, but they likely would have tied if they punted. Instead, they failed to convert the first down and essentially handed the game to Houston. You have to respect the guts of Reich and his refusal to play for a tie, but a tie is still better than a loss. In the end, it comes down to philosophy, but when you’re on your side of the 50, that’s a call that needs to be carefully considered.

Phil Dawson, K, Cardinals

Dawson could have set the Cardinals up for a win in Josh Rosen’s first career start. Instead, with 1:55 left, the veteran went wide right on a 45-yard go-ahead field goal try. Seattle immediately got the ball back and drove downfield for a game-winning field goal of their own, leaving the Cardinals with a tough loss and Dawson with a defeat on his shoulders. It wasn’t even his only miss of the game; he couldn’t convert from 50 just before halftime.

Martavis Bryant, WR, Raiders

Bryant caught three passes for 51 yards on Sunday, but the real headline was a wide-open dropped touchdown in the second quarter that should have been an easy six points. It was somewhat emblematic of Bryant’s career: clearly talented, given an opportunity, but ultimately unable to capitalize. He’s not a huge part of the Oakland offense right now. Derek Carr completed 35 passes in this one, but only three of them to Bryant.

Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense

The Steelers have not had a losing season since 2003. This year’s team might challenge that. Pittsburgh has not looked good all year, but after putting up 30 on Tampa Bay and 37 on Kansas City, their offensive dud against Baltimore was hard to explain. The team only had 19 rushing yards in the game. They put up 14 points in the second quarter and got shutout in the second half. They went just 2-for-12 on third downs and failed to sustain drives. They turned the ball over twice. The Ravens simply dominated them.

Josh Allen, QB, Bills

Allen was good against a tough Minnesota defense a week ago, but reality set in on Sunday. He completed just 16-of-33 passes for 151 yards, adding two interceptions to the mix, both of which were his fault. Last week was probably a bit above Allen’s regular capabilities at this point. He doesn’t have a lot of talent around him, but his game is still flawed and his decision-making is still requiring some adjustment at the NFL level.

Todd Bowles, coach, Jets

There were some strange coaching decision in this game on both sides, but Todd Bowles had a weird day on Sunday. Two key moves in the fourth quarter demonstrated some rather unusual priorities. First, he kicked a field goal on 4th and 8 from the Jacksonville 20 down 25-3 early in the fourth. Then, with the Jets down 13 with 4:33 left, Bowles punted. Yes, they were deep within their own territory, but they weren’t winning whether they punted or turned it over on downs, and sure enough, the Jets didn’t get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left. His defense didn’t play well either. None of it is a good look for a coach who may be on the hot seat.

Jarrad Davis, LB, Lions

The Lions’ first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Davis has tools and promise but is prone to mental mistakes and errors. So when Detroit was trying to protect a one-point lead with less than two minutes left, they probably would have preferred it if Davis hadn’t had to cover Ezekiel Elliott downfield. Elliott’s 34-yard reception took the Cowboys from their own territory to field goal range, which they ultimately converted. Davis, in coverage, was simply outclassed.

Philadelphia Eagles’ defense

The unit that led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title last year has not looked up to par this year, at least on the road. They particularly struggled in overtime, where they were staked to a three-point lead but simply couldn’t get Marcus Mariota’s Titans off the field. Not only did they give up multiple fourth-down conversions, but they allowed plenty of Titans receivers to get open and got lucky with drops or missed throws. Tennessee ended up posting 397 yards against Philadelphia, and the Eagles’ defense forced only one turnover. This isn’t quite the same unit as it was last year.

Atlanta Falcons’ defense

Atlanta’s defense really owes Matt Ryan several dinners at this point. Despite the Falcon offense, particularly Ryan, doing everything asked of them, Atlanta lost for a second consecutive week by allowing 37 points and 407 total yards to the Cincinnati Bengals. They couldn’t hold a 36-31 lead with four minutes to go and look extremely vulnerable, particularly against the passing game. Atlanta’s offense is good enough to take them far, but the defense is absolutely an enormous hindrance. The early-season injuries to Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, and Ricardo Allen are proving to be too much to overcome.

