#anyway do you think Lupin and Fujiko find out about this? You Decide

[peaterookie]

Lupin III Chapter 54 Review

hiii its time again

today's chapter cover is someone carrying a tied-up lupin in a suitcase.. someone with a hat… and has noticeable beard chin… and has a lanky figure….. and smokOH MY GOD IT'S JIGEN!!!

why is jigen so shady?? why did he kidnap lupin??? FIND OUT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!

once again, lupin is back to being a shady no-good businessman this will probably end after chapter 55 dont worry im kinda getting tired of this too yknow i never thought the whole thing with lupin following orders pretending to be a white collar worker was a good thing anyway because hes gonna fuck things up anyway doing it like 3 times gets a bit old!

this time he's meeting up with a man with a really big forehead and another fujiko

and they're kinda trying to kill each other for some reason they talk for like one second and then big forehead dude leaves, leaving a mysterious assassin to take care of lupin and drives off! weird!

the mysterious assassin reveals that its none other than jigen daisuke! lupin is super shocked! but i think most manga readers saw this coming- i mean he didn't treat jigen any good in the first place…

still, lupin manages to escape the whole ordeal rather unscathed, and comes back to the company that he got hired under

the boss reveals why lupin and the big forehead guy was up against each other apparently the big forehead guy is the president of a rival company, and his devious ass decided to steal the blueprints from them to pass the invention as his own!!

in this panel above lupin saids that they could just steal them back, but the boss saids that they already produced the thingy in the blueprint already sucks to suck

oh yeah the big forehead guy is named kajino but im gonna ignore that because the nickname i gave is way funnier

THEN JIGEN COMES BACK then lupi- oh damn. that's.. rather unfortunate.

big forehead dude scolds jigen for fucking it up and he kinda leaves saying he can still kill lupin then he winks look at that smile :)

ok then now big forehead guy with his stupid big forehead reveals that the product in question is an underwater cabin!! thats kinda cool do we have that in real life now? ill look it up after finishing this

a bunch of reporters swarm him asking questions about the cabin two reporters says that they've heard rumors that he stole the cabin idea from a rival company then fujiko (the woman RIGHT at the beginning of the chapter) accuses one of the reporters as lupin- which she was quite right about! then the second reporter than reveals himself as zenigata, and he arrests lupin. (i wonder why he doesn't arrest the big forehead guy though, manga zeni literally works on a whole different wavelength than anime zeni tbh)

then another revelation! one after another

jigen pops out of nowhere once again and reveals that hes the one that tipped lupin's plans off to Big Forehand Man and lupins like oh my god i hate you jigen im gonna get a new friend

i cant why are both of them smiling what if this is all an inside joke they find it funny jigen keeps betraying him out of nowhere but ok whatever lupin escapes again the usual

then we timeskip!

Big Forehead Guy and fujiko stalk a guy from rival company and they see him entering an underground vault to do more research so they decide to follow him, steal his ideas, and kill him with…

..huh? sure monkey punch! ill go with it

they enter the vault then they had to take their clothes off to prevent being detected with sensors

Big Forehead Man sees two vaults- one for male and one for female and advises fujiko to part ways and investigate both sides on their own

and then… HUH

OH HELL NAW LUPIN'S GONNA FUCK HER-

[dukeswonderousmenagerie]

About Fujiko, Goemon, (and the au concept in general).

A few ppl have some really good ideas about Fujiko wanting to find a cure no matter the cost and Goemon being off training, not even knowing the apocalypse is happening. But I figured I'd throw my two cents in cos I'm a fan of this idea (and watching the last of us got me thinkin' about what would happen if the loop gang was in a zombie au too, lol).

Anyways, maybe you could pair Fujiko with Goemon or Zenigata...?

Maybe Zeni and Fuji were doing that team-up betrayal scenario they do sometimes, or maybe Goe and Fuji were doing their own thing elsewhere as they also tend to do, when things hit the fan.

The apocalypse kicks off in the middle of their usual heist shenanigans and the gang gets split. Since Lupin is alone in the one-shot fic you already have written (which is awesome), I'm assuming that's the case? Which would be pretty dramatic and great for an intro/prologue tutorial scenario.

But I guess that would depend on how all of this started. I'm curious as to the cause of this outbreak and if Lupin and Co. might have been involved or not, because depending on which route you've decided to go with you could tie in some gameplay mystery elements (figuring out what happened and how).

Maybe Lupin and Jigen would run into Fujiko that way, as they are uncovering where and how everything went pear-shaped. Oh, and I could see Zeni working with Fujiko for a cure too, with how his priority as an inspector is to help as many people as he can (next to catching Lupin, but I think that goal is thoroughly out the window in this au lol).

I could see him being more of an in-the-field type (are there other jobs other than runners and gunners?), hunting zombies to use for research or trying to pinpoint/ deduce the cause of the outbreak, like Lupin and Jigen.

Maybe he'd join your group when you do missions for Fujiko?

Unless you already have a plan for him to be zombified or something, lol. That could make for a good gameplay/story point in and of itself.

Sorry if this was long, like I mentioned earlier, the last of us really got my brain churning. I'm looking forward to reading where you take this 👍

Aww thank you so much for the asks! These ideas are truly top notch and I love hearing about them, so don’t worry too much about the length in which you send! :D

I’ll answer what I can in parts to make it easier to get to everything or at least the things that I can answer accordingly!

The apocalypse kicks off in the middle of their usual heist shenanigans and the gang gets split. Since Lupin is alone in the one-shot fic you already have written (which is awesome), I'm assuming that's the case? Which would be pretty dramatic and great for an intro/prologue tutorial scenario.

Ok TBH, when I originally wrote that fic, it was intended to take place a while after the outbreak, with Lupin being forced to huddle up in a abandoned mall after either getting separated from his gang or while being out on a scav mission, getting himself in trouble forcing him to stay put until the sun came up and it was safe to move.

Now that you mention it being like a intro/prologue tutorial. I really LOVE that idea! The gang getting split up in the midst of the outbreak, and you being forced to find a safe place to hide, all the while a tutorial plays where you learn how to attack and use your watch grapple to parkour across the buildings and such! All the while not knowing what happened to your friends and just listening to hell descend upon the city your in. The screams, the growls, the breaking of glass.

Meanwhile your friends are having the absolute time of their lives! (I say sarcastically xD)

But I guess that would depend on how all of this started. I'm curious as to the cause of this outbreak and if Lupin and Co. might have been involved or not, because depending on which route you've decided to go with you could tie in some gameplay mystery elements (figuring out what happened and how). 

Well the original idea was to basically have it like how Resident Evil/Outlast starts.

Where your basically just dropped in the middle of a outbreak/occurrence, and all the world building comes after. I always liked how Resident Evil did it, where it just dropped you into the action and then gave you time to find out what happened afterwards (if your like me and actually liked to read the documents) or like how outlast did it in the first game where you got a small bit of world building in the beginning, the action starts shortly after, and THEN the world building starts up.

Lupin and Co. are not involved in the outbreak THANKFULLY but they are stuck in the middle of it which somehow sounds even worse xD.

I could see him being more of an in-the-field type (are there other jobs other than runners and gunners?), hunting zombies to use for research or trying to pinpoint/ deduce the cause of the outbreak, like Lupin and Jigen.

Actually yes there is! 

All together there are a few “factions” that act like Jobs!

Runners 

Gunners 

Watchers 

Scavies 

Bandits (a more aggressive form of scavenger)

and Researchers. 

Researchers, also called Biologist’s are a relatively small faction specializing in researching and surveying the various Mutants and Undead inhabiting areas throughout the city. Similar to how Runners are, Researchers would often go outside QZ’s in order to do their research and study, which mostly consisted of researching new monsters, outbreaks, what causes mutations and stuff like that. Originally they were in charge of attempting to find a cure. However when places became more and more militarized as time went on, they were essentially put on a watch list by various military groups like the watchers.

Originally, the reasons for this change ranged to something similar to what they used for the Runners. That anything/anyone leaving a QZ was a danger to those inside whether they be infected or not. Another reason that is often used was they did it in order to prevent the looting of dangerous materials and to prevent the unauthorized entering of any individuals.

The real reason however? 

Essentially Power. 

As I mentioned before, as time went on, many had started to agree that they didn’t actually wish for the world to go back to the way it was before the outbreak. Many, including the power hungry, actually preferred the “New World Order” so to speak, and feared that, even if there was a chance to make things “safer” that odds are in due time things would go back to the way they were, resulting in stabilization and the risk of power being reverted back to its originally proprietor’s. 

Researchers as a result are often highly scrutinized for this, as they are the first line in a cure being developed then anyone else. As the years went by, the Researchers Faction has essentially been disbanded, with many of their members either being killed or imprisoned or driven off.

However in LIIIRnG, one researcher has managed to survive within the QZ, working underground in secrecy. Meeting him will open up what are known as “Slaughter Quests”

SLAUGHTER QUESTS are Objectives that require you to slay a set number of a specified mutant! Most of the time, these targets are small, but occasionally, you'll be tasked with felling highly dangerous one’s as well. Once a monster has been slain you can report back to the researcher in order to get your reward as well as sell him any monster part you don’t wish to have!

While these are often times Side-Quests; which are missions that are not necessary in order to move along with the story, they often serve as a enjoyable and fun way to gain blueprints, materials, and items. Certain Slaughter Quests will also allow the spawn of rare and “exotic” Zombies and Mutants known as “Legendaries” that are not able to be readily discovered, similar to Legendary Animals in Red Dead Redemption 2 that spawn on the map at random!

Legendary mutants are a particularly nasty breed of creature for the most part, except for the few that are just plain elusive, but either way they'll test your hunting mettle if you try to track down and kill them. However, there are bigger rewards than just bragging rights for eliminating them as you'll also claim rare trophies once the hunt is completed. There are many of these impressive beasts to locate, with each roaming their own patch of land spread across the four corners of the map. Hunting down these trophy kills so that you can collect their individual trinkets requires a knowledge of both their location, and the tactics in which you must employ when you come face to face with them so they aren't scared off – or they don't tear you to shreds – depending on the size of the foe you're dealing with. 

Legendaries can be encountered in some missions, but will appears as a rare occurrence in the wild as time goes on. Once players enter an area that contains a legendary, they will begin receiving a series of messages from the researcher and monsters that you have not yet encountered will be designated as ????in the message until you ultimately discover them

Far warning tho that if your encountering them in the wild, Legendaries don’t stay around forever! Sooner or later they will leave and you’ll simply have to wait until a new one spawns or hope that after a while, you’ll get a mission that’s tasks you with felling the beast of your choosing. But remember quests from the researcher don’t always stay as well! 

Every day is a new day, which means with every new day that’s past, new quests will be added to the roster while old ones are removed, so visit the researcher whenever you get the chance to see what interesting things he has in store for you and what prizes you can get! 

[the-golden-ghost]

Alternatively: 4, Jigen & Goemon.

I am going to do the other one you requested but the desire to write Soft Jigoe Shit was too high so here we go:

~

It was the third week after Lupin’s wedding, and Jigen was wrong. It had lasted.

“Well, they usually last longer than a month,” he admitted when Goemon confronted him about it. “Even Lupin doesn’t get bored that easily. I’d give it four months, tops.”

“Do you think she is really a descendant of the Duke of Milan?” Goemon asked.

“Probably not. Look, Lupin’s marriages all end the same way; badly. Either she’ll turn out to have only been after his money, or he’ll turn out to have only been after her money, or it’ll be a random whirlwind romance where they find out after three months that they actually can’t stand each other and they’ll part on bad terms.”

“How many times has he been married?”

“If he’s honest with me? This is his tenth. But I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s a couple more he’s not telling me about. They weren’t all legal, though,” Jigen leaned out over the balcony, watching the cars pass below with little interest. “Pity he and Fujiko decided to do this at the same time.” Fujiko had gotten engaged - and wed - shortly before Lupin had. On her part, she hadn’t invited any of them to the wedding, which Goemon had been angry about. Even if he knew it would have been bad taste to flaunt her lovers in front of her fiance, she still could have invited them as friends.

“There’ll be other times, with her,” Jigen said, noticing the look on Goemon’s face. “Come on. She goes through guys the way some women go through shoes. If not this one, then maybe the next one.”

“Maybe I won’t show up even if she does invite me,” Goemon said, and Jigen laughed.

It was dull, though, waiting for half their gang to hurry up and divorce. Goemon had gone on a retreat into the mountains and Jigen had moved into his little apartment, but now the two of them were back together and Lupin wasn’t showing any signs of following suit.

Jigen lit a cigarette and sat on the rail, both of which Goemon would have rathered he not do. “Pity the two of us can’t get married,” he muttered.

“Speak for yourself. I still intend to find a bride someday.” Goemon said.

“I meant to each other, stupid,” Jigen said with a grin. “Guess I’m not much of a bride, though, am I?”

