#TWD deserved survivor Carl

[wontlasttwodays]

These conflicts you bring up are exactly what the latter show needed. The relationships were so hollow and the dialogue so vague. Not only would he modulate to Michonne's mindset, but also missing Daryl, and talking to Negan.

Would Carl also believe that Rick was out there? Or would he just be respectful of the need for hope? Perhaps he'd observe the days where she wore Rick's shirts or quiet corners of the house where, during tense times, she talked to herself like she was talking to Rick.

He only interrupted her one time and that was when she was worried about the new people and reopening. He needed her to debate it with him and not a ghost.

Perhaps, Carl would have a hard time letting people into his confidence, his trust, while locked into Alexandria. Perhaps what happened between him and Ron, his disability after, what happened to Michonne by Jocelyn, gave him ptsd. So for himself he mends his philosophy that sure you can help people, protect people, but you can't have friends. Perhaps despite Carl's efforts to mask and be brotherly, RJ feels Carl is distant and hard to know. [Like the Prepan/Postpan relationships in Station Eleven.]

This is how Lydia and Carl would have bonded over deep suspicion and common mistrust. Not fear, not rejection, just trauma induced wariness. [cough*Richonne*cough]

If Carl isn't with Michonne when she finds Rick's artifacts, then perhaps we see him struggle not only with parenting his siblings in their absence, but also with the belief that he was alive. Perhaps Lydia can't assist with kiddos/be motherly because TRIGGERED. Lydia only available to him as a girlfriend adds to Carl's feelings of a divided life. When the Commonwealth offers to take them in, our tired boy is swayed.

Carl could've made this story so much more interesting.

This has been said so many times, but Richonne's story couldve had so much more depth if Carl had survived.

They could've explored how he'd feel about Michonne's change of heart about letting people in after the Jocelyn incident, and he could've changed her mind about giving people a chance again. They could've let Judith be more of a child instead of an adult in a child's body, going toe to toe with Michonne on existential issues (I always thought she was a little too precocious and young to be arguing with Michonne about issues she has no life experience dealing with.) If Carl was checking Michonne about her mindset it would make so much more sense because he's older with actual experience with people.

The whisperer arc which was written to involve Carl could've had so much more meaning had Carl been with Lydia instead of Henry.

They could've explored the difficulty Carl could have being a parent to his siblings while Michonne goes to find Rick. Maybe he has to protect Judith who is very headstrong like Michonne and wants to go after Rick herself. Maybe RJ has a dark side and is starting to become cold like Carl was at his age, and doing dumb things like sneaking out of the walls, and Carl has to think about how Rick would solve that problem since Rick is his only Dad reference. Maybe Carl doesn't want to be a parent, and just wants to be a normal 20ish year old after his hard childhood, and he holds resentment towards both Rick and Michonne for leaving all their children. Any of those scenarios would be fascinating.

Instead, they killed Carl off and left Daryl (who left), and Carol (who left) to raise their kids. They could've had a goldmine of fascinating conflicts and situations to pick from.

[siancore]

Can you say something about Michonne’s friendships? Especially among the women? Especially post Rick’s disappearance? Her only true friends seem to be Daryl, Siddiq, and possibly Father Gabriel. Thank you for a wonderful Tumblr.

Hey. So sorry for my slow reply.  

One of the things that I feel was lacking is friendships between Michonne and the other women on the show. I feel like they dropped the ball with Sasha and Michonne being close and sharing a friendship being the only two Black women in their group for a while. They dropped the ball on Carol and Michonne being close and bonding over the shared experience of losing a child. I liked the dynamic with Andrea. I liked how it turned out for them because it showed how different they were as people and survivors. In saying that, Andrea was not a good friend to Michonne. The notion of ‘We don’t leave people behind’ should relate to not ditching the friend who kept you alive and safe.  

“You chose a warm bed over a friend,” will forever stay with me. Michonne deserved better.   

I can’t really say too much about Michonne’s friendships after the bridge. I hated what happened with Jocelyn. That was so awful. Even after we as the audience found out what had happened to Michonne, we were still faced with the animosity she was receiving from her so-called friends because of how she chose to protect her community. Michonne’s friendship with Daryl has been constant and comforting for both of them. I enjoy their friendship and how they’ve been there for one another. I'd have liked to see more between Michonne and Aaron since their kids are friends. Plus Ross and Danai were friends before they worked together on TWD.

I just want Michonne to have it all, know what I mean? I guess it’s hard to have friendships when you’re a leader like Michonne is. Everyone looked to her to keep their community safe while judging her decisions at every turn.  

Now, the most recent standout friendship for me is Michonne and Nat. He showed Michonne so much love and care and it was very beautiful to watch. He was a straight shooter with her, and always had what was best for her at the forefront of his mind. Their interactions and chemistry were a joy to watch, and I was just saying to another Richonne fan how much I loved their friendship. Aside from Carl and Michonne, Nat’s friendship with Michonne has been my favourite.  

Thank you for asking!  

P.S. I like how Michonne and Rick’s friendship came about because of how similar they are, and it just sort of developed from distrust because of trauma to bonding because of trauma and ended up being family without explicitly acknowledging it. Remember Sasha’s comment to Michonne about it all working out for her? Everyone else could see Richonne and the kids were a family unit even though they hadn’t moved past the ‘friendship’ stage of their relationship. That’s important, too. How friends are actually family. Okay, I’ll shut up now.  

