#combe carey hall

[thoughts-of-the-unheard]

ik yall heard the "Nice to see you here, Kipps. What's that third time this week, is it?" "Twice, by my count." but did we all catch what that meant? i definitely missed it the first couple times, overwhelmed by george kicking ass but lockwood says third time this week, counting combe carey hall, kipps says twice, ignoring it, which is what bothered lockwood so much in the beginning and why george immediately steps in

[bella-rose29]

I can't stop myself from fangirling every time I watch the traitors on bbc because it looks so much like Combe Carey hall and I keep expecting lockwood and co to pop up

OH MY GOD THE FIRST PERSON TO TURN UP WAS CALLED ANTHONY

sorry it's on while I'm searching for images

they aren't the same place but they're so similar I want to think they're the same

Combe Carey hall (Mentmore Towers, Buckinghamshire):

and the Traitors castle (Adross castle, Scottish Highlands):

I know they aren't the same but I keep thinking that they are and my little lockwood and co obsessed brain gets them muddled up

[penultimatestalematewithdeath]

Lockwood & Co. fandom heLp pls! I don't have my books on me and I need to know the name of the supply store where l&co. gets their flares and such. Satchels? Sachels? Something like that? I cannot find it on the googles! I know Fairfax Iron and Sunrise Corp. are suppliers, but the go to a specific store that I Can't Remember. pls help!

[personinthepalace]

#I will NEVER shut up about George's smile#and excited little wiggle via @contagiousgrace

you belong here

[desos-records]

The part I appreciate the most in the Lockwood and Co show is how it handles depression and suicidal thoughts in teenagers. As a theme, it’s not often (ever) done well. Lockwood and Co is the only story I can think of that depicts it in a nuanced, realistic, non-romanticized way

but first, before I get into it: [if you’re in crisis or need someone to talk to and don’t want to/can’t use your national hotline, highly recommend Samaritans, genuinely saved my life] okay, let’s go

Lockwood is the most obvious, with his general disregard for his own life and admitted suicidal ideation. Lucy struggles with her self-worth and the intensity of the emotions she’s subjected to. George worries that he doesn’t belong, that there’s something useless or wrong about him. The show depicts these thoughts and feelings in a way that isn’t overblown or dramatized, it’s all but casual. Which is how it happens. Depression or suicidal thoughts don’t crash into you all at once, they creep into your life without you noticing

But more importantly (and again, something I’ve never seen anywhere else), the show also offers counterpoints to those thoughts and feelings. It shows that there is a way out, even though you may feel trapped and hopeless. This is crucial for the show’s target demographic. Bad media depictions of depression or suicide get internalized, contribute to the stigma, and make it harder for people to ask for help. This show doesn’t do that. This show tells its audience that, yes, things are scary and painful and it fucking sucks, but it’s not hopeless. And it says it so well

In the second episode, when Lucy wants to quit, she admits something that I’m almost certain she’s never told anyone

“sometimes I just think I’d be better off dead”

And when I watched this the first time, I expected Lockwood to react the way I’ve seen people react in my own life; with silence or panic or downright dismissal. But he didn’t. He stays calm and he says something that is so so important to hear when you’re struggling under the weight of feelings like this

“I understand that”

Saying this tells someone several things: that you’re on their side, they aren’t strange or monstrous for feeling like this, and that you’re not going to attack or abandon them because of it. And you can see the impact it has on Lucy, the way her face clears. She went from struggling to breathe and near tears to calm and steady. It’s no mistake that in this moment we hear his and Lucy’s theme for the first time (those simple, beautiful guitar strings)

The next thing he says is also important

“and it’s not true”

Simple, to the point, directly addressing her feelings, and (the most common mistake) doesn’t make it about him. Telling someone that you love them or that they’d be upset to lose you might sound nice, and it can be later on in the conversation, but in a moment like this, it’s infinitely more helpful to confront the thought itself

A similar moment in the first book stuck with me too, when they’re underneath Combe Carey Hall and Lucy almost steps into the well. What she’s hearing in her head (and the general phenomenon of malaise that ghosts produce) is very similar to depressive or suicidal thoughts. Before she can fall, Lockwood pulls her back

“no, Lucy, that’s not the way it’s going to be”

Depressive and suicidal thoughts deal in absolutes, so sometimes it takes an absolute to counter it