Goemon, embarrassed that he hadn’t realized what Jigen was getting at, flushed and looked away. “You are not,” he admitted.

Jigen nodded. “Hell, imagine... well, we couldn’t do it legally, but,” he took a drag of his cigarette. “We could do it. There’s enough dives out there where you can get a fake certificate written up. It’d look like the real deal, close enough. I’ve seen Lupin do it plenty of times.”

Goemon’s first thought was to brush the idea off as ridiculous, until he realized there would be nothing legally binding about any of it. He wouldn’t even need to divorce Jigen, nor would his future wife need to know anything about this. Mostly it would be a way to tease the other two. Let them come back and find themselves out of the loop for a change. And once Goemon realized this, the more appealing the idea sounded. “Let’s do it.”

Jigen looked startled. “Are you serious?”

“I have never been more serious,” Goemon replied. “There is no one in the world I would rather have as my unlawfully wedded husband.”

“Not even Lupin?”

“Lupin’s not here. That is why I am serious.”

Jigen’s look of surprise slowly changed to excitement. “Well, then. Let’s do it!”

~

Five hours later, they were crammed into the back of a city bus, dressed in the finest clothes they’d been able to grab on such short notice, cackling at the sight of their marriage certificate.

“Saskatchewan!”

“Saskatchewan...”

“We’re legally married in the province of Saskatchewan!”

“Not even, this is not a legally binding document. And we are not from Saskatchewan!”

“We’ve never BEEN to Saskatchewan!”

“We’re never going to go to Saskatchewan!”

“Is there anything to steal in Saskatchewan?”

“Is there anything at all in Saskatchewan?”

“Trees? Moose?”

“We can go up there. And become lumberjacks.”

They started howling again, not caring who stared at them since there were only four people on the bus besides them anyway. “All right, Goemon; here’s the plan. We steal, just... a shitload of loot over the next year. Then we quit the business altogether, move up there, get us a log cabin and live off the land forever.”

“All right.”

“We can find you a waterfall to sit under, even. If there’s waterfalls in Saskatchewan. I don’t know if there are, but if there’s one, we’ll find it.”

“It will be too cold.”

Jigen snorted. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you warm.” Then he kissed Goemon hard, pressing him close to the glass of the bus window, and he was right. He was warm.

~

Ten hours later.

The whole thing was supposed to be a joke, and it had felt like a joke when they ran down the sidewalk holding hands and bumping into people and street vendors, laughing. Or on the back of the bus, making dumb plans that would never happen but were fun in the moment. Or when they’d announced to a bar full of strangers that they were married men as of one hour ago and gotten ignored, but didn’t care because they were too lost in the moment. Or when Goemon had fireman-carried Jigen into the hotel room and tossed him onto the bed, or when they’d spent a half hour waging war against each other by using the bouquets of flowers they’d bought, turning the room into an explosion of flower petals.

But it hadn’t felt like a joke on the way back when Jigen, in his excitement, had caught Goemon’s hand and squeezed tight. Or when they’d fallen asleep curled up together on the couch, tired and half-drunk but warm and comfortable, and Goemon had dozed off to the sound of Jigen’s heart. Or now, at 2 in the morning, with the city lights keeping Goemon awake through the open curtains, the buzz of the liquor wearing off, and Jigen asleep beside him, holding on to him like even in sleep he couldn’t believe this was real. In this moment, it felt a little too real for words, and Goemon wanted the morning to come so they could brush it off, forget it.

It wasn’t as if they’d never shared a bed before. They’d done it a dozen or more times. Sometimes with Lupin, sometimes with Lupin and Fujiko, and other times, just the two of them, but it wasn’t new.

Goemon knew it should not have been any different than before. A fake certificate from a Canadian province and a few announcements in some late-night downtown bars didn’t make a marriage. They barely even made a date. Things had not changed between them. The document was forged, the ceremony rushed, and nothing - nothing about this was real.

The thing that nagged at Goemon was that part of him wanted it to be. And he knew what a stupid thing that was to want. He had such plans for himself - finding a bride, a young woman with the same values and traditions as him, and marrying her properly, legally, in his home country. Setting up a life with her. He could not - under any circumstances - spend the rest of his life married to a man ten years his senior, especially not a retired mob hitman with a drinking problem.

It just wouldn’t work, and Goemon knew it, even though he could bury his face into Jigen’s hair and pretend like they had a long and beautiful future together, they didn’t, and couldn’t.

But tonight they could. In the morning it would be gone, and they’d ride back to Lupin and taste death and burn bridges and cheat and steal and laugh and bleed until the moment of their permanent separation. But tonight they could have a taste of something different. Something warm, and as close to innocent as either of them were ever going to get.

So he shifted closer to Jigen, holding him like he would hold the man he married, if they were married for life. Jigen, always a light sleeper, opened his eyes, and Goemon thought that the way the city lights reflected in them were beautiful. And when he told him that, and watched Jigen smile, still half-asleep, Goemon thought that was beautiful, too.

[morporkian-cryptid]

On love, roots, and I’m not sure where I’m going with this

So, the title of the episode was “What crooks love”. At several points in ep.23, Tomoe tried to get Lupin to say “I love you” to her, but he never said it out loud. I thought that was odd. Possibly because saying “I love you” out loud would be the last straw meaning that he’d caved and was entirely under her control. He did end up saying it out loud, but he was conscious at that point, and just playing the part of the brainwashed son. But anyway, “love” and more importantly “familial love” is a major theme and plot point in this arc and in the finale.

As far as familial love goes, Tomoe’s love was a lie, just a sham to get Lupin to trust her and eventually control him. We don’t know much about his grandfather, but seeing the strict and ruthless education The First gave him, I don’t think he was a very loving man. (and that checks out with how Arsène Lupin is in the original novels, but that’s a whole other can of worms). We know close to nothing about his father as far as the anime is concerned, but in the manga, The Second was an absolute dickhead, and in the movie Napoleon’s Dictionary he was just a useless drunkard. As for Lupin’s mother, he never knew her, and when given the chance to possibly find out more about her, he decided that he didn’t want to know.

“You’re my roots.”

What do crooks love? Their partners. The ones who made the choice to stick around, to trust each other, to fight for each other. What made Lupin snap out of Tomoe’s control? His partners. They’re his family, the only ones that really ever cared about him as a person and not just as a thief. They’re the ones who would go to the end of the world to save him, time and time again (and not just in Part 6. Part 2 is chock full of Jigen and Goemon going to ridiculous length to save Lupin’s sorry ass.)

They’re his roots.

He wouldn’t be Lupin the Third without them.

Now please excuse me while I go scream into a pillow.

(also, props to Fujiko for slapping that moron’s face. She didn’t have to but she saw an opportunity and she took it, God bless her <3)

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

just for fun: which kamen rider characters/groups do you think have the best shot at catching the lupin III crew? this would probably have to be without their rider forms because stopping time or kicking them into oblivion or w/e is obviously cheating

Anon, darling, my husband and I spent about an hour talking through every main Rider of the modern era because of this question, so here's what we determined, in order:

Godai actually couldn't--he's got a lot of skills, but none of them are really investigative--and moreover he wouldn't worry about it if they weren't hurting people. Ichijo would be forced to put up with the impressive but vaguely embarrassing Zenigata-sempai (who was of course in the Japanese police force before joining Interpol) for about a month.

Shouichi could and absolutely would catch Lupin and crew, and they wouldn't realize it until the trap closed, because they think the owner of the restaurant they've been setting up in is just kind of a genial idiot. Zenigata would love Hikawa, who would be both flattered and a little alarmed ("Wait, is this my future? I don't think I want this to be my future.") Also, Fujiko would be a little frustrated to find Shouichi completely oblivious to her charms.

Shinji couldn't do it. Nobody in Ryuki could do it, and moreover they're a little preoccupied, thank you.

Kenzaki and the rest of the Blade folks couldn't catch Lupin either, because they are simply not that crafty.

Hibiki-san probably couldn't manage to catch Lupin, but, like Godai, also wouldn't put effort into it. He's a man of action, he fights monsters, crime-solving really isn't his jam.

Tendou could catch them. We know Tendou could catch them. Tendou's good at everything.

Ryotaro would absolutely catch the Lupin crew entirely by accident, and it would be a whole comedy of errors, where they sort of set up base camp in Milk Dipper and keep running into Ryotaro when he's possessed by different Imagin and it'd get really confusing and U-Ryotaro and Fujiko would have a whole thing...it'd be a lot.

Wataru is a bit too shy and retiring to put a lot into crime-solving, but he could take Goemon in a fight, because he's still a Fangire even without turning into Kiva. Zenigata and Nago would bond terrifyingly. In the end, though, Taiga's company would not be robbed, because they signed up to steal from a regular corporation, not one staffed entirely by vampires.

Tsukasa could catch them, because his powers include being good at whatever he needs to be good at right then, but he wouldn't, because why upset Daiki by getting his buddies arrested?

Shoutaro and Philip might be able to do it, but there'd be a lot of coincidences involved. Shoutaro and Jigen would probably meet in the Windscale boutique at the beginning of the story and get into a friendly argument over hats or the appropriate break length for men's trousers or something. Zenigata would find Terui a little alarming; Terui would find Zenigata maddening.

Eiji couldn't and wouldn't. Not his scene.

Gentarou definitely couldn't catch the Lupin crew, but they would also end up calling off whatever crime because this guy's just too nice.

Haruto, like Wataru, has powers even when he's not a Rider, and would catch them with magic, which Lupin would loudly declare to be cheating.

Kouta could not. Kouta is not crafty. Nobody in Gaim is really very crafty. Takatora would try very hard, but he wouldn't manage it. Lupin & Co might call off robbing Yggdrasil, though, once they find out that the company's mostly trying to rebuild the city now.

Takeru couldn't catch Lupin and his people, but they would decide not to steal whatever treasure from the temple anyway, because why disappoint that guy?

Emu absolutely could not.

Sento could, but only in such a way that would allow his to exhaustedly announce the plan of his that they've been playing into the entire time. He would be very pleased with himself.

Sougo is not even a possibility here. He'd love Goemon, though.

Aruto could not catch them. They have already robbed Hiden Intelligence. It's too late.

Touma...I don't think he could catch them, but I think Jigen would like him.

Ikki and Vice could and would catch the Lupin crew, but it'd be another comedy-of-errors situation--they're not actually trying to catch anyone, Ikki's just irrepressibly nosy and a busybody and he'd do it by accident.

[ashenpages]

Current Projects & Emoji Voting Key

Quick disclaimer: I’m a romance writer in all aspects of the term, so most of my works will contain mature content. Engage at your own risk, you know the rules, you’re responsible for curating your own experience of the internet, blah blah blah.

This post serves as a current mock up of fic ideas I’m either actively working on or considering working on next. You can drop me an ask about any of them, or just vote via the emoji combo I’ve assigned them.

Voting lets me know you’re excited about an idea and makes it more likely I’ll actually work on it. You can vote anytime, there’re no deadlines or winner announcements, just me gauging your interest by what I see in my ask box most often.

You can also ask me about the original stuff I’m working on currently. The current WIPs are Medusa centric and the emoji for them is: 🐍

Support my original work on Ko-fi and Patreon.

- Lupin: 🤑🤠💍  These are all oneshot ideas, between 5-15K each. If you want to vote for a specific idea, send me the emojis and the number of the idea.

Born from the idea that Goemon and Zenigata probably couldn’t be an item, my brain decided to come up with how I could write for them. Goemon’s teaching an ikebana class as part of his training, and Zenigata shows up as a student on forced recreational leave for his health from the ICPO. Zenigata wins the samurai’s heart through flowers. But what happens when Lupin and Jigen find out? (Only good sexy things, I promise. These beans are in a healthy polycule--be gay, do crimes) (WIP)

Jigen/Lupin, but it's Jigen deciding to seduce Lupin while wearing his own Lupin disguise. The thief is waaaaay too into it, and some artistry is taken with the sex so that they don't mess up the disguise too much during their encoutner.

Jigen/Zenigata/Lupin where Jigen has some fantasices about Zenigata, but is pretty sure they'll never happen. Tells Lupin about them. Suddenly the fantasies are coming true, in the middle of a heist, and Jigen doesn't what to do except get swept up in the moment and enjoy. Plot twist, it's Lupin dressed up as Zenigata granting all his gunman's dreams. Plot twist again, Zenigata catches them at it.

Zenigata/Lupin, where Lupin keeps doing good things in illegal ways and Pops has to find a way to punish him for it. Good thing for Pops Lupin's a masochist?

Trans!Lupin and Trans!Jigen premise: Jigen cares for Lupin after the master thief has top surgery, since Jigen has Been There and Done That. Caring, sweet, and a little sexy. Lupin is a much better patient than Jigen.

