#a cornish book of ways

[divine-crows]

Witches Compass, the Barebones Basic Guide:

What is it, Why would I use it, Is it for me?

Introduction

This is an aspect of my path that I'm currently exploring more deeply, and as I learn to navigate it and reveal more ways it's useful to me I've noticed an increasing passion towards the subject. I'm by no means an expert on the subject, but I hope I can provide a post that helps explain the concept to those who are curious.

Reccomended Sources

The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Kelden

Besom, Stang, and Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello and Tara-Love Maguire

Traditional Witchcraft: A Cornish Book of Ways by Gemma Gary

The Witch Compass by Ian Chambers

I'd like to note that of the books I don't have copies of the first three listed sources, but when I was initially on my journey I had access to them digitally and they opened my eyes to the concepts I'll be speaking on. All of my written information will be paraphrase from my grimoire as a result.

What Is The Witches Compass?

I honestly would divide it into two different answers, there's a long answer and a short answer.

Generally I'd say: The Witches Compass is a means similar to casting a circle that allows you to traverse the Hedge (perform astral work), work with spirits to perform spells, and to harness the powers of the directions to tap into your abilities.

The more 'esoteric', long answer I'd give: The Witches Compass is both a tool and a method comprised of symbolism, story telling, and allegory. These three elements allow the user to tap into their "unconcious mind" so they can better perceive the spirits and world around them. To put it short, the Compass is an inherent part of us-- seeing as it's a part of our perception --and it's up to us to use the tool as we see fit-- whatever symbols and stories we attribute to it is up to us.

How does the Compass differ from casting a Circle?

I have some Key Ideas based on observation and what I've read:

A circle intends to keep out Spirits, the Witches' Compass generally does not

A circle is intended to raise energy, The Compass generally is about focusing and maintaining energy

A circle is usually ritualistic in intent; focused on consecrating a space, a Witches' Compass isn't nessicarily ritual focused.

Similarly, a Circle usually is opened with specific steps and must be closed with a specific set of steps, the Compass (while having steps from others you may want to follow) doesn't always have to follow specific rules and has a lot less to do when closing it.

This one is a little more personal, but I generally relate the Circle to tapping into Higher Powers, and I likewise attribute the Witches' Compass to tapping into Earthly Powers (though it's not mutually exclusive).

I highly reccomend you explore both methods and try them out, Circle Casting is definitely still a very useful skill that you can use.

Why Would I Use It?

I'd highly reccomend giving it a try if you fit into the following categories:

You Like/Want to explore. . .

Hedge Work

Spirit Work

Forms of Folk Magic

Animist forms of Spirituality

Challenging yourself with differing or new concepts

Visual based workings

There's a lot of ways for you to learn to incorporate it into your beliefs. If you're concerned about wanting to adapt it into your practice and you have a baseline understanding on the subject, I highly reccomend looking at the last book in the reccomended list because it gives you a lot of exercises that will help you broaden your understanding of the Witches' Compass.

How Do I Tap Into the Compass?

These are some baseline ideas on how you might begin your journey to tapping into the Compass. These are exercises I do to help me better understand it.

Meditating on each direction was one of the first steps I ever took. I focused on sounds (both imagined and literal), visuals, and feelings as I faced each cardinal direction. I then wrote them down so I could further investigate what it means to me.

Finding out what I correspond with each direction helped me out a lot too. That can include elements, tarot card courts, colors basically anything that you place high importance on. It should be noted that in the reccomended sources they do give ideas on correspondences, but I reccomend you explore your own ideas so you can better understand it.

Creating a story for each direction is an idea I've been planning for a while. I want to basically tap into each element in a meditative state and create a short story inspired by my deities, my practice, etc. as a means to better explore how the Compass fits into my faith. You can also attribute stories already known to the Compass as well.

Tying into the previous idea, you can use stories to apply deities, archetypal figures, etc. to each cardinal direction for guidance. Be careful and mindful if you do so, that way you can be respectful with whatever you work with. As a celtic pagan, I've been finding ways that the deities I worship can represent each direction as a means to better interpret and I've found its helped me develop a better understanding and relationship with the deities I worship as a result. Of course, you don't have to incorproate deities, you can even use nameless beings if you want. What matters is you have a representation of each facet.

Practicing laying the Compass is self explanatory. I will say, there are differing methods out there and as you become comfortable you may build your own method to do it. Generally, I'd reccomend a trying a more well known method first so you can get an understanding of the symbolism, general vibe, etc. After the first couple of times if it really doesn't mesh well with you, then I'd say you can definitely explore more into what you'd like to do. You don't even have to do anything too significant either if you don't want to. Try it for simple spellwork, try it for meditative purposes, whatever you feel will ease you into it.

Try to interact with spirits of the land (if they're willing), especially since a part of the Compass is forming working relationships with the landscape around you I'd recommend it heavily. If you're like me and you can't freely or safely explore at random I recommend going places you know you're safe (even if it's as simple as your backyard!) and find a way to covertly do so. For example: instead of visibly laying a Compass and going into a clear trance-like state you can draw one out in a notebook and pretend to be writing in it while connecting with spirits.

Overall. . .

I covered some basic definitions, differences between casting a circle and using The Compass, and some ideas on how you can start your work. Now it's time for you to do some research given that you have an idea on what the Witches Compass is!

This post is merely skimming the surface and there is much more for you to uncover.

[paranormaljones]

Let's all give a big round of applause to Joe Cornish for making the absolutely brilliant decision to make Lockwood be the one who is pathetically in love.

Book!Lockwood is great but the show just would not be the same and would not have absolutely captivated me the same way without Heart-Eyes McDaniels over here.

[meichenxi]

UK accent bias, discrimination, minority languages and the question of the 'default, normal' english speaker

today I came across something overtly that is usually a covert problem, and I wanted to take a chance to talk about the questions it raises about what it means to be 'normal' and speak 'normal english' in an anglocentric, global world.

let's start at the beginning. I was aimlessly googling around and came across this article, discussing ergodic literature:

I hope that you will see what angered me right away, but if not:

brogue? inaccessible, insufferable brogue? that is so difficult to read you might want to relieve your frustrations by harming a housepet, or striking a loved one?

what????? the fuck??????

my dearly beloathed. this is not a made up sci-fi language. this was not written for your convenience.

this is the glaswegian dialect.

this is how it is written. scots, which is very similar to this, is a language whose speakers have been systematically taught to change and hide and modify their speech, to not speak it in the classroom, to conform. this is NOT comparable to any of the made-up dialects or ways of writing in cloud atlas or any other specularative fiction. the suggestion of ir is deeply insulting.

(the line between various 'dialects' and 'languages' I speak about here is by definition sometimes political, sometimes arbitrary, and often very thin. what goes for the glaswegian dialect here in terms of discrimination goes for scots in general - which is, in fact, even more 'inaccessible' than glaswegian because it has a greater quantity of non-english and therefore non-'familiar' words. speakers of different englishes will face more or less discrimination in different circumstances. caveat over.)

you can find it on twitter, in books, in poetry; and more than that, on the streets and in living rooms, in places that this kind of england-first discrimination hasn't totally eradicated.

an imporant note - this book in question is called Naw Much of a Talker, and it was written originally in Swiss-German and then translated into Glaswegian to preserve similar themes and questions of language and identity. rather than detracting from anything I'm saying, I think the fact this is a translated piece of fiction adds to it - it has literally been translated so it is more accessible, and the article writer did not even realise. it also highlights the fact as well that these are questions which exist across the globe, across multiple languages, of the constant tension everywhere between the 'correct' high language and the 'incorrect, backward' 'low' language or dialect. these are all interesting questions, and someone else can tackle them about german and swiss german -

but I am going to talk today about scots and english, because that is how the writer of this article engaged with this piece and that is the basis upon which they called it 'insufferable brogue', the prejudice they have revealed about scots is what I want to address.

so here, today, in this post: let's talk about it. what is 'normal' english, why is that a political question, and why should we care?

as we begin, so we're all on the same page, I would like to remind everyone that england is not the only country in the united kingdom, and that the native languages of the united kingdom do not only include english, but also:

scots

ulster scots (thank you @la-galaxie-langblr for the correction here!!)

scottish gaelic

welsh

british sign language

irish

anglo-romani

cornish

shelta

irish sign language

manx

northern ireland sign language

and others I have likely forgotten

there are also countless rich, beautiful dialects (the distinction between dialect and language is entirely political, so take this description with a pinch of salt if you're outside of these speaker communities), all with their own words and histories and all of them, yes all of them, are deserving of respect.

and there are hundreds and thousands of common immigrant languages, of languages from the empire, and of englishes across the globe that might sound 'funny' to you, but I want you to fucking think before you mock the man from the call centre: why does india speak english in the first place? before mocking him, think about that.

because it's political. it's ALL political. it's historical, and it's rooted in empire and colonialism and all you need to do is take one look at how we talk about Black language or languages of a colonised country to see that, AAVE or in the UK, multi-cultural london english, or further afield - the englishes of jamaica, kenya, india. all vestiges of empire, and all marked and prejudiced against as 'unintelligent' or lesser in some way.

and closer to home - the systematic eradication and 'englishification' of the celtic languages. how many people scottish gaelic now? cornish? manx? how many people speak welsh? and even within 'english' itself - how many people from a country or rural or very urban or immigrant or working class or queer background are discriminated against, because of their english? why do you think that is?

if you think that language isn't political, then you have likely never encountered discrimination based on how you, your friends, or your family speak.

you are speaking from a position of privilege.

'but it's not formal' 'but it's not fit for the classroom' 'but it sounds silly'. you sound silly, amy. I have a stereotypically 'posh' english accent, and I can tell you for a fact: when I go to scotland to visit my family, they think I sound silly too. but in the same way as 'reverse racism' isn't a fucking thing - the difference is that it's not systemic. when I wanted to learn gaelic, my grandmother - who speaks gaelic as her own native language - told me, no, you shouldn't do that. you're an english girl. why would you want to learn a backward language like gaelic?

discrimination against non-'english' englishes is pervasive, systematic and insidious.

it is not the same as being laughed at for being 'posh'. (there's more about class and in-group sociolinguistics here, but that's for another post)

and who told you this? where is this information from? why do you think an 'essex girl' accent sounds uneducated? why do you think a northern accent sound 'honest' and 'salt of the earth'? what relationship does that have with class? why does a standard southern british english sound educated and 'intelligent'? who is in charge? who speaks on your television? whose words and accents do you hear again and again, making your policies, shaping your future? who speaks over you?

think about that, please.

and before anyone says: this is so true except for X lol - I am talking about exactly that dialect. I am talking about that accent you are mocking. I am talking about brummie english, which you think sounds funny. I'm talking about old men in the west country who you think sound like pirates, arrrrr.

(actually, pirates sound like the west country. where do you the 'pirate accent' came from? devon was the heart of smuggling country in the uk.)

so. to this person who equated a book written in scots, a minority and marginalised language, to being 'insufferable, inaccessible brogue':

and also to anyone who is from the UK, anyone who is a native english speaker, and anyone abroad, but especially those of you who think your english is 'natural', who have never had to think about it, who have never had to code-switch, who have never had to change how they sound to fit in:

it might be difficult to read - for you. it might be strange and othering - to you.

but what is 'inaccessible' to you is the way that my family speaks - your english might be 'inaccessible' to them. so why does your 'inaccessible' seem to weigh more than theirs?

and why does it bother you, that you can't understand it easily in the first go? because you have to try? or because perhaps, just perhaps, dearly beloathed author of this article, after being catered to your entire life and shown your language on screen, constantly - you are finally confronted by something that isn't written for you.

and for the non-uk people reading this. I would like you to think very carefully about what a 'british accent' means to you.

there is no such thing. let me say it louder:

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BRITISH ACCENT

there are a collection of accents and languages and dialects, each with different associations and stereotypes. the clever aristocrat, the honest farmer, the deceitful *racial slur*. there are accents, languages and dialects that you hear more than others because of political reasons, and there are accents, languages and dialects which are more common than others because of discrimination, violence and the path of history.

if you say 'british accent', we - in the UK - don't know exactly what you mean. much more than the US, because the english-speaking people have been here longer, we have incredibly different accents just fifty miles away from one another.

but we can guess. you probably don't mean my grandmother's second-language english - even though, by american conversations about race, she is the whitest person you could possibly find. you don't mean my brother, who sounds like a farmer.

you mean my accent. tom hiddleston's accent. benedict cumberbatch. dame judy dench. sir ian mckellen. and they are all wonderful people - but what sort of people are they, exactly? what sort of things do they have in common? why is it that you associate their way of speaking with all of the charming eloquence of 'dark academia' or high levels of education, and my family's english with being 'backward' or 'country bumpkins' or 'uneducated' or, more insidiously, 'salt-of-the-earth good honest folk'?

we are an old country with old prejudices and old classes and old oppression and old discrimination and old hate. my brother speaks with a 'farmer' west country accent; my aunt with a strong doric accent that most english people cannot understand; my father with a mockable birmingham accent; my grandmother with a gaelic accent, because despite the fact that she is from the UK, as scottish as you can get, english is not her first language.

these people exist. my grandmother is a real person, and she is not a dying relic of a forgotten time. her gaelic is not something to drool over in your outlander or braveheart or brave-fuelled scottish romanticism, the purity and goodness of the 'celt' - but there are fewer people like her now. and I would like to invite everyone to think about why that is the case.

if you don't know, you can educate yourself - look up the highland clearances, for a start, or look at the lives of anglo-romani speakers in the UK and the discrimination they face, or irish speakers in northern ireland. like many places, we are a country that has turned inward upon itself. there will always be an 'other'.

and then there's me. raised in southern england and well-educated and, however you want to call it, 'posh'. so why is it that it is my voice, and not theirs, which is considered typically british all over the world?

