#and for edwin's boots

[chaoticly-shy-dragon]

I might have lost my mind over @tumblerislovetumblerislife 's sun and moon gods/cloud and star goddesses au - this is the result. (can’t see the stars for clouds - is the fic and it's awesome!)

The girls are just hundreds of sketches in my notebook for now but one day when exams aren't a thing I might draw them in color too! More sketches under the cut as well as additional notes about the fits:

It's the boys and Niko. And the spirits.

Charles is a literal sunshine here and I tried to show that. His laurels exude sunlight;

I took artistic libraries with the veil,,;

As they get closer to that eclipse ritual thing Edwin's veils get less heavy and more translucent-y; the hat's decorations are either jewels made into flowers or those flowers that only bloom at night

Niko's father faded and her hair darkened because of it; she got better with the help of Edwin and a pair of dead dandelion ghosts;

Charles gave Crystal some of his sunlight beams and she uses them when going to functions and official goddess business; they make for great David repellent as well - sharp and vicious as their burn;

Niko's hair gets braided with stardust and shines in blue, red and white when the light hits right;

Lightning earrings exist: Me: I have to learn how to draw lightning so fast

Charles is covered in gold because I could and his shirt is in sunrise gradient because it's thematic and cute;

Edwin's buttons are phases of the moon and his vest has an iridescent shine to it, there are also stars-dots on the veil;

Yes, I did put Edwin in bloomers, no, I'm not sorry;

Yes, I made Charles wear the Orpheus' scarf, no, I'm even less sorry.

[zeglou]

Me and the 0 other people who care about their negligible height difference bc I’m insane

[dykedvonte]

@gecko-in-a-can THIS ABSOLUTELY

Resentment is such a big part of Benny’s motives towards House, feeling he’s underserving to rule and shouldn’t have the right to keep the title of Vegas just because he claimed it first long ago. Say what you will, Benny puts the effort in, through honest and dishonest work albeit, but he puts in the effort. Not saying House didn’t but House had the luxury of having a lot of that effort done before the war and subordinates to do so after. House is untouchable, something everyone wants in the Mojave, if not for the power, but because of the security. House takes that for granted seeing how easy he thinks it is to buy people. Benny, a Mojave native, has to be irate about that seeing how he has seen the heights and slums of both lives.

Also with the AIs it’s so telling because in a lot of ways, Yes Man has more autonomy than House’s major personality securitrons. Yeah, Yes Man has to be helpful but he’s aware and able to be snarky and coy. Benny has an issue with not being listened to but that’s the only perimeter Yes Man needs to act on. He can’t condescend but lord you can tell when he wants to. House’s AIs serves specific and highly detailed functions but are confined to act in accordance. They are subservient to a T and are extensions of House while Yes Man really is a creation that adapts further, hence his desire for the assertive upgrade. Benny made something, or at least was okay with a helper, that can progress for itself. House made things that replicate or facilitate an era of the past and don’t hold the power to contest it.

[nekioka]

Seven is a lucky number - 2/5

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(Ramblings under the cut.)

Unlike in my doodle comics I decided to have Mr. House have only one expression, the one he has in-game. Let's see if it works! Of course I can "cheat" a bit, for example I can emphasize some part of the expression or I can obscure parts of it to make it appear to be different expression, etc.

This chunk of the story is based on these lines by Benny:

Said we'd been selected. Vegas needed us to defend it. In exchange, we'd get cushy digs, full stomachs, medical treatment.

Everything a nomad never gets, in other words. Most of the tribe thought we should say no. I thought it was the best idea ever.

Line about House taking "only" half of the profits is inspired by a street vendor on the Strip. This is what she says:

To vend anything here on the Strip, you got to register with one of those police robots and sign a franchisee agreement.

At the end of each day, you keep half of what you made. The rest, you hand over to those bots - and they know if you're cheating.

Firstly, I did it because it amused me. Secondly, I think it shows that at this point Benny is very naive about business dealings. If I ever make a sequel to this comic at some point Benny will probably complain about how unfair this deal actually was.

Btw, most background Boot Riders are truly just random designs but some are characters from other stories. For example:

Dutch van der Linde from Red Dead Redemption.

