#and edwin refuses to explain or let crystal explain

[paraphwrites]

crystal says "guys who make gay jokes are the biggest pussies" at least half for charles and edwin. because, look, crystal isn't stupid. she knows edwin probably doesn't know all that much about queerness, and she knows that charles definitely has internalized something. and so she knows, in the back of her mind, that if she lets this slide, then edwin is gonna just accept that. i mean, why wouldn't he? so, yeah, she has to call it out, because edwin is clearly a raging homosexual, and crystal will sooner stab a bitch than let charles have even the slightest potentially harmful thing to say about it.

[pippin-katz]

You know, everyone says that Edwin is a brat, but I have to disagree. Edwin is a bitch, 100% but he's not a brat. You know who is a brat?

CHARLES.

Think about this for a second!

Charles tells the little girl that Edwin’s thing is to “play hard ball” as he’s about to do it, being cheeky and giving away the game. They save Crystal, find out she has some sort of amnesia, and he immediately says she can stay at their office without asking Edwin if it’s okay. And Edwin doesn’t even argue! He’s like, "okay, we don’t usually do that, what the hell, but guess this is a thing right now”.

They bring her back to their office, and he tries to explain that this it’s a bad idea, but notably tries to whisper so as not to wake her up. Even though Edwin doesn't like her and doesn't want her there, he's considerate. Edwin’s entire routine and safe space has been upended by this living girl, so he’s understandably stressed and in a bad mood, but Charles is like, “you’re being bitchy, so I’m gonna go out with Crystal”. They get back and Edwin’s still upset, and then Charles is like, “btw she’s gonna stay” without asking Edwin AGAIN! And AGAIN he doesn’t argue! He immediately asks how long she’s staying for!

Then Crystal reads Becky’s poster and Charles wants to go overseas for a living client, which is all new and Edwin even says that it’s all happening too fast, and they STILL GO! Charles throws Edwin's own worries about Death back at him despite brushing him off earlier, and pulls the guilt trip card of letting Becky die, in front of Crystal, and fucking smiles because he knows he’s won.

And Edwin? He just fucking sighs.

And then once they’re in Port Townsend, Charles sides with Crystal at every turn. He tells Crystal they can find a different way to get the information when the entire point of bringing her was for her powers. He calls Edwin a show-off when he mirror hops, and says it not as an insult, but also without his usual fondness. He says himself that possessing the living "sets off all sorts of alarm bells in the Afterlife", proceeds to do it anyway, then brushes off Edwin’s worries of the consequences. When Crystal yells at them about being scared, he puts her feelings above Edwin’s, who has already been pushed completely out of his comfort zone, and is taking an extra personal risk getting involved with a demon considering he’s on the run from Hell. Even when Crystal’s revealed to have lied about David, and Edwin’s having a complete breakdown, Charles still brings it back around to Crystal.

And this is all just the FIRST EPISODE!!

They are both totally devoted to each other, unquestioningly, but Charles has Edwin literally wrapped around his finger. There's nothing he could ask him to do that he would refuse. He might bitch about it or resist it initially, but he always does what Charles wants in the end.

And Charles seems oblivious and all too aware at the same time. I don't think he has a grasp of how much Edwin would do or how far Edwin would go for him. But he smiles at him and knows he'll cave, and he uses that.

If one of them is a brat, it's fucking Charles.

(ko-fi)

[seiya-starsniper]

Six Degrees of Separation

Rating: Teen || Chapters: 1/4 || Word Count 1.4k

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.

Hob Gadling wasn't planning on adopting three teenagers and a full grown woman, but stranger things have happened in his long centuries of life.

Read here on Tumblr, or over on AO3

dedicated to @softest-punk for making me emotional about Hob adopting the kids in DBD 💖

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

“In here!” Edwin shouts, gesturing frantically at the entrance to a pub that looks vaguely familiar to Crystal. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much time to wonder before the banshee chasing them lets out a blood curdling scream. Crystal rushes in with Charles right behind her, pushing the door and slamming it shut behind her. Thankfully the pub seems to be completely empty except for one man. 

A man who looked extremely pissed off to see them.

“Oh bloody hell, fuck no, not you, out!” the older man shouts, moving out from behind the bar and looking ready to chase them out by force if necessary. Crystal braces herself, glancing around frantically for some sort of back door that she can bolt to if necessary. She’s pretty sure she can outrun him.

Charles and Edwin however, are a different story.

“Hob, it’s us!” Charles exclaims, throwing up his hands in an attempt to show no harm.

“We’re sorry for bringing a ghost to your door, Mr Gadling,” Edwin adds. “If you’ll just let me borrow one of your books to get rid of this banshee, we’ll be out of your hair.” 

“Not you two, her,” the man, Hob (what the hell kind of name was that?) growls, pointing at Crystal accusingly. Edwin and Charles turn to her in shock, and Crystal is about to protest that she has no idea what this man is on about, but then the memory of how she knows Hob Gadling comes flooding back to her.

The pub they’d run into was The New Inn and Crystal had almost burned it down last year because some girl she hated at school had come here for her 18th birthday. With all of Crystal’s friends, sans Crystal. Ex-friends now, since Crystal had tried to burn the place down with the whole party still inside. Hob had, unsurprisingly, pressed charges, and it took a lot of money from her parents to make everything go away.

