Folkmore Info

[hellandbackpack]

basics

Name: Charles Rowland

Age: 51, but he is in all ways that matter, 16 years old.

Species: Ghost (Human)

Current Health: Dead

Residence: content

History: Wiki

Canon/Iteration: Dead Boy Detectives (1x3, Original)

visuals

details

height: 5'7"

build: Athletic

hair color: Black

eye color: Brown

Outfits: Full Casual Death

Charles is a half-Indian boy with short black curly hair he wears with notches cut into the sideburns, dark brown eyes, and a medium warm sort of skintone. His bone structure and the almost pointed ears give him an almost fox-like air especially when he smiles, which is often. He typically wears a red polo and bracers, and dark pressed trousers with white socks and brown leather penny loafers. He layers a burgundy Harrington jacket and a black wool overcoat with multiple pins on the lapels and patches stitched onto the shoulders, with a burgundy pocket square. As for accessories he has leather gloves, a single gold star earring in his left ear and a gold chain necklace.

persona

Personality

Charles, at first glance, is an absolute spitfire of a teen. He's lively, impulsive, impossibly charming, and absolutely impossible to ignore. He might be a ghost, but that hasn't stopped him from living the (after)life he wants, reaching out to take control of his destiny with both hands. His warmth and brashness make him the perfect contrast to Edwin's calm restraint, making them nearly perfect as investigative partners and best friends both. He's passionately inquisitive about the world around him, and seems in some way unable to be quiet or still. he needs to be moving, he needs to be talking, he needs to be making the most of the chance he's got. He's the sort of boy who wades right into the middle of danger with a grin, not because he's never known fear, but because he's never learned that fear should be able to stop him.

He'll laugh and joke his way through his fear, but it's never to make light of it- it's a way for him to feel in control of it, rather than it controlling him. This allows him to show incredible bravery, to the point of recklessness at times, running towards chaos because he can't stand to feel helpless. This is never more true than when he's coming to the defense of those who cannot defend themselves, or even more so should he be coming to Edwin's defense. He is deeply protective and loyal to those he loves, and he loves so very easily if given half a chance. His bravery extends to his independence, and his instinct to challenge authority, especially should it be unjust, a clear byproduct of his unfortunate early life and how he died, failed in every way by every authority figure in his life, he now is determined to make sure that no one else is failed like he was. Tragedy in life could have made him bitter, cruel, but instead he just lives and loves all the more fiercely as if in defiance of the cruelty. Chooses kindness, . All he wants, though he'll never admit it, is to matter. To be enough.

Another thing vital to him is connections. Charles is not a boy well-suited to solitude, and Edwin has, since he died, been the heart of his world. He is his most comfortable with the other teen, teasing, affectionate, fiercely loyal and protective. He does his best to be his partner's bridge to the world, grounding the often stoic boy with his own warmth and mischief. He's never had good examples of loving relationships to learn from, so he doesn't quite realize just how deeply his love for Edwin actually goes, simply assuming that... this is how a person loves their best friend, their other half, their person. With others, Charles is typically approaching any interaction as a chance to make another friend. He's outgoing, charming, flirts in an almost habitual way at times. Does his best to make others smile and laugh no matter if the timing might sometimes be terrible. Personable, but at times he can come across as overconfident. However friendly he is, Charles isn't one to suffer people treating him as lesser for things like what he is, or his supposed age. And he's not one to allow others to be treated that way either, will always step in, reckless, mouthy and irreverent to whoever the offender is, no matter how important or powerful they might be. He is, despite his laissez-faire attitude at times, so very sincere in how he cares for others, and it shines through in everything he does, more than he might realize or intend.

