Name: dreamshadow (Signed) · Date: 30 Jun 2021 05:44 PM · For: they tell you that you're lucky but you're so confused

TAYLORRRR i'm here to judge my challenge - thanks so much for entering!

so i've been highkey curious about what happened to james in the past, before and all the pieces fall happened, so i've been very eager to read this fic and have you destroy my heart. as as expected, you delivered

you have such a way of writing flashbacks, effortlessly weaving them into the full story. i loved getting inside james' head and the way that you tried to explain his actions was incredible. and although we never see james with his parents, we can tell, just from his reaction, how close they were. i was so pleased to hear that they've been to every single one of his matches, and that he has supportive parents, because i feel like unsupportive parents is something that gets used as backstory. but i loved your take on this, because what happens when your supportive parents die? i can't even imagine the sort of pain james must be going through, that it's so heartbreaking he's trying not to feel anything, and it works, but it's not the healthiest. and yet, he knows he should be ashamed of his behavior, but he isn't. he's almost too self-aware, too aware of knowing what's expected of him, the image that's been created for him and the life he's been expected to lead

i was so glad when sirius broke down his door, and that the three of them were there. it was a beautiful ode to their friendship, because of course they'd all pull together to try and show james that he's being destructive. and i feel like they were able to break through to him because they know him so well, they know it's not like him, but so does he 

OKAY BUT YOU DIDN'T MAKE ME ALMOST START CRYING UNTIL SIRIUS STARTED TALKING ABOUT JAMES' PARENTS. because!! of course this is hard for james, but for sirius??? to lose people who aren't even his parents and to be so devastated about it?? goddammit taylor, come and take my heart, jesus. that part was exceptionally well done, and i think that's when it started to hit james, too. and, ugh, it was so wholesome, watching the three of them do their part. and i laughed about the fact that peter's kind of a neat freak even though he chooses to transform into a rat. and god, i loved that this is an au, so the four of them are still friends

and another thing i loved about this fic was that it was completely devoid of lily. i think you did that on purpose - except for the line about redheads, which makes me even more curious about what happened between them - but you did it so well. sometimes i think it's hard to make whole, well-rounded characters for both; and not making james just lily's love interest and his own main character was a great way for us to get sucked into his head and into his world, that he has his own shit going on completely separate from her. i don't know why, but i really loved that

and this line was fucking brutal - A life story that no longer feels like his own. A life story that's suddenly become public property.

idk, taylor. i don't know what i was expecting from this fic, but it was so, so well done - and listening to the lucky one while reading just really drove it home. and i always love the way you write lily, but i really enjoyed reading james' pov from you, and i hope there's more in the future

this was so much fun to read (in a completely devastating and angsty way) - thanks for entering the challenge! ♥

Name: maraudertimes (Signed) · Date: 25 Apr 2021 07:54 PM · For: they tell you that you're lucky but you're so confused

Taylorrrr!!! Im finally here for a review swap we said we’d do like 2mo ago, i am trash i know but im here now and i am so excited for this fic ahhhhh <3

I mean right off the bat, this picspam is amazing and ughhhhh james is so pretty!!! Alright time to actually read not stare at pretty things :P

Tbh i’d be down for a pill that makes everything sparkly - i love shiny things!

Okay one, sad how james cant remember sirius’s voice, two sirius is the ultimate party pooper telling this girl to leave so abruptly. But three, i bet theres a really good reason so who cares!!

CATEGORICAL RULE AGAINST REDHEADS MY DUDE COME ON

Oh dang all three of them are there? I suppose saving him from himself would be a three person job…

Okay but like “the reports from every match thereafter realise it’s not luck at all” has such power like hot damn, really reinforces the fact that james is a talented bitch

OH NO WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!?! HIS PARENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE AND GOT SICK NO WHY???

