Mayhem is Aether

I post silly doodles I make in the margins of paper, literally expect digital art... never, cause I'm lazy and don't have time for that

[mayhem-is-aether]

‼️✨About Me✨‼️

Because nobody asked for this :>

Basic Info:

My name is Aether (some people also call me Duffy or Roach)

I use he/him pronouns

I'm Queer

I'm a writer and an artist

I'm a multishipper when it comes to most things but I do have my preferences

I'm always looking to make new friends‼️💥

Media I like:

Metal Gear

Red Dead Redemption

Marble Hornets

Call of Duty

Blue Eye Samurai

Downton Abbey

Zachariah (1971)

My Little Pony

Wakfu

Brokeback Mountain

The Great Gatsby

Frankenstein

Witch Hat Atelier

Vinland Saga

Sword of the Sea

Back to the Future

Projects:

Good Men Die in the West Sun - Novel

Magic 101

Then There Was the Ark - Fanfiction

Other Fun Facts:

I kin Psycho Mantis and Kieran Duffy (total opposites I know)

I cosplay sometimes but I don't really post that stuff

My brain is full of headcanons

I don't really interact much with fandoms, I just post my art and like other art that I see (Which also has a weird effect of me not understanding a lot of popular character interpretations/jokes/ships)

I'm kind of in my own little world doing my own thing!

(this might be deleted/edited at a later time if I either thing this is a. A good idea or b. I like it)

[mayhem-is-aether]

Then There Was the Ark

Part 4:

Words:2050

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

I have no idea when the next part will be, I'm struggling to commit to an idea that I don't think is really working so I might have to start that over. Anyways, I finally decided to post part 4 because I felt like it was about time I did, it's been written for a while anyway. And after reading the comics, it's given me quite a good idea of where I want this to go and how I want to handle things in the future!

My ask box is always open for things like questions or requests

He didn't like to dwell on Brian, or on Jay, or Alex. Especially Brian and Jay. He could hate Alex all he wanted, the anger helped fuel him in a way, pushing him forward to doing better and better things. But when it came to Jay and Brian, it hurt. With Brian, had he known, he would've never done it, he was one of the few friends he had, one of the first too. They'd been friends since high school, the very first day of Sophomore year when Tim had been transferred. It wasn't hard to get expelled when you had outbursts that left you running out of class multiple times in a day. Even though he didn't really understand why, the doctors said he had schizophrenia, but he had a feeling that wasn't true. He remembers, vaguely, that they'd changed his medication before his sophomore year and it helped him more than the last one. Brian was the first person to look at him that year and not decide that he was a loser or a liar. It made Tim feel special, and now he felt like he wasn't very special anymore. Brian's family was familiar with Tim, and they knew that he and Brian were close friends, so when they found out he died, they offered Tim to take a few things. He did. When it comes to Jay, it killed Tim to not have closure of seeing him, although maybe that was for the best. He probably couldn't have stomached it even if he tried. Jay was just declared “missing”, which is as good as dead considering how long it's been. Tim had Jay's camera and laptop, he finished what Jay started and that was good enough.

Life was finally… Good. As good as it could get anyways. He moved, moved far away from Alabama, Kentucky actually. It was easy enough to find a place with a good doctor and people who mind their own business. He wanted to work as a cook again, but honestly? He couldn't stand the idea of having to drive home in the dark. The idea frightened him now more than any other time in his life. He's been getting better, at least he feels like he has. His seizures have been few since he left Rosswood. His medication hasn't been going missing either, but considering Brian, it… it made sense. 

He'd been at work, it was the meat department of a Kroger's, nothing special, but nothing to brag home about either. He liked his coworkers enough, he didn't really talk to them but listening to them talk about nothing but girls made for interesting background noise. The room was refrigerated which was great in the summer, but fine in the winter. Sometimes the cold would get to him, biting at his nose until he had to sneeze, of course that was always a bit annoying but after a while he got used to it. He didn't mind the smell of blood, the iron scent stung his nostrils and somehow always reminded him of Jay. He couldn't get it out of his head, seeing Jay sitting there against his counter, hand over his side and his head slumped forward. It hurt to be without Jay, even though it was nice not to worry about being filmed all the time. Sometimes that iron smell reminded him of Alex, how he hated that man, Tim knew that if he could go back in time, he'd do it all again, for Brian, for Jay. He still felt the blood on his hands even though he'd scrubbed them raw multiple times now, late nights in his bathroom on late nights, tears running down his face as he tries his best to scrub away layers and layers of dried blood, scratching away the layers as they flaked off like wax, but at work he wore gloves so it wasn't like any new blood was getting onto them either.