“I’m sorry!” Crystal yells, just as the banshee screeches and slams its body against the door behind them. It lights up an iridescent blue, a warding against ghosts. Of course Crystal had to go and fuck up the one supernatural relationship she had because she was an idiot asshole last year. 

“I know this isn’t a great time, but I’m kind of a different person now?” Crystal says, having no idea how to even begin to explain the weird circumstances of the last month. “I swear what my past self did isn't who I am now,” she adds, also raising her hands to show she means no harm. 

“She’s part of the Dead Boy Detectives Agency, mate,” Charles interjects, while Edwin nods furiously in agreement. “Please don’t throw her out!”

The banshee lets out another screech and slams itself against the door, rattling the frame so hard that Crystal’s afraid it might fly off the hinges at any moment. Whatever ward Hob had placed, it wasn’t going to hold out for that much longer.

“What the hell is going on?!” a familiar voice cries out, and then Jenny Green of all people is coming out of what Crystal assumes is the kitchen. She’s also brandishing a butcher knife, because why would any of that change now that she lives across the pond?

“Jenny?!” Charles and Edwin yell.

“Oh fuck,” the older woman curses, glancing back and forth between the three of them and Hob. Crystal really hopes they haven’t just gotten Jenny fired. Finding a job had been tough enough for her when they'd relocated, and she had refused any help financially from Crystal.

“You know them?!” Hob asks, shock clear in his voice.

“It’s a long story,” Jenny grumbles, then screams when the banshee throws itself against the door again. “What the fuck, why did you lead a ghost here? ”

The door rattles and creaks, and the ward around the pub shimmers and vibrates angrily, which seems to finally prompt Hob to action. He straightens his back, rubs a hand over his face, and then takes one, two, three deep breaths before he looks them all over appraisingly. 

“Jenny, get the salt from the back,” Hob orders, gesturing her back to the kitchen. “The iron knives should be on the shelf next to them. Edwin, you know where the tomes are,” he adds pointing upwards, likely towards a room on the second floor of the pub. Jenny and Edwin nod quietly before disappearing to their designated posts, leaving Crystal and Charles alone with Hob.

“Right, so since when have the Dead Boys gotten themselves involved with trust fund brats?” Hob asks, still eyeing Crystal warily as if he expects her to pull out a lighter at any moment. 

“Since this trust fund brat got possessed by a demon and got her memories stolen,” Crystal answers, wincing when she realizes how harsh that sounds. “Sorry. I just recently got them back and it's been a weird time. I really am sorry though. For like, nearly burning this place to the ground cause I was mad.”

“You did what? ” Charles cries out, his mouth agape. “Please tell me that was all David’s doing.”

Crystal scrunches up her face and then shakes her head. “I wish it was, but no. Just plain old shitty Crystal,” she answers truthfully.

Hob looks between the two of them, then sighs, his expression softening. 

“Look, clearly you’ve done some soul searching and I am the last person who should be allowed to hold a grudge against someone who’s done some bad things,” he says, then gestures to Charles. “If the boys vouch for you, then I’m willing to bury the hatchet. All right, Ms Von-Hovercraft?”

“Please just call me Crystal,” Crystal pleads. She really hated being referred to by her surname. It still felt weird and foreign to her, after everything she had gone through. Hob huffs, and this time when he looks at her, there isn’t a shred of contempt in his expression.

“Yeah okay. Crystal,” he says warmly. “You can call me Hob.”

Crystal wants to ask where the hell the name Hob comes from, because she’s pretty sure she remembers his name being Richard , but before she can say anything, Edwin and Jenny come back and Hob turns his full attention to taking care of the banshee that’s trying to get past the wards he has around the entire pub. 

“You’re lucky Tuesday’s a slow night,” Hob says, before he starts flipping through the tome. “Jenny, Crystal, make a salt circle by the tables over there,” he adds, pointing to his left. “You’re going to need to lead her there so we can trap her.”

Crystal and Jenny make as large of a circle as they can, pouring generous amounts of salt into the floor. When they’re done, Hob instructs them to the front of the pub, where the door is still rattling and glowing angrily. Edwin and Charles are standing next to Hob, Charles with his cricket bat out, and Edwin and Hob ready to chant the spell within the tome. 

“When I count to three, open the door and run like hell into the salt circle,” Hob tells them. “One, two, THREE!”

Crystal throws open the door and both she and Jenny cover their ears as they run towards the salt circle. The banshee’s cries are even louder now that she’s inside the pub, but their plan works. She follows them straight into the circle, then screeches again in anger once she realizes she cannot follow them out. Her long hands try to grab for Jenny’s apron, but Charles materializes right at the circle’s edge to bat her hand away. 

Hob and Edwin start chanting some spell in what Crystal assumes is Latin, and the banshee screeches at an even louder volume than before. The salt circle alights a bright gold, and Crystal and Jenny are practically thrown backwards by the force of the magic taking effect.

The banshee lets out one more high pitched scream, and then her dark grey dress suddenly becomes stark white, dark and wet black hair paling slowly to a soft light brown. When the banshee lifts her face, her eyes are no longer sunken and black, but wide and bright green. 

She’s beautiful, now that she’s no longer in pain.

The Night Nurse shows up shortly afterwards, collecting the woman and gently reassuring her that she’s going to a better place. She looks at Hob like she’s offended by his very existence, which the man takes in stride and cheerfully waves her off, telling her to say hello to her boss for him. 

