#ct writes

[cayenne-twilight]

Professor Layton and the Haunted Tesco

Introducing my new little project, a semi-satire fan-fiction surrounding a paranormal urban supermarket. It will be updated once in a blue moon (no promises), but for now here’s chapter one as well as a link to it on AO3 with more detail in the tags, summary, and notes if you prefer.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055989

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Early morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the dust particles floating through the air and bringing out the bright orange in the mug of earl grey sitting amidst papers on the messy desk. Professor Layton picked the tea up with his free hand, savoring a long sip. With the other, he sifted through the pile of letters Luke brought him from the main office earlier.

He picked out a select handful, shuffling the rest to the back of the pile as he read the names of the senders. Receiving this type of mail was not an uncommon happenstance: strangers who had heard of him through newspaper spotlights and hyperbolized word of mouth, sending him pitches and problems, puzzles and inquiries. Requests.

One letter in particular piqued his interest. Layton neatly sliced the flap of the envelope open, pulling out the message from one Mrs. Rosalind Entira. He leaned back with his tea, scanning the page.

Dear Professor Hershel Layton,

I hope this doesn’t come as a disturbance, but I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place, and I’m afraid there’s no one I can turn to. My friend recommended you to me on the grounds of your success in cracking open a conundrum posed by her cousin about two years ago. Perhaps you remember- the town was swarming with an invasive bird species bent on attacking villagers. You put together that a smuggling ring fronting as a road maintenance service introduced trained Australian magpies to distract the authorities and potential witnesses, forcing them inside, while they exchanged goods in broad daylight and collected valuables the bird picked up along the way.

You see, my husband has been murdered. We went on holiday to our Devon estate. It was quite the lovely country home, but I’m afraid I can’t see it the same way anymore. We’d thrown parties over the course of the past few weeks- ample opportunity for someone in the crowd to pull him aside and do the deed- but curiously enough, it happened while he was home alone. I stepped out to town to buy some groceries, but when I returned, I found him practically carved open on the kitchen floor. It was awful. I can’t imagine why anyone would do this, not to him. Of course, I promptly called the police, but they haven’t found a single lead. That haunting image of his body will be burned into my mind forever. Please, Professor, could you take his case on?

-Rosalind Entira

Layton placed the paper on the desk, looking out the window. He was admittedly interested. A witness-less, motiveless crime at a country estate? But he was so occupied this month. Between grading midterm papers, co-hosting an archeological conference on Gressenheller’s behalf, and getting into the habit of actually planning his seminars, the Professor simply had no time to leave London. He folded the letter back into its envelope, placing it in the inquiry portion of his personal letterbox. Finishing off his earl grey, he opened the next message.

Professor Layton,

I have a case for you which is leaving me truly baffled. Where do I even start? I work as a regional manager of Tesco Express here in London, but recently I’ve heard complaints of supernatural activity in one of my locations. There have been reports of packaged goods flying off of shelves, red liquid dripping from the ceiling, and a shadowy figure with glowing eyes standing in the corner before disappearing. On top of that, there seems to be an odd pattern to this behavior; it only appears to happen around 7am when the temperature outside is higher than 25°C. People are saying the store is haunted, and unnerving rumors speculating about its sinister backstory are making their way around town. Malicious spirit or not, this whole ordeal has been a detriment to business. Could you please help me get to the bottom of this?

-Manfred Djerr

“OHOHO,” the Professor laughed, eyebrows raised. He folded the letter into his pocket as he stood up from the desk, grabbing his top hat from its hook. “Now this is a puzzle indeed”.

[cupcaketrumpeteer]

The Mirror

i love krupppants as much as the next person but i saw this pic and it kinda inspired me to write something where krupp was... not ready to meet cap yet

story under the cut

    Benjamin Krupp sat at his desk. For the first time in what seemed like far too long, Jerome Horwitz Elementary was running like a well oiled machine. Even George and Harold were managing to keep their pranks and mischief to themselves today.

    George...

    Harold...

    Guh.

    Just the thought of those two was enough to put his mind back on edge.

    Krupp stood up from his desk and stretched his legs. He had to figure out what those two were planning; if they weren’t doing anything today, then it could only mean they were scheming for trouble on a much larger scale.

    As he turned to leave, however, a bright blue square caught his eye.

    Upon closer inspection, that bright blue square was… some kind of mirror? But hold on, weren’t mirrors supposed to reflect visible light? So why was this “mirror” reflecting a lush meadow under a cloudless blue sky instead of the cold and dreary interior of his office?

    At least his reflection was relatively undisturbed.

