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thegreathuxton · 6 months

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Came and Never Left

Pairing: Anthony Lockwood x fem! Reader (No use of Y/N)

Inspired by "The Day That I Met You" by Matilda Mann.

Summary: "You're wasting your potential at Bunchurch, you know... Call me, and I will take care of you. I promise."

Warnings: I'VE READ THE BOOKS SO THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS. Cannon-typical violence. Reader has parent issues (Father isn't in the picture, and mother just passed). Depictions of death/homicide. Slight mentions of the reader being bullied/put down by coworkers.

A/N: Maybe series incoming? Idk, we'll wait and see. BTW, don't worry about the little numbers. I like separating my work into sections, just in case you accidentally close out and lose your place. Just remember Chapter/Part Whatever, Section 69, or something like that.

(PART 2)

It was pouring outside and just minutes before curfew. You cast a nervous glance at the phone book, sitting on a table by the door. The yellow pages glared with agency ads, especially from Rotwell's and all of their new technology developments, such as iron tape and ghost alarms. The ghost alarm was bogus, you found. It was nothing but a rod, some spiderweb, and a bell attached to the end. It did ring, sure, but incredibly late. Your mother had bought it before she died. It rang an hour after her apparition attacked you in your living room, late one evening. And the iron tape was something you had bought on your own time. It now lined your bedroom walls.

The page the phone book was open to had another agency ad in particular that made you antsy. The silver and black stood out against the vomit-yellow color.

A. J. LOCKWOOD & COMPANY.

Beneath was a phone number, provided for leisure. They were small and they were cheap. And you knew no one from that company, which made you feel better.

There was a sudden knock on the door that broke your attention away from the book. You took a deep breath, fixed your wool cardigan so it covered you (you didn't think about the way this was a very grade-school English teacher moment), and unlocked the door. You expected a team to be at your front door, but no. Just one boy, about your age. Tall, strikingly handsome, and charming without having said a word. He was dressed in a fine-pressed suit, which was only kept dry by the stark black umbrella looming above his head.

"Good evening," he said. His voice emulated milk and honey. "My name is Anthony Lockwood, head of Lockwood & Co. I've been informed of your situation, and I'm here to help. May I come in?"

You brought him to the kitchen and put on the kettle. He sat down at the table and had a few biscuits that you politely offered to him before sitting down across from him, nervously twiddling your thumbs and trying to act natural. You didn't want to make yet another enemy from an agency other than the one you were currently employed at.

He ate while flipping through the week-old newspaper. Once he was done, he sat back and smiled at you. It was like the sun had just come blasting right through your window. You sat up straight, and he fixed his tie.

"So, you're an agent as well?" He asked you so bluntly, but his smile never faded.

"I am..." You murmured back, unable to meet his gaze now.

"I'm sorry to sound so rude. I just noticed the rapier and work belt hanging by the door when I first stepped inside. Which agency are you from? Rotwell? Fittes?"

"Bunchurch," you said. "My mother worked there when she was a kid, as a researcher, and she was one of their biggest donors and contributors into their own research of The Problem before she passed."

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. What talent do you possess?" He showed a brief amount of sympathy before moving on.

"I'm an all-rounder, as my supervisor likes to put it. I'm pretty mediocre at everything there is. I do some field work, but..." You trailed off. "They usually stick me on the research end of things."

Lockwood nodded, once again, sympathetic.

"Again, I'm sorry to hear that, but I must ask you something." He then leans forward. His hands come together, and he rests his forearms on the table. "Why did you call on us rather than Bunchurch?"

You stiffened at the question. He was forward and all business. You obliged him, not wanting to be a burden.

"They don't exactly treat me as well as some would want to think," you began, fingers now mindlessly picking at your mother's choice of tablecloth. You stuck your pinky finger through a small burn hole, left by one of her cigarettes. "And if I told them I couldn't deal with one measly ghost on my own, they'd probably laugh and put me out on the street..."

You look back up again, and Lockwood's eyes are glued to you. His eyes are such a pretty brown color. You look away again.

"What makes you say you can't deal with the ghost on your own?" Lockwood was very quiet when asking this.

"It's my mother," you said back, equally as quiet. You both sat in silence for quite some time. He took a patient breath.

"How did it happen?"

"Burgurlary gone wrong," you whispered, still picking at the cigarette burn. "I was out on a job. Mom had horrible hearing. She lost the ability to hear out of her right ear when she was fifteen. Some idiot on her team had horrible aim and hit her with a salt bomb. It went off when it hit her face. Robber came right in the dead of night, and she didn't hear him. She woke up and went downstairs just to get some water. Guy thought she had seen him, and just..." You made a gun with your hand and put it to your forehead. You slowly lowered your hand. "Neighbors called the cops. Cops called DEPRAC, and DEPRAC called me while I was on the job."

"And she attacked you?" He asked. You nodded.

"Three AM, just a few nights ago. I went downstairs to get a glass of water, just like she had, and there she was..." You sighed. "She could be rather cold, personality wise, but I never imagined her coming back as a cold maiden."

"Type two?"

You nodded once more, and Lockwood does as well. The kettle started to scream from the stove. You quickly stood up and tended to it.

"English breakfast or Earl Grey?" You asked.

"Earl Grey, please, with a dollop of honey, if you have it."

You helped him set up in the living room. It was the least you could do in exchange for his kindness and patience.

As you laid out a circle using the iron chains he had packed in his dufflebag, he examined the room, all the pictures that hung on the wall, and the traces death-glow left on the wooden floors. Your mother, unfortunately, had been shot on her favorite white carpet. DEPRAC had rolled it up and took it to the furnaces to be incinerated, along with a few other items that had been spattered with blood. Many other items were packed in cardboard boxes.

"Planning on moving, I assume?" He hummed.

"Just to the quarters within Bunchurch for the time being. I can't afford to keep up with rent on the house on my own," you explained and linked the chains perfectly together, just as you were trained to do. You then went to stand beside him as he admired a piece of artwork, just above the fireplace and resting on the mantle. Your mother would always stare at it when she was home. It was like a piece of resistance in her eyes.

When Lockwood tuned to face you, his scent, unburdened by the rain, washed over you. He smelled strongly of freshly clipped lavender and clean laundry. There was also a faint trace of burnt toast and magnesium. He smiled down at you.

"Do you have a safe place to go while I do my business here? Or would you feel better if you supervised?" He said, still smiling and making your heart beat a little faster.

"My room should be safe," you said to him. "As long as that iron tape from Rotwell's holds up."

He laughed at your answer. "One of my associates has a habit of buying that junk too. He rambles all the time about all of that Rotwell nonsense. Can you believe it?"

You smiled back up at him and blushed.

"You have to give them credit. A lot of the stuff they sell is junk, but it can be useful some of the time."

"Oh, spare me," he openly joked with you. "George will definitely get a laugh at that. He went on this huge rant just the other night about the stupid ghost detector stick he bought with his entire paycheck."

You continued with the small banter and kept him company until the old grandfather clock that sat in the corner struck twelve. Lockwood had been sharing jammy dodgers with you that he had tucked in his coat pocket, when the metallic twang rung and had the two of you in a spellbound trance.

Lockwood looked at the clock, checked his watch for the accuracy, and then unclipped the thermometer from his belt. The black box read 17.2 degrees Celsius. He let out a small laugh, chuffed with himself.

"I suppose you best be heading to your iron tape fortress rather quickly," he said while showing you the reading. "It was twenty-four degrees in here about 10 minutes ago."

With that, you both stood. He went to his iron circle and dug in his bag for a moment. When he stood back up, he turned to you.

"I'm sure you have a million and one of these stashed somewhere, but just in case you can't reach one of yours, take one of mine," he grinned and placed a salt bomb in your hands. "It'll give me some peace of mind when you go upstairs."

You smiled down at the thing in your clutches, then nodded, grinning just as big as he was.

"Don't let her bully you," you teased him, tucking the salt bomb in your pants pocket. "She was always kind of mean to strangers."

Lockwood shrugged and kept smiling. He waved you off and watched you disappear upstairs.

You couldn't sleep. You kept thinking about the boy downstairs, doing God knows what in your living room. He was probably sitting in his little protected circle and eating another biscuit. You smiled at the very prospect.

You sat in bed, one hand resting over the salt bomb still sitting snuggly in your pocket, while the other held open a book, but your eyes didn't bother reading anything. Your ears were too busy listening, which took up most of your brain power.

The grandfather clock would echo up the stairs and to your bedroom. One passed, then two, and before you knew it, it was two forty-five. Fifteen minutes before things began to happen.

