#Demon!Edwin Au

[aliensubstance-011]

Demon!Edwin Au

Me and a pal have been throwing this idea around for a little bit and I'm obsessed so here's a Demon!Edwin AU:

Edwin still crawls out of hell around the same time Charles is dying, but really wasn't expecting to find a very much still living human

So, as to not scare him to bad (the guy's dying, and Edwin certainly isn't a cruel demon), Edwin takes human form

He's... seen those enough to get it right...right?

So Charles, in his dying moments, meets Edwin. It's just that his limbs are a little too long, his joints twist just a bit too far, eyes just a little too lifeless

Oh, and he looks like he's from the early 1900s. So Edwin lies and says his a ghost- which Charles believes, until he's a ghost himself.

In which Charles figures that Edwin definitely isn't a human, but it's not like he's doing any harm, is he?

At first, Edwin doesn't particularly care for this human- he's just another one off to his afterlife, and Edwin is far more concerned with getting used to this new body.

But this human is...kind of charming, actually. and when he decides to stay with Edwin? Well, Edwin has 30 years to fully figure out his human/ghost persona.

Onto more general stuff:

Edwin doesn't particularly care about mortal life- human beings are like little ants to him, they live, they die and go to their afterlife.

But to Charles? Other people, especially helping them, is important to him- and Charles is important to Edwin.

So Edwin tries. They form the Dead Boy Detectives, and the plot of the show moves on!

That 'We didn't matter. Him and I' scene is mainly about Charles, but he slots himself in there to not only because it somewhat reflects how demons treat each other in hell, but because Edwin is extremely distraught about how anyone could treat Charles the way most people in Charles' life did.

Overall, Edwin is very bad at being a demon, but only a little bad about being a human ghost.

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

Chapter One of young blood (never get chained) previously known as the demon!Charles AU that I've been picking away at since May, is up!

Pairings: Payneland with background Palasaki

Rating: E for eventual smut

Warnings: Canon-typical violence; past child abuse

Summary: When Charles, a half-demon student at St. Hilarion’s University, steps in to stop one of his classmates from getting sacrificed to a demon, he accidentally binds Edwin’s soul to his own to save him.

You can read the first scene below or here on AO3!

***

Charles is leaving the library when he feels the presence of another demon close by. It’s the prickle of awareness on the back of his neck, the slight taste of sulfur on his tongue, the sense that if he looks up at the gabled roof of Payne Library, he’ll see burning red eyes staring down at him.

He goes still on the steps of the library, backpack thrown over his shoulder and thumb hovering over the screen of his phone, halfway through a text to Crystal and Niko telling them he’s on his way home. Chancing a glance upwards, he sees that the roof of the library is free of demonic presences, but the taste of sulfur only grows stronger in his mouth. Whatever’s happening, it’s close by.

It’s just before midnight on a damp, chilly Thursday and the campus of St. Hilarion’s University is quiet. There was a smattering of other students in the library and he can see a couple of late-night pedestrians making their way home, but there are no visible signs that anything is amiss. Most of St. H’s students are probably home in their dorms or flats, windows and doors closed against the weather. It’s where Charles would be, if a need to escape all distractions hadn’t driven him to the library to finish a paper.

Without finishing the text to Crystal, he pockets his phone and reaches into the backpack, silently calling to the cricket bat. It springs from the infinite void, the smooth wooden handle finding his hand. He’d rather head home to order some late-night takeout and watch a bad movie with Crystal, but if there’s trouble on campus, especially of the demonic sort, that’s his problem to handle.

On a hunch, he turns left, heading past the dining hall and the science building in the direction of Broderick Hall. The oldest dorm on campus has been closed for renovations the entire time Charles has attended St. H’s, making it a prime location for illicit parties, hook ups, and evil lairs. Sure enough, the rotten taste in his mouth grows stronger as he approaches.

The side door hangs ajar, the lock broken, and Charles pushes his way inside. He twirls the cricket bat in his hand nervously. Hopefully, he’ll just have to give the interloper a friendly reminder that St. Hilarion’s is his turf and that the students here aren’t easy pickings. In his experience, demons usually respond to friendly reminders by trying to flay him alive, but it’s nothing he hasn’t dealt with before.

From below, there’s a muffled scream. Charles follows the sound, descending the stairs into the basement.

The basement of Broderick Hall has become a graveyard of twin beds, dressers, and desks while the dormitories upstairs are renovated. It’s dimly lit, with only the faint glow of streetlamps filtering through the small, dusty windows and a beam of light on the other side of the basement. Moving carefully so as not to trip over a desk chair and give himself away, Charles weaves through the furniture towards the beam of light, which moves erratically, bouncing off the ceiling and damp brick walls.

There’s another scream, followed by cruel laughter, just as Charles rounds a corner and spots his quarry. It’s not the demon he was expecting, but six figures, all of whom seem human. Five of them are gathered in a circle around one of the twin beds, where the sixth person is stretched out, wrists and ankles bound to the headboard and footboard. From the muffled shouting, he can guess they didn’t sign up for this.

Charles spots the source of the light: a long, industrial flashlight held by one of the figures over a thick, leather-bound book in his neighbor’s hand. In the glow of the flashlight, Charles recognizes the one holding the book. Simon Mould: school football player, son of one of the richest men in Britain, and complete fucking twat. Which means that his companions must be the pack of idiot footballers who are always following him around. What the fuck are they doing down here?

“We call upon the demon Sa’al,” Simon says, smirking down at the bound figure as his friends laugh and catcall. “We offer up this little prat as a virgin sacrifice.”

Fucking hell.

The taste of sulfur is choking him and Charles knows it’s already too late to stop the summoning, but he surges forward anyway. The boys don’t notice him until he’s upon them, bringing down the cricket bat on the grimoire in Simon’s hands with all his might. Simon shrieks in surprise, the book falling to the ground.

“What the fuck is this?” Charles shouts, his voice echoing around the room. Maybe if he kicks up enough of a fuss, whatever they summoned will decide it’s not worth it and fuck off back to Hell.

“Shit!” Simon scrambles backwards. “ Rowland ? What the fuck are you doing here?”

Charles kicks the grimoire away. “Where did you find this?”

“Got it from my brother! We were just trying to—”

“I know what you were trying to do. Now get out of here.”

“Oi.” The one with the flashlight, who stands a head taller than Charles and is built like a brick wall, crowds into his space. “We were just having a bit of fun with the little bitch. No harm done. He might piss his pants, but he’ll live.”

That gets another mean laugh from the group.

“Don’t think he agrees with you, does he?” Charles glances back at the sacrifice, who is still fighting his bonds, hands twisting helplessly. Maybe if it weren’t for the rage thrumming through him and the taste of sulfur on his tongue, he would try the diplomatic approach. But he’s not feeling real diplomatic, not when there’s cruel laughter echoing in the air and a terrified boy tied to a bed behind him.

“What the fuck do you care?” Simon demands. “This isn’t any of your fucking business, Rowland.”

“Nah.” Charles bares his teeth into a smile. “I think I’ve made it my fucking business.”

The one with the flashlight doesn’t wait for Simon to reply. He lunges forward, flashlight raised like a club, and Charles moves. He dances to the side, dodging the blow, and brings his cricket bat down hard on his attacker’s arm. The brick wall of a boy shrieks and drops the flashlight, which clatters to the ground. As he bends to retrieve it, Charles hits him in the back of the knees, knocking his legs out from under him. He folds, wailing.

Someone—Simon—grabs him by the arm and Charles sinks his fist into his stomach hard enough to send him stumbling backwards, crashing into one of the desks, which splinters under his weight. Another boy lunges at him and Charles brings his bat up between his legs, eliciting a satisfying shriek.

“Come on.” Charles twirls his bat, waiting for the next attacker. He both loves and hates the rage that thrums through him and how powerful it makes him feel. He feels like he could take apart this entire fucking building brick by brick with his bare hands. He feels like he could dropkick these twats into the sun. He feels like nothing can stop him, like he could keep fighting until the end of time. Later, he knows it will be terrifying. Right now, it’s exhilarating.

Simon makes an aborted movement towards the grimoire on the ground, pausing when Charles rests his cricket bat on it. He looks up at Charles with what he probably thinks is a menacing expression. It would be more intimidating if he weren’t clutching his stomach, looking like he’s about to be sick.

“Get the fuck out.” The rage is thrumming under Charles’s skin, telling him to attack, to swing his bat and keep on swinging until they stop moving. “Go.”

Some scrap of prey instinct must alert the five of them that they’re in the presence of something bigger than they can comprehend, because they turn tail and run, the boy Charles hit in the balls being supported by his two friends. Simon is the last to flee, shouting, “Fuck off, Rowland!” over his shoulder. None of them will ever know that Charles just saved their sorry lives.

Charles turns to the sacrifice, who has gone still, head turned away so that his face is hidden. He’s only wearing a thin t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants, his feet bare and his body wracked with tremors. His attackers must have dragged him out of bed.