I think you can probably figure out that one by yourself.

when you talk about the 'british accent', this is doing one of two things. it's serving to perpetuate the myth that the only part of the UK is england, rather than four countries, and the harmful idea that it is only england in the UK that matters. (and only a certain type of people in england, at that.)

secondly, it serves to amalgamate all of the languages and accents and dialects - native or poor or immigrant or colonial - into one, erasing not only their history and importance, but even their very existence.

dearly beloathed person on the internet. I have no idea who you are. but the language scots exists. I'm sorry it's not convenient for you.

but before I go, I would like to take a moment to marvel. 'insufferable, inaccessible brogue'? what assumptions there are, behind your words!

is it 'insufferable' to want to write a story in the language you were raised in? is it 'inaccessible' to want to write a story in the shared language of your own community?

I don't think it is.

I think it takes a special sort of privilege and entitlement to assume that - the same one that assumes whiteness and Americanness and Englishness and able-bodiedness and cisness and maleness and straightness as being the 'standard' human experience, and every single other trait as being a deviance from that, an othering. that's the same entitlement that will describe Turning Red as a story about the chinese experience - but not talk about how Toy Story is a story about the white american middle class experience.

people do not exist for your ease of reading. they do not exist to be 'accessible'. and - what a strange thing, english reader, to assume all books are written for you, at all.

and despite the fact that the text that prompted this was written by one group of white people, translated into the language of another group, and critiqued by a third - this is a conversation about racism too, because it is the same sort of thinking and pervasive stereotyping which goes into how white people and spaces view Black language and language of people of colour around the world. it's about colonialism and it's about slavery and it's aboutsegregation and othering and the immigrant experience and it's about the history of britain - and my god, isn't that a violent one. it's inseparable from it. language is a tool to signify belonging, to shut people out and lock people in. it's a tool used to enforce that othering and discrimination and hate on a systemic level, because it says - I'm different from you. you're different from me. this post is focusing more on the native languages of the UK, but any question of 'correct language' must inevitably talk about racism too, because language is and has always been a signifier of group belonging, and a way to enforce power.

it is used to gatekeep, to enforce conformity, to control, to signify belonging to a particular group, to other. talking about language 'correctness' is NOT and never CAN be a neutral thing.

it reminds me of a quote, and I heard this second hand on twitter and for the life of me cannot remember who said it or exactly how it goes, but the gist of it was a queer writer addressing comments saying how 'universal' their book was, and saying - no, this is a queer book. if you want to find themes and moments in it that are applicable to your 'default' life, 'universals' of emotion and experience, go ahead. but I have had to translate things from the norm my entire life, to make them relatable for me. this time, you do the translation.

I do not speak or write scots or glaswegian, but I grew up reading it and listening to it (as well as doric and gaelic in smaller measures, which are still familiar to me but which I can understand less). for me, that passage is almost as easy to read as english - and the only reason it is slightly more difficult is because, predictably, I don't have a chance to practice reading scots very often at all. it isn't inaccessible to me.

(I was about to write: can you imagine looking at a book written in french, and scowling, saying, 'this is so insufferably foreign!' and then point out how ridiculous that would be. but then I realise - foreign film, cinema, lyrics increasingly in english, reluctance to read the subtitles, the footnotes, to look things up, to engage in any active way in any piece of media. this is an attitude which even in its most mockable, most caricature-like form, is extremely prevalent online. *deep sigh*)

because. what is 'inaccessible'? it means it is difficult for people who are 'normal'. and what is 'normal', exactly? why is a certain class of people the 'default'? could that be, perhaps, a question with very loaded and very extensive political, social and historical answers? who is making the judgement about what language is 'normal'? who gets to decide?

I'd also like to note that this applies to everyone. it doesn't matter if you are a member of an oppressed group, or five, or none, you can still engage in this kind of discrimination and stereotyping. my scottish family, who have themselves had to change the way they speak and many of them lost their gaelic because of it, routinely mock anglo-romani speakers in their local area. I have an indian friend, herself speaking english because of a history of violence and colonialism, who laughed for five minutes at the beginning of derry girls because the girls sounded so 'funny', and asked me: why did they choose to speak like that? my brother, who sounds very stereotypically rural and 'uneducated', laughs at the essex accent and says that he would never date a girl from essex. I had a classmate from wales who was passionate about welsh language rights and indigenous and minority language education but also made fun of the accent of her native-english speaking classmate from singapore. it goes on and on and on.

take the dialect/language question out of the topic, and I think this reveals a much broader problem with a lot of conversations about media, and the implicit assumptions of what being 'normal' [read: white, anglo-centric, american, male, straight, young, able-bodied, cis, etc] actually means:

if something is written about an experience I do not share, is it inaccessible? or is it just written for someone else?

so, please. next time you want to write a review about a dialect or language you don't speak, think a little before you open your mouth.

the rest of the world has to, every time.

[edosianorchids901]

Comparisons

@sherlocktember2024 prompt - "stairs"

The stairs at Baker Street had, on occasion, proved something of a problem. In early days of residence here, Holmes had frequently given Watson a supportive arm while ascending them. Holmes had never been gifted in the art of friendship, or in understanding people.

But even in those days, when he and Watson scarcely knew each other, the matter had been clear. Watson’s leg had been wounded in war. On certain days, the pain made it difficult for him to climb the stairs. And thus, it made perfect sense for Holmes to assist him.

It had been utterly straightforward, and uncomplicated. Watson had seemed perfectly happy to accept the help. These days, so many years later, he only needed such help on occasion, particularly cold rainy days. When he did, Holmes naturally offered it.

Recently, however, it was not Watson who struggled with the stairs. It was Holmes.

He had, on the rarest of instances, found them tiring even when he was younger. Upon his return from his absence after Reichenbach Falls, they became a little more taxing. He was plagued by headaches and occasional bouts of dizziness, which made them less of an appealing concept than previously.

Now, after a bout of illness that had not been fully resolved by even a long holiday on the Cornish coast, Holmes found the stairs even more of an impediment. On most days, he could force himself up and down them anyway, ignoring the pain that it inflicted and the way that it left him breathless and shaky. He had done so earlier, going out for a trip to the nearby bookshop in the hopes of cheering himself up with some further interesting reading, perhaps on linguistics or music.

He had, however, only managed to exhaust himself further, and without finding a single book that appealed to him. By the time he returned to 221B, his heart raced, and his legs trembled underneath him. Cramps seized his muscles, and he hugged his arms against his chest with a wince.

This was absurd. He must simply disregard the pain, as climbing the stairs was certainly a necessity.

But he could hardly drag himself up by clutching the railing and leaning heavily on his cane, as he had done in the past. The deep, gnawing agony in his hands and arms would complicate matters immensely. At the moment, the rest of his body merely ached, but that would no doubt change once he attempted the climb.

And Mrs. Hudson would be back soon. He knew her habits quite thoroughly. She would return from her shopping, find him trapped down here, and raise an immense fuss over his health. But calling for Watson would be nearly as humiliating, and—

“Holmes?” Watson’s familiar footsteps traipsed across the landing, and then he peered down the stairs. “Are you all right, old man?”

Holmes attempted to flash a smile despite the increasing sense of weakness. His absurd anxiety was only worsening it, his heart racing faster and limbs trembling. “Perfectly. How was your nap?”

“Short. I was hungry, and got up for a snack.” Brow creased with concern, Watson took a step closer to the stairs. “I heard the front door, but you never came up.”

“Excellent, Watson,” Holmes said dryly. “Your observational skills are coming along splendidly.”

“Well, I learned from the best.” Slowly, as if approaching a skittish colt, Watson made his way downstairs. “I also see you didn’t find any interesting books.”

“No, I fear not.” Holmes hesitated, still reluctant to admit to his trouble even under Watson’s kind gaze.

Even on their recent holiday to Cornwall, when he had been in far greater pain than this, he had refused Watson’s help with things like getting up and down. He had only yielded to that help on two occasions during their time away. Once, assistance in climbing down from the cart upon their arrival. And second, permitting Watson to help him stand after their little poison experiment.

Perhaps that poisoning was responsible for Holmes’ current troubles, at least in part. It had certainly not aided his health. Or perhaps it was merely that he had pushed himself too hard over the years, and might never fully recover from driving himself into something of a breakdown.

Watson was still waiting patiently rather than interrogating him about the obvious trouble. Holmes sighed, then faced the reality of having a body that refused to obey him. “I do not think I can climb the stairs on my own, Watson.”

Still with that same gentle concern, Watson nodded. “I should be glad to help you, if you will permit it.”

“Good old Watson.” Holmes flashed another quick smile, although tears stung his eyes. “And I would greatly appreciate such aid before Mrs. Hudson returns. I am admittedly embarrassed by my pathetic weakness, and my inability to overcome it.”

“There is no need to be embarrassed of being ill, nor of needing help,” Watson murmured. “Tell me what I might do.”

“If I could perhaps borrow your arm. I believe with that and the support of my cane…” Holmes eyed the stairs. They were still imposing, even with such support.

Watson took his arm, and the good doctor’s expression tightened at once. “My God, Holmes, you’re trembling.”

“Again, very observant.” Holmes clenched his teeth, placed his cane on the first of the stairs, and began the ascent.

It was indeed painful, and he quickly found himself horribly out of breath. His body seemed to still be in open rebellion against his lifestyle, even though he was no longer regularly dosing it with cocaine. He had even been eating and sleeping, at least part of the time. And yet, he remained ill.

He had at first attempted to keep as much weight off Watson as possible, but it proved necessary to lean on him more heavily. Watson did not complain, and simply helped him.

“Forgive me,” Holmes murmured at the top of the stairs, struggling to get enough air even for that. “I did not wish to be a burden.”

“You are never a burden. You’re my friend.” With extreme care and gentleness, Watson helped him to the settee and eased him down. He caught Holmes’ shaking hands and held them, gazing at him with the deepest tenderness. “It’s all right. It is a great privilege to help you.”

“I fear I may need that help again in the days to come.” Everything spun, and Holmes found himself thoroughly shivering and chilled. “Oh, Watson, what if I do not recover from this? It has been nearly two months since I fell ill!”

“Your body has been subjected to great strain over the years.” After one gentle squeeze of Holmes’ hands, Watson let go. He picked up the usual blanket and wrapped it around Holmes’ shoulders. “It is possible that some of these effects may persist, as your headaches have done.”

“I should not mind it so much if it did not keep me from my work. But I am hardly in any shape to go climbing buildings or rushing about a lawn.” Holmes accepted the cup of tea that Watson offered him now. Pain throbbed through his hands, and he winced. “It is quite horrible today.”

“Yes, it seems much worse than it has been of late. I know you have felt ill and been in pain, but you haven’t tired nearly as easily on our walks.” Frowning, Watson sat beside him. “Did you sleep all right? You seemed agitated this morning.”

Holmes hesitated again, and then shook his head. “I fear I was somewhat plagued by nightmares. It was far worse than it has been for the past week or so, Watson. More vivid, and persistent.”

