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ajbwasntwriting · 3 years

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Daughter!Reader X Negan, Reader x Daryl: Chapter 8. Civil Unrest

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For all intents and purposes this is filler so the next chapter will be up in the next few minutes

I’ll only post more chapters if previous chapters get a good reaction so if you enjoy this please heart it, reblog it, and/or reply to it. Interaction inspires.

if you wish to be added to the tag list please dm me. All chapters can be found under the tag AJ’s Negan’s Daughter AU

In a few days you were up on your feet, your need to survive driving your fast recovery. As soon as you could sit up without nearly fainting and you could bend your fingers without much pain you started taking patients. Mainly burns and cuts. You kept your head down while working, adding to your intimidating reputation. They didn’t realise you were just trying to conceal yourself while looking for familiar faces. You rarely left the medical bay, even when it was icy cold.

Carol checked on you regularly, seemingly incredibly concerned for you. It almost pained you to suspect her to be out to get you. Luckily she seemed convinced that because you had been alone for so long that you’d take a long time getting used to the walls. Maybe she figured out that you were just biding time for leaving again.

“Are you okay?” Laura pulled you from your thoughts. You looked up suddenly, nodded, and went back to your reading. All these patient profiles from the previous physician were thorough. “Why would Emmett be this detailed with extremely basic medical care” you tought, then again he was a captive here just as much as you were. He probably had nothing better to do. “Are you sure? You look so serious.” She continued. You looked up to her. She was lying on one of the beds chewing on a piece of hard plastic. Having to keep a watch on ‘The New Doc’ would’ve been extremely boring.

“Just a lot of reading” you sat up and stretched your arms, not realising how long you had sat hunched over the hand-written pages. “Doctors have horrible handwriting and this guy sure likes to drag his point out”

“How bad is it?” She asked. You lifted the profile of another patient and followed along with your finger.

“The left Thenar has suffered tremendous infliction resulting in the loss of elasticity and possible avulsion of the tissue” You read aloud in a dramatic voice

“What?” Laura said, taking the plastic out of her mouth for a moment

“He pulled the muscle in his thumb, possibly tearing it” you flopped the paper down, rubbing your forehead.

“And all those pages are full of that shit” Laura pressed. You sighed with a nod.

“I never thought I’d be grateful to have done AP english.” you sighed

“Okay smart ass no need to show off” Laura chuckled, chewing on the plastic again.

“Please,” you sat back in the chair “My old man made me do it. ‘You already speak english so it should be a breeze’ he said”

“Those kind of parents?”

“You’re familiar?”

“Yep” Laura sat up, hunching over her now crossed legs. “My dad was a lawyer. Mom was an accountant. They kept pushing me to over achieve”

“Bet they weren’t happy with that” you spoke, pointing to your neck to reference Laura’s tattoo. Her hand went over it instinctively.

“I had already skipped town with my boyfriend before I got this.” She laughed. The smile melted away as she slowly stroked her neck. “Hadn’t seen them since. Probably dead.”

The room got a lot more quiet. It was crazy to think you both were so close in age but had gone through so much hell in the same world. But Laura was a saviour. You were Negan’s kid. If you were to be friends it would have to be at an arm’s reach.

The momentum changed when Carol arrived in, holding a small tray with cookies on them. The smell told you they were fresh. Your heart wanted to tell her to get out, but those cookies smelled too damn good.

“How’s the hard work going ladies.” she spoke with a cheery voice, setting the tray down in front of you. You were on it instantly. You took a cookie with you as you limped over to lock the door to the medical bay. “Any news?” Carol whispered

Carol had asked you and Laura to investigate the uprising of Negan supporters in the Sanctuary. Well, mainly Laura since she would know more people in Carol’s eyes. The payment, cookies. Though Laura would probably do it for free. She enjoyed the new peace that came with being aligned with the other settlements.

“Just the usual hot-heads” Laura sighed. You limped back to your chair.

“They like to complain to me.” you gently sat down. You’d only been back walking without the full splint for a couple days now but the clunky half splint on your lower leg wasn’t exactly walker friendly. “‘You should’ve seen how great we were when Negan was running the place’ and other shit”

“What do you think of it?” Carol asks you seriously. You suck the sugar off your fingers happily.

“He mustn’t have been that good if he’s not in charge anymore.”

They had their little meeting then as Carol was leaving you piped up,

“How’s the bridge team?”

“No.” Carol retorted quickly as if speaking to a child. “You are not going out there how many times do I have to tell you.”

“I could help-”

“You’re needed here Y/N” she spoke firmly.

“Yes, mom.” you groaned from your chair, earning a laugh from Laura. Carol left quickly.

“Why do you wanna join the bridge team so badly?” Laura asked through a mouthful of cookie.

“I miss the fresh air, I guess” and there’s more chances to get away from you all.

That evening you were restless. Normally it was the pain that kept you up late but it also exhausted you. You got out of the medical bed you’d claimed as your own, one of three that outfitted the med bay. You limped your way out of the medbay, not bothered if you woke Laura. The bathroom was down the hall so she would just assume you had to pee, especially since you had taken the torch dedicated to midnight bathroom visits. Being the medic gave you the luxury of a torch instead of matches and a candle.

It hurt to climb up so many stairs, with both your wounds and the cold seeping into your skin, but you’d be tired by the time you came back down anyway. You walked onto what used to be Negan’s floor. Your ‘family’s’ floor. You’d wanted to see it for a while now, out of curiosity more than anything else.

You first went to your father’s room. Pushing the door open you felt a burst of cold air whip around you viciously. The room has been stripped of its furnishings, right down to the carpets. Taken away to be burned most likely. The windows were shattered, the bullet holes in the ceiling giving away the method. It was so completely devoid of any sign of human life one would say it always had been. You closed the door and continued onto the parlour where the wives would spend their day. This room didn’t have windows but the room was still completely void of any of the glamour that once adorned it. The only remnants was the wall paper which was peeling off due to the damp.

The image of the forgotten rooms didn’t stir emotion in the way you thought they would. You imagined getting overwhelmed with emotion, but you felt nothing. No that wasn’t right, you felt a loss. Not a loss of the grandeur you had gotten to enjoy in captivity, not a loss of the fake smiles from your many ‘mothers’. You felt a loss of your father. You mourned the man you had called your father, and the idea that all that was left of the memory of him were these halls where cowards bowed to him. You felt an overwhelming realisation that the man you called ‘Pops’ had died long before ‘Negan’ formed.

Your final destination was your room. You figured it would also be empty but your room was a bit away, down the end of a hall few knew how to get too. You’d had more roaches as visitors than people. Your father had chosen it for you so the ‘common nobodies’ wouldn’t see you easily, another measure to keep you safe.

It also worked the other way as you round the corner and see a light coming from what used to be your room. The hall was lined with offices and storage rooms you knew you could dive into if someone appeared so you turned off your light and walked down the hall gingerly on your feet. You were now only a couple feet away from the door when you heard voices coming from the end of the hall, from what used to be your room.

“I still can’t believe they put this bitch here to keep an eye on us. That fucking redneck was an ass but atleast he didn’t pretend to be all fucking nice”

“It’s probably a play to get us to relax. They’ve got us locked in this factory and don’t give us nearly enough food, and they won’t let us go to the other settlements”

“We’re prisoners. They said they only wanted to lock up Negan but now we’re all starving.”

“Enough of your bitching.”

They went on to talk about how many people were on their side and their efforts to get weapons. They clearly had no idea you were listening. After all, what kind of idiot is gonna climb up over ten floors for no reason. Other than sentiment perhaps. It sounded like there were about four people in the room, but they spoke like they had a few under their influence. They were looking for weapons and a means to get back at ‘Rick and his posse’.

“We’ll bring them that bitch Carol’s head on a spike for them.”

