It wasn't the first time Hershel found himself shivering outside Randall's house and it obviously wasn't going to be the last time, if he was being honest with himself. More often than not he told himself no, Hershel, Randall's going to want to break curfew (again) and get you stuck in a hole or something equally ridiculous (again) and really, you have more sense than this (you don't.) So what if Randall won their sparring bout?
Alright, so maybe he was still a bit sore that Randall trounced him so spectacularly. He spent most of the walk thinking of his form, where he'd need to practice, and how he was going to make Randall sit quietly and study with him next time he did win. Really, it was the little things that warmed his heart.
He sighed, whatever inward bravado he had obviously nothing more than hot air, and triggered Randall's ridiculous window puzzle to call him. Maybe he'd just want to spend time inside, somewhere warm and cozy. Hershel burrowed further into his coat- yeah, he really doubted he'd be that lucky.
"Randall?" He called quietly when the puzzle finished it's cycle.
Honestly, it had taken Hershel long enough to get there. No doubt he'd been finishing up his homework or something akin. No sense of adventure, that one. Thank heavens he'd been the one to win the bout. Not that there'd been any doubt. He threw open his window, peeking out of it and grinning at his friend.
"Hersh!" he greeted, before pausing as his eyes adjusted so he could clearly see the obviously very chilly Hershel. "You look right miserable."
"I don't know if you've noticed Randall, seeing as you're a bit mad, but it's absolutely freezing out." See, he was totally not still sore or annoyed at the weather, you could tell because he's being such a delight to his dear best friend. Hershel shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he looked up.
"Is your father around?" He was hoping not for various reasons, one of them being he did enjoy using Randall's front door on occasion.
"And you're going to let a little cold get in the way of adventure?" Randall asked, clearly not bothered at all by the abysmal temperature outside. He could feel it through the window, the cold clinging to his skin even with the competing warmth of his room.
He hesitated at the mention of his father, unable to conceal a frown. "Yes." He glanced away for a moment in thought. "So I'll just be coming down through the window then."
"Most people don't have a healthy dose of insanity to keep us warm." Hershel answered a tad dryly, rocking on his feet. He glanced to the lit window of one of the main rooms in the house, instantly more wary now that he knew Mr. Ascot was out and about.
When he glanced back up at Randall he couldn't help his expression softening some. "Be careful, you know we can go to my house if you'd like." Hope springs eternal. "Ma would probably be so delighted to see we weren't off breaking curfew that she'd make you hot chocolate."
"You say insanity, I say ambition," Randall quipped in return. With that he turned and went deeper into his room, rummaging through the archaeological mess that it was until he had finally dug out his coat. Hastily pulling it on, he rushed back to the window.
"I know, your parents would love to see me." He smiled, as he carefully shimmied out onto the ledge of his window. "They appreciate puzzles, unlike certain people, Hershel."
Hershel hovered a bit, just incase Randall slipped and fell on something that wasn't his inflated ego. "I can think of a few sayings that are appropriate here- there's a fine line between genius and insanity, or perhaps the one about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Well, Randall wasn't wrong there. "That wasn't a yes, I was really hoping for a yes. Imagine a night where we don't end up lost or stuck down a hole." He raised his brow. "I bet my parents would have some new puzzles, even." Low blow, Hersh.
Thankfully, Randall landed on his feet. Or maybe it really was his inflated ego that cushioned him. Either way, he made it out of his home unharmed, with only his jacket slightly twisted. He adjusted, as he gave Hershel The Look. "I never understood that last one. Of course you're going to get different results each time. There's more that goes into an equation that your personal actions, you know."
Come on, get it together Hersh.
In any case - "No, no yes." He disregarded the puzzle bit. There was always tomorrow to see Hershel's parents, wasn't there? "Not tonight."
"You would know better than Albert Einstein." Hershel teased, Einstein or whatever the Layton universe equivalent was. He walked over as Randall spoke again, face falling in something that wasn't unlike defeat. He had fought a valiant battle, but it looked like a losing one.
"I was afraid you were going to say that." He sighed, ignoring the puff of steam it brought with it before turning his attention fully to Randall again. "What could you possibly want to do this late in the evening in this weather? Aren't archeological digs done in the summertime when it's warm?"
"I'm just saying that maybe philosophy wasn't his strong suit," Randall said, with a shrug. With Hershel's question, his grin only grew wider and he clapped his friend on the shoulder.