Watson gave an understanding nod. “The usual?”

“Yes. Moriarty does love to visit my dreams.” It had been years since that horrible day, and yet it seemed as if Holmes would never truly manage to move away from that ledge. “I was fighting with him at the Falls again. Very much the usual.”

He shuddered, and nearly lost his grip on the teacup. Watson extracted it from his grasp and set it on the small table, then moved closer to him. “It’s all right. You’re safe.”

“I know that I am safe!” Holmes snapped. Nevertheless, he leaned against Watson’s offered shoulder. “Safe, but I fear I cannot escape the consequences of that day. And it is cruel of me to complain of the effects to you, who I wounded most deeply. I know you have been suffering from nightmares again as well.”

“It is not cruel of you to talk to me about something that is troubling you. You are not cruel.” Very gently, Watson settled an arm around his shoulders. “Well. You are not cruel, except to yourself. It breaks my heart to hear you call yourself pathetic and weak for being ill.”

“I am quite pathetic, and entirely too weak. I ought to have simply climbed those stairs on my own, and endured any little discomfort.”

“That would not have been wise. Besides, I was glad to help you.” Watson studied him again, and Holmes had to look away from those kindly worried eyes. “Besides, have you forgotten how often you once helped me up the stairs?”

“Oh, Watson.” Holmes gently patted his thigh. “I hope you do not think I have ever thought of you in such a fashion. I reserve such judgment entirely for myself.”

“I know. As I said, you are only cruel to yourself.” With a long sigh, Watson drew him closer. Holmes briefly resisted, then yielded to the offer and rested his head on Watson’s shoulder. “I was embarrassed too, you know. I still often am, when I need to slow down on a walk. It is difficult to have a body that does not do what you wish.”

“I never mind slowing down for you, my dear fellow, nor helping you. I never have.” Tears rose again, and Holmes closed his eyes against them. He certainly had no desire to weep. “You are my friend. I was not certain how to be a friend to you, not at first, but I was aware that to help one’s friend was a very good thing.”

“Yes,” Watson said softly. “Yes, it is.”

Watson would not push further, as it was not his way. And besides, there was no need to. Holmes certainly did not wish to indulge his own weaknesses, but it would not be remotely logical to chastise himself for accepting Watson’s help. To accept help was certainly better than tumbling down the stairs, or collapsing into tears halfway up. Either outcome would have been likely.

Just as it was likely that this trouble would persist. It would not always be this severe, based on its patterns thus far, but he could not imagine it would fully recede when his other symptoms had not. This illness seemed to be here to stay.

“I think it is likely that I shall require a little additional help in the days to come,” Holmes finally said. He still had not managed to stop shivering, chilled to the bone despite his blanket and the warmth of Watson’s side. “You truly do not mind?”

“Of course I do not mind.” Watson’s arm tightened around him, just a little. “Just as you do not mind helping me when I need it.”

“Mm. Very well.” Sighing, Holmes snuggled closer. “In that case, I should be more grateful if you would permit me to continue borrowing your warmth for the moment. I am somewhat chilled, and you are pleasantly warm.”

Watson gave a soft chuckle. “Gladly. What are friends for?”

Holmes smiled, relaxing into the embrace. He did not often tolerate long contact well, but for the moment, it soothed the aches of both his body and spirit. Friendship was indeed a splendid thing, and it made perfect sense to accept at least some help from his dearest companion.

[fourmoony]

hey! saw you asking for reqs

how about james "oh, the consequences of bad decisions" potter x ravenclaw "i hate how much you acting like an idiot makes me want to make out with you" reader

reader always getting him out of trouble with their critical thinking skills

thanks for requesting lovely!

james x f!reader | 1k | cw: language | Masterlist

You honestly think James Potter, as handsome as he may be, is the thickest, stupidest, idiotic boy you've ever met.

Even as he's being led on what's supposed to be a walk of shame out of the great hall by the scruff of the neck by McGonagall, he's still got that stupidly adorable lopsided grin stretched wide across his face and a triumphant look in his eyes. It's not the first time James (and his merry band of Marauders) have caused chaos in the great hall during meal time and it definitely won't be the last, but there's something in the way that only he has been caught - Remus, Sirius, and Peter are nowhere to be found, strangely enough - that pulls a frown out of you.

The Slytherin's are head to toe in pink, fluffy robes, matching rather well with the bunny rabbit ears that seem to be glued to their heads, running around as though the predicament is causing them physical pain and terror, but you can't find it in yourself to be amused when James has been caught red handed and is being dragged off by McGonnagal right in front of you. Though, he doesn't seem to care if the pleased look on his face is anything to go by.

It takes you all of two seconds to come up with a plan, standing and running after your professor and James. You don't excuse yourself from the table, but you doubt the girls will mind. They're already rounding the corner out of the great hall by the time you catch up, feet thumping on the concrete floor in your hurry. You can hear McGonagall speaking in sharp tones about how James has taken it too far this time, he's always taking it too far, and she's not even sure how to begin punishing him for this.

James Potter is an idiot. Everyone knows this. He's smart - which is the kicker. He passes all his classes with ease, always hands his homework in on time, helps first years with their essays, and can point you to almost any book in the library. He's well educated. But he's an idiot. He doesn't use common sense, doesn't know when enough is enough, and he pulls off reckless and dangerous pranks without a second thought. You shouldn't be so attracted to it. You shouldn't feel your heart beating out of your chest every time you see his signature 'I'm about to do something really dumb, right now' smile and you shouldn't come running to his rescue every time he gets caught.

But the thing about James Potter is - as much as he's an idiot, as stupid and reckless and arrogant and annoying as he is, he's also charming. And handsome. And lovely. And beautiful. And pretty. He has a heart the size of the black lake, even though he has an ego to match. And you can't help it. He's just so.

"Professor!" You call after them, close enough to not really have to shout, but you need to at least play the part convincingly.

There's a classroom on the 7th floor corridor. It's been infested with Cornish Pixies for years, sealed off by McGonagall herself. Everyone knows that's why the classroom is abandoned, and for years, everyone has stayed as far away from it as possible. McGonagall turns around in a flash, murmuring an apology to James who trips over his footing to avoid twisting the arm that's still firmly in her grip.

"I just overheard some of the Slytherin's saying they were going to release the Cornish Pixies from the seventh floor in retaliation!" You fake heave a breath, to make it sound like the utmost of importance.

It helps, you think, that a group of yelling Slytherins pass behind you, heading straight for the stair case in their fluffy pink robes. A smirk passes across James' face, a knowing one, and it makes your knees wobble and your cheeks redden. He's an evil boy, because he notices, and you see the interest sparkle in his eyes.

McGonagall goes pale, and lets go of James at once, eyes wide, "Thank you for telling me," She turns to James, who has the audacity to look guilty, now, "I'll find you later, Mr. Potter."

James nods and waits until the professor has swept off up the stairs in a hurry before he's dragging you behind one of the tapestries. You go willingly, enjoying the warmth of his fingers on your wrist, the smell of his cologne, woodsy and sweet at the same time. He turns and faces you when the tapestry swishes closed behind you both, crowding your space in an instant.

"Are the Slytherins really going to release the Pixies?"

You feel your face redden, "No."

His jaw ticks as he smiles, "You just saved me from a right rollocking, you know that?"

You absolutely detest this part. The part where he makes sure you know just how weak you are for him, how willing you are to abide his boyish pranks as long as he gets you in this situation; flushed and kissable. You hate how much you want him to kiss you, how needy it makes you feel.

"Shut up and kiss me, James. Before McGonagall comes back and gives us both detention."

His lips are on yours in an instant, hot and heavy and rushed and the breath gets caught in your throat. His right hand sits firm on your jaw, thumb pressing into your pulse point, and his right grips at the side of your hip, holding you close to him. James is a good kisser. It's a sick and twisted fact, and you think that a part of you knows whenever you come to rescue him from whatever consequences amount from his own stupid actions, the fact that it always ends like this is what keeps you coming back.

He's got you pushed up against the wall, his weight pressing down on you, right leg between yours and you're finding it hard to remember yourself.

Until Sirius appears, letting out an undignified yelp as he yanks the tapestry closed. Apparently, it garners Remus' attention, who's eyes are curious when he finds you and James sheepishly standing side by side, lips swollen and cheeks red.

"Subtle." He says, swinging the tapestry closed behind him as he goes to console Sirius.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Silver Lining 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, speech impediment, bullying and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: silverfox!Bucky Barnes

Summary: You have an unpleasant encounter with an older man.

Note: I was going to add this to the bookstore au but realised Bucky is a side character in Steve’s and not old so….

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You leave the cafe with your lukewarm cup. You were so anxious you'd almost forgot about the pepperminty goodness. You sip, slightly disappointed in the temperature. Still, it's yummy and you have your bag of books in hand. The day has been a mild success.

You walk along the icy pavement, the season nipping at your cheeks. Most people complain about the snow but it's your favorite. You don't drive so you don't worry for a slippery commute, you have your heavy-treaded doc martens and a downy coat.

You head down Ironwood hoping to catch a streetcar car only to find it skimming past. You sigh and drop your shoulders. You could use the exercise and it would be so bad as long as the path behind Jerry's Submarines isn't snowed over.

You cut through to the next street along a short alley and hop over the bank between the sidewalk and the road. As you do, you slip and stumble, a pair of headlights turning just as you fall into the street. I long fearsome honk blows in your ears.

You whip around to face the driver, raising your hand in an apologetic wave. Not the smartest move but the street isn't usually that busy. You brows pop up as you recognize behind the wheel. Oh boy. Not again.

You skitter away hoping he didn't recognise you too. That very same man who invaded your personal bubble and insulted your taste. Lisa doesn't believe it when you say you're cursed but it's hard to deny from your vantage point.

You get to the other side and keep your head straight, marching away without looking back. He drives by slowly past your peripheral and you dip onto the path, letting out a breath. Alright, no way you'll see that jerk again.

There's a blanket if snow over the path but not enough to deter you. You kick through the powder as you bob to the music in your earbud. You know, Mariah Carey's non-Christmas tunes aren't too shabby either.

You come out on Orchard, sipping your mellowed candy cane cocoa and swing the paper bag carelessly. You could start your podcast. You have more than enough resources now and the new books will be the cherry on top.

As you stride along Orchard towards Cornish, a car door opens and shuts. You don't see the figure before you until they step over the curve and nearly take you off your feet. You drop your cup, spilling what's left of the cold hot chocolate.

“Oh, oof, d-dude–” you sputter out as the liquid drips down your lilac docs.

“Dude?” The man grips the bag in his left hand, his other opening and closing in a tight fist. No way.

“Ew,” you let out the syllable without filter.

“Ew?” He eyes you head to toe.

“Y-yeah, y-y-you're following me.”

“Following?” He growls, “you girls sure do have quite the imagination these days.”

“B-b-but… you saw me….g-go down the path.”

“I wasn't even looking at you, doll,” he scoffs.

“D-d-doll?” You scowl.

“Oh, don't even--I could call you worse.”

“L-leave me a-alone,” you back up, gripping the wire handle of the shopping bag tightly.

“Happily,” he sneers, “I have a job so get out of my way.”

He shoulders past you, harshly. Your trads slip on the salted walk as you grunt and turn to eatch him strut towards the house just a few feet down. You rub the sore spot left by his gruff impact.

You shake your head a leave, thinking better of shouting ‘old man’ at his back. You probably shouldn't antagonize him. So you spin and tuck your hands into your pockets and carry on.

Your street is only a few blocks away. By then, you've almost forgotten about the strange encounters. The closer you get to the haven of your bedroom, the more excited you are to crack open your new books.

Your parents house is trimmed in bright coloured lights and the lawn decorated with plastic candy canes and full entourage of fake reindeer. The familiarity of your childhood home is both comforting and stagnating. You can't believe you're still here.

You go inside, leaving your wet boots on the mat as your mother calls your stepdads name from the kitchen. You unzip your coat and hang it on the rack mounted against the wall. You reclaim your bag of books and make your way to the front room.

“Dean,” your mom calls again as she appears in the hall, peering in after you, “oh it's you.”

“Just me,” you drone and continue towards the stairs. You stop at the bottom, “mom,” she keeps from retreating and looks back at you, “need help?”

“Oh, no honey, I almost got it figured out. So, how's the job hunt?”

