Oh, we’re using our made up names

I heavily post about The Dead Boy Detectives, Supernatural, the MCU, Disney, and other fandoms. This is my side blog, primary has been abandoned. AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardsonsandaughters/works

[waywardsonsandaughters]

Someone in the DBDA fandom had identified that the dolls — in the Dollhouse, and that make up the spider — are Mary Ann dolls. (It was @snowmenatwork and this was the post).

Which is the same derogatory term used by the boys who sacrificed Edwin.

So, when Edwin died with those words in his ears, and his heart, his Hell became the school, a maze of hallways, and became the spider made of Mary Ann dolls.

The phrase itself manifested into a grotesque, forever-hungry, terrible, grasping personification made to torture Edwin. To endlessly chase, tear him apart, and chew him up. And then to start it all anew.

To ensure, in every time he was caught, that Edwin would believe that who he was was wrong.

Because that’s what he had to believe. That’s what we see in the show. That he was an outsider. That he struggled with who he was. That he struggled, in some way, with affection, both giving and receiving. That there was a wrongness to him/that he was wrong (there isn’t, and he’s not. of course he’s not).

So when he meets Simon, and tells him “If you punish yourself, everywhere becomes Hell.” it’s because he did that for however long the spider made of dolls tortured him.

If Edwin’s story, according to George, is about understanding love in any form, I think that’s why Simon was locked away from Edwin. He wouldn’t have been able to understand, or to articulate. To free himself. To free Simon.

It’s perhaps why his second stint in Hell was different, in the end, because love (Charles) was there too.

It’s why the confession had to happen on those stairs because it wasn’t just for Charles. It was for himself, now, and for the young man sacrificed over 100 years before. An admission that he understood, truly, the ability to love without reservation. And that freed him.

[regretsofaghost]

1 and 41 for the questions for fic writers, if you want to answer them!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Oh man, this was a really hard one to think about and answer?????

Honestly... it would probably be for every piece of me that has come up short, you are right behind me, caring for me like there were no easier decision for you to make (explicit). It is the fic with the longest title (28 words!!!!) but also a bit of everything I write? It has also been my most self indulgent to date, including a good bit of my general way of writing (though without the strike-throughs I would later use liberally) Overall this fic has all the care and psychology I love in one nicely wrapped package, if you could look past the tags and see the love.

41. Link a fic that made you think, “Wow, I want to write like that.”

OH man. Okay so. First fic I really. Wrote for Dead Boy Detectives that I felt the complete and utter need to write was Lingering Touches (explicit, heed the warnings). However, that was directly influenced by my reading of here, as I prefer you (let's remove those pretty clothes) by @aletterinthenameofsanity.

There are so many wonderful writers in Dead Boy Detectives though. @waywardsonsandaughters holds the first fic I bookmarked nearly a year ago now. @ahyperactivehero has so many wonderful fics, including a hockey au, an amnesia au, and many oneshots. @purposefullyinlove also has many fics that make me feral when I read them. And of course @edmcmayonnaise has several fics that I want to chew on.

I just love all the authors in the fandom, even when I don't comment <3

[ooooooh]

Headcanon: Ghosts can use landline phones rather easily, however if you can’t perceive ghosts, them talking just sounds like demonic screeching and horror movie sound effects coming through the phone.

Post-canon, Crystal is hanging out with her new normal girl friends and her phone rings and she has to be like “I’m sorry, I have to take this. It’s……work.” and she moves just a few feet away and her friends listen to her have a normal conversation with what sounds like the souls of the damned.

Crystal: What is it?

Phone: *Garbled sound* *SCREECHING*

Crystal: Okay, yeah, I’ll be there in 2 hours.

Phone: *The sounds of a body being dragged across a floor*

Crystal: Yes, I have all the stuff. You worry too much.

Phone: *More garbled moans*

Crystal: Okay, bye-bye. See ya in a bit.

[waywardsonsandaughters]

ngl when I read “ghosts can use landline phones” my brain went to them being able to zip their spectral energies along the landline currents/electrical wires like their own personal little roadways.

