Work Text:
From the top of the landing, Susato can hear the lively chatter of what must be a riveting conversation—at least one can presume, the way Holmes’ laughter carries up into the attic. It’s been going on for some time now, long enough for Naruhodo to have said his goodbyes and for Susato to stand here for ten solid minutes, unmoving. Occasionally she can make out a word or two, but for the most part it remains an indistinguishable blend of voices she holds most dear, rising and falling in natural lulls.
In a way, it’s her personal symphony; one only she is privy to. Each time Susato believes the performance finished, her foot hovering over that first step, it simply ramps back up again. It makes sense, she supposes. There must be plenty to catch up on. They haven’t seen one another in ten years, after all, and Iris is…
Well, for Susato, it’s far past the time she typically heads downstairs for breakfast.
When she does manage to pry herself from her spot, she does so quietly, wincing each time the wood creaks in betrayal beneath her boots. She can’t explain her reasoning for sneaking in this manner; something simply… wells up within her the moment she imagines intruding upon the discussion.
It’s a new word, certainly. Intruding. For the on-and-off months she’s resided at 221B Baker St, she’s felt nothing of the sort. Then again, only recently did Susato become aware it had first been a warm and loving home built upon her absence. It’s an odd feeling, as if she’s poking an old and ugly bruise.
She can’t stop thinking about it. It feels good and awful to think about it.
Once Susato steps past the partition, wide-eyed and stiff, Iris lights up from the chair she’s tucked herself into.
“Susie! Oh, thank goodness. I was getting worried.” She frowns, knees to the cushion as she hangs precariously over the back. “You’re usually down here a lot earlier. Are you not feeling well?”
Susato immediately swallows any vindication that Iris noticed—it’s unbecoming of her. She smiles with a slight bow of her head. “I’m feeling alright, Iris. Thank you for the concern, though.” She turns to Father and Holmes next, or who she assumes to be Holmes. The man in question is upside down on the settee, presumably grasping for something beneath it. “Good morning, Father, Mr. Holmes.”
“Ah, Miss Susato! How wonderful it is,” voice straining, “to hear your greeting at last.” Holmes adjusts into a more proper sitting position, twirling a fifty sen coin between his fingers. “You were sorely missed during breakfast. Iris nearly paced a hole through the floor waiting to serve up your portion.”
“I did,” Iris cheerfully confirms. “Professor Mickey was telling me all about your favorite meals back home, so I thought I’d try my hand at something similar! I’ll need your opinion, of course, but Daddy liked it so much he even asked for thirds.” She hops up with a clasp of her hands. “I’ll go and get it ready for you!”
As Iris disappears into the kitchen, Holmes slumps back. “I don’t suppose I’ll ever get used to hearing that,” he mutters, dragging a hand through his hair. Father chuckles heartily.
“I’m afraid not. Though it’s not something you’ll ever tire of hearing, either.” He then looks at Susato, expression somehow softening further. “It’s good to see you, my dear. Naruhodo was adamant you were enjoying a slow start to the morning, but I hope you’ll allow yourself to rest today if needed.”
It takes every bit of Susato’s restraint to hold back her grimace. For Naruhodo to have preemptively made an excuse on her behalf only meant he had been concerned as well. As touched as she is by her friend’s gesture, it does little to soothe her. She still feels uncomfortable, as if she somehow slipped into the wrong skin this morning. The attention she shamelessly desired feels undeserved.
“In truth, there is something on my mind. Nothing serious, of course.”
There was a reason she came down in the end—the only solution she felt might remedy her discomfort. “Well, in comparison to our usual troubles, I suppose. It is important to me. I was hoping to enlist your help in solving it, Father. Alongside Mr. Holmes, if the two of you are willing to humor me.”
Father’s brow raises inquisitively. Holmes seems utterly delighted.
“Why, dear madam, are we to be entrusted with a case?”
“Yes,” Susato nods, gently clutching the wrist folded at her waist. “I’d like you to find my felt doll, the one Iris so graciously made for me.” She looks towards the kitchen door, already a bit nervous. After so many instances of watching Holmes’ great mind at work, and knowing now that her own father was at the heart of that brilliance, this silly plan suddenly feels wildly out of Susato’s uninspired capabilities. She must choose her words carefully. “Unbeknownst to Mr. Naruhodo, I’ll be leaving for Japan as well in only a few days, and I don’t wish to leave without it being properly recovered.”
