#this makes me hate bronev more

[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

[tyrahmen]

I know I’m 15 years late, but I need to talk about the Professor Layton prequel games.

Includes spoilers for Last Specter, Miracle Mask and Azran Legacy. Because I have words to say.

As a kid, I was a huge fan of the original three Layton games. Even though it was a long time ago, I still have fond memories of pouring over the riddles with my brother. We also watched the movie together some time back then, but only recently upon rewatching it did I find out that it belongs to a prequel series of games.

I got my hands on them and immediately my love for the games was reignited. I absolutely adore Last Specter, it was everything I still held dear in my memories and more. I finished the game at almost 100% in only two days or so. I’m planning on replaying the original games soon, but Last Specter might just stay my favourite game of them all.

Then I jumped into Miracle Mask and… I don’t want to say I hated it, but I struggle to find a less intense word to describe my disappointment. I really disliked the 3D graphics, the new controls, and most importantly, almost every single screen of the game. Professor Layton, for me, equals a cozy but slightly mysterious setting. It equals calm. Monte d’Or is anything but. It’s colorful and visually noisy, and that combined with the 3D graphics I dislike made for a very exhausting experience. I ended up rushing through the game to get it done instead of enjoying it and seeking out every puzzle I could.

I guess I went into Azran Legacy with lower expectations, because I found the graphics and controls much more tolerable there (even though I still don’t quite like them). It’s still competing with Miracle Mask for least favourite in my list simply because of the story.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the story for the most part. It just… takes away so much from the other stories, especially from the previous two games. I loved the Layton stories in great part because they are so personal – the mystery is meaningful because it means something to characters we love/get to love throughout the game. Azran Legacy’s story is too grand. It affects the whole world, takes place throughout the whole world, and feels like it spreads itself too thin because of it. It doesn’t have enough time for individuals because there’s so much to do. And in the face of such high stakes, what was the meaning of saving a single town in Last Specter or Miracle Mask? That Garden of Healing, that was so important at the end of Last Specter because it means Arianna can live, is now relegated to being “just one of the Azran ruins”, just like the ruins of Akbadain (or however you write it, I can’t quite remember sorry), which had so much meaning to our beloved Professor and his childhood friends. Which, by the way, despite being alluded to being incredibly vital in unveiling the Azran Legacy, have no role besides like a half-sentence in the third game.

And… the ending. I refuse to accept what they did to Emmy as canon because it feels less like a plot twist and more like a “Oh, we forgot these are prequels and we need a reason for her not to be in the other games”. It doesn’t fit her character at all. It’s not a betrayal from her, but from the writers – they made this really cool character that we love and care about, and then, three games and a movie in, go like “haha jinx, she was against you this entire time”. Like—no?? Have you read your own characterization of her? Because I did, and there wasn’t a single line that didn’t read “she genuinely cares about the Professor and Luke and EVERYONE THEY MEET”. She saw how Targent treated people. No way would she still be unquestioningly loyal to Bronev, especially after knowing the Professor for a while. If you wanna drop this kind of “plot twist” on a main character, making them go completely against their morals and their previous characteristics, you have to have at least one thing, literally anything that foreshadows it. The Professor more or less got closure with his family matters there (which also seemed a little bit shoe-horned in, in my opinion, they could have just left it out and it still would have been fine), but the conclusion of everyone else’s arcs felt… so unsatisfying. Emmy I already went into way too much detail about. But Aurora too – her death was so cliché I couldn’t even be sad about it. They literally did the exact same with her as with Loosha, the “sacrificed herself so we don’t have to figure out the consequences of her existing in this universe”. I already didn’t like it in Last Specter, but I could accept it. But them pulling the same thing at the end of the series just feels cheap.

I think this is enough of a rant. If anyone ever reads this far, thank you! Feel free to let me know what you think/thought about the development of the games, and which one of all of them is your favourite.

I’m gonna go replay Curious Village now. It’s been so many years I barely remember the story, so let’s see if I remember any puzzles :D

[quibbs126]

For the Bronev and Clive question… I guess for me, Clive’s attack always felt less personal to the main characters? We don’t actually see Clive lay a finger on the main gang aside from kidnapping Flora and kicking a pot plant at Luke. Don’t get me wrong, Clive definitely had deadly henchmen at his disposal and manipulation tactics, and he drove the mobile fortress through London but I don’t know any of the faceless NPCs he might have killed. Bronev on the other hand? Raised Emmy to be a Targent spy, kicked Descole’s butt, stood there smirking after ordering Emmy to threaten Luke’s life, and he personally put a knife through Aurora’s heart. Bronev (himself) unleashed the Azran Legacy, despite all the warning signs. And it’s highly implied he was responsible for the death of Desmond’s family. That doesn’t erase what Clive did. Not at all! But when the villain attacks characters I actually care about, it feels a lot more like an attack. I kind of wish they’d leaned more into this, I LIKED how evil Bronev could be… Wish the game didn’t try to make me feel so sorry for him. ‘Wah! I lose my wife and kids!’ —DUDE, YOU JUST MANIPULATED YOUR NEICE, THREATENED A SMALL BOY AND STABBED A TEENAGE GIRL!!! I’m glad he got to redeem himself at the end but I do not feel sorry for him!

Oh yeah, that’s a good point! I guess it would be easier to hate someone who’s hurt characters we know and care about rather than someone who’s hurting nameless NPCs we don’t know

[101flavoursofweird]

How about Professor Layton or Ghost Trick for the fandom ask meme? :)

Thanks! Been a while since I played Ghost Trick so I choose Professor Layton! 

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most): The one that is coming to mind right now is Janice Quatlane… Honestly, my first sapphic character headcanon. And I relate to her a lot, though most of it is down to, again, headcanons.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped): Ernest. I’m willing to forgive all of the missed potential with LMJ, thanks to Ernest. So adorable… So loyal… Such a good character with an actual plot twist surrounding him… which he and Kat were in a better game. 

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave): Arianna and (especially) Tony! 

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week): Carmine Accidenti. 

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave): I wouldn’t call Don Paolo unpopular but he is a pathetic fave… and I do overlook a lot more of his crimes than I would for Descole and Bronev. Azran Legacy was pushing so hard to make us sympathise with the Bronev family backstory… I did not get that impression with Don Paolo’s backstory in PL3. Level 5 know Don Paolo’s reasons for hating Layton are pathetic, petty and childish. They made him fall in a lake lmao

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason): Clive, probably. PL Tumblr sexyman my foot… That’s a sad 20-something-year-old cosplaying as his idol’s apprentice.

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell): The Azran sages or whoever set up the Azran sanctuary. 

[translaytonblr]

smirk emoji. 2 3 10

2. Favorite character?

Ermm. Alfendi. or Hershel. it's one of those two. i <3 thhinking about those guys

3. Most hated character?

the dragons from Kat's game. yes thats like 7 or 8 characters but they all blend together like rich assholes tend to do. thinking about that game makes me mad so ill refrain from going on too long about them but they suck.

the thing that makes them different from the obvious choices like, lets say, bill hawks or leon bronev, is that bill hawks was written that way to make a point about how politics and science interact. bill hawks is less his own character and more of an analogue for politicians in real life and how theyll use science to further their own agendas and power, or how they'll cover up results they don't like and pretend it never happened.

leon bronev is not a well written character imo, but he does serve to cement layton's character as, well, hershel layton. he makes the point that family has many different meanings, that names can be temporary, that there is no "true you" other than the You that you decide you are/want to be. Azran Legacy is not a good game but that was a good moment.

the seven dragons are just dogshit. complete dogshit. rich people who stay rich. incompetency at its finest. im like 99% sure that one of them implies that they've all done shady things to get where they are in the last case. poorly written, gross, "ohh we were good the whooleee time" because LMJ is scared of saying anything whatsoever.

anyways. thanks for the ask

[laytontheories]

Hershel Layton inadvertently saved the lives of Rook and Bishop:

Rewatching Azran Legacy made me realise that Layton made more of an impact on Rook and Bishop then I thought.

