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yui-hibari · 6 days

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I really need to start plotting that “SaguKaiShin, Conan got snatched, Saguru alerts everyone, Kaito shows up as Shinichi, Amuro kicks the MPD around until they do as he says because he is more qualified dammit! And Okiya is trying to mitigate between Amuro and everyone because they are all worried but the boy probably has himself handled… somewhat. While Ran is awkwardly tiptoeing around Shinichi and Masumi is giving him (Okiya) a side-eye from heck”

Low stakes case, just Saguru and Conan on-scene

It can’t be a KID heist because I don’t want Kaito to be guilty on top of worried sick

So it’s probably a white collar crime first and murder second because that’s where I see Hakuba

Actually – it was a white collar crime but because he brought Conan along, well

Conan’s aura of a shinigami strikes again

It probably got late, so they are out past 8pm when things go off-kilter

So Saguru alerts EVERYONE in Tokyo (who doesn’t have a bed time)

Ran shows up with Masumi and maybe Sonoko because just try keeping Ran and Masumi away – if you want to lose your kneecaps that is

Okiya and Amuro show up together, causing Saguru to frown before he focuses on the matter at hand

Saguru knows about them but he doesn’t know about them; he’s just aware they are close-to-the-heart allies and confidants

And Saguru is fully aware Akai and Furuya are as deadly as Conan’s acquaintances get if push comes to shove, something all three hope won’t be necessary

While they are strategising Kaito waltzes in as Shinichi

Ran immediately tenses up because when Shinichi let her down gently she was anything but (yes I will stick with my opinion that she would smack him seven ways to Sunday if he broke up with her)

“Shinichi” shoots her a stink eye but it’s not the time nor place to lay into her for slapping him (Kaito in disguise) when he broke up with her

Saguru gets them back on track, although by pointedly possessively catching “Shinichi’s” attention

The briefing goes more smoothly than expected, Amuro and Okiya basically just directing the teen detectives to utilise their strengths/ fields of expertise

Amuro gets to work bossing around the MPD because he is more qualified dammit!

Okiya isn’t in the mood to try and calm Amuro but he does help keep up their civilian covers

Amuro let’s a mixture of Bourbon and Furuya’s authority shine through though, basically scaring everyone into compliance

Even Megure taking a step back and reassuring Okiya he doesn’t need to explain what, why, how

Because why and how the private eye waiter Amuro manages to wrangle a police unit with ease is… something Megure decided is above his pay grade

Okiya also mitigates at least towards the teen detectives

Masumi feels Amuro is sus but Okiya straight-up gets the stink eye

The further the case progresses, the more Ran gets mildly scared of Amuro

Amuro is sort-of in his element, bits of Furuya and Bourbon blinking through

Okiya knows he should reassure Ran about Amuro but honestly he likes when Furuya gets a bit carried away

Saguru and “Shinichi” are very worried and comforting each other but also do their best to solve the case

For Furuya it’s a nice change of pace not having to go through Kazami for once, although he would have if he hadn’t been so hard pressed to get moving to save Conan

Maybe Amuro slips up, since so much of Furuya us shining through anyway, and calls Conan “his kid” (if anyone noticed they don’t mention it, Akai just giving a short nod because yes, Shinichi is their kid, somehow)

Everyone is grateful for Amuro and Okiya taking over management of the crime scene/ case

Because Megure basically adopted Conan into his division and he can’t think all that clearly with his second foster-nephew missing

Okiya let’s Amuro have the reigns but also steps in and holds him in check, making sure everyone stays somewhat levelheaded

Akai decidedly likes that Furuya has characteristics of Bourbon but he also knows they aren’t always helpful

Narrative parallel between Saguru and “Shinichi” to Amuro and Okiya

Saguru and Akai keeping Kaito and Furuya, respectively, from being too obsessive

Basically Conan has two boyfriends and two adoptive uncles willing to commit crimes to rescue him

Conan was drugged but is otherwise fine – no grade schoolers were harmed in the making of this fic!

During the reunion, Kaito can barely contain himself, which leads to Okiya unceremoniously shoving the throuple into a side room until they calm down

Once worries have been soothed and kisses exchanged, they emerge with Conan held between Saguru and “Shinichi”

Fic ends with a car ride of Akai and Furuya berating Shinichi while Saguru and Kaito just smother him in snuggles

Shinichi, narratively, remarks that this absolute chaos of people is the best family he has ever had (no shade on the Kudōs but they are absentee parents)

I will probably hint at a dynamic akin to the Oven Mitt Family but also A Blood Stained Heist is an influence/ vague inspo for this

The switches between names/ aliases throughout the bullet points are deliberate, btw

ETA: Series was created here. Tumblr post about it.

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Edogawa Conan: *is a little devil bastard demon spawn; might be sadistic, actually*

Edogawa Conan: *sassing people 7 ways to Sunday and calling them stupidly incompetent in a way they think was a compliment*

Also Edogawa Conan: *acting innocent and cute* “Ah-le-le~ what is this?” *proceeds to be the smuggest little shit ever seen*

The Shounen Tantei-dan, Hattori Heiji, Sera Masumi, Kaitou KID, Haibara Ai: *stares at the camera with a deep sigh of exasperation*

Akai: *watches on in faint amusement*

Meanwhile, Amuro/ Furuya hiding his grin: “Why does this kid remind me of myself?”

Yeah, I wonder why /s

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Akai and Rei are 100% the dads who are extremely protective of their gremlin son (Conan) but also encourage all of his mischief.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #conan edogawa #edogawa conan #kudo shinichi #shinichi kudo #akam #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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The Three Faces of Furuya Rei, or: what moral philosophy does Furuya Rei subscribe to?

Furuya Rei is a fascinating character that can be difficult to understand. This is complicated by the fact that he presents three very different faces to us. Our very first impression of him was as the kindly waiter and detective, Amuro Tooru; next we are shown the antagonist, Bourbon, and last, we discover the driving force behind them: the undercover agent, Furuya Rei. These three personas act in a very different way, especially Bourbon, making Rei’s true motives and morality somewhat opaque to us. In this meta I will analyze Rei’s actions and motives in order to discern the true school of morality that he believes in.

There are three major theories of morality; virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology. However, in this meta I will be brush on ethical egoism as well. Let us first talk about the relevant theories.

Virtue Ethics is first and foremost concerned with character. Here, we judge right and wrong based on whether or not it is virtuous. A person’s action reflects on their character; a virtuous person will do virtuous actions, and vice versa. Therefore, virtue ethics defines virtuous actions as the right action.

