#i wish there was an eternal diva one

[heal-the-ashes]

Just wanted to say: Thank you for all the replies and suggestions!! For the songs I don't know (the ones from the plvspw crossover) I'll probably end up listening to them. However, I was like "wait! what is this unreleased azran legacy song???" so I looked it up. I didn't know it was just The Last Golem. BUT I then found something COOL? LIKE REALLY COOL and I want to share it!!

[EDIT: These videos have fast-paced image changes!! Please keep this in mind if you're going to watch watch them but I usually just listen to them!!

the lbmr one is okay in my opinion though :) ]

This is by a channel called DearestHershel and like these remixes BLEW ME AWAY (guys i cried so hard). Like I. I want to make so many analyses on them its not even funny (it kind of is). The many things in his MM remix is just... It broke my heart so badly. 100 times over. The LBMR one too. (AND there's a cast of voice actors who voiced over key lines!!! THATS SO COOL)

Currently, there's remixes for Curious Village, Diabolical Box / Pandora's Box, Unwound Future / Lost Future, Last Spectre / Spectre's Call, Miracle Mask, Azran Legacy, and Layton Brothers' Mystery Room.

Pleaaaaaaase give these a listen if you haven't heard them before. They're SO good!!

(i may come back to these to give my thoughts 💔)

Been thinking about it and just never posted, but hey Layton fandom: What's your guys' favorite ost? Can be from any spin-offs, just has to be related to Layton games. Oh and Eternal Diva counts too :)

Mine's probably the Miracle Mask main theme.

[lutiaslayton]

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd make a quick post to let you know that...

The complete, definite, will-not-be-edited-again-in-the-future, FINAL translation of London Holiday, is finally here for your enjoyment!

AND it comes this time with an in-character fan-translation that DOESN'T read like Google Translate!

For those who didn't know, Professor Layton and the London Holiday is an official prologue to Diabolical Box; it's a short slice-of-life story in which Luke and Layton are just having some good time solving puzzles, and at the end, they receive the letter from Schrader which starts the events of DB. This game is not really lost content per se, but it's still part of the more obscure Layton media, since we non-Japanese fans have no legal way of playing it ourselves unless we buy the Japanese version of DB.

This isn't really some breaking news or anything, but I still thought it was worth warning you that this is it -- if you wanted a fancy in-character translation, you finally have it!

I will make a small shoutout to @call-me-rucy who helped every now and then with the more accurate translation when I had doubts on how a few idioms here and there were meant to be interpreted. Thanks again for your help, and sorry for using you like this xD I do wish I could send you DMs for reasons other than just asking for your Japanese knowledge hahaha

---

When I say that this won't be edited again, I mean that the only way this web page will ever be further edited in the future is if someone else shows up at some point and asks me to change something. Perhaps I took too many liberties in the fancy fan-translation compared to the original text in one or two specific occurrences, or perhaps someone will want to translate this transcript into another language that isn't English, in which case I would absolutely accept to add it! (and you would be credited for that additional translation, obviously)

---

I heavily suggest you take a look at it if you haven't already, because it provides quite a bit of lore and funny/wholesome moments! We notably get the full story of how Schrader heard about, and then tried to acquire the Elysian box (...story which contradicts the fact that he would already own it in Eternal Diva, by the way), but it's not the only fun lore crumbs this prologue to DB gives us :)

Also, for the fans of the puzzle theory -- I suggest you take a look in particular at what Luke says when he solved puzzle 09. It sure is intriguing that he would mention walking from island to island on foot as if he were... Physically doing it?? Or at least had the impression that he could experience it somehow???

Heh, puzzles and hint coins have mind powers anyway, for all we know perhaps some of them can trap you inside your own mind for a bit while you're solving them. Deliciously horrifying, so much potential for fanfics/comics and lore analysis. So shameful that nobody would have thought of taking advantage of this by throwing puzzles at someone with the specific intent of slowing them down by trapping them in a trance for a bit. smh, Level 5. smh.

[rottenpumpkin13]

(I just watched a musical 😂)

woe, Genesis has been tasked with getting together and directing a musical theatre production of his choice Loveless featuring the entire SOLDIER floor, for an official Shinra fundraiser gala. nightmare scenario or dream come true or both. the show must go on! also, you are incredibly funny and uplifting! :)

• Genesis has been tasked with organizing and directing the annual musical Shinra puts on for the charity gala, which has one of its departments as the actors. This year the roulette wheel landed on the worst combination—SOLDIER and Loveless.

• Rumors say Zack's anguished "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" as soon as it was announced was heard from 13 floors down.

• Genesis is being benign and letting everyone choose their parts.

Genesis: Who wants to play the goddess?

*Sephiroth raises his hand*

Genesis: Really? You want to play the goddess?

Sephiroth: It was an involuntary reaction. I don't know why I raised my hand.

Genesis: Too late, you're the goddess.

Sephiroth: But I don't want to play the goddess.

Genesis: If you don't play the goddess I'm going to shave your head in your sleep.

Sephiroth: !?

• Since NONE of the female SOLDIERs wanted to play Rosa, Genesis appointed one of the other guys to the role.

• Cloud walked in at an unfortunate time to deliver some documents from Heidegger.

Genesis: CLOUD. You're perfect for the role of Alphreid. Welcome to the show.

Cloud: Uhh, really? Okay. Who's playing Rosa?

Zack: I am!

Cloud: For fucks sake.

• Angeal was placed in the role of Varvados against his will, the same case for Kunsel, who was bribed with money to play Garm.

• The rest of SOLDIER is tasked with being the stage crew. They have a month to rehearse, something which would've been fine had GENESIS not been the director. He insists on getting a director's chair, and wearing the typical director's beret and scarf while shouting from a megaphone even though he's AT MOST 3 feet away from the stage.

Zack: I thought you said I was playing Rosa. Where's my dress and wig?

Genesis: No, no. Since you and Cloud are playing Rosa and Alphreid, I thought I'd make this the gay version of Loveless.

Zack: Ohhh, I get it now. That's why it's Loveless - G edition. The G stands for gay.

Genesis: No the G stands for Genesis.

Zack: What's the difference?

Genesis:

• Sephiroth wishes whoever sold Genesis the megaphone an eternity in the deepest pits of hell.

*Genesis is standing right beside Sephiroth. Too close, in fact*

Genesis: SEPHIROTH, LETS TAKE IT FROM SCENE 3 IN ACT 1 WHEN THE GODDESS HAS HER BIG MUSICAL NUMBER.

Sephiroth: Genesis I'm standing right here. There's no need to—

Genesis: DON'T QUESTION MY CREATIVE CHOICES.

*Sephiroth grabs the megaphone and smashes it over his head*

• If Genesis were not Angeal's best friend, he also would've choked him with his scarf by now.

Genesis, from his director chair: Angeal, great dancing, but go stage left.

*Angeal goes left*

Genesis: No, your other left.

*Angeal goes right*

Genesis: LEFT.

*Angeal goes further left*

Genesis: Your OTHER Left. Turn around and go right!

*Angeal goes right*

Genesis: LEFT. LEFT. GO LEFT.

*Angeal goes left and violently falls off the stage*

• Cloud wouldn't have agreed to play Alphreid if he had known Zack was playing Rosa. Not because he feels weird playing his love interest, but because Zack is a diva.

Genesis: Alright, Alphreid, this is the scene where you're seeing Rosa again. You're feeling passionate, you're feeling butterflies in your stomach, you're sensing—

Cloud: —Zack's onion breath from lunch.

Zack: Onion soup helps me get into character. Get it, because Rosa has so many layers?

Genesis: Zack, I love your dedication. Cloud, quit complaining. Now kiss, you two.

Cloud: I ain't kissing him with that breath.

Genesis: Kiss!

Cloud: He smells like something died.

Zack: I've never felt more insulted in my life.

Genesis: You're being overdramatic. KISS.

Cloud: Please god no.

Genesis: KISS HIM.

*Zack grabs Cloud by the collar and leans in. Cloud takes one whiff of Zack's breath and immediately passes out*

Zack: I can't work like this.

• Opening night rolls around.

*Angeal approaches Genesis*

Angeal: Zack ate an entire onion and his breath smells like depression.

Genesis: The show must go on.

Angeal: Cloud attempted to knock him out with a broom, but it was a prop, so it broke over his head and he attacked Cloud.

Genesis: The show must go on.

Angeal: Zack sat on him and is blowing his breath in his face as we speak.

Genesis: The show must go on.

Angeal: Cloud has literally passed away.

Genesis: The show must—

*Angeal chokes him*

• Somehow the show does go on. Everyone nails their musical numbers and scenes, all goes well. Until act 4, when Sephiroth forgets his lines.

*During a scene with all the characters*

Sephiroth: To engage in the battle for which I have selected you, I bequeath unto you a....a....uh....?

Genesis, whispering from the edge of the stage: Improvise!

Sephiroth: What? Demise? The goddess killing everyone wasn't in the script.

Genesis, still whispering: No! Improvise the lines!

Sephiroth: Demise to the guys? So I am supposed to kill everyone. Alright then.

Genesis: NO

*Sephiroth unsheathes a sword he wasn't supposed to have*

Cloud: Wait, WHAT?