    Krupp ran his hand along his face, watching his reflection do the same. His actions were properly represented through the mirror’s surface, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something else about this mirror was… off.

    He pressed his hand against the glass.

    Another hand pressed back against his.

    Krupp ripped his hand away from the mirror, his misgivings about it confirmed. Not only did his “reflection” not budge, it had changed significantly. Gone were his hair piece and almost all of his clothes, replaced only with a red curtain with black dots tied around his neck like a cape.

    Unnerving still was the fact that it still had his face.

It was smiling with his face, the kind of earnest and genuine smile that hadn’t been on his own face anytime this century.

The worst part about all this, however, was that it was trying to come through.

Krupp took a step back as the image grabbed onto the mirror’s frame, spreading color and happiness and fun into his office - into his space - wherever it made contact with the walls.

The image was only a few inches away from Krupp’s face when it opened its perpetually smiling mouth to deliver its message:

“Hi!”

    Benjamin Krupp awoke in his bed with a startled scream. His eyes darted around the room to survey the surroundings as he caught his breath. He sighed once he realized he was safe, with no curtain-clad doppelganger trying to bring fun or color or any of that here.

    He checked his own person. His hair piece wasn’t on his head, but it was in its correct spot on the stand. He was in his underwear, but then again he had always slept in his underwear. Maybe he’d get a set of pajamas, but that would take a bit of saving up to do.

    His face was wet, and while he was almost certain it was from sweat, he couldn’t entirely rule out the possibility that it was something else.

   And right now, he was too afraid to ask.

[cayenne-twilight]

Cayenne-Twilight’s fanfiction masterpost

Is 5 fics enough to make a masterpost? Absolutely not. Will I make a subject to change compilation anyways? Yes. All this is on AO3, but I also have a tag here on tumblr called #ct writes with all the same stuff + the ask of the person requesting it. All of them are oneshots with an average of 1,500 words.

Edit: the sixth one is an in-progress multi chapter fic that is not by request.

A Game for Fools

The Bostonius crew enjoys homemade apple pie and a nice game of Monopoly. Well, as nice as a game of Monopoly can be. (A fluffy comedy told from Aurora’s perspective with a slight touch of angst).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25047436

A Visit to Monte D’Or

Layton takes Flora to Monte D’Or for the first time. She wonders what sort of friends the Professor had as a teenager, and is just glad to be allowed on a trip for once. (The fic request was for interaction between Flora and Randall)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25105372

The Home That Always Was

Luke returns to London for a short holiday from uni. He reconnects with Flora, and they talk about their lives as students.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25163860

The Good Vampire

Iris asks her mother, Sophia, to tell her a bedtime story, so Sophia recounts the tale of a young lady who fell in love with a friendly vampire.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26062105

Can’t Stand the Rain

Waiting for the bus in harsh London weather, Dimitri and Clive make idle chatter concerning the earlier stages of their plan. Dimitri, having considered only his own wants and actions, realizes he doesn’t know Clive very well at all.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145861

Professor Layton and the Haunted Tesco

Professor Layton receives a letter asking him to investigate the eerie paranormal activity that goes on at a local Tesco Express, but only under very specific conditions. Moderately pretentious and exceedingly British, this adventure will be inaccurately described by Luke as the most exciting one yet.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055989

[cayenne-twilight]

Thanks for helping out with drownout! As a request, could you write a lil fic about the bostonius crew doing something fun! Idk like game night, going to a festival, the girls forcing sycamore to do his hair differently or smt. Go wild!

Aurora turned the apple over in her hand, inspecting the freckles and imperfections on its skin.

“You know, I can peel them if you’d like, and you could take over beating the eggs. It would be faster,” Emmy said. She had been whisking quite vigorously: a show of strength considering Raymond’s kitchen was well enough equipped to use an electric mixer.

Aurora considered, but declined the offer. There wasn’t much else she could help with, even if she was moving a lot slower than Emmy and Raymond. Of course, as a butler, Raymond made it his business to know exactly what he was doing. Emmy shared his confidence, but after watching her stumble trying to fish with her bare hands in Kodh, Aurora figured she walked into all situations this way.

Raymond silently took the knife from Aurora’s hand and replaced it with a peeler. The process became a bit smoother after that, and the three soon found themselves with a dough-lined pan full of sticky apple filling. Raymond expertly laid strips of dough into a lattice and crimped the edges.

Emmy whisked it off the table and walked backwards towards the open oven, “go see if the boys set everything up. I’ll be right there.”