The one time Zenigata caught Lupin in an alley and kissed him and it was Jigen in disguise. Things get sexy anyway, and Zenigata has crushes on two thieves now. Lupin and Jigen "kidnap" him later for an evening of taking care of their inspector.

The background plot of Jigen's Gravestone where we see Jigen think he's done for and try to leave Lupin. Our thief has none of it, and we get to relish in the inherent eroticism of Lupin sitting in sniper fire, knowing Jigen's got his back. This is the moment I think Jigen finally believes he can be with Lupin forever.

I love the idea of something longer and more plot driven like a Lupin special where Lupin ends up in hot water and Jigen and Fujiko have to work together to save him. Jigen and Fujiko have such an interesting relationship. They're both partners of Lupin, they don't really like each other, they constantly screw the other over, but when it really matters they take care of each other. I'd like to see that highlighted a little more and also give them space to call each other out and bicker. Nothing sexy between them, but maybe a really interesting threesome with Lupin and Fujiko in a strap on once they save their boy.

- Sonic Vampire Novelist Coffee Shop AU: 📚☕💐

Shadow is an immortal vampire who has seen the world change for the worse too many times. These days it feels like he only lives for his coffee dates with Rouge, another immortal who loves each new era they encounter, warts and all. He has to admit that the book series she got him into speaks to him, at least. If someone in this era can understand him without meeting him, it can’t all be bad. But he hardly expected the goofy blue barista at the new coffee place to understand him the way those books do.

This is a novel length romcom romp with some big feelings about what it means to watch as things change, grow, and die. Expect lots of Big gothic feelings from this one, emotionally charged kissing, and overly-adoring sex. But also expect shenanigans from everyone in the coffee shop, which include Rouge, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Cream, and more.

- Sonic Blazamy, "Like the Sun": 💖🌸💎

Amy Rose has been in love with Sonic for a while.

Or has she?

When the Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, and Silver are trapped as the fuel sources for Doctor Eggman’s newest evil scheme, Amy teams up with Blaze, Rouge, and Cream to save them. With Sonic out of the picture and Amy fulfilling his role, was she ever really in love with him? Or did she just want to be like him?

This is a novel length epic romance with lots of competent women and lots of romantic Blazamy content. Expect flowery hopes and dreams, badass self-actualization, and glancing hand touches that give way to cuddly and sweet sex.

- Persona 5: 🗡🍛☕

After bringing down the Metaverse twice, Ryuji didn’t think graduating high school and figuring out what to do with his life would be so hard. Akira’s back in town, and the gang’s more-or-less all in Tokyo, but everyone else seems to have a plan while Ryuji just floats. How’s he supposed to change the world when he’s not a phantom thief anymore?

This is a novel length fic that addresses how powerless one can feel being just one person in the face of all the corrupted systems and bigotry the world has to offer. It’s about holding on to what you believe in, working through the doubt, and fighting your way to a better tomorrow with the power you do have. The whole gang is queer, featured relationships being Mako x Ann, Ryuji x Akira, Futaba & Yusuke as platonic life partners. Akira is polyamorous and omnisexual, Futaba’s asexual and aromantic while Yusuke is demisexual and very romantic, Makoto’s a lesbian, Ann and Ryuji are bi, and Haru’s pansexual, demisexual, and aromantic. They’re one giant band of queer Phantom Thieves, and even if they’re not really doing the Metaverse thing anymore, they’re still gonna save the world!

Also, I’m gonna make Makoto not a cop. That super didn’t age well. Zenkichi and his boss can work on making them better/abolishing them for other better organizations.

- Hades Game: ❤️‍🔥💀

Oneshot. I just really need to elaborate on the threesome you can have with them in-game, okay? Healthy and canon poly relationships are so few and far between, so often I have to do a ton of groundwork to explain why it’s working in the fic, but NOT WITH THESE KIDS!

Get ready for Meg helping Zag and Than be better at expressing their feelings, lots of kissing, and probably pegging.

- Castlevania Animation Trevor/Sypha/Alucard: 🧛🏰🛌

Castlevania gave Alucard a threesome last season, and I just really need S4 to give me him being taken care of by his partners. They’re probably not going to give it to me, so I’ll need to do it myself. This is just an everybody loves Alucard oneshot, with the gang’s signature banter (to an extent), Sypha being sexy, and Trever being remarkably sincere. This fic is gonna feel like that Ann Hathaway picture with Trevor kissing Alucard and Sypha holding the end of Trevor’s whip while she leans her head on Alucard’s shoulder adoringly.

- Devil May Cry Nico/Lady/Trish: 💋✨😈

Nico’s gay, okay? Like really, really gay. And Lady’s bi and not into men who make her pay bills, but very into women who make amazing guns for her and demonesses with hearts who fight by her side. Trish is ace, but loves people and is pretty attached to Lady at this point. Plus it’s cute when Lady blushes and says nice things like they’re insults. I don’t have super solid ideas for them yet, and I envision these more like a polycule where Lady’s with Nico and with Trish but they’re not with each other more than seeing it as a threesome, but who knows what might happen. This is probably 1-2 oneshots depending on ideas, but might turn into a series of oneshots if people are interested (or I can’t control myself and inspiration strikes).

- Post FMA:B Blind Roy & No Alchemy Ed: 👀👑🙏

This is actually an old novel-length fic I wrote ages ago and didn’t post that didn’t turn out well because I was new to writing sex when I first wrote it. The plot is good, and is all about Roy learning to work with his blindness to reclaim his ambition of being Fuhrer and changing the system to something that actually cares for its people. He and Ed reconnect, fall into bed, and both set about working through their respective traumas about being “useless” having lost their sight/alchemy. They go to Xing as an ambassadorial party to offer Amestris’s collaboration on Al and May’s Alkahestry experiments--and uncover a plot that might threaten both kingdoms.

- Age of Calamity continuity Mipha x Revali: 🦚🐟💘

The first time Revali noticed Mipha, it was in the heat of battle. She stole his mark, taking them down with a flurry of quick blows from her spear. Violence rained from her like water--and then she healed him on her way to her next battle. No questions, no conditions, just pure kindness. The usual need to measure himself against those around him was quiet in her wake. And Revali couldn’t understand it. But how to get to know more about her? A fish and bird may fall in love, but where would they live?

This fic could be a oneshot or novel length depending on how far down the hole I fall. I need it to cover time, but it could be done in linked vignettes or with actually covering events in detail. I may elect to do a oneshot just to get it done and out of my system faster. So much fic to write, so little time.

Expect trans!Revali, polyamorous Zoras, scary competent Mipha, songbird Revali, love confessions that are made up entirely of berating Link for not loving Mipha the way she wants him to, and breaking these characters a little outside of their assigned roles in BotW and Age of Calamity. Background Link x Zelda, and Urbosa x Zelda’s Mom.

- Epic desert romance about Urbosa and Zelda’s mom: 🏜🏝⚡

I just think Urbosa should kiss women and Zelda’s mom should get more development and maybe a name or something. Also, lightning imagery/metaphors/play.

It also went way over my head that Riju wasn’t Urbosa’s daughter the first time I played BotW, so now I want to write about the Gerudo queen who refused to produce an heir. The Gerudo are fascinating and have a very interesting cutlure, but I think it could be examined from a nonbinary perspective that rejected pregnancy and wanting to find a husband. Not in like a hateful way, but in a way that examines if that’s really right for everyone. There’s that shop in town that sells Voe armor, after all. Maybe finding a husband and having children isn’t something you have to do if you don’t want to. And Urbosa really doesn’t want to.

[sentientpaperbag]

Ichika was having a bad day.

Coming home should be a relaxing scenario. Unfortunately, Ichika's home seemed to have completely ransacked. Her first clue was the door being ajar, the door handle broken. Inside, clothes were scattered everywhere, her couch was overturned, her phone on the floor. Broken plates littered the kitchen. Ichika walked calmly over to the kitchen and pulled a knife out, carefully avoiding the broken glass in case the intruder was still in her home.

Silently, she stalked through the house, flicking a lightswitch on in her rooms to see if the intruder was still here. Her bedroom door was shut. Bracing the knife in hand, she turned the doorknob and opened the door quickly.

Inside, the room was a disaster. Her sheets torn away, her nightstand turned over, her lamp broken. They were looking for something. But what?

Inching into her room, she took note of the window being opened. Her closet was open and clothes had been thrown out haphazardly. Her drawers were open, the items inside shoved around in dissary. Ichika sighed in frustration, going over to shut the window.

After doing a once-over she decided she needed to call a couple of people. First, Lupin.

"Hello?" A feminine voice asked.

"Hey Fujiko it's Ichika, is Lupin around?"

There was some rustling, and then Lupin responded, "Hey Ichika what's going on?" He was in his usual goofy mood.

"Someone broke into my house. I think they were looking for something," she shouldered her phone while she looked at her broken door, "Any idea what they might've been after?"

He was quiet for a moment, "Did anyone see you during that heist from about a week ago? Anyone that might've known you weren't someone who worked there?"

"Other than Zenigata? I don't think so...," she looked at the mess in the living room, sighing, "I don't know why-,"she stopped talking when she noticed something specific missing.

"Ichika?"

"The wig Fujiko let me borrow is gone. I can't find it. I wore it home and I can't find it. Now that I think about it, the entire outfit is gone," Ichika was growing concerned. So they had been looking for something.

"Get Zenigata over to your house, they'll probably try to get information out of you, and it'd be better if you have Pops around to help you," she could practically hear him wink over the phone, but there was a slight air of seriousness to it, "...Be careful, ok? They probably know you helped us and we're hidden. You're not," his voice was a lot more serious now.

After assuring him she'd be fine, she rang up Zenigata.

"Hey it's me," Ichika tried to ignore butterflies forming in her stomach. Lately whenever she talked to her friend, those feelings would bubble up. She shook her head, "Hey listen um, someone broke into my house, and-"

"WHAT?!" She heard the sound of someone falling, a grunt of what was most likely pain, and then, "Are you ok!? Was it Lupin?"

"What? No it wasn't Lupin. Lupin doesn't leave messes, you know that," she rolled her eyes. Always Lupin, with this guy, "Anyway, my door's broken and I don't feel safe here, do you know if there's a place near you that I can stay at till I get new locks."

She heard him hum into the phone as he thought about it, "Well," he finally said, "I don't think so. But I have some room here if you wanted to stay over. N-not in the weird way or anything!" He hastily added on. Ichika's face began to heat up just from the fact that he'd even thought that up to begin with, "We're friends and I just thought it'd be a good idea for someone you know to be close by and-"

"It's fine, Koichi," she replied, "Do you wanna meet up somewhere? That way I can tell you what happened in person."

That'll work. Be safe till I meet up with you, ok?" She blushed at how genuine he sounded. Damn these stupid feelings, "Yeah I'll be safe."

Hanging up her phone, she picked her knife back up and went to her room to pack some items in a bag. Once she gathered the items she needed, she left the house. She knew police would probably want to talk with her. Zenigata was definitely going to tell them about it since this was a crime scene.

Sighing, she made her way to the little restaurant she and Zenigata liked to frequent, and sat down to wait. Not more than a few minutes later, a very disheveled Zenigata ran up and practically fell into the chair across from her.

"I told the police force to check your home out and make sure nothing important was taken," he sighed and looked at her, "Uh... was... anything important taken?"

She smiled, "Hello to you too, Koichi. They took something I'd rather the police not know about," she leaned forward and said in a lower voice, "You know how I disguised myself to help Lupin and the gang steal those paintings?"

He nodded, "They stole my costume I wore. I couldn't find it in the house at all," she finished, leaning back. He nodded thoughtfully, "Alright so I guess I'll have to do this on my own then."

"I appreciate that, Zenigata. I really do. You know that.. Lupin and the others are gonna be trying to figure out what happened too?"

He grimaced a little at that, "I assume you called them too?"

"Yup. They are my friends, you know," she laughed lightly. He sighed, but nodded, "I don't like it but I can't exactly stop you..."

"Sure you could," she grinned smugly, "But you won't do it."

He raised an eyebrow at her before she held her wrists together, "You don't arrest me."

"Oh right. Well you see the reason I don't do that is because you end up revealing that someone worse was behind it all. Hell, that's even gotten me off Lupin's case a few times," the two laughed at that and settled, Ichika sighing sadly.

"I wish people would stop breaking into my house. Literally the night after we pulled that heist, Goemon came in and used his sword on my door....," she frowned, "Again."

"How many times is that now?"

"Three I think. He pays for it. He just.. doesn't like the sounds-"

Zenigata raised a hand, looking embarrassed, "Please don't tell me I don't want to know."

The two sat there talking for a while, before finally deciding it was time to head back to Zenigata's. For some reason, the entire walk home, Ichika was very aware of her hand, occasionally brushing against Zenigata's. She wasn't sure if he was doing it intentionally or if it was just how he walked. It was taking all her strength not to just reach over.

