#but also also kid having to live in his several safe houses and conan being the only one to visit

[hayaku14]

OBSESSED with the idea of KID coming into the Kudou mansion seeking refuge (either he got heavily injured or his idenity is compromised) but instead is met with Okiya Subaru, Kudou Yukiko, and Kudou Yusaku. (Conan is also there coincidentally because lady luck hasn't totally abandoned him yet, apparently, but Kaito is sort of distracted by the amount of non-conans in the house to appreciate it.)

one day (before akai moves in) conan drags kid's injured ass back into the kudou mansion to patch him up (and also to demand answers about the snipers in the heist)

kid refuses to tell more about the snipers and conan doesn't pry but keeps an offer of help open

it becomes an unspoken agreement that kid would go to conan if something out of his hand happens in relation to said snipers

by 'go to conan' conan meant go to him, the person, as in wherever location he was at. kid, on the other hand, thought he should come back to the kudou mansion.

months pass, subaru, yusaku, and yukiko come to occupy the kudou household.

kid, injured or identity compromised, sees the lights are on and assumes conan is inside. which well...he ISN'T WRONG (LOL)

kid goes in through the window of conan's room which startles conan who was there to pick something up in his room.

"What are you doing here?!" Conan scream-whispers in a panic.

KID stiffens and stares at him with something like betrayal in his eyes. "Oh, I see I'm not welcome here."

"No! No wait that's not what I meant. It's just, this is NOT the best time."

Someone knocks on the door and the two of them jump. KID's eyes widen in realization as Conan quickly drags and pushes him into a closet. "Don't make a sound." KID does a zipping motion across his lips and makes a show of throwing an imaginary key. Conan rolls his eyes at him before closing the door.

anyways, it was akai who went up to check on conan cause the 4 of them were in the middle of a discussion and conan was suspiciously taking too long.

whether kid gets caught by akai and the kudou fam or not, i have no idea, but either way I WANT IT.

although tbh i feel like akai and yusaku would sense someone else is inside and yusaku would know exactly who it is LOL

then again, whether kid is heavily injured, has his identity compromised, or both, is a big factor on how events will unfold. (and i love exploring each one so my brain is rotting pls someone send help)

#kaishin #kidco #detective conan #dcmk #kudou shinichi #kuroba kaito #dc prattles #SCREAMING CRYING CHOKING I LOVE THIS AU SO MUCH I THINK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH #i just love the thought of isolating conan and kid #but also love the thought of kid joining the kudou gang #also the thought of kaito hiding in the kudou household if his identity is compromised #yukiko would literally adopt him if she found out what his situation was #but also also kid having to live in his several safe houses and conan being the only one to visit #OH OH but also heavily injured kaito who cant move and obviously cant hide so akai and kudou fam find out about him anyways #OOOH BUT ALSO conan helping kid get out of the kudou mansion and to his safe house to help him with his injuries or idk maybe he'd take him #haibara tbh idk #DO YOU SEE THE ENDLESS BRAINROT POSSIBILITIES I CAN DO THIS ALL DAY PLEASE I LOVE THIS A LITTLE TOO MUCH IM GOING INSANE #LMAOOOO #ALSO IT BETTER BE EVENTUAL KAISHIN BECAUSE OFC WHEN IS IT NOT KAISHIN WITH ME #conan i love you bby but GIVE ME BACK MY BOY SHINICHI ;-;-; #(also omg the thought of yukiko and kaito gushing at how cute conan is highkey hilarious lmao can u imagine the kudou household shenanigans #with kaito in the mix? it's shinichi's greatest nightmare but he's gonna love it anyways lol) #finally this fcking au is out of the drafts i can now share this brainrot to everyone

[equal-shipping]

Why Kaishin Still Holds Up, Even Now.

I FINALLY watched the 23rd Detective Conan and let me tell you what...

Why are there not more episodes with these two working so closely together? Like please?! They got that solved so quickly and just shared information with one another and can I please just have them interact before the series ends pleaaaaaase.

Yet I'm not here for begging. I'm here to rant and cleverly disguise that rant as an essay.

I want to rant about trust in Detective Conan (specifically with a look at Kaishin) and the Enemies turned Rivals turned Friends turned Lovers trope.

[Mild Spoilers Ahead]

Trust as a Driving Force in Detective Conan

If someone asked me what is one of the many driving forces in the DC plot as well as the cornerstone of many of the relationships in DC it would be trust. Most of the characters in DC are living their lives with lies as the foundation of who they present themselves to be.

And here is something that I love about the relationship these two have with one another:

The trust that Shinichi has on Kid was earned and vice versa.

I don't think that Shinichi thinks that Kaito Kid is the most honest person in the world, but he does know that the magician works by a code and he trusts him to not put someone in any immediate danger despite the fact that Kaito Kid does not inherently talk too deep about his heists with him.

Ask yourself this. Where in canon did it say that in Kid's heist nobody gets hurt by Kid? I've read the manga and nowhere does he really say 'this is a safe show for everybody!' Let me tell you where it says it: Nowhere.

So why do we all assume it to be that way? Because even we have trust in our favourite thief that he won't do something to actively hurt someone. Since the story is being told in Shinichi's point of view, most of the times, we can rely on the trust that Shinichi has placed on Kid to not get anyone hurt.

One big example of this would be in the Detective Conan Movie: The Sunflowers of Inferno:

Leaving Ran in Kid's care is a conscious decision he is doing despite the fact that he doesn't know if Kid is even going to make it out. Shinichi loves Ran probably more than he loves himself and he wants her out of danger enough to place trust in someone that, situation wise, has no business whether Ran or Shinichi live or not. I honestly think that even Kid was surprised that Shinichi made that decision.

Now I'm not going to put my shipper goggles when I make this statement and go 'OH MY GOD THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH IT SHOWS IT EVERYWHERE. LOOK AT THE SHOW, STUPID."

But these two have something that not many of the characters in DC have and that is a mutual trust without knowing all the details of their lives.

Kaito happened to guess that Conan was Shinichi and I doubt that Shinichi is going to meet Kuroba Kaito by the end of the series. These two barely know each other but through their interactions just happen to understand each other enough to work together amazingly when thrust into a situation where they have to help each other out.

Which brings me to the second thing I want to talk about.

My Enemy Went From Being My Rival to My Friend to my Lover, What Happens Now?

I want to break into Gosho's house and ask him to please let Kaito Kuroba meet Shinichi Kudou. Like this is such a might need that I'm almost scared of looking forward to the ending of DC because I just have a feeling it isn't going to happen.

