Dead Boy Detective Potion Week

DBDA prompt event - 5th October - 11th October 2025 General Info | Mod Posts | Prompt List

[dbda-potion-week]

Potion Week 2025 has come to an end!

Thank you so much to everyone who created anything for the event, you guys are truly amazing, and thank you to those who participated by appreciating, interacting with and sharing others' creations!

You can still post new things with the #dbda potion week hashtag and the collection on ao3 will stay open, in case anyone who needed a bit more time would like to add their work to it later ❤

As of the time of writing this post, the collection on ao3 has 50+ fics, so I encourage everyone to take a look at it if you haven't already, just as much as I encourage you to look through this account's reblogged posts to see all of the amazing art that was created for the event

Hope that Potion Week made you feel just a little bit more magical during this year's spooky season ❤

[antichrists-plus1]

The second part of my mystery potion fic for @dbda-potion-week​ is up!

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Dead Boy Detectives (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne/Charles Rowland Characters: Charles Rowland (DCU), Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, Crystal Palace (DCU), Niko Sasaki Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Mystery, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Love Confessions, Getting Together, First Kiss, (es), Flirting, Dry Humping, Misunderstandings, Seduction, one seduction of Charles Rowland order up!, impulsive decision making, with vastly mixed results, DBDA Potion Week 2025 (Dead Boy Detectives) Summary:

He shuts his mouth when Edwin rests a hand on his knee. So warm, too warm for a ghost. “It’s alright, Charles, if you still need time.”

He lowers himself down to his knees, kneeling comfortably, hand sliding slowly up Charles’s thigh.

“But I hope you don’t mind I indulge myself while I wait?”

-

Edwin is hit with a potion by the incubus they’re chasing down. Charles is struggling to identify what exactly the potion did, but he can tell something’s different about Edwin. Only in the process of figuring it out, he finds himself a bit distracted…

[antichrists-plus1]

Part 2 of my amnesia fic for @dbda-potion-week​ is up now!

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Dead Boy Detectives (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne/Charles Rowland, Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne & Crystal Palace Characters: Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, Crystal Palace (DCU), Charles Rowland (DCU) Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Amnesia, Hypnosis, Psychological Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Period-Typical Homophobia, (to Edwin at least), Edwin Payne had shitty parents, Established Relationship, re-established relationship, Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne Loves Charles Rowland, Charles Rowland Loves Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne, making shit up about psychic vampires and the Edwardian era, the horrors of the Edwardian upper-class, and the delights of Charles Rowland, DBDA Potion Week 2025 (Dead Boy Detectives) Summary:

Something clicks in her mind. “Edwin… what year is it?”

Edwin frowns. Has she lost her mind or is she now certain he lost his?

“1916.”

-

On a case tracking down a psychic vampire at an annual ball, Edwin is hypnotized into believing he is back in 1916, leading him to some unnerving conclusions about the girl he is with and what his future holds.

[dbda-potion-week]

Would you participate in a dbda remix event?

Yes, in a fanart remix

Yes, in a fanfic remix

Most likely

Probably not

Nope

Yes, in both fanart and fanfic remixes

Voting ended onDec 8, 2025

What is a remix event?

If you ever wrote a fanfic of a fanfic or drew fanart of a fanart, that's basically it!

In an application you submit three links to existing, posted fics or fanarts for another person to choose from and remix one of them. Remixing can mean writing an additional scene, a different ending, changing the pov of one of the scenes etc. It doesn't mean rewriting a whole fic, but simply putting your own spin on a part of it, while keeping it relatively short. With fanart it would mean that the submitted art pieces contain some sort of storyline in them (so the submitter should take that into consideration), so the remixer can draw a following scene, give it a broader context or a new backstory etc.

You don't know who was assigned to you so the reveal of the gifted remixed works is a surprise, akin to a gift exchange. You would be able to fill out what ships/characters you'd like to write/draw for. If you submit your own fanwork to be remixed you also automatically sign up to remix someone else's fic or fanart.

This is only an interest check so there are no set dates in mind, but if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the tags/comments.

(This is unrelated to Potion Week)

[dbda-potion-week]

Would you participate in a dbda remix event?

Yes, in a fanart remix

Yes, in a fanfic remix

Most likely

Probably not

Nope

Yes, in both fanart and fanfic remixes

Voting ended onDec 8, 2025

What is a remix event?

If you ever wrote a fanfic of a fanfic or drew fanart of a fanart, that's basically it!

In an application you submit three links to existing, posted fics or fanarts for another person to choose from and remix one of them. Remixing can mean writing an additional scene, a different ending, changing the pov of one of the scenes etc. It doesn't mean rewriting a whole fic, but simply putting your own spin on a part of it, while keeping it relatively short. With fanart it would mean that the submitted art pieces contain some sort of storyline in them (so the submitter should take that into consideration), so the remixer can draw a following scene, give it a broader context or a new backstory etc.

