*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's 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
· 11 October 2009
· Chapter 5
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's 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
· 10 October 2009
· Chapter 5
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's 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
· 6 September 2009
· Chapter 4
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's 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
· 1 September 2009
· Chapter 4
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's 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.
Larner
· 1 September 2009
· Chapter 4
That is definitely quite a dream--the children, the flooding library and disintegrating Red Book, the escape; the fuzzy faced youth carrying the phial; the hope for an identity....
Then to realize Tom is sweet on her? Poor lass. I can understand the flight, but at the same time want to smuck him up alongside the head! Selfish git!
As for all that work lost....
Hope Nienna just brushes the snow away and grazes and is there when she comes again.
Author's reply
Kira still has some pretty vivid dreams, but the second half (waking up to being kissed by a figment of her imagination) is completely new to her and is rather frightening. That on top of all the Tom drama... Kira is definitely entering into a new dimension of life.
Tom is a selfish git, but at least he put himself under enough pressure to apologize to Kira for something she doesn't even remember him saying. That is pretty entertaining! (And if Kira weren't so caught up in the implications of that act she'd be pretty amused too!)
Next chapter of course will deal with the aftermath of the frost.
Sunny
· 31 August 2009
· Chapter 4
So that *censored* Tom is sweet on Kira, is he? Considering their history, I suspect there will be a "not even if he was the last Hobbit on Arda" feeling from Kira's side, though.
I do hope Kira won't be forced into some kind of unwanted marriage in order for her and her mother to just survive.
Author's reply
Goodness no! Kira is far too spirited to let anything of the sort happen, and remember, she's got other means for supporting herself.
No, if she ends up marrying Tom it'll only be because the attraction's mutual.
If it even lasts that long on Tom's end, of course...
Virtuella
· 29 August 2009
· Chapter 2
This is such a well-crafted chapter! I am thrilled to see how Kira has managed to "keep alive the memory" by telling stories to the children - some of these are bound to grow into adults who will pass on those seeds. Both the tree story and the poem fitted very well, and ah, the mystry malady makes an appearance again. And it's lovely to see a potential love interest for Kira. :D
Author's reply
Thank you! Kira is indeed hoping that storytelling will impact children when they grow up; unfortunately she's going to have to wait a while before she finds out if they do. In the meantime as part of "growing up" some of them are leaving that behind, even if they'll return to it when they have children. So it's a little bit of a thankless task at the moment, especially because Kira is not very far-sighted at this point in her life.
I thought it would be untrue to the story and to real life if Kira's mysterious illness managed to disappear at the end of KatM, so she's been having to deal with it for a while now. If she ever gets healed from it it's going to take something suitably dramatic--perhaps as dramatic as the event that catalyzed her condition in the first place.
And who said there only had to be one potential love interest for Kira? *wicked grin*
Virtuella
· 9 August 2009
· Chapter 1
At last I have the leisure as well as the right mood for reading this!
It's lovely to meet Kira again, all grown up now, and to see the difficult, I would almost say delicate relationship with her mother continued. I liked how the first paragraph linked back to the ink dream in the first story. Your descriptions are wonderful, so detailled and original, they really make the story come to life. I'm looking forward to reading more.
Author's reply
Excellent! I'm glad to have you back on board!
Thanks for your rather intelligent review. ^_^ I worked really hard on getting that first paragraph "just right" to try to get a snapshot on how she's changed over the past few years. I hope you enjoy the rest of what's up right now. I've got to get to work on this story to make it move forward!!
Independence1776
· 15 June 2009
· Chapter 3
I can't believe I missed this! Kira's certainly grown up quite a bit. I'm glad she's able to continue telling the tales, even if she has to hide it from her mother. Wonder when she'll find out?
Marvelous story so far. :)
Author's reply
Well, this story is not updating regularly because it's still very much in the process of being drafted (and KatM took about 4 years!) so it's easy to overlook. I really like working with this older Kira, because she's got a lot more initiative and is even more stubborn!
