#I still never got over miura’s passing man | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

epic-potato-crisp · 4 months

Text

The Monday Incident

A very belated Secret Santa Gift for @kaseytransboi-blog (hope this is your Tumblr!)- so belated it is from 2022. So incredibly sorry about that! 🙈 I wanted you to still receive this gift, even if it means arriving in time for Ajin Secret Santa 2023. You wanted "Generally Wholesome" so It's a little One Shot featuring the Ajin Cast in the Brooklyn 99 universe - I hope you will (still) enjoy! <3

------

LINK:

The Monday Incident - epic_potato_crisp - 亜人 - 三浦追儺 & 桜井画門 | Ajin - Miura Tsuina & Sakurai Gamon (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

----

Detective Nagai had a terrible day. A day that had started with a diffuse ache in his abdomen and his heart palpitating at a mile an hour when he woke up an hour before his alarm from a nightmare he could not remember.

Seeing as it was pointless to go back to sleep, he cursed himself and the entire squad out, a plethora of creative insults he would, most likely, never voice out loud. Then he went to brew a cup of coffee. He would have loved to say it immediately jolted him out of his stupor and into an active, motivated, pre-case solving state, but of course it didn’t. Rest assured, he was mercifully saved the one benefit of caffeine that he was betting on. The only change he experienced was a familiar burn in his throat, his reflux’s friendly way of reminding him that it was planning on becoming a permanent resident.

What a bother. Kei had always hated the concept of roommates.

He didn’t own a car, neither did he drive- not, as some might assume, because of not passing the ridiculously simple theoretical exam (He had, with a stellar score of 110% , the bonus resulting from giving himself extra credit for a formatting and spelling error he noticed). No, he simply chose not to, because frankly, the idea of riding into oncoming traffic on four shaky wheels with nothing but steel-aluminium walls that dented at the lightest scratch and a sorry excuse for an airbag keeping him from certain death, did not seem very appealing.

(And perhaps also, because the look his driving instructor had given him after his most recent attempt at the practical exam had etched himself in his soul forever. Sure, Kei might have avoided the head-on collision with the HAYAKAWA CIGARETTES truck, but the terror in the man’s eyes and the scathing indictment that followed made him wonder if actually getting mowed over by 4 tons of vehicle would have been the better alternative.) Ah well, now he would never know.

Thankfully, there were other people in his squad. Some compensated for their mediocre cognitive ability with a surprisingly solid physical skill set. One example was Nakano Kou, the overly-energetic detective who had declared himself Kei’s best friend two weeks after the latter had joined. It had been an unanimous decision Kei had interestingly never been consulted on. But he could live with that, he supposed. Nakano could be incredibly annoying, but he did give Kei rides to work, which was appreciated.Especially , on a day as frosty as this one, where Kei would have rather stabbed himself than get up an hour earlier to spend his precious pre-work time scratching ice off car windows. Nakano, thankfully, seemed to have no such problem.

He was even punctual when he pulled up to Kei’s apartment that morning, dressed in his signature yellow parka.

“Good morning!“ he cheered loudly, turning down the Black Eyed Peas‘ “I GOT A FEELIN“ that was blaring in the background at Kei’s raised eyebrow. Orange strands as unkempt as ever, one hand on the steering wheel, he held out a cup emblazoned with yet another caffeine franchise that people with lack of a spine might pledge addiction to.

“Kei”, the cup read.

He grinned as Kei got into the car, strapping on his seatbelt: “You gotta call shotgun, Nagai.”

“I’m not saying that every single time.” Kei sighed, “And I don’t want coffee.”

“That’s hot chocolate.”

Kei narrowed his eyes: “Without caffeine?”

“Yes, yes! Without!” Nakano said, lifting his left hand in an idiotic gesture of sincerity.

“Careful.” Kei snapped, not wanting his idiotic attempts at being genuine to endanger them in the morning traffic.

“Dude, chill, I’m still parking.” Nakano said, conveniently ignoring how Kei had told him to never call him dude under any circumstances in their first week working together. He revved the engine to life and then, placing a hand on the back firmly of Kei’s headrest and turning to look behind himself, maneuvered them backwards and then out of their parking spot. The close proximity of his teammate’s fingers to his neck and the self-assured, almost cocky way with which his colleague steered them back into traffic did nothing for him, Kei reminded himself, gripping tightly around the cardboard wrapper. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and chased away a flicker of regret when Nakano’s hand dropped from its place on the headrest, fingers curling back around the steering wheel.

“You know, a “thank you, how was your weekend” wouldn’t kill you.” his colleague said, side-eying the stiff way he stiffly occupied the passenger seat.

“Just drive.” Kei grumbled, managing to avoid the eye-contact he was afraid would sell him out.

“Screw yourself, seriously.” Nakano said, fondness tinged with annoyance, as he shifted into third gear. Thus started their morning bickering- the only way, Kei realized, to properly wake him up.

They managed to get to work a good fifteen minutes before their morning meeting at 8 am. Which was good, because arriving any later than the designated time would be a surefire way to draw the wrath of their captain.

“Good morning, Sarge!” Nakano cheerfully greeted Sergeant Hirasawa, who was already sat at his desk, two yoghurt cups stacked in front of him.

“Good morning, detective Nakano.” Hirasawa replied. Age was not lost on the seargant, who combed back his hair in an effort to mask the balding patch, tucking his glasses behind his ears. Calloused hands spoke of many years in the service, but in the seargeant’s case, he had followed an unconventional career path, having spent his years before training in the Academy as a bodyguard of sorts. “Well, hired gun is more like it.” the Sarge had shared during one evening during a post-working gathering a pub. Manabe, one of the four guys that had been employed about the same time as the Seargeant and who seemed to have known him for even longer, chuckled dryly at that. Kei hadn’t bothered asking what the vague job description meant, he could put two and two together. Unlike Nakano, who had stared at Hirasawa with a quizzical look. Before the words “What’s a hired gun” could leave his mouth, Kei had grabbed him by the back of his parka and dragged him to the bar.

“The next rounds of drinks are on you.” he said sullenly, as his colleague complained loudly about the rough treatment. There must have been something in Kei’s eyes however, as Nakano dropped the topic pretty much immediately. When he came back carrying an armful of beers, their table cheered, detective Suzumura and detective Kuroki slapping him on the back appreciatively. Nakano preened under the attention and was engrossed in a lively conversation within minutes.

Kei nipped at his rum-filled beverage, grimacing at the bitter taste and cursing out the bartender for clearly misjudging his soda to alcohol ratio preference. But just as he was about to call it an early night, Sergeant Hirasawa slid on the stool next to him. “So, I’ve heard some impressive things about you, Detective Nagai.”

“Which would be?” Kei asked, skeptically. The Sergeant laughed at his open mistrust. Well, someone tells me you are planning to become a captain of a squad yourself someday. Your stellar scores graduating from the Academy and your track record of solved cases also speak for themselves.”

Kei did his best to not feel too flattered under the praise. “That is, if I make it that far. I’ll have to pass the Sergeant’s exam first.. It would be a fool’s error to rest simply because of previous success I had.” He took a sip, and forced himself not to avoid the Sergeant’s gaze, which seemed downright friendly and empathic. Sometimes, he had to remind himself not everyone he ever worked with had ill-intent. But then again, he had to keep an eye open for the possibility.

“I still have a long road ahead of me.” He concluded a conversation that he felt was becoming too personal for a work acquaintance.

“Spoken as a true contender for the position of Captain would.” Seargeant Hirasawa said, and Kei attempted not to startle too much when he amicably slapped his back, and in a tone, that sounded too genuine to be false said, “I’m rooting for you, Detective Nagai.”

Well, at least, someone was rooting for him. Kei felt as though he was not having the same luck with the new Captain that had been assigned to their district.

Captain Tosaki Yuu was not one for humor, or slacking, or any other form entertainment that would have made the arduous work days in the precinct more bearable. Kei would have been fine with that. Instead, it was Detective Nakano’s morale that took a major hit when their new commanding officer introduced himself and how he planned to run the precinct. However, it took him only a few weeks to win even the sour-faced captain over in that strangely charming way of his. This didn’t necessarily mean that Detective Nakano didn’t still make a fool of himself- he did- or that the Captain had never yelled at him for his tardiness or unserious attitude – he had – but it did meant that even tall, pale, consistently stressed Captain Tosaki begrudgingly accepted the cheerful detective as vital member of his squad.

