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askcowboywarbler · 3 months

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wait, is that TUCKER “TUCK” ATKINSON? they kinda look a lot like NICK ROBINSON, don’t they? i heard the TWENTY ONE year old is known as the THE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN around mckinley. it seems like they auditioned to be in THE WARBLERS which is so lame? people at campus have said they’re RESPECTFUL, but don’t be fooled since they’re also BLUNT. rumor has it, you can find them at DALTON BASEBALL when they aren’t belting show tunes. their entire vibe revolves around WELL WORN COWBOY BOOTS, A FISH OUT OF WATER, COUNTRY MUSIC BLASTING FROM THE SPEAKERS IN A CAR WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN but no one pays attention to that here in ohio.

🎤 auditioning with… revival by zach bryan

(MORE BELOW THE CUT)

3+ HEADCANONS

TW: Death, Car Accident

His Mom and Dad split when he was only 2 years old, the divorce was messy and though Tucker was originally going to be living with his Mom full-time she passed less than a two years later in a car accident. His Dad didn’t want custody of him so he moved in with his Grandma and Grandpa on his Mother’s side who raised him until this point. They gave him a wonderful childhood filling their home with love and hard work believing that if you wanted something bad enough and you worked hard for it, you could achieve it.

For his first year of college he was originally attending a small college in rural Tennessee on a baseball scholarship as a pitcher. But, the coach that he had agreed to play for received an offer to coach at Dalton instead when the season ended. Starting this new year fresh and moving far away from home he decided to follow the coach and play for Dalton hoping that the slightly larger school and the better competition would push him forward. Unbeknownst to him when he took the new scholarship, his grandparents just told him that his Dad (the one that left him when he was 2) is living just an hour away from his new school.

Tucker has always liked singing, his grandpa taught hims how to play guitar and he was even in a few musicals in middle and high school but he never thought he would have the opportunity to join a show choir like The Warblers until one of its members overheard him singing on campus one day and asked him to join. He’s one of the newest recruits in the group being that it’s his first year at Dalton and so-far he’s not completely sold on the Academy of all boys but is getting used to it.

BASICS —

FULL NAME: Tucker Kade Atkinson

NICKNAMES: Tuck, TK, Cowboy

GENDER: Cismale

PRONOUNS: He/Him

SEXUALITY: Unfortunately Heterosexual

AGE: Twenty One

BIRTHDAY: July 23

ZODIAC: Leo

HOGWARTS HOUSE: Hufflepuff

JOB: Student & Barista at The Lima Bean

GLEE CLUB: The Warblers

MAJOR: Hospitality

PERSONALITY —

CHARACTER INSPO: Woody (Toy Story), Matt Saracen (Friday Night Lights), Sav Bhandari (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Flynn Rider (Tangled), Hawkeye (MCU), Finnick Odair (Hunger Games), John B (Outer Banks)

PLAYLIST: Sarah’s Place (Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan), Fast Cars and Freedom (Rascal Flatts), Just To See You Smile (Tim McGraw), Guitars and Tiki Bars (Kenny Chesney), Firecracker (Josh Turner), Twang (Mason Ramsey), Kinfolks (Sam Hunt), ‘98 Braves (Morgan Wallen), Stars Like Confetti (Dustin Lynch), Too Sweet (Hozier)

Wanted Connections

Hook Ups

Flirtationship- Madison McCarthy

Volunteer Buddies

Best Friends

Teammates (Baseball)

Roommate

Childhood Friends- Nick Duval (attended the same baseball camp in tennessee)

Person who introduced him to The Warblers- Blaine Anderson (was the one that heard him singing on campus and helped him with his audition)

Crush

Enemies

Show Choir Mentor

Frequent Customer at The Lima Bean- Dottie Kazatori

#bio.#wmacintro

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sleepdeprivedsimp234 · 8 months

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!!Human Name HC’s for the states!! (Don’t question the last names nor the fact that only some have middle names cuz i will not hesitate to throw the chancla, I am a professional 🤠🩴✨)

Alabama: Alan Johnson (Nickname: Al)

Alaska: Ivan Morozov (Nickname: None)

Arizona: Alejandro Desilva (Nickname: Ali, Ro)

Arkansas: John Merryweather (Nickname: Johnny)

