neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on Apr 24, 2016 17:09:22 GMT
Note: Fic below is a work-in-progress. I've decided to post it ahead of the "three hours before deadline" rule (and I hope it's okay... it okay, right Mikauzoran -nee?). The reason being--time zones aside--"in case of emergency." Thing is, because it's super hot outside (real feel is at 36+ degrees, minimum, humidity is at 50+%, UV level is at 8, darn it), dad's blood pressure rose a little while back and right now instead of being on the computer I should be playing "guard dog" for a while and be a good daughter and check on him every few hours just to make sure he's okay (Panic-mode Quincy!). He's okay now, thank goodness, but we still have to make sure it stays that way. So yeah... uploaded a work-in-progress ahead of time. If things go well updates are expected in the coming week. Aside from that, I felt like what I wrote will have much impact if I post it part-by-part... Yes, it grew into a full-length multichapter fic OMGROFL. Which was why I had to create a new thread solely for this prompt exchange. It currently stands at around four parts with only about more than 1k words each at the back of my mind, cos point of view demands it to be so. I just hope prompter likes this. (Working) Title: Angel's Game (Temporary) Summary: Contrary to popular belief, Ran never stopped being suspicious Rating: T. May contain peanuts (oh, wait, that was a different warning label xD) Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, maybe Romance IDK Words (so far): 1,032 Prompt: Ran knows that Conan is Shinichi. Instead of confronting him she plays along. During a BO incident she has to reveal the truth to him. You can use any reason; his life depends on it or hers. As long as Shinichi doesn't know she knows about him until she tells him. FFN link: (soon) Notesy-note: RAN IS A STRONG, SMART GIRL DARN IT! She's not as (emotionally) weak as other people think she is and I want them to know that! Also, this could pretty much be a Ran-version of my "Everybody Loves Kudou"-themed fic.
Angel's Game
I. Ran
Contrary to popular belief, Ran never stopped being suspicious on the fingerprints found on Heiji’s omamori. Try as she may to forget it, something deep within her gut tells her nothing but Shinichi’s direct contact to the trinket could make said guy’s prints appear on it… and try as she may to connect the dots to something that makes much more sense, her mind wanders back to Edogawa Conan. Come to think of it, that was not the first time Ran suspected that Shinichi’s not as far as she thinks he is, that she was always around her in the form of the child in her father’s custody. It certainly was the first time she’d known of Conan that night he appeared in her childhood friend’s house, though—and that was the same night she last saw him before he, quote-unquote, “left to solve a tough case.” That was also around the time her father started becoming famous and earned a title for himself, the time he was first called “Sleeping Kogorou,” because after goofing around, making false assumptions, he reverts to his sleeping pose, as Megure coins it, always seeming asleep when giving out his on-point deductions. It was not the first time that Ran not only finds it uncharacteristic, but also strangely… Shinichi-like, in a way. The time Conan appeared was also the time it started—she’d only see Shinichi on occasion, which was not long. She’d notice firsthand how, in more than one occasion, Shinichi would worry her to no end by have body spasms before he’d once again “leave for a case” and disappear again, and Conan, who was supposed to have “gone back home,” would appear again like some sort of magician. Coincidence? No. Ran definitely thinks it’s not. No matter how many times she’s been fooled to think Shinichi is not Conan, it stands true that the two are connected somehow, all because of the fingerprints—specifically sets of fingerprints belonging to just one person—found on Heiji’s lucky charm. And so, instead of confronting him like she did at least twice, Ran decided to keep what she knew for herself, if only to save her heart from further listening to lies the high school detective has played on her before. She’d like to play it smart, for once, being as unobvious as possible and keeping up the older sister act. Occasionally, she’d drop seemingly innocent statements to him. Like that one time she brought up giving her blood to him so he’d live, or when they were attending Kogorou’s old classmates’ Wedding Eve party, about fake identities and DNAs. So far, the karate-do liked to think she’s winning this lying game. Conan-kun never noticed so far. She’s really good at it. In fact, it was much like a game of poker. She just had to draw the right cards, play them at the right time, wait for the perfect moment to see through the opponent’s weakness and grab