In the last episode, George has that heart-breaking moment where he says all the awful things he thinks about himself, partly because of the influence of the boneglass and Bickerstaff, but it’s also been building up, there in the background. Increasingly, it’s Lockwood and Lucy working together and George working on his own, which picks at old wounds (engineer, engineer, engineer, weirdo). He bonds with Joplin because he feels like she understands him in a way the others don’t

“it’s nice to have someone to show off to”

But Lucy pushes back against all that because she sees herself in all the ugly things George is saying, because she’s felt that way too. She understands that. She’s so surprised and horrified to hear him saying those things, resigning himself to dying down there, she’s not going to let him go on believing them

“you’re not a third wheel or an oddball or whatever it is that you think you are”

“you’re the best of us”

“we are not losing you, Georgie”

Flo called him that earlier too, but Lucy wasn’t there for that and coming unprompted from her it sounds so much like something you might call your slightly annoying younger brother. She’s so absolute about it all, with no opening for doubt, and you can see something like surprise on George’s face (but also pain because now Lucy’s in danger too)

For all Lucy knows, the boneglass will kill her. I don’t think for a second she genuinely believes her talent will protect her; she told Joplin that to protect George. It’s unclear when exactly she came up with the plan to use the skull, but she was willing to risk it anyway. And she knows, she knows, George will blame himself for this (because she would too, if it were the other way around), but even then, she’s very clear

“this isn’t your fault”

Their whole scene down in the catacombs is two kids trying to keep each other alive, physically obviously, but on the inside as well. And, oh god, George almost crashing down next to Lucy after he’s knocked over the boneglass, trying to wake her up. His voice

“Lucy, Lucy, it’s me, it’s me, say something, speak to me”

I think it’s down in those catacombs that George and Lucy really understand each other for the first time. In their own ways, they’re both curious and suspicious about the Problem and what causes it, trying to learn more about it (and stressing Lockwood out in the process). They both left their families; they both struggle with feeling strange and different than everyone around them. That connection pulls them both back from the edge

Lockwood, for all his confidence, is practically in crisis or was fairly recently (I suspect living with George helped). It’s fairly common, actually, for someone suicidal to overcompensate with an exterior shell to hide it, which can manifest in different ways depending on the person (they may not even realize they’re doing it, I didn’t)

And I love how the show handles it. He’s not made into this dark, tragic figure. He’s so full of life it hurts. He jokes around with George and Flo, fights with Kipps, admires Fairfax. He has dreams (plans) for the future. He’s struggling with trauma, they all are, but he’s not Broken™ in the way similar leading characters are often made out to be, in the way we often fear we are

And, of course, there’s Lucy, a wreaking ball through the precarious balance of Lockwood’s life. It’s not so much that she gives him a reason to live (although she definitely helps), but she holds him accountable in a way no one else does. This is the difficult part of recovery that no one talks about. Having people care for you (George) and sympathize with you (Flo) is great and necessary, especially early on. But at some point, you have to take responsibility for yourself and the noise in your head (you have to open your door on the landing)

What that looks like is complicated and messy and different for every person, but seeing it played out in a story is remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it. This is a difficult thing for anyone to learn (many adults never even try)

That shot of George, Lucy, Lockwood (and Kipps) rising up on the catafalque sums it all up for me. Each of them fell into darkness alone and rose out of it together. They inspired each other to fight and win their individual battles, even when they couldn’t be there to help

[cate-deriana]

Currently rewatching the show and I'm wondering, just how many rapiers do they lose over those eight episodes?

Episode 1: At least Lucy loses her's at Sheen Road. I am not sure of Lockwood's though. Does he still have it while jumping off the burning house?

Episode 3: All kit is lost in Combe Carey Hall?

Episode 4: Lucy throws her rapier at the cemetery and I think she leaves without picking it up because "the Skull talked to her"?

Episode 5: At least Lockwood would have lost his at Winkman's shop.

Episode 7: Lockwood loses his after being exposed by Winkman. And I think Lucy's is lost as well before they're jumping into the Thames?

Episode 8: Lucy's rapier is at least "god knows where" in the catacombs for a time being.

I don't know but that sounds expensive...😅

[emziess]

Lockwood & Co. + Combe Carey Hall Lockwood & Co, S01E03

[mytly4]

Interesting thoughts! I agree nearly 100% with you, especially re: George and how much he was sanitized (both literally and figuratively) on the show. And yes, I was thoroughly pissed at the lack of the glasses fakeout too! More than anything, I was annoyed that instead of letting George and Lucy be the undeniable heroes in the showdown with Joplin, the show decided to let Lockwood save the day yet again.

