themoonlightthief:

image

“Not really.” Kaito shrugged. “Not exactly my thing.“

The fact that he was underage wasn’t the main reason. Just the thought of possibly going to a heist or having something unexpected – dangerous – happen the day after he would’ve been drinking, and simply imagining how much slower his reflexes would be…

It was far from an appealing thought.

Besides, who knew what he’d end up blabbering about if he got drunk?

Leaning against the wall, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, gaze flickering towards the duffel bag again and lips quirking into the hint of a teasing smirk as he directed it back towards the detective. “So you brought sleepover stuff. Is that really your way of trying to ruin my evening?”

Not that there was much of anything to ruin anyway though.

“More or less, yes." 

Hakuba wondered how this could not an effective plan. Kaito disliked the detective, the detective liked gathering information and revenge, and this would kill two birds with one stone. Except that he genuinely wanted to be Kuroba’s friend, eventually. 

"Is it… not working? I could interrogate you, I suppose.. Or, ah, accuse you of being sloppy tonight.”

Hate Date in Osaka

meitanteiosaka:

He was a bit surprised that Hakuba hadn’t even introduced himself. Well, if he wanted to be anti-social, he could be. Maybe he’d introduce him next time. If there was one.

He snerked at Hakuba’s mispronunciation, but sobered quickly when he realized the atmosphere. Katsura-han was giving Hakuba an exasperated look. The restaurant owner then continued to prompt the Brit by asking what kind of okonomiyaki he wanted. He even noticed Katsura’s speech slowing a bit. That…wasn’t good. And the Brit looked near to an anxiety attack.

“If yer jus’ lookin’ ta try it out, I recommend th’ basic,” he said, pointing to a selection on menu, attempting to provide a very belated rescue. Great, now he felt guilty about the way he treated the other detective earlier.

image

That pale English complexion took on a bright shade of red as things progressed. Hakuba hadn’t even realized that there were different kinds of okonomiyaki, let alone that he was supposed to pick one. Though, now that he looked at the menu again, it was obvious.

“Ah… right, of course.”

Great. Just… brilliant, really. It didn’t take long at all to make himself look like a complete idiot in front of Hattori and this new associate, did it? There was really only one card to play at that point, loathe as he was to do in front of his detective colleague.

He bowed and offered a formal apology. “Please excuse my ignorance… I am, unfortunately, a foreigner and still have much to learn.”

This was said politely and sincerely… because he really hadn’t meant to make things harder for Katsura in any way. (Also, a little self-deprecation went a long way with the nationalistic types, so it never hurt to try.)

“I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, Katsura-han. I think I’d like to take Hattori-san’s suggestion and get the basic one… if that is all right.”

phantom-thief-kid:

image

“It’s not a dragon this time, not from what I can tell.” He scratched the back of his head. He was not going to explain to Hakuba what he though happened. Hakuba would fret and talking about unknowns was an unwise idea. “Any idea what it is? I’m not sure what it was myself.“

"Some seem to think that it was a big dog… A really, really big dog. Mastiff, maybe? I don’t know. The witness reports were very unclear.”  Hesitation. Fretting. “…Are you okay, Kuroba-kun?”

Hate Date in Osaka

meitanteiosaka:

Heiji tried to ignore the sarcasm, however much it grated on his nerves. He had already decided to sit with Hakuba through lunch, and even if they devolved into a shouting match, he would still do it, dammit.

True to his word, it didn’t take long at all for them to arrive at the restaurant. “Yo, Katsura-han!“ he greeted the owner. They then proceeded to have a small conversation, during which he failed to introduce Hakuba (let that pompous ass take responsibility fer his own damn self), and ordered finished by ordering his usual. He did make a few recommendations to the other detective, though.

image

Hakuba, to his credit, did a good job of hiding how much Heiji’s faux pas hurt. Not being introduced formally was not only insulting between them as colleagues and rivals, but didn’t do anything for his relationship with the restaurant’s owner. At best, he’d come off as anti-social, with Hattori being polite and not introducing him because he didn’t want to talk to the man. Which wasn’t true. Further, he was clearly with Hattori since they’d come in together and had exchanged words, so not being introduced made him look lesser. Like a child or pet. Not worth it. 

Still, as to not offend the owner or make anyone uncomfortable by openly bringing up Hattori’s insult, the foreign detective simply remained neutral. When he had his turn to speak and order, he nodded politely and looked over the menu card while Heiji gave his recommendations.