You don't know who was assigned to you so the reveal of the gifted remixed works is a surprise, akin to a gift exchange. You would be able to fill out what ships/characters you'd like to write/draw for. If you submit your own fanwork to be remixed you also automatically sign up to remix someone else's fic or fanart.

This is only an interest check so there are no set dates in mind, but if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the tags/comments.

(This is unrelated to Potion Week)

[dbda-potion-week]

Would you participate in a dbda remix event?

Yes, in a fanart remix

Yes, in a fanfic remix

Most likely

Probably not

Nope

Yes, in both fanart and fanfic remixes

Voting ended onDec 8, 2025

What is a remix event?

If you ever wrote a fanfic of a fanfic or drew fanart of a fanart, that's basically it!

In an application you submit three links to existing, posted fics or fanarts for another person to choose from and remix one of them. Remixing can mean writing an additional scene, a different ending, changing the pov of one of the scenes etc. It doesn't mean rewriting a whole fic, but simply putting your own spin on a part of it, while keeping it relatively short. With fanart it would mean that the submitted art pieces contain some sort of storyline in them (so the submitter should take that into consideration), so the remixer can draw a following scene, give it a broader context or a new backstory etc.

You don't know who was assigned to you so the reveal of the gifted remixed works is a surprise, akin to a gift exchange. You would be able to fill out what ships/characters you'd like to write/draw for. If you submit your own fanwork to be remixed you also automatically sign up to remix someone else's fic or fanart.

This is only an interest check so there are no set dates in mind, but if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the tags/comments.

(This is unrelated to Potion Week)

[dbda-potion-week]

Would you participate in a dbda remix event?

Yes, in a fanart remix

Yes, in a fanfic remix

Most likely

Probably not

Nope

Yes, in both fanart and fanfic remixes

Voting ended onDec 8, 2025

What is a remix event?

If you ever wrote a fanfic of a fanfic or drew fanart of a fanart, that's basically it!

In an application you submit three links to existing, posted fics or fanarts for another person to choose from and remix one of them. Remixing can mean writing an additional scene, a different ending, changing the pov of one of the scenes etc. It doesn't mean rewriting a whole fic, but simply putting your own spin on a part of it, while keeping it relatively short. With fanart it would mean that the submitted art pieces contain some sort of storyline in them (so the submitter should take that into consideration), so the remixer can draw a following scene, give it a broader context or a new backstory etc.

You don't know who was assigned to you so the reveal of the gifted remixed works is a surprise, akin to a gift exchange. You would be able to fill out what ships/characters you'd like to write/draw for. If you submit your own fanwork to be remixed you also automatically sign up to remix someone else's fic or fanart.

This is only an interest check so there are no set dates in mind, but if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the tags/comments.

(This is unrelated to Potion Week)

[neurodivergent-fangirling]

Favorites from Dead Boy Detectives Potion Week:

Truth:

“You’ll Hear the Words Come Calling Out (And Know I’m More Than Just an Image)” by aletterinthenameofsanity – Charles drinks a truth potion in Hell to prove it’s really him: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/71670686

“The Truth Spell Arrangement” (unfinished) by Vi0let_Baudelaire – The Cat King invites Edwin to put a truth spell on him: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71798936/chapters/186886801

“Truth Potion” by joyballtumbleweed – Charles drinks a truth potion to prove a point, with unintended consequences: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/71968996

Amnesia:

“The Lights Are On But There’s No One Home (So Welcome Home)” (unfinished) by Antichrists_plus1 – Edwin thinks he’s back in 1916 and that Crystal is his date: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71934131/chapters/187245466

Intoxicating:

“The Enchanted Bottle Incident” by Vi0let_Baudelaire – Charles encounters an intoxicating spell which leads to some unplanned confessions: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71800196/chapters/186889711

“Payment” by Fire_Bear – a client offers an intoxicating potion as payment and Edwin tries having a fun night out with Charles: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72086656

Desire:

“It’s a Craving, Not a Crush” by artemisadore – Magic school AU featuring CricketHeart and sex pollen: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/71769476

“You Know What You Need (Hit It Like, Get It Hot)” by aletterinthenameofsanity – Crystal helps the Cat King after someone slips him a lust potion: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/71671231

“It Fell Upon a Little Western Flower” by Dryad_Gurrl – Charles gets hit by a potion that makes him want to kiss Edwin: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72135556

Shapeshifting:

“A Cat in Gloves Catches No Mice” by KissMyAsthma – Charles gets turned into a cat and Edwin asks the Cat King for help: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72197531

“Changes” (unfinished) by Fire_Bear – Hogwarts AU where Edwin and Charles shapeshift into girls to solve a mystery: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72203351