Which caused Kei even more of a headache because he himself wasn’t having any of that luck.

He had tried every strategy from mute respect to blank sincerity to disinterest to word-by-word conduct of corporate advancement guidelines but he kept clashing with the Captain more often than he had probably should. Conflict with superiors was not a favorable strategy, that was what he’d learned in the Academy. Sometimes, he laid awake at night, ruminating on the possibility that it could be a death sentence for his career that had not even properly begun. It was simply that he, Detective Nagai, had his own way of doing things which had served him well over years in service, and was only the slightest bit aggrieved at the fact of being presented with a new Captain that seemed to micromanage his every move.

If he was available to speak with at all.

As Nakano settled into his desk, finishing his coffee and chatting with the Seargeant, Kei flicked his eyes over to the Captain’s office. At the desk right in front sat Naomi, his personal secretary, who spent 1/3 of her time relegating calls, another third being mean and the final third playing Flappy Bird on her phone.

“Sorry, Captain’s not available right now.” she warbled into the speaker, examining her sapphire acrylics with genuine interest, just as Captain Tosaki came into view behind her.

“Who’s that?” the Captain asked sharply, flanked as usual by his right-hand Sergeant Shimomura, who stood stoically next to him.

To Naomi’s credit, she was used to his unannounced entrances and didn’t as much as startle, left alone appear guilty being caught blatantly avoiding her job.

She swiveled around in her desk chair, blowing maroon strands out of her eyes, perfectly manicured fingers held over the mouthpiece.

“Oh, just Ogura from Forensics.” she said, batting her eyelashes and dragging out the “a” with an annoyed sigh, “I told him I don’t get paid to deal with this before 9 am. Do you want him to call you back later?”

“That is exactly what you are getting paid to do.” Tosaki said monotonously, “But yes.” He grimaced, “Let him call back later.”

The fact that there was no love lost between the Captain and the leading physician of the Forensics Department, who liked hassle him at every turn, was not a secret for the crew. Naomi smirked, delighted at having her expectations met and withdrew her fingers from the mouthpiece, “He’s busy right now.” she faux-sweetly announced, “Try again during our office hours.” She slammed the phone down before Ogura’s distant voice on the other hand could as much as bring forward another jab.

Now that the matter was dealt with, Captain Tosaki moved onto the next target to air his morning frustration out on.

“Detective Nakano, Detective Nagai.” he barked.

“Sir, Yes Sir!” Nakano immediately jumped to attention, almost spilling his drink in the process.

Kei rolled his eyes.

“What is it, Captain?” he asked, feigning politeness.

“What are you standing there for?” Tosaki said, irritatedly, “Get settled in the meeting room. I’d like to start on time for once.”

Nakano cheerily shouted his affirmation, as the Captain strode off. Sergeant Shimomura remained behind, noting something on her clipboard.

“Good morning, Detective Nagai. Detective Nakano.” she greeted them properly, obsidian eyes calmly meeting their gaze.

“Good morning, Seargeant!” Nakano exclaimed, grinning back at her, not even attempting to hide his delight as having received her full attention, “How was your weekend? Did you do something fun?”

This was a one-sided love affair at best, Kei was certain, but that didn’t stop Nakano from being hopelessly infatuated with the Sergeant the moment he had stepped foot into the precinct. It’s good that he himself never had to deal with this type of ridiculous experiences, he thought, quenching the faintest annoyance that bubbled within him whenever he realized Nakano did have a habit of being very flirt-friendly with a lot of his female colleagues. Shimomura faintly returned his smile.

“It was fairly uneventful.” she said, in that reserved, cryptical way of hers, “I hope yours was enjoyable, as well.” The open-ended question was a rookie mistake.

As Nakano launched into an overly-detailed recitation of his weekend which included a paintball tournament and a barbecue (where on earth did he take the energy, Kei could not imagine), he observed the Seargeant more closely.

Fairly uneventful could mean anything when it came to Sergeant Shimomura. The last time she had used that description, she had single-handedly led a drug bust that had carried on into the early hours of Sunday morning. She was only few years older than Kei. He was also fairly certain they’d both trained at the same academy, although he had no proof of that. Upon joining their precinct, Tosaki had immediately recruited her as his second-in-command, which came to no surprise. Shimomura was not only loyal to the core, but also greatly skilled both in detective work and martial combat. She also did not seem fazed by the fact that she often got mistaken as Tosaki’s secretary. Whenever that happened, the Captain made sure to correct the mistake immediately, referring to her as his “highly talented Sergeant” and, and redirecting whoever misspoke to see Naomi if they wanted to speak with his “highly talented secretary.” (It was a blessing that he always made a show of loudly announcing these corrections, so Naomi at least had a few seconds to save her level on Wintry Workshop and pull up an Excel Table on her computer so as not to undermine his statement.)

Apart from this, he had not a single clue about the Seargeant’s backstory, interests or even exact whereabouts. Which was fairly unusual for a department as…sociable as theirs. This was the most polite way Kei had of putting it.

“I know exactly three things about you.” Kei had pointed out one evening, as stacks of paperwork were dragging them long past the end of their shift, “And one of them is that you don’t let anyone know where you live.”

“That is already one thing more than you were supposed to know, Detective Nagai.” the Seargeant had said, the corners of her lips tilting up ever so slightly, “Not even my relatives have the information.”

He had left it at that. He had once seen her body-slam the leader of human trafficking ring that towered two heads above her after the man had attempted to pull a gun on her. It really wasn’t worth the risk.

“So in conclusion.” Detective Nakano said, gesturing towards the projector, “I’m really certain this is the man we’re looking for. Here he is, on his way of committing crime.”

With a dramatical flourish, he moved onto the next slide of his presentation.

The grainy photo, taken from a security camera inside the Forge headquarters, showed an elderly gentleman wearing a baseball cap and a knit cardigan. His eyes were unfocused, almost closed, giving the impression of him having just woken up from a nap.

Kuroki and Manabe erupted in laughter.

“No way.” Kuroki said.

“He’s on his way alright, but to the next retirement home.” Manabe scoffed.

Kuroki cackled at that and held out his hand for a fist bump, which Manabe returned.

“Alright, let’s give Detective Nakano a chance to present his case.” Seargeant Hirasawa spoke up patiently, ever the mediator, “Detective, what proof do you have?”

“Oh, uh- proof.” Detective Nakano said, scratching his head, “Well…”

Kei looked over at the Captain, who was observing Nakano from his seat at the front of the meeting room with a stony expression. Never a good sign.

“Well, the evidence speaks for itself, doesn’t it?” Nakano said, shrugging helplessly, “He’s in this footage, he was on the previous footage…I’m sure if I contact the Cyber Crimes division they could retrace the IT address that the perps used to hack into the Forge database, and that would probably lead back to—”

“We do not operate on the basis of probably, Detective.” The icy tone in the Captain’s voice made even Nakano cringe.

Tosaki got to his feet. He swiftly moved towards Nakano, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Zoom in, Detective.” He ordered. And Nakano did.

Kuroki whistled at the sight. ““Man, let’s hope he meakes it to the retirement home at all.” he said.

As much as it pained Kei to admit it, he was right. Upon closer inspection, the suspect appeared even older, properly geriatric. Fragile. If Nakano had meet him outside of work, he would have likely asked if he needed assistance crossing the streets. And then helped him cross said street. Nakano was friendly like that.

“Are you telling me.” Tosaki said, each word laced with scathing disbelief, “That this is the man you believe to be behind the string of seven flawlessly executed robberies, most recently at the Forge headquarters, a company that prides itself on their bulletproof security system?”

“I’m not sure he even knows what Windows is.” someone muttered in the background. Probably Kuroki. Kei shot an unnerved look in his direction. If someone was to harangue Nakano for his mediocre presentation abilities, it was to be him.

“He could- could have allies!” Nakano defended himself, now gesturing wildly, “Like, most of them big time dudes do.”

The big times dudes, right. Whenever Kei doubted his own capabilities as a detective – which happened more frequently than he would like to admit – it was moments as this one that reassured him that perhaps a future command wasn’t this far out of reach, if this was the competition he was to contend with.

“He has a caretaker, at most, that- “

“Enough.” the Captain snapped. He massaged his temples.

He turned towards his right-hand, the only other detective’s – except, in some instances, Hirasawa’s- opinion he regularly took into consideration. “Sergeant Shimomura, what do you think?”

