#joseph benson

[elizabethloveuniverse]

People give hearts on Valentine's Day, but Joseph got it a little wrong

However, the main thing is that the lady is happy🖤

[focr]

"But though God is thus terrible in his power, yet he is merciful, gracious, and beneficent in his nature, and is a sure refuge and protection to those who worship and serve him sincerely, and put their trust in him; and he knows and pays a particular regard to all such, so that they are never overlooked or neglected by him; he approves, owns, and preserves them."

Joseph Benson

[madewithonerib]

John Gills, English Baptist [1748] | Matthew 11:29-30

Take MY yoke upon you,…. [The phrase is Rabbinical]

The Jewish doctors often speak [a] of:

“the yoke of the Kingdom of heaven”, & of persons taking it upon them; and which they exhort to, and express in much such language as here [b];

“take upon you the yoke of the Holy Kingdom”  [every single day]

They distinguish this from the yoke of the law, & say: “a man must first take upon him the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, & after that take upon him the “yoke” of the commandment.''

Their sense I take to be this, that a man must first make a profession of his faith in the GOD of Israel, & then live conformably to HIS law:

Agreeably to this, CHRIST exhorts such persons who come to HIM for rest & happiness—to profess their faith in HIM, to embrace the doctrines of the Gospel, to submit to HIS ordinances, & to walk according to those laws, commands, & orders, which HE, as KING of saints, has made, & requires obedience to:

So those who come to HIM for life, & believe in HIM, as the SAVIOUR of their souls, though they are not to trust in, & depend on any duties performed by them;

yet we're not to sit still, or lay aside the performance of good works, or live a licentious course of life, but are always to be doing the will & work of their LORD.

And this HE calls “HIS yoke”, in distinction from the yoke of the law of Moses, & of traditions of elders.

And learn of ME, for I am meek, & lowly in heart: respect seems to be had to Zechariah 9:9— where such characters as these are given of the MESSIAH.

The meekness, humility, & lowliness of CHRIST appear in his assumption of human nature — in HIS subjection to HIS FATHER — in the whole of HIS deportment and conversation among men; in HIS submission to the ordinance of baptism; in the whole course of HIS obedience to GOD, & in HIS sufferings & death:

And HE is to be imitated herein, by all HIS followers, may learn many excellent things from HIS example, as well as from HIS doctrine; & particularly, whereas, though HE was so great a person, yet condescended to perform every duty with readiness & cheerfulness

    HIS Disciples should not think it below them     to conform to every ordinance of HIS, to every     branch of HIS will;

    for HE has set them an example, they should     tread in HIS steps, & walk even as HE walked.

There never was such an instance of humility, and lowliness of mind, as CHRIST; nor any example so worthy of our imitation as HIS.

The Jews have a saying [d],

   •  “for ever let a man ,    •  “be meek as Hillell”, & let him not be wrathful as    •  “Shammai“:''

which two men were presidents of their universities about the times of CHRIST. But our LORD says, “learn of ME“, not of “Hillell”, or any of your doctors, & you all shall find rest unto your souls;

referring to Jeremiah 6:16 and which shows the rest HE speaks of in preceding verse, to be not a corporal, but a spiritual one; & which is to be enjoyed “in”, tho not “for” the observance of CHRIST's commands;

whose “ways are ways of pleasantness, & all” whose “paths are peace.”

[a] T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 4. 1. Bab. Beracot, fol. 61. 2.       Zohar in Lev. fol. 46. 4. Caphtor, fol. 44. 2. Tzeror       Hammor, fol. 2. 2. [b] Zohar in Num. fol. 51. 2.       Caphtor, fol. 48. 2.[[c] Misn. Beracot, c. 2. sect. 2.

Charles Ellicott [1749–1905] | Matthew 11:29-30

[29] Take MY yoke upon you—As the teaching of the         Pharisees was a yoke too grievous to be borne,         so the yoke of CHRIST is HIS teaching, HIS rule         of life, & so is explained by the “learn of ME” that         follows. [Comp. Ecclesiasticus 51:26]

I am meek & lowly in heart—The stress lies upon the last words. Others might be lowly with the lowliness which is ambition’s ladder, but pride & self-assertion were reigning in their hearts.

The CHRIST, in HIS infinite sympathy with men of all classes and conditions, could boldly incur the risk of seeming to boast of HIS humility, in order HE might win men to come & prove by experience that HE was able & willing to give them rest, to hear the tale of their sorrows, & to turn from none with scorn.

