"It's very rare to see a combination of detectives and magicians, Mr. Andy! Usually, they're the one who try to expose magic as something silly and not real!"
"Just because i'm one of those who searching for the truth, that doesn't mean i couldn't enjoy myself in watching and even making those trickery. All i need to do, is to ignore that...cynical, unimaginative part of my adult self-and arguably 'edgy' part for that teenager detective of yours in his case-and just focusing, on my desire to create, share, and enjoy that fun and joy of created something incredible, stimulating, and mindblowing for people. Of course, that's what i do as well to enjoy others work."
"Just like wrestling! People still watching it even when they know it's fake and all because it's fun!"
It felt good to make someone smile, and Aoko was no exception. When she giggled at my joke at expense of Hakuba, i let out a giggle myself. Being contagious at something positive is what both my true and Andy self always do best, although Andy was arguably much better at them, being much skilled in reading people and all.
The fact that this girl happened to be one of the sweetest soul certainly made it even more special.
"Correct. Those who desire to expose magic, wrestling and so as 'fake' must be not realizing about the effort needed to maintain that illusion. That effort part alone made those subjects deserve more respect from the skeptics. With that part of reminder, even when i managed to know how that magic worked, my mind's still enjoyed it because i know that magic they just pulled's still lot of work."
"If only the skeptics realize it..."
"Trust me. Even genius people can be very stupid at many areas such as common sense, but that's another talk for another day."
"You're going to show me how Kaito Kid pulled his tricks?" Aoko's eyes now brimming with excitement
"Actually, i'm going to explain how the basic principles are. After all, i'm just an amateur magician with only shock value as my expertise. I'm nothing compared to even low level pro magicians, much less Kid." I said as she looked slightly disappointed. "First of all, the most important part of everything means to be entertain the audience with seemingly impossible stuffs, is distraction."
"Distraction?"
"Yes. This is not just limited to magic. It even used by tvs and movies business. Like camera angle so the short guys looked taller, a stand box so the girl didn't get dwarfed by the guy, camera cuts to hide slowness and mistakes..."
"Um, Aoko don't know if she's right, but it seemed like live stage performances are somehow get more ridiculed for using trickery than the...faker show."
Seemed like her genius brain is worked outside school after all."...Now that you mention it, you have a good point. Anyway, things are the same with other staged entertainment. Illusion to convince the audience to. For example, uh...let me see if i can reduplicate that rose trick with my debus."
"Eh?"
She had a bit flushed face, probably from remembered Kaito's first trick for her. But anyway, here i go.
I pulled one of the glass rose from the vase on that mahoni desk, and began to slowly eat it from it's stem. Ignored the cringing Inspector Nakamori's daughter, i ate it until only the petals part that's left. I turned around as i spat out all the glasses to the now empty vase. Turned back to face her again, i showed her the now petals before i reached my back, and soon i was holding the vase, now filled with the glass roses.
"Woah..." She said in astonishment as i gave her the vase, "How did you pulled that?"
"There's a drawer on the top this table." I said while showed her the said drawer, which now filled with the chewed glasses, "I just hid them while you were focusing on me chewing the glass stem. I'm lucky that it was happened to be there since my size allowed me to hide the vase except for when i wanted you to see it."
"So that's how they do it...While they watching the magicians, something else was done to help them do the tricks."
Slowly, i approached the girl who was spaced out, thinking about my trick. "Do you get it, Nakamori-chan? Because there's something more than that which enabled the trick to slip in the first place."
She held a curious thinking look before she shook her head, "Is there really another part?"
"Emotion." I simply said as i began to explain it further, "Distractions are done by manipulating people's thoughts and feelings. While i was munching the glass, you looked at me, thinking about doesn't that hurt, or how did he do that. Either way, you're not focused enough to notice my hand playing with the drawer here."
"So the ridiculous stunts in magic are actually a part of distractions?"
"Correct. But that's not what point i'm trying to get across." This made her face look confussed. "What phantom thieves doing, like Lupin and KID, are even more than usual magic. Their trick subjects are not just the objects they try to steal, and audiences there are more than just people to be fooled. Everything can be used by them to provide their way of entry, stealing act, and escape; even their captors can be useful, be using their identity, or even using their emotions."
"Can you give me an example?"
