Shaken, Not Stirred
A Professor Layton Fanfic
by I Need Sleep
Summary: Hershel Layton isn't really much of an alcohol drinker - but when he comes home to find Emmy wandering about the kitchen with colourful bottles, he couldn't refuse her offer of cocktails. (Ignores Azran Legacy - mainly because I haven't gotten the chance to play it yet)
Hershel Layton came home to a slight surprise – Emmy Altava was in his kitchen, preparing drinks. Around the dining table, Luke and Flora sat, sipping coloured drinks with little straws. Their legs swung back and forth and they were grinning at one another.
"Emmy," the professor greeted, tipping his hat to her. She smiled at him and winked.
"Want a drink?" she asked, before gesturing over to the bottles in front of her. "You don't have work on Monday, right?"
Flora and Luke looked over to the professor, smiles unremoved. "Professor!" Their legs continued to swing back and forth. "Have a drink, they're fantastic!"
His eyebrows furrowed at the glasses in front of the two children, before he turned to Emmy again. He removed his hat and hung it on the stand, before walking over to the counter where the bottles lay. "Don't worry," she said softly, "they're non-alcoholic."
"I feel like an adult, having a mocktail," Flora said, cheerfully. "A proper lady!" She took another sip of her drink, excited. "Professor, have one!"
Emmy nodded, turning to her boss. "Yes, yes," she said, "Have one! I mean, it's not like you have work tomorrow anyway," she gestured to an open book on the counter, "and I'm trying some stuff!"
The kindly professor shook his head and replied kindly. "I would rather have tea, thank you for the offer though." He began to heat up water in a kettle, before he discarded his coat and hung it over an empty seat.
"Non-sense!" said Emmy, putting a final flourish to the drink she was working on, "have a try, professor – you're the only one who can!"
Luke sat upright and raised his hand. "I'll try it if the professor won't!" he volunteered, reaching for the drink Emmy had placed in front of the confused archaeologist. "My drink's all gone and I want more!"
The older man pulled the glass further away from Luke's grasp. "Now, now, second assistant," Emmy said, clucking, "That drink is for the professor. I can make you another drink! Did you want another one of 'the Luke'?" She grinned as the boy's mouth opened and closed noiselessly, unsure of which response to let out first.
"Yes, please," he said, before he added, "And I'm apprentice number one!"
She ruffled his hair, and Flora laughed along. "Of course, of course," she turned her attention back to her bottles. Getting to work, she slowly began to mix and pour, stir, and shake, and in ten minutes, she walked back over to the table with two glasses in hand. Settling down on the seat next to Luke and across from Hershel, she took a quick sip of her drink through the straw. She hummed happily.
Noting that her father figure was yet to take a sip from the drink Emmy made him, Flora said, "Why don't you try it?"
Again, Luke piped up. "I'll have it if you don't want to?"
"Luke," he began, before taking another look at his green drink. "Tea would be enough for me, really. Thank you, though, Emmy."
She shrugged. "Fine." The woman in yellow then turned to the boy next to her and said, "You can have the professor's drink if he doesn't finish it. It's special though – very grown up."
Sneaky. He lifted the glass up to his lips and took a sip. It was a tad sweet, but it was definitely alcoholic. Hershel Layton might not drink much, but he drank enough when he was younger, and during his university days with Randall Ascot. He could almost tell what she had mixed up.
"Well?" the boy asked, curious. "Is it as good as 'the Luke'?"
"It's quite nice," he said, and Emmy hummed in gratitude. "Well done, Emmy." He took another sip, knowing he had to finish the drink else she would give it to Luke. Pinned. "It's quite sweet."
"Is it too sweet?"
"No, no," he said, "it's not too sweet. It's alright."
"Oh, good," she said, sighing with relief. Sticking her straw back into her mouth, she murmured, "I might make one of those for myself later."
When the two children finished their drinks, they slipped off of their seats and carried their glasses over to the sink. Emmy rotated in her seat. "Don't worry about it," she said, waving them off. "I'll wash the dishes, you guys go and watch TV."
"Thanks, Emmy," said the two, moving to the living room with excited chatter.
It left Emmy and the professor together in silence. "A new hobby?" he asked, gesturing towards the tools on the counter. His drink was half finished.
"Yeah," she said, "I don't know what brought it on, but I just decided to try it."
He chuckled, taking another drink. "It's good," he said, "I can taste the apple."
"I thought you might like it," she said, "it's a green apple martini." She got up and grabbed the book from the counter, flipping through the pages. "I have enough ingredients to make other drinks."
"What do you suggest?" he asked, finishing his martini off. He felt somewhat warm, even with the lack of a coat. "Goodness, it's been a while since I had alcohol."
She pointed to a recipe. "I'm going to try this one," she said, "I'll make it for you and I."
"Cocktails aren't really gentlemanly drinks, Emmy," he said, trying to avoid drinking more. They were good, but… He didn't want to do anything embarrassing if he were to get drunk. He motioned to get up and get back towards the kettle. "I think I'll have my tea now, but my water has probably gone cold again."
"A gentleman musn't refuse a lady's offer," she said, unsure. "I'll start to think you lied about my drink being good."
He sat back down with an inward sigh. "Alright," he said, settling in. Nothing he could do, really. He didn't have work tomorrow, and if he drinks enough water after, he should be fine tomorrow. "I assume you're staying over, Emmy?"
"I can't really drive back home, now, can I?" she said, before her lips pursed back up. Her back was facing the professor, and she turned between her drink and her book. "I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," he said, steepling his fingers.
"I thought we might as well do something fun this long weekend," she said, pouring something blue. "I am pretty sure you don't have any work to mark this weekend, and you're using the same notes from last year, right?" She served another drink to him, which he sipped meekly.
"Well, it's as if you planned this."
"I didn't," she shrugged, taking a drink. "This one is a little sour." She made a face.
"It's quite nice, actually," Hershel said, taking a longer sip. "I prefer this one."
She smiled. "Great!" she said, taking a pen out of her pocket and clicking it functional. She scribbled "Prof" on top of the title. "I have a couple of other recipes to try, I hope you don't mind."
Well, it's relatively harmless. He may as well. A true gentleman must keep a lady company. And the drinks weren't too bad either. "Not at all."
Notes: I'm a new fan to the series, so I'm not really sure if I've gotten the characters fully right. I hope they're not too off, or out of character. I have read the wiki, but I've only really played one game (The Last Spectre), and the spin off (Mystery Room). I'm also not sure how Flora refers to the Professor. I hope this was okay!