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Reflections from the Paradise of Elves by Bodkin	9 Review(s)
avast	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/4/2006
haha, when is this going to end? paradise goes on forever..haha Author Reply: To adapt Alfred, Lord Tennyson - ‘Elves may come and elves may go but Reflections go on for ever’. I think it might become Reflections 2: Return of the Elf sometime around Reflection 90. I have up to 86 stored away on my hard disk - and they show no sign of stopping yet. And they feed in so many ideas that become other stories. I hope you're not getting bored with them!

Redheredh	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/3/2006
Bodkin, each one of these chapters is a jewel. It was actually heartening to hear E2L reminising about their childhood offenses and rueing them, instead of viewing their inconsiderate behaviour with unchanged childish bias. Gives me all the more faith in their ability to be good fathers. ;) Galadriel's assessment of learning lessons is very interesting, seeing as she was raised in Aman. But, would Imladis be all that different when E2 were being brought up? It certainly was not the Mirkwood. That old saw is so true... Just wait 'til you have kids! Author Reply: Thank you! It is definitely true that little things you did as a child can haunt you throughout life - often things that meant nothing to you then. I suspect Celebrian's horror would have had an impact at the time - and Elrohir is sensitive enough to find that incident haunting him at times, despite the years as a fierce, orc-slaying warrior. Elladan is a bit more pragmatic, I think. More likely to realise that kids are little savages who learn to behave according to the shibboleths of their society. But determined to see that their own children are taught well and taught young. Painful lessons are part of growing up, whether you're in Aman or not. Galadriel will not, I think, have been a particularly easy child - and possibly a rather indulged last-born only daughter. She will have had to learn to be an ornament of her house and might well have been reluctant to take on some of the qualities. Then, too, I reckon she is aware that many of her own painful lessons came courtesy of Alqualonde and the Helcaraxe - and in Beleriand, where all her brothers died. And she did not stop learning - right to the point where she was able to reject the offer of unlimited power because she knew that other things mattered more - and beyond, while she waited for Celeborn to sail. The twins had a golden childhood in Imladris - beautiful environment, privileged upbringing, loving adults to guide them - but I don't think they would be indulged particularly and they would have to learn to conduct themselves in every way as the heirs of their houses, taught by those who knew hard times and evil and would not accept less than the twins' best. Not Mirkwood - but even there, as the evil began to grow, I think Legolas and any other elflings would have been shielded as much as possible from the darkness and offered a childhood of innocence. Harder to keep the realities from them, though. And the perspective changes so much when you have kids of your own!

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
A very astute observation! It's so true that what seems perfectly all right to a child will drive an adult to distraction, and that only the perspective of adulthood will bring on realization of how reprehensible one's behavior had been. Having kids of one's own, of course, rather hastens the process, LOL! Author Reply: Children - of all kinds - are very self-centred, and they observe the world and poke it to see what happens. I doubt Elladan and Elrohir meant to be particularly hurtful, but they didn't have enough sense to know what harm they could be doing. Celebrian's disgust will have had a huge impact - and Elrohir is one who would brood on a petty cruelty. Elladan would dismiss it more easily, I think - he knew he didn't mean to do any harm, whereas Elrohir would see that, meant or not, they did do damage. But kids are desperate to hide petty accidents like spilled drinks, which they think are terrible - and then don't even register actions that can have long-term effects. Having kids does make you realise that men might be from Mars and women from Venus - but that kids are from Alpha Centauri.

