They were picnicking on a sunny afternoon of a most carefree day. Several other blankets were spread about on the hill, and there were fireworks promised for the evening. People mingled to and fro, leaving their group to join another before moving along. Glorfindel was not so much in a mood to roam, and so he and Erestor had hosted several couples and others who meandered over and away again. And every time, in between, Erestor could faintly hear something coming from Glorfindel. Little murmurs of ‘dah dah dah-dah dah-dah’ and an occasional word thrown in.
“Fin,” he finally said when the current trio decided to move along, “what is that terribly annoying song you keep mumbling?”
“Hmm?” Glorfindel licked his fingers after popping a carrot in his mouth. He chomped on it, trying to look innocent.
“All I can make out is ‘poke it out’.”
Glorfindel swallowed and immediately chuckled. “Oh, no. Polka-dot.” He began to hum again without the words.
Erestor stared at Glorfindel for a bit, then said, “You could just sing it.”
“Oh.” Glorfindel chuckled again. “It was something I heard some hobbits singing once.”
“Hobbits? Now there is a word I have not heard in nearly seven hundred years…”
“That seems about right,” nodded Glorfindel. “Mister Took was singing it, in fact.”
“So… the words?” prompted Erestor, trying to be patient.
“Oh!” This time, Glorfindel’s laughter was full of embarrassment. “I have no idea what the words are.”
“I heard words,” scolded Erestor.
Glorfindel shrugged. “Sure, I know a few… you cannot possibly want half of a song.”
“Try me,” Erestor prodded.
Glorfindel shrugged, sat up from his lounging position and sang, “Ra da da da da da da da circus da da da da da da da da afro; Circus afro, circus afro; Polka dot polka dot polka dot afro!”
Erestor blinked at Glorfindel for a moment. “What… what is ‘a fro’?”
“I guess the opposite of ‘a to’.”
Erestor blinked again, and Glorfindel grinned.
Glorfindel concentrated on eating again while Erestor stared off at the horizon. After a few minutes, he uttered a single word: “Fuck.”
“See? I warned you. Addicting little song.. takes me several months every time it gets into my head for it to leave again,” chattered Glorfindel as another couple approached them and waved.
Erestor stood up with a whimper. “I need to go.. shove my head into a pile of snow and hope it freezes that bloody annoying song and makes it go away!” He stomped off past the couple without saying good day, though Glorfindel waved them over to join him on the blanket.
“Is he alright?” asked Tauniel as she sat down and patted a spot beside her for her wife to join them.
Glorfindel nodded, chuckling to himself. “He just has a circus to take care of.”
“Oh! There is a circus?” Eruluinde looked pleased as she settled down beside Tauniel. “Will there be clowns and acrobats and those cute little puppies in polka-dotted dresses?”
Glorfindel nearly spat his wine at the description. “I have no idea – you shall have to ask Erestor when he returns!”
Poke it Out? by Zhie
Story Notes:
IDoS 2012. Bunniverse. Inspired by the song: Afro Circus (Eru help us all).