Orbwin And Chorb - Tumblr Posts

Dead Boy Detectives is taking over my brain, send help

So I wrote a thing. Orbwin and Chorb have been living in my head rent free and this is what came of it. Please note, it's not beta read, but I hope you enjoy (it was so much fun to write).

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It was an unseasonably warm day when it happened.

Charles didn’t notice at first. He was a ghost. Ghosts don’t get warm. He had smiled wryly, hearing the curt, but affectionate, admonishment from Edwin even without Edwin having to verbalize it.

“Ghosts don’t need to sleep, Charles.” Edwin would sigh.

“Charles, ghosts just don’t get sick.” the words punctuated as if that would help it stick.

“Remember Charles, we can’t feel anything of the living.” the statement was always delicate, as if Edwin didn’t want to upset Charles. 

“We don’t feel hot or cold. Really, Charles.” it came as an impatient scoff, but as with anything, infused with a fondness Charles knew Edwin reserved just for him.

Charles was positive though that he could do all of the things Edwin claimed they couldn’t. 

He knew at times he could feel cold, and sick. The deep chill settling into his bones, the wheeze he could sometimes feel when he took breaths he didn’t actually need to take. Once in a while, if he turned the wrong way something would pinch in his side around his ribs, or his head would throb for a moment. There wasn’t a catalyst, and he knew he was more sensitive to temperature because of how he died.

He never slept, but it was easier for him to find relaxation in the darkness of his closed eyes than Edwin ever would. He would doze on the couch, if they took the train, anytime they took an outing. 

He especially loved parks. 

Charles would insist they find a place to sit so Edwin could watch the living and Charles could close his eyes leaning against Edwin, laying his back on the grass with his legs draped over Edwin, or his head sometimes cradled in Edwin’s lap. 

Edwin would indulge him, telling him about the people he observed, and would even read sometimes. Every so often they would clasp hands, or Charles could feel Edwin’s fingers circling an ankle, or he’d feel thin graceful fingers stroking his hair. He might not feel the living or their things, but he could feel Edwin. Dozing was so easy in those moments. 

This day, Charles had been standing by their case board, hand gripping one of their note cards moving it from open to closed. Part of him faced the window, and he could feel the sun on his skin. He remembered the feeling of it, and the matter that made him a ghost flooded into those sun-kissed spots, filled with the warmth of his memories, and relaxation settled into his limbs. 

As his shoulders dipped, tension uncurled. The relaxation shifted, the heaviness of sleep oozed through him. He’d see if he could tempt Edwin into a park day soon, satisfied in knowing he could sleep and Edwin could also take some time to decompress.

He worried for Edwin, nearly constantly, and in varying degrees, since their time in Port Townsend, and learning about the previous relatively unspoken 70 years of Edwin’s afterlife in Hell. He knew, as easily as he knew his own name, that Edwin needed a break.

As he had picked the next card, reading through the delicate handwriting outlining quick notes of the case, Crystal had come into the office, fanning herself with her hands before sweeping her hair back, trying to get as much of it as she could off her neck. She collapsed onto the couch with a grimace. It was hot. The office. The couch. Everything and anything, really.

Charles glanced at Edwin, smiling, who had been sitting behind their desk. There was a small huff, Edwin shifting his gaze from Crystal to Charles as if to say both “the living,” and “what do we do?”

Easily, Charles replied to Crystal they could look at getting fans, as air conditioning would be difficult for such an old building. However, he kept watching Edwin.

Edwin looked…uncomfortable? Flushed? Tired? Charles tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing. It wasn’t any of those exactly, it was something else. Edwin, he found, was extremely good at hiding his emotions, except annoyance, and his discomfort. This time the vague sense of Edwin being uncomfortable was different. While Edwin and Crystal had debated the best ways to keep cool, including getting a fan, Charles kept his attention on his partner.

