“I do, as a matter of fact. Piano, first, as I’ve been playing it since I was very young and have the most experience with it. I also learned to play the violin reasonably well (because of my love of Holmes, of course), but it is… not something that I particularly excel at."
HAKUBA
How many languages do you speak.
“Only three fluently; English, Japanese, and French. I’ve picked up a moderate amount of Spanish (mostly because of its similarity to French, being one of the romance languages), but I’d eventually like to learn many more…”
“Incidentally… you’re more welcome to speak to me in French any time you’d like. I may even return it with sweet nothings in kind. French is the most beautiful spoken language, after all, and is best when used to accentuate that."
“Honey, this is the point where I need to remind you that if you were children and did knew each other at that point in time, then I don’t think the other three would even think about ganging up on one of you like that. Even with that knowledge, I doubt that they’d play pretend where someone gets eaten.
"Also, I’m pretty sure that it’s just Kaito trying to show off a new trick. It’s the most logical possibility, after all.”
“You must not have had very scientific-minded friends, then… Even from a very young age, I was instilled with a desire for practical application of the sciences, in as much as I understood them, into my games of pretend. For example, when playing house, you are careful not to let the oven get too hot less your cake is cooked unevenly, even though there was no real cake to begin with.
"And dragons were not merely magical beasts, but creatures with specific dietary requirements that had to be met, requiring several hours of hunting and gathering from the garden and kitchen to procure the right kind of meal, even though the dragon in question was, in reality, nothing more than a vinyl mold…
"So if Kaito-kun, Kudou-senpai, and/or Hattori-san were anything like I was as a small child, I imagine it would play out something just like this…
"After all, someone has to be the loser, and sometimes that loser has to be eaten.”
34: What is your preferred projectile?
While I’m quite good with hunting rifles and most semi-automatic weapons, I get the most enjoyment from using a recurve bow – for archery.
44: How many people, outside of your immediate family, do you know the birthdays of by heart?
If I know a person well enough to keep track of their phone number in my head, I will nearly always also know their birth date. It would be difficult, however, to come up with a specific number of just how many people I know of off of the top of my head… Give me a name and I can tell you their birth date, typically, but the other way around… far more difficult to come up with an estimate.
50: What is your favorite police procedural?
Ah, that’s a difficult one… To be completely honest, I actually prefer to watch/read criminal procedurals than police ones – for shame, isn’t it? Especially with films like The Sting or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. What can I say? I enjoy heists.
And while we’re on that subject of media recommendations, I must mention the first novel in the Bourne series by Robert Ludlum – The Bourne Identity. The mini-series (1988) is also quite good and faithful to the book, though I imagine most are familiar with the more recent film adaptations. What’s not to love about a government-sanctioned assassin with amnesia, now believed to be rogue and a threat to all?
“
Other than being a total dick to Heiji?You could’ve been more polite in that Detective Koushien episode. I get that you were irritated, but talking bad about someone isn’t going to help solve the issue at hand. I feel quite disappointed with how you dealt with the situation.“
"Ah, yes… that little bit. I’m not one to fight fire with fire. When confronted with a point of contention, I seek the most direct and precise method of attack and go for the kill. It’s the most effective. Hattori-san threatened fire, I got out the fire hose.
"He’s used to dealing with his problems physically, which meant that using words would put him on uneven ground. From there, pointing out the flaws and inconsistencies in his methods took him down several notches, requiring him to – once he regained equilibrium – really think about his actions and proceed with proper care.
"Please note that once he began to behave as a professional ought to, I no longer had need to attack. It’s not my fault that he was brash and reckless. Honestly, it should be expected that the son of the Superintendent Supervisor would act accordingly, but alas. It was a harsh lesson, but it needed to be learned.
"Yes, attempting to save a life is very important, I agree. But there are more ways to get into a locked room than breaking down the door. Besides, did he even consider that the person might be behind the door? Destroying evidence is bad enough, but there are times when culprits will put victims directly in harm’s way for that purpose. How would Hattori-san have felt if he inadvertently injured or killed someone in the very attempt to save them?
"Granted, no one really knows what the situation is behind a locked door. Hence why I suggested the window. But there are times when a decision must be made, immediately and arbitrarily, because there simply is not time to debate. This is understandable, but those decisions must only be made if the individual is willing to accept the consequences of his actions, which one cannot do if they are not even considered.
"My role was to act as a catalyst to make Hattori consider these matters before acting. Consider the risks, the alternatives, the implications – and so on – many factors that go into each and every decision. A wrong decision, after all, is still better than a blind one made without any thought at all.
"I know that his father has been trying to get this through his thick skull for many years, but to no avail. Hattori-san is stubborn, which is both a blessing and a curse for him. By stepping in and sharing my opinion, I offered a direct challenge that he could not ignore… partly because I am a colleague and thus a rival, and also because I am not a member of his immediate family. As an impartial outside observer, I carried more weight in terms of an unbiased judge. Meaning, someone he could not just brush off.
"So you see, my actions, while admittedly not the most polite, were effective in their reason and purpose. By getting him to stop and think for a moment, Hattori-san was able to identify the culprit. I give him full marks for that – both for the correct deduction and for stepping up to the challenge. It’s to be commended.
"In the end, it’s unfortunate that the entire situation has resulted in bad blood between myself and Hattori-san, but I stand by my methods and am pleased with the results otherwise. I have offered my apologies to Hattori-san and feel no further need to defend myself on this matter."
“It’s not as much a secret as I’d prefer it to be, despite my best efforts, so I suppose I will answer.
"I have several scars on my lower back… I really don’t know how many, but most are small, and I’ve never wanted to ask anyone to help me count. If you want to know what they look like, well… I’m not about to show you, or anyone else. But they look about how you’d expect with such a weapon as a fire poker.”
“Ah, well, clearly any decision like that would need to be carefully discussed with my, ah… partner… and, ah… well, that depends… on a lot of factors. Some names that I do like, however, are Jane, Anita, and Mei for girls… Paul, Jack, and Akira for boys."
"I don’t know.”
John-
I received the wedding invitation the other day, forwarded on from my mum. I know you would want me to be thanking you, but instead I’m left baffled. I haven’t spoken to you in over three years and I damn well don’t intend to start now, let alone attend your ‘celebration.’
Oh, yes, your bride is very lovely indeed. I’m left to wonder, though… did you choose her, or your parents? Have you really changed or are you just hiding who you are, how you felt, and what you told me?
Honestly, I don’t care to find out the answer.
-S.J.H.
…
“I will never let you in again. Ever.”
“I once thought that I might be a lawyer, or a superintendent for the police. I think that I’d make a decent professor at a university, too, if I found the right fit…”
“Ah, once I’d entertained the idea of being a journalist. I suppose that’s much like being a detective, but without helping people, however… just more published writing…"
"Regardless, when I retire from my detective duties, I think I should quite like to have a property with acres of land and stables, out in the English countryside. I’d love to breed and show horses, I think.”
