Every puzzle has a trick.

“Of course, Theodore! Why wouldn’t I be proud of you?” she brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. “All I could hope for is that you were happy and healthy. I regret not being there to make sure you always were.”

Ha ha. ‘Healthy’. This spot of imaginary parenting is really not going well for him, and he can feel distress surfacing in him like a submarine from the depths. Hershel does all he can to stuff it back down for now.

“Thank you, my sweet child. That means a lot.” She’d heard of her son’s success and triumphs. It was enough to make a mother proud. “You’ve grown up so much since I saw you last.”

“Ah... yes, I have, haven’t I?” Was this punishment for something? There were a few things that could come to mind with a bit of coaxing... Hershel merely adjusts his hat before offering a soft smile, concealing his mixed feelings on the matter.

Just having my family all together again is enough of a gift for me!

“Yes... together, again. Of course.” One of the issues of being somewhat disconnected from your own body was how your brain would occasionally throw phantom sensations at you. This had to be one of them. Right?

Don’t worry, it’s not for few more days.

......... Ten years of isolation really have done a number on him, it seems!

“I’m afraid we’ve got another lovely Son around, yet I’m uncertain on how to communicate with them— their multiverse seems far off from what I’m used to.”

“As you possess abilities I lack, could you give a try? They go by ‘Alfondee Burgerham’ I believe.”

“I could certainly try. I can only hope that there is a way for me to communicate with this new son, a way that differs from your attempts. Unfortunately, my powers are limited mostly to putting something that was in a different state up to four minutes ago...

“Evening—”

“Would you mind helping a fellow Layton with keeping their crumbling sanity around these parts?”