Remix for azurevanillasky
Title: The Art of Thievery (The All is Fair in Love and War Remix)
Rating: G
Group/Pairing: Arashi; Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari
Warnings: None
Notes: I'M TRULY ASTOUDINGLY SORRY about how long it took me to send this.
Link to Original Story: The Artistry of Thievery by Team Ariake
Link to Original Writer: azurevanillasky
Queen of HeartsJun navigated the crowd like the smooth operator he was. A smile over here, a little bit of small talk over there, remember to say hello to Sakurai and to mention Okada’s name- but do not sound too menacing -, don’t forget where the exits are, make a mental note to find out more information about the tall, boisterous man and the tiny, quiet one. It was exhausting work.
But he also had time to enjoy the new pieces - even if only one had caught his attention.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, Jun thought. It had a deceiving simplicity and a refined effortlessness that disguised the simmering beauty of the sculpture, like a magician’s chest hid his tricks and had hidden caches.
He didn’t even have to read the sign to realize it was Mao’s work.
An artist’s work doesn’t reveal an artist’s soul,’ she had said once, smiling behind a champagne glass, ‘it is that soul .’
She wasn’t there at the exhibition’s opening gala - she was probably in Paris or Amsterdam. Her last postcard - made out of train tickets and newspaper clippings and filled up to the brim with doodles - had only spelled out Austerlitz.
Jun whispered the foreign name - it sounded like a threat. But it also sounded like a promise.
King of Diamonds
He was still admiring he sculpture when Sakurai approached him. Sakurai looked prim and proper - as he had always done, even when he ran on rooftops and climbed walls. He had always been a gentleman and a scholar besides being, occasionally, a thief. Jun admired that.
‘It’s not up for sale, Matsumoto,’ Sakurai said, sounding firm and solemn - but grinning at the same time. ‘And we’ve improved our security.’
Jun grinned back at Sakurai. ‘I see my reputation precedes me.’
‘It is indeed strange how many pieces of art you’ve taken a shine to end up disappearing, yes.’
Jun’s eyes wandered through the crowd - he knew most people there and half of them were art thieves. ‘Maybe art thieves simply have great taste,’ he said, paying close attention to a short, slightly suspicious man. ‘Or maybe what has been given is not as beautiful as what has been taken.’
The small man was now, apparently, very focused on a drawing hanging on the wall, but for Jun it was quite obvious that the woman talking to him would go home with a lighter wallet.
‘The artist said she wants it to be shared, so that the children of Saturn might find each other. It’d be terrible if her wish didn’t come true,’ Sakurai said, taking Jun back to their conversation.
‘The children of Saturn, uh.’ Jun said and then he brushed ‘Saturn’ with his fingertips. ‘Tell me, Sakurai, do you know what Austerlitz means?’
Sakurai frowned and seemed confused. ‘Austerlitz? It’s a train station.’
His eyes turned back to the mysterious man. ‘A train station. I like those - they’re always brimming with possibilities.’
Sakurai grinned again. ‘You should be more subtle.’
Jun shrugged. Subtlety had never come easy to him. ‘Who is he?’
‘Ninomiya Kazunari. We hire him sometimes.’
Ninomiya was now, apparently, showing off his magic tricks to a delighted kid. It was really jarring, to see him crouched and playing with cards in the middle of an art gallery. ‘In what capacity, exactly? Resident magician?’
‘You could call it that. We make good use of his slight-of-hand abilities and his discretion.’
The pieces of a plan were starting to come together in Jun’s mind. ‘Good to know,’ he said, fixing his scarf and preparing to leave.
‘I warn you - he’s very good at what he does.’
Jun smiled and put on his hat. ‘Don’t worry. Smoke and mirrors are a hobby of mine,’ he said before leaving the gallery.
He had work to do.
Jack of Clubs
Jun sipped his wine with an air of studied indolence. ‘Half upfront, half when you deliver the goods,’ he said.
Nagase laughed and half the café turned to look at them - while the other half tried to look like they weren’t interested -. Jun wondered how such a loud, huge and attractive man could pull off his heists. He half-suspected most of his success was due to his crew - which, if Jun hadn’t gone paranoid, were disguised as random café patrons and keeping an eye on them.