Charles breathes until he no longer feels the wrath bubbling under his skin, then steps forward to reach for the ropes around the sacrifice’s ankles. The boy flinches like he’s expecting a blow.

“It’s okay, mate,” Charles says softly, but his attempt at comfort gets no reaction. “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

Upstairs, there’s a shout and a clatter. Charles’s head jerks up, expecting shrieks of agony to follow. Instead, there’s another shout and a door slams. Simon and his dipshits, at least, are out of harm’s way.

The would-be sacrifice screams.

Charles knows what he’s going to see before he turns around. The demon—a lower demon with gray, mottled skin and empty eyes, probably pressed into service as an errand boy—looks down at the sacrifice with a disgruntled expression, like he can't believe he had to make the trip from Hell for this. For his part, the boy is screaming into his gag. Most of it is muffled, but Charles gets the gist: lots of no’s and please’s and leave me alone’s. Charles could’ve told him that begging a demon for mercy is pointless; they aren’t creatures that respond to pleas and tears.

What they respond to is brute force.

Brandishing the bat, Charles steps between the sacrifice and the demon. “Sorry, mate,” he says. “But there’s nothing for you here.”

“Little brother, you know the rules.” The demon has a raspy, but almost pleasant voice. “He was sacrificed to Sa’al. Now I’ve got to take him to Hell.”

The sacrifice whimpers.

“Right,” Charles says. “But see, the problem is that St. Hilarion’s is my territory. The souls here aren’t anyone else’s to give away.”

Crystal helped him conduct the ritual after the incident with the poltergeist in the dining hall last term. He doesn’t know if it will be considered legally binding in Hell, but the incidents of supernatural chaos on campus have sharply declined since he put his blood into the soil and declared this place his.

“Your territory.” The demon regards him with those empty eyes.

Charles nods. “So I can’t just let you walk off with one of my souls, can I? There are rules against that.”

“And what would you need with a university full of souls?”

“That’s my business.” Charles hopes he projects the air of someone who absolutely has a nefarious plan for a university campus’s worth of souls and isn’t just pulling all of this out of his ass.

The demon moves closer. “Your territory or not, this one was offered as a sacrifice. You can request compensation later, but in the meantime, the kid’s life is Sa’al’s.”

The sacrifice makes a choked-off, gasping noise and Charles can’t help but glance over his shoulder, hoping to silently convey that everything will be alright. For the first time, he finds the sacrifice staring back at him, eyes enormous in an ashen face, and realizes that he recognizes him.

He and Edwin Payne lived in the same hall their first term at St. Hilarion’s. Edwin was the quiet, standoffish sort who never came to social events and always seemed to have his nose buried in a book. A couple of times, Charles tried to strike up a conversation, but Edwin had always seemed perplexed that anyone would want to make small talk about football or music when there were books to be read.

But Charles used to watch him sometimes when he saw him in the library or the dining hall, observing the way his lips would curl into a little smile while he read or the graceful way his hands moved when he spoke. All he knew about him were things he had gleaned from gossip in their hall—the Payne Library was named after his family, he had an uncle or a grandfather or something in Parliament, his parents were both barristers—but he’d always found him oddly fascinating.

Maybe Charles would have tried to befriend him in earnest at some point, but then he’d met Crystal and the demon possessing her, and then there had been the incident with Niko and the dandelion sprites only a couple of months later. When the dust from all that had settled, the term had been over and Charles had been moving into Crystal’s house with her and Niko.

He’s only seen Edwin in passing around campus over the last couple of years and hasn’t thought about him much at all. But here he is, tied to a bed and watching two demons debate the ownership of his soul like it’s the last biscuit at a tea party. He’s not screaming anymore, but his chest rises and falls with quick, panicked breaths and his wrists twist uselessly against the ropes binding him to the headboard.

“Tell Sa’al that Edwin Payne’s soul is mine,” Charles says, not taking his gaze off those wide eyes. “It’s bound to me and it’s no one else’s to take.”

It’s not the involved blood ritual that had taken him and Crystal the better part of a month to perfect when he claimed St. H’s as his territory. He doesn’t expect it to do anything except stall the demon while he figures out a way to get Edwin Payne out of this cellar with his soul intact. Except, as soon as he says the words, he feels something in the air shift. A current of something old and powerful seems to surge around him, making every nerve in his body spark.

He’s suddenly aware of sickening terror, betrayal, confusion, desperation. None of it is his own; its source is shivering in a bed less than a meter away.

Well, fuck.

“For fuck’s sake.” The demon pinches the bridge of his nose in a gesture that’s startlingly human. “This is above my fucking paygrade. Kid, you’re making a real nasty enemy. Sa’al won’t take kindly to the likes of you depriving him of what’s rightfully his.”

Charles has no idea who Sa’al is, but really hopes he’s just a measly lower demon, like the piece of shit who possessed Crystal two years ago. Someone who will be easy to deal with when he inevitably comes calling.

“But if you want to piss off an archduke of Hell over a single human soul, that’s your business.” The demon steps back, hands raised.

“An archduke?” To his mortification, Charles’s voice cracks like he’s fourteen.

The demon shoots him a knowing look. “I’ll leave you to your prize.” He glances at Edwin and shakes his head like he can’t comprehend all this fuss over one human soul. Turning, he vanishes into the shadows as quickly as he appeared. The taste of sulfur dies on Charles’s tongue as the oppressive feeling of menace ebbs away.

The cellar is silent except for Edwin Payne’s raspy breathing. Charles can feel the fear and uncertainty radiating off of him, hanging in the air as heavily as the taste of sulfur did.

“He’s gone.” Charles keeps his movements slow and measured as he reaches for the scarf tied around Edwin’s head, gagging him. “Everything’s alright now, yeah? You're safe.”

There are tear tracks on Edwin’s cheeks and when Charles pulls the scarf away, he sees that the corners of his mouth are puffy and red. Edwin’s tongue flicks out, prodding at the irritated skin, before he rasps, “What the bloody hell was that?”

Charles busies himself with untying his wrists. He has no idea how to answer that, because there's no easy way to explain the existence of the supernatural to a human. Crystal, a psychic, already knew about the existence of the paranormal before she was possessed by her demon boyfriend. Niko took learning there were dandelion sprites living in her head with unusual aplomb; she even keeps the little terrors in the room she shares with Crystal, much to Crystal’s dismay. Something tells Charles that Edwin won’t be so open-minded.

“Well,” he says slowly as he starts to untie the ropes around Edwin’s ankles. “Your friends accidentally summoned a demon. At least I think it was an accident, because if it was a genuine attempt at a ritual, they did a shit job. Didn’t even bother with a binding circle, did they?”

“Of course they didn’t,” Edwin says disdainfully, like sloppy spellwork was tonight’s biggest offense.

“Right,” Charles says. “Anyway, demons exist—”

“Yes, I gathered that, given one just tried to take me to Hell.” Edwin’s voice stays even as he sits up and swings his legs over the side of the bed. The spike of anxiety Charles feels in his own chest is the only sign that he's shaken. Maybe Edwin Payne will be more open-minded than Charles assumed. “And who exactly are you?”

Charles lets the ropes fall to the ground and holds his hand out to shake. “Charles Rowland. I lived two rooms down from you in Warren Hall.”

“I remember you.” Edwin hesitates, then takes Charles’s hand. His fingers are long and cool in Charles’s grasp. “But I don’t remember you scaring off demons with a cricket bat.”

Charles thinks Edwin might be giving him and his bat too much credit. He pulls Edwin to his feet. “That doesn’t happen as often as you’d think.”

“You haven’t answered my question.” Edwin pulls his hand from Charles’s grasp, trepidation radiating from him. “ Who are you?”

Charles looks around the darkened basement. “It’s a long story, mate. We should walk and talk, yeah? That demon is going to go straight to Sa’al and I’d rather not be here if he decides to come up from Hell himself to see what happened to his human sacrifice.”

Edwin’s throat clicks audibly as he swallows. “No,” he says faintly. “I’d rather not be here either.”

Charles picks up the discarded grimoire and tosses it in his backpack. He can’t just leave it lying around for anyone to find. “Come on, then. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

***

You can read the rest here on AO3!

[celestialvoid-fanfiction]

Sterek Dead Boy Detectives AU: Derek and Stiles are detectives, taking on the cases with supernatural connections that the living aren’t capable of handling. They extinguish supernatural threats and helping lost souls find peace and move on to the afterlife… oh, and they’re dead.

Both boys never found peace, never moved on. Now they are on the run from Death, trying to help others find their peace.

A client contacts them to help her friend, Lydia, a clairvoyant who’s possessed by a demon.

They are able to exorcise the demon, but Lydia is left with no memories and no idea who she is except for her name. While Stiles and Derek argue about whether or not they let her stay with them (because the dead shouldn’t interact with the living), Lydia picks up a missing child poster and has a vision. The child is alive.

