Written By: LeoD
For: Dwimmerlaik
Title: Pippin Plays a Prank!
Category: LotR
Genre: Humor
Language: English
Rating: G
Summary: After tiring days ensuring the downfall of Saruman, Merry takes a nap, and Pippin can't resist the opportunity to play a practical joke... very short, very silly.
Author's Note: This short little fluff-fic takes place when Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn are reunited with Merry and Pippin at Isengard (or what remains of it, in any case). I know that once they started conversing there wasn't much opportunity for the following scene to unfold, so allow me some artistic license please :) I'm pretty sure that it's error-free, but if there's any glaring discrepancies please let me know and I'll fix it ASAP (after whacking myself for being stupid, that is).
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, please don't sue kthnx.
=-=-=
"...hungry as hunters, the Hobbit children, the laughing-folk, the little people..."
-Treebeard's Long List, pg. 211 (The Two Towers)
It was a pleasant enough day... the sun was shining, the birds were twittering, and Orthanc was, as of the events that had previously unfolded, demolished and Saruman bested. And the idyllic weather was lulling a young hobbit, name of Meriadoc Brandybuck, into a drowsy noontide slumber. He and his kinsman Peregrin Took had been busy for the last few hours, relating tales to their companions of their acquisition of the leaf from the Southfarthing of Isengard (and other slightly more serious topics as well).
Reunited with Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli son of Gloìn, and Aragorn, Isildur's heir, and now enjoying the find smoke of the aforementioned leaf, Meriadoc indulged in what he considered a well-merited respite. Had he not earlier aided with the downfall of the residence of the cursèd Saruman? Pooh, never mind the fact that Sauron was still at large, dangerous as ever... no, Shirefolk deserved a break every once in a while (when they had a chance to catch one, that is), after all; with this justification in mind Merry felt not the least bit of guilt as he dozed off. Well, possibly a twinge of misgiving, but could those be classified as guilt? Or perhaps something more ominous... the matter was forgone as Merry's head slipped lower, his lips slightly parted and hand loosely grasping his pipe.
"A fine opportunity to play a prank I must say," commented Peregrin, casting an aside glance at Merry.
"Not that you'd even stoop to something of that nature, Peregrin Took!" Legolas reprimanded him, casting a stern look in the hobbit's direction.
"Oh... well, no of course not," Pippin answered with some amount of trepidation- his company, after all, consisted of one of the royal Mirkwood elves, and the other the son of a well-renowned dwarf. Never mind that both of them were members of the Fellowship of the Ring, noble beings representing their races, pictures of dignity. Immediately Pippin felt foolish at his suggestion and was about to apologize for it when Gimli spoke to the elf,
"Nay, because you yourself have never committed a crime such as that, my friend!" with a chuckle.
Legolas seemed somewhat taken aback, but then a small smile crept over his features.
Realizing that the elf's earlier tone had been one of mock-primness, Pippin eased and allowed himself a grin.
"Well, it'd depend really on whether one had the heard to disturb the poor sleeping fellow," he stated casually. All three turned to inspect Merry.
"One would," Gimli spoke for the entire procession; and he and Legolas rose, the former standing behind the snoozing hobbit whilst stroking his beard pensively, and the latter crouching in front of Merry, examining him with mischievous eyes. Pippin for his part turned in his seat to direct the proceedings.
"Hobbits have most unnaturally curly hair," Legolas commented thoughtfully.
"Most especially on the soles of their feet," Gimli made sure to add, earning himself a jokingly reproachful glare from Pippin. The elf, meanwhile, continued his musing:
"A pity 'tis the only opportunity we've had yet for some trick like this; there's no flowers about to weave in Master Merry's springy coils."
"Very true," Pippin glanced briefly about the barren land that now surrounded Isengard and sighed. "But... there's other masteries of hair I'm sure the two of you possess that could be utilized, hmm?"
At first Gimli and Legolas appeared confused and looked at each other, then understanding dawned upon each as they caught onto Pippin's drift.
"I believe Merry's hair is two short for braids such as mine," Legolas said woefully as his fingers wove around one instinctively, "unless you're calling for very short braids."
"Or else you could start one at the crown, and then keep adding new strands... I believe I could manage that," Gimli muttered gruffly. When met with raised eyebrows, he demonstrated, "Like so," and began to fashion a most interesting braid that might, in modern times be donned a "cornrow".
"That's absurd," Legolas sniffed as he worked on the other side of Merry's head and skillfully created a tiny braid that stood straight upwards, then another, then another...
Pippin meanwhile had discovered some form of vegetation, dead as it were, but one couldn't do much about the matter anyway. Crumbling a dead leaf onto the top of Merry's head, where no braids lurked (as of yet), Pippin scrutinized his cousin, and then wove several strands of grass into the more compliant curls that nestled on Merry's brow and down his forehead.
Satisfied with their work, the three pranksters stepped back and admired the effect.
"I daresay 'tis a most complementing style," Gimli said seriously.
"Indeed I agree with you," Pippin replied sagely, nodding.
The ends of Legolas' lips were twitching as all three determined not to look at each other, then burst into gales of hilarity that caused Merry to open one eye and grunt, "Ehm?"
And of course, that attracted Aragorn son of Arathorn to divert his attention back towards the scene. His face contorted into a mixture of amusement and bewilderment; eventually he just raised both eyebrows and shook his head, turning away to hide a smile. A yelp from Merry revealed that he had discovered his new hair renovation,; laughter erupted from Gimli and Legolas as they watched Merry chase after Pippin, obviously having deduced correctly that he had been the perpetrator.
Finally grinning, Aragorn allowed himself a small amount of fun and delight: they might be hard to get hold of in the days to come.