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duchezss · 5 months

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Lockwood & Co characters as Taylor Swift albums, an unnecessarily long post.

Foreword: Let me just preface by saying I have been working on this for a long time. I think it's super fun to personify characters as ts albums cause they're all so different. While I know basically all of her songs are love songs, I always find a way to make them platonic as well, just an fyi. The format I'm using is I have two songs that are "honorable mentions", which are songs that I think fit, but not enough to crack the top list, also they don't have any specific lyric on why I chose them. "Honorable honorable mention" is the song that was just outside of the top 5, and they include a short lyric on why I picked them. The top 5 are in reverse order of how important I think they are, and how much they represent their characters. They have a long lyric on why I chose them. Of course this is all opinion based so no one get mad in my notes cause idc. Lots of spoilers from the books duh, so without further ado let's get into it.

Lockwood: Lover

I actually first started ponder this topic when I saw on tiktok that everyone was saying Lockwood was Reputation, and I just really disagree. Frankly I think Lockwood would believe he's Reputation, but truthfully he's Lover.

Lover represents so many things that are him. He believes himself to be too jaded and cold, but on the inside he cares so much. He wants to learn to love again, but he's scared of hurting people he cares about and he's afraid of getting hurt himself.

Honorable mentions: Lover and Soon You'll Get Better.

Lover represents how Lockwood always wants to love Lucy and he always wants to be so close to the rest of the crew as well. Regardless of his emotions and how he pushes them away, he wants nothing more than to be with them the rest of his life. He wants some to be there at every event, glory is nothing if he doesn't get to share it. Soon You'll Get Better feels like Lockwood trying to cope with not only his parents death, but also Jessicas. Before the crew came along he was all alone, and even when they are there he still stays in his own bubble. He wants to go back to the normal he had with his family, but he needs to realize that his new family is right before him, he just has to let them in.

Honorable honorable mention: Death by a Thousand Cuts - "I ask the traffic lights if i'll be alright"

This entire song is so Lockwood coded. It feels like when Lucy left and he doesn't know what to do without her gone, and it also feels like he's getting flashbacks to losing Jessica. I chose this specific lyric because it's more subtle and matches his emotions more. The actual lyric is a reference to being down in life and just taking everything as a sign. This really represents to me the period between THB and TCS where he was being so reckless, because he thought all of it was a sign since everyone he really loved had left him. And if that wasn't bad enough he was pushing away the few people he still had. Most of Lockwoods inner emotions seem to only get worse the more he keeps them in, in that way I think his demons are like his cuts. They're slowly picking away at him, even though there are people in front of him that could help.

Number 5: Afterglow - "Tells me this love is worth the fight, I lived like an island, punished you with silence"

This song and this lyric feels like Lockwood's struggle to learn how to deal with himself and his habits. He knows he shouldn't push all of them away, and yet he closes himself off to protect himself. He wants to fight for it all though, and he knows that doing so is worth it. He wants to let them all in, especially Lucy, and he does so slowly and on his own terms. He wants them to be patient and wait for him, and they will, because of course they will. I also feel like this lyric highlights how bad at communicating his emotions he is, but that he's aware of it and doing his best to try harder. I also love the second lyric because that's what Lockwood does. Yes he's just being private but it's obvious his silence can hurt them, especially Lucy. But by the end it's clear he's trying to be more open, even if it's painful, because he doesn't want to push them away.

Number 4: Cornelia Street - "Hope I never lose you, hope it never ends. I'd never walk Cornelia street again"

For all of them I think there's one song that really represents how their emotions might feel in retrospect, and for Lockwood it's this song. Cornelia Street is his Portland Row. When he was younger his family all lived there, and it was home, but when everyone died it was nothing but a shell of a time long gone. Now it's his home because the people that live there and visit make it so. This song and this lyric feel as if it's Lockwood bargaining. Because although he knows there will come a day where they aren't all how they are now, he wants to remember Portland Row as it is now. And that when everyone eventually leaves for one reason or another, it will once again not be a home, and he can never return. Though I think all of this is just his inner thoughts, because frankly I don't think any of them are ever leaving permanently. Portland Row isn't just his home, it's all of theirs.

Number 3: Cruel Summer - "Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, what doesn't kill me makes me want you more"

I think both parts of these lyrics fit Lockwood so well, just in very different ways. The first part feels like a test of authority and the figures the world wants them to believe. Lockwood doesn't trust the big agencies, and any plans they make feel corrupt and cooperate, which are ideals polar opposite of Lockwoods. It also feels like it embodies the idea that Lockwood also has, in that you can't rely on supposed higher beings, but only on yourself, your allies, and your actions. The second half just feels like Lockwoods desperate love of Lucy. During TCS he was throwing himself at everything, and he put himself through it all just cause he wanted Lucy back. I just think this lyric really conveys how much he needs and wants her, even though he pretends otherwise. Lockwood just loves her so much and I'm obsessed with that. He feels like he shouldn't though, he's afraid of hurting her and himself, which is why he constantly pushes her away and denies his feelings.

Number 2: Daylight - "I once believed love would be black and white, but it's golden"

Don't get me started on Lockwood and daylight. To me daylight represents Lockwood learning to let himself love again, and to feel anything again. When he was young of course he was surrounded by it, but after being alone for so long, it's clear he tried to push any ounce of feelings away. Then along comes his crew, and as much as he tries to maintain his cool demeanor, it's impossible to deny how much he cares and how much he feels for them. Of course a big part of that is acceptance, and I think this lyric so perfectly illustrates this revelation he has. Love isn't black and white and pain and grief, but it's golden and it's sunlight in a bottle and it's all these feelings he never thought he'd feel again. To me this song represents the lighter side of Lockwood we never really talk about, it's in how he shows his love for the others. He sees the world as nothing more than a battle to be won, but it's clear he tries to shield them all from it. Daylight is about him learning to accept the world as it is, but it's also about how l&co lights it up for him.

Number 1: The Archer - "They see right through me, can you see right through me?”

