Monthly Archives: June 2013

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Yet Another Phantom Thief || closed: whiteknighthakuba

kaitouxjeanne:

Raising an eyebrow slightly, she smiled at his answer. Seems like someone isn’t lacking in confidence. After coming closer, Jeanne could see he was dressed for the occasion as well as what under his cap. Or handsomeness. Impressive how he achieves that, while being Sherlock Holmes at a high society social function.

“I’m glad you always enjoy yourself. Life must be endlessly interesting for you,” she teased. “As for your question, my name is Jeanne, Jeanne d’Arc. And I’m sure the pleasure is all mine.”

This is definitely not his first high society function. Not with that manner. And the owner is glancing at him, every so often. And every so often, that expression gets more smug.

“May I inquire as to your name, young Sherlock?”

The tease went ignored, as did most of the lady’s more superfluous words as the detective picked through the dialogue, analyzing her tone, mannerism, and glances. Words were cheap in a place like this; body language told it all. 

Still, he bowed to her, opting for the more traditional Japanese style to keep it brief. When he rose, he reached out his hand for one of hers, if permitted.

“Certainly, Jeanne d’Arc. My name is Saguru Hakuba,” he said, moving to kiss her hand, if obtained, skipping over the formality of his middle name entirely. Then, raising his head, coy smirk in place on his lips, added: “Detective." 

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Yet Another Phantom Thief || closed: whiteknighthakuba

kaitouxjeanne:

Rays of moonlight peeked in through the arched windows of the grand ballroom. One could observe all the flowers, fancy dresses, waiters serving appetizers — all the makings of a grand party. Only one detail made it a special party. At the very end of the room, where a stage platform was set up, was a large painting of an idyllic lake scene. Curtains that had been covering it lay to the side after the revealing. One corner of the curtain was caught on the stand the owner used to reveal the painting. However, only one person had made this observation.

Our lone observer was a beautiful blonde with her long hair in an elegant updo and her slender figure emphasized in a floor-length white dress containing a revealing low back. Amidst her friends and admirers, she sipped her cider and gazed at the owner thoughtfully. 

This demon seems bolder than the usual. Having such a large scale party right before the night I announce the heist will be executed? There aren’t even an abnormal number of guards. 

The owner, a man, in addition to the usual characteristic coldness of the eyes of a possession, was looking awfully smug. 

He’s got something, some sort of trump or safety card. But what?

Jeanne scanned the rest of the room slowly. She saw no extra traps, lasers or the like. Her eyes stopped on a young man clad in what appeared to be from the book, “Sherlock Holmes”. 

Well, well. Who’s this? He’s got a competent feel to him and his eyes have a rather sharp expression for a painting-viewing party. He’s not at all dressed either. I suppose I should find out who this fellow is. Charm on~


The girl pardoned herself from the group and picked up another glass of cider from a passing waiter with a nod of thanks. Smoothly, she made her way over to the young Sherlock. When she got to him, Jeanne held out the cider to him with a smile that had charmed many.

“Enjoying the party?”

“Always,” came the answer, smooth and confident with a hint of amicable amusement in his tone. Hakuba took the cider gently, nodding his thanks, and offered a smile of his own in kind. 

Parties like this were something that he was used to. Indeed, it was rare that he went more than a couple of weeks without being dragged to one high society function or the other, particularly when home in London. Far less usual, but still not rare, was attending such a thing for work. He still wore his formals, but underneath the brown cloak and deerstalker cap which, while he acknowledged the impropriety of it, did make him stand apart from the other black suits and ties present. This is what his employer had wanted and, in truth, what he himself desired.

It was far easier to pick him out of a crowd for the lurking paparazzi that way. 

“And yourself, miss- ah, I don’t believe I caught your name. Who, may I ask, do I have the pleasure of meeting?”

She was beautiful, there was no question about that. Although he was on the case, Hakuba was not about to dismiss his own interest. 

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osakansax:

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“— H… Hold it.”

His mind fails to stop what his lips blurt out. The Osakan’s expression of confusion falters into a pained stumble and he sighs. The inward curses he was roaring at himself… “… Jus’ what exactly do ya mean ‘bout secrets?”

Heiji was bracing for it. Some misguided presumption that he was missing some gaps here and there—or perhaps the blond detective might divert away from the subject and actually leave? That would certainly be some good graces of luck in it for him there. Still, he couldn’t help the curiosity. If KID did believe that Hakuba knew something about this that could help… Well. There could certainly be a roundabout way to go about getting that information, right?

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Hakuba, who had turned to take his leave, reluctantly held his position at the Osakan’s request. At the question, he raised an incredulous brow and turned to glance back over his shoulder, chuckling in amusement. 