I might also ask him why the hell every side character needs a romance subplot but that is neither here nor there.

But now that the ships have been decided and canon has sealed the final nail on everything, I just want to talk about the trope that makes Kaishin just so amazing for me.

If I am remembering my facts right, Magic Kaito came before Detective Conan. Kaito was a realized character, somewhat, and was clearly a very likable chara with a ridiculous high IQ and a secret he couldn't reveal to anybody.

I mean he's a goddamn beautiful man is what I'm trying to say.

When I first read the series I could immediately tell that Aoko was set to be the romantic interest, Gosho really ain't fooling nobody. She seemed cute, extroverted and a girl who seems to really care for Kaito. Of course there was the juicy tidbit of Kaito being the thief her father is hunting down that also kept the relationship interesting.

So I was more than okay with having these two together.

I was already a bit aware of Detective Conan so I was all for the ShinRan as well. The pining, the secrets, the care that Shinichi has for her that transcends the organizations doing!

Also fun fact: Kaito/Aoko was the basis for Shinichi/Ran! Which is why ShinRan is thematically better than Kaito/Aoko but I will not go into that.

So one sad day during quarantine, I decided to rewatch the series to see if I could get any writing inspiration.

Now I don't know if it was quarantine or a change of heart or just me growing up but Gosho's friend trope seemed boring to me the more the episodes continued on. I AM NOT THROWING THE FRIENDSHIP TROPE DOWN, IT IS BEAUTIFUL I STILL SHIP SHINRAN

But I was tired of picking vanilla and wanted to see what else was on the menu.

And as luck would have it, I had decided to watch episode 515: Kaito Kid's Teleportation Magic and fate decides to deliver me a wonderful hit to the heart:

What is it about characters pointing guns at each other that I love so much?

And Shinichi doesn't react like a normal fucking person he just goes:

He knows this man ain't gonna shoot. They have had five interactions before this (if we are going by anime episodes) and through all those interactions Shinichi managed to get to a level of banter with this guy that he hasn't had with any of his other enemies.

If he even considered Kaito Kid an enemy to begin with.

Both Kaito and Shinichi have a mutual respect for each other's skill.

They test each other out in several situations and are pleased when the other figures it out, kinda transitioning their little chases to more of a 'two really smart guys trying to outwit each other' and less of a detective trying to outsmart a thief.

Shinichi enjoys figuring out his magic and Kaito enjoys the challenge of making some of his magic tricks near impossible to figure out. Their friendship is something really special and if they can have it without even knowing the details of each other's life, imagine how strong it would be if they truly met each other face to face.

I don't really want to cross into headcanon territory that would turn them into lovers, lord knows we have more fanfiction to do so, but it is just wonderful to see these two men both living a lie respectively but finding some solace in each other that they can shut their brains off for one second and just...play.

Hell, Kid's heists might be Shinichi's safe place. In those heists he is known as the 'Kid Killer' and not just some brat who happens to figure shit out. His opinion matters in those heists.

And not just to the police, but to Kaito as well.

BUT IM GETTING OFF TOPIC!

I just wanted to show love to this wonderful ship q wq

#detective conan #dcmk #magic kaito #kuroba kaito #kudo shinichi #kaishin #what can I say? #im a sucker for two men outwitting each other to the point it turns into flirting

[charlietheepicwriter7]

All’s Fair in Love and Larceny

Summary: All Kaito wanted was to get Hakuba off his back about the Phantom Thievery... and mess with his favorite detectives’ love lives.  AO3 Link

@not-a-hope-in-hell    ‘tis I, your secret santa. It’s not exactly what you wanted, but I think it’s pretty good. Happy Holidays~!

Also, @dcmksecretsanta

Shinichi blinked, staring at the white form perched outside his bedroom window. He blinked again. No, KID was still there. Sighing, he unlatched the lock and pulled the glass up. “What do you want?” he asked the thief.

“My darling princess—”

“Not a princess—”

“My darling prince—” KID snatched one of Shinichi’s limp hands and kissed the air above it—“Would you please giving me the honor of escorting you this lovely evening?”

“…KID, it’s two am.”

“Very astute of you, detective! Unfortunately, I am very well aware of the hour.” There were dark bags under KID’s eyes, Shinichi noticed, previously mistaking them to be part of the shadow from his hat. “Alas, I have neither the time nor patience to visit you at a more respectable hour.” His voice dropped. “Please, Tantei-kun. I’m desperate.”

Alarm rose in Shinichi. KID wasn’t one to ask for help; even now, years after his return to the spotlight, there was only one suspected assistant to the criminal magician. Hakuba, Shinichi’s… friend and fellow Kaitou KID chaser, had even confided in him about a suspected dark organization trying to kill KID. A pit opened up in Shinichi’s stomach. If it was a branch of the Black Organization that he had failed to capture…

Shinichi opened the window more and stepped away. “Well? Get in.”

KID rushed inside, uncharacteristically tripping on his cape as he did. It seemed as thought whatever was bothering him was truly upsetting to the thief. He quickly straightened, brushing off his suit as if it had never happened. “Thank you kindly, Tantei-kun.”

Shinichi shut the window behind him and closed the blinds. “What’s wrong? Are you in danger?”

“The only thing in danger, Tantei-kun, is my dignity.” KID sighed. “A mutual acquaintance of ours, one Hakuba Saguru, has decided to make himself a menace. So, I’m calling in that favor you owe me.”

Shinichi’s heart skipped a beat. Hakuba… it was rare that Shinichi could work a case with the strict foreign detective, but he enjoyed their time together. Hakuba was brilliant, with an excellent taste in literature, and apparently, a big enough threat to KID that the thief would use the one favor he gained helping Shinichi with the Black Organization. He swallowed. He couldn’t exactly say no, not after KID had helped him so much. “And what, exactly do you want me to do?”

KID grinned, but to Shinichi, it was nearly a leer. “I need you to come with me. Once we arrive at our destination, I’ll tell you.” He clearly could see Shinichi’s discomfort, so he added. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing illegal. But your pride… might not survive.”

Shinichi gulped.

***

Saguru glared. Kuroba, two rows to his left and a seat ahead, didn’t notice. Or he pretended not to notice in order to get Saguru off guard. Saguru in the perfect position to watch his prey, yet frustration rose in him. Despite over a year of surveillance, he was no closer to definitively proving that Kuroba Kaito was the Kaitou KID, a fact that irked him most severely. It had even gotten to the point where Saguru had managed to arrange for a police officer to dodge Kuroba’s every move to no avail. Though if Saguru’s suspicions were correct, the likely thief certainly had other methods of leaving his house, but he didn’t have a warrant to search the residency yet.