“What about the bridge? We got people working there for food.”

“And then what? They’re just gonna keep extorting us for slave labour or let us starve.”

You were so drawn in by their words that the door opening startled you. You charged from your spot into an open room, a storage closet of a sort. You knew it was too risky to close the door so you stood against the wall next to the door. They walked along the hall bantering loudly. You sidestepped deeper into the room, knocking something with your foot making a loud metal sound. The voices stopped and you instantly froze, holding your breath like your life depended on it. A light shun into the closet, then the other way.

“Probably just a rat” one of the voices spoke. “We can set some traps and stew it for dinner”.

They continued down the hall, their steps growing faint a minute or so later. The adrenaline began to subside and the pain from the recent strain on your leg made itself very apparent. You stepped out of the closet and walked down the hall to your old room. Maybe they left some evidence you could use to barter for your freedom.

You opened the door to your room, only illuminated by the moonlight coming from the window. Unlike the other rooms, your room hadn’t been completely ransacked. The mattress had been taken off the frame but the metal skeleton remained as well as the rug under your bed. Other than that it appeared empty. You turned on your torch to get a better view.

On your bed frame lay what had to be near a hundred dead wild flowers. Your breath caught in your throat at the site. You moved and sat on the bed frame, the metal sending a chill up your body. You placed a hand on the dry stems and something hit the ground with a thump. You moved to look under the bed as quick as you could, reaching under the bed you cut yourself on something sharp. You moved your torch on it and grabbed it again, this time from a less dangerous end.

Under the bed you pulled out the knife that had your name engraved on it. The metal shun bright in the light as if lovingly polished until it’s inevitable abandonment. You hadn’t realized you had begun to cry until a tear fell onto the blade and began to fill the engraving.

~Tag List~

@bodeckersbitch @lauren-novak @aestthete

#AJ's Negan's Daughter AU #twd negan #negan fic #negan twd #negan the walking dead #the walking dead negan #negan x daughter reader #daughter reader #daughter x negan #daughter reader x negan #twd daryl #daryl dixon #the walking dead daryl #daryl dixon imagine #daryl dixon x reader #twd carol #carol peletier #the walking dead carol #twd laura

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ronsenburg · 3 years

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i saw this post and IMMEDIATELY started writing an essay, so I moved it here so as not to clutter up someone else’s post...........

it absolutely blows my mind that, today in 2021, i honestly can’t remember what’s canon from the turnabout serenade case, what i read in a fanficition, and what is my own personal HC. like, it’s been more than a decade since i played the case for the first time and it’s probably been 5ish years since the last time i played AJ (definitely forgot to play it again before writing youngblood which is.... contributing to this) so i really don’t know if what goes on in my head is accurate, but, over the years, i’ve come up with a Lot of Thoughts, which i’ll discuss below.

tldr; it’s all about power (the desire for, the subversion of, the need to maintain), but if you’d like the specifics, here you go:

daryan: i think the explanation that he did it for “the money” is a line. please don’t mistake me, daryan is an asshole and a murderer, im not discounting that, but in court ive always thought that he was playing the part that everyone- especially klavier- is expecting of him. he’s the bad guy. might as well make it a finale for the books.

i’ve always seen daryan and klavier as opposite sides of the same coin when it comes to family and career aspirations. where i imagine klavier came from a well off and well loved family before his parents died, i see daryan from a working class, difficult upbringing. i read a few papers on the psychology of children/parenting style of police officers and decided early on that daryan’s dad was also a cop. his mother is either dead or (more likely) left them early on. dad coped by working a little too hard, gambling/drinking a little too much, and was overall not around a lot and kind of an authoritarian/controller when he was. it left daryan with a lot of anger he had to cope with, about what it means to be a cop, the idea of a “just cause” and the ends justifying the means, and an issue with authority (which is laughable, considering what a bully he turned out to be. sometimes we emulate our parents unintentionally; it’s the only thing we have to model our behavior on). so daryan started off at a disadvantage. klavier started off loved and supported and surrounded by expensive belongings, but the death of his parents and the subsequent emotional and financial abuse by his newly appointed guardian/brother left him in a similar place by the time he and daryan met. i think it was probably the foundation for their bond, and i think it’s why klavier decided to become a prosecutor instead of following in his brother’s footsteps and why daryan ultimately decided to enter law enforcement as well. i think they had a lot of optimistic, idealistic thoughts on being better than the people that hurt them, on utilizing the law to make the world a better place. i don’t think klavier ever conceived that kristoph could have wanted him in the prosecutors office as another pawn to play, and i don’t think he realized how fluid daryan’s morality could be.

shipping alert—you guys know me, im crazy for the idea of a “best friends to on again off again lovers to tenuous coworkers to bitterly disappointed in but still harboring feelings for the other person despite being on opposite sides” dynamic between daryan and klavier. i honestly can’t separate the ship from the case and im sorry about it. if you read youngblood you know that i think daryan started to resent klavier pretty early on, when they were still together, when the band was still successful, because klavier was able to move forward and work through the issues of his past while daryan was seemingly stuck. yes, daryan had made detective and the gavinners were a hit, he’d risen above his initial social standing and thrown off the control his father, he had money and fame and a future. but everything he had was because of klavier. daryan needed klavier, emotionally, morally, financially. but even when klavier was professing his love for daryan, both privately and in the form of chart topping songs, he didn’t need daryan. it was obvious (and of course, healthy, but how do children of abuse learn what a healthy relationship looks like without help? especially when the only relationships you’ve ever had are codependent and, in some ways, just as toxic?) and so things spiraled. daryan got possessive and angry again and klavier got distant and they broke up and got back together and broke up and didn’t get back together but kept ending up back in each other’s arms for comfort and for support and because how the hell do you move on when the person you’ve been in love with since you were 15 is sitting next to you on a tour bus and is also your partner in a homicide case and singing songs he wrote about you on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans?

okay, shipping glasses off, sorry. but no matter how you look at their relationship, daryan’s promotion out of homicide was probably the most distance they’d had from each other in years, as it removed a large chunk of the daily “working relationship” aspect. and without klavier there to act as a moral compass, it was likely easier to slip back into his earlier thoughts about what constitutes justice and his intense hatred of being pushed around by someone who has more power than you. so enter the chief justice with a son who is sick, dying even, but can’t get the medicine he needs because there’s a government out there telling them no. The reasons are arbitrary: the medicine could be used as a poison and can’t be found anywhere else so it might come back to bite the country in the ass if it’s misused by criminals. newsflash: pretty much all medicine is poisonous if it isn’t used correctly, should we stop using penicillin entirely because some people might be allergic to it? they’ve essentially condemned a whole bunch of people to death because they’re worried about their reputation. and that doesn’t sit well with daryan, who is caught up remembering the bullshit justifications his dad would spout when he knocked him around, that kristoph would give when withholding every single penny of money klavier was entitled to until he agreed to do what kristoph wanted. it isn’t right, it isn’t fair and unfair laws shouldn’t have to be upheld, especially when they’re the unfair laws of a country you most definitely did not swear to uphold and protect. it was never about money, though daryan agrees to take it when the chief offers it to him, more for his comfort level than for daryan’s need or desire. it’s about justice and putting a bully in it’s place with a (seemingly) victimless crime that should be so easy given his role in the international division of criminal affairs and klavier’s sudden hard on for the country of borginia. seriously, how could this have been any more straightforward? daryan is capable of murder, though. all cops are. and if it came down to a “them or me” shootout, of course he’d pull the trigger.

