Gah sorry I was gone from the forum for a while, but I was working on this and I hope it is worth reading. These are my ideas on how we can incorporate the college idea and the idea for the main story and I have also included a simplified version of the main story which is kind of more like a backstory though (its similar to the original idea but I changed some things to make it both easier to understand and so it fits in with the genre better.) I will be posting my ideas for some scenes later (sort of as demos of my script writing skills). If anyone else has ideas for possible scenes please share them as well.
Okay, how about we start with a little "memory" episode in which Layton REMEMBERS his first few college days (this is where we incorporate the college idea and him meeting Clark) and the memory ends and Layton is actually walking to the location of the crime scene in the main story. CUE THE INTRO (I have some vague ideas of how it should go:(somewhere outside so both nature and street scenery) *cue some kind of pretty music* (maybe dramatic piano) and intro starts. As the intro goes on, it focuses on him walking on the way to the location with wind blowing and maybe he passed a street vendor or something or kids playing basically walking through street scene. May need background voices and street sounds. Then the scenery changes to a more nature setting (he walks through a park?) and him deep in thought and and maybe it could be fall so we could have nice nature scenery and maybe he could be wearing a coat with a scarf flying behind him. Overall, what I'm going for here, is that something in his memory of his first few college days will help him solve the mystery in the main story. Maybe one of Warren Sangria's relatives or Warren's father was his classmate or something and he recalls meeting him when he was young. More on the intro:This form of an intro will only be applies to the first episode or any episodes that starts with some kind of action (like an early chase scene) just because I think walking/running fits well with music and I especially like when there is a chase scene, but its kind of slowed down and instead of hearing the characters making unattractive cursing and grunting sounds there is soft but suspenseful music playing (An example would be how in Diabolical Box When Layton and Anton are having their sword fight there in nice violin music playing. If anyone needs to see it:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrUZLZnh1cM ) Also, the opening of this anime is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL (I've watched this series). I just wanted to share so maybe we could get some ideas. I couldn't find a video of only the opening so its 0:00-2:45 in this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=na9GxDuuD00Also, I have written a slightly edited "simplified" version of the plot that was presented and I even have ideas for a few scenes that I will present later once I a done with them. Its kind of more of a backstory, but It changed the the main story a bit. I hate explaining stuff like this. Just go read it. I actually REALLY like the original idea for the main story though but its a little overcomplicated and some parts may be too dark or out of character for a usual Layton story.
LIKE:
1) the idea if making a 3 part OVA instead of a full length animated series. I like the idea of a sharp and tight storyline, but I was also looking foreword to having some fluffy scenes... So maybe we can include a few comedic or lighter scenes just so the story doesn't get overly dark?
2) The new characters. ^-^
DISLIKE:
1) not enough cannon characters are in this story. Cameos?
2) a but darker than the norm and a bit different from the other stories
3) I'm not exactly sure where puzzles fit into this plot... What will be the theme of the puzzles? Where do they go? Like the Black Raven medals in the last Specter, maybe Layton needs to collect some kind of objects to solve the mystery?
I have an idea, what if this story is one of Layton's first cases that takes place only several years after he became a university professor so in this story maybe for some part if it he won't have a sidekick so it will focus more on I'm and the Sangarias but then he realizes he can't handle such a case by himself so he gets a partner. Also, since he's only become a professor recently, the memory of Claire's death is still kind if fresh in his mind so we could do something interesting with that. Someone on tumblr suggested an idea where he gets put under a spell/ into a trance where he relives his worst memory (Claire dying) over and over again and someone has to snap him out if it. Maybe as an act of defense, when he is being chased,Warren throws some kind of magic powder on him (sucky idea lol) that puts him into that kind of dream/ trance and then Warren gets away.
4) This story (even with my rewritten version) focuses too much on Warren and needs more focus on the other characters, especially the canon ones.
Here is the simplified version/backstory that I wrote: (This is in chronological order though this is not the order in which I want the events to happen. Sorry this order is a little...confusing but I needed to get my ideas down.).
The Sangaria family had lived in a small town just outside London. One night, a "mysterious" fire occurred in which both Warren and Lydia's parents were killed and their house was completely burned down when the children had still been young (ages 8-10). Warren and Lydia are left completely alone to fend for themselves, but their neighbors show no compassion for the two children. The devastating fire causes suspicious rumors to arise about the family. There had always been rumors that their father (name to be decided later. for now lets just use "John" because its a simple name) had been doing shady things and practicing witchcraft and had thought of passing them down to his son. For this reason, the neighbors see Warren as a "damned child" and suspect him for causing the fire. Warren, even though he really didn't do it blames himself for their parent's death and decides to bring them back (not sure why??) so he decides to study necromancy like how his father wanted him to to try to bring them back. Layton knew his father in college. Lydia wanted to protect her brother so they ran away from the small town and ended up in an orphanage in London.
Warren's father was known to have taken part in shady business when they had lived in London and dabbled in the studies of witchcraft and necromancy. This eventually caused the family to lose money and move out of London into the small town. Their mother had been a nurse and many people said that marrying (name to be decided later. for now lets just use "John" because its a simple name) Sangaria had been her greatest sin. Overall, he neglected his family and often spent whole days cooped up in his study and sometimes disappeared at night into the forest and returned days later. Their mother had had tried to stop their father's ways, saying that he should try to support his family rather than sneaking into the forest at night to do who-knows-what. Overall, he did not pay very much attention to his family but gave special attention to Warren. John Sangaria had a keen interest in Warren and saw him as capable of carrying on his dark arts. Lydia was sad because her father paid more attention to her brother. On his 9th birthday, Warren's father took him into his study and tried to explain to him the basics of necromancy and how he would be a suited successor of his arts. After the moment in his study, when Warren walked out, Lydia asked him what he and his father had spoken about. Warren said that he had sworn not to repeat their conversation, but he had no interest in carrying on his father's shameful dark arts.