California: Calvin Solester (Nickname: Cal, Calv)

Colorado: Colton Fournier (Nickname: Col, Colt)

Connecticut: Connie Laurel Kirkland (Nickname: None)

Delaware: Darrel O’Connor (Nickname: None)

Florida: Flynn Martinez (Nickname: None)

Georgia: George Casey (Nickname: Georgie, Geo)

Hawaii: Aolani Kekoa (Nickname: Lani, tho only Alaska can call her this-)

Idaho: Ian Ryder (Nickname: None)

Illinois: Isaac Williams (Nickname: None)

Indiana: Indiana Jones :3 (Nickname: Indi, Diana)

Iowa: Michael Sawyer (Nickname: Mike, Mikey)

Kansas: Kayden Tarrel (Nickname: Kay, Kaydee)

Kentucky: Ken Davidson (Nickname: Kenny)

Louisiana: Louis Beaumont (Nickname: Lou, and his first name is pronounced Loui)

Maine: Mac Barkley (Nickname: None)

Maryland: Merri (yes we must be fancy-) Smith (Nickname: None)

Massachusetts: Matthew Mayflower Kirkland (Nickname: Matt, and Mattie which was given to him by NY)

Michigan: Omar Johansson (Nickname: None.)

Minnesota: Marley Dickinson (Nickname: Mar)

Mississippi: Morgan Mackentire (Nickname: None)

Missouri: Max Haroldson (Nickname: None)

Montana: Monty Lambert (Nickname: None)

Nebraska: Nicholas Elsher (Nickname: Nick)

Nevada: Nathan Hansley (Nickname: Nate)

New Hampshire: Niles Barkley (Nickname: None)

New Jersey: Vincent Kirkland (Nickname: Vin, Vinny which was also given to him by NY 🥺)

New Mexico: Stephen Sanchez (Nickname: None)

New York: Micah Rosales Kirkland (Nickname: None)

North Carolina: Nigel Hudson (Nickname: None)

North Dakota: Noah Lopez (Nickname: None)

Ohio: Buck Foxworthy (Nickname: Bucky. If you call him this, he might kill you so maybe just don’t-)

Oklahoma: Kai Campbell (Nickname: None)

Oregon: Owen Mire (Nickname: None)

Pennsylvania: Adam Jones (Nickname: None)

Rhode Island: Rhodey Nelson (Nickname: None)

South Carolina: Sebastian Hudson (Nickname: None)

South Dakota: Scott Lopez (Nickname: Scotty and only ND and his s/o can call him this. Anybody else will be dropped in the road during Sturgis.)

Tennessee: Sam Maxwell (Nickname: Sammy)

Texas: Terrence Morales (Nickname: Ter, Terry)

Utah: Peter Rickinson (Nickname: None)

Vermont: Malcolm Barkley (Nickname: Mal)

Virginia: Virginia Adams (Nickname: Ginny)

Washington: Whyatt Wesley (Nickname: None)

West Virginia: Wilson Adams (Nickname: Will, Willy)

Wisconsin: William Anderson (Nickname: Will, Willy. Him and WV get confused sometimes.)

Wyoming: Taylor Beckett (Nickname: Tay, Tay-Tay don’t call him this. Florida almost died.)

Gov: Eli (Ee-li) Jones (Nickname: None)

IDC: Elizabeth Jones (Nickname: Lizzy, Liz)

CDC: Drew Lynch (Cuz that’s who plays him and I’m lazy af)

FINALLYYYYYY!! This took too damn long 😭😭😭

#welcome to the table #welcome to the statehouse #ben brainard #wttt #wttsh #I’ve been curled up the entire time I was making this and my back is in pain 🥲👍#BUT ITS FINALLY DONE 😩✨

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invisibleraven · 7 months

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"you didn't have to do anything..." "but i wanted to." and rulie?

Julie groaned as she rolled over in her bunk, not wanting to face another day in the bus. Unfortunately, that was life on tour, and as much as it sucked, they were still on tour-going to filled stadiums, singing the songs they had written to thousands of adoring fans.

Julie just wished she could be home today of all days.

It was her birthday-something she knew going in would happen on tour, but she had hoped they would be close enough to California that she could pop home to be with her family, or they could come to her. But alas, they were somewhere close to Ohio, so she would have to live with a video call later that night.

