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dont-offend-the-bees · 2 days

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The Kind of Light That Means Just Love (When My Baby Smiles at Me)

Had a prompt in writing group today and felt moved to write a sweet little Charles/Edwin fic! 1.4k, no warnings ^_^

Also readable on Ao3 (for registered users only - sorry, it's a last-ditch flimsy anti-AI scraping measure!)

Click!

Edwin blinked, partly in surprise – partly to dislodge the blots in his vision left behind by the sudden, rapid flash of white light that had danced across the pages of his book. He looked up to find the culprit grinning at him from across the room.

“Charles,” Edwin admonished, gently closing his book with a finger tucked between the pages to hold his place. “I have asked you to stop fooling around with that contraption and get some work done.”

“I have been!” Charles defended, gesturing broadly at the higgledy-piggledy array of items around him. Evidently, taking stock of the contents of his bag of tricks was an expansive task. “Taking a break.” He snatched the small square of paper from the Polaroid camera and began to shake it with abandon.

Edwin rolled his eyes. Ever since they’d acquired that camera as payment for a job ‘well jobbed’, Charles had scarcely put it down. Edwin, admittedly, had been intrigued by it at the start – it was certainly a testament to how far photographic technology had advanced since his own life and subsequent death. It was quite fascinating; seeing the slow, hulking monstrosities he’d been forced to sit rigidly still in front of for aeons in his youth, compressed into such a portable and efficient form. But after a few days of study, digging around in its component parts, comparing its output to that of sepia-tinted newspaper clippings from his day – as well as the baffling digital displays on Niko’s portable telephone – the novelty had worn off, and he’d turned his attention to more pressing matters.

But Charles remained enamoured. He’d had the thing slung round his neck for at least a week, and showed no signs of taking it off anytime soon.

The amateur photographer in question grinned infectiously, as the chemicals on the paper settled. “Ah, yeah. That’s a good one, that.”

He held it up proudly, and Edwin was treated to a lovingly framed image of the chair in which he sat, with an open book floating above it.

“I hardly see why you bother,” said Edwin, crossing his legs the other way and letting the book fall open on his knee. “Neither of us show up in photographs. I highly doubt that’s going to change with repeated exposures.” And a good thing, too, as Edwin hadn’t consented to be photographed in just his rolled-up shirtsleeves. His states of improper dress were quite strictly reserved for quiet, studious evenings in the privacy of their rooms; unlike Charles, he had standards with regard to flashing every dip and plane God gave him in mixed company.

“Well. Thought that counts, innit?” Charles bounced to his feet and over to the secondary cork board that had recently been added to the office. Unlike the first, which was full of case notes and theories, this one was exclusively populated by Charles’ photographic whims. The only faces that appeared were those of their living friends – Crystal, Niko, even one snap of Jenny wearing stiff shoulders and a reluctant grimace while Niko hugged her from the side.

Charles and Edwin featured only in the notable absences. Empty chairs, floating objects, the spaces between their friends in the group shots. The only one in which they were ‘visible’, by a loose definition of the word, was the one where Charles had insisted they cut eye holes out of white sheets and drape them over their heads. “Like Beetlejuice!” He’d said; and he’d sounded so excited that Edwin hadn’t even asked him why on earth one would juice a beetle, or what it had to do with playing dress-up.

The new photo found its home amongst a cluster of similar absent Edwins – a floating magnifying glass, an empty desk, a hand of Cluedo cards with no holder. “Brills,” Charles grinned, stepping back and crossing his arms to admire his collection.

“I really don’t see the point of this exercise,” said Edwin. “Who’d even know that’s a picture of someone?”

“I know, don’t I? I can look at these and be like –“ he pointed at the floating magnifying glass image – “That’s the time Edwin got all fussy about Niko’s rent contract ‘cause he thought her landlord was pulling a fast one. And this –“ his finger moved to the Cluedo cards – “This is the time Edwin knew what the answer was for forty bloody minutes, but he held off on making his accusation because he wanted to watch me go round and round in circles, like a knob. See what I mean?”

“Is your point that you keep these as evidence for blackmail?” Edwin asked.

“No, point is, I remember.” Charles tapped his forehead. “Got it all in here. Don’t need a bloody photo to remind me what you look like, do I? Seen you every day for the last thirty years.” He cast Edwin a flippant smile, soft round the edges like the warm browns of his hooded eyes. “Know your face better than I know my own.”

Edwin ducked his head, tamping down on the peculiar feeling in his face and stomach. Like an abrupt upset of the humours – an anomaly of the ectoplasm. At least, that’s how he would’ve characterised it some months or years ago. Now, he was more than painfully aware that it was probably more akin to the spectral equivalent of… blushing. Lord help him.

“Then why take the photographs at all?” Edwin pressed, setting his book aside and giving Charles his full attention. He winced at the sharp tone of his own voice. It was quite unintentional – he had no desire to judge, only to understand.

Fortunately, Charles knew his voice as well as his face. He shrugged, unoffended, eyes roving over his collection. “We’re still here, ain’t we? Not alive, but… we should have memories too, yeah?” He reached out, twitching the corner of a photo. One of Edwin – or the absence of him. Him and Niko, that is. Edwin remembered it well; remembered Niko perching birdlike on the arm of his chair, hugging his arm, nudging her head against his and beaming for the camera. She’d insisted he pose his fingers alongside hers, although in the end result of course only hers were visible. One half of a broken heart.

“Shouldn’t just be for the living, should it?” said Charles, smiling that strange, sad little smile of his at the picture. The one he was so careful not to let people see. “Making new memories to keep.”

Edwin rose, stepping carefully over Charles’ assorted chaos to join him at the board; and Charles watched his advance with that easy, open curiosity on his face. When Edwin’s hands clasped around the camera strap, Charles bowed his head and let him take the device without a fight.

Sometimes, his trust felt as real and visceral in Edwin’s hands as a living, beating heart. But now wasn’t the time for poetics.

Quickly reacquainting himself with the various switches, Edwin held the viewfinder to his eye, framed his shot, and took the snap. Charles did a remarkably good job at not flinching with the flash – but Edwin supposed this style of photography had been more commonplace in his lifetime. He just stood and watched, bemused, as Edwin retrieved the photograph and gave it three short, sharp shakes.

When the image of their photo board revealed itself, not a Charles to be seen despite the fact the camera had been pointed squarely at him, Edwin cocked his head and contemplated it. He had to concede that Charles had a point; though there was no Charles in the photo, Edwin could easily fill in the gaps himself. How could he not? He’d watched the white light paint Charles’ familiar, beloved features; highlighting the amused twitch of his lip, the fond warmth in his eyes. The glint of his gold chain against his white vest, cutting stark across the warm tones of his skin. The confused acceptance with which he’d stood perfectly calmly, waiting for Edwin’s motives to reveal themselves.

Edwin stepped up to the board and held out his hand. Wordlessly, Charles dropped a drawing pin into his palm.

“This,” said Edwin, glancing sidelong at Charles as he carefully pinned the photo up beside the silly shot of the two of them in their butchered bedsheets. “Is the time Charles made a surprising amount of sense; whilst talking utter nonsense.”

Charles smiled, brighter than a camera flash; the after-image of which Edwin would be carrying on the backs of his eyes for days to come.

Hope you liked it! Comments and reblogs are super duper appreciated! ^_^ 💛

I have no idea if I'm gonna write/post more fic for these guys, tbh my interest is relatively casual atm and my time/concentration is limited, plus at any given moment I may be lured in by the siren call of horror movie fic on my alt account. But they're very sweet and I have the odd plot bunny so we'll see!

#dead boy detectives #payneland #charles rowland #edwin payne #my fanfic #this goes out to the DGHDA folks I've seen dipping their toes in the Dead Boys fandom I see you and I love you and miss you #also if any of you want my horror alt you can DM me and promise not to reveal my secret identity to a living soul lmao #I wanted to come up with a more whimsical title but my whimsical title muscles are rusty #been a long time since the Dirk days!#and this song is Perf frankly because have you SEEN the way Charles smiles? Fucking adorable. Absolutely blinding.#I get you Edwin I would have fallen like a tonne of bricks too

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tokenducks · 1 month

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There’s something to be said about how Edwin was killed by a group of boys who wanted to mess with him meeting Charles who is dying in an attic, cold and alone, because he wanted to stop his friends from hurting another kid

#no wonder Edwin never considered Charles could be worried about being a bad guy #he’s the first good thing Edwin’s ever had #dead boy detectives #edwin payne #charles rowland

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asidian · 5 days

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I've seen a lot of really excellent analysis on Charles' reaction to Edwin's confession, but there's a huge aspect that I haven't seen talked about at all yet. And that is, namely:

Charles Rowland is a people-pleaser.

Doesn't seem like there's a connection there, does it? Have a seat, my friends. Let me break this down.

The show lays the groundwork for this aspect of Charles' personality early. It's one of the very first things we learn about him, in fact. He's kind and agreeable and helpful, and he's always, always smiling. When Crystal insults him, he laughs it off. When Crystal and Edwin fight, he scrambles to diffuse the situation. He calls himself "a good sort of a chap," and it's important to him that he is.

In episode 3, we find out why. At home, love was always conditional for him. He spent his entire life trying to please his father, and he confesses to Crystal that no matter how nice he was, or how good at sports, it was never enough. That's how Charles sees the world. If he can make people happy, he might actually be good enough for them to love him.

Not only didn't he earn his father's affection, he didn't even manage, in his own eyes, to clear the low bar of being good enough to earn the privilege of not being hurt. And his mother, he says, was "quiet." From the flashback we see, she never stepped in for him or defended him. However hard he was trying, it wasn't enough to get her to intervene on his behalf.

So who else does he have? His "friends"? The ones who literally murder him when he steps in to stop them from doing a terrible thing? The act he put on wasn't enough to win them over in the end, either. However friendly he was, however personable, they turned on him and left him for dead.

Then he meets Edwin.

And when he meets Edwin, he's at his absolute lowest. He's not smiling and putting on a show, for once. He's in a corner of an attic cowering while he slowly freezes to death. But here comes Edwin, offering him kindness, and company, and comfort.

All these things that Charles has spent his whole life chasing, trying to be good enough to earn? Edwin just gives them to him.

Of course he stays with this boy. Edwin is there when he's lost in the dark, shining a light to guide the way. Edwin has seen him unsmiling and afraid, not a shred of his usual act in place, and Edwin has offered him kindness anyway.

So they begin their time together. And what are the things Charles will pick up on almost immediately?

Edwin says right away that he's spent ages in hell. He's plainly had an awful time. He doesn't know how to handle people anymore, but Charles, he knows how to be amiable, how to smile, how to offer levity when things get grim.

So he does. He falls back into what he thinks Edwin needs, the way he always tried to be what his father wanted to see. In the very first episode, he tells Crystal, "I try to be extra happy for all of us, don't I? And I do a pretty good job."

He doesn't ever discuss his own trauma because these boys are terrible at communication, but more than that. He doesn't ever bring it up because he's busy being the support he thinks Edwin needs.

And importantly, Charles doesn't have the self-reflection skills to realize that's what he's doing. Crystal clocks him with shocking accuracy, three episodes in. "He's been hiding it from you," she tells Edwin. "Probably been hiding it from himself." She's spot-on here: when Charles doesn't want to examine his own emotions, or can't face them, he shoves them down under a smile and he carries on pretending.

