Work Text:
Apart For The Holidays
“Are you sure?” Jigen asked, looking a bit confused as he towered over the defeated-looking thief, who was slumped forward in a tall-backed chair.
Lupin’s head rested in his hands, looking as though he were about to cry. However, he wouldn't allow himself to do that just yet. Not with all of his partners in the room.
“Yeah…” Lupin sighed, sounding utterly helpless, just the way he looked, “Just go…nothing's going to change now, and I don't want to keep you here…”
“But…” Jigen started, making note of how close it was to a certain holiday. But, before he could make his point, the thief found his last bit of give-a-damn and snapped back at him:
“I SAID GO!”
This caused Jigen to step back, wounded by the master thief's words. Meanwhile, Goemon and Fujiko looked up, seeing and feeling the hurt in the air. They had never seen Lupin so upset, especially over a failed heist.
Fujiko was the first to make her exit, not wanting to stay in this sea of negativity any longer. With a huffed sigh of her own she stated:
“Then I will go to the South…make sure you call me when you're out of your bad mood!”
And with that, the femme fatale left. The sounds of her motorcycle roaring to life and speeding off into the snowy night surrounding them.
As if on que, when the sound of Fujiko's motorcycle had gone, Goemon raised up from the couch he had been perched on. After putting on his wide-brimmed kasa, and securing Zantetsuken in his hand, he too left, saying simply:
“And I will go to the East.”
The door opened softly and the samurai stepped out into the cold, leaving in a slow yet steady pace. Soon, he too was far enough away that he had been swallowed into the white snow around him.
This left Jigen and Lupin alone. The gunman couldn't just up and leave, but it was clear Lupin wasn't going to snap out of his funk. And all over a lousy safe! It made the gunman's blood boil.
“Grrr…FINE!!!” Jigen eventually snapped back, turning away from his dearest friend and partner. His fists clenched as he too felt powerful emotions welling up inside himself,” If you’re just going to sit and pout over some stupid safe, then I'm leaving too. I'm going to the west, goddammit!!”
The gunman then stomped to the door. His hand reached out for the handle, but he paused, not wanting to leave. However, there was a point to be made, and him staying wasn't going to make it. With a quick motion, Jigen opened the door, stepped outside, and slammed the door behind him, leaving Lupin all alone…
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A few days later, Christmas was knocking on everyone's hearts.
At a police department Christmas party in Tokyo, many of the officers, chiefs and various other staff were making merry. It had been a long year, including many fruitless pursuits of Lupin III. But, now was a time for celebration! Alcohol flowed freely, many had relaxed their normally uptight personalities, and everyone was having a grand time.
Except for one man: Inspector Koichi Zenigata. The hardened inspector sat in a lonely corner, looking wistfully out the large bay windows that he had somewhat intentionally placed himself in front of. He was nursing a half-full beer, but it was clear that he'd had a few before that. The look on his face was that of someone who had just been dumped right before Christmas.
Only one person dared to approach the solemn inspector, and that was his faithful partner, Yata. He too was several alcoholic beverages into his evening, but upon seeing Zenigata so down in the dumps, he couldn't help but stagger over.
“Uh…Sir?” Yata began, setting down his drink on a side table and sitting in a chair close by, “Are you alright? You don't seem to be having any fun…”
“Oh, Yata…How can I possibly have fun when Lupin The Third is still on the loose?!” Zenigata responded, saying a few words louder and with more passion than perhaps was comfortable. A few workers looked his way, scooting away when they saw who it was. Luckily, the inspector was too centered in himself to have noticed.
“Oh sir…it's Christmas…” Yata tried to soothe the inspector, not wanting him to go into a frenzy in the middle of the party, “ Sure, you might not have caught him this year…but there's always next year! Please cheer up!”
Yata picked up his drink and held it out in front of him, hoping that the inspector would clink his own drink against it. However, the inspector looked up, looked back at his drink, and then brought it to his lips and chugged the rest of it down. The young ICPO watched him in slight horror as he finished the beer and set it down again with a loud clatter against the glass table. More heads turned in their direction at the sound, and even more moved away.
“No…I'm going to get him now…COME ON!” Zenigata said triumphantly, standing up very quickly. However, with the number of drinks he'd had, almost instantly he felt a head rush and sunk down to the ground with a groan.
Yata rolled his eyes, sighing as he got up and helped the inspector back to his feet and saying, “How about tomorrow, sir?”
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Fujiko arrived in Rio de Janeiro with the most perfect timing. After leaving the airport she made her way to a beautiful seaside resort. When her bags were safely in her room, the flawless woman changed her clothes and made her way to the beach.
