Aeyra

I think it's good. I had my iTouch stolen at one point too. At the Georgia International Airport. And our iPad, and a bunch of books, and two pairs of Oakley sunglasses, and etc. I wish I'd thought about writing a letter, but somehow I doubt that would have worked. It's the busiest airport in the US, people lose stuff all the time. When did you lose the iTouch? Another thing- immediately change all of your passwords on every site that your iPod's connected to. You don't want someone hacking into all of your accounts. Even passwords can be broken if you bring the thing to the right people. There's software and everything that could do it. I hope that shopowner (or school, I'm kind of confused) will pay you back for it. Not to get your hopes down or anything, but unless you get concrete proof that it's the owner's/business's fault that your iPod was stolen, it's highly unlikely he'll give you a new one. I don't think your parents are quite in the mood to sue either. However, I do wish you luck. I hope it goes well.

LOLZ. "Buddy bonding time?" HeiShin otaku freakout time! I wanted to find something running in circles screaming in joy, but I didn't really feel like exploring. ^^ So Shinichi turned back? Yay! (now I don't have to feel guilty about Heiji da' Pedo-bear. XD) JK, I'm rooting for ShinRan. (and HikaHaru) Can the twins team up with Kaito and like- put Saguru in a wedding dress or something? (here's where the idea came from:) Sorry... My brain isn't working properly because I'm hyper and have no idea why. I'll try to act sane for the next chapter.

Oh, I looked on ff.net an hour or two ago, but it wasn't there yet, and at the moment, I'm slightly too lazy to do it. Maybe in an hour or two. BTW, I released a new chapter of MSK and you haven't reviewed it yet. Sayomi has taken your honors of being first. Is it in the crossover section? Oh, I also had advice to make the chapter better. There's a little too much dialogue for the size of the chapter. Add more details and it'll be near perfect!

LOLZ I'm getting flashbacks of that chapter where they visited. All you need to do is remember the Rolls-Royce and the Mercedes-Benz. Pretty good! I wanna see what Conan thinks! (Heiji would be a fun addition, just saying. *winks* Maybe Kid and Hakuba and a jewel belonging to a host club member too... *gives hinting wink*)

Agreed. The polls will be public and we'll punish anyone who votes for themselves. Punishment= no cookies. XD

I almost voted. XD We have to wait till July 1st? o.O No changing my profile pic till then.. And I wanted to make it my little Heiji... *cries*

I really wish it was Hakuba for real though... TT-TT (crazy otaku Hakuba fangirl over here) He's only been in two arcs...

Thanks! I'll post the next once I finish Chapter 6 I guess. Thanks! ( I feel so repetitive...) I guess I'm not completely brainless at ten o'clock at night!

*stands still nervously* Wow, it seems there's quite a conversation building up here. But to clear up the atmosphere (and to somewhat prove Cure-kun's point ROFL, my friend showed this to me, here's a little joke thing:) I laughed so hard when I saw that. And I think Cure-kun is half-serious, half-joking. Maybe...

