#hijfhsc meta

[honestlyijustfindhersocharming]

can we talk niko and edwin? wonderful

we all know that edwin is "not very good with people", but neither is niko. she's a shut in. she outwardly panics when she interacts with crystal before her life is saved, and the moment she processes crystal is in her room she runs somewhere that she isn't. after that people aren't really in niko's room much, until edwin. after their shared trauma of watching people literally die, crystal almost dying, and charles' breakdown throughout the day she manages to get edwin to heavily dress down, give her a compliment, and sit in bed with her while they watch scooby doo together.

and conversely, she lets edwin onto her bed to hang out with her. she opens the letters from her mom beside him and trusts him to pry more than she's willing to give. yes, niko is a trusting person, she opens up to crystal earlier than edwin because of their shared experiences, but edwin doesn't talk about his family to her. he doesn't even ask, she just tells him. and i don't know, i like that trust.

and then, it's not just that edwin accepts affection from niko, he actively seeks it out from her. when interacting with crystal he tends to stand back a little, with niko he leans down a lot to get on her level. when he sees her crouching in lighthouse leapers, he crouches beside her. when niko comes in with crysal after he gets back from hell and she hugs him and he grins. he grins and he grabs her arm and pulls her a little closer. when they sit on the rooftop after he's the one who scoots closer so their shoulders are nearly touching. he's the one that bumps into her shoulder to make her laugh. and again he grins. he's the one who offers his hand to her to comfort her after she laments him leaving.

he's the one who grabs her and can't fucking let go after she dies. who has to be dragged away as he shakes his head in disbelief. who tries to shake her because it can't be real.

all that to say, they love each other so much, and i miss them.

[honestlyijustfindhersocharming]

Currently thinking about the way that Charles collapses before that in pure relief that he and Edwin won't be separated in episode 8. The way that as soon as the night nurse shuts the door he gives the biggest sigh of relief. The way that as soon as he stands back up his eyes immediately go to Edwin and he seems to lean forward before he even knows what's going on.

The two of them are pulled together like it's fucking gravity doing it and not their legs. The intensity of that hug, and the way that Charles' arms hold onto Edwin even as he moves away. The way his hand goes to his heart afterward, eyes looking down at it in a way I can only describe as wrecked - the same way that Edwin looked just a little while ago after that hug made everything about his feelings for Charles click. The way that they banter, the pair of them genuinely giggling. The way that Charles leans down on Edwin, lips nearing his ear as he says things that could only be described as flirtatious...

[honestlyijustfindhersocharming]

Thinking about how Charles' love language is physical touch. About the way that Edwin approaches Charles' collapsed and weeping on the grass with measures steps. The way he kneels down to Charles' level, not looking down at him the way he often does with his chin raised, but looking up at him with worry. The way he smiles ever so slightly when he says "Charles. It's going to be okay", trying so hard to do what Charles said he couldn't. Trying to fill that gap and take the weight off of Charles' shoulders because god dammit he cares about him even if he doesn't know to what extent.

Thinking about the way he reaches out to Charles, slowly, carefully, because he knows that Charles shows love through touch so of course that's the best way to comfort him. The way he pulls back like he's been burned by Charles' rejection, and his soft smile drops into a gasp. The way that when they get back to the Tongue and Tail Butcher Shop, Edwin offers an olive branch to ask Charles to talk to him, to mend things. The hope in his eyes as he asks, and the subsequent resignation as he's brushed off again. The sheer sorrow when he looks back at the door that Charles phased through, before he goes to Niko for something to soothe the ache.

[honestlyijustfindhersocharming]

Incoming tangent about why Dead Boy Detectives is so important to me.

I found Dead Boy Detectives late, and I found the DBDA fandom even later. I'm not one to watch shows, especially not new ones. Even more so, I'm not one to watch supernatural horror, or any horror for that matter. Movies and shows seem like such a big time commitment to just sit there and do 'nothing' during, but Dead Boy Detectives intrigued me.

Once I started watching the show, I fell in love. Between the representation of POC actors throughout the cast, the sense of humor, and the mysteries I felt like I'd found a show that I could get invested in for the first time in a while. As the show progressed, I found myself invested in this story of loneliness, self-acceptance, and friendship.

Internalized homophobia is something that is very personal to me. I've struggled with it throughout my life, especially given the fact that I'm queer and non-binary. Watching Edwin go through a moment of "Wow, I can like boys" because of Niko's support (a friend, not a love interest) was so healing to me. Normally it feels like queer acceptance is a result of love in media, not a result of platonic support, so having that journey be a result of Niko was honestly amazing. Throughout the show, Niko's support is invaluable to Edwin's self-discovery, something that I can relate to as my friends were the ones who truly supported me through my queer journey, not potential partners.

Dead Boy Detectives' emphasis on platonic friendships is riddled throughout the show though. Niko and Edwin's Scooby Doo movie night was an example of how friendship can inspire people. Crystal's want for her mom to accept her brought Niko to a place where she felt like she could try to write to her mom again. Edwin and Niko's time together brings them to a place of deeper connection, meanwhile, the romantic pairing of Charles and Crystal spend time kissing instead of thinking about or discussing their problems.

And then the confession scene. This was the scene that got me into Dead Boy Detectives, and it's the scene that's been my lifeblood since. Of course, the confession itself is wonderfully written and the actors are so talented, but what hit me the hardest was how when Edwin says I love you the first time, Charles says it back without any questions. That simple "I love you too" was enough to make me consider this show one of my favorites of all time. Yes, Charles and Edwin are ultimately the core 'love story' of the show, in my opinion (They're positioned like Orpheus and Eurydice constantly and it drives me up the wall with my Hadestown hyper fixation added to it). But the importance of their friendship trumps everything else, and the emphasis on that platonic connection is so important to me.

This has been a giant ramble, and likely incoherent, but the tldr; is that I love Dead Boy Detectives with all my heart. It's such an important show for so many reasons and I will not shut up about it until Netflix decides to renew this damn thing.

[honestlyijustfindhersocharming]

❝ Honestly, I just find her so charming... ❞

Welcome to my Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix) page!

I'm Cherry (they/them) and I'm an artist and writer for the Dead Boy Detectives fandom. I'm the creator of the Perished Girl PIs AU and a rampant Payneland enthusiast.

Please do not repost my work! If you want my work on another platform I'd rather you ask me than repost it.

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