[fic] TGZ: Storybook Detectives
Jun. 6th, 2005 09:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ickaimpSorry for not responding to anything yesterday. Caught a bit of Ysabet's cold and slept the entire day. ~_~
As of now, the current TGZ timeline:
• Prelude
• Morning
• On the way to the train station...
• Paris Encounter
• Two Kaitou and a Tantei (not up yet)
• Loosing Heads
• Interdimentional Travelers
• Storybook Detectives (aka 'Holmes'. This one, in need of a better title)
• Shades of Red (not up yet: from Eroica with Love crossover)
• Chocolate Thief
• Flying Hawks (not up yet)
• Humming
A TGZ page should be up in a little while, once things get a bit more clear on my end, story-wise.
There's a bit of a debate if this one should go before or after the Eroica one. Eroica's not effected either way, but this one is by one sentance. *sighs* The plot threads are beginning.... ¬_¬
+++
Kaito looked around the elaborate room with mixed emotions. Primarily confusion and the distinct feeling that he was being tricked. He crossed his arms, looking at his friend and current tour guide, who was looking at him with an aura of distinct amusement.
"Let me get this straight..." Kaito drawled in Japanese. He should be practicing his English, especially considering their current location, but he was in the mood to be particularly difficult at the moment. Besides, if he was going to be clueless, he'd rather that everyone in the room not realize this as well. "Sherlock Holmes was a fictional character, written by Sir Conan Arthur Doyle at the turn of the century."
"Correct." Hakuba agreed, the corner of his mouth curved up in a very distinctive smug smirk. From Hakuba's belt, there was the sound of a suspicious snicker. Kaito knew he'd rue the day he'd figured out how to turn their cell phones into portable cameras/walkie-talkies for Hirokini-kun to observe what they saw in the outside world. From waist level, anyway.
"However, this..." He swept a hand around to encompass the sitting room they were currently occupying "Is where Holmes lived from between 1881 to 1904." At least according to the flyer they had been handed at the door explaining the history of the house-cum-museum at 221b Baker Street.
"Also correct." Hakuba agreed.
"And that's Mrs. Hudson standing at the entrance way, answering questions."
"Yes."
"Despite the fact that she'd be -well- over a hundred years old now and remarkably good looking for her age. In addition to being a fictional character."
"Yes."
Kaito almost-but-not-quite sulked. "I hate you."
Hakuba practically glowed at him. "Noted."
Kaito sighed. There was just no dealing with Hakuba when it came to his Holmes obsession. The blond was as stubborn as a brick.
A laugh from the side startled them. "Attempting to explain The Game, are you?" There were capitals in the words that you could just -hear-, even in Japanese. They turned, mirroring each other as a middle aged Japanese man joined them, an amused expression on his face. "My apologies for interrupting, but I couldn't help but to overhear your conversation."
"Game?" Kaito echoed, feeling positively outnumbered. Although it was nice to meet someone else from Japan.
Hakuba grinned at him, his expression wide and gleeful with not-so hidden mirth. "'The Game' is what we Sherlock Holmes Fanatics call it. To us, Sherlock Holmes is not a fictional character, but was a real man who actually existed."
Kaito blinked, feeling something click into place. No wonder so many Holmes fans were fanatical. They weren't just defending some mystery fantasy, this was -real- to them. "Oh." Hakuba smiled politely at him, as if quietly waiting for the shoe to drop. Kaito shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, slouching slightly. "You're still nuts."
Their gentleman friend laughed again, a hearty laugh that drew the attention of the other visitors to the museum. Kaito ignored them. Stupid Holmes Freaks.
"You look vaguely familiar." Hakuba bowed slightly to the older man. "Have we met before?"
"I don't believe so." The man bowed in return, then held out his hand. "Kudo Yusaku. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Hakuba Saguru." Hakuba shook his hand, then motioned to Kaito. Kaito bowed quickly and shook the man's hand as well. The grip was strong, but not overly so. "This is my friend, Kuroba Kaito."
Kaito glanced over at the blond in mild surprise before returning his hand to his pocket. Not only had Hakuba introduced him --a silent way of saying that Hakuba was taking responsibly for Kaito socially-- but he had introduced him as 'friend', not 'classmate', like he had done in Japan.
Kid and Hakuba were friends. More than friends, really.
Kaito and Hakuba he was still trying to figure out.
"Hakuba Saguru?" Kudo-san looked at Hakuba with a bit of surprise. "My son mentioned you recently. You're the expert on the Kaitou Kid."
"An expert." Hakuba demurred. "Nakamori-keibu has been chasing him for over twenty years."
Kudo... Kudo... Kaito blinked, pieces falling into. They were talking Kudo Shin'ichi --Edogawa Conan--'s father. "You write the 'Night Baron' series."
Kudo-sensei looked slightly surprised, then smiled. "You know them?"
"I've read some." He shrugged in return. "Hakuba's the mystery fan. Are you in town for research?"
"Something like that." Kudo-sensei gestured around the room. "I found myself with a bit of a mental block, so decided to visit an old friend in the hopes of clearing my head. Did you know-"
Kaito tuned out their conversation as it delved into the idiosyncrasies of the Sherlock Holmes universe. He trailed along behind, enjoying the rooms for the historical value if nothing else. It was like stepping back in time to a completely different era.
Kudo-sensei and Hakuba continued to talk as they made their way downstairs and into the gift shop. Kaito slipped away momentarily to buy a handful of postcards. He bought some stamps and quickly filled one of them out along the lines of 'Weather is here, wish you were beautiful' and send it off to 211b Beika Street, unsigned.
It was slightly petty of him, but the shrunken detective was going to be -insanely- jealous. He could practically hear the screams of outrage from here.
If they ever ended up on the Orient Express, he'd send one to Hattori as a thank you for keeping up correspondence during the summer. Even if the Osaka Detective was an Ellery Queen fan, he'd still probably love the Agatha Christie reference.
One of the postcards was going to Hakuba's house in Japan. He'd already sent a few others there, mostly while he was in Paris. It'd make a nice surprise when Hakuba got back to Japan, a sort of scrap book of places they'd been. He was debating sending one to his Mom or Aoko, but that might alert the highly annoying men in trench coats as to where they were and that would be bad. Maybe to Jii-chan, then. To pass it on.
As far as Aoko knew, he was going overseas to go to school. She was still living with her father, so he wasn't overly concerned about her safety. There wasn't much to connect her to the Kid. Mom was taking the opportunity of an empty nest to do some travelling of her own, visiting family.
