#simon stroud

[thingsasbarcodes]

Morbius (2022)

[livingvampyre]

there's something whimsy about this NYPD detective

[marvelousmrm]

Adventure into Fear #31 (Mantlo/Robbins, Dec 1975). The final nail in this book’s coffin! Martine is cured, and Morbius flees in shame.

[abwwia]

Lisa Simone Kelly (born Lisa Celeste Stroud; September 12, 1962) is an American singer, composer and actress, known for her work on and off Broadway, in Rent, The Lion King, Aida, and Les Miserables. She is the only child of musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone from her marriage to police detective Andrew Stroud and is the executive producer of the Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? Simone's albums include Simone on Simone, All is Well, My World, and Live at the Edge.

[oceanspray5]

Perfectly Incadescently Happy - Chapter 10: After: Everything And Then Her

Dearest Gentlereader, The subject that has set the ton abuzz and everyone bereft of answers may soon be coming to its conclusion yet. Naturally, I would hate to have to print any retraction however, it seems this writer, too, may have to reconsider concerning one of the more astonishing matches this season: the one between Viscount Anthony Lockwood and Ms Lucy Carlyle. But did our handsome Lord Lockwood finally open his eyes to exactly all he had to lose at the Finchley Ball? Certainly, there can be no other reason for his interference with one of Ms Francesca Bridgerton's potential suitors. Paired with his early calling at Viscount Bridgerton's house two days after and ecstatic exit, perhaps wedding bells may be in Lord Lockwood's future after all... just not with the surely broken-hearted Ms Carlyle. After the death of her best friend, Ms Lucy Carlyle is given the opportunity to be sponsored for the 1815 London season by Norrie's aunt. Instantly compared to the Diamond due to their astonishingly similar looks, she befriends Lord Lockwood quite unexpectedly yet is left wondering if she was a fool for believing he'd look twice at a mere country girl. Lockwood, his fears, and how he falls headfirst into love with Lucy Carlyle.

Ao3

So sorry for the late chapter this time. It's finally Lockwood's POV now though which I know a lot of people have been waiting for so I hope its worth the wait! Please comment if you enjoy!

[harmonycorrupted]

Strapping Young Lad - Underneath the Waves (City, 2007 remaster)

[tuxedo-rabbit]

I am thinking about putting Simon in the Ghilly/Marlow timeline for real now. Reasons why I like this:

1) The idea of Simon and Kieran (who does not exist in the Gertrude/Toth timeline) meeting brings me joy. Former creepy weird kid + current creepy weird kid solidarity.

2) The irony of Simon running into an eluvian and Mahariel while he and Merrill are separated is fun. Imagine the letters. Just frantic, excited letters back and forth. While they're supposed to be "on a break."

3) Simon feeling bitter because Varric has replaced him with someone who is more charismatic than Simon, pro Circle, and apparently chosen by the Maker. This being made worse by the fact Marlow keeps trying to be friends with him.

4) Marlow plays favorites and wouldn't sacrifice Simon. Simon, at this point in his story, just wants to run away so I get to figure out what the hell he does with his life next. Fucking off to go join the wardens actually seems like a plausible choice.

[book--brackets]

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (2001)

Twelve-year-old Addie admires her older sister Meryl, who aspires to rid the kingdom of Bamarre of gryphons, specters, and ogres. Addie, on the other hand, is fearful even of spiders and depends on Meryl for courage and protection. Waving her sword Bloodbiter, the older girl declaims in the garden from the heroic epic of Drualt to a thrilled audience of Addie, their governess, and the young sorcerer Rhys. 

But when Meryl falls ill with the dreaded Gray Death, Addie must gather her courage and set off alone on a quest to find the cure and save her beloved sister. Addie takes the seven-league boots and magic spyglass left to her by her mother and the enchanted tablecloth and cloak given to her by Rhys - along with a shy declaration of his love. She prevails in encounters with tricky specters (spiders too) and outwits a wickedly personable dragon in adventures touched with romance and a bittersweet ending.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams (1988-1992)

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Starbound by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (2013-2015)

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other's arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder-would they be better off staying here forever? 

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won't be the same people who landed on it.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (2004-2024)

Meet the great Skulduggery Pleasant: wise-cracking detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks and burglary (in the name of the greater good, of course). Oh yeah. And dead.

Then there's his sidekick, Stephanie. She's… well, she's a twelve-year-old girl. With a pair like this on the case, evil had better watch out…

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source – the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.

