fic: A Whisper to the Living, part 2/2
Sep. 17th, 2007 12:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xparrotPsych: A Whisper to the Living {12,102 words}
PG-13, gen futurefic (AU variety that will never happen in the show, thank goodness), drama, angst (oddly, more drama than angst.)
Ten years after the Psych agency closed, Shawn Spencer returns to Santa Barbara.
Read it on AO3
PG-13, gen futurefic (AU variety that will never happen in the show, thank goodness), drama, angst (oddly, more drama than angst.)
Ten years after the Psych agency closed, Shawn Spencer returns to Santa Barbara.
Read it on AO3
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2007-09-16 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 05:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-16 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-16 07:38 pm (UTC)Also, on a semi-related note, my roommate and I had the same opinion of last week's episode. It was like the slashiest episode ever for whatever pairing floats your boat and then there was that final scene. Liz and I both shouted "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" All horrible romance plot arcs aside, it would have been so out of character for Juliet.
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Date: 2007-09-17 05:47 am (UTC)I don't know what it is about this show...a lot of the eps that have Shawn/Juliet-ish stuff also are slashy. Makes it almost tolerable, if they're always going to balance it like that (good grief Shawn->Gus is almost canon or is it just me! That nap together line murdered me.)
The trouble with Shules is that I actually really love Juliet, but I can't imagine her in a real relationship with Shawn. OOC, like you said...I buy that Shawn crushes on her as the thus-far unattainable, and I buy that Juliet is more attracted to him than she knows she ought to be, because, uh, it's Shawn. But no, don't see them working it out, and don't want to see them working it out, I am so not here for the UST or romance or anything of the sort.
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Date: 2007-09-16 08:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 05:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-16 09:52 pm (UTC)*heartfelt sigh*
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Date: 2007-09-17 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 05:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 12:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-17 05:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-18 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-18 03:28 pm (UTC)(your icon is XDDDDD. I love that scene so dang much.)
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Date: 2007-09-19 02:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-19 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-19 03:58 am (UTC)All the character voices were spot on. Especially Shawn, which is Gibraltar-hard considering how angsty and dramatic nature of the story. It was actually kind of incredible how easily I *saw* Shawn so clearly when he didn't spend any time goofing around with Gus or his dad.
The disconnected-ness of Shawn after the loss of his dad and Gus so realistic and appropriate. I've always loved the way you write characters dealing with loss as they never fall into cliches and each one is very individual in how they handle grief. And the way you write Shawn's is no exception. Wonderful story!!
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Date: 2007-09-19 02:52 pm (UTC)...I write a lot of death-fics, or almost death-fics, don't I. Hmm. Would you believe I'm actually quite a happy person? ^^; It's just, grief is such expressive proof of love...
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Date: 2007-09-20 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-21 04:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-24 10:34 am (UTC)Oh, this was great. Wonderfully sad without being maudlin, and lovely characterization of Lassiter, Jules & Shawn. I really like how you wrote Jules & Shawn's relationship here-- it feels very much like their interactions in canon, while still showing that they've grown and matured. (But not too much in Shawn's case of course. *G*)
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Date: 2007-09-24 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-24 04:05 pm (UTC)Except I don't. I love you, and you write brilliant fic, but it still made me cry. For Shawn, for Juliet... for everything. It's so horribly wrong, but I could see it happen. It's not going to happen - thank goodness - but... if he lost them, if Shawn lost Gus and lost his dad, he'd snap. There would be nothing to keep him anchored, and because he can't not remember... If he didn't go catatonic (and let's face it - the only way that would happen would be through a massive blow to the head), this is something he could do. Would do, even. And it would destroy him, in the end. But before then, he could do something to... help. Shawn helps, and he's got no reason to look out for himself anymore, but he can help others.
I'm not very coherent, because it really did hit awfully hard (and totally below the belt!), but... I loved how Shawn still trusts Juliet, and how she still misses him, and how she and Lassie both knew he was the Whisper all along. How they're keeping his secret for him, because it's all they can do.
I liked how the profiler has him pegged as INSANE. Because. Yeah. Snapped.
