Yes! Next chapter!
Just a few things I want to point out in this story that I couldn't really fit into the summary: I took a few (A FEW) ideas from the Unwound Future, so it may contain some minor spoilers later on in this story. Also, I'm borrowing an ability from Full Moon wo Sagashite, so this whole story is just full of random little excerpts from random manga. Lots of disclaimers!
And I'll probably have a puzzle per chapter, if possible. And yes, they suck since I made them. I am not the puzzle master so please, bear with me. Dx
WINGS DOES NOT OWN PROFESSOR LAYTON SERIES OR ANY OF THE COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. BUT SHE DOES DREAM…
As soon as the professor heard the young man's name, his small black eyes widened, and his mouth opened a crack.
"Liam…?" He drew out the name, like he was trying to remember something about it.
"Yes, Professor?" asked Liam.
Professor Layton's eyes flickered back to the boy from under the rim of his top hat.
"Never mind. I must have mistaken you for someone else. Well then, Liam. I do have a multitude of questions for you—"
Liam smiled in return, shaking the black bangs out of his icy eyes. "I daresay you do, sir. But just to be safe, I have prepared a puzzle so that you may prove yourself to really be the famous Professor Layton."
Luke narrowed his eyes. "How dare you test the professor—"
"Luke! Must I tell you again to calm down? A true gentleman does not throw a tantrum in front of others! And you should also remember that previous clients have presented me with puzzles so that they know it is truly me. It is not uncommon."
The blue-clad boy sighed and turned his head.
"Very well," said Liam. "Here is my puzzle."
From his coat pocket he pulled out a small, orange clementine, bouncing the fruit in his palm before gently tossing it to the professor.
"Here, as you can see, is a clementine. There are three companies from which it could have come from.
"Company A's oranges are dominantly smaller than most, although the color of it is tinted yellower than the norm. Company B's oranges are the common orange color," he said, gesturing at the bright colored fruit in the professor's hand, "but could fit in the palm of one's hand. And Company C's oranges are not very well taken care of, bruises often being found on the products. Which company could this fruit here have come from?"
Luke was scribbling furiously in his notepad as Layton curiously studied the orange clementine. The younger man looked up at the professor, doubt in his eyes. "It's definitely not from Company C, since it's so clean and spotless. But the other companies could fit the description, although the traits are separate."
The professor was busy observing the fruit as Luke spoke, but when he finished, the learned man smiled. "Liam, I believe I have the answer."
"And that answer is?" asked Liam.
"This clementine is from none of the companies, seeing how despite the relations, oranges are a different type of fruit!" (A/N: People often call clementines oranges, although clementines are much smaller and altogether different.)
Liam's subtle grin grew even bigger. "Just as suspected from the great Professor Layton!"
"Of course! Would you expect less?" retorted Luke.
"Thank you Luke, Liam. Now, boy, will you care to answer my own questions?" asked Professor Layton.
"With pleasure, sir."
"Alright then. First, I would like to know how you know about that incident those many years ago, and how you found that book you mentioned in your letter."
The trio were slowly walking down the streets of London, quietly discussing the questions and answers that were being tossed back and forth among them.
"Well," Liam said, "I've lived in the orphanage for a very long time. When I had learned I had relatives, still living and eager to take me in, I had gone to go visit them. A few days later, my first—and last—home had been destroyed in the explosion." The young man lowered his glistening eyes and hid them under his cap. Slipping into a nearby alley, Luke and the professor rested a hand on his shoulders and they stood quietly for a few minutes in a moment of silence. Liam was fighting back his tears, not just because of the memories his carefully spun words brought up, but that they were close to a lie about his loved ones.
Finally, when sniffles no longer threatened his pride, he wiped his tears on the back of his hand when a pale blue handkerchief was offered to him. Liam's eyes followed up the arm holding out the cloth to Luke's worried face. Quickly, he averted his gaze and accepted the handkerchief, carefully dabbing away the damp streaks on his cheeks. "Hold on to it," murmured Luke as he turned to join the professor, who was getting ready to leave the dark alley. Hiding a faint smile, he tucked the kerchief away in his coat pocket and hurried to join them.
They quickly resumed their former discussion. "I decided to investigate the building when the police weren't around. So I snuck out of the orphanage and ran to the site of the explosion. It was only down the street, you see," Liam added quickly. "I was digging around the area the police hadn't bothered to investigate when I found the book." At that moment, he tugged open his knapsack and pulled out a worn, old book. The title's crooked black letters were barely legible as Liam handed it to Professor Layton. The older man flipped through it quickly and asked, "May I hold on to it, please?"
"Be my guest," Liam replied. "You'll find more in it than I ever will; the first chapter alone stumped me." With his approval, the professor slipped the book into one of his own coat pockets.
"So what do we do now, professor?" inquired Luke.
"Well, I suppose we should make our way to the site of the explosion and ask the people around that area if they can recall anything about that day. Although," the professor added, "I'm not sure if we will get a good answer, but it won't hurt to try."
With those words the trio set off once more, walking to a nearby bus stop.
While waiting for one of London's trademark double-decker buses, Liam had stopped by a small store to look around. He was about to leave, his purchase inside his pocket, when he heard Luke's voice drifting to the entrance of the building.