“Right then,” Hob says after the banshee and the Night Nurse have left. “Now that that’s taken care of, care to explain to me what the bloody hell is the connection with you lot?”

[fellow-fandom-fruitifier]

Listen, I know there are already reasons that Charles has anger issues and is a people pleaser but that doesn’t mean there can’t be more-

In this essay I (as someone with ADHD) will explain why I think Charles ADHD headcanon is so valid. (‘S gonna be a lot so it’s all under the cut.)

Symptom number one: Irrational Anger

Gonna get the more obvious ones out of the way real quick. Now, listen, Charles has every right to be angry, but his tolerance window for anger seems to be pretty low and I’ll bet anything that’s cause he doesn’t like to be angry. So he just refuses to learn how to cope with it.

症状数字二、八方美人 (Symptom number two: People Pleasing)

I know their are multiple factors for why he’s like this but EVERYONE has multiple factors for why they’re like that so LET ME HAVE THIS!!! But yeah Charles lives to help his friends and feels useless/worthless when he can’t do that.

Síntoma número tres: Enmascaramiento (Masking)

Sir “It’s squinting.” Rowland. We’ve seen him pull on a mask and shove down his true emotions SEVERAL times in the show. It happens after the Devlin house when they meet up with Niko, happens on the lighthouse with Crystal, happens when Edwin is trying to confess and Charles mistakes it for Monty.

Symptom Antall Fire: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (It’s the same in Norwegian I guess??)

He did not like it when Edwin kept secrets from him AT ALL. With both Cat King and Monty. He absolutely felt rejected from knowing more about his bestie/being allowed in to help.

Symptom Number Five: Impulsivity (Ran out of funky languages, sorry.)

“Should I grab it? Should I not grab it? I went with grab it?” *Proceeds to smash it on the ground.*

Symptom Number Six: Stimming

When he twirls his bat or juggles the ball.

Symptom Number Seven: Forgetfulness

“Charles. You have a bag that can hold an infinite number of things.”

Symptom Number Eight: Lack of Filter

This man. THIS MAN. “Oh, yeah. I know we’ve known your for, like, an hour or two but Edwin went to capital H Hell btw.” “Oh my god, haha. This song reminds me of that time my dad busted my Walkman lol.” “Mate me and Crystal literally just snogged.”

[shaylogic]

"Oi, don't wait up for me, yeah?" Charles informs Edwin, "I'll be in Crystal's room all night."

"Charles! I'm surprised at you," Edwin exclaims, looking flustered.

"It's not like that, mate--she's been having nightmares about David and I've agreed to keep her company. Said she feels safer with a friend looking after her, y'know?" He shifts from one leg to the other, one hand rubbing his other arm, absent-mindedly. "It's not a big deal, alright? Just didn't want you wondering after me." He shrugs non-chalantly and gives his partner a gentle clap on the shoulder before re-entering Crystal's room.

She's already changed into her sleep clothes and curled up under the covers. Crystal meets Charles' eyes and pats the bed beside her. With a small smile, he approaches and sits on the side of the bed, leaning on one hand and looking down on her.

"Would you like to talk before bed, or should I leave you to it?"

Seeing him only sit on the edge, she takes his hand and guides him to lay down next to her. "C'mere. Just lay with me, okay? If you don't mind. . .?"

His eyebrows raise and a twinkle of excitement crosses his eyes that he fails to suppress.

Crystal rolls her eyes at him and he chuckles. She pulls his arm over her side and holds onto him as best she can, letting out a long sigh. Charles feels a fluttering sensation in his chest, like a memory of a quickening heartbeat.

"Thanks for doing this. I'm sure it'll be less interesting than however you usually spend your nights, and I'm not much company to you when I'm asleep."

He grins, fingers attempting to brush lightly along her back. "I wouldn't say that."

She looks him up and down. "Oh, geez, you're not gonna' like, stare at me all night are you?"

"Well, I don't sleep, but I could try closing my eyes and laying here with you. Seems restful, anyway, doesn't it?" Her brow furrows, and he mirrors her expression, sobering up. "I'm not sure, uh, what your plan was?"

". . .I guess I'm not sure, either. I just didn't want to be alone in this big, empty room tonight."

"You could invite Niko across the hall for a sleepover," he teases, tempting her to explain why she chose him.

She recognizes this immediately and narrows her eyes playfully, pursing her lips, and refusing to take the bait. "You've got a cricket bat handy if any other ghosts or demons decide to pop up overnight. Niko would probably just talk their ear off and try to set them up with each other."

He chuckles. "Tough to argue with that."

. . .

After a while, Crystal's breathing slows, her chest rising and falling in smaller increments. Charles does observe this for a moment, before realizing he's doing exactly what she told him not to do. He shifts so he is staring up at the ceiling.

He can't feel Crystal's breath and warmth beside him. Without looking at her, he could forget she's there. He could just be laying alone in this bed for no reason.

He turns onto his side again, facing her and snuggling as close as he can without phasing into her. He has to focus to keep his form solid enough for her arm to rest on.

He closes his eyes and replicates breathing, concentrating on being present, and trying to remember old sensations. How would this moment feel, if he still had his body?

A cold chill runs down his core and he tries to focus on the memory of body contact sharing warmth.

While Crystal has one of the best nights of sleep she's had in weeks, Charles struggles to remember how it felt to be alive.

