Dreamflower's Mathoms II by Dreamflower
Larner · 30 December 2009 · Chapter 72: Overheard in the Dark
So very likely! Oh, yes, I can see this completely! Thank you for this, Dreamflower!
Author's reply
Thank you, Larner! I can't imagine the others in the Fellowship were not paying close attention to Gandalf and Pippin...
Antane · 30 December 2009 · Chapter 72: Overheard in the Dark
Cute! I love the ending about Pippin being forgiving. *hugs him* And it would be very true that Merry not being to sleep without Pippin. Love the hobbit pile. :) Interesting about Boromir and Faramir too. Happy Yule! Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
GamgeeFest · 6 December 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
LOL! Poor Sam, can't win for trying. Wonder what the Gaffer would say about Faramir's idea of "workaday" clothes! *snerk* :D But what I loved most was how comfortable Sam was around Frodo. He's still proper, calling him 'sir' and 'Mr.' but it's very clear that these two are now equals.
Author's reply
Yes, Sam knows now: he and Frodo ( and he and Merry and Pippin) *are* all equals-- but he's darned if he will *admit* that out loud! He'll hold on to the outward forms of propriety, even if he realizes inside that it's unneccessary. And of course, over the time they've spent together, both have learned a few things about managing one another. There is a lot more give and take between them than would be thought "proper" in the Shire!
Andrea · 1 December 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
LOL! That was a funny story. I wondered about the Ironmongery, but now I understand :-) The Gaffer is a fountain of wisdom!
Author's reply
Yes, the Gaffer is! I'm glad it made you laugh!
Larner · 28 November 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
I finally have a few minutes to catch up. Delightful, Dreamflower! Poor Sam--those must have embarrassed him so, having to wear them for his everyday activities! Wonderful! And I love what detail you've been able to get into the dialogue!
Author's reply
*grin* Yes, poor Sam! He's not that fond of finery in the first place, and to have such for working in must have been very frustrating. It's amazing how much detail you can get in without any narrative at all.
Antane · 28 November 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
Poor Sam, but it's a cute story! Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked!
Soledad · 27 November 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
Oh, this was lovely! And very funny as well - I was grinning the whole time I read it. I apologise for being so terribly behind with reading - life is so demanding right now I barely come to my own writing (and my grammar deteriorates seriously, as you can see). Will try to come back for more and to deal with my shamefully huge backlog as soon as I catch my breath, honestly.
Author's reply
Heavens! Don't apologize! We all read when we get the chance, and often have to wait to read things we'd like to. I'm very pleased to hear it made you grin-- I like to make people happy!
Virtuella · 26 November 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
Nothing but dialogue? Interesting task. It worked well, and was very amusing at that.
Author's reply
I've seen stories done that way before, but aside from one drabble length, I've never attempted it myself. Grey Wonderer is an expert at it!
shirebound · 26 November 2009 · Chapter 71: Somewhat Better Than Ironmongery
There are so many delightful things in this piece, but I really love Sam calling what he and Frodo accomplished an "errand", and how he was trapped as "Lord Samwise" as long as he stayed in the South. What fun.
Author's reply
It seemed the sort of modest and understated way that Sam might refer to the Quest-- and it was, after all, an errand of sorts...though not like going into Hobbiton to buy flour... And you've hit the nail on the head: he was trapped in his role as "Lord Samwise" and as one of the Ringbearers as long as he was in Gondor! The Gondorians were grateful, and they were not about to let the hobbits forget it.
Larner · 4 November 2009 · Chapter 70: Eucatastrophe: A Letter Home by Dreamflower
How wonderful to see the Hobbits of the Anduin valley helping to set justice in motion, returning the horse to the youth and giving the villain his just rewards. And we do indeed see the beginnings of the legends of leprachauns in these Hobbits, I think. Heh!
Author's reply
Well, I used not only leprachauns, but real world traditions of brownies, pixies and other small folks as well-- perhaps all of those legends came from hobbits originally?
Baggins Babe · 3 November 2009 · Chapter 70: Eucatastrophe: A Letter Home by Dreamflower
Ah lovely! A visit to your wonderful AU. I was wondering if and when 'Billie' would make another appearance and I'm glad she has had her puppies safely. I wonder who will 'draw the short straw' when the lads return to the Shire? :-) What a fascinating tale - and those Tooks are everywhere! I'm glad the young man's story had a happy ending and the thief got his come-uppance! The moral is clear - don't mess with hobbits! Lovely story, Dreamflower.
Author's reply
*grin* I was kind of using Billie in this to give readers a good idea of the "time frame" when Frodo's letter was written, but I figured it would be fun to see how Frodo explained her to his wards' parents! The moral is clear - don't mess with hobbits! Isn't that the moral of TH and LotR? *grin*
Rhyselle · 2 November 2009 · Chapter 70: Eucatastrophe: A Letter Home by Dreamflower
Oh, I just love this story! :) First the epistolary format tickles my fancy, and then the story within the story about Wat and his horse and Tucca. A lovely reworking of an old fairytale! I really need to dive back into your Eucatastrophe fic-verse. I love the idea that the Elven Rings did not fail, and that Frodo and the others returned to Middle-earth. That reminds me so much about the version of the Grail story found in Wolfram von Eschenbach's PARZIVAL where the rewards and blessings Parzival obtained by fulling the Grail quest were shared with the rest of the world. It always seemed sad to me that those who fought the long fight and won the war did not get to enjoy their reward and to use their talents for the blessing of Middle-earth. In your story, the Ring-bearers do! :) Well done! (and I apologize for the late review... I really wanted to let you know sooner but RL got in the way!)