You try to smile. Oh, that. You can't live off severance forever and the settlement is never going to happen.

“Good,” you lie, shifting the bag behind your hands.

Maybe you should be a bit more prudent. It's an investment, for your podcast. You just need to figure out how to record. And how not to stutter every other word.

You're only thirty. You have time to smooth out details. Don't you?

You turn and plod up the stairs and into your bedroom. The clutter greets you along with the nest of blankets tangled in your bed. What are you even thinking? You can hardly keep your room tidy.

It's not your fault. Your mom says so. Lisa too. But it has to be. You had it all, a good job, a nice apartment, independence. You blew it all. If you'd just kept your mouth shut.

But wasn't that the problem? Isn't that why you're getting therapy? So you can speak up next time. So there won't be a next time.

You sniff and sit at the desk, adding the bag to the mess. You hang your head in the darkness as the snow reflects the sheen of street lights through the window. It takes time, Lisa says, but you feel it running out.

[recoord]

Neil Gaiman allegedly sexually assaulted someone while writing The Graveyard Book

The discussion on Reddit, here.

Podcast transcript, here. Credits for the transcript to Tara O'Shea.

"K" is the pseudonym used by the victim sharing her experience:

Rachel: On the 4th of April, 2007, Neil Gaiman flew K from Los Angeles to Heathrow for a fortnight's holiday together in the UK alone, the two of them. K tells us she was excited to be on this amazing trip with her famous boyfriend and not have to sneak around.

From his messages to her, it seemed like he was too. Neil Gaiman met her on arrival and they then took a taxi to Gatwick Airport to fly to Inverness in Scotland. They visited Loch Ness and stayed at his house on the Isle of Skye for three days. They then flew to Cornwall and drove to Red Ruth in the far south west of England. They stayed in an old tinners cottage with a wood burning stove hidden up a bridal path.

It was advertised as affording complete privacy. He spent the days in Cornwall mostly writing the graveyard book and then they'd occasionally go for walks or drives. She sent us photos from that trip.

Beaches, pubs, cliffs, glens, scarves, the heavy grey skies of the Scottish and Cornish summer. She looks happy. When you see their faces together in the photos, he's unshaven, craggy, she's around 22. She looks so, so young. But she said there were fights. Lots of them.

K: There are a lot of arguments. There is a lot of roughness that I felt compelled to take.

CONTENT WARNING for graphic descriptions of SA

Rachel: What the photos also don't show is K's intimate agony. She told us that on that trip, she had her period and then a bad urinary tract infection.

K: I couldn't sit down. He would say, you know, I want to fool around, like, you know, and I would say, okay, we can fool around, but you can't put anything in my vagina. You just can't because I will die. And it didn't matter. He did it anyway.

Paul: He did it anyway. Although you told him you were in pain.

K: Very specifically said you cannot put anything in me. Please don't. It will hurt very badly and it will make things worse than they already are. Because I know for sure I remember forsure in Cornwall saying those words out loud. It wasn't just a discussion about like that hurts.

Like because I can't remember if I said that hurts. Don't do it or like please stop. I can't remember those other instances. I know we discussed it. I know it was a big part of why he would get upset at me and I knew that it was like something that I had to do to keep him around. Like it was expected of me, but in Cornwall, I remember because of that UTI and it was so painful that like I couldn't do anything. Like I couldn't enjoy the fact that I was in or like I was just in like screaming agony and I know I said it out loud then.

Rachel: On the 16th of April 2007, Neil Gaiman drove K to Heathrow for her flight back to Los Angeles. She says they stopped several times along the way so she could pee because of her UTI. She says it felt more painful because of the penetrative sex he allegedly performed on her without her consent. As to this specific allegation, Neil Gaiman's clear position is that it is false and again he denies any unlawful behaviour with her. He didn't respond to any other specific points or questions about this trip.

From episode 4 of the Tortoise podcast series.

[oblivious-idiot]

happy birthday lockwood and co!!!!

it's officially been a whole year of having lockwood and co on our screens!!! HOW CRAZY IS THAT???

anywho. soppy post alert below. now, i haven't been that caught up and fully invested in a show, or even a fandom for that matter, in a VERY long time. it's hard to put into words how much all of this means to me, but we'll give it a shot.

lockwood and co, to put it simply, is one of the best things that has happened to me in a very long time. to not only be invested in a fabulously captivating show, but to feel seen and understood by the characters too!! these guys literally mean so much to me because i literally see myself in them 10 fold - they are so kind, funny, unapologetically themselves, selfless, proud, stubborn, and overall just kids trying to get by. they are so relatable but so unique all at once.

as well as the show and books being so goddamn wonderful and marvelous, i just wanna say something for this fandom too. i've never known a fandom be so resilient even AFTER the show got cancelled to still thrive, have an online and now an in-person event for the fans to talk to people like jonathan and gina (who we quite literally wouldn't be here without them), joe cornish, and ali, ruby, and cameron!

you guys have literally changed my world in so many ways, and i can gladly say that i have grown so much, in myself and in happiness, because of the wonderful friendships i've made here. @impossibleclair was the first person i became friends with here (!!! love you clair), shortly followed by the likes of @losticaruss and @wellgoslowly - who i love with my entire heart. you guys have shown me so much love and support, i adore you

i hope that eventually one day this year i might even be lucky enough to meet some of the lovely friends i've made here too!! (looking at you, month of july)

i'd like to just shout out so many of the wonderful people i now know because of this silly little show - if i have missed out anyone please know it wasn't on purpose!! @wellgoslowly @neewtmas @avdiobliss @waitingforthesunrise @ettadear @rainysaturdayafternoon @impossibleclair @thisgameissonintendo @uku-lelevillain @ikeasupremacy @occasionally-normal-things-here @paranorahjones @strawberrycowgirly @demigoddess-of-ghosts @givemea-dam-break @jesslockwood @kazbrekkerfast @krash-and-co @bobbys-not-that-small @maraschinomerry and anyone else who's a mutual or has interacted with me!!! i adore you all

thank you for making this past year so wonderful and full of love and encouragement!! yall don't know how much i appreciate you all

much love, allie x

[wolverinesorcery]

UNBLENDING CELTIC POLYTHEISTIC PRACTICES

Celtic Umbrella

This lesson is largely focusing on the insular Celtic nations & Brittany (Ireland/Eire, Scotland/Alba, Wales/Cymru, Cornwall/Kernow, Isle of Man/Mannin, & Brittany/Breizh) - traditionally regarded as 6 out of the 7 Celtic nations. Galicia/Galizia is the 7th, but because of a mix of the below + my own lack of knowledge, I won't be covering them.

The vast swath of Continental Celtic cultures are a different but equally complex topic thanks to extinction, revival, varying archaeological artefacts and the work of modern practioners to piece unknown parts back together.

This will serve as a quick 'n' dirty guide to the insular Celtic nations, Celtic as a label, blood percentages and ancestry, the whats and whys of "Celtic soup", and how to unblend practice.

The insular Celtic groups are split into two language groups: Brythonic languages and Gaelic languages.

Brythonic languages are Cymraeg/Welsh, Kernewek/Cornish, & Breton

Gaelic languages are Gàidhlig/Scottish, Gaeilge/Irish, & Gaelg/Manx.

The language split leads to certain folkloric and religious figures & elements being more common within the language group than without. All of these nations had historic cultural exchange and trade routes via the Celtic sea (and beyond). Despite this, it is still important to respect each as a home to distinct mythologies.

Pros/Cons of a broad Celtic umbrella

Pros

- Used within celtic nations to build solidarity - Relates to a set of cultures that have historic cultural exchange & broad shared experiences - A historic group category - Celtic nations’ culture is often protected under broad legislation that explicitly highlights its ‘Celtic-ness’.

Cons

- Can be used reductively (in academia & layman uses) - Often gives in to the dual threat of romanticisation/fetishisation & erasure - Conflates a lot of disparate practices under one banner - Can lead to centring ‘celtic american’ experiences. - Celtic as a broad ancestral category (along with associated symbols) has also been co-opted by white supremacist organisations.

In this I’m using ‘Celtic’ as a broad umbrella for the multiple pantheons! This isn’t ideal for specifics, but it is the fastest way to refer to the various pantheons of deities that’ll be referenced within this Q&A (& something that I use as a self identifier alongside Cornish).

What about blood % or ancestry?

A blood percentage or claimed Celtic ancestry is NOT a requirement to be a follower of any of the Celtic pantheons. The assumption that it does or is needed to disclose can feed easily into white supremacist narratives and rhetoric, along side the insidious implications that a white person in the USA with (perceived or real) Celtic ancestry is 'more celtic' than a person of colour living in a Celtic region (along with other romanticised notions of homogenously white cultures).

Along side this, a blood percentage or distant ancestry does not impart the culture and values of the Celtic region or it's recorded pagan practices by itself. Folk traditions are often passed down within families, but blood percentage is not a primary factor within this.

Connecting with ancestry is fine, good, and can be a fulfilling experience. It stops being beneficial when it leads to speaking over people with lived experiences & centres the USA-based published and authors - which can lead to blending/souping for reasons further on.

What is 'soup'?

Celtic soup is a semi-playful term coined by several polytheists (primarily aigeannagusacair on wordpress) to describe the phenomenon of conflating & combining all the separate pantheons and practices from the (mainly) insular Celtic nations into one singular practice - removing a lot of the regionalised folklore, associated mythos, & varying nuances of the nations that make up the soup.

Why does it happen?

The quick version of this is book trends and publishing meeting romanticisation and exotification of Celtic cultures (especially when mixed with pre-lapsarian views of the Nations). It's miles easier to sell a very generally titled book with a lot of Ireland and a little of everywhere else than it is to write, source and publish a separate book on each.

This is where centering American publishers and authors becomes an issue - the popular trend of USA-based pagan publications to conflate all celtic nations makes it hard to find information on, for example, Mannin practices because of the USA’s tendency to dominate media. Think of Llewellyn’s “Celtic Wisdom” series of books.

It has also been furthered by 'quick research guides'/TL;DR style posts based on the above (which have gained particular momentum on tumblr).

The things that have hindered the process in unblending/"de souping" is the difficulty in preserving independently published pamphlets/books from various nations (often more regionalised and immediately local than large, sweeping books generalising multiple practices) along with the difficulty of accessing historic resources via academic gatekeeping.

All of this has lead to a lack of awareness of the fact there is no, one, singular Celtic religion, practice or pantheon.

Why should I de-soup or unblend my practice?

Respecting the deities

It is, by and large, considered the bare minimum to understand and research a deity's origin and roots. The conflation of all insular Celtic deities under one singular unified pantheon can divorce them from their original cultures and contexts - the direct opposite to understanding and researching.

Folklore and myth surrounding various Celtic deities can be highly regionalised both in grounded reality and geomythically - these aren't interchangeable locations and are often highly symbolic within each nation.

Brú na Bóinne, an ancient burial mound in Ireland, as an entrance to the otherworld of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Carn Kenidjack & the Gump as a central site of Cornish folk entities feasts and parties, including Christianised elements of Bucca’s mythology.

The Mabinogion includes specific locations in Wales as well as broad Kingdoms - it’s implied that Annwn is somewhere within the historic kingdom of Dyfed, & two otherworldly feasts take place in Harlech & Ynys Gwales.

Conflating all celtic pantheons under one banner often leads to the prioritisation of the Irish pantheon, meaning all of the less ‘popular’ or recorded deities are sidelined and often left unresearched (which can lead to sources & resources falling into obscurity and becoming difficult to access).

Respecting the deities

Deities, spirits, entities, myth & folklore are often culturally significant both historically and to modern day people (just average folks along with practitoners/pagans/polytheists and organisations) located in the various Nations

A primary example is the initiatory Bardic orders of Wales and Cornwall.

Desouping/Unblending makes folklorist's lives easier as well as casual research less difficult to parse. The general books are a helpful jumping off point but when they constitute the bulk of writing on various Celtic polytheisms, they become a hinderance and a harm in the research process.

A lot of mythology outside of deities & polytheisms is also a victim of ‘souping' and is equally as culturally significant - Arthurian mythology is a feature of both Welsh and Cornish culture but is often applied liberally as an English mythology & and English figure.

Celtic nations being blended into one homogenous group is an easy way to erase cultural differences and remove agency from the people living in celtic nations. Cornwall is already considered by a large majority of people to be just an English county, and many areas of Wales are being renamed in English for the ease of English tourists.

