#I know I already asked this question with Descole and Bronev

[quibbs126]

Another question similar to one I’ve already said, but why is it that more people tend to forgive Clive (or at least accept that he’s going to change his ways and isn’t pure evil) but not Bronev?

[101flavoursofweird]

Fic Questionnaire

Thanks for @sixtyfourk for tagging me! I’m putting the questions under a cut because it’s quite long :’)

I’ll tag @northernscruffycat, @northelypark, @edward-elbowlick, @vermontwrites, @asa-liz, @yoshi-g-teh-first, @call-me-rucy, and @aquamarineglow but if there’s anyone else who wants to do this, please go ahead!

How many works do you have on AO3?

107… but a lot of these are just reposts or prompt-inspired fics that are 10 lines long!

What's your total AO3 word count?

378242 words

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Professor Layton, PLvsAA, Layton Brothers Mystery Room, Rhythm Thief, Voltron: Legendary Defender (I only watched the first two seasons, haha…), The Ancient Magus Bride (I was in it for the cute dragon mage— not for the main romance), Steven Universe, Ace Attorney (only as a part of PLvsAA), Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, My Hero Academia

…10 fandoms altogether, but some like PLvsAA and LBMR fall under the PL category.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Aizawa Doesn’t Give Hugs - MHA- 1111 kudos - (Why can’t I update my most popular fic?)

Fireflies - Steven Universe - 221 kudos - (Again, WHY DID I NEVER UPDATE THIS?)

Reset - PL - 134 kudos - (This is the one I feel the worst about because it’s an ongoing long fic for my main fandom and I’ve had so much support from readers but I just can’t find the strength to update it…)

Worth Fighting For - PL - 86 kudos - (My incomplete Whumptober fic!)

Mending - Voltron - 85 kudos - (I think this was one of the first fics I posted on AO3 and I was really happy about the response it got! And for a fandom I’d never written for before!)

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I usually respond to comments pretty quickly because I want to show my appreciation for people who take the time to comment :) If I’m ever slow to respond it’s probably just because I’m busy or I’m trying to formulate a long response. If a person leaves a longer comment, I try to make my response longer!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

That’s probably ‘To Boldly Flee’. It’s a fic I originally posted on FF.net but it’s now part of an Aurora & Luke oneshot series called ‘Looking Foward’ on AO3. The fic stars Aurora and Luke in an AU set during Azran Legacy. It diverges from canon after Descole steals the Azran keystone in the Nest. Aurora doesn’t want to go to the Azran sanctuary and face her ‘duty’ as the Azran emissary— she also doesn’t want to get STABBED IN THE HEART— so she decides to run away with Luke.

Aurora receives even more angst in this AU than in canon. After Descole’s betrayal, she starts to doubt herself and her friends, aside from Luke.

With a bit of help from Rook and Bishop, the two of them fly to London and then to Misthallery when they hear Targent have taken over the town. During this time, Aurora has her identity crisis about being a golem and having the fate of the world resting on her shoulders. She eventually decides to help Luke save his hometown because Luke is worth the world to her.

This all culminates with Luke getting fatally(?) wounded and taken to the Golden Garden. Aurora is so distraught by this point that she almost ‘floods the whole world’ in a kind of failsafe doomsday device the Azran may have implanted in her. Luckily, Descole and Layton show up to assure her that Luke is alive— but just barely. Aurora returns to her normal self and they get Luke to hospital. Aurora waits by Luke’s bedside for him to wake up. Aurora mentions that Emmy’s fate is unknown, but they still mourn for her.

In the original FF.net ending, Luke wakes up.

In the AO3 ending, Aurora just keeps waiting for Luke. ‘She could not age, so she would wait until he awoke. Even if it took forever...’

If I ever did write more of this story, Aurora and Co would probably go to the other Azran sites (Ambrosia, the Infinite Vault of etc) to search for a cure for Luke. But at it is, the fic is left open-ended as to whether Luke ever recovers.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not really hate but there was one anon review that may have been ‘too brutal’ (their words). I can’t say it hasn’t affected the updates on that particular fic.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I wrote a couple of light smut fics back when I really shipped Layton/Emmy. I think I’d cringe if I went back to read those fics (but then again, I do that with a lot of my old writing). I can’t see myself writing smut now.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I can’t say I’ve had a fic stolen, but I was reading a fic a while ago and the wording was veeery familiar. I’m not sure why because the fic was already good up to that point? Why would they bother copying my writing? XD I can’t complain, though! We’re all technically stealing the original creator’s characters and concepts by writing fanfic.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, for my Rhythm Thief AU, Déjà Vergier! In this AU, 16-year-old Raphael gets taken in by the Vergier family. A Deviantart user called BakApple kindly translated my writing into French. With the help of Google Trabslate, I started translating their French Rhythm Thief fic— ‘July the Fourteenth’— into English, but I didn’t get around to finishing it. My translating skills are nowhere near as good as BakApple’s!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I wrote a PL fic with called ‘If You Only Had Time’ with an awesome writer called Glowbug. It’s an AU (of course) where Rachel Bronev survives and she runs away from Targent with eight-year-old Emmy. Glowbug doesn’t seem to be active online anymore, which is a shame, but I don’t mind! I’m just glad we were able to write 6 chapters.

I don’t think I’d co-write any more fics now… but more for the co-writer’s sake than mine! I’m notoriously bad at updating long fics and I struggle to write under pressure or within a time limit. There’s a reason why I don’t enter Big Bang events, as much as I’d like too :’)

Writing fics is a hobby first and foremost. If I don’t feel like writing something, I’ll leave it and come back later, hopefully with renewed inspiration.

But I’m always happy to discuss fic outlines/ideas/characters’ with other people!

What's your all time favorite ship?

Apparently the ship I’ve written the most fics for is Janice/Melina on AO3?

There seems to be more content for them recently and that makes me SO HAPPY.

Ranhengela might be a close second favourite… Sometimes I literally forget both of these ships aren’t canon.

My favourite characters tend to be those who are so selfless and would sacrifice their lives for the ones they love— e.g. Janice and Henry— even if their significant other is presumed to be dead. I want these characters to be happy but I also want them to through ANGST.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

I don’t want to say Reset… but maybe Reset? I haven’t given up completely but I’ve lost a lot of confidence with this fic. What I wanted most out of this story was for Luke to bond with other characters aside from Layton— his parents, Arianna, Emmy, Flora etc.— and to give these characters a chance to shine. But I guess I realised I can do this without all the crazy plot twists and time travel mechanics… like in Ready Now, for example. Most of that fic is just Arianna bonding with Luke, Layton and the others, and it’s hopefully giving Flora her chance to shine too! I guess after giving Arianna her own chapter in Reset I just really wanted to write about her, haha.

