[Puzzle 004]

[hisapprentice]

[A dejected little boy young gentleman in blue sits in the library today at a table, journal open off to the side. In front of him is a book with a red cover, full of intermediate-level puzzles and riddles. There's a piece of paper beside it, on which he solves most of them - if they require paper.

There are a few interesting ones copied down into the journal, for reference later.

YYHLYEYT?
6L=12 6S=18 6LS=?
Meanwhile...

After a while, Luke sighs in a most ungentlemanly way.]

I wish I knew why this book feels so important. [the sound of ruffling pages] Maybe if Professor Layton were here he-

[Luke cuts himself off almost sharply, closing the puzzle book and doodling a few little pictures of fish and mice instead. One of the little mice wears a tall top hat.]

I wish I could go home.

Comments

voice

[ahappylie]

[An upset child is more than enough to grab Okita's attention, but hearing such a young gentleman sigh so unhappily about homesickness is guaranteed to ping.]

Perhaps if you talk it out, you'll understand the meaning of your book?

voice

[hisapprentice]

Wha- [Scramble scramble! The book's paying attention!]

Oh...uh, it's really not...I just don't know how this book ended up next to my bed. It's a puzzle book, so...it's not that weird. If I remembered bringing it with me that would solve it.

voice

[ahappylie]

[Yes, the book is always paying attention. Kind of creepy, no?]

When did you notice the book first?

voice

[hisapprentice]

Monday morning.

voice

[ahappylie]

[So after the weekend that no one can remember... Perhaps a gift from that time? But then that will only make the kid more homesick...]

Maybe someone in the village lent it to you or you found it in the library over the weekend then. What sort of puzzles are there? I always like hearing how people solve interesting puzzles.

written;

[endgames]

[What he hears over the journals is what originally draws Shikamaru to this. The ratio of teenagers and adults to kids in Luceti is ridiculous on the best of days. It's something he misses about Konoha.

...homesickness is a common element for a lot of people here. Not that there's a statement he can open up with that doesn't sound like a cheesy greeting card. Sometimes you just need to find a way to take your mind off things, though, and puzzles he can do.]

YYHLYEYT [Nothing's written after that, not for a few minutes at least. Shikamaru taps his pen against the paper though trying to figure out the code, making a series of dots against the journal paper that begin to resemble ellipsis.] . . . . .

[...aha. Not a code, maybe.]

Sequence?

written;

[hisapprentice]

It's a puzzle for later.

written;

[endgames]

That's cool. Mind if I take a crack at it on my end? I won't spoil it for you.

[Figuring it our yourself is half the fun sometimes.

written;

[hisapprentice]

Sure, I guess. The rest of the puzzle says "What are the next three letters?"

written;

[endgames]

[So it was a sequence puzzle then, like he thought. Shikamaru turns to the back of his journal to write that down before responding again.]

The second thing a puzzle too? Or is that algebra.

action

[tolivefortoday]

Is it a book you've seen before?

[As it turns out, he isn't alone in the library. There's another kid around and she must've heard him, because she's stopped searching through books to peek around the corner of some shelves at him.]

action

[hisapprentice]

[You startled him! Luke jumps, dropping his pencil and scrambling not to knock his book off the table too.]

Ah! You...you scar- surprised me.

...I don't think I've seen it before, but...I also think I do.

action

[tolivefortoday]

[Oops. Yun at least manages not to giggle, putting a hand to her mouth to stop it, but that was kind of funny.]

Sorry. I didn't mean to.

[Well, now that she's made it known she's there, she walks over to take a look at the book, though she won't reach for it.]

Oh? What's it about?

action

[hisapprentice]

[He flops it open again, turning a few of the first pages.]

It's a puzzle book.

action

[tolivefortoday]

A puzzle book. [She looks at the puzzles on the pages as he flips through the pages, though all those letters and numbers... Huh.] Why would a puzzle book be important?

[Action]

[mikanchibi]

[And then there is another kid peering over his shoulder at what he's writing.]

Whatcha doing?

[Action]

[hisapprentice]

[Another quietly frustrated sigh.]

I'm trying to solve puzzles.

[Action]

[mikanchibi]

Oh, okay. [Headtilt. 6L=12 6S=18 6LS=? ...huh.

She points to it.] Thirty six.

[Action]

[hisapprentice]

Huh?

[He looks at the equations under her finger and frowns, ready to say no...then his brain kicks in.]

I guess so. The way it's written there, thirty-six is the right answer. But that's just a note to remind me of a whole puzzle later.

[Action]

[mikanchibi]

Oh, okay. [She blinks in confusion. Darn, she thought she was being clever.] What's the whole puzzle?

[failguardian]

[Oh hey, it's Luke!]

[...And he looks pretty upset. Anise frowns and moves closer, just in time to catch his last words. Luke is...homesick?]

[She quietly walks over until she's standing behind the seat next to Luke, with a tense little smile on her face.]

Hey, Luke, mind if I sit down?

[hisapprentice]

[ASjdaioaksa he jumped a little. At least it's a familiar face.]

Hello, Anise. ...It's not my library, you can sit if you want.

[failguardian]

[Drawing out a chair and sitting down then, keeping a careful eye on Luke. But it's probably bad to start off with a serious topic right off the bat, so she tries to search for an ice-breaker. The book and notes on the table provide the perfect opportunity.]

So, what's all this?

[hisapprentice]

It's a book of puzzles and I'm writing some down so I can solve them.

[failguardian]

I bet you can solve them even without writing any down!