What If! Edwin Gets Hit With A Curse Of Some Kind. Something Desire Related, But In A 'you Will Be Refused

what if! edwin gets hit with a curse of some kind. something desire related, but in a 'you will be refused what you desire' kind of way. no immediate effects and the dbda is like. ?????? and continue onward. but. a few hours later. and it's such a small thing--charles hand brushes against edwin's arm.

and it hurts.

cue edwin who, against his better judgement, says nothing. he's entirely used to pain and it does not get to take charles away like this. so he silently investigates while also keeping the discovery quiet. it doesn't last, because of course it doesn't. and now we have charles, absolutely horrified. because this scenario is something out of his worst nightmare, isn't it? being a source of pain?

I love that in most shows the father figure is a random middle aged dude and then in Dead Boy Detectives it’s a goth lesbian butcher

Hurt/Comfort Payneland

Like they’re DEAD boy detectives. They have to have their “true” ghost’s forms (Part 2)

I know "you are the brawn?" Is just because Charles is a twink but it would be infinitely funnier if Emma clocked Edwin's hell-tempered nature immediately. If that was a thing ghosts could do, or even that only some ghosts could do, then how many of them are under the impression Charles is in over his head- or at the very least more of a Watson than a second Holmes?

Like. Imagine going in to see two detectives but only one of them actually has a chair at the desk? Severe Edwardian dude with sulfur clinging to his aura. He does the talking and seems to make the decisions. His partner occasionally has to remind him to be nice and/or a bit more empathetic.

The other one is perched all pretty ON the desk? And he's visibly slimmer and notably a regular ghost but still claims he's the brawn? Gorgeous 80s guy, turns to his partner for approval almost every time he talks? Big glittery eyes? His scary companion can't quite seem to say no to him?

Emma's a Victorian ghost too so she's probably used to homosexual relationships having barely-there coverups it'd be so fucking funny if she was like "sure yeah the brawn, is that what they're calling it now?"

Charles: Ugh, crushes are the worst! I act so stupid around the person I like. Edwin: But Charles, you are always acting stupid. Charles: Yeah, try not to think about that too hard.