[that-trans-autistic-guy]

The Dream of Being in DBD as a Trans Character

as an actor who adores DBD and yearns to bring trans characters to life, this is the story i made for a character that i thought could be brought into the show via an episode focus. so, enjoy:

The plot begins with a client walking in. A ghost boy, no older than eighteen, comes in and asks for their assistance. His friend, who we’ll call Roy, had moved to the UK before the ghost, we’ll call Gilbert, passed away. The two were extremely close and Gil was Roy’s only real friend. Gil’s request is that the agency finds Roy and helps him deliver a last message to his friend. It takes some discussion, but the agency agrees.

We see a teen walking through a high school, head down, headphones on and clearly on the outside (think Edwin’s scene of walking against all the other students). Some jock in a varsity jacket slaps the books out of his hands. One particular book gets kicked down the hallway or something, and the whole hallway watches him go after it. His locker has all sorts of insults scribbled onto it, multiple of which are feminine in nature. Roy just sighs as he exchanges some of his supplies.

We watch him go through classes, just glimpses of classmates glaring, throwing papers at him, etc. He doesn’t respond to it beyond a few resigned expressions and sighs. A bell rings and the hallways are flooded by people going to lunch. Enter Crystal Palace, flanked by Edwin and Charles. She asks if he has a moment to talk and he says something like, “Look, I’m just trying to go eat without getting fucked up. So if you and your ghost boyfriends could just leave me alone, that’d be great.” He walks off, leaving Crystal and the boys extremely confused.

They didn’t think he would be able to see them. Gil had said he’d never said anything about seeing ghosts.

Crystal and the boys talk to the other students about Roy, posing as new/exchange students who’d noticed something about him. None of the students are particularly nice, saying he’s weird and abnormal. They also add in statements saying things like he’s “a girl playing pretend” and other statements like that. It confuses the boys, especially Edwin, but it seems to click for Crystal.

She finds Roy after school, hiding in the art/band room while the hoard of students goes outside to leave. His headphones are still on and he’s on his phone, but his head whips up the second the psychic enters so he’s clearly on high alert. Crystal sits across from him and asks why he could see ghosts.

Roy explains that when he came out, his parents stopped caring. They didn’t provide anything to him and refused to call him by his name. When he was seventeen, his appendix burst. He’d complained for days that his stomach was unbearable and his parents ignored it. It burst at school and he nearly died from their negligence.

His uncle asked for custody and they gave it over without protest. Once he had it, his uncle, who we’ll call Josh, immediately worked on helping him transition. Josh got him to doctors who gave him HRT and helped him legally change his name. When Josh was told he would move to England for his high paying job barely two months later, he got Roy top surgery before they left. He enrolled in school, which had just as much bullying as his last. 

Crystal tells him that his friend, Gilbert, had contacted them to find him and help deliver a message. Roy’s shocked and asked if he could see Gil. The three agree, saying they could arrange something for that night. They make conversation until Roy deems it safe enough for him to leave.

The two friends reunite that night. It’s tearful and emotional. We learn, through conversation or flashbacks, that Gilbert had died shortly after Roy moved away in a car accident. Roy had flown out to be at his best friend’s funeral and had been inconsolable. Gil’s family had let him sit with them, basically his own family. The boys hold each other like they might fade away, resting their foreheads together.

They talk. Gil reassures him that he was okay, that he was glad Roy was still going. He’s sad that Roy hasn’t made any new friends and the boy says he’s scared of letting in the wrong people. He says that maybe he can start with the detectives and Roy agrees that maybe he can. They talk a little more, the two stating that they love each other and similar statements, and Gil’s ready to move on. The blue light appears and he smiles sadly, giving his friend one last hug. He tells Roy to look after himself, asks the agency to look after him, too. Roy is holding in a sob but tells Gilbert to go on and that he’ll see him later, yeah? Gilbert nods and goes with Death, the light disappearing. As it does, we see the ghost boys holding hands, reminded of their own deep friendship and unable to imagine parting.

Roy swipes at his tears as the agency approaches. They all offer their condolences, even a hug maybe, and he accepts. He asks if what they do is helping people move on and they say that it is. He nods and says that he’d like to help them sometimes, to which they all agree. The four of them hang out for a while, letting Roy tell the stories of Gilbert he’d been aching to tell.

I like to think Roy would make a few other appearances, in a similar way to Monty. Edwin would ask him questions about his identity and queer stuff, notebook in hand. Charles and him would mess around, maybe playing jokes on the others. He and Crystal would commiserate over neglectful parents, maybe helping her as she tries to rebuild her life. When Niko comes back, they’d share shows and books they each like. 

Maybe the bullying gets bad and one of the ghost boys goes with him to school, casually tripping the bullies or being silly around them while the bully is oblivious. Roy slowly makes a friend or two at school, and overall comes out of his shell bit by bit.

again, this is just a wild dream i have. the character envelops the themes of love and grief that the show is based on, as well as self acceptance. naturally, i'd love to see any kind of trans character on the show since we are an extremely underrepresented group and the love put into the show would make it excellent. so, naturally, Save Dead Boy Detectives.

[fandoms-in-law]

I've not seen it spoken about much, but Edwin has a level of superiority over the suffering he's survived for most of the series that he only really faces head on in Simon.

With the ghosts he meets Edwin is compassionate, but detached pretty much all the time except with Charles after he realises the abuse his best friend had gone through, and with Simon.