"Normally, yes!" There was no denying that. "But this is something we have to do when the weather is freezing. Some things are only accessible when water turns to ice." Randall couldn't possibly be more vague.
"So when you become a world famous archeologist what philosophical quotes will people be repeating from you?" Hershel actually sounded a little curious about this, even if it was clearly more teasing. "Let me guess- no risk, no glory? I think someone said that before you, though."
Of course this had to do with ice. Of course. "Randall, I'm already not sure this is a good idea." He tried. "Are we going to be traveling over ice?"
"They have, but I'll definitely be famous for it." Though Randall couldn't even say he'd make it a household saying, because it kind of was already. He'd no doubt be known for it, though. "Otherwise, maybe I'll leave philosophy to the philosophers." Maybe. It remained to be seen.
Randall didn't answer that question at first, instead suddenly seeming very focused on walking. Finally, he replied, "Only a little."
"I'm a little thankful for that." Hershel followed, clearly not very happy about all this but there he was, following anyway. "Your way of living isn't exactly for the faint of heart."
"Randall..." He hurried to catch up to Randall's side, giving him The Look. "It is cold but the ice might not be sturdy enough to support us- maybe we should reconsider." Maybe you should reconsider. "If you fell through I'm pretty sure Angela would have both our heads for being fools."
Randall waved him off. "I know it's dangerous, Hershel," he said a tad flippantly. "You don't need to fret so much, though. We'll test the ice before we head out onto it. I don't want to fall into freezing cold water any more than you do."
And the whole Angie being angry thing was also a big part of it. She could be a force of nature when she was riled.
Boy could she, something Hershel was thankful for. He sighed but apparently relented for now, trusting that Randall wasn't going to actually get them killed. Sure he was a bit... enthusiastic, but he wasn't an idiot, not most of the time at least. "If you're sure..."
He adjusted the collar of his coat, pulling it up a tad to keep warmer. "So where exactly are we going? The stream isn't exactly hard to cross even when it's a bit flooded."
"I'm sure." Despite Randall's adventurous streak that verged on recklessness on more than one occasion, he really didn't plan on either of them being hurt. It might be a little dangerous, sure, but he'd take the necessary precautions.
"It's farther than that. There's a little cove downstream that can't be gotten to normally, but I have a hunch that when the water's frozen someone could walk right in"
"Honestly I'm shocked you haven't checked it out before." Hershel glanced at him, good humor returning to his tone. "Never had anyone daft enough to follow your schemes?"
Not Angela and Dalston, certainly, Hershel admired their resolve. He paused for a moment when the stream came into view, heading over with a swifter step to check the ice. "Looks frozen solid here at least." He murmured, more to himself than anything as he tapped it with his foot. He glanced downstream. "That way?"
"No, not until you," Randall teased, nudging Hershel on the shoulder. In sincerity, though, he couldn't have asked for a better friend.
He watched Hershel check the ice carefully, seeing if any cracks appeared at all. Which, thankfully, didn't appear to be the case. That was already a good sign. "The stream doesn't have as much water, though. There's more water down by the cove." He sighed as he walked downstream, giving a nod to Hershel. "We might not be lucky enough to have it frozen."
Hershel shook his head at the nudge but smiled. Friendship, and all that sincere jazz. He could humor some of Randall's crazier ideas if it really made him happy.
"We may need to wait for it to get later and colder." Hershel answered, a small frown on his face. "I can't say I'm looking forward to doing that if we have to though, it's going to get very cold-" The cons of living near the famed English desert, probably. "-I'm not sure either of us are dressed for that."
Even Randall had to admit they weren't really dressed for dead of the night cold. He exhaled heavily, forming little puffs of condensation as he did so. "If that's the case we'll have to wait for another day and prepare better." He should have been more prepared, but more than anything he wanted to get out of the house as quickly as possible, so he hadn't thought as clearly as he should have.
"We could go back to my house, I'm sure I have some clothes that would fit us both and be much warmer." Why was he being a good friend, why was he going along and aiding this nonsense. It was because he didn't want to get a cold, that's absolutely why, that's all.
Regardless he started walking, honestly hoping they could just get it over with rather than go through the trouble of sneaking in and out of his house before his mother realized they had some ridiculous scheme planned out. Maybe he was a little interested in seeing what this 'cove' had, there were probably some points of interest that weren't just Randall's beloved archeological finds and sites.