it. Right, all she needed next is a solid, unshakable proof that six-year-old Edogawa Conan is none other than Kudou Shinichi, Detective of the East. More than just blood types, or the strange closeness he has with Hattori-kun, or the childish act he plays about “seeing it on TV.” Heck, even more than just purposefully ordering orange juice instead of iced coffee, or how he would sneak out to the toilet when she calls Shinichi… She wants proof more than her sixth sense can testify to. And now… Now it’s literally in her hands: Conan’s bowtie. Striking red, velvety, can go with almost anything he wears… and has dials on the backside? Ran looked around, just in case someone walks in on her. There’s no one in the house except her this Saturday morning. Her dad was out shadowing a suspected womanizer somewhere and Conan went out to play soccer with his friends. With that she was left to clean the house and do the laundry. It was when she went to fetch Conan’s and Kogorou’s laundry basket that she took notice of the elementary student’s bowtie littered on the blind spot behind the door. Thinking that the boy must have dropped it while rushing to get ready, she picked it up to put it on the bedside table, only to find the dials and what appeared to be a speaker attached to it. Not only that, but on the dials are marks bearing the names of her father Kogorou, Sonoko, and most notably, Shinichi. She examined the article of clothing for a moment before, bringing it up against her ear and then tapping the speaker twice. At the moment, the pointer is on Kogorou’s name. Ran held her breath before, without hesitation, she finally brought the device to her lips and produced a sound… and surprised herself when she heard the voice of her father coming out. This. This proves Conan is Shinichi. That’s why he won’t go anywhere without it! That’s why he’s always around Kogorou whenever he gives out his deductions… Shinichi literally made a puppet out of her father! Now that she thought about it, was it Subaru-san or Sera-chan who commented about Conan’s bowtie stuck to his cellphone that time they were investigating that “Death” character? Back then she was annoyed because Shinichi hung up on her so suddenly. That was the same night Subaru-san made that curious statement about “Shinichi-kun… saying something over the phone.” Her memory’s a little vague on the details but she’s pretty sure it was up to that extent. After that they were attacked by the group of guys who mugged the victim, and that hellish soccer ball swished past her and landed squarely on the face of the guy who was pointing a knife at Sonoko. Finally that made sense, as well as everything else. Because the truth of the matter is Shinichi and Conan are much more connected than what other people think. But wait, doesn’t that mean that those people knew Conan is Shinichi? Excited, but at the same time confused as to what she should do next, she took the next sane step: make a call to Sera-chan to confirm and ask advice. (tbc) A/N: So yeah, this is the "Ran knows Conan is Shinichi" part. The next part, as the last sentence suggests, Masumi-tan makes an appearance (which I dubbed the "Ran knows Sera knows" part ROFL). As you can see, this is just half of what prompter wanted me to write about so... and since prompter wants a BO scene, we'll have BO appearing soon. That'll be during the "Ran tells Conan she knows" part, ROFL. xD Oh BTW, this fic is one of what I'd like to call "switching POVs"-type fic. For parts 1 and 2, we see the story from Ran's POV, while the other two (or three) parts will be told from some other character's POV. I hope it doesn't get weird cos I'm doing this for the first time ( Detachment-Attachment, aside from being told from the first person, was a fic from two different POVs on one same timeline of events, while in this one, the story continues from where the last part left off, so yeah. It's the first time I'm doing this)... Hope you enjoyed~ Stay tuned for the continuation. :"D
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Cesela
Senior Member
Posts: 480
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Post by Cesela on Apr 24, 2016 17:48:02 GMT
It's been a while since Ran suspected Conan. Makes more sense that she never really gave up. Also, to be found out by such a small thing after being so so very careful? Poor Shinichi. Can't wait for the rest Quincy-san!
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Post by Elirius on Apr 24, 2016 21:20:32 GMT
I can't wait to see what happens next. I am really excited to see where you take my prompt.
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Post by boogum on Apr 25, 2016 0:17:20 GMT
I've always been of the belief that Ran knows - or at least heavily suspects - but just doesn't pursue the matter now for her own reasons. I like what you've done here and am looking forward to reading more!
