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[spoilsfun]

Who: Conan Edogawa and You
What: A tiny detective arrives.
When: After the Valentines event
Where: Main Reception Room
Warnings: Probably not?

When Conan suddenly finds himself blinking in the middle of something that looked for all the world like the reception room for a grand abandoned library, he could only assume that he had been kidnapped.

Again.

Granted, the culprit this time seemed to have much more refined tastes that the usual brand of criminals.

He frowns as he hears the whisper. Save us? What kind of cry for help was that? If someone had gone to all the trouble of bringing a detective here, the least they could do was present the details. Who, when, where. Even a detective couldn't do anything without clues.

He holds a moment in hopes of hearing something else, but when nothing else happens he sets off across the cracked tiles, pausing every now and then to investigate the wood paneling and the wrought iron railings and staircases. Perhaps later he would explore the wings in more detail.

But he would be starting with the reception desk. People often forgot how much useful information could be left behind on abandoned paper pads and desk drawers. .

Comments

[dog_of_the_sun]

Ammy had always taken her responsibilities seriously. But that didn't mean she couldn't grab a nap. The main desk was perfect for it too, even if she had chosen to snooze under it this time, instead of on top of it.

So Conan won't have much trouble finding a large white wolf napping under the desk. With red sacred and ceremonial markings along her fur, and a glimpse of a deep blue disc hovering above her shoulders and back. That flared with a sun's corona.

[spoilsfun]

Had someone painted that dog with fluorescent paint? Why? And how had the effect with the disc and the corona been achieved?

More importantly, what was the purpose?

Regardless, he was here to investigate the desk. Not the local animals. He climbs up onto the chair and balances carefully as he starts sorting through the debris on the desk top.

[dog_of_the_sun]

Her ear twitched, and one dark eye peeked open. A sniff, and her head came up as the kid climbed on the chair. He head tilted, and there's a querying whine. Hello?

[spoilsfun]

He glances down at the whine, but doesn't say anything as he continues to search. He climbs onto the desk as he starts to test some of the closed drawers.

[dog_of_the_sun]

Guess it was time to do her job; Ammy sighed, and stretched a bit. Then moved carefully out from the desk and around the chair. Putting her front paws up on the desk to observe the younger boy. Then her nose twitched--and twitched again.

She knew that scent--it was the scent of her homeland. Sort of. This was a child of Nippon! Her tail wagged, and she gave a bark in greeting. "Woof" and a canine grin.

[spoilsfun]

He rolls into a seated position and eyes the dog skeptically.

"I don't have any food, you know."

[dog_of_the_sun]

It doesn't change that her tail is wagging, or there is a canine-grin. It IS sad that he has no food, but that's okay. She nods, with a small bark of agreement, as if to say it's okay.

Her tail is wagging the whole time, but not all of it is simply a contented wag. Some of it is very deliberate, as writing appears in the air--golden ancient Japanese text that changes a second later to whatever Conan will understand.

図書館へようこそ。 あなたは食べ物がないのが残念ですが、それは大丈夫です。 あなたが空腹であれば、私はおそらく何かを見つけることができます。 あなたはちょうど到着しましたか？

[Welcome to the Library. I am sad you have no food, but that's okay. If you're hungry, I can probably find something. Have you just arrived?]

[spoilsfun]

[He climbs up to his feet and tries to examine the words closer before they fade.]

How did that happen? A projector? But why?

[dog_of_the_sun]

Well, Amaterasu had gotten his attention at least. The tip of her ear twitches, her head tilting, as her tail deliberately moved. Again there were more words appearing in the air, before translating.

プロジェクターとは何ですか？

[What's a projector?]

[spoilsfun]

[He ignores the comment again as he busies himself searching the desk structure for concealed devices.]

[dog_of_the_sun]

Ah, he's going to be one of those types of children isn't he? Ammy sighed, but at least she could deal with this. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to being mistaken for only a large dog. Just...the people she was used to in her time were at least more open to the idea of the divine.

She still wanted to know what a projector was too.

Good thing she was an active Goddess too. Her front paws back up on the desk, and she waited for a good moment before---there! Reaching out to get the back of his jacket and shirt in her teeth, very carefully and gently scruffing him. Her tail twitched deliberately, and more words appeared.

今のところオオカミに耳を傾けてください。

[Please listen to the wolf for now.]

They were gonna go find the Cat or the Head Librarian. Even just one of the other Assistants would be helpful.

[spoilsfun]

[Like he would. In a situation like this, listening to the projected words would be the worst thing he could do. How was he to know whether the person running this trick wasn't responsible for his being here?