Utilitarianism, on the other hand, defines right and wrong based on the consequence of the action. It is concerned with outcomes; in utilitarianism, the end justifies the means. As long as the action results in the greatest good for the greatest number of people, it is right.

Lastly, Deontology defines right and wrong based on what the duty of the subject is. It is concerned with motives; as long as the person was trying to fulfill their duty, then it is right according to deontology. What the duty itself is, of course, subject to argument.

Now out of these three moral theories, which one does Furuya Rei follow?

To analyze this, I will be including materials from the Zero the Enforcer movie as well. This is because in my opinion, we don’t actually get much insight into Rei’s motives in the manga; we are told what he wants, but we’re not really told why, at least not enough to explain how he justifies his actions for himself. Now let’s get to the analysis itself.

First things first, I think we can safely say that Furuya Rei doesn’t subscribe to virtue ethics. In his debut as Amuro Tooru, in the private eye case, we see him allow Banba, a murder suspect, to destroy exonerating evidence. We also see him create a wrong deduction that almost damned an innocent man. With what we know of his deductive capabilities, as well as the fact that he had all pieces of the evidence and knowledge required to solve the case from the beginning, it is highly implied that he deliberately risked Banba’s freedom just to test Kogoro. Hardly the actions of a virtuous man. It should be noted, however, that in this case, Rei had still maintained control of the situation, thereby allowing him to keep the worst-case scenario from happening; as a PSB member, he would still be capable of exonerating Banba later.

I deliberately did not mention the Detectives’ Nocturne case, the Mystery Train case, as well as the Elementary Teacher Assault case, as I don’t believe that the evidence presented in these cases can conclusively point to Rei’s true intentions. There are always possible alternative interpretations that makes his actions possibly virtuous. However, I will mention the Zero the Enforcer movie. This movie clearly lays out that Rei is definitely not a nice person, and doesn’t mind that other people knows that about him. He deliberately framed Kogoro as a terrorism suspect; fabricated evidence, bugged Conan’s phone, and was generally manipulative. Thus, from the evidence, we can conclusively say that neither manga!Rei nor movie!Rei follow the school of Virtue Ethics.

The second school of ethics we will analyze is utilitarianism. In utilitarianism, the end justifies the means. For Furuya Rei, ‘the end’ would probably be the downfall of the Black Organization, or, taking it further, the safety of Japan and its citizens. I have seen some people take the point of view that Rei had wanted to kill Sherry in the Mystery Train, so that she wouldn’t produce more works that could be used to harm innocents; if this is true, then he would definitely be an utilitarian. However, I’ve argued before that Rei had not intended to kill Shiho and instead had wanted to spirit her to safety, as she is a valuable lead into Elena Miyano’s whereabouts. Therefore, the Mystery Train case should not be taken as evidence that Rei is an utilitarian.

As there is no evidence that Rei is an utilitarian, one way or another, one could argue that we could take Rei’s willingness to do morally-questionable things as evidence that he thinks it will lead to a better outcome for everyone, if not for one notable case: Akai Shuuichi.

In my opinion, utilitarianism is a very rational and cold moral philosophy; it is a moral school perfectly suited to geniuses, masterminds, and detectives like Rei. However, when it comes to Akai Shuuichi, we see Rei display zero reason. There is no obvious rationale why taking Akai out of the game would result in a better outcome for all, and Rei doesn’t even attempt to explain it; nonetheless, he continues to hunt Akai without any sense of guilt, which implies that he thinks hunting Akai is the correct course of action (note that I don’t necessarily think that Rei wants to kill Akai, despite what he said–more on that later). This implies that Furuya Rei does not necessarily believe in utilitarianism.

This brings us to the last major ethical theory: Deontology. Deontology is concerned with duty; it takes motive into account more than the actions itself. And Rei has so kindly told us which duty he has dedicated himself to in the Elementary School Assault case.

That’s correct; he’s dedicated himself to his lovely, lovely Japan. Conan said it best:

“I was sure that since he said that to the FBI investigators… those beliefs!”

It becomes even clearer if you look at the Zero the Enforcer movie. There, Rei clearly states what he thought of his job to Kazami.

In other words, our job isn’t always nice or even legal, but we have to finish it because it’s our duty.

If we take the point of view that Rei subscribes to deontology, a lot of his action becomes immediately explainable. He cuts contact with his old friends all to make sure they were safe, but he risks returning Hiromitsu’s cellphone to his older brother because he feels that it’s his duty as Hiromitsu’s friend. Arguably, he hunts Akai Shuuichi out of duty to his fallen friend, and yes, to his country. Akai, after all, was not only involved in Scotch’s death; he’s also operating illegally in Rei’s territory. This would explain why Rei brings PSB agents instead BO agents into the Scarlet Showdown; if Rei intended to kill Akai one way or another, bringing BO agents is definitely the way to do it. This is because bringing PSB means Akai would fall into PSB custody, and there Rei cannot do whatever he likes with Akai; he must answer to his superiors in the PSB. I believe that despite what Akai said, here Rei had only intended to arrest Akai.

So why, then, did he say that he wished to kill Akai, right in front of Okiya Subaru’s face? This brings us to my last theory: it’s because to figure out how to act, Rei aligns each of his three faces to a different moral theory.

Amuro Tooru, quite obviously, follows virtue ethics. He is polite, kind, always helpful, always cheerful. He does not do morally questionable things; he is an upstanding member of society.

Furuya Rei, as we’ve discussed, is a deontologist. He is dutiful to his friends and country but now he has no friends left so really it’s just his country. His ‘lover’ is Japan itself, and he is willing to do anything–anything–to keep her safe.

And Bourbon? Bourbon would probably loosely follow ethical egoism. It is out of the question for Rei to create an absolutely amoral persona for Bourbon–it would unnecessarily conflict with his deontologist morality. However, to fit in the Black Organization, he needs to create someone who would do terrible things without needing to justify it with ‘duty’ or ‘the greater good’. Someone who wouldn’t just do anything that’s asked of him too, so Rei could reasonably rein Bourbon in. Rei would probably style Bourbon as someone who looks out for his own interests, and only his own, whatever that may be.

