PGY Fic, "A Phase"
Title: A Phase
Author: Meli aka Dreamiflame
Rating: PG
Pairing: Oh, Molly/Meli, I suppose
Notes: This was inspired by several things, and is intended strictly for fun. Mary, Molly-lark told me I may be stretching canon a tiny bit with the make-up, so let me know, alright?
On a beautiful summer's morning, Pippin Took was seated at his kitchen table. His wife, Diamond, gave him a kiss as she set down his plate, then moved over to the fire to make him his tea. Pippin smiled at Dinny, and started in on his breakfast.
A heavy sigh interrupted him, and Pippin blinked as he looked up at the kitchen door. His daughter Meli was leaning aginst the door frame, dressed all in black as though she was going to a funeral. Her dress was of black satin, and a matching ribbon had been looped through her curls. She'd painted her lips and outlined her eyes in black make-up as well. Pippin glanced over at Diamond just in time to see her overfill his mug, too busy staring at Meli to concentrate on her task. "Dinny, the water's overflowing," he pointed out.
Diamond squeaked and began mopping up her spill. "So sorry, dear," she said, and glanced up at Meli again. "I'll make you a fresh cup. And Meli, dear, would you like some breakfast?"
Meli sighed again and attempted to glide over to the table. She tripped on the uneven floorboard everyone always tripped on, but caught her balance and continued her walk. "My name is Sparrow, mother," she declared mournfully, sinking into a chair. Pippin forced himself to close his mouth and looked down at his food to keep from laughing.
"Is something the matter, Sparrow?" he asked, and took a bite of mushrooms. Meli crinkled her nose as she looked at his plate and frowned. Closer, he could see that she'd put white powder on her face to make her skin paler as well.
"Nothing is right, father," Meli stated, trying to sound sad and sorrowful. "I am Sparrow for the broken-winged bird that is my heart."
Privately, Pippin thought that was a good description, and resolved to share it with Frodo so he could use it in one of his stories. Pippin cleared his throat and shrugged helplessly at Diamond.
Diamond brought over two cups of tea and sat beside Meli, reaching to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Meli-"
"Sparrow!" Meli snapped, then seemed to remember she wasn't showing any sort of passionate emotion and settled back into leaning her chin on her hand.
"Um... yes, sorry. Sparrow, did you have a fight with one of your brothers?"
"No." Meli sniffed and looked disdainful. "My siblings do not understand the heartache and the pain caused by the world at all times. Faramir goes so far as to say I am imagining things." She scowled.
"But you are imagining things, Meli-sparrow," Faramir said as he walked into the kitchen. He leant down to kiss Diamond's cheek and pulled Meli's hair bow out, sending her curls tumbling down. As they touched her cheeks, they were dusted lightly with the powder covering her face. Diamond bit her lip and tried not to smile.
Meli snatched her ribbon back and glared at him. "You mock my suffering."
Faramir rolled his eyes and plopped down at the table. "It's a beautiful day," Meli snorted, "the sun is shining," she shuddered and inched away from the sunlight, "and Mum made blueberry pancakes." Meli made a face. Faramir ignored all of her reactions and went on. "You're young," she rolled her eyes as she put her hair back up, "you're healthy," a large sigh and a cough, "you have a great family," Pippin clapped Faramir on the back and went on eating his breakfast, "and your friends are loyal and love you a lot." Meli pulled out her lip paint and a small mirror and began redoing her lips. "So why you're dressing like that and acting like we've all died or abandoned you, I don't know."
Meli snapped her powder case shut and stood up dramatically, shoving her chair back so hard it fell. "You don't understand the darkness in my soul!" she cried, and ran sobbing from the room.
Dinny, Pippin and Farry exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. Though his chuckles, Faramir managed, "Don't worry, I'm sure it's just a phase," before collapsing into giggles again.
Meli slammed the door to her room and flung herself onto her bed. Although the sun shone brightly outside, the room was dimly lit by a single candle. The windows were covered with thick blankets, and the darkness was soothing to Meli's eyes. Gethering herself, she moved to her desk and began to write, trying to put her despair into the proper words.
She had just found the right mood and was writing along when there was a knock at the door. Meli jerked, ink splattering the page of her poem, and she cursed softly as she dabbed ineffectively at it. Scowling, she put down her pen as the knock came again. She tried to glide over to the door, but tripped on the rug. Catching herself against the wall, Meli leaned her head against the door and sighed. "Who is it?" she whispered.
"Meli?" Molly sounded confused. "Why are you whispering? You didn't meet us, are you sick?"
Meli closed her eyes as she felt tears gathering. Lark would understand. She opened the door quickly and dragged Molly in, locking the door behind her cousin. Embracing Molly tightly, Meli kissed her twice on each cheek. "Your presence banishes some of the turmoil in my mind, dearest Lark," she said, holding Molly close.
Molly looked at her oddly and returned Meli's hug. Gently, she felt Meli's forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever..."