With Crystal, he's seen that comparing suffering faced causes more hurt but she lashes back, calls him out on it and dismisses him, which even though it's not just because of it I bet Edwin wondered if it was punishing him, just like he did to her in the first episode, refusing to let him help after her nightmare.

With Charles, Edwin is a lot more invested in him, in wanting to help him through this pain he'd never known Charles still carried. So Edwin is validating the suffering now, acknowledging that this is trauma that he needs to help heal, and given the moments addressing it come after Crystal's nightmare, he doesn't mention hell, or do anything close to comparing openly as he would around friends. Because yes, mentioning Hell freely, in scoffs and dismissals only around friends if Edwin's way of reclaiming it, but he's now accepting that there are times to avoid doing so for others benefit too.

And then comes the scene with Simon, probably the person he has most reason to hate, or judge the suffering of, as Simon's the one who caused Edwin to go to hell.

That scene in Hell, and the one with Depression, are pivotal moments with Edwin but I don't think it's acceptance that homosexuality isn't sinful as much as it is realisation that he can't compare suffering or pain.

This is his killer, the boy who sacrificed him, and Edwin has been able to access his part of hell, which I don't think is normal. He knows only people who've been in hell can see the souls in the different parts, explains it to Charles when they're leaving, but didn't expect to meet someone he knew there.

Simon even calls him a vision to torment him, or something similar. Hell doesn't give people reprieves from torture, it just makes them the torture for somebody else and that's what Edwin figures out while meeting Depression. His reactions were increasing her power in the situation

And yes, the note in the bottom of the page stuns Edwin, shocks him that even back then, someone had noticed him, wanted him

But also it expands just what Simon's torture is from papercuts, practically shredded fingertips from tearing the pages out, to emotional as well.

That's when Edwin says that holding onto guilt or fear makes everywhere hell (I'm paraphrasing anything cause I'm tired), he acknowledges that hell isn't the same for him and Simon but that doesn't change the amount they suffer.

All the posts I've seen like to focus on the gay, the homosexuality acceptance and closure here, but Edwin's journey to see everyone's suffering as different and valid without comparison to his hell was the bigger thing in the scene for me.

He has suffered immensely and unjustly, but he held himself detached under the belief that meant anyone else's suffering was lesser, wasn't as valid. Now he's accepted that isn't the case.

And honestly, yes, can't deny that Edwin saying homosexuality isn't wrong was likely the part that enabled Simon to reach the nicer afterlife, it was also the fact Simon's suffering wasn't judged lacking. The headmaster came and it turned out to just be Edwin, saying he could go.

[ghost-husbands]

I have Thoughts™.

My perspective of Payneland and Cryland, under the cut because knowing me, this is gonna get long probably.

Before I begin, I wanna leave a little disclaimer and say I am not here with the intention of bashing any ship or any character. I love Charles because he's my favorite and that's that. I love Edwin as well. I think Payneland is fantastic and they really carry the whole show. I love it. I also like Crystal and the struggles she's had, the way she's carried them and survived them. I do have a soft spot for Charles x Crystal. I love them all, just to be clear. Not hear to bash anybody or throw shade...okay let's get to the other stuff.

Okay so I've always been one to pay a LOT of attention to the little details that the writers/directors/actors themselves with acting choices etc put into the portrayal of characters. Whether that's body language or dialogue or whatever.

When I think about what incites me to ship or not ship a pairing, I realize that it's a couple of things.

The chemistry that may or may not be there. It could be a pairing that interacts or does stuff together, and if they get along and it just seems so natural and doable, I can see that. This will usually be me thinking "Oh god, these people are perfect together. Look at the way A is looking at B! It's obvious B is in love with A" or whatever.

The circumstances - They could be two characters that the plot itself is driving together. Maybe star-crossed lovers or A pining for B etc.

And then there's the matter of the emotions/reactions that you can see between said characters. Now this fascinates me.

Taking a look at the Charles/Edwin dynamic and Charles/Crystal. I'm not so much intending to compare the two with the end of saying "this one or this one" when you can say "why not both?" Because frankly I love them both but differently. It's more to look at the relationships and those ideas I mentioned above in respect to these characters.

Charles x Edwin

Historically, they have a LOT more time together, by each other's side for 30+ years after Edwin finds Charles on the brink of death in that attic in 1989. Charles isn't ready to go and refuses to leave Edwin alone. From then on, they never part. As for what happens between their first meeting and when the show begins, I'm not extremely familiar because I haven't read the comics and all I do know is from what I've seen.

You can see that there is deep devotion between the two of them. They will protect each other (even if that's mostly Charles taking the beatings to keep Edwin safe) for sure, that notion is there. Edwin knows he can count on Charles and vice versa. Edwin definitely has feelings that he's struggling with through the season (being honest with himself as to what they are and dealing with the impossibly hard to bear burden of keeping those inside his heart bc he, prior to 1x07, doesn't know how Charles will react to this). Charles, on the other hand, cares very, very much for Edwin and would probably tear the universe apart if that was necessary to make sure that Edwin was alive, safe and sound by the end of the day. I've heard different things, but it seems to me that Charles also has these feelings, but it either didn't occur to him before or he didn't know how to identify or put those into words. That's perhaps why he said 'I can't say that I'm in love with you back' not 'I don't love you' or 'I'm not in love with you'. It was definitely NOT a rejection, I don't think so. Anyway, this is thought spilling for another moment.