Hlaalu Helseth from The Elder Scrolls series.

It's fun to do things like this! Mostly for myself but also for keen-eyed viewers. Keep your eyes peeled for more in coming pages!

[grxtsch]

eddie jobson with fat grapple, 1972

[abstract-venus]

I like to think the Cat King was damn near shaking in his Gucci leather boots when Edwin made his first guess. Right out of the gate he was swinging “142”. The correct answer was literally 146 not counting himself. He took all that time setting up this elaborate cat and mouse seduction play only for the Edwardian twink to nearly chuck the game board out the window. He didn’t even give him the chance to make another guess before the bracelet fell off and Edwin still took the time to sassily beat him at his own game. “Not even close” he was WORRIED

[mountainsoftreatos]

So we all agree yes, that Charles sinks through the floor the first time Edwin flirts back, or calls him a pet name, or shows off a bit of ankle in a new outfit.

So I submit to you the idea of Edwin floating a little bit after their first kiss. Like they pull apart and Edwin has this dazed, lovestruck expression and his feet are just an inch off the floor. His heart feels all warm and light as a feather, and the entire day he keeps forgetting to keep his boots firmly on the ground (because he's thinking of the kiss) until Charles leans in and whispers, "You're floating again, love."

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

WHAT 💀

For reference, this is the guy who wrote Lighthouse Leapers.

I don't LOVE this*, but I think it would have been a lot funnier visually than it just typed into one short Tweet. And probably would have been a massively minor plotline to boot.

*UPDATE I do love it on further contemplation actually solely because EDWIN MEETING ANOTHER HUMAN SACRIFICE AND ALSO HAVING HIS HO ERA

I'm glad Edwin would have been allowed to explore his sexuality and have his ho era. Good for him. It's what he deserves. (I'm also guessing "crush" is more like "attraction" than heart-eyes.) (Also, jealous!Charles, anyone?)

I hope this doesn't mean that Cryland went on for a long time, though.

Antonius cult and gay bar fight both sound fun to me. I don't love locker room scene unless it's a funny gag where the whole time he's like AAAAHHHHH but I think that's what it would be because that's what's in character, so.

I also think the real, deep appeal here is Edwin meeting another human sacrifice. I kind of love that, idk.

All in all, open to this assuming they pulled it off well, which I'm fairly confident they would have.

[khorazir]

Treated myself to another cameo, in which I enquire after Edwin’s dressed-up outfit, particularly the brown boots that are so difficult to see in the show – apparently, they have green laces to go with the green jumper (the attention to detail truly is amazing), the Payne crest on his notebook, and the ironing board as a makeshift desk. Also has some sleepy Raffy in the background. https://www.cameo.com/recipient/675f15e784b26d35dc8adaf7

[fear0phobia]

don't know if anyone else has pointed this out and obviously shoes aren't mutually exclusive to what style you wear, plus i'm no fashion expert etc etc but i think it's interesting that edwin and charles wear shoes that more or less match the others' style rather than their own.

edwin's boots look more like something charles would wear

and the shoes charles wear look more like something edwin would wear

might also be worth noting

the shoes charles died in vs the ones he manifests in (his current shoes)

(and edwin is wearing the same boots he's been wearing)

what does it mean? probably nothing. I just noticed it and went "aw cute :)"

[mrnightingale]

DBDA Character Appreciation Week: #4 Niko Sasaki

I love her sm!!! Outfit ideas here by @katygorl

The yellow one is w a pastel highlighter, and the other two w colouring pencils and greyish purple and violet highlighter. I really like this one, I think I'm starting to find a colouring technique I don't completely hate!!! Whoohoo! (Btw in the purple one, the flowers on her top and boots are two different types of Violets, and she's holding a pink sea glass bc palasaki my beloved ones, they're matching ✨✨✨).

Words can't explain how much I love Niko, she's incredibly sweet and friendly and empathetic, and I love her dynamic with practically every character in the show, but what I love the most is that we can actually see on-screen how much she grows through the chapters, how stronger she's getting. I love DBDA because it portrays how different people deals with their feelings in a realistic way, how every teen has their own problems and it takes them with the care it deserves, it doesn't feel exaggerated but every topic is given the adequate seriousness it requires, and honestly is such a masterpiece in the storytelling and pacing through the chapters between the cases and their own character arcs that their evolution doesn't feel rushed at all, but then you look back and see how much they changed, and is really heartwarming.

