#~ cool art asher made

[asherenjoysart]

[magical-shoujo-anon]

// quick machi sketch before I sleep!!

[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

hiii

u know that drawing u posted of david and darlin in their uniforms w the axes, first of all im still drooling over it

but also what's the meaning behind their tattoos? im especially interested in the snake 👁👁

-🦀

Crab anon!! I’ve missed you!!!

So I’m actually so passionate about Darlin’s tattoos. That’s why their face tattoos made an appearance in the text of the story. The face tattoos are designed to be shitty, scratcher tattoos and for those that aren’t familiar with the term, it refers to tattoos done by unskilled or unliscenced artists. They tend to go too deep into the skin and blow out, go too light and fade quickly, and get infected because of the poor hygienic practices that comes along with not working in a sterile environment.

This is slightly older art of them, and the tattoos have changed a bit, but it works for this demonstration. For the tattoos that Quinn put there, there are three X’s under their left eye, a Q in their right Dimple, and the word “PRECIOUS” over their right eyebrow. In my heart, they have 0903 on their left temple, which they got a week after Gabe died. The scythe and snake on their cheek would come later on. Those are more statistic choices than meaningful ones, but they do like the morbid vibes of having a scythe over Gabe’s death date.

As for the sleeve!! I actually have much better art of it. I sketched out firefighter Darlin and hated every part of it EXCEPT their sleeve. It was my second pass at Darlin’s tattoos and I just love the way that the tattoos came out with the sketch brush I use.

So!! Then burning house!! It’s funny to them as a firefighter to have a burning house tattoo. Just a lil joke for themself. It’s also…. Look have you ever heard that quote “if you grow up with an angry man in your house there will always be an angry man in your house?” That is the vibe they were trying to cultivate with it. They feel like they grew up in a burning house and now they keep running into fires.

The pomegranate!! It didn’t make an appearance in the firefighter uniform drawing, just since it was a less detailed one, but I love it in this one. I like a pomegranate as a nod to Darlin’s canon universe themes. Just… the imagery of pomegranates representing hedonistic pleasure and consumption??? And the ties to Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring who is married to married to Hades, the King of the Underworld. I like the vibes of a dance with death, both tying to their relationships with vampires and their recklessness, which is present in both canon and the au.

I’m gonna be so real with you Crab Anon… the snake was just because it looks cool. I like the idea that the snake being a venomous species native to Washington, sort of like Darlin themself. You can’t see it in this drawing, but the tongue of the spider is wrapped around their middle finger. Despite having a lot of face tattoos, that was their most painful one, getting tattooed in the finger webbing.

This sketch was the origin of the “ALL YOU HAVE IS YOUR FIRE” tattoo I gave to Damien in that one shot I wrote. I think the vibes are great for FFAU Darlin.

Also!! As a note!!! Darlin has knuckle tattoos! They spell “GOOD LUCK.” That was actually Asher’s idea.

So yeah!! There’s all of the meanings!!

[earlronove]

Did you see my cover reveal for Errant Wings and go "heck yeah!!" and wanted some signed copies with goodies? Well, look no further!

You can get… 📘 a signed book (or a bookplate for less, your choice!) 🔖 a cool bookmark! ⚪ a snazzy sticker!!

Fill out the form below before MAR 25th! https://forms.gle/w2oSKPLhvrG1zA6n7

I love putting pre-order book goodies together, so I hope you'll consider getting some!

ERRANT WINGS is the new adult coming-of-age story of Asher, who has his entire life planned around the coming of his devil wings. They mean freedom from the city's expectations and most importantly, means he can continue what he's already good at: his graffiti art, loving his boyfriend, and riding the dark, glittering streets without a care in the world. Except devil wings aren't what he gets. Angel wings sprout from his back, shattering every plan he's ever made. Now the city expects his complete devotion--no room for anything else--and that's the last thing they'll ever get from him.

Find more information on its linktree here!

[thesolaireslawyer]

Welcome

My amazing bg is done by @/poedays

Heya how are you? I hope you're doing good! Im Nivan (though I don't mind nicknames <3 nuthin weird though-) and I like to dabble in the addiction that is writing. In fact, You've probly read a few of my works! Unsure? Hmmmm... Have You Read Any Of The Below?

David Shaw Was Paying Attention

Done

Scared

Anyways enough of the shameless Promo, Like I said Im Nevy! And I've been in the redacted fandom for a few months. And I'm a writer! Though I dance in the art of drawing.

that sentence made no sense but it's fine.

Oh! My Favorite Redacted Characters?

