Morning[The video message opens on Steve's face; he always looks a little tired these days, worn down by the deaths and the violence and all the strange, horrible things this place does to their brains and bodies, but this morning he's smiling a little, too, as he trudges through the snow.]So, today is December 31st. New Year's Eve for Earthlings like me.
[Mild, dry amusement here.] Happy New Year, everyone.
If you're
not an Earthling... this is another important Earth holiday. Someone... and I wanna say it was Julius Caesar... someone at some point arbitrarily decided that tomorrow, January 1st, is the first day of the calendar year. We tend to celebrate on the night of the 31st with parties and champagne and fireworks. Everyone stays up until midnight to see the clock tick over so we can toast the New Year. It's traditional to kiss your sweetheart at midnight, too, if you have one.
[Tiny smile.] People also make New Year's Resolutions, setting goals and making promises to themselves for things they want to achieve in the new year. It's a time to remember and honor the things that happened in the previous year, and look forward into the future to hopefully make the new year even better.
[Steve looks a little wry.] We don't have champagne or fireworks or the ball drop in Times Square, but... here's to the new year anyway.
As always, take care of yourselves, Norfinbury.
~ ~ ~
Evening, a little before lockdown[It's a few hours to curfew, and technically they shouldn't be doing this until midnight, it's kind of ruining the point, but. It's already night, the lockdown will be in effect soon, and they'll miss their window. Peggy sets up, standing in the snow a few feet away from Steve, filming him struggling a little in the wind.]So, we had this tradition, when I was a girl - New Year's, just after midnight, we would all gather outside and each of us would release a paper lantern into the night. You make a wish as you light it up and let it go. Your wish is transported and becomes this ray of hope for the new year.
[Smiling to herself, she's pretty sure it's audible in her voice.] Sometimes, they even come true.
[The paper lantern in Steve's hand is made up of what looks like pages torn from a book and taped together, disjointed and a little wonky, but they spent a few hours during the day putting it together and if there's something Peggy and Steve share, it's determination. They got there in the end, through some almost-disasters that Peggy wishes she had filmed to show the network. Steve with paper stuck to his check is an image she'll cherish forever.] Anyway, we wanted to share this moment with everyone; we should all get to have a wish at this juncture, and have some hope that the new year brings us some good things. I know that things have been...difficult for a lot of people, here, so if you wish to join us in making a wish, we are going to launch this in a minute.
[Preparing for it, Peggy puts the tablet down against the windowsill, making sure it's not going to fall before joining Steve, who's by now making sure warm air is filling up the lantern, to allow it to fly up and away. Her hands cover his, and she smiles up at him.]I wish for our holiday in Hawaii.
[She grins as she says is, barely a whisper - it's meant for Steve, not anyone else on the network. Hopefully the mic won't pick it up.]
[The camera will catch Steve grinning and murmuring back to her, but the mic probably won't pick up his words either.] How about a
house in Hawaii?
[Satisfied that the little chunk of cupcake-scented candle will provide sufficient lift, Steve catches Peggy's eye and raises his voice again for the camera.]Ready? Three... two... one.
[They let the lantern go together, standing up and stepping back to watch it rise up into the sky. Steve wraps his arms around Peggy from behind and kisses her on the ear. After a few moments he remembers that they are on camera, looking embarrassed as he turns to reach for it, grabbing it off of the window sill. After a second of fumbling, the camera is now pointed up at the lantern as it rises, following it until it drifts out of sight.]Happy New Year, guys and gals.
[And then, while he's fumbling around for the button to end the recording, in a slightly softer tone of voice—]Happy New Year, Pe—