I love Niko because at first she's locked up in her room and doesn't talk with anyone, and slowly starts opening up with Crystal, and the boys, and then you think she's okay, but she's not. Dealing with depression and mental health issues it's much more difficult than it might seem from the outside, because one day you're feeling Good Enough to go and talk to people with a smile on the face, but that doesn't mean you're really okay. That just means you're feeling Good Enough to keep the mask on through a conversation. And Niko feels pretty realistic and natural to me because healing requires time, and support, and the agency is supporting her but they're not rushing her up to join on cases until she's ready, and that's beautiful. I think it's beautiful bc it shows a healthy environment that provides comfort and support and she's getting better thanks to it, and thanks her own hidden strength, and they're helping her realize where that strength comes from.

And, idk, as I have already said millions of times, I really love Niko and Edwin's relationship, it feels so genuine and heartwarming and bro I want the Niko to my Edwin soooo bad. Help. But my point is. I think the best word I could find to describe their relationship is "comfort" bc they can be themselves with each other, talk about their problems without pressure, knowing that the other will accept them no matter what and will help and support them and, idk, the scene when they're watching Scooby Doo while Niko writers the letter to her mother and Edwin is just there, not intervening but just saying there so she's not alone, idk, it spokes so deeply to me. Like if they could face everything as long as they have each other. I know there's always been Charles and Edwin, and they fighting together against everything, but the relationship w Niko is set in a different emotional basis and I think that's something Edwin needed, being able to talk about his feelings, and the same with Niko.

Brooooo help I love this show so fucking much, it's a masterpiece in every aspect but I'll never stop rewatching and looked amazed by the characters. They're unapologetically queer, and real, and they deal with the Life, and oh fuck, Life is hard as hell, Life is a kick after kick and punch after punch and somehow we have to keep living through it, and I feel so seen when I look at the screen and I can relate with some things that I used to think they were so personal and that I was alone w that, only bc there wasn't any representation of it. We're not alone dealing with Life, and this masterpiece of art that it's Dead Boy Detectives shows it perfectly.

It's queer and flamboyant and bizarre, you have ghosts running for their afterlifes, you have a psychic dealing with her toxic demon ex-boyfriend, and a quirky witch and her familiar twink that actually shows real abusive relationships, you have a Cat King whose only relationships are shallow, and a Night Nurse that knows everything about everything and still has a lot to learn, and you have Niko, a lonely, aloof girl with two dandelion spirits in a bell jar in her room, a girl who grew up with the support of their friends and started to live again, and love again, and love Life, and still, she gave her life for their friends.

And her death matters.

[tragedy-machine]

I'm writing a payneland love potion au and the story is changing so much right before my eyes, omg

I could never just post the first chapter without finishing the whole thing first, because I always come back to the beginning and tweak it a bunch so the whole story makes sense together

it's already 16k words long and I still have yet to write the climax of the story, pray for me

but anyway, here's a snippet

“I shall research ridding you of this magic in the meantime of course, as I am sure it must be greatly distressing to have been enchanted in this way.” The words seem to choke Edwin the same way hearing the quiet resignation in Edwin’s voice feels like an iron boot on Charles’ windpipe. “However, even if it is left unattended, it should wear off in a timely manner.”

“It’s not. Distressing.” But that’s the whole problem, isn’t it? That it feels more right than anything ever has in Charles’ life, but he can’t say that to Edwin. Can’t lead him on again. “It must be more distressing for you.”

“I assure you I am capable of handling it.” For a second that impassive and neutral mask slips and Charles sees the full depth of Edwin’s sad smile underneath. “I suppose it did feel quite… charming to hear you say that, even if I know now that it was caused by a nefarious force. I hope you will forgive me for admitting that.”

More tears fill Charles’ eyes, until they finally spill down his cheeks, attempting to take his heartbreak with them, which he knows is a futile effort.

[majorlb]

Nikos battle vest is pink. She made it herself after seeing Charles's and decided that she needed her own now.

