Dreamflower
· 4 October 2007
· Chapter 21: An Afternoon in the Kitchen
Oh my word! Recipe!fic!!!
*blissful sigh* You know how much I *love* recipe!fic.
I really liked Arwen in this, as she was so understanding and kind to Pippin, showing him how to get the best out of what he needed to do! And it's lovely to see him finally on the mend, really.
Author's reply
*G* Glad you liked it Dreamflower :-)
I did the writing, but she's modeled off of Golden's Arwen. I'm glad to see our lad more his old self as well.
shirebound
· 4 October 2007
· Chapter 21: An Afternoon in the Kitchen
“I know this is not what you wish for; to need to be helped. It does not make you any less an adult Hobbit, nor will you need to be helped with every task of everyday life. But you will need help with certain tasks. You will show your maturity by seeking and accepting help graciously. Work with your difficulties instead of fighting against them. Learn ways to do everything you can. Always try to do things yourself then graciously accept assistance with those tasks that will elude you. Even the High King has aides and advisors.”
What an absolutely perfect thing to say. This is a lovely chapter, full of wisdom and progress for Pippin. And now I'm hungry for Gingerbread Hobbits!
Author's reply
Thank you so much m'dear mentor!
Gingerbread hobbits do sound yummy, I might have to try making some :-)
Garnet Took
· 4 October 2007
· Chapter 21: An Afternoon in the Kitchen
This is such a wonderful chapter, well worth the waiting for.
There were just too many things to love in this. I can't even begin to name them all.
It is such a relief to see Pippin beginning to relearn how to do things he used to take for granted. Kneading bread dough is an excellent exercise for regaining strength and use of a hand.
And, as embarrassing as it was for him, I'm sure he was totally relieved that his body is "fully functional".:)
Arwen was the perfect person to help Pippin at this point. She could point little thing out that would help and reassure him without sounding like his cousins or his healers. She really did have some great advice; and I noticed that Pippin did not hesitate to ask Merry for help that evening.
So glad you two are back to work on this story.
Author's reply
Thank you dear Garnet!
A scene with Arwen and Pippin making something was Golden's idea and I loved it! I agree, she would be in a unique situation to help him.
I was and will be dealing with Pippin's sexuality as whether epilepsy would effect that or not was something I myself wondered about, so I can well imagine someone diagnosed with it would wonder about it.
We glad to be back on it as well :-)
Lindelea
· 4 October 2007
· Chapter 21: An Afternoon in the Kitchen
How I love your Arwen, wise, insightful, full of tact and encouragement.
Even the High King has aides and advisors. It is wonderful, that she takes Pippin's shortcomings and turns them into nothing special.
The reminder of Boromir brought a tightness to my throat. I'm sure Faramir will be glad of the present.
What wonderful braiding instructions! And the little hobbits will be happy to try out the recipe. We even have some golden syrup in the cupboard!
Well, the alarm will be ringing in six hours or so, and I must close here. Will end with "very well done!"
Author's reply
Thank you so much Lin!
I really think many of us aren't even aware of how much help we do need. Pippin couldn't leave out Boromir :-) I've a feeling double braided bread might become all the rage in the Shire, LOL
pippinsgirl
· 16 September 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Lol don't worry about me Missing what my class is about. it's free time. But I mean if this became a book I'd beg my mum for the money and demanded to stay at the book store until I had a copy in my hands (kinda like I do with Harry Potter lol...) but I mean this story is very good nonetheless and I've been wanting so badly for my other friends to read it and they haven't gone to this site yet and I'm like "You lazy goons you HAVE to read this story!!"
there not really goons they are just goofy hobbits....
Author's reply
I'm so sorry pippinsgirl! I thought I had responded to this and just now saw that I hadn't.
I hope you friends give it a try and thank you so much for recommending it :-) Wow, such wonderful compliments! Thank you!
pippinsgirl
· 15 September 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
hi again!! ok so I just read chapter 20 and I simply adored it! well I was at school and I saw that there had been a new chapter and I hurried to start reading it and then class got over and I was like "NOOOOO I DONT WANT CLASS TO BE OVER I WANNA FINISH IT!!!!" but I did now
for the record I am considring this a book and I am putting it on my 100 book challenge thing......
Author's reply
Wow! We're writing a book!
Thank you for the compliment pippinsgirl :-) I hope you aren't missing what your class is about.
