Categories > Original > Drama > Beat of Their Own Drums
Typical Situation
0 reviewsKeefe sits and watches the fire in what was /supposed/ to be an all-guys night. A thoughtful creature indeed, he ponders on conformity. Song used: Dave Matthews Band's "Typical Situation"
0Unrated
A/N: Hey! This one is a little weird, 'cause this song has so many friggin' words and it was hard to stick it all in one thing. I'm pretty excited, though, 'cause it's February. Which means a Valentine's Day special shall be coming soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "Typical Situation"
Song Used: Dave Matthews Band's "Typical Situation"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sixty-Five: Typical Situation
Puppet: Keefe O'Kane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten fingers counting we have each,
Nine planets around the sun repeat,
Eight ball the last, if you triumphant be,
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea...
Sometimes I found myself interested in the strangest of things. Like the way all the tiny little bones in my hand worked together when I flexed my fingers.
I sat quietly on a log nearby the campfire the boys and I had decided to have on the shore of Flathead, my eyes drawn to the sparks as they crackled and jumped. I'd been staring into the blaze for so long that shapes seemed to manifest themselves before my very eyes, dancing and bouncing in time to the song the male chatter all around me had created. Laughter erupted from the younger boy, only seventeen, sitting next to me. Like waves, it was quickly picked up by the rest of them, but I didn't know what it was about and didn't join in.
Everyone was the same, weren't they? Most of us had ten fingers and toes, two hands, feet, eyes, lips, ears, a nose...
Just like any other person, I'd heard the saying, 'everybody's special.' Even when I was young, I never appreciated the way that sounded, because it was often said in a tone that was meant to be soothing, but only came off of patronizing. But now that I was older, the phrase took on a new meaning and suddenly, it wasn't as silly anymore.
On the outside, it wasn't true at all. I knew that better than anyone, being an identical twin. I looked exactly like my brother; no difference, nothing unique...
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
But look at the minds behind our dark eyes and one would see two totally different boys, completely separate in our personalities and thought processes. But even then, we weren't completely different. We shared some views, however few or far between they were. The two of us were both possessive of our things, jealous of any intruders.
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
It all comes down to nothing...
It was so hard to decide. Were we different, or the same? Were we average, or unique? Why did there have to be so many different sides to everything? So many choices, so many ways to look at things...like the fire I was watching. The boys all around me looked at it and saw it as it was; a typical fire, just like anything else. But I saw it as something else; like a canvas, alive with drawings that changed every second I watched it.
I knew it was common for teenagers to think of themselves as unimportant or uninterested, but I didn't understand it. How was it that anyone could ever think that everyone was the same? So long as we had minds, there would always, always be someone with a different perspective.
Six senses feeling,
Five around a sense of self,
Four seasons turn on and turn off,
I can see three corners from this corner,
Two's the perfect number,
But one, well...
I slid off the log and sat in the sand instead, stretching my legs out a bit and leaning back against the sturdy wood. The other men paid me no mind, as usual, jabbering away about the recent football game they'd seen on TV the way men were supposed to do. They didn't think about it, their minds free and at ease, because they knew that was what was expected of them and they didn't mind.
But who had set that standard?
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
Perhaps, it was the aim of whoever it was who demanded conformity was to make it so no one used their mind. Perhaps they wanted to wound the ones different from them and force them into submission. Perhaps all the mockery was simply a tool of theirs as they attempted to keep our minds locked up.
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
It all comes down to nothing...
Suddenly I was drawn from my thoughts when there was a break in the conversation and a wolf whistle pierced my ears, irritatingly nearby. I glanced up out of habit and my eyes automatically settled on the tall, tow-headed girl illuminated by the firelight. Recognizing her, I shot an angry, jealous glare in the direction of the boy who'd whistled just moments before; she was mine, not his.
He shrunk away, startled by the intensity of the quiet boy he'd been sitting next to this entire time. That being done, I looked back up at her just as she sunk to sit beside me. She said nothing, which was unusual; she simply snuggled close, her head pushed underneath my chin, rested against my chest. Something must've been on her mind, otherwise she wouldn't have even come, much less cuddle up. Knowing this and grateful for the company (for two was much better than one), I wrapped an arm about her shoulders, ignoring the amused muttering among the others around us. Still, no words were spoken; what was there to talk about?