Damn, so much kanji…

The half-brit could read most of it just fine. He’d been reading and speaking Japanese along side English since he was very young, but trying to order in an unfamiliar restaurant, with unfamiliar food, under pressure, made it a little harder than it should have been. And he had to do it fast, less Hattori decide that Hakuba was somehow weak for not immediately knowing what he wanted.

"Ah, I’ll… try the, ah…”  Where was it? The thing that Hattori had gone on about? God, his eyes hurt. “The, ah, okinam…" Shit.  ”The okonomiyaki, please.“  

Hakuba winced. Hopefully, Heiji wouldn’t say anything. Hopefully, he also wouldn’t know the faint blush of heated embarrassment on his face. Going to lunch with Hattori Heiji had been a very, very bad idea. 

For the Love of a Painting || kaitouxjeanne

kaitouxjeanne:

Stepping out of the car was another young woman in her finery. However, the exact nature of her clothes would make her the most eye-catching of the evening. If the blonde was an elegant lily in white the evening before, she was a luscious rose tonight. Wine red covered a slim figure that was all sleek muscle, though it left areas to the imagination. The dressmaker had created an evening gown that would emphasize her small waist and generous chest. Furthermore, her slender back would be shown with the backless feature of the dress. Tasteful jewelry and sultry makeup completed the effect.

Excellent, she was aiming for that effect. Eyes would follow her, some with captivated stares, some with jealous glares, and some with disapproving sniffs. But eyes would be following her. And she knew that the young detective from last night would not fail to miss her, as observant he was. Her movements would be noted even more so than usual and here her calculations would bear fruit. Charming her way around the men, perhaps with more drink than she should, she’d leave the function early. Perhaps with a man she’d get drunk enough to forget the rest of night. Her alibi would be made and any unpleasant attention the detective might throw upon her would subside.

Stepping out of the car, she made her way gracefully with ease to the greeting party of the event. Hm? I’d expect the perceptive one to be here coolly sizing up every guest while participating in the pleasantries. Finishing with her greetings, she was immediately surrounded by a mix of her admirers and friends who wanted to commend her on her appearance for the night. As she exchanged hellos and flirty remarks with skill from experience, Jeanne scanned the room for the second-to-most troublesome guest of the evening. The demon being the most annoying, of course. 

Ah, there. He seemed to be.. retrieving drinks? Not in the most gracious way either, judging by his less than pleased expression. It also seemed he lost the Sherlock getup for tonight. Along with other ladies in the room, the thief eyed him with appreciation. Sherlock-chan seems to have come out to play with the other kids.

Good manners, good looks, good style, and obviously, good breeding — it seemed the detective would receive a high score from any of the women of high standards and indeed, most women in general.

Amidst her group, she watched him with a champagne flute at her lips. After completing his task, he glanced around, seemingly looking for someone. Finally, eye contact. Butterscotch eyes met violet ones.

A devilish smile to match her appearance, she raised the flute slowly in a toast to Hakuba in greeting.

image

Game start.

Hakuba, who had no glass to raise, instead dipped his head in greeting, smile returning to his face. It surprised even him, how the tired, negative emotions melted away a the sight of her. Beautiful, of course, with stunning gown and that irresistible mystery. Really, if he didn’t know better, he’d almost suspect that she were KID in disguise… but that would be a lot of extra work to go through just to mess with him. Er, or steal a painting. Not that she was here to do… 

The detective, momentarily flustered, turned back to speak to his client briefly before stepping away and through the crowded hall toward Jeanne. Yes, he was working, but he could certainly enjoy himself, too. After all, mingling with the guests – as he’d done the previous night – was likely the best possible way to catch a thief here. And it helped, after all, without the detective costume, he was much more… sneaky.

He made his way to Jeanne and offered her another bow, this time appropriate for their attire and station.

“Good evening, Miss d’Arc. It’s a pleasure to see you again.:

Those butterscotch eyes did all they could to hold her gaze as he straightened up, sizing her up not by physical attributes but by how well she took his scrutinizing eye. 

Hate Date in Osaka

meitanteiosaka:

Heiji grinned. Victory!

Wait. That would mean he’d have to spend the next hour or so with Hakuba.

…Victory?

He sighed inwardly. Sometimes he really didn’t know when to shut up. Damn his competitive nature. But he had won that not-argument fair and square, and he wasn’t going to back down just because it was Hakuba. So he was going to make sure the Brit had the best damn lunch he’d ever had.

