010 ✫ Video

[useofaswhat]

[When the feed comes on it catches a shot of the winter landscape in the CES. In the foreground, Mal's stepping out of the room and brushing off his overcoat, singing a song as he does – not exactly well, but enthusiastically and happily enough that it doesn't matter that he's a little off-key, or that he only remembers half the lyrics.]

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
La da something something
When a baker came in sight
And gave the king a dumpling.

[Grinning cheekily, he shakes the snow out of his hair. New flakes take their place nearly immediately and he presses on, occasionally running his hand through his hair as he speaks.] It's been such a spell since I last sang songs this time o' year that I forgot the words. I know one of y'all has to know 'em – own up.

Also, anyone got an extra hat?

[Private to the Admiral]

We got you playin' Saint Nick, huh? If you're really holdin' up your end of this, I got a few requests. Natasha could do with a recording of a ballet – a Russian one, an' not the one about the Firebird – on whatever video tech they've got in her time. Dean's gonna need a compass pretty gorram bad, and... if Steve and the Barnes kid don't have the medals they'd'a gotten, I think they deserve 'em. Ariadne could use a file about buildings from the 2100s onward. [Because friends help friends get ahead by ripping off concepts from other universes, right?] For Wanda... Hell, I feel like that kid needs a month-long supply of whatever treat she best likes. And, uh, a flower for Zev, maybe not a dead one? 'Cause I don't want her green friend makin' me into mulch.

Right.

So xie xie in advance – I'm trustin' you.

Comments

[mightymorbid]

What are you doing?

public; audio

[theonlyresponse]

[And just where Mal finishes, Bruce picks up. He's on key:]

Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain.


Glad to see that one lasted.

[Video]

[silvestris]

Now why would I do that? I like your lyrics better.

[love_slave]

No extra hats, I'm afraid. [But she's wearing a tinsel boa right now, she'll just play along until it wears off of everyone.]

[thestarspangledman]

Y'know, I'm not sure the song exactly goes that way. [He's smiling, though, gently teasing.]

Could be wrong, though, it's been a while since I've heard it.