Everyone's number one song is meant to represent their most inner thoughts and fears, and Lockwood is one of the most the archer characters to ever the archer, like it actually makes me sick. Yes I had to choose a lyric, but honestly the entire bridge and song in general is so him. The archer is everything Lockwood is doomed to be. He feels like he will never be enough, that none of his actions mean anything, and that he will be fighting for the rest of his life. But through it all his biggest concern is that his carefully placed facade is all for nothing, and that everyone he loves can see right through him. That they can see his doubts, and his flaws, and that they won't love him when they find out. Worst of all he's afraid he's too broken to hold on. So he holds his chin up and keeps fighting because that's all he knows, but deep down he is nothing more than the target of the archer. Lockwoods heroes, his parents, his old teacher, his sister, they died all alone. It's a fate he all but accepts in TEG. His sees death and combat like an old friend instead of an enemy. What he doesn't realize till much later is that his friends love him for him, flaws and all, and that these expectations he set up for himself hurt him more than anyone else. They all see right through him, but that's not a bad thing, it's actually a good thing. It's a keyhole to his soul, and how much he really loves all of them. I also love the lyric "help me hold onto you" because I think it really highlights how even though Lockwood pushes them away so much, he wants them to hold him tight and not let go. He needs them as much as they need him.

George: Midnights

Lemme just say that every single album I picked for the crew is probably gonna be a hot take, but I have so many reasons for all of them so hear me out. I stand by the fact that George is midnights and here's why.

Of course all of them are up late all of the time, it's their job, but for George it's just a little different. Midnight isn't so much of an annoyance as it is an old friend. His research is always his passion, and I think Midnights really represents that. Life can be filled with regret and apathy, but it can also be joyful and unexpected. That's what Midnights is about, and I think at his core George is the same.

Honorable mentions: Hits Different and The Great War

Hits Different represents George's struggle with change. Change is something most people do struggle with, but for George it's a little different. He tries to overanalyze every move, and in doing so he almost makes himself sadder, and trying to rationalize it doesn't make it any easier. The Great War is obviously a symbol of the fight l&co has against Fittes, but for George it's a little more. He barely reaches for help from the crew, and this represents his hesitation to ask for help or to let people in. It also highlights how even though he's afraid of letting them in, he's almost more afraid of losing them.

Honorable honorable mention: Lavender Haze - "I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say"

This lyric highlights how George is constantly in his own world, and that it's almost better that way. He lets strangers' words slide off his shoulders, and if he actually started to care what people thought of him it would be very difficult. Of course the crew's words get to him, but that's a given. I think this is especially shown through how much he dives into his research, and how most find him a little odd. Despite his unorthodox methods he usually gets his information, and the people that really matter to him don't mind. George is so bright, and under all of his layers or protection he's quite outspoken. Him staying steadfast on his own path is a key part of his character, and l&co's unwavering support of him is what eggs him on.

Number 5: Would've, Could've, Should've - "Now that I'm grown I'm scared of ghosts, memories feel like weapons"

This is George's retrospective song. George's whole life is the problem, more so than everyone else. It's not just his job, but finding the history of the problem is one of his greatest passions. But there will come a day when his talents fade, and even if his passion stays it will eventually become more fearful than exhilarating. Sometimes it can be harder to know what you're missing out on than never having it at all. In this way his memories and a time long past could haunt him, because as much as he tries he can never go back. It's also interesting because at the end of TEG the problem could be over, but no one really knows. He might spend his whole adulthood afraid of something no longer there. His memories contain all the fun times he had with l&co, but it could also serve a reminder of everything he's lost.

Number 4: Anti-Hero - "I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser, midnights become my afternoons”

I think this entire song fits George so well, because it really pulls focus on how George believes he isn't a hero like the rest of the group. He keeps making the same mistakes and instead of being wise beyond his years like how Lockwood is per say, he's just normal. His brains are his strong suit, but I think he underestimates all of his other abilities because he believes himself to be incapable. As I said before all of them work at night, but the implication that midnights are his afternoons really works for George. I think it also does a good job of showcasing how locked in his work he can get, time always seems to pass him by. I also think the entire song really highlights how much like an outsider he feels sometimes, even within the group. He's afraid of how he acts when he's alone for too long, and I think this was really showcased in TCS when he was so inwardly angry about Lucy leaving. He sees himself as an Anti-Hero that is destined to be alone, even if that's the opposite of the truth.

Number 3: You're On Your Own Kid - "So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it”

While all of them have a retrospective song, I also feel like I gave all of them a more hopeful song. For Lockwood it was Daylight, and for George it's this. While YOYOK isn't a hopeful song, it's actually quite the opposite, I really wanted to focus on this specific lyric. I love this for George because to me it represents his growth in letting himself be emotional. He's so used to being an outsider and an oddball in any group he's in, and so naturally he's very closed off, and he doesn't want to let anyone in. He was very close with Lucy in THB, but then she left and he closed back off, but by the end of the series it's easy to see how he has changed. This lyric represents his ability to finally let himself live in the moment, to love without fear of losing, to enjoy the little things, and to be his authentic self. Maybe he's on his own, and all of this happiness is just temporary. Or maybe this group is his family for life, and all he has to do is lean on their shoulders. I think this song highlights how he is only as alone as he makes himself, because with l&co he'll never truly be alone.

Number 2: Dear Reader - "Where I pace in my pen and my friends found friends who care”

Dear Reader embodies George's doubt within l&co. I think it really manifests how his own doubts can really get to his head, and this is especially highlighted in the whispering skull (more so the show but I loved that arc they gave him). To him it can feel like he's an outsider in his own home, in his family, with his friends. When Lockwood and Lucy really get comfy in their feelings, it ends up with him pushed to the side. This entire song is so him, he's trying so hard to keep it together, to not make the wrong decisions, but he's human so of course he messes up. In a way it also feels like he's telling himself not to do certain things just because he's afraid of how that could hurt him. In his mind he's nothing more than the brains, and at times he believes himself to be expendable. He had Lockwood when he had no one, but now Lockwood has Lucy, so where does that leave him? But the truth is there's enough room for all of them. His friends might've found friends who care, but that doesn't mean they don't still care about him. He's so afraid of losing so he locks himself in, he never even plays the game, but as said in the last song he does learn to let himself be vulnerable. It's just a matter of getting over that hurdle himself.

Number 1: Mastermind - "No one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since”

This song as a whole might not really represent George, because him meeting the crew was nothing but luck, but the bridge. Oh my god that sells it all. Not to mention the title, it's so him. He is the mastermind of the group, Lockwood might be the glue that holds them all together, but George is the building blocks that let them get so far. In the books George isn't given most of a backstory, but the show fills that in. He didn't fit in with his family, and it's clear he's had a hard time with friendships. I think he uses his smarts as a shield, as a plan even. No one wanted to be friends with him when he was younger, but that didn't bother him. His ambitions were far greater, he wanted it all. Also this goes back to the thought that I think George sees himself as an anti-hero. His scheming, his plans, they are all just him, but not something malicious. Yet as he grew up he realized he did want people around, and not just anyone, but l&co. I also love the lyric "I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian cause I care", like that's SO George. He realized he does care, even if it's in own unique way, and thus maybe he'd even allow himself to let his guard down. He wants them to love him and for it to be without struggle, but struggle is only normal. And they do love him, flaws and all, so perhaps the real way he's a mastermind is finally realizing that everything he needs is right in front of him.

