Ahhh!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY this is SUCH a fun idea.
For the ask game, I would like to ask Merry if he thinks he could beat Elrond in battle ;)
Thank you so much! :D Let's find out...
"Could I beat Lord Elrond in battle?" Merry muses, smiling at you. "Sure. He's kind as summer and all that, so he wouldn't lift a finger against me! Oh, I know he fought against Sauron, but that was thousands of years ago. I bet his sword skills are a little rusty by now."
"You couldn't beat Elrond!" Pippin protests, walking over. "He's a parabola. Half-elven!"
"Peredhel, not parabola–"
"Whatever. The point is, he's got magical powers, and you don't."
Merry rolls his eyes at Pippin before returning his attention to you.
"Don't listen to him. The real question is, should I beat Elrond? He's important to Middle Earth, after all. Essential to the ecosystem. Also, if I did beat Elrond in battle, Aragorn and Arwen would be very upset, and I'm not sure I could handle that."
"You think you could beat Elrond, but not Aragorn and Arwen?" Pippin snorts.
"That's not what I said. Besides, I beat the Witch-King–"
"Back to the point. I could beat Elrond in battle. I would defeat him thoroughly. Winner: me. Crown me Lord of Rivendell–"
"Let's stop right there."
Merry freezes, and Pippin bursts out laughing. You turn around, only to find Elrond smiling gently at the scene before him.
"Uh... How much of that did you hear?" Merry asks, his face turning beet-red.
"Quite enough." He grins, before turning to you with a wink. "For the record, I wouldn't dare challenge Mr. Brandybuck in a fight. He defeated the Witch-King of Angmar."
Merry beams proudly, and it is Pippin's turn to roll his eyes. You, meanwhile, are all ears. After all, it was you who asked the question in the first place!
Send me an ask for my Tolkien Birthday Party, Hobbit Style!