What are your writing strengths?

Someone mentioned in a nice review that I often fuse canon with fanon? That’s usually just me poking fun at the series— like when Arianna’s mother asks about Flora’s age and her adoption status, Arianna and Tony just shrug at her comedically. Who knows, really? :’)

I’ll often just make two character sit in a room TALK about their feelings.

Dialogue is an easy one, but I like writing dialogue for characters and getting their voices down. (I will forever portray Dalston with his official Yorkshire accent— not the fake posh accent they gave him the the US version of Miracle Mask.)

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it’s cool! …If it’s not used to mock another language— apart from English. Please make all the English jokes you want. I’ll probably agree with you and laugh at them.

I remember when I was re-reading Goblet of Fire and I cringed every time J. K. Rowling wrote about a character who wasn’t English.

I’ll occasionally throw French words or sayings into Rhythm Thief fics especially because that’s what they do in the game. It’s hilarious how Charlie has an English accent but then she’ll sprout a random French phrase.

What was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

Pokemon, but that short oneshot is long gone.

What's your favorite fic you've ever written?

I’m going to be boring and say Bonds Left Unbroken— an AU where Layton and Desmond both get adopted by the Laytons. I think I enjoyed the earlier chapters more, focussing on younger Desmond and Hershel, and especially their time in Stansbury. The later chapters don’t really branch out from canon that much, aside from the fact that Hershel and Desmond are on the same page during Azran Legacy.

I feel bad that I never got around to finishing the ‘bonus’ episodes, but it kind of just felt like the original series with Desmond phoned in :’) But I’m still proud of the original fic!

[evalieena]

Six Times Hershel Layton Remembered, Plus The One Time He Didn't - a Professor Layton fanfic

“Everything was fine. They lived happy together as a family. But the next moment, everything disappeared, as if gone up in smoke. Hershel Layton felt lost, and then he was lonely. There was a new family around him, but it was not the one he wanted. And then everything slowly started to fade away. Until he remembered once more.“

(available here as well: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28770816)

- -

Later That Day

Confusion ran through Theodore’s head. Who were these strange-looking men who just left with Mum and Dad? Where were Mum and Dad? When would they come back? And why had he overheard people screaming so loudly? He didn’t like it when people were fighting; it only meant that something bad had happened.

Soon, hours had passed, and still there was no sign of their parents.

He kept asking Hersh about their parents’ sudden departure. Every time, the same answer. Hersh only said that everything would be okay. He needn’t worry. Everything would be okay…

The four year old didn’t understand a single thing of what just happened. Why should everything be okay if people had screamed?

Mum and Dad were in trouble. He just knew it. Still, Hersh didn’t want to acknowledge it so Theo wouldn’t be worried—everything to take care of the little one. But even everything didn’t seem to be enough.

Nothing happened the way it should have. But perhaps it was a bad dream. That was what Mum always said when he woke up crying and afraid that everyone had left without him; nothing was real. Everything is going to be okay.

Nothing could be okay and Theo was still confused.

Two Days Later

Theo was sad. He’d noticed a change in Hersh’s heart—he didn’t behave the way he used to only two days back. There was no optimism left in him. He didn’t say Everything will be okay Theo you just have to wait they will come back you don’t worry and we can play together if you’d like they’ll be back before you know it anymore.

Their parents were gone. It didn’t look like they were about to come back anytime soon. They’d never left them alone for so long. Sure, Hersh could take care of his little brother for a while, but there was only so much he could manage to do in their parents’ stead. He was no father, no mother. He was just the older brother. He was the one rushing to Theodore’s side whenever the youngest showed that he needed it; he was the one ready to provide comfort at night, when he heard Theo crying after a bad dream and didn’t want their parents to be woken up.

But now, the both of them sat in the couch in the living room, side by side, in the dark. Alone. There were no laughs, no cries, no warm atmosphere anymore. Even the most caring brother wouldn’t replace the past—a past which seemed to be so close, yet it was already so far. The brothers waited endlessly for something that, one of them had started to get used to it, would never happen.

Hershel was sad, and so was Theodore. They had nothing else left.

One Week Later

Theo was afraid. Who were the Laytons? And why did Hersh start packing his bag? Why did he look so relieved, in spite of the awful nights they’d just spent?

Something was not right. Something was about to change. Hersh couldn’t stop talking about this family who would be so happy to have him, and how he needed to be careful, always remember that he’s Hershel now, and not Theodore. He acted like such a grown-up; it was a lot to take in.

Theo couldn’t understand. He was Theodore—that was the name he’d been given all his short life. Why should he pretend he was named Hershel all of a sudden? And why his brother wasn’t packing his own bag as well?

So much questions, yet so little answers.

A while later, a couple was standing on their porch. They looked awfully happy for people who were about to intrude into the brothers’ lives.

Before Theo realized it, he was taken away by that odd couple; he was taken away from Hersh, and nothing felt right. He didn’t want to go away. He didn’t want to go with them. And why didn’t Hersh move an inch? Why wasn’t he going with them? Why-

“I hope you’ll feel at home with us, Hershel.”

Theodore Bronev, or whoever he was supposed to be, was afraid.

One Month Later

Theo was angry. For a month he’d been following the ones who wanted him to call them Ma and Pa all around, but he just couldn’t get used to it. He hadn’t heard from Hersh in a while, either. Whenever would he join them? Where was he?

He didn’t want to stay here. All his life had been peaceful, and all of a sudden, everything started collapsing right under his nose. And there still wasn’t anyone able to provide him with answers he couldn’t dare to ask. Because he did not understand.

Theo didn’t talk much, but Roland and Lucille had gathered from the way the child looked at them that he didn’t like it, here. He barely managed to tell anything other than yes, no, maybe, where is my brother – and the couple had started to fear that nothing would ever change.

Theo was angry and uncomfortable. The only way he’d found to express all these feelings was to throw a tantrum, one his parents would never forget.

Two Years Later

Hershel was happy. The weather was calm and sunny, and they were about to go out for a walk in the center of London. He’d go out and play in the park with other children.

He liked the Laytons. He liked his parents. They were always so patient, so kind-hearted; they were ready to sacrifice everything for their child’s well-being.

Hershel didn’t ask for much. He was always a collected and lovely boy. The beginning had been tough, but little by little, his parents had been able to see him smile even more often. His anger and his fear seemed to have left him. Nothing months, then years of patience and love couldn’t erase, as they’d predicted and hoped.

Hershel loved it here, in London. He’d felt like he had lived here all his life. That day, Roland and Lucille knew they’d won the fight. But there was still a long path waiting ahead of the three of them.

The only thing that ever mattered though was that Hershel Layton was happy.