Lucy: Speak Now

Yes yes another hot take I know. I also know this might be my oddest choice, but let me cook. Speak now is a lot more upbeat then one might expect for Lucy, but being upbeat doesn't mean always happy. While this album might not be what you expect on the surface, it really represents Lucy deep down.

Speak Now is TS's first album to depart from her more optimistic tone, and that seriousness masked as being normal is so Lucy. Lucy always pretends like everything is fine, like every little thing doesn't get to her, but it does. This entire album has such a melancholy tone, it deals so much with regret and longing. All very Lucy things, so let's get into it.

Honorable mentions: Superman and Never Grow Up

Superman embodies Lucy's fears with her friends always being in danger, particularly Lockwood. She's terrified of something happening to them, and she doesn't want to lose them like she lost Nori. Of course she wants them to go out and save the world, but it's scary not having control of their fates. This is really highlighted in THB because she leaves over worry of Lockwood and his recklessness. Never Grow Up fits Lucy in a bit a different way. Rather than the song focusing on her childhood, I really think this is how she feels with l&co. This is a melancholy song for her, because obviously l&co won't stay together forever, and it's scary knowing their time is on a timer. She's afraid of growing up and getting older because her identity is tied to her talents and to her friends.

Honorable honorable mention: Ours - "People throw rocks at things that shine"

I think this lyric really fits the situations l&co constantly find themselves in. They're dangerous and most of the time they're in places they shouldn't be, and yet they all still come out victorious. Not to mention Lucy's talents being as exceptional as they are, it's only normal that others will try to tear them down. The reason this is interesting is cause they're not even at the top, every victory is a battle, and sometimes being the underdog means you shine even brighter. Kipps' crew in the beginning, and then Fittes and Marissa as a whole are constantly trying to make sure they stay in their place. They throw their rocks at them but l&co, particularly Lockwood, never really listens, and because of all of their defiance they get results others couldn't even imagine. I would say this is Lucy's hopeful song, even if it's more like perseverance.

Number 5: Back to December - "I go back to December all the time, it turns out freedom aint nothing but missin you”

This entire song is Lucy during the period between THB and TCS, her freelance era if you will. She's alone and she's lonely and she constantly reminisces on her time with l&co. She misses them so much, but she stays away because she thinks she's protecting Lockwood. Her supposed freedom really just has a cloud over it though, she longs for what she left but she's convinced herself that she can't go back. I love the way this song talks about the distance between the two of them, and how it acknowledges that Lucy knows she's in the wrong, but that she acted the way she did because she thought it was for the best. I also think this song really represents the "what ifs". Like perhaps in a world where Lucy never went back to l&co. All of them would be worse for wear, because they need each other, especially Lockwood. I just think it acknowledges everyone's hesitation towards each other in the beginning of TCS.

Number 4: Electric Touch - "Got a history of stories ending sadly, still hoping the fire won’t burn me”

Lucy is forever plagued by how her employment with Jacob's, especially in the show when it was clear she was close with the other trainees. So when she comes to l&co she obviously wants things to be different. But George is distant and Lockwood is reckless and it terrifies her. She thinks her story can only end in tragedy, and that maybe this bad luck follows her. It's part of the reason she leaves in THB, so doesn't want that same fate to fall upon them. I know the fire in this song has a different context, but to me I think it represents her hope. She doesn't want the hope she has to hurt her in the end, she wants to stay positive, but she's conflicted on if she's asking for too much. She loves all of them so deeply, and she wants nothing more than for them to be ok, even if that means she's not a part of the story anymore. Though her plans of leaving to protect Lockwood kinda have the opposite effect, and that drives her up the wall.

Number 3: Enchanted - "This is me praying that this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends”

Enchanted is soooo how Lucy feels about Lockwood, but I also think it represents way more than that. It represents Lucy's doubts about not just Lockwood, but about the whole crew, and even herself. It's about how Lucy has always felt like she had to put up a front with others, and then suddenly she met Lockwood. But it wasn't just him, eventually George and her opened up to each other. Then she puts her hatred aside for Holly, and she even gets close to Kipps. The entire crew became her family, and she realized she could actually be herself around them, no front. She doesn't want their time together to be on a timer, she doesn't want the story to end anytime soon, because it's so clear they all mean the world to her. Also I think this song does a good job of telling how captivated Lucy was with Lockwood when they first met. She was enchanted to meet up, and her pounder if he loves her like she loves him is a sub plot of quite literally the entire series. I also think this song can represent how she thought getting along with the crew would be smooth sailing at first, when in actuality it was very bumpy. But that's ok.

Number 2: Long Live - "For a moment a band of thieves in ripped up jeans got to rule the world”

This song really represents the crew as a whole, but I think it more specifically describes Lucy's viewpoint of it all. Lucy wants to remember these moments, the good and the bad, because for once they win. Another lyric that fits is "the end of decade, but the start of an age". They ended a massive piece of history, but likely started a new era from the small glimpses of the future we got in TEG. Lucy wants to remember when they broke all the rules and fought for what was right. In that sense I think this is her retrospective song, because yes it represents how she feels now, but I think it better represents how she might feel years from now. I chose this specific lyric because this is soooo the crew. They're a band of sometimes thieves and nobodys who ruled the world if only for a moment. I also love the ripped up jeans line cause I think it really represents how scuffed they kinda are. They're just kids, they're amateurs in the eyes of adults, yet they're the ones who actually did something. I also love the lyric "I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you". I think this embodies that even though they were fighting against ghosts every day, they had the time of their lives cause they had each other. So in that way it's also her hopeful song.

Number 1: Castles Crumbling - "Here I sit alone behind walls of regret, falling down like promises that I never kept”

Castles Crumbling is so Lucy it kinda hurts. I think it really represents her dreams as well as her doubts. She wants l&co to be an "empire", but again not because of the glory, but because she wants to succeed with them side by side. This song really embodies how she thinks she is holding them back, and not just that, she thinks she's putting them all at more risk because of her talents. She's scared of being the problem and letting them down, and more so of ruining everything they've been working so hard to achieve. The particular lyric I chose represents her fears of never following through. She was supposed to come to London with Norrie and work at a big agency, but she let Norrie down in her eyes. She fears she is doing the same to l&co. So she puts herself behind a wall, afraid of hurting those she cares about. Her regrets haunt her every day, even if she wants to move past them and learn to forgive herself. She thinks she can't keep her promises, and because of that her entire world feels like it's crumbling. She doesn't want to ruin everyone else's world as well. I think this song particularly matches THB. Lucy has a perfectly crafted well and area she keeps to herself, but when Lockwood gets too close she gets scared. She's afraid of his reckless nature, and even more afraid of what he would do for her. Lucy can't have another person die for her, and she will destroy the castles herself if she has too.

