demelzathemer

[demelzathemer]

Imagine if ghosts reverted to their death state on the anniversary of their deaths, but I'm making it worse for Edwin in particular.

So I feel like Charles would struggle with it, obviously, but he also met Edwin when he was actively dying so, after a handful of years, he doesn't mind if Edwin -- only Edwin -- sees. They just sit down for the day and read till he can slip into his orb form in a facsimile of rest.

But then we got Edwin. This man will yap and yap about capital H Hell but God Forbid he actually TALK about his trauma. 'Charles mustn't be exposed to that!' is his fav excuse but c'mon. Be. So. Fr. He just doesn't want Charles to think of him differently.

There are days where Edwin hops off to the library or something and gets lost in books for days, it's not new. Ghosts have shit perception of time. So when Edwin disappears to the "library", Charles thinks nothing of it. He just goes to do some of his own shit -- concert, ghost cricket, idk -- and very impatiently waits for Edwin to be done. (They have a deal that he can come drag Edwin away after the 48 hour mark if he's not home by then.)

Another thing is, Edwin hasn't explicitly stated what day he died, so Charles has no idea. It doesn't occur to him that he's never seen Edwin's death anniversary till he's telling Crystal they'll be closed in a week for his, and she asks when Edwin's is.

And he just. Doesn't know.

So Crystal ushers him through her vanity because god forbid these boys have self initiated confrontation. And now Edwin is being cornered and he reluctantly reveals what he's been doing. Aka lying and spending his most vulnerable days in an abandoned garden or something. Charles is fucking Gobsmacked™️ and they talk, etc.

Anyways, Edwin's death anniversary is a month or two away from Charles' so they wait, both anxious as hell but Charles is being Charles and coping by helping Edwin instead.💀💀 (Edwin confronts him because PUT THEM BOTH ON BLAST‼️‼️🗣️🗣️)

On the day, Edwin's form changes little by little. Rubbed in rashes around his wrists and the corners of his lips, paler, sunken eyes, and bursted blood vessels looking like freckles. Charles spends the whole night reassuring Edwin and layering him in love and I'm such a sucker for love confessions so you KNOW they gotta have a moment like:

"I'm proper gone on you, aren't I?" Charles whispers into Edwin's hairline, sounding utterly smitten.

"Even like this?" Edwin asks. Equally quiet and wholly insecure, something Charles will spend the rest of his afterlife rectifying the same way Edwin has for him.

"Especially like this."

[demelzathemer]

AU where Edwin knows he's gay from the start would be fire me thinks.

Imagine if he thinks he deserved Hell but still wants to escape and feel so wrong and selfish for it. So he never tells Charles what actually happened between 1916-1989, Charles only knows whatever happened was very bad no good. Edwin would be horribly, painfully aware that he was falling for Charles. But that's wrong, isn't it? Boys can't like boys.

So he tries so hard to ignore it, tamp it down. He can't let Charles know. If he knows then he'll know why he's avoiding the afterlife, that he deserves to go to Hell.

Charles knows Edwin is scared of Death and the afterlife, he assumes that something happened from 1916-1989 that convinced Edwin he was damned but there's just no damn way someone as good as Edwin deserves Hell. But, selfishly, he never tries to convince Edwin to go. To leave for his beautiful afterlife.

Then Port Townsend happens.

Crystal is no idiot, she can tell Edwin's jealous from the start. She can tell Charles thinks it's because they're best friends, she can tell it's because Edwin's in love. That doesn't stop her though, she deserves one good thing after everything, doesn't she?

(I think Cat King would go very similar to canon, but it's less of "I'm not gay" and more of "I know what I am but these urges aren't okay".)

Niko loves love, she can tell Edwin loves Charles. She can tell Edwin doesn't know it's okay. Niko helps him through it, becomes his confidant, the first person he confesses everything to. I think they would have a huge conversation that ends in them both crying -- Edwin bemoaning his unrequited love, Niko mourning for him -- and cuddled up watching Scooby-Doo. (The sprites get teary eyed too but still mock them, Niko calls them out and they deny it. "It's dusty as shit in this old ass glass!" "Yeah, we're getting fucking pick eye in here!" "When's the last time you even washed this shit-ass jar?")

It all comes to a head with the Night Nurse. We all know her spiel, "I'm taking Edwin back to Hell and Charles to get processed." But Charles doesn't know Edwin's been processed. Charles doesn't know Edwin's assigned to Hell.

Niko is empathetic, not forcing Edwin to explain but not once thinking he did anything to deserve it. Crystal is up in arms, demanding to know what he did to deserve Hell, demanding to know why he hid it from Charles. Charles is confused, conflicted. Edwin's his best mate! There's no way he deserves Hell! But... but why didn't he tell Charles? Edwin is overwhelmed and panicked and no, no, no! Charles was never supposed to know!

