#LMJ rewrite
Note
For the Hurt/Comfort Dialogue prompts, maybe 8 or 25 (or both if you want to) for Laydore?
Thank you for the prompt! I don’t know how this became a rewrite of the LMJ anime, where Henry and Randall rescue Hershel and Luke earlier… but there you go. There are more Laydore moments later in the fic, I promise. I’m just incapable of writing a short AU.
Title: How to Save a Layton
Set: After the flashback scenes from the LMJ anime. I don’t entirely understand what happened with the Relic Stones plotline either but it doesn’t matter— Henry and Randall get there nine years earlier to rescue Layton and Luke from a cathedral cult. That’s all you need to know.
Spoilers: For Miracle Mask and the LMJ anime.
Inspiration: The song for Miracle Mask— How to Save a Life by the Fray.
Warnings: A swordfight and a little bit of blood but it’s not focussed on… and a cathedral, and hospitals… and Randall gets one swear, as treat.
“Hey! Are you… Randall Ascot? And Henry Ledore— from Monte d’Or?”
When the purple-haired woman recognised them, Randall almost preened himself. “That’s us!” Randall confirmed, flashing her a celebrity smile. “Can we help you with something, Miss…?”
Henry, saddled with their bags from the ship, was not so sociable.
He frowned as the young woman faltered at Randall’s query. Had she really forgotten her own name?Amnesia was not an impossible scenario, of course, but he and Randall had to be cautious.
If anything happened to Randall…
Mrs. Ascot might never recover. She couldn’t mourn Randall a second time.
Angela’s heart would be irreparably broken. She couldn’t lose another loved one.
Alfendi and Katrielle would grow up not just without their father, but without their favourite uncle.
Henry would not let that happen.
He stared at the woman. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, but something about her seemed older. Her dark blue eyes were shaded, and her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail— for work, perhaps…
But what kind of work required an ominous purple robe with a hood? It was a little early for Halloween costumes…
In Monte d’Or, the performers dressed up all year round for the parade, but there was no sign of such festivities here in Southampton.
Or, maybe Henry was just being cynical.
He had thought he was getting better— learning to trust others— in the years following Randall’s return… until Hershel went and Luke went missing.
Hershel had never been the most forthcoming person (much like Henry), but there was no way he would purposefully cut all contact with his family for two years.
Even after what happened in Stansbury, Hershel had still responded to Angela’s letter about the Masked Gentleman, rushing to Monte d’Or to help her.
For their latest investigation, Hershel and Luke had been collecting these Relic stones (Azran relics, Randall insisted), which had eventually led them to the Lestagiana Cave.
Henry and Randall had scoured said-cave from top to bottom. They had prepared themselves for the worst, but mercifully they hadn’t found any bodies. (Henry would have felt it in his bones if they weredead.)
No— Hershel and Luke must have left the cave, freely or otherwise. The pair hadn’t informed anyone of their next destination.
Their case had gone cold… until Flora uncovered a new clue at the British Library— pointing to a cathedral in Southampton.
Faster than you could say, ‘No risk, no glory!’, Henry and Randall had caught a ship to the city.
At the dock, they had been approached by the Mysterious Woman, and she had dragged them behind some wooden crates.
“I’m— Marina,” she finally answered, in a whisper. She paused for a moment, as if she was expecting some reaction from them.
“Right….” Randall nodded uncertainly. “Nice to meet you, Mari—“
“Shhhh!” Marina hissed, sweat beading on her face. She seemed to shrink in on herself, the robe pooling around her like purple sludge.
She poked her head out from behind the crates, glancing around the dock, before she looked back at them desperately. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“I have the worst memory,” Randall said sheepishly.
Henry didn’t have that excuse. He peered at Marina again, trying to pinpoint if he had ever seen her face.
Something about her was familiar…
Marina took another check around the dock, before she drew in a breath, straightened up and revealed softly, “I’m Luke’s wife. I was—“
“Really?” Randall hummed. “Hershel never mentioned Luke got hitched… Why weren’t we invited to the wedding?”
“I don’t know…” Marina huffed. “Maybe ‘cause you hung Luke off a high wire when he was twelve?”
“I beg your pardon?” Randall gasped, highly offended.
The jab had worked in Marina’s favour, though. Only a select few knew about Randall’s identity as the Masked Gentleman— Henry had made sure of it.