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Alright, so maybe he was still a bit sore that Randall trounced him so spectacularly. He spent most of the walk thinking of his form, where he'd need to practice, and how he was going to make Randall sit quietly and study with him next time he did win. Really, it was the little things that warmed his heart.
He sighed, whatever inward bravado he had obviously nothing more than hot air, and triggered Randall's ridiculous window puzzle to call him. Maybe he'd just want to spend time inside, somewhere warm and cozy. Hershel burrowed further into his coat- yeah, he really doubted he'd be that lucky.
"Randall?" He called quietly when the puzzle finished it's cycle.
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"Hersh!" he greeted, before pausing as his eyes adjusted so he could clearly see the obviously very chilly Hershel. "You look right miserable."
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"Is your father around?" He was hoping not for various reasons, one of them being he did enjoy using Randall's front door on occasion.
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He hesitated at the mention of his father, unable to conceal a frown. "Yes." He glanced away for a moment in thought. "So I'll just be coming down through the window then."
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When he glanced back up at Randall he couldn't help his expression softening some. "Be careful, you know we can go to my house if you'd like." Hope springs eternal. "Ma would probably be so delighted to see we weren't off breaking curfew that she'd make you hot chocolate."
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"I know, your parents would love to see me." He smiled, as he carefully shimmied out onto the ledge of his window. "They appreciate puzzles, unlike certain people, Hershel."
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Well, Randall wasn't wrong there. "That wasn't a yes, I was really hoping for a yes. Imagine a night where we don't end up lost or stuck down a hole." He raised his brow. "I bet my parents would have some new puzzles, even." Low blow, Hersh.
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Come on, get it together Hersh.
In any case - "No, no yes." He disregarded the puzzle bit. There was always tomorrow to see Hershel's parents, wasn't there? "Not tonight."
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"I was afraid you were going to say that." He sighed, ignoring the puff of steam it brought with it before turning his attention fully to Randall again. "What could you possibly want to do this late in the evening in this weather? Aren't archeological digs done in the summertime when it's warm?"
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"Normally, yes!" There was no denying that. "But this is something we have to do when the weather is freezing. Some things are only accessible when water turns to ice." Randall couldn't possibly be more vague.
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Of course this had to do with ice. Of course. "Randall, I'm already not sure this is a good idea." He tried. "Are we going to be traveling over ice?"
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Randall didn't answer that question at first, instead suddenly seeming very focused on walking. Finally, he replied, "Only a little."
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"Randall..." He hurried to catch up to Randall's side, giving him The Look. "It is cold but the ice might not be sturdy enough to support us- maybe we should reconsider." Maybe you should reconsider. "If you fell through I'm pretty sure Angela would have both our heads for being fools."
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And the whole Angie being angry thing was also a big part of it. She could be a force of nature when she was riled.
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He adjusted the collar of his coat, pulling it up a tad to keep warmer. "So where exactly are we going? The stream isn't exactly hard to cross even when it's a bit flooded."
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"It's farther than that. There's a little cove downstream that can't be gotten to normally, but I have a hunch that when the water's frozen someone could walk right in"
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Not Angela and Dalston, certainly, Hershel admired their resolve. He paused for a moment when the stream came into view, heading over with a swifter step to check the ice. "Looks frozen solid here at least." He murmured, more to himself than anything as he tapped it with his foot. He glanced downstream. "That way?"
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He watched Hershel check the ice carefully, seeing if any cracks appeared at all. Which, thankfully, didn't appear to be the case. That was already a good sign. "The stream doesn't have as much water, though. There's more water down by the cove." He sighed as he walked downstream, giving a nod to Hershel. "We might not be lucky enough to have it frozen."
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"We may need to wait for it to get later and colder." Hershel answered, a small frown on his face. "I can't say I'm looking forward to doing that if we have to though, it's going to get very cold-" The cons of living near the famed English desert, probably. "-I'm not sure either of us are dressed for that."
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Regardless he started walking, honestly hoping they could just get it over with rather than go through the trouble of sneaking in and out of his house before his mother realized they had some ridiculous scheme planned out. Maybe he was a little interested in seeing what this 'cove' had, there were probably some points of interest that weren't just Randall's beloved archeological finds and sites.