It didn’t help his mood that morning that Kudo Shinichi was once again reported missing.

Saguru thumbed through the missing person’s report on his phone in between classes. Kudo was reported missing by his neighbor’s ward, Haibara Ai, a child he distantly remembered being a friend of young Edogawa Conan before he moved to America. There was no sign of forced entry, usually indicating that Kudo had left his residence himself, but none of his clothes were missing, his phone and keys on his bedside table.

A conundrum. A very worrisome one at that. Saguru still remembered what happened last time Kudo mysteriously disappeared.

He hoped it wasn’t his fault. Saguru enjoyed Kudo’s company, to a degree that would likely be thought as inappropriate if voiced aloud, and he didn’t want his fellow detective hurt. Especially if it was his fault. Kudo had already been forced to track down one villainous organization, and Saguru had been the one to inform him of the people trying to kill Kaitou KID. Kudo could very well be trying to apprehend them at that very moment, and there was no telling how injured he might become.

His phone vibrated once. An unknown number had sent him a message. A scam? No, it was a picture, though his particular texting app required he download each image before they appeared. Impatiently, he clicked it. Did another fangirl get ahold of his number…!

Saguru nearly broke his phone. There, on the screen, was a photo of Kudo, still in his night clothes, tied to a chair and gagged. A white arm was wrapped around his neck, connected to a white thief, holding his head up for the camera. There was early signs of bruising on Kudo’s cheekbone, and a dazed look in his eye that screamed concussion.

His eyes flicked to Kuroba. He didn’t have his phone out; timed messages from a burner then? Before he could confront his classmate, another message came, just text this time.

Did you wake up to something missing, Tantei-san?

Nearly shaking with anger, Saguru typed his response.

This is a new low, even for you Kuroba.

The reply was instant.

Kuroba? Do you still think I’m your classmate? Besides, I wouldn’t call this a “new low”. More like… a different branch of my current low.

Saguru paled, barely paying attention to the teacher entering the room. That was no stock reply, it couldn’t have been a timed message. And Kuroba’s hands were visible.

He couldn’t be wrong, could he?

To make sure, he sent another message.

You’re not going to get away with this. Return Kudo now.

Or what? You’ll take “drastic” measures? I’m terrified, Tantei-san.

Another photo. This time, Kudo was clearly in KID’s arms, restrained with an arm across his chest. One of KID’s hands was secure around Kudo’s throat, while the other was dipping into his shirt.

His phone cracked under the sudden pressure of his grip. His eyes flickered to Kuroba who still was, maddeningly, not doing anything.

Why are you doing this?

Why? Tantei-san, you didn’t think that you were the only one interested in our favorite detective, were you?

Is this merely an attempt to incite me? You figured out my feelings and decided to mock me for them?

The confession made Saguru feel nauseous. Because he did like Kudo, romantically although he would never speak aloud about it. There was no evidence that the other detective thought of him as more than a friend and Saguru was… well, he wasn’t happy about it, but he could be content.

But how did Kuroba—KID—realize the extent of his feelings?

Mock? Tell me, Tantei-san, is there anything to mock?

I don’t know how you discovered the extent of my feelings for Kudo-kun, but I promise you, you will regret this, Kaitou KID. Kudo means more to me than you’ll ever know, and if there’s one bruise on his body, you’ve stolen your last jewel.

There was a pause in the writing, and Saguru took the moment to try to calm down, when—

Then I advise you announce your feelings soon, Tantei-san. Otherwise, I might decide to keep him.

The third photo, Kudo being forced to sit on KID’s lap, his sleep-shirt unbuttoned, lecherous grin on KID’s face, one of the thief’s hands reaching for—

He slammed his phone down on the table, the screen cracking.

“KUROBA!!”

“Hakuba-san, sit down!”

***

Kaito hummed merrily as he unlocked the entrance to his KID-cave, the threat to his secret identity now safely defeated. Sure, he nearly got choked out by Hakuba, but the teacher had put a stop to that, giving the detective detention too. And with that detention, Kaito was sure the Brit’s father would no longer allow Hakuba access to his manpower, since it was only because he thought Hakuba “mature” that he had the officers to stalk him everywhere.

Finally, he could relax—

“Are you going to unchain me?”

“Tantei-kun!” Kaito smiled brightly at the detective he had chained in his basement. Kudo was easily able to get up from his armchair and move around—the chain connecting his leg to the chair long enough so he could get to the bathroom and minifridge—but unable to escape. Kaito was a considerate kidnapper after all, especially since he had to sneak Kudo in through the sewer entrance to avoid the police outside.

At Kudo’s side was the cell phone used to aggravate Hakuba. Kaito had gotten a glance at Kudo’s work after pickpocketing Hakuba and it was good. At least, it sounded close enough to KID and worked Hakuba up into pseudo-confessing, so score.

Kaito bowed. “Thank you very much for your assistance in today’s trick. You made a beautiful assistant!”

“So long as you delete those photos, I don’t care what kind of assistant I was.” He tossed the phone at Kaito. He caught it with one hand. “When you asked for my help, I thought it would be for something more serious.”

“This was serious!” Meddling in the love lives of his favorite detectives was extremely serious! With how emotionally repressed the two were, they’d never end up confessing. Speaking of which, Kaito leered at Kudo. “So, did you realize why you were so effective in enraging Tantei-san?”

Kudo looked away, face stoic but there was a light flush on his cheeks. “…I did.”

Kaito smiled, satisfied. “Then my task is complete. Just make sure to name one of the adopted babies after me~!”

The comment was totally worth the soccer ball to the face.