But that's not the only thing Charles will have picked up on from Edwin.

It's blindingly obvious that Edwin is bad at people. He's terribly repressed. He's from a culture in which emotional honesty and physical affection were not valued or encouraged. But more than any of that, Edwin has his sexual awakening during the events of the show. Before then, he is absolutely clueless about his own wants.

So we have a situation where a consummate people-pleaser who has spent his entire life learning that he has to earn affection finds his way into a friendship with the first person who ever saw him with his mask down and gave him kindness anyway.

Of course he stays with this boy. Of course he wants to keep this.

And what's the best way Charles knows to win someone over? Well, by being what he thinks they want.

So, out come the smiles, for Edwin's sake as much as his own. But more importantly, out comes whatever Charles thinks he needs to perform, in order to keep what is the single most important relationship in his entire life and afterlife.

At this point, Edwin has shown zero romantic or sexual interest, not just in Charles, but in anyone at all. He doesn't especially seem inclined to dating, or to romance, or even to physical affection.

So Charles takes his cues from Edwin, and the cues are very firmly, for thirty years: this boy doesn't have a glimmer of interest in him, not that way.

Fast-forward to the events of the show. Fast-forward to a staircase in hell, where they are being chased by a literal demon. Suddenly his best mate, who he has spent thirty years with, who is his most important person in the world, is saying that he's in love with him.

Of course he needs a minute. Of course he has to sort that through. Any feelings he has for Edwin are things that he has spent literal decades firmly ignoring in the scramble to try and earn affection by being what he thinks Edwin needs him to be.

Because Charles is a people-pleaser at heart. And he may be dreadful at self-reflection, but he is aces at hiding things from himself.

#dead boy detectives #payneland #edwin payne #charles rowland #edwin x charles #dbda #dbda spoilers #meta commentary

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calypso-mbk · 19 days

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Edwin is just. Such an interesting character to think about. Like. This boy is such a kind soul, so kind that his bully fell in love with him, so kind that immediately after escaping hell he comforts a dying boy he'd never met before, so kind that he devotes the rest of his eternal afterlife to giving souls the closure that he never got, so kind that he forgave the person that sacrificed him to a demon - and yet, he sees himself as selfish; only doing good deeds to help himself, to further his own goal of leaving hell behind.

The juxtaposition is somewhat poetic; he gives himself no praise or credit - but hundreds of souls in the afterlife see him as some sort of saviour (like the Devlin girls, for example).

And Charles. Charles. Probably the first person he saw after escaping. A boy just like him, life endangered because a group of boys went too far. Immediately he comforts him, distracts him, and makes the last few hours of his life his best, expecting absolutely nothing in return. And in him, he finds a companion, a loyal partner in crime.

And he falls in love, too.

As soon as he realises, he has to tell Charles - he deserves to know this, that he is not just a friend to Edwin, but something more, someone Edwin once thought impossible, maybe even unspeakable.

Nothing changes, after all of it, but everything changes. Their friendship is stronger than ever, and things they never used to speak about now hang out in the open. They no longer need to hide from Death, and the work they do is finally acknowledged.

Edwin is forced to confront his demons, both literally and figuratively, and we get to see his character grow so much in the span of 8 episodes. Imagine what we could have with another season!

In the end, I simply had a lot of Feelings about our favourite Edwardian twink, and just needed to get it out somehow. If you've read this entire mess of words, congrats. Have a cookie 🍪

#ignore the fact that im basically saying Nothing #but i needed to appreciate Edwin #edwin payne #dead boy detectives

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nebbyy · 1 month

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Can you make more head canons for Baldwin? Like what would he do if you two got into an argument etc etc.

King Baldwin x reader - Arguing with you

A/N: Sure thing sweetie!! I must apologize though, I only did the argument part because I didn't really have much time left and I didn't know what else to add. Hope you'll still like it though!

As always, painting is King Lear, Act I, Scene I by Edwin Austin Abbey :))

Warning: none, literally. Should f!reader a warning? If yes then there's that

Firs of all, Baldwin does not argue with you. He's a pacifist at heart, he always prefers talking things through and negotiate to get out of hard situations. To him, that is a form of respect, the desire to talk as equals and not trying to impose his own will on the other

And since he does that with his enemies, how could he not give you the same treatment? You, who lighten his days darkened by his duties and his sickness, you who save him from the burden of his own thoughts

And even if you tended to be more on the aggressive/prone to arguments side, he still wouldn't budge, and just keep on talking but most of all LISTENING, Baldwin respects you more than anyone else, your thoughts are sacred to him and should be treated as such!

If the argument is about something that he did to upset you, be it an unpleasant comment or a forgotten appointment (only happened once and it was because he had been kept busy by his counselors), he will do anything to make you feel any better

If the argument is about his tendencies to neglect his own health, then good luck with that because his own moral code physically prevents him from letting go of his duties to favor resting and trying to better his condition. Still, he will reassure you with gentle touches and soft words that he understands your worries, and you are the sweetest angel to care so much about him

But he cannot let his kingdom to fend for itself just because of a bad day for his leper body, he will have to wait until the evening to be reunited with you and finally let himself rest, your own anger at his stubborness long gone as you cradle his head on your lap. You still appreciate his soft apologies as you caress his mangled face, though

Now, speaking about what he'll do to make it up to you for any argument- or mostly, things that he did that upset you since he doesn't really argue with you

First of all, he will excuse himself for having upset you in the first place, listening to your every word to understand precisely what exactly it is that he did that he will avoid making again

Then, he will try to get any form of physical contact with you. He needs it, desperately, having been so isolated from any human touch for years other than his physicians'

Hell, he might even kneel for you if it meant having your forgiveness, if it meant being able to hug your legs like the supplicants of the ancient books he read about

If you'll let him get close to you, he'll kiss you all over while he'll keep apologizing and openly reflect on the things that he will change to make it up properly. Kinda reminds me of Gomez and Morticia on that scene (hence the painting I chose)

And after you will have forgiven him, that night he'll hold you a little closer, whispering sweet apologies while you sleep soundly, unaware of how dedicated your husband is to learn from his mistakes

All in all, I really don't see Baldwin as someone you'd ever argue with, but that doesn't stop him from making up for his every mistake like he'd caused you the worst of wrongs

You're his Heaven, and he'll treat you as such

#king baldwin x reader #king baldwin x you #kingdom of heaven #writers on tumblr #headcanons #fluff #my fic #f!reader #reader insert #historical fiction #writing requests #requests open

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bi-bard · 11 days

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If I Could Hold You for a Minute, I'd Go Through It Again - Charles Rowland Imagine [Dead Boy Detectives]

Title: If I Could Hold You for a Minute, I'd Go Through It Again

Pairing: Charles Rowland X Witch!Reader

Based On: Francesca

Word Count: 3,361 words

Warning(s): physical attack, mentions of family trauma/death/injury

Summary: Whoever claimed that risking your life was only for the living had never seen the true devotion of a ghost before.

Author's Note: Wow, Kyli liked another project that was inspired by Neil Gaiman's work... what a surprise. If you have any characters that you want to see, let me know.

Also, I'M HOME! I MADE IT BACK TO YOU GUYS!

**written in third person p.o.v for sake of storytelling**

UNREAL UNEARTH - HOZIER WRITING CHALLENGE MASTERLIST

------------------------

If there was one word that was always used in tandem with (Y/n)'s name, it was chaos.

Or messy.

Or clumsy.

Or wild.

Or any other word that could possibly mean the same thing.

Early on, (Y/n) could excuse it as inexperience. Maybe age would tame whatever beast seemed to be roaring in their brain and their chest. Maybe someone would explain the best way to leash an animal that was so much larger than you.

No one ever did.

Instead, (Y/n) ended up alone. Alone, terrified, and as out of control as ever. A cruel hand had been dealt to them when they were far too young. And now, the teenager was left coping with things that most adults could not handle.

Meeting Edwin and Charles had been the first good thing to happen to (Y/n) ever.

(Y/n)'s isolated life was interrupted quite abruptly by the ghosts. A case had brought the detectives to (Y/n)'s doorstep. They had been wearing disguises at the time, but those were quickly put away when they learned that (Y/n) was a witch.

A partnership of sorts formed between the three of them. With Edwin, it was more sternly a working relationship. He rarely found himself in (Y/n)'s home, especially when there was no case that required their assistance.

With Charles, it was very different. Charles would visit whenever he wanted to. He would usually be the first to ask for help, popping in through a mirror in the main room. He'd take the time to look around the small living space. And when there wasn't a case, he would pop in whenever. It was commonly just as (Y/n) was sitting down to eat or read or do anything.

Charles and (Y/n) developed an interesting friendship. A friendship that was resting precariously on held tongues. Anyone could see how close the two had gotten to crossing the line between friendship and whatever was on the other side. Anyone other than the pair. They were both trapped in a state of denial. Maybe that was for the best for a time.

(Y/n)'s chaos had been largely hidden away from the detectives. Some would call it careful. (Y/n) called it lucky. Incredibly lucky.

And then there was the case of Rory.

Rory was a young spirit. A young but troubled spirit. The boys had been contacted by a friend saying that Rory was becoming violent. The goal was to find what was tying the spirit to this plane and to send them to the other side.

It had all been going well. All things considered, anyway.

The only problem was time. There was this terrifying ticking clock between the trio knowing about the case and the risk of Rory attempting to hurt someone.

(Y/n) had only been there to help find what had been keeping Rory tied to this plane.

It had been going fine. Absolutely fine.

And then, (Y/n) lost control.

There was an intense moment where Edwin and Charles ended up being thrown in different directions. (Y/n) had tried to help. To get the spirit to stop for just long enough for the detectives to recover.

It didn't work.

Something else had overwhelmed (Y/n)'s efforts.

Whatever it had been had hit the spirit straight on. It had angered it... a lot. It ran at a terrified and confused (Y/n), causing the young witch to hit the ground, the scrape of the road below them causing a hiss to escape.

"(Y/n)!" Charles ran over first. "You alright?"

(Y/n) nodded as they pushed themselves up.

"What was that," Edwin asked as he walked over. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I... I don't know," (Y/n) said quietly. "It just... It just happened."

"It was reckless! You could have gotten yourself hurt and now we have to worry about the spirit being angry enough to hurt someone else!"

"Edwin-" Charles tried to get his friend to relax.

"What is wrong with you?" Edwin snapped before Charles could even try to stop him from asking.

"I... I don't know," (Y/n) murmured. "I don't know."

"Maybe it's best if you removed yourself from this case."

"Edwin!" Charles scolded.

"They're a risk!" Edwin insisted.

"He's right," (Y/n) turned to Charles. "I'll go home. Good luck."

Charles followed (Y/n) down the street. (Y/n)'s car sat alone on the street. Not much in terms of subtlety, but (Y/n) also hadn't been graced with the ability of travelling by mirror.

"(Y/n)," Charles said as he jogged to keep up with their quick steps. "Will you wait for a second?"

"Go back to the case, Charles," (Y/n) replied, not even looking at him.

"No," he stepped in front of them, attempting to block the path to the car. "Not until I know you're alright."

"I'm fine," (Y/n) insisted. "Edwin's right."