And so when Rei wants to hunt down Shuuichi Akai, Bourbon would say that it’s because in his interest to do so–because he bears a grudge against Akai, perhaps, and as an organization member, murdering Akai is the only way to resolve it. Bourbon would investigate Okiya Subaru and corner him, but Rei wouldn’t bring the Organization into their confrontation. Bourbon would threaten Okiya Subaru with death–but Rei wouldn’t pull Okiya’s collar down and condemn him right then and there. Because at the end of the day, the one holding the wheels is Rei, not Bourbon, and whatever he may say, Furuya Rei is a dutiful police officer, and he believes in justice.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #okiya subaru #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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I genuinely think Akai and Rei are the only ones who would be able to help each other heal from everything they’ve been through because they’re the only ones who can truly understand each other. They both know what it’s like to have to live as someone they’re not, they know what it’s like to lose loved ones to the Organization, and they know what it’s like to sacrifice everything for the sake of their mission. They know what it’s like to have to reconcile the people they used to be with the people they had to become. Combine all that with how deeply intertwined their history is because of Scotch, and you have two people who are pretty much made for each other.

Akai and Rei need someone who isn’t going to judge them or pity them. They don’t need someone who’s going to “show them the error of their ways” and “turn them into better people for the sake of true love”. Nor do they need someone who’s going to offer empty platitudes and excuse everything they’ve done because “they’re still good people”. They don’t need someone who’s going to distract them from their trauma, for lack of a better term, because relying on distractions rather than confronting the issue is a surefire way to have shit absolutely hit the fan.

They need someone who can accept them as they are. They need someone who can acknowledge that they’ve done irreversibly fucked up things, but that those things were done for a reason because sometimes, it becomes a choice between the lives of a few vs the lives of many. That making the right choice isn’t always good or moral. That no, they aren’t good people, but they aren’t evil incarnate either. Akai and Rei need someone who’s going to understand that they’re likely never going to fully move on from everything they’ve been through, that there are deep-rooted parts of them that have been fundamentally, irreversibly changed, and that despite that, they can learn to live with the people they’ve become while still finding happiness and peace.

And only they can be what the other needs.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Akai showing once again that he’s the only person left alive who truly *knows* Rei…like tell me who else would be able to decipher in barely a split second which identity Rei is using? And just from hearing his voice at that.

Rei putting his trust in Akai despite their animosity and Rei’s dislike of foreign agencies in general is something that needs to be talked about forever.

AND THEN OF COURSE we have Rei and Akai calling each other by their code names. I could write an entire essay analyzing what this little exchange means but I’ll save it for another time.

Seriously though, these two are made for each other. Say what you will, but Akai and Rei understand each other on a level that no one else can; they alone know the full extent of what the other has been through. They might not always be what the other wants, but when it really counts, they’re exactly what the other needs.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #akam #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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God I love Akai's blind trust in Conan.

In m18 where he didn't have visuals of his target because the criminal shut down the electricity,

He just... have a hunch, a gut feeling that 'that kid WILL be able to do something' and he just waits. Like he didnt even think of a backup plan because he trusts Conan that much, and hey, the kid came through so.

Also in m20? He just went, "You must have a plan, right :) ?" As if he knows even in the most ridiculous, impossible situation that kid will come up with something and he's right yet again.

I swear the apocalypse could happen, and he'd just turn to Conan like, "So? How do we stop the end of the world, boya?"

#akai shuichi #conan edogawa #edogawa conan #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Akai’s Movements and Motives in the Scarlet Arc, or: Akai blew his own cover to play with Rei and I don’t see enough people talk about it.

You’re all familiar with Scar Akai. This particular appearance was taken from chapter 801, after the Detectives’ Nocturne case where Rei saw Sera for the first time. This is also the last time Rei was disguised as Scar Akai. I believe this is the moment where Rei believed that Akai is truly dead. In other words, Conan’s plan to fake Akai’s death for the organization would have worked perfectly…

…if Akai hadn’t gone and blown his own cover in the Mystery Train.

The Scarlet Arc confirms that Akai baited Rei intentionally because Rei “isn’t someone he wants as an enemy” (and he’d always suspected Rei’s allegiance anyway). If we consider the fact that Akai is in cahoots with Conan, this may be the reason Conan behaved so oddly in the delivery van case.

Conan’s action in this case has bugged me for a long time. At this point, Conan should think that Amuro is just an organization member. He definitely should not have expected Amuro to save the detective boys, especially with such a vague and unreliable way of asking for help! But here, Conan actually seems to count on Amuro to go out of his way to save the Detective Boys–and not only that, his trust was ultimately vindicated. I think here, Conan may have been testing Amuro to see if there’s any truth to Akai’s suspicions. In the end, Amuro definitely delivers; how else would he be able to track down the delivery van without any police involvement? Unlike Conan, Amuro has no access to the package recipients’ address, so he cannot deduce the delivery van’s route and general timeline. He’d either have to access CCTV cameras, or find out which company the license plates belong to, and I don’t think those kinds of information are available to the general public.

Going back to Akai, then, why doesn’t he want Rei as an enemy? Is it just because Rei is too damn smart to fight, or does Akai already suspect that Rei, just like Scotch, belongs to the PSB? There’s no evidence, one way or another. Conan doesn’t seem to suspect that Rei belongs to the PSB until Rei’s unusual reaction to the word ‘zero’, but then again, it’s clear that Akai doesn’t tell Conan everything and vice versa.

Personally, I think after the tennis court case, Akai only told Conan that he baited Rei because he may be a NOC and a potential ally. This would explain Conan’s shift in attitude between the tennis court case and the delivery van case. It wasn’t, however, until after the teacher assault case that Rei’s slip up pushed Conan to compare notes with Akai, ending up with them figuring out Furuya Rei’s true identity.

I use this moment way too much in my metas

From this moment on, we see Akai and Conan face Rei with two different sets of expectations. Akai, considering his past with Scotch, expected Rei to come to settle a personal grudge. He expected Rei to come alone, go after Akai alone, because the grudge was personal, between Rei and Akai himself. He was surprised when Rei comes with his PSB colleagues, and took it as a sign that Rei’s grudge is deeper than he’d thought. Conan, however, had no idea about Scotch. More importantly, he had witnessed the above moment, and so he knew that Rei’s hostility extended to the rest of the FBI–a sentiment that Conan (hopefully correctly) interprets as stemming from his personal pride as a PSB agent.

As we see in the story, it was Conan’s prediction that turned out to be correct. However, thanks to Akai’s words and Rei’s own attitude as Bourbon, people generally think that Rei did intend to hold the FBI agents hostage and get Akai killed as revenge. A deeper look at Rei’s actions, however, shows that Rei’s chosen form of revenge was likely just trying to kick the FBI out of Japan. If Rei really was trying to get Akai killed, after all, he only had to bring the Black Organization into the Scarlet Showdown instead of PSB agents. Bringing PSB agents would mean answering to PSB higher-ups, who don’t hold personal grudges against Akai and are unlikely to let Akai get killed just like that.