“And to think, my dear Mikotoba, only moments ago I was waxing nonsense about much needed breaks and the chaos of clientele.” Holmes jumps to his feet with a catch of the coin. “Please, Miss Susato, if you would. Do tell us everything you might know as to the whereabouts of my— my daughter’s handicraft.” He glances at Father. “How was that? Too forced?” He frowns. “Shall I just leave it alone?”
“Practice is good,” Father fondly assures him.
“My daughter’s handicraft!”
“What about me?” Iris reappears with eyes brighter than ever, breakfast tray in hand.
“It seems your lucky charm bearing the likeness of Miss Susato has absconded somewhere. We have been tasked with finding it at all costs—it’s a matter of life and death, you see.”
Susato startles. “O-oh, it’s really not—”
“Ooo, goodie!” Iris exclaims, pushing the tray into Susato’s hands. “I mean, it’s sad to hear, of course, but I’ve been in the mood for a good puzzle.” She smiles up at Susato. “And don’t worry, Susie. If Professor Mickey and Holmesie can’t find it, I’ll be sure to make you a new one before you go!”
“Holmesie…” Holmes mumbles. Father laughs.
“As Holmes was saying before, dear. Would you tell us when and where you saw it last? I imagine it must be rather small, so we’ll want to narrow the search perimeter the best we can.”
“Do you know what it looks like, Professor? I can sketch it for reference!” Iris is already reaching for the nearest notepad as Susato begins to feel a little lightheaded.
“Right. Yes, um.” Susato looks off to the side, fingertips barely brushing her lip. “I don’t recall taking it out of the flat since the trial. In fact… I’d say that the last place I saw it was in the attic. Yes.”
“And when was this?” Father follows up. “Well… I thought of asking for your assistance this morning. Before Mr. Naruhodo left, whenever that might be.”
“8:36,” Holmes supplies, scratching at his neck. “Right after scarfing down his share of Iris’ lovely breakfast, mind you.”
“Are you still upset he wouldn’t let you clear his plate, Holmes?” Father muses. “Young men are still growing men. I trust he needs it more than you.”
“Details,” Holmes mutters, waving him off.
“So, you last saw the doll in the attic, and you realized it was missing while getting ready this morning?” Iris summarizes.
Susato nods, but the gesture is interrupted by a snap of Holmes’ fingers.
“Interesting choice of words, my dear girl.” He leans back against the arm of the settee, looking all too pleased with himself already. “Missing. Pray, what makes you believe it’s missing?”
Iris blinks. “Well, didn’t you say Susie asked—”
“Ah, I see,” Father mumbles, stroking his chin in thought as Susato already feels the walls closing in. “I follow where your thoughts lead, Holmes, but I must admit I wouldn’t understand the intent.”
Holmes chuckles. “Let us take a moment, my dear fellows, to dissect our client’s wording. The request was to enlist our help with solving something on Miss Susato’s mind—while a missing case can certainly be solved, so can a puzzle, as Iris so cheerfully exclaimed upon entering the conversation. The instructions were simple, to which I give my dear madam credit: we were to pinpoint the location of her doll. However, Miss Susato never once claimed to not know where it is herself and, in fact, was particularly careful with her phrasing so as to not suggest otherwise.” The great detective grins knowingly. “This is, of course, substantiated by the fact that Miss Susato under any normal circumstances would be entirely distraught over losing track of such a sentimental gift. Yet here she stands before us all too composed, if not pale in the face. The only logical conclusion is there was never any risk of losing that which she holds dear, but only in her scheme unravelling too quickly.”
“Oh! Brilliant thinking, Daddy,” Iris says, finger to her temple. “I was still in the kitchen, so I completely missed the proposal. Even so, that makes the answer rather obvious, doesn’t it? If Susie last saw it in the attic, and she made a point to mention she hadn’t taken it out of the flat in days—”
“Then the doll most certainly left the flat, though the cause being someone else,” Father agrees.
“Correct, both of you!” Holmes leaps right back up. “No doubt using the skills instructed by Inspector Lestrade, Miss Susato snuck the doll on Mr. Naruhodo’s person sometime this morning in order to frame him for kidnapping her beloved lucky charm. And that, dear madam,” flourished with a bow, “is the solution to your riveting little puzzle.”