When all hell breaks loose, it's lucky for Skulduggery that he's already dead. Though he's about to discover that being a skeleton doesn't stop you from being tortured, if the torturer is determined enough. And if there's anything Skulduggery hates, it's torture… Will evil win the day? Will Stephanie and Skulduggery stop bickering long enough to stop it? One thing's for sure: evil won't know what's hit it.

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (2006)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who wanted to be pretty . . .

Aza's singing is the fairest in all the land, and the most unusual. She can throw her voice so it seems to come from anywhere. But singing is only one of the two qualities prized in the Kingdom of Ayortha. Aza doesn't possess the other: beauty. Not even close. She's hidden in the shadows in her parents' inn, but when she becomes lady-in-waiting to the new queen, she has to step into the light--especially when the queen demands a dangerous favor. A magic mirror, a charming prince, a jealous queen, palace intrigue, and an injured king twine into a maze that Aza must penetrate to save herself and her beloved kingdom.

Trickster's Duology by Tamora Pierce (2003-2004)

Alianne is the teenage daughter of the famed Alanna, the first lady knight in Tortall. Young Aly follows in the quieter footsteps of her father, however, delighting in the art of spying. When she is captured and sold as a slave to an exiled royal family in the faraway Copper Islands, it is this skill that makes a difference in a world filled with political intrigue, murderous conspiracy, and warring gods. This is the first of two books featuring Alianne.

Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu (2015-present)

Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers.

Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud (2013-2017)

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in . . .

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce (1999-2002)

Keladry of Mindelan is the first girl who dares to take advantage of a new rule in Tortall—one that allows females to train for knighthood. After years in the Yamani Islands, she knows that women can be warriors, and now that she’s returned home, Kel is determined to achieve her goal. She believes she is ready for the traditional hazing and grueling schedule of a page. But standing in Kel’s way is Lord Wyldon. The training master is dead set against girls becoming knights. He says she must pass a one-year trial that no male page has ever had to endure. It’s just one more way to separate Kel from her fellow trainees. But she is not to be underestimated. She will fight to succeed, even when the test is unfair.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (2012-2018)

Princess Cleo of Mytica confronts violence for the first time in her life when a shocking murder sets her kingdom on a path to collapse. Once a privileged royal, Cleo must now summon the strength to survive in this new world and fight for her rightful place as Queen. 

 The King of Limeros's son, Magnus, must plan each footstep with shrewd, sharp guile if he is to earn his powerful father's trust, while his sister, Lucia, discovers a terrifying secret about her heritage that will change everything. 

 Rebellious Jonas lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making. 

 Witches, if found, are put to death, and Watchers, immortal beings who take the shape of hawks to visit the human world, have been almost entirely forgotten. A vicious power struggle quickly escalates to war, and these four young people collide against each other and the rise of elementia, the magic that can topple kingdoms and crown a ruler in the same day.

[anntickwittee]

Tagging @ofliterarynature

Here is my 2023 book list challenge. How many have you read? :)

[bookworm-1196]

Part 5 of my yearly wrap up : my 30 favorite ships that I shipped throughout the year

1. Percabeth (Percy and Annabeth from the PJO & HOO series by Rick Riordan) the first ship I ever shipped I want a love like theirs

2. Locklyle (Lucy and Lockwood from Lockwood & Co series by Jonathan Stroud) I love slow burn couples in book series where you see the characters evolve over the years and where the romance isn’t the main plot

3. Herongraystairs (Will Jem and Tessa from the the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare) always thinking about them in some way shape or form I want a love like theirs

All these ships are my Roman Empire btw they all share the top spot there’s no ranking

4. Pip and Ravi from AGGGTM by Holly Jackson - badass intelligent talented girl x supportive funny guy who loves her like it’s breathing trope you will always have my heart (funny that seems to be a consistent pattern with these ships lol)

5. Malec (Magnus and Alec from the Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare) yes I know they’re everyone’s favorite along with Herongraystairs I’m basic bla-bla-bla but have you considered that they’re popular bc they’re such a top tier ship? All the ships I mentioned are ships I could write an essay or multiple essays about just get me all the books they’re in so I can quote stuff and around ten to twenty hours and I’ll write an essay of 292749299171883902883 words about how much I love them

6. Pandalily (Pandora Lovegood and Lily Evans from the Marauders fandom loosely based off of the HP series) I’m writing a fic about them I have to put them in the top 10 even if I’ve been relatively inactive in the fandom and when it comes to actually writing my fic (sorry I’ve been busy with school and existential crises lately)

