#empath hakuba

[kawarikisaki]

I mean the supernatural and super powered people exist in DCMK so it could be lowkey canon. Agreed about the “Why you do it?” Being his catchphrase is nice support but what convinced me is his immediate understanding about how Aoko was feeling and trying to help her feel better. He a stranger picked up on her feelings before her childhood friend did. Do you think it helps him with Watson?

I do agree that it could just quietly be canon, but I also think that there's not really enough overt evidence to really say that. I'm the kind of person that's really picky about that sort of thing, I'm willing to move away from canon but I always try to use it as the basis for things.

So with regards to empathic Hakuba I tend to treat it as a less supernatural kind of empathy unless the story that I'm trying to tell is one more magically inclined, but then on the flipside, if I am trying to tell a story where the supernatural is on the forefront then I will make it a supernatural empathy.

As for the bit with Aoko, he picked up her feelings yes, but I don't think he did before Kaito. Kaito knew how she felt but and didn't respond anyway, that's the dynamic between them- Aoko tends to invite Kaito places and he always complains but then goes along with it in the end and tries to make sure that she has a good time. It's more or less Kaito's nature to not be honest with his own feelings; he knows she wants him to go with her, he wants to go too, but he can't say it, and it's easier to just follow the status quo. To pretend that she wore him down until begrudgingly he promises to come along. To not show how much he really cares. So what does that mean for our slightly socially awkward empath? He read them both, he doesn't know the details of their history together, but it's plain to see that they both care about each other and want to spend time together, and also fairly easy to see that if things keep up as they are with Aoko feeling like the only one that cares then things would end with one of them getting hurt. And with that information he tries to make Kaito show that he does care, and tries to make Aoko feel wanted.

But anyway.... Watson.~

If it's just normal human empathy then it's probably not a huge help, but when we take the more supernatural direction then it absolutely does, in several different ways.

The exact details would vary a bit depending on just how strong of an empath he is. Is he just getting a vague sense of emotions or is he getting it fairly clearly? What kind of range does he have? Can he pick out who the emotions are coming from or does it all kind or blur together? Can he project emotions of his own back or is it purely one-sided? For people that he's established some kind of bond with can he trace that to get a sense of how they feel even if they aren't nearby? My answers to these questions are all flexible, and vary based on my mood or again what story I'm trying to tell. And those answers are of course going to effect how this ability changes how he interacts with Watson.

To start with, it's probably way easier to train an animal if you have a solid understanding of how they feel. Way easier to condition responses if you understand how motivating different kinds of treats are, or if you can pick up on when they're feeling particularly attentive and when that attention drifts.

I like to think that animals probably 'feel' different than humans when it comes to empathy. So then it might be easy for Hakuba to pick up on it when Watson sees something that feels like a cause for concern, or helpful for Hakuba to try to focus on Watson's feelings instead when humans are overwhelming him.

If he can project his own emotions as well, then it becomes a basic form of communication between him and Watson, and depending on the range I can see a lot of ways it can be used to achieve different things.

But that's where I'm gonna end this one.

[livmadart]

Ooooo I just had a thought for that Empath Hakuba au.

Heiji with Clairvoyance

Basically I'm thinking about that time he dreamed of Shinichi getting stabed and his interference (his charm that he gave him) preventing it

Yes! that was my original point of reference for the whole “slightly supernatural” dcmk joke :) I think heiji and his prophetic dreams are so silly

Hakuba has to deal with TWO of them in complete denial of all things supernatural

[leonawriter]

Something sparked the thought off, and - I was being tempted into the idea of doing something involving Kaito and soulmates (and since it's me it'd be involving both Hakuba and Aoko somehow or other), but then started getting questions.

Like - what things would this change, on both his side and theirs?

Specifically, anything even like a soul mark, or anything like an identifier, or - let's go a little further - something like an tele/empathic link with someone, would really mess with Kaito, because his big thing is to be able to hide, completely and utterly, both in terms of his civilian life and his Phantom Thief one.

If he's bound to someone, in a way where they could somehow pick him out of a crowd, and it's not something he could easily figure out a workaround for?

