My first fanfic! A little bit of practice to see if I can successfully upload something. I had fun with description and capturing personalities, but absolutely nothing actually happens XD
I walked past Corpus Christi the other day when I was in Cambridge, and fell in love with it. I did a little research, played Professor Layton and Pandora's Box all morning, and this was the result.
I obviously don't own Professor Layton, the characters, or Corpus Christi College. Lotte the History Student, however, is mine.
Luke tilted back his cap to get a better view off the huge building.
"Wow, Professah, it's beautiful!"
Hershel Layton mimicked his young apprentice, pushing his own top hat off of his forehead and gazing up at the structure.
"Indeed, Luke. Corpus Christi College has some of the finest architecture in Cambridge, possibly the finest. Not that it would be wise to say so aloud, my boy."
The young boy looked up at him with big, curious eyes.
"Whyever not, Professah?"
Layton chuckled.
"All the University students here, no matter where they are from, fervently claim that their college is the best. It's a Cambridge tradition."
Luke looked back up at the building, with all its grand windows and parapets and the two statues set into the wall either side of the main door.
"I still think it's beautiful. It's like a castle! And to think, students live and study here - in a castle!"
The Professor chuckled again.
"Yes, my boy, it must be wonderful to be able to spend your everday life in such a place. It is full of history, what with being centuries old, and founded by the townspeople, no less."
His young apprentice was still gazing up at the windows with awe. So much so, he lost his grip on his satchel and it slipped silently to the gravel path.
"Centuries, eh? I don't doubt it! It looks so old!"
Layton smiled, his eyes twinkling.
"Ah, but how old, Luke?"
It didn't take the boy long to solve the puzzle Layton set him, but that was hardly surprising for an apprentice of such a man. The boy beamed up at his mentor proudly.
"1352! That's when it was founded!"
Layton smiled.
"Very clever, my boy. Now come along."
They set off towards the entrance, Luke having to jog to keep up with the Professor's long strides.
"So, Professah, this is where Dr Blackwood works? The one who sent you the letter?"
Layton nodded, eyes focused on the rather handsome clock high up in the wall.
"Yes, Dr Margaret Blackwood indeed teaches here. Although we teach the same subject, she specialises in Anthropology, which is why she has turned to me for advice over a specific and ancient artefact."
"What artefact is that, then?"
Layton's smile came through with his voice.
"I haven't the slightest idea. She was rather vague with the details in the letter."
Luke was so focused on the building, and on his conversation with the Professor as well as keeping up with him, he failed to notice the large obstacle in the middle of his path and collided heavily into it. There was a feminine yelp and a crunch of gravel, and the next thing either the Professor or his protégé knew, Luke and a young woman were sprawled on the path.
Luke leapt to his feet, bright red with embarrassment.
"Oh, gosh! S-sorry, miss!"
Layton held out a helping hand for the young woman.
"I apologise, miss. Are you hurt?"
The girl took his hand and hauled herself to her feet, brushing herself down.
"No prob, guv. It's not the first time someone's tripped over me. I'll be fine."
She knelt in the pale gravel and began gathering up a sheaf of papers, which she had dropped. Luke hurriedly joined her, still blushing. He tried to elevate his embarrassment by frowning in annoyance.
"What were you doing sitting in the middle of the path, anyway?"
The words came out rather harsher than he had intended, and he caught the warning glance from Layton.
"Luke..."
The young boy blushed harder.
"Er, uh, what I mean is..."
The girl, however, merely laughed lightly.
"No worries, it's a fair question."
She tossed her short brown hair out of her eyes with a smile. Layton noticed she had very dark eyes, that matched the velvet beret perched upon her head. She wore a light caramel-coloured jumper, over dark trousers and brown high-heeled boots. She gathered the papers into her arms at smiled at the two gentlemen.
"I was drawing. This is the best place to get a good view of it all, but a proper drawing takes ages and my legs were getting tired."
Luke's eyes widened curiously.
"View of all what?"