Holly: Red

Originally I had Holly as 1989, and it wasn't till I had fully planned this and was writing everything out that I changed my mind. The songs I picked weren't fitting how I wanted them too, and when I was going through Red I realized how much more this matched her. Also I find this a little funny since the color I picked for her is also red.

Red is more of a departure from country compared to TS's first three albums. It has a more mature and reflective tone overall, and it really embodies Holly's contemplation. I even think it represents her constant confusion in the state of the world, and even her relationships with l&co at times. Red is her questions materialized.

Honorable mentions: Everything Has Changed and Stay Stay Stay

Everything Has Changed feels like when Holly finally gets to know the crew a little better. I doubt it was as instantaneous as the song implies, but it's the idea that Holly wakes up one day and decides that she wants to be more than coworkers with them. She wants to get to know them better, and she wants to be less closed off as well. I think it's when Holly learns to find another home in not just Portland Row, but the people in it. Stay Stay Stay has a similar vibe, but it's more like the crew's response. It's the revelation that they care as much as she does because they have taken the time to get to know her. I think it's also her realizing that no one else has loved her like this before, and it's hard for her to process. I think this is particularly relevant in TEG since by then they're all close, and her and Lucy are finally on good terms.

Honorable honorable mention: Holy Ground - "For the first time, I had something to lose”

I know this lyric says for the first time, but in Holly's lense it's more like the re-realization that she has something to lose. Some people don't like that Holly's back story is so similar to Lucy's but I love it cause it's such an interesting character study. Anyways, Holly lost her whole team to a ghost when she was Rotwell and I think it's pretty clear that she has been running from that her whole life, as it's evident she keeps l&co at a polite distance in the beginning. Likely to protect herself from getting hurt again through attachment. I love this lyric cause it's kinda her lightbulb moment, which personally I think likely happened towards the end of TCS. She saw that she actually has something to lose again, and that thought is terrifying. Yet it's not like she runs away from it, she actually leans into it. It's clear she won't let her fear of loss stop her from loving so freely again.

Number 5: The Very First Night - "Back then we didn’t know we were built to fall apart, we broke the status quo”

So much of this song feels like it's how Holly would feel years down the line. I think it's her retrospective song, but it's a little less depressing. Almost like all of their pains and fights were just part of growing up. They were built to fall apart but they were also made to come back to each other. They're all such a vital piece of the puzzle, and yes they can sometimes drive each other crazy, but it's so clear how much they love each other. I also love the second part of the lyric, because l&co broke like every status quo they could. They were a small independent agency with no supervisors and they were always in places they shouldn't be. They were constantly getting into trouble, but then again that's why they got results. I also just like how it feels like Holly coming to accept their odd style of doing everything, like yes they're a mess but man they're her mess and she loves them anyways.

Number 4: Come Back...Be Here - "The feeling you can know so much without knowing anything at all”

My god this specific lyric is so Holly. I think it so perfectly represents her fear as well as the crews fear about the problem. They know so much about it, yet nothing at all, and after Marissa reveals herself they realize they know even less than they thought. They have all spent their entire lives fighting ghosts and while they might've forged bravely through the dark, they had only scratched the surface of the entire conspiracy. It's a daunting reality, to realize you have been fighting your whole life for nothing. To realize you've lost so many people just because of the selfish ambitions of others. I also think this could just apply to her life outside the problem. She's one of the older ones of the group, but it's easy to see how she hides her insecurities behind a smile. It must be hard seeing everyone else so sure of themselves and their mission, and yet feeling like you don't fit in anywhere. It's easy to feel for her, especially when Lucy is so mean to her in the beginning. She's just trying to find her place too.

Number 3: Treacherous - "This path is reckless, this slope is treacherous, and I like it”

Treacherous feels like it captures Holly's somewhat rare but still reoccurring passionate and spontaneous side. I feel like this song embodies Holly learning to go with the flow with l&co. When she first joined she was uptight and hesitant no doubt, which is understandable considering she came from a fancy agency like Rotwell. She questions a lot of their methods and their cases, and just everything really. She was hesitant to rush in and to trust, which is again understandable. Yet over the course of the books she slowly learns to embrace all of these things. She learns to trust Lockwood like the rest of them, she learns to be more open hearted even if it might bring pain. She learns to love again at her own pace and in her own way, because subtly is everything in these books. She never has some dramatic moment, but it's the small ones that really show how much she has changed. She doesn't hesitate to do things for the rest of them when they're in trouble, she learns not to think twice about leaping when it matters. Because even if she falls, she knows they'll hold her hand and help her up.

Number 2: Begin Again - "Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end, but in a cafe I watched it begin again”

This whole concept is Holly embodied, it kinda makes my heart hurt. This is like the second part of Holy Ground in her story, because it's her learning to embrace that she has something to lose. Instead of that being a bad thing, it becomes a good thing, because she realizes that she can begin again, and that her life wasn't over when her team at Rotwell died. Also I just love the cafe line because all I think about is how they all went to a cafe at the end of TEG and they were laughing and having a great time together because they won, I think that moment truthfully solidified her feelings. Because she had opened her heart and let people in, she found out that love can begin again, just like she once had too. I also just love the idea of her accepting that everything happens for a reason. Of course that's not saying she wanted what happened, but it's more so her learning to roll with the punches, and embrace whatever life gives her. It also just feels so gentle and careful, and I'm not saying Holly is always like that, cause boy that girl can be a spitfire, but her experiences feel so different from the crew. She doesn't know if love is golden or carefree or anything, but I think she's starting to understand what it means for her.

Number 1: Nothing New - "They shoot you down and then they sigh and say, “she looks like she’s been through it”

I think this song represents the life she has lived so well. The agency, and the problem, and all of her losses were shots. She was down and yet the world wondered how she could be so caught up. I think it really highlighted a problem represented within all the agencies. They see their agents like machines instead of people, which is why l&co was so night and day for her. But even being with them didn't erase all of her doubts. She felt like she knew everything when she was at Rotwell and yet at l&co it's like she knows nothing. Not literally of course, but of how the world works and about how she feels and deals with all of it. She's afraid of time passing her by, because frankly she's still trying to figure out who she is without the problem, which is a hard task for all of them. She wonders how long it'll be till she's replaced with the next best person, because even if that's not how l&co works, that's certainly how the other agencies work. I think that's why she likes to do her own stuff, she wants to be a secretary, not a soldier for a cause she doesn't understand. She wonders if her novelty will wear off, and if she'll still be valuable if she's not new. What she doesn't fully understand till later is that l&co doesn't value her for that, but for her as a person and for the skills she brings to the table.