OMG please tell me lily is there? What’s happening on the Jily front??? TAYLORRRRR

“His mum would’ve hung it on the wall” WHYYYYYY

This brother moment between the four of them is making me so sad whyyyyyyy are you doing this to me i didnt think this was gonna be so rought taylor, wtffffffff

AND THEYRE HELPING HIM CLEAN UP WHAT BABES dont mind me just absolutely bawling because he’s been through so much and theyre here for him to help him get out of this hole

UGH taylor why do you hurt me so??? Ugh, thank you for writing this even though it hurt because its amazing, as always

 

Lo <3

Name: shadowycorner (Signed) · Date: 22 Apr 2021 11:15 AM · For: they tell you that you're lucky but you're so confused

Hey Taylor, here for our swap!

 

Ah, finally, that whole thing about James is revealed and I am heartbroken. I liked how you weaved the canon into this, his parents dying at the same time, and it really struck me how that must've been a massive blow, especially since we get the impression that James just got on really really well with his parents and that they were all so close and integral parts of each other's lives (outside of his friends), that it all makes sense how he spiralled after that, throwing himself into Quidditch absolutely and then when he wasn't flying, he was just looking to feel numb. 

 

It's very fitting to have his best friends give him this intervention, as it comes from a place of love and care, and I'm glad that James begins to see that eventually, even when he gets a bit defensive at the beginning. I admired Sirius for the way he spoke to James, it was really sensitive and caring and I think he said all the things James really needed to hear. You showed us wonderfully how true friends are so important in some people's lives, how they look out for you when you don't. 

 

Ugh, the moment when James realizes that his personal hell and ways of dealing with this trauma are plastered all over the tabloids was really awful :/ 

 

Hah, i really liked the little character detail that Peter is a very tidy person who hates messes even though he's a rat! Also, just loved the little scenes and glimpses of Sirius and Remus together <3 

 

This was such a great fresh perspective of James and who he currently is as a character in Pieces and why, and I loved that you wrote this. It was an awesome read! 

 

Eli, for elmofire, if i ever get around to posting this in the thread xD 

Name: grumpy cat (Signed) · Date: 20 Apr 2021 09:31 PM · For: they tell you that you're lucky but you're so confused

hii i'm here for our swap!

 

i thought this was another great prequel to the novel, there's just something about being able to take the characters and see/write them in a slightly different setting and dynamic than in the main fic, because i feel like it can give a lot of kinda juicy context that might not be the focus of the main fic but it's like this nice lil bonus, especially with james being the way he is and being able to be inside his head so much

 

the death of his parents and how he...just...feels so damn guilty along with feeling sad makes so much sense even though realistically he probably knows he shouldn't and it's not directly something he actively thinks about but the little remarks about feeling guilty how their funeral has to be planned around his schedule, and before that, how he didn't look for them in the stands and maybe if he did, he would've realised sooner...and it's heartbreaking to read because, as sirius says, they wouldn't want that for him (lol i mean i don't know them but they don't seem like they would and also sirius black is probably right in all things ever so. also love sirius calling them mum and dad because that's justttttt arhrwejhkbksdljfn would also read a prequel where it's just sirius being adopted into the potter family because yes i am weak for those stories and the lil moments i saw in this fic were just great peak family feels)

 

i laughed out loud at his *never redheads* comment because just wow as if that's not a major sign deep down he's still into lily even though he miiight not want to think about that but that's okay, like even estranged they'll still sort of work out in the end..........i hope oops

 

and the unnamed hook up girl was also just ,,,, sirius sometimes needs to be kicked or something

 

the marauders storming james' apartment was kinda touching but also i feel like...yeah, they sortof managed to get through to him but but all that hurt can't just go away and wanting to numb it and just not feel it will be a lot of work for james, him getting to a point where he's happy seems a long way off and it's exciting to think about his future character development with the hints laid out in this :EYES:

 

it was also nice to see that yeahhhhh he might be stubborn and try to pretend with the marauders with his supposedly cool *and what if it is me* but like dude they know you best and love you and you can't lie to them and so seeing him just kinda break down with his best friends was just really so so human and lovely (in a sad way)

 

:EYES:

 

kris