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Detectives were a nuisance.
The sentiment had been drilled into Seth’s brain relentlessly by his own sadistic and egotistical boss. “Don’t let them get in the way, Seth! Handle the Nail Man case on your own, or I’ll see to it you’ll be relieved of your position.”
He was never one to talk back or argue, though. After all, growing up his parents taught him the beauty of silence. So, Seth liked just going along with orders, even if he couldn’t care less for his boss. If he was conditioned to be more feisty, he’d call him out for all his bullshit.
So you want me to frame an innocent man, a father?
I would much prefer to interrogate the church clergy and members, but… whatever you say, Director Yomi! For you can never be wrong.
I have literally seen the request for the clock tower repairs. That’s obviously why the watchmaker was there, you fucking dumbass Yomi! One of these days…
Well, Seth supposed it didn’t matter that much. He was loyal to Amaterasu, as he had other family members who worked for the corporation. So, as a Peacekeeper, he simply had to maintain the order in Kanai Ward in whatever way Director Yomi saw fit. And for some reason, he thought Seth should “solve the serial killings” by arresting the watchmaker, just as he was on the clock—no pun intended.
And because Seth was a lead figure in the Investigations department, he took the order seriously, because if he didn’t, no less than his job was at stake.
To vent out his frustrations with Yomi—to keep himself sane, and to ensure he could do his job properly—Seth would spend a lot of his free time working out at home. He saved a lot of his money to buy the highest end equipment he could afford.
Luckily for him, since he had some authority and power, he managed to save some money. After all, Amaterasu made pretty much everything people in Kanai Ward could buy.
So, his home gym burst at the seams with machines. He had a treadmill along the wall, with a window for him to stare out of as he listened to a mix of 2020s pop and heavy metal, and found himself lost in thought.
Whenever Seth ran, he thought about how he even put up with the terrible way his boss treated him. Why couldn’t he ever speak up for himself, and tell people to fuck off? Oh, right. Silence is golden. That was the way for Burroughs’ members to think.
But really, how did Martina devote herself so much to Yomi? Had Yomi’s manipulation driven her past the point of no return? Did she really believe he cared for her, with all his honeyed words with masked malice behind them? Perhaps, Seth thought, he and Martina were similar.
One reason Seth even started working out in the first place was to try to toughen up. He thought, maybe if he could get really physically strong, his mentality and resolve would strengthen. He’d speak loudly and proudly without the help of a megaphone, and he wouldn’t use polite words if the recipients didn’t deserve them.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t been that easy. Each time Seth tried to stand up for himself, Yomi taunted him so much that Seth felt he had no other choice but to back down. So, his voice stayed feeble, and he stayed meek. He could only appear intimidating when he was out and about— away from Yomi.
That didn’t stop Seth from keeping the routine going, though. He had actually gotten really fit. Most people didn’t know because of the large poncho he always wore, but he didn’t mind. He figured it was best to keep his strength and physique a secret, that way he could use it to get his way if the need ever arose. He just tried to use his brain more than his brawn, because he always had his smarts.
When he wasn’t much one for casual conversation, it was simply easier to stick to what he was always known for.
But… he hoped to someday show Yomi his strength, and take him down a peg or ten.
In the meantime, he would do some major bench pressing. After running into some meddlesome detectives earlier—and one of them taking all of his Peacekeeper helpers out—Seth needed to unwind. He wouldn’t let the detectives outwit him, as far as he could help it.