Henry gripped Randall’s arm. “I think she’s telling the truth,” Henry murmured. “Let’s hear what she has to say at the very least.”
Marina smiled at him with palpable relief. “Thank you!”
-
Marina Triton claimed that, two years ago, she had been captured by what was practically a cult in the local cathedral.
Hershel and Luke had surrendered to the cult in exchange for her life. Since then, both had been trapped beneath the cathedral,
Somehow, Marina had escaped, but she was currently at a sort of stalemate with the cult. She hadn’t gone to the police— who could very well be in cahoots with the cult— for fear they would kill Hershel and Luke.
“But now you’re here,” she told Henry and Randall, “and we can save them!”
Her story still raised several doubts:
How had she escaped? Were the cult members really so incompetent— or so unconcerned— that they would let her run around town?
Why hadn’t Marina attempted to reach out for help before now?
Henry couldn’t blindly trust her, but he wanted to believe her. That something he found so familiar was a resemblance to himself, he realised.
Luke and Hershel had set out to investigate an Azran relic and never returned. Marina was searching— fighting— ceaselessly for a way to bring them home, when the odds seemed stacked against her.
Then, Henry and Randall had come along, providing the opportunity she needed. Rather than shun them (as Henry had done to Hershel), Marina had extended her hand to them.
With no other leads, they agreed to accompany her… but not unarmed.
“I… I can’t use a sword,” Marina stammered as Randall passed her a spare épée.
“Maybe not, but you could still stab people,” Randall said brightly. “And if you are planning to double cross us at any point, don’t bother trying to stab me— Henry’s always got my back.”
In truth, Henry probably wasn’t much better than Marina. He and Angela had taken fencing lessons, at Randall’s behest, but Angela had picked it up faster than Henry.
Henry wasn’t sure if he could intentionally attack someone with a blade… but he would defend Randall until his dying breath, and he would do whatever he could for Hershel and Luke.
Marina agreed, hid the sword in her robe, and stared leading them to Cranscoll Cathedral.
The road to the cathedral was well worn and the surrounding land was barren.
As they walked, Randall wondered if they should disguise themselves at farmers, but Marina said there was no point— the cult most likely knew they were coming.
“How are we going to free Hershel and Luke from right under their noses?” Henry asked in a low voice.
“Between the three of us, we’ll be unstoppable,” Randall boasted loudly, “as long as no one betrays us!”
Marina frowned at him. Randall winked.
At the end of the road, Cranscoll Cathedral loomed before them. Its towers and steeples seemed to hold up the grey sky.
The cathedral was nowhere near as large or as sprawling as the Akbadain ruins… but still. Where would they supposed to start searching for Hershel and Luke?
Marina snuck them through the front building (the ‘façade’, she called it) and through a courtyard with a garden, enclosed by stone walls on all four sides.
Henry frowned; if they needed to flee and the entrance was cut off, they would be in trouble.
Henry would willingly give Randall and Marina a boost over the wall, but he knew Randall wouldn’t abandon him…
While Henry steeped in worry, Randall was more fascinated by the fountain in the centre of the courtyard. He had dropped his épée and knelt down to investigate. Henry guarded him from behind.
“W-what are you doing?” Marina sputtered as Randall poked at a brick at the base of the fountain.
“Looks like old Hersh left us a puzzle,” Randall chuckled. He pointed down at the stone tiles.
Henry’s eyes widened as he noticed; there were grooves between the tiles, rather like in the mummy chambers of Akbadain.
Hershel couldn’t have predicted Randall would be the one to rescue him, could he?
It wasn’t that they had drifted apart, but Hershel had definitely become… busier since he adopted Katrielle, on top of Alfendi.
The trip from London to Monte d’Or was at least six hours, and there were other people Hershel could depend on— Flora, Emmy, his brother…
“This might buy us some time if we’re cornered,” Randall breathed. He pulled the brick away and picked his sword up as a stream of water shot out.
Henry and Marina followed him as he sprinted to the end of the courtyard. By that point, the water had filled all of the grooves. Titling his head, Henry realised that they had formed the outline of a top hat.
No doubt about it— Hershel really was here!
Water kept flooding the courtyard. Hopefully, that would impede anyone behind them.
“Come on!” Randall cried. He stormed up to the inner-cathedral and kicked open the doors. Henry and Marina ran after him.