Kipps: Folklore

Kipps was hard to pinpoint for me at first. I had bounced around a lot of ideas, but it was only after finishing the books and listening to Folklore that it all pieced together. Folklore is really sad, probably TS's saddest and my god if that isn't Kipps.

Folklore is based on characters and fiction rather than real life like TS previous albums, but it still has hard hitting themes. It explores escapism, nostalgia, and just a lot of emotions. All of the things Kipps pretends not to acknowledge, even if they plague his life on the daily. This album is just so him, and honestly it was hard to narrow down the song list, because he fit so many of them.

Honorable mentions: August and Exile

August in its totality doesn't really fit Kipps, but the bridge, ah it always comes down to the bridge. It's like Kipps reminiscing about the time in his life when he was so sure of himself. Everything around him was enough, because he was so confident in tomorrow. But then the future became nothing more than something to dread. Exile is Kipps' understanding of the cycle that he is a part of. I think this revelation really occurs in book three when Ned dies. Kipps realizes that he's just a cog in the machine, and that his death would be as insignificant as Ned's. Because the only people that remember Ned are his friends and family, sacrifice has become a normality instead of a tragedy. Kipps realizes the normal ending agents get will never change unless he does something about it.

Honorable honorable mention: My Tears Ricochet - "I can go anywhere I want, just not home”

This lyric is straight to the point and to the heart. We never really learn any of Kipp's backstory, we only know about his life within his talents and Fittes. Which in this case really fits. These lyrics scream book four Kipps, but honestly it also represents him as a whole. After he finally leaves Fittes it's like he has no home anymore, but what really made him feel at home was his talents, and those are long gone. He can't go home cause his talents are faded, he can't go home because he finally sees Fittes for what it is, and he can't go home to Portland Row because he's afraid to feel that way. We don't know about his childhood, but since he's "grown" he can't go home there either. In a way he's stuck in limbo, trying to find the best way out but trusting none of the options. It's a perfect tragedy that would end if he stopped thinking about it so much.

Number 5: Mirrorball - "I’m still a believer and I don’t know why, I’ve never been a natural all I do is try try try”

Kipps has every reason to believe in Fittes. He was a child prodigy, a top advisor, the picture of natural success there. Yet of course the more he learns, the more he starts to question his beliefs. Through it all though it's clear he wants to believe Fittes and agencies aren't all that bad, he wants for his doubts to be soothed. Eventually though it's evident that almost everything he ever knew was a lie. This revelation starts in book three, but it goes all the way to the end really. Though book four does hone in on this a lot because we see Kipps try to grapple with the institution he once worshiped, and it's here we see him question why he ever believed in them. The second line of the lyrics feels like Kipps' life outside of the problem. Within it he's a natural, he was the best of the best, but it's kinda clear that everywhere else he's strugglingly. Socially he's not that great, and it becomes abundantly apparent to him that there's no point in trying so hard if all he'll ever do is fail.

Number 4: Epiphany - "Just one single glimpse of relief to make some sense of what you’ve seen”

This song feels like Kipps's attempt at bargaining with the problem, specifically it's inception. This whole song fits so well because it describes the world around like a war, and what are agents if not soldiers. He wants all the horrors and tragedies he's witnessed to have a logical explanation, he wants it all to make sense, for it to not be as bad as sounds, but it's worse. Marissa and Tom's greed led to the deaths of millions of people and thousands of agents. This song also represents Kipps fatigue in always having to fight. We think he's just a coward and a cynic, mainly in the first two books, but it becomes clear later on that he only acts like that because inside he's so tired and conflicted. He's tired of fighting a never ending war, he's tired of getting new teammates because they keep dying, he's tired of always dealing with loss, of never being able to get away from it. Truthfully there's no explanation that could make it ok. Frankly Kipps doesn't really have a true retrospective song, because all of his are kinda already that way. This is the closest one to narrowing it down.

Number 3: Cardigan - "Cause I knew everything when I was young, I knew I’d curse you for the longest time”

So many little lyrics in the song fit Kipps so well. I love the juxtaposition of the lyrics. About society saying you know nothing when you're young, versus feeling like that's the only time you did know something. That's exactly how Kipps feels. Everything now is so uncertain, but back then? He ruled the world. Yet even though children are the key to fighting the problem, they are constantly discredited by adults. Adults who only want to stay in power, and who don't really care who fights ghosts, only that they fall into line. The second part of the lyric fits in a different way. It feels like Kipps finally acknowledging why he hated l&co so much. He hated them so much because they were everything he longed to be. They were successful, in the peak of their talent, and most of all they had their whole lives ahead of them. He was on the decline, and they all had each other, while he felt utterly alone. How could he not hate them? It was so clear they were going to change the world while he got left behind, but luckily for everyone he had a different fate in store.

Number 2: Invisible String - "Isn’t it just so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me”

As always I have a passion for making romantic songs platonic and this is a prime example. This song represents Kipps coming to terms with the fact that he ended up exactly where he needed to be. This is his hopeful song, and it also feels like him coming to realization that it all worked out. First off let me just say I love how this song uses colors to describe things, because that's exactly what the show did with the trio and their costumes. In a way it feels like Kipps trying to deny that he was meant to be with them, but all along their paths kept crossing, almost like he was destined to end up with them. His invisible string wasn't tied to a specific person, but the group as a whole. I love how the second chorus talks about time in a love/hate kinda way. Kipps is grateful for time because he has learned so much about himself and the world, and yet he hates it because it never stops, no matter how much he despises or cherishes a moment. I also love how the bridge describes past mistakes like barbed wire, threatening to hold him back, but that this invisible string is a spot of gold lighting his way. Kipps had every chance to regress but chose not to with the love and support from the crew, they made him see how everything he needed was right in front of him.