The conversation moved into the case, Crystal having exhausted her options and Edwin having run out of patience. As Edwin reached for the case file from a pile on the desk Charles saw the moment, the moment in between the moments. He could see the folder through Edwin’s fingers. Charles stepped forward, and there must have been something in the way he had moved that had Edwin looking up at him. 

Charles paused. He saw Edwin’s gaze unfocus, before sliding a vacant expression to the case file. In the skipped beat between Edwin catching his eye and turning to the folder, Charles could feel the anticipation ebbing and flowing within him as he stood arrested, waiting.

When the file opened, and Edwin began outlining the expectations and situation to Crystal, Charles felt a prickling sensation in his skin, he wiggled his fingers, felt his calves tighten wanting to lurch forward for what he knew was inevitable. Edwin, Charles realized, hadn’t figured it out yet.

To Charles, it felt like hours before Edwin gently closed the file, handing it to Crystal who had come to stand beside Edwin at the desk. Charles saw her arch a brow slightly and he knew she was trying to puzzle something out. 

As she passed him on the way to the door, Crystal stopped and they were side-by-side. Their arms brushed and she didn’t look at him, still facing the door, Charles facing the desk, and he felt her hand grasp at his and squeeze. Charles squeezed back, gaze trained on Edwin as he quietly, steadily, asked Crystal to give them, he and Edwin he meant, some time. 

She replied she’d follow up after her part of the case, and they both moved, Crystal to the door, flipping the recently acquired open/closed sign to “closed” and locking the door behind her, and Charles to Edwin.

In the steps to the desk, Charles saw color surface on Edwin’s face, heat blooming on his cheeks and down his neck to his ears. He saw the dazed expression slide over Edwin’s features, and the slight tremble starting in his fingers as he held another case file, the material bending as his grip tightened. The tremble moved up to Edwin’s shoulders, his chest, before it looked as if Edwin could vibrate apart.

There was a small gasp of surprise from Edwin just as Charles reached out. He had intended to pull Edwin to him, but Charles' hands met empty air and a pop of light illuminated the space where Edwin had sat.

Charles wasn’t sure what had caused the shift, it could have been any number of things, and it didn’t matter. Edwin was exhausted, psychologically spent, and currently settled into the desk chair as a small orb, a faint golden light pulsing in time with what Charles believed to be a heartbeat. Periodically, the light would tint with a pale blue hue.

He scooped Edwin up in his cupped hands, pulling the orb close to his chest. While they were vulnerable in this state they weren’t delicate, but Charles treated him as such as he wrapped his hands tightly around Edwin, padding softly to the couch, and squished himself into the cushions.

It was rare this happened to either of them. Charles hated seeing Edwin push himself to the point of change, but there was a pleasant thrumming of adoration that nearly paralyzed him as he held the pure essence, the soul, of Edwin Payne gently in his palms.

He wasn’t sure if Edwin could hear him but as he slouched back, legs extended into the office space and hugging Edwin to his heart, he whispered to him and ran a finger across the orb as if to run fingers through Edwin’s hair, and closed his eyes.

Crystal, file in hand, entered the office. The sign was still showing “closed” and the door was still locked. Since she’d last seen them she had done as much of the up front work as she could, and needed their help. She was surprised neither Edwin or Charles had mirror hopped to her apartment to check in; Edwin was rather impatient at times, and despite giving them over a day to make an appearance she was also eager to close the case.

The office was quiet. The lights were still on, the desk as she had last seen it with the files stacked neatly to one side although one of the files was askew in the center. The desk chair was pushed back, and the door with the case board was open. She turned, looking around, and was about to leave thinking they’d both gone out, exasperation tugging at her expression and shifting her shoulders when she saw a soft, unfamiliar light rebounding off the polished wood floor by the couch.

Stepping further into the room and peering over the low wall to the couch she tilted her head, mouth parting into an “O” as she saw two glowing orbs nestled on the couch each one pulsating in turn. 