...now I'm SAD. I need cheering-up! *snuggles*
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Date: 2007-09-25 04:23 pm (UTC)Yeah, basically it came about because I read some badfic or other where Shawn was suicidal for no particular reason, and I was talking with J-chan about how we couldn't see that under any circumstances, even if Gus died, or Henry, he wouldn't, because the other one would always pull him back...and then the next logical step was, 'but what if it was both?' but even then...we decided he would become Batman! Or some other sort of superhero more suited to his gifts...
Okay, now I'll work on cheering you up! By half-killing Shawn! That's always a good way to go about it, no? XD
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Date: 2007-10-02 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 07:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 07:33 am (UTC)But despite that, I really loved the mutual trust between Shawn, Juliet and Lassiter. I have no idea how things develop with Lassiter in the series, but I really, really hope that we'll see this kind of depth with him; I'd started out thinking that he'd be a one-note comic relief/antagonist character (sort of this show's Frank Burns), but even no farther into the series than I am, he's already got more depth than I was expecting, and he's really pinging on my radar that likes to detect emotionally stunted, relectantly heroic, closet-nice-guys.
(I have no Psych icon, so I'll use my generic h/c icon instead!)
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Date: 2007-10-07 07:59 am (UTC)Hee, if you're only halfway through first season the best is yet to come! The second half of the series is more balanced, I find all the chars more likable and their interactions even more appealing. And Lassiter especially...he's one of the great things about the series, because he could have been this obnoxious character, but you end up really feeling for him, having to put up with the likes of Shawn. He is a good cop and he tries and it's not his fault he doesn't have Shawn's skills. (There's not that much 'depth' of anyone in the series - at least not obviously, it's a lot of reading-into; Psych stays firmly comedic no matter what - but the 10th ep has some great stuff with Lassie, and the end of the season finale...your radar's not giving you false readings ^^)
(I'm also writing gen h/c, tho' not planning on posting on the lj 'til I'm done the stories...the show just cries out for h/c, giving so little in canon. Stupid comedies have a bad tendency to do this to me!)
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Date: 2007-10-07 04:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-07 07:12 pm (UTC)...in other news, don't tell anyone but I've started watching SGA. First 6 eps, enjoying it thus far. Though I'm afraid I might go slasher in this one... XD
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Date: 2007-10-07 07:59 pm (UTC)Um ... is it terribly wrong that this makes me squee? *g* I know that you wanted to avoid it; on the other hand, I suppose it's hard to avoid anything when
... and SGA is the show that's turned me, the ultra-confirmed-genficcer, into a slasher! Well, not a slasher really, because I don't really, seriously see the subtext in canon, but it's the first fandom (and still the only one, really) in which I've actively sought out slash for a couple of different pairings, as opposed to reading slash only when gen is impossible to find.
One of these days I will crack the fangirl codex, the secret equation of relationships that determines what pings and what falls flat, what gets fic'ed and what doesn't.
It's really non-linear, isn't it? It kinda makes me want to sit down and try to do some kind of massive "fanalysis" of character attraction in fandom -- because it's just so impossible to predict what people are going to jump for. Some fandoms are all about the friendfic and friend-slash (or incest in the case of Supernatural) and enemy-slash isn't more than a blip on the radar. From the sound of things, Psych has gone the other way, with fans jumping for the antagonistic relationships (like I've done, too, though not in a slashy way) and leaving the friendlier pairings out in the cold. It's sad to hear Gus gets sidelined, because he's so sweet -- maybe he's too sweet and doesn't give fans enough to work with, or something ...?
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Date: 2007-10-08 06:13 am (UTC)(and she is wonderful, isn't she? I've been lucky enough to have her as a best friend for...wow, ten years now!)
Heh, I don't seriously see the subtext (I rarely do, except with the Clex...) but even in the earlier eps their vibe can...easily be converted?
Fangirl equations...yeah, it's complicated. Some of it is how much canon gives. With Psych I've heard people say Shawn/Gus is boring - that they like it in the show, but there's nowhere to go with it in fic (which I can see; slash would be boring because having sex would change pretty much nothing about their relationship).
Though I think antagonism is almost always an important part, that tension which must be overcome (with either h/c or sex). Most of the more fan-popular best-friend pairs I know have rockier beginnings - Ban & Ginji started out as enemies; Sam & Dean were estranged for all that time...friends like Shawn & Gus that simply are, without any problems, don't provide as much challenge? Or somesuch...
