In the Shadow of the Star: Discussion Thread (Part 1)

[mark12_30]

I was wondering where the EEEEEEEEE eel pie came from. (Shivers) I saw one of those once, and the memory ends with my brother chopping its head off with an axe... EEEEEEEEEEEE !

[piosenniel]

Eel is delicious! Especially fresh water eel - grilled on a hibachi with a little rubbing of black bean and garlic paste - or better yet, small slivers of smoked eel in a thick teriyaki sauce gracing a fat finger of sushi rice:

[img]http://www.digitalsushi.net/images/su****iny_unagi.gif[/img]

[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Totally off topic, but I can't resist.

When I was 16, I was an exchange student to Holland. As part of the dinner to welcome me to the country, my 'family' fed me eel. I walked down to supper and saw an eel hanging off both ends of my plate, winking up at me. The exchange student agency had told us we must eat at least a little of whatever the family gave us. Time for panic! Remember this was years before Amricans had adopted a more multicultural, international palate. I was just 16 and grew up in a factory family that was strictly a meat and taters gang. The most adventurous thing I'd ever eaten at that point in life was kielbasa and lasagna!

I closed my eyes and tasted the eel. It was a little like chicken and not bad at all. I actually ate the whole thing, but I remember keeping my eyes closed!

sharon

[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[piosenniel]

I had only planned the Pudding Fight to be confined to the children's table, which is well away from the adult table.

Eventually the bespattered children will troop back to Pio's rooms to wash up. Pio will drag out her knives and weapons for Frodo-lad's inspection. and the youngsters can can make use of Pio's drawing supplies for pictures if they wish.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Pio:

Thanks for the clarification. Merry will stop ducking then!

Rosie-lass:

Please see your pms.

[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[piosenniel]

PLEASE NOTE: END OF PARTY

As was discussed earlier, the dinner party will draw to a close tonight, Pacific Time, at midnight.

Please post your character's dinner party scene, or put a 'Save' on the game for it, or PM it to me and I will place it appropriately.

[Rose Cotton]

Hm...do hobbit children normaly have food fights? If not then I was wondering why the grownups aren't worried about it.

[piosenniel]

The party is ended. The guests have been sped on their ways. Most of the party is now asleep.

Lorien is snoring in Pio's bedroom and Amaranthas is fast asleep in Pio's spare room.

Bird, Cami, and Pio are sitting in Pio's front room catching up on each others lives, and downing some Old Winyards. If Lorien is lucky, they haven't dragged him from his bed to answer Cami's questions.

Please note:

I left a number of 'SAVES' in case writers had a scene they wished to put on the storyline. Just PM what you've written to me or Sharon and indicate where you want it put, and we will be happy to do so.

[mark12_30]

party's over

Thank God! (Introvert breathes a huge sigh of relief)

I suppose Frodo should have done a bit more socializing-- Dragoneyes, Orual, if you've got any ideas, sing 'em out. I'm dry.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Mark 12_30,

See my pm. The post is going up. Cami needs some help!

My post is up: 3/4 at 1:56 pm. If you prefer not to "play", I will erase the part about Frodo.

Everyone,

I slotted in a post (see above for the location) where Cami has some harsh words to say about the Shire's prohibition of men! I've even managed to insult half the hobbit guests at the party by my implicit criticism of those officials responsible for the law.

You may want to eyeball it, as this is a theme that we will continue to explore in the game. Hobbit insularity versus legtimate needs of hobbit protection

Hope that Sam, Pippin, etc. will show your habitually polite ways and put Cami's tirade down to her eccentric nature, or she will have to stay out in the garden for the duration of the party!

sharon

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[ArwenBaggins]

Were the Gamgee children riding in a wagon/cart thing? I need the information for my next post in the new save spot I put up just now.

[mark12_30]

Elanor/ArwenBaggins,

I gave you a dream. I hope you don't mind. Check my post just after yours and see if it's ok with you.

Also, Frodo may come calling at Bag End in the morning asking for some children to go walking with him. He'll be hoping especially for Elanor, but the boys and Rose will also be most welcome.

