An idea for a Laura rewrite
The gang talking about their previous experiences with Xana casually and Laura just getting increasingly more concerned these people’s sanity-
Laura: first day This is so cool! :D
Laura: A week in …Jesus Christ- are y’all okay???
lol for sure I've thought about this with William before, since he was originally only with them for less than a day there's no way he could know everything so I like to imagine that everyone keeps casually talking about Lyoko-related stuff he's never heard of before and he's secretly very confused all the time and just can't show it or ask questions because it'll hurt his pride. I was going to draw some little scenes of that years go with questions like "Odd is a cat? I thought he was more of a dog person." "They keep talking about something called Kankrelats, I think that's a monster? But I have no idea what they're like so I'll just nod along." "Who is Franz Hopper? Oh thank you Laura for asking, now I don't have to- nope they're refusing to answer, dammit." I'm not sure if I saved any of the sketches but here's a recreation of one.
But yeah on the serious side, I love the potential of Laura's character in exploring how much the gang have been impacted by their experiences. Kinda like Taelia I guess: they drag a normal girl into a dangerous situation and she gradually realises how messed up it all is, has a very normal reaction to that realisation, and is shunned by the gang for it because they're so used to things being that way.
On the other, more lighthearted (?) hand it could definitely be played for comedy if it leans into the way the show likes to brush off traumatising events as no big deal, like Laura hears "XANA took control of the weather and kept lowering the temperature in an attempt to freeze the city to death. I thought Yumi had died in my arms but she was ok" and she reacts with horror and sympathy like a normal person would, but no, the gang are genuinely unaffected by it because this is a kids' show and we can't traumatise them for real.
