Here to fight fire with fire.

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

It's night.

The flickering light of flames is cast along the walls of the corridor, the dancing light making shadows leap and jump unexpectedly. A single figure walks steadily through them, holding aloft the lighted torch that casts them. Although her pace is sedate and she is outwardly calm, she has a hand resting on the hilt of one of the two swords she carries. In the dim light, it's hard to tell that much more about her -- a straw hat, showing signs of having recently weathered a storm, hides her face, and robes she wears -- in the darkness, resembling nothing so much as the hakama and coat donned by advanced practioners of aikido, although of a colour and cloth not usually worn -- make it difficult to determine even her gender at first glance.

Coming to the end of one corridor she hesitates over which way to turn. As she is deliberating, a faint noise catches her attention and lifting the torch to see better, Ran glances back the way she has come.

Comments

[is_not_watson]

Now the question was whether to tell or not. But if there was anything Ran had learned about the Conan secret here in the mansion, it was that the one person Shinichi always seemed the most determined to keep out of it turned out to be the most useful, be it him or a version of Hattori. He sighed.

"Conan isn't the cause," he said plainly, leaning back and folding his arms. "He is Shinichi. Something happened to him to make him shrink." And quickly, before his other could protest-- "I know because it happened to my Shinichi, and a bunch of other ones here too. They got fed a poison that didn't work right and shrunk them into seven year olds."

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

That was a possibility that had not occurred to Ran. "He is enchanted? Not -- possessed?"

[is_not_watson]

"Probably. Unless something really different happened." Ran looked thoughtful. "But he sounds just like my Conan, so I don't think that's it."

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

"There is more I haven't told you," Ran says slowly. "Recently my father ... he is not an old man, but he sleeps much -- more so than before. There are stories of changelings who seem human, but who betray themselves by stealing the lives of those around them. I didn't want to think it at first but--"

[is_not_watson]

Sleeping more?

One of his first conversations with a Kuroba in the Mansion came to mind, and Ran didn't bother to stop an annoyed look from crossing his face.

Sleeping Kogoro. C'mon, oyaji, really.

How the heck was that Shinichi even putting his dad to sleep? Ran sincerely doubted there were voice-changing bow ties and stun gun wrist watches back in that time period.

"That's Shinichi too," he said flatly. "He doesn't do it where I'm from because I know about the secret and I just talk for him. But in one of the worlds I heard about, he puts oyaji to sleep with stun darts and uses his voice to make deductions."

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

"That's Shinichi? But surely that means that Conan is a changeling?" Ran asked, frowning. "Father doesn't talk. He just ... sleeps."

[is_not_watson]

Ran-kun blinked.

"Does Conan do anything while he's sleeping?"

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

"Anything particular?" Ran thought about it but shook her head. "Nothing different from what he usually does."

[is_not_watson]

That was strange.

"Weird..." Ran-kun mused, frowning.

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

Ran maintained a respectful silence as long as her curiousity and concern allowed.

"Need I worry?"

[is_not_watson]

"I don't know," he admitted, leaning back on his hands. "My Shinichi doesn't do anything like that, so I don't know a whole lot about it. Maybe one of the other Conans could tell you something."

Just as he finished speaking, Ran grimaced, jaw tightening as he tried to hold back a yawn. It was late, even though he was trying not to show it.

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

Talk to the Conans about this? Ran frowned. She didn't like that idea, nor the suggestion that there were multiple Conans in the mansion. One was problem enough.

She caught her counterpart's almost yawn, and had to struggle to suppress one herself. "I am grateful for your counsel," she said. "And I hope you will not think it rude of me to suggest we continue another time? It is late."

[is_not_watson]

Ran-kun grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, sure," he agreed, running a hand through his hair and climbing to his feet. "Shinichi and I are sharing room [ ] down the hall if you need us. And the dining room's on the first floor at the front of the hallway if you want breakfast in the morning."

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

Ran nodded, though she wasn't sure she dared presume enough to help herself to breakfast. "I shall see you again. Goodnight--" She hesitated briefly before bowing, "Mouri-sama." She was still not entirely convinced he wasn't a spirit and being careful never hurt.

[is_not_watson]

Ran-kun grinned good naturedly. "Just 'Ran's fine," he assured her, bowing back and then heading for the door with a wave. "See you later!"

[mukashi-no-ran.livejournal.com]

"Goodnight, Ran." Now that was a weird feeling. Ran turned to the futon in the wardrobe, wondering how she'd managed to find herself in such an odd situation.