#re: niko / crystal.

[deadtwinksdetectiveagency]

A Dead Boy Detectives alignment chart for your consideration

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

[edwinisms]

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

[terresdebrume]

No Archive Warnings Apply

Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Charles Rowland | Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Crystal Palace | Niko Sasaki & Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne | Crystal Palace & Charles Rowland (DCU)

Monty (Dead Boy Detectives) | Charles Rowland (DCU) | Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne | Crystal Palace (DCU) | Niko Sasaki

Animals | I'm very unsure how to tag this? | I would say this piece is the written equivalent of a miniature | Post-Season/Series 01 | Character Study | Microfic | Episode: S1E07 The Case of the Very Long Stairway | Coda | This is about ghosts and touch and how we remember the way people touch us | It's also about how Edwin is in love with Charles | Nightmares | Trauma | Bonding | impending character death | Preparing for one's own death | Episode: s01e01 The case of the very hungry snake | Kissing | Coping | Kissing to cope with your terrifying evening

Series summary:

In which I look at specific moments and details of the show and write a tiny little fic about it.

Series complete

[arthropodboy]

Having very strong feelings about Dead Boy Detective's rn

[loyalpromise]

@lovingpromise

Date night!

Glad to know it wasn’t just me who was disappointed that it was a parasite and not a crush :)

[loyalpromise]

niko s. tag dump:

[ good luck charm. ] niko s. / answered. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / about. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / headcanon. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / interaction. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / style. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / aesthetic. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / likes. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / fc. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / reply. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / musings. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / music. [ good luck charm. ] niko s. / visage. re: niko / edwin. re: niko / crystal.

[radiantmists]

im re-watching since i binged the whole series in two nights the first time and im so entertained by the port townsend "office" setup.

edwin is sitting very properly behind their 'desk', which is an ironing board. from an earlier shot he seems to have arranged the items on the desk pretty carefully but as far as i can tell they're just random knickknacks. he's not even taking notes.

crystal is the one taking notes, and sitting normally in a real chair.

niko starts out sitting somewhat normally on the end table in the back, but during some of the smash cuts she's sort of... perching.

my favorite bit is that since it's an ironing board, charles can't do his normal half-sit on the side of the desk thing (or could he? the logistics of ghost weight escape me). so they've gotten a step stool and put it in the exact position where it will look like he's sitting the way he does in the actual office.

it's giving 'kids playing make-believe office with household objects' and i love it so much.

[consulting-ghosts]

Yes. This is what I've been thinking too. One of my many fave moments. Just something about them beeing at peace and relaxed here. We never saw that in Port Townsed. Especially on Edwin's part, because Charles wears only t-shirt a few times, but Edwin's always wears suit.

The only exception is when he watches Scooby-Doo with Niko. Also before he's draged to hell and he talks with Charles, he's suit is gone too.

a) charles and edwin’s safe place is their office:

b) this scene was so domestic. charles is wearing his white tank top. edwin is wearing a shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the buttons on his top collar unbuttoned. he’s sitting on the couch in a comfortable pose.

c) but we don’t see anything like this when the boys are in port townsend. they "hide" behind their clothes almost all the time cause this is a new “place” for them which is not safe to be in

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Dead Boy Detectives: Fic Recs

My latest hyperfixation is Dead Boy Detectives, so oc I've been reading and commenting on a ton of fic. And it's been really nice because the response of the authors has been so warm. I don't think I've ever gotten so many replies so quickly! Also, the fandom has inspired me to actually start writing again for the first time in two years and I've got a great idea for a fanvid. (Any tips on how to make one would be appreciated! 😅)

So in tribute to the lovely fandom, here's a fic rec post (nearly all payneland):

in this city there's a thousand things I want to say to you by laiqualaurelote

Edwin has a sexual awakening and it blows Charles' mind. And other things. Very funny and well written. Also features minor Edwin/Cat King and Edwardian flirting.