"No, he's not," he shook his head.

"Yes, he is. I am a risk. I always have been. I've hidden it well, but this was bound to happen at some point."

"What," he asked.

"A long time ago, when I was still with my family, I had issues like that happen all the time," (Y/n) explained. "I would... Something would overwhelm me, and I'd end up doing something dangerous or destructive. No one ever helped me with it. They expected me to sort it out on my own. And then... I hurt someone. Someone I cared about. I... I ended up being forced to leave. I still never truly learned to control anything. Tonight was proof of that!"

"We can help you-"

"That's not your job!" (Y/n) ran their hands over their face. "It's not worth the risk. I could get someone hurt, I could get myself, I could put you both in danger- none of it is worth it!"

"That's not your choice to make," Charles replied. "Any risk or danger is fine with me. I'm not leaving you alone, (Y/n)."

"You should."

(Y/n) moved around him and got in the car. Charles stepped back and watched the car drive off. He turned to see that Edwin had watched the interaction. Charles glared at him.

"It's for the best-"

"Let's just finish the case," Charles muttered, cutting Edwin off.

The case went by slowly and tensely. Charles was gruffer than Edwin had ever seen him. And Edwin had no right to question him about it. It was his comment that had caused this tension and anger. How was he meant to poke at it as if he had no idea what was going on inside the head of his best friend?

Charles didn't stick around the office once the case was done. Instead, he immediately went to the mirror, climbing through to try and see (Y/n) as soon as possible.

He ended up walking into (Y/n)'s room. He was somewhat expecting them to be there.

"(Y/n)!" Charles called out as he walked through the doorway. He stopped for a moment at the chaos that had taken over the living room.

It had been clear that some kind of fight had broken out. Between whom or what, Charles had no real idea. There were smaller objects thrown, furniture shifted, garbage scattered.

"(Y/n)," Charles called again as he walked around some of the mess. And then, he saw (Y/n) lying on the floor on the far side of the sofa. "(Y/n)!"

He ran over, rolling them on their back. They seemed to be breathing, but they were completely non-responsive.

"Shit!"

He shifted and carried (Y/n) to their room, leaving them on top of the bed's covers before he ran back through the mirror.

"Edwin!" Charles shouted even though Edwin was in the same room as him. "Something's wrong with (Y/n). I... I went to check on them and they were unconscious, and their living room was just destroyed. I don't know what happened."

"They're alive?"

"For now!"

"Come on," Edwin pushed Charles toward the mirror again.

Edwin let out a sigh as he walked over to (Y/n). He carefully lifted their eyelid to see if their eyes were responsive. However, all that was there was complete redness that had taken over. As if the eye had been filled with blood, but none of it was running out or swelling.

"Witchcraft," Edwin muttered. "I think I've read about this. Give me a moment to find the book in the office."

"(Y/n) was attacked by a witch?" Charles asked. Edwin was already through the mirror.

It was a suffocating matter of minutes before Edwin made it back to (Y/n)'s place.

"What is it?"

"If I am correct, then (Y/n) is currently trapped in a dream-like state," Edwin explained. "This dream-like state is keeping (Y/n) in a state of calmness while their brain slowly swells and presses against the skull. If we do not cure it fast enough, the swelling will kill them."

"How do we cure it?"

"We have to find a way to delicately wake (Y/n) from their dream-state. There is a cure that we can make, but it will take time."

"Is there another way? Something faster?"

"In theory," Edwin relented. "One of us could possess them and find a way to manually ease them out of the dream. The cure is our best option. Less risk."

"We don't have the time! We don't know how long (Y/n)'s been like this!"

"Charles, if either one of us chooses to possess them, then we set off alarms in the afterlife. We cannot take this risk."

Charles clenched his jaw.

"I will go get the cure started. Keep an eye on (Y/n)."

Charles did try to listen. He stood by and made sure that (Y/n) was breathing. He made sure that they were comfortable and that they were not suffering too immensely.

But then, he panicked.

He saw (Y/n)'s breaths becoming shallower and shallower. He heard nothing from Edwin. He was too worried to think of the consequences of his actions critically in any capacity.

He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in a field.

He did a circle, trying to find some sign of something or someone. This was (Y/n)'s dream after all. They had to be there somewhere.

He saw something in the distance.

Approaching it, Charles could see a clearly outlined garden with a wooden fence around it. On one end was a gate, on the other end a cabin. A small cabin. The garden was beautiful. Full of flowers in full bloom with a swinging bench seat.

Charles almost chuckled at the vision. Something felt so fitting about something so peaceful being what (Y/n) pictured in a dream. Almost as far from their current life as they could get.

(Y/n) walked out of the cabin a moment later. Their clothes matched the garden. Soft, almost pastel colors. Very perfect, very organized.

He stepped forward, going to get their attention but stopped when he saw himself walking out of the cabin soon after. Well, some dream version of him. The other version of him was dressed exactly the same as he was, but it wasn't him. It couldn't have been him.

He watched as this alternate version of him pulled (Y/n) closer and kissed their head. The pair walked to the swinging bench seat, sitting together. (Y/n) relaxed into the fake Charles's side.

The view made the real Charles freeze where he was.

It felt wrong. Invasive.

He had kept his feelings private for as long as he had known (Y/n). He had been convinced that whatever connection the pair of them had was going to stay stuck in whatever form it was already in. Seeing this was a sign of something different. And he didn't know how to feel about that.

"(Y/n)!" he called from where he stood.

(Y/n) seemed to hear something. They paused and looked around but didn't seem to notice Charles. He could've sworn that they looked directly at him, but their eyes seemed to go right through him. As if he was never there.

(Y/n) leaned back into the seat, smiling as the fake Charles laid a kiss on their cheek as they did so.

The real Charles continued walking forward. He tried to think of a way to "delicately" get (Y/n) out of the dream.

"(Y/n)," he repeated, now standing just outside the gate.

Again, (Y/n) looked around but couldn't seem to spot him and was pulled back into the fake Charles's side.

He opened the gate and walked inside.

Neither (Y/n) nor the fake Charles seemed to acknowledge him in the slightest.

"(Y/n)," he said yet again.

(Y/n) again seemed surprised to hear anything, sitting up straight and going to look around until their eyes landed on Charles. They froze, eyes going wide at the sight of him.

"Hi," he grinned.

(Y/n) looked between him and the fake Charles, who was only looking at (Y/n).

"I'm sorry but I need you to come with me," Charles pressed, holding out his hand.

"What," they asked. "Sorry, but there are two of you. What's going on?"

"That's not me," he explained. "I... I don't know what he is, but he's not me."

(Y/n) stood up, stepping away from the bench. Once they were a few steps away from the real and fake Charles, they turned to look at them. The fake Charles didn't move, as if he were simply a mannequin that had to be moved around. He was staring at the space beside him as if (Y/n) was still there.

"You're in a dream," the real Charles explained. "This whole thing is fake."

(Y/n) ran their hands over their face.

"Do you remember how you got here at all," he asked.

"Yeah, I... I...," they trailed off, finding a blank space where some kind of memory definitely should have been.

"You were attacked," he continued. "Another witch found you and attacked you. You aren't standing outside some cabin in a field. You're lying in bed, unconscious."

There was a long pause before (Y/n) spoke up again, "I remember... I remember getting home. I remember someone being in my living room. It was an old friend..."

"You don't have to explain," Charles stopped them. He drew enough of a conclusion from those few sentences. It was some connection to whoever (Y/n) had hurt. Frankly, he didn't care about that. "We need to go."

He held his hand out to them. They finally took it.

He led them back to the gate to the garden. He didn't have any proof that this plan would work, but he didn't have anything else to go on. He just wanted to make sure (Y/n) had a chance at being okay.

Once (Y/n) stepped through the gate, it felt as if Charles was thrown out of (Y/n)'s mind. Like some explosion had happened.

Charles blinked a few times and spun around as he found himself back in (Y/n)'s room.

He heard (Y/n) grumbling. He grinned.

"Hey," he said quietly, going to sit next to them. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," (Y/n) muttered. "My head hurts."

"I'll grab some water-"

"Wait, wait," (Y/n) reached for him as he stood up. He somehow managed to get halfway to the door by the time (Y/n) said anything. "I was... I was stuck in my head."

"And now, you're out."

"You... You popped up. You showed up there. You helped me."

"Yup."

"How?"

He paused for a moment.

"Charles..."

"I... possessed you."

(Y/n) sighed, standing up and placing their head in their hands. "Charles."

"It was to save you-"

"Oh my god!"

"I was trying to help-"

"You possessed me!"

"You need to relax-"

"No!" (Y/n) slapped Charles's hands away as he tried to guide them back to bed. "You possessed me!"

"I know that it's an invasion and it probably feels like you had some privacy violated-"

"My privacy isn't my concern," (Y/n) cut him off. "My concern is that you and Edwin have told me over and over again that possessing people sets off alarms in the afterlife. I don't care how close to death I am; you don't get to take that kind of risk for me."

"That's not just your choice," Charles replied. "I told you before, any risk that I take is my choice. I just saved your life!"

(Y/n) ran their hands over their face as they walked to the window. It was dark out. The moon perched itself perfectly to shine into (Y/n)'s room. There had been countless nights where (Y/n) spent ages just staring up at the sky, somehow feeling less alone when it was in sight.

(Y/n) could hear Charles walking to the window. They saw him out of the corner of their eye.

"I would do it again," he admitted. "No matter how much danger I put myself in. I'll do what I have to in order to save you."

"Why?"

"Because if you died, you wouldn't know how to get away from Death. I'd never see you again," Charles turned to (Y/n), who was still staring out the window. "I can run for eternity. I can escape anything and anyone. And I would do that as long as I knew you were at the end of whatever path I was running. I can't risk not seeing you again. You... You mean too much to me."

Finally, (Y/n) looked over at him.

"I... I love you, (Y/n)," he murmured.

(Y/n) loved him back. They knew that. They had for a long time now. But they couldn't bring themself to say it out loud. It was strange. Charles had seen the dream that (Y/n) had been stuck in. Surely, he knew how (Y/n) felt. So why could they still not admit it to him? Maybe it was they were merely scared of confessing it to themself.

"I'm sorry," Charles said after a few moments of silence. "I shouldn't have said that-"

Charles was cut off when (Y/n) stepped over and kissed him. It was as awkward as one would assume that it would be. It wasn't some perfect, fairytale-like kiss. It was an awkward kiss shared between a person who hadn't been kissed in decades and another who had never been kissed before. And it was short. It lasted a matter of moments before (Y/n) pulled back again. They stared at Charles with wide eyes, as if they had been just as surprised by their actions as he was.

He slowly grinned at them.

(Y/n) looked down for a moment, face becoming warm. "We should... We should get Edwin-"

"In a minute," he muttered.

"Charles-"

He leaned over and kissed them again. When he pulled back, there was a smug smile on his face. "You haven't said it back yet."

"What- oh," (Y/n) felt their face get even warmer as they realized what he meant. "I love you too."

It was quiet. As if it was still some kind of secret that no one other than Charles was allowed to know. Maybe (Y/n) meant for it to be that way.

It was then that Edwin climbed back through the mirror with some jars cradled in his arms.