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“You okay?” I murmured to her softly so the others couldn't hear, giving her a gentle squeeze to her shoulders. I half-closed my eyes as I awaited the answer, which I knew was going to be something negative. She wasn't acting the same.
We can't do a thing about it,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“Mm hmm,” she muttered back with the tiniest of smiles, “why?”
I blinked, surprised. I would never assume that Casey would lie to me. She was an honest girl, and if she said she was all right, she was all right. I'd fallen into the trap, that hole of creating a sense for myself of what was normal and what wasn't. And why? Because it was the lazy thing to do? “Just wondering,” I answered, kissing her soft golden hair, “you just seemed a little...different. That's all.”
Yeah, well,
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
“And you, Keefe O'Kane?” Casey asked eventually, tilting her head up to look at me. Her pretty sapphire eyes were bright with curiosity, “A penny for your thoughts.”
I'd like to think that my thoughts were worth more than a penny, but I didn't say anything about it. I pressed my lips together for a long moment, contemplating on if I should try and explain it to her or not. “It's nothing,” I said dismissively, waving my free hand, “just some fire musings.”
('Roi!)
She chuckled, amused. “Fire musings?”
I smiled a little. “Yeah. Ya' know; the little things you think about while looking into a fire.”
She laughed gently, resting her pretty head against my chest again, her presence warm and reassuring after my dismal pondering. “You know somethin', cowboy?” she asked lazily, her tone sleepy as if she was about ready to fall asleep where she was (which I wouldn't have minded), “I don't think I've ever known a boy with a name for those.”
(Yeah)...
My small smile didn't budge an inch, but I said nothing. It was strange, how well she was able to somehow guess, in her roundabout way, what I was thinking about without even knowing that she'd pinned it. I was unique to her; that was good, because I didn't want to be like the 'other boys.' I wanted to be with her, and those 'other boys' obviously hadn't lasted long. If I was the same as everyone else, I wouldn't have her.
And if I didn't have her, I didn't have anything. She was my everything in this world; without her, I don't know where I would be right now.
“And is that good?” I asked after a long moment of silence. I wasn't the type of guy who was worried about being accepted (obviously), but Casey was different from the rest of the world. I wanted to please her, to make her as happy as she made me.
“Of course,” she answered with a chuckle, as if I was stupid for asking such a question, “it's what I like about you. You're different.”
It all comes down to nothing,
It all comes down to nothing,
It all comes...
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
“Like?” I repeated jokingly, as if the word left a bitter taste on my tongue. I was glad that I'd stuck to my guns throughout my life, glad that I hadn't been lured through those big, fancy looking doors where the dark pit of conformity awaited. It had been so lonely sometimes, being locked away in that little imaginary cell for being the quiet one, but it was better than losing myself. Better than having nothing at all.
It all comes down to nothing...
Much to the amusement of the boys, who whooped my name and whistled for her, Casey's lips were suddenly pressed against mine, taking a very happy man to the moon and back in a matter of seconds. When she pulled away, I was so focused on everything else that I didn't hear anything other than my own heartbeat, quickened and eager. She laughed. “You know I love you, stupid.”
I'd never had a girl say that to me before, and that was the beauty of it all. I wasn't the only one who was a bit abnormal; Casey was special, too. That had been what had drawn me to her in the first place. Who knows where either of us would be had we not been out of the ordinary? We wouldn't have noticed the other. We wouldn't be together.
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“I love you too.” I whispered, my proclamation far softer than hers but not at all less meaningful. I nuzzled her cheek fondly, not caring if the other men thought me strange for being so cuddly. Who knows what random girl I could've been with right now, had it not been for Casey's tomboyish personality? Never in a million years would I ever think that I'd have something as special as the bond between the charming cowgirl and I.
I'd been given a typical body and put into a typical world, and experienced a typical event. But somehow, I'd managed to make the right choice and make it something beautiful.
We can't do a thing about it,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Generally, I try to stay away from this 'cause I don't want to end up ranting. But I like this one. It's not the best, but it was fun to write. It's a very pretty song, too. You should go listen to it.
