WIP | Of Family Resemblances and Like Kinds | 1/12

[duck_or_rabbit]

Title: Of Family Resemblances and Like Kinds
Part: 1
Part Summary: Regulus was in danger of losing his reason, which would only make things more difficult than they already were.
Part Rating: PG13
Part Characters: The Black Family :: Walburga, Regulus, and mentions of Sirius, 1978.
WIP Pairings: Yes, but this is not Blackcest.
Part Warnings:

Comments

[hrymfaxe]

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[duck_or_rabbit]

Oh, dearest, your squeeeeeeeee has made my day! I haven't stopped grinning since getting your excited exclamation. Siriusly, it means a TON that you're enthusiastic for this story. :D

[hrymfaxe]

Regulus is definitely on the shortlist now. ;) I can see him in my mind's eye - all lean and agile on his broom with windswept black hair! *rawr* What does it say about us that we indulge ourselves in creating these characters? ;) I have sirius love for several of my elven muses and would absolutely make out with them if the opportunity presented itself... LOL.

I see that I forgot to mention how I admired the dialogue between Regulus and Walburga (could she have a less feminine name?)None of them are speaking plainly, trying to avoid that the other catches onto what they are saying or trying to discover. There is a layer (or rather several layers) between thought and speech. Well done!! :D

[duck_or_rabbit]

What does it say about us that we indulge ourselves in creating these characters? ;) I have sirius love for several of my elven muses and would absolutely make out with them if the opportunity presented itself... LOL.

lol, oh, if I didn't indulge in the worlds and characters I've created for myself over the years, reality would be made insane by now. But what is reality, anyway?

There is a layer (or rather several layers) between thought and speech.

Thank you so much! And, yes, Walburga's an utterly fugly name. Having Regulus and Walburga not be plain spoken felt important somehow and I'm glad it worked. After all, this wasn't the first time they've talked, so it felt right they weren't obviously straightforward with each other; their present words are based their past ones.

I will respond to your PM later. I know EXACTLY where you're coming from.

[train_lindz]

What a wonderful thing to wake up to! Sitting here eating my cereal, log onto LJ and WHAM! WIP Sirius and Regulus fic. Wooooooooooooooo!

I love your Regulus - already defiant and strong. And I already want him to find a girl :) I want to know what happened with Sirius (or not).

Walburga was completely fitting. I loved her poise and her choice of words, especially about Bellatrix marrying someone she can control, and the way she talks about something as common as sweat, like it's beneath a Black to perspire.

This is a great chapter 1. You've hooked me. I'm a reader for life now ;)

Apparently I have no Sirius icon - this will have to do :)

[duck_or_rabbit]

Sitting here eating my cereal, log onto LJ and WHAM! WIP Sirius and Regulus fic. Wooooooooooooooo!

Hence forth, the fic will be known as the WIP of Champions. Were you eating Wheaties, by chance?

So, did you like it? LOL

Thank you so, so much for the awesome review, m'dear. I'm glad Regulus made an impact on you. He is strong and defiant (I like that:)). He didn't fool you! He'd be cute with a witch, wouldn't he? Too bad he may be a marked man...

The bit about the Death Eater lair and Sirius will be forthcoming. Writing a WIP requires Kung Fu style writing. Effective chops and kicks come when the time is right. Giving it away early leaves no punch for later. I'm thrilled you want to know what will happen :D

Walburga is a badass, I think. Thank you for commenting on her language because I hear the Blacks talking in riddles with each other- they aren't plain spoken - and it creates ambiguity in what they say. By never explicitly saying what they mean, they can never be implicated for what they mean to say.

I'm a reader for life

[train_lindz]

I will say that I was eating Wheaties, because Harvest Cruch doesn't have quite the same ring to it :)

He'd be cute with a witch, wouldn't he? Too bad he may be a marked man...

Well, obviously it wouldn't be a long term relationship ;)

I went running after I read and reviewed and when I got back home, dripping with sweat all I could think was "I don't think Walburga would let me back into the house in this condition" until I remembered that I'm a muggle and she'd probably crucio me on site for trying to get into her noble home in the first place.

I owe you a half dozen reviews which will come this week.

No worries, that's what happens when I crank out a million fics in a week or two. I think I'm probably done for a while. :) I may have something R/T ish come out on the 20th for belladonna1986's birthday, but we'll see.

I'm not sure yet about how to react to what you did to Jasper, by the way. Not knowing how to react is my reaction, I guess!

