justonetruth | (no subject)

[Anyone passing through the hallways might notices a young boy kneeling down in front of a door, jiggling the handle in an attempt to get it open. Further inspection will show that he's actually attempting to pick the door's lock-- and mumbling something in irritation to himself.

Even further inspection might let you overhear some of his one-sided conversation]

Stupid prick... would go so much faster if I had the stupid screwdriver... but noooo, I'm not allowed to hold onto it!

[The next part is said in a voice that is much too British and much too similar to a certain detective... well, Doctor, everyone else probably knows]

"It's much too valuable and you'd just use it to sneak into the girls' locker room again, and if you're gonna do that, you should actually work for it!"

[a scoff and he's back to using his own voice. He gives the door a kick for good measure]

Thinks he's a wise guy, doesn't he? Stupid Doctor and his stupid wisecracks--

[his mumbling turns incoherent again as he focuses all of his attention on the very stubborn lock in front of him]

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[Kaito just barely glances up from his work on the door lock]

Uh, yeah. Friend of mine. [She looks entirely too young to be wandering around by herself]

Where are your parents?

[The word 'parents' almost slipped off her mind. She didn't want to reminiscence about them. They were gone, just like she was. Both of them, dead.

As was she. It wasn't like she even considered pretending to be a mere adolescent. No matter how many times Kudo emphasized the fact that she should act like one, she just didn't want to. It was dysfunctional.

...She was already dead, and she'd already given up. Even if she had given her writing arm to Kudo. ]

Mm. I wonder. [Her voice was cold, and apathetic.]

[The sound of him still fiddling with the lock fades as he stops. He's studying Haibara's form now, curiously, almost sympathetically]

You shouldn't be wandering around a strange place by yourself. [he lowers his tools to turn toward the young blonde, still stooped on the ground so he's at her level]

Unless this is your house?

[Should she tell him? That cold undeniable rectitude? Perhaps it was for the best. He wasn't from her world.]

If I was an adolescent, perhaps. And to put you at ease, this isn't my abode. Nor my asylum. Welcome to the nexus. [She had used plenty of ample words, showing that she was no ordinary child.]

[He lifts an eyebrow, not so much in surprise (because really, he's seen stranger) but in understanding. The cold attitude, the complex words, the adult-like demeanor...]

Guess the only question left is how I didn't notice that earlier.

[he sighs and turns back to the door, but now his attention is split between the young girl in front of him and the task at hand]

A nexus, huh? Between worlds? Think the Doctor mentioned the existence of one once or twice. [his gaze shifts again] 'M Kaito Kuroba.

[She shrugs her diminutive shoulders before replying.]

Yes, a nexus within the cosmos. I know a 'version' of you, actually. The name's Haibara Ai, a pleasure.

[That catches his attention as something odd]

You do? Can't say I've ever met... er, you or a version of you before. [and he's peering at her once again]

Haibara Ai... [the name rolls off his tongue fairly easily. It's Japanese, after all, his native language. His expression lights up with a grin]

Nice to meetcha! [Typically, and almost predictably (though he'd be mortified if you ever pointed this out) he holds out a free hand, snaps his fingers, and produces a small, yellow flower for the young girl from thin air]

[She chuckles slightly, her voice more cheerier. However, as she attempts to grab the rose, she remembers. She looks away in doubt, in grief. Even though the flower is sweet of him, she promised.]

I can't -- [Haibara's voice cracks, it seems that something's really wrong here.]

[his grin faces. Oh crap, he wasn't used to making girls cry! They usually loved the trick, so what went wrong this time?

He lowers his hand and turns away from the lock again]

You don't have to take it if you don't want to.

[Haibara shakes her head with a bit of disapproval.]

It isn't your fault. I just can no longer take it and hold it like I used to.

[He watches her for a moment]

You can still wear flowers in your hair, right?

[Because really, since when has Kaito been the type to not look for another solution? Besides, he doesn't want her to continue feeling bad for what was his offering]

Ah. [She just nodded. Haibara was never the optomist, and Kudou-kun knew that. They were similar in the way that they both wanted to help her. She looked up at Kuroba and gave a small smile.]

Thank you.

[With a grin, he leans over and quickly threads the flower through her hair and behind her ear]

Much better!

[And now he's back to working on that stubborn lock]

By the way, you haven't seen a guy running around here saying he's the Doctor by any chance, have you? [There was no harm in asking]