(I think they should both be 18 during the time of the main story.)
They both get discharged from the orphanage at age 18 and buy their own flat. With the new freedom, Warren decides that is is time to try out his experiment in bringing back the dead. The trouble that leads to Layton coming to investigate the case begins everal months later.
Warren's personality: (his personalty is pretty much explained in the main idea post by the other person. I'm just adding on to what they already have on him.) After the fire destroyed their house, Warren was left in shock. It was only later, after a couple of years, that he realizes that too many things had been left unsaid and too many secrets were still left shrouded in darkness for him to be able to fully let go of his parents. His main goal is to confront his father and find out why he had studied necromancy and often disappeared into the forest and what reason he had for wanting Warren to continue the practice. He announces to Lydia that he plans to abide by his father's wishes and study the dark arts two years after the incident. At first, she strongly disapproves but then follows later knowing that she would rather follow her brother down a path of darkness than lose him forever. He was always a bit of a troublemaker as a child and liked sneaking around and causing trouble. He lost his innocence when he began studying necromancy. To get "more in touch" with the spirits of the dead, he dresses only in dark colors and wears his gray cloak full time while Lydia only "special summoning clothes" before a summoning ceremony. The way Warren studies necromancy is by recovering his fathers old journals, the only thing that survived the fire. (In a way, more proof to fuel the rumors that the Sangaria family is demonic) and...maybe finding the pages full of codes that he does not understand. (MAIN PUZZLES FOR LAYTON) Sometimes when he is alone, lying with his father's journals and potent ingredients strewn around him, he asks himself if choosing the darker path had been the right choice. He prefers using charms to cast spells (this would make the "throwing powder at Layton to get him to see Claire's death over and over again" scene more plausible). The reason he is pale and has dark circles under his eyes is because he spends most of his time studying and practicing the contents of his father's journals and he rarely goes outside, usually only to practice a summoning. He has stopped wearing normal clothes and only wears gray cloaks since he began devoting himself to the study of necromancy. Besides the plot-relevant things, he likes literature and secretly enjoys it when Lydia takes him outside to fields full of flowers to "enjoy nature" even though he complains and says it hinders his work. He absolutely DESPISES Layton at first thinking that he is out to get him and ruin his plans. He has a stable relationship with his sister, but they have grown considerably distant since both are preoccupied with their own practices.Despite constantly dressing in gray, his favorite color is light blue.
Lydia's personality: Lydia wanted to protect her brother so they ran away from the small town and ended up in an orphanage in London. Lydia was mentally scarred by the loss of her family and is sometimes plagued by nightmares. She was afraid of things happening to her brother if they stayed in the small town because of the rumors going around. She was afraid that people might try to hunt both of them down and kill them if they stayed. Sometimes she has bad dreams about father and brother and both of them turning into evil monsters with red eyes or venomous snakes. She is smart and imaginative but often doubts herself. As a child, going along with Warren's ideas often got her into trouble.She gets a little nervous when she is alone hates not being paid attention to. As a child, she believed there was good in all people but that idea was somewhat shattered and bent when she heard that people were suspecting Warren. After Warren announced that he would begin to take up necromancy, she was hesitant to follow but eventually realized that it was her only choice and if she did not follow, it would lead to her brother being hurt and her being left alone again. Lydia eventually felt that studying necromancy alongside Warren was twisting her and making her into something harsh that she felt she could never be, so she decided to go study (whatever its called that's the opposite of necromancy) in secret.She is not shy if confronted by Layton and thinks that his help would be necessary for helping them solve the mystery. She is basically the "lighter" twin while Warren is the "darker one". Because of the color scheme, colors often associated with her are red, yellow/gold, and white. She likes flowers, girly things and the sound of piano music. ((I think her hair color should be changed from bright red to more of a dark reddish-brown that kinda looks more orange than in than it looks in the concept art.
the middle color
The last two colors in the first column as well as the last color in the second column and the yellow and green colors in the previous picture could be the color of her accessories.
Both of the children were heavily affected by their parents' deaths so that's the reason for their issues.
Their father's personality: Layton knew him college. (I don't know why but Imagine him to look like a handsomer older version of Warren with a similar hairstyle. As he gets older, the hairstyle stayed pretty much the same but he gets wrinkles under his eyes. overall, even though he's not a very nice guy HE IS HANDSOME and kind of looks Black Butler-ish...) He was studious, but he had interests in subjects such as magic and curses. Maybe Layton saw him reading once and told him that magic wasn't real so he got mad he wanted to prove him wrong? I don't really know. I kind of need help figuring what kind of personality this guy has....sorry.
Maybe their father was a necromancer and their mother was a (whatever its called) light magician?
The question's here are: Like in the main post, one of the themes is "magic is not real" so what could it be that fools both Warren and his father that their magic is truly genuine?
Why was their father involved in shady business, why did he practice witchcraft, and why did he decide to pass his work on to his son?
What caused the fire???
This has been my backstory/slightly modified version of the idea presented before. As you can probably see...I left out the parts I didn't understand in the original idea. I think that if we merge this backstory/modified version with the original and the college scene (Layton's memory) e can create a story that's emotionally fulfilling, comprehendable, and still fits in with the Layton genre (puzzles, music, mystery, cannon characters). So please help in developing these ideas!
I apologize for my long absence, but I hope my hard work has paid off! I hope you guys like this! ^-^ Please give suggestions and tell me what you think!
Edit: I'm not sure if the correct spelling is "Sangria" or "Sangaria" but I think the second one sounds better.