How can I de-soup?

Chase down your sources' sources, and look for even more sources

Check your sources critically. Do they conflate all pantheons as one? Do they apply a collective label (the celts/celts/celt/celtic people) to modern day Celtic nations? How far back in history do they claim to reach?

Research the author, are they dubious in more ways than one? Have they written blog articles you can access to understand more of their viewpoints? Where are they located?

Find the people the author cites within their work - it can be time consuming but incredibly rewarding and can also give a good hint at the author's biases and research depth. You may even find useful further reading!

Find primary sources (or as close too), or translations of the originating folklore, e.g The Mabinogion. Going to the source of a pantheon’s mythos and folklore can be helpful in discerning where soup begins in more recent books as well as gaining insight into deities' actions and relationships.

Ask lots of questions

Question every source! Question every person telling you things that don't define what pantheon or region they’re talking about! Write all your questions down and search for answers! Talk to other polytheists that follow specific Celtic pantheons, find where your practices naturally overlap and where they have been forced into one practice by authors!

Be honest with yourself

There’s no foul in spreading your worship over several pantheons that fall under the celtic umbrella! A lot of polytheists worship multiple pantheons! But be aware of the potential for soup, and make sure you’re not exclusively reading and working from/with sources that conflate all practices as one.

If you approach any Celtic polytheistic path with the attitude of blood percentage or 'ancestral right', stop and think critically about why you want to follow a Celtic polytheistic path. Is it because it's the most obviously 'open' path to follow? Is it a desire to experience what other folks experience? Being critical, turning inward, and really looking at yourself is important. Originally posted in the Raven's Keep discord server

[ravenquills]

The View Can Wait | Amit Thakkar x MC

summary - You and Amit share a tender moment walking back to Hogwarts after an outing to Hogsmeade

warnings - fluff, drabble, GN!MC

notes - first time ever posting my writing :S sincerest thanks to miles for supporting and encouraging me

word count - 610

Amit strolled alongside you, arms linked, occasionally nodding and humming in response as you chattered about everything and anything that came to mind. He found your voice soothing and your way of speaking charming, so sitting back and simply listening to you ramble was one of his favorite activities. In turn, when it came to things he was really passionate about—like Astronomy or Gobbledegook, or Mooncalves as of late—he became the talker and you—the listener.

Breathing warm air on your mittened hands, you mumbled, “I can’t believe that Cornish wizard bred another creature.”  The audacity of the repeat offender was  astounding. “Honestly, I think they should fund him. Who knows what kind of new species might come out of this.” 

Amit nodded as he glanced over at you and let out an affirmative hum. It was a simple exchange, but to an attentive lover like you, it came across as more like: That wizard is out of his mind, but he is a genius.

After a short lull filled with the calming sounds of nature winding down for the night and your footsteps on the cobbled path back from Hogsmeade, you chimed in. “So how far are you into your astrolog-” 

“Astro-no-my, my star...”  Amit tilted his head and glanced sidelong at you, gently correcting you. He lost count of how often you’d made this mistake. At first, he dismissed it as a common slip. Plenty of others mixed the two up; it was understandable. But months into your relationship? One part of him thought you were just being playful and turned this into an inside joke. Another part wondered if you were genuinely confused. Either way, he didn’t have the heart to be upset with you over it. 

“Go on, you were saying?” He chuckled softly, his breath a visible puff of air in the crisp autumn evening. Noticing the way you went quiet at his interruption, he felt a pang of anxiety, worried he might have upset you. But you continued in your usual bubbly manner, allowing Amit to let out a subtle sigh of relief. 

“Did anything in particular catch your attention yet?” “Plenty,” he replied, pulling his hand out of his pockets and wrapping his arm around your waist. “But I think that can wait until we’re back inside.” You looked up at him and tilted your head quizzically. Without you saying a word, Amit sensed your confusion and blurted out, gesturing with his head to the side, “I think we could just enjoy the view for now!” At the mention of the ‘view’, you turned to look in the direction he indicated. Completely unaware, you two stumbled onto the little sitting area with benches and streetlights overlooking Hogwarts. There it stood, breathtaking and grand against a backdrop of a starry sky. 

You couldn’t remember the last time you’ve seen the skies this clear; a rare treat this rainy autumn. Amit had been in low spirits all term, missing his stargazing sessions. Hence why you gifted him the book you mentioned earlier. It wasn’t even out on bookshelves yet! Courtesy of your good friend Ominis and his family’s connections.

As you admired the castle, Amit melted at the sight of your eyes twinkling with awe. A warm smile spread across his face. He pulled you into a tight embrace, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. “I love you,” he whispered, his voice airy and gentle in your ear. 

You giggled softly, nestling closer to his chest. “I love you too,” you murmured back, your voice muffled by his coat. The view of the castle, magnificent as it was, faded into the background…

[chance-lard]

Book!Lucy & Lockwood vs Show!Lucy & Lockwood: A VERY LONG Deep Dive

So I finished the Netflix adaptation of Lockwood & Co.

Overall, I think it was a respectful adaptation, which, despite some plot changes, kept largely to the spirit of the books. At minimum, Joe Cornish actually seems to like L&Co, which is way more than can be said about most adaptations these days. Hooray!

But I wanted to write a bit about one of the bigger changes they made: namely the dynamic between Lucy and Lockwood.

I’ve seen people saying that the Locklyle adaptation to screen was very true to the books, just without Lucy’s close personal voice, and sped up a little in the romance department (“Stroud doesn’t mention what Lucy was doing with her hands! They could have been on Lockwood’s face in the books!” etc).

Respectfully, I disagree quite a bit with this. While some argument could be made about it having shades of their relationship from THB/TCS onwards, I actually think Show!Lucy’s attitude towards Lockwood is a 180 from the way she views him in TSS and TWS.

IDK, this might be a bit of a controversial opinion judging by what I’ve been seeing in the L&Co tag and general ways people have interpreted TSS and TWS in the years since their publication, but I’m going to try to back my argument as best as I can, focusing only on those books.

I’m using the original paperback UK editions of both the Screaming Staircase (2013) and The Whispering Skull (2014).

Spoilers for the show and VERY mild spoilers for books 3+ (literally just the name of a new character/type of ghost + stuff already shown in the show that wasn’t shown until later in the books)

Another warning: this analysis is 5500(!!!) words long, and mostly quotes from the book. If you’d like to just read the main bits, look at the intro/conclusion to each section and read the TLDR; at the end.

PART 1: THE NETFLIX SHOW

Before diving into differences, there are things I do think stayed the same between the show and the books:

Lucy and Lockwood banter, swap one-liners and occasionally squabble.

Lucy remains unimpressed with some of Lockwood’s more slapdash schemes.

During missions, they work equally and trust each other with their lives and the job.

They care about each other’s wellbeing.

Basically, when things are going well between them, or when they are in high-stakes circumstances and need to cooperate, there isn’t too much of a difference between Show!Locklyle and Book!Locklyle.

But as Tolstoy (lmao) says, all happy families agents are alike, all unhappy families agents are unique in their own way. With that said, I think the differences between Show!Locklyle and Book!Locklyle are best explored through the way conflicts are handled.

In the show, there are 5 major arguments between Lucy and Lockwood:

Episode 2: Lucy feels upset and hurt because she thinks Lockwood only views her as an “asset”.

Episode 4: Lucy is upset that Lockwood doesn’t believe/doesn’t want to admit that she is talented enough to talk to the Skull

Episode 5: Lucy gets mad at Lockwood being self-sacrificing/death-seeking after they escape from the Winkmans.

Episode 7: Lucy calls Lockwood a boy with a “cold dead heart of stone”, and is upset that he won’t let her and George in on his past.

Episode 8: Lucy is furious at Lockwood using dangerous methods at the auction, that “every relic hunter in London is out to kill us”, and that Lockwood is acting self-sacrificially again.

There are also the following minor squabbles:*

Episode 1: Lucy rolls her eyes at Lockwood for forgetting the chains at Mrs Hope’s house.

Episode 1: Lucy mad at Lockwood and George for the toothbrush cup initiation test.

Episode 2: Lockwood gets annoyed and brusque with Lucy for keeping Annabel’s source and trying to communicate with her ghost. After Lucy is nearly possessed, he flintily tells her he will burn the source, and that they have more important bills to pay.

*Note there might be some more minor squabbles, but they weren’t significant enough to make their way into my notes

The most important takeaway here is that Lucy is the one who initiates most of the arguments! We can also note Lockwood’s response to Lucy’s anger: mostly he mutely self-reflects as she shouts and storms away, then later he comes to her to apologise and promises to do better. 

The one time Lockwood gets mad at Lucy (Ep 2) we are a) not shown the bulk of the argument (there’s a cutaway after the fight with the ghost to Lucy justifying herself), b) it’s anger born of worry, and c) Cameron’s delivery of the lines is quite measured and muted.

In essence, when it comes to conflict, Lucy is the one holding the cards in the relationship between the two of them.

We also know the show is set much earlier than the books (which take place over the span of a whole year). Show!Lucy isn’t acting this way out of concern for a Lockwood who she’s known and loved for ages. Rather, Lockwood is someone she is not impressed by at all from the outset. The show is setting up what makes Lucy special here: unlike the adults, the other agents, and maybe even George, she’s the only one who can see through his “prodigious entrepreneur” mythos to the hurting teenager beneath.

Within the logic of the show’s universe this makes sense. Unlike Book!Lucy who is a judgemental grump (and is why she has “no female friends”; TWS p80), Show!Lucy is a more confident girl coming right off the back of losing someone she loves dearly.

Having experienced an arguably greater loss than Book!Lucy at this stage in her life, Show!Lucy seems adamant to prevent anyone else she cares about going down the same path. For Book!Lucy, this is a realisation she only comes to near the end of THB.

So to summarise, in the show, Lucy is a hurting, no-nonsense girl, unimpressed with Lockwood’s antics and objective enough to act as his “chain to earth”. From the way Lockwood responds to Lucy’s upsets, we get the sense that he’s quite sincere and maybe more in touch with his emotions than he shows on the surface.

The show portrays two people gradually learning to trust each other and perhaps slowly, mutually discovering their feelings as they do.

PART 2: BOOK: ACTIONS

The show uses disagreements as watersheds for character development, but they don’t play as significant a role in the books. Still, I went through TSS and TWS and made notes of every time there’s conflict between Lucy and Lockwood because the differences are quite telling.

TSS:

Lucy is mildly irritated/snarky at Lockwood for the entirety of the Hope case in TSS, and is angry when he forgets to bring the chains.

Lucy is angry at Lockwood for talking about the Annabel case and getting her name in the papers (TSS, 231)

Lockwood gets angry and berates Lucy for keeping the Annabel source (TSS, 179-181)

Lockwood calls Lucy “too sensitive” and accuses her of getting too close to ghosts (TSS, 248-249)

Lockwood is furious at Lucy for trying to talk to Annabel again (TSS, 284)

TWS:

Lockwood angry at Lucy for talking about the door on the landing (TWS, 116)

Lucy angry at Lockwood (and George) for taking her Listening for granted (TWS, 258)

Lucy scolds Lockwood for brushing off/slapping down George (TWS, 398)

Purely by numbers, they get mad at each other fairly evenly (rather than it being one-sided from Lucy, a la the show).

But numbers themselves don’t tell a full story. In fact, after looking at the particulars, I was surprised to see just how unbalanced their relationship is in the first 2 books (TSS in particular), and how much Lucy sits under Lockwood’s thumb for the whole thing.

Let’s look:

THE SCREAMING STAIRCASE

The Hope House - Lockwood forgetting to bring the chains.

This is the argument that plays out most similarly to how it does in the books. Lockwood asserts that filings “will be fine” for a job like this. In both mediums Lucy lets him go, but in the show she rolls her eyes and tuts, while in the books she tells herself “now (isn’t) the time”, takes a deep breath and changes the subject. In my opinion, this difference is insignificant.

BUT: in the book, the chains get brought up again. On p39, Lockwood suggests they should leave the house because it’s too dangerous, it is Lucy disagrees and thinks they should stay (as an aside, compare this with Lockwood’s behaviour in the show, particularly when escaping Winkman at the auction!).

Lockwood “condescendingly” tells her that her head isn’t in the right place, and Lucy once again accuses him of making bad decisions by leaving the chains out. Lockwood in turn first blames George (as he does in the show), then goes on to blame Lucy!