Conan squirms, trying to slip out of his jacket and get away from the dog's grip. ]

[dog_of_the_sun]

Ammy can't sigh, but there is a definite frown on her muzzle around where she has him scruffed. An eye-roll too, as she moves him with her away from the desk. The squirming is annoying though, and he's likely to hurt himself. They manage several feet before she let's him go, and then promptly moves to sit on him if she can.

あなたが私と一緒に働くなら、私はあなたの質問に答えます。 約束します。

[If you will work with me, I will answer your questions. I promise.]

[spoilsfun]

[ Conan yelps as he gets dropped to the floor and then sat on. He shoves at the dog as best as he could, still purposefully ignoring the text. ]

Oi! Get off, will you?

[dog_of_the_sun]

No.

Ammy gives a small warning growling-snarl that says that pretty well. At this rate, she's gonna have to lay on top of him isn't she? A huffed out sigh, and she's still learning how to use her bookmark. Pulling at it with her mind, a flat scroll manifests, bearing her mark before it expands into a screen somehow like a scroll unfurling.

Ammy tilting her head, again trying to 'think' of what she wants. If this thing can remember when she posted the 'video' where she introduced herself to everyone. Maybe this would help--as the image of her as appears once more.

[spoilsfun]

He watches this, and then tries to twist his head to get a better look at her.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you are Amaterasu?"

Amaterasu was myth and religion, not someone you could just run into. Also, he could not recall anything in the stories that depicted her as a dog or wolf.

And even apart from that. Even if he accepted that goddesses could be real, he refused to believe that he was currently being sat on by one.

[harrys_skull]

Around the corner a dapper looking man with white hair and very pale skin. He stops and looks at the situation with an amused expression. "Ami my dear," he says, "may I ask why you are sitting on one of the children?"

[dog_of_the_sun]

Bob! BOB! Ammy is so happy to see you, and especially with a body! There is a relieved tail-wag, although she looks long-suffering otherwise. Her bookmark has reverted back to its flat scroll state, and there are characters being drawn in the air again.

この頑固な若者は、協力したり聞いたりしていません。

[This stubborn young man is not cooperating or listening.]

[spoilsfun]

"I don't see why I should listen," Conan complains. "You're heavy, you know."

[harrys_skull]

Bob rolls his eyes and walks over to rub the wolf's head fondly. "Such messages aren't how we introduce ourselves dear and you know it. Still I'm sure needs must at the time." He turns to look at the young man his expression still amused.

"As for you. I would have thought you knew to listen to your elders. Why in the Library would you not listen to a mother goddess lad?"

[dog_of_the_sun]

彼は聞いていないうちに、さまよっていた。 これは最も賢明な行動のようであった。

[He was wandering off, while not listening. This seemed the most prudent course of action. ]

BUT, now that you're here Bob, Ammy will let Conan up and no longer sit on him. She is more than ready to scruff him again if she needs to, and watching him.

[spoilsfun]

As soon as she lets him up, Conan scrambles to his feet and takes a step away from Ammy.

"Why should I? Usually when someone claims to be a goddess or another supernatural creatures, it always turns out to be a hoax."

[twominutes_older]

Sam felt a little on edge without specific projects to work on. After so many years, she was used to her medical practice or her research. The patrons' work in the Library felt a little like idleness to her and that sometimes made her jumpy. No one here would find either of the Grimms unusual - the non-fiction Librarian had promised that they would be safe here - but that didn't mean that not having something to focus on didn't make her slightly paranoid. Too many years on the run had that effect on a being.

So between cleaning, working on the Librarians' projects, and her own pet projects, she kept an eye on the reception desk during the times that were most likely for new patrons to arrive. Frowning when she noticed their newest arrival was a child, she ignored thoughts of orphans and being nearly alone at a too-young age, she walked toward the desk. "Did the Librarians bring your parents here too?"

[spoilsfun]

Conan shakes his head as he stares up at her, doing his best to copy how the detective boys acted when they were confused and a little lost.

"No, I was alone when I ended up here." He smiles brightly. "But don't worry, I wasn't expecting my parents to be here anyway. They're out of the country right now."

[twominutes_older]

Her experience with children was limited, and she hadn't exactly been normal while growing up, but she'd had enough of a traditional background to know that this wasn't something that should be happening. A child should not be running around a potentially dangerous place with no adult supervision.

She couldn't keep the hint of skepticism out of her voice. "Your parents left the country and you weren't staying with any adults while they were gone?" It sounded like the type of con she used to play with John when they were kids.

[spoilsfun]

"I stay with some people who take care of me, but they're not here either."

And he was glad of that. Bad enough to be stuck here for now himself. It was better if Ran was safe at home. And the old man was hardly ever of any help.

[twominutes_older]

"And we're supposed to let you run loose in a dangerous place." Somehow she doubted that was what the Librarians intended when they brought a kid here. "My name's Sam. I'm not sure how the Librarians decide who gets brought here but there's supposed to be a logic to it." Not that she can see that considering they brought a child into the Library.