"Alright, I found some things in the office that should be able to help- oh," Edwin muttered as he saw (Y/n) standing there. "You went through with the possession, I see... Even though I told you not to."

"I panicked," Charles explained.

"I already told him off for it," (Y/n) added.

"I think that (Y/n) should stay at the office for a while. Until we know there's not a threat."

Edwin looked between the pair. "Very well."

"I'll meet you guys there," (Y/n) promised.

(Y/n) felt a kiss get pressed to their head before Charles stepped away. They looked at Edwin, who gave them a shocked look in return.

"Well... I'll see you in a bit," (Y/n) said, trying to ignore the look that they had received.

The ghost boys went to the nearest mirror and climbed through. (Y/n) could hear the two of them muttering to each other. It was going to be a very long visit, (Y/n) could tell.

But (Y/n) couldn't find it in themself to mind much.

It was all worth it to be able to still hear them at all.

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#fanfiction #imagine #x reader #charles rowland imagine #charles rowland fanfiction #charles rowland x reader #dead boy detectives imagine #dead boy detectives x reader #dead boy detectives fanfiction #dc imagine #dc fanfiction #dc x reader

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tiger-is-a-certified-idiot · 24 days

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One thing I think that I realized after reading the comics is that the little montage of Edwin caring for Charles as he's dying wasn't just a span of a few hours. It was DAYS. potentially WEEKS that they spent up there together. When Charles chose to stay it was because they really were good friends at that point. Charles was alone with no family and a pack of bullies who had been torturing him for maybe his whole life. as far as we know, Edwin was the first person to ever be genuinely good to Charles. It's no wonder he chose to stay.

#dead boy detectives

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seiya-starsniper · 13 days

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Rating: Teen || Chapters: 2/5 || Word Count 3.5k/??

Summary: The Dead Boy Detectives run into a familiar pub while out on a case, and Crystal has to contend with an unfortunate event from her past.

AO3 Tags: POV Multiple, Hob Gadling gives live advice to a bunch of teenagers, while helping them solve cases, that's it that's the fic, also he maybe plays matchmaker for his hot mess bestie

Chapter 1

Read Chapter 2 below, or using the link above on AO3!

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Hob Gadling considers himself to be a rather open minded man. He's lived hundreds of years, and seen thousands of strange and unusual things in that same amount of time, so the chances of something catching him completely off guard are rather slim in the year 2024.

The last few days, however, have proven that there are still many, many things that can surprise him.

One of those things being one Charles Rowland, who is currently waving at Hob from the entryway of the New Inn.

Hob normally doesn't like to get involved in anything having to do with the supernatural, and especially not anything related to the type of work that Edwin and Charles do. He'd met them purely by chance after some asshole with delusions of grandeur had tried to frame him for a series of murders. He’d sent Edwin and Charles on a wild goose chase in a poor attempt to cover his own tracks.

Hob thought that once they caught the real murderer together and cleared things up, that would be the end of things. But then, Hob kept getting involved in their cases over the years, all of them entirely on accident. Eventually, somewhere between the fourth and fifth poltergeist, Hob decided he might as well figure out how to defend himself against supernatural entities, and maybe make himself useful for these poor boys too. They certainly needed all the help they could get.

Hob had been glad to hear that Edwin and Charles had recently gotten some sort of amnesty in exchange for continuing to help ghosts and other souls move on. It was good work, what these boys did. Hob has seen ghosts that haunted the same places for centuries finally be to pass on into the afterlife thanks to them. And now, they not only had permission to keep going, but had gotten more help to do it too.

The addition of Crystal to their little crew had been a surprise, and Jenny an even bigger surprise, though the latter seems less interested in solving cases, and more in making sure Crystal doesn't get herself killed in the process.

Still, Hob's only ever seen the teens all together in some sort of group, never alone, and he's definitely never seen Charles without Edwin. From the moment Hob had first met the two ghost boys, they’d always been a singular unit in his mind. And yet here Charles was, alone and looking strangely expectant while trying to appear casual as he waits for Hob to close out the tabs on the last remaining lunch hour patrons.

“Everything all right?” Hob asks when Charles approaches him once his last customer leaves.

“Of course!” Charles answers, his signature smile bright on display. “I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to say hello. And to thank you again for the assist the other day.”

As a ghost, Charles is technically always in the neighborhood, so Hob knows that that’s not all that there is to his visit. It also hasn't escaped Hob's notice that Charles specifically picked the one day Jenny wasn't working the kitchen this week to drop by the pub. He clearly doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s here.

But Hob knows by now how to deal with skittish teenagers. Even dead ones.

“Well I'm almost done here and then I'm gonna head upstairs for a cuppa,” Hob says. Mark’s going to be here soon to relieve me of duty. Happy to have some company if you have the time to spare for an old man.”

“Oh! Yeah sure, I'm not busy,” Charles says, and cute that he’s still trying to pretend that he hadn’t come here with a purpose, when his eagerness is so clearly written all over his face. “Don't need any food though, as you know.”

“Sure, sure,” Hob replies, waving his hand dismissively so Charles can head upstairs ahead of him. He's going to make a cup of tea for Charles anyways. The boy always seemed to love the steam that came out of the mugs, even though he’d never admit it out loud.

Mark comes in exactly at 2:00pm, and Hob chats with him for a few minutes, before he clocks out and heads upstairs to his flat above the pub. Charles is already waiting for him in the living room, and Hob immediately sets to the task of warming up some hot water in the kettle and grabbing some mugs for tea.

“So how are things at the agency?” Hob asks as he waits for the water to heat. “Busy as ever, or more so now that you’ve got yourselves a psychic?”

“Definitely busier,” Charles says. “Crystal’s been a massive help with our cases, we're solving them even faster than before.”

“Good,” Hob replies, just as the kettle clicks, letting him know the water is done. “I’m glad she’s using her powers for good nowadays,” he adds as he brings the two mugs over to the couch. Charles looks surprised by the extra mug, but accepts it without a word. Hob doesn’t expect him to drink any of the tea, of course, but as predicted, Charles seems to fall into a trance watching the steam rise out of the cup.

“Thanks for not giving her too much of a hard time,” Charles says when Hob sits down in the recliner across from him. “She’s been really down on herself lately for everything in her past.”

“I can only imagine,” Hob agrees. He knew a thing or two about wanting to reinvent oneself and burning away the past. He’s had hundreds of years to do so after all. In fact, it could even be argued that Crystal was far ahead of where Hob would’ve been had he been in her shoes. The girl he’d met a few nights ago was so different from the one he’d met a year ago in court that Hob would’ve thought she had a twin instead.

“Seems like you two get along well,” Hob notes after a brief silence has passed. Charles perks up immediately, taking the opening in the conversation.

“We do,” Charles replies, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “She’s amazing.”

“Yeah? So are the two of you a thing then?” Hob asks, and would you look at that, turns out ghosts can blush after all.

“I—maybe?” Charles says, his voice pitched higher with uncertainty. “I don’t know, actually. I mean, it's, well…complicated I guess?”

“How so?” Hob asks. He’d suspected there had been something going on between them, it was obvious in their body language, and how they gently teased one another throughout the night after the banshee had gone. Now Charles is talking like a man newly in love and completely besotted.

“Is she giving you mixed signals?” Hob follows up when Charles doesn't answer.

“No!” Charles exclaims, shaking his head. “It’s me really, I’m—I don’t know.” He sighs in frustration and runs a hand through his hair. “I thought for a while that’s what I wanted and then Edwin—” he suddenly cuts himself off, a small amount of panic now crossing his features.

Ah. Now the reason for Charles' visit suddenly makes itself clear. Crystal clear even, but Hob keeps that terrible pun to himself.

“So Edwin finally told you how he felt about you?” Hob asks, deciding to rip the bandage off now and quell the strange awkwardness in the room. Charles’ head whips up so fast Hob feels his own neck start to cramp up in sympathy.

“You knew ?” Charles asks. “But Edwin said he’d only figured it out when we were in Port Townsend!”

Hob shrugs. “Sometimes, things are easier to spot when you’re not in the middle of them,” he replies. “But it was pretty clear that, at the very least, Edwin considered you the most important person to him. It's not surprising he fell in love with you too.”

“You really think so?” Charles asks. “Because I don't—I’d never really thought about it before, you know? He's my most important person too, but I never thought that we would be more than that. But now that he's said it, I can't stop thinking about it.”

“Yeah?” Hob asks. “Does it bother you that he feels that way?” A shake of the head. Good. “Do you ever think you could return those feelings?”

“I don’t know, and that’s the problem!” Charles cries, his voice pitching near to a whine. He stands and paces around Hob’s living room, and Hob has to try not to laugh into his tea. Teenage problems were always the same, whether a live or dead.

“To be honest, I’m still really into Crystal,” Charles starts, “...but then after everything with Edwin, and what happened to Niko, I started thinking, well, how long will that really last? Crystal’s alive, I’m not. She’s going to—she won’t—she’ll eventually—”

“Grow up?” Hob offers when the teen can’t find the right words. “Grow old, hopefully? Live a fulfilling life with someone else that’s flesh and blood?”

“I—yeah. Ideally yes,” Charles replies, though it's clear the thought bothers him by the way he scrunches his features. “But also, what if us being together puts her in too much danger? What if she—if what happened to Niko happens to her, I couldn't bear it, Mr. Gadling.”

“Hob,” Hob corrects the boy gently. “I've told you before that you don't need to call me Mister anything, makes me feel way older than I already feel,” he adds with a laugh. Charles gives him a half smile and just shrugs helplessly. Some habits were impossible to break, it seemed.

“And those are perfectly reasonable fears to have,” Hob continues. “Crystal is her own person though, and you need to take into account that she might find the risk worth it. And to be honest, I feel like the risk to her life is the same, whether you two are romantically involved or not.”

“Yeah, I suppose you're right,” Charles agrees, flopping back down onto Hob’s couch and staring back into the still steaming mug of tea. “So do you think we should give it a go, then?”

Hob shrugs. “I think you two like each other,” he replies, “but whether you think a relationship is worth it is up to you. Does Edwin know about you two?”

“He knows—some stuff yeah,” Charles replies sheepishly. “I had told him I liked her way before he, you know, confessed to me and all. And like, even afterwards, it seems like he’s fine, but I really don’t know if it’s all actually fine, or if he’s just trying to act like he’s fine just because I look fine but he’s not really fine and what if I’ve mucked everything up or—”

“Hey, slow down, Charles,” Hob interjects, and the boy’s mouth clicks shut immediately. “From what I can see, nothing has changed between you, so I wouldn't worry about it,” he adds, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. “Besides, you and Edwin have been together this long now, you've got more than enough time to sort things out, one way or the other.”

“Yeah,” Charles agrees, his voice now wistfully soft and clearly full of affection. “When we were in Hell, I said that to him,you know. That we have eternity to figure it all out.”

“Did you now?” Hob asks, now smiling himself. “Sounds like you two are on the same page then, as per usual. Now you just need to make a decision yourself and Crystal.”

“Yeah…yeah you're right,” Charles says, seeming to come to a decision. His back straightens and he sits up, his signature smile back on his face. “Edwin and I may have forever, but Crystal doesn't and it's rude to keep a lady waiting right?”

“Absolutely," Hob replies.