"Lark!" Meli pulled away and grabbed both of Molly's hands. "Don't you understand? There is so much pain in me, and the world does nothing! There aren't even clouds to console me!"
"Sparrow, you're talking nonsense. Why would you have pain in your heart? We were having fun yesterday. Remember how Crow got caught on the fence when we were trying to get out of the garden as quick as possible?" Meli looked incomprehendingly at Molly, and Molly sighed. "Why are you wearing black lip paint?"
"To show the sorrow inside."
"And dressing like you're dead?" Meli flushed as she drew on a pair of long, silky black gloves.
"I'm not dressing like I'm dead. I'm expressing myself. Wearing clothes that reflect my inner desolation."
"Sparrow, I think you need to lie down."
"But Lark, you're supposed to understand!" Meli was getting hysterical again.
Molly shook her head and went over to Meli's wash stand. Pouring some of the water into the basin, she wet a cloth and looked in the mirror to wipe Meli's lip prints off of her cheeks. "Sparrow, I don't understand. You don't really have any reason to be all angry and hurt and depressed. Now, do you still want to come get some mushrooms with us?"
Meli pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "No."
"That's fine." Molly kissed Meli's forehead. "Don't look so glum, dearest. I still love you. Even if you are a silly Took." Meli stuck her tongue out and Molly laughed, wiping her lips free of powder. She hugged Meli once more, then left.
Meli threw herself onto the bed again. "No one understands!"
All that day, Meli stayed in her room. She had resolved not to speak, instead only sighing loudly whenever someone would try to talk to her. Faramir climbed through her window at lunch time and opened her door so Diamond could leave a tray on her desk. Meli glared at both of them until they left, then locked the door and the windows. They left a tray outside her door at tea time. Molly brought back both empty trays when she returned from trying to get Meli to talk to her. She, Daisy and Sammie had brought back mushrooms, and gave part of them to Diamond to cook for Meli. After sitting for a long while listening to Pippin's stories, the three left to go home for dinner. Pippin brought Meli her dinner tray and picked up the empty one afterwards. Faramir was still amused by the whole deal and knocked loudly on her door to say good night.
"You aren't fooling anyone, Meli Took," he told her door. "We know you're in there, and we know you're not really depressed. You should have come out. Me and Pippin Gamgee went fishing this afternoon. It was a lot of fun."
"Fishing in the river of dreams, you mean. Stealing visions from those who should recieve them." Meli's voice was muffled, and no matter what else Faramir said to her, she refused to say another word. Finally giving up, he went to his room, determined to talk to her in the morning.
He needn't have worried. The next morning, the delightful scent of fresh blueberry muffins filled the air. To Pippin and Faramir's surprise, it was Meli, not Diamond pulling the final batch from the stove. Overnight, Meli had apparently abandoned her silly notion of being depressed. Today she was dressed in green, her curls pulled loosely back from her face with a red ribbon. Her plentiful freckles were plainly visible on her face, and she smiled brightly as they entered the kitchen. "Good morning, Pa, Farry."
Faramir tweaked her nose and snagged a muffin for himself. Meli squeaked and swatted his hand. "Told you you were being silly."
Meli's cheeks pinkened, but she held his gaze. "Just a phase, brother dear." Faramir choked on his bite of muffin. Diamond cleared her throat and sipped her tea. Pippin clapped Faramir on the back and grinned at Meli.
When he had stopped coughing, Faramir laughed and swept his sister up in a hug. Giggling, she extracted herself and bundled up some of the muffins in a basket. Taking her cloak from the hook, she kissed her parents goodbye and left for the day.
At the regular meeting place, Meli was surprised to see only Sammie and Daisy waiting for her. They were delighted with her muffins and her transformation back into her normal self. The minutes crept back, and still Molly did not appear. Mildly concerned, the three went to her house, and knocked on the door.
Estella, looking a bit run-down, opened the door. Delighted by the muffins and their concern, she told the three that Molly had refused to come out of her room. Meli, a hunch leading her on, knocked softly on the door. "Lark?"
"Sparrow, dear cousin." The door opened and Molly, done up in black dragged her into the dim room. Meli sneezed as the powder in the room tickled her nose, and bit her lip to keep from giggling. "You have come to see me in my misery." Molly bumped into the end of her bed and interupted her dramatic sweep by tumbling onto the mattress. Slightly flustered, she tried to continue, but Meli laid two fingers across her black painted mouth and shook her head.
"Silly Brandybuck," she said, and kissed her lightly, not caring about the paint that transferred to her own lips. Standing and brushing off her hands, Meli smiled down at Molly. "We'll leave you to it, then, but there are fresh blueberry muffins I made if you want to ask your mother for one." She moved to the door and let herself out, grinning at Daisy and Sammie.
"I would have sworn it would be Sammie," Daisy said in exasperation, and Meli laughed.
"I half expected it too, but now I'm sure it'll be you tomorrow."
"Never!" Daisy declared, and pouted when Meli and Sammie only laughed and linked arms, heading back out to the sunshine and the waiting vegetables.
~
Pretty Good Year | email Meli