This
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.
it's not fair I want a 30 year slow burn with trauma bonding
(I have no trauma and will probably die at the age of 25 due to some dumb shit )
I'm gonna go feral don't try and stop me đš
Pookies
im sobbing :,)
Iâm gonna talk about Dead Boy Detectives for a second, specifically Charles and Edwinâs deaths.
Edwin died in a basement and Charles in an attic, and Edwin went to Hell and Charles was presumably meant to go to Heaven. Edwin died by fire (demons from Hell) and Charles died by ice (hypothermia). Edwin was targeted for his queerness and Charles for the color of his skin, the country his mother came from. Edwin never seemed to get along with the boys who would kill him but Charles called his murderers friends until they turned on him. Edwin died by supernatural means while Charles died by run of the mill racist teenagers. They died more than 7 decades apart.
When you look at the details there are so many differences but the story is still the exact fucking same. Two boys who died at the hands of a group of their classmates who decided that they did not fit with the rest of them and therefore must pay the price. Two boys who died on the same grounds of the same school, whose deaths were brushed aside and covered up by people who held the same titles. More than 70 years apart and not a single thing has changed, Charlesâ death didnât get any more attention than Edwinâs, because more than 70 years later the same fucking story happened again.
Edwinâs death didnât change a damn thing, and it could happen again now because Charlesâ death didnât change a damn thing either. And then the ghosts of two 16 year olds decided that if the adults, if the living werenât going to change anything then they fucking would. If the living would not grant them justice and would not grant them change, then they fucking would.
Because there was a difference, in the end. Edwin was murdered, and so was Charles, but while Edwin died scared and alone Charles didnât. Edwin died in a cold, dark basement, but Charles died in warm light of a lantern, even if that warmth wasnât enough to save him. Edwin died to the sounds of his own screams, his own voice pleading for mercy that would not come, but Charles drifted off to sleep to the sound of a kind boy reading him a book.
The living wonât change. The story could and will keep on repeating because the living will not make sure it doesnât. The living are messy. But the dead, for all the ways they will never change, will never get any older, they can change the story, at least a bit. Charles and Edwin canât make sure that no other boy dies at that school, but if the story repeats itself yet again they can make sure the victim is at peace. They can solve the murders and find the lost items and release the spirits who are trapped. The living wonât help the dead, but they can help each other.
So they call themselves the Dead Boy Detectives, form an agency and get an office and help who they can, because they didnât matter to the living, and many of their clients donât either. But they matter to the dead.
Their clients matter. And Charles and Edwin matter too.
thing came up in my mind so i have to write it:
charles snapped back to reality when he saw crystalâs manicured fingers waving in front of his face. âcharles? what are youâŚâ she began, turning around to follow his line of sight which extended just past her ear.
âah,â she said, quirking an eyebrow when her eyes fell on edwin, nose deep in notes for the case he was working on, his eyes flitting back and forth on the parchment in front of him with fervor as thin, wire-rimmed glasses sat atop his nose.
âhm,â charles mumbled noncommittally, now leaning on his palm while he stared intently at the fluidity of the fingers that traced the lettering on the page.
âalright, spit it out,â crystal said, an amused roll of her eyes following the words.
âitâs just- itâs so fun to watch him when he gets like this. all caught up in his work. heâs so smart and good at everything. so⌠mm.â
âcharles?â
âhm?â he asked, still not tearing his eyes away.
âhave you ever heard of a competency kink?â she asked, trying to suppress a laugh.
âwh- a kink??? why are we talking about that???â he asked frantically, his eyes finally ripped away from the other man as a vibrant flush colored his cheeks, but his temporary lapse in attention didnât last long as he caught edwin rolling his sleeves up and brushing his hair out of his eyes through his peripheral vision. charlesâ own eyes fluttered as he muttered under his breath. âchrist.â
crystal snapped in front of his face.
âpay attention, charles. a competency kink. itâs when youâre really attracted to when someoneâs good at something.â
âyeah, sounds interesting,â he muttered, moving around her hand to keep his eyes fixed to where the end of edwinâs ballpoint pen was pinned between his teeth as he analyzed something on the page. charles made a weak noise when he saw it, his hand coming up to gently brush his bottom lip like he was imagining that it took the penâs place in between those sharp teeth.
âcharles, for fuckâs sake, i think you have one,â she says, the laugh finally erupting at the absurdity of his steely focus.
âwhat? no. isnât that like⌠normal? itâs nice when someoneâs good at something,â charles defended, a bit flushed.
âyeah, well, no one looks at someone like that unless they want to bone them while they talk about like- quantum physics or like literature or some shit,â she said plainly, the amused grin still prevalent.
charles made a noise like he had just been punched in the chest at the idea.
âand now youâre thinking about it, arenât you? god dude, just- go get your man. weâre never gonna finish this conversation until you can say what you need to,â she said, wrinkling her nose.
âheâs not my-â charles tried weakly.
âdonât care, go,â she said, pushing him forward.
he paused briefly, breathing in shakily before returning to his usual bravado seamlessly. âEDWIN!! what are you working on mate?â he called, grinning as he walked around the desk to look over his shoulder and discretely took his bottom lip into his mouth.
âiâm rather stuck on this piece of evidence, you seeâŚâ edwin delved into his explanation, charlesâs pupils dilating with every word as his chest heaved.
âgod, iâm so good at this. also, ew. i should leave.â
Because everyone needs some EdwinAngstâ˘
Have some Edwin Payne angstđ¤
I'm gonna go feral don't try and stop me đš
Pookies
Uh guys
Is nobody gonna talk about where Niko is? Are we just going to ignore this matter? How come we just left her in an igloo at the end of season 1? ARE WE GETTING A DBDA POLAR EXPRESS EDITION? NIKO I'M COMING OK
Those eyes have seen things that mortal eyes shouldn't have seen
Fishies
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chimcken nomgett :) ââcurrent fandoms: ARCANE ââ â â old fandoms (I'll make ocs but I kind of forgot the story lines oop) : warrior cats, wofâ â just having a little fun :D
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