Sephiroth: The goddess was never merciful.

*He takes a swipe at Cloud and now the two are engaged in an active duel*

Angeal: Guys, this wasn't in the script!

• Angeal dives forward and starts trying to haul Cloud away, who's kicking and struggling. Now Sephiroth veers his attention unto Zack and starts chasing him around with the sword. Zack has no weapon, and is screaming as he dodges Sephiroth's blows.

• Genesis, angered, climbs onto the stage with a ball of fire in hand, screaming and hurtling it at them ("ALL THAT HARD WORK GONE TO WASTE—NEVER BEEN MORE EMBARRASSED IN MY LIFE—SEPHIROTH STOP USING YOUR HAIR AS A WEAPON")

*Kunsel, in a last-ditch attempt to save everyone's dignity, closes the curtain, ending the show*

[quantomeno]

My ranking of the 'And that person is you!' scenes from Professor Layton

Ah, the iconic 'finger point' scene. They are Layton's trademark and it's so much fun when you know it's about to happen. You can feel the tension build.

But these moments are not all equal. Which scene will reign supreme?

Because these scenes involve big revelations and plot twists, this list will be rife with spoilers for both trilogies and the movie.

7. Azran Legacy

Firstly, the audience already knows who it is and no one else in the room could be it even if we didn't know. The other issue is that it's just got no build-up: Layton gives his spiel and then does the point. The room is cramped and there's not much drama or flair. By far the greatest problem though is that this felt like a side story. Bloom himself felt like wasted potential in some respects, but this whole mystery didn't seem all that important in the grand scheme of things. I honestly don't remember it that well and I am pretty sure he only stole a few artefacts that weren't plot relevant. It feels like they just wanted a pointing scene and this was the only logical place to put it.

6. Lost Future/Unwound Future

It is far too short, but the reveal has much more heft than Azran Legacy's. It is somewhat obvious that it's Future Luke once you realise what's happening, because only Don Paulo could be the other option, but the Clive revelation is still a massive twist. I give this scene bonus points because I like Clive's reaction to the accusation too.

5. Eternal Diva

I like this one, but it also feels a bit tacked on. The 'who has the key?' thing feels like it doesn't need deduction because they could just check everyone's pockets (and she's literally just holding it), but what saves it is that it ties into the bigger mystery and the revelation of Janice/Melina's identity. It feels impactful by the end, even if the initial tension feels overblown.

4. Miracle Mask

This one feels a fraction lacking in drama, but it makes up for it with its position/significance in the story. The wind blowing at the pivotal moment adds some nice flair. I would say it's also quite a shocking twist. It is what I would consider the baseline 'finger point' scene because it contains all the key features that make a good one, but I just don't think it has the same sensation of suspense that it needs to rank higher. Its execution is not as great as some.

3. Curious Village

This one lacks the trademark phrase, and it is also obvious who's the 'criminal element', but it makes up for it with the atmosphere of the room: it gives a classic murder mystery vibe, where all the key players have been gathered to learn the truth. It is scenes like this that makes me wish CV was a more traditional murder mystery because it has all the hallmarks of it. I am tempted to put this one below MM, but I feel this one is a touch more elegant and I value that.

2. Spectre's Call/Last Specter

This is one of the few times the game manages to surprise you with the revelation and has actively worked to make it seem like it was someone else. The foreshadowing of Doland, out of focus, standing behind Clarke, and Luke staring at his father, fully believing his own dad has been terrorising the town... and then how the camera pans from Clarke to Doland. It is a cleverly laid out scene and it has a great feeling of drama.

Pandora's Box/Diabolical Box

I could watch this scene on repeat forever. It is gorgeous. It also gives classic murder mystery vibes which I love. The suave coolness of Layton stirring his tea and calmly telling Chelmey he's go thee wrong man: perfect. Everyone's shocked reactions are fun and add to the tension. The pause after Layton's reasoning, and the shots of those involved leaves us with a delectable moment of suspense. Every shot is framed perfectly. And the revelation: it is not really surprising given we see Flora get kidnapped and she just made the comment that gave Layton the proof he needed, but it is still such an outrageous idea that Flora killed Dr Schrader and stole the box. The shots of everyone during the aforementioned pause at least try to create the illusion that it could be someone else. It also resolves one of the earliest mysteries of the game. The cherry on the cake is Luke's reaction (I love him so much). It is moments like this that make me want to put PB as my favourite game, but alas... I love LF too much.

[layton-heritage-posts]

I finished counting through the submissions again, so here are our participants!

Please note that, just to make it easier for myself and to add some variety to this tournament, I counted some submissions for different versions of a track as one. So for example, if someone would submit a rendition of Descoles theme from eternal diva I would still count them as a submission for Descoles regular theme. I hope you understand (and that my logic makes sense lol)

Also, if one these tracks has a live version I will be using that one for the tournament. I don’t think anyones against that.

With that out of the way, here’s our list:

Professor Laytons Theme - 8 submissions

Theme of the last Time Travel - 8 submissions

Descoles Theme - 7 submissions

Future British Gentlemen - Luke’s Theme - 7 submissions

Guilded 7 Casino - 5 submissions

Lost Forest - 5 submissions

Theme of the Specters Flute - 5 submissions

Norwell - 4 submissions

Puzzle Battle - 4 Submissions

London Streets - 4 submissions

Folsense - 4 submissions

The Veil of Night - 4 submissions

Iris - 4 submissions

Mobile Fortress - 3 submissions

Black Market - 3 submissions

Time Travel - 3 submissions

Main Theme - Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy - 3 submissions

The Great Don Paolo - 3 submissions

The Final Battle - 3 submissions

Main Theme - Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask - 3 submissions

The Eternal Diva - 3 submissions

Toy Car - 2 submissions

Pursuit - Spellbreaker - 2 submissions

Misthallerys many canals - 2 submissions

The feelings will always be close - Whistlers theme - 2 submissions

Theme of the Diabolical Box - 2 submissions

Monte‘Dor - Carnival Night - 2 submissions

Emmys efforts - Emmys Theme - 2 submissions

Pursuit - 2 submissions

Conclusion - 2 submissions

The Plot Thickens - 2 submissions

PL vs AA - Opening - 2 submissions

A tragic Fate - 2 submissions

Chinatown - 2 submissions

Puzzle (specter’s call) - 2 submissions

Toy Robot - 2 submissions

If any Track isn’t listed on here that means that they either only got one submission, are some variation of these ones or was never submitted at all. Luckily we already got a perfect number of 36 tracks, so we don’t need to have any pre-eliminations!

I’ll set up the brackets tomorrow and I think on Thursday we can begin our first round. I wish your favorite tracks good Luck in the tournament!

[hiccanna-tidbits]

@jackunzel-time

Jackunzel Month Week 3 - Lost in the Clouds

***

Late night, relapse Driving steady but I’m ready for the whiplash Coffee and cigarettes Almost empty, but we’re buzzing from the regret

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

Barefoot in tall grass We’ve reached the palace but I’m betting that it won’t last Bright lights and mirrorball We might be hurting but I’m ready for the freefall

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

And if I open my eyes If I open my eyes Will it unravel? And if I turn the page If I turn the page Will I lose my shadow?

And if I open my eyes If I open my eyes Will it all unravel? And if I turn the page If I turn the page Will I lose my shadow?

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream You and me, lost in the clouds You and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now

Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Just you and me, lost in the clouds Just you and me, dancing in a daydream Don’t wanna wake up right now Don’t wanna wake up right now

***

Rapunzel's been having the strangest dreams.

There's a boy, his face always unchanging. The one constant.

Sometimes, his hair is white. They're dancing through the sky, twirling round and round among the clouds. Dashing over snow-covered forests and sweeping in and out of ethereal castles floating in the air. Racing across airwaves until they're lost to the horizon.

Other times, his hair is brown. They're running barefoot through a meadow, trying to reach a distant castle. It feels like an eternity before they get there, crouching behind a hedge and watching strung lights in the palace gardens illumine the dusk. They whisper and giggle as they creep into an unguarded corridor and dash for the bustling ballroom.

She always wakes up before they get in a dance.

It's probably stupid, putting so much thought into some random visions cooked up by her unconscious mind. Fantasizing continuations for them in her waking life. But there's something about them that feels so...transcendent.

Rapunzel wishes she could talk to Jack about it. She feels like her bleach-haired coworker--one of the few people who accepts her eccentricities and random tangents without question--would understand.

The dreams are just awkward to bring up, considering he's the one starring in them. More awkward still that she's been having these dreams since long before she met him.

Rapunzel's been at the downtown 24-hour coffee joint for a little over a year now. Jack's a new hire--a college dropout trying to make ends meet.

Of course, Suddenly swooping in with the information that you've been dreaming about someone since you were a small child could do a lot to dampen an otherwise-promising friendship.

Rapunzel read somewhere that your brain never forgets a face. The unconscious can't make up a new person, so it's forced to use existing people you've met--no matter how briefly--as characters in its dreams.

The thing is that Rapunzel's pretty damn sure she never met Jackson Overland-Frost until three months ago.

Then, in the wee hours of one post-graveyard-shift morning, everything changes.