‘It’s my last offer, Nagase.’
‘It’s a complex job and letting that punk beat me... that comes with a price.’
Jun sighed. It was probably another ridiculous price such as ‘become a pasta chef in three months’. TOKIO was always keen on public embarrassment. ‘Name it, then.’
Nagase’s grin made him look like a crocodile with a fever. ‘Invite me to the wedding.’
Jun could do nothing but roll his eyes.
Ace of Spades
He was not expecting the sister - or the fake sister, he was not sure - but it was not an insurmountable obstacle. She was pretty, elegant and
smart and he actually found himself laughing at her jokes.
Her smile was wondrous and a lesser - or straighter - man would have fallen for Shizuna as soon as she started talking, but Jun could spot her fakeness a mile away. Her movements were a little too rehearsed, her witty turns of phrases came a little too easily.
‘So, tell me, what do you do, exactly?’ she asked, perfectly charming.
‘I’m an entrepreneur.’ It was not a lie. Not exactly.
She opened her eyes wide. ‘Really? I thought you handled the family business.’
He shrugs. ‘Used to. A long time ago.’
‘Hm, can I ask why... you don’t anymore?’
‘They disapproved in my choice of... companions, strongly,’ he made a pause and stared at his feet. ‘And so would you.’
And then, after a few unbearable seconds, she just said ‘oh’ and Jun was sure his plan had worked.
Joker
It had been a success - like most of his plans -. Nino had turned out to be even more interesting and twisty than he had originally thought - and infinitely more flexible -, and all things considered, Jun could see it working.
But even if getting to know him better had disabused Jun of any romantic notion - Nino was not going to suddenly confess his plans, too overcome with lust and emotions -, when he found Saturn gone, it still stung.
It was a challenge, he thought, staring at the empty space. Or at least the opening salvo of a great, amazing war that was just about to begin. He was already drafting up convoluted plans, astounding heists and love letters that he was never going to send, but first?
First he was going to make the bastard wait.
Rating: G
Group/Pairing: Arashi; Matsumoto Jun/Ninomiya Kazunari
Warnings: None
Notes: I'M TRULY ASTOUDINGLY SORRY about how long it took me to send this.
Link to Original Story: The Artistry of Thievery by Team Ariake
Link to Original Writer: azurevanillasky
Queen of HeartsJun navigated the crowd like the smooth operator he was. A smile over here, a little bit of small talk over there, remember to say hello to Sakurai and to mention Okada’s name- but do not sound too menacing -, don’t forget where the exits are, make a mental note to find out more information about the tall, boisterous man and the tiny, quiet one. It was exhausting work.
But he also had time to enjoy the new pieces - even if only one had caught his attention.
It was breathtakingly beautiful, Jun thought. It had a deceiving simplicity and a refined effortlessness that disguised the simmering beauty of the sculpture, like a magician’s chest hid his tricks and had hidden caches.
He didn’t even have to read the sign to realize it was Mao’s work.
An artist’s work doesn’t reveal an artist’s soul,’ she had said once, smiling behind a champagne glass, ‘it is that soul .’
She wasn’t there at the exhibition’s opening gala - she was probably in Paris or Amsterdam. Her last postcard - made out of train tickets and newspaper clippings and filled up to the brim with doodles - had only spelled out Austerlitz.
Jun whispered the foreign name - it sounded like a threat. But it also sounded like a promise.
King of Diamonds
He was still admiring he sculpture when Sakurai approached him. Sakurai looked prim and proper - as he had always done, even when he ran on rooftops and climbed walls. He had always been a gentleman and a scholar besides being, occasionally, a thief. Jun admired that.
‘It’s not up for sale, Matsumoto,’ Sakurai said, sounding firm and solemn - but grinning at the same time. ‘And we’ve improved our security.’
Jun grinned back at Sakurai. ‘I see my reputation precedes me.’
‘It is indeed strange how many pieces of art you’ve taken a shine to end up disappearing, yes.’