So: Carrun/Frodo-lad, ArwenBaggins/ Elanor, and Rose Cotton/ Rosie : if you have any ideas for a nice morning walk (a necessarily brief adventure) with Mr. Frodo, post them here.

[piosenniel]

If anyone has a use for the 'saves' I put on around the end of the party - let me know by early tomorrow morning, as I plan to delete them tomorrow.

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Orual]

ArwenBaggins--

Yes, the Gamgees indeed arrived in a wagon, with plenty of room for lots of children in the back!

Pio--

Can I have a spot after the party, but before the next day--in between Helen's last post (5:08 on March 5) and your save?

~*~Orual~*~

[Mithadan]

My save is filled in with an extraordinarily long post.

Fatty has been scared off, with apologies to Tevye. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] And Lorien has at last managed to spill the beans.

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: Mithadan ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Thank you for the lovely, long post.

I roared with laughter over the Teyve sequence!

I have truly no idea how Cami will respond. And, if I were you, I'd start ducking to get out of Pio's way.

Cami

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[mark12_30]

Sharon--

Frodo has spoken in private with Cami about Fatty's attitude (in general); Cami may want to respond.

[piosenniel]

Sharon

When you do your response to Lorien's announcement post, don't draw Pio into the conversation. Thanks!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Helen,

Very gentle and sobering.

I have read the post over several times, and you have gotten Cami down to a "t." I quite honestly have nothing to add at this time, although I thought about it at length.

What you said about "not where" but "with whom" was exactly what I was thinking!

Pio,

Great post. Full of righteous indignation!

No, I will not involve Pio in the conversation with Lorien. Cami will search out the Vala and speak with him privately.

Cami

[Birdland]

Cami! Oh, Cami!
Have we got a match for you.
He's handsome! He's strong!
Alright, he's three foot two.
But he's a good hobbit, a nice match.
True? True!

LOL Mith! Thanks for the giggle, and the salute to the best dang 60's musical film ever!

[mark12_30]

Bird, I donated a nightmare to you in my last post, hope you don't mind.

Lorien, how long will your hangover last?

[Child of the 7th Age]

Helen,

Cami has tacked up a letter on the door of Frodo's bedchamber. She will make a few comments on their earlier discussion; let him know in a vague, general sort of way what happened last night; and give some indication of where she is going (which isn't terribly far.) Both Frodo and Bilbo should have memories of this place, since the three of them went there together one autumn when Cami was still a child.

Perhaps Frodo would want to stuff the note in his pocket and not remember to take it out to read till later when he has finished his walk with the children?

I will be sending you a copy of that letter by e-mail early this afternoon after I return from work. You may use it as you please in the story line, responding to it or whatever.

sharon

[Child of the 7th Age]

Hey, poor Mithadan, the only one left to drag him out of jail is Bird!

Pio, how do you prefer to handle your husband's "liberation" in this situation?

sharon

[Mithadan]

Lorien: *ouch

Mithadan has a post to do before we can consider his liberation.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Mithadan and Helen,

I have edited my post with Lorien so that it is not certain what Cami will do other than the fact that Maura will come.

This is to accomodate the letter I left for Frodo.

sharon

[mark12_30]

Mith, I'm not sure a hobbit would use the word "bounder" as an insult. In the Shire, the bounders are the border-patrol, and have some authority, and wear a feather in their cap. It's like calling somebody a Shirriff.

Ruffian would work.

[Mithadan]

*smiles innocently. Bounder? Where does it say "bounder"? Surely Bird disabused me of the notion that bounders were unwelcome persons crossing the borders of The Shire in that thread long ago in Books...

[Birdland]

I'm kinda confused. Why is everyone so mad at poor ol' Lorien? Wasn't it Bilbo's idea for this meet between Maura and Cami to happen?

And who got the Vala drunk, anyway?

[mark12_30]

My, the word "bounder" seems to have disappeared from that post. I could have sworn I saw it. I must have been dreaming-- HEY!!! LORIEN!!!

[Child of the 7th Age]

Bird,

See my subsequent letter for an explanation of that, at least from Cami's perspective.

