Pippychick's LotR Fiction - Review Responses

[pippychick]

Never thought I'd have one of these threads! But perhaps this part of the forum is too quiet, so here we go...

For The Teacher:

BronxWench wrote:

I'm reading this and I'm just entirely swept away by this story. Elrond is completely compelling, and I find my breath taken away over and over again. But I had to stop and review because right here, in Chapter Nine, this line:

"When he came up he was still alone, and he couldn’t be sure if he was crying, because the water too ran down his face like tears."

That is just perfect. I'm in awe, and green with envy.

Now, back to reading!

So, I've made it to the end, and I'm entirely bewitched. Elrond is so vivid, perfect in his roles as warrior, healer, lover, and even teacher. While his grief for Oropher is still so powerful, so is his love for Thranduil and Nimbrethil, for Legolas, and for Celebrian. This last chapter, Chapter 21, was one of the most moving and magnificent celebrations of love, but you've left me entirely curious about that one dramatic episode that ended Elrond's visits to the Greenwood.

Gorgeous, dark and yet sublimely erotic. I'll wait eagerly for an update.

Hi BronxWench,

Thank you so much! How do I respond to such praise, except to say that I’m glad you enjoyed reading, and that I’m so happy the relationships all seem to have come across well, because they could so easily be tangled and nonsensical.

I’ll be writing that dramatic episode soon enough, since Elrond’s memories are almost up to date with the present. But the story won’t end there. And whatever Elrond thinks, he’s going to need Thranduil again, because Celebrían will sail to the West eventually.

I know I haven’t paid much attention to canon except in the broadest sense, but this is what I’ll always love about writing fanfiction for Tolkien. He leaves so many stories noted down but not expressly told. It’s completely irresistible to play with them!

Besides, Tolkien canon can drive you insane. He even failed to keep to it himself once or twice (contradictions in his notes).

Thanks again.

[BronxWench]

Oh, the relationships are very well done, and I'm still sort of mourning Oropher's death along with Elrond. That was completely heartbreaking, even though I expected it from canon. And yes, Tolkien did contradict his own canon, but with so epic a universe, it was inevitable.

I had a feeling Thranduil would not be denied forever, since he doesn't seem to be the kind to take no for an answer, rather like his father. I'll be waiting happily for more!

[pippychick]

Hello there,

So I recently f nod your story and fell completely in love with it. You're an excellent writer and the take you have on Elrond is amazingly creative. My favorite bits are with Legolas because he's a cute little newbie.

You have inspired me so much that I started making some sketches featuring what I imagine Elrond and the others would look like. The first one is with Elrond and Oropher and you can view it here if you like : https://www.flickr.com/photos/129917212@N04/sets/72157650704514400/ it's nothing good or particularly special I just thought I would share how you inspired me.

Thanks for all the great writing. I'm looking forward to the rest.

Be well,

Carmen

This is absolutely wonderful - Oropher is exactly how I imagined him! That generous curve of his lips is so spot on. I love Elrond here too. You have made him a little more delicate in his features than Oropher, but he still has a masculine jawline.

I am so honoured that you used my little story as inspiration for your brilliant art. And thank you for your comments too. I am very glad you have enjoyed reading so far!

[pippychick]

What a lovely chapter, and well worth the wait. You write with such grace. It's sheer poetry to read your work.

But such a bitter ending, and my heart aches for Elrond. It's beautiful, and bittersweet, and I found myself wanting the sweet moments to return after reading the letters. I'm a sentimental old thing, I am.

I'll wait to see what lies in store.

Thank you so much for this, Bronx. I can't write poety to save my life, I'll take poetic grace as a compliment and run off with it happily - thank you

Ah, I wanted the letters to become more forgiving too, but the two of them would not have it. As bad as each other they are. At least it's a good hint of that argument. The full revelation will be along later on. That's been mostly written for quite a while.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[pippychick]

Have I mentioned that I'm a very unattractive crier? Oh, well...

My heart broke at least twice in reading this, and my consolation is that Thranduil will receive the love and comfort he so desperately needs, now that he's finally told Elrond what's been tormenting him. The cursed subtlety of elves, though... can't trust runners with messages, no sealed notes for Legolas to deliver... silly, silly, creatures.

Of course, now I want to know what Thranduil was telling Celeborn. I'm as curious as a cat!

Thank you so much for this review too

lol @ elves' subtlety. I think Thranduil believed a letter would be a cold way to give the news. Also, once Legolas had realised something was wrong, he couldn't have trusted him not to read. They're very formal with each other, right now, I think.

Dom!Elrond is going to happen. It will be interesting, no doubt. But, he's ordered Thranduil around before... it might just be a revelation to him how much he enjoys it. And there'll be visits to Mirkwood now, so more Elrond/Legolas too.