Crystal wears platform boots on stage at all times, because once she saw a picture of herself next to Charles on stage and she looked so short next to him.

Charles responds to people who hate on the band for being a 'female' band with "Who am I?"

Edwin knows how to play the cello as well as piano. He just likes violin more.

Niko once gave herself a blackeye with her own drumstick.

Crystal once fell off stage.

Charles has ALSO fallen off stage, more than once though.

Edwin swears a LOT when learning new things to play if they don't go as he wants them too.

Niko is almost always a little late to practice, but she brings snacks so no one is annoyed by this.

Crystal mourns the days where she could have long nails, but only a little bit.

Charles has a backpiece that covers his scars.

Edwin escaped to music because it was a way to connect to his parents, who otherwise didn't have time for him.

Niko sometimes cry when playing because she gets overwhelmed by emotion. Sometimes it's joy. sometimes it's missing her dad. No one can really tell because she gets so sweaty.

Crystal was scared in the beginning to get on stage in case David found her. But as the band grew bigger and the security tighter, she fears it less and less.

Charles might've flirted with Edwin first, both times they met. But Edwin is the one who said 'I love you' first, causing them to actually start to date. (Charles couldn't say it first. He was too scared to be rejected)

When Niko kisses Crystal the first time, they both panic because what if it doesn't last and the band breaks up?! (they don't need to worry. this is meant to last)

[nekioka]

I've mentioned a couple of times now that I'm writing FNV fanfic but I haven't mentioned my plan to force my brother to read it. He hasn't played FNV so I made a separate info document that should help him understand what's going on in the story. That document includes character introductions and for some reason I thought that it would be a great idea to draw a picture of every single character that appears in the story. Here's just some of the most important characters, further ramblings about them under the cut.

Yes Man - The best boy! Georgia may be loyal to House but she just couldn’t bring herself to destroy Yes Man. Instead she hid him in her apartment in Novac where he has been for years all alone. Don’t worry, he’s totally fine with it (:

Bingo - The previous leader of Boot Riders. He challenged Benny to a duel, which didn’t go well for Bingo. He might be dead but his legacy still lingers. In ‘All Roads’ comic there was one panel that showed what Boot Riders looked like so I based Bingo’s clothing on that panel combined with some of my own ideas.

Robert House - For once I wanted to draw him wearing something other than a suit. He’s interesting character because even though the fic revolves so much around him and other characters quostioning his decisions and actions I try to make him appear only rarely in-person.

Swank - It's hard to see but he holds jack of diamonds, the same card FNV collector's edition card deck assigned to him. While Benny was away Swank acted as temporal leader of Chairmen. Honestly he feels like even before that he was the one who actually run the place.

Benny - You all know him, he's one of the main characters! If Chairmen knew even half of the things he has done they would hate him. So he didn’t tell them any of the shady things he did. And to his bafflement he slowly realized that the only person he can be honest to is Georgia.

Georgia Well - Courier Six! The other main character! She may be widely admired around Mojave but she only lets very few people get to know the real her. And she absolutely latches onto those people. Unfortunately when she sided with House that caused domino effect that eventually caused her closest friends, Arcade and Boone, to leave her. So all she had left was House. Then Benny returned

Jane - In my version Jane was an actress who also happened to be literal rocket scientist. People tended to focus on former part of her identity while House became enamored with her because of the latter part.

Emily Ortal - In my fic Emily has become the new regional administrator of Followers of the Apocalypse. I like Julie Farkas but there were already too many characters and the story worked better if Emily had that role.

Dorothy de Struction - an OC. Some FNV characters are based on historical figures, for example House on Howard Hughes and Benny on Benjamin Siegel, and Dorothy is based on countess Dorothy Di Frasso. And if you know anything about the relationship between her and Siegel you can guess what kind of relationship this Dorothy has with Benny.

[ahyperactivehero]

If you're still feeling DBD drabbles I'd love some post-canon Edwin and Crystal bonding (making fun of celebrities together? studying magic? comparing rich neglectful parents?)