Ye shall find rest unto your souls—Here, as often elsewhere in our LORD’s teaching, we have a direct quotation from Jeremiah [Jeremiah 6:16].

   •  Jeremiah 6:16 [Berean] ¹⁶ This is what the LORD        says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for       the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then       walk in it & find rest for your souls. But they said,       ‘We will not walk in it!’

Joseph Benson [1749–1821] | Matthew 11:29-30

Take MY yoke upon you — Believe in & obey ME:

Hearken to ME as a teacher, rely on ME as a SAVIOUR, & be subject to ME as a governor. And learn of ME— Μαθετε απ’ εμου, be MY Disciples;

be taught by ME, namely, all things pertaining to your acceptance with GOD, your duty, and your happiness: for I am meek & lowly in heart—Meek toward all men, lowly toward GOD.

As an instructor, I will show MYSLEF to be most mild, gentle, & forbearing;

kind & condescending toward all MY Disciples, directing them with tenderness, patience, & lenity, in the way to pardon, life, & salvation, not imposing on them any un- necessary burdens:

And, as an example, recommending by MY practice both meekness & humility; meekness by bearing all kinds of injuries, & humility by condescending to do meanest good offices to the meanest of mankind.

Learn, then, of ME to be meek & humble, both in disposition and behaviour; and you all shall find rest to your souls—That composure, tranquillity, & satisfaction which nothing but humility & meek -ness, with an entire subjection to ME, can give.

The original words may be properly rendered, Ye shall find refreshment to your souls, such as you would in vain seek elsewhere;

refreshment, arising from clear manifestations of divine favour, consoling influences of HIS SPIRIT, lively hopes of HIS glory, & sensible communion with HIM.

For MY yoke is easy — Gr. χρηστος, gracious, sweet, benign, agreeable;

MY burden light: Or, pleasant, ελαφρον also signifies.

Such it is to those in whose hearts the love of GOD prevails over the love of the world & sin. To them, the commandments of GOD are not grievous, but delightful.

They love HIS law, & pleasure is in it all the day long.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

And this applies for the older members of the Party. . . This was supposed to be a Steddie post, but it ran away from me:

Lmao, it's going by Horror movie virginity rules, but queer edition. The reason that Steve survived is because he hasn't lost his GUY virginity yet, but he has done stuff with guys, so he gets beaten up quite a lot. The same goes for Eddie, but apparently, he went a little further. He's not dead, though, because he still has to lose his guy virginity with Steve. Well, if that applies, then. . .Barb?? Oh my God, Bob??? (Actually, not surprised.) Jesus, Hop, what did you do with a guy? I mean, clearly, you're not dead, so. . . but you did do stuff. Chrissy?! What happens at cheer camp, stays at cheer camp, I guess. Fred and Patrick. . . Jason. . .hmm. Billy, not too surprised. (Still hate him.) Benny, almost immediately. You're welcome to add on if I missed anyone. Oh! Heather! I bet it was with Chrissy.

[td-tbbg-official]

He’s the first contestant in the history of the show to ever back out of a challenge, despite his helpful stature. His cowardly nature would’ve made him the laugh of everyone if not for his kindness and positivity. He’s befriended everyone from party animal Geoff to mysterious goth weirdo Gwen, and he stayed true to his principles as much as one can on the show... Heh.

His love for animals paid off when he became a veterinarian, and he now lives a quiet, fulfilled life in his home town. Well, that quiet part is about to change in a sec...

Let’s show our appreciation for… DJ!

“Coming back on Total Drama? Yeah, right. As if! That’s crazy… But I really wouldn’t want anyone else to risk it… And I did manage to make it reasonably far every time I came on the show… And… Oh, whatever, just—two million dollars can’t be turned down.”

How far will DJ get? Only time will tell, here on Total Drama: The Bridge Between Generations!

coming soon to an AO3 near you.

questions, concerns, suggestions to be deposited in the ask box.

TD: TBBG is written by @canonically47. the blog is entirely run by the writer.

note: with permission, DJ’s design is inspired by @doobledabbadoo’s own redesign of him.

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 8 - The Heat Is On

IN THIS CHAPTER: A college acceptance letter, Hawkins High School's The Weekly Streak gets a new assistant editor, and Eddie puts his plan in motion [4.4k]

WARNINGS: college anxiety, eddie being mean to himself

masterlist - prev - next | playlist

You can make a break, you can win or lose That's a chance you take, when the heat's on you

Wednesday, April 30th - 1986

“Dude, are you okay? You look like you’re gonna pass out.”