They were beautiful. The glow of one, periodically tinted red, would catch up to the other. The calm increase then decrease in light would be the same in both before settling back into a varying rhythm. Then the other would follow soon after, the glow of the pair beating in time, before falling out of sync.

Without thinking, Crystal made her way to the couch and carefully, as not to disturb either of them, sat beside the glowing forms of Edwin and Charles. Her hands hesitated over them both, the protective desire to hold them making her fingers twitch. She smiled fondly, but held back, knowing how much Edwin would protest being touched or held by anyone other than Charles. 

She pulled her phone out of her bag and popped in ear buds while softly, lovingly, telling them she’d keep an eye on them. She let the sentiment curl around them, she hoped they could hear it.

Her heart beat. The orbs pulsed brightly in time.

Recharging II (Chorb version)

portable boyfriend

I love every time people talk about them going into orb form and the other carrying them around.

I love you Orbwin and Chorb

Chorbwin my beloved

cherishing each other's true forms

bonus orb husbands:

I like it that as a fandom we still tag Edwin/Charles with different ship names, but we all agreed on Orbwin and Chorb. And use it all the time. Good for us.

portable boyfriend, part two!

I wanted to fuck around with glow effects because they're easy to achieve especially if you're not aiming for anything smooth, and then I figured why not add bubbles and make it Charles and Edwin x)

Dead Boy Detectives is taking over my brain, send help

Was playing D&D today, and our DM narrated that we saw some orbs up on a shelf that were obviously more precious than anything else in the room. I had to actually stop myself from crowing, “Chorbwin!”

🤣

I ended up kinda of muttering it to myself. My 15 year old nephew, who sits next to me, leaned over and whispered to me, “What’s a Chorbwin?” I said, “Creatures made of light and wielding incredible power over we mere mortals.”

Was playing D&D today, and our DM narrated that we saw some orbs up on a shelf that were obviously more precious than anything else in the room. I had to actually stop myself from crowing, “Chorbwin!”

these cursed gifs of orbwin and chorb were made by the awesome gingy from the dbd central @asnottoldbyginger who was kind enough to ping me and give me permission to share them here

enjoy the orb boys

The Adventures of Orbwin and Chorb: A Masterlist

This is where any information pertaining to Orbwin and Chorb is stored for any use and for all to see. Written by that-trans-autistic-guy, with an assist by @technically-human who made the first depiction of the orb boys. List is to be updated, please message @that-trans-autistic-guy to request an addition to the list. Posts/fics tagged with the tags attached to this post will be easier to find for everyone who loves the orb boys :D

Traits, Attributes and Ideas

Ship name is Chorbwin

The orbs can purr in the same way cats do. Results in a visual vibration and soft sound. They have limited awareness in orb form, so it follows the feelings of safety and comfort.

The gravitate towards each other slightly, not unlike magnets

Often just soft, warm light but can occasionally be in their hero colors: blue for Edwin, red for Charles

The orbs give off warmth, one the dead and living alike can feel

The girls call them “The Orb Boy Detectives”