machi: when you come from nothing, the desire to have something of your own is overwhelming. the idea that machi is famous and financially set is disingenuous; he is not individually famous, he is Lamiroir’s “blind” pianist. yes, she views him as a son and seems to care deeply for him, but his main purpose in her life is to perpetuate a lie. machi has been abandoned before; what will happen to him if lamiroir suddenly remembers who she was in the past? what if she has a family and a true son of her own and has no use for him? what if their secret is found out and the public rejects him for his role in it? he is 14. what does he know about being provided for? about contracts and trust funds and royalties? he ended up in an orphanage originally because he was unwanted, and that led to a life of poverty and hardship. abandonment issues are rooted in fear and are rarely logical. i find it far easier to believe that machi did it for the money, but more for the power money might have given him towards independence in an unfeeling and capitalist world.

kristoph: i won’t get into this, because this is supposed to be about daryan and machi and the guitar’s serenade, and kristoph is not really involved in that at all. but i think everything that kristoph has ever done in the game, good or bad, is rooted in a pathological need to constantly be in control. i think that kristoph and klavier both have very intense personalities that they have sought to control over the course of their lives for the sake of their careers. kristoph believes that to be a good lawyer, you need to play your cards close to your chest, that to show your hand is to expose a weakness that the enemy can exploit, that to show no weaknesses at all places you in a position of power. klavier believes that to show his true self, to display his weaknesses and fears to the public, would result only in their rejection. as such, they both wear masks of their own creation even under the most intense of pressures: kristoph as pleasant and calm, klavier as magnetic and dynamic. note the primary difference in their rational? klavier wants to be wanted, while kristoph wants power. and power corrupts, after all. once you have it, what could be more overwhelming than the idea that you might lose it all? it can drive even the most rational people to commit acts of passionate irrationality in the name of holding on to that power. and kristoph has so many pieces involved in his strategy to maintain.

#i love daryan crescend i'm so sorry #i cut this to spare you all the pain of my rambling and also my inability to use caps and proper punctuation #gonna tag this as klavdar so you can avoid it just in case it bothers you #i think it's hilarious that this is JUST AS MUCH ABOUT KLAVIER as it is about any of these other people #shut up krissy #i have a lot of feelings about this case okay #man i'm still obsessed with lamiroir and machi's portrayal in 'dirty sympathy'#excellent stuff i'm going to go read that again #klavdar #i don't think i ever managed to squeeze in my hc about the specifics of kristophs abuse towards klavier into any fics #specifically the financial aspects of it #but its absolutely an effective weapon #klavier's money from his parents would absolutely be in a trust and controlled by kristoph until he was legally able to access it #he would have to ask kristoph for EVERYTHING #can you imagine how easy that would be for kristoph to turn against him? as a means of control? i just......#broke: kristoph physically abused klavier when he was a kid #woke: kristoph didn't have to abuse klavier when he could manipulate him so completely with money and mind games #all the while making klavier believe that he was truly looking out for him and any hurt klavier experienced was selfish and misguided #and klavier's fault #:|

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nonbinarysasquatch · 5 years

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I’m in Love

As I mentioned in my very first review, when I was a child I imagined myself in TV shows (or movies or musicals etc.) I’ve always had a very active imagination that I kept to myself for a long time (really until I was 30 and started writing fanfic.) It’s a big part of why I relate to Rebecca. It’s not the only reason but it’s certainly a big part.

What’s interesting about this finale is that it is as surprising as it is completely predictable. That Rebecca would realise she loves music isn’t surprising but that it wasn’t really about musical theater per se is surprising. I mean maybe it is still about musical theater but that’s not a future we are privy to. That can only exist in our imaginations.

That Rebecca doesn’t pick any of the guys is obviously not remotely surprising. It would’ve been surprising if she had. But the specific ways it went down were surprising and that they tipped their hats a little to Greg is surprising. But more on that later…

The final six words were a surprise but they are a surprise that makes perfect sense. We were all thinking “This is what happy feels like” but that’s too surface level. It’s telling not showing.

It’s not just that musical theater was a bit of a red herring but in a way music is too. The music only matters in as much it is who Rebecca is on the inside. The entire show has been about identity and it’s been staring us in the face the entire time. The show is called Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and from the beginning it’s been not only exploring that concept but has seen Rebecca endlessly trying on different identities, always struggling because she was never allowing herself to be herself.

When Paula tells Rebecca to just be herself back in episode 2.04, she reacts with revulsion. “Who would want to be that?” The identity she’s most comfortable with is the one she’s kept hidden. It never occurred to her to actually bring that out until Paula finally asks her why she stares off sometimes. Presumably all of her friends have noticed this from time to time (we can assume Rebecca has imagined far, far more songs that we as viewers have ever seen) and none of them have stopped to ask what was up. Maybe they just accepted it as a Rebecca quirk.

Where does Rebecca go next? I can envision countless futures for her. I like the idea that maybe she writes enough songs to go on a bit of a tour. It’s kind of a mess but she has Heather and Valencia with her (Paula is busy) to keep her company.

Maybe she takes things further. Maybe she tries to write a musical. Maybe she moves back to New York. I’m sure I’ll write fanfic someday but for now I really don’t know where I see her going.

The other characters…

Paula: Paula took a stand and it was great. She’s come so far. I was a bit nervous they might force her to quit her job but I’m glad it didn’t go that way.

Heather/Hector: Hot tub. They got the best ending if I’m being honest.

Valencia: Valencia proposed in a very Valencia way. I sort of question why they ever had her move to New York since narratively it ultimately didn’t matter. I think there are a lot of missed opportunities with Valencia but those aren’t really the fault of this episode in particular.

Josh: I’m so glad the magic thread got picked up again. I was really excited when it got brought up again in 4.08. For the record: I hated the idea of him becoming a model and I’m disappointed the fandom was repeating that over and over as if it was somehow the only piece of information anyone retained about Josh (he’s hot!) But the show gave him a good ending. Incidentally, Josh was the only one of the three guys who made an effort to date people other than Rebecca this season.

Nathaniel: Nathaniel got as good an ending as one could want. He quits the law firm and moves to friggin Guatemala to be a lawyer for an animal sanctuary (it’s not a zoo. Theoretically, sanctuaries can be more ethical… or they can be worse.) I was surprised that he both 1. Seemed to most assume he was going to win but 2. Actually handled the rejection the best.

Greg: Honestly, Greg’s ending came a few episodes back with the Serrano’s soft open. While Rebecca didn’t end up with anyone they did clearly tip their hats a little to Greg. He got the full explanation of what happened. He also told Rebecca he wouldn’t wait for her but a year later he was still single. I still kinda feel bad for Greg. After 3 years he can’t get over her. Or maybe he has? It’s hard to say. My thoughts on Greg since he’s been brought back are complicated and I’m sure I’ll make a separate post going over that. I think Skylar did a good job and the writing was generally good. Do I think it worked? Not fully. Do I think it served the purpose Rachel and Aline wanted? Probably.

WhiJo: WHAT ON EARTH. Who knew WhiJo would get the dark ending? I mean I guess it could be darker but he’s the only character that kind of suffers a minor tragedy. Perhaps this is his karmic price for the role he played as an agent of chaos at the end. In a funny sort of way, WhiJo was the final villain. On the other hand, things with Greg, Josh and Nathaniel were about to spin out of control anyway. Perhaps he just gave that chaos a more manageable form. Either way, not the role I would’ve ever expected for him back in season one.

Darryl: Darryl’s ending is cute. I think it’s interesting how little drama there was in the couples who work out. April and Beth are mostly blank slates. Neither of them define their partners. Darryl Whitefeather is probably the best handled bisexual character I’ve ever seen. They managed to avoid all of the bad tropes for the most part. And it’s surprisingly rare to see a male bi character have relationships with men and women over the course of a show. Traditionally bi male characters just end up with dudes and end up being bi in name only. Or they just flirt a lot or had sex with women in the past. But Darryl was handled pretty naturally. I don’t think all of the show’s handling of queer characters was perfect (though given the crap that’s out there, eh, I’ll take it) but Darryl was solid.

