[Text] S03E03: Shit Gets Real

[manicurious]

[Ichijou has received a very alarming message, which despite the general secrecy surrounding anything to do with Nathan he just can't keep to himself. He's trying to maintain a calm tone via text, but in person he's, well, clearly more than a little upset.]

I received a message overnight from the device of my emergency contact in response to one of my distress calls. It isn't him. I don't know who it is or what they've done with my contact. The message reads:

There is nothing for him to say as he does not know you are saying anything at all. Your words fall on ears unable to hear.

And soon, you will have no breathe with which to utter them.

I'm at a loss here. Aside from attempting negotiations, I can only think of one possible measure to take as a last resort...

[002]

[luke_triton]

[Sometimes living here is hard. Being anywhere and hungry is hard for Luke. It gets in the way of his thinking. They've been working to gather up what food they can, but keeping it portioned to account for everyone is getting him down.

So instead of using the bicycle, he's walking into town from East A1. Slow, dejected, and keeping his eyes on the ground or the CAT in his hands instead of the scenery. People have been talking for days about "stuff from their home" showing up, and Luke has seen no such things and rather doesn't want to. What if it's something terrible? 

Come now, Luke, my boy.

His head snaps up, eyes searching the immediate area faster than his brain can process. It makes him dizzy and he doesn't care, that was Professor Layton, it's been months-]

Professor? [He turns in a full circle, always looking over a shoulder.] Professor, was that you? ...Am I really hearing things?

[And then he sees it. A dilapidated once-red automobile, sitting in the grass several feet to the side of the path, overgrown with weeds, dirty, rusted. Perfect. It's a perfect Future Laytonmobile.

He hasn't run this fast in a very long time.]

It's real! I can't believe it, it's really his car! [He shakes the CAT a bit, hitting a few buttons that switch the video on.] Professor Layton's car is here! This is great, maybe it means...

...But I don't see anyone else. [Seconds before he has to whirl again at the sound of an achingly familiar, quiet laugh.] I hear him and I don't see him. [This only seems to bother him for the space of a few breaths.] Hey- Kanaya! I can show you now what I meant when I talked about a car. I wonder if it could still move...