The room grew quiet, as everyone’s attention focused on the Seargeant sitting in the second row. Nakano seemed to be holding his breath. Shimomura was silent for several moments. When she then spoke, there was the faintest trace of sympathy in her otherwise emotionless tone.

“As much as I appreciate your case work so far, Detective, I believe you at this point that you are lacking the necessary evidence to make an accusation, let alone an arrest.”

She concluded by clicking her pen shut. Upon this judgement, Nakano visibly deflated. Shimomura had likely been his last and most important pillar of hope.

Tosaki nodded. “I agree.”

“Listen, guys.” Nakano called out, a tinge of desperation creeping into his voice, “You know I have a really good intuition.”

That he had, Kei had to admit. Despite his own record of solved cases, Nakano wasn’t lagging too far behind. Or at all. There had been one too many times where they had made a competition, with a humiliating punishment for that month’s loser in terms of numbers. Though even those didn’t seem to faze him. He had worn the pink, glitter-adorned “Boss Babe ” shirt with pride to the precinct the day after Nagai had bested him one glorious August evening. Kei would have called sick before he sat one foot through the doors in this get-up. He imagined his little sister calling him a misogynist and scowled at the idea.

“And it is because of said intuition”- wow, what a big word for you, Detective, Kei thought drlyly, “That I am so very certain.” Nakano continued, his voice becoming more steadfast and louder in his determination, “This is the culprit!” He pointed back towards the screen, the image woefully undermining the earthshattering point he was trying to make, “this is the guy we have been chasing for months, who has been making our lives hell since he robbed that gaming store a year ago.”

“That’s a hell of a nice deal on those retro consoles.” Ogura had whistled through his teeth when Kei had shown him the recipes of the robbery after the doctor’s persistent badgering, “Wish I had a Pacman game at home.”

“So, if you believe me, I can say that it’s him with like” Nakano frowned, running the numbers in his head: “85% certainty! That’s how certain I am!”

Kei was about to throw in his own comment on the situation when the Captain shut down the projector, much to Nakano’s gasping dismay and feeble protests.

“85% are not enough, Detective.” he said coldly and turned towards the room

, “Meeting dismissed.”

Kei tried to spend the rest of the day in a productive state, in an effort to be able to go home at the designated time that was almost never kept. Nakano, who had not quite bounced back from their morning meeting, unintentionally made every effort to thwart this plan.

“I just don’t get why my case work wasn’t enough.” he whined, for the second time that afternoon, head placed on Kei’s desk, where the later was filing, or rather, attempting to file a report.

“And I don’t get why you continue to ignore my work space, but here we are.” Kei said monotonously.

“Come on, dude, we’re basically desk mates.” Nakano argued, which was a very convenient stretching of the truth.

The fact that he had to roll past four other desks on his way to Kei’s – courtesy of Tosaki, who had placed them apart in his first week in order to improve work flow - was no deterrent for Detective Nakano. He enjoyed making the way into a race of sorts, often timing how long it took him to get from one desk to the other. His record of five seconds was still unbeaten.

“I pulled so much overtime for this, it’s like the Captain didn’t even properly read my report-“

Kei saved his document, and sighed, deciding to spare a few seconds of his valuable time for his colleague.

“I’m certain he did. It’s just not that simple.” He said, “Seargeant Shimomura has been on the same track for months. If she’s finding it to be a challenge, why did you think it would be an easy solve for you?”

This seemed to resonate with Nakano. “Well.” he said, appearing thoughtful of suddenly, “Guess you have a point. Still sucks, though.”

Kei hummed affirmatively, leaving his colleague alone with his own thoughts, which was thankfully a peaceful situation. He chanced a glance at the large office clock. If he kept working at his previous speed, and if Seargeant Hirasawa didn’t magically appear with another apartment break-in for him to process, then perhaps- today he would actually be able to leave-

“Detective Nakano, Detective Nagai.” Captain Tosaki barked from his office door, “A word. Now.”

Kei did not even attempt to suppress his groan.

“Well, suppose we should go, right?” Nakano said, squaring his shoulders and throwing him a questioning sort of look to which Kei could only respond in kind. No, he too had no idea what could possibly be going on.

“Oopsie.” Naomi said, a grimacing-type of smile clear with Schadenfreude, as they walked past her desk, “The Captain is still in kind of a bad mood. The fact that Doc Ogura just called back a few seconds ago didn’t help with that at all.”

Kei saw that she at least had the decency to pause her Candy Crush game for that short, albeit pointless conversation.

“Great.” he replied sarcastically, “Thank you for the info.”

“No worries.” Naomi chirped, “Let me know if there’s anything going on, yeah? The office has been so quiet these past few days.” She leant forward and lowered the register of her voice: “I could use some juicy info.”

“We’ll see what we can do, Miss Naomi!” Kou called out enthusiastically, as Kei, unnerved, dragged him to Captain’s office.

Captain Tosaki wasn’t alone. Sergeant Shimomura stood on his right side, giving them the hint of a smile as they entered.

“Close the door properly and pull down the blinds.” Captain Tosaki instructed promptly “I have a matter of great importance to discuss with both of you.”

Kei had not expected this turn of events. He took a moment to recollect himself, while Nakano already jumped into action with an enthusiastic “Yes, Sir!” and carried out the tasks.

“Sit down.” the Sergeant said, gesturing to the seats in front of the desk.

They both did. Anticipation had Kei sliding to the edge of his chair, toes poised on the carpeted floor. Nakano seemed equally as nervous, but in stark contrast, as far as Kei could tell, carried himself with less with dread, even with a hint of excitement.

“So.” Tosaki said, after a few beats of uncomfortable silence, “I have called you here to inform you that I – or, rather, we both-“ he glanced at the Sergeant, “Would like to revise our statement on Detective Nakano’s casework.”

Something lurched in Kei’s chest.

“Revise?” Kou said, in a puzzled tone, because of course he did.

“Retract.” Sergeant Shimomura interjected, “We have reviewed your work and believe that you are on the right path, Detective.”

“All evidence considered, we believe you have identified the correct culprit. Responsible for the burglaries of several stores, the Forge headquarters and beyond.” Tosaki continued with a sigh, “Your intuition, unfortunately, was correct.”

Kei could see the wheels turning in Nakano’s head.

“Heck yeah!” his colleague shouted, pumping his fist in elation, which earned him an insistent Shush from his unamused superiors.

“Sorry.” Nakano .said sheepishly, scratching his head. “I’m just glad I got it right. It’s good when your work pays off.”

The Captain sighed again.

“Why unfortunately?” Kei spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the odd turn of phrasing, “How is a progress in a case not beneficial?”

The Captain and the Sergeant exchanged another one of their trademark looks.

“Well.” Sergeant Shimomura said, hesitating, “The matter appears to be larger than we originally anticipated.”

“That being a rather euphemistic understatement.” Tosaki said, producing a file from his drawers and slapping it down in front of them, “Our culprit, Samuel T. Owen, is not only responsible for the string of robberies.”

CLASSIFIED, red letters read.

“We also believe him to be the leader of an anarchist uprising with ties to the black market, specifically organ trafficking.”

Fuck, was the first thought to enter Kei’s mind, More overtime. He was exhausted as it was. He ignored the sliver of interest he felt at the promise of a case far more thrilling than he had ever worked one, even dreamed of working when he chose his career path. Nakano, on the other hand, made an odd, high-pitched noise next to him, which Kei correctly identified as a suppressed whimper of excitement.

“Heck yeah.” his colleague whispered in awe, fist clenched, beaming like Christmas had come early.

“So we have asked you here to promote you to primary investigators on this case that must be carried out with utmost-“ Tosaki paused, eyeing Nakano scrutinizingly, “disrection. No- one is to be informed the nature of this investigation, or any new developments, apart from Sergeant Shimomura and myself. At least, for the foreseeable future. Understood?”

“Yes Sir!” the Detective replied, an excited almost-yell that made the Sergeant shush him again.

The Captain massaged his forehead. “You both, including you, Detective Nagai.”

“Yes, Sir.” Kei responded, dully.

“I hope you do not disappoint us with your work on the SATO case.” The Captain concluded.

“Sato?” Nakano asked, frowning.

“It’s the acronym we have chosen.” Sergeant Shimomura explained, “Samuel T. Owen is the name of our suspected culprit. Or in other words-“ she paused for effect, “SATO.”

