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Hey!
So I thought this was a really interesting start to your fic! I thought it'll be cool to see where you go with this because judging by some of the tags used. It isn't going to be that typical oliver/oc story (don't get me wrong i like those too!). I do senses some twists and turns along that way which is more than appealing!
I think the trope that you've used is a super fun one too. We don't get to see too much of Iris in the first chapter but you can see she is a bit of go getters maybe keen to please? I thought her interactions with Wrexler were fun and really added some character and humour to the piece. I wonder if he has some type of illness being so forgetful. You've mentioned that he is near retirement because he is in his late 50s. I think that's lucky for him considering the retirement age in the 'muggle' world, it is basically 70. I'm not totally sure about the way that you've played his age here. I may have aged him up a bit for the type of character you're going for. I did enjoy the dynamic between iris and him though.
then we flash over to Oliver's POV. It was cool to get a peak into his head. I personally really like split narration style in fics. I think it adds rounded fleshed out edge to the story which I find appealing. I thought you've given away not too much about Oliver but somehow he seems perfectly in character. I imagine him to keep a lot of his internal feelings to himself, be quite reserved away from the quidditch pitch. I loved the ending because it really added to the sense of mystery in the piece. What is he hiding?? I'm really looking forward to seeing Iris on the trial of his secrets and all the drama that it brings! it looks sooo promising!!
Abbi xx
Hello hello hello! I am back once again for multi-swap! <3
Ooooh Iris Skeeter! I’m wondering exactly her relationship to the infamous Rita is, so I’m hoping you explore that aspect at some point :P Ooh! Okay so she’s her niece, I like it!
You built up this intrigue over why Iris needs to speak to Mr. Wexler right away and a book all about Oliver Wood? I am so here for it! I have such a soft spot for Oliver Wood, it’s not even funny. Love of my life, truly, a man dedicated to sports and looking handsome ;)
LOOOL At how Wexler doesn’t even get the names right. Boomer energy, right there. And of course he thinks it’s chess and not Quidditch. SIGH
And of course people want to know more about the hot, mysterious professional athlete - he’s hot and mysterious what else could you want in a man??? LOL at Josh being a little jealous because of his girlfriend. What a mood, my guy!
Also I’m kinda here for Iris calling people in to an office that isn’t hers to make a point and then having Wexler dismiss them. Boss level energy. I like her already!
Ooooh Oliver, a tryst from last night, huh? I’m intrigued because this isn’t the usual Cedriver you write that I have read! Is he gay, is he bi, is he straight? Is he still gonna be in love with Cedric? Will he fall for Iris? WHO KNOWS!! (well you might, but I doubt you’ll tell me :P)
I like how near the end you very much had Oliver in the PR mode. It’s something I’ve never really thought of - sometimes you do have to do interviews, if only for the good press. But why is he so private? I mean the last name Skeeter for sure would have him on edge, but I suspect it’s more than that (actually I might now it’s more than that because I’ve kinda read ahead, :P but still!! There’s something here and I wanna know what it is!)
Great first chapter Lily, thank you so much for writing this, it’s a really fun story to read and I always love seeing it pop into the queue! Glad I finally came back to properly review it, I can tell it’s gonna be a rollercoaster ride!
Lo <3
Lily, I’m here for your second challenge review!
She may not have her aunt’s Quick Quills, but Iris has assets and knows how to use them. The first few paragraphs set up nicely showing how uncomfortable Oliver is and how perceptive Iris can be. I like how she’s honest with him, telling him why people want to be him. I never really thought about it but vicarious experiences is exactly why people love those celeb magazines/blogs etc. The instruction manual is an interesting analogy and rather accurate.
Okay, maybe being honest wasn’t the best policy. She’s going to give the most athletic wizard in Great Britain a heart attack. However, it does give you even better imagery of Wood and how he’s not dealing with fame well.
I love the little one liners and references to wizarding world it bludgers in their throats and journalism fangs
The hallucination of Cedric is a great way to help us see the “true Oliver.” You’ve done a great job with Oliver, dropping hints of the problems he is facing. From his actions curled up on the kitchen floor to his conversations with a dead competitor, you’ve created a character that we feel a lot of sympathy for but we know it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Hi Lily! I’m here for your Challenge Review #1
First I love the relationship between Iris and “Uncle” Wexler. It has a great balance of youthful exuberance and elder wisdom. You can tell he’s a bit indulgent of her, loves her enthusiasm and thinks she’ll be an ace reporter some day. (Although, if he can’t tell the difference between the World Quidditch Cup and World Chess Cup, maybe he does need to consider retiring--it added a bit of humor.)
“Poor” Oliver, having to deal with his celebrity status. No doubt, he didn’t realize that if you want your celeb image, you have to work for it. Great job with introducing the character. Between him sneaking out of the muggle girl’s apartment (very amusing when the wrong clothes came flying) to his abhorrence of interviews, I see someone who is a bit adrift and tired of the life that he is leading (although probably not the actual playing of Quidditch.)
