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Sep. 30th, 2025 08:33 pm (small note that some items below are based on headcanon or are inspired by the dead boy detectives comics, rather than purely sourced from the netflix version of the series.) ✦ general info ✦ ✎ CHARACTER: edwin payne ✎ SERIES: dead boy detectives (netflix) ✎ PULL POINT: post series. ✎ AGE: he's been dead since 1916 so technically 100+ but physically he's 16. ✎ HEIGHT/BUILD: 5'11" and willowy. long limbs, slim build, with the only muscle he has being that he built up in infrequent but compulsory boarding school physical education classes. weak arms, strong legs. ✎ LANGUAGE: english, but edwin can read a variety of ancient and modern languages, with a particular affinity for aramaic and latin. ✦ first impressions ✦ ✎ VISUAL: edwin is very tall and always stands at his full height, with his spine straight; holding himself rather taut, but with enough confidence to pull it off. he's brunette, wearing his hair impeccably parted and always in perfect order (unless he's particularly distressed, in which case his hair is the first thing to start to fall out of shape, quickly followed by his state of dress, becoming more disarrayed the more worked up he gets), and has green eyes and thick eyebrows that are quite expressive. he also has a mole on his chin, and is generally considered to be quite handsome. ✎ NOTABLE FEATURES: edwin is a regular schmegular human by appearances alone. aside from his handsome face and pretty eyes, he looks like any other sixteen year old boy. but he is, most certainly, a ghost: he can be incorporeal at times, and utilizes the ability to walk through walls/doors at will. edwin has no reflection and cannot be seen by those who haven't come close to death or don't have a supernatural connection in some way, unless he is in one of the dead boy detectives' famous disguises, in which case he could look like any human he likes, and be seen by them, too. ✎ FASHION: edwin is almost always wearing the same outfit: a white long-sleeved shirt with a blue bowtie and a blue sweatervest overtop, along with a gray-blue pinstripe blazer and matching knickerbocker trousers. he wears long blue stockings beneath where his trousers gather at the knee, and a pair of shiny black lace up boots. he often wears a long brown woollen overcoat over this, and a pair of brown leather gloves. edwin can change his outfit at will, either removing clothes physically or "willing" them away to alter his form, and can dress down or change items to fit his mood, though he does this rarely - typically only for special occasions. he seldom wears anything revealing or without long sleeves, choosing only to roll his sleeves up when he is both comfortable and in familiar company. click here for a ref of his outfit from the set of the tv show. ✎ DEMEANOUR: seemingly uptight, rigid and reserved; edwin is the epitome of a teenager in edwardian england, except for the fact that his best friend for the last 30 years is a punk kid from the 80s who has helped him be a little more personable over the years. he is still rather straight-laced most of the time, opting for what's proper just because it feels right to him, but by no means is he unafraid of getting stuck in. he is a teenage boy, after all, and despite appearances has no interest in being prim if doing so will get in the way of a case. edwin also has a particular and effete manner that makes him an easy target for bullying and teasing, but he will absolutely give as good as he gets should anyone try to make fun of him for it, as he's developed an acerbic manner over the years in order to deflect most untoward attention. edwin has good control over his emotions, not often letting himself have an outburst unless he feels particularly stressed or powerless. he will, however, always rely quite heavily on the fact that he is often the smartest person in the room, and he has little time for friendliness when he doesn't think it's neccessary. he can therefore come off a little waspish and even a little mean, but his manner is simply that he doesn't like to waste time when there are more important things he could be doing. he does, however, have quite a big heart and some very tender feelings; as evidenced by the fact that he found charles dying in the attic and took the time to offer him a lantern and keep him company until he eventually passed away, despite having only just met him and having very recently only just returned from Hell himself. he has also founded, alongside charles, a detective agency that helps those who cannot help themselves; mainly other ghosts who would not get any closure/justice without supernatural assistance, or those affected by the supernatural world. so he does care, it just takes a while to get him there, and even longer to get him to admit it. ✎ AURAL: edwin speaks with a formal english accent, as he lived and died in edwardian london. therefore, he