Charles made Orbwin a tiny ghost costume

Fanfics

Carry These Torches For You - that_trans_autistic_guy

You Said, “I’ll Never Leave You Alone” - Aster_Flower114

A Better Place, A Better Time - TheFanficMustFlow

Why Do I Tire of Counting Sheep? - carpediemma

The Many Forms of Phantoms - thegirlofthorns

Orbing With Edwin and Charles - grammarglamour

Fic by @/waywardsonsanddaughters

Frippery - Baby_Spinach

Professional Networking - RoseGanymede95

Fanart

Recharging - @technically-human

Recharging II - @technically-human

The Infamous Puppy Debacle of ‘94 - @technically-human

Niko and Orbwin - @gaypanicattackonlegs

Orbwin in Charles’ Jacket - @fellow-fandom-fruitifier

Portable Boyfriend - @jube-art

Portable Boyfriend Part 2 - @jube-art

The Girls and Chorbwin - @arisprite

Chorbwin But Colored - @terresdebrume

Cherishing Each Other’s True Forms - @a-jasminator

ORBWIN - @random-art-p3rson

Painland Week Orb Boys - @etheriiart

Misc. Chorbwin Posts

Simple Orbs - @crosnt

Great Orb Incident of ‘02 - @edwinspaynes

First Sighting of ‘Chorbwin’ - @ace-misplaced

“ChOrBWIn” - @pippin-katz

Hyperactive Chorb - @khrorazir

Chorbwin Comic - @2ndfannypack

The Orb Boy Wizard - @succstosucculent

Cursed Chorbwin Gifs

They’re in Lorb (Orb Love)

“Crystal?” Niko’s voice over the phone is a shaky whisper.

Crystal immediately juggles her keys and groceries to grab her phone properly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Niko says quietly. “But something weird is happening.”

Crystal shoves her front door open with her shoulder as the FaceTime request dings. She drops the groceries in the foyer and accepts it. Instead of Niko’s lovely face filling the screen, it’s a shaky shot of the doorway to the office. “What am I looking at?”

“I don’t know,” Niko whispers. “That’s why I called you.” She steps forward and the phone camera almost immediately gives up in the face of very bright light. “Aw, you can’t see it.” The camera flips back to reveal Niko’s face bathed in the radiance. Crystal notes with some relief that Niko looks more awed than hurt.

“Babe,” Crystal says patiently. “What’s going on?”

“There’s like a glowing orb. It’s all pretty colors. Like pink and blue. It’s sitting on Edwin’s desk and he’s not here. Neither of them are—“

“Yeah, no, they are,” Crystal sighs. “They’re Venn diagramming.”

Niko tilts her head in frame, puppyish confusion that makes Crystal just want to scoop her up and kiss her face all over. “What?”

“You know what a Venn diagram is.” Niko nods at her. Neither of them probably got enough school but they did go. “So the Venn diagram of ghosts who love each other is a circle,” Crystal explains, smirking a little. Edwin had been so mad the first time she said it, which only made it funnier.

"Ohhhhh," Niko says, eyes widening with understanding. "That's clever."

Crystal thinks she probably looks as smug as she feels. “They have a ghost form that doesn’t require them to exert as much energy. They’re just spirit orbs. Usually you only see spirit orbs floating faintly in the background, even if you have the Sight. They’re a low-energy form. Apparently, at some point, the boys figured out that if their orbs touch, they can meld together.”

“That sounds dirty,” Niko laughs.

“It probably is! Anyway, Charles and Edwin glow so fuckin’ brightly when they’re together. Sometimes it’s just a partial meld and sometimes they become one giant glowing orb. I usually like to check in with them, but don’t touch them. They can sense some things while in that form so I don’t want to bother them. I just don't like leaving them alone since it’s also a vulnerable time and I prefer to make sure no other ghosts intrude on them either. You know people show up at the office at all hours.”

“Soooooo…want to come over?” Niko asks, raising a perfect eyebrow. “Girls’ Night at the Ghost Orb?

“Sure,” Crystal laughs. “It’s a date. I’ll be right over. You want anything?”

“Bring some of the soda and the matcha we picked up last weekend. I was gonna stash some at the office anyway for when we have late nights.”

“Alright. Love you, babe. Don’t touch the orb and I’ll see you soon.” Crystal blows a little kiss to the camera and watches Niko’s face crease with delight. Niko blows her a kiss too and then signs off.

***

Crystal can see the bright light even through the door and contemplates whether a door shade might be helpful. She walks into the office humming.

For the second time today, she drops her grocery bag on the floor. She rips her headphones out and puts her hands on her hips. “What did I say about touching the orb, Niko?”

Niko looks up from where she is…well, spooning the ghost orb on the couch. She is so damn good at the puppy eyes that Crystal almost forgets that she asked a question. Almost.

“Babe, seriously!?”