The message on the wall was a bit different. Is this some magic I haven’t heard of? He knew the whistle was for him but then he gave up looking for it. Does he know this type of magical message?
You’ve done a great job setting up the characters and the thickening plot. He’s obviously going to keep that beautiful mouth shut and silent, so what tricks will she use to open it?
Hi Lily! Here with review 3 for our swap!
Ah, the waiting for a phone call is such a thing! (I mean, I guess nowadays it would be waiting for a text, but.)
I'm very sad for Oliver and look forward to finding out more about him and his past. I like that you're drawing out the reveal. It seems a wonder that he's been able to maintain his Quidditch career considering everything. But I supposed a lot of famous people who appear to be keeping it together, actually have similar troubles, even athletes.
Oliver seems fairly trusting of Iris considering she's a reporter, and considering she basically admitted to him that publishing a piece about him would be important to her career (like when she says, "After the re-branding he gave me a job and said that I could move up quickly if I worked hard. So, I came up with an exposé type thing on you.")
I wonder if when she assured him that she cares about his feelings and doesn't think people should be published about if they don't want to be, whether he believed it?
I enjoy some of your little worldbuilding tidbits, like the Ministry shops and evolving Ministry culture, as well as the wizarding bank cards!
Until next time!
Melanie <3
Hi Lily! Here for #2 of our swap!
And a new player has entered the game! Reece. Love a good love-hate relationship. Iris's life is pretty spicy at the moment, it seems.
This was a nice little transition chapter before whatever is the next major thing that will happen, showing Iris making an unfortunately unsuccessful attempt to advance her story, introducing a complicating factor (Reece). I like how you paralleled Iris and Oliver each doing something on this day that's out of the ordinary for them -- Iris pursuing a lead instead of breakfast with dad, and Oliver going out to eat to try to feel a little better than his normal, which is obviously very problematic. It definitely seems a realistic problem you've constructed for him, and in particular I like the bit about how every once in a while he'll really try to get his act together, but it never holds for long.
Iris has a rather unfortunate animagus, I think! It's not particularly stealthy/unobtrusive. Nothing like her Aunt Rita!
Good chapter, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here!
Melanie
Hi Lily! I’m here for your forum request :D
Iris seems to have a lot of her aunts go-get-em attitude. I hope that she is more honorable about reporting the actual truth than Rita is though. I enjoyed reading about her being struck with inspiration, and how excited it made her to be after a story. Her enthusiasm is so infectious, that she can’t help but convince her uncle at the Prophet to give her the go-ahead.
Oliver seems quite dissatisfied with his life. He has everything people usually think they want—money, fame, easy access to no-strings sex. And he’s got all this without having his private business in the papers—yet. But it’s obvious that he feels like something is missing.
His grim determination to keep up professional appearances by going to the interview with Iris—but still keep his secrets—sets up conflict number one. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when his reserve meets her enthusiasm.
Nice first chapter!
Yours,
Noelle
Hi Lily! Here for part 1/3 of our swap!
Hmm, what is Iris up to? (I found it so interesting that she had a manipulative ex who she could at least pick up a few tactics from while he was using them on her.)
Goodness, Oliver does seem to have a weakness for pretty women. He seems really at risk of exposing himself if he runs around acting like he did in Iris's office, putting his arms around her and such - for someone who wants to be so private!
But he obviously has some demons, which is very sad. The interaction with "Cedric" was bittersweet, poor Oliver! Though I did very much enjoy Cedric's bluntness and cynicism, saying everyone it "too happy" in heaven, haha.
I found it interesting that Oliver was so surprised by iris telling him that people want to be him. Has he not already figured that out, considering how famous he is? Or was it more of a reaction to the fact that his life actually is not all that great and he knows people should not want to be him?
By the way, Iris's comment about how it's very hard to be the first anyone -- I thought that was such a great observation!
I noticed in your author's note it seems maybe people have commented to you before about the POV switching. I do personally tend to think it's better to stick to one character's POV in one scene rather than head-hopping, but to the extent that you write it differently and include both their POV's in one scene, it seems pretty clear to me whose POV is happening at what time. One suggestion I might make is, if you have two POV's in one scene, maybe make the standard one POV per paragraph, so that you don't switch POV's within the same paragraph.
I found Iris's internal reactions to Susan and Miranda's questions a little confusing, for example when they asked "is there a rock" which I took to be about whether he was engaged, the narrative talked about how she didn't like lewd girl talk -- but I don't think of that subject matter really as lewd? And then she proceeded to tell them she was going to seduce him, lol. And I do get the impression of Iris that she does like to be a bit salacious!
I really liked Oliver talking to his dog when he made the phone call, haha. All pet owners have full conversations wth their animals, it simply can't be avoided!