Caleb Sturgis, K, Chargers

The Chargers are probably lucky that Sturgis didn’t cost them the game against San Francisco. He missed a field goal and two extra points in the 29-27 win, with the PAT misses in particular leaving the door open for a late San Francisco rally that the Los Angeles defense managed to stave off. Worryingly, it’s already his third missed PAT of the season after he failed to convert one last week against the Rams. His job status probably isn’t particularly secure right now, which is nothing new for a Chargers kicker.

New York Giants’ offense

This really should have been a big day for the New York offense, as the Saints’ defense has looked exceptionally vulnerable all season long. Instead, we got a display of Eli Manning’s limitations. He did complete 31 passes, but only for 255 yards, good for a modest 6.2 yards per completion. The team managed just 18 points and two touchdowns — one passing, one rushing — and while their defense kept it close for most of the game, the Saints won it pretty easily. Considering New Orleans’ defense allowed 48 and 37 points in two of their first three games, the Giants’ offensive showing was not good enough.

Darius Jennings, WR, Titans

The Titans did win this game, but Jennings was ultimately bailed out by his teammates. Late in overtime, Jennings was targeted from 36 yards out for what should have been a routine game-ending touchdown catch. The prospect of catching the first touchdown of his career was too much and Jennings dropped the ball, forcing the Titans to figure out another way to score. Tennessee ultimately converted, but it’s a bad moment to drop a fairly straightforward touchdown catch, particularly in a key spot in overtime.

Anthony Barr, LB, Vikings

This is a bonus item from Thursday night that needs to be included. The Rams’ offensive gameplan seemed to be pretty clear on Thursday night: attack Anthony Barr in coverage. Whenever the linebacker lined up to cover a Rams offensive player, the Rams looked to exploit the matchup, and they did so successfully. According to Pro Football Focus, Barr allowed four catches in coverage for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Jared Goff had a perfect passer rating when attacking Barr in coverage. Opposing teams will see what the Rams did against the Vikings and look to replicate the formula. Minnesota will have to make some adjustments to avoid Barr being put into such mismatches going forward.

from Larry Brown Sports https://ift.tt/2NU0BoS

[littleroma]

“So, it seems like we have another problem to deal with right now?” Donna asked, stretching her arms out in front of her.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t seem as it will be a big day, it will be a simple matter to handle,” CJ started before continuing in a whisper “I hope.”

“Alright, what’s the problem here?” Josh asked, wondering how long he was going to end up working that day.

“It seems as if a strange thing has been spotted near Belfast in Northern Ireland” Donna started looking confused.

“What is the problem?” CJ asked starting to lose her patience with Donna.

“Well, it seems as if a Demogorgon has been spotted, is that Lyor, you see that too don’t you?” Emily asked, squinting at the page in front of her.

“Yeah, that does indeed say Demogorgon, but what is a Demogorgon, I don’t remember learning about them in school.  Does anyone have an idea what they are?” Lyor confirmed, having read over the sheet in Emily’s hands.

“Wait, a Demogorgon?  As in D-E-M-O-G-O-R-G-O-N?” Willow spelt out; her head having shot up at the word.

“Yeah, that’s how you spell it, does that mean anything to you?” Donna asked, her voice having gone high-pitched as she asked her question.

“It’s not real, but how much pot was involved in this sighting?” Willow asked.

“There were no pots involved in this sighting, but the people who reported the sighting were wearing kitchen pans on their head,” Josh responded, frowning as he heard how ridiculous what he was saying was.

“Pans?  It sounds like they might have been high.  Were they giggling?” William asked, leaning against the edge of one of the desks.

“Funnily enough, they were giggling and acting very irresponsibly when they reported the sighting.  Does that mean anything?” Emily asked.

“Yeah, it means that whoever it was that it was who made the report was probably as high as a kite.  They had probably been sitting, lighting up a little, and watching some ‘Stranger Things’, a new series just dropped on Netflix a few weeks ago.” Roy responded.

