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on that note, I should mention that I, the mun, am a cat and I drew this last night. look, we’re having tea together! because I totally have conversations with my muses, and Hakuba misses wewillstartwiththeridingcrop. Which is why we rewatched BBC Sherlock ep 1 tonight. 8)
“You sound surprised. I made it clear earlier that the idea of this particular suspect being on the loose caused me irritation so surely my eagerness should not be that surprising.” He pivoted around in his chair to face James. “Ah, Mr Hakuba, detective work is all about the chase. If you do not let yourself indulge in the high of the process of catching them then what gratification is there really to our line of work.
Sherlock returned his eyes to the screens as well to scout out the last hour of film for the man he was tailing. “I can understand that feeling. How many of those gentlemen ever got a decent enough reputation to work at Scotland Yard, let lone maintain their positions, is truly the great mystery of London.” He scowled thinking of the many run-ins he had with their kind. The mention of Watson pulled Sherlock’s gaze over to James for just long enough. “You want to meet John someday? I assure you he is a as cynical and easy to impress as his blog makes him seem. He is a good source of relative intellect for me however. I can use him to compare the normality of others to. From time to time he even comes up with a good deduction himself.”
God! This sort of banter was something that Hakuba had longed for in his work. A partner as sharp and cunning as Holmes was a double-edged sword, to be sure, but certainly worth it. He let the comments and dry wit wash over him like the desert wind over dune, smirking as each let him feel more comfortable and familiar with the man who was supposed to be nearly impossible to work with.
"I’m pleased that you speak well of him,” he said in regard to John, tilting his head to look back at the older detective with a teasing smirk. “I’ve heard so many things about him, and while your somewhat blunt appraisal confirms some of the details, it also proves that he’s the worthy sort.”
Hakuba looked back to the monitors, tapping a key here, there, deciding to leave the rest of the commentary where it lay for the time being. After all, Mr. Holmes was, it seemed, rather anxious to catch the culprit, so he turned his attention to the work at hand… with just a touch more about Watson. “I’ve a hawk named after him."
What possessed him to dispense with that information, the blond may never know, but once it slipped out he laughed, hoping it would be passed off as merely an absurd joke.
Oh please oh please.
“M-Mr. Holmes!"
Hakuba stared at the man on the other side of the door, blinking in surprise. He hadn’t expected to see him again for quite some time, let alone right at his doorstep. Presently, his mind worked through the request and a bit of color came to his face. Sherlock Holmes wanted to stay with him? He glanced over his shoulder and into the mansion for a moment, empty and quiet except for the occasional staff member milling about, doing their work.
Well, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have the accommodations.
He swallowed, turning back to his idol and nodded, forcing a brave smile. It was his duty to be a good host.
"Of course you’ll stay here. Please, do come in. Let me take your coat. I’ll have someone prepare a room for you immediately. Would you like some tea?”
♗ :Child!Character my muse would adopt.
If Conan counts, Hakuba would snatch him up in a heartbeat. He’s often thought that the boy would make an exceptional protege. BUT, since Conan isn’t really a six year-old little boy, let’s go with Mitsuhiko. Hakuba would foster his intellect and interests, and do whatever he could to help with his career. I bet they’d get along really well, too. Hakuba loves children. He’d probably do well with anyone, really.
☩:Crossover Ship with my muse.
Oh, gosh. Well, there’s the seductive thief, Jeanne ( kaitouxjeanne ), exceptionally close friend Kyoya ( host-kyoya ), ‘beauty detective’ Kirigiri ( detectivephiliac ), and of course, BBC Sherlock Holmes himself ( wewillstartwiththeridingcrop )
…it’s really so easy to ship Hakuba with just about anyone, though. What has become of my life?
“It appears as if you are well known, well liked and trusted greatly around these parts.I ca’t imagine the superiors who run this country would be delighted if they knew that the precious security footage of this fine town were in the hands of a detective, especially one so….youthful. I know my brother would be a little exasperated if he was aware. We do have a reputation for being a powerful albeit often meddlesome bunch after all. Everyone has the secrets that they wish to keep hidden and the presence of an individual like ourselves who can deduce what it is and bring it to light tends to give them heart palpitations and sweaty palms."