Lydia teams up with the boys to help them find the child, but things take a turn when Stiles uses magic on a cat, a misdemeanour that the Cat King demands he answer for. His punishment? He is trapped in Beacon Hills until he counts all the cats. That wouldn’t be too bad if they hadn’t also pissed off a witch. And, on top of that, they’re still hiding from Death.

[read-write-thrive]

inspired by my last post on dead boy detectives high school AU: obligatory band kid AU (and it ended up v long so buckle up)

instrumentation/roles:

edwin: if we’re talking still in his shell edwin, he’s an oboe/bassoon player. if we’re talking out of his shell edwin, he’s a French horn player. either way he is 100% first chair but will only accept the section leader title if there’s no one else in his section, he is not about to deal with marching band any more than he has to. he aces competitions and the like when he’s on his own, but rarely has the patience for ensemble work. his parents started him on his instrument younger than his peers so it makes sense he’s so good, but his ego is mostly separate from that—he’s just like that. he’s in the main/symphonic band, marching band with some hesitation, orchestra, and chamber/honors band

charles: while you could say almost any brass/low woodwind instrument and I would say fair enough, I personally think he’s a trumpet player. he does sports so he is often running back and forth on practice/game days but wouldn’t trade it for anything. he’s probably not first chair, or at least isn’t until his later years since he/his parents prioritise sports, he 100% would love being a section leader!! he fits the loud trumpet stereotype but is one of the few that’re complete sweethearts (as long as you keep him away from some of the more toxic dudes, he can get a little swept up in it from time to time, but luckily he figures it all out by the time he graduates). he doesn’t do competitions or any of the fancy stuff since he has obligations with sports, but it sometimes makes him sad that his friends are so good at his instruments while he’s juggling this other stuff and can’t match their level. he’s in the main band, marching, and jazz band in the spring semester

crystal: she’s a saxophone girlie 100%. she can play any of them if pushed, but she tends towards alto sax during marching season and tenor/baritone during the off season depending on the piece’s/concert’s needs. she kept up with some of the more toxic upper woodwind/percussion players in her mean girl era but she’s since come to her senses and avoids them whenever possible. she could be first chair and section leader if she wanted, she’s good enough (parents definitely put her in lessons) and charismatic enough, but she’s not enthusiastic about either position and often purposefully dodges the extra responsibilities. likewise, she’s not interested in separate awards or competitions or anything like that (though I think she also tried it her first semester, like orchestra, to try to get her parents’ attention—when it didn’t work, she dropped it). I can see freshman being simultaneously terrified of and crushing on her. she’s in the main band, marching, and jazz band, though she tried orchestrating for a semester before deciding it was not her vibe

niko: I see her as a violin/strings player who then switches to flute for symphonic/marching band, especially since she’s an international student. I don’t think she gets along super well with the other flute/violin players, so she’s glad to make friends with the group. she’s taken lessons for both violin and flute, but violin was mainly when she was a kid and flute was to help her catch up to everyone else. she does competitions and such mainly so she can get out of classes and hang out with her friends, but tries her best to do well without taking away from her other activities/free time. her instrument cases are COVERED in stickers. she’s super nice to the younger years but they stop talking with her much once they find their friend groups, which always makes her sad. she’s the type to be a “band mom” to an underclassman once one sticks around, but it takes until her senior year for that to happen. she’s in the main band, marching band (again, more to hang out with her friends than for any enthusiasm in the competition), and orchestra to get a chance to play the violin

monty: that boy plays the clarinet argue with the wall. he has his shy moments but also his outspoken moments, just depends on the people involved. he was never in lessons but definitely practices more than your average person. he’s the one to always be in a practice room, either actually practicing or giving people readings, to the extent that there’s a practice room that’s unofficially his (including him scratching/writing his name somewhere before he graduates). he’s perpetually second chair, and secretly would like to be section leader but is just enough of a people pleaser that it never happens (either by him giving it to someone else or the director doesn’t give him the position). he’s in symphonic, marching, orchestra and chamber

thomas/the cat king: so I think he’s a percussionist as his mood can be a little all over the place and hard to read, so I think the variety of percussion suits him. plus the putting on a persona thing just screams percussionist to me. if he isn’t the one dealing himself he 100% has an in with the local dealer (which ig isn’t band related but the percussionists were the dealers/stoners in my band so). he isn’t first chair by any means but he is 100% the section leader of the pit (I cannot see him marching). I think he’s also one of those guys who tends to date underclassmen which concerns literally everyone and breaks a few hearts but is ultimately harmless if a bit of a dick (said with love). he’s in the main, marching, and jazz bands

jenny: was a stellar saxophonist in her time, graduated a few years ago but comes back to help with marching band over the summers/eventually decides to become a band director herself and student teaches during the gang’s senior year. when she was in school she did every ensemble available, which honestly intimidated most of her peers (barring the sapphics bc she 100% had everyone crushing on her, dated quite a few of them too). she’s a great band director once she learns more on how to deal with the inevitable students breaking down in your office on random lunch periods

esther: monty’s mom but refuses to be part of any band parent organization. will occasionally show up to concerts, but if you talk to her she somehow makes it all about her. at some point she gets in trouble with her concerning relationships with minor girls and as a result can’t go to school functions, which monty doesn’t talk about to really anyone but secretly is glad about. she never played any instruments and openly calls monty a nerd for enjoying band

the night nurse: I’m sticking with her as an assistant principal/in charge of attendance/some cog in the bureaucratic system. the band kids are all too familiar with her as they’re often incorrectly marked absent when they go to band practice during lunch/free periods, so getting called down to her office happens to everyone sooner or later. during the gang’s senior year she’s assigned to be directly in charge of the band (for whatever reason idk) which has her suddenly showing up to games and concerts. no one really likes this but they eventually warm to her. she tried the flute once when she was in school but wasn’t good right away so she decided it wasn’t for her

tragic mick: I’m again sticking to custodian but specifically the custodian that’s in charge of the practice field/band rooms/etc and is as such a beloved if cryptic figure in the greater band family. he played the tuba when he was in school but when asked says it’s been far too long to remember anything about it

kashi: hear me out, Kashi as the band director goes hard. like he’s eccentric, always has a grand story to tell, and is simultaneously good at making you laugh and at giving advice. his main instrument is something weird like the soprano saxophone or the euphonium or flugelhorn or harp, but as band director he’s learned most of not all of the instruments in the band over the course of his career

david the demon: percussionist. I take back what I said about the cat king dealing, david is 100% the sketchy dealer of the band. Is also older than the gang. was in the main and marching band but that’s it.

Lilith: superintendent. cryptid type figure. is the one responsible for the shit that goes down with Esther. showed up to exactly one concert and everyone is still losing their mind over seeing her in the flesh

I cannot remember her name but the lady who ran the gift shop: the choir director/theater teacher/eccentric English teacher. well known by the band kid population but not directly involved

the finality or whatever that character is called: prinicpal. directly in charge of the night nurse. surprisingly agreeable for how much bs/cruelty she oversees. her coming in right at the end of the series echoes her showing up to graduation and that’s it for out side of school hours

the ghost mail carrier: he mans the front office desk. will deliver messages over the intercom that always make people jump

extra info/plot points in a fic i doubt I’ll actually write:

monty and edwin get close after being sat near each other in orchestra and then working together during a chamber piece

thomas/the cat king is also older than the main gang. edwin is one of the underclassmen he cozies up to, but edwin never actually dates him

the charles and edwin dream duo imo is charles on trumpet say behind edwin on French horn, with both of them constantly making little comments just to make the other laugh/roll their eyes/react during practice/rehearsal. their senior year they end up being co-section leaders of upper brass but only after some serious begging on charles’s part

crystal has a major crush on jenny at one point

not a single person can stand esther finch, to the point that Kashi slips monty some flyers on different help resources and the other kids all let monty crash at different points when she’s angry

it’s at one point revealed that thomas/the cat king’s parents aren’t in the picture for some traumatic reason and he’s being raised by his grandparent(s), which most people accept as justification for his iffy behavior (it isn’t, for the record, but ive seen this situation happen exactly twice over in my band career and it lines up with him too well not to include)

crystal and charles date for a time and are the band’s it couple when they do. a handful of people don’t like it, but it’s mainly bc they’re jealous they missed their chance with one of the other ( cough edwin cough ) but it doesn’t end up lasting

david and crystal date when he’s a senior and she’s a freshman and it’s BAD. like she’s partaking in drugs she doesn’t fully understand and he’s enabling it/actively supplying it. it’s ultimately jenny who notices the spiral and talks some sense into crystal/gives her a semi-relatable authority figure to lean on. aforementioned crush happens during the chaotic period during/immediately following this. david stays in town and still deals post-graduation, so he shows up to high school parties and without fail creeps on crystal if she’s around. as such she starts avoiding parties, which is the final mail in the coffin of her mean girl era, leading to her befriending charles and niko (and eventually edwin) and made part of the gang

