#l&co the whispering skull
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brainrotallthewaydown1312 ¡ 1 year ago
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I've just finished The Whispering Skull and I have feelings
I'm going to put a spoiler cut here for anyone who hasn't read the books yet, fair warning this will probably get a bit long
I have very complex feelings about the way the end came together.
I stand by what I said before. Pamela Joplin was worlds more developed than Albert Joplin. the way things fell together at the end, largely being BBC sherlock-ed together felt very flat compared to the way it snapped into place in the show.
I also like the final fight for the glass better in the show. I like Lucy using the skull and I like where that could have gone for the skulls development. I also like the Lucy and George moments during the bone glass scene in the show better. there was still a sense in the book that they were really coming together in this scene, but that part of it didn't hit as hard and I really like that aspect of it.
I did, however love how George beat the glass. as a fellow blind as a bat bitch I love a solid use of glasses like that. it's definitely something that George would have thought of and definitely something that could have worked. it has less narrative weight moving forward but I do love it. i also liked his fake out death. it really hit me in the gut.
Kipps role in the ending of the book strikes me as odd. he was more present for the whole scene, and both heard Lucy confessing about the skull and he also would have heard Lucy's side of the conversation she had with it during the fight. he also has no reason to keep his lack of talent a secret because it's already known. he just fully knows about Lucy and the only thing keeping him from mentioning it is the thin thread of mutual respect from surviving the bone glass together. I see how this leads into the development I've been told about where he joins the team, but it feels more like a loose end than it should. I like in the way the show did that better. it also builds towards him joining, but it brings in a more emotionally complex aspect to the start of that arc. and I like the fact that it consequently makes them closer in age. I think aging Lockwood's team up a little and Kipps down a little was a very good decision. it puts them on a more even playing field that fits them better in my opinion.
my broadest conclusion at the end of book 2 (and I'm guessing my hottest take) is that I have found the biggest weakness in the writing of this story. it's that we are limited to Lucy's pov. these books would have been much better in third person. don't get me wrong, I love Lucy (most of the time) but she is only rarely the most narratively interesting character, and too much is happening without us. I get what Stroud is going for with it. and I think he succeeded at what he was going for. I just have so many things I want to have seen that Lucy would have simply not been there for. not even just things from the show like Lockwood's cemetary fight or flo and George on the boat, but things about what Lockwood is doing literally ever or details about kipps' team watching them. and I think some of them being missing add to the mystery of the series, but plenty of these things would have added to it. and i almost always prefer first person. I just think that this story choosing it with Lucy specifically has taken away some potential narrative value from things
it may not sound it from my thoughts I've been posting, but I am loving these books. i am still creating my own franken canon in my head as I go like I was before, but the books are growing on me. I just show my literary love through intense analysis and critique. can you guess which character I'm most like?
I can't wait to start the next book
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vryfmi ¡ 2 months ago
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[id: a digital drawing of skull in the jar's ghost (Lockwood and Co) crouching on top of his source—the skull—with jar mostly shattered. he wears an old-fashioned victorian dress shirt and trousers, his feet are bare. he looks at the viewer with a malicious smile. the background is solid black, the ground is covered with human bones which are just out of sight as the only source of dim green light is the ghost himself./end id]
evergreen ever young bastard
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biscuitrule ¡ 11 months ago
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No because I’m sorry but Lockwood and Co should be Percy Jackson level popular
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skeletal-fish ¡ 10 months ago
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the way lucy and lockwood go from shocked to terrified to ABSOLUTELY LIVID when someone hurts george has me in a chokehold
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anama-cara ¡ 8 months ago
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Happy Lockwood and co appreciation week!
the skull jar
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all-too-unwell-13 ¡ 8 months ago
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just finished rereading the whispering skull
now i'm preparing for the emotional roller coaster that is the hollow boy
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killerfrostisme ¡ 9 months ago
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I was quite surprised to see that there weren't many fanfics where Lucy gets her period. It's a normal part of most uterus bearing people's lives, and to be honest I'd like to see it represented in YA books too. It's 2024, let's not act like we don't bleed.