And last he'd heard about Akako, something had happened in Las Vegas resulting in her being insanely wealthy and connected to some of the mob bosses there. He wasn't going to inquire too deeply. As long as she was happy --and far away from him-- he was happy for her.
A cheerful feminine shout drew their attention to a nicely curved blond woman with curly hair waving at them. Kaito blinked, looking over at Hakuba. The blond detective shrugged in return. Not any of Hakuba's relatives then.
Then the woman slid her arm around Kudo-sensei's waist and things made sense again. "Hakuba-kun, Kuroba-kun, this is my wife, Yukiko. Darling, this is Hakuba Saguru and Kuroba Kaito."
"Kuroba?" Yukiko straightened, examining him closely. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Kuroba Toichi, would you?"
A glance flickered between him and Hakuba. The blond was as confused as he was. "He's my father." He said politely.
"Ah! I knew it! You look just like him!" She bounced at him, arms open wide and Kaito abruptly found himself being suffocated in her non-insignificant cleavage. Just when he was afraid of passing out, she released him, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she bounced. "You probably don't remember, but I learned disguise from Toichi-sensei. You must have been about knee-high at the time, cute as a button. Are you still friends with that little adorable girl who'd follow you around and give you orders?"
"Ah... Aoko? Yes." He was blushing, partly from the lack of air he'd just had, partly of mortification. He spared a glance at Hakuba, who thankfully wasn't laughing. Nothing unpleasant in Hakuba's bed tonight then. "She, Hakuba and I just graduated from High School in the spring."
"Ooh, how wonderful!" She slid an arm around his waist, like an overly-familiar aunt. "Anata, I just had the most brilliant idea! I just found this little Japanese restaurant that makes food just like in Japan. We -must- all go out to dinner!"
Another glance at Hakuba, who shrugged slightly. "That's very kind of you-"
"I insist." Kudo-sensei smiled brilliantly. "Our treat."
Hakuba raised an eyebrow. Kaito tilted his head slightly. Why not? Couldn't hurt anything. And if he was honest with himself, he was a bit homesick and some familiar food sounded like a great idea. "We'd love to." Hakuba agreed.
Kaito nodded. He'd had enough of Holmes for the time being. Besides, no one ever talked about the interesting things about the great detective, like the fact that Holmes was a recreational cocaine user. Some role model. At least Arséné Lupin didn't do drugs.
They took a taxi to the restaurant, the Authour and the Night Baroness being a little bit too big celebrities to ride the Underground without attracting too much attention, but not so big that they rode around in a limo. Over friendliness aside, Yukiko-neechan, which she politely insisted as being called instead of 'Obachan,' --because did she look like a mother to you and oh, Kaito looked just like her son, whom she missed so much-- was good to talk to. He'd had so little time to actually learn from his father, most of what he knew of disguise he'd had to make up on his own via trail and error from what was laying around and Jii-chan's occasional helpful comment. It wasn't as if a manual had been laying around for him to learn from.
Kaito also shut up about her mothering after the comment about looking like her son. Which he did. Besides, he missed his Mom, so he kind of knew where she was coming from.
The restaurant was extravagant and expensive, but the tatami mats and gentle wisps of incense smelled like home. Gentle koto music and the sound of trickling water from the scattered fountains were a balm to his soul. The Hakuba household was all Erté style, art deco and antique Egyptian artefacts everywhere, couches with carved lion's paws for legs and the like, with only a few things that said 'Japanese', most of which where in Hakuba's room. It was a friendly enough place, but still strange.
They were given a small-screened room with a low table and cushions to sit on. Shoes were taken off before they stepped in and they relaxed, sharing a pot of green tea as they chatted. The only interruption to the mellow mood was when Kudo-sensei went to ordered sushi for the table and Hakuba intervened, commenting that Kaito was allergic to and would complain all night about fish breath if Hakuba ate any. The order was then laughingly changed to tempura, much to Kaito's barely concealed relief.
He probably -would- have grumbled all night at Hakuba. It wasn't just the sight of fish that made him climb the walls to flee, but the scent of it was nauseating as well. He could deal with it if he had to, but he'd much rather not have to if he didn't have to.
Fish. Ugh.
Conversation wandered as they shared the meal, current events around the world, adapting to strange cultures, odd jokes, veiled reference as to what the Black Organization was up to and the efforts to knock them down farther. Kaito kept up the main flow of chatter for their side of the table. There was a feeling that Kudo-sensei had something he wanted to talk about, but was taking an indirect route to bringing it up. Hakuba appeared to sense this as well, watching the charismatic couple with thoughtful blue eyes.
Finally the subject Kudo-sensei appeared to be waiting for came up, talking about Kudo-sensei's latest Night Baron book in progress.
"Actually, I'd been hoping to run into you here in London, Hakuba-kun." The writer admitted after a bite of light flaky tempura. "Meeting you at Baker Street was a set of unexpected luck. I was hoping to enlist your help, or at the very least, your opinion on something."
Kaito glanced over at the expressionless detective. Luck? Or planning?
Or was he just reading too much into things?
"My opinion?" Hakuba questioned. "On what?"
Kudo-sensei smiled. "Kid the Phantom Thief." The words fell like raindrops, resonating and echoing in the muted calm of the room.
The Prime Meal that makes every detective's mouth water, Kid had been referred to before. What ever else this conversation was, 'casual' was not it.
"Oh?" There was a world of meaning in that one word, Hakuba showing no expression other than the arch of one eyebrow.
The writer picked up his tea glass, swirling the yellowish liquid thoughtfully. "I was thinking of adding him to an upcoming book. A contest, between him and the Night Baron. See how the two fare against each other."
Kaito kept his face placid, but he was frowning on the inside. A contest between Moonlight Magician and the Night Baron. It would probably create a larger public up roar than the one had followed when Chat Noir challenged the Kaitou Kid.
But Kaito had read some of the Night Baron books. And while they were a good read, he didn't like the idea of being -in- them.
"And you would like my honest opinion on the idea?" Hakuba mused. "Perhaps assistance in writing the Kaitou Kid?"
"Yes." Kudo-sensei nodded. "Nakamori-keibu is a fine man, determined and stubborn -both good traits in an officer. But he's not very keen on research or analysis. It's the details that are your area of expertise that would be an immense aid to my research."