Thirty Years Later

Hershel Layton was puzzled. A funny emotion to feel for someone who loved puzzles that much, but nothing could ever describe better the way he’d felt for hours now, hours that seemedlike ages.

So much did happen in the span of a few hours.

First he’d learned his parents could be targeted by Targent, then Aurora had made it clear that she didn’t want to live anymore, all so she could protect them. Then Desmond—no, Descole—had taken the key from her hands, and revealed himself as the dangerous scientist Layton knew him to be.

Then they’d fought. Despair was filling the air, though Hershel didn’t understand what Descole meant when he cried that the Azran legacy was all he had to live for.

And as if there hadn’t been enough betrayals as it was, Emmy was soon to follow. Luke had been abducted. He’d had no other choice than siding with Descole to prevent Bronev from unleashing doom on Earth. Misery didn’t seem to end.

Just when he’d thought he’d finally be able to change things, Descole had been ready to sacrifice himself to save Luke. And then…

Then everything just collapsed.

He held his agonizing brother in his arms; the one who’d wanted so hard to take him down only a few hours back was now confessing, fearing death was on the way.

Some images were flowing through his head, though he didn’t yet understand quite clearly what it was supposed to mean. But he had a brother. Ma and Pa… they weren’t his true parents. Leon Bronev was his biological father? Nothing made any sense. Hershel—or whoever he was supposed to be—just wanted this to end.

Confusion, sadness, anger, happiness, shock. And so much more—so much thoughts and sensations he couldn’t voice. He’d started experiencing a bunch of emotions he wasn’t used to feeling anymore. But such a puzzling state of mind would not last. It was a true gentleman’s duty to figure out every mystery, even the thickest ones; even the ones that involved himself.

Except this time, he’d sworn to himself that he would not forget.

[dazais-guardian-angel]

☕️+ what things do you wish they did with descole (because I am weak and he’s my fave)

Apologies for the late reply to this; tbh I almost didn’t want to answer it, cause I feel like nothing I’ll say will be something others haven’t already discussed (especially since I just saw you asked someone else this same question), and also I’ve only ever played the prequels once back when they first came out and I haven’t reached them again in my replay yet, so I’m not fresh on everything done with his character and all the Azran/Targent stuff. But nonetheless:

In general, obviously, I wish Desmole’s character “arc” if you can even call it that as it is now + plot twists/identity had been much more fleshed out from the get-go and consistent with who they ultimately made him be, that is, Hershel’s brother and someone who never should have legitimately wanted to hurt him or people close to him. While I think the worst of this really only comes out in Eternal Diva, where he literally tries to swordfight Hershel to death and kill Luke on one occasion cause he goes insane once Hershel out-puzzles him, there really just should have been more nuance to him in the first two entries especially (and in Miracle Mask too of course, but he’s barely in that game so) where he shows some level of frustration and hesitance to go up against Hershel and his crew, even if he still does so because he absolutely has to carry out his revenge plan. Just SIGNS that there’s more to this guy than just a walking one-dimensional mysterious deadly flamboyant badass, beyond just Hershel going “hm he feels familiar”, like no of course that’s not near enough. Even if Desmole’s true identity still wasn’t going to be revealed until Azran Legacy, there still needed to be hints, breaks in his facade/character, hesitation, signs of remorse, even if some of these hints are not outright foreshadowing to a familial relationship/desire for revenge. He could still lose it in Eternal Diva, but just make it seem more desperate and broken, and less kill-crazy. Give him moments of humanization, show that Descole can be kind, such as around Melina or Nina; what I honestly wanted to see was him having interactions around girls other than Aurora where his fatherly nature might show (not that him and Aurora aren’t great, I just wanted more); he had to have spent a lot of time around Melina while making the Detragan, and the potential for their relationship while she was dying is so much. Hershel should have had more moments of familiarity, and thinking about him when he’s not around, trying to figure him out, demanding to know who he is because he feels like he needs to know for some reason he can’t describe, and Descole’s answers/non-answers are extremely telling/bitter/curious/thought-provoking. And Descole should imo have had a scene to himself at the end of every entry pre-Azran Legacy where it’s increasingly obvious this guy has Angst(tm) and some beef with Hershel that seems personal and not just to do with getting in the way of his plots, along with all the earlier hints obviously (iirc he had a final scene at the end of Last Spector but it was nothing more than showing “hey we’re not done with this guy!!”, so that definitely should have had more to it; at the end of Eternal Diva I REALLY wanted to see how he survived his fall, probably with Raymond saving him, cue more ~mysterious reactions to Hershel~ as he thinks on how Hershel cried out his name as he was falling despite the fact that they were enemies, etc; and then the one at the end of Miracle Mask is okay I guess, but I still wanted more to it, more, idk signs of regret or remorse or sadness from him before he goes after Bronev, and not just “grrrrrr finally my revenge is close I’mma take you down all I have is angerrRRRRR” also for him to not look so damn stupid when all Bronev has to do is knee him to take him down, like this is DESCOLE, THE KING OF BADASS, THAT ENDING IS SO PITIFUL; WE DIDN’T NEED THAT FOR A FAKEOUT UNMASKING SCENE THAT LEADS NOWHERE).

tl;dr, Desmole’s story being planned from the very beginning would have made it possible for the writers to foreshadow and develop him properly before you finally see him as Desmond, and make you attached to and interested in him much more than just as a cool badass you kinda wonder the identity of but mostly just enjoy watching be badass and evil. The PL series had never had an overarching villain in the main trilogy aside from Don Paolo, who was more of a comic relief villain who they could afford to not make up his beef with/connection to Hershel until the final game because it was a very insignificant reason in the grand scheme of things, and Don Paolo just..... wasn’t that integral to the plots of that trilogy, he was more of a bonus background villain not meant to be taken seriously or have any true emotional impact. But then you have Descole introduced as the key threat over the majority of the prequel series (you think it’s the Masked Gentleman this time, but no lol, it’s still Descole!!), and needless to say, “actually the protagonist’s long-lost brother trying to get revenge on their corrupt father, both of which are involved in an ancient civilization that ruined all their lives in multiple ways” is a biiiiiiit more important than... “jealous dead girlfriend rival” lol. And so there’s a jarring disconnect between pre-Miracle Mask Descole and post-Miracle Mask Descole, because the Azran aren’t even a thing until Miracle Mask at ALL, and so in Last Spector and Eternal Diva Descole just seems like this mad scientist with a dramatic flair and nothing more, who mayyyyyyyy be searching for eternal life? Since that seems to be the running theme with the golden garden and ambrosia? But even then literally nothing is revealed about him in that game and movie so who knows (and unrelated but it seems like those two places have literally no connection to the Azran aside from an offhanded mention of them in Miracle Mask? idk man); the point I’m taking way too long to make here is that it’s very clear the writers had no endgame plan for him until Miracle Mask at the earliest, and even then I wonder how much of it was completely hashed out (considering the... sort of mess that Azran Legacy is, I almost wonder if most of it was literally not decided on until then). My guess is that Descole was super popular after Last Spector so they decided to bring him back (his final scene in that game could have just been to show that he survived and was still “out there somewhere”, whether or not he came back next entry), but then realized they didn’t have a backstory or identity for him so they had to think up something way too late; I can’t confirm this though of course.

