The Quadriheximals
Kayden had a decent headstart, or at least he thought so. He was pretty confident in his running ability, and he was pretty fast for his age. He had almost made it there when Jennifer leaped and took him to the ground.
They tumbled down the hill, and Kayden was pretty sure he accidentally ate a blade of grass.
That was fine. Probably.
They fell to the ground, and sat there, inches apart. It was nice, but Kayden was pretty sure he was panting in her face, trying to regain his breath. He looked away and caught his wind.
He looked at her and smiled. They were alone, next to each other, on a nice day...
He wondered what they were now. Were they in a relationship? Were they friends? Then, he reminded himself, friends don't usually act like this. Something was needed to seal it. To make it final...
He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, one that undoubtedly fell through her braid when they rolled down the hill. He looked into her misty blue-ish eyes. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Closing his eyes, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. They were warm.
It felt right.
@Jennifer King
They tumbled down the hill, and Kayden was pretty sure he accidentally ate a blade of grass.
That was fine. Probably.
They fell to the ground, and sat there, inches apart. It was nice, but Kayden was pretty sure he was panting in her face, trying to regain his breath. He looked away and caught his wind.
He looked at her and smiled. They were alone, next to each other, on a nice day...
He wondered what they were now. Were they in a relationship? Were they friends? Then, he reminded himself, friends don't usually act like this. Something was needed to seal it. To make it final...
He pushed a strand of hair out of her face, one that undoubtedly fell through her braid when they rolled down the hill. He looked into her misty blue-ish eyes. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Closing his eyes, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. They were warm.
It felt right.
@Jennifer King
"The Hufflepuffs stayed, not for glory like their Gryffindor friends, but out of a sense of duty."
_-J.K Rowling
The Quadriheximals
Eleanor had been trying to do mix her personal goal of mapping out Hogwarts and finishing her homework in time, something that was a bit tiring to do but she managed, somehow. She didn't count on stuff like moving stairs, stubborn paintings or restricted areas to mess with her mapping. It irked her a bit but she didn't mind the challenge at all! Explorers had to face stuff like this all the time, except in the non-magical category, she guessed. Most of the time, she spent her break mapping out a specific room or reading up on magical discoveries, something that made her pretty busy. It took her a few maps before she decided to take a break from mapping, something that was easier said than done, considering she was also bringing her maps to the grounds. She was just going to do a quick check-up and maybe write a bit in her journal unless something interesting piqued her curiosity, which happened often considering Hogwarts wasn't your average school.
The girl trudged along at the grounds with a bundle of maps in hand and a skip on her step. She had decided wear a T-shirt and jeans with her locket dangling from her neck with sneakers and her glasses were tilted like always. Eleanor glanced around with a smile. She loved being outside. The clouds had some funny shapes that made her wonder whether it was normal or magic's doing. The sun was nice and warm and the others were having their own fun.ome kids in particular got her attention, since she could recognize them, if a bit. She needed to get closer! The girl picked up speed, trying not to drop her maps. The closer she got, she could see the faces clearly..They were Jenny and Kay! A grin suddenly appeared on her face. She had seen them individually a few times and she was a Gryffindor with Rhea but the other two were of different houses and their weird ragtag friend group hadn't been together since they were in the train so she was really happy to see them. As she got closer, howerver she saw something that made her stop in her tracks.
Kayden and Jenny were kissing
The freckled girl's eyes widened and her mouth was agape in silence as she dropped her maps in shock before letting out a loud squeal and started hopping around in exitement. They kissed! They totally kissed! "WOAH! You guys are so-so-so-so CUTE! Does this mean my advice worked? Are you guys totally dating now or were you already dating? I can't believe you guys actually KISSED!" Eleanor squealed once more as she rambled on in excitement before taking a deep breath "Whoopsies! Kinda sorta got carried away here, hehe..But still" She squealed again.. She could very much NOT believe this!