Hakuba picked up his own cup of tea and appeared to contemplate the idea, pointedly not looking in Kaito's direction. If it weren't for the fact that both Yukiko-neechan and Kudo-sensei were both watching them so carefully, he would have liked to have nudged the detective or something. Instead, he could only watch the blond as well, wondering what was going on in the half Briton's head.
And if nothing else, that was what back up plans were for.
"I think that is a fascinating idea." Hakuba finally said slowly. "It would probably be a best seller as well, with your writing style, Kudo-sensei. But I do not believe it to be a -good- idea."
Kudo-sensei's face did not change, nor did he stop swirling his tea. "Could you expound on your reasoning?" He inquired politely.
How about started with the fact that he was a -Phantom- thief? C'mon! How ghostly could you be if you were in black and white print? Not very mysterious there.
Besides, if one person started writing novels with him in it, other people might start to get ideas.
"A number of things, really." Hakuba sat back with a small sigh, his face still bland. "But primarily, I believe that the Kaitou Kid would take offense to the deal."
"Oh?" Now they had Kudo-sensei's attention. He set the cup down, lacing his fingers together in front of his face, elbows resting on the table.
"Kid the Phantom Thief abhors murder." Hakuba explained. "Your Night Baron is an accomplished thief but he has little to no qualms with homicide. That alone would I believe would be enough for the Kaitou Kid to distain the idea."
"Because he is dealing with a murderer."
More like an assassin. Killers could steal as well as thieves, but the killing is what separated them from a true thief. Thieves took objects. Killers took not only the non-tangible, but the non-returnable. You couldn't give back a life at the end of a heist.
"Precisely." Hakuba agreed, setting his hands on the table, still cradling the cup of tea. "The second reason is a bit more tangible, perhaps. Money."
"He would expect royalties?" Kudo-sensei's voice was almost mocking.
Well, the money would be nice, but where would they send the cheque to? Besides, if he were interested in the money, he could just knock a bank over or something. Hah.
"Quite the opposite." The blond smirked, voice ironic. "He doesn't believe in making money from theft."
Yukiko-neechan let out a small giggle at the comment. Hakuba smiled slightly at her in return. "Yes, I am quite aware of how facetious it sounds. Perhaps you heard about the debacle with the Giant's Star at Ono Department Store a few Christmas' past?"
The married couple exchanged looks, then shook their heads. Kaito hid a snicker. That was before Hakuba's arrival as well.
"The Department store owner at the time decided to stage a fake Kid Heist, the ornamental star covered in sapphires and diamonds topping the large Christmas Tree outside the store as the object of interest. Nakamori-keibu caught their fake thief, of course. Then the real Kaitou Kid made his appearance, not only stealing the star from the police but toppling the tree into the department store as a 'gift' to the owner."
Yukiko-neechan's eyes were wide. "You're joking."
"No." Hakuba shook his head. "The man was selling Kid souvenirs, earning money on the Kaitou's name. He made enough money to repair the damage. -If he hadn't been in jail for fraud."
"That was a while ago." Kudo-sensei pointed out. "And I believe he saved the life of the woman who framed him at the Twilight Mansion. Perhaps he's since changed his opinion."
"Not bloody likely." Hakuba smirked. "Last year there was an incident with a porn company."
That got everyone's attention. "Porn company?"
"Let us leave the details vague other than the fact that the Kid was polite enough to request them not to use his likeness and they ignored it." Hakuba took a sip of tea. "I understand they went out of business after a rather embarrassing spectacle with the police shortly there after. Pity." The tone was perfectly dry, the detective might have been talking about a boring day at the park.
Although Kaito knew that Hakuba still had the master copy of that movie too. Kid had once snuck into Hakuba's house and caught the detective snickering over the movie while making notes about all the details they'd gotten wrong as far as costuming and procedure. Kaito hadn't previously realized that police handcuffs purposely only had two links instead of three, like the ones you could buy at the stores. Handcuffs were handcuffs to him, regardless of the links.
Although that did account for why police cuffs were a bit harder to get off...
-He hadn't let Hakuba know he was there, although he'd read the notes later and laughed himself sick. Didn't matter that nothing improper had been going on, you just didn't interrupt another guy's porn.
"So you're saying that if I wrote him in and he disagreed, I might find myself in an... uncomfortable situation." Kudo-sensei mused.
More like a mortifying one. Like the editors he was so fond of ditching knowing where his ever move was for the next year. Or his fans knowing... being a public figure could be such a hassle... Heh.
"Precisely." Hakuba set down his cup. "I could be wrong, but that is my conjecture on the subject."
"Shin-chan mentioned that you have contact with him." Yukiko-neechan spoke up brightly. "Could you mention it to him the next time you see him?"
Hakuba sighed, looking pained. "I am getting rather tired of that rumour. As I told your son, I have no control over the thief's movements. As point of fact, I have not seen him since my arrival to Europe."
Which was true. Hakuba had been looking the other direction when he and Chat Noir had gone for their sky night tour. Heh. Sneaky detective. He knew there was a reason why he hung out with the silly Brit.
"I haven't seen him either." Kaito added cheerfully, grabbing what looked like a piece of tempura squash. "And since I'm pretty much always in each Hakuba's company, it'd be pretty hard for us to both miss seeing him."
Kudo-sensei got an odd expression on his face, almost like he wanted to comment that maybe they shouldn't spend quite so much time together if it was scaring the thief off, before it shifted into a very calculating look. One that made Kaito just a little bit leery of what was going on in the murder writer's brains.
"I shall take your advice on the matter." Kudo-sensei finally decided. "But if you do happen to run into the thief and could pass that I'm interested in a crossover, I would be appreciative."
"It is unlikely, but I shall keep it in mind." Hakuba agreed smoothly. He then moved the conversation on to other subjects, the slight tension that had been gathering in the air fading away as they talked about safer subjects, the conversation about the Kid apparently forgotten by everyone.
... if you were the causal observer, maybe. Which none of them were. Writer, Actress, Detective, Magician, observing people was not only their livelihood, but also their way of life.
So they all smiled and pretended that it was forgotten by everyone which worked just as well. They made pleasant talk as Kudo-sensei paid for the meal and they left, going their separate ways and promising to keep in touch after an exchange of e-mail addresses. By that time, the sun had set, casting the city into a mixture of darkness, bright lights and the beginnings of fog.
Kaito shivered slightly, tucking his hands into his coat pockets, still not completely used to the dampness in the air. Japan was a rainforest, but the weather still felt different. Hakuba nudged him and silently shepherded him towards the nearest Underground. From there they'd ride the train back to the Hakuba Household. Funny how trips back always seemed to take longer than the trip there at the end of a long day.