I also highly recommend the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned by the same author, which is a kind of multiverse!Edwin fic? Featuring Edwin dying? And Niko time travelling? Trying to save time? Anyway, interesting to see Edwin alive, ageing and in different periods of time/his life.

For the First Time Twice by LikeMmmCookies

Amnesia fic! Charles loses his memories and thinks he and Edwin are married. Very cute (tandem bike date!) and well written, though Edwin's point of view still manages to be angsty. Also, the yearning is off the charts and the most recent chapter turned up the heat.

I guess you're stuck with me by Punny_Puck

AU in which Edwin and Charles actually got married pre-show. Funny, cute with a sweet marriage proposal prequel. Instant comfort fic.

Dance the Night by Gruoch

The gang are hunting an energy-sucking vampire that targets beautiful people, so naturally Edwin MUST disguise himself as the hottest girl in London. This one starts out fun and campy then takes a hard left turn into Serious Business. Prepare yourself for emotional moments, worldbuilding and some really excellent horror.

Long Past Time by sanctuary_for_all

Charles proposes to Edwin post canon. It's a short and sweet established relationship fic with some cool worldbuilding about ghosts and their ability to shape their clothing/appearances.

lay my hands on heaven by Opossum_Subatomic

I had to include a PWP and this is a great one. Extremely well written, in character and romantic. And explicit, obviously.

Data Points by Asidian

Edwin learns to cuddle. It's a production and completely adorable. I love a fic that explores the difference between the boys' physicality and this one's really on point. The writing and characterisation are great and it's nice to see Edwin taking care of Charles.

I also recommend Lanterns In the Dark, which sets the scene for Charles and Edwin's first meeting with some gut-wrenching details about Charles' homelife and Edwin's escape from Hell.

When I Was a Young Boy by flowerbritts

A Good Omens crossover and AU in which Aziraphale is Edwin's adopted father. Family reunions and revelations abound. Also, Edwin gets to be a teenager and slam doors while shouting, as he deserves.

The author has also written Wait, I'm Coming Too, which is a very sweet post canon 'Charles Worries About Edwin and Realises His Feelings' fic inspired by that 'Edwin reading Heartstopper' fanart. Both fics deserve more love!

A Slight Miscalculation by kantigone

Idiots in Love and Didn't Know They Were Dating. Crystal and Niko are the real MVPs, for real. A treat.

Terrible at Keeping Secrets (5+1) by ASingularSadSoggyPringle

Interesting demon!Edwin AU. Charles is a precious cupcake in this fic and Edwin is mostly the same with some Darker moments. I loved the concept and the author adds in some great, creepy details.

somaesthesia by perexcri

Edwin's journey from being touch-averse to touch-starved... at least when it comes to Charles. Palmistry is involved. I loved Edwin's characterisation and the unresolved sexual/romantic tension was on point.

And possibly I like the thrill (of under me you quite so new) by Leandra

Edwin explores his sexuality and re-negotiates his relationship with Charles. Meanwhile, the gang take on the case of a ghost who wants them to matchmake his still-living lover. Crosses over with The Sandman. And Edwin gets to be confident and flirty as a treat.

Always by How You Doing (FancyMeetingYouHere)

Hurt/Comfort fic in which Edwin has a traumatic flashback to the doll-head demon spider and Charles looks after him. Charles reading Good Omens to Edwin is a nice, meta touch.

Made You Look by Baby_Spinach

The agency are hunting an incubus that decides to take on Edwin's appearance. A repression explosion ensues. Fun fic.

Shape Me by dearheartdont

This one's actually a character study of Charles and his mixed race Indian heritage (so no Edwin) and it's so well done. It's also part of a series in progress about Charles growing up in the 80s with all the racism and homophobia that that entails. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

The Most Tender Place In My Heart by coloursflyaway

Edwin shares memories of how he fell in love with Charles, who figures out his own feelings in the process. It's super sweet and involves fun pre-show flashbacks and defintely deserves more attention!

