OH!  I was so hoping someone else would enter the game too!  I read this piece over on ff.net and it was lots of fun getting to *hear* it as well.  Hearing a story by its own author brings an added depth (imho) that doesn't necessarily come across in written form. 

Here's hoping you'll do more!  I'm hooked on this genre already!

How incredibly awesome!  I was blown away right from the start that this was read by more than one person!  That took a lot of skill - much harder to edit with multiple voices, if editing was required at all.  Multiple voices really adds a lot to the texture of the piece though.

Beautifully done!  Please share my enthusiasm with the rest of your crew as well, N. Forest!  Excellent story, well done POV, and fabulous read aloud!

tanis

When I read this story a couple of months ago, I had just (accidentally) dowloaded the newest version of Explorer and it took me an hour of trying to leave a review for this, to a) realize I was never going to get the dang thing to send and b) figure out I had no way of reaching you otherwise.  I was very sad.  A chat with Michele helped figure out what the problem was finally, but it's taken me this long to get back out here again to write a new review.

I hope you get this, because at the end of it, I have a question.

First, I must tell you that I laughed until tears streamed down my face, and then laughed some more.  I laughed so hard and so long, I raised the level my endorphins through the ceiling - and made the cat and the dog run and hide, likely thinking I was having strong hysterics. 

I haven't read it again - yet - but just sitting here remembering Elrond beating the crap out of Glorfindel is making me snort all over again.  The fallout of Elladan's bored prank is truly, madly, deeply, insanely hilarious.  It's obvious from the punishment meted out to the perpetrator, that Elrond has had long centuries of experience in that department. 

And poor little Aragorn - trying to hold his insides in ... yikes!  I'm off again.  Next thing you know, I'll be slobbering all over my keyboard again.  

I saw a note on another story - because of course I've read them all now, but this was my favorite - that you'd had trouble with your hand and Michele says it's been awhile since she's seen you around.  I will try eventually, to leave feedback for the others I've read, but it saddens me greatly to think that there might no more Pentangle stories forthcoming.

Now to the question -  Michele, with her archive birthday podcast challenge, has created an addict.  I'm in love with pod ficcing and I was wondering if you would be willing to let me podcast Belly-Butter.  That is of course, if I can read it without falling out every other sentence.  If you would like a sample of my work, listen to the first few minutes of ...and it was done, written by Neoinean.  It's under the pod fics here on NAN.  I'm working on a story of Michele's right now, and would be thrilled to get permission to read BB. 

All the best!  And I'm rueing the day when the fandom lost you.

tanis

Just thought you'd like to see this review as well - forwarded from my friend Anne, who is my podcast beta. We are both huge fans of the *little* genre and she enjoyed it as much as I did.

Oh oh oh I've been laughing hysterically - even though I was getting a bit worried about poor baby Aragorn's distress in the middle of it! But it was all so funny - the whole chain reaction, Elrond (who in my mind's eye always seems to be so composed and wise) punching poor Erestor, Glorfindel sticking his own blade into his thigh, Elrond punching his son on the nose... elves gone mad! And Estel in the middle of it screaming his poor wee little head off! What a mean mean prank to play on a baby boy. I loved in the beginning when Estel came running to Elladan so horrified that his belly butter had disappeared. How adorable!

LOVED the ending, Elladan wanting to go on a looong journey far far away and then ending up being Estel's slave for playing horsey and... 'howls' smelling his feet - that really cracked me up right again! He's going to suffer reaaallll bad, the prankster.

:) Anne (via Tanis)

I'm baaaaaack! Though only for a short while this time. Duty calls and I'm sneaking in a few seconds of pleasure.

I'm so glad you were on the Feb story voting or I might never have found you! And what a loss that would have been. I love this little encapsulated *history* of Aragorn from from his first squawks to the accession.

Great compare and contrast between his life and that of Denethor, whose place he might rightfully have accepted and saved himself long years of hardship and privation. You made me wonder, had their roles been switched, would the Denethor I know from the books and the movies have made a different choice from the one Aragorn made in that moment?

And the poignancy of repeating his father's mistakes on Denethor's part is so very subtly done! I think that's what I love most about your story telling - it's all there, but never glaringly stated. You tell us lots of things in a look or a glance, or gesture, and sometimes a setting, with very few extraneous words. As in this story - Denethor screwed up with his own sons too.

Sighhhhhhhh ... the dryer buzzer is going off. I must leave you again! But I'll be back!

:)

The circular momentum of this story struck me, like whirlpool galaxy it begins and ends in the same place, but visits lots of other places in between. Places that echo and reecho the farewells and partings in the beginning and ending. Excellently crafted in it's symmetry.

But what I love best about this story is Elrond's palpable pride in this son of his heart and how you wrapped those long removed ancestors into Elrond's satisfaction as well.

I'm madly in love with your Aragorn!

Author's Response:

Thanks for another lovely review!  With this one, I debated whether I could actually tell it all in flashback or if I should switch to a more traditional linear structure.  I decided to go ahead with it in the end because I wanted to show Elrond coming full circle, so to speak.  I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Ouch and ouch!  But oooohhhhh revenge is sweet and how very interesting that Arwen is able to *provide* such a realistic experience for her husband. 

I'm thinking this make a better torture fic than humor, though.  :) 

Cute, cute, cute. Eldarion is precious in this and Aragorn everything a father should be. At least Eldarion's mishap did not turn the Swan Prince's hair and garments purple!

Author's Response:

Many thanks for your much appreciated review. I'm pleased you enjoyed this. I'd love to see Prince Imrahil turn purple LOL!