#dbda fics

[starlight-archer]

Here we go! The official prompt list for Catwinter! (shout out to the catwin discord for brainstorming prompts with me again)

Each week of December has a theme so you can do all prompts, pick and choose or combine them however you like!

Remember to use the tag #catwinter when you post any art/fics etc that you create! There will be a collection added to AO3 closer to the start date, (titled CATWINTER 2024) too for you to add your fics to if you post there!

[gali-in-distress]

"Your Mess is Mine" Chapter 1 on AO3

“Hey!” A shout comes from behind him, Charles doesn't need to turn around to know who it is. “Listen to me, you asshole!” Charles doesn't.

He continues to hold Crystal upright, she's starting to shake a little bit and her eyes keep darting around.

“You can take her home tonight but it doesn't matter, she's gonna crawl back to me anyway.” David's voice is loud but doesn't seem to be getting any closer. Charles dares a look in his direction one last time and sees him starting to walk away, muttering something to himself and wiping at his mouth. There's a glimpse of red on his hand when he pulls it away.

Tags: Alternative Universe - Modern Setting, Polyamory negotiations, Implied/Referenced alcohol/drug use, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Non graphic violence, Protective Charles Rowland

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Relationships: Payneland, Cryland, V Shaped Polyamory

Completion status: in progress

Chapters: 1/3

For @crylandweek Day 1 "Protective"

(PS: I know this looks kinda straight but I swear it's not)

[tragedy-machine]

Chapter 3 posted!

Because of a misunderstanding during the confession in Hell, Charles thinks they're dating now, while Edwin believes his love will stay unrequited forever.

In Chapter 3:

“Oh? Pray tell, what had you so terribly occupied for the past few hours?” Edwin’s soft and amused voice made Charles really want to plaster himself to his boyfriend’s back or grab him by the waist and lift him into a spin, but he waved those visions away. Too much. His hands twitched with the constant impulse to touch, so he clasped them together behind his back, to stop himself from doing something silly. “Funnily enough, I was just waiting to show you.” At Edwin’s intrigued eyebrow raise Charles felt giddiness lighting up his body. “Finish putting your books away and I’ll take you somewhere.���

It's date night in the Miscommunication & Misunderstanding AU 🤭

[ahyperactivehero]

i haven;t been writing much for my fics lately because i've been all over twitter trying to keep the hashtags trending. just know that i am working on them, and i will post more of one of my fics sometimes this week! let's try and #SaveDeadBoyDetectives

[not-the-living-ghost]

mark from the roseganymede95 extended universe is my new blorbo; that boy is constantly spinning around in my head and i am whirling him in a smoothie blender as we speak ❤️❤️

[oxymoronicdumbass]

MEATBALL <333

second stage of fandom is wanting to make a reference to your show, but not being able to because the reference is to a fanfic, and it is almost guaranteed that even among fellow members of the fandom, nobody will understand what you are talking about

[colourmornings]

Quick note on Charles's speech for fic writers or anyone interested, really.

Charles uses tag questions, where he ends a sentence with a question, doesn't he? I see a lot of "innit" thrown at the end of sentences, which is right, sometimes.

There is unfortunately grammar. First off, if the main verb is negative, the tag will be positive, and vice versa.

When the main verbs in the sentence is a form of "be" or a modal verb (must, could, would, have, will, can, do etc), he's going to repeat that same form at the end of the sentence. An exception to this is a positive main verb of "I am" in which case the tag will be "aren't I?"

"[You're] Not going back to hell, are you?"

"I wouldn't wanna be dead with anyone else, would I?"

"No, we're not going anywhere, are we?"

"Well, I can't see where you're pointing to, can I?"

"We don't want a repeat of the infamous puppy debacle of '94, do we?"

He uses "innit" a lot less than people think, I think. It took me a while to find examples of him saying this, I ended up having to search a transcript. It follows the same rules as above, except the subject is always a thing, or the pronoun "it," and the main sentence is positive, so that the tag can be the negative "innit" (isn't it). *Edit* "innit" is not used as a question! It's mainly used to reinforce a talking point! (Thank you @elizabear). While the other tags are like rhetorical questions, this one is flat tonally and can end with a period, too.

"Boxing's a gentleman's sport, innit?"

"Magical void, innit?"

"That's the injustice we fight, innit?"

When the verb is not one of those above" he uses a form of "do."

"Well, that sounds a lot like you, doesn't it?"

"Wanna keep things professional, don't I?"

Charles also ends a lot of sentences with just the word "yeah."

"Psychic thing makes case work go a lot faster, yeah?"

I am usamerican, but I have a masters in Linguistics. People who actually use tag questions, though, please add on or correct me!

[many-gay-magpies]

smooch

i originally drew this to be companion art for my new fic, where primroses bloom, but u do not need to read that to comprehend. smooch

also for @painlandweek day 3 - love confession/first kiss <3

[a-jasminator]

When your best mate is about to go full vengeful and there's only one way to shock him back to his senses...

Companion piece to my fic Spectral Rage!

