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A White Shell by Celeritas	47 Review(s)
Virtuella	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/29/2010
Lovely. What could be more delightful than having tea (and cake) in a genteel little bakery shop with an aunt. I quite fancy that myself, actually... Author Reply: I quite agree. When I was growing up we had a British friend in town from our church, and every so often she'd invite us over for a real proper tea with homemade scones and Devonshire cream. I rather miss that experience, to say nothing of the woman herself, who was positively charming!

Virtuella	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/28/2010
This is the first time that I feel real empathy for Kira's mother. What desperation must have driven her to take such a risk, and now to have her hopes destroyed thus! The fragility of the plants is a very good symbol for the fragility of our existence. Author Reply: What I actually found most telling about Rosemary's character here was that in the face of actual hardship she did not chastise Kira for not noticing the warning signs because she was reading (and she repeats this at the beginning of the next chapter as well). Thanks for reading!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/25/2010
Ah! I want to take Kira's mom and just shake some sense into her. Yes, Kira's had a hard time with her health; yes, she means well; yes, she loves her daughter; yes, she has her own issues and buttons that were pushed by the issue of Kira's learning to read. But she has gone about it ALL WRONG! (And, YES, I know it's the Evol Author's fault in the end, who has her own agenda, but it just shows how real you make these characters seem that Kira's mom can infuriate me so!) What she has done is take a young person who is essentially honest, who values truth, and turned her into a deceitful liar. Poor Kira! Contrast Kira's attitudes about the story-telling, insisting on telling only the truth as she knows it and not a bit more, to her more pragmatic and troubling attitude towards her mother. And it is mainly because her mother will not listen to her, nor give her any credit for having her own good sense. Kira is trying hard to do what she needs to do without hurting her mother, but it's going to hurt more in the end when it all comes out. For one thing her mother is going to feel like a fool when she realizes that she's practically the only person in the Farthing who doesn't know what Kira's been doing! But I am not 100% in sympathy with Kira; I think that somehow she could have come up with a better solution. Perhaps one reason she resents Merina (who is a good deal like her in many ways) is that Merina refuses to dissemble, but rebels outright, and I am sure takes the consequences (though not lying down, I'm sure!). I have a feeling that wind or no, Merina would probably have revealed herself after her win anyway, and enjoyed the resulting hoop-la! Kira, on the other hand, is outwardly meek and seems to capitulate to her mother-- all the while putting off and pushing away the inevitable results as long as she can get away with it. I'm sure much of it has to do with her years of being sidelined by her disability, but she values peace too much and rather than trying to resolve the situation openly, she simply tries to avoid confrontation. Now, to the issue of Tom, I think perhaps Kira underestimates the power of puberty, that makes an adolescent react in totally unexpected ways to persons of the opposite gender-- even when not truly interested in them, LOL! I hope we get to see the effort to persuade Kira's mom. She keeps talking about what "those people" did "to" Kira, but sooner or later she's going to have to realize they were doing "for" her daughter. I just hope that the rifts do not end up being even more painful and hard to heal than they need to be. Author Reply: Okay, let's see if I can do a reply that does your review justice... Kira's brush with dishonesty is really hurting her, which is something that she doesn't seem to realize. And you're right, she could have gone about this in better ways. But she's too introverted to get the thrill from rebellion that Merina does, and she's tried confrontation before--and it got her into an incredible mess-up. Merina can get away with being who she is by virtue of her position. If Kira were to try anything, the consequences would be such that the only ultimate escape she could have would be in running away, which is a possibility that she'll probably begin entertaining at increased intervals if this keeps up. The simple fact is that a lot of us have well-meaning idiots put in positions of authority over us, and it's hard to say what the right thing to do is in such a situation. It doesn't help that Kira still loves her mother. The other thing that makes this problematic is the fact that Kira can understand where the other side is coming from in a way that Merina never could, and it can be so much harder to have an outright disagreement in such a situation. So a lot of this mess is Mother's fault, and a lot of it is due to Kira's environment and past experiences, and a good deal of it is due to Kira herself--something which a lot of people tend to forget in the effort to point their fingers. She may be sympathetic, but she is still lying and disobedient, and to give Kira a simple victory at the end would be dishonest to reality. But in the end, however this ends up getting resolved, Kira's mother will be the one left with more regrets. Which is a real shame. I do think that Kira plans on coming clean eventually, but she has six more years before she can do that safely (because she'll be legally independent). And a lot can happen in that time... The conversation regarding the wedding is going to be really interesting, whether I decide to show it or not, because it's not like the last time one of these happened (when the Master talked Aunt Penny into letting Kira learn to read). If Mother says, "No, she's not going, and that's final," there's nothing anyone else can do about it. The issue of Tom makes me laugh amidst all this high drama. Of course, now Kira is going to have to wonder what's going on with her, and what it all means...

