#i’m looking for charles rowland

[magic-cricketbat]

“i’m looking for a man in finance; trust fund; 6’5”; blue eyes”

that’s nice. i’m looking for a man with a cricket bat; adhd; one earring; dead

[fuusart]

THE BRAWN 🏏

[quicksweetdreamer]

I just had a thought and now I want a fic or something about it so badly.

So, you know how ghosts can’t see themselves in mirrors? So obviously they wouldn’t appear on pictures.

It made me realise that Charles and Edwin have only seen themselves, like, once (when they were in hell) since their death (no, the mangled versions of Edwin don’t count in my head).

But also, they’ve never seen themselves together.

So, maybe Crystal turns out to be an amazing artist, maybe a client proposes it as a form of payment, Idk, but they get a painting of themselves together.

And they’re so emotional about it, because they can see themselves and more importantly they can see themselves together the way others see them. They get to realise the casual intimacy they share, how they’re so confortable together that it just shows visually when they’re around each other.

I hesitate on wether they hang it front and center in the office or they put it in a side room because it’s for them, not for any client to see.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

I really do think a lot on Edwin’s very serious declaration of never letting the two of them get separated after Charles shows concern about it in episode 1, and it’s abundantly clear that he’s just as protective of Charles as Charles is of him. However, due to the kinds of situations they ended up in during season 1, Edwin fell a lot more into the role of the one who needed protecting, which is why I really badly want to see Edwin have a moment in season 2 where he protects Charles or saves them from being separated again, through clever words maybe, or his spell books.

I just desperately want some kind of follow through on the ferventness of his “I will never let that happen” because with the conviction of that line, god I believe it, but do I ever really want to see it too

[landedinpayne]

in case you are in the mood to feel devastated here’s an alternate way of viewing charles’ response to edwin’s confession:

we know that charles kinda puts edwin on a pedestal- yes they are partners but there is a bit of a hierarchy between them. charles just looks up to and admires edwin in so many ways while constantly looking down on and being really hard on himself. he puts on his big happy persona because he thinks that people wouldn’t like him if they actually got to know him.

so when edwin confesses, it’s like a blow to him. he took his charming persona too far and went and tricked the most important person in the world into thinking he was worthy of love. and it’s worse because he does love edwin in that way, which is exactly why he can’t let him know that. charles still believes that he is like his dad, and he saw exactly what his parents’ relationship did to his mother.

he thinks that loving edwin in the way that he wants to would only cause more pain to this boy who has already been through far more than he deserves. so he blinks back his tears, attempts the same charming smile he’s used all these years, and dishes out the gentlest non-rejection in the history of forever

[fellow-fandom-fruitifier]

One by one

[achillesuwu]

Wait.

WAIT.

I may be tripping because I never took any music class and I do not play that much but ??? This is the same melody ???? Not only do they both put their hand on their heart after the hugs but the melody seems similar too !!!!

Please someone come and tell me if I’m delusional because HOLY COW.

[stark-lord]

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES (2024)

1.05 - The Case of the Two Dead Dragons

In which Edwin is less than impressed by locker rooms, and Charles continues to have catastrophic bi moments.

[waywardsonsandaughters]

When Monty sees Edwin for the first time he immediately recognizes him as a ghost.

What is it about Edwin (or Charles for that matter) that alerts a mortal that they’re speaking to a supernatural entity and not another mortal? The way it comes across in the show is that, outside of attire, The Boys (in this case) don’t look different from mortals.

[krowturnedkid]

Charles Rowland is beautiful like fireworks. He is stunning, he lights up this dull world and some of us just want to look at him all the time.

[wordsinhaled]

so, edwin enlisting charles’ help in learning how to kiss, right?

charles being like, “all right. before we get started, show me what you think you know about kissing.”

and edwin looks at him nonplussed. “charles, i do not know anything about kissing. that is why we are taking part in this ex—”

“nah, mate, i know that. but, like, you’ve got to have some idea, yeah? like… what you’d do in 1908, or whatever.”

“i was eight years old in 1908.”

“you know what i mean!”

and edwin is all, “…fine.”

and he sort of… sits lost in thought for a minute. charles is expecting him to go in for a very chaste peck, or something. even a kiss on the cheek.

but edwin reaches for one of charles’ hands instead. picks it up delicately, curls his fingers around charles’ in a loose but undeniable hold that charles could pull free from, if he wanted.

edwin dips his head, and glances up at charles through his lashes as if for assent, and then he raises charles’ hand to press a brushing kiss to charles’ knuckles, not looking away all the while.

“charmed, i’m certain, mr. rowland,” he murmurs, still bent low over charles’ hand.

and just as quickly, he’s let charles’ hand drop again, is withdrawing his own back to his lap, looking at charles like he’s expecting to be graded.

and charles is like, what the fuck??? was that??? blushing. completely flustered. gobsmacked. taken out at the knees. can a hand kiss make him fall in love???