Number 1: This Is Me Trying - "I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere”

My god this entire song is so Kipps I might be sick. This whole song represents Kipps coming to terms with not only his talents fading, but how that has affected his relationships and the way he acts. The first verse talks about having a hard time adjusting, of acknowledging change, fears and regrets. It represents Kipps coming to terms with falling off, but it's more so his regret of letting fear take over his life. He eventually fights that, and even if he never knows how to make the first step, he eventually finds his way back to the people he loves. Verse two is just a mess because god it's so him. He feels like he wasted his potential, and that because he rose so high, he had the furthest to fall. It's also like him acknowledging how vindictive and mean he can be, and it also represents his fear to really open up to anyone. Which makes sense considering how much he pushed aside l&co in the beginning, he was trying to pretend like he didn't need them when that's the opposite of the truth. The ending is Kipps' confession that living and moving on can be so difficult. How is he supposed to get over the only thing he was ever good at? So he tries and tries to be better, even if he feels like it's all in vain. The reality is that his efforts were enough, because even when he was completely useless to the crew they loved him anyway.

Final thoughts:

Honestly never in a million years did I think I would write so much lmao, I didn't realize I had that much to say. Well thank you if you've read this far, makes me feel not so alone in my unhealthy obsession over these characters. I love them so much, and having a way to express that always feel nice.

I also never expected that I would write the most about Lucy, like yes she's the main character but still. The real shocker though was how much I wrote about Holly, sure it's only third longest now, but I had to shorten it like crazy y'all don't even know. Anyways, can't wait for the next inevitable l&co essay lmao.

#lockwood and co #l&co #lockwood netflix #lockwood & co #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #holly munro #quill kipps #taylor swift #3 weeks of writing later #and over 8k words later #I'm insane...but I'm free #they are my pookies forever and always

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mewling-central · 9 months

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Introduction to Collective Seraphic

Now that Seraphic's at a stable place, I think I'm gonna take some time to delve into the basics of how it operates. For this post I'll only be going into the language itself and not the writing system, as that's going to need a post of its own to elaborate on. I'll try to keep this as concise as possible, but I may make separate posts expanding on topics discussed in this one. So, without further ado, onto the infodump!

Background

Collective Seraphic (which I'll be referring to as "Seraphic") is an artlang that I've created for a comic that as of this post I have not began yet, but am still developing. The majority of the comic will take place on the Seraph Homeworld, an alien planet some 3,000 lightyears from Earth populated by the seraph species (pictured below):

Within the story, Seraphic acts as the lingua franca of the Seraph Homeworld and the many colonized planets under Seraph control. It's used in the government, and among speakers of differing languages. As such, this language was the first one that I knew I would need to make as it will play a vital role in both the storytelling and narrative structure.

Syntax

Seraphic is largely a fusional language, employing affixes to modify the semantic role and meaning of morphemes. Seraphic does not, in the traditional sense, have verbs, so the sentence structure is strictly subject-object (will expand upon later). Nouns decline for number and tense, and are grouped into seven noun classes. Adjectives agree with nouns in number, except if derived from nouns themselves, in which case they'll also agree in class. Seraphic is very head-initial; with demonstratives, numerals, possesives, adjectives, genitives, and relative clauses following the noun the modify; and prepositions preceeding the nouns they modify. Auxiliaries preceed procedurals (again, will expand upon later).

Phonology

Here is the phonological chart for Seraphic:

It has a syllable structure of (CC)V(CC). Plosives cannot exist word finally, clusters of consonants of the same manner are illegal, and vowel clusters are also not permitted. Syllabic consonants are grouped with vowels and behave much like them, carrying tone and stress, so they together are grouped and referred to as vocalics. Seraphic is a tonal language, employing the use of four tones: rising (á), falling (à), high (ā), and low (a). Low tones remained unmarked in both the Seraphic script and in romanization. Stress is syllable-independant. It will take either the ultimate, penultimate, or rarely the antepenultimate. Stress always falls on the syllable with a voiceless initial obstruent nearest to the end of the word. If none are available, it will fall on the syllable with an initial sonorant within the same parameters. Stress will never fall on a voiced obstruent. For clarity, I'll provide a key describing the pronunciation of the romanization.

Sounds that are similarly pronounced as they're read in American English:

m, n, p, b, t, d, k, g, f, v, s, z, y, w, l

Sounds that have special pronunciations:

ŋ, like the ng in English "sing"

p', like the ጴ in Amharic "ጴጥሮስ"

t', like the t' in Navajo "yá'át'ééh"

k', like the კ in Georgian "კაბა"

', like the the space within English "uh-oh"

c, like the sh in English "sharp"

j, like the s in English "measure"

x, like the gh in English "ugh"

ğ, like the γ in Greek "γάλα"

pf, like the pf in German "Pfirsiche"

ts, like the z in Italian "grazia"

tc, like the ch in English "chain"

kx, like the kh in Lakota "lakhóta"

r, like the rr in Spanish "perro", although occasionally like the r in Spanish "amarillo"

i, like the ee in English "meet"

į, like the ы in Russian "ты"

u, like the oo in English "boot"

e, like the é in French "beauté"

œ, like the a in English "Tina"

o, like the o in Classical Latin "sol"

a, like the a in English "bra" although this can change to be more forward or more backward.

Another letter that might trip people up is ł, which is meant to represent the high tone syllabic 'l'. Otherwise, syllabics are written the same as their pulmonic counterparts, with tone markers written when applicable.

Nouns

Nouns make up the bulk of the Seraphic lexicon. Every noun is grouped into one of seven classes:

Solar class: nouns related to seraphim or seraph-like beings, and seraph body parts. Prefix appears as zā-, zō-, zē-, s-, or ts-.

sēr = "person"

Astral class: nouns related to non-seraph animate lifeforms (their equivalent to "animals"). Prefix appears as ğr-, x, or kx-.

xuc = "cherub"

Vital class: nouns related to inanimate lifeforms (their equivalent to "plants"). Prefix appears as wā-, wō, w-, ū-, wē-, or wī-.

wējlux = "tree"

Terranean class: nouns related to landscapes, locations, and natural phenomena. Prefix appears as va-, vo-, vu-, f-, and pf-.

voxāl = "sun"

Metallic class: nouns related to inanimate objects, both natural and artificial. Prefix appears as ja-, jo-, c-, or tc-.

jağrú = "rock"

Lunar class: nouns related to abstract concepts, and terms related to time. Prefix appears as la-, lo-, le-, li-, y-, or l/ł-.

levren = "job"

Oceanic class: nouns related to general words, tangible concepts, numbers, all adjectives, and non-incorporated loanwords. Prefix appears as a/ā-, o/ō-, or aw-.

awuf = "group"

Adjectives do not agree in class, due to the fact that nouns originally are derived from adjectives, and noun classes acted as a way to differentiate between nouns and adjectives.

fa = "warm, hot"

jafa = "fire" (lit. "a hot thing")

When adjectives are used as predicatives, they decline into the oceanic class in order to take the procedurals (once more, will expand upon later).