Then you get to Azran Legacy, and honestly, despite how bizarre and weirdly unimportant and filler-ish 90% of this game’s plot feels, I love the inherent idea of Descole finally coming to Hershel as himself. Hershel always shows up and gets in his way? Fine, he’ll come to him. He always sees through his disguises? Fine, he’ll come to him in the best disguise he has: himself. Ask him for his help in a mission his curiosity won’t let him refuse. Because then, of course, even though Desmond is doing this to further and finish his plot, and use them as tools, essentially, there’s the wonderfully painful obvious second reason for why he chooses to do things this way, and that is he wants to spend time with his brother, whether or not he consciously realizes this. This way, Desmond can be himself, he doesn’t have to hide his appearance or (most) intentions and can freely express a lot of his regular personality while still working towards his ultimate goal, but at the exact same time there’s so much he can’t show, that he can’t reveal or let himself do, and this has to be a hundred times harder than when he’s posing as Descole because now he’s friends with Hershel and the others, and a part of him must want so desperately to just stay with them forever as he spends more and more time with them and grows more attached to them, (again, no matter how much he may realize this). But this is where his “arc” continues to fall flat in that aside from one or two hints towards his daughter and having a brother, there is literally no depth in Desmond’s behavior in Azran Legacy pre-Descole/brother reveal, just like in all the entries before it. He should have shown small signs here and there of something being “off” with him, of sadness, of hesitation, of trauma and mental instability; strange things said to Hershel alone that makes him and the player start wondering things, just like with Descole. Everyone immediately goes, upon seeing Desmond for more than five minutes, “oh that’s Descole obviously” (plus Raymond is just... there lol), but it’s not for the right reasons; there’s nothing wrong with a predictable plot twist, but there needs to be some kind of hints towards it to make you emotionally invested in what you realize is coming, because you’re waiting for it and you know it will hurt but you just don’t know when and how it will happen; not that you guess it for no other reason than “well there’s this new character who isn’t an existing friend of Layton’s and everything is suspiciously calm and we’re 90% of the way through this and Descole has yet to show himself; it’s probably him”. For the record, I actually think Miracle Mask does its predictable plot twist a lot better, even if that game still has issues; I see a lot of people complain about how predictable Randall being the masked gentleman is, and it is, but honestly? The flashback plot mechanic in that game is EXTREMELY effective in 1) making it VERY clear who the masked gentleman is very early on, like they’re not trying to hide it in any way, but also 2) punching you in the gut to maximum effect when you get to the end of the flashbacks and pair it with the present-day plot. Like, they could have just told the player in dialogue/infodumps throughout the game who Randall was and what his connection to Hershel, Angela and Henry was, like Desmond does to Hershel near the end of Azran Legacy, but that would have been tedious and boring and the player wouldn’t care near as much, and the game wouldn’t have been long enough. Instead, you see it firsthand, you experience it with Hershel, and although I’m frustrated at how little is done with masked gentleman!Randall and showing connections/hints to who he used to be (look, my exact problems with Descole) and making Hershel more involved with him at the end, which would have been the icing on the angst cake, the entire flashback half of that game honestly left a huge impact on me and I think that’s why I spend so much time talking about/getting emotional about Miracle Mask despite always saying that Diabolical Box is my favorite, because getting to know Randall and see that friendship and see how it ended just makes it all hit so much harder, as flashbacks should do. The writers knew it would be obvious who the masked gentleman is and they leaned into that, it was a very deliberate choice, what the entire game revolved around, because the point wasn’t that it was unpredictable, but that you would feel for that character and it would hurt so much more. And while I don’t necessarily think Azran Legacy needed full-on flashback gameplay segments for Desmond like Miracle Mask had, I think having vague flashbacks every once in a while throughout that game, vague enough to not directly tell you it’s him or naming/showing Hershel/Theodore much but clear enough that you can reasonably guess it is Desmond, would have done a world of difference, along with all the little behavioral/dialogue hints I mentioned. Similar to the diary entries in Diabolical Box, or if anyone’s ever played Super Paper Mario, the flashbacks in that game after every chapter about an unknown person that it becomes increasingly obvious as you play through the game is the main villain. I just.... really, really wish, out of all the prequel entries, Azran Legacy gave Desmond so much more emotional depth and resonance once we finally see him as Desmond instead of Descole, so many more scenes with Hershel, and to a lesser extent the others, so much more development of his character, so much more of an emphasis put on his prior family and how much he’s hurting and caring and yet at the same time refuses to give up his revenge; all of this, no matter how obvious it made his identity as both Descole and as Hershel’s brother. The brother plot twist, too, feels slightly lame and overdone and out of nowhere, but honest to god I wouldn’t fucking care at all if they just foreshadowed it properly and made it so painfully obvious how much Descole/Desmond wants to be with Hershel and this family and how much it kills him to turn on them all again at the end of Azran Legacy even if he still goes through with it, and how much he regrets everything as he lays dying in Hershel’s arms, but we get none of that goddammitLevel5whydoyoudeprivemeofsomuch-

*ahem* apparently I still had a lot to say. i just wanted so much more for him; he’s SUCH a tragic character... the stupid wannabe phantom of the opera bread man still makes me cry, despite everything, because i am trash. Oh yeah and he should have held Aurora in his arms as she died. And Azran Legacy should have ended post-credits with Hershel opening his door with his hat off (to show that this is after Unwound Future), his eyes widening, then it shows the bottom half of the person’s face, just enough to see the bread hair tips, and the slight sad smile, and then cut to black. level-5 just hire the PL fandom to make the Desmond spinoff game pls

[call-me-rucy]

Poll results: Your LMDA episode 50 theories

Hey! As you may know, I did a poll asking people about the mysteries of the final Relics episodes some days ago, and now, right before the great finale it’s time for the results! 

I published this here, in a couple of Discord servers and on Twitter, and that got me the incredible amount of 58 answers! Thanks to everyone that answered!! Enjoy!

(Questions and most voted answers are in bold, answers that I had not included as options are in italics and my coments go (between parenthesis). I did not include all the answers because it’s already really really long. Sorry for those funny answers I didn’t put.)