I thought about the Goldeneye act, where the whole thing were basically done by making the whole police squad confused and fall into KID's plan. In fact, KID couldn't done anything without the unwilling participation by the force of justice that night. "For example, the black hole illusion act; Kid was trying to escape from a building with very thick wall that he couldn't destroy by himself. So he simply plastered the wall with a black hole that could tricked people into thinking that he somehow created a hole in that impenetrable wall. The leader of the security, who initially was confident in his ability to catch Kid, now became desperate because Kid somehow already get the gem in spite of every precautions he took. At the sight of the hole, he could fall into another trap, like lowering the elevator in case they're in one, ignoring Kid's acrobatic ability while actually helped Kid by pulled the said wall that he secretly connected with the elevator; When your mind is panicking, your logical brain part won't working as well as it should unless you managed to get a hold of himself In this case, even if KID's hole looked so unconvincing, being plastered with bright tapes and all, the man would still lowered the elevator in desperation, and by the time he realized his mistake, it's already too late."
"So Kid can get out of his troubles that he couldn't solve himself by making people thought he actually already done that?"
"That's right. Which is why keeping a calm head is something that'll help us in capture him. Don't rush yourself."
"Um, Aoko's not very good in keeping herself calm, but at least i can try."
"So this sweet girl is actually have a fiery temperament beneath all her sunshine? Mr. Andy's not sure if he is surprised or disappointed."
"Ehehe. Kinda funny to hear a mid-aged man talking like that..."
"That's how we talk in the house." If i was Kaito, or anyone much snarkier, i would've said something like look 'who's talking', "Anyway, wanna talk to my friend who happened to be a master illusionist?"
"Eh? Your friend is a great magician?"
"How else this amateur became a good magic observant in the first place?"
-dd-
"Kudo, in all honesty, after i looked at him, this man might me not that bad."
"Of course he is! How dare he made innocent kids scared to become the next Sherlock Holmes! Now this is personal!"
Kudo now did not care at all about his pride and coolness and all. A stranger appeared and somehow indirectly tortured him mentally by somehow skirting the lines about his secrets, and now dangerously close to exposing him? Bad. Said man now also trash-talking his favorite fictional character? Unforgivable!
"You have to admit that he has a point, though. From what i've read, Sherlock was more like a force of justice than real human being. Few friends, no romantic attraction..."
"And he's still a man who won't make any compromise to justice and will not stop at revealing the truth."
"In all honesty, Andy also pointed out the good part of Sherlock, including what you just very recently described. Also, is your father really bought you a book about antisocial coke addict when you were 4 years old?"
"Oi, Oi, Oi! Who's side are you on, Haibara?"
"I'm neutral here, just like yesterday."
"Just tell me that you're going to help me when it's the time, Haibara. At least say something positive for once."
"Maybe. As long as you're certain that this will be not my waste of time. He's already about halfway in finding the truth about you, anyway. Also, keep in mind that your childish vengeance here is not what anyone'd expected from the Cool Kid."
Okay, that's it. He had enough of her snarky comments."Okay, Haibara. Do you really wanted for someone to talk in such a way that you couldn't help yourself to think that he, or she knows you much more, like 'Ai? Oh, dear. I think it's mean to be sorrow rather than love, right? You must be in such pain. I can see it in your eyes, like someone who was born into underground of pure evil without any choice to redo. And-"
"Kudo, that's...very low of you.."
"Don't know any other way to explain my predicament. But now you understand why-"
"AAARGH! THAT DAMNED DETECTIVE!"
"Uh, i'll call you later, Haibara. Tell me more about your finding of him soon."
And with that, the shrunken detective began to approach the incredibly upset sleeping sleuth. Kogoro was never this angry before.
Well, at least we have common enemy now...
"That detective! First he offhandedly claimed me and Megure as fools, and now...oh, i'll beat you! I'll beat you in this puzzle of...whoever-AAAGH!"
Not even bothered to fix his ties, the man stomped out of his own agency. So fueled with anger that he did not even brought his own phone. Said phone was now on the hand of that freeloader brat, who now looking at the cellphone's display.
Dear fellow Meitantei, it's a pity for me that i cannot solve this case on my own due to my lacks of deep knowledge regarding Japanese culture. Thereby after a discussion with Megure-Keibu, i decided that the current puzzle that the Tokyo Police Department need to solve now shall become yours truly. Go and speak with the Inspector for additional information.
P.S. It's okay to ask help to that bratty smart-alec if you couldn't solve it by yourself. I actually would've approved that since it both means you started to appreciate him and you managed to keep your ego on check for once.
No wonder he was mad...
"GIVE ME THAT BACK, BRAT!"
"EEELP!"