7. Wolfstar (Sirius Black and Remus Lupin from the Marauders fandom especially from the fic All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 because in that fic the angst and the slow burn are unparalleled)

8. Jegulus (James Potter and Regulus Black from the Marauders fandom, especially from the fics crimson rivers by bizarrestars, only the brave by solmussa and art heist baby! by otrtbs) not the biggest shipper bc i read too many fics of them in too short a time and got jegulus overexposure and needed to take a break from reading fanfics for a while but in those three fanfics especially crimson rivers and only the brave they’re incredible

9. Dorlene (Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene McKinnon from the Marauders fandom) I want to write a fic about them next. In my head they’re sooo imgonnagetyouback by Taylor Swift coded

10. Kanej (Kaz and Inej from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo) soulmates in my opinion but not in the “they were destined for each other” SJM way but in a “their souls fit together like pieces of a puzzle and everything falls into place perfectly because their love is just so cosmically powerful, they weren’t destined for each other but they loved each other so much from now on they will meet and love each other in every lifetime” kind of way if that makes sense (same goes for all the ships here especially Herongraystairs)

11. Herondaisy (otherwise known as James and Cordelia from The Last Hours by Cassandra Clare) the unrequited lining the angst they’re just so perfect

12. Kitty (Kit and Ty from The Dark Artifices and soon to be The Wicked Powers main couple by Cassandra Clare) I love angst and pining and an excruciatingly long slow burn so you know I love Kit and Ty

13. Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper by Alice Oseman - it seems like your typical teenage love story but it’s actually so much more than that at the same time, I want what they have

14. Everlark (Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins) a beautiful love story

15. Sizzy (Simon and Isabelle from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare) I love them so much

16. Firstprince (Alex and Henry from Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston) RWRB is perhaps one of my favorite romance books ever and I love the “exchanging love letters” trope

17. Helnik (Nina and Matthias from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo) I knew Matthias was going to die bc of spoilers from before I read SoC but it still hurt so much

18. Solangelo (Will and Nico from HoO, ToA and TSATS by Rick Riordan) the sun and the star wasn’t one of my favorite books of the year but I still love them

19. Ruegard (Clarisse and Silena from PJO by Rick Riordan) I joined TikTok this year and discovered they were shipped by a pretty big part of the PJO fandom and now I need to reread PJO.)

20. Eva and Celeste from It Goes Like This by Miel Moreland - I highly recommend this book it’s abt a queer sapphic band who get broken up and now they come back together to perform one last time. The main couple, Eva and Celeste have such a beautiful story I don’t want to spoil anything

21. Teo and Aurelio from The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas - they got together too soon in the second book in my (very very biased towards excruciating slow burns) opinion but I loved them in the first book

22. Kit and Theo from The Pairing by Casey McQuiston - the fact that we have two Kits and two Teo/Theos on this list but in different ships (also two Wills) is kinda funny. I really loved their story and I want a love that’s so profound but also so fun like theirs.

23. Thomastair (Thomas and Alastair from The Last Hours by Cassandra Clare) I love them so much

24. Ghostwriter (Lucy and Jesse from The Last Hours by Cassandra Clare) they’re a big part of why Chain of Iron is one of my favorite TSC books but also their relationship conflict in CoT about not being able to kiss for a weird illogical reason was just not believable

25. Gracestopher (Grace and Christopher from The Last Hours by Cassandra Clare) some people ship them but in a platonic way some people ship them in a romantic way I understand both sides and honestly as long as we got to see the two of them develop a close bond based on love and trust it doesn’t entirely matter. Unfortunately CoT broke my heart

26. Ineffable Husbands (Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens) I watched Good Omens at the end of 2023 and read Good Omens the book at the start of January 2024 I still think of them from time to time and I’m not really up to date on s3 news but apparently s3 is going to be much shorter 😢 again that thing I said about loving excruciating angst and pining

27. Rosekiller (Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch jr from the Marauders fandom specifically in the fic “I’m not going to teach him to dance with you” by greensenne (not 100% sure I haven’t messed up the name of the fic but 100% sure that’s what the fic author is called if ever you want to check it out. It’s a no Voldemort AU with lots of Speak Now by Taylor Swift vibes) they’re Wolfstar but evil/morally gray Slytherins depending on the fic basically)

28. Jurdan (Jude and Cardan from The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black)

29. Fierrochase (Alex and Magnus from Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan) I discovered the TSC fandom bc I kept reading Pinterest posts with “Magnus and Alec” in them and thinking huh I don’t remember that part of the story from Magnus Chase and also why is there consistently a typo in Alex’s name?? I love their dynamic so much I NEED to reread MCGA next year

30. Edwin and Charles from the Dead Boy Detectives TV show on Netflix (why does Netflix keep cancelling shows I love? I watched it and then right after Netflix cancelled it)

Honorable mentions go to Just for the summer by Abby Jimenez my second favorite romance book I read this year after The Pairing.