Aurora came out into the living area preceding the Bostonius’s cockpit. Professor Layton, Professor Sycamore, and Luke were sitting around a Monopoly board complete with stacks of cards and piles of colorful fake notes. Aurora sat next to Luke who was fiddling with the terrier piece, and asked him to explain the premise of the game. He finished right as Emmy returned, and the game began.

After a bit of banter Layton was entrusted with the banker position since he was capable of both basic math and not cheating. Everyone took turns rolling the dice and claiming properties until most of the board was occupied.

Aurora pulled a card as the square she landed on instructed her to. “Go to jail? But what crimes have I committed?”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, silly. That’s just a handicap the game throws at you”, Luke said.

“But it doesn’t seem fair. I haven’t committed any sort of fraud, and I’m pretty sure I counted my notes correctly when paying rent.”

“Tell them, Aurora,” Emmy said. “Fight the injustices of big business.”

Professor Sycamore said, “I’m sure you’d be singing a different song if the dice were in your favor.”

“I have an idea. Let’s overthrow Desmond and redistribute his wealth.”

“Now, now,” Layton said. “Remember, we are playing Monopoly, not a tabletop RPG. I’m sure you’ll recover from your temporary incarceration, Aurora dear.”

Luke rolled the dice and moved his terrier to the square with a tap icon.

“Pay up, squirt,” Desmond said.

“I’ll show you waterworks,” Luke snarled, handing over the payment.

“I’ll line your pipes with lead.”

Emmy landed on one of Desmond’s squares as well, looking down at the paper money in front of her.

“Uh oh, looks like someone is going to have to mortgage her boardwalk,” Desmond said with a fake pout.

“I’m afraid the power of wealth is getting to your head, Professor,” Layton said.

“Unless…” Desmond drawled. “I make you a little deal.”

“No way.”

“Give me the boardwalk and you won’t have to pay me rent on any of my squares this time and the next two.”

“Oh don’t even start with deals. If we start making deals we’ll lose track of them and this will all be a big mess.”

Layton borrowed a notepad from Luke. “I am perfectly capable of documenting and supervising complex business transactions.”

A beeping noise rang out from another room.

“Thank Christ the pie is finished,” Emmy said, stretching. She left for the kitchen, leaving Desmond’s cocky offer in the air.

Raymond looked into the kitchen, “gloves, dear.”

“Oh yes, of course.”

The game paused, a moment of quiet save for the chorus of chewing. Aurora picked small forkfuls off of her slice, savoring it. Suddenly, she felt a small pit form in her stomach. Why? Did she develop an intolerance to apples or something? … Was this guilt…? For what, enjoying a sardonic little board game? This isn’t what you’re supposed to be doing, Aurora. You weren’t made to waste this much time. Shut up. This wasn’t a waste of time. This was just a fun evening well spent with her travelling party. She thought back to the blemishes on the apple peel and looked down at her own smooth hands. There’s a lot they don’t know. Christ, there’s a lot I don’t even know about myself yet.

Luke broke her out of her trance, “cor blimey! My compliments to the chefs!”

“Luke, my boy. It’s hardly been two minutes and you’ve already inhaled that sizable slice. Did you forget to chew again?”

“I chewed very well, mind you. It’s just a testament to the pie’s quality.”

“Why thank you,” Emmy laughed. “It was a group effort, eh Aurora?”

Aurora smiled, “yeah. It was.”

Raymond collected their plates, and the game resumed once more. Aurora could scarcely believe these were the same people who were fishing together in harmony a few weeks ago on their last day in Kodh. Despite the witty jabs and sly attempts to collect all properties of the same color, Aurora knew everyone really did care for each other.

She looked at the “get out of jail free” card she had just drawn and Desmond’s boot sitting in the prison tile. An uncharacteristically devious smile crossed her face as she held up her card and said, “I propose an auction”.

Everyone froze in shock. Desmond had stacks to spare, but even Layton was willing to pay for his downfall. Emmy and Luke ended up pooling their money into a winning bid in the joint effort to screw Desmond over, and whoever landed in jail first got to use the card.

Aurora found herself laughing all throughout the auction, collecting her considerable payment in return. Many ages have passed, and men are still absolute fools, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

[cayenne-twilight]

Hi! If you're still taking fanfic requests, could you maybe write something with Clive and Dimitri? Maybe them talking and/or reconciling after they get out of prison, or maybe something while they were working on Future London together. Just something sort of friendshippy :D I'm cool with or without angst, whatever works best for the story. If you don't want to do it though or aren't inspired, that's okay ^^ Thanks for offering to do requests!