Some Info About Nivan!

Birthday is Ðec 19 (19 this year <333)

Single As A Sour Cream N Onion Pringle My Favorite Color Is I Love Angst A Lot And I Mean A LotI LOVE MATHMy Favorite Drinks Are Coffee And Water!LoRe WhOrEI Make Desktop Backgrounds! Link Here 👉🏽HehehehAroAceI Got That ADHD, Autism Thing also I AM DYSLEXIC LIKE BADLY PLEASE BARE WITH ME 🙏Class Of 2024 🎓My Favorite Animal Is The Vampire Squid

William Solaire <3 Ollie <3 Alexis Asher Hush

Favorite Listeners??

Baaabe <3 William's One That I'm Manifesting Darlin Freelancer Ollie's Baby Doc <3

Anyone In Pink Is An Unreasonable Favorite That I Won't Explain

Kin List?

Baaabe Asher Freelancer Treasure

Hmmm.. I Think That's All To Know About Me.

I'm also an Avid David hater 🫰🏾

Oh! Check Out These Amazin Humans

@dawnofiight @achios @poedays @seros-tape @honeymarune @aurorialwolf

Oh OH one more thingy! Some VA recommendations!

Reverie Audios Mr.Laveau Escaped Audios GoodboyAudios Yuurivoice Gav VA Crow Dance The Stroke Of Midnight CardlinAudio Shining Armor ASMR Jouska Scythe Audio ZSukaVA

Anyone In Purple Has A Tumblr That I Know Of

Oh Im Not Afriad To Call Out Anyone. So Don't Be An Ass On My Blog <3. I Will Call You Out And Read You 😒

If you have any other questions feel free to ask me <3

Oh! You're interested in what I write?! You adorable human :3 Here take this 👇🏽

MaStErLiSt

The wonderful Blinkies were made by the amazing @/milogreer

Wanna see my Digital art journey?? Or just my art ingeneral? Check out > Nevy draws stuff

Wanna learn random shit bout me? Check out > nevy lore and I think nevy - lore

Wanna see what I yap about? Check out > Nevy does things

Wanna see my french journey? Check out > Nevy is learning

Wanna meet some really cool people? Check out > Nevys moots <3

I RUN THE @williamsolaire @alexisgetty @whereiwanttobeiswithyou @amornoo accounts

The Vega Account password is lost to time, sadly

Not updated

[archives-art-archive]

⭕️❗️- we finally got around to making a dedicated side blog for art! For anyone new hi! I’m Killer! I’m a killer sans fictive that really likes drawing sans AUs as dragons :3

Here’s a sketch of Dust I just made! ((Rainwing version :3))

Imma queue up some of our older art to post here probably once a day.

Anything tagged with “old art” will be a repost of something we made a while ago and may have been posted on other accounts/platforms already, new art that has not been posted before will be tagged with “fresh art”, and any posts tagged with “archive’s art” include art made by us.

Our main is @scarlet97531 , we mostly just ramble and spam reblogs there lol. So uh if you wanna hear me rant about my terrible hot takes and also sometimes how cool my husbands((Cross and Asher :3)) are than that’s where you can find it XD

Also we have a link to our pronouns cc in our bio for anyone that wants to know more about us :3

[dayshifted-at-freddys]

Welcome, to Day Shifted At Freddy’s!

This is a DSAF AU tumblr blog for a big project that I will be working on. This is like an update blog, but you are able to ask questions and interact with characters!

To read more about the AU, keep reading this post!!

Basic Idea:

Day Shifted At Freddy’s is a “swapped” universe that includes OC’s, and very rough around the edges lore. The lore is still being worked on, as the AU is VERY old, but as it is being worked on things will be updated and fleshed out better. The main character is Blue by the way, not Jack.

DO NOT ATTACK ME FOR THINGS THAT ARE CANONICALLY WRONG.

To err is to human, I haven’t revisited DSAF and its entire lore in a while. Things will be wrong, either on purpose for the AU, or on accident. If something is wrong that looks like it is NOT ON PURPOSE, please inform me kindly and I will update you on adjusting that part accordingly.

This project will be HUGE and I am doing it solo. Nobody else will be running the things I’m working on, everything will be hand designed and made by me, so be patient please.

Who am I?:

I’m Jack! No not *that* Jack. My name is inspired by him, yes, but I do not enjoy being thought of as only him. I do not enjoy being directly called him unless it’s for funnies.