Hakuba nudged him again, gaining his attention. "So what did you think of our hosts?"
"Interesting couple." Kaito shrugged. "Can see where their son gets it from. What did you think?"
"Very... inquisitive." Hakuba said diplomatically. Kaito laughed quietly to himself. Hakuba's people skills had come a long way from when they had first met. He wasn't jumping and shouting accusations for everyone to hear anymore.
"And now you have a question for the Kid." Kaito teased. "For the next time you see him."
The area around them was quiet, people moving around in side, watching the telly or cooking a late dinner. Very peaceful.
"You mean besides what's behind that monocle?" The blond smirked back.
"True." He agreed, falling a step behind Hakuba. He reached out, one hand covering the larger blond's mouth, the other grabbing him around the waist as he spun the detective into an alley they were passing like it was an elaborate dance manoeuvre. Hakuba's eyes were wide but unafraid as he pinned the half-Brit against the wall.
"My eye-" He informed Hakuba with a smile. "-is behind my monocle."
"And what a lovely eye it is too." Hakuba smiled back, a predatory smile Kid couldn't remember seeing on the detective's face towards anyone else. It was like pleasure and anticipation at the same time. "Hullo, Kid. Fancy running into you here."
"Yes, quite." Kid agreed. "You have a question for me?"
"From Kudo Yusaku. He wants to write you into one of his books."
"Pass." He smiled. "One writer starts writing about the Kaitou Kid and the next thing you know they -all- want to start writing about the Kaitou Kid."
"And we couldn't have that." Hakuba was nearly purring in his grasp.
"No." He agreed. People might start to get a bit too close. And there were only a few people he wanted getting too close, and one of them was right there in front of him smirking like he's just won first prize.
Probably because he hasn't been this close to Hakuba since in a while. Not since Japan, anyway.
Memories of Japan hit him with a bit of an ache. Hakuba, the freaking idiot, attempted to save his life by jumping in front of a bullet, even though it was Kid's fault Snake had found him in the first place. If he hadn't checked up on Hakuba, stopped by to visit, the detective would have remained safe and dead to the Ops. He still wasn't sure if they realized the detective was alive. He hoped that Snake hadn't passed that bit of knowledge on to his superiors.
Nor does he remember ever having thanked Hakuba for it. Now seemed to be as good of a time as any. "Thank you." He said sincerely before proceeding to do his best to kiss the detective silly.
It had been over half a year, before finding Pandora and the nightmarish summer, since he last kissed the half Brit detective. He's pleased to find that it's lost none of its appeal.
Nor did it seem to have lost its appeal to Hakuba.
Yet another odd thing about the detective. If he wanted to, he could break Kid's grasp on him easily. Hakuba had over nine kilograms and ten centimetres in height advantage, thanks to his latest growth spurt. He'd -seen- Hakuba practising Judo and self-defense with the FBI agent over the summer. Kaito's skills were more for evading capture, not capturing. Yet Hakuba allowed himself to be physically manhandled, even playing with him.
The detective didn't make sense. To either his Kaito-self or his Kid-self. But he did know he could trust him.
And the Kid was a lot closer to the surface lately. It used to be more compartmentalised, Kid did certain things, Kaito did certain things. Different reactions. But lately, he was reacting, over-reacting, as the Kid instead of Kaito.
Kid's behaviour around Chat Noir had been off as well, he'd been reacting as Kaito. Kid would have never put a feather boa on a priceless classical statue, that was a Kaito-style joke. Much less attempting to explain to her what he was doing in the company of a detective.
It shouldn't have been that easy to cross over into the thief, just right now, yet it had been. Another sign that his mindsets had started to blur. It was dangerous, not only to himself but to Hakuba as well. Acting like Kaito while being the Kid could get himself caught or killed. Acting as the Kid as Kaito could hurt someone else.
The problems that came from being -too- comfortable in one's skills...
And these really weren't the type of thoughts he should be having while sucking on the tongue of the person who counted most as his best friend and remaining link back home to Japan.
"Um... Niichan?" Hirokini's voice spoke from their waists. "I hate to break up this appalling display of affection, but if you don't move soon, you're gonna miss the next train back home."
Which was as effective as a bucket of cold water in killing the mood. They both startled, breaking off the kiss. "Thanks, Hirokini-kun." He muttered dryly as Hakuba muttered something that was most likely unprintable in some language and thumped the back of his head against the wall a few times.
"You're welcome." Hirokini cheerfully chirped. Kaito made a note to self to strangle AI at nearest early convenience.
"We'd better go." Hakuba sighed, sounding disappointed. "You ready?"
"As I'm gonna be." He stepped back, releasing the detective. Hakuba pushed himself off the wall, staying in Kaito's personal space. They paused, taking a moment to gather themselves together again before heading back out in public.
The street was as empty as it had been before, a small thing Kaito was grateful for. He wasn't quite up to his usual masks at the moment. They made their way down the sidewalk with reasonable companionable silence, shoulders and arms bumping every few steps.
It wasn't until a few blocks had passed that Hakuba spoke up again. "Damn."
"What?"
"I just remembered." Hakuba sighed. "Mum's a Night Baron fan. She's going to kill me for not getting an autograph."
-fin-
Hakuba doesn't actually need to worry about that, The Night Baron series will pop up later in TGZ. ^______________^ Much to our intrepid duo's annoyance. Heh.
Sorry about Kaito's break down there... he decided that -this- was the chapter he wanted to come unglued at the seams. >_< More on that later.
As of now, the current TGZ timeline:
• Prelude
• Morning
• On the way to the train station...
• Paris Encounter
• Two Kaitou and a Tantei (not up yet)
• Loosing Heads
• Interdimentional Travelers
• Storybook Detectives (aka 'Holmes'. This one, in need of a better title)
• Shades of Red (not up yet: from Eroica with Love crossover)
• Chocolate Thief
• Flying Hawks (not up yet)
• Humming
A TGZ page should be up in a little while, once things get a bit more clear on my end, story-wise.
There's a bit of a debate if this one should go before or after the Eroica one. Eroica's not effected either way, but this one is by one sentance. *sighs* The plot threads are beginning.... ¬_¬
+++
Kaito looked around the elaborate room with mixed emotions. Primarily confusion and the distinct feeling that he was being tricked. He crossed his arms, looking at his friend and current tour guide, who was looking at him with an aura of distinct amusement.