Honestly Julie didn't even really want to celebrate. No fuss, no muss, just get on with the day like normal and maybe she could do her birthday in a week when they had a bit of a break.

She sent a text to Flynn to that affect, knowing she would control the guys' impulse to go over the top, and ensure no one let it slip during the show that night. It was just another day.

However, when she entered the kitchen area of the bus, there was a steaming mug of coffee waiting for her alongside a small cupcake with a candle in it. She rolled her eyes affectionately and blew it out. And well, no sense letting it go to waste ri? She scarfed it down alongside her coffee, looking around the bus. "Guys?" she called out. "Flynn?'

Nothing. Which was... concerning.

She got herself ready for the day, and since they were stopped to refuel, ventured outside. Flynn was pacing around on her phone, offering Julie a wave, but not much else. Business call then, as with anyone else, Flynn would put them on hold to say hello. She also pointed to the playground across the way.

Of course that was where the guys were. Julie grinned as she went over, secretively snapping a picture of Willie pushing Alex on the swings, Luke doing pull-ups on the monkey bars... but there was no sign of Reggie.

She scanned the area again and then her gaze fell on a familiar red flannel underneath a large tree. "Hey cariño," she said, pecking his cheek in greeting. "Not monkeying around?'

"Not today darlin'," he replied, gesturing to the notebook in his lap. "Got a song idea, wanted to get it down before it disappeared. Then I'll hit the slide."

Julie leaned her head on his shoulder, looking at what he had so far, humming the notes, then pausing. "Change that to E major," she said, pointing to one section.

Reggie stopped, and hummed it, then again with the changed note, beaming as he adjusted it. "Thanks Jules, that was bothering me."

He soon closed his book and tugged her towards the playground, the both of them giggling as they went down the staticky slide, got dizzy on the little merry-go-round, and almost laughed themselves hoarse as Luke and Willie went ham on the see-saw.

"Alright you hooligans! Time to ship out!" Flynn called.

They went on to their destination, and Julie couldn't help but smile-it was nice, on day where she was supposed to be acknowledging getting older that she got to pretend to be a kid again.

The show was amazing, as always, and thankfully no one in the audience tried to start a chorus of Happy Birthday, though she knew Luke was dying to get them to.

The trek back to the bus seemed to take forever though, as Flynn had them meet with a bunch of officials after the show, and then the crew wanted pictures, so Julie couldn't deny them that.

"Ooof, I'm pooped," she said as they finally left the venue, the bus almost looking like a shining beacon.

"Not too tired for a drink or two I hope?" Willie asked. "I got that pink vodka you like."

"One drink," Julie agreed.

Only when Julie entered the bus, there was a large birthday streamer across the wall, a cake topped with candles on the table, and-her family sitting around it.

"Papi!" she cried, rushing into Ray's arms, then snatching Carlos and Victoria into hugs. "What are you doing here?'

"Did you really think we'd miss your birthday mija?" her aunt asked.

"I didn't think you'd be able to come," Julie admitted.

"I shuffled stuff around," Ray replied. "Pulled a few strings to get a flight here."

"But how did know to come?" she asked.

Everyone's eyes flew to Reggie who was not looking back, his cheeks aflame. Julie rushed over to him, popping up on her toes to kiss him. "Thank you so much Reggie."

"You know I'd do anything for you Julie," he said, encasing her in his arms.

"You didn't have to do anything," she protested.

He shrugged. "But I wanted to."

She pulled him in for another kiss, tasting his smile, unable to hold her own back either.

"Alright, enough mushy stuff, let's get this party on!" Carlos called out.

Julie beamed, letting the festivities begin-enjoying the cake, and presents, and Flynn's reveal that they were staying at a hotel that night-absolute bliss.

But nothing topped when, alone in their room, Reggie played her his new song-the very one he had been writing earlier that day. And topped it off with a small, black box as a present-one she didn't even need to open to give him a very enthusiastic yes to his unasked question.

Later, admiring her ring, and snuggled into Reggie, Julie smiled to herself and thought for a birthday she didn't want to celebrate, this had been her best one yet.