Inside were chandeliers, rows of pews, and a golden alter… where an old priest in flowing white robes awaited them.
“We’re here for Professor Layton and Luke Triton,” Randall demanded without preamble. Henry cringed. (He would have opened with a little more tact!)
“I’m terribly sorry,” the priest said, twiddling his thumbs, “but I’m not sure who—“
“Bullshit.” Randall aimed his sword in the man’s direction. “Release them, right now, or I’ll rip this place apart.”
The priests’s face darkened. “We still have need of the professor and his assistant,” he said slowly. “But you three will become mulch for the garden—“
“You mean the swimming pool outside?” Randall quipped.
The priest barked, “Get them!”
Two… four… six cult members— each wielding swords of their own— suddenly appeared. Henry raised his sword. He stood back to back with Randall and Marina as they were surrounded.
“W-Wait!” Marina cried, throwing her empty hands up. “I brought them here, so you could— coulddispose of them—!”
“Saw this coming,” Randall muttered.
“P-please— I don’t want to die!” Marina sobbed, shaking like a leaf. Henry scowled at her.
Some of the cult members glanced at each other. One— who sounded like a young man— called, “Sir? We could keep her around— she’s good at cleaning!”
“We’ll need someone to fix the garden,” another grumbled.
“Very well,” the priest agreed impatiently. He flicked his hand at Marina. “Get out. Start working on that garden.”
“Y-yes, Sir!” Marina gasped. “Thank you!”
Two of the cult members stepped aside, allowing her to escape. Marina bolted out of the building without a backwards glance at Henry and Randall.
Randall clicked his tongue and shook his head. He addressed the priest again. “Did you brainwash these people or something?”
“We are all here to serve a noble cause,” the priest stated, “except for you—“
“What cause would that be, exactly?” Randall asked, mimicking the priest’s lofty tone of voice. Henry couldn’t help smiling.
The priest snarled, “That’s none of your concern—“
“It is when it concerns Azran relics,” Randall bragged, buying them time. “I happen to be one of the world’s leading experts! Who do you think discovered the treasure of Akbadain?”
“Wasn’t that Hershel Layton?” one cult member pointed out.
“No, it was me!” Randall insisted.
Technically, Hershel was the first, Henry thought. And I was responsible for removing the treasure…
The priest snapped, “I don’t give a damn—!”
“Blasphemy!” Randall gasped.
“Just kill them already!”
At the priest’s command, the cultists surged at Randall and Henry with their swords.
Randall parried three of them with ease. Henry had a harder time; he countered one attacker, but had to dodge another two. He grunted with pain as a sword grazed his lower leg.
“Watch out, Henry!” Randall called. Randall spun around and they traded opponents. One cultist screamed as Randall slashed his chest.
Henry winced. He could feel his leg bleeding, but he stood his ground, keeping the cultists at bay.
He didn’t know how long they could keep this up…
There was a startled yell from the alter. “S-stop!” the priest said in a strangled voice.
The cult members froze. Randall lunged towards the three closest to him. They leapt back, letting go of their swords. The trio nearest Henry did the same.
Henry and Randall grabbed all of the swords, before turning to the alter.
Marina had crept back in, perhaps through a side entrance. Currently, she had her own sword pressed against the priest’s neck.
He spluttered to his minions, “Don’t just stand there—“
“T-take us to Luke and the professor!” Marina ordered.
Randall looked around at the cult members. “You heard her, lads!”
They had done it…
Henry sighed with relief and swayed on the spot.
“Whoa— Henry! Don’t die on us now!”
“It’s just a scratch, Randall…”
Marina kept restraining the priest as the cultists unearthed a secret staircase in front of the alter.
Randall— being the strongest— then traded places with Marina. He dragged the priest down the stairs at sword-point. Marina and Henry went after them.
Hidden below the cathedral was what Henry could only describe as a tomb.
By all outward appearances, the tomb appeared primitive, but within… there was technology that far surpassed human imagination.
Glowing blue veins (very Azran-y) lined the walls and the floor. There where two pods at either end of the tomb…
And inside the pods were two figures, seemingly alive but frozen in sleep.
“We’ve found them,” Randall choked out.
-
After forcing the priest to open the pods, they contacted the police and the paramedics.
The cultists were all arrested, while their comatose friends were rushed to the nearest hospital.
Henry, Randall and Marina also rode in the ambulance. One of the paramedics bandaged Henry’s injured leg.