My pronouns are whatever you perceive me as, I won’t tell you if you’re right or wrong ;)

I’m @davesporttrash everywhere if you want to see my other art! Most of my DSAF work is uploaded on Instagram though. If you have questions about anything not related to this blog, you can ask it to my main blog! Asks and requests are always open on both blogs, but requests for this blog *must* be related somehow. Besides that go crazy on the other blog-

Characters:

Canon characters that are and will be used in this AU include,

Dave

Jack

Peter

Dee

Steven

Henry

OC’s and Non-Canon characters that will or might be used include,

Scar (My OC)

Blue (My OC)

Asher (Owned by Kellz_Does_Art on IG)

xICONx (Also known as that one DSAF YouTuber, who’s actually really cool to talk to)

Be aware there are NO DIRECT SHIPS. DaveSport is NOT CANON in the AU or directly stated. You might be wondering why, but it’s because this AU is only as of DSAF 1. There are no connections between anybody or anything yet. You may ask characters for their opinions on others, but be aware the first time asking is not the only answer. Over time, their opinions and feelings will change. You can ask them again later on, and maybe their answer will change.

I will not reply to questions with unchanged answers, so if a question is repeated, the answer is different.

Project Plans:

At the moment, I have to design everybody. So the current plan is to design the characters and how they look for the AU.

After designing the characters, I have plans to write a fic that will give a basic outline of the AU.

After the fic…

TBA ;)

[lovemylegcasts]

The afternoon sun poured through the classroom windows, lighting up the art supplies scattered across the floor. Jaxon and Asher sat side by side near the back corner, surrounded by poster board, colored markers, and a tangle of glue sticks and scissors. Their group project was halfway done, but their focus had wandered — mostly thanks to the two bright blue casts covering Asher’s legs from just below the knee to his toes.

“Okay, so,” Jaxon said, squinting at the crooked title they’d drawn, “we can fix the lettering later. But I still don’t get how you broke both legs doing parkour.”

Asher laughed softly. “I was trying to jump between two ledges. I made the jump… but didn’t land it. Both heels hit weird, and it just crumpled from there.”

“Man.” Jaxon winced. “At least the casts match. They’re kind of… intense.”

Asher leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Yeah, I asked for blue. If I’m going to be stuck like this, might as well make it look cool.”

The casts extended all the way to the ends of his toes, which were sticking out slightly — pale and stiff, but clearly healing. The fourth and pinky toes on his right foot were still a little bruised from the impact, and the skin on both sets of toes looked dry and unused to the air.

Jaxon looked down at his own feet. He was wearing his usual brown Birkenstock sandals — toes out, clean and a little sun-darkened. “I guess we’re opposites today,” he said, wiggling his toes. “Mine are living the open-air life, and yours are... stuck in fiberglass prison.”

Asher smirked. “You’re not wrong. I can’t even curl mine. Look at this.” He tried flexing his toes but could barely move them. “They’ve been sticking out like this for two weeks now. I forgot how cold tile floors are.”

Jaxon leaned in a bit, comparing them side-by-side. “My toes look weird next to yours.”

“Dude,” Asher said, snorting, “I was just thinking mine look weird next to yours. Yours are all tan and lined up. Mine are dry, crooked, and stuck like icicles.”

They both laughed.

“I think they look fine,” Jaxon said after a beat. “Kind of tough, actually. Like you survived something.”

“I guess I did.” Asher stretched his arms over his head. “Still got four more weeks of this. Then boots, then maybe walking again. But I’m kind of used to people seeing my toes now. Even if they’re kinda janky.”

“Well,” Jaxon said with a shrug, “if it helps, I’ve definitely seen worse toes.”

“Thanks?” Asher chuckled. “You should put that on my cast.”

Jaxon grabbed a marker and grinned. “I’ve seen worse toes – Jaxon” now stretched across the side of Asher’s right cast in sloppy handwriting.

“Perfect,” Asher said. “That’s going to get me through the next month.”

They turned back to the project, their feet still outstretched and mismatched — one set of toes free and flexing in sandals, the other poking stiffly from twin casts. And somehow, it felt like the project wasn’t the only thing that had gotten a little stronger that day.

[asherenjoysart]

[magical-shoujo-anon]

// The only canon thing about this is the designs.

(Yes, glowman is very short, and magishou anon is very tall… glowman is standing on a stool to get high enough to do the pose-thingy in the art :3)

[autisticempathydaemon]

sorry if this is a lil long (￣□￣;)!!

What song are you fixated on at the moment? What lyric or verse, and why?

there are a few albums (igor, damn., songs) ive been listening to on loop for a few weeks now, but if i were to narrow it down to one song it would be “forwards beckon rebound” by adrianne lenker ^_^. i liked it when i first listened to the album in full but then found out my boyfriend liked it, so i LOVE it now. 