“They almost fell off the desk!” Niko protests, pouting. “I had to catch them. And they glow more when I touch them.” She traces a gentle fingertip over the top curve of the orb nestled against her and it erupts in pink swirls over a dark blue background.

Crystal sighs. “Alright.” In fairness, the boys never specifically prohibited touching, it just seemed polite. And probably, they won’t mind because it’s Niko and both of them find her utterly charming; Crystal can’t even be offended by that because she also thinks her girlfriend is adorable. She rummages in the grocery bag for a soda and uses her keys to pry the lid off the bottle. She takes a sip and then motions at Niko. “Lift your head up.”

Niko moves obligingly, giving Crystal enough space to sit at the end of the couch before she drops her head into Crystal’s lap.

“See,” Niko says sweetly. “Now we’re all comfy.” She grabs the edge of her tunic top and uses it to scoop the orb up closer to her stomach. Helpfully, this also mutes the bright light, at least from Crystal’s point of view. She pulls her sunglasses out of her hair carefully and offers them to Niko, who grins up at her before sliding them on.

“You’re explaining this to Edwin when he stops being an orb.”

“Okay.” Niko nuzzles her cheek against Crystal’s thigh. “I have so many questions anyway. I want to know all about being a giant ball of light. Honestly, that sounds pretty cool. Do you think Edwin would let me take him around while he was an orb? What if his orb wants to go hang out at the beach or something? For like maximum ghost relaxation.”

Crystal can’t help the way she looks at Niko, her heart almost bursting with love. “Yeah, baby, I bet for you he’d go on some kind of ghost orb vacation. Charles would be thrilled if you got him to take a break occasionally.” She tucks Niko’s heavy silken hair behind her ear. “Want a sip?”

“Is it the tamarind one?”

“No, regular cola. There’s a tamarind one in the bag if you want.”

“No. I’m comfy. Gimme a sip.”

Crystal holds the bottle to her mouth carefully, tipping it up in little bursts until Niko gets her fill. She bends down to kiss her, both of their mouths sticky-sweet and slick.

They spend hours there, sharing a drink and taking turns playing music on Crystal’s phone. It’s fun, both spending time with Niko and watching the orb change colors. Crystal knows that the deep blue is Charles and the pink is Edwin, the two of them mixed together in this form. She knows because she once caught Charles with Edwin’s orb tucked under his elbows while he sorted some small silver charms on the floor. He’d been talking to it before she walked in and when he looked up his face was nearly as pink as the orb cuddled in his lap.

There’s a slight buzzing noise and then Charles falls out of Niko’s grasp rather spectacularly. He grins up at them from the floor though, entirely unhurt. “Heya.”

“Charles?” Niko says, leaning up on her elbow. “Are you okay?”

“Aces, Niko, don’t worry. Gimme Edwin?”

Niko sits up to hand the orb to Charles and Crystal doesn’t think that she imagines the way it glows brighter in Charles’s careful hands. Charles stands and sets the orb on the desk.

“You guys okay?” Crystal asks. “No supernatural exhaustion from working cases while we sleep or something, right?”

Silently and neatly, Edwin replaces the orb and says, “We’re perfectly fine.” He shoots his cuffs and then rests his hands in his lap; he looks tidy perched on the desk, like a little doll, while Charles is leaning against it like he’d like to dive right back into Edwin again.

“Does it feel like sleeping?” Niko asks, taking Crystal's sunglasses off and hanging them from the collar of her shirt. “It looked relaxing.”

“It is.” Edwin softens a little, looking at where Niko is resting her head against Crystal’s shoulder. Crystal stretches her legs out, thinking maybe she’d like a nap too, all warm and cozy with her girlfriend. “However,” Edwin continues, ever the proper tutor, “it does not resemble sleep. It is, at best, a facsimile of lying on a grassy hillock and watching the clouds drift by. That is to say, restful, but still aware.”

“What does Charles feel like?” Niko asks and Crystal snorts.