Nouns also decline for four numbers: singular (one thing, usually unmarked), dual (two things, both things; suffixes as -ac, -oc, -œc, or -c), plural (things, many thing; suffixes as -n, -an, or -in), and collective (every thing, all things; suffixes as -āf/ōf, -áf/-óf, or -'ōf).

Seraphic doesn't use pronouns. Everything and everyone is referred to by name, including yourself. From our perspective, the Seraphic language constantly speaks in the third person. However, it can be repetitive to use the same name over and over again in a sentence, and sometimes you don't know the name of things, so they'll apply what I've called pro-forms. They consist of the demonstrative adjectives fl "this", sl "that", and xl "yon" declined into the Solar class and taking the place of the first, second, and third person respectively. For ease of reference, I'll provide the forms and their declensions below.

zāfl (I/me), zāflc (both of us), zāvlin (we/us), zāfláf (all of us)

zāsl (you), zāslc (both of you), zāzlin (you guys), zāsláf (all of you)

zōxl (they), zōxlc (both of them), zōğlin (many of them), zōxláf (all of them)

Seraphic makes no distinction in the gender of the speaker, in this regard. Although these resemble pronouns, they're not meant to be used as often as regular pronouns, and whenever possible it's much preferred that you refer to someone or something by name.

Adjectives and Prepositions

Adjectives are fairly straightforward. Adjectives follow the noun they modify (e.g. sēr tan "big person"), and agree with them in number (e.g. sēr tan "big person" vs sērn t'aŋon "big people"). Adjectives agree in the singular form with singular and collective nouns, and they agree in the plural form with dual and plural nouns.

There are three main types of adjectives: native adjectives (e.g. cna "good"), borrowed adjectives (e.g. anzn "nice"), and noun-derived adjectives (e.g. arfi/ofi "new"). Native and borrowed adjectives don't agree with noun classes, but noun-derived adjectives do. It originated from the animacy-based adjective agreement system in Proto-Seraphic, which has been lost in all other adjective instances. When you want to make a noun into an adjective you'll affix one of two prefixes to it: ar- (if agreeing with Solar, Astral, and Vital nouns) and o- (if agreeing with Terranean, Metallic, Lunar, and Oceanic nouns). There are specific rules on the forms each prefix takes based on the noun they're attached to:

"ār-" when preceeding high or falling vocalic syllables (e.g. sēr ārzājna "popular person")

"ar-" when preceeding low or rising vocalic syllables (e.g. wēn arfe "local fruit")

"ó-" when preceeding high or falling vocalic syllables (e.g. lalel ówē "grassy flavor")

"o-" when preceeding low or falling vocalic syllables (e.g. lesar olvulvren "economic problem")

"ōw-" when preceeding words that start with a vocalic (e.g. lnin ōwāsāvbas "momentary event")

Prepositions occur before the nouns they modify, and don't change form in any circumstance. There are currently 19 prepositions in the modern language, and they are usually connected to nouns via a hyphen (e.g. e-fe "at (the) place"):

cu = of; indicates possession

pr̄ = indicates the indirect object, equivalent to "to" in the phrase "The man sends the letter to me."

in/īn = as or like; indicates similarity or resemblance. Will either be low or high tone depending on the tone of the following syllable.

e/ē = at or on; indicates location.

tsa = near or for; indicates relative distance from a location or an action performed for the sake of the referent.

cni = without; indicates a lack of possession or company.

wa = in or inside of; indicates interior position.

tn = on top of, above, or before; indicates superior position or a prior instance in time.

pux = under, beneath, or after; indicates inferior position or a following instance in time.

pi = with, together with; indicates being in company of or making use of the referent.

fān = from or away from; indicates the motion of leaving the referent.

ku = out of; indicates motion from within the referent towards the exterior.

tun = into or through; indicates motion from outside the referent towards the interior.

xel = to or towards; indicates the motion of approaching the referent.

kxun = across; indicates motion from one location to another

pn̄ = around; indicates location surrounding the referrent.

cāza = between; indicates location in the middle of the referrent.

tē = after, behind; indicates posterior position.

fr = during; indicates a moment in time

Prepositions aren't combined in Collective Seraphic, but may be in certain instances in colloquial speech.

Procedurals

Okay, this is probably the most complicated part of Seraphic, so I'm going to need to get into things individually. First, I'll start with defining a procedural itself. Procedurals are the term I use for the prefixes used to describe the relationship or process of and between the agent noun and the patient noun. These are what act as the equivalent to "verbs" in earth languages. There are three in use:

Existential: used to denote a state of being or equivalence between agent and patient, or to the patient and itself. Equivalent to English "to be" (e.g. A is B, there is B). Usually prefixes as some variant of n-, m-, or ŋ-.

Actional: used to denote an action or process between the agent and patient, or with the patient and itself. Equivalent to English "to do" or "to act upon" (e.g. A acts upon B). Carries a connotation of agency and intent. Usually prefixes as some variant of re-, ra-, or r-.

Resultative: used to denote an occurence or change in state between agent and patient, or patient and itself. Equivalent to English "to become", "to happen", or "to change into" (e.g. A becomes B, B happens to A). Carries a connotation of passiveness or motion. Usually prefixes as some varient of ed- or ez-.

The procedural will change its form slightly depending on the class and declension pattern of the noun it modifies. It always affixes to the patient noun, demonstrating a relationship of an action and what is being acted upon. In this way, the patient can be clearly identified. In transitive or causative clauses, the word order is always S(P)O, with the agent acting as the subject and the patient as the object. In intransitive and passive clauses, the word order is always (P)S, with the patient acting as the subject and the agent demoted to the indirect object or omitted entirely.

Although seemingly limiting, using these three procedural, as well as prepositions, nouns, and adjectives, altogether can be used to make all sorts of verb equivalents that are called "procedural phrases". I'll demonstrate how to build a sentence now. First thing we need to know is the subject and object:

Sāx ... jafa (The child ... the fire)

Next, I'll add the actional procedural in the present tense to this.

Sāx rejafa (The child acts upon the fire)

By itself this is technically grammatically correct, but it doesn't really mean anything. It's too broad. So we add a prepositional phrase to specify exactly what action the child is taking towards the fire.

Sāx pi-sīman rejafa (The childs acts upon the fire with (their) eyes)

Now we know that the child is performing an action involving the use of their eyes. Now of course this could mean many different things in English, but in Seraphic the first thing that comes to mind would be fairly obvious: to see! Thus, "Sāx pi-sīman rejafa" would be the same as saying "The child sees the fire" in English! There are a lot of set phrases that equate to verbs, and remain consistent in their arrangement. Often differing phrases are a useful way to ascertain where someone is from or what their first language is.