Virtuella	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/25/2010
It's great to see the independence and ingenuity with which Kira goes about her business. Her poverty is heart-wrenching, but we're left with the impression that she will cope. One can't help thinking that if earlier generations had taken to trouble to teach village children the way Kira does, the whole situation would have turned out differently! Author Reply: Kira is a bright sort, and I think the hardest problem facing her at the moment is not so much poverty as getting around poverty without her mother finding out about her extra source of income. Kira is certainly under the impression that she's taking up a cause long, long overdue, and I think that that colors her work in many ways. Thanks for reviewing!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/24/2010
Merry's grandchildren are all themselves magnificent, and so very Brandybuck! Love Alder's approach, and that she was kind in her way to Tom, even. Now, to get to that wedding! Author Reply: Thank you!! Alder surprised me as a character, but I'm not complaining about his showing up! I honestly don't know if Kira was being kind to Tom. She was being nice, but she was doing it just to make him feel awkward, and then regretted it immediately afterwards--because she was encouraging him! Ah, but there are obstacles in the way of Kira's attending the wedding... cackles

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/11/2009
grin Oh, this was a lovely chapter-- and filled with all sorts of interesting things. First of all: Perry-the-Winkle and the Winkle Shop and cramson bread!!!! Loved it, loved it, loved it! (The closest I've ever come to making use of that, besides quoting some of it as an old song of Bilbo's, is to indicate that Lily Cotton had an uncle named Perry who was a baker in Michel Delving...) I think my new name for Tom is Pharoah. (I'm sure you get the reference! ;-) I have to say, I have several guesses on the mysterious benefactor, and yet I really don't have a clue. There's nothing I can think of that would point more to one of their acquaintances than to another. And I have to say, I am more confused than ever by Foxglove's explanation about her brother's death, because I can't understand why Kira's mother would blame all that on the Proudfoots. She has clearly got hold of the wrong end of the stick somewhere, and I'm blessed if I can think what it is. Author Reply: I thought you would enjoy the Winkle Shop. As soon as I heard that song again I realized... "Wait, this is Delving, isn't it?" And lo, a plotbunny was born. Most interesting about that poem actually is the fact that they mention the Lockholes in it--which is most certainly a late 3rd Age insertion! I have to wonder what was there before! And cramson bread!!! (Much better than putting in the rather Scottish scones in my mind.) Hmm, that nickname wouldn't have anything to do with a certain river, now would it? snicker Re: the Proudfoot situation--oh, dear, we can't have confusion, now, can we? Maybe I wasn't clear enough; maybe I don't understand it enough myself (as usual, Foxglove's tale rather surprised me as I was writing it). But I think that the real situation behind Lagro's death has been so obscured by emotion and time that it's hard to say what exactly was right. Just as Rosemary has been approaching it from one angle, Foxglove has been doing so from a different one. The way I see it, objectively, Lagro basically requested some way that he could manage to get out from under his family's eye, but still wanted the family's financial backing. Blanco, rather irritated by this, finally threw up his hands and said, "Fine, have it your own way," gave them the most convenient holding possible--one that would take work to cultivate, partially to get him to reconsider the whole thing and partially to teach him a lesson if he did go along with it (and if he did well, then good for him!). As Foxglove mentioned, her brother at least didn't think that Lagro would accept the deal when he could get something much easier if he just stayed with the family. But even if he was expecting help, he didn't want to ask for it--he was too stubborn. So as usual a problem resulted from too much pride, too stiff a set of necks, and a bit of misunderstanding. If Lagro had expected things to be different in his foolhardy youth--and let's face it, the young tend to feel entitled to a lot--he might have communicated that to his betrothed. And then all it takes is the emotional sundering of an early widowhood to do the rest of the damage. Someone had to be blamed and it could not be Lagro; besides, Rosemary was worried if she accepted anyone's help that she would be asked to give up her new home and share the burden of raising a daughter with others. But I don't know if/how Kira would ever be able to find this out, since both members of the fateful conversation that at least made the whole mess a lot messier are deceased. And she might have the historical maturity to just let it lie. For now she's too taken with the idea that her father might have also chafed under his weakened condition to try to investigate things more, and I don't know if she could ever get a rational answer about the matter from her mother. Hope this helps!