Charles leaves shortly after, promising not to overthink everything and let his feelings come naturally to him. Hob is fairly certain he knows where things will land eventually, and he's sure Charles does too. It doesn't make the journey to get there any less worthwhile.

#dead boy detectives #dead boy detectives fanfic #the sandman #payneland #dreamling #charles rowland #edwin payne #crystal palace #hob gadling #seiya writes #seiya writes dbda #chapter 2 let's go friends whooooo

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tansyuduri · 1 month

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Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E1

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. Time for THE DRAGON'S CALL

Okay so by the looks of it Merlin walked all the way to Camalot. Every other person we ever see walking on the roads and many who ride get ambushed by bandits. So it seems Merlin either managed to remarkably avoid trouble once in his life. Or he took down a lot of enemies. Unless he just killed them all you would think someone would have noticed Magic unless he hid it. So it is possible Merlin already had a good deal of practice using sneaky magic in fights BEFORE arriving in Camalot.

It could also just be that the Road from Ealdor to Camalot is VERY safe because later in the season Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, And Morgana get there without incident, AND Gwen gets there fine in season 4. OF course, she might have had the skill to just fight off enemies. Another thing to think about that is funny is the possibility they were safe later partly because Merlin just managed to atract every possible danger and totally destroy it on his way to camalot in Merlin fashion. (And it kept happening if he ever visited home the times we do not see.) I could just be overthinking everything too. That will be a common theme.

OKAY! this is interesting, This is pretty much one of almost no one we see with a last name let alone a middle one. At this time in history last names were HIGHLY uncommon and usually belong to nobles. SO this brings up a question I find really interesting. Is it possible that the Collins family were once nobles? What happened to magic-practicing nobles when Uther took charge? Were they killed and then had their family stripped of their titles? If so it would explain the random last name (And how his mom knows how to move in a fancy dress perfectly later) HOWEVER in To Cure All Ills, Edwin Muirden has a last name. And one would think Uther would recognize it if THEY were a noble family. So this could just be a random fluke thing.

Full line from Uther here is: " When I came to this Land, this kingdom was mired in Chaos. But with the People's help Magic was driven from the realm, So I declare a festival to celebrate 20 years since the great dragon was captured. And camalot freed from the evil of Sorcery."

THIS tells us a ton. First of all, Uther did not grow up in Camalot. It's possible he was either a ward of some other person if he was from an ancient bloodline of Kings of Camalot. OR he became king purely by Right of Conquest! A magic mention just after 'mired in chaos' is interesting because it could imply there was more bad magic than just the death of his wife going on. This is supported by the mention that the people helped! It is also possible it is independent of magic if so WHAT CHAOS? I NEED TO KNOW. But either way, it becomes clear that the people supported enforcing the magic ban big time. Let's move onto 20 years. If the popular headcannon that Arthur turns 21 on his birthday in the first season is true, it means Arthur was born and then Magic was purged in about a year. Or at least the great dragon was captured about a year into the purge. The first seems more possible because of the "And Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery."

Does this look like an OH SHIT I knew this woman. She was a noble! face or not? He also lets her monoluge a while before the "Seize her" and looks kinda haunted.

Okay, Seriously what does it take to do this teleport spell. We only see her and Morgouse do it. MERLIN WHY DID YOU NOT LEARN THIS?

Gaius is very big on Magic must be studied and learned in this episode but later will mention Uther "drowned children for magic they were born with" We also see other people born with magic (Mordred, Morgana) So my thought is that people can be born with magic and sometimes do some random things and have random outbursts. BUT they need to study to learn any big spells or use it purposely. There are also people NOT born with magic who study it and learn. (Gaius seems to hint at this.) (or perhaps they have to be born with the ability too in which case Gaius was born with the ability but had to study a LOT) I'm a strong believer in "Magic is an Allegory for things you are born with that makes you fundamentally different from most people." So I prefer the later version) This hints that like MANY things magic ability is part talent and part study.

This just in! There is an estimated time to get from Ealdor to Camalot by walking. Perhaps Merlin did NOT clean out every possible threat along the way? ALSO RANDOM THOUGHT was Merlin's room once Alices? Or just a bed he let patients lay on? Like Merlin tends to do?

OKAY first mention of religion. The word "God" is used. I will be keeping track of these since its one of the things I wanna figure out with this rewatch.

Morgana: To whom! He practiced some magic. he didn't Hurt Anyone Uther: You were not around 20 years ago. You have no Idea what it was like.

Morgana: How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then? Uther: Until they realize there is no room for magic in my kingdom OKAY interesting this seems to possibly hint that once again more than Ygraines's death went on. It also seems to show that the magic ban is not universal "MY Kingdom" Yet Uther doesn't seem like the type to ally with magic-using kingdoms. We'll keep an eye on this

This starts the reflective surfaces reveal Ilusion magic rule. We will be keeping an eye for exceptions to see if I can find any but the rule seems pretty universal (Except for cups at the dinner scene. so puddles and mirrors.)

Okay those are for sure Tomatos which TOTALLY were only in the new world. I love this because it implies some great sorcerer like Sigan was like "you know what we need more crops. I want a more varied breakfast *summons crops from half a world away* PLANT THESE PEASANTS."

Funfact! Gwen's family/ancestor most likely came to Albion with the Romans during their invasion! This is one a reason it's ridiculous when people try to say there were not black people in Britain at this time.

Gaius: The likes of which I've never seen before

Merlin: What do you mean?"

Gaius: Well magic requires incantations, spells; it takes years to study. What I saw you do what elemental Instinctive

EXEPT is does not always require incantations, and we know for a fact that gaius talks about children born with magic later. So I think he means controled magic here.

Gaius: Uther banned all such wrk 20 Years Ago.

Merlin: Why?

Gaius: "People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural Order into Chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons. Ok this seems much more likely to just refer to Ygraine. We also get a mention of Uther destroying Dragons. A freind of mine on a discord brought up that they think the dragon lords must have actually helped Uther because HOW ELSE DID HE KILL DRAGONS (let alone get a chain to hold one!)

GAH! No spell was recited here! WHY Merlin WHY! Was this done on accident?

We've got another God Used!

#merlin lore #Merlin Loregasm Rewatch #bbc merlin #merlin rewatch #hoping to continue these #but not commiting to it fully yet #I got fic to write #was exausting so hoping future ones have a bit less lore ya know?

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tititilani · 10 days

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Am I writing arguably my first thing in like two years for DBDA? Maybe. Do I even think it's any good? No. Do I particularly care? Also no.

This idea just wouldn't leave me alone so I banged it out in like three hours. Also fun fact, I wrote this partially by candelight because my power went out. Ambiance, anyone? I also posted this on my AO3 in case anyone wants to read this there instead. Just ignore any indiscrepancies in this, I just didn't care that much. <3

wash out the salt from my hands. 1.5 words.

Time moves differently than it does on Earth, as it turns out. Mostly pre-relationship Paineland.

He doesn’t think much of it, at first.

Charles is too caught up in relief, too relieved to have Edwin back where he can keep him safe again, to think about the weird phrasing.

“For decades.” Edwin says with a quiet hitch to his voice, more vulnerable than Charles can ever remember seeing him. He looks stripped down and vulnerable now, without the stiff bowtie and uniform that Charles is so used to seeing him in. Tear tracks mark his cheeks, cutting through the grime that seems to cover every inch of the hell pit they’ve found themselves in.

Their reunion is marred by the gruesome sounds of the last Edwin being devoured at the other end of the room and Charles can’t look too closely at the pile of corpses without getting enraged. He’s already angry at how long it took him to locate Edwin, how many times he had had to go through this loop before Charles could rescue him, but he knows where his priority lies now.

He wants nothing more than to clutch Edwin to him, stitch them together so closely that nothing could ever pry them apart again. He knows it’s not feasible (he’s checked) but he would stitch himself into Edwin’s ribcage without hesitation if it meant Edwin never had to come down to this place again. He also knows that now is not the ideal time for a big reunion, which can come after they are both safe.

“Well, I’m here now, so,” he says, pulling out a lit bomb from his bag and watching the flames glint in the depths of his best mate’s gaze.

“I have been dead for over a hundred and thirty years, after all, of course I should be the bait.”

Edwin’s tone is reasonable even if what he just said is not and he blinks when Charles levels him with a weird look because of it. Something in Charles lurches uncomfortably at the idea that Edwin should be bait for anything again, let alone a hungry beast that seems to specifically eat ectoplasm, and he’s immediately distracted away from it.

“Mate, you are not being bait. We can figure something else out that doesn’t end in you possibly being eaten.”

It’s been some months now since Charles gave a metaphorical finger to hell and rescued the other ghost but the idea of Edwin intentionally being put back in danger still scrapes over nerves that are far too raw. The Edwardian may look as though he is back to his normal posh self, all stiff bowties and perfectly parted hair but he has seen Edward flinch at enough dolls in enough windows to know he is not completely back to normal. Them managing to get Niko back was like slotting a missing puzzle piece back into Edwin’s frame but Charles still knew that there were pieces that could probably never be found.

Edwin frowns at him, fussing with his bowtie in a rare tell. “Per my books, this creatures likes older ghosts for its course – who else can we use?”

Charles thinks on the new and improved cricket bat tucked away in his bag. “I’ve been dead thirty years – should be enough to get the thing’s attention, yeah?”

“Absolutely not!”

(For once, Charles wins an argument.)

The witch is giving him the creeps.

One of her two eyes is bulging out far enough Charles is kind of worried it’s just going to...pop out. He’d try to catch Edwin’s eye but his nose is too far buried in one of the tomes the witch had given them to notice the way said witch is fixated on Charles. She seems to be mostly harmless at least, or at least hasn’t tried anything to make him reach for his bag but the way she is staring at him still has him on edge.

“Your bones are so old now but you are older still,” she tells him in a croaky old voice finally like it’s some sage wisdom and Charles just...has no idea what he’s supposed to do with that. Those books better be so worth it.

“Pretty sure my bones and I are the same age, ta,” he tells her in a voice he really hopes hides how completely bananas he thinks she is. He thinks she’s absolutely around the bend but is trying to play nice to make sure Edwin gets to play in her bookstore as long as he wants to. He’d be willing to deal with a lot worst things if it means he gets to enjoy the little sparkle that new books always put in Edwin’s green eyes.

The bulging eye bulges even more and he leans back in his seat a tad just in case there’s suddenly a splash zone. “Souls are aged by realms traveled,” she says in an even more grave tone while somehow making even less sense at the same time. He has no idea where Edwin has disappeared to in the books stacked precariously around the store but Charles hopes he surfaces soon.

Preferably before an eye falls into his lap or something.

It’s a dark night and Edwin’s head is in his lap.

There are no open cases at the moment, no one in the office, and an abandoned game of Cluedo is on the table. As ghosts, their sense of touch is almost completely nonexistent but Charles still swears that he can feel every strand of Edwin’s hair as he runs his fingers through it. He’s trying to be as gentle as he can be because Edwin deserves every scrap of gentleness Charles can give.

Edwin’s eyes are closed and that little wrinkle that is so common between his eyebrows has been smoothed away into unlined skin by Charles’ thumb. He can’t be super comfortable, his long legs draped over the other arm of the couch, but he also doesn’t seem inclined to move. Ghosts don’t have the ability to sleep or Charles would think Edwin had dozed off against his thigh.