How the argument resolves is also interesting. Lockwood smiles at Lucy, and ribs her:

‘How’s your anger management going, Luce?’ (p40).

This effectively defuses Lucy’s rage (she likens his smile to “the sun coming out”).

Only after she’s no longer at the peak of her anger does he admit fault:

“He clapped his gloved hands together briskly. ‘Alright, you win'” (about staying at the house). (p40).

Even in the very first pages, we see Lockwood comporting himself as Lucy’s superior. We get the sense he doesn’t take her anger very seriously. Lucy also doesn’t seem to be able to stay mad at him for long.

Now, I've seen readings of Lockwood smiling in this moment as him being simply unable to stay mad at Lucy. That's definitely one interpretation, but I personally don't agree with it. Lockwood has a patterned habit of using his smile to get out of trouble:

“Lockwood took a deep breath; perhaps he realized he had to explain himself to George and me, as well as to Barnes…(Explanation). He switched on his fullest, most radiant smile.

Barnes winced. ‘Put those teeth away’” (TSS, p426)

And:

“‘Papers that almost certainly don’t exist,’ I growled…I didn’t look at him; if I had, he would have given me the smile, and I wasn’t in the mood for that.” (TWS, p258)

Though as we can see, by TWS Lucy has definitely wised up haha

Lucy’s name in the article

On paper, this argument is similar to the one in the show. The major difference is at no point in the books does Lucy explicitly tell Lockwood to keep her name out of the papers.

In the show, this argument leads to one of its biggest disagreements (Ep 2):

Lucy: I told you to leave me out of it.

Lockwood: And I told you I'd handle it. What are you so worried about? It's all true.

Lucy: We haven't even solved the case yet. What if Hugo Blake sees that and comes after me?

Lockwood: Well, then, we'll look after you, Luce. You're our biggest asset.

Lucy: Asset? Is that all I am, then? Just something to make you money? You think that you do things so differently. But you're just like the rest of them. You're as bad as everyone back home.

In the books, Lucy does not get angry when the article comes out (p217). She only gets upset after she’s pulled in by DEPRAC to see Hugo Blake. When the argument erupts, George is also there and it plays out like this (p232):

Lucy: “Don’t touch me. Because of your article, I came face to face with a murderer tonight, and funnily enough, I didn’t enjoy the experience.” 

Lockwood: “Blake is not going to come after us”.

George: “Or if he does, it’ll be very, very slowly, hobbling on a stick. He’s over seventy years old.”

After Lockwood and George’s further justifications about why Blake is not going to “get them” (p232-233) Lucy thinks:

“What (Lockwood) said made sense, as usual. It was good to be out in the night again, with my sword and my colleagues at my side. The distress of my brief encounter at Scotland Yard was slowly fading. I felt a little better.”

We know from this that Lucy’s anger was one borne from worry and fear of Blake. By successfully alleviating that fear, Lucy’s anger at Lockwood dissipates. At no point is she mad at being treated as a showpony or asset by Lockwood. In fact, going back to when the article comes out (p 217), we’re presented with the following:

Lucy: “I still don’t know why you mentioned me but not the necklace.”

Lockwood: “It doesn’t hurt to emphasise what a star you are. We want other clients to come running, eager for your services.”

He doesn’t use the word “asset” here, but you can easily replace the word “star” with the word “asset" to get the original lines that triggered the argument in the show. To this statement, Book!Lucy has no reaction at all (the topic changes).

[As an aside, Lockwood also obliquely calls Lucy and George “inessential” on p214, which they also don’t comment on. Also, at various points he calls George and Lucy “fishwives” (p 272) and Lucy “sensitive” because she’s a girl (p 353) (lmaooo what an ass).]

Lockwood, Lucy and Annabel

I’m lumping these three arguments together because they follow the same pattern: Lucy tries to talk to Annabel, Lockwood gets upset that she keeps trying. What is absolutely fascinating is just how he treats Lucy when he is upset, and how Lucy responds to his anger in turn.

The first argument begins the morning after the fight. Lockwood says:

“Why, Lucy? I just don’t understand! You know an agent has to report any artefact she finds. Particularly one so intimately connected with a Visitor. They must be properly contained.” (p179)

He continues berating her like this (with a lot more anger than he ever displays on the show).

Lucy tries to apologise:

“Yes. I said I’m sorry! I’ve never done that sort of thing before.” (p180)

But Lockwood is still angry:

“So why did you do it now?”

Lucy spends the next page trying to explain why she took Annabel’s source, but even after her apologies and justifications, Lockwood is still furious:

“You forgot? That’s it? That’s your excuse?” (p 181)

The three of them talk a bit more about the mechanics of how Annabel ended up in the house, then when Lucy is in the middle of talking, Lockwood cuts her off again, and they have this whopper of an exchange:

“I hope you’re not trying to change the subject, Lucy,” Lockwood said in a cold voice. “I’m in the middle of ticking you off here.”

I set the case down. “I know.”

“I’m not finished, either. Not by a long chalk. I’ve got a whole heap more to say.” (Lockwood loses his train of thought here). “The point is: don’t do it again. I’m disappointed in you.”

Lucy meekly takes Lockwood’s lecture:

“I nodded. I stared at the tablecloth. My face felt cold and hot at the same time”

Lockwood’s one-sided lecture of Lucy lasts a whole five pages!!!

But he’s not done. It comes up again on p248 where Lockwood accuses Lucy of being 'too sensitive’ (in both the psychic and emotional way), and of getting “too close to (the ghosts)”. Then, in a 180 from the dynamics of power in the show (remember, Lucy threatens to quit several times), Lockwood threatens to fire her!

“You need to be careful, Lucy,” Lockwood said, and his voice was flat and cold. “Wicked ghosts aren’t things to trifle with. You’re keeping secrets again, and any agent who does that is endangering the rest of us. I’m not having anyone on my team who can’t be trusted. You understand what I’m saying?”

Again, Lucy takes this lecture meekly and submissively:

I did understand. I looked away.

In the final argument about the matter (p284) we learn that Lucy is actually a bit scared of Lockwood.

“You deliberately let her free?” Lockwood said. “That was a stupid thing to do.”

When I looked at his face, my heart quailed. “Not free,” I said desperately. “Just…freer.” (emphasis mine)

On p285 Lucy starts crying/tearing up because she thinks Lockwood:

 “...Would not forgive me…this was the end of my employment at the company”. 

Ordinarily, you might be able to argue that her fears are misplaced and subjective (because of her narrow perspective). This rings a little hollow given Lockwood’s threat on p248.

Does Lockwood ever apologise to Lucy during the Annabel affair? Once, when at his suggestion, Lucy tries to talk to Anabel, and things go awry:

“I’m so sorry. I should have never asked you to do that. What happened? Are you OK?” (p192)

It’s a sign that Lockwood does care about her wellbeing, despite his general distance from Lucy and the way he carries himself, which is as a figure of authority, and more importantly, as Lucy’s employer.

Seriously. We like to joke in this fandom that Lucy is too wrapped up in her own head thinking that Lockwood is out of her league to notice that he actually likes her. But reading the books again with detailed notes, I think Lucy’s impression is actually accurate.

In fact, writing this up sparked a memory of reading TSS for the first time (prior to the release of TWS), I remember thinking there wasn’t going to be a romance between Lucy and Lockwood. I couldn’t articulate it fully at the time, but I imagine it was because of how much older Lockwood seemed and how much control her asserts over her behaviour, combined with the way early book Lucy (to borrow Holly’s words from THB) “can’t say no” to Lockwood.

It is only by the end of TSS, does Lockwood finally say to her:

“I trust your Talent and your judgement and I’m very proud to have you on my team. OK? So stop worrying about the past!” (p436)

It’s still a tad condescending (think: praise from kindergarten teacher) but it’s a momentous occasion because as shown, prior to the Combe Carey Hall case, Lockwood seems to respect and trust her very little. This bookend leads nicely into their growing dynamic in TWS.

THE WHISPERING SKULL

Lucy, Lockwood and the skull in Bickerstaff’s manor:

By The Whispering Skull, Lucy and Lockwood’s relationship has evolved (which would make sense given the 6 months between books 1 and 2) and consequently the way they conflict has too. However, they still don’t ever reach the level of direct conflict they do in the show. Take what I consider to be Lucy’s biggest upset at Lockwood in the first 2 books:

On page 258, Lucy says:

 “Forget it! What happened to us treading carefully, Lockwood? I’ve a good mind to go back home!”

Lockwood begs her to reconsider. Lucy remains angry. She says:

“You’re taking me for granted. Me and this house.”

However, it should be noted that although she mentions Lockwood by name, she’s actually angry at both Lockwood and George (yup, he’s there too). She calls them “both mad” for expecting her to agree to their scheme. She then stalks away from them in a rage, leaving “the others” (not just Lockwood) to follow.

In short, her anger isn’t directed at any particular trait of Lockwood’s (such as recklessness or foolhardiness), but rather at having been duped by both George and him. Nevertheless, it shows that she’s become more comfortable at expressing her anger in general by this point.

Lockwood’s door on the landing

As in the show, after the skull tells Lucy about Lockwood’s door, she confronts him about it.

In the show, after Lucy brings it up, Lockwood responds by diverting the subject:

Lockwood: That is not just a nick. You need to get that looked at. Could be some toxins got into your blood.

Then:

Lockwood: You're not Marissa Fittes.

Lucy: Cause you can't handle being my Tom Rotwell? Second best?

(This response is OOFT and also VERY Show!Lucy imo)

Another difference: in the show, Lockwood clearly believes Lucy, but doesn’t want to admit that she might be talented, because he’s used to being the most powerful one.

In the books, Lockwood just flat-out doesn’t believe her:

Lockwood lowered his mug; he spoke flintily. “Yes, I know (the door). The one you can’t stop asking about.” (p116)

He also calls her a “prima donna” (lmao LOCKWOOD).

Here, again, Lucy responds a bit more huffily than she probably would have in TSS:

We stood there, glaring at each other. (p117)

Lucy defends George

I think this argument, from page 398, though minor, nicely summarises Lockwood’s general attitude in conflict.

“Lockwood, we’ve been so blind! He’s desperate to investigate it. He’s been obsessed with it all this time. And you just kept criticising him, slapping him down.”

Lockwood responds at first by doing what he typically does (justify, accuse):

“Yes of course I did! Because George is always like that!...It’s just how he is! We couldn’t possibly have known.”

But compared to the chains argument in TSS where he deflects until the end, moments later:

His shoulders slumped. “You really think he’s affected by the ghost?”

Perhaps it’s because of the imminent danger George is in, but this time he takes Lucy’s anger seriously. Unlike the chains argument from the beginning of TSS, he doesn’t put on airs or “give permission” to Lucy when he senses he’s in the wrong. This way, they work together to prepare to get George back.

PART 3: BOOKS: THOUGHTS

“Wait,” you say, “Doesn’t this just prove that the show is like the books? Sure, it might have skipped that weird employer/employee stage from TSS, but it at least follows their relationship in TWS well, right?”

To this I say, yes, but also no. We need to take into account the role the arguments play in both mediums.

In the books, since Lucy is a very personal narrator, the arguments are a good way of showing the Locklyle relationship unmarked by her own thoughts. Although Lucy is quite inaccurate at judging what people feel and think (see: Holly), she’s not the kind of unreliable narrator that makes up things people say or do.

In the show, since we don’t get to see Lucy’s internal monologue; the arguments are instead used to show how Lucy feels. To that end, I can understand why they made her more direct/in touch with her emotions during them – if she didn’t say anything, the audience probably wouldn’t know.

SO: to get a full picture of her relationship with Lockwood, we need to examine both her acts AND her internal feelings.

What does Lucy feel in the show?

In the show, although Lucy does like Lockwood, she hates (or at least is troubled by) the following: he’s reckless, he’s (over) confident, he’s arrogant and loves the spotlight. But her two primary issues with his character seem to be:

His death-seeking nature:

“What does any of it mean if we end up stabbed or dead at the bottom of the Thames with nobody left to care?“ / “To be honest, the bottom of the Thames used to be a far more appealing place to be.”(Ep 8)

His distance/mystery:

“You might be able to turn your feelings on and off like a tap, but I am drowning here, Lockwood.” (Ep 2)

“At the centre of you is just a…” “A what? A cold, dead heart of stone?” “Yeah, maybe. But who knows, though? 'Cause you don't actually show anyone.” (Ep 7)

Is this the case in the books?