If my conjecture above is right, this brings an interesting dimension about Akai’s feelings on Scotch’s death. Just where did Akai’s prediction on Rei’s chosen form of revenge come from? Was it truly based on the real Furuya Rei? Was it based on the way Rei acts as Bourbon? Or does it stem from his own guilt about Scotch’s suicide? Either way, I hope this meta has added something to our thoughts on Akai and Rei’s relationship, which has to be one of the most interesting bits of characterization in Detective Conan’s plotline.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #andre camel #conan edogawa #edogawa conan #furuya rei #jodie starling #kudo shinichi #okiya subaru #shinichi kudo #akam #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Watching The Black Iron Submarine for the first time since it sent me on this spiral some four months ago, with the context of like the 600 chapters I needed to be up to date, and yeah, I can definitely see why it sent me xD

What the fuck was with this exchange?

Rei's surprised, but not hateful

Akai's casually admitting to a crime

Rei is...something here, it's not angry though. Surprised/annoyed?

His soft smile once he correctly guesses which face Rei is using????

From where we couldn't see his eyes to the windswept hair and determined gaze while he orders Akai to get shit done? And he's so calm the whole time??? He's kinda giving him permission too, not yelling at him to get out of his beautiful Japan???

The soft smile with the absolutely unnecessary flattery???

Calling each other by their organisation codenames, as if they hold positive connotations??? Also Akai's happy look??

And then Rei's out of it enough that Kazami has to talk to him twice to get his attention???

What the hell is with this level of trust? Why are they so soft in this movie?? Past me was so right, these two have so much chemistry

This is literally a minute of screentime out of a two hour movie that rewired my brain wtf

I know The Darkest Nightmare happened first (and back then Conan talked about "a fateful bond" between them, they were already kinda soft but Rei was more angry still), then the tea party happened (if it does in the movie canon), and then this is how they are now? I want this in canon, please, for the love of all that is good.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #akam #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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Part I

"Are you free Thursday evening?" Akai's facing away from him, getting out of the car in a hurry. Rei's picked him up from his flat this morning (his mustang broke down, apparently), which is how they're both running late now. It's a good thing the meeting can't start without them.

In any case, Rei isn't - things have been busy in the aftermath of the takedown of the organisation, as Akai should be well aware. He did, after all, just return from a three-month vacation to FBI headquarters in Washington. The official cover story, as far as Rei knows, is Okiya going to the US to continue his PhD, while the authorities prepared to reintroduce the reborn Akai Shuichi to the world. Now he's back for good, officially appointed as the FBI's liaison to the PSB.

While he didn't share what he was up to while he was waiting to be processed, Rei has a pretty good guess - the higher-ups have been expecting all sorts of reports from him, after all, and surely Akai is just as vital a source, involved as they both were. The thought of him doing paperwork is amusing, and strangely domestic in its mundanity. (He'd love to see it.)

So, he'll figure something out. Several people owe him favours, and he has five years of vacation to catch up on. This is the first time Akai is reaching out for a meeting outside of work (not that Rei kept track or anything), and he's not about to let that chance slip through his fingers.

"I'll make it work. What for?" Agreeing without even knowing what he agreed to, he really is pathetic. And yet. He trusts the other won't waste his time or ask for the impossible.

"Dinner at the Myosotis. Seven p.m."

Rei blinks. That rings a bell. Western style fine dining, prohibitively expensive. Waiting lists of half a year, at least. Back then, they were just barely collaborating, surely Akai didn't plan this far ahead? How, then, did he get a table, and why is he inviting Rei to go there? That's the kind of place people go to for romantic marriage proposals; not the sort of restaurant the two of them would frequent, if they do eat out.

"I've already said yes, but... that's quite high-class, isn't it?" Not that he minds - being Bourbon taught him how to frequent places like that. It's just that Akai has never given any sort of indication he might like that kind of place. Huh.

(And really, if he's being honest, any place would be fine as long as it's with Akai. They have a couple of months to catch up on, after all.)

The smile Akai gives him in response is...odd. Small and genuine, private in the way that he's only ever seen Shuichi look at a select few people. Akemi. His siblings. Shinichi. But it doesn't reach his eyes, this time; instead, they're narrowed, burning with something like dread. Rei can't quite make sense of the expression.

"I think the occasion warrants it", is all Akai says before he slams the car door shut, turning his back to Rei. And that's the end of that conversation.

Alright then. Weird.

After that, Rei can't shake the feeling that Akai avoids him outside of work. Takes his smoke breaks alone, leaves immediately after they're done.

In situations like these Rei wishes he could talk to Hiro. It's a best friend's duty to help figure out if he's making something out of nothing, right? Maybe Akai really is just busy. And maybe he truly is in the mood for a celebratory dinner; after all, they haven't really had time to spend together since they came out of hiding, ripped apart by work and duty. They've talked, of course, but now that he's back it seems like the circumstances have calmed down enough to consider such a thing. (Even though a nagging thought tells him the official celebratory gala will be held in two weeks, and he knows Akai isn't looking forward to it.)

The thing is, that doesn't warrant it the look Akai gave him. That look was charged, it meant something. Through the years, Akai has looked at him a great many different ways. Rye mostly cold and disinterested at first, then with that faintly concealed amusement that still drives him up the walls. Okiya usually observed him with curiosity and caution. And Akai? A variety of expressions. Laughter and pain and gratitude. That bone-deep weariness that seems to cling to him like his shadow. Just once, with surprise. But rarely, if ever, as scared as he'd looked when he'd asked him out.

What was he afraid of? It's not like Rei was going to decline dinner, even if he's a little insulted it's western food. (Then again, he's quite proud of his prowess regarding traditional Japanese cuisine, so really, that would've been a worse choice.) Akai might just crave nostalgic food.

This is the third time this week he's reached this point in the argument with himself, and it really doesn't feel like he's getting any closer to the truth.

In the years he's known him, Akai has never shown to be the type to celebrate. Not that the organisation left much room to celebrate. As Okiya, Rei never got close enough to figure out his preferences. And as for Akai...well, he seemed happy enough, if exhausted, coming back from his sister's birthday party, and that's really the only indication Rei has. Maybe he doesn't know Akai as well as he thought. The idea stings.

Still, it makes no sense. If he wanted to celebrate, the takedown was a team effort, and Rei knows agents Starling and Black are in the country. He's checked their schedules, but neither they nor Kazami are free next week, at that certain hour. (Alright, well, in Kazami's case it might be Rei's fault he's busy, but he needs someone capable to cover for him.)