They had been talking a little bit ago but that had faded off and for once, Charles didn’t feel the need to break the silence just yet. He has Edwin close and comfortable and safe and he finds he doesn’t need much else at this moment.

“I did not think I could have this,” Edwin murmurs finally, his tone soft and wondering. He hasn’t opened his eyes yet, something Charles is momentarily grateful for. He knows that if Edwin looked up at him, moonlight in his emerald eyes, that there is nothing Charles wouldn’t do to give him anything. “A century in hell was almost worth it.”

Charles�� hand pauses. “A century?”

Maths was never his best subject in school but even he knows the difference between seventy years and a hundred years. The two of them are so tangled together on the couch that he can feel the moment tension returns to Edwin, tightening up his lanky frame and when he finally opens an eye to look up at him, he looks almost worried.

“I wasn’t sure at first,” he finally says, voice hushed in the darkness of their office. “But time moves differently in hell. This last time in Port Townsend was about a decade. My first...visit was closer to ninety, I think.”

Charles’ hand spasms at that, the only thing keeping him from clenching it is the fact he doesn’t want to even accidentally pull on Edwin’s hair, even if it wouldn’t be felt. Edwin deserves so much gentleness. The sheer magnitude of how much time he had spent down in hell, fruitlessly attempting to outrun its horror, would make Charles sick if he still had a stomach.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks finally when his urge to scream has faded. After another moment, he resumes petting Edwin and almost against his will, the other boy’s eyes slide closed.

“I did not want you to know how long I was down there,” Edwin says in a low voice. “I thought you might be angry.”

“Never,” Charles says fiercely, voice almost too loud in the quiet of their room. “I would never have left you down there, even if it had taken me a thousand years.” He swallows back everything else he wants to say, like the fact Edwin spent so much longer than even a few hours being tormented by a spider-doll demon makes Charles wish he had another doorway and a molotov cocktail or twelve.

I would tear hell apart for you. I will never let you be taken again. I love you.

He thinks it’s an okay time to say it but it lodges in his throat. Charles wants it to be a perfect time, not just an okay time. He didn’t need forever to figure out how he feels about Edwin but he has forever to make it just right. It is the least Edwin deserves.

He looks back down at Edwin to see he is already looking back and he was right – the moonlight in his eyes makes Charles want to give him anything, everything.

#dead boy detectives #dbda #paineland #chedwin #payneland #charles row #edwin payne #i have no idea what's the right ship name y'all rip #my writing #i had so many ideas and so little time for this but oh well #just me dipping my toes in

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arabella-s-arts · 1 month

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I've watched Dead Boy Detectives twice now, and I've been wanting to make a post about Edwin's romantic relationships.

I don't want Edwin and Charles to end up together. Sorry.

Like, when I started the show I was wondering if they were a thing, but then I remembered them saying they were best friends, and my view adjusted to fit that. And now that's all it feels like. At first I was disappointed when Edwin had a crush on Charles, I didn't want their friendship to be ruined the way shows often do when this is a plotline. But I should've trusted this show, how they handled it was beautiful. I guess I'm scared if they became a couple too, even though I trust this show would do a good job making sure to emphasize their friendship. At this point though, their chemistry feels very platonic to me, and I think it would be nice to have a storyline where one's in love with the other without those feelings ever being reciprocated. Unrequited feelings is not a tragedy.

Now for Edwin and the Cat King...

First I'd like to say that someone thought Edwin was demiromantic, and I 100% agree. Not demisexual though, dude was immediately feeling a lot of sexual attraction toward the Cat King.

Anyway, Edwin and the Cat King. I kind of hate to say this, but I kind of like it? Like, not in a 'I think this relationship is healthy' way, more in a 'this is really entertaining' way. I don't particularily like the fact I like it. They have good chemistry, and a really fun dynamic, which makes them fun to watch. But it's so toxic. Like Lukas Gage is the reason I like the Cat King (that and the fact that Edwin seemed high key into it at first), otherwise, I would be shying away from all the red flags. Despite what the Cat King said about being consensual, having a guy give you a sexual favor, or take on a much harder task is still using your power to your advantage. And the way he acted in the woods was concerning to say the least.

If Edwin and the Cat King were to eventually be in a relationship the Cat King would have to go to so much therapy (like a lot). He would have to clean up his act a lot. I feel like he is possible for redemption, and I would enjoy seeing it.

#dead boy detectives #edwin payne #edwin paine #cat king #charles rowland #demiromantic #edwin and charles feel more like a QPR to me and that's honestly what I would prefer

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cricketandbooks · 26 days

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THE BRAWN — Dead Boy Detectives

Charles Rowland: wrathful, repressed, impulsive, empathetic, warm, protector of the weak

THE BRAINS — Edwin's Playlist THE EYES — Crystal's Playlist THE HEART — Niko's Playlist

This is my character playlist for Charles: his life, death, and afterlife in chronological order. I hope you like it!

Annotations about the songs in this playlist under the cut:

Tracks 1-4: Freezing

Track 1: Let You Down by NF

So much of Charles' life before coming to the boarding school was shaped by his family dynamics.

Feels like we're on the edge right now I wish that I could say I'm proud I'm sorry that I let you down I let you down All these voices in my head get loud I wish that I could shut them out I'm sorry that I let you down Let you down

In Charles' family, the defining aspect was walking around eggshells to cater to his tyrannical father. The feeling of constantly being on edge is a constant pressure, leading their voice to fill your head even when they aren't around. Charles internalized his father's impression of him, constantly believing himself to be a disappointment and that he must constantly be striving to "make things better".

Yeah, I guess I'm a disappointment Doing everything I can I don't wanna make you disappointed It's annoying I just wanna make you feel like everything I ever did Was never tryna make an issue for you But I guess the more you thought about everything You were never even wrong in the first place, right?

Even though he worked so hard to please his father and keep peace in the family, it was never enough. It was never going to be enough. His father refused to understand that the way he ran the household was abusive and wrong.

Yeah, I'ma just ignore you, walking towards you With my head down, lookin' at the ground, I'm embarrassed for you Paranoia, what did I do wrong this time? That's parents for you Very loyal? Shoulda had my back but you put a knife in it My hands are full, what else should I carry for you? I cared for you, but

As time goes on, Charles's extreme loyalty is tested as his father continues to beat him down both physically and mentally. He recognizes that one's parents are supposed to love him, but instead he is carrying the weight of his father's abuse and his mother's enabling behavior. I find the dichotomy of ignoring while at the same time approaching to be interesting, showing that even as Charles is beginning to recognize this injustice, he is stuck in the cycle as long as he lives at home.

Yeah, you don't wanna make this work You just wanna make this worse Want me to listen to you But you don't ever hear my words You don't wanna know my hurt, yet Let me guess You want an apology, probably How can we keep going at a rate like this? We can't, so I guess I'ma have to leave

Charles, like Edwin, has a strong sense of justice, of right and wrong. Even as he defers to his father's rules, trying to people please with apologies, he knows the only way to make things better for him is to leave and go to school.

Yeah, I'm sorry I'm so sorry now Yeah, I'm sorry That I let you down

Yet, even has he recognizes his own innate dignity, Charles has internalized the lies that it is all his fault, and that he is not good enough. Thus, he continues to apologize.

Track 2: Dynasty by Rina Sawayama

Now at school, Charles must chose what aspects of himself he brings from home. Instead of perpetuating his father's violent tendencies, he chooses to be a peacemaker.

I'm losing myself In the darkness of the world Catch me before I fall Saving myself Is all I really know Seen it, been done before

Charles is aware of the rage and trauma that he experienced is eating him from the inside. However, he has only himself to keep him on track and not allow his father's actions to drive him to hurt others. It means he is constantly under tension within himself, always about to lose control to the darkness.

I'm a dynasty The pain in my vein is hereditary Dynasty Running in my bloodstream, my bloodstream Dynasty And if that's all that I'm gonna be Won't you break the chain with me?

As he goes to a new place, free of his abusive environment, he is wondering what the world is actually like. Is it just? Is it loving? Is it kind?

Mother and father, you gave me life I nearly gave it away for the sake of my sanity (Hurting inside, no end in sight Passing it down, I'm not losing this fight) Mother and father, I know you were raised differently Fighting about money and his infidelity (Now it's my time to make things right) And if I fail, then I am my dynasty

Charles decides that instead of being like his parents, he is going to protect the weak and those who have been ostracized like he felt in his own home. If he fails, he knows that he will continue the cycle of abuse he was in. This thought haunts him.

Track 3: Beat It by Michael Jackson

It is established that Charles stood against the bullying culture of St. Hilarion's School for Boys, protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. This is what ultimately sets himself up as a target for the incident that caused his death.

They told him, "Don't you ever come around here" "Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear" The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear So beat it, just beat it You better run, you better do what you can Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man You wanna be tough, better do what you can So beat it, but you wanna be bad

His peers at school, while pretending to like him, reveal their true colors as he stops them in their attack on another student. They warn him to stop this behavior and to stop pretending to be a man. To Charles, protecting others is his purpose, making him feel like he isn't a failure. He was unable to see the danger this would cause him.

They're out to get you, better leave while you can Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man You wanna stay alive, better do what you can So beat it, just beat it You have to show them that you're really not scared You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare They'll kick you, then they'll beat you Then they'll tell you it's fair So beat it, but you wanna be bad

In order to have stayed alive, Charles would've had to make himself complicit in the bullying and bigotry of school. It is against his nature to accept this, believing his affable personality and ability to fight will protect him. He is unaware of the just how far his peers are willing to go to uphold the corrupt status quo, believing the world to be better than what it is.

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight It doesn't matter who's wrong or right Just beat it (beat it), beat it (beat it)

Trying to protect the peace, he tries to appeal to the bullies' better nature. He fails. What happened next is not his fault.

Track 4: When the Lavender Returns by Catman Cohen

Charles freezes and bleeds to death.

As cold as ice Wrapped round your brain And darkness unfolds You’re breathing in pain It’s been freezing here In this Land of Shattered Dreams It’s been freezing here This corrupted winter stings

It isn't just the icy water that causes Charles' death. The coldness and cruelty of his peers is what shatters his dreams of freedom and safety from injustice. The corrupt nature of St. Hilarion's is what ultimately kills him.

But don’t give up Don’t despair Taste the hope Floating through the air When the lavender returns It’ll warm your frozen bones Vivid violet clothes In their candy overtones

Despite this crushing realization that would have killed most people's spirits, Charles was still able to run away and hide. He didn't give up on life and decidedly did not want to die. His continued hope for the future becomes a major source of rage, as they were ultimately the sickly sweet dreams of youth. This hope was never allowed to come to fruition.

If you look out your window The ground’s parched and bare If you call for your lover She’s no longer there If you ponder your life Well, it feels like a wreck And your failures are scars You can never forget

As he huddles in the cabin, alone and afraid, the full force of fear hits him. He is freezing to death, and bleeding internally. Interestingly, neither of these things necessarily left physical scars on him, allowing him to cover up what happened to him with a smile. Despite that, he carries this trauma with him for the entire series, never forgetting life's betrayal of his spirit.

