#and charles and edwin would absolutely love that

[coraline-piange]

fine-grinding a conversation

a birthday present for the lovely @icarusalchemist

Edwin blinked down at his phone. Did — did this Charles person seriously message him to gather information about queer people? On Grindr, of all places?

Maybe it really was an earnest attempt at reaching out to a queer person who'd be willing and patient enough to explain. Edwin could have used someone who explained it to him a couple of years ago, too. He could provide that guidance for someone else. He had the opportunity to give advice and maybe shed some light on the more confusing matters of sexuality — was it not his duty to at least attempt to do so?

Plus — and Edwin was absolutely aware that this had no logical sense and was nothing but a gut feeling — the young man in the picture looked kind. There was a softness in his big brown eyes, and openness to the corners of his lips.

What would be the harm?

When a cute guy called Charles dms Edwin on Grindr to ask questions about the queer community to try and become a better ally, what is Edwin supposed to do except indulge him? Especially when Charles is so sweet and funny... and really handsome.

read on ao3

[ouchmyghostskin]

Need to leave this somewhere because my comments aren’t working but your “everything nice” comic. Oh my God. Oh my God??? You ever read a fan creation so Canon that you almost cant believe it’s real?? I feel like the show runners possessed you for the writing of this because HOW! IS! THE! DIALOGUE! SO! GOOD!!!! Even the side characters have such believable teen cadences - and not just teen cadences but boarding school cadences??? Your mind 😭😭😭

And that’s just the writing! Your art is so lethally good, I feel like I’m watching the actual show when I’m reading with the way you manage to capture so many of the actors little idiosyncrasies (Edwin’s facial expressions in particular are soooo compelling to me you really captured the way George Rexstraw plays him to a T). I’m especially enamoured with the designs for fem Edwin and Charles because how the hell did you do that?? They’re perfect?????? Plus the clothing choices like come on!!! Even the backgrounds are stunning - the office, the dorm rooms, the school!! Everything about them was super grounding, I could picture how they would look as real life sets which is so damn cool ahhh I’m geeking out so hard

Sort of going back and forth here but I also need need Need to praise your character writing skills because it is stunning. Like obviously the Edwin/Charles relationship takes point because of their whole deal (side note: LOVED the bit where everyone instantly clocked Charles’ crush on Edwin. 10/10 I had to put down my phone to laugh) but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how lovely you’ve structured crystals relationship with the boys and how they all bounce off each other in ways that can come across as biting but don’t because you’ve made it clear how much they care about each other as friends like ahhhhhh!!! Even the background characters had such fun, interesting interpersonal dynamics (especially that one girl who Crystal shared a Moment of Understanding with - cannot wait to see where you go with her!!). It makes the mystery even more compelling cause now I care about these randos and whether or not their school is somehow turning them into dogs.

TLDR; your comic is absolutely amazing, and I trust your characterization/world building skills without question 🫡

I'm so sorry I always forget that asks are a thing but OH my gosh this SO SO SO kind of you I don't even know what to say 😭😭😭😭 other than THANK YOU for taking the time to send this. Really truly means a lot to me. I hope I can manage not to disappoint!!!!!

[isnt-that-wizardd]

why compare and pit against each other the various versions of charles and edwin when the truth is that they would be absolutely Thrilled to meet the different version of themselves and discover that the two of them meet and become friends in Every Universe

[edwinisms]

i get such a sense of primal envy when looking at edwin’s clothes up close because god you can just tell his coat is real wool and made to last and not cheap flimsy mass produced garbage and auggagghhhh that was just STANDARD in his time. by no means am i saying i was #borninthewronggeneration because i like having vaccines and household appliances but. man. to have a personally-tailored coat like that that’d last for years and years……. and fabrics of fine thread-dense quality………. if only

[theaceace]

imagining a world in which Simon agreed to go with Edwin and try to escape hell, imagining Simon developing an immediate and very inadvisable crush on the cute guy that just threw a grenade at a demon and Edwin's reaction to that, imagining the reaction of Charles Overprotective Rowland when he finds out that the guy Edwin insists on dragging along with them is one of the guys that sacrificed him to a demon in the first place, imagining the Night Nurse's face when three dead boys pop back through the door instead of two

[a-bisexual-panicking]

question for the dead boy detectives fans:

would you prefer for Edwin and Charles' relationship to stay platonic or to become romantic?

i'm just genuinely curious

[landedinpayne]

absolutely obsessed with the intensity of love and care and attention in the way that charles is looking at edwin he’s responding to the confession. i have literally never seen a person look at someone so lovingly and carefully and now that i’ve seen it i will never recover i fear

[asexualenjolras]

We all know that it's canon that Edwin Payne reads (and loves) a lot of Arthur Conan Doyle's books, and we know it's likely that he's a fan of the Sherlock Holmes stories.

But imagine him being introduced to BBC Sherlock by Niko or Crystal and seeing an autistic detective that struggles with communication and empathy, wears formal clothing and doesn't like many people beside his best friend ... who he's in love with.

I think he'd combust. Let that Edwardian ghost find out what Johnlock is.

