Name: magemadi (Signed) · Date: 12 Jul 2020 07:01 PM · For: The Set-Up

Hi Joey!

 

We love to see Teddy Lupin fics, and we love to see Teddy Lupin who appears to be more like his father sometimes than his mother when it comes to life choices, just for the variety it brings to his character. The scene between Teddy and grandmother Andromeda is so cute, and I love the touch of her time as a spy during the First Wizarding War -- such a cool thing, and reminds me of other fics where that’s actually been fleshed out! I am so excited to see where you take this Noir!Teddy fic, and what kind of cases he’s going to be investigating. You have quite the mysterious boss for him to work under, and I only hope it doesn’t end in Teddy getting seriously hurt or killed by the end. Great start, Joey! :) 

 

~Madi

Broom Racing

Name: Chemical_Pixie (Signed) · Date: 29 Feb 2020 03:54 PM · For: The Set-Up

Back again! :) 

 

Your Things Change 'Verse is so expansive. It's been difficult to choose fics to read for this review event. But I loved your Ted/Andromeda piece so much, when I saw that you have this fic about Teddy--and how he doesn't want to tell his grandmum (Andromeda) about this new job--IN ADDITION TO working at a private eye (I love me a good mystery) I just knew that HAD to check out this story! 

 

Your opening paragraph really sets the stages. If this paragraph isn't a MOOD, then I don't know what is! As a twenty-something, I often feel like my life is in shambles. I have had four jobs in the past 2.5 years. What is even a career at this point, tbh? A drink at the pub is well deserved, I'd say!

 

Then your next line really got me: "There were a great many things to love about the pub and even more reasons not to return." This is such an effective line because it sets the mood in so many ways: this is a seedy place, Teddy sould not be here, and yet his circumstances to be here are justified. And it's also has this amusing undertone, that only should have when coping with a life in shambles. And this line builds suspense--is this where Teddy encounters his next job offer?!

 

And then, mere moments later, we meet Kos. Classic sketchy PI, drunk, calls out the world as he sees it, and notices the potential in our young hero. What's there not to love besides, probably his breath and his lack of professionalism? lol

 

That conversation between Andromeda and Teddy is absolutely CUTE! I love it so much! Of course Andromeda measures out her words, but her love and support for Teddy is so apparent, and it's clear that he wants to do her proud. They are so, so similar, too, but Teddy doesn't see it. I definitely look forward to seeing his character arch for him, to find some commonality with his kick ass grandmother!

 

And then Teddy takes the plunge and reaches out to Kos. I LOVE how you explain the use of Muggle technology in one line: "'A man of my occupation cannot afford to lose efficiency to something so frivolous as owl post.'" You have some incredile one-liners in this opening chapter!!

 

As one might expect from a noir story, Kos is the PI trope to a T--and, if I might add, Mad-Eye Moody reincarnate! I can definitely see Teddy forming a relationship with Kos in a way that his mother had with her Auror mentor, Moody, which brings Teddy closer to the mother he never got to know. As I finished this opening chapter, I had a large grin on my face. I love this story already, and I hope you update this one soon! Noir Teddy, as you mention in your author's note, is a 10/10 idea, and I'm here for it!!! :D 

Name: Aphoride (Signed) · Date: 28 Apr 2019 07:32 PM · For: The Set-Up

Hey Joey! :) Stopping by for our review swap - I'm so so sorry I'm so late; it's really not very good, is it? :P But I'm here now, even if it is waaaaay behind time (and lookit that - I remembered what story :P) 

 

So I'm so so curious about this story: Teddy as a private investigator, ending up doing it because he can't stick to anything else - keeping on getting kicked out of places and whole careers :P Poor guy - as much as he doesn't seem to mind it so much, it must start to get wearing at some point, always having to come home and tell Andromeda that he's been fired again, never quite moving on in a job. Though, that said, I love how Andromeda doesn't mind either - she seems mostly just amused about it all, how he can't hold anything down; how she says that she didn't know who she was when she was young, any more than Teddy does now in this (and I love the nod to Emily's All the Waves Resounded - so so sweet and such a brilliant connection). 