What is your Enneagram type?

INFP-T, 4w3

Do you love gargantuan Youtube video essays, and if so, which is your favorite and why?

i LOVE them!! i really enjoy jacob geller’s video essays, specifically his video “how can we bear to throw anything away?”. i think its SUPER cool and very poetically justifies my hoarding. though for GARGANTUAN, i like flawed peacock’s 7 hour and 42 minute video on “who’s lila”, which i still havent finished.

Tell me about your childhood imaginary friend.

when i was around 9 i used to be called “daffodil” when teased so i turned daffodil into my alter ego and spoke to her with pure hatred

What is your go-to way to fall asleep?

most of the time i scroll and scroll and scroll until im about to pass out from exhaustion, but when im NOT doing that, either put on music or a sleep aid audio n stare at my ceiling til i fall asleep.

If you had to change your name, what would it be, and why? (In tandem, if you have changed your name, why did you pick that one?)

im trans and have been out to my friends for around 3-4 years now, and i changed my name to my current one due to dissatisfaction with my previous name choice and my fixation on the character i named myself after.

What is your favorite of Redacted’s audios, and why?

ashers 2021 hbs. its so sweet and silly and full of love <3 i love asher and i love fluff :3

What Redacted boy holds no appeal to you, and why? Like, not the one you hate but the one who you don’t get the hype for. (I won’t judge, I promise.)

guy. hes alright but i just dont see the appeal character-wise. hes kind of just erik’s self-insert or low-effort character which is great for him but not that interesting for me.

Tell me about that one book/movie/tv show you know all the words to.

book + movie: the perks of being a wallflower, and tv show: brooklyn 99. i was DEEPLY into tpobaw a few months ago and finished the book (with annotations) in 4 days. charlie kelmeckis is me!! as for b99, its my comfort show and i’ve rewatched it at least 6 times in full.

Which Redacted boy are you platonically attracted to? Like- forget dating, which dude do you want to be your best friend?

caelum :3 i need to hug him asap!! need to bake with him!!

Do you have a go-to thing you ramble about when you’re tired, and if so, what is it? (For example, my boyfriend knows I’m ready to sleep when I start talking about space.)

no specific topic, but ill start talking about how much i love something or someone. tired me is very loving. according to my best friend i talk a lot about my boyfriend when im sleepy.

Tell me your go-to gas station and drink combo.

diet coke and ice cream ^_^ 

Tell me about your favorite playlist at the moment. 

there are a few, but my top three are a playlist containing every alex g song i like, a playlist full of love songs of all different genres and artists, and a playlist i made in 2022 when i was into more obscure rock ^_^. but mostly i listen to adrianne lenker or kendrick lamar on shuffle.

What’s your guilty pleasure media, and why?

video essays talking about drake vs kendrick. i swear ive watched over a hundred videos related to that drama, mostly cause i love kendrick so much and have been a drake hater since 2015. 

And whatever else you think tells me about who you are!

im a big lover of the arts!! both visual (i draw both traditionally and digitally, and have tried painting) and musical (big music fan + very amateur singer and guitarist). i really like movies, but i like movie analysis youtube videos more! in that same vein, i love horror media but am too scared most of the time to actually consume it, so i watch a lot of horror explanation or analysis videos.

im an extremely awkward person to talk to, like severely. also i like minecraft a lot, avid hermitcraft watcher.

Type Fours are so lovely, so internally complex and magnificent and creative despite and perhaps in conjunction with their introversion. I think a fellow introvert would especially appreciate that about you- Anton, specifically.

Another reason I like y’all together is this enneagram type (and MBTI) tends to be very feelings based, very pathos motivated, and that would contrast from Anton whose life and job are so technical, so logos-y. You bring so much light and verve into his life; whenever he sees art, he thinks of you and how it would make you feel. You make him think more about how he feels, you know? The art you create and the way you experience art, the way you enjoy things, makes him marvel.

And you do love to enjoy things with him, to show new things and movies and shows, because his marvel in turn makes things even more fun for you! Anton strikes me as the type of guy who knows nothing about pop culture if left alone, so you get to show him everything. He likes Brooklyn Nine Nine a lot more than he thought. (Terry is his favorite; he also likes yogurt and wants to be a girl dad.) He doesn’t give a single shit about the Kendrick/Drake beef but you’re so animated when you talk about it, he listens raptly. He doesn’t really enjoy horror, but it doesn’t scare him either so he’s a comforting presence whenever you decide to try watching some.