…Dammit.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll pay fer my own, don’t worry.”

image

He pointed down a side street before walking in that direction, not bothering to make sure Hakuba was following. If the Brit wanted to leave, that was fine with him. Well, no it wasn’t, and he’d probably yell at him next time he saw him for being rude, but at least he was providing an out. Sort of. “S’a little ways outta th’ way, but it’s closer ta here than the station is.“

image

"I’ll trust your judgement, Hattori-san… you do seem to be the expert.”

Sarcasm? Not at all! 

Well. That was interesting. Hakuba considered not following, but it was only a brief, fickle thought. After all, to leave now would be a fairly serious offense. Superintendent General Hakuba’s son versus the Superintendent Supervisor Hattori’s son. A scandal in the making.

Actually, it struck the half-brit then that it was somewhat odd that the two hadn’t been forcefully paired together before. Surely, there was the distance to be considered, but a friendship between them could be a very powerful statement, PR included. 

Hm.

He followed after Heiji silently, letting the Osakan lead the way. 

phantom-thief-kid:

“So you do care!” He let himself grin for a bit.

“…In all seriousness, I’m not exactly sure what happened myself and what I can piece together is weird. Also, were there any odd creature or supposed monster sightings reported by anyone last night?” Might as well get that question out of the way. It was bothering him, because that waking up thing reminded him of American werewolf movies.

“O-of COURSE I care! God, Kuroba-kun…" 

Hakuba might have hung up at that point in a fit of annoyance, but when KID shifted gears, he huffed and listened instead.

"Creature… or monster sightings? I know an officer earlier was complaining about getting reports about something that was seen, but there haven’t really been details. …Don’t tell me that it’s that dragon again.”

themoonlightthief:

image

Aah, so much for that.

Spoilsport.

Lowering his hand, Kaito let out a quiet huff of annoyance and reluctantly followed after Hakuba, crossed his arms and watched the detective as he glanced around the living room. “Yeah, they do. Non-alcoholic though.“

He paused. Then motioned towards the duffel bag. “Are you planning on staying the entire night or something?”

Regarding the duffel, the detective shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, I.. well. I’m not going to make any presumptions. I just like to be prepared.”

Awkward.

“But, ah, rootbeer! Of course it’s non-alcoholic… Just like ginger beer, if I’m not mistaken.” Hakuba looked thoughtful at that, considering what he knew about the various types of beer that were not, as previously mentioned, fermented. “Applebeer, too. You don’t drink anyway, do you?”

great-goddess-amaterasu:

image

Amaterasu took the cracker in her mouth and ate it, tail still wagging. He was nice, no doubt about it. Sometimes those who carried divine objects weren’t always the most savory and this world was no exception.

She didn’t try grabbing any more crackers, instead looking around. This was a good vantage point, now that she thought about it. 

It was, indeed. Once the cracker was eaten, Hakuba turned back to his briefcase and pulled out a large file folder of documents. He settled back on the rock, peripheral focus on the wolf, and got himself situated.

“Nice afternoon, isn’t it?” he asked of the wolf. “I wonder when the rains will start to come again. It rains most days in London, at least a little bit." 

The detective took a cracker for himself, holding it in his teeth as he set another out on the very edge of the rock for her. 

Hate Date in Osaka

meitanteiosaka:

“Oi, oi, I didn’t mean it like that. S’just that yer usually insultin’ me. S’weird ta hear ya offer ta pay fer lunch.” Oh, but it seemed that pompous attitude had returned, if only slightly. It probably said something about him that he preferred that high-and-mighty attitude to what looked to be a forced display of polite conventions.

“Ya won’t be able ta find it without a guide, yanno. An’ I’m sure it’s closer than whatever cafe ya wanted ta eat at.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned away a bit, attempting to look disinterested. “Buuuut if ya really wanna miss out on some’a th’ best food Osaka has t’ offer…"

image

Hakuba stopped mid-step, considering. With his back to Heiji, he allowed himself to scowl at the ground til the count of five before he relaxed his rigid posture and put on that neutral facade he usually wore. 

Heiji had sort of apologized. At least almost. And he was right about the foreign detective being lost. Reluctantly, he turned to face Heiji, unable to hide the dry expression that came unbidden in response to the crooning Osakan trying to tempt him.

He let out a measured sigh. Then shrugged as if everything had just been in good humor. “Well, I can’t very well turn down something like that. I would hate to miss out on how great Osaka is or whatever. And if it’s weird, you’re welcome to pay for your own. Whichever suits your fancy, Hattori-san. I wouldn’t want to offend or impose.”

Inward huff.