So I was challenged to do a 100-word drabble. I should have known better than to complete it between 5 and 6 in the morning after an accidental all-nighter.

And yes, I'm going off the interpretation that Pip has sort of cinnamon-colored hair (so this'd be movie-verse?). Originally, Tolkien described it as "almost golden" but edited that out in favor of whatever floats our metaphorical boats, I guess.


Merry loved spices. Pungent nutmeg, brilliant saffron, soothing ginger—he recognized all of them not only by sight and taste, but also by smell. Such aromas that tickled his nose and tongue always set his tummy rumbling like a little thunderstorm.

But there was one spice that also melted his heart.

When Pippin was little, Merry would pull his curls and cheer, "Cimmanin!" The younger cousin would swat his hands away, but the elder would laugh and reassure him that it was a compliment.

And so it was. Because after Pippin was born, cinnamon quickly became Merry's favorite spice.