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Discretion  by Bodkin 9 Review(s)
elliskaReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/10/2005
Your Galadriel and Celeborn are the best! Galadriel's body language in this was great. I loved it. And the ending:

I accept the warning,’ Celeborn told her. ‘But believe me when I say that I know you too well to be taken in. Attempt to deceive me, my love, and I will see that you pay for it.’

‘Promises,’ Galadriel said, taking his hand and leading him inside. ‘Promises.’


That is so perfect. I can just see those two strong willed elved having that conversation.


Author Reply: Thank you. I think this . . . incident brought them a glimmer of light in the midst of their sorrow. Just for a moment, Celebrian was with them - bright and joyous and full of mischief. With the promise of reunion held before them.

And they had each other - mutual support to bring them through yet another trial.

RedheredhReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
Gosh, I guess this is really a review for the last 2 chapters.

You do know I worship your skill at writing so swiftly and with such wonderful language, don't you? Eh, the eloquent kind and banter, that is. Letting us see how everyone but the twins knows and will not tell is quiet hilarious.

The exchanges between Elrond and Glorfindel were great and some plot bunnys hopped in after that chapter for a lot of readers, I'm sure. The exchange between Celeborn and Galadriel was just as marvelous and touching. Eh, both kinds of touching, that is. Very nice bit of deduction on his part. But, would he, wise elf that he is, really be that ignorant of the language of the Naugrim? I wonder. That also seems "both unlike him and highly irritating". Just wicked - all three of them! You handled the ambiguities perfectly.

Darn, I simply cannot stop myself from nitpicking...! They are the same height.

Very much looking forward to the next segment and perhaps the twins catching on that everyone else - even Daeradar! - knew what they were saying all along. ;)


Author Reply: Plot bunnies breeding like - well - like rabbits!

I think Celeborn would not willingly speak or understand the tongue of the Naugrim. Perhaps he knew more of it once - but language changes must have seemed very rapid to the elves, so maybe modern Khuzdul was to him like us listening to Anglo-Saxon. Anyway, for these purposes, it is not one of the languages in which he is fluent!

They are the same height. You can rest your head on the back of someone the same height - more shoulder, I suppose. Just where his shoulder meets his neck, in my mind's eye. Cheekbone on his spine. And, if your are trying to dodge looking Celeborn in his very sharp eyes, you could dip your chin to inspect the collar of his robe.

This small revelation gave them a moment of closeness, I think. Made them feel a family still - and brought a happy, laughing Celebrian to be with them for a while.

Thank you. This has been such fun - like being on a runaway train, with new ideas constantly being thrown at me. And it's five parts now, not four!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
The grief is already finding itself lifting as Elven Queen learned in MANY languages imparts a portion of it to her husband. And just the knowledge that Celebrian was able to carry that small amusement with her to Aman will prove to help lighten the grief even further.

And Lord and Lady have another reason to find intimacy....

Lovely!

Would you mind if I borrowed the idea to go into one story under construction? Heh! I think you will find it amusing when you come upon it.

Author Reply: I see this as a small revelation that reminds them both of a happy mischievous Celebrian - one able to take joy in the presence of her family, as well as to give them a daughter who will be there, strong and joyful and healed, when at last they set foot on the shore of the Blessed Realm. Such a foolish thing to help lift the shadow of grief that plagues them - but so often it is something foolish that breaks open the blankness of sorrow and regret.

And they have each other.

Poor twins though. Serving as an ice pick for their grandparents, but still a long way from finding their own thaw.

Feel free to borrow whatever you want! I look forward to finding out what is in your mind.

I'm glad you like it - more tomorrow!

perellethReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
Now you definitely must take this to Reflections! three thousand years of a joke is about nothing, for these elves! and I would love to see Elrond's retaliation upon Glorfindel and how the family deal with this fresh-as-new joke, now that Legolas did join in! this is so promising!
But to the vignette. Nice choice of setting, and the little glimpses of evrything: celeborn´s disregard for dwarves as a race, putting them all in the same "box" and Galadriel being vexed by that! I loved it, becuse I, too believe it oh so true! ANd the little comfort she can offer him in that difficult moment, distraught, as she, too must be by the whole siutation... truly a relationship of equals, and I loved the care and tenderness with which it was shown.
And now you're offering one more, I cannot help wondering who shall be thrown in.. Erestor? Anyway, now I'm eaerly waiting for tomorrow and saturday's update (I must come to the office this saturday, so it'll be a welcome distraction! :-)

Author Reply: Actually, she said guiltily, it's grown again. There are two more parts of this now, before we return to the Three Musketeers in the Blessed Realm.

