"So, Professor Layton."
Red was emerging from Emmy's face as she sat next to him.
"Yes, Emmy?" Layton's attention seemed to be more fixated on Luke, who sat next to him.
"Well, I was wondering. I've been your... assistant for a long time, and now that the second assistant is here-" Luke grimaced at her- "maybe we could go for a meal sometime."
"Great!" Layton said. "Luke, how does that sound?"
Emmy held her hand up. "No, I mean... just us two."
Luke entered a frenzy as he heard Layton firmly but awkwardly say "yes."
Luke rubbed his cheeks against Layton's hand, sighing and purring contently. "Professah," he asked, "can I sit with you?"
He stared awkwardly at his now feline apprentice. "I'm really busy now, Luke," he said, seeing his dismayed face. Luke's eyes exerted radiance. "But," he countered, "we certainly can when I get back from Emmy's."
"Wait," he said. "You're going to Emmy's place?"
"Yes," he said, trying to avoid Luke's gaze of worry. "Yes I am. But don't worry, it's just to discuss some minor details."
Still suspicious, Luke nodded anyway, flicking his tail. "I'll see you later,professah!"
"Bye, Luke." he closed the door and exited.
Luke had no intention of staying behind. "Cats are pretty quiet, right?" He said to himself. He trotted outside when he was sure Layton was away. He was going to spy on him.
"Professor Layton!" Emmy called. She was sitting comfortably in a chair near the restaurant in which they agreed to congregate.
"Emmy," he called. "Hello."
"Hi." Layton blushed when he noticed her face also reddening.
Luke watched attentively from a corner. "That's not Emmy's house," he said to himself. He snuck closer, disregarding passersby's vacant glares at his ears and tail. He almost silently snuck closer.
"Anyway, h-how are y-you?" Emmy asked with a slightly trembly voice.
Layton awkwardly cleared his throat, waiting for a waiter to arrive. "I'm... I'm fine. How about you?"
"Oh," she giggled Softly, "I'm good."
A woman in a refined skirt glided to the table. "Hello. Shall we start-"
"Water," they said at the same time. Layton smiled, almost forgetting about Luke, who was presumably at home.
Luke was sitting now, staring in horrified awe at the scene. "No," he said to himself. "I cannot let... this happen!" He stared at his cat-like paws. "I suppose I'll have to utilize... these."
Luke snuck past the fleeting throng of travelers and entered the restaurant, careful to avoid the gaze of Layton and Emmy, who sat next to a rather wide window. "Excuse me," he said to a woman passing by. "Can you tell me where the kitchen is?"
"Yes, right next to the bathrooms. Why?"
He struggled to think of a reason. "Well, I got i-nvited to s-tay there and o-bserve," he stuttered, hopeful that it was a good excuse.
"Ah," she said, smiling. "Did you get a culinary internship?"
Nervously, he smiled and nodded. The woman let him pass, but not before ruffing his hair. She took little notice to the tiny feline ears sticking out of his head
"ORDER SEVEN THREE EIGHT!" he heard a man yell upon entering the kitchen. He cackled, recalling the number 738 on the table of Layton and Emmy. He took a startlingly large handful of salt and placed it in Emmy's dish, which he quickly recognized as Emmy's favorite food. No one took notice to the boy, who not swiftly exited the kitchen, waiting around a corner for Emmy's reaction.
Layton smiled as he saw the waitress bring their food. "Thank you," he said, sliding Emmy's plate over to her. Luke's eyes mischievously twinkled when he saw Emmy grimace. She dropped her fork.
"Ugh, what is in this?" She asked.
"What?" Layton said. "Let me try." He gave the same facial gesture as Emmy, dropping his own fork. "What happened?"
"I don't know... but it tastes awfully... salty."
Layton raised a hand, signaling for a waiter to come by. It was the same energetic woman they had met before.
"Yes sir, ma'am?"
"This is awfully... salty," said Emmy. She held the plate out, urging the woman to try it. She dipped her finger in, and grimaced painfully when she found the result.
Luke devilishly chuckled to himself by watching the spectacle, but then gasped when he heard Layton's words. "How about we just go to dessert?"
"Ugh," Luke grunted in frustration. "Now how am I supposed to get them out of here?" He gazed silently but wickedly at the burner from the kitchen. Almost in an insane way, he rubbed his hands together. "I could do that."
He dashed for the kitehcn door, opening it again to see the lady he had encountered before at the entrance. "So," she started. "How goes the internship?"
Luke almost screamed when he saw her, but after realizing it was only her, he started sweating awkwardly. "Um," he said, "it's great. I'm just learning the ropes."
She rubbed his scalp once more. "Well, have fun!" Her eye twinkled as she walked away to another table.
Brushing off the incident, Luke quickly crept toward the burner, grabbing a strange bottle that lay next to it. "Cooking oil, eh?" He glanced around the area quickly, hoping there was no one looking. He confirmed there wasn't, and dumped the entirety of its contents in.
In seconds, a small flame became a raging inferno in the kitchen.
"FIRE! FIRE!" a man yelled. Layton stood up to examine the event. People were flailing about the restaurant, leaving Luke to swiftly escape out the back. He returned to the previous street to plan the rest.
"Professor, we should leave," suggested Emmy.
"What?" replied Layton. "Miss Altava, we can't simply leave these people here!"
"Right." They both sped into the blaze to help the civilians.
Luke cackled once more. "This is all going according to plan!"
