No. 00X - The Fourth Wall

[reminded]

[There sure is a lot of excitement this morning. After getting a vague grip on the situation by talking to some of the wingless newcomers, Layton decides to take a stroll around the village, trunk in hand, and observe. Something very unusual is happening, and there's no point in missing it by staying indoors.

Occasionally, he takes a seat on a bench or at a table and scribbles notes into his journal. Or puzzles into his puzzle index. Because no matter how much hubbub there is, you can never stop the puzzles.]

Comments

[hisreturn]

That sounds like a good plan. Lead the way.

[reminded]

[Layton opens his trunk and deposits his puzzle index into its rightful and tightly hedged spot. What space is freed up by his lack of need for travel necessities is filled instead with puzzles. Pure, unadulterated puzzles.]

We can make the plaza our first stop. It isn't far from here.

[hisreturn]

That's an awful lot of puzzles you have. [Does he sound happy about this? Good, because he is.] I'm guessing it's not like the plaza at Monte d'Or.

[reminded]

Nothing quite so grand, but we manage. [Joking, of course. He shuts his trunk and secures it, then hauls it up so they can get going.]

"Awful" is right. I suppose I have a very persistent friend of mine to thank for that.

[hisreturn]

I don't think many things could be as grand as Monte d'Or. [Hmmm persistent friend.] Is it that boy Luke? From what I've seen, he's not that bad at puzzles. We should all swap puzzles sometime.

[reminded]

Ha, I think he would enjoy that. But no, it isn't him, as fond as he is of puzzles.

[hisreturn]

Well, if you mean me, I'm quite flattered, Hershel. [He's very proud of this accomplishment.]

[reminded]

Only you would take that as a compliment. [He really is the same as ever.]

[hisreturn]

What else would it be taken as? [He laughs at the thought of it being anything else.]

[reminded]

[Sometimes "persistent" is just a nice way of saying "relentless and exasperating"...!]

Oh, nothing. I have to admit, the results speak for themselves. I think my younger self would be aghast if he saw me now.

[hisreturn]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm still quite surprised you turned out to be a puzzle-solving archaeology professor. I could barely get you to go on expeditions with me!

[reminded]

And not for lack of trying. I always did appreciate that you tried to get me involved. I suppose I just didn't have the right motivation at the time.

[hisreturn]

You certainly didn't show it. [He doesn't mean that in a bad way, it's just surprising.] Oh? What became your motivation?

[reminded]

...

I thought that if you wouldn't be able to achieve your dreams, I would achieve them for you.

[hisreturn]

... oh. [Hershel, you are just. The best. Period. And that kind of hurts. Even so, he gives him a smile.] Well, then may I just say you did far more than that.

[reminded]

Randall...

[What should have been a compliment feels like anything but.]

[hisreturn]

[He places a sympathetic hand on Hershel's shoulder.] Hershel, if you didn't become who you are today, the riddle of Akbadain would never have been solved. [But there's something more important here.] If not for you, I... I would never have been saved.

[reminded]

[He looks askance at Randall before dropping his gaze.]

If not for me, you might never have been lost to begin with.

[hisreturn]

[Now Randall is flat out serious.] Don't say that. You didn't do a single thing wrong, Hershel. If anything, I'm to blame for not being more prepared.

[reminded]

[He doesn't believe that. But he does smile just a bit.]

That's preposterous. You couldn't have been more prepared. You even brought a shovel, of all things.