Oh no! Late! Lucy was late for work! She could only close her eyes and beg that Placid was the one who would greet her in the office, if Placid Prof was the one on duty, he most probably wouldn't even notice she was late. But if it was Potty Prof, and he was waiting for her to get started on today's case.. well she was going to get an ear-full. If there was one thing Potty Prof was, it was impatient! Very impatient.
At last she reached the door to the mystery room and slammed it open as she ran inside. "PROF SO SORRY I…." Lucy stopped up, and was almost tripping in the papers.. the Prof wasn't even there.
Instead, an elderly gentleman was sitting in the chair opposite their work desk, he hadn't even flinched as she had slammed the door in and starting yelling, he hadn't lost his posture just a little bit, just sat there looking extremely calm as he drank his tea.
Lucy blinked as she looked at the gentleman in the chair, he didn't look like a usual passerby around here, not a crook and not an officer.
He seemed so calm and refined, as he sat there calmly drinking his tea, he wore a big top-hat that sat upon his silver hair neatly combed back, his clothes were refined yet very simple, he didn't look like a show-off. Just a very calm, very neat elder gentleman, in his fifties or around that age.
Then slowly he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Lucy, his features seemed incredible kind and gentle, and then as he opened his mouth, his voice matched his kind features just perfectly. "Oh hallo there." the man spoke in a light smile. "You must be Lucy Baker, I'm pleased to meet you." he told in a slight nod.
"Eh?" Lucy blinked. "You know me?" she asked.
"Well." the man smiled amused. "Alfendi has told quite a lot about you." he told.
And Lucy blinked. "Huh?" just as the door opened, and out came the renounced inspector, carrying an entire load of papers in his arms, barely managing to hold them up as he stumbled across the room.
"Arh! Hold on there prof!" Lucy blinked as she managed to stabilise the mountain of papers before Alfendi lost all of them.
"Haha, thank you Lucy." Alfendi smiled lightly, his posture was very laid back and drowsy and his hair was dark, so this was placid prof on work today. Then he finally managed to put down the papers, and Lucy stood back, her eyes glancing from the elder man to Alfendi and back again.
Before suddenly the elder man cleared his throat making Alfendi stand rigid, and then turned around to look at the man, as if he was deeply surprised to even find this person in his office, deeply surprised to find any-one at all in that chair. In spite of it being quite obvious that the man had been there for a while, and that Alfendi had even served up tea for him. And not just any tea, as far as Lucy could tell from the smell, it was one of Alfendis private blends he used for himself and not the guests to the mystery room.
"Alfendi, didn't I teach you better?" The man asked. "A true gentlemen doesn't just ignore his guests, why don't you introduce us?" he asked.
Lucy blinked as she looked at the man and then at Alfandi.
And Alfandi sighed deeply. "Lucy, I'll like you to meet my father, professor Hershel Layton." he at last presented.
"What?" Lucy blinked stunned looking at the man in the chair.
"Father, this is my assistant, Lucy Baker, I've told you about her all-ready." Alfendi told, before he turned around, going back to his case.
Stunned Lucy looked at the gentleman, he looked nothing like Alfandi! While Alfandi looked so laid back and eccentric.. or well, wild and eccentric when he was potty. This gentleman looked posh, fine, neat and orderly, then Lucy blushed as she looked down. "Please excuse Alfendi sir, when he is caught by a case he finds interesting, he tends to forget every-thing else around him. I'm a little surprised Potty Prof hasn't come out yet." she at last admitted.
And Hershelf lifted his eye-brow. "Potty Prof?" he asked.
"Oh you know sir.. the.. other Alfandi. That's erhm.. what we call him." Lucy told in a deep blush. "Or well, actually the one that is out now is the actual other Alfendi I guess, that's placid prof. So I am a bit surprised the first Al, Potty prof, isn't out right now." She told, then blinked. "Okay this is a bit confusing, should I start over?" she asked.
Hershel shook his head, looking just a little amused. "I am well aware of Alfandis situation" he then admitted, glancing at Alfandi whom was messing around, stepping over papers, going through books, and then throwing the items on the floor, to go on in a deep mess. "I am even lead to understand, that my son has regained some of his former passion, in the form of.. Was it Potty prof you called him?" he asked amused.
"Yeah, he can be quite the potty mouth when he is like that, the prof." Lucy stated.
Alfendi sighed as he rolled his eyes. "None of these nicknames were my idea." He at last told Hershel. "I told Lucy the first day we met, you were an actual professor so I would prefer not to be called that prof name, but she had just decided." He sighed deeply.
Hershel chuckled a little amused. "I'll take that as a tribute, and I am honoured." He told, and then mumbled to himself. "Potty prof, how fitting, I should have thought of that." He chuckled down in his hand. Making Alfendi turn around, deciding to dismiss them again, so now Hershel decided to just address Lucy. "And as for his.. Obsession with cases as some might want to call it, well. I would be a fool to say he had gotten it from any stranger." he told in a slight smile.