Oh, Thranduil/Celeborn. I suspect that Galadriel would know about it all. She has that wacky mirror. I think she's allowing Celeborn to “comfort” Thranduil for now.

Besides that, I intend to tell Elrond's story right though to his departure from Middle Earth, and a short few notes about the arrivals in Valinor after that.

Some notes on the canon: Celeborn renames Mirkwood with Thranduil after the War of the Ring, and goes on to live in Imladris after the departure of Elrond and Galadriel. He lives with Elladan and Elrohir (maybe he's waiting for them to get tired of killing orcs or something and leave with him, as if he's watching over them as a favour to Elrond. I'm including Thranduil there in my mind, though I won't be writing it). As for Legolas, he crosses the sea with Gimli in the end. I think, those things considered, it'll all wrap up rather nicely, though obviously Arwen is lost to her father forever. :/

[pippychick]

Elrond in a dominant role is truly delicious, my dear and very clever Pippychick. And Thranduil submits so very beautifully to his teacher.

It struck me as I read this chapter how elegantly you write. You convey such depth of emotion and sensation, and yet you manage to make it all flow with a graceful delicacy, never the wrong word or phrase to jar me out of the sensual web you weave. That is truly magnificent, you know. You have a rare talent, and I'm very grateful you share it with us.

Thank you!

Thank you so much!

This review has cheered me on a bad day with a very poorly dog. *cuddles Jake*

The moment of the flashback to THAT argument draws closer. But first, quite a bit of dominant!Elrond to play with. I think the dynamic will work, but I've begun deliberately gentle. Elrond will settle into it, and I'm sure Thranduil will enjoy every single second. He's been wanting this for, well, ever. Poor sod. He's not the only one... *sighs happily*

More than anything, I'm glad it reads so smoothly. Thank you for saying so

[pippychick]

Oh, this was a gentle and lovely chapter, and Elrond and Thranduil are just sublime together. The reminiscence is very well done, and I'm not surprised Elrond refused to see the truth until now. It's a very astonishing burden to bear, such love. But what a love it is, and how deftly you paint the picture of their centuries-long dance.

Just beautiful, and I'm off to have lovely dreams now.

Thank you, Bronx!

I'm quite sure Tolkien would not approve of my take on his elves, espcially their multiplicity as regards love and fidelity, but if it leads to lovely dreams, then I'm very happy.

Next chapter is looking decidedly creepy and atmospheric, I'm afraid. Elrond goes east with Thranduil and Legolas. No, they won't be up to any shenanigans on the way. At least, not unless I write a one-off AU chapter. I'll see if I can resist... or not.

[BronxWench]

Resistance is futile.

[pippychick]

Haha.. I did do my part of the sweep early this week... there's a good chance it will happen.

[pippychick]

You've conjured a fine sense of dread, and spun webs of your own! I reached the end of the chapter and whined out loud because I needed it to continue. The hobbit in the web was a lovely touch, very powerful and a reminder that the Mirkwood lured in more than elves with its dire spell.

Beautifully written, as always!

Thank you, Bronx!

There's no need to fear... much. Elrond, Thranduil and Legolas travelling together? Ha! I don't think the spiders stand a chance. Although it does remain to be seen if they can adequately defend the horses... :/

[pippychick]

Oh, my dear pippychick...

This line: "They moved together like the tide of some unnamed sea: in and out, back and forth." I am just rendered breathless by how perfect those words are. Elrond and Thranduil are delicious together, and I am simply enthralled by their evolving relationship. I must say, Elrond is quite good at this!

Thank you, so much, for this beautiful chapter!

Thank you, so much, for this wonderful review! I have to say, that line almost didn't make it in past the final read through, so I'm glad I left it there now and didn't replace it.

And at last, I've got a set up that means I can have Elrond do Thranduil every which way. For days... maybe weeks. I might even get the chance to throw in some Elrond/Legolas.

I'm really looking forward to the future in this too though. I will not go against canon: Thranduil will stay in Mirkwood during the War of the Ring. But I love his character, and I get tired of seeing him be uncaring and uninvolved and manipulative all the time. I will make him into a hero of the war, as much as Elrond is, or Legolas. Ha! He's going to hate it, and the loss of Gollum will probably devastate him. I envisage him berating himself a lot. i.e. “You had one job!”

Sorry, just rambling on a bit. But I adore writing this, so I'm always glad when it turns out to be readable.

[pippychick]

A, i theilin in edhil teiliar…

I'm telling you, they are too delicious, these two. Elrond is doing marvelously well, and I will admit, I did not expect Thranduil to come up with a true confession. And yes, it is an evil cliffhanger, and you are an evil woman, but I'll wait happily for the rest because it will be well wroth the wait!

Thank you, Bronx!

