[Puzzle 001]

[hisapprentice]

[In the plaza, near its southern edge, there is something strange. It is most noticeable now that snow is falling in earnest - a shape, smallish and curled up on itself. There is a boy in the snow. Asleep, dressed only in new feather pants, shivering. When he finally shivers himself awake, it's a groggy half-there voice that broadcasts. Seems the journal's open.] Just...a few m-more...minutes, Prof-ffessor...

Comments

[pigtailed-loli.livejournal.com]

There should be holes in your back for wings! I can help you if you want! [You look like you'd be pretty fun to dress up 8) ]

[Action]

[justicereigns]

[Turns around to show his wings now that his jacket isn't covering them.]

They're not quite as bad it sounds. Most of them are just "silly."

[Action]

[rollypolyclover.livejournal.com]

[Turning around some more... And then laughing a little until she slows down.] Dizzy! Whoah, everything is going round! [Holding her head now.]

[You'll have to remind her what it is they're doing inside now. She's so dizzy it's a little hard to remember. Something about it being cold? ...Ice cream?]

[emp3thy]

[Folsense...?]

They're real. Everyone here has them.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

[Maybe if you started at the beginning. Right now Luke has something like hints 2 and 3, and about half of the main puzzle.

It's very confusing and waaaah they're moving! So he tugs on one.]

Ow!

[action]

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

Well so am I! So you can't be from another world.

[Action]

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

H-Hey, don't fall over!

[Luke's still glad to just be warm. The two of them need an adult sometimes, huh?]

[Action]

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

If they're just silly then they don't need me! I'll just go back home to London and-

[And what, Luke? How much time do you have left to spend in London?]

[emp3thy]

[And that's when Minato moves to intervene and direct Luke's hands away.]

You can't do that. They're part of you now.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

I-I can dress myself!

[With that stubborn pouty face of his. He knows what a changing room looks like, and there's one right over there.

Once he comes out of that room in his regular clothes (plus long pants, for the weather) and with his wings flapping a little behind him...he doesn't look any happier]

Could you tell me what's going on now? From the start.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

I noticed.

[For about a minute he's in sulky pout mode. Then he crosses his arms and looks up at Minato again.]

So who are you?

[emp3thy]

I'm Minato.

[and just so they're clear, and he doesn't get Luke accusing him of kidnap or something next -] I'm the same as you. I've just been here longer.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

You haven't...been here as long as it took you to get that old, right?

[emp3thy]

[blink...

Did you just call him old, Luke?]

No, not that long.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

[Well if you started at his age, that's a long time!

But now that he's not frozen or panicking, Luke's rational thoughts are taking back over. It's time to find out exactly what's going on here. ...He just tried to pull his notebook out of his bag, both of which are gone]

Could you start at the beginning and tell me...all of that again?

[emp3thy]

[This kid is prepared. Minato likes him already.]

I can do better.

[he picks up Luke's journal again, and opens to the guide.] This should answer some questions.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

What is it?

[He takes the book, and reads the first few lines of the guide out loud, quietly. And stops.]

I don't think I could hallucinate this much information...

[emp3thy]

It's real.

[Logical, too. Maybe he's some kind of kid detective. He should introduce him to Loki.]

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

[No, he's just a puzzle apprentice. He doesn't even like archaeology all that much. Not...not the way Layton does, anyway. Professor is such a nerd sometimes Luke continues reading quietly for a while, skipping a few things that seem...like many paragraphs.

Maybe someday he'll come up with an easy abridged guide.]

But most of this is impossible.

[emp3thy]

Growing wings should be, too.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

It doesn't sound like I grew them. It sounds like...u-uh, never mind what it sounds like.

[That's just a bit frightening to think of, right? Besides, Luke's seen some impossible things happen anyway so...only most of it makes no sense.]

Someone's got to be behind all of this, really.

[emp3thy]

Or something. [Minato knows better than to assume a 'human' origin for everything.] But we don't know what yet.

[his-apprentice.livejournal.com]

But it's been...years! You haven't found out enough?

[action]

[willfindigneel.livejournal.com]

You ever heard of Magnolia?

[pigtailed-loli.livejournal.com]

Hmm, okay. But you have to promise to believe me!