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[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

Walking through the hallways slowly, though not without a destination in mind, Hakuba Saguru was deep in thought. Obviously many years older than another Saguru, this one was in his late thirties and using a cane to support his left leg as he walked. His dress was reminiscent of an english professor; tweed jacket, tan pants and a shirt set off by a dark brown tie. And a mostly hidden bulge under his left arm, from a gun in a shoulder holster.

Someone perceptive (or intrusive) enough to notice the ragged scar tissue on his right wrist, mostly hidden by his sleeve, might connect this Saguru to the one who used to wander the mansion attached to 1412.

Disturb? >_

Comments

[samurai-error.livejournal.com]

Shinichi, attired in his usual kimono, his sword swung irreverently over one shoulder is heading towards the library for another hit of science. He's happy -- until he catches sight of Hakuba. There is a pause as he takes in the resemblance to another resident of the Mansion, the clothing and the age, and after a moment, Shinichi tucks his sword into his obi and attempts to look like someone who treats his sword with respect.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

Hakuba used to be someone who kept his emotions back, but failed at hiding them in times of surprise or stress. He has improved at his 'Poker Face', so to speak, and so regards Shinichi with only the barest flicker of surprise at seeing again the youth whose death he orchestrated.

"Shinichi-kun?" he queries, paused in the hallway.

[samurai-error.livejournal.com]

"Ah," Shinichi says, bowing in acknowledgement. "It is pleasant to see you again, Hakuba-san."

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

Hakuba nods his head in return, careful to show less respect for the teen in the depth of his bow.

"And I to you," he replies. "Though I do not beleive I have met 'you' before?" He ends on a querying tone, to elicit information from the teen if he can.

[samurai-error.livejournal.com]

"Ah?" Shinichi blinks, considering Hakuba with a frown -- until understanding dawns. "We did not discuss Newton-sensei in the library shortly after my arrival here?"

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"No. I do not believe I've encountered you before. Though..." Hakuba scans Shinichi briefly, thinking. "I would hazard a guess at the Edo-period?" He smiles, expecting his guess to be correct and only awaiting Shinichi's confirmation.

[samurai-error.livejournal.com]

"It is not exactly the same, but it is close enough," Shinichi agreed. "Closer than anything else at least." He approaches Hakuba with poorly concealed curiousity. "Your accent is different. You are not from ... England?"

[isacrazyeight.livejournal.com]

Saguru has a cane! This strikes a currently wheelchair-bound Eight as mightily amusing, though that may have something to do with the fact that whoever had been taking care of the thief-turned-fighter had managed to wrangle him into taking some painkillers. Ordinarily, he would have been blessedly unconscious at this point, but his body had clearly had enough of that whole 'sleep' thing.

So he was patrolling the mansion- as much of it as he could patrol while operating through a thick haze of drugs. And now he's almost literally run into a Saguru with a cane. "You have a cane," he observes.

Yes, he is captain obvious, and yes, he does look like he belongs in that wheelchair at the moment, thank you very much. The less said about the state of his legs, the better, and they're currently hidden under a thin blanket, to boot.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"Indeed I do."

There's enough of a lack in resemblence from Eight to Kaito for Saguru to get the words out smoothly before his brain registers the similarity and joins the dots, leaving him with a stunned expression on his face, something that is rarely seen from him nowadays.

He clears his throat, expression smoothing out as he walks a few careful steps closer to the wheelchair bound man.

"You appear to be in possession of a wheelchair."

[isacrazyeight.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, and if you get the number of the bus that put me here, that'd be great." He's doing a good job of sounding at least somewhat coherent, even if a statement that doesn't trail off does take him a bit to get out. He smiles up at Saguru. "You know, this is... the second time I've run into one of you with both my legs broke." Not that this Saguru is his- Eight can tell that right away.

"What did Saguru-guru do to get the cane?" He's perfectly innocent. Really. If you ignore the fact that he's just goosed the blond.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

Eight's statements desrve further investigation, but Saguru prefers to slide information from people, rather than bluntly question them. People were so much more malleable if they didn't realise how much information they had given you.

