And the winner is...

[ickaimp]

So. 573 is out and translated. File 574 is out in the raw. (WTF GOSHO!! after hinting the story was still continuing!!!)

And the Mystery Guy is... Toichi!

Well, bugger. We've got a lot of work to do.

Will the following 22 people please post what they would like for a fic/pic?
fyliwionvilyaer, shinigumisaturn, kosaginolegion, jeva_chan, alchemy101, sapphirus, skyechan, tdei, runan, btailweaver, clover_magic, juneaddams, kudo_kid, ytak, bookworm_faith, minny_san, phantom_kaito, ocianne, clamowamo, aki_kaze, hoshi_ryo, candy__chan.

magicbulletgirl, salted_seraphim, goldfishlover73, ririkit, Kentaru, sekitx2 and rikalein
-If you would be so kind as to pick one thing from what the above people post to do and let me know, we'll do the rest.

summercloud, dragon_tearz, hawkens, sora_ko, you did not post any wagers, so no love for you.

Comments

*sighs* This is gonna be a long one...

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

just figured I'd post the opening, since I thought it was funny and thought it might amuse you too.

+++

Blue-violet eyes stared at him, close enough that everything sort of blurred together. "You look dead."

"Thanks." Heiji closed his eyes and waved Kuroba away. "That probably means that it's time to go home."

Heiji didn't move. He spent a moment attempting to convince his body that yes, it really did want to get up out of this chair, leave Kuroba and Hakuba's comfortable little flat and catch the last train back to Osaka, back to a quiet house. Or a not so quiet house, Kazuha had taken to tracking all of his movements lately. Chances were she might be waiting for him, demanding to know why he was out so late.

It took a moment, but he did it. He shouldn't have been so -tired-. He'd gotten a fair amount of sleep last night before he'd ended up tackling this serial murder case with Kudo, there was no reason for his legs to be unsteady like he was drunk or had been pulling all-nighters again.

"No." Kuroba stepped in front of him, placing a hand on Heiji's chest. Heiji paused, looking at Kuroba's pale hand against his shirt. He could feel the warmth radiating from the manic ball of energy that was the magician. "You look dead -here-."

Kuroba's hand was pressed against Heiji's heart.

"I..."

"How many cases have you solved recently?" Hakuba asked, his voice soft.

"A few." Heiji sighed, running a hand over his hair and scratching the back of his head. More than a few, really. It seemed like he couldn't go anywhere these days without someone dropping dead, getting robbed or needing his help in some form or another. "More than a few."

He didn't miss the look that Kuroba and Hakuba shared, silent communication passing between amber eyes and amethyst.

"Stay the night." Hakuba said. Heiji turned towards the blond, surprised to realise that he had been leaning into Kuroba's hand, using it as a prop.

"But..." It would be intruding. Hakuba and Kuroba had only returned a few months ago from their 'Overseas Experience'. He'd only stopped by to see how they were doing, not to impinge upon them.

Kuroba grinned. "Don't make me borrow 'Guru's handcuffs to keep you here."

Hakuba obligingly reached into a back pocket and pulled out a pair of standard issue police handcuffs, holding them out to Kuroba.

Kuroba shook his head. Hakuba raised an eyebrow, putting the handcuffs away. Kuroba made a quick gesture with his hand, motioning somewhere.

"Which ones?" Hakuba requested.

"The -fuzzy- ones."

"Yes." Hakuba requested blandly. "Which -ones-?"

Heiji felt his brain break down right about there and decided to give up. Handcuffs. Fuzzy handcuffs. As in multiple fuzzy handcuffs. Perhaps colour coded, if Hakuba was the one in charge of the fuzzy handcuffs. Which pile would the leopard print go into? Gold or black? Or perhaps there a separate section for patterned fuzzy handcuffs? Plaid ones maybe?

"I'll stay." He said, shaking off the images of fuzzy handcuffs.

Kuroba beamed at him, holding up Heiji's mobile phone, the blue omamori waving in the air. Heiji hadn't even felt Kuroba take it off of him. "Great. I'll just take care of the details. 'Guru?"

"Come on." Hakuba took Heiji's arm, drawing him away from Kuroba. "You can help me decide what to have for dinner while Kaito causes his havoc."

Kaito cackled gleefully, pressing buttons on Heiji's phone. Heiji felt a brief moment of terror at the manic look in the magician's face. He had to deal with the people in his address book after all.