“If only Lupin could see me now,” Fujiko muttered to herself as she settled into the lounging chair, tropical drink in hand and umbrella above her. She took a sip of her drink and stared out at the water before her, feeling very proud of her decision.
However, when the sun began to set, a tree came to life on the water. It was beautifully lit, a floating display of dancing lights that beamed from its floating platform. Other trees near her sprang to life as well, but none were as spectacular as the one floating upon the calm ocean. In this moment, sentimentality began to set in, and in some small way, Fujiko began to miss Lupin and the company of the others as well.
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Meanwhile, in Japan, Goemon Ishikawa XIII strolled into a quiet village town. He looked wholly out of place, dressed in his well-worn samurai garb and looking as though he had stepped out of a rift in time. Although this place was rural, and a bit more old school than any major city, Western decorations and fashion were all around. Eyes found him from all around, and whispers of how out of place the samurai was met his ears. Of course, Goemon was used to this and continued on to his destination.
Soon thereafter, the samurai stepped into the inviting foyer of what he had been told was an authentic Onsen. As he looked around, he slowly started to think that the definition of ‘authentic’ was incredibly loose. This wasn't enough to deter him from the experience, and he certainly didn't want to go back outside.
After paying what was most of the money he had, Goemon was led to a singular room, which was a very nice private suite. Besides the normal amenities of bed, sitting room, and kitchenette, there was also a personal onsen. This had not been what the samurai had in mind, but he was not left disappointed.
Shortly after he had gotten settled into the room, Goemon instantly disrobed and got into the small tub, which he had filled with natural hot spring water. As he sunk into the steaming water, he sighed, his muscles relaxing as he felt relief wash over himself. He placed a cool towel on his head and laid back, taking in the breathtaking view of the snow-covered town below. A few twinkling lights caught his eye, and he felt a pang of sadness.
“Perhaps Lupin would have enjoyed this view as well.” The samurai said to himself, pulling the cloth over his eyes as tried to get the thief out of his mind. However, that was proving to be harder than he had hoped.
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Just as the others had done, Daisuke Jigen found himself in the glittering city of Las Vegas just as Christmas reared its ugly head. He could barely believe it, but there were even more lights strung along the streets, adding even more gaudy features to the already brightly lit Sin City. As he drove along the strip there were even more outlandish displays of glittering trees, archways, and other sights of the season. It was enough to make his head hurt.
Eventually, the weary gunman parked his car in the parking deck of the most affordable (yet not too cheap) hotel casino he could procure. It wasn't the Bellagio, but it would at least be a distraction from his thoughts of Lupin. Or, so he thought.
The night started out strong. He had won multiple rounds of cards and craps, and had even managed to win a small amount from a lucky pull on a slot machine. But, as the night wore on, and his drink count increased, the older man began to feel sentimental. He remembered the last time he'd been in Vegas, his partners in crime also winning money, or rigging the games ever so slightly to win. Even losing all of their money at times. But it had been more of an experience when they were all together.
Later on, after cashing out his winnings and retiring to his modest room, Jigen went out onto the balcony for a much needed smoke. As he looked out over the glittering horizon, he sighed, wishing that he wasn't so alone. And that he could help Lupin out of his funk. It simply wasn't Christmas without his best pal having fun right along with him.
As if on que, just as he flicked the butt of his cigarette over the railing, his room phone began to ring. The gunman looked around, wondering if a camera or perhaps a nosy neighbor had spotted him smoking. Grumpily, he picked up the phone.
“Yeah?” Jigen said in a gruff tone, fully expecting it to be the front desk.
“Jigen?” Came Lupin’s voice from the other end of the phone.
“Lupin?!” Jigen exclaimed, his eyes going wide under his hat. He sat down in the chair next to the bed, totally thrown off by hearing the thief's voice.
“The one and only!” Lupin replied in a chipper tone, “Wouldn't you know it? With some space to clear my head, I was able to open that stupid safe with no problems! Turns out there was a stupid little trick that…anyway!! I know it's a bit late, but maybe we could all get together for the new year! I have a big pay out for all of you!”
Jigen’s first thought was to be furious at the thief. He'd spent so much time being worried about him for everything to just be fine in the end. But, he was also relieved to hear that Lupin was in a far better mood. With a quick moment to compose himself, he replied:
“Yeah, man, that sounds great…you want me to call everyone else?”
“Nah, I'll do it. It'll be a big surprise for them, especially Fujicakes~” Lupin remarked, causing Jigen to cringe at the mention of Fujiko, “just make your way back here to Chateau De Lupin!”
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