Hence, this is my humble attempt to change that.
This one takes place between TSS and TWS and follows book canon:)
Lucy could always tell when she was about to get her periods. Besides the fact that she always felt like death, she also started to resemble one of the Visitors she and her team desperately tried to snuff out. Rarely could she not predict the time when Auntie Flo would come traipsing into her life. Whenever she saw the telltale signs of a period fast approaching, she'd prepare well. She would pack her kit bag with extra tampons and loads of chocolate. She'd also make sure she'd carry a plethora of painkillers. She almost always got it right.
Almost.
It was a light case and Lockwood and Co was feeling quite relaxed. The owners of the house had informed them of a benign spirit-a probable Type One-whose only job in death was to float on the top of the landing and exude forlorn energy. Upon further research, George uncovered a news article which stated that an old couple had died within a week of each other. The man first, of natural causes and the woman next, of a broken heart. Even though, the spirit was supposedly a Type One, Lockwood had been quite adamant about taking extra iron fillings and even an iron chain, which was typically not required for a Type One case. Lucy had to admit, he'd really stepped up the leadership game after the mishap at Mrs Hope's house.
It was just as well since there wasn't just one ghost but two!
The containment of the sources (a pair of delicate satin slippers for the wife and a pair of silver wire rimmed glasses for the husband) were an easy affair. After dropping George off at Portland Row (he'd had a nasty fall on the stairs in the haunted house and just wanted to sleep the pain away) and with both sources safely ensconced in silver nets, Lucy and Lockwood set off for the furnace.
They sat in a comfortable silence for the entirety of the ride to the furnace. The kind of silence that's brought on by a sense of not knowing each other well enough, but with a desire to change.
Lucy was feeling quite woozy after the case, and chalked it down to just plain fatigue. They had been going on an awful lot of cases after the success of Combe Carey and she hadn't really had enough time to sleep. When they got out of the cab, Lockwood flashed her a tired grin, and she momentarily forgot about her wooziness. Strange. Maybe she's not as tired as she thought.
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"Feeling alright, Luce?" He asked, after handing in the sources. They were standing outside the building, waiting to hail a cab to go home.
"Yes, I think so." she replied, wincing a bit when a sharp shooting pain pierced her lower back. "Why do you ask?" she asked, in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner.
"No particular reason." He responded, keeping his eyes on the road in front of them, searching for an empty cab. "It's just- you've been a bit quiet today. Not to mention, I've seen you wincing here and there. Are you hurt?"
Oh. So he'd caught that. He was a lot more observant than she gave him credit for, she supposed.
"Oh no, I'm fine."
They lapsed into silence yet again. This one seemed more pregnant than the easy one they'd shared in the cab on the way over. Lucy was desperately trying to recall her cycle dates and was drawing a blank. She knew she hadn't packed her period kit with her, and her emergency pad-she mentally berated herself-was safely sitting on her dresser in the attic at Portland Row. She was completely defenseless. Her only option? Freebleed and try not to stain everything under the sun. The silver lining was that at least she was going home.
She fidgeted uncomfortably. When was that damn cab going to arrive? How much longer was she supposed to suffer in agony? Why were women cursed with this abomination every month? Why did men get off scott-free for literally everything in life? Why was the patriarchy-
A delicate cough roused her out of her mental rant. "Is it-is it" Lockwood began, one hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "By that I mean, do you-are you-"
"Oh, just spit it out!" she snapped.
Lockwood looked over at her in a mix of shock and surprise, which immediately made her feel guilty. She didn't mean to speak to him in such a belligerent manner, but he was really testing her patience. It was late, she was tired and her hormones weren't being very cooperative.
She tried to tone down her aggravation, (she still seemed to be glowering at him) and spoke- "What were you trying to say, Lockwood?"
He swallowed and continued in a wary manner, as if he were scared of her biting his head off at the next opportunity. "I was just wondering, are you feeling okay?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Is it your time of the month?"