I really hope the show gets renewed, because I desperately want to see the show's take on the climaxes of The Hollow Boy and The Creeping Shadow - they're both so deliciously creepy, I'd love to see them in a visual adaptation. Also, I really hope the show manages to cut out the horrible cattiness between Lucy and Holly. The Hollow Boy is such a great book, but that nearly ruins it for me.

OKAY i finally watched the l&c tv show, and then promptly reread the entire book series, and i have THOUGHTS

first of all, I Love Them All Very Dearly

secondly: the tv show is a fantastic adaptation and i’m really really pleased with it! the changes they made from the book are either necessary to tell the story in a different format, or they are a really interesting new take on the original story.

i LOVE the addition/expansion of Norrie, and i hope she comes up somehow in the next season (perhaps she is why Lucy visits home in the Hollow Boy, instead of just to “see family” like in the books? and i hope ghost-lock is more of a plot point too!)

i absolutely do miss George Cubbins, but George Karim is a sweetheart and i love him too <3 still, i feel the show sacrificed the uglier parts of George’s personality to make him more likable, which…that’s understandable, but imo kind of misses some of the core aspects of who he is as a character. basically, i understand that the show is doing something different with George, and i don’t dislike it, but also Karim’s differences really made me appreciate Cubbins on my reread.

i feel the same about Flo Bones, too; she’s soooo much more likeable in the show, which makes her abrasive nature in the book so much more interesting and exciting! again, i don’t think the changes the show made are bad - they’re in service to telling the story in a different, interesting way. i’m very glad we have both the show and the books, to enjoy both versions of the story!!

i love that the show is giving more of a spotlight to characters other than Lucy! Lockwood and the Fittes teams’ fight with the relic-men is fantastic, and George’s obsession with the bone glass is so much more impactful in the show, imo. BUT that leads me to my biggest complaint about the show, which is how the bone glass is dealt with at the end.

it is really cool that the skull gets to see into the other side - that’s some really excellent foreshadowing that i’m excited to see play out in later seasons! but i cannot help but be massively disappointed that my favorite moment in the Entire Book Series got cut from the show :/// that, of course, being George’s saving the day because he wears glasses!! that iconic moment where gets back up from faking his own death - that amazing moment when he reveals his broken glasses allowed him to defeat Joplin!! i already loved George Cubbins, and that moment solidified him as my favorite character. so to not have that appear in the show…it was really really disappointing, and honestly kind of cemented the difference between Cubbins and Karim for me. Lucy got to be the big hero in the show, where George was in the books, and that’s a clear difference between the two versions.

most of all: Cubbins is allowed to be gross, snide, and weak; yet he still comes in clutch, without sacrificing his less pretty character traits. Karim just has less flaws, and less to overcome, imo. cutting Karim out of the Fittes Ball, for example, was a way to make him (narratively and literally) more isolated - Cubbins got to go along with that heist (which in the books was actually spontaneous, not planned!) because he already had so many flaws and drawbacks, he didn’t need the extra push. Cubbins will always have a very special place in my heart, and while Karim is a great character and i love his snarky, sassy moments, he’s just not the same. that being said, his actor did a wonderful job and i still thoroughly enjoyed his performance and the character as a whole. i’m just probably always going to be a little more inclined toward Cubbins.

and i’m still salty about the glasses thing. THAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE STORY. GAHHHH.

there are a lot of changes and cuts that i’m ambivalent about; for example, i thought cutting Wilberforce and the rats from the Bickerstaff house was a shame, but i loved Lucy’s foray into Bickerstaff’s actual work room, which wasn’t in the books and i think painted an equally grisly picture of the man. Joplin being a woman cast an entirely new light on the character; both versions are equally creepy, but show!Joplin was a lot more sympathetic from the get-go, which i thought was a good choice - and yet book!Joplin’s motivations felt a little clearer to me. and then there were some smaller choices, like the method of Lucy’s connection to Annabel Ward, that i thought were improvements overall, especially for a visual adaptation. also, all of Combe Carey Hall was way more interesting to me in the show; i could never really get a good grip on the layout in the books, and the show did a great job, especially down the staircase and the well. it was all very clear and spooky!

in conclusion: the show was very good, very enjoyable, and i definitely hope there’s another season! the Hollow Boy and the Creeping Shadow could both easily take up a season on their own, and have some fantastic visuals that i’m looking forward to seeing. not to mention everything going on in the Empty Grave! and also, i am very grateful that the books are still there for me to return to; they’ll always be special, and it’s great to have Two Cakes rather than just one!

