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Deni this opening is absolutely gripping! The way you write description and pain and the aftermath of a brutal battle...it had me tense and wondering what was going to happen next. I sort of liked how you wrote it with this delayed reaction to her injuries too. I feel like it was one of those scenes from a movie where in the aftermath of a blast everything seems to be muted with that ringing in your ears and it all moves in slow motion. I don't know how you managed to write that in such a way because two totally different mediums, but man, that's exactly how I read this opening. It was brill!
And ooh a flashback rendez-vous moment with Sirius! :eyes: about how this plot is developing! I mean, I really sensed the love and longing in that flashback moment.
And Lucius being all prim and proper and elitist...very in character for him. I do like how Cassie seems to know Narcissa's deepest secrets (assuming Andromeda is this) or know her better than her own husband. I think it speaks to their bond, really. And how being at Malfoy Manor feels like something of a prison as she's placed on restrictions to heal. But what's interesting about feeling like Cassie is being entombed here, is that it's not as bad as recuperating with her mother. So in a way Narcissa and Lucius are like her found family.
Anyway, I am glad to return to this piece, your way with description and twisty internal emotions is absolutely stunning!
<3 Courtney
~* 139 rising through the ranks *~
Hello, here for a galazy review!
The paragraph in italics has me all :eyes: I wonder whose memory this is and who the 'he' is in it? Your descriptions are so poetic yet vividly paint a scene. Lying in a bikini and drinking ice-cold beer sounds idyllic...
Oh no, getting a mouthful of soapy water and it going up your nose is just horrible and not idyllic at all :( Obviously this person was lost in a dream for a moment. I wonder what's caused the bruises? And who is Eddie? An ex-fiance? A pureblood arranged marriage that never got off the ground? I'm intrigued and I have so many questions. There's the mention of Lucius and Bella - is Cassie related to either of them? I'm guessing she's from a pureblood family as she mentions house-elves, and Lala is present in this scene to assist - and she's only trying to be helpful but it's clear that her company isn't wanted.
Edmund Avery?
MOONY?? So Cassie is in contact with Remus? And it sounds like she saved his ass in some way??
I have so many questions rn :eyes: Cassie and Bellatrix? Bellatrix cursing Antonius and meaning it, and Regulus? Is Cassie trying to protect him in some way? And WHO ELSE IS BELLATRIX PLAYING WITH?
Blimey. This is packed full of intrigue and danger, and some complex, messy relationships by the sounds of things. :elmofire: I'm dyyyin gto know what all these people mean to each other!
:fansself:
Meera <3 (galazy review)
hi - here for galazy reviewing event :)
how exciting, I love those dream sequence at the beginning and you could really tell that it was confusing and she wasn't sure what was going on. I love getting some of the history behind her relationship with Sirius. what it felt like for her. I thought it was really powerful that she perhaps blamed Sirius for choosing 'to be a hero over her. I wonder what happened from Sirius POV. Cassie is sometimes unreliable narrator so I'm not sure. i liked getting this mis-mash of scenes strung together.
oh, the war is really coming to a head now. i thought it really shows character of Cassie that she doesn't stop 'anyone' really. those around her seem to genuinely care for her though. there is a closeness around her from her fellow deatheaters.
ahhh! the flashback! I love seeing the connection between those two. you played it perfectly. the scene was so beautiful with description when you can just feel the chemistry between the two of them. it's so clear why Cassie was willing to risk everything and I think still is. Cassie is one of those people who feels really deeply and loving him like she did was probably so scary for her. I can't get enough of a forbidden love trope though!
oooh, the conversation with Lucius was so tense yet everything in her world is packed with tension. I can't imagine whats going to happen when it all comes down. crazy! I think this story is so special and unique. something so dark yet addictive.
Abbi xx
heyyyy again, for the race through the galazy :)
ahhhhhhh omg so i know this is probably a really strange thing to say haha but i kinda love how cassie gets so hurt?? it's stupid, it's not intentional - she's trying to do a nice thing but it backfires on her, because accidents happen and people don't know you the same way others do - but it's real and it's serious and it's not something she can just shrug off, even with magic. it's just such a rare thing, yk, often injuries in stories are small or easily ignored until it's more convenient for them to be significant :P but there's something so raw about cassie getting hurt and not really caring - the numbness she feels about it is so good and so scary because it really brings home how damaged the war has made her.
and ahhhhh cassie's lying, cassie's really putting herself in danger for nothing huh??? but there's something so beautifully human about that - that she's willing to do that because they were once friends, her and james and remus and sirius and peter - even if it means she's risking so much, almost too much to do that.
the flashback scene with her and sirius is so sad, too - like, it's a happy scene, but it's tinged with sadness because we know what happens and where this ends up, with them on opposite sides, because sirius chose his friends and cassie chose hers.