[justinewt]

Until Death Do Us Apart - TWD REWRITE Chapter Fifteen

[TWD FANFICTION-MASTERLIST]

Previous chapter / Next Chapter

Summary: Alden came back to Alexandria just to have to go back out on a supply expedition and even though Anna didn’t like it, he couldn’t refuse; he had to do his part in the community. Her father left along him and the other survivors, leaving her rather alone, even though she had a few people she knew she could count on but she still wanted her family back to her, to be by her side through life’s difficult tests. But sometimes, wanting something isn’t enough for it to come true.

Words: 5.8k

Warnings: TWD spoilers season 11 (bits of episode 1 “Acheron: Part One” and episode 5 “Out of the Ashes”, episode 8 “For Blood”, end of episode 9 “No Other Way”), worry, comforting talks, heart-to-heart, Judith being a cutie I love Judith, bullying, angst, loss, grief, betrayal, TW for Lance & the Commonwealth’s stromtroopers, end of preg, detailed childbirth scene (not as gruesome as in House of the Dragon LOL but as detailed as can be), 

DISCLAIMER: Anna’s pregnancy and labor goes well but not all pregnacy/labor look the same. Do not compare.

After the unexpected return of Negan to Alexandria, which Maggie didn’t like very much, her, Carol and a group of survivors that included Alden left for a supply expedition. Anna did as usual, taking care of Adam, helping around as much as she could and to a certain extent since she was easily tired out and sometimes felt a bit sick due to her pregnancy. She didn’t like not being able to move as much as she used to but it coud have been worse. After everything she went through, and now she was pregnant, she deserved some rest and go easy on herself.

“Daddy.” Anna was walking in Alexandria with her son in her arms and stopped in her tracks as he called out to his father, who had gone out of camp. She chuckled, glancing at her son in her arms. She tried explaining to the 1-year-old boy that his dad would be back soon, but he kept calling out to his dad and held out his arm above her shoulder, so she looked around and her lips stretched into a bright smile as she saw Alden step towards them. They shared a soft kiss and he took Adam in his arms. Anna watched them tenderly. This was the most peace she had ever had in over a decade. Little did she ever thought that Alden would be the man she would share her life with, and create a family with. After that brief moment of peace, Alden had to go back out there. The council had voted to go and try find more supply after their first expedition wasn’t as fruitful as they had hoped. Even Negan was to go with them.

“Do you reay have to go back?” She knew he had no choice, he had to do his part and they needed him to come with them but Anna wasn’t so thrilled. He sighed heavily, stepping close to her and pressing his forehead against hers, their noses touching. Anna looked into his brown eyes, worriedly.

“I’ll be back before you know it, I promise.” He brought a hand to her cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He then slowly kissed her, as if his lips didn’t want to part from hers but eventually, he had to go and she watched him walk away, with Adam in her arms. She had somewhat of a bad hunch about this second expedition but tried not to overthink it. He came back the first time, he would be back this time as well. Before they left Alexandria, she went to say goodbye to her father as well and went about her day, trying not to worry about it but it was always on her mind, weighing over her shoulders. She didn’t want her father or Alden to die. She didn’t want to lose them and end up alone. This had always been her worst nightmare; to lose the ones she loved. The death of her mother and the rocky relationship with her father as she became a teenager had deeply affected her. Apart from Carl and now Alden, she had never had anyone to confide into and had always dealt with her feelings and thoughts on her own. Alden definitely helped her. She had never loved someone like she loved him.

It had only been a couple days since the group went on a second expedition. As time went by, Anna grew more worried, but she kept trying to tell herself that it would be all right. Alden would come back, along with all the others and they would have more food for everyone in Alexandria and all would be well. This was too utopic, and she knew it. This world didn’t allow for happiness to last very long unfortunately. To keep herself busy, and be useful, she was helping giving out food to the survivors, at some point landing a punch at some guy’s face after he started a fight because he didn’t get his portion, but she handled it, gaining some respect from the survivors. Not all of them trusted her like Aaron already did.

Anna woke up, sleeping beside Adam when she heard people yelling in the house. Because she and Alden had a son and that she was with chid as well, they had their very own room. She stood up, not knowing what was going on and went to the door, looking around the first floor as everyone hurried around.

“What’s happening?” Aaron heard her and stopped in front of her.

“There was a breach in the walls. Walkers entered. Stay inside with Adam.” He then ran downstairs and went on the streets with everyone else while Anna closed the door of the room and walked around the bed to go near the window. Adam watched her in incomprehension, babbling questions to her but she simply told him everything was fine and she looked outside. The survivors were killing the dead that got on the camp’s grounds and tried to put the walls back up so no more walkers could enter. This event certainly didn’t help ease her worry; it only made her more anxious. They managed to plug the breach and Anna could see them from her window as they banged the walls, walking around, probably to spread out the dead on the other side so that they wouldn’t clump all together in one place and bring down the wall again. Once it was safe outside, Anna grabbed Adam and went on a walk with him, humming to him her parents’ song. She saw Judith and the other children with wooden swords in their hands and narrowed her eyes, watching them for a second from a distance before approaching them. She was really like Rick and Michonne in so many ways. The kids were in line, holding the swords up in front of them as she walked before them. She was teaching them how to stab walkers.

“Hey, how’s the lesson going?” She asked Judith, a smile on her face.