Thanks for the review, and I'm glad to see you following this. It should be an interesting ride. ^_^
Larner
· 8 June 2009
· Chapter 3
Ah--a wish of hers granted, and via Merina? Good! And she has a WHOLE other life her mother remains unaware of!
Love the letter to the Gardners! Dear, conniving child that she is! Yes!
And wait until she meets Hal and his brother for good! Heh!
And she's named the pony Nienna? Ah, a good name for her!
Thanks for this one.
Author's reply
You're quite welcome!
Yup, she got her pony. ^_^ Since it's the only wish she has that can be plausibly granted, I thought I'd give it to her--plus Nienna is one of the handiest plot devices I've come by in these stories.
One of the things I love about this Kira (as opposed to the 16-year-old one) is how clever she's become (not that she wasn't intelligent before; she just didn't realize it and didn't know how to put that to good use). I always have fun writing the storytelling bits because I can focus on what emphases Kira puts on the tales to get whatever point she has across.
Raksha The Demon
· 8 June 2009
· Chapter 2
Lovely glimpse of Kira storytelling. And this Alaric fellow is intriguing; I hope he gets to spend more time with Kira when she's feeling better.
Author's reply
Thank you!
I'm very intrigued by Alaric, too; of course I wouldn't have introduced him if he weren't at some later point involved in Kira's life. I'm hoping eventually to be able to use him as an inlet to those who aren't familiar with Kira so that they can find out exactly what's wrong with her alongside him. He already has a great advantage to understanding her character, if he'll only realize it--unlike many of the people Kira actually knows, he's already seen her at her weakest moments.
Dreamflower
· 8 June 2009
· Chapter 3
It's a shame Kira is having to keep her babysitting business from her mother. If only the two of them could communicate openly-- Kira without having to hide her enterprise and her intelligence, and her mother without letting all of her fears keep her from listening to what her daughter truly needs. And if her mother would not be so set against the things that mean the most to Kira, then her own life could be considerably eased.
How long can this double life go on? So many people know about it, really. How is it that it's not going to come to the ears of someone it shouldn't, sooner or later.
I like the way Kira has structured the stories, to give the impressions that she wants them to give, although I'm a bit troubled at her message of how dreadful "Outside" is. I'm not quite sure that's the message the Travellers themselves would have wished to convey...still, I do understand that it is mostly in order to be able to continue *telling* the tales...
Oh, what a tangled web...
Author's reply
If I were totally realistic in this story Kira would never have been able to keep this deceit up this long. She has tried her best, though, by only visiting families from the country on the opposite sides of town, who are less likely to run into Kira by chance. There are also those who are much more fully acquainted with Kira and her circumstances and would love to help the family out any way that they can. I don't know how much Kira has given off the impression that this can't be communicated to her mother, but apparently it's been kept up so far out of kindness. From Mother's end (and I can pull the "they don't get out much" card here) she's used to having a daughter that's very honest, even painfully so, at least from during KatM. (I give you the exhibit of Kira's immediately handing the token from Firin over to her, even though she could have gotten away with keeping it.) That began to change, very slightly, at the end of that tale, and at some point Kira became used to out-and-out lying to her mother about her true self. For some reason I imagine most hobbit-children and hobbits as being unusually honest by our standards, which would make for someone who wants to believe a lie it even easier to pass over subtle indicators of the truth (I can imagine Kira silently panicking if one day at market one of the children runs by and addresses her by her pet name, only somehow Mother doesn't seem to notice).
But in the end you're right; it's really quite precarious--which doesn't excuse me from not coming up with a better way to frame this conflict, much less its plausibility.
Kira has had to learn to be pragmatic over the years, especially with her taletelling. This means emphasizing the perilous aspects (and I'm not entirely sure if she truly understands the kind of "perilous" that Tolkien meant) of the outside world.
There's also a very good personal reason for her focusing on the dangerous aspects of Outside, though I don't think she realizes that...
Antane
· 30 May 2009
· Chapter 0: Disclaimer and Author's Notes
Angsting...
gasping in horror and all that too...