Rain pelted down from the overcast sky like needles, piercing the cobbles. Each drop caused a tiny shockwave splash before joining the river snaking down the street, rushing to the lowest point where it poured into a drain like a drove of lemmings. The drab greys and blues cast a mute darkness over London, chilling the air. Not like “nice” weather would make much of a difference, Dimitri thought. He shook his umbrella under the hooded bus stop, pointing it as far away from himself as possible. Despite the canopy, both the walls and the seats were somehow drenched, so he stood isolated.

Dimitri grumbled. These damn buses and their complete disregard for people’s time. They came of their own accord.

“What else is new?”

Dimitri looked over his shoulder, poorly masking surprise. Clive was leaning against the opposite side of the plexiglass panel, outside the bus stop, with no umbrella. His hair stuck to his forehead in strands.

“I didn’t see you get here.”

“I know.”

Dimitri looked him up and down. “You’re setting yourself up for one hell of a cold.”

Clive didn’t move, looking down the street rather than at Dimitri’s eyes. “I like it; it’s refreshing.”

The rain didn’t let down, bringing with it a distant crack of thunder and the ceaseless pattering of thousands of droplets smacking into the pavement. Dimitri watched the drops on the bus stop wall inch closer together before merging and streaming downward, immediately replaced by new ones. Clive’s heavy woolen coat absorbed the ones that wound towards it like a mop. He never took care of his clothes.

“They’ve started building the tunnels for the underground system,” Clive said. “And laying down foundations here and there.”

“Are you ever going to tell me where you got the money for this?”

“Nope. You know we want the same thing, so what does it matter? See, I was thinking, what if we made some of the buildings nothing but facades like those on movie sets? There’s no use building more houses than there will be people, and we can cut back on plumbing and insulation and whatnot.”

“Sure, that sounds reasonable, but I don’t see what it has to do with me. More importantly, what is it you want? Unless this is the oddest money laundering scheme of the century, nobody but you would pour this much money into a large-scale, dubious time experiment. You wish to reverse fate, I presume?”

Clive’s back was turned, but Dimitri saw him shift ever so slightly. Clive removed his hands from his pockets, crossing his arms, and looked over his shoulder, smiling.

“I trust in the success of your endeavors, Dimitri. Or rather, I trust in your expertise as a man of science.”

Dimitri met his eye. Clive made sure to hold eye contact just long enough before turning his back again, erasing his smile a smidge too soon.

Dimitri braced his closed umbrella against a gush of wind, spraying cold mist into his face. This would be the perfect moment for the bus to arrive. Any second now. Wind and rain were a bad combination.

“I’ll need to speak with you later to make sure you procure the exact materials I’ll need; even a bolt of the wrong size could send this project to the dogs. Say, why don’t I just come with you? That would simplify everything greatly.”

“You must be awfully busy. I’m willing to do what you need me to, but if you really want to come along, I won’t stop you.”

“I do. As soon as possible.”

A hint of annoyance tugged at Clive’s lip. “I’ll have to, er, reschedule my own affairs if that’s the case, but no matter. We’ll get you what you need.”

“...thank you.”

“You know, Clive,” Dimitri continued, “I’d quite like to get to know you outside of this whole business.”

“Really.”

“Really. How odd is it to barely know the man so kindly sponsoring one’s, if I dare call it so, passion project. I know nothing about you.”

“Odd. I’ve commissioned several restaurants to be built, so you can take your pick, but I hear one of your team members has a husband who’s a rather talented chef. He plans on opening a place called Chez Paillard in the arcade by the new hotel, which would be my first choice.”

“What’s stopping us from going somewhere on the surface? Surely they aren’t fully booked months in advance, unlike your underground reservations.”

“Ah I hadn’t even thought of it. I really need to get my sleeping schedule in check.”

Dimitri wasn’t one to pay attention to these things, but now that Clive mentioned it, he began to see the pure exhaustion present in his mannerisms. Perhaps he was focusing to the point of fabricated observations, but Clive’s hands seemed to shake ever so slightly as he pushed his wet bangs back.

A screech of metal rang out, preceding the puffing noise of brakes. Finally. The bus unceremoniously swung its flimsy doors open, revealing the tracks left by the wet shoes of strangers. Dimitri boarded gingerly so as not to slip, and went straight for the nearest open seat. Clive followed suit, paying for them both, and sat by his side. He rubbed his hands together vigorously.

“Are you alright?” Dimitri asked.

Clive tried to pull an unconvincing smirk across chattering teeth. “Of course.”

“You’re a real idiot.”