“If you’re joking, Hattori-san, it’s not funny,” he answered at first, then let his shoulders sag. “But, ah…”

Was the memory loss legitimate, then? If he’d forgotten, then it ought to stay forgotten. That would make things easier for the foreign detective – much easier. But then, how sincere would his apology stand if Hakuba refused the opportunity to play the part of the Good Samaritan? And more importantly, the foreign detective did not want to see how Kaitou might react. 

Hakuba sighed again. “The secret is what started the entire argument, Hattori-san. I’d prefer not to repeat it, but perhaps this would jog your memory?”

He reached into his suit jacket to dig for the lighter, which he pulled out and held up for the other detective to see.  

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osakansax:

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“… Go ahead.”

Like a cornered and wounded animal, Heiji remained sitting up in his bed with eyes meticulously watching the foreign detective’s further movements into the room. Whilst moving the folder out of the way for the vase, he verily wished that he could toss him out to spare the headache…

Well. As if there was anything else he could do to throw him out the window, or call the nurses (though, certainly, his pride would’ve prevented him from ever picking the latter choice). “Perhaps… doubt it, though. I’m passin’ by jus’ fine.”

All things considered, no one close enough needed to know about his lack thereof knowledge considering this event. Hakuba having such of it was the last thing the Osakan wanted him to know—it would be in his nature to throw a barb about it without physical repercussions.

“Fine, fine, indeed. I’m glad to hear it, then.”

Hakuba set the vase down, carefully brushed the plants to adjust the arrangement. When finished, he stood back to admire the work for a moment. 

“I thought the request was odd, anyway. The last time I saw you, you were quite healthy. Ready to kill, perhaps, but not in peril. I left for London immediately after, so I’m not sure what that thief was thinking. Ah well.”

The blond detective turned to look down at Heiji, raising a faint brow, smile easy and pleasant. Mostly because it sounded like he was going to be able to leave without further time investment, which made him happy.

“In that case, I’ll wish you luck and a speedy recovery… and apology, once more, for things between us in the past.” Hakuba sighed, expression evening out. “Don’t think that your keeping my secrets has gone unnoticed or unappreciated, either. Adieu, detective." 

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osakansax:

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The flowers were noted, though it slightly pained him to know that his understanding of the language hidden behind those petals was limited. He certainly needed to look that up later. That confusion seemed to deepen into a slight frown. “… Ya heard wrong. I never asked him ‘bout needin’ yer help. At all.” 

Heiji remembered the short visit from the phantom thief—how could he, with the peculiar predicament he seemed to have gotten himself into? Eyes darted back to the nightstand, where he placed the folder—the gem KID stolen should be back in the hands of the owner. He’d requested Otaki to return it in exchange for the file on his case. “Mutual or otherwise, I’m ‘fraid he sent ya on a wild goose chase.”

“It’s not like KID to waste my time… off the clock, anyway." 

Hakuba stepped further into the room, invited or not, en route to the folder laiden nightstand. It was more difficult to control his temper around Hattori than the half-brit wanted to admit, but he somehow held it in.

"I will take your word for it if there’s really nothing that I can do to assist you, Hattori-san; I do not wish to antagonize you further. Perhaps he thought that I had some knowledge that you were lacking.” Pause. “Ah, might I set this here?” he asked, gesturing to the vase and then to the nightstand.

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osakansax:

Frustrated eyes glanced over the information in the file given by Otaki one last time before Heiji closed the folder and set it on the nightstand. He’d been in Tokyo, not Nagoya… but he was sure of the very opposite! Had he found a lead? Was this linked to the fire at all, or something else entirely? His memory is immaculate—to his knowledge—so why was this so hard to recall? Too many questions with little answers. Perhaps he really should take it easy resting this time around…

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His barrel of swimming thoughts rolled into a brief period of calm at the voice, though perhaps white hot rage churned in its place when he realized who it was. Heiji tensed and steadied himself, lest that unbridled (and, perhaps, slightly surprising) anger manifest into something decidedly harmful.

“… What’re ya doin’ here?” Contained uncertainty laced his tone. “Shouldn’ ya be chasin’ KID or somethin’?”

“I’m not all that interested in pursuing a sheep in wolves’ clothing, Hattori-san… homicide is much more my department. But since we’re on the subject of KID anyway…" 

Hakuba let himself into the room, pushing a faint smile. He’d expected the hints of anger, but not the apparent confusion. He closed the door and raised a hand, showing the flowers – now neatly in a vase, with water, and a pale blue ribbon around the glass stem. 

"It would seem that we have a mutual friend between us. His note to me suggested that you might require my assistance in some way. So I’ll pose the question to you: why am I here – and – what can I do for you?”