That would be too dreadful if it was true but thank God it isn't!
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Well, in this fic it is, and believe it or not, it's not an AU. There's a perfectly acceptable explanation for how we got the Red Book that takes all of the premises in this fic into account.
And in case you're wondering, yes, the loss of the original Red Book is canon.
Antane
· 30 May 2009
· Chapter 2
I'm glad someone is interested in the Travellers still and in the Elven histories also. I shall have to keep up with this story. I love that poem, but you already know that! Have you heard the Professor recite it? It's on the J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection - I recommend it - it has other recitals of his too and Christopher Tolkien.
Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Yup, read it and own it. ^_^ And Kira appreciates your support.
Larner
· 30 May 2009
· Chapter 2
Poor Kira--to first find the pressure she needed to recite Frodo's poem, then to be found fainted again! She must be terribly disheartened, and particularly because she thinks no one appreciated it. But it sounds as if Tom did, and certainly Alaric did! Tooks, I'd guess, considering the names! Someone who appreciates the King and the King's best friend among his own kindred, obviously! Why do I have the feeling that she'll be in the Great Smial copying books before she quite knows what hit her? Heh!
Author's reply
I don't know if Tom was listening to that particular bit of the party or not; he hasn't told me where he is and he'd still sooner be caught dead than let anyone, including the author, know he was listening in!
Alaric's a very peculiar case, though. Can't say that much more about him yet.
Dreamflower
· 30 May 2009
· Chapter 2
I took a break from "Trotter" to read this! What a treat!
Perhaps "The Sea-Bell" was not the best poem in the world for a tentful of merry-making hobbits, but it certainly reached one who needed to hear it.
I'm intrigued by Alaric and Halbarad. You did not reveal their surnames, but I have a suspicion, going by the first names.
Poor Kira, this party was not the best time in the world for her. But at least she did have a chance to tell the children her stories.
I loved the way she framed Sam's story, around the mallorn seed. Very lovely and poignant.
Author's reply
You suspect, eh? *firmly clams up mouth as we are not going to learn anything else about these two for several chapters*
The story had to be my favorite bit, though. Took two tries to get it right, but since that second time 'round I've never had to revise it. Thank heavens!
All in all I'd say the party was a mixed bag for Kira--there was all that bodice humor and the officialness of Sandra/Kerry to balance off that terrible end.
Larner
· 26 March 2009
· Chapter 1
An interesting experience for such a lass, coming "out."
I remember the first time Mom put me in a bra--she made it far, far too tight, and I've never been so uncomfortable in my life! I refused to wear a properly fitted one for far too long!
And she now has a copy of the Silmarillion? Nice! Excitement there! Don't blame her for wanting time to read!
Author's reply
I thought that since marriage is and has been the norm in the Shire, there would be some sort of set of coming out customs, even if you don't go so far as doing the whole debutante party thing. And I think with the bodice effect it'd help push along any lifelong lad friends into realizing that suddenly she's all grown up and actually looks rather attractive... (I'm imagining Sam gawping at Rosie the first time she made her appearance)
I do think also that any part of a female's growing up deals with learning how to deal with what (if anything) women in that culture do to deal with the things suddenly hanging off their chest. I have my bra horror stories as well, and the one time I tried on a properly bodice-y bodice at a Ren fair the only way they could make it fit above was squeezing me so much below that my stomach hurt for fifteen minutes afterwards. I don't think I'd be able to pull off the one that Kira's wearing.
Of course Kira wants time to read, but work comes first, now more than ever, so it'll be tricky getting the time to read it. At the same time, the Sil isn't exactly a book you can just read from cover to cover so maybe it's well suited to her needs.
Raksha The Demon
· 25 March 2009
· Chapter 1
So Kira is growing up, and leaving childhood behind, but not her strength of will nor courage. I'm so glad that some of the hobbits lucky enough to have access to books haven't forgotten that she craves them. To think of a person who loves books and reading being deprived of all that is horrifying. And now she has tje Quenta Silmarillion !