Jason: He was sure in this episode. Actually, I’m gonna derail my Jason comment to talk about the fact that Jim was in the final lineup. I think in Jim’s mind he and Rebecca really have had a ton of tension for years. Who knows maybe they date for a while. I kind of hope Rebecca does a lot of dating.

AJ: AJ was one of the best things about this season. He wasn’t a super engrossing character or anything but Clark was always a delight. I’m sad we didn’t get to see more of their roommate banter because I bet it was amusing. Also: Rebecca pays AJ and he pays her back in rent? I mean, I guess but there’s something funny about that. She can’t legally take it out of his wages, to be fair.

The Songs:

Eleven O’Clock: Does what it needed to. It’s a good selection of songs. For once, most of my thoughts on it are tied into my thoughts on the episode.

West Covina (Final Reprise): THE FEELS.

And that’s that. It’s both a very different and very simple finale. In a good series finale, you’ve already done the work so that when you get to the finale it’s the only place left to go. I think they mostly pulled that off. When evaluating the show in retrospect there will be a lot of ways to do it. It was more successful at some things than others. This is far from the last things I will have to say about this show.

Just remember: Romantic love is not an ending.

#crazy ex girlfriend #i'm in love #ruminations on the shows many qualities and strengths and weaknesses will come #for now I just want to bask in the glow #of what was essentially a pretty perfect finale

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safty · 6 years

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To the Rescue (Part II) Chapter 28: A Higher Calling

(Originally posted to Ao3 7.9.18)

Seth leans into Roman and Dean and gets an offer he can't refuse. Bonus: Polaroid pictures from their houseboat vacation!

It was a little disturbing how easily Seth was able to slip into his routine at first, even as his mother was sending him several different forms from the estate lawyer. Work was a means to move around and ignore his reality, and the moment he had left Iowa, the cloud of worry and indecision lifted somewhat. He wasn't sure why he'd imagined Dean and Roman accosting him about the truth of his situation, or even an explanation about how his time away had been. But as Seth settled into his first full day of being back in Florida, he began to feel slightly hurt that his boyfriends didn't seem to be noticing anything at all.

Their flow was slightly changed now by the fact that Roman's summer semester hadn't started yet, and when Seth went to find Dean outside during their usual lunch break, he couldn't find him. Instead, his boyfriend had taken some time to sit in the hot tub after his lessons and Seth didn't find him until his water safety class had wrapped. It obviously wasn't cause for a bad day, but after packing swag bags for the fundraiser all morning with headbands and keychains, Seth was feeling a little bored and listless.

The real annoyance came when Roman took an extra half hour to pick them up at the end of his shift, as he'd taken the Jeep Cherokee home after his morning Water X class. After five minutes of waiting outside and then feeling like he was going to sweat to death, Seth dialed his number and hovered by the check-in desk awkwardly.

"He just texted me he's leavin'," Dean said, coming around the corner with his work bag and drumming his hands on the counter. "Fell asleep I think,"

"Must be nice," Seth snorted, shifting his weight from foot to foot and yawning. AJ was behind the front desk, trying to make a phone call on the main line while Sami folded towels. Rather than trying to string a conversation together, Seth went to sit on the bench by the double doors, licking his lips anxiously. Could he really take the time to pour over some legal documents that night? Roman and Dean would probably want to know what he was doing if it took too long. Glancing up at his boyfriend, Seth watched as Dean leaned on the lobby counter and fidgeted with his phone. Why did Roman only text him ?

When the Jeep Cherokee pulled up and both men piled inside, Seth frowned slightly as he watched Roman turn in his seat and adjust the settings on the radio. Behind his sunglasses he looked rosy and sort of dull from his nap.

"Jus' don't know what to do with myself with all this time," Roman shrugged, "Have a few beers, take a few naps."

"All out of our boat tequila, what else you gonna do," Dean mumbled, relaxing in the back seat. Anxiety piling in his chest, Seth didn't say anything. He didn't want to overreact, but he thought it was rather strange how Roman been day-drinking by himself and then neglected to pick them up. Looking to his boyfriend again for some sort of reassurance, he found Dean was simply staring out the window, distant from the situation.

"How'd it go?" Roman tried, turning to Seth for a moment and trying to assess his mood as they continued down the road. "Knee still feelin' okay?"

"Fine," Seth sighed, more quiet than usual. "Should call the PT office… check in about an appointment."

It was a quiet drive, but Seth couldn't muster up the energy to strike up his usual balance of snarky and flirty. Not every car ride had to be a bastion of enthusiasm, but as they got off the highway, Seth began to close off again, feeling guilty and weird.

He wanted a hand or a hug or something. It all felt so hollow and strange, sitting in the car, being back in the mix of things and actively trying to forget what was actually going on. Now, without distractions, it was all weighing on his mind again. His grandpa was gone and he was left to pick up the pieces.

"You need a little snack?" Roman asked as they came into the Oakridge neighborhood.

"Huh?" Seth blinked, looking up. He'd heard the words, but they hadn't really registered in his brain.

"Frosty's?" Roman offered, giving his knee a little pat. "I got dinner stuff ready, don' mean we can't do dessert first."

"N-no," Seth shook his head. "I don't need it."

It was all that was said until they got out. Dean grabbed Seth's bag for him and there was an awkward moment where Dean refused to let Seth bring it in by himself. Heart pounding with nervous energy, Seth quickly went to busy himself with getting his dog outside and ignoring his boyfriend's pinched lips.

Kevin quickly ran to his preferred spot in the backyard to pee, the corner fence where a tall weed was growing. As he trundled along with his collar jingling, Crispy clucked and came out of the shade of the overgrown rose bush. Seth watched the chickens become alerted, then mellow, realizing it was just the small dog in the backyard.

He sat at the back table, sighing hard and actively trying to calm himself down. What he wanted most was to do muscle-ups or wall balls or some impossibly difficult CrossFit EMOM that had him clutching his chest for air. His body and his head hadn't felt right since he'd been injured and he shuddered to think how poorly his cardio had likely become now. Pulling out his phone and resting into the deck chair, he aimlessly opened the document his mother had sent him. Sure he had no answers to any question it might pose.

Seth didn't know what probate was, and every time he saw his full name printed across the document heading, he sighed again, at a loss. If his mother was the executor of the will, should he get his own lawyer just to make sense of all this?

Crispy clucked at his feet and Seth set his phone down, sinking his face to rest into his elbow. Could this wait? It had to. There was no way his brain could function, right then and there.

The door slid open, but Seth didn't sit up. Rather, he quickly flipped his phone upside down in the event it hadn't locked yet. His arms were sweaty and it was undeniably hot in the backyard, but Seth was of the mindset that he wouldn't really become comfortable anywhere.

"You hungry babe?" Roman asked, putting a hand in his hair and lightly massaging his scalp. Seth let out a humming noise, but gave no other answer. He simply sat, letting Roman pet his head until his boyfriend stopped and withdrew his hand. At the loss of touch, Seth sat up and realized the chickens had all come over to spectate, clucking suspiciously and looking substantially larger than the last time Seth had seen them all nearly two weeks ago. Lars, Seth's black hen was filling out her feathers well and looked a lot less awkward. Her feet appeared more proportionate after weeks of looking gangly.

"I could make you something lighter too," Roman suggested, putting his hand on Seth's back and tilting him against his hip. Dean idled out and stood by the doorframe, looking twitchy. It was all sort of overwhelming and Seth didn't want to cry for what felt like the hundredth time that week, but it was stinging at the edge of his eyes.

"I'm hungry, but…" he breathed, looking down at Kevin who immediately came to his aid, licking his hand. "I dunno… I don't really want…" his voice broke, betraying whatever semblance of togetherness he had. Roman's hand rubbed harder and Seth put a hand to his face, breathing deep.