"Just because I'm annoyed that doesn't mean I'm on my period. It could also imply that I'm just in a bad mood or someone has done something to piss me off."
"Okay. Noted."
A pause. And then-
"But, yes. I am on my periods."
"Ah."
Silence.
"My condolences." He cleared his throat, very evidently in the excuse of doing something."Oh look, there's the cab." He said in obvious relief.
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Who the bloody hell says "my condolences" in response to "I've got my period"? Was he absolutely mental? He too had apparently thought it was an incredibly daft thing to say to someone, because he'd kept up an imperceptibly long stream of chatter throughout the cab ride. In the one year that she'd worked at Lockwood and Co, Lucy had never heard him to be as loquacious as he was that night.
What did Lucy think of the company? (it was good) Were she and George getting along? (yes) What were her thoughts on the Kuriashi Turn? (it sucked) Did she think that Karina from Tendy's and Hussain from Bunchurch were shagging? (no comments). He wanted all the answers tonight!
"Ah, we're here." said Lockwood, with an air of forced positivity, as the cab screeched to a halt outside Portland Row.
Lockwood paid the driver and they got out of the car. They shuffled into the house quietly. The air was palpable with tension. The kind of tension brought on by two people who don't know who to bridge the chasm between them.
"Listen Luce," he said, catching her arm and gently pulling her towards him. They had reached the landing outside Lockwood's room. "I'm sorry for acting like a knob. I don't want you to feel as if you can't talk about your periods. I know it's a slightly awkward topic but they're natural. I want you to feel safe enough to talk about whatever you want because this is your house too, Luce."
Lucy gave him a slow, hesitant smile. "It's all right," she reassured him. "I wasn't exactly being very nice either. I'm sorry about that. I'll work on it."
Lockwood smiled at her, and she felt it shoot straight to her heart, warming up her insides and making her forgot all about her menstrual cramps. Of course, it had nothing to do with Lockwood though. Her body was probably happy about being home. Definitely nothing to ponder over later.
"Is there anything I can do?" He said, in an earnest manner.
"Yes," she said, surprising them both. "You can tell me more about Hussain and Karina's supposed antics over a cup of hot cocoa."
"Deal," laughed Lockwood, "there's much to share with regards to that particular subject."
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They stayed down in the library chatting for ages. Lucy had changed into clean clothes, worn a tampon and downed a painkiller with her cocoa, but what really made her feel better was laughing with Lockwood. He made her happy. And George, of course. And her job. And Portland Row. And London.
Lucy smiled. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to dwell on it much. For now, she was just going to take comfort in his company. For now, she was just going to chuckle at Barnes' love life with a floppy haired boy. For now, that was enough.
This was supposed to be a funny, slightly awkward story. But somehow, it turned into one laced with poignancy. Especially towards the end. It just sort of ran away from me and took shape on its own.
Anyway, hope you guys liked it! Let me know if you guys did:)
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bubbl3zdaseaotter37 ¡ 1 year ago
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I finished The Hollow Boy
GUYS I finished the Hollow Boy and yeah, the cliffhanger wasn't quite as bad as expected, but THAT STLL DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT that I am EMOTIONALLY DEVISTATED. LIKE.
***spoilers ahead, btw***
****you may have guessed that already, but I'm about to lose my mind****
I don't even have all the context yet, in classic Stroud fashion, but I can already tell that Lucy leaving the agency was devastating for these poor babies, even if none of them are admitting it yet.
It's especially sad to me, because Lucy came from such a bad place already. Jacobs, her own mother, even her older sisters were too absorbed with their own problems, too worried about themselves and their own safety, that she left. I know she doesn't show it in her narrative, but the Wythburn Mill incident and its consequences were so devastating that the unknown dangers of London were preferable to whatever she might have dealt with at home. Of course, we do know that Lucy is a little bit impulsive, but still--!