Clive narrowed his eyes, but didn’t protest, hugging himself and looking past Dimitri, out the window.”

Dimitri slouched, holding his umbrella between his legs like a cane. Reversing fate...

[cayenne-twilight]

Okey, so i just found your blog and im also very new to the professor layton community, so i wanted to ask, are you fanfiction writer?? Bc for me it looks like it?? And if you are, do you post on other platforms? Like ao3 or ff.net? Or is it just tumblr?

Hello and welcome! I do write fanfiction occasionally, though not on a regular basis or anything. I post on tumblr and AO3 (under the same name). My pinned post is a masterpost of the grand total of 5 fics I’ve written thus far with links to AO3. Welcome to the fandom!

[cayenne-twilight]

Hi! Could you write something about Sophia and Anton's daughter (let's call ber Iris) if she knew her father? Bonus for baby Katia! Thank you!

The little girl sat on her mother’s lap, dressed in pajamas. Her mother brushed her vibrant purple hair, a trait she had passed down from herself.

“Ow mama, stop,” the girl pouted. “You’re pulling.”

“Sorry, Iris,” Sophia said, pulling the brush more gently. “If you quit rolling around in the fields, you wouldn’t have these tangles.”

Admittedly, Dropstone did have the most charming landscape. That was why she chose this particular area to settle, after all. Well, that was part of the reason at least. The pond near town center, the rolling fields, the mountains in the distance, beaten paths winding between sparse clusters of trees; it was all very lovely. A change of scenery.

“That better be it, mama,” Iris said, pulling her hair over her shoulder protectively.

“Thank you for being patient,” Sophia smiled.

“You have to tell me a real good bedtime story to make up for the yanks,” Iris said.

Sophia hoisted the girl onto her bed and tucked her in, kissing her cheek. “Hmm, would you like a fairy tale from the storybook?”

“Nuh-uh. I’ve heard all of those over and over again. How about a brand new story?”

‘I should add a public library to my list of projects,’ Sophia thought. “I suppose I can make something up, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be as good as the old stories.”

“No matter, just as long as it’s fresh.”

“Here goes nothing then,” she brainstormed for a moment. “Did any of your stories have vampires in them?”

“Vampires?” Iris’s eyes widened. “This better not be a scary story. You’re supposed to be putting me to sleep, not keeping me up all night, remember?”

Sophia petted her hair. “No, love. This was a good vampire. He lived in a big castle in the forest, and he liked to throw balls with lots of music and dancing. The decorations and tableware were made out of the most brilliant gold. After all, vampires can’t touch silver, you know. His hair was golden, too, and he had a flowing cape that swooshed around as he danced. He was awfully charming, and lots of ladies wanted to dance with him.”

“But don’t vampires have to drink blood?” Iris asked.

“This one had a penchant for um… grape juice, and it kept him satisfied.” Sophia started the story from the beginning.

It would be a lie to say that the drive to Herzen mansion wasn’t daunting. The surrounding town of Folsense may have been welcoming with its warm glow and interesting brand of night life, but this maiden’s destination was detached from the outside world. The road took her through a shadowy thicket, gangly trees arching over her on either side. She tried to imagine what this trail must look like on a sunny spring day, but she couldn’t quite put the image together. She arrived at the massive building’s doors, parking her car. The maiden grabbed her clutch purse and pulled her faux fur coat tightly around her torso as she scuttered inside, taking care to not trip over her heels.

A short, bespectacled man with a downward hooked nose took her coat and pointed her towards the main hall. She was amazed at the sheer size of it. Sure, her father had a countryside mansion of his own, but she could probably stuff most of it into this room alone. She couldn’t imagine what it must be like upstairs or inside those turrets visible from outside.

“And what might your name be?” The young man approached her, a champagne flute in each hand.

She accepted the drink. “Sophia. And you?”

“Anton. Anton Herzen.” He winked.

So this is Duke Herzen’s son. He was certainly handsome-

“Whoa, mama! The girl has the same name as you?” Iris said.

Sophia laughed. “Yes, what a coincidence.”

Sophia and Anton made small talk over fine hors d’oeuvres, seated in the cloister above the main hall.

Anton popped the last piece of a finger sandwich into his mouth. He gestured towards the couples dancing below. “Care to join them?”

They walked down the stairs arm in arm, getting into position to waltz as the live orchestra flipped their sheet music to the next song. They met eyed and smiled. The first hum of strings cued them, stepping back and forth to the rhythm. They swirled across the floor, performing spins at the proper moments.

“So tell me what it’s like, being a Herzen,” Sophia said.