They're sitting in Jack's car, sipping mocha-hazelnut lattes and laughing about some diva of a customer who wanted a secret menu item they stopped carrying 7 years ago. Rapunzel takes a few drags of Jack's pack of cigarettes. It tastes disgusting, but she wants to impress him.

"You know, you don't have to do that if you don't like it," he says with a laugh. "I don't want to see you miserable."

And somehow, that warms her heart more than the approval she was seeking ever could.

When the sun finally peeks up, rosy gold outlines two entangled bodies. Crushed into the passenger's seat, pressing further and further into each other with frantic lips.

He was supposed to give her a ride home and be on his way. Now he's dropping her off 3 hours after her roommate was expecting her, stumbling through the apartment door disheveled and manic.

The panic and regret doesn't come until later.

The massive trouble they'd be in with their manager is only the tip of the iceberg. What would happen after a bad breakup, with them both trapped with each other at the same lifeline job? And the idea of just going out and trying to land another job? In this economy??? Absolutely unthinkable.

There's also the fact that Rapunzel has been in all of one serious relationship in her life. She fell hard for the resident Bad Boy With A Troubled Past in high school, and things fell apart precisely because they took things too fast. She and Eugene Fitzherbert had lip-locked not 48 hours after meeting for the first time, and things only picked up pace from there.

The incompatibilities emerged little by little. Things that didn't matter individually, but when blended together, painted something that just couldn't work anymore. Rapunzel blamed teenage hormones at the time, but it isn't as though she's doing much better now.

But the heart has a way of speaking louder than the mind, and Jack and Rapunzel continue their secret trysts in the staff parking lot and the grounds storage rooms. It isn't until 6 months after their first kiss that Jack says something that sets her mind at ease.

It's a cold December evening, cafe emptying out as people try to beat the coming snowstorm. They're stirring peppermint lattes for a couple of exhausted nursing students when Jack breaks the companionable silence.

"Do you believe in reincarnation, Zellie?"

She nearly knocks her latte over with her stirring stick.

"Do I what?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I just feel like..." He sighs. "We've always been on the same wavelength, but it's more than that. It's like I knew you in a past life or something. Is that stupid?"

"Not at all." She shakes her head firmly. "I get it."

He hesitates for a moment, as though debating whether or not to add something.

Apparently he decides to. "It's weird. Even before I met you, I was always having these dreams about a girl who reminded me a lot of you. And now that we're here together, it's like I found you again."

He chuckles, shaking his head. Rapunzel leans forward, rapt with interest.

"It was always the strangest things. I'd be dancing through the sky with her, or running through these floating castles, or--"

"--sneaking into a palace ball," Rapunzel finishes. "Because we were commoners, and we couldn't have gone otherwise."

"Oh shit!" Jack's eyes widen in delight. "You get them, too!"

Her entire being goes weak with relief. "Yes! Yes, for years! I thought I was crazy."

"And you lived in that cottage on the edge of the meadow." Jack screws his eyes shut, trying to remember. "With the crazy apothecary who never let you do anything. And I was--"

"--the shepherd's son!" Rapunzel beams. "We always danced in the field together, after your dad put the sheep to bed. But you wanted to crash high society, right? And I would have followed you anywhere."

He blushes a little at that, and Rapunzel can't help but giggle.

"But we never get to do that first dance, do we?" he says ruefully. "Not before I have to wake up at 5 am and go to work."

"Well...it's not too late, is it?" She holds out a hand. "May I have this dance, Sir Jackson Overland-Frost?"

"Here?"

"Why not?"

And so they twirl around the hardwood floors, surrounded by coffee machines and flavor syrup and rubber booths and the falling snow outside. Lost in their own private daydream, entwining their lives in this lifetime and the last and the next.

And maybe taking things fast wasn't so foolish when you've had a millennia to get to know them.

They could have gone all night were it not for the interruption 10 minutes later.

"Guys, please. Please. You're cute together and all, but my roommate and I have a final tomorrow and we need our caffeine fix. Please. We've been waiting on our lattes for 30 minutes now."

***

EYO YOU THOUGHT I WAS DONE WITH JACKUNZEL MONTH, DIDN'T YOU???

PSYCHE! I WILL get all my shit in by the end of the bonus week if it's the last thing I do!!!

Tfw you set out to do one prompt and accidentally ended up incorporating another XD So I guess this also kinda counts for "In Another Lifetime", whoops ^^;

I see your coffee shop AUs, and I raise you: Coffee shop AU, but they're BOTH baristas XD And they were coworkers!!! Just impulsively decided to do that because I thought it would be funny XD Truly nothing can make romance bloom between service workers like their shared disdain of The Customer™️

Actually very pleased with how both the moodboard and the minific came out :O The fic I did crank out in one day, so hopefully it won't look too sloppy later on XD

There's actually a whole series of cloud castle photo edits like the one in the bottom left moodboard pic, and I am in LOVE with them :O Picking just one for the moodboard was one of the hardest things I've ever done!!! They all have this kind of ethereal, liminal, eerie-yet-comforting quality to them that I am just enamored with. Like that would be the setting for exactly my brand of dark fantasy book :O If it doesn't exist out there somewhere then maybe I'll have to write it myself aaushdkshu

Poor Jack and Rapunzel. All they want is to hang out with high society and go to fancy balls, but they're doomed to continually be reincarnated as the poorest MFs alive 💔Although it would be funny as hell if Gothel kept getting reincarnated, too...and she steals Baby Rapunzel from a rich, powerful family every single fucking time for one reason or another. Hopefully one of these incarnations, Punz will find out about it ^^; Then she can be Jack's sugar mama ajhkuhdueyfg

As always, pic credits available upon request!

[brambletakato]

Des(cole And/Or mond)

uhh,, ruh oh (prequel spoilers)

To be honest like 50% of my brainrot comes from both my campaign Des and the backstory for such which is VERY far removed from canon, but that doesn't mean I'm NOT insane about this man looking at him from the canon PL angle. Like I don't really know where to start?? Uhh

I think he's literally the perfect guy to analyze psychologically. Leon is a fucking nightmare to try and figure out, meanwhile Des has so many interesting twists and turns and themes to interpret (even if his character slightly gets a bit off-balanced in Eternal Diva)

Descole presents himself as calculative, cunning, smug, mysterious, and strong-willed. Within a presence, he keeps up his persona with an honestly charming dramatic flair that nobody asked for, which is already on the chart for what makes a character a viable blorbo for me

But when you take a look of who he was, who wanted to be, and who he could be, he quickly becomes such a morally complicated character.

Like really quickly I'm going to get this out of the way; I have a MASSIVE pet peeve to those that say Descole did nothing wrong. He did do a lot of fucked up shit, and I'm not excusing any of that. Removing the responsibility of his consequences would make his character bland imo. He's not morally purely black or white, but he's in a dark gray zone where, while he had a strict no-kill rule, he still inflicted harm on the people in his way and the homes they resided in. He isn't afraid to dabble into even human experimentation if it means to get to his goals, even if he has the greater good in interest.

So about the lighter morals of him, he still has a string of humanity in him. He isn't completely lost to corruption unlike Leon, but he isn't completely recovered like Layton. He still sets off on a self-destructive path to revenge, but he only allows himself to get set ablaze (in his pov, not in the outsider's perspective).

A friend said that he's still the little boy that ultimately wants his family back, whether that's his parents or his wife and daughter, and that AAAUGHHRHRA OUUUUGH :((( RGRR :CCCCCC

Speaking of, Desmond. Desmond was never meant to exist.

In his eyes, it would only be Hershel Bronev that died, and whatever comes later would be the host of his vengeance. But Desmond was soon given a meaning, a light elsewhere, tender hands and a fond gaze that said that they loved him. Suddenly he was somebody else. He was somebody else that started putting down books, that started to wish for something other than revenge.

And the fact that, even if once, he was a man that has felt what hope is like fucking KILLS ME... Sometimes I wonder if he even felt fearful of the thought when he realized he was starting to focus less on revenge. Suddenly, there was somebody that he was starting to care about, somebody that was there for him emotionally and physically, somebody that he so dearly wanted to lean on their shoulder and ask if everything will be okay. And the only time he felt that was with his previous family. The ones that were taken away.

He's almost shy to feel that sense of longing again, like a neglected dog feeling a gentle hand brush their head for the first time. It's intoxicating. It's fearful. It's so, so comforting. He wants more. But he is scared of being hurt again. Scared of losing somebody again. He's scared. Scared, fearful. It's all that controlled him. Fear and hate.

But he still tries, despite everything he sees, there's a part of him that still wanted to live, to experience, to love. There's a part of him that wants to break out of such a wretched life and to start anew, to finally lay rest of his woes. And he does, for a little while.

And the worst part was that he was right in the end. They too would be ripped away. And there was no more hope, no more Sycamore.

I'm an extreme advocate that Descole has existed for longer, not right after the death of his wife and daughter. He existed ever since his parents were kidnapped, ever since he lost Theodore. Descole never had a name, but he was there in concept. He was only put at the full front in full blast when he had truly lost everything.

This also means he can never be fully Desmond again by the end of Azran Legacy, if at all. He can never fully be Descole either, because there's nothing he can fuel on. He's just nothing. He's an empty husk. He says that a new adventure awaits, but what is there really? There is no point, no promise. He is aimless from then on. Perhaps his adventure is to find a purpose once more.

