You get the sense that Joe likes to charm people more than he likes to offend them, and that makes him so three-dimensional, not just a stereotypical punk. He's incredibly talented at charming people; does it like breathing.

Well, Joe is obviously as comfortable being obnoxious & offensive as he is being charming... but I think Joe has a well-honed instinct for which skill will best accomplish a task. (And I think he knows how to turn it off and on... for people like Tiffany, for example!) You can see his instincts in action in that sunset road scene where he chastises Pipe, tries to calm Johnny down, etc. And Joe doesn't actually seem to want (or need) much -- he's happy, as he says, with hookers and taxicabs. What he does want (Billy) is something he can only get through human interchange, charm, manipulation, give and take, thinking ten steps ahead like a chess game, and genuine feeling.

Thanks for posting this. I just loved it! I can't believe these three great stories are your rejects from the challenge. Can't wait to see what you finally sent in for the challenge.

Oh, jeeze, I didn't mean to imply that these were the "low quality" stories... just that I (and malnpudl, my beta) didn't think they quite met my recipient's criteria as well as the one that I submitted. I'd hate to raise expectations too high! They're just four stories through which my Joe/Billy headspace moved in the process of trying to come up with a fitting fic exchange story. Nothing major!

Thanks very much for the fb. I do appreciate it.