It’s exactly that. I mostly remembered that re-reading volume 1 of Bad Machinery (really gotta get on the rest I just forgot how emotionally devistating the series can be and i’m reluctant to get to chapter 3).

It also reminded me Linton… could be a bit of a jerk. I assume he gets better as the chapters go on but he did have a habit of needling jack and Sonny. But it felt realistic, as he’s the most traditionally masculine of the three and hadn’t gorwn enough to understand being senstive isn’t a cause for teasing. The childishly calling the girl who annoys him potty fit. Yet he feels evolved form previous mild jerk milford from Scary Go Round, as while he’ll needle jack, he’s there when his mate needs him and vice versa. Same with Sonny. Linton could be blunt and sarcastic, and ocasionally miopic in his goals, but he genuinely cares about the other mystery kids.

It’s a sign of both growth and love he showed up. He didn’t get a whole story to clean up the rift that had grown between him and Lottie the way Mildred and Shauna did. Yet all it took was one text from shauna (and a not so unfair reimbursment for his train ticket), to get him to go to Scotland to help and a quick talk to get past the wounds left from the mystery kids breaking up. My baby boy is all grown up and it’s heartwarming to see. Same with all the kids so far..except jack but that’s less because he’s grown up and more because he’s stuck in a high concept waking nightmare with no clear way out.