Each night, at precisely three in the morning, a horrible scream would rock the house. You gave these details to the company working downstairs over the phone. You never dared to explore more, always too terrified of dying at the hands of your mother's spirit to try. Your thumb twitched over the salt bomb again.

You stared at the pages of your book until the clock struck three, and the seconds seemed to slow. Like clockwork, the scream came rippling through the house. It was louder this time. Loud enough, it made you cover your ears.

Five seconds after came the loud BOOM of a magnesium flare and then the CRACK of a salt bomb. Another terrible shriek tore the house asunder and had you putting your house shoes on. You glanced at the clock.

It read 3:06. Another bomb went off, and you heard furniture start to crash and rumble. You gripped the salt bomb in your pocket and then rushed to your closet. The thought that scared you more than facing your undead mother was the thought of another agent, dealing with a dangerous type two ghost and thinking they could do it alone.

You found your grade three rapier. It was shorter than the one you used now, but that one was downstairs by the door, and you couldn't possibly go for it now.

You threw a robe over yourself and threw open your door. The temperature change was horrendous. Your room was a comfortable and warm temperature, but as soon as you stepped beyond the door, you could see your breath perpetrating in the air. Thin layers of ice grew on the walls and cracked at the crumbling wallpaper. Another terrible shriek pierced the air, but it wasn't feminine. It was Lockwood.

You rushed down the stairs and turned to see the scene before you. The walls were burned from salt, magnesium, and ectoplasm. Lockwood had been knocked on his back, and his coat was steaming from the ectoplasm burns. The iron chain had been snapped in two. His rapier was far across the room, stuck in the wall like a decorative art piece. Above him was your mother. Her apparition was blue and terrifying. You could hardly look at her without wanting to turn away and sob. There was still a bullet hole in the center of her apparition's forehead. Tentacles of ectoplasm lashed out at Lockwood as he laid on the floor, and he was trying his best to dodge each one. He was out of flares and out of time.

That was, until you rushed to his aid.

You unclipped the salt bomb and threw it. It exploded and blinded both you and Lockwood. Your mother screeched and disappeared briefly, but she was quick to start reforming. You ran to Lockwood and helped him stand up by his shoulders. His eyes were wide and wild and he loomed at you with his mouth agape. You stared back, just breathing hard and speechless. Your heart was going a mile a minute. His eyes suddenly flicked away from you. He grabbed you by your waist and pulled you to the side quickly. He slammed his back against the wall and kept you tight to his chest. You realized he had just pulled you out of the way from another lash from an ectoplasm tentacle.

"I thought you wanted to stay with your iron tape fortress!" He panted, smiling at you as he let you go.

"I couldn't let you deal with her alone," you said back, then turned to face the bigger problem in the room. Your mother had reformed herself, right in front of the chimney. She screamed again, and it rattled your brain inside your head. You screamed back and threw your rapier.

The point of the blade struck her blue chest. Her apparition disappeared as the blade went entirely through her and landed in her favorite painting on the mantle, like a dart in a board. You watched the blade shake and then still. Steam bellowed from it.

"The fireplace," Lockwood muttered and he came to stand beside you. "The source has got to be in the fireplace."

You nodded in agreement.

Lockwood approached his dufflebag quickly and retrieved a silver net. He pulled his rapier from the wall and looked to you.

"You go up there, and I'll watch for her. Okay?"

He gave the silver net to you. It wasn't an option anymore. You both cautiously approached the fireplace, and another screech rang from the house and shook the ice-chipped, ectoplasm stained walls.

"Not getting any younger here, Bunchurch," he said cooly, keeping his rapier steadily pointed while his eyes flickered all over the room, carefully watching.

You wasted no more time, climbing into the fireplace with no light. You relied on your hands, feeling the bricks and only finding thick grime and soot.

"Lockwood!" You called. "I'm not getting anything! I don't think it's here!"

"I think it is," Lockwood said, now sounding tense. "Because your mom's back, and if you thought getting a spanking with a wooden spoon was bad, you're definitely going to hate what she's about to do here in about ten seconds or so."

You searched all the more frantically, and you stretched up on your tippy-toes. Your fingers dived into a mesh of spiderwebs suddenly, and it took all of your willpower not to pull your hands away and wretch with disgust. You dug deeper, wincing as you heard the visitor scream again. Your hands then felt something wooden lodged between a couple of bricks. With no hesitation left, you grabbed it and yanked it down. You wrapped it in the silver net, and as soon as you did, all was silent. You could hear the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner and Lockwood's loud panting.

You crawled out of the fireplace, and the first thing you saw was Lockwood's smiling face. He put both of his hands on your shoulders and beamed so brightly at you.

"Well done, Bunchurch!"

You began to beam, too.

He took the silver net from you and set it somewhere safe, where it wouldn't be disturbed.

"Did you see what it was?" He asked you and took a seat on the floor. The couches were still thawing from the bitter cold and the walls now dripped from melting ice.

"No," you sighed. "A box, I think."

He hummed. You sat on the floor with him, next to him. He produced a bar of chocolate from his now near-empty duffle bag. He split it with you, and you made a new kettle of tea in the kitchen, where you both soon moved to sit more comfortably.

"Hang on a second," he suddenly mumbled to you. "You've got soot all over your face. Let me get it for you."

He wet a napkin and then approached you. The smell of lavender was overwhelmed by the magnesium, but still there all the same. He wiped at your cheeks and forehead with the wet napkin and got as much grime as he could while the water in the kettle started to boil. He was so gentle with you, it made you blush profusely, and his eyes had a new gleam to them that you hadn't seen when he first stepped foot into your house.

"If you want," he spoke softly while using his other hand to tilt your chin up more, "I could stay with you until dawn and we can see what the source was in the morning, when it's safe."

You thought about it for quite some time, then shook your head.

"No... I don't think I really want to know what it is," you sighed and looked up at him. He had paused with dabbing the napkin and now just mindlessly rubbed your chin with his gentle thumb. "I've spent the past two weeks trying to heal after her death. I think seeing what it is will put me back quite a bit."

Lockwood stood there for some time, just gazing at you while you spoke. He dropped his hands and nodded, finally, after some time of thought.

"As you wish, Bunchurch. I'll take it to the furnaces first thing," he smiled at you, and you smiled back. He placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, and you placed your hand on top of his, in return. You saw the pink rise to his pale cheeks, and he gave you the faintest hint of a laugh. He stayed with you for some tea and a light, congratulatory breakfast. Not long after that, he was packing his things and getting ready to leave.

"You know," he spoke softly as you walked him to the door. "You saved my life tonight. You'd be surprised at how many people there are in this world who wouldn't do the same."

You smiled at him.

"From one agent to another," you said with sincere warmth in your tone. He smiled back at you.

Dawn was just beginning to peak in through the window above your front door. He turned to face you just as you reached for the handle.

He stuck his hand in his coat pocket and brought out a small business card. Scrawled on it was the same name and number you had gotten from the yellow pages.

"What is this?" You murmured, confused. It took you a moment to realize that the number on the card was different in the slightest of ways.

"It's my personal phone number. We have two phones. One for business and one for other things. Give us a ring sometime, using that number," he spoke and pointed to the card. "You're wasting your potential at Bunchurch, you know. The way you acted tonight more than proved you deserve to work on the field rather than some dusty library. Lockwood & Company will always have room for more people like you." He cupped your hand, the one holding the business card, and curled your fingers around it for you so you could hold on tight to it. His hands were warm and comforting around yours. His warm, brown eyes never left you. "Call me, and I will take care of you. I promise."

It seemed like only a few heartbeats before he was gone. You watched from one of your living room windows as he went to the corner of your road and hailed a cab. You sat and watched his cab drive away, still clutching the card, just knowing from the feeling you got, you'd be leaving your job at Bunchurch very soon.