[maarigolds]

Little details I love about Lockwood & co. part 2/?

This scene where, after getting the job at Combe Carey Hall, Lucy excitedly grabs George's arm with the biggest smile on her face. I mean look at her. She's the most precious thing in the world.

[lockwoodandconetflix]

Watching L&Co again, and Combe Carey Hall is creepy AF no matter how many times I've seen this episode.

Is it just me?

[hollcwboy]

every time lockwood could have have died throughout the duration of the first season of lockwood & co (2023). an extensive list.

my definition of a potential-death worthy occurrence:

1) a present threat was actively seeking to kill and/or seriously maim

2) the action itself is notably dangerous and therefore invites substantial risk of death

3) highly dangerous circumstances that are placed on the character in their external environment

cw: canon typical violence & sui

- killed by annabel ward’s ghost under ghostlock after he broke the iron filing circle

- burned to a crisp in the house he lit on fire as a result of that

- killed by any ghost in any room of combe carey hall

- crushed by rubble from greek fire explosion to stop the monks

- shot by fairfax point blank after daring him to shoot him point blank

- killed by bickerstaff’s ghost in kensal green (1)

- murdered by julius winkman at his warehouse, staged as suicide pact (1)

- being discovered in the back room before the auction by anyone other than a double agent

- murdered by winkman (2)

- jumping off a tall building into the thames

- beaten to death by winkman/winkman goons in kensal green (3)

- killed by the ghosts he unleashed to deal with said goons

- shot by sir rupert gale

- falling backwards down a deep open pit into the catacombs because he got shot by sir rupert gale

- killed by bickerstaff’s ghost (2)

contentious items:

1. every time (except ep8) lockwood fights gale have debatable fatality. i personally don’t think he was trying to kill them in the black library, just apprehend them, so i don’t list that as a time he could have died. however its much more unclear in the second fight when gale is hunting the bone glass. i’m unsure if gale was using deadly force, because let’s be real: you want to kill someone you get a gun and shoot them, which he LITERALLY DID the last time he saw him, implying that he might not have been aiming to kill lucy and lockwood in ep7. but the situation he placed them in led to them jumping off the building, which is listed.

2. fighting fairfax’s assistant during the break in. in my opinion it’s clear they were never in life threatening danger. she tied up george but she didn’t actually hurt him, and only used force when she was apprehended. this was clearly the non-murderous attempt at stopping lockwood & co from discovering his secret, which clearly failed so they had to escalate to the real murderous attempt.

[jynersq]

if you saw him bring an industrial-strength flare to combe carey hall. no u didnt <3

[skullmakesmelaugh]

*in the Red Room of Combe Carey Hall*

Lockwood: I’ve always thought about this, but how do you eat pickles?

Lucy: What do you mean?

Lockwood: I mean, there's a whole process. It's not like you can grab them from the jar with your hand, because it's cold and the juice burns if you have a cut, plus, it's pretty unsanitary. And you can't use a spoon because you'll have to scoop it out, and it'll be way too difficult to grab more than three or four without taking 10 minutes along with half the brine in the jar, even if it's one with hole

Lucy: yeah, that’s why you use a fork

Lockwood: Okay, sure, but what if you don't have one of the big ones clean? It's weird to use a small one. But there is always one of those smaller sharp knives clean

Lucy: But the straight edge doesn't really fit the cylindrical shape, and you have to make sure you don' t break it, it's too much work

Lockwood: It makes me feel like I deserve the pickles though. Like, "Yeah, I did it. That's right. Good job me." It's empowering. But even after that, it's not like you can use a bowl

Lucy: I get that, it's not ascetically pleasing

Lockwood: Exactly! And it looks weird if you don't entirely fill the bowl, but you also can't eat that many. My solution: Use a mug

Lucy: *nods in agreement*

George: That is all very interesting, bUT WE'RE TRYING NOT TO DIE RIGHT NOW! USE YOUR LIMITED ATTENTION SPANS AND FOCUS!