This does not mean he's not without his flaws and failings. Dead or no, Charles is as human as anyone else despite his larger than life persona. Despite encouraging others towards understanding their own emotions, he so often avoids his own. Hides his uncertainties and painful feelings behind a mask of confidence and humor, which leaves him unable to process them. This sometimes ties into his impulsive behaviors, where he avoids painful revelations by acting without thinking things through, as if he could somehow outrun the reality of his own mind and heart. And unfortunately, this feeds into how he seems almost unable to be still, quiet, as if he might just fade away if he can't move, can't do. And with how responsible he feels for protecting Edwin, for defending those around him, any failure to do so feels like a moral failing. Like he's failing at his purpose. Like those around him will see him fail and decide that he's not good enough. That he's just like his father. That they'd be better off if they left him behind. And that, to a boy so desperate for love and understanding is a harrowing prospect. So, he winds up overcompensating. Smiling too bright. Laughing a bit too loud. Taking a risk he shouldn't, as if he can prove his worth if he can just endure so others don't have to. He tries his best, his heart is clearly in the right place, but sometimes, that's not quite enough to avoid turmoil.

In the end, Charles is like a flame in a lantern that refuses to go out in defiance of the encroaching dark. He's loud, loyal, and just a little bit lost. While he might be physically dead, he's so very alive in spirit and heart, full of stubborn, almost defiant hope, turning death, which could have been a quiet, miserable prison, into an adventure, one he intends to share every step of with Edwin. He is a ghost who's never stopped living. He'll face down demons, witches, eternity itself with a smile on his lips and a quip on his tongue, because if he stops to think about what's gone, he might never start back up again.

Questions

❥ What is the most important and defining relationship(s) in your character's life and why?
Of all of his relationships, none are more defining for Charles than his relationship with Edwin. Literally the person that Charles ran away from Death, giving up the possibility of Heaven to spend his afterlife with, he defines himself by this loyalty, taking a sense of purpose from being with his friend. Their situation leaves them both as outsiders, leaving them reliant on each other for understanding, and Charles is fiercely protective, even to the detriment of his own well-being at times. They are two sides of a coin- Charles is warm, impulsive, emotionally bombastic, whereas Edwin is more cautious, intellectually driven, reserved. This is what makes their partnership work, Edwin acting as a grounding influence when emotions run high for Charles, and Charles in turn drawing his friend out of the isolation he so easily slides into on his own. While he's aware that he loves Edwin as his best friend, there's also an undercurrent of love there that fuels his protectiveness and courage. Part of his fear of his own anger and negative emotions is how they'll affect Edwin, how he might harm the other ghost if he somehow loses himself to it. He works his hardest to be worthy of being at Edwin's side, despite the fact that simply existing seems to be enough. This is a teen so desperately devoted that he can and did delve into Hell, with nothing but a shaky map he didn't quite understand and a cricket bat to save his friend. If soulmates were real, Edwin would be Charles'.

❥ What does your character feel like they struggle with still? Where could they improve? This could be physically, mentally, emotionally, or otherwise.
Despite his confident facade, Charles is shockingly insecure, dogged by the fear that he is not "good enough" or worthy of care and connection. This stems from years of prolonged abuse where he was made to feel useless by an abusive father, and then by friends who were anything but. As a result he doubts his own abilities in many cases, even in situations where he's clearly capable. That same past leaves Charles struggling with years of pent-up anger. He masks it behind charm and good humor, but it simmers under that mask and on occasion surfaces in self-destructive ways that he fears will someday hurt someone he cares about. Refusing to address this very real response to his trauma stymies his ability to process it in any healthy way, handicapping his ability to make connections with others, to understand his own emotions both positive and negative. Most damaging though, is his fear that his trauma has left him somehow lesser or flawed, driving him to rely on the approval of others to derive a sense of self-worth. This can make him hesitant to assert his needs or express vulnerability. Instead he hides behind his humor and performative cheer, so as not to bring his friends down with him. He desperately needs to learn that he can acknowledge and express his anger without becoming a monster for it, learn to trust in his own validation, and recognize that his past does not define his value as a person. It boils down to needing to trust. To trust that he isn't some broken monster, to trust that his friends will love and support him even if he isn't the perfect charming version of himself that he pretends to be. To allow himself to be loved like he loves others.

