justonetruth | (no subject)

"..." Where had that come from? "I haven't heard anything about the guy in years. I don't know if I'd even recognise him now."

"Well, I kind of got the Kid version of you to tell me his story..." Ran started, and then launched into the explanation of The Kid's origins on that world. The suspicious men in black looking for a jewel that granted immortality, Toichi being assassinated, and that world's Shinichi finding out about it and deciding to take up his father's mantle (weird as that still was to think about).

He did his best to gloss over the parts with that Shinichi being half-brothers with Kaito, and Conan being another half-brother -- partly because he was still uncomfortable with that part, and partly because he barely expected Shinichi to believe him as it was. As he talked, he kept filling up his plate until he had a decent-sized meal, and waiting for Conan to finish doing the same.

Ran should know better than to expect anything so unimportant as food to get a showing when mysteries came up. Conan's frowning hard as he listens, though his thoughts are not necessarily running along the same lines as Ran's.

"Interesting," he says at last. "So that's what you mean by alternates."

Rolling his eyes, Ran reached over Conan's head and snagged some food for his friend's plate. "I was thinking that since you didn't become The Kid, it might be Kuroba," he pointed out. "Since he is his son. But it's not like we have any proof, and the other Kuroba I met was pretty closed-lipped."

"It's obvious," Conan agreed. "Obvious enough that it might be assumed to be too obvious -- but we need more facts." He smirked at that. "Good. Wouldn't want this to be boring."

"If we even remember it when we go back," Ran muttered, heading over to a nearby table and flopping down in the chair.

Conan followed him, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"

"One of the yous said he knows three people who've gone home and come back, and all of them said they didn't remember this place when they were at home." Ran stared broodingly into his gyudon as if it could explain how the mansion worked. "We don't know if it happens to everyone, though."

Conan frowned. This was -- decidedly sinister. "So not only has Hattori been trapped here for months without anyone realising this fact, but potentially once people do get home, they've got no memory of being here?"

Apparently, Conan has magical Hattori-summoning powers, because that's her now, walking through the doors of the dining hall. Food, however, comes before chatting, and she just waves before grabbing a plate.

It is such a relief to see Heiji looking like she should that Conan is prepared to neglect his food a moment to wave back. "Heiji-neechan!"

"Pretty much," Ran said. He broke his chopsticks apart and started to dig into his food. "And they might have gotten to go home because they knew about other worlds already. Except we're not sure about that part either."

He sounded exasperated, and rightfully so. They weren't really sure about anything to do with the mansion.

Food located and claimed, she headed over to the table. A nod at Ran (and what was she going to call him? 'Neechan' didn't work...) before turning her attention to the shortest member of the group.

"Which Kudo are you?"

Ran forgot to mention that the Hattori-san here knew rather than suspected Conan's true identity.

Cue coughing fit as food goes down the wrong way.

Well, it wasn't really that he forgot to mention it so much as he thought it would be... selectively entertaining?

Ran cheerfully thumped Conan on the back to keep him from choking. "Don't worry, she isn't our Hattori," he added helpfully.

"So, he's yer Kudo?"

Oh yeah, entertaining is right. Not often you get that sort of reaction from the detective.

Conan gave Ran and Hattori a baleful look, reaching for a glass of water. "Now you tell me," he grumbled once the possibility of asphyxiation had passed, covering disappointment with complaint. "I am, though if he keeps this up who knows for how much longer."

Ran just grinned, totally unashamed, and tucked into his food. He couldn't wait to see how this conversation was going to go.

"Ya might want ta keep him. He's th' only male neechan here."

"So everyone keeps saying." Conan gave Hattori a more considering, thoughtful look. She looked just like the Heiji he knew, but her casual reference to the strangeness of the place indicated familiarity with it. Could this be some over-the-top revenge for keeping the secret from her so long? If she'd got Ran in on it --

No, Conan decided regretfully. Ran wouldn't go this far for a prank. "You've been here three months? How are you keeping time?"

Damn right he wouldn't. And even if he would, Ran didn't think he could have thought of something like this in a million years.

He grumped slightly at the mention of his being the only boy version of himself (come on, if Hattori got one other version of herself, you'd think he could get one), but otherwise stayed quiet, listening to the detectives talk.

"'ve got a phone, and a paper calendar. I got here th' end 'f October, 'n it's th' end 'f January now. A couple'a days over three months, but not much."

"End of January. That would fit the weather outside," Conan said thoughtfully. "But still places this mansion outside of Tokyo at the very least. Are there any other identifying features?"

"Th' closest thing ta an identifyin' feature's the Christmas tree..."

She trails off, there's something else, but it doesn't make sense, the way rooms seem to move around in this building.

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Feel free to go on without Ran for a bit, he doesn't have much to say.

XD What, no input from meitantei Ran?