Even if Kei had had more time to prepare, he would not have been able to quell Nakano’s shout of excitement this time. It would have been hard too, with excitement and anticipation thrumming in his own veins.

“Heck yeah!”

------

Rest in Peace Andre Braugher (01.07.1962- 11.12.2023) - your incredible portrayal of Captain Raymond Holt will be missed. You will always be the Captain of our Hearts!

#ajin #ajin demi human #ajin secret santa #ajinss23 #ajinss22 #team tosaki #brookyln99 #b99 #ajin crossover

6 notes · View notes

avversiera-writes · 3 years

Text

'till death do us part - chapter 1 [tobirama senju/you]

Chapter 1 - Allegiances

Summary: In which Madara leaves the village right after you break the news of your engagement to Tobirama, and you are left with the easiest decision to make.

Words: 3.4k

A/N: I know I promised to write their meeting, but this whole part of the series just would not LEAVE MY MIND AND SO HERE WE ARE....pls enjoy, and thank you for reading lols.

Also available in AO3.

If someone were to tell your past self that in the near future, you will end up betrothed to the second Senju brother, you might have laughed at their face and patted the person on their back for the effort of making such a joke. There is no way that socially inept bastard had managed to woo you and make you fall for him. Sure, you can be flirtatious and you think you can get anyone with your vibrant charms.

But to have one of the founding fathers of the very village you reside in fall for you, and you, to reciprocate. There was just no way.

However, that is your reality now. Here you are, wearing his ring, his promise to you that he will be your companion for the rest of your life. You now have someone who will fight for you just as hard as you will fight for them. You have dreamt of a place to accept and love you, and you have found it in him.

You have broken the news to Madara first, as he is a good friend of yours, but his reaction was not something you expected. He fell into silence, instead of making fun of you and badmouthing your Senju fiance. That would have been the Madara you knew.

“Are you happy with him?” Madara asks, his eyes narrowed and somber towards the horizon. He finally breaks his silence after you bring him the news of your engagement.

You look towards the horizon as well, trying to determine what Madara is trying to find. You sigh, not liking this Madara, who seems to be dead set on accomplishing whatever he is conjuring up in his mind. You know that he and the Shodaime Hokage have been at odds these days, and with Tobirama, the man you are now betrothed to, being in the middle of the disagreements, a middle ground will not be reached, unless it will benefit the village above all under his terms.

You are not privy to what they have been arguing about, though you are sure that it has been about the Hokage seat or their differing opinions of peace. Many years have passed since the village has been established and with it, its leader, but it does not mean that it has been spared by power plays, especially when the village houses many prominent clans. Though, this has been foreseen by Tobirama, since the village is still young.

As observant as you are, you try to catch what Madara is thinking about, but the friend and mentor you have known for a long time is gone, and before you, is a stranger. He seems to brood even more than the man you intend to marry.

Instead, you let his question hang in the air.

“You deserve better you know,” Madara reminds you for the hundredth time.

“I am happy with him,” you tell him sincerely. “I wouldn’t have said yes.”

Madara cracks a small, strained smile at that. “Really? You are smart, considering that marrying into the Senju clan will make sure that you live a prestigious and a comfortable life.”

Your face heats up. “Madara, you know that I love him.” You confess and you look down at your sandals which are becoming increasingly more interesting than anything else. “More than I like to admit.”

Madara nods, his face suddenly back to its calculating mask. “Is it too late to change your mind?” His voice is cold and distant, and it makes your stomach curl. "I could show you a whole different world, one where dreams can run wild without pain."

You roll your eyes and try for a more light-hearted tone, but it is clear that there is no salvaging this conversation. “My husband-to-be may be a prick, but I know where I stand, heart and mind-wise.” Your forehead wrinkles, still processing what he had just said to you. "I have everything I need and could ever want."

Madara seems to be disappointed after hearing this from you, but you cannot pinpoint why. You wish that he can just come clean, and you want to reassure him that you will not judge him, but so much time has passed. Whatever Madara has decided, he is determined to follow through it.

So you let it be. You let him go.

“Congratulations. Be happy,” Madara tells you, and he leaves you, just as the sun dips low into the horizon to sleep. “Though you have to remember that you can no longer stay impartial to any sides with him. You side with him, and you are now against me.”

You turn around to watch him go, and you do not call out to him. You ignore the prick of hurt in your heart from watching his back fade into the shadows.

You never got to say goodbye.

The days following Madara’s defection were a blur. You are aware of Tobirama hounding around his brother more than usual, and the sudden loss of the Uchiha clan’s leader has the village in uproar. You are left to your own thoughts, replaying your last conversation with Madara and trying to figure out if you could have stopped him, but you knew deep in your heart that Madara is gone, and that whatever you could have said that night would not change a thing.

You also keep busy with your Genin team, training them so that they can survive the upcoming Chuunin exams. You spar with them, and hone their teamwork until the end of the day, when you have made sure you have tired them out for good. Tomorrow will be the same, but you find yourself unable to look forward to it. Everything has become a chore, even teaching, which you thoroughly enjoy.

You feel sorry to your students, but you vow to shake off this stupor by tomorrow. These children deserve better.

“Go home and rest,” you tell them as the four of you walk out the training ground. “Eat lots of breakfast. Don’t skip it.”

Miura Mieko glances at you, a silly grin on her face despite her fatigue. “Congratulations on your engagement to Lord Tobirama, sensei.”

The other two, Kai and Taiyo, glanced at each other in surprise.

You pretend to frown at Mieko. “Wherever did you hear that?”

Mieko giggles and elbows you in a friendly way. You let her, since you are not really the formal kind of sensei. “Oh come on, sensei! It’s so obvious! You have a ring! And you two have been making eyes at each other for a while now.”

You roll your eyes, unable to help the blush creeping up your neck. “Eh…”

The three of them offer more enthusiastic congratulations and harmless threats to invite them to your wedding, and when you finally accept and promise to have them attend, your students leave you alone.

It did not occur to you how much you immediately needed the noise and the distraction until you are alone with your thoughts, and the sky is darkening, reminding you of Madara and his dark, pensive eyes. You tell yourself that his defection is not your fault, that there are other problems surrounding him that pushed him to his decision, though it feels like you had a hand in it.

“You let your students talk to you like that?” A familiar, rough voice interrupts your thoughts and you look up to find just the man you have been longing for the past several days.

Tobirama’s red eyes scan your face, and you stop in front of him, exactly two steps away.

You watch his face, trying to reconcile your feelings of your adoration for him and your slight resentment for his politics. You are not unaware of his sentiments towards the Uchiha clan, and a part of you has been wondering whether he had the hand that pushed Madara to his decision. However, this can be easily cleared up through communication.

Tobirama’s eyes narrow slightly, cluing you in that he knows what you are thinking. “If you are wondering, I did not force Madara to leave. He made that decision himself.”

“He was my friend and my mentor,” you say, biting your lip.

Tobirama nods. “I know.”

You make out the tired lines on his face, and you smile softly. You also know another person who also considers Madara as his friend. “How is your brother?”

Tobirama presses his lips together for a moment, and then he sighs tiredly. “He did not take it well. He is in a very depressed state. He blames me.”

You close the distance between the two of you, and Tobirama almost flinches, but when you take his hand to hold it in yours, he freezes, unsure of what to do.

You wait for his response, and your patience is rewarded by a tender squeeze.

“What about you?” You murmur. “I worry about you.”

“I am alright,” he replies evenly, but you know him enough that he is not what he claims to be. His shoulders droop, and his eyes are stormy–a sign of his racing mind.

Slowly, so that he can see, you put your hand on his cheek and trace the red stripe that he had tattooed there in his youth with your thumb. “What are you going to do now?”

Tobirama leans into your touch, and your heart warms at the sight. “Make sure that the village survives this...that my brother gets over it.”

“You know that I am with you, right?” You remind him. “Whatever it is you do, I will back you up.”

Tobirama gives you a small smile, one that lightens up the dark expression of his face. "I am relieved to know that. I know that it is hard for you as well."

The night finally settles, and the two of you begin to walk to the direction of your apartment. In your silence, you catch glimpses of Tobirama’s face, and you sense that, as always, there is a lot going on in his mind that he can barely speak of. It took years to get closer to him like this, but you are not a mind reader.

You have a feeling that this is a lot harder on him, as he sees himself responsible for his brother. Not only does his brother blame him, he also does to himself.