I also loved Won't Fear Love by the same author, in which Charles takes Edwin out on dates and breaks the cuteness scales. And shout out to Good Enough which is the first fic I bookmarked for this fandom! 🥳

Anyway, thank you to all these amazing writers for making this fandom so special! 🥰

[asidian]

DBDA Meta Commentary Roundup

Okay, I'm getting tired of scrolling back to find my own posts, so it's time for a roundup post for my DBDA meta commentary.

Meta Commentary:

Why you should watch Dead Boy Detectives

Charles is a people pleaser

A very large snake as a reference to hell

The same lantern

Edwin knows the Misery Wraiths a bit too well

Why Charles is upset by more than just jealousy re: Monty

The white kimono

How Crystal and Charles' character arcs intersect to make an absolute trash fire

You can talk to me about anything

Edwin's hidden kindness as Charles dies

Edwin's hangups re: emotion and how it ties into his time in hell

The silliest Clue edition

The Cat King's design changes when he starts a new life

Counting cats

Where is the Doll House

Edwin and Charles acting like they've known each other forever in tiny details

Esther has the cops in her pocket

The lantern scenes as an extension of the theme "The good you do comes back around"

Why Charles opens up to Crystal so quickly

Payneland endgame nods through leitmotifs in the soundtrack

Charles is super sensitive to criticism, even when it's not intended

The Season 2 in my heart

The hidden nod to history in the WWI ghost's makeup

Why Charles' death is so much worse than it seems

The brilliance of the first ten minutes

The ship of all time

The incredible women of Dead Boy Detectives

Edwin's bowtie

Crystal and Charles as mirrors and projections

Bi disaster Charles Rowland

Edwin can knit

Chekhov's snake-slaying sword

Murder night movie time

Why Charles was more of a hero than he knew

What the doll placement says about Edwin's many deaths

Charles smiles for other people

The absolute fridge horror of That One Gate in hell

The only good thing generative AI has ever done

The wood-burning stove as part of Charles' cold trauma

Charles is so very brave for walking into hell

Charles' bad decision face

Edwin complimenting Crystal as a kindness to Charles

Charles' something-is-going-to-be-difficult tell Charles Rowland appreciation hours

Crystal's two character arcs

Niko's fear of death and her own mortality

Mick is great

How Edwin speaks of hell as character growth A reminder of home The secret in Jenny and Maxine's wine label

Set Design:

Charles' room

The London office

The boys' detective license and its source

Tragic Mick's shop

Niko's room

Cameos:

The boys' early relationship and how they've influenced each other

What the boys do together in their downtime as leisure activities

A brief in-character skit of an ordinary day at the office

Tidbits about the characters that didn't make it into the show

Input in developing Edwin as a character and suggested changes Imagining a Valentine's ep and Charles' thoughts on the holiday

Imagining a Valentine's ep and Edwin's thought on The Holiday

Color Symbolism:

Red

Blue

Pink

Green

Green (alt)

Purple

Orange

Brown

Black

White

[hannaloony]

Details that I’ve added and been really proud of them

Detective agency certificates re-made by Crystal (with Edwin's quote from the first episode), Niko’s letter and a photo of ghost boys in sheets

Plush Nyako-sensei from the haunted house episode

Crystal and Niko’s matching bracelets

Left-handed Charles

Book titles

[shaylogic]

"Oi, don't wait up for me, yeah?" Charles informs Edwin, "I'll be in Crystal's room all night."

"Charles! I'm surprised at you," Edwin exclaims, looking flustered.

"It's not like that, mate--she's been having nightmares about David and I've agreed to keep her company. Said she feels safer with a friend looking after her, y'know?" He shifts from one leg to the other, one hand rubbing his other arm, absent-mindedly. "It's not a big deal, alright? Just didn't want you wondering after me." He shrugs non-chalantly and gives his partner a gentle clap on the shoulder before re-entering Crystal's room.

She's already changed into her sleep clothes and curled up under the covers. Crystal meets Charles' eyes and pats the bed beside her. With a small smile, he approaches and sits on the side of the bed, leaning on one hand and looking down on her.

"Would you like to talk before bed, or should I leave you to it?"