[danandfuckingjonlmao]

this is the entire show btw

edwin: *says or does something bitchy*

crystal: um?? back me up here charles

charles: me?? charles rowland?? THE wifeguy ever???? fuck that i've been hanging on to every word out of this guy's mouth for the past 30 years and i’m not stopping now. what were you saying, my queen?

[video description and transcript under the cut]

[VD: a scene from Dead Boy Detectives which features three characters: Crystal, Edwin, and Charles. There are white closed captions throughout the video.

Crystal asks a question, and Edwin spins around and struts towards the camera. Yellow text has been edited onto the screen that pops up as he moves. The text reads as follows: “*cunty spin*💅”, “*tuts*😒”, “*pause for the drama*💋”, *struts his whole pussy*👠”, and “THE FUCKING ARMS😭”. The camera then shows Charles and Crystal as Edwin is speaking. Crystal looks at Charles with annoyance at what Edwin is saying, and Charles grins back at her before turning back to grin at Edwin affectionately. Yellow text next to Crystal says “is he fucking serious 🙄”. Next to Charles, yellow text appears saying, “i know isn’t he the best 🥰”, “that’s my wife right there 😍”, “tell us, princess 👑”, and “fuckin love you 😘”. End VD.]

[TRANSCRIPT]:

- [Crystal]: Um, why do I have to babysit?

- [Edwin]: Being a detective is not all invading people’s minds, reading objects, and ta-da, there’s your answer. Sometimes…

[manicpixiedreamedwins]

No. No Charles hate in this house. I’m sorry you don’t understand him like I do, but he’s not annoying or unreasonable. What he’s doing makes sense.

He did not reject Edwin (he left it open). He said they had forever to figure it out.

This is probably one of the gentlest things he’s ever done because he rarely looks before he leaps— and now he’s telling Edwin he wants to take his time because Edwin is the most important person in the world to him.

Is he jealous when Edwin spends time with other boys? Perhaps yes. But this something he can finally unpack while they are figuring it out. And to be fair, Edwin didn’t do any better when Charles let a “living girl” come back to the agency at first. He spends a whole episode trying to one-up her, mirror hopping, touching iron, and then opens a whole can of worms by using magic on a cat. They are both a little possessive of each other and I LOVE THAT for them. I love how they mimic one another’s insecurities, but haven’t quite figured out how to ask for reassurance yet- that’s part of figuring it out that they BOTH have to do. Let them be human. Let them have raw edges.

Charles Rowland is the character of all time and I’m sorry some of you are missing out on him 🖤

[spiderbeam]

the case of the red umbrella

description: working at your local coffee shop in port townsend is usually uneventful… until you meet a pretty boy in the midst of a thunderstorm

word count: 1.6k

a/n: i love charles rowland with all my heart so yeah <3 it’s a pretty basic imagine because i didn’t really have any fleshed out ideas! so if you have rqs let me know :)

Today is a quiet day. The humming of the coffee machine accompanies the distant sound of rain as you clean the countertop with a rag. The rain hasn’t stopped since midday— and you’re starting to wonder how you’ll walk back home when you didn’t pack an umbrella. You close your eyes, and the sound of droplets against the pavement and the roof feels louder. You’re dreading the moment you’ll have to clock out.

You hum a song you heard that morning on the radio, ducking under the counter to check —once again— if Marina accidentally left an umbrella there that you could borrow. You wiggle your hand between cardboard boxes, scrunching your nose and praying for even a broken one.

“Huh. This place is definitely a lot less creepy than the butcher shop.”

You bump your head against the counter. You let out a groan, holding the banged up area with your rag-less hand. By the time you stand up, you’re looking back at a tall, lanky boy with curly hair and a lopsided smile.

He tilts his head at you with a bemused expression. “You should be careful with that,” he mentions, before turning to look around the warmly-lit shop.

You scoff a small laugh. “Yeah— sorry. You just scared me a little there.” The boy freezes in his place, snapping his head in your direction. His eyes grow wide. “I didn’t hear the bell when you came in.”

“The— The bell?” he repeats, no longer looking as smug as he did a moment before.

“My bad, honestly. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come in with this type of weather.” You shrug your shoulders, shaking your head as you reach for a cup. “Right, anyways— what can I get you?”

You uncap your sharpie. You wait a second, two, three, before looking back up at him. He’s staring at you with a dumbfounded look. His backpack actually starts to slip from his shoulder.

You tilt your head, and after a beat, he clears his throat. He looks up at the board behind you. “Um. Yeah. Of course.” He squints, and as he’s reading what he can order, you take a moment to actually look at him. He’s pretty, you realize now that he’s standing closer to the counter. He has a sharp jawline, pretty bow lips, and an earring in his left ear that suits him so.