She came to London looking for nothing but an escape, and she ended up finding family. The difference between Jacobs and Lockwood is so profound--, Jacobs only looked out for his own backside, while that is literally the last thing Lockwood worries about. Hence why she left.
But without them? Without Lockwood, George and --yes-- Holly, the friends whom she cared about so that she knew she had to leave? She's back to self-absorbed supervisors and loneliness. (unless you count Skully. I love him so much, but it isn't the same thing as human-to-human interaction. I think she even said that, early on in TCS...?) It's like the beginning all over again, except she's more sure of herself and her place in the world. It's come full circle, and I'm really anxious to see what happens next.
Does that make any sense? I feel like y'all get it, even if my ranting is only half intelligible.
I have next book already (thank goodness), but I haven't read that far into it. I think I'm on chapter 3? Maybe 4? From what my friend's told me, it only goes downhill from here. Which pretty much checks out.
Anyways, that's my two cents. A big hug to the fandom for the warm welcome! I hope you enjoyed my rambling :)
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incorrectlco ¡ 2 years ago
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I just imagined Lockwood and Co getting one of those dumb singing bass fish things for Portland Row and I can’t stop laughing to myself about it??? I don’t have extract thoughts about it. Just picturing something serious happening and someone standing up to shout and they disturb The Bass and it starts singing Don’t Worry, Be Happy with the sounds of the little motor running and the clicking while the mouth opens and closes.
I need sleep, I think.
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krash-and-co ¡ 2 years ago
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so I got the screaming staircase for Christmas (I've been reading library copies) and I was flipping through it and
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*sobbing* they love each other. so much. I am so ready to see them working together and caring for each other on screen....
(plus knowing them they'll probably up the romance, which won't be too bad in this scene.....)
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freckled-moss ¡ 2 years ago
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Ok so like I don't think he's a minor character but he is my favorite character of ever so I'm drawing him now. Lockwood & Co. Week Day 3: favorite minor character
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worldofkaeos ¡ 6 months ago
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Fic idea #3 that I am actually going to write (someday):
Seven days after the bone glass incident, seven people appeared at the very spot where they had been pronounced dead, this time very much alive.
Once again, Lockwood and Co. pokes their noses into matters not concerning them. And once again, they figure it out.
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vryfmi ¡ 4 months ago
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silent boy theory
bringing this theory back because ive been rotating it nonstop
[mild book spoilers!]
skull is characterised by his voice and snarky comments that Lucy has to put up with during their conversations, as well as the whispering tone which is heavily emphasised throughout the series. so when Dulac references to Bickerstaff's servant boy (aka skull) as "that silent Boy" in her confessions it really clashes with skull's personality as we know it.
TL;DR: my theory is that skull was mute or on a verge of losing his voice due to sickness, caused by working conditions and Bickerstaff's abandonment. thus, his ghost can't recall his healthy voice and can only whisper.
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[id from alt text: a photo of the passage from the book with line "that silent Boy" being emphasised by image's dimensions./end id]
firstly, it's the whispering skull. not quietly talking skull, not its-voice-sounds-far-away skull. whispering.
‘Because you sure as hell look it.’ It was the lowest, throatiest of whispers; alien, but familiar. I’d heard it once before. (TWS) The hoarse whisper came from somewhere close behind my ear. ‘I say stab them first, ask questions later! That’s your only sensible option.’ (THB)
argument could be made, that silver-glass muffles the voice and it becomes quieter. but here's a thing - whisper is a voice alteration, not a sound quality. when whispering, vocal cords don't vibrate, and produced speech has a different phonation. so whisper and quiet speech are technically two different things.
secondly, skull's work field and conditions. as a young servant, skull was able to see visitors and ward them off Bickerstaff and his master's friends, while they were robbing graves for potential sources. ghosts radiate cold, temperature can drop down to 5 degrees centigrade, that much we know from books, that's why agents are wearing jackets and gloves during ghost hunting cases. and skull's ghost was described as wearing only a shirt and ill fitting trousers, while also being barefooted.