It was a stormy Wednesday, the last day of April, and Mrs. Click had just finished writing the units her final would cover on the blackboard when Dottie inched her chair towards Jeff with a worried expression on her face. World History was their last class before lunch period, and as the minutes ticked on, Jeff had progressively sank down further and further into his seat, as if he were melting from the inside out. He blinked a few times before lifting his head from his arms to look at his friend sitting beside him.

“I think I’m gonna throw up,” he laughed breathlessly.

“D’you need to go to the nurse? I can tell Mrs. Click-” Dottie was already getting up from her chair when he extended a hand towards her general direction to stop her and shook his head.

“I’m okay. Don’t- don’t get up. I’m just…,” he sighed and slid an official looking envelope that was hiding under his notebook towards her. “This arrived today.”

She craned her neck to see the fancy letters on the corner of the paper, her eyes widening in surprise. Holy shit.

“Is this…?”

“Yep,” Jeff replied, popping the last letter past his lips.

“It’s not open.”

“No, I, uh… I wanted to open it at lunch with everyone else,” he admitted. “I’m starting to think it was a terrible idea.”

“What? No, no, no, this is great, Jeff, oh my god! I’m so happy for you!”

“You don’t even know if I got in.”

Dottie held the envelope in her hand, feeling the weight of Jeff’s entire future on her palm. West Virginia State University, read the logo at the top. She knew what was at stake here; this was the last college he’d applied to but it was the only one that he actually gave a damn about. In the back of a drawer in Jeff’s bedroom desk sat three rejection letters from places he hadn’t even dared to dream he could attend: UPenn, UC Berkeley, and UT Austin, but with his GPA and SAT scores he knew they would never be a possibility for him. He would have had to go back in time and redo his entire high school career to even be near the level he had to be to get into any of those three. Still, he had gone through the trouble of applying to them to appease his father who was still upset he wasn’t willing to get shipped off to the military as his first option like he had done. Like his older brother had done. But there was something special about WVSU, the college his grandfather and mother had graduated from, an HBCU, a place where he would mean something, could become someone. A place where he would be more than yet another dumb teen being handed a gun he was terrified of ever having to use.

No, WVSU was the place he needed to be at. He wanted to be a Yellow Jacket more than he had ever wanted to be anything else in his life. He wanted to make his granddad proud, wanted to be his mother’s son. The bell ringing snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned to look at Dottie, his face turning green, a sheen of sweat on his brow.

“You got this,” she grabbed his hand and squeezed, grounding him. “We’re gonna be proud of you no matter what this letter says, but I just know that you got in.”

“I can’t go to the military, Dot.”

“You won’t. You got into West Virginia. Breathe, Jeff. Breathe.”

He nodded once, twice, and finally gave her a weak smile, moving to collect his things and head out for lunch. He realized he hadn’t copied what was on the blackboard but he was sure he could ask Dottie later. She had been writing as Mrs. Click was talking, she had to know what their exam would cover. In all honesty, he was very comforted by the fact that he could turn his brain off and let her take over for him, only worrying about silently existing within his own body and focusing on getting his nausea under control.

With the letter carefully tucked into his coat pocket again, he grabbed his books and followed his friend towards their lockers; Jeff was only barely aware that Donny had joined them on their way towards the cafeteria, excitedly chatting with Dottie about a mixtape he was working on for Eddie’s birthday. She kept a gentle lock on his arm at all times, guiding him through the hallways until they reached their table, the other boys already in their usual seats. Jeff sat down feeling heavier than he’d ever felt in his entire life and took a sip of Coke with trembling hands around the cold can in an attempt to soothe his nerves.

“You alright, man?” Eddie asked, looking him over carefully.

“Yeah,” Jeff’s voice came out strangled. “I, uh. I have news, I guess.”

“Okay,” his wild haired friend lifted his eyebrows, waiting for him to continue.

“Jeff has a very important letter to open, and he’d like to do it with us,” Dottie clarified when the boy didn’t reply.

“College?” Eddie mouthed to her quietly, and smiled when she nodded once, her eyes wide. “Alright, gentlemen,” he lifted a hand to bring everyone’s conversations to a halt. “I’m gonna need everyone to be respectful and supportive right now, ‘kay? Jeff is about to find out if he has been granted safe passage out of Hawkins.”

Jeff stared at the letter with unfocused eyes for a few beats before he shifted forward in his seat. He thrust his hand towards Eddie and swallowed, making his decision as he spoke.

“You open it.”

