Yes I did a thing. This was inspired from some comments I and this funny author shared. I'll just leave this here. Enjoy!
*runs and hides*
Mahal take the wheel!
(A/N: Now that she's moved her story to this site I'm finally getting off my lazy butt and putting my story here as well. That, and I am avoiding sleep. Cheers)
Blended Lives, Interwoven Hues.
Gandalf Olórin Grey, once graduate- and then professor-of the prestigious Valinor University and now kindergarten teacher of many years, sat back on his chair and sipped his tea. It had been quite the day.
He looked at the grey, late afternoon sky and guessed there would be snow tomorrow. In fact he hoped there would be some, a white winter was always the best.
He looked out the window for a while and grinned at the first signs of snow beginning to fall. His grin grew even wider as he heard the sounds of his friend, assistant teacher, and companion Radagast Aiwendil Brown rummaging about the house in his off-kilter way. Murmuring to himself about this and that.
Gandalf laughed quietly to himself, it was just like when they had been dorm mates in college. Radagast had always been…well for lack of a better term, scatter brained. It had only gotten more exaggerated with his trips to exotic locations with environmentalist groups and the like, all those years ago. Culminating in the state he finally settled in after his last trip abroad, he had returned to Gandalf as he was now and never left again.
But he was still himself, honest and damn handy in a pinch when you needed him, so it was alright. Yes, the two had stuck together through it all, their routine never truly changing.
As much as life changed, it stayed the same. In good and bad ways.
Gandalf huffed as his thoughts turned to his colleague, fellow kindergarten teacher Saruman Curunír White. He had known him while at university as well, and even before that. The two had been good friends in prep school, having their own adventures together and the like.
But things had changed, slowly but surely over time.
It was little things at first, like their differing sense of style and dress and how their approaches to socializing with others- and the resulting responses- were also at odds. How Saruman was unable to understand why Gandalf saw things differently than him, and refused to consider it more than faulty thinking. His visible frustration only grew with every person who agreed with Gandalf, instead of himself.
How Saruman seemed to dislike- and then eventually loath- the friends Gandalf made while at University, especially his roommate. A chap who had been roomed with Gandalf by accident, a mix up with the residential office filing system, how they mixed up White and Brown Gandalf would never know. Radagast liked nature and animals and wasn't really concerned with talking to people. But liked talking to Gandalf just fine.
By the time the situation had been finally put upon the school's list of things to investigate, Gandalf and Radagast had made quite the accord and were fine living together, Saruman was around all the time anyway so it really didn't matter.
Or so Gandalf had thought. It wouldn't be until years later that Gandalf would reflect upon this and realize it was the first thing that made Saruman step away. And it continued, despite the two of them walking on the same path-the path toward being accredited college professors- they were leagues apart.
It did not help things when it became known that Gandalf, with his unique teaching style, was considered the professor that every student had to have at least once, no matter their major. While Saruman was the professor to be avoided, unless one had a solid will, an even stronger writing hand and no alternatives.
Saruman seemed to blame his fellow professor directly for this, as if it was Gandalf's plan all along for Saruman to be un-favored, when it was he himself who was to blame. His constant negativity toward his students- as if he meant to be a direct opposite to Gandalf's usual "inspirational" teaching-and severity made him hard for many students and fellow faculty to socialize with. Which in turn made Saruman resent his "rival's" easy popularity even more, Gandalf was sure.
And again the presence of Radagast as Gandalf's aid-many a student recounted the charm or oddity the other man singularly gave the class- did not help matters.
But through it all Gandalf tried to reconnect, or at the very least keep the peace. Neither he nor Radagast snubbed or ignored Saruman, they even invited him more than once to talk in and out of work. All invitations were met with a negative.
It was then a sort of small war had started between them, Gandalf's fraying impatience causing him to succumb to Saruman's petty slights. Eating a labeled piece of cheesecake there-Saruman was cranky for four full days-, a denounced mushroom pizza here- Radagast neither spoke nor brought any homemade food for a week- and a whole score more of proverbial nails in the coffin.
