aceinspacestuff

Before I continue, I want to clarify that this isn't an attack on any ships!! This is just an observation.

One of the critiques I have with the show is how they fumbled and ignored monty's character until they needed some drama between Edwin and Charles. Monty's crush on Edwin being a good example

I also have opinions about Monty being revealed as a traitor and how I think that should have gone, but that's a different post for later...

Anyways, the bits we get from the show paints a pretty bleak existence for Monty:

Monty was a crow his whole life and then gets violently thrown into human sentience and teenage puberty, I doubt that mental change was pleasant let alone the physical one

Crows are very smart, but the difference between a crow and a human is still pretty big

He gets a couple of days at best to cope with this new body and mind before Esther sends him off to seduce Edwin

I kinda doubt he came up with that plan himself, I think Esther told him to do that

Gets rejected by one of the only people who were nice to him, outed as a traitor, and violently turned back into a bird in the last few days of his incredible short time as a human

And then he's put back in a cage! I don’t think we find out what happens to him after Esther dies. The fact that he's turned into a human for a week and is turned back into a crow is some eldritch level of fucked up

And yeah, I get that Edwin might not want to talk about it to Charles right away (especially since those feelings were also about Charles), but there is no way you spend 30+ years with someone and not realize they're a little fruity or that said friend might finally be realizing the same thing

Imagine a B plot where Charles realizes that Edwin is finally having his gay awakening and tries to be as subtlely supportive as possible (it is not subtle at all)

Starts hanging up as many rainbows as possible

Shovel talks cat king and Monty

Slightly hurt when Edwin doesn't immediately tell him but chalks it up to Edwin being nervous

Wears (aka, manipulates his ghostly matter) a rainbow bracelet/pin

Drags Crystal and/or Niko into helping him find more 'gay stuff'

I feel like this would also be how Charles explores his own sexuality after Port Townsend without having to acknowledge he's doing that

What? He's not reading about different sexualities because he's questioning himself. He's just trying to be a supportive friend!

He's not going to a pride parade for himself, he just wants to support his friends and anyone can go to a pride parade!

No! He's not asking his friends how they found out they were queer because he's looking for advice! He just wants to understand his friends better!

Maybe Edwin and the others catch on and support his own way of figuring it out (this time it's actually subtle)

Ever since Edwin came out, the closet is getting lonely... and all his friends are outside having fun. Maybe he can come out too.

I'm pretty sure for most of the time the show made Edwin’s realization that he was gay and accepting that part of him a source of drama and anxiety for him except for a few moments with Niko

Which makes sense for the beginning of Edwin’s realization and I'm sure given enough time they would have (*cough* fuck *cough* Netflix *cough*) but it kinda sucks that edwins only experience with being gay is being harassed by the cat king, Monty's kiss, and Hell

Somethings I can think of

Edwin being nervous about telling Charles he's gay and Charles being completely unfazed

Edwin wants to tell Charles he's in love with him but goes to Niko first, who convinces him he has to flirt first to up his chances

When they are investigating the Dead Dragons Case, they stumble onto a GSA(lgbtq+) club, and Edwin has a moment

Edwin calls the cat king homophobic (idk why or how I just think it would be funny)

Edwin coming out to people in general like Crystal or Monty

They go to an event for lgbtq+ for a case or something and Edwin gets to see older gay people, who he could have been if he lived

Edwin reading a bunch of lgbtq+ books and now randomly drops little gay fun facts

I don't think they do.

Because of Crystal not having her memories for most of the show and the show getting canceled (fuck you Netflix) we don't have a lot to go off of. The only facts I can think of is:

Crystal's parents are extremely neglectful to the point that they didn't know their kid was in a different country

Crystal's powers are passed down by the women in her family

Crystal used her powers for bad before she lost her memories

Now, there is a possibility that they do know and just don't care, but from the small bits we do get of them, they do not seem like the type that wouldn't exploit the fuck out of Crystal's powers

But how would they not know? I think even the most neglectful parents would notice if their toddler had fully white eyes and started talking to thin air.

I think Crystal's powers developed when she became a teenager. (Like 11-13)

It makes the most sense for her character but I think it's also the most interesting.

Little Crystal has spent her whole life helplessly invisible. Her parents don't spend any time with her and because she's moved so much she doesn't have any friends. Not even the maids talk to her. Until she gets her powers. Now she has power. Power to make people see her, to make them be her friend and to make them regret ever ignoring her.