Rook always wanted to be a good person but Layton helped him to see it.

If Layton hadn't inspired him, Rook wouldn't have left Targent. At least, not at this time.

Which means Bishop wouldn't have left either.

Since they were the ones assigned to retrieve the eggs around the world, it's likely that they would have been sent into the Azran Sanctuary with Bronev and the other agents.

However, at the final door, Bronev says that all of his henchmen fell in traps.

While not directly stated, I believe that this is a pg way if saying that all his men are dead.

Replaying the puzzles showed that those who failed would have either a) fallen to their deaths or b) been burned alive by the guardians.

Even if they survived, nobody went back to get them. Luke and Layton never noticed any men calling for help and Bronev was too obsessed with the Azran to care about them.

Since they are never seen, it is unknown how many agents actually died. In the bonus episode, Grouse hints that it was all of the military men.

The only confirmed person we actually see in the sanctuary is Gannet who is never seen again. RIP you gorgeous mustache man.

Since Rook and Bishop are idiots(affectionate) they would have failed at the puzzles and definitely been killed as well.

I wonder if they ever found out about their close call. Maybe that's why they decided to dress like Layton and Luke? Because they owe them their lives?

But hey, that's just a theory!

A game theory!

[targentis]

ok also not to sound bitter but this one comment left on one of my fics has been haunting me. is it normal to like...write from the pov of a character with the intent of making the reader dislike that character? in my mind if a character is written as the pov character then the reader is supposed to at least sympathize with them a little bit.

ig like if someone told me "great writing! this makes me despise the pov character" is that weird or do people really just read like that

[somena-libra-dawn]

Questions of being stylish henchmen:

I wonder if Targent agents' hairstyles are like that before they joined Targent (like Plover) or it was Bronev's idea, especially for those who don't have cool hairstyles (as well as their codenames). Maybe Emmy keeps her floofy hair because of her uncle's demand.

Also, I believe Des's henchmen's uniform, and MG's to the extent, are made fashionable (and mysterious) to rival Targent's stylish hair. And this is 48208492% Descole's idea (you wouldn't think it's Raymond's right?).

Tldr I wonder if Bronev and Descole have something to do with their respective henchmen to be ~~ stylish ~~ (hairstyle and fashion respectively)

[professor-glasses]

I can definitely understand why people hate Bronev so much, but sometimes I feel like he gets a little too much. Don't get me wrong, he's committed some terrible crimes, but I feel like people show more hate for him than any of the other villains in PL. For example, Clive. Clive lost both his parents when he was a young child, which can be extremely traumatizing. He went with his plan of revenge which was to destroy London. He probably killed many people(those crushed apartments give me chills) for no real goal. In the end, he admits that he was wrong. He'll probably spend the rest of his life in jail, but he's still young. He can still "atone" for his crimes. Additionally, he grew up with Spring and her husband(forgot his name), who showed him love and support. Bronev lost his wife and both his sons due to Targent kidnapping them. Bronev watched his wife die in front of his eyes, and he was forced to work for Targent, who was most likely armed with lethal weapons. We have no real backstory to Bronev, what his intentions were when he solved the Azran Legacy, what he went through in all those years. He was truly blinded by great stories until the golems destroyed everything he worked for. The past decades of his life were a lie. In the end, when he gets arrested, he probably won't live long enough to redeem himself. He threw his entire life away just to be told that he might've destroyed the world. And when he says Layton's real name, it tells me that he never really forgot about his children. He still remembered their names after decades of not seeing them or interacting with them. Both villains are tragic, but for some reason people seem to hate Bronev more. Bronev's backstory is truly heartbreaking, and I think it has a lot of potential. (what if he believed that the Azran's power could bring back the dead-) Sorry this got really long, but I hope you have a good day.

@targentis is a Lot more qualified to speak on matters concerning Bronev than me (for one thing I haven't replayed PL in ages) but I agree. I think the fact that ppl see Clive and go my baby boy and things like that because he is a little young dude makes a lot of bias like. As has been pointed out by others the Appeal level of the character by which I mean do fans fawn over them for romantic or thirst reasons probably has a lot to do with things. (I wouldn't have believed it but being on tumblr long enough now I realise just how much this affects people's attitudes toward characters it's still Weird to me but that's probably bc I don't experience either feeling type so. anyway that can be equalled too tief is working hard on doing so)

Also the fact that clive doesn't do much to the main cast visibly so people have less Personal reasons to hate him while a lot of people are mad at bronev about things he did which ended up affecting the main cast bc more people care about and will get emotional on behalf of the main cast than countless unseen npcs in buildings

descole did more to the main cast but also I think the blame that would otherwise fall on him gets shifted onto bronev

[anothertastelesstetrahedron]

Descole headcanons maybe 👀

Did someone say Descole? 👀 I’m just gonna put the whole thing under the read more cut, since this ended up being a very long post - and I mean looooooong - like almost 3000 words long. Major spoilers for most of the games - mainly the Descole Trilogy (looking at you AL), but there’s also one UF one.

Des has terrible handwriting. I just think it would be funny if that's the one thing he cannot change about himself while impersonating someone else. He can manage faking signatures, but free writing as someone else? He has to try very, very hard to get that (nearly) right. Tbh for most of his roles that’s also hardly a problem, so he doesn’t bother.

He dehydrated/had a heat stroke at least once while in full costume. There must be a reason why Raymond tries so hard to make sure the AL gang takes water bottles, sunscreen and so on with them. Des has no self-preservation instinct (unless having Raymond around counts as Des taking care of himself?) He also probably almost died in Monte d’Or due to the heat.

Des beat up those guys who hurt Layton in UF. Listen, no one is allowed to hurt his bro except for him.

The first thing Des did after AL was visit Umid - after getting the much needed medical treatment. Because I absolutely love their interactions he promised to do so. It would be funny for him to show up in full costume as well.

Des eventually got used to Kietz (because the cat is now living with Raymond and Des. You cannot change my mind about that) At first he hated Kietz. Des is basically the old cat in the Bostonius that now has to get used to the new one lol

I know it was just the writers having no idea about Des’ backstory in LS but I still can’t stop thinking about how Hershel felt that Descole (in full costume) was familiar. So what if young Hershel Bronev actually liked to dress up in a costume similar to the Descole one? And that had left an impression on young Theo...

I also still cannot get over the fact that Des knows how to make Layton the perfect tea. Well, he had Raymond make it, but still. How does he know what kind Layton likes? Theory one: Layton’s taste hasn't changed from when they were kids. Theory two: He stalked observed Layton’s tea-drinking activities. Maybe he even posed as a waiter sometimes to find Layton’s favourite tea.