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neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on May 10, 2016 16:45:58 GMT
Yay!~ I'm happy people like this. It's my first time to write from Ran's POV, honestly... and now I'm making it some sort of a challenge to myself to write in the other characters' POVs (the ones I haven't done yet) as well. aaaand now, awesome people... I present to you Part Twoooo *claps-claps-claps~* I had LOTS of fun writing this (although I hate that this is progressing smoothly compared to my other multichap fics *sigh* which BTW I shall update soon too, once I get the time to actually finish writing them). Still from Ran's POV. Word count: 2,367 II. Masumi
“Y-you know?”
Those were the words that came out of her friend’s mouth once she presented the bowtie on the living room table. Wide olive eyes looked Ran over from where she’s sitting across her.
Inside the long-haired girl’s mind, a little scenario played out: Sera-chan’s probably surprised when she invited her over alone, not having Sonoko take part in this conversation. She’d be surprised to know that yes, she knows about Conan, and Sera-chan probably does too for the longest time now, but doesn’t say anything about it. And now, over a cup of tea she confirms her suspicions on the female detective. Sera-chan stuttering was enough indication, but what peaked Ran’s interest was how she said those words, seeming more like a statement than a question. And there was no surprise in it; rather it was expressed with deep concern. Now that she thought about it, Sera-chan looked disturbed upon knowing the information, completely different from the excited reaction she wanted to draw out from her.
“I’ve been suspecting for a while now,” the brunette stated with a stoic face. “Rather than asking him about it I wanted to know why he’s pretending, that’s why I played along. And now this…” she picks up Conan’s bowtie from the table and raises it to their eye level, “This… voice changer is more than enough solid proof that Conan-kun is my childhood friend, Shinichi. That’s why they look alike. That’s why I’ve never heard of him before until I saw him at the Kudou Manor. I should be mad, right?”
There was a slight hint of despise in that last sentence. She really should be. After all, for more than half a year Shinichi’s been hiding in plain sight, tricking her into thinking he’s far away on a case when he’s really not, and making a mockery out of her father…
But when she thought about it, he was the one who helped Kogorou-tantei become the famous person he is today. He helped give her father cases to work on and was partly responsible for the food on their table. Without Conan, the Agency will fall apart and Ran’d probably be asked to live with her mother instead, and Lord knows what will happen to his father once he runs out of… of everything; he’ll fall apart. Mouri Kogorou was a mess before Conan came along. She admits he still is, but without her or the agency, she knows he’d be worse. Despite all the lying, in a way, Shinichi was helping her keep it together—keep her family together.
Lost in the vortex of her thoughts, Ran sighed and buried her face in her palms.
“But I can’t get mad at him. Even if I really want to, I can’t.”
“Ran-chan…” was the only word Sera can utter. Her arm was halfway across the table, reaching out to the detective’s daughter, when she froze from the other girl’s next words.
“I… don’t understand. Why did he have to lie, Sera-chan? Why is he doing all this?” Ran slurred, feeling the tears coming, but was desperately trying to keep them at bay.
Heaving another shaky breath, Ran wiped the trickles from her eyes and brought her hands down on the table. Sapphire eyes gazed at the red bowtie in her hands.
“You know something,” she firmly told her guest after a few minutes. “And you’re gonna tell me.”
“Ran-chan,” the short-haired girl tried again, and when the other lass didn’t look up to meet her gaze, she lightly placed her hands over hers.
That got her attention, and she looked straight at the female detective’s features.
Ran flinched from the sudden contact momentarily. Sera-chan’s hands are cold to the touch, the exact opposite of the usual playful, welcoming physical contact she, Sonoko, and Conan-kun have been getting from her before. It was taking most of her attention from the other girl’s words; she had to stare back at her to brush the unnecessary thoughts off.
Brows furrowed, lips curved to a frown and moss green eyes filled with worry for her friend’s well-being, Sera Masumi whispered so only they can hear, “I understand, but I’m afraid I’m not in the liberty to tell you what I know.”
Without breaking eye contact, she continued, “But know this… Mouri Ran, I care about you… more than you think I do.”
Sera gave an empty chuckle before she continued, “Honestly, I was kinda happy you now know, that you’ve proven your suspicions were correct all along but I…
“I worry,” the ebony-haired girl paused, allowing Ran time to let the words sink in. Said girl’s blue eyes were glazed with unease. Just what exactly is making Sera-chan say these things to her?