i really love the theme of family through this, too?? yk, the way cassie doesn't recognise sadness in yvaine's voice, the desperation to save her from herself - but she does recognise it in narcissa's, and the sense that narcissa is more her sister than yvaine is (and that perhaps that's been something of a choice for cassie??). and how she's almost more of a part of the black family than lucius is, with his own heritage and own bloodline, and giving narcissa his surname rather than joining it - whereas cassie had sirius and how she has bella (to whatever extent bella allows her to have bella, i think :P) and narcissa and regulus. it sort of makes me a bit sad for lucius, who's technically an insider but isn't really, and for yvaine, because she wants to be there, but she can't be.
eddie's just trying to butt his way into everything and ughhhh :P
ahhhhh i loved this and i'm still so curious to know what narcissa has to say to cassie - though i think we might have talked about this before??? unless i'm thinking of something else hmm.... guess i'll have to wait and see either way :P
laura xx
hihihi i'm back again!! for the race across the galazy event :)
i lovelovelove the way you include narcissa in this. i gotta admit, i generally assume she wasn't a death eater and wasn't really part of it, but i love the way you've interpreted her inside this whole world: too soft to really be in it, struggling to deal with it, still so much herself that it's hard, and it doesn't suit her, the darkness and the things she's involved in doing. there's a sense of listlessness throughout every scene with her and while it's so much more in the first scene, where she's just staring at the sky, completely thoughtless, it's still there even at the end. it's really kinda just sad, because her life, almost more than anyone else's, sort of hits home the damage the war is doing to all of them - even the people who seem to be fine. and i love that about it.
ahhhh the description of her is so gorgeous too - the image of the sunset spilling across the malfoy manor floor is so beautiful and there's a touch of something kinda 1920s ish, something a little bit gatsby-ish with the idea of narcissa standing there in a soft grey robe, martini glass in hand, staring out across the fields and gardens or whatever... <3
bella is hilarious omg. her just like,, kidnapping some poor dead woman's cat because she's like ooooooo fluffy! lolol though it suits her - that kind of mindless possession and i love that side of her!! you do just write her so well, honestly.
you bring in so many things in this story that i wanna know more about:: what they found in the information mcarthur had stolen from the ministry, what narcissa wants to tell cassie, what happened to pull cassie away from narcissa - and towards sirius, just as much as towards bella.
ahhhhh so many questions :P but this was just a really beautiful, sad, evocative chapter and i loved it :)
laura xx
Hi Deni - here for the galazy reviewing event :)
I can't wait that I haven't reviewed this yet, how crazy as I read this at the time. I'm totally obsessed with how gorgeous your work. The first sentence is amazing. It's so raw and dark. Just so twisted but emotional. I'm obsessed with it. The cocktail reference is *chefskiss*. That's only one damn sentence. You queen.
The description of Narcissa as one of the 'unlucky' one because she still feels and she's a soft character is heartbreaking. I feel sorry for both Cassie that's what she learnt as weakness and Narcissa that she lives in this world. I think sometimes this story gets me feeling so emotional with this story because I remember the character was in Yaxley and its so different. This cassie is so dark but I loved seeing that mask of Cassie's slip a bit. She think she doesn't feel but maybe it's more she feels more than most. Her life is just painful.
I don't think she feels like she's doing the right thing. I like the dynamic trio of Bella, cissy and cassie. It's like girl power but i also hate them because you know death eaters. I know that this is some of your most creative, unique and powerful storytelling.
Abbi x
deniiiii it's been far too long since i've stopped by this story!! but i'm back now for the race through the galazy event :)
i lovelovelove the first image. like, i have to talk about it - i love it. it's just... there's something so sensitive about it: it feels suspended, almost, and then drowning and then coming up for air and it's so so good. it's just masterful the way it works: the way you make me as the reader feel it ughhhh it's an image i know will stick in my head and i love that about it so much <3
bella is just a queen, omg. i love how you show this group of them - cassie's group, really, and they all have their sort of different roles in it: antonious is v much a tag-along, not really part of the group on his own; eddie is resentful and jealous and ambitious but without perhaps the finesse to get himself to the top; bella is the biggest, baddest, scariest thing in any room and while she's often quiet, when she speaks everyone listens; lucius is the mediator, smoothing things over with a pour of a bottle here, a nodding head there; narcissa is kinda quiet so far, but i get the sense with her that she really listens, that she knows more than she lets on, always; and cassie. cassie seems so alive in this - alive and kinda deadened at the same time, which is so perfect because this is a war and she's v much a warrior. ahhh i just... i'm so invested in them all, haha, and you make me kinda want them to succeed in their plans, even if they're fighting for the losing side, the wrong side, but still :P
cassie and bella is so so good - i love the way they feel drawn to each other and how that comes through your writing as well: like they can't really keep away from each other, even if they wanted to - and they don't want to, even with eddie's watching eyes and clear, cold disapproval. they feel kinda listless, a little dreamlike, and v much thoughtless - but in the best way and i love that about them because it's just so good and it whisks me through your writing so quickly and easily:)
i'm so so curious to find out what happens with the mcarthur's - whether they're right and they do find them, what happens when they do - and whether antonious will actually survive his mission :P
laura xx
Deni! Here for some reviews for the arctic adventure!