#anthony lockwood x reader #anthony lockwood #lockwood and co #lockwood netflix #george karim #lucy carlyle #Anthony Lockwood and you #Anthony Lockwood/you #anthony lockwood/reader #35 portland row

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thisgameissonintendo · 11 months

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here’s the thing about me + lockwood content

before lockwood & co. i wasn’t really in the mood for editing. yes, i did come up with videos and photo edits but i wasn’t really enjoying it much. it was the same all over again. a new episode - a new video. don’t get me wrong, i loved the show (still do, it’s magnum p.i. i’m talking about) but i’ve been editing that for years now.

every now and again a show was coming back with a new season. the umbrella academy for example. i did my usual “new season = one edit with number 5“ and then stopped (because there’s not really much content to use when there’s 50 main characters and you’re only willing to sit down to edit one of them).

then outer banks came back, i thought “hey, time for a new rafe edit“. he wasn’t in it much. i didn’t come up with a video. fine, okay, back to magnum p.i. (which i still LOVE to death, don’t get me wrong, i would always come up with edits, it’s my 2nd favorite show now) but sometimes it’s nice to have different characters to work with.

wednesday was released and i really liked that, especially tyler. i made some photo edits and a few videos (4 or something). and what then? back to the old routine?

no, lockwood & co. was out. i remembered i had seen the trailer a while ago and liked it so i clicked ‘play‘. and look where we are now. i don’t know the last time one character has sparkled any interested in me and got me this motivated. a new one as well, might i add. i don’t do well with new characters since i always have to kinda let them get to me first, you know. it’s quite the process, too, when you want to edit. you have to get the episodes, the scenes you wanna use, you have to select 0.04 seconds from episode 1 and then 0.02 seconds from episode 8 because you think they could work really well together. so it’s a lot to think about even for short videos or photo edits (find the right episode for a certain scene, take screenshots, have ideas of what you wanna do with that screenshot, find good fonts, effects,…) i think you get me. it takes a lot of dedication (for me) to accept a character. and it’s not like i don’t like most of them. i like a lot. for example i’ve enjoyed characters from titans, fate: the winx saga, the sandman, hsmtmts and so on.

so, what i usually do when i watch a new show is play it in the background. i don’t know any character - i’m not interested in any of them. i press ‘play’ and scroll through instagram or twitter. however with lockwood & co., i didn’t. i had my phone sitting right next to me but i didn’t click on instagram. i didn’t click on twitter. i actually watched the show from the first second on. for some reason it was very special to me, i can’t explain it. it felt like i had found THE show (and character) for me. the one show that could get me back into editing, actually loving what i do and create. and it did. look where i am now.

i’m very emotional about this, i cannot even find proper words to express how thankful i am for all of this. i wake up in the morning and am excited about the evening because that’s the time of day i 1) have time to re-watch the show 2) read the books (again) or 3) edit. so this whole saving campaign is not only a matter of stopping netfl** bullshit with unnecessary cancelations, it’s also a matter of heart for me. lockwood & co. is my comfort show. i’ve found it after so many years and i didn’t even know i needed one but i did. lockwood & co. is not your ‘typical ghost show’. lockwood is not your typical good-looking, dick-ish protagonist, he’s way more. he’s the reason i’m doing all of this. i’m trying my best to help with whatever i can because they all deserve to come back for at least one more season. so, every day i stay up until 3-4am, get up at 9am the same day and i don’t regret a single thing. i wanna do this. and i know we can all help them get a new season, together.

it’s been four months (and two days) since the release of lockwood & co. in these four months i’ve been the most creative i’ve ever been, i’ve met the most kind people on social media and i’ve never loved editing more than i do now. and all thanks to anthony lockwood.

#i don't think anyone will read this until the end but i was emotional #and i needed to write it down #i'm not good with words and mumble most of the time #but yeah i love that show #lockwood #lockwood & co #lockwood & co. netflix #lockwood and co #lockwood and co netflix #l&co #l&co. netflix #anthony lockwood

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snowpeachblog · 5 months

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Hello to all the fans of Lockwood and co! It pains me to see several people trying to attack other fans, complaining that they have become uncomfortable on Tumblr because of the amazing company to save the show! They are angered by several posts a week with a reminder for fans to sign a petition or hashtags. They say it makes them feel obligated to something or their job.

I understand that sometimes it is very difficult to accept that the fandom is changing. It gets bigger, noisier and you don't always get what you want. The show and the books are mixed up and nothing can be done about it. I'm sorry that some fans can't accept these changes and are leaving. However, I am very concerned that some people are trying to attack other fans of the show. My heart still cries that several great writers left our fandom just because some people were angry at the way Lucy is described in fics. They demanded that Lucy be described as not beautiful and full in fics. They couldn't accept that everyone could have their own vision of Lucy. They were annoyed that some fiction writers were inspired by Ruby's appearance and demanded to separation book!Lucy and show!Lucy. It was very rude. I won't say the names, but I know you're reading this. You should know that you are disgusting. Because of you, some authors have removed their fics and accounts from ao3.

And now some people are demanding to stop writing about saving the show, because they are not comfortable with a couple of posts a week! What's wrong with you? Why are you doing this? Why do you think that only you should be comfortable? I'm not on other social networks, but Tumblr is my home. And I'm grateful that there are people who direct and coordinate other fans so that we can help save the show. Unfortunately, I am a passive fan and very rarely participate in activities. But I am grateful that there are people who can suggest or remind me what can be done for the show. And I can choose what I can, or do nothing. It's not a job or an obligation. I only do what I'm comfortable with and never do what I don't want to.

You say that we have books and the first season and we should be content with what we have. I'm very grateful that we have books and show, but I don't understand why everyone should be happy with just that? It's normal that someone is fighting for the continuation of the show, and someone refuses to fight. This happens in any fandom, and I am very sorry that someone feels uncomfortable because of this. But we are all fans and everyone has the right to express our love, even if it's just a post about a petition. If you don't like it, you can just:

1) ignore it;

2) block a user who makes you feel uncomfortable;

3) Set up Tumblr the way it suits you.

But what you CAN'T do is ask people to give up the fight or demand to stop writing about saving the show because it annoys you. No one should feel unwelcome here. Please, no one is taking books from you and we can still discuss this. We can also exist together and not interfere with each other. But if someone can't come to terms with the fact that people continue to fight for the continuation of the show, it's fine if you want to leave for a while. Unfortunately, your problem cannot be solved, and negativity will not help.

I also want to thank the people who are involved in saving the show. You are wonderful and your work is invaluable! You have achieved a lot, and I am sorry that you had to face such a misunderstanding. Please, let's keep fighting for the show! Also, if someone doesn't want to fight, that's fine! It's okay, you don't have to do this. It's not a job or anything.

Thank you all for your attention!

And have a nice day!

#Lockwood and co #lockwood & co #save lockwood and co

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thebirdandhersong · 11 months

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I did end up watching the show!! I even convinced my husband to watch with me, and he's not read the books but he really enjoyed it too. When I told him about the cancellation, we were both terribly disappointed but we plan to watch it again!

I read the first two books on Kindle and then went and bought the whole series in paperback for my birthday a few weeks back because I loved them so much! I'm really looking forward to reading the rest. The prose is wonderful (I too am a PJO fan) and I made a post about it feeling very inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing, and I was told by someone that it was! They are some of my favourite books so I was really delighted reading Lockwood & Co, they're so wonderful and I feel like Stroud really gives his characters depth. He handles emotions and humanity and the trying times of The Problem really well.

I'm so glad I have been introduced to this series since following you (and finding a bunch of other lovely blogs to follow through you as well). It's got me making moodboards/aesthetics again which I love making, and the love of a series that I haven't had since I was a teen!

HUZZAH :D I'm glad you and your husband got to enjoy it together!! (Still super sad about the cancellation...... I know there's not much hope of another network picking it up, but a girl can still hope and pray! We'd only need one more season probably to cover the rest of the books if they extend the episode count a little....)

I hope you have a LOVELY time reading the rest of the books!! (also high five!! I just bought the books as a birthday present for myself as well!) I had no idea the writing style was inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle, though now that you mention it, I can definitely see the similarities :O (I also imagine Lucy would hate to be called the Watson, to some capacity lol) It's interesting to compare the show vs. book dynamic between Lockwood and Lucy in the book 1 arc (hmmm. there seems to be more mystery around Lockwood in the books initially than in the show... I suppose they wanted to emphasise the fact that he's still a teenager/show a Lockwood from different eyes than Lucy's heart eyes lens a little more?)

I'm so glad that we get to talk about good stories together here with everyone!!! :D The Lockwood and Co Mass Hysteria of 2023 has been one of the most wonderful parts of the year so far :) and ooooo I shall have to check out your moodboards now!!