#dcmksecretsanta #@not-a-hope-in-hell #sagushin #dcmk #shinichi kudo #Saguru Hakuba #kaito kuroba #kaitou kid #hakushin #pseudo kaishin

[popculturebuffet]

Jingle Belle: A Very Special Jingle Belle Special or A goofy holiday comic and a long tired rant about the animation industry

Ho ho ho and merry Christmas as we reach the final stretch of Christmas reviews and it’s all Christmas all the time for the rest of the week for obvious reasons. So we’re starting off by wrapping up Jingle Belle for the season with one more comission. While it’s from my usual client, It’s via patreon as for 5 bucks a month you can get a review a month of your choice. But since that hasn’t taken hold just yet, and won’t till next month, he asked to swap it for this month and here we are.  Not much to cover though this is the very comic where Jing hopped publishers from Oni Press to Dark Horse. The whys I genuinely do not know and at the time, I just know it’s weird to talk about Dark Horse these days. Their not dead nor entirely irrelvant, Resident Alien, which I really want to check out as it has a really engaging premise, is getting a tv show that I also want to check out as while i’m not sure if it’ll be good, it’s still Alan Tudyk playing an alien who can barely pass for human and it hilariously shows. Whenever that streams i’m not missing a second of that and we all know it. And Umbrella Academy, started during bigger days for the company, is one of netflix’s hottest shows and one of many shows on my to do list I haven’t gotten to because I procastinate like no one else and as taking an entire month to get to the newest loud house shows to the point another one popped up, it bites me in the ass a lot. Point is their not GONE in relevance.. but at the same time they’ve lost the huge tide of liscences they road in on. Except for the Joss Whedon stuff, Marvel’s pretty much taken EVERYTHING from them via various deals: Star Wars, Conan and now Alien. Their still standing and makes good art books and clearly given Resident Alien good content, they’ve lasted this long their not going anywhere, it’s just really weird to think about. I will however give them huge credit for giving out tons of comics in early quarantine, and being easily the most generous company next to marvel. I.e. one of the few that actually gave out full collections. 

But yeah at the time this was probably a safe move as Dark Horse had a love of one shots and likely a larger budget. Hence why from here on out the stories are in living color, and have a slightly diffrent art style to boot. Granted the character would shift artists but now it’s got a clear more cartoony art style I like a lot better courtsey of Jose Garabaldi. So yeah with christmas on our heels, let’s ring a ding jing, it’s A Very Special Jingle Belle Special. 

We won’t be covering the backup for this one though it is quite good, it’s just not what kev asked or paid for. 

We open on a parade!

While batman foils the joker’s poisioning scheme, Santa rides on a float proudly and   Jing is hanging out on the back grumpy. It’s a great introduction for new readers showing Santa being big and jolly and what you expect while Jing grumps in the back with a “Sheesh, Daddy”. That’s how you establish a character well in only a few panels. IT’s really great is what i’m saying. Some teens pop up but don’t belivie her about being Santa’s daughter and when going to a christmas shop to try and find figures of her, the owner claims he dosen’t.. and well violence insues. You’ve met jing right?  Anyways Jing is understandably a wee bit absolutely livid the world dosen’t know about her. Her parents sure but her? Nope. And it’s easy to see why: She’s the daughter of the world’s most famous man.. but despite all the holiday lore and junk she’s just the part he likes to hide from people.. or that’s how it feels. While he ducks it, she even gives him a nice save fatty it’s clear that even if she brought it up to rile him a bit.. she does feel on some level like he likes to tuck her away and hide her because he’s ashamed and because she’s not perfect. Granted she does act out and stuff, but she’s still his kid and i’ts still gotta sting. Though she has the perfect idea to fix this: A christmas special. Santa suggests just doing good deeds but Jing is right: her idea is better. Mostly because, as cyncial as this is.. more people are going to pay attention to a good holiday special than a celebrity’s kid doing charity and for far longer. A good christmas special just sticks in the brain and sticks with you forever. It’s why Santa Claus is Coming to Town and A Charlie Brown Christmas have lasted decades or why my list of best chirstmas specials is pretty weighty. They just stick with you so while this can’t possibly end well.. her plan is actually a really good one this time. 

So Jing takes her friends off the line to help her animate it, stop motion styles and they remind her of her LAST christmas special. 

I mean I’m a sucker for any refrence to Star Wars Holiday Special. You’d think after several decades of jokes at it’s expense, with tons of youtubers, many of whom are dead to me but that’s besides the point, tackling the thing without it getting stale, that we’d eventually grow tired of mocking it but .. no. It’s a bottomless well of what they were thinking. The only question left is why isn’t it on Disney Plus.. I mean.. you made a second one as an affectionate parody and in lego. Kids are going to know about this now. Just put the thing up. Even edited down or just some clips. You put Rise of Skywalker up there, you’ve proven your threshold for shame when it comes to this franchise is vast. Just person up and do it.  But Jing’s learned her lesson.. stop motion only and to follow the bouncing formula to sucess. So in the special which sadly isn’t all stop motion and is just drawn to resemble the specials, probably for the best but still, Jing and her animal pals are sneaking into a town where christmas was banned! Meeting the chirstmas legion of doom.. well okay that’s what i’m calling them. Burgermeister Budweiser! Bungle the Abominable Snow Monster! Frost Master and Heat BLister! The Frost Fakir.. wait the what?

........

I mean where do I even begin? I know this was during the war on terror, I know that.. but still I expect better from Paul Dini for a crosses the line twice joke than “hey let’s just make bin laden into an ice wizard!”. I mean South Park made fun of him too, but they went all out with a looney tunes homage. Put effort in. And even years after he died the lonely island did this beautiful thing in the film pop star: never stop stoppin, which you should watch seriously watch it it’s underated. 

Point is you can do better and if you don’t have room to do better then just.. don’t. You could’ve put in a t-rex in a top hat and monocle.  That would’ve genuinely been better... because it’s better than everything ever btu that’s besides the point. There’s also one last addition to the rogue’s gallery thank god. 

He hates her too. Now that gag is actually reallyf ucking funny. What’s also funny is how she solves things. By singing a nice and frinedly song about friendship to reform the villians.. or rather lure them over a bridge to get eaten by her orca friend. 

So Jing after showing it to her dad heads to market it with him trying to warn her netoworks haven’t aired this kind of thing in years. But she faces the greatest threat to all of television: network executives, who keep offering advices and basically change the thing all together for stupid reasons and think cartoons should only be for kids despite it wokring in the past. Aka the hells animators STILL go through. I think Paul was projecting just a wee bit with this one. Given again IT HASN’T CHANGED since then, I can’t blame him. Seriously Harvey Beaks was canceled, among MANY ohter nick shows including rise of the tmnt just because it wasn’t an instant hit, Cartoon Network and warner keep trying to make dumbed down remakes of great shows, and Disney, among other networks, is fairly homophobic and while finally allowing some gay on the network this year had to be fought and outright refused it on ducktales for no adquate reason, caring more about monney and the bible belt than doing the right thing. So yeah as you can tell this bit got to me a bit and was hard to read because it. hasn’t. changed. 16 years and not a lot has changed other than more women are getting a chance. And granted the “kids are our only audiencce argument” isn’t as strong and several shows are powered by other demographics it’s still an issue and still the reason several good shows have gotten the boot and why the jeph loeb era of marvel animation was terrible. Because guys like him thought it should JUST be for kids and the lowest common demoninator of htem. You can be clever and be for kids dammit. 