The older boy looked at him with curious eyes and silently took the envelope from his hands, paying attention to how Jeff seemed to tense up but also relax at the same time once he realized there was no turning back now. Everyone at the table was waiting for their leader to take charge and Eddie felt a very familiar sensation settling on his chest - this is how they looked at him at the start of each Hellfire session: with trusting eyes, hopeful, excited, and, perhaps, even a little bit scared. He ripped open the letter, careful to not destroy what was inside, his face giving away nothing as he gave it a quick overlook.

“Dear Mr. Jeffrey Patton,” he began, rising from his chair and using the clear voice he had stored inside for pompous characters in his campaigns. Dustin chuckled and he continued. “After careful review of your application and supporting documents, we are pleased to extend this offer of acceptance-”

“HOLY SHIT!” Jeff let out the biggest screech they had ever heard coming from him in the many years the boys had known him.

“You got in!” Gareth and Dottie said at the same time, pulling him up and into a frantic hug as the rest of the boys cheered around the table.

“I got in!”

“Keep reading!” Mike pleaded with a grin.

“We are pleased to extend this offer of acceptance into the baccalaureate degree program at West Virginia State University for the September 1986 semester,” Eddie read in his normal voice, watching his friends erupt in celebration. “We are excited about you joining us as a student at WVSU!”

“Dude, you’re going to college!” Donny shook Jeff who still had disbelief painted all over his face.

“You’re not just going to college, you’re going to your dream college!” Dottie added, vibrating with excitement.

“Congrats, man,” Eddie told him, putting the letter back in his hand. “You totally deserve it.”

“Thanks,” Jeff looked at him for a second before pulling the taller boy into a side hug. “For everything.”

“Ah, no worries,” he palmed his back in return. “Come back and visit often, okay? We’re gonna miss our main singer.”

“I’ll kill you if you replace me,” he joked back, feeling lighter than a feather.

As everyone congratulated Jeff and lunch ticked on, Eddie had the sinking feeling that he was losing his grip on his own life in the last few months of his third senior year. He was barely hanging onto the hope that he’d finally get to graduate and pass down the Hellfire torch to Dustin and Mike, but the large backlog of assignments he had never completed piling at the back of his locker was making him much more uncomfortable than he’d like to admit. Yes, he had certainly been showing up for almost all his classes for a month straight now (thanks to a certain wavy haired girl sitting next to him at lunch every day, and also pulling him to the library during their shared free periods three times a week… and also insisting on religiously having a study group meeting every Wednesday after band practice, a meeting he’d stupidly proposed once because he wanted her to see him pretending to be a rockstar) but just showing up wasn’t even 50% of the grade. And Eddie wanted, no, needed to graduate in July. It was getting embarrassing to still be in high school as a soon to be 20 year old.

And now Jeff was leaving for Institute, West Virginia, and Dottie had an already punched ticket for Ann Arbor, Michigan since before he’d even met her, and Eddie felt… left behind. Gareth was gonna go to community college to become a great percussionist, Donny had his family business to get into after high school, and what did Eddie have? His stupid drug dealing gig that he was getting more and more uncomfortable handling the older he got, terrified of ending up in jail like his shitty Dad, and zero job prospects after graduation. He felt like he’d failed before he’d even had a chance to start. He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the cafeteria clearing out, his friends saying bye and hurrying to their next classes along with the rest of the Hawkins High students.

“Ed?” that gentle voice he adored so much reeled him back to Earth. “Everything okay?”

“Just peachy, darling,” he looked up at Dottie, standing next to him, her pastel folder clutched to her chest. “Aren’t you gonna be late for class?”

“No, I’ve got a few more minutes. I wanted to swing by the school newspaper club thingy before Spanish but I can stay with you if you aren’t feeling well.”

“I’m okay, I’ll walk you,” he stood up, grabbing his lunchbox and gesturing for her to lead the way. “Why are you going there, though?”

“Oh, they are looking for an extra editor and I thought it could be fun.”

“I think our definitions of fun are very different, Dot.”

“Shut up,” she chuckled. “I just wanna try stuff before high school is over, y’know? Get a little variety in.”

“Are we boring you? Is Hellfire not enough? Oh my god, are you dumping us?” Eddie said, clutching his chest, ever the drama queen.

“I could never dump you, you idiot,” she glanced at him with a shy smile on her lips and he could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. She turned towards him as they reached the school newspaper’s room. “I’ll see you at Gareth’s later, okay? We can work on that essay you were complaining about yesterday.”

“I’ll get the guys to play your song as payment,” he leaned next to the door, looking down at her.

“It’s a deal. Now go to class!”