#dear friend

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hatsunerandal · 1 year

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part ten of my playlist analysis!!

part 1 <;- part 2 <- part 3 <- part 4 <- part 5 <- part 6 <- part 7 <- part 8 <- part 9 <- right back in we go

stained glass and colorful tears - pierce the veil THE DIFFERENCE IN VIBES FROM THIS ONE AND THE LAST ONE IS SO FUNNY anyway. itd be funnier if lucy was american but i will stand by my lucy loves ptv hc.

careless whisper - george michael real ones have already heard this BUT THIS IS LITERALLY LOCKWOODS SONG CMON BRO HE LOVES IT SM HES LIKE IN THE KITCHEN ON LUCYS FIRST MORNING AT L&CO AND IS LIKE PUTTING ON ENTIRE PERFORMANCE USING A SPATULA AS A MIC CMON ITS SO FUNNY. hopelessly devoted to you - olivia newton john ok this one is a lucy george duo performance they both love this song sm and george absolutely can hit all the high notes. never ending summer - wes reeve RHRFHFHFHF FLUFFY SUMMER VIBES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE THEYRE JUST GOIN ON BIKERIDES AND PCINICS SOBS SCRESMS CREISA. to build a home - the cinematic orchestra, patrick watson shes reading to him in the library <3. could you love me while i hate myself - zeph the song fits the vibe less so but the lyrics are literally lockwood!!!!1!!!!11 stuck on us - claire rosinkranz, aidan bissett i am stuck on THEM theyre eating away at my brain fr. repeat until death - novo amor eepy library vibes (can u tell its my favorite vibe). sweet nothing - taylor swift lockwood is a taylor swift girly you can fight me on this. but yea this is more of him looking at lucy like <33. oceans - seafret oops angst now. lucy feels like theres oceans between them because lockwood is so refined and put together (or so she thinks until she hears him begging winkman to kill him) and shes so,,, not. she thinks shes messy, she thinks shes unprofessional and unfit for this job. stay live - jose gonzalez 'we'll do whatever just to stay alive' feels so lucy and george being the only things keeping lockwood alive. you wouldnt like me - sleeping at last RHRHFHFHFHFHFHFH lockwood feeling like if he shows lucy the real him she'll leave just like everyone else he just. hes so scared of being abandoned (me too homie). wildfire - seafret theyre so painfully in love i love them i love them i lvoe them eating drywall ilove them. hate to be lame - lizzie mcalpine, finneas lucy trying to deny her feelings for lockwood because/???? lockwood???? rteally??? tythat stuck up suit-and-tie wearing bastard?? LOCKWOOD???? type beat. glitch - taylor swift lockwood taylor swift girly agenda is spreading. this one feels relatively self explanatory? cognitive dissonance - sophie holohan 'get too close, build a wall' ok lockwood pack it up. summer 2019 - caroline culver feels like fight vibes. not a breakup fight but definitely a fight. sleep deprivation - chance pena lockwood insomniac part 769984580386. reckless driving - lizzie mcalpine, ben kessler this one is so close to being taken off the playlist actually i just. idk i need help deciding it doesnt feel right. did i make you up - half alive hes so confused because lucy is so??? perfect??? in his life???? impossible he has a hard time trying to figure out if shes real or not just because shes so perfect. agape - bears den lockwood song thats it thats the tweet yes i already make this joke bear with me. state of mind - sod ven more lockwood religious trauma methinks hahahahahahhahahahahahha. hot tea - half alive its even better since they all love tea sm. theyre so soft and fuzzy i love them sm. christmas kids - roar this one os very lucy centric/book lucy centric. its her sister (mary i believe?) watching her leave that tiny town and finally get rid of everything in it. WE'RE FINALLY FUCKING DONE THAT TOOK SO LONG </333

#lockwood and co #locklyle #lucy carlyle #anthony lockwood #george karim

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andromedasummer · 2 years

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okay im gonna share my thoughts on lockwood and co now im relistening/rereading as an adult okay (never read the last book tho)

Im on book 2 and i have got to say

1. i understand why supervisors are needed holy shit 14 yr old me like"adults get in the way >:(((" fuck no these kids are 8-17 going up against violent and malevolent things that can kill with a single touch and your brains are NOT developed enough to be able to fully competently cope with that stuff holy shit

2. holy shit i forgot lockwood and lucy and george just all live together without anyone else. literally a house full of teenagers and they just stay up throughout the night after ghost hunts and eat junk food and ruin their sleep schedules and risk their lives. its giving me anxiety.

3. i think right now lucy and george have more chemistry than lockwood and lucy. i am not joking. theyre more open with each other and freer to speak their minds. but also the amount they fight makes them completely incompatible at the same time.

4. i love lucy but her "not like other girls" phase in the first few books actively causes me psychic damage. every single woman or girl introduced she immediately tears down or belittles and its clearly from self-doubt and self-esteem issues. its written completely accurately and is resolved later on as i remember thank GOD.

5. (Related) i dont think i'll be able to cope with holly arriving in the next book. even at like 14/15 i KNEW she was doing and had done nothing wrong and lucy was taking out her insecurities on her and honest to god its gonna be more uncomfortable now that im more familiar with racial politics and issues considering she the first canonical black character in the series and lucy is white. literally trying to do her job and exist.

6. ned shaw could literally not die quicker i want to throw hands with this 15(?) yr old and im literally less than a few chapters and another book away from him never showing up again. i cant remember if he becomes likeable but theres so little time left. i guess the shame in his death is he lost the chance to become a less shitty person.

7. god i still love kipps though. tied favourite character with george theyre both so shitty and snarky. honestly take away lucy's issues with All Other Females On Planet and she'd be up there too shes very fun at times.

8. seriously tho kipps is fantastic. wears expensive cologne and bedazzles his rapier. acts snarky and cold and aloof to seem cool and refined but hes a total fucking loser in the realest sense. washed up talent, insecurities about his position and purpose in the world. classic 20s issues i see you king. i assign you bisexual. highest regard i give to only my most favourite of characters god bles.

9. i forgot how funny the skull is

#lockwood and co

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acourtofbooksandmemes · 4 years

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Books read 2019: December

1. The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co #5) - Jonathan Stroud 👻

I didn’t know this book actually existed until a friend of mine asked if I had read the last one and I was like “the lAsT oNe?? has come oUt??” like it has only been two years.. but GOD I loved this one so much. Skull is really one of my fav characters and I’m still not sure what happened to him, I try to leave out spoilers. ALL THE LOCKLYLE CONTENT I’M LOVINN also wow that graveyard background scene?? boy is opening up aw~ when he saved her?? and that last moment?? ship is breaking throuuuugh!! This one was as perfect as the other and I’m so sad it’s over. The writing is as amazing and scary as ever, twisting and well done!

2. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Sarah J. Maas ⚰️ (did I have to? Yes)

Holy fu*k.. I. Am. Mindblown. Y’ALL THAT END WTF NOOO. You can really feel how the story is nearing the final battle when everything is coming together. I’m always amazed at Maas’ writing and how magical she makes everything with her words. I ENJOYED when everyone came together god I loved these character so much. Elide looks so small and innocent but she’s brave and cunning af, she’s incredible. And of course I ship Elorcan! Manorian too shit those two just went offff. I’m keeping myself from ranting cuz I can go on and on but I don’t want to spoil too much for you. I don’t care about the fact that Gavriel and Fenrys are probably centuries old, they are precious babies in this house, I love them to death. Also Maeve can rot somewhere

3. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) - Sarah J. Maas 🧩

I really don’t dislike Chaol; I was okay with him in ToG, I shipped Chaoleana like crazy in CoM, then he went on my nerves in HoF and QoS. I get him, and all these memories he had to live with and relive hurt like hell to read. He really grew with Yrene’s help. She’s amazing. Now, let me scream about my main ship in this book.. NESRYN AND SARTAQ I LOVE WARRIORS TOGETHER. Yeah sure he’s hoooot but his character is so amazing, fast became one of my faves. I loved learning more about the Ruk clanes and this new continent, the new customs and history were so well done. Also.. THAT Nestaq scene with the spiders.. y’all know exactly what I’m talking about, my heart beat like crazy he can’t just give that speech in the middle of battle. Also that rival couple, SHIP

4. Unite Me: Destroy Me + Fracture Me (Shatter Me #1,5 + #2,5) - Tahereh Mafi 💊

I’ve read these two books before but I was six books after on my Goodreads challenge so I kind of counted Unite Me as three.. same goes for Find Me.. :) I love Aaron so damn much I honestly can’t get it myself and I love reading from his perspective, so I really enjoy how Mafi made DM and RM with a lot of his POV. In contrast to those feelings I HATE Anderson so much, like can he stop coming back?? Anyway back to the book. Adam.. is quite unbearable, sorry. At the point of Fracture Me he just liked her, honestly. He kept saying how James is his life, how he couldn’t live without him and how nothing would be left if he was gone. WHAT ABOUT JULIETTE THEN?? But let us be real, James is the most precious character in this fandom, so I understand.