#filled prompts #ficlet #rulie #julie and the phantoms

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hyperfixationsstation · 3 months

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2nd round draft picks:

15. Jameese Joseph (F/M) -> north carolina state -> chicago red stars

16. Lauren Flynn (D) -> florida state -> utah royals

17. Sam Meza (M/F) -> unc -> SEATTLE REIGN

18. Ellie Wheeler (F/M/D) -> penn state -> kc current

19. Avery Patterson (F/M/D) -> unc -> Houston Dash

20. Olivia Smith-Griffitts (D) -> byu -> Utah royals

21. Kiki Van Zanten (F/M) -> notre dame -> houston dash

22. Cori Dyke (M/D) -> penn state -> orlando pride

23. Olivia Wade Katoa (F/M/D) -> byu -> portland thorns

24. Natalia Staude (D) -> uva -> nc courage

25. Kelsey Kaufusi (D) -> utah state -> portland thorns

26. Emma Jaskaniec (F/M) -> wisconcin -> utah royals

27. Maddie Mercado (F/M) -> notre dame -> SEATTLE REIGN

28. Emma Sears (F/M) -> ohio state -> racing louisville

#nwsl #utah royals #seattle reign fc #nc courage #portland thorns #orlando pride #houston dash #kc current #nwsl draft 2024

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cheerfullycatholic · 11 months

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Anthony Apanovitch’s conviction was thrown out after a hearing in 2014 based on DNA evidence that the state secretly tested and hid from Tony for 24 years. Once the DNA evidence surfaced, there was a hearing before a judge at which the DNA testing was authenticated and admitted into evidence and both parties called DNA experts to testify about the test results. In early 2015, the court ruled that the “uncontroverted” and “unequivocal” evidence, including the newly-discovered DNA evidence, indisputably proved that the semen that came from the victim’s vagina did not come from Tony. And, because the state had accused and convicted Tony of being the sole perpetrator of the crime, the DNA evidence proved not only that Tony did not rape Ms. Flynn, but also that Tony did not murder her, as he had maintained for his 36 years on death row. The court then vacated Tony’s conviction and death sentence, and released him from death row.

Why isn’t Tony a free man today?

In November 2018, after two years of freedom living with and caring for with his wife and grandchildren, Tony was taken into custody and sent back to death row. The reason? The Court used a hyper-technical loophole regarding the way that the evidence proving Tony’s innocence was produced.

According to the Court, the DNA statute in Ohio applies only where the prisoner makes the request to test DNA. Tony didn’t ask for the testing to be done – indeed he never had the opportunity to make that request – because the state did the testing itself in secret without telling Tony or his lawyers, and then hid the results even though the DNA testing proved that Tony was not the perpetrator. So, according to the Court, because Tony didn’t ask for the testing (he couldn’t have since it was hidden), the results of that test were irrelevant even though they prove him innocent.

In the State of Ohio, who asked for the testing is more important than what the testing actually reveals! So, even though the DNA testing proved that Tony is innocent of the rape, he was stolen from his family once again and is now back on death row and facing execution simply because he didn’t and couldn’t request the testing that exonerated him.

As a matter of simple fairness and American jurisprudence, including critical safeguards embedded in the Constitution and laws of the United States, no person should ever be convicted of a crime, let alone sentenced to death, without a full and fair trial and the opportunity to confront and challenge the evidence lodged against him. Tony Apanovitch never got that chance.

Please sign this petition to let Ohio representatives and Governor DeWine know that you are outraged by how Tony has been treated, and that you expect, indeed demand, that they do everything possible to free Anthony Apanovitch as soon as possible.

#action network #death penalty action #anthony apanovitch #death penalty #anti death penalty #wrongful conviction #petition

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askpck · 3 months

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MEET PUCK.

auditioning with: panama by van halen.

“What do you want me to do? Apologize? That's not me, dude.”

wait, is that NOAH “PUCK” PUCKERMAN? they kinda look a lot like BRANDON FLYNN, don’t they? i heard the 22 year old is known as the THE DIRTBAG around mckinley. it seems like they auditioned to be in DULY NOTED which is so lame? people at campus have said they’re +RESOURCEFUL, but don’t be fooled since they’re also -IMPULSIVE. rumor has it, you can find them at MCKINLEY TITANS PRACTICE when they aren’t belting show tunes. their entire vibe revolves around AN EMPTY BOX OF CONDOMS, WRITING OBSCENE MESSAGES IN THE BATHROOM STALLS, AND KEEPING HIS NUNCHUCKS CLOSE BY, but no one pays attention to that here in ohio.

