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No. 002 - Lost and Found
[Action?]
[Somewhere, a puzzle sits. Abandoned.
Why? How? Nobody knows. But it looks innocent enough. Little blocks in playful colors, purposefully arranged inside a handcrafted house of wood. The blocks slide easily with a nudge, almost as if they were born to do so. It looks like the big red block would fit perfectly into the space on the right. In fact, it looks like it would be a pretty easy task. Might as well give it a try, right?
But this cheerful little puzzle has a dark secret. To the savvy, it's worth 99 picarats and requires a series of 81 moves at minimum to complete. To the not-as-savvy, that means it's a lot harder than it looks. This is not a puzzle for the weak.]
[Voice, evening]
Good evening, Luceti. I’ll only be a moment. I seem to have lost a puzzle of mine -- a sliding block puzzle, to be precise. Has anyone seen it? I would appreciate any word.
(( OOC: I don’t count on him actually getting the puzzle back, but it can be spotted anywhere and everywhere. And if you'd like to play out puzzle frustrations with someone other than Layton, go right ahead! Puzzle destruction is also a thing that is acceptable. Just sayin'.
P.S.: a video of the puzzle if you want to see it in action. ))
[Somewhere, a puzzle sits. Abandoned.
Why? How? Nobody knows. But it looks innocent enough. Little blocks in playful colors, purposefully arranged inside a handcrafted house of wood. The blocks slide easily with a nudge, almost as if they were born to do so. It looks like the big red block would fit perfectly into the space on the right. In fact, it looks like it would be a pretty easy task. Might as well give it a try, right?
But this cheerful little puzzle has a dark secret. To the savvy, it's worth 99 picarats and requires a series of 81 moves at minimum to complete. To the not-as-savvy, that means it's a lot harder than it looks. This is not a puzzle for the weak.]
[Voice, evening]
Good evening, Luceti. I’ll only be a moment. I seem to have lost a puzzle of mine -- a sliding block puzzle, to be precise. Has anyone seen it? I would appreciate any word.
(( OOC: I don’t count on him actually getting the puzzle back, but it can be spotted anywhere and everywhere. And if you'd like to play out puzzle frustrations with someone other than Layton, go right ahead! Puzzle destruction is also a thing that is acceptable. Just sayin'.
P.S.: a video of the puzzle if you want to see it in action. ))
[Action]
Instead of modifying the puzzle in any way, he turns the object curiously over in his hands, inspecting it - forming a mental map of the constituents. He's so engrossed in it he may not notice anyone else being nearby, yet...]
[Action]
[Action]
Eventually, though, he places the puzzle in the centre of his left palm and - cautiously, as though he's not quite certain what the mechanism will do - slides a panel in a slow, deliberate motion. Seemingly satisfied by this, he moves another panel. These first motions won't solve the puzzle, but Robert is obviously testing the degree of motion the puzzle is capable of.]
... A... two-dimensional spatial geometry mechanical puzzle... interesting.
[Now why would that be here, of all places?]
no subject
A three-dimensional variation would be something to behold. Are you familiar with this type of puzzle?
no subject
However, he nervously brings his attention to the other man after a moment, and tries to refocus on what he said rather than the suddenness of his appearance.]
... N-Not particularly... I am, er, inferring from the n-nature of the motion, but... I have seen s-similar three-dimensional puzzles in simulated games, back at my h-home world...
[A world he misses, if the slight distance on his face is any indication.]
no subject
You've intrigued me. Would you mind elaborating further? How do such puzzles work?
no subject
Three-dimensional s-sliding puzzles like the ones I describe are often... m-manipulated with each piece being... a th-three-dimensional interlocking unit, such as a c-cube... however, virtual puzzles on the Internet or... v-video gaming technology may be moved in simulated f-fourth-dimensional spaces, depending on the... nature of the puzzle...
[... Puzzle games are kind of a Thing on Terra.
This is largely because many other types of video games are technically illegal, yes.]no subject
Fourth-dimensional! It seems you come from a place removed from mine in terms of technology. I'm having difficulty trying to picture what such a puzzle would even look like. [He's not sure what the Internet is, either.]
no subject
I... m-might be able to show you... though my n-nanocomputer here is... primarily scientific in function, there are s-still some... basic games on it...
[Yes, a fourth-dimensional puzzle qualifies as a basic game. He's probably beaten every puzzle in it dozens of times now, too.]
... What sort of... t-technological era are you from, then...? [Robert is used to people being "behind" him technologically. The real differences tend to crop up around where exactly that is defined.]
that is a question no one knows the true answer to
As for which era I'm from, I hope it will mean anything to you if I say I'm from 20th century London. We have cars, aeroplanes, telephones... and computers, though I've never heard of the nano variety. Does that sound relatively close?
I am fine with rough approximations o/`;; Sorry for the questions!
The... p-pre-Terran Linden...
[He's suddenly full of questions. What is it like, outside the pictures he's seen? Why is it so small? Or maybe it's Linden that is enormous, the megatropolis that consumes much of the former island of the United Kingdom?]
Though our... m-multiverses are likely different... I am from s-several hundred years later in the t-timeline. I believe you are the f-first person I have... kn-known to have lived in what must... b-be a similar location as myself...
np they are natural questions =u=/
Linden... I see. It's natural for names to change after so long a time. Well, now you have me curious. How is England faring in several hundred years?
... wow, I don't even know if you want this tag anymore...
Ah... the p-political borders of Terra were... d-dissolved in a r-referendum posed on the t-twenty-first of May, 2138 A.D....
[He pauses there. This news has not gone over well in the past when he's mentioned it.]
it is wanted!!
[He sounds at least a little incredulous. But a lack of borders could potentially be a good thing...]
What led to this referendum being proposed at all?
[He has a suspicion, at least.]
;w; yay!
It was... p-proposed as a consequence of the fact that... the planet's governments had essentially been acting as a unified force for... the b-better part of a century...
That state came about as... a r-result of worldwide environmental destruction, and a recovery from said destruction - kn-known as the Great Cleansing...
[It's been awhile since he's explained this story to a new person.]
no subject
I'll admit this is a bit difficult for me to take in. England as an entity no longer existing... well. I suppose it isn't for me to judge. Then allow me to rephrase my earlier question: how is Linden faring in comparison to the London I know?
no subject
You are... c-certainly not the first person to be... a-alarmed at that state, I must say. [Robert's tone suggests that he's gotten some downright unusual reactions, but he continues nonetheless:]
As the l-largest megatropolis on the continent of Europe, Linden is... c-certainly faring well... as of the latest g-global rankings, it was s-sixth in polls for quality of educational facilities... [A badge of honour, if his smile is anything to go by.]
no subject
Not bad at all. As a dweller of educational facilities myself, that is welcome news. Are you student or staff, perhaps?
no subject
no subject
no subject
[Implying of course that there's a lot he is not so proud of anymore.]