“I worry that… that if you know more than what you need to, it’ll get you in serious trouble.”
Sera’s frown grew even more distinct as she continued, stressing word per word like it’s top priority.
“That’s why… Ran-chan, I’m begging you, please stay out of it. I know it’s selfish of me but as the girl whose older brother used to work with the FBI, the girl who’s always in a heap of trouble but refuses to let anyone in on it, the girl who knew too much and had to hide from… who-knows-what and lie every single time just to protect what matters, take my advice when I say keep your nose out of my world and trust in Kudou-kun. He knows what he’s doing. He knows it’s wrong but he keeps doing it any way to protect you. He lies to protect you.
“And know that, like Kudou-kun, I am too.”
Sera curved a small smile of encouragement, hoping of all hopes that her words will get through the karate-do. She squeezed Ran’s hands tighter, but Ran leaned back and withdrew her hands away.
Now, how does one refuse an advice you initially asked for, but ended up completely clashing with your beliefs? Sera seemed… off, for some reasons. Ran couldn’t help but wonder if the female detective has always seen her in this light. If she does then maybe she’s misjudged the girl all along. To Ran, Sera Masumi is a brave, strong, reckless tomboy who can be a bit of a rascal at times. She can depend on her any time, tell stories with her, have lots of intellectual bickering every once in a while, and most of all, Ran respects Sera’s opinions like Sera respects hers. She’s a friend she’s blessed to have. And hearing Sera beg for her to “stay out of it” is, frankly, the least likely thing she thinks the detective would say.
“I fight my own battles,” she declared after moments of unbearable silence, a bit disappointed that, after finally getting proof of Shinichi’s deceit, after finally getting an ounce closer to the truth she’s been searching for, Sera wants her away. “You can’t stop me from getting the answers I need, Sera-chan, and if you won’t tell me I’ll… I’ll find someone who can.”
Sera visibly tensed upon the long-haired girl’s statement. Despite that, her gaze turned more unnerving; Ran couldn’t help but look away. From Ran’s peripheral vision, she sees her companion tilt her head lower so she can look her in the eye.
“Why? Isn’t it enough to know Kudou-kun’s okay?”
“Shinichi’s battle is mine too. I’m not some helpless girl who needs protection and you know it. If Shinichi’s in trouble I want to be there for him, no matter what. I’m his best friend, and even if he doesn’t want me helping, I still will. I don’t need other reasons.”
The short-haired teen sat staring at the other girl, as if looking for… something on her features… Anything to help her make sure she’s just fooling around with her, that maybe once Sera leaves their house she’ll do what she says and stay put. But what she saw was the expression of someone whose resolves are as clear as day, whose mind is decided.
Instead of a disappointed reaction Ran was expecting, Sera Masumi let out a sigh of defeat.
“Heh. You’re incredible you know that? That strong sense of determination is what makes you beautiful. I’m really glad to get to know you.”
This completely caught the detective’s daughter off guard.
“Huh? What do you—”
Ran cut her question short when Sera threw her a contented smile. Somehow, no matter how pleasing to the eyes that smile was, it disturbed her to the point that she completely forgot what she was going to ask. Somehow, that smile reminded her about what the olive-eyed girl told her just minutes ago…
Keep your nose out of my world and trust in Kudou-kun.
But just as Ran was about to ask what Sera meant by those words, said girl is already standing up and making her way to the front door.
“Welp, thanks for inviting me over.”
“Wait, you’re leaving?” asked Ran as she followed suit of her classmate. The other girl simply shrugged and told her as she put her shoes back on, “What else is left to do? I can’t convince you to drop this so…”
The slightly taller girl let her statement hang in the air, her mask of a smile still etched on her face. Ran bit her lip at this, feeling more and more uncomfortable each minute. In the end, with her eyes glued on the floor, Ran muttered, “I’m sorry, Sera-chan.”
There was a hint of ache in Ran’s words, and she knows Sera detected them. Surely, she made her upset now. She knows this won’t affect their friendship… but Ran just can’t help but feel like she’s wronged her good friend for some reasons.
Except… what did she do wrong, really…?
Sera let out a small, playful chuckle (and even that sounded strange to Ran’s ears), and told her, waving a hand in front of her as she did, “That’s okay. No harm done.”