Tracks 5-9: Simmering

Track 5: In a Week by Hozier (Feat. Karen Crowley)

To me, while Light by Hozier represents how Edwin felt when he met Charles, In a Week represents Charles's experience of meeting Edwin as he is dying.

I have never known peace Like the damp grass that yields to me I have never known hunger Like these insects that feast on me A thousand teeth And yours among them, I know Our hungers appeased Our heartbeats becoming slow

There are so many aspects of Charles' life that caused him fear and anxiety, a thousand teeth trying to get a piece of him. Life never allowed him to fully feel peace. As he dies, Edwin brings him soft company that doesn't want anything from him. As death claims him against his will, he is still able to connect with Edwin, a comrade of the soul.

We lay here for years or for hours Thrown here or found To freeze or to thaw So long we become the flowers Two corpses we were Two corpses I saw And they'd find us in a week When the weather gets hot After the insects have made their claim I'd be home with you I'd be home with you

As Charles and Edwin talk, it is clear that they would have been close friends. Edwin even expressed how he wanted more time. Charles is shocked by meeting someone who didn't have a darker ulterior motive. Within Edwin, Charles sees a potential home that actually brings safety and companionship. Even in this tragic situation, friendship can bloom.

I have never known sleep Like the slumber that creeps to me I have never known color Like this morning reveals to me And you haven't moved an inch Such that I would not know If you sleep always like this The flesh calmly going cold

Charles dies at sunrise, and in another deep tragedy his death was far more peaceful than his life. Edwin stayed patiently by his side the whole time, keeping him calm and explaining death to him. Edwin is Charles' peace.

I'd be home with you I'd be home with you I'd be home with you I'd be home with you I'd be home with you I'd be home with you

As the song discusses all the different people that find his body, it talks about how nothing is done to achieve justice. It lays there, forgotten and covered up by the cruel world that killed him. However, this trauma is softened by finding his home in Edwin.

Track 6: Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

The first song to appear on both Charles' and Edwin's playlist. My interpretation of this song represents the beginning years of the Dead Boy Detective agency. I will be analyzing this time period through Charles' eyes here. Fast Car is ultimately about them tentatively believing that they could build something that matters while the shadows of the past seek to haunt them and rip them apart.

"You got a fast car I want a ticket to anywhere Maybe we make a deal Maybe together we can get somewhere Any place is better Starting from zero, got nothing to lose Maybe we'll make something Me, myself, I got nothing to prove"

Charles propositions Edwin with the idea of them escaping death together. Edwin has the know-how to keep their existence a secret, and Charles desperately does not want to let go yet. Following their bonding experience as he was dying, he has a good feeling that leaving with Edwin won't end in disaster. Charles truly has nothing left to lose, and he clings to his hope that he can have some happiness in his existence. They started the agency from zero, and built their reputation over time.

See, my old man's got a problem He lives with the bottle, that's the way it is He says his body's too old for working His body's too young to look like his My mama went off and left him She wanted more from life than he could give I said, somebody's got to take care of him So I quit school and that's what I did

While this verse doesn't match Charles' family's exact situation, it still details how much he sacrificed in order to try to keep the family peace. His father being a tyrant and his mom being passive, Charles believed it was up to him to keep the family together and happy. Now he wants to finally be able to exist for himself on his own terms.

"So I remember we were driving, driving in your car Speed so fast, I felt like I was drunk City lights lay out before us And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder And I-I, had a feeling that I belonged I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone"

They lived their lives constantly busy and on the run, with the city of London surrounding them. Edwin's drive and practicality allows Charles to flourish with purpose as he could do the thing he always wanted: protecting and bringing justice for those in need. Together, the agency is both his safe place and his reason for existing.

"You got a fast car I got a job that pays all our bills You stay out drinking late at the bar See more of your friends than you do of your kids I'd always hoped for better Thought maybe together you and me would find it I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere So take your fast car and keep on driving"

However, there are cracks in their relationship, stemming mostly from their inability to be honest with one another. Edwin is incredibly afraid of change and people leaving him. He is set on staying put, while Charles yearns for something more than what he has. His unresolved trauma over his life and the circumstances of his death lead him to be resentful of his existence, even though he chose it. While Edwin is determined to keep things as they are, Charles begins to desire more from the universe and misses being alive.

"You got a fast car Is it fast enough so you can fly away? You gotta make a decision Leave tonight or live and die this way"

Even with these continuing tensions, they both continue to make the decision to keep running and leave death together.

Track 7: Post Humorous by Gus Dapperton

While Working Man by Rush discusses Edwin's coping mechanisms and role in the agency, Post Humorous by Gus Dapperton accomplishes discusses the same for Charles. The title itself appears to be a play on the word "posthumous" referring to someone after they have passed. However, Post Humorous discusses how after his death, Charles leans in to his cheerful nature to make sure the agency continues to run, while refusing to acknowledge his darker feelings/impulses.

Old friend It's me and you again And old boy As me and you rejoice Yeah, I can't help thinking 'bout the way we joked In those funeral homes, yeah I could only hope it was appropriate

Despite their many victories as the Dead Boy Detectives, their work is often morbid and tragic. In order to keep the spirits up, Charles jokes and uses his charisma to counteract this, however sometimes the darkness of the situation consumes him.

So make me laugh As for my last request If I don't take it back Would you ignore my last request? Oh, would you make me laugh? As for my last request Babe, I won't make it back Yeah, I am sure there's nothing left

His greatest desire in life was being allowed to be safe and happy, but he must now settle for a laugh instead of true fulfillment. He watches his family grow old without him, most likely even happier than with him alive as he does not mention his father's abuse continuing when discussing this with Crystal. There is truly nothing left for him in his old life, yet he continues to go to it and reopen old wounds.

But as a, a reminder Ready when you find her I repress the iridescence of a fire And won't you mind him? Steady when you find him I confess the incandescence of a dying light Oh-oh, oh-oh Consume me through the night

He must always remain constant and steady no matter what surrounds him, hoping to bring light to the world. However, after decades of doing this, he is beginning to burn out, about to be consumed by the very toxic positivity he seeks to project.

If I was the king of the thing Then you could have it all If you lied and called me your queen Then you could have the dogs If I was the swingingest thing Then you could have a ball Show me one more effort, boy You know that I could make it better

Charles considers himself, above all, a protector of those who cannot protect themselves. He is willing to do anything to protect Edwin and those seeking justice. His drive and determination to accomplish this is part of what keeps him anchored in his current existence.

If I was the king of the thing Then you could have it all If you lied and called me your queen Then you could have the dogs And if I was the only thing You couldn't bear to lose I'd set fire to the wood Just so you wouldn't have to bury me too

His loyalty to Edwin and their friendship is a top priority to him, and he is willing to do anything to ensure that Edwin isn't sent back to hell and that they aren't separated. He loves him with such a passion he is willing to ensure that Edwin will never lose him even it means destruction. Their relationship is what keeps him from spiraling into wrath, and he will do whatever it takes to protect it even though he feels suffocated by his ghostly existence.

Track 8: Somewhere Only We Know by Keane

The second song to appear on both Edwin and Charles' playlists. Charles and Edwin are each other's safety, best friend, and purpose. They are the only ones during this period that can understand the other's situation and motivation, and through this forged a bond that could last for eternity. However, there are issues threatening to rot their relationship from the inside out.

"I walked across an empty land I knew the pathway like the back of my hand I felt the earth beneath my feet Sat by the river and it made me complete"

They both felt like they new each other like the back of their hands, even though it was revealed throughout the show that they did not. Even though their existence was monotonous, they made each other feel whole and complete. Their relationship grounded each other in their existence, Edwin even being the one to explain to Charles how ghosts stay on solid ground.

I came across a fallen tree I felt the branches of it looking at me Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Charles wonders if this existence will be all he ever has. While he used to find solace in his ghostly form, as it meant freedom from the horrors of his life, he wonders if this is truly the vehicle he is meant to spend eternity in.

"Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old, and I need something to rely on So, tell me when you're gonna let me in I'm getting tired, and I need somewhere to begin"

Edwin yearns for things to remain simple, and as he is much older and wearier than Charles, he is looking for someone to rely on to never hurt him like others have in the past. Charles, on the other hand, is getting tired of their existence, and wants something new.

"This could be the end of everything So, why don't we go somewhere only we know? Somewhere only we know Somewhere only we know"

While these tensions in their relationship keep accumulating, it is certain that the boys both love each other and are willing to work out their issues once they finally are able to communicate them.

Tracks 9-14: Boiling

Track 9: Sleeping with a Friend by Neon Trees

This song represents to me Charles' feelings and experiences with Crystal, whose existence brings the changes he was so desperate for.

All my friends, they're different people Anxious like the ocean in a storm When we go out, yeah, we're electric Coursing through our bodies 'til we're one

Charles is able to recognize that Edwin is afraid of change, and that he is surrounded by people who are seeking to hurt them or rip them apart. But, he cannot deny the electricity he feels when Crystal and him interact, making him feel alive again after so long.

And why mess up a good thing, baby? It's a risk to even fall in love So, when you give that look to me I better look back carefully 'Cause this is trouble, yeah this is trouble

Despite knowing that he should treat this relationship—which is hardly even a friendship at this point—with caution, his impulsive nature is getting the better of him. His partnership with Edwin is safe and steady, and it would be a risk to jeopardize it, but he can't stop himself. After simmering so long in his rage and regret, his desires are threatening to boil over.

I said ooh, ooh You got me in the mood, mood I'm scared But if my heart's gonna break before the night will end I said, ooh, ooh we're in danger Sleeping with a friend, sleeping with a friend

Crystal has seen his "bad" side, his anger and wrath. And while he is scared of being rejected due to that, he is still willing to take the risk regardless.

We are both young, hot-blooded people We don't wanna die alone Two become one, it could be lethal Sleeping with a friend

Crystal and him are very similar in that they're stubborn, vocal, and brash. Their attraction to each other is no different. They have the potential to boil over for better or for worse.

Track 10: Everything is Going Great by Tiny Stills

Charles acknowledges his toxic positivity, but isn't quite ready to fully confront the extent of his rage.

Tell all my friends that I'm sorry for leading them on I made’m think I was fine, but I knew something was wrong I thought that time would prove it's all in my head Now I'm in too deep and alone, and more scared than I’ve ever been

Charles feels like he is lying to his friends about his true nature, believing himself to be a secretly evil person. He apologies to them just like he apologized to his father just for existing. As such, he is isolated from his friends, becoming more alone than ever. He had hoped these feelings would pass, but his rage and violence keeps coming to the surface.

'Cause it's so hard for me to be honest these days I tell myself I'm doing okay I don't want the world to think I'm weak

As the self appointed protector of the group, he believes he is the one that is supposed to never break down or feel negative emotions. Like his father's voice echoing in his ears, one single misstep makes him "weak" in his own eyes.

And so I repeat it repeat it till I believe it Everything's going great Just don't ask me how I really feel I keep it all locked away Yeah Everything’s going great (Yeah everything’s going great) Yeah everything's going great!

Charles is seen repeating over and over again that he is fine, and that there is nothing wrong. Try as he might to keep a cheerful smile on his face, the people who love him are beginning to see through the cracks.