In answer to mabel's request (because I'd honestly forgotten- I've been planning out chapters 48-53) here's the next chapter. It may have weird tenses (again) but I hope it's enjoyable! Chapter 4 Ran's POV I awoke curled into a ball under my thick winter blanket, eyes sore, body stiff. My memories of last night were vague- blurred visions of a darkened Tropical Land, a police car, and- and Shinichi's body. I remembered it with a twinge of pain; his face was emotionless, as if he had gone to sleep, head blotted with dried blood, bangs stuck together by the crimson liquid, hands just barely grasping the grass in front of him. His azure eagle eyes, that special intense gaze that could pierce through all lies straight to the core of the truth, closed forever, never to be opened again. But- couldn't it have all been a dream? A horrible nightmare conjured by my overactive imagination? It had to be a dream, I decided, knowing in my heart I was only fooling myself, but holding on tightly to the last bit of hope I had left to cling to. There's no way Shinichi could be dead, right? I actually smiled a little at the last thought, feeling more confident in my farfetched wish than before. Shinichi had to be alive- he simply had to be. He'd always been part of my life every day, how could he have simply disappeared? Vanished like evaporating water? Ridiculous. Happier than before, I got out of my warm bed, and shimmied out of my pajamas. Putting on a red turtleneck and dark blue jeans, I looked into the mirror, posing for fun. I noticed bags around my eyes and the red that indicated poor sleep and crying. I probably just cried during the nightmare, I thought, desperately fighting against my fear that Shinichi was- that Shinichi was- I refused to say it. Who wouldn't cry if they found their best friend murdered? Even if it was a dream... Combing out the tangled knots that had formed in my hair, it occurred to me that I hadn't showered the previous night. If I had, I would have conditioned. And I showered every day. Why hadn't I last night? I was probably too tired after hanging out with Shinichi, I presumed, making up excuses for these obvious signs left and right. That's why, that's why... I chanted mentally. No other explanation... I opened my door, revealing my dad watching TV, headlines too loud for me to ignore. The scene was familiar, a dark alley outside Tropical Land. There was tape where a body had lain... It's not true! I screamed silently, feeling as if I was being ripped to pieces. Not possible! "Last night at around 10:30 P.M. the body of high school detective Kudo Shinichi was found here on the grounds of Tropical Land. The police have no leads so far, and anyone with any information are asked to contact the police at..." My ears were ringing, trying to block out the words, that reporter who was saying them so apathetically, so bluntly, showing she obviously didn't care. My best friend was dead, murdered, and I'd never see him again. How could she talk as if it didn't matter? Letting out a loud sniffle, I went back into my room, hearing the television turning off and my father anxiously following me. "Ran, are you okay? I know how tough this must be-" "How could you possibly know?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, letting out all of my stored anger. "Shinichi is dead and he's never, ever coming back! How could you understand? Tell me dad. Please." My voice ended almost like a plead for help, but all he did was stand there awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head, lost for words. "Well-um-" A knock from the door captured our attention, and I looked over to see Satou-keiji leaning against the frame, having entered because the door was left unlocked. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," she started, trying to judge the situation. "But Inspector Megure would like to see you, Ran-san. It's about the case." She looked uncomfortably to the side and gave a little cough. "But if you don't want to go right now..." "No, it's fine," I replied, sniffling. "I don't want to stay. It's on the news." "Ran-chan, it's all you'll be hearing about at our investigation. None of us want you depressed like this. We can always get your testimony as a witness later after you've recovered." "I might forget important details!" I said, knowing I had to go to Tropical Land. I remembered what I had swore last night. "I will become the detective in your place, Shinichi. My investigation starts tonight." How could I possibly uncover the truth without attending? "Please, Satou-keiji. I want to go." "Fine. But don't push yourself too far. The grief could have a much longer-term effect if you stress yourself out. Okay?" she informed me. "That's fine by me," I agreed. I don't think my heart could stand the pain if "I pushed myself too hard". I followed her down the stairs to the police car, identical to the one I'd rode in last night. Pristine black leather sheets, a gleaming side-view mirror, and an unscratched exterior. "Is this car new?" I asked, looking around to catch what details I hadn't noticed before. "Barely a week old. I've been out on cases so much with everyone else we needed a new cruiser. Isn't it great? It's top speed goes over 200km/hr, but that's technically illegal. However, I actually had to catch a criminal by driving that fast..." Satou-keiji kept me entertained with startling robberies and the long hunt afterwards, high-speed chases, keeping me thoroughly distracted from the worse parts of my life. I laughed along with her; forgetting for just a few moments the truth. My now upside-down reality. At least she knew what to say better than my dad- she didn't say a word about Shinichi once after entering the car. I was sure that as an officer, she's seen deaths more personal to her. That's why she can help. However, soliloquy can only last so long in the face of despair. We arrived in matter of minutes, and Satou-san led me to where several officers were already present, and they respectfully stepped out of the way as we approached. I cringed as the scene was unveiled, but breathed a sigh of relief as I realized that Shinichi's body- the still, bloody, lifeless corpse- had been removed, leaving white tape and dark champagne splashes on the grass in its stead. Easier on my heavy heart. The inspector appeared in front of me, giving a rough cough before staring somberly into my eyes. "Ran-kun, before I begin with my questions, is there anything you would like to ask me?" "Have- have you figured anything out?" I inquired nervously, wondering if this was the right thing to ask. If I'm to take Shinichi's place, I'll need to know what to do. I should know- he and my dad are both- were- (a painful cringe) detectives. I should have learned something. "We've gotten the autopsy. It's- it's quite strange though. I've never seen anything like it before and-" "What?" This got my curiosity. The inspector was