No. 002 - Lost and Found

[reminded]

[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. ))

Comments

[reminded]

[Those weren't suspicious stutters at all... is what Layton will play along with for now.]

Well... I can't say it doesn't suit him. He certainly looks the part.

[immamartillo]

He does? What do you mean by that?

[He can't stop himself from sounding offended. Maiza is the spitting image of the mild mannered accountant, and it's something the picciotto back home mocked him about, much to Firo's annoyance.]

[reminded]

[Layton blinks at the tone.]

He's well-dressed, intelligent... and his glasses certainly don't detract from the look. It's a perfectly respectable profession.

[immamartillo]

[Now calming down, Firo feels silly for getting so worked up.]

...Oh. Yeah, you're right about all that.

[Especially that respectable part. Totally.]

Um, sorry. People don't always mean that stuff in a nice way, so...

[reminded]

[Firo... is a very confusing young man.]

They would use an accountant's appearance as an accountant as an insult?

[immamartillo]

[Only when said accountant is a gangster.]

...Yeah, it's like sayin' you look... you know, weak.

[His anxiety vanishes, replaced by firmness.]

And Maiza's not weak at all.

[reminded]

[He smiles slowly.]

No, not at all. In fact, he's quite the gentleman. [Layton's praise doesn't get much higher than that.]

[immamartillo]

[He laughs, both with relief that Layton doesn't seem to think he's crazy and with amusement because he and Maiza were just talking about this.He doesn't risk mentioning that being seen as a gentleman might not do them good in their job--look what happened to the big old style families.]

You think so? ...Yeah, he is, isn't he? Interestin' way of puttin' it.

[Gentlemen are so 19th century.]

[reminded]

[Gentlemen are timeless!!]

A simple statement of fact. A true gentleman is stout of mind and temperament. Though he may be challenged by his trials, he is never one to be overcome by them.

[immamartillo]

That sounds exactly like him! I thought a gentleman was just supposed to be, like... a guy with manners.

[reminded]

Well, that too. But a man's identity as a gentleman mustn't end with his company. Even when he is alone, he must temper himself and strive to be a gentleman inside and out.

[immamartillo]

...Inside and out? How're you a gentleman on the inside?

[reminded]

Is a gentleman truly a gentleman if he is only one on the surface?

[immamartillo]

I don't know. I don't know anything about all this--that's why I'm askin' you!

[If being a gentleman on the inside includes mastering your emotions so as not to raise your voice at people, there's no hope for Firo.]

[reminded]

[No hope. No hope...]

Ha ha ha. Well if you're asking me, I would have to say no. Being a gentleman is also a matter of the heart. One cannot be a true gentleman while also being a true villain.

[immamartillo]

So then what makes a true villain?

[reminded]

Oh, I don't know. I imagine you would only know true villainy when confronted with it. It would be like defining evil, don't you think?

[immamartillo]

Seems to me like it'd pretty easy. You meet enough horrible people and you figure out what they've all got in common.

[He laughs and can't keep it from sounding bitter.]

But maybe there's a few different ways to be evil, too.

[reminded]

Indeed. [There are many, too many ways to be cruel.]

So then, what do all horrible people have in common? How would you define evil?

[immamartillo]

I think it's people who use others for their own gain. And the people who hurt people who haven't done anything to deserve it--or the ones who hurt kids. Don't you think all that's evil?

[The fact that his first criterion also applies to most gangsters is lost on Firo. The way he sees it, all his Family's rackets are different because they're for the Family, not individuals.]

[reminded]

You must have a low opinion of bankers and moneylenders. But you're right -- those are all heinous acts. Perhaps even evil acts. But can a man be truly evil? Such would imply that there is no good in him whatsoever.

[immamartillo]

Well, maybe not all of them--I meant like when they do it and it hurts someone.

[Layton's question surprises him, but he doesn't hesitate in answering.]

Sure he can. Some people just plain don't have any good at all. Not everybody, but there are people who're pure evil out there.

[reminded]

[Pure evil...]

Maybe so...

[He looks somewhere off-camera and startles slightly.] Goodness, look at the time. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Firo, but I should track that puzzle down while the day is still light.

[immamartillo]

Ah-- right.

[He recalls, guiltily, what Layton's original message was for.]

Nice meetin' you too, hope I wasn't distractin' you too much. Good luck findin' it.

[reminded]

Not at all; I quite enjoyed speaking with you. Good day, Firo.