“Actually, it’s been a while since I’ve had coffee,” he says, and his brown eyes meet your own. You startle, cheeks growing hot. You wonder whether he caught you checking him out. From the mirth dancing in his gaze and the cocky twitch of his lips, you’re certain he did. He chuckles. “Why don’t you surprise me?”

You arch a brow. “Are you sure about that? Marina’s big on her no refunds policy.”

“You seem like someone who has good taste.” He shrugs his shoulders loosely, and his awkward demeanor from the start is gone in the blink of an eye. He tilts his head, lips curving up. “I’ll trust you.”

You look up at him. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” you tease. “Can I get a name for the order?”

His lips part like he wants to say something else. Instead, he simply answers with, “Charles.”

“Charles,” you repeat with a barely-concealed smile. “I didn’t think anyone was being named Charles since the seventies.”

He snorts, a wide grin brightening up his face. “You have no idea.” His eyes flick down to your name tag. “But, then again, you’re one to talk…” he tilts his head. “…Agatha.”

This time, you’re the one who laughs. “That’s a nice try— except I’m not Agatha.”

“Really?” he leans over the counter. ”Because the name on your pin says otherwise.”

“It’s because it’s not my name tag.” You roll your eyes with a smile as you turn to the coffee machine and start preparing him his drink. “I lost mine ages ago, and I don’t actually feel like paying for another one out of pocket.”

“So, you’ve left poor, innocent Agatha without one.”

“Please, she had it coming,” you respond, and he laughs. You’re not about to explain to him that Agatha retired before you even started working here.

The coffee machine stops humming, and you reach for the cup before finally closing it with a lid.

“So if not Agatha,” Charles starts, “what should I call you?”

You slide his coffee cup across the counter. You tell him your name, and he repeats it with a smile. He’s about to bring his coffee up to his lips, before stopping.

“Oh— apologies,” he sets it down on the table, reaching around for his backpack. “How— How much do I owe you?”

“It’s on the house,” you say.

He raises a brow. “What for?”

“Keeping me company on a day like this.” You gesture outside, where the rain only seems to have gotten worse.

“Yeah— dreadful weather, huh?” he says, hopping onto the counter with little regard for the fact that you only just cleaned it. Surprisingly enough, you don’t find yourself caring all-that much.

“Tell me about it.” You exhale, casting a glance out the window. “If it gets any worse, I might just end up camping here.”

Charles hums in agreement, toying with his coffee cup, but not yet drinking it. “Have you been working here for long?”

“Since high school, yeah.” You lean your back against the counter, folding your arms over your chest. “What about you?”

He furrows his brow. “What about me?”

“Well, for one, I know all my regulars— and this is the first time I’m seeing you around. How long have you been in Port Townsend?

“Ah, not long.” He scratches the back of his neck. “A friend of mine has been renting a room next door.”

“She’s renting one of Jenny’s rooms?” you muse. “Huh. So you’re visiting her?”

“Yeah. You could say that.” You cock your head slightly, giving Charles a look. He raises his brows. “What?”

“Your coffee’s gonna get cold, Charles,” you tease.

He almost looks flustered at that. “Right! Coffee, yeah.” He brings the cup to his lips, and swallows most of it in one big gulp. His face twists into a poorly-stifled grimace. His voice is hoarse when he adds, “So good.”

He tries to smile at you, but you’re frowning. Charles decides he doesn’t like to see you frowning.

“You hate it,” you say, lightly kicking your leg. The one time a customer —a cute one, at that— asks you to choose for them, and you royally fuck it. “Fuck, I knew I should’ve gone with a black coffee or something.”

“What?” Charles says, voice still somewhat scratchy from the drink. He hops off the counter, now standing next to you. There’s a smile on his face that looks apologetic. “No, no! It’s brills, really— perfect.”

You shake your head, trying not to show how much it bothers you. You try to chuckle. “Come on, Charles. Your face is getting all scrunched up— like you just ate a mouthful of dirt.”

He winces, embarrassed. “Yeah, to be honest I’m not actually big on coffee.”

He’s sparing your feelings. You’re not sure yet whether you find it endearing from him or embarrassing for you. Maybe a little of both. You tilt your head up to meet his gaze, surprised to see that he’s already looking down at you. His shoulder is a breath away from yours— you could lean your head on it if you wanted to.

“And yet here you are. Inside a coffee shop, on a Tuesday afternoon, while the sky falls outside.”

“Accusing me of something?” Charles clicks his tongue, and the warm lighting of the shop catches and reflects on his earring. “There are other things to enjoy here.”

“Such as?”

“The company.” His eyes meet yours when he says that, and you find a strange warmth spreading inside your chest.