Unceremoniously, the detective took hold of the other girl’s chin, tilted it so she can look into those sapphire eyes and, much to Ran’s surprise, leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Ran couldn’t help but gape at Sera-chan’s sudden display of affection, and even if she eventually pulled away, Ran still didn’t know how to react to it.
“Take care of yourself,” the short-haired girl muttered, slowly widening the distance between them. She’s still wearing the same, haunting smile, hand not leaving the other girl’s chin, as she continued, “After all, you’re important to me… ‘kay?”
“Uh… yeah. Be careful on your way back,” said Ran absentmindedly, even as the girl before her took an appropriate answer.
“I will, thanks. You’re an angel. Has anyone ever told you that? You’re too caring for your own good.”
“Y-yeah…” the detective’s daughter nodded, albeit a bit hesitant, disturbed.
“Let’s just hope it won’t work against you. See you around!”
And with that, Sera let herself out and ran off, leaving the detective’s daughter alone with her thoughts once more.
Ran’s gaze never left the door, until she had to lean on it for support. And with her back now against it, those thoughts that haunted her during the entire conversation with the girl swallowed her completely…
It’s still a blur why Sera-chan knew about Conan at the first place. In fact, if anything, Ran’s conversation with the detective proved that the things she doesn't know drastically outweighs what she does.
“He lies to protect you,” said Sera, “and know that, like Kudou-kun, I am too.”
Ran’s trembling hand traveled to her forehead. Of course she knows Shinichi’s lying to her because of that. She knows for a long time now… She—more than just denying it, she just wants to know what it is Shinichi’s trying to protect her from. And failing to get the answer she needs, she right up got annoyed and told Sera things she now thinks she shouldn’t have. She knew she told her a lot of things that, when summed up states one thing…
I don’t need protection…
Hell no, she doesn’t! Mouri Ran can be a bit of a crybaby sometimes, yes, but she’s not weak! Even more, she’s no quitter!
But still, something feels off… Sera-chan’s gestures, the way she gave her advice, the coldness of her fingers. In the end, devoured by that feeling that she never got the answers she needs, Ran…
Ran felt like telling Conan-kun she knows he’s Shinichi is the best way to go, if only to ask what it is she still doesn’t know.
Yes. Now sounds like the right time to tell him, but—
The sudden ringing of the doorbell cut the girl off her thoughts. What left her dumbstruck for a full minute, though, was the holler that followed it.
“Ran-chaaan! It’s me!~”
The karate-do gulped, eyes as wide as saucers, a lump formed in her throat. With hesitation, she faced the door, grabbed the knob, turned it slowly and opened the door halfway. Sure enough, standing by the Mouri household doorstep was none other than her friend, the female detective.
“Ran-chan! Sorry I’m late. We had a little trouble back at the hotel. I was going to call you but strangely my cell went missing. You know what’s even weirder? It was in my coat pocket the whole time! Can you believe it?”
Ran froze gaping in disbelief. Indeed, before her by the doorway stood Sera Masumi, visibly heaving from the running she did to get there, in the very same get-up she was in about ten (twenty? She's not sure, exactly) minutes ago, but this time with the eternally bubbly grin she’s used to seeing. Does that mean she was talking to the wrong person?
As if to confirm Ran’s suspicions, after about half a minute of silence, Sera’s smile slowly turned into a frown as she asked with a serious expression, “So… what about Conan-kun are we gonna talk about?”
Ran visibly went as pale as a ghost.
So that’s where that odd feeling came from… The “Sera” she talked to was not Sera. She just confided with someone she shouldn’t have!
A/N: le gasp! I DID say Sera's making an appearance, right? What? I didn't say anything about an impostor? ROFL really? xDD LOLJK Yeah, might've came out a bit SeRan over there but yeah... not-SeRan Also I wanted Ran to not hate on Shinichi, so I sneaked those paragraphs in about broke Kogorou and such... And yes, I'm pro-Ran-is-not-stupid Movement (I made that up. I regret nothing bwahaha xDD) Also, I think Ran will make a pretty good liar if ever she tries, but I doubt we'll see that in canon again anytime soon (still hoping we do, tho, cos reasons, but I guess that'll totally ruin her "angelic" character). I must admit, Ran's actually pretty fun to write, but in order for this story to continue I have to place POV to someone else so... til next update, I guess? :3 Hope you guys like this???