A particular detail that hasn't left me alone since I saw it pointed out here...the fact that both Charles and Edwin, when they are embraced by other....BOTH of them, in those separate moments lay a hand over their heart. It affects them, they feel something there in the heart. What that is, I have no idea. I really want to know, and it's a delicious left-to-us-to-think-about sort of thing which in a way is much more fun than simply explaining it away with words. But that is contact (which, mind you, in theory, ghosts don't have) they wouldn't, theoretically feel.

And yet. When Charles hugs Edwin, Edwin afterward lays a hand over his heart and reacts as if something happened there, and I'm pretty sure it did. Same for Charles, when he hugs Edwin after they find out they're staying where they are...he feel something there.

Charles x Crystal

I know that this isn't a common ship (at least not nearly as popular as Payneland) and most will look at it from a perspective of "Not possible, he's a ghost, she's a human being. That's going to fall apart at some point". Some would also probably say that it's not something essentially romantic (that's looking at it and saying that what is there isn't love but could be friendship, other third thing whatever). I just want to look at Charles and Crystal as Charles and Crystal and pick apart the stuff we see.

Charles is compassionate, warm and has a big heart. I saw that from the beginning. He's the one who steps up and to Edwin's chagrin, announces that they'd be taking Crystal in until she's recovered. They go off on a walk and he enjoys it, even laughing when she's essentially mocking him, trying to be "mean".

The alley scene

His compassion really just struck a chord with me because of that moment in the alleyway. Now Edwin is upset (and I think he's right to be. Perhaps not in a shouty way but he's a little bit right) because the rhythm he's accustomed to with Charles has been turned on its head with Crystal's arrival. They have a demon to deal with on top of the cases they're working on, inconvenient stuff happens because of the little human being Charles has taken in, despite Edwin's displeasure. (Edwin is dear to me, and I love him. Not trying to bash him in any way...) So he's upset and he snaps, distinctly unhappy with the unnecessary problems the DBDA is met with because of Crystal. Crystal's patience is worn thin (poor girl had a nasty run in with demonic ex-boyfriend only moments before) and she gets mad. She snaps, and walks off. Charles watches her go, and Edwin makes a comment about how Crystal was yelling at "them" but Charles clarifies that it wasn't "them" as in, she wasn't yelling at Charles so much as Edwin. Anyway, all this is besides the point.

My point is that Charles at that point, follows after and listens, attentively, to Crystal relating how she feels that she can't go back to her home, that without her memories, that's how she feels. He looks pensive, considering what to do. What does he do? He wants to show her something. Tells her they need a mirror.

He shows her his parents, there in the mirror, and basically tells her that he relates. He knows what it's like. It just strikes me that he's being a little bit vulnerable here. We later find just how deep that stuff is inside of him, and we even get a little hint of that when he explains that his dad wasn't a very nice person. But he's showing her that he's listening, he knows what she means to a certain degree and just the act of doing that is reaching out, in a way, that's how I take it. His compassion.

The scene outside Jenny's shop

Crystal is shaken from what's just happened, and can't help but remember David and the toxicity of that relationship. Charles is there for her, and as I've said before, I think it's really interesting what he does next. He's sitting beside her on the curb and he just puts an arm around her. This is a comforting gesture, he knows, for her. Can he feel it? Aside from maybe physical pressure, no, not really. He just does it, for her. He doesn't get anything out of that.

The kisses - (or his attempt and her rejection, and the goodbye kiss)

Another point of interest for me was the kisses. It's established, confirmed in the canon by 1x07, I believe, that ghosts can't actually physically feel stuff like touch, a kiss or anything of that ilk. Earlier we see that when Charles tells Edwin he kissed Crystal. Edwin asks whether or not he felt it, and Charles (and this really is something that's been bouncing in my head) points to his temple, and says "...but I felt it here". Emotions? The emotional impact of it, rather than the physical effect it would have on him. Memory? He remembers what it's like to kiss and considers that, but still can't quite feel it.

Then, there's the moment when Crystal wakes up from that nightmare. (Part of me, not going to lie, thought, Charles would never hurt you...I don't understand how he could end up in a dream like that, confused with David the demon, but Crystal's trying to sort herself out). Charles goes in to talk to her, and the first thing he does is lean in as though to kiss her. Again, he's not gonna get anything out of that. It seemed to me like simple affection he wanted to show her, because we know he damn well won't feel anything. Not really. She pulls away because that nightmare really shook her and she's just not ready to pursue anything. (Which was good writing on the part of the show, it's realistic.) Just caught my attention that that had crossed Charles' mind to do that.

And then, the goodbye kiss.

Now this is more of a question from me. Why?

We see clearly that Charles isn't happy to see her go. He cares about her. She's his friend, he just doesn't want her to leave. Like 'he grabs her bags and holds them out of her reach "Nope you're not going"' doesn't want her to go. To his question of "Why does this feel like a goodbye goodbye and not a 'see you in London' goodbye?" she answers with a kiss. Doesn't say anything, just kisses him.

He looks a little confused, uncertain, trying-to-solve-a-puzzle about it. Which I think was an interesting (but not out of character) response to that, because he wouldn't have been able to feel it. But that begs the question, what exactly is it in his head that he does feel...