there’s a running joke/conspiracy theory that Kashi and the night nurse are in love with each other. it has been used to embarrass freshmen several times over the years. the night nurse actively denies it but kashi keeps it vague just for the fun of it

at one point when charles and crystal are dating and the four of them are already friends, someone starts a rumour/starts suggesting that niko and edwin should pair up. edwin isn’t openly out but his friends all know so they laugh about it (I also hc niko as aroace for a multitude of reasons i won’t get into here but I think that adds to the humor of it all)

when the band plays for a sport that Charles is on the team for they all go WILD when he’s mentioned by the announcer/scores/what have you. to the extent that there a specific chant/riff/cadence/whatever they start playing specifically for him. this eventually gets them in trouble on some big championship game and the band only stops/does it quieter so that charles doesn’t get in trouble over it

charles had a letterman’s jacket that he adds his band letter to (as well as some diying with pins and patches and such to make it more his style). he uses offering it as a way to flirt/show off his partner(s). it is very effective (to the chagrin of some of those partners who wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead in a letterman’s jacket, incl crystal and edwin)

monty initially charges the rich-asshole kids for readings until he’s caught and forced to stop. he then stops giving readings to anyone he doesn’t already know/like. he uses readings as a way to flirt with edwin, who literally doesn’t realise it for an extended period of time. monty keeps trying to flirt/ask edwin our, but by the time he hyped himself up for it the bell rings and the lunch period ends. they eventually go on one date, which edwin doesn’t realise is even a date (despite his friends insisting otherwise) until monty kisses him at the end of it. it’s awkward for a while afterwards but they eventually settle into a friendship

several other band kids place bets on when edwin and charles will finally get together. niko wins the bet, despite actively encouraging monty x edwin along the way. some say she’s biased being so close to them, but she openly admits that she wasn’t sure it would ever happen

may add to this post later but ive written wayyy too much for rn so we’ll leave it here

[kaciart]

Day 4 of Painland week - Domestic AU

'Charles....that is a Hellhound...'

'Crystal would let me keep him...:C'

'Crystal allowed a demon inside her because she was courting him'

'she is hardly a paragon of good decisions'

'And what exactly do you think a hellhound eats?'

'We can feed him the bad ghosts, save death some trouble - straight to hell'

i imagine him sneaking it into the office despite Edwin

and the nightnurse is like

ABSOLUTELY NOT

'OUT!'

'Just wait till he transports your boyfriend to hell again, THEN WHAT?'

'He's not my - he could do that??'

'Im sorry Daisy ;_; i'll find you a new home'

I kind of imagine it keeps coming to Charles aid

and eventually they just accept it

and train it to only eat bad things

-

Patreon | Ko-Fi

[greyskyflowers]

I feel like i haven't seen anything with a hell hound/grim Charles AU and I feel like that's not right soo..

Like, let's discuss.

There's a lot of ways this could happen and there's probably a hundred more that I haven't thought of but personally I'm really leaning towards one.

•

Prior to Charles being a living human, and then a ghost, he was hellhound. I like the idea of a curse being put on him, maybe he came looking for a witch and they weren't ready to be dragged to hell yet, and that forces him into the life of a human.

It's strong magic and it tucks all those memories and instincts behind a door way way in the back of his head. He's human when he's born and he's human up until he dies.

Edwin, however, immediately knows something is wrong when Charles dies. He doesn't know what it is, or what Charles is, but it's heavily tied to hell. He just spend decades there and he knows what it does to things. Just like the scent and touch of hell will always be smudged like dirty fingerprints on his soul, it seems it's true to Charles as well.

He does not run away from Charles though. He can't. Not after sitting with him while the other boy slowly died. A part of Edwin is ravenous for contact, for someone to talk to, for companionship. Part of him didn't make it back from hell and it left a hollow in his chest that aches with loneliness.

It also doesn't appear that Charles knows something is wrong with him.

Edwin will take his chances, honestly as long as it's not the damn spider he can make his peace with about anything.

And so, nothing is said about it.

However, the original curse eventually dissipates. At that time, all Charles' memories slam open the door in the back of his head and demand acknowledgement.

•

There's a limit to how much the human mind can handle before it just shuts down to protect itself. Which makes sense, however Charles dropping like a stone one day doesn't give Edwin much to work with besides a whole lot of fear and worry.

The mixing of memories, from before before and from his previous life, is messy. It takes awhile to translate the thoughts and memories into something that the human mind can handle.

And the Charles that opens his eyes is not the same as the one who closed them.

His nose is assaulted with scents, even more overwhelming after not being able to smell as a ghost for several years. And he smells hell. Faded but still undeniably hell.

He looks at the boy fussing over him and blanks for a minute. Edwin, his mind reminds him, ours a louder part cuts in. This one is ours. Edwin.

Frantic and as exhausted as a ghost can look, Edwin is talking but Charles isn't listening. He's taking it all in, everything slowly trickling back to him until he's himself but also more. A older and stronger part of himself has woken up.

He doesn't tell Edwin, terrified that he'll run as soon as he knows. It bothers him that he's not more upset about the being a hellhound thing. It should surely bother him more but it doesn't. It just feels like him.

It's hard to not give it away though, especially because it feels normal to Charles now. It feels like he's moving his whole body for the first time after only using parts of it. He's able to get most of it under control but things come out the more emotional he gets, especially with anger.

Canine teeth that sharpen a little too much to be human, strong and sharp nails that grow a little too long sometimes, a unhappy noise from his chest that could potentially be called a growl, a viciousness to him that's almost startling at times.

•

But... of course Edwin knows. He could have probably have made a decent guess all those years ago in the attic if he'd had to but he's confident now. He's not sure how a hellhound ended up human, let alone a ghost, but he doesn't question it too much.

Instead he plays his part too, doesn't say anything but he makes sure holy water doesn't get on Charles, always keeps an eye out to make sure he's far away from any demonic traps when a case calls for it, doesn't do anything that might potentially be a trigger for pain, and so on.

There's not a lot of resources available for this type of situation and Edwin does his best.

•

Cut to the start of the show and it makes sense that Charles likes Crystal. She's got hell on her soul a bit too, left from David, and psychics have a history with the occult.

It's easy to get caught up with her, the excitement of someone new. It has him urging Edwin to take a case in America, and not noticing small problems beginning to take root.

Somewhere along the way, something happens between him and Edwin. Usually they don't have issues and Charles wants to resolve this but he doesn't want to be the one to give in.

What's wrong with playing a little? Trying new thing and getting to know new people? They could all get along if Edwin would just relax.

Charles doesn't even get defensive when Crystal makes the occasional too vicious dig at Edwin, although the little betrayed looks he gets from Edwin make his skin itch. They both give as good as they get and he's willing to let them spit at each other until they've calmed down.

•

Charles will admit that possessing Esther was not the best choice he could have made, or even top 3, but it was the one he went with. He's never done it and probably never will again after seeing how upset Edwin was. It's fine though. They'll be fine.

It's not fine.

The Cat King, and god does Charles hate cats, puts the equivalent of a collar on Edwin. The bastard knows exactly what Charles is too, how insulting it is for him see Edwin leashed like dog.

He stays just beyond Charles' reach or close enough to Edwin that he can't do anything.

Are we playing a game his grin asks and Charles wants to rip the word no into his skin until he lets Edwin go.

•

Niko is a unexpected joy, especially for Edwin. As soon as she can see them, she asks Charles about his teeth. He doesn't pay attention to how Edwin also looks panicked at the question, just smiles at her and he's positive his teeth are human. She hums and get easily distracted by something Crystal is saying, but he makes a point to run his tongue over his teeth before he opens his mouth around her, just to make sure.

They keep getting distracted, by cases that are as interesting as they are frustrating, while trying to figure out how to get the bracelet off Edwin. The Devlin House is not his best moment, the case digging cruelly into sore spots he'd been trying very hard to forget he had. It also adds to the tension between him and Edwin.

•

Charles does not like the night nurse. Especially when she goes digging in his head, but he gets her back when she goes too far, gets too nosy and sees things she shouldn't. It's easy to give into the anger that's been gnawing at him for years, but he send her off over the the side of the cliff instead of just finishing her right there.

But she comes back, just like Esther does, and she leads that thing right back to Edwin.

•

The world narrows down to a pin prick where the wall reformed after closing behind the demon. There's a ringing in his ears that's not loud enough to cover Edwin's screams playing over and over in his ears. He turns on the night nurse growling so hard his throat burns, teeth aching from where they're clenched and bared at her. He's never been this mad. He's never been this scared.

Some type of survival instinct must kick in because she opens a door to hell for him, probably hoping he just stays down there. He doesn't remember his way around, or know where he'll even pop out at, so he snags Edwins notebook and opens it to the map he knows is there, and starts his descent.

It does come back, each step pulls up the memories and instincts until he's confident he could track Edwin by smell alone if he needed to. He ignores the woman sobbing on the stairs, she doesn't matter.

