justonetruth | (no subject)

It had been a while since Aoko had met a teenage Ran face-to-face. It wasn't difficult to deduce this wasn't the semi-famous detective from her world, particularly with the way she was looking for Conan.

Nevertheless, it didn't hurt to approach new people and make new friends. And it didn't hurt to talk to one to gauge what the differences were from world to world.

"You're looking for Edogawa-kun?"

Ran heard Aoko's approach before the other girl greeted her and had time to assess her -- seemed familiar, but Ran couldn't place her. She looked about Ran's age, and her smile was friendly. "We were playing hide-and-seek. Now -- it's hide-and-yell, I think."

The girl glanced up at the chandelier Ran was inspecting earlier. "Do you really think he could be up there?"

... it seemed like a difficult place for a three-foot faux child to hide.

"It would be like him to be somewhere difficult -- and he does like high places," Ran answered. "But the chandalier ... I think you might be right." She paused, curiously. "You know Conan then?"

Aoko lowered her gaze toward Ran again and nodded. "Yep! I met two versions of him here."

"Two? What were they like?"

"Hm... they weren't that different." She tapped her finger with her cheek. "One of them acted much older than the other one, though."

It was just what Ran was afraid of. "Much older? How -- how did he act?"

Aoko blinked back at Ran. "Well... I threw paper airplanes in the lobby with one of them. The other one acted like he was far too old to be seven."

Ran stopped herself from saying 'You're that Aoko' just in time -- she knew how freaky that must sound. "Does that make you Nakamori-san? Conan told me he'd been playing." She turned around, seemingly scanning the far side of the room, until she was sure that her expression was calm. "How do you mean 'far too old to be seven'?"

Aoko nodded. "Mm-hm, that's me! I guess you're the Ran-chan from his world, right?"

She linked her hands behind her back and acted like she was thinking as she answered Ran's last question. "I don't know. I guess he was just really mature for his age."

"That's right. Thanks for amusing him."

Ran tried to pretend she wasn't worried. "Mature? Conan's always been -- precocious for his age ..."

"I used to play that game with Kaito all the time. It had fun!"

Aoko nodded. "He did seem like a very smart boy for his age, just not as..." she paused to ponder how to word this, "Old?"

"Well, as long as you enjoyed it. Don't think you have to, though. He's perfectly capable of amusing himself." Then again, Conan's idea of amusing himself ...

"Ah." Ran bit back disappointment. "Where did you meet him? The other Conan, I mean."

"Oh don't worry," Aoko ensured the other girl, "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to."

"In the dining area. We was there for dinner."

Ran found herself smiling back, even despite her fears.

They'd never made it to dinner, mostly because Conan, sulking after his enforced afternoon nap, generally vanished at about that time, and by the time Ran had found and retrieved him, the dining room was practically deserted. "And you just started talking?"

"I sat down next to him," Aoko responded, "And said hi."

Ran winced. "Sorry," she said. "That was a stupid question but-- well, maybe I'm just being stupid."

Aoko shook her head, her smile still present. "No, it's okay! Are you worried about something?"

Considering what Christie had told her about Conan, if Ran knew as well... she certainly didn't blame the girl for being worried.

"Yes, actually," Ran said and hesitated a moment before trying to smile. "Conan can get into a lot of trouble even with supervision. I'm scared to think of what he might get up to with no-one there."

Aoko nods firmly at Ran in response.

"I'll help you find him!"

"Ah -- thank you," Ran said, smiling. "I can't say that I don't need the help."

Already, Aoko moves toward a chair and peers behind it. "What are his favorite hiding places?"

"Let's see ... sky-scrapers, shadows, anything with a vantage point. He ..." is going to grow up to be a voyeur "... likes people-watching, places where things are happening."

"People watching?" Aoko asked as she stood up straight again. "Hm... maybe he's at the top of the staircase?"