“Being a Herzen? Why, it’s nothing to write home about, save for the family wealth perhaps.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. Father’s got himself occupied with some silly new business venture. I gather he’s going after pharmaceuticals now, which rubs me the wrong way considering that he doesn’t even know how to alleviate the common cold.”

“Pharmaceuticals? That is odd. He already owns the gold mining company, doesn’t he?”

“That’s just it. The miners have discovered some sort of hallucinogen trapped in the rock, and now they’re searching for a way to harvest it and rework it into anesthesia or anti-anxiety medication.”

“I can’t imagine there being a safe way to do that,” Sophia said.

“There must be, and I hope to God father knows of it.”

With the end of the song, they returned upstairs to continue the next course of food.

Iris yawned. “Now I mean this as constructive story-telling criticism, but this is getting a bit boring. What about the part where the guy is a vampire? Or was that a surprise for later? *Gasp* Maybe the girl will find out he’s secretly a monster and will have to decide whether she’s afraid of him or if she’ll love him anyways!”

“I should’ve thought of that,” Sophia said. “Maybe you should be the one telling stories.” She booped Iris’s nose like a button. “At least I’m succeeding in making you sleepy.”

“What’s Folsense like?” Sophia asked.

“It’s lovely. The lights are beautiful at night, and I’m not just saying that because of the cabaret.”

“I’d love to take a walk there one of these days. Would you be so kind as to give me a tour?”

“Yes, of course. I know Folsense like the back of my hand, and it knows me. Well, except for the people I pranked last Halloween when I ran around convincing them I was a real vampire. That reputation still follows me among the less social townsfolk.”

“I would love to have been there and seen it. Halloween must be a blast in a mansion like this, what with the gothic architecture and spooky forest.”

“I’ve never thrown a Halloween party before, but now that you mention it, it would be surely be smashing.”

Anton took a long drink of his red wine and spoke again, “Where are you from?”

“I live pretty close to London.”

“London? But that’s so far off! It must have taken you, what? Two hours to get here?”

“It’s really not as long as it seems.”

“But it’s already so late! If you left early you’d still only get home in the wee hours of the morning.”

“I could stay at the Folsense hotel-”

“Or you could stay here.”

“You have vacant rooms available?”

“If you want a vacant room, that’s all right too.”

“I don’t.”

Sophia decided it would be best to skip that part of the story.

Anton was still asleep when she woke up the next morning. She put yesterday’s clothes back on and took the chance to explore the castle. Sophia ducked in and out of unlocked doorways, looking for something like a living room or dining room. She found the sheer number of unused spaces odd, thinking that she would surely use them for something more useful, or at least make each room more unique. She stumbled upon the dining room where the Duke was taking his breakfast.

“Nigel, fetch the kettle, would y- DEAR GOD girl, who are you?” the shock faded as soon as it set in. “You wouldn’t happen to be one of Anton’s-“

Sophia laughed nervously. “No, no, nothing like that. He just let me stay the night because I live so far away. Really.”

The Duke’s eyes narrowed as he dabbed the jam from his whiskers with a napkin. “Leave.”

Sophia thought about Anton still asleep in his room. “Um… right. I’ll be right out.” She smiled fakely, trying to remember how to get to the front door.

She gently cracked open the door to Anton’s bedroom. “Antoooon,” she stage-whispered.

He opened his eyes and pushed himself up. “Eh?”

“Your father wants me out. When can I see you again? Maybe we could meet in Folsense?”

“Ah, sorry about him. Are you free next Saturday? We could meet in front of the museum around noon, perhaps.”

“Sounds great! See you there.” Sophia left him, walking through the hallway into the main hall and down the steps to the front door. She retrieved her purse and coat, leaving for her car. Sophia drove home through the rolling hills and fields of the countryside in a dreamy state of highway hypnosis.

“She fell in love with the guy,” Iris stated.

“Yes.”

“And his dad doesn’t want them to be together. It’s a story of forbidden love! Do they have to meet up in secret and serenade each other through the window from outside?”

“Don’t worry, Iris. The Duke isn’t a bad guy, he just cares about his son in his own way, I suppose.”

Sophia and Anton would meet up periodically about town, but although it was good fun, they couldn't do this forever. Anton led Sophia by the hand into the mansion and up to his office.

“Father.”

“What is it Anton? I’m busy.”

“I’ve come to say that I love Sophia whether or not you agree with it, and that she will be coming over no matter what you think.”

The Duke sighed. “You’re right; I can’t stop you two, no matter what I think.”