Lockwood, defensively: alright George, keep your hair on

Lucy: yeah, stop yelling at us

[neewtmas]

ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴀʙʙᴇʏ ʜᴏᴜꜱᴇ // ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪɪɪ

pairing: george karim x fem!reader

wordcount: 2.7k

summary: a case that takes longer than expected, an unrequited crush, and the hardest decision you ever had to make

masterlist part I part II

taglist: @maraschinomerry @sstrawberriel  @poisonquinzell @holymotherfxrkingshirtballs @the-high-lady-of-3am-crackposts @shampoocovers99 (if you wanna be added or removed, just tell me) also @oblivious-idiot

You had barely turned the corner onto Portland Row when you already started searching your pockets for the house key. When you found it, you gripped the metal tightly, glad to have something to hold onto. Though slightly out of breath now, you were still keeping up a pace that had you a few steps in front of George at all times. No words had been exchanged throughout the walk, and you were equal parts sad and glad that he hadn't even attempted a conversation. The gate creaked horribly as you pushed it open, and you wouldn't have even noticed how much force you applied if it hadn't been for George right behind you. You spun around at his surprised gasp just in time to see the gate that had swung back hit him. He grimaced. "That was unnecessary."

Your face flushed in embarrassment. "It wasn't on purpose", you mumbled and abruptly turned around to open the front door, desperate to escape the situation. Stepping into the hallway, you noticed the key had left little red indents in the palm of your hands. Looking at it, a clear visualisation of your incapability to control your feelings, you felt pathetic.

There wasn't much time to think about it though, because George pushed closely past you, pizza cartons held up high to not hit your head. Your heartbeat quickened at his sudden closeness. He yelled out for Lockwood and Lucy as he stomped into the kitchen, still in boots and his jacket. You knelt to untie your shoes, taking the few moments it took as a last opportunity to pull yourself together enough to survive the dinner without giving a hint about your emotional state.

"Well George, enlighten us. What did you guys find out?" Lockwood opened up the conversation after the four of you had demolished about half of every pizza within mere minutes. George put down the piece of pizza he was currently munching on, and cleared his throat. "Abbey House is the main residence of the Blackwood family. It's similar to Combe Carey Hall insofar as it's a manor outside of London, but up until now, there have never been any disturbances. The history of the house is fascinatingly non-violent, actually."

"Really? No death? No murder? Not even a little bit?" Lockwood seemed almost disappointed by George's revelations. "Oh, there has been death. Plenty of it, if that makes you happy. But none of it is connected to the house itself." George fished a pencil out of his pocket that was so small already that it looked almost impossible to write with. He pushed one of the pizza cartons aside and quickly sketched the outline of a family tree.

Lucy, who sat next to you at the long side of the table, leaned over to get a closer look, forcing you to move closer to George as well. Your legs were touching now under the table. He looked at you and gave you the quickest of smiles before he turned back to the thinking cloth. "We've got Lord Blackwood at the top." He drew a somewhat funky-looking stick figure. "He's the current head of the family, and he owns Abbey House." He drew another stick figure next to the one already on the cloth and added something that, with a little fantasy, resembled a dress. He connected them with two intertwined rings. "His wife died a few years ago. Natural causes, no comeback as a ghost." He drew a big x over the stick figure. "They have two kids-" Another two stick figures. "The daughter is quite a few years older than her brother. She resides at Abbey House, and her brother is off to some fancy private school. Lastly, Lord Blackwood also has an older sister. Couldn't find too much about her."

Lockwood inspected the sketch with great interest. "Anything about staff? Any accidents, or something of the sort?" George leaned back, crossing his arms. He did not move his leg away from yours. "Nothing out of the ordinary. We spent the entire day combing through dusty family tree records and old newspaper clippings. His wife seemed to have lived quite a scandalous life before she got married to him. His daughter is famously picky with the men she surrounds herself with, which of course requires a regular article about how there is 'no heir in sight!' in just about every gossip magazine. Lord Blackwood has another sister, but she broke it off with her family and moved up to Scotland with her five kids. Lots of information, almost all of it irrelevant."

Lockwood took another piece of pizza and looked at it contemplatively. "On the phone, it sounded like a proper nightmare. There is a ghost there, and it's very angry."

"Don't know if I like the fact that there seems to be nothing that points towards a ghost", Lucy said.

