[Dictated]

[modernholmes]

 [Conan had been thinking a lot recently.  It wasn't just that week he had spent believing himself to be nothing more than an ordinary child, or the humiliation of displaying such childish behavior.  His situation had forced him to abandon any attempt at dignity long ago.

He had been Conan Edogawa for two years now.  For more than a year he had been trapped in this castle, with no way to pursue his investigations into the Organization and no hope of finding a cure.  How long had it been since he had been able to tell the truth about his name and age?   He still had not given up on reclaiming his life, but he was beginning to fear that he would forget what it was to be Shinichi Kudo.  And more, that Shinichi Kudo would be forgotten.

How many years could a person vanish from their own life and still have any hope of returning to it?

Something need to change.   He'd already had it proven that caution would not advance his goal here.  To keep on moving, some risks were necessary.

Fact.  The Organization was present in his own world.  So long as he was in this world, no progress could be made.  Fact.  Haibara was not here to research an antidote to the poison.  As the creator she had the best chance.  But in her absence there was a slim possibility that these scientists from other worlds might be able to theorize a solution.  

A slim, high risk possibility.  But any chance was better than none.  There was only the question of how to minimize the risk.  

He needed to think.  And to avert any suspicions as he thought.  Conan reaches for his journal with a tentative plan in mind.]

I wanted to apologize to everyone about what happened during the family thing.    I think I was really rude to some people!

Mr. Edgeworth?  Thank you for the chessboard.  I still have it.  Do you want to play a game sometime?

Ah, if anyone needs me this afternoon I think I'm going to be playing outside.  It looks like the day is really nice.

I wonder if I could talk to you about something.

[After that he's headed outside with a soccerball under his arm.  He always did his best thinking while kicking a ball against a wall.]

Comments

[modernholmes]

I'm a detective. Trouble goes along with that.

[wintercat]

A detective? [The tone is clearly a questioning one. This word is not familiar to her. :| ]

[modernholmes]

[He recognized that particular questioning tone. There is a definite hint of long-suffering to his response.]

A detective is someone who uses observation and logic to find the truth behind a crime.

[wintercat]

You are a bit young for such things.

[modernholmes]

That's why I help Uncle and the police.

[wintercat]

If you were my child, I would not allow it. [Cat, honey, Arya is your child. You have no room to talk.]

[modernholmes]

Good thing you're no relation to me, then.

[wintercat]

Your parents don't object?

[modernholmes]

My parents are in another country.

[Oi. Dad started taking me to crime scenes when I was this old the first time.]

[wintercat]

They left you?

[And suddenly she's thinking of her girls, up in King's Landing without her. And of Bran and Rickon, left at Winterfell while she helped Robb rage war.]

[modernholmes]

They had to go to America to work. I stay with some people who take care of me.

[wintercat]

[There's a pause] I'm sorry.

[modernholmes]

Why? [Conan didn't understand the reason for the apology.]

[wintercat]

You must miss them. It's no easy thing to be separated from family.

[modernholmes]

I don't mind! Because it's important for them to be over there. And I like staying with Uncle and Ran-neechan.

[wintercat]

I hope my boys are as understanding.

[modernholmes]

Are they still in your home world?

[wintercat]

They are.

[modernholmes]

I'm sorry. The castle is mean for keeping you here, isn't it?

[wintercat]

Among other reasons. [Honestly, she's not certain that she wants to leave, knowing what she does about her future. But that's neither here nor there.]

[modernholmes]

Other reasons?

[wintercat]

The castle is cruel enough, even without keeping me here. [You know, the random changes, messing with people's heads, etc.]

[modernholmes]

It's annoying. [Conan bitterly resented much of what the castle had done to him. Not least holding him here where he could make no progress on finding a cure or stopping the Organization.]

[wintercat]

It is.