#the cat and the crow au

[panxramic]

Lost and Found

A death family fic a part of my “The Cat and The Crow” series

Chayanne and Tallulah get separated and lost, forced to search for the other alone. That’s when a cat and a crow appear to help protect and guide the siblings back to one another.

Phil and Missa adopt two lost kids… oh, and they’re a crow and a cat.

AO3

[lil-vibes]

Day 24: Other side

Previous/Next

(prompt list here!)

[hannaloony]

PART 13 Everybody’s alive AU, where Niko is a friend of Edwin and Charles is a friend of Crystal

[laiqualaurelote]

“Let me get this straight,” says Crystal. “In order to avoid being sent to Hell, Edwin is going to break into Hell, steal the most important thing in the universe — whatever the fuck that is — and escape. Again.”

“Pretty much," says Charles.

“That,” says Crystal, “is a stupid fucking plan.” 

Instead of becoming detectives, Charles and Edwin embark on an afterlife of crime. When the long arm of the Lost & Found Department catches up with them, they are made an offer they can't refuse: earn their freedom by stealing from Hell itself. Heist!AU, Paineland Week WIP

Chapter 9: The Most Important Thing in the Whole Universe (a.k.a. this heist is heisted! this fic is complete!)

[killermaxaroo8675309]

Dead Boy Detectives College au!!!!

They all meet as teens then go to college together. Totally aces, am I right?

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Monty Finch, Dead Boy Detectives | Richard Siken, Dirty Valentine

@deadboy-edwin @icecreambrownies @anonymousbooknerd-universe @ashildrs

@tragedy-machine @just-existing-as-you-do-blog @orpheusetude @mj-irvine-selby

@pappelsiin @itsbitmxdinhere @rexrevri @sweet-like-h0ney-lavender @saffirez

@the-ipre @sunnylemonss @days-light @agentearthling @helltechnicality

@tiredghostby @sethlost @catboy-cabin @secretlyafiveheadeddragon @vyther15

@anything-thats-rock-and-roll @queen-of-hobgobblers @every-moment-a-different-sound

@nix-nihili @holvivum

[the-owl-tree]

If there’s one idea I really like in au’s where Leafpool and Crowfeather actually do run away, it’s the idea of the three being raised away from the Clans and returning with an outsider’s gaze on how repressive and violent they can be

[ro-doodles]

DBDA swap: The Cat King and Esther (+ Monty)

Part 3 finally here! I’ve gotta be honest, I struggled with this one. It’s probably the characters that stray furthest from their canon counterparts, and I’m still not 100% sure about Esther’s lore here, so lmk what you think.

Also, shoutout to @empikaraa for guessing my plan for Monty in the last post.

Master post for this au here

[downbaddetective]

Next one because I can't stop thinking about this AU now:

Charles-Markl, a sorcerer in training under the tutelage of "The Cat King", who specializes in magical disguises and pocket dimensions (biggest successful one currently is a "bag of tricks")

Crystal-Calcifer, a fire demon currently magically tied to "The Cat King" due to a deal turned curse

Monty-Turnip Head, a missing prince from a neighboring kingdom, cursed to be a scarecrow (because I think that's hilarious)

Niko-Lettie/Martha (taking a little from the books for this one), one of Edwin's only friends before he disappears, Niko goes to learn magic from another witch (hi Jenny) to see if she can find her dear friend

Cat (Meatball?)-Heen, a lazy spy for the Night Nurse turned semi domesticated house cat

Esther-Witch of the Waste, kinda self-explanatory I think

Night Nurse-Madame Suliman, "The Cat King's" former teacher currently employed by the kingdom to recruit magic users to the war or remove power from those who won't

Part One | Part Two

[cc-tinslebee]

you know what time it is!! Dead Boy Detective Magnus Archives au baby!

Charles Rowland, avatar of the Dark. Mr. Pitch: creatures hidden in the dark, shadow figures and monsters, blindness, coldness, dark water.

Edwin Payne, avatar of the Desolation. The Torturing Flame: pain, loss, burning, and destroying things before their potential is realised.

Crystal Palace Surname von Hoverkraft, avatar of the End. The Coming End Waits For All And Cannot Be Ignored: uncaring and unstoppable, close ties to dreams, manifests through them.

Niko Sasaki, avatar of the Spiral. It Is Not What It Is: spirals, patterns, and fractals, hallucinations and illusions.

Monty Finch, avatar of the Stranger. I Do Not Know You: the creeping sense that something is not right.

Esther Finch: avatar of the Flesh, evader of the End. Viscera: bodies being unnaturally twisted, reshaped, and butchered, bred for meat, the human realisation that we are all meat and bone.