He and the other two refused to leave Hershel and Lukes’ sides— right up until they reached their hospital rooms.
Marina went with Luke. Henry and Randall went with Hershel.
As Randall tried to explain to the doctors what on Earth Hershel had been through, Henry sat at Hershel’s bedside.
A nurse had removed Hershel’s top hat and placed it on a small table next to the bed.
In all these years, Henry had never seen the adult Hershel without his hat. (Randall had come close to stealing the hat on several occasions, but Hershel was always too quick for him.)
Obviously, Hershel treasured this hat, just like Angela with her necklace and Henry with his toy robot.
Where had the hat come from? Henry had never thought to ask, and now he might never get the chance.
Henry watched Hershel like a hawk as the heart monitor slowly beeped in the background. It proved Hershel was alive, but Henry still couldn’t hear or see him breathing.
Hershel was as still as the statues left by one of the Masked Gentleman’s dark miracles.
Henry glanced up as Randall re-joined them.
“The doctors have never seen anything like… this….” Randall gestured to Hershel. “Azran cryogenics…? Hershel said they found the Azran emissary frozen in ice years ago, but she was… different.” Randall shook his head with frustration. “Argh! Who knows what kind of— of lasting effects that technology could have on humans!”
“I know it’s frightening,” Henry murmured, “but at least they’re here now.”
“You’re right…” Randall sighed. “Sorry— I’m just— not used to this… this…”
“Waiting?” Henry supplied, with the ghost of a smile.
Randall nodded. The two of them were quiet for a few moments, observing Hershel.
When the silence became too much, Randall declared, “I should… go call Hershel’s kids— and Angela. She’s probably worried sick! And Luke’s parents— Marina probably knows their number, right?”
Henry shrugged. “Probably?”
“Let me know immediately if Hersh wakes up, okay?” Randall said.
Randall grabbed Hershel’s hand from under the bed covers. “Do you hear me, Hershel Layton? I want to know as soon as you wake up!” He squeezed Hershel’s hand before he tore out of the room to find a telephone.
Henry sighed. Angela would be overjoyed to learn of the rescue, but doubtless, she would have a lecture for Randall about the risks they had taken. (It was worth it, for Hershel and Luke.)
The Layton family would rush to the hospital as soon as they heard the news. It would still be upsetting, seeing Hershel and Luke in this state…
Flora and Alfendi could handle it, but maybe they shouldn’t let Kat in this room until Hershel showed signs of recovery—?
The beeping increased slightly. Henry’s eyes widened as he heard a faint breath.
“Luke…?” Hershel mumbled. He had been lying on his back, but he turned over in bed. He blinked his eyes open.
Squinting at Henry, he struggled to sit up. “Henry—?”
“Hershel!” Henry cried, beaming like a fool. He didn’t hug Hershel, as Randall would have done, but he settled for grasping Hershel’s shoulder. “Luke is safe— you’re both safe now, I promise!”
“What happened?” Hershel croaked. “How… long has it been?”
“You’ve been missing for two years,” Henry revealed gently.
“What about Kat? Alfendi and Flora? How are they?”
“They’re all fine. They’re still in London, but they’ll be here soon. Randall went to call them.”
“Thank you…” Hershel breathed. He lifted his hand to his bare head. “Ah…”
“Your hat!” Henry stumbled to the beside table.
“Your leg…” Hershel pointed at Henry’s bandages.
“It’s nothing— here!” Henry handed him the hat.
“Thanks!” Hershel repeated, with newfound energy. He returned the hat to his head. (All at once, everything felt right with the world again.)
“I’m going to ask you how you are now,” Henry said, reassuming his seat, “and I would like you to answer me honestly, please.”
“Honestly?” Hershel sighed. “This all feels like déjà vu…”
“Tell me about it…” Henry chuckled. “I’m just glad you weren’t missing for eighteen years!”
Hershel smiled at him, though he looked uncertain. “I did wonder… if you would find us— you and Randall, I mean.”
“We…” Henry hesitated, swallowing. “I owed you that much, after everything you’ve done for us.” He gave Hershel’s shoulder an awkward pat— an apology, an acknowledgement, and affection, all rolled into one.
Henry sighed. “I’m only sorry we didn’t get there sooner—“
The hospital door flew open. “Hen!” Randall hollered. “Henry— Luke’s awake!”