❥ If your character could change one thing about their past, what would it be and why? Or why not?
Before his death, Charles' life was shadowed darkly by abuse, neglect, and misery, at the hands of those who were supposed to care for him, and those who called themselves his friends. It scarred him so deeply that he remains afraid of the consequences of his own anger, left him desperate to be seen as good, to be seen as enough. It would stand to reason that there were any number of events in his life that he would be desperate to change for the better. However, Charles understands that each step on this path, no matter the hardship involved in taking it, led to his death, and more importantly to Edwin. If he changes anything about his life and afterlife, he jeopardizes his most vital and enduring relationship. To Charles, meeting Edwin gave his death, and his continued existence after, purpose that he otherwise wouldn't have found. His connection with Edwin is more important to him than anything, even the idea of being able to escape the trauma that dogged his brutally short life with such hardship. Though unconventional, and certainly strange, the life Charles shares with Edwin is the single most meaningful connection he's ever known. Aside from that, his hardships forged him into a better person- where another might have become bitter and jaded, Charles went the opposite direction, choosing empathy, warmth, and loving as fiercely possible as if in defiance of that misery. He may still struggle with his insecurities, and the temper inherited from his father, but the pain that forged him was simply the cost of finding someone who was so perfectly his other half, and he wouldn't risk that bond for anything.

❥ What is your character's safespace? When do they feel the most settled and comfortable? When do they feel confident and relaxed?
For Charles, his safe space is found in a place, and in a person. The Dead Boy Detectives office is one, that represents a sense of safety, security and purpose for him. The routines found in the rhythm of being in the office, the research, planning, and banter, contrast with the chaotic uncertainty of his life before. Surrounded by the familiar elements of case files, Edwin's books, his curios, their games, the teen feels more grounded for his time spent there. It is a place where he has clear purpose in helping others, not 'useless' as his insecurities might claim. He sometimes still feels the need to distract himself with cheer, but overall being there softens the need to perform. His truest safe space though is at Edwin's side. He finds all of the things he was denied in life there- being accepted, wanted, protected by the other teen. His implicit trust in his partner makes him a touchstone in even dangerous situations, and Edwin's trust in Charles in turn lessens his insecurities, dampens the internalized voices of his abusers. Knowing that Edwin won't abandon him leaves Charles with the freedom to laugh, to plot, to fight with confidence. It goes beyond the physical: Just the sense of his presence helps to draw out Charles' most authentic self at times. That relaxation is only enhanced when they are together in their office. The combination of purpose and intimacy creates a stability that allows Charles a time where he doesn't need to mask his feelings as fiercely, he can simply be himself. In this home that Charles and Edwin have built for themselves he feels the most cared for, the safest to let his more genuine sort of natural warmth emerge rather than the bright mask for others.

❥ What would your character sacrifice to get what they want or to reach their potential? What have they sacrificed already?
In many ways, Charles is a creature of sacrifice- he often makes smaller sacrifices of his emotional well-being by masking his fears and anger under cheer, prioritizing other's stability over his own. It is a pattern that speaks to a selflessness that almost borders on self-erasure. In a way, his willingness to sacrifice is tied to loyalty- he would give up anything: his safety, his freedom, his very identity if it meant protecting Edwin from Hell's grasp, keeping him safe. Nothing matters more to him. He's already sacrificed the possibility of Heaven; trading his possibility of eternal peace and healing to continue to exist in a fraught, uncertain world if he could only remain by Edwin's side. The promise of that bond matters more than any other reward, speaking to the depths of his love and dependence on the other teenager, despite how short a time they'd known each other by then. In doing so, Charles gave up closure for love, showing that he sees this companionship as worth more than paradise. It is both a profound act of love, and a quiet tragedy, revealing both his devotion and his fear of abandonment. Sacrifice leaves him at risk of stagnation; forever defined by trauma, unresolved anger, insecurity. It leaves him tethered to the living world and the pain there. Yet it also gives him a sense of purpose he'd never known before, a sense of belonging he'd craved his whole life but was denied. He sacrificed Heaven for the chance at love, and was rewarded handsomely. For Charles sacrifice is not just an act, it is the shape of his love. In a way this defines him- his sacrifices are both his greatest strength but also his greatest limitation.