Song:

A volcano erupted/ And the stars fell one by one/ And finally I'm done right/ And it's a kite trapped in my mind/ But I don't mind/ I think of your hands on my body/ And they feel nice/ Just one more night

(Thank you again, Spotify Artist Radios, because I don’t listen to a lot of folk! This is a new song for me!) I chose this one for you and Anton because of the phrase “velvet kind of mood”, because it makes me think of how Anton’s love would tactile-y feel- warm, plush, heavy like a weighted blanket and just as comforting. The lyric “just one more night” also made me think of Anton holding onto you the night before he leaves, so I could not resist.

Runner-ups:

Geordi is the first runner-up that came to mind because he strikes me as the most… artistically inept of the redacted bois if you will- thus, he would feel the most awe and reverence and your prowess. Plus, I like to headcanon him as trans, and we love a t4t couple. Asher is my favorite runner up for you though, but I can’t quite word why. I think it’s something about his extrovert energy against yours.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[feeling-pushy]

hi ! I love your art ! It’s super cool Can you please draw a version of it Rosie’s birth If monthana made it to the hospital also love your art keep up the great work

Omg thank you! I'm so glad to hear you like my art! Also so funny you mention a hospital birth for Montanha. Cause while in his cannon it's an apocalypse and there is no working hospitals for him to give birth in. I have a little like AU i play around with, with my friend who created Asher, and in the AU the apocalypse didn't happen and a few events kinda happen in a different order. But in that AU he does give birth to Rosie in a hospital!

Maybe if people are interested I can share this AU as well? Like with stories and artwork and stuff? Let me know in the comments if that's something people would be interested in!

[cheesecakeislazy]

Made some art today, no particular fandom, just my OC Asher. He’s pretty cool.

She’s in her senior year of high school, and he lowkey fucks (with) everyone.

[mydisenchantedeulogy]

In the Deep Woods [Chapter Two] Petrichor [Mello/Mihael Keehl]

A/n: The art above was drawn by me. It's my own little style with the characters. I had fun trying to come up with new outfits for them. Punkish for Matt, which is just a blue and black color scheme for his original, and goth for Mello. A vest, but with buckles.

Warning(s): mentions of death, OC, Mello is a bit foul-mouthed, short chapter, crazy driving, introductions.

No Minors Allowed!!

Misty Pines, Tennessee. 

According to the case file Anthony Rester gave her, it was a rural town in the mountains of Ashford County. Misty Pines was said to be a peaceful and secluded area with a population of 1,340, based on the census done in 2020, which was odd to Eliana, since in 2010 the population was tallied at 4,001. 

What made the town decline so much in the last ten years? Perhaps change. With over two thousand people leaving, it had to have been big. Corporate colonization came to mind; it happened to her birth town, putting mom-and-pop shops out of business. However, it could have also been technology, as some small towns object to the idea. She was curious, but regrettably, it was not her job to determine why the town was failing. Eliana was only there for the murder. 

While it was the two disappearances that plagued the town of Misty Pines, the murder of Asher Hughes was what began the investigation. He was an out-of-towner, a twenty-six-year-old Caucasian male who was found near the treeline of the Pine Mountains. His cause of death, according to the local coroner, Dr. Tipton was exsanguination. The condition of the body when found was a reason for suspicion, however. He was torn apart, a feat, Rester stated, no bear or bobcat could have done. Eliana did not know the entirety of the details, since the autopsy report was absent from the file, but she was hopeful that the detectives who were already in Ashford County had them, or at least had spoken to the corner. There was a lot she needed them to fill her in about. 

Rester told her little about the two, but he did mention that they were seasoned, in addition to being secretive. If she intended to work with them, she too needed to do the same. ‘Lia’ was the name he insisted she go by. As far as the citizens of Misty Pines knew, Eliana Moore did not exist.

A few days after she met with Rester and the elusive Detective L, she was transferred from the NYPD to the JFT, and her records were confiscated. No sooner had they been, Eliana was rushed onto a plane and flown to middle Tennessee.

It took an hour and a half to get there; time she used to rest. It was a stressful move. There was so much for her to do in such a short time; settle her affairs and pack accordingly, so the rest, no matter how little, was grateful. From the Nashville International Airport, she was picked up by a driver, a woman named Marie, who drove her an additional two hours to Ashford County.

Once she arrived outside town, at a cozy rest area near the foot of the Pine Mountains, Marie left her to the care of the detectives. The area was empty, so Eliana used the time she had to wonder. Like many small-town rest areas she had ever seen, it was a beautiful distraction, a sight that left her feeling nostalgic. 