He was helping unload some new slabs of meat that they'd have to break down later when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket like he was getting a phone call. Tim just ignored it, he couldn't risk this job, he was lucky he was even hired in the first place. The hours were good, the pay was fine, he could live on his own again, he was able to rebuild his life after Alex burned it all to the ground. It felt like the work was simple, he'd gotten to a point where he wasn't always focused when he did it, the only thing he really paid attention to were fat lines and how close the knife was to his hand, if he needed to use the saw to get through a troublesome piece of bone, then he felt a bit more focused than before. Perhaps it was the danger which made him feel more alert. He let the saw cut through the bone, focused entirely on how far the blade was through the bone, and he swore on his life that for a brief moment he saw Alex's leg instead, being sawed through with blood splattering all over his face and the table. It made him freeze up, but then he remembered the saw was running so he finished up as best as he could. He didn’t hallucinate often, but when he did, it would be only for a moment and catch him off guard in some way. It was usually Alex or Brian in his hallucinations, never Jay. He couldn’t understand it.

When Tim was on break, he stood outside in the back, it was a secluded spot all things considered. There were boxes of things nicely stacked along the wall, being brought into the back in an almost orderly fashion. He stared at the chain link fence across the road that led into nothing but a clustered mess of woods. There were some puddles almost evenly spread along the back of the building. Tim kept a cigarette between his fingers as he fished his free hand through his pocket to grab his meds, he pressed the cap into his side so he could twist it off without using his other hand. He took a puff of the cigarette before he swallowed one of his pills, letting out a strained cough as he closed the pill bottle and put it back into his pocket. He checked his phone, he looked at the number that called him earlier and it didn't seem like spam, it seemed to have a Georgia area code, he let out a small “huh” and put his phone back in his pocket, he'd look into it when he got home. Once he was done with his cigarette, he stopped it out on the ground and went back inside to get back to work.

Tim was unfortunately the one responsible for cleaning up today, he didn't mind it, everyone did their part, it was just Tim's job to go back over everything with a fine-toothed comb of sorts. They sprayed down everything, soaped it all up, and rinsed it. Everyone had already left as Tim was finishing up, he was mopping the floors since they felt stickier than normal today. He didn't normally mop when he had to clean up, most of the time he didn't have to, but today he just felt like it. The idea of going home was hard, he had to go home to a bleak house, nobody to talk to, nothing to do. He lived and breathed work, it's how it's been for years. Once Brian went missing, life felt different, and now that Brian was dead, life felt dull.

The sun wasn't quite setting yet, but it was starting to get dark. There was at least a shadow cast over the back of the building which made the forest appear to be nothing more than a black void. Tim closed the door behind him, he was more focused on where he was stepping, but when he looked up, he swore he saw something staring at him. He felt like a deer in headlights, whatever was staring at him seemed like it too. It wore a white mask similar to what Tim had, but the mouth was more square, like a grid drawn by a child. The darkness made the rest of whoever this guy was almost impossible to make out. Once Tim processed their appearance, they took off running in the other direction.

“Hey! You!” Tim shouted, running as fast as he could until he ran into the chain link fence. The figure was already gone, he stared through the gaps in the wire like he was expecting it to turn back up. It didn't turn back up, he felt like his heart was racing, his face was flushed with blood like a roaring anger that swelled in his chest. He thought this was over, he really did. He walked to his car as quickly as he could, he couldn’t stand to be out here any longer than he had to.

He lived in a small neighborhood that felt like it was barely a neighborhood, every house was slightly similar, all vaguely rectangular and built out of bricks, the trees were probably just as old as the houses, extending upwards towards the sky before they slumped over to provide shade and make Tim's yard look like a mess. The leaves were basically gone, but he never raked them up in the fall anyways, he saw it as a waste of time. It probably annoyed his neighbors, but he'd rather stared at dead leaves than dead grass. He pulled into his driveway and got out of his car, he checked three times to make sure it was locked properly. He walked up the steps to his front door, opening the glass door first and then the actual front door, fumbling to find the right key off of his keyring. He let himself in and kicked off his shoes. His house opened into a living room and dining room, the kitchen felt separate in a small nook, and then leading off the living room and meeting the kitchen wall as a hallway that led to two bedrooms and a bathroom.

