hisapprentice | [Puzzle 011]

[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.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I got it. [He picks up a chair and sets it right, gesturing to Layton to sit down. He'll even hand a cushion over to Luke -- he's not the type to care about kids sleeping on the couch; they're kids.]

Do those people who're the wrong age grow or shrink physically? [Hard to imagine Czes being anything other than ten.]

[Luke is trying not to let his sudden lack of energy get the best of him. These are important questions and what's more, they will worry about him if he just suddenly starts looking as worn as he feels.]

Most of the time they do, that I remember. [Ice is cold even through a towel and Luke is shivering a little between that and the crash.] But that wouldn't be so bad. Not...I mean there are...worse things.

[It doesn't feel quite right to let Maiza do all of the tidying, but again, Layton can't refuse his kindness.]

Worse things, you say.

Let's hope those things don't happen, then. [He's about to ask Luke if he wants to lie down -- but decides to wait for a moment. Bombarding the kid with questions like that might make him feel coddled, and in Maiza's experiences kids -- especially boys -- don't like to feel coddled.]

[He's lying as down as he will get for the time being. He also keeps looking at the door, as though he expects the droids to return.]

I don't really want to talk about it.

Very well. I suppose there's little point in distressing ourselves any further this morning. [He also supposes he'll see many more examples of these effects in days to come anyway.]

Now then, if there are no other urgent matters to attend to, I think I'll get a brew started. Do either of you have any requests?

... You're right. I'm sorry, Luke. [He's careful to avoid bruises as he pats the boy's shoulder.]

Get some rest, and ah, Professor -- I can help out.

You're going to...make tea?

[It's just the right mix of comforting and 'really, Professor?' to feel like...like things ought to be. Even though Czes is temporarily gone.]

Thank you, Maiza. [Even if the two of them will probably just end up staring at the kettle until the water boils, and then some more while the water cools.]

There is never a bad time for tea, if you ask me. Besides, I don't see myself going back to bed any time soon.

[As long as Maiza does not get attacked with puzzles about tea in the meanwhile, that's just fine. He might even pass the time by picking up more knocked over things.]

The usual mug, right, Luke?

Sure, I'll have some.

[Truth be told, he feels a little sick now that it's all over and hopes some tea will make him feel better.]

Thanks.

[Layton puts down his ice, gets out a kettle, and begins to fill it with water. Suddenly, mid-pour, he raises a finger.]

All of this talk of tea has reminded me of a puzzle.

[... What?]

A puzzle?

[A puzzle? At a time like this? He is not surprised in the least.]

Which one, Professor?

It's called 'Tea For Two'. Would you like to hear it?

[Luke seems to be taking this in stride so he decides to do the same.]

Sure, why not?

[After a stretch of trying to remember if he knows this puzzle, Luke shrugs. Carefully.]

Of course I do.

Excellent. [We'll convert you yet, Maiza. He drops the top on the kettle before finding a pen and memo pad nearby.]

Here are two categories, A and B:

A Group:
ENAN
HIRS
OILE
AUGH

B Group:
RALE
MAER
TAOO
MIEN

[Of course, he writes all of this down for Luke and Maiza's benefit.]

According to this logic, can you properly sort ARGE, KELE, and URRE?

[Maiza is a fairly intellectual individual but puzzles are a new thing to him. He leans over the paper, and what does he do?

Why, read out loud all the gibberish words, of course! Arglebargle.]

[It's hard for Luke not to laugh at that. He gets up to join Maiza in looking at the paper, one hand tapping his chin in thought.]

Sometimes the answers to Professor Layton's puzzles are just hidden somewhere.

[While they're puzzling that out, Layton just turns the kettle on and contemplates tins of tea. Which flavour should they have today...?]

Hidden? You must be used to his ways then, aren't you? Let's see...

Just tell me if you want a hint, and I'll give you one.

[~~FOR A FEE~~ okay no.]

[Maiza glances at Luke and back at the puzzle. He thinks for a few minutes, and he can feel the answer coming-- but he turns to Luke again. It sounds like the kid is really into puzzles, so..]

I think I'll take a hint, then.

There's a hint in the puzzle's title!

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