The Kudos, arguably the masterminds behind the operation, have left for a vacation to the Swiss alps, too. Allegedly, they've taken Shinichi with them to recover in mountain air - privately, Rei has heard through the grapevine that talking things out with Ran didn't go so well. She's asked for some time to think about their relationship, so Shinichi is off bringing crime to Swiss ski resorts for a change.

None of the usual suspects are free, or invited. It seems it's really just the two of them.

He doesn't want to, can't afford to indulge the foolish hope that Akai might've missed him as much as Rei did (his dry wit, his dependability, the scent of his cigarettes and aftershave in their sheets). They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but is it enough for such a shift to occur with Akai?

Their work did keep them too busy to do anything but exchange short texts or calls every once in a while. That little had been a must, for Rei; while officially the organisation might be gone, some stragglers have yet to be found. Thus, he's been checking up on Akai, just to make sure he's still alright out there. (He wants to touch him and hold him and hear his heartbeat, wants to make sure he's alive. Wants too many things he can't have, as usual.)

Rei has promised himself he'll never act on these feelings; can't destroy this careful balance they have managed to attain. But if Akai's the one reaching out, who is Rei to decline? If after all they've gone through Akai still wants to stay by his side, Rei doesn't have the strength to push him away for his own good.

Throughout their relationship, it's always been Rei asking to meet him to exchange sweaters and information. For Akai to take this step now, and in such a grandiose manner, leaves him reeling, uncertain of the other's intentions. Among the living, he's probably the one who knows the sniper best, and yet he just can't figure out what this means. The uncertainty is maddening.

Damnit, really, what is he supposed to think about Akai inviting him to a high-class dinner? Just the two of them?

Hiro hasn't contacted him either, since that time in the Kudo mansion. He'd assured Rei he was safe, doing alright. Sorry for not being able to meet. And that was that.

(In a moment of weakness, Rei's asked Akai for his number. But Akai had revealed he'd only gotten the contact info for a burner phone, worthless after that one use.)

He's missed Hiro before, when he wasn't sure whether he was alive or dead, but somehow, knowing he is out there and not being able to reach him is worse. Hiro was supposed to have his back, and now he can't even help him out with his uncertain thoughts and feelings regarding one Akai Shuichi. Traitor.

Rei's fretting for hours about his look for dinner. (When was he last out on a date that actually mattered?)

It's not like he's lacking in confidence. He knows he cleans up nicely, and working with Vermouth for years has left him fashion-conscious. He's perfectly aware of how to dress up appropriately for a venue like the Myosotis. Honestly, he's more concerned (and quite frankly, intrigued) how Akai will fare.

Still, he wonders if the red tie is perhaps a bit too much. He's added it on a whim, for a splash of colour, but now he's considering whether it's too bold, wearing Akai's namesake openly. He's probably overthinking it. It's not like Akai to pick up on such clues.

He's triple-checked, by this point, his nails and hair and teeth. His suit is crisply ironed. It's perfect. What could possibly go wrong?

Rei finds himself at the restaurant a quarter hour early. A waiter shows him to the lovely window seats Akai has reserved for them, looking out over the city's lights. It's beautiful. The place is pleasantly quiet, a separée creating an ambience of privacy. Bathing the space in warm light is a cream candle, placed on a perfectly ironed tablecloth. After a couple of moments, the waiter returns with a bottle of quality champagne, chilled for their convenience.

Myosotis couldn't be more stereotypically romantic if it tried, and Rei finds his face burning as hot as the flame in front of him. It's a good thing he's a little early; he'll need time to steady himself to face Akai. Maybe have a glass of cool champagne to calm his nerves.

Rei runs one last check, refreshes his cologne on neck and wrist, and waits.

A couple minutes go by, during which he tries several different grounding techniques, to limited effect. He still perks up when, from the corner of his eyes, he spots Okiya's pastel pink hair - though it is in confusion, the excitement dying down quickly, replaced with fury. The posture of the man is incredibly familiar.

Conscious of where they are, and what is appropriate, Rei gets up from their table to greet him.

"You've kept me waiting long enough."

And with the brightest possible smile he can muster, he slaps his best friend across the face, hard.

"Yeah, I guess I deserve that." At least it's his own voice. Hiro's awkward smile looks off on Okiya's pretty face, and Rei has to fight the urge to throw his arms around his neck. Whether to hug him or strangle him, he doesn't quite know, himself.

"You..." 'deserve much worse than that. Deserve much better than that. Are an asshole and an idiot and it's so good to see you-'

People are noticing the commotion. Bourbon's reflexes kick in, uncomfortable with the attention. He finds himself closing the distance and hissing at Hiro.

"Take a seat before we cause even more of a scene."

Hiro-as-Okiya follows him into the separée. A waiter comes by, pouring him a glass of champagne too. The mood is as frosty as their drinks.

Hiro makes no move to continue the conversation. Great.

"...would you care to explain", Rei asks through his best Amuro smile, "what exactly you are doing here?" He considers adding 'and why you are dressed as Akai's ridiculous cover', but figures that one's self-evident.

"I wanted to see you, so Akai helped me out. The paperwork is taking its sweet time." He says it nonchalantly, as if it is that simple. As if he hasn't been MIA for half a year, and presumed KIA for years before that.

He's willing to bet this meeting was Akai's bright idea. Rei's all too familiar with his idea of 'help'. Doing what he thinks is best in the shadows, without talking to the person he's allegedly helping out.

It sucks, because he knows the FBI agent meant well. He probably thought this was a pleasant surprise. (And it is, just a little.)

It just very much does not help that Rei had quite different expectations of how this evening would go. He was expecting something much nicer than spontaneously having to decide whether he should make use of Hiro's shellfish allergy and poison him right then and there. (The answer is no, will always be no, who is he even kidding.)

Hiro's blue eyes stare at him from across the table, illuminated in warm candlelight. They clash horribly with the pink hair. It makes Rei nauseous. He looks down at the table.

He manages a strangled "I would have appreciated a heads-up." For this situation in particular and the fact that Hiro's alive, in general.

"Did he not tell you?"

"No. And it's not like I expected anything of the sort from him." 'You, however, should have known better.'

"Look, Zero-" Rei's withering glare makes him falter for a second, but he presses on. "I couldn't let you know. It was too dangerous at the time, for myself and Rye. And you."

Oh, great. Another person looking out for his supposed well-being. Except, it really only was about the success of their mission, wasn't it? As if that was ever worth his best friend's life.

He clenches his fist under the table, tries to calm himself. Fails. "I get that. I really, truly do." He rises, slams his hands on the table, leans across. Stares at the farce that is Okiya, just a lie this time.

"But it's been three years, Hiro." Then, quietly: "I thought you were dead."