When he saw Hershel, Randall froze.
A frantic Luke Triton shoved past him. “Professor…!”
“Hey—“ Randall protested. “Get in line, Luke!”
Marina appeared in the doorway. She giggled as Randall and Luke threw themselves at Hershel’s bed.
Henry was content to hover at the side of the bed, until Randall pulled him into the hug too.
“Please,” Henry wheezed, as his face was squashed into the crook of Hershel’s neck. “No more disappearances from now on?”
Hershel huffed out a laugh. “Agreed!”
#Professor Layton#Henry Ledore#Randall Ascot#Marina Triton#Hershel Triton#Luke/Marina#Layton/Luke#Laydore#What do you mean the Stansbury gang didn’t rescue Layton?#Pl au#My fics#answers#How do we get the two lost emotionally repressed characters to have a heart to heart…?#Thanks I ship Laydore now#LMJ rewrite#Henry can relate to Marina
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theres a meme between me and a friend where he would stop me anytime that I mention an eventual katrielle rewriting
I think I would be more at peace with LMJ if they re-wrote it to actually be good.
You remember that case where a cop frames Katrielle for literal murder just because he was jealous of his coworker? And even after he got caught, the game still tried to convince you that he was a good person actually?
I remember
#or maybe i don't. it's been a while since i played LMJ#i remember not liking it though :“^]#i remember spending most of my time dressing up Katrielle as Flora and pretending this is a Flora game#and Level-5 haven't forgotten about Flora#Katrielle herself is fun and goofy and silly. but man i wish she was in a better game#Zakariask
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Finished replaying Spectre's Call/Last Specter and man...
The story feels not very focused but rather all over the place. No wonder it's seen by many as the least best in the series (I am completely ignoring LMJ's existence here)
I think with a bit of a rewrite of two character's motives and also restructuring the first 4 chapters (+ prologue), the game wouldn't be as bad as it is...
#Professor Layton#Spectre's Call#Last Specter#maybe I also write down what exactly I have in mind#but not feeling doing that right now#habitalk
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📝!!!!
📝- if you could rewrite an entire character arc/ plot point/ the way things went down in canon, what would you change and how?
aside from the obvious change-everything-about-the-anime/lmj, i'd probably change des a little bit.
i feel like being bros couldve been foreshadowed better tbh. while i do think what we were given,,, is fine. but descole couldve offhandedly mentioned something only layton would know or give him a warning like "you dont know what youre getting your self into". idk how to explain it but i think it would establish that he's more than just some dude in a feather boa prancing around who just so happens to be someone from laytons past but it'd also play up the anti-hero aspect of his character.
i think descole is a fun character but i think level 5 was makin the shit up as they went along
ALSO!!!! make the masked gentleman more cunty/give him more screen time
#askfendi#<- came up with this name today ^_^#anyway yeah thats what i would change abt the main line series#if i went into what id change abt katrielles game it would be a waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer post#id have to link a google doc and consult my associates*#*my fwiends :3#id have to be peer reviewed and everything
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Kinda a long ramble about Layton stuff that goes nowhere, but tl;dr I’m doing my annual Layton replay and have big PL brain ‘cause of it... buuuutttttt even though I’ve been doodling a lot I don’t have any motivation to neaten stuff so you may see new art posts here, maybe not.
But here this is proof!! A small compilation of some of the doodles with colour lol
I’ve started chapter 5 of PL6 after the longest chapter in existence kdfgkj but I’m having fun still.
This time round I’m including LBMR (but I gotta pay for the eps again, rip) and LMJ (which I liked but never actually finished).
I think afterwards I’ll also sit and watch the anime in it’s entirety. I only watched 6 episodes to find out what happened to Layton (& Luke??) ‘cause the game that introduced the mystery did not answer it... it makes me wonder if they planned to answer it (and Sherl’s mystery) in a follow-up game, like as an overarching story similar to the prequel trilogy or if it was always their intention to be done in the anime... either way I have complicated feelings about that story-line (and I’m not huge on what they did with Paul/Don Paolo).
But then I’ve had problems with Level 5′s writing in a lot of instances including in my favourite games of the series so what can you do lmao.
ANYWAY...
...Since getting back into the series I remembered a lot of takes that just... I don’t know... I didn’t vibe with? And honestly seeing a lot of takes going around now... I don’t think I’d connect with the fandom very well lol;;
I remember when people had their pitchforks raised at Layton because he investigated Henry as a suspect in PL5, but did not bat an eye when he investigated literally anyone else - or even Clark in PL4 despite their history.