BASICS:

full name: noah "puck" puckerman. pronouns: he/him. nicknames: puck, puckerman, asshole . hometown: lima, ohio . birthday & age: july 30th / twenty-two years old. relationship status: dating santana lopez. sexuality: bisexual. occupation: student / pool cleaner . sports/clubs: wide receiver for the titans. glee club: duly noted. major: tbd.

HEADCANONS:

Puck believes he was dealt a pretty shitty deck of cards in life. His dad was AWOL most of his childhood until he basically decided to disappear when Puck was twelve. Puck always wondered if he had something to do with that, always wanting to impress his father. He always put his father up on a pedestal, though now he realizes that maybe he shouldn’t have. It’s no surprise that he acts exactly like his dad nowadays. After his dad left, Puck wanted to step up and become the “man of the house” for his mom and little sister.

With nothing but a net and a dream, Puck started his own pool cleaning business. His pool cleaning business is pretty successful, he has about five steady customers, all of which he gives the ultimate VIP treatment when he’s on the job. He considers himself an entrepreneur. He has ambitions to one day take his business statewide. He knows with his good looks, he’ll totally get by expanding his business.

He’ll never admit that music gives him joy. He knows it’s cool that he can shred on his guitar but like singing? He knows that’s not cool at all. And he’s only cool. He claims he only joined because boy bands are total chick magnets and not because he actually enjoys it.

He got held back in first grade, which is something that he usually doesn't talk about, but he isn't ashamed of it. He owns it.

Puck went to juvie for a few months when he was fifteen, after illegally taking his mom's car and trying to drive away with an ATM. His mom was complaining about how she didn't have money so he thought he'd do his part.

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

fwbs - classic fwbs, maybe there's feelings, maybe there's not.

best friends since childhood - has probably always put up with puck's shenanigans.

bad influence - these two are probably pretty terrible influences on each other.

gym buddy - self explanatory

jamming buddy - they probably jam on their guitars or whatever instrument the other person plays.

ex friends - he probably did something.

exes - again, he probably did something.

smoking buddies, maybe his plug.

literally anything and everything!!

TAKEN CONNECTIONS:

pregnancy tw

girlfriend - taken by santana lopez. they're kind of a mess but what relationship with puck isn't?

past hook up - taken by quinn fabray. she claims it's a one time thing, he thinks she can't resist the puckerman charm. little does he know that his condomless method didn't work this time.

#wmacintro #{ intro }#{ pinned post }

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lilys42 · 14 days

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Bandmates (Josh Dun)- Chapter Four

I wake up late into the morning, unsure of whether or not I had dreamed the whole experience last night. I open my phone and go through my contacts, and sure enough, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are listed. I immediately think about their offer to tour with them, and a mixture of excitement and anxiety churns in my stomach. I’m torn between staying in the small town band life I’m used to and traveling around the world with a well-established and famous band. I would no longer be practicing in basements and playing in old bars, half the patrons paying attention and the other half lost in their own conversations. I wouldn’t be making sandwiches with the expired ends of a loaf of bread because I didn’t get enough tips at my last gig to afford more, wouldn’t be making my own band merchandise and drawing my own logo. But wasn’t that the life I’d always wanted?

Ever since I graduated high school and flunked out of college my first year, I knew I wanted to be a musician. Rarely do bands make it to the status of the lucky few like Twenty One Pilots, but I didn’t care that I only had the smallest possibility of making it. I’d work part time jobs to make just enough money to get by as long as I could play music. I spent all my time during the day working so that Lukas, Flynn, and I could have late nights brainstorming new song ideas. We spent a lot of time practicing drunk, which never yielded good songs, but we didn’t have a care in the world.

I pull myself from my thoughts about the past and walk to the kitchen to get some coffee and breakfast. Rhea perks up from her spot on the couch when I appear.

“Morning. Did you get some good beauty sleep?” She asks with a glint in her eye.

“Yeah, I was exhausted when we got back. How about you?”

“Have any dreams about Ohio boys?” She completely ignores my question, obviously wanting to immediately grill me about Twenty One Pilots.

