#dead boy Detectives is about love and kindness and being kind to a world that was never kind to you

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Dead Boy Detectives (2024): This isn't a ghost story, it's a love story!

[livinginadumpster]

The way Dead Boy Detectives handles queerness and labeling of sexuality is honestly so refreshing. The way it's handled makes is very obvious that it's not the kind of media in which characters are assumed straight until proven otherwise; the characters' sexualities are left undefined because the focus isn't on specific labels, it's on the relationships between characters.

As the show goes on, it becomes abundantly clear that the characters' sexualities are a non-factor. Sure, Jenny dates women, but a label is never put on that. Same with Edwin - he is clearly interested in men, but not once in the show is he labeled as gay. It's not necessary in either case; labeling these characters wouldn't add anything to their stories or character arcs. The show is completely relaxed about labels because they're almost never a part of or even relevant to the plot.

And so, in a show that is so utterly unconcerned with labels, it would also be exceeding strange to impose the label of "straight" on any character. Characters like Charles and Crystal, who clearly demonstrate attraction to the opposite gender, don't come across as strictly heterosexual, they come across as people experiencing human emotions. And a character like Niko, who never expresses romantic attraction to anyone, really can't be assumed heterosexual either, because it simply wouldn't be in line with what we know about her.

Heterosexuality never comes across as the default in this universe. It never seemed as if the writers automatically assumed any character, no matter how background, to be straight. Queerness is explored not as a defiance of the norm but as just another way of loving someone. In a world where being queer is always viewed as alternate or deviant, and where coming out is a lifelong process that begins again every time you meet someone new because you're always assumed cishet, this kind of complete abolishment of heteronormativity is a breath of fresh air. Seeing queerness handled in such a casual way onscreen honestly feels a little bit revolutionary.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Even More Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs

I've discovered some amazing new authors since my last post! And writers I've already recced have published more great stories So here's another fic rec post!

Who? You mean your teammate in the Codependency World Cup? (series) by RoseGanymede95

I couldn't chose! They're all great! Basically a series of Edwin and Charles through the years and on cases pre-show. It scratches that adjusting-to-being-dead/newly-escaped-from-Hell itch and the authors writing is magic! It also fleshes out a really interesting conflict in the payneland dynamic: Charles' drive to protect Edwin at all costs clashing with Edwin's guilt over putting Charles at risk/depriving him of some ideal afterlife. Parts one and four also introduces Constantine/Johanna and part three revolves around an absolutely gut-wrenching temporary break-up. 😢

In Hell I'll Be in Good Company by laylabinx

Charles rescuing Edwin from Hell does not go smoothly. Just. Bucketloads of Trauma for both of them. And for you, the Reader. It's so good though!

your fangs in my neck (like an anchor like a vow) by shadowquill17

Vampire Edwin AU! It's great because it combines the (homo)eroticism of vampiric feeding with Charles' whole bisexual crisis and post-confession Edwin worrying about making Charles uncomfortable. Also Charles is some kind of demigod/immortal agent of divine vengeance which is an AMAZING detail and I desperately want to see some fanart!

The same author's ongoing story to the pain is also excellent though very angsty (cw temporary character death). I'm anxiously waiting for an update!

To Memory Now I Can't Recall by engineering_madonna

This is an amnesia fic and the most recent in an established relationship series. The first two installments feature the boys getting together and navigating their new relationship, so pulling the old 'character A forgets their whole romantic relationship with character B' trope hits especially hard! The whole series is lovely, but I am WEAK for temporary-amnesia.

Lemonade & Sunrises by paraph

A Quiet Place AU! The boys are alive, but they're the only ones. Very bleak but in a way that makes me want more!

1999 au (series) by websters_lieb

The boys figure their shit out in the 90s. Also, Edwin gets to read Maurice and queer theory. The cases in both stories are compelling and the author's writing and characterisation of the boys are excellent.

I also recommend offer me that deathless death which is about the boys' first meeting, Charles' funeral and the birth of the agency.

if I could reach the stars (i'd give them all to you) by ObsessedWithFandom

Charles falls first, Edwin falls harder. This is an AU of the author's excellent Charles' bisexual awakening fic, which I also highly recommend. It has lovely OCs and Charles having a sweet little friendship/romance with the boy he saved in canon, which actually makes his death a whole lot more tragic.

Came up from that lake of fire by ghostinthelibrary

Charles and Edwin get caught escaping Hell and promise to capture a demon-eating ghost called The Deathless in exchange for their freedom. With the added twist that they get to be alive again! An exciting case, high stakes and all the alive-again culture shocks and emotional/interpersonal drama you could ask for.

gig officially gigged by laiqualaurelote

Band AU! It shouldn't work but it does. Which might also be an in-universe review for the band tbh. Idk, I loved Edwin's massive obscure musical instruments and Charles being his unpaid roadie. Peak Found Family Feels.

No Rehearsing It, No Reversing It by DontOffendTheBees

Charles overthinks being in love with Edwin, my beloved. This time with increasingly flimsy pretexts for why they NEED to kiss. Just perfect Idiots in Love, no notes.

The Case of David Bowie's Made up Sexuality by williamvapespeare

The agency attempt to help a living lesbian couple deal with a haunting. Meanwhile, Charles struggles through his bisexual (re)awakening. With bonus past (living) Charles no-homo-ing himself to the nth degree. Pure of heart, dumb of ass, indeed.

The lamps are going out by CasiHuman

Vengeful Spirit Edwin AU! Has some interesting ghost lore and Edwin being convinced his touch is painful to Charles (love that trope!). Also features some of the author's adorable/hilarious fanart at the end.

just frame the halves (and call them brothers) by Anonymous

Crystal stumbles upon the ghost of Edwin's older brother, who hires the agency to free him and his platoon from the battleground they've been haunting. Case fic with interesting details about Edwin's family life and an awkward as hell family reunion.

the case of the very long ferry ride by obsceme

Sex pollen but with skin hunger, so it's more touching turned making out and hand jobs in a bathroom. Interesting use of ghost lore and it's cute and well written.

Form 239, Schedule L by sanctuary_for_all

Charles Rowland's Love Language is Acts of Service: The Fic. So many feels! Plus Afterlife worldbuilding and some quality Night Nurse rep.

don't go sharing your devotions (lay all your love on me) by Hephanna

The boys and Crystal accidentally summon an alternate universe version of Charles. He's very... handsy. Charles being jealous of himself is objectively hilarious and it looks like it could be heading towards throuple territory. Possibly even a foursome, if alternate Edwin figures out parallel universe travel. Which he probably will.

Still a Better Lovestory by Vamillepudding

Hanahaki disease! Charles is on the case but Edwin's being weirdly uncooperative about his own curse. I loved the worldbuilding (there's a whole sisterhood of washerwomen!) and the angst, plus the writing is excellent.

The author has also written Eternal Sunshine, in which Edwin is cursed to feel no love of any kind. It makes for an interesting character study, contrasting cursed Edwin, his public reserve and his actual personality.

[fan-a-tink]

One Year of Dead Boy Detectives ✨

Dead Boy Detectives | Friendships

One year of Dead Boy Detectives, and I am just so grateful to this story, for coming into my life at a time when I didn't realise how much I needed it. Nothing could have given me more hope, more strength than this weird and wonderful story, and the friendships that form and develop and blossom between Charles, Edwin, Crystal and Niko.