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to "Typical Situation"
Song Used: Dave Matthews Band's "Typical Situation"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sixty-Five: Typical Situation
Puppet: Keefe O'Kane
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten fingers counting we have each,
Nine planets around the sun repeat,
Eight ball the last, if you triumphant be,
Seven oceans pummel the shores of the sea...
Sometimes I found myself interested in the strangest of things. Like the way all the tiny little bones in my hand worked together when I flexed my fingers.
I sat quietly on a log nearby the campfire the boys and I had decided to have on the shore of Flathead, my eyes drawn to the sparks as they crackled and jumped. I'd been staring into the blaze for so long that shapes seemed to manifest themselves before my very eyes, dancing and bouncing in time to the song the male chatter all around me had created. Laughter erupted from the younger boy, only seventeen, sitting next to me. Like waves, it was quickly picked up by the rest of them, but I didn't know what it was about and didn't join in.
Everyone was the same, weren't they? Most of us had ten fingers and toes, two hands, feet, eyes, lips, ears, a nose...
Just like any other person, I'd heard the saying, 'everybody's special.' Even when I was young, I never appreciated the way that sounded, because it was often said in a tone that was meant to be soothing, but only came off of patronizing. But now that I was older, the phrase took on a new meaning and suddenly, it wasn't as silly anymore.
On the outside, it wasn't true at all. I knew that better than anyone, being an identical twin. I looked exactly like my brother; no difference, nothing unique...
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
But look at the minds behind our dark eyes and one would see two totally different boys, completely separate in our personalities and thought processes. But even then, we weren't completely different. We shared some views, however few or far between they were. The two of us were both possessive of our things, jealous of any intruders.
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
It all comes down to nothing...
It was so hard to decide. Were we different, or the same? Were we average, or unique? Why did there have to be so many different sides to everything? So many choices, so many ways to look at things...like the fire I was watching. The boys all around me looked at it and saw it as it was; a typical fire, just like anything else. But I saw it as something else; like a canvas, alive with drawings that changed every second I watched it.
I knew it was common for teenagers to think of themselves as unimportant or uninterested, but I didn't understand it. How was it that anyone could ever think that everyone was the same? So long as we had minds, there would always, always be someone with a different perspective.
Six senses feeling,
Five around a sense of self,
Four seasons turn on and turn off,
I can see three corners from this corner,
Two's the perfect number,
But one, well...
I slid off the log and sat in the sand instead, stretching my legs out a bit and leaning back against the sturdy wood. The other men paid me no mind, as usual, jabbering away about the recent football game they'd seen on TV the way men were supposed to do. They didn't think about it, their minds free and at ease, because they knew that was what was expected of them and they didn't mind.
But who had set that standard?
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
Perhaps, it was the aim of whoever it was who demanded conformity was to make it so no one used their mind. Perhaps they wanted to wound the ones different from them and force them into submission. Perhaps all the mockery was simply a tool of theirs as they attempted to keep our minds locked up.
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
It all comes down to nothing...
Suddenly I was drawn from my thoughts when there was a break in the conversation and a wolf whistle pierced my ears, irritatingly nearby. I glanced up out of habit and my eyes automatically settled on the tall, tow-headed girl illuminated by the firelight. Recognizing her, I shot an angry, jealous glare in the direction of the boy who'd whistled just moments before; she was mine, not his.
He shrunk away, startled by the intensity of the quiet boy he'd been sitting next to this entire time. That being done, I looked back up at her just as she sunk to sit beside me. She said nothing, which was unusual; she simply snuggled close, her head pushed underneath my chin, rested against my chest. Something must've been on her mind, otherwise she wouldn't have even come, much less cuddle up. Knowing this and grateful for the company (for two was much better than one), I wrapped an arm about her shoulders, ignoring the amused muttering among the others around us. Still, no words were spoken; what was there to talk about?
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“You okay?” I murmured to her softly so the others couldn't hear, giving her a gentle squeeze to her shoulders. I half-closed my eyes as I awaited the answer, which I knew was going to be something negative. She wasn't acting the same.