Des had kept track of how Layton was doing for a long time. He also was very close to introducing himself a couple of times. Obviously he never did. One reason why he decided against it was certainly to keep Layton away from everything. Des had given him the chance to live a peaceful life, so he obviously didn’t want to risk that. But that’s not all to it. Though Des hated himself for even feeling that, he was a bit jealous. It’s not that he regretted his decision from back then, but he still couldn’t help feeling that way. Plus, Hersh was a reminder of his past life. So while Des had his family that was another reason why he didn't approach - though in the beginning, he had actually thought even more about talking to Layton. However, Des had really tried to let go of his revenge and thus also his past - so Layton couldn't be a part of Sycamore's life. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he also couldn't help but think about their father whenever he looked at Hersh. He knows that’s not fair, but it’s what it is. The same way he thinks about Bronev whenever he sees his own eyes in the mirror. After his family’s death and after he became Descole he stopped approaching Hersh altogether and kept his distance. Not only because, again, he wanted to keep Layton out of all of this - even more so than before, because Des had already lost his family again, so losing Hersh was not an option (I write even though Des tried to kill Hersh himself hjasdjd)-, but also because he was afraid of how disappointed Layton would be were he to find out about all the things Descole had done. Des feared that he’d hate him.

Relating to one point in the previous point, Des absolutely hates mirrors. His reflection is bearable while being dressed as Descole, but he still avoids them like the plague. Even more so as AL Desmond. He also absolutely hates it when someone compliments his eyes - the thing he hates the most about his appearance.

Relating to that, I know Des’ glasses are just for show, but what if they are optical glasses nevertheless? Like, he cannot stand seeing clearly (especially since he ran into Bronev a couple of times and he absolutely doesn’t want to see that guy’s face). Maybe it’s also to help him distance himself even further from the others - especially Layton(?).

Des only possesses one photo of his family. It had been in his wallet when they died. I am just gonna assume Targent blew up his house, leaving Des with almost nothing. As much as he wishes to have the photo with him at all times, it's far too dangerous to do so while being Descole. Maybe Raymond keeps it safe? Or Des just keeps it in Desmond’s office? Maybe that was one of the things he actually liked while being Desmond again, at least he actually could carry the photo around this time.

Des lies a lot (obviously) - also to himself. (This is also me just trying to make his writing make more sense, since it often seemed to me he was written by 4+ people who didn't tell each other what they’ve written). I am thinking of that one bonus scene in MM where Des acts all empathetic towards Randall. “Just the thought of those poor parents, desperately looking for their own child.” That line does sound a lot like something Des himself knows too well… And then, one moment later, after Randall has left, Des just admits to himself that he’s just using Randall. (srsly writers??) I’m not saying that’s not right, because he’s certainly using him - no point in sugar-coating that - but he’s also very much trying to distance himself from Randall and his issues and reminding himself to focus on his goals and to not get distracted. Because Des does care. And I also think that he could have achieved his goal without Randall, but when he had learnt that Layton lost his best friend, Des tried everything in his power to get him back.

What is Des’ “true self”?

That is the one question I’m thinking about the most. It’s probably gonna get a bit complicated now… Let’s see if I can make my own words make sense (I really tried haha). For clarity's sake I’m gonna use three different names now: First, we have Des - the name I’m gonna use for the “true(est)” version of him - whoever that really is. Then we have Desmond - the AL Desmond Des “played” during AL. And, finally, there is Descole which is of course the Descole “role”.

Des has some serious identity issues - because of course he does. Descole started as a role (Des is even literally wearing a non-practical costume) that served a specific purpose. Des initially “created” Descole to have an outlet for all his rage and despair - and to get back at Targent without revealing himself. And I imagine some characteristics of Descole are things Des added, because he wanted Descole to appear a certain way different from how Des presented himself outside the costume. No one was to find who was behind the mask after all, so Descole had to act differently. Descole’s arrogance comes to mind, like that one just strikes me as not (fully) being Des himself. Des pretty much hates himself and blames himself for a lot of things. But Descole is also much more than a simple role. He’s very much a part of Des himself - it’s Des' own anger and his own feelings Descole is based on after all. Over the years, the lines between Des and Descole got more blurry. And now Des pretty much cannot tell the difference anymore between the things that make him him and the things he had just put into the Descole persona. So while Descole was initially based on parts of Des himself, over time Des truly lost himself in Descole who had become its own thing as well. Think method acting gone completely wrong - or right?

In a similar yet also opposite way, (AL) Desmond is also a role Des played during the game. Des said that he had just assumed Desmond’s identity again to get close to Layton and use him (which I don’t believe is 100% true, because I am convinced that a part of Des wanted to be saved. And also longed to see his brother again - and wanted Layton to like him), but it does make me think that Des mostly runs around as Descole. Obviously Des had kept the Desmond persona alive enough for Desmond to be regarded as a world-famous archeologist. But then again, it clearly doesn’t matter in the PL-universe if people don’t do their jobs.

I still do not know how much of Desmond is the “true” Desmond. Even if Des based Desmond on how he used to be with his family, there’s still the question how close Des actually comes to that. Memories can be deceiving and I doubt Des remembers exactly how he used to be. So maybe Desmond’s speaking style, his mannerism could be an act instead of that being Des’ true (past) self. Or which I like better, it’s a confusing mix between “lie” and “truth”. Some things are exaggerated (people tend to romanticize the past, so even with his family Des(mond) might not have been as nice as he presents himself to be as AL Desmond). Some aspects are more or less really Des(mond) and some other things are just stuff Des added to the Desmond role - consciously or not.

Let’s take this thought even further. When Des tried to leave his revenge behind and concentrate on his family, was that Des(mond) really his true(est) self? Or did Des play a role during that time as well (at least partly)? Des cannot let go. That has been shown throughout the games. So while he had tried to put Targent behind him, he might not have been able to do that completely. Thus he buried some things deep inside him and concentrated on “playing” Desmond Sycamore. Who might be the person he wished to be(?).

Long story short, I think that maybe AL Desmond is an idealised version of the Desmond Des used to be. Des acted like how he used to be while his family was still alive - or as much as possible, since he absolutely cannot let go of the pain completely. So his AL Desmond appearance could also be how he had looked like back then. I honestly do not even know if AL Desmond is the “true face” under the mask. Or if Desmond is also kind of like a “costume”. His appearance could be inaccurate as to how present Des really looks like. Descole’s character model also makes no sense. Like the hair that is sometimes visible doesn’t really look like Desmond’s most of the time after all. So is Descole wearing another wig? Is Desmond? I kind of like the idea that Des met Layton with his true appearance, so I’m on the fence here. Maybe he’s not wearing a wig, but extensions?I very much like the idea of Des appearing with his true face though… So I am kind of reluctant to have Desmond look too different from Des. Plus, Layton could have noticed if Desmond was in fact wearing a wig and that might have made Layton suspicious. But maybe Des dyed his hair a bit, and/or is wearing extensions? Maybe he actually already has grey hair, who knows. I certainly don’t.

However, I also believe that Desmond is far less of a role than Des probably thinks/admits. Over the course of the game, he might have lost himself in the Desmond role in a similar way to how he has lost himself in Descole.

Des' time as AL Desmond changed him for sure. And he does act differently as Descole after he changed into the costume than in the previous games. (I’m gonna make a whole separate post about how the German version uses different forms of politeness - and Des does speak rather … strange/different after his revelation than in other games… Again, I know that that’s just the writers being the writers, but where is the fun in that?)

