Re: Edge of a rooftop; defying gravity/scaring himself
The green girl did not dance. Maybe the repetition seemed redundant, but it was important information tonight. Tonight felt weird and different, and it felt as if things mattered that maybe didn't matter on normal nights. Like the fact that the green girl didn't dance. Like the fact that his hair was made of straw. Important things. Things to take a stand about, but that didn't feel right either. She thought she should make a stand about important things, political things, life and death things, but then there existed that desire to enjoy one short day where her verdigris didn't set her apart.
He touched his hair. "Straw," she said, ignoring every last thing about his charming smile. She was impervious to charm and smiles and charming smiles. "Your hair," she finally said, but she wasn't judgmental, not about appearances at any rate, so she continued, "is interesting. Dancing isn't. I don't have time for dancing," she told him, which was a lie. "And there's no room for dancing up here, so you can go down and dance. If you want to. To dance." She settled her hat more firmly on her head, refusing to pull it off in embarrassment. "But if I wanted to dance, I would," she added, chin up. She wasn't sure she'd ever done that, that she'd ever been defiant. She tipped her chin more. "See, look," she went on, talking and not stopping for some reason; she stood. "I can dance if I want. Here. Anywhere."