Humannequin (twenty one pilots-RUBY)

7.Hear You Me

November 2015

"Sometimes I wonder what my life would be without books."

"Pretty boring probably. Not magical," Josh said.

They were browsing at the local bookstore. Tyler liked to do the appropriate research before purchasing books: search online, shop around, read extensive reviews and then order them. But nothing compared to the comfort of being surrounded by so many books. He and Josh usually browsed and then read in silence (something they usually did at home too and even at Puzzles). That day they were in a silly mood, laughing at book titles, picking up random novels and reading out-of-context extracts and then giving them ridiculous contexts, just for their mere amusement. 

" 'The best thing about reading is to escape from your life, to be able to live hundreds or even thousands of different lives. Non-fiction doesn't have that power, it doesn't change you the way fiction does'."

"Non-fiction also doesn't make you have an existential crisis every time you finish a book or destroy your feelings..."

"But that's how you know things are important, right? They hurt." 

Josh was everything right with the world. Of course he wasn't perfect, no one is. But every time Tyler approached him, he thought: Your soul will capture me. And it never failed to do so, because Josh's ideas, his actions, his entire being were captivating. It didn't matter if it were a quote or his own thoughts. He just knew the right thing to say and the right thing to do. And he didn't need to make some great, memorable speech. Just sitting in silence next to each other, doing whatever, was good enough for Tyler. In fact, it was bloody brilliant.

"Sometimes I think about all those fictional characters, you know," Josh said. "They're just people like you and me. Seemingly plain, normal, boring... Until they aren't. Until something extraordinary happens. Until they discover they possess supernatural abilities or a great destiny to fulfill. Until some giant comes kicking down their door and tells them they're a wizard, you know what I mean? But the thing is, you don't need to be a wizard or a demigod or a shadowhunter to be extraordinary and make a change. That's why I like to interpret all that magic and science fiction as a metaphor. A metaphor for our own human strength, our human courage and perseverance and our very human flaws as well."

Was meeting Josh his 'giant kicking down his door'?

"And all those villains, Voldemort , Darth Vader... The Big Bad Wolf, if you like...all the forces of evil- in my mind, they just symbolise very ordinary every-day life obstacles that we need to overcome. Maybe our own personal demons." Josh took a deep breath. "Of course there are fictional villains that come pretty close to real-life ones like Umbridge representing the injustice and abuse of authority or the Capitol and corrupt governments... But the heroes keep fighting for what they believe in until they win or they die trying." Josh made a long pause then, sighed and went on.
"That's the main thing I like about heroes, you know. They don't just tell you that you need to live. That you have to, like it's some quote they have memorised. Heroes show you that whatever happens, holding on is worth it."

Tyler's life didn't turn upside down the moment he met Josh. He didn't just instantly become happy, that was for sure. Even at times when he felt generally okay, there were still days when he mostly lied in bed and stared at the ceiling, not wanting to do anything. Josh didn't just make him want to become a better person, someone who participates in life. He had struggled with that way before he even met the boy.
But Josh seemed to effortlessly guide him to make small steps every day and it all happened so naturally and peacefully, without making a very big deal out of everything that Tyler would wake up some days and feel like a completely different, better person, but at the same time, not changed at all. Wait a second, since when do I smile at strangers? he noticed once. Or: Oh my God, did I just raise my hand in class?