(Untitled)

[mukashi_no_ran]

Ran has discovered a bathroom on the second floor and after some trial and error, she has worked out the taps. Now that she has soap and a tub full of water, what is she going to do

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[really_is_7]

"...Ran-neechan, what are you doing?" Conan asked.

[really_is_7]

"You're sure he was me, right?" Conan asked.

"...that's...a long time ago."

[mukashi_no_ran]

"Of course. I challenged him on the matter and he swore he was Conan. And he wore the glasses you do." Ran draped the haori out to dry as best she could over the shower rail.

"Not where I'm from."

[really_is_7]

Conan scoffed. "If it was that easy, there would be less Ran-neechan's in the dark," he said, leaning against the door frame.

"...so it's a time difference. Guess that explains things."

[mukashi_no_ran]

Ran shook her head as she started work on wringing out the obi. "Whether you are here or home, you are a very odd child, Conan."

[really_is_7]

Conan blinked. Then blushed. "....not that odd, am I?"

[mukashi_no_ran]

Ran looked up and caught the blush. She smiled, and waved him over. "Make yourself useful. Come, help me finish these and then I'll play with you."

[really_is_7]

Conan blinked. "Play...?" It'd been a while since he could play with Ran. He smiled and hurried over. "What do you want me to do?"

[mukashi_no_ran]

"-- no one's taught you how to wash clothes ... ?" Clearly some Rans out there had a lot to answer for. "We need to wring them, get as much water out as we can before we hang them to dry. Take the cloth in your hand and twist it -- over the bath, not over yourself. Careful, Conan!"

[really_is_7]

"I know how to do it in a machine. Ran-neechan has let me load the machine sometimes and I used to watch the maids do it," Conan said, taking the cloth in his hand and wringing it out over the tub. "And I know! Over the tub so I don't get wet."

[mukashi_no_ran]

"It's important to learn how to do everything you need yourself," Ran advised Conan. "You never know when your circumstances might change." She smiled approval at him. "That's right."

[really_is_7]

"I suppose there is a chance that the machines might break..." Conan said thoughtfully. "But I do know how to work them. Ran-neechan was really surprised I could. I wanted to learn because I thought it was better to do it myself than all the maids..." Conan said, trailing off at the end.

Then he beamed at Ran. "But it's fine when Ran-neechan does things! Because she's better than them at that sort of thing."

[mukashi_no_ran]

"I'm no better or worse than anyone else, Conan," Ran said firmly. "And when I marry, I will not be washing your clothes." She frowned, wondering how her father was going to cope ... maybe this was the ideal opportunity to reconcile him with her mother?

[really_is_7]

"No, Ran-neechan is," Conan said, looking at the tub again. "Ran-neechan is a very good big sister," he said, his tone suggesting maybe it was more than just her skills in homemaking that he was referring too.

He winced a bit at the mention of marriage. "...it's probably still a few years until Ran-neechan marries Shinichi-niichan back home. I'll probably have to go back home by then. I'm only supposed to be living with you only temporarily..."

[mukashi_no_ran]

Ran was thoughtful as she pulled the hakama from the bathtub. "How long have you been living with ... Ran-neechan, Conan?"

[really_is_7]

"Before coming here? Getting close to a year," Conan said.