Monday: Firsts
Hi! I’m brumeier, this is my first time hosting here, and today's theme is FIRSTS! Prompts can be anything, so long as it’s a first something (first date, first base, first grade).
Just a few rules:No more than five prompts in a row ( Read more... )
Just a few rules:No more than five prompts in a row ( Read more... )
It was a ritual Joe had, something he did before every concert started. Leaving his dressing room, he would make his way to the edge of the stage, close enough to see the crowd, far away enough that no-one in the crowd could see him. He only ever stayed for a couple of minutes, long enough to sample the atmosphere before he got on stage, enough to get his heart pumping, get his blood rate up.
On this, the first concert they'd played in almost two months?
The crowd excitement was off the charts.
His wasn't far behind but when he turned and began making his way back towards the dressing rooms, he saw Caitlin standing a little bit over to the side. There was no point beating around the bush about it: his new backing singer looked nothing short of terrified and Joe wondered for a moment if there was a bucket handy because it looked like she was shortly going to be in need of it. For a fleeting moment, he considered leaving her to it, or better yet, sending Iris or Cisco to talk to her, calm her down.
Then he remembered that they each had their own pre-show rituals and he changed course with no discernible pause, heading to stand beside Caitlin.
She saw him approaching, pasted a smile onto her face and it took him all of his considerable sangfroid not to tell her to knock it off, because it looked terrible. She might be able to sing, he thought, but she couldn't act worth a damn. She didn't try to dissemble either, came straight out with, "I have never been so nervous."
He leaned against the wall, looked down at her and gave her what he hoped was his best reassuring grin, the kind that he hasn't had to use since there had been monsters under Iris's bed. "You're gonna be fine," he told her and he knew it was the truth. He hadn't been sold on the need for a new singer, but the last month of rehearsals had definitely proved him wrong.
Caitlin drew in a shaking breath, let it out slowly. "I've never performed in front of so many people. Not that they're going to be looking at me, but still."
Joe took issue with that, because he'd heard her harmonising with him, particularly on Cisco's newer stuff and he thought she was going to get plenty of attention. He also knew better than to point that out to her at that point in time. He was trying to calm her down, not send her screaming into the night. "If it helps, once you're out there, you can't see much beyond the first couple rows." A memory occurred to him and he laughed. "Or if you're Barry and you're not paying attention, apparently you can't see to the edge of the stage and you nearly end up in the first row."
She stared at him for a moment in disbelief, then she shook her head as she laughed too. "I would ask you if that's true but it's too ridiculous not to be." She glanced at her watch, then all around her. "Where is everyone? I thought we said-"
"We did." Joe grins. "But we all have our rituals to take care of first. I like to sneak a peek at the audience. Cisco is probably somewhere arguing with Hartley through his earpiece about sound levels. And Iris and Barry..." He paused, shuddered. "Well, let's just say they're off together and leave it at that, because I don't need my doctor on me about my blood pressure."
Caitlin nodded, eyes now dancing with amusement, all traces of nerves gone. "Thanks, Joe," she said quietly and he smiled, let his hand fall to her shoulder and squeeze gently.
"We got this," he said simply.
A couple of hours later, they stood in the exact same spot, her face shining up at him with the biggest grin he'd ever seen as she told him he was right.
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Really good!
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