Countless nights spent visiting morgues, checking if all bodies matching Hiro's stature were accounted for. Checking international flights. Investigating the ruins of the exploded building, in hopes of finding evidence of tampering. Looking over the remains of the body, burnt and crushed, with only the totality of the destruction hinting at foul play. Years and years of hounding Akai, trying to get answers from the one person who had to know, only to not make it in time. That terrible night Gin had sent him a gift, Akai falling lifelessly back into the video's frame, joining Scotch in a violent end; his last lead going up in flames and smoke. Mourning Matsuda and Date, alone.

He fights down the bile rising in his throat with practiced ease. His eyes sting and burn, but he won't be embarrassed now by giving in.

To his credit, Hiro has backed off as far as he can, shrinking under Rei's glare. Familiar blue eyes lock with his, and Rei needs to focus on them because everything else about the Okiya getup gives him whiplash he doesn't know how to deal with. Hiro takes a breath, steadies himself.

"Zero." A warm hand is gently laid atop his own. So familiar, so comforting, even after years apart. Rei wants to run, or fight, or both, but finds himself anchored in place.

"I'm sorry. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as many times as you need me to."

As if any number of apologies could erase years and years of grief and guilt and loneliness. If he'd just been faster, if Hiro had just trusted him, they would've found a solution, it was never worth his life-

"...why didn't you come to me, Hiro?" Idiot.

Because after months and years to contemplate it, that's the root of the problem, isn't it? The start of the betrayal. The broken promise from their academy days, splintering even further. 'We can handle anything, as long as we're together.' And then fate had ripped them apart, one by one, counting down to zero. Except Hiro had had a choice.

"I'm sorry. I did what I thought was necessary." He wears his emotions on his face.

And for a split-second, Rei doesn't see Hiro. He sees Akai, a week ago; his small smile, his pained eyes. Denial and self-sacrifice. Just what in the world made Akai look at him like that?

It's disorienting enough that he finds his spiralling thoughts interrupted, blinking at Hiro. He backs off, sits back down.

"Promise me, now, that you'll never run off like that again." Please, he can't say, but tries to convey through squeezing Hiro's hand just slightly too hard, before he pulls back in time for the waiter coming in with their entrées.

"I'll try."

Rei glares at him. Not good enough.

"Okay, okay, I won't." Hiro laughs, and oh, how Rei has missed the sound. Some of the tension bleeds out of him, and he finds himself joining his best friend, helplessly.

This isn't over, the pain isn't gone. It's unlikely it ever will, and there surely will be more arguments in the future (and sparring. He really wants to knock some more sense into Hiro). The trust they're missing will be hard to rebuild.

But Rei has had no choice but to live without Hiro for three years now. Has missed him painfully, every single day. If he's going to live in pain either way, might as well have it caused by Hiro's continued presence by his side.

If he gets a second chance at life then Hiro deserves one, too.

...................................................................................

Part II

Dinner after that is slow, but pleasant.

Akai has apparently pre-ordered roasts that need several days to be prepared for them, and while the quality is good, the style of food just isn't Rei's favourite. Hiro seems pretty delighted by it though, so that's something at least.

They leave charged topics carefully untouched. Since Hiro isn't on active duty, Rei can't really talk about his PSB work, and Hiro isn't at liberty to talk about his cover either. So small talk it is. Rei shows Hiro pictures of Haro, and he's immediately taken (as he should).

By the time they've made it past the main dish, they're running out of idle chitchat. Hiro's bracing himself, seems to be working up the courage to ask something. Rei can already tell he won't like the upcoming conversation.

"So, Zero." He folds his hands together, and leans on the table, looking inquisitively. "Do you mind explaining what's going on between you and Akai?"

"Nothing." The answer comes too quick and too pressed, he's not fooling anyone. And that's without accounting for the fact that Hiro knows him too well, even after three years apart. He smiles, faintly.

"Of course. Nice cologne, by the way. I'm sure Hagiwara would approve of the selection." He taps the fingers of the hand he's wrapped around Rei's wrist earlier on the wooden table. Rei feels embarrassment well up. Hiro, as usual, is annoyingly perceptive. Still, cologne is not too out of the ordinary. He tries to cover his choice up with professionalism, and even almost believes himself.

"Yes. It's only proper for an establishment such as this one."

"Yes, yes." Hiro concedes, too easily. His eyes narrow, aiming for the kill. "And I guess red just happens to be your new favourite colour?" The crimson tie around his neck feels too much like a noose, suddenly, restricting his airflow. It's probably the damn candle's fault too, burning all their oxygen. He flushes, despite his best efforts.

"Not my favourite, but it felt appropriate for a celebration", he gets out. It really doesn't help that Hiro is wearing Akai's second skin, the one he's too comfortable seeing. Though the eyes are different, he has trouble shaking the reminder of certain evenings in the Kudo manor. Drinking their sorrows away, just the two of them.

"And you were going to celebrate with a romantic candlelight dinner?" Hiro's arched eyebrow could reach space.

"Trust me, that is as strange to me as it must be to you."

"Oh no, it isn't - I've seen the look he gets when you text him."

And Rei hates himself, hates his traitorous body that perks up at those words, hates the burning curiosity. Wants Hiro to explain, wants it to be true. Hates that Hiro knows how to play him, still, judging by that infuriatingly kind smile. Hiro is so lucky they're in public. He'd very much like to wipe it from his face.

Rei wonders, briefly, if that's why Akai selected the location, and didn't tell him the truth - if he'd asked, Rei's not sure he would have agreed to meet Hiro, the betrayal still too painful in his mind. Not that this kind of secrecy is appreciated. He really thought they were past that, by now. He'll need to deal with Akai, properly, later.

"Do I look like I care about what the FBI idiot is up to?"

He knows a tactical misstep when he sees it, and he's walked right into this one.

"To be quite honest with you: yes." Hiro hides his smile behind his glass of champagne. Badly. His eyes shine with amusement.

Damnit. What's the point of pretending when Hiro just sees right through him anyways? Rei's so tired of fighting himself at every step.

"Alright, fine. Make yourself useful, then. What did he look like?"

"He lit up like his phone's screen whenever a new text arrived." That, at least, is soothing. There had been quite a few texts. He'd assumed, after all, that he was keeping a bored and lonely Akai company. Just how long has Hiro been with him? Did Akai just ignored his best friend during their flight in favour of chatting with Rei? Asshole.

"If I dare say so, it was quite cute."

Rei doesn't bother to dignify that with a response. His burning cheeks probably provide more of an answer than he would like to give, anyways.