Limbo

Gluttony

Lust

Here. The dollhouse.

There's old blood on the walls of the hallways, mixed in with new, and in parts of it he can smell Edwin. Some of it old enough that it would have been from his first trip down and his skin prickles from how angry he is.

He doesn't need the lantern, his eyes have adjusted to see in the dim hallways and dark corners but he's knows it will comfort Edwin. It's a comfort to him too, even if he doesn't need it. It reminds him of when Edwin found him.

And he does find Edwin, a fluttering relief in his chest as he starts towards him and Edwin takes a step too. Only for him to be ripped away again, screaming, and Charles can already smell the fresh blood.

He doesn't really need to be quiet, not really. The demon isn't going to be eager to pick a fight with Charles once it realizes what he is, but it might get brave if it's over what is clearly it's favorite toy.

Edwin is more vulnerable then he's ever been though and Charles aches with it. Whatever Edwin wants, Charles will be completely silent if that's what he wants. Anything.

There's an ache, a burning, a balloon about ready to pop in his chest. He wants to find somewhere dark and small and safe for them. He wants to lick over the wounds he sees on Edwin and right, focus. Clearly he's starting to fall back into those instincts pretty strong.

They stop on the stairs and the only reason Charles doesn't just throw Edwin over his shoulder and continue up the stairs is because the other boy is clearly exhausted and has something he thinks must be said.

•

Love.

He loves Edwin. There's nothing he loves as much as Edwin and certainly nothing he could love more.

In love... what does that mean?

The completely human part of him thinks of his parents and nonono, that's not right. The hellhound part, that's sitting right under his skin due to being back in hell, tells him to kill something and leave it at Edwin's feet.

Neither of those seem right. However killing the spider demon for Edwin is incredibly tempting and he makes a note to revisit the thought later.

He can't say nothing to Edwin though. So he says something, the first thing that he can string into a sentence and hopes it's enough.

It seems to be because they're moving again, making it through the door just in time.

•

The cat king's bracelet is gone and Charles wants to go home. He wants to drag Edwin through the nearest mirror and hid away in their office for a week or more. He wants to look Edwin over, feel along all his joints to make sure they're okay because that's where the demon spider would have started when it ripped him apart, the joints giving way easier than trying to snap bone. Not that it didn't do that too.

He doesn't want to abandon the girls though and they stay.

•

Charles hates witches. To be fair, his last real run in with a powerful witch ended with him being reborn as a human. He really hates Esther though.

She knows, just like the cat king did, what he is.

There's runes on the floor under him, and even if he gets out of the iron collar he's still going to be stuck. The collar is a insult as much as it's a way to keep him under control.

He's stuck, Edwin screaming in the next room and he's going to tell Edwin everything after this. He wants to learn everything he can about himself so he never gets put in this situation again. He knows he could get out of this if he had more understanding and practice. The iron burns but he can burn hotter, he knows he can, and the runes can be broken, he just doesn't know how.

Niko and Crystal will have to do for now though, they slide him his bag, which slides over some of the runes and makes a break in them. He finds the lockpick quick after that and he's free and up in moments. He aches to go to Edwin, his teeth itch and he can barely think about anything else, but the girls were right. He needs to kill the snake.

Thankfully, the snake dies quickly under his rage and he's upstairs again in just minutes. EdwinEdwinEdwin runs on loop in his head.

He's not quick enough to save Niko and he can feel Edwin's heartbreak from across the room.

Crystal and Niko are Charles', not the same way Edwin is but still something close and loved. They have to move though, death is going to come for her.

Edwin is crashing. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and devastated. He can barely stay up even with help and eventually Charles just picks him up. There's no fight, he just accepts it.

He's quiet. Charles hopes he doesn't think he's back in hell... or that he never left at all.

•

The unexpected arrival of the night nurse at their office, and the threat to Edwin, has Charles finally saying fuck it. He's going to get rid of her and after that he can beg Edwin for a chance to explain.

But he doesn't get a chance to. Instead he has to make sure his teeth aren't showing too sharp as he grins at their newest agency member. She huffs at Edwin a few times and seems genuinely upset but Charles can't bring himself to be sympathetic. She keeps an eye on him until she leaves, and he lets his teeth show right when she leaves as a reminder. Smart woman.

It's just them again, like it's always been, and he wants to cry as he hugs Edwin. It feels good to hold and be held.

Until Edwin pulls back and says he knows in a way clearly meant to show that he does indeed know.

Hellhounds tend to run hot, and even though Charles is dead and can't really have a body temperature, he does tend to run hot. However, he feels frozen, even colder than the night he died.

There's no fear from Edwin though. No screaming or running, no wards to trap him or spells quickly spoken to hurt him. Just Edwin, looking at him the way he always has, and Charles realizes like a punch to the gut that the look is love.

•

Edwin doesn't mind the too sharp teeth when they bite at his lower lip and neck. He doesn't mind the sharp nails where they sometimes catch a little on the skin of his hips. He doesn't mind the way Charles can smell and his favorite smell is apparently Edwin, who can't smell and has no idea what he even smells like anymore.

Edwin doesn't mind the growls and snarls, pulling out the softer sounds Charles didn't know he was capable of making. Edwin doesn't care.

He doesn't say anything specifically but Charles also knows the part of Edwin that thinks this wasn't his last run in with hell, is relieved. There's not a single place in hell Edwin could be taken that could be hidden from a hellhound, not a place in hell that Charles wouldn't find.

🌙🌙🌙🌙

I like my characters morally grey and ready to kill for each other.

This idea punched me on the face and stole my lunch money. Someone write me fics please 🥺

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Even More Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs

I've discovered some amazing new authors since my last post! And writers I've already recced have published more great stories So here's another fic rec post!

Who? You mean your teammate in the Codependency World Cup? (series) by RoseGanymede95

I couldn't chose! They're all great! Basically a series of Edwin and Charles through the years and on cases pre-show. It scratches that adjusting-to-being-dead/newly-escaped-from-Hell itch and the authors writing is magic! It also fleshes out a really interesting conflict in the payneland dynamic: Charles' drive to protect Edwin at all costs clashing with Edwin's guilt over putting Charles at risk/depriving him of some ideal afterlife. Parts one and four also introduces Constantine/Johanna and part three revolves around an absolutely gut-wrenching temporary break-up. 😢

In Hell I'll Be in Good Company by laylabinx

Charles rescuing Edwin from Hell does not go smoothly. Just. Bucketloads of Trauma for both of them. And for you, the Reader. It's so good though!

your fangs in my neck (like an anchor like a vow) by shadowquill17

Vampire Edwin AU! It's great because it combines the (homo)eroticism of vampiric feeding with Charles' whole bisexual crisis and post-confession Edwin worrying about making Charles uncomfortable. Also Charles is some kind of demigod/immortal agent of divine vengeance which is an AMAZING detail and I desperately want to see some fanart!

The same author's ongoing story to the pain is also excellent though very angsty (cw temporary character death). I'm anxiously waiting for an update!

To Memory Now I Can't Recall by engineering_madonna

This is an amnesia fic and the most recent in an established relationship series. The first two installments feature the boys getting together and navigating their new relationship, so pulling the old 'character A forgets their whole romantic relationship with character B' trope hits especially hard! The whole series is lovely, but I am WEAK for temporary-amnesia.

Lemonade & Sunrises by paraph

A Quiet Place AU! The boys are alive, but they're the only ones. Very bleak but in a way that makes me want more!

1999 au (series) by websters_lieb

The boys figure their shit out in the 90s. Also, Edwin gets to read Maurice and queer theory. The cases in both stories are compelling and the author's writing and characterisation of the boys are excellent.

I also recommend offer me that deathless death which is about the boys' first meeting, Charles' funeral and the birth of the agency.

if I could reach the stars (i'd give them all to you) by ObsessedWithFandom

Charles falls first, Edwin falls harder. This is an AU of the author's excellent Charles' bisexual awakening fic, which I also highly recommend. It has lovely OCs and Charles having a sweet little friendship/romance with the boy he saved in canon, which actually makes his death a whole lot more tragic.

Came up from that lake of fire by ghostinthelibrary

Charles and Edwin get caught escaping Hell and promise to capture a demon-eating ghost called The Deathless in exchange for their freedom. With the added twist that they get to be alive again! An exciting case, high stakes and all the alive-again culture shocks and emotional/interpersonal drama you could ask for.

gig officially gigged by laiqualaurelote

Band AU! It shouldn't work but it does. Which might also be an in-universe review for the band tbh. Idk, I loved Edwin's massive obscure musical instruments and Charles being his unpaid roadie. Peak Found Family Feels.

No Rehearsing It, No Reversing It by DontOffendTheBees

Charles overthinks being in love with Edwin, my beloved. This time with increasingly flimsy pretexts for why they NEED to kiss. Just perfect Idiots in Love, no notes.