David the Demon, avatar of the Corruption. The Crawling Rot: the feeling one’s skin crawling, also manifests as unhealthy love and companionship

The Cat King, avatar of the Hunt. Blood: the need for the chase.

Jenny Greene, avatar of the Lonely, tormented by the Eye. The Forsaken: alone or disconnected from the rest of society. It Knows You: fear of being watched, exposed, followed.

[demelzathemer]

My Heart Is a Haunted House

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 + 𝘗𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘪, 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘛

@dbdpromptober Day 14: Sorrow (words: 1308)

(I did it!! After five days and four rewrites, we've reached Tears to Shed. Idk why the cat king chapters are hardest to write but end up being the ones I'm most proud of)

Payneland Corpse Bride AU

First Previous

𝓘𝓯 𝓘 𝓽𝓸𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓪 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓵𝓮 𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓷𝓸 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓷

𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓾𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓪 𝓴𝓷𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮

𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰

𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓭

𝓨𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵

𝓣𝓻𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵 𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵

𝓘𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓪 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓭

The Cat’s whiskers quivered. The wind has changed and it brought along a taste of magic. A spell has been used.

He hopped down from his spot on top of a high wall where he’d been lounging. His senses told him that Edwin had returned.

The bell jingled when a door was opened and then slammed shut. Fast footsteps made their way in a hurry. The Cat’s ear twitched. So he’d come back alone.

He picked up his pace into a trot and followed with his tail up. The cobblestone molded itself apart and shut behind Edwin, the streets splitting into multiple ways and curling into itself. The Underworld could become what the residents wanted, and what it was doing for Edwin was melting into a maze so dense no one could find him.

The Cat reached him a minute later. The alley was a dead end, pale light from the sky cut off by a tall wall, leaving a deep shadow behind. Edwin was pacing back and forth, his hands in tight fists by his sides.

Silently the Cat jumped up to sit atop a propped up coffin and elevated himself on Edwin’s level. He swung his tail once as an acknowledgment.

“He lied to me,” Edwin huffed. “He did not go to see his parents, he just left me there and walked away and when I followed, he- he-”

Edwin tugged at his hair in frustration, his whole body sharp, taunt lines. His restless hands didn’t know how to settle and he turned around again, his steps frantic.

A clicking of claws on stone and curious croak announced that Monty had finally found them as well. He hopped closer, but had to dive out of the way of Edwin’s upset stomps.

“Who is it?” The Cat asked.

“Crystal,” Edwin’s voice was strangled.

“How surprising,” the Cat drawled, voice dripping sarcasm. “Of course, it’s that messy psychic wannabe. The living can be so near-sighted.”

“He was never going to marry me,” Edwin said, his words loud and precise. “Why would he, when he has a living girl waiting for him?”

“He’s a fool. You deserve so much better, love. Don’t waste your emotions on someone like that,” the Cat yawned, rows of sharp teeth showing. “If he can’t see how amazing you are, it’s his loss, really.”

Edwin stopped, staring hard into the distance. His brows furrowed, but the tight press of his lips eased, parting helplessly.

The Cat knew that face. It was Edwin willing himself not to cry by sheer willpower alone.

“No,” he breathed. “Charles is… so good. Dare I say, the best person I’ve ever met. And that is why…”

That’s why it hurts twice as much. The Cat sighed. He’d known Edwin long enough to finish the quiet parts for him.

“That Charlie boy was suspicious from the start. I mean, who proposes out of the blue? No one knew you were even in there,” the Cat shrugged. His sleek black tail swished a long arc from side to side.

“I cannot figure out how he did it, but the truth is that he found me. If that doesn’t mean anything, it’s the cruelest joke from the universe,” Edwin said firmly.

The Cat rolled his eyes. The self-loathing rolling off of Edwin’s tongue made his skin crawl and fur standing on end.

“Look, some things are just not meant to be,” he said harshly.

“That doesn’t mean that you don’t matter.”

He hopped down and trotted over to Edwin, headbutting his leg. “Would you like to pet me? It’s the best remedy for upset feelings.”

Edwin stood still. The Cat rubbed his warm body on his legs, purring up a storm. He noticed the first salty drop that hit the pavement. Monty dared to approach again and snapped his beak, bobbing up and down for attention.

Neither of them got it. Edwin wiped his face furiously and whirled around, walking away. He tucked himself into a low alcove on the wall, back against it and legs up.

“Why would I ever think he could love me?!”

Edwin cried out. He scowled like the tears wetting his cheeks had somehow betrayed him. He dislocated his skeleton hand from the elbow and stared at it.

