Professor Layton: The Street Rat and the Gentleman
Well, against my better judgment, I decided to make my Layton fic chaptered. It's, umm, well, definitely non-canon. But I thought about it, and it just seemed so cute!! E-heh. Actually, if people could give me their thoughts on this it would make my day.
Oh, and also, this chapter is REALLY SHORT. Because I'm REALLY LAZY. OOPS.
Title: The Street Rat and the Gentleman
Chapter: 1
Category: Professor Layton
Characters: Layton, Luke (No pairings)
Summary: It was under decidedly odd circumstances that Luke met Layton and became his apprentice.
Note: I take a LOT of liberty here in regards to Luke's past.
“Thief!”
A young boy weaved through the crowded streets of London, bread in his hands and an angry shopkeeper at his heels. His appearance was that of a typical orphan 'street rat' (as he was often called), and for such a young boy his speed was uncommonly fast. The shopkeeper, in contrast, was rather portly and was obviously losing his drive. The boy turned back and smirked at the fortunate turn of events when all of a sudden -
“Ah!” The boy stumbled, all traces of his confidence gone after he had made the mistake of colliding with a passer-by. He looked up to meet the face of an angular man adorned with a conspicuous top hat; surprisingly, the man's expression betrayed no emotion akin to anger or confusion. He was a bit strange, to be frank.
“Thank you, sir,” the shopkeeper gasped, out of breath, “That rat seemed to think he could get away with stealing my bread.”
“My apologies, kind sir,” the man in the top hat responded smoothly, “I should not have let him out of my sight; I would be most happy to compensate for the bread and any other losses you have suffered because of the ordeal.”
“I-I...uh...What?” the shopkeeper sputtered due in part to his breathlessness but mostly to his confusion. The young orphan felt much the same; was this man...helping him? The strange man simply smiled in response, silently handing money (more than one would pay for just bread, the boy noted) to the shopkeeper. Unable to think of an appropriate reply beyond a simple “Thank you, sir” the shopkeeper turned back in the direction of his store.
It was only until the overweight shopkeeper was out of earshot that the stranger addressed the orphan. “My boy, you really should know better than to steal. If you truly are in such dire need of food, however, I would be glad to assist.” He held out more cash toward the boy, who regarded it with mixed feelings. Was it some sort of trap? What kind of man just hands out money to everyone they contact?
The boy was not about to refuse the offer, however; he was further rushed by pain in his stomach. He took the money with a sort of snatching motion, as if he was afraid it was about to disappear, and quickly ran down the street without another look back.
--
The back alley was dark, cramped, and dirty; it's condition was only magnified by the veil of night. The smell, while not completely unbearable, was rather foul, and garbage lay all about. It wasn't much...but it was home.
“Here, Sammy. I got you some meat today. Don't get used to it; it's probably a one time thing,” the young boy muttered while offering a stray cat a bit of food. The cat mewed softly before eating it quickly, causing the orphan to smile and give the animal a gentle pet.
“It's a rather odd story, really. Actually, the only odd part was the man I ran into. He was wearing a top hat and he...I don't know, had some sort of air about him. Like he knew everything.” The boy leaned against the wall, adjusting his cap as he did so. Unlike the rest of his clothes, his hat was bright blue and comparably in better condition.
“He gave away a lot of his money, but he sure didn't dress like he was too rich or anything. It's weird, because surely only someone with a good amount of money would just give it to everyone they run into,” the boy reflected while the cat (now finished with the meager meal) sat and lazily waved it's tail about.
The alley was all silent for a moment until the boy mumbled as his eyelids closed and his mind drifted off, “I...I wonder if I'll ever see him again.”
Oh, and also, this chapter is REALLY SHORT. Because I'm REALLY LAZY. OOPS.
Title: The Street Rat and the Gentleman
Chapter: 1
Category: Professor Layton
Characters: Layton, Luke (No pairings)
Summary: It was under decidedly odd circumstances that Luke met Layton and became his apprentice.
Note: I take a LOT of liberty here in regards to Luke's past.
“Thief!”
A young boy weaved through the crowded streets of London, bread in his hands and an angry shopkeeper at his heels. His appearance was that of a typical orphan 'street rat' (as he was often called), and for such a young boy his speed was uncommonly fast. The shopkeeper, in contrast, was rather portly and was obviously losing his drive. The boy turned back and smirked at the fortunate turn of events when all of a sudden -
“Ah!” The boy stumbled, all traces of his confidence gone after he had made the mistake of colliding with a passer-by. He looked up to meet the face of an angular man adorned with a conspicuous top hat; surprisingly, the man's expression betrayed no emotion akin to anger or confusion. He was a bit strange, to be frank.
“Thank you, sir,” the shopkeeper gasped, out of breath, “That rat seemed to think he could get away with stealing my bread.”
“My apologies, kind sir,” the man in the top hat responded smoothly, “I should not have let him out of my sight; I would be most happy to compensate for the bread and any other losses you have suffered because of the ordeal.”
“I-I...uh...What?” the shopkeeper sputtered due in part to his breathlessness but mostly to his confusion. The young orphan felt much the same; was this man...helping him? The strange man simply smiled in response, silently handing money (more than one would pay for just bread, the boy noted) to the shopkeeper. Unable to think of an appropriate reply beyond a simple “Thank you, sir” the shopkeeper turned back in the direction of his store.
It was only until the overweight shopkeeper was out of earshot that the stranger addressed the orphan. “My boy, you really should know better than to steal. If you truly are in such dire need of food, however, I would be glad to assist.” He held out more cash toward the boy, who regarded it with mixed feelings. Was it some sort of trap? What kind of man just hands out money to everyone they contact?
The boy was not about to refuse the offer, however; he was further rushed by pain in his stomach. He took the money with a sort of snatching motion, as if he was afraid it was about to disappear, and quickly ran down the street without another look back.
--
The back alley was dark, cramped, and dirty; it's condition was only magnified by the veil of night. The smell, while not completely unbearable, was rather foul, and garbage lay all about. It wasn't much...but it was home.
“Here, Sammy. I got you some meat today. Don't get used to it; it's probably a one time thing,” the young boy muttered while offering a stray cat a bit of food. The cat mewed softly before eating it quickly, causing the orphan to smile and give the animal a gentle pet.
“It's a rather odd story, really. Actually, the only odd part was the man I ran into. He was wearing a top hat and he...I don't know, had some sort of air about him. Like he knew everything.” The boy leaned against the wall, adjusting his cap as he did so. Unlike the rest of his clothes, his hat was bright blue and comparably in better condition.
“He gave away a lot of his money, but he sure didn't dress like he was too rich or anything. It's weird, because surely only someone with a good amount of money would just give it to everyone they run into,” the boy reflected while the cat (now finished with the meager meal) sat and lazily waved it's tail about.
The alley was all silent for a moment until the boy mumbled as his eyelids closed and his mind drifted off, “I...I wonder if I'll ever see him again.”