Tense and Aspect

Seraphic has six main tenses: two pasts, two presents, and two futures. The two pasts consist of the recent past (happening recently) and the remote past (happening a long time ago), and they prefix and/or combine with the procedural.

Sāx pi-sīman ğrejafa (The child just saw the fire)

Sāx pi-sīman eğrejafa (The child saw the fire a while ago)

Similarly, the future tenses consist of the near future (will happen soon) and the distant future (will happen eventually).

Sāx pi-sīman drejafa (The child will soon see the fire)

Sāx pi-sīman izrejafa (The child will eventually see the fire)

The present tenses consist of a general present tense (happens) and the infinitive (to happen) which is used with auxiliaries and copulae and carries no presence in time.

Sāx pi-sīman rejafa (The child sees the fire)

Pi-sīman ezrejafa (To see a fire)

Whether someone considers an event to be nearer or farther in time from them is completely up to their discretion. There's no set timeframe for when to use the recent vs. remote past, it's all fairly subjective. However, whether you decide to use the recent or remote can really indicate whether you believe something to be in the distant past or future, or just a few moments ago or soon.

Seraphic also makes use of two copulae, the perfective -r and the imperfective -l, helping clitics that expand on the aspect of the procedural, i.e. how the procedural happens over time instead of when in time. The copulae are separate from the procedural, being placed directly before it and conjugating on their own similarly to the lexical procedural. When the copulae are in use, they are conjugated instead of the lexical procedural, while the lexical will be put into the infinitive. The exception to this is if the point in time is considered necessary to be stated for the sake of clarity or emphasis, in which case the lexical verb will also conjugate (though this isn't considered to be the default). The two copulae each conjugate to six tenses, and give 12 individual aspects in total. They are as follows, starting with the perfective:

āgxōnr - Pluperfect: indicates that the action happened at a point before some time in the past either specified or implied (e.g. āgxōnr nidsl "that has happened")

xōnr - Preterite: indicates that the action happened in the past with no reference to if it was completed recently or remotely. A general past (e.g. xōnr nidsl "that happened")

nar - Relative: indicates relative clauses, i.e. clauses that act to modify a noun similarly to an adjective. Equivalent to "that", "who", or "which" (e.g. lsl nar nidsl "the thing that happens")

ednr - Gnomic: indicates general truths, common knowledge, and aphorisms (e.g. ednr nezłsl "things happen")

t'enr - Future Simple: indicates the action will happen in the future with no regard to how near or far it is from the present (e.g. t'enr nidsl "that will happen")

āt'ēnr - Future Perfect: indicates that the action will happen before a time or event in the future (e.g. āt'ēnr nidsl "that will have happened")

And the imperfective:

ŋ̄xōzl - Discontinuous: indicates that an action was happening in the past, but is no longer happening in the present (e.g. ŋ̄xōzl nidsl "that used to happen")

xōzl - Habitual: indicates that an action is done often or out of habit (e.g. xōzl nidsl "that always happens")

īzl - Progressive: indicates that an action is happening at the very moment of conversation (e.g. īzl nidsl "that is happening")

nizl - Prospective: indicates that an action will be starting to, or is in the process of happening (e.g. nizl nidsl "that is about to happen")

t'ezl - Iterative: indicates that an action happens again, repeatedly, or more than one time based on context (e.g. t'ezl nidsl "that happens again" or "that happens again and again")

nt'ezl - Continuative: indicates that an action happens continuously and without end (e.g. nt'ezl nidsl "that still happens")

With both tense and aspects, this largely expands the capability of Seraphic in referring to time.

Moods

Seraphic makes use of seven modal particles to denote seven moods. They are always placed at the beginning of clauses, and no two modal particles can exist in the same clause. They are grouped into four categories: the declaritive (indicative and negative), the inferential (evidential and interrogative), the deontic (volitive and imperative), and the epistemic (subjunctive and conditional). They add extra clarity in the speakers mood or opinion concerning the clause they modify, and are as follows:

Indicative: base form of a clause. Indicates that the speaker is stating a fact or what exists, and is unmarked (e.g. idsl "that happens")

tu - Negative: indicates that the speaker is stating a fact that is untrue or what doesn't exist. Usually only appears in formal, official texts, as the first syllable of the procedural will chage tone to contrast as well and leaves the particle unneccesary in colloquial speech (e.g. tu īdsl "that doesn't happen")

cuc - Evidential: indicates that the speaker is stating a fact that they believe or understand to be true, regardless of having experienced it or not. (e.g. cuc idsl "apparently that happens") Direct evidentiality is denoted using a different method.

an/ān - Interrogative: indicates that the speaker is confirming whether a statement is or isn't true. Forms questions (e.g. an idsl? "does that happen?")

tcān - Volitive: indicates that the speaker desires for the statement to be true (e.g. tcān idsl "that wants to happen" or "that needs to happen" or "that should happen")

má - Imperative: indicates that the speaker is giving a command or suggestion, to themselves and/or to other referents. Functions additionally as a cohortative and a jussive (e.g. má idsl! "let that happen!")

tir - Subjunctive: indicates that the speaker believes the statement to be possible or likely (e.g. tir idsl "that could/would/might happen")

nun - Conditional: indicates that speaker believes the statement to be possible under specific circumstances or conditions (nun idsl "if/when that happens..."

Miscellaneous

That's about the basics of the Seraphic language outline. I'd like to eventually get into things like comparison, evidentiality, declension forms and the like, but those are all topics that definitely need their own individual posts. Real quick, I want to provide one more additional fact about Seraphic.

Seraphic uses base-16, meaning it groups numbers in sets of 16 instead of sets of 10 like we do. 1-16 would be written 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, 10. 10 would be read as 16, and equally 20 would be 32. They're still counting the same amount of things, they're just dividing it up differently!

Anyways that's about it, I hope to share more about Seraphic soon, and when the comic gets released I hope you'll all be able to read it and pick out the many many lines of Seraphic I've poured into it!

ŋKowīci cu-stux 'ōf tsa-levp'ā cu-zāsláf pi-lizt'n ğōdjasa! (Thank you all so much for reading!)

#conlang #constructed language #artlang #grammar #phonology #syntax #linguistics #seraphic #collective seraphic #info post #hope i didn't make a fool of myself in front of the whole community #accidentally showed the world i dont know shit abt linguistics gotdamn #im sure itll be fine #writing system tutorial forthcoming

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