Lockwood has never been overly fond of lavender. Sure, it's nicer looking and smelling than most of the other tools used to separate the living and the dead, but he's always felt a bit annoyed at it. He rarely brings it up though, because there's not really a reason for his dislike.
Maybe it's that the purple stalks are everywhere, all the time. Along every London street, in every garden, in every room where mortals fear those who have passed beyond. Even in the winter, everyone has dried flowers in their homes and sprinkles the oils over their doorsteps. There's no way to get away from the stuff.
Maybe it's because lavender water is one of the weakest tools in an agent's toolkit. Lockwood barely ever uses it for anything other than reassuring clients that their home is safe after a job. For all the discussion of it, it's nothing in comparison to some sturdy iron chains and a rapier when it comes to battling ghosts. It's just a waste of space in his coat during a job.
Maybe it has to do with the way the scent sets people at ease. Somewhere in George's research, Lockwood remembers him mentioning how lavender water used to be used to treat insomnia before the Problem. Even now, with it being used to protect mortals from everything that goes bump in the night, he doesn't miss how the smell of lavender tends to cause people to loosen up, laugh a bit more, and let their guards down. Any kind of weakness can mean death for an agent, even when it comes from one of their own weapons.
Or, if he's being honest, maybe it goes deeper than that. Maybe it's because Jessica's room is always covered in the stuff, and has been since the day he failed to save her. Maybe it's because the flowery scent is all he can remember from his parents' funeral. Maybe it's because the stupid plants kept tripping him when he ran away from his old agency. Maybe it's just too many bad memories.
Regardless of the reason, Lockwood has never really liked lavender.
However, it's hard to hold onto those thoughts with Lucy sitting on the grass nearby, surrounded by night watch children, with a sloppy crown of purple flowers on her head.
She's had a soft spot for them for as long as Lockwood has known her. She claims it's because of how close she became to being one of them when she first got to London. Lockwood suspects that's not the whole story. But today, her kind heart has led them to a park down the street from Portland Row, at the beckoning of a group of children who had pooled their meager earnings to have a picnic.
Lockwood has stayed on the outskirts of the little gathering, unsure as to what would be expected of him if he joined in. But Lucy is right in the middle, regaling the kids with stories of the ghosts she's defeated. They're hanging on her every word. Lockwood can't blame them for it, Lucy is a good storyteller when she wants to be. Even if she glazes over his parts in some of her tales.
But one of the older ones had gotten restless and begun plucking sprigs of lavender from a nearby bush. Lockwood had been about to reprimand them for the needless destruction of public property, but they'd begun weaving the stems together into a chain before he could speak. It was barely five minutes before they looped the chain into a circle and plopped it onto Lucy's head without a word.
And now, staring at Lucy, her eyes bright in the sunshine, her hands waving around as she described the Greenhouse Ghoul, and those flowers shining like gemstones in her hair, Lockwood can't quite remember why he doesn't like lavender.
In fact, he thinks he very much enjoys how it looks right now. Maybe it's not so bad after all.
(For the most recent Lockwood and Co Flash Fiction Challenge by @lockwoodandcoff!)
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Happy 1106 day!
1106 is also known as the Adler dorm number for Rayne Ames (and his roommate Max Land), so November 6th is commonly celebrated in the Japanese fanbase as "Rayne Ames Festival Day".
As a celebration, I've roughly translated Rayne and Max's fan book profiles under the cut! It's full of interesting information about them as an individual character that doesn't manage to get explored much in the main series, so hope you enjoy it!
"A taciturn sword that sticks to his convictions, and a Divine Visionary that strictly speaks on one's back."
Rayne Ames
Quote: "You need to shut your mouth, before I shut it for you." (from Volume 13, chapter 117)
Small memo (near little Rayne and Finn image): A minimalist with a penchant for saving money, except for things related to rabbits and his younger brother.
A magician who becomes a Divine Visionary to change the Magic World from the ground up for the sake of his family. He's pursuing such a dream as he balances his work as a Divine Visionary and his responsibilities as a student.
Profile (these have been translated in wiki and thus taken from there)
Birthday: March 3
Age: 18 years old
Height: 175cm
Weight: 67kg
Dominant hand: Left
Foot size: 27.5cm
Family: Finn Ames (younger brother)
Good subjects: Magic History, Magical Zoology
Bad subject(s): Fortune telling
Hobbies: Rabbit sucking, sewing
Favorite food: Bean sprouts, vegetables
Favorite words: Say what you want
Favorite type of the opposite sex: Never thought about it
Dislikes: Talking more than necessary
Frequently visited school spots: Purchasing department
How to spend money: Savings, rabbit breeding expenses
How to spend holidays: Taking care of rabbits
Relationship Chart
Rayne to Mash: A troublesome junior
Rayne to Finn: Must be protected at all costs
Rayne to Kaldo: Thank you for taking care of my brother
Rayne to Max: Only best friend
Rayne to rabbit: *sighs softly*
Rayne to Wahlberg: Old geezer who likes to boss people around
Magic: Sword Magic
A magic that can summon countless swords. The personal magic, named "Partisan", has a power level measured through percentages that can be adjusted, an average student usually can't even handle 10% of it.