"You don't have to be any way," Roman assured him in his low, sure tone. "Do you want to talk? Inside?"

"Air conditioning always makes me feel better," Dean offered, making Roman chuckle. It was a little unbearable outside and Seth nodded quickly, standing up and letting Roman guide him inside.

Even as he felt like he was breaking down, Seth knew he still didn't want to talk about any of the money issues he was facing. He slumped into the living room couch and Dean and Roman both sat right next to him, sighing slightly as Seth hastened to dab at his face and beard with a tissue. An unfiltered conversation was just going to bring up a lot of questions he didn't have the answers to and Seth really didn't want to make it obvious that he wasn't in control of the situation. Roman tipped him against his chest and Seth took a deep breath, smelling the faint scent of beer and body wash. Dean touched his leg awkwardly, like he was making the best of not having Seth's hair to play with.

"I… don't know what to say…" Seth said quietly, rubbing his eye and looking at the light moisture of tears on his hand. "I just… it's weird that he's gone and now I'm back here…" he swallowed hard. "I want to be here, I w-wanna to be with you guys and all… but my family…"

Roman nodded and rubbed his head. Seth just heaved a breath and stared out across the house where the chickens were gathering by the sliding glass door to observe. Surely he didn't have to go on at length about his grandfather, it was just grief, pure and simple.

"Do you… feel like you left too soon?" Roman tried, rubbing his shoulder and encouraging his conversation. "How did your family take it?"

"I needed to come back," Seth shrugged, sniffing hard. "Work… and shit… My family… I dunno. It's just… weird not having grandparents anymore I guess."

"They're still there," Roman offered, giving him a little squeeze. Seth had to stop himself from rolling his eyes a little, but he knew that his boyfriend was just trying to help. "Even when you think you can't talk to them… I dunno. This'll sound cheesy but sometimes it makes you feel better if you just talk to them out loud. Say the things you want to say to them."

"What happened to your grandma?" Dean asked, probably sensing Seth's indifference to anything that was even remotely unscientific.

"She died a few years ago. Cancer," Seth explained, swallowing hard. "So… my grandpa was all I had."

The thought of his biological father sat for a moment at the forefront of his mind, but Seth didn't dwell on it. The picture that he had found in his grandfather's possession was still sitting at the bottom of his suitcase with all of the rest of his laundry he still needed to put away. It was perhaps true that he did have some kind of grandparents out there somewhere that maybe even knew he existed, but they weren't family in Seth's mind, and he wasn't burning with any ambition to find them.

"Is there anything we can do?" Roman asked, running his forefinger warmly behind Seth's ear even as he shook his head. "I'm serious though, obviously this is just gunna suck for a little bit, but if you want us to help you… I dunno. We can do the laundry for a week or so." Roman looked at Dean for ideas. "We could find something fun to do, if you just want a lil' distracting or something."

"We could go workout tomorrow," Dean offered, shrugging. "Go to the lil' hole in the wall gym. Or Uce's place."

"I want that," Seth said automatically, Roman and Dean snickered and Seth managed a little smile, pushing a length of hair behind his ear. "I need to text Cesaro too… he probably thinks I fell of the face of the earth. Maybe if he's feeling okay-"

"Nope, just us," Dean interrupted, giving Seth's thigh a light spank. "Can't cheat on us with your exercise wife."

"Well," Roman cut in quickly. Seth honestly didn't care about the cheating rib, he was too busy blowing his nose into a tissue. "Just… reach out to us if you need it babe. Not like I got anything going on till late May anyway. Then I'll be real busy again."

"How was Easter though?" Seth asked, rolling around a little in Roman's embrace so he was more comfortable. He didn't want to talk about his grandfather anymore. On his back, with his head in Roman's lap and his leg's across Dean's, it was easier to hold a conversation. "Was it… hard with everything going on and all the driving and stuff?"

"Not that bad," Roman shrugged, looking to Dean. "We tried to get out of Orlando as soon as we could manage and gunned it all the way up to Tallahassee before we got food again. Jimmy and Jey's place is a little on the like, west side of Pen."

"They were so ready to go when we got in," Dean laughed, leaning back into the sofa and mimicking the cadence of Roman's excited cousin. "BIG UCE GUNNA GET SILLY HUH?"

"Yeah," Roman blushed, "Except I'm an old ass man now. Had to explain to them about how I was there to sleep, not drink."

"Did everything go okay with that though? Didn't one of them have some legal issue or something?" Seth asked, watching Roman's cheek twitch.

"...Yeah… I think he has some court date thing next month," he mumbled, pausing the fidgeting of his fingers in Seth's hair. "Did I tell you about that? It really wasn't a big deal, it's just if he gets another one they're going to give him whiskey plates I think."

Seth's whole body went numb as he realized Roman hadn't told him about his cousin's DUI. He'd only known because Seth had gone through his phone and read the conversations between Roman and his sister. Apparently, this didn't occur to Roman as a possibility and Dean looked unfazed, smoothing the hair on Seth's leg's flat.

"Y-yeah, you said something about it," Seth lied quickly. "On the houseboat I thought."

"Well, it wasn't a big deal. I think Dad said something to Jey about it, but he's used to it." Roman scratched his nose and Seth bit his lip, praying Roman didn't sense anything strange about what he'd let slip. "Well… anyways we went to church the next day and then did Easter stuff with my brother and sister's kids."

"I got a photo," Dean snorted, scrolling through his phone before handing the device to Seth, who held it over his face. It was a picture of Roman, lightly dozing on a deck chair with a heap of plastic eggs stacked on his lap. One of the younger kids, Milo or Tamar was sitting on the patio with plastic rabbit ears on and a basket in his own lap, grinning.

"Nice," Seth said, handing the phone back quickly and relaxing as Roman touched the back of his neck, making his spine tingle.

"It was a good trip though," Roman said softly, "Much less drama than last time."

"For us," Dean amended. "Your brother got it."

"Barely," Roman snorted. Seth blinked, confused and Roman snickered, drawing in a breath enthusiastically to explain the story. "And they ALMOST tried to get on my case but Summer reminded them that you were gone and that it would be unfair."

"Me?" Seth said, confused.

"Yeah, like-" Roman laughed, "Here's how it works. If my mom or dad is pissed, they have to throw it at one of us, and obviously since my boyfriend's grandparent passes away, I got a get out of jail free card."

"...huh…" Seth mumbled, slightly disgusted.

"Well it was somethin' about how…. Your sister's family planned a party without them? Or something?" Dean said, scrunching up his face in an effort to remember.

"Mandy planned her baby shower to be while my parents were on vacation and so there was some dispute about…" Roman sighed "....the logistics of two baby showers. Basically my mom was treating Rosey like he wasn't there the whole time, which is the most she'd ever do to get on his case. Dad said something to him at dinner about how the second party would be better at their place because they have a bigger grill…"

"Your brother is such a motherfucker," Dean laughed, clearly remembering something that Seth hadn't been witness to.

"I want to try that sometime, just blow them off like that." Roman laughed, quickly explaining for Seth's benefit. "My dad would tell him something and he'd just agree like 'oh yeah, probably,' and then just keep eating. So funny."

"Why don't you?" Seth asked, watching Roman's smirk go from a smile to an anxiously clenched jaw.

"I think the last time I tried to sass my dad he grabbed me by the ear and rammed me up against a wall," Roman said shrugging fast. "Even at my biggest, I was never as big as Rosey."

"You don't think you could beat your dad?" Dean asked. Seth let out a choked noise, disturbed.

"Only at football," Roman said, patting Seth's head with a sort of finality. "Anyways, you missed some great food, but we brought home your easter basket. Or at least, the stuff in it."

"My easter basket?" Seth blinked. He hadn't received an Easter basket since he was eighteen or so and living with his mom. Sure, he bought jelly beans most years and just ate them leisurely, but the pageantry of the holiday was for children.

