Room 511: Monday Night

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine had her computer screen set up as a TV - not exactly the world's best tv, but it would do. She also had Griffin Silver: Live on Austin City Limits queued up to play, despite the fact that the title had been a lie for about three years now.

She also had popcorn, because seriously, like there wouldn't be food.

Now all she needed were some ears.

Er, more ears. Besides the ones on either side of her head.

You know, those ears.

[OOC: Expecting the, well, see above, but open before he arrives!]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

She couldn't exactly get defensive of modern music when he was giving one of her favorite singers a pass on his pooh-poohing, so Francine just gave him an amused grin. "Okay, smarty, what's 'real' music like, then? Priestly says all your songs are probably about Grendel, but I told him you're not quite that old."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"They're stories," Merlin said loftily. "We listen to them during festivals or during the long winter nights."

What? It's not like they had cable.

[thatsamilkshake]

"That.... actually sounds kind of like Grendel," Francine said. "Are they about monsters invading a feast?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"No, it's..." Merlin frowned. "It's not about monsters. You've really never heard them before?"

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine shook her head. "People still sing folk music, but I never heard anything from that far back." She wondered if her puppy eyes could compete with Brynmor's. "You could sing one for me..."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

...that was hardly fair.

Merlin made a face, looking around in case anyone else might be there and listening. "I'm not that good a singer, so it's not exactly how it ought to be," He warned her.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine gave him a look. "I was the worst clarinet player in the Puncture High band and the only reason I'm any better at singing is I don't have to blow into anything while I do it. I'm not exactly judgy."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Alright." He made a face and looked around again. Because you never know when someone might burst out of a closet and mock you.

"Stauell Gyndylan ys tywyll heno,
Heb dan, heb wely.
Wylaf wers; tawaf wedy."

There was a pause before he cleared his throat to continue in a less shakey tone.

"Stauell Gyndylan ys tywyll heno,
Heb dan, heb gannwyll.
Namyn Duw, pwy a’m dyry pwyll?"

[thatsamilkshake]

It hadn't really occurred to Francine that it wouldn't be in English. She didn't want to stop Merlin to ask what it meant, though, since she wasn't sure the puppy eyes would work again if she interrupted him.

So she just listened, if with a slightly puzzled expression.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

At least he hadn't forgotten the words yet! So, perhaps he'd listened to this one a bit more closely than any of the others.

"Stauell Gyndylan ys tywyll heno,
Heb dan, heb oleuat.
Etlit a’m daw amdanat.

Stauell Gyndylan ys tywyll y nenn,
Gwedy gwen gyweithyd.
Gwae ny wna da a’e dyuyd.

Stauell Gyndylan, neut athwyt heb wed,
Mae ym bed dy yscwyt.
Hyt tra uu, ny bu dollglwyt."

It was more than a few minutes later when he got to the omglong end of the song. He looked down at his feet as he finished it, peering up once it was all finished.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine might have been looking a little dazed by that point. Not bored at all, just kind of ... lulled. "That was...pretty?" she said, not untruthfully. "I have no idea what it meant, but it was pretty."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Ah, the problem with only knowing songs in their proper languages.

Merlin rubbed the back of his neck. "It's the story of The Hall of Cynddylan." Not. Helping. "Ah, Cynddylan was a king. It's supposed to be sung by his sister."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine reached for some popcorn. And took this moment to reflect on having paused the Griffin Silver concert so no one thought the Cartoonist forgot to mention that. And nodded. "Okay..."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It's about her being alone after his death and the kingdom failing without him there to lead," Merlin added quietly.

At least, you know, that was his rather skewed take in it.

[thatsamilkshake]

"That's sad," was Francine's rather succinct take on it.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"When it's sung by a real minstrel, it's rather beautiful," He admitted. "But sad, yes."

[thatsamilkshake]

"It would make a good lullaby as long as the children didn't speak...whatever that was." It wasn't English or Spanish; that would be all Francine could swear to.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It's my favorite one to listen to." He grinned, scooting closer to her. "You could ask Arthur about his. He's more fond of the heroic tales of daring and death."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I'm shocked. Utterly shocked." Deadpan rarely paid off for Francine, but she managed it this time.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I can tell." He'd applaud when he wasn't trying to also stay utterly serious.

[thatsamilkshake]

"He doesn't strike me as the type who'd like anything you could sing to a little kid without seriously warping their brains." Francine leaned against him a bit and offered the bowl of popcorn. "Katchoo likes... well, Griffin Silver for one, which is why the punching was extra-weird. She listens to all kinds of stuff, though." She sat up a bit. "Oh!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Oh, I didn't tell you I'm moving, did I?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin frowned, shaking his head. "Not that I recall, no."

[thatsamilkshake]

"To Katchoo's room, after her roommate goes home. He graduated in the spring."