“I Wanted to See the World in Color, Through Your Eyes and Through Your Mind” by oddessea – the boys take a potion to become corporeal for a day: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72217681

“(I Like My Body) When it Is With Your Body” by ObsessedWithFandom – the boys swap bodies and become corporeal: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72187051/chapters/187927091

Binding:

“Once” by Fire_Bear – AU, Edwin and Thomas spend a night together involving a binding spell that does not work as advertised. Temporary Catwin but Payneland endgame: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DBDA_Potion_Week/works/72312236

“Our Get-Along Potion” (unfinished) by ghostinthelibrary – Charles and the Cat King get bound together and are extremely annoyed about it (features Catwin, Payneland, and GhostCat): https://archiveofourown.org/works/72439591/chapters/188630816

Mystery:

“Unknown, Unknowable (Better Off Not Knowing)” by megs_bee – Edwin picks up something. He doesn’t know what it is, but it’s very bad news: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72549341

“Swapped” (unfinished) by Fire_Bear – Canon Charles swaps places with modern alive AU Charles: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72407031

“Fill My Eyes (With That Double Vision)” (unfinished) by Antichrists_plus1 – Charles finds himself with an imposter Edwin—except he’s almost certain both are real: https://archiveofourown.org/works/72294871/chapters/188230606

Combinations:

“Parched” by tragedy_machine (Canon, different short piece for each prompt): https://archiveofourown.org/works/71878731/chapters/187100006

“Drink It Down, Darling” by megs_bee (Canon, different short piece for each prompt): https://archiveofourown.org/works/72028546/chapters/187493656

“The Great Escape Debacle of 2025” by artemisadore, dearheartdont, DontOffendTheBees, Fenristheulv, ghostinthelibrary, m_erlin_s, Nigg, zilia (a series of adventures, Canon but some chapters resemble AUs): https://archiveofourown.org/works/71801761/chapters/186893676

If any of you out there have written an unfinished fic, please finish it! I mean, no rush. I haven’t finished mine yet. But know that I’ve really enjoyed reading what I’ve read so far, including ones not listed here, and I will keep checking for updates, and be very happy when your story is finished.

[megs-bee]

DBDA Potions Week masterpost

Quick masterpost rounding up of all my Potions Week fics! @dbda-potion-week

I managed to write for all seven days and mostly on time, so I’m pretty pleased.  The first six days are each a standalone chapter in Drink it down, darling, while the last one turned into a bit of its own thing and posted separately.

Inside you will find truth spells, melancholy, intoxicated ghosts, a love of fish, the world's most adorable mouse, and at least one accident involving a book.

✨✨✨✨

Day 1: Truth Potion  (post-canon Catwin)

An excerpt from the WIP of the third installment of my very first DBDA and Catwin fic, Wreck my image of myself.  “Vox Veritatis” follows from In nepeta veritas, and involves some truth-sharing (and truth-spells)...

✨✨✨✨

Day 2: Amnesia Potion  (pre-canon implied Payneland, platonic, or secret third thing)

What if Edwin could simply forget?  What would he choose?

✨✨✨✨

Day 3: Intoxicating Potion  (established relationship GhostCat)

Just a little magical booze for our favourite ghosts, because Thomas is a bad influence like that. Soft and silly.

✨✨✨✨

Day 4: Desire Potion  (established Catwin)

Magic desserts spark some intense desires in Thomas – but not the kind Edwin expects….

✨✨✨✨

Day 5: Shapeshifting Potion  (Catwin)

A magical accident featuring the world's most adorable mouse (according to the Cat King).

✨✨✨✨

Day 6: Binding Potion  (post-canon/pre-relationship Payneland)

A book-repair-related mishap and some sweet moments between Edwin and Charles.

✨✨✨✨

And for Day 7: Mystery Potion, we have the separately posted

Unknown, unknowable (better off not knowing)  (Catwin)

Edwin finds a strange vial in a witch’s workshop.  He does not know what is inside, does not have a word, a name, for this sliver of a thing that feels older than ancient, powerful and pitiless and cold.  But it was too late the instant he touched it.

✨✨✨✨

Tysm to the organizers for a very fun and extremely inspiring event! 💖 Everyone should check out the master Potions Week collection for a whole heap of potions-and-magic fun!

[artemisadore]

love potion payneland | for @tragedy-machine (and @dbda-potion-week), happy birthday 🩷

[dbda-potion-week]

Would anyone be interested in a prompt catch-up calendar once October and all of the current events are over?

It'll look a little like this, where depending on the version chosen, a new week/month will be dedicated to one of the potions again so you'll have more time to finish your current wips or create something new you didn't have time for before

It could potentially start in December or January (or even later, just depends on what you would prefer so please let me know in the replies or tags), so it'll look like this, for example: 1st Dec - 7th Dec will be dedicated to the Truth Potion, then 8th Dec - 14th Dec Amnesia Potion etc

Prompt catch-up

Yes, monthly

Yes, biweekly

Yes, weekly

No, I'll post my late works on my own/will wait for a 2nd rendition of the event

Voting ended onOct 29, 2025

[dbda-potion-week]

Would anyone be interested in a prompt catch-up calendar once October and all of the current events are over?