“No one could love me. I’m a rotting corpse!” He hissed, hurling the arm away in disgust.

“I’m a bloody, decaying body,” Edwin repeated. His voice was full of hatred but grief was glinting in his red-rimmed eyes.

Monty flapped his wings as he skipped where Edwin’s rejected arm lay abandoned. He pinched his beak around a distal phalanx and started to slowly drag it back towards him.

“What does that matter? Living is just a temporary state,” the Cat pointed out, watching him from afar. “That boy is terribly dumb to think the girl is a better choice, when she’ll be flesh and bones as well in no time.”

“That is the point!” Edwin pierced the Cat with a furious look. “He did not choose her over me, because there was never me. I was never real to him. Whatever we did, whatever we had, he can brush it all off because it never happened.”

The way he gasped was almost a sob. He tilted his chin up, all the anger gone, leaving him raw and broken. His upturned gaze betrayed the thought that was at the back of his throat, hurting, consuming him with misery.

It was real to me.

The Cat knew. He’d seen it on Edwin’s face last night. For seventy years he’d waited and waited for that moment when Charles would find him. And then he did. And Edwin, tired and lonely and lovesick, just let it all go.

Against any better judgment, he had let himself love and believe in it.

It was written all over his face, the silent awe and fervent adoration. He’d never looked at Cat or anyone else like he looked at Charles that night. For a bright, brilliant moment right there he’d trusted, truly, deeply, even if it was foolish.

That Charles would choose him. That Charles would finally be the one who could love him.

The Cat walked over to Edwin and pushed his head under his arm, forcing himself on his lap. Edwin gave in without a fight and just let his hand rest on top of soft fur. The Cat pressed his forehead against Edwin’s rib cage, where his dead heart was enclosed, unbeating yet still able to hope, love and be broken.

“Please, won’t you just go? I want to be alone,” Edwin whispered.

“Of course, dove. But I’d prefer it if you didn’t brood all alone here, out in the cold,” the Cat said.

“I can’t feel cold,” Edwin reminded tiredly. He was staring straight ahead, eyes glossed over.

Monty hopped closer, having brought his arm back. He tilted his head, worried as well, then flapped his wings twice. Edwin didn’t look at him when he mechanically reached for his arm and slotted it back into its joint.

Monty let out a soft caw and nudged his hand once with his smooth beak.

The alcove had a small fountain mounted on the wall in the shape of a skull, water trickling out of its mouth. Above it, an oval copper mirror gave off a faint gleam. Edwin stood up and put his good hand over the cool metal.

“I’m finding the study now,” he said quietly.

The surface under his fingertips rippled like quicksilver. At the end of the road, where he was staring at, the stones in a wall arranged themselves out of the way, uncovering a dark wooden door. It was carved with intricate decorations, topped with a round brass doorknob.

“I’ll see you later,” the Cat called after Edwin and watched as he walked away, sealing himself inside his office.

[spookystree]

You know what time it issss

↓↓↓↓

Edwin is the only one who doesn't post much on social media

On Instagram specifically is where the other three post

They also 100% have an Instagram GC with a stupid fucking name

Crystal also uses Snapchat a lot

The very little Edwin does post is always about Charles, their dog or books, nothing else

Charles posts photo dumps of him and his friends, sometimes stuff about his hobbies

Niko has a main account, a hair/nails account AND an edit account

The only person who knows the edit one's username is her girlfriend 😭😭

Crystal has a beauty school acc (makeup, hair, nails, all that jazz) and a main

Both Niko and Crystal's mains are full of fit checks, art and makeup stuff

Monty posts sunset photos and book stuff a lot

The cat king's is just entirely of him, no hobbies to be seen, just pictures of him

There's some really old pictures of him and Edwin up though, you'd have to scroll very far down to see them cause he posts very often

Jenny doesn't like social media so she stays off of it for the most part

She posts a happy birthday for her friends though

Esther's is similar to the cat king's, the only difference is she also posts meal pictures

Esther in this au is Monty's stepmom

Monty is occasionally in a post, pretty much only on his birthday

This makes me really wanna draw phone case designs for them 😭😭

[laiqualaurelote]

The den is as they left it, except for the woman sitting on their sofa. She is all in black, and the ankh necklace gleams upon her chest. She has the kindest smile. 

 “Hello, boys,” she says. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” 

 “Yes, well,” says Edwin stiffly, “I hope you will appreciate that we have worked very hard to keep it that way.” 

 “I do appreciate it,” says Death. “I do.”