Looking forward to the next chapters!
Melanie
Author's Response:Hey Melanie! I'm excited about our swap too! The first thing I want to say though is that Iris's ex Chip or Trip (lol) wasn't actually manipulative. He was a psychology grad student. There was a line in there about that but you might have skipped over it accidentally. Yeah, so he was just really excited about his lectures and courses and was always reading passages from his textbooks to Iris. No manipulation what so ever.
Honestly, Oliver's got bigger fish to fry than worrying about what his fans do or don't think of him. It's definitely your second guess. His life seems great but it's really not and he believes that people should not want to be him or admire him as much as they do, that's why they freaked out. He's ashamed of himself and doesn't want other people to do things along the lines of what he's done in the past (more on this later.)
POVs are definitely hard for me to stick to when they're limited but with more than one person. I don't think it's too confusing as it is right now either and I think that the characters are well defined, but thanks for the suggestion!
I will go back and fix the internal reactions when I find the time. I meant it more that Iris doesn't think marriage is lewd, she just thinks that Miranda and Susan are really ditzy and she definitely has a character flaw of think she's better than others sometimes. I'll read it again and see what's up though, thanks for pointing it out. She loves being salacious but she's also private?? She's a snobby weirdo lol.
Doesn't everyone talk to their pets? Yes, yes they do. Bahahaha.
Thanks for a great review Melanie!
Hi Lily! Here with your requested review! :)
I enjoyed this first chapter a lot! I especially liked getting to learn some of your characters. For example: Iris! I simply adore Iris! She seems so spunky and driven, and is clearly ambitious ("Perhaps even a book!"). She's a little bit sassy, a little bit dramatic. Most importantly, she has this incredible dynamicness to her that makes her immediately likable. This makes me want to understand her more deeply. I'm so curious about what her motivations are around writing this book? Is it purely profit? Is there something that is more personally motivating to her? I'm also very curious about that Eureka moment she had in the beginning of the chapter that seemed to prompt all of this. I'm looking forward to peeling back the layers about her.
I'm also curious about Oliver. I feel like I learned slightly less about him as a character in this chapter--which is actually kind of an interesting effect, since a lot of the chapter was about how no one knows anything about Oliver and thus we should commodify his story and life. He seems like a very private person so I'm interested to see how he'll resist an invasion into his privacy in the form of Iris. The more compelling thing about him, though, is that he seems almost lost in some way? I don't know, it's this general sense I get! Like, he was literally lost, in a home that wasn't his own, but also he seems a bit lost in his career, in some ways? Like he's disillusioned by it in some ways. I'm intrigued, and looking forward to learning more about him.
Finally, I just wanted to say that I love your worldbuilding. I think you created a really clear picture of the Daily Prophet Office that I could visualize very clearly, and I liked the idea of a sound designed specifically for Oliver that beckons him to this message. There's clear intention and thought put into these descriptions, which I really appreciate.
Also, I love Mr. Wexler. What a cutie, hehe.
Great first chapter! Thanks for requesting a review!
<3 Shreya
Author's Response:Hi Shreya! Thanks for reviewing. I am really glad that you like Iris. And the canon characters in this book definitely are getting a makeover from my usual way of writing them. It's not all sweet and fluffy with a touch of angst anymore. It's the real deal lol.
There will definitely be much more about Oliver in the next chapter!
Thank you thank you for appreciating my world building. I know that it's not something I was originally focussing on but now it matters so much to me.
And everybody loves Mr. Wexler hahaha.
Thanks for such a kind review!
I'm back! :D
Well... not so much like her aunt, although pretending to date someone and promising you won't write about them when your ultimate goal is doing exactly that isn't exactly moral...? But I guess she's only doing her job... mmmh, I'm conflicted... :/
In any case, it seems that she and Oliver have more in common than they think/show... and it seems that they are both into each other, at least to some extent... or at least that they can appreciate each other? I'm blubbering again, I'm sorry...
Wow! Poor Oliver is really messed up! What exactly is tormenting him so much? Is it really about Cedric's death, or is there something else that we don't know about (yet)? Cedric's "ghost" was an interesting touch to include, btw... and I'm curious to learn more about everything...
The anxiety attack freaked me out a bit? I'm not an expert, but I think you did do a good job at writing it! Poor Oliver... :(
The way he accompanied her home and kissed her cheek and waited for her to get inside... that was just so sweet and it makes me sad that she's playing with him... although maybe she isn't? Or she will change her mind? I have a feeling she'll end up caring about him... but I guess only time will tell...
Sorry if this is another messy review... but I think you are doing a pretty nice job with this story so far! ;)
Thank you again for stopping by my thread! :D
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:I said she had more integrity but I didn't say she was moral hahaha. They're definitely both attractive people but they're going to have to get to know each other.
I'm really glad that you're liking the story!
