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| It's Nothing Really... by Dreamflower | 50 Review(s) |
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| Gryffinjack | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/1/2005 |
| "Pippin simply sat and smoothed the curls on Merry’s brow. It not only comforted Merry, but it seemed to help calm himself as well." Such a lovely image - we always see Frodo and Merry brushing Pippin's hair back and soothing him. It's nice to see Pippin being the one soothing his cousin. All three of them get so much out of such a simple physical gesture as smoothing the hair or rubbing of the back. It's like food for their souls. Pippin stood up, but pushed Merry back. “You stay where you are, Meriadoc Brandybuck!” HA! Pippin ordering Merry around! He certainly has taken charge of things and won't relinquish it until Frodo is actually there. Butter and pickle sandwiches? That sounds awful! "“Good night, sprout,” he whispered, using the special baby-name for his cousin that he never dared say aloud any longer to this nearly grown tween." Ah! The perfect opportunity to tell you something! Since the first time I read Frodo's endearing nickname for Merry in your stories, I've loved the name. In fact, I'm so taken with it that I started calling my twelve year old niece who I'm raising "Sprout" in the same fashion. When I explained about the nickname to her, she was thrilled, especially since her favourite hobbit is Merry. Author Reply: "It's like food for their souls." When it comes to touching, very much so. I just read a lovely Cormallen fic, and the author described the hobbits' needing physical touch the way they needed to breathe. Pippin has learned what to do with someone sick or injured from being on the receiving end of the care all these years. No one knows better than he that sometimes the patient has to be ordered around "for his own good". And he might be getting a *wee* bit of satisfaction at having the tables turned for once, though I'm sure he'd never consciously think of it that way. Aww! That's so sweet! Thank you for telling me that. *melts into puddle of goo* Give your niece a hug from me! | |
| Gryffinjack | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/1/2005 |
| Poor Merry! He's being such a brave young hobbit, hiding his pain because he's worried about getting Pippin more upset than he knows he is already. Even when injured, he's protective and acts the older cousin. "“I know that you need to keep off that foot, but it’s not too good for you to have to be laying out here while the Sun’s so high,” he said emphatically. That was something with which he had personal experience." lol! Pippin sure has had a personal experience with overexposure to the sun! I don't think Merry will be allowed to make the same mistake. I'm glad Merry appreciates Pippin and his abilities. Although most would probably be surprised that Pippin is so capable, Merry would not be. He knows his younger cousin observes and makes note of everything no matter how care-free he seems. But still, there is something amazing about seeing someone you have cared for and nurtured grow up, take charge, and competently do what must be done - it's been a real treat to read about how well Pippin tends to Merry. And although Merry is not one of Pippin's parents, he and Frodo have spent a good deal of time in shaping the young Took. Merry must be very proud of his Pippin right about now. Hang in there, Merry. Frodo's coming and he's brought food. Author Reply: Yes, I don't much imagine that anything short of unconsciousness gets Merry *out* of protective mode, LOL! Pippin does indeed. He will certainly not allow that to happen to his Merry. Merry (and Frodo) are well aware of how capable Pippin can be when he has to. I am not fond of the way some fics show Pippin as being a screw-up who can't do anything right. He is very bright and observant, and though he makes his share of foolish mistakes, those come from his impulsiveness or his youthful lack of knowledge, not from any inherent lack of capacity on his part. Still, I am sure that it does seem a bit amazing for Merry to see him take charge like that, if only because it would happen so rarely in Merry's presence. Pippin is glad to have Merry run things and to follow along, but if, for some reason Merry *can't*, Pippin will very capably step into the breech. (Look at the way he handled their captivity by Orcs, for a canon example of this. I guess you could call this a rehearsal for that event.) And I am quite sure that in spite of his pain, Merry is just bursting with pride in his Pip. | |
| Gryffinjack | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/1/2005 |
| Ah, so you've posted this story over here, too! I didn't see it before, but I'll review it now since I'm past this point in the chronology. Nothing is as satisfying as seeing Frodo cut people down to size when they have endangered or wronged one of Frodo's loved ones. He has the best way of making his displeasure known! I don't know which will be the worst for Mr. Noakes - the wrath of the Master of Buckland, the wrath of the Thain, or facing one of Frodo's glacial glares. *shudder* I daresay he deserves all three after the way he acted. While Mr. Noakes was clearly irresponsible and wrong for getting so drunk when he was charged with the care and delivery of two tweenagers, Merry acted too impulsively by deciding to walk the rest of the way with Pippin rather than wait for the hobbit to sleep it off. The delay caused by Mr. Noakes' oversleeping and probable hangover would still amount to Merry and Pippin arriving at Bag End sooner than they would by walking in all likelihood. Not that I blame Merry for being upset with Mr. Noakes and not wanting to travel with him, but he himself was only a tweenager and for him to take on the responsiblity of a young tweenager like Pippin especially with noboby else knowing what route they were going to take ... I'm sure that, like most tweenagers, he thought that he was filled with self confidence and knew that he could take care of everything, but I just don't think Merry should have done it. This is a very promising beginning to a story I look forward to reading. Now Frodo is going to have to come to the rescue while Pippin is going to get a chance to take care of Merry. Author Reply: For some reason, one thing I *love* to do is to have Frodo ream some adult for not treating