experienced- he'd been at several murders. What was so different? "We were unable to find a cause of death," he whispered, voice hollow and disbelieving. "I had them check over and over, but even they had no idea what was wrong. His skull was damaged and bleeding, however the wound was nothing close to fatal. He's just dead. No poison, no anything. Just gone. Gone." His face was pale as a sheet, blanched with shock. He had been pretty close to Shinichi and not only had Shinichi been killed- this was a murder that would make even Holmes himself struggle. "Is that possible?!" I blurted out, unable to stop myself. "He couldn't have just died!" "I'm afraid so, Ran-kun," he stated gravely, shifting his hat. "We discovered that his death took place about half an hour before discovery, which puts the crime to about when you two left. Do you recall anything suspicious?" "Well," I mused, blinking away tears as Shinichi's last smile filled my vision. "Well..." "Don't push yourself!" he warned, assuaging me with a comforting pat on the shoulder. "This kind of thing is hard to deal with. We need you for this, Ran-kun. And whether you tell us today or tomorrow there isn't much difference- we'll learn eventually." "O-okay," I sniffled, ashamed at my sobs. Why can't I just keep myself together at these crucial moments? I thought, angry as hell at myself. Dammit. You're the only one that can tell them about Shinichi's last moments and you can't do anything but cry. What a useless excuse for a best friend... "By the way, Ran-kun," said Megure-keibu, turning me towards the scene again. "I'd like you to meet someone who'll be helping us during the investigation. Hattori-kun! Over here a moment please!" Through clouded, foggy eyes I saw a tall, caramel-skinned teenager saunter over, a baseball cap flipped backwards on his head, logo hidden from my sight, viridian eyes filled with determination. The light in those eyes- they gave me the same, awestruck sensation as when I'd look at Shinichi during a case. Utter, unconquerable confidence, cold, hard, steel- scary and a daunting combination. "Hattori-kun, Mouri Ran-kun," he introduced us. I gave the boy a small smile, and he returned a sympathetic grin. "Ran-kun, Hattori Heiji-kun. You may have heard his name before. He's a famous high school detective from Osaka." "Nice 'ta meet 'cha!" he greeted me, a distinct dialect marring his speech. "I just wish it was unda' different circumstances." "Same here." I offered him my hand and he shook it, irises conveying apology as I stared at him. "So- how goes your investigation?" "Not very well," he replied honestly, a disappointed expression on his face. "I've been searchin' the place all mornin' and I can't find a single clue. This mystery is downright bizarre. It's like it's been taken right out of a story of some kind." "Heiji!" A feminine cry emanated from the sidelines, and I turned to see a teenage girl about my age waving frantically at Hattori-kun, her dark brown hair put up into a ponytail with a yellow bow. "Heiji! They won't let me in!" Hattori-kun cringed, sighing before pulling up his hat and twirling to face her. "Of course not, ahou! This is a crime scene! Only da’ people investigatin’ can come in!" The volume surprised me, and I backed away, the noise still ringing in my eardrums. Ahou... "Baro! Just wait for me, 'kay? I'll be done with this case in no time at all!" A wink from Shinichi, and then he'd finish up the case like lightning, fulfilling his promise. So many times before. Why couldn't "I'll catch up with you?" be fulfilled too? Why couldn't he keep just that one promise? Tears, so many tears, dripped from my eyes, welling up and spilling over. My body shook from sobs, and it must have looked quite serious because the girl ran in to give me a handkerchief. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, holding out the small square cloth with a concerned expression on her face. "Kazuha!" complained Hattori-kun, green eyes annoyed. "Didn't I tell you to stay out?" "But- but this girl- um-" she stuttered, her tongue tripping. "I'm Mouri Ran," I explained, wiping away the moisture. "Ran-chan was crying! Besides, it's not like I'm goin' ta destroy your precious crime scene!" she protested, rolling her eyes as Hattori-kun countered her. They continued to bicker for the next few minutes, sharp insults not meant to be taken seriously, eventually straying from her intrusion to ridiculous nonsense. I had stopped crying by then, instead curiously interested in the way they talked to each other, and how, how much it reminded me of- "Are you two dating?" I blurted out, unable to stop myself. It was rude, but I had to know. Watching them- well, I felt like it was a clip of my previous everyday life, familiar as breathing. I already missed my own arguments with Shinichi. "Eh?" they replied simultaneously, eyes blank, cheeks champagne-red. Hattori-kun was the first to recover. "Whaddaya talkin' about?" he exclaimed, frantically waving his arms around in random movements, face redder than a ruby. "How could she be my girlfriend?!" "We're just childhood friends!" added Kazuha, thoroughly embarrassed. "He's like my lil' brother!" "I was mistaken then." I felt my smile widen, and then slip away. It was so obvious, the bond they shared, and yet- both denied this one, definite truth. Sad. Feeling a need to advise them, recalling my own lost dreamt romance, realizing how much he would act like Hattori-kun if we had been attacked with the same romance, how obvious our feelings were to friends and strangers alike, I told them, "Just don't wait till it's too late. You can't do anything about it after that. I- I definitely regret it." They stared uneasily at me, and then each other, sharp green eyes trying to pierce the other, trying to read behind the jade. They said nothing, instead standing still, absolutely silent. I could sense the tension, the hesitant air, the lingering pressure my words had left, hinting for them to share their feelings. Nothing. "Aww! Come on, Ran! You know he's already like your husband!" commented Sonoko, pushing me forwards. "Both of you confess already!" Shinichi and I had blushed profusely and looked away from her, ignoring her and continuing our conversation. There had been no way I was going to confess to him two days ago. And now I really wished I did. At least I would have gotten an answer of some sort. Not silence from a cold, frozen corpse. Shinichi... I think, keeping the sobs from showing. I wish- I wish I told you... Ran, can you hear me? There was no mistaking that voice, that resonating tone, that arrogance smoothly blended in. I could almost see his sharp, lightning blue irises, that familiar cocky grin as I turned around and exclaimed, "Shinichi?!" *LOL I wrote the original of the chapter when I was still a canon geek. I guess I can fake being HeiWa and KaiAo for the time being. ^^ (don't worry, it's not going shounen-ai.)*

