#did asagiri fool me because i have this established idea of what his partnerships are like?? MAYBE

[originalaccountname]

Asagiri loves writing partnerships but one I constantly think about even if not relevant in any way to the main storyline is that one detective in Gaiden and his deceased partner.

(heavy spoilers for Gaiden if you care move along)

Because that man is basically introduced talking about how Kyougoku is responsible for the death of his partner and he wants revenge for it. Oh, classic Asagiri move, of course the guy had a partner, I chuckle, shake my head, move on.

Then turns out that partner was a woman, who the detective learned was 3 months pregnant after she died. Oh, that one's new. Was this partner a work partner alone? was she his life partner too? The detective is saying all these facts while looking at his now ungloved hands, as though seeing the blood on them, and with vengeance in his voice. I'm thinking about how every other partnership Asagiri ever wrote was presented as platonic (ambiguity points to rimlaine) and what it could mean in this particular case.

AND THEN final twist at the end, the detective himself was the one who killed his partner. Yes he did it because of Kyougoku, but like many bsd villains, Kyougoku was the kind of villain who never dipped his own hands in blood and got other people to do the bad things in his stead, only "helping" those who were already willing to commit atrocities. That detective decided he wanted to kill and then it ended being his partner. THAT'S ALSO NEW.

Asagiri has written so many partnerships and pair ups and the key theme is always trust. Trust being built, trust being gained, trust already established, trust based on circumstances, trust that was one-sided, trust being lost. But the closest thing to a real betrayal we have are Verlaine shooting Rimbaud because Rimbaud didn't understand Verlaine's desires and fears because Verlaine wouldn't share them, and Fukuzawa and Mori's short and fragile team up falling apart over Yosano.

THIS GUY THOUGH just got up one morning and decided murder was a fun new idea! and killed his freaking partner that may or may not have been his pregnant wife he wasn't aware was pregnant!! Asagiri!!! what the fuck!!!!!!!