I'm not too sure what that could mean for present Crystal. Maybe she can feel her powers build up when Niko or the boys disagree or argue with her, itching to make them agree with her? Maybe she does that on accident when the situation is tense and the aftermath of that? Maybe she has to relearn her powers from scratch?

They can't be physical or obvious about it because Charles would immediately protest about it because that's his job, so the others have to get creative and sneaky

Edwin and Crystal verbally ripping someone to shreds because they insulted Charles

Niko introducing mental health/pride stuff to Charles like she did with Edwin

Edwin patching him up/the girls learning how to heal the ghosts

The girls help Edwin haunt Charles' murders

Coming together if they notice something is off about Charles and talking about how to help

Just little things that Charles would not think twice about.

I've seen some artists interpret the light house crash out scene as Charles missing his old life and probably struggles more with being dead than Edwin. While that is a good interpretation, I don't think Charles's feelings about life and death are that simple.

I think Charles hates how he died and wishes he and Edwin could experience living together.

Because, objectively, dying at 16 from hypothermia and internal bleeding because your racist friends beat you and drove you to a frozen lake is a terrible way to go. No amount of good in Charles after life will change that, so it makes sense he would regret that no matter what.

He grew up in an abusive household and went to school with a bunch of posh rich kids, so he probably wouldn't miss his life, just what life could've been. If he got to be old enough to move out and live on his own terms, old enough to leave his shitty house and shitty school.

Now he's made a good after life with Edwin. He co-founded a successful detective agency, he has a best friend who loves him unconditionally, and he goes on adventures every day. I have no doubt he loves his afterlife with Edwin and wouldn't change that for anything, but you can still love the outcome and hate how it happened.

Obviously, Charles couldn't say all of that because he was reeling from having his worst memories thrown in his face and his friends being scared of him. He makes up for this when he tells Edwin,'I wouldn't want to be dead with anyone else'.

Obviously, the actor couldn't because you can't make someone go through internal bleeding and hypothermia for a TV show, but Charles would have looked a lot worse than shivering in a blanket.

Here are some symptoms of internal bleeding

Vomiting blood

Blood coming out of eyes, ears or nose

Bruises

Ashy skin

Confusion/lethargy

And some symptoms for hypothermia

Confusion/lethargy

Slurred speech

Blue skin

Loss of coordination

Fluid in lungs (because Charles was in the lake) coughing/short breath

I imagine Charles looked like he did in the show at first, but slowly, as time went on, Charles started to ask the same questions that Edwin just answered. Charles stops shivering but starts coughing and gets harder for edwi to understandwhat he is saying.

Once Edwin sees blood trickling out of Charles nose and eventually coughs up a glob of blood, he knows Charles doesn't have long. So he helps Charles make a nest out of old blankets and whatever soft thing they can find in the attic. Edwin has to finish the nest himself because Charles gets too weak to lift the blankets or even stand.

After the nest is made and Charles lays down, confusion has fully set in, and Charles is getting worried about making it to his room before a teacher finds him out of bed or hears something and thinks one of his mates have found him and are going to drag him back to the lake. Edwin soothes him by reading to him, and the exhaustion finally makes Charles close his eyes for the last time.

I think when they get back to London and settle down (and Niko magically comes back!), Edwin would definitely teach the girls about the supernatural and all of the basic rules.

Niko wouldn't know anything, and Crystal doesn't seem that connected to her powers/supernatural besides using her powers for her own gain.

Niko would love to learn more about the supernatural, what myths are real or fake, small spells, and she would be stary-eyeded when the boys bring them to a supernatural community.

Crystal would definitely appreciate help with her powers. They might fight over how Edwin teaches Crystal, but I think it is something they could bond over, Crystal gets to feel like someone is in her corner and can help her.

Charles would help in whatever way he can. He's also happy that Edwin has more people he can nerd about magic with.

For now, I'm going to be calling Charles mom Cindy cause I don't think she has a Canon name

I think Cindy being more emotionally dependent on him makes more sense for Charles character. Charles is a supportive person but does not ask for support for himself and tends to be a people pleaser.

I think the fact that 6 abusive would slowly trickle in rather than explode out like the fact that his father was abusive. Way after Port Townsend and after they learn to talk more about their past. Charles would already be comfortable-ish about talking about his dad and how shitty he was.

It would start with small details.

Cindy never getting stopping the fights

Charles always comforts his mom but never the other way around

Charles telling the other that his mom never liked his dad

They notice this, but hope they just don't have the full story, that Charles just hasn't gotten around to tell them the stories where Cindy protected and comforted Charles. Those stories never come.

