[Puzzle 011]

[hisapprentice]

[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.]]

Comments

[Voice]

[contaeoro]

... You got it. [His voice is low, too. He doesn't want to get the kid to be huffy.] We'll make sure he gets enough rest.

[Voice]

[immamartillo]

Great. I'll be right over, so just sit tight, okay?

[Voice]

[contaeoro]

You got it. You know where the room is, yeah?

[Voice]

[immamartillo]

[He nods, then remembers it's on voice.]

'Course I do. See you in a bit!

[With that he'll slam the journal closed and speed off.]

[Voice --> action?]

[contaeoro]

See you in a bit.

[Maiza closes his own journal less roughly, returning to cleaning up the room.]

[action]

[immamartillo]

[It doesn't take Firo too long to arrive; he runs the whole way, partly fueled by anger at the drones and partly by concern for Maiza, Luke, and that professor guy.

Instead of knocking he'll go straight for the doorknob and enter if it's unlocked.]

[action]

[contaeoro]

[It should be unlocked. None of them, in their various degrees of upset, had really remembered to do that this morning. But not remembering that it's unlocked also leads to the alarm that it's another intruder, not a friendly helper; Maiza rushes over at the sound of the door opening, a chair in his hand.

If it wasn't Firo or another familiar face, he might've thrown it, but he relaxes immediately when he recognizes the face.]

Firo. You were quick.

[action]

[immamartillo]

[The sound of Maiza hustling to the door makes Firo realize he should have knocked, but it's too late for that now. He forces a smile in greeting.]

Sorry. Got here as fast as I could.

[He steps in, carefully shutting the door behind him.,/small>]

Should I lock it?

[It probably won't do much, but it might be of some comfort to Maiza.]

[action]

[contaeoro]

If they come, it won't do much. But I suppose we could for the small comfort.

[He'll do it, to feel a little bit of reassurance from the action, and he pats Firo's shoulder as he passes the younger camorrista.] Thanks for coming.

[action]

[immamartillo]

[Firo watches him and nods.]

What kinda friend would I be if I didn't come?

[He turns to survey the damaged room, and tries his best not to remember the similar wreckage left after Seto was taken a few months back.]

Where do ya want me to start?

seto too? wow flynn lets her kids get kidnapped a lot how cruel

[contaeoro]

[You won't blame him if he doesn't answer your first question, would you Firo?]

I could use some help righting furnitures. I didn't want to make the Professor hurt himself more.

Yep! It is very sad :(

[immamartillo]

Alright. Just tell me where it all goes.

[He holds out his hand, offering to take the chair that Maiza was ready to brandish at the would-be intruder.]

[contaeoro]

[He hesitates a moment; it's nothing he can't handle and he considers declining Firo's offered help, but he accepts it soon and holds the chair out to him with a thanks.]

[immamartillo]

[Firo smiles and takes the chair over to where he thinks he can recall it belonging.]

Is the whole place messed up like this?

[contaeoro]

It used to be. We got most of the mess cleared up, though.

[immamartillo]

[He nods and looks around for something else to straighten up.]

They didn't break anything important, did they?

[contaeoro]

I doubt it. Nothing we can't replace, at least. [If Luke and Layton's mugs are safe, it should be all okay for now. Those two might go into withdrawal without their tea.........]

As long as there's a decent place to eat and sleep, we can rebuild it.

[immamartillo]

Good.

The place looks pretty good considerin'... But if any a' you do need a place there's space where I am.

[contaeoro]

Come on now Firo, you shouldn't offer something like that without talking to your flatmates first...

[immamartillo]

Huh? Oh... Maybe you're right. But I'm sure they wouldn't mind--you could have my room.

[He's gotten too used to just being able to inviting whoever back to his place back home.]

[contaeoro]

I appreciate it, but if I'm going somewhere I've gotta make sure the professor and Luke have a place, too. You don't plan on fitting all of us in your room now do you?

[immamartillo]

...Luke's pretty small.

[He shrugs and shakes his head. It might fit them all, but it wouldn't fit them all comfortably.]

Never mind. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

[contaeoro]

Don't let him hear you saying that. He's doing his best around all of us older folk. [Including their perpetually prepubescent immortal friend who is currently missing. Sigh.]

I appreciate the thought anyway.

[immamartillo]

I won't, I won't.

...He's a bit of a touchy kid, isn't he?

[Yeah, like you weren't, Firo. And still are.

He nods.]

Thanks.

[contaeoro]

In my experience, most kids his age are like that. You were like that much more recently than me, so you understand dontcha?