This was incredible. Front-to-back engaging, heartwarming, and memorable. The eloquent writing had me captivated from the start. Thank you, Sarapsys from 9 years ago! I was craving Near and Mello content, and this handed it to me perfectly.

Shoot! I almost forgot!

What I also really liked about this story was the successors other than Mello and Near. I usually don't like when the other children are added in (because they disrupt the flow), but you did quite well. There appearances were subtle and served a purpose. Concord, is by far one of the better ocs I have ever read in a short fiction such as this. She serves a purpose, she doesn't make google eyes at the top two, and there's a sense of bitterness that she isn't chosen. Her character, while she isn't featured prominently, is quite compelling. She has a history that includes the previous top two (A and B) and her experience is a rude awakening for Roger. (That was a development I wasn't expecting).

Also, secret languages? Jammers? Knowledge of inheriting the title at age 8 and then changing it to 14? You have definitely redefined what it was like living in the House. It seems so real and so logical now. The development of the house (from being a cold orphanage full of sociopaths waiting for the death of their predecessor) is parallel to Near's. I'm not sure if you intended that, but it works.

Anywhoozles, good day to you.

Twas quite a treat to read.

I don't usually go into the Death Note fandom nowadays, mainly because there are far too many shipping fics to suit my tastes. However, for some odd reason, this little fic caught my eye. I found the premise to be quite intriguing-especially since you're writing from a character's perspective not many people usually remember or care to think about. For that reason alone, I felt like I should give this story a try.

And you know what? I'm glad that I did.

First of all, I love how you gave Roger background to him. In both the manga and anime, he's nothing more than a caretaker to the successors and a mere associate with connections to L. Yet, you characterized him so beautifully, you breathed life to him-made him more human. His grasp on the situation is always evolving; the reader can clearly see that he's struggling and that this is trial and errors (unfortunately).

What I find really fascinating is that you incorporated his involvement with the House (as you eloquently put it) shortly after A's demise and B's apparent involvement. The readers can clearly grasp the situation and it shows how desperate Roger is to latch onto something, something to take his mind off his wife's death. However, this scene struck me more so when you alluded to the idea that the events of the past could be replicated with Mello's relationship with Near. (I never even thought about that). That alone was more than enough incentive to keep reading. (That, and the way you described the children during the first time Roger saw them for the first time. It's faintly chilling to know that they're no longer children, but rather, children being robbed of their childhoods).

Secondly, Mello and Near's relationship and how Roger tried to handle this one. Wow, kudos to you for making their relationship so believable and ten times as heartwrenching. I can see the two little boys looking to each other for comfort, but later drifting apart in search of glory. It impacts me so much as a reader and as a fan of Death Note because we all know how it ends. The execution is near (hehe) flawless: Roger's foolish hope of joining them together as partners, Mello's fiery nature negatively impacting the rest of the students, and Near's toying nature. You can clearly see the struggle the three main characters face: Roger with his inability to be professional and detached, the relationship between both successors, and well...I hate to say this, but L and Watari are also culpable for their (in)actions.

All in all, it was quite fascinating to watch how their relationships intertwined and slowly diverged.

Finally, what I really liked about this story was how you mainly focused on Roger's interest in the kids. From what the reader can glean, Roger has the makings of the father, but he has much to learn. (As evidenced from the suitable title). If the story had a differing tone, it could have been almost comedic how his benevolent meddling just led to an enormous rift in the boys' relationship had it not been for the inevitable tragedy. Yet, there's still hope.

Near has a lot to learn, especially when being emotion, but...I saw that Near was close to breaking after the Kira case and how he handled it before and after the confrontation is so compelling. Not many people focus on Near after concluded the Kira case, but I'm glad that you ran past the end of canon. You turned Near from an unfeeling machine to a broken human being. You have not only given him sound psychological background for his present actions, but you developed him past the cold demeanor that he displays in canon. It was touching when he finally let Roger comfort him.

Wonderful character development, I might add.

I wish I could wax poetic about this story, but I can't. It's more than I could ever want in a story about the beginnings of Near and Mello. It's practically criminal that this story doesn't have more reviews, but of well.

(The only problem I have is the lack of Matt. Hehe, I'm joking, you do you. You made Mello seem more dynamic by making him independent on Matt in contrast to Near's manipulative nature.).

Somehow, I get the feeling that Near was the one to kill his own cat, knowing that Mello would be the one inevitably blamed given that he was the one with the known temper and propensity toward violent outburtsts... Dark stuff in this chapter, loved it :)
Well, not the wanton cat murder but, you get the idea.

I don't know if you'll be able to read this review or not but I'm gonna write it down anyway. Thank you so much for writing this fic. This is one of the most beautiful and amazing fics I've ever read. The story is something I don't find very ofter when it tells the relationship between Near and Mello from Roger's P.O.V. And above all that, it also tells the history between these two and Roger himself. You don't know how many times did I thank Roger in this fic for trying to resolve the bitter rivalry, making them work together, taking care of Near after L's and Mello's dead. Your fic put me through a roller coaster of emotions, from curious to joy, from sadness to hopeful and through the tears I found peace. Thank you so much again for writing this beautiful fic.

This was literally everything I have ever wanted in a Death Note Fanfiction. Thank you, you did a beautiful job, every word was a joy to read.

This Is my favourite fanfic I have ever read. It fills out some of the vital backstory to Near and Wammys House, which really fascinated me even though I don't have the talent to write something like this. More please.

This was a fantastic story. I kept hoping Mello would come back even though I knew he wouldn't. Absolutely heartbreaking, and I definitely cried a bit at the end. You're a great writer.

Beautifully written. I loved your version of Roger :)

Ah this story was beautifully written. I love your characterization of every single person in this fic, and the idea is excellent. My emotions were influenced strongly by this story, and that's not a frequent happening for me. I did cry at the end. Poor Mello, and poor Roger and Near for having to deal with the aftermath. A fresh twist on the canon story was much appreciated, and I definitely gained a better understanding of how Roger may have felt throughout the canonical storyline. Fantastic writing, and I hope to read more by you soon.

-Misaki

This was great!

Holy CRAP you are *amazingly* good with words. I love how you wrote Near, Roger, and Mello though. Especially Near, with all his wonderful passive aggressiveness. I have nothing useful to say at all, sorry... (some authors seem to dislike the zomg awesome! reviews :D)

This is the most amazing and believable story about Mello and Near that I have ever read! I love how you tied it in to the actual cannon, as well as the fact that the characters were exactly themselves! You captured Mello's emotional side perfectly and I love how Near was affected by Mello's departure. It also adds to the story that you centered on Roger and made him seem like a grandpa to the two orphans. Overall, I would not change one thing about this amazing piece of literature, seeing as all the other DN fanfics (excluding some, of course, though very few) are soooo OOC.

This was a really beautiful story. It was unique in the aspect that it was focused around Rodger, and I really liked that. I always thought that most Fan Fictions that include Rodger don't really give him much credit, or make him out to be the bad guy. This is original, touching and I just loved it!

Saying that, I think I must add that the ending had me crying. The whole story I found myself really irritated by Near and Mello. I just wished Rodger would tell them how he felt so they wouldn't hate him! It was a relief

to know that finally, Near knew how much Rodger cared for him.

On that note, there were also quite a few funny parts that made me smile. Thank you so much for writing this.

I love this!

And I still hate that Mello died... *sob*

Why do I allways get stuck with the sad stories? ('cause they're great, but whatever)

It's sad and adorable.

ArmourDuck