[rillabrooke]

2024 Reading List

The Curse of Pietro Houdini - Derek B. Miller

Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot

The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie

Just Stab Me Now - Jill Bearup

The Words and Music of Paul Simon - James Bennighof**

The Paul Simon Companion: Four Decades of Commentary - Stacey Luftig**

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

The Zookeepers' War: An Incredible True Story from the Cold War - J.W. Mohnhaupt

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

The Screaming Staircase - Jonathan Stroud

Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson

The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

The Whispering Skull - Jonathan Stroud

King Lear - William Shakespeare

The Duke and I - Julia Quinn

Macbeth - William Shakespeare

Siege and Storm - Leigh Bardugo

Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers

The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan

The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien

We Have Always Lived in the Castle - Shirley Jackson

The Queen's Gambit - Walter Tevis

The Hollow Boy - Jonathan Stroud

Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus

Dracula - Bram Stoker*

* reread ** for school

[ao3feed-kathony]

An Inevitable Convergence of Lives

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56555959 by Nomolosk Lucy honestly never really thought much about the fact that she'd been adopted. Sure, she didn't like the Carlyles much, but for all intents and purposes, they were the family she grew up with, and at least she didn't have to put up with her mum's demands after joining Lockwood and Co. She's fine with her past, because her future is so much brighter than she ever thought it would be. However, a case at a country house brings her past to the forefront, forcing her to confront some difficult truths. Words: 1363, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Lockwood & Co. - Jonathan Stroud, Lockwood & Co. (TV), Bridgerton (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Lucy Carlyle, Anthony Lockwood, George Cubbins | George Karim, Holly Munro, Mary Carlyle, Lucy Carlyle's Sisters, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Daphne Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton, Violet Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington Relationships: Lucy Carlyle/Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle & George Cubbins | George Karim & Anthony Lockwood, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton Additional Tags: Kidnapping, Amnesia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post-Book 05: The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co.), Spoilers for Book 05: The Empty Grave (Lockwood & Co.) read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56555959

[pictureofdoriaaaaaangay]

chaotic book ramble so I can stop spiraling into the abyss: my childhood favorite books that I've been thinking about lately

I start college in four days, where I'll be pursuing an English degree. I've been both a reader and by extension a writer my whole life. lately, I've been thinking about the books I loved when I was younger that fueled this passion and thus helped me along to where I am now <3

The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer. I still have my old copies of these books, and when I tell you they are well-loved, I mean they are well-loved. they're sort of fairytale retellings, and take place in the Land of Stories, which exists as a parallels world to this one where fairytale characters are real and living beyond their happily ever afters. the books follow twins Alex and Connor, who find out (spoiler?? lol) that their grandmother is the fairy godmother. all sorts of stuff goes down, and honestly I only remember half of it like a fever dream, but I remember really loving it in book five (?) when they get to meet the characters from stories Connor wrote. honestly, I probably read the entire series over fifty times, and that's not an exaggeration. first read them the year the third book came out, when I was nine. waiting for the rest was, I recall, absolute torture.

the Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. this is so funny to me, because these books basically set me up for my later teen years and loving the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black - but I digress. I first read these at age eight in a high-stress time of my life, and as a result they were likely deeply formative. they follow twins Jared and Simon (more twins ??) and their older sister Mallory (thinking back, she was absolutely part of my bi awakening). they move with their mother into the old Spiderwick mansion, and soon discover a fieldguide all about faeries and different fae species that live in the woods surrounding the house. I honestly think that the plot of these books is batshit, but I still sort of love them. there's a movie, but it's terrible, and aggressively condenses the plot into something completely unrecognizable.