@Jennifer King @Kayden Lind @Rhea Miller
The girl trudged along at the grounds with a bundle of maps in hand and a skip on her step. She had decided wear a T-shirt and jeans with her locket dangling from her neck with sneakers and her glasses were tilted like always. Eleanor glanced around with a smile. She loved being outside. The clouds had some funny shapes that made her wonder whether it was normal or magic's doing. The sun was nice and warm and the others were having their own fun.ome kids in particular got her attention, since she could recognize them, if a bit. She needed to get closer! The girl picked up speed, trying not to drop her maps. The closer she got, she could see the faces clearly..They were Jenny and Kay! A grin suddenly appeared on her face. She had seen them individually a few times and she was a Gryffindor with Rhea but the other two were of different houses and their weird ragtag friend group hadn't been together since they were in the train so she was really happy to see them. As she got closer, howerver she saw something that made her stop in her tracks.
Kayden and Jenny were kissing
The freckled girl's eyes widened and her mouth was agape in silence as she dropped her maps in shock before letting out a loud squeal and started hopping around in exitement. They kissed! They totally kissed! "WOAH! You guys are so-so-so-so CUTE! Does this mean my advice worked? Are you guys totally dating now or were you already dating? I can't believe you guys actually KISSED!" Eleanor squealed once more as she rambled on in excitement before taking a deep breath "Whoopsies! Kinda sorta got carried away here, hehe..But still" She squealed again.. She could very much NOT believe this!
@Jennifer King @Kayden Lind @Rhea Miller
"Discovery is it's own magic"
Eleanor Locklear
The Quadriheximals
Jenny could see that Kayden was amused. Also, he had some dirt on him. Jenny took a gulp of air and laughed. That was fun. "You've got dirt on your face- just right there-" She gestured to her own chin to show him where it was on his. She couldn't imagine how much grass was in her hair right now.
She began to think- normal friends don't act like this. What does that make us? Just then, Kayden brushed a strand of hair from her face. Somewhat similar to the move he made last night. If this was going to happen, Jenny was not going to jump away. Kayden held her gaze for a moment, and Jenny could hear her heart beating. He leaned in. Jenny closed her eyes as their lips met.
It was done. It was final. It was perfect. It felt perfect. After a few moments- Jenny pulled away, her eyes shining. Normal kids would never kiss at this age. But at Hogwarts, nothing was normal. It didn't feel weird to have a boyfriend at this age. They had grown up, even if they didn't want to. "That was... perfect. I liked that Kayden Lind." She smiled.
She jumped. "Eleanor! OH MY GOD! Be quiet!" She said in a playful way. Her face was bright red.
@Kayden Lind @Eleanor Locklear @Rhea Miller
She began to think- normal friends don't act like this. What does that make us? Just then, Kayden brushed a strand of hair from her face. Somewhat similar to the move he made last night. If this was going to happen, Jenny was not going to jump away. Kayden held her gaze for a moment, and Jenny could hear her heart beating. He leaned in. Jenny closed her eyes as their lips met.
It was done. It was final. It was perfect. It felt perfect. After a few moments- Jenny pulled away, her eyes shining. Normal kids would never kiss at this age. But at Hogwarts, nothing was normal. It didn't feel weird to have a boyfriend at this age. They had grown up, even if they didn't want to. "That was... perfect. I liked that Kayden Lind." She smiled.
She jumped. "Eleanor! OH MY GOD! Be quiet!" She said in a playful way. Her face was bright red.
@Kayden Lind @Eleanor Locklear @Rhea Miller
“You're a strange person.” “I prefer the term fabulously weird.”
-Alex Fierro
The Quadriheximals
They broke away, and Kayden noticed Eleanor stumble up to them. "Hey shh. Eleanor, quiet."
He smiled then looked at Jennifer.
"Guess the secrets out."
He looked at Eleanor.
"What are you doing here?"
He said flustered, as he pushed some strands of hair out from behind his face. He looked around but didn't see anyone staring. They were in a generally deserted area of the grounds, which was sad because you had a great view of the castle from this point. The wind had died down, and Kayden was still mildly out of breath. He swallowed, then laid back down.
The last couple of minutes swam in his head. From the moment they sat together, to when they were lying on the ground, to when... Eleanor appeared. He loved that girl, but sometimes she was really good at killing the mood. Not that she knew she was doing that of course. She had way too much innocence.
Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Kayden still wished he had some of that attached sometimes.
He leaned on Jenny and looked at the fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky on the warm summer afternoon.
He looked at Eleanor.
"Let's just say your Spanish pickup lines worked."
@Jennifer King
@Eleanor Locklear
He smiled then looked at Jennifer.
"Guess the secrets out."
He looked at Eleanor.
"What are you doing here?"
He said flustered, as he pushed some strands of hair out from behind his face. He looked around but didn't see anyone staring. They were in a generally deserted area of the grounds, which was sad because you had a great view of the castle from this point. The wind had died down, and Kayden was still mildly out of breath. He swallowed, then laid back down.
The last couple of minutes swam in his head. From the moment they sat together, to when they were lying on the ground, to when... Eleanor appeared. He loved that girl, but sometimes she was really good at killing the mood. Not that she knew she was doing that of course. She had way too much innocence.
Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Kayden still wished he had some of that attached sometimes.
He leaned on Jenny and looked at the fluffy white clouds that dotted the sky on the warm summer afternoon.
He looked at Eleanor.
"Let's just say your Spanish pickup lines worked."
@Jennifer King
@Eleanor Locklear
"The Hufflepuffs stayed, not for glory like their Gryffindor friends, but out of a sense of duty."
_-J.K Rowling
The Quadriheximals
Rhea, naturally, ruined everything.
Today was bound to be terrible anyway. The sun was blinding; the clouds, though present, provided no shield this time, so long shafts of light beamed down from the heavens like they were trying to irritate her. She had half a mind to skip her morning walk due to this, but Rhea was no quitter. She shed her cloak and went out in her uniform skirt and a light sweater, triumphant at the discovery of this loophole and also that she had managed to muster the willpower necessary for this.
On her way back, she caught sight of Jennifer and Kayden from the train, racing across the grounds. She watched them for a moment, contemplating approaching them, until Jennifer tackled Kayden in a rather violent hug, and they rolled down the hill together.
It began to occur to Rhea that she was not welcome here. Nonetheless, she stepped closer, still unnoticed by the couple.
They kissed. Or rather, Kayden kissed Jenny, and she did not run away. Rhea almost scoffed. She most certainly would have. Kissing was the most disgusting thing she could imagine. Did they know how many germs they were spreading to each other? The Gryffindor shuddered. Thank goodness she had never had to go through anything like that.
Rhea was startled when Eleanor Locklear burst into her line of vision, rambling ecstatically to both of them. They seemed a little awkward, but not unhappy to see her. Well, if Elena was there, why not Rhea? The mood was already vanished. What was the worst that could happen?
She walked towards them, her confidence strengthening by the moment. It was the Quadriheximals! They were all friends! The worst thing she could do had almost certainly already been done on the train.
"Hello!" she said, trying to act as casual as she could. "I saw you two, erm, getting... together..."
What?! What was that? Rhea was very close to comically slapping her forehead. "Er, I mean, congrats! You guys are great. Together. Apart? Well, I don't particularly like either of you. But together! You deserve each other."
She needed to stop. Somehow she had forgotten entirely how to socialise.
"I am very sorry." No, she wasn't supposed to apologise for everything. That made her seem weak. "I mean, I am not. I stand by what I said. I hate- ahem, strongly dislike- both of you. Except not you, Eleanor."
No! Rhea, you blithering idiot! Rhea clenched her jaw. "Look, my point is, I'm glad it worked out between you guys. Girls. Girl and guy. Not that I have anything against two girls or two guys being together. Actually, I do. But I also have something against a guy and a girl being together. I just hate romance. You know what?" She cleared her throat. "Just forget I said anything. I will be on my way now."
She turned to leave, her face burning. Surely Jennifer would resent her even more now, though not not nearly as much as she resented herself.
@Jennifer King @Kayden Lind @Eleanor Locklear
It is often said that fortune favors the bold;
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
The Quadriheximals
It's the whole group. Rhea came down the hill and started talking. This was awkward. "Hm? OH, hey..." Jenny should of known.Fate really is mean. "Getting together? What?" She raised her eyebrows. "Together." Jenny sat with a bored face, cutting in here and again. "I don't like you either." Boy, Rhea was awkward. "You're so- you're not sorry? For what even?" Jenny's eyebrows pushed together.