I see myself in Edwin, in his stubbornness, his idiosyncrasies and his kindness. I see myself in Niko, in her shyness that transforms into excitement once she feels safe to let it show, and in her quiet, self-contained struggle with her own grief. I see some of myself in Charles, in the happy-go-lucky facade that hides an abyss of denial and pain, in his care and protectiveness of those dear to him. And I even see some of who I want to be in Crystal, in her sense of justice and determination to help others.

I've taken these characters into my heart and seeing their friendships develop was like seeing different parts of myself find peace and learn acceptance. Each in their own way, the core four don't fit in to the world they live in. They are oddballs, they know what it is like to be different, have experienced a world that was unkind and cruel to them. But they find acceptance, friendship, safety and love with each other. And that has given me hope that family can be found, that acceptance and safety and love can be found in friendship. So for the anniversary of the show, I want to toast to the friendships in Dead Boy Detectives, to the love they have for each other and the myriad ways they learn to express that love. It means so much.

It can be scary to love in a world that grows more cruel and unkind every day, especially to queer people. But it's the only thing to do. The bravest thing to do. It doesn't matter if it's romantic, platonic, or a secret third thing. It all matters, it has to matter. When you care about another person, when you care enough to want to know them, to see and accept them for who they really are. That matters. The Dead Boy Detective Agency is doing that work every day. The fandom carries on that work, by being a place where everyone can be who they are, and find acceptance and care and compassion. We, like Edwin and Charles and Crystal and Niko, are there for those who have been forgotten, neglected or hurt, fighting for the broken, the beaten and the damned. They may be dead and gone, but believe me, their memory will carry on. We'll carry on.

[chxrryhansen]

౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊ Cherry’s SStan Series Rec List

here are my sebastian stan series fic recs! they are mostly bucky barnes series but mainly Au’s! i will be creating separate lists for cevans one shots and sstan one shots😚

Clockwork - @sgt-seabass

When life seems to be finally back on track, a visit by a mob boss to your dainty town changes everything. (Dark!Alpha Nick Fowler)

The Soldat And The Sparrow - @navybrat817

Your fire burns for the Winter Soldier. And one day, you'll be free. Both of you.

For The Love Of The Game - @pellucid-constellations

Bucky Barnes was a menace. NYU’s top baseball player, he was used to girls falling at his feet and could smooth talk his way out of just about anything. You hated him. He couldn’t figure out why. So when the novelty of weekend parties and quick hookups finally wore off—and his feelings for you began to grow—he made it his mission to fix it. 

The Heart Is A Deep Ocean - @dreamlessinparis

Titanic was known as the ship of dreams. For you, it was the dream of getting home, or so you thought. From the moment you locked eyes with James Buchanan Barnes, all those dreams changed and your life was never the same.

Everything’s Better In WestView - @espinosaurusrexex

Bucky and Y/N sneak into Westview to have the perfect life. Away from late Steve and Tony, Vision and Natasha, they let themselves be consumed by suburban magic. To their surprise, however, some of these people aren’t so dead in the town. And there are some other weird things happening that make them question their sanity. But that’s okay, right? ‘Cause everything’s better in Westview.

The Bride Of Soldat - @vampy-doll

In the summer of 1986, a young woman goes missing whenever HYDRA kidnaps her to be their next experiment for the reward of their Soldat. Now, post blip, Bucky starts to remember defining details of his love, his match made in hell, and is determined to find her. But after years of isolation and torture after his escape, she isn’t who he remembers. Now they’re trying to piece together who she was pre-HYDRA to teach her how to live, without his undying love and obsession of her getting in the way. But when one head is cut off, two more shall grow in its place, leaving them to discover those behind her abduction.

Awake My Soul - @foreverindreamlandd

It's been five years since zombies first started walking the Earth, destroying anything and everything in their wake. Now, in this apocalyptic world, fighting for survival comes as naturally as breathing. The one thing you've learned ever since they arrived, though, is that the living can be so much more dangerous than the undead. When you stumble across two young, scared boys lost in the woods and being chased by walkers, you go against your better judgment and help them to safety. Little did you know that helping them would lead you to Bucky - an angry, grumpy, distrusting member of the camp Shield. Bucky has zero interest in having you enter his life. He's been hurt before and lost too many people to risk experiencing that kind of pain again, and he knows that there are secrets you aren't telling the group. Yet, when push comes to shove, and you're put at risk, he'll stop at nothing to keep you safe.

Guiding Light - @wkemeup

It was supposed to be a simple mission. Get the intel and go home. Until everything goes wrong and you’re taken captive by Hydra. While you struggle to stay alive and hold your sanity, Bucky begins to lose himself to a darkness and gives into the soldier because he doesn’t know how to breathe without you. Not until he brings you home. If he even can.

The Witness - @wkemeup

Owner of a bar full of criminals, maybe you shouldn’t be surprised when you’re the sole witness to a hydra hit. In comes Detective Barnes, the quick-witted, flirtatious cop who somehow became a regular at your misfit bar. When he takes it upon himself to ensure your safety off the books, you learn to rely on someone else for a change and find you don’t mind it at all. Not when it’s him.

Under Oath - @ugh-supersoldiers

The people called for justice, the state answered. The trial of State v. Barnes is set to begin, and the odds are most certainly not in favor of the not so beloved ex Winter Soldier. That’s where you come in, the quick, smart, and all too brave lawyer set on defending and saving one Bucky Barnes from legal prosecution. The only problem? He’s not so sure he’s worth saving at all.

Just One Kiss - @sarahwroteathing

Bucky Barnes has been chasing after you since he was ten years old, but you’re determined not to give in. How long can you hold out when all he’s asking for is just one kiss?

He’s Hazardous To My Health - @writing-for-marvel

Bucky Barnes is a beefy paramedic with a traumatic past, who has left a trail of broken hearts behind him. You are a resident doctor new to town, who barely has time to date between long shifts. When your paths cross in your ER during a disaster, is it the start of something magical, or are you destined to be just another of Bucky’s former flames?

Just Try - @waiting4inspiration

Perfectly happy with your life at the Avengers’ compound, an alpha walks into your life, flipping it completely over and revealing secrets you hoped you had buried a long time ago.

Дорогая - @waiting4inspiration

Bucky's Winter Soldier programming has been triggered. Turns out the Winter Soldier has a thing for you.

Red Ties - @sebstan2020

Mary, a sweet Christian girl living in the city of Brooklyn as a nurse had a simple life. She loved her work, her friends and attending church every Sunday and helping Reverend Owens. Her life was nothing out of the ordinary. However, it all changed one day when she bumps into the intriguing and intimidating James Barnes, Brooklyn’s notorious mafia boss and is introduced to a world of guns, lust and dominance.

Delicate Edges - @wkemeup

Your family’s beloved flower shop was not the only thing you inherited when your parents passed. Trapped under a mountain of debt to the Hydra club, you bear the cost of your father’s desperate bargain. It’s only in moments when the charming Bucky Barnes walks into your shop that you can forget the cruelty of the biker clubs of this town. But a war is brewing. The border is crumbling. You're trapped in the middle. And Bucky will stop at nothing to keep you safe.

Pride And Privacy - @adrinktostopyourthirst

Bucky works on himself as he gets used to a roommate. Turns out, she has a much better room than him and he crossed the line.

