Meeting on the Moors (PL/ND)
Title: Meeting on the Moors
Fandom: Professor Layton
Rating: PG
Word Count: 919
Genre: Humor, Crossover
Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton. Or his top-hat of awesome.
Teaser: Layton and Luke go to visit an old friend of the Professor’s, and meet an unusual young lady…
“Professor, where are we going?” Luke asked, gazing out the window of the infamous Laytonmobile for the twelfth time in half as many minutes. Nope, there was still nothing of great and distraction-worthy interest out there. So he resorted to finally just asking the old question.
Layton chuckled and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car onto a narrow path off the main road. “We’re going to visit an old friend of mine, my boy. I’ve known the Penvellyns for quite some time. A remarkable family, with a long history of remarkable people.” He shot a sideways glance at his apprentice. “There was even a woman in the family who was executed for witchcraft.”
“Witchcraft?” Luke perked up. This story had just gotten a lot more interesting.
“Her name was Eleanor, if I recall correctly. Alan told me of her once when I inquired about a certain portrait in the great hall. The townsfolk spoke of a great monster that roamed the moors, and rumors were circulating that Eleanor had cursed her husband for learning something he was not supposed to know. She was tried, convicted, and I believe burned at the stake.”
“How awful…” Luke said, his eyes as wide as one of the Laytonmobile’s tires. “But what would he have found out about that would make her do something like that?”
Layton chuckled. “Luke, please remember that there is no such thing as witchcraft, and the lady was most probably innocent of any wrongdoing. However…” He paused a moment before he went on, “There have always been rumors about that family, Luke. Speaking of a great treasure, guarded by many incredible tasks and tricks to ward off those who were not meant to find it.”
“A treasure protected by tricks…” Luke thought it over a moment, then grinned slyly. “Sounds like it’s right up your alley, Professor.”
“Luke, my boy, you’re starting to smirk like a teenager.”
“It had to happen sooner or later.”
By now Layton was stopping the car in front of the sprawling manor and grounds. Large black cast-iron gates separated the professor and his apprentice from the mansion itself. Woven into the iron of the gates was the name of the home: Blackmoor Manor.
“What a gloomy place…” Luke said. It certainly didn’t help that the sky had been overcast all day, and it was growing dark. They were to stay the night in the mansion. All of those little details added up to a very particular ambiance that could only be described as insanely creepy.
“Yes, well…it is to be expected. The moors are usually rather gray around this time of year,” Layton said with his usual practically. But he tugged at the brim of his hat, offering up an indication that even the calm, rational Professor Hershel Layton could not remain unaffected by the atmosphere. “Shall we?”
The gate creaked ominously as they entered, and shut behind them with a clang that seemed a lot louder than it probably was. The two moved up the cobblestone walkway together, their steps slow and synchronized. Most of that was Luke’s doing, as he really didn’t want to take the lead OR follow.
When they rang the bell, they were ushered in by a woman in a prim gray dress, who introduced herself as Mrs. Drake. But the introduction was cut a bit short by the commotion going on behind her.
A young blonde girl, perhaps Luke’s age, seemed to be attempting to explain something to a young woman, probably in her late teens. This woman kept running her hand through her strawberry-blonde hair and shaking her head; she looked a bit exasperated.
And Layton, ever the gentleman, felt compelled to ask. “Excuse me, miss,” he said, approaching the teenager. “But is everything all right?”
She shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. Just trying to straighten something out, that’s all.” She looked around at the pillars, all of which had some unique engravings on them. “I’ve certainly learned a lot.” She offered a hand. “I’m Nancy Drew.”
“Hershel Layton, and this is my apprentice, Luke,” the Professor said, accepting her offer of a handshake. “This is a remarkable house, isn’t it? I’ve been here several times, and I can never shake the feeling that there’s some great mystery here.”
For a moment, the girl who had introduced herself as Nancy Drew gave him the most blatant deer in the headlights look Layton had ever seen. Beside her, the girl (who Layton suspected to be Jane, the daughter of the manor’s current owner) had a similar expression on her face.
But they both recovered in record time. “Mysteries? What mysteries?” Nancy laughed, albeit a bit nervously, and waved a hand. “It’s just an old house, nothing more. Well, shall we see how the repairs are going in the kitchen, Jane?”
“Yes…” the girl squeaked, and the two were off and hurrying towards a door near the grand staircase, leaving Layton and Luke to gawk at their backs.
“Professor…?” Luke asked, but Layton didn’t seem to hear him.
That girl, Nancy Drew. She seemed to know something about this house, and Layton had no doubts whatsoever that there was some sort of great mystery or puzzle stowed away in the centuries-old manor. Was it possible…that Nancy had already discovered it? Had she solved the mysteries of Blackmoor Manor?
Luke studied his mentor closely, confused by Layton’s lack of response. And for a moment, he could have sworn that he saw hearts in the Professor’s eyes.
PS. Again, this is maskalade's fault. AS IS EVERYTHING ELSE, OF COURSE. But really, she prodded me on this one, and so I blame give it to her. This is a reference to the eleventh game in the Nancy Drew PC series, The Curse of Blackmoor Manor. Good game.