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osakansax:

“Finally wrestled it out’f th’ ol’ man. Th’ report only says that they found me somewhere in Tokyo, not Nagoya… some blocks away there was a fire ta an abandoned cafe…

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Can’ help but wonder’f maybe I was involved with that? Ain’ sure… Th’ doc said I didn’ have any burns or nothin’ when I came in… but why Tokyo of all places…?”

It took a couple of phone calls, but Hakuba was able to procure the police report that in turn gave him the information he was after. That is, the location of the hospital in which Hattori Heiji and been admitted. The fire raised questions, but the foreign detective decided to wait and gather more evidence before coming to any sort of theory – at least for the time being.

He checked in at the nurse’s station, then approached the door in question, crocus bunch in hand. Not wanting to disturb a potentially sleeping Osakan, Hakuba quietly opened the door wide enough to poke his head in, careful to keep his expression neutral, but on the docile side. 

“Ah, Hattori-san…?" 

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Unexpected Letter

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Well, now… KID was sending him flowers? Intriguing… 

Hakuba leaned back at his writing desk, glancing between the floral arrangement and the note, one hand raised to his chin in thought. He and Kuroba Kaito had an unstable alliance at best, but of all those he associated with, Kaito could easily be best described as a friend. Perhaps his only friend. Not that this went both ways in consideration, no; he was fairly certain that Kaito disliked the British detective almost as much as everyone else did. But only almost. 

Had the teenage thief known Hakuba’s reason for disappearing off to London quite so suddenly? Did the flowers, representing bright friendship and cheerful tidings, mean that he hoped to ease some of that lonely burden? Curious. 

Still more curious was the note. 

How did Kaito know Hattori-san, under the guise of the Phantom Thief or not? True, Hattori-san spent far more than the healthy amount of time with young and promising Edogawa-kun, who was famous for his own attempts to capture Kaitou KID, but did that really put them on a first-name basis? Since the letter had KID’s symbol on it, Hakuba could infer with relative absolution that this was a relationship between KID and Hattori, not Kuroba and Hattori, so at least there was some guard between personal and professional there. And also likely meant that Hakuba remained one of the only ones who knew the truth about Kuroba, which pleased him. 

All things considered, he didn’t need another reason to despise the Osakan detective, and getting territorial over the thief that he should have turned in long ago did not seem like it would benefit anyone.

So what, then, did the thief intend by the note? Heiji had, apparently, requested that Hakuba know. But why? What had happened? Hattori had no memory of the incident, but how did that concern him? How could he possibly be of assistance?  Better yet, why should he offer help after their last interaction? 

Hattori had unearthed two of his most shameful secrets and mocked him for it. There’d been an outbreak of physical violence. Provoked, yes, but nevertheless actual fact. Words of anger thrown on both parts. Insults. Accusations. Precision-strike barbed comments aimed at the jugular, like rival wolves fighting over territory. 

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Hakuba reached into his suit jacket and withdrew his lighter from an inner pocket. Hattori had taken it. Rifled through his pockets while he had been out in the rain. But it was returned, safe, and no news of the secret leaking had reached him. Yet. The foreign detective bit his lip, set the lighter between the flowers and the note, and read over the text again.

Kaitou, despite his sometimes unconventional methods, seemed at his core a pacifist. At the very least, he seemed to desire peace with his hunters. How else had he managed to get Hakuba to back off and leave the trail hot and untampered? He had plenty of evidence to have Kaito brought to court, but he couldn’t bring himself to. It was unlike him, but then, Kaitou had managed to appeal to his curious and latent chaotic nature, and so… It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine that he had done the same to the other detectives that had followed after.

Kudou, for example, hadn’t been to a KID heist in quite some time. True, he’d all but disappeared entirely, but that was… and Edogawa-kun, as ruthless as a child can be, surely had had opportunities to take Kaitou down but had stayed his hand for one reason or another. So Hattori, especially when paired with Conan, would be a choice target to befriend and…

Oh.

Hakuba sighed. The rivalry between himself and Heiji was in no way a secret – from anyone. If KID cared enough about Hattori-san to visit him in the hospital, then he was likely displeased with the tension between two of his detectives. And if Hattori had gone through the trouble of mentioning Hakuba by name, then there would be plenty of cause to be concerned about another explosive interaction, which, in addition to causing undue stress, prove to be problematic in a public setting. Clearly, KID was concerned about Hattori, and somehow, Hakuba’s assistance was needed. 

The flowers were for Hattori, not for Hakuba. It was a suggestion of peace and cheer. The sad character of KID seemed now like a plea. Manipulative, perhaps, but not maliciously so. 

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Were it anyone else, KID…

Hakuba pushed away from his desk and pulled out his phone. It wouldn’t take long to locate which hospital Hattori Heiji was in, not with his connections. And though he was loathe to do it, he could not ignore a request from Kaitou KID. He’d follow through, and on his best behavior, at that. 

Certainly, things couldn’t get worse than they already were.