Seeing him only sit on the edge, she takes his hand and guides him to lay down next to her. "C'mere. Just lay with me, okay? If you don't mind. . .?"

His eyebrows raise and a twinkle of excitement crosses his eyes that he fails to suppress.

Crystal rolls her eyes at him and he chuckles. She pulls his arm over her side and holds onto him as best she can, letting out a long sigh. Charles feels a fluttering sensation in his chest, like a memory of a quickening heartbeat.

"Thanks for doing this. I'm sure it'll be less interesting than however you usually spend your nights, and I'm not much company to you when I'm asleep."

He grins, fingers attempting to brush lightly along her back. "I wouldn't say that."

She looks him up and down. "Oh, geez, you're not gonna' like, stare at me all night are you?"

"Well, I don't sleep, but I could try closing my eyes and laying here with you. Seems restful, anyway, doesn't it?" Her brow furrows, and he mirrors her expression, sobering up. "I'm not sure, uh, what your plan was?"

". . .I guess I'm not sure, either. I just didn't want to be alone in this big, empty room tonight."

"You could invite Niko across the hall for a sleepover," he teases, tempting her to explain why she chose him.

She recognizes this immediately and narrows her eyes playfully, pursing her lips, and refusing to take the bait. "You've got a cricket bat handy if any other ghosts or demons decide to pop up overnight. Niko would probably just talk their ear off and try to set them up with each other."

He chuckles. "Tough to argue with that."

. . .

After a while, Crystal's breathing slows, her chest rising and falling in smaller increments. Charles does observe this for a moment, before realizing he's doing exactly what she told him not to do. He shifts so he is staring up at the ceiling.

He can't feel Crystal's breath and warmth beside him. Without looking at her, he could forget she's there. He could just be laying alone in this bed for no reason.

He turns onto his side again, facing her and snuggling as close as he can without phasing into her. He has to focus to keep his form solid enough for her arm to rest on.

He closes his eyes and replicates breathing, concentrating on being present, and trying to remember old sensations. How would this moment feel, if he still had his body?

A cold chill runs down his core and he tries to focus on the memory of body contact sharing warmth.

While Crystal has one of the best nights of sleep she's had in weeks, Charles struggles to remember how it felt to be alive.

[coloursflyaway]

So uh, in the wake of the cancellation news I’ve been re reading your dbda fanfics.

Not sure if you’re planning on writing more but if you are, have you considered something where Charles meets Desire of the Endless? It’s something a lot of people have talked about for S2 and since we might not actually get to see it on screen, I’d love to see your interpretation of it. Anyway, even though the cancellation news makes me really sad I have so much love to you and all the creators in this little community 💗

Hi anon ♥♥

I know, I was so sad about the news of the show being cancelled 😭 they absolutely would have deserved to get at least one more season!!

And here you go, I had a lot of fun with this!

---

The world falls away, turns red and plastic and velvet, and where Edwin had been, looking through a spellbook they had recently acquired, a person sits that Charles has never seen before. They are tall, slender, graceful, their platinum blonde hair coiffed so perfectly that Charles can’t help but wonder how it would feel to push his hands through it.

“Well, well, well”, blood-red lips drawl, one corner rising. “You have left me waiting for far too long, so I thought I would make time for a formal introduction.”

The person rises, alluring and cat-like in their elegance, and Charles has to suppress a shudder; part of him wants to run away, part of him wants to get closer. There is something woven into every motion of their body, a siren song, and Charles feels himself grow weaker to it with every second he spends in their presence.

“Who are you?”, he grits out, thinks of Edwin and how confused he must be, thinks of Crystal and Niko and Jenny, thinks of everything but this. “What do you want from me?”

The figure laughs softly, musically, and takes another step towards him, so that Charles can make out the gold of their eyes, framed by heavy lashes and kohl.

“They call me Desire”, they answer, like they are indulging a child, then hold out their hand, like they expect Charles to kiss it. “And I know just who you are, Charles Rowland. You and your little friend, the one who looks at you when he thinks you don’t notice. It would be quite adorable, had I not been watching it for the past few decades.”