I love the colours you have chosen for the sunset in the opening here. I feel like it's just perfectly described there.
And the way Narcissa is in this. You've depicted, what I suspect to be, post-partum depression (could totally be wrong), in a respectful manner. It hits everyone differently. Sometimes straightaway, other times later on. But I feel like given everything else happening in this universe, if that is what Narcissa is going through, it's realistic. There's uncertainty in this world and to bring a baby into it...yeah...I can relate to that heavily.
You describe her so elegantly in her melancholy. It's how Narcissa would be. And the moment between Cassie and her is tender and sweet, unlike the moment between Cassie and Bella we saw in the previous chapter. I liked that contrast there.
HOLY SHIT. The way you ease us into the action of this house they're raiding. I felt tense upon their entry and then all hell literally broke lose and Cassie killed someone and she feels numb and cannot move but has to move and...it was just a great action packed, emotionally charged moment that was wrapped up in beautifully descriptive wrappings (like you always do).
And coming back to the tangerine sky at the end...ahh my heart was singing at the full circleness of it all.
How you describe The Dark Mark as this sort of opulent thing when Narcissa cast it...brilliant ok? And now I'm wondering if it takes on different "stylistic," variations depending upon who casts it. Like does it look more wild when Bella casts it as opposed to this gorgeous thing when Narcissa does? I don't know why that little detail struck me so deeply and stuck out to me but...here we are hah!
Anyway, marvelous chapter as always Deni! I hope to come back for the final one here. (:
<3 Courtney
Hello! Just dropping by with a gift review. I don't think I've reviewed any of your stories (or at least not for a while). I definitely need to remedy that.
'I hate weddings' is an interesting and open beginning to a chapter! At first, I wondered whether it was the protagonist's wedding, but then I realise it must be a relative (and you confirm this later on in the chapter). I love the imagery, the descriptions, the fact that she's reminded how much she hates weddings when Catherine Avery decides to talk at her (those seamless talkers can be very difficult to shake off, lol). The description of the diamonds like a hangman's noose around the neck of Rabastan's bride Yvaine is so, so chilling and such a dark hint. Rabastan, as well as being a Death Eater, is also an adulterer and an embezzler. What a charming catch he sounds :((( no wonder Yvaine looks 'tiny, pale and fragile' next to him.
The way that she reacts while reminiscing and Regulus appears - as though he reminds her of someone else - was there something going on between her and Sirius, perchance? It seems as though she's on good terms with Regulus, but then there's talk that she (or Regulus) might one day have to kill Sirius...and they are comparing Dark Marks?? Oh my! Unique storyline - I havent' come across any other fics written from a Death Eater's point of view.
But is Cassie some sort of double agent? She's apparated to Remus's place and she's passing information via him to the Order? But doesn't want Sirius to know? Oh SO MANY QUESTIONS already! Such an exciting plotline and I am DYING to find out about her past with Sirius, and how Cassie is going to stay undercover (if she's trying to protect Sirius)?
What a great beginning! I'm already hooked <3
Pins x
Hello, Deni, my darling! I'm here for our review-for-picspam swap! <3
Wow, what a chapter! That was a nasty curse, wasn't it? It's strange to imagine Lily being so lethal... but I have once again to remind myself that this is war and even the good side does terrible things in war... and Lily thought Cassie had tried to kill her husband... and apparently in this story they didn't have a previous friendship (like they did in the original Cassie. It makes a bit more sense knowing this. I would've felt pretty disappointed in Lily otherwise... I'm still a tiny bit disappointed, but I probably shouldn't be for all the reasons above... it's sad how everything has turned at this point, anyway... okay, I probably should stop this blabbering now... :P)
And Remus tried to protect her? I hope this won't get him in trouble, either... I wonder if this is going to be part of the reason the Order will be suspicious of him... :/
Why has Voldemort changed his plans and made them attack ruthlessly instead of keeping things slow and quiet like before? Is it because of the Prophecy?
That memory of Sirius in the forest... wow... but how sad, too, that they couldn't escape all this... a choice to leave and a choice to stay and a boy who chose for me by choosing heroics over choosing me. This was so sad, too... and so beautifully written as well (as always, I love your word choice, and your descriptions, and just your writing in general... in case that wasn't obvious...)
