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| Okay, NOW Panic! by Boz4PM | 12 Review(s) |
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| Lyrelle | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/4/2008 |
| Just wanted to tell you that I think you're doing a wonderful job in making this story not all about the romance. With so many stories, once characters realize their attraction, the story then focuses on it to the exclusion of all else and to its own detriment. I was afraid that would happen with this story - thankfully you've managed to keep a complete picture of Penny's life going forward. Also? Penny's totally absorbing the mores of her new culture, and it's enriching her character instead of stifling or radically changing it. It's fascinating to watch. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story. :) Author Reply: Thank you. I didn't want to focus on it because there are other things that are as important to Penny in many ways - this is about all the problems, issues and hurdles she faces after all. Penny's totally absorbing the mores of her new culture, and it's enriching her character instead of stifling or radically changing it THANK YOU! That's exactly what I've been trying to achieve! SO glad it's coming across that way. :D | |
| Miss | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/3/2008 |
| Beautifull chapter!!! Author Reply: Thank you. :D | |
| amokeh | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/3/2008 |
| Yay!!! I can't tell you how extremely pleased I was to see this updated. I made a very abrupt, happy little noise that probably alarmed my coworkers somewhat, heh. Oh, and thanks for the clarification re: winter dresses. I would have never have considered wearing them layered, but you're right - that would make sense. Loved the birthday presents - all appropriate and so meaningful for Penny, to have tokens from all of the wonderful new friends she's made. Also very glad to see Faelon, furry face or no. He's such a dear, isn't he? And have to say that reading how you've portrayed Halladan is proof positive to me that you're married and have a good handle on the male mind. Just ignore it and it'll go away, right? Can't wait for the next chapter!! :) Author Reply: Well, I'll be honest and say I never had to layer dresses by Heidi did and that's where I learnt about the technique years and years ago. ;) *huggles Faelon* He's a lovely character to write. the male mind. Just ignore it and it'll go away, right? Typical male method of dealing with uncomfortable situations. ROFLMAO! SO true. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for reviewing! | |
| iona | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/2/2008 |
| Sleep? Who needs sleep when there's quality fic to be read?! I happened to check SoA, noticed two new chapters to this story, and... Just Had To Read. Staying in Imladris, resting from the long journey and learning useful new skills seems to be doing Penny heaps of good, even though she is very understandably worried sick about what has been happening in Eriador. I've taken to Penny's character so much that I kept getting these little surges of pride when each new skill and accomplishment was mentioned, and especially when it came to her interactions with the various Dúnedain who stopped by. Not the same Penny who landed in Middle-Earth, this one, but a much more mature and thoughtful Penny, who manages to keep her cool. The birthday celebration was a near tear-jerker, with so many of Penny's Very Important People doing their best to make it a great day for her. Lindir and Erestor are such dears that I want to hug them. And Faelon, beard and all! What's not to like?! Seems to have inadvertently sort of adopted Penny, in spite of not having any official obligations towards her. I refrain from saying anything about Halladan and his behaviour, as I doubt I could add much to what others already have said. Might've been interesting - and highly amusing! - to eavesdrop on him and Arvain, though. As ever, I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Author Reply: I've taken to Penny's character so much that I kept getting these little surges of pride when each new skill and accomplishment was mentioned Aw, thank you for that! :D I've taken to Penny's character so much that I kept getting these little surges of pride when each new skill and accomplishment was mentioned Yes, indeed. Part of it is because she's calmed down a lot from what was a very stressful time back in Don't Panic, part of it is because she is 'finding her feet' more nowadays, but also she learnt a lot while she travelled. Or that was kind of my intention anyway. Faelon has sort of adopted her, it's true, but then he was so close to Halbarad that he is kind of like an uncle to Arvain and Halladan anyway, so he would inevitably become close to anyone their family 'takes on' as it were. Glad you enjoyed it! :D | |
| Virtuelle | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/2/2008 |
| Boz4PM, thanks for posting the new chapter, it was my birthday yesterday and it just was the icing on the cake. I have been checking every day for your new chapter as I was reading Nilmandra's stories. The wonderful thing about this site is that while you wait for one of your favorite authors to post you find so many other wonderful stories to read. The feedback for the authors is great also. Penny not being able to recall the face of her mom was so touching. I know that feeling living half way across the states from my own mom. I am hoping when she goes to stay with Morfinniel that a clearer picture of her mother will pop into her subconsious. Maybe something that she will say or do will trigger it. Ah and Halladan,;) can't someone; like Lord Elrond, tell him its ok for him to love his ward? Or maybe Lindir could teasingly give him something to be jealous for. He strikes me as being a good enough friend with them both to flirt ballantly with her and get away with it without getting into to much trouble. Wonderful story, I can't wait to see what you will write up next. Author Reply: This site is fantastic, and I am so grateful to Nilmandra for tracking me down and inviting me here. It's a goldmine of goodfic and good authors. :D What Penny experiences with her mother is actually a very common thing - it is often those you are closest to whose features fade from your memory quickest when they are gone. Weird and I dunno why it should be, but I know it's a known phenomenon. Thanks and glad you enjoyed it! :D | |
| Neilia | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/2/2008 |