" Aw! I hate- oh sorry- strongly dislike you too, Rhea." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Jenny nodded as if Rhea had a point when she mentioned she didn't hate Eleanor. "Why are you talking about two girls or two guys now? So- you have something against happiness. I guess." Jenny looked at Eleanor and then at Kayden. What? She mouthed. But then Rhea turned to leave.
As much as this was all corny and embarrassing, they were a group now. And they had a name which meant it was official. "Rhea, I speak on behalf of the group, not me to be clear. But don't leave. Like Lenny and Kayden said on the train, fate brought us together. I have no idea why, I've had enough proof to believe fate is delusional- but it did. And clearly, fate doesn't want to keep us apart. Which is why we are all here together. Right now. At a weird moment. Because fate is feeling extra mean today. But still, stay. How's it been with you guys?"
@Rhea Miller @Eleanor Locklear @Kayden Lind
" Aw! I hate- oh sorry- strongly dislike you too, Rhea." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. Jenny nodded as if Rhea had a point when she mentioned she didn't hate Eleanor. "Why are you talking about two girls or two guys now? So- you have something against happiness. I guess." Jenny looked at Eleanor and then at Kayden. What? She mouthed. But then Rhea turned to leave.
As much as this was all corny and embarrassing, they were a group now. And they had a name which meant it was official. "Rhea, I speak on behalf of the group, not me to be clear. But don't leave. Like Lenny and Kayden said on the train, fate brought us together. I have no idea why, I've had enough proof to believe fate is delusional- but it did. And clearly, fate doesn't want to keep us apart. Which is why we are all here together. Right now. At a weird moment. Because fate is feeling extra mean today. But still, stay. How's it been with you guys?"
@Rhea Miller @Eleanor Locklear @Kayden Lind
“You're a strange person.” “I prefer the term fabulously weird.”
-Alex Fierro
The Quadriheximals
Hmmm. Fate. How odd that something that these people clearly knew nothing about was the reason that she was permitted to stay. She automatically reviewed her knowledge of the word "fate", of its meaning and origin.
Firstly, she did not believe in fate. Fate was a philosophical concept, and had originated as something mythological or supernatural, which, well, she didn't not believe in. After all, she had seen ghosts with her own eyes. But fate had been more of a... prophetic thing. Defying the laws of science and also just the laws of basic living. While Rhea believed in magic, she also believed in science, and in the fact that those two could coexist in the same universe. She believed that science set the limit for what was possible, and then magic defied those limits. There could be no magic without science.
Fate was magical, but in a different way. One that Rhea felt was just an excuse to get away with stuff. It fell into the lane of astrology.
Also.
You couldn't believe in fate... just applying to one particular situation. That wasn't how fate worked. You had to believe in it all, that everything that happened to you was predetermined. You couldn't just express a belief when it was convenient for you.
Then again, why was she complaining? It had worked out well for her.
She smiled a little at the thought that she wasn't explicitly big-headed, but her thoughts were pretentious enough that ego was definitely among her personality traits. Egoism? Egotisticalism? Whatever.
"I don't deserve that," she said to Jennifer. "But I appreciate it. Thank you."
The Gryffindor seated herself, then scooted away a little, because physical closeness made her uncomfortable. She surveyed them, and was surprised to experience a bit of happiness. They were, after all, the Quadreheximals.
@Jennifer King @Eleanor Locklear @Kayden Lind
It is often said that fortune favors the bold;
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
The Quadriheximals
"Hehe, sorry! I'm just so happy!" Elena's smile brightened as she held in another squeal. She felt so happy for them! It was always so cute, people in love. That meant they were dating right? The thought reminded her of Daisy and her dad, making a slight glint of sadness appear in her eyes for a moment before she shook her head. No no! No time to think about that! She had to be happy, not sad! This was a happy occasion, right? Yeah! She shouldn't compare! "I came here 'cause I needed to map out the place!" She said, gesturing to the maps she then proceeded to pick up "This place is super huge, y'know? It's gonna take almost the whole school year and maybe more to map it out completely!" She giggled and adjusted her glasses with her free hand. At the mention that her pick-up lines worked, she beamed at Kayden and winked "Ha! I knew they would totally come in handy!"