This is also why I REALLY want him to return in NWOS one day. Maybe his search for a purpose leads him right back to the person that was there when his life crumbled for the first time; Layton. Maybe despite his fear of loss, he still internally wants something to cling onto, because an aimless life would probably drive him to insanity or extreme biting mental torment. Or maybe he feels indebted to Layton in some way? Perhaps for his betrayal, perhaps for hiding their relation, perhaps for everything he has done.

He still did terrible things. Would Layton even accept him back into his life, especially after all of that? He is deserving to nobody. Eventually the consequences of what he has done will catch up in a terrible mental form. I really think that his self-esteem has been low, but it would ESPECIALLY plummet after everything.

(ahem uhh. side note if flora comes back in nwos, the two should come as a package deal and des should be the cool uncle that unofficially adopted her from layton, i think these two would benefit each-other in both a character and a psychological way COUGH COUGH also we need flora fencing COUGH COUGH)

I can ramble so much about the other little things like his thoughts about his parents (especially his mother), raymond, the brief and scary visit of familiar warmth when he was getting comfortable with the bostonius gang, etc etc but this post would be so god damn long

anyway so he's more-so a special interest than a hyperfixa--//dragged away

[imaginativeworks]

Hey so I don't have any ideas to get your mind off things, but I wanted to let you know I'm hoping things get better for you soon.

Or, if you really want some distraction, I'd ask you to pick one thing you're extremely interested in and tell us what it is and what makes it so interesting to you. I love hearing people talk about their passions so there is at least an enraptured audience of one person guaranteed. :)

Thank you so much for your well wishes!

Currently I’ve been rewatching on YouTube Fire Emblem Awakening support talks and clips of the story (I would play it right now but my 3ds has been broken for a few years and I’m hoping to buy a replacement.) It’s a real comfort read/watch (especially the Libra and Maribelle support is really cute.)

I was rewatching the Professor Layton The Eternal Diva movie on YouTube (it’s free in dub on YouTube) again. It’s really beautiful in its animated scenery and has a wonderful vibe that I find myself rewatching from time to time especially on low or off days.

I’m thinking if I can I might try to rematch Princess Tutu if I can. It’s just a wonderful show that I watch almost every year for 5 years? The show is only 26 episodes. There is a quote said by Miss. Edel who says “There is happiness for those who accept their fate. There is glory for those who defy their fate.” Fitting very well with the first part to the first verse and the second to the second verse.

Every Tuesday I keep up with ‘The Blind Prince’ by Cozycroww which honestly is one of the things that gets me through my week. It’s so beautifully drawn, colourful and vibrant. The story, worldbuilding and characters are so charming and is a really easy read to get into. It’s on webtoon if anyone is interested.

Thank you again and sorry for the bit of rambling. I hope you have most wonderful day and every day forward!

[samthecookielord]

CURRENT LAYTON STATUS: AL done! onto plvspw next. at some point.

That's right, I'm dedicating a post to all the Layton content I've consumed and will consume. Wish me luck gamers. (I'll also add the status of my gameplay videos!) (And a list of layton AUs at the end)

Mainline Trilogies

(note: i call the games by which version i played (UK or US) but i tag by US titles)

(note 2: we only record towards the end of the game because my computer space will CRY and also i do not want to edit all that hope this helps)

PLAYTHROUGH PLAYLIST

CURIOUS VILLAGE: 100% completed

(not recorded)

DIABOLICAL BOX: 100% completed

Uploaded---

Chapter 7: (Part 1) - (Part 2) (fun fact: part 2 features the first instance of me using animated sprites for me and my friends!)

LOST FUTURE: 100% completed, all uploaded!

Uploaded---

Chapter 9: (Part 1) - (Part 2) - (Part 3) (fun fact: part 1 is the first time i use game sprites to give visuals to our improv bits, as well as generally being the start of me putting a lot more effort into editing and trying new stuff!)

Chapter 10

Chapter 11: (Part 1) - (Part 2)

Chapter 12

Chapter 13: (Part 1) - (Part 2) - (Part 3) Epilogue: (Part 1) (Part 2)

LAST SPECTRE: 100% completed

Uploaded---

Chapter 8: (Part 1) - (Part 2) - (Part 3) (fun fact: from this point on, our playthrough group has increased from 3 people to 4!) Chapter 9: (Part 1a)

Planned---

Chapter 9 -> 2 parts (IM STUCK IN EDITING HELL)

Chapter 10 -> 2 parts

Epilogue -> just one

MIRACLE MASK: 100% completed

Planned---

Chapter 6 -> 6 parts left (HELP)

Chapter 7 -> 6 parts left Chapter 8 -> 1 part left Epilogue -> 2 parts left

AZRAN LEGACY: 100% completed

Planned---

Chapter 5 -> 6 parts left

Chapter 6 -> 5 parts left

Finale -> 3 parts left

Spinoffs & Extras

ETERNAL DIVA: Watched :]

Improv Fandub will come out soon. Probably

LB MYSTERY ROOM: completed

(not recorded)

PLVSAA: not started (will play after mainline)

will probably record? perchance? (NO SORRY MY BACKLOG IS EXPLODING ME 😭😭😭)

MYSTERY JOURNEY: im on case 3 lmao

The anime: not started (will watch after mystery journey)

Cheerful Mystery: i saw the lost future one lol ill go check out the rest later probably. I also read up to ch28 of the lbmr manga

Layton AUs

i have a lot of clive aus. here's a slideshow. here's their interaction tag

Puzzles Gone Wrong AU: (belongs to pastel-player) A take on "evil Layton" where we ask what if he wasn't evil evil, but morally dubious. Basically he's a dictator now but he hasn't really done much harm to the city of London. He's making some questionable decisions, but... he's still the polite gentleman Layton who cares about his loved ones. Said loved ones have many conflicting feelings about him. Takes place at least 1 year after main trilogy, unclear when exactly. (Ao3 series)

Pastel wasn't doing anything with Clive in this AU so I picked him up and ran off then came back with a whole new design and stuff. Anything I make with PGW Clive that doesn't involve Timeline Hopper Clive's shenanigans is proobably canon to the AU. Basically I'm the ceo of this one guy within this AU and nothing else <3

(PGW Clive's tag)

Layton Assassin AU: (belongs to snekatiemainy and thia-quiche) Layton but he kills people with swords. And also Luke beats people to death with shovels. And Flora also sword. Yayy!!! Initially inspired by our jokes from playing Curious Village, mainly Luke saying the phrase "this man is being VERY RUDE we should KILL HIM" (Ao3 series)

Assassin AU Variant: (belongs to me and snekatiemainy) A variation of the assassin au where Clive is adopted by Layton. Clive picked up a gun and has never been the same since. Guy who loves his 20 guns and is sooo annoying about it <3 Honestly 90% of my assassin au tag is just the variant instead of the actual original au hdtdhdhrfd

(Ao3 series)

(AV!Clive's tag)

Timeline Hopper Clive: (belongs to me, inspired by a-queer-kitkat's post) Post-canon Clive that starts getting tossed across dimensions at random intervals due to an abandoned machine prototype left by one of Dimitri's scientists. Often crosses over with Puzzles Gone Wrong and Assassin AU. He gets worse but then he gets better. Then there's a version where he gets worse again and weird buggified.

Clive Triton AU: (belongs to me and snekatiemainy) what if clark adopted clive. Send post

The BEHUH??? AU: (belongs to me and snekatiemainy) ???? goddamnit timeclive what did you DO (BEHUH??? stands for Butterfly Effect HUH???) (two guys chilling in the river 5 feet apart because get pitted idiot)

CSAU: (belongs to me and snekatiemainy) clive is adopted by descole. I encourage you all to ask us what CSAU stands for several times.

Little Hershel and the Curious Playground: what if it was all elaborate playground roleplay, and targent is a group of school bullies? (some ideas come from conversations with friends on discord)

Commander Cardinal AU: mackintosh takes over targent while layton & friends are busy procrastinating on getting the last egg back by going puzzle searching

Apprentice Nils AU: (belongs to me and snekatiemainy) that random miracle mask npc's parents died so layton yoinks him

Randall Possession AU: (belongs to snekatiemainy) what if he became a ghost and hung out with his best friend Layton forever now

Layton Object AU: based on those silly object show things. They're living objects with limbs and faces etc etc and the only real changes in this au right now is just names, designs, and minor things that come with those design changes. i make this kind of au for almost anything i touch loll

Vampire Layton AU: what it says on the tin. One of my earliest tagged AUs. It didn't really go anywhere but it's fun to think about sometimes. Based on a joke we made while playing Diabolical Box.