He went straight to his room to get some clean clothes, then he b-lined for the bathroom to shower. Once he was done, he went to his living room and sat down on the couch, leaning back and resting his head on the back of it. His furniture was minimal, he bought a lot of it slowly over time, he was still mad at Alex for burning down his old place. He took out his phone and stared at the voicemail left by that number from Georgia. He figured he should go ahead and give it a listen, it wasn't like he had anything better to do anyways. As soon as he hit play and listened to the first word that came out, his heart sank.

“Tim, it's me- Uh- Jay. I uh- I'm in…” Jay's voice started before a faint voice choked in, “Clayton, Georgia.” Then Jay continued, “Yeah I'm in Clayton. I don't have my phone or anything, just my car and wallet. I don't remember how I got here- So please uh… don't call me back just- I don't know.” The voicemail ended with a beep. His hand was shaking he dropped his phone into his lap and started to sob with a newfound uncontrollable wave of emotions that brought back everything. 

It couldn't be real, this wasn't real, it was a prank or a trick, some sort of hallucination like earlier. The walls felt cold, shadows creeping along the walls with tendrils that attempted to strangle him. He felt like the world would swallow him whole, and then he'd be like Seth, or Sarah, another victim of that thing, another victim of Alex's legacy. This was all his fault, if he hadn't run away, or if he had and he was never found, then maybe it would've died with him out there. Maybe then, Jay and Brian would still be alive. He knew that he would have to deal with this problem later, and he knew that he would, just once he could think clearly.

[mayhem-is-aether]

I just unboxed them both

I'm obsessed with G3 Venus but G3 Robecca felt a little underwhelming although that's just my opinion

They're in love and fighting for the betterment of the environment

[mayhem-is-aether]

The secret fourth part of Then There Was the Ark

I swear it's written, I just keep forgetting to post it </3

Also part five will take a while, I'm writing from a weird POV because I think it's interesting and I hate myself

Oh and I finally made Alex, not my best mii...

[mayhem-is-aether]

So I got the new Tomodachi Life game

Also the insane confession that Jay wanted to do

Not picture is the crazy love square I had going on

Wolfe liked Sydney, Sydney liked Brian, Tim liked Brian, and Jay liked Tim

And then Brian and Tim got married and it was great

[mayhem-is-aether]

Y'know

Any ship between the mane six makes sense if you think about it

They all have different dynamics as a group and with each other, and I really like that

[mayhem-is-aether]

Sorry for disappearing for a while

I got distracted

Anyways I watched Project Hail Mary and now it lives in my brain rent free

I need to read the book

[mayhem-is-aether]

Something something, Jay and Riley

In reference to part 3 of my fanfic Then There Was the Ark

I wanted Riley's appearance to be a bit ambiguous

But also I wanted to capture this feeling like Jay isn't really looking at Riley, or even trying to remember them, it's like there's a hole where they should be, something which he needs his camera to fill in. He can't trust his own judgement. Idk

Also drawing the car sucked, that's what Pinterest references are for

I'm hoping that this posts right the first time!

[mayhem-is-aether]

Then There Was the Ark

Part 3:

Words: 1170

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3

Y'know, I've hit a bit of a wall with this. I've got ideas but I haven't been writing them, I've got Part 4 written out and I know vaguely what I want to do for Part 5, but I just need to write it. I've also got an idea for some art stored away in my brain for this chapter, but idk if I'll actually make it. Also I'm trying to keep Riley's appearance intentionally vague because I want people to put their own spin on them cause I feel like a lot of things about them was left up to interpretation in Rosswood.

Also I don't think anyone has questions or requests but my ask box is open for shit like that whether it's for writing or edits

Jay woke up in a cold sweat, a sharp smell hit him of wet grass and pavement. He jolted his head up and looked around, he was on the sidewalk, next to some grass. He was probably miles away from Clayton. He scrambled to his feet and felt his pockets, he didn't have anything, wait, he was wearing gloves. Why was he wearing gloves? He didn't own gloves! This was insane. This mess was supposed to be over. Why wasn't it over yet? Why couldn't he just go back to living a normal life? He walked towards the street lamp that had a subtle flicker, it felt like morning, or close to it. Guessing based on nothing more than a hunch it felt like 4:00am? Jay didn't have much of a choice except to keep walking in the direction he thought Clayton was in.