"Let me get this straight..." Kaito drawled in Japanese. He should be practicing his English, especially considering their current location, but he was in the mood to be particularly difficult at the moment. Besides, if he was going to be clueless, he'd rather that everyone in the room not realize this as well. "Sherlock Holmes was a fictional character, written by Sir Conan Arthur Doyle at the turn of the century."
"Correct." Hakuba agreed, the corner of his mouth curved up in a very distinctive smug smirk. From Hakuba's belt, there was the sound of a suspicious snicker. Kaito knew he'd rue the day he'd figured out how to turn their cell phones into portable cameras/walkie-talkies for Hirokini-kun to observe what they saw in the outside world. From waist level, anyway.
"However, this..." He swept a hand around to encompass the sitting room they were currently occupying "Is where Holmes lived from between 1881 to 1904." At least according to the flyer they had been handed at the door explaining the history of the house-cum-museum at 221b Baker Street.
"Also correct." Hakuba agreed.
"And that's Mrs. Hudson standing at the entrance way, answering questions."
"Yes."
"Despite the fact that she'd be -well- over a hundred years old now and remarkably good looking for her age. In addition to being a fictional character."
"Yes."
Kaito almost-but-not-quite sulked. "I hate you."
Hakuba practically glowed at him. "Noted."
Kaito sighed. There was just no dealing with Hakuba when it came to his Holmes obsession. The blond was as stubborn as a brick.
A laugh from the side startled them. "Attempting to explain The Game, are you?" There were capitals in the words that you could just -hear-, even in Japanese. They turned, mirroring each other as a middle aged Japanese man joined them, an amused expression on his face. "My apologies for interrupting, but I couldn't help but to overhear your conversation."
"Game?" Kaito echoed, feeling positively outnumbered. Although it was nice to meet someone else from Japan.
Hakuba grinned at him, his expression wide and gleeful with not-so hidden mirth. "'The Game' is what we Sherlock Holmes Fanatics call it. To us, Sherlock Holmes is not a fictional character, but was a real man who actually existed."
Kaito blinked, feeling something click into place. No wonder so many Holmes fans were fanatical. They weren't just defending some mystery fantasy, this was -real- to them. "Oh." Hakuba smiled politely at him, as if quietly waiting for the shoe to drop. Kaito shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, slouching slightly. "You're still nuts."
Their gentleman friend laughed again, a hearty laugh that drew the attention of the other visitors to the museum. Kaito ignored them. Stupid Holmes Freaks.
"You look vaguely familiar." Hakuba bowed slightly to the older man. "Have we met before?"
"I don't believe so." The man bowed in return, then held out his hand. "Kudo Yusaku. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Hakuba Saguru." Hakuba shook his hand, then motioned to Kaito. Kaito bowed quickly and shook the man's hand as well. The grip was strong, but not overly so. "This is my friend, Kuroba Kaito."
Kaito glanced over at the blond in mild surprise before returning his hand to his pocket. Not only had Hakuba introduced him --a silent way of saying that Hakuba was taking responsibly for Kaito socially-- but he had introduced him as 'friend', not 'classmate', like he had done in Japan.
Kid and Hakuba were friends. More than friends, really.
Kaito and Hakuba he was still trying to figure out.
"Hakuba Saguru?" Kudo-san looked at Hakuba with a bit of surprise. "My son mentioned you recently. You're the expert on the Kaitou Kid."
"An expert." Hakuba demurred. "Nakamori-keibu has been chasing him for over twenty years."
Kudo... Kudo... Kaito blinked, pieces falling into. They were talking Kudo Shin'ichi --Edogawa Conan--'s father. "You write the 'Night Baron' series."
Kudo-sensei looked slightly surprised, then smiled. "You know them?"
"I've read some." He shrugged in return. "Hakuba's the mystery fan. Are you in town for research?"
"Something like that." Kudo-sensei gestured around the room. "I found myself with a bit of a mental block, so decided to visit an old friend in the hopes of clearing my head. Did you know-"
Kaito tuned out their conversation as it delved into the idiosyncrasies of the Sherlock Holmes universe. He trailed along behind, enjoying the rooms for the historical value if nothing else. It was like stepping back in time to a completely different era.
Kudo-sensei and Hakuba continued to talk as they made their way downstairs and into the gift shop. Kaito slipped away momentarily to buy a handful of postcards. He bought some stamps and quickly filled one of them out along the lines of 'Weather is here, wish you were beautiful' and send it off to 211b Beika Street, unsigned.
It was slightly petty of him, but the shrunken detective was going to be -insanely- jealous. He could practically hear the screams of outrage from here.
If they ever ended up on the Orient Express, he'd send one to Hattori as a thank you for keeping up correspondence during the summer. Even if the Osaka Detective was an Ellery Queen fan, he'd still probably love the Agatha Christie reference.
One of the postcards was going to Hakuba's house in Japan. He'd already sent a few others there, mostly while he was in Paris. It'd make a nice surprise when Hakuba got back to Japan, a sort of scrap book of places they'd been. He was debating sending one to his Mom or Aoko, but that might alert the highly annoying men in trench coats as to where they were and that would be bad. Maybe to Jii-chan, then. To pass it on.
As far as Aoko knew, he was going overseas to go to school. She was still living with her father, so he wasn't overly concerned about her safety. There wasn't much to connect her to the Kid. Mom was taking the opportunity of an empty nest to do some travelling of her own, visiting family.
And last he'd heard about Akako, something had happened in Las Vegas resulting in her being insanely wealthy and connected to some of the mob bosses there. He wasn't going to inquire too deeply. As long as she was happy --and far away from him-- he was happy for her.
A cheerful feminine shout drew their attention to a nicely curved blond woman with curly hair waving at them. Kaito blinked, looking over at Hakuba. The blond detective shrugged in return. Not any of Hakuba's relatives then.
Then the woman slid her arm around Kudo-sensei's waist and things made sense again. "Hakuba-kun, Kuroba-kun, this is my wife, Yukiko. Darling, this is Hakuba Saguru and Kuroba Kaito."
"Kuroba?" Yukiko straightened, examining him closely. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Kuroba Toichi, would you?"
A glance flickered between him and Hakuba. The blond was as confused as he was. "He's my father." He said politely.
"Ah! I knew it! You look just like him!" She bounced at him, arms open wide and Kaito abruptly found himself being suffocated in her non-insignificant cleavage. Just when he was afraid of passing out, she released him, keeping her hands on his shoulders as she bounced. "You probably don't remember, but I learned disguise from Toichi-sensei. You must have been about knee-high at the time, cute as a button. Are you still friends with that little adorable girl who'd follow you around and give you orders?"