I really am glad though that you are finding this so irresistible.
cathleen
· 31 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Pearl, an awesome chapter and well worth waiting for! I think Merry's forthrightness with Pippin was just what the lad needed at that time. And of course I loved the way you wove in the references to the mysterious Took faerie blood. I think Pippin is a very sensitive and insighful hobbit and showing his openness to the feelings of others, particularly those he is very close to, is just perfect for the character. I am so glad Pip is finally recovering - this tale has been a true emotional roller coaster! Loved the addition of the dog, too. Perfect!
Bravo to both you and Golden on a wonderfully compelling tale! Will be eagerly awaiting more, but with *total* understanding of how RL gets in the way of writing. Never fear, stories like yours are always worth the wait.
Congrats to your daughter and to the happy couple!
Cathleen
Author's reply
Thank you so much cathleen :-)
I do so need to hear that our efforts are worth the wait at times like this! Glad you are enjoying the faerie blood references and Sunshine.
Thank you for the congratulations :-)
harrowcat
· 31 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
A wedding AND this story Pearl? No wonder you are getting stressed. Happy thoughts for the next two months!
Author's reply
Thank you, harrowcat. :-)
Wedding, remodeling my livingroom and this story and challenge stories. Yeah, life is interesting :-)
Lindelea
· 30 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
p.s. Congratulations on the wedding! Bet they'll never forget their anniversary.
(Makes me think of the midnight wedding I went to last year. Beautiful candlelit vows, but hard to stay awake through.)
Author's reply
Oh my! If they did that, they'd have to keep nudging me! LOL
I'm sure they won't :-) Mine is on Valentines and my husband has always been very grateful for such an easily remembered date ;-)
Lindelea
· 30 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Whew. Talk about tough love.
That Sunshine is really something. (And so's Merry.)
Author's reply
Pip couldn't be allowed to try such a trick again and Merry knew the right approach.
I'm so glad you like Sunshine :-)
Thank you for reading Lin!
Hai Took
· 29 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Oh! I was pleasantly surprised to see a update! I'm glad Merry said what needed to be said yet it ended with him and Pippin having an understanding of sorts and now things at least relationshipwise seem to be working out quite well.
I loved your description of Frodo and Pippin's contact there for a few moments. Pippin understood Frodo in a way he didn't expected. Poor Frodo. Anyway, a wonderful job as always thank you to you and Golden!
Good luck with your daughter's wedding, how very soon! I'm helping to plan a wedding three days before Christmas and they can be quite stressful affairs!
Author's reply
Weddings are stressful, more than I realized as I let my Mom plan most of mine - LOL.
I've often felt Pippin would have a lot of insight into other's feelings and fears. He's a good lad :-)
Merry knows Pip well and knows when he needs tough love!
Thank you for everything Hai!
Andrea
· 29 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Great chapter!
I'm right proud of Merry! He knew exactly that the situation afforded to be stern with Pippin and to treat him like an adult. Frodo's approach would have made things much more difficult with less effect on Pippin.
Merry was a bit surprised himself. If Frodo had only known that it was his own stern look that Merry was using on him.
LOL! He learned it from the *master*!
Last but not least I'm also proud of Pippin who will try very hard to live with his illness!
P.S.: My congratulations to your daughter's wedding, Pearl!
Author's reply
Merry learned it from a master indeed! Pippin was needing someone to set him straight.
Thank you, Andrea, for responding to the story and for the congratulations :-)
elanor winterflowers
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
A very satisfying chapter! I especially liked Merry taking charge and putting his foot down and Pippin responding to the challenge of behaving like an adult. Nice work! This story continues to be so compelling; I get a thrill every time I see it go up!
Congratulations on the wedding! I can totally sympathize with how rites of passage wreak havoc on a quiet writer's liefstyle. I have one daughter presenting us with our first grandchild next month, and another planning a wedding for next summer! Where is the life that late I led... :)
Author's reply
Indeed! *sigh* They keep us busy at every stage of our and their lives :-)
Thank you so much elanor! Such wonderful compliments. I owe a lot to Golden, she's a dear and a good writer/editor :-)
PIppinfan1988
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
*Wow* Awesome chapter, Pearl! Yes, and you, too Golden. :-)
I just loved the interaction between Merry and Pippin, our beloved duo. I liked how Merry took the stage and told Pippin how it was going to be from here on out. I think Pip needed that firmness.
There indeed were a few light moments that broke up the drama, and I enjoyed them. :-)
Take your time, dear friend -- I'll be here for each update.
Author's reply
Bless you and thank you, Pippinfan. Between your encouragement and Golden's patience I might make it though this ;-)
It was time to be tough and forthright with the lad, and to remind him of who and what he is.