The girl waved an arm at the buildings and lawn around them.
"All this, of course! I love the architecture - I'm always drawing it."
Layton smiled, intrigued.
"May we see one of these drawings?"
The girl looked momentarily surprised, but laughed.
"I guess I was asking for that. Here."
She handed the professor a sheet of paper, on which was a half-completed drawing. Luke gawped at it, his eyes almost popping out of his head.
"Cor, that looks identical!"
Indeed, the drawing was an almost perfect replica of the grand structure in front of them. Layton nodded, impressed.
"It's a fitting tribute to a beautiful building."
The young woman flushed with pleasure.
"Thank you. I was worried I wouldn't do it justice."
She took the drawing back, but as she did so, another drawing fell free of the mess in her arms and fluttered to the floor. Luke picked it up, looking at it with great interest. Again, it was a very good drawing, this time of a bridge.
Layton was addressing the young woman.
"You have a lot of talent, miss. May I know your name?"
The girl balanced her drawings awkwardly in one arm while holding out the other for him to shake.
"Lotte. Drawing's actually my bit on the side - History is my real passion, and it's what I'm studying. Arch and Anth had my eye a little while, though."
Layton smiled broadly.
"I am Hershel Layton, Professor of Archaeology at Gressenheller University. This is Luke, my apprentice."
The boy in question tugged on Lotte's sleeve. She looked down to see him holding up the drawing.
"You dropped this, miss."
She took it, smiling.
"Cheers. Ah, Newton's bridge."
Luke tilted his head, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"What's that?"
Lotte smiled.
"It's a bridge in town, over the River Cam. Folklore says that Newton built it so it never needed nuts or bolts. But one night, his drunken apprentices decided to take it apart to see how it worked, and found they couldn't put it back together again. So they used bolts after that."
Luke grinned.
"I bet I could! Put it together, I mean. If Isaac Newton built it that way, it must be possible."
He then proceeded to scrutinise the drawing carefully, while Lotte's smile widened. After a while, however, Luke scratched his head in perplexity.
"I can't make head or tail of it. It doesn't look as though you *could* put it together without bolts!"
Lotte laughed.
"You can't. It's a trick question."
Luke snapped his head up, outraged.
"No fair! Besides, you said he built it without bolts-"
"I said that *folklore* said that. It doesn't necessarily mean that it's true. Besides, that old bridge was built 22 years after Newton died."
Luke huffed in annoyance, while Layton chuckled.
"That should serve as a lesson to you, lad, not to trust everything you hear."
A chime rang out through the courtyard, causing the three of them to look up. Luke blinked in surprise.
"Isn't our appointment at one o'clock, Professah?"
Layton nodded, also mildly surprised at the passage of time.
"Yes, my boy. It would appear we are late."
Lotte looked worried.
"Oh gawd, I've gone and made you late for the toffs. Sorry, guv."
Layton smiled and tipped his hat to her.
"The fault is ours for disturbing you in the first place. But we really must be getting on. Good day, Lotte."
Luke waved as he ran after the Professor.
"Bye, Lotte!"
The young woman waved back, smiling, before sinking down again and producing a HB pencil from seemingly nowhere. Luke had caught the Professor by now, and smiled up at him cheekily.
"Let's hope this visit to a Doctor doesn't result in a country-crossing vampire mystery, eh, Professah?"
Layton saw, out of the corner of his eye, Lotte look up, the same curiosity on her face that he often saw in the eyes of his young charge. He smiled.
"Let's hope not."
There we go, my first fanfic on the site :) Review if you'd like, but plz remember this is my first one and was only practice. Plz don't flame me! *cowers under table*
By the way, the legend about Newton's Bridge (sometimes called the Mathematical Bridge) is real-life folklore. The story was told to me by a punter when I went punting on the River Cam. Arch and Anth, for those who don't know, stands for Archaeology and Anthropology, which in the University of Cambridge is one subject. Archaeology is the study of the past through material remains. Anthropology is the study of the past through materials and living people.