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bubbl3zdaseaotter37 · 5 months

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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 :)

#lockwood and co #the screaming staircase #the whispering skull #the hollow boy #the creeping shadow #the empty grave #l&co #lucy carlyle #anthony lockwood #george cubbins #george karim #lockwood netflix #renew lockwood and co #save lockwood and co #im losing my mind #why must he do this to me #looking at you #stroud

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murdergrandmafanclub · 11 months

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How each character handles being trapped in the Fade:

Loghain - is Too Old and Too Tired, doesn’t even try to get out

Stroud - tries his hardest to escape, finds it impossible

Hawke - fights tooth and nail through the Fade and eventually finds a way out, like a Badass™️

Alistair - is bridal carried out by the exasperated Warden before he even has time to think about it

#dragon age #da #dragon age inquisition #dai #loghain #Stroud #hawke #Alistair #og dragon age husband #the warden #i like to think im funny

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unteriors · 1 year

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S 3rd Avenue, Stroud, Oklahoma.

#Stroud #Oklahoma

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sulky-valkyrie · 6 months

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Hawke twins- cryptophasia / twin speak (a language only they understand). Perhaps a bittersweet memory of the survivor

Happy Friday, Tea! I actually restarted this 2 or 3 times until And Idea hit me like a truck, and I'm kinda playing around with what cryptophasia could mean in a world with magic, but I hope you enjoy it anyway <3 for @dadrunkwriting

Carver woke up from the worst dreams he’d had since the archdemon died, and with a terrible headache. He sat up with a groan and pressed the heel of his hand against his temple.

“You look like you’ve been carousing with hurlocks all night,” Stroud said.

He snorted and grabbed his waterskin to splash a bit on his face. “Give me some credit, at least I never kissed an ogre, drunk or sober.” He rolled his shoulders to try to loosen the tension in his neck. “You have any strange dreams last night?”

“Nothing outside of the ordinary.” Stroud shugged. “The song is louder, but that’s to be expected here. You have been in the Deep Roads before, haven’t you?”

He started to snarl something back, but held his tongue. The Commander had told him under no uncertain terms to play nice with the Orlesians, but Maker, it was hard some days. “I was down here before and after the Thaw. This dream wasn’t just the usual chittering, more like going through the Joining again. It almost felt like -” he bit his lip. No, that would be impossible. He’d hadn’t been pulled into Bethy’s dreams since he left Lothering over two years ago.

Stroud raised an eyebrow but didn’t press him. “The Roads under the Vinmarks are particularly unsettling. Hopefully you will be too tired to dream again tonight.”

Carver nodded and pushed himself to his feet. “Couldn’t agree more. Onwards then?”

He wasn’t too tired. Or maybe he was so tired he couldn’t fight it. Their father had taught them both about shielding their dreams from spirits the week after Bethany manifested, and while it had worked, it wasn’t the way he would have preferred. Instead of closing her mind off to everyone, she’d hid in Carver’s dreams at night, or dragged him into hers. They’d spent every night for nearly ten years fighting each other’s nightmares together. Hers had always been more fearsome, with many tentacled creatures dragging her into a lake that was far too dark and viscous to be water, or suits of armor grabbing her by her hair and carrying her to impossibly tall towers with no doors. His dreams had been about his teeth falling out, or getting chased by a bear through town without any trousers on.

After Ostagar, though, he’d tried to do it properly. Tried to shut her out so she never saw the memories of the battle that haunted his dreams. As far as he knew, it had worked, or maybe she’d stopped trying. Or maybe she was dead.

The dreams were even worse that night, full of red crystals and claustrophobia and talking rocks, all playing out like a shadow puppet play across torrents of blood and fire and darkspawn screams. People were screaming Bethany’s name, and he heard Bethany screaming his.

“Carver!” His eyes snapped open. It was Stroud, shaking his shoulder. “Pack of hurlocks near, we need to move.”

Normally, that would’ve sent him into a panicked flurry of activity, but this time, all he felt was relief. It wasn’t Bethy, this is all my imagination, or maybe some new kind of Awakened. He stuffed his gear into his pack as Stroud stamped out the fire, then they headed out, following the scent of death and the buzzing in the back of their heads.

Using torches or lanterns this close to darkspawn was never wise or safe, so their only light was the faint glow of their amulets. The Commander gave them to all the recruits now; it was still a vial of darkspawn blood, of course, but now, they were enchanted to give off just enough light that a careful human could travel through the Deep Roads without tripping on everything. It had been a hard-learned lesson from too many instances of running into walls or falling into holes, and Carver’s nose still throbbed with phantom pain when he thought about the number of times Morrigan had sneeringly reset it.

The recruits were told it was 'just' a vial of darkspawn blood, but senior Wardens knew it was a little something more. The loss of so many at Ostagar, then later at Vigil’s Keep, had made the Commander insistent on the development of contingency plans.