The Cat was going to have a very interesting discussion with her later. "Your guardians may arrive later."

[spoilsfun]

"Why was I brought here? I haven't heard anything about that yet."

Just an annoyingly vague call for help.

"Oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Conan Edogawa. I'm a detective."

[twominutes_older]

"One of the Librarians or their assistants usually greet the new arrivals." But there wasn't a set time that she'd noticed for when patrons were brought to the Library. "From what we've been told, we're here to help save different realities from being harmed."

Belatedly, she realized that she was speaking to Conan as if he were an adult but she'd hated it when people talked down at her when she was a girl. As long as he seemed to understand, she wouldn't change that. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm a doctor. I don't think they've brought any other detectives here."

[spoilsfun]

"Why us? And why are they in danger?"

He'd object to the idea of other realities, but that seemed a little pointless at the moment.

"I mean, I'm just a kid. If they really needed a detective, wouldn't it have been better to get someone else?"

He didn't really expect that to work.

[twominutes_older]

"They said each one of us had skills that are needed and we each answered when they asked for help." Sam had vague memories of a call for help, which would have seemed suspicious if the Librarians hadn't seemed to really need their assistance. That didn't make her less annoyed over the idea of a child being dragged into this. "We're also allowed to leave, if we want."

[spoilsfun]

"I remember the call for help," he says. "It wasn't very specific."

But he was more interested in the other part. "How do we leave, then?"

[twominutes_older]

"No, it wasn't, but they didn't really have time to explain the details before bringing us here." It wasn't the strangest thing to happen to Sam so she accepted it readily enough.

"Ask one of the Librarians and you'll be returned home to the moment you left." She shouldn't try to influence him even if she wished that the Librarians had also brought Conan's guardians or parents with him. "Or you can stay and return when you think that you're no longer needed here."

[spoilsfun]

"They just send you back? Is there some kind of hidden cost to it?"

Because he knew that it couldn't possibly be that simple.

[twominutes_older]

"None. We're here because they need us." She'd been suspicious of it at first, but then the Non-Fiction Librarian had offered to let her and her brother go home when she'd asked. "They said it's inhumane to keep people here against their will. One of them was adamant about making sure that we knew that we're not prisoners."

[spoilsfun]

"If they just send us back when we ask, why did they bother bringing us here in the first place? Is there some reason for staying here?"

[twominutes_older]

"Because they need help from people with different skills." That seemed to be the best explanation that she'd found that didn't involve the sorts of physics and reality shifting that made her head hurt. "This place protects other worlds. If it's harmed, then our worlds will be harmed with it. The ones that choose to stay do so to protect their homes."

[spoilsfun]

"Harmed? Harmed how?"

[goodguess]

Part of the thing with soft soled shoes and already being the type that stepped lightly is that you often sneak up on situations without trying to. Though in reality it's curiosity after passing by the reception area that had the purple woman backtrack a few minutes later when Conan was 'rifling' through the desk.

By just hopping to sit on the surface as if nothing weird or suspicious was going on. "Ya know, most people would find snooping pretty rude," she started as the purple tail lifted and grabbed one of the books that was on the desk. To give it a passing glance. "I don't really see anything wrong with curiosity."

[spoilsfun]

He didn't even have the decency to look guilty.

"Looking for information is the best way to figure out what is going on."

He eyes the rather strange looking person who had joined him with some curiosity. Was that a prehensile tail? How had that been managed? Had she been on the way to a costume contest?

[goodguess]

Given how form-fitting her clothes were, there certainly wasn't significant amount of machinations that allowed the movement. Movement which remained very fluid as she passed the book from it into her hand.

"Oh, I'm not arguing that," she knows quite well how much that can be needed. Thumbing open the book, the tail took to resting along the surface. "Though I do know people usually prefer if you ask around first. Especially when you're in a place where you shouldn't just go opening books wherever you find them."

[spoilsfun]

"Why not? The point of books is to be read, isn't it?"

He keeps observing her, trying to figure out the mechanics of how she was doing that.

[goodguess]

"Meant to, want to and should are all pretty different, even in this," she said as she gives a quick observational glance. Almost pointedly the tail sways back to the other side of Trance. "I'm not your first... alien, am I? Or maybe you never met one with a tail before?"

[spoilsfun]

"Aliens aren't real."

[goodguess]

"Technically, you're an alien too. At least with where we are, everyone's an alien."

[spoilsfun]

"That's semantics." Changing her usage of the word didn't change the situation.

[goodguess]

"Is it really, though? Different worlds and universes, you'll end up meeting people who could even look human but have never heard of Earth, or have different insides." It definitely didn't change the situation. It made aliens even more probable.