Once the two of you get settled in the warmth of your home, Tobirama silently prepares a simple dinner and tea, while you clean yourself up from the day’s work. You hear him move about, and despite your heavy heart, you cannot help imagine that this will be your life with him soon, and that the two of you will be under one roof.

Fresh and newly showered, you watch him set up the dining table. Your eyes wander from his broad shoulders and to his rolled up sleeves, and when he catches you looking, you make a beeline towards a chair without making any more eye contact.

“So,” you begin awkwardly.

“So,” Tobirama repeats. Then, he sighs and rakes his hand through his hair. He sets down a plate in front of you and walks towards your window. “Did you know that my brother was going to make Madara the Hokage when this village was first established?”

You cross your legs and pick up a piece of his cooking. “No.”

“I objected,” Tobirama continues and he started to pace, his demeanor agitated. “And instead, pushed for my brother to be the Shodaime.”

“And then?”

“My brother wants Madara to be his successor, and I objected again.” Tobirama stops and he stares at his feet. “I did not force Madara to leave, but I may have played into his decision...but this village will not last if Madara is to rule. He is power-hungry, and he will destroy what we built here. No man with his eyes rooted from the power of strong emotions can ever be Hokage.”

You turn away from Tobirama and you close your eyes. You hear Madara’s words to you before he has left, and you realize that they ring true.

“You may not see it, but Madara is filled with hatred. I will always make decisions that are best for the village, and while I do admit I have been hard on the Uchiha clan, I never once wanted to drive him away from the village. Besides, I do want them in the village, and want them to utilize their abilities so that it benefits it.”

“I know my ways have not been agreeable, even to my brother,” Tobirama trails off. “And I am not exactly clean here, either. I did kill Madara’s last brother. If you are angry at me or if you want to blame me, it is okay.”

You put down your utensils and you walk towards him. You do not care much for politics, but as Madara had told you before, you can no longer stay impartial to any sides as long as you stand with the Senju, and that means the village as well. Madara is no longer part of the village, and though you wished that he had stayed and worked out his differences with Hashirama and Tobirama, the simplest wishes are sometimes the hardest to make come true.

“Madara will always be my friend,” you tell Tobirama. “But I do not doubt your intentions for our village. We promised to do everything in our power to keep it safe.”

Tobirama watches you, hesitant to come closer.

“I do not resent you, if that is what you’re thinking.” Your lips curve up to show that you mean it. “If you are looking for ways to make me turn away from you, then you will have to try harder than that.”

Tobirama releases a breath that you know he has been holding.

“Is that why you’re trying to explain yourself to me this way?” You question, raising an eyebrow. “By telling me you are a killer?” You lower your voice. “Tobirama, who isn’t a killer here? Even I have shed blood.”

Tobirama flinches when you put your hands on his face. He looks down, but you catch his gaze as quickly as he evades you.

“You were at war, and now there is peace,” you tell him. “I know you feel responsibility for your brother’s feelings.”

“He hates me.”

“He will never hate you. You are his brother and his trusted advisor.”

Tobirama’s forehead wrinkles.

"Just because your brother is mad at you, does not mean you have to make me mad at you too. Stop trying to make the people around you hate you."

"That may be the only way to do things around here. It makes the hardest decisions easier to carry."

"Stop," you plead with him. "Tobirama, I do not blame you."

“Why?” Tobirama queries, his eyebrows raising in suspicion. “I do not believe that you are agreeing with me just because we are to be wedded.”

You drop your hands from his face and take a deep breath. “Because I knew him. Because I knew that Madara had made his resolve that night. He said goodbye to me on the night he left.”

Tobirama peers at the window and stares at the moon hanging low above the village rooftops. “For what it is worth, I really did not know he intended to leave.”

You hear the tone of apology in his voice, and that is as good as it gets. “Me too.”

You share a moment of silence, letting your conversation change its course. You are relieved that you two manage to talk out your feelings and find that your point of views are quite similar, but you are aware that there are other things on Tobirama’s mind. You know that he cares a lot more than he lets on, and you can only wait and see what he does to show it.

You do not blame him, because you still feel guilty towards Madara, for not taking the time to know what he meant to do, or to ask what he was thinking.

Tobirama clears his throat, and you turn your head towards him. “It will only get harder with me, from here on out. I would like you to be by my side, but you must be aware that there are difficulties packaged alongside my presence.”

“You underestimate me too much, Senju Tobirama,” you smirk. “I am quite tired of that.”

“You can still walk away,” Tobirama’s face schools into a more neutral expression, but you know that this is him preparing for any kind of rejection from you.

You place your hand on his arm and squeeze it gently. “There is no place I would rather be other than to be by your side.”

Tobirama's breath catches and he looks away from your gaze. The tips of his ears are pink, indicating that he has grown shy. It is not like your answer will be different, but sometimes, Tobirama has a tendency to think that he does not deserve to receive any affection from you. He usually inches away when you have taken a step closer, never certain how to react. Here is a man who has made so many decisions without as much as a blink of an eye, but he becomes flustered in front of you and gets surprised when you offer him your hand, or kiss his cheek.

"What?" Tobirama grunts out, sounding irritated than he means to be.

You duck your head away to hide your smile. "Nothing."

Tobirama sighs. "You're making fun of me."

"How do you know? You're not a mind-reader."

"Yes, but I can usually deduce what a person is thinking." Tobirama crosses his arms and he scowls. "Stop taking my confessions lightly. You have already laughed at me when I asked for your hand. Do you intend to laugh at me at the altar when we are about to be wedded?"

You giggle. "What are you so wind up for?" You lean closer into his space, and the smirk fades from your mouth. Your eyes narrow, and in an act of courage, you grab his collar to pull him closer to your face.

Tobirama's eyes widen for a fraction, and then they harden immediately. His jaw tightens, and his shoulders tenses up. "Stop being ridiculous."

However, Tobirama does not pull away. He stays still, and the rest of his body flexes tightly in order to hold his current position of towering over you.

"But we haven't even gotten to the best part yet," you murmur, and you feel yourself drawn towards his lips. "You cannot even gain an inch when I become serious."

Even though you had the confidence to act this way, you cannot help but feel your heartbeat in your fingertips. The anticipation of his next move makes you light-headed, and again, you wait patiently.

"That is because you never let me," Tobirama surrounds an arm around your waist and embraces you against his body.

You reach for the elegant arch of his eyebrow and gingerly trace it with a smile, and then, you meet his eyes to hold his gaze.

If someone were to tell you that the man before you was the one who won your heart, you would have gotten a kick out of that, but here is your reality. Despite your disagreements from time to time, the both of you had always prized the village more than anything, and you trust that Tobirama’s will is in a good place.

Madara may have been right about one thing, but you see a great man who has the ability to make dreams happen, who will stop at nothing to ensure that there are fallbacks to setbacks, who does as he says because he has weighed every possible outcome that can go wrong.

He is the man who has made your dreams come true and has shown up time after time to prove that he is there to hold up his promises. Of course, you have chosen him, and you do not see yourself changing your mind.

To be continued...

Chapter 2 - Union >>

buy me a coffee !