And I've had in mind to do something or other with Glorfindel in the BR for ages, but just not got round to it yet. But I have so many things on the edge of wanting to do them. And not enough hours in the day!

C and G have endured enough to know that moments of happiness are possible even in the midst of grief - and the end result here is to bring Celebrian back with them briefly, full of joy and mischief. But it is a dark time.

I'm glad you are finding these entertaining - they are just running away with me!

TithenFeredirReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
At first I thought I had mistaken the title. You started with such a sad, beautiful scene and I was settling down to enjoy all of it's nuances. Then you quietly slipped in the image of the grieving, vengeful twins raging in the thick of battle, calling on the Valar to give them strength and let them be a dwarf maiden's lapdog. My screen is covered with breakfast. You are evil, Bodkin. Can't wait for the next. ~TF

Author Reply: 'calling on the Valar to give them strength and let them be a dwarf maiden's lapdog'

Isn't it just a delicious juxtaposition of images? Doesn't it bring a whole new aspect to battle?

And even in the midst of sorrow, the twins' - er - facility with language has managed to bring a moment of relief to their grandparents. I expect they'd be pleased if they knew. Wouldn't they?

Another piece has inserted itself - so there are currently two more to come.

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
You show telling details so well, Bodkin. The rustle of silk, the way the light bends when looked at through tears. Do you have to consciously do that? Or do they just sort of occur to you as you write?

Author Reply: I'm embarrassed to admit it - (it doesn't feel like proper controlled writing skill) - but it just comes. No conscious effort at all really. Now structuring a story! Or interweaving plot - they are much, much harder.

DotReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
It’s becoming a most enjoyable part of my day to read these with my cup of tea in the morning :-)

This is a lovely one, particularly the opening. I do love Celeborn. It’s so sad to see him as just an adar missing his daughter and unable to find comfort in his beloved stars.

But once he mentioned hearing his grandsons’ battle cries I couldn’t stop grinning. I’m really tickled by the idea of Galadriel trying not to laugh and Celeborn does not seem to like being kept in the dark. He did a great job of figuring out what was going on – Celeborn the Wise indeed!! It’s very amusing that he immediately assumes Celebrían is the one who taught Elladan and Elrohir whatever phrases they know and likens his daughter to her mother, while Galadriel claims she’s just like her father. I think what I like most about that, though, is that they can discuss her with such laughter.

The ending is wonderful. Galadriel certainly succeeded in drawing Celeborn out of his melancholy and the teasing between them is always a joy to witness.

So who’s part four?!


Author Reply: Who's part four? That's for tomorrow! And then Saturday will revert to Reflections part 72. (I think I might have to attach those two to this at some point to round the story off properly.)

Poor Celeborn - especially since he wasn't sure if he wanted to sail. I think he had to once Celebrian and Galadriel were across the sea. But not while Arwen lived - or while his grandsons and the land needed him.

It was a good moment for Galadriel to let slip the secret she and Celebrian had kept for so long - a family moment that brought Celebrian closer to them and enabled them to take out memories of love rather than pain. And bicker over who was responsible for Celebrian's naughtier characteristics. (Answer: both, I suspect!)

Celeborn has been in the dark for quite a long time - over 2000 years - but, once he realised there was something hidden, he wasn't going to put up with it any longer. And he is just as good at managing Galadriel as she is at managing him.

I'm glad you liked it - and I'm getting so many ideas thrown at me that the spin-offs could have spin-offs.

Now, I wonder if I can write dwarves?

Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
A nice little piece with Galadriel and Celeborn... How she finally tells her husband what amuzes her...

Nice work...

Author Reply: She wouldn't have let it slip normally - Galadriel has kept this quiet for about 2000 years - but if ever there was a time when Celeborn needed a little something to make him smile, this is it!

And he knows her far too well not to pick up all the tiny bits of body language that would slip by anyone else. And succeeding in weaseling the truth out of her has made him feel a little better too.

Thank you - I'm glad you liked it.

Rose SaredReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2005
ha! promises promises indeed. This joke has legs, huh? And it took leggy how many hundred years to let the cat out of the bag? Revenge, there is revenge in the air!
Great fun
Rose

Author Reply: This joke could run and run - but only so far. There's one more part here and then it moves back to Reflections 72, which should appear the day after tomorrow.

Let's see . . . I think the family joke has lasted for some 3500 years. Old enough to grow whiskers, even in elven company! Don't you think E2 might be a little too mature for revenge? . . . . . . No! What am I saying? Of course they aren't!

Thank you - glad you are enjoying it.

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