He tells the others that his mom would always come to him for comfort as a way to show off how good he was with people

He talks about how he had to patch up his mom to show the others how bad his dad was

He tells them all the softer moments when his mom would hold him close and tell him that he was her best friend and such

Charles loves his mom, and the others know that he wouldn’t like his mom being accused of abusing him, (they already saw how painful it was to acknowledge his dad) they talk about it, and each try their own way to breach the topic

Niko tries to show Charles articles about 'Dependent Mother Syndrome' and other people's stories about emotionally dependent parents, but Charles just brushes it off

Crystal goes in head first and asks, "Has your mom ever protected you once? You know parents shouldn't tell their kids everything, right?" This only leads to an argument, and Charles storming away

When it's Edwin turn, he waits. It lasts a few days, but when the night sends everyone to bed, but the two ghosts. Edwin just sits by Charles. They whisper confessions and comforts. At the end, Charles is crying, grieving over the relationship he never got with his mom

Because he always knew in the back of his mind. Just like he vaguely knew that his dad hitting him was wrong, his mom dumping her emotion on him was wrong. But also knew how devastating it would be to acknowledge that he had no safe space, that both of his parents hurt him.

A lot of cases for the boys are like this, a client can't get to their Object so the boys find it before the client goes poltergeist.

Edwin's remains are long gone after 73 years, so his Object is this notebook. He had it when he was alive, and it somehow survived Hell. No one except Charles can touch his notebook, and even then, Charles rarely holds it.

Charles, however, has a corpse and a grave. The two of them stayed long enough to see Charles body get prepared and lowered in the ground, but left shortly after. (Edwin would later tell Charles that when someone touched his body/coffin, bruises and water would flicker on him)

Neither of the dead boys have thought about Charles grave in a while now, out of sight out of mind, until Charles starts getting 'sick'.

A bone deep feeling of wrong settles in Charles. Like his skin is too tight, or his organs are too big, just an unwavering feeling of 'something is wrong with my body'. It washes over Charles so quickly that he doesn't get the chance to suppress the full body shudder.

The others notice this and try to ask what's wrong, but Charles is not responding, just breathing hard and holding himself. Crystal touches Charles and sees flashes of a grave yard, a coffin, and a rotted corpse that looks like her friend.

With Crystal recovering from that, Charles takes his chance and runs to the mirror and leaves.

When Crystal reveals what she saw, Edwin says that someone must be messing with Charles remains and explains the whole 'ghosts and their remains' thing. Edwin uses the mirror to get to Charles first and find out what is happening while Niko and Crystal get there the long way (it's England, so it probably just takes an extra hour or 2)

The only reason for digging up a dead kid's grave would be graveyard space issues, cops re-opening his case, or one of Charles murders digging it up for some reason. Either way, Edwin finds Charles hovering over his corpse (after 30ish years, there would only be skeletal remains).

He looks worse than when he was dying. He looks like he is starting to decay as well. Edwin tries to reach Charles by talking to him. It almost works until whoever dug up Charles comes into the room and starts trying to mess with the body. Charles lashes out and scratches the person.

Edwin, Crystal, and Niko cone up with a plan to convince the person that they are haunted and that the girls can help get rid of the ghost (not really a lie).

Idk how, but they managed to put Charles body back to rest. Maybe they somehow managed to drag his corpse back to his grave? Or they just burn the place down, effectively cremating him or something like that.

If you spend 35ish years on the run from Hell, it makes sense to constantly come up with ways to fight against them. This could be why Edwin was comfortable taking a case with a demon, and Charles was completely confident fighting David alone (with how fast the Spider demon was, they didn't get a chance).

They came up with ways together, but I think they would find their own secret ways to prepare for an attack.

Edwin would find spells and potions to protect themselves from demonic forces, so when they have to face a demon, Edwin can cast a spell to protect them from being possessed or influenced by demons.

Charles would collect any wepon or carve any rune that hurts demons to the point that he has a whole room in his bag dedicated to weapons (found or made by him) that are especially harmful to demonic things. This way, if he has to fight a demon, he can make sure it won't come back.

They don't try to keep this info from the other, but they don't want to worry the other by constantly obsessing over Hell so they don't bring it up often.

Imagine a demon trys to mess with the boys, thinking they will be easy targets only to get immediately obliterated by some ancient exorcism from Edwin or exploded by a DIY holy bomb from Charles.