Rhea's arrival was kind of a surprise to Elena, since she hadn't seen her when she arrived or maybe she hadn't really spotted her at all. The brunnette grinned and waved at the fellow Gryffindor and giggled at her attempts to congratulate them. From what she saw, Rhea didn't really like Jennifer and the feeling was mutual but Kayden and her..They didn't exactly hate eachother but they didn't really like eachother either? To put it simply, it was awkward between the two. Eleanor's smile turned into one of slight confusion as Rhea stumbled on her words and eventually made a point that she wasn't all for the romantic stuff and Jenny kinda made a rude comment about it, earning a raised brow from the brunette "I wouldn't mind being with either a girl or a guy!" Elena said with a smile in an attempt to lighten up the mood. It didn't seem to work since Rhea started to leave "Ah-Wait Riri! Don't go yet!" She said as she stepped infront of the other, maps in hand and nodded to Jenny's words "Yeah! We should all totally hang out! Even though I don't really believe in fate but sure!" She took a seat next to Rhea and put down her maps to free her hands before patting to the floor next to her, which made a most likely coincidental circle around them."Well, I've been super busy with mapping stuff! It's way way harder than I expected because this place is so huge and unlike what you said, Kay the moving pictures are still super cool to me! Also, the stairs are constantly switchy and make it a bit hard to map out but I'm all for the challenge!" She grinned "Whoops, I'm rambling again, aren't I? Sorry about that!" She giggled and sheepishly scratched her freckled cheek
@Rhea Miller @Kayden Lind @Jennifer King
Rhea's arrival was kind of a surprise to Elena, since she hadn't seen her when she arrived or maybe she hadn't really spotted her at all. The brunnette grinned and waved at the fellow Gryffindor and giggled at her attempts to congratulate them. From what she saw, Rhea didn't really like Jennifer and the feeling was mutual but Kayden and her..They didn't exactly hate eachother but they didn't really like eachother either? To put it simply, it was awkward between the two. Eleanor's smile turned into one of slight confusion as Rhea stumbled on her words and eventually made a point that she wasn't all for the romantic stuff and Jenny kinda made a rude comment about it, earning a raised brow from the brunette "I wouldn't mind being with either a girl or a guy!" Elena said with a smile in an attempt to lighten up the mood. It didn't seem to work since Rhea started to leave "Ah-Wait Riri! Don't go yet!" She said as she stepped infront of the other, maps in hand and nodded to Jenny's words "Yeah! We should all totally hang out! Even though I don't really believe in fate but sure!" She took a seat next to Rhea and put down her maps to free her hands before patting to the floor next to her, which made a most likely coincidental circle around them."Well, I've been super busy with mapping stuff! It's way way harder than I expected because this place is so huge and unlike what you said, Kay the moving pictures are still super cool to me! Also, the stairs are constantly switchy and make it a bit hard to map out but I'm all for the challenge!" She grinned "Whoops, I'm rambling again, aren't I? Sorry about that!" She giggled and sheepishly scratched her freckled cheek
@Rhea Miller @Kayden Lind @Jennifer King
"Discovery is it's own magic"
Eleanor Locklear
The Quadriheximals
It occurred to Rhea that out of the four of them, Elena was the least egotistical. Jennifer believed she was better than people because of her blood status. Kayden believed he was better than people (perhaps not explicitly like the girls, but from what Rhea had gathered about him) because of his maturity. Rhea believed she was better than people because of her intelligence. And Eleanor... Eleanor was sweet, and lighthearted, and humble. She deserved better friends than them. That saddened Rhea a bit.
Apart from that, the other thing that had vaguely registered as new information was the fact that Lenny liked both boys and girls. Rhea supposed she had known that was a possibility, but had never met anyone who felt that way. Anyhow, that wasn't the part that had caught her attention. If someone could like everyone, was it possible to like no one?
