Thank you to ILoveFanfiction-AnimeAdik (lol, glad it's alright :)), krikanalo, Airka Yumeko, CasperxDaisyxRa, Emptydarkneification, the elusive M (who's identity I now know :P), Fluehatraya, Yuu3, hai-edogawa, chibi-twan, Meow-Chan-15, and rana2001 for your reviews.
Thanks for the biological fuel XD
The winner of the raffle was Airka Yumeko. Their request was another therapy session with the protagonists and they didn't mind sharing their prize with all of you, so here it is: (and yes, Ms. Dubose is back just for that while)
I was really busy, so hope I don't disappoint.
Trust games. That was what she had suggested.
Upon the umpteenth insult Heiji had tossed towards Kaitou, Ms. Dubose finally cracked: "Since you all seem to hold profound distrust for each other, we will strengthen your bond through trust games."
It was the "trust" which got Haibara. It was the "game" which got Kaito. And not in the same way.
"This is a bad idea," Hakuba attempted to tell her. Yes, he could foresee all the opportunities they would have to cause irreparable harm to each other- opportunities they would never fail to use.
Alas, several members seemed to have other ideas. "No, I like it," Kaito grinned eagerly, hands gripping the front of the couch, legs in a triangular fold around him.
"Do tell us what happens when one fails to show his reliability to the so-called partner," Haibara inquired impassably.
Ms. Dubose opened her mouth to speak, but closed it as the girl spoke. The therapist frowned. She should have been able to toss the retort back without delay- the response she had prepared to this kind of argument. But there was something unnerving about the way Haibara saw right through her… and Ms. Dubose felt as if the answer would not make much of a difference to the cold little girl.
"Ah, whatever," Conan shrugged, though his absent flick of the eyes demonstrated his weariness. Let's get this over with, it told them clearly.
Relenting slightly, they remained silent just long enough for the therapist to explain the game. "We'll start with a simple activity," Ms. Dubose sifted through her papers crisply, "has anyone heard of the 'fall back' game?"
A few members groaned.
"Trite," Haibara sighed almost inaudibly.
"Where you fall back and let your partner catch you." The therapist confirmed whilst ignoring their faint complaints, "Otherwise known as the 'trust fall,' this game is proven to increase levels of reliance amongst players."
She then proceeded to pair them up by age, leaving Hakuba out for this "round" due to uneven numbers. "One will be the person to fall and the other will position themselves parallel to their partner. You then stretch your arms out -" she made a quick demonstration "- to catch the falling person."
"Me trust him?" Heiji deadpanned, "ya gotta be kidding me. Can't I just catch Kudo or something?"
"Trust," the therapist smiled stoically- like a docile china doll, "is key."
Creepy, the Osakan's eyes widened slightly.
"Trust me," Kaitou Kid chanted with a smooth dab of charm, "I won't let you hit the ground."
Heiji paused, his glare softening: "P-promise?"
The thief grinned, bearing his zigzagged teeth prominently: "Promise."
A handshake, then a soft exhale. Heiji crossed his arms over his chest like a mummy, ready to fall on cue. "Ready," he announced.
"…set, go," Kaitou added.
A hint of a smile played on Ms. Dubose's face. She was glad the two had finally gotten along. Perhaps this was really worth doing; she would have to write that down for further sessions-
BANG! Her head swiveled promptly.
"WHAT THE FRICK HAVE YA DONE KID?"
No, no, no, NO, Ms. Dubose moaned internally. Why were these patients so difficult? Well, technically she knew the intellectual reason behind it- the diagnosis, the complexes, but they were so persistent, so…
"Tee-hee," Kaitou giggled, perched precariously on top of a couch.
"Your hair…" Conan tittered, indicating the strands of hair which were now soaked a rather vivid tint of pink.
Pink, Heiji realised, horrified.
Haibara commented nonchalantly: "Actually, the colour matches your palette quite well."
Conan snickered: "Exactly."
The perpetrator explained: "You landed on my hair dyeing…"
"MA HAIR!" Heiji tugged at his hair frantically, which was followed by an even more agitated, "If Kazuha finds out about dis, I'm dead."
"Huh?" the joker tilted his head innocuously.
"SHE'LL DINK I'M GAY!" Heiji now possessed a genuinely panicked expression, "dis is terrible. Terrible!"
Hakuba tried to reason: "I don't think homosexuality can be gauged solely on the fact that your hair differs in colour…"
"Ha!" Conan narrowed his eyes at the European detective, now bearing a frightening expression for a seven year old, "you have not met those females."