Present day Des has probably no idea who his true self is anymore… Him “playing” Desmond further complicated things. Which parts did he make up, which parts are truly him? I don’t think there’s an easy answer to that… But that also makes Des so fascinating to me. I also really wonder what name he prefers after AL…

As much as I like the idea that Des himself came up with the plan to approach Layton as Desmond, I also very much like the idea that it had been Raymond instead who had suggested it. Raymond probably has to listen to a lot of Des’ angry rants. And after hearing another one about Layton seeing through one of Des’ disguises, Raymond came up with the idea to just go as himself next time. Partly also because Raymond knows Des better than anyone else and he knows how much Des longs to see his brother again - even if Des himself doesn’t admit that.

Des has acquired quite a lot of scars over the years… He does fall down a lot, so it’s bound to happen. He was probably wearing a fair bit of makeup in AL to hide some of them - in addition to his visible lack of sleep. Speaking of, I don’t think Des slept all that much during AL. He probably has nightmares that wake him up screaming. No way he could (or would want to) explain that to the others. Maybe that’s what he has been doing while he was not with the gang. He was taking a much needed nap… Or ...

… or he goes into the one room in the Bostonius that’s completely sound-proof (because that surely exists) and just screams (and cries) for a bit. In full Descole costume. He cannot bear being Desmond and being around the others at all times. He needs to have an outlet for his emotions.

Des really tried to retain his (emotional) distance from everyone in AL. I noticed that in the beginning he hardly ever said anything while I was clicking everything (and I hope believe that I’ve really clicked everything for potential Des dialogue). But he says more over time. It also takes a long time for him to talk about his family. So maybe that’s him slowly warming up to the others. Des was also probably still figuring out how to be Desmond (again). In a way, I think Desmond was one of his easiest yet also his most challenging role he ever had to “play”. No one is more familiar to him and yet also a total stranger. Plus, he had to be extra careful not to reveal too much. Can’t have been easy (which is why he needed to go scream for a bit sometimes).

He feels immensely guilty about caring for Aurora. He was especially reluctant to get closer to her, but he also just couldn't help caring for her. Because she reminded him of his daughter. He just feels very conflicted as he got more and more attached to her, not only because he knew he would eventually betray her, but he felt like in caring for Aurora he was betraying his daughter in a way… This guilt could apply to Flora as well when he eventually meets her.

One day after AL he found the Popoño he had bought for Aurora. He keeps it close ever since.

His revenge is achieved after AL, so there should be no reason for Descole to continue existing. But I don’t think Des will be able to let go of Descole right away. The AL ending shows that anyway. I feel him putting the mask back on in his last scene makes sense for him. He still cannot bring himself to leave Descole behind and he also very much still cannot bear to see his father’s eyes whenever he looks in a mirror. It would have been too sudden for him to just put all the pain behind him. Des’ revenge was basically also the one thing that defined his whole life. And Descole has been a part of his life for a long time as well - the pain and anger that led to Des creating Descole have been inside Des long before his family got killed. I can’t imagine it easy to just let go of all of that. Des is truly lost at the end of AL. He has lost his purpose, the one thing that made him go on. And he needs to figure out who he is himself. Even more so after his whole posing as Desmond again. I like to think that Des will be able to let go of Descole eventually, but that will be a slow process and not something that’s gonna happen overnight. Instead he’ll probably put on the costume fewer and fewer times until, eventually, Descole just disappears. Maybe he’ll stop when he runs out of costumes lol. No matter what, it’s gonna be a long road for Des to be able to heal… (And he should totally go get back to Layton and apologise to Layton and to a loooooot of other people and then they both go to therapy)

[dazais-guardian-angel]

Time for my feels dump thoughts on Diabolical Box...! y’all, this game. this game. I don’t think people give it enough credit for... a lot of what it does, despite the messiness of the plot reveals... but it’s so special and unique, in ways I’m only now appreciating. also this is gonna be really REALLY fucking long I am so sorry, but I have a Lot to say about the ending parts... i just love this game so much...... so i wrote a fucking novel bc of course i did.

also i played this in October, completely unintentionally, so that’s noice.

The amount of voice acting and cutcenes in this compared to CV is amazing, I love it so much, even if it is funny sometimes the dialogue they choose to voice and then abruptly cut off a few lines later.

I had COMPLETELY forgotten about Luke jumping on Chelmey and trying to rip his face off and it’s just the funniest fucking thing omg; Hershel in the background going “NO LUKE THAT’S HIS FACE” is comedic gold.

Will we ever know what Hershel was going to say when Chelmey asked him what Luke’s relationship to him was... dammit Luke why’d you have to cut him off.

Hershel calling the hamster “generously proportioned” is amazing. also “I’ve always said that helping rodents in need is among the duties of every true gentleman” Hershel... please tell me what other situations have made you say that... please...

Why is there an entire subplot about finding this Karen’s dog, just to make Chelmey look like even more of an idiot? if they needed to pad the game out more, they definitely could have done it with flashbacks or in places that I’m... ahem... emotionally invested in

Flora’s treatment in this game is so infuriating to me, like... why did they think this was a good idea? What was the point of bringing her into the plot for NO other reason than to be kidnapped and impersonated? Was it literally just because they needed a way for Hershel and Luke to run into Don Paolo and get the box back from him??? Why couldn’t, idk, Katia run into him in Dropstone and get the box from him and save Flora, that would still get the box to her and keep Flora in the group, and it would tip them off to Katia being related to all this even earlier, and Don Paolo could still be shown there if he absolutely has to make an appearance in each game. I know it’s because he has to be built up and then revealed, and because Hershel always has to have a dramatic point-n’-reveal every game, but whyyyyyy does it have to be at the expense of Flora. :))))) It would have been interesting to see her reactions to Folsense and Anton and everything, and not have Katia be the only female involved in all this; maybe she could, you know, actually have a personality!! hahaaaa who am I kidding...

beluga: “it’s already been a year since she passed away” me: whythehellyoucryingsodamnloud.jpg

Anderson talking about Dropstone and the sacrifices made to found it and how it can’t die out like “other towns”... with the song playing... whythehellyoucryingsodamnloud.jpg

The sheer coincidence of Katia going to Folsense on the same day that Hershel and Luke would end up in Dropstone and then there, and on the 50th anniversary of the town... not a likely one.

Didn’t some versions of the game come with a real version of the train ticket to Folsense? I want it D:

i also want a real Elysian Box, like can i commission someone to make one minus the whole you know actual gold, please, i’ll pay aNYTHING- *sobs*

LUKE HOW COULD YOU FORGET THAT HERSHEL IS AN ARCHEOLOGIST, AFTER ALL THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SHIT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH

Hershel to “Flora”: “you’re as white as a sheet!” Don Paolo, minutes ago while the others aren’t looking: *furiously powdering his face mask or some shit*

Why was Anton’s diary lying in the street though... it doesn’t make sense that Katia or Beluga would have it, and they couldn’t open it anyhow. probably just a gameplay thing that should go unquestioned but I want to knowwww lol. Also wish Hershel and Luke had reactions to the entries.

Ilyana tho. Also bootleg Clive asdfghjkl

I LOVE THE TOWER OF HANOI PANCAKE PUZZLES

Am I the only one who doesn’t understand the obsession with the tea set... like yeah it’s fun to serve tea when you actually get it right, but I’m stuck with like two recipes missing and getting frustrated just trying and trying countless ingredient combinations on end because some of the npcs are NOT helpful enough in telling what to make :))))

Obviously Katia can’t reveal anything or say anything about why she’s there at all to keep the suspense till the end, but it would have been cool to see her working together with them and making a plan to get into the castle and help Anton aka I just wanted more scenes with Anton being nice and not flying into a rage over a misunderstanding ugh

It’s honestly pretty impressive some of the deductions/connections Chelmey makes in this game, despite his... other incredibly stupid ones lol

“iSnT iT oBvIoUs?”