Despite this unpleasantness, teaching at Valinor had been a delight. The highlight being when he had come across one Belladonna Took and her little friend- and eventual husband- Bungo Baggins. Two students who would take several classes taught by Gandalf and Radagast, and make their own singular but also dual impressions.
Belladonna was outspoken and witty, on more than one occasion she and Gandalf had taken up a whole class time discussing this or that. It was as if the other students had come to simply see them debate, instead of actually having a class. And while a few students took the opportunity to leave class completely- it was not like Gandalf enforced attendance anyway- others made a point to get comfortable and get a snack so as to fully enjoy the show.
Bungo on the other hand rarely spoke except if called upon, his answers always correct or correct enough for Gandalf's purpose. But he did have his moments when he did argue his point, regularly about literature or botany, and it was these times the usually genial and respectable Bungo was quite the live wire. These times in and of themselves were of note enough to highlight Gandalf's lectures, but the real thing of import was the fact that most of Bungo's debates were with Radagast instead of Gandalf.
It was at these times the increasingly "dotty" professor became focused, and serious. If not a bit snide, but not harshly. Radagast would speak with purpose and humor, with passion and depth; and Bungo would meet him blow for blow every time.
The fact that these students were friends and even aided one another's arguments in class only added to the notoriety.
These two students would prove to be lifelong friends.
Naturally Saruman would criticize this, saying Gandalf was wasting valuable student time with his "spectacles of teaching" instead of actually instructing the class.
Not that many- if any- really listened, instead Gandalf was, after so many years, commended for his methods of engaging students and offered a high position with tenure. Radagast was offered a position as well.
Saruman had practically gone green with envy and red with rage at the announcement. Gandalf had decided he had had enough. As enriching as it was to inspire young adult minds in the fast paced setting of higher academia, he found it was not for him. Nor for his friend, it was at this point that Radagast would increasingly go on his service trips and seemed less thrilled to go back to teaching each time he returned.
So with a bow and a tip of his favorite old hat he sent a letter of resignation for himself and Radagast- with a slip of written permission to do so- and stepped away. He then looked at what other teaching jobs they could perhaps do.
It was a suggestion said in jest by Belladonna Took that got him to take up inspiring newly developing minds. Those running the local primary school were thrown for a loop that not one but two former big shot university professors wanted to teach children, particularly Kindergarten. But with one word from the principal Mrs. Galadriel Lorien - a wonderful and lovely woman- was all it took to have everything settled.
Gandalf's utter peace would be shattered by Saruman's arrival two years later, he would take up the empty position vacated by the other Kindergarten teacher, Mr. Alatar Blue, and his aid, Mr. Pallando Blue. Their combined reason for leaving was that they "Must take care of business in the East." And that was that.
None really knew what became of them.
An so there it was, once more the saga would continue. Thankfully the structure of classes and the school allowed for Gandalf and Radagast to not always have to see Saruman. Why the man was here- or even allowed to teach here- was beyond him. And Mrs. Lorien's cryptic nature did nothing to shed light on the matter, now Gandalf understood other's frustration when he spoke in riddles to them.
Not that it stopped him.
But Gandalf adapted, as was his way, and did not let this keep him from enjoying his time as a teacher. And eventually he even began to enjoy the remaining…rivalry…between himself and Saruman. And so it went through the years, certain students deciding to claim him as "theirs" and continuing to see him as they grew.
He chuckled at the memories, students never really changed. Nor did teaching.
History would always repeat itself.
This only cemented in his mind when he saw the situation developing between a certain Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Durin. Gandalf was sure those two boys would cause him to have as much fun as he did with young Belladonna and Bungo before them.
He could not wait to see the end of the upcoming Christmas pageant.
Gandalf was brought out of his thoughts by a call of his name.
"Gandalf the mushroom pizza is ready! I've also whipped us up some nice tea and rice cakes!"
The other man laughed and stretched his aging body, his bones cracked just the slightest bit.
"Excellent, I'll set the table."
"Set the….? Oh! Yes, you have to do that I guess."
Gandalf's chuckle resounded though the home as he made his way to the dining room.