"Wine and cheese," Dean said, pointing over to the kitchen. "That's what was in mine anyway. And chocolate."

Seth rolled off the couch in a sort of sloppy fashion, curious to see what he'd been gifted. Roman and Dean followed after him and Kevin eagerly scooted into the room, under the assumption that he might be fed.

"I just put it in the fridge, I never know which wines are supposed to be chilled and whatever." Roman said, pulling out a plastic bag and handing it to Seth. "I drank all mine the night of."

"It was a lil' bottle though," Dean said, taking the opportunity to grab an ice cream sandwich from the freezer. "That shit was really good, I barely felt it the next day."

"Oh wow," Seth said, dumping the contents of the bag onto the counter top and investigating what had likely been assembled under the assumption Seth was coming to Pensacola. Little scraps of golden plastic easter grass were clinging to the slightly moist wrappers of rich, dark chocolate bars, Lindt truffles and plastic wrapped cheese nibbles. A Starbucks gift card and a bottle of some dark and fancy looking wine were also included, along with a sweet envelope, that had been addressed with SETH in a black, archival pen.

"That's very nice of your family," Seth said, opening the envelope and finding a hallmark card with cartoony rabbits. Roman nodded and cracked open another beer, leaning on the counter next to Dean.

"Yeah, they mentioned something about us coming up for my birthday too, but I said we already had some plans. We might need to run up there for Mandy's shower…" he sighed hard, "We'll just see. I ain' going to two parties, so I'll let them figure out where I'm most needed."

"We got our photos back too," Dean said, watching Seth put the gifts back into the plastic bag and falter at a secondary envelope full of polaroids that had been sitting on the counter top already. "From the boat."

"Oh cool!" Seth said, abandoning a Lindt truffle momentarily to pull out the stack of developed photos. He'd hardly even looked at any of the snapshots he'd taken on his phone from the vacation, too consumed with his grandfather to make any sense of his time in the Keys. It had been years since he'd taken pictures with a disposable camera and he was eager to see what they'd captured.

"Most of them… didn't turn out." Dean said, laughing at Seth's confused face as he shuffled through the first few photos that appeared to be dark shadows. With the advent of modern technology, it surely hadn't occurred to most of them that traditional photography required specific lighting. Familiar static outlines of the three of them were posed with the fuzzy backdrop of their luxurious watercraft. After five bad takes, Seth grinned at some outdoor shots from their first day boating.

"Those were really nice." Roman nodded, looking over Seth's shoulder. Seth nodded, remembering how much fun they'd had. His spine tingled, recalling how warm and bright everything had been. It was strange to see pictures of himself from just a short time ago, unaware of the fact that his life would be changed so dramatically in just a few short days.

"The one with the manatee didn't come out that good," Dean said, watching Seth frown at what appeared to be a lumpy rock in the water. "If I had the money, I'd probably get like a nice camera or something."

"You'd have to learn how to use it," Seth chuckled, holding up another poorly lit photo that Dean had taken of Roman in the water, late in the evening and shadowy. "The chickens would be very well documented, I'm sure."

Luckily perhaps, the photo of the three of them at the southernmost point marker in Key West hadn't come out at all, barely visible in the dying light of the day. Seth hardly remembered his sloppy display of affection for Roman after they'd meandered around the streets in the picturesque little town. It had been such a strange night, and at the end of the trip, both he and Dean were so sun kissed, they looked pink in most of their pictures.

"We'll have to do that again some time," Roman said as Seth finished looking at the stack and gazed sweetly to both of his boyfriends. "Had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, definitely," Seth said, embracing them both individually. "It was."

That night, Seth slept better than he had in a week, helped along by some passionate lovemaking from Roman and Dean, each occupying his ass for the amount of time his knee allowed him to be rambunctious and mouthy, putting everything else out of his mind. Laying in the sheets, feeling blank and calm, he resolved to call his mother before the fundraiser and hash out whatever was necessary. Roman and Dean didn't seem to suspect anything was wrong, past the obvious lonesomeness of losing a family member, and Seth felt better about his situation as he watched his boyfriend's get ready for bed around him. Dean took a quick rinse in the shower and Roman disposed of a beer can by the bed, shamelessly striding around without any clothes, looking thick and sweaty from their activities.

As Seth laid in bed and followed them carefully with his eyes, he was positive of the fact that he couldn't leave them, not without a fight. Seth wanted to close his grandfather's estate and move back to Iowa, but not without these two men that meant so much to him. As impossible as their weird relationship was, there wasn't anything that said three men couldn't take over the property. Perhaps they'd raise some eyebrows, and surely they could hit some snag with all the legal jargon that went into home ownership and estate management. Seth had only lived with these men for about two months and things would be vastly different in another state, but still, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

"Gunna be hot tomorrow," Roman mumbled, wrinkling his nose at the weather broadcast on his phone as he plugged the device in and settled on his side of the bed. Seth scooted closer, wordlessly, his mind crammed so far inward he'd hardly heard. Roman would probably love to commit to a space as large as the farm, somewhere he could spread out and have a little bit of nature on all sides.

"Did the dog go out?" Dean called from across the house, from the kitchen where he was getting water. Seth nodded in Roman's arms and Roman tilted his head away from Seth's ear so he wouldn't deafen him.

"Yeah!" he hollered back, patting Seth's back and setting his phone down. Dean would love the farm too, probably the most excited about riding around on four wheelers and snowmobiles and doing the sorts of activities that were difficult in a city.

"You good?" Roman asked. Seth opened his eyes again, near sleep. "Did you need a Xanax or anything?"

"I'm good, thanks," Seth mumbled through his nose, glancing up at his boyfriend sweetly. "I love you. A lot. I wanna be with you for a long time."

"I wanna be with you too," Roman said happily, maybe a little startled by Seth's admission of tacking on something that sounded more serious than usual. "Wanna be there for you. All the time."

Seth hummed. He fell asleep shortly after Dean came to bed, relaxed, even if he was a little over warm. Kevin hopped up to join them, and the house hummed with central airflow.

"Did it all go okay?" Sasha asked, clearly split between her desire to talk to Seth and the fact that a large group of boys were tossing each other around in the shallows of the pool. He watched as Alexa pulled a face and Sasha nodded across the pool to her. She blew her whistle harshly, making Seth's hairs stand on end.

"This is your warning, okay?" She said, pointing specifically to the tallest boy who'd just tossed his friend. "No horseplay."

"We did it last time! Nobody cared then!" The boy said, pre-pubescent voice crackling sharply. Sasha sighed hard, ready to explain the rules, but Seth cut in, annoyed for her.

"We'll pull your membership information and call your parents if you can't behave." Seth said sharply, watching the boys frown angrily. "Find something to do that's safe."

"I can handle this myself," Sasha mumbled, rolling her eyes but clearly glad the boys calmed down. "Anyways-"

"It was all okay, as good as it could be I guess." Seth said, watching the boys gather noodles to make a raft. Alexa sat in the opposite lifeguard chair, looking bored. The boys were the only ones in P-pool. "The service was fine and my mom seemed to handle it all okay."

"That's good, that's really rough to come off a vacation and just have all that happen to you." Sasha agreed, "After the fundraiser we should go out or something."

"Yeah," Seth nodded, not really thinking of anything specific. He was supposed to be power scrubbing the adaptive pool tile, but AJ and Miz were both upstairs and Kevin had said something about changing the wheels on the scrubber anyway. "The house sitting go okay?"

"Yeah, it was awesome." Sasha said, plopping down in her own lifeguard chair and flicking her violet hair behind her ear. "I never thought I'd dream of home ownership, but that place was pretty sick! Me and Bay made homemade ice cream the first night and and ate our way through it for a few days. Kevin is such a sweet pup too! We'd totally do that again for you guys if you want."