I can see him getting really stressed over that. Especially if said someone is either a detective (Hakuba) or someone who wants him caught (in his eyes, either Hakuba or Aoko).

"Like, yeah sure you're saying you like and care about me, supposedly I'm supposed to "get" that somehow, and "fate" has said we're important to each other, but you know what's more important to me? Not getting jailed! I really don't want that! So how about we just forget about all of this and pretend it doesn't exist- fuck can't do that okay then how about I just vanish entirely- what do you mean I can't do that either."

I haven't read enough (recent) MK fic to know if anyone's done or is doing anything like that, but just... Kaito freaking out like a rabbit in a cage, because he sure feels like one, and his soulmate/partner/what-have-you not knowing how to deal with the normally cool and confident Kaito(u) freaking the fuck out.

I feel like this is more likely to happen if it's with Hakuba, because he could write off anything Aoko sees somehow or other (though if in the right situation, it could still work), but with Hakuba he'd know he's in deep shit, and the sense of "perhaps if we'd met before all this it would've been great but we are now thief and detective and he's gonna get my ass before he checks me for red string" would be strong.

[gentlemanthiefshowdown]

So we thieves fans know that Kaitou KID and Lupin III have beef with each other but my question to the mods: which thieves would get along like a house on fire?

I often imagine Kaitou KID and P5 Joker being friends/would get along because of their "doing their own justice because authorities won't" MO and dramatic flair of stunts.

Ooogh! This is a good question! I don’t know a few of our contestants, but I semi-know about half so I’ll give it my best go!

I don’t know much about Persona 5, but for sure I do want to get into it and even more I love the many crossovers the DCMK fandom has with it. I won’t lie, I’m most partial to the potential team up battle with KID and Joker against Hakuba and Akechi, haha. Especially for the latter since I would love to see how ideals may contrast (I know a little of Akechi’s story, so it really does have me interested)

Despereaux was my first gentleman thief encounter, and I do love him to death. He’d get along pretty fine with anyone who lets him assume most charge, so I’d say he might work well alongside Phantom R as a fellow art thief. Especially what with Despereaux’s “real” identity (which I choose to ignore, but for context he works for Interpol), I feel he would empathize Raph’s motives and also think it’s hilarious as an art thief himself. It would work either that way or Despereaux would play along up until the end when he steals the paintings because he just does that. (Honestly, that second part could account for anyone who even tries to work with him. You think he's on your side, then the next thing you know your pockets are empty and you're stranded somewhere in Canada).

If we want to give Raph a person he may trust, then I vouch Parker who will not only be willing to help return what was stolen (because it is what the Leverage Team does), but it’s an opportunity to rob a place. A chance at a heist! Of course she’d do it. Also, since Raph is a kid with a bit of a troubled history what with his dad and all, I can’t help but imagine she’d get attached to him real quick (and then maybe lecture him on not getting involved with the crime life like she did in that one car-jacking heist).

I think KID and Parker would get along, also. Both love their jobs and also focus more on the people rather than the monetary gain (Kaito returns what he steals to the rightful owner, whether that be the legal owner. Parker does much the same with the Leverage crew). Though, honestly, I can’t help but imagine they try and one up each other in their thievery attempts.

I am so tempted to go on a long-winded rant about the characters I know and who/what they wouldn't get along with, but alas I fear I’ve gone long enough!

–Mod Silver

[scritch-scratches]

do you think you'll ever write another breakup scene as brutal as dominoes'

Yes.

I know this for certain because the original break-up scene, and build up, was much more brutal! Mostly because Ran was sort of emotionally cheating on Shinichi with Hakuba, and because he’s an empath, he literally felt her falling in love with some else. 

Pity all that got cut—but I don’t think the readers would have ever forgiven Ran for it, no matter how sympathetically I write it, so its probably for the best for anti-character assassination purposes.

Break ups between characters are among my favorite things; I love break up scenes, I love break up songs, and I especially love the fallout of breakups and writing bitter exes. I look forward to writing many more breakup scenes.

[lisatelramor]

A Sip of Liquid Courage (No Way to Take it Back)

AN: In December I took a trope list and a random number generator and tried to make myself some short fic prompts. This is the result of one of them ^_^;;; Not quite my usual sort of fic setup, but it works!

