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Discretion  by Bodkin 12 Review(s)
Kitt OtterReviewed Chapter: 10 on 5/17/2008
I had to laugh (maybe with some wickedness) at the suggestion of asking Aule the new meaning of their words...
It was sweet when Legolas quoted Gimli.
I loved the moment Celebrian had with her sons, blooming so warmly with their affection.
-Kitt

RedheredhReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/25/2005
What a sweet moment. The parent and children coming to terms about how they truly love each other despite occassional misunderstandings or mistakes. Both still growing together - sheltering, entwined, supportive, forgiving.

I especially like Celebrian observing when holding hands how small her own hands had become and the gentleness with which they now hold her. Time passes even for elves.

Elladan forgiveness for his mother's short-sightedness about the joke sounds a lot like what happened to you as the author that spawned it! 'Twas others that kept the creature heartly fed on your behalf. :D

'Course, forgivness does not change the twins' goal of getting some payback. They tend to need that kind of justice, it seems. Poor Glorfindel. He is not their naneth or adar - no matter how much of those roles besides his own he had to play.

Ah but, the conclusion is coming. Let us hope everyone handles it with grace and humour now that Celebrian, unlike Galadriel ;), has gotten the ball rolling in the right direction.


Author Reply: Elladan and Elrohir would never blame their naneth, I think, for anything. They feel extremely protective towards her. Probably still a hang-over from the wounding.

And the whole thing did expand out of nothing! (With a few suggestions and hints!) How can they possibly accuse Celebrian of tormenting them deliberately?

They aren't prepared simply to let the matter drop, though. They are too competitive for that. And since they can't blame their naneth - and even their sense of self-preservation stops them challenging their daernaneth and daeradar, who is left but Elrond and/or Glorfindel? Aragorn, Arwen and Gimli are beyond their reach!

The twins just need a scheme so clever, so subtle that it won't backfire on them. Can they pull it off? Only time will tell!

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/24/2005
Lovely chapter Bodkin. I have always been fascinated by Celebrian and Gilraen too. I love Glorfindel too but I wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now!

Author Reply: Thank you. I somehow think that Glorfindel is going to get most of the blame from Elladan and Elrohir. They aren't going to blame their naneth; they are too cautious to blame their grandparents; Elrond wasn't there at the time (and is their lord and father) - but Glorfindel . . .

I must finish this and post the next chapter of Arwen's Heart. (Stupid title. Don't know why I called it that.) Gilraen features quite strongly in that.

I think a lot of the females in LotR are particularly fascinating because there is so little about them - except in how they influenced the males in their lives. And so many of them aren't even named!

KittyReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/24/2005
A wonderful tender chapter! It is so sweet how caring the twins are of their nana, and in this chapter are some insightful parts about the relationship of parents and their children and about children of a certain age.

But on the other hand ... of course Celebrían gets away with everything, because the twins don't want to hurt or disappoint her. Now I wonder if she came on her own accord, or if the other "adults" have send her to make good for their jest?

Author Reply: That's a cunning thought! But I don't think it would work necessarily. The twins are more than happy to excuse their naneth her part in not revealing the joke - but that doesn't mean they have forgiven those they consider more responsible for allowing it to happen in the first place.

I'm sure they will still be seeking some form of satisfaction.

I'm glad you liked the parts about parents and children - it's not always an easy relationship. For either side. Thank you.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
Ah--confession is so good for the soul! Heh!

Author Reply: The twins would forgive their naneth anyway - just because she is their naneth. But she has managed to arouse all the protective feelings they have for her.

(They share her mischievous nature - so they would probably have done exactly the same. And they are honest enough to know it, too.) Thank you.

elliskaReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
Elladan and Elrohir with their mum was very sweet! Of course she gets away with anything.

I love the image of the twins as children that this line produced: I would have you still as my joy-filled ellyn – to whom each day was a new adventure.’

And I love the twins' analysis that if they'd been older or younger they would not have been fooled--that is too true. There is a certain age when we just know everything, isn't there? Pity that age doesn't last longer. ;-)

And I loved the last line. Hehehe. There will be more to this. :-)


Author Reply: It has to stop soon! But it does have a bit more. Although I'm trying to find a way of bringing it to a conclusion!

E2 would let their mother walk all over them if she wanted to - but it's an exclusive right and not extended to certain golden-haired elven warriors.

Mothers would love to capture their children at certain moments and preserve them there - but it can't be done. (Of course there are other moments you are only too happy to have pass as quickly as possible.)

There is a certain age when we just know everything, isn't there? Pity that age doesn't last longer. ;-) Well - the confidence is good, but I think those round us are quite glad when we get through that stage. Cocksure teens are not the most enjoyable company. And if the twins hadn't been so . . . self-absorbed - there wouldn't be a problem now!

Thank you. More soon.