"Uh, Ichika? Did you mean to grab my hand?" Zenigata sounded more embarrassed than he had been earlier. Ichika looked down at their intertwined hands, confused. Had she done that?

"I uh.. I think I'm more shaken up from that break in than I thought," she said softly, gripping his hand a little tighter, "Sorry, I'll let go if you want."

"No no! It's fine I was just caught off guard, hahaha...," He sounded like he was trying to play it off, but he was still kind of embarrassed. He didn't let go of her hand, and the two walked home in silence.

[gaarfielf]

Not to be that guy but here’s an analysis on LGBT characters/rep in the lupin iii universe nobody asked for. I’m gonna cover Twilight Gemini, Harimou’s Treasure, Angel Tactics, TWCFM, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 5

Twilight Gemini is arguably one of the least popular films of the series pretty much based on the fact it’s just not a good movie. But this ain’t a movie review that’s just the facts. Anyway the villain’s henchman, Sadachiyo, is gay and the movie does not skirt around it at all. Lupin makes several “jokes” about the character being gay and the character is written to be very perverted and evil (obviously because he’s a henchman) but nonetheless very stereotypical to downright offensive (his character wearing lipstick is a little uh). Ultimately, Goemon returns at the very ass-end of the film to stab him directly in the chest and that’s where that story ends. Now, there isn’t much to say about this character because he really was only around for Lupin to make jokes that weren’t funny before dying. Gotta love them yep huh /eye roll/

Harimou’s Treasure gave us the double whammy of not only a bad joke against intersex people and trans women, but also a nazi joke! hooray. The film uses a slur that some may argue “wasn’t a slur back then” but nonetheless leaves the film to have aged terribly. The character...../sighs/ Herr Maphrodite /SIGHS LOUDER/, is once again a huge offensive stereotype and coincidentally, another villain. By the end of the film Fujiko manages to take him down by.... kissing him.... and he’s so repulsed.... that they just... win somehow. It’s really just an unpleasant scene. But luckily the film isn’t hugely popular (in comparison to Secret of Mamo, Cagliostro, Fuma, etc).

Angel Tactics threw in a new idea with a bisexual woman........... who is also a villain. Detecting a pattern yet? Her name is Lady Joe /HUGE SIGH/ and she is shown to be pretty masculine which there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with until you consider that TMS might have argued otherwise, but the film eventually reveals her “true form” (???) where she’s actually really perverted and her outfit changes to be very revealing and “sexy” (TMS wouldn’t know sexy if it bit em in the ass tbh). It’s almost as if TMS associates being gay with being evil and perverted? Wild.

TWCFM is a split audience in this aspect, with a gay character that some believe is pretty accurate representation and others believe is just another TMS classic gay stereotype. Personally speaking, the fact that Oscar was designed to look like a woman (the same head shape, wide hips and skinny body as Fujiko) and also being notably... /excited/ around Zenigata, I disliked the representation. However, other people (gay people specifically b/c why would I ask straight people how they felt about him lol) believe that he’s actually really speaking to them as a gay character. I mention this because I didn’t personally finish TWCFM so I don’t wanna throw him under the bus as a character, but I will say, he is still a villain in the series as made apparent by his strict hate for Fujiko (presumably out of jealousy).

Part 2 gave us a fast one with the Rose of Versailles episode. It was a crossover episode between the two series and TMS decided to do a very interesting take on it where Lupin literally falls in love with a character disguised as a man. In the episode it’s very apparent he has no idea that the character he’s in love with is actually a woman and actually convinces Jigen and Goemon later that it’s not a big deal. Jigen and Goemon by the by, are not cool with their relationship but eventually grow more neutral about it as the episode progresses. Speaking bluntly, this episode is a very wild outlier in Part 2 as an episode which literally outright confirms Lupin as bisexual (or pan, or any degree of not-straight that tickles your fancy). However, it’s often not acknowledged for ??? reasons. Alongside this in Part 2, there is another episode Lupin disguises himself as a woman to seduce a man for his money, only to find that after revealing himself that the man... doesn’t care. They get married in the episode. I don’t know how this goes over peoples head. Granted, Lupin was in it for the money but I think Lupin of all people could’ve come up with a different plan if he really didn’t want to legally marry a man.

Part 3 also gave us something new with various episodes that imply Jigen might swing that way too. Bear with me here but Part 3 delivers /a lot/ of secluded scenes with Jigen outwardly upset that Lupin ditched him for a woman. Scenes where he looks away from women that Lupin are talking to/about, scenes where he leaves the room when there’s women, scenes where he refuses to look at Lupin when he’s with a woman and just generally more outwardly not interested in women compared to previous Parts where he more-or-less ignores them. Previous Parts, Jigen might not be crazy about women but there isn’t really as many strong visuals as their are in part 3 that suggest he’s explicitly attracted to men (though there are scenes in Part 1 and 2 where he quite literally goes into hysterics over Lupin, thinking he’s dead, though take it as you will). Speaking of more visuals surrounding Jigen specifically related to being gay, I’ll bring up the obvious one being the classic Play Bohz scene, where Jigen is very visibly reading a muscle magazine (a kind of magazine that was specifically popular among gay men in the 80s as a more ‘discreet’ way of essentially reading filth) and I mean. That’s pretty concrete. But there’s also other nods to it like him and Lupin smoking under a billboard with two men kissing on it, Jigen telling Goemon he looks cute in women’s clothing, etc. Part 4 even gives us Fujiko implying that Jigen is jealous at Lupin and Rebecca’s wedding which Jigen.... doesn’t respond to.

Part 5 is where TMS reverts back to its old ways. Actually it’s new ways because part 2 and 3 were the 70s and 80s and all these outwardly homophobic movies happened in the late 90s through the 2000s. But nonetheless we get....another... gay.... villain. hooray. again. His name is Albert in case you haven’t watched it yet. Not only that but he is mentioned offhandedly to be gay in one (1) episode before it’s never mentioned again (not exactly what I’d call representation) and the series also doesn’t shy away from gay jokes that purposely make fun of fans for shipping the characters and just in general make fun of gay people. TMS, it’s 2018, can we stop making gay jokes? They aren’t funny. Zenigata pulling his gun on Lupin for making the joke wasn’t funny, Jigen attempting to kick Lupin’s phone out of his hands wasn’t funny, and even the article claiming they were dating wasn’t very funny because it was deadass a joke made at the expense of fans. A wacky gay joke accompanied with hating your fans is a funny way of writing, huh?

In conclusion, why is it that the 70s and 80s somehow handled hinting at these supposed “controversial topics” better than it was in movies made in the 2000s and then rinsed and repeated again in the year 20 fucking 18. I think if Part 2 can have an episode where Lupin deadass flirts and falls in love with a man, Part 5 should have been capable of not writing homophobic characters. and thats the hot but true take of the day.

NOTE: if y’all try to message me to argue keep in mind 1) theres literally nothing straight about Lupin falling in love with a man and Jigen reading a muscle magazine literally known to target gay men and 2) theres nothing you can do to convince me otherwise so you best be ready to swallow that pill and 3) Don’t @ me with ‘bUT lUPIN lIKES wOMAN’ because yeah. no shit. read up on what being bi means before opening your mouth.

[remotecontrolchuck]

Toonami Night Review: So long Attack on Titan, Hope to See You Next Year!

Well last night was the rerun finale of Attack on Titan’s second season. It was quite enjoyable the first time around, and it was just as pleasant to watch at the end of the run. It was years since its first season was on the block, and this season was quite shorter than it. But fortunately we won’t have to wait long for the next season, as it will come out next year, hopefully with more episodes in its season to boot. So until we wait for it to come to the block, let’s say goodbye for now, and welcome back Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG on its return next week.

Aside from the second season finale of Attack on Titan, last night’s run went as great as you would expect, complete with another weird ass music video, this time involving killer claymation zoo animals. We began with the power hour of Dragon Ball, before going into the bizarre once more on Stardust Crusaders. From there, good old-fashioned mecha fights on Gundam IBO, and extreme dodgeball match on Hunter x Hunter. 

After that, Lupin tries to recover a diamond from a mess involving teachers, students, and the local mafia. And after that, flashbacks continued on Naruto Shippuden, followed by a nice hour of sci-fi space adventures with Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop, before ending the night with the finale that was Attack on Titan.

Now onto the recap!

Dragon Ball Super: Cabba wants to know how to become a Super Saiyan, and Vegeta teaches him how the hard way, as well as a lesson on Saiyan Pride.

DBZ Kai: Buu continues his destructive rampage, Trunks and Goten are still learning fusion, Gohan is still learning how to wield the sword, and Goku is now back in Other World.

Stardust Crusaders: Polnareff, with help from Kakyoin, finally kills J Geil and avenges his dead sister. Unfortunately, Hol Horse manages to escape.

Gundam IBO: With the arrival Mikazuki and Gundam Barbatos Lupus, Tekkadan manages to repel the attack from Dawn Horizon Corp. Unfortunately, Tekkadan is now on Dawn Horizon’s hit list. Then again, McGillis wants them destroyed, and doing so would help protect Teiwaz’s shipping lanes. Meanwhile, we get to know more about Hush Middy, and his desire to get the Alaya-Vijnana implants.

Hunter X Hunter: As the grueling dodgeball match continues, Gon and his team manages dwindle the enemy team down to Razor, but loose some teammates and gain some injuries in the process. But despite the grim situations, Gon has a plan to beat Razor, and he’ll need both Killua and Hisoka to pull it off.

Lupin the Third: Lupin accidentally loses a diamond, which falls into a traveling student’s backpack. To get it back, he disguises himself as a teacher. and has to deal with some troublesome students. After finding the student that had the diamond, he soon discovers that one of the teachers, Mario, has taken it. Even more, a group of teachers are using it to make a bomb.

After confronting them and getting his diamond back easily, they explain to Lupin that they accidentally got into trouble with a vicious mafia group, who want a certain sum of money or they will kill them. Lupin then tells them that’s their problem and leaves, soon after, the frightened teachers are confronted by the mafia group. With no money, the mafia boss has one of its newest members to execute them, who turns out to be one of the teacher’s students, Ricky.

While it seems Ricky is about to kill his teacher, he hesitates and is unable to bring himself to shoot him. This upsets the mafia boss, who then begins to beat the crap out of the kid. But before he shoots him, Mario gets up and stands in his way, protecting his student. While it seems like Ricky’s teacher is about to be killed, the gun is suddenly shot out of the boss’s hand, and suddenly Inspector Zenigata and a bunch of officers show to arrest Lupin but arrest the mafia group instead.

In the distance, Lupin watches Zenigata and his officers arrest the thugs, as Jigen puts away his rifle. Apparently Lupin tipped off the inspector about being at the docks, knowing he will arrive and save the teachers from the mafia. And it was Jigen who shot the gun out of the boss’s hand. Now that it was over, Lupin muses over the diamond, before deciding it’s a fake and throwing it into the water, much to Jigen’s dismay. However, that diamond shows up later landing over Fujiko’s chest after a dolphin blew it out of the water in the ocean.

Naruto Shippuden: More flashbacks showing Iruka becoming Naruto’s teacher.

Outlaw Star: After recovering from the poison thanks to Melfina’s help, Gene and his crew prepare to take off after dealing with the pirates on the ground. After successfully arriving in orbit, they’re soon confronted by more pirates in grappler ships, leading to an awesome grappler ship battle that ends with Outlaw Star emerging victorious. They then say farewell to their old home and begin their journey across the stars.

Cowboy Bebop: While hunting a bounty, Jet and Spike encounter a dangerous foe named Wen who looks like a little boy, but is actually a somewhat immortal old man. While immune to regular bullets, they make a special bullet from a ring that had some scientific, magical, mumbo jumbo properties that could negate that temporal whatever immortality Wen has. So Spike goes after him again, and after Wen fails to shoot him down, Spike shoots him in the head with that bullet. But unlike last time, it actually works, and Wen turns into an old man and dies.

In short, I think we can all agree JelloApocalypse did a better job explaining this.

Attack on Titan: With the Scouts getting devoured by titans thrown by the Reiner, Eren tries to transform but fails, and is forced to watch Hannes get killed by the titan that ate Eren’s mom years ago. While completely losing it, Mikasa comforts Eren, thanking him for being there for her. His spirit rekindled, Eren vows to protect Mikasa as he throws a punch at the mom-killing titan’s hand, his scream inadvertently activating an unknown power within him that suddenly causes the regular titans to attack and kill it, avenging both his mother and Hannes.

Upon seeing it, Ymir realizes why Reiner and Bertholdt want Eren so badly. It’s because Eren possesses the "Coordinate", the ability to control other Titans. The survivors escape after Eren causes the titans to attack the Armored Titan. Feeling guilty for them, Ymir decides to leave Historia, believing she will be safe within the Walls, and saves Reiner and Bertholdt, letting them take her back to their hometown so they won't come back empty-handed.

