#the case of crystal and charles

[shaylogic]

Okay, so we know that Charles' polo goes red>burgundy>black and back by the end of the season.

Because there's so much going on, I always missed the exact transitions. This time I specifically tracked them down. (Apologies if this has already been done.)

Charles shirt is bright red through the majority of the Devlin House, even in Hope's Diary scene, when he opens up to Crystal.

Even when he first swings at Mr. Devlin and gets knocked back, his shirt is red.

The very subtle shift to burgundy is after he disappears and first reappears in the loop.

It remains burgundy throughout the entire lighthouse leapers episode and beginning of the two dead dragons.

I finally realized the very last moment we see of Charles in the burgundy is with Crystal. She tells him after the confusing makeout night, "But I think we should be friends," and kind-hearted Charles, of course, respects that and puts on a friendly smile.

It's difficult to see in the next scene with him because of his jacket, the angle he sits at on the ladder, and the lighting, but it's immediately after that when we first see him in the black polo.

My brother in death, you are NOT doing well.

here's another song from Jayden Revri's official Charles playlist, that I think is about this conflict with Crystal:

His shirt is still black during the "I don't wanna be a bad guy" scene.

After Edwin's affirmation of Charles' inherent goodness, it is directly after this scene that the shirt goes back to burgundy!!!

He's still wearing the burgundy during the confession:

BUT IT GOES BACK TO BRIGHT RED LITERALLY RIGHT AFTER EDWIN'S CONFESSION AND THEY ESCAPE HELL TOGETHER!

Yo I equally love Cryland and Payneland but the show canonly said "Crystal hit him in the loneliness and Edwin hit him in the loved"

[niko-sasaki-dbd]

the lesson you get from the flashbacks of edwin and charles' deaths is that hate crimes are real and the suffering they cause had been getting overlooked for over a century.

that there's still people dying like that somewhere, and there's people, young people, that are going to die believing that they didn't matter.

[fan-a-tink]

wanted to make this gif just because it's one of the most stunning shots in the show, but also....

...the symbolism of David pushing Crystal and causing her to lose her balance, while Charles is the one catching her and helping her regain her balance... *chef's kiss*

[leahaart]

Eeepy boys

[lesbicosmos]

there's one specific shot in dead boy detectives that i need to yap about

this one.

now this might just be the film student in me overanalysing because the scene itself isn't even really about the relationships but i think the positioning of the characters is so specific it has to have meaning??

like if the goal was just charles and edwin in the centre, they would've had it so they walk over and the order is crystal-charles-edwin-monty

but they didnt

they specifically had charles walking into the space between edwin and monty

and we know that this makes sense - charles is who's causing the rift between edwin and monty, he's literally in the middle of them because edwin's feelings for him are the main thing stopping edwin and monty becoming a thing

but this positioning also puts edwin in between charles and crystal

so if charles is between edwin and monty because edwin's feelings for him are what's stopping the other relationship, is edwin in between charles and crystal for the same reason??

[zmorak]

We live in a terrible time loop

Idea: @knifesimmons, my execution

[mountainsoftreatos]

I love how in sync Edwin and Charles are that Edwin yells, "Charles... NO!" when Charles goes to possess Esther because Edwin can tell what impulsive decision Charles is planning. He knew exactly what Charles was doing before he did it.

[greyskyflowers]

Big fan of the idea that Niko and Crystal keep accidently walking in on a private moments between Charles and Edwin.

Something where they freeze up and stop breathing as soon as they notice, still in the doorway and incredibly thankful the door doesn't creak. They haven't been seen yet.

Charles is sitting on the coach, slouched a little, and Edwin on his lap. Crystal can't really see Edwin's face from this angle but it looks like they're talking, Charles occasionally leaning in to nip at his jaw or throat.

They're both stripped down a few layers, nothing indecent, just the clear desire of wanting to be closer to skin.

Charles has his thumbs under Edwin's shirt, just stroking the skin there. He says something and Edwin leans forward to kiss him, there's a lazy roll of his hips that has Edwin pulling back and hiding his face in Charles's shoulder.

There's no rush to their actions, it doesn't even seem like they're trying to get off as much as they're just enjoying each other.

It's... intimate and very distracting. They look really good together. To be completely honest, Crystal isn't entirely sure who to look at - the confident and so very careful way Charles is easing Edwin into it, sharp eyes watching for any hesitation or displeasure or the slow and sweet way Edwin is letting himself sink into it, trusting and oh dear god they need to focus. They absolutely can't be seen.

Edwin will freak out. He'll get flustered and embarrassed, work himself up into panic, and never let himself relax enough to be in a situation like this again. It took Charles and him a long time to even get to this point, over 30 years, and she refuses to be the reason why this never happens again.

Niko and her have backed up slowly and are almost back through the door when she glances up and freezes. Charles is watching them out of the very corner of his eye, a warning look on his face, and she tries to convey that she knows and they're working on it, okay? Keep him distracted.

She rolls her eyes a little at him. Protective asshole probably doesn't like anyone else seeing Edwin like this, not that she blames him. She's had fleeting thoughts before that Edwin could be very attractive, especially if he updated his style, but she never really thought of him as attractive. She sees the appeal now though, how good Edwin looks with someone who knows what to do with him.

The flush on Niko's cheeks seem to indicate she's feeling the same way.