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Date: 2007-10-08 08:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-08 02:55 am (UTC)Oh, dear.
The Iron Wang? XD
<
Oh, dear.
The Iron Wang? XD
<<But if there had been any mercy...if the only victim had been Henry, Gus wouldn't have let Shawn run; he would've held him in place, given him reason to stay, to keep doing his job. Gus had always been Shawn's anchor, tied to him, slowing him down and making sure he didn't drift into too dangerous waters.
And if it had been Gus--Shawn would've run then, nothing could have held him. But Henry would have dragged him back, eventually, sure as the tether snaps in the ball; he'd known his son better than anyone, well enough to track him anywhere, if he'd had to. And he would have.
But then they were gone, Shawn cut loose, no anchor and no tether, no one but herself, and Lassiter, and all those other people who cared, but didn't know Shawn, not well enough. They hadn't been enough.>>
;___;
<<"I like to live light. Like margarine.">>
*snerk* Hey, it's the old Shawn!
<<"Du-dude, thanks," he stammered, still in the surfer's accent; but over Kladinski's bowed head he grinned at her, and there was no honest fear in his eyes.>>
Hm... And yet there's method to his madness? I hope...? -_- I don't want him to really be off the deep end...
<<I'm waiting in line at the security checkpoint, and Gus comes running up, in a pinstripe suit and this tripping purple tie--it's one o'clock on a Thursday afternoon, he's got work, what the hell is he doing here?>>
Oh, Jesus Christ. -_- I hate you. This whole last bit burns. Argh... dammit, the pathos is like Drano in my trachea....
*flails* Why, why do you do it? I really shouldn't've read this before bed... But, yargh. It's really well-written. It works very well, the characters really seem true to themselves. That's why it hurts so much, damn you! Man, tomorrow I need to reread the <i>other</i> fic, wherein you use your powers for good.
*hits you with plushies for being very good at evil*
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Date: 2007-10-08 04:29 am (UTC)the pathos is like Drano in my trachea....
OW OW SPN FLASHBACK DO NOT WANT *covers eyes*
But thank you so much, so glad you...appreciated it even if it hurts *hides from the plushie-assault*
(I'm writing more classic non-deathfic angst & h/c gen here. But, yeah, this was why I needed 4th-wall-shattering slashfic...)
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Date: 2008-08-26 07:08 pm (UTC)I love how Lassiter and Juliet knew all along that Shawn was the Whisper, even if they couldn’t always admit it, and the part at the end about how Shawn can’t forget anything, ever, almost made me cry. In short, this beautiful and sad and uniquely perfect, and I thank you for posting such a lovely fic.
Also! You love Doctor Who too! I took the liberty of friending you since your profile said that was okay. I’m always looking for more people to share my newfound squee over Ten. XD
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Date: 2008-08-27 03:24 am (UTC)And welcome to the flist! Right now you'll find more SGA than anything, (my two great actor loves are Davids Tennant and Hewlett) but I still adore Ten, so once the 2009 specials start airing expect some Doctor squee ^^
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Date: 2008-08-28 01:30 am (UTC)Thank you! I'm glad to be here. XD And hey, maybe you'll convince me to finally watch SGA--I've seen the first several seasons of SG-1 and enjoyed those, but I've never gotten around to trying Atlantis.
Ah, 2009. I simultaneously await it with great squeeing, and fear the Moffat takeover. Fingers crossed, eh? At least, whatever happens, I can still stare at David Tennant. ;)
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Date: 2009-01-08 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-01-08 07:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-04-22 01:59 pm (UTC)I really liked the plot to it and the tone was just right, not that easy when it's a quite dark scenario on a comedy show! You did such a job of getting the characters down, their quirks and dialogue. Shawn leaving pineapple on the headstones was a touching detail and so was Lassiter knowing and being glad it was him all along.
"What you've been doing. Your father, Gus--they'd be proud."
For a moment he stood there, one step from her, not looking back. Then he said, "I don't care."
Blimey. Gut punch of an ending. Brilliant!
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Date: 2009-04-23 09:25 am (UTC)Wow!
Date: 2011-03-17 08:19 am (UTC)Re: Wow!
Date: 2011-03-17 09:19 pm (UTC)