The autumn afternoon air was pleasantly cool and crisp. She could faintly smell the petrichor emanating from the forest at the backside of the cottage-style welcome center, earthy and a little sweet. Eliana strode over to the covered kiosk outside the door, leaving her suitcase by the curb, and looked over the information displayed inside an acrylic box that read ‘The Wonders of Misty Pines’ above it.

There was a lot of useful information to look over; trails for hiking enthusiasts, a map of the town, and popular buildings to visit while vacationing. A flyer for the upcoming Harvest Festival caught her eye, showing a young smiling girl wearing a ‘Miss Harvest’ sash over her chest. Despite her smile, however, there was sadness in her eyes. Eliana raised her hand, touching the glass, lost in her expression until a series of loud honks made her jump. She tore her attention away from the flyer and peered over her shoulder. 

A cherry red 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS sat in the parking lot. It was a gorgeous car. As Eliana hesitantly walked over, the driver's side door opened and a man standing a few inches taller than her emerged in a haze of cigarette smoke. His hair was ash brown, layered and cut just above his shoulders, and he wore a pair of amber-tinted goggles over his eyes. 

“Are you Lia?” He asked. 

L must have already informed them about her.

“Yeah, that's me,” Eliana answered, smiling politely. 

“I'm Matt. Your friendly chauffeur,” he responded.

Eliana snorted. Even if he was not happy about having to pick her up, he was attempting to be nice. She did not want to cause too much trouble for him, so she picked up her suitcase and asked to stick it in the trunk. Matt leaned into the Chevy to pop the lid. She placed her suitcase next to the spare tire, then shut the lid and joined him in the front seat.

The interior she liked. It had low-back TMI Sport R Pro-series seats with leather upholstery. The console shifter, glove compartments, and dashboard were the same glossy red as the paint on the outside of the car. Coupled with the satin black details, it was a fierce ride. 

“She's beautiful,” Eliana uttered in awe. 

Matt grinned. “Then you're gonna like her a hell of a lot more when I get her running.” 

The Chevy roared to life as Matt turned the key over. He revved the engine as though he was giving Eliana a show, then put the car in reverse and peeled out of the parking lot, heading up the mountain. With his phone in one hand, he linked it to a speaker somewhere in the back via a Bluetooth connection, then blasted ‘In the House In a Heartbeat’ as he drove. The curves were atrocious. Each one winded like a snake, climbing, and climbing, but Matt handled them like he had been born in Ashford County his entire life.

Eliana tried to act unphased, but she was clutching her hands in her lap, tense as ever. To make matters worse, she noticed there were no guard rails. The road on her side ended in a steep slope heading down in an ocean of pine trees; she could not even see anything beyond them. Her heart raced and she hoped to hell that she could trust Matt to get her to town safely.

Partway into the instrumental, they rounded the corner and the trees parted. In the valley was a gorgeous town. Eliana could not believe how mesmerizing it was. Her attention was diverted only when Matt turned down the volume.

“Eerie, isn't it?” He asked. 

A little, she supposed. There was a thin fog in the air, almost as though it emanated from the surrounding woods, swallowing Misty Pines. 

“Reminds me of home,” Eliana answered. 

“You're from the country?” Matt asked.

For a moment, she considered not telling him. Was she not meant to be secretive? Any person could probably tell by her accent that she was from the South, however; it was hard to mask. 

“Backwoods of Tennessee,” she admitted. “In a town like this.”

Matt hummed. 

“Then you know some of the town isn't too hospitable to outsiders.”

She imagined so. Small towns were a tight-knit community. Everyone knew everyone and word traveled faster than a wildfire.

“Don't take it too personally.” 

Matt snorted. He continued to drive as though he was attempting to flee the police, then slowed down when they reached the edge of town. A sign near the side of the road welcomed them to Misty Pines, then reminded them that the speed limit was 20. Through a red-covered bridge, they emerged into the center of town. 

It was a straight stretch down Main Street, passing the Ashford County courthouse and several small businesses that Eliana found herself window shopping in as they cruised by. Near the end, before the T-intersection, she saw the police station, a small rectangular-shaped building that seemed to only have two or three police cruisers in the lot. 

Taking a right, they continued a few minutes down the road, then turned left on Hill Way. The asphalt faded to gravel the further they drove, then up a driveway almost hidden from the road, Matt pulled into a narrow lot of a charming two-story cottage-style home with the forest to its back.

“Wow,” Eliana uttered. 