Harry Potter, by... Harry Potter. isn't it great that, after his time at Hogwarts, he decided to write a seven-book autobiography?? so funky of him!! anyways - I read these at the ripe age of ten, and stuck by loving them since. HP was my first fandom, and maybe the one I'm fondest of (actually, thinking on this, no), and Hogwarts in general holds a lot of nostalgia for me. this being said, I still love the books, but I have to say that I reread them last year for the first time since I was maybe 14/15 and um. wow. Mr. Potter you are?? problematic??? someone please tell me why the adult man who was allowed to abuse children in a position of power for sixteen years got a redemption arc but the literal CHILD who was born into an abusive and power-hungry family didn't. also why is Dumbedore hailed as such a bloody saint?? he's worse than fucking Voldemort. I said what I said. also it's super confusing that Harry never mentioned in his autobiography that his Sirius and Remus were happily married and living at Grimmauld place. weird storytelling choice I guess!!

all those damned Warrior cats books by Erin Hunter. I swear to god these books had crack in them I ATE THEM UP from the ages of like. eight to eleven?? maybe??? genuinely, I must've reread them a hundred times, but I could tell you NOTHING about the plots. a few vibes, maybe, but zero plots. did they even have plots?? were plots a thing in those books??? how was I so obsessed with them???? funniest part is the fact that I see people talking about them on the internet now and it's just. insane. actually insane.

Lockwood and Co by Jonathan Stroud. full transparency: I read these for the first time at age eleven (around the time the fourth book out of five came out) and now remain an active member of the fandom. I love these books, and these characters, with my whole heart and I want nothing more than them to be happy. the Netflix show, though I have some pretty severe gripes with it, is still really amazing and absolutely deserves a second season. the books are set in London, where ghosts are real deeply dangerous, and follow the main trio of Lucy, Lockwood, and George. I reread them at the start of the year in preparation for the show, and they're genuinely just incredible works. I sobbed a lot reading them. they're absolutely comfort reads for me; 35 Portland Row is home.

wow. that was a lot. there's honestly several more I could talk about (School for Good and Evil, Percy Jackson, etc), but this is a long enough post for now, ha. love you all <3

[marvelousmrm]

Adventure into Fear #29 (Mantlo/Heck, Aug 1975). Hell is other people. Morbius is trapped in a nightmare dimension with his hunter.

[desos-records]

Chapter 7: Case Studies

First | Prev / Next

Ghost possession doesn't happen often, but fatality rates are high. Even if an agent does survive, there are the aftereffects to worry about.

After surviving a possession, Lucy Carlyle struggles with recovery, delving ever deeper into the memories of Visitors and, in the process, stumbling into the world of blackmarket Sources.

Meanwhile, George Karim races to learn the truth behind ghost possession in order to protect Lucy and save future agents.

And Anthony Lockwood must face his own past with the London underworld if he wants to save his friends and himself.

-

Like the Problem itself, the cause of possession hadn't yet been solved, but not for lack of trying. Or lack of research. As usual, the first place George went for answers—or failing that, inspiration—was Portland Row's own library. The Lockwoods had been two of the most thorough researchers to ever confront the Problem. There was no aspect of it they hadn't touched on in their ethnographies, articles, and travel journals.

Resources he wouldn't have access to if he didn't live under the same roof as their son. George often forced himself to remember this fact when Lockwood wound him up.

In the case of possession, they'd traveled to America and studied the Ghost Dance practiced by the Lakota tribal nation. Dancers went into a kind of trance and communicated with dead ancestors to achieve visions or hear prophecies. George didn't know of any evidence that Visitors could be prophetic, but clearly white Americans had felt threatened enough. They massacred hundreds of Lakota people for it.

The Lockwoods had drawn parallels between the Ghost Dance trances and cases of possession. They argued that possession occurred because the Visitor was unusually determined to communicate something to the living and so latched onto a significantly Talented agent. They suspected the mortality rates were high because most agents weren't Talented enough to survive the psychical overload—except for Simon Rose, Evelyn Lawrence, Bennie Russell, and now Lucy Carlyle.

The Ghost Dancers, however, had never suffered such a fate, but the Lockwoods hadn't been able to determine why—partly because they'd been barred from witnessing the dances themselves. The Lakota people were understandably wary of sharing details with outsiders.

George, stacks of papers and cold cups of tea dominating the quiet kitchen, scoured the issue of American Anthropologist that had published their article on the subject until he caught on something.

Upon reviewing the data (fig. 31), we realized that, while agents with Sight are less susceptible to possession, they experience higher rates of mortality than their counterparts with Listening and Touch. After careful study of the Lakota Ghost Dance, practitioners' experiences during trances and their emphasis on visions, we believe this statistic is due to the fact that truly gifted Seers are simply a rarity. Few are strong enough to be sought out by Visitors and, at the time of this publication, none have been strong enough to survive the force of psychic visions.