I apologize slightly for that it’s just something that’s been on my mind as shows dwindle and with ducktales gone the standard forbearaers for children’s animation are all pretty fresh faced. It’s just a lot to take in and i’ts been on my mind a lot. 

Back to the actual story the result is a pretty purtrid cutesy special.. Jing reacts how you’d expect, destroying the tapes covertly with a herd of musk ox and destroying the tape. But they find the 70′s special and we end on that which is pretty funny. The only thing I really don’t like here is the ending. The rest of this special is really good: it’s clever , has some good satire and some really funny jokes especially that hook one. The ending just feels a bit weak.. like yes Jing wanted to be noticed but it’s not really an unsympathetic motive and while she does some shady stuff the villians still basically win by airing her terrible holiday special all over again. It’s just not satisfying.  But yeah overall another pretty decent holiday comic with some good jokes. I”ll probably see Jing again next year, and it was fun getting to dip into these comics. THeir not my faviorites, but their still pretty decent and if the complete collection ends up on sale on comixology or you see it in a bookstore and you think it’d be up your ally i’d buy it. Again not my faviorite thing ever, but still enjoyable enough. Coming up this week of holiday cheer: ducks, more ducks, superheroes, and a best of list. 

Until next time: Courage. 

#animation #comics #reviews #jingle belle #paul dini #christmas #santa claus #dark horse comics

[detectivejigsawpines]

North by Northwest Conspiracy-Finale (Alea iacta est)

Seeing the look on Old Man Northwest’s face after stuffing the piece of paper into his mouth made the experience of sacrificing the money it would have given him totally worth it.  Stan gave it another vindictive chew, wondering if he could make it into a good spitball like in high school.

Funny how he doesn’t even seem surprised at the possibility of his family legacy bein’ a fraud as much as he is interested in tryna cover it up.

...Unless he knew that was the truth all along.

Well, he did say that stuff about the town needing someone ta look up to...

Geez, what a jerk .  He’s worse than the kid.

As he pushed the wad of paper into his cheek with his tongue, his eyes landed on Preston, still standing meekly behind his father.  The boy was staring at them in bug-eyed disbelief, probably not used to people defying his Old Man this blatantly, if at all. Stan waggled his eyebrows at him; to his surprise, for a half second the kid looked like he was trying to smother a giggle, as if there was a real human soul in that suit.

Finally Old Man spoke, in tones of sharp, clipped rage.

“If you bring this story to the press, you will regret it.”

“Oh yeah?  Why?” Ford challenged.

Old Man’s eyebrows did a little dance up and down his forehead.  “I wonder if you’re aware, Stanford, of the amount of trouble your brother has gotten himself in with the law during the years before he came here.”

Ford rolled his eyes.  “Yes, I already know about that, we’ve been through this already-”

“But do the people around here know?”

Old Man Northwest’s air of superiority returned.  “How safe do you think they would feel, knowing that that cabin in the woods not only harbors an eccentric mad scientist, but his hardened criminal of a brother?  Someone who’s spent time in prison, and has several false identities on his record?”

Stan felt his gut clench and burn with anger-but also with a touch of fear.

Old Man went on, “Of course, it wasn’t for anything serious, like murder, but who knows what crimes he committed that he wasn’t convicted of?  Or what he might be up to right now?”  He stepped closer, staring down his nose at them despite being barely an inch taller than the Pineses.  “Like those large amounts of gold that you’ve been taking to the city and selling in different pawn shops every few weeks-where do those come from, I wonder?”

“It’s nothing illegal!” Ford interrupted.

Probably, anyway, Stan hoped.  He wasn’t exactly up to date on whatever statutes there might be regarding sales rights with supernatural creatures.

“That’s what you say, of course.  But I wonder; I really do.  And of course, in a small town like this, if they’ve been stirred up against one small person, or group of people-” he clicked his tongue.  “It doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Stan stepped up to his brother’s side, readjusting his grip on the handle of the sword.  Old Man’s eyes flicked towards him, looking for a moment like he feared he might actually use it.  Stan just asked in a flat tone, “You really think people’d get as worked up about my petty crimes as they would about all the crap your family’s pulled?”

Old Man shrugged.  “Perhaps not...but the fact remains that if you attempt to bring destruction on my family, rest assured that I will do as much to you.”

Ford looked positively incensed that he would dare to misquote Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at them.  He was opening his mouth, probably to correct him on the parts he didn’t get right, when Old Man turned away and stalked towards his car.

“Come, Preston-we’re going home.”

The boy slinked after his father.  As he got to the door, he hesitated for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something to them-but then he just climbed in.

****

For a minute, the little group silently watched the fancy car drive away.

At last Stan spat out the spitball and said, “Well, we uncovered the truth about a major conspiracy in Gravity Falls, but it’s gonna be difficult for us ta do anything with what we know.  On the other hand, it means that if they try ta dig up the dirt on us we can expose them too. I think that’s what they call mutually assured destruction, right?”

“At least you didn’t take his Judas money,” Dan growled, as he resumed dragging Ghost Eyes and his buddy to the car.  Trembley, finally paying attention to what was going on, sprang down from his perch on top of the tombstone and wandered over with interest to see what this strange “horseless carriage” was.

Stan’s shoulders sagged.  “Sorry, Sixer. Looks like I messed things up again.”

Ford’s head whipped around towards him.  “What-? No-this isn’t your fault, Stanley.  You shouldn’t blame yourself. And even if we didn’t get the end results we expected, we still found some fascinating-artifacts!”  His eyebrows raised in sudden realization. “We need to close up that entrance so they will be safe until we can bring them home! So go do that.”

Stan managed a smile, and a mock salute.  “Aye aye, Captain.”

“We’re not at sea, Stanley-you don’t say ‘aye aye’ when you’re on land.”

“Whatever.”  And he headed back to that part of the cemetery.

Just in case, Stan went down and checked inside-thankfully the rooms still had all the stuff as far as he could tell, and there was no one else down here, so once he got outside he returned to the angel statue and pressed her finger down into place.  The stone slab slid seamlessly (try saying that three times fast) back over the stairs.

“See ya later, gorgeous,” he told the statue, and then returned to the car.

********

Trembley spent the drive to the hospital marveling at their speed, and that their lungs weren’t collapsing from “going over thirty-five furlongs per jiffy.”  Stan had long since given up trying to figure out what he was talking about.