***

Kudo Shinichi was not drunk. In fact, he was entirely sober. The funny thing about having a group of people try to kill you that went by alcohol names, it kind of put you off alcohol for life. Although watching Mouri Kogoro make a fool of himself over the years had kind of helped that aversion along. So no alcohol to numb him to the ridiculous behaviors of people around him at events.

Honestly he didn’t mind too much. It’s kind of fun to know what people are like under the influence if only for hypothetical blackmail information. But when he agreed to come with Hakuba to a forensics conference, he wasn’t really expecting them to get invited out for drinks, let alone at a club. Shinichi was a bit out of place.

Hakuba knew one of the younger officers that invited them. And Hakuba definitely wasn’t as uptight or shy with a drink or two in him.

At the moment, Hakuba was flushed-faced and grinning at something his friend was saying. The relaxed smile was a nice look on him. He actually looked his age.

The song playing changed and the person Hakuba was talking to let out a whoop and grabbed someone from the group to drag toward the dance floor. Left alone, Hakuba’s eyes skipped around the table and landed on Shinichi. His wide grin became a little less wide, but no less warm as he scooted closer.

“Didn’t know this was your kind of thing,” Shinichi said when Saguru was close enough that he’d be able to hear.

“It’s not really,” Saguru said, “but I have enough friends who like this sort of thing that I’ve grown used to it.”

For a man that was more than a bit tipsy, he was still very articulate. But not perfectly put together anymore—Hakuba had run a hand through his hair at one point and his shirt was a bit rumpled from brushing up against bodies to reach the bar. Shinichi offered him a smile. “So you don’t have a secret love for dirty dancing?”

Hakuba snorted. “Hardly. Although dancing in general is nice. Do you dance?”

“Not like that,” Shinichi said with a nod to the grinding going on at the edge of the dance floor.

“How about that?” Hakuba said, with a nod for the wilder waving of arms and shimmying bodies moving in and out of each other’s space.

“Never tried.”

“Care to try?” There was something flirtatious in the way Hakuba held out his hand and tilted his head to the side, something the edge of challenging too. Shinichi was probably reading too much into it. Hakuba was just drunk and enthusiastic.

The moving bodies on the dance floor weren’t very appealing, but the genuine invitation was, so Shinichi put his hand in Hakuba’s. “Sure. Why not?”

“Lovely.”

Hakuba swept Shinichi out of their booth and to the loud crush of the dance floor before Shinichi could register how warm Hakuba’s hand was. Hakuba danced like someone with formal lessons who’d decided to throw them out the window—good posture and sense of rhythm, careful awareness of a partner, but moving however felt right instead of to any pre-set choreography. Shinichi moved with him, a laugh startled out of him as Hakuba gave them a spin, a hand still holding Shinichi’s own.

Shinichi had no idea what the hell he was doing. He almost elbowed half a dozen people and stepped on Hakuba’s foot at least once. He should have felt too sober and self-conscious to do this, but it was actually kind of fun. The room had an energy to it. The music might be too loud and the people too close, but they moved like one organism with the beat of the music and it was its own kind of exhilarating to be caught in the middle of it. Plus it was kind of hard to be too self-conscious as Hakuba had completely lost any of that a while back. When everyone else was drunk, the sober party was the least ridiculous by default.

The song changed, and the beat surged faster. Shinichi found himself pressed closer to Hakuba in an effort to not get too close to strangers, and Hakuba didn’t seem to mind.

He had a hand on Shinichi’s hip, probably helping him balance, and when dancers crushed them closer still, Shinichi realized that Hakuba was a lot closer than he’d thought. He had a happy grin on his face and Shinichi suddenly wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

He tugged Hakuba’s shoulder, nodding off the dance floor.

Hakuba went willingly enough, not taking hands from Shinichi as they somehow ended up against a wall in the far end of the room, not near their table at all.

“A bit too many people,” Shinichi said, having to speak loud to be heard.

Hakuba nodded. “This is better. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Er. Yeah.” Shinichi realized Hakuba still had a hand on his hip. Usually Hakuba didn’t touch anyone more than needed.