The discordant melody tugged at his heart as they crept onward, urging him to go faster, begging him to find them, find something, hurry, please, hurry. It filled him with dread even as he obeyed, marching faster, then, when that wasn't enough, breaking into a jog. Someone was down there, and they needed him.

"What are you doing?" Stroud hissed as he sped up a third time.

"Need to keep moving, need to find them," he muttered, before breaking into a reckless sprint.

Stroud tackled him from behind and rolled him over when he was still stunned. "The song has you," he said as he slapped him. "Fight it!"

Carver caught his hand before a second blow connected. "It's not the song!" It was, but not in the same way. "It's - can't you feel it?"

"You're bewitched, Hawke!"

Struggling would only waste time. Time he didn't have. He took a shuddering slow breath to calm himself down. "I’m - shit. You’re right,” he lied. “We need to deal with whatever is causing it. Some kind of emissary, or a demon." It was neither; he was certain of that. But Stroud would never believe him now. Play along, or we'll never make it in time.

Stroud frowned, obviously wanting to argue, but knowing he couldn't. The whole point of this trip had been to investigate the reports of strange activity under the Vinmarks, and an emissary changing the song definitely qualified. "You will stay behind me," he ordered severely. "And if you run again, I'll cut you down."

Hurry, please, hurry. It wasn't a voice, so much as a feeling, a bright descant threading through the jangling darkspawn melody that thrummed in his mind.

Carver closed his eyes and nodded as much to Stroud as the plea. I'm trying.

Stroud got up warily, and reached for his weapon as Carver stood. When he didn't immediately bolt down the tunnel, he sighed in relief and let go of his sword hilt. "Which way?"

They kept going. Stroud didn't argue with Carver’s directions, and, in fact, seemed to anticipate them. Whatever or whoever wanted Carver to come this way, it was very near the hurlocks they’d been hunting anyway. The desperate pleading music faded away, but the darkspawn presence never wavered, only strengthened as they neared.

Carver didn't mention that it was gone. Maybe I did imagine it. Hopefully whatever - whoever - they found down there would be explanation enough. Another Awakened, perhaps?

When they heard the sound of fighting, it was Stroud who took off running first. Bloody hypocrite. Carver pulled out his sword and charged after him around the corner, only to almost skewer him as he clattered to a halt. They were at an excavated section of the Deep Roads, one with real torches and magma troughs. “Anders?” Stroud muttered incredulously.

What? Can’t be - Karl said he died. He peered over Stroud’s shoulder, blinking against the glare of torchlight.

A blond man kicked a screaming genlock off the ledge then spun his staff in a low circle, setting a glyph at his feet then dancing backwards as lightning surged up through it and arced into the two remaining. “Be with you in a tic, little busy!”

Maker preserve us, how? That really was Anders Thekla; Carver would recognize his battle magic anywhere, even when it wasn’t being used on him directly.

As the last darkspawn disintegrated to ash, Anders turned around. “Stroud.” He frowned in recognition. “Carver?”

What the void did I do? Before he could ask, Anders ducked back into the side tunnel that must’ve been where he’d come from.

“Carver?!” Someone shouted. Someone who sounded like his damn brother.

Stroud glanced back and arched an eyebrow. “What did you do?”

He swallowed. “Been a Warden for two years,” he mumbled.

“That’s not an answer.”

“Yeah, it is.” He put up his sword and walked out. “Garrett? What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Long story,” Anders sighed as he re-emerged, followed by a dwarf and Garrett.

His brother stepped into the flickering light and, for once, he wasn’t smiling. Even when he’d been in screaming matches with Mother, he’d smiled. Even when they’d burned Father’s ashes, he’d smiled. “Carver, I tried.” He knelt on the ground and gently put the bundle down that he was carrying. “I really fucking tried. Should’ve been me. Always should’ve been me.”

The bundle was their sister. Everything clicked into place. He rushed over as he ripped his gauntlets off, then pulled her to his chest. Her brow was sweaty, and the veins in her throat were black. Blight sickness. She coughed weakly as her eyes fluttered open. “Carver? Am I dead?”

“Not yet,” he whispered as he pulled her close. “What are you doing down here? What happened?”

"Expedition," she wheezed, breath whistling like her chest was full of holes. "Money to get back the estate." She shuddered in his arms. "One less mouth for her to feed, now, right?"

"No, no, no, this can't -" he stopped and glared at Garrett. "Why did you bring her?"

Garrett's jaw clenched and he swallowed. "I didn't fucking -"

"You did! You were supposed to keep her safe!" Carver shouted. "Now look at her. Look at what you did!"

Bethy’s finger pressed against his lips. "You sound like Mother. I'm a grown woman, Carver. This was my choice. My screw up. Not his." She coughed again. "Not yours either."

