Welcome to the 2025 Summer
Professor Layton Gift Exchange!
A Small Gift Exchange/ Secret Santa for Professor Layton Fans!What is a Gift Exchange (aka Secret Santa)?
A gift exchange is a fun game where people draw/write gifts for each other over the course of ~2 months! You will be assigned a secret buddy, and you'll be given prompts to draw/write/create a piece for them. At the end of the event, everyone will reveal their gifts to their secret buddy. This is a fun way to spread fandom cheer throughout the holiday season, and draw gifts for people you may or may not know!Sign Ups are out and can be found here!: https://forms.gle/dN9CiShnUy5SsyD67
Rules + FAQ
Rules
- Please make sure your DMs are open to any of the event coordinators so we'll be able to DM you! Info about each event coordinators socials is in the "Team" tag on this website.
- This event is not NSFW- regardless if you're drawing a ship or not, please do not make your drawings/writings NSFW.
- No AI-generated writing or art will be permitted in this exchange.
- You can post your finished pieces between August 20th-August 31st! Keeping your artwork a secret is a part of the surprise.
- If you require an extension, please reach out! We are willing to add an extension if needed.
- At the end of the event, you may tag @PLGiftExchange and #PLGiftExchange and we will retweet your work! You may also post your piece in the gift showcase channel on Discord. For this event specifically, you can also tag #PLGiftExchangeSummer2025 on either Bluesky and Tumblr, and we will reblog.
- If you have any questions, feel free to either DM the Tumblr/Bluesky account, send asks to the Tumblr account, or DM Astr0fish on Discord! We also have a #questions channel in the Discord Server.Sign up Guidelines
You're allowed to request your gift in any way you would like, but these are some general guidelines to keep things in line for anything that is not canon Layton requests!
Layton OC Submissions: Please make sure to attach a visible ref with any design information about the OC! Please also attach a paragraph with any info about your OC, and how they're related to this world. Make sure to add any info about any friendships/relationships (generally) that the character has with Professor Layton canon characters.
Layton AU Submissions: Please make sure to include any refs about the world that your AU requires, and please make sure to link a Google Drive document (or any other sharing method) with any relevant info about your AU. Please also mention if your AU description includes spoilers for any specific games!
Layton Crossover Submissions: This is ONLY for Crossovers that are NOT the Professor Layton VS Phoenix Wright Crossover. This DOES include any Ace Attorney game that is not PLvsPW. Crossover prompts must be tangentially related to Professor Layton. Crossover prompts must NOT mention spoilers within the prompt itself. Please make sure to include any information within a Google Drive document (or any other sharing method) with relevant info about your Crossover. Crossover prompts are the least likely to be picked up (especially if they are from more niche games)- please maintain your expectations if you send in a prompt that has characters from a different set of games.You must have at least one prompt that is a basic Layton prompt, that is not an OC, AU, or a Crossover. This is so it's easier for us to pair people together.Frequently Asked QuestionsWhen will the event take place?
The event will take place from June 1st to August 31st. Sign ups close on June 1st, and pairings will be sent out on June 10th. Presents can be given between 12am on August 20th and until August 31st in your timezone.How will the event function?
Each participant will be assigned to another participant. Participants will be paired based on what Layton game they wish to have drawn/written about, but otherwise pairings will be random. Artists will be paired with artists, and Writers will be paired with writers. If a person only is on Bluesky or only on Tumblr, we will try to pair you with someone who is only on the platform that you are currently on. Our event team will be the only person to know who will be your Secret Santa, and will ensure everything will run smoothly- if you have any questions for the person you have been paired with, please DM the person that DM'd you your pairing. They will foward your question to the person you have anonymously!Is the event 18+?
No, this event is not 18+! NSFW or suggestive content is not allowed.Is there any criteria to be met?
Requirements for Artists are: Minimum: Colored Sketch Maximum: Colored Full Piece (w/ background)
Requirements for Writers are: Minimum: 750 words Maximum: 5k words
If you want to do slightly more/less to any of these requirements, you may do so! However, please try to at least get the minimum requirement for your Gift. These are set in place so everyone will get semi-equal gifts in return!Would there be a Discord server for the event?
Yep! https://discord.gg/GZXMDJJzF7 You do not have to join the discord server for the event, but it is greatly encouraged!Will Pinch hitters get an extra art piece if they do an extra piece of art?
Pinch hitters will NOT be getting an extra art piece. However, if you do sign up to potentially be a pinch hitter, you would be very greatly appreciated!I want to be a pinch hitter but I didn't sign up to be one on the Google Form!
Please DM the Tumblr/Bluesky account or DM any of the event coords on Discord- we'd love to have as one just in case! Sign ups for pinch hitters will be on the gift exchange sign up page.What is the deadline for Pinch Hitters?
If a person drops out early enough, then the deadline for Pinch Hitters will be the deadline for the whole Gift Exchange! (August 31st) However, if you're asked to do a separate piece close/after the deadline, you'll be given 3 weeks to work on your piece.Its past the deadline and I haven't received my gift. What should I do?
We will be keeping track of who has/ has not sent their gifts, but if you still have not received your gift after the deadline, please get in contact with the event coordinator who DM'd you your pairing! We will get in contact with the person who has you.
Calender
Important DatesGeneral Applications: May 1st-May 30th
Delegating Names: June 1st-June 10th
Pairings will be sent out on the 10th
First Check-in: July 1st
Second Check-in: August 1st
Gifts Due: August 20th- August 31st
*Dates may be subject to change, but all changed dates will be noted in announcements on both the Discord, Tumblr, and Bluesky.
Team Introduction
The Event Coordinator Team is the team that will be organizing and sending out prompts to everyone who participates in the event! You can find each of the event coordinators here:Astr0fish (Host) - Tumblr, Bluesky, Discord: astrofiishRiver (Event Coordinator) - Tumblr, Bluesky, Discord: theriveroflightChrys (Event Coordinator) - Tumblr, Bluesky, Discord: pumpkinbearThey will be the people reaching out to you via DMs! Every Sign up will be assigned a certain event coordinator out of these three, and that person will be the person you will be communicating with throughout the event. If you have any questions, please ask them and they will help you out!