[luvwich]

hi just a quick PSA / request from me, your friend luvwich

please don't feel guilty about your fandom engagement!

don't feel bad if you haven't been able to keep up with tumblr or discord!

don't feel guilty for not reading or commenting on a fic, and especially not for being "late"!

don't fret if you haven't responded to a tag or ask game! these are not homework assignments, they are playdate invitations and you don't need to make it to all of them!!

don't feel compelled to maintain the same amount or type of activity consistently!

you aren't delinquent

i won't forget about you

i will always be happy to see you again

thanks for your time!!

[magnificentcoffeekitten]

Always remember this is supposed to be fun first and foremost.

[dead-but-still-sarcastic]

The case of the 36 questions

For the 1 year anniversary of the show being canceled, I’ve put together a list of 36 questions (one for each year Edwin and Charles have known each other) about the show that you all can hopefully have fun answering. I know I love talking about the show, so I thought yall might enjoy a list of questions to use for an excuse to talk about it. You can answer all of them, you can answer some of them, you can let people pick numbers for questions to ask you, whatever you like. Just have fun with it.

Who’s your favorite character? 

Do you have a least favorite character? 

Which ship is your favorite?

What’s your favorite episode?

What’s your favorite scene?

Which costume in the show is your favorite?

What’s your favorite transition effect in the show?

What’s your favorite headcanon? 

Do you have a favorite fanfic? (Or a few you want to shoutout) 

Would you rather watch Scooby Doo with Niko and Edwin, or play Clue with Edwin and Charles? 

Would you rather be a cat, or a crow?  

Would you rather have Charles’ bag of tricks backpack or have the ability to mirror travel?

Would you rather be ripped apart one (1) time by the baby doll spider demon (after which, you would be brought back to life in whatever quality of health you were in before this happened), or have you live with the dandelion sprites in your room for the rest of your life? 

If you could pick a pin (or pins) to add to Charles’ jacket, what would the pin(s) be?

What would Edwin’s absolute least favorite social media platform would be?

Who is Niko’s favorite member of the Scooby Gang? 

Which card would Crystal be in a tarot deck? 

What would Monty’s favorite trinkets to be collect be? 

If he tried swimming in his human form, would Mick enjoy it, hate it, or just find it bittersweet? 

Would the Cat King (in human form) chase a laser pointer? 

What was Jenny’s first tattoo?

What type of music would Kashi listen to?

Would the Night Nurse ever answer to the name Charlie? 

Did Esther name her giant snake? If so, what’s it’s name?

Which character do you relate to most? 

What’s a song (that wasn’t in the show) that reminds you of the show? 

Which scene made you the saddest? 

Which detail in the show do you wish they expanded more on?

Do you think Esther and the Cat King are exes? 

Have you ever been jumpscared by Owner Of A Lonely Heart in the wild? 

When did you first watch the show?

Have you gotten anyone else to watch the show? If so, how did that go?

Do you have any funny stories related to the show? 

What’s your favorite thing about this fandom? 

Any self-promo you want to do?

And finally, have you heard of The Goo?

[ash-rigby]

“and part of this character’s arc is them learning how to be loved and cared for”

me every time: oh my god part of this character’s arc is them learning how to be loved and cared for

[sourdough-seal]

"why did you stop writing your story!!! never stop writing!!!!!!!!!!!" well you see the character had to drive one mile to a new location and the sentence "she got into the car" was quite simply my undoing

[meretbannerman]

notttt enough fics where one person confesses and the other person doesn't immediately know they love them back

[meretbannerman]

bonus points if person A confesses and then tries to move on and person B is going out of their mind with jealousy and doesn't even know why they feel like that bc person A is just a friend, right?

[meretbannerman]

i forgot to add that it's always so funny when person B still thinks they're straight but secretly feels so floaty and happy at the thought of person A being in love with them. for allyship reasons

[alltimefail]

George Rexstrew in Appearances, via George's IG. August 15, 2025 (×)

[deadboydetectivesdaily]

[syoddeye]

ok, because i just saw a terrible take, i feel compelled to say that there is no "fic market" to "oversaturate" in fandom. good gravy.