Chapter 9: The Most Important Thing in the Whole Universe a.k.a. heist heisted! fic complete!

[smolcrow465]

yippee! old summer dreams drawing I had stashed somewhere <3

this is one of my favorite silly parts of the au-- Matt's dad ends up partnered with Wizardmon, who eventually does revive & reuinite with everyone :] bringing him to the radio tower ends up with many shenanigans <3

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

Ghostcrow & Palasaki (The Old Guard AU: Chapter 5)

There is something expanding in Charles’ chest. Something that threatens to wash warmth through his entire body, a sensation, a light, not helped when Monty continues: “They’re pretty fucking glorious, those banyan trees. I mean, I only saw pictures, not the real thing- this is the first time I’ve ever been outside of Washington- but god. They call them strangler figs, for the way that they grow, the way that they squeeze the life out of the trees they wrap themselves around, but all I could see when I saw them were palaces. The way that accessory trunks grow out from the roots, so that you could be walking through an entire forest and it only be one single organism-” Monty swallows and Charles forgets to breathe as Monty says, “All I could dream of for so long was getting to see all those trees in person. Getting to see them with Charles and Edwin. Getting to feel them beneath my finger tips. Getting to walk between all those extra trunks-”

“Getting to be kissed under them?” Niko asks, all reckless romanticism, conjuring up a story that Charles and Edwin have shared between them so many times, that Charles did not let himself dream of for fifty years, that Charles did dream of back in 1972, as Monty pressed him up against the bookshelf in the farm house, kissing his neck, the wood at Charles’ back, when Charles knew he was going to lose Monty, but before he did, he wanted to see Monty home, wanted to have Monty and Edwin together beneath that very tree.

“Yeah,” Monty admits, and the world shatters supernova, enough to send Charles’ hand to his chest, as Monty confesses, voice wistful, aching: “Still do.”

Charles shouldn’t be shocked. Monty did say that his time with them was heaven amongst hell. 

But Charles hadn’t dared dream that Monty still wants them. That he still cares. That he still dreams of the same things that Charles and Edwin do.

Monty wants them. God, more than that, he still wants them. He never stopped. Even through the ruin of their relationship and the wreckage of the years, love endured on both ends, strong as a banyan.

-aletterinthenameofsanity, no grave can hold my body down (crawl home to them)

Slip noose hanging in my darkest dreams

I'm strangled by your haunted social scene

Just a pawn outplayed by a dominating queen

It's four o'clock in the morning

Damn it listen to me good

Thank God my music is still alive

And someone saved my life tonight

-Elton John, Someone Saved My Life Tonight

@pappelsiin @itsbitmxdinhere @rexrevri @sweet-like-h0ney-lavender @saffirez

@the-ipre @sunnylemonss @days-light @agentearthling @helltechnicality

@sethlost @catboy-cabin @secretlyafiveheadeddragon @vyther15

@anything-thats-rock-and-roll @queen-of-hobgobblers @every-moment-a-different-sound

@nix-nihili @mellxncollie @tumblerislovetumblerislife @lemurafraidofthunder

@likemmmcookies @wr0temyway0ut @thelakeswillbreakourfall

@sapphic-corgi @occasionaloneshots @troublegoblin

@cairngorm-ard @petesdragon @alittleemo @charswithbatsmybeloved

@bigtirednoodle @the-moons-jade-rabbit

@wikipediagreen @wooooooaaahhhhh-oooooops

@spacegirlsgang @cc-tinslebee

[arrow-jsy]

Dbda highschool au

Thomas/cat king : theater kid, background plot where the spring musical is Cats (because yes obviously)

Edwin : quiet kid/nerd, keeps his head down does really well in school always reading and eager to learn

Charles: dare i say jock? Jock but cool, jock but not a bully, jock but he always stays behind after the other jocks beat up a kid to make sure theyre alright (bonus points to fic writers if this is how he and edwin meet)

Monty: art kid. Thats all i have to say on that

Niko: bubbly friendly to everyone i kinda feel like could be theater kid (?) Or teachers pet but just because shes friendly to the teachers and staff

Crystal: art kid but more photography that drawing or painting which also puts her at good standing for yearbook kid or school journalist - maybe shes the person who runs the school/grade gossip/anonymous social media page

Jenny: for some reason is giving me school counselor vibes (its the protective nature) maybe accommodations coordinator or counselor idk what that position is called but the person who does meetings and things to get students ieps/504s and otber accommodations

Night nurse: despite having nurse in the title shes not the nurse shes the attendance lady

Kashi: art teacher/theater teacher/maybe another counselor?