| Dearest fellow author. I have as much trouble getting chapters out as you do! I love this story and will keep reading it as long as it lasts. I do hope Halladan gets over his 'my ward thing' enough to allow them to get together. Penny needs him as much as he needs her. *sigh* I'm a hopeless romantic! :D Author Reply: Thanks for reading and taking time out to comment. :) And (for once) I'm slightly ahead of myself - the next chapter was finished before this was posted and 59 is on its way. :) | |
| Shemyaza | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/2/2008 |
| I am going to say something horrible... :P Oh not about the story which is incredibly well written and a fascinating read, but I don't think that Penny should stay in Middle Earth. I don't think Halladan is the guy for her and despite her best efforts to fit in and be part of everything, and everyone else's efforts to make her feel at home, the very fact that she seems to constantly question herself and everything says to me that she doesn't know where she fits in. She tries to understand things from his point of view, but the fact remains that they both come from entirely different worlds with different moral value sets. I'm sure that all the romantics among your readers will be up in arms with this, but I really do think she needs to finally go home and have some resolution in her former life. There is no closure with regard to her family and in reality that kind of non closure can live with you forever. I was estranged from my mother when she died and I have never quite forgiven myself for not being there. Her life was unhappy in the modern world, but she's left a lot of things undone and unsaid and not all the happiness in the world with a man will change that. Sometimes happily ever after is not quite what you think or hope that it will be. *Dons Flak jacket and prepares to avoid the outrage of all romantics!* These are just my thoughts on her situation of course and do not reflect badly on an excellent story! Author Reply: That's not horrible in the least! lol! Everyone's entitled to their opinion and everyone will have different takes on what should or should not happen. I'm well aware that whatever plot decisions I make (or have made, rather, since I'm writing plot I decided on YEARS ago) there will be some or loads of people who will disagree. C'est la vie and you can't please all the people all of the time, as they say. ;D Personally, I don't think coming from different cultural backgrounds necessarily is an issue. I married someone from an entirely different background to my own and we're managing okay so far. I'm not saying it's easy and, yeah, there are times when there's cross-cultural TOTAL miscommunication, but not to the point of making a relationship doomed from the start. I think it depends on the individuals involved, their particular characters and also how much else they share in common. I totally appreciate what you are saying about closure. Alas, such things aren't up to Penny, just as they aren't up to any of us: circumstances are what they are and life happens, if you see what I mean. It's not so much what happens to you in life (however terrible) as how you cope with it afterwards and what lessons you can take from it. And, yeah, happily ever after is for fairy tales, I quite agree. We all have our baggage, our damage, our scars and our hurts and they make us what we are - fractured, frail and fallible human beings. Thank you so much for your comments and thoughts! :D | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/2/2008 |
| Arvain’s visit to Imladris was certainly ... interesting. It really left me with the feeling that he had argued with his brother quite a bit – and of course, I have an idea why ;) Penny’s birthday was lovely! I was so glad that all her friends had something for her – and the gifts were truly beautiful. It must have been great for her to see that they all thought of her. As much as she loves Imladris, the Elves, Rangers and Bilbo, her drawing shows so clearly how much she misses her old life, too, and it is important that the others make her feel welcome there. And now Halladan is back! Well, after what happened before he left it was only to be expected that things would be quite awkward between them, and all things considered, it went pretty well, I think. Glad she could convince him to tell her the truth about how things went in Eriador. Of course she would be upset, but she’s right – not knowing anything is worse, because she will always imagine even worse things than the ones that happened. I think I agree with Elrond and Arvain – it was bad, but it could have been much worse. Now, if they only would accept the obvious! *plants her Penny/Halladan banner firmly in the ground before the noses of these two and points at it* Oh, and I don’t think you need to apologise about the time this chapter took. Your chapters are pretty long, after all, and over the years I have waited longer for updates who turned out to be two pages or so (though not here at SoA) ... and it’s not as if you don’t have to do anything other than writing fanfiction, after all. Author Reply: It was not so much that he and Halladan had had a 'disagreement' as his embarrassment at turning up at Imladris without him, I think. And thanks for commenting. Yeah, she needed to know what was going on - the not knowing was FAR worse. At least she could rely on Halladan to be completely straight with her, as much as it pained him to tell her. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for reading! | |
| tempest | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/1/2008 |
| Halladan, will you just BLOODY WELL MARRY THE GIRL! Thank you. I've been needing to get that off my chest for four chapters now. Waiting with expectation for the rest of the story. Author Reply: LOOOL! Ah, poor Halladan. most of the readership wants to thwap about the head with something heavy or pointy right now. ;) Thanks for commenting! | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 9/1/2008 |
| This is a marvelous chapter! Penny is learning to deal with a great many things. I think the part that affected me most was not her reunion with Halladan--though that was marvelously handled, and very realistic given the circumstances--but the part about her doodling of all the modern things she might never see again. I could easily envision the page of "scribbles"--I'm an inveterate doodler myself, and it just seemed so *right* that she'd do such a thing! Author Reply: Thank you! It's the sort of thing I would do too, so I am glad someone else connected with that moment so personally. :D | |