Insomnia (dsr) (PG) Challenge 127 3/28/11

[darkstarrising]

As for what Beth said or did, hmmmm, giving me a plot bunny now?

Did it work??

Hmmm, maybe

Wow, this is beautiful and haunting and totally got Josh!
I'm totally in awe how you managed to get into his mindset. And the dream was so prophetic, but as it is, people dream and forget the details as soon as they wake up.

Thanks, francis Josh was a tragic character in the series and in this story. He had everything going for him, or so he thought. With Mick's arrival, Josh's relationship with Beth started to fall apart, despite Beth's assurances that all was well. When Beth chose to go to New York with Mick, that was a turning point and Josh could no longer live in denial. The combination of alcohol and jealousy clarified things for him, but ultimately, he continued to hope that he could keep Beth's love.

[wpgrace]

I could've sworn I had commented on this one... musta hit the wrong button at the bottom.

Anyway, I think we all could identify with Josh... in this circumstance and even just in general in the show. He's a great guy, no reason the girl SHOULDN"T pick him... until you get a load of Mick. Not fair. Just not fair.

I love how you have him consider the fighting fair or not fair element here. And how you give him this glimmer of insight into what he's truly facing in this undeclared rivalry. And I love how it's undeclared, cuz it was, but still full-on, also cuz it was.

This one is just pitch perfect. And then the poor guy had to die a painful death with his rival the one fighting to save him. Oy.

(Just for the record, I was mad about that, btw... a cheap way to end the rivalry... it shoulda played out. I just should have.)

[darkstarrising]

I could've sworn I had commented on this one... musta hit the wrong button at the bottom.

Anyway, I think we all could identify with Josh... in this circumstance and even just in general in the show. He's a great guy, no reason the girl SHOULDN"T pick him... until you get a load of Mick. Not fair. Just not fair.

I love how you have him consider the fighting fair or not fair element here. And how you give him this glimmer of insight into what he's truly facing in this undeclared rivalry. And I love how it's undeclared, cuz it was, but still full-on, also cuz it was.

This one is just pitch perfect. And then the poor guy had to die a painful death with his rival the one fighting to save him. Oy.

(Just for the record, I was mad about that, btw... a cheap way to end the rivalry... it shoulda played out. I just should have.)

Thanks, grace You've hit it perfectly....Josh is a great guy with a great future, so why wouldn't Beth choose him over this scruffy PI? In his mind, not only did it not make any sense, it wasn't fair. Josh had played by the rules, got a good job, worked hard, was good looking on top of it all, so what's not to love?

When compared to Mick, he just couldn't compete, even though he thought he could. In 'Love Lasts Forever', when Mick comes to Beth's apartment after she and Josh have 'reconciled', take a look at how Josh more or less struts, half naked, while on the phone, making sure Mick fully understands what went down the night before. The facial expressions on both men are priceless.

[Luxe de Luxe]

Oh, this is wonderful, dsr! It's not often that we get a Josh story, and what a story... we get to eavesdrop on him in a real crisis of faith (justifiable, we know) about Beth. The mental to-ing and fro-ing was spot on, exactly what I would have expected him to think, and was pretty true to his character - not all angsty doom and gloom, because I think Josh had reasonable self esteem.

This line stopped me in my tracks and I re-read it several times before moving on...

Beth was a woman he loved, not one he owned.

What a nice man! This story makes me miss Josh....

[nutmegger911]

I love this! It is so believable and so... Josh. You capture his frustration, jealousy, and ultimately, the reasonableness in his character that makes him who he is. I love the way these thoughts peck away at his vulnerable points even as his reasonable self tries to make its case.

In the end, I'm glad you show him in such a positive light, giving credit where credit is due.

Well done.

[darkstarrising]

Oh, this is wonderful, dsr! It's not often that we get a Josh story, and what a story... we get to eavesdrop on him in a real crisis of faith (justifiable, we know) about Beth. The mental to-ing and fro-ing was spot on, exactly what I would have expected him to think, and was pretty true to his character - not all angsty doom and gloom, because I think Josh had reasonable self esteem.

This line stopped me in my tracks and I re-read it several times before moving on...

Beth was a woman he loved, not one he owned.

