"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Why?!"
"Because I said so!"
"Why?"
"Elrond!" Glorfindel sighed heavily, glaring at the stubborn child. "Elrond, this is getting us nowhere."
"But…"
"No buts! Into the bath you go." Without another word, the ancient Elf lifted the squirming youngster up and into the warm spring, drawing his head back to avoid drowning from Elrond's persistent splashing. Spitting out some water, he set his stare on Elrohir, who sat merrily on the sidelines eating a cup of fruit. The twin smiled sweetly, waving to his tutor airily, then looked up at Elladan when he plunked himself down next to him, bearing a bowl of popcorn.
Glorfindel snorted. "Don't think you two can get away with this."
"Oh, we would never let it cross our minds," Elladan replied, his words coated with sugar. "We're just… resting."
"Resting?!" Glorfindel bellowed, hands on hips. Elrond squeaked and dove under the water, swimming across to the other side, leaving bubbles in his wake. Glaring at the twins, he said, "And you expect me to care for Elrond when you, Elladan, were the one who began this mess?"
Silence.
"Yes?"
"Why you arrogant…"
"Uhm, what is that?" The two turned their heads to see Elrond cupping something of a orangish brownish tint that looked like a blob of slime from where Glorfindel and the twins were sitting. The child was babbling happily to it, stroking the unknown organism and playing with it shamelessly. Grunting, Glorfindel hauled himself to his feet and walked over to the little waterfall where Elrond was hiding behind with his new pet, bending down to inspect this new species of slime molds.
Elrond blinked owlishly up at the Elf, then pulled his blob to his cheek, nuzzling it, keeping his eyes on Glorfindel in case he dared to try to take it away. Elrohir and Elladan watched with enthusiasm, Elrohir sucking on an apple piece and leaning over to get a better look at Elrond's discovery. Elladan, with this distraction, swiped his brother's cup of fruit, yelping and cowering against a tree when the younger snarled playfully, pouncing immediately on him without a moment's hesitation. Glorfindel, however, was too busy trying to persuade Elrond to hand over the thing, but the Elven child was unyielding.
Dunking the ball under the water, Elrond giggled and raised it back up into Glorfindel's face, squeezing it gently and laughing when it overflowed from his hands, but he was ready to catch it in time before it splashed back into the water. A few more words were said and Elrond reluctantly handed over his prize, watching both Elf and animal for whatever may happen. Glorfindel inspected it closely, squeezing it softly like Elrond had done, then dropped it promptly back into the water when it eve so ungraciously spilled its guts (literally) out at him. Elrond erupted into a shout of laughter, drawing the twins' attention to him. Glorfindel glared and reprimanded the younger, then pulled him out from the water, towel ready and began to dry him. "Sea cucumbers, Elrond, are not toys!"
"Why?"
"Ugh, Elrond…" Elrohir slapped his brother's shoulder warningly, glaring at him while stuffing some fruit into his mouth. Looking over at the pair, he puffed out his cheeks, food still inside, and grinned. Elrond snorted and dissolved into giggles, making it harder for Glorfindel to dry the wriggling child. Grabbing him by the waist, the older Elf hoisted the younger up into his lap, throwing another towel over his head, rubbing it furiously over his hair to dry it. In this instant, the twins were fooling around to make Glorfindel's job as hard as possible with sticking bits of fruit and popcorn into each other's hair behind his back, pulling absurd faces and overall sending Elrond into unstoppable rapturous laughter.
Finally Glorfindel looked over his shoulder to see Elrohir lurching around like an Orc on a chemical high, Elladan close on is heels flinging Elbereth knows what at his back. Standing up, the ancient Elf stalked quickly over to their forms, and giving them both a hearty push, sent them both into the spring shouting and flailing their arms. Elrond laughed and clapped his hands, waddling over to Glorfindel with his towel about his waist, reaching up and taking a hold of his hand. The taller smirked, calling out to the soaking twins. "This is only the beginning."
Elrond twisted an edge of the towel around in his hand, looking around and spotting an appealing mud pool nearby. Dropping his caretaker's hand silently, he walked over to the calling wet dirt, scooping up a large handful with both hands. Looking back to see if he was being watched, he raised it over his hand and let go, letting the sopping mess trickle down his hair all over his front, back, and arms, grinning proudly. He sat down into the slushy stuff and basically getting it all over his body, including his towel. Gathering up another huge glob, he stood and made his way unseen back to Glorfindel, kicking at his foot lightly to get attention. And attention he did get.