Remember that no one--Pio or Cami--knew about any of those arrangements before the drunken Vala spilled the beans. Cami is herself grateful for whatever small time she will have with Maura but, even to her, Lorien came across as a cold fish pulling strings with little concern for those involved. I mean couldn't her great Vala messenger at least have enough respect for her to stay sober!!

I won't attempt to talk for Pio, as her feelngs are far stronger than mine.

sharon

[piosenniel]

I have deleted the two posts concerning Pio's reaction to Lorien and her subsequent actions and am in the process of rewriting them.

Pio will simply request that the now awake Vala leave her room and let her get to her own bed. In the morning, Pio will take Amaranthas home in the pony cart - and spend some time there visiting.

Someone will have to ride there to let her know Mithadan is being held by the Shiriff.

Please note: I (the writer) do have a letter from Orual (Sam) which Pio will obtain as soon as she hears of her hubby's predicament. (Bag End is very near where Amaranthas lives.)

Sharon

Sharon you will need to reword your post somewhat once I am through, since Lorien will no longer be an object of any anger from Piosenniel.

[ March 06, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[piosenniel]

Mithadan - you are about to be sprung! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[mark12_30]

Ooo-kay, I'm just gonna say it. I'm expressing an opinion here, y'all, and it's ignorable, I just have to get it off my chest.

I'm bummed, Pio, about your re-write. I thought that Pio's exhasperation at Lorien was very in-character. I thought she would have been annoyed with him and her act of dumping him out on the doorstep seemed very in-character to me. I wish it was still there. I think Pio is inherently antagonistic to the Valar and I think that peice belonged there.

Cami's resulting angst at Lorien's hungover delivery (sorry Mith) was also very much in-character; how often has Little Andreth railed at the Valar herself?

What was harder to deal with was, Pio heading off into the sunset on horseback; and while I also felt that that was in-character, it does make the plotline a challenge. So I can understand wanting Pio at Amaranthus' house, etc.

I understand that this throws yet another monkey wrench into the last several days' writing and I am not trying to make anybody miserable. I just wanted to say, I miss the scene where Lorien bungles his delivery, Cami is offended and Pio throws Lorien out onto the front stoop. I thought it was entirely in-character for everybody involved (poor confused Vala, but you WERE really soused, man. Howling at the moon? If Pio was annoyed at a teenage hobbit for shenanigans, how much more annoyed would she have been at a supposedly dignified emissary from the West?)

It would still work in my estimation if, in the morning, everybody had pretty much calmed down, and Pio had taken a deep breath and gotten over her irritation and gone to Amaranthus' house.

There, I said it, it's off my chest... and I know I've opened Pandora's box. Slam the lid shut again and throw rotten tomatoes as desired.

ps. A plea for a critical eye: I am enjyoing writing Frodo but it's a bit of a struggle at times. I am trying to find a balance between sensitivity, expressiveness, woundedness, strength, healing, and his wry sense of humor-- WITHOUT sliding over into sappiness. I'm going back to fuss at that last post because I'm dissatisfied with it. So please, if anybody sees something out-of-character in Frodo, and it's still there after a day or so, drop me a line? It's too easy to make Frodo melodramatic, and I hate that. So keep me honest please.

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Cami scratches her head in confusion.

OK, I still have the old posts tucked away on word, and I tried to work on new posts last night, but had some problems. I am going to pull down what I wrote and try again.

Whatever people want is fine, but please let me know.

Lorien's news is central to Cami so I need to get her response right. If you need my character for anything, just drag her along until I get things sorted out.

Will let you know when I finish and paste up the missing material.

sharon

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Mithadan]

Yesterday's shifting of plotlines was the result of a misunderstanding. I was surprised at Piosenniel's violent reaction to Lorien's revelation, so I PMed her and others to explain Lorien's conduct. I should have been clearer and asked "Do you want me to change my post?"

Pio interpreted my PM to mean that I was unhappy with her character's reaction (I was not; I was only startled). PMs from others on the issue did not clear up the confusion. So I take credit for the debacle. Lorien can deal with matters either way. Someone choose and we should move forward.