Eddie watched her disappear into the room with a goofy grin on his face, an idea taking shape in his brain. You just gotta clean up your act, Chrissy’s voice rang in his head, clear as day. Help her out a little bit! And did Eddie have the perfect solution for all his problems right at his fingertips.

Dottie stood in front of a sweet looking girl she was fairly sure was in her AP Research class and a boy with glasses and a scar on his face, wringing her hands behind her back nervously. The girl was looking over the resume Dottie had thrown together the previous night, taking advantage of her Dad’s computer to make it look professional and serious.

“Why do you wanna be an editor?” the boy asked as the girl flipped to the second page.

“Ms. Kelly recommended it to me, actually,” Dottie said. “She knows one of my options in college is to major in English and mentioned you were looking for volunteers.”

“One of your options?” the girl lifted an eyebrow, looking at her once before going back to her resume.

“Yes, it’s either English or Elementary Education.”

“Well, your credentials are… excellent,” the girl smiled at Dottie. “We are in AP Research together and I know you get better grades than me. An A in English Literature also. Where are you going to college?”

“University of Michigan.”

“Impressive,” the curly haired girl returned the papers back to Dot’s hands. “Welcome to the team, I’m Nancy, this is Fred.”

“Thank you, it’s nice to meet you both. Congrats on Emerson!” she commented, noticing the shirt Nancy was wearing.

“Thanks! Come back after class and we’ll show you around.”

Donny was smoking under a ledge, shielding himself from the heavy rain while Dottie finished her little tour of The Weekly Streak’s room and met a few other students who were bustling around. Fred filled her in on her duties, which thankfully weren’t many: one of their editors had left to focus on his finals so now it was her responsibility to help edit and rewrite the stories submitted each week until they fit the high standards Nancy set for everyone as the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. As faith would have it, Nancy was Mike’s older sister and she was entirely too amused by the fact that Dottie was the girl that had caused her brother to spend an entire day pestering their mother for birthday gift ideas just a week ago. Once they were done with the show-and-tell, introductions had been made and a stack of papers had been shoved into Dottie’s hands, she said her goodbyes promising to bring back everything that had been assigned to her on Friday before lunch and hurried through the hallways to get to her very patient friend so they could pick up his bass and speed off to Gareth’s house.

Once they were settled in, Dottie, now sitting at her usual spot near the front, pulled out one of her textbooks to use as a hard surface and began to work through the unedited story stack, stopping every once in a while to watch her boys as they rocked the garage for all the neighbors to hear. Eddie was doing his best to distract her from her papers, and he was way too happy about the fact that he was succeeding more often than not; in her defense, she absolutely loved watching them perform and would gladly put her red pen down when her favorite long haired rockstar twirled around with his guitar, making faces and pointing at her when he wanted her to sing along. The last song they got to play before Gareth’s mom pulled up into the driveway was Hot Patootie from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the sole reason why they were now closing every Wednesday band practice with it, was that Dottie absolutely adored Rocky Horror. It was not a song they would have willingly played before, but Eddie kept making them practice it because it made her happy, and if the boys were being honest, they loved making their biggest fan happy. Especially because it meant that she’d be in a good mood going into their study session and would help her friends with their respective homework no matter how difficult the subject was without complaining once.

They were laying around in different parts of the living room, the radio turned on as background noise as they worked steadily through their pile of assignments. Gareth’s mom, happy to see the loud, rowdy teenagers she’d known for the past four years behave like contributing members of society, had brought them snacks to fuel their activities and retired to her bathroom to have a nice, long soak in the bathtub before her husband arrived from work. Donny was working on his Algebra worksheet at the dining table, Jeff and Gareth were going over the units for their Statistics final at the coffee table, and Dottie was on her final newspaper story on the floor next to Eddie who was currently suffering through an old English Literature assignment he had never completed.

“Fuckin’ shit,” he muttered, crossing out a sentence he had just written.

“What’s wrong?” Dottie asked, looking at his profile, his hair falling on his face as he laid on his stomach on the soft carpet. His eyelashes are so long, what the fuck.

“I can’t- I have no more words. Nothing is coming out anymore. I think I’ve used “therefore” at least three times in the same fucking paragraph,” he threw down his pen and rested his head on top of his arms.

“Come on, don’t give up yet. Let me see,” she pushed herself to a kneeling position and crawled towards him, dropping her weight so close to him that their shoulders were now touching.

Dottie read from his notebook carefully, snorting every once in a while when she found a sentence particularly funny or charming; he turned his head on his forearm, resting his cheek by his right wrist and watched her eyes move along the page, mesmerized. She lifted her gaze from the paper and smiled at him, before returning to his surprisingly legible handwriting.

