#from a while back

So, love potions. How about a twist?

Their new client, pretty and seemingly nice girl about the dead boys’ age, gives them complicated, if not dangerous, case. They spend quite a lot of time on it, enough to get to know her a bit, and it seems like at some point Charles develops a crash on her. It doesn’t trigger any alarms, it looks normal: a bit of flirting from the get-to, a few weeks during the case to connect even more, and then, after the case is wrapped up, they just… continue to see each other. 

Charles behaves, well, normally. He doesn’t hide that he’s enamoured with her, but at the same time he is trying his best to be gentle and considerate with Edwin. 

And Edwin — hurts. He can’t be a total bitch about the girl, because this time Charles is oh so aware of his feelings and is actively trying to spare Edwin any hurt. Failing at it, but not for the lack of trying. So Edwin straps up for a rough journey and minimises occurrences when he needs to interact with the girl. Cherishes the times when there’s only he and Charles, and occasionally Crystal.

It goes on for a few months.

The thing is, the love potion the girl uses is of extremely high quality. It doesn’t change the target’s personality, it doesn’t make them stupid or inconsiderate. It just adds an emotion, a feeling. So Charles is still Charles in all the things that matter, it’s just that now he loves this new girl. Or, rather, he is under the impression that the feelings for this girl are his own.

They’re not.

And of course it’s Crystal who catches the whiff of something being not right. And, well, the thing is Crystal does like the girl. She is nice and kind, and Charles is perfectly happy dating her. So it’s not like she is trying to undermine their relationship or some shit.

It’s just.

They go somewhere together (she, Charles and the girl. Edwin skips), a day trip to an adventure park or maybe a music festival, and the trip is so much fun, she’d have absolutely loved it.

Except.

Charles may be behaving as usual with Crystal and with Edwin, with anybody, really. 

But with the girl he is behaving as anybody but Charles Crystal knows and loves.

Crystal feels like a whole trip is some kind of fucked up joy ride through an uncanny valley. She doesn’t pick up this at first, but after few hours the details pile up. One moment Charles bickers with her and everything is fine, but then he turns to the girl and everything is wrong: his smile isn’t right, his words are a bit off, even his mannerisms are not really his. And then he tells some joke and turns back to her, and winks, and it’s their Charles again.

The worst part? She cannot put her finger on what is wrong.

After the trip Charles goes with the girl wherever, Crystal goes straight to Edwin.

Could you imagine the emotions of all participating parties not only during, but also after the scheme is resolved for good?

Me: why

Friend: you don’t seem like the type to know

Me: I’m on tumblr