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an introduction to my top 2 <3

what even is Justy?

it's an mlm ship i created (in Oct '24) for the mobile
game Layton Brothers: Mystery Room.
the ship name "Justy" stems from their first names;
Justin and Dustin, more commonly nicknamed "Dusty."
this is, by all technicality a "crack ship," as both never
are shown to interact in canon, but i treat it 100% seriously
and have my reasons for believing they knew one another,
not as personally as i would like, but they had to have
been on neutral terms at the very least.
both of them have worked in the same place
for what seems like a long time, and would have gotten to know at least a bit about one another over the years, especially in Dustin's case.
(the title for this page also stems from a combination of their names; Scowers for Dusty, and Lawson for Justin.)

what's their dynamic? what are their personalities like?

Justin is a senior detective assigned to Scotland Yard, solving the mysteries behind unsolved rimes with his junior.
Unlike his calmer counterpart - the main protagonist of LB:MR - Justin is very traditional in his approach to solving cases, particularly interrogating, and prefers to use force (verbal or physical) in order to work through the problems he faces. He can be prone to letting his feelings bleed through, particularly anger, but he's passionate about his job and those he cares about. He puts a lot of trust in those he works with, and has gotten to know their capabilities well; but, is it for his benefit or theirs? Justin proves himself to be capable of disregarding the law as much as upholding it; in his interests, he acts against his coworkers in secret, causing the majority of the late-game events to occur, going as far as to attempt murdering his close friend -- but cannot commit to it. Justin isn't a cruel monster; he is shown to have both hesitation and remorse throughout the storyline. When he is eventually caught and arrested, he feels relief that the scheme he worked so hard to uphold finally comes crashing down upon him. It's implied that he meant a lot to his assistant, as there is a credit scene showing one of the main characters and Dusty comforting a crying Sniffer after Justin's untimely departure. Justin is not as moral as he comes across, and nor does he proclaim himself to be a "hero of justice." In the end, he's nothing but a human with a heart, and that stops him from perfectly executing his plans. He's grateful for it, too. Outside of that, he is shown to be relatively friendly within what's translated of the manga, if not to-the-point; but he's even shown calling a new assistant cute. It is canon that he either overworks or is overworked himself, as he remarks about not even having time to drink tea while at work.

"I've got a lot on my plate, so...I'm counting on you!" -- Justin in ch. 28 of the manga

Dustin, however, is a relatively minor character, working as the office's janitor, cleaning up after all the detectives and specialists spending their days within their building. For the little time he is shown on screen, he seems to have a laidback personality, taking everything that life throws at him in stride -- even when his younger brother ends up as a potential murder suspect in one of the game's cases. On the website, he is implied to be very knowledgeable about the police force, and his coworkers as an extension, but he seems to hide this knowledge. This is not explored much within the game, and I haven't quite looked into the manga, but I think the ambiguity of his character allows for a wide range of interpretations. I choose to see him as willfully silent, and someone who prefers to stay in the shadows of everything, in order to learn about others. Over the course of his janitorial career, he's acquired more knowledge than necessary about London's police and everything related to the work the inspectors do; crimes, criminals, motives and methods. He's been there for longer than most of the people recruited, anyway.

Justin and Dustin are opposites, and that's why I believe them to be such a good couple. Justin is imposing, and draws people's attention, while Dusty is quiet and unassuming, all the while implying just how much he really knows underneath the surface. Justin has much to hide, and it's likely he would be unsettled by the quiet knowledge Dusty seems to exude, but I think Justin would also be compelled to learn more about Dusty in order to protect himself. Of course, they end up learning more about one another because they end up genuinely interested. ;)

