#WAIT. EDWINATION

[orionsangel86]

I like the new twist on the bury you gays trope

They are still dead, but we unburied them. Their ghosts are now haunting the narrative forever. Yeah they are still being gay and dramatic but they have eternity to figure it out. Literally can not get rid of these gays now. They don't even have bodies to bury. Can't send em to superhell they'll climb right back out.

[technically-human]

When the ghost who read to you as you died activates all of your Must Protect instincts

[oscarlovesthesea]

ok but he was fully flirting here. I think it's so funny that Charles was like "idk if I'm in love with you but we have all eternity to figure it out" and then literally an episode later he was like "welp time to start thinking about this!" and immediately started openly flirting with Edwin. you go bisexual king

[idliketobeatree]

i'm living the dream, in the dream, i'm buried alive two bed grave, one bath, car in the drive mirrored covered windows block the light feeding back reflection distorts life cut connection — jesca hoop

[hopeidontgetaddictedtothis]

Dead Boy Detectives | 1.01: The Case of Crystal Palace

[xjade-lotusx]

Edwin be like: "I know my man will hand me whatever I want." And sits there with his palm out, so expectantly.

Edwin also be like: "I know my man will be there to take whatever I hand him." And thrusts whatever he is holding in the vague direction of Charles.

[skateboardtotheheart]

there is just something about the difference between edwin's love interests and having the cat king's reaction to edwin in hell being "i'll be waiting when he gets back" vs charles "no version of this where i don't come get you" rowland convincing a powerful trans-dimensional being to open a door to hell just so he could get him back

i am insane

[umbershift]

Honestly one of the things I like about Edwin’s character development and accepting he likes guys is that everyone else is so normal about it. He’s the only one going But. That’s Not Allowed? And Niko the others are like sure it is! They take Monty liking him as something normal and obvious. Being surrounded by people who take that kind of thing as a given is such a nice (and bizarre) feeling when you’re not used to it

And of course when he tells Charles and there’s no recoil no betrayal just “ok I can’t say I feel the same way but you ARE my best friend and I’m not going anywhere.��� The confession didn’t make anything weird. They have as much time as they want to figure this out. I love them so much

[protect-edwin-at-all-costs]

ITS DONE WHOOOOOOO

I love them all 🥹

All the Edwins!!!!

[honorarypines]

Edwin canonically liking feminine things is so so important for my mental health

the hat he's wearing if you care:

[dbdaghostmas]

Save the date, Dead Boy Detectives fandom! You've been invited to a holiday event! 🔎

12 days and 12 prompts to create any and all fanworks to celebrate Dead Boy Detectives this holiday season!

More information will be released soon! If you have any questions you can send asks through this account or reach out to me on my personal blog, @alltimefail!

[technically-human]

Hey, don't cry. Ghost yuri, okay?

(Now that you know the girls, they need to meet the boys!)

[edwin--charles]

[idliketobeatree]

i just can't get over how edwin secured the best possible outcome for exerting magic on that cat. he has a gorgeous trickster wrapped around his dainty little finger so badly, the punishment was waltzing through the town, pointing at kitties and going "!" while wearing a fancy golden bracelet? yeah yeah he cannot leave at an unfortunate time, but the boy's been to hell and back and frankly, more dangerous things are waiting for the squad behind the corner. it all appears so lovingly tame in comparison. there are not that many cats around; they travel in perfectly countable twos and threes, practically getting in his way. not to mention the darling boy could have just– get it on and over with from the start. and the offer is still on the table if i understood the vibes?? my takeaway is that you may die repressed but gay thoughts will always catch you and it's all going to be okay

[fan-a-tink]

just dropping some payneland gifs, as a treat ✨

[alltimefail]

Okay so I have more thoughts on Dead Boy Detectives but this is less about scene analysis and more about my own personal interpretation of Charles as I truly believe Charles' inability to fully "reciprocate" Edwin's feelings is less about accepting his sexuality/lack of awareness about his sexuality and more about feeling unworthy of being on the receiving end of Edwin's love (and about bad timing - them being in an afterlife or eternal suffering situation on the literal stairs of hell, but I digress lol). This would explain, pretty seamlessly, why he seems to seek out fleeting or "fun" romances and flirtations. It would also explain why, immediately following the confession, there are micro-changes, blink-and-you'll-miss-it differences in Charles' behaviors and expressions. It's clear that our boy is reflecting, and he meant it when he said he intended to "figure out what the rest means..." even if it takes him forever (and I doubt it will, but again... I digress). This is why calling his reassurances to Edwin on the staircase a "rejection" and putting Charles in a box as default-straight is a complete disservice to his character, to the writers, to the queer brilliance that rings beautifully in every facet of this show, and to Jayden Revri who is an exceptional actor with a palpable, deep love and reverence for the character he's portraying.

As a repressed PTSD bisexual™️ myself, I can't help but connect Charles' history with abuse alongside his poor perception of self, people-pleasing tendencies, and his quickness to stifle and repress his own feelings and desires to his fear of being a "bad person." It would not surprise me if Charles would fear the possibility that he is capable of taking something fragile, beautiful, raw, and vulnerable (Edwin's love) and destroy it in the way his father did.

Charles has always loved fully and without caution; I would even say he loves recklessly at times, throwing himself in front of danger, even to his own detriment. But has anyone fully loved him back in the way he loves? Charles has always loved Edwin, but did he ever allow himself to humor the idea that Edwin might just love him back?

It's evident that Charles had very little kindness in his life. Charles' friends were conditional at best and violent/abusive at their worst, his father was a monster, and his mother (who, in all fairness, was also a victim of abuse) was quiet and complicit in the abuse Charles received from his father. His entire afterlife is intrinsically connected to Edwin's - his entire existence, and Edwin's entire existence, are so closely entwined to one another that to "screw up" the delicate balance they've struck would be more than unfortunate - it would be earth-shattering, a loss like no other. Charles is impulsive, but he is not careless...quite the opposite, actually. I truly think whether or not he's attracted to men is not the issue; it wouldn't surprise me if, at the very least, Charles is aware he is attracted to people regardless of gender and just doesn't have the language to put a label to that sensation yet (he might have never been compelled to put a label on it, frankly). The issue is that Charles is unsure if he is deserving of someone not just loving him, but being in love with him... especially when it's coming from someone he thinks is the best person in the world, the most important person to him, the only person he would deny heavy and defy hell for.

Honestly Charles might even already know he has feelings toward Edwin specifically that are not strictly platonic, but taking that gamble even though he struggles with feelings such as being undeserving of Edwin; that he would be selfish to take a love he's undeserving of; that Edwin might come to realize, at some point, that he was mistaken in loving Charles and that being with Charles isn't actually enough/what he hoped it would be and he regrets his confession all together. Or, perhaps worst of all, what if Charles finds that the nagging fear he's buried deep down was correct all along... that he actually is like his father and capable of hurting Edwin and bastardizing the concept of love as a whole?

There are stakes when it comes to loving Edwin - if he were to screw up what they have, the consequences would be disastrous, it very well might destroy him. He cannot be careless, he cannot be impulsive, he cannot risk destroying what he and Edwin have. I'm not sure Charles has ever not loved Edwin, but he probably never humored that his Edwin: touch-reserved, buttoned-up, logical, stubborn, beautiful, kind Edwin who brought a warm light to Charles in his darkest moment, could feel that way, too... especially about him. What is he to do with that?