Feelings Are Fatal - @sunmoonandeddie

After the events of Endgame, you struggle to come to terms with what you’ve lost, though you’re learning that you still have something to gain.

Appointments - @noctumbra

bucky barnes, finally being able to live freely in 21st century, accidentally gets a fuck buddy and starts to rediscover himself. the only weird thing about this situation is that you have to make an appointment to get railed by him. 

Lazarus - @sagechanoafterdark

Things are complicated between you and James Barnes. For you, life doesn’t mean much when you never stay dead for very long. But it might just be an ex-soviet assassin that convinces you to start living again.

Its A Deal - @justreadingfics

You’re out of a relationship of 10 years and you’re just in desperate need to get laid, no strings attached, no romance, no complications. You dear friend Natasha feels like she’s going to regret this later, but she might have the perfect guy to fulfill your needs.  

The Two Of Us - @bucky-bucket-barnes

You and Bucky go to investigate the phenomenon happening in Westview, New Jersey. While attempting to understand the issue, you yourselves are sucked into Wanda's world of pretend. Now, you believe yourselves to be the happily married Mr. and Mrs. Barnes; in real life, you are most definitely not a happy pair. It is up to you and Bucky to piece together what's happening while dealing with one another inside the hex.

Snow - @delaber

Tired of your constant bickering, Sam sends you and Bucky on a mission alone. When the worst possible outcome happens and you’re forced to spend several days together in a small cabin, you finally get to see a different, more pleasurable side to the man whose flesh you’ve always had a thorn in.

All Good Things - @sagechanoafterdark

After only three days of dealing with the annoying specter haunting you, you break the rules and accidently give a ghost a body. So what do you do when you find out the man you’re now sharing your your apartment with isn’t really a ghost and that haunted touch is a little warmer than you realized?

Welcome Home… Soldat? - @winterarmyy

Y/N had make a habit of greeting Bucky a warm 'welcome home' everytime he came back from his missions, but there was one particular day when she unknowingly greeted someone else.

Heavy Metal Lover - @mypoisonedvine

every client is different, with different needs; but this client is, in every way, exceptional. (Sub!Bucky Barnes + Dominatrix!Reader)

Parent-Teacher Conference - @coffeecatsandcandles

James Barnes, a widowed single dad, had forgotten what love felt like and let it crush him, taking his daughter, Rebecca, with him. He was cold, rude, and arrogant, being one of the few teachers at Westview High School the students seemed to absolutely despise. But when you show up, a hopeful math teacher who’d previously taught Rebecca’s kindergarten class, and are adored by your students and colleagues- James’s attitude starts to change.

Duck & Cover - @whirlybirbs

you’re the howling commandos’ new medic (Sniper!Bucky Barnes)

Winter’s Mate - @maggyme13

The Winter Soldier threatens to get out of control with his instincts taking over more and more. After years of supressed ruts his body built up a resistance and Hydra need to find another solution. Deciding it would be the easiest to just give in. Hydra kidnapped the reader to turn her into a Omega in Heat using injections whenever needed.

Key’s In Your Ignition - @georgiapeach30513

Caught up in a sexual relationship with your father’s Vice President, and trying to not get caught.  Blind to everything else that’s going on in the club, and even your old crush, Bucky Barnes.  Not even noticing your brother and best friend flirting, until your father suddenly passes, and things in the club drastically change. (Ari Levinson + Bucky Barnes + Harvard Hottie- Hayden)

[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?

[pippin-katz]

Random Moments & Details From Dead Boy Detectives I Love - Part 1

So, there's a whole bunch of things about this show that I really want to mention or talk about, but it will take waaay too long to compile them into one post, so I'm just going to post multiple parts!

Edwin's Realization of Charles Being in Hell

I'm not talking about the moment where he sees Charles has come to rescue him, or even when he asks him what he's doing there; I'm referring to the moment right after Charles asks where all the blood went.

The way Edwin slowly looks up, but his shoulders slump slightly as he exhales. The expression on his face. The way he slowly looks toward the demon.

This feels like the exact moment Edwin realizes that Charles is seeing what his Hell was like. Edwin may have told him stories about Hell, but it's obvious that he never told him anything about his personal experiences.

When the Spider comes and takes Edwin, Charles has no idea what it is. If Edwin had mentioned that demon, even in a general description, there's no chance Charles wouldn't have recognized it. It's a fucking spider made of baby doll heads. If Charles knew that the demon Edwin escaped from was "a spider" in any capacity, he wouldn't have even needed to ask, despite it being there briefly; the Night Nurse was able to say what level she thought it was from, so it was there long enough for them to get a good look at it. If Edwin had told him anything about that Spider, he would've recognized it.

It seems that Edwin never mentioned that he was killed multiple times in Hell as well, given that Charles has to be told that it was the previous version of him that was covered in blood. If he knew about the infinite respawning part of Edwin's torture, he wouldn't have been surprised to find him uninjured after the Spider snatched him up.

Edwin never told him about any of this. He clearly didn't want Charles to know. It can be argued that it's because he wasn't comfortable talking about it, which is definitely not ruled out, but the main reason that popped into my head is that he wanted to protect Charles from the truth.

Charles is such a deeply caring and kind person. He's become Edwin's closest friend, and he cares about him so much that he's willing to fight off anything and everything that threatens him. He's willing to march down the steps of Hell itself to get him back. He wants to see him happy and safe. There's nowhere he won't follow Edwin, and nothing that can prevent him from doing so. He is the most important person in the world to him. Edwin's suffering is Charles' suffering.

Telling Charles about what happened to him in Hell would only upset him. It would only hurt him to know what he went through all that time, and if talking about it didn't provide Edwin any significant comfort, then why would he? Why would he force that knowledge onto him knowing that it would only devastate him?

There is so much resignation and sadness in the way Edwin reacts to Charles' question. He can't protect him from the horrors that he went through. He's there, in Hell; he's going to see it for himself. Edwin will have to explain it. There's no way for him to hide it anymore, and he's sad that Charles is going to know. He's sad because he knows it's going to hurt him.

part 1 | part 2

(ko-fi)

[nighttimeclassics]

so im just thinking about the Orpheus and Eurydice metaphor in Dead Boy Detectives again...

so i really cant get over the symbolism in the show's comparison between Edwin and Charles and Orpheus and Eurydice. I'm sure someone else more succinct than me has already talked about it but man i just have to because as a classicist it has been consuming my brain since it happened... this is going to be a shitty ramble, but we vibe

so in the show, it is Edwin who first realises his feelings for Charles, and is the first to to truthful about them. Given that, in most translations of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, Orpheus' devotion to his wife is seen as the "stronger love" between the pair. highlighted in later adaptations such as Hadestown, as Eurydice makes the active choice to go to the underworld and leave her husband rather than their wedding being overshadowed by issues "worse than any omens". therefore, Edwin could initially be seen as the Orpheus parallel. particularly when you consider that Edwin 'guided Charles from the darkness' when he was dying of hypothermia with the lantern

however, unsurprisingly, given that is it Edwin who escaped from Hell, and is returned to it, Charles appears as the Orpheus parallel, with Edwin being his Eurydice. this is obviously then made super explicit in the show with it being Charles rescuing/ leading Edwin out of Hell. but even then it is not that simple

In Ovid's Metamorphoses, when pleading with Hades and Persephone, Orpheus states "my wife is the cause of my journey. A viper [...] robbed her of her best years. I longed to be able to accept it, and I do not say I have not tried: Love won." and obviously at the core of both of these relationships, is a deep deep love between them, regardless of how that manifests. Something i think is a massive parallel that i haven't seen anyone talk about yet is the willingness to remain in the Underworld/Hell for their respective partners.

going back to Metamorphoses, when Orpheus is requesting Eurydice's return to the mortal world, he gives Hades and Persephone an alternative solution of sorts. he says "if the fates refuse my wife this kindness [of returning to life], I am determined not to return {to the mortal realm]: you can delight in both our deaths." now is this not effectively the same thing Charles says to the Night Nurse when bargaining with her to open a door to Hell??? Charles says "then open up a door and I'll go get him, then we're stuck in Hell and you know where we are, or, I bring him back and we're all yours. It's a win-win." tell me that these aren't the same. you cant.