The steps of his feet on the sidewalk drummed through his body, it was almost soothing. It was fairly cold this morning, but thankfully Jay had his blue hoodie and the mysterious leather jacket which he had woken up with yesterday, or at least he could assume it was still yesterday. He had no real way of knowing anymore, not without his camera. Without his camera, he couldn't trust himself, with nothing captured, it's hard to dictate what is and isn't real. He focused on every step, the way the cold air hit his face and made his nose feel frozen. It was still February, but it wasn't that cold, all things considered, just cold enough with the breeze and the way the air felt slightly damp to make his nose get stuffy.

He didn't know how long he was walking for, but it was long enough to be sick of walking and sick of the cold. The sun was starting to rise, it was just below the horizon line, the sky was a light purple where the sun was about to be. He stopped for a minute to stare at it, that's when he heard the engine of a car pull beside him and remain there. He turned to look at the car, he didn't recognize it, but he watched as the passenger side window was rolled down and a familiar voice called out to him.

“Hey, Jay right?” It was Riley.

“Oh-” He wasn't expecting to see them, not here anyways. “Riley-”

“What are you doing out here?” They asked.

“I don't know.” He walked closer to the car and leaned on the car door.

“Do you want a ride back to town?”

“Yeah…” He admitted, “That'd be nice. I can pay you back for the gas-”

“No need,” They cut him off, “I'm heading to work anyways. It's no problem.”

“Thanks,” He smiled and got into the passenger seat, buckling himself in. “Did you ever get a call back?”

“Oh from whoever you left that voicemail to? Right?” They asked for clarification.

“Yeah.”

“Nope, no call. But, I'll let you know if they do call back.” Riley affirmed.

“Thanks.” Jay smiled to himself. Riley started to drive off, Jay stared out of the window. He knew one thing for sure, he had to get a camera. It wasn't a want, it was a need. Something which was necessary to his sanity.

“How long will you be in town?” They asked after a while.

“Until my sister gets settled in, she's getting married soon.” Jay lied, like a liar.

“I thought you were lost.”

“I- Uh-” He forgot about that, “I remembered why I was here, so… it's fine now.”

“Mhm.” Riley didn't seem to believe him, “Where does your sister live?”

“Uhm,” He thought about it, he thought about the sister he didn't have, “I don't know her new address very well, since she just moved and all…”

“And who's Tim?”

“Her husb- Fiance.” He corrected himself, “I have problems with my memory.”

“You told me.”

“Oh, I did… huh.” He remembered telling them, he just… lied about it.

As they pulled into the Waffle House parking lot and parked, they stayed in the car for a minute. It was obvious that Jay had been lying, and Riley wasn't exactly stupid. Jay didn't say anything, he just opened the car door, said a quick “Thanks” and started walking back to the Days Inn. It felt a little warmer than before, at least now that he'd gotten a chance to warm up in Riley's car. He felt bad for lying, but he knew that he should've started with a lie all along, it would've been easier, better, not just for Jay but for Riley too. He needed to keep strangers in the dark, he was already starting to worry. Could it even spread to them? Did it spread to them? How much harm have I already caused? He wasn't sure of any answer, but he knew that he needed to get a camera. If he had that, then he could be safe, safer than before.

He walked back to the motel, it was an annoying walk, having to cross the streets and keep an eye out for cars and crosswalks. He made it back in one piece, although, he was locked out of his room, to which he struggled to get an employees help, he had to explain how he sleepwalks and it's a big problem. He doesn't sleepwalk. The employee did help him after some convincing, which gave Jay access back to his belongings. He closed the door behind him and just sighed again, he felt so restless yet so tired at the same time. He couldn't win. He picked up the duffel bag and put it on his bed, rummaging through every pocket to find nothing but clothes and essentials, no hidden tapes or cameras, or anything really. It was frustrating, beyond frustrating. He checked how much cash he had in his wallet, and it was a fair amount all things considered. He'd had a hefty amount of savings before everything went south in his life thanks to a paid internship in college and odd jobs that he's been able to do fairly easily throughout the years of investigating for Marble Hornets. The channel also helped him some, so there was that.