“It’s going well. They’re good students.”

“That’s good—” As she was engaging in the conversation with the young girl, noises coming from behind her caught their attention and Judith turned around to see a bunch of kids taunting a walker, it’s head pocking out a hole in the wall. They were laughing, playing with it. Judith and Anna’s smiles faded instantly, and they stared at them. If she didn’t have a kid in her arms, Anna would have went and kicked their asses herself.

“Hey! You shouldn’t be doint that!” She shouted but they ignored her, so she walked towards them. Anna watched her from a distance, giving a death stare at the kids, with contempt in her eyes. “Get away from there.”

“Calm down. We’re just having fun.” One said with a silly smile on his face, as if it wasn’t stupid and dangerous, putting them all at risk.

“It’s dangerous. If you don’t stop, I’m gonna tell Rosita.”

“Shut up!” The moment Anna saw Judith getting pushed to the ground, she gave Adam to Gracie, Aaron’s daughter and grabbed her wooden sword and approached but by the time she got to their level, Judith was holding up her sword to his throat.

“Say it again. I dare you.” She threatened him. Whatever he had said to her, it rubbed her the wrong way but she wasn’t surprised. Anna put her hand above her sword.

“Judith, don’t.” The girl looked him and down and reluctantly lowered her weapon, which was the moment the boy chose to retaliate and say something stupid, but he apparently didn’t know he should have kept quiet.

“Stay away from me, you psycho.”

“Okay, you bette shut your mouth.” Anna rose her voice, speaking over him and pushing him away. She didn’t put much strength this time so he only lost his balance a little but she could have hurt him much more. She wanted to try and be the bigger person. Anna held out her hand to Judith to borrow her sword and the girl obliged. When the young woman walked towards them with the weapon, they got scared and stepped away with panic in their eyes but then she simply stabbed the walker’s head pocking out the wall.

“Now, get the fuck outta here, or you’re gonna have troubles I can assure you.” Anna warned them before giving the sword back to Judith. They stayed quiet, kind of looking at each other. She thanked Gracie for keeping Adam and she followed the young girl as she walked away silently. Whatever he told her, it had upset her, and Anna could tell. She had been there. Their paths parted when Anna went to put Adam in her room so he could have his afternoon nap and she walked around the houses, looking for Judith when she heard muffled sniffs, she took a few steps and found Judith seated on the steps behind the house, holding broken planks of woods on her laps and some pieces lying at her feet.

“Hey. What is this?” Anna asked, not knowing what it was but assuming it was something Carl had done with her when she was a baby. It was so long ago. She couldn’t quite remember his voice anymore. Judith stared at the big hand mark in blue paint, probably Carl’s hand.

“Carl made this with me when I was younger… Now it’s broken, and he’s gone. Everybody is.” She replied, her voice breaking with sadness. What the girl said made Anna teary as well. They all had lost so much, so young. Even though Anna had grown up, remembering the people she had lost was hard but Judith was still a kid and very much in the middle of her grief. Rosita climbed a few steps and rested her arm on the railing.

“I miss them all, too.”

“Does it get easier?” Anna sat down next to her, taking a silent but deep breath, looking in the distance for a second. She always wondered if it would get easier and about 15 years later, she still missed her mom like the little kid she was when she died. She was stil traumatised but had to deal with it and keep going. The times where she stopped were the times when things started to stagnate and not moving forward and that’s not good because the days it all breaks is going to be even harder than before.

“I’d be lying if I said it did.” She admitted.

“I’m worried I’ll start to forget about them.”

“You might forget their voice, but they will always be with you.” Anna told her softly. “You know, I was your age when the outbreak happened. That’s when I lost my mom. It was almost 15 years ago, maybe a little less… I still miss her all the time. She had been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior. When she died, my dad burned down the house and we left. For a very long time, it was only the two of us. Because of who he then became, it wasn’t the best of relationship but he was my anchor. He did awful things, but always protected me, and managed to keep us going. My mom’s death really fucked him up.” She bit her lips, frowning a little, her eyes getting teary as she tried to hold up the tears from running down her face. “Both my parents always tried to make sure I was strong enough to survive in life, whether it was the old world or this one. And Carl and your dad did the same thing for you. So you’d always be able to get through the tough times ‘cause we always must keep going. Pieces of wood are nice. I have a couple pictures in my necklace.” She gently put her hand on Judith. “But you don’t need that to remember how much they loved you. We’re gonna fix it, okay?”

“Yeah.” She chuckled. They then went into the house, looking for glue and other things they could use to repair the broken handprints. Rosita met them in the way and went to help them. She stayed with Judith when Anna left a moment to check on Adam but he was sleeping peacefully so she came back. The moment she stepped in the kitchen, Rosita and Judith were bent over the radio. Anna jogged to them.

“Eugene, are you okay?”

“Rosita? Oh, it’s dang good to hear your voice.”

“You too. I got Judith and Anna here.”

“Hi. Are you all safe?” Judith enquired.

“Hello. Hello guys. Yes, we’re all safe. We’re doing okay.” He replied. “Uh, how are things?”

“Well, the war’s over.” Rosita went on to explain. “Uh, Alpha and Beta are dead. But… Alexandria’s trashed, and we’re running out of food.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get…” His voice started breaking up over the radio and they couldn’t understand a word of what he said.

“Yeah. Eugene? Eugene, you still there?” Rosita tried to get back in contact with him but in vain. “Eugene, where are you?”