"Set up the ofuru when you're done!" Hakuba called over his shoulder, escorting Heiji into the small kitchen.

"Okay!"

+++ To Be Continued +++

Re: *sighs* This is gonna be a long one...

[tdei.livejournal.com]

::mad luff::

I fear the fuzzy handcuffs! :O

And ohhhh, Kaito as Heiji chaos! :D ::CHEER:: Thank you~! ::adores prev::

MORE this is gonna be a long one...

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

"Okay!" Kuroba sang out before talking on the phone. Heiji had a fleeting feeling that the magician wasn't talking in his own voice, then they were too far away to hear.

"Sit." Hakuba instructed, sitting him down on a cushion next to the kontatsu. "I'll get you something to drink."

"I'm fine, really." Heiji protested, but found himself leaning against the low table anyway as the blond walked into the small kitchen, pulling out cups and starting the electric kettle.

"I'm sure you are." Hakuba agreed diplomatically. "But how many murders have you dealt with recently? This was a serial murder case you were helping Kudo with, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." Heiji rubbed his forehead. Four bodies. They'd gotten to him before the fifth, but it had been a close thing. The guy had been a sick bastard too, these weren't clean deaths. "I'm surprised you weren't there too."

"I wasn't asked." Hakuba said mildly. "I've been following it in the media however."

Heiji looked up at the British Detective, who had his back to him, mixing various substances into the mugs. "Ya weren't asked?" He repeated sceptically.

The kettle made steaming noises and Hakuba poured the hot water into the waiting cups. "One of the stipulations for forming the Grey Agency is that we must be asked for our help. 'No Meddling', as some might put it. Until either Kuroba or myself are asked to help, our hands are tied."

Hakuba and Kuroba's reappearance in Japan had been somewhat frantic, to Heiji's memory. He'd gotten a phone call from Kudo about them reappearing, Haibara and something about Vermouth. By the time he'd made it to Beika from Osaka, the newspapers had been filled with speculation about the bloody demise of the Kaitou Kid, despite the lack of body.

The Phantom Thief had yet to make a reappearance. Granted, the Kid had disappeared for longer than a few months before, but it was enough to raise concern that this time, the Kaitou Kid might actually stay dead.

"That must suck." He commented. Hakuba set a large steaming mug of something sweet smelling in front of him before taking a seat on the other side of the kontatsu.

"Indeed." Hakuba agreed. "The drink is one of Kaito's favourites, I thought you might like it as well, provided that you are not lactose intolerant."

"I'm don't have any food allergies." Heiji wrapped his hands around the mug picking it up and taking a deep breath. It was chocolate, but there were some other scents mixed in as well. "Cinnamon? What's this?"

"A drink we tried in the American Southwest." Hakuba took a sip of his own. "Drinking chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, pepper, some chilli powder and sweetened with milk and sugar to taste. I do not recommend trying a sip from Kaito's cup, he tends to drink his so sweet it'll rot your teeth out."

Yet the blond had still made that cup to Kuroba's taste, Heiji noted distantly as he took a hesitant sip. It was rich and sweet on his tongue with just a hint of spiciness.

Hakuba raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Is good." Heiji concluded, slightly surprised at the flavour. The blond smiled slightly at his reaction, taking a sip of his own.

Heiji raised his own eyebrow at Hakuba. "You don't have to fuss at me, you know."

"I know." Hakuba agreed placidly. "But I've also learned that there are so many bodies someone can see before they start to become empty inside."

Heiji stopped and looked at the British detective. -Really- looked, noticing the slight hollowness to his amber eyes that spoke of seeing death in all it's grisly glory too many times, knowing the pain that being around the worst that humanity had to offer.

It was the same look Heiji saw in his eyes when he looked at his reflection these days.

Hakuba closed his eyes as he took a sip of his drink again. When he opened them again, the hollowness was gone, hidden away in the depths that the detective hid them. "Kuroba's still mostly innocent." Hakuba said softly. "His father was murdered many years ago, death's left a different kind of mark on him."

"And you shield him from the worst of it." Heiji nodded. Just like he tried to shield Kazuha from the worst.

That got an ironic twist of the lips from Hakuba. "I try." He corrected dryly.

Re: MORE this is gonna be a long one...

[tdei.livejournal.com]

::squee!:: ♥!