Now, listen. Niko isn't one for confrontation, she doesn't like to fight. But hearing Crystal rip into an unresponsive Edwin while Charles lingers unsure on the back has her heart breaking, has her head hurting. So she steps in, shouts at them to stop, that they'll talk tomorrow when they've cooled off. And drags Edwin off to her room for the night. She doesn't demand answers and he doesn't give them.

The next day, everyone's off. The tension is high and only building. Crystal keeps sending Edwin pointed comments and Edwin is actively ignoring her existence. Charles is conflicted, caught between Crystal and Edwin; taking both their sides without taking either. And Niko doesn't know how to soothe any of it, so she sticks close to Edwin.

Eventually the four are leaving the graveyard, Crystal and Charles arguing when she rounds on Edwin. "And you! Don't think I forgot about you!" Niko tries to step in and stop it like she did last time but Edwin's tired, he's had enough, he breaks. "I was sacrificed! I was sacrificed and spent seventy-three gruelling years fighting to escape! There, happy? Might we please move on now?"

He storms past them all and for the first time since this dispute started, Niko is angry. She tells Crystal that wasn't okay, that it was cruel. And takes off after Edwin, leaving Charles and Crystal standing uselessly.

"I didn't know..." Neither remember who said that.

[demelzathemer]

Come watch Dead Boy Detectives!

We have:

Bitchy boy from Hell

Friendly guy who solves 90% of problems with a cricket bat

Girl with a demon in her head who can see your memories (but not her own)

Anxious shut-in girl who is actually really friendly and colourful

Lesbian whose Big Knife makes up for her awkward attitude

A murderous 300ish year old witch who would unironically call herself a girlboss

Bird

Really tiny, really bitchy iconic duo that feeds on attention

Not a Catboy, but a CatmanTM

Cute librarian :)

A man with a catchphrase who is also a walrus. He will sell you approximately something slightly to the left of what you asked for

A demon with nothing better to do than bother his ex

Victorian girl with a glowing squid for a pet

Immortal CPS worker with too much paperwork

Death played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste

One (1) man with no trauma

The best take on Lilith I've ever seen. That's not a joke it's just my honest opinion

Ghost postman. He delivers the ghost post

[demelzathemer]

niko from dead boys detectives!! i rly like the show is silly fun give it a watch!!

[demelzathemer]

If you're still taking requests, I'd love to see you do one of Edwin and Charles snuggling. Your art is so pretty!

Thank you for your request!!! 💙❤️

(You are so sweet, thank you!❤️)

[demelzathemer]

I reblogged this thread earlier and turns out I was right, George has heterochromia, the reason no one can decide whether his eyes are green, blue, or brown is because they’re all of the above

[demelzathemer]

I don't think Edwin particularly likes his own cold, self-interested analysis or his quick temper or his venomous tongue. I think he's accepted them as faults that he probably won't be able to change, but I don't think he's proud of them.

He tells the Cat King that he's ashamed of wanting to make a case for his innocence, to protect himself in the process of helping others, as though that would undo the good he does. He immediately calls himself out on his own vindictiveness when Despair tells him he was about to gloat over Simon's suffering.

I don't think he's particularly beating himself up for those things, but I do think he thinks of himself as selfish, and possibly cruel, and Charles as the opposite of those things.

Charles is the one who helps Edwin, and their clients, out of the goodness of his heart with no hope of reward. Charles is the one who had the option of heaven and chose Edwin instead. Charles is the one who never has a harsh word to say about anyone. When he says Charles is the best person he knows I think that's part of what he means: that he sees in Charles all the virtues, the kindness and selflessness, that he thinks he lacks.

(Charles, meanwhile, loves Edwin's bitchy side, and I think attached himself to Edwin at least in part because the kindness Edwin showed him in his last hours epitomises the good guy he desperately wants to be. But I don't know if Edwin fully believes that.)

I dunno I just think there's something fascinating in that - in Edwin's ruthlessness in holding himself to these impossible standards, and his view of Charles as someone who meets them.

[demelzathemer]

even youkai want natori...

NATSUYUU STOP BREAKING MY HEART FOR ONE CHAPTER CHALLENGE IMPOSSIBLE

[demelzathemer]

Ancient Cookies Aesthetic Moodboard:

Pure Vanilla Cookie

Hollyberry Cookie

Dark Cacao Cookie

Golden Cheese Cookie

White Lily Cookie

[demelzathemer]

A Horticulture Student’s Analysis of Hollyberry Cookie

So in many of my horticulture classes, holly plants were talked about frequently because they are used so much in the industry, or more specifically the ornamental and landscaping parts. All of this discussion constantly reminded me of hollyberry cookie, who is one of my favorite characters in cookie run kingdom. In addition to explaining the symbolism of holly plants, I wanted to give a different perspective of hollyberry cookie’s connection to the plant she is named after.