“Not that I remember. But I have been thinking about their offer.” I sit down next to her with my bowl of cereal and coffee.

“Oh? Do tell.” Rhea rests her hand on her chin and smiles at me in anticipation.

“My first instinct is to say yes. Even after mulling it over, I can’t ignore how incredible of an opportunity it is.” I begin.

“But..?”

“But it does make me a little scared. A lot scared, actually. I’d have to leave the only life I’ve ever known, and I’m so used to being a starved musician that barely makes enough money to survive that jumping to a band that makes millions would be a shock. And honestly, I’m most scared of losing my creativity. Everything about the tour is already planned out: the setlist, the stage design, the venues, the dates, even the songs themselves. Maybe they already have the harmonies worked out for me to sing, and who knows if I’d get to play my bass. I’m terrified that I’d miss the freedom of starting from scratch, you know? I don’t get to write lyrics and a melody, then get my bandmates to write the drums and guitar and finish off with a bass line that brings it all together. Isn’t that the beauty of being in a band? The chance to figure it all out together and have that unmatched feeling of finally pulling a song together?” When I finish and look over at Rhea, she’s looking at me with her mouth wide open.

“Damn, and here I was thinking it’d be a simple answer. I never considered…all of that. I completely understand where you’re coming from, but wouldn’t it be fantastic to get yourself recognized? You’ll have people lined up wanting to be in a band with you after they see you’ve worked with Twenty One Pilots. You’ll get your name on the map, and it won’t be so hard to start over with new bandmates. Plus, you pretty much have the guarantee of financial security. The pros outweigh the cons, do they not?” I think for a moment, but I still can’t come to a clear decision.

“I just don’t know.” She smirks at me knowingly, and I can easily guess what she’s about to say before the words come out of her mouth.

“Do I even need to mention how you’d get plenty of unsupervised time with that hunk of a drummer?” I can’t help it, my cheeks blush. We would be spending time together on a cramped tour bus, then hotel rooms, and backstage. And when Tyler goes to spend time with his wife, and we’re left alone…

“Look, why don’t you communicate with them about this? Maybe the decision will be a little easier if you tell them what you’re feeling. They might be able to ease some of those concerns.” Rhea suggests. And it’s a great idea. I finish my breakfast and text Tyler, asking if the three of us can meet up somewhere and talk about their offer. A few minutes later, I receive a message in response: Absolutely. Do you want to come to my house? Jenna and I are out getting coffee right now, but I can get Josh to come let you in and hang until we get back. I reply to his message, saying sounds good. He sends me his address, and when I look up from my phone again, Rhea is looking at me with her eyebrows raised.

“What?” I ask.

“You’re grinning like an idiot. Come on, give it up.” I hand her my phone, and she starts to smile too once she reads through the messages.

“Alone in a house with your drummer. You’ll have to take advantage of that opportunity.” She smirks knowingly.

“Oh, stop it. Will you drive me there?”

Twenty minutes later, Rhea pulls up in front of Tyler’s house. There’s a car in the driveway that I assume to be Josh’s, and my nerves light on fire all of a sudden.

“Deep breaths, Dani. They’re people.” Rhea reassures me, easily reading my thoughts as always.

“I know. I’m just still not used to this. What if I make it awkward?” I say.

“You won’t. I know you won’t. Once you get used to being around them, the conversation will flow easily. Now go on, it’s starting to feel like I’m dropping you off for your first day at kindergarten.” I chuckle, then force myself to open the door and walk up to the house.

“Text me if you need anything. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Rhea drives off, and I knock on the door. The muffled sound of barking and paws scurrying across the floor comes from behind it, then footsteps. I take another deep breath, then Josh is standing in front of me. I take him in: brown hair tousled and un-styled, black t-shirt and gym shorts, and a pair of scuffed white Nikes. He gives me a wide smile, then his golden retriever, Jim, shoves his head between Josh’s leg and the doorframe to greet me.

“Hey Dani! It’s good to see you again.” He says brightly.

“It’s good to see you too. And to finally meet Jim.” Josh opens the door for me to come in, and I immediately lean down to pet the dog. His tail swishes back and forth excitedly.

“How are you doing? I know last night was…a lot.” Josh asks.