To Duke Herzen’s distaste, Sophia ended up practically moving in. He appeared to be in denial, engaging young Freidrich in conversation or turning to his legal documents whenever they were in the same room. The young couple tried to keep to themselves, which one would think to be easy in a house of that size, but he seemed to turn up at every corner as if watching them.

Sophia sat down next to him in his library one day. “I didn’t take you for the type to read Poe for fun.”

“Well here I am. Do you read him?”

“Oh of course! I love that surreal macabre stuff. I’ve actually been curious about the mines below the castle; isn’t it a dangerous setup?”

Duke Herzen closed his book. “There were reports of coal being collected when they first built the foundation. I had the idea of digging deeper. I see how having a gaping pit under your home may seem precarious, but I trust in the beams and supports holding us up.”

“Anton mentioned some sort of gas discovered down there…”

“Did he now? That was meant to stay confidential.”

“Oh don’t get mad at him for it, it was but a slip.”

“Still, I’m sure this could become the next big thing in pharma. I need to find the men to research and rework it, but after that it’ll be smooth sailing. I didn’t think you’d be interested in this sort of thing.”

“I can’t deny that I have my concerns, but admittedly this is all very curious.”

Duke Herzen reopened the novel. “Look after him, will you?”

“The vampire’s dad was very cold at first,” Sophia said. “But his heart started to warm up as he got to know the maiden. Soon enough, he began confiding in her. The maiden and the vampire lived together in his castle until one terrible day, tragedy struck.”

“Aww come ooon. I thought this was gonna be a sappy feel good love story. No tragedies,” Iris whined.

“Okay fine. No tragedy.”

“There’s more of it seeping out and diffusing into the air than we thought,” Duke Herzen said from his sickbed.

“What does this mean? Have you lost all hope in stopping it?” Sophia asked, masking panic.

“There’s not much we can do but leave it alone and move somewhere else. Not that I would make it much longer anyhow.”

“Oh don’t say that rubbish.”

“You can’t change the fact of the matter, my dear.” He smiled weakly. “I’ll leave it up to you to lead the evacuation.”

“But so many people don’t plan on leaving. What of them?”

“We can’t force anyone to go.”

“That’s awful- don’t they know-”

“Whatever they’re thinking, their minds won’t change.”

“Awful,” Sophia muttered again.

“I’m staying!” Anton yelled. “I know the risks, and I know that I feel responsible for this town, so I can’t just leave it.”

“You idiot!” Sophia retorted. “There’s no future for Folsense, so stop acting like you’re immune from this gas unlike everybody else.”

“And here I was thinking you’d stay with me.” He turned away.

Sophia grimaced.

“How about we just go to bed and talk this over like normal people tomorrow morning?” he sighed.

Tomorrow morning Sophia was gone. She got up before the sun and kissed Anton’s sleeping head. Lugging her trunk down the ornate staircase, she took a final look around the home she called her own, around the hall where he and she shared their first dance. Nigel handed Sophia her coat, he was staying as well. She stepped out into the crisp air where birds were only beginning to chirp and walked through the woods to the station. They really weren’t all that spooky in the daytime. Charming, really. Friedrich helped her pull the luggage up from the platform.

“Is it really okay? To leave him here, I mean.”

Sophia scanned the rooftops of Folsense once more. “I don’t know, Friedrich. I don’t know.”

She didn’t tell him the train was today. She didn’t tell him that they didn’t plan on coming back once this all “blew over” because she suspected it wouldn’t. She didn’t tell him about the baby.

The train hissed and whistled, pistons coming to life and shoving the wheels along the tracks. This was it. Her last look at Folsense. Her last chance to be with him. The town disappeared before she could notice, replaced with a view of rolling fields and sparse trees. She took a deep breath. This was it.

Sophia snapped back. “The vampire and the maiden threw a grand big wedding and invited all the townsfolk. At first they were wary of the vampire, but it turned out to be a jolly fun evening. They lived together happily ever after, and even had a little daughter who hated having her hair brushed. The good vampire protected the town for the rest of time, no matter what, so all the people could be safe and happy like them.”

“Wow, it’s like I was there, mama,” Iris giggled. “You should start writing this stuff down.”

“Oh hush, dear. It’s far past your bedtime.” Sophia kissed Iris on her sleepy head and left the room. It’s like she was there again.

[cayenne-twilight]

@flora-and-luke-are-best-friends

hey - could you possibly do something involving flora and luke when they're older?