Sherlock couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit relieved that there would be nobody else. While working in front of strangers was something he had no problem with, it was much easier to get his bearings in a location when some moronic individual wasn’t rambling or asking stupid questions. Besides, watching Mr Hakuba take control of the room was something Sherlock was curious to see more of to a certain extent. He was a rather curious individual and watching him was something Sherlock was willing to continue for a little while longer.
Wasting no time, Sherlock strode into the room and immediately came to a stop before the controls, his analytical gaze sweeping eagerly across the many screens, before settling himself into a chair in front o them. Now the men were out of the way Sherlock could begin to use their technology for his own means. As his companion had rightly pointed out, the best thing to do in this case was to consult the all-seeing eyes of the cameras for his suspect. Glancing across the small room, Sherlock shot the young detective a curious look. “You’re lingering there, James. You also seem as if you want to say something. If it will please you then you can ask me anything you desire while we trawl through this mass of footage. This is a rather intimate setting after all so some chatter might be best providing you aren’t going to be boring.”
"My, my, are you always this eager?” Hakuba asked, tilting his head as he pulled the door closed behind him. “I’m coming, not to worry. I’ll attempt not to bore you and, I assure you, the government officials need not worry… this is a commercial security office, strictly for businesses and their surrounding areas… it’s not as though I have any access to parliament or anything of that ilk, as interesting as that would be.”
He crossed the room and took a seat, immediately setting to work at calling up the hour or so of footage in question on the various screens.
“Besides, age is merely a matter of relative perspective; it’s maturity and experience that ought to weigh more, I think. I know several older gentleman at Scotland Yard that I wouldn’t trust with my coffee let alone security…” The young detective tapped a few buttons here, took a few keystrokes there, and leaned back to observe, scanning the screens intently.
“…regardless, I do hope that Mr. Watson is there when I do come to visit. I’ve been so interested in meeting him. He seems a fine companion to have in this sort of work. Would you agree, Mr. Holmes?”
The consulting detective scoffed. “Please, I am most certainly not flirting with you.” His expression became confused for a second and he quickly glanced at James. “Am I? In truth Sherlock was well aware that his grasp on emotions was not always the strongest. There were often times when he couldn’t fathom exactly why a person would be so emotionally traumatised by a crime or act in a way that suggested they were distressed. It dodn’t help that sometimes his own emotions would escape him and make his demeanour seem more hard and cold than he intended. “No, I am merely catering to what I know you seem to like, attention. I will give praise where praise is due. As far as detective’s go, you appear to possess a certain level of natural skill so I am merely praising you for what I feel deserves such credit in the nineteen minutes and thirty seven minutes of being acquainted.” He smirked. “Think of it as your role model flirting with you if you wish though. Whatever gets you through the long days and nights when you aren’t out investigating.”
Reaching the top of flight of stairs, Sherlock nodded in agreement. “London is a wonderfully chaotic city. Beneath all the beauty of the capital city is a venomous epicenter of criminals, con artists and smugglers just waiting to cross my path. Life there is never dull. It is like a living breathing city that keeps me, physically and intellectually, on my toes. I imagine you understand that though. Unfortunately for this vile, repulsive man I am on the tail of, he is far too outlandish and slow to stay out of my sights and his time as a free man is ending!” The detective grinned proudly at the thought. “Of course, I would be happy to comment on your assistance and how your meticulous time keeping proved to be quite the blessing for me in tracking him down. I may even hack John’s blog to write up this case at some point.”
“I must admit, my interest has been piqued by your own pursuit of a suspiciously marked man. I expect the whole story to be recounted to the finest detail upon your visit to my home. I will ensure Mrs Hudson keeps you fueled on her special blend of tea and John, if he is around, keeps his stupid questions to himself." Sherlock gestured at the door they needed to enter. "I am curious also as to this place. Do you visit here often. The familiarity you seemed to know the receptionist suggests so. Who exactly are we going to consult over the CCTV footage? Are they an acquaintance too of yours? I presume you haven’t charmed everyone in this building with an inviting smile?”
“They happen to be one of my clients, actually… I do the occasional job for the owner, and part of my payment is access to footage when I need it. That said, we won’t actually need to consult anyone… I know my way around the booth and,” Hakuba paused in front of the door, glancing back at Sherlock with a smirk, “…they understand that I prefer to work alone.”