“A lot better. It really helped having you and Tyler there when I was freaking out. I will admit it was a bit embarrassing to have a panic attack in front of people. That’s why I usually hole myself off from everyone.” I explain, opening up a lot more than I initially thought I would. I’m not the type to show my true feelings around anyone when I first meet them. Maybe it’s because I’m a fan of Twenty One Pilots, so I feel like I already know them, but it’s more the way Josh looks at me. He gazes at me with his brown eyes so full of concern and interest, and I can’t help but to spew every thought I’ve ever had. He looks at me like he cares.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed. At all. Ty and I both know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed like that, so we want to help. But I understand the urge to run and hide. Did you want to talk about the tour, or would you rather wait until Tyler gets here?” I smile at how much he’s making sure I’m comfortable, and I tell him we can go ahead and discuss what I’ve been thinking. We sit on the couch side by side, maybe a little closer than necessary, and Jim hops up next to Josh, affectionately laying his head on his lap. Josh strokes his fur absentmindedly, and I can’t help but watch the prominent veins in his hand as it moves. When I look back up to meet his gaze, he’s looking at me with a slight smirk on his face, like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. I ignore the heat creeping up my neck and say,

“I’ve kind of been spiraling, to be honest. Going on tour with you guys seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a really big deal, and I’ve never performed on a scale like that before.” The moment I start talking, I can’t stop. I didn’t expect to be trauma dumping to him, given that I’ve known him for less than twenty-four hours, but here I am anyways. I relay everything I said to Rhea, all my deepest darkest fears about the slim chance of being successful in music. He listens patiently, and when I’m done, tears are trailing down my face.

“God, I’m sorry.” I wipe my face and look away from him, my cheeks flushing from embarrassment this time. Josh brushes my arm lightly, and I turn to face him again. He’s looking at me with furrowed brows and a slight frown on his face. Not out of pity, but pure understanding and concern.

“Can I give you a hug?” He says quietly.

“I’d like that.” I expect him to stand up, but he pulls me to him on the couch instead, wrapping his arms around me, holding me sure and steady. My body immediately relaxes, and I press my face against his shoulder. Then he does something I really didn’t expect: he rests his chin on the top of my head. It’s such a simple gesture, but it’s so intimate. Maybe Rhea was right. Maybe he is into me. Or maybe I’m delusional and he’s just being nice.

“Thank you for sharing all of that with me. I know it wasn’t easy. If it helps you decide, Tyler and I talked about giving you a lot of creative freedom. This would be a collaboration more than us telling you what to do onstage. Sure, it’s a job, but we want you to have fun, first and foremost. Plus, I saw your energy when you were singing. You were genuine. You felt the music deep in your soul. That’s definitely the kind of person I want to hang out with for months on end.” Josh says honestly. I can hear a smile in his words as he talks. We let go of each other, and I suggest,

“Why don’t we all play a song together? That way we can get a feel for each other musically and if this would really work.” Josh suddenly grins from ear to ear.

“So, you’re considering saying yes?”

“I guess I am.” I laugh as he jumps up from his seat on the couch, Jim getting up with him and mirroring his energy. He grabs the dog’s front paws and lifts him up onto his hind legs, dancing with him and looking like a complete fool. I laugh harder, and all traces of panic or sadness leave me.

Suddenly, the front door swings open; Tyler and Jenna take in the very odd scene before them, and Tyler says,

“Am I interrupting something?”

“As a matter of fact, you did. Jim and I were having a moment.” Josh replies in a sassy tone. The golden retriever wrangles free from his grasp and goes to greet the couple.

“Well anyways, hi Dani! This is my wife Jenna.”

“Nice to meet you. Glad you kept this one in check and didn’t let him destroy the house while we were gone.” She says, pointing to Josh. I giggle at the fact that they keep talking about him like he’s their teenager.

“It’s nice to meet you too. Your house is beautiful.”

“Well thank you. I’ll leave you three alone to work on your music.” She smiles, kisses her husband, and heads upstairs. Tyler watches after her with an expression of pure love and adoration.

“So, how’s it going?” Tyler looks mainly to me when he asks this question, presumably checking in on my anxiety level exactly like Josh did.