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Addy01
Senior Member
When you can't write angst to save your life but all your plunnies are angsty
Posts: 355
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Post by Addy01 on May 10, 2016 17:01:59 GMT
Ohhhhh! i didn't expect that at all!!! nice twist! is there going to be more?
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neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on May 10, 2016 17:20:13 GMT
Yep! I haven't gotten to the "Ran tells Shinichi" part of the prompt yet. This one's installment two, what I dubbed the "Ran knows Sera knows" part. I predict this to be at around 4-5 parts, and I shall not post this on my FFN until I get to finish this. Also thanks for the feedback! ^_^v
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Post by dreamingfifi on May 10, 2016 17:55:46 GMT
Oh, that was awesome! I was a little suspicious at the "angel" line and then Sera was suddenly so touchy-feely with Ran, but Vermouth took me by surprise. Good job! BTW, are you writing a Ran/Vermouth ship? Ran may not be interested, but Vermouth has been purposely putting herself close to her a lot lately, and she's been protecting her from the shadows even though it is not advantageous to her at all. I got the feeling that Vermouth hasn't felt affection for anyone in a long time, and her love for Ran is overwhelming her common sense.
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Post by Elirius on May 10, 2016 20:09:49 GMT
This is so good. I thought something was off about Sera but did not expect the impostor.
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neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on May 11, 2016 16:22:39 GMT
So does that mean I managed to make the impostor as discreet as possible and succeeded with the pacing for the reveal, Elirius ? Oh my gosh yay!~ I do not fail in life. I repeat, I do not fail in life~ ^w^") rofl dreamingfifi , sorry, no, it's not a RanxVermouth fic... I'd like to keep it ShinRan cos that's how I interpreted the prompt (but really, I still don't know if there's gonna be romantic stuff involved). Although so far, my draft looks like Vermouth has one-sided feelings for Ran. It's not romantic, rather, I'd call it gratitude, and (spoiler alert! although I really can't call it a spoiler anymore) there's this urge for her to get protective of her Angel. And yes, you're right about it not being advantageous to her at all which is, to me, kind of OOC... unless that's a side of her we still don't know about, that or she's got certain feelings reserved for Angel and Cool Guy. *tilts head to side* About Vermouth showing affection for anyone, and her love for Ran overwhelming her common sense, now that's a thought for future references. I mean, we all lose our heads from time to time, yeah? That may be the trigger (or "a trigger"... depends on how you wanna see it, really) for Vermouth to lose hers. OOOOOOH tingly-tingly goosebumps all over *shivers* Mmmmnyaaa~ :"3 um... that was me getting excited beyond words Nyways, I'm glad you guys enjoyed the update. Thankies!~
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Post by Elirius on May 11, 2016 16:46:01 GMT
Yes it does. I really had no idea until the end.
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Post by boogum on May 11, 2016 20:36:50 GMT
Ahhhh, I love this!! I'm sort flailing with happiness right now, so my thoughts are too incoherent to put into words, but suffice to say I love this so much! Can't wait for the next part!!
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neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on May 12, 2016 15:41:34 GMT
Thanks boogum! I'm glad you liked it!
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neonquincy1217
God
Note to self: Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Embrace the random. Life is not instant noodles. :))
Posts: 1,339
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Post by neonquincy1217 on Jun 23, 2016 13:15:09 GMT
A/N: Guess what, guys? UPDATE!~~ Even though I have to call in for training tomorrow, heheh... I have to say, doing revisions is a pain, really. And that's what I did all day today in training. It's such a hassle, so that's why I decided to just go ahead and finish this part to de-stress a bit (only to have an excuse not to revise anything. So yeah, nothing here is revised, I guess)... This time around, we're going in-depth with Vermouth. She's really fun to write, that cunning lynx... even if half the time I still don't know what I'm doing, I think I did her justice... somehow...? *awkward laughter* So there, presenting Angel's Game, Part 3.