"Well, we appreciate it for sure." Seth said, stiffening up as he saw Hunter and Stephanie come through the doors and survey the pool for a moment, clip boards in hand. Seth knew he could afford to stop and chat with Sasha if he wanted, but he was aware that he probably should get back to work. With the park open now, the staff were stretched a little more thin and just as he was about to tell Sasha he was going to keep moving, Hunter motioned for him to come over.

"Oh, uh," Seth mumbled, trying to look cool and unaffected.

"Can you bring us more towels later?" Sasha said, sensing that he was leaving. "We'll probably run out soon."

"Y-yeah," Seth said, striding across the tile to see what his boss wanted and giving her a short wave. Stephanie grinned her usual intimidating smile and Hunter looked mildly grouchy as always.

"Did you have a sec? We wanted to discuss something with you," Hunter asked, looking to Seth seriously. Seth didn't hesitate but rather nodded dumbly, following after his bosses while the boys in the shallow end began a splash war. Ducking into the pool office and feeling the cool rush of the colder air, Seth sat on one of the rubbermaid bins containing the CPR dummies, watching his two bosses set their things down and turn to Seth in their chairs with the utmost attention. After the embarrassment of AJ tattling on him, Seth was always a little on edge around his superiors, sure that he was in trouble.

"So, we have a few more little things to tackle before the fundraiser," Stephanie said, leaning in and looking at her clipboard carefully. "We have some signage that was actually printed at a company just down the road and we were wondering if you could go and pick that up for us around 1 today."

"Oh, sure," Seth said, feeling a little relieved and accepting the key to the company Cadillac that Hunter was extending to him. Seth waited for additional information, sure that there was something else that they wanted. Hunter sat back in his chair, looking from his wife to Seth carefully and Stephanie adjusted her dangling earring from being caught in her hair.

"You've done a good job handling a lot of our little errands lately and this is probably the easiest we've been able to finish all these tasks in several years," she said, staring at Seth hard and smiling in a sort of motherly way. "I don't want to say it was a good thing that we've had you away from the lifeguard stand, but it's become a lot easier to handle these larger events and some day to day operations with your help, Seth."

"Oh, well, thanks," Seth said, grinning. "I'm just sorry I had all that last minute family emergency stuff happening. I didn't want to stick you guys with that so last minute."

"Well, you couldn't help that," Hunter snorted, shrugging. "These things happen. You weren't planning on taking any other big trips or anything though were you? I'm sure the Keys were amazing."

"Nah, not right now," Seth said, wondering why exactly both of his bosses seemed to want to know what his calendar was. Thinking back, he had filled out his availability on time and hadn't asked for any additional time off.

"Well," Stephanie said, holding her intense gaze. "Hunter and I have been thinking for some time now about the possibility of creating a new position at White Water that covers some of the events planning and functions that we've previously handled, in addition to some tasks that tend to fall through the cracks between the different departments…"

Seth's heart leapt with both confusion and excitement. Was he being promoted?

"It's a salaried position, and there would still be an hours requirement for teaching and guarding." Hunter began, tapping his foot and swiveling a little in his seat. "You still haven't gotten your WSI yet and we'd want to talk about when you could get back on the deck to guard, but for the most part, we'd build a schedule around some administrative responsibilities and hands on time in the pool."

"That's awesome!" Seth said, feeling tingly and light. "I'm absolutely game, 100%."

"Excellent," Hunter said. Stephanie clicked her pen and wrote something down on her clipboard. "We still need to figure out all the specifics of that. We're thinking it's best to wait until the fundraiser is all wrapped up, so it may take a little bit of time-"

"That's fine," Seth said quickly, sitting up straighter on his improvised seat. "Do you think I'll have my own office?"

"We'll… see…" Hunter said, looking disinclined to agree to anything too quickly. "We want to get an exact idea of all of your responsibilities outlined first and see… if it would come to that."

"Absolutely," Seth said, biting back his tongue as he hastened to inquire about additional compensation. "Well, I'm just flattered you wanted to ask me about it!"

"You're a great worker Seth," Stephanie beamed, setting down her clipboard and nodding fast. "We both see a lot of potential with you. Should we go ahead and get this figured out then?"

"Y-yes, for sure," Seth said. "I'd love to do this."

He left the office with a spring in his step, excited to tell Sasha and his boyfriends about what Hunter and Stephanie had offered him. It gave him a boost of confidence, especially after he was jilted from the weirdness of the guy named Joe that had made him look stupid in front of his boss. If Seth could make a little more money and feel more secure at work, it was all the better. Right?

#ttr #fic #to the rescue

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shikis-game-reactions-blog · 7 years

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Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice

WARNING: I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL GAME REVIEWER, GAME CRITIC, OR WRITER. The following is just purely my opinion and reaction to the game. Also, ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE. So, yeah, I’m sure there will be a grammar mistake somewhere there. Please don’t be a grammar nazi. Lastly, THIS WILL NOT BE AN ENTIRELY SERIOUS REVIEW. Yay. *insert cute puppy face*

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING. The games I am reviewing belong to their respective owner(s). I DON’T GAIN ANY PROFIT FROM THIS, EITHER.

seeing your previous player character on the other side of the courtroom would make anyone scream

Okay, first, let me lay down some rationale for this game. The Ace Attorney franchise is really, really close to my heart. If Pokemon holds my past and my childhood, the Ace Attorney holds the key to my future – as dramatic as it sounds. The Ace Attorney is what pushed me to take the path of being a lawyer. Of course, it’s not the whole reason (I’m not too keen on putting my whole life and future over a single game, after all), the other is the desire to change all the stupid things that is happening around me. But still, it is what introduced me to the greatness of law, the importance of finding the truth, and the great feeling of satisfaction you get once you have found it.

note to self: don’t fangirl too much and read the important details. seriously.

CHARACTERS:

The Legend, Phoenix Wright

Let me say one thing, it’s really, really weird facing Phoenix in a courtroom battle. For five games, I’ve played as him, and then suddenly we’re battling against him as Apollo in a civil case!? I mean, we all anticipated it ever since we briefly controlled Edgeworth in Trials and Tribulations and acted as a Defense Attorney, but seeing the legendary Phoenix Wright on the other side of the courtroom is still surprising.

And scary. Definitely scary. Seeing Phoenix frown seriously, smirk and do a complete turnabout (which, normally is a good thing for us since we’re normally him) made Apollo (and us, the player) really quake in his boots. It’s like he’s getting back for all the abuse he received for being the butt monkey of the courtroom for the past 4 games!

Other than the very memorable Case 4, Phoenix goes back to being on our side again for the rest of the cases. I especially love the fact that even though 8 or so years has passed; Phoenix’s protectiveness over Maya has never failed. He went to another freaking country just because of a phone call for her! He fought on the wrong side of the truth (which is basically the opposite of his whole values) for her! He knowingly risked his life over her (though then again, this part’s nothing new)!

Every girl needs a Phoenix in her life, man. (NaruMayo ship: *sails*)

serious!Phoenix would make anyone tremble

Courtroom Revolutionaire, Apollo Justice

Okay, first of all, let me clarify; I KNOW THAT THIS TITLE BELONGS TO ATHENA. But it just fits, you know? (Also, I don’t know how to spell.)

I don’t care that the title of the game says Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; Apollo is the real star of this game (it’s like the reversed version of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, where the real conflict is about Phoenix.). I believe in the wandering fan theory that this last three games (Apollo Justice: AA, AA: Dual Destinies, and AA: Spirit of Justice) is about Apollo, similar to how the first three games (Phoenix Wright: AA, AA: Justice for All and AA: Trials and Tribulations) is about Phoenix.