"ELROND! I just gave you a bath! Oh gods, why did you go and do that? You're covered in mud, and your hair…!" Elrohir and Elladan watched bemused when Elrond just wordlessly smeared it over Glorfindel's robes, throwing a bit up at him to land in his hair. Making a defeated whimpering sound, Glorfindel sank down to his knees, not bothering to scold him when the child affectionally scrubbed more mud into his blonde hair, giving him an impromptu shampoo job.
Elrohir observed this scene closely, then ticked his head over to talk into his brother's ear in a low voice. "Y'think Glor gave up already?"
"Nah," Elladan replied, engrossed in watching his wet robes billow out whenever he let his arm float in the water. "He helped Dad raise us, then Arwen, so this won't be so bad."
"Uhm, I'm not so sure," Elrohir returned warily. "He looks pretty much gone."
Elladan looked up. Glorfindel now lay on his stomach, Elrond sitting daintily on his back, still into giving him a mud hair wash. Their sensitive ears caught a line of "Life is so unfair" every now and then from their tutor, the once-blonde Elf whimpering like an abandoned pet. Elrohir sighed. "We should save him."
"If we must." Calling out, "Elrond, you dirty bugger, over here!"
Elrond and Glorfindel lifted their heads at Elladan's voice, and Elrond hopped off the worn Elf's back to stand at the edge of the spring. Elladan grabbed him and pulled him into the water, the splashing starting all over again but this time with happy giggles. Glorfindel groaned, refusing to move.
Bath time went around again, but as the twins were climbing out with Elrond in tow, the child found something interesting sitting on the bank. Reaching out to grab it, he found that it was on to his scheme, and shot out a green liquid, landing perfectly in his hair and then speeding away under the water. Elrohir looked back to see the end of this, and to see the child sporting his new green hair unaware of the change. He sighed, and splashed some water to rid of it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Uh, Glory, Elrond's hair is green."
"WONDERFUL."
"Elrond, darlink, time for another bath!"
"Why?"
"You're dirty again."
"Why?"
"…because your hair is green."
"Why?"
"Because you've been naughty!"
"Why?"
"*GROAN*"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Why?!"
"Because I said so!"
"Why?"
"Elrond!" Glorfindel sighed heavily, glaring at the stubborn child. "Elrond, this is getting us nowhere."
"But…"
"No buts! Into the bath you go." Without another word, the ancient Elf lifted the squirming youngster up and into the warm spring, drawing his head back to avoid drowning from Elrond's persistent splashing. Spitting out some water, he set his stare on Elrohir, who sat merrily on the sidelines eating a cup of fruit. The twin smiled sweetly, waving to his tutor airily, then looked up at Elladan when he plunked himself down next to him, bearing a bowl of popcorn.
Glorfindel snorted. "Don't think you two can get away with this."
"Oh, we would never let it cross our minds," Elladan replied, his words coated with sugar. "We're just… resting."
"Resting?!" Glorfindel bellowed, hands on hips. Elrond squeaked and dove under the water, swimming across to the other side, leaving bubbles in his wake. Glaring at the twins, he said, "And you expect me to care for Elrond when you, Elladan, were the one who began this mess?"
Silence.
"Yes?"
"Why you arrogant…"
"Uhm, what is that?" The two turned their heads to see Elrond cupping something of a orangish brownish tint that looked like a blob of slime from where Glorfindel and the twins were sitting. The child was babbling happily to it, stroking the unknown organism and playing with it shamelessly. Grunting, Glorfindel hauled himself to his feet and walked over to the little waterfall where Elrond was hiding behind with his new pet, bending down to inspect this new species of slime molds.
Elrond blinked owlishly up at the Elf, then pulled his blob to his cheek, nuzzling it, keeping his eyes on Glorfindel in case he dared to try to take it away. Elrohir and Elladan watched with enthusiasm, Elrohir sucking on an apple piece and leaning over to get a better look at Elrond's discovery. Elladan, with this distraction, swiped his brother's cup of fruit, yelping and cowering against a tree when the younger snarled playfully, pouncing immediately on him without a moment's hesitation. Glorfindel, however, was too busy trying to persuade Elrond to hand over the thing, but the Elven child was unyielding.
