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[eastdetective]

[Nearly two weeks since the incident on Halloween, and Conan had spent his time attempting to occupy himself while avoiding certain questions from Kid and Dairine.  He would have been quite happy to keep the incident in his memories and nightmares, where it belonged.

He certainly did not want to explain or answer any of the questions he was sure they had.

So today he was out on his skateboard exploring Genessia and Attleton. Among other things, this last incident spurred his decision that it was long past time to move out of the children's home. And long past time to explore what other housing options there were.]

Comments

[eastdetective]

[Conan eyes her warily for a moment, but then slumps as he finally gives in to the inevitable. At least she wasn't blackmailing him into it like Hattori had.]

His name is Gin. He was the one who killed Shinichi Kudo.

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine's eyes go wide for a moment, then narrow. So that's why he wanted her to make that promise. Sneaky brat.]

Ah.

[Suddenly Dairine wishes she had used a more violent approach, like an "empathetic" spell. Ah well. Perhaps it's better that she can't act on the temptation.]

So that's why he knew you so personally.

[eastdetective]

As far as I know, the real Gin has no reason to think that I'm still alive.

[But if he ever did.... It was far too easy for that nightmare to become real. Perhaps that was why it kept recurring in his dreams. ]

[wizard_redfive]

He doesn't know about the other possible side effect then?

[eastdetective]

According to their records, it has a 100% success rate.

[wizard_redfive]

I guess it's pretty slim odds, in that case.

[Geez, as if his situation wasn't horrific enough. Dairine ponders a bit.]

Has he ever seen you since, well, then?

[eastdetective]

Only as a kid.

[He'd been very careful, for Conan. ]

[wizard_redfive]

And he hasn't made the connection?

[Glasses or not, Conan still looked a lot like Kudo Shinichi. Or at least what he looked like as a kid. Considering how famous his parents are, finding childhood photos wouldn't be that hard.]

[eastdetective]

Why should he try and make a connection between a dumb kid and a teenager who's already dead?

[Which hadn't stopped Conan from quite a few close calls. ]

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine raises an eyebrow at that.]

Other people have. Plus, you're not that dumb. Especially for a kid.

[Which could be a problem if someone connects his excellent deductions skills with the high school detective.]

[eastdetective]

Oh, you mean the people who noticed that the missing Shinichi Kudo has a distant relative that he was nice enough to teach a little deduction to?

And to some people, all kids are dumb. I can fake it for long enough when one of them is around.

[wizard_redfive]

Don't play dumb with me, shrimp. There were at least three people who figured out your true identity at the castle. I'm sure others have found the truth in your world.

So this Gin is one of those people, is that what you're saying?

[eastdetective]

Not as many as you would think. In the castle, everyone knew that age changing was possible. [Given the sheer number of times people had that as a temporary loss.]

In my world it's viewed as more of an impossibility. People don't jump to that conclusion easily.

As long as he think I'm just a harmless kid, he won't dig deeper.

[wizard_redfive]

Not everyone. Some people were stubborn about what the castle could do. [She gives him a sour glance. While Conan had hardly been the only skeptic in the castle, he had been one of the more obnoxious ones.]

Maybe not, but surely some have seen enough evidence to start questioning it.

[Maybe not Gin, but there are others. People closer to Conan, who have seen more of his deduction skills. Dairine narrows her eyes at his assurance, wondering how much of it was to reassure himself.]

Fine then. How much do you know about this Gin guy?

[eastdetective]

Enough.

[In his opinion he'd already shared more than Dairine needed to know. ]

[wizard_redfive]

[Excuse you, he's only shared two sentences worth of information with her as far as Dairine's concerned. She crosses her arms.]

Hey, if you're not going to bother describing him, our promise is effectively void.

[Hold up your end of the bargain, brat.]

[eastdetective]

You saw him. Why do I need to describe him?

[wizard_redfive]

I saw his appearance. I want you to describe his personality. Habits. Fighting style...

[Whatever he knows of it.]

[eastdetective]

[Conan stops to get his thoughts in order. ]

He's smart and he has good instincts. He's nearly caught me several times. And he is completely ruthless. He bombed an entire skyscraper just to kill one person, and he's sent bobs to hospitals before.

[wizard_redfive]

[Dairine listens carefully. Gin's ruthless behavior doesn't surprise her terribly, considering his dream-self's actions.]

If he has access to so many explosives, does that mean he's high up in the organization?

[eastdetective]

I can't say for certain, but he is most likely high in their ranks.

[wizard_redfive]

I see. Which also means he probably knows more than the rest.

[Though getting answers from a guy like that... Well, it seems unlikely.]

[eastdetective]

It is possible. [But getting answers from him directly was too dangerous for now. Vermouth was a better option, when she felt inclined to deal with him. Even though she couldn't be trusted, he at least trusted that she had a reason to keep him alive for now.]

[wizard_redfive]

Any chance he's their leader?

[Assuming they have a central leader and not a board or committee.]

[eastdetective]

No. He takes orders.