Hi, Lily! Here for your request! :)
I will admit this is not the kind of story I would normally seek out, but I did enjoy this introductory chapter! :P
I wonder how alike her aunt Iris is? She seems pretty ambitious, and she seems determined to uncover Oliver's secrets... I guess we'll see how it will all work out for her... and for him... I wonder why he's so secretive about his personal life? Well, actually, judging from the way he ran off from the muggle girl's room, I have a feeling his personal life is a bit of a mess... or just nonexistent... and you did list this as Oliver/Cedric, which I believe is your OTP, so unless this is an AU there must be a lot of grief here...? Sorry, I'm going off on a tangent... I can't blame people for being curious about him, anyway... let's be honest, everyone's had a bit of a crush on him, right? (Susan, I'm right there with you! :P)
Anyway, to answer your questions... yes, I think it is an interesting start so far! It was really amusing and it does make you curious about what's to come, which is what a good first chapter should do, isn't it? ;)
And I'm going to see what's next right now... :P
Thank you for coming to my thread! :D
Snowball hug,
Chiara
Author's Response:Hey! Thank you thank you for such a nice little review. Iris has parts of Rita but I definitely thin she has a bit more integrity. Oliver's life is currently a mess... But believe it or not it's actually currently pretty clean considering everything he's been through... More to come. This is not an AU... And I think that people will actually be surprised at the way of Oliver and Cedric's relationship if they stick around for it. I'm pretty sure it's not at all what people are expecting.
I'm glad you liked it!!
hi lily! finally here for your requested review!
haha, iris has quite the imagination. as much as i’d love for her career to skyrocket, something tells me that oliver might not spill all his secrets to her.
oh, poor oliver. If he’s really as famous as everyone says he is, then he’s for sure had his fair share of bad experiences with the press. and the press is, well… really finnicky, and can sometimes twist words around to the point that they’re unrecognizable.
it also sounds like oliver might be a bit weak at the knees for pretty people lol. that’s definitely something iris would use to her advantage, i think.
i legit don’t understand what’s going on between them, but i feel like they both?? are weak for each other?? how cute lol. i mean, how many people are out there that iris would discard her professionalism for? i’m going to take a bet and say not very many. but for real, is oliver okay? he doesn’t seem to be doing very well for himself right now.
i mean it’s really good that iris has a backup plan, but at the same time poor oliver had an anxiety attack. and it really seems like he’s not over the death of cedric, which is just… :^(
lily you are making it so hard to choose who to root for!!!
that poor muggle, he didn’t even know what he was teaching iris lmaoooo
iris i think is definitely manipulative on some level, but i really do think in the end all she wants is to get a good and true story out there to the world, even if it might be achieved through slightly immoral means, ahaha. and then oliver. i really think he just needs help with managing his grief. from the looks of it seems cedric died five or six years ago and… that’s just a really long time to be suffering, you know? and maybe iris could convince him, i don’t know. it seems like she still has a little bit of growing up to do for that to properly happen.
i noticed two things that need to touched up a little i think though. first: the anxiety attack. it took me a while to realize what oliver was having was an anxiety attack until he actually said he had one. i feel like a little more description would really help with that, i think. and second: the pov. the switches were slightly hard to follow, and breaks in the chapter would really help out on this front for continuity, i think.
so far, i really think what you have is so good! i like seeing what the layers of iris and oliver are, because the first chapter was definitely a surface level impression.
thank you for writing! xx
Author's Response:Hey sunshine! Thanks for your thoughts. Someone else already mentioned your two notes so I will go and fix that up right now!! Honestly coming from me, I'd root for Oliver, but knowing who to choose is going to get harder and harder until like 3/4s through, and I can't say who you'll want to root for by then cause it's a little spoilery. This is definitely a slow slow slow burn, with lots of secrets in store. And Oliver's life is... Well fucked. Yeah that's the word for it isn't it? Lots of people have guessed at grief for Cedric but that's only a small part of it. Honestly I am kind of excited to destroy the reades lives lol.
Thank you for a good review! I will see you soon I hope.
Hi Lily! I'm here for your prize review for being the top BvB reviewer!!
This is such an interesting premise! I like that you've made your OC/main character the niece of Rita Skeeter. It's interesting, ties her into the HP world and characters we all know and love, though sort of makes the reader a little suspicious or at least wary of her given the Skeeter reputation. And Iris seems like a nice, sparky, tenacious sort of girl, though I must say I am feeling very protective of Oliver. It seems pretty clear he likes his privacy, and Iris is like, "Here's an opportunity for a scoop, and profits, and we want to know about him and therefore we will!" It sorts of hints at that predatory side of the press that a lot of people don't like. I'm interested to see how much like her aunt she really it, or how different.
I also was surprised to see that Oliver will grant the interview! If he knows he needs to grant interviews for his image but still nobody knows anything personal about him, I wonder what he does at these interviews? Just refuses to answer certain questions? Perhaps he is good at coyly redirecting the conversation.
