Hello readers.
Before we go into the Eternal Diva arc, I thought I'll do an intermission. That way I can put in my own contribution rather then just writing entire franchise.
Hope you enjoy it :)
Intermission: A Walk In The Park
"… so that's what I have been doing for the last couple of weeks. Quite exciting, wasn't it. Since then, I paid a visit to Miss Cowell, you know to apologise for…everything and…well, now we are here," Edgar finished awkwardly as he sat on the damp grass, "the Prof has been kind enough to let me stay at his place. A nice place as well. Up near Fitzrovia. You would have loved it."
Edgar sighed. He looked up into the sky and notice the clouds start to part reviling blue sky.
"Look at that. The sun's coming out. For once."
He stood up and brushed the grass of his trousers briefly.
"I have to go now, but I promise I'll come and visit you," he said as he pattered the marble gravestone next to him, "Make sure you behave yourself…goodbye, Agatha. I love you."
After looking down at his sister's grave for a couple more seconds, Edgar turned away and walked back to where Layton and Emmy were waiting for him at the car.
He thought the service was really lovely. Not too big, not too small. Layton insisted he pay for it which Edgar was grateful for and Agatha was buried in Paddington Old Cemetery, quite a nice part of London.
He trudged down the paths and out of the stone and metal gates of the cemetery. He spotted Layton and Emmy waiting for him near the road. Emmy changed her usual yellow outfit to her respectable black dress for the funeral. While Layton wore a black suit, but insisted he still wore his stove pipe hat.
They smiled sadly as the saw Edgar approach in his funeral attire.
"How are you feeling, Edgar?" Layton asked.
Edgar hesitated a bit, but smiled, nonetheless.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. Thanks for everything, Prof. I'm sure Agatha would have appreciated it."
"It's no problem at all," Layton said with a nod.
Emmy walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you ready to leave?" she asked kindly.
Edgar glanced up at the blue sky once more.
"Yeah, but I am actually going to walk back rather than drive," Edgar told them.
"Are you sure?" Layton inquired slightly concerned.
"Yep," Edgar assured them both, "the sun's coming out. I'm going to take this opportunity to enjoy it as long as possible."
He pulled away from Emmy's hand and started to walk away.
"I'll meet you two back at the house, bye," he said with one final wave.
Layton nodded with a hum and started to get into his car. He noticed that Emmy hadn't moved and was staring in concern at the direction Edgar took off in.
"He'll be fine, Emmy" Layton reassured his assistant, "people mourn in different ways."
Emmy sighed sadly, "I know," she said, "I just can't help it, I guess."
Reluctantly Emmy turned away and got into the passenger seat of Layton's car. Layton got in himself and drove away.
Regent's Park
Edgar shuffled through the park listening the gentle birdsongs and feeling the warmth of the sun on his face.
It was peaceful.
He had taken off his stuffy jacket and slung it over his shoulder. After a while he took his tie off and stuffed it into his trouser pocket.
He looked over the gentle waters of the lake and ignored the other people around.
Edgar didn't know why he decided to walk back. It wasn't to clear his head because there was nothing to think about. Nor was it to be alone for a while because if there was one thing, he needed more then anything it was company. He learned that the hard way.
He just wanted to walk.
People today tend to always be in a rush. Everybody is too busy working, eating, doing whatever they needed to do to make sure they keep on living. But they never seem to remember that life is going on without them and they are missing it.
Dear reader, when was the last time you had stopped working or stopped looking at a screen to read a rather condescending author's story and just had a simple walk in a park.
Everything seems to slow down as you walk through a park.
That was what Edgar was doing.
In fact, he was doing it so well that he rammed into somebody accidently.
The woman who he ran into stumbled back a couple of steps, but luckily didn't fall. Edgar immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
"Damn! I'm really sorry, I wasn't look where I was going and…" he started to apologise before the woman stopped him.
"Don't worry, it was actually my fault that I crashed into you," she replied with a soft voice.
Edgar used this opportunity to get a better look at her. She looked to be eighteen or nineteen with long red hair she wore in a ponytail. She wore a long lavender dress and a purple pendant around her neck.
Edgar coughed in embarrassment when he noticed that she was very beautiful.