It'll look a little like this, where depending on the version chosen, a new week/month will be dedicated to one of the potions again so you'll have more time to finish your current wips or create something new you didn't have time for before

It could potentially start in December or January (or even later, just depends on what you would prefer so please let me know in the replies or tags), so it'll look like this, for example: 1st Dec - 7th Dec will be dedicated to the Truth Potion, then 8th Dec - 14th Dec Amnesia Potion etc

Prompt catch-up

Yes, monthly

Yes, biweekly

Yes, weekly

No, I'll post my late works on my own/will wait for a 2nd rendition of the event

Voting ended onOct 29, 2025

[dbda-potion-week]

Would anyone be interested in a prompt catch-up calendar once October and all of the current events are over?

It'll look a little like this, where depending on the version chosen, a new week/month will be dedicated to one of the potions again so you'll have more time to finish your current wips or create something new you didn't have time for before

It could potentially start in December or January (or even later, just depends on what you would prefer so please let me know in the replies or tags), so it'll look like this, for example: 1st Dec - 7th Dec will be dedicated to the Truth Potion, then 8th Dec - 14th Dec Amnesia Potion etc

Prompt catch-up

Yes, monthly

Yes, biweekly

Yes, weekly

No, I'll post my late works on my own/will wait for a 2nd rendition of the event

Voting ended onOct 29, 2025

[dbda-potion-week]

Would anyone be interested in a prompt catch-up calendar once October and all of the current events are over?

It'll look a little like this, where depending on the version chosen, a new week/month will be dedicated to one of the potions again so you'll have more time to finish your current wips or create something new you didn't have time for before

It could potentially start in December or January (or even later, just depends on what you would prefer so please let me know in the replies or tags), so it'll look like this, for example: 1st Dec - 7th Dec will be dedicated to the Truth Potion, then 8th Dec - 14th Dec Amnesia Potion etc

Prompt catch-up

Yes, monthly

Yes, biweekly

Yes, weekly

No, I'll post my late works on my own/will wait for a 2nd rendition of the event

Voting ended onOct 29, 2025

[dbda-potion-week]

Would anyone be interested in a prompt catch-up calendar once October and all of the current events are over?

It'll look a little like this, where depending on the version chosen, a new week/month will be dedicated to one of the potions again so you'll have more time to finish your current wips or create something new you didn't have time for before

It could potentially start in December or January (or even later, just depends on what you would prefer so please let me know in the replies or tags), so it'll look like this, for example: 1st Dec - 7th Dec will be dedicated to the Truth Potion, then 8th Dec - 14th Dec Amnesia Potion etc

Prompt catch-up

Yes, monthly

Yes, biweekly

Yes, weekly

No, I'll post my late works on my own/will wait for a 2nd rendition of the event

Voting ended onOct 29, 2025

[megs-bee]

New fic: Unknown, unknowable (better off not knowing)

An attempt at something a little spookier than my usual, inspired by the @dbda-potion-week day 7 prompt Mystery Potion, and for @catwinevents CatWEEN II prompt Eldritch Entities!

Unknown, unknowable (better off not knowing) (2412 words) by megs_bee Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Dead Boy Detectives (TV)

Relationships: Cat King/Edwin Paine | Edwin Payne

Tags: Eldritch Horror, Unknown Magic, Catween (Dead Boy Detectives), Catwin Discord Events, Mild Horror

Summary: Edwin finds the little glass vial almost by accident. Small and slender and tucked away in the corner of this witch’s workshop as it is, he almost passes it by. Yet it catches his attention anyway. He doesn’t know why.

His fingers are on the glass, picking up the vial before he realizes. He rolls it slowly before his eyes. A runic symbol, unrecognized, unrecognizable, is burned black into the seal. The colour within is one he cannot describe. He cannot tell whether it is a liquid or mist or sand. It hurts to look at for too long. He has the sense of whispering somewhere just out of range.

Oh, this is very bad.

Read on Ao3

[dbdaweeklycomments]

DBDA Comment Festival: Week 26

Looking to give more love to fanfic authors? Want to create a deeper sense of community by talking to the people sharing their works with you? Well then, let's comment on some fics!

For week 26 of the comment festival, running from the 17th of October until the new prompts drop on the 24th, your comment prompts are as follows:

Level 1: Comment on a work in the M/M fanfic category!

Level 2: Comment on a work with the Tragic Mick character tag!

Level 3: Comment on a work with the Autistic Niko Sasaki tag!

Bonus prompt this week! Comment on a fic from @dbda-potion-week!