Fandom: Professor Layton
Rating: PG
Word Count: 919
Genre: Humor, Crossover
Disclaimer: I don't own Professor Layton. Or his top-hat of awesome.
Teaser: Layton and Luke go to visit an old friend of the Professor’s, and meet an unusual young lady…
“Professor, where are we going?” Luke asked, gazing out the window of the infamous Laytonmobile for the twelfth time in half as many minutes. Nope, there was still nothing of great and distraction-worthy interest out there. So he resorted to finally just asking the old question.
Layton chuckled and turned the steering wheel, guiding the car onto a narrow path off the main road. “We’re going to visit an old friend of mine, my boy. I’ve known the Penvellyns for quite some time. A remarkable family, with a long history of remarkable people.” He shot a sideways glance at his apprentice. “There was even a woman in the family who was executed for witchcraft.”
“Witchcraft?” Luke perked up. This story had just gotten a lot more interesting.
“Her name was Eleanor, if I recall correctly. Alan told me of her once when I inquired about a certain portrait in the great hall. The townsfolk spoke of a great monster that roamed the moors, and rumors were circulating that Eleanor had cursed her husband for learning something he was not supposed to know. She was tried, convicted, and I believe burned at the stake.”
“How awful…” Luke said, his eyes as wide as one of the Laytonmobile’s tires. “But what would he have found out about that would make her do something like that?”
Layton chuckled. “Luke, please remember that there is no such thing as witchcraft, and the lady was most probably innocent of any wrongdoing. However…” He paused a moment before he went on, “There have always been rumors about that family, Luke. Speaking of a great treasure, guarded by many incredible tasks and tricks to ward off those who were not meant to find it.”
“A treasure protected by tricks…” Luke thought it over a moment, then grinned slyly. “Sounds like it’s right up your alley, Professor.”
“Luke, my boy, you’re starting to smirk like a teenager.”
“It had to happen sooner or later.”
By now Layton was stopping the car in front of the sprawling manor and grounds. Large black cast-iron gates separated the professor and his apprentice from the mansion itself. Woven into the iron of the gates was the name of the home: Blackmoor Manor.
“What a gloomy place…” Luke said. It certainly didn’t help that the sky had been overcast all day, and it was growing dark. They were to stay the night in the mansion. All of those little details added up to a very particular ambiance that could only be described as insanely creepy.
“Yes, well…it is to be expected. The moors are usually rather gray around this time of year,” Layton said with his usual practically. But he tugged at the brim of his hat, offering up an indication that even the calm, rational Professor Hershel Layton could not remain unaffected by the atmosphere. “Shall we?”
The gate creaked ominously as they entered, and shut behind them with a clang that seemed a lot louder than it probably was. The two moved up the cobblestone walkway together, their steps slow and synchronized. Most of that was Luke’s doing, as he really didn’t want to take the lead OR follow.
When they rang the bell, they were ushered in by a woman in a prim gray dress, who introduced herself as Mrs. Drake. But the introduction was cut a bit short by the commotion going on behind her.
A young blonde girl, perhaps Luke’s age, seemed to be attempting to explain something to a young woman, probably in her late teens. This woman kept running her hand through her strawberry-blonde hair and shaking her head; she looked a bit exasperated.
And Layton, ever the gentleman, felt compelled to ask. “Excuse me, miss,” he said, approaching the teenager. “But is everything all right?”
She shook her head and smiled. “It’s fine. Just trying to straighten something out, that’s all.” She looked around at the pillars, all of which had some unique engravings on them. “I’ve certainly learned a lot.” She offered a hand. “I’m Nancy Drew.”
“Hershel Layton, and this is my apprentice, Luke,” the Professor said, accepting her offer of a handshake. “This is a remarkable house, isn’t it? I’ve been here several times, and I can never shake the feeling that there’s some great mystery here.”
For a moment, the girl who had introduced herself as Nancy Drew gave him the most blatant deer in the headlights look Layton had ever seen. Beside her, the girl (who Layton suspected to be Jane, the daughter of the manor’s current owner) had a similar expression on her face.
But they both recovered in record time. “Mysteries? What mysteries?” Nancy laughed, albeit a bit nervously, and waved a hand. “It’s just an old house, nothing more. Well, shall we see how the repairs are going in the kitchen, Jane?”
“Yes…” the girl squeaked, and the two were off and hurrying towards a door near the grand staircase, leaving Layton and Luke to gawk at their backs.
“Professor…?” Luke asked, but Layton didn’t seem to hear him.
That girl, Nancy Drew. She seemed to know something about this house, and Layton had no doubts whatsoever that there was some sort of great mystery or puzzle stowed away in the centuries-old manor. Was it possible…that Nancy had already discovered it? Had she solved the mysteries of Blackmoor Manor?
Luke studied his mentor closely, confused by Layton’s lack of response. And for a moment, he could have sworn that he saw hearts in the Professor’s eyes.
PS. Again, this is maskalade's fault. AS IS EVERYTHING ELSE, OF COURSE. But really, she prodded me on this one, and so I blame give it to her. This is a reference to the eleventh game in the Nancy Drew PC series, The Curse of Blackmoor Manor. Good game.