What's wrong with voting again? It's much more fair since you have more people giving their opinions. I also think we can trust each other to play fair just fine.

XD. But no. He just transformed to a smaller Heiji, so he's wearing big Heiji's clothes. LOL This is like what I'm planning for a fanfic.

I agree. Last I checked, all of the posts were a sentence long and there were no hard words. LOL But the judging still sounds a bit complicated. We could have private polls in the chatroom with the list for the week or whatever and you could vote that way. You can say what you voted for if you wanted to, but you don't have to. Also, everybody has to be a good sport.

What's 'pentool'? (only started using SAI one week ago) I use the pen, but I don't really see any differences between that and the brushes.... There are tons of better things. But for the moment, I'm glad you like it.

Pretty good! Did you do the background too?

Yeah. But I'm pretty sure nearly all of us agree Movie 11 sucked.

I think that one was the most fitting for the 'suicide' scenario. It was like a proper ending, and along the with the beautiful music, the suspect faded away in the flames. All the other suicide attempts would have felt a little superficial after that one.

"Wow, so you weren't kidding about only liking black coffee," exclaimed Aeyra, peering at Cure-kun's translucent cup filled with sloshing dark brown liquid. "Did you put in any sugar at all?" "Nope!" he declared proudly, sipping more of the bitter stuff and letting out a satisfied 'ah'. "It tastes so good. How do you guys like all that sweet stuff anyways?" "Well, smoothies taste good," defended Aeyra, taking a slurp of her fruity mixture, coughing as a chill ran straight down from her head to the base of her spine. "Ack! Brain freeze! My hands are so cold!" "That's another problem with your smoothies," laughed Cure-kun, accidentally spilling coffee onto his shirt as he chuckled. "Aw darn it! I was planning to wear this shirt tonight for my-" Oh shoot... he thought. "Date?" asked Chelsea and Aeyra simultaneously, looking as if they had planned the whole thing. They smirked, and at that moment, Cure-kun felt just as if he was Tamaki Suoh, trapped in yet another of the twin's dastardly schemes.