But i do think the most interesting parallel is when Charles and Edwin are running up the spiral staircase. i am not mentioning the times when escaping Hell, Edwin overtook Charles running, because let's be honest, we all know he is the faster sprinter of the two given the 70 years he spent practising. so I am disregarding that. but what I do find fascinating is this - and why I said it was more complicated earlier; in the metamorphoses Orpheus is obviously given the stipulation that he must not look at Eurydice when guiding her out of the underworld, or the agreement "would be null and void". and its here that we see another reversal. during the majority of the run up the staircase, Charles is behind Edwin, because like we have established, he's speedy. but in this key moment, Charles takes the lead in their escape, walking in front of Edwin whilst making it clear that they need to keep moving. just like in the tale, Charles, fulfilling Orpheus' role, "Afraid [they] was no longer there, and eager to see [them], the lover turned his eyes", turns to look back at Edwin, delivering the ridiculously romantic, 'sorry, no version of this where I didn't come get you is there?'. however, after this he refocuses on continuing up the staircase, which is where Edwin steps in:

as you can see in the gif, currently, Edwin is in, what I'm going to call the 'Eurydice position', following the lover out of the afterlife. and it is Edwin, as Eurydice, who basically chooses to condemn himself to the underworld/ hell, allowing the demon to catch up with them just to 'see [his] lover' and ensure Charles knows that '[he] had been loved'. t

im just going to put the section where Orpheus looks back at Eurydice in here because I think its all relevant:

"Afraid she was no longer there, and eager to see her, the lover turned his eyes. In an instant she dropped back, and he, unhappy man, stretching out his arms to hold her and be held, clutched at nothing but the receding air. Dying a second time, now, there was no complaint to her husband (what, then, could she complain of, except that she had been loved?). She spoke a last ‘farewell’ that, now, scarcely reached his ears, and turned again towards that same place"

by forcing Charles to turn around and face him, Edwin is fulfilling the roles of both Eurydice and Orpheus. in this instance, he is the one 'stretching out his arms' to hold Charles, but he is also the one that could be sent/ dragged back to the afterlife for this, but he just had to make sure Charles was aware of his feelings for him, to know that he was 'loved'. and I think Edwin was potentially prepared to return to the Doll House, or at least believed he would be able to find it more bearable knowing that he had been able to bear his soul to Charles, eve if that meant Charles couldn't come back again and try to rescue him for a second time, which Orpheus tried to do in the Metamorphoses, "Orpheus wished and prayed, in vain, to cross the Styx again, but the ferryman fended him off" and I feel like we all know Charles would have also kept trying if he lost Edwin again.

i guess, what im trying to say, in the most long-winded way, is that Charles and Edwin don't fill binary roles of one of them being Orpheus and the other being Eurydice, they are both of those things to one another throughout the show and I think that's really beautiful and I have to give massive credit to whoever did episode seven because I really feel like they did their homework. even after all the ramble I have written I still feel like I haven't fully made the point I was trying to make, but I definitely got some of the way there I think

[dbda-gift-exchange]

Hello again! While the gift exchange has more or less officially wrapped, there have been some requests which unfortunately went unfulfilled, so we're looking for pinch hitters again! If you're interested in taking on any of these requests, please DM me/reply to this post to let me know, and you will earn my eternal gratitude

Request 1: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Crystal Palace & Charles Rowland & Niko Sasaki

Jenny Green & Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Crystal Palace & Charles Rowland & Niko Sasaki

Crystal Palace/Niko Sasaki

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Charles Rowland (DCU)

Niko Sasaki

Crystal Palace (DCU)

Jenny Green (Dead Boy Detectives)

Description:

I love this world and the characters in it and as such I have some prompts you can use if you want to! You are not restricted to these, they are just here if you need some inspiration! -Hanging out in the butcher shop and/or the boys office in london -What it means to grow up -Case aftermath -spooky scary skeletons -crystal and niko talk about their parents DNW: Major Character Death-unless part of canon or brought back in some way Rape-mentioned or implied is fine Underage sex-implied or mentioned is fine Noncon, Dubcon Incest Heavy humiliation Inflation Bestiality Necrophilia Scat kink, Piss kink and vomit kink Infidelity/Cheating in a relationship with requested ships Reader inserts/YN Modern-AU, College-AU, No Magic-AU, Highschool-AU, Coffee Shop-AU Sickfic Any use of AI

Request 2: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Charles Rowland

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Charles Rowland (DCU)

Pre-Canon

Any Rating

Description:

I would love to see something with the boys pre-canon! Could be a case fic or could be them just hanging out, but I want to see how they got closer as people and figured out their whole deal! How does the agency come about? How did they get to be so in sync? What did their afterlives generally look like before the events of the show came and shook them up? Magic shenanigans are a plus :3c

Request 3: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Any Character

Any Relationship

Any Rating

Description:

Charles and Edwin’s first holidays together , or their first holiday after canon with the girls

Request 4: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Cat King/Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Cat King (Dead Boy Detectives)

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Any Rating

Description:

edwin and cat king getting together in a friends with benefits situation that maybe develops into something more. let them have fun together. Go on dates, have sex, that kind of thing. (i would also appreciate if charles was not in there much, i love him but this ain't about him.)

Request 5: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Charles Rowland (DCU)

Monty (Dead Boy Detectives)

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Any Relationship

Any Rating

Description:

Monty and Charles grudgingly working together to help Edwin with something, it turns out they work really well together, not that they'll admit it

Request 6: CLAIMED!

Tags:

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Charles Rowland (DCU)

Any Relationship

Any Rating

Description:

Charles' energy is a bit cold (comes with freezing to death) Edwin's energy is a but warm (comes with being in hell for 70 years) When they touch, it balances out :)

[multifandom--mess]

Hannigram Fic Recs!

These are just a select few of my personal favorites. I'm sorry if these are too long but I mostly only read long fics

Shark Tank by xzombiexkittenx (71k) (Explicit) - Will and Hannibal meet in prison. Hannibal is still the Ripper, Will is still a profiler who had encephalitis. Only now they're cell mates (SO GOOD and i love love the ending of this one)

Five Times Hannibal Visits Will and One Time He's Already Home (or: Coffee Cake) by bones_2_be (82k) (Explicit) - When Will tells Hannibal to leave at the end of Digestivo, he goes. And then, a few years later, he shows back up. They have long conversations, drink a lot of wine, at the end of it all they find something that works.