“Is he gone?” Judith wondered.

“The signal was fine so far... looks like someone interrupted it on his end.” Anna and Rosita looked at each other in confusion. Something wasn’t right, but they had no idea what. They couldn’t know what happened on Eugene’s side for the conversation to be cut so short.

Not long after the incident with the walkers lurking around the camp because a wall had fallen, a storm passed through Alexandria and made matters worse. The survivors had managed to get rid of the zombies but now, they had to wait it out, barricading themselves in the house, praying for their survival because they knew that the storm would weaken the already fragile walls and the walkers would enter again. Judith, Gracie, Rick Jr and Hershel were all sat against a wall together while the adults around them pushed pieces of furnitures to the windows,  hanging planks across them to protect themselves if the walkers tried to enter the home. A baby was crying in another room. Anna looked around, holding Adam in her arms, humming a lullaby to his ear to keep him calm. She was lucky to have such a calm toddler. Whoever’s baby was screaming like that was probably having a much harder time calming the child down. Despite being closed, the front door was trembling because of the wind. Magda took a closer look and Rosita looked at her. The noise was becoming rather annoying.

“What’s with that door?”

“It’s rotted out. This storm keeps up, it’ll shake apart.” On her words, thunder rang outside, making the kids jump and the babies started crying again. Even Adam. Anna followed Nabila and Magda to the room where the younger kids were so she could calm him down. From the other room, they heard a window break and the door slam open, followed by brief screams of panic. She went back, standing in the hallway and saw them keeping the door closed, a few of them pressing against it. Judith stood up and looked out the window. Outside the rain was pouring, lighting striking across the darkened sky. Anna had been through storms like this. She remembered the one that occurred a few years ago, with all that snow they were stuck in a shed and had to move to the house where the others were. Judith thought she had heard Daryl’s dog in the distance after it had ran off and a couple of them went after her, among which was Anna. The cold penetrating her clothes, down to her bones and she got lost in the storm. She either slipped or got her ankle caught by a walker trapped under the snow; she couldn't quite remember but either way she fell and twisted her ankle. After that, her memory of that night was very hazy, but her father eventually found her and saved her from freezing to death. But now, her was nowhere to be found to save her so she had to make sure she wouldn’t need any saving, for her and Adam. They had to survive for when Alden would be coming back.

“What was that?” Judith enquired after hearing a loud bang. From where she stood, Anna could see out the window and she saw a large sheet of metal sliding down the street, pushed by both the rain and furious wind.

“A piece of the wall.” That couldn’t be good news. They then stepped away from the door and windows. Walkers were going to enter Alexandria and none of them would be able to do anything because going out there would be as dangerous as staying inside. The main thing that was bothering Anna in this moment was that she had to be extra careful, another life depended on her for survival. She had to put her son’s survival first, not that she liked having to sit this one out if they came to having to fight off the dead because would have it happened a few years back, she would have had her knife in hand, already ready to stab some rotting skull but now things were wildly different. She had to take on a whole new approach to this situation. She went to the room with the children, sat down on a chair and rocked Adam in her arms, looking out a barricaded window, focusing on staying calm and keeping him calm. Crying woud surely draw the walkers to their hideout.

A few of the survivors separated into three teams at the counsel of Aaron, his group went to try and put out a fire that caught in the windmill, Carol’s had to go put the wall back together and Rosita and the rest of them remained in the house to protect everyone that was in it. Anna couldn’t wait for this storm to pass anc for the sky to get clear but it wasn’t going to happen any time soon and she had to prepare herself for it to get worse once the walkers would reach them. She wasn’t about to get bit a third time either. Once Adam had went to sleep, Anna put him down in a crib. She noticed Nabila looking at her. She could see the young woman was rather restless, stressed out by the storm but also because her loved ones being far away from Alexandria so she told her to go with the others in the living room and Anna thanked her, having no need to get told this twice. She brought some more planks she found to Rosita  and started helping put them across the windows. Getting some action helped her numb the worry that overwhelmed her when she thought of Alden and her father and things went fine until Gracie started screaming. She was by the broken window. They didn’t have much planks so it hd been loosely barricaded and a waker stuck his arm inside. In the blink of an eye, Judith cut his hand off and Anna rushed to them, stabbing him under the chin before stepping away. This was only the beginning. There woud be more dead coming for sure. A second after getting rid of that walker, a second one came. He was taken care of by a man whose name Anna didn’t know and Rosita and a coupe others rushed to the window to put more planks.

“They’re all over out there.” Lydia said, looking around with wide eyes.

“Radio Carol, tell her there must be another breach.” Rosita instructed and Lydia and Dianne hurried away. She then had Judith extinguish all the candles in the room. The lot of them stood there, in a silence perturbed by the snarling of the dead as they cramped against the walls and their eyes swept around them, holding their breaths. Rosita and Lydia ran to hold the door in place, blocking the doorknob from turning with a chair while the walker banged on it. Dianne joined them after a minute.

“Oh, the hinges are coming apart!” Lydia looked up, strands of hair in her face. Anna held onto her knife, gulping.

“And the frame.” Dianne added.

“What are you doing?” The teenager asked Rosita when she glanced outside and jogged to the table to get something.

“I’m buying us time.” She came back and stood in front of the door, a long machete in her hands. “Close the door behind me. On my count. One... Two… three!”            