“Oh, I am looking forward to seeing that series.  Netflix and chill tonight, Roy?” Moss offered, looking almost giddy at the prospect of watching the new series.

“I don’t think that term means what you think it means, Moss.” Jen drawled, looking over at her friends, amusement clearing in her face.

“Why, what does it mean?” Moss asked innocently.

“Not that, sweetie, not that,” Maggie replied with a smirk.

She still wasn’t sure about some of the people she was working with, even if they were still slightly ridiculous.  

“Alright, people we still need to handle, or can just leave this?” Toby asked, trying to lead the staff to their conclusions.

“I could reach out to some of the people over at Netflix, and try and convince them to simply let on that it was nothing more than a promotional exercise.  Firms still do that right?” JJ offered.

“We could do that, have people been able to completely understand the language used?  Well, the accents in Northern Ireland can be a bit hard to understand at times.  Can we be sure that anybody can understand what the people are saying?” Spencer asked, wincing a little.

“I’ll get into contact with Netflix, it might seem like a bit of an odd location for promotional activity, but whatever, maybe we can get this whole situation handled quickly.” JJ resolved.

“Do it; I want a nice quiet day at work please!” Sam ordered the woman, running a hand through his hair.

#Adventures in writing #Muggle-Worthy Excuses #Harry Potter Fanfiction #The West Wing Characters #Criminal Minds Characters #Designated Survivor Characters #THE IT Crowd Characters #Chicago Med Characters

[hutchhitched]

The Vintage Joshifer Series: End of Love—Chapter 14

End of Love by hutchhitched

Author’s note: Thanks again to those of you who are following this story. I am very grateful for your support. Josh is a little off the rails after realizing he’s lost Jen, so he’s not the most likable in this chapter. However, he’s working through some things and will be back to the Josh we know and love soon.

Historical events in this chapter are mostly about the Doors concert that occurred in New Haven, Connecticut, in December 1967. You can find more information about it at the end of this page. The song referenced in the chapter is Back Door Man.

New Haven, Connecticut, December 1967

“Can you pass me the bud, Josh?”

 Josh took a puff and turned his head slowly to the left. He inhaled leisurely and blinked as the smoke filled his lungs and his mind drifted. He saw his right hand lift and pass the joint to his companion.

 What’s her name? he wondered as he surveyed her languidly. His eyes raked over her sapphire eyes and her brilliant orange-red corkscrews that tumbled over her shoulders and framed her naked breasts. She took a puff and then leaned toward him. His mouth closed over hers, and she shared her hit in a wet, smoky tongue-filled kiss. He pulled her hair gently until she groaned. He smiled lazily as she pushed him back into the pile of pillows on the bed and straddled him.

 “Take me to heaven, baby,” she crooned, and he closed his eyes as she sheathed him.

 No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember her name. She was one in a string of dozens since he’d left California and accepted that Jennifer had walked out on him. The redhead’s body made him salivate as she undulated over him, her back arched and her pussy clutching his erection. She cried out as she sank onto him, and he closed his eyes so he could enjoy fucking in his altered state.

 Sex on weed wasn’t always good, but it was that night with the leggy, busty woman with wild auburn hair who knew no limits. Jimi Hendrix music wafted from the other room as their friends turned on and got drunk.

 Josh felt himself floating to another plane, the problems and worries he’d been carrying for far too long slipping from his shoulders and leaving him drifting. He thought of his parents back in Kentucky and his brother who was in his sophomore year in college in Atlanta now. He wondered how Jackson was doing and made a promise to call him the next day. It had been far too long since he’d checked in with his friend. He assumed Andre was in the next room, but he wasn’t keeping track of who’d left and who was still imbibing. Finally, his thoughts strayed to Jen—the way she’d looked at him with her big blue eyes when she asked him what drove him and then the hurt she’d tried to hide when he’d laughed after she asked if sex was something he enjoyed.

 At the moment, it was. Sex was one way he kept from going crazy without her. He had plenty of willing partners who didn’t expect anything from him but a good time, and that allowed him to keep moving, continue looking for ways to challenge the system, to forget about how hollow he felt without her.

