Closed RP. Backdated to the day after the last visit.

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

The Count knew his detective well, and shortly before he expected the man to arrive he began preparing the tea and setting out the cups. He hesitated, for just a moment, before heading into the back, carefully pulling out the incense he had begun to burn the other day and lighting it once more. It was meant to relax, to calm, and he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

Even if it did not work, he had no doubts that he could pretend it did, and that, at least, might help a little. He opened his eyes again, walking back to the front of the store, pouring out two cups of tea. Perhaps a little early, but he knew what he was doing. He knew how Leon took his tea as well as his own preferences, which was in fact why he had begun letting the man serve himself, but today he stirred the milk and sugar into both their cups.

By the time he was finishing, he heard the door open, and looked up with a perfectly placed smile.

Comments

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

Leon came in, and whatever tension that had been in his shoulders immediately melted away. There was something definitely different, and it only took him a moment to realize that D had been burning his incense. It took him back to the pet shop for a moment, and he was more at ease than he had been since he had first come to Disneyland. He hadn't realized how much he had missed that scent.

"D, hey," he said, smiling at his friend and heading towards his friend. "How are you?"

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

He did not know what impulse had driven him to burn his incense today, but he couldn't help but smile when he saw the effect it had on Leon. D really didn't think there had been many times when he'd seen Leon entirely without tension.

"Very well," he answered, holding out Leon's cup for him to take. He could have, should have, left it on the table, but it was the easiest indicator as to which tea was his, surely. "And you, Detective?"

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Leon took the cup, letting his fingers brush against D's. Some part of him told him he shouldn't, but the rest of him told him that friends touched all the time, so he'd let them linger like that until D felt he should pull away. Or until it got really awkward.

"Pretty good, actually," he said. He still wasn't pleased with how his investigation was going, but being with D tended to make him feel a little better, and the incense really had done wonders for his mood.

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

He pulled back as soon as it was viable, as soon as Leon had hold of the cup and wouldn't drop it; he was short one teacup as it was, he didn't need to lose another. He resisted the urge to rub at his fingers where Leon had touched them, not like he had touched something terrible, but like finding an unexpected burn or itch or remnant of tactile sensation that he hadn't quite been expecting.

"Oh? Has there been good news?" He moved to sit across from Leon, picking up his own tea and sipping delicately at it.

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"Not really," Leon said. "I'm just feeling pretty good. One of those days." He smiled a little, and sipped at his tea. "Did you ask that Kohaku guy about checking the water for me?"

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D smiled himself, wryly. "Strangely enough, he came in not long after you had left, wondering what you were searching for that you were disturbing the water so. Sadly, he's searched the entire area already and said he had found no 'mass grave,' nor any way out of the park. I'm sorry."

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

"Well, shit," Leon said. That diminished his mood a little bit, but really, all it meant was that he'd have to come up with a different theory of some sort. He took another sip of his tea.

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"I'm sure something else will come to you, Detective. At least you can rule out one possibility."

"You weren't much of a fan of tea when we first met," D added, and looked down into his own cup. He wondered what on earth had prompted him to say that, and put it down to the incense and the conversations over the past few days and how he thought he could actually feel the detective sitting across from him.

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

Leon laughed a little. "No," he said. He still didn't like it all that much, and didn't drink it a whole lot when Mr. Fell made it. "It's an acquired taste, I guess. I've had more than enough since I've met you."

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"You will find the same holds true of many things," D agreed. Then, smoothly, "Perhaps some vegitarian dishes..."

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"I have no intention of acquiring that taste," Leon said, smirking slightly. "Sorry D, you're outta luck on that front."

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D sighed and took another sip of his tea, putting on his ruffled, disapproving demeanor. "Honestly. You'd think it would kill you to try to eat a little healthier..."

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"I do eat healthy," Leon said. "People are meant to eat meat. We're supposed to. You see these?" he pointed to one of his canines. "These are meant for meat."

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D couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. "Your debate skills are improving, Detective," he said with amusement, "but any vegitarian would tear that argument apart in half a minute. But I fear you're a lost cause." He hid his smile behind his tea again. Really, why did this have to be so... nice?

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

"You can't argue biological facts," Leon snorted. "I never see you getting up in arms when T-chan eats meat." Leon often had something to say about that, but that was usually because the meat that T-chan was trying to eat often came from Leon's body.

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

"T-chan has no other choice," D said calmly. "He is made to eat meat, and can't survive without it. It's been proven time and again that humans can survive perfectly well without any meat at all."

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"There's all sortsa sicknesses that people get from not eating enough meat," Leon said. He couldn't really think of any off the top of his head, but he was sure there were some. "Besides, you need meat for my job. Maybe if you've got some office job or something like that you can stand to not eat meat, but not for me."

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"And where do you get this information, Detective?" Count D looked halfway between annoyed and amused.

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There was a pause. "All over the place," he said after a moment. He honestly couldn't remember where he had gotten the information from, which was making the detective inside scold him for using unconfirmed claims as facts, though his inner meat lover wasn't listening.

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"Of course," and D could take two simple words and make them join that inner detective at scolding Leon for shoddy reasoning. "There are counter arguments on both sides. Proofs and counter proofs."

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

There was something not right about the fact that Leon and D hadn't gotten into a screaming match in the past couple of days. He had thought for sure that this was going to be one, but it appeared as though they were going to stay civil. He wasn't completely sure how he felt about that, or what it was supposed to mean.