ALSO people made assumptions about my opinions based on AU art I did which was kinda annoying... like they thought I was trying to redeem Bronev or down play what he did. Like nah, son... I still think he’s a villain?? I just don’t think he was a bad dad PRE!Targent because that’s what the game showed us.
Speaking of bad dads... lol I don’t... I don’t think Layton is one OOPShgfdj;; LIKE... when it comes to Flora, it was fandom’s interpretation that she was now his daughter. Now don’t get me wrong I LOVE that headcanon... but officially she’s just a protege... or worse in the japanese version... a bride candidate... yeaaaaaah no. When it comes to Kat? Well it took a while to get there but what he did, even if it was a bad decision, he did for her... so as much as I’d rewrite what happened... I dunno I just don’t really like that idea and I’m frankly tired of it where is does happen in media.
There’s just too much I don’t agree with that I’m worried about how my art would be received if I posted any again;;
I literally don’t know what I’m ranting about anymore anyway keep any PL female character slander away from me (rants about LEVEL 5′s writing of them is acceptable).
#*personal post#*don't reblog#*delete later#???#my art peaked a long time ago and has not improved and sometimes has gone backwards#especially when i look at some of my last layton pieces waaah#been going through the 3ds data files too looking at models and stuff which is fun lol
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one day i’ll genuinely have the energy to write all my Paul rewrites in a way that’s easily understandable. as opposed to my ramblings that don’t rly connect w anything.
you will ALL witness my crimes one day. i just have to find the energy to write about it all in a document.
yes im forever mad at how poorly they handled don paolo. he could’ve been such a fun bastard of a character but noo... they turned him into a plot device instead and t makes me so sad
like tell me when paolo shows up in a story where he’s NOT used to further the story. in curious village he showed up to be introduced and then in a way helped lead the way to Flora’s birthmark being revealed, in Diabolical Box he was only included to remove Flora from the story (trust me i’ll rewrite her one day. i kin her how could i not lol) and then to allow Layton and Luke to find the box by leaving it behind somhow. and then in Unwound Future he’s only included in the story to have Laytons plan work and then to allow Layton and Luke to reach the fortress.
Even in the LMJ anime he was just used to get Layton and Luke teamed up again. Atleast in London Life he was the main driving force behind it, the whole plot in that was because he wanted to stop a meteor.
Still tho. It fucking sucks and I will do him (and flora eventually) justice mark my words cowards
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So the LMJ anime is going to adapt some of the stories from the game
Cookie: I know It’s kinda weird(the transition was offputting) but to be honest, like my review thing said, I feel that whoever’s writing the anime has a better grasp of how Katrielle’s world/story is supposed to be, so It’s nice that they’re rewriting some of the stories in the game. The Ratman story was one of my favorites, but it was still lacking just like the other “episodes”. I feel like the anime’s version was more superior, showing us more about Ratboy and his looks/story, the crook Ratman saved, added more stakes, and actually showed us Chance’s wife + more character development! It wasn’t perfect, but it was much better than the game’s version(in my opinion) and is now my favorite episode(though Diabolical Dress is close). I’m kinda excited for the other adaptations(crossing my fingers for the Lord Adamas case: easily the best one but had A LOT of issues).
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Preview:
Alba yelped, “Los, los, LOS—!” as Kat pushed off with the bike, peddling like their lives depended on it. Alba’s arms wrapped around Kat’s waist.
Wind flew in Alba’s face, freeing her hair and stealing her hat.
Through streaming eyes, she saw Ernest riding alongside them with Sherl in his bike’s basket.
Then, they were speeding downhill— down the steep same road the bus had taken on their route here— and Alba almost fell back— into a forest—
“Don’t—!” cried Kat. (That was Kat!) “Don’t let go!”
-From the next chapter of Clarity, an AU in which Aurora’s reborn self joins the search for Layton, Luke and the Relic Stones
#Aurora azran#katrielle layton#It’s time for some Azran memories to resurface#Clarity#PL AU#Sort of a LMJ anime rewrite with Aurora & Desmond and maaaybe Emmy thrown in#My writing#preview#my fics
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MJ, if you can rewrite the PL series (including MR and LMJ), what will you change?