“N-not quite!”
Susato swallows hard, overwhelmed by her own outburst.
“I mean. I’m sorry, Mr. Holmes, but you’re not quite finished.” She looks at all three of them, heart pounding. “Do any of you happen to know where Mr. Naruhodo is at the moment?”
“Ah, well…” Father mumbles.
“Not a clue,” Holmes shrugs.
“I don’t think he said,” Iris admits.
“Then,” Susato breathes, “you haven’t actually solved the doll’s location, have you?”
The room is deathly silent, and then Holmes bursts into uproarious laughter.
“Ahahah! Miss Susato, you are a delight! What a charming turn of events!”
“You’re absolutely right, my dear,” Father says, eyes crinkled in a warm smile. “The game would only end prematurely if we weren’t to ascertain the exact location of the doll, wouldn’t it?”
“This morning, Holmesie, did you ever ask where he was going?”
“No!” Holmes groans, hunched over in agony. “I was far too busy fantasizing how to extract that delectable salmon off of the man’s plate! Has he no idea the lengths we must go to in London to import it?!”
“It is commonly abundant in Japan,” Father hums.
“Argh!”
As the room briefly devolves into familiar chaos, Susato takes a moment to breathe out a sigh of relief. This is what she had been looking for—the steadfast remedy to what has ailed her since birth.
She doesn’t need the attention, or the praise, or to be anyone’s first choice. The role of witness suits her just fine. If she’s simply allowed the privilege to watch, she can find fulfillment in this life.
Just as she guided Kazuma and Naruhodo through their respective dreams, she can provide her father and her dearest friends a taste of the life they never got the chance to truly live.
Even she can manage something like that.
Susato smiles. “Shall we continue with the deduction?”
“Ah, yes, certainly,” Holmes says, clearing his throat as if to separate himself from his previous fit. “Leave it to our trusty judicial assistant to hit us with the good one-two at the eleventh hour.”
“So we can safely assume that you’re aware of his current whereabouts, dear?”
“Yes. He informed me of his plans the moment we saw each other this morning. He invited me along, in fact, but I… wasn’t interested.”
“He did say he was in a hurry,” Father muses. “I believe he even had a hansom outside.”
“And his clothes were rather nice, weren’t they?” Iris asks. “Much nicer than what Runo typically wears for a casual outing.”
“So Mr. Naruhodo had some sort of appointment that required punctuality, but it was one which his judicial assistant was not made aware of until short notice… Furthermore, she had no desire to accompany him upon invitation. With that, we can cross off anything related to his occupation, as well as the possibility of him paying a personal visit to his resurrected companion at the prosecutor’s office.” Holmes closes his eyes in deep thought. “There are few things Miss Susato doesn’t find intriguing about our dreary city, and I imagine with so few days left in her stay, she would be more than willing to accompany Mr. Naruhodo on even the most humdrum of activities… unless.”
“Unless?” Father and Iris ask in unison.
“Well, there is one bothersome habit our defense lawyer harbors, is there not? One that Miss Susato would certainly not want to encourage him to indulge in so close to his setting out.”
Iris frowns. “But there’s far too many pawnshops in London, Holmesie. Without any leads, how would we be able to determine which one Runo went to?”
“Perhaps he didn’t visit one at all,” Father contemplates. “What I mean is, would Naruhodo put on his best suit for a simple pawnbrokery? Aside from that, there’s really no need to arrive at a certain time, not unless there had been a particular item he was made aware of prior to it being set on the floor.”
It’s at that moment that Susato, despite herself, glances in a certain direction, and she can feel the way three pairs of eyes follow that exact line of sight.
“Aha,” Holmes exclaims, scooping up the day-old newspaper laying on the trunk before Susato can even avert her eyes. “You know the dance, Miss Susato—gazes and whatnot.” He flips through it, scanning feverishly until he breaks out into a familiar grin. “It seems here that our dear fellow has taken himself to a rather fine establishment indeed—an auction house, of all things.” He presents the advertisement to the room, finger tapping the date and time in bold letters. “Christie’s is an auction house of fine arts and other luxury goods, nearly a straight shot from our humble abode. They happen to have a live viewing of their salesroom starting at 9 AM this very morning.”
“An auction house?” Iris hums. “The logic is sound, but…” She frowns with a small shrug. “I don’t think Runo’s in the right income bracket for that sort of thing.”