He sighed in frustration and grabbed his wallet and keys. He headed out to his car and sat in it for a minute before turning it on and leaving to try to find a store where he could buy a new camera. He drove around for what felt like hours, exploring wherever he could in an attempt to find something, and he couldn't find a damn thing. He was so frustrated he felt like he could scream. It was just barely noon, so he decided to stop by a park for a while, just to sit and clear his head before he went back to the motel for the rest of the day, stopping only to pick something up to eat first, but that was not at Waffle House.

[mayhem-is-aether]

Jay Merrick went to Waffle House

I had a lot of fun drawing this, I got to experiment with lighting a little bit which idk, it was fun I liked drawing Jay💥

This is in reference to part 1 of my fanfic Then There Was the Ark

[mayhem-is-aether]

Jay Merrick went to Waffle House

I had a lot of fun drawing this, I got to experiment with lighting a little bit which idk, it was fun I liked drawing Jay💥

This is in reference to part 1 of my fanfic Then There Was the Ark

[mayhem-is-aether]

I've never drawn Jay before so if it doesn't look like him uh sue me I guess

I am working on drawing him at Waffle House, so that might be done like tomorrow or something... Idk

[javaskullz]

Jam edit . I suppose

[mayhem-is-aether]

Then There Was the Ark

Part 2

Word Count: 1461

Part 1 , Part 3 , Part 4

Y'know, I've written a lot more for this than I thought I would've, I'd love to hear people's opinions on this cause I know I'm definitely disregarding the comics (I haven't read them yet, but I plan to) and I've also never written anything for Marble Hornets, or Creepypasta, before. I mean, I've dabbled in like horror before but that was like in 2019 and that doesn't count because I'm definitely a lot better at writing now ToT

The few roads he had were fairly standard. They weren't lined with trees or shade, just power lines, sidewalks that may as well have pot holes, and businesses that stretched from gas stations to fast food. There were a few local businesses on this street, like the one in front of the Days Inn he was staying at. He was doing his best to scan the area as he drove, but when he pulled up to a red light he couldn't help but reach for the camera on the dash to adjust it. There was no camera. His hand reached for nothing and he felt like his whole bodyweight almost fell in the direction of his hand, he pulled himself upright with some ease, fighting the urge to fall as he leveraged himself with his other hand on the wheel. The moment he focused back on the light, it changed to green. He put his foot off the gas and brought the car back up to speed.

He was frustrated without that camera. How was he supposed to keep track of everything if he didn't have it? He knew he needed to get a new one, that was more or less his first priority. Whether he could afford one or not was another thing entirely, and without his laptop he couldn't post to Marble Hornets either. It was like he was stripped of all of the things he needed to survive. He was entirely convinced that his camera was his key to survival and salvation, without it that thing would've surely killed him by now. 

He pulled up to the library, parking towards the back corner of the parking lot. He took his key out and sat in the almost dead silence of the car, listening to its deafening roar. The silence ringed in his ears, like a flood radiating from his brain, it pooled out into the rest of the world, seeping into every crevice. The electricity buzzed softly with a hum that interrupted the loud yet faint ringing in his ears. He sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. He slammed the door shut with a mild amount of frustration, locking the car as he started to walk away and up towards the library. His shoes crunched on fallen leaves and the sparse tree pollen which came from a few early bloomers. The trees stretched above him and bent inwards, like a natural distortion in the order of things. How high could they reach if they weren't brought back down by gravity? That was a question he would never know the answer to.

He walked into the library and was hit with the smell of books. Old and new, they mixed together in his nose to create a pleasant smell of sawdust and morning dew, which somehow managed to smell like books. He kept walking forward but he looked around at the library, seeing what he was working with. There wasn't much, a few rows of bookshelves and a counter to check them out obviously. He spotted that there were two computers towards the back, which he was grateful were there in the first place. They were both turned off but there was a sign that said they were free to use, so Jay took that as a sign to sit down and turn on the tower to one of the computers. He listened to it hum and then watched as the monitor flicked to life with the default screensaver.