RESULTS BELOW

HOW DID ALDEBARAN GET OUT OF THE RELICS ROOM? 57 ANSWERS He got out by himself-35.1% A monk or priest got him out-31.6% Marina got him out-22.8% Kamilla got him out-1.8% (1 vote) Someone else got him out-1.8% (1 vote) Descole got him out-1.8% (1 vote)

WHAT IS THIS LAST MYSTERY OF THE HUMAN KIND HE TALKS ABOUT? 58 ANSWERS His reason for skipping 100 years in the future-48.3% Azran/ancient civilazation stuff-34.5% A comet passing trough the sky and stuff about it-27.6% An asteroid impacting Earth and how to survive it-22.4% His hairstyle-1.7% (1 vote) Something personal to Layton and Katrielle's adventures-1.7% (1 vote) 

WHO MADE THE RELICS? 58 ANSWERS The Azran-53.4% (More than half! 31 votes! O.o) Another ancient civilization-22.4% Not relevant-17.2% Aliens-1.7% (1 vote)

HAS ALDEBARAN DESCENDANTS? 58 ANSWERS Katrielle (father side)-44.8% Marina-25.9% No descendants-12.1% Kamilla-6.9% (4 votes) Phillip Raisley II-5.2% (3 votes) Bronev-1.7% (1 vote) Marina and Kamila (so Kat too)-1.7% (1 vote)

WHAT IS HE PLANNING? 58 ANSWERS To survive a catastrophy alone-36.2% To revenge on someone-31% To build an underground bunker-19% Just setting puzzles for fun-13.8% To build a rocket-12.1% To go to space whatever it takes-1.7% (1 vote) Eternal life-1.7% Unlocking secrets of the Azran-1.7% Wanted to find someone who could equal his puzzle solving skills-1.7% WHAT ABOUT MARINA? 56 ANSWERS We’ll see some of her backstory-39.3% No secrets-37.5% Fell in love with Luke while syping on him-25% She’s related to Aldebaran-23.2% She’s the one who released Aldebaran-14.3% She’s Kat’s relative-12.5% She’s southern-1.8% (1 vote) She’s not american-1.8% She’s awesome-1.8%

WHAT ABOUT SHERL? 58 ANSWERS Nothing revealed about him in ep 50-50% He wasn’t a dog before-34.5% His memories will be relevant in another story-34.5% He’s Chelmey-3,4% (2 votes!!) He’s subject from UF-1.7% He’s Kat’s dad-1.7%

WILL OTHER CHARACTERS APPEAR IN EP 50? 58 ANSWERS Rosa-39.7% None at all-34.5% Alfendi-31% Flora-24.1% Lucy-19% Des-17.2% I WANT ALL-5.1% (3 votes) Clive-3.4% (2 votes) Randall, Aurora, the Tritons, Hilda...

ALFENDI WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERSHEL’S SON 58 ANSWERS He’s canon-55.1% He’s canon and will be mentioned in ep 50-19% He’s not canon-12.1% He’s canon and will appear in episode 50-8.6% His canon in LMJ but not the anime-1.7% (1 vote)

WILL L-5 ANNOUNCE MORE LAYTON CONTENT? 58 ANSWERS Second movie-46.6% New LMJ game-43.1% New Layton game-41.4% Second anime season-31% Something for sure!-6.8% (4 votes) Just let the professor retire-1.7% (1 vote) (Just wanted to note that the option “Nope, it’s over” got exactly 0 votes! :D We’re a hopeful lot.) ANYTHING ELSE?  23 ANSWERS (Just picked a few)

this anime kills me so much i really hope we get a new game to tie up loose ends or something I was kinda hoping that Layton would return sooner, and get some fun episodes with him and Luke (it would've be nice to see some content with them that wasn't emotionally scarring). Layton and Luke basically time traveled ten years into the future, just like Claire. It can't believe it will happen, but if the show ends with Luke, Layton, Marina, Katrielle, Ernest/Noah, Flora, Alfendi, Lucy, maybe Emmy, and Rosa all together, a happy family, I will not be okay. If Level-5 killed Hershel and Luke in the last episode for real, I'll declared never-ending war against them. (AND I WILL JOIN YOU) Anime not able to talk about Alfendi because it would confuse the viewers who don't play all the games under the layton franchise (You have a point there.) I think Sherl was a test subject for the Relics, like subject 3 in unwound future. Anyone wonder where Roland and Lucille are now? Did they die? If so before or after Layton disappeared? Idk feels like Rosa wouldn’t have been landed with Kat if they were still around Despite everything Layton is more than a serie. I love it so much I can’t express it. (Me too anon, me too :D)

[dropdistance]

My Professor Layton’s games ranking ง( ᐛ )ง

I was feeling like ranking the Professor Layton’s games from my favorite to least fav one... let’s review this together (◕▽◕✿)

Be careful though, it might contain spoilers if you’re planning on buying the games, especially on the Azran Legacy, I can only advise you not to read if you haven’t played it yet.

1 - Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

Actually, this one is my favorite game so far. I’ve loved the storyline, well, it got me very puzzled at times. 

The soundtrack was amazing, as for all the games y’know, but the main theme is so incredibly pleasing to listen to. The game allows you to visit places of London, as for Chinatown and stuff.

The plot twist of the end got me yelling, even if we all knew at some point that if they actually didn’t travel in time there wouldn’t be any Luke adult existing yet.

But I love the character that is Clide so much. Also, one of the part that I loved, finding out about the past of Hershel and Claire, I thought it was so cute to find out he had a lovely girlfriend back at that time. And that thing with the evil Layton, I wondered what it was all about.

My favorite features of the game : I love the soundtrack as I already said. The storyline is well-thought. Not so difficult nor easier puzzles, nice places to look for. Thinking you have traveled in time, idk, I kept a very good memory of it.

2 - Professor Layton and the Curious Village

I’ve hesitated a long time before figuring out that I would rank the first game as my second favorite one.

Indeed, it was the first game that I bought since it was the first one released. I remember loving to play it so much for hours, at that time I was in middle school and I really was trying to solve every puzzle by myself (with hint coins for sure, I wasn’t that clever yet).

I got pretty surprised at a few moments of the game, as the first murder of Rupert, Ramon’s kidnapping, and I clearly remember being so SCARED of Don Paolo like, who on Earth would get scared of such a funny character ಠ_ಠ... I was a smol bean...

My favorite features of the game : As stupid as I can sound, it was cool to set up both of the Professor and Luke’s hotel rooms with furnitures that we earned during the game. Also, well, the game was so mysterious and the puzzles got me.... puzzled? ¯\(ツ)/¯ but I still love playing it even today, I kept a good memory of my first experience with it.