 He took another hit as the girl with the unknown name threw back her head and bounced up and down on his cock. The slant of light from the living room darkened briefly, and he watched through a fog as a topless brunette crossed the room, dropped her skirt, and joined them on the bed. Olivia was her name, he told himself, although it didn’t really matter. She watched them curiously for a few minutes and then leaned forward to take the redhead’s nipple in her mouth.

 Josh grunted at the sight and bucked upward and harder into his sex partner. Almost immediately, he felt air against his dick and started to protest until he realized Olivia was exchanging places with the woman he’d been buried in just a few seconds before. She mounted him but faced backward, and he watched in wonder as his wet cock disappeared between her rounded ass cheeks. The redhead settled on her knees between his splayed legs and kissed Olivia who used her fingers to fuck the other woman.

 Josh groaned deeply from within his chest and sucked in a puff that made his eyes cross and close. When he opened them again, he was greeted with a vision of the woman he missed so deeply riding him while kissing…herself, it seemed. He shook his head in confusion, but he didn’t want the image to change. He knew it wasn’t Jen, but he didn’t care. Even a vision of her connected to him was better than the real life women he’d bedded. He closed his eyes and listened to the cries and shouts of the women as they got off and clenched his teeth together in an attempt to stave off his climax. The thought of Jen driving herself to orgasm filled him with electricity.

 He felt his balls grow heavy, a sure sign of his impending orgasm. He forced his eyes open and watched in wonderment as mouths clashed and feminine fingers covered in slickness slipped in and out of the redhead’s pussy. One of them squealed as she came, and Josh roared his surrender. He felt the tension flood from him as Olivia arched her back and the redhead fingered herself so she could join them.

 “Jen,” he shouted as he rode out his orgasm in a weed-induced haze. He felt a pang of guilt, but it was clear the other women didn’t mind whose name he called. When it was obvious he was finished, Olivia dismounted him and the two girls fell into a tangled pile next to him on the bed. They continued to kiss and fondle each other while he watched. They rubbed and caressed using mouths and hands and tongues until they were head to feet and licking at each other’s clits. Josh rubbed himself as he watched tongues and genitals sliding and bucking together. Finally, both gasped and came in quivering, dewy spasms within seconds of each other. He rolled over into the trembling women and sighed as their velvety skin caressed his frame. His coarse chest and leg hair tickled them, and he grinned as they giggled.

 “Fucking free love. God, I’m glad to be alive right now,” he grunted and kissed Olivia. He turned to the redhead and mumbled, “What’s your name, honey?”

 She kissed him deeply enough that he could taste Olivia on her and then pulled back slightly to answer. “Jena,” she said simply.

 He choked, shocked at the similarity of her name with the woman he couldn’t stop imagining. He wondered briefly if that’s how he’d ended up naked with her in the first place. When she swept the tip of her tongue over her lips, he pulled her in for another kiss. “That’s a beautiful name, baby. Beautiful.” She smiled and curled into him. Her tits rubbed across his chest, and she cupped his balls while Olivia closed her palm over his softened dick. He didn’t have the energy to moan in approval before he slipped back into euphoria at the hands of his companions.

 ****

 “Josh, man, wake up.” He felt the bed jostle, and he struggled to open his eyes. He was warm and cocooned in the soft mattress, and he realized as he woke that Olivia and Jena were both still wrapped around him and each other in a post-coital nap.

 “What’s going on?” he mumbled in confusion until he realized it was Andre who was trying to wake him. “What’s wrong?”

 His friend winked at him and answered, “Looks like nothing’s wrong, but we’ve got an hour to get to the Doors concert you’ve been jones-ing over for the past few weeks. Free love can wait. We’ve got some music to take in.”

 “Give me a minute or two, will you?” Josh asked, indicating he wanted some privacy to extricate himself from his bedmates. Andre nodded and left the room, and Josh pulled himself free of the sleeping women.

 He dressed quickly and leaned down to kiss them on the cheek but stopped just shy of the bed. He didn’t feel any particular connection to either of these women. They were a nice distraction, and he appreciated the sexual revolution many of his fellow activists had embraced over the past few years, but they weren’t anyone to hold his attention for longer than a few days. There was only one woman who held that position, and he hadn’t seen her since she’d crept from his bed just as he was doing now.