[taixuandream]

"kiana speaks of you very highly." in the silence left by the holocaust, fu hua's flames crackle like slow embers. less conflagration and more the flickering dance of red leaves in autumn or the tail of a lone koi, single master of its lake at the onset of winter and thus left without rival——and thus without companion.

she would like to say so many things: " thank you for saving me " ; " you are incredibly reliable " ; " your power is so awe-inspiring ". but all of these, she imagines, have likely followed someone of fu hua's ability as long as she can remember, and have since lost their weight in heart ; she suspects this because she is the same, and praise once hefted like bullion of gold somewhere along the way had thinned out and thinned out, until they resembled more the streamwater that flowed, half-shimmering, through the holes in the pan under idle hands only half paying attention, the riverbed long lost of its luster.

she supposes in times like these, there is very little she can say to make a difference. but nevertheless, she smiles and offers what small words she can. the woman had, after all, kept particular watch over her, sensing early on her deficit in this place and her fear. "it's easy to see why. having a friend in this place must be reassuring. we also don't know how many more trials lie ahead. . . "

the thought alone is nearly enough to make her steelbound poise fracture ; as it is, the brief fall of her gaze to the floor is the only clue——that, and a resounding sigh, delivered as if to overflow: to the audience it seems to ask " the performed ennui of a diva ; or the heart of the tale? "

but the words that come after are frank, delivered without gravitas. "if i'm to be honest, i wish i was more like you." a rueful admission, but not one to dwell on now. she knows her limits and her strengths——which stages are hers to shine on, and which invite the leading light of other stars. "but with things as they are, i must request your protection a while longer."

Intensity never left the nimble frame. Even as rest, over-exaggerated heaving led to an odd rhythm in exertion. Uncanny diamonds meet the actress, head tilting, as if a dog were trying to understand a command. Each exhale leads a subtle smolder, dissipating almost as instantly as it escapes. A grin, betraying innate ferocity. "Kiana and I go back a long time... " mere seconds in the crushing eternity she's lived. "I can't think of many others as reliable as her." Even fewer if counting those still breathing.

Upon the others admission, the gears turn quite visibly. A certain delicacy has fallen between them in such a moment, a fragile masquerade tested just before the finale. If she were to guess, this is familiar territory. While compliments are often sparse, it's ones like that truly hang on. Still, eyes search to find something deeper, to find the reason her heart still beats.

"I think I like you as you are," words are careful, slowly as they come out, searching to not draw from the ensuing message. Invisible chains tug, wanting to profess some special, uniqueness that they all withheld. It didn't matter though. "But I will protect you, just as I have been. As I will with Paimon, and Kiana. However..." heavy is the hand that finds Divinity's shoulder. Such a simple, benign pat, carries the weight of millions; the rage in the sunrise and the ashes raining down.

"You can't give up on me, not when we need you. Stars shine brightest in the darkness." Drawing back, index and middle digits press lightly to Furina's forehead, before turning and taking a step. Fu Hua doesn't look back, though her companion can see the subtle curves of another smile. "And you do have a friend here." Beckoning to come, steps are slow, as if treading the unforeseen ocean of what is to come, or waiting for another to catch up. Heaven only knows that the other two won't wait for them.

[alto-tenure]

A Dissection of the PL Mystery Girl Archetype

I mentioned this in a post I made about Espella a while ago, but there’s a very specific type of female character that exists in the Laytonverse. I call them the "mystery girl". The general purpose of a "mystery girl" is to linger around the edges of the story until their mystery is finally revealed as part of the climax of the story. Due to the mysterious nature of these characters, they aren't always the most effectively characterized, since their purpose is less to be a person than it is to be a mystery. This dissection exists to point out how prevalent this particular form of misogyny is in the entire Professor Layton series, and to show how though it has changed form and evolved over the course of the series, the core is the same.

With that being said, spoilers for all the games except Layton Brothers: Mystery Room, which is the only game that doesn’t have one (in my opinion), as well as Eternal Diva. And an additional content warning for discussion of attempted suicide, in relevance to Espella’s character arc.

Let's start with the first one: Flora Reinhold. This is specifically about her role in Curious Village, not in any of the other games. Throughout Curious Village, we hear about Flora a bit, and we even see her in disguise a couple times. At the end of the story, it's revealed that she was the Golden Apple all along and the key to all the riches. She doesn't really get much in the way of development in this game, due to only really turning up at the end. You get a little sense of personality, but Don Paolo comes crashing in to make her the damsel in distress, and overall we don’t learn much about her in this game particularly. (We learn more about her in subsequent games, when she’s no longer the focus of the game’s mysteries.)

In Diabolical Box, the mystery girl is Katia. I replayed the game for this analysis, so she’s currently on my mind. We start out not by seeing Katia, but by hearing about her. Namely, we hear that she’s leaving Dropstone, and that her father wouldn’t approve of it, but we don’t really hear about why. Katia spends most of the time dodging questions and avoiding others until the end, when she tries to get Layton and Luke out of the castle so she can have some alone time with her grandfather. At which point Layton takes over explaining her own family’s history and mystery, a point which has been much memed about within the fandom. Katia also happens to be the narrator for this game, because it’s her story, but the fact that she’s narrating adds to the mystery at first -- why is she narrating, and what does this seemingly minor character have to do with everything? She’s the center of the story, but at the end of the day, all we come out knowing about her is that she’s Anton’s granddaughter, the daughter of Dropstone’s mayor, persistent enough to go to Folsense (in spite of her father’s wishes), and very worried about the state of Folsense overall.

Claire does play into this trope for Unwound Future, but she's the best developed of them -- she doesn't have the most screentime compared to someone like Aurora or Espella who accompany us throughout the entire game, but with the screentime she does have she's very well-developed. It helps that we get to know her through flashbacks before she properly interrupts the plot -- every time she shows up in the present day before she introduces herself as Celeste, it’s accompanied by a flashback to Claire (and more specifically, Claire and Layton’s relationship). It also helps that the audience is capable of knowing the mystery’s answer before Layton, for once -- we know that Celeste is Claire before it’s acknowledged by the story. Usually in PL games, the mystery is something Layton reveals to the player, or is revealed to the player by another character (Katia in DB, or Descole in Azran Legacy) but here for once the roles are flipped -- we are able to come to the conclusion that Celeste is Claire much earlier than the game presents it. So while she is a part of this trope, being the mysterious one that lurks around the corners until she comes in to join the group, she also gets to exist beyond the mystery. We can see her as Claire.

Arianna Barde assumes this role for Last Specter. We don’t even see her at first -- she’s introduced to us as the “calamity witch”, but she’s really first introduced to us during the specter attack with the flute. She’s the one responsible for playing the flute, and tries to keep Loosha under control, and also has a chronic illness that is slowly killing her. Luckily, she gets cured when Loosha guides us to the Golden Garden, because Loosha cared about Arianna and wanted to save her. Arianna is the least mystery-first of these -- while the “calamity witch” and Loosha are major parts of the game, she herself is not the mystery. The mystery surrounds her father more than her. And we find out the keys to her mystery fairly quickly (aside from the part with the Golden Garden), so we can get to know her more as herself.

Even the movie managed to integrate this trope, twice! Janice and Nina are both mystery girls, but they’re mystery girls in different ways. Nina adheres more to the model of previous mystery girls in the series, where we don’t actually get to know her all that well before the mystery is revealed. Meanwhile, Janice is more the Aurora-Espella model of mystery girl, where she’s with us through the whole story so we kind of get to know her -- except not...really? Because she was Melina actually for most of the movie. @101flavoursofweird has a great post about Janice and Melina’s characterization that I recommend for additional reading. And speaking of the second model of mystery girl...

I’m going to talk about Aurora and Espella together, because they’re both a part of this trope, but they tie into it slightly differently, considering they spend most of their screentime accompanying the main characters and being a part of the “crew” of the game. In fact, an argument could be made for Darklaw being the “mystery girl” of Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, given how much time she spends lurking and being broody and introducing us to the mystery, but I’m choosing to focus on Espella for this analysis, since Darklaw is an antagonist first (which is why she’s so mysterious). Espella and Aurora are both introduced at the beginning of their respective games and then subsequently get taken away from Layton, who works with his companion(s) to retrieve them. The fact that they accompany the Professor and crew throughout pretty much the entire game makes them different from the rest of the characters, and should give them more development, right?

Let’s go over our introduction to Aurora. We start off by seeing her trapped in the ice. Then we solve a puzzle to set her free, and pretty much right after that Targent snatches her and we go on the airship chase to recover her, but then she falls out over Kodh and we find the Azran dome. This is where we finally get to talk to her! She introduces herself as the Azran emissary, and when she’s in the state of “being the Azran emissary” and executing her programming, she doesn’t show much personality.

That’s not exactly a strong start. But let’s keep going, shall we? From there, we slowly introduce Aurora to humankind. She gets a modern outfit, which she expresses some apprehensions about but ultimately likes. She learns about humanity’s kindness and joy and love throughout her journey, culminating in the moment where she pleads with the Azran to save Layton, Luke, Emmy, Des, and Leon.

And this is a pretty good character arc! As the game progresses, we slowly see Aurora come more and more out of her shell the more familiar she grows with the Bostonius crew and humanity at large.

But really, who is Aurora? We should be getting to know her very well. But at the end of the day, all we know about her is that she loves us enough to save us. She wants humanity to live because she believes in their kindness. But who is Aurora?

From a surface level reading like this, it’s hard to determine. This is not to say that Aurora “has no character” or is “bland and boring”. She does, but you need to look closer, read harder. I’ll admit that “you think this character is boring because you’re not looking hard enough” is a mediocre defense of bad writing, but I do believe it’s the truth -- there is character and personality to be found, but it’s...harder.