5. Find Me: Shadow Me + Reveal Me (Shatter Me #4,5 + #5,5) - Tahereh Mafi 🍰

KENJIIIIII he’s bae, probably in my top five. He’s such a precious cinnamon roll with a relatable mind and the best lines. I love how he keeps referring to known people and movies from our time. And yes I ship him with Nazeera, how could I not. I loved seeing Restore Me from his POV and how Warnette’s relationship sees from the outside. But the reveal at the end of Reveal Me?? Anderson I SWEAR you better not have done something.. and Juliette plz be careful. I’m scared for Emmaline too

#if yall want more opinions my inbox is always open #books read 2019 #books read in december #books read in december 2019 #the empty grave #empire of storms #tower of dawn #unite me #destroy me #fracture me #find me #shadow me #reveal me #books read

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imgonnabeyourbubblegumwitch · 5 years

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January Book: Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (A Review)

In which I attempt to condense the complicated emotional roller coaster this book sent me on into a rational and non-screaming-in-anger review.

I think I did okay.

Some spoilers so I’ve given my general opinion below and the actual review is below the cut.

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda: 1/5 Stars

Yeah I didn’t like it. I’m surprised too.

I guess what frustrates me most about this book is some kind of internal insistence that I had to read it because it was LGBT and everyone else loved it. But it was making me miserable. But it was LGBT and everyone else loved it. But it wasn't fun. But it was…etc.

Anyway I guess shout out to Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda for reminding me there's no point reading something I hate just because other people like it or because it’s a particular genre.

(Going to use this pretty obvious revelation to happily quit the Scarlet Witch comics I started just before Christmas. Marvel says she's no longer Magneto's daughter? Interesting opinion. I accept it's canon but I sure as hell aren't accepting it as my headcanon).

Anyway proper review below as promised.

So I feel like I am going to be in a minority here but I really wasn't into this book. I wanted to like it because I heard a lot of good things about the film and so, being one of those book before film people, I picked this up expecting good things. Maybe the hype was part of what made it a bit of a let-down for me. I tend not to do well with things that have been hyped up; maybe because I end up with unrealistic expectations, maybe because I'm a special snowflake who has super special tastes different to the norm. I don't know.

So as I was starting to read this I was pretty scathing. I nearly gave up at page 21. Now? Honestly I'm just exhausted by it. I skim read through the whole thing in about an hour and a half just so I could say I sort of finished it. I'll be the first to admit that because of that perhaps I missed a lot of things that could have made the book a better experience for me. But honestly though, it infuriated me so much at the beginning that I couldn't read it any other way.

One of the biggest problems is that I don't really like books that use copious amounts of pop culture reference, especially when these can easily be dated. As a general rule I tend to prefer fictional universes that feel a little more timeless - Harry Potter, the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Lockwood and Co. Even my current favourite series - The Rivers of London - makes me grimace when it references to Brooklyn 99 or similar. This really is just a personal preference thing and I can understand why others would want to read a book about a clearly modern high school experience.

If you are like me however, Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens is probably not for you on this front. There are endless references to pop culture including some that, given the nature of internet culture, already feel a little dated. As an example of the many many pop culture references, some I can remember off the top of my head without even glancing at the book are: Tegan and Sarah, Tumblr, Yaoi, slash fiction, Harry/Draco fanfiction & Harry Potter in general, Def Leppard, Yoda, Katniss, etc etc.

I guess the writing was fine. It was written as though in a way someone young might talk. It's a distinctive voice that most of the time I just kind of shrugged off as neither working for me, or irritating me. Occasionally however there were stylistic choices that were just odd. The extra half a second it took me to try and figure out the meaning of the sentence/phrase took me out of the story slightly - a minor nit-pick I know, but one I'll make anyway. An example from page 33: "If I were straight. The Abby thing. I do think I get it. " I re-read those sentences three times trying to figure out whether he meant "If I were straight I'd get people liking Abby" (as in, I struggle to objectively tell if someone of the opposite gender is attractive) or whether he meant "If I were straight I'd like Abby too" (as in, Abby is attractive but not really my thing being gay). I suppose maybe in the grand scheme it doesn't make too much difference. But little things like that interrupting my reading flow was not something I needed when I was already supremely uninvested in this story.

Another example is from later on when Simon makes a comical autocorrect error via email. Essentially the premise is his phone corrected "such" to "dick" but it took me such a long time to work this out because of the format of the emails. The second email sent - the correction - is above the first email because if you were looking in an inbox that is how they'd appear. But because you read down the page and because most of the other emails were naturally chronological reading in this fashion this really threw me. Again: minor nit-pick - the emails are timestamped so like the confusion was definitely me being a moron. But it's another instance of being taken from the book for a moment too long.

Another problem that impacted my ability to engage with this book is that I really didn't like Simon. Some of the things he said and the views he held made me a little uncomfortable. I don't expect every character to hold views exactly like mine and I accept someone doesn't have to be a likeable person to be a likeable character. There are some fantastic characters who aren't really very nice people, or who hold views that are dissimilar to society as a whole or to an individual reader. I guess an example of this might be the Lannister family from Game of Thrones - I wouldn't want to be friends with them or emulate like 95% of what they do. But they sure are fun to watch/read about.

Simon though, I think I was done with him by page 21 - my original quit point. At this point he mentions that he thinks it's different for girls when they come out because a lot of guys think lesbians are hot. This is kind of a case where I guess you don't have to agree with a characters view or observations, but these sort of things just pile up. Another early on moment that really bugged me was this comment when describing their friend group: "Leah's two friends, Morgan and Anna, who read manga and wear black eyeliner, and are basically interchangeable. Anna and I actually dated freshman year, and I still think she and Morgan are interchangeable. "

Perhaps this is meant to demonstrate he's very gay because he's not hyper-aware of girls appearances? But it just read like Simon lacking basic human decency of bothering to tell two people who are friends of a friend apart. And maybe he was trying to be funny? If he was, it definitely falls flat for me. There are mentions in the book of Simon being oblivious to what other people might want or think, forgetting to offer his sister food when he makes sandwiches for him and his friend for example, and maybe this is an extension of that. This still feels odd to me however.

In the light of fairness I will say there were moments when I did feel for Simon - when Martin attempts to apologise for example, and some of his pre-coming-out thoughts, worries and dilemmas did feel authentic. But they weren't enough to encourage me to read on or to root for him.

Final thought because this is really long and more attention than I intended to give this book in the end: I'm confused as to how this school tumblr is supposed to work. Is it one page and everyone has a log in? Is it a tag? I'm assuming it's a tag based system? Anyway I guess that's another minor nitpick that doesn't matter in the scheme of things. I just struggled to picture how it would work.

So in conclusion, this book sent me through the five stages of grief -

Denial: well everyone else liked it so I must like it too I guess.

Anger: I can't believe I spent money on this book. Let me write down all the bits I hate for the review I'll write. Oh my goodness I can't believe Simon said/thought that.

Bargaining: okay well Simon is kind of annoying me but I'll skim read it - it'll probably get good in a bit.

Depression: I can't believe I'm still reading this book, I can't believe I'm the only one who doesn't like this book, I feel like I've been trapped reading this book forever, time is meaningless.

And, finally, acceptance: it is what it is, and I'm too tired to do much but admit this just wasn't for me.

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda: 1/5 stars

#book reviews #my january review #i attempt to remain impartial and rational #simon vs the homo sapiens agenda #Jan 2019 #2019 book challenge

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askullinajar · 6 years

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The Shattered Frame (Part 7/7)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Fic info: this is a sequel to my previous fic, The Living Ghost so go read that or this won’t make sense. Rating: General. Pairings: Lucy/Lockwood, Holly/Rani. Ao3 link: here.

A cluster of hauntings in a decrepit manor and the dripping spectre of a woman dressed all in black hits a little too close to home for Lockwood & Co’s newest member.

Part 7 – The Family We Choose

We got back to the hotel just past midnight, soaking wet and shivering.

A hot shower had never felt so good before. I stood beneath the spray and let the hot water wash over me, trying, just for a moment, not to let myself think about all the horrible things that had occurred today. If that had been one of my sisters…

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. It was no good to dwell on the past when I could do nothing about it; all it served to do was make me more miserable, and I’d had enough of that for one day.

I towelled off my hair and changed into warm pyjamas before heading back into the bedroom, where Skully was curled up on his bed facing the wall. He hadn’t spoken a word since the manor, and I couldn’t think of anything to say that could possibly make him feel better.

There was a light knock on the door. I wrapped my duvet around my shoulders and shuffled over to answer it, to find Lockwood, George, Holly, and Kipps all stood on the threshold with their arms full of their duvets and pillows.

“What are you–?” I started, but George barged past me to dump the bedding on the floor.

“I have a feeling we should all stay together tonight,” Lockwood said, gently.

“I hope this is alright, Lucy,” said Holly. “Lockwood was quite persuasive.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Skully and caught his blank stare before he rolled back over to face the wall again.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s fine.”

