justonetruth | (no subject)

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At some point in the history of every interdimensional nexus, something strange, unprecedented, and just plain odd happens.

The seal wandering around in the middle of the lobby might just be that incident for the mansion.

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Conan makes an indistinct noise in response. He hasn't heard Hakuba; point of fact he's forgotten the detective is even there. Instead he gives the door nearest him an exploratory sniff.

Hmm.

Onto the next door.

Is he going to check every door here?

There is method to his ... method. Conan confines his investigations to doors within the limits of the traces of the seal in the corridor. Apparently reaching a conclusion he looks back over his shoulder, and gives Hakuba a much friendlier smile as he remembers his presence. "Hakuba-niichan? Can you help me a second?"

"Of course." He walks over and crouches down to the boy's level. "What do you need help with?"

"I need you to stand about here ..." Conan shepherds Hakuba to stand at the farthest extent of the seal's wanderings. "I'm going to check the rooms one by one. Let me know if you see my friend come out." He's clearly counting on the fact that the stairs should discourage the seal from escaping that way.

"All right." And he takes his position, standing guard. The stairs would certainly discourage the seal from trying to get away, he'd had enough trouble getting down them that up would have been a nightmare.

Conan gives him a brief smile of gratitude before setting to work on his room-by-room search. Hakuba may be amused to know that Conan clearly considers the seal both male and able to read -- he avoids opening any of the dressing room doors assigned to females.

Well, considering the seal is both male and able to read...

"Is there a reason you're not checking all of the rooms?"

"Those are girl's rooms."

"He must be a very intelligent seal." Edogawa had been more perceptive than this on the few occasions he had worked on cases with the boy.

Conan reconsiders. Carefully. "Not that intelligent. He left before I could give him a bath." But he might have been a girl seal. Conan opens an Aoko's door doubtfully.

"Smart enough to read?"

Conan hesitated. "I'll come back to those last," he decided, closing Aoko's door after a quick scan. "Seal aside, I'm not sure I should be looking in there."

"You do have a point."

Conan resumes his examinations. Hakuba's room comes in for a lengthy examination -- one that includes crawling under the bed, opening the wardrobe and giving the room a sniff test. Conan sits down in the middle of the floor, thinking hard. He's sure the seal was here ... but where is he now?

Hakuba pokes his head inside the door, eyes fixing on Conan in the center of the room.

"Did you find something interesting?"

"The seal was here ... but he's not here now. And I don't know how he got out again unless someone took him out ..." Conan gets up to take a look at the name on the door.

There is a pause and then a considered look. "Did you take my seal?"

"How many Hakuba Saguru are in this mansion, Edogawa-kun?"

"I'll interview them later."

"Let's work this through logically, shall we?"

He tapped the door.

"There's a secondary identifier on the door."

Conan has a second look. "Selkie-- oh."

"You've heard of them before?"

"I've heard the stories," Conan says unhappily. He's trying to think back to his conversations with the seal. Did he say anything compromising? The worst he can think of is his fall. Embarrassing, but the only injury is to his pride.

"Did you say anything highly compromising when you were playing with the seal?"

Conan gives Hakuba a very dirty look. "This isn't a joke, Hakuba-niichan," he says, pausing. Is he making fun of him? Does he know?

... hmm.

He stands up, heading past Hakuba on his way to the door. "I don't want to find him anymore."