“Well, my dear girl, let us be grateful that our sole assignment was to unearth his whereabouts, not what possessed him to venture out into waters too costly.” He snaps the newspaper shut. “And may his wasted time be considered some sort of karmic retribution after what transpired over break—”
“I’m back.”
Naruhodo looks far too weary for the short time he’s been out, but then he looks simply confused as all four occupants turn to stare at him. “Sorry, have I interrupted something?”
“To think we summoned the unaware culprit himself,” Holmes says, reaching behind him for the fireplace poker before pointing it in Naruhodo’s direction. “Come now, Mr. Naruhodo, empty your pockets. Let us see what it is you’ve brought back from the pits of hell!”
“Uh… Okay,” Naruhodo sighs, reaching into both coat pockets to reveal his pocketbook, two pieces of taffy, and—to his surprise, certainly—a familiar felt doll. “Wh— Now what’s this doing here?” He turns immediately to Susato, already holding out the little rabbit in order to return it. “Were you looking for this, Miss Susato? I swear, I have no idea how she ended up in my pocket.”
“A-ah, in a sense, yes,” Susato says quickly, taking the rabbit from him. “My apologies for,” glancing in Holmes’ direction, “this, Mr. Naruhodo. I’ll explain later, I promise.”
“That’s fine,” Naruhodo says, “as long as you’re alright.” With the little look he gives, Susato understands they’re suddenly veering into dangerous territory. She has no desire to dredge up whatever Naruhodo picked up on this morning, so she’s thankful when Iris breaks into the conversation.
“Why are you back so soon, though, Runo? Weren’t you going to the auction house?”
“The au—how’d you know that, Iris?” Naruhodo shakes his head. “Nevermind that, silly question. Yes, I was, but I had no idea how expensive everything would be there. I can’t imagine anyone having that sort of money lying around, let alone to be treated as pocket change.” He then jerks away from Holmes’ poker. “Could— Could you stop that, please, Mr. Holmes?”
“Certainly not.”
“I have to say, that was very entertaining,” Father hums, suddenly at Susato’s side. She startles a bit. “The twist involving Naruhodo’s precise location was especially clever.”
“Well, I was really only relying on Naruhodo-sama not to mention it. I had no real hope of fooling you, or Iris-sama and Holmes-sama for that matter.”
“But even that requires wit, my dear, to know a man might not want to air out his indulgences.”
Susato hums somewhat of a noncommittal response, which Father seems to accept. As the comical scene before them continues to play out, he doesn’t make a move at any point to rejoin the conversation. Susato isn’t surprised. Above all things, Father has always done that very well—never pressuring her to speak her mind but remaining adamant she has the space and support to do so.
“I had been thinking, is all,” she slowly says.
Father looks at her.
“That… it would’ve been a shame if you and Holmes-sama missed the opportunity to work together like you used to. The trial had such high stakes and the two of you were under so much pressure, I wasn’t sure if you allowed yourself to properly enjoy it in the moment.” Her lip twitches, as if it knows she should be smiling. “It’s still hard to believe that Dr. Watson was you all along. To think the adventures I had consumed so obsessively featured my own father… As simple and unexciting as my ruse must have been in comparison, I’m very happy you were all able to enjoy it together.”
“I do believe Holmes’ and Miss Iris’ enjoyment was significantly related to the person who proposed it,” Father replies. “While minutes prior Holmes had been sulking over how tiresome his work has been, all troubles seemed to be forgotten the moment you graced him with your presence.” He then pauses. “More importantly… I enjoyed myself thoroughly because you were there, Susato.”
Father has always carried his guilt well. It’s never something he lays on thick, nor has he ever ignored it. It’s simply present in the room; easy to walk through. Susato believes wholeheartedly that this is why the eventual happiness of their home life has always felt so genuine.
When Father returned, he did not try to make up for lost time—he was a man who deeply understood that such a thing was impossible. He never forced a relationship with Susato, either, though he was shyly open about desiring one. He gave her space within a home that, to her, had never been his, and allowed her to approach him with her own intention and will when she was ready.
Her father is a clever man, and he’s kind. His good nature is what broke Susato’s heart as a child. To be abandoned by a bad man is one thing, but by a good man is an ache she’s never quite shaken. Six years is a long time to convince yourself the blame is yours, and eleven years has not been enough to fix her.