also speaks with quite a few archasims, and he often doesn't understand modern references or sayings unless charles has explained them to him. here's a clip, or two of him talking. ✎ OLFACTORY: edwin has no scent as he is a ghost. when he was alive, he more than likely smelt of soap (as he was quite a clean freak) and paper/books from spending so much time in the school library. ✎ MENTAL INFORMATION: edwin's brain is BIG. he's an incredibly smart boy with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and powerful curiosity about everything he doesn't yet understand. if someone were to skim his thoughts, they'd find them to be like a well-organised filing cabinet, which he can dip into at will to access all the information he's absorbed about a number of different subjects over the years. he does, however, have a compartment in his mind where he puts everything that would otherwise dog his every step and prevent him from both doing his work, and existing as a teenager who was murdered by other boys as part of a satanic ritual for being a somewhat effeminite young man. all his memories of Hell go here, as well as his repressed (kind of) homosexuality. your character can probably guess that edwin is gay from his general demeanour, but the specifics of his realisation/experiences will be in that little boarded up compartment, unless charles is in the immediate vicinity. these thoughts, as well as his memories of Hell, can be delved into with some prior ooc discussion. ✎ MAGICAL INFORMATION: if your character can sense an aura from edwin, there might be the scent of hellfire clinging to him due to his time spent there leaving a mark on his soul. your character might also be able to sense a little magic in edwin, as he has spent quite some time learning ancient spellcraft (mostly incantations/charms from books which he has learned and tinkered with to make his own) but nothing outwardly substantial. if your character can cast magic, it will work on edwin as if he were a living being, but bear in mind that spells that affect living processes (breathing, heartbeat, etc) will not work as he does not breathe or have a pulse. however, i'm totally willing to bend and flex what works on edwin and what doesn't for the most IC/OOC satisfaction, so with some discussion i can work with whatever. ✦ OOC ✦ ✎ MUN: miro, 30+ mirobug @ plurk ✎ BACKTAGGING: i have a full time job and i am not programmed with the ancient knowledge of how to end a thread, so if i didn't backtag i would wither away and die. which is to say, yes. i do archive threads after two weeks of inactivity, but if i get a reply to them i still tag them back - so don't worry about it "being too long since a tag" or anything! ✎ FOURTHWALLING: no thanks. ✎ PHYSICAL AFFECTION: edwin doesn't do touching unless it's with people he knows and even then, he has to like you enough to do it willingly. if he expresses friendship towards someone, they may hug him, but he will definitely bitch about it. ✎ PHYSICAL VIOLENCE: edwin is a mage through and through. he has no physical prowess, canonically cannot throw a punch and is not all that strong, but what he lacks in all those areas he makes up for in wit. he is the type to defer to a trap or a trick to outsmart an adversary, or else using his sharp mind and sharper tounge to get himself out of a bind. he is the brains of the dead boy detectives, after all; and since charles is the brawn, he often leaves the physical altercations to him. ✎ RELATIONSHIPS: edwin says himself that he does not get on well with other people, but this is proven to be false as he hits it off with charles almost immediately, and repeatedly finds that people are drawn to him for some inexplicable reason (the fact that he cares deeply and fiercely, and is kind of charming in his blunt strangeness, probably) edwin's belief that he is bad with people definitely comes from being an outlier in his community when he was alive. he was very much not like other boys in that he preferred to read and had a particular interest for the occult. edwin was also an entirely repressed homosexual in edwardian england, barely willing to give any time to his own feelings, let alone seek out a romantic relationship, which ostracized him even further from those around him. when edwin manages to make a friend, it's usually because he's found something he enjoys in a person - their tenacity, their spark, their drive or their passion. he is usually the one to decide when a friendship has been started, but he isn't immune to being 'adopted' by anyone fool enough to think he needs to be taken under a wing. romance wise, edwin has only recently accepted that he is gay and that he is in love with his best friend. after confessing to said best friend, he believes those feelings unrequited and is trying to understand what that means for him on a broader scale (ie, is he attracted to all boys, or just charles) in universe i obviously ship edwin