I love a good Edwin and Crystal bonding moment! I hope that if we ever get season 2 we get to see more of them bickering and bonding. Because these two remind me of me and my sibling so strongly it almost hurts <3

(reminder that i am taking election night drabbles, although i can't promise they'll be posted tonight. i'm working on as many as i can, but it is getting late! i'll likely finish most of them tomorrow unfortunately)

Drabble 2 

Crystal and Edwin were at war. Or at least, that’s what Crystal would have labeled themselves as. According to Charles this was simply, ‘Edwin when he likes you,’ which Crystal wanted to be judgemental about, but she had her memories back and she could remember what a menace she’d been to people she liked.

“It is not hard, Crystal,” Edwin stressed, leaning heavily on to the desk in front of him. At some point in time he had abandoned his coat and jacket and rolled his sleeves up in what had to be the most laid back outfit Crystal had ever seen him in.

Yet there was nothing relaxed about Edwin. She’d never known him to be a particularly relaxed person, but there was a strange undercurrent of stress that was running through him that she was pretty sure wasn’t always there.

She sighed again for what must have been the millionth time and dropped her phone onto the couch next to her. It’s not like anyone she actually liked contacted her that way. In fact, she’d been arguing with her mom the last time someone had actually reached out to her, which had only resulted in Crystal storming out of the house and crashing in the agency’s office for a few days.

Which brought them to where they were now. Edwin tapped the book in front of him, looking for all the world like a young teaching assistant annoyed with his students. “If you would simply try, I know you cou-”

Violently, she shoved herself up off of the couch. Her feet banged against the floor, almost loud enough to rattle the windows, and for once she was glad Charles wasn’t here. She didn’t want him to see her like this.

“I have tried, Edwin! I’ve tried, okay! Have you ever tried shutting up?!” she asked before throwing herself back down onto the couch, her back turned towards the world as if that might somehow block out the ghost.

One of Crystal’s favorite and least favorite things about Edwin was that he never seemed to be dissuaded by her poor attitude. Sometimes, it even seemed to encourage him. “If you had actually tried, you would have cast the spell,” Edwin said. There was no heat to his voice, not even an ounce of actual anger to him– even though Crystal was sure he was pissed.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she did that she’d be able to block out Edwin’s voice and the tears at the same time. “I did try,” she said, all of the fire in her voice having faded until it sounded broken and sad.

The sound of soft footsteps filled the room. Edwin’s familiar sounding boots shuffled against the floor until he reached the couch and seemed to hover there for a moment. 

“Ah,” he said. “I see.”

And Crystal wasn’t sure what he meant until she rolled over and saw him looking at her phone. 

“You are fighting with your parents,” he said.

“So what?” she asked and snatched her phone out of his hands.

“So, magic, especially one as instinctual and ingrained as yours, is highly influenced by your emotions.” Crystal glared up at him from the corner of her eye, which forced him to hold his hands up in defense. “Not because you are a woman, or whatever else it is you might be thinking I meant. Just because magic works that way.”

They needed a new couch. She poked at a hole that had long since been worn into the cushion and pulled out a bit of stuffing before sticking it back inside. “So I’m just going to keep fucking it up?” she asked.

Edwin sat down on the floor with his back to the couch. It was almost easier to talk this way, the two of them back to back. At least then she didn’t have to see his judgmental face, and he wouldn’t have to see her cry.

Not that she was crying, of course.

“No,” Edwin said quietly. “You will not keep ‘fucking it up.’ Although it will likely take time for you to get used to doing magic with such intentions, not just relying on your instincts to guide you.”

She pulled another thing of stuffing out before shoving it back in. “What’s so wrong with instincts?” Her ancestors had done fantastically for her so far.

Edwin shuffled, but she couldn’t figure out what he had done. “Nothing. Instincts are, as Charles would say, brills. They help keep you alive and safe and have been developed for exactly that reason.”  He shifted again, and this time Crystal could feel him fully leaning back against the couch, and the goosebumps that a ghost in too close proximity caused raised along her skin. 

“But what happens if you can’t trust your instincts? What if something has changed or been manipulated and you can’t trust them?” he asked.

And Crystal knew they were talking about something heavy, something that Edwin would definitely rather not talk about with her. But here he was, talking about it with her just the same.

“You mean Hell?” she asked. She rolled over just enough to get a peek at the top of Edwin’s head. Even though she could see very little of him, she could tell that he was nervous and that made her nervous.