We can't do a thing about it,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“Mm hmm,” she muttered back with the tiniest of smiles, “why?”
I blinked, surprised. I would never assume that Casey would lie to me. She was an honest girl, and if she said she was all right, she was all right. I'd fallen into the trap, that hole of creating a sense for myself of what was normal and what wasn't. And why? Because it was the lazy thing to do? “Just wondering,” I answered, kissing her soft golden hair, “you just seemed a little...different. That's all.”
Yeah, well,
Everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
“And you, Keefe O'Kane?” Casey asked eventually, tilting her head up to look at me. Her pretty sapphire eyes were bright with curiosity, “A penny for your thoughts.”
I'd like to think that my thoughts were worth more than a penny, but I didn't say anything about it. I pressed my lips together for a long moment, contemplating on if I should try and explain it to her or not. “It's nothing,” I said dismissively, waving my free hand, “just some fire musings.”
('Roi!)
She chuckled, amused. “Fire musings?”
I smiled a little. “Yeah. Ya' know; the little things you think about while looking into a fire.”
She laughed gently, resting her pretty head against my chest again, her presence warm and reassuring after my dismal pondering. “You know somethin', cowboy?” she asked lazily, her tone sleepy as if she was about ready to fall asleep where she was (which I wouldn't have minded), “I don't think I've ever known a boy with a name for those.”
(Yeah)...
My small smile didn't budge an inch, but I said nothing. It was strange, how well she was able to somehow guess, in her roundabout way, what I was thinking about without even knowing that she'd pinned it. I was unique to her; that was good, because I didn't want to be like the 'other boys.' I wanted to be with her, and those 'other boys' obviously hadn't lasted long. If I was the same as everyone else, I wouldn't have her.
And if I didn't have her, I didn't have anything. She was my everything in this world; without her, I don't know where I would be right now.
“And is that good?” I asked after a long moment of silence. I wasn't the type of guy who was worried about being accepted (obviously), but Casey was different from the rest of the world. I wanted to please her, to make her as happy as she made me.
“Of course,” she answered with a chuckle, as if I was stupid for asking such a question, “it's what I like about you. You're different.”
It all comes down to nothing,
It all comes down to nothing,
It all comes...
Oh, everybody's happy,
Everybody's free,
We'll keep the big door open,
Everyone will come around,
Why are you different?
Why are you that way?
If you don't get in line,
We'll lock you away...
“Like?” I repeated jokingly, as if the word left a bitter taste on my tongue. I was glad that I'd stuck to my guns throughout my life, glad that I hadn't been lured through those big, fancy looking doors where the dark pit of conformity awaited. It had been so lonely sometimes, being locked away in that little imaginary cell for being the quiet one, but it was better than losing myself. Better than having nothing at all.
It all comes down to nothing...
Much to the amusement of the boys, who whooped my name and whistled for her, Casey's lips were suddenly pressed against mine, taking a very happy man to the moon and back in a matter of seconds. When she pulled away, I was so focused on everything else that I didn't hear anything other than my own heartbeat, quickened and eager. She laughed. “You know I love you, stupid.”
I'd never had a girl say that to me before, and that was the beauty of it all. I wasn't the only one who was a bit abnormal; Casey was special, too. That had been what had drawn me to her in the first place. Who knows where either of us would be had we not been out of the ordinary? We wouldn't have noticed the other. We wouldn't be together.
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices...
“I love you too.” I whispered, my proclamation far softer than hers but not at all less meaningful. I nuzzled her cheek fondly, not caring if the other men thought me strange for being so cuddly. Who knows what random girl I could've been with right now, had it not been for Casey's tomboyish personality? Never in a million years would I ever think that I'd have something as special as the bond between the charming cowgirl and I.
I'd been given a typical body and put into a typical world, and experienced a typical event. But somehow, I'd managed to make the right choice and make it something beautiful.
We can't do a thing about it,
Too many choices,
It's a typical situation,
In these typical times,
Too many choices.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Generally, I try to stay away from this 'cause I don't want to end up ranting. But I like this one. It's not the best, but it was fun to write. It's a very pretty song, too. You should go listen to it.
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