The caption of Rayne calling out Partisan picture: It's one of the most deadly magic in the Magic World, but he brandishes it only for the sake of justice.
Divine Visionary: of Sword Cane, as well as one of the Directors of the Magical Items Department
All the magical items existing in the Magic World have very strict control. Newly manufactured tools are delivered to the Bureau of Magic to ensure safety. After carefully examining them and making sure the new items are safe, they'll be delivered to the citizens.
The caption of the Magic Mirror (used by Cell War against Mash): The loss of the Magic Mirror marks a great mistake for all of the directors of the department.
Pick-up: An Awkward Big Brother
Rayne, who rarely talks but always shows through his actions, makes people have a lot of trust in him, and many students follow his way too. However, his lack of words often causes many misunderstandings.
Quote for upper image: "I've always been really terrible at encouraging people." (Volume 6, Chapter 47)
Caption for upper image: He tried to put himself in the position of the junior who's taking reckless challenges.
Quote for left image: "I'll make sure that brazen kid, goes as far as he can go." (Volume 6, Chapter 46)
Caption for left image: He forced Margarette, who was after Mash, to retreat by using his Thirds.
Quote: "Words only have a meaning when paired with actions. If you can't act, it's the same as not saying anything at all." (Volume 6, Chapter 45)
Caption: This principle came from his late parents who passed away without words or promises. Since that time, he always lived up to his words.
Quote: "I still remember you used to come crying at me over the smallest things. You've grown up." (Volume 14, Chapter 119)
Caption for his moments with Finn: For the sake of his younger brother, he had always been shouldering many burdens. However, after seeing his brother's growth, he changed his mind.
Pick Up: A Genuine Rabbit Lover for Life
It all began when Max suggested Rayne, who was at that time aiming to be the Divine Visionary, to start having rabbits out of concern for Rayne's mental health's well-being. Now, Rayne has never stopped to pour an extraordinary amount of love for his rabbits.
The caption of Rayne surrounded by rabbits: This scene too is a display of Rayne's "survival of the fittest" between the strong and the weak (?)
The caption of Rayne's rabbit handkerchief: Should you ever find a lost rabbit-patterned goodies, please give it to Rayne first and foremost.
Mash's Room Corner (a corner to talk about gossip relating to the character, with Mash's commentary)
"I've been in the same dorm as Rayne since middle school but...that Rayne...there were quite a few times when the screws in his head were loose. He takes jokes a little too seriously, and because of that, I had to teach him lots of them." (from Max)
Mash: An unexpected side of a good person.
The Secret Story of Rayne as told by ***!! (a corner about various characters' opinions of a character, in this case, their opinions of Rayne)
Ryoh: I understand the feeling of pushing yourself away for your family's sake, but sometimes relying on others is what makes a man, Rayne.
Margarette: I saw Rayne trying to help a lost child in the city. However, he accidentally made the child cry even more because of his unfriendly looks and unsociability.
Brad: So you've become the Divine Visionary through hard work. Well, depending on Mash's hard work, my promotion might not just be a dream anymore.
Cell War: Since you're one of the directors of the Magical Items Department, it's really difficult to sneak in. Still, the staff canteen's foods are really delicious.
"Summarizing the Adler Dorm: Honest and full of conscience"
Max Land
Quote: "Let's solve this together!" (Volume 6, chapter 49)
Small memo (near the picture of running Max): His foot speed is number one! He also has a playful side when he pulls a prank and runs.
A third-year at Adler dorm who is open-minded and friendly. Since he is well-liked within the school, he often shares his wisdom and consults others.
Profile (these have been translated in wiki and thus taken from there with slight adjustment)
Birthday: November 19
Age: 18 years old
Height: 168cm
Weight: 64kg
Blood type: O
Dominant hand: Right
Foot size: 26cm
Family members: Father, Mother, Eldest brother, Older brother
Good subject: Magic history
Bad subject: Broom class
Hobbies: Exploring the school while making his body smaller
Favorite food: Deep-fried salamander
Favorite words: 平凡 (Heibon: Ordinary or commonplace)
Favorite type of opposite sex: People who have their own world
Dislikes: High places
Frequently visited school spots: Purchasing Department
How to spend money: Book fees (mainly comic books)
How to spend holidays: Going to Marchette Street with friends and taking care of rabbits when Rayne is away
Relationship Chart
Max to Mash: Junior
Max to Rayne: You're so awkward I can't leave you alone
Max to Finn: Like my own little brother
Max to Carpaccio: Lately, when I look around, you're suddenly sitting next to me.