And Lucy blinked as she looked at the older gentleman. "Sir?" she asked.
"You might be surprised to find out, that I to was quite obsessed with my chosen occupation when I was young." Hershel informed in a smile. "Why, my house-maid often had to demand extra hours to even have a chance to keep track on my mess." he told.
Lucy blinked. "You are.. An actual professor are you not sir?" she asked.
"Yes." The man smiled as he nodded. "In archaeology, though my true passion has been puzzle and mystery solving." he admitted in a slight smile.
"Ah! Then Alfendi does follow in your foot 'steps quite a bit!" Lucy realised.
"Well of course!" Al turned around, suddenly his hair was flaming red as his eyes lightened up, the way they only did when his hair was red. "It's only the fewest people who really get it, the puzzles! The mysterious. How to lay it all out! Most people aren't intelligent enough to even get it." He halfly snorted, as he gestured excited with his hands, the way placid prof would never do.
"Alfendi." Hershel spoke, in a quite lecturing tone. "There is nothing wrong about not enjoying puzzles, it's a shame for those who don't want to, but that's their business."
Alfendi rolled his eyes as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Idiots." He mumbled to himself looking away.
Hershel glanced up at Alfendi, but seemingly decided to not comment any further as he lifted the tea-cup to his lips, and drank from it. Looking down, completely dismissing the mini-argument they had before. Then he looked up at Alfendi, and then smiled at him.. truly, smiled. "I heard you had gotten better! I'm glad to see you really have regained your former passion." He told in a warm smile.
"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, and not quite over yet." Alfendi sighed deeply as he sat down in a chair opposite Hershels on the other side of the table. "I keep switching back and forth personalities, some-times I don't even notice when it happens, it just happens." As he spoke he lowered his head, and suddenly, his hair turned darker, and he gently tugged it behind his ear, before he looked up with his more dull eyes. "To make it worse, I think each personality are two extremes. One is without passion, the other is only passion and has nothing else." He sighed deeply leaning back. Now completely back to the placid doctor. "The whole person is some-where in the middle, but I can't get there just yet. It is quite bothersome."
Hershel looked at Alfendi, then nodded. "That is what I had gathered to." He then admitted. "But, what is important is that you did refund that passion, and you are getting better, isn't it?" he smiled. "And well, as long as it works for you and you can get along, then there are very few problems is there."
"Yeah a suppose." Alfendi grumbled annoyed flickering a finger to get some dirt away from the desk. "It's still embarrising as heck!" he hissed. "And it's all because of that stupid Justin!" Alfendi exclaimed slamming his hands in the table as he stood up, his hair instantly having turned bright red. "Brainwashed me?! BRAIN WASHED ME!" he yelled. "Seriously? I had to walk around day in and day out, acting like... Like.. Well not me! Just so that coward could avoid the fire URGH!" he hissed slamming one fist into the papers he was holding, so those papers flew across the room. "God i'm so angry! I feel like i'm boiling over!" He hissed grabbing his hair with two hands ruffling the wild hair up.
Hershel Layton though, only looked amused by the sight, and even.. sort of relaxed as if what he saw was merely some-thing of warm familiarty. "I gather you have four years worth of bottled up frustrations." he commented.
"Can you blame me?" Alfrendi snorted as he crossed his arms glaring at Herself.
"No, I believe even I would be quiete angered if some-one put me through such an ordeal, no matter the reasoning." Hershel smiled amused.
Lucy blinked as she looked at the professor in the chair.
"Some-thing the matter Lucy?" Hershel then kindly asked her.
"Oh. Well.. urhm.." Lucy blushed deeply. "You seem awfully accepting of all of this sir, if you don't mind me saying so."
"Is that so?" Hershel asked amused. "How else should I act?" he asked.
"Well I don't know.. I guess I would have expected Alfendis parents to be a bit more upset." Lucy finally admitted.
"I don't see how me being upset around Al would help him." Hershel then told. "Beside, if he needs help he'll asks for it, he never was the type whom liked to get any help he didn't ask for." Then he sighed deeply as he closed his eyes. "Of cause I worry." He told. "But, my son is alive, and not convicted for murder. He is a grown man fully capable to handle himself, and I will let him do that." He told as he opened his eyes as he looked at Al. "Though I do hope you wont be to proud to come to me if you need some-thing." He at last asked.
Alfendi still as potty as ever frowned as he crossed his arms looking away, clearly not fancy all that much to be spoken about while he was still right there in the room. "No no, of course not." He muttered looking away from Hershel Layton.
"Alfendi, what kind of answer is that?" Lucy asked annoyed.