“Okay, it’s not bad, but I think your paragraphs are out of order,” she said, grabbing his pen from the floor and drawing a few arrows on his notebook. “See, here, you talk about the symbolism in the buildings and make a connection with the importance of reputation, but you haven’t even established who the characters are yet, you do that in the next paragraph. You need to put this one first,” she drew a big number one on the margin next to the second blurb of text. “And here, in the third one, you argue that the story is about the duality of human nature but in the first paragraph you say that Jekyll was always evil, he just needed to let it out, which, fair enough, but if he was pure evil, then where’s the duality you talk about?”

“Can I just not use that sentence?” he watched her tap his pen to her lower lip, deep in thought.

“I mean, it’d be better to rework it but if you cut it out it wouldn’t be terrible. You’d still understand the rest.”

“And what about the million therefores?”

“Change this one-” she scribbled on the page. “-to “consequently”, and this one to “for this reason”. It’s not ideal but it should be alright.”

“Thank you, princess,” he said, lifting himself up on his arms to press a kiss to the right side of her forehead. “What would I do without you?”

“Get a D in English Lit?” she teased, a faint redness spreading through her cheeks.

Adorable, Eddie thought, for what was probably the millionth time since he’d met her. They kept working in silence, Dottie not making a move to get away from him, focused on the last sentences of the story she was checking for spelling mistakes. By now she’d read enough from reporter Mason Kaplan to know that he had atrocious spelling and she couldn’t, no, wouldn’t give his work back to Nancy with such egregious errors. Drawing a little happy face at the bottom of the paper to mark it as revised, she let herself drop to the floor completely and rolled to lay on her back, eyes closed and hair falling around her head like a halo, letting her shoulders and neck rest for a bit. The movement distracted Eddie, who turned his head to watch her tired expression melt into one of pure relaxation.

She sighed, exhausted, and he had the overwhelming need to kiss her closed eyelids, help her sink into a comfy nap in the safety of his arms. Instead, he twirled his pen in his hand in an attempt to control his own limbs from doing something stupid mere feet away from their friends. At this point in time, Eddie had to admit to himself that he didn’t entirely care if they noticed him following her around like a lap dog, but he wasn’t ready to face rejection just yet. His plan was barely in motion; he hadn’t made his moves, he hadn’t “cleaned up” like Chrissy had suggested yet.

“You’re staring,” Dottie whispered, a mischievous smile on her lips.

“How would you even know that, your eyes are closed,” he muttered back.

“Because I don’t hear you writing and I know you,” she turned to look at him, noticing his big, gentle brown eyes on hers. “You’ve been distracted all day.”

“I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

“Would you…” he began, stopping to check that the other boys were too busy to overhear their conversation. “Can you help me with school?”

“Is that not what we’re doing with this study group thing?” she was confused.

“Yes, but, like… more?” he cringed at his own words. It was hard to think with her face so close to his. “I really, really, really want to graduate and I think I’m close this time but I’m so stupid I-”

“Don’t do that,” Dottie frowned.

“What?”

“Don’t call yourself stupid. You’re not. You’re so smart, Eddie, it’s infuriating.”

A beat passed with them looking at each other’s expressions; hers was frustrated, his was disbelieving. It occurred to Dottie that no one had ever bothered to praise him, at least certainly not in an academic setting, and she wondered if that was part of the reason he felt nothing he ever did was enough so he had just stopped trying. She felt words spilling out of her mouth before she could stop them, but truthfully, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hold them back this time. Not when he was staring at her like that.

“It’s actually upsetting how badly you think of yourself sometimes. Yeah, big deal, your grades suck but it’s because you don’t do the work, not because you can’t do it. I’ve literally gotten better at Calculus since I’ve started sitting next to you.”

“You had an A in Calc before you switched seats.”

“Yeah, and I used to cry while doing the worksheets before I had you to explain them to me. Why the fuck are there letters in my numbers?” he chuckled. “My point is that you are as smart as you are lazy.”

“Ouch,” he said, dramatically. At her pointed silence, he continued. “Look, I know that I’ve had plenty of opportunities and I blew them on my own, alright? And I really am grateful that you help me enough as it is but I was wondering if maybe you could, I don’t know, help me out for the finals? If I have to do senior year one more time, I’ll end up dropping out. I don’t wanna put my Uncle through that, I’m sure he’s embarrassed already, and it’s not like anyone will give me a job if I never graduate.”