"My knee was injured some years ago." A brief smile, and a backwards step out of Eight's pinching range, his only reaciton to the grab. "It never fully healed. Please do not do that again."

[isacrazyeight.livejournal.com]

"Well that sucks... and I won't do it again if you don't make it any fun." No, he wasn't testing this Saguru at all, what are you talking about? Now, at least, he knows that this Saguru is a lot less fun to harass than some of the others, though that doesn't mean he's going to give up trying. What, are you kidding? He's stuck in a wheelchair and drugged off his ass.

He's bored, in other words. "Sucks t'be you. Does it hurt?"

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"Only when it rains." Saguru shifts his weight to stand more comfortably, putting more of his weight onto his cane. "And of you? What occurred to put you in this chair?" Direct questions are suitable when the conversation leads that way. And Saguru has noticed the slurring, and slight slowness to this one's answers and speech. Drugs of some kind, obviously.

[threestar-thief.livejournal.com]

"Saguru?" A Kaito (dressed in KID's white tuxedo sans top hat, but monocle in place) pokes his head out from a doorway. Then he notices that this is not the one he knows, and grins apologetically, speaking in American-accented English. "Sorry. Wrong one."

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

Kaito's looks are so close to the one he knew, and yet so different - an honest, open expression, with no hint of madness nor viciousness - Saguru has to stop for a moment, a pained flicker crossing his expression.

"Quite alright, Kaito-kun," he says, managing to pull a smile from somewhere and cursing his voice as it falters over the boy's name.

[threestar-thief.livejournal.com]

The flicker of emotion, the faltering voice, the age and stance and method of address, all different, all setting Kaito silently and invisibly on edge.

"Does everyone in this place live in Japan? Just Kaito is fine, unless you're uncomfortable with it."

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"Ah... Of course." Saguru smiles, a little strained around the edges, but more geniune than any smile he's offered another person in years.

"I've spent quite some time in Japan since--"

-since you died.

Saguru stops himself, startled by the lack of control he has over himself. Can this boy -really- be affecting him this much, just by the way he looks?

"My apologies," he says. "I seem to be somewhat out of sorts."

[threestar-thief.livejournal.com]

"You wanna talk about it?" More than likely not, judging by the way this Saguru is acting.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"That's quite alright." Saguru shifts to lean more heavily on his cane, his knee aching from walking and standing. "It was a long time ago, and I see no reason to burden you with it." Because it would be a burden, to taint this open face with the knowledge that he could be a murderer in another world.

"It is good to see you again, Kaito-ku-- Kaito." A smile. "It has been far too long."

[chasesrumors.livejournal.com]

"Huh, you're older than the usual people around this place," Conan commented thoughtfully upon spotting Hakuba.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"That I am, Kudo Shinichi-san," said Hakuba smoothly. "Or... would that be Edogawa Conan-kun?" he asks upon noticing the glasses on the boy's face.

[chasesrumors.livejournal.com]

He'd been around long enough to be used to the mistake that all there was, was a tensing of his shoulders before he offered Hakuba a sheepish look. "Edogawa Conan, Hakuba-niisan. Ten years ahead of the usual time frame for people here."

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"I would presume I'm twenty or so years ahead," replies Hakuba pleasantly, leaning on his cane. "You never found your cure then?" he inquires, tone jsut as pleasant.

[chasesrumors.livejournal.com]

"I figured that. I think you might be the farthest of anyone in this place."

Conan didn't answer for a few moments before a sad smile formed on his face. "I'm Edogawa Conan, Hakuba-niisan," he said. "Just Edoogawa Conan. Shinichi-niichan died a long time ago."

In his world, Hakuba more or less knew the truth. However, Conan didn't talk about it. Like he said, Shinichi died a long time ago, when the cure was no longer possible. He had no choice, but to move on.

[theotherknight.livejournal.com]

"Did he now?" Hakuba sounds faintly amused, seuging into a thin, pleased smile. "Good."