Nope. Not at all. This is the absolute biggest difference between Show!Locklyle and Book!Locklyle.

Lucy has very little to say about Lockwood’s general recklessness because, well, she is reckless too (this is the case in the show as well – makes her look just a little bit like a hypocrite).

In regards to his death-seeking nature: Lucy doesn’t even pick up on it until the Skull of all people points it out, and that is definitely much further along than in TSS and TWS.

But why doesn’t she see these signs? It ties back to how Lucy feels about Lockwood’s distance/mystery in TSS and TWS which is, well: she loves it.

Show!Lucy can’t stand Lockwood hiding things from her and running off madly towards “any old mystery”, and that’s what makes her a good grounding force for Lockwood there. 

Book!Lucy fully drinks the Lockwood kool-aid and buys into his grand myth.

From the very outset, Lucy immediately likes Lockwood. Unlike Show!Lucy who compares him negatively with the people “back home”, Book!Lucy thinks:

“Lockwood, I already liked. He seemed a world away from the remote and treacherous Agent Jacobs; his zest and personal commitment were clear. Here was someone I felt I could follow, someone perhaps to trust.” (TSS, p 112)

We also get Lucy’s opinion of Lockwood “throwing himself” into missions the very first full day she joins:

“Vigorous and energetic, eager to throw himself into each new mystery; a boy who was clearly never happier than when walking into a haunted room, his hand resting lightly on his sword hilt…It already pleased me to think of walking into darkness with Lockwood at my side.” (TSS, p 127)

She starts buying the “Lockwood narrative” very quickly too. When Lockwood says:

‘This will be one of the three most successful agencies in London…And you can be a part of that, Lucy. I think you’re good, and I’m glad you’re here.’ (TSS 129)

Lucy thinks:

“You can bet my face was flushed right then – it was a special triple-combo of embarrassment at being found out, pleasure at his flattery and excitement at his spoken dreams.” (TSS 129)

We see her continued fall into Lockwood’s all-consuming orbit on the next page:

“For a moment, as he said this, it all made perfect sense…when he smiled like that it was hard not to agree with him.” (p 130)

Contrast this to the show, where instead she cooly responds, “Thank you,” then immediately asks: “How do I know you’re good enough for me?” (Ep 1)

Show!Lucy clearly isn’t buying it from the beginning, and continues to not buy it. We can see the difference after the Hope House case when Lucy is talking to George.

George: “Maybe if you'd been more interested before you went charging.”

Lucy: “That was Lockwood's decision. I've only just started. What am I supposed to say to him?” (Ep 2)

George: “You're meant to say no. You have to, or you'll make him worse.”

George is another character who works well to contextualise Lucy’s behaviour towards Lockwood. In the show, George sees Lucy as someone capable of reigning Lockwood in. Whereas in the books, he sees Lucy as equally at fault for being reckless.

“When is going to be the time? When you and Lockwood are both dead, maybe? When I open the door one night and see the two of you hovering beyond the iron line?...All you and Lockwood care about is going out and snuffing Sources, as quickly as you can! ” (TSS, p 139-140)

Rather than deflect blame onto Lockwood as she does in the show, she says:

“Because that’s what makes our money, George!...If you were less obsessed with it, we’d have done twice as many cases in the last few months…We waited all afternoon for you.” (TSS, p140)

The “makes our money” line sounds a lot like something that would come out of Lockwood’s mouth, and makes me wonder whether she’s parroting something he said at this stage. Conjecture aside, it shows the reader that Lucy is firmly on Lockwood’s side – as established, Lucy “never says no” to Lockwood, and everyone else knows it.

I suspect part of the reason this continues for so long is because Lockwood never is too approving of Lucy, which causes Lucy to scrabble for the rare moments of his approval.

“Moments before, he’d been promising to incinerate the locket. Now it was the key to all our troubles. Moments before, he’d been giving me a rollocking; now I was the apple of his eye. This was the way it was with Lockwood. His shifts were sometimes so sudden that they took your breath away, but his energy and enthusiasm were always impossible to resist.” (TSS, p 190)

“As usual, the full warmth of his approval made me feel a little flushed.“ (p TWS, 108)

Although by TWS Lucy is far more comfortable with Lockwood to his face, she can’t help but put him on a pedestal at the back of her mind, which marks the remaining difference between the show and the books.

“One full year after my arrival at the agency, the unrevealed details of my employer’s early life remained an important part of his mystery and fascination.” (TWS, p 40)

Even George calls her out on it:

“Oh, come on. You love all that mystery about him. Just like you love that pensive, far-off look he does sometimes.” (TWS, p 55)

Putting aside the “haha Lucy has an obvious crush on Lockwood” part, what’s interesting is that George specifically hones in on Lucy enjoying the “mystery” of Lockwood – although she does want to find out what’s behind the door, she also is drawn to, rather than repelled by (unlike Show!Lucy) the part of him that keeps things hidden. Her encounter with the Fetch in THB shows her precisely what is underneath that mysterious facade of Lockwood’s, and that (combined with Holly) is what, I think, finally scares her out of her idolatry.

As for Lockwood, we can only guess at his thoughts in the book, but we do know that he’s far less open than he is in the show. It is George who reveals to Lucy that Lockwood’s parents are probably dead (TSS, 114).

Lockwood only really brings up his parents (and quickly moves on to other matters) at the END of The Hollow Boy (p 391).

I think he makes a concerted effort to act as Lucy’s employer, to the extent that he hardly asks about or takes an interest in her personal life at all. Compare the line in the show where Lockwood says:

“Interesting outfit, Luce. Didn't have you down as a fan of unicorns. Or rainbows.”

To the book, where not only does Lockwood never comment on Lucy’s appearance, that line is a callback to a line said by George: 

“Ooh, Lucy – I’ve never seen you wearing that.” (TSS, p175)

In fact, I’d maybe even go so far to say that the show has snatched bits from George’s relationship with Lockwood and Lucy respectively and repurposed into Locklyle dynamics [see: George worrying about Lockwood’s recklessness, George upset at being treated as an asset (TWS, p107)].

This isn't to say that he doesn't care about them: he very clearly does and it is most clear in moments of crisis. But Lockwood is such a unique character, plus a known Stepford Smiler, and so "typical" signs of feelings of happiness (smiling at Lucy etc) shouldn't be taken at face value when trying to ascertain how he feels – and this is true until THB.

I don’t want people to think I’m cherry picking moments of tension between Lucy and Lockwood to make a point here. Once again, Lockwood does care about Lucy. When Lucy isn’t caught up in her Lockwood-filter, and when Lockwood isn’t preoccupied with his role as THE Anthony Lockwood, they share plenty of moments where they joke, laugh and generally act like teens, which the show captured just fine.

But those moments of cheeriness belie a narrative backbone that is very different. Lucy in the books is just 14 years old, and she’s looking for a (metaphorical!!!) “grown up” mentor after losing her father and being betrayed by Jacobs. Meanwhile, Lockwood is trying his best to shut the door on his childhood and act wiser than his years.

Thus when they meet, Lockwood just happens to be playing that authority figure Lucy thinks she needs (but we know she doesn’t!), and is only happy to oblige by continuing to play that role until slowly Lucy (and George) start breaking down his guard.

TLDR;

Show!Locklyle has a far more balanced dynamic than Book!Locklyle, which is objectively pretty “boss and employee”. Perhaps controversially, I don’t think Lockwood felt anything other than general workplace fondness/friendship for Lucy for most of TSS (at least until Combe Carey Hall).

Most importantly: Lucy in the show hates and is hurt by Lockwood’s secrecy, but Book!Lucy fawns over the very shadow consuming his soul – that is, until her rather rude awakening at the end of THB.

The ramifications of these changes have also spilled onto the characters. Lucy in the show comes off as more strong-minded, practical and confident, whereas book Lucy seems tougher, more of a tsundere (ye) and more love-starved. Lockwood in the show is the same attention-hungry “politician”, but more sincere, troubled and subdued. Whereas Lockwood in the books is crueller (remember that time he threatened to shut a kid in a coffin?), flashier, more competent and a huge brat (affectionate).

Which Locklyle is better is a matter of personal taste. In the show there’s arguably more dramatic tension, and the relationship is more tender/romantic and caring overall. But I think there’s something to be said for how unique Lucy and Lockwood’s dynamic is in the books, and the very carefully written unfurling that takes them to the end of TEG.

Either way, I hope I’ve convinced any readers of this giant word vomit that the show and book dynamics are two very separate beasts.

Agree? Disagree? Found it interesting? Hate my guts? Let me know what you think!!!

Till next time!

[sunburnacoustic]

Stairway to Devon

An article on the documentary on BBC Radio 1 narrated by Steve Lamacq (Radio 1's Evening Sessions), broadcast on 31 May 2004.

Muse's Matt Bellamy believes we've been cloned from aliens, and that we receive subliminal instructions from the government via mobile phones. 'Stairway to Devon' takes you into the peculiar world of Muse and the influences behind their latest album, 'Absolution'. 

Dan Martin - NME "I think the reason that we started talking about 'Absolution' in such hyperbolic terms is because everything about the record is completely to the extreme. Certainly the first track, 'Apocolypse Please', it actually says 'this is the end of the world'.

Matt Bellamy - Muse "'Origin Of Symmetry' came from a book called 'Hyperspace'. When I read that book I found that the truths about science are sometimes more fantastical and exciting than some of the lies of previous religions."

Verity Sharp - BBC Radio 3 "There's a lot of feeling in there. There's a real commitment and he's being quite honest about what he wants to do because he is going to get a lot of criticism for doing this sort of thing but he's got the guts to do it and I respect that. I think he's being harsh on himself to say that he's a chimpanzee in relation to Rachmaninov - he shouldn't put himself down."

Matt Bellamy - Muse "I'd rather set my sights as a musician way higher than what I think I can ever achieve. I know that those piano players are so far beyond my own mathematical and emotional understanding of music, that I like having a goal. I know that I'll never get there but it means that I'll keep trying."

Dennis Smith - Muse Manager "When I went first to see them at a little show in a Cornish venue I recognised that there was something very special. Matthew has an incredible range of thoughts, he's got such a restless, imaginative and creative mind. An older head on much younger shoulders is how I've always seen him."

Dan Martin - NME "They don't care and, to be fair, they never have cared. He goes around talking about space and the end of the world. If you're going to talk about these things then you have to be prepared that people are going to think it's ridiculous... and people do."

External links on here link to a recent Muse live review, muse.mu and Jim Marrs' website.

[ilvero-love]

Save Lockwood & Co

Lockwood and Co has become my latest obsession😍 So much so that it has once again inspired me to turn to Tumblr to deal with my need to microanalyse every second of it. And why not? It’s certainly worth doing so.

I only found Lockwood and Co through the Netflix show and despite being wary of Netflix’s propensity to cancel seemingly everything after just one season, I was hooked before they reached the front door of the opening scene. And it only got better.

For those of you that followed my thoughts on Miss Fisher, please consider watching Lockwood and Co🙏 The chemistry between the two characters is on the same level as Phryne and Jack, and whilst you may assume it’s just a teen show, it so isn’t.

The original source material, Johnathan Stroud’s book series is a wonderful tale, but in the hands of Joe Cornish and Complete Fiction, it’s taken to another level👌 

Masterful.

The show/story is so beautifully put together and, like MFMM, it’s greater than the sum of its parts. The lighting, the cinematography, the storyline, the acting all come together in a pretty much perfect story. 

Yes, I stand by that description. The care that has been taken by Complete Fiction in bringing this story to the screen, the attention to detail, continually amazes me. It is just too good 🤗

So, for any MFMM fans who are open to a similar vibe💕 (with a touch more danger thrown in), please give it a try. Like me, I think you’ll be hooked early on. It was the opening exchange between Lockwood and Lucy that really got me invested.