What a nice man! This story makes me miss Josh....

Thanks, Luxe Josh was a nice guy, maybe too nice for Beth's taste, especially once Mick came into her life.

You've hit on a key phrase....when you look back on the handful of times Josh tried to either keep Beth from working on a story (at the beginning of BC) or reacted badly to finding Mick with her, like in Club Valis, he really seems to think he has something to say about where she goes and what she does. Sometimes, it's innocent, as he's just trying to keep her out of trouble, but the confrontation in Club Valis was another situation altogether. He wouldn't even listen to her explanation and just shut her down. She was his and she embarrassed him by being in the Club with Mick, dressed to kill.

You're right about Josh having a reasonably high level of self-esteem, which is part of the irony of the situation. He's attractive, has a good job, is loving and attentive, so why Beth is drifting away from him is something he just can't fathom.

[darkstarrising]

I love this! It is so believable and so... Josh. You capture his frustration, jealousy, and ultimately, the reasonableness in his character that makes him who he is. I love the way these thoughts peck away at his vulnerable points even as his reasonable self tries to make its case.

In the end, I'm glad you show him in such a positive light, giving credit where credit is due.

Well done.

thanks, nm911 It would be hard to paint Josh in a bad light, considering how we last saw him. He was a good man who tried to do the right thing and died for it. He was even willing to step away from the case if it meant Beth would be safe, a likely hit to his career.

I tried to have his conversation with himself try to draw on his background....he's a lawyer who's going to do just what you said, peck away at the argument before him until he gets to the truth....only this time, the truth was something he found hard to consciously accept.

[Lucy]

sweet twist to a "fill in the blank" tale........

I love to hear Josh's voice.

The poor lawyer had to "try" the case in his sleepless mind.....and we're the winners for it!

[darkstarrising]

sweet twist to a "fill in the blank" tale........

I love to hear Josh's voice.

The poor lawyer had to "try" the case in his sleepless mind.....and we're the winners for it!

Thanks so much, Lucy I have to confess for loving to write stories trying to fill in the blanks in the series and heaven knows, they left a bunch of them. The challenge for me was trying to get inside Josh's mind, in this case a really nice guy with lots to offer who goes on a binge trying to figure out why he was losing the battle for Beth's heart to Mick.

[cassysj]

This is fantastic!! I never thought about what Josh did during the little New York adventure. This was hard on him only booze makes him face the reality. Considering what happened right after I'm glad Josh decided to be the "nice guy". He died believeing Beth belonged to him.

[darkstarrising]

This is fantastic!! I never thought about what Josh did during the little New York adventure. This was hard on him only booze makes him face the reality. Considering what happened right after I'm glad Josh decided to be the "nice guy". He died believeing Beth belonged to him.

Thanks, Carol Jealousy can make a person think and do stupid things, and poor Josh was no exception. He loved Beth and couldn't understand what she saw in Mick. Fueled by alcohol, his jealous fears tormented him. You're right, though, whether or not Beth regretted in the morning her actions the night before, Josh did die believing she loved him.

[cassysj]

Revisiting old challenges and had to give this look at Josh a bump

[Marigold]

Very nicely done, DSR! I really enjoyed Josh's conversation with himself, as well as his dream. This was a very realistic way to fill in this 'missing scene.'

So, did MLC's plot bunny ever turn into a story?

[darkstarrising]

Revisiting old challenges and had to give this look at Josh a bump

Thanks, Carol Always appreciate a re-read!!

Very nicely done, DSR! I really enjoyed Josh's conversation with himself, as well as his dream. This was a very realistic way to fill in this 'missing scene.'

So, did MLC's plot bunny ever turn into a story?

Thanks, Marigold Glad you enjoyed the story of Josh's dilemma. As for the subsequent plot bunny, sadly, no. Muse is being most difficult now.

[Emerald]

How on earth did I miss this little gem, I really need to get out more. I love the way you crafted this story, the image of Josh being gripped by jealously, feeling alone even with Beth beside him, and blaming it on the bourbon, but deep down there's that part of him that 'knows' (and it knows a lot more than he can perhaps admit even to himself). Brilliant, wonderful, and very well written.