Jun’s eyes wandered through the crowd - he knew most people there and half of them were art thieves. ‘Maybe art thieves simply have great taste,’ he said, paying close attention to a short, slightly suspicious man. ‘Or maybe what has been given is not as beautiful as what has been taken.’
The small man was now, apparently, very focused on a drawing hanging on the wall, but for Jun it was quite obvious that the woman talking to him would go home with a lighter wallet.
‘The artist said she wants it to be shared, so that the children of Saturn might find each other. It’d be terrible if her wish didn’t come true,’ Sakurai said, taking Jun back to their conversation.
‘The children of Saturn, uh.’ Jun said and then he brushed ‘Saturn’ with his fingertips. ‘Tell me, Sakurai, do you know what Austerlitz means?’
Sakurai frowned and seemed confused. ‘Austerlitz? It’s a train station.’
His eyes turned back to the mysterious man. ‘A train station. I like those - they’re always brimming with possibilities.’
Sakurai grinned again. ‘You should be more subtle.’
Jun shrugged. Subtlety had never come easy to him. ‘Who is he?’
‘Ninomiya Kazunari. We hire him sometimes.’
Ninomiya was now, apparently, showing off his magic tricks to a delighted kid. It was really jarring, to see him crouched and playing with cards in the middle of an art gallery. ‘In what capacity, exactly? Resident magician?’
‘You could call it that. We make good use of his slight-of-hand abilities and his discretion.’
The pieces of a plan were starting to come together in Jun’s mind. ‘Good to know,’ he said, fixing his scarf and preparing to leave.
‘I warn you - he’s very good at what he does.’
Jun smiled and put on his hat. ‘Don’t worry. Smoke and mirrors are a hobby of mine,’ he said before leaving the gallery.
He had work to do.
Jack of Clubs
Jun sipped his wine with an air of studied indolence. ‘Half upfront, half when you deliver the goods,’ he said.
Nagase laughed and half the café turned to look at them - while the other half tried to look like they weren’t interested -. Jun wondered how such a loud, huge and attractive man could pull off his heists. He half-suspected most of his success was due to his crew - which, if Jun hadn’t gone paranoid, were disguised as random café patrons and keeping an eye on them.
‘It’s my last offer, Nagase.’
‘It’s a complex job and letting that punk beat me... that comes with a price.’
Jun sighed. It was probably another ridiculous price such as ‘become a pasta chef in three months’. TOKIO was always keen on public embarrassment. ‘Name it, then.’
Nagase’s grin made him look like a crocodile with a fever. ‘Invite me to the wedding.’
Jun could do nothing but roll his eyes.
Ace of Spades
He was not expecting the sister - or the fake sister, he was not sure - but it was not an insurmountable obstacle. She was pretty, elegant and
smart and he actually found himself laughing at her jokes.
Her smile was wondrous and a lesser - or straighter - man would have fallen for Shizuna as soon as she started talking, but Jun could spot her fakeness a mile away. Her movements were a little too rehearsed, her witty turns of phrases came a little too easily.
‘So, tell me, what do you do, exactly?’ she asked, perfectly charming.
‘I’m an entrepreneur.’ It was not a lie. Not exactly.
She opened her eyes wide. ‘Really? I thought you handled the family business.’
He shrugs. ‘Used to. A long time ago.’
‘Hm, can I ask why... you don’t anymore?’
‘They disapproved in my choice of... companions, strongly,’ he made a pause and stared at his feet. ‘And so would you.’
And then, after a few unbearable seconds, she just said ‘oh’ and Jun was sure his plan had worked.
Joker
It had been a success - like most of his plans -. Nino had turned out to be even more interesting and twisty than he had originally thought - and infinitely more flexible -, and all things considered, Jun could see it working.
But even if getting to know him better had disabused Jun of any romantic notion - Nino was not going to suddenly confess his plans, too overcome with lust and emotions -, when he found Saturn gone, it still stung.
It was a challenge, he thought, staring at the empty space. Or at least the opening salvo of a great, amazing war that was just about to begin. He was already drafting up convoluted plans, astounding heists and love letters that he was never going to send, but first?
First he was going to make the bastard wait.