“It's one of the better AirBnBs we found,” Matt mentioned. “It's secluded and close to town.” 

He parked the Chevy next to a satin black 2006 BMW K1200LT motorcycle, then turned off the engine and popped the trunk for Eliana.

“You have arrived at your destination, ma'am.” 

She could not contain her smile. 

“I'm only giving you two stars. I pity the instructor who was in the car with you during your driving test.” 

Matt placed his hand over his heart, pretending to be hurt, then hopped out of the car. Eliana followed suit. She retrieved her suitcase and then joined him on the covered porch as he unlocked the front door. The first room they emerged into was the living room and immediately she realized that the upstairs was no more than a nook, as though the house had been converted from a barn. 

Regardless, the space exuded comfort and charm. The soft glow of the vintage lamps paired with rustic wooden accents gave meaning to the word cottage-style. It was welcoming, the opposite of how Eliana felt when she met eyes with the other detective, a man who strode in from around the corner of the living room. A bar of milk chocolate was in his gloved hand, an indication that he had just returned from the kitchen. 

He had blonde hair, straight and thin with messy bangs that needed a cut. Aside from the cold look he gave her as if to say ‘You don't belong here’, the scar on his face, which extended just between his nose and left eye made him seem unapproachable. If not for Matt, she would have honestly stood there, staring at him in an awkward silence.

“Do you need me for anything else, boss?” He asked with a hint of sarcasm. 

The blonde, who Eliana later learned was named Mello, curled his nose, not in the least bit enthused by the nickname. 

“You can grab your stuff from upstairs and move it down here. The couch is yours.” 

Matt whined like a child, prompting Eliana to jump to his defense. 

“I can take the couch, I don't mind.”

Mello sighed. 

“I don't care who the hell sleeps where. Just figure it out.”

In the end, much to her dismay, Matt gave up his room. It made Eliana feel a little better, however, to learn that the couch was a pull-out. She even helped him tote down a few things, cases of what he described as ‘surveillance cameras and stuff’, which was more than Mello did, lounging on the armchair with his right leg up as he looked over some sort of list. 

When she finished putting her things away, she joined the two downstairs. Mello had not moved, but Matt was now sitting on his soon-to-be bed, playing a game on a turquoise-colored Switch Lite. Eliana did not want to bother either of them, but she was curious about the case, especially the autopsy report that seemed to be missing from the case file. Now was better than never to get caught up. 

“Um…did either of you happen to talk to Dr. Tipton about Asher Hughes? I wanted to look over the autopsy report.”

“There wasn't one to look at,” Matt uttered. 

What? Why? Eliana knitted her brows.

“I don't–” 

“The doctor reported the cause of death as an animal attack,” Mello interjected. He broke off a piece of the chocolate bar with a soft click. “And since the death wasn't unnatural or suspicious, there was no autopsy done.” 

Of course, there wasn't.

“Where was the body taken? Did the family come here to identify it? The case file L gave me didn't say much about it,” Eliana asked.

As if she stepped over a line, Mello gave her a heated look.

“That's because this isn't that little shit's case. He sent us here to figure it out and I sure as hell don't appreciate him going over my head and involving an outsider. I'm not gonna sit here and play catch up with you all night.”  

An embarrassed heat spread across her face. Eliana tightened her jaw and remained silent. She knew that her being here was sudden, but she did not think she would be unwelcome. It was like he was already underestimating her. Swallowing her anger, she took an uneasy breath. 

“If you want to complain, I reckon you better call L, because unless he tells me to, I'm here to stay.” 

Mello stared at her for a moment, then unbent his leg and stood. He said nothing or her or Matt as he strode around the corner and out of sight. The only noise heard was the sound of a door closing. 

Eliana leaned back against the couch and groaned, prompting Matt to laugh.

“Don't stress about it. I won't sugarcoat the fact he can be hard to work with, but he's determined and a good detective.”

“L made a mistake though. I shouldn't be here,” Eliana retorted.

She felt like Mello’s anger was justified. Perhaps once he contacted L, the latter would see that her sudden presence was just going to exacerbate the relationship between them. On one hand, Eliana wanted to go home, but on the other, she wanted to prove Mello wrong. 

“L doesn't make mistakes when it comes to things like this. Mello knows that and he's just being salty about it,” Matt stated with a laugh. 

Salty. That was an understatement. 

“Give him a few days,” He added. “He’ll come around. Besides, if he thought L was wrong, he wouldn't have asked me to pick you up at the rest area.”

He asked him to. She almost did not want to believe Matt. Her first thought about Mello was not that he was not the generous type. There was no reason for Matt to lie though. 

