shazziez

[shazziez]

Happy Coming Out Day to Charles Rowland, and Charles Rowland only.

I hope you figure your shit out soon lil buddy 👍

[shazziez]

Thank you yuyu

[shazziez]

[shazziez]

hc that "rip" is used as a "fuck you" between ghosts who choose to stay on earth, like

"oi, watch it, rest in peace!"

"you rest in peace, wanker!"

[shazziez]

Day 2 - Fondness

[shazziez]

look obviously edwin's arc was realizing it's ok to like boys & that he's in love with charles, and getting over the whole internalized homophobia. because that's what he needs to do! & he did it in six episodes, like an absolute icon

but as someone who headcannons charles as bi, i gotta say, honestly, i think he'd have a harder time accepting it than edwin did.

cuz, you gotta understand, edwin- he's already been through the worst thing he could possibly go to. he went to hell. twice. he died a virgin sacrifice and was sent to hell for seventy years. there is no greater torture for him to experience. it literally can't get worse.

but, charles, on the other hand? charles lived his entire life scared of what could happen. scared his dad might get too rough. scared his friends might go too far. scared this might be all he gets. and then he fucking dies. and like. he's still scared. he's still rushing into things too quickly, still kissing girls without thinking, still sixteen and scared of what could happen.

charles goes through his afterlife scared of what could be. scared he and edwin might get split up, scared edwin might get hurt, scared he can't help someone, scared edwin might leave him. edwin goes through his entire afterlife with the knowledge that he can survive anything and it can't get worse than it's already been

so yeah, i think that charles rowland -victim of child abuse, raised during the aids crisis, bisexual- might have a bit of a tough time accepting that he likes girls and boys. because, things could get worse for him. there's no "fuck it i might as well confess" because charles has always lived in a state of "i could lose this all in seconds i have to stay safe"

the heart of edwin's character is that he wants to feel safe but the heart of charles' character is that he never does

[shazziez]

i love how editing makes you notice tiny things you hadn't before

like i've watched this show too many time to count now but somehow i'm only now picking up on these bits from the charles vs night nurse scene in ep4

when the night nurse throws crystal away, niko immediately runs over and helps her up

then when they get back to the group, niko stands in front of her, mirroring charles standing in front of edwin

protective niko <333

[shazziez]

WHY DOES EDWIN ALWAYS LOOK TALLER IF CHARLES IS LIKE 6'1 AND EDWINS LIKE 5'10 I THINK. THE MATH ISN'T MATHING.

[shazziez]

another day, another gifset - some moments from my favourite episode: the case of the two dead dragons!

"You kissed?" - "Oi, keep it down!"

2. Charles' reaction to the "cash & condoms" (and Edwin trying very hard not to react at all)

3. "Brrrrr... this is far too much emotion for one day"

4. this Edwin walk™

5. two adorable Edwinisms from the scene that shall not be named

6. and finally, this last one is titled "moments before disaster"

[shazziez]

i think it's interesting that in episode 3 of dbda when all the ghosts are coming in to get the boys on there case, there's a man who comes in like "hey this painting keeps getting younger and younger while i grow older and older"

like. did we collectively forget that that's the inverse of the plot of dorian gray. dorian commits a faustian deal (sells his soul) for immortal beauty. there's a painting of him that ages instead. for those uninitiated, dorian is a homosexual. he's a gay. the whole book is gay. it was used in oscar wilde's (the author's) sodomy trial, that's how gay it is

look dbda is an incredibly well made show. and there are so many details and i KNOW i'm not picking up on them all, but many of the details i have noticed are all queer-coding in nature.

"orpheus and eyrudice" look obviously charles is comparing them to a romantic story and it's like oooh romance but far beyond that, o&e is a greek myth. greek myths & allusion to them have historically been used by authors -including oscar wilde- to intentionally queer-code characters at a time when they could not write about it plainly

the painting thing i mentioned before? guys oscar wilde was gay as shit. man fuckin' went to jail for it. like it's NOT a coincidence that they're referencing queer media here!!

(and, i would like to note, that i think the fact that (a) edwin immediately knew how to handle the situation, and (b) the man was aging instead of the painting, that symbolizes something. perhaps edwin's lack of vices, seeing as he has not yet given into hedonism and/or homosexuality. perhaps the fact that this story will not end as dorian's did. perhaps that by not giving into homosexual desires, it also wears on the soul. or perhaps it demonstrates how they didn't wanna get copyrighted.)

look i am not SAYING that payneland is cannon or that it is the only valid interpretation. all interpretations are valid. but i AM saying that there is repeated intentional queer coding. they're busting back the 1800s use of subtext and i think that's banger actually

[shazziez]

Has this been done yet? Surely its been done.

cross posted on my twits

[shazziez]

Charles whose dad smashed his cassette tape with a hammer learns to navigate the backpack cause, like, he needs to be useful, yeah?

and this way Charles has everything Edwin needs, and if Edwin gets sick of him he’ll just.. he doesn’t know what he’ll do.

but then Edwin gets the record player.

he suggests, tentatively, that Charles might play some of his “queen” if he liked. after all, if they are to haunt potential realtors away from their new office, they may as well entertain themselves.

so they take turns, switching out; edwin likes opera. he shows Charles how to waltz, chiding Charles to stop looking at his feet til they’re gliding, whirling around like they’re in the movies. Edwin’s smile is small and pleased and lovely. (Charles attempt to get Edwin to headbang along to queen results in a sort of awkward rhythmic nodding. Charles loves him so much he could die again.)