Charles and Edwin: *antsy from Port Townsend*

Demon: Fear me puny gho- *gets turned into a dark smear*

Obviously, Charles' dad was the worst of the two, and Charles' mom was definitely a victim, but abusive homes are more complex than 'dad beats us'

She definitely suffered in that house. Being in an abusive relationship, having basically no way of getting out (it was the 80's), having a kid with your abuser, taking care of said kid alone (it was the 80's), and watching that kid get beat knowing you can do nothing to stop it must have broken her in so many ways. But she can be a victim and a abuser.

I can imagine her being detached and cold to Charles (because of PPD and to save herself the pain).

She would stare at Charles with this uninterested look when his dad would beat or yell at him

After she would say something like, "He wouldn't hurt you if you were better."

She might justify his dad's actions so she does not have to face the fact that she lets her husband beat their kid.

Or she could be emotionally dependent on Charles because she has been isolated for so long.

After he gets beaten, he has to comfort his mom when she starts crying over him

When his dad is gone, his mom will say how much she hates him but never does anything

"You wouldn't leave me, right?" "Of course, mum."

Charles probably wouldn't even see this as abuse compared to his dad. (That would be a fun convo to have with the others)

Everytime at the end they have to explain the trend, and why it's a trend, and why it got so popular, and why people are doing it, and why it's on the internet, and why-

I feel like it would be no. 1 funny and no. 2 good for her character.

After Port Townsend, and they are in London again, Crystal tries to find her place in the dead boy detectives and reconcile with her past self

I mean, being "The Psychic" is good, but it lacks the need. Edwin uses his knowledge to help the agency, Charles protects the agency, and all Crystal does is read a few things? That's not enough for Crystal. She needs more. She needs to be more.

And with her restored memories, she finds herself thinking meaner things. She notices people's insecurities more now. Little things that might not even be noticed by the other person but still things that she could use to hurt them if she says it right.

She figures out a way to solve both of her problems one day when a rude client comes into the office. This client is yelling at them and has made several remarks about the boys.

Now, Edwin is polite mean and Charles is Charles, but Crystal is Teenage Girl Mean. She finds some small flaw in the client and digs into it.

Client: You're so cold it's a wonder how you get any business!

Crystal: Wow, imagine throwing a fit over the word no. Couldn't be me.

Client: Wh-I am not throwing a fit!

Crystal: So this is normal you? Yikes!

Client: *sputters*

Crystal: I wouldn't be loud, wrong, and look like that.

The client storms out with a newly bruised ego

If a bunch of bullies clocked him, then Charles, who has spent 30+ years with him, definitely figured it out

Maybe he didn't know the exact term for Edwin, but he knew that Edwin was different (like him)

That's why he wasn't surprised that Edwin might have liked boys (Monty and maybe cat king) just jealous that it wasn't him

If there was a coming out scene, it probably would have gone like this.

Edwin: Charles, there is something I need to tell you about myself.

Charles: yeah?

Edwin *very nervous*: I am gay.

Charles: Yeah, I figured.

Edwin: I unde- wait. What the hell do you mean,'you figured'??

Charles: mate, I've been your friend for literal decades, I'd be a pretty bad detective if I didn't know something.

Edwin: I, well. What are you saying then?

Charles: I'm saying I will always love you no matter what you are. :)

Because Edwin went to Hell and experienced horrors that would break a grown man for 70+ years, only to come back to a world where almost nothing is familiar and there is no one he can turn to. Except...

Except for this boy who decided to stay and help him adjust to this new world and, most importantly, become his best friend.

But no matter how much time has passed, some habits die hard. Like checking limbs and joints after getting hurt to make sure you can still move, checking your skull for fractures, and sometimes, Edwin just needs to touch and look at Charles to reassure himself that this is real and not some cruel trick Hell made up.

So little rituals are slowly made to satisfy these needs.

After a hard case, Charles will lay his head on Edwin lap as he reads. Edwin will run his fingers through his hair, partly to comfort Charles and also a way for Edwin to check on him

If Charles gets tossed or falls down something, no matter how unlikely it is, Edwin will just bend Charles' arms (and legs if they are sitting) so he knows that Charles is ok (this has actually revealed a wound that Charles was trying to hide once)

If Edwin gets a flash back from Hell, one way to calm him down is to just stare at Charles (touch is too much, talking us too hard, but looking at Charles is enough)

Sometimes Edwin will just poke or squeeze Charles' arm to make sure he is real

If they ever do sleep/rest, Edwin would have to be cuddling Charles to make sure nothing is going to get either of them

At first Charles thinks it's a little odd but quickly accepts these as little quirks from Hell. Edwin was worried that he would scare Charles away

Edwin: These needs from Hell are going to drive Charles away if I act on them too much.

Charles: he's a little odd, but he is still my best mate! :)