“What do you want with Edwin? You don’t touch him, I swear, or I’ll-”, Charles starts, a fire burning in his chest that he only knows from situations like this, when someone, or something, is threatening the best friend he has ever had.

And yet, his body moves by itself, hand coming up to grasp Desire’s in his, spine bending, lips pressing a feather-light kiss to the back of it; the touch is brief and yet it makes his skin tingle, pleasure sparking in his palms, his lips, his fingernails.

“Absolutely nothing”, Desire tells him, pulling back a hand Charles didn’t realise he was still holding; his skin misses the touch immediately, even if Charles hates the thought of it. “It’s my dear sister who has taken an interest in him. I would never interfere in her affairs like this.”

They cock their head, and their gaze is so heavy it feels like a physical touch, half a caress, half fingernails dragging down Charles’ skin, both leaving a mark on what feels like his very soul.

“And me?”, he asks, even though he knows he doesn’t want to hear the answer.

Desire smiles, fingertips and claws trailing down Charles’ spine, and leans in until Charles is enveloped by their aura, their intensity, which all but feels like a scalding bath, almost smells like cedarwood and smoke and honey, sounds close to violins and gravel and the song of planets circling the sun.

“Oh, you”, they breathe out, and Charles cannot suppress the shudder, doesn’t know if he wants to anymore. “You already belong to me.”

[deadgirldramatics]

An attempt at analysis

I think for all of them port Townsend and their experiences there (for good or bad) kind of framed a re birth for all of them. Especially in relation to them being freed, in which point we could frame London as being almost like a cell keeping them contained in one state of being.

Charles has been reborn in the sense that he is starting to allow people in behind his walls and to be vulnerable with them.

Edwin came back from hell with a much deeper understanding of himself and his identity, we also saw him start bringing his walls down with others

Crystal literally unlocked a new part of herself and took her identity and powers back both metaphorically and physically

Niko both metaphorically and physically left her room. She began to reform connections with not only her mother but with a new chosen family

Cat king was LITERALLY reborn after his encounter with Esther and he seemed to be more understanding and laid back with Edwin (for the little bit we saw)

[perseidlion]

Too Many Cats - A Dead Boy Detectives Casefic

After an accident on a case, the Cat King is split into each of his five lives: Tabby, Brown, Orange, Black and White. The Agency must find a way to put him back together again, while also tracking down a sorcerer who has been slicing ghosts from their spectral energy. --- This fic follows in my Catwin continuity, but you can read it as a standalone!

There was a ghost serial killer on the loose. Ghosts were already dead, of course. But anyone who knew anything about the supernatural knew there were many fates worse than death.

For Edwin Payne, his death hadn’t actually been so bad - at least not since he escaped from Hell. He had his best mate, Charles who had been seeing Monty for a few months. He had his friend Crystal. And even Niko visited quite regularly in her role as the Night Nurse’s assistant and their primary liaison with Lost and Found.

And then of course, there was his boyfriend, the Cat King. They’d been seeing each other for nearly a year, and by this point it wasn’t unusual for Cat to join the agency for cases.

The Case of the Bisected Ghosts was one such case where Cat had been an active participant. A ghost client had showed up at the office one day explaining how her friend had been attacked and hit with some kind of magical beam. The beam sliced the ghost free from her spectral energy, leaving her unable to affect the world in any way, or even communicate. 

It turned out that Rosemary the ghost was only the first victim of this energy theft. Several more ghosts had appeared with their spectral energy severed, leaving a trail of shades that would eventually dissipate into nothingness.

“I don’t care what you say, Edwin. This is an enemy that can hurt you, so I’m definitely comin galong,” said Cat as he shrugged his shoulders to re-settle the cropped fur coat he was wearing. 

“We were solving cases where we were in danger long before you came along, mate,” groused Charles as they made their way through an isolated London dockyard. They’d traced a trail of victims to a small abandoned apartment block by the water where several ghosts had taken up residence. “But if you’re going to be here, the least you can do is stop grousing about how cold you are.”