Looking forward to more!
Author's reply
Yes, I really think that Kira would go mad if it weren't for her bookish friends looking out for her. The Quenta (I refuse to adhere to our names for texts when writing about a society that didn't have them in the editions we do) is going to keep her grounded.
And to be fair, Kira was never wholly without books: there are a couple of innocuous ones in the stationer's shop in Michel Delving, which can't leave the store but at least she can get to.
Thank you so!
Socrates399
· 25 March 2009
· Chapter 0: Disclaimer and Author's Notes
Oliver Twist.
But if you really do give me a cookie, I'll eat my hat!
Author's reply
Heh heh heh. I thought it was "eat my head" but it's been a while.
Would a drabble on a LotR topic of your choosing suffice? If so you can email it me; the address link is on my bio.
Larner
· 25 March 2009
· Chapter 0: Disclaimer and Author's Notes
Appetite duly whetted.
Author's reply
*grin* Well, after a month of whetting drabbles and a cookie, it'd better be.
Dreamflower
· 25 March 2009
· Chapter 1
*grinning madly*
Oh my! Where do I start?
Well, I love to see Kira's attempts at writing. It seems clear that she has made some progress over the years, but having to keep it secret is probably slowed her down a lot. I was delighted to see that what she was wanting to write was Fredegar's poem, which most certainly deserves to be memorialized.
The trip into town, the purchase of the fabric and the discussion of the boning was most satisfying to a costuming geek like myself. I am assuming that you are going for the sort of "Ren-faire" type bodices the hobbit-lasses wore in the movies? The reeds, the busk, all of it was wonderful. Really a properly made ren-style boned bodice can be more than comfortable--it gives good back support for one thing. Quite unlike those torturous things popular in Victorian times! But hobbits would have too much sense for one of those types.
I also appreciate the detailed information on dividing sage. My own sage bush is almost three years old now, so now I know what to do with it! As for the mint--that's why I've always kept mine confined in containers. (I once wrote a fic about Merry having to deal with invasive mint in his herb-patch at Crickhollow, LOL!)
Now to all the lovely hints you are dropping: mysterious engagements that have to be canceled? Correspondence from Kerry Brandybuck? All rather tantilizing!
I'm wondering about the "tea-parties". Lessons? But is she giving or getting them? Or am I way off track?
I'm really looking forward to seeing more!
This is going to be fun.
Author's reply
Taking your points by the numbers (*is possibly grinning even more madly than you, my dear*)...
The most difficult thing about Kira's writing is that she's self-teaching with feather pen and ink--far too stubborn to try to go about with a slate and chalk, or even charcoal! Which means that she can't even focus on the formation of the letters, poor thing.
I am indeed basing the bodices off Elizabethan ones, which are actually intelligent because they don't make it impossible to breathe. But for someone who's used to wearing only fabric it could still look quite worrisome. Unfortunately I don't have the figure to pull one off, so I don't know firsthand how comfortable it'd be for hours upon hours, but it certainly sounds much better than the bosom-smashers which are on today's market. Since I envision most hobbit lasses as quite buxom, that seems to be the garment that would make the most sense (not to mention the lads would enjoy it as well! *snerk*).
Anyway, I should probably have mentioned that I contacted a good costuming friend about that and she linked me to many appropriate SCA sites. It was fun because normally she refuses to read any LotR fic but this way I could make her check my work!
My herbing information comes much less experience than I'd like, alas. I found for sale for a quarter a good common-sense, grower's perspective book on herb gardens, with season-by-season instructions (hence, you should do all that dividing work on the perennials in the spring). Its advice popped into a number of fics (and expect the liquid manure to make a return!).
The mint in Kira and her mother's garden is actually walled in quite effectively with bricks above and below the plants, but they still divide them every few years because otherwise the stolons will begin to choke one another and the plant will ail as a result.
And yeah, I don't think it was so much "hint-dropping" as "hint-punting." *cackles* Most of them will be better explained in the next couple chapters. I'm thinking of going monthly.