[overlord-of-chaos]

All of these look amazing! I am seconding the rec of my healing needed more than time because I am absolutely loving reading that

Another Dead Boy Detectives Fic Rec List

Netflix sucks and I'm sad, but the Dead Boy Detectives fandom continues to be awesome, so here are some more very quick fic recs!*

Tonight's the Night You Fight Your Best Mate's Dad by Opossum_Subatomic

Everyone's Alive College/University 5+1 things fic featuring Charles bringing Edwin coffee and slowburn payneland. Also Family/Wedding Drama involving Everyone Thinks Their Dating so acute is verges on Fake Dating. This author is seriously fantastic, everything they write is gold.

You should also check out Kissing Lessons, which is a high school AU that does what it says on the tin while also giving non-binary Monty and polyamory.

Ornithology by Rosie447

Monty gets a job working at Tragic Mick's. This one's not actually payneland, being gen and Monty-centric. I know, gasp. It's a fantastic and very sweet exploration of Monty discovering his sense of self post canon and works as a great metaphor for recovery from toxic family/relationships. Also, the ex-animal solidarity and bonding with Mick is lovely.

what some circumstance stole by Chrome

The Sandman crossover featuring Edwin and Hob being kidnapped and tortured together. Their friendship is really wholesome with eventual Father Figure and Found Family Feels for the whole agency and background Dreamling.

dandelion wine (life and death in summertime) by world_wanderer

Payneland Right Person Wrong Time AU in which neither of them die but they still meet and become friends. The May/December friendship is sweet but tragic, with a bittersweet ending. Superb.

Mirror Image by Anonymous

Charles' afterlife gets taken over my an evil shape-shifting doppelganger, leaving him with plenty of time to regret never talking to Edwin about his feelings. Angsty but with Feelings Realisation and the Power of Love and Friendship vibes.

my healing needed more than time by babyseraphim

Case fic with de-aged Charles! Baby Charles is precious but be prepared for discussions of childhood trauma/abuse.

The same author has also written I'm So Aces at Babysitting, which is a really cute two-chaptered AU featuring Charles and Edwin babysitting the kid versions of each other, with bonus Crystal and Niko doing the same. It's very wholesome and the author writes little kids really well.

Pouring into me by tragedy_machine

Love me some "Charles wants to date Edwin to figure out his feelings but gets turned down" fic. Feelings are hard, OK?

thank u, next by KiaraSayre

Edwin fucks and Charles seethes. It's very funny and also features some interesting worldbuilding with the Fae.

Like We've Never Known Hurt by dearheartdont

Just cute established relationship PWP and praise kink. So good.

all of these hollows by handwrittenhello

The boys are alive again but sans memories. Can they still find each other and prove their devotion to the Night Nurse?? While also evading heavenly and hellish forces trying to keep them apart??? Very interesting concept executed well.

Suo Gân by emryses

The agency takes on the case of a traumatised Edwardian ghost searching for her missing baby... Read it for Edwin family feels.

Where Primroses Bloom by PantryJesus

Reading aloud as a love language and Watership Down feels. Idk, I'm now convinced that Edwin is kind of rabbit-coded with the whole "if they catch you they'll kill you. But first they must catch you" thing. A lovely well written fic.

I'm so sick of online love by Hse11z5

College/University AU where the boys meet through a dating app. It's cute.

you can have the best of me, baby (and I will give you anything) by aletterinthenameofsanity

Again, it's the Friends with Benefits but with real feelings and mutual pining for me. Now has a Charles PoV companion fic.

True Love's Kiss by Asidian

In which Charles curses himself with a Sleeping Beauty enchantment in order to confirm his feelings for Edwin and Crystal is the real MVP. I love this one because the boys are both SO stupid but in very different in-character ways.

I also recommend Promised, in which they kind of play the Green card angle to keep Edwin out of Hell? Which honestly needs to be more of a trope. And Tight Quarters, starring the boys trapped in a magic circle, leading to Forced Proximity induced Feelings Realization (in more ways than one! 😉).

Something I Can Turn To by DontOffendTheBees

I love some domestic fluff, in this case as an Everyone's Alive/Childhood Friends AU in which the boys are poor but happy living together. I liked how they both survive their respective traumas, but Reality Ensues.

I also recommend Lived My Whole Life Before the First Light for a lovely but melancholy Soulmate AU that goes for the "seeing colours" trope for extra wistful angst.

Dining at the Ritz by TerresDeBrume

Meeting the Parents fic in which Edwin's parents are awful and Charles is Not Having It. This has Everyone Thinks They're Dating and autistic Edwin stimming representation, plus discussions of racism, classism and ableism. The fic is also part of a great Modern AU series in which the boys attended St Hilarion's at the same time and Charles saved Edwin from a non-supernatural but still almost deadly prank. Highly recommended!

The Case of the Couples Retreat by juliasfanart

Listen, I can't get enough of undercover fake dating/relationships at a couples retreat, OK? Some minor angst but overall very cute and fluffy.

acu (aysar cinematic universe) by ObsessedWithFandom

The agency is hired to solve the mystery of Charles' death and bring his killers to justice. I'm genuinely obsessed with this series; I love its OCs and Charles having an exboyfriend gives Edwin a fun crisis. Plus haunting Charles' killers is very satisfying and cathartic. Just imagine they're Netflix execs, y'all.