Maker, how did she always know what was the best and worst thing to say? His fury vanished, leaving him hollow and aching. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't," she said. "I - I didn't think it would work, after so long, but I called, and you're here. I can at least say goodbye." She offered a watery smile then fainted.He shook his head as he ripped the vial from his neck. The Commander had told them all that this wasn't an option to be taken lightly, but dammit, this was Bethany. "Stroud, get some of that blood, and the goblet. We're doing the Joining."

#da drunk writing circle #prompt fills #carver hawke #stroud #too many wardens

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ass-deep-in-demons · 1 year

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#inquisition #here lies the abyss #the fade #inquisitor #hawke #stroud #wardens #ass deep in demons #follow for more dumb dragon age memes #[dragon age]

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whisperinglines · 10 months

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My hatred was a winter lake – icy, clear and stretching out forever.

- J. Stroud, Lockwood & Co. - The Whispering Skull

#quote #bookblr #novel #fantasy #bookworm #jonathan stroud #stroud #lockwood & co #the whispering skull #hatred

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amphoraeus · 8 months

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Facing an archdemon with the help of a spirit and losing Stroud in the process.

This part is always the saddest :(

#dragon age inquisition #dragon age #dai #inquisitor lavellan #aelianna lavellan #hawke #stroud

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tealenko · 2 years

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Ah yeah... Dragon Age Inquisition toughest choice lol

Most of the people I see on Tumblr be like: I HAVE TO KILL MY HAWKE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO KILL ALISTAIR BUT I CAN'T KILL MY HAWKE AND DO THAT TO VARRIC T-T

Meanwhile me, who decided to make Alistair king in DAO because I found it HILARIOUS that, after all the hate that they get, the last 2 grey wardens in Ferelden became the rulers of the whole country (and lowkey wanted to be queen too XDDD), choosing between MY HAWKE or a grey warden so random that I don't remember how to spell his name *one google search later* Stroud:

Yep... I didn't understard why that choice was even there until I watched other people playthroughs and discovered what happens if you don't make Alistair king in DAO lol

#poor Stroud never had a chance #dai #dragon age inquisition #alistair theirin #hawke #stroud #I should post more about #dragon age #I've been too deep into the shenko vortex lately XD #lately loooool #random gif joke

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roughridingrednecks · 1 month

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Stroud

#stroud #redneck #tats #cap #beard #chin beard

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fandomn00blr · 2 years

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WIPednesday

Hello! I seem to be having an uncharacteristically writing-motivated week (something about having all the overgrown bushes removed from my front yard and having to stay home while they grind the stumps out has just rekindled my energy to work on ancient WIPs, I guess...?), and wanted to pass some of that enthusiasm along to any of you who might need or want a bit of it for yourself. So I’m tagging @paraparadigm, @serial-chillr, @pinkfadespirit, @genginger, @gothkimmyschmidt, @sarsaparillia, @grumpkinvicky, @convenientcoma, @cleverblackcat, @noire-pandora, @barbex, @ziskandra, @tea42, @realace, @blarrghe, @funkypoacher, @musetta3, @nirikeehan, @moss--and--bones, and anyone else who wants to jump in!

Here’s something silly I’ve been working on, which I might have shared in bits and pieces already with some of you awhile back, but I’m finally trying to get it all together and up on AO3 in one of the upcoming chapters of Warden Hawke...

When they get to the surface, Solona, squinting annoyedly at the sunlight, takes a look around and then declares, “Well, it’s been great running into you all, but I have something I need to do in the opposite direction…”

Loghain’s left eyebrow shoots up skeptically and he looks back at Stroud, who shrugs.

“Would you like someone to accompany you?” he asks her. “The way back for us is relatively straightforward from here, and we could probably spare a Warden.”

“Nah. Just a quick stop in to see someone about a thing…”

“Will you still be needing my assistance?” Shale asks.

“No. But thanks for helping…with the other thing…both of you.” Solona eyes Oghren who grumbles something about ingratitude and “...still seems wrong…” but he shuts his mouth when her look of acknowledgement begins to turn into more of a pointed glare.

“Well, I feel no great compulsion to visit a Warden fortress,” Shale rumbles indignantly.

“Then, I dunno…feel free to go and do whatever it is you feel compelled to do.”

“I shall head to Orlais, then. I hear the buildings there are made of fine marble and gilded with precious materials mined by my ancestors. I should like to see them for myself. And ensure that they are kept unmolested and unsullied by pigeons."

“Give Leli a big old kiss for me, then, will you?”

“Don’t be disgusting.”

#wip wednesday #dragon age #shale #solona amell #oghren #stroud #loghain #warden hawke #solona married leliana during awakening and then promptly fucked off into the deep roads #to do warden things #and by warden things i mean questionably ethical blood magic experiments with the architect and avernus and her own weird dad #probably #morrigan might have helped a bit #my writing

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