At the hospital, Dan dumped out the hench-teenagers in front of the door, with a note attached to Ghost Eyes’s shirt reading, “Please make sure we don’t have concussions or anything like that.  Thank you.” Despite his and Stan’s objections, Ford tucked a wad of cash to pay for the hospital bill into his pocket. Then they quickly drove away before anyone could see them.

When they arrived back at their home, Trembley hopped out.  “Gentlemen, I am needed elsewhere-”

“...Where?” Stan asked, confused.

“-but I will return when America needs me most!  Until then, remember that I am right here-” he put a hand to his heart...that turned out to actually be reaching into his coat pocket.  “On the negative twelve dollar bill!” He handed it to Ford.

“Um...thank you.  I suppose.” Ford looked at both sides with a critical eye.

“And for you, other Stan, I have this!”  He handed Stan his President’s Key. Stan suddenly felt a little better about how this day had gone.

“What am I, chopped liver?” Dan grumbled.

“Oh, of course!  You are now an official congressman, brave giant!”  Trembley produced a folded top hat, which he popped open and placed on top of the lumberjack’s head (he had to stand on tiptoe, but he managed it).  Then he raised his arms, and yelled, “Trembley away!”

Before they could blink, the former president leaped backwards, landing on a horse that they suddenly noticed standing by the side of the house.  It reared briefly, and then galloped off into the forest (with Trembley still sitting backwards on it).

“Remarkable!” Ford said, staring after the retreating figures.  “I think that was a genuine Coinci-Horse!” He pulled out his journal and flipped through it.  “I know I wrote about them somewhere…”

Stan gave Dan a look.  “How much do ya give his chances for survivin’ the twentieth century?”

“He seems pretty adaptable,” Dan mused.  “On the other hand, I think he’s ridin’ right into Kill-Billy territory.  So the odds’re maybe about fifty-fifty right now.”

“We’re going to have to make a closer examination of that peanut brittle!” Ford announced.  “I need to find out where it came from-if it was created here in Gravity Falls, and perhaps that gave it its life-sustaining properties, or if he put something in it, or-”

Dan gave a resigned sigh.  “I’ll get my truck-it’s got more room in the back.”  He set off for his cabin.

********

Unfortunately, Auldman is pretty good at playing dirty. So now the Pineses have made a mortal enemy out of the most powerful family in Gravity Falls; and the Corduroys were already their mortal enemies, so Dan doesn't feel very affected, but things could always get worse for him somehow. What a lovely way to end the day.

Of course, once they get all the stuff back to the house and stored safely in the basement, Ford starts considering possible actions they could take should the Northwests really try to use Stan's criminal history against them or find out where they're getting their gold from. He definitely doesn't want Auldman to find out about the creatures living in the forest-he can just imagine him trying to capture, exploit and/or destroy them to satisfy his own greed. During his classes about humanity he warns his students of the possible danger, and devises a plan for everyone to go into hiding should the worst occur. Dan, whose family does apocalypse training every year instead of Christmas, is all too happy to help with this. On his tours, Stan takes the assortments of cryptids by the Northwest mansion so they can thumb their noses at it, and forces himself to resist the temptation to use his key so they could sneak in and loot the place. Even when he learns from Dan about how his ancestor was killed building it, after being banned from the celebratory party. Instead, he looks into possible curses that they could place on the Northwest family. So far he hasn't found one that seems like fitting enough punishment.

#gravity falls #flipside au #stan pines #ford pines #auldman northwest #preston northwest #quentin trembley #dan corduroy #ghost eyes #tats #M.A.D. #northwest family conspiracy #the northwests are jerks #at least the boys have lots of cool stuff now

[balancingdiet]

Tabula Rasa

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Shinichi/Kaito Words: 3000 ish Chapter: (1) ... (12) (13) (14)

Shinichi always finds his neighbour weird. But he didn’t expect to find his neighbour lying on a patch of grass and donned in Kaitou Kid’s costume, too.

Kuroba didn’t lie; the Ramen was indeed splendid and the dumpling didn’t disappoint. And he didn’t lie when he said he knew the Ramen restaurant too, so well that the owner came over specifically to greet Kuroba when they entered and offered both of them an extra serving of char siew on the house. 

Shinichi wasn’t sure, but for the first time he had a feeling this special treatment had nothing to do with Kuroba’s charm. The interactions between Kuroba and the employees during the whole dinner felt real, and rather than being in a restaurant, Shinichi thought he was eating in a private home instead. 

But Shinichi wasn’t complaining. He liked the liveliness, which was similar to what he'd missed experiencing in Cafe Poirot when he was Edogawa Conan. Only this time he was in his true self, and also because he was with—

He had no idea where that last thought came from, and he refused to finish it.

After the dinner and a long chatty goodbye, they both exited the restaurant, the next idea of destination unknown to Shinichi. Kuroba then asked if Shinichi drove, which he did, and that answer seemed to give Kuroba a new idea for the night as he began leading Shinichi somewhere else besides home. 

They stopped outside a shop that sold gardening supplies.

Shinichi glanced at Kuroba’s back as they entered the store. “Why are we here?”

“To save your plants, duh.”

Shinichi frowned. “I—”

“Hello Kaito-kun!” The store owner greeted as she stood up from her chair behind the counter. “The usual?”

“Not today,” Kuroba said, before jabbing a thumb at Shinichi. “Somebody is trying to murder his plants and I’m not going to sit back and watch. Do you have any big pots for repotting Sweet Potato Vine?”

Shinichi glowered, not sure to be annoyed at Kuroba’s unnecessary remark or impressed at his abundance knowledge for plants. But Kuroba didn’t seem to care, or notice, as he disappeared to the other section of the store with the owner, their chatters grew to murmurs that Shinichi couldn’t hear. When Shinichi tried to follow through the aisle, Kuroba was already back with two pots under both of his arms.

Kuroba set them on the cashier counter before gesturing Shinichi forward. “You’re paying for these.” He grinned.

Shinichi grudgingly pulled out his wallet, though he returned a smile when he faced the owner to pay for the items. At the last minute, Kuroba added a pruner tool and a small spade during the checkout.

They carried a pot each on their way out.

“I have a question,” Shinichi said as they were finally heading to his car for home.

Kuroba glanced over. “Hm?”

“Did you previously live around here?” Shinichi asked. An explanation for his guess wasn’t necessary, but Kuroba’s lack of reply tempted Shinichi to fill in the silence between them. “The Ramen place, the gardening store... They’re not close to our district, but you seemed like a regular customer to them.”

“Yeah.” Kuroba eventually nodded. “I used to.”

“Why did you move?”

