[1] they do it with mirrors.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

Slightly damp – metal? It’s hard and cool enough …

[The speaker’s a tiny Japanese child, palm pressed flat to the surface of the Astral plane. He’s kneeling, intent on figuring this out.]

A reflection? No – I can’t see myself. Or maybe –

[Conan glances upwards to compare the stars coursing overhead to those beneath his feet, but quickly realises that it’s just not possible to keep up with their movements. He stands slowly, dusting his hands off on his trousers. The projected starscape meets the surface beneath his feet seamlessly, leaving him to all intents and purposes floating mid-air – but that can’t be possible. Which leaves – ]

A projection? If they used more than one camera they might just be able to pull this off. But even then … what’s the point? It’s attention getting but this is a long way to go just to get someone in your store …

[And it’s then that Conan realises he’s got company.]

Ah, I hope I’m not intruding! I came in here by accident and now I’m a little confused … Just what is this place exactly? There was a woman here, she said something about a machine … ?

[If his voice seems to be pitched slightly differently to when he was talking out loud – well, surely that’s just childish relief at realising he’s not alone, right?]

Comments

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

[ It was only a matter of time before someone else she knew would find this place. Thankfully it wasn't someone who wanted her dead this time around. Not only that, but it was one of the extreme few that she could actually trust here.

As calm and collected as ever she folds her arms across her front as she observes him at first. For about a minute she waits to see what sort of conclusion he comes to. ]

The Machine. It's what allows this place known as the Astral Plane to function.

[ Then, with the tiniest of smiles, she adds-- ] Hello there, Kudo.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

Haibara.

[The childish tone didn't last long. Conan frowns as he studies Haibara -- she's far too happy about the situation -- whatever it is. Which can only mean one thing.]

What do you know that I don't?

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

A lot of things, actually.

[ It's not as if she's amused by this. No, not at all. She does reach into her pocket though and pulls out two different pamphlets (http://shifted-ooc.livejournal.com/260777.html) before holding them out to him. After awhile a person gets used to the idea of newcomers and carries spare information pamphlets on them. ]

But I doubt you're going to believe any of it. At least, not right away.

[ It had taken her a long time to come to terms with this place and even now she still was trying to find excuses for events with whatever scientific explanation she could think of. ]

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

You have pamphlets.

[She's not serious? Oi ... and I thought the shop was bad enough. Although-- Conan pauses a moment to listen. For some time now he's been aware of something not right, and now he's placed it -- the distant sound of metal gears at work. Machine, is it ...

Picking the most pretentious of the two pamphlets, Conan gets to work reading.]

And you do? Believe it, I mean.

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

Considering the fact that it's been roughly three years since I've first started coming to this place, I've accepted some of it. Not all, but... some.

[ There was more for her to tell him that those documents would not. But for now she waited, her hand fiddling with the necklace around her neck as she did. It was a habit she had developed recently whenever she was in thought. ]

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

Three years? [Conan looks up from the first pamphlet.] You know that's not possible. It's not even been a year since we met.

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

Like I said, there is a lot to this place that is unbelievable including how time passes.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[Letting that go for now, Conan returns to the pamphlet. He raises an eyebrow as he reaches the description of the multiple universes -- Different points of time? That should be easy to check up on.]

Oi, Haibara. Let me see your celphone a moment.

[But as he waits, something further down the page catches his attention.]

Test subjects?

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

[ Ai pulls her cellphone from her pocket, holding it out to him. At the words 'test subject' however, her eyebrows narrow. ]

Anyone who comes to this place is subjected to experimentation. They happen without warning or consent, nor do you know what it will be about until it happens.

[ She speaks from experience of course. ]

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[There's a note in her voice that warns Conan against asking --

But what kind of a detective would he be if he didn't?]

What's happened to you?

[Flipping her phone open he pauses a moment on the time and date displayed on the screen before pulling his own out of his back pocket and holding it up so that Haibara can see the disparate times displayed.]

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

[ It was more than just the experiments. She had only experienced a couple at best, but she had seen what others had been through. ]

Once it reverted me back to my true body and it lasted two weeks. While convenient for my research it was dangerous for me to stay with the Professor so I remained locked up in my lab until the effect wore off. That one was mild though, compared to what has happened to others.

[ As she opened her mouth to continue she stared at the pair of phones. Granted she was surprised, and it showed as her eyes widened as it sunk in, but she did not react on it. ]

... I see.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

T-two weeks?!

[What wouldn't he do to have two weeks as himself again. Geez, after all the scolding I got for London ...]

Geez, if it's possible to do that then --

[Wait. Haibara wouldn't take that risk. Which means --]

When you say 'your lab', you don't mean Agasa's basement -- you mean someplace here?

[asmallamoroso.livejournal.com]

For a couple of days I remained at Agasa's if only because he insisted. But I didn't stay long. I switched between here and my old lab that had been destroyed before by the Organization.

[ She offers no explanation for this bit of news. Not unless she was asked repeatedly to do so. The last thing she wanted to discuss was the fact that she had been killed here. ]

[ex_fatalist246]

[Satoshi pauses, because he hates introductions but he knows this particular kid--not well, but enough.] This is a nexus between universes.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

A nexus -- between universes?

[Conan's sceptical -- of course. But he'd be more sceptical if this whole thing wasn't weird enough already. Buildings don't appear out of nowhere--]

Do you know how that's possible?

[There was something about this kid. Had they met before?]

[ex_fatalist246]

[Magic. Magic lets you shift between worlds with mirrors. But every world ever hidden in a mirror was a pale and empty imitation of the real world, and this place is not so false.]

The Machine... should be enough for the energy costs. Beyond that, I don't know.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[The sense of familiarity is growing, but Conan still can't quite place his companion. It's that strange sense of being at a loss that keeps Conan's questions more muted than usual.]

What is that machine?

[ex_fatalist246]

[Satoshi offers nothing to help in this capacity, continuing on.] No one knows. The blood they give you after dying is sometimes called 'machine oil.'

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[Wait. What?]

Blood they give you after dying?

[So many questions!]

Who is 'they'? When you say 'after dying', do you mean that literally? And this 'machine oil' -- what does it look like? Has anyone analysed it?

[ex_fatalist246]

The hosts of the experiment bring back those who die here. We don't know if it's all those who die. No one has tested it... Probably, no one will. The blood is black, but it shines. It looks a little like space. If it's been analysed, I haven't heard anything of it.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[There's a lot to take in there and Conan's silent, filing it all away.]

And you've -- seen this happen?

[ex_fatalist246]

[For the first time, there's something like an emotion--a moment, just one, where Satoshi doesn't breathe at all. And then it is once more a return to blankness and dispassion.] I've seen it. There have been a lot of people who died.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

[That flicker is only too convincing. Ha -- can't believe I'm really believing this ...]

You've been here a while then --

[ex_fatalist246]

It hasn't been long at home. It's probably around two years on the Plane. [He wants to clarify who this is, but if it's a different matter, there isn't any point confusing Conan further. He decides not to discuss it yet.] The person who has been here longest is probably Mu.

[holmes-fanatic.livejournal.com]

Two years ...

[Conan makes a mental note of that -- and of the name 'Mu.' But getting one name has only reminded him--]

Ne ... what's your name?