“I’m sorry but some of us actually feel the cold,” Cat snapped back. 

“Darling, why don’t you simply conjure yourself a warmer coat?” Edwin asked by way of keeping the peace. He’d been doing that a lot in recent months, though Cat and Charles’ sniping was more on the level of his and Crystal’s these days. 

Cat snorted. “With this outfit? Hell no. It would ruin the lines.”

Edwin rolled his eyes fondly as he shifted his attention down to the pendulum in his hand. “This way. The trail of energy continues off in this direction.” 

“Cat, any idea what kind of arsehole would want to go stealing a ghost’s energy?” asked Charles as he swept a torch over the shadows in front of Edwin as he moved heedlessly forward. 

“Oh there are all kinds of assholes who’d want a ghost’s energy,” said Cat as he trailed behind and rubbed his arms to keep warm. “That’s why Esther kidnapped Edwin back in Port Townsend, after all. Ghost energy has all sorts of dark magic uses. Each ghost usually only has a finite amount, though.”

“Unless they’ve been through unspeakable trauma, you mean,” Edwin added without looking away from the pendulum he was using to guide them.

“Even you would’ve run dry eventually, but yeah,” said Cat as he tossed a hand up. “Some ghosts have more juice than others. It’s not unusual for a ghost to go missing here or there. People generally just assume that the ghost crossed over, when instead they might’ve been juiced. Takes a certain kind of monster to juice ghosts one by one until there’s nothing left.” 

“And believe it or not,” Cat held up a finger, “...most magic users believe that shit comes back on you so they stay away from inflicting that kind of harm. You basically have to look the ghost in the eye while you drain them into oblivion. And not the fun kind of toe-curling pleasure oblivion.”

Charles’ face pinched into a deep frown. “We’ve come across our share of monstrous magic users, so forgive me if I don’t really agree with that sentiment.”

“My point is,” said Cat as he swung around to walk backwards while addressing Charles, “...this is why you haven’t heard about this kind of energy harvesting before. Ghosts usually….” he made an air whistling sound and made a cutting motion with his hand, “...just zap out of existence when they’re drained. Not this business of a shade left behind to just slowly fade away.”

“So you’re saying this magic user might not consider themselves a monster because the process is less violent?” Edwin made a tutting sound of disapproval. “That doesn’t change the fact that they’ve doomed these poor ghosts to never having the option of moving on.”

“See, I don’t think that’s it,” said Cat.

“Oh?” said Edwin.

“The other problem with the ghost energy is that it doesn’t really keep. It goes off like unpasteurized milk. You have to suck the ghost dry and pretty much immediately use it. There are containment techniques, but it leaches pretty quickly. I don’t know of any kind of container that wouldn’t totally lose energy in say…three or four days? But in theory,” Cat wobbled his head, “...cutting a ghost from their spectral energy might make it more stable. Which means you could collect said energy for a bigger purpose.”

“I don’t much like the sound of that,” said Edwin.

“Me neither,” said Charles. “Also…” he stopped in front of Cat, “I don’t like how much you know about using ghosts as bloody batteries.”

Cat rolled his eyes. “This again. Look, it’s my business to know magic shit. I am magic shit,” He motioned to himself, then jostled Charles companionably. “After all these months and you’re still waiting for me to stab you in the back. But I’m stubborn. And as much as it annoys the shit out of me some days, he’d…” he pointed to Edwin, “...never forgive me if I was responsible for hurting a single curly hair on your cute little Scrappy Doo head. So here’s me, playing nice. Now and forever.” He clapped Charles on the shoulder, then turned to catch up to Edwin who had gotten several feet ahead.

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” murmured Edwin as he made subtle adjustments to the pendulum.

“Do what? Stand up for myself?”

“Provoke him,” said Edwin. 

“Hey, he does his share of starting shit,” said Cat. 

“He does. And I’ve spoken to him about it as well.”

Cat sighed dramatically. “I’ll keep trying but I think you might just have to live with the fact that your best friend and your boyfriend are only ever gonna tolerate each other for your sake.”