Author's reply
Yes, I got to use *two* of my favorite devices-- I too, love writing "letters" in my fics, and I also love the frame-story format as well, so it was a lot of fun to combine those! Yes, Eucatastrophe-universe all came from me asking myself two questions: *why* did Elrond and the other two bearers of the Three reject the idea that they would be freed by the One's destruction? And the second question was how would Frodo have fared if Saruman had never entered the Shire. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Andrea · 2 November 2009 · Chapter 70: Eucatastrophe: A Letter Home by Dreamflower
Great! A wonderful fairy tale, and even with a moral! But the fairy is replaced by hobbits! I like that very much. And of course: Eucatastrophe! Can't get enough of that :-)
Author's reply
I enjoy my Eucatastrophe universe! I'm glad you do too! I tried to adapt various real world fairy tale traditions to Middle-earth conditions. I'm glad you think I succeeded!
Grey Wonderer · 1 November 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
That was so cute!
Author's reply
Thanks! Just a bit of fluff; I do like wee hobbits!
Periantari · 11 October 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
Sweet fic and cute story~ Loved this description of Frodo: The little hobbit in his nightshirt and his blue dressing-gown smelled of rosemary soap and his dark curls were still damp from his bath. awww~! =)
Author's reply
Oh thanks! I figured that Primula would have gotten her little lad all ready for bed before turning him over to Uncle Bilbo for the night!
Periantari · 11 October 2009 · Chapter 68: One Fine Autumn Day
Such a nice fic on the courting rituals that might've been true for hobbits. I liked the difficulty that you described of Bungo trying to win Belladonna's hand and i loved the end when Bilbo Baggins came into this world. :) Interesting perspective and interesting time to write about. :)
Author's reply
I love speculating on the details that might have made up the various Shire customs (of which we only get a few hints in canon). And of course, the date was important to the challenge! I do enjoy writing about the upper branches of the family trees...
Raksha The Demon · 7 October 2009 · Chapter 2: Eucatastrophe IV: Happy New Year
Oh, this is definitely how things ought to be; particularly with Gandalf still in Middle-earth (well, Frodo too of course)!
Author's reply
Well, at least in THIS universe! It's so much fun to enjoy a much happier ending than we were given in canon every now and again. I do like to play with a "happy AU" once in a while.
Antane · 1 October 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
What a sweet story! Love wee Frodo and already a bookworm! :) *hugs him* Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
I think he must have loved stories from a very young age!
harrowcat · 30 September 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
I can just imagine Aunt Dora saying.."what a sweet little moralistic tale. Lovely Dreamflower. (Hope you don't mind me being pedantic! 'I before E except after C. (4th sentence)) I can talk....the worst speller in the class!
Author's reply
I can imagine Aunt Dora making up "Tip and Tulip" stories! And no I don't mind-- I do know the rule,but sometimes my fingers get ahead of my brain, LOL!
Virtuella · 29 September 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
Sweet story! I wish my children would clean up the messes they make... (Well, sometimes they do.)
Author's reply
Well, apparently hobbit children were mostly well-behaved. And of course, besides all that, "Tip and Tulip" are role models (and fictional) and are naturally much better behaved than even the usual hobbit-child.
Andrea · 29 September 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
Aw, Tip and Tulip! A nice birthday present for wee Frodo! And what do you think happened then? "What? Uncle Bilbo, what happened?" And now I remember again why questions like these are placed in children's stories. They encourage them to interrupt and participate - something that adults would hardly do, not even if the story was read *to* them. But it makes a story much more funny and interesting - and not only for the listener :-)
Author's reply
Yes, because a story being read or told to a child is very much an inter-active sort of thing!
Celeritas · 28 September 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
Must... resist... fluff... *breaks down into very undignified manner of squeeing not at all consonant with self-image* Those hobbit storybooks are very appropriately hobbity. And this was really, really cute.
Author's reply
The problem with trying to resist fluff is that it is so...well, fluffy! As everyone knows, the more you push against it, the deeper you sink. I'm so glad you find them appropriate to hobbits-- they do, after all always have a moral.
Larner · 28 September 2009 · Chapter 69: On the Evening of Frodo's Fifth Birthday
It is not only Pippin who enjoys Tip and Tulip tales, we see! Heh!
Author's reply
No, they are quite beloved by many a young hobbit! The parents tell them for the gentle lessons to be learned, but the little children love them for the whimsical element that usually comes into play, always validated at the end by "aunty". There's a certain predictability to them-- and young hobbit children love that they know how each story will begin and end, even when the middle is different.
Virtuella · 25 September 2009 · Chapter 68: One Fine Autumn Day
"that she'd gone off adventuring with that old conjuror Gandalf" That would be a wonderful, wonderful story! Lovely backstory here of how Bag End came to be and of Bilbo's birth. Thanks for a charming read!
Author's reply
And thank you for your kind words! Well, I do one day hope to tell the story of her adventure in the Old Forest-- but not too soon, for I have a lot of other tales already in the bunny hutch!
Baggins Babe · 24 September 2009 · Chapter 68: One Fine Autumn Day
We rarely see stories of Bilbo's birth - what a delightful tale. I love Bungo's trepidation - understandable when dealing with a Took lass - and Gerontius with his sensible advice. A lovely way to celebrate 'the birthday.'
Author's reply
So far as I know, I never have! And really, it's just as momentous an event as the births of our other heroes! Poor Bungo! Bagginses are not nearly so flamboyent as Tooks. This particular case really is one of "opposites attracting"-- she's drawn to his capable steadiness and general niceness, and he's drawn to her fiery personality. After being the father of twelve, and the patriarch of such a considerable clan, Gerontius would have to have learned some sensibility! Thanks! It was fun!