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/11/2009
Things seem to be looking up for Kira; thankfully! I love the accounts of how she and her mother make their livelihood from gardening; it all seems very authentic. I could empathize with Kira's difficulty in sorting out all those Elves with Fin-names; it took me years and I still get confused a bit. Looking forward to more! Author Reply: Thank you; I'm hoping that my research is paying off! I couldn't help but get a little jab at the Silm in there. Oddly enough it was fan fiction that helped me start sorting out the differences in my post-Silm shock (after the first time I'd read it). Unfortunately Kira has no such luxury!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/10/2009
Ah, a most interesting situation, and I note the sender of her letter and what she ate at Perry-the-Winkle's. Interesting development. As to the identity of the secret benefactor, I wonder if it might be someone who lives in the Green Hills, and is related to Hal? Interesting to read her father's story at last, and to know he and Foxglove tended to discount the Traveller's Tales, no matter how close Sancho Proudfoot, old Odo's grandson, might have been to Frodo Baggins. As for her and Tom--back to the old games of name calling and mutual insult once more, eh? Anyway, it's been interesting to see this after much of the reading I've done this past week. Thanks for updating. Now--for ME to get some updating done! Author Reply: This Sancho (the one that's currently head of the Proudfoot clan) is the Sancho in LotR's grandson, and I don't recall there being any stronger connection between him and F.B. than the one time he ended up excavating part of Bag End. Anyway it seems that part of the discounting was simply the bravado of youth and that the surviving Proudfoots, at least, know somewhat better. It's going to be a long time before we learn who the secret benefactor is. So speculate away! Yes, Kira and Tom are back to the old games, but of course things can't ever be what they were between them. Time will only tell how long this will last!

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/6/2009
Fascinating dream - I'm glad that Kira seems to be becoming open to the idea of a fate involving a male hobbit (the hobbit of her dreams? Heeee). And then Tom turns up with romantic designs on Kira! Ah, the joys of growing up! Looking forward to more, and of course how Kira and her mother are going to survive this bad spell... Author Reply: It's taking its sweet time, but Kira's romantic self is starting to unfurl its petals. No doubt it's getting sped up by the pressures of society and the alarming news of Tom! I'm sure that ages and ages hence Kira will be able to look back on these events with a wistful chuckle, but currently she's more in a brick-throwing mood. And I honestly don't blame her.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/1/2009
Finally I got a chance to read this chapter! Poor Kira! Of course I knew that sooner or later she was going to realize how Tom felt, but I loved her panicked reaction when she finally did! "But he's Tom!" Much more like an annoying brother or cousin than someone she could possibly take seriously in that way-- even if she were interested in anyone! And I loved his refusing to explain himself, and his terror of her. In one way, this gives her an upper hand with him, but I doubt she would take advantage of that-- she's not that sort of girl. The dream at the beginning was wonderfully surreal, and yet full of meaning at the same time. And it looks like hard times for Kira and her mom... Author Reply: I tend to put Kira through a lot of trouble, but this was one of the few times where doing so was genuinely fun. ignores furious glares from Kira directed at self And yeah, she has every right to be panicked. Someone who's annoying and out to suppress an integral part of your life because he's a stubborn jerk--fine. Someone who's doing that because he likes you... time to run screaming in the other direction. But the only thing better than that is watching Tom, who might even have been attracted to her before the book nonsense even started, trying to come to terms with the fact that he's still attracted to someone who's maddeningly queer and may never even return his affection. And you know that if he loves her with all of that insanity added on top, he's got to be in head over furry feet. Woe to him if he ever tries to act on it. Next chapter she'll confront him over the whole thing. It should be interesting. Tween drama generally is. And I always like getting to play around with Kira's dreams, especially the idea of pairing her very slow psychological awakening to romance with the sudden onslaught of realizing exactly what's up with Tom. And yeah, it's going to be a rough season, at least for a little while. Anything can happen in a chapter or two.

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