Edwin says something and Charles easily turns all his attention back to him again, a pleased grin breaking out on his face and he looks absolutely smitten.

Even when she and Charles had their little thing, he never looked at her like that and honestly there's no way he would look at anyone except Edwin like that.

The door closes silently behind them and they both sigh, exhausted and relieved. They take off down the hallway as quickly and quietly as they can.

They'll come back later.

🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

Been thinking about intimacy and relationship dynamics...

Also Charles is 100% someone who always starts smiling when he's kissing.

[deconstructthesoup]

Edwin and Charles are prince and knight coded

Crystal and Niko are palace mage and princess coded

[pippin-katz]

You know, everyone says that Edwin is a brat, but I have to disagree. Edwin is a bitch, 100% but he's not a brat. You know who is a brat?

CHARLES.

Think about this for a second!

Charles tells the little girl that Edwin’s thing is to “play hard ball” as he’s about to do it, being cheeky and giving away the game. They save Crystal, find out she has some sort of amnesia, and he immediately says she can stay at their office without asking Edwin if it’s okay. And Edwin doesn’t even argue! He’s like, "okay, we don’t usually do that, what the hell, but guess this is a thing right now”.

They bring her back to their office, and he tries to explain that this it’s a bad idea, but notably tries to whisper so as not to wake her up. Even though Edwin doesn't like her and doesn't want her there, he's considerate. Edwin’s entire routine and safe space has been upended by this living girl, so he’s understandably stressed and in a bad mood, but Charles is like, “you’re being bitchy, so I’m gonna go out with Crystal”. They get back and Edwin’s still upset, and then Charles is like, “btw she’s gonna stay” without asking Edwin AGAIN! And AGAIN he doesn’t argue! He immediately asks how long she’s staying for!

Then Crystal reads Becky’s poster and Charles wants to go overseas for a living client, which is all new and Edwin even says that it’s all happening too fast, and they STILL GO! Charles throws Edwin's own worries about Death back at him despite brushing him off earlier, and pulls the guilt trip card of letting Becky die, in front of Crystal, and fucking smiles because he knows he’s won.

And Edwin? He just fucking sighs.

And then once they’re in Port Townsend, Charles sides with Crystal at every turn. He tells Crystal they can find a different way to get the information when the entire point of bringing her was for her powers. He calls Edwin a show-off when he mirror hops, and says it not as an insult, but also without his usual fondness. He says himself that possessing the living "sets off all sorts of alarm bells in the Afterlife", proceeds to do it anyway, then brushes off Edwin’s worries of the consequences. When Crystal yells at them about being scared, he puts her feelings above Edwin’s, who has already been pushed completely out of his comfort zone, and is taking an extra personal risk getting involved with a demon considering he’s on the run from Hell. Even when Crystal’s revealed to have lied about David, and Edwin’s having a complete breakdown, Charles still brings it back around to Crystal.

And this is all just the FIRST EPISODE!!

They are both totally devoted to each other, unquestioningly, but Charles has Edwin literally wrapped around his finger. There's nothing he could ask him to do that he would refuse. He might bitch about it or resist it initially, but he always does what Charles wants in the end.

And Charles seems oblivious and all too aware at the same time. I don't think he has a grasp of how much Edwin would do or how far Edwin would go for him. But he smiles at him and knows he'll cave, and he uses that.

If one of them is a brat, it's fucking Charles.

(ko-fi)

[cull3nblaze]

You ever think, what if Death did catch us? She'd force us to go to the afterlife and split up. I will make sure that never happens.

Edwin Payne - Dead Boy Detectives - The Case of Crystal Palace (1x01)

[shaylogic]

Charles, within a few hours of meeting Edwin: I'd love to move in with you and start a business together

Charles, within a few hours of meeting Crystal: Hi! Would you like to see my parents?

Charles, love, I'm begging you to slow down

You absolute u-hauling lesbian

[niko-sasaki-dbd]

Honestly, the ghosts can feel other ghosts theory is very well supported, and I would like to share some proof shown during the season.

In episode 1, Charles clearly felt the other ghost (the WWI soldier, Wilfred) strangling him, he also got his face covered in that black liquid after he took the cursed mask off his face.

If ghosts could be able to play the same rules with other ghosts as they do with the living, Charles could have chosen to simply pass through Wilfred and seize the knife. However, he was unable to do so.

Also, during Episode 3, when that ghost's head exploded, Charles and Edwin were covered with the pieces of his ghostly brain, so I guess, fluids are other things that have their own rules when we talk about ghost-to-ghost interaction.

Sure these are not the prettiest of examples, but they support my point just fine. And I guess, it's good information for when you're writing... All sorts of fanfiction.

[fan-a-tink]

another day, another gifset - some moments from my favourite episode: the case of the two dead dragons!

"You kissed?" - "Oi, keep it down!"

2. Charles' reaction to the "cash & condoms" (and Edwin trying very hard not to react at all)

3. "Brrrrr... this is far too much emotion for one day"

4. this Edwin walk™

5. two adorable Edwinisms from the scene that shall not be named

6. and finally, this last one is titled "moments before disaster"

other episode gif sets: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 8

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Dead Boy Detectives: The Case of the Devlin House || Kyle Tran Myhre, Voting As a Fire Extinguisher

[sweetlullabyebye]

Love was actually invented when Charles decided he'd rather be stuck in Hell than leave Edwin there alone