“Not strictly speaking of Hell. There are plenty of supernatural beings with the ability to manipulate you or your senses for their own gains.” He looked over his shoulder, his eyes barely catching hers. “But yes, I was referring to demons like David.”

Her nails had already been bitten down to the quick, but she chewed on them anyways. Buzzes shook the couch as more texts from her mom chimed in, likely just another rant about what an awful child she was and how she was making everything so difficult for them.

“They’re just saying those things because they feel like they are failing as parents,” Edwin said. He’d turned back away, his eyes staring into the closet as if it offered something particularly interesting inside. “And while that might be true, that does not mean that you are a failure.”

She snorted. “Oh yeah,” she said. “What do you know about it?”

Edwin’s sharp green eyes turned towards her before quickly cutting away. “You are hardly the only one to grow up with rich, neglectful parents,” Edwin said. “Why do you think I was sent away to school in the first place?”

Any and all fight she had had in her died. Fighting with Edwin was supposed to be fun and sharp and quick– it didn’t seem fair to fight him when he was being so honest.

A forced smile spread across her face as she reached out and bumped him with her hand. “Shoulda known you had rich parents,” she said. “Look at how you talk.”

Edwin furrowed his brow. “Everyone at school spoke the way I do.”

“Exactly.”

They sat in silence for a while before Crystal sighed and held out her hand. “Gimme the book,” she said. Which Edwin gracefully did.

The original language was too hard for Crystal to read, but Edwin had written it down in English and then wrote it out phonetically below that. It wasn’t very long, nor was it anything special, just a minor illusion spell. It wouldn’t be enough to trick anyone, or save her from a demon, but it was definitely a start. 

“Charles will be happy you’re trying again,” Edwin said as she ran her hands over the pages. 

“Oh yeah?” she asked. Was that a B or a D? Edwin’s handwriting was so nice it was almost hard to read.

“He takes his job very seriously as the brawn,” Edwin said, as if she needed to be told that. “But it makes him happy to know that you or I could defend ourselves with spells if we had to.”

Once again she snorted. “But you never do,” she said. “And I don’t see how this little spell is supposed to help.”

Edwin nodded. “Never need to. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able to in return. Besides, this was one of the first spells I ever learned, and it's a great base to build on.”

And maybe that was a better way of looking at it. Not just defending herself or learning magic that some old, dead person other than Edwin had created when she could just use her own ancestral abilities. No, this was just another way to protect not only herself but the people she had come to love. 

Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to have a base spell that she could work on? If she could master this, maybe she could use some elements from it in her family's own magic.

Slowly, she read the words out as she tried to picture what she wanted to show Edwin. It wouldn’t be perfect, she was sure of that, but God if she wasn’t going to make this time work.

Purple petals and leaves filled the air as the image of the tree inside herself appeared in her palm. It was shaky, the picture almost glitchy and waving before reappearing slightly less detailed than before. It was as if someone had roughly sketched what was inside her without any special art talent.

But dammit, that was her tree, and she had cast it.

“It’s beautiful,” Edwin said. His eyes were wide, and he leaned in. Petals settled over him for a moment before passing through him on the way to the ground. She wondered if that was a ghost thing or a magic thing. 

“This is me,” she said. 

Edwin glanced at her before turning back to the tree. “Your ancestors’ tree,” he said, finally understanding. “I can only imagine how amazing it is in person.”

Pride she hadn’t expected to feel flooded her, filling her tree with even more light until it nearly blinded the two of them. Edwin folded her hands closed, shutting off the spell as they blinked spots from their vision.

She smiled sheepishly and he grinned back at her, one of the first true smiles she thought she had ever seen on his face. 

“We’ll work on that,” he said.

And they would.

[ifureadthisitsurfault]

i think about the opening theme of dead boy detectives so often, but today i noticed that the skeleton on the left is wearing edwin's shoes, meaning that edwin is wearing charles's chain. Or, charles is wearing edwin's boots, as the blue stripes on the skeleton to the right reminds me of edwin's scar when he is in hell. dead boy detectives has sooo many details my brain feels so big and wrinkly ugh i love the cgi skeletons of edwin and charles