Mr. Wexler is a delight to read, funny man mixing things up like the last name and Chess Cup instead of Quidditch -- lol, those things are like not similar AT ALL, you daft man.
Can I just tell you how much I laughed at Oliver inadvertently summoning the wrong clothes? "Fucking shit, accio my clothes!" I'm rolling. That's one of those divinely inspired bits of comedy and dialogue.
This is a fun idea and a fun first chapter, and I'll definitely be back!
Melanie
Author's Response:Awwww Melanie! Thanks for such a sweet review. I'm super delighted that you enjoyed the first chapter and I hope that you will come back to read more. I'd really like to hear your thoughts! Oliver is my baby and I won't let anything hurt him (at least for now muahahaha.)
He definitely just knows how to change the flow of a conversation... Usually haha. He gets a little frazzled in chapter two.
EVERYBODY likes Mr. Wexler. I guess I'll have to do more scenes with him lol.
Can you imagine him leaving in a red mini dress? Hahaha.
Thanks again for the sweet review.
Lily
Back for BvB's Blue Team!
I laughed out loud when Oliver didn't seem to associate Iris to her aunt. Of course everyone in the magical world would know of Rita Skeeter and what a leech she was, and only Oliver Wood, Quidditch player extraordinaire who always seems to be in his own little world, wouldn't make that connection about her niece and definitely be more wary and guarded walking into that interview, even if he'd dealt with Rita before.
And I like how Iris approaches her interviews as dinner dates. She's definitely cunning and unafraid (I'm wondering what her Hogwarts House was...) and knows how to take advantage of her attributes and best qualities (and for now, at least, she seems to want to keep things real and not make details up like her Aunt used to).
I'm definitely intrigued about Oliver's visions of Cedric. I'm left wondering if you've followed canon here and Cedric's death was as we know it from the books, or if something else happened and that's why Cedric's appearances are so important. Also Oliver and Cedric's relationship, I'm curious about what happened before Cedric's death, and how it's still very obviously impacting Oliver.
As for constructive criticism, I'll admit this is more something that ticks me off and not really about your writing, but I always find it a bit... I don't know if strange is the right word for it, but it rubs me off the wrong way when characters that don't really know each other (at all, or not that well) have some kind of intimacy. In this particulr case, it was Oliver and Iris' embrace amidst his anxiety attack (in some other fics, for instance, it's a kiss on the forehead). It seems like these are such intimate actions that I find it off-character when it happens, whoever the characters are, if you know what I mean. It's a pet-peeve of mine really, but perhaps a little more build up to their embrace would make it more meaningful.
However, and on that note, the kiss on the cheek felt more natural after their date. They've gotten to know each other a little bit, enjoyed the other's company, it doesn't feel as out of place here.
As for the anxiety attack, I feel like a little more description could be necessary, as afterwards we realize it was indeed an anxiety attack, but while it's happening it wasn't really clear for me.
Lastly, while I don't mind the different POV's that you alternate often between Iris and Oliver, I think breaks between the parts are needed. It's simpler for the reader to understand that there's a break in the narrative and that at least the scene has ended, and/or that there will be a change in POV. Perhaps use an horizontal ruler, or a couple letters or symbols in between POV's and the reading will flow much better.
I'm hoping I've helped with the cc part and that I haven't been too blunt, and in any case the story is already good and engaging and raises curiosity, so I'll definitely want to check out the next chapters.
Feel free to request again soon :)
Susana
Author's Response:Oliver is definitely a laugh... At least I try for him to be. I have very particular headcanons for him, though some stories are a divergence. No matter what he can't cook lol! At least not very well. I think he handles himself fine in this one.
Cedric died in the maze, the same way that he was meant to. Oh it's definitely impacting him. He hates himself for everything that happened (but I'll get to that soon.)
Thanks for pointing that out! I totally agree that when I have anxiety attacks I really hate when strangers are trying to comfort me. Like I want my friends to help me deal with it. But this attack wasn't particularly an attack. If you stay tuned there will be 100% real ones in the future. Not that this one wasn't real and that he wasn't upset, it's just that Oliver can get cracy stressed and anxious and this is really just like, a level two for him. But I appreciate your input!! Thank youuuu. Helps the story be better.
I'm not a super huge fan of using *** and such for page breaks to separate scenes, because most of my favourite authors don't do it and I find it that it takes a reader out of the story. It's a little metatheatre (that's nothing against people who do decide to use them, and sometimes I do/have used breaks like that in the past.) I usually just include a bigger amount of spacing, so maybe I have to go deal with that because my formatting doesn't always copy and paste properly from my program to the archives. Thanks though.
You weren't too blunt at all and I'll definitely be back. Thanks!!
Lily
Hi Lily. Here for your requested review, as well as for BvB's Team Blue!