headcanon, facts & tropes

Age: Justin is canonically 36. Dusty is (headcanon) 32.
Orientation: Justin is exclusively gay; Dusty is bisexual with no preference.
Height: Justin: 6'2" / 188cm. Dusty: 5'2.5" / 159cm.
Nationality: Justin is Greek. Dusty is English.
Favorite dates?: Justin enjoys going out on nice dinners. Dusty prefers to travel abroad, or cozy up at home.
Who noticed the other first?: Dusty.
Who fell first?: Justin, absolutely.
Who's more affectionate?: They are both reserved in public, but privately, they are about on the same level.
Who's more romantic / plans dates?: Justin, although Dusty makes an effort whenever Justin lets him. They often collaborate.
Who's the one to listen to the other vent?: Dusty. Justin has a lot to say.
What are their love languages?: Justin values physical touch, quality time and words of affirmation. Dusty values gifts, quality time and acts of service.
Who's more jealous?: Justin is frequently jealous; Dusty is more "apathetic" and goes along with the flow.
Who said I love you first?: Justin, hello? (It nearly killed him; he's not that much of an affectionate guy. When it comes to Dusty, he cannot be normal nor nonchalant.)
Who apologizes first?: Dusty. Justin starts arguments.
How toxic/problematic are they?: It depends; they have the capability to be extremely healthy or not at all. In general, I don't think they would fall under the "problematic" label. No matter how they are presented, I think they're cute regardless (only if they end up together in some way, of course.)
Hugs or kisses?: Justin is nearly tied, but prefers kisses; Dusty enjoys receiving hugs.
A/B/O assignment: Justin is an Alpha, and Dusty is a Beta that has an even split between Alpha and Omega traits. I think they could be an Alpha/Omega couple, but I don't like the strict (and stereotypical) roles that their biology would enforce on them. (/lighthearted)
Who would kill for the other?: Justin.
Who would die for the other?: Justin as well, but Dusty as a close second.
Early morning vs late nights?: Dusty prefers getting up early, and sleeping early. Justin sleeps in on the weekends (as he can't during the week,) and stays up late at night with Dusty.
Who's needier?: Justin, as Dusty has always been self-sufficient. Although, Justin hides his need for connection from everyone else.
Who's a dog, who's a cat?: Justin is a dog; Dusty is a cat.
Who's got more money?: Justin makes much more (and spoils Dusty appropriately,) but Dusty manages his finances well and is better at saving.
Who's more of a workaholic?: Justin is, often taking on more than he needs to at work. Dusty was only a workaholic to survive.
Before one another, what were their relationships like?:
Justin had always struggled to come to terms with his sexuality, and his relationships with women were few and often fraught, as he ended up "losing interest" (being unable to disregard his comfort and lie to himself and his partner.) He'd been aware of his interest in men for years, including his old friend and colleague - who eventually ended up in a straight relationship, but no one had ever been close enough nor felt "right" to keep his interest. In the years that lead up to him and Dusty meeting, his life was filled with empty trysts with women and some men, but mostly a deep loneliness. Justin was severely unhappy with the state of his relationships, prior to this one.
Dusty never looked for a relationship before Justin; having his fun and not wanting to settle down. As he grew older, his carefree tendencies mellowed out and he considered starting a family, but brushed the idea off. Part of this was due to him raising his younger brother all by himself, as I headcanon their parents passed when they were teenagers. He didn't want to introduce a new figure into his brother's life that could leave any day, nor did he want to spend his free time on dating instead of resting and showing up for his brother. Dusty was so overworked that he had no time to consider how he felt his relationships before this one.
How do you think they should've/would've met romantically?: Justin was staying behind late to work on some cases he had to do. Dusty, at the time, was new to this job and was still a fresh face around the office. After a couple nights of seeing each other, they began to talk and build up a friendly relationship, eventually hanging out together outside of work because they enjoyed one another's company that much. Justin's feelings started to arise, and he attempted to pull away suddenly, fearing that Dusty would get a (heterosexual) partner or distance himself just as his friend did in the past. Dusty showed up anyway, seeing past Justin's defenses, and eventually drop more blatant hints about his true feelings, setting up the way for Justin's confession. ;)
If they were to part ways, what would it be over? Who would do it?: This is a tough question. I think Dusty would be most likely to stop being involved with Justin out of the two, and it would likely be because of the shady business Justin canonically entrenched himself in. Justin wouldn't want to break up with his first true love over anything, even if their relationship became more codependency than love, but he would do so in order to keep Dusty safe -- and would be grieving for the rest of his life, albeit privately. Dusty would wonder if he made the right choice years into the future -- and so long as Justin stays out of jail or trouble, they'd be likely to reconnect if Dusty was the one to break things off and reach out again. Alongside that, I can see Justin using his intelligence and the resources he has as an investigator to sort of stalk Dusty throughout life, as unethical as it sounds. He wouldn't do anything to harm him, but views it as a sick sort of protection. Their love is one of a kind to them both; it functions in a way that will push them together even if they try to separate. (They do not get to be separated in my world. Nope. Not at all.)
So, is their love by chance or was it always meant to be?: How they met is by chance; it could have been out in London, while on vacation or somewhere else. But the fact that they did meet was something bound to happen. They realize this a bit into their relationship, and depending on whether it's positive or toxic, it can comfort or entrap them.

what do they mean to you?

i can hardly put it into words. i love them so, so
infinitely much. i fully believe that their personalities
go so well that they could never be with anyone else.
they are and will forever be my #1 Layton ship
compared to anything else. they are why i
started writing for MYSELF, not others, and
allowed me to level up my writing skill and average
wordcount a huge deal. when i see
blue and purple, i think of them.
brunette and ginger couples? that's them.
i make a deal out of seeing them
wherever i go, and honestly, they just
reinforced my belief in true love
being out there for anyone and everyone.
love comes in unexpected forms and places,
and a big part of their love story for me was
that they had never expected to love each
other. yet, letting down their respective walls
and letting themselves love and be loved
was the best decision they could have
made for one another. when you find
your person, all the pain you've ever
experienced in the world becomes worth it.

I do ship almost everyone (and I mean almost EVERYONE, including them as individuals) in LB:MR together, but I believe they were made for each other alone. I support all Layton ships, but I am 100% committed to Justy as my favorite pairing.

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Pub: 09 Sep 2025 02:27 UTC

Edit: 20 Sep 2025 00:55 UTC

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