"I'm sure there are," he said. "Still, my eating meat isn't giving me any health problems, and it isn't..." he had been about to say that it wasn't hurting anyone, but D would most certainly see things differently. After seeing the animals in their true form, Leon wasn't sure that he saw things that same way either. "Isn't going to kill me, and you not eating meat isn't hurting anyone, so I suppose we should just agree to disagree."

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

The Count looked surprised for a moment, then gave a little smile. "My, that would be reasonable of us," he said serenely, then added, "If you think that anything will stop me from disapproving of your other habits..."

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

"Aw, D," Leon groaned. "They're not even habits any more. I can't smoke at all and I've only drunk oce." He frowned a little, and began muttering, more to himself than D. "Actually, Antoinette's brother is in charge of the alcohol, so maybe I can ask her..."

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

"I was under the impression that they were habits you were eager to restart upon leaving the park," came the too-sweet reply, and D gave him a vindicated look during Leon's muttering. "Or before, given the chance."

"I believe I've met the brother," as he remembered Miss Sunshine telling them that Crowley was the one who held the alcohol stores, "but not his sister. I assume she is easier to speak to?" Because he hadn't had a problem with Crowley, had been more than a little intrigued by the "man," but he had a feeling Leon wouldn't have cared much for his attitude, and if he was close enough to this Antoinette to ask favors of her... Then again, Leon may simply have had no tact.

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

"I haven't talked to the brother," Leon said. "So I wouldn't know. Didn't look like the type of guy I'd want to know though." Leon had no love for yuppies, especially ones that wore sunglasses in dark places. It seemed like the type of person who'd comit all sorts of white collar crimes, and they were some of Leon's least favourite criminals because they rarely got time for it.

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

"He and Mr. Fell are friends," D said. "But they really are nothing alike. No, I don't think you would like him." He inclined his head at Leon. "Do you know Miss Antoinette well?"

((I am so, so sorry this took so long >_o I swear, totally kick me next time XD))

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

((XD; It's fine.))

"Yeah, I've heard Mr. Fell mention him once or twice," Leon said. "Can't say I know Antoinette all that well. We just met that night, but she seemed nice enough."

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"That night? Ah, is she the young woman you hit it off with?" D's smile didn't seem any faker or more frosty than it had, yet.

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"Yep, that's the one. I wonder if I should get in touch with her sometime soon." Leon really wasn't trying to make D jealous. After all, D had made it clear nothing was going to happen between them, and Leon didn't see much of a point in pursuing it if D didn't want it. It wasn't as though he had never talked to D about his love interests before.

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D paused as he was raising the cup to his lips, then caught himself and took a sip, trying to appear unaffected. His grip on the teacup was a little tighter. "I don't see why not," he said calmly. "After all, you did say she enjoyed your company."

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Leon also took a sip of his tea. He was sure that this was one of those times when they could just slip into one of their silences, but he often had troubles knowing when to shut up.

"What about you, eh D? Have you found any sadistic dentists or mafia bosses or something along those lines?"

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

Silence really would have been the better option, as it would have given D time to collect himself. As it was, the Count smiled frostily and said, voice cool, "No, Detective. I have not found here, or anywhere else, 'something along those lines.'"

He knew it was a mistake, even as he was saying it, because really, no need to make it clear to Leon that he was striking a nerve, was there? Though he seemed to have written off those times D had felt a sudden pang of ill-advised jealousy in the past...

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

"Mmm," Leon murmured into his tea, relaxing very slightly (though he hadn't even realized he had tensed up). He closed his eyes a little, and leaned back into the chair. "Hey, where'd you get your incense from back home?" he asked, not opening his eyes.

[caveatempter.livejournal.com]

Luckily, Leon seemed to have completely missed that little display. D relaxed as well. "Nowhere you'd know," he sniffed, though without real rancor. "It's made personally by a local family in Chinatown. It's nothing mass-produced or sold in stores, I assure you." That was where he got his normal incense, anyway. The more special variety he had the occasional use for... well, that was an entirely different story.

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Leon frowned a little. "But how does it get to you when you're travelling all over the world if they're a local family?" he asked. Then he sighed a bit. "Hey, do you think I could get my hands on some once I go home?"

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"There is always a local family," D said mysteriously. Really, it wasn't as mysterious as all that. The people in Chinatown kept their own culture, kept it and cultivated it, and they knew what they were doing. Anything made by them, made seriously and not just with a mind to sell to foolish tourists, would be of high quality indeed.

Then he blinked, looking at Leon with some surprise. "I suppose I could give you the address, and tell you who to ask. A letter of introduction, even. They do keep to themselves," as did most in Chinatown, "but I'm sure they would sell you something." There was a better chance of him getting anything good if the Count did write that letter, to be honest. "You have grown that attached?"

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"I hadn't thought so," Leon said. "But it's nice, I guess." He smiled a bit of a soft smile. "You know, Jill had always been able to tell when I had been to the shop. She always said it was a woman's intuition. But once Chris went home, and you went missing - before the whole 'your father tried to kill me' thing, I mean, she told me that she always knew when I'd been at the shop because she could smell it on me. I had never noticed, but I guess she did." He hadn't realized it at the time, but in retrospect, he had always been able to sleep better when he had his clothes that smelled like D's shop near his bed.

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"Miss Jill was always remarkably perceptive," D agreed. "I'm sure her intuition worked well enough, but it is a unique scent. If you really do enjoy it, I shall see to it that you are able to get some."

[under-arrest-d.livejournal.com]

Leon gave him a gentle, grateful smile, and went back to sipping his tea in silence.