134.01 - a boombox is not a toy

[hard_talker]

[ten o'clock on Monday morning finds Mark leafing through the journal, trying to find fodder from the past two weeks for his broadcast. he'd felt absolutely drained after a week locked in the movie theatre, and sort of hermited away from the rest of the castle, with the exception of Felix's visit and Nora's company. in a lot of ways, he was still just as much of an introvert as he'd been two years ago when he arrived. but now, the more he reads, the more ready he feels to get back to business.

he reaches idly for the basket at his side and munches on one of the eggs that Bunnymund left him, and not for the first time, he wonders at all the things that happen on a regular basis. the weird, the beautiful, the scary, the commonplace ... and he can't help but think of all the people - new and old - who hardly say a word about any of it. he grabs a notepad and a pen to start scribbling down things for his broadcast, and turns his stereo on to have something to work to.

it's not entirely his intention to start singing along as he works. but it happens anyway]

♫ You've got the words to change a nation
But you're biting your tongue
You've spent a life time stuck in silence
Afraid you'll say something wrong
If no one ever hears it, how we gonna learn your song?
So come on, come on - come on, come on
You've got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Baby we're a little different
There's no need to be ashamed
You've got the light to fight the shadows
So stop hiding it away
Come on, come o-o-on ... ♪

♩ I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh ... ♩


♪ At night we're waking up the neighbours
While we sing away the blues
Making sure that we remember, yeah
Cause we all matter too
If the truth has been forbidden
Then we're breaking all the rules
So come on, come on - come on, come on! ♪

[he gathers up a handful of albums from where he left them stacked on a bookcase and brings them over to his DJ station, checking the settings on his equipment, lining everything up and putting it all in order]

♪ Let's get the TV and the radio
To play our tune again
It's 'bout time we got some airplay of our version of events
There's no need to be afraid
I will sing with you my friend
Come on, come o-o-on... ♪

♩ I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh ... ♩

[he gets up out of his chair and starts to wander around his room, his eyes moving over the things he's collected over his time in Paradisa: all the gifts from friends, the portraits Nora's drawn of faces new and old, some of friends who they haven't seen in months, their edges curling away from the tacks holding them to the walls]

♪ Yeah, we're all wonderful, wonderful people
So when did we all get so fearful?
Now we're finally finding our voices
So take a chance, come help me sing this
Yeah, we're all wonderful, wonderful people
So when did we all get so fearful?
And now we're finally finding our voices
Just take a chance, come help me sing this ♪

♩ I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh ... ♩

♩ I wanna sing, I wanna shout
I wanna scream till the words dry out
So put it in all of the papers,
I'm not afraid
They can read all about it
Read all about it, oh ... ♩

[once the music stops, he stares at his radio, realizes what just happened, and just laughs] Oh, shit. Here we go again.

Comments

[eat_me_beat_me]

[Nora hadn't even tried to interrupt him as he'd had his little musical interlude. She'd seen this before, after all. Once he's done she shakes her head and starts snickering]

Oh man this is gonna be good.

[hard_talker]

Yeah, I know, right? I kinda missed it last year. Everybody pouring their hearts out... Even if their voices suck, it's.... It's real, you know? They don't hide.

[eat_me_beat_me]

Yeah me, too. It might piss a few people off but it's like a glimpse into them.

[She grins, remembering that her song two years ago was the first time she'd told him she loved him.

She holds out her pack of cigarettes, offering him one]

[hard_talker]

[he takes the offering and fishes around in the mess on his desk for a lighter] Especially the ones that never say anything. Maybe we'll get something good...

[he frowns a little as he lights the cigarette] ... Something people wouldn't normally talk about.

[from the way he says it, it's clear he's got at least one or two specific things in mind]

[eat_me_beat_me]

[She leans back in her chair, lazily watching the smoke drift from her mouth towards the ceiling.]

Maybe. Some people don't say shit unless they go on a truth loss or something.

[She glances over at him]

you hoping to catch some dirt on someone or something?

[hard_talker]

Yeah. I ... talked to someone who said a guy tried to poison her... And that he'd done it as bait for somebody else. [he's quiet, still, but the anger in his voice is hard to miss] She said there was one kid who knows more than he's saying, but he won't tell her.

[eat_me_beat_me]

Holy shit, seriously?! [She sits up, staring at him in shock.] That's horrible! What twisted fuck would do something like that to someone?

[silentrunning]

[Chell's never heard Mark sing. EVER! In fact, it takes a few words for her to realize exactly WHO that is. But when she does, she sits up and listens. And as usual, when he's finished she speaks up.]

Didn't know you could sing. You're not bad. And I like the song.

[hard_talker]

Hey, thanks. It happens around here, once in a blue moon: the place turns into a musical for the day.

[silentrunning]

[She chuckles]

I think I like it.

[ensorceler]

[ Well, you know, he's a fool. So she isn't surprised to hear him sing. She doesn't understand a few of the words, but she appreciates the message.

Someone, at least, is polite enough to clap when he's through. ]

[hard_talker]

[since he can't tell who it is from just clapping:]. Thank you, thank you, I'm here all day.

[ensorceler]

That is quite a long time to sing.

[hard_talker]

Last time this happened, I think I sang like, four times. I actually stayed down in the lobby all day so I'd catch as many of the numbers as possible. Some of it was pretty entertaining.

[ensorceler]

This is a regular event?

[hard_talker]

It didn't happen last year, but it did the year before. And that was on the first of April, too. Before that, I'd have to check the book, I wasn't here then.

[ensorceler]

But there seemed to be no connection between any of the songs to suggest what you were celebrating for the first day of April.

[hard_talker]

No, it's... D'you know anything about April Fool's day?

[ensorceler]

I do not think what I know is the same thing at all. Explain it to me?