My final thoughts: I think Charles and Crystal are cute. According to show canon, no, it just can't happen on a logical level, according to where she is in trying to step back into her life and discover herself, and just the fact that he's a ghost. It wouldn't work. As friends, I think it's something sweet and I also think that the affection there is something real, something that they both need. And the characters as well. Affection, love and understanding are things all human beings need, and it's a lovely thing to see that given and received among all of our loved characters.

In the scope of fanfiction and the free creativity there, I'm open to possibilities because of the existence of AUs, different times, different places.

I certainly don't think that there's anything toxic to this relationship, but that's just me.

If you came to the end of this, bless you. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.

[regretsofaghost]

Day 13- My love for you is true, I swear it is, it just will kill you in the end

AO3 link to chapter 13- here Tumblr link to chapter 12- here Tumblr link to chapter 14- here

Word count- 900 words

Charles and Crystal had been gone for a while.

They were simply better with people, he had said.

Charles had looked concerned about that fact.

Charles knew Edwin was not good with others.

F-F-G-F- stop.

F-G-F-F- stop.

Edwin had returned from the summer cottage, the snow blowing outside the agency’s window, a cozy feeling in the room that he struggled to appreciate.

It was the kind of day that would normally have Edwin and Charles on the couch, in each other’s space, as Edwin read, either aloud or to himself, while Charles played with the cursed Rubix cube or sorted through his backpack.

G-A-A-F stop.

Repeat.

F-F-G-F into

F-G-F-F then

G-A-A-F stop.

The agency felt lonely, in a way that was odd.

Or perhaps it was simply Edwin, with his melancholy that seemed reluctant to leave him.

His head swam, the potion’s magic dissipating, leaving him with just a fuzzy mind and a floating feeling.

It was perhaps odd, that he had noticed the book in the first place.

Edwin did not recognize a book on the desk. It was a fabric bound book, a stark white against the muted colours of the old texts surrounding it. There were accents of colour, vibrant pinks and blues, the title along the spine, a language Edwin could not recognize.

Charles had refrained from surprising Edwin with books for years at this point, one too many of them had a curse attached that lead Edwin to being forced into his orb state. It was not good for either of them, to have Edwin that vulnerable, or for Charles to have to deal with threats by himself.

G-A-A-F- stop.

Still, it had been a while, and perhaps Charles had gotten better at identifying when a deal was simply too good to be true.

Edwin should wait for Charles to return either way.

The bruise on his hand had not gone away.

There was a match to it on his other hand now, bitten there as he played the same three notes over and over and over.

F-F-G-F

F-G-F-F

G-A- stop

It would be fine, if he did check the book, at least, for some of the simpler curses they know.

Edwin reached out and pulled the book out from under the papers that covered it, frowning as he looked at the front cover, a blank white. He opened the book, further confused by the series of blank pages. A sketch book perhaps?

That did not explain the language along the spine that Edwin could not read.

It did not explain the chill that seemed to run down his spine when he opened the book.

There was also a warmth, like a cup of tea, or a shoulder pressing against his.

He carefully placed it back on the desk, moving the papers back on top of it, eyes lingering on it for another second before he turned away.

F-F-G-F

F-G-F-F stop.

He will ask Charles about it when the other two returned.

He will forget, with his fingers tapping out the tune stuck in his head.

For all to see there was a star

Shining in the east beyond them

He had to get Charles’ Christmas present wrapped and hidden away.

It was a bit of a game for the two of them, for Charles to try to find his present before Christmas day.

There were a couple of busy years where it had not been found till Valentine’s Day.

It was quite fun, a tradition that the two of them had made up.

Would they still do that this year?

Would Charles want to spend the day with Crystal?

That would be fine.

Edwin tried to read the case report, squeezing his eyes shut when the words swam in front of him, pressing a hand against his forehead before trying again.

Three cursed rings.

A family who refused to speak to one another, even in death.

Magical beings that Edwin would have to deal with.

At least they were not demons.

Crystal, strictly speaking, was supposed to be on desk duty.

He does not think he imagined the sad eyes Charles gave him at that.

Those eyes had not softened when Edwin let the two of them go together.

G-A-A-F-stop.

Repeat.

He had enough of the potion to help deal with the cursed rings or the creatures, not both. He could simply allow himself to become drained and revert to an orb, but that was less than ideal, especially with the Night Nurse checking in on them more often.

He could make more of the potion, and hope that no one noticed how quickly he was going through it these days.

No one would, he was sure.

Edwin got up, mind made up, mysterious book forgotten.

It was not as if he were doing anything wrong.

He was not.

Edwin was careful, as he ever was, when dealing with alchemy. Small words of spells leaving his lips as he put together the ingredients, juniper berries, angelica, he sighed as the last of the ingredients went in and the potion turned a crystal clear.

There was another potion, he supposed, that had similar effects to this one. Quite a bit less expensive, if only because it did not boost one’s magical energy, a rather expensive part, rather, it only gave the side effects.

Edwin did have the ingredients for it.

Charles surely would not notice.

[fandoms-in-law]

Propriety Requests Lavender

Summary: Charles proposes to Edwin when Niko finds a spell so ghosts can be seen by everyone. Edwin refuses and a double wedding is planned instead.

~

The book had been on the shelves of their office for years. For years, Charles had been making their disguises, using the same technique and essentially only changing the outfit they wore, and both Dead Boy Detectives were happy with that. It got their work done and they didn’t really need anything more since the only times they needed to be seen by everyone was if they were on a case.