Dunking the ball under the water, Elrond giggled and raised it back up into Glorfindel's face, squeezing it gently and laughing when it overflowed from his hands, but he was ready to catch it in time before it splashed back into the water. A few more words were said and Elrond reluctantly handed over his prize, watching both Elf and animal for whatever may happen. Glorfindel inspected it closely, squeezing it softly like Elrond had done, then dropped it promptly back into the water when it eve so ungraciously spilled its guts (literally) out at him. Elrond erupted into a shout of laughter, drawing the twins' attention to him. Glorfindel glared and reprimanded the younger, then pulled him out from the water, towel ready and began to dry him. "Sea cucumbers, Elrond, are not toys!"
"Why?"
"Ugh, Elrond…" Elrohir slapped his brother's shoulder warningly, glaring at him while stuffing some fruit into his mouth. Looking over at the pair, he puffed out his cheeks, food still inside, and grinned. Elrond snorted and dissolved into giggles, making it harder for Glorfindel to dry the wriggling child. Grabbing him by the waist, the older Elf hoisted the younger up into his lap, throwing another towel over his head, rubbing it furiously over his hair to dry it. In this instant, the twins were fooling around to make Glorfindel's job as hard as possible with sticking bits of fruit and popcorn into each other's hair behind his back, pulling absurd faces and overall sending Elrond into unstoppable rapturous laughter.
Finally Glorfindel looked over his shoulder to see Elrohir lurching around like an Orc on a chemical high, Elladan close on is heels flinging Elbereth knows what at his back. Standing up, the ancient Elf stalked quickly over to their forms, and giving them both a hearty push, sent them both into the spring shouting and flailing their arms. Elrond laughed and clapped his hands, waddling over to Glorfindel with his towel about his waist, reaching up and taking a hold of his hand. The taller smirked, calling out to the soaking twins. "This is only the beginning."
Elrond twisted an edge of the towel around in his hand, looking around and spotting an appealing mud pool nearby. Dropping his caretaker's hand silently, he walked over to the calling wet dirt, scooping up a large handful with both hands. Looking back to see if he was being watched, he raised it over his hand and let go, letting the sopping mess trickle down his hair all over his front, back, and arms, grinning proudly. He sat down into the slushy stuff and basically getting it all over his body, including his towel. Gathering up another huge glob, he stood and made his way unseen back to Glorfindel, kicking at his foot lightly to get attention. And attention he did get.
"ELROND! I just gave you a bath! Oh gods, why did you go and do that? You're covered in mud, and your hair…!" Elrohir and Elladan watched bemused when Elrond just wordlessly smeared it over Glorfindel's robes, throwing a bit up at him to land in his hair. Making a defeated whimpering sound, Glorfindel sank down to his knees, not bothering to scold him when the child affectionally scrubbed more mud into his blonde hair, giving him an impromptu shampoo job.
Elrohir observed this scene closely, then ticked his head over to talk into his brother's ear in a low voice. "Y'think Glor gave up already?"
"Nah," Elladan replied, engrossed in watching his wet robes billow out whenever he let his arm float in the water. "He helped Dad raise us, then Arwen, so this won't be so bad."
"Uhm, I'm not so sure," Elrohir returned warily. "He looks pretty much gone."
Elladan looked up. Glorfindel now lay on his stomach, Elrond sitting daintily on his back, still into giving him a mud hair wash. Their sensitive ears caught a line of "Life is so unfair" every now and then from their tutor, the once-blonde Elf whimpering like an abandoned pet. Elrohir sighed. "We should save him."
"If we must." Calling out, "Elrond, you dirty bugger, over here!"
Elrond and Glorfindel lifted their heads at Elladan's voice, and Elrond hopped off the worn Elf's back to stand at the edge of the spring. Elladan grabbed him and pulled him into the water, the splashing starting all over again but this time with happy giggles. Glorfindel groaned, refusing to move.
Bath time went around again, but as the twins were climbing out with Elrond in tow, the child found something interesting sitting on the bank. Reaching out to grab it, he found that it was on to his scheme, and shot out a green liquid, landing perfectly in his hair and then speeding away under the water. Elrohir looked back to see the end of this, and to see the child sporting his new green hair unaware of the change. He sighed, and splashed some water to rid of it, but it wouldn't budge.
"Uh, Glory, Elrond's hair is green."
"WONDERFUL."
"Elrond, darlink, time for another bath!"
"Why?"
"You're dirty again."
"Why?"
"…because your hair is green."
"Why?"
"Because you've been naughty!"
"Why?"
"*GROAN*"