The Case of David Bowie's Made up Sexuality by williamvapespeare

The agency attempt to help a living lesbian couple deal with a haunting. Meanwhile, Charles struggles through his bisexual (re)awakening. With bonus past (living) Charles no-homo-ing himself to the nth degree. Pure of heart, dumb of ass, indeed.

The lamps are going out by CasiHuman

Vengeful Spirit Edwin AU! Has some interesting ghost lore and Edwin being convinced his touch is painful to Charles (love that trope!). Also features some of the author's adorable/hilarious fanart at the end.

just frame the halves (and call them brothers) by Anonymous

Crystal stumbles upon the ghost of Edwin's older brother, who hires the agency to free him and his platoon from the battleground they've been haunting. Case fic with interesting details about Edwin's family life and an awkward as hell family reunion.

the case of the very long ferry ride by obsceme

Sex pollen but with skin hunger, so it's more touching turned making out and hand jobs in a bathroom. Interesting use of ghost lore and it's cute and well written.

Form 239, Schedule L by sanctuary_for_all

Charles Rowland's Love Language is Acts of Service: The Fic. So many feels! Plus Afterlife worldbuilding and some quality Night Nurse rep.

don't go sharing your devotions (lay all your love on me) by Hephanna

The boys and Crystal accidentally summon an alternate universe version of Charles. He's very... handsy. Charles being jealous of himself is objectively hilarious and it looks like it could be heading towards throuple territory. Possibly even a foursome, if alternate Edwin figures out parallel universe travel. Which he probably will.

Still a Better Lovestory by Vamillepudding

Hanahaki disease! Charles is on the case but Edwin's being weirdly uncooperative about his own curse. I loved the worldbuilding (there's a whole sisterhood of washerwomen!) and the angst, plus the writing is excellent.

The author has also written Eternal Sunshine, in which Edwin is cursed to feel no love of any kind. It makes for an interesting character study, contrasting cursed Edwin, his public reserve and his actual personality.

[podcastenthusiast]

AU where Edwin escapes from Hell sooner, in like 1960 or something, and all that time on the run hiding from Death and Hell completely alone changes him.

Edwin who, with no one else to protect him, learned wards and darker magic by necessity. Edwin who bound and struck deals with supernatural creatures, even witches, for spell books and artifacts to keep himself safe. Edwin who will violently resist the threat of going back to Hell. Edwin who, despite all of this, doesn't ever feel safe, and is slower to trust anyone, including Charles.

The ghost boy Charles meets in that attic is still kind at his core, but undeniably guarded and distant.

Edwin is the one protecting them both at first. Charles is a little bit in awe of him from the start and maybe, after he watches Edwin lowkey torture a demon, slightly worried he's tied his afterlife to a morally dubious ghost wizard. It takes a while to realize that deep down Edwin is truly still just a scared kid, like he is.

Edwin's very careful about how he presents himself, but the cracks inevitably show; he hasn't let anyone close enough to notice. He flinches from Charles' touch. He goes to great lengths to ensure he's in control of every situation. He doesn't seem to know how to relax at all, and the first time he actually laughs at one of Charles' jokes, it shocks them both.

Ghosts don't sleep, but Charles would swear he's seen Edwin having some kind of open-eyed nightmare. And Charles knows nothing really about magic, or Hell, but he does know he'd do pretty much anything to keep Edwin Payne safe, and it's goddamn shameful that no one until now cared enough to do it before.

[deconstructthesoup]

Looked at my Dead Boy Detectives swap AU, decided that it could be better, and ran with it. So... here ya go.

(For those of you who need a refresher---it's an AU where Crystal and Niko are the ghosts and Charles and Edwin are the alive ones. "Dead Girl Detectives," basically.)

Crystal is pretty much unchanged from the original concept---she died in the 1920's, she was a psychic socialite with absent parents, and she acted like the quintessential spoiled wild-child while secretly being fascinated by detective stories. She died when she got possessed by David the demon, who puppeted her body around for weeks... until she finally managed to wrench back some form of control, threw both of them off of a building, and wound up getting sent to Hell. Now that she's out and living free as a ghost, she's doing her level best to leave her old self behind and be a better person---partly for herself, but also so she can prove that she doesn't deserve eternal punishment if Hell ever comes for her again.

Niko's still an anime geek from the 1990's who was an outcast in life, but her death circumstances are different. Instead of dying from the dandelion sprites, she accepted an invitation to a party in an effort to try and socialize more after her father's death... and she got killed in a prank gone wrong, trapped in an abandoned mansion that used to belong to Crystal's family. She probably would've even moved on if it weren't for Crystal showing up and helping her out, giving Niko a reason to stick around. Niko's doing better now, but she still hasn't really processed her feelings surrounding her death. (Also, her hair's still white---she just dyed it that way, and it's never changed even after she died.)

Charles is also pretty much unchanged from the OG concept---he's still an irresponsible witch who got possessed by David and lost his memories as a result---with the added detail that he's one of many incredibly powerful magical people who David's possessed, wrecked havoc with their powers, and killed, though Charles thankfully survived the ordeal thanks to the Dead Girl Detectives. Also, I'm fairly certain that Charles is not only well aware that he's bisexual and out, but he and David were almost certainly dating. Or at least hooking up.

Edwin's still a socially awkward comics nerd and shut-in, but I decided to just have him get the paranormal parasite as a way for him to get involved with Charles and the Dead Girl Detectives---though, instead of a dandelion sprite that's all about soaking up attention, it's a hornet-themed sprite that feeds on people's insecurities and self-loathing. I think that he still butts heads with Crystal a little bit, but his bookish, studious nature winds up becoming incredibly helpful to the team, and he gets along great with Niko and Charles. Especially Charles.

Now, after thinking about it, I realized that if I was going to do a four-way swap with our main crew, it would probably make sense to do the same with our supporting cast. So:

The Night Nurse---or Minerva Knight, as I've tended to name her in my AUs---is in the place as Port Townsend's resident witch, though her motives are pretty different from Esther's. She has no need for any spells of eternal youth, having stopped aging a while ago, and she considers herself the protector of Port Townsend, keeping the forces of the supernatural at bay from the mundane residents... even if that means occasionally sacrificing a child or two to keep some of the more unsavory beings satisfied. Needless to say, Minerva has a very skewed view of morality, and unlike her canon counterpart, she can't really be swayed to change her mind. She's scary.

Esther, meanwhile, is in the lovely position as the Crow Queen, a charming and campy trickster being who exists to wear fabulous, over-the-top outfits, rule over her little feathered darlings, and to be a menace to everyone she meets. Her whole deal with Crystal isn't exactly flirtatious, but it's enough to give Crystal a gigantic bisexual awakening. And whether or not Esther's really all that interested and is just fucking with her, she's a lot of fun, and she's definitely instrumental in helping Crystal realize more about herself.

Thomas (the Cat King, but we're calling him by his first name) is Charles and Edwin's landlord---the owner of a queer bakery who's having a bit of a quarter-life crisis and is therefore a bit of an asshole to almost everyone he meets. Despite how prickly he is, though, he has an energy about him that makes him automatically endearing to every single misfit teen in a fifty-mile radius, and he's less than enthusiastic about it. Deep down, Thomas doesn't really mind, because he is a pretty lonely individual (not that he'd ever admit it).

And lastly, Jenny is the Night Guard On Duty in the Afterlife Lost & Found Department---overworked, burnt out, and thoroughly cynical when it comes to the affairs of the living. She's convinced that all she really needs is the big case that'll get her a promotion to a much less stressful position, and tracking down the Dead Girl Detectives seems to be just the thing. Of course, she's not as dedicated to her job as she appears to be, and even years of working in the most depressing place in the universe hasn't fully worn her down.

And, uh, other than the fact that I'm gonna have to figure out a stand-in for Monty... that's what I got!

[kazalmilk]

I wanted to share my concept for a dbd vampire AU I’ve been thinking about!

In 1916, Edwin Payne is offered as a sacrifice to a demon by several of his classmates. However, the ritual goes awry, and instead, they summon a vampire. Disturbed from his slumber, the vampire kills all the boys but spares Edwin, transforming him into a vampire.

Edwin faints and later awakens in a pool of blood, surrounded by his dead classmates. Discovering his fangs and bloodlust, Edwin mistakenly believes he is responsible for the massacre. Overwhelmed with guilt, he decides to hide away and sleep. For the next 70 years, Edwin remains trapped in a lucid dream state, tormented by nightmares from hell, a result of the demon who turned him.

When he finally wakes up, Edwin explores the school again. On his way to the attic, he finds a shivering, dying boy named Charles. Edwin stays with him, not wanting the boy to die in fear as he once did. Charles is full of questions, and after discovering that Edwin is a vampire, he begs to be turned. He doesn’t want to die. Edwin refuses, seeing vampirism as a curse he does not wish upon the boy. But after sleeping for so long, he is starving, and Charles surrenders himself fully. Edwin gives in.