A week after the Wall Rose incident, Hange gives her report to Levi, Erwin and Pixis, and reveals to them that the titans that appeared within Wall Rose were in fact the people of Connie's village. Naturally, everyone is shocked by her theory that all titans were once human. Remembering how many died to rescue him, Eren vows to use his new power to help humanity, while Erwin is determined to learn more of the truth behind the titans.

Elsewhere, the Beast Titan looks out from atop Wall Maria as a mysterious blonde man with glasses emerges from its back uttering the words, "not just yet".

Well that concludes the recap. One last thing before ending this review, this year’s Halloween Toonami marathon is going to be Samurai Jack, which I guess can be seen as fitting what with Aku being both scary and fun. Anyway, that’s it for the review, see you guys next Toonami run, where Ghost in the Shell returns once again to end the lineup with a bang!

Goodnight and Stay Gold!

[the-golden-ghost]

Fluff #11, Fujiko & Jigen?

11. “I know it’s two in the morning but do you want to...”

~

Some heists had Fujiko crashing into an eleven-hour sleep the moment she got through the door of whatever hideout they were staying in, but others had her wired and unable to close her eyes and find rest no matter how hard she tried.

Unfortunately, this night was the latter.

She’d been tossing and turning, kicking Goemon awake by accident (he was patient and never said a word but she could tell he was getting annoyed) and so eventually she simply decided to get up and go outside for a walk.

The shadow lingering by the open window in the kitchen let her know she wasn’t the only one awake. She could tell it was Jigen by the way he slouched and the slope of his shoulders, but she didn’t go talk to him. He would probably just smoke and then go back to bed.

At the same time, she would have liked some company. She didn’t really like wandering around at night alone. Sure, she could handle herself, but she didn’t want to have to.

Goemon would have come with her, but grumpily, out of a sense of duty rather than actually because he wanted to. Jigen likely wouldn’t come at all. Which left Lupin, but he was asleep, and...

Fujiko was putting on her jacket when she called over, offhand, “I know it’s two in the morning but do you want to take a walk with me?”

To her surprise, he looked up and began to shuffle over. “Where are we goin’?”

“We’ll see,” she replied with a smile. In truth, she had no idea.

~

They walked. The streets were almost empty. Every once in a while there’d be a straggler, someone with the same wandering insomnia that they had, or maybe someone up to no good, but they weren’t the types to judge.

Fujiko kept up the conversation, which meant mostly talking to herself. Jigen wasn’t chatty at the best of times, but every once in a while he grunted to give the appearance that he was listening.

“You haven’t paid attention to a word I’ve said, have you?” she asked.

“Huh?”

That answered that. Still, she didn’t altogether mind having him around. It was rare she did anything with Jigen, not alone anyway, but he could be fun. He was less uptight than Goemon, and didn’t need to be reined in as much as Lupin. She remembered the last time they’d gone off on their own, to a jazz festival, where they’d broken away to go dancing, taken by the music, and spent the next three days in that city when they’d planned to stay only a night.

Fujiko didn’t expect that again, though. “It’s a shame there’s not going to be much open at this time of night,” she said. “Otherwise we could...”

“Hey, do you have cab fare? I’ve got an idea.”

“What is it?”

He gave her a grin that didn’t make it easy to answer his next question. “Do you trust me?”

~

He’d taken her out of the city.

She’d looked at him like he was insane when he started up a hiking trail about three miles out, in the middle of the night, in the pitch darkness.

“We don’t even have a flashlight,” she said. “And if I break my ankle -”

“Relax,” he’d said. “This way’s easy. I come up here with Goemon all the time. Well, twice anyway.”

She didn’t see how that would preclude her from breaking an ankle. “You’ll have to carry me all the way back, if it happens!” she protested, but she went after him anyway. If nothing else, she was curious about just what he was after, deep in the woods.

“This better not be some kind of drug den,” she grumbled after they’d been walking for about thirty minutes. “Because I didn’t come all the way out for that.”

“If it was I wouldn’t be taking you,” he said. “You’d rob the place bare and then I’d be the one who ends up with a bullet in my skull next week.”

She couldn’t argue with that.

It was a rather nice walk, although Fujiko would have preferred it in the daytime, when she could see. She didn’t usually like the deep woods, particularly at night, and she didn’t think Jigen did either. But he just kept on ahead, ambling but evidently aware of where he was going.

“Jigen?” she asked after a while longer. “You do know where we’re going?”

“Yeah,” he said, but she wasn’t sure he sounded certain. Which didn’t exactly give her a lot of confidence, especially since she didn’t know the way back on her own. But just when she was getting the idea that they were completely lost and would likely be eaten by bears or fall down a sinkhole Jigen paused. “Here we go.”

The trees thinned out ahead into a rocky outcropping, and beyond that, there were distant lights. Fujiko tried to see further, and when she got closer, she caught her breath.

They were looking out over a high cliff, with a stretch of forest and beyond that, the city, the roads, and the open sky.

“Good lookout spot,” Jigen muttered, smiling to himself.

Fujiko went to the edge to sit down, and Jigen came to sit beside her. “You come up here with Goemon?” she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

“Yeah,” he said. “But only twice.”

The stars above were glittering and the lights of the city glowed in response. The sky was dark and purple-blue, but as time wore on, it faded slowly to gray, and then a strip of gold could be seen on the horizon. The forest around them became cacophonous with the sudden chorus of birds.

“It’s almost six,” Jigen said. “I hoped we’d make it.”

The sky overhead dimmed to a fainter shade of purple while the horizon lit up pink and orange and gleaming gold, cut through with the solid black outlines of the cityscape. It was a breathtaking view. Fujiko had seen sunrises before, but not often enough. Too many times she had other things on her mind, or was too busy, or scheduling and her constant balancing acts didn’t allow it.

She just sat there in admiration, tired but in a content way, knowing that when she got home she’d definitely be able to finally sleep and wake up rested.

It was a while later and the sky was brightening until it was hard to look at when Jigen finally stood up. “We should head back.”

Fujiko turned, getting to her feet. They’d begun the walk back when something came to her. “Jigen?”

“Hmm?”

“We took a cab out here, and no one knows where we went. How are we supposed to get back?”

Jigen paused, a look of shock coming slowly over his face. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet and embarrassed. “I... don’t suppose you have change for a phone call?”

[the-golden-ghost]

If you're still doing the prompts, "Call Me" for Lupin and Jigen :)

The call came in late. Lupin wasn’t expecting it, since it wasn’t like Jigen to leave his post during a stakeout, but he answered just the same. “Boss, it’s me,” Jigen’s voice on the other end of the line was steady as usual, but he sounded uneasy. “Are you sure you want to go through with this one?”

“Are you saying you want to give up?” Lupin scoffed. “We haven’t even gotten started yet!”

“I’m saying there’s something off about this place,” there was a pause on the other end. “I think they’re on to us.”

“Did you see something?”

“No, I... that’s part of the problem actually. It’s just too damn still. I don’t like it.”

“Well, tell me when you do see something. Otherwise I’ll be there in four hours like we planned.” As he hung up, a seed of doubt flickered into Lupin’s mind, one that he quickly pushed away. Please, they’d been through hard jobs before, and they always got out okay! Jigen could take care of himself.

Lupin would prepare for trouble, sure, but in less than six hours, that beautiful statue would be sitting in his trophy room, and who’d be worrying then?

~

Less than six hours later, Lupin stormed back into the hideout, tired, annoyed, and bruised, with his car stolen and his friends apparently AWOL. “Where the fuck WERE you guys?” he shouted into the house. “I thought we were in this together!”

No one answered, which was... troubling. “Guys? Jigen? Goemon? Fujiko?”

Nothing. Where would they have gone? Did they bail on the job without mentioning it to him? Maybe they just all decided his plan wasn’t worth it. Oh, sure! Maybe they didn’t want the statue because Lupin wasn’t going to sell it and there wouldn’t be any money it for them. What two-faced bastards. Fuming, Lupin went to shower, ignoring the phone when it rang. If they’d all ditched him they could wait twenty minutes for an answer.

The phone rang twice while Lupin was showering and then again once he was out, when he finally decided to pick up. “Hello?”

“Why don’t you answer your phone?” The voice on the other end was hostile. It was Goemon.

“Why don’t you show up at the place I asked you to be at when I asked you to be there?” Lupin snapped back. “You know the job failed, right?”

“That is not my concern any longer. Where are you?”

“I’m at the hideout, asshole! The same place I expected you to be, since you bailed on me!”

“Get here quickly.”

“Get where? And how the hell am I supposed to do that without my car? Someone took it and - you know what, put Jigen on. Is he there?” The line went dead, and Lupin was left staring at the receiver. What was his problem anyway?

Lupin was about to walk away when the phone rang again. “Go to hell,” Lupin snapped, expecting Goemon.

“Lupin?” Fujiko’s voice.

“Fujicakes! I didn’t mean that, sweetheart! Where are you? Are you okay?”

“Lupin... how stupid can you be?”

“What? I don’t even know what’s happening! Goemon just called and started acting like a jerk and then he hung up on me. Are you guys together? What the hell happened?”

Fujiko didn’t reply for a moment. “You seriously don’t know? We had to leave last night. I took your car. Jigen...” she paused. “Jigen got ambushed and shot. We don’t... actually know anything right now about his condition. But he’s in bad shape, and I guess we won’t know anything for a while.”

Lupin tried to find words, but there didn’t seem to be anything to say. “Oh,” he managed after a minute.

“I’ll come pick you up. You should be here.”

~

On the drive over, Fujiko tried to explain what she knew, but Lupin was barely listening. He tried to feel something - rage towards the men who had done this, or horror that his friend was badly injured (and dying?) or even guilt that he’d been the one who sent him there. But he felt nothing about it. His mind was just a buzz of numb denials. Jigen would be fine he’s always fine and everything always goes according to plan except when it doesn’t but even when it doesn’t everything’s always okay we’re all okay everyone is

And the quiet thought but what if he isn’t? was there... somewhere. But beyond that possibility was nothing at all. A void. Beyond that, Lupin could not imagine.

None of it really sank in until he saw Goemon standing in the hospital wing. Unlike Lupin, he did not seem dazed or shaken. Goemon was in his element - he had a purpose, and a fury. But unfortunately, the surgery doors were not a good place to vent it.

“Goemon...” Lupin said, stopping next to his friend. “I’m sorry, buddy.”

Goemon glanced at Lupin. “I am sorry, too.”

So that was that.

There was nothing to do now but wait. Lupin slipped out to disguise himself before anyone caught him. Fujiko had put hers on a long time ago. Goemon hadn’t bothered, but Goemon probably wasn’t recognizable to the general public. As for Jigen, he only needed a false name and an unassuming face. He had one, and the other was easy to give.

~

Waiting sucked. Lupin spent his time flickering between concern and boredom. One minute his mind would be on Jigen, and the next, on his failed heist. Dammit, he hated to lose! But he also knew it wasn’t worth a friend. Still, it seemed like such a bad job, and Jigen wasn’t the sort to give up either.

So Lupin went round in circles like that, only pausing when a particularly fine young nurse walked by. Goemon noticed at once when Lupin moved and caught him by the neck.

“Stay there.”

“Hey, give me a break! You let Fujiko go mess with the computer system! What are you, my babysitter?”

“Just stay there.”

Lupin stayed, grumbling to himself. Goemon never took his eyes off the doors. “Look, man,” Lupin said after a while longer. “I need a break. I’ll be back. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re going to see that nurse,” Goemon muttered.

“No, I’m going for a walk!” Lupin replied. “I will be back.”

He just needed air, and to have this damn disguise off. He went outside, took off his fake beard and lingered around the back of the building to smoke. Hospitals weren’t keen on that sort of thing. Bad luck for Jigen, if he made it out of this one. And damn him, he’d better.

When he came back in Fujiko greeted him by the entrance. “He’s out. Room 207. He’s alive and they think he’ll be okay, but he’s still unconscious.”

“Did you go see him?”

“Do you think he’d want me to?” Fujiko shrugged. “No, I didn’t go in there. Goemon’s with him. He wouldn’t know anything about it, either way. You probably don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to.”

Lupin shoved his hands into his pockets and headed down the hall. “Yeah, I do.”

~

It went on like that for a few days. Lupin would visit whenever he could, disguised as a doctor, or a janitor, or even just some guy looking for a relative. Goemon never left. Apparently no one wanted the trouble of trying to remove the fully-armed samurai from the hospital room. Lupin and Fujiko took turns bringing him food, trying (unsuccessfully) to get him to go for a walk and let someone else stand guard, or at least trying (unsuccessfully) to get him to take a nap. It didn’t do any good. Every time Lupin was in there, Goemon was sitting on the windowsill, watching Jigen carefully.