his younger cousins as well as he thinks they should be treated. (Remember the store clerk in "Pippin the Protector"?) I can just see him facing them down like a lion protecting its cubs. Yes, Merry *did* make a mistake, a very understandable one. He's still a tween himself, and though he's not nearly as impulsive as Pippin will be all his life, Merry is also still part Took. As much as Merry tends to be a forward-thinker, it never occured to him that he might get hurt. And I'm sure he thought that they were both up to a walk that he had taken with Frodo himself more than once. Still, it was basically an unwise decision--he would have done better to have sent Frodo a message and waited for him at Frogmorton. But that sort of foresight is still a few years in coming--and it's quite possible that this little error made now helped him be a little better prepared for things later. Lesson learned. Yes, a bit of Merry h/c, with Pippin giving the "c". | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/21/2005 |
| Ah, yes, "Nothing, really." Nothing really my eye, poor Merry. Loved the detail and the nervous spillage from Pippin as he finally has the chance to give over the responsibility to Mistress Salvia. Ah, the dear lad! Thanks for a wonderful short tale. Author Reply: I've often found that phrase to be rather more ironic than the person speaking it means for it to be. "Nothing, really" usually means "something, really" as Lindelea pointed out. Yes, now that Pippin has found someone who he can unload on, he does so thoroughly. He is a sweetie, isn't he? And thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed it. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 11/21/2005 |
| Oh, I can well imagine what names he was considering, as I've found myself considering the same. Heh! Author Reply: *chuckle* Well, I don't suppose any of those names would have made the list of approved Shire expressions, but Frodo can't be faulted for *thinking*, LOL! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 11/21/2005 |
| Ah, the sweet, competent Frodo. A blessing on him for his care and diligence and swift intelligence when considering the actions of his cousins. And hope Noakes regrets drinking so heavily! Heh! Author Reply: Fortunately he knows his cousins well, and could anticipate Merry's probable route. And he is rather competent--after all, most of his formative years were spent under Sara's competent tutelage as well. I certainly hope he regrets it. I hope he has many a sleepless night remembering that blue-eyed glare, and worrying about what the Master and the Thain are going to do... | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/21/2005 |
| Ooh poor Merry. Why is it that all healers seem to have to cause pain before they can relieve it! And grown up Pippin who doesn't know where the healer lives because it is usually him in the sick bed! As for the challenge it is midnight so I really can't stop to count - much as I want to! Author Reply: I don't know, but it does seem that way, doesn't it? Especially with injuries. And *now* he *does* know where she lives! That's quite all right, dear. Kitty and Imrahoil tied, right away, both their emails logging in at the same minute. Maybe I'll do it again sometime, or something similar. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/21/2005 |
| Very cute! Sorry I didn't sign on in time to be in the running for the ficlet! But I have been over-doing in the face of a cold (no choice, really) and today I paid the consequences, sleeping until nearly 10:30! (Thankfully the dc know how to make breakfast, seeing as cookery lessons are a part of our class schedule, and they were very happy for the half-holiday today.) “Oh, you’re no end of trouble, you silly goose, and worth every moment of it! It’s nothing really…” (I love this! And Pippin and Frodo watching the splinting as if the foot and its attendant pain belongs to both of them!) Author Reply: Well, I thank you for the idea, anyway, LOL! It certainly seemed popular. I hope that you are feeling much better. Colds are really the pits. I'm so glad you liked that line. It was one of my favorites.*happy grin* Pippin and Frodo are both very empathetic personalities. I would imagine they felt like cringing at every little wince Merry made. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/21/2005 |
| I love the way Pippin has to be told where the healer's house is. I'm sure he's only too well acquainted with Mistress Salvia, but mainly from the point of view of the injured! His stream of consciousness chatter is probably very illuminating to her and she is delightfully reassuring. He is so caring towards Merry too - little touches and pats. Just the right kind of attention. And Sam's comment that Farmer Longhole would have been insulted by the offer of money is very good - and so true. Sam knows, Frodo. And all's well that ends well. Except for poor Merry of course. Author Reply: I thought that might be the case, LOL! Yes, she's gleaning the information she'll need to treat Merry's injury, as well as letting the youngster know that he did the right things. That's Pippin. I see him as very much one for needing to have and give reassuring touches. And with Merry that works both ways, for example when he was smoothing Merry's curls that night while they were alone, it not only helped Merry, but also helped Pippin to relax as well. Yes, Sam definitely knows how a working hobbit would feel about something like that. Poor Merry! But it could have been a good deal worse... | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/21/2005 |
| Sometimes I wished there was no time difference ;-) I enjoyed this story very much, especially brave little Pippin. He could have simply asked Marigold to fetch the healer, but insisted on doing it on his own. And the constant chatter on the way back to Bag End - very Pippin :) I can imagine that the healer was very amused. Thank you, Dreamflower! Author Reply: Well, Frodo had asked him to--probably to make it easier to get Merry settled without Pippin's nervous presence. And it made Pippin feel as if he were doing one more thing to help his Merry. Besides, I thought it was about time he got a turn to fetch the healer, LOL! Pippin does get talkative at times, whether he is excited for a good or a bad reason. I'm sure Mistress Salvia found his report both informative and entertaining. Glad you liked the story! | |