Espella has similar issues. I won’t discuss her in as much depth as I discussed Aurora, because this is already fairly long, but in spite of the fact that she accompanies us through most of the game, her most significant decision is claiming that she is the Great Witch to end the system of witch trials in Labyrinthia, and she doesn’t really give that up, culminating in the ending of the game where Espella jumps off the bell tower in an attempt to kill herself, still believing herself the problem of Labyrinthia even without the existence of the Great Witch. And while Ace Attorney in general doesn’t tend to show characters recovering from issues like that (Adrian Andrews is the exception, not the rule), Espella strikes me as an especially egregious case because she bounces back from attempting suicide to making jokes about Eve and her cat having the same name. Espella was genuinely in a very dark place for the entire final court segments (and also for most of the previous investigation, when she believed she was responsible for Maya’s death), and that’s not really acknowledged after she and Eve are saved from dying. She does learn the truth about herself, but it’s a lot all packed into the end, and that stops her from really developing in a way that the game needed her to. Espella’s presented to us in the second case of the game as an assistant, someone who will help us. The “weirdgirl assistant”, to borrow terminology from the Ace Attorney side of things. But since she is deeply integral to the story and its mysteries, she ends up falling more into this particular Layton stereotype instead, and just ends up seeming flat due to the fact that she appears in all of the cases but her character arc is pretty limited. While she does go from “indifferent to the things Labyrinthia does to witches” to “proclaiming she’s the Great Witch to save Jean” and that is a noticeable development, after the truth is revealed there still isn’t much of an alteration to how she’s written. And this is partially something in Ace Attorney’s structure -- Ace Attorney doesn’t really have any characters like Espella, and the Professor Layton series has a history of letting down its female characters, so while there are some really strong moments for them (Maya and Darklaw/Eve especially) Espella gets the short stick as far as character arcs go. It’s still pretty significant that she goes from the pre-canon state of generally coexisting with the witch trial system to actively trying to stop it after being a defendant, and it makes a lot of sense with her character, but that decision pretty much starts from the second case, and having her not accept the truth...

I see some complaints on this site about both Aurora and Espella being bland/boring, that we don’t know much about them, and I really do understand them -- I’ve just spent the last few paragraphs explaining the rationale behind those thoughts, no matter how much I might personally disagree. I personally don’t find Aurora or Espella particularly boring, but I do think that even though they are with us through the entire game, they are still written like Flora in Curious Village or Katia in Diabolical Box in that they exist more as a key to the mystery -- what is the Azran legacy? What is the big secret of Labyrinthia?

They exist as keys to answering a question when they needed to be characters. They wholeheartedly deserve better, and I’m glad that a lot of the fandom has given them much-needed depth and development.

The misogyny of Professor Layton has been spoken about at length by people who have been in the fandom longer than I have. However, the discussion tends to focus on the fridging of characters like Claire, Rachel, and Des’s wife...and Flora’s sidelining. Both of these are important in the discussion of misogyny in Professor Layton, but I think there is more to discuss here, as I’ve spent the past almost 2000 words explaining. There are other aspects, and this analysis is not the final word, but I wanted to add to the discussion by talking about this trope -- it’s one of the defining factors that makes a mystery “Laytonesque”. I was brainstorming for a casefic where Layton and Maya solve a mystery together, and a friend brought up a list of main factors he thought of as things that made a PL game -- the town that’s to some extent fake, the mysterious girl, the extreme revenge plot. It’s a defining part of the series, so I wanted to take that defining part and look at all the examples to try and figure out what’s made it a staple, why the Professor Layton writers keep coming back to this theme. I don’t have an answer for that, but I do think this trope holds true throughout most of the games.

You may have noticed by now that there’s one mainline game that I excluded here. The first 3D game. The fifth game. The second prequel. Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask. There’s one prominent non-recurring female character in this game -- Angela. However, I don’t think she fits into this trope. While there is a mystery card for “Angela is acting weirdly” and she does serve to introduce us to the plot, she doesn’t really fit the other parts of the mystery girl trope, and isn’t around throughout the entire plot even disregarding Descole taking her place. She’s there at the beginning, when we’re introduced to Monte d’Or, and she’s there at the end, to reunite with Randall. We see her a couple more times, but she doesn’t really haunt the edges of the story in the same way as someone like Katia does, and she doesn’t truly accompany us. I don’t think she fits because although she bears some connection to the mystery, she isn’t really connected to its cause. So yay for Miracle Mask for not having one?

Oh, and by the way, Sherl O.C. Kholmes is technically this trope for LMJ, but he subverts it by being a male character and also for the fact that his mystery isn’t critical to the plot of LMJ.

[nohugsgiven]

for the music asks: 10 & 11; 15 & 16 :)

10.   something you’ve heard performed live i wish i had more money and time to go to a bunch of different concerts cause live music hits INSANELY different! i think among my most memorable experiences tho was Igorrr in 2015, playing 'Tout Petit Moineau' live. i was in the very front row with my friend @androidenkaetzchen, enchanting one another with the singer on stage. that will forever be one of my most treasured live moments 💛

11.   something you’d give ANYTHING to hear performed live god what a cruel question making me PICK ; A ; i guess most recently i've been having daydream visuals to Nitepunk's remix of 'Mantra' and everyone deathwalling and moshing, so that's gonna be my pick for this one i guess?? there's obviously an all-time wishlist of songs i'd commit crimes to experience live one day, but i just hope i'm gonna at some point anyway

15.   something to BELT SHAMELESSLY/do DIVA HANDS to that's an intereting one because i listen to a lot more instrumental than vocal music, but the singing performance and the stretched high note on 'System' by Nu:Tone absolutely blows me away everytime, and while i CAN'T sing to save my life, i CAN whistle pretty well, and i'll absolutely belt the shit out of it everytime ♥

16.   something to SCREAM ALONG to even having grown out my emo phase in like 2017, Bring Me The Horizon still fuck and i'll listen to them any day!! and while there's eternal favorites like 'Anthem' and 'Kingslayer', i always have these vivid visuals of vegan activism footage whenever i listen to 'Antivist'. i realize i'm baring my cringe rn but i'm enjoying myself and you can't do anything about it >:)

[lutiaslayton]

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva

ＰＡＲＴ　０２

〚ＦＩＲＳＴ〛〚ＰＲＥＶ〛〚ＮＥＸＴ〛

Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation for the Japan-exclusive novellisation of the movie Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva. The original novel was written by Aya Matsui under the supervision of Akihiro Hino, and belongs to Level-5.

This translation only aims to be a pleasant read for non-Japanese fans, nothing more: I made a few deliberate changes while translating in order to get the writing style closer to what is usually found in English fanfictions, as the Japanese storytelling can sometimes be different than what we are used to.

☆ Luke Triton

“Why must I stand alone in one of the many rooms of Gressenheller University, deep in thought, you ask? Well, this is indeed a great mystery.”

I was standing in Professor Layton’s office, and I, Luke Triton, was talking to myself.

The room was overflowing with puzzles that we had solved in the past, and others that we would solve in the future… as it had always been.

“The answer is simple. Soon, the professor will finish his lecture, and return here to enjoy his afternoon tea. “It takes five minutes to boil a pot of water, two minutes and fifteen seconds for the leaves to infuse and the tea to be ready… Of course, I mustn’t forget to add one more serving for myself. “Working backwards from there, the only matter I have enough time to settle now is…”

I looked around the room, letting my last sentence trail off. After all, I am Professor Layton’s apprentice! I’m used to thinking over this sort of situation.

“Alright, I’ve got it!”

I picked up a newspaper that was spread haphazardly on his desk.

“Puzzle solved! Of course, that’s what a gentleman does.”

I even tried to mimic his tone of voice a little.

After making sure that there was nothing important stuck between its pages, I folded the newspaper neatly and then put it aside. Every now and then, a misplaced coin will happen to fall out of places like this.

To me, the famous Professor Layton is as close to a perfect gentleman as it can get.

Though when I say ‘as close as it can get’… Yes, there is a reason why I used this subtle expression. One of these reasons is that the professor is not good at keeping things organised.

Well, in his defence, he is a very busy man with a lot of thoughts and puzzles always running through his head. I know he can’t help it. Between the daily requests to solve other people’s troubles on one side, and the curious letters mingled with his mountain of important documents on another, he is lucky to have someone like me who can help him sort through all his paperwork.

Well, what always happens is that I will be trying to classify everything, but then a little bit of every pile soon gets mislaid somewhere else, so this is quite the issue in and of itself. But nothing will get lost under my watch!

This time, I chose to deal with this newspaper in priority: this is because newspapers are especially dangerous. Sometimes the professor will just roll up the whole thing and throw it in the bin, and not even notice that it was tangled with something else… The Mystery of the Missing Documents is not a puzzle I want to solve often if I can avoid it. This mystery is far from being the interesting kind, since from the very beginning we know who the culprit is…

“Does this reasoning really hold true, Luke?”

This is what the professor would sometimes tell me, in those times when I would be trying to solve yet another of these Missing Documents puzzles.