NOTE: Series of paragraphs in italics are flashbacks. Words: 1,510
III. VermouthSlipping into the persona of Akai Shuuichi’s younger sister was no easy feat. A side of Vermouth wants to admit she finds it a waste of energy that she had to blackmail the CIA undercover agent, Kir, to help her make a commotion at the hotel where the girl was staying, keep her and the media distracted so she can slip through the crowd, “borrow” her cellphone, slip back out, then “borrow” her face. And yes, she had Kir work with her right after Vermouth revealed to her she knows she’s one of “the enemies.” That was after said agent grilled her to no end about the boss’s favorite taking orders from someone else. But a woman’s got to do what a woman’s got to do. She’s been following Sera Masumi for weeks, as ordered by someone from the upper echelons of the organization, and she didn’t like it one bit. Because no one can order Vermouth around under Anokata’s watch. Or so that’s what she wants to think, until Rum came meddling with her affairs. She didn’t know what could come out from following Akai Shuuichi’s little sister—she knew nothing about them. The girl was… wild, unpredictable, but—contrary to her initial behavior—observant, much like her brother from the FBI. Too observant, in fact, that not even a day has passed since she started tailing her, the high school student has already sensed her presence. So no, this was not an easy recon. She missed the memo as to why she’s tailing the teenager at the first place (“As precaution,” Gin once said. “She’s connected to the Sleeping Kogorou”). But in the end it was all worth it, because by getting hold of her phone, Vermouth found out Angel wants to talk to her about Conan. And the truth is, Sera Masumi really is connected to the Sleeping Kogorou… and much closer than she thought. After all, Angel would not trust her with the sensitive information she knows about Cool Guy if Angel thinks she can’t be trusted. Ever the clever one, Vermouth, under the guise of the (completely flat-chested) female detective, managed to leech out the information Angel needed to share with her friend, gave her a sound advice about “staying out of her world,” and in effect was completely thrown off by her honesty and forgiving heart, much like that time she was saved by said girl in New York. Despite intruding in the Mouris’ (and giving Angel an excuse to become paranoid), Vermouth’s words are genuine. She cares deeply for her Angel. It was as if Vermouth was telling an advice to a dear friend—if ever she had one. Vermouth likes to think she never lost her touch, that she’s as excellent an actress as she was when she started acting. She did a good job from keeping herself from calling Ran “Angel,” or Shinichi “Cool Guy.” Although the ‘angel’ comment was a close call, she was gone in an instant even before the teenager can react. Luckily, Vermouth decided to get out of there just minutes before the real Sera Masumi came to Angel’s doorstep. Heck, she passed by her just one corner away from Poirot Café. It was a good thing she dropped the disguise before then. To top it all off, the fact that she used the opportunity to discreetly slip her phone in one of her pockets meant she didn’t have to go back to the hotel and deliver it back herself. Although, Vermouth wasn’t a hundred percent sure if the female sleuth didn’t strike her as suspicious, she’d call that operation an unqualified success. Needless to say, her intervention alarmed the Sera child, and she and the middle school-aged girl she’s hiding in her room were gone from Beika in a matter of days. Good for her, thought Vermouth. Not only does this mean her recon stops there, it also means the topnotch FBI agent’s little sister doesn’t have to get caught up in the storm she’s now set to creating. As much as she wants to “get rid of her,” so to speak, she didn’t want to create unnecessary panic by putting a bullet through her head. Angel wouldn’t like that one bit. Vermouth couldn’t help but let out a loud laugh upon the thought as she sat on her bedroom couch with only a towel for cover. Was it her lack of motivation to get involved with the latest Organization affairs, or was she simply getting soft recently? Vermouth was never one to put emotion over such trivial matters. She was never one to get involved or get attached with anyone. She was never one to go through lengths to save a life. Then, why is the mere thought of Mouri Ran interfering with her job? Even in childhood, she was trained to be a killer. She can’t fear anyone; she can’t fear anything, not even death. Even in childhood, she was always alone. She was taught to stand on her own, to trust no one, to live for herself. Even in childhood, she was never to like anyone. She was taught to despise the world because that’s the only way she could live. And, even in childhood, she was to keep secrets And even before she knew it, that’s what she became: a woman with secrets… heck, maybe even Secret, itself. Who would have thought the secret affection she began to feel for a teenage girl would change all that? Slowly, a frown curved on her lips. Perhaps, for once, it would do her good to go against everything she was taught to do. Perhaps, for once, her life would be better if she’d save somebody… Slender fingers picked up a sleek, ebony phone and pressed a few keys. Vermouth then placed the phone to her ears just as the tone stops ringing. From the other line, someone picked up. But even before the person on the other line spoke up, Vermouth greeted in her usual poisonous voice. “I need you to do something for me…” -*-.-*-.-*-.-*- Three weeks after, the boss’s favorite agent finds herself by the Mouri household's doorsteps, keeping in mind her conversation with the secret police’s infiltrator… “Huh. It’s very unlike you to ask for a favor, Vermouth,” said the fluid voice of a man from the other line. “What do you need me for?”
