justonetruth | (no subject)

It was such a bizarre feeling being on this side of Conan's bright-kid-ness. "How do you know that?"

"Huh? Well...you look like me, but you're not me?" Really, it made sense to HIM.

"I might be someone who just looks like you," Conan inisisted. "Have you accounted for that?"

"Possible, with the number of people who look like Shinichi-niichan, but if you're carrying karate stuff, I think you're a Conan who was carrying something for Ran-neechan. It seems less likely the have someone look exactly like me, including the glasses, and delivering karate gear to someone since it's too big for you," Conan said, gsturing to the items Conan was carrying.

"Besides, you're the fourth other Conan I've met."

Conan looked down at the karate gear. Ran-neechan again? "Those four other Conans just as convincing?"

((icon for expression only -- still wearing glasses!))

"Just as convincing?" Conan asked, looking confused.

"There was more to support the alternate-self theory than just resemblance," Conan clarified.

Conan thought about that for a moment. "Well...two were detectives. The other was from a weird world, but he said he was Edogawa Conan...they all did, actually."

"Do you believe them?" Despite his better judgement, Conan was curious.

"Why....shouldn't I?" Conan asked, looking confused.

"Alternate worlds and other dimensions. It's a bit far-fetched, surely?" He couldn't be having this conversation with himself, could he?

"I've seen a Shinichi-niichan with a bullet hole in his head and walking about fine, a Hattori-niichan that was a neechan, and a Ran-neechan who was a niichan. I've seen a space ship. Several different Ran-neechan's, one which I didn't want to meet. And I've had a Katou Kid try to kill me because he's a psycho assassin in his world. If this ISN'T another dimension, I've clearly had a mental break down and you're a figment of my imagination."

Conan just stared at the other boy wordlessly. That was -- where did you even start?

Though the mental breakdown was an interesting theory. "I suppose I could have knocked myself out trying to open the door," he said. "If Ran came back just as I followed him out. All of this could be in my head." He shook his head almost immediately -- too real for a dream. "How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Why are you calling her just Ra-" And Conan paused.

Wait a minute...

"He?!" He said, eyes widening in surprise. "You're the Conan from....YOU'RE SHINICHI-NIICHAN?!"

"Not so loud!" The other's reaction confirmed what his careful differentiation between himself and Shinichi had led Conan to suspect: he was definitely a Conan who was Conan. "If you know who I am then you know why that needs to be secret."

"That...I thought Ran-niichan was just messing with me!" Conan said, looking shocked. "I mean, I know Haibara...I didn't think...you were supposed to spit it out! Like my niichan!"

Though the surprise was more in tone. He had actually lowered his voice to a more reasonable level.

"Ran's got a questionable sense of humour," Conan agreed. "But he wouldn't joke about that."

Really Conan. Which meant really 7. It was incredible -- how to prove it? "By niichan you really mean niichan?"

"...I...wouldn't be surprised if he did," Conan muttered, looking away. He believed the thought could enter Ran's mind, at least.

"You mean is he my actualy niichan? No. He's my distant cousin with the long line only mom and auntie Kudo can remember. I'm an only child."

"Me too," Conan said blankly. "Though I guess you knew that." Auntie Kudou? Which meant -- was his real mother the disguise Yukiko had invented? He was scared to ask. "Where do you live? When you're not here."

"I live with uncle and Ran-neechan," Conan said. "For at least a year now."

"Just like me." Conan stopped himself from rubbing his forehead -- it wasn't the other Conan's fault this place was giving him a headache. "And the other Shinichi's and Conan's you've met. You said one of them had a bullet in his head? I'm pretty sure I've had that dream."

Conan shuddered at the mention of the dream. "Don't say it like that. It's bad enough to think my Shinichi-niichan might end up like that. It's even worse with the ghost Shinichi-niichan because he's less of a jerk."

Yes. He thought his Shinichi-niichan was a jerk.

The dream also got to him because HE'S had it too. More than he'd ever like to admit.

'You don't seriously think he's a ghost' died unsaid on Conan's lips. It was all too obvious that the other boy did -- and that it upset him.

Can't be too much older than the shounen tantei, he reminded himself. "Sorry."

"If you've met that many people, you've had to have been here a while."

He believes it whole heartedly. No pulse or anything.

"Several weeks at least, yeah," Conan said. "Since before Christmas."

Even longer than Ran's been here. Plenty of time to make a little kid believe anything. "What have you found out about this place in that time?"