Dianne then opened the door and Rosita disappeared outside. They closed it after her and held it as they did before. Judith stepped near a window and looked outside, followed by Gracie. Rosita was on the porch, smashing the walkers’ heads with the machete but a minute later, they heard banging coming from the door. Dianne and Lydia glanced at each other and opened. Rosita was panting, soaking wet as she stepped inside the house.

“Let’s stay away from the windows.” She told the children in a low voice, out of breath. This first situation of the night was handled but it would be definitely not be the first disturbance and it didn’t take long for it to take a whole other turn. More walkers were gathered around the house, trying to force their way in. This wasn’t gonna held them for long.

“Do I need to radio Aaron and Carol?” Dianne asked.

“No. They need to put out that fire and close those breaches.” Rosita retorted.

“If we get everyone upstairs, we can hold them off to the first floor, right?” Lydia wondered, panicking. When Rosita then ordered them to do, they immidietaly cleared the room. Anna went to grab Adam while the babies started crying again and with Nabila and another woman, they climbed the stairs trying to calm down their little ones.

A few hours later, day broke, and the storm had finally calmed down, no thunder anymore but rain and wind were still going strong, though less than last night. Dozens and dozens of walkers were still entering by the house despite the uninterrupted efforts of Rosita and Lydia who managed to keep them on the first floor. They couldn't go any further than the stairs where the children and a few adults were hiding. Anna had noticed Judith and Gracie were missing and she had no idea where they could have gone but it couldn't have been far. Dianne had realized that two and she went in the staircase to tell Rosita and Lydia about it. Having to care for her baby, Anna stayed with Nabila and the others, safe in the room and Adam slept on her chest like everything was fine. She wished she could be in his place, just napping.

Calm had come back in Alexandria. It had almost been a week that the other survivors went away to find food. In all that time, Anna had been longing for the return of her father and Alden. She couldn’t wait to see them again after so much worry. She wanted to hold them in her arms and see Alden smile at Adam. Once they would be back, they could finally start the renovation of the camp again. The corspes of the walkers were put in piles and burned off. Trees had fallen and there were lots of damages caused by the wind, but it was over. Anna carried Adam outside when she saw Maggie, Daryl and Gabriel in the distance. She didn’t take another look and walked at a quick pace, right after Judith who jumped in Daryl’s arms. Maggie reunited with her son and Anna looked around, still waiting for Alden and her father to show up but this bad feeling that she had right before they left came back. When Maggie finally stepped towards her silently, Anna handed Adam to the woman who helped Nabila and her care for the kids during the storm.

“Where are they? Where’s Alden? Where’s my dad?” She was asking the questions but her brain was catching up with reality and so her eyes were beginning to feel with tears. Maggie softly put her hands on her shoulders. Anna had never felt such compassion and empathy from Maggie before, which only made her more worried.

“Negan didn’t want me to kill him, and he thought you might be better off without him—”

“What?” She shook her head, looking around and crossing Gabriel, Daryl and Carol’s gaze and they looked like they already knew what Maggie was telling her. She couldn’t believe her dad left her on her own. He abandoned her and it was once among so many others that she could no longer count them. “Alden— where’s Alden? Where is he?”

“A day or so after we left, Alden was attacked.” Maggie swallowed harshly as she was speaking. “Anna… Alden died.”

Anna froze in front of her for a few seconds, but when she processed what she had just told her, the young woman brought her hand to her mouth, muffling the cries that quickly turned into loup sobs and she screamed as if her limbs were being torn from her body. That was exactly how it felt; like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She fell to her knees and Maggie followed her movement, taking her in her arms. The latter must have been very shaken and touched by Alden’s death for granting her such tenderness, trying to comfort her. Everyone around them was watching, feeling for her but she couldn’t see them. Her eyes were closed shut as she shed enough tears to fill an ocean. This couldn’t possibly be true. A hand on her stomach, her forehead restign against Maggie’s shoulder she wailed, letting out a gut-wrenching cry of pain, grief and anger all at the same time. It was impossible for her to fully realize that she had truly lost Alden and that he was never coming back. She had never been in love before, and he was the one. He loved her too and cared for her and she was so happy to have her own family that she was starting with him, and it was being taken away from her in the worst way possible. Something else that was too much for her to believe after everything she had been through, was that her father abandoned her, again. She never thought she would feel betrayed and left behind by him like she did back when the Saviors still existed. She thought such things were past them, but he left her. It was exactly like the day she found her mom turned. Now, her dad was gone, and her lover too. She was all alone. This cruel world reminded her once again, that people are never there forever.

Still crouched in front of her, Maggie cupped her face in her hands and tried to catch her attention. Anna had been crying her eyes out for almost ten minutes straight and was only getting quiet because she heard Jerry screaming from the gate. Maggie helped her up while everyone looked at their friend, wondering what was going on. Anna took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly and looked at them grabbing weapons and walking away, climbed the ladder to get onto the watchtower. She got her son back and held him tightly against her chest, trying to trying not to breakdown and cry heartbreakingly like she had just done in front of her peers. One day, she would have to explain him his dad was dead, but right now, he didn’t have the ability to understand such words and it was the worst part. He had just seen his mom scream and cry and had started crying too until she took him in her arms. She stayed with the group while Daryl, Maggie and Jerry held whoever was at their door at gunpoint with their weapons.