"Alright, I won't push you if you don't want to talk about it. Just know that I'll have an open ear for you, if you change your mind." He slips a card with a handwritten phone number in it. It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Rei memorizes it, then burns the paper.

"By the way." Hiro seems a little concerned, fiddling with his glass. "Akai gave me a couple of odd looks while we were flying back. Any idea what that's about? He went out of his way to sneak me into the country, and we had some good talks, so I struggle to see why he's upset with me?"

At this point, the waiter brings in their dessert.

A medium-sized chocolate cake, heart-shaped. A fork is delicately placed on either side.

Hiro shrugs in response to his questioning look. Amuro's customer service smile slips on easily enough. "I'm sorry? I think you've mistaken the dessert for this table."

"Ah, no, gentlemen. All dishes have been prepared according to the requests of the person making the reservation." How odd.

They thank the waiter, wait until he's out of earshot.

Disjointed information is snapping into place.

"Hiro, you've seen more of him recently. Please tell me this is Akai's idea of a joke."

Because the man has a keen sense of humour, even if it's often only for his own amusement. Gods know as Bourbon Rei wanted to strangle him for his quiet mockery.

But surely he can't be implying what Rei thinks he's implying.

"Hm." Hiro pauses for a minute, bless him, actually contemplating the issue while taking an appreciative bite from the chocolate cake. Which they will not be sharing, like that. Rei cuts it in half with his fork, dragging one half towards his side of the plate.

"I don't think so, no. It's hard to tell with him." 'No, it's not', Rei wants to say, 'you can tell by the barely visible laughter lines around his eyes.' He wisely keeps his mouth shut. It wouldn't help his case about how little is going on between him and Akai.

"But I'm inclined to say he was painfully sincere. It was his idea to arrange this dinner, and before he dropped me off, he wished me good luck. I assumed, at the time, that he was concerned about me walking back out alive without my head bitten off. Now, I think he might have somehow gotten the wrong idea about us."

Rei shoves a piece of chocolate cake into his mouth. The icing melts pleasantly on his tongue.

Akai set him up on a date with his best friend.

The FBI agent can be so smart when he needs to. How is he so hopeless whenever interpersonal relationships are involved?

"Idiot."

That's going to be a fun talk.

Sweater weather AU masterpost

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #morofushi hiromitsu #akam #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

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technically using a prompt from @dcmk-fanfic-server 's Black Org Week but this is mostly for @8ddict

Day 2: Accidental APTX Victim BO member

Okiya Subaru made his way down the stairs at ass o'clock in the morning fully dressed and made up, mostly because Akai Shuuichi had the dubious talent of sleeping as unmoving as a corpse, which made it easier to keep his mask on a night on the off chance that someone came knocking.

Which had, as it turned out, been the case that night.

Subaru opened the door and was barely even surprised by what he found in front of him.

It was Edogawa Conan, because it was always Edogawa Conan. Less usual, however, was the single small figure who trailed along behind him. He wasn't one of Conan's usual crew - too small to be Mitsuhiko, too scrawny to be Genta, too blond to be Ayumi - and yet somehow he seemed strangely familiar...

Then the kid opened his mouth and Shuuichi realized exactly why he'd half-recognized him.

"Absolutely not," the boy hissed almost directly into Conan's ear, which couldn't have been comfortable. "There's absolutely no way you're going to make me stay with Akai fucking Shuuichi - "

Shuuichi would recognize that voice anywhere.

Even if it was an octave higher than he remembered it being.

Conan ignored the boy's protests, instead waving up at Shuuichi. "Hi, Okiya-san, sorry to bother you so early in the morning but this was kind of urgent."

"...Conan-kun," Subaru greeted him somewhat belatedly. "This is a surprise."

Conan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Listen, I need you to do something for me."

"It has something to do with your...companion, I assume?" Subaru asked, not taking his eyes off the small blond boy who seemed determined to glare a hole straight through his skull.

"He failed his vibe check," Conan said, which explained absolutely nothing. "Anyway, he's your problem now - I have to go do something."

Subaru blinked rapidly. "Conan-kun, I really don't - "

Conan glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath. "Consider it an unorthodox way of paying rent or something, Okiya-san - I have to go now."

And with that, he vanished into the night, leaving behind a disgruntled-looking six-year-old on the Kudous' front step.

"Well, this is awkward," Shuuichi said blandly, looking down at the man who had spent the last five years or so taking any possible opportunity to try and murder him and inventing a few along the way. There wasn't really much else he could say.

Tiny baby Bourbon glared up at him with the fury of a thousand suns, though it honestly looked more like a pout than anything else. "Shut the fuck up. I'm going to suffocate you in your sleep."

Shuuichi sighed and stepped back, holding the door open so Bourbon could make his way inside. "Well, with that ringing endorsement..."

Bourbon huffed, but entered the Kudou's house anyway, kicking Subaru in the shin as he passed.

Shuuichi sighed again, internally.

He could forsee absolutely no problems with this arrangement.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #conan edogawa #edogawa conan #furuya rei #kudo shinichi #okiya subaru #shinichi kudo #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

Text

What Akai probably expected the Okiya cover to require with regards to finding excuses to hang out with Professor Agasa and watching over Shiho:

knowledge of mechanical engineering

ability to make neighbourly small talk and be charming

What it actually entails

Being Agasa and the Detective Boys personal chauffeur/emergency car

Creating puzzles and riddles for children ages 6-12

Supervising 4-5 small children who loves chaos

Keep smiling when a 18-yo scientist shrunk to a child tells you point blank that she doesnt like you

Actually learning to cook

Feeding Genta

Repeatedly telling various journalists and detectives that you just live at the Kudou house and don't actually know the owners

#akai shuichi #okiya subaru #detective boys #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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yui-hibari · 6 days

Text

Alright. Let's talk about Akai's and Furuya's fighting styles, control, and the ferris wheel fight, featuring some tangents on professionalism.

The second reason is the implied: Akai is (in general, probably not in this situation, because he is going along with the fight Rei wants) a professional, and professionals do not fight. A professional will either ambush or assassinate (you know, like the sniping Akai is so well-known for), and generally do everything in his power to avoid a fight. It's about gaining the advantage, pressing and keeping it, to maintain control over the situation. For comparison, fights are between people of roughly equal footing, and fighting follows rules. As a person who lives in the world of actual violence, Akai does not need the fancy dances of a fighting sport, he needs his rifles, guns, and a self-defense technique for when things go really bad and personal. (Incidentally, a professional will also plan, won't let his emotions get in the way, stay calm, and keep working in bad conditions - we also see these traits in Akai.) I can remember two instances of Akai fighting (there might be more)- the ferris wheel fight, and the one time he knocked out the people after Yumi (and arguably, they didn't really have a chance and it wasn't really a fight). Other than that, he's just coordinating and providing tactical support.