He looked so dejected. Like he was carrying the world’s heaviest backpack and couldn’t afford to misstep now. Dottie’s heart broke for him and began running dates and numbers and bulleted lists in her head. She was going to make a study plan for him, and she was going to make sure he stuck to it no matter what. It was time someone showed him that he wasn’t doomed yet, that he could do this. She reached out a hand to his face, palm resting on his cheek and his eyes fluttered at the gentle gesture.

“You got this,” she said with such confidence that he couldn’t help but agree. “We are gonna figure out everything that you need to do to get your grades up, and we’re gonna work on that until finals week, okay? And you’re gonna come with me to the library on every free period and you’re going to actually do your work instead of watching me do mine while you doodle all over my books,” he smiled, knowing that she didn’t mind having his silly little drawings on the margins of her pages. “And we’re gonna get together every day after class and we’re gonna study. Three weeks, Eddie. Even on the weekends. I’m not gonna do your work for you.”

“I know. I don’t want you to do it for me, that’s not what I’m asking. I just kinda... need you there to tell me to do it.”

“Then I’ll do that for you. But you gotta promise you’re gonna listen to me, okay?”

“I always listen to you, darling,” he lifted his own hand to envelop hers, dragging it away from his face and pressing a kiss to her wrist.

“I’ll do everything you tell me to, I’m gonna pass all my exams and I’ll graduate and I’ll- I’ll fucking take you to prom. Hellfire Class of ‘86. I promise.”

“Good. Now finish your essay so we can go home before it starts hailing again,” she got up, heart racing and rosy cheeks, and quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

Three weeks. Eddie could pretend to be a fucking valedictorian candidate for three weeks if it meant he wouldn’t be disappointing her. And his Uncle, who had supported him all this time while he had been nothing but a piece of shit who refused to even crack open a textbook. May was his last chance. He could do this. He was gonna pass all his finals, deliver all the assignments he owed, turn 20, and get that goddamn diploma, or he’d die trying. And in all honesty, Eddie Munson had no desire to die just yet because there was a gorgeous girl that thought he was smart enough twirling around to a pop song on the radio in Gareth’s kitchen that he really wanted to kiss before his heart officially gave out.

taglist (let me know if you want me to add you!): @munsonology

[aproxm]

happy black history, you can celebrate with this

[lunastar92]

That's awesome and adorable!

I hope Grace & Joseph have a beautiful lasting friendship like Christopher Meloni & Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU/OC), Michael Seater & Ashley Leggat (Life With Derek/Life With Luca), and Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring Franchise)

[svu-oc-obsessed]

I can't wait till (if) I have kids and they become so obsessed with something that it controls their every thought, because im gonna hype them up so much, im gonna listen to everything they have to say, im gonna watch their little videos, and if i don't care IM NOT GONNA SHOW IT AND MAKE THEM FEEL WEIRD ABOUT THEIR SPECIAL INTRESTS!

[elizabethloveuniverse]

[focr]

Though God seems to be at a distance, and to hide his face from me; yet he is, in truth, at my right hand, ready to help me, and will publicly acquit me from all the calumnies of mine adversaries; will clear up my righteousness, and show, by many and mighty signs and wonders, that I lived and died his faithful servant. Who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me — I challenge all my accusers to stand and appear before the Judge, and to produce all their charges against me: for I am conscious of mine own innocence, and I know that God will give sentence for me. Who is he that shall condemn me? — That dare attempt, or can justly do it? Lo, they all — Mine accusers and enemies; shall wax old as a garment — Shall pine away in their iniquity: the moth shall eat them up — They shall be cut off and consumed, by a secret curse and judgment of God, compared to a moth, Hosea 5:12. ~ Joseph Benson

[kingrosalani]

This was so long ago but i will never forget it

[fearsmagazine]

TEETH - Review

SYNOPSIS: “Dawn O’Keefe is an evangelical Christian teen with a powerful secret not even she understands – when men violate her, her body bites back. Literally. From Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) and Anna K. Jacobs (POP!),TEETH, based on the cult classic film of the same name, is a fierce, rapturous, and savagely entertaining new musical crackling with irrepressible desire and ancient rage – a dark comedy conjuring the legend of one girl whose sexual curse is also her salvation.” - Press Release

REVIEW: In 2007 filmmaker Mitchell Lichtenstein, the son of artist Roy Lichtenstein, unleashed his tale of a contemporary American female teenager who discovers her body possesses a physical secret when she encounters male violence, vagina dentata; a myth that is found across cultures and eras, about a vagina that has a lethal set of teeth.