“Better. Josh and I talked everything through a bit before you got here.” I explain everything that I told Josh and Rhea, and Tyler listens intently. Once I’m finished, Josh brings up his proposal to play a bit together so I can make a definite decision.

“Sounds like a great idea! And Dani, your fears and anxieties are completely valid. I mean, if you’d taken me out of my parents’ basement when I was first learning to write songs to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people, I’d freak out too. This is a big step, so let’s work through it together. Come on, let’s go downstairs.” Tyler says. I want to tear up at how good they’re being to me, but I fight back my breakdown this time. Josh scans my face and gives me a slight smile, like he can read the emotions just by looking in my eyes. He puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder as we go down to the soundproof basement. I miss every point of contact once he takes his hand away.

I feel a wave of calm wash over me as soon as I enter the room. There are a couple bass guitars lined up along the far wall, along with an electric guitar and a couple amps. Tyler has hung his ukuleles up on the wall, on full display. I recognize the instruments he plays onstage immediately, and they’re noticeably more worn down than the others, the wood and frets worn down from years of hands moving across the neck. Then, there’s Josh’s drum set. It’s a basic kit that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like his stage drums do. They’re plain white, and he has a couple backup drums, cymbals, and piles of drumsticks tucked away in a corner. Theres also a couch across the room and a mini fridge, which I imagine is full of Red Bull, Tyler’s drink of choice.

“So, do you play any instruments?” Tyler asks as he picks up a white electric bass and plugs it into an amp.

“I play bass, actually. I tried to learn drums, but I guess I don’t have the coordination. As soon as I touched the kit, it’s like I forgot any sense of rhythm.” Both the boys laugh softly, and Josh says,

“I could teach you sometime. If you want.” His hands are stuffed in his pockets, and he looks nervous. I can’t tell if it’s because he’s about to play his music with a new person, or if he was anxious to offer drumming lessons to me. Maybe a little bit of both.

“I’d like that.” I respond, and he lets a breath out. Tyler looks between us with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, then smirks.

“What songs of ours do you know on bass?” He breaks the weird trance between Josh and I, and I falter. It’s like every time I look at him, I forget how to be a person. I forget how to breathe, how to speak. The only thing on my mind is him, and the only thing I can focus on is trying to impress him, trying to make him like me. I can hear Rhea’s voice in my mind: just be yourself. He’s a person, just talk to him. I bring myself back to the present moment, and both Tyler and Josh are looking at me expectantly.

“Quite a few. My favorite to play is Jumpsuit. I’m working on a couple from Scaled and Icy, but since the album just came out and the tab isn’t available online, I’ve had trouble picking out the bass line.” I explain.

“Jumpsuit is a fun one. I can also look at some Scaled and Icy songs too with you. I could always give you the tab for it, and you can practice it on your own. Feel free to grab a bass and mess around.” Tyler points to the instruments, and I pick up a black one. I plug it into an amp, turn it on, and mess with the settings a bit until it sounds how I want it. I feel eyes on me, but when I look over to Tyler, he’s fiddling with the knobs on his own bass. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Josh hovering near me, watching my hands as I pluck a few strings on the bass. Just like I was watching him earlier.

“Alright Dun, get situated.” Tyler says. He reluctantly turns from me and heads over to his kit, his best friend nudging him with his elbow playfully before he sits down. As soon as he’s in the stool and there’s drum sticks in his hands, he visibly relaxes.

I take a deep breath, listen to Tyler counting down, then begin the song’s low opening bass notes. He watches me for a moment, and once Josh comes in on the drums, he starts improvising some backup notes. Tyler sings the first verse, and then nods to me once the second verse comes around. I sing quietly and unconfidently at first, and Tyler walks a few steps closer so he can hear me better. I look over at Josh, and he gives me an encouraging smile. Tyler starts to sing with me again, and the three of us find a comfortable rhythm that makes me let go of my lingering nerves. I start to move around just as I would onstage, close my eyes, and feel the music. Once I’m confident enough to sing at a normal volume, albeit slightly louder so I can hear myself over the drums, I realize Tyler and I sound good together. Really good. Our voices compliment each other: mine light and airy, his more raw with emotion and feeling.

Once the final notes of the song ring out, Josh and Tyler look at each other in wonder. “You know,” I say, “I think this just might work."

#twenty one pilots #josh dun #tyler joseph

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