[Action (with opportunity for voice/video)]

[holmes_fanatic]

[Across the street from the apartment building housing Ran and Conan's apartment and the Detective Agency is a thin, shadowy alleyway, from which a thin stream of cigarette smoke is emanating. The source of the smoke is a man dressed entirely in black, silver hair reaching most of the way down his thick black coat

Comments

[Audio - locked]

[sf_girl_friday]

{Jan's been wandering the city as much as possible since her talk with Conan, unable to stay inside except when absolutely necessary. Acknowledging the memory loss had helped, but it'd also caused more worries to set in. Which would seem like paranoia if she hadn't noticed something odd while walking past Conan and Ran's apartment.

She continues on, well past the block and almost to the tea shop before pulling out her comm and calling Conan.]

Conan, are you alright?

[Audio - locked]

[holmes_fanatic]

[It's a relief to get the call. Conan checks that Ran is occupied in another part of the apartment, before retreating to his room, all the curtains drawn.]

Jan. I'm glad you called.

Fine so far. Why do you ask?

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[sf_girl_friday]

I was walking past your apartment and noticed something odd. Or thought I did.

[It's okay to admit some of her worries to Conan, right? At least the most obvious ones. As long as he didn't find out about the other things that had happened, it was alright.] I'm not sure if I was just jumping at shadows or there was really something there.

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[holmes_fanatic]

Tell me what you think you saw?

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[sf_girl_friday]

[She almost begins to protest that she was probably mistaken but then she reaches into her pocket, running her fingers over the small piece of ribbon inside.]

There was someone - [At least it'd looked like a person, but knowing how the city could be...] - outside your building. Tall. Blended into the shadows, though there was a flash of something lighter when I walked by.

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[holmes_fanatic]

[There's a short intake of breath before Conan replies.]

Silver hair?

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[sf_girl_friday]

It might have been silver hair that I saw. Why do you ask?

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[holmes_fanatic]

I was hoping I was mistaken, that this might be related to ... well, you'll have noticed that people in the city seem to be seeing things. But if you've seen him too ...

Gin's here.

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[sf_girl_friday]

How? We haven't had any new arrivals lately.

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[holmes_fanatic]

Yes, we have. A new ShinRa employee arrived Sunday. It's likely others arrived at the same time.

Gin wouldn't exactly be trying to get himself noticed either, which would be why he wasn't seen on the watches. It's possible that he's already sized up the city, realised there's little to stop him acting on his directives. The sign caught his attention, and he'll have recognised myself and Ran.

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[sf_girl_friday]

[Sighing, she rubbed her forehead, trying to consider different actions.] And he'll know both of you and Ran's habits, especially if he's watching your apartment. We need to get you both out of there, away from the places you're known to be.

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[holmes_fanatic]

The sooner the better. I don't think Ran will be hard to convince -- she's noticed something's off, is on edge as well.

Can I trust this to you, Jan? A secure location, maybe a basement, with enough food and water for a few days?

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[sf_girl_friday]

Of course, but I think a basement's a bad idea. We had that fear with the clinic. It's too easy to be trapped in a space like that. Maybe one of the buildings with a functional catwalk leftover from when Jim was first here?

How secretive is Gin going to want to keep this? Will he try anything in public?

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[holmes_fanatic]

That's going to limit us to our current area -- though staying in the vicinity might throw him ... ah. Not a bad thought.

The Organisation's rules are utmost secrecy, and their killings don't have witnesses or evidence. As far as I know, they've only failed twice.

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[sf_girl_friday]

If he'll follow the Organization's rules for secrecy then shouldn't the best place for you and Ran to hide be somewhere extremely public?

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[holmes_fanatic]

Ah. I've considered that. It'll be effective short term, but in the long term may just endanger those around m--us. I ... don't see him remaining patient long.

They assasinated a man in the middle of a crowded banquet hall once. All they needed was a few moments darkness ...

How about if we relocate to the clinic, as a very public place, before switching to the hiding place you've prepared a few days later?