Name: blackballet (Signed) · Date: 17 Mar 2022 09:05 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hi there, I'm here for the galazy review event!

 

I love Sirius and Lily bonding over things, so this is right up my alley! It's so on brand for him to just comme barging into their home demanding James, lol. I like that "we never say no to Lily", it's a good rule to have :) And I'm sure her pumpkin spice biscuits are delicious. 

 

Aw, a break-up :/ I like the advice that Lily gives him and the conclusion he comes to. I agree that Sirius isn't really the type to settle down, and I think hearing that from Lily probably gives him confirmation that it's okay to not want that. Especially just with his family history, it might not be his style. 

 

Loved this little one shot!!

Thank you :)

blackballet

Name: prideofprewett (Signed) · Date: 10 Mar 2022 01:01 PM · For: Chapter 1

Della! This is such a charming piece! 

 

I really love the bond you show between Lily and Sirius in such a shot span of time. From her knowing that the pumpkin spice biscuits are his favorite to her heart to heart they have over soothing tea (at least, I view tea as soothing since I only drink it when I'm ill LOL) and biscuits, this is a very cozy piece. In spite of us learning that he's a little despondent over breaking up with Mary. 

 

I do like, that his first preference to share this information with is James. We need more dudes having heart to hearts over heartbreaks in stories, and the fact that you allude to this being possible for them, is lovely. It's natural to feel societal pressure and then be a little melancholic about seeing all of your friends sort of pair off and settle down. It also feels a bit like Sirius felt like James and him would always be running wild and free, but now that they aren't, he feels this societal pressure and wonders why he cannot commit. It's sad and it's, but this conversation with Lily is such a balm, whenever she points out that happiness can be found in other ways for other people. 

 

And lastly, I just want to point out that your application of the prompt line and how it ties in with the title is done in such a clever manner! Well done, all around! Now I'd like a pumpkin spice biscuit ;)  

 

<3 Courtney

 

~* 80 rising through the ranks *~

Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 03 Jan 2022 05:04 AM · For: Chapter 1

Hi, Della.  Here's a review for your Arctic Aventure wishlist on this drabble from the Fast and Furious Challenge.

 

It's always a challenge to try to tell a fragment of a story in just 500 words, isn't it? But this little vignette works because you have only two actors, you characterize each of them well, and it's not really a piece of a larger story (fighting the Death Eaters), it's a tiny separate issue--Sirius's doubts about himself.

 

After prodding by Lily, Sirius acknowledges his misgivings about his choices in life and behavior, wondering if there's something wrong with him because he hasn't followed the same path that James has followed.  He's not wholeheartedly at peace with his own nature.  That's such a common feeling for all of us at some point in our lives--"Shouldn't I be wanting something else, something like what So-and-So wants?"

 

Even though Sirius and Lily are the same age, no older than 21 in this scene, she plays an almost motherly role with him, staying home while James is off doing Order work, baking biscuits, making tea, being a hostess and a confidante, offering insight and advice.  All her actions and dialogue contribute to this one impression of her, and that's not just because you had a 500-word length limit; it's also because your story is well-focused.

 

You have Lily employing a good method of helping Sirius; she starts off by just asking questions.  What's wrong?  How do you feel about this?  Did you want it to last this time?  And by so doing, she gets him to identify the thing that's bothering him himself. Why can't I settle?  It feels like there's something wrong with me.

 

Now Lily is able to give good advice and reassurance. By using the words "domestic servitude" herself, she is giving him permission to claim ownership of that feeling without being more than "slightly guillty." (A little touch of humor there.)  Sirius must be feeling a lot better at this point, knowing that it's okay to be who he is and want what he wants, and to talk about it with friends.  You show this all very nicely.

 

I'm glad that you are writing and posting stories now, and I look forward to seeing more and more of them!  And have a very happy and productive new year!

Vicki

 

 

 

 

Name: grumpy cat (Signed) · Date: 15 Dec 2021 06:38 PM · For: Chapter 1

i'm back back again kris is back tell a friend ???

 

okay i legit love me some sirius&lily friendship vibes even though i actually ship them oops but i am full of contradictions :P and you wrote them so well and believable and canon-like or at least i can imagine this scene totally happening at some point ?

 

but but also the prompt and paralelling it with being married/in a long term relationship as opposed to just not be like that was also really cool and distinctive. and i thought it was super cool that from this lil drabble alone it was obvious that both ways work and are valid and that both lily and sirius appreciate and love each other and respect their friends' choices even when it's not the thing they're personally wired for. it just had these really nice vibes ^_^

 

thank you so much for entering my challenge!

 

kris

Name: RonsGirlFriday (Signed) · Date: 09 Dec 2021 07:38 AM · For: Chapter 1

I saw you had posted this fic as well and came to check it out! :)

 

I love this because I was literally just talking to a friend about something like this recently. There's this social/cultural expectation to couple up, and to some extent even for men to eventually settle down, and the expectation for romantic relationships to be the default setting can really make people feel like there's something wrong with them if that's just not how they're wired -- even if they don't actually want it, like Sirius here, they can start to feel like maybe there's something wrong with them or people will think there is.

 

And Sirius's best friend, the one he wants to talk to about everything, *is* settled, so while I'm sure James is super supportive and reasonable as Lily is here, it probably can still leave Sirius feeling even more like an odd man out sometimes.

 

I also liked how with this prompt and theme you included Lily baking, a very typically domestic kind of thing, just highlighting the difference between her and Sirius while at the same time showing that they can each be happy with something different and it's totally valid. <3

 

Melanie