The first chapter posed an interesting premise. Anyone who is the subject to an exposé like this will always raise curiosity on the readers, since the not knowing does lure people in, so Iris is definitely smart to have gone for it. I'm sure that in great part it was for her readers and her own gain career-wise, but it already feels like there will be more to the story.
And then, of course, there's the mystery about Oliver's life. Is he trying to hide something? Is he just naturally shy or a bit of an introvert, one that would rather enjoy his life and not flaunt about his fame? Or has he gone through something more complicate,d perhaps traumatic.
I'm surely intrigued by the plot, and I can't wait to see where the story will go!
On to chapter 2
Susana
Author's Response:Hi Susana! Thanks for your kind review. I am really glad that you're thinking the story is an interesting premise. And honestly the reason that Oliver's hiding things is a big mix of all of the things you mentioned above... But it's about to get pretty dark haha.
Thanks for taken the time to read!
Hi Lily! Here for our review swap. Sorry it took me a few days but I'm excited to get back to this story now!
I love your first paragraph here. Revealing the importance of routine to Iris tells us a lot about what kind of person she is, and seeing her being grateful she's not a journalistic subject tells us about how she thinks and how focused she is on her work. And then you break the routine in the next paragraph, which makes her behaviour in this chapter seem much more interesting. Knowing that this isn't how she usually behaves makes it exciting.
The point about people being easy to find in the wizarding world is clever. I'd enver really thought about it before, but if most wizards don't really know how to go about navigating muggle London, they must all spend time in the same places. It's helpful for Iris!
Poor Tom being so confused about Iris disappearing. I'm interested by her being an animagus. I wonder if she's done it all legally or if she's borrowing tricks from her aunt. I'm looking forward to learning more about it.
I also like the contrast between Oliver and Iris. He's happy having his stew in an old pub, whereas she obviously frequents trendier places. I think it's going to take her a while to get used to his interests.
And then we get a new character! Reece is intriguing, largely because he seems very similar to Iris and that obviously drives her mad. I like that they have a romantic history but that's not what bothers Iris about him - she cares about their professional rivalry. It fits in with what we know about her ambition.
Sidenote but have you watched Brooklyn 99? Reece's role here reminds me of the vulture in that (which will mean nothing to you if you haven't watched it but I thought it was worth mentioning).
Can't wait for Chapter 4!
Emma xx
Author's Response:Hiiii Emma! This review was super unexpected and then I read review swap and was like "crap! I forgot to review the second chapter or Rosie." I promise that I will get it to you as soon as possible. Things are hectic lol. Iris is definitely very specific. She's been the way she is ever since she was a child and that works for her. Oliver's different in that he has no idea what the heck he is doing with his life.
Thanks (about the cleverness.) I thought so too haha. Though my headcanon is that in the 90s and 00s and 10s, and wow 20s now I guess wizards and witches started blending with muggles a little more bit by bit. Like I sort of hate the idea of wizards still wearing cloaks and robes... I mean they still do for school and work and every once in a while, but not really in general. However most are still pretty clueless/separate from the muggle world.
Oliver's super type B and just doesn't really know where's going. He's a hot mess. It was so funny for me to read Kris's (grumpy cat's) take on him because her Oliver is a suave and confident manly man who's good with the ladies and orders a scotch on the rocks. My Oliver's constantly having a gay panic and can't cook for shit hahaha.
Reeeeeece I love him. You'll see much much more, just you wait.
Me too honestly. Gotta get to it lol. Writing is hard.
Hey there!
I'm here to drop off a review from our review swap the other day. Sorry it took me a minute to get to it.
Hmmm...So Iris' plan to seduce Oliver is in motion. She certainly seems confident in her plan. I mean, she dresses the part in her sexy outfit, she is sympathetic to his nervousness, and she definitely flirts with him easily. It's a smart move on her part. She's taking herself out of the "sleazy reporter" image and making herself appear like a potential love interest of friend.
I do feel like at this point Oliver should be a little bit smarter than to fall for that though. I mean, he's a famous Quidditch star. Surely, he must know that people will try to manipulate him to get information, money, endorsements, and other things out of him. It's hard for me to believe that he'd be so easily fooled by a pretty skirt and a nice pair of legs.
I think it's interesting that Cedric pops up to lecture Wood during times of stress. I suppose it makes sense that Cedric's death might have been very tragic to Wood and that he might be haunted by the ghosts of his past.
I did really enjoy how both characters talk to their dogs. I thought that was a cute and very realistic tough.
Nice job.
~Kaitlin
Author's Response:Hey Kaitilin! That's no problem. I wasn't waiting or anything haha just kidding.
That's actually just the way she dresses lol. She's definitely a smart dresser and she's super interested in fashion and lables. Really has good style. But there will be more about that later (even though it's just a minor detail.) She's my cunning little genius Ravenclaw and I love her.