#angelica writes #'til death do us part #tobirama x you #you never said goodbye timeline/au #Senju Tobirama #tobirama x reader

41 notes · View notes

domesticangel · 5 years

Note

ok ok a 68 plymouth gtx for ris is perfection but what do u think the rest of the squadra has? i really wanna say one of them has a studebaker somehow but i just dont know (ignore it was a us based company i love them anyways shhhh)

god. this is the best ask i couldve ever gotten. buckle up. ha ha. bc cars. and also bc I’m not gonna shut the fuck up

but YEAH NO SAME i also chose to foolishly disregard that italians wouldnt likely drive american cars (or necessarily drive at all…america is mad obsessed with cars compared to a lot of other countries so sdkfhsdkj) bc its all fun and games so ik a lot of this would be unrealistic but I’m american so i really only know about american cars/cars that are popular in america dskjfsdkjf so sorry for America-Centrism On Main but if any italians or ppl w knowledge of italian cars wanna chime in w their own takes, by all means!!!

oh and this post also foolishly assumes la sqaudra has money. lets pretend for just this post they all actually got paid for their jobs

SO WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY warning this is gonna make this post rly long but I’m gonna ad pics of the cars i think they’d all drive like. in case anyone reading wants to know what they look like but doesn’t wanna look em all up so I’m gonna throw this under a cut in case it gets crazy

ok i can 1000% see sorbet and gelato sharing a like studebaker speedster that they would take out cruising for special occasions….it would spend most of its time under a tarp locked in a garage bc if you touch that car without permission you WILL die by their loving intertwined hands. some couples have babies. some couples get dogs. sorbet and gelato got a studebaker speedster and treated it with almost as much love as they do each other. one might think their driving would match the “crazy” impression everyone has of them but honestly? they prefer to take it slow and cruise so they have more time to enjoy each others company. on the job they’ll wreck a rental all to hell, but not their baby. the rest of squadra would low key fear for their lives on the rare occasion that sorbet and gelato offered them rides in their car bc the inside is spotless and they all knew if they left anything out of place or dirtier than they found it their time was up

i think they’d dig a color scheme something like this; still looks mob and sophisticated without losing the whimsicality u feel me

i really like a classic chevelle ss or ‘67 mustang gt500 for formaggio

(ignore how fuckin shiney these are bc make no mistake his would be scratched and worn all to hell)

in line w my headcanon that he’d be knowledgable about cars, i think he’d like supe them up and mod them for street racing or 1960s style drag racing. since we don’t get a lot of individual sqaudra backstory i sometimes think about him maybe losing his parents at a young age or having a bad home life as is typical of passione members and getting taken in by a local mechanic, and only as he got older realizing the shop had mafia ties which eventually paved the way for his induction etc but the knowledge and interest in cars always stuck with him. i think he’d probably drive the most recklessly out of all of squadra (rivaled only by ghiaccio ofc) bc he just loves to go fast as fuck and show off. he’s definitely a revs-the-engine-when-he-drives-by-someone-cute ass bitch

illuso would drive a ‘71 dodge demon, and honestly only because he liked the name and how it looked

it would honestly drive formaggio insane that illuso would ONLY use this car to get around as opposed to flying down the countryside or doing burnouts in a field. illuso doesn’t know much about cars and he doesn’t care to learn either; if it looks good and the engine turns he’s happy. formaggio would BEG him to race him or let him take it for a spin, but illuso would be adamant in turning him down every time. he has no desire to take risks and tear up a perfectly good car, but if he feels especially generous he’ll let formaggio ride with him while formaggio excitedly rattles off specs illuso doesn’t understand in the slightest. he won’t readily admit to it but seeing formaggio that excited is really endearing and illuso would even end up learning something here and there from their time spent together

ghiaccio is anal enough about All Things Italian that he breaks my disclaimer and actually does drive an italian car. y'all already know what the fuck is going on

hell yeah ghiaccio drives a lambo. ‘71 lamborghini miura to be exact. and boy does he make this motherfucker screech and drift. as much as he seems to abuse the car he’s extremely uptight about upkeep and will take it in as often as needed for repairs. you can also bet your ass he’d berate any of his fellow squadra members that didn’t drive italian-made cars, asking them why they’d choose to drive that trash on wheels when their country is home to the best cars in the entire fucking world and they have their pick. being in the passenger seat with him at the wheel is terrifying, don’t get me wrong, but he’s actually a very skilled driver, like to the point that he probably couldve been a stunt car driver if he wanted. but whatever you do don’t show any adverse reactions to his hard turns or brakes bc he will take it as a personal insult to his skill as a driver and you will find that the louder his voice gets the heavier his foot gets on the gas so Good Fucking Luck. (also yes ik we already see ghiaccio driving a car in canon but its headcanon time and during headcanon time ghiaccio rocks the fucking lambo)

prosciutto would drive a big beautiful blue ‘65 thunderbird convertible

he would also be very particular about the upkeep of his car, but without any sort of personal touch; he hasn’t the time nor desire to keep up with the car himself so he just makes sure he takes it to a reputable shop to do it for him. it’s not his “baby” or an heirloom; its just a car. it runs and looks good as all fuck while doing it so thats all he really cares about tbh. that said, if anyone ever scratched or keyed or dented it they wouldn’t live long to regret bc as a wise man once said, you don’t fuck with a mans automobile. i mentioned this in the my squadra meme as well, but even though he smokes like a chimney, he NEVER smokes in his car. no smoking, eating, or drinking in the thunderbird. sealed packs of cigs in the console only and if the seals been broken it has to stay in your pocket. the upholstery is pristine and he prefers to keep it that way. he’s a very mild mannered driver and even often errs on the side of slow; he doesn’t really see the point in wasting gas by speeding or messing up the tires or alignment by showboating. he knows that he AND the car already look good enough to command bystanders’ attention so he doesn’t waste his time with any extra flashiness

ima keep it real with you chief: melone would drive a car you could fuck in the back of and thats about all there is to it, so look no further than the spacious ‘61 chrysler newport

he would somehow figure out a way to get an aux cord and a sound system in this old motherfucker and would listen to his music so loud it about rattled the doors off, much to any passengers’ chagrin. he’s almost worse to ride with than formaggio or ghiaccio because he texts and messes with the music the entire time he’s driving. like its almost impressive how often he manages to NOT have his hands on the wheel. he’s a master knee-driver. all that in mind the rest of squadra groans in unison when melone offers to drive and risotto, who doesn’t have time for a squabble, gives the ok and send them on their way bc they know they’re gonna have to deal with melone insisting that driver picks the music and white knuckling the handles the whole time. but regardless, if the chrysler’s rockin and the britney’s boppin, don’t come a-knockin

since i see pesci as the youngest i think he’d be the last to get a car, but the rest of squadra would surprise him by all pitching in and getting him a ‘69 buick sport wagon

it’d definitely be a fixer-upper (prosciutto insisted it’d be good for pesci to retroactively “earn” the car by learning how to take care of it, prompting the rest of squadra to point out prosciutto never even learned how to fix a car himself) but pesci would be out of his mind appreciative of it either way. after years of only ever riding in the back seat of someone else’s car he’d be so excited about finally having a car to call his own. formaggio would take him under his wing and show him everything he needed to do to make sure she stayed running in tip-top shape and they’d grow pretty close over it; formaggio would lose his damn mind the first time he’d convince pesci to do a burnout on his own. pesci would try his best to keep the car clean but he’d probably have a bad habit of leaving empty drink bottles in the floorboard or extra jackets in the back seat, but all in all he’d do a pretty good job taking care of the car and making the generous gift from his team worth it. most non-work related outings would have pesci chauffeuring, but he wouldn’t mind, bc seeing all his friends crammed into his car and having a good time would make him really happy

and last but not least risotto and his ‘68 plymouth gtx 🖤

perhaps surprisingly he wouldnt be excessively meticulous about upkeep; he definitely wouldnt do anything needlessly reckless to harm the car or neglectful of standard upkeep, but he would definitely see it as more of a personal part of him than a machine that needed to maintain perfection. he wouldn’t really sweat scratches or dents here and there; they’re bound to happen to a car that old and if he found the time he’d take it to get it buffed. like i said in the hc meme i think it would’ve belonged to his father (or any family member he was close to really) and it was passed onto him when he died so it’s kind of a sentimental thing for risotto. though not quite the same level as formaggio, he’s fairly good at making standard repairs on his own, and doesn’t mind spending a weekend or two up under the car fixing it up and making sure it runs smooth. the rest of squadra would each be surprised the first time they ever rode anywhere with him; the second the car started old classic rock or metal would blast through the speakers, with risotto mumbling a quick sorry and turning it down, but not all the way off. they would find out that their stoic leader prefers to drive with the windows down, one hand on the wheel, other out the window tapping to the beat of the music on the hood

aaaaaaaaand YEAH. i told you i wasn’t gonna shut the fuck up DSFHKJADHKSDJ LMAO SORRY I WENT TF OFF BUT YEAH THOSE ARE MY. SQUADRA CLASSIC CAR HCs

#txt #la squadra di esecuzione #yeah i gonna tag this!! just for funsies!!#idk just in case anyone else is. as interested in specifically squadra and classic cars as i am LMAO

27 notes · View notes

antixpress · 7 years

Photo

THE MAN WHO SKIED DOWN EVEREST

A restored classic by the Film Detective

A Day for Night Review by Forris Day @forrisday

I really enjoy skiing but haven't done so since the eighties. It’s just got too expensive. I thought it was outrageous when Killington Ski Area in Vermont raised their all day pass to 25 bucks! Who has that kind of dough? Remember this was somewhere around 1985. Oh boy, if I could have only seen into the future. Nowadays the price has skyrocketed to new highs because of all the specialty gear and fashionable clothing that you can purchase. Now let's step back to 1970.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest is a 1975 documentary that tells the story of Japanese alpine skier Yuichiro Miura and his attempt to ski down nearly 7,000 feet face near the top of Everest. In reality, he skied a 6,600-foot section and slid uncontrollably down another 1000 feet or so.