He knocked on the door and waited, folding hands behind his back. In the end, he wasn’t sure if Mr. Holmes had been flirting with him or not, but it hardly seemed to matter. Neither of them were, apparently, good at socializing with those they didn’t need to utilize, and even then their interactions were suspect. With each other, it was non-stop challenges and posturing, making a show of it and attempting to diffuse any negative factors of their own reputations.
The door opened and two men gave nods as they slipped out past them, regarding each by name ‘Ho, James’ and ‘Afternoon, Mr. Holmes,’ respectively, on their way to the stairs. The teenage watched them go, gaze shifting from them to Sherlock and back again, before gesturing to let the older man enter first. There was still much to be said and addressed, but it could wait until they were safely situated behind closed doors.
Sherlock rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t offering you my crown nor the opportunity to enter my abode, the place that is my sanctum and physical mind palace, without good cause. I think you are promising but just how far your talents go I wish to see for myself. We have established that the media is not an ideal source of information so I am hardly going to take their word on your abilities. Still, you appear to have tackled a very large number of cases and retain a good track record, you can hardly blame me for being at least a little intrigued. The people I surround myself with such as John, Lestrade and Molly Hooper are nowhere near being on my level intellectually. I am rather fond of them but they do not understand me. My brother is the only one in my circle of associates who can match me. Imagine my surprise when the very same youth that I singled out becuase I thought I could easily force information out of in a quick and concise manner turns out to be someone who notices the same level of detail a I do in the world around me. It was like Christmas. I only hope you turn out to be quite the present for me and not simply something that looks flashy but is bland and useless underneath the fancy exterior.”
Abruptly turning his head in Jame’s direction, the consulting detective’s expression appeared confused and a little incredulous. “What on Earth makes you think I am eager for company? I thought you knew all about me. I don’t need anyone else. My problem with the world is the people in it so I have no reason to encourage any more of them into my world than it absolutely necessary for my job. Most of my clients are boring individuals with boring cases such as lost spouses, the woes of their partner having an affair or paranoid morons thinking they are being followed. It is all rather dull. I am eager for intelligent company which I suppose rules you out too junior.” Sherlock stated with a teasing smirk. “Have you learned how to adequately use punctuation in a sentence yet or hasn’t your Japanese/English education got that far yet? I would hate to think you are skiving school to tag along with me. I’d prefer to not be coerced into being your guardian.”
”Oh I know you are as obnoxious as I alluded to. You seem to travel from place to place in order to reaffirm to yourself that you are worthy of something, be it as a public detective figure or simply as a person. You enjoy being in the spotlight and receiving praise for your work because deep down I get the feeling you are insecure and need to be reminded that at least someone out there admires you and your skills. Your name is very interesting, Mr Hakuba. It possesses definitive references to both England and Japan. Perhaps you feel like you are not quite a part of either and simply linger in between?” Sherlock came to a halt and met the young detective’s gaze. “I understand you and why you would want to be so successful.”
Hakuba listened to the older, so much older detective prattle on about this and that, enjoying every syllable; every morsel of wit and deduction, sarcasm and irritation, playful reiteration and snatch of theme. It was incredible. And when Sherlock stopped, so did Hakuba, blinking at him almost helplessly for a moment when all was said and done.
“Why, Mr. Holmes…” the blond said at first, giving himself a moment to finish collecting his thoughts. “I’m astonished. Only-” Hakuba glanced down at his wrist watch, then quickly fished out the silver pocket watch to verify the time before looking back to the man. “-nineteen minutes, thirty-seven seconds together, and you’re flirting with me.”
He laughed, and the light-hearted air of it, coupled with the bitten-lipped smile that came with it, meant nothing more than the most amused and harmless of teases.
“Surely, my charms can’t be that effective. No, no; I believe that you’re right: I have a great need to prove myself and I will. You needn’t worry about your abrasive attitude, Mr. Holmes… I see right through your clever ruse and understand that in insulting me within the same breath as your compliments, you’re only attempting to keep me humble, which I appreciate. This tactic may work on those with less conviction, but I will not be so easily discouraged from my goals.”
“But mark my words, Mr. Holmes… I may be half-Japanese by blood, but England is my home, and I belong in London if anywhere at all in this god-forsaken world. I shall be your present if given fair opportunity. We’ll find your man on the security footage, I’ll accompany you on a merry chase, and then you’ll simply have to have me drop by Baker Street for tea, if for no other reason than to have me explain who it is that I’m after, as I’m certain some part of you is curious, now that you know precisely who I am.”