There are many more games to come, I think. This will go deep.

Elrond is doing well. Thranduil is far more master of himself than he appears, and I think Elrond realises that. Once I have finished with evil cliffhangers, I'll let Elrond remember that argument, and a few things should slot into place (if you haven't already figured it all out from the hints).

[pippychick]

You never cease to amaze me with your ability to draw me in. Elrond and Thraduil are so beguiling, and their tangled past just makes this all the more powerful. Elrond is learning as much about himself as he is about Thranduil, and I wonder how comfortable it is for Elrond to to acknowledge his attraction to Thranduil's submission, and pain.

I simply can't wait for the argument.

Thank you, BronxWench!

Back in the day, Elrond loved Thranduil's domination and mastery of him, but I don't think he's a true masochist. Thranduil is, and Elrond is going to find that very strange, but fascinating to play with.

Having said that, the great thing about elves is that they live for bloody ages, so even writing this part, it almost feels like I'm still waiting for everything to settle. And it will. Soon, Elrond is going to lose Celebrían, and he'll need a friend and a lover, not a master (or even a submissive).

I have had the argument written in dialogue form since I began this ten years ago. I've had several computers since then, and the document has kept being transferred on. I just need to add the shading and atmosphere. Might be at least a week, though, until I update. It's such an important event, and I want to do it as well as I can.

[pippychick]

Ah, that's a painful bit of remembering, and I find myself being unable to fault Elrond. His memories of Oropher are more than precious, and I think I would feel equally violated in his place. His grief is justified, in those circumstances, and his anger.

But, because there is always another side, Thranduil's anguish is very real as well. The love he has for Elrond, his desire that they be equals, all this falls on deaf ears because Elrond cannot move past Oropher to see how much Thranduil loves Elrond. His anguish is no less real.

But it is a heavy weight to have been carried between them all these years. Now to see how it's resolved, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

Thank you so much for this review!

I was so nervous about that chapter, because a lot of the fic hinges on it. Elrond is a very forgiving character. Let's remember him in canon as the guy who takes his own daughter down to Gondor to allow her to give the gift of her immortality to Aragorn. He's never going to see her again. It's like taking her up the scaffold. Yes, he's not exactly pleased, but he still does it. So, with that in mind, it had to be something that would feel very harsh to him.

I'm glad that Thranduil's side of it was clear too, since he's not the POV character.

Next chapter will be quite quick, probably tomorrow. And it's looking quite, well, frankly smutty for this story. Elrond is astute. He also has a very analytical mind, and he's had about two-thousand five hundred years or so to think about the whole lure of submission thing. So while he's a bit hesitant about dishing out pain, he's totally up to tormenting Thranduil to within a millimetre of his sanity.

[pippychick]

This story is pure delight. Every chapter deepens the bonds between Elrond and Thranduil.

Elrond sums up his own trepidation quite nicely: he is a healer, and what Thranduil needs is a kind of healing outside Elrond's experience. I did like how Elrond realized how very similar this was to what Thranduil did for him, when Oropher died. To be taken outside oneself, until one heals...that's a rare and wonderful gift.

I'm also quite taken with Thranduil's open responses. He is more in need than even he realizes, to have let his guard down this much, even with an elf he trusts as much as Elrond.

Just superb, Pip!

Thank you so much for this!

I have to admit, I really, really liked writing this one, and I couldn't have had either of them act like this right off the bat. I like portraying the slow drawing closer of the really kinky stuff, and I'm quite sure the spirit of the story will want me to tell it all, since it will end up being important to the plot later on.

Erm, yes there still is a plot. I promise.

Even though I have a feeling I'm going to get Elrond (ever so slightly) involved with Celeborn. He's going to tell Elrond there will be no 'reports' from Thranduil... lol

Thranduil... as I got further in to this story, even long ago, I found myself wanting to write a sympathetic Thranduil. He's always so cold and arrogant in most fanfic. Even in canon he's slightly “uninvolved” especially in the War of the Ring. But I have a whole plan worked out to make him completely awesome, without corrupting his canon appearances at all (I promise).

Unfortunately, they don't have all that many years to enjoy it before Celebrian leaves. I have that written. It's very sad for Elrond

[BronxWench]

I'm just going to wait patiently for you to reveal this, bit by wonderful bit. It's too good to rush!

[pippychick]

I am simply overwhelmed by this chapter. The trust between Elrond and Thranduil, the bond they have, it's truly magnificent. I cannot fathom how intense this is for them, although you portray it with utter grace and beauty.

I was more than moved by Thranduil's simple confession of loving Celeborn. It was one of those gentle touches that so perfectly underscore the need in both Tranduil and in Elrond, and I'll wait for the next chapter with bated breath.

Thank you, Bronx!

