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| The Usual Suspects by GamgeeFest | 49 Review(s) |
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| MaidenofValinor | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005 |
| Aww...sounds like a miserable time for everyone. Poor, poor Frodo. Poor, poor Esme and Sara. Poor everyone. It sounds like they got lovely presents, though. The hobbit way of giving presents always made much more sense to me... Anyway, this is wonderful, as usual. I really hope things get better between Frodo and Esme. I am finding myself very emotionally attached to this story! Haha. It must just be your great writing. ~_^ Love ya lots and Happy Holidays! Author Reply: This wasn't a very festive party, was it? All these unresolved issues hanging in the air rather put a damper on things. I'm sure they were all glad to see the guests leave. The presents, as lovely as they were, probably only wretched the knife further in, for they couldn't enjoy the getting or giving of them, at least not yet. Things will likely be patchy for a while, but time heals everything, as they say. They just need to find their footing again. Thanks so much for reading, and happy holidays to you too. ^_^ | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005 |
| Oh, I so desperately want to see Frodo happy again, and knowing that he's valued and trusted! Author Reply: Somewhere, deep down, he knows that Sara and Esme still love him. He's just having a little trouble seeing it right now. This rift is a bad one, but it's not unmendable, so long as they all try to repair it. Once Frodo finishes brooding, that famous Baggins stubbornness will show up and help him to work things out with his guardians. ^_^ | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005 |
| Awww...poor Frodo. And poor Esme and poor Saradoc. And most of all, poor Merry--for I see now where this will be heading. (I *don't* however feel sorry for Hilda! Blockheaded Bracegirdle!) I do admire Esmeralda and Saradoc for being willing to shoulder their share of the blame for the communication breakdown. Many adults would have tried to maintain their authority by insisting that there had been good *reason* for their suspicion, and I am glad that they did not fall into that trap. It's a good thing Bilbo is there, and again, I see where it's headed. Perhaps it is time that he has *his* eyes opened a bit. And I am also glad to see that Frodo has a friend in Piper as well. She has a very level head on her shoulders. Another one who did not fall into the common trap young friends often do, of commiserating by castigating the parents who are to blame for the blow-up. ("Well, they're just so mean to you! Of course you are right to be upset with them! They deserve it!") This is an excellent look at how hard it can be with raising a child--*any* child--and especially guiding them through the early and very rough patches of adolescence. You have very good insight into how the dynamics work. Poor Merry. Author Reply: It should be no secret by now where this story is going. It can really only have one conclusion, and Merry will be the one, in the end, to be hurt the most. He has many sleepless nights ahead of him. Hilda was the culprit by circumstance, lol. Doderic was born the year after Frodo turned 20, so the idea of her being pregnant and having those darn cravings fit in perfectly here. And she *is* a Bracegirdle. Everything just pointed toward her. Esme and Saradoc just feel so horrible about what happened, it would never have occured to them to *not* take the blame, and trying to shrug aside what they did would only have widened the rift. Besides, they know that Frodo is already blaming himself for everything, there would be little need for them to do the same. Bilbo chose a good year to visit, and he's been having his eyes opened more and more each day since his arrival. He's seen how strained the relationship between Frodo, Sara and Esme is, even prior to this latest development, and he's learned things he would never have guessed. Of course, this *is* Bilbo we're talking about. He already had a certain plan in mind when he showed up. Now, he's convinced that he must go through with it, though now it's for Frodo's sake more than his own. Ah, Piper. There's two reasons for her inclusion here. The first, because she *is* so level-headed. She's a voice of reason and Frodo recognizes that. He would have felt naturally drawn to her during the rough patches. She has a soothing presence about her also, that would help to calm Frodo when he needed it most. The second reason is that I wanted to show that Frodo's friendship and confidence in the 'working class' hobbits began before he moved to Hobbiton. This would help open the door later, when he befriends Sam and starts to share his secrets with him. Sam also has the same level-headedness and wise simplicity that Piper has, and Frodo would recognize those qualities immediately and be able to feel comfortable around Sam, as well as the Gaffer and everyone else. Good insight - how about first-hand experience, lol. Growing up in my house was never boring, which wasn't always a good thing. ~_^ | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 12/21/2005 |
| And the answer to Frodo's needs is helping relieve Merry's anxiety right now. Well, well done. Author Reply: Just having Frodo finally show up relieved Merry's worries a great deal. If Frodo weren't so wrapped up in his own worries, he might be able to realize that Merry is also in need of comfort. This must all be very confusing for Merry, since he doesn't really know everything that's going on, only that his parents and Frodo aren't getting along - again. From past experience, he can only expect that Frodo would try to take off again, and he'll be sticking to Frodo like glue whenever he can to prevent that. | |
| Anso the Hobbit | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/20/2005 |
| Ineteresting... :) I wm wondering why they never suspect Merry to be involved? Perhaps they think he is too little. And besides, I have a feeling that whatever Frodo and Merry are doing, they are wanting to do it from a good heart and not because they need the food themselves or want to be mean. Looking forward to more. :) Author Reply: It's a combination of thinking that Merry is too young, and Esme refusing to entertain the thought that its either one of her charges. They certainly have good hearts, and nothing but good intentions, whatever it is they are up to. Thanks for reading! :) | |
| TheHobbitWaffle | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/18/2005 |