For our younger posters, this sort of thing happens in RPGs. When doing planning or asking questions, your PMs should be clear. Call a spade a spade rather than letting the recipient of your PM decide if you've sent them a spade or a diamond.

[Child of the 7th Age]

OK, here are my thoughts.

First, I think Pio is the one who should decide which way to take this scene. It is her posts which are the "lead ones" in terms of setting the tone for this particular scene. Cami will adapt to her choice.

Having said this, however, I think we need to make known our preferences and feelings about this sequence to her. I think Mith and Helen have already done that. Bird also raised an earlier question. (Bird, If you have any other feelings on this, please weigh in!) So I guess it's my turn now. Then Pio will have the information she needs to weigh things and make a good decision.

Cami can live with either scenario, especially since Pio may or may not have her original posts. I would definitely not want to ask someone to redo posts yet again if they've already been discarded! That's a no-no!

I also think it's a very legitimate concern not to set up too many detours so the story becomes too lengthy. We all seem to agree on this. So either Cami and Pio stick fairly close to the Inn, or they run off that night and reappear the next morning.

From my personal perspective, it does seem more realistic that Pio would respond negatively to Lorien's message. (If someone told me that a close friend was going to be allowed to spend six weeks with someone they loved, and then be forbidden to see them ever again, I might also be enraged at such a ridiculous situation!)

In the beginning of the story, Pio talks with Cami about Lorien in a way that shows she's very suspicious, both of him in particular and the Valar in general. I think Pio's first response, the one she removed, was truer to that.

We could retain this suspicious element in one of two ways. Door #1: Pio could put back her first post, and throw Lorien out of the Inn. If she does that, Cami will send Lorien down to the deserted burrows with a blanket, etc. She will go trooping down to see him the next day to ask two questions and collect her letter from Maura which the Vala has carelessly thought to deliver.

Door#2: The other alternative would be to leave your existing post, but to insert at least a bit of suspicion into Pio's mind. This could be done in a three sentence paragraph where Pio thinks something like this.....I really don't trust this Vala but I don't want to blow it for my friend, so I'll go along with this, and keep an eye on him. Cami will respond as above, minus the blanket for Lorien.

Or--- Door#3 --- we could simply retain the revised posts that are now in the story. Cami can live with that, although she will comment on how unusually obliging her friend is being, given her usual feelings about the Vala! Cami will put it down to Pio not wanting to blow things for her.

OK, everybody's had a say, so Pio knows how folk think. Now she gets to choose Door #1, #2, or #3!

sharon

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Yeah, my first post responding to Lorien is up. I purposely wrote it so it would work with any of the options above just by sticking in an extra paragraph.

Now, I'll have a go at the conversation with Lorien....

[mark12_30]

small voice: (Will there still be a note?)

(larger voice): Sam (Orual) and Sam's kids, I'm heading up the hill.
Kids, are you coming for the walk?
And Sam, how will you react when Frodo asks for the kids and not for you? Will you firmly insist that he come in when he brings them back? (I think Frodo would like that.)

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[piosenniel]

I have everything and the alternate writes saved to floppy.

For me, the main thrust of this story/game is the rent in the fabric of time and Cami's reuniting with Maura. Pio is a sideline character here, the birth and all that incidental.

Having said this, I will also say I am not 'married' or 'invested' in either course of action that I've written. Both were interesting excercises from differing points of view.

Please just decide what the story needs and tell me - I will paste the appropriate post into the appropriate box. (Will also be happy to do a complete rewrite in another vein, if that is what is needed)

I did remove the posts concerning Pio riding to the Shiriff's, since should it be decided that Pio need to gut the Vala and get out of town, someone else will have to spring Mithadan.

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[mark12_30]

Pio,

I personally see no need to gut the vala and skip town-- I think Pio could calm down overnight with some reflection on the newness of the vala's "clothing". But can she still be annoyed with him immediately afdter the party, especially about his line delivery? That underscores the difficulty Cami (and therefore Maura) will have in getting used to the idea. If I recall, Cami said she liked that dynamic because it helps her character.