"That's not that uncommon. And if I'm honest, now I'm even more intrigued." Lockwood had finished his piece of pizza in record time. "Of course you are", Lucy mumbled under her breath.

Lockwood ignored her. "We'll take the train tomorrow, early afternoon. I had our rapiers checked yesterday, so that's all in the clear. (name), Lucy, you go and lay out all of the equipment, and see if we need to fill up on something. We should be fully stocked, but you never know."

Lockwood seemed to brim with excited energy as he got up from the table. That's what the prospect of a challenging case tended to do to him. "I'll be in the library." He snatched the last piece of pizza from one of the cartons. "Doing some research of my own."

"Reading gossip magazines you mean?" George called after him, but Lockwood was already out of the room. George chuckled, looking at you. "Maybe I should have taken Lockwood with me today", he joked, and you gave your best to force a natural-looking smile. "Yeah, maybe", you quietly said and got up. "Lucy, let's get this over with." You didn't wait for her as you made your way down the staircase into the basement. You missed the way George turned and looked after you, with confusion and hurt at the way you were acting towards him.

In the basement, you started with pulling chains off the rack, simply dropping them in the middle of the room, the clatter of the metal against the concrete reverberating through the air. You couldn't wait to be done and get back to the solace of your room. By the time Lucy entered the room, you had moved on to sorting through the salt bombs. She joined you, and you worked in silence. There was no need to talk, it was a methodical procedure you both had gone through time and time again.

When you were done, you did a quick check of everything to make sure you didn't miss anything. Lucy stood leaning against the doorframe, watching you with her arms crossed over her chest. "I think we're good to go", you finally said and she smiled at you. You waited for her to turn around and lead the way back upstairs, but she didn't.

"Did something happen between you?"

You swallowed thickly. "No. Why?"

She shrugged. "You seem on edge. And he seems hurt."

You almost laughed. "Hurt?"

"You should have seen the way he looked after you after dinner."

You shook your head. "Lucy, you don't need to invent imaginary scenarios to make me feel better. I appreciate the sentiment, but it's really not helping."

She raised her eyebrows. "Tell me what happened then."

You huffed. "Nothing. Except me asking him to get dinner with me, and him turning it into getting pizza for everyone. Can't make it much clearer than that, now can you?"

Lucy just looked at you and the pity in her eyes made you want to rip your hair out. You flexed your hand, where the marks of the key were long gone, but you still felt pathetic.

"I don't think that was his intention", she finally said softly and turned around. You didn't move even after you heard her footsteps on the stairs and finally the door closing behind her. The room was now only dimly lit from the last bit of daylight that made its way through the narrow windows. Your eyes wandered over the four piles of equipment you had made on the floor, one for each member of the agency. From there, over to the shelves in which many folders filled to the brim with old bills, case records and miscellaneous papers piled up with no discernable system. Lastly, to the desks that stood in the corner, George's desk specifically. It was overflowing with books, notes, pictures, diagrams, loose paper, and pens, chaos only he could find any system in. On top of a stack of books stood a mug, looking lonely and out of place.

Without thinking about it, you slowly walked over and picked it up. It was your favourite mug, gifted to you by Lockwood after your first successful case with the agency as a sign that you were now a proper member. You softly brushed over the small spot on the handle that was chipped from the one time Lucy had tried to carry more than her hands could handle. You thought about how you had brought this cup down here a few days ago to give it to George who had been sitting over his notes for hours that evening. He had smiled at you, full of surprise and gratitude and fondness, before he had pulled over a chair for you to explain excitedly what he had been working on.

You blinked away the tears that had formed in your eyes. You weren't sure if you could go through with this. Leaving Lockwood & Co. would be like leaving family. But on the other hand, how long could you endure keeping things like they were? You had no idea how long you stood in the dark basement, staring at the mug that somehow had become the embodiment of the connections you had formed in this house - connections of varying kinds, but all connections of love. Connections that felt almost impossible to leave behind.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

This night's sleep had been horrible. You stumbled through the preparations that filled the entire first half of the day and looked forward to the train ride out into the country that would give you a chance to catch up on some of the sleep that you missed last night through all the tossing and turning.