3 - Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box

There are a few parts of the game that I’ve disliked and that I realize only now, but let’s be clear : I really appreciate all the games.

So, about that game, the thing that I’ve “disliked” - it really is much of a word, I just think it could have been better - was the end. The vampire thing, and well, all the plot of the end, I think it was a bit far-fetched. Like, I didn’t completely understand the development and the purpose of the ending. I guess I was hoping for something else. Sadly, it was the part which got me disappointed.

On another note, it doesn’t mean that I don’t play it all over again. Despite that, the game is cool, the trip by train, exploring the Molentary Express and different places as we go further, trying to discover how on Earth could such a little box actually kill people around- and I won’t lie, I got scared at times ಠωಠ suspens, suspens. 

It still is my third favorite game, because I really have enjoyed it and until now, I didn’t care that much about the ending in details.

My favorite features of the game : Will you make fun of me if I say that my favorite part was to make tea for Folsense’s residents ? ✧w✧ I spent hours trying to prepare new teas... (I don’t even like tea.......)

4 - Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy

The most recent game (besides the one with Katrielle) that I probably finished faster than the others... (Luke is always fucking jumping all over the place)

Okay so, for this one, I remember being so intrigued by the mystery around the Azran population and legend - that, if I remember correctly, first heard about in the movie The Eternal Diva (which was excellent, tbh) - and the end got me so startled like, there was so many revelations at the same time, I couldn’t believe,,,,, I was so in shock I might have cried. “What... OH MY. OH MY GOD. IT CAN’T BE??? NOOOOO... IT’S A JOKE RIGHT? WAIT, WHAT!!!!!! THE HELL!!!!!!!!! BUT HOW- EMMY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!” - these might be the word I have used.

I really was wondering what could be the said Azran Legacy, and I wasn’t disappointed. The total opposite of what I think of the second game. The end got me real shook because well, EVERYONE FUCKING DIES?? BRONEV KILLS AURORA???? DESCOLE IS FREAKING HERSHEL’S BROTHER!!! EMMY IS HIS COUSIN!!!! BRONEV IS THEIR FATHER!!!!

I found the game amazing, and to get the opportunity to solve mysteries around the world, to travel with the Bostonius and stuff, really, I enjoyed it a lot.

My favorite features of the game : As I said up there, to travel around the world was a nice idea. And all the revelations... it got me pleasantly surprised. I loved getting into the fashionista world with Luke too. ( ͡º ͜ʖ ͡º )

5. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask

I took so much time to get this one over but hey, at some point, I did it.

Yeah, I took my sweet time to finish the game because I didn’t have much free time besides school and I kind of forgot about it at some point. One day, I simply told myself that it could be great to at least, see the end.

It’s not my favorite because it didn’t mark me as the others did, but I liked it, it was interesting to get to play in the past when Randall still was Hershel’s friend. They were about to find the treasure and he fucking fell off.

But let’s face it, we all knew it was him all along. 

Actually, I wasn’t sure about the powers of the mask, and that was a great plot twist to figure out it was two masks in the end. The storyline and the mysteries around the miracles were nicely imagined. It turned out it wasn’t much magic after all.

My favorite features of the game : Everything about the Azran population was so interesting to me, in the game just as in the last one, even if some parts of the ending were predictable. Let’s get it clear : Henry is a sweet little bean.

6 - Professor Layton and the Last Specter

To end the post, my least favorite Professor Layton game, for one and only one reason (maybe two).

The only reason I rank the game as my least favorite is because it has been so long that I’ve played it and to be honest, I don’t remember it at all, except a few parts. I’ve only played it once and never got to do it again. Sadly, I’ve lost my cartridge and I bought a new one like, two months ago. 

As far as I remember, the end got me disappointed as well but as I said, I really should play it again to have a better and constructive opinion about it.

My favorite features of the game : The scene on the gif was cute. They were lovely together. (◕ ω ◕✿)

Here’s everything about my ranking of the games. I haven’t written about the game with Phoenix Wright and the game with Katrielle because I haven’t played it yet.

Feel free to ask questions to me or drop submissions about games, movies, animes that you like, if it happens that I know about it, I might do another ranking post !

I hope you guys have a nice day and you enjoyed reading thist~ (◕∇◕✿) see ya soon !

[interminal]

If nobody else, at least Jean has Raymond.

The journey back to Desmond’s ridiculous new airship - he calls it the Bostonius, while Jean calls it a piece of shit - feels longer than it should. They’re travelling on foot, Targent’s on their heels (as far as they know), and Jean is bruised and bleeding from the altercation. Raymond, as ever, is collected; somehow simultaneously smarter and braver than Jean is in high-tension situations like this. 

Jean reflects, quietly, on the way back. He’d been rash, and he knows he could have been a little more strategic in his actions - but something about Targent just makes him lose all sense. 

At least Raymond has enough sense for the two of them.

The gangplank is already lowered when they arrive at the ship, as though in anticipation for their arrival. Raymond tries to help Jean up the stairs to the entrance, but Jean brushes him off. His pride is hurt more than his body, which is saying something when your body harbours a bullet wound. His jacket’s sodden with blood, and his arm hangs limply at his side, but he’ll live. 

That’s more than can be said for the bastard waiting for them inside. 

“How did it go?” Desmond asks as they pass through the foyer without greeting him. Raymond wants to get Jean cleaned up, and Jean just wants to lie down, but Desmond’s question makes him stop in his tracks. Raymond, standing behind Jean, sees the anger surge up in him - sudden and devastating, like a flash flood - but he doesn’t stop it. 

“Seriously?” Jean snaps. Blood is getting on Desmond’s carpet, but nobody will dare to mention it for fear of losing a body part. “How did it go?” 

It’s not often that Jean is seen without the mask these days; not even inside, where he knows no stranger is going to see him. It makes the fury in his storm-grey eyes even more pronounced now that they’re visible, now that they’ve left the godforsaken thing in Bronev’s possession. 

“Were you going to warn me?”

Desmond looks confused, but he doesn’t interject. Raymond places a hand on Jean’s arm, and he’s shaking beneath the touch. Sometimes it’s best not to try and calm him down - he has a lot of anger for someone so young, and that anger is very difficult to stop once it starts. If anyone’s going to have a chance of tempering it, however, it’s the butler.

The fur muffler, grubby with sand, is thrown to the ground. Jean pulls away from Raymond’s touch, if only to take a few threatening steps towards the helm. Desmond’s hand drops from one of the wheel’s spokes as he turns to properly address his “intern”, but he’s not given the chance.

Blood continues to drip from Jean’s knuckles. It makes no sound, but in the deadly silence of the ship, it may as well be the beating of a drum. “Your father was there.”