with charles, but also with the cat king, and with monty. cross-canon wise, i am happy to explore with edwin, but it would take some serious development (or flattery, because he is very much susceptible to a little flattery and attention) to become anything meaningful ✎ SEX: it's far on the horizon, but he isn't a prude by any stretch of the imagination. edwin is the kind of boy who has to know Everything about a subject, so you can imagine his voracity. unfortunately, he doesn't even know how to kiss properly since his first one was stolen and was very much a surprise, so he'd need a lot of coaching. or opportunities to practice. :^) ✦ PERMISSIONS ✦ ✎ OOC OPT OUTS: i can handle discussion of zombies/food decay but i can't handle detailed descriptions of the actual rotting/mould taking place, and I'd prefer a CW if it can't be avoided ✎ IC OPT OUTS: N/A - i can figure out a reason for him to do most things. he's got some squicks but I'm fine with him dealing with them/keep-calm-and-carry-on'ing them. ✎ CONTENT WARNINGS RELATED TO THE CHARACTER: dead boy detectives contains themes of: violence, death, murder, dismemberment, self-harm, suicide (mentioned), mind control, possession, abuse (physical and emotional), drowning, ritualistic sacrifice, kidnapping, domestic violence, drug abuse, racism, homophobia, sexism, horror elements (spiders, dolls, monsters), supernatural/demonic horror, depictions of vomiting/food gore, implied group sex imagery, sexual assault (mentioned), body horror, enforced amnesia, impending doom, attempted sexual coercion, themes of dubious consent, torture. edwin is a ghost and therefore all genre-specific warnings apply, but he may mention the following in particular:
✦ ABILITIES ✦ ✎ GHOST POWERS: ► INTANGIBILITY ━ edwin has the ability to become incorporeal at will, passing through any object he desires with ease, including doors/walls and even the floor. the only caveat to this rule comes when the thing he's trying to pass through is made of iron, or if it has ghost-specific wardings placed upon it. ► INVISIBILITY ━ edwin cannot be seen by most living beings unless they are inherantly supernatural, or if they have come close to/have seen death before. this means he can sneak into places unseen, and can eavesdrop without being spotted. ► CATOPTRIC TELEPORTATION ━ edwin can teleport via the use of mirrors - he raises a hand to the surface and seeks out a mirror in the place he wishes to go to, then steps into the mirror itself in order to step out in his intended location. he isd very good at this particular skill, and can travel great distances with a little time to sort through the labyrinth of mirror connections. however, this ability can be completely thwarted by placing the mirror face down or covering it with a sheet. ► SHAPE ALTERING ━ edwin does not change his clothes like a regular person - instead he wills his clothing off/on, and can even opt to change certain items (eg, wear a jumper instead of a sweatervest, go without his coat, change his bowtie colour, etc) he can technically 'undress', in that he can remove his gloves/coat and hang them up on a rack nearby, but once he leaves the room/gets far enough away, they will disappear with him. ► DISGUISES ━ edwin and charles have perfected a number of enchanted accessories that grant them the ability to be in 'human' disguise - dressed as cops, well meaning citizens, etc - and in these forms they can be seen by the living and can interact with them. the disguises are foolproof and difficult to identify as such, but a powerful magician could probably see through it without too much trouble. ► POSSESSION ━ ghosts are capable of possessing humans and forcibly moving their body/speaking for them for a short amount of time. this is proven to be difficult and dangerous for ghosts, however, so they very rarely do it. ► MAGIC ━ ghosts are capable of casting magic spells from any book that explains the craft (ie. words in latin etc) and Edwin is capable of casting a number of spells including ones he's created/edited himself using what he's learned from his research. (there's no clear limit in the show or what magic is available to them, so i opt to play Edwin with a limited amount of magical ability, only able to use a few spells a day or one/two larger ones before he feels exhaustion from them.) ✎ INVESTIGATION: edwin has been interested in mysteries and detective stories since he was very young, and because of this he's developed quite a sherlock holmes-ian skill for intuitive investigation. he's often capable of picking up on things others might miss, can sniff out a lie or falsification like a blood hound, and is quite devoted to fishing out the truth, especially if it rights a moral injustice. ✎ BIG BRAIN: edwin has always been incredibly bright, and spent both his life and his death learning as much as he can about as many things as he can. most of his knowledge is occult, as he has a particular