The station was bustling with people, each one seemingly knowing exactly where to go and what to do. The four of you moved slowly through it all, your bags bulky and awkward to walk with, the rapiers dangling from your sides earning you a few glances from the people that passed you. Luckily, the train was already waiting at the platform. Your shoulder was aching from the unrelenting pressure of the bag's strap. After you ascended the three steps up into the train, you let it slip off your shoulder with a sigh, glad to be able to set it down for a second. The train was almost empty, it seemed like Stoneford - the village closest to Abbey House - wasn't a very popular destination. Your three colleagues had already started moving forward through the narrow hallway slowly, disregarding the empty seats they passed. Lockwood had booked you a private compartment, to allow you to discuss further details regarding the case if it was necessary, without anyone listening in on your conversation.

You looked down at the bag lying by your feet with dread. This was one of the many downsides of taking on cases with minimal information - the need to bring an extensive selection of gear to be equipped for everything that might come your way. You let out a long drawn-out sigh before bending down and snatching the straps that were on the floor. You started to make your way through the hallway, kicking and dragging the bag more than carrying it. You didn't come very far before the bag came to an abrupt halt, causing you to stumble forward and almost trip over your own feet. You cursed under your breath, which earned you a disapproving look from an older lady reading a newspaper two seats down from where you stood. You ignored her as you tried to get the strap out that had wedged itself in between the seat and the armrest.

You could feel your frustration building when you suddenly felt a hand coming to rest on the small of your back. You turned around to find George standing behind you. "Let me handle that", he said, and gently pushed you towards where Lucy and Lockwood had already disappeared into the compartment. You hesitated for a second, and looked back and forth between him and the bag, acutely aware of the placement of his hand. He raised his eyebrows, a silent prompt to follow what he had said.

"Thank you", you quietly said and left him to take care of it. The compartment door slid to the side easily, and you found Lucy and Lockwood on one of the benches, Lucy on her back with her head on Lockwood's lap. They had piled the luggage on the other bench, leaving barely enough room for two people to sit.

"Do you have to lie down, Lucy?", you asked. "Maybe we could put one of the bags on your bench." Lucy raised her head so that she could look at you over the edge of the table where Lockwood was looking through some papers, ignoring your conversation. "I'm really tired, unfortunately", she said. "I'm sure you understand." You rolled your eyes at her attempt to fake a convincing yawn. It was crystal clear to you what she was trying to do.

There was no time to argue with her because just then George appeared in the door frame. He wrestled the bag into the space under Lucy's and Lockwood's bench so that you could still move around in the compartment. When he was done, he turned to you. "Do you wanna sit by the window?" He was a little out of breath, a stray curl falling into his forehead. You shrugged. "I don't have a preference." He smiled at you. "Me neither. Then you get the window seat."

You squeezed yourself past the bags and sat down as close to the wall as possible, silently praying that the space was bigger than it looked. George placed his jacket on top of the bags before he too squeezed past the bags and plopped down next to you. He stretched out his legs with a sigh and took off his glasses to polish them on his shirt. He seemed entirely unfazed by the fact that your entire side was pressed up against him, all while it made your heartbeat stumble. You clasped your hands together in your lap to make yourself as small as possible.

"Lucy?" George asked. You bit your lip as you looked out of the window. Surely he was about to ask her to switch places so that he wouldn't have to be so close to you for the next several hours - you knew how he felt about excessive physical contact.

"Would you mind giving me the folder with the yellow marker?"

You looked over to Lucy, who pulled the folder out of the backpack you brought. George took it from her and opened it, immediately immersing himself in whatever he had in there.

In the meantime, the train had left the station. You hadn't moved at all, too afraid to accidentally alert George to the fact that you were almost sitting on top of him. Instead, you stared out of the window at the houses that flew by, slowly but surely getting replaced by trees and other greenery. There was a comfortable silence in the compartment, and that coupled with the rhythmic sound of the train had your eyes droop quickly. You rested your head against the wall and allowed them to close, quickly drifting off into sleep.

thank you for reading! feedback is appreciated :)

part IV

[taraljc]

Also as I've been rewatching I have been screencapping and we have dates! canonical dates for important things!

Lucy gets her Grade Three certificate on 10 August 2022. The Hope case was 13 October 2022. Combe Carey Hall was 20 October 2022, according to her Grade Four certificate. So if we assume that she arrived in London in late August/early September, then she has been at Lockwood and Co for at least a month, if not two when they go out on the Hope job. (Which is borne out by the changes to her bedroom indicating the time cut between the day Lockwood hires her and the day she is recording the tape for Norrie.)

