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Distractions  by GamgeeFest 8 Review(s)
Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/22/2009
LOL
So Merry gave Bergil a part in all of this did he?
I think Frodo spent more time worrying over the new clothes and what might be wrong with them than he did anything else. Looks as if Merry is, for the moment, ahead of the game.

Author Reply: Bergil got to play. :) Though he may be regretting it. Knowing that he helped to prank the Ring-bearer will be a far worse punishment than any his father could give him!

Frodo did make Merry's job very easy, didn't he? Merry is in the lead as of now. He better enjoy it while he can! ;)

cookiefleckReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/20/2009
It's a pretty eventful "day of rest," isn't it?! I'm not fond of pranks in RL so I felt sorry for poor Frodo - but the prank was very interesting; clever of Merry to use Frodo's suspicion against him. Loved delightfully devious Sam working his way to and then rifling through Aragorn's study. Lots of good stuff in this chapter and very hobbity to boot. Good job!

Author Reply: It's safe to say this day was anything but restful for everyone! Believe it or not, I'm not a fan of pranks either, but my hobbits for some reason love them. Blame it on PJ. ;) Merry knew Frodo would be suspicious and that alone, along with some good timing and acting by Bergil, was enough to guarantee the prank's success.

Sam is a master spy and he knows what to look for. He's had years of practice after all, and no one would question a hobbit carrying flowers. :D Aragorn might well rue the day he agreed to let Sam spy on him.

Thanks for reading! :)

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/16/2009
I promised you a real review, so here it is!

I loved the detailing of Merry's thoughts as he does his solemn duty at Theoden's bier. The melancholy he has to feel in that dark stone place is so inevitable-- hobbits aren't meant to have to think about death and sorrow for hours on end, and it has to be taking a toll on Merry.

The prank was priceless. All Merry had to do was...nothing. Well, I suppose he arranged the timing of the laundresses, and he knew Bergil would let his part slip. But Frodo could have been perfectly comfortable all day in a nice fitting set of clothes if he hadn't been so darn suspicious. Which of course, is what devious Merry thought of! No wonder I couldn't figure out his prank!

I loved "bright eyes and bushy feet"-- so perfect a hobbit version of that expression! I love it when folks come up with things like that!

And poor Frodo's fan mail! LOL! I'm not the only one who imagines the hobbits being "fangirled" while they are in Minas Tirith! Locks of hair! I suppose he should be grateful he doesn't live nowadays-- just think what the girls might send him nowaday! Or, er, maybe better not. It staggers the imagination...

Now I want more. Soon, pretty please?

Author Reply: Merry is proud to serve his fallen king, but there is a price to pay. Frodo and Aragorn aren't the only ones in need of distraction, but Merry is thankfully good about distracting himself!

hehehehe! Merry exceeded himself in this prank and he'll be gloating about it for many a year to come, I'm sure! Merry did have to do some leg work to get this prank to work, but it was Frodo's suspicion that sealed it. And you can bet Merry requested the laundresses to leave the spare robe! :D

I was about to put "bright eyed and bushy tailed" but I realized that made about as much sense for hobbits as it does for humans. Makes much more sense for them to mention their feet rather than tails they don't have. :)

:D I enjoyed giving Frodo some fan-girl mail. Locks of hair is about as riske as the Gondorians get, thank goodness! Oh, I can imagine! LOL! Poor Frodo would faint if he got such mail!

I hope to get the next chapter done this weekend. I've hit a bit of snag but I don't see it being too big an obstacle. I just need to reorganize a few things and I should be back on track. :)

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/16/2009
He looked at Sam, who looked back at him, eyebrows raised. “He’s not that subtle.”

LOL!!!

Clever Merry! That was a great prank! And an even greater one is to come.

Well, I suspected that Merry had bought those clothes - for nothing, well knowing that he was being watched by Legolas. So Legolas and Frodo would have pondered and pondered, but nothing would have happened.

But *this* prank is far better. For the only one Frodo can really blame for his uncomfortable situation is himself ;-)

And I loved this hobbity statement:

“and I will be there tomorrow with bright eyes and bushy feet.”

Author Reply: Merry finally learned the importance of being subtle, without Frodo even realizing it. As Sam said, Merry's learned much from his adventures.

You're right and wrong. Merry certainly did have this outcome as his end objection, but he was lucky in some regards. Frodo won't underestimate him again!

:D I figure even hobbits would have a version of that idiom. Bushy tailed just didn't fit for them, but bushy feet was perfect!

AntaneReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/16/2009
Oh, that was sneaky of Merry! :) Cute!

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Author Reply: Merry is very tricksy, yesss precioussss, tricksssy. :D He'll be telling his grandchildren about this one! :)

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/15/2009
LOLOL! Clever clever Merry! It's my bedtime, so I will leave a more detailed review tomorrow, I hope! *grin* what a nice bedtime treat this chapter was!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/15/2009
Ah--Frodo's own imagination served to see the prank pulled! Silly Hobbit! But we do love him so! Heh!

Author Reply: Frodo really shouldn't be so suspicious of his dear cousins. ;) Frodo's not entirely immune to that overactive imagination of the Tooks, and Merry knows it!

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 15 on 6/15/2009
bright eyes and bushy feet, love that!

The amount of detail you give us is astounding. I like imagining what life in the Travellers' house was like, with its laundry, provisions, post, gifts, visitors, and meals. But oh, poor Merry. What a solemn duty for a hobbit.

Author Reply: *grins* I figured even hobbits need a version of that idiom!

Trying to figure out the routine of the house was interesting, and of course crucial for this chapter. ;) Merry does have a hard time of it, but he's proud to do his duty to his beloved king.

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