The roof of Groovy Tunes, Saturday night
So after the world's hardest (and yet simultaneously most musical) conversation with Kathy earlier, Raven had decided that escape was the better part of valor and shifted into bird form to take to the skies.
It was a little bit windier than she was used to dealing with with hollow bones and feathers, so it quickly devolved into hopping across the rooftops, but it was still better than being back at the apartment unable to stop herself from belting out that she worried Kathy had been happier dead.
She paused for a breather on one of the taller buildings and stared out over the town, watching the tail end of what looked like a rousing ditty about unionizing sung by a bunch of rickshaw drivers. When the last notes of their number decayed out and the group broke up to go separate ways, Raven sat on the edge of the roof to enjoy the quiet sounds of a cool, spring night.
The music this time built so quietly and slowly that she didn't notice it was there until she began to sing.
"Sometimes in the morning
I am petrified and can't move
Awake but cannot open my eyes
And the weight is crushing down
On my lungs, I know I can't breathe
And hope someone will save me this time.
And your mother's still calling you insane
And high, swearing it's different this time,
And you tell her to give in
To the demons that possess her
And God has never blessed her insides,
And you hang up the phone
And feel badly for upsetting things
Crawl back into bed to dream of a time
When your heart was open wide
And you loved things just because
Like the sick and the dying."
She stood up and paced to the other side of the roof, arms wrapped around her middle, as the music crashed into full volume.
"And sometimes when you're on,
You're really fucking on!
And your friends they sing along and they love you,
But the lows are so extreme
That the good seems fucking cheap!
And it teases you for weeks in its absence.
But you'll fight it and you'll make it through
You'll fake it if you have to
And you'll show up for work with a smile!
You'll be better and you'll be smarter,
And more grown up and a better daughter!
-- Or son and a real good friend!
You'll be awake, you'll be alert,
You'll be positive though it hurts!
And you'll laugh and embrace all your friends!
You'll be a real good listener,
You'll be honest, you'll be brave!
You'll be handsome and you'll be beautiful!
You'll be happy!"
She was shouting it by the end, lord only knew who she was waking up in the building below her. She took a deep breath, wiping at the tears on her cheeks, then lowered herself carefully back down.
"Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
To the cries and the wails of the valley below,
And your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
And you'll fight it, you'll go out fighting all alone."
The music faded back out and she went back to hugging her knees, staring out over the island.
Well. That one was almost happy, anyway.
[lalala, character growth through Rilo Kiley lyrics is totally normal, right? The town rooftops are open. . . .]
It was a little bit windier than she was used to dealing with with hollow bones and feathers, so it quickly devolved into hopping across the rooftops, but it was still better than being back at the apartment unable to stop herself from belting out that she worried Kathy had been happier dead.
She paused for a breather on one of the taller buildings and stared out over the town, watching the tail end of what looked like a rousing ditty about unionizing sung by a bunch of rickshaw drivers. When the last notes of their number decayed out and the group broke up to go separate ways, Raven sat on the edge of the roof to enjoy the quiet sounds of a cool, spring night.
The music this time built so quietly and slowly that she didn't notice it was there until she began to sing.
"Sometimes in the morning
I am petrified and can't move
Awake but cannot open my eyes
And the weight is crushing down
On my lungs, I know I can't breathe
And hope someone will save me this time.
And your mother's still calling you insane
And high, swearing it's different this time,
And you tell her to give in
To the demons that possess her
And God has never blessed her insides,
And you hang up the phone
And feel badly for upsetting things
Crawl back into bed to dream of a time
When your heart was open wide
And you loved things just because
Like the sick and the dying."
She stood up and paced to the other side of the roof, arms wrapped around her middle, as the music crashed into full volume.
"And sometimes when you're on,
You're really fucking on!
And your friends they sing along and they love you,
But the lows are so extreme
That the good seems fucking cheap!
And it teases you for weeks in its absence.
But you'll fight it and you'll make it through
You'll fake it if you have to
And you'll show up for work with a smile!
You'll be better and you'll be smarter,
And more grown up and a better daughter!
-- Or son and a real good friend!
You'll be awake, you'll be alert,
You'll be positive though it hurts!
And you'll laugh and embrace all your friends!
You'll be a real good listener,
You'll be honest, you'll be brave!
You'll be handsome and you'll be beautiful!
You'll be happy!"
She was shouting it by the end, lord only knew who she was waking up in the building below her. She took a deep breath, wiping at the tears on her cheeks, then lowered herself carefully back down.
"Your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
To the cries and the wails of the valley below,
And your ship may be coming in
You're weak but not giving in
And you'll fight it, you'll go out fighting all alone."
The music faded back out and she went back to hugging her knees, staring out over the island.
Well. That one was almost happy, anyway.
[lalala, character growth through Rilo Kiley lyrics is totally normal, right? The town rooftops are open. . . .]