[writeradamanteve]

Anthony Lockwood Examination Post

So much of the deleted scenes have been such a delight, and many of them I’d wished they’d kept, this montage with Lockwood included, but when I first saw this scene, my heart did hurt.

I looked at this exact snapshot and saw the face of depression.

He’s lying in bed with his eyes open, and we know he doesn’t get enough sleep. He is willing himself to get up at that very moment, and when he does, it’s routine for the next hour it takes him to prepare:

He gets out of bed, puts on the same clothes, and when he’s staring at the mirror, he puts on his face—not makeup, but—: that disarming smile, that sparkling charm, and the bold confidence.

He steps out of his room and gives that unopened door one flight up—a pedestal, really—a half-expectant look:

Any minute now she’ll walk through that door.

Then

Oh, right. She won’t. She’s dead.

And he moves forward, as he always does.

He files that hurt away as he joins George and Lucy at the kitchen, thinking about the many ways to grow the business, outsmart Fittes, and get bigger clients/more prominent cases.

He makes plans, giving safety and caution a cursory thought. His agents are smart, they are good at what they do. George will tell him if there’s anything they need to know. Lucy’s razor sharp intuition, conviction, and more than adequate skill with a rapier bolsters his confidence on the field.

Then when they’re all there, fighting for their lives, that little voice he had ignored all this time will ring in his ears and the rare panic attack would consume him. When he staves off the panic attack, regret would inevitably settle in when the danger was passed.

Lucy is the one that either pulls him together or vehemently calls him out, and then he couldn’t bear it, having her angry at him.

There’s something about Lucy that propels him to do better. George does not have this immediate effect because George doesn’t storm off and he never turns his back on Lockwood. Lockwood knows George will bend a long while, and Lockwood knows just enough when to appease George to snap him back. Lucy is not as patient. Lucy does not hesitate, because Lucy knows that her hesitation once got her friends killed and that was not going to happen again.

The danger of dying does not scare Lockwood as much as it should, at least not in The Screaming Staircase/The Whispering Skull/Lockwood & Co. Season 1.

He was, until Lucy, too reckless. Lucy has managed to talk him down to “just reckless enough”. She also impressed upon him that he had a responsibility to stay alive because if anything happened to him, she and George would be devastated, and if there was anything that motivated Lockwood more than winning a case at all costs, it was to spare Lucy and George any suffering. He could not bear the thought of Lucy or George getting hurt, especially because of him.

Before Lucy, he was numb, his ability to truly love dormant, but she woke him up, and I’ll tell you exactly when Lucy first punched a hole through that barrier.

In the Netflix series, I think it was the possession scene, and there were about dozens of moments where we saw it happen over and over again, but IN THE BOOK, The Screaming Staircase, it was after the well was exploded in Combe Carey Hall.

I knelt by him, brushed the ash from his forehead.

His eyes opened. He looked at me with a clear, unclouded gaze.

I cleared my throat. “Hi Lockwood…”

Awareness returned. I saw bafflement first, then gradual recognition.

“Oh… Lucy.” He blinked, coughed, and tried to sit up. “Lucy. For a moment I thought you were… It doesn’t matter. How are you, Lucy? You’re okay?”

This scene, knowing what I know now, is exactly the moment Lockwood remembered what it was like to be loved again. He thought she was you-know-who, and then he realized she wasn’t, but oh, it wouldn’t be the last time Lucy would remind him what it was like to be loved and looked after.

Lucy knew it, too, in her bones, even if she didn’t identify it, and—poor George, he saw it. He even said he saw it.

I stood abruptly. “Yes, I’m fine.”

George was watching me through cracked spectacles. “I saw that.”

“What?” I said. “Saw what? Nothing happened.”

(Lucy, so guilty)

“Precisely. Where was his slap in the chops? Where was his firm shaking? There’re double standards at work here.”

Ah, George.

So Lockwood isn’t exactly suicidal. The danger is there, but he won’t perform the act for its own sake, he just, until the events of the Bone Glass, convinced himself that his priorities were: defeating Visitors and Lockwood & Co. besting everyone else.

It was an easier focus than the dread of losing the people he cared about, yet again.

Thankfully, Lucy and George are setting him on a different journey.

So in a way, George is wrong. Lucy does slap Lockwood awake, just in a different way.