Spring is in The Air
Lupin had been planning this heist since October, putting together all of the intricate pieces and planning it out to the very last detail. It was the perfect crime! An outdoor bonsai art festival in Kyoto, wherein the most complex and intricate trees were being displayed. The centerpiece of it all was a glittering bonsai that was made purely of gold, silver and all sorts of gemstones. And Lupin wanted to steal it for his darling, Fujiko.
Everything was in order. Jigen and Goemon were on their way to the cultural heart of Japan. Lupin had holed up inside a hotel just outside of town, ready to dash as soon as the heist had gone off. As well, he had readied everyone's disguises and had made maps for all three of them. Nothing could go wrong.
Until the night before the heist…
Jigen had been the first to arrive, which Lupin had fully expected. The gunman was always his most punctual partner, and didn't waste any time getting to the hotel. But, something was amiss and the thief knew it from the moment he laid eyes on the gunman.
Lupin: Hi Jigen!! Uh…are you alright?
Jigen: Oh yeah…sure…huh…heckt'ish!!! HECKT'ISHEW!!
Lupin: Are you sure? Because it sounds like…
Jigen: Just a little ragweed allergy…nothing too bahh…bad…
The gunman pulled out a red handkerchief from his pocket and made his way back to the bathroom, noisily taking care of his nose. Lupin cringed as he heard each blow, knowing that this did not bode well for the mission. However, he had complete faith that Jigen would pull himself together in perfect time.
A couple of hours later a polite knock to the door sounded. Lupin jumped up from his sitting position on the couch, knowing by the softness of the knock that it was surely Goemon. As he approached the door, he heard the telltale hitching breaths of the samurai and opened the door just in time for him to pitch forward with a very desperate sneeze. Fortunately for the thief, Goemon wore a cotton face mask that had taken the brunt of the outburst.
Lupin: Uh…ragweed allergy?
Goemon: No…sniff…cedar trees…
Goemon walked inside, intent on going straight to the bathroom just as Jigen had. Unfortunately, the gunman was still occupying the small space. The watery-eyed samurai knocked in vain, receiving a muffled fit of sneezing in response. He, in turn, sneezed again and defeatedly made his way to the bed where he sat to wait.
Lupin, on the other hand was beginning to panic. What was he going to do with his two partners in crime sneezing and sniffling through the heist? Could they even wear the rubber masks?! This was not going as he had planned at all…
Lupin: Er…I'll be back! You two share the bathroom, ok?
With that, Lupin left and hurried into town on foot. He ran as quickly as he could, looking for a pharmacy. When he finally found one, however, it was almost closing time. Not putting too much thought into what he was getting, he grabbed a few types of allergy medicine, tissue packs, as well as some herbal remedies for Goemon. After hastily paying for everything he left just as quickly as he had appeared.
When he got back, Jigen and Goemon had switched places. Jigen now laid back on the bed, breathing through his mouth and looking utterly miserable. He could only imagine that the samurai was feeling the exact same way.
Jigen: Where did you go in such a hurry?
Lupin: Pharmacy…here…take something.
Lupin tossed the bag onto the bed, narrowly missing Jigen’s head. The gunman groaned, rolling over to rummage through the bag. His face fell when he saw the selection, looking disappointed.
Lupin: Is there a problem?
Jigen: Well…besides the herbal remedy, all of this medicine is sleep inducing…
Lupin: So take it now, sleep, and feel better in the morning.
Jigen: You don't get it…this will make me drowsy for hours. And there's no way I can drive or concentrate enough to use my revolver if I take this. Not now.
Lupin slapped his forehead and let out a sigh of frustration, sinking into a chair nearby. Just then, Goemon emerged from the bathroom, eyes still red and his nose pink. He approached the bed, seeing the spread of remedies that Jigen had already gone through.
Lupin: Don’t tell me that you've got a problem with this stuff as well…
Goemon: Unfortunately yes. These are herbal remedies for a cold. I do not have a cold.
Lupin groaned with frustration once again and stood suddenly, walking out of the hotel room. This time, however, he didn't go into town. Instead, he took a long walk to clear his thoughts and make a plan.
But sadly, one can't plan for everything…
On his way back, Lupin began to feel an itch in his throat. As he attempted to cough it away, his nose began to tickle and his eyes started watering. But he wasn't allergic to anything that he was aware of…perhaps the stress he was under had weakened his immunity, or perhaps being around the others had given him sympathy allergies…could such a thing even happen?!
Defeated, he returned to the hotel, took some of the pills for himself and decided to let fate decide if they would do the heist in the morning.
)
And glad you noticed that, I like to take the opportunity for little background gags when I can!