Speaking of sadness... Last night I could look at him and still see the boy who sang as he lay in the sun, who was scared of ducks and loved eggs scrambled and had his heart set on quidditch and pastries. He looks at me and sees a monster. You do realize you are killing me, right?
It's strange, imagining Lucius as a good friend and confidant, but I like that! And to be fair, compared to other Death Eaters, I guess Lucius could be, after all... I liked their conversation. It wasn't 100% honest, maybe (I doubt anyone could have a 100% honest conversation in those times) but still it was nice to see them being comfortable with each other and letting their guard down and opening up a little. And I guess I can appreciate Lucius being a caring husband, if nothing else... I wonder what Narcissa is so worried about... and where did Bella get the idea that Sirius wasn't a "hopeless cause"? Because we know very well he is... I also really liked that bit where Lucius said that Cassie is part of the family. "You've got a ring." / "And you've been collecting hearts, dear." Sounds like he has a point...
I love this story, it's so fascinating and your writing is always delightful! I'm looking forward to more! <3
Big snowball hug, my dear!
Chiara
deniiiiiiiii <3 <3 so i doublechecked to see where i'd got reviewing this and apparently i hadn't reviewed any of it so far?? which is yk,, i read every chapter when you post and thought i'd reviewed, but clearly i'm just going mad :P
i love this so much. it's so dark and it's so tense and there's this sense through all of it that they're kind of teeetering, on the edge, about to fall at any moment - everything feels so delicately poised and so dangerous and that's exactly perfect for a story set in a war, where there is no normal, not really, and no safety. especially not for cassie, who's so involved with the war too :/ i love as well that you bring that out so much even within a wedding: with the way cassie thinks yvaine's necklace looks like ropes around her throat, and the sense of people being trapped; the horror of the dark mark on regulus' arm, such a wound and eeeeshhh does not sound fun :P
i loved that bit too - the sense of things unspoken: regulus and barty; regulus and cassie's friendship and why and how people don't think it's that bad; regulus and cassie and why they're friends in the first place - and how they just don't talk about that but sirius is kind of there, in the background all the same. and then at the end, when cassie helps the order and tells remus - and she's not the one to say it's because of sirius, and remus is too gryffindor to not say it out loud. it builds this whole sense that for cassie, in her world and her life, so much is secrets and it just adds to that sense of danger and things about to fall and i lovelovelove it.
ahhh the tension between her and her mother is so good. i love the way she uses the dark lord's name as kind of an excuse, like a get out of jail free card - and, yk, tbf it's not a bad one to use considering he's not likely to tell everyone everything, no matter what her mother thinks :P
i lovelovelove your writing in this - for all the story is dark your writing shinesssss so much!! it's just so beautiful and so detailed - the diamond necklace yvaine wears, the dislike that rings through cassie's voice when she talks about rabastan, the description of the dark mark and how it's healing slowly on regulus' arm, the litany of foods and drink at the wedding which is brought to such a crashing halt by the quick sentence that cassie doesn't eat any of it, the description of remus as so tired and ill and the way his house is full of desperation ahhhhh so good!!
the note at the end, too - the way cassie's part of the crew who burn the house to the ground, furious and too late and disappointed. it's just so good and i'm so so so excited to see what happens next!!
laura xx
Here I am again!
Okay, well... wow... this one was heavy... and I'm not surprised, that's how it is supposed to be, but... I'm kind of sad? And a bit disappointed, too, because, was killing Jessica really necessary? Again, I sort of get it, showing mercy would be a sign of weakness, and there's probably a no-witnesses rule, or something, but still... :( I also felt kind of bad for Narcissa... she doesn't seem to like this life too much, she seems to still have a conscience, and I really don't want to know what thoughts were swirling in her mind in that opening scene... :/ Also, that bit about all the secrets... I've always thought that Narcissa valued family above anything, and seeing her family crumbling down and drifting apart like it's currently doing... it must be so painful for her...
There was something so soft about Cassie and Cissy leaning into each other, btw... and again I'm so sad watching them like this... :/
I really, really loved the way you wrote the scene of them entering the house, you captured the darkness and tension brilliantly. And the fight scene afterwards was brilliant, too! Great action! Once again, you have the most stunning descriptions!
I wonder, what is it that Narcissa needs to tell Cassie? Did she see something in the documents (this thought just occurred to me right now...)?
Another great chapter!
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Hi, Deni, my love! :D
I saw you posted a new chapter of this and I remembered I never read this one... shame on me... so now I'm here to fix it! ;)
And what a chapter! Wow! I'm always intrigued by the Death Eaters' side of things, it's so interesting to see the dynamics among them, the power games, and to be reminded of how real war was for them, too... which you definitely show in the beginning, with Cassie recovering from the wounds of their last mission (I think? And I also think it is the same mission she warned Remus about? She truly took a big risk there... I loved the thank you note, btw... I'm still wondering where all this will go... and if Remus' gratitude is going to play some role later on... and if Cassie will switch sides eventually... but I'm getting ahead of myself...)