elliska	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
Only we lacked the wit to have a ship in which to shelter.’ Snort! Hilarious! And so were Legolas's comments about his own childrens' transgressions! It is amazing how much you can convey by saying very little. I can just imagine the wolf pups and scrolls! And the story about Galuion--that is very sad. A lot of shildren do things like that--it speaks well of Elrohir that he regrets it so now. I would love to see him have the opportunity to apologize in Aman. Love these! Author Reply: It takes being responsible for kids, I think, to realise just what you put your parents through. Celebrian's reaction impressed the twins more than what they did, I suspect, in the Galuion incident. But Elrohir is one who would be horrified by it in retrospect. Elladan would be more pragmatic, I think - more likely to say that kids are savages and only learn civilisation through intensive training. You never know. Galuion might turn up. The cast is pages long now - and I'm having to take notes. I could just see a bored Elladan scrawling misspelt speech bubbles on illustrations - 'Die, sporn of morgoff!' I don't think Elrond would have been too impressed. Glorfindel is a joy to have around. Enough detachment from the horrors of parenthood to come up with one-liners!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
We do tend to turn grey as we watch our children do absolutely untoward things, don't we? Raising mine was a horrible experience--but then I got them pregrowed somewhat and had constantly to deal with leftover influences. Author Reply: I once worked with a 15 year old boy who recalled how, at about 10, he and his friends used to swing on a rope dangling from a tree - only problem being it swung right out over a road. A quiet road, true, but a road nonetheless. At 15 he could see so easily how child-on-rope + car could = disaster, but it never even occurred to him at the time. I think kids have limited vision. Goes partly with limited experience, but it is part of the self-centredness of childhood that just isn't very good at extrapolating to understand how others feel. Elrohir is the sort of person who would be horrified by some of the things he did as a child - just as Elladan is likely to shrug them off as being one of the things you can't change. And, of course, the possession of children of their own is going to make them see things differently. And empathise with their parents!

Jay of Lasgalen	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
There seem to be a few seeds for new plot ideas here! I remember the one about Elladan, but some of the others would make intriguing tales. Elrohir's memory of teasing their companion is sad - children can be unthinkingly cruel sometimes. If he still feels guilty, it clearly had a lasting effect. I love Glorfindel's comment about the twins' affinity with water - it sounds typical of how I imagine him. Author Reply: Children can be very cruel - often without any thought at all - just to watch people squirm. Of course later a sensitive elf like Elrohir would find it difficult to forgive himself such unthinking unkindness. And their naneth's reaction would doubtless have given them cause to think. I just love Glorfindel. He throws in some wonderful lines. As fond of them as a loving uncle, but just detached enough to be able to laugh.

Nilmandra	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
Unfortunately, I think Galadriel is right on here. We do seem to learn best when there is a little pain attached. In what story is the mud/Elladan account? Have I missed it? Author Reply: Elladan and the mud is Reflections 61-64 and Elflings 7. It was one of those threads that just took over for a while! And yes. We spend so much time trying to coax our children into painless learning - but nothing beats learning from your mistakes. One of the things Galadriel has learned over the ages, I think, is that there are times to be hard. It might stand Elrohir's twins in good stead yet!

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
Yes! Memory for these long-lived creatures must be like a treasure chest! And the change of perception might be even more noticeable for them, as they accumulate experience!! Anyway these elves have been blessed with very sensible elflings, after all, considering the exploits they can boast -or regret- right now. :-) ‘I always felt far more wicked for drawing on Adar’s scroll of the Fall of Gondolin,’ LOL! I suppose that the same conversation between Elrond and Thranduil regarding their children's most terrible deeds would have a very different outcome, but the spoilt parchment surely was a low blow for Elrond! Author Reply: Elrohir's daughters can still be quite a pain - I tend to think they might spend some time with Galadriel at some point. I think they would benefit from someone who can treat them with a bit of detachment. Sometimes it is difficult to find these three new things to do, without to much reminiscing - but there are moments that are just too good to miss. Poor Elrohir. He would be haunted by the memory of unthinking cruelty - and feel guilty for it over 3000 years later. Elladan's wickedness is something a child would find much naughtier - and yet, I think if Elrond were to judge the greater sin, he would agree with Celebrian that those unthinking words were worse than drawing on the margins of his scroll. I can't remember offhand which Reflection mentions writing on the scroll, but I think it is suggested that it is the only time Elladan was spanked. Every elf has his breaking point and abuse of scrolls might well be Elrond's!

daw the minstrel	Reviewed Chapter: 82 on 4/2/2006
I was glad to see this, Bodkin. What a sad story Elrohir tells. That one would haunt me too. It's always been my theory that children should go away to college because then you don't know what they're up to. It's better that way. Author Reply: Elrohir's story is one that would make him cringe for ever, I think. He is a touch more contemplative than Elladan, who might shrug and say that children do and say stupid things without meaning it - because they are too young to know better. Elrohir would think he should have known better. Yes - going away to college is better for both parents and children! Definitely.

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