And if you’re concerned about starting a show that, at this stage, has no follow up season, rest assured the story arc is neatly wrapped up. It’s only when you’re so hungry for more and you devour the books, that you realise this is a brilliant story that just has to find its way back to our screens. I have hope that we will see it eventuate as there is an intelligent and dedicated group of people working to make that happen 👏

So please 🙏 join us in the delight that is Lockwood and Co 🤗💕

You won’t be sorry ⚔👻⚔

[delicatebluebirdruins]

The Young BAFTAS lockwood & co interview had me upset (some things that were said and of course the lack of George and the way this particular trailer was used it could have been the other trailer i have never found on youtube but oh no)

in the books all the times the cast got ghost touched they were treated for it really quickly and yet people do die from it of course (in the show they give a difference of ghost locks between Norrie and the rest of their group in the flashback)

Cameron on Lockwood: (1:51) Lockwood is very fun, very daring, slightly reckless, very ambitious. I think he's quite funny. Some people don't. He's very skilled with a sword and he has a lot of love for people that are very close to him.

Ruby on Lucy: Yeah, what I love about Lucy is she's just unapologetically herself. You know, I struggled with that as a teenager, but she's incredibly fierce, loyal, loving. Those that she considers family she holds very closely to her, and I think she's badass as well. So that's why I love her.

Ali on George: 2:42 What I love about him is probably how determined he is, and how driven he is to finding out more. So his curiosity. [it feels like a bit was cut out here]

i love the Shmoo and I just wanted to say that.

RUBY DID CIRCUS TRAINING (nobody think how that would affect that one scene in the Empty Grave... you know the one certain theatre visitor)

5:08 JC: Ruby you did a bunch of training before Lockwood and Co. right when you were young?

RS: I did circus training for about like five years. But yeah, I did like flying trapeze, tight wire, rope, silks, all that fun stuff.

7. Ali at Oxford in his spare time (and would haunt Joe Cornish... I wonder why? so much sarcasm)

8. the creature Cameron wants to come back as... even with the transcript I am still not sure if it's spelled right a Marmot? (looking at pictures I can see it)

[wizardingwirelessnetwork]

Books, children’s stories and comics in the WW

There’s much more than just school text books in the Wizarding World, so as logical it is to assume that muggle borns read popular muggle fairytales during their childhood, it’s equally logical to think the same about magically raised children! And adults ( we known how those witches piled up for Lockharts autograph in Diagon Alley lol )

Here’s a list of wizarding books that are not Hogwarts textbooks

Children’s stories:

Tales of Beedle the Bard - book containing many wizarding fairytales. Stories in the book: The Tale of the Three Brothers‘ ; ‘The Fountain of Fair Fortune‘ ; ‘The Warlock’s Hairy Heart‘ ; ‘The Wizard and the Hopping Pot‘ ; ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump‘. As Ron says his mother read the book to him when he was young.

Toadstool Tales - a series of adaptations of other works, written by Beatrix Bloxam. They contained soppy, "sanitised" versions of other works, including The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was Mrs Bloxam's way of purifying them so as to preserve children's innocence. The book is universally loathed by wizarding children

Comics:

Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle - Ron liked these comics a lot since he had a stash of them in his bedroom

Loony Nonby v.s. Cornish Pixie - read by Dean and Harry

Fiction:

Enchanted Encounters- a series of books written by the author Fifi LaFolle

Sports:

Beaters' Bible - by Brutus Scrimgeour

Beating the Bludgers - A Study of Defensive Strategies in Quidditch - by Kennilworthy Whisp

Flying with the Cannons

Noble Sport of Warlocks - by Quintius Umfraville

Official Guide to the Quidditch World Cup

Quidditch Through the Ages - Kennilworthy Whisp

Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland

Wonder of Wigtown Wanderers - by Kennilworthy Whisp

A Snitch in Time

Numerology:

New Theory of Numerology

Astrology:

Atlas of Celestial Anomalies - M. P. N. Carneirus

Magical Creatures:

Aquatic Wonders of Yorkshire: A Wizard's Field Guide

Bestiarium Magicum

Children's Anthology of Monsters - Newton Scamander

Dreadful Denizens of the Deep

Enclopedia of Bat Eyes

Hoax and Dreams - Laura Thorn

House-Elves & Self-Hatred

Little People, Big Plans - Ragnok the Pigeon-Toed

Lizard's Claws From Africa

Magical Creatures (book)

Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs - Dylan Marwood

Most Macabre Monstrosities

Newts of Bognor - Walter Aragon

Owl Breeds

Why I Didn't Die When the Augurey Cried - Gulliver Pokeby

Which Owl? - Miranda Goshawk

You & Your Owl

Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit

Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland

From Egg to Inferno: a Dragon-Keeper's Guide

Men Who Love Dragons Too Much

A Dragon-Keeper's Guide

Book on Hippogriff-baiting

Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology

Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality

Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires - Eldred Worple

Vampire's Monologue - Amarillo Lestoat

Hairy Snout, Human Heart - anonymous author

Hunting Werewolves

Lupine Lawlessness: Why Lycanthropes Don't Deserve to Live - Emerett Picardy

Herbology:

Encyclopedia of Toadstools

Good Gardens Guide 1990

Goshawk's Guide to Herbology - Miranda Goshawk

Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs - Hadrian Whittle

Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties

Shrubs & Trees for the Garden - Arthur Osborn

Sub-Aquatic Botanical Mysteries

Wanderings of a Tree in the Alps

Winogrand's Wondrous Water Plants - Selina Sapworthy

Charms and spells:

Book of Charms & Spells, The

Achievements in Charming

Charms for attraction - Griselda Gogh

Charms of Defence and Deterrence - Catullus Spangle

Cheering Charms

Extreme Incantations - Violeta Stitch

Chadwick's Charms: Volumes I - VII - Chadwick Boot

Advanced Charm Casting - Eulalie Hicks

Abracadabra: An A-Z of Spooky Spells

Ancient thieves' text

Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed

Charms of Defence and Deterrence - Catullus Spangle

Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions

Confronting the Faceless

Curses and Counter-Curses - Vindictus Viridian

Dark Arts Outsmarted

Guide to Advanced Occlumency

Jinxes for the Jinxed

Practical Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook

Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts

Self-Defensive Spellwork

Evelyn Starling's duelling book

Updated Counter-Curse Handbook (Second Revised Edition)

Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy - Franciscus Fieldwake

Magick Moste Evile - Godelot

Secrets of the Darkest Art - Owle Bullock

Theories of Transubstantial Transfiguration

Transformation Through the Ages

Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks

Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts

Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions

Spell journall - Miranda Goshawk (spell journal only)

Book of Charms & Spells

Book of Spells - Miranda Goshawk

Easy Spells to Fool Muggles

Gilded-covered spellbook

Jiggery Pokery and Hocus Pocus - Brian Gagwilde

Slytherin's Spellbook - Salazar Slytherin

Alchemy:

Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science - Argo Pyrites

Alchemical duodecimo

Potions:

A Humble Guide for Potion Brewing You Cannot Live Without - Blossom Degrasse

Asiatic Anti-Venoms - Libatius Borage

Book of Potions - Zygmunt Budge

Have Yourself a Fiesta in a Bottle! - Libatius Borage

Moste Potente Potions

Potion Opuscule - Arsenius Jigger

Spell potions - Tim

Love Potions - Salamander

Cooking and housecare:

Charm Your Own Cheese - Greta Catchlove (revised edition by Gerda Curd)

Cooking the Muggle Way - Mordicus Egg

Enchantment in Baking

Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests - Gilderoy Lockhart

One Minute Feasts - It's Magic!

Practical Household Magic - Zamira Gulch

Divination:

Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul

Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming

Omens, Oracles & the Goat - Bathilda Bagshot

Oracle of Palombo - Bathilda Bagshot

Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks

The Predictions of Tycho Dodonus

Xylomancy - Selina Sapworthy

Education:

Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe

Preferred Preface for Perfect Prefects

Revision guides:

Cram It!: How to Soar on Your O.W.L.s

W.O.M.B.A.T. Revision Guide

Magical health:

Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions

Healer's Helpmate - H. Pollingtonious

Healing at Home with Herbs - Phyllida Spore

Biographies/autobiographies:

Armando Dippet: Master or Moron? - Rita Skeeter

Biography of Uric the Oddball - Radolphus Pittiman

Dumbledore's Army: The Dark Side of the Demob - Rita Skeeter

He Flew Like a Madman - Kennilworthy Whisp

Horticultural History of the Blackwood Maze

Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore - Rita Skeeter

Magical Me - Gilderoy Lockhart

My Life as a Muggle - Daisy Hookum

My Life as a Squib - Angus Buchanan

Snape: Scoundrel or Saint? - Rita Skeeter

Biography of Harry Potter - Rita Skeeter

Historical magic:

Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms

Guide to Medieval Sorcery

Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes - E. Limus

Decline of Pagan Magic - Bathilda Bagshot

Historical wizards and witches:

Famous Fire-Eaters

Fifteenth-Century Fiends

Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century

Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy

Notable Magical Names of Our Time

Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts

Prefects Who Gained Power

Historical magical things, places and events:

Big Foot's Last Stand - Ortiz O'Flaherty

Dominating Dementors: A True History of Azkaban

Impenetrable Azkaban: The Hidden Prison to Escape in the World

Hogwarts: A History - Bathilda Bagshot

One Hundred Historical Sites from the Second Wizarding War

Perambulation of Kent

Scars of Salem: Essays on the Witch Trials of 1692 - Carlos Eduardos

Scourers and the Creation of MACUSA - Theophilus Abbot

Sites of Historical Sorcery

Triwizard Tragedies

Contemporary history:

Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century

Important Modern Magical Discoveries

Modern Magical History

Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry

Magical self-help:

Cast-a-Spell handbook

Learn Magic Fast with Kwikspell

Powers You Never Knew You Had and What To Do With Them Now You've Wised Up

Hairy Heart: A Guide to Wizards Who Won't Commit

Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches

Weird Wizarding Dilemmas and Their Solutions

Where There's a Wand, There's a Way

Wizards Are from Neptune, Witches Are from Saturn - Irsis Pius

Living With Legilimens: Choose Your Mind Wisely

Protection Charm Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Counter Legilimensy - Franciscus Fieldwake

Ancient Runes and Magical Theory:

Advanced Rune Translation - Yuri Blishen

Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms

Magical Theory - Adalbert Waffling

Manual M39h-z

Магичен Теория

Rune Dictionary

Spellman's Syllabary

Muggle Studies:

Moronic Muggles

The Muggle Conspiracy -Sinistra Lowe

Muggles Who Notice - Blenheim Stalk

The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why the Muggles Prefer Not to Know - Mordicus Egg

Quaint Muggle Machinery

When Muggles Attack - Barrett Fay

Transportation:

Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare

Fully Illustrated History of the Flying Carpet

Law:

Ancient Law

Dark Arts: A Legal Companion, The

Intricacies of Rappaport's Law, The

‎Extraordinary Trials in History

Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans

‎Illegal Compendium 198

‎Law and Literature

Legal Loopholes & Leprechauns

Legal Rules for Roving Sprites

Laws of Conduct When Dealing With Muggles‎

Legal Guidelines for the Manufacture of Magical Apparatus

Legislative Guide to the Proper Use of Magic

‎Magical Misdemeanours in the Modern Law

‎Magical Moral Perspective

‎Unforgivable Curses and their Legal Implications

Muggle 'Law & Order' - Complete Guide

Other books:

Animal Ghosts of Britain - Mopsy Fleabert

En Ful Flicka - Så Tuktas En Modedocka - Signe Björnberg

First Love, First Loss - Amorette Deneuve

Flap of the Cape - Abigail R. Cankus

Gateway to the Far Stars

Invisible Book of Invisibility

Mudbloods and How to Spot Them - Barrett Fay

Pure-Blood Directory

Skrifter af Knos

Study into the Possibility of Reversing the Actual and Metaphysical Effects of Natural Death, with Particular Regard to the Reintegration of Essence and Matter - by Bertrand de Pensées-Profondes

Who Am I? - Gilderoy Lockhart

[l-carlyle]

Here's a post containing links to the interviews we've gotten so far since the show dropped (this is for me as well because I'm trying to catch up with everything). Might update if we get more in the future!

1) Lockwood & Co CAST Play TRUE OR FALSE!

2) Cast of Lockwood & Co. Take The BFF Test

3) Lockwood & Co - Joe Cornish, Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman & Ali Hadji Heshmati on Netflix's new show

4) Joe Cornish, Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman & Ali Hadji-Heshmati on Lockwood & Co, Jonathan Stroud

5) Lockwood and Co: Secrets from the Set with the cast

6) Lockwood and Co: Swords and THAT Season 1 ending

7) Lockwood & Co creator explains biggest changes from the books

8) Lockwood & Co Cast Doodle Their Way Through An Interview