And man, how those three games did a wonderful job building up Apollo into the brave little bird he is now. AJ shows how he starts as a rookie defense attorney, DD shows his high school-college past (aka Clay MY GOD *eternal crying*), and lastly, SoJ shows his childhood and ends in how he starts being a professional defense attorney (thus, making a complete, albeit reversed, circle).

Spirit of Justice shows a lot of tearjerker, heart-pulling and gasp-inducing scenes for Apollo that at this point in time I don’t know how he managed to not break down. Oh wait, he did break down, he even have a new, special animation for it. And my god that scene… I didn’t shed a single tear at that point, because I was just so horrified and overwhelmed and whatishappeningisthisreallyhappening. Yeah, that feeling. (I did cry, a lot, but at the later point of the game since it took time for my mind to acknowledge that ohmyggoditreallyhappenedhuuuHUHUHUHU-)

So yeah. Apollo really received his most-deserved characterization and development in this game.

The Funeral Prosecutor, Nahyuta Sahdmadhi

Nahyuta. Nahyuta… Is my baby. Because, really, he’s just so cute and naiive in some of the things! I mean sure, he’s really nasty, but so are the other prosecutors and you don’t see me hating on them (in fact Franziska is totally my role model). But we can’t all deny the fact that he’s really kind and gentle on other people, look at Ema for instance (it’s clear that he likes her btw, I just can’t decide if it’s platonic or romantic, since my KlEma heart’s really against it).

And just like any main prosecutors in any games, Nahyuta receives wonderful characterization and character development as the game progresses. Similar to Apollo, a lot of tearjerker scenes is about him, especially when you discover how much has he sacrificed for his family…

And Nahyuta’s totally an overprotective brother to Rayfa. I can’t wait to see the next game just to see their post-game interactions.

look at this two original assistant babies turning to mature babies

The Ace Assistant, Maya Fey

MAYA. SHE’S BACK. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Ace Attorney fans have fully risen from the dead the moment the trailer showed Maya returning for this game. It’s what we have been wishing for in these past two games! Our beloved Ace Assistant is back! And partnered with Phoenix no less! Sarcastic conversations! Funny interactions! Ladders vs. Stepladders!

Our original Ace Attorney duo is back! AAAAAAAAA-

But still, of course 8 years have passed, so it’s inevitable for Maya to change. Even though most of the time she’s still childish and funny, there are still many scenes scattered all around the game that shows her all grown up that you can’t help but remember her older sister, Mia. The game shows Mature Maya, the Leader of the Kurain Village.

Also, the Spirit Channeling scene is very, very beautiful. I’m glad that we actually saw it for the first time.

lil’ princess is just so cute!

The Priestess, Rayfa Padma Khura’in

Princess Rayfa is a cinnamon roll. A tsundere cinnamon roll, and that what makes her a very cute and wonderful and funny assistant.

Serious talk though, Rayfa is the youngest (except for Ahlbi) character to be introduced in this game, and it shows. Although she acts all high-and-mighty and incredibly mature due to her status as a priestess, there are times that her childishness shows true. And I think it’s completely okay – and Phoenix and Maya does to. She tries too hard to immediately grow up , but what she doesn’t know is that being true to your age gives you wonders too.

And, oh god, the pressure given to her by her mother… I can totally relate.

That scene when she was asked to show her (adoptive) father’s death in a Divination Séance… it made me cry for Rayfa [seriously, this game made me cry a lot]. Sure, we’ve seen her faint a lot of the times, but it’s only for dramatics; to show how horrified she was that we beat her. But that scene… is the real deal. We actually saw Rayfa going pale, gasping for air, eyes wide… and faints. It’s – just – so heartbreaking…

can we all just cry

The Dragon, Dhurke Sahdmadhi

Oh my gosh, where do I even start.

*cries*

My first impression of Dhurke during the trailer was he’s the typical rebel antagonist in a game. And it continued on as we first got a glance on him at the end of the second trial.

Oh boy am I glad to be wrong.

I admit – Dhurke has not been a particularly good father to Apollo. Sure he’s got his reasons, being busy with the rebellion and all, but imagining a little Apollo hoping for his father to show up, pick him up and get him out of his misery – yet incredibly devastated as later, he will know that no one will show up, really broke my heart. Apollo did not deserve that. No child deserves that.

But oh man, he still loves Apollo. He loves Nahyuta. He loves Rayfa. He loves his children – anyone playing the game can see that. He just shows it in a different way, but every action he takes – it’s for the sake of his family. (Nahyuta really is similar to his father)

SPOILER

Too bad he’s not even alive. I can’t believe all the time we’ve spent with him as Apollo is… not exactly a lie, the interactions with him is the truth – he loves Apollo. But… you know.

Imagining his thought process while he was being spirit channeled by Maya and spending time with his son he had only seen now for the past two decades… is very depressing.

The Childhood Duo, Athena Cykes and Simon Blackquill

I admit, I am disappointed with these two. Well, not these two exactly, they’re perfect just the way they are (I MEAN CAN YOU BELIEVE IT SIMON AND ATHENA TEAMING UP. THE PSYCHOLOGY CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, DEFENSE-PROSECUTOR DUO IS TEAMING UP AAAAAA-), but I’m more sad in the roles they are given. More specifically, the wasted potential of their roles.

The theme of the whole game is inheritance. Inheritance from parent to child, and inheritance from teacher to student. And Athena and Simon’s ace – Psychology – is literally that, an inheritance from Metis Cykes!

They don’t need to create a whole batch of other characters. I’m not saying the Rakugo case sucks – it’s very new considering we have another Japanese culture-themed case; and the fact that a psychological disease (the multiple personalities stuff) is the main turning point of this case makes it a perfect case for Simon and Athena – but maybe they should have used it for the next game?

Athena and Simon were only introduced in the last game – so I’m definitely hungry for more backstory and deeper characterization for these two wonderful characters. And what better way for us to get to know more about theme more intimately than to get to know these two’s most important person, Metis Cykes, and her gift to them?

But hey – I’m complaining but I’m not particularly shunning these two and Case 3. As I said, Case 3 is a wonderful and genius case (but what would you expect from Ace Attorney, right?). It’s just that, the potential…

The Game

So far, this game has the largest amount of ‘gimmicks’ or ‘powers’ featured. Phoenix’s Magatama, Apollo’s bracelet, Athena’s Widget, Ema’s Forensic stuff, and the newly introduced Rayfa’s Divination Séance. I think the only missing power is Edgeworth’s Logic Chess, and we have the complete set!

Each of them is unique and special in their own way, and they definitely made the game much more exciting and enjoyable. OF course, the traditional courtroom battle is as hard, mysterious and exciting as ever! I cannot even predict who the culprit was in the start of the case, and if it was obvious who did it (like, it was showed in the initial cutscene or was directly implied), I can’t figure out how he/she did it without the help of the character I’m acting as. Which is a new thing for me, since in the past games, I already know who the real culprit is even before the player character knows. Well, most of the time, at least.

And the plot, oh the plot was absolutely complicated and mind blowing it’s wonderful. The family drama is as – if not more – dramatic than the T&T one. And that’s saying something, considering that the Fey clan’s story is really complicated too. And as I mentioned earlier, this game gave meat for the characterization of several characters.

Also, it made me cry probably around ten times.

FINAL REMARKS

DO I EVEN HAVE TO? GO PLAY IT. Though if you still haven’t play the previous games yet, do that first THEN PLAY THIS. THE STORY IS GOOD. THE GAMEPLAY IS AWESOME. THE CHARACTERS ARE WONDERFUL. *eternal scream*

FINAL NOTES: I’M SORRY IF I MISSED ANYTHING. What I wrote here are the things that really stood out to me. My aim is not to review everything about the game, but to write what I remember the most and what my reaction to it. If I did react to the whole game, it would take about 20 pages or so in MS word. (This is 4 pages, btw)

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