Akai using Jeet Kune Do for fighting is an interesting choice. It's not as well-known as many other fighting styles (hell, it's not even a fighting style, it's a self defense technique and really more of a philosophy or a principle), but it has a couple of key values that characterize him well. First off, it's hugely individualistic. Practitioner's are encouraged to find their own way, to find what works for them, which really is Akai in a nutshell, doing what he wants. Secondly, it is described as a highly efficient way to fight. There are few, if any, rules to Jeet Kune Do, you're expected to use whatever technique will help you the most in the moment. For this reason, it is also highly adaptable, and requires an appropriate mindset to use. This latter point, I think, really mirrors the approach the FBI has in the series - do what you need to in order to get the results we want, at whatever the cost.

The fact that it's a self defense technique is important for two reasons: one is the immediate one for our context - Akai's defending himself from an angry Rei on the ferris wheel.

With all that out of the way, let's get into the ferris wheel fight, and what we learn about them there.

For contrast, let's look at Rei. It's almost funny how little professionalism Rei has compared to Akai, when it comes to the world they're living in. Rei's choice of fighting style is boxing, and he's practicing a rather straightforward, aggresive version, with barely any defense, at great personal risk. That point about professionals not letting their emotions get in their way? Well, either Rei has never heard it, or he's deliberately ignoring it. Either way, it really holds him back from gaining and maintaing control.

(I would be remiss not to point out that boxing is also done for show, fitting for this show-off.)

Boxing might honestly be good for Rei in order get out his anger and to up his pain tolerance, but for the purpose of keeping him alive, it sucks. It's up close, it's personal, and it's dirty (that tagline might as well describe Furuya himself). A threat who's gotten into that range is already a problem. Sure, usually - though not in this instance - he's also got his handgun, with its limited reach, limited firepower. For his purposes, it might suffice - he's not supposed to be a fighter, and the advantage of his gun is in its concealability. I suppose he gets a couple points in professionalism for that choice, and for often bringing back-up, whether he's working for the PSB or the BO. For what it's worth, he's also likely trained in Kendo or something similar, as we see in Wild Police Story, but he doesn't really use it. We see Rei fighting rarely, but it happens; with Matsuda at the beginning of WPS, casually inflicting violence on a kidnapper, and now here on the ferris wheel.

It's so interesting to me how they interact here.

Despite both of them bleeding, it starts to feel like Akai is in control, or at least not dated by the fighting - he gets Rei good with Jeet Kune Do's signature One Inch Punch, but has enough presence of mind to casually grabs him so he doesn't fall to his death (which gets him shoved off with a foot. Give Furuya an inch, and he'll try to take your head). Furuya's meanwhile clearly enjoying himself, might have even entered the zone, a sort of battlejoy/trance, asking for a second round (here we go again, this is a fight, with certain rules, like rounds), and Akai, well, he's beaten up, but it doesn't look like he'd surrender to get Furuya off his back - despite it being an option that would end the fight early. We see both of them smiling at points in this exchange, and I think it speaks to both of them, inherently, being thrillseekers. Putting all they are into the outcome of this fight against a dangerous enemy is a thrilling brush with mortality.

Them fighting at all, on top of the ferris wheel, is stupid, plain and simple. They expect the BO to show up any minute, and they'd better be in peak condition - instead they indulge in this fight. Really, it's Rei launching himself at Akai, who's mostly dodging and defending where necessary (I say indulge, because he is armed, and could probably escalate/end the fight early). Fights happen for a variety of reasons, usually social (because otherwise we'd be talking about violence, not a fight), and this implies Rei sees Akai as roughly equal/wants him to have a fair fighting chance, following the social contract of announcing his presence. He launches the attack, takes the initiative but the distance is so large, and he telegraphs his intentions clearly enough that his advantage is minimal.

Akai has the distinct disadvantage of carrying his rifle case, protecting its contents, because he'll need them later. He is, as the series lets us know, a capable fighter (described stronger as Masumi, who can deal with Ran, an established capable martial artist), and we can see it in this fight. He's reading Rei's movements and blocking most of the hits - for what it's worth, Rei's style seems more focused on quantity of attacks over quality. He does get Akai with some unconventional angles of attack (like swinging up into a kick from falling), and mostly this initial struggle is about them fighting for control.

When we cut back to the fight, they're still at it. I find it interesting that Akai tries to talk Rei down throughout the fight. Because the presence of mind necessary to form coherent sentences in a fight is not nothing, and the fact that he at least tries to go for a different solution is noteworthy, even if it is ultimately useless.

Then Conan calls Akai. This is in a small pause to the fight, because, surprise surprise, fighting takes effort (another reason professionals avoid it). It is really funny to me how Rei respects the rules of a fight, but he also sees an opportunity in his opponent's distraction, and seizes it (at the cost of also throwing himself down into a chasm, the self-sacrificial bastard).

Only at this point does it feel like Akai is taking the fight more seriously. I'd wager this is a) because Rei has displayed the willingness to destroy himself to take Akai with him, b) due to the enclosed space - less space to dodge and c) because at least he is aware time is ticking. They're both injured, and the enemy is coming soon. This fight better be over quick.

They only don't fight each other to the death because of Conan's timely intervention. He calls to Akai for help, and just like that, the conflict is resolved, for now. Akai wordlessly rejects Rei's request for a second round, which Rei just...accepts. Allows Akai that level of control, and the control of the flow of information (namely, they don't tell Conan they've been at it). It baffles me, but then again, I suppose it is a fight, the fight has rules, and, clearly, something more important takes precedence. Then again, this whole damn exchange makes no logical sense. Rei has sworn bloody revenge on Akai, who just saved his life today, and instead of doing something about the BO they're fighting a little. Logic is nowhere to be seen, all of this is emotional. On both sides.

I guess bonus points in professionalism for working together for the rest of the rest of the movie, even if they're sharing intel with/depending on a literal child for the solutions to their problem. It's a very unusual set of circumstances indubitably not covered by their training, granted, so what can you do (I'd still love for the adults in this universe to do their job, sue me).

Last point of note for the movie, in my opinion, is Akai waiting after all the chaos is over for Rei to spot him. Is this a case of checking in and simultaneously showing that he, too, made it out alive? He is clearly noticed by Rei, and only then walks away. And Rei just lets him. Akai is in control, in the end.

#akai shuichi #amuro tooru #furuya rei #okiya subaru #dcmk #detective conan #meitantei conan

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