"I guess you were also distracted by the park," Edgar deducted with a half-smile, making her giggle.
"Yes, it's very beautiful. I haven't been to one for many years," she admitted admiring the crystal blue lake.
Edgar thought for a moment.
"Neither have I, thinking about it. I guess we've just been too busy," he remarked.
"Yes…busy," the woman said. Edgar couldn't but notice the sad undertones of that sentence.
"My name's Edgar Cipher, by the way," he introduced himself holding out his hand.
She looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it lightly.
"My name is…Janice…Janice Quatlane," she said with a bright smile.
'Janice Quatlane?' Edgar thought, 'I've heard that name before' he decided to brush it off for now.
"Well, Janice. There's a café nearby," he informed, "Can I buy you a cup of tea?"
Janice was surprised by the invitation, but her lovely smile grew bigger in delight.
"That would be lovely, Edgar."
Café
The two teenagers walked to a small café in the park and ordered a pot of tea between them. They talked and talked about many things that seemed unimportant to any outside listener like their favourite things they've seen or want to do or places they'll like to go. Unimportant to some, but it was very interesting to them.
Eventually, after Janice had finished her last sip, she looked strangely at Edgar.
"Forgive me if this sounds rude," Janice said, "but why did you invite me here?" she asked curiously.
Edgar furrowed his brow as he swirled the last remains of tea in his cup.
"I don't know. Does there have to be a reason?" he answered earning a small chuckle from Janice.
"No, I suppose not," she admitted.
Edgar sighed and placed his cup down.
"I…I've just been…It's been hard recently. I saw you and you seemed…lost. I thought we could keep ourselves company…" he admitted hesitantly.
Janice placed a comforting hand over Edgar's, surprising him a little.
"I understand. I too have been…busy. Thank you for inviting me."
She glanced outside the café window and looked out into the park.
"I can't remember the last time I've seen such a lovely day. It has been too long," she sadly admitted.
Edgar saw this. He looked at the clock on the wall.
'I still have time,' he thought.
He placed his second hand over Janice's, bringing her attention back to him.
"Well, there's no point moping in a café all day. Since we won't have another opportunity like this again, why don't we go on a date," Edgar suggested with a broad smile.
Janice took a moment to register what he said. Her cheeks flushed and her heart skipped a beat.
With her cute smile gracing across her face again, she nodded in agreement.
Corner of Fitzroy Square
It had been a couple of hours since they left the café. They walked and talked around the park, visited London Zoo, ate ice cream, and just did normal people things.
They didn't ask each other anything about their personal lives nor their history. They just enjoyed their company as much as possible.
It was a perfect day.
However, Janice sadly told him that she needed to go, and their day had come to an end. They had managed to walk towards Fitzroy Square, just south of Regent's Park, where Edgar noticed it look like it was going to rain again.
He saw that Janice didn't have anything to shelter her from the rain.
"One moment, Janice," Edgar said to the confused woman.
He ducked into a local shop for a few minutes. When he appeared again, he was holding a dark red umbrella and gave it to Janice.
"Here you go. Wouldn't one you to get wet," he told her.
Janice stared at the umbrella for a moment before looking up at Edgar gratefully.
"You really shouldn't have. Let me-" she tried to say before Edgar shook his head.
"No, no," he said taking a step back, "I'm not accepting any money. It's a gift."
Janice looked down at the umbrella and smiled happily.
"Thank you, Edgar. It's been a wonderful day," she told him.
Edgar nodded, "It has. Maybe we can see each other again."
"Yes, I would like that," Janice said cheerfully.
A comfortable silence fell between them. They just looked at each other, smiling and just living in the moment.
A clap of thunder interrupted the silence and for them to turn away with embarrassed blushes.
"Are you sure I can't walk you home?" Edgar asked.
"I'm sure," Janice denied, "it's far away and I have a lot of things to do before I get there. Goodbye, Edgar," she said as she started to leave with a small wave.
"Goodbye," Edgar called out as he watched her walk away until she was out of sight.
What started as a morbid day, turned into an amazing day. Janice was smart, beautiful, and fun to talk to. She had a wonderful laugh that made Edgar's heart skip a beat every time he heard it. He had completely forgotten the downsides of his life temporarily.
Nothing could spoil this day.