In Sickness and in Health by BonesAndScales (76k)(Mature) - Everyone knows that Will and Hannibal are married. Not everyone knows that they are married to each other. (SO CUTE)

Letters to You by Wr4tttttthh (17k)(Explicit) - Will and Hannibal want to learn to love. It isn't easy, it never was. (Post-Fall where they both keep a journal and they write letters to each other. There's some angst but its so so so sweet such a good read)

Time Waits for No One by Shotgun_sinner (104k)(Explicit) - After Will turns Hannibal away in Digestivo, he does not surrender to Jack. Instead, he heads to Cuba with Chiyoh, where he recovers from emotional and physical wounds. Hannibal was resolved to let Will go, and he does. Until he reads a Wedding Engagement announcement, that is. (THIS ONE IS SO GOOOD)

On Hiatus by Observe_or_Participate (197k)(Explicit) - AU where Abigail and Hannibal met in similar circumstances to those narrated in S1, only without Will being in the picture. They bonded. 4 years later, it's early summer 2021. Hannibal and Abigail are living in Tuscany as father and daughter, where they run a high-end bed and breakfast in a remote location on the hills... amongst other things. FBI profiler Will Graham, on leave from work after the restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic worsened his already iffy mental health, arrives on the premises, for reasons he is not fully ready to admit to himself. An incendiary attraction between our two boys is inevitable, but how honest can they really be with each other? (THIS IS SO UNDERRATED OMG)

between here and there by deadratz (78k)(Explicit) - Will's name is the last word Hannibal spoke in his presence. That was two months ago, directly after the fall, and Hannibal has not said a single word since. Now Will has to navigate through their lives together without Hannibal's voice to guide him. (PLEASE READ THIS ONE IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL)

Falling Away with You by Shotgun_sinner (191k)(Explicit) - Will Graham is a private detective with a fiancée who doesn't understand him, his empathy disorder, or his obsession with catching the Chesapeake Ripper. His night terrors force him into an ultimatum; couple's therapy, or their relationship is done. Will meets his new therapist, Hannibal Lecter, and his entire world is turned upside down. (this is one of the first hannigram fics i ever read and i still come back to it often it is so good)

Dianthus Barbatus by Cynthia_Cross (84k)(Explicit) - Set 10 years before the start of the show, Will and Hannibal meet in the dead of night while dumping the bodies of their respective victims in the same place. (THIS IS SOME GOOD SHIT HERE)

With a Crown of Stars by romanticallyinept (33k)(Explicit) - When the call connects, Will says, “I know what kind of crazy I am, but I’m not this kind of crazy.” “Will?” Dr. Lecter says. “Yes, hi, sorry,” Will says. “It’s me. There’s a baby on my porch.” (A cute kidfic to end with. I was grinning the whole time)

I hope you guys enjoy these. If you read any of them(or have read them before) tell me your thoughts. I feel like i don't have anyone to scream with about fics

@imthebisexual @mildlyinterestedcreature

[ghost-husbands]

In Defense of Charles Rowland

Under the cut because this is gonna be a long one, folks.

I'm going to begin this by saying that I have recently joined this fandom and to be fair, don't have as much experience with writing meta and all that. However, I love reading and given that meta is

discussion of fanworks of all kinds, fan work in relation to the source text, fanfiction characters and their motivation and psychology, fan behavior, or fandom itself.

I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading and attempting to write it. Now I have finished watching all the episodes of the season we currently have, and when I finished watching 1x04, I had some pretty strong emotions about what happened in there.

What happened exactly?

Well before we get into that, I want to say that I was inspired to write this because of the original writing of @pippin-katz on the same subject.

So as we know, in 1x04, the ghost husbands have a confrontation with the Night Nurse--an immortal (I think she's immortal, no?) being in charge of the Afterlife's Lost and Found Department. Why is she after them? Because Charles and Edwin are two unaccounted for spirits who are wandering the world and not where they belong. They're both technically special cases. Edwin was dragged to hell by pure accident, the victim of a demon summoning. It says something that even the demon itself apologizes to him for the technicality before he's taken down to the inferno | Charles died after an attack, of hypothermia and his own injuries. He discovers he's dead when he sees his own body and once it hits him that Edwin's going to leave, he doesn't want to stay behind to wait for Death. Frankly, he isn't ready for Death, so he says. So he decides to flee Death, just as Edwin has been since his escape from Hell.

Aside from staying with Edwin for their foreseeable eternity, Charles' motivation for staying is, according to him, the purpose he still serves...the face that he is a Dead Boy Detective who's dedicated himself to helping spirits who still have unfinished business. He's doing good here with Edwin. They are helping people. Ah, let's not forget, I almost missed the fact that when the Night Nurse arrives, Charles almost immediately puts himself between the Night Nurse and Edwin.

He's protecting Edwin as he always has and always will. He's almost bristling with fury and you can see the strength of his will in the way he's standing there, refusing to go quietly. He will fight for his purpose here, he will fight for Edwin, and he will fight for his newly found friends (Niko and Crystal watching from the sidelines now).

The Night Nurse has her job, and she's convinced that it shouldn't be a problem to simply apprehend the boys and pop off. Perhaps if she had only just, then truly, there wouldn't have been a problem. The show would have ended there and that would have been a pretty fucking pathetic end, I'd say. But she resorted to force, and I here want to begin to make my point. The exact kind of force she used and how she used it was cruel, a low blow and makes her, to a certain degree at fault for what befalls her.

What did the Night Nurse do?

Put simply, as pippin-katz points out, she made Charles relive some of his worst memories.

That's being beaten by his father.

That's being stoned by his friends and pushed into the lake where he caught hypothermia.

That's dying freezing and miserable in the attic until Edwin shows up.

If you want a thorough analysis of her actions, go look at what pippin-katz wrote, I'm going to focus on Charles here.

She twisted the knife (and we know that it is a very, very deep wound in Charles, the anger and abuse of his father--he's emotional enough over it to get caught in the murder loop at the Devlin House and it's one of the points of his breakdown in 1x04) when she showed him these moments and basically asks him, "What's the point of staying here, this is what happened to you. That's what people here do to you. You wanted to stay for this? You can't make things better (this was during his father's beating)..It didn't get better, you died. That's the point."

Please, let's not forget how much this affects Charles, the fact that his father beat him and so we might suppose, was always disappointed in him. With Crystal, Charles admits that he looks in on his parents every now and then because yes, he misses them (this coming from a 16 year old boy who despite suffering at his own father's hand obviously had, at least before he died, still the desire to please that man, and perhaps some degree of love for him) but also to be sure that his father will not hurt his mother the way the old man hurt him. He wants to protect his mother. So all of that, reliving that, is going to be very painful.

What did Charles do in this moment?

He's angry. We know that he's very physical, and we can see the way that he puts himself between Edwin and the NN as he refuses to 'come quietly' to the Afterlife. He's visibly shaken by the ordeal and rattled after he recovers from whatever the NN did to him when she made him relive his memories. She flicks her hand and basically does something that makes him collapse, and he's trying to pull himself to his feet after that.

He's so very angry, hurt.

"If you wanted me crushed, devastated, I am. I'm also bloody angry."

Looking around a bit, I asked around to get an idea of how exactly what he did could be taken in a shocking, jarring way. I'm not here to disprove anything or knock other's opinions, I just wanted to compare both sides of it. That being said, two points.