 He emerged from the bedroom and gave Andre a half-smile. His friend clapped him on the back and said, “Shake it off, man. You’ve got to stop thinking about her. She obviously didn’t want to be found.”

 “Don’t remind me,” Josh groaned, despite the fantasy of Jen naked and fingering a mirror image of herself that floated through his mind.

 “We’ve got the Doors waiting for us, dude. Forget the chick.”

 “Thanks for getting the tickets, Andre, and thanks for letting me crash with you for the past couple of months. New York is another planet,” Josh admitted. “New Haven is pretty out of this world too. Can you imagine if we’d gone to Yale instead of Berkeley?”

 “You never would have met your girl,” Andre teased with a wink and laughed when Josh flipped him the bird. “Also, we never would have gotten into Yale. We’re not that smart.”

 “Touché, good sir. Touché.”

 A few hours later, Josh and his former roommate passed a blunt back and forth and sang along to Back Door Man. The music throbbed around them and they swayed back and worth to the beat. Jim Morrison abruptly stopped singing. Then, he screamed, “The whole fucking world hates me!” Josh and Andre looked at each other in shock, unable to look away as the lead singer screamed about police officers harassing and using mace on him. He shouted slurs labeling police a “little blue man in a little blue hat” and a “little blue pig.”

 The crowd surged around them and screamed their agreement. The patrons jostled and jockeyed for position, and Andre grunted when Josh rammed into his side. “Watch it,” he warned before realizing the man next to Josh shoved the shorter man. Suddenly, police entered the stage and escorted Morrison from the club.

 “What the fuck just happened?” Josh wondered and shook his head. “How much of this weed did I smoke?”

 “I don’t know, brother, but at least this way we’ll get back home earlier. Unless you want to go meet up with your harem again.”

 “No need,” Josh grinned. “There’ll be someone else who’s willing waiting back in the City.”

 “There he is. There’s that cocky big man on campus. Welcome back, stud. Missed you while you were mooning over the one who got away.”

 “Shut up and drive, ’Dre. I don’t want to think about Jennifer anymore.”

 ****

 Josh woke late the next day. He bathed and dressed before fulfilling the promise he’d made to himself the night before. As he waited for Andre to emerge from his room, he dialed the familiar phone number and pulled the cord so he could perch on the back of the sofa. He counted the rings until a deep voice greeted him.

 “Hey, Pops. How are you? Is Jackson around?” Jackson’s grandfather greeted him warmly, and they chatted for a few minutes before his best friend joined him on the phone.

 “It’s been five damn months, asshole. Where the hell have you been?”

 Josh grinned and shot back, “Been trying to get away from your sorry ass. How’ve you been?”

 “I saw Jen,” Jackson stated bluntly.

 “What?! You saw her? Where? What the fu—”

 “She’s living in Chicago now. She works for the Tribune as a reporter. She interviewed me for a story.” Jackson’s words hit him like a pail of ice cold water. After all this time, she was finally within his grasp again.

 “When? How is she? Is she okay? Did she ask about me?” Josh couldn’t stop the questions as they tumbled from him, and he began making plans to return to Chicago as soon as possible.

 “About two weeks after the last time you called. She asked about you, yes. She was wandering around in the grocery store down the street looking for someone to interview. She almost got herself killed.”

 Josh cursed and closed his eyes against the image of Jen in trouble. “Holy hell, Jackson. Don’t do this to me.”

 His friend chuckled and asked, “How soon are you going to be back here? I’ll ask mom to set an extra spot at the table for you.”

 “I’ll be there as soon as I can; a few weeks at the latest. Got to wrap a few things up and then, shit, Christmas. I promised Connor I’d come home for a few days. By the first of the year, probably. Thank you, man. I owe you big time. See you soon.”