He opened whatever browser he could find first, waiting a minute for it to get pulled up, and then looking for YouTube. Maybe Tim or Alex posted something, he was betting on that being the case so maybe he could understand what happened. When he searched for Marble Hornets, that's when he saw it listed already. Entry #80, Entry #81, Entry #82, Entry #83… all the way to Entry #87. He hadn't posted these. His heart dropped thinking that maybe it was Alex who had, and he was hoping that it was really Tim. Although there was the possibility of that guy in the yellow hoodie having posted them too. Although that seemed unlikely, he would only post one video here or there, not multiple back to back on a channel that wasn't his. He spotted a pair of headphones nearby, someone might've left them there by accident but they served an important purpose now.

He clicked on Entry #80. He remembered it clearly, walking down to the basement of Benedict Hall, seeing Alex standing there, hearing the gunshot ring through his ears and feeling the panic that ensued following it. Something didn't seem right, he was gone. Tim screaming his name as he ran through Benedict Hall, chasing that guy in the hoodie down the hall. Brian, it was Brian. Alex setting fire to Tim’s house. Oh dear God, that was Brian, and now Alex. It was over. Jessica, she was alive after all. Everything is fine.

Tim essentially threw the headphones off his head, closing the browser and shutting down the tower, he didn't even look to see if it was really shutting down, he just stormed out of there. He felt like he was running, but he wasn't. He kept his left hand over where he'd been shot, of course now he wasn't bleeding. But he felt it again, like he was. His vision felt blurry, being blinded by light that was growing too bright, his whole body felt too uncomfortably warm, and his ears were ringing so loudly he couldn't actually hear anything else this time. He fumbled for his keys to unlock his car, he didn't even wait to try to listen for that click, he just tried to open the door until it opened with such a force that it sent him stumbling back a step. He got into the car, slamming the door shut. He didn't try to start it, he could barely see what was in front of him, let alone attempt to drive. His heart was pounding, he felt it all the way in his head. He felt his chest heave and hesitate, a shuddered breath which couldn't believe that he had really died, or at least that Tim had thought he did, or that that thing had done something to him, take him God knows where. He felt himself crying before he could really process the tears on his face. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on his steering wheel.

“Fuck!” He yelled as loud as his lungs would allow, he threw his head back and slouched in his seat. He stared at his hands as best as he could, his vision was starting to clear up, but he still couldn't see past the pools forming in his eyes. He blinked a few times and they fell straight from his eyes and down onto his hands. He was dead, or should be. Alex was gone, and Brian too. It didn't make any sense. He'd been gone too long, he should've been there or done something. If he had his camera then maybe it would all make more sense. Just maybe. He managed to calm himself down enough to drive, he buckled himself in and started the car, backing out of the parking space and getting back on the road. He wasn't really looking around anymore, just scanning for the sake of the repetitive act.

Thankfully he wasn't driving for long. He pulled up to the Days Inn and got out, locking his car as he went up the stairs to his room. He unlocked the door and closed it behind himself. His room was pretty simple, it wasn't half bad all things considered, he'd been spending a lot of his time in motels like this. It wasn't new to him, and he didn't expect a lot. He had a small spot to keep food, just a mini fridge and a desk really. He kicked off his shoes and collapsed back onto the bed, which felt a bit stiff, but it was better than the car. He looked over at where another bed would've been, he half expected to see it and then Tim. He got used to having a bit of company. It was still early in the day, but there was no point in doing anything else. Jay could hardly think straight, not with the knowing that he was dead, or should be, or was. He got back up to check the locks on the door, making sure it was locked for good, he checked the ones on the window next to the door, thankfully those were locked too. Then he turned off the lights and tried to sleep off this awful feeling.

[mayhem-is-aether]

I had an idea and I don't have the attention span to make an animatic (I have so much respect for y'all who do made them) but I wanted to make my vision come to life a little bit

I wasn't totally expecting this to work but I think it did

Song: Creep by Radiohead

[mayhem-is-aether]

Then There Was the Ark

Part 1

Word Count: 1960

Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4

This fanfic is my interpretation of post-canon Marble Hornets, I have not read the comics (I'm planning to) and this likely deviates from that heavily. This will also eventually connect to a larger project of mine which doesn't have much of a name yet. This also takes inspiration from pieces of information given in Rosswood. I do plan to write more of this but if I have the energy to is up to debate...