He hit a woman with that big metal device.

It's not like him to be so violent.

Those, in a nutshell, are a very brief, concise idea of why people might look at what Charles did and think, "Hm that was a bit too much. Maybe he shouldn't have done that, not in that way."

I answer with the fact that, as pippin-katz also pointed out, the Night Nurse looks like a small, older woman, otherwise defenseless (Granted, she didn't have anything to defend herself when Charles attacked). Apparently in Doom Patrol (I've never seen it and don't plan to) she looks a little less like a woman and a little more monstrous. So she's not entirely innocent here. I personally disapprove of what she chose to use against Charles (and Edwin, given that she threatened to bring up the same painful memories in Edwin's mind). I don't condone the idea of violence against a woman, that's not okay, and it was a little jarring to see. I guess I'm trying to say....I believe that Charles was right to defend against the attack initiated by the Night Nurse.

Was it laudable that he reacted so violently to her? Perhaps not, I don't think so.

Was he to blame for choosing to fight? I certainly think not.

To the second point, I can't say very much because I haven't read the comics nor do I know extensively his personality and what he would or wouldn't do. But I've gathered that, from seeing the series, he's never quite been the one to attack first, or to strike just for the hell of it. I've only ever seen him react, not initiate. I think it's understandable that he would react strongly to what has happened, and I hold that he isn't to blame for wanting to protect Edwin and their loved ones.

How did his friends react to all of this?

Edwin

Charles reels from what happened, and you can hear that he's shaken by it. You can hear it in his voice when he asks Edwin and the girls, "Why are you all looking at me like that?" Edwin steps forward and tells him it was extreme. That kind of tipped it for Charles, then, I think.

"Was it too extreme, Edwin? So was me dying at 16, mate! I don't wanna be dead. I hate it. Yet every day I'm fucking smiling 'cause who else is going to be the one holding it together, keeping spirits up? You? Are you gonna do that, huh? And for what? What good am I even doing? I couldn't stop Devlin from murdering his family over and over. I can't stop Crystal from hurting. I can't stop whatever it is that's going on with you. I can't stop anything. I sure as hell couldn't stop my dad from beating the shit out of me. No matter how good I was."

Honestly, this part broke my heart. Because Charles, earlier, said that he did this for them, to protect them. He's admitting here that he IS the one trying to hold everyone together but that (wake up call everyone) he's actually hurting too underneath all of it. But as someone pointed out to me, Charles never brought that up to Edwin because he might have considered that Edwin has spent 70 years in hell and would not have wanted to burden his friend with his own problems.

We see that Charles is falling apart here. He's questioning the good that he does, because in his eyes he sees only how he's failed "to stop" all those things, and you can note how his voice rises and breaks towards the end.

Niko and Crystal say nothing in this moment, but either later that episode or in the next one, Crystal snaps at Charles.

"You’re a sweet guy with a rage problem. You walk around acting like the sun always shines, and then you lost your shit while beating the Night Nurse. Edwin and I are walking on eggshells around you instead of just saying 'what the actual fuck?'”

That was definitely something that caught my attention because didn't she hear what Charles said up above? It just popped out at me because Charles explained why he's the one acting like the sun always shines (he needs to try and keep everyone's spirits up because if he breaks down, and Edwin were to break down because of all the shit he's been through, that coupled with Crystal's own problems with David and her personal struggles...there would be no one to pull everyone out of their darkness)

Anyway, I'm not here to bash anyone either. Back to Charles.

So in the end, he breaks down and we can see that the catalyst here (probably) is not only reliving those memories and dragging up the pain he's been carrying from all of that but also the reaction of his friends. In his mind, he did it for them. He immediately steps between the NN and Edwin, to defend Edwin. He's left questioning the good that he's doing here, the point of all of that.

To the final question of was it wrong for Charles to do what he did?

I believe he wasn't wrong. He was defending against an attack. He might have responded with too much violence but he's reacting to something that wounded him just as deeply.

So this ended up being more of an exposition of Charles and his emotional state, but I tried to make a defense of his actions. It's not perfect, and I'm not out to prove any sort of point, just expressing thoughts because I too had a strong reaction to that episode.

Nonetheless Charles remains my favorite.

[littlechaoticwitch]

Things I want to happen in future Dead Boy Detectives seasons

-Edwin and Crystal bonding over their grief about Niko's “death”. Both blame themselves for what happened and still have nightmares of Niko's body, so they turn to each other for comfort and a beautiful new bond is built between them. They're still catty and bitchy to each other, but in a more loving and playful way

-Maybe an unpopular opinion but I really don't want Payneland to get together in this season, purely from a narrative perspective. I would much prefer for Charles to slowly put the pieces together and realize he has been in love since that night in 1989, but confused those feelings for a strong friendship due to the rampant homophobia of the AIDS crisis and his own father being an asshole. It would make any future intimate moments with Edwin feel more special and carry so much more weight, especially since he KNOWS that Edwin is in love with him back, he just has to figure out what these feelings mean. Plus, the idea of him being all bashful and excited of being loved by TWO amazing people is good therapy for all the bullshit he had to deal with when he was alive, let my boy have that.

-Please please please let Charles get some closure on his past. As in he gets to haunt his murderers for an episode or stand up to his father, but that’s me wanting him to get some well-deserved revenge

-PLEASE give Crystal her own closure too! Personally, I would love to see her stand up to her parents and eventually cut them out of her life, but that's just me loving the narrative of cutting toxic parents out of your life. Also let her find a way to kill David because being buried underneath that damn tree isn't good enough for me

-Honestly we would to see an exploration of Edwin's family and the fact he was alive when the first world war happened. There could be a lot of unpacked trauma there (whether it's from the religious views of the time, societal expectations/pressures, or from his own parents) and how it shaped Edwin into the person we know now

-NIKO NEEDS TO RETURN (idk if she's a ghost or a demon or whatever now but she needs to come back and still be her bubbly self, I love her too much). My theory is that the Principal is her ancestor and her coming back could somehow link back to her father's death

-FLASHBACKS TO OLD CASES

-GALA EPISODE! No, listen, this only serves the purpose of getting to see them dressed up and the episode itself being pure shipping fuel

-More low-stake episodes, at least in the beginning

-More monsters-involved cases, such as vampires or dragons or werewolves. As someone with an unhealthy obsession with monsters, this would be a delight

-St Hilarion's being fucking burned to the ground (Crystal needs to do it, I will accept no other way)

-Esther Finch was such a fun antagonist for the first season, but I would want the next antagonist (regardless if they’re introduced in the second season or later on) to be a little more threatening. Still campy as fuck but maybe someone who has more of an active role in being an asshole. A demon would be a huge leap from a small-town witch who sacrificed young girls to stay youthful, so maybe a formerly-possessed psychic (which would parallel Crystal’s storyline) could work.

-And finally, the agency adopts a not-so-normal dog. While a ghost dog would make sense, it would be funnier if it was a hellhound or some kind of mythical creature they just picked up on a case. Niko wanted it so they could be more like Mystery Inc.

[andthekitchensinkao3]

WiP Wednesday

More Emmstarion stuff this week. Thank you @thosegayoldmen and @notyourmamasdeerbat for the tags. And respectfully, I'm a geek 😘

Bit of a long snippet under the cut - as well as all the usual tags. Sorry if you're being multi-tagged, and as always, no pressure!