WHY DOES HERSHEL RISK KILLING LUKE (AGAIN) WITH THE BOX. And why tf does it not do anything to them since they assumed it would...?

The biggest mystery of the series is how Pavel gets where he does, truly

The music in the forest is truly one of the best osts, god I love it. I also adore the Herzen Castle ost now, I never really noticed it before but it is WONDERFULLY creepy and heavy and melancholic and just... idk, those harpsicords go hard. damn.

Opening the Elysian Box is the best puzzle in the series, because of the meaning behind it. Or at least, it’s my favorite for that reason :^)

Alright folks so I’m gonna be completely, unabashedly honest here, and reveal myself to be the superficial, shallow fucker I am lmao: Anton is super hot and I’m still attracted to him even now, and I hate that we get so little time with younger him dklslskdfkflssd I AM SORRY I CAN’T HELP IT OKAY. BLAME THE VOICE ACTOR, HE HAD NO RIGHT TO SOUND SO UNEXPECTEDLY DEEP AND INCREASE ANTON’S HOTNESS LEVEL BY 1000%... just. god damn. damn. the dining room scene. the lighting. the way he puts his hands down and closes his eyes at one point. the way he says Herzen. the freaking sass with “chalk it up to my bad taste then.” the little clap. his entire design which just oozes Victorian era anime bishie beauty. kudos to the character designer who was like “well they said make someone cool and handsome and i wasn’t sure what to do but i tried and i guess it worked out” GOOD SIR BOY DID YOU SUCCEED. how dare this man turn me on so much, fUCK. And I know it’s super shitty of me to not like his old design as much!!! but just!!! why the beak nose.... why.... he was so gorgeous and then you give him the Bronev nose treatment..... i’m already so sad over the ending but you make him look so much sADDER, THE SADDEST POSSIBLE DESIGN FOR OLDER ANTON. It’s not that I mind him being old, I just wish he looked more like himself... there didn’t need to be such a drastic change. But I know I’m just being petty lmao. anyway stan Anton for most beautiful PL character always 🙏 Descole and Clive’s hotness have nothing on this man

*ahem* But to get back to serious topics, replaying this now when I’m older, with the ones after it in mind, I think I finally realize why this game stands out to me so much from the others, making it my favorite. To put it as best I can, Diabolical Box, to me at least, just has a different feel from all the other PL games. Yes, it’s still definitely a Layton game, you still investigate a mystery, there’s still puzzles everywhere, it still has a relaxing city or country feel to the atmosphere, there’s still lots of charm, but once you hit Folsense and the climax and the ending reveals, the tone sort of... shifts? Not drastically, but enough that’s different from any point in all the other games that I can remember; I feel like Last Spector might have the closest kind of atmosphere to Folsense at certain parts, but even then the plot of that game is nowhere near to having the same tone as this one. Diabolical Box, when you really look close at it and think about it, is dark. Dark in a way that none of the other games are, despite the darkness some of the others do have. And I think part of that is because almost every other game/movie is connected to the overarching story involving Hershel’s past and people involved with him, and so the drama and angst is very much grounded in London or other places Hershel would be/was, and in his time, but Diabolical Box is unique in that the story and characters in it have nothing to do with him. And to reflect this, Anton and Sophia’s story is based in the early 1900��s, the Victorian era, in a city so far separated from, again, everything to do with Hershel, that if you were to just watch their story by itself and take the professor and Luke out of it, and you knew nothing about the series, you could reasonably argue that it isn’t from a Professor Layton game at all. What I mean is that Anton’s story could be an entire anime all on its own surely it’s not obvious how badly I want that, nope, not at all, completely separate from this series, and it would work; it could be its own period era-esque drama series, still with all the supernatural shit intact later on. I can think of a few existing anime similar to what I’m imagining. 

And I really do think it would be amazing, because like I said this story is terribly, terribly dark, and sad; as a PL game, like a lot of the other ones, it can’t go deep into the nitty gritty of what makes Anton’s story so fucking depressing, but just like... Imagine it. Imagine being alone, for so long in that castle, so long that you don’t even know how long it’s been anymore, with virtually no one, after having your heart broken and being abandoned by the person you loved the most, and who you thought loved you, and getting no closure about it. This long post goes a ton of detail about Anton’s character and things he was probably feeling/reasons for his behavior, but in short, Anton’s mother is never mentioned, so combined with how distant he was from his father and the fact that he feels alone in his role in society and that no one truly sees him as a real person, it’s quite possible that he clung to Sophia unconsciously as a mother figure, and, in general, she was the only person who made him feel seen, and loved. The only exception was Beluga, but Beluga leaves the town and Anton behind after quarreling with their father, so... It’s just extremely apparent when you read the diary entries and his dialogue (with the voice acting) that Anton was always alone and terribly insecure, and that Sophia made him the happiest he ever was - and so her leaving him was devastating to him. He was alone for fifty years (and who knows how long it actually felt, to him), in a lonely castle and emptying town, his entire family either left or dead, his body slowly aging without him even knowing it, while he had a daughter and granddaughter born without even knowing it, and all the while he’s left with the misunderstanding that Sophia might have loved someone “better” than him all along, never getting answers, having to live with all that grief and guilt and blame and jealousy and self-hatred over a situation that wasn’t even entirely true. Imagine what your MENTAL STATE would be like, jfc it’s a miracle he’s as sane as he is in the game!! Not to mention everything that crashes down on him within TEN MINUTES AT THE END. Yes, Unwound Future and the prequels very purposefully heap the angst on with Clive/Dimitri and Descole respectively, like “we are trying so hard to make you feel for this guy cry cry cry” and I fall for it like the trash i am love them too, don’t get me wrong, but Anton’s tragedy is much more understated but in my opinion is by far the absolute saddest of them all. I just... i’m crying y’all, this poor man. give him a fucking HUG. Anton Did Nothing Wrong 2k20; he doesn’t even hurt the people he lures in with his vampire scheme!! he lets them go without a scratch!!! what a guy... give him a hug and blankets please i love him so much, him and Sophia- *sobs*

and also as a side note, I honestly think Descole/Desmond would fit perfectly into this game for a lot of these reasons, in the trend of “trying to fit Descole into the first trilogy”; he’s got the right Aesthetic™ for one thing, but mainly just he and Anton have a LOT in common...! actually, now that I think about it, Randall and Anton do too, but I much prefer the notion of Descole and Anton interacting. honestly, I’m toying with the idea of an AU where Desmond and resurrected Aurora end up in Folsense and solve that mystery themselves instead of Hershel and Luke; i think it’d be fascinating.