This is no small feet. There is no ski lift or tram to the top. You have to hike. Plus where he starts his descent is 26,000 feet just shy of the Death Zone. The so-called Death Zone is at an altitude of 26,247 feet and is where there is not enough oxygen in the air for humans to survive. Of the over 200 climbers who have died on Everest to date most have died in the Death Zone. Their bodies are still in the spot where they died because it is impossible to haul them down or bury them. To really give you an idea of how high he was and how dangerous this stunt was, he was as high or higher than most commercial jetliners fly.

The film is shot on 35 mm film with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 for all you techie geeks. For laymen, the film is shot super widescreen and looks awesome! The photography is stunning and the quality is top notch. The documentary starts in Kathmandu where over 800 people help carry food and equipment over 165 miles in 22 days. The visuals of the long line of people hiking the mountain with gear on their backs walking barefoot are astounding. The scenery is something most people on Earth will never see in person. The film is narrated by Douglas Rain who reads directly from Yuichiro Miura's diary so it is a bit haunting knowing what he is thinking throughout the expedition.

My question as I watched the film though is “What is the Point? As nicely done as the film itself is I question why Yuichiro Miura felt the need to spend so much money and time to ski down a very short section of Everest. I don't doubt his bravery though as he reached a speed in excess of 100 miles per hour in seconds. I understand adventure but this must have cost a tremendous amount of cash and man hours. Along the way 6 men were killed and that turned the expedition into a tragedy. With that said, I'm a bit torn with the beautiful way in which this was shot and the seemingly waste of resources (and life) the actual expedition was. I guess it brought some money into the region for the guides so that is a positive.

Who will enjoy this film? Skiers, mountaineers, hikers, people who enjoy old school documentaries and most anyone who has a curious bone in their body. This 1 hour 25 min film moves along meticulously and somewhat slowly, as a lot of information is covered, working up to the climactic, and short, ski run.

Clicks here to purchase The Man Who Skied Down Everest.

#Forris Day #Day for Night Review #Antix Press #the film detective #movies

4 notes · View notes

ask-the-phan-site · 5 years

Text

Phan Cam: A Superior Suspicion

>Shujin Academy. First day back after Summer Break.

>Homeroom.

Welcome back, class. I hope you all had a nice summer.

>The class agreed.

Becky: Today, I would like to start class with a question. Now, look at this kanji.

Becky: Now most of you already know, this means “shark”. Here, we pounce this kanji as “sam-eh”. But when written in romaji, it’s spelled as a completely different word from the English language. Does anyone know what that word is?

>She looks around... Finally, some raised their hand.

Becky: You?

>...

This word is “same”. As in things that are alike.

Becky: Correct! However...

You being here makes it feel like the same old days when you were under probation.

Joker: ...

Becky: I know, I know, it feels natural being here since you’ve been coming here for a year. Never mind, just as long as you behave yourself, I’ll just tell them that your old school is having some trouble and sent you here to finish your studies. Anyway, yes, in English it would look like “same”, which is pronounce with the silent e at the end making the a say its name. If you ever get confused about shark and same sounding the same, if you pardon that, have a look at this.

Becky: Just imagine that this is the dorsal fin of a shark sticking out of the water. And those lines at the bottom are its back fins. Okay, now, for the remainder of the lesson, write a full page essay on what you did over the summer.

>Luckily, my level of Knowledge should help me make something up so I won’t have to add all the Phantom Thief activities. Except for the Dream Festival and the End of Summer since those things actually happened.

>The courtyard at lunchtime.

I can’t believe it. We just had the greatest summer of our lives and now it’s over.

Well, you have to admit, this summer was unforgettable. Especially you turning into an alien.

Skull: And made a new friend on the way.

And encountered a dangerous cult. With a third rate hacker.

Sounds like something I should have seen.

Skull: I’m sure you’ll see Overflow soon.

By the way, Sakamoto kun, how was New York?

Skull: It wasn’t exactly how we expected.

Joker: Why? What happened?

Skull: Well, at Coney Island, Black Cat stole the prize money from a hot dog eatin' contest... Which Miles won. Pete, as Spider-Man, had to go after her. At the ball game, some moron called Tinkerer tried to sabotage the game so his team would win. Spider-Man managed to stop him, but Aunt May thought he was bad luck and asked us to leave, mostly to check on F.E.A.S.T., which wasn’t so bad because, to our actual luck, Captain America and Captain Marvel were there visitin' the younger homeless there. Next, the Ross Caliban concert was almost canceled because someone kidnapped Ross Caliban. It turns out it was Hammerhead so he could sing at his son’s birthday party. Spider-Man, me, and Akechi saved him, along with a selfie, but we couldn't go back to the concert.

Royal: That sounds like you and Akechi kun had a hard time.

Skull: Well, it wasn’t entirely bad.

Joker: Why?

We made a new friend at camp.

Panther: Really? Who?

We... Can’t really tell ya. But I’m sure we’ll see him again someday.

I’m sure you will.

Royal: I almost forgot, it looks like it’s not just Persona 5: Royal that will be coming out.

Joker: I know about Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers.

Panther: First a game where we dance, then a game where we are in another dimensions, both of which we might have little memories of. Though, we definitely remembered the dancing. And now we have an Action RPG?

Oracle: Well look on the bright side...

There’s a chance it won’t be delayed like a certain other action rpg we know.

Royal: Now that’s a mean thing to say about Kingdom Hearts III.

Panther: I wonder if it’ll be like a Kingdom Hearts game. I know I saw the footage, but it’s still a bit hard to believe. A lot of us grew up on that game.

Skull: I’m still pissed about what happened to Sora at the end.

Joker: We’ll see him again soon, Ryuji. If there’s one thing we should know about Sora, he’s not the type to just up and die. He’ll be back, just like he said.

But just to be sure, I’ll have to have a little talk with Tetsuya Nomura... Or that guy from the other cafe.

What do I have a bad feeling on both accounts?

>Time passes and the bell rang to end school for the day.

Joker: Hey Ryuji, wanna train today? I was originally going to do some people watching with Yusuke, but he got chosen for duty today and can’t make it. And Makoto, Haru, and Akechi are busy with their studies.

Skull: Normally I’d say yes, but I got a follow up interview with KUROFUNE today. Maybe tomorrow.

Joker: Ann?

Panther: I’ve got a photo shoot today.

Oracle: And I promised Sojiro I’d help him and Diego at the cafe today.

Royal: And I have gymnastics practice.

Admin: I’m available. I’ve actually been meaning to gather some information about any criminals.

That might be a bit too much. But thanks, I’ll come.

Sweet! Let’s go.

Oracle: Take care of him, Nishima.

>Admin sighs in frustration over what Oracle keeps calling him, but just laughs it off and we head off.

>Akihabara. Me and Admin walked around trying to gather information on potential targets... Nothing. But we did some nice stuff from the capsule machine.

Admin: Guess things are good here for now.

Joker: I’m sure something will come up. The Phansite is still up and I’m sure something will come.

I know. Thanks.

>Admin checks his phone.

Admin: We’ve been walking around for hours, I guess we should eat before going home.

Joker: Alright. But let’s eat at the diner. I’m in no mood for having hot coffee spilt on me or my omelet having too much ketchup.

>We were just about to leave when we heard someone calling... It was Shinya’s mother. She looks worried.

Mrs. Oda: You!

Joker: Me?

Mrs. Oda: Yes, you. You’re the one my son spends time with.

Joker: Yes, I am. Why, what’s wrong?

Mrs. Oda: You haven’t seen him, have you?

Joker: No. Why?

Mrs. Oda: He was suppose to be home from school. I thought he probably went to the arcade like he normally does. We moved above there since they renovated. But he wasn’t there. I even asked his friends. I also though he probably went to the hospital to visit Yuta since his brother or whoever he is to him won the money for the operation. He’s not there either. Which Yuta’s unhappy about.

Joker: What do you mean?