Okay, she was aware that she was just eleven, and most people at that age did not experience any romantic attraction (although Jennifer and Kayden were clear exceptions). But it felt somehow different for her. Like, utterly unfathomable that she could ever fancy someone in that way. People... she tolerated them, even enjoyed their company sometimes, but the prospect of consistent physical closeness and (God forbid) kissing - it made her shudder. She knew her mind, and she knew that it would take a real miracle for her to want a romantic relationship with someone.
Perhaps she should ask about it. Maybe they were moving on from that subject, so she felt she had no choice but to speak up now.
"Yes, that's terrific," she said, trying to sound more interested than she felt. Truthfully, mapping out Hogwarts seemed like a fascinating (if not futile) project, but when Rhea had something particular on her mind, thinking about anything else was near impossible. "Hmmm, yes, the staircases have got me all mixed up too. I would love to hear more about it soon." She cleared her throat. "Er, random thought. You said you wouldn't mind being with either a girl or guy? Is it- Can you-" Well, this was turning out to be harder than she had anticipated. "I mean, I know you can fancy girls, and fancy boys, and even both, and all the other genders, but can you... can you like none? Is that a possibility too? I just... you seem to..." This part was going to be hard to say. She bit her tongue, then let go. "You seem to know more about this than I do," she confessed, forcing the words out, trying to keep herself emotionless. "And I... am asking for your help, because I do not know, and I want to."
Perfectly reasonable. Why, then, did Rhea still feel like an idiot?
@Eleanor Locklear @Kayden Lind @Jennifer King
It is often said that fortune favors the bold;
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
If only fortune determined how stories unfold.
Fearless | Sta 6 • Eva 6 • Str 4 • Wis 8 • ArcP 5 • Acc 6
The Quadriheximals
Elena tilted her head at Rhea's question, a small, patient and slightly amused smile in her face as she slighty stumbled through her words. But her interest was still there, definately. So Rhea wanted to know if it was possible to like no-one? Well, she hadn't exactly known anyone like that but she thought it could happen. "Of course! If someone can like both and others, who's to say not liking anyone isn't an option?" She giggled and shook her head "I don't know much about that kinda stuff! I just know what Sil tells me or how I think things are. Like how I found out that trampolines don't always save you from falls or that the cake is sometimes the truth as well as a lie!" She smiled at the memories of her getting in scrapes and misadventures with Bertie and the others. It had been a while since she saw her Brazilian friend and felt a bit bad that she couldn't tell her about the whole 'she's a witch' business. It made her wonder how Bertie would react. She would probably make a huge deal about it and beg for maps and stories. Elena felt her smile falter a bit. She really missed her bestie and wondered how she was doing. Hopefully she didn't forget her after all this time..
"A-Anyways, that's what I think atleast! If you don't like anyone like that, it's completely fine!" She said, smiling again. It wasn't a completely honest smile but she didn't want to worry anyone here. Her hand was instinctively gripping her locket, something she sometimes did when she was dwelling too much in the past or other not so happy things. Elena adjusted her glasses and sighed with a shake of her head. Come on, don't think about that now! You'll probably see her again sometime right? No time to dwell on it. "Have any one of you ever tried catching the floating candles before? They're so impossibly high! I wonder if they float all the time or they kinda like change them. Doesn't the wax run out if they don't get replaced or is it some kind of magic wax?"
@Jennifer King
@Rhea Miller
@Kayden Lind
"A-Anyways, that's what I think atleast! If you don't like anyone like that, it's completely fine!" She said, smiling again. It wasn't a completely honest smile but she didn't want to worry anyone here. Her hand was instinctively gripping her locket, something she sometimes did when she was dwelling too much in the past or other not so happy things. Elena adjusted her glasses and sighed with a shake of her head. Come on, don't think about that now! You'll probably see her again sometime right? No time to dwell on it. "Have any one of you ever tried catching the floating candles before? They're so impossibly high! I wonder if they float all the time or they kinda like change them. Doesn't the wax run out if they don't get replaced or is it some kind of magic wax?"
@Jennifer King
@Rhea Miller
@Kayden Lind
"Discovery is it's own magic"
Eleanor Locklear