After snatched the phone back, Kogoro took a little glance at the shrimp. For the first time, for a little while, Kogoro looked at him like more than annoying cockroach. However, the man did not say anything as he walked away from his agency, mumbled something that went unheard by anyone else.
Conan decided to spied on him.
-dd-
"He's out of the town." I said after the phone's automatic message ended.
"You're not going to leave a message?"
"I'll just tell him that i'm teaching the basic of magic to someone for preparation to capture Kid. Dani's not someone who stay at his place for a long time, and he's not on tour now, so whatever he's doing, he might be too busy."
Yes. Dani, one of Andy's friend, is also happened to be a magician. Rather unique in fact, since in addition to being an illusionist artist, he also created several virtual magic shows that was accessible from internet. He even left some things for me on this phone that happened to be some safe measures, just in case that i went into danger.
Said things also happened to be capable of creating incredible discomfort for people, so i decided to left the daughter of the Inspector here in the dark about it.
"You will tell him that you're a part of Anti-Kid club?"
"Can't help it. He usually won't call me back unless there's something interesting. And don't worry. He's supposed to
"Well, Nakamori-chan," I said as i bowed to her, "I think i'd better go now since i have another stuff to be attended. Should i take you home too?"
"Oh, that won't be necessary, but.. shouldn't we wait for Mr. Suzuki first?"
"Now that you mention him...where did he go?"
"Probably trying to get more members."
"Hmm. Could be." I muttered as i looking over his non-jewelry collection. If i deduced correctly, that guy's probably going to add people with much higher profile than even himself to add more glitters and gold to his multi-billion autobiography. Hopefully someone who's at least half as humble as Ran so there won't be any...creative dispute. Anyway, look at this. This guy won the Dakar Rally? In his 60s? I knew Detective Conan often threw limit of how anything worked to the further point of possibility, which is why Ran and other skilled martial artists could break non-weak concretes, best of actors like KID and Vermouth could mimic everyone's voice, Agasa's super shoes could kick things without broke Conan's feet by the force alone, Snipers could hit anything on the exact time they needed, but this...somehow, i found this grandpa's achievements to be somehow insulting!
Speaking of limit, how much my debus technique could help me in this instance?
"Sorry for making you guys waiting!"
"Who's you calling? Spielberg? Herzog?" Morgan Freeman? Takeshi Kitano?"
"Now, now, now. It's still not time for me to decide the man who'll narrate, direct, and write. And as far as i concern, we still don't have enough members here! So i've called important people all around the world. JSDF, Interpol, MI6, FBI, CIA-"
Wait. Oh, don't tell me he called Jodie-
"And even some retired people, like Yukiko Kudo!"
Oh, god! She'll clashed with him in every ten minutes! Spothogger vs spothogger!
"But after all that, i thought...why we don't add more controversial subjects here? Some...completely unexplained thing."
Please don't call anyone associated with the evil snipers. Not even the greatest tough man can withstand guns with that caliber. I still want all my head chunks to still intact. Pleasepleaseplease.
"You're sweating, Mr.!"
Uh uh.
Okay. I think the best thing to do now is to take that tissue from her hand. That would've ease the awkwardness here...i hope.
"Thanks." I said without breaking my eyes contact with Jirokichi. "I'm just a little too excited, sir."
"Well, sorry to disappoint your expectations here, but so far, this only potential recruit that accepted...you already met her already."
Wait what?
"In my narration, you're the sixth ranger, someone who made his own scene out of nowhere and threw me off the spotlight initially in spite of being my ally, but i still triumphed in the end! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
Man, this guy's even worse than Kogoro!
At least he appreciated people's intelligence in spite of his supreme ego.
"And to spice things up, you'll face against this girl who'll give you the strangest adversary in anything you do. You'll be able to upstage her, but she'll able to hold herself against you for most of time."
Did he really called Ran to be here? And she accepted? What's even there for her to be my rival in the first place?
"Come on, my lovable niece!"
Eh?
"Can't we wait until tomorrow, or next month?"
Oh, no. That voice.
"Sonoko! He already showed you that he's not a ghost!"
"I don't care! He's still a scary old man!"
Fuck me.
And so, all i could muttered on this peculiarity was:
"I'm not old."
-dd-
So here we go! Would this nepotism went well or not? And would Kogoro managed to solve at least some of the puzzles by himself? And what's Conan really planned against me? Find out next, on Case Solved!
And sorry about relatively nothing going on, not to mention the fact that this chapter read more like my tract. But Aoko