I'm curious about her relationship with Eddie... I ended up almost liking him in Yaxley, but I'm not sure how much he's changed from that story and I'm not sure how I feel about him now... neither of them seems enthusiastic about the engagement, that's for sure, but I'm not quite sure how they truly feel for each other. I guess I'll need to wait and see...
I love the idea of the women team tackling the main task! As much as Eddie doesn't like the idea! :P And honestly, I wouldn't try to argue with Bella either... of course she's at the top of the hyerarchy, how could it be any different? I was a bit surprised by her reaction at the mention of Sirius, to be honest... but I also sort of get it, it's not about Sirius, it's about the good name of the family, and nobody can get away with insulting the Blacks, right?
Cassie and Bella... well, that was quite passionate, for sure... I'm not sure how I feel about it, it scares me a little to be honest, but again, guess I need to see what happens... but yeah, playing with fire sounds like a fitting way to put it...
There's probably something I'm forgetting to comment on, but just... brilliant work with this! I love the way you dig into these characters and all your descriptions are just stunning! I suppose I'll move on to the next chapter now! ;)
Big snowball hug,
Chiara
Hey there!
Congratulations on winning Story of the month!
Oh wow, you've really captured the pureblood feeling, it's do dark and twisted. Especially the descriptions about getting the dark mark.
Cassie seems like such an interesting character, I can't tell weather she enjoys/is okay with being on the dark side except when it comes to attacking people she cares about, or weather she hates the whole thing, including being 'evil'.
Because she clearly has some sort of distain for her mother and the pureblood society as a whole, especially the line "I watch as the emperors of our world fiddle while Rome burns." Such a great line.
And what she did at the end, telling Remus about the attack. She clearly has some kind of feelings for, I'm assuming, Sirius. I wonder why? Or what's happened with him? I'm excited to see that happens next, a really great and intriguing first chapter!
- Shaza :)
friendddd i'm here for our swap *_*
i really really liked that first scene, the memory of cassie's time at hogwarts, it felt really dreamy and unreal and you've done such a great job switching from that hazy lovely memory to...well. the reality. coming up for air and that awful feeling when you're cold and then your wet hair sticks to you is icky and you've also got soap in your eyes it's justtt,,,ugh. like a really cool way to do the switch, especially because it's also something that paints us a picture of cassie that's not the perfect, composed mask she shows everyone else. and her annoyance with the house elf almost makes me think that the elf seeing her like that is part of her annoyance, not just...yk, randomly waiting in shadows and sortof scaring her when she's in the middle of a war with literally no friends from either side. or mostly no friends.
ah eddie. a bad twist of fate that they're engaged and seemingly don't like each other at all :upside_down: which i expect is going to show even though i suppose they have to fake through it all because wow ~~pureblood culture fucking sucks who would've known
and remus' letter has me all :EYES: because obviously we know what he's talking about but i'm like ~worried that someone will find out which...........would be bad yeah. hopefully cassie is good at occlumency :P
i find it interesting that you've decided to put narcissa actively in the death eater role, it's a different dynamic than what i've read so far/iagined but i'm all :EYES: at her still
and lol antonius got what he deserved, the fucker
also love that lucius obviously knows the three of them can handle whatever whereas eddie is yk being a dick who i hope gets a stabby stab at some point
i'm also :eyes: at bellatrix because...idk she seems like she knows more about cassie's secrets than she lets on and she's just waiting for the right moment to use it against her though i might be totally wrong. she's hot though and i feel like that's important to mention in this review :P
more pls????
kris
Hey Deni,
Here for our swap!
can I just liken this fic to being like black coffee, like it's strong and dark but so addictive. I think that's pretty accurate. I think everything about this is so poetic almost like the language is vivid and rich. I love so much the starting of this chapter because it paints such a different tone about what her life was like during hogwarts. There seems to be a lot more lighteness there. I love how much the contrast between that moment and the current situation.
I'm interested by Eddie's new role as fiancée to Cassie. It's not something that I would have imagined but you kept on surprising me with this new version. I guess it makes sense, he's pureblood too. there is no warmth there anymore. He isn't someone that Cassie is interested in. the first there's hours of thought that bleed out of the page. I love this line. again you do so well with playing with the contrast between two sides. it's really effective.
I basically love this idea of cassie/bellatrix/narcissa taking care of business alone that they don't need the guys. that's super badass. I wish it wasn't like killing innocent people but they're still cool. I love the characterization for Bellatrix, like she's everything you described in your WJ. she has a lot of strength and control. so so interesting. I really love her so far. I'm very excited about her and what you have planned for her.