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about going to the conference with me.” Hakuba tilted his head to the side and his body shifted a bit with it. Shinichi shot a hand out but it seemed that Hakuba wasn’t actually tipping over, just shifting on his feet. Shinichi kept a hand on his arm anyway just in case. “Kudo-san.” Hakuba looked him in the eyes suddenly serious.

“Uh, yes?”

“I’m glad to have you as a friend.”

“You too.” Shinichi hadn’t realized that Hakuba considered him a friend.  They spoke when they crossed paths on cases or Kid heists, but this was the first time they’d ever done anything together deliberately.

“And I’m glad you’re here now.” Hakuba’s free hand landed on Shinichi’s shoulder.

“…Yeah.” This was getting a bit too…intense. And Hakuba leaned in closer. Shinichi could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Uh, Hakuba-san maybe you should—”

“I’m really glad,” Hakuba said like he hadn’t heard Shinichi start speaking at all. Shinichi lifted a hand to Hakuba’s shoulders to get a bit of distance, but the next moment Hakuba’s face was right in his and lips pressed against his, messy and a bit off center.

Any words he might have found died in his throat. What the hell.

“Mm.” Hakuba hummed against his lips. Tilted his head to try again.

Shinichi unfroze. “Wait wait wait wait.” He pushed Hakuba back and Hakuba let him, blinking at him in confusion. “Hakuba-san,” Shinichi said firmly. “You’re drunk.”

Hakuba blinked again. “A little bit, yes,” he said reasonably.

It shouldn’t have been endearing, but it was and Shinichi couldn’t even feel too bad about the situation. He patted Hakuba on the shoulder, hoping it came across as friendly but not so friendly that Hakuba was going to try and kiss him again. They kind of needed to have a sober conversation about this, which wasn’t going to happen tonight. “I think that it’s time to call it an evening.”

“Oh?” Hakuba looked hopeful.

Shinichi snorted despite himself. “Not that kind of evening.” He tugged on Saguru’s hand, stepping away. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the hotel and sobered up.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to be this forward sober,” Hakuba said, following along happily enough. He was a little unsteady, but not so bad that Shinichi thought he’d have to dive closer to keep him from falling flat on his face.

“And that’s exactly why we’re going to go sober you up.”

Hakuba was silent, turning that over in his mind with a slight frown on his face as Shinichi said goodbye to Hakuba’s friends. They were halfway into the walk to the hotel when Hakuba, probably starting to sober up said, “I made a grave mistake didn’t I?”

Shinichi glanced back to find Hakuba looking at Shinichi’s hand around his wrist, still guiding him on the off chance Hakuba decided to try doing something spontaneous and potentially dangerous the way drunk people could do. The frown had become full-fledged and troubled. It was so far away from the open grin earlier that Shinichi felt a pang of guilt. Looked like he’d kind of ruined Hakuba’s evening even if he didn’t mean to.

“I wouldn’t say a mistake,” Shinichi said carefully. “You’re just more impulsive right now.”

“I did make a mistake then,” Hakuba said with heavy certainty. “Damn.”

“Hakuba, it’s fine.”

Hakuba said nothing, just followed Shinichi back to the hotel room they’d booked for the conference and accepted the glass of water Shinichi got him from the bathroom tap.

“Want to talk about it?” Shinichi asked.

“I think I’m going to be very embarrassed in the morning,” Hakuba said in a detached way that said he wasn’t properly processing emotions now. A pause, then “Kuroba is going to mock me mercilessly for having a type.”

“Kuroba?”

“A…classmate? Friend? Enemy?” Hakuba squinted at the ceiling. “Past crush? Is it really past though…? It’s a bit like those relationship lists with a check-box for ‘it’s complicated’ or ‘all of the above’.”

“Right.” There was a lot Shinichi didn’t know about Hakuba, and who Kuroba was only comprised a small part of that. “Feeling a bit more sober?”

“Unfortunately. I always have hated the crash.” He drank half the glass of water in one go and wrinkled his nose at it. “It’s so nice not to overthink everything for a while.”