(Thanks, Anon. I know overall we should just enjoy the series for what it is. If I was writing a series of 6 games I couldn’t do any better, but at the same time there’s nothing wrong with making suggestions, is there…?)
Curious Village is perfect for the first game. Pandora’s Box is great… Lost Future is amazing, aside from Flora’s part in that game. Either give her a decent role or don’t include her at all.
On its own, Spectre’s Call is fine. The only reason I can think of why some fans took issue with the plot is that we went from saving London from a giant robot to saving a small town from a smaller robot. That sense of grandeur is gone. They could’ve included more hints of the Azrans’ importance, more hints to Emmy’s past and maybe even stuck Desmond Sycamore in there as an NPC we meet early on. Maybe he could express concern after Layton’s fight with the spectre robot. You know, the fight where Descole tried to squash his baby brother.
As it’s a movie, Eternal Diva is already a little detached from the rest of the series. Despite this, I think it has one of the best plot lines overall. The concept of reincarnation would return in Azran Legacy. Again, we’ve got Descole trying to blow up his younger brother… It would’ve been telling if Descole implied he was trying to save Whistler’s daughter as he had lost his own daughter. But NOPE, I guess he just wants Ambrosia for himself. I don’t know where you would’ve included Desmond Sycamore here. Raymond doesn’t even make an appearance. As for Emmy… We do see her getting stuff done on her own, so maybe a shady phone call would’ve piqued our interest? The word Azran isn’t even mentioned in the English version of the movie.
The Azran are frequently mentioned during Miracle Mask. There’s mention of a shady group who wanted to visit Layton in the past and Roland’s acting a bit suspicious, so props to that. As MM was the penultimate game, it seems like they finally had a direction they wanted to take the overarching plot in. Targent are introduced in this game. We have Layton and Descole working together with the masks. For the first time, Descole’s plans are shown as going much deeper than MWAHAHAHA LET’S DETROY EVERYTHIG. Even Emmy acts out of character when she pokes fun at Grosky with Bloom’s presence in the room. Overall, MM’s plotline is brilliant… I just wish they’d shown Randall getting some form of punishment, even community service! Also, WHY BOTHER BRINGING UP ANGELA’S BROTHER?
Then we come to the clusterf*ck of plot twists that is Azran Leagcy. The first half of the game, from Froenburg to London, is the stronger half in my opinion. We get Aurora, Targent’s reintroduction, an awesome chase through the sky, suspicions about Professor Sycamore and allusions to the past Azran legacies in Kodh. Oh no, Targent now have control of these legacies! You’d think Luke would be worried for his friends back in Misthallery or Layton would be worried about about Randall and co. But those earlier characters don’t get so much as a passing mention. Way to make the games feel disconnected. People always complain about how the egg hunt portion of the game drags… Why didn’t they spice up this portion by having cameos from old friends in each location? Even as NPCs with no effect on the plot! It would’ve been great to see the Barde siblings in San Grio or the Monte d’Or gang in Mosinnia. And they could refer to forgotten plot threads - like Angela’s brother or Randall’s lack of punishment.
Or if not old characters, at least they could’ve built up the twists from the ending. Emmy or Desmond acting suspiciously. Emmy wondering about her future. You don’t even find out about Emmy joining the World Times In the game - you get that from a guidebook. And Bronev being everyone’s dad and suddenly sympathetic? That has to feel earned. A scene of him mentoring Emmy would’ve fixed that.
That’s enough about AL. Mystery Room is its own thing, but could’ve made more references to Layton since the Layton name is in the title. I have a soft spot for it. I wanted to see more of the new characters and the new mechanics with the Reconstruction Device. Either let it be a Layton game or be its own thing. Go all out with the mechanics and even the gore!
I feel the same way about LMJ. Thankfully, we do get a lot more of Kat and the new characters, but fans felt deceived because the marketing built up that LMJ was a continuation of the series with a new protagonist. “Kat’s looking for her missing father!” “Luke has some relation to Kat!” “Kat’s mother is part of the story!” …They could focus on these points more in future instalments, which is fine. But why put some much emphasis on them so early on? If they want Kat to go on fun, comedic adventures, that’s fine! If they want to return to the grand, plot-twist riddled adventure format, that’s fine too. Let LMJ and MR be what they’re meant to be…
But really, would it have hurt to give Luke a small cameo? Or Flora?
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