“Everyone, get ready!” Daryl shouted. Below, they all looked at each other, not seeing what they were seeing but then they all heard it. This familiar voice. It was Eugene. Which made even more confusing until the gate opened and people in white and striped gear entered Alexandria. The survivor were gathered on the porch of a house right in front of the windmill, still standing despite the fire, while the soldiers that came were loading off ressources for them. The children were seated in the front and, holding Adam, Anna stood next to Aaron, by their right. Eugene stoof before everyone, holding his hat in his hands awkwardly and spoke.

“Ezekiel, Yumiko, and I set out on a journey. Charged ourselves with finding hope in our darkest of days. Suffice to say, we hit the proverbial jackpot. It’s probably best that I step aside so you can all hear it from the horse’s mouth as it were.” He ended his introduction speech and let another man step in his place. Anna was staring at him, frowning. Her eyes were still a little swollen and bloodshot from her break down. She already didn’t really like the man’s face. She didn’t like this stupid, sufficient smile on his face. “I give you Mr. Lance Hornsby, diplomatic reprentative of The Commonwealth.”

“Hello. I’m Lance. Thank you for allowing us into your home. I must say I am impressed with everything you’ve built here and what I’ve heard of your other communities. But it’s clear…” He briefly looked around him. “you’ve fallen on hard times and that is where The Commonwealth iw more than willing to help. If you remain, we can provide labor and material to help you build back all you’ve lost. However, if any are interested… I do have another, potentially more interesting choice to offer.”

6 MONTHS LATER

Anna lied in a hospital bed, alone in her room, staring at the ceiling. She frowned, closing her eyes as she held her stomach, curling up on the side, taking deep breaths in. She had been told she was at around eight months of pregnancy; apparently she shouldn’t have had labor start a month early but there she was. Contractions had started last night, and they were getting way stronger, regular and closer together. The pressure in her back was increasing. It felt very strange and heavily uncomfortable more than it hurt. It was the most painful when the contraction hit. She was silently crying, wishing Alden would be here, or her dad, but one died and the other abandoned her. She had no one, or so she thought. She lifted her head upon hearing a couple knocks on the door. A nurse came in along with Carol and Ezekiel, with whom she was living now that she had moved to The Commonwealth. Carol had been somewhat of a mother figure for the young woman and she was very grateful of her and Ezekiel’s support. She was very lonely in her new home, and it most definitely didn’t feel like home at all. Especially without her dad by her side, but it had been her decision to come here, maybe out of anger and spite, but still.

She exhaled loudly as she turned on her back, a hand still on her stomach and Ezekiel and Carol came by her side while the nurse checked a few things. She gave Anna some water and she drank it as if she hadn’t drank in months. Her throat felt dry.

“How are you feeling?” Carol asked holding her free hand in hers, Ezekiel by his side. Anna let her head roll on the pillow and looked at them, trying to sketch a smile, wiping off the few tears that rolled on her cheeks.

“I’m fine… I guess.”

“We'll be right next to you, okay? We aren't going anywhere.” The both of them knew that she was alone and had no one but them to rely on and she was happy they were there for her now that she needed them.

“Thank you, Ezekiel.” She winced for a second when she felt a sudden pain. “Thank you, Carol.”

They grabbed a couple chairs and sat just a couple feet from her. The nurses than came near Anna, wearing sterile gloves on her hands and a friendly smile on her face and after talking with her patient, she proceeded to check if she was dilating correctly, asking her to describe how she was feeling. After so much waiting and just taking in the pain, she finally reached the 10 centimetres and felt the urge to push. She declined an epidural; as if this was going to prove anything, or maybe was it just because of her lack of knowledge of how painful it was going to be but she was ready to take it. Maybe was it because she was in a safe space like an hospital where if they were any complications, she would have less risk to die than if she was delivering in Alexandria but now, she was getting to the heart of the matter. The baby she made with Alden was almost here. There was some excitation thrown into this mix of anxiety and pain. The nurse had been joined by another at that point and she was listening to them as they told her to either push, moment during which she would let deep grunting sounds and yell, sometimes letting a high-pitched cry out because of the pain or take a few deep breaths and do it all over again, all during which she held one of Carol's and one of Ezekiel's hands, grinding their fingers under her grip. For a little over three hours, she alternated between pushing as best she could and breathing. Her face oozed with sweat and was marked by the grimaces of pain she had made but she let out a heavy sigh when she felt the baby finally pass and let her head fall back for a second. Before she could really see her baby, she had to push out the afterbirth, which made a weird, squishy sound as it came out but then it was finally over. She was exhausted like she had never been before. Carol ran a cool wipe over her face and helped her drink a sip of water. Anna then slightly straightened up, looking over at the nurse holding her baby after it had been cleaned up.

“It's a beautiful little girl.” She told her with a smile as she approached to hand over the child to her mother. Anna was completely worn out but she held her to her chest with a tender smile dawning her face, tears filling her eyes.

“How are you going to name her?” Ezequiel wondered.

“I’m going to name her Lucille… Lucille Smith.” She softly touched the infant’s face with her finger. The baby girl slept in her arms, opening and closing her tiny mouth.

[To be continued…]  

Previous chapter / Next Chapter 

Published (11/20/2022) by Andrea

Taglist: @cathrin2405 @kika64

[madbucker]

Silhouettes | Daryl Dixon.

Eventual Daryl Dixon x female reader.

IV.

Season 1.

