#the detectives are in love your honor

[onyxmistkes]

took a break from homework to scribble

[bluestrawberry7]

stupid dbd textpost pt 2 but it's oops all charles

[artisadie]

tricks your ghost

[gaypanicattackonlegs]

[mountainsoftreatos]

So something kinda funny (and peak married behavior) that I noticed on rewatch is that during the Devlin house ep Edwin scolds Charles for not knowing what the Stone Tape Theory is -

Those texts in our office are not just for display.

And then a few scenes later Crystal asks him -

Is there anything in that crazy infinite backpack you could use?

And he replies -

It took Charles years of research and practice to learn how to use it. If I stick my hand in there it is liable to be torn off!

Like, Edwin, babes, Charles could have been reading the books but you also could have been learning to use the backpack. But they don't, because they rely on each other for that knowledge or that skill.

[shaylogic]

[gif created by @sasakisniko]

Edwin: *staring at Charles and Crystal's embrace right after he confessed to him*

Niko: *sees Edwin's feeling left out and squeezes the friendship into his lil ghost soul*

[fan-a-tink]

Buckle up, this is about Charles’s jealousy of Monty. Because there’s one interaction which makes it so so so so obvious…  In episode 2, when Edwin is banging the cat king bracelet against the wall trying to get it off, they have the following interaction: 

Edwin: You are not the one going back to Hell if we get caught. You just move on.  Charles: Oi, we don’t know what my afterlife looks like. And also, I’m not going anywhere without you. And no one’s going anywhere until that thing is off. What else did Whiskers say?  Edwin: Nothing. I told you, it was quick. [and after the ghost postman arrives in that scene] Edwin: You don’t need to bring the agency mail here. We’re not staying long. Charles: Chin up, mate. It’ll only take a second for our reputation to catch up over here in Port Townsend.  Edwin: We do not have to catch on in this town. Again, we are not staying. 

Edwin is the one wanting to leave, while Charles reassures him that I’m not going anywhere without you. And no one’s going anywhere until that thing is off. He seems to be perfectly happy to stay in Port Townsend and set up their office there until further notice.  Then in episode 4, literally the first scene between Charles and Edwin after they’ve both met Monty, they have this conversation: 

Charles: You’ve been spending a lot of time with that one, haven’t you? Monty. You.  Edwin: Mmm. Charles: Spending a lot of time?  Edwin: Hmm?  Charles:  Edwin: Merely swapping books, is all.  Charles: You were dead keen to get that bracelet off, count cats, the whole shebang, and now it’s all skipping around and reading astrology.  Edwin: Charles, I’ve never skipped.  Charles: No, listen. You’re in a good mood, and I think that’s brills. Let’s just.. try not to forget that we’re trying to leave. 

So, suddenly Charles reminds Edwin that they want to leave town, when he’s never mentioned wanting that before. Like, leaving town was not at all a priority and all he ever said was that he’s not going anywhere without Edwin. The only thing that has changed now is that Monty is suddenly taking up space in Edwin’s life, flirting with him, befriending him, and suddenly Charles makes sure to remind Edwin that we’re trying to leave!

This boy has never had to share Edwin’s attention and affection with anyone until Crystal and Niko and Monty came along. And Crystal and Niko don’t cause any jealousy for Charles, because their relationship to Edwin is simply platonic. But Monty is clearly interested in Edwin romantically, obviously flirting with him and all. And this is when Charles starts to feel jealous, when he wants to get back to London, away from Port Townsend, when he is clearly unhappy about Edwin making space in his life for a potential romantic relationship. 

So I guess my point is: Charles may be too deep in denial to realize it, but it is the possibility of Edwin forming a romantic relationship with someone else that triggers his jealousy. He is so in love with his best mate. And I can’t wait for the day when Charles finally realizes this too. 

[paraphwrites]

not to overanalyze (i would NEVER) but something i think is fun is that on the sandman wiki for edwin paine, his relationship to charles rowland is described as "he is secretly in love with charles." and on charles' wiki, his relationship with edwin is described as "TBA."

true to form, in the comics (that i have read), it is never disclosed if charles has romantic feelings for edwin

and in 'dead patrol,' we know edwin has feelings for charles, but not vice versa.

and in the netflix show, we know edwin is in love with charles, and charles is can't say it back, but he wouldn't want to be dead with anyone else (which is a bit vague, mate)

anyway. i just think it's interesting that in EVERY UNIVERSE edwin is in love with charles. and in EVERY UNIVERSE charles is undetermined. undecided. unannounced. unassigned. unclear

(and, opinion time: in every universe, charles is also in love with edwin, but there is something stopping him from knowing it.)

[arobyanyothername]

I love dead boy detectives because I’m obsessed with Edwin and Charles’s dynamic. Like, they’re queer platonic, their best friends, they’re in love, they piss each other off, they would go to the end of the earth for each other, they’re punk vs. prep, they’re everything to me you don’t understand

[rubylaufeyson]

So in episode 2 Edwin tells Charles he was taken off guard when the cat king whispered in his ear.

In episode 6 Edwin comes out to Charles and Charles figures out that the cat king was flirting with Edwin.

In episode 7 Edwin tells Charles he’s in love with him.

And then in episode 8, Charles leans in and whispers ‘my smile is pretty convincing’ into Edwin’s ear.

[chacharealsmooth07]

I think by the time Monty kissed Edwin, Edwin already knew that he loved Charles. In the same that Charles would always go to Hell, they may not be in love or an official romantic relationship, but they do love each other and they are domesticate partners in a technical sense of "living" together. (The only time either Charles or Edwin are in relaxed clothing is when they are alone together.)

And Charles did not reject Edwin. He accepted the love and the notion of Edwin being in love, he just expressed that his reciprocation isn't quite there. He also leaves it open, he doesn't say: No, for good, I will never be in love with you. He says: We have literally forever to figure the rest out.

Monty is a sweet boy, a good character, and one of my favorites, but to imply that their relationship would necessarily work as an endgame relationship is a bit crazy to me.

Edwin is dead, Monty didn't even really want to be human or alive in the state of consciousness where he can experience love. And I don't think love is what was driving Monty, it was infatuation.

Monty had never loved anyone, he didn't even know about it a few days ago, but there's this pretty boy who makes him want to smile and he seems to like him back.

And Edwin, rejecting Monty, was great on Edwin's part. He handled it gently, as gracefully and kindly as he could. Simply, so as not to lead the poor boy on.

So yeah

[anxious-witch]

— lessons in listening to your heart, and not your head

[morgan-reads-comics]

Nightwing #107 (2023)

[gaypanicattackonlegs]

a Crystal sketch before bed

[mikimeiko]

Dead Boy Detectives | 1x02. The Case of the Dandelion Shrine

[shitpost-factory]

Something something Charles said he felt the kiss with Crystal ‘up here’ in his head but after his hug with Edwin in the last episode he put his hand on his heart because maybe he felt it there