“Does he ever wake up?” Lupin asked. He’d been in there so often and yet every time he came Jigen was the same - dead asleep and unresponsive.

“Sometimes,” Goemon replied.

The next question was going to suck but Lupin had to ask it. “Does he ever ask to see me?”

Goemon nodded, and Lupin felt a rush of honest guilt for the first since this happened. “You just miss him every time. But he understands.”

Jigen’s breathing was harsh and shallow. Part of being shot in the chest, pretty much. Lupin had put his hat over his face the way he usually had it when he slept. Maybe it would help a little. “Wake up, buddy,” he whispered, leaning close to Jigen’s ear. He got no response, and hadn’t expected one. “We still need you.”

~

On the fifth day, Goemon was asleep when Lupin came in. He was still in his guard position, perched on the windowsill, but his head was slumped onto his chest and he was snoring quietly. He jerked up in surprise at Lupin’s entrance, readying his sword, but when he saw who it was he just settled back down and went right back to sleep.

“About time too. I told him to go home and rest but nah. You know he’s too proud for any of that.” At the sound of the voice, Lupin rushed over to the bed.

“Jigen!”

“Glad I’m still recognizable.” He was. His voice was weak and strained and he looked like a man who’d just come back from the brink of death - but there was no doubt he was Jigen.

“I haven’t seen you in five days. I thought - I wasn’t sure you were going to wake up at all.”

“Yeah, that’d be all the drugs. They’re fantastic things, almost make me want to get shot more often. But Goemon already said if I try it he’ll cut my throat, so I think I shouldn’t.”

“He’s been offering to cut a lot of throats lately,” Lupin said, looking fondly over at the samurai. “I think he missed you.”

“I’d say I missed him too, but honestly I don’t remember anything between getting blasted off the roof and waking up a couple hours ago. How’d the rest of the job go? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“Nah, just inconvenienced a little. We’ll try it again some other time.” But Lupin wasn’t actually sure they would. It went against his principles - failing to steal what he set out to steal - but then, if things went south again in a worse way... if he lost his partner for good, then he wouldn’t be stealing much of anything again. Ever.

“I thought maybe they’d catch you off guard like they caught me. Glad to know it didn’t happen.”

“Never to me,” Lupin laughed. “But you’re not - you’re gonna be okay, right?”

“Yeah. Eventually. I’m not down for the count just yet.”

Lupin sighed. Okay. He was going to be fine - not that Lupin had ever doubted it, of course, but... “Hey, and are you mad at me?”

“Not really. I wanted to be, but at this point I’m too tired and I think Goemon’s probably given you a hard enough time.”

“Yeah, if you’d died I think he would have hunted me across the face of the earth for the rest of my life,” Lupin said. “...Thanks for not dying.”

“I do my best.”

“Really though. I don’t know what we’d do if we lost you.”

“Eh, guys like me are a dime a dozen. Just gotta know where to look,” Jigen’s voice faded, growing tired. “You’d do okay. It might not be easy to find yourself a new partner who suits your every need but I promise there’s a million of us out there.”

Lupin couldn’t quite agree with that. He’d met hired men before. He met them damn near every day in his work and they were generally all the same. Cruel, angry, violent men who had no care or respect for anything or anybody. Jigen wasn’t like that. But then, Lupin had to wonder, if the two of them had never met, if Jigen had spent the last few years of his life going from job to job, working as a hired thug, and if they’d first crossed paths just yesterday... would Lupin even recognize him, then? Would he have even tried to take him, make a friend out of him?

Yes.

At least, that was what Lupin was going to tell himself. Jigen was drifting off again and there didn’t seem to be much else to say. So Lupin just settled back. Fujiko would be around in an hour with dinner. And even if there was a likelihood she wouldn’t, Lupin believed she would.

It was just easier that way, believing things.

[the-golden-ghost]

Tell Me for Goemon and Jigen?

There was something wrong with Jigen.

Goemon prided himself on his ability to observe his lovers well. When someone had three, they had to. Knowing and being able to predict their every movement was, of course, essential in a fight or on a mission, but it also made for a good living situation, and Goemon preferred that sort of thing over the alternative. Lupin was in his typical spirits - recovering from a pretty bad injury he’d gotten on a heist three weeks before, and frustrated at being unable to go in for a second try just yet - but other than that, seemingly unbothered. Fujiko was a little more amiable than normal with all three of them, which made Goemon think she might be up to something. Goemon was keeping an eye on them both, but neither of them gave him worry.

Jigen was the one who was acting unusually. It wasn’t abnormal for him to be a little cagey or quiet but he was almost entirely closed off these days. He was barely sleeping, either, as Goemon noticed when he got out of bed night after night to go for a walk. Where he would normally be engaged or at least attentive to Lupin’s plans, now he just listened to them with an air of bored disinterest, not responding. And he was drinking... excessively. It was a habit with him even at the best of times, but not like this.

Goemon wasn’t sure what the trouble was. Either Jigen was upset about the mission, annoyed with their lifestyle, just plain sick of being stuck here with the other three, or something else that Goemon couldn’t guess.

Maybe he just didn’t want Fujiko around so often?

But that didn’t seem to be it. Usually when she was around Jigen just complained and grumbled but took it in stride. He didn’t lose sleep over it.

The few times Goemon tried to subtly ask Jigen if he was all right, he got brushed off. So he tried asking Fujiko.

“I think he’s okay,” she said, looking hesitant for a split second. “You know how he gets sometimes. He’s just in a mood. He’ll snap out of it.”

So Goemon turned to Lupin.

“Jigen? He’s doing good! He’s just mad that we’ve been stuck here so long. But don’t worry. Once we’re back out on the road he’ll be back to normal.” His words were casual and confident, but the flicker of worry in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed. Something was definitely amiss, but none of them knew what.

So Goemon just did his best to ignore it and spent his time snuggling with Fujiko and sleeping next to Lupin and wishing Jigen would come in and hold him like he used to. On the nights when Goemon slept alone, he would awaken sometimes to find Jigen pacing listlessly around, smoking and staring out the windows like he was looking for something. He was beginning to wonder if he’d done something that pissed Jigen off, but he couldn’t think of a single thing that would have done it. And anyway, it wasn’t just Goemon that was getting shut out. It was all three of them.

This went on a few nights more until Jigen just got up one day and left. Goemon caught him leaving with a bag of spare clothes, bullets, and whatever else he usually carried with him when he needed to make a hasty exit. “Where are you going?”

“I need a break,” Jigen’s reply was brusque, and he didn’t turn to look at Goemon.

“From what, exactly?”

Jigen shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”

“When are you coming back?”

“Dunno.”

“And where are you running off to?”

“Don’t care. And it doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll be fine. Hey -” he turned to Goemon for the first time, but his face was obscured and unreadable. “Take care of him, okay?”

“Who?”

“Lupin. Look out for him.”

“When don’t I?”

“...Yeah... Yeah, you always do.” Jigen paused, keeping one hand on the door. Then, in a sudden gesture, he came over to Goemon and bent to kiss him on the cheek. Goemon started in surprise. Jigen hadn’t done anything like that in almost a month, but before he could respond, Jigen muttered, “Bye,” and headed out just as quickly, closing the door behind him.

Goemon had been with them all long enough to know when they were asking to be loved without really asking. When Fujiko enticed him to do something drastic and against his own ethics, she really wanted to know do you love me enough to support me? When Lupin threw himself into the thick of it and expected Goemon to be there, it was a question of do you love me enough to rescue me?

Jigen rarely asked anything like that of anyone. But this latest action was clear. Do you love me enough to find me?

Goemon didn’t need to think twice.

~

Jigen had clearly wanted to be found. The whole team knew how to truly hide in a pinch, but Jigen had just taken off to the nearest safe house and left the lights on. Goemon had given him fifteen minutes head start, but even with that, it had taken Goemon less than an hour to track him down.

Goemon waited patiently on the roof for a good time to enter the building. He figured he’d at least give Jigen some time to cool off before he confronted him. He actually had no idea what he was going to say, but maybe it wouldn’t matter. It wasn’t like he knew what the problem was yet, anyhow.

When the sun was low in the sky and night was coming on, Goemon knocked on the door.

At first there was silence, which meant that Jigen was deciding whether or not to pretend the house was empty. But the lights were on, which meant that in another second he’d threaten whoever was knocking, and he did.  “Leave this place. I’m armed and I’ll shoot.”

Goemon could picture him with his hand on his gun ready to fire at anyone who tried to force entry. Not that any such thing would work on Goemon, but he hadn’t come for a fight. “It’s me.”

Another pause. When Jigen responded this time, he sounded exasperated. “The hell do you want? I told you, I need a break.”

“I’m not here to bring you home. I just want to know why you left and then I will go.”

There was a string of muffled curse words from behind the door and then the clicking of bolts. The door swung open. “Well, get in,” Jigen muttered.

He’d picked one of the worst safe houses; it had electricity and running water but the heat was faulty and there was barely any furniture. Luckily it wasn’t wintertime and he was here alone. Goemon sat on the floor and watched. He could already tell Jigen had been drinking by the way he moved - it wasn’t always easy to tell with him, but there was a slight waver in his step, and his movements, which were ordinarily extremely deliberate and careful, were faltering. Goemon was glad he’d arrived sooner rather than later. “...So.”

“Why’d you stalk me?” Jigen flopped back into the only chair in the room.

“You seemed like you needed it.”

Jigen snorted. “I really didn’t. Thanks for the concern, though.”

“Why did you leave? Are you mad at us?”

“Nah. Not at you,” Jigen fished into his pocket for a cigarette and lit it. “Not at any of you really. It’s just a lot to explain, and I don’t really want to say what happened. Besides, it’s nothing to do with you.”

Goemon fought back a flash of irritation. “It seems like if the man I love leaves without saying anything, it has a lot to do with me.”

That seemed to get his attention. “I...” he paused. “I guess I didn’t think about it like that. Shit, Goemon.” He sat up straighter, sighing. “All right, come on. I’ll tell you, but you’re not gonna thank me for it when you find out. Let’s go up on the roof. It’ll be more comfortable than this hole.”

Outside, the stars were coming out, and the sky was clear and warm. “Pretty night,” Jigen commented. He’d brought his whiskey bottle and drank from it straight, not bothering with a glass. This house probably didn’t have any that were clean.

Goemon sat and watched the stars, waiting. They spent a long time together like that, in silence, but it was an easy silence now. When he looked over, Goemon could see Jigen’s face clearly up close for the first time in a long while. He looked exhausted, with a strained look around his eyes like he’d been hurting somewhere and was just trying to weather it out until it finally faded.

“So you thought I was mad at you. I guess that makes sense, but no,” Jigen said at last, quietly. “I don’t want you to ever think that I don’t love you. You don’t have the first idea how much I do.”

That was surprisingly reassuring, on Goemon’s part. He tried not to doubt his partners’ affections for him as a rule, but hearing it clearly stated was nice. But Jigen was dodging the issue. “You did not bring me out here to tell me that,” he said.  

Jigen shifted, uncomfortable, and continued. “So. You remember Cancun.”

It had been their last heist; gone sour. “Yes.”

“You remember how Lupin got hit with that stupid ray thing.”

Goemon nodded. That part had been the reason they left early. They’d actually managed to get part of the loot, but not all of it, since the safety of Lupin came first. “I stayed behind to avenge him for his pain,” Goemon had taken quite a thrill in that aspect of it. Less so when he had to ride the bus back to their base covered in blood. Ketchup, he told the pair of nervous old ladies sitting next to him.

“Yeah. Well. There’s part you don’t know and it was pretty bad, Goemon. I didn’t want to tell you cause...” Jigen sighed. “I guess I didn’t want to freak you out. I dunno.”

A bit too late for that, Goemon reflected. But he waited for him to go on. He did, after a little. “So it wasn’t a friggin’ “death ray” or whatever it was supposed to be, it wasn’t any sort of supersonic mega-powerful beam of concentrated anything. All it was was electricity. Just an electric shock. And when we figured that out, we thought we could get past it no problem, you know? We figured neither of us would get hit, and even if we did, what then? So he was doing his usual stupid “get out at the last second” thing, and he took a blast and went down,” Jigen’s voice faltered just a bit. “I don’t know why I didn’t think to shoot the thing earlier. Would’ve been so easy, but we were being dumb and arrogant. Anyway I dragged him out of there quick but there wasn’t anything I could do before his heart stopped.”

There was a long pause with nothing but Goemon trying to make sense of the situation and Jigen’s rapid, unsteady breathing. The rest didn’t take much to piece together, but Jigen went on anyway. “I tried what I could to bring him back. But I’ll never know if it was me or if he just wasn’t all the way dead or if God Almighty took one look at him and went ‘I’m not putting up with this guy today’ and threw him back.”