"Ah... Aoko? Yes." He was blushing, partly from the lack of air he'd just had, partly of mortification. He spared a glance at Hakuba, who thankfully wasn't laughing. Nothing unpleasant in Hakuba's bed tonight then. "She, Hakuba and I just graduated from High School in the spring."
"Ooh, how wonderful!" She slid an arm around his waist, like an overly-familiar aunt. "Anata, I just had the most brilliant idea! I just found this little Japanese restaurant that makes food just like in Japan. We -must- all go out to dinner!"
Another glance at Hakuba, who shrugged slightly. "That's very kind of you-"
"I insist." Kudo-sensei smiled brilliantly. "Our treat."
Hakuba raised an eyebrow. Kaito tilted his head slightly. Why not? Couldn't hurt anything. And if he was honest with himself, he was a bit homesick and some familiar food sounded like a great idea. "We'd love to." Hakuba agreed.
Kaito nodded. He'd had enough of Holmes for the time being. Besides, no one ever talked about the interesting things about the great detective, like the fact that Holmes was a recreational cocaine user. Some role model. At least Arséné Lupin didn't do drugs.
They took a taxi to the restaurant, the Authour and the Night Baroness being a little bit too big celebrities to ride the Underground without attracting too much attention, but not so big that they rode around in a limo. Over friendliness aside, Yukiko-neechan, which she politely insisted as being called instead of 'Obachan,' --because did she look like a mother to you and oh, Kaito looked just like her son, whom she missed so much-- was good to talk to. He'd had so little time to actually learn from his father, most of what he knew of disguise he'd had to make up on his own via trail and error from what was laying around and Jii-chan's occasional helpful comment. It wasn't as if a manual had been laying around for him to learn from.
Kaito also shut up about her mothering after the comment about looking like her son. Which he did. Besides, he missed his Mom, so he kind of knew where she was coming from.
The restaurant was extravagant and expensive, but the tatami mats and gentle wisps of incense smelled like home. Gentle koto music and the sound of trickling water from the scattered fountains were a balm to his soul. The Hakuba household was all Erté style, art deco and antique Egyptian artefacts everywhere, couches with carved lion's paws for legs and the like, with only a few things that said 'Japanese', most of which where in Hakuba's room. It was a friendly enough place, but still strange.
They were given a small-screened room with a low table and cushions to sit on. Shoes were taken off before they stepped in and they relaxed, sharing a pot of green tea as they chatted. The only interruption to the mellow mood was when Kudo-sensei went to ordered sushi for the table and Hakuba intervened, commenting that Kaito was allergic to and would complain all night about fish breath if Hakuba ate any. The order was then laughingly changed to tempura, much to Kaito's barely concealed relief.
He probably -would- have grumbled all night at Hakuba. It wasn't just the sight of fish that made him climb the walls to flee, but the scent of it was nauseating as well. He could deal with it if he had to, but he'd much rather not have to if he didn't have to.
Fish. Ugh.
Conversation wandered as they shared the meal, current events around the world, adapting to strange cultures, odd jokes, veiled reference as to what the Black Organization was up to and the efforts to knock them down farther. Kaito kept up the main flow of chatter for their side of the table. There was a feeling that Kudo-sensei had something he wanted to talk about, but was taking an indirect route to bringing it up. Hakuba appeared to sense this as well, watching the charismatic couple with thoughtful blue eyes.
Finally the subject Kudo-sensei appeared to be waiting for came up, talking about Kudo-sensei's latest Night Baron book in progress.
"Actually, I'd been hoping to run into you here in London, Hakuba-kun." The writer admitted after a bite of light flaky tempura. "Meeting you at Baker Street was a set of unexpected luck. I was hoping to enlist your help, or at the very least, your opinion on something."
Kaito glanced over at the expressionless detective. Luck? Or planning?
Or was he just reading too much into things?
"My opinion?" Hakuba questioned. "On what?"
Kudo-sensei smiled. "Kid the Phantom Thief." The words fell like raindrops, resonating and echoing in the muted calm of the room.
The Prime Meal that makes every detective's mouth water, Kid had been referred to before. What ever else this conversation was, 'casual' was not it.
"Oh?" There was a world of meaning in that one word, Hakuba showing no expression other than the arch of one eyebrow.
The writer picked up his tea glass, swirling the yellowish liquid thoughtfully. "I was thinking of adding him to an upcoming book. A contest, between him and the Night Baron. See how the two fare against each other."
Kaito kept his face placid, but he was frowning on the inside. A contest between Moonlight Magician and the Night Baron. It would probably create a larger public up roar than the one had followed when Chat Noir challenged the Kaitou Kid.
But Kaito had read some of the Night Baron books. And while they were a good read, he didn't like the idea of being -in- them.
"And you would like my honest opinion on the idea?" Hakuba mused. "Perhaps assistance in writing the Kaitou Kid?"
"Yes." Kudo-sensei nodded. "Nakamori-keibu is a fine man, determined and stubborn -both good traits in an officer. But he's not very keen on research or analysis. It's the details that are your area of expertise that would be an immense aid to my research."
Hakuba picked up his own cup of tea and appeared to contemplate the idea, pointedly not looking in Kaito's direction. If it weren't for the fact that both Yukiko-neechan and Kudo-sensei were both watching them so carefully, he would have liked to have nudged the detective or something. Instead, he could only watch the blond as well, wondering what was going on in the half Briton's head.
And if nothing else, that was what back up plans were for.
"I think that is a fascinating idea." Hakuba finally said slowly. "It would probably be a best seller as well, with your writing style, Kudo-sensei. But I do not believe it to be a -good- idea."
Kudo-sensei's face did not change, nor did he stop swirling his tea. "Could you expound on your reasoning?" He inquired politely.
How about started with the fact that he was a -Phantom- thief? C'mon! How ghostly could you be if you were in black and white print? Not very mysterious there.
Besides, if one person started writing novels with him in it, other people might start to get ideas.
"A number of things, really." Hakuba sat back with a small sigh, his face still bland. "But primarily, I believe that the Kaitou Kid would take offense to the deal."
"Oh?" Now they had Kudo-sensei's attention. He set the cup down, lacing his fingers together in front of his face, elbows resting on the table.
"Kid the Phantom Thief abhors murder." Hakuba explained. "Your Night Baron is an accomplished thief but he has little to no qualms with homicide. That alone would I believe would be enough for the Kaitou Kid to distain the idea."