Well, Shinichi could empathize with that. “Finish the water and get some sleep, Hakuba-san and we can talk in the morning.”

“Must we?” Hakuba said with a sigh, then, “I don’t suppose I could get one more kiss for the night?”

“Ask me in the morning,” Shinichi said, finding himself meaning it. He didn’t really look to men, but really, outside of Ran he didn’t find himself attracted to people in general. If he let himself look at Hakuba that way, well, he wasn’t un-interesting.

Hakuba nodded and downed the rest of the water. “Right. Apologies in advance if I try to run in the morning.”

“You’re not going to now?”

“Oh, no. I’m much too tired and not nearly mortified enough yet.” Hakuba collapsed face first onto one of the two twin beds, not even bothering to take any clothing off or get under the covers. “Goodnight.”

Shinichi snorted when he started snoring softly a few moments later. He wasn’t really sure what to do with the situation, but he honestly did find Hakuba a friend, so this wasn’t something they couldn’t work out. Shinichi took off Hakuba’s shoes without him even twitching before going through his nightly routine and climbing into his own bed. It was pretty easy to fall asleep, all things considered.

o*O*o

Shinichi woke up to muffled swearing and Hakuba clutching a stubbed toe with his eyes squinted in the light-sensitive way people had when they were hung-over. “Are you running?” Shinichi asked sleepily.

Hakuba froze. “Kudo-san.”

Shinichi sat up and stretched. Hakuba’s eyes followed the motion like he couldn’t help it. He also looked like he was terrified what was going to come out of Shinichi’s mouth next. Well, that wouldn’t do. “I don’t suppose this hotel room has a coffee maker.”

“Er. I hadn’t looked for one.”

“Hmm. Well I need caffeine. If you’re not trying to run away, we can get breakfast and talk.”

Hakuba relaxed in degrees, lowering his foot back to the floor. “…I’d like that.”

“Great. I cleaned up last night, so the bathroom is all yours.”

“…Thank you.”

Hakuba all but ran, taking clean clothing with him.

There was a restaurant attached to the hotel, so that could be their next destination. Shinichi still didn’t feel uncomfortable with what happened last night. He’d kind of thought he would, but if anything he was a bit curious how far the faint interest he’d felt during that kiss went. And, well… He sighed internally. He wasn’t in a relationship right now considering things with Ran had been more than a bit tense after he came back from being Conan. No time like the present to explore the full spectrum of his sexuality.

o*O*o

Hakuba was quiet until halfway through his first cup of tea. Then he just looked nervous. Shinichi sipped coffee—and this was good coffee—and waited patiently for Hakuba to figure out what he wanted to say.

“So,” Hakuba said finally, once the pinched look of a hangover headache was starting to smooth away. “Apologies for last night. It appears that I let myself go a bit too much and ended up inconveniencing you. And. Taking liberties with your person.” Hakuba blushed, not looking quite in Shinichi’s direction. “I assure you that such a slip of propriety won’t happen again, and I hope it hasn’t caused you any reason to regret our friendship.”

Hakuba, Shinichi decided, was kind of cute when he was shy. Not as much as when he was smiling unreservedly, but it made him look vulnerable and approachable a lot more than his usual confidence did. Not that he necessarily found confidence unattractive. “You didn’t ruin anything,” Shinichi said. “And I’m not mad. I was a bit surprised, but nothing you did upset me.”

Hakuba’s eyes flicked up and away. “That isn’t how most people respond,” he said a bit ruefully. “I admit that I’d hoped you would be interested in return, and that I invited you to go to the conference for less than pure reasons, but I honestly only intended to find out whether or not you’d even consider being interested in men last night. It’s just that I was nervous and the last time I attempted to determine this sort of thing it wasn’t…”

Shinichi blinked. “Honestly you seemed really confident last night.”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Hakuba said. “I can get… tripped up by over analyzing and second guessing and a few drinks tends to turn that part of my mind off. Unfortunately, a few too many drinks and I end up overconfident and impulsive and prone to giving into whatever emotional whims I happen to feel.”

“So it was a whim?”

Hakuba still couldn’t look at him. “…Not entirely.”