"…Professor, do you remember the incident five years ago? The one with Clive and Dmitri?"
"Of course Luke. How could I forget?" His voice sounded slightly strained.
"Ah—sorry sir, I've almost forgotten about, um…you know…"
"Go on, Luke."
"Ah, yes! So anyway, do you think this Liam is going to turn out to be like Clive? I mean, think about it! An explosion, strange favors: do you think his true intention is revenge on London? It'll be déjà vu, and I can't stand to even think about going through that whole event again!"
The professor scratched his chin. "I must say, Luke, I've been having the same suspicions that you are having right now." Liam gulped. "Do you want to know why I was thinking about that boy?"
"Why, professor?"
"I was there ten years ago when the explosion occurred. I found myself with a young child who was badly injured, screaming out a name: Liam. I can't help but think that that child and Liam are somehow connected." Luke began to open his mouth in response when a large red bus rattled its way to the bus stop.
"Ah! Sorry I'm late, professor! Let us be off!" said Liam loudly as he rushed out of the store, grabbing his possessions and hopping onto the vehicle. Behind him, the other men shrugged and followed suit.
An awkward silence between the three settled heavily around them. Liam was gazing out the window, Professor Layton was staring off into space, and Luke fidgeted uncomfortably in the middle. Desperate to break the silence, he turned to the young man next to him and asked, "So, Liam, what was that store you went into?"
Liam stared at Luke for a few seconds, still lost in thought when he realized someone was speaking to him. "Ah, um…it was a music store. You know, selling…well…musical items." He blushed when he realized the stupidity of his statement and turned his head again to the window.
"What did you buy?" Luke was determined to keep the conversation, being a rather impatient person by nature.
"Oh, I bought rosin. It's basically a special kind of dust that you put on the hair of a bow that helps make a better sound when drawn across the strings of an instrument. You see, the particles help make a friction against the strings so it'll actually produce some kind of music instead of the hair simply sliding across the strings…!" Liam stopped himself and inwardly groaned; he had talked too much again. But Luke did not seem annoyed. Rather, quite the contrary—he was completely absorbed in Liam's words.
"Is that your…" Luke pointed at the battered instrument case in Liam's lap.
"Violin," Liam completed. "It holds…a lot of memories. I'd prefer not to talk about it."
"Oh." The tension in the air returned as the conversation abruptly stopped when Luke suddenly asked, "When we get off this bus…could you play it?"
Conveniently, the bus rolled to a wobbly stop and opened its doors.
"Fine," Liam answered reluctantly.
Luke stood up with a nod and nudged the professor, who was still gazing at nothing in particular. "Professor, we've arrived…"
Layton snapped up his head with a soft gasp as he was shaken out of his trance-like state. "Ah, thank you Luke. Let's go then."
As soon as the bus drove off, Liam bent down and flipped open his case. Inside was his violin, a fine work of art and scarred with hundreds of tiny grooves in the dusty wood. Carefully, he lifted out his bow and applied some of the new rosin he had bought, then picked up the instrument and set it against his shoulder. Layton watched quizzically but quietly as the young man plucked the strings. Then he placed the bow on the strings of the violin and began to play.
The song was unknown to all those who heard it in the streets, but that was the least of their concerns. Pure, beautiful notes rang out from his violin and echoed in the area, catching the attention of everyone within hearing range. Luke was standing quietly with his eyes closed, a peaceful expression on his face. Layton simply watched in amazement.
The look of ecstasy of Liam's face was obvious as well. All traces of stress vanished completely; one would not even be able to tell that he was a victim of an unknown catastrophe. His clear blue eyes hid under his eyelids, and a faint smile was evident on his pale lips. Swaying back and forth, he played his way up the complicated notes and relaxed on the longer notes. When the piece finally came to the end, the whole street was silent. Not a single person moved for a few seconds, until Liam's tears, which had been threatening to spill over, finally cascaded down his cheeks. He carefully placed the delicate instrument in his case, then crouched down and cried. His audience looked on with some worry, to which Professor Layton waved them away as he and Luke joined Liam on the ground, trying to comfort him. A quiet, polite applause was heard as the people were jerked out of their dream-like state and continued on their way.
For a short while, Liam's body was racked with sobs; he had placed his hand on his head as if clutching it as his tears dripped onto the cobblestone street. Finally, he carefully dried his tears with Luke's handkerchief, took a long, shuddering breath, and stood up. He smiled uneasily at the two men in front of him and whispered, "Like I had said: it holds many memories…of my past."
SUCCESS. I finished a chapter!
And if my musical reference was inaccurate, sorry! I play the violin but I'm terrible at explaining things. :P
Special thanks to all my reviewers. This chapter would have never been if it weren't for you guys!
Paige Fox
SilverSayin
xCastielsGirlx
yuunistar
And that anonymous person ^^
Look forward to the next chapter!
And I just had to put this here…
Me: "Hey, so I just finished Professor Layton and the Unwound Future (AMAZING, btw)."
Friend: "Oh really? I love that game!"
Me: "Yeah, I know, right? The future Luke/Clive was pretty awesome."
Friend: "Oh. I love Luke. He makes me all pedo."
Me: "…."O _O
Never forget: every puzzle has an answer!