Astarion is having A Day. Good thing he's got two quinquagenarians to keep him company. Kids these days...

“Tea sounds lovely,” he said, trying and failing to detect some kind of agenda on Varric’s behalf. Perhaps it was a mistake to be so prickly, first impressions being what they were, but if he could read his two new besties correctly, and he fancied himself rather good at that sort of thing, they were giving him quite a bit of leeway. Injured, poor soul, tumbling into their book club, or whatever they were doing in a ‘library.’ With floating-bloody-bookshelves. There’d been quite a number of different voices. If he remembered correctly.

It would not do, to respond on the wrong side of borderline snide. Even though he wanted nothing more. “I’m not a vampire, Saer Tethras, I’m a vampire spawn.”

Varric’s mouth curled into a smirk. Wry. Still friendly. “Meaning?”

“All the drawbacks and none of the perks.” He smiled pretty. “Well. Almost none of them. I am desperately handsome, don’t you think?”

To his everlasting… delight would be an overstatement, but for the sake of argument - Varric snorted. “No comment, pretty boy. But that doesn’t actually mean anything. Bangles, be a doll and tell our new friend what a vampire is, ‘round these here parts?”

“Varric, please.” A fresh cup of tea appeared in his line of sight, jarring him from his thoughts. Emmrich again, of course. Him and his gold, chinking against the porcelain. “Here we are. We have honey, if you prefer it sweet.”

“Thank you.” He wondered… If the way Emmrich had looked at him earlier, if that was a way in. Varric certainly hadn’t looked at him as if he were the prettiest thing in the world, alive or dead, but Emmrich… He took the cup, making sure to brush his fingers over Emmrich’s. “Who needs honey when I have you for company.” He smiled, proven right in the way Emmrich’s cheeks flushed with colour. “And what, praytell, makes a vampire in these here parts?”

Emmrich swallowed visibly, but didn’t reciprocate his game of cat and mouse. “A demonic possession, wherein a Hunger demon drives a mortal to become ravenous for flesh. My fellow scholar, Bellara, has more of an idea as to the fictional variation than I do.”

Astarion sipped his tea. No. Still didn’t make any sense. Hunger demons, really? “Are you saying you’re not dying to know everything about me?”

Something shifted across Emmrich’s features - a miscalculation on Astarion’s part, it didn’t bring on a deeper shade of blush. Quite the opposite. “I wouldn’t go that far. But. Having said that: I have a thought. Why don’t I find a book or two on cartography, give you an idea of the world. And history.” He snapped his fingers, turning to Varric. “World politics!”

“Great,” said Varric.

“Maps?” he said, cringing violently on the inside. What did he care for maps, unless they showed a clear and direct path out of there. “World politics?”

“Precisely, my good man. Information!” He got to his feet. “And maybe something on parasitic infestations. I’ll need to know everything you can tell me about mind flayers. And what exactly constitutes a vampire ‘spawn.’ But first, let’s get you up to speed, as our guest.”

Before he could object or agree, Emmrich had vanished out the door and down the corridor, leaving him with the ‘sadly indisposed leader’ of the pack. Astarion sipped his tea. Black, bitter and smoky. Warm enough to be pleasant to drink, just like Emmrich had said.

“Does he do that? As a rule?” he asked Varric, easing himself back into the propped up cushions.

“Try to fix things?”

“No,” said Astarion, but filed it away as a useful nugget of information. “Maps.”

---

@ghoulehhh @natendo-art @in-my-loki-feels @kusakichan15 @kcscribbler

@devilbearingtrouble @impulsemuppet @mirilyawrites @scifikimmi @silentxsymphony

@rin-love-is-green @confetti39x @stillwanderingflame @elodiah @lokimobius

@insert-witty-user-name-here @blackbirdofasgard @dreamycloud @distracteddream

@mobius-m-mobius @dilfmobius @adorbspotat @lgwilt

@redheadsramblings @starfleetteddybear @mercars-musings @holyglassbone @genocidalfetus @wolfpup026 @elodiah @notyourmamasdeerbat @lavender-tea-fling @otterpocketz @notyourmamasdeerbat @crowtoed aaaand who did I miss?

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs Part 11

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6|

Part 7 | Part 8 | Xmas | Part 9 | Part 10 | Collection

Happy Easter all! And in honour of the Dead Boy Detectives Anniversary I thought it was time for another fic rec list. Happy anniversary, fandom! You're all the best! ♥️

nobody ever made me crazy like this by Cesare

Edwin is cursed with the body of a beautiful girl and Charles has a lot of feelings about it. It's fun and I liked that Edwin is still very much himself, if feminised. The author is sensitive towards gender issues and it's nice to see Edwin have fun and experiment a little with supportive friends.

Is that a blue sky? It's about damn time by cordelianoir

Soulmate timer AU! Obviously, the implications of soulmate timers for payneland are interesting and give this fic a nice dose of melancholia.

it's magnetic, isn't it? (the sense of something underneath the surface) by KiaraSayre

Alive Boys AU where the boys get high and make out. Love that for them.

care and keeping by cutevamp

Charles-centric about Edwin getting Charles little gifts to show his appreciation (and maybe courtship??). It's super cute! Also the agency watches Heartstopper and teases Charles. Just adorable.

pandemonium: repose by singtome

Another Alive Boys AU, this time Charles is an exorcist trying to save possessed!Edwin. Fantastic concept and so well executed!

Devil on my Shoulder by lucrow

In which the boys encounter evil parallel universe versions of themselves who are insanely violent and also insanely in love. Honestly, I love Bonnie and Clyde payneland and given Charles' radical devotion, I can see it playing out like that, had they decided to go a less altruistic route. Also has fabulous fanart.

Lovely Poison by tragedy_machine

Charles is struck with a love potion (apparently) and Edwin is determined to Cure him of his totally-not-genuine affection. Kind of angsty and suspenseful.

Freeze by justafandomfollower

During a case, Edwin reckons with his Hell Trauma via a possessed doll. Part of a series exploring each member of the agency's fear responses.

Two Gay, Bitchy, Englishmen by ofstitches

In which Edwin and Aziraphale feud over books and Charles introduces Crystal to Crowley. Edwin Vs Aziraphale is so funny, think Unstoppable Force meets Unmoveable Object.

The Case of the Angel of Soho by polymona

Another Good Omens crossover! Featuring the boys sneaking into the bookshop over the years and a bonus appearance of Muriel! Short and sweet fic.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by DontOffendTheBees

Ponyo AU! Insanely cute with serious baby Edwin and hyperactive fish!baby Charles. So far it's been about the boys growing up together, which is adorable, though there have also been hints of future Plot and some interesting worldbuilding details.

we get to stay around and watch the stars come out by laiqualaurelote

In which Charles is married to Crystal, who wants a divorce, and is father to twins, who are being bullied, and it all gets worse when they're attacked by armed gunmen. Black Doves AU written for Sparch (Spy March) with Spy Crystal and her long lost best friend Assassin Edwin making a truly excellent dramatic entrance at the end. It looks like they're all going to go on the run together and I honestly can't wait!

Go Loud by dear_monday and two_ravens

Another offering for Sparch, this time a Mr. and Mr(s) Smith AU. So so delicious.