"Ahem!" a familiar voice cleared their voice.
And then it was spoiled.
Edgar didn't need to turn around to know that Emmy was giving him a rage-filled look directed at him.
Layton's House
Layton sat on his leather chair reading P.J Rhodes' 'A History of the Classical Greek World' in his living room. He had changed out of his formal suit, but still kept his hat on.
Emmy was recently with him, but she went out to search for Edgar. Layton wasn't worried about how long he was taking; however, Emmy was almost climbing the walls in worry. He tried to calm her down but with every minute passing she would only get more and more concerned, insisting that he shouldn't be alone right now.
Eventually, she couldn't take anymore and went out to find him and it has been peaceful ever since.
"FOUR HOURS, EDGAR! FOUR HOURS!"
'Sounds like she has found him,' Layton calmly thought as he heard Emmy shouting from outside.
He placed a bookmark in the book he was reading and placed it on the side table.
The front door slammed open, and Emmy dragged in a rather miserable looking Edgar by the scruff of his shirt.
"I WAS ABOUT TO CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE THE PROFESSOR AND I WERE SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU AND WHAT WERE YOU DOING? CHATTING UP WOMEN IN THE PARK. WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED!" Emmy continued to shout at Edgar who had finally gotten out of her grasp.
"I wasn't just chatting up a girl. Is that what you really think of me?" Edgar calmly retorted.
'And I wasn't worried at all,' Layton thought, wisely keeping out of the argument.
"Oh really, so who was she then?" Emmy interrogated, placing her hands on her hips.
"Her name was Janice Quatlane and I bumped into her at the park. We were just talking that's all," Edgar sighed.
Emmy's angry expression dropped slightly as he said that.
'Maybe I overreacted. I mean why am I angry that he was talking to another woman- I mean – another person. It's not like he can't talk to anybody else," she thought regretting her actions.
She was about to apologise when she noticed his half-smile.
"What's wrong Emmy? You're not jealous, are you?" he teased.
Emmy's face lit up in embarrassment and anger, "WHY YO-"
"May I interrupt," Layton asked stepping in between the two.
Layton recognised the name Edgar mentioned and left the room to retrieve something. Under his arm he held an LP record which he retrieved from another room.
"Edgar, you said Janice Quatlane, is that correct?" Layton asked the slightly bemused Edgar.
"Yeah, that's right," he confirmed.
Layton nodded his head and showed him the cover of the record.
"Is this the Janice you had met?" he inquired.
Edgar looked and was surprised to see the same girl he had met earlier on the cover of the record. She looked like an ancient princess. Instead of her usual purple dress, she wore a white dress and a golden tiara. She was pictured with her mouth slightly open as if she were singing. The title of the record was next to her image in a neat font which read 'The Eternal Diva.'
Edgar stared at the record for a couple of seconds in shock. He thought he knew her name somewhere.
Janice Quatlane.
One of the most famous opera singers and dancers in Great Britain.
Edgar blankly looked up to face the others.
"I just been on a date with an opera singer," he uttered in disbelief.
A couple of seconds passed again.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WENT ON A DATE?" Emmy shouted at Edgar in anger.
And thus, the argument continued.
Layton sighed, ignored the two teenagers, and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.
As the kettle boiled, he thought about his former pupil and wondered what Janice was doing back in London.
Streets of London
Janice sighed contently. The rain was pouring down now, but her mood could not be doused as she held her umbrella that Edgar had brought her earlier.
Edgar.
He was so kind.
It has been a long time that anybody has treated her like a normal person.
She had never felt this way with anybody before.
"Janice," a young voice called to her from behind her.
Her head was so in the clouds that she didn't even realise she was on a busy street. She turned around to see another person holding an umbrella too big for them.
Once the person lifted up the umbrella, she saw it was a young girl about seven years old with shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink and white trimmed dress and a long sleeved undershirt.
Janice didn't recognise her at all, but the young girl smiled up at her.
"Janice," the young girl repeated, "it's me, Melina."
Janice took a step back in shock.
'What?' Janice thought, 'but…but it can't be her."
The next thing the young girl said shocked Janice even more.
"I've been given the gift of eternal life."
A short, but sweet chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.
See you next time :)