“The organization’s feeling a bit… crowded lately, don’t you think?”
“Whoa there, I hope you’re not suggesting an assassination,” the man replied after letting out a couple snickers. Come to think of it, it does sound like a good joke, doesn’t it? Even so, Vermouth kept her ground, and answered in the same, seductive manner.
“No. I need you to investigate Anokata’s weakness. The sooner you’re done, the better.”
“You’re the boss’s favorite. Doesn’t that make you his weakness? Simply put, the organization would crumble down without you.”
A pregnant pause.
“Don’t be ridiculous. The organization can stand on its own. We need to create a much bigger rift that that . Now what do you suggest we do to sniff him out of his hiding place?”
From the other line, the former actress heard a thoughtful hum.
“And may I ask why you’re actively trying to take down the person you practically owe your life to? If Gin—no—if anybody finds out, you’re as good as dead.”
As the person she’s conversing with seemed to point to her the obvious, the blonde-haired woman scoffed.
“Do you think I don’t know that, Bourbon?”
In a blink of an eye, in the middle of the afternoon, even before anyone noticed, Vermouth had already snuck in, slipped a note (sealed with a kiss) under the gaps of Ran’s bedroom, and left as quickly as she came. No matter what, Angel can’t get involved. No matter what, she had to make sure her precious Angel stays out of her Hell (plus, it’s considerably easier to protect just one person at any one time. Since Cool Guy can’t get uninvolved, by process of elimination, Angel shouldn’t poke her head into this mess). If you won’t quiet down, I’ll just have to find a way to keep you away from that mess.She knew just what to do… In order for the organization to be destroyed, there has to be someone from the inside helping the Silver Bullet do its job. Vermouth knew she can’t let another moment go to waste. She’ll have to trigger a commotion for the crime syndicate to fall apart once and for all. To do that, she’ll need help from "the enemy," even if said enemy doesn’t trust her completely… And no one, not even Anokata, can stop her. Not if it’s to protect her most important people. Even if she knew perfectly well that she just created her own weakness… Her own downfall… And as she gives the Mouri Detective Agency one last look, her own words from last night resonated through her… “It’s because I’ve found a much more important person to live for…” A/N: Waaaaai!~ I'm so happy I finally got this up and over with! It's my first time writing from Vermouth's POV. Heck, it's my first time ever to write about her! Needless to say I'm happy with the results. Sure, I might need to fix stuff here and there but... what do you guys think? :3 Also, so we're on the same page, I've decided to make this a one-sided VermouthxRan fic. But... well, I think Vermouth's affection for Ran is only on the borderline of gratitude and admiration. Don't you guys think so? Next off is the most difficult part of the fic as of date: CONAN and "Ran tells Shinichi" in one chapter. TBH I'd like to have a part for Bourbon as well, but that defeats the purpose of keeping this fic ShinRa-focused. This tidbit here on Vermouth is very crucial for the plot so... yeah. Please bear with me. I don't know when I'll be able to update this again. Fearless forecast: it's probably going to be the longest installment for this story. I need major-major help... and time. XP And once I've finished with Conan, I'd probably start posting one chapter at a time on my FFN account... Hope you guys enjoyed this installment! Reviews are loved. And suggestions are VERY welcome~
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Post by boogum on Jun 24, 2016 3:28:38 GMT
Oooh, I liked this! And, yes, I agree the affection that Vermouth feels for Ran is more on the motherly side than romantic. It's a mixture of protectiveness and admiration for an ideal/innocence that Vermouth doesn't want to see tainted.
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