Oliver is smart. He's a very smart cookie. It might not look like it now, but he's going to take her for a ride to see how far she's willing to go before he trusts her. Definitely not fooled. He's interested in her and thinks she's hot, so he will pursue her, but he's not going to be stupid about it.
Cedric is... well we'll get to that. Spoilers.
I talk to my dog all the time and I think she's pretty sick of it haha.
Thanks so much for the kind review!
hey lily! here with your requested review! i’m very interested to see where this will go because i don’t believe that i’ve ever read a story about oliver wood or one about rita skeeter’s niece?
ah, but let’s just get on with it.
iris seems to just as tenacious (…and as annoying too, lol) as her aunt was! from what i can see, she’s very direct and sort of devious too?
ooh, wow, oliver’s made quite the name for himself after he graduated out of hogwarts, eh? it totally sounds like everyone has a crush on him. in any case, probably the perfect story that’ll advance iris’ career. though, if she’s anything like her aunt, i’m not sure i’d support the methods she might take to get the exposé she wants, lol.
oliver wood’s life looks perfect from the outside, but he doesn’t really seem to have his shit together for real. in fact, he just seems real tired, if anything.
mr. wexler also cracks me up! i like how he’s uninterested in iris’ idea but then is suddenly like “tell me more” when he realizes that there could be a lot of money in this.
so far, i like what’s going on! i’m excited to see what kind of shenanigans might occur with iris and oliver, and i’m especially curious to know if they’ll fall in love or if they’ll fall in hate or something.
thank you for requesting, it was a pleasure to read! xx
Author's Response:Hey! Thanks for reading. Iris is definitely going to be a handful but she's totally different than her aunt in many ways. That's Oliver, my successful sweetie loool. I love writing him so much because he's one of those people who has a whole thing of what's really going on behind what appears to be going on. There's going to be way more about him in the coming chapters! Oliver's shit is in no way together at all. He's just bobbing along lol.
Ha! Actually lots of people seem to really like Mr. Wexler. He definitely cares about Iris's idea from the start, but the money does perk him up when he's been so tired and busy.
There's much more in store and I will definitely be requesting again!
Thanksssss (Imma snake!)
Lily! I've just put the pieces together and realised that you ship Cedric/Oliver and that this is an Oliver Wood story and that has me super excited. So glad you requested on this story to give me a prompt to come back to it but also a bit worried that this might end up making me cry...
This chapter has me intrigued. Iris and Oliver both seem much more complex than in chapter 1. I'm interested in how manipulative Iris is, and how she doesn't seem to even feel particularly guilty about it. If anything, she seems to be quite enjoying planning how to manipulate him and take advantage of him. Everything she does is very calculated and I like that - it's unusual. Oliver also has a lot more depth than just being an obsessive quidditch player that sleeps around a bit. He's obviously struggling with grief (poor Cedric) and I get the impression he's never really had any help dealing with it. I suspect that Iris will end up helping him, but they've both got some growing to do before that will work.
I liked the small similarities between them that we see here as well, especially them both having dogs. It's nice getting a glimpse into their everyday lives and seeing that they might fit together. Iris having the flat through inheritance makes me think she has some experience of grief too, so I'm interested to see whether that informs her treatment of Oliver.
You said to be brutal, which is definitely unnecessary because I'm well and truly hooked on this story, but I did have one small piece of feedback. I found it a little confusing how this chapter jumped so quickly and frequently between Oliver's point of view and Iris'. I love seeing into both of their heads and stories, but I wonder if it might flow a bit better if their POVs were separated more clearly e.g. the interview from Iris' POV, then Oliver's POV with Cedric etc, then Iris' for the drink. It might just be personal preference though so of course disregard if you don't agree!
Overall, I really enjoyed this and am definitely keen to read more. Feel free to request again! I think you've got a really original take on these characters and I'm excited to see what you've got planned for them <3
Emma xx
Author's Response:Hey there Emma! Thanks for an amazing review. You're so nice and I'm really glad that you're liking the story. Oliver's grief is not necessarily over Cedric persay, but I will get into that later. Cedric is more just a way to help him cope will all of his issues and yes, there was some Cedric/Oliver back in the day, but not in the way that I feel people are expecting lol. Let's just say it's not fluffy. Iris is definitely like Oliver in that she has little concern for other's feelings when she's on the job.
I will definitely look at that POV thing! Thank you for pointing it out. It might be hard to change the flow of the chapter at this point but if I end up seeing what see then I will definitely edit somehow.
:)
Have an amazing day and thanks for the sweet little review.
-Lily
Hey! Came straight back to review tag when I saw you had an Oliver Wood story.
This is such a good start. I love that Iris is a Skeeter. So far, she doesn't seem much like her aunt, but maybe she at least shares a touch of her nosiness. My favourite character in this chapter was definitely Wexler. You got his bumbling nature spot on and his mixing up Wood and Weasley made me laugh. I also liked the first glimpse of Iris' colleagues. I'm looking forward to seeing how you explore Susan especially.