“Warm,” Edwin answers instinctively and then makes an odd little motion. It looks like the cousin of a flinch, a nervous tic he hasn’t quite killed. He clears his throat. “Notably, though most ghostly existences do not include registering sensations from food or touching others, we can be interacted with by other supernatural beings. We mostly encounter hostile creatures or other ghosts. Though I have found most ghosts are as cold as they are long dead, Charles is strangely warm to the touch.”

Charles grins like he did that on purpose, the idiot.

Niko sighs. “Awwwwww, that’s so sweet. Is Edwin warm?” She looks at Charles expectantly.

“I think he’s pretty hot,” Charles says with a wink and Crystal throws the nearest pillow at him. He catches it, the asshole, and lobs it back.

“Hey,” Crystal says, batting it away from Niko’s face. “Leave her out of it.”

“Indeed,” Edwin says dryly, “it’s bad form to drag civilians into your fight. Come on, Niko, I had something to show you.”

Crystal hugs Niko tighter to her, grinning when Niko giggles. “You can’t steal my girlfriend. She already spent all afternoon spooning you two.”

Charles laughs at that.

“Sorry, should I define spooning for you?” Crystal teases Edwin.

He rolls his eyes and then offers Charles his hand. “I can figure it out very well. How exactly do you think people kept warm during the winter in my time?” He spins Charles into his arms, the slight height advantage he gained from sitting on the desk allowing him to wrap himself entirely around Charles like a smug octopus.

Charles beams at them, thoroughly pleased to be tangled up in Edwin. Crystal can’t help smiling too. It took so long for them to admit their feelings, and then even longer to show even a hint of those feelings in front of her. This level of cuddling is only a few months old and it’s utterly adorable. She presses her cheek to Niko’s hair and inhales her sweet perfume.

“Why don’t you just bring the book here?” Niko asks Edwin. “Then we could all be warm and cozy.”

Edwin makes a considering face. “I could. Where will I keep Charles? You two are taking up two thirds of the couch.”

“Oh that’s easy,” Niko says, looping an arm around Crystal’s neck to pull herself into Crystal’s lap properly. Crystal wraps an arm around her waist instinctively, holding her steady as she wriggles herself into her best position.

“Very well,” Edwin says indulgently, as though this is a great favor and he won’t delight in cuddling Charles. “Shall I read out loud to you?”

“Yes,” Charles hums just as Niko echoes him.

Edwin’s mouth twitches into a smile. “Very well. Move over then.”

Edwin picks up the book from his desk, a small one with a green fabric cover and gold-edged pages; he settles on the other half of the sofa and waits expectantly for Charles to sit on his lap.

With their legs tangled together, he hands the book to Charles so he can wrap his arms around Charles and hook his chin over Charles’ bony shoulder. Niko tucks her feet under Edwin’s ghostly thigh and he smiles at her.

Crystal closes her eyes as Edwin begins to read; she won’t admit it, but his voice and Niko’s warm weight in her lap are more than enough to send her off to sleep in a heartbeat.

Chorbwin my loves 💕

Chorbwin is my new OTP

* b o n k *

Can't believe how good we had it in August. Dozens of fresh adorable Gameos everyday. Jayden thugging it out through a horror video game he hated while we played drinking bingo to raise money for Parkinson's research. The hope of a second season. New art, new fan fics everyday. Chorbwin. Five duck sized Jaydens. George cooking a roast dinner for Jayden instead of roasting him. An official Edwin playlist.

Stay strong, comrades. The sun will shine on us again. And we've got literally forever to figure the rest out.

Edwin Payne Charles Rowland payneland Brainrot BRAINROT I’m being consumed and there’s no stopping it

Tag list:

@aspenaspenaspenaspenaspen

@wow-youre-so-pretty

@myfairkatiecat

@thatrandomlemononyourcounter1

@cosmxc-ars3hol3

Recharging II (Chorb version)