It was the first time I’d ever really looked at him, at the spirit that he truly was. He wore a white shirt and gray trousers that were slightly too short for his bony legs. His feet were bare. He’d still been young when he died. (TEG)
with Bickerstaff's obsession and apparent blindness to anything else that wasn't his device, it's safe to say that he would neglect skull's needs and didn't bother to get his servant any proper clothes, not to mention shoes, which at the time were expensive, since children constantly need shoes as they grow up, and it wasn't uncommon for children from lower class to not have shoes at all and walk barefooted.
that said, my theory is that skull came down with sickness while grave robbing, and Bickerstaff ignored it (mainly because he was a psych doctor, not a medical one), skull's condition worsened and turned into laryngitis. without treatment, his vocal cords got damaged, resulting in loss of voice.
[now, im in no way educated to diagnose a fictional character and there can be mistakes in my logic (like how skull could have lost his voice prior to Bickerstaff), but i went down a rabbit hole and need to share this.]
there's a condition that fits the description of person losing their voice or only be able to talk in whisper, it's called aphonia. there are multiple common causations for this condition, namely psychological, but organic aphonia is caused by damage on vocal cords or throat, that could have happened due to disease or physical trauma. (source)
it's also worth pointing out that any voice disorders in children and teenagers affects the way they socialise and behave. gestures and facial expressions become alternative to communication when voice is too weak for speech or it is painful to talk.
Someone had knocked the cloth off the ghost-jar, and the face had re-materialized. It pulled extravagant expressions of horror and disgust whenever I passed by. (TWS)
‘You know the rules: minimal manifestations, no rude faces, and absolutely no talking.’ The ghost looked wounded. ‘I wasn’t talking, was I? Do you call this talking? Or this?’ It pulled a rapid series of grotesque expressions, each one worse than the last. (THB)
and finally, Lucy. she almost undeniably plays a role of interpretor that passes down what skull says, since others have no way of communicating with him or, more specifically, no way of hearing him. it all does seem to fit perfectly together (at least to me) so i can't stop wondering of how intentional any of that was on Stroud's behalf. then yet again, Stroud did say that that he had a draft for skull's backstory but scraped it in favour of keeping his character as mysterious as possible. some elements could've stayed in the final version of the books, who knows.
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biscuitrule ¡ 11 months ago
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Sadly part of me feels like Lockwood and Co would have been a more popular book series and by extension a more popular show if the books were from Lockwood’s perspective instead of Lucy’s.
It’s unfortunate but girls are much more willing to read a book with a male protagonist than boys are to read about a female protagonist. And in the case of a series like Lockwood and Co it’s not marketed specifically towards boys or girls so it has nothing to do with boys seeing it as “girly” or whatever. And it’s not that they start it and then dislike it because they can’t relate to Lucy, in my experience working with kids and recommending this series to them, once they start it they love it, but the boys are usually skeptical to even pick it up and try it out once they find out the main character is a girl named Lucy.
They end up loving it of course, but there isn’t that same hesitation when recommending something like Percy Jackson or Artemis Fowl. And I think that’s really sad because Lockwood and Co is a series about friendship that everyone can relate to, but society’s inherent need to classify things as “for boys” or “for girls”really hinders the reach of this series.
And to be clear I’m not saying they should have been from Lockwood’s perspective I think this was a story that deserved to and needed to be told from Lucy’s pov. It’s a problem with society, not the books and this is just a trend I’ve noticed.
I truly believe this series has some of the best themes for a wide age range of kids and young adults. It’s one of those rare stories where the themes are deep but still accessible to kids, and I just wish more people knew about it and that it got the recognition it deserved.
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manikas-whims ¡ 2 years ago
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Cameron Chapman for Folie Magazine February 2023 Issue
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c-herondale ¡ 2 years ago
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The Soldier Poet King song is actually about the three Lockwood and Co. members, did you know that?
Lockwood is the soldier (who desperately wants to be a king)
George is the poet (who wishes he could be a soldier)
Lucy is the king (who just wants to be able to be a poet)
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