“But he came back.”

“Yeah. I swear though, Goemon, it was his freaky luck. That man -” Jigen shook his head. “If I had an ounce of whatever god-given fortune he’s been handed - but I don’t. I don’t. All I know is there was about five, ten minutes where I was sure he was gone.”

“He is alive,” Goemon said. “He’s at home as we speak.”

Jigen put his head in his hands. “I don’t understand it. I can’t tell you how many deaths I’ve watched and how many I’ve caused. It’s nothing to me now. He wasn’t my first dead friend, he wasn’t the first person I’ve held in my arms when I lost them, and I don’t understand why this one shook me up so much. There’s no reason I can think of. I love him so much it hurts, but it’s not like I don’t imagine every day what it would be like to lose him. It’s not like I don’t know.”

“You have not lost him,” Goemon said.

“I know, dammit, but I will. Sooner or later - I can’t tell you how much I want to be the first one of us to die. I can’t stand the thought of losing you two. I swear it’ll drive me out of my goddamn mind but the way fortune is, with us -” he broke off, laughing bitterly. “Oh, God. He’s the lucky one. It’ll be him, I just know it.”

Goemon didn’t nearly have Jigen’s knack for pessimism. Lupin’s lack of self-preservation was probably as much a part of what would get him killed as fortune, and Goemon didn’t agree with Jigen’s assessment that an untimely death was necessarily a lucky outcome. If anything, Lupin was just as likely to live to be one hundred and die peacefully, an old man and triumphant, if luck was the determining factor in his fate. He wasn’t sure any of that would help Jigen, though. Because in truth, neither one of them knew what was going to happen.

“So that’s why I left, anyway. I can’t look at him now without thinking of what’s coming and I just can’t handle that. I’m just a hired man. I wasn’t really cut out to be a lover.” His hand shook on the bottle that he turned over and over in his palm. “I shouldn’t have let it go this long or get this bad but I did. Stupid of me. And I know I’ll have to tell him at some point but...”

“Is it not worth it?” Goemon asked. “Suppose I die tomorrow, for a certainty. Would you give me this last night?”

Jigen shook his head fiercely. “No. I couldn’t. I know I’m a piece of shit but I couldn’t do that. I’d have to leave.”

“But what would that spare you? You’d still suffer either way.”

Jigen didn’t seem to have a good response to that. He just sat there, tense, his breathing ragged. He was still holding together, but barely. Goemon didn’t know what to say to him. He had no doubts that Jigen was a strong man, but he was also one who needed, at times, to be treated gently, and gentleness was not something that came naturally to Goemon at all. He usually didn’t touch Jigen - didn’t initiate it, at least - because he simply had no idea how.

The best he could do was put his hand on Jigen’s shoulder and sit with him out under the stars at night. Love was scary. Goemon knew that. He wasn’t used to loving even one person, let alone three. But he did it because however it had happened, these three depended on him, and much as it sometimes bothered him to admit, he depended on them as well. And that explained the relief he felt when Jigen relaxed - just a bit - and came to lean against Goemon, letting himself rest a little.

“You know what really kills me?” Jigen said after a few minutes.

“What?”

“Without Lupin, I wouldn’t have you, either. We’re Lupin’s men, but without him bringing us together we wouldn’t have a place in each other’s lives.”

“That is not true. I would call you when I needed you.”

“Yeah, and so would I. But you’re a samurai, Goemon. You’ve got ambitions - potential. Eventually the time would come when we’d just stop seeing each other. Other priorities, you know?”

Goemon bowed his head. It was true, and the truth of it rang hollow in his chest. He loved Jigen with his whole heart but they were together by circumstance, not fate. There was no place for Jigen in his life outside this team - he couldn’t take him home, he was too much. Lupin knew how to carve out a space in his life for a difficult, temperamental gunman but Goemon didn’t have the first clue. And wherever Jigen went when he wasn’t with Lupin - if he even HAD a place - Goemon had no desire to stay there.

“We could try,” he said at last. That was the only comfort he had to offer. “And for now, we do not have to worry about that. We can save that for when it happens.”

Jigen nodded. Trying would have to be enough. Trying, and hoping that the day of that trial would never, ever come.

Goemon wanted to ask when he would be returning. But after all, it didn’t feel quite right to ask. Jigen would return home. He’d said he would, and Goemon trusted that it was so. He just needed time. And thankfully for them both, they still had plenty of that.

[the-golden-ghost]

for the fic titles:

hand in unloveable hand (don't know much abt lupin but i think you could do a lupin one w that lol)

santa baby

the rest is history

all that glitters

acute angle

AH thank you for sending so many! :D I don't know what fandoms you want for them all so I'll do a mix of fandoms I know how to write for:

Hand in Unlovable Hand:

For some reason even though I know this has already been used as a plot point on the show it would be funny if the characters literally were handcuffed together or some such.

But maybe to shake things up slightly instead of handcuffs the premise is that they can't let go of each other? Like they're navigating some dark mazelike area and if they break contact they'll be pulled apart and the chances of finding each other again are almost nil.

So they just continue in pursuit of the treasure, linked only by touch, navigating by... well, mostly by Goemon's Supersonic Cool Guy Senses (and maybe Jigen's too, I don't know if Lupin or Fujiko are established Seers In The Dark)

And for added drama there's probably booby traps and the like!

Santa Baby:

Rouxls Kaard, ever on the lookout for some all-powerful evil entity to sell himself out to, learns about the Lightner celebration of Christmas and decides he will become the minion to that otherworldly Decider Of Fates And Breaker-And-Enterer, Santa Claus!

(The Lightners try to explain that Santa Claus isn't even evil but when Rouxls gets on a notion he really gets on it)

Anyway he starts writing letters to Santa offering his services as Sworn Evil Duke And Resident Minion and boyfriend on the side and asking Kris & Co. to deliver them.

Eventually they get sick of it and start trying out ways to get him to stop cause not only is it potentially dangerous for a Darkner to make direct contact with the Light World (let alone try to infiltrate it!) it's also really annoying

The Rest Is History:

This could be a 20,000 Leagues fic about Nemo and Pierre exploring historical sites on the coastline during their honeymoon and planning out their life together now that they've decided that this is what they both want.

All That Glitters:

Jigen & Goemon decide to prove that they're just as worthy as thieves as Lupin and Fujiko are by stealing over 5 million in gold on a solo (okay, duo) mission. Hijinks ensue.

Acute Angle:

Gaster attempts to recontact his minions after discovering that a jump between universes is possible in all dimensions including pocket ones. When he makes contact again, this time slightly to the left of the original Dark Worlds, things don't go exactly as they did before.

[the-golden-ghost]

54 for Jigen and Fujiko?

Okay just to preface - I don’t know if you intended this as a shipping thing but I didn’t write it as one, mostly cause I don’t know how these two would work as anything other than platonic frenemies at this point. So that’s how I wrote them. I hope that’s okay and that you still like it!

~

54. “They’re gone.”

Fujiko awoke at 1:36 am with a sharp gasp. Mercifully, whatever nightmare she’d been having that pulled her from sleep vanished instantly, leaving her shaking and unnerved, but free from haunting thoughts. She looked around the room. She wasn’t in danger, she knew. This was their safe house, and her pistol was loaded on her nightstand, and the quiet static of the radio in the next room told her that Jigen was awake, on guard.

Which wasn’t surprising, since Lupin and Goemon had apparently vanished two days ago without any word on where they were headed. And Jigen, for all his skills in battle and robbery, wasn’t all that good at tracking. Especially not a master thief and a highly trained samurai. So he’d been staying put, waiting for them to call him in for backup.

“They’re gone,” he’d said when Fujiko showed up on the doorstep. “So don’t bother.”

She’d come in anyway, and stayed. She didn’t want to be alone right now. She would have preferred if Lupin were there, and Goemon. But even Jigen’s company would do in a pinch, even if he spent his time mostly ignoring her. She could tell he was concerned about Lupin and Goemon, even if he acted nonchalant. His constant hovering by the radio as he went about his day was evident enough.

And now it was late at night, and he was still hovering. She went into his room, which she ordinarily wouldn’t have done, but tonight... she just wanted company, and her boys weren’t here. Jigen was wholly Lupin’s man, not hers. But he was familiar, and steady if nothing else.

“Why are you still up?” he asked when she came in. He was lying on the bed, fully dressed, smoking and listening to the radio play nothing but static. No transmission. It was raining outside, and the drops were hitting the pane, mixing with the white noise from the speaker.

“Bad dreams. How about you?” She came to sit down next to him on the bed, which, surprisingly, he allowed.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“You really have no idea where they are?”

“None,” he replied. “Doesn’t matter, though. They’re assholes for ditching me here but they’ll turn up. They always do.”

“I’m worried about them,” Fujiko admitted.

“Yeah, well, don’t be. Like I said, they’ll turn up. Probably in a heap of trouble, and I’ll have to go bail them out, but it’ll happen.” He was quiet for a while. “You’re not having nightmares about them, though, huh.”

Fujiko didn’t answer. She hadn’t decided yet who to tell, if anyone. If she’d had a choice in the matter she probably would have picked Goemon. He wasn’t exactly the compassionate sort, but he was a good listener. Lupin had a hard time listening and taking things seriously, and Jigen... Jigen could be harsh. But Jigen was also here, and the other two weren’t.

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked at last, deciding to test the waters.

“I have a feeling you’re going to no matter what,” Jigen replied. “Fire away.”

“Have you ever killed a child?”

There was another pause, longer this time. Fujiko could tell she’d caught him off guard, and was beginning to wonder if he’d answer at all when he finally spoke. “That’s... one hell of a question, huh. We’re really getting into it tonight.” When he continued, his voice sounded weary. “I don’t hurt kids. Back in my old job, even then, if someone offered me payment for something like that... no.” He shook his head. “You have to be one hell of a sick bastard to go there. Call me soft, or stupid, but I couldn’t. But the thing is... even if I’ve never done anything like that knowingly, it’s not like I can check ID on everybody I’ve ever traded shots with. I know sometimes kids get into this kind of life. I wish they wouldn’t, but it’s the way it is, and if a sixteen year old steps into my line of fire I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between him and a young man.”

“So... maybe.”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I dunno. I try not to think about it.”

Fujiko didn’t answer. She just drew her legs up closer to her chest and stared hard out the window, like it would reveal something more than raindrops.

“What happened, Fujiko?”

She shook her head. “You don’t want to know.”

“You’re probably right. But I don’t think you’d have stuck around all day and come in here at this time of night unless you had something to say. Look... if you hurt someone... if it’s a kid or some shit like that, then...” he sighed. “I’m not going to throw you out, okay? I won’t even tell you what you should have done because I don’t know the answer. Hell, I wasn’t there.”

“No, it’s not that,” Fujiko said. “I met a girl... just a little thing.” Now that she was started, she had to continue. “She said she was twenty but I think she was only sixteen or seventeen. She was trying to rob me,” she smiled, remembering. “It was... cute. I mean she really had no idea who I was, but her technique was so bad, she wouldn’t have gotten a cent from a blind old lady.”

Jigen snorted, amused.

“So... I took her home with me. Gave her a hot meal and a place to sleep, and taught her a few things about basic pickpocketing. She didn’t have any home which is what I expected.”

“A runaway?”

“Yeah, the usual story. Her home life was bad, so she thought she could make it better on the streets. She was sleeping out until I found her. She was tough, and smart, just... confused and inexperienced. I gave her some money and some help to get her started and told her she could come to me if she ever needed anything else.” Fujiko went silent, and Jigen glanced over at her.

“So... what happened, then? You didn’t keep your promise?”

“Sometimes I keep my promises, Jigen,” Fujiko replied quietly. “But I never got a chance with her. She was shot dead two days later. The police found her in an alley, and whoever did it...” her voice cut off. “They wanted to kill her. It wasn’t just a robbery. I could have understood a robbery. They broke her arm first so she couldn’t fight back before they -” she broke off, unable to say more over the painful tightness of her throat. The rain and lights on the window blurred into a haze of yellow as tears began to slide down her face. “Why would they do that? I don’t understand how people can...”

Jigen took a deep breath and turned towards her. “It happens all the time, every day. You can’t... you can’t let yourself break over every random street kid you come across, you know? It’ll kill you.” His words were blunt, but his expression was one of genuine sorrow. Sympathy, even.

“Not all of them. Just one.”

“One’s all it takes,” Jigen said.

Fujiko ignored him, not caring in that moment if it shattered her - if there was no one else in the world to grieve for that dead child she’d known for less than six hours... dammit, she’d do it. Someone had to. The world could be cruel enough to kill children, it couldn’t be cruel enough to let them die unmourned. She sobbed for that girl until she had no more tears left to give, and then she was quiet, breathing shakily.

Jigen gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “You’re okay?” he asked.

She nodded. She wasn’t, really, but she was better than she was before.