 

I love the first introduction of Kos - how he's the only other guy in the tiny, dingy pub Teddy goes into (also, Teddy's 'celebrations' for his firings is hilarious - how many pubs are there in wizarding London? Or is he starting to run out of places? :P), and eventually Kos comes over to sit next to him and asks him how he got fired on his day off (which is, tbf, pretty impressive) and things go from there :P 

 

It reminds me a bit of Dirk Gently, yk - the kind of slightly edgy, odd kind of business with the odd owner, and the little office with the two of them. Kos is seeming kinda strange at this point: a bit paranoid, nervy, but gruff and very down-to-earth; and I love how Kos was expecting/hoping Teddy would call up and ask about the job - and how he hired him on the spot, haha. Lucky Teddy! Or, well, I suppose we'll see if he's lucky? I love how Kos' office is cramped and crowded and messy - and how he's got hordes of fax machines (fun fact: I had to learn how to use a fax machine on my last project; it was the weirdest thing I'd done for a while and the receptionist thought it was hilarious I didn't know how to use it :P) everywhere, all in use at any one time. 

 

As always your writing is so so good: you have such a beautiful, sleek style, and it's so perfect for something like noir, with its blend of action and drama. You have such a gift for all the details in this and they really bring this story to life: it feels like such a vibrant world and I love it. 

 

This is such an exciting start to a story - I really hope there's more soon (though I know just how busy you are :P)! 

 

Laura xx

Author's Response:

Hi Laura! I’m happy it’s on this story because it’s one of my favorites in this mess of an author’s page :P

I had a vision of Teddy as this sort of slacker archetype, but like, one that tries really hard? I don’t know what the word for that is. He usually ends up getting fired for doing too much, rather than too little.

Andromeda’s spy past is technically in reference to my own story about her - but that one was one large nod to All the Waves so, in a roundabout way, this is too haha. I thought really hard about what kind of person she would be at this stage of her life - I’ve now written her at three different times in her life and each time she is SO different. It’s been pretty fun!

Teddy is definitely running out of places lol. Kos is absolutely the kind of guy to start up a conversation with a random guy in a pub. I’ve never seen Dirk Gently, but I’m sure that I’ve absorbed the same sources of these tropes as the people behind it! Kos is strange for sure - your descriptions of him are spot on.

I only just learned to use a fax machine last year - my experiences in my old office will come in handy for this story, somehow.

Thank you! I’m a huge noir fan and I have to stop myself from cramming in too much at once because I just love all of the little things common to the genre. I hope I can get another chapter cranked out pretty soon! This review reminded me how much I enjoy writing it! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!

 

Joey

Name: sunshine_locks (Signed) · Date: 06 Apr 2019 10:50 PM · For: The Set-Up

Considering that I too am working on a Teddy fic, this literally seems the perfect fic to read.

 

So... I relate very much to Teddy right away--not necessarily with getting fired multiple times (first of all I think you'd need a job to do that), but just in the way he seems to directionless with his life. I'm pretty much at a crossroads with my life right now as well. 

 

Also... I do have to berate Teddy. I don't really think it's in his greatest interest to accept a job from a seedy man in a seedy bar (especially one in Knocturn Alley). That really does seem like the perfect formula for disaster. Hell, Teddy doesn't even know what he's getting himself into! Teddy, stop making bad decisions. 

 

I'm actually in love with your depiction of Andromeda, because she seems like such a cool grandma, and it's what I generally find to be perfect depiction of her! Nevermind the fact that Glass!Andromeda is kind of a big bitch... I also appreciate how she doesn't scold Teddy for not knowing what he wants to do in life--too many times do I see parents yell at their kids for not knowing what they want to take up, like damn it's literally the rest of my life I need to think about? But yeah. 

 

Kos looks sketchy and the rules seem arbitary and Teddy might just have fucked himself over. 

 

All in all, I'm seeing all of the little details that might lead to bigger things, and I'm excited to read more of this!