“I’m sorry, Jean. I don’t have him on a lead, nor am I psychic. How did you expect me to know?”

“Because you’re the one in charge!”

His voice might have come out as an imposing roar, had it not already been so worn from abuse. Desmond, suitably cowed despite this, presses his back into the Bostonius’ wheel. Silence drops between them like an uncovered pitfall. There are spikes at the bottom, and the two men peer over it as though daring the other to be the first to jump.

Raymond likes to think that he knows Jean Descole well. Well enough to know that, behind the theatrics and the rage and the lust for revenge, he is afraid. He is young, and when he bites, it is the bite of a trapped, frightened animal. The reason he took so quickly to the mask, and to the name, and to living a life where nobody would ever know who he had been before, was because he is used to hiding - and he would like to stay used to it. Raymond sees parts of him that Desmond never does, and can never hope to see; in the wee hours of the morning, in the aftermath of a loss where he wants to be seen by nobody.

Nobody, that is, aside from Desmond Sycamore’s butler. There is no other person alive that he invests anywhere near as much trust in. Because Raymond knows him well, and there is no hiding from that. But even Raymond is surprised when, pushed to his limits by the exertion and the pain and the blood loss, Jean stumbles forwards into Desmond’s chest. And as shocked as he is, Desmond catches him, hooking Jean under the arms and holding him up. 

The smell of blood mingles with Desmond’s cologne. Jean makes note of it, distantly, sweet and warm like spiced fruit. Mostly, he’s thinking about how much he hates this situation, and how much he hates being in Desmond’s arms, and how he hates how small it makes him feel.

“Get off me,” he grumbles.

Desmond casts a quizzical glance over the top of his head, at Raymond. “I’m not sure I can, Jean.”

And that’s enough to bring about a second wind, because Jean regains his balance and pushes away. He’s pleased, briefly, by the crimson mark he’s left on Desmond’s jacket, like a morbid rosette. It’s nice to know that he still has the ability to inconvenience him.

But not for long, he’s sure. Raymond is good at getting blood out of things.

“Stop calling me that.”

Before Desmond can ask him what he means, he’s turned his shoulder and set a quick pace towards the door. Raymond doesn’t even do him the favour of returning his look before he leaves, too, following after the man he’s claimed as his ward. Desmond looks down at the blood on his jacket, and wonders what he did wrong.

[fincherly]

So under the cut is a super old draft of the pre-cursor to me deciding to write Lacking, which i scrapped bc i felt bad (you'll find out why)

His breaths came in pained gasps. His lungs were far too big to comfortably fit within his broken ribs; with every inhale, a pain hit him so strong it felt as though a grenade went off inside his chest. He wanted help. For the first time since… he couldn’t even remember how long ago, he wanted someone to save him. He wanted Raymond to come help him, but he was dead. Shot at point blank right in front of him. Who else did he have?

Raymond had been the only one to stay by his side all these years. He had never left once, never questioned him or even thought of betraying him. And now, because his master was careless, he was dead.

And now Des was alone, with no one who cared about him.

The corrective lenses in his damn mask were fogged from the tears and the heavy rainfall; he longed to take it off, but he couldn’t. Who was he without it? Desmond Sycamore died a long time ago. He was buried with his family. Jean Descole is supposed to be gone, supposed to have disappeared after Targent was taken down and Bronev was arrested. But this façade, this madman, stuck around after he was meant to. He felt like a monster.

He couldn’t be Desmond Sycamore, but he shouldn’t be Jean Descole.

With each staggering step, each heaving, hissing breath, every drop of blood that stained his clothes, he came to the reality that he had no one to help him. He was alone, and he would die that way.

He knew he deserved it.

It was a miracle that he escaped. Well, not really a miracle, per se, seeing as how Raymond gave his life to make sure that his master got out of there.

Gun pointed at his forehead. Old eyes watching the inside of the barrel, greeting what he ultimately knew was his doom.

“Master,” Raymond said, his voice barely wavering. “The rest are far away. You can escape.”

“R-Raymond—” Descole whispered in a hoarse, cracked voice. Everything was happening so fast, he thought they were getting out, when did his arm break or ribs snap or legs scream to give out—

“Get out of here.” Raymond’s voice was sure and steady. “You’ll still live. Don’t let this go to waste. Take care of yourself, boy.”

Raymond’s eyes met his, and with at his old friend’s nod, Descole turned and ran, his ears ringing with the sound of a gunshot.

He didn’t feel the tears slipping down his cheeks, or the lacerations crossing his torso, or the screams in his legs. He was going numb. He didn’t know if he was walking still; his vision was blurring out, going staticky at the edges like the end of a movie. A shitty movie he didn’t want anyone to see.

The alley wall he found himself against was the most comfortable bed he could’ve wished for. His ragged breathing slowed, his senses dulling as the blood loss caught up with him. He only vaguely registered a cry and the sound of rushed footfalls. He was fading when he felt something jostling him, didn’t hear the pitiful whine that escaped him when his already battered body was picked up.

Everything went out.

++++

His head was pounding. He groaned as he woke up, his body surrounded by an asphyxiating heat, only serving to worsen the burning he felt any time he even twitched. He felt disgusting; the blankets around him were trapping the heat with him, not granting any respite from the incessant burn he so desperately wanted to escape from.

He gritted his teeth and tried to move. His first instinct was to assess the damage he felt: left arm seems to be broken, put into a little sling; possible pulled muscle in right leg; moving his torso resulted in several burning pains shooting up his spine… lacerations, maybe?

As the fog cleared from his mind, he tried to open his heavy eyes, greeted with…

Why couldn’t he see? The world around him was blurry and obscured; he tried to blink the fog away, but it stuck around. He knew he had bad eyesight naturally, but surely the lenses in his mask—

Where was his mask? He couldn’t have taken it off in his state. Someone had deliberately taken his one comfort. Someone now knew who he was and had him vulnerable.

His breathing grew rapid as panic began to set in. He thrashed his limbs in an attempt to get up, cries of pain going unnoticed in his frenzy to escape wherever this was. He had woken up in captivity too often, too many bad memories and far too much pain correlating to situations like these – he needed to get out, needed to fight, needed to run away before anyone had an opportunity to hurt him. His already blurry vision spun as a panicked haze overtook his mind, smothering the pain that came from every part of his body screaming in protest in his fight to get up and out of that heat.

He fell on the floor onto unsteady hands and knees, trying in desperation to get up only resulting in stumbling and falling as he vaguely registered a door opening and a shout. He felt a hand on his back, right on an injury, making him hiss and try to fight the person off.

“Descole!” The voice was familiar. “Descole, calm down!”