"Because he is dealing with a murderer."
More like an assassin. Killers could steal as well as thieves, but the killing is what separated them from a true thief. Thieves took objects. Killers took not only the non-tangible, but the non-returnable. You couldn't give back a life at the end of a heist.
"Precisely." Hakuba agreed, setting his hands on the table, still cradling the cup of tea. "The second reason is a bit more tangible, perhaps. Money."
"He would expect royalties?" Kudo-sensei's voice was almost mocking.
Well, the money would be nice, but where would they send the cheque to? Besides, if he were interested in the money, he could just knock a bank over or something. Hah.
"Quite the opposite." The blond smirked, voice ironic. "He doesn't believe in making money from theft."
Yukiko-neechan let out a small giggle at the comment. Hakuba smiled slightly at her in return. "Yes, I am quite aware of how facetious it sounds. Perhaps you heard about the debacle with the Giant's Star at Ono Department Store a few Christmas' past?"
The married couple exchanged looks, then shook their heads. Kaito hid a snicker. That was before Hakuba's arrival as well.
"The Department store owner at the time decided to stage a fake Kid Heist, the ornamental star covered in sapphires and diamonds topping the large Christmas Tree outside the store as the object of interest. Nakamori-keibu caught their fake thief, of course. Then the real Kaitou Kid made his appearance, not only stealing the star from the police but toppling the tree into the department store as a 'gift' to the owner."
Yukiko-neechan's eyes were wide. "You're joking."
"No." Hakuba shook his head. "The man was selling Kid souvenirs, earning money on the Kaitou's name. He made enough money to repair the damage. -If he hadn't been in jail for fraud."
"That was a while ago." Kudo-sensei pointed out. "And I believe he saved the life of the woman who framed him at the Twilight Mansion. Perhaps he's since changed his opinion."
"Not bloody likely." Hakuba smirked. "Last year there was an incident with a porn company."
That got everyone's attention. "Porn company?"
"Let us leave the details vague other than the fact that the Kid was polite enough to request them not to use his likeness and they ignored it." Hakuba took a sip of tea. "I understand they went out of business after a rather embarrassing spectacle with the police shortly there after. Pity." The tone was perfectly dry, the detective might have been talking about a boring day at the park.
Although Kaito knew that Hakuba still had the master copy of that movie too. Kid had once snuck into Hakuba's house and caught the detective snickering over the movie while making notes about all the details they'd gotten wrong as far as costuming and procedure. Kaito hadn't previously realized that police handcuffs purposely only had two links instead of three, like the ones you could buy at the stores. Handcuffs were handcuffs to him, regardless of the links.
Although that did account for why police cuffs were a bit harder to get off...
-He hadn't let Hakuba know he was there, although he'd read the notes later and laughed himself sick. Didn't matter that nothing improper had been going on, you just didn't interrupt another guy's porn.
"So you're saying that if I wrote him in and he disagreed, I might find myself in an... uncomfortable situation." Kudo-sensei mused.
More like a mortifying one. Like the editors he was so fond of ditching knowing where his ever move was for the next year. Or his fans knowing... being a public figure could be such a hassle... Heh.
"Precisely." Hakuba set down his cup. "I could be wrong, but that is my conjecture on the subject."
"Shin-chan mentioned that you have contact with him." Yukiko-neechan spoke up brightly. "Could you mention it to him the next time you see him?"
Hakuba sighed, looking pained. "I am getting rather tired of that rumour. As I told your son, I have no control over the thief's movements. As point of fact, I have not seen him since my arrival to Europe."
Which was true. Hakuba had been looking the other direction when he and Chat Noir had gone for their sky night tour. Heh. Sneaky detective. He knew there was a reason why he hung out with the silly Brit.
"I haven't seen him either." Kaito added cheerfully, grabbing what looked like a piece of tempura squash. "And since I'm pretty much always in each Hakuba's company, it'd be pretty hard for us to both miss seeing him."
Kudo-sensei got an odd expression on his face, almost like he wanted to comment that maybe they shouldn't spend quite so much time together if it was scaring the thief off, before it shifted into a very calculating look. One that made Kaito just a little bit leery of what was going on in the murder writer's brains.
"I shall take your advice on the matter." Kudo-sensei finally decided. "But if you do happen to run into the thief and could pass that I'm interested in a crossover, I would be appreciative."
"It is unlikely, but I shall keep it in mind." Hakuba agreed smoothly. He then moved the conversation on to other subjects, the slight tension that had been gathering in the air fading away as they talked about safer subjects, the conversation about the Kid apparently forgotten by everyone.
... if you were the causal observer, maybe. Which none of them were. Writer, Actress, Detective, Magician, observing people was not only their livelihood, but also their way of life.
So they all smiled and pretended that it was forgotten by everyone which worked just as well. They made pleasant talk as Kudo-sensei paid for the meal and they left, going their separate ways and promising to keep in touch after an exchange of e-mail addresses. By that time, the sun had set, casting the city into a mixture of darkness, bright lights and the beginnings of fog.
Kaito shivered slightly, tucking his hands into his coat pockets, still not completely used to the dampness in the air. Japan was a rainforest, but the weather still felt different. Hakuba nudged him and silently shepherded him towards the nearest Underground. From there they'd ride the train back to the Hakuba Household. Funny how trips back always seemed to take longer than the trip there at the end of a long day.
Hakuba nudged him again, gaining his attention. "So what did you think of our hosts?"
"Interesting couple." Kaito shrugged. "Can see where their son gets it from. What did you think?"
"Very... inquisitive." Hakuba said diplomatically. Kaito laughed quietly to himself. Hakuba's people skills had come a long way from when they had first met. He wasn't jumping and shouting accusations for everyone to hear anymore.
"And now you have a question for the Kid." Kaito teased. "For the next time you see him."
The area around them was quiet, people moving around in side, watching the telly or cooking a late dinner. Very peaceful.
"You mean besides what's behind that monocle?" The blond smirked back.
"True." He agreed, falling a step behind Hakuba. He reached out, one hand covering the larger blond's mouth, the other grabbing him around the waist as he spun the detective into an alley they were passing like it was an elaborate dance manoeuvre. Hakuba's eyes were wide but unafraid as he pinned the half-Brit against the wall.
"My eye-" He informed Hakuba with a smile. "-is behind my monocle."