I felt weird sleeping on the bed when the others were on the floor, so I ended up curled between Holly and Lockwood. The carpet wasn’t as soft as my mattress, but the mountains of blankets shared between us all made up for it, and Lockwood’s chest made a good pillow.

I don’t know if the presence of us all gave some semblance of the large family he’d once had, but for once, I didn’t hear Skully stir at all during the night.

I guess Skully was successful in suppressing his emotions overnight because he was back to acting like his old self when he woke us all up the next morning.

“Move your arse, Cubbins, or you will find a foot in your face.”

I blearily opened my eyes as George garbled something unintelligible and promptly got trodden on by Skully as he made his way to the bathroom, though on the stomach rather than the face.

As George doubled over groaning, I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Late morning light shone through a gap in the curtains, igniting a beam of dust particles that floated lazily through the air. Holly was already up, looking prim and perfect, already clean and dressed, and was currently sat on my bed, reading a book to pass the time until the rest of us woke up.

I haphazardly ruffled my hands through my mane of a hairdo in an attempt to neaten it up a bit, but it was soon clear that it wouldn’t co-operate, and I let out a huff. Next to me, Lockwood gave a little chuckle before he sat up a pressed a quick kiss on the tip of my nose.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Kipps made a gagging noise as I tugged the collar of my pyjama top up to hide my blush. “I know you two are in love and everything, but you don’t have to flaunt it in front of us single people.”

“Speak for yourself,” said George, getting up to go and get changed in his own hotel room.

We stared after him.

“Are… are he and Flo dating now?” said Lockwood.

“It was never quite clear, was it?” said Holly.

Lockwood and Kipps also left to get changed and, after Lockwood had used the hotel phone to inform Mr Taylor that his house had been successfully cleared, we all gathered back in mine and Skully’s room, looking a little more presentable.

“If everyone’s packed, we should be able to leave after lunch,” Holly announced.

“Oh, by the way,” said George, pointing at Skully, “when we get back, we’re doing some experimenting.”

“I will not hesitate to stab you in the face,” said Skully.

“But we need to figure out why you’re immune to ghost-touch!” George exclaimed. “Think about it! With research like that, we’d be on the right path to creating a vaccine that could save lives!”

“I’m not a lab rat.”

“Well, if you have any insights, feel free to share,” George huffed.

Skully shrugged. “How should I know? I didn’t even know I was immune until yesterday.”

My heart gave an unpleasant jolt. I frowned at him. “What? You didn’t know?”

Skully raised his eyebrows at me. He must have heard some tone in my voice because when he spoke it was a little apprehensively. “Uhhh… no…”

“But you… you let her touch you!” I said, my voice rising in pitch. “You could have died!”

“But I didn’t.”

“That’s not the point, you–!”

I almost shouted, but I stopped myself and took a deep breath to try and calm the sudden surge of anger and fear that had welled up within me. But, come to think of it, at that moment, I just didn’t care anymore.

“No. You know what? I am sick and tired of people I care about trying to sacrifice themselves for no reason!”

My friends had gone quiet and were staring at me. I guess they weren’t used to me actually using words to express how I was feeling, but, over the past few years, I’d learned that bottling stuff like this up always did more harm than good.

“Oh,” said Lockwood. “Am I being included here?”

I shot him a glare. “Yes, Mr ‘Deathwish’!”

“Ha!” said Skully. “I knew that nickname would catch on!”

At the look I gave him, he shut his mouth sharpish.

I took another deep breath and attempted to steady my voice before levelling a stern stare on both the dark-eyed boys standing before me.

“Your lives are not worth less than anyone else’s,” I said, firmly. “I don’t care if you’re being heroic, or just plain suicidal, if either of you puts yourself in unnecessary danger again, I’ll kill you, and I’ll make it look like a bloody accident.”

“Do you… not see the irony there?” said Skully.

“Oh, is that what irony is?” said Lockwood.

“James! Anthony!” I snapped.

They shut their mouths again. Lockwood’s ears grew slightly pink. Kipps eyed him reproachfully before muttering in my ear, “I know you were trying to be stern, Luce, but I think all you did was turn him on.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a breath of air, then I looked back up at Skully and Lockwood. “Just… stay safe, okay? I care about you idiots.”

“We know, Luce,” said Lockwood, gently. “We’re sorry.”

Skully mumbled something illegible and Lockwood elbowed him. “Yeah. Sorry,” he said, at last. “Won’t happen again… Probably.”

I rolled my eyes. Then I reached forwards and tugged them both into a hug.

“Jeez, you’re being so soppy lately,” said Skully.

“Shut up.”

I suddenly found myself shoved closer into the two boys as someone else joined the hug.

“George!” I objected.

“What? Are we not allowed to join the group hug?” George said as Kipps and Holly tackled us too, effectively trapping Skully between us all.

“Oh my god!” he exclaimed, trying unsuccessfully to wiggle his way out. “You people are disgusting!”

“Don’t be such a grump,” Holly chastised, giggling as she wrapped her arms tighter around mine and Skully’s shoulders.”

“We’re not letting you go until you embrace the family cuddle,” said Kipps.

“Alright, alright,” Skully huffed. “I love you guys, too. Now get off me.”

“No,” said George.

We had to eventually release him when there was a knock at the hotel room door, and a maid informed us that we had a visitor at the front desk.

Curiously, we made our way downstairs, and, upon reaching the foyer, Holly let out a cry of joy.

“Rani! What are you doing here?” she exclaimed, running forwards and flinging herself into her girlfriend’s arms.

“They gave me a couple of days off and I fancied a trip to the seaside,” Rani laughed. “It’s much easier to come here on the train when there’s only two of you.”

“Two?” I repeated.

Rani nodded over her shoulder to where a figure was visible through the glass door, slouching against a wall.

“Flo!” George exclaimed, rushing out to meet her.

“They wouldn’t let her in the hotel,” Rani said.

“I’m not surprised,” Holly replied, wrinkling her nose.

“Anyway,” said Rani, patting the wicker basket she was holding. “Who’s up for a picnic on the beach? Call it an early birthday party for Jimbo.”

“Oh, don’t you start,” Skully groaned.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, ignoring Skully. “I’ve just got to grab something. Won’t be a sec.”

I pilfered Lockwood’s room key out of his pocket and jogged back up the stairs, returning a few minutes later carrying the shopping bag from a few days ago.

“What’s in there?” said Skully.

I gave him a wry smile. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

The wind was bitterly cold and blew sea spray in our faces, but as I sat there on the damp sand surrounded by my friends, trying to eat our picnic without getting sand in it, I couldn’t bring myself to care too much. It was rare that we let ourselves take the day off and relax a little. No research, no rapier practice, no nothing. Maybe one day, when the problem had died down, kids wouldn’t have to worry about such things anymore. Maybe one day, they could just be kids.

After the food was finished, we stayed sat in a circle, with mugs of hot tea from the thermoses Rani had brought.

“You didn’t bring enough sugar,” Flo complained, after adding the fifth spoonful to her mug.

“I know, right?” said Skully.

Rani ignored them and tugged something out of her backpack which she tossed at Skully. “Pre-birthday present,” she informed him. “Happy unbirthday!”

Skully eyed the large envelope contemplatively for a moment, then ripped it open and slipped the contents out onto his lap.

“…Documents?”

“Important documents!” Rani confirmed. “A birth certificate, national insurance number… even a driver’s licence for ID purposes, so you can buy all the beer you want. Though just a provisional one, mind. I don’t want you joy-riding.”

“Rani,” Holly said, mouth agape as she stared at the papers. “How did you–?” She couldn’t seem to be able to finish her sentence.

Rani coughed awkwardly. “It may have been, uh, a little less than legal.”

“Rani!” Holly scolded.

“What? The boy can’t just go around not technically existing!”

“Holly,” George said, amazed. “How did you get such a cool girlfriend?”

Holly crossed her arms and frowned at him. “What are you insinuating?”

“Who says I’m insinuating anything?”

“Thanks, Rani,” Skully interrupted before they started arguing.

Rani gave him a lopsided grin. “No problem, SkullyJim.”

“Alright, if we’re giving out presents now, you might as well have this,” I said, passing him the shopping bag.

“What lovely wrapping paper,” he said as he pulled out the package and ripped off the newspaper. He stared at the contents for a moment, before saying, “I have no idea what these are.”

“Cassette tapes,” I told him. “And a Walkman. Here.” I reached forwards and set up a tape inside the device, showing him which buttons did what. “You can get ones that play music, but these are audio-books. As in, they’re recordings of someone reading a book out loud. I’m gonna get you the paperbacks as well for your actual birthday, so you can read along. It might help you learn to read a little better.” He said nothing as he stared down at the Walkman, so I continued. “These books are my favourite, actually. They’re about this boy who finds out he’s a wizard, and–”

“Lucy?” he interrupted.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

I shrugged, but I felt my mouth pull up at the corners. “It’s nothing.”