I can't say that I never imagine Cassie and Bellatrix being a bit of a thing but you never fail to surprise me! this story is brilliant so far, unexpected, darkly delicious! I can't wait to read more!
Abbi xx
RvG: Chaos
hellooooo i am here for our swap and because i was always going to be back here eventually, i need more of dark cassie
i love this memory at the beginning, ugh she seems so happy here and i just want to know where the fuck it all went wrong
i also just…… love the imagery of this bathtub scene. like, the moment where she comes up from under the water and it’s way less beautiful in real life, that shift from floating underwater and having this happy memory of the past in her mind to coming up for air and gasping and getting soap in her eyes and it’s way less pretty, it’s just such a perfect metaphor for the shift from the memory to reality and i just…… it’s really fucking perfect ok
also god i would like bath water that heals my bruises
OH MY GOD eddie’s the fiancé. like it makes sense but also OH MY GOD. also asdjkhgal;rj; this raises so many questions, i want to know so many more things about them, and what happened to get them to this point, bc in go yaxley it seemed like, even though they may not have agreed on everything, they didn’t *hate* each other like this. i have so many questions and i need answersssssssss
*insert grabby hands here*
agh the note from remus is just…… sadkjfgha; i don’t have words
i love the idea of this little death eater band plotting up their next move and all the subtle power dynamics you’ve inserted into this group. like, they’re all very much vying for power and to be the most important person in the room, and you can tell that they were all raised to think they’re the most important person in the room too. the tension between cassie and eddie is just so, so obvious, and they are both stubborn as fuck. and i love the control bellatrix has over the room and over this group, like it makes sense that she’s the senior one and whenever she makes a proclamation, it’s settled.
also kind of love that even though sirius is a traitor, bellatrix is still willing to explode a glass to make a point that you don’t talk shit about them like that.
and then, of course, there’s cassie’s reaction to the mention of sirius’s name ;)
(will sirius be making an actual appearance soon? i’ve missed him and also i am deathly curious what you’re planning on doing with him in this version)
HOLY SHIT BELLATRIX AND CASSIE
when you mentioned there was something approaching smut in this chapter i do not know what i was expecting but this was not it, this was the plot twist of the century and i am SO HERE FOR IT???
the dynamic between these two is already SO GOOD, because they both are kind of in the same place in a lot of ways, and cassie still has whatever leftover feelings she has for sirius, and the whoever bellatrix loves (tom? maybe?) and there’s something about this dynamic where they both understand each other and neither of them are here for love that i just……. idk i really fucking vibe with it
you somehow have me even more hooked than i was at the end of chapter 1, this whole fic is just sdjhgaildhjgljgha *chef’s kiss* *grabby hands*
-taylor
Hi there, Deni! I'm here for the gift tag :))
I love the aura of decadence and luxury that you've created in the first few paragraphs. Your description is so vivid and eerie. Especially with Yvaine and Rabastan, it really captures their relationship through the eyes of the narrator (who I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to know, but I don't? or can't remember?) This is so old pureblood of a party omg. (Oh, I've figure it out, this is definitely a sequel. But I think I'll probably read this first and then go back and make it a prologue ;)) ) YAY I love a Regulus moment. I really just love Regulus so much, ugh, and the way the Dark Mark is described. Fantastic. Wow, this is rough, Regulus seeking even her approval. My poor angel just leave the Death Eaters now!!!!
I really can't wait to read more about their relationship, because it seems so known between the two of them. Like they both understand what the other provides for them. And HIS BROTHER. Always Sirius :/ AH and then Remus shows up and he can believe that she would betray Voldemort for Sirius <33333 My heart. Also I love her little semi-pact with Remus. That he knows she is on the wrong side, but also knows that she will save Sirius. I'm going to die, what a wonderfully complex person. Not that Sirius can know :)))
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE AND ALSO I'M NOT SURE IF I AM GOING TO BE ABLE TO UNTIL THE WEEKEND BUT WE'LL SEE. I MIGHT HAVE TO READ THE ORIGINAL INSTALLMENT FIRST ALSO, IF ONLY FOR MY PINING SIRIUS HEART.
thank you :)) Catherine
hi deni, here for gift tag! <3 <3
i just i Cannot. i fucking love the way you just kind of jerk us all over the place with what cassie's thinking and how she's feeling, the bikini lounging going into lungs screaming is such whiplash and i love it to pieces, i am not sure what it says about me that i like it when things change gear really quick but i am sure that i'm comfortable with it.
i just love cassie's characterization so much - she's so not okay and i appreciate that in my soul, i love her defensiveness and irritation and anytime there's any vulnerability (e.g., remus's letter) she's just like "noooope we're not gonna do this, no thinking allowed rn, if you have to think something good don't think about anything at all"
it's like a reverse of what people usually say
also fuuuck lucius but also you continue to do an amazing job of describing their deeply fucked up society, bellatrix being like "he knows i'll kill him if he touches me" is like "bellatrix, i am virtually never on your side, but i am rn"
goddd this is so good and the destructive dynamic with bellatrix is an amazing addition, +1000, omg
Hi Deni, here for the tag! And super excited you have another chapter up!