I imagine that they would go on to solve mysteries as they do in the show, but focusing on other supernatural creatures rather than just ghosts. Or you know just mess around as vampires. I don’t have a name for this AU yet, so feel free to leave suggestions. If people enjoy this concept perhaps I will write a fic or draw them

[irondad-defensesquad]

My Irondad fic recs!

I thought of doing this because why not? Admittedly, I'm not reading as much fanfiction as I did a couple years ago, but some fics have changed my life entirely. In case I forgot one, I'll add it later!

I would’ve organized this in a bullet list, but Tumblr hates me and invented a character limit for that. So this is going to be long and will be under the cut. Anyway, let’s do this!

Rare and Sweet As Cherry Wine by loubuttons – I've mentioned this one before, but this fic right here was what inspired me to write my own Irondad works. One very particular detail I like about it is how it portrays Maria, Tony's mother. It's not what I usually see in other fics about Tony's childhood, since they tend to make Howard the big bad parent. Of course, this is because I personally related to it, as I don't believe in the "bad parent vs. good parent". I also like that it praises Edwin Jarvis as the one who looked out for Tony the most. It's pretty realistic and a very melancholic character study, IMO. *TW for abuse and neglect*

You're Always Iron Man by madasthesea – a very short fic but I absolutely love the premise. Takes place after the big battle in Iron Man 2, and Tony finds little Peter again. They have a very endearing interaction. The following chapter is also very cute!

Nothing like a fresh cup of humiliation in the morning by madasthesea – Pure fluff! This one is probably a classic in the Irondad fandom. Tony kisses Peter's forehead without second thought. Shenanigans ensue. It's so adorable and funny. If you just want to read fluff without angst, this one is for you.

when my body won't hold me anymore (where will I go) by madasthesea - I think I heard about this fic thanks to @/irondadfics here on Tumblr, but I might be wrong since I already knew the Nice work, kid series. Anyway, Peter is believed to be dead, so Tony (and the rest of the Avengers team) is mourning him. In reality, Peter is astral projecting. You know, sort of like how Stephen Strange, in his first movie, was fighting a guy in the other dimension while his body on Earth was struggling to live. That's basically what happens. Strange appears, of course, and saves the day. And I pretty much LOVE the presumed dead trope. I don't know why. Maybe it's the angst of it all. *TW for grief/mourning and temporary character death*

The Reason by doctornineandthreequarters – I think I read this one when I was still writing Oh, take me back to the start. I was looking for fics for inspiration, and I found this one. During the Time Heist in Endgame, Tony remembers the reason he's fighting to bring everyone else back. It's very emotional.

Couch Cuddles by happyaspie – Classic sickfic, but with more fluff than anything. I like rereading it when I feel lonely and touch-starved, especially when I'm also sick like Peter.

You’re So Much Like Me (I’m Sorry) by SpaceCowboysFromMars – Irondad + Miles Morales! Peter is an adult in this, and he freaks out when an injured Miles arrives in his apartment. Tony gives him some wisdom about mentoring and parenting. I don’t usually find Irondad stories featuring Miles (and not necessarily a Spider-Verse crossover), so this was a nice discovery. Peter & Miles & Tony is a very underrated trio IMO. *TW for slight gore*

I'm Glad I Have You by punkybunny – Peter has been having a rough time, dealing with loneliness as Aunt May is not home often, and with bullying at school... until he finally has the chance to spend time with Tony. However, the demons don't disappear completely. Obviously, more Hurt/Comfort, lmao. *TW for nightmare/bad dream*

I Want to Trust You by punkybunny – Actually part of a series that, admittedly, I haven't read all the other stories. But even this one is a very interesting concept on its own. This is a Hydra Peter AU, after Peter has been rescued. He gets sick but given his past in Hydra, he thinks Tony is going to get angry. Peter is proven wrong when Tony helps him get better. The ending is very adorable. I'll see if I can read the rest of the series one day. *TW for past abuse and experimentation*

what you think I've done wrong by ironxprince – I don't often read Biodad stories as you all know, but I was, again, looking for inspiration for You keep me searching for a heart of gold, and I stumbled across this one. Basically Peter, as Tony's biological son, finally meets Howard. It goes as well as you think /sarcasm. *TW for physical abuse*

i, in time, will climb my mountain by ironxprince – This one is heavy. Once again, Peter is Tony's bio son, and he's suicidal. Every time Peter attempts suicide, he buys a new plant. Tony doesn't know this, so he's confused as to why there are so many plants in their house. I love this one, but of course, I try to read it when I’m not having a really bad day. *Once again, TW for suicide attempts*

how do you get that lonely (and nobody knows?) by parkrstark – Yeah... another heavy one. Peter attempts suicide but he saves himself before he reaches the ground. With that, he goes to Tony. This ends happily, don't worry. *TW for suicide attempt*

When You Can't Sleep by Emily_F6 – Pretty much Tony comforting a sleepy Peter, who has just had a nightmare about Thanos. Just Hurt/Comfort and domestic fluff. *TW for mention of death*

i get by (but it's eating me alive) by Livinei – Honestly, I think this is the BEST May's Abusive Boyfriend story I've ever read. For one, none of the characters are oblivious nor dismissive of Peter's feelings. May isn't neglectful and Ned actually tries to encourage Peter to tell someone. I also like that Peter isn't completely helpless. I don't usually see those things in other fics with this trope, sadly. And of course, Protective Tony is my weakness. *TW for emotional and physical abuse*

Hold Me Together by An_Odd_Idea – Post-Endgame where Tony is alive, and Peter and Tony are both trying to cope, so they rely on each other. Pure Hurt/Comfort.

A Tremendous Thing by ExpectoPatronum – Possibly one of my favorite Irondad stories EVER. Also post-Endgame with Alive Tony (though the author better explains it in the notes, it's supposed to be part of a series, but this story can be read on its own). There are a lot of references to Charlotte's Web if you're familiar with it. Basically, it's Father's Day and Peter is feeling guilty and out of place at Tony's lake house, even though everyone is readily trying to include him. It's absolutely beautiful and painful.

Hug You I Must by spiderwriting (catch_you_later) – Probably one of the first touch-starved Peter fics I've read. I like how it describes touch-starvation as this "itchy" current in your body, something that makes you anxious. Thankfully, Peter gets his hug later on. Plus there are some Star Wars references (the title probably is one, lol). *There's some minor violence here when Peter is fighting off some bad guys, but not the focus of the fic*

When You're There With No One There To Hold, I'll Be The Arms That Reach For You by Squibbles94 – Another touch-starved Peter fic. But I really like the references to Cast Away. Ironically I saw this movie in the same year the author published this fic (dare I say SHORTLY after it was posted). I also had no idea that Cast Away was entirely about isolation. Gosh, the main character's monologue at the end ALWAYS gets to me... anyway, yeah, the peak of the pandemic was awful to me, so reading fics like this one helped tons. It still does.

I am cold by N/A (orphan account) – Peter tries to visit Tony, but he gets lost in a subway tunnel on a freezing day. Eventually we learn why Peter wanted to see Tony, but overall this is mainly domestic fluff. Everything ends well.

Sorry Pedro by PinkEasterEggs – One of the first Irondad fics I read. Peter has a nightmare about Homecoming (mainly Toomes), but he avoids waking Tony for that reason. But thanks to F.R.I.D.A.Y's protocols, Peter goes to his mentor. Tony is also super soft here and it makes my heart swoon.

you are enough by diaz_evan – Another post-Endgame fic. Arguably I began reading Irondad fics only after Endgame released. Anyway, this one is short, kinda sad but it ends well. It’s Tony’s birthday and Peter feels very anxious about what to get him as a present. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to prove his love for Tony. *TW for panic attack*

Happy Father’s Day, Mr. Stark by downeylove – There are a lot of Father’s Day fics for these two, of course, but this one takes the cake for me. It’s simple but very endearing to me. Tony obviously doesn’t have good memories of this day, but Peter changes that for the first time. It’s really cute. Plus, Pepper is here, and I love her. I wish I could read more of her interacting with Peter. *TW for mentions of alcoholism and past child abuse*

5 Times Peter Didn’t Say He Was Struggling… And The One Time He Did by Bladam_Shevine – Again, an old fic I read years ago. I admit I haven’t re-read it in a while, but I remember enjoying it and even saving it to read offline. It’s basically what it says in the title: Peter struggles in many ways and he initially refuses help. Tony is always there to reassure him he can count on him. Bruce is here if you like him! And MJ helps Peter on one of the chapters as well. The chapters might get heavier as they go, but it ends on a hopeful note. *TW for injury, panic attack, suicide attempt (it doesn’t involve Peter), and depression*

The Good Days and the Bad by SoupGirlLovesSoup - Peter has had a bad day, now he's cuddling with Tony. It takes a while before Peter finally tells him what happened. It gets sad, but it's mostly fluff and it ends hopefully. I love re-reading it when I need the comfort. *TW for mention of suicide attempt, depression, and bullying*

Breathe Again by gwenoakley - Post-Endgame where Tony survives. He's recovering in the hospital and Peter finally reunites with him. Before that, though, we can feel the anxiety and trauma Peter feels. Definitely makes me emotional. It's the ending they deserved.