Magic: Size-changing Magic
This magic can change the size of people and objects. Up to 3 different people and/or objects can be resized at one time. This personal magic is very handy for support, as shown during the selection exam where he helped his ally.
Image caption: He made himself and Mash smaller to get away from the eyes of Deadervants.
Mash's Room Corner
I consulted with him the other day, but that guy has the face of an ordinary person but still manages to look handsome. It's plainly and doubly frustrating. (from Dot)
Mash: I feel sorry for Senior Max for being blamed unreasonably like that.
Pick-Up: A Selfish Desire as a Senior
He has a naturally caring personality who won't ever leave his troubled junior behind. But the truth is he just wants to "prove himself like a man", which he despises himself for.
Quote for upper image: "My premonition was right..." (Volume 6, chapter 50)
Quote for left image: "Say, Rayne. Did I do my best for the younger students?"
Caption for left image: Supporting the junior that Rayne is interested in.
The Secret Story of Max as told by ***!!
Tom: I invited him to join Duelo, but he declined because he is scared of heights. Senior Max, you're like a bamboo that's stuck on the ground!
BONUS (from the Q&A session with the original creator Komoto Hajime-sensei):
Q17: In the final chapter, are Rayne and Finn of the Ames brothers able to get along again?
A17: Rayne (addressed as 'onii-tama here) is a tsundere, but I think they're able to get along well!
Q18: Why does Finn call Rayne with "Nii-sama" instead of "Nii-san"?
A18: Because of the distance between them...
(A/N: In the original Japanese version, Finn does not call Rayne by name, but calls him "Nii-sama", this has a lot of meaning and nuances that unfortunately are hard to translate and doesn't have an English equivalent, hence the change. "Onii-tama" on the other hand is a baby talk version of "onii-sama".)
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Do you have recs for similar horror/spooky vibes as your IF? I just played Scarlett Hollow after reading of one of your posts, and obviously your IF is incredible, so I'm hungry for anything else you'd recommend. Books, movies, short stories, anything.
Ooooh I'm very excited and intimidated by this ask haha. Every time I'm asked for things I like I forget every piece of media I've ever consumed.
First off, thank you for the compliment; you're super sweet. And I hope you enjoyed Scarlet Hollow! It's one of my favorite games of all time <3
I'm gonna throw my recs under a cut because. Well. It Got Long.
For these recommendations, I'm going with a mix of similar vibes (small town/atmospheric/mystery) and also just stories that are really influential to me!!
Video Games: Oxenfree (amazing atmosphere, really fun mystery, strong character relationships), Control (stunning visuals, really cool creatures/lore, the way it plays with reality is just......), Slay the Princess (very much so a different type of horror, but by the same studio that made Scarlet Hollow and has incredible vibes). Honorable mentions to Silent Hill & Alan Wake; both are series I haven't personally played that I know have very similar vibes to my game!!
Other IFs: The Fog Knows Your Name (can't recommend this one enough, amazing vibes and a great mystery, genuinely one of my favorite IFs), The Passenger (eldritch horror, fun to play someone that isn't entirely human), and as for WIPs, Such Happy Campers (I'm so hooked on the mystery and the characters, plus great atmosphere).
TV Shows: Midnight Mass (small town horror, incredible plot and visuals, a HUGE inspiration for TLS) and also Haunting of Hill House (genuinely breathtaking, an amazing cast, a great mystery & sense of creeping dread), Over the Garden Wall (the atmosphere and emotional core of the story are incredible), The Twilight Zone (instrumental for my development as a horror fan, especially surrealist horror), Gravity Falls (more light-hearted than everything else, but still small town horror). Honorable mention for Twin Peaks, which I haven't seen (yet) but also to my knowledge has very similar vibes!
Movies: The Thing (isolated horror, incredible atmosphere, fantastic body horror), Coraline (unreality, things being not quite right), and It Follows (not actually my favorite movie lol, but I love the sense of being out of time it conjures). Most of my favorite horror movies aren't actually all that similar to my own project, but the first two Scream movies, Alien, and Nope are some of my favorites <3
Books: I've forgotten every single book I've ever read, but I'm a life-long Stephen King fan. The Mist, Under the Dome, and Salem's Lot all inspired Lonely Shore one way or another. Also a big fan of Misery, Needful Things, 11/22/63, and The Stand. My all-time favorite short story is The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, which also includes a town where something is very wrong.
Other: Originally TLS was a Monster of the Week campaign I ran; which is one of my favorite ttrpgs. So if you're into tabletop and/or horror, I highly recommend checking it out!!
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