*Not actually quick, as it turns out. 😅

I love doing these lists because I always think I've only got a few recs and then I look back over my recent bookmarks and I've got a metric ton of great fics to rec. You guys are so talented. ❤️

[technically-human]

To relive a death

@williamvapespeare commissioned me to draw anything with the boys being gentle to each other and Edwin comforting Charles in general, so we went with this!

The idea of a character who is dead having to go through it once a year is very dear and near to my heart (how many dead blorbos do you have, I hear you ask. Too many) but at least these two have each other

[2deadboys]

just thinking about that one concept of Charles telling Edwin they should get married so they have a claim on each others souls (so Hell can't have Edwin)

but early on in their friendship

Charles is all like hey so you know how you escaped hell and youre running from it bc it still owns your soul...... what if we got married so your soul technically belongs to me?? -- and mine is yours of course.

Edwin is just "... you want to marry me?"

"As best mates of course :))) I'll do anything to keep you safe."

and they lowkey forget about it till Hell nabs Edwin again. But this time Charles argues to the Night Nurse that actually Edwins soul belongs to him. And whips out their marriage certificate.

And shes like 😐 "I'm going to have to file this officially.... but technically your claim is stronger than Hells."

Hell had Edwins soul because of a technicality. But Charles has his soul because Edwin willingly gives himself to him.

[carebeardean]

Charles has always left Edwin little notes slipped between the pages of his favorite books, in his science equipment, places he knows Edwin loves. Just silly things—post its that say “hi Edwin :)”. doodles of Edwin with his nose stuck in a book. reminders to stock up on wolfsbane. but.

Then, post canon, Edwin tentatively starts dating people. And it’s ridiculous, because Edwin’s right there, all the time, but Charles..misses him a bit. And his heads a mess, and he can’t sort out what the hell he’s feeling most of the time, and whenever he tries to say any of it out loud it comes out rubbish.

So. He writes down some of the shit he can’t say right, and because he’s a coward, hides them so he doesn’t have to see Edwin’s face when he reads them.

then Edwin starts writing back.

Neat lilac blue little envelopes appear in Charles coat pockets. In his bag. Once, in his shoe? Some nights, Edwin will clear his throat and mention something from a letter, offhand, like they’re just picking up conversation, and Charles can pretend they are. That they always have talked about the basement, the belt, the nameless fear that chokes him every time Edwin walks out the door with someone else on his arm.

Sometimes he can’t. The words get stuck in his throat. Edwin’s not mad, he’s maddeningly, stubbornly kind about it, which is worse.

Some nights they trade. A secret for a secret. Charles learns about the novels Edwin used to hide under his mattress, about all the lonely years before Charles got there. About Simon.

Meanwhile, Edwin is losing his mind, because Charles has accidentally stumbled onto what was a fucking courting ritual in his time. Love letters were something engaged couples treasured for years, kept and reread over and over. (Edwin does. keep them in a special box, will take one out and trace the words, tuck it in his breast pocket for courage).

Edwin would rather have to reattach a limb again than lose Charles trust, all the dark and beautiful things he shares with Edwin only. He knows—knows Charles doesn’t mean to make him fall more in love with him.

[tragedy-machine]

You know what would be fun, Edwin using a little bit of physical violence to defend Crystal or Niko, like "accidentally" dropping something heavy on the bad guy's foot while he's yapping aggressively and coming closer to the girls or tripping him over with a quick pull on the rug the dude is standing on, Edwin turning and "accidentally" hitting him on the head with something Edwin's holding etc

And obviously, the bad guy gets mad and goes to attack Edwin, but Charles swiftly swoops in between them

So bad guy is like "Oh so you started shit, knowing your little boyfriend will come and defend you, you coward?!"

And Edwin just smiles at them as Charles throws the dude out and says, "Yes, I did."

Brought to by a scene from gig officially gigged

[ahyperactivehero]

v i sent this originally to the wrong person so now you HAVE to answer now or ill look even more stupid

hockey au snippet/emoji spoilers/headcanon in exchange for eternal devotion??

I'm fucking crying that is so funny, dude! (how did you send it to the wrong person, my name is the same on everything lol)

anyways! sure, I can give a snippet! especially in exchange for eternal devotion lol

But none of it made sense to him. He thought back to the night he and Edwin had first met, that feral stray cat energy he’d given him the second he’d realized Charles was still there. Without Niko, he was fairly certain he never would have actually gotten Edwin to say more than two words to him. Well, at least not kind words, anyways.

(I don't know how much counts as a snippet so there you go! lol)

(send me an ask and I'll give you a snippet of one of my wips I guess lol?)

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

I think it would be so interesting if Edwin had a "friend" in Hell. Not someone he was close to, but someone that he ran into regularly and had short frenzied conversations with. I think it would be intreguing if this man were also something absolutely terrible, like a serial killer. But he was another human, and he was in Hell, and he was someone to talk to. So Edwin cared for him, because they were both souls trapped somewhere unimaginable.