Work Text:
Day 6
Harmony
Musical Twins
“Should old acquaintance be forgot
and never be brought to mind?”
The Scottish twins sang happily as they shunted the Arlesburgh yard. One twin shunted empty ballast hoppers shunted from a pair of sidings to the hoppers even as the other pulled the full hoppers away to assemble into a train at the yard mouth.
“Are they always this…” Swindon trailed off, the Castle class searching for the right word.
“Vocal?” Duck suggested.
“Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne”
“Musical.”
“For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne.”
Duck snorted, “When they're together and in a good mood. You should hear Thomas on his branchline.”
“We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne.”
Rex spoke up from the little railway’s sidings, “It's July.” He said, “We couldn't be farther from new years.”
“And surely you’ll buy your cup
And surely I’ll buy mine.”
“I think they just like the song,” Bert called amusedly from the top of the hoppers.
“We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne.”
“Or it's the only one they know.” Rec grumbled.
“We two who’ve paddled in the stream
From morning sun ‘till night.”
“They sing it so much because it annoys him,” Duck whispered to Swindon.
“The seas between us roared and swelled
Since the days of auld lang syne.”
Swindon snorted, “of course.”
“For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind”
The castle stretched slowly, “at least they harmonize well.”
“Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?”
“Do they?” Rex snarked. The twins, hearing him, decided to serenade him more closely and pulled alongside the little railway’s sidings.
“For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne!”
“Oi! off with that will ya!” Rex shouted over them. Instead the twins increased their volume.
“For auld lang syne my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne.”
Rex uttered a curse that was sure to have the Small Controller rinse his mouth with soap later and rolled away towards the sheds to find some quiet.