“aAHH- Mr. Holmes! N-no, I am not at all flaky, sir! It’s only… they put the cat to bed, you see, and I’m unable to do anything once the cat is… in bed. It’s… it’s, ah, just… you know?”
“…this all sounds a bit like an excuse, doesn’t it?”
Leaning casually against the wall as he waited for James to join him, Sherlock chuckled gently to himself. Mr Hakuba was clearly quite proud of his accomplishments and it made toying with him all the more fun a pastime. In many ways James Hakuba reminded Sherlock of the majority of the young officers that accompanied Lestrade on cases from time to time. They all were blessed with youth and therefore the assumption that they knew better than everyone around them. It was a trait that Sherlock found to be most irritating and did his best to free them of with a few well timed words to put them in their place. Usually they didn’t return to assist him on any cases after that. At least Hakuba seemed to have some respect for him, something that was more than most did. It was far easier for Sherlock to be civil and hospitable to someone who showed him the level of decency he desired. It wasn’t something he’d say out loud to the young detective but Sherlock was glad of how Hakuba seemed to at least be trying to understand what goes on his his mind, possibly because he shared many of his opinions.
Catching the playful smile that James had given him, Sherlock did his best to suppress the urge to grin, instead merely shooting him a twisted smile. Instantly Sherlock was filled with the urge to reply with something snappy but the haste with which the young detective flounced over to greet the receptionist eradicated any chance of that happening. Clearly it was intentional on Hakuba’s part, most likely a way to temporarily give him the last word.
While his companion canoodled with the receptionist, Sherlock took the time to take note of the building. It was decently maintained despite being moderately old. The walls and floor had recently received some maintenance in the form of a makeover though clearly not to a very good standard as they were already showing signs of wear and tear. Odd, a security building was hardly a place for there to be the opportunity for it to get worn down so quickly. Why exactly was this then? It wasn’t until he heard his name being called that Sherlock was pulled out of the analytical bubble he had entered. Giving a brief nod to the receptionist as he passed, Sherlock headed towards the flight of stairs that led to where the security footage was kept.
“You’re very eager to get into my abode, Mr Hakuba. Should I be flattered by the attention you are giving me? If the way that receptionist over there has zeroed in on your face I am inclined to think I am a very lucky to have such an apparently handsome man give me special attention and want a token of mine. I am aware John has found himself someone but I do hope you aren’t expecting to win me over so easily.” Sherlock stated teasingly as he strode along the stairwell. “I’m sure that woman would kill to be in my position. Actually that could prove rather fun as it’d give me a case to entertain myself with. I’d only hope her method would be more inventive than she is.” Sherlock glanced at James from the side of his eyes. “You can’t have my deerstalker crown but you are welcome to be the detective prince to my status as king is you so wish. Think of it as being like my understudy, James. Quite the compliment don’t you think?"
"Oh yes, Mr. Holmes, quite the compliment indeed.” Hakuba glanced at him before heading up the stairs, step spry and light as it had been before. “But far too easily won. No; I’ll turn down the title of prince until I’ve earned if, if that pleases you at all. I’ve barely done anything to prove myself, and I should hardly think that my charms have any actual sway on you, Detective King. We’re headed to the fourth floor, incidentally.”
With one hand on the railing, the teenager continued the climb.
“And need I remind you, Mr. Holmes, that you were the one to mention 221B, not I, as well as the token. Which, of course, I appreciate, but it does seem that you’re rather eager for company. Alas, I’m only seventeen; I’m certain that you can find far better, and far more legal options than I who are better suited for you. Particularly if I am as obnoxious as you’ve alluded to. The receptionist killing someone? Miss Wells? Hardly! And over my apparently handsome face, not for my skills at all. Such a thing!”
James enjoyed this game. So long as Sherlock continued to play it, he would happily reciprocate. Bonding over teasing was something that usually went over well when he found willing partners, but those were far and few between. Heiji Hattori from Japan came to mind as one who did not play well with him; so eager to shut down even his most harmless attempts. Such a shame. But Sherlock Holmes was much better game; he only hoped he’d not come off as over-eager in his playful retorts.