On the cue, a loud “Bong” echoed through the streets.

Shinichi halted in his steps.

“Bong.”

He turned

“Bong.”

Is that the clocktower? 

Most of the tower was blocked by the surrounding buildings, but the tip and the face of the clock could still be seen against the dark sky. The structure was nothing in comparison to the Big Ben in London, but the clock lights did help to close the gap and make it looked just as majestic and iconic.

Just like the first time he’d seen it up close in the helicopter ride.

Being in the helicopter, Shinichi wasn't aware of the directions and didn’t know the clock tower was actually around this area—which was also the place Kuroba used to live, as mentioned. But now that he did, he wondered if it was a coincidence, or if there was any relation to why Kuroba—Kaitou Kid—decided to not only steal, but save it.

Shinichi turned back.

Though Kuroba had also stopped beside him, he was still looking forward.

And his face seemed too blank for Shinichi’s liking.

But in a blink, some life returned to his eyes, and he turned towards Shinichi.

“Tabula Rasa,” he said, breaking the odd silence and the lingering echoes from the clock tower’s chime.

“…Tabula Rasa?”

“It means a blank slate. Like a moment after a new birth," Kuroba said, turning away as he began walking again. Shinichi quickly followed.

There was something heavy at the end of Kuroba's sentence, like it wasn't completed... 

“And?” Shinichi prompted, trying to test his luck.

“And that’s my answer," was all Kuroba replied.

----

By the time they reached Shinichi’s parked car and drove back home (with the two pots sitting in the back seat), Kuroba had returned to his… normal self. But it wasn’t entirely normal when the first few minutes of the ride was silent, though eventually it was Kuroba that first broke it by commenting about some insignificant things before he started talking about what he was going to do with Shinichi’s plants; and for once Shinichi couldn’t be more grateful for the two pots and tools he was forced to buy, just so they had a safe, neutral and stable topic for the rest of the ride.

“And also, you shouldn’t water it too much either,” Kuroba continued as they got off the car, brought the pots into Shinichi’s house and to the backyard. “It’s like spoiling a kid. It’d grow up bad.”

“Nice analogy,” Shinichi said, placing the new pot beside the old one.

“Huh,” Kuroba looked amused. “Never knew you’d appreciate anything coming from me.”

Shinichi thought there wasn’t a need to correct Kuroba about that. Instead, he focused all his energy on transferring the two potted plants with Kuroba’s guidance, which was also a good distraction that helped him temporarily forget about Ran���s return, the hospital conversation, and all the burning questions Shinichi wished he had answers to, but not at the expense of having to see the sadness in Kuroba’s face…

“Doooone!” 

Shinichi glanced up, watching as Kuroba wiped his forehead with his sleeves. He didn’t need to be a scientist to know that human doesn’t glow, no matter the circumstances, but strangely, under the dark night sky with little light around them, Kuroba seemed to be—

“Hm, thanks.” Shinichi eyed down at the plants in front of him.

“No probs.”

Then, Kuroba continued to share more tips about the plants, something along the line about how to protect the plant during harsh sunlight, but Shinichi couldn’t really hear his words or voice anymore, not when the only thing that echoed in his ears were his slightly loud and erratic heartbeats, thumping faster and faster as he wondered about the cause of it. 

----

“Kudo!”

Shinichi turned, instantly noticing the dark-skinned man among the crowd of people loitering at their agreed meeting venue. He closed the distance by jogging over to Hattori as well. 

“Sorry for being late, there was a last minute meeting.” 

“Nah, I just reached too,” Hattori said before slapping a hand over Shinichi’s back. “Boy, it’s been so long!"

Long, according to Hattori’s dictionary, was akin to several years, even though it was technically only several months since they last met. But Shinichi wasn’t going to say otherwise, given that the meeting was indeed rather short, and it was for work purpose too; he’d gone to Osaka to solve a missing case that involved a resident from Tokyo. 

Shinichi smiled and glanced at his watch. “It’s an odd timing, but do you want to eat? I know a place that sells good Ramen and dumplings.”

“It’s really an odd timing for something so full,” Hattori said as he rubbed a hand sheepishly behind his back, “and I already promised I’m going to bring Kazuha to try the curry rice later for dinner.”

“Oh, Toyama is here in Tokyo too?”

“Yeah,” Hattori pursed his lips, looking somehow reluctant to explain the reason why. And he didn’t. 

Then again, it really wasn’t hard for Shinichi to figure out himself.

Ran.

“How about giving me a tour around your new place?” Hattori grinned, slicing away the mild tension as he wrapped an arm around Shinichi’s shoulders. “You didn’t have a house-warming party, so now’s the chance.”

Shinichi hesitated, but it wasn’t because he wanted to hide his pathetic kitchen, messy study room or the sad little backyard with just two (albeit healthier-looking) potted plants. Instead, what flashed across his mind was Kuroba, his pesky doves, and his beautiful rose garden.

That was how it was to live beside an infamous and wanted thief, perhaps. 

“Well…” 

“C’mon, I already had enough of Tokyo's sight-seeing,” Hattori grumbled. “Just entertain me, would ya.”

“Fine, but—”

Before Shinichi could say another word, Hattori was already dragging him towards the direction of his car.

----

The first thing Shinichi checked when he got out of his car was Kuroba’s house (which was actually like all the other times, even without having Hattori or anyone around). But the sun hadn’t set and it was hard to tell if Kuroba was at home with no lights being on, so Shinichi had to check his mailbox. The lack of the dove’s presence and shit-stain didn’t help to confirm Shinichi’s guess either.

“Damn, it looks just as big as your old one.” Hattori gaped before skipping towards the front door.

Pushing his worries away at the moment, Shinichi followed.

The things in Shinichi’s house were pretty much self-explanatory, and joining with his lack of commentary talent, the "house-tour" was summed up in less than five minute. But Hattori still seemed pretty impressed, like usual.

“Nice place. Highly recommended. Will definitely visit again.” Hattori gave a thumbs up.

Shinichi shook his head. “You sure you don’t want to go somewhere else?” he suggested.

“Nah, oh wait. I haven’t seen your backyard.”

“Uh—”

Before Shinichi could even blink, Hattori had already teleported himself out in the backyard.

“Wow, you have plants,” he said aloud.

Sighing, Shinichi followed as he passed through the kitchen. “They are—”

Hattori suddenly turned, looking over at Kuroba’s backyard. “Eh, your neighbour’s there too.”

Shinichi froze.

“Hello!” Hattori waved.

Oh God.

Shinichi stepped into his backyard and awkwardly turned to look over at Kuroba’s side.