The beginning, that memory, was so beautifully described and yet it was so painful because it really felt like yearning for something that just can't ever come back, a moment in time, and i know that feeling very well.
Your descriptions are always so vivid and sensory and engaging that Cassie's physical pain, the bruises and injuries, I could almost feel myself. It was also very fitting to have her stare at herself in the mirror, thinking that there's scars and bruises that go deeper than what her skin shows.
Moony's letter was all kinds of sad. It gave us a glimpse into Cassie's torn allegiance, but her reaction to having to burn it is what really got me. It felt to me like this is the one and only thing that is some testament to her rbavery and sacrifice, a kind word, a thanks, and she has to physically destroy it and then to carry on pretending there is no such thing and she truly is as bad as those standing on the dark side.
I liked your parlour meeting and conversations of the Death Eaters, their plans and interactions as well. Cassies' relationship with Eddie has a most ironic twist of fate taste to it, plus the fact that he hates her looking gorgeous not for him tells us a lot about him, I feel. I also thought your Lucius was done brilliantly, we only saw him so briefly, but he had an aura and a presence in this chapter that was quite impressive. And of course explosive Bella, flinging drinks at people that insult her family even though she'd be the first to put them under Cruciatus if they crossed her (or maybe not, I mean, maybe Sirius she would, for abandoning them), and it's this very twisted honor code that she professes, yet there is so much chaos just breathing off of her. But, I have to say, her connection and encounter with Cassie was super intriguing and hot and it just creates so many more questions and possibilities of where and how this could go. It does seem like Bella is all lust and excitement and no feeling, but what about Cassie? Even losing oneself in another person can be a dangerous game. But no wonder, you present her inner turmoil and this choked silent desperation very well, like where does she belong, who is she, where is her true allegiance, she feels torn and fragmented to me in so many ways, and I just adore the complexity of her character and her situation you've been able to draw up in just two chapters.
Really excited to read more, Deni! <3
Eli
Deni these opening images are so vivid! Your use of water, from the condensation on the beer glass, to the grass, and then the whole sequence of Cassie floating in a tub and letting her mind wander...I could see it all. I am honestly in awe of how you conveyed that.
The concept of healing powers in bath water. It's such a creative concept. I feel like you always take things that should be very obvious in this sort of world, and bring them to our attention in such a way that kind of makes us marvel at your ability to create stuff as a writer. I dunno if that made sense. But I think it's very clever. <3
The idea of appearing fine on the outside, but knowing it doesn't match your inside, is conveyed in such a haunting manner her. The contrast between the perceived perfection of the mirror and what Cassie sees reflected back in her as imperfections, slowly morphing into something perfect in the mirror...it was just very cool.
Ok, so I need to know more about Cassie and this relationship she has with Remus. The reading of it twice, the unwelcome tears, I'm all :eyes: at you about this. :grabby hands: Gimme more, k?
I also love seeing this Death Eaters meeting. You portray everyone's different degrees of loyalty and I find that very believable. We don't get many examples of this in canon, mostly they all seem all for the missions and doing whatever they can. Here, we see some reluctance, and I think unless you're totally insane with nothing to lose, this is a valid emotion.
Also I love Narcissa and Cassie being all "fuck off and your misogyny Eddie, we can handle this shit."
And oh damn...Cassie and Bellatrix. My stomach was tightening the entire I time I was reading that exchange. There's a definite need for power and control in their relationship, which makes it deliciously tense to read. Also because Bellatrix is a notoriously erratic character, you just don't know what's going to happen next with her.
Another captivating and intriguing chapter, Deni! I need to know more. So write more, k? :)
<3 Courtney
Hey Deni,
I'm here for some gifting fun!
This is instantly pure brilliance, there is so much to love. I think your ability for description is so amazing. I'm always been impressed but I feel like this piece takes it to the next level. some of the imagery and language is such inspired. 'twisting again and again like threads of a hangman's rope' like that's almost chilling but it's totally perfect for setting the scene.
Cassie had such a clear voice already, she's bitter and dark, snarky and it really comes across. It also obvious that she wants different but can't get it. she doesn't like this life as she narratives the wedding in the first section. I always love how much you focus on the sense in your pieces, it's so effective at getting the distinctive tone into your stories. the atmosphere and smells within the house. I can almost imagine myself there.
you make alcohol sound so damn sexy too. i love the little teasing flashes about her previous relationship and sirius like you're really capturing the strength of her feeling wonderfully, her motive and driving force becoming so clear already. she has such more personality already which I really love about her and it's really endearing. she doesn't need to be 'good girl' but just be human which you're doing wonderfully.