etc

//This section can be used in a variety of ways. Add a quick summary of positive/negative traits, list fun facts that didn't fit into the personality otherwise (allergic to mangoes! enneagram type 4! whatever!)//

role: myth

Qualities and Attributes

Myth will have Charles more ready to hide his emotions, to suppress his anger regardless of if it was better to express it. He'll be paradoxically more friendly and seemingly open to anyone who doesn't recognize the hidden emotion. His distrust of authority figures? Yeah, crank that up to eleven too. Physically, Charles will have fog that hazes off of him, congealing into the vague shape of horns and a tail. They tend to be wispy and intangible typically, but if he is leaning into his Myth tendencies, they can become more tangible, seeming made of ice if fully 'there'. He has little fangs, and his eyes are entirely dark and reflective- it is almost impossible to tell what he's feeling by his gaze.

Role Reasoning

While Charles at a glance seems like an open book, he is in actuality quite the guarded sort. He learned early in life to hide any negativity behind a mask of amicable cheer, lest someone see a hint of anger, his insecurities, or his trauma, and decide he's too much. While part of it is the culture he grew up in, Charles has a strong streak of individualism- those in authority have failed him repeatedly, ensuring that he has a deep, abiding distrust of authority and those with it. He prefers to rely on his own sense of right and wrong to get him through situations, and thankfully with the cleverness, curiosity and adaptability he shows, he tends to do alright by it. Being a Myth would hold a mirror up to the aspects of himself that he currently buries under masks, and perhaps enable him to process them in healthier ways than simply shoving them down and denying they exist. It is a natural fit, as it reflects both who he is currently, and the journey needed to reconcile with his past and emotions in a way that will allow him to grow and develop into his best self.

abilities

Learned Skills

💥Basic Hand-to-Hand Combat💥
🥸Disguises🥸
🏏Sports🏏
🔍Investigation🔍
🔓Lock Picking🔓
💣Minor explosives💣
🎒Navigation of his backpack's complex pocket dimension🎒

Canon Abilities

👻Ghost physiology👻 As a ghost, Charles possesses the following 🟢powers🟢 and 🔴weaknesses🔴:
🟢Intangibility🟢 Charles can pass through anything and everything, aside from iron or magically warded things.
🟢Invisibility🟢 Charles cannot be visibly perceived by other human beings, unless they have had near death experiences or are involved in magic in some way.
🟢Orb Form🟢 Can condense down into a form akin to a ball of light, by force, by being harmed enough, or willingly
🟢Catoptric teleportation🟢 Charles is able to teleport using mirrors. This seems to be able to be stymied by covering the mirror.
🟢Shape🟢 Ghosts have some control over their physical shape, able to change what outfits they wear, or their general appearance. If they do not do this, they seem to default to their appearance and condition upon their death.
🟢Possession🟢 Charles can possess a person, though it's shown to be difficult to hold onto the more magically adept a person is, and also because he doesn't have much practice.
🟢Minor magic🟢 Charles is no spellcaster, but he's got enough to assist Edwin in preparing and casting rituals, and is likely the one who applied the runes and enchantments to his cricket bat, even if it was likely with careful copying of pre-existing enchantments from books.
🔴Electrical Fields🔴 Ghosts can cause devices to malfunction if near them for too long, and can have issues with magnets. The older and more 'analog' a device is, the less likely it is to be damaged by their presence.
🔴Hauntings🔴 Ghosts can manifest hauntings, either purposefully or if emotionally fraught- these can reflect either something about the person, or how they died. In Charles' case this includes things like cold spots, seeing one's breath, damp footprints and the like alongside typical things like echoes, flickering lights, radios, etc.
🔴Death Loop🔴 Spirits can be caught in a 'death loop' recreating their last moments, and other spirits can be caught in the cycle accidentally by interacting with the spirits already involved.
🔴Iron🔴 Iron can burn ghosts and force them to be solid and vulnerable while in contact with them.
🔴Magic🔴 Ghosts are vulnerable to the effects of magic, they can be repelled, banished and even destroyed through rituals and spells.
🔴Cat Scratches🔴 Cat scratches are one of the few things that can harm a ghost, with it being described as a burning feeling.

ooc

PLAYER: Kiwi . TIMEZONE: Central . CONTACT: atomic_kiwi,  Atomic_Kiwi, PM

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