“All right. I’m sorry about her...” he broke off, uncomfortable. “I’ve known people who do things like that. But I’ll never understand it either.”

“Maybe there’s nothing to understand.”

Jigen nodded, reached over and switched the radio off. “Hell, let the two of ‘em figure it out on their own. I’m going to sleep. You’re sure you’re all right?”

“I am.” Fujiko got up off the bed. She thought maybe she’d take a walk. The rain might feel good.

“Okay. You know where to find me if you need me.”

“Goodnight, Jigen.” Outside, the rain still fell.

[gaarfielf]

k im gonna throw in my hot take on part 5 now i think the time has come where i’ve watched enough of the damn series i can make a coherent essay on whats what on what (putting it under a read more bc this shit is gonna be long and i dont want my followers to suffer too much)

I’ll do this character by character starting with the new ones

Ami: I’m having a hard time deciphering whether she’s being underutilized or over utilized because number 1) her character isn’t interesting enough to have her keep coming around, especially when her only connection to the group is Lupin. She hasn’t had any interaction with Goemon or Jigen that i know of and she hates Fujiko for ??? reasons. That being said, I would’ve preferred if she was fleshed out more because 2) literally having her be the distant girl that is quiet and doesn’t understand social norms is..... really boring. It’s almost as boring as having a female character whose only there as a set of boobs... (coughs). She isn’t interesting because they didn’t make her interesting, yeah? It’s hard to hate a character based on the fact alone they were clearly written by a man but I mean it very literally when I say she could’ve been something great. Having her confess her love to Lupin was straight up disgusting and I really expected more from tms in that vein. Putting romance where romance doesn’t need to be is bad enough let alone when you jack knife it in between a child and an adult. And for those of you saying ‘Oh hhhh she’s like nineteen’....look into your heart. Even if she is 1) she sure as hell doesn’t look it and 2) Lupin is like 40-50. In the wise words of me, children loving adults was a myth made up by pedophiles in support of the devil. Npot to mention pitting her against Fujiko because they both like Lupin?? I ain’t even gotta explain why that’s a pathetic excuse at writing. But I will. Fujiko is a grown ass woman so why the fuck would she care and Ami is a child who shouldn’t be in love with him anyway. She has truly been nothing in the series except a tool and even at that not a likable one.

Yata: Do I even have to say that I can’t write anything about a man who hasn’t had more than 4 minutes of screen time in the last 24 episodes? He was hyped up before the series started and he’s done nothing but be Zenigata’s personality in the place of Zenigata y’know. Actually speaking and having one for himself BUT WE’LL GET TO THAT LATER. He’s done nothing but yell and cry over literally nothing? Like he fights Zeni’s fights because for some reason Zenigata got super lazy this season (again, we’ll get into that later) and he’s just a pointless character.

Albert: Gay rep for life haha just kidding he was bad at that too. I think they literally introduced him as faux-gay rep because they know the fans wanted more sensitive interactions from their already existing male cast members and they were like ‘well that’s gay so we’ll give them this guy’. And speaking on behalf of myself - ‘I don’t want these’. So Albert shows up, supposedly having a HUGE connection to Lupin’s past and then............we never see him again. And they literally tell us nothing about him except he’s gay and works in the government. Apparently when we say ‘we want gay rep’ they hear ‘very minor gay character??’ and didn’t hear us say ‘no’ back. And every time I hear anyone say 1) ‘well, his connection to Lupin is supposed to be a mystery!’ I can feel hives growing on my skin because i’m allergic to bullshit like if they weren’t gonna tell us the connection, and whatever the connection is didn’t reveal anything new about the character outside of ‘Lupin knew somebody that wasn’t Jigen when he was younger’ then why?? mention it?? why make an entire arc dedicated to not telling us something if the end result was ‘it doesn’t matter who he is’? 2) ‘well they’re obviously cousins’ except they obviously aren’t. if they obviously were, they’d say that they were cousins. like if y’all are digging up bits of the manga from 40 years ago to say ‘there was a character who had the same last name’ but are also out here saying ‘Jigen doesnt have a sister bc they said that over 40 yers ago and haven’t mentioned it since’ then I ain’t got nothing to say to y’all, you’re just dodgy and ain’t worth the stress of talking to. 3) ‘they’re maybe gay’ well the cool thing about gay rep is that we don’t give honourary mentions out for series that were too cowardly to actually come right out and say it. So in conclusion, Albert was written by cowards who couldn’t decide what to do with him.

Enzo: Boring. That’s literally all I have to say. Trying to give him depth by making Ami his daughter was predictable and not at all interesting. To be honest I completely forgot she was looking for her dad anyway because she didn’t seem to care that much about finding him either (or seem to care about anythign really). He’s a shitty villain and every time he speaks I got my finger on the right-key because I don’t care what he has to say and so far I haven’t missed anything good so yeah. Just disappointing.

I think that’s it??? For new characters?? So I’ll move onto the main cast

Jigen: I 👏 WANT 👏 JIGEN 👏 TO 👏 DO 👏 SOMETHING like good fucking God the man hasn’t done anything this whole series up until 24 where he got  5 minute scene dedicated to him killin’ cops (direct action) but like?? As a character he hasn’t progressed he has BARELY spoken and we’ve learned one new thing about him the whole series in the episode where he meets the daughter of a woman he used to work with. And that one thing that we learned was: he used to work with the mother of this girl. That’s it. Episode 24 he got a little bit of dialog with Lupin that I guess was supposed to be like character development but it was so weird because it was kind of directed at the audience?? So it’s like is he talking to me or to Jigen because if I was Jigen I would not have one goddamn clue what he was talking about. Also, he’s so depressing this season?? Right up until now we’ve seen very little personality from him aside from Angry and Complains a Lot. He smiles sometimes sure but like he doesn’t exactly have a lot to smile about this season considering he’s not really in the limelight anymore and is only brought back to foreshadow how much he hates technology and wants to retire. Personally, Jigen is one of my favourite characters and the fact he hasn’t achieved much this series is a big let-down

Goemon: I can’t even imagine how let down Goemon fans feel because again, up until Episode 23 he did nothing. He had an episode where he fell in love?? With a girl?? Disguised as a woman?? For some reason?? It was in one of the throwbacks and I’ll admit that maybe the episode made sense and I probably missed something but to me I had no clue what was going on. ANYWAY like his big scene in the spotlight is 3 episodes before the end of the series (its not like he’s a main character or anything) and he cuts Lupin. Because he thinks that he isn’t really his friend. That’s it that’s the only reason he almost murders his friend. Just kidding the other reason was that it was a half ass attempt at shock value to make sure the audience was still paying attention. They can’t seem to decide this season whether they want Goemon to be edgy or stupid but I think we’ve gotten a greta big helping of both so thanks tms /sarcasm/. They’ve really just dragged his character through the mud this season because he used to be stoic, mysterious, traditionalist but lowkey clumsy guy and then now he’s. I don’t even know how to describe it he’s just become so cutesy and edgy at the same time so we get him cutting Lupin in half right in front of UwU i eat my fish skin first ! I’m quirky ! like what am I supposed to feel about this grown man? He’s really too back-and-forth for me this season

Fujiko: I’M GONNA GET HEATED ABOUT THIS ONE SO BUCKLE UP I’ve never seen Fujiko written this poorly since TWCFM (yes i’m outting that as a bad series too so don’t @ me about that lil tidbit). She’s there as a piece of eyecandy bUT SHE IS SO POORLY DRAWN IT MAKES ME WONDER IF ANYBODY AT TMS HAS EVER SEEN A WOMAN IN THEIR LIFE TIME. Seriously her proportions are so off and outwardly repulsive looking it makes it hard not to skip anything she says in the series on account of how half-ass her character looks. Not limiting herself to being visually repulsive, she also has a half-ass personality. Suddenly Fujiko isn’t the come-and-go as she pleases, mysterious woman that gives Lupin intel on very high security operations she’s just. There. At some point in the series she said ‘a woman’s body is just a tool to get something she needs’ and I wanted to puke this is NOT Fujiko’s character at all and I’m disgusted that they’re brushing her off as a pair of walking talking boobs. Also her absolute lack of empathy is just mind numbing because they’re somehow trying to convince the audience that Lupin broke her heart due to wedding related reasons that still haunt her but? Seeing him cut almost in half does nothing for her? And then she deadpan ‘This is just how it is’ like this is just putting her in such an evil light that I hate because I love Fujiko! In every other season she’s fighty and sarcastic and witty AND NOT JUST THERE FOR EYE CANDY. And going back to the wedding thing, why is this being made into such a big deal? There’s literal episodes in other seasons called ‘Fujiko Doesn’t Look Right in a Wedding Dress’ ‘Fujiko Doesn’t Want to Be Married’ ‘A Ring Is Like a Trap’ like she 👏 don’t 👏 want 👏 to 👏 be 👏 married 👏. And the preview for the next ep shows her in a wedding dress so I’m ultimately preparing myself for the big season finale being them getting married.

hurray.

Final thought on Fujiko being, the episode where she picks up Lupin to save him from succumbing to his crossbow wound (easily the funniest thing thats happened all season) I mean. Yeah it’s kinda cool. I don’t really have any strong feelings about that like I’m not about to praise them for something like that when it was immediately followed by her and Ami slap fighting over him again.

Lupin: In my days of watching Lupin movies/specials my slogan was ‘if the ratio of screen time in the movie between characters is 10:0 in Lupin’s favour then it ain’t a good movie’ and it’s ringing true to this season where it’s all about Lupin. I understand obviously it’s a series called Lupin III like I’m not stupid but the amount of ass kissing to his character is something else like they’re putting him on this huge pedestal like he’s a do-no-wrong kind of guy to the point where he’s boring because he’s done nothing wrong. Ever. He doesn’t argue with anybody he doesn’t have any strong emotions really (outside of that episode where Zenigata loses his memory we see him outwardly angry for a minute). It just makes him such a dry character when they try to mold him into being absolutely flawless and admirable. Also the amount of faking his own death and ‘oh no is he gonna die’ moments are just not entertaining. Like I said earlier when he got shot with the crossbow that was the hardest I’ve laughed in a long long time. It played like an SNL skit (you know what one). And again we aren’t learning anything new. Whose Albert to him!? We never got to know, What’s his relationship to Fujiko!? We’re probably gonna find out they’re getting married last episode after all the touching moments they had together this season like.... like uh.... when they uh... oh right they’ve barely spoken to each other all season. And when they did they were arguing. Love is in the air huh?

Zenigata: AI’ll try to keep this brief but Yata’s taken over his character this season. He’s barely spoken, he has like, NO energy or determination. After the episode where Lupin faked his death (the first time, not the proceeding 90 times) Zenigata just stopped appearing and stopped doing anything productive. If anything his character became an excuse for an info dump. Like oh we see a war torn area whats going on? Zenigata is conveniently nearby to say ‘these people are at war!’ and then outside character will tell a 18 paragraph history on him of whose at war and their history and then Zenigata says ‘okay’ and doesn’t appear again for the next 2 episodes.

Now for the closing thoughts I guess

i don’t know why they’re looking at Lupin having plot as separate from Lupin being episodic. Like they’ve separated him from adventure so he’s just doing the same things over and over again. Not to mention like I said earlier, the fans wanted to see more sensitive interactions between the already existing characters, and if anything, they’re farther apart and just really confusing and contradictory. It’s hard to get through an episode when every week its another ‘great time for another plot arc they’re never gonna finish’. When I watched episodes of Part 1 and 2 and 4 (not so much 3 because i can’t find anywhere to watch it lol) I’m pretty attentive all the way through because the series drops tidbits of information about the characters and they make the episode enjoyable to watch. This season is so dreary and dry I can’t find anything to enjoy about it because it’s just one disappointment after another. I’m trying to to sound bitchy as I type all this out but I mean I’m speaking as a fan who is just really disappointed. I know I’ve said ‘disappointed’ a lot in this whole thing but there isn’t another word to describe it because that’s really the way that I feel about part 5. Seeing my favourite characters on screen is supposed to make me feel happy and excited to see where they’re gonna go and what they’re gonna do not make me think “I hope they don’t ruin this character for me’ in every. single. episode. This season has been underwhelming, unenjoyable, inconsistent and just really exhausting to me overall.

i gotta go eat now so peace out and if you read to the end of all this then hopefully i’m not the only one in this boat but if you don’t agree with me then i guess thats just how it is yeah?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the callbacks were cool at first but now I just find they’re baiting me into thinking i’ll enjoy the episode because i’ll find something I liked from one of the better seasons in it. They’re just really overused at this point because these callbacks aren’t being used for anything. like ‘lupin is making his plan at the cagliostro castle!’ like. why. ‘detective melon is also angry at lupin!’ but if she isn’t like teaming up with zenigata or actually doing anything to find him why should i care.