"Dose females…" Heiji shuddered. "Imagine the links she'll make. With me…"
The little boy now gaped in sudden realisation: "and me!" But his terror was then replaced by vague amusement, a chuckle escaping his lips: "Hehe, they won't let you get within a meter from me anymore."
The Osakan grabbed the boy by his shoulders, pleading: "No Kudo! Don't ya care bout' our bromance!?"
Conan's chirped maliciously: "Ran, he's scaring me. Talking about romance!"
"NO, KUDO! DON'T LEAVE ME!" Heiji beseeched him, pinning him to the couch.
"Ah, what are you doing, nii-san?" he flailed about, trying to escape the other's grip.
Ms. Dubose gaped, finally comprehending their charade. "I don't think you should deceive your guardian," she finally uttered, freezing them in motion, "if you really are homosexual, it's alright always better to inform them earlier. I'm sure they'll be completely understanding…"
Smack. Puzzled, the therapist stared blankly at the two boys, red hand marks on their foreheads: they had facepalmed violently, obviously irritated by her statement. Are their parents that unyielding? Ms. Dubose wondered.
"The level of daftness…" Haibara shook her head.
"…is outstanding." Conan completed, exasperated.
The therapist's gaze remained flat and questioning. Hmm?
"I have to wash this off. Coming?" the dark-skinned boy gestured towards the smears of pink dye on his red imprint as he addressed his young companion.
The little boy shrugged: "Sure."
They paced out of the room, hands placed in their pockets, a disbelieving smirk plastered on their faces. How she had become a therapist, they did not know. She was obviously incapable of the most basic level of analysis.
"You know, Hattori," Conan looked up at the other detective sincerely; "I wouldn't do that to you."
Heiji stopped. Smiling back, he sniffed, blinking tears away: "I knew that all al-"
"You'd be rather ugly as a corpse," Conan added and the Osakan's sentimentality became focused on a whole other matter.
"Game number two," the therapist announced, "is called 'collective powerlessness."
Hakuba, Kaitou, and Haibara all held bandanas in their hands. The couches had been shoved out of the way, and the desk pushed up against the wall so as to leave enough space for staggering occupants.
"Due to our numbers at the moment," she inspected her watch momentarily, calculating the minutes the two detectives had spent in the washroom, "we will play a slight variation of the game. Here's how it works: I will call out one of your three numbers. When you hear your number, you scream for help. The others will find you, and when they do, you let yourself fall back for them to catch you."
She smiled her plastic smile: "Alright?"
Hakuba acquiesced: "Very well."
Their sneakers clicked against the hallway floor. Suddenly, a wail broke out, slicing through the air stridently. Female, Conan acknowledged immediately, probably a crime. His eyes narrowed as he searched the array of doors lining the walls for the source of the sound. It is farther, he realised.
"Seems that we find murders even here," Heiji commented nonchalantly.
Conan did not spare a moment to answer as he darted through the halls, teeth gritting together, hoping, pleading that the victim was still alive. That he could save them. That…
Oh no.
"Room 157," Heiji enunciated, staring, gawking at the door before him. The door to their room.
"Haibara!" Conan barked, now recognising the timber and pitch of the voice, "Haibara, open!"
His small hand clutched the doorknob, jerking it sideways where it should have rolled effortlessly.
The dark-skinned detective pushed him aside lightly: "I got it." Rolling up his sleeves, he brought his right arm across his left shoulder and charged. Bearing into the door, he felt the cringes wail; they were weakening. Again and again, he slammed into the door, wrathful and desperate. He didn't care how the others called him hot-headed, spontaneous; right now, all that mattered was saving the potential victim. With a last, furious heave, the oak surface finally gave way beneath him.
No, someone had… opened it?
"Sorry for locking it," Ms. Dubose waved them an apologetic smile, "we were playing a game and didn't want anyone else to enter."
She then added: "Your knocks are powerful… but please, these doors are very hard to reinstall. Be considerate."
Dazedly, they peered into the room where Haibara had fallen into the arms of Kaitou, both still blindfolded. "That's one realistic cry you have there," the thief muttered, "Even the Tanteis were attracted."
Haibara replied coldly: "Matter of habit, I suppose."
"Ya…" Conan appeared sheepish, "matter of habit."
PS: The game at the end is real. X3
What did you think? Was it... actually funny?