There it was, in the corner of that room, waiting for him to die. He didn't feel any pain, yet it felt like the entire world was coming down all around him. It was like he was in the most pain he's ever been in before, yet feeling none of it at the same time. The numbness shot through his torso, radiating from the spot where the bullet laid, spreading throughout his body like an infectious plague. He felt his grip on the camera go weak, and that was all he could focus on besides the banging on the door behind his head. He had to keep recording, he needed the camera, it would keep him safe and sane, even if he started to forget. Even if…

Jay woke up in the backseat of his car, he shot up like a stray bullet and frantically looked around, then he remembered he should be in pain. He looked down and put his hand over where the blood should be but there was none. It took him a moment longer to realize that he wasn't even wearing his own clothes, he was wearing a dark blue hoodie and a brown leather jacket, but he didn't own a blue hoodie like this one, and definitely didn't own a leather jacket. He observed his surroundings, it was definitely his car that he was in, and he was alone, but he didn't recognize the area outside of the car. It was morning, or evening, he just knew that the sun was on the horizon. He climbed over the center console, propping himself up so he could get a closer look at the clock built into his car. It was 6:34am and February 28th, 2015. It was morning and February, in a year he didn't remember coming into. He pushed himself back with a sudden urgency, kicking open the door and climbing out of the backseat of the car. He went around and opened his trunk, his belongings from the last hotel he remembered staying in were there, all securely in a duffle bag. He reached behind it and pulled open the hatch for the compartment under the trunk, nothing was inside so he closed it again. He shut his trunk and went around to the passenger side, checking the glovebox which had nothing in it besides some tissues and old receipts. Where was his camera? He needed his camera.

He felt paranoid as he drove, he wasn't sure where he was driving to either, he just knew that he had to get somewhere. It felt strange not having a camera next to him or on the dashboard, it felt wrong. It was like he was blind, he was blind without that camera. It had his life in its grasp and was choking every part of him in a twisted hug that he didn't realize was slowly killing him. But now, he was surely dead and this was the afterlife, he would've believed that notion had any part of it seemed realistic or believable. He wasn't sure how he was alive, he just knew that he was. If he had his camera, he'd know for certain what had happened, but he doesn't have that. Now that he doesn't, he can't trust himself, he has to look at the time. The time would tell him only half of the true story, but he needed whatever part he could grasp onto. He'd hold onto it like it would save him. 

Trees rolled by, it seemed like he'd been previously parked at a park, and somehow he'd found his way onto an interstate. He tried to look for any signs and he managed to catch one that told him some information on the next exit. He was sure that he was still in the U.S. After all, the interstate signs were the same, which was a small comfort to him. It wasn't any major interstate either, he was definitely still on the East Coast, or at least close to it given the lower interstate number, which also helped him figure out that he was heading south. He pulled off the interstate, he wasn't sure what town this was in, but they had a waffle house, and he was starving. He hadn't realized it before until he started actually considering food. It took him a few minutes to find, but thankfully the sign was tall and helped him find his way. He pulled into the parking lot, turning off the engine to the car. He leaned back in his seat to let out a long sigh. He patted down his pockets just in case and… no phone either. He was really going to have to find a payphone, oh shit, money! He'd even forgotten to check for his wallet. He opened up the center console and thankfully, it was there. He grabbed his wallet and put it in his pocket before he got out of the car and walked inside.

The inside was as you'd expect, on a dreary February morning, it felt oddly cold and dark, even though the slightly yellow fluorescents buzzed softly in the background in the combination of bacon sizzling on the griddle and the soft clanking of coffee cups being picked up and put back down. It wasn't busy, but wasn't totally void of people either. It was a soft mix between the two. Jay spotted a clock on the wall and was able to tell that it was 8:19am now. He walked up to the counter and sat down in one of the chairs. He rested his feet on the metal bar that ran along the edge below the counter. Jay was staring at his hands before someone's voice got his attention.

“Hey there, what can I get you?” Jay looked at them, it was obvious they worked there from the uniform and what they asked him, but their hair was dark brown and had a slight wave to it, their face was more of an oval shape, with soft yet defined features. Their eyes were deep brown that were like mirrors into a self reflection which Jay wasn't quite ready for yet.

“Uh-” He stuttered a bit, “I don't know…” He trailed off.

“Want some recommendations?” They asked, it seems like they had caught on that Jay had never been here before.

“Just surprise me, I guess.” He didn't want to have to make a decision right now.