And, like. Edwin doesn’t like clutter. he doesn’t bother with the random tidbits ghosts give them for solving cases.

until now, apparently.

now he comes back from trading at the goblin market with little useless things—a cursed rubix cube, records from bands Charles mentioned years ago.

Charles is so busy trying to subtly read his book on Edwardian courting rituals (disguised by Nikos discreet manga covers) that he doesn’t realize what Edwin’s set down in front of him. he stares at Edwin’s spiky handwriting, the tidy numbered list.

“I thought, perhaps, that we might—start a new tradition.”

Charles blinks, eyes stinging. “Mate, did you.. make me a mixtape?”

“Crystal assisted me, and while she was absolutely insuffer—“ Edwin staggers, catching him with a surprised little noise.

“I love you so much,” Charles says, muffled into his throat. “You’re my favorite person. I love you so much it hurts, sometimes.”

“Yes,” Edwin says softly, hands curling around his waist. He takes Charles weight like it’s nothing. “I believe I know the feeling.”

[shazziez]

i miss them sm im gonna die

inspired by this post

[shazziez]

DEAD BOY DETECTIVES (2024)

1.06 - The Case of the Far Too Many Big Brown Cow Eyes

[shazziez]

ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ʙᴏʏ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇꜱ | ᴇᴅᴡɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀʟᴇꜱ + ɢʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ

[shazziez]

"kiss me."

it's a whisper, soft and breathy, and when charles doesn't say anything at first, edwin wonders if he'd said it at all; if the words had ever made it past the terrified tightening of his throat to sit between them like a ticking time bomb.

but the arms wrapped around him, grounding and warm as the sun had been on a crisp, bright day when he could still feel anything beyond his own orbital path's personal sun, tighten, loosen, then tighten again.

finally, charles pulls back from the embrace and stares at him – catalogues him. edwin resists the urge to shrink away. this is charles after all. charles who has seen him at his very worst in Hell. charles who would burn the world before ever even thinking of hurting him. charles who he is wholly, surely, utterly, in love with.

charles who may love him back.

edwin almost expects charles to pose a question, to ask him if he's sure? as if he could ever not be sure about this.

but charles doesn't do that.

there are hands on edwin's face, cupping his jaw, his chin, his cheeks, gently, oh so gently. another arm brackets his waist, pulling him flush against charles, closer than they already were. edwin sucks in an unneeded breath, his own hands suddenly unsure of where to rest but he doesn't get a chance to properly panic because-

because-

his first kiss had left him feeling like a fish out of water; surprised and confused. all of it had happened so quickly that edwin hadn't gotten a chance to process much of it at all.

but when charles tilts his head closer, closing the gap between them with a gentle tremor in his frame that edwin mirrors, the surprise that accompanies it is for an entirely different reason.

charles kisses like he's afraid. charles kisses like it's his last. charles kisses like he's withholding.

edwin shall not have any of it.

with a crashing tidal wave of confidence, edwin reaches up to hold charles' face, one hand sinking into his curls as he deepens the kiss. there's a gasp, the hand on his waist tightening, and edwin takes advantage of the opening with fully formed intent until they're both crushed together, utterly unsure and uncaring as to where one of them begins and the other ends.

it doesn't matter. none of it matters. all that matters is the positively sinful sounds charles seems to be unknowingly making, causing edwin to sink and fall and topple into the all-encompassing pit that is charles rowland.

a tick, or two, or a hundred pass before they finally separate, panting with the force of it all.

"that was-" charles starts, then stops, gaze flitting all over edwin's face with an entirely different sort of cataloguing aim. edwin finds himself doing much the same: charles looks delightful, cheeks barely coloured crimson, curls falling out of place, and eyes wide.

his lips look thoroughly kissable, a quality edwin had not realised could be heightened and he almost pulls charles in again before charles says- swears, "I love you."

there is a place in edwin's chest that once contained his beating heart, an organ that had only found itself thrumming away thrice after his death: twice in hell and once in port townsend.

and then, here, standing across from charles, does edwin find his heart restarting to the sound of those words. the three words that leave him reeling far more than the kiss ever could have. the three words that pull him closer to the centre of his orbiting pathway to leave a softer, but just as searing kiss.

"I love you too," he says into it with a smile and a beating heart and a love that is mirrored.

[shazziez]

that's just his listening face

(ko-fi)