hisapprentice | [Puzzle 011]

[It's early in the morning, and there's a commotion. The village knows about this commotion because things are scattered in the scuffle, including Luke's journal. It thunks onto the floor of the apartment, open and 'on' enough to record...well.

The sounds of a scuffle.

Bangs and clangs and the occasional mechanical whirr or someone shouting (classic noir American accent or subtle/overt British one, take your pick!) and the end result is a nice, spread-out flurry of chaos.

In which one of the people living in the apartment is no longer there.

After a while, there are footsteps; it's Luke trudging over to pick up his journal and gingerly talk into it.]

Um. They came and...took Czes- Benjamin. [Not without a fight!] Maiza and Professor Layton and I tried to stop them, but it- it didn't work. Sorry. [...] Maybe he won't be gone for long.

[[ooc: Those replying may get an answer from Luke, Maiza, or Layton! Depends on who's got the journal at the moment, and who's off trying to clean up the mess in a dejected manner.]]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It's really not that bad. [Really it isn't. Still, he doesn't want to risk Layton's Disappointed Tone so he unbuttons his nightshirt to reveal...almost nothing. A bruise is starting around his ribs on the left side but that's about it.] See?

[Sure, it's going to be a big bruise but that's details.]

[That's a good lad.]

Hmm. [He's no medical expert, but nothing seems out of place to his unpracticed eye.]

You will tell us if it starts bothering you, won't you, my boy? Though we should still get that bump on your head looked at. Just in case.

[Maiza is no expert either, at least not ones like this. The ones he's used to seeing and actually worrying about tended to involve more blood and weapons. He's glad none of that's applying to Luke at the moment.]

Can you see fine?

Mmhmm. [A bit indignant, he buttons his shirt again and resists crossing his arms. That would be a bad idea.] I could probably see better if we had more of the lights on.

[Realizing the possibility of Layton telling him not to be rude, Luke sighs and rubs the back of his head again, but differently this time.]

I wish they hadn't gotten him.

[He knows Luke is trying his best. He stands to turn those lights on, and maybe get some of that ice.]

I think it's safe to say that none of us are exactly pleased with this situation.

[Maiza bites his lip. He's not pleased at all. He'd been determined to keep Czes safe -- and look at the situation now. But he doesn't want to let that show too obviously, so he'll get to his feet and pick up some of the knocked over furniture around them.]

You got that right.

[It may not be too obvious but Luke remembers fragments of what Czes had to go through and thinking of it now makes him uncomfortable.]

They should leave him alone. [Fighting words, accompanied by a slight wince.] They should leave all of us alone.

[Luke's spirit is inspiring, but Layton doesn't let it take him far. There are few things more humbling than the chains of futility as they arrest you in your tracks.]

I only wish that they would. Taking a child in this manner and for such purposes is simply deplorable.

[Unlike Luke, Maiza knows nothing about Czes' experiences. He just thinks about his friend, and states what he hopes is true and hopes sounds more confident than he's sure he feels.]

... Czeslaw will come back, and we'll be here to make sure he's all right when he does.

Luke, you don't happen to know if there're any clues about where they take these people, do you?

I... um. Is everything okay? Are you okay?

[It's never good, when people get taken. She can't help but feel that pang of familiarity; she's definitely sympathetic. Luceti has a lot of downsides she doesn't like to consider very often.]

Mmhmm, we're all right. [The other two are better off than he is and he insists he's okay so.] I'm, um, I'm sorry if we scared you or woke you up.

I think it's some kind of...of laboratory somewhere? [This would not be out of the ordinary for his experience in the past few years, either.] Somewhere secret and outside the barrier.

[He doesn't know this boy but hearing that someone was kidnapped...well it's not exactly fun. He's read on what the Malnosso does, like abducting people but after that, he doesn't know what happens.]

What happens...when they kidnap someone?

Czes? They...

[He should have been there. Not that he could have done a better job of protecting the kid--he's already seen how ineffective he is against the droids--but he could have at least tried and he feels somewhat guilty. Ennis wouldn't be happy to know they let Czes get taken, and Firo doesn't want to imagine what could be happening to the kid right now.]

...Are you okay? Is Maiza?

[Better to try and check on the ones who are still around than to mope.]

Yeah, we're fine.

[Firo is not his favorite person at the moment but he's Czes's friend.]

Maiza's always fine, actually. [For reasons the green-hatted fellow understands quite well. Then, almost indignant:] Professor Layton's all right too.

Um...I'm not really sure. It's never happened to me, or any of us.

Is there anyway to get him back? I read there were tunnels, couldn't we use those to get to wherever he is?

It would be great if that did work, but I don't think it does. They just...bring him back when they're ready.

Has anyone tried?

Probably. [There's silence for a moment or two.] I haven't been here very long compared to some of the others. Maybe one of them knows more about it.

I've only been here for a week or so, so I don't know. But you're right. Someone else here might know.

I've been here for...

[Shuffle shuffle. He's flipping around in the journal to check.]

Wha-! A year! Ow... [Yeah that's a no on the shouting.]

A year?!

[Henry's more surprised that people could be here that long. And if that's the case...]

Was anyone from your world here that long?

Until about a week ago, there was just me. Well...Clive was here for a little while. Mostly just me, though.

[He drops some ice into a plastic bag before wrapping the whole deal in a towel, then repeats the process once more. Once he's done, he heads back over and hands Luke as many as he wants.]

And away from help and prying eyes, I suppose. They certainly know how to keep our hands tied. How long should we expect to wait before he's returned to us?

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[Puzzle 011]

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