He fell onto his back, a low whine he would be embarrassed to know came from his own mouth escaping him. His heaving chest shot pain through his system with each breath. Hyperventilation was clouding over his already hazy mind; blacking out sounded very appealing to him right now, but there was a gentle hand on the side of his face and a soft voice urging him to breathe. He felt his breath slowing and settling into a reasonable pace, taking around a minute to finally be able to think a coherent sentence.

He realized in relief he had his eyes shut this entire time, so he placed his right arm over that half of his face so they had no chance of seeing him.

“Mask,” he croaked, his throat sore.

There was a pause, then rustling, and finally cold ceramic touched his hand covering his eyes. Taking as much care as he could muster, he placed the mask onto his face and let out a deep sigh of relief. He took a moment to gather himself before opening his eyes.

One of the faces that greeted him was a shock. Luke Triton watched him with wary eyes, laced with worry. He almost swore; he let him see him weak. Shoot him now.

The other was one he didn’t know. It was a girl, around Luke’s age (maybe older?), with long, pale brown hair and sparkling eyes. Who…?

“Are you okay?” Luke asked.

Descole groaned. “I’m fine,” he forced through gritted teeth. “Where the hell am I?” He asked this, hoping to all that’s holy his guess wasn’t right.

Luke opened his mouth, no doubt aiming to scold him for cursing, when the girl spoke.

“You’re in Professor Layton’s house.”

Descole’s jaw dropped a little, then his face twisted into a grimace. “Why?”

“You’re severely injured,” the girl said. “If he had left you there, you would be dead.”

“All the more reason for him to have just walked away,” Descole muttered. The two children were silent for a few moments, before he began to heave himself upright. They both moved to stop him.

“You need to stay down, Descole—you’ll really hurt yourself if you try to move!” Luke said.

“No way in hell I’m staying here. Thank you for helping me this much, but I’m afraid I must take my leave.” Descole managed to get himself onto his knees, beginning to stand when a pain in his right leg caused him to cry out. He toppled over again, catching himself on his unbroken arm. The broken one, however, screamed in protest as it was continually jostled in what he now noticed was a little sling. Descole grit his teeth to prevent from wailing in pain.

The children were obviously at a loss for what to do. The girl looked absolutely taken aback by his actions, but Luke just seemed… sad? Who the hell gave him the right to be sad for Descole? Descole glared at Luke, who didn’t seem fazed in the slightest. Descole’s ragged breathing was the only sound in the room, and for a few moments it stayed that way. It was then that Descole had an urge to swear for real; he was stuck.

With his injured leg curled under him, his left arm useless in a sling, and his two other limbs holding him up with barely enough strength to support him that much, he couldn’t possibly lower himself to the ground without falling and causing even more pain. He gritted his teeth to prevent a cry of agony as his ribs felt like they were going to collapse. What did he do? He couldn’t ask for help from these two brats.

It was then that footsteps were heard coming from downstairs. The children looked towards the door as it swung open, Descole intently avoiding the sight of the individuals he might see. His hearing was obscured by the blood rushing through his head, but he heard… something, before someone picked him up. He caught himself whining before biting it off, and instead snarled, “Keep your hands off of me.” He kicked his legs and thrashed and almost succeeded in letting himself loose before he landed on the bed with a little ‘oof.’

“For a grown man, you have a stunning track record of throwing tantrums.”

Descole groaned and turned to face his younger brother. “For a gentleman, you have a stunning track record of being a sassy jerk. Why are you doing this?” Although his voice was still hoarse and weak, he was evidently still able to express resentment at his usual level.

Hershel Layton crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m helping someone in need. It’s astonishing that you have a problem with that.”

[quibbs126]

So there’s been something I’ve been thinking about today, namely the whole adoption of Hershel Layton, because things about it just feels a bit off, and I know other people feel that way about certain parts of it too, most notably: why did the Laytons only adopt one of the brothers, how was the real Hershel able to fool the Laytons into taking his brother instead, why were the brothers, two small children, living alone in their house with no adult looking after them, why did the Laytons never seem to make contact with Hershel’s (I mean Theodore here) brother after the fact, to name a few

Sure I’ve been writing off some of these things without thinking too hard, but the more I think about it, the more something feels off

I admit, I don’t have a definitive answer, all I have is my best guess based on the facts, but I’ve compiled a list of facts to create…some sort of theory

I’ll list them here, in case anyone is able to come up with a more cohesive answer

What we know/can assume:

Even as a child, Hershel Bronev was known for being quite smart

The Bronev brothers had been left alone in their house after their parents were abducted, for unknown reasons

The brothers were told that an adoption had been arranged, but only for Hershel Bronev

The Laytons did not question which brother was Hershel, which could seem to imply that the parents were never shown a picture of the two and did not know which was which. They also seemingly never figure out about the switch

Lucille states that they couldn’t take both brothers, which the real Hershel was aware of 

Theodore would likely have been around 6-7 when he was adopted by the Laytons

Layton did not remember his brother or his family, and while Descole says it was likely because he was too young to remember, the Mystery tab states that these memories were repressed, and given his presumed age at the time, that seems the more likely explanation 

However, it’s likely that Layton knows he’s adopted, given he’s not an idiot and likely realizes that he doesn’t resemble Roland and Lucille, they’re too old to have a son his age (we first see them in the flashbacks in Miracle Mask when he’s a teenager, so if we’re supposed to take any implied age with them it would be then), and the fact parts of his memory are missing

Sycamore states he owes the Layton parents a “debt of gratitude” for something, likely referring to his brother’s adoption, implying he holds no resentment towards them for only taking in one of them and rather is grateful towards them

When we first meet the Layton parents in Miracle Mask, Lucille says that some men in suits came to their house earlier wanting to see Hershel, and Roland had gone with them. When we find Roland, he’s outside the woods leading to the Norwell Wall, and says that the men Lucille had seen were just old friends of his, and had asked to see Hershel only because they hadn’t seen him since he was a baby. However we know this can’t be true since Hershel was adopted as a young child

A note, Targent agents wear suits as part of their uniform

Also, we never see these “friends” of Roland’s, despite there being no reason not to

Azran Legacy’s story was almost certainly already being worked on when Miracle Mask was being written, given the mentions of the Azran, that cutscene introducing Bronev and telling us Bloom was working for him despite us never meeting Bronev in game, the introduction of Targent and their goals, and Descole’s actions during the post-credit scene

Now again, I don’t have a full conclusion, but something came to mind: what if the Laytons were aware of the situation with these boys and Targent, and were meant to take only one of them so that they’d be safe from Targent? Furthermore, what if it was Hershel, the real one that is, who told them to take his brother?

Granted I’m not sure why Hershel would make it so that his brother took his name or why the Laytons would go with that, but it’s a theory