Eventually, things will settle down for them and be less dramatic. But for now, I'm enjoying writing this. It's a strange dichotomy, to have Thranduil quite fearless, and Elrond uneasy, given the roles they are taking on, but it makes this all very interesting to write.

Celeborn will feature in chapter 34, I think, which of course means I've done that already in its entirety. I don't imagine the actual 'scene' will take me long (love writing that stuff so much), so there won't be much waiting.

[pippychick]

OMG, I'm giggling so hard right now! I loved it.

Thank you, CL! I'm hoping this will be my light relief when I need to get the comedy out. Glad you had fun!

[pippychick]

::giggles helplessly::

I can hear Legolas' indignation as he tells Elrond that Gimli watched. I adore the interactions between those two in the movies, and thought it was done particularly well, so you can only imagine how much I was giggling. I do hope the muses prod you soon for this one, really!

Ha... really glad I made you giggle

Thank you! Oh, this is definitely movie version Legolas and Gimli – I love them too. With any luck, it'll seem like they stepped out of the television and into AFF. Poor sods.

[pippychick]

Gūr nīn glassui!

That was sublime. There's really no other word for it. It was beautiful, and otherworldly, and just sublime. The love and trust between these two is beyond measure, and I feel like it's a gift to be allowed to glimpse their sessions.

Thank you, so very much!

Thank you so much, Bronx! I'm so glad you enjoyed it

Your reviews always make me happy. Not going to lie, this is one chapter I really wish I could have changed the point of view character for, lol. Pretty sure Thranduil was in some kind of personal Heaven for a short time.

I can't tarry here for much longer. Time is impatient to be moving on in the larger story, but there will be at least one more of these scenes, and a whole lot more smut before we go forward, some of which will be Elrond/Legolas. And, of course, Celeborn is on his way, and he has business with Elrond...

[BronxWench]

Ai! So much to look forward to!

[pippychick]

Now I want me a dwarf but can I have a tall one? So elves are size queens, huh? Who would have guessed.

Once again, I loved it.

CL

Thank you, CL

Well, I'm not sure about the size queen stuff. It's more me, shamelessly giving myself a bit of an edge to work with later on...

I wish I could hand out Dwarves, but they appear to be masters of their own destiny. *ducks to avoid a flying axe*

[pippychick]

Ah, my sides, my sides...

This line: “Challenging,” Legolas confirmed quietly, looking down. I was lost right there, and giggled all the way to the end. Poor Elrond, I do believe his imagination is going to be more wicked than anything Legolas tells him.

I just love this story, chaptered or not. It's glorious!

Thank you, Bronx! So glad I made you laugh

Yes, poor Elrond, but it's irresistible to let him torment himself. I wouldn't entirely put it past Legolas to be laying it on a bit thick too.

I'm so pleased I started this. It's perfect to play with while the main fic is being all themed and kind of serious.

[pippychick]

Every chapter I read of this is better than the last.

This chapter sang so sweetly of love, and healing, and the sweet joy of being reunited with a lover. The tryst in the rain was beyond beautiful to read, I could hear the drumming of the drops, and taste the wet air as I read, so wonderfully did you paint that picture.

And then, that bittersweet confession, Thranduil waiting for something he believed would never be, just as Elrond waited long ago for Oropher, knowing Oropher would never return. Such sorrow, and I wonder if Elrond could truly let it go

Aww, wow Thank you so much, Bronx!

I don't know how many sex scenes I'll have written by the end of this entire endeavour, but I reckon there'll be a fair few, and I hope there'll be a diverse range. As in life.

Yes, that parallel between Thranduil's acceptance and Elrond's demanded to be written. I'm actually echoing a lot of the past now, purposefully, in dialogue and description. Elrond still has a way to go, but it is all going to draw to a close eventually, and that will begin with the loss of Celebrían, which is less than fifty years away.

I actually don't know at this point how he is going to survive it. I mean... he stays. But he will feel that longing...

Elrond had never heard it until she could hear nothing else.

We shall see, I suppose.

[pippychick]

What a lovely chapter this was! Celeborn has taught the teacher a lesson indeed, and even if Elrond will not remember all of it, he will at least know why Thranduil, and now Legolas, yearn for him so.

I must say, I did enjoy Celeborn exercising his power, though: “Thranduil will make no further 'reports' to you about me, Elrond,” Celeborn said with infinite tolerance, but also some amusement. “Show kindness and do not ask him.” I cannot imagine not obeying that request, really.

This sets the stage for what's to come beautifully!

Thank you, Bronx!

I think the new knowledge is definitely going to deepen things for him with all of them, which will be interesting to write.

It also seemed right that Celeborn wouldn't even need to raise his voice to warn Elrond. He's so awesome (the old dictionary definition of it). *loves him*