“Well, I do hold out hope for more than that. But frankly, I’d take a twenty percent reduction in pushing each others’ buttons for a start,” said Edwin with a small snort. 

“I can work on that,” said Cat. Then he pecked Edwin on the cheek. “Because you asked so nicely. And because you admitted it wasn’t all my fault.”

Edwin was trying to be in business mode, but even after nearly a year together, Cat’s most chaste kisses still made his stomach flutter with excitement. Things weren’t perfect - they never would be. But they were stable, and they had far more good days than bad. 

The pendulum began to swing more aggressively over the compass Edwin was holding to help him wayfind. It pointed definitively toward an old decrepit warehouse in the shadow of a new construction. 

“Wait,” said Cat. He stepped in front of Edwin and pressed a hand to his chest. He sniffed the air. “I don’t like this.”

That was all the warning they got before a beam of bluish light cut through the air and narrowly missed them. 

“Shit!” Cat grabbed Edwin and pulled him toward a cargo container to take cover. 

“Well,” called Charles as he sprinted for cover while dodging blasts, “...I think we’ve found our target!”

“Yes I believe you’re correct, Charles!” Edwin called back as he narrowly dodged behind the container just behind Cat. 

All three of them stood with their backs to the corrugated metal as the dark streets were periodically lit up with beams of blue-white light. 

“Now what?” asked Cat. 

“I admit I wasn’t expecting to be attacked outright as we approached,” said Edwin. “Unfortunately I’m not sure how to counter these attacks without knowing our enemy and the type of magic they may be wielding.”

Cat peeked around the corner and then pressed his back against the container again. “I think I see them. I’ll teleport out, try to get a look at them, then teleport back.”

“Well that’s bloody reckless,” muttered Charles.

“You got a better idea, Chucky? Besides, that beam is meant to slice ghosts. Which means it’s safer for me than either of you two.”

Edwin grabbed Cat’s arm and squeezed it. “You don’t know that! We should…” he swallowed, “...we should retreat.”

“If we do that, we might never find them again and the ghosts that were attacked will fade away. They’ll probably find a way to cover their tracks,” said Charles.

“He’s right,” said Cat. “Hate to admit it, but he is. It’s gotta be me.”

“Cat, please…” 

Before Edwin could protest more, Cat leaned in and kissed him deeply, tweaked his nose, grinned widely and then disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

The moment he did, Edwin felt the cold he shouldn’t be able to feel. He tried to peek around the corner, but Charles held him back.

The air was full of bursts of blue light mixed with flashes of purple, but they were pointed away from the shipping container. A second later, Cat appeared in front of Edwin in a burst of energy. “OK, I think I got a good look at…”

Then a beam of blue energy hit him from behind.

As the light bathed Cat’s body in energy, Edwin felt like time slowed down. He watched as a pyramid of light split through Cat’s core in a rainbow of five different colours. The energy began to build up, but Cat’s own magic fought it and pushed against the energy. But that created a feedback loop that produced a huge burst of light and a shockwave that threw both Charles and Edwin back and away from Cat.

The air filled with soot and rubble that drifted down through the slowly fading light. 

Edwin didn’t have a body but he felt the shockwave as if he did. His ears were ringing and his head hurt. His vision took a moment to clear. When it did, he saw Cat lying on his back on the ground. Fear welled up in him and he stumbled forward. “No, no! Cat! Cat!” He stumbled forward and cradled Cat’s white fluffy head.

To his surprise, Cat looked unscathed. There wasn’t a scratch on him, but smoke billowed up from his chest and the ground was burned beneath him. 

“Wh…what happened?” said Cat, followed by a short cough. 

“You were hit with whatever that thing was,” said Edwin as he gently cradled Cat’s head. “But you’re all right,” he said to convince himself. He stroked his cheek. “You’re all right.”

“Edwin,” said Charles.

Edwin ignored him as he looked Cat in the eye and checked him for injuries.

“I feel…weird,” said Cat.

“Edwin!” said Charles more sharply. “Look.”