Popsicles and Playgrounds by ironfamjam - I can't believe I forgot to save this one in my bookmarks. I used to re-read this all the time! It's an AU where MIT student Tony meets a kid Peter. Eventually, Tony becomes Peter's babysitter! This is part of a series, which I still have to read fully. It's such a wholesome idea!! <3 *Howard's bad parenting is mostly mentioned*

Well, for now this is it! Again, I might add more fics here. I think I also could make a list of what particular concepts I want to read more in Irondad stories, so maybe you guys could give me your own recs. I might try to resume my habit of reading Irondad fics, because they give me a lot of comfort. Thanks for reading this far! I hope you enjoy any of the stories I included.

(I'm aware some authors here have their accounts on Tumblr, but I didn't want to annoy anyone by tagging them, so yeah 😅)

EDIT (June 4th, 2024): What Irondad fics I would like to read!

[aliensubstance-011]

Demon!Edwin AU

He lives in my brain <3

Under the cut is a sketch of him in a dress he'd never wear because his normal outfit got hands T-T

Click for better quality!

[ghostinthelibrarywrites]

I don’t even go here (yet) but if you didn’t already, please tell me about Demon!Charles AU 👀❤️

I talked about Demon!Charles AU a little here, but I'm happy to share more, since this is taking up about 80% of my brain right now. Here's another snippet:

“Tell Sa’al that Edwin Payne’s soul is mine,” Charles says, not taking his gaze off those wide eyes. “It’s bound to me and it’s no one else’s to take.” It’s not the involved blood ritual that had taken him and Crystal the better part of a month to perfect when he claimed St. Hilarion’s as his territory. He doesn’t expect it to do anything except stall the demon while he figures out a way to get Edwin out of this cellar with his soul intact. Except, as soon as he says the words, he feels something in the air shift. A current of something old and powerful seems to surge around him, making every nerve in his body spark. He’s suddenly aware of sickening terror, betrayal, confusion, desperation. None of it is his own; its source is shivering in a chair less than a meter away. Well, fuck. “For fuck’s sake.” The demon pinches the bridge of his nose in a gesture that’s startlingly human. “This is above my fucking pay grade. Kid, you’re making an enemy of Sa’al. You know that, right? He won’t take kindly to the likes of you depriving him of what’s rightfully his.” Charles has no idea who Sa’al is, but really hopes he’s just a measly lower demon, like the piece of shit who possessed Crystal two years ago. Someone who will be easy to deal with when he inevitably comes calling. “But if you want to piss off an archduke of Hell over a single human soul, that’s your business.” The demon steps back, hands raised. “An archduke?” To his mortification, Charles’s voice cracks like he’s fourteen. The demon shoots him a knowing look. “Yeah, an archduke. But I’ll leave you to your prize.” He looks at Edwin and shakes his head like he can’t comprehend all this fuss over one human soul. Turning, he vanishes into the shadows as quickly as he appeared.

WIP Ask Game

[downbaddetective]

Next one because I can't stop thinking about this AU now:

Charles-Markl, a sorcerer in training under the tutelage of "The Cat King", who specializes in magical disguises and pocket dimensions (biggest successful one currently is a "bag of tricks")

Crystal-Calcifer, a fire demon currently magically tied to "The Cat King" due to a deal turned curse

Monty-Turnip Head, a missing prince from a neighboring kingdom, cursed to be a scarecrow (because I think that's hilarious)

Niko-Lettie/Martha (taking a little from the books for this one), one of Edwin's only friends before he disappears, Niko goes to learn magic from another witch (hi Jenny) to see if she can find her dear friend

Cat (Meatball?)-Heen, a lazy spy for the Night Nurse turned semi domesticated house cat

Esther-Witch of the Waste, kinda self-explanatory I think

Night Nurse-Madame Suliman, "The Cat King's" former teacher currently employed by the kingdom to recruit magic users to the war or remove power from those who won't

Part One | Part Two

[weareinastormoffuck]

Demon Thomas and priest Edwin au moodboard

Thomas is going to have so much fun with this challenge.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives: Fic Recs

My latest hyperfixation is Dead Boy Detectives, so oc I've been reading and commenting on a ton of fic. And it's been really nice because the response of the authors has been so warm. I don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so quickly! Also, the fandom has inspired me to actually start writing again for the first time in two years and I've got a great idea for a fanvid. (Any tips on how to make one would be appreciated! 😅)

So in tribute to the lovely fandom, here's a fic rec post (nearly all payneland):

in this city there's a thousand things I want to say to you by laiqualaurelote

Edwin has a sexual awakening and it blows Charles' mind. And other things. Very funny and well written. Also features minor Edwin/Cat King and Edwardian flirting.

I also highly recommend the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned by the same author, which is a kind of multiverse!Edwin fic? Featuring Edwin dying? And Niko time travelling? Trying to save time? Anyway, interesting to see Edwin alive, ageing and in different periods of time/his life.

For the First Time Twice by MmmCookies

Amnesia fic! Charles loses his memories and thinks he and Edwin are married. Very cute (tandem bike date!) and well written, though Edwin's point of view still manages to be angsty. Also, the yearning is off the charts and the most recent chapter turned up the heat.

I guess you're stuck with me by Punny_Puck

AU in which Edwin and Charles actually got married pre-show. Funny, cute with a sweet marriage proposal prequel. Instant comfort fic.

Dance the Night by Gruoch

The gang are hunting an energy-sucking vampire that targets beautiful people, so naturally Edwin MUST disguise himself as the hottest girl in London. This one starts out fun and campy then takes a hard left turn into Serious Business. Prepare yourself for emotional moments, worldbuilding and some really excellent horror.

Long Past Time by sanctuary_for_all

Charles proposes to Edwin post canon. It's a short and sweet established relationship fic with some cool worldbuilding about ghosts and their ability to shape their clothing/appearances.

lay my hands on heaven by Opossum_Subatomic

I had to include a PWP and this is a great one. Extremely well written, in character and romantic. And explicit, obviously.

Data Points by Asidian

Edwin learns to cuddle. It's a production and completely adorable. I love a fic that explores the difference between the boys' physicality and this one's really on point. The writing and characterisation are great and it's nice to see Edwin taking care of Charles.

I also recommend Lanterns In the Dark, which sets the scene for Charles and Edwin's first meeting with some gut-wrenching details about Charles' homelife and Edwin's escape from Hell.

When I Was a Young Boy by flowerbritts

A Good Omens crossover and AU in which Aziraphale is Edwin's adopted father. Family reunions and revelations abound. Also, Edwin gets to be a teenager and slam doors while shouting, as he deserves.

The author has also written Wait, I'm Coming Too, which is a very sweet post canon 'Charles Worries About Edwin and Realises His Feelings' fic inspired by that 'Edwin reading Heartstopper' fanart. Both fics deserve more love!

A Slight Miscalculation by kantigone

Idiots in Love and Didn't Know They Were Dating. Crystal and Niko are the real MVPs, for real. A treat.

Terrible at Keeping Secrets (5+1) by ASingularSadSoggyPringle

Interesting demon!Edwin AU. Charles is a precious cupcake in this fic and Edwin is mostly the same with some Darker moments. I loved the concept and the author adds in some great, creepy details.

somaesthesia by perexcri

Edwin's journey from being touch-averse to touch-starved... at least when it comes to Charles. Palmistry is involved. I loved Edwin's characterisation and the unresolved sexual/romantic tension was on point.

And possibly I like the thrill (of under me you quite so new) by Leandra

Edwin explores his sexuality and re-negotiates his relationship with Charles. Meanwhile, the gang take on the case of a ghost who wants them to matchmake his still-living lover. Crosses over with The Sandman. And Edwin gets to be confident and flirty as a treat.

Always by How You Doing (FancyMeetingYouHere)

Hurt/Comfort fic in which Edwin has a traumatic flashback to the doll-head demon spider and Charles looks after him. Charles reading Good Omens to Edwin is a nice, meta touch.

Made You Look by Baby_Spinach

The agency are hunting an incubus that decides to take on Edwin's appearance. A repression explosion ensues. Fun fic.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

This one's actually a character study of Charles and his mixed race Indian heritage (so no Edwin) and it's so well done. It's also part of a series in progress about Charles growing up in the 80s with all the racism and homophobia that that entails. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

The Most Tender Place In My Heart by coloursflyaway

Edwin shares memories of how he fell in love with Charles, who figures out his own feelings in the process. It's super sweet and involves fun pre-show flashbacks and defintely deserves more attention!

I also loved Won't Fear Love by the same author, in which Charles takes Edwin out on dates and breaks the cuteness scales. And shout out to Good Enough which is the first fic I bookmarked for this fandom! 🥳

Anyway, thank you to all these amazing writers for making this fandom so special! 🥰