Agape4Gondor
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Great chapter again. I loved that I could 'see' Pip was getting well by how he responded so easily to getting up. I loved the dog. But I especially loved how Merry 'took the bull by the horns' and helped Pippin in the only way he could... by being the strong 'big' cousin!
Great job - Blessings right back at you (you'll be in my thoughts until Halloween)
Author's reply
Thank you so much Agape! I'll need all the prayers I can get ;-)
I do think subtleties would get lost on Pippin much of the time anyway, much more with one who has a condition that can add to the confusion.
Larner
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
Ah, so wonderful a telling! Not a few days, but over a week, almost a week and a half; and he's only now starting to get better.
And they are finding ways to be honest and yet supportive.
And mazeltov on the daughter's wedding. May she and her bridegroom know years of love and caring with one another!
Author's reply
I do think with a person like Pippin, you are better off being direct. It did take a while, but then, it does in real life as well.
I'll pass that along to them :-)
Thank you so much, Larner!
Dreamflower
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
So glad to see that Pippin's turned the corner, and that Merry is beginning to figure out how to get a handle on things as well.
And congratulations to your daughter!! I know you are all very excited!
Author's reply
A double thank you, Dreamflower :-)
I'm glad Pip's on his way as well.
Yes, two more months - then 8 months after that, it's my son's turn :-)
shirebound
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
“Yes, I intend to remain a knight if my lord and king will still have me as such. And I will serve the Tooks and the Hobbits of the Shire as well if they will have me.”
What a good chapter, ladies. This confrontation just had to happen eventually, and you handled it very well. (And how wonderful that Pippin was even able to act as 'healer' for Frodo.)
Love the dog! :)
Author's reply
Thank you dear mentor :-)
I also like when Pippin gets to be the comforter.
We're so glad people are enjoying Sunshine!
Garnet Took
· 28 August 2007
· Chapter 20: A Hard Truth
This was a fantastic chapter. Well worth the waiting for.
There were so many thing I loved about it that I don't know if I can name them all.
I loved the moments where Pippin's faery nature comes through. I started wondering if his abilities have been enhanced by what has happened to hism.
Sunshine is just wonderful.
I think Merry actually handled things just the way they needed to be handled. He was honest, straight-forward and showed genuine tough love.
Again, great job.
Author's reply
Thank you so much Garnet :-)
Tough love was what Pippin needed. I had originally had the scene quite different and it never felt right - this did.
I think it has affected his faerie nature :-)
Thank you again :-)
pippinsgirl
· 10 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
well why wouldn't I read it until the end? I was sad there wasn't any more. I want there to be more! when I went to bed (after reading the story) I had a dream about this (suprize suprize) and I had put myself in Pippin's shoe.......well Furry Feet. anyway I felt connected to Pippin the story and how strange it must have been for him to "wake up" after his absence status. I don't remember If I ever had one of those (not that I would anyway). it was so easy for me to place myself in both Merry and Pippin's positions in this story.
I have become somewhat "attached" to my scarf since reading this... lol......
Author's reply
Aw, bless you!
Interesting that you can place yourself in both characters positions. That's cool!
I'm hoping to post Chapter 20 sometime next week. My life is a bit hectic right now - I'm painting parts of my home and my daughter's wedding is getting closer - so I'm not always having as much time to write. Also, with this being a co-written story and the idea being Golden's to begin with, there are delays getting everything up to both of our expectations. Plus we have a 7 hour time difference to work around.
If it isn't up next week, chapter 20 will definitely be up early the week after.
Again, thank you so much, pippinsgirl :-)
pippinsgirl
· 10 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
This story was Brilliant! Never have I read anything that made me think of how I could be today if there wern't medication or cures. I was born with Epilespy but I Had to take medication for six years before it was gone. I still do many of the things that Pippin did like have "blank spells" I reffer to them as when I "space out" and I stare at "nothing" for long periods of time. I also "Talk with my hands" a term I created for when I move my hands in certing patterns, or very fast while I am talking. as I read chapter 17 or 18 I kept thinking about the fact that I could be like that today if it wern't for the medication I had to take. Never before have I related to a story so very closley. this story gave me a new meaning to "Love" and "Friendship" because it shows just how strong they can truly be. when Pippin went to comfort Merry in his bad dream, It made me cry. I love this story very much, and I keep it close to my heart, this story reminds me that I am one of the lucky ones. and this story lets me know that I could have been like Pippin, or worse.
you are a very talented writer and have sparked my Epilespy research interest.
Author's reply
Pippinsgirl, your comments brought tears to my eyes and thrilled Golden's heart.