Kuroba was waving back at Hattori with a watering can in his hand, and after putting it down by his rose plantations, he ambled over to the fence.

Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose. And he’d thought Kuroba would be smart enough and go back into his house… He must have given him too much credit and overestimated how his two remaining brain cells would handle the situation.

“Nice to meet ya.” Hattori placed a hand over his chest. “I’m Kudo's best friend and greatest rival.” 

“And his name is also Hattori Heiji,” Shinichi added. Not that Kuroba needed the information, but for the sake of formality… He gestured over to Kuroba. “And he’s my neighbour, Kuroba Kaito,” he said to Hattori.

Kuroba propped an arm over the fence. “Is it safe for me to say that I’m your best neighbour too?”

Shinichi sighed. “Ok, anyway—”

“Wait a minute.” Hattori frowned, his eyes suddenly turned all squinty as he surveyed Kuroba. “Why does it look so familiar…”

Kuroba blinked.

Shinichi was pretty sure his heart had stopped for a good two-seconds at least. “What?” he said, and it was already a miracle he didn’t stutter for saying that one word. 

Hattori scratched his chin. “I’ve seen it before…”

“What are you talking about—”

“That shirt, ya.” Hattori pointed at Kuroba, “I’ve seen you worn it before.”

With how synchronised they were—both glancing down at the shirt, at each other, and then at Hattori at the same time—Shinichi and Kuroba could have won an award at the Olympics. 

And not just them, Hattori should be awarded as the-most-observant-man in history too; it was indeed Shinichi’s shirt, the one he let Kaitou Kid wear on the night he ended up in his garden with a knife stuck in his waist.

“Uh.” Shinichi cleared his throat. “Yes, what a coincidence—that my neighbour has the same shirt as me.”

Kuroba had probably worked his two brain cells and figured it was better to not say anything, so he only added a laugh for effect. 

Hattori raised an eyebrow. “Right—”

“Anyway, there’s nothing in my backyard besides the two plants, so let’s head back in,” Shinichi said, dragging Hattori towards the backyard door without sparing a glance towards Kuroba. Luckily, the feisty detective complied without any argument.

But getting into the kitchen wasn’t enough. After closing the door to the backyard, he pushed Hattori into the living room too.

“Where are you eating dinner with Toyama?” Shinichi asked, hoping to deflect any sort of conversation related to what happened fifteen seconds ago. “We can maybe hang out around there—”

“No, no.” Hattori waved a hand, his face turned slightly panicked all of the sudden. 

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. It seemed like it wasn’t just him that was trying to do some form of distracting.

Hattori sighed. He rubbed a hand behind his neck. “Kazuha… She’s with Ran-neechan now.”

Oh.

“You do know that she’s back, right?” Hattori added.

Shinichi rubbed an eye. He was thankful, at least, that the aches in his chest had dulled so much to just a fluttering beat when he heard or thought of Ran these days. “Yeah, I know.”

Hattori frowned. “Why do I have this feeling that you know, but not at da’ same time?”

“I knew it through Shiho.” Shinichi explained, “But… I haven’t met Ran personally yet.”

“Yet.” Hattori leaned forward, looking as pumped as receiving a murder case. “Does that mean you are going to find her?”

Shinichi shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Hattori’s face fell. “Well, I hope you do.”

Shinichi was tempted to give a nod just to assure Hattori, but he didn’t want to make any unconfirmed promises to anyone anymore. And worse, he feared Hattori would hold onto this thought and accidentally tell Toyama about it. And then Ran would know.

And if that happened, what should he do from there?

A buzz suddenly came from Hattori’s pants, saving Shinichi from having to continue his mind-mapping and figure what to reply. 

After silently reading off the message from his screen, Hattori pocketed his phone. “I guess I should go now.”

Shinichi nodded. “Let me send you.”

“Nah, I saw a train station when we passed. I can walk.” Hattori patted Shinichi on the shoulder. “Besides, Tokyo isn’t that big, ya know. You should at least prepare your script before stepping out of your house every time.”

Shinichi gave a wry laugh.

But out of courtesy, Shinichi still walked Hattori out of his door and a little further down the street before heading back into his house.

Or not really.

Standing right next to his mailbox was Kuroba, with his chin on the palm of his hand as he watched Shinichi walking closer home.

“You haven’t answered my question,” he said out randomly.

Shinichi frowned. “I don’t remember any question.”

“So, is it safe for me to say that I’m your best neighbour too?”

It was absurd that he didn’t see it coming. Shinichi rolled his eyes. “What do you think?”

Kuroba grinned. “Yes?”

Shinichi didn’t answer. He spun on his heels and went for his front door, but just for the feeling of it, he peeped back over his shoulder at the last moment, to find Kuroba still standing at the same exact spot and looking at him too.

“…What?” Shinichi muttered when they made eye contact.

“Nothing,” Kuroba said, before dusting his hands and heading for his own house.

Shinichi bit his lip. He backtracked, and took a few steps towards Kuroba. “Wait.”

Kuroba stopped. 

“Uh.” Shinichi unconsciously glanced at his mailbox. 

Kuroba followed his gaze. “My doves didn’t shit on it this time.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

Kuroba then tilted his head, promoting Shinichi to fill in the answer rather than supplying any more. Or maybe because he couldn’t think of any other reason to explain why Shinichi asked him to wait too.

And truth to be told, Shinichi couldn’t find any other reason either—

“When are you planning to return my shirt?” Shinichi came up with this idea instead.

Kuroba looked down and pulled the hem of the clothes, contemplating. “Do you want me to take if off now?” 

“Don’t,” Shinichi spat, which caused a grin to form on Kuroba’s face. Shinichi scowled in return. “Just give it back to me next time.”

“Ok. Is there anything else?

“No. I guess not.” Shinichi took a step back, and then another. “Bye.”

“Bye.” 

“…Wait.”

Kuroba turned and flung his hands up in exasperation. “What now?”

Shinichi dug both hands into his pocket, balling them into fists. “Do you… I mean, are you free?”

“Why?”

“By any chance… Are you cooking later? Like fried rice?” Shinichi blurted, almost pathetically. “Can I pay you to cook an extra plate for me?”

Kuroba blinked, his brief annoyance gone like the wind. “I can do it for free,” he said, his whole face all smiley and bright. “But in exchange, you have to answer my question: is it safe to say that I’m your best—”

Shinichi sighed. “Yes, yes you are.”

#dcmk #detective conan #kudo shinichi #Kuroba Kaito #kaishin #tabula rasa