He's beauty and he's grace by Hse11z5

Detective Charles Rowland must go undercover as a contestant at a beauty pageant so of course he needs a makeover! Featuring kind of a slob Charles endlessly pining over his totally uninterested partner Edwin and the Cat King as Michael Caine. This Miss Congeniality Sparch fic is so much fun!

ghost protocol by handwrittenhello

Another Sparch fic, but James Bond! In which Edwin is basically Q and must accompany Agent Charles Rowland in the field to save the world with his Maths Genius skills! Read it for yearning, disarming nuclear weapons and Edwin proving he's an absolute madman.

The Empire Below by dearheartdont

1920s AU for Sparch featuring Police Woman Niko going undercover to investigate drug deals in London's underground scene. So it's lucky she's also reconnecting with her good friend, Edwin Payne, who's willing to guide her through the empire's queer, criminal subcultures. Really interesting and evocative period setting (complete with period typical racism and misogyny) that also promises case fic and future palasaki and payneland. Recommended!

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[sonofhelios2005]

Dead Boy Detectives and Mortal Instruments AU. This AU would see the boys existing within the same universe as the Mortal Instruments, The Dark Artifices, and other series.

Edwin would be a Warlock and experience a childhood of no parental love as his mother is aware of what he is. His demonic father isn't a named demon but an Eidolon demon. Due to his lonely upbringing, Edwin found solace in his magic and dedicated himself to mastering it. Unwilling to participate in WW1, Edwin leaves school before he is sent off to fight and sets off to explore the world. During his travels, Edwin encounters several other Warlocks who invite him into their group. The leader of this group Simon is obsessed with Edwin, and when his advances are refused, Simon uses Edwin in a ritual, which sees Edwin banished to hell.

As he is not human, Edwin isn't tortured in hell, but he is forced to make a deal with Asmodeus to get back to Earth. Back on Earth, Edwin becomes a recluse and spends years in London privately researching magic and making trips to the spiral labyrinth, becoming well known as a researcher. Edwin is not the most powerful Warlock in the world. However, he is far more knowledgeable than others who are centuries older than him. His Warlock Mark is something he has never shown anyone (Not sure what his mark would be). Edwin remains a recluse until he meets Charles Rowland in 1989.

Charles Rowland was born in the 1950s to a mortal mother, and his father, who was disgraced, deruned Shdaowhunter. Bitter about how his life turned out and that his son inherited some of his Nephilim abilities. Paul Rowland treated his child and wife horribly. Despite his abusive childhood, Charles grew up to be a kind and brave person who was completely aware of the supernatural thanks to having the sight and some enhanced physical abilities. It was entirely possible Charles could have become a full Shdaowhunter at some point however while he was away at school he had an encounter with a vampire who intrigued by his unusual smelling blood attacked and later turned him. Charles was forced to spend several years with his Sire before he could make his escape.

Charles returned home in the hope of reconnecting with his mother. However, she had left his father in those few years. His father was aware that his son was now a Downworlder, who tried to kill Charles, who was still a young vampire and was driven by instinct fought back and accidentally killed him. Before he fled his childhood home, Charles retrieved the seraph blade, and Stele that his father, had kept after being banished. Charles was shocked to find that despite being a vampire, he was somehow able to use the Stele and blade like a Shdaowhunter could. Although he fully accepted he was a vampire, Charles still had a strong desire to protect people, so he decided to use the items his father had left behind. Charles becomes the one other Downworlders will seek out to remove any demons troubling them so they don't have to bother with actual Nephilim. Charles has a particular hatred of the Clave who see him as an aberration like they do any Shdaowhunters who are part Downworlder.

Charles and Edwin met in 1989 when they were forced to work together after a stupid Warlock attempted to summon a greater demon in London, Edwin was able to bind the demon whilst Charles stabbed it through the heart and banished its essence back to hell. This was the start of their friendship and the beginning of the Payme and Rowland international Downworlder investigation agency, solving Downworlder problems since 1989.

For the other characters.

Crystal - Shdaowhunter

Niko - Faerie

Monty - Warlock (abused by Esther who is still a which)

Cat King ( Actual cat who like Church was used in a necromancy ritual so is now immortal)

Night Nurse - Reasonable Clave Official

David the Demon - A Demon

This is yet another of my mad rambling that I couldn't stop thinking about. The boys are Downworlders because normal Shdaowhunters are boring. Charles was born earlier because I wanted him to have something of a past before Edwin. Charles killing his father was an accident, and he feels guilty about not being guilty he's dead. Nephilim/Downworlder hybrids exist, so I thought, why not have Charles be a vampire who can use runes. He still has the weaknesses of a vampire, though not as bad as a regular vampire. He isn't Daylighter. Edwin's deal with Asmodeus is an issue to be dealt with in the future.

This won't actually be a story as I have no ability to write a coherent narrative.

[sabulana]

Once again thinking about the Lost and Found department and the whole Afterlife stuff in Dead Boy Detectives.

It got a little long so...under the cut it goes.

So we know that Lost and Found deal with missing children, but who deals with adults? There must be a separate department for them, right? Why would there only be a department focusing on children when there are plenty adult ghosts hanging about as well?

Why is it called 'Lost and Found' when this usually refers to missing objects? Do the people working there see souls/children as objects? We know the Night Nurse has a certain way of thinking from the way she refers to the boys and how she acts (at least, prior to meeting Kashi) in that they must be 'naughty' or bad in some way because they refuse to cross over, without considering why that might be. She does show signs of beginning to change after meeting Kashi, (and I would have loved to see more of that in S2) but I wonder at everyone else in the department.

And for that matter, what roles are there in the department? We've seen the Night Nurse, the Notary, the assistants who follow the Night Nurse and the Principal (side note, would love to see if the boys and Crystal ever find out that she's Niko) but besides that, what actually goes on? Charles possessing Esther did set off an alert down there, but there must be other ways of tracking lost souls. They're not sitting on their hands, waiting for kids to possess the living, after all.

Also are there any men/male-shaped beings there? I only remember seeing women. And I say '-shaped beings' because we know the Night Nurse isn't human, she just looks like one. Is anyone there human or formerly human? Perhaps they're all trans-dimensional beings, who look human because that is the best way to have humans cooperate when they end up in their department. Kids aren't going to want to go with someone who looks like a monster, after all. And the Night Nurse is definitely a monster.

Also wondering if all the assistants/clerks have names or if they're referred to by role in the same way the Night Nurse etc are. I know the Night Nurse has been referred to as Asa in fics, but this is unconfirmed in canon, and is from the comics featuring the Nightmare Nurse. (I haven't seen Doom Patrol, but I know she was portrayed there, I just don't know specifics).

Next on my mind is the division of labour in L&F. The Night Nurse personally goes to collect the boys, but she's head of the department, right? Why not delegate? Does she go to collect every lost child that Death doesn't collect? Because there seems like there is probably a lot, tbh, given the world population.

How many people work in that department, and how is it all organised? Are there people tracking those that don't move on? If so, how come the Devlin family had to stay stuck in that loop for 30 years? Surely they would have been easy to find since they were in the same place the entire time.

And what about the suicide victims like Shelby, who walk the earth? Are they considered 'lost'? It seems kind of unfair that they have to just wander like that instead of getting an afterlife someplace else.

I have more thoughts but I'm typing this on mobile and gave myself a headache doing it. Anyway, the point of this is... I am about to make up a whole lot of shit about how the Afterlife works for my current WIP.