These charming, winding streets used to be so familiar to him. Luke checked the address on the letter one more time. Based on past experiences, Luke supposed he should make sure the message was genuine and not a trap from the likes of Don Paulo or Descole, but he trusted the loopy penmanship to be hers. Plus, he didn’t know how one could replicate the personalized flowery stationary she never seemed to run out of.

Luke smiled solemnly as he passed the bakery where he always used to beg the Professor to buy him a bun with filling. He instinctively stepped over the spot that had been barren of cobbles for as long as he could remember, only to find that it was filled in. He wondered if one of the locals took matters into their own hands, not believing that this was the city’s doing. At least a new generation of kids won’t be falling off their bikes here. Luke cringed at the phantom pain on his knees.

He found the right apartment building and buzzed into her room.

“Luke?”

“Yeah it’s m-”

The line clicked off. He waited for a moment, confused, but then heard her heeled boots barreling down the stairs.

“OHMYGOSH LUKEEE!” Flora ran right into his arms, squeezing tightly. She pushed him back and looked at his face. “You’re so grown up now! I can’t believe it.”

He could scarcely believe it either. In theory she had the same face as she did the last time he saw her in person, but she just seemed more mature. Maybe they both lost a little roundness in their cheeks.

“Okay, I picked out a cafe to take lunch at, and you’re going to tell me everything that’s happened in America.”

“You have to tell me what you’ve been up to, too.”

Luke pulled the buckwheat crepe in front of him, piled high with savory toppings. He already had a salad and a pair of English muffins, but he would have no problem licking this sizable plate clean. Would Flora be down for gelato after this? She, on the other hand, only ordered one small fruit-filled crepe and a coffee.

“What’s uni like across the pond?”

“I wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between your uni and mine, but I’m glad I changed my major.”

“Is that so? I thought you wanted to help every animal in need.”

“I want to help as many as I can, and I realized that becoming a vet meant putting down more animals than saving them, and that the choice wasn’t up to me.”

“You switched to marine biology?”

“Yes. At least that way I can work to conserve endangered species. To think there’s so much life out there in the ocean that we don’t even know about…”

“I dunno why you’d mess with those deep sea creatures; they range from icky to actual nightmare fuel.”

“Oh stop, so what if I don’t sleep at night? It’ll be the same as before, what with all these essays. Also there’s this girl-”

Flora gasped scandalously and covered her mouth, “a girl?”

“-in my class whom I’m very close friends with.”

“Bring her over next time.”

“I don’t think she’d be too keen on that.”

“Well I’ll find some way to become her pen pal.”

“I know you’ll just embarrass me on purpose.”

“Don’t be silly. No I won’t. Unless, of course, you want her to know about how you cried that time Emmy made lobster.”

“Well I’d never seen the way you cook them before. What sort of sociopath boils a creature ALIVE? What if it had the capacity to scream? Would you still be laughing?”

“No, I guess not. Tell me this girl’s name,” Flora said, resting her face on her hand.

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes. “Marina. My friend. So how has your school year been?”

“Right. It’s been good. I’m hoping I can pull the marks I have now through to the end of the year so I can graduate strong.”

“Where do you plan on working after you’re out?”

“I think I’ll apply to The Yard. Barton said he would be a reference for me, which would look pretty impressive with the way he’s been climbing the ranks lately.”

“Good for him! I hear Chelmey retired already.”

“Yes, he’s at home with Amelie all the time now. I’m getting my degrees in criminology and robotics, but I think I’ll keep the robots at home and just try to invent something in my spare time.”

“What do you even do in criminology class? Are the lectures like those true crime programs you listen to on the radio? Do you have a favorite serial killer?”

“No, you dummy. It’s actually quite interesting. It’s all about psychology and sociology and stuff. Also my favorite serial killer is Clive because he made me mac n cheese the last time they let him out.”

Luke convinced Flora to get frozen yogurt, and they walked the path along the Thames eating it.

“What are your plans for when you return to America?” Flora asked.

“Marina wanted to take me out on the water in her family’s boat. After that, though, it’s back to school.”

“You should really come back to London more often, even if it’s just to keep me posted about Marina. The Professor misses you dearly.”

“I thought we weren’t talking about her anymore? And yeah, I miss the Professor, too. I wonder if I can arrange some sort of adventure to bring him along on, considering that all the work he’s had lately have been mundane digs.”

“You say ‘mundane digs’ as if that isn’t the norm. I’m sure he’d greatly appreciate it if you got him out of the house.”

“It sucks how short my visits are these days. I really need to come over during the holidays so I can meet with everyone properly. I’m glad I managed to catch you.”

Flora smiled. “I’ll always make time to see you.”