 ****

 Josh kept his word. He was in Chicago by the end of the month. Andre sent him on his way with best wishes and an open offer to come back any time he wanted. After four days with his family in Kentucky, Jackson and his parents welcomed Josh with open arms and a series of questions about his dad’s health and mindset along with a slew of food that made Josh salivate.

 Through a mouthful of mashed potatoes, Josh suggested, “Why don’t you visit my family in Union? Dad would love to see you, Mr. Jones.”

 “Ah, we’d love to, Josh, but it’s probably not the best plan for us to visit a white family in the South right now.” Josh nodded in agreement. He’d forgotten for a moment how dangerous that would be for his friend’s family. “I wish Chris could travel easier, but with his injury, I know it’s a hardship. I’m sorry he couldn’t make it to your graduation last year.”

 “It’s fine. I was prepared for that to happen,” Josh waved in dismissal.

 Jackson grinned at his friend and joked, “I think Josh celebrated exactly the way he wanted to with his family not there. No reason to worry about him.”

 Memories of Jen and he in bed together bombarded him at Jackson’s words. The sound of her breathy moans as he pumped into her; the smell of her soft skin as he inhaled against the crook of her neck; the feel of her squeezing him in her wet heat; each of the remembrances seared his mind with a sense of desperate longing. He had to figure out how to get in touch with her. Otherwise, he was imposing himself on the Jones family when they hardly needed more strain on their resources.

 After the meal, his friend and he secluded themselves in Jackson’s room so Josh could catch him up on what had happened since the last time they’d talked. First, however, Jackson wanted a word with Josh.

 “You know, I didn’t expect to talk to you every day, but waiting five months to call is complete bullshit, Josh. I could have been shipped out. I could have been in Detroit. A million things could have happened to me, but you didn’t even bother to find out.”

 “Come on, man,” Josh began, but Jackson stopped him.

 “No,” he barked. “You’re supposed to be my best friend. You don’t get a pass because you got dumped a year ago.”

 Josh clenched his fists, but he knew he’d been out of control for the past few months. He’d bounced from one bed to another, sleeping with people he barely knew in an attempt to forget the most important person in his life. He needed her, and he was ashamed that he was sitting in his best friend’s room because Jennifer was within his reach and not because he’d missed his friendship with Jackson.

 “You’re right. I’ve been a shitty friend, and I’m sorry.”

 Jackson’s face relaxed, and he smirked slightly before shrugging and rolling his eyes. “I’d stay mad at you, but I’m going to enjoy watching the reunion too much to be anything other than a fly on the wall. You’re going to let her have it, aren’t you?”

 “Do you think I should?”

 “She walked out on you without a word. After everything you’d been through together, doesn’t that rate some sort of yelling match?”

 “I just missed her.”

 Jackson laughed and punched Josh on the shoulder. “Time to get her back then.”

 “I don’t know how to approach her, man. Do I just call up the Tribune newsroom and expect someone to patch me through? She ran out on me 18 months ago, and we haven’t talked since.” Josh felt sick to his stomach. He’d left the East Coast with only the thought of getting to Jen on his mind. He hadn’t given himself a chance to consider that she might not want to see him.

 “You didn’t see her, Josh. She wants to see you. She might not admit it when you confront her, but she misses you more than she wants to admit.” Josh swallowed hard, almost too nervous to even hope Jackson was right. “Call the paper tomorrow and see what you can find out. It can’t hurt to ask.”

 The next morning, Josh’s hand trembled as he twirled the dial to enter the number he found in the phone book. It took several conversations with various people, but he was finally directed to a shared phone for reporters. A harried man who sounded like he was middle-aged and much too busy to answer a phone dashed his fantasies that Jen was waiting around for him.

 “Sorry, Jennifer is on vacation for the rest of the week. No idea where she is, but I’ll let her know you called. Last name?”

 “Hutcherson. Josh Hutcherson.”

 “Hutchinson. Got it.”

 “No! Hutch-ER-son! Please tell her—” Josh cursed as the phone went dead.

 How long would he have to wait for her to get the message and then to call him? That questioned plagued him as the year ended and rolled into 1968. Something told him everything was going to change, and he wasn’t sure it would be for the better.

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