However, by the same token, as much as I LOVE this game and characters for all of those reasons... it also makes no fucking sense ahaha. How the FUCK does the gas work. The illness that started killing people when the ore was first unearthed and is the reason everyone starts leaving, is THAT from the gas I assume?? but like why?? cause eventually it just turns to making the town appear as it was years ago and keeping people young, so...? ARE ALL THE TOWNSPEOPLE NOT ACTUALLY THERE, OR THEY ARE AND ARE JUST YOUNG LIKE ANTON; I’m still not clear on this!! because Hershel at the end says they’re illusions, and yet when you talk to the npcs so many of them complain about being tired and feeling old, so what is the truth!! It would make sense if newcomers see the town as it is in the pictures, but there’s no reason for them to not age... in fact, I don’t understand where the not aging thing comes from at ALL, since if the idea is that the gas makes what you think will happen happen, how tf did that even come about in the first place??? There’s no way everyone who inhaled the gas would think the exact same things and have the exact same hallucination. And if fifty years passed in reality, how long did it feel like to Anton/others; surely it couldn’t have been that long if they never questioned why they weren’t aging? If the gas in the box put Schrader in a coma, what was his theory about what would happen? Why does nothing happen to Hershel and Luke upon opening it when they clearly assume something will happen? Related to other things, how does the box become the source of a rumor, and how does Schrader even get it? Do people just assume Anton is dead or otherwise gone, or do they know/assume he’s still in the castle but don’t try to see him because of the vampire? Does Beluga know Anton is still there, if he does it’s pretty shitty of him to ignore him, and why does he think the box has to do with the fortune of all things if he possibly knew Sophia wanted it and knew it had something to do with her and Anton (seriously I don’t understand Beluga, I really wish they’d done more with him; he looks so shitty even if you give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he knew the least amount possible)??? Did Sammy know that the drugged flowers related to getting into Folsense? Did Katia know how to get into Folsense, and what was she planning to do if she never found the box in order to prove she was who she said she was? Why do some of the npcs act like they know the deep dark secret of Folsense and keep saying Hershel and Luke don’t need to know, and keep talking about the town being cursed, like do they really know the truth?? Or not??? LEVEL-5 I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS AND I’M TOO DUMB TO FIGURE OUT THE ANSWERS. EVEN LAYTON VS. WRIGHT’S STUPID REVEALS MAKE MORE SENSE THAN THIS AAAAAHHHH

anyway DB best game anton hot Even with all the weirdness though that makes this game the most Layton the Layton series has ever Layton’d lmao, I still love Diabolical Box so damn much. I love it so much, guys. It’s not part of a huge narrative, it’s not connected to the main characters; it tells its own little story and it does that perfectly. It’s so unique from all the rest, like I said, the plot has so much depth I don’t really see talked about, Anton and Sophia’s story is so beautifully tragic and underrated on a mature level that none of the other games really reach, and despite how upset I am we don’t get to see more of them, their love story is so impactful and emotional just from what little we do see, despite some of the oddities of how it plays out... they’re so sweet together and I cry so damn much over them ಥ⌣ಥ Iris is one of the most beautiful and touching songs in the series, too, and my favorite. And I’m a sucker for the Victorian era and cute romance lmao, so it just gets me like nothing else does... it’s so wonderful. saddest PL game, I will die on this hill. Even if I seem to talk a lot more about some of the other games/characters simply because there’s more content to talk about and there’s more to say about the more flawed content. you can’t improve perfection *chef’s kiss*, deep down, I think, this game will always be my favorite. ❤️

[verduresapiens-archive]

Just a little... ‘talk’

Hershel couldn’t help but feel a mote of pride when he watched Randall enter Misthallery. Awe. Admiration. Sure, the immediate outer territory was a little wild-looking, but it was just to help keep people out - once past the barrier, it was meticulously cared-for garden plots wherever Hershel had been able to fit them. It never got old, seeing that amazement, in their faces.

But then he remembered who this was. This was Randall. The bastard himself, second only to Bronev in regards to how much Hershel hated him.

“Wow... Did you do all this yourself, Hersh?” Hershel twitched slightly at the nickname. Ignored it.

“A good portion, yes. Much of it was done with help. I’ve some workers helping me out - some employed, others are volunteers.” He began walking - Randall following behind. There was a bit of small talk - Hershel could tell Randall was a bit nervous. A shame that Hershel didn’t care.

Randall could be nervous all he wanted - it would earn no sympathy from him.

Hershel led Randall to a little area out of the way - a section of garden that initially looked like it was designed for somebody to relax. Which it was, partly. It was also one of several little sequestered areas designed for specifically this - isolating an unseeded person so he could get them alone for just long enough. But first...

“Sorry about this, but I trust you about as much as I do Bronev, so~!” Vines. Surging in from the underbrush and clinging to Randall as he made an attempt to run. Failed. The young man babbled then - desperate to get his once-friend to listen, but Hershel had long since had enough of listening to people he’d been betrayed by. It only took a moment, filled with wildly confused noises and an amount of struggling - bookended with sounds of disgust and demands to know what had just happened. He’d been seeded, not that Hersh was in the mood to explain how all that worked.

“Be quiet.” Randall obeyed. There was a fascinating amount of confusion and distress on his face, and Hershel would have loved to experiment a bit if he didn’t have other, more important plans. “I have questions, and this is the only way I’m willing to ask them, as you don’t have enough willpower to lie to me like this. Understand?” A pause, a delightfully irritated glare, and then Randall nodded.

Good. Not that the man had a choice. He could say no all he wanted, Hershel would just make him change his mind. He would have his answers.

“Alright. Question one; how did you find me, and was Targent involved?” A few moments pause - either fighting the seed’s compulsion, or genuinely trying to figure out the best way to word the response.

“Tangentially. I was contacted by a man named Simon Foster who said he was looking for you. He said he was caught up in a lot of things and had only just recently realized you weren’t safe. Sounded like he was beating himself up over it.” Simon. Descole. It tracked - Simon-slash-Desmond was usually quite busy with his own life until adulthood. Hershel had gotten into trouble as a teenager - Descole wouldn’t have had the means to find out until years later. Until that point he’d likely have assumed Hershel to be living a happy, safe, comfortable life with the Laytons. “Simon had me investigate leads in person while he dug up information from afar. He’s pretty paranoid about Targent finding him, but managed to track when Targent took you to the point where you... left, pretty quickly. After that things got real hard to find. Eventually we determined you’d been to London at least a few times, and... here I am.” Well, that all made sense.

Descole didn’t track him down because the man wouldn’t have had the resources to know his brother was in anything but safe, happy conditions until well into adulthood, at which point everything had been done and over with. No Targent influence here, at least yet. Not in the way Hershel had assumed, at least.

“And Simon isn’t a part of Targent?” Hershel didn’t think he was, but you never knew.

“No. He hates them. Won’t tell me exactly why, but it’s not hard to tell that he does. Gets a specific tone of voice when he talks about them. Real angry. Like you, when I talked to you in your store.” Hershel couldn’t help but huff. Of course he was angry at Randall.

Really, Hershel only had the one question he wanted to ask. How Randall had found him wasn’t nearly as important to him as what had happened in the past. Randall was the only one that could answer that. Well, Bronev could, but Randall was significantly less armed than Bronev was at a given time.

“Did you contact Targent when I was forced to live in the forest?” Randall’s expression changed from irritation to horror. Or at least as much as it could, under the seed’s sway.

“No! I would never do that! They came into town a few days before they they stormed off to find you, maybe a week or two. Poked around the whole damn place for ages until rumors about you started circulating - I overheard them talking, and people at school, well... Gossip about the strangers stomping all over town was popular.” This surprised Hershel, and he took a second to collect himself. Pull it all back into the tight little ball surrounded by anger and rage.

“So what, you heard them talking then sold my location to them? For what, to get me out of your hair? To get Targent out of town?” Hershel hissed, barely holding himself back. Randall’s expression remained horrified, if slightly insulted.