“You can have my present on your actual birthday,” George declared.

Skully raised an eyebrow at him. “You actually got me a birthday present?”

“I’m working on it,” said George. “And it’ll be the best present. Just you wait.”

“I can hardly contain my excitement,” Skully monotoned.

After that, it got a little too cold to say sitting around, so Lockwood suggested we play a few games to get us moving.

We only managed to get through one.

The piggyback race was fun, in theory. And it was fun, for most of us. I think the problem came from picking partners randomly from names haphazardly scribbled on scraps of paper and dropped in Kipps’s woolly hat.

I ended up with Kipps, Rani with Lockwood, Flo with Holly, and, much to the amusement of the rest of us, George with Skully.

I had a bit of a hard time persuading Kipps to let me carry him.

“Hop on my back, you’re smaller.”

“No! I am the man here!”

“You’re still healing from getting stabbed!”

“I’m fine!”

“Quill,” Lockwood interrupted. “Lucy’s stronger. Now be a man, and get on that girl’s back.”

Kipps and I won in the end, even with him nearly strangling me from gripping around my neck too tightly in fear. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t such a fair race, seen as Lockwood had a limp from his ordeal with the ghost, and Flo dropped Holly from laughing so hard at George and Skully, because the latter, whose supernatural strength and long legs should have won him the race easily, decided to take a detour to the sea and hurl a squealing George in.

We had the go back to the hotel after that, but at least Skully seemed much happier.

I knew our picnic was just a momentary distraction for him, knew that he’d still wake at night from terrible dreams that I was sure would now be filled with images of his sister. But, for now, he seemed okay. And maybe one day, he’d be okay for good; his past wouldn’t haunt him, he’d sleep through the night.

Whether such a day was possible or not, I knew Lockwood & Co. would always be there to help him try.

Because that’s what family is for.

Epilogue – And the Family We’re Given

George slammed a crammed folder onto the table in front of the half-eaten birthday cake, scattering our monopoly pieces to the floor.

“What the hell, George?!” I exclaimed. He had ruined the game, and I had been totally about to win, okay? Flo’s success was sure to be fleeting.

“Where on Earth have you been?” said Holly, looking him up and down. “You’ve been gone a week, and you look like death!”

“Archives!” said George, a manic gleam in his eye. I had a feeling he’d been staying awake on energy drinks mixed with coffee. Flo was such a bad influence on him. “Skully, I give you your birthday present!”

Skully raised an eyebrow. “You remember I’m not so good at reading, right?”

George waved his hand, dismissively. “No, no, no, this is just my research. You don’t have to read it. But you’re gonna wanna hear it!” He grinned hysterically and began rifling through the pages of the folder with the air of someone who had definitely had one too many shots of espresso. “Oh, this is so much better than I’d originally planned!”

“Maybe cut to the chase, George,” said Lockwood.

“Okay, okay,” said George, pacing the length of the kitchen and muttering to himself as he held the open folder an inch from his face.

Rani leaned towards me. “Is this a thing that happens a lot?” she murmured in my ear.

“Sleep-deprived George, yes,” I replied. “Sleep-deprived George high on caffeine, not so much.”

George suddenly slammed the folder back down on the table in front of Skully and slapped his hands either side of it, shaking the table so that our bottles of fizzy-pop wobbled precariously.

“So, from Elizabeth’s letter, I found out you had a brother named Thomas, right?”

“That arsehole?” said Skully. “What about him?”

“He never married and died of dysentery!” George announced. “BUT! From him, I found out more about your other siblings, coz I figure some of them must have survived and had kids, right? And they did! But those lines kind of died out…” He wrung his hands and started pacing again. “All except one! Remember your little sister Penelope?”

“Oh, little Penny?” said Skully. “She used to come and pick pockets with me. Had the puppy-dog eyes. No one suspected a thing. How’d she do?”

“Pretty well, actually,” said George. “Married well, had a few kiddies. And those kids had kids, and those kids had kids, and–”

“Get to the point, Cubbins,” Skully interrupted. His eyes suddenly grew wide and he sat up straighter in his chair, hopefully. “Wait, am I related to Lucy?”

“Nope,” said George. “You’re related to Lockwood.”

I spat out the lemonade I’d been sipping all across the thinking cloth. Lockwood gaped. Skully seemed, for once, lost for words.

“What?” I exclaimed.

Kipps looked horrified as his eyes darted between Skully and Lockwood. “They do have the same eyes.”

“Yep!” George declared, grinning proudly. “I was able to trace Penelope’s line all the way down to her great, great granddaughter, Amelia, who married a rather dashing bloke by the name of John Lockwood. And they had a son. I’ll give you three guesses who.”

“My father,” Lockwood finished, finding his voice at last. “Donald Lockwood.”

“Look at that!” George cried. “You got it in one! So anyway, this makes Skully Lockwood’s great, great, great, great, great uncle.” He slammed the folder shut. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna have an enormous slice of cake, and then maybe take a nap for three days.” And with that, he sat down and cut himself a slice.

The kitchen was quiet as we all gaped at Skully and Lockwood, and they stared at each other. Then suddenly, Skully’s face split into a huge grin, and he reached forwards and ruffled Lockwood’s hair.

“Aww! My ickle nephew, A.J.”

“Please stop,” said Lockwood, but I could see the corners of his mouth quirking upwards.

Both boys had thought they’d had no living relatives, but now George had found family for both of them. I felt a little surge of pride for George; his incredible researching skills, and the fact that he’d gone so out of his way to get such a thoughtful gift for someone he pretended to hate. I made a mental note to try and be a little nicer to him in the future.

“Just out of curiosity,” said Skully, “if A.J dies, do I get the house?”

“Don’t even think about it,” I said.

“What? I’m not saying that I’m gonna kill him. Just that he has a knack for nearly dying, so if he does die…”

“The house is in my mother’s name, so no,” Lockwood said.

“Damn.”

“Also,” Rani chimed in with a sly smile. “Looks like you’ll end up related to Lucy, after all, Jim. When she and Lockwood get married.”

“Oh, yeah!” said Skully as I flushed bright red. “I’ll be like your great, great, whatever uncle in law.”

“Grunkle in law,” said George.

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” I said, as Skully lobbed a party hat at George’s head.

“Whatever,” said Rani. “This is still a cause for celebration! Well… more celebration. Group photo time! Everyone in the back garden!”

“But it’s freezing out there,” Kipps complained.

“We’ve gotta do it for the autumnal backdrop aesthetic,” Rani insisted, and she went to wake up Barnes, who had begrudgingly attended the party because he had ‘nothing better to do’ and had fallen asleep on an armchair in the living room while the rest of us played monopoly.

Rani quickly showed him how to work her camera before coming to join the rest of us as we lined up in front of the apple tree and quickly tried to make ourselves look slightly more presentable, except for Flo and George, who didn’t seem to care.

I stood between Lockwood and Skully, my arms around both of them, and tried not to blink as Barnes took his time with the camera, grumbling something about ‘new-fangled technology’.

He managed to snap the photo, eventually, and caught the exact moment that Skully shoved George over and yanked me into a head-lock.

Immortalised forever was an image of me yanking on Lockwood’s tie in an attempt to save myself, George grabbing onto Kipps’s shirt and dragging him down with him, Holly reaching out in vain to try and catch them, Flo cackling, and Rani hunched over in mirth. And Skully, stood right in the centre of the chaos, grinning his sadistic grin.

So maybe it wasn’t the most glamorous photo in the world. But it was, in my opinion, one of the better family photographs I’d been a part of.

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littlehollyleaf · 7 years

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Questions for the Blogger!

tagged by @lankybrunettepartdeux (my apologies for being half-hearted about this, I’m a lazy ass!)

Rules: Answer 30 questions and tag 20 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better.