Mrs. Oda: I spoke with Yuta’s mother. They’ve set the date for his operation. It’s very soon. Yuta was hoping to ask Shinya something.

Joker: What?

Mrs. Oda: (shaking her head) She said he would only tell Shinya. But we can’t find him anywhere.

Joker: Have you tried calling him?

Mrs. Oda: I did. It just goes to voicemail. I even tried asking at his school. His teachers said that he left school as the bell rang. No one had seen him since. I’m about ready to call the police.

Joker: Hold on. I have a friend who might be able to help. If that’s okay.

Mrs. Oda: Right now, I’m willing to try anything.

>I take out my phone and contact Oracle.

Futaba, can you help with something?

What’s up?

Shinya Oda is missing. His mother tried contacting him, but now answer. Do you think you can track his phone?

I’ll see what I can do. Good thing I brought my laptop.

>A little later.

Got it! I’m sending you the location now.

Thanks, Futaba.

>With that, I get the location on my phone.

Mrs. Oda: Well?

Joker: It looks like his phone is near Miura Beach. Let’s look there.

Mrs. Oda: Right.

Admin: I’ll stay at the arcade in case he comes back.

Joker: Right. See you.

>With that, we leave.

>In the summer, Miura Beach is crowded with people. But now the summer was coming to an end and autumn fast approaching, there were very few people still here... We really need to remember to come back here next year. Anyway, me and Mrs. Oda arrived.

Joker: Okay, the map says that Shinya’s phone should be right over...

There!

Mrs. Oda: (a bit surprised) Well... I guess... It’s no surprise that a legendary gamer would want legendary ramen.

Joker: Try calling again.

>Mrs. Oda takes out her phone and calls... We hear a ringtone inside the truck. We check inside. We find a backpack with Shinya’s name on it. And near ti... His cap. We look inside the backpack... His phone with at least a dozen messages from his mother.

CRAP!

Mrs. Oda: That’s it, I’m calling the cops.

>Shinya where the hell are you?

>On a hidden ship out at sea, Shinya comes to.

(if you’re wondering why he has his cap on when it was left behind, that’s because this is the only sprite there is of him) Wh- What happened to me? I remember the legendary ramen truck. I knew I had some money and some time, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to stop for a bit. Damn, I should have known it was odd. The legendary truck never stops unless someone catches it. I got in, got some ramen, eat some of it and...

Ugh! I just can’t remember.

>Shinya tries to get up... But he feels something painful on his back.

Shinya: OW! What the...

>He feels his back. It was...

What!? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?

>It was... A shark dorsal fin.

????????: Ah, I see you’re awake at last. I know it was wrong to hijack a legendary ramen truck, but still, for my research.

Shinya: What... What did you do to me?

????????: I merely gave you half of my serum.

>The man then walks into the light.

The rest is right here. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt... Much.

>Shinya tries to back away from the man, but he was too strong and quick and grabbed Shinya and injected him with something. After that, Shinya started writhing in pain.

Mad scientist: Amazing! The legendary gamer, Shinya Oda. You have been playing Gun About for so long, you might actually become skilled with a real gun. And combined with this serum. This... Gene Slammer, I might actually create the perfect being that I, Dr. Anton Sevarius, would put this serum’s original creator, the ‘great’ Dr. Luther Paradigm, to shame. You see, the problem with our creations... Is who we chose for it. We chose random people... But now I’m choosing more carefully.

Shinya: (still in pain) What’s... What’s going to happen to me?

Dr. Sevarius: Rest assure that when the pain is over... You will be beautiful.

Shinya: (now in the greatest pain there is): No... N-

NOOOOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

>With that, Shinya falls.

Dr. Sevarius: Such drama... I love it.

>Suddenly, someone comes in.

I don’t feel right about mutating a kid, but if it means we can make the Pack stronger, we’ll try anything... Can a shark even be part of a pack?

Dr. Sevarius: Normally, a group of sharks is called a frenzy. And that’s why we will be creating this new group of fighters. Our... Pack Frenzy.

Wolf: I see. By the way, Jackle-

Voice from outside: (clearing thought)

Wolf: (groan) Captain Jackle said we’re approaching Fission City. I can’t believe this ship got us here so quickly. Where did you say you got it from again?

Dr. Sevarius: Just something Halcyon Renard won’t miss... Especially where he is now.

>Meanwhile, in a riverside warehouse in New York where the ship is suppose to be...

Well... This can’t be good. Miss Anastasia won’t like this... If she ever comes back from one of her long trips.

Worker: What do you suggest we do, Mr. Vogel?

Mr. Vogel: ... Get me Elisa Maza.

>Back on the ship which is now really close to Fission City, California.

Wolf: I don’t understand. Why come here to Fission City? What about those Street Sharks who live here a lot?

Dr. Sevarius: Think of it this way... No gargoyles.

Wolf: That’s something, I guess.

>Hearing this, after the pain finally stopped, Shinya breaks free of his chains and knocks the two men aside. He runs out of the room and jumps off deck into the water and swims to the city ahead.

Wolf: That can’t be good. I’m going after him.

Dr. Sevarius: Don’t bother. Where will he go? He’s a stranger in a strange land... and sea here.

Wolf: What about the Street Sharks?

Dr. Sevarius: ... Go after him.

>Then, with a loud howl, Wolf changes.

Believe me, I will.

>Fission City. Shinya Oda, once a regular boy who was really good at shooter games, was now roaming in a place he has never been before... But he does know of it.

Shinya: (at his mother’s request, we will not be showing him as a shark/human being, use your imagination) If this place is Fission City... Lena... Damn, if only I had my phone.

>Shinya looked around and spotted a phone booth and goes to it. He finds a phone book. Keep in mind, Shinya is still learning English, so finding what he’s looking for in an American phone book is difficult. But, after a little struggling, he found what was looking for. Lena Mack. Her address was with it.

Shinya: Got it!

>The apartment of young scientist, Lena Mack. Lena Mack was just about to go on her morning run when...

Shinya: (calling from the bushes) Psst!

Who’s there.

>Shinya comes out of his hiding place.

Lena Mack: (surprised) A shark!?

Shinya: Lena onesan*.

Onesan=big sister

Lena Mack: Wait... King bo*? Is... Is that you?

Bo=used for babies or young boys.

Shinya: I could use a little help. Can you take me someplace.

Lena: I know a place.

>In a sewer like lair, Lena introduces Shinya to her friends, Bends... and the Street Sharks.

I don’t believe it! We finally lock up Piranoid for good, then someone comes along and copies him? And does it to a kid? Taking him away from his mother just like that?

I know you’re upset, Jab, but we can fix this. We still have the antidote we used on ourselves once.

I don’t know, you guys. I’ve heard of this Sevarius guy from a friend of mine in New York. If what he says is true, there’s a chance he’s probably expecting us to use the antidote and made it so it wouldn’t work, or worse.

Then what are we suppose to do?

Bends: I suppose telling someone won’t work. This guy might try to do something if we do.

Then we’ll just go after him. We’ll make him pay for what he did.

Streex: He’s got the Pack with him. And they’re probably prepared for us... Makes you wish those gargoyles were here right now. But still, we can’t let this go by. If we want to be sure that if he really made it so the antidote doesn’t work, we need to get it straight from him.

Lena: How do we do that? Convince him to have a change of heart?

Shinya: ... Actually, that’s exactly what should happen.

Lena: You know something?

Shinya: I do. All I need... Is the Internet.

>Ripster takes Shinya to the computer and he begins typing away.

Shinya: Phantom. Aficionado. Website.

Ripster: The Phantom Thieves of Hearts? I guess that might work. If this guy isn’t heartless as people say he is, they might help.

Shinya: No, I can tell he’s definitely heartless... But I think I know a target for them.

Bends: Who?

Shinya: A member of the Pack, Wolf, he sounds like he genuinely didn’t like that Sevarius mutated a kid for his plans. Maybe he’s our ticket.

Jab: (smiling) I actually like the way you think... Kahuna.

Shinya: (puzzled) Kahuna?

Jab: Yeah, gotta call your shark form something. Going by your real name might cause problems. I thought of Kahuna ‘cause you’re the big man where you come from. Plus, you managed to escape from your kidnappers and swim all the way here.

Shinya: Kahuna? ... You know, I actually like that.

Big Slammu: Glad you do

>So, Kahuna, begins making his request... What’s going to happen next.

#phantom thieves cam

0 notes