“My family is rich, why the hell would I need to sell my best friend out for more useless cash?!” Randall spat back - probably just as irritated that Hershel was assuming that, as Hershel was at Randall in general. “They came into town badgering people about the Azran, and then when they heard rumors about you they wouldn’t stop badgering people about you! I didn’t know they’d track you down until the day of! I figured I’d get to you faster than them since I knew where you were, not that I’d stroll in to watch you be kidnapped!” Stress, anger, an amount of sadness, it seemed - Randall was clearly feeling several things.

And now Hershel was too. His seeds didn’t lie. Randall, under the persuasion of Hershel’s seeds, still said that no, he hadn’t had any affiliation with Targent whatsoever. No. No, that... No.

“Get out.” Hershel hissed quietly, telling the vines to let the man go. Randall sounded like he wanted to say something, sounded like he was struggling against the seeds in whatever way he could - but Hershel spoke again- “Get out! Get the hell out!” Randall, under the seed’s power still, did as he was told. He darted off in the direction of the entrance, hopefully back to London, hopefully far away from him. Hershel wanted...

Something else. Anything else. Anything that involved Randall staying as far away from him as possible.

[professorlaytonparallels-blog]

Villain Motivations

There’s been a lot of controversy about liking Clive recently, so I thought I’d throw my two cents in. Please feel free to reply, but please let’s keep it like the last Emmy post, where it was more like a ‘debate’ and less like an argument. The last thing I want to do is widen a rift in the a fandom. I just want to discuss a few things. I hope that’s ok. If this post does upset people, I promise I’ll delete it.

Long story short, it’s perfectly fine to hate Clive, and hope he never gets released from prison. But please be aware that there are other villains deserving of your distaste for similar reasons. Share the distaste, guys!  

Clive could easily qualify to be the most terrifying/successful/most horrible villain in the series. He kidnapped scientists. He transported civilians to Future London. He kidnapped the Prime Minister. He duped Layton and Co. He used Dimitri. He kidnapped Flora. He destroyed a good chunk of London with his mobile fortress, and I have no doubt he killed a number of innocent people. The list goes on. While his tragic backstory fuels his motivations, it by no means excuses them. The game and Clive both acknowledge that what he did was wrong, some part of him wanted Layton to stop him and he expresses the wish to atone himself by the end of the game. Grated, we never see him atone, and it’s unlikely he ever managed to atone from beyond a prison cell. The last image we see of Clive is him being led away by the police, looking very defeated. 

As people have already stated, Clive is not a good person, but he is an interesting villain. While no one should condone his actions, it’s very easy to understand them. (Most fans hate Bill Hawks.)

To me, Clive has a much better crafted motivation and backstory than Descole, Randall or Bronev. 

Yes, Descole (and Bronev’s) full stories span three games, so they need a more complex set up. But you can’t deny Descole’s character shifted between Spectre’s Call to Azran Legacy. (And I don’t just mean that he became a better person.) Remember, Descole has no hesitations about hurting people in Spectre’s Call and Eternal Diva. He kidnaps people, manipulates them, and pulls out giant robots to destroy Misthallery/Ambrosia when Layton gets the better of him. Oh, also, he throws a concrete slab at Layton - his little brother who he wanted to live a peaceful life - and almost blows him up during ED. 

Okay, Clive almost squashed Layton (the man he hoped would ‘save’ him again) when his giant robot emerged from the ground. But he never faces Layton directly or charges at him with a sword. And attacking your brother - who you gave up your name and a peaceful life for - makes less sense than attacking your idol. 

Descole takes a back seat and serves as a shadowy manipulator during Miracle Mask. The most interesting thing he does in that game is face off with Targent, which was really cool! It’s the first indicator we got that there was a deeper meaning to his evil deeds. Between Targent and Descole, I was rooting for Descole. We were introduced to Bronev, which was also interesting! He and Descole obviously have a history, and this built my anticipation for Azran Legacy. What possible twists could lie in the last game?

...Descole, disguised as Desmond, sends Layton a letter asking him to investigate an Azran mummy, then they team up to collect the Azran eggs and beat Targent together. Also, they’re brothers. 

Why the heck didn’t Desmond/Descole ask for Layton’s help in first place, to help find the Golden Garden, Amrborisa etc? Desmond obviously had a change of heart during AL, bonding with Layton and Co, so he helps stop the golems in the end. This completely excuses his past crimes and allows him to fly away in an his airship in the end. He doesn’t even give Layton an apology. 

Bronev, at least, gets arrested in the end. (After unleashing a device that could destroy the world.) Mr. Whistler gets arrested. Third-Eye Jakes gets arrested. Diane Makepeace doesn’t survive. 

Don Paolo almost destroyed St. Mystere, Layton, Luke and Flora. He stole the Elysian Box from Schrader. He also kidnapped Flora. He gets away. (Barely anyone one remembers Don Paolo, anyway.) 

Randall gets off scot-free with an apology. Oh, Descole manipulated him. SO WHY DOESN’T DESCOLE SERVE JAIL TIME? Descole or not, amnesia or not, Randall still caused a lot of damage and terror and kidnapped Angela but the MM credit scenes make it look like he didn’t even get ordered to do community service. 

Also, Arthur Cantabella is allowed to brainwash people and scar them for life, because they signed up for it, his daughter was in danger and he had a terminal illness. Darklaw kidnapped/brainwashed Espella, Layton, Luke, Maya and Phoenix.

Dimitri, desperate to save Claire, kidnapped scientists and Bill Hawks. We’re not given any indication of whether he goes to prison with Clive, but at least he acknowledges his mistakes. 

Anton pretended to be a vampire, trapped people in his castle - including Layton and Luke - and attacked Layton with a sword. Randall is excused due to memory loss, so we’ll forgive Anton due to inhaling hallucinogenic gas.  

Bill Hawks doesn’t count as a Layton villain. As far as we’re told, his motivations don’t go any further than money. He killed Claire and all those people for money. At least Clive and all the other Layton villains interact with Layton, serve a threat, get a backstory, and have reasons for what they’re doing. I’ve said before Layton villains shouldn’t be excused due to their ‘tragic’ pasts... but this has to apply to all villains. 

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy Bloom so much. He doesn’t have an excuse for being despicable, as far as we can tell, but he’s still an interesting character and gets somewhat redeemed at the end of AL. The difference between him and Bill Hawks is that he’s diabolical and doesn’t sleep for most of the game.  

[quibbs126]

Do you think it would have been better if Bronev had never been revealed to be Layton’s biological father?

If you want to hear my thoughts, they’re under the cut!

Okay see while I think yeah, this backstory makes Bronev more interesting as a character and not just some evil old man, I also feel like because of this, the writers felt they had to bend over backwards to make Bronev sympathetic, and it just didn’t work.

