(Untitled)

[deaduction]

[Does the dressing room have a ballroom? Shinichi seems to have found one. The ghost has chosen a quiet corner of it to haunt, where by haunt we mean fool around with a soccer ball. He's in a cheerful mood, pale as ever and wearing his usual garb of suit and baseball cap, but solid enough that the ball only goes through him every fifth kick or so.

Comments

[theotherholmes]

The sound of the ball being kicked was what drew Conan to the ballroom, and he looked quietly through the doors to see ... himself. He drew back a little, a half-formed smirk flickering over his lips. Well, well.

He pushed the door open loudly, expression breathless and hopeful as he came to a halt only a few steps into the ballroom, gaze locked onto the figure there.

"Shinichi-niichan?" Eyes wide, just a hint of hurt underneath that achingly hopeful tone. "Shinichi-niichan, is it you?"

[deaduction]

"Hey, kid!" Shinichi had a lot of time for Conan. He trapped the soccer ball underfoot and grinned, waving. "You lost me?"

It wasn't his younger brother, he was certain of it -- Conan would have greeted him by soundly rubbishing his soccer skills and demand that Shinichi give the ball to someone who was as solid as it was. Was it Conan that was his cousin then? No -- surely he wasn't that pleased to see him.

[theotherholmes]

Conan let tears start to well in the corners of his eyes, mouth opening and shutting a few times.

"I..." His lower lip trembled, and he took a step towards Shinichi, then another, breaking into a run towards himself, aiming to tackle him in as big a hug as 'Conan' could give.

"Shinichi-niichan!"

[deaduction]

Oh heck. Shinichi crouched down to meet him, bracing himself for impact -- and a disappointed kid. How would this Conan react to finding out he was a different Shinichi-niisan?

"Conan? What's up?"

[theotherholmes]

"You're alive." Conan held on tight for a few moments, then, looking like he was desperately holding back on tears, pulled back from the embrace, shoulders stiff with childish determination, wthough he was smiling waterily.

"Even if you're not really my niichan... I- I missed you."

[deaduction]

"--ah." Shinichi bit his lip, then mustered the best imitation he could of a cheery smile, ruffling Conan's hair. "Not quite."

[theotherholmes]

"...not quite?" That didn't make sense. Not quite what? Conan looked up at Shinichi searchingly, a slightly puzzled frown on his face. "Not quite what, niichan?" Despite his puzzlement, he was still smiling. It was his niichan.

[deaduction]

"Not quite alive," Shinichi explained, withdrawing his hand. Ironic, wasn't it? Just about the only Conan who didn't mind his hair being messed with and now wouldn't want Shinichi anywhere near him.

"I'm happy to see you though, even if you're not my Conan."

[theotherholmes]

"....you can't be dead... you're here. Ghosts don't exist. You always said that to Ran-neechan, you can't be dead!!" Conan was crying now, almost shouting at Shinichi.

Dead? A ghost? Me? What kind of an idiot is this version of me like?

[deaduction]

He's got the past-tense down pat, even when he's upset, Shinichi noted. Been a while now then. How ironic that he'd been hoping to find another world where he was dead, and now he'd found two, neither of which he wanted. This upset Conan, and 1412's twisted reflection of things--

His smile was decidedly sharp. "Conan. Deep breath," he said firmly, putting a hand on the other's shoulder. "Hold it-- breathe out. Now, what happens when you eliminate the impossible?"

[theotherholmes]

Conan gulped a breath in, and let it out when Shinichi said, taking another without prompting. He paused, blinking up at Shinchi.

Another damn detective version. How does that stupid quote go?

"...the truth is left... right?" Conan's lower lip trembled and he hung his head, scurbbing at his eyes. "I... don't want you to be dead..."

[deaduction]

Conan had stopped sobbing. Shinichi relaxed slightly, though he was aware of feeling vaguely put out -- banishing floods of tears in a matter of seconds was a Yukiko-trick. Surely his death took a little longer to get over?

And then Conan misquoted.

"Whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Shinichi squeezed Conan's shoulder then relinquished him as he stood. "You know I'm dead," he pointed out reasonably. "You said so yourself."

[theotherholmes]

"U..Uhuh." Conan shivered, as if he was remembering something horrible - the sight of Shinichi-niichan's body would do that to small child.

"I know. I saw you o-on the autopsy table..." He started to sniffle again, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

"I-it's n-not fair..."

[deaduction]

"I'll say it's not fair," Shinichi said grimly. "I'd been solving cases for years and they never let me see an autopsy -- mine was my first." He shrugged. "Nowhere near as interesting as I'd imagined, but then I already knew what they were going to find."

"How did it happen in your world?"

[theotherholmes]

"I..." Conan swallowed, and tried again. "I was supposed to stay with you... y-you didn't show up, and.... we got taken... we had to go with the police so Ran-neechan could identify your body." He hiccuped, but continued speaking. "I-I snuck in to see..." Conan's lower lip trembled, shoulders shaking as he stared at the ground.

"...I don't like dead bodies."

[deaduction]

Shinichi ruffled Conan's hair, somewhat at a loss. None of the other Conan's had carried on like this and that little niggling doubt was growing more pronounced. "That's a good thing. If you liked them, well -- we'd have to question your priorities, kid."