MASTERLIST.

Loosely based on the song We Will Become Silhouettes by The Postal Service.

Summary: Y/N follows Rick to Atlanta. They find a group willing to help them.

Warnings: language, gore stuff (twd style), mentions of death, mentions of domestic abuse. Will add more warnings depending on the chapter’s content. Let me know if you think it needs some other warning!

Word count: 3.6k.

Author’s note: First things first, I’m not a native English speaker, so bear with me! You can send me a message or an ask pointing out some mistakes so I can edit the post. Also, it will help me learn the language, so don’t hesitate! Had this in my drafts for a few days. I hope you like it! ♥

Gif’s not mine.

“Morgan…” You couldn’t find the right words to express how grateful you were. You looked at Morgan and Duane with conflict showing in your eyes: you were happy and hopeful that you were going to find your sister in Atlanta, but you couldn’t ignore the anguish, the heartbreak of leaving them. Every second counted, and waiting a few more days could lower your chances of finding her alive, but those two had saved your life. What if leaving them lowered their chances of making it to safety? Even if you weren’t suited for survival, having someone else around could make a difference.

“Go, this is your chance. We’ll meet again, soon.” Morgan took over as if he knew how much you were feeling at the moment, embracing you not only with his arms but with his words.

Yeah, we’ll meet again, you thought. Your mind softened for a couple of seconds when you felt another set of arms hugging you tight from your side. You had only known them for a couple of weeks, but that was a lot when the world was the way it was. Weeks felt like a lifetime for you, and so it did for the men that had taken you in.

Men, because Duane was far from being a boy. It was sad, he deserved to live the rest of his childhood like you did, or like his father did. He had to, forcefully, become brave, strong, and even cold sometimes.

“We’ll meet again in Atlanta, or somewhere else, I don’t know, but we will.” You said as they let go of you. All you could do after that was forcing yourself to smile reassuringly.

“Now go and help Rick find his family too.”

“You can't leave me here... Not like this. You can't, man. It's not human. Come on, don't do this!”

Merle’s voice was faint as you ran down the stairs with everyone else. Their names were blurry in your head, the adrenaline making you forget about everything but the fact that your life was hanging by a thread.

But Merle, oh, you would never forget his name.

He was the type of person you were afraid to run into, back when you were alone. You were glad Rick was there to put him in his place, even though that hadn’t shut him up. 

Finding other survivors had its downside, you guessed, but not all of it was bad.

They told you that they had a camp, that they had people. The blonde woman’s younger sister was one of them, and they said they had children, too. Maybe it was too good to be true, but since Atlanta was overrun by walkers, then that was the best you had.

Walkers, that’s what they’d named them: because that’s all they did, they were the empty carcasses of what used to be a beautifully complex human being. They just walked, and bit, and killed.

You feared your sister was one of those, roaming around the city. That thought hadn’t left your mind since you first realized how bad things had gotten there. What if she had gone to Atlanta, seeking shelter, but found her death instead? You knew you had to get out of the situation you were in before you made any decisions. The camp didn’t seem like a bad idea, you could stay there temporarily and visit the city a few more times until you found her. Maybe even bring back supplies to thank everyone for letting you stay. That was if you made it, survival was still something new, something you had to train for.

Safety in numbers felt like your best shot. 

You didn’t pay much attention to your surroundings until you got inside the loading dock, your eyes were fixed in what was in front of you. A walker could’ve gotten you from your sides and you wouldn’t have noticed until it was too late. You were lucky enough to get to safety.

So was T-Dog, who at last second caught up with you, right before you heard Rick banging on the door.

You sat next to the two women, hugging yourself with your trembling arms. You were agitated and couldn’t catch enough air to say what you knew everyone else wanted to say.

“Hey, T-Dog,” you moaned once you could stabilize your breath, “where’s Merle?” you almost barked the asshole’s name. He looked down to his knees.

“I dropped the damn key,” he growled, angry and ashamed.

“Well, shit.” You whispered, making sure nobody heard. Merle had it coming, that was clear, but T-Dog didn’t have to carry with the guilt of leaving a man to die just because he happened to be… the way he was.

“Best not to dwell on it. Merle got left behind. Nobody's gonna be sad he didn't come back... except, maybe, Daryl.” One of the men commented. You lifted your head and locked your eyes with his, your heart starting to beat faster once again. If for some reason Merle had someone who cared for him, then they had to love him. That was a difficult man, the one you had met back there… It must've taken a huge amount of patience and devotion to want him around for more than a few hours.

If he actually had someone who cared for him, you were completely fucked.

“Daryl?” you hesitated to ask, not sure if you wanted to hear the answer.

“His brother.”

The scenario was so beautiful it was truly unbelievable. You were stepping out of the dock when Rick’s drowned cry caught your attention. Looking forward, you saw a kid running to hug him, followed by a woman. You quickly figured out Rick had found his family, making your heart flutter. In the shithole you were in, you figured those things were a sight to be seen, something that didn’t happen every day, so you let yourself enjoy the view.

You knew Rick’s son was young, even younger than Duane, but seeing him there made you realize how fragile he was.

Innocent, scared, too little to live through those times. And for a second, you forgot that a few hours before you thought you had no purpose left. Not finding your sister, seeing how one of the biggest cities in the country had fallen… you had started to think that there was no use in trying so hard to survive when you had nobody left.