affinity and interest in it, but he also has a range of more mundane interests such as fungi and plant life, horseriding, and various other topics he would have picked up at home or in the school library. mention any topic, and edwin has more than likely read something about it. ✎ OCCULTISM/MAGIC: edwin had an interest in the supernatural even before his death, often reading scary stories or fantasies about magic and the like. he didn't interact much with spellcraft and occultism until his death, as there was a real fear of sin being tied to the practice, but once in Hell there wasn't much of a worse place he could be, so he spent what time he could learning what he could. this interest increased tenfold by the time he made it out of Hell, to the point where a good 80% of his bookshelf is made up of magical compendiums and reference books. edwin can also cast small magic spells - nothing too powerful, but anything that can be read in the Old Languages or is powered by a blood circle or runic circle is something he can more than likely cast. elemental magic comes the easiest to him, and he's even found a way to bind certain spells to mundane objects, such as a binding spell to a piece of string, or a fire spell to his gloves. ✎ EMOTIONS: edwin is a product of his era, and can quite easily bottle up negative/volatile emotions for a time, to allow him to focus on more pressing matters such as a case he's working. ✎ WEAKNESSES: ► DEATH ━ edwin is dead, and with that comes everything to be expected of not being a living thing. he has no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath, no warmth. he cannot eat, sleep, dream, be sick, or feel the sensation of touching something. he can be touched, but he's very cold and almost off-putting unless you're accustomed to touching things that feel dead/wrong/etc. he also has no reflection to speak of. ► ELECTRICAL FIELDS ━ edwin cannot interact with most modern electronic devices, as he is a being made up of spectral energy and his feedback messes with something in the air around things like mobile phones and laptops etc. he tries not to get too close to these things, but sometimes it's unavoidable - on these occasions it usually results in a shorting of the fuses, a spark of wiring or a complete bricking of a device (think when you put a strong magnet near a screen). ► IRON ━ edwin cannot touch anything made of iron. the sensation is that of great burning pain at the point of contact, leaving the skin gray and ashy and smoking for a moment or two after contact, and also leaves the ghost tangible for that period, which leaves them vulnerable to other attacks that would usually just go through their incorporeal forms. ► MAGIC WEAKNESS ━ ghosts can easily be manipulated by spells such as compulsions, caging spells, containment spells etc. they have no magical resistance and no ability to shield themselves from attacks. edwin does, however, carry a few general protection runes around in his pocket as he dabbles in that sort of thing, but it's nothing incredibly powerful, nor is it foolproof. ► HAUNTING ━ when a ghost becomes particularly restless (whether upset or angry or something else) they can bring about a haunting, which often manifests in the space around them with conditions of their death. as edwin's death was a ritual, his hauntings snuff out all sources of light and create the sound and sensation of something scurrying around unseen in the darkness. if it gets particularly bad, edwin's haunting may manifest the form of a giant spider made from the severed limbs of porcelain and plastic baby dolls, with arms for a mouth that will inspire a sense of intense, overwhelming fear and the need to run. the only way to snap a ghost out of their haunt is to quite literally snap them out of it - to take their mind from it, to lift their spirits. edwin is well versed in containing his reactions, however, so he haunts rarely, if at all, and can often stop it before it gets too far. ► EMOTIONS ━ due to his reserved nature during life, edwin bottles up his emotions as a natural reflex. this means that, every so often, they burst out in unexpected ways... which, for edwin, is usually anger. he's rather quick to annoy and his temper can get quite hot. when it does, edwin can become mean and acidic, saying things he might not particularly mean or else being so honest that it's brutal. because of his upbringing edwin can also seem rather uncaring/cold due to the way he boxes off his larger emotions. this is especially prevalent when someone is upset by something scary/traumatising, as he's managed to "get over" the experience of hell and fails to see why other people can't just "get over" their experiences too, failing to understand why the idea of getting over it is problematic in the first place. INTERACTING WITH YOUR CHARACTER, OR USING ANY OF HIS ABILITIES WITH OR AGAINST YOUR CHARACTER, PLEASE COMMENT HERE all comments will be screened. |