A lot of this is based on my prior experiences with my horticulture classes and internships/volunteering at gardens, and some of it is supplemented by university extension papers.

Holly is known to be tolerant of many different environmental conditions and still be able to thrive. Hot and cold climates, humid or dry, full sun or shade, poor and compact soil, sandy or clay, it can survive all of it. Of course, different holly varieties have their own individual preferences, but as a whole hollies are remarkably hardy. This could reflect in her combat style as she is a defense-type and in the lore has high endurance.

Holly plants are dioecious, meaning they have male and female plants. Most hollies planted are female because only they produce the characteristic bright red berries. I thought that this could tie into Hollyberry’s motherly attitude and her very feminine appearance (with the big dress and pink colors).

Hollies are also famously evergreen, retaining their green foliage year-round. This constant vitality could symbolize Hollyberry Cookie’s ever-present energy, optimism, and nurturing spirit. Like the evergreen holly she brings life, hope, and warmth to those around her.

Sources:

https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_ilop.pdf

https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/holly/

https://hles.unl.edu/holly-0

https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/gardening-publications-2/extgardener-previous-newsletters/extgardener-past-features/extgardener-deck-the-landscape-with-hollies/

https://extension.psu.edu/holly-legends-customs-and-myths

[demelzathemer]

vanillacember week 2

design from day 13 by @frenchiefieart

[demelzathemer]

Some doodles of Ancient Heroes (crk) I made a while ago

•••

Haven't been active in a while becoz... thesis,, so can only do doodles for now 😓

[demelzathemer]

they're on the case

+ bonus teeny tiny versions for outfit plotting purposes

[demelzathemer]

Destroyed, I am destroyed. Midorikawa why don't you just gut me and step on my heart?

We finally get the origin of the Book of Friends and it's 100 times sadder than one can imagine. It wasn't born purely out of Reiko's desire to play around like little kid. It was Reiko's response to feeling abandoned and resigning herself to loneliness. When she retreats back to her safe space: being alone.

Now we know why she never called upon or came back to hang out with ayakashi whose names she took. Fear of vulnerability. Fear of abandonment. Acceptance of grief.

When she said: "It doesn't matter who I'm with because a pretty thing is pretty whether you are alone or with someone" 🥹🥹🥹

Maybe she did consider them friends. And maybe that's just how she thinks friends are.

[demelzathemer]

these are completely different people by the way

not similar in the slightest

i love them both but they're different people

but i mean who would be able to properly adapt natori's vibe into anime?

[demelzathemer]

Allow me to finally break and enter this fandom with my humble offering!

I just wanted to do something with them all being good friends. Love, love, love their group dynamic! Also I have like 20+ pages worth of silly little dialogs that I want to turn into equally silly little comics, so hopefully I'll be sticking around.

Aaand a lot of rambling under the cut.

I'm an avid reader, you see. I generally don't watch things (sometimes not in literal years), it's just not something I do. So when at the beginning of fall tumblr exploded with outrage over the Dead Boy Detectives cancellation, my first thought genuinely was "what a stupid f*cking name" and then immediately "people are overreacting, it's just a series, nothing is worth that much of a fuss". But after observing for some time from a safe distance I eventually grew curious. I thought I knew what I was getting into.

(I had no bloody idea)

Well. Here I am now, almost four months of obsession later, eating my words with shards of glass and no sign of reaching the bottom of this cursed rabbit hole. I've been drawing more than ever and for the first time seriously thinking about honing my artistic skills. I have some drafts for at least two stories, and even though I'm a little hesitant to write (not being a native and all), I'm pretty determined to give it a go anyway. I tend to avoid social media and digital public spaces in general, but #SaveDeadBoyDetectives campaign changed that as well. To my great regret, there is not much I can do or participate in, so I settled for trying to be supportive of all the lovely people who created probably the safest and most comfortable online space I've ever encountered. I'm not as good as Charles at keeping spirits up, but damn I wanna try.

It honestly feels like if I had something like dbda growing up, I'd turn out at least 40% less traumatized as a person. It grew to mean so much so quickly. It's like some moments were plucked right out of my life and then embedded in the show. I felt (and still feel) so seen, and understood, and reassured, and safe, and hopeful, and accepted when watching (pretty much everybody's but especially) Edwin's side of the story. It's so much more than "just a series", and these Dead Boys deserve every good word that's being said about them.

Okay, I'm wrapping it up now, and the only thing left to say is thank you to all the people who put their effort into keeping this wonderful story alive and making the fandom so friendly and welcoming.

(right now I'm working on a big Christmas comic that I definitely won't be able to finish in time, but it will appear here at some point)