Alfendis eyes moved to Lucy, for a moment he squinted his eyes at her, before suddenly he smirked. "Of course not." He then repeated in a smirk, before his eyes landed on Hershel. "I am not the only proud man in this room, don't worry father, I am pretty sure Lucy will go out of her way to contact you if I need it but wont admit it." He told in a slight smile. "So you might as well hand over your number and address to her now, instead of waiting for me to leave or try to pull her aside when I don't see it."
Hershel smiled a little amused. "And that is why having such an intelligent son can be quite trouble-some." He told, before he reached into his pocket, opened his wallet and handed a note over to Lucy.
Lucy blinked as she accepted the note, and looked down to be confirmed, that this was indeed his visit card, professor Hershel Layton it said.. with address, number and every-thing.
"And there doesn't have to be any problems at all if you wish to call." Hershel told kindly. "What-ever you need, my door is open, it shan't be any trouble at all."
"Oh, that's all-right professor, I don't." Lucy tried.
"I am to understand you are the reason Al started to find himself again, I owe you then." Hershel told in a slight nod. "So if you lack any-thing, any-thing at all." He stood as he stood up. "or perhaps you would like to have a cup of tea one day, I got some very unqiue blends in my collection, it is my uttermost joy when I can share those with delightful young people such as yourself." He told in a smile, tipping his head at Lucy. "It was a pleasure to meet you Lucy Baker, though I should probably let you get back to work now. Alfendi." he turned his eyes to Alfendi. "How pleased I am to see you this well." He told in a warm smile. "You really must come by one of these days." He told. "And remember."
"Yes father I know, every puzzle has an answer, also this one." Alfendi rolled his eyes as he banged his own head. "We'll get there, I'll call you when I get that far. I know you'll hate to miss out on that one." He stated in a smirk, that almost looked devilish with the way his red hair fell down into his shining green eyes.
Hershel smiled a little amused. "Much appreciated, though a mere visit would also be quite nice."
"Of course father." Alfendi sighed as his hair was slowly returning to its darker state. "When I find a hole in my work schedule, I promise, I'll come by."
"I'll make sure he actually remembers it!" Lucy then promised loudly. "He is pretty forgetful about every-thing but his cases. Both potty and placid." She grinned.
Hershel smiled amused. "Quite true." He admitted. "I'll be seeing you, both of you I certainly hope." He told raising a hand, before he turned to the door, opened it, and walked out to quietly closed it after him.
For a moment there was quiet, Lucy blinked as she looked at the closed door. "Wow, that was really your father?" she finally asked.
"Yeah." Alfendi nodded pulling down a book to open it and look in it.
"He seems really nice." Lucy told.
"He is." Alfendi confirmed not removing his eyes from the book. "Kind of old fashioned though, he has this thing with true gentleman behaviour."
"Well, nothing wrong about that." Lucy snorted putting her hands on her hips. "The world could do with a few gentlemen! You could have picked a bit more up on it!" she told.
And Alfendi smiled as he looked up. "Try and look him up some-time, not only is my father, Hershel Layton, known for being a true gentleman, he is also known for being one of the worlds greatest eccentrics." he told.
"Ei?" Lucy blinked. "Him?" she asked.
"Quite." Alfendi smiled. "He is quite his own person that old man of mine, obsessed with puzzles. All kinds of them, it's a bit of a bother when he visits here, he can't help but view my cases as puzzles, and he almost can't help himself by try and solve them. As I said, almost an obsession."
"oooh." Lucy blinked, those two suddenly sounded more and more alike by the minute.
"Even though he is actually and archaeology professor, he used to help the yard out quite a bit in his young days." Alfendi told as he closed his book and replaced it on the shelf. "He has some honour medals to show for it to, and I managed to find some of his old case-files in the basement, quite interesting read-througs." he nodded.
"Heh." Lucy smiled a little amused as she looked at Alfendi, Alfendi blinked a little confused as he turned to her.
"What?" he asked slightly confused.
"You sound proud of him." Lucy told.
And Alfendi exhaled deeply. "Maybe I am." he then finally admitted. "My father is a great man." he then finally told looking directly at Lucy. "Only very few people in the world gets to be as great as him, and it is my privilege to be able to call him father. In fact, people whom can consider him a friend are lucky people." he told in a slight nod. "I just hope that one day, I'll become as smart as he is." He told.
"What? As smart as he is?" Lucy gaped. "You're the smartest person I know! Placid or Potty!" she exclaimed loudly.
Alfendi smiled a little amused. "Why thank you." He nodded slightly at her. "I am nothing though, compared to him. I spend my life trying to reach him just a little bit, and still I am not quite there yet. I suppose I just have to face facts, that I will never be as great a man as him." He told in a deep sigh.
"Nonsense." Lucy snorted loudly, placing her hands on her hips. "True, you are pretty messed up in a lot of ways prof, but you are a pretty great man as you are." She flat out stated.
Alfendi smiled a little amused as he shook his head, then picked up a file. "Now, about this case." He then started to speak.