Like yeah, personally I’d want some dimension to his character and reasons for his actions, because while we don’t need him to be good, if he had just stayed “evil old man” he really would not have fit with the other Layton villains, mostly because they all tend to have some level of depth to them. Like yeah sure Bill Hawks doesn’t get redeemable traits and we all agree to hate him, but he also wasn’t the main villain of the game; Dimitri and Clive were, and both of them got depth. So yeah, I don’t see a problem in adding something more to Bronev

Only problem is, I think making him Layton and Descole’s father just makes him that much harder to redeem, given that he’s tried to kill them and has murdered Descole’s family. Like okay, you shouldn’t do that to anyone, but it becomes a whole other level of messed up when they aren’t strangers, they’re your own children

Like maybe it could work if he’s supposed to be like a tragic figure, where he started out with good intentions but over time he grew so obsessed that he can’t even remember why he’s originally doing this and ultimately turns against the very people he once cherished, but only if they don’t try to redeem him; have him be a tragic character without being a redeemable one. Maybe the writers should have just picked a side and stuck with it instead of trying to have their cake and eat it too, if you get what I’m saying

Also his motivation isn’t clearly defined, all we really know is that he liked archaeology and that he intended to see out he and his wife’s “dream”, but it’s pretty clear her dream was likely just seeing their children again, and he just misinterpreted it, which doesn’t really help his motivation, it just makes him seem like a bit of an idiot. Also it doesn’t really justify hurting his own children; if he was unrelated to them it would be a lot easier to accept, he’s just harming strangers 

Here’s a hypothetical tweak where Bronev isn’t the father of Layton and Descole: his motivation could still be about his dead wife (I know, it’s sticking to the formula but just stick with me), perhaps the two were archaeologists who studied the Azran, and their dream (or maybe even originally just Rachel’s) was to find the Azran’s ultimate legacy, but Rachel ended up dying prematurely and so Bronev dedicated the rest of his life to seeing their dream fulfilled because she never could. Sort of like Carl and Ellie from Up, albeit a bit twisted by the end. At some point Targent got involved (or maybe even Bronev created Targent if you want to go that route?) and Bronev became so consumed by his desire to fulfill their dream that he started to get more extreme with his methods, thinking no cost was too great, and he turned into the person we see now. Maybe the release of the golems gives him the realization that all the things he’s done now were for nothing and he gets a wake up call about all the atrocities he’s committed, and he ends up helping the group defeat the golems and goes away with the police to try and atone for his actions in some way

So honestly, it’s not that different from canon, but I feel like having him not be related to Layton could have really changed the way we interpret Bronev

Also side note, but something I’ve noticed is that aside from Anton, basically every villain’s motivation ties back in some way to Layton. Typically not because he’s the cause, but because he’s usually connected to their respective defining events, and I feel like having that not be the case for Bronev could make him stand out a little more

As for Layton’s actual parents in this scenario? I dunno, you could still have them be abducted by Targent, that’s pretty vital to Descole’s motivation, but maybe by canon day they’re long since dead. Mostly because this is late in the game and introducing Layton’s biological parents now as completely new characters who were just…part of Targent or something would feel really rushed and more like a cop out than anything else

And also I think Descole being Layton’s brother is still a fine twist, I don’t think it really impedes either character in any major way (other than Descole trying to off Layton and co a few times, especially in Eternal Diva, but I can also just equate that to weird writing choices or Descole just having fits of insanity or something), it’s just Bronev that makes things a bit iffy, you know?

Anyways, I think I might have gotten a bit carried away there. Bottom line, I feel like maybe it would have worked better if he wasn’t

[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!

[foxesandcookies]

My Create Original PL Au’s Challenge

Cookie: If there’s one consistent thing I do with stories that I like, it’s making au’s. Fox is never surprised whenever I conjure a new one up, and she’s always joking that she hates it when I do it because she starts to get intrigued. I wondered how creative I could be with making PL au’s, so I decided to make this challenge where I make a bunch of em and just see how original I can be.

Here’s how it’s gonna work: I’m gonna make a list of au ideas and try to be as original as I can AND try to make it appealing to the audience. If anyone sees this, then give me a 1-10 rating on creativity. I will warn you, this is VERY long. Some of them are pretty sad, and I have no regard for spoilers. With that, here we go!(NOTE: I’m not doing this for any credit, I just wanted to test myself.)

1. Goodbye, my guardian angel. In the near end of AL(around the time Descole runs away to the Azran Sanctuary with the key to the Azran and is intercepted by Bronev.), it is revealed that Aurora is not the Azran emissary, but instead, the Azran emissary is supposed to be a human of Azran descent and that she was supposed to protect him/her until the sacrifice was made. By grabbing the Azran key in it’s full completion, she can guarantee that the emissary is none other that Luke Triton, which explains that his ability to talk with animals was a trait once shared by the Azran due to complicated technology. Bronev orders Emmy to take Luke, just as before, but they don’t bring Aurora. Everything comes in full swing just like before, except that despite Emmy’s pleading, Bronev sacrifices Luke(ew, gory) and the golems are revealed. Everyone sacrifices themselves as before, in which Aurora revives them, all but except Luke, who didn’t die because of the lasers. Aurora knows of a different way to revive him, but it will kill her in the process. She’s still willing to do it, Luke wakes up, and the scene where he says goodbye to her is the same, except that she tells him to stop crying, as he should be happy that her true purpose was fulfilled.

2. Hershel Layton’s Father Instead of Layton’s dad being Bronev, his dad is actually the figure known as Jean Descole. Descole never figured out that Hershel was his son until he bumped into Desmond. For backstory, only Hershel’s dad was kidnapped by Targent, but by the orders of Targent’s leader, Bronev. Descole figures out that his wife died, and assumed that his baby boy, Desmond died as well, and became Bronev’s arch nemesis. In reality, Rachel lived for awhile before she got ill; Targent never laid a hand on her. She gives birth to Hershel, but dies during the process. Both babies are distributed by different families. Despite the huge family reunion in AL, Hershel disowns his father, but willingly accepts Desmond as his brother and fellow archaeology enthusiast.

3. Welcome to the Family, Clive When Clive’s parents die during the lab explosion, he is not adopted by Constance Dove, like what happened during the games. Instead, he is adopted by none other than………...Bill Hawks.

4. Brenda Triton becomes Brenda Layton Like the title says, Descole ends up killing Clark during LS, and Hershel gets stuck in a deep depression, feeling like the death of his friend was his fault, and that he made Luke lose his father. Brenda, with no way of making funds for herself, asks for a job from Dean Delmona, who makes her into a substitute teacher. She interacts with Hershel and his trio more often, and she shows a lot of gratitude to him and always does these nice things like clean his office(Because come on, children aren’t supposed to do that) or take over his class when he leaves. He enjoys her company, but he feels awkward. Going into Curious Village, Brenda takes care of Flora while the Professor is busy. When Flora is stranded in DB, Brenda comes to her aid and takes her home. At the end of DB, the Professor feels especially disappointed in himself, thinking that he really is betraying Claire after Antoine receives Sophia’s letter. However, at the end of UF, Hershel learns that Claire and Clark would not have wanted anything different than the both of them being together. After a some time, they both marry and Luke gets a new father and sister.

5. Just a Ghost in Your Head For the entire original trilogy, Luke is actually nothing more than the Professor’s imagination. Luke is meant to be there in order to represent the Professor’s true feelings and to have some company in his sad, painful adventures and mysteries. At the end of UF, the Professor doesn’t actually need Luke anymore, and Luke goes on a boat to “move away to America because of his dad’s job”, just like in the games. In relation to the prequel trilogy, it’s possible that Luke could have died in any three of the games, and that the Professor just conjured him up in his head after that in order to regain some sanity.(EXTRA NOTE: ME and my sis came up with this one after I saw a post about Luke Triton’s character where the person noted how Luke would sometimes express emotions that the Professor felt. I don’t know where it is though, I’m really sorry)

6. Triton Brothers Luke and Clive being brothers. In LS, at first Clive doesn’t pop up too much, but after noticing the comings and goings of his younger brother, crashes the party and eventually joins them. He doesn’t like the idea of Luke being on such “dangerous adventures” but what can ya do? In UF, Dimitri is the one with the giant I’m-gonna-destroy-London-yay scheme.

And there’s the list. Sorry for being wordy, Couldn’t help it. God bless you!