| Oh dear, Frodo's gotten into a bit of trouble, hasn't he? Especially as it isn't his fault this time. He's gotten himself between a rock and a hard place, hasn't he? He hasn't earned their trust, and now that he's trying his best suspicion and blame still find their way to him. Isn't that the way life works? I'm wondering how Rory's ultimatium is part of this! Author Reply: Frodo's not so much in trouble from what he did, but he is rather wounded to discover that his guardians didn't trust him like they said they would, which in turn has broken the trust that he had for them. Yet, he did tempt them, by going about in secret and not telling them what he was up to. If anyone is between a rock and a hard space, it's Esme, but that won't make Frodo feel any better either. They're all rather stuck and it will take them time to work themselves out again, if they even can mend this rift. Rory's ultimatum at worst put pressure on Frodo to behave, which may not have made Frodo's motives entirely sincere, but it did get the message through to him. At the same time, it also reminded Frodo of his fragile position in the Hall. He's not really connected to anyone there and could be sent away without too many problems, other than the rift it would cause between Rory and Saradoc. Perhaps the feelings of bitterness that this revelation caused can explain why Frodo was so secretive about his gift in the first place. It at least is one of several reasons. | |
| Ami | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/18/2005 |
| What a poignant chapter! I felt sorry for both Frodo and Esmeralda. I've liked your rendition of Frodo's childhood. You've shown a fragile relationship, but one that is still filled with love. I have a feeling this rift won't be closed easily. I do see, however, Frodo and Esmeralda's relationship will eventially be healed, and they will continue to have a close relationship but in a very different way that will be conducive to both. Author Reply: Neither Frodo nor Esme are having a very good time of it right now. They're both guilt-ridden and feeling miserable. I've read fics where Frodo is pretty much ignored by everyone (except Merry) and some even go so far as to have Saradoc and Esmeralda be negligent toward him, sort of the "Cinderella" Frodo. I've never agreed with this idea and always felt that he must have been cared for by someone while at Brandy Hall or he wouldn't have been able to be so selfless when it came time for the Quest, even with Bilbo's care. Yet, given that Frodo was, by a least one farmer's account that we know of, the worst rascal in Buckland, he would have had a strained relationship with his guardians, love him though they do. If Frodo and Esme (and Sara) can work their way through this, their relationship with each other will be much stronger for it. Esme and Sara will be able to see that they *can* trust him now, and Frodo will be able to see that even adults can make mistakes. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/18/2005 |
| OMG, this is really heart-breaking! Poor Frodo, he only wanted to have a real good birthday present for Bilbo. And that Esme yanked his Merry away from him, hurt him most, I'm quite sure. At the moment Esme surely feels as miserable as Frodo. Everything went terribly wrong! Please update soon, you can't leave Frodo in such a state for long, can you? BTW: In the previous chapter I was as confused as Felicity about the doings of her sister. But with a little help from my dictionary I finally know the true meaning of Skinny Dipping ;-) Just great! Author Reply: LOL. You mean you've never heard of skinny dipping? I've never had the nerve to try something like that. You hear horror stories about people getting their clothes stolen. ^_^ This turn of events has rather put a damper on the birthday. Having a birthday party is the last thing any of them are going to want to do, Frodo especially. Having Merry taken from him, *protected* from him even, did sting worse than anything else, but not by much. Esme is berating herself even more than Frodo, if that's possibly. She's been under a lot of pressure to get this mystery solved and she didn't think things through before she spoke. Not that the outcome would have been any different. Frodo would still realize that his guardians didn't trust him, and he now no longer trusts them. It is quite a mess. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/17/2005 |
| Poor Frodo. Although, if he thinks about it for a second, he will see that the circumstantial evidence is rather weighty. Still, that is unlikely to console him for the fact that Esmeralda doesn't seem to trust him any more - and he's not really old enough to understand that she has been put under enormous pressure. Frodo needs to leave Brandy Hall really. Not just because history sends him to Bilbo. He needs a bit of individual attention in a place that isn't a rambling hotbed of gossip. Author Reply: Yes, he didn't make a very good case for himself did he? He left far too much time that went by unaccounted for. That won't console him though, for all he can see is that his guardians never trusted him and that he's the main cause for it. Everyone is under pressure here and not making the best decisions because of it. Frodo does rather get lost in the shuffle doesn't he? Esme and Sara try, but they really don't have the time to give him the attention that he needs. That undoubtedly has something to do with all of this also. And the gossip never helps, especially since Frodo would be quite susceptible to it at this age. Thanks for reading! I always enjoy your reviews. :) | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/16/2005 |
| Poor Frodo--this time he WAS innocent, and yet he was blamed; and now they need to talk to Seredic's wife to find out how she got those cookies, apparently. Nice, appropriate punishment, and loved the threat of tattooing their behinds! Heh! Author Reply: Frodo never seems to catch a break, does he? Even after working so hard, he's still right back where he started. But really, he *could* have been more up-front with Esme and Saradoc about what he was doing. That won't console him too much though. Not only have Esme and Sara not learned to trust Frodo, but now Frodo has lost his faith in them as well. Tis a messy situation. The best kind of punishment is one that teaches a lesson. The tweens won't be so rash about liquor once they're done helping the healers. And any threat that endangers their physical appearance is bound to get their attention! They are adolescents after all. ;) Thanks for the reviews. :) | |