Now though, they had Crystal and Niko, and both girls wanted them to appear to other people if they separated to talk to people on cases, most often finding that the age difference the usual disguises portrayed made them get second looks and once someone trying to drag Crystal away from them after they recognised her and decided she was harassing an older couple.

After that incident, Niko stopped leaving the office with them for a while, reading through the many books that had been collected over the years, sometimes wincing at the graphic descriptions of what creatures do, but other times trying to make the ghosts teach her how magic is actually done.

So the book of magic that Edwin had ignored after realising most of the spells seemed to focus on appearances was read again and the spell uncovered to temporarily let ghosts appear alive to everyone, not just psychics or people who’d suffered near death experiences.

Crystal even got in touch with some of her contacts from her teen years to get fake ID’s made for Charles and Edwin so that they could have legal papers, beyond the ones they were explaining over their ownership of the office.

“Let’s get married!” Charles decided when that was explained, “You’re everything to me, Edwin, so let’s get the certificate for it now.”

He’d only recently realised that the love he felt for Edwin was, to some extent, romantic and was still coming to terms with feeling that, so Crystal and Niko were exchanging amused looks at the suggestion.

Edwin however considered him seriously before shaking his head, “Charles, that’s improper and illegal. I’ll marry Niko.”

“Mate, We’re literally dating.” Charles protested immediately, “And wasn’t the case of the groom’s flowers one we got because we would be legally allowed to marry now?”

He didn’t react beyond raising an eyebrow and replying, “Propriety dictates that-”

“If you’re marrying Niko then I’m marrying Charles.” Crystal cut through whatever lecture on propriety they were about to get. “And you can’t get bitchy when I date my husband!”

The other girl didn’t seem entirely happy then, raising her hand to ask, “Do I need to have sex with Edwin if I marry him?”

“Of course not Niko,” The reassurance was immediately given, “I’d never expect you to do something you’re uncomfortable with.”

Charles stared around them aghast, “Am I the only one thinking this is Mad! Why can’t I marry my boyfriend.”

“It’s improper.”

“Edwin says it’s improper.” All three of his friends spoke at the same time.

“But-”

“And I’m making the colour scheme lavender too. That was a thing in the eighties right? Look at Edwin’s marriage to Niko like that.” Crystal was typing on her phone already, searching for dresses and suits when Niko leant over her shoulder.

She smiled and nodded, “That’s sweet. We’re having a double wedding right? Do you think my Mum will fly over for it?”

“She’ll be on a flight as soon as you send the invite, I’m sure. And Jenny probably will too.” Crystal promised, switching to a notes app and looking around at them, “Anyone else we need to send invitations too? My family, and the Night nurse probably, but who else?”

“We have had the occasional human client that might come if invited.” Edwin considered, going over to their case board, “And thank you for taking on the task of planning this, Crystal.”

She smirked at him, “Of course, it means I get to steal your man.”

“You’ve been demanding I share since we met. I’m unsure how you think that will change now.” He countered easily.

Charles huffed and threw himself into Edwin’s chair, ignoring the trio now discussing the wedding they could have and how to explain it to their previous clients.

~

The wedding ended up being small, despite the many attempts of Crystal’s parents to make it a big artistic wedding: Edwin and Niko were enough of a force backing Crystal’s planning up against them.

Even as they waited at the alter, Charles was saying vows, and holding Edwin’s hands as if they were the ones getting married, getting a few annoyed looks from their guests, even if Edwin allowed that to an extent and Crystal burst out laughing seeing how they were stood when she entered, her father walking her down the aisle.

“Charles, put your best friend down so we can get married.” She called teasingly, and letting anyone that wasn’t close to them understand that this was just their dynamic.

Thankfully she’d agreed to walk down the aisle separately to Niko so by the time Niko and her mother were walking down the men they were marrying were stood appropriately separated, with Charles by Crystal’s side.

Niko’s mother had proven to have similar thoughts about propriety as Edwin and was charmed by his innocent dedication to her daughter still. After the time in the hospital, meeting Crystal and Jenny and helping to arrange Niko’s transfer and visa for an English school she’d been thrilled to hear about the friend’s Niko had made that she couldn’t meet at the time.

~

The biggest drama that Niko allowed at their wedding or the reception they had was in the toasts. Both Charles and Edwin had declined to give them, though Crystal’s parents and Niko’s mother had taken their turns.

The final toast however, Crystal stood for. “Here’s a toast to Edwin. He’s confrontational, contradictory and crazily enough accepts polyamory above impropriety. So thank you Edwin for refusing a proposal and causing our group of friends to become even more tightly intertwined.”

“What?” Her parents jumped to their feet, staring between the two couples.

“Please explain,” Niko’s mother quietly requested, placing her glass down without sipping.

Edwin rolled his eyes, “You had to toast for that while there are people we’ve not explained the nuances of our group to, Crystal. I will let you take the lead on a case next.”

“That was aces,” Charles declared, looking around and deciding there wasn’t enough incentive to endure drama and attempting to eat when the spell barely made it better than eating as a ghost. “But I think we need to go and start the dancing.”

“Just so, Charles. Please lead the way.” Edwin stood with him, gesturing for Niko to follow before him, while Crystal looked between the parents, smirking as if she’d already planned her explanation out while deciding to make that her toast.

A wedding did have to have drama if it was going to include Crystal Palace Surname-Von Hoverkraft and she had the best opportunity to decide what it would be when agreeing to marry Charles.