In those times, he would usually look a lot less like a gentleman, and instead more like a naughty boy playing rock-paper-scissors in a London street corner. He would have the same glint in his eye, so I would sometimes imagine him as if he were a lot shorter than he is in reality, without his suit and top hat… I would just see him as a young street boy named Hershel, who in this moment would be a professor by title alone.

And then, in those times, I would always wish that I could tell that naughty Hershel boy, once and for all:

“These Missing Documents… The person who holds the key to this baffling case…”

Of course, I would get ready to point a dramatic finger. It would only hold weight if I acted just like him.

“…is you!”

Just as I remembered that I was actually speaking aloud, the professor opened the door.

Oh no! Did he hear me just now?

“…i-is you that I’ll tidy up next…”

As a natural continuation to my desperate attempt at covering up my mistake, I rushed to prepare his tea. Let’s… see, it would take five minutes to boil the pot of water, two minutes and fifteen seconds to infuse once the leaves would be added, leaving me to wait until it would be ready to drink… Of course, I needed not forget to add an extra serving for myself…

“Luke, do you remember this song?”

As I heard the professor’s voice and turned around, I saw him place a record on the gramophone.

The music answered his question faster than I could ever have. As soon as the singer’s voice reached my ears, it was as if an electric current had run through my whole body. It was soft and so, so beautiful…

“Professor, isn’t this Janice’s song?” As I tried to say this, my voice had just cracked…

The professor nodded and handed to me the record sleeve.

“It was on display in the show window of a disc shop. They said that it was their latest album.”

Janice’s face was on the cover. Her lips were slightly smiling, looking at someone else out of the frame.

My heart ached a little. That pain… I had already felt it three years ago. The moment I had met her, I was left in awe: she was much older than me, beautiful…

It was then that I noticed on the cover the pendant which was hanging around her neck… She was already wearing it back then. I was glad that she still cherished it to this day.

“Wow, it’s already been three years…”

The professor nodded quietly. Three years… In this moment, it felt like all this time had passed in the blink of an eye; yet also, as if it had been an eternity.

Have I grown up since then? Could I be getting closer to being that ‘future gentleman’? Between the time of that case and today…

“Hm? Luke, what is all this?”

“Oh, that’s…!”

I followed his look, and blood rushed to my face in embarrassment. It was a big pile of documents. I had taken all these letters and paperwork out of the mailbox, and then proceeded to completely forget all about it.

“I’m sorry, Professor, I have yet to clean this up…”

He turned to the pile and picked up a letter from the bundle. For a moment, this gave me a sense of déjà-vu.

No, this was not déjà-vu… Three years ago, this was exactly how things were when the professor and I had received Janice’s letter.

Yes... That curious case had all started with one single letter from her.

And at the time, this case would then become precisely the first puzzle-solving journey in which the professor and I worked together…

　⇚　　　　　　　⇛　

[xtrablak674]

Reprimand: First Warning

May 18, 1996

Mr. Trevor Brown

BY HAND DELIVERY

Dear Trevor

I am distressed to learn of your encounter at the hotel with our Company Manager Julie Crosby on Friday, May 17 1996. On Thursday evening you were given verbal instructions by Julie not to post the schedule in the lobby. On both occasions you completely disregarded these instructions, this time in writing, not to post the schedule in the lobby. On both occasions you completely disregarded them, you called Julie in her room at the hotel. You argued extensively with Julie and eventually hung up on her, went to her room, and threatened her physically.

Trevor, there is a marked difference between yelling on the phone and going late at night to the Company Manager's room and yelling through a closed door "Girl, now its on. Get out here." at her, and continuing with such demands and taunts in a very threatening manner. Such behavior is both unacceptable and utterly inappropriate.

Please consider this your first and final warning that such behavior will not be tolerated in the future.

Trevor, you are expected to comply with the directions of your supervisors and to execute such instructions in a professional manner at all times. It is my experience and understanding that you have not been doing this.

In addition to your disregard for our Company Manager, and among other things, you failed to meet the musicians and the Divas at the airport, and you neglected to insure Bunny and Olivette were were on the bus after rehearsal one evening. We all realize that mistakes happen, however, we trust that you will be more assiduous in consulting with your supervisors in a respectful manner and that you will stop handling matters however you please, regardless of instructions to the contrary.

We have a wonderful, harmonious company and wish-as we believe you do-to keep it that way. We trust that there will be no reason to discuss these matters now or in the future.

Sincerely,

Mel Howard

cc: Norman Rothstein

My blood boils and my neck gets stiff with not only anger but rage as I sit and retype this letter for this issue. It just makes me want to scream the way someone can take something you've done and twist it and make it out into what they want to. It really makes you begin to feel really hopeless, about anybody being left on the planet with any kindness or honesty.

Mel that lying frog took everything I did and twisted it to meet his sick perceptions, the line that made me just want to pack up my shit was at the end of the first paragraph, "...went to her room and threatened her physically."

For all of you that read my side of the story last issue [Betrayed Vol 3, issue 3, Number 8] know this is not how it happened and thats the way I feel about the whole tour, the management would be so untruthful and dishonest, which is something diametrically opposed to who I am and as Julie goes on to say in the next letter. I would protest the decisions that management would try to implement. Well Julie I have never been a good house niggah, and after our first encounter, knowing that you physically felt threatened by me a machination of your own insecurities being played out by a young brilliantly intelligent spiritually and morally centered brother of African descent, whose work was of the highest caliber unlike your own, made you feel very insecure about not only yourself but your eternal son. Call your therapist Julie, I think you have some issus to work out. Or maybe your local spiritual organization and work out those issues of the soul or soulessness. Well Julie got the final word ten days before the tour was to end, or did she?

Reprimand: Final Warning

July 17, 1996

Dear Trevor,

You were hired by TCA International Productions Corporation to be a part of the management team of BLACK AND BLUE. As you certainly are aware, you have had continuous difficulty adapting [Lying and being dishonest] to the demands of this team management effort. You have received a written letter regarding your behavior on May 18, 1996, and you were warned verbally about your behavior and actions a number of times, most recently meeting with me, Norman Rothstein, and Philipple Mongay on June 29th. During the past several weeks, you have become more and more uncooperative. You protest the very management decisions and policies that you should be helping implement. You agitate the very company that you should be helping to calm. In short, you have not been a help to management but a constant hinderance.

For these reasons, we have decided to terminate our agreement and send you home tomorrow, Thursday, July 18th.

Additionally, you are being paid in full for your services though the end of your contract term. I am enclosing your paychecks for both week-endings July 21 and July 28. Both of these checks include the local per diem monies you would have been paid in cash on this Friday and next.

Trevor I wish you better success in your future endeavors and all good happiness in the things to come. [I really believe in you, Julie]

Sincerely,

Julie Crosby

Company Manager

CC: Norman Rothstein

Mel Howard

I was free at last from the plantation mentality that was playing out on this Black show with all white management. Julie would like to say that it wasn't a Black and white thing but it is. When she accused a young Black man of attempting to assault her, she played a race card. If I wasn't gay would she have said next that I tried to rape her?

Its something that made me fear for my life while I was in Europe, this eighty-five pound, five foot two inch white woman says a six foot, one-hundred eighty pound Black man attempted to assault her. Who do you think they're believing. You made it Black or white Ms. Crosby, you showed your White Privilege Card and said "Get yo uppity niggah ass down where you belong." Oh god what did I do to be so Black and Blue?

Afterwords: None, I said all that needed to be said in my record of this account back in ninety-six.

[Photo by Brown Estate]

[nityarawal]

Notes to Cybertruck models & Singers I manage:

Remember when you felt most Beautiful in your life? Bring her back in your pictures.

I never thought I'd find that Nitya again but I did in my 40's.

Somehow we have to love that little angel Mel; one of great beauties of globe; and show what happened. Even now in 50's.

Dad's always there. Even in Unified Field hoping for this as every parent does.

Natural starlight is always prettier than plastics. Salsa & Tango for camera.

I know there's a Epic Diva in there that deserves to be divine in light of film for Eternity. Xo

#DarkEyes #Red #BlackHole #Eternalists #SistersOfMyHeart #OtherFromAnotherMother #Nancy

Amazing meteor leonid showers tonight/tomorrow.

With love,

From Leo's & Romeo- of course.

Cat God's amongst us right? (:

I really need to work & capture my kids. I have a very short window. Prayers! Send my photo notes to your team. Mommy managers. Xo

I wish someone would clue in my kids & parents. Ridiculous.

Space Junk appears to be a criticism from fish people. Moi.(: lol

Moms are asking if you're cleaning it up? #PowerOf2 xo

Gemini Mercury Buddha can be Jekyll Hyde but not as scrutinous & mean as Kyle/Sunil/Keith Virgo Mercury Buddha.

Jyotish lay terms are easy to study w/ James Braha, my bro & astroglyphics.com - it's much more accurate than western. Moon sign. Xo

I bet Paul is double Buddha too.

Yes. So is Brotherly. DFK.

I did ask he avoid Kauaii because of hurricanes. Near Kauai I heard; then Hawaii. That would be better. Ask Haydn!!!! Turd my brother is. He should settle this shit. Dick. He's Circumcised FYI! Lol

I did ask you to avoid Kauaii because of hurricanes. Near Kauai I heard; then Hawaii. That would be better. Ask Haydn!!!! Turd my brother is. He should settle this shit. Dick. He's Circumcised FYI! Lol

My Rahu shadow apparently works like a magical black hole for Geminis.