I love the bond with regulus that you've formed for the two of them. I feel a bit better about Cass having a friend someone to share in her world. he probably doesn't quite get it like cassie does but I guess we know what happens to regulus too. they've found a friendship based on something real that they feel in each other. All your description of food is making so hungry.
I watch as the emperors of our world fiddle while Rome burns. OMG just so many quoteable things in this. it's a masterclass in best quote. I could pick out so many lines. I love it.
Her interaction with Remus is so interesting. I thought it was a really interesting dynamic. It's good to know that cassie is very morally grey but there is a lot of good in there, something hopeful still. she was risking a lot by being there and warning him. I guess she is trying to keep Sirius safe more than caring about the rest of them but it makes me feel a little hopeful.
the chapter really ends on a powerful note, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you're going to do with this story but it's full of potential. Cassie's characterization just from this chapter is so fleshed out and developed. I feel new Cassie has such a vivid tone to her, that's probably writing her a older and more jaded than before. I thought it was amazing though. I'm so excited for this story.
Abbi xx
Hello Deni, here for your forum request!
I am so so excited for this Deni! I never really got around to reading all of Yaxley and so this is all new to me, and it's so brilliant. You are the queen of atmospheric goodness, like your descriptions are beautiful. I love especially how you describe food and drinks, like I can almost taste it. And every time a character enters the picture, you present them to me in such vivid detail, and it's usually brief descriptions but amazingly effective. And like, the line - I watch the emperors of our world fiddle while Rome burns. :O
I love the edge in Cassie, the disdain for what she's a part of, yet darkly she just rolls with it, with the dark mark, with the family lavishness and parties, and I think it's kind of clear that she never had much choice in this, and later in the chapter we see that she had made some significant choices in the past and also now, warning the Order of the attack. I really liked that Remus was the one she spoke to, and the fact that she doesn't want Sirius to know really makes me ACHE to know why and what happened and how did we get here, to this point.
Her interactions with Regulus were really interesting, there was this camaraderie and gentleness there that really reached out to me, and I loved the whole backstory of how she's super close to the Blacks since childhood, and how she nearly became part of the family ?!! It's awful that these young people are so readily branded with the mark and they talk so casually about the pain of it, it makes me a little sick to imagine how normalized this all was for them by their families.
Aghh, this is a brilliant first chapter, full of beautiful writing and intrigue and a compelling main character, it leaves questions, it makes me curious, so please please continue and poke me when there's more! Thanks for writing and sharing <3
Eli
here for our swap!!!!
no wait why is there only one chapter, i want more chapters!!!! this is actively unfair and i feel so Personally Attacked rn!!!
i need to stop overusing exclamation points, i know i do, i just have a lot of Feels and apparently punctuation is how i'm expressing them?? idfk :joy: all if know is Oh My God
anyway i love this, like i am a fan of just straight up heroes but also i am a fan of redemption arcs from people who are maybe not just straight up heroes, and i love this, your writing is so gorgeous and really communicates cassie's just overarching disgust and disdain with the world she's been kind of pidgeon-holed into
and good fuck did you capture the grossness and dysfunction of purebloods, UGH
WHY IS THERE NOT MORE.
anyway <3 amazing job
ahhh i love this hella fucking dark cassie which i mean yes she was kinda dark and angsty in the first iteration of yaxely but lol yeah obviously becoming a death eater and being engaged to also probably a death eater (also also who the fuck is she even engaged to i mean really it's not sirius and that is very unfair because i ship them even though lololo there is no actual sirius in this chapter but i ship them) has ramped up the darkness of cassie and yaxley and the whole thing 10000% which is cool we all know i'm weak for dark shit. what i also love (i mean i love the whole thing okayyy) is that she's like definitely not into the death eater stuff and tbh to me it just seems like a way of survival, i mean okay maybe i'm waaay off base, but it feels like that for me. and she uses the first (is it the first? who knows) opportunity she gets to help the order, or well, help sirius but lbr cassie is actually doing the right thing and she might like to tell herself it's for sirius and it's for love and she's not ready to let that love go but damnnnn she is also doing the right thing because it's the right thing and because she can and yes i bet she doesn't want to admit that, not even to herself but okayyy we'll let her pretend for now :p your descriptions are fucking on point,t he wedding but uhh the food/dinner?? really fucking masterful. and tiny lil regulus who is not tiny nor lil but he's regulus and he's precious and he also loves sirius and i just want him and cassie to burn the death eater world down and live happily ever after which is not going to happen but also i really need a regulus!lives au so this is your opportunity to do it. i'm kidding. maybe i'm not who knows you're the best this is amazing i love it a lot.
krissss
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