I bite my nails ’till they're bleeding and there's nothing more I spill my guts and my heart out on the living room floor I can't make sense of it all No I just can’t understand How you can say that you love me when I don't know who I am

It is a deep fear of Charles that once people see him for who he truly is, they will be disgusted and leave him. Thus, he must keep everyone at an arms length, even as he goes out of his way to help others. This leads to self destructive behaviors such as violence that compound this problem.

You know the lie feels bad, but the truth is worse Everything good eventually hurts You know the lie feels bad, but the truth is worse Everything good eventually hurts Oh yeah everything good eventually - hurts

Even as he becomes more and more miserable, at this point in the series he is willing to continue to lie to protect his friends from the monster that he is, and to avoid confronting it himself.

Track 11: Fools by Lauren Aquilina

This song represents my interpretation Crystal and Charles' relationship, and it appears on both playlists.

Those hardest to love need it most I watched our bodies turn to ghosts Such good friends, it has to end it always does That's the way life is Do we take that risk?

Both Charles and Crystal have aspects of themselves that are difficult to love: their anger, Charles' inability to express his pain, Crystal's selfishness. However, they have managed to become friends who care about each other. It is a risk to let people in, and both of them have been hurt in the past.

And so it all boils down to this We've got our aim but we might miss We are too fragile just to guess And I've been in this place before Fine as we are but we want more That's human nature at its best

They are both aware of their feelings, but their situation is too fragile and could lead to ruin. However, feelings are often not lead by logic, as Niko stated. Both of them say they are "fine as they are", Charles saying he is fine "as long as I got my best mate and a case to solve" while secretly hating being dead and having his future stolen from him. Crystal believes she is fine where she is without her memories and with David haunting her, but that is a lie. Both want more than their situation, but are held back.

Friends, I watched us as we changed The feelings in my headspace rearranged I want you more than I've wanted anyone Isn't that dangerous?

Charles wanted Crystal because of her beauty, but also in order to chase the feeling of being alive. Now that they are genuinely friends, who share fears and dreams with one another, it is becoming dangerously close to true feelings.

"What if we ruin it all, and we love like fools? And all we have we lose? And I don't want you to go but I want you so So tell me what Tell me what Tell me what we choose"

While Charles is willing to take that risk, Crystal's growing emotional maturity stops her from putting their friendship and the group at risk as she continues to process her abusive relationship with David. While Charles is understanding, he is deeply hurt by this, resentful that again death and the supernatural keep him from experiencing love. He is tired of feeling numb.

Track 12: Fake Happy by Paramore

Much like Everything is Going Great, this song discusses Charles' mask of toxic positivity. However, unlike that song, he is growing actively resentful of this role.

I love makin' you believe what you get is what you see But I'm so fake happy, I feel so fake happy And I bet everybody here is just as insincere We're all so fake happy and I know fake happy

Charles is growing tired of being the one that has to put on a brave face and a smile in order to keep the group going. He wants to be able to drop the insincerity and be himself for once, but is also terrified to do so.

See, I been doin' a good job of makin' 'em think I'm quite alright, better hope I don't blink You see, it's easy when I'm stompin' on a beat But no one sees me when I crawl back underneath

When the group is busy or on a case, Charles was able to maintain his facade. However whenever there's a moment to reflect he can't seem to stop the rage from bubbling to the surface. This impulse often was released in the form of violence as he protects the people around him, but he's afraid it'll boil over in other situations in a manner he can't fix.

Hey, if I smile with my teeth I bet you believe me If I smile with my teeth I think I believe me

Used to smiling in order to diffuse situations, in some contexts, showing teeth at all is seen as an act of aggression. Thus, he is using a smile to cover up his more aggressive nature.

I know I said that I was doin' good And that I'm happy now (Ooh) I shoulda known when things were goin' good That's when I'd get knocked down

Even though things have been going well for the agency as they've let knew people into their lives and are able to explore a new place, he is still getting knocked down. Unable to help Edwin who is keeping secrets, the weight of the Devlin family murders, as well as Crystal's rejection are beginning to cause him to boil over. As he does not have a healthy outlet for these feelings and refuses to communicate, he is afraid of what he will reveal himself to be.

Track 13: DNA by Lia Marie Johnson

This song to me represents him finally communicating his feelings and fears to Edwin about his thoughts that he is an evil violent person deep down.

Dark as midnight Six-pack Coors Light You don't look the same Past my bedtime Blue and red lights Come take you away Hate to see you like a monster, so I run and hide Hate to ask, but what's it like to leave me behind?

This verse talks about his family, he viewed his father as a monster so he ran away to boarding school. But now he is a afraid of his own reflection. He wants to ask them why they give up so easily on him as he watches them grow old and live a peaceful life while his was so full of suffering.

I won't be, no, I won't be like you Fighting back, I'm fighting back the truth Eyes like yours can look away But you can't stop DNA No, you can't stop DNA

Charles became a protector in order to keep others safe from people like his father, but now he is afraid that is exactly who he has become. He is afraid he cannot stop his descent into wrath and that his friends will abandon him.

Are the pieces of you In the pieces of me? I'm just so scared You're who I'll be When I erupt Just like you do They look at me Like I look at you

He has witnessed his friends' reactions to him during the Devlin murders, the Night Nurse threatening to hurt Edwin, as well as the entirety of The Case of the Two Dead Dragons. Instead of feeling safe around him, he is only causing more fear and worry. His boiling over can cost him all that he built, and he grows despondent that he may have caused his friends the same suffering his father caused him.

Track 14: The Kids Aren't Alright by Fall Out Boy

Armed with Edwin's unwavering faith in him, as well as Crystal and Niko's support and care, Charles is able to refocus and reaffirm his place on Earth.

Stuck in the jet wash Bad trip I couldn't get off And maybe I bit off more than I could chew And overhead of the aqua blue

Much like the Devlins, Charles was stuck in a loop of rage ending in violence that only his friends could stop. Taking on the negative emotions of everyone at the cost of his own humanity took too great a toll on him.

And with the black banners raised As the crooked smiles fade Former heroes who quit too late Who just wanna fill up the trophy case again

Allowing himself the ability to express himself, including negative emotions, he is willing to rededicate himself to the agency's cause as a more well rounded person.

I'm not passive but aggressive Take note, it's not impressive Empty your sadness Like you're dumping your purse on my bedroom floor We put your curse in reverse

Acknowledging that he is not simply a "nice guy" but a whole person who contains trauma and fears of his own, he is able to admit his faults. He has been lashing out due to his own sadness at the expense of other people. Having acknowledges this, Charles is willing to do what he can to make amends with friends, who forgive him.

And in the end I'd do it all again I think you're my best friend Don't you know that the kids aren't al-, kids aren't alright? I'll be yours When it rains it pours Stay thirsty like before Don't you know that the kids aren't al-, kids aren't alright?

His love for Edwin and his friends is what allows him to be saved. Even though he isn't completely over the injustice of his death, he feels at peace knowing he would do it all over again if it meant being exactly where he is now. While he may not be able to keep them all from the horrors of the world, he is able to see them as more than just people to protect, but people who can protect and care for him in turn. He is not be fully healed, but he is willing to admit that the constant pressure he was under caused him to boil over.

Tracks 15-17: Smooth

Track 15: Stand by You by Rachel Platten

Edwin is taken to hell. Charles will not allow it.

Even if we can't find heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Hands put your empty hands in mine And scars show me all the scars you hide And hey, if your wings are broken Please take mine 'til yours can open too 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you

For so long, Edwin has been the only person Charles felt secure around. Knowing that Edwin has made a lot of sacrifices and was unjustly tortured, Charles is determined to create a world in which Edwin is also safe.

'Cause I'm gonna stand by you Even if we're breaking down We can find a way to break through Even if we can't find heaven I'll walk through hell with you Love, you're not alone 'Cause I'm gonna stand by you

Having gone through so much together, Charles is confident that he will be able to save Edwin. Even if it means none of them can ever truly "rest in peace" he refuses to live in a reality where they are not by each other's sides.

I'll be your eyes 'til yours can shine And I'll be your arms I'll be your steady satellite And when you can't rise Well, I'll crawl with you on hands and knees 'cause I

Though Edwin is normally the calm, rational one, Charles is able to be steady for Edwin. He is willing to calm his rage and stand by Edwin no matter what the situation.

Track 16: Stand by Me by Ben E. King

Having finally been completely honest with each other, Charles and Edwin's relationship grows even stronger. Along with Crystal and Niko, Charles finally experiences a family that treats him the way he should have been treated all along.

When the night has come And the land is dark And the moon is the only light we'll see No, I won't be afraid Oh, I won't be afraid Just as long as you stand Stand by me

There will always be darkness and cruelty in the world, but having a healthier outlook on life and his existence will allow Charles to better process this. He also doesn't have to absorb all the pain in the world, he has his friends on his side to help him.

If the sky that we look upon Should tumble and fall Or the mountain should crumble to the sea I won't cry, I won't cry No, I won't shed a tear Just as long as you stand Stand by me

Having gone to hell and back, Charles' world was ripped apart by recent experiences, his view of himself crumbling. But having seen the unshakable love and faith of his friends, he knows he is allowed to fall apart and come out the other side.

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me Oh, stand by me Won't you stand by

Even though he has undergone through a lot of changes, Charles still remains a protector. His reasons for doing so has changed, and instead of doing it out of guilt and anger, he is able to more healthily brake the chains of abuse he was in and become the positive force in the world he always wanted to be.

Track 17: The Foundations of Decay by My Chemical Romance

This song is found on all Charles, Crystal, and Edwin's playlists. This song discusses where the characters will go after Niko's death, and reflecting on what they've all learned so far.

See the man who stands upon the hill He dreams of all the battles won But fate had left its scars upon his face With all the damage they had done

All of the characters have been hurt and traumatized by their past, and sometimes it is not so easily healed. Their scars also kept them from truly connecting and communicating with each other. Niko was the one who united them all with her firm believe in love and hope, as well as her ability to listen to their deepest fears. Charles had a lot of mental scars from his life, and even though he has won a lot of battles as a detective, that doesn't erase the damage.

Let our bodies lay, mark our hearts with shame Let our blood in vain, you find God in pain Now, if your convictions were a passing phase May your ashes feed the river in the morning rays And as the vermin crawls, we lay in the foundations of decay

All of the characters were rotting in their own ways before they met each other. Edwin with his denial of his feelings, not just romantically but also in all aspects of life that would lead him to feel warmth and vulnerability. Niko was trapped in her room unable to connect with others in the world not just due to her sprites, but through her unhealed grief and fear. Crystal was rotting away in her selfishness and inability to love and be loved, as well as her abusive and suffocating relationships. Charles was rotting in a silent rage, unable to truly confront his death and all that he lost. By letting this rage fester inside him, it eventually boiled out to hurt others around him. Unable to accept the injustice that his parents continued on happy while causing him so much suffering, his rot threatened to make him lose everything he held as important to him.

You must fix your heart And you must build an altar where it swells When the storm, it gains and the sky, it rains Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away And as you stumble through your last crusade Will you welcome your extinction in the morning rays? And as the swarm it calls, we lay in the foundations

I believe the thesis of the Dead Boy Detectives, as well as this song, is the lyric "you must fix your heart". By allowing your old self to rot, you are able to confront your trauma and begin to heal and grow again. As the characters continue to confront their decay, they will hopefully continue to become more self actualized and healed.

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