"And what a lovely eye it is too." Hakuba smiled back, a predatory smile Kid couldn't remember seeing on the detective's face towards anyone else. It was like pleasure and anticipation at the same time. "Hullo, Kid. Fancy running into you here."
"Yes, quite." Kid agreed. "You have a question for me?"
"From Kudo Yusaku. He wants to write you into one of his books."
"Pass." He smiled. "One writer starts writing about the Kaitou Kid and the next thing you know they -all- want to start writing about the Kaitou Kid."
"And we couldn't have that." Hakuba was nearly purring in his grasp.
"No." He agreed. People might start to get a bit too close. And there were only a few people he wanted getting too close, and one of them was right there in front of him smirking like he's just won first prize.
Probably because he hasn't been this close to Hakuba since in a while. Not since Japan, anyway.
Memories of Japan hit him with a bit of an ache. Hakuba, the freaking idiot, attempted to save his life by jumping in front of a bullet, even though it was Kid's fault Snake had found him in the first place. If he hadn't checked up on Hakuba, stopped by to visit, the detective would have remained safe and dead to the Ops. He still wasn't sure if they realized the detective was alive. He hoped that Snake hadn't passed that bit of knowledge on to his superiors.
Nor does he remember ever having thanked Hakuba for it. Now seemed to be as good of a time as any. "Thank you." He said sincerely before proceeding to do his best to kiss the detective silly.
It had been over half a year, before finding Pandora and the nightmarish summer, since he last kissed the half Brit detective. He's pleased to find that it's lost none of its appeal.
Nor did it seem to have lost its appeal to Hakuba.
Yet another odd thing about the detective. If he wanted to, he could break Kid's grasp on him easily. Hakuba had over nine kilograms and ten centimetres in height advantage, thanks to his latest growth spurt. He'd -seen- Hakuba practising Judo and self-defense with the FBI agent over the summer. Kaito's skills were more for evading capture, not capturing. Yet Hakuba allowed himself to be physically manhandled, even playing with him.
The detective didn't make sense. To either his Kaito-self or his Kid-self. But he did know he could trust him.
And the Kid was a lot closer to the surface lately. It used to be more compartmentalised, Kid did certain things, Kaito did certain things. Different reactions. But lately, he was reacting, over-reacting, as the Kid instead of Kaito.
Kid's behaviour around Chat Noir had been off as well, he'd been reacting as Kaito. Kid would have never put a feather boa on a priceless classical statue, that was a Kaito-style joke. Much less attempting to explain to her what he was doing in the company of a detective.
It shouldn't have been that easy to cross over into the thief, just right now, yet it had been. Another sign that his mindsets had started to blur. It was dangerous, not only to himself but to Hakuba as well. Acting like Kaito while being the Kid could get himself caught or killed. Acting as the Kid as Kaito could hurt someone else.
The problems that came from being -too- comfortable in one's skills...
And these really weren't the type of thoughts he should be having while sucking on the tongue of the person who counted most as his best friend and remaining link back home to Japan.
"Um... Niichan?" Hirokini's voice spoke from their waists. "I hate to break up this appalling display of affection, but if you don't move soon, you're gonna miss the next train back home."
Which was as effective as a bucket of cold water in killing the mood. They both startled, breaking off the kiss. "Thanks, Hirokini-kun." He muttered dryly as Hakuba muttered something that was most likely unprintable in some language and thumped the back of his head against the wall a few times.
"You're welcome." Hirokini cheerfully chirped. Kaito made a note to self to strangle AI at nearest early convenience.
"We'd better go." Hakuba sighed, sounding disappointed. "You ready?"
"As I'm gonna be." He stepped back, releasing the detective. Hakuba pushed himself off the wall, staying in Kaito's personal space. They paused, taking a moment to gather themselves together again before heading back out in public.
The street was as empty as it had been before, a small thing Kaito was grateful for. He wasn't quite up to his usual masks at the moment. They made their way down the sidewalk with reasonable companionable silence, shoulders and arms bumping every few steps.
It wasn't until a few blocks had passed that Hakuba spoke up again. "Damn."
"What?"
"I just remembered." Hakuba sighed. "Mum's a Night Baron fan. She's going to kill me for not getting an autograph."
-fin-
Hakuba doesn't actually need to worry about that, The Night Baron series will pop up later in TGZ. ^______________^ Much to our intrepid duo's annoyance. Heh.
Sorry about Kaito's break down there... he decided that -this- was the chapter he wanted to come unglued at the seams. >_< More on that later.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2005-06-06 06:03 pm (UTC)^^ Cheers for the kiss! It has been a while since we saw any action between them. <3
*giggles*
Date: 2005-06-06 06:52 pm (UTC)Shhhh... don't tell anyone, but it's not the -Kid- who ends up in the next book. ~_^
Re: *giggles*
Date: 2005-06-09 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-06 08:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-06 11:54 pm (UTC)*tosses her two cents on the ground*
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Date: 2005-06-07 05:16 am (UTC)*sighs* I'm crap with tenses it seems...
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Date: 2005-06-07 06:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 12:25 am (UTC)I nearly died at this part. Great job!
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Date: 2005-06-07 02:11 am (UTC)Also the reference to the porn thing was hysterical - it's still my favourite story in the whole series so far.
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Date: 2005-06-07 03:16 am (UTC)I hope Kudo-san listens. Kid is ot someone you want to cross.
Oh yeha. I kinda wanted to thank you for something. in "Crosswords and Lollipops" you mentioned a brithish candy called Horehound candy. I saw it in Cracker Barrel the other day and bought a bag. Shortly afterwords mom came down with a really bad cough. HSe was constantly coughing and the meds the doctord gave her were pretty much useles (it was in an inhaler and she would just cough it up before it could take effect). I gave her one of the horehound candies and lo and behold the coughing stopped. Those candies are the only thing thats helped mom out and I never would have bought them if you hadn't mentioned them, so thanky ^.^
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Date: 2005-06-07 05:12 am (UTC)Think that might be because it's not -his- image, it's his father's image that he's carrying on. So in his own way, he's defending what's really his strongest tie to his father. (or something like that-?)
Welcome!! #^^#
Horehound was commonly used as a cough supressant too in olden days, so I'm glad it helped your Mom. (I have a fondness for old-fashion type candy and I'm afraid that one leaked over into ficcage ^^;;)
Hope the flavour was to her and your liking too! ^__^
*snicker*
Date: 2005-06-09 07:22 pm (UTC)I absolutely adore Hirokini, "appalling display of affection" indeed. *snicker*