You can’t help the way your lips curve upward. “Does that line usually work for you?”

“I don’t know.” He leans his back against the counter, looking at you with a mischievous glint in his gaze. “Does it?”

You laugh at that, shaking your head. He’s grinning. “Only ‘cause you’re pretty.”

He grins wider at that. “You think I’m pretty?”

“Come on, Charles. Do you really think I give free coffees out to anyone?”

“Well, that’s good to know.”

“Yeah, how so?”

“Because maybe I’ll come by more often.”

“I thought you said you didn’t like coffee.”

Charles shrugs. “Yeah. But there’s a gorgeous barista that works there. Agatha, I think.”

You’re laughing now, louder than before. Your cheeks feel hot as it dies out. You’re still smiling when you catch Charles licking his bottom lip, glancing down at yours. Your heart stammers, but you find yourself leaning closer.

Your mouths are inches away from each other when thunder strikes, and you both flinch away.

“You should get home soon,” Charles says, rounding the counter. “I don’t think it’s gonna get much better.”

“Yeah— you’re probably right.” You hope he can’t see you blushing underneath the dim light. “See you soon then?”

“Yeah,” he says, and it’s something about his beaming smile that makes you believe him. “See you soon.”

The afternoon drags on after that. Rain pours outside, paired with the occasional lighting strike.

And as you’re closing, turning off the lights and placing chairs atop tables, you find that there’s something that wasn’t there before.

An old, red umbrella, leaning against the door.

a/n: reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3

[williamvapespeare]

"every day i'm fucking smiling;" a rant (cogent, intellectual character study) about Charles

We all know that Charles Rowland is THE character of all time. Obviously. Undisputedly (except by Netflix) blabla. I, a mixed race bisexual idiot with daddy issues, am about to fucking get into it.

I think there are a lot of ways to get into that end of ep 4 scene – I think we can look from trauma, we can look from model minority syndrome, we can look from a place of people pleasing to the extreme, but I think the best way to get into Charles (for me, personally) is to look at him as a character formed of intersections. Of in-betweens. In literally EVERY way possible, he is between things. He’s mixed race, he’s (probably) bisexual, he’s between life and death, he’s between good and bad, he’s probably sitting somewhere between trauma and healing – like, he’s CONstantly engaging in coping mechanisms and that itself is an in between.

Ok this idea of “I must be liked” very obviously will come from living a life where the opposite of not being liked is always violence, and that definitely can’t be understated. But I think this whole scene and this line in particular really speak to this very specific feeling that comes with inhabiting an identity that is ALWAYS seen as “not enough” in some way. Like, if you sit in a place where you don’t speak one side of your family’s language well enough and simultaneously aren’t white enough (or whatever enough) for the other side, you’re just like fundamentally culture-less and fighting to just be ANYTHING.

(Another GREAT example of this I think is the game Life is Strange 2, which is about two Hispanic American brothers, one of them speaks Spanish and the other one is much younger and doesn’t and there’s a bit where the younger brother doesn’t want to leave the US and says “I don’t even speak Spanish” and the other one is like “don’t worry, everyone likes you.” Like YES being “““Likeable””” is maybe the only way in when you are so fundamentally detached from a thing that you are also fundamentally part of, anyway!!)

Similarly, like all of us bisexual people know we’re constantly getting shit from both sides, from straight people and gay people and probably like, corpses decomposing in the ground who are throwing around terms like “gold star lesbian” or whatever the fuck. People just look at whatever relationship you’re in and they’re like ah yep that’s you!!

Like the whole thing is the most reductive narrow-minded stupidity, but it’s also just THE WAY. It’s the way of stuff. And being like ok, I AM NOT ENOUGH OF ANYTHING THAT I AM. How are you going to deal with that, you’re going to try and be likeable?? Because that’s something you can control!!!

And I’m low key so mad that we can’t see a continuation of this story where we get to see a character slowly come to terms with these in-betweennesses and say like, I’m not actually two halves, I’m two wholes. This is intentional in-betweenness. Like yes, blabla let the boy be bi, but it’s SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. And I trust this show and I trust these writers to get that right and we were robbed of that.

So yeah idk tldr “every day I’m fucking smiling” was like the gut punch of the century. Whoever wrote that I’m omw to haunt your local Denny’s with my extroverted mixed race bisexual energy THANK U

[idontknowwhatimdoing-13]

Hey what if I was Orpheus and you were Eurydice, you know from the tragic romantic love story, and I literally went to hell to rescue you but I don’t care about the tragic ending of their story because when I looked back it was because you grabbed me and told me to listen and I did, and I still promise I am going to rescue you and we are going to stay together forever.

Oh and I’m Charles Rowland and I don’t actually think I’m in love with you but you are the only one I’d do the whole going to hell thing for btw