She says:
That's exactly what I wanted with the story, that people without handicaps can think of themselves in the situation of handicaped people and understand it better and that it is all more puplic. So handicaped people do not have to feel embaressed about what they cannot do, because there's so much they can do and give. And that people who do have some sort of handicap feel related to the story and see that there is still love and that a situation where the handicap may never go away again can still end in an happy ending, with a rich life with laugher and love, with diffciulties too, but when there is love that it can be lived with.
****************************
We aren't finished yet :-) We plan to take our hobbits home and have a look at how Pippin manages with his handicaps back in the Shire. We are both so happy that this story has touched you the way it has and hope you stay with us to the end of the story.
Thank you so very, very much :-)
Hai Took
· 9 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
I'm so glad Pippin is coming back! It was just perfect that he would have gone to Merry when Merry was having a nightmare, I agree with Frodo that is certainly one way for Pippin to come back!
A dog! I'm so happy! :) And Feva and the little girl (I'm not going to attempt to spell her name I would just butcher it) were there to help keep track of Pippin. They always turn up at the right times! I hope we see them some more, I would like to know more about them although it would seem she is Pippin's gaurdian angel!
A little more Pippin here at the end, I'm glad he is slowly remembering everything and looking forward to him being fully recovered! Can't wait for more! Thank you Pearl and Golden!
Author's reply
Thank you, Hai!
Mallefinnros is very special and I'm glad you like her. Pippin needed a friend who has no other responsibilities so we gave him a dog.
Do keep in mind, Pip's various problem/conditions are permanent. Depending on what you mean by "fully recovered", it might not be what happens. He will at least get over the severe troubles caused by not taking his medication.
You're very welcome, Hai, and glad you're with us on this journey :-)
Lindelea
· 9 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
How mysterious, the dog's sudden appearance! Others have commented on the little girl and the dog seeming almost like messengers, sent to Pippin's aid, and I'd agree.
I've read of companion dogs who can sense an impending seizure and alert their partner to take preventive measures, or help in other ways. I remember a guide dog for the blind whose partner was unsteady on her feet, and so they assigned the lady a very tall dog--she could reach down and steady herself with a hand resting on his back, whenever she needed a little extra stability.
There are also dogs who pick up dropped things and perform other services. I am very interested to see how Pippin's new-found companion will make herself useful.
Author's reply
She's just going to lie about, shedding.
No! *grin* We have plans for Sunshine :-) Even if it is only someone to offer companionship when everyone else gets busy.
Pippin does seen to attract special help.
So good to hear from you, Lin!
Thank you :-)
storyfish
· 8 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
Hi Pearl and Golden!
I've been really horrible about reviewing lately, but I thought I'd stop by and say how much I've enjoyed this story...I'm impressed by all the epilepsy research you've poured into the story, and although it's hard to see Pippin so debilitated, I'm fascinated by how the other characters are responding to it all, and in particular, Merry's inner struggle. It must be even more difficult to write as it is to read, but I can't wait for the next chapter--there's so many good questions that I can't wait to have answers to--not the least being, how much will Pippin recover? And what will be the other hobbits' reactions when he returns to the Shire? And it seems like Pippin is taking so much of the hobbits' attention that they are neglecting their own healing--I would love to read even more of their conversations away from Pippin, their thoughts when their guards are down.
Intriguing, hard-hitting story! Keep up the excellent work.
Author's reply
Oh dear! You want to know the other's reactions/feelings in more depth?
*big grin*
That is a bone of contention betwixt Golden and I. She is always after me to tell what everyone is thinking and feeling and I usually just don't care what anyone is thinking/feeling but whoever I see as primary in a given scene. Sometimes even if they are primary, I don't really care. *embarrassed blushing* Sometimes, the muse lets me in on it, other times not. If it doesn't, I have to read through it all and try to get it out of what I've written.
As it stands, we're a bit short of ideas for the next chapter - so I think your wish may be granted! LOL It will give me something to write about to make the chapter a decent length.
Thank you so much, storyfish, for all you kind words :-)
PIppinfan1988
· 7 August 2007
· Chapter 19: Piecing the Puzzle Together
Awesome chapter, Pearl!! I'm so glad that Pippin is recovering -- and that golden dog...hmmm. ;-) The part of Pippin going to Merry after his nightmare was touching. Slowly, but surely, our old Pippin is returning. A little bit different, but Pippin just the same. :-) Excellent!
PF
Author's reply
Thank you, dear PF :-) Much of the ideas for scenes in this chapter were Golden's. It's like I have a long string of Challenge stories :-) Our lad is on his way back indeed!