justonetruth | (no subject)

He jerked away from her touch as if he'd been electrocuted. It was sound logic, good attention to detail, but... not from Aoko.

The heavy-framed glasses were pulled, fumbling, from a pocket of his cargo shorts, and slipped on quickly. The better to see you with...

"My name's Edogawa Maurice. I think you're thinking of my brother."

Aoko blinked, looking surprised. "...I guess Edogawa-kun is a real person in your world," she said. "...wonder if that means a brother was part of the cover story?"

He couldn't say anything to that. It... what was going on?

"You're not making any sense, neechan."

"Maurice though..." Aoko muttered and then giggled. "I guess your parents are fans of mysteries and of thieves," she said and held out her hand. "I'm Nakamori Aoko. Nice to meet you Maurice-kun. Welcome to the Mansion."

He doesn't shake her hand, instead stepping back, looking wary.

"What are you talking about? Where are we? Why did you think I was some Kaito-person?"

Aoko paused and pulled back her hand. "This is the Mansion. It's a place between dimensions. People can come from different times, different dimensions and...even if it's been a long time, I can remember how Kaito looks and you look exactly like him as a kid. So I thought you were one of his doubles."

"Well I'm not."

Oh, he was going to have words with a certain red-headed witch when he got back home.

"But in my world, Edogawa Conan is just an alias to someone who looks a lot like Kaito. So it was weird to hear he had a brother since it's weird to think he really exists! But I've heard there's a real Edogawa Conan around though it's supposedly not the most common thing, so it might be he has a bother. And then it makes sense you look like him," Aoko said with a nod. "The difference between worlds can be really surprising!"

"That's really strange, neechan. Are you sure you're telling the truth?"

Poker Face. ...Aoko...

"Of course it's the truth. Edogawa-kun is a very close friend to Kaito and I. We even know his real name, but it's hard to say who knows it, so it's safer to say Edogawa-kun," Aoko said and then held out her hand again. There were two rings on her ring finger, one very obviously old and tarnished and the other one, while not exactly new, in better condition than the one below it. "He's even been the ring bearer for our weddings."

Yes, plural. And she only looks eighteen.

He doesn't like this, and it's obvious. So he goes back to default behavior, when in doubt, get out.

"Nice to meet you, neechan." A short bow, before he turns and runs off.

Aoko blinked. "U-uh, hey!" Aoko called, pushing herself up and hurries after him. "You shouldn't just run off like that!"

No way was he staying here. He's small, but fast, and the closest thing Aoko's going to get to catching him is the sight of a door slamming closed after he darts off down a side hall.

Aoko stopped at the door, frowning. "Maurice-kun, it's true! If you don't believe it, you'll get in trouble," she said, before opening the door. She didn't want him to go and do something dangerous if he thought it was a dream or something.

Hey look! The study is apparently empty! Nobody here! (I would suggest checking on top of the bookshelves).

Aoko walked into the room, frowning as she looked around. "Maurice-kun!" She called.

And by proxy of being around Kaito so long, of course one of the first places she looks for someone is up near the ceiling.

It's not that he doesn't believe it as much as the sight of Aoko acting like she should unnerved him.

The lenses of his Conan-glasses catch the light from where he's hiding in the furthest dark corner of the space atop the shelves.

Aoko focused on that spot when she saw the glint. She moved up her arm, a...rather nice watch there. Looked like it had a lot of buttons too.

She pressed up and a rather bright flash light came from the face of the watch, pointed at Maurice. "Ah, there you are!"

He blinks strongly aganist the bright light, forgetting for a sudden dangerous second who he has just introduced himself as. An angry mutter.

"Ahouko."

He covers it quickly with an actual cough.

Aoko blinked.

"..."

Then a flat look. "You're the second Kaito to lie to me about his identity. And I smacked him. Do you want to play that game?"

"... You would hit a little kid?"

"I know about Edogawa and Haibara," Aoko said flatly. "If you're Kaito who calls Aoko Ahoko, then you're old enough to be in their situation. In which case, no, you don't get little kid protection from hits."

"Ran-neechan says I should have little kid protection from things."

I mean look at this face how is he suspicious at all isn't he so innocent and cute?

"Whose Ran?" Aoko asked, looking confused at the name.

"Ran-neechan. She's taking care of me and my niisan."

Not dropping the little-kid mask at all.