#clive.

[prologist]

TEAM  LAYTON  PART I.              THE  CURIOUS  VILLAGE  :  FLORA  REINHOLD  &  LUKE  TRITON  .  FLORA,  GOLDEN  APPLE  AND  ADOPTED  DAUGHTER  .  LUKE,  APPRENTICE  AND  GOD  SON  .  THE  UNWOUND  FUTURE  :  CLIVE  DOVE  &  CLAIRE  TOMPSON  .  CLIVE,  CRIMINAL  AND  PROSPECTIVE  PROTEGE  .  CLAIRE,  LONG-TIME  GIRLFRIEND  AND  LAB  ASSISTANT  .

[godmechanic]

“People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, "If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing." I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other.”

— C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”

[prologist]

LET’S TALK ABOUT CLIVE DOVE

okay, first of all, layton doesn’t hate clive. he believes what clive has done is reprehensible, but in light of symbolism, clive is essentially a young anti-layton. somewhere in his mind, hershel is aware of that. although clive presents himself under the guise of being a future luke, he’s the exact opposite (present anti-layton). his investigative skill, his puzzle-solving ability, his engineering genius, his obvious cunning: it’s all layton! keep in mind that clive is only twenty-three when his plan comes to fruition, but he’s been working on it for years. 

on top of that, he’s also orphaned, having run into layton the day that that happened. and after the realization that clive is just as much a victim as he is a criminal, layton wants to aid in his rehabilitation. his reintegration into society. it could easily be argued that clive is severely mentally ill, based on how he has a clear caring for the professor, as well as spring and cogg, but despite that wanting to exact revenge on the whole of london anyway?? if anything, that’s what allows him back into society. he also admitted to being blinded by his “madness” (this terminology isn’t a mistake, mentally ill people can be very aware that there is something wrong yet be powerless to it. and since professor layton technically takes place in an older london, “madness” gleans to the fact that clive is ill). when he’s cuffed, clive not only mentions that he will willingly atone for his crimes but that part of him hoped that hershel could talk him down from the edge of insanity as he had the day that he lost his parents. 

anyways, after the events of unwound future, layton essentially adopts clive as well, although he’s only ten or so years older than he is. he feels responsible for his integration back into society and his coping with his feelings. of course layton doesn’t take this responsibility on himself, but makes it clear to clive, as well as everyone else, that he is going to be here for the long haul.

ugh, professor layton. caring king. 

[backwaternoble]

on one hand, i like the idea of lukas being childhood friends with clive and clair, but on the other hand, that means he would have grown up knowing fernand on at least an acquaintance level, so it’s unrealistic given that they get along so horribly in the game timeline. not to mention that lukas would see clair and clive’s familial love for fernand and feel like he was an unintentional rival to fernand, much like he’s always been an unintentional rival to his brother. he doesn’t want to cause that kind of conflict, generally, so i think that even if lukas’ family knew clive and clair’s, he would try to maintain his distance.

now that fernand has crossed over to rigel’s side, however, lukas has taken the opportunity to get closer to them both. he and clive disagree on several points, but lukas does care for him and see him as a smart man who inspires him to do better. more importantly, i like to think that clair becomes something like the close sibling he never had. they have similar interests and share the same open mind, and lukas grows fonder of her as she matures under alm’s leadership.when clive can’t be there for her, lukas is, and occasionally sheds his uptight skin in her company.