But because Father is a good man, he’s never expected anything else. Instead of covering it up, they grew around it, and with enough conversation over the years Susato truly believed she had at least grasped the reasons behind her father’s chosen absence, even if she had yet to move on from it.
That is, until the other day.
It sits heavy in the room between them now, the fact that he did not come home for her.
“I often wonder… what would have been kinder on you,” Father murmurs. “If the choice I made had been the right one. But I do believe the truth is… I am halfway the father you deserve because of it. At the time, I told myself that absence would be kinder than neglect, that neglect is an active rejection a child cannot miss, but even as a younger man I was not naive enough to believe absence is not rejection all the same. I would be failing you either way, and I did.” Still, Father smiles. It’s small, but it reaches his eyes, as it always does when directed at her. “I’m grateful Miss Iris wrote those stories and that you were able to read them, for it has made you a part of them just as you should have been, Susato, and just as you have always been in my heart.”
He takes both of her hands. Susato remembers the first time he did.
“If I can give you only one thing in this life, I hope it’s the confidence that others’ lives are better for having you in them, and how eternally blessed I am that you are my daughter.”
After coming to London and unravelling the full, tragic tale, Susato can see now how tangled the web of fate can truly be. Even now, Father can’t wish he never left, just as Susato can’t anymore either. For if he hadn’t, who knows what might’ve happened to baby Iris, or if Kazuma’s blade would stay unsullied and his heart on the road to peace. It’s sad to think that these good things, these happy things, rely in some way on Mother’s passing… on Susato’s loneliness. Still, she understands.
It’s an impossible thing, weighing what she never had against what she can hold. Could she ever give up anyone in this room now for the chance of a different childhood?
Father might have lived a better life here in England, with Iris and Holmes as his family. True or not, the fact he considered it leaves a crack in the scab of a lifelong wound. But Father has never spoken at length about Mother, even now. He likely believes it would come off as an excuse, some justification for Susato’s heartbreak, but she feels now like they’ve reached an impasse where his true grief must come to light. Perhaps what causes her to seek refuge in others’ dreams is the same reason Father left her behind: that overwhelming fear of losing what you want most.
It all depends on how they talk about it, she supposes. The voyage back to Japan is long, and they’ll only have a surplus of time on their hands. It’s not really something she looks forward to, but… she trusts Father. She trusts him to hold her broken heart all over again. It’s why, at the end of the day, she is eternally grateful that Mikotoba Yujin is her father. She wouldn’t ask for any other man.
“I know,” Susato says, and she will try to believe it.
“Good,” Father breathes, squeezing her hands once. “Very good.”
“And what about you, Susie? Professor Mickey?”
The two of them turn to see Iris looking up expectantly.
“Oh, Iris,” Susato says. “I’m sorry. What is it you asked?”
Iris simply smiles. “We felt sorry for Runo not being able to afford anything at the auction house, so we decided we’re going to treat him to a few trinkets at a pawnbrokery Daddy’s had his eyes on.”
“And like I said before, Iris, you really don’t have to,” Naruhodo grumbles, a bit slouched with Holmes’ arm over him. “I’m not exactly in the mood to be pitied by a ten-year-old girl for being poor...”
“Nonsense, Runo! Consider it an early parting gift!” Iris giggles. Back to Susato, “You’ll definitely come along, Susie, won’t you?”
Father looks at Susato, who in turn looks at Iris and smiles.
“Well… it wouldn’t be the whole family without me, would it?”
horsedivorce Sun 09 Nov 2025 08:52AM UTC
Comment Actions
sunkitty143 Sun 09 Nov 2025 09:25AM UTC
Comment Actions
mirukov Sun 09 Nov 2025 09:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
mirukov Sun 09 Nov 2025 09:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
mirukov Sun 09 Nov 2025 09:44AM UTC
Comment Actions
sunkitty143 Sun 09 Nov 2025 05:11PM UTC
Comment Actions
FeathersAndFluff Mon 10 Nov 2025 08:26AM UTC
Comment Actions
sunkitty143 Mon 10 Nov 2025 06:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
lesbofphobia Sun 23 Nov 2025 12:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
sunkitty143 Sat 29 Nov 2025 06:32AM UTC
Comment Actions
ToxicPineapple Tue 30 Dec 2025 06:39AM UTC
Comment Actions