Rose SaredReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
Oh yes, what an interesting burden parental pride is. Not necessarily a bad burden but a weight to be carried non the less. I find myself feeling very glad I am not an elf and will not have to live with my parenting triumphs and tragedies for eternity, nor bear my experience of my parents and grandparents etc issues for ever.
We go paddling in deep waters sometimes when we start with a jest, aye?
Rose

Author Reply: Parental pride - can provide a lot to live up to. And when the twins look at their ancestry, it probably makes it even worse. They know their parents love them, no matter what - but then they want them to do their best. And their examples of doing your best include Earendil and Elu and Beren and Luthien and all the rest of those legendary heroes. I don't envy elves their immortality.

And, given 3000 years or so to grow, even the simplest jest can grow into something rather disproportionately large.

TithenFeredirReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
Humor aside, the best part of this was the tenderness of the twins for their naneth. The image of those two identical warriors kissing her cheeks was the best. So sweet. ~TF

Author Reply: The twins love their naneth dearly. They would rather abandon any thought of revenge than blame her for their plight - so they are delighted to be able to excuse her part in the game. I love the picture of them together, too. I quite like the image of her hands dwarfed in theirs.

Thank you.

ponypetterReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
This has turned into an interesting read. I started reading Reflections a while ago, then I got left behind, and now I don't even remember where I was. Maybe I'll get around to catching up again soon. ;) I thought at first not to read this, since it was a spin-off from that story, but I'm glad I did.

Of course it's not as simple as a little family joke. That would just be too small in scope for Elrohir and Elladan. It's appropriate that the joke played on them has escalated. It shows how much elven families are like ours!

Author Reply: I'm glad you're enjoying it. It won't turn out anywhere near as long as Reflections! (Although there isn't really any story to follow in Reflections. It's more or less chronological, but other than that, most chunks stand alone, so you can dip in anywhere.)

This joke started as such a simple thing - (Glorfindel thought it was really funny) - and is getting more complex by the moment. And when things have been escalating for about 3000 years, they've had time to get pretty complicated!

Thank you.

DotReviewed Chapter: 10 on 9/23/2005
Oh, now this is lovely. I love seeing Celebrían with her sons. It’s also a nice glimpse into the origins of this joke, that I’d forgotten by now – a mother’s pleasure in seeing her sons so eager and innocent.

It’s sad to think that she might still hold some guilt over the path her sons’ lives took. I’m glad they were able to reassure her, even a little. ‘you guide them and you love them and you set them free.’ That’s lovely. I like the thought that after all that has happened in his life and all these years later, Elrohir recognises and respects the way his parents raised him and wants to do the same for his children. It must be very rewarding for a parent to know that their child wants to be the same kind of parent.

It had been, at times, harder to live up to their naneth’s pride in them than to their adar’s expectations. I thought that was very insightful! So true in so many families, I should think! These two clearly would never want to hurt their mother in any way or have her think less of them. I know I was brought up to believe that the worst thing I could ever do was upset my mother. Even my wayward brother never wanted to disappoint her, whereas he’d try anything with his father. And, of course, it certainly takes a lot to live up to Celebrían’s side of the family!

I love the thought of Celebrían finding comfort in the memory of sharing this joke with her mother while she listened to her sons’ laughter. It almost makes me ashamed of thinking how clever she is in getting her sons’ forgiveness and being safely out of the path of any revenge ;-)

‘Just,’ Elladan added with a wicked grin, ‘do not tell Adar and Glorfindel. We are not ready to let them off the hook so easily.’ LOL. The downside of the Blessed Realm. Nowhere to flee :-)


Author Reply: The joke grew out of all recognition really - and it was innocuous in the beginning, at least as far as Celebrian was concerned. (Glorfindel, though . . . )

She doesn't know in blow-by-blow detail what the twins turned into after she sailed - but she isn't stupid and the reserve of those round her will have told her a lot. I can imagine that she will have demanded the truth from Galadriel when she arrived. And that her naneth will have had enough respect for her strength of mind that she will have been fairly open about it. Elrond, on the other hand - she won't have asked him. He will have wanted to shield her.

I think there are some aspects of parenthood - things your parents did for you - that you don't really realise fully until you have your own children. Elrohir's difficult twinlets have made him think a good deal about how his own parents managed him and Elladan - and respect their skills / methods / principles. And want to do the same. Elladan has thought about it less - Elrin is a much easier child to guide.

It can't have been easy for the twins once they were old enough to see beyond their parents simply as parents - (5-ish HE) and saw what they had to live up to. Elrond will have wanted them to do their best - but their naneth will have known that they would do everything they could to achieve all they could. And they would have wanted so much not to disappoint her.

In those 500 ish years while Celebrian healed and waited for Elrond, she must have sifted through all the joyful memories and treasured them - never knowing if she would see her sons again. After all, if she heard rumours of their prowess in battle, she must have feared that they would end up in the Halls of Mandos.

You think she's being sneaky in winning over her sons? I'm shocked! Although her desire for reconciliation is convenient. I don't think the twins would take revenge on her anyway - they are soft as putty in the hands of their females.

Their male kin - including Glorfindel - on the other hand, might not be so lucky.

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