“Hmm.” So in other words, Hakuba definitely thought of kissing him before that night, he just didn’t have the usual inhibitions not to. Shinichi sipped at his coffee. “Well, last night you were drunk enough that I definitely wasn’t going to respond. Just saying, a drink is one thing, but that much alcohol is a different story. Now that you’re sober…” Shinichi shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure how I feel, but you aren’t unattractive and I enjoy your company. I’d be up for trying that kiss again.”

Hakuba stopped trying to avoid looking at him and stared. “I… truly?”

Shinichi shrugged again. “In all honesty, I hadn’t kissed a man before last night or even thought of it, but it could have been a nice kiss under different circumstances, so…”

“Oh.” Hakuba blushed again, faint pink along his cheeks. “Oh.” The shy look vanished as a much more confident smile crossed his face. “Well, then I’d like that. I. Would you be interested in a date? A proper one, not just me inviting you to things and failing to reveal my motivations.”

“I’d like that.” Shinichi smiled back.

The rest of breakfast went smoothly, conversation switching over to their hobbies instead of the usual routes of crime and cases, last night’s dancing opening a new topic to know each other better. And at the end of it, once they were back in their hotel room gathering up their things to leave, Hakuba drew Shinichi into another kiss. A much more hesitant and shy kiss, but no worse than the first one.

And Shinichi kissed back.

[staravya]

me, for the past couple of years: dcmk? who she?

me now: hhhhhhh but the only world i want to write the magical hospital au for is...... dcmk

[livmadart]

empath saguru hanging near heiji at a crime scene and feeling this swell of excitement when conan walks up and being VERY confused about it. i'm bad at wording things but you understand

No I understand you perfectly!!

Hakuba has no idea why heiji is SO excited to show a six-year-old around a crime scene

Thank you for your ask!!

[livmadart]

How would being an Empath affect Hakuba’s self appointed role as Conan’s babysitter?

I think it would make his job a lot easier—he would be able to tell exactly when Shinichi needs a break from the whole kiddie act and all that

Thank you for your ask!

[livmadart]

Thank you for appreciating Empath Hakuba! He’s very fun and I love him. I’m very excited to see what you do with him.

Thank you for suggesting him! It’s a very fun and funny concept for him. I’m all for playing up the subtly supernatural elements of the show

Anyways, I have literally made this joke before but I’ll make it again. Someone’s gotta tell shinichi it’s not normal to precog murders

[livmadart]

Empath!Hakuba headcanon; the anniversary of Toichi's death, despite Kaito's 'poker face', Hakuba can't go anywhere near Kaito without feeling physically sick. Same goes for the anniversary of Aoko's mom's death.

the absolute ANGST i love

[livmadart]

You think Empath Hakuba tries to comfort Kaito and Aoko in his own way (and really subtly in Kaito’s case because neither wants to admit they’re actually friends despite everything.) when it’s the anniversary of their parents death?

He’s trying his best (sorry for the wait on this!)

[livmadart]

Would shinagami Conan/Shinichi and empath Hakuba be friends?

I think they would not understand each other at all

Thank you for your ask!

[livmadart]

I raise you Ran and Hejii are clairvoyant with Hakuba is an empath. Would explain his fixation on motive (just because he can read the emotions doesn’t necessarily mean he can understand the reasonings behind actions that stemmed from said emotions especially if they’re conflicting and complicated like with Kaito and Kid) it could also explain why he’s the DCMK great detective least involved with murder cases especially if he can’t really use his powers to help him solve the case. Or at least not consistently enough to depend on it. Also find his introduction to Aoko having parallels to Kaito’s introduction to her being highlighted if he can feel/see her hurt at Kaito refusing to go to the concert with her.

I really like Putting Hakuba Into Situations so this is extremely appealing to me. Thank you for your ask!

[livmadart]

They become friends because they don’t understand what is going on and they’re both very curious people.

(Referring to this)

Just a boy and his tiny death god bird

[livmadart]

Empath Hakuba leaving Japan because Kaito and Aoko’s emotions were too much to handle. (Don’t know if he can pick up on Akako’s emotions or if she’s immune because she’s a witch. )

Hakuba does not get a moments rest