#cat king has the power in his dynamic with edwin because edwin is inexperienced when it comes to attraction and feelings

[makemeimmortalwithahug]

for @tacoreib hey there, thanks!

prompt: thoughts on why supernatural creatures are in love with him

that's not written in prose, it's just me pretending to be literate and clever enough to analyse these characters in a meaningful way. it makes sense in my head, yeah? yeah

trigger warning for talking about the cat king and his dynamic (and its issues) with edwin

word count: 779 words

Well, the supernatural creatures in question are Monty and the Cat King. Let’s divide that cause I feel like their views of Edwin differ significantly but also unite in one aspect: they find Edwin exciting. And that’s wild, right? This Edwardian boy who reads tons and only rarely gifts anyone - who isn’t Charles or Niko - an honest smile.

Well, in general, we know that Edwin never got really along with other humans, up until he met Charles. And while Edwin seems to not be the biggest fan of cats – especially after the Cat King Drama –, I can picture Edwin finding solace in animals in his childhood. Nature and magic are deeply intertwined and Edwin also is quite handy when it comes to spells and such. Yeah, he argues a fair lot with Crystal and he’s incredibly close to Charles and finds a kindred soul in Niko, but in conversations with clients he’s cool and collected. He knows his way around the supernatural world and seems to fit right in, not like back in his school days. He is gentle and calm most of the time, no sudden movements and quiet competence. Those sound like good reasons for supernatural creatures to fall in love with Edwin.

Let’s start with the Cat King. For him, his attraction to Edwin is probably a form of asserting dominance. Sure, he calls himself a “consensual king” and gives Edwin an out with the whole counting-cats thing, but in the end he likely counts on Edwin tiring of his little game and caving. He has a following of loyal subjects, he has a throne, so he most definitely is used to a mix of admiration and worship towards himself. The Cat King has this aura of someone who knows that others desire him. Others, who know why he is so appealing.

But then, along comes this cute posh ghost with his little bowtie who seems utterly confused by his feelings and that’s what’s so exciting for the Cat King. It’s power over him. Later, it becomes apparent that that’s not all, that the Cat King really does feel something beyond attraction for Edwin and that most likely stems from him slowly growing attached to Edwin and his remarks during their little meet-ups, but especially Edwin’s flustered appearance. For the Cat King, this is what really attracts him to Edwin. This put-together detective who gets red in the face whenever the Cat King steps too close.

He does get better at their final meeting and seems much more genuinely fascinated by Edwin, that’s likely to do with the Cat King knowing and hearing about what went down – Edwin in hell, Niko’s death, the torture – and Edwin coming out of all of this… well, not alive, but with his head still upon his shoulders and still this kindness in his heart. To be kind in the face of all of this, that’d do it.

Now, Monty. Monty Monty Monty. Monty was never meant to become supernatural in any sense of the word. He was crow. Then, he’s suddenly a boy with real feelings and real impact on others, being able to communicate with them in a meaningful way. At first, Edwin was Monty’s mission. Make him trust you, lure him and Charles in – cause you realise Charles follows wherever Edwin goes – and leave him in his betrayal.

And that backfires spectacularly cause Monty never counted on Edwin being – again, kind. He does not openly show it but he’s by no means cold when he meets Monty. Honestly, his behaviour reminds me of myself being shy and anxious in social interactions. That might be read as disinterested but it’s not. Of course, when they meet, Monty is obviously just over the moon because wow, that boy’s pretty, right? That’s new to him, being attracted to someone, and that’s probably why Monty feels it so strongly. The astrology books are a way to get close to Edwin but then Monty wants to step closer and closer as he realises that Edwin genuinely invests his time into his conversations with Monty and becomes more approachable. Monty can see their progress. Someone is aware of Monty and deems him important, a small centre of the universe for a small amount of time.

Also, Monty is entirely new to this “being human” thing (aren’t we all?) and Edwin always seems incredibly confident. And he has every reason to be confident. He is a Dead Boy Detective, after all – he’s competent in his profession. For Monty, Edwin is the one who has it figured out while Monty basks in his attention. That’s why Monty seems to rotate around Edwin and finds him so exciting.

So there's that, I guess? additional thoughts are sooo appreciated, i love this fandom and id love talking with y'all about all this