Eliana could not deny it. His words gave her a semblance of hope. She chuckled. A couple of days. She could tolerate that, couldn't she? 

[dustedmagazine]

Lifeguard — Crowd Can Talk/Dressed in Trenches (Matador)

Dressed in Trenches by Lifeguard

Lifeguard, from Chicago, makes a blistering post-hardcore racket, channeling chaotic, noisy energy into rigorously disciplined forms. This extremely young trio—guitarist Kai Slater, bassist Asher Case and drummer Isaac Lowenstein were all in high school when they started playing together—have a firm grip on rock history, bringing the irregular architectures of Fugazi, the unruly blare of Unwound and the blinding guitar skree of pre-Daydream Sonic Youth together in an arresting way.

Lifeguard records quickly and frequently, laying down singles and EPs typically in a day or so. For a band birthed during the pandemic, it was the only way to keep track of how their sound was evolving. They made a full-length cassette, Dive, in 2020, then three EPs in 2020 and 2021. This recording, their first on Matador, combines their most recent EP, Crowd Can Talk, with the five news songs from Dressed in Trenches. Though the songs span a bit less than a year, you can hear these artists in the process of figuring out their sound.

The (slightly) older material favors the noisier elements of their art, the screech of guitar feedback, the decaying buzz of bass pushed into the red, the thwack, thwack, thwack of unadorned drums, the clangor of two boys shouting cryptic phrases at each other. Yet there’s a form to these onslaughts, an undeniable sense to the way they’re put together. “I Know I Know” is violent but tinged with aching tenderness. “Fifty Seven” chops up phrases into oddly shaped, math-y portions, yet slips some poetry into the way Slater’s voice intersects with bristling aggression. To me, “Typecast,” sounds the most like Fugazi, exploding in off-kilter, unexpected bursts of drum and guitar; the two bands have a fierce complexity in common.

The new songs tilt more anthemic, albeit in a minimalist way. “17-18 Lovesong” runs itself continually into a wall of noise, guitars pulling up as they crash into cement. Its chant of alphabet letters (“C-N-S-A”) has a desolate dystopian vibe, but the instruments rain bright, nearly giddy fire around them. You may have heard that Asher Case’s dad is Brian Case from FACS, and in this one, you can definitely hear the family resemblance. “Tell Me When” pumps up the density of Lifeguard’s sonics, drums rumbling in continuous panic, guitar tones prisming in rainbow arcs of distorted sound, the bass nodding underneath, satisfied with what has been done. Here’s where you can hear the clearest echoes of Sonic Youth, though, Lifeguard has its own intensity and timbre.  

This is an impressive statement from a band that’s still forming itself. Its sound is distinctive and compelling, but still audibly shifting as they go. It’s hard to imagine where they might end up ten or even five years out, but my guess is it’ll be someplace cool and very different from where they are now.

Jennifer Kelly

[careful-pyromancer]

theo when almost possesed: ough i got planty o time

CW: mentions of child birth and child birth complications, one mention of infant death, possession. Please be safe and take care of yourself!

(also please consider reblogging with, it helps with my motivation and I love hearing what you thought!)

    The world faded to the warmth of Taliesin, the click of his boots on the marbled floor, and the smell of spring that emanated from him. She didn’t mind this, since he felt like a sun-warmed afghan.

    Nausea still crashed against her skull like waves threatening to take down a lighthouse. Dark waters crept up from every angle. No light could penetrate, even if the sun was out. Theo imagined dusky clouds obscuring the sky, only thunder and lightning being able to break through the barrier.

    The cracking of thunder sounded a lot like Taliesin’s boots against the rotten wooden floor of the basement. No more warmth. Now she lay on a cool stone slab.

    It’s almost done. Her rotted voice spoke in a sing-song tone

    Good luck trying to break me. I’m one stubborn bitch.

    Once your body is gone, your mind will follow.

(rest of snippet below)

“She’s gonna be a mega-bitch, just so you know,” Theo stated before her eyes rolled back in her head.

    Only leaving the silver sclera behind.

'When isn't she?' Taliesin wondered silently.

    He drew out a rosary made from deer antlers and other dead creatures that die in forests. He always despised the moment when both soul and demon wrestled for control.  Theo's mother had told scraps of the gruesome tale of her labor. How the midwives found her. The connection between babe and mother had strangled the princess, leaving her a stillborn. 

Taliesin still didn't know all the details, and not for a lack of trying.

    Well, he knew one thing: Theo was here, and she had a demon plaguing her.

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