So his theory had been wrong, or at least misinformed. Talent did have an impact on survival rates, but it was less about type and more about level.

George didn't know how much that would help Lucy. She'd only given vague descriptions of what she'd seen, how it overlaid with the living world. It didn't seem consistent with the accounts of visions made by the Lakota dancers, which were vivid and all-encompassing. Maybe Lucy's Sight wasn't powerful enough, her experience mostly defined by her Listening and Touch.

Lockwood had the strongest Sight out of the three of them, and stronger than any agent George had worked with. If they could find a reasonably safe way to test his Talent, then maybe…

"Lockwood!" George called, voice reverberating through the house.

The iron staircase down to the basement shook and rattled enough to threaten collapse as Lockwood tramped up it into the kitchen. "For the love of God, George, someone had better be haunted, haunting, or on fire because I'm gonna—"

He stopped in his tracks as he surveyed the state of the kitchen table. His white shirt stuck to him from sweat and he still had his practice rapier in his hand, slightly heavier than his others, designed for overtraining. He'd been down in the basement cutting the dummies to shreds ever since Lucy stormed out. Then the space around his eyes tightened ever so slightly as they did whenever George dug into his parents' research for a case. He had yet to tell him off for it, but the reminder clearly affected him.

"Exactly how good is your Sight, Lockwood?" George asked before he could come up with a threat.

Lockwood blinked. "What? It's fine. Why?"

"Your parents have an interesting theory about possession. I thought we might test it."

"That's what you're researching? We have a case to solve, George. We don't have time for any more experiments."

"It's to help Lucy, remember? I thought you were on board with this."

"What's my Talent got to do with Lucy? I'm on board with possession recovery, not causing it on purpose." Then Lockwood paused, looked around at the kitchen, out the darkening windows, and glanced up at the ceiling as if he could see all the way up to the attic. "Where's Lucy anyway? Has she come back yet?"

"No."

Lockwood looked at his watch and cursed. "It's been hours."

George shrugged, looking back at his papers. "She's blowing off steam."

"It's getting dark."

"She's an agent."

"I'm going after her." Lockwood disappeared out the door. More rattling came from the hallway as he traded the practice rapier for a proper one. He returned to the kitchen, dead-set determination welded in his eyes. "Seen my coat anywhere?"

"Library." When Lockwood went through the door again, he called after him, "You're going to be the last person she wants to see, you know."

He returned, shrugging his coat on. Somewhere between the kitchen and the library, he'd found spare flares and canisters to hang from his belt, the iron in his expression not in the least bit dimmed. "She can tick me off when she's safe inside. Do us a favor and stay put. No research field trips."

George rolled his eyes.

"Please, George."

"Well, since you said please…"

The door swung shut, soon followed by the resounding slam of the front door.

George sighed, reshuffled some papers around to pull out the Annabel Ward articles he'd abandoned. The inscription on the ring wasn't enough to prove Hugo Blake's guilt and he'd yet to find anything else in the dull society pages. Besides, they were psychical agents, ghost hunters, not homicide detectives. He didn't know what Lockwood was playing at.

But he'd followed him into this mess and he would follow him back out again. So George made more tea and flipped open a magazine, mind still turning over Talents and trances and descriptions of circle dances. Then he remembered. There were interviews with the possession survivors somewhere in Lockwood's stack of VHS tapes. It might be helpful to review them.

He pushed to his feet and into the library, digging through the stacks until he found what he wanted.

[duskkodesh]

Every time anyone posts about the Morbius movie like it’s cool I just wanna make a post about how badass it could have been if they followed the damn comics. Like his eyes? Movie: Blue and warbly during powers, red irises only in certain scenes. Comic: Full red sclera, glows bright as hell when bloodlusting. Costume?  Movie: Hoodie and track pants? Linen(?) Trenchcoat. Comic: Take your pick, full disco outfit with bare chest and a flared collar or the BDSM leather suit. Humor:  Movie: A few flat jokes used sparingly. Cold and distant. Comic: One of this man’s coping mechanisms is obviously snark and telling people off. Cares way too much about everything. Villain? Movie: Vampire Matt Smith, so they can do that same vs. same dark reflection thing. Comic: Dracula, Demon Fire cult, Spider-man, Basilisk, Simon Stroud, Literally any other vampire, Lilith, Nightmare, Vic Slaughter (Who could have been used for the same vs. same and Matt Smith would have absolutely nailed wacko merc role), Blade, for fuck’s sake. It has been more than a year and I’m not letting this go. Even if you LIKED what they did it could have been so much better.