Bizarre.

Lakshmi Yoga.

David knew.

Vampric Zionists!

I still love my Jewish Santa's. Feels better.

But the boundaries and debts go up and up and up.

Starside. Xo

Yes. He really wants to blow. He postponed. Bless his heart.

Yeah. Luna, Taylor, Ukulele.. xo

#Mahalo #Maui #Mahalakshmi #Rockets #George

Do some action shots in water too. #50ShadesOfGold prayers for #4BillionMothersStrong

Mahalo!

#Rockets is landing by Kauaii tomorrow. His jyotish is best its gonna be for 10+ years- until he's 69' I think she said! Lol

Say a prayer! Xo

Soft light is always best. I love sunset glow.

Pick your favorite illumunous light/time.

Shadows are good if fully shaded- not spotty.

Hard Sun is only good if you beat the shadow. Xo

#Rahu #Eclipses #Lights

Both. Video gets good stills sometimes. Just play. Heaven and Earth line comforts viewer and mazes for the eye.

You could spread feathers around head too. You're a good Gypsy type too. Boho.

Filters. I like mood series. 7 shades of Gold kind of ideas! Clowns. 3+ moods. Xo

1980s Gorgeous Andy Warhol "Marilyn" Limited Edition Lithograph by CMO

https://madinteriorart.com/products/copia-del-1980s-gorgeous-andy-warhol-marilyn-limited-edition-lithograph-by-cmoa

Cool. Just focus on hair, eyes, laugh, bust and dancing- hips etc.

Close up movement but get your face in focus.

I do like whirling dervish vibe.

Chi.

Feet on ground head in sky/Heavens is goal, MMY said.

Or Ansel? Lol

Maybe you do one with each devoted band mate. The death drop at mojomana temple! Lol

The Warhol series in various colors?(:

Oh yeah! Hot hot! Can you teach Todd & son?(:

So romantic!!!!

Yeah- smiling through tears- eyes always go to the dark eyes. Drama.

Yeah. Elon cuts his own hair too. Skate punks were hot! Lol

I like to sing/dance Mambo Italiano for that vibe too.(:

Rifkin's mom was photographer for guess. His Step dad was the hot model.

I was trying to think of my favorite blonds on Halloween.

Daryl Hannah in Splash. Britney Paris.

Cher.

Kim.

Maye Musk.

Project something yummy I didn't know I had. Jaimas baby sister Shawna is perfect Christie Brinkley dimpled blonde.

But what a sacrifice to surrender their dark side. That's boys candy. Mommies have soul; that's attractive to each other. Boys love us regardless. Depth/mystery= Gravy. Aspirational light.

Demi Moore, Natalie Portman; Charlie's Angel's. Peel back your Goddess onion. Take tons of pics and just choose best ones too. Safety In numbers!!!! Lol

I was obsessed with little mermaid as child.

The legs transforming for true love. You reminded me of Ariel... lol

Could go with mermaid emerald vibe too. (:

Selfies- w/ guitar hiking/playing etc good too. Koa probably brings out alot you don't realize. Isha actually really understood my best look. Art eyes. Vibes. Xo

When in doubt- sing Paul into camera!(:

Laying down in flowers with hair all over the place is fun and get fruit & flowers behind you.

Frida inspires me with your look too.

Abundance Mamma Maui vibes. Xo

Creek & flowers/falls/ocean/woods- your lucky Goddess temples- for backdrop.

White.

Light.

Lona said her mom told her she'd always be protected in white light. We all have that.

Toby was pretty rough on her but she has that & stands for that.

Throw a few punches/kicks.

Medetate on your pulse; beat.

No one is fucking my Mel or her family/sisters. Right? IKR!!!!

Ninja Mel. Love dark red lipstick & close ups/dark Claudia Schiffer eyes. And denim/cowgirl/70's gals!

I was self conscious about freckle, but they're an interesting palette artistically.

Most gorgeous women own them.

A map of your face.

Angels kisses when they're healthy.

Tell your skin. Stardust.

Self love is best cure.

So radiant.

Every little girl needs assurance so you're doing them all a favor; shining secret of your inner Marilyn/Native/Yogini/Mommy quest.

Did you know how pretty you were as a kid? I didn't until 10+ when I found Mammas Persian eye Kohle. Then Vikas, Kyle, Grant, Chandra etc let me know!!! Lol I really thought Hollie & blonds were the lucky beauties. We had to make a new beauty. Remember an old classic flame. Before Forgotten In Cyber plastics.

Surf shots would be hot if you could get a gf or Koa to help? (:

Isha is an amazing photographer. We can't all be good at everything! I like Todd's shots but Sunil sucked!

Completely ignored my muse!!! Lol

Xo

Pretty but you look a bit stressed. Are you ok?

I know we all are Stretched.

Work out/hot bath/juice/pamper self love- rest medetate. Impassion.

Write your dream song- hearts desire.

Than pull mommy glow out just for a 2nd after your groomed/nourished/rested.

One instant to tell Melissa story of Star Light.

Why does she laugh?

What is that ah-hah in the Warrior Goddesses eye?

Who is love of life?

Ultimately YOU are.(:

Even though Todd is amazing Trojan. He shows up 'cuz you do.

You're own best fantasy- spun- now.

Is it something Grandma said?

A bf as a teen?

When did you feel Prettiest?

Who loved you most you remember?

What makes your heart overflow with God given privilege?

Tick???

It's for them.

That's all we want Mamma. Xo

Click!

Mothering 4 Eternity xo

Godmammas'

Nitya

PS I love Guess ads, Cindy Crawford; Julia Robert's.

Whose your favorite model/actress?

I remember thinking you were most beautiful sister in "boyfriend" and dancing tango.

I know all your bfs felt extremely lucky.

Even if your bro is a deluded ass now. He had respect and does deep down under war games.

You are the boss for a grascious reason.

That's your Why.

Tell it.

Blackbelt at 51 still hot is a great story. (:

Laugh out loud. It's a privilege to even see that.

Anyways. Hope that helps you get your commission & help me help you. Xo

Well your Elon Bond. I'm sure you can achieve any dream with Venus light on you. Any Elon brand you want.

Hope we get my daughter. We're cheering you on!!! #Rockets all the way!!!! Xo

https://twitter.com/nityalakshmi108/status/1725321720918426009?t=jGc-7WaDJqvzjtjqeMWZZQ&s=19

[generaljanuary]

you had blue hair when we met. my sweet, shy, soft-spoken older sister was suddenly spending all her time away from home, hanging out with college students, listening to metal music and watching wrestling. i found a blue hair in the shower and i hated you.

about a year later, on her prom night, in her beautiful dress, she devotedly knelt on the dirty vestibule floor to untie your shoes for you and yet i could not hate you. you were clutching your white cane against your black suit, your blue eyes robbed of sight in the dark.

a few years later, when you both got into that car accident with your friends, i burst into tears twice at the hospital. when i got to hold her safe in my arms and when i heard you hadnt been wearing your seatbelt. you’d been there for hours and you were still covered in dirt, glass and so much blood in the blue hospital bed.

my sister had already broken your heart by then, but those scars broke something else.

we were two jangling bags of broken pieces talking about music and movies and video games and anime and sex and philosophy and politics and mental illness. we both liked weird shit and werent afraid to be freaks. we were nocturnal and depressed and aimless. in the end, i guess i shared with you things i could never talk about with my sister. but then again, she had her arms full of her own problems, by then. she was growing stronger from it, we were languishing.

one night we talked about your hair. over the years youd had it blue and green and yellow and purple and blond and your natural brown and... and now your mom had bullied you into cutting it short after you’d grown it out for years. your disability was gaining on you quicker and quicker and you didnt want to add to her burden. you said you’d been looking forward to tying it up in pigtails for an upcoming concert. and i remembered how you’d once confessed you felt you had to keep growing your beard to hide the scars on your face.

we smoked from your pipe and you made me look up a video for us to watch. the diva dance from the fifth element. you said if you could choose your appearance, that’s how you’d like to be perceived. i didnt push you for more.

i did buy a beautiful shifting, shimmery shade of blue nail polish. i imagined giving it to you and painting your nails for you. i thought we would have many, many more midnight conversations.

i let us drift apart and then i moved away. i never did get around to giving you that nail polish. i still have it today. still sealed and everything. its been almost 10 years now.

i sometimes heard about you, second hand news my sister got from her friends. a few months ago, i learned you had cancer.

now youre gone.

i have a whole graveyard of relationships i wasnt able to maintain in a bruised corner of my heart and youve been very active in there. im sorry i couldnt be there for you. im sorry i was too much of a coward to reach out, while there was still time. i wish i was the kind of friend who wouldve given you that nail polish. the kind of friend you deserved.

you once told me your ultimate dream was to be shot into space in a pod, left to drift away for eternity with unlimited psychedelics and access to all the books, music, movies and art ever created, so that’s how ill think of you now. and when i imagine it, you will be shockingly beautiful, ethereal blue, lovely and shimmering. unforgettable and at peace.