(Niko would absolutely introduce him to Johnlock fanfics)

[deconstructthesoup]

If I had a nickel for every time I was obsessed with a piece of media that featured a classy little detective boy with less-than-optimal people skills who was previously bullied by a closeted gay guy, is an academic workaholic who presents himself as very lawful but is absolutely a badass in his own right, is severely queer and has a lot of angst and character growth about it, has his internalized anxieties about being queer manifest in a freaky doll monster who haunts his nightmares even after he's escaped from it, has been to Hell and had a really good bonding experience with his chaotic bisexual punk friend whilst in Hell, and has a weirdly attractive and morally corrupt cat person as their primary character arc antagonist and instigator, I would have two nickles

Which isn't a lot

BUT IT'S VERY FUCKING WEIRD THAT IT HAPPENED TWICE!

[diamondsunbursts-and-marblehalls]

dead boy detectives is the perfect cure for a broken heart

[coloursflyaway]

✨(for the Star from the ask game - please give random information about your fanfics??)

Thank you so much!! Sorry this took so long, I just got back from my holiday 🥰

A very random fact: for Won't Fear Love, where Charles takes Edwin on dates to figure out his feelings, I initially wanted to include this in the author's note in the last chapter (and then forgot about it):

You just know that the boys keep up the date schedule even afterwards. Usually, it's Charles who plans the activities, but sometimes, Edwin pitches in as well, if he stumbles upon something.

(One time, he takes Charles to the opera, and they dress up all fancy, which Charles loves, even if he isn't wild about the performance afterwards. Another time, he takes them to a classical concert outside of Schönbrunn palace in Vienna, which they both enjoy a lot - Edwin because of the music and Charles because halfway through the performance, he ends up in Edwin's lap, kissing him until they both cannot think anymore.)

And it goes on for so long, that at some point, a client comes to them with a case around midday on a second Wednesday of a month, and they decide to take the case. From tomorrow on, of course.

"Why can't you start now? You have nothing else to do, this is time sensitive!", the client wants to know, obviously annoyed.

A gasp echoes through the room, coming from the boys and Crystal simultaneously, like the man had just made the biggest social blunder imaginable.

"Of course we cannot start tonight", Edwin starts, folding his hands and looking very put upon; Crystal finishes the thought for him, "What do you take us for? Don't you know it's date night?!"

[isnt-that-wizardd]

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

[jeahreading]

wait charles and edwin DON'T end up together??

that's so sad, I will be going to Ao3 for fanfics

[edwinisms]

banging my head against the wall every time I see someone reblogging a post of mine with tags mentioning the ‘unrequited confession’. we have been OVER this it is NOT a case of unrequited romantic love it is completely canonically up in the air as a possibility. listen to jayden revri himself and be enlightened i am begging you

[sk-touchthesun]

Happy anniversary of the best show I know, Dead Boy Detectives💀🔎 How are you celebrating today?🥂

–

I watched the series for the first time last autumn. I watch queer shows and movies, and had heard this show is queer. That was all I knew about it beforehand.

After the first ten minutes of the pilot I knew I would watch the entire series, and after finishing all the episodes in a day, I thought "wow, ok, so that was kind of good." Then a couple of days later I realised I wanted to watch all of it from the beginning again, which I've never done with any other series before!

I watched the show for the second time. And then the third. Eventually I ended up creating public social media accounts and started drawing digitally for the first time in a decade or so. Frankly, me posting on this account is quite a miracle; I'm very uncomfortable having an account that anyone can access.

Why did the show have such a huge impact then? Well, first of all, it's truly fresh and brilliantly done. The pace is fast while still giving space to all the important moments that require it. The mix of different genres works extremely well. There's a balance of warmth and darkness—bad things may happen, but there's still light to be found.

I love how the series discusses heavy topics: they're taken seriously while the overall tone of the show stays light enough so that it doesn't get overwhelming. The characters are relatable, and I especially relate to both Edwin and Charles on various levels. Moreover, I think it's the loneliness all the characters experience that really speaks to me, combined with the found family theme that gives me hope that things can be better.

Lastly, the cast and crew are incredible and did absolutely brilliant job bringing Dead Boy Detectives to life. I'm grateful for this show and the wonderful fandom🩵 I now daily talk to friends I've made because of the series! I'm not sure how I would've made it through what has been an incredibly heavy spring without all this.

Love you all🫶🏼 Yes, you right there reading this post! Let's save Dead Boy Detectives!

[eddiewithcat]

the thing that gets me the absolute most about the love confession is just . how charles responds.

like, genuinely if he didn't feel some kind of feelings for edwin, he would've let him down gently, right then and there.

but it is the fact that he said "i can't say that like, i'm in love with you back, but there's no one else, no one else, that i would go to hell for. and we've got literally forever to figure out what the rest means" LIKE.

HE IS NOT QUITE AWARE OF HIS FEELINGS FOR HIM BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER THOUGHT TO THINK ANY DIFFERENTLY/ WHAT IT COULD POSSIBLY MEAN?

also this is neil gaiman show be so fucking for real!!!