1. Nicknames: I tried very very hard at Uni to give myself the nickname ‘Leaf’ but it never worked out :p 2. Gender: Female 3. Star sign: Scorpio (but I never seem to fit ANY of the descriptions) 4. Height: don’t remember, can’t be bothered to check... something like 5′1 5. Time: 11.45am (BST) 6. Birthday: 7th Nov 1984 7 & 8. Favorite Bands & Favorite solo artists: I’ve combined these because my answer covers both - see truth is I don’t really ‘do’ music, so... never really sure who is solo and who is a band (is Pink the person? is Bon Jovi the band? idek!) and... I have SONGS I enjoy, but don’t really pay attention to the artists most of the time... kinda like Meatloaf, listen to Swift sometimes, recently grabbed a bunch of songs by Halsey... have also listened to Kansas and AC/CD... but I like cheesy shit too like ABBA... um, Bonnie Tyler... Annie Lennox... Dolly Parton... basically I have no musical taste is what I’m saying, and generally whatever fandom I’m in dictates what music I like at the time 9. Song stuck in my head: “Purple Rain” (oh gee I wonder how THAT happened :p) 10. Last movie I watched: Kingsman The Golden Circle :) 11. Last show I watched: Justice League Action (well one episode :p) 12. When did I create my blog: don’t remember... 13. What do I Post/Reblog: geeky stuff 14. Last Thing I Googled: literally just now “who is in control lyrics” - because I couldn’t remember the artist of the song for the Q above (that’s how bad I am at music) 15. Other Blogs: got an LJ still kicking about somewhere 16. Do I get asks: it has been known :p 17. Why I Chose My URL: my name’s holly, I’m small... also when I first needed to create an online username for LJ back in the day my first choice of ‘hollyleaf’ was already taken 18. Following: too many :p (tumblr has been running slow for me for a while and I suspect it’s cos of the amount of blogs I follow... I try and prune now and then but... eh) 19. Followers: too many! seriously guys, what are you all here for? I’m so ridiculous! (I suspect a lot are actually porn blogs/bots though - I only discovered this year how to check who is following you and that you can block them... I so can’t be bothered to wade through my existing followers and try and figure out which are and aren’t real though) 20. Average Hours of Sleep: 6-8 21. Lucky number: 7 I guess 22. Instruments: See above about me and music - playing is worse because... I can’t always tell when something is out of tune (my dad is legit tone deaf and I’ve long suspected I may take after him). I did play the flute to Grade 2 when I was younger though. I enjoyed it but never really... got INTO it, you know? I was always, like, ‘playing by numbers’ I suppose? 23. What am I wearing: PJs. It’s my day off leave me alone. 24. Dream job: No job. I have ZERO ambition. If I could just chill and fandom and snuggle with my cats every day I would. My job gets me money to live, that’s all (although I do like my job okay!) 25. Dream Trip: SDCC! Although atm I am also really kinda interested in visiting Japan 26. Favorite Food: Pork, probably. Unless you count drinks, in which case Coke and/or Mountain Dew. 27. Nationality: Brit. 28. Favorite Song RIGHT NOW: Ah no single one, just dumb stuff that gives me nygmobbelpot feelings mostly - “All of Me” by John Legend, “Loving You is a Dirty Job (But Someone’s Gotta Do It)” by Bonnie Tyler, “Strange Love” by Halsey... (I REALLY NEED some foxma songs though, so if anyone has any ideas??) 29. Last Book Read: Last one I finished was “A Skinful of Shadows” by Frances Hardinge (who is AMAZING and it was AMAZING everyone read her if you like slightly spooky stuff that, thank goodness, LACKS ROMANCE). Currently reading “Lockwood and Co. The Empty Grave” by Jonathan Stroud :)

30. Top Three Fictional Universes You’d Want to Join:

Doctor Who (because it’s basically ours but with the chance you might stumble into the TARDIS one day, so I could theoretically keep my life largely as is :p)

Labyrinth (again, basically ours, but if you played your cards right you might get whisked off for a magical adventure with the Goblin King for a night, which is a win!)

The Librarians (this has the same element of ‘our world but magic is real’ but in a twist on the above I’d actually be happy to be part of the action in this world, because the characters’ magic adventures seem fun and with the least amount of trauma involved, lol! I don’t think I’d be smart enough to be a Librarian though alas)

Oh sorry, did you think I’d say Gotham or spn? Fuck that, you know if ~I lived in those universes I’d be Extra #3 in the cold open who gets violently slaughtered by the monster/villain of the week, so no thanks! (and even if not - I could not handle the stress of living in Gotham, have you SEEN what happens there??)

#meme #about me #:p #I actually thought too much about that last one...

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raiswanson · 7 years

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Tagged by @typeaadventures, thaaanks!

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

*helpless shrug* Hell if I know. I started building my bookshelf sort of all at once so it’s a bit fuzzy on what I put in there first. One of the earliest I remember buying is my box set of the first three books of Ranger’s Apprentice. So that’s what we’ll go with for now I suppose lol

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Uhhhh I’m always reading like 4 different books at once (or not reading them, as if the current case) but the one I’m most invested in right now is The Last Wish. Love me some Witcher.

Last book read wassssss...The Hollow Boy, I think. Of the Lockwood & Co series (which is great and I highly recommend ;o)

Next on the list would be Luck in the Shadows....if I can ever get my rear and gear and read more than once a blue moon hahaha

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

This one is hard to answer because I’m struggling to think of any books I’ve read that “everyone” liked OR hated. I usually grab books at random in 2nd hand bookstores or sale racks so usually no one else has read what I have. >.o hm.

I really don’t know. It’s kind of hard to think up a book I hate in the first place. The Historian? Let’s go with that. I know a few people at least liked that one and I LOATHED it. (SPOILERS, build up for a big showdown with Dracula through the entire book, then meet and kill him in like one page. Incredible.)

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Twilight’s Dawn, because after learning what happens to certain characters I don’t think my heart can take it. :’l

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

Is....is this a thing? What does this mean. I’m definitely not putting off any books for a deliberate span of time...if that’s what this is asking?

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Sometimes I’ll poke the final chapter a bit if I get invested in a character and want to see if they stick around to the end, but for the most part I don’t skip ahead any farther than what I’ve read already. Kinda spoils the fun a bit to know the end when you’re only in chapter 3?

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

Do I usually read them? No. Do I think they’re a waste? Also no. It’s a nice thing for the people it’s relevant to. Which isn’t me. I have no problem skipping them.

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Jack from the Dragonback series. I would 100% be down to host a neat dimensional-warping space dragon on my skin. No problem. Hop on buddy.

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

The first generation of Warriors books make me think of Middle School but otherwise, nah

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Uh. As boring as it is, I’ve acquired my book the old-fashioned way of buying them or receiving them as gifts for birthdays/Christmas. I guess there’s always me hopping between like 4 bookstores trying to get a copy of The Little Prince? *sweats* I do not live an exciting life. Sorry.

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

Nope. I’m the only one in my circle with a great love of books so I don’t think anyone would appreciate a book as a gift from me lol

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

...you know how I said I was boring. Yeah. I don’t take books with me places. I don’t go anywhere that I’d have time to read while there.

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

No. Hell no. I enjoyed Timeline when I read it, and hated every other book I had to read. And to this day I maintain that each of those disasters can fuck off. :V

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

....this list is just turning into a rude account of how boring I am. I’ve never found anything in books except for fairly normal bookmarks. TTwTT

15. Used or brand new?

I prefer brand new or as close to new as possible, mostly because I like my bookshelf to look nice and am not fond of having to be careful with a book for fear of it falling apart. But I don’t pass up a used book if its in good shape.

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

He’s....alright??? I don’t think I’ve actually read a single one of his books. I know that I snub the majority of his writing tips that I see tossed around here though. Definitely not my kind of author. But if you love him then good for you pal.

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

I haven’t read Stardust yet, but from what I’ve seen I don’t think I’ll like the book as much as the movie lol. Not from a quality standpoint or anything, just from the way I’ve heard the book is much, much more tragic :C

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

I’ll give you a hint. It involves a blue dragon with a name like a gemstone.

Why was it so bad. Why.

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

....no?

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Honestly most of the time I’m the one giving book advice. As I said before I’m really the only one in my group that reads that much. I’ve loved what few books my friend @ghostmumbles has suggested to me though ;p

Ummmmmm for tagging idk who I’ve seen do this one so I’m just tagging who I can think of. If you’ve done it already and I tag you, I guess just ignore this lol @tundra-tiger @otramble @the-average-procrastinator @h-brook-writes @authorloremipsum @throughthemarshes @prycarious @helenpowers @scribbledwriting @tangledlinescrumpledpaper @crispyninjadonut @silenceleaflin OKAY IS THAT EVERYBODY??? I THINK IT IS? WE COOL? COOL.

#tag Rai #I AM SO DAMN BORING I'M SORRY #THIS IS WHY I ONLY TALK ABOUT MY STORIES #IT'S ALL I'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT #NOTHING HAPPENS TO ME IRL #LIKE OH YOU WANNA HEAR HOW I'M DOING???#UH WELL GEE #LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY DENTIST APPT LAST MONTH I GUESS #THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT #I DON'T DO THINGS #I'M SORRY ;O;

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