[cordeliawhohung-deactivated2024]

i need everyone reading this post to remember that writing is not "content." writing is art. you don't look at a painting of an ocean and say "eh, it's overdone." you look at it and think its beautiful, because it is, and y'all better start treating writing the same fucking way before you lose your favorite authors for good.

Art is not something to be capitalized on. Stop treating it like it is.

[waywardsonsandaughters]

How did I not put the pun together of Adam eating spare ribs.

[waywardsonsandaughters]

Throwing out this theory: Alastor’s deal is with his shadow.

It’s the only shadow in the show that I saw act independently of the body.

When you see Alastor as a silhouette I bet it’s actually his shadow and not him. For example, when he’s making his deal with Charlie, and after he’s crushed the watch from Vox you see his form but with the manic smile (which the shadow form always has).

In most scenes where his shadow takes on other forms it seems to move with Alasor following, instead of Alastor moving and it following. As if Alastor is the shadow, or a puppet. So, the line in his finale song about unclipping his wings was made to be the line to catch the audiences’ attention… to try and pull focus from his line about pulling strings (as if it were just the natural next part of the song). However, that line is backlit by his shadow looking very much like a puppet master to Alastor being the puppet.

A lot of times when the shadow is more tangible, or perhaps more in control than Alastor, there is a green hue, which isn’t Alastors’ color scheme. Think the battle with Adam; whenever the limbs come out like when he’s protecting the hotel from the loan sharks; the glow when he’s making his deal with Charlie and the glow emanating from beneath the room he’s in during his finale song.

What’s interesting about this as well is the green also shows up as thread lacing his mouth, and the chains used to bind Husk. But, the chains bind Alastor too— the links are purposefully wrapped around his cane, and his cane is a power source or imbued talisman.

Makes me also wonder if the Radio Demon is the shadow, and Alastor is just Alastor. When Mimzy says that Alastor revealed himself to be the Radio Demon it’s actually the shadow that’s shown.

There are times where I think the shadow takes over and becomes visible so-to-speak through Alastors’ body — when he grows antlers (I know he’s a deer); when his eyes change to radio knobs; when he makes the deal with Husk; when he appears to glitch. But I don’t think citizens realize they’re actually different creatures.

[crowclubkaz]

hazbin hotel black eye theory

thought i'd make this post real quick bc to all y'all that called the black eye theory ur SO right & i wholeheartedly believe that the season 1 finale proved that!!

okay so the black eye theory is that sinners in hell will have black eyes if they've sold their soul to an overlord.

an obvious example is husk, who sold is soul to alastor:

and then you have angel dust, who only has one black eye, because he sold his soul to valentino EXCLUSIVELY in-studio:

and then in the season 1 finale, we get this shot of alastor right before he backs off from adam, and his breakdown at the end of the episode confirms he's soul his soul too:

it could be argued that the black eyes are just a stylization thing, but i sure as shit saw that alastor. i fuckin SAW THAT

[ivoriyy]

THEYRE SO FUCKING DEAR TO ME

I CANT DO THIS

NETFLIX P L E A S E E E LISTEN TO ME MAN 😭😭😭😭😭

[waywardsonsandaughters]

Val: yeeeah, I thought he was gone for good too.

Vox: it’s been seven years.

Vaggie: how long has it been now?

Charlie: not that long, only… seven… years.

So we all know it’s not a coincidence that Alastor and Lilith have both been gone for 7 years, right?

[waywardsonsandaughters]

In Ready for This there is a line “like her daddy she is very power-fell” with “powerful” pronounced as two separate words.

While “fell” rhymes with “Hell” in the line before, it does work as “powerful” (with the usual pronunciation). It’s a bit loose, the rhyme, but there were other lines in the song where there wasn’t a rhyme match and it worked well.

It was done intentionally— not only to match for the rhyme, but to speak to some power Charlie has (and received from her bloodline) that Alastor wants.