Not surprised - I'm still not really sure how to react myself. I was horrible to Jasper. The

[javidan]

hrymfaxe has already pointed out so many of the things that make this fabulous so I won't take up space repeating them, lol.

I completely agree with how your little descriptions have created such a feeling for the character --- His brother was vulgar. And exciting. --- and setting --- The mansion had always looked uneasy, like it was one generation away from being bulldozed

Can't wait for more, dear. Loved it!

[duck_or_rabbit]

hrymfaxe has already pointed out so many of the things that make this fabulous so I won't take up space repeating them, lol.

Oh, thank you!! Hearing it two times make me feel twice as happy! How'd I get so lucky to have such awesome readers on my flist?

His brother was vulgar. And exciting

Thank you for catching this line because it was one of the first I penned in the ENTIRE fic! Regulus wars with himself about his feelings for his disinherited brother, and conveying that struggle through a past memory felt right to do. I'm glad it made an impact!

Can't wait for more, dear. Loved it!

That makes my night! Thank YOU!

[sciathan_file]

I have read it and I love your fantastic characterization of Regulus. Everything in here is so detailed and imagistic - the smoking under the sidewalk, Regulus always trying to feel his own heartbeat. You've captured so much of his complexity in relation to Sirius

[duck_or_rabbit]

THANK YOU for the in-depth review! You're a doll! Oh, please be my beta because I am writing in the dark without the light from another writer/reader to guide my path

[sciathan_file]

Yeah, I'd love to Beta for you, if you want. :)

On animal allusions - you have to be really, really deft to pull them off without them being thudding and cliched (I'm not that deft at all, so I avoid them like the plague). I would cut them out and steer off the more poetic language, because your straight up description trounces your metaphoric language without need of poetic decoration.

But your characterizations are so intricate and fleshed out.

I forgot to say you should post this somewhere (I would recommend genfic_hogwarts or sirius_centric if you haven't already), as you could probably pick up a fairly strong readership.

^_^

[duck_or_rabbit]

Yeah, I'd love to Beta for you, if you want. :)

Thanks, hon! *hugs* I'm working on chapter 2 and will send you something next week, if ok. I'll take full advantage of your pre-grad school time because things will get crazy for you soon, to be sure.

But your characterizations are so intricate and fleshed out.

Thanks for the compliment on characterization. Making the characters as true as possible is the most fun part of writing for me!

You mention two great places to post! The fic isn't anywhere but on my LJ, and I'd like to reveal it at a few other sites, hoping others can enjoy it!

You're awesome!

<3 <3

[roh_wyn]

Oh, I just love this! The imagery is so vivid, and I think Grimmauld, in particular, seems so alive in this..as if the house were as much a character in the story as Regulus or his mother!

I also really like the small details of Regulus's personality we get her. And I love that you made him a legilimens.

Just one tiny nitpick...

She was particularly fond of waxing contemptuously on Rodolphus Lestrange, her ridiculous, newly minted brother-in-law

IIRC, Rodolphus is the husband of Walburga's niece, so he would be her nephew by marriage, right? Of course, I may be missing something, in which case, feel free to have one of those Grimmauld ghosts throw a knife at me!

[duck_or_rabbit]

Sorry it has taken me a couple days to respond to your lovely comments. I've been writing, and when I am, discussing my writing becomes challenging, if that makes sense?

Grimmauld is a character in the HP series, IMO, and I want to push it supremely far into the minds of readers; it's not blameless in Sirius' death and showing it as a place with influence and authority is crucial to build a case against it. I'm pleased it translated strongly to you; it's a house with a will of its own.

After DH, I asked: How did Regulus know 1) what horcruxes are 2) where to look for Voldemorts? Making him a legilimens is my answer. Stay tuned to read how Regulus's doomed investigation unfolds.

I may be missing something, in which case, feel free to have one of those Grimmauld ghosts throw a knife at me!From now on, you must review everything I write to correct my mistakes. (And hand me a copy of that BIG book called "The Cell"; there's a unit on genetics if I recall. Is yours red, blue or grey, BTW?) You are absolutely spot on that I miffed

[roh_wyn]

I'm pleased it translated strongly to you; it's a house with a will of its own.

That's exactly what I was trying to say before, but the right words escape me just when I need them. I think the house is both intriguing and sort of creepy...as powerful places probably should be.

Is yours red, blue or grey, BTW?

Believe it or not, I have a red one and a grey one. The red one I'm more sentimentally attached to because (a) R (my husband) bought it for me before my first job (I know...so romantic, no?) and (b) it has that great geeks do Abbey Road picture on the back.

And yes, nephew-in-law works! :)