And Oliver! We don't get much insight into him in this chapter but your title makes me think there's a lot going on there and not all of it will be good.
Loved this! Excited to read more xx
Author's Response:Ahhhhh Emma. Oh my God! Thank you so much for this unexpected review (I mean, it was for review tag, but still!!!) I really appreciate that you like Oliver Wood. I love him. And the fact that you enjoy Iris's character is good! I am glad because if you keep reading then she can be trying at some points. There will be lots more of Oliver in the next chapter, but I actually wasn't planning on including Susan so much in the future. Maybe I will now that you've mentioned her. Things can always be moved around ;)
Thanks so much!
Lily
Hey there!
I'm here to drop off a review for our review swap! Thanks for taking me up on it.
Ooh. Iris Skeeter. This sounds promising. I wonder if she's as gossipy and salacious as Rita. If she is, Oliver Wood should definitely be worried. I really liked how confident you made her. One she has an idea, she really backs it and fights for it. She pitched it fairly well and defended her points.
I like that "Uncle" Wexler is her boss. It definitely allows her a foot in the door that she might not have had otherwise. I can't imagine other publications allowing a young columnist to take on such an ambitious project like writing a book for the most popular figure in the country. I do like that he tells her she has to keep up her column duties along with the book though.
Hmm. It's interesting that Oliver is sneaking out of some muggle girl's apartment early in the morning. I hate to think of him being that guy. Like a one night stand is fine as long as everyone is on the same page, but to sneak away like that is just straight up disrespectful.
He definitely seems to have the right idea about Iris. I do have a feeling that they're both going to underestimate each other and end up falling in love.
Nice start to your story so far!
~Kaitlin
Author's Response:Hey Kaitlin! No problem. It was fun to read a story that I normally wouldn't have found and read.
Iris is definitely a lot like her aunt, but I definitely believe that her moral compass is a little more fine-tuned. Thank you!! I'm glad that you saw her confidence because that's one of the traits that I wanted to shine out. I'm also glad that the pitch points seemed good/realistic.
She definitely has received some advantage but "Uncle" Wexler also makes her work for things. Which I think is realistic too. In life you'll often have connections that give you chances you wouldn't otherwise have gotten necessarily, however it's not nepotism because they still expect hard work and aren't quick to give special favours. Wexler is aware that Iris has immense potential as a journalist.
Oliver in this story is very different than my typical sweet, well-meaing, conscious Oliver. He used to be that person in school, but if you keep reading you'll soon find out that he's under a lot of stress and that he's very anxious.
Will they fall in love? Will they?
Thank you again so much for reading!!
i'm a sucker for oliver wood so the idea and premise of this story is really intriguing and i love it! iris skeeter seems, if not totally like her aunt when it comes to being shifty, then at least like her when it comes to the tendency to dig up potentially uncomfortable thingies. because obviously oliver most certainly doesn't want to talk about all the things that iris wants to uncover and she's definitely made a good jugdement call when she realised this would be a gold mine if she suceeded in getting something out of him that no one else did! which...makes her a good journalist, even though i hope she has a lil' bit more morals than her aunt haha :P
oliver sneaking off after a one night stand and feeling a lil bit guilty about it is cute. the fact that he always feels like something is missing might just be the thing that iris uncovers? (since i know you love cedric/oliver as a ship i suspect he might be bi or gay and it makes me sad if he's not out or comfortable with that :I i love happy queer stories!)
mr. wexler cracked me up because i could just imagine him sitting in his office, half-listening to iris up until the point when he realises how much money they could make and then he's all ears and supportive :P
i'm excited to see where the story goes!
kris
Author's Response:Hi Kris! It's a really funny coincidence that you just dropped a review because I just put the second chapter in the queue haha. First off, I would really like to thank you for stopping by. It is much appreciated. I've had this story idea in my head for a while but the characters and didn't have time to grow until just recently. Iris I feel is going to end up being one of my favourite OCs. She's definitely quite like Rita but I think she also is more naive and has more journalistic integrity but doesn't quite realize yet that sometimes the truth can be more harmful than lies. She's definitely going to pry some stuff out of Oliver that he would normally never share. He is bisexual and there's definitely some history there with Cedric (but it's not the main ship as in my other stories). I haven't actually decided whether or not he's out yet but I guess I have to think about that now whoops. The way I see it he's probably not in tears if someone finds out but he's not quick to mention it. This might change though as I write chapter three. I love Mr. Wexler. He's a goose.
Thanks again for the review!
Lily
Oh, I really like Iris! And Oliver! I am so excited to see them interact, which means you definitely set this up great! Can't wait to read more
blackballet
Author's Response:Heyo! Thanks for the review. I've got an other chapter coming up with the interview in it, so be ready!
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