Edwin turned. There were streaks of burnt earth leading off toward four other crumpled figures. One by one, they picked themselves up off the ground.

“Edwin?” came a familiar voice through the settling rubble. “Is that you?”

To Edwin’s utter shock, a second Cat stumbled to his feet. Except this one had black hair with fingerwaves and a black moto jacket.

Another figure got up on all fours, then pulled himself upright. “Is this fucking London?” said the orange version of Cat as he straightened his kilt and shook his spiky orange head. He peered up at the skyscrapers and blinked to try and clear his vision. 

“Naw, naw, this is not good,” said Charles. 

Another two figures picked themselves off up the ground and stumbled into the light.

“Does someone want to tell me what in the unholy fuck is going on here?” came Cat’s voice but with a distinct West Ireland brogue. The tabby version had collar length curly hair in shades that ranged from dark brown, to light brown, to white and caramel. He was skinny and lean and looked younger than the other three incarnations. He had pointed ears, one of which was notched, a crooked nose, and had mutton chops. He was wearing simple linen pants, a linen shirt and a vest that looked distinctly old. “Who are these jokers? And why do they look like poncy versions of me?”

The last figure to stand up and stumble into the light was somewhere between the Tabby and Orange in build and age. He was wearing brown pants with bracers, a lighter brown coat and a pageboy hat over deep caramel brown hair. He had more stubble than any other incarnation and shuffled forward with a limp. “Wh…what’s going on?” he asked timidly. He had a milder version of Tabby’s accent, but still sounded distinctly Irish.

Edwin helped the white cat version to his feet. 

White stared in confusion at the bisected parts of his personality. There stood five distinct incarnations coinciding with his five lives. “Well,” he drawled, “...this is fucked up.”

“Yeah it is,” said Charles after he stopped being stunned into silence. “I mean, one of you was bad enough. Now there’s five of you?” 

Each of the five incarnations: Tabby, Brown, Orange, Black and White all exchanged looks of confusion. 

---

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[virgilphobic]

why does edwin gasp after he looks at charles for a long time?

my thoughts;

(this is simply me running my mouth and yes i’m reading into this too much i’m just bored.)

edwin and niko had a conversation earlier on in the series, in which niko ultimately told edwin that two boy’s can indeed like each other. No one had probably ever said that to edwin before, because when he was alive there was no one on his side, like niko, to do that. he also didn’t quite know when he was alive, but after he spent so much time with charles (roughly 3 decades because on the dbd door it says ‘est. 1990.’ yay.) he had probably felt some feelings that he had pushed down due to edwin not understanding them. he clearly has emotional response issues, and we can tell through his coarse, but direct and statistical way of talking. his interactions with the cat king also stir up more conflict within him, and by the third episode of the series there are more signs that edwin does indeed love charles. even if he himself isn’t 100% sure.

edwin’s interaction with the cat king in episode three is a rather rousing one. edwin falls into his presence and finds himself getting closer and closer towards the cat king. the cat king first transforms to monty, but he doesn’t get the response from edwin that he would like. who does give him the reaction he would like? charles. from the few interactions that charles and edwin have had with the cat king, he can tell that charles seems to pull at edwin’s heart strings more than anyone. edwin leans into the embrace of the faux-charles, before he rips himself back and comes back to his senses. he felt safe with the image of charles, even if he knew it wasn’t him. even if it was just for a moment, he let his guard down. it just felt better to be treated that way by some version of charles than by no version of him at all.

the interaction leaves edwin frazzled, to say the least, and when he re-groups with the rest of the team, he is ever-so-slightly shaken up. he looks at charles as he speaks with crystal, and there is a sense of longing and yearning to his gaze. the world around him shifts to a tunnel vision of just charles. i can only assume that the images of the cat king came across his mind as he looked upon him, and he tuned out momentarily. he clearly doesn’t mean to do so, as seen in the gasp he lets out after charles calls for him, and edwin awkwardly responds / changes the subject before going to sit by the star fish with niko. i think he liked the interaction with the cat king more than he would like to admit deep down.