In the stage adaptation of Lichtenstein’s vision, Anna K. Jacobs and Michael R. Jackson successfully retain the story's essence while making it fresh for a theater audience. In this adaptation, the lead character, Dawn's home life is restructured, with her father now portrayed as a charismatic preacher and her brother, Bard, still grappling with issues from their youth but influenced by technology rather than as a heavy metal/skinhead. These changes create a more dynamic structure for their dysfunctional family unit. Notably, the myth plays a more central role in the stage adaptation, and the supporting cast of teenage promise keeper girls serve as a Greek chorus. My guest and I both felt that the staging had a feel of Stepehen King’s “Carrie,” his novel, DePalma’s film and maybe the rival of the play. TEETH reaches its climax in a visually captivating and chaotic clash of religious conservatism and feminism, expertly staged in a way that surpasses Frank Oz's never fully realized ending in the film adaptation of "Little Shop of Horrors." Incorporating many of the contemporary social sexual issues in our zeitgeist with satire makes for an extremely entertaining and thought provoking theatrical experience.

The musical numbers were a delight. The combination of traditional Broadway musical songs and 70's and 80's pop songs in Jacobs' music was excellent. Jackson's lyrics added to the story and provided a splendid blend of humor and drama. While some of the lyrics were risqué, they never felt as shocking as something from "South Park" by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Jacobs and Jackson provided some magical musical moments that showcased the entire cast's vocal abilities. Choreographer Raja Feather Kelly did a remarkable job in creating dance routines, despite having to work in horrific moments at times.

The production design, set, lighting, SFX, and sound designs are all of Broadway caliber. The stage design employs impressive elements with subtle movements that contribute to the narrative. At certain moments, all of these elements come together to create a truly magical theater experience. The set design takes advantage of every inch of space in bringing the story to life. Most of the play's costumes are effective, they become more creative and interesting in the final act.

The cast of TEETH is nothing short of brilliant. Lead actress Alyse Alan Louis shines in her portrayal of Dawn. Her performance effortlessly blends innocence, comedic timing, powerful vocals, and a nuanced handling of sensual scenes. Meanwhile, her male counterparts—Steven Pasquale, Jason Gotay, Will Connolly, and Jared Loftin—face a daunting task. Not only do they create memorable characters, but they also navigate multiple roles and costume changes with ease, all the while delivering captivating musical numbers that showcase their talents. This ensemble cast is truly exceptional, and one can only hope that they will grace us with a cast recording of the show.

Michael R. Jackson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winner of "A Strange Loop," has created a show that is consistently selling out. My guest, who was initially unaware of the show's premise and the creative team, was astounded upon learning about it at the end. They were also unfamiliar with the source material, which left them with a strong desire to seek it out. From my perspective, any adaptation that inspires viewers to seek out the original work is a significant accomplishment. "TEETH" ranks among my legendary theater experiences, akin to my cherished memories of attending the original Broadway productions of "Little Shop of Horrors," "Phantom of the Opera," "Les Misérables," and "Hadestown," that come to mind. "TEETH" offers an unforgettable and haunting theatrical experience that should not be missed.

TEETH contains intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and strong language. Age Recommendation: Teeth is appropriate for audiences ages 17+. The play runs approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes with no intermission.. Performances are Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 PM, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Tickets are $120.00 plus $2.00 fee. Tickets are now on sale at https://my.playwrightshorizons.org/events. For more information, visit www.playwrightshorizons.org/shows/plays/teeth/#play-body.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

[stillcominback]

✨back by popular demand✨

[that-innovational-artist-studioz]

Rest in peace, Eddie 💔🕊️

Your sacrifice will never be forgotten. He died on March 27th, 1986.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Please wake up, Max. She was killed on March 27th, 1986, but El resuscitated her and she now remains in comatose.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Jason, while I wish you would’ve been more open-minded, you deserved to die. Sorry not sorry. He was killed on March 27th, 1986.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Rest in peace, Fred and Patrick 💔🕊️

Fred was killed on March 22nd, 1986. Patrick was killed on March 25th, 1986.

[mikesfilmtalk]

Moguls: The Story of Two Bowery Boys Making Good

Moguls is a story about two “bowery boys” making Good. Brothers Nicholas and Joseph Schenck pulled into the entertainment world with guns blazing. Author’s Michael Benson and Craig Singer took over the reins to bring these shadowy, to the public at least, two to the fore. These Jewish immigrants came to America to survive. They ended up defining the film and entertainment world as we know it and…