They seemed to accept that answer, and punched something into the register. Jay felt his mind go blank, he was flooded with so many thoughts that he could barely think in the present, it didn't make much sense. He needed his camera, he needed to film this or else nobody would believe him! Waking up in 2015 without any recollection of what happened, that's crazy! He felt crazy. If he wasn't posting, then Tim wouldn't know where to find him, but at the same time Alex wouldn't know either. Had Tim killed Alex? Was Alex even alive? What about Tim? Was Tim alive? Was that thing still out there? What about that guy in the hoodie? Where was his camera? Where were his tapes? Where did his laptop go? What about his phone? How was he going to get home? Where was home? 

His train of questioning was thrown off as a cup of coffee landed in front of him, he looked up, it was them again.

“I just noticed you seemed pretty tired. Late night?” They asked.

“Uh, yeah,” He just went with it, “Something like that.” He looked around and noticed that it was starting to clear out.

“I haven't seen you around before.” They commented, hoping he'd give them a little more to work with.

“Yeah,” Jay rubbed the back of his neck, “Just been having a… weird week.”

“I get that,” They said, “This week has just been weird huh?”

“That's February for ya.” He said awkwardly, he didn't remember February, or this week, he only remembers waking up today. 

They stood there for a moment, and it gave Jay the opportunity to be a bit more observant, he caught that their name tag said “Riley” and that they had a small pin with the nonbinary flag. Jay didn't know much about it but he at least knew Riley didn't fit the standard mold of person. They walked away and came back with a plate of food, he didn't even look at what was on it, he just started eating. By the time he finished, he hadn't realized that he was the only customer now. He fumbled for his wallet to pay, but he wasn't really in a rush. Riley walked back over, noticing he was getting ready to pay.

“Uh,” Jay started, “Do you have a phone I can borrow? I need to call someone…” He trailed off towards the end.

“You can borrow my phone. Why?” They asked purely out of curiosity.

“I have uh- memory problems. I have for the past few years, and now I've woken up in the middle of nowhere without my phone, camera, or laptop, just my wallet and clothes. And I'm in February now! It was December 5th, 2013, the last time I remember…”

“Wow-” Riley wasn't really expecting that answer, “Yeah, call whoever you need to.” They handed Jay their phone.

“Thank you.” He said with the most gratitude he could muster, he couldn't really convey how much this meant to him. He dialed what he could remember Tim’s number being and let it ring, holding it up to his ear.

“Hello, this is Tim, I'm busy right now and can't come to the phone.” The phone beeped with the tone for a voicemail.

“Tim, it's me- Uh- Jay. I uh- I'm in…” He looked over at Riley.

“Clayton, Georgia.” They said.

“Yeah I'm in Clayton. I don't have my phone or anything, just my car and wallet. I don't remember how I got here- So please uh… don't call me back just- I don't know.” He hung up, he didn't know what else to say, he felt like he was on the verge of breaking. The reality of his situation kept coming back to hit him in the face. He handed Riley their phone. “Thank you.” He said again.

“Don't worry about it, and the meal is on me.” Riley took their phone back and put it in their pocket.

“No, I can pay.” Jay insisted.

“You've been through the wringer, it's on me.” Riley affirmed, and Jay just piped down. He was so incredibly grateful.

“Do you know a motel around? I think I'm just going to stay for a few days, get my bearings…”

“There's one down the road, just a Days Inn, it's nothing special.”

“That's fine, thanks again, I needed this.” He needed the little spark of kindness, it put him at ease despite everything. Before he left, Riley caught him with a “wait a minute.” He turned around to face them again.

“My number, when you find your phone.” They handed him a piece of paper with their number on it and he felt so honored. 

He put it in his pocket with a small nod and walked out to his car. He found a pen that barely worked and scribbled “RILEY FROM WAFFLE HOUSE” on the back so he'd remember. If he had his camera, he wouldn't need to do this. He put it into his center console so hopefully it wouldn't get lost. He drove down to the motel and got a room for a few days, but before he actually went into the room, he tried to find directions to the library, thankfully it was only a three minute drive.

[mayhem-is-aether]

I haven't drawn traditionally in a hot minute and I CANNOT for the life of me draw hoodies so maybe drawing Brian was a bad idea but I love him and I wanted to draw him so these are my best attempts