But there he was, Carl, and there were more kids in the camp. Maybe you could do more than just survive. Trying to help them live their lives with as little worry and concern as possible was better than giving up.

“Why on earth did you leave the apartment?!” A loud, high pitched scream echoed through the camp, and it didn’t take long for you to spot her, running to you.

Her. Mayra. Your sister.

When her body slammed into yours, you fell backward as you hugged her tight, trying not to let her go, as if she could slip away from your arms at any moment. You stayed on the ground trying to take in every detail you could. Her shaky breath, the way her hair felt on your skin, how her fingers were uncomfortably pressed between the ground and your shoulder blades. Her small cries as she tried to find the exact words to say.

“I was looking for you!”, at that point, you were sobbing, not even thinking about the people whose eyes wandered from Rick to you two.

“And I was about to go back home looking for you!” She cried, steadying her breath before standing back up. You followed her actions, your sight never leaving hers.

You weren’t sure how long it had been since it all started. Weeks, for sure. Months, too, although sometimes it felt like decades.

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she scanned her surroundings, fear creeping in her. She put both of her hands on your shoulders and lightly shook her head, still searching for something, you couldn’t guess what.

“Did he die?” She questioned firmly. You didn’t answer, had someone else gone to Atlanta that hadn’t made it? Someone who died before you found the group? She couldn’t be talking about… 

The entire world fell on top of you. You had just discovered your sister was alive and had also just found out you left someone she cared about behind. “Did Merle fucking die?!”

The fire warmed your legs and the frog legs tasted so, so good. You hadn’t eaten anything freshly cooked in such a long time, it felt unreal. You were focused on your food and on Rick’s story, it was the first time you heard him talk in-depth about what had happened. He seemed happy, and the bags under his eyes were more subtle. His entire demeanor had changed.

“They found me…” your sister’s voice interrupted your trail of thoughts. You had a conversation pending; one that the both of you decided to ignore so you could enjoy the feeling of being back together, “... the Dixons, I mean. Merle didn’t want me around, Daryl didn’t either, but he was too kind to let it show. Thank God we found the group, like, a couple of days after I joined them.” Her eyes were lost in the flames as she spoke. She knew it hadn’t been your fault, there was no way you would leave him on purpose. “But I was about to die, Y/N. I felt the walker’s teeth on my skin, it tore the fabric on my shoulder. I just accepted it, didn’t fight back, didn’t try to escape.” She looked at you, and you realized that nothing meant shit anymore… life at that moment was constantly being on the verge of dying and knowing that the people you loved could die at any moment, too. Nothing could ever go back to what it used to be. “And, then, a freaking arrow went through the walker’s head. Clean, just like that, and it fell on top of me. I had never seen death in first person, you know. I had lost my friends after a dozen of those creeps came out of nowhere, but I didn’t see them die, I just heard the screams.”

She was your little sister, you hated to hear her that way, so hopeless and surrendering to death. 

“You’re safe now, these people know how to fight-” you stared, but she stopped you before you could finish.

“I know. But one of the men who saved my ass isn’t safe. Yes, he’s not the kindest, nicest, or most selfless man, but I owe him.” You knew that feeling too well. You owed Morgan and Duane, you owed Rick, and Glenn, and so many people. None of them had behaved the way Merle did, but not only Mayra owed him, you did too.

Nodding, you sighed and looked at her in the eyes, reassuring her you would do something to get him back, anything you could.

“Hey, Ed, you want to rethink that log?” Shane’s loud demand made you jump slightly. Your sister nudged you on your side with her elbow and signaled you to look at Ed. She had been suspicious about him and you both had talked about it a few hours back

“It’s cold, man.”

“Then join us or put it out, we don’t want to be seen…” you spoke, managing to sound as nice as you could. You didn’t want to start anything, but you knew how dangerous it could get. You had to avoid loud sounds and bright lights. But Ed, as expected, ignored you.

“Yeah, the cold doesn’t change the rules, does it? Keep our fires low, just embers so we can't be seen from a distance, right?” Shane continued.

“I said it's cold. You should mind your own business for once.” Ed’s answer has was harsh, you could tell he would be hard to deal with, but not everything could be perfect in such a numerous and diverse group. Everyone had different stories to tell, some of them were more tragic than others.

Shane got up and walked steadfastly towards Ed and his family’s fire, “Hey, Ed... Are you sure you want to have this conversation, man?”

“Go on. Pull the damn thing out. Go on!” Ed bossed and his wife pulled the log out of the fire almost immediately, not questioning his husband’s command. It was sad and frustrating, but knowing that stepping in could cause the wife and the little girl to get hurt forced you to stay in your place. Shane seemed to be handling the situation. He was like some sort of leader in the camp, and he had been around those people for so much longer than you, he knew what to do. At least that’s what you told yourself in an attempt to find comfort.

You saw how Shane spoke to Ed’s wife and their daughter, but you couldn’t hear what he said as the group had started a conversation to fill in the silence.

“Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon? He won't be happy to hear his brother was left behind.” The man -whose name you learned was Dale- questioned, deciding to talk about the elephant in the room. 

“I'll tell him. I dropped the key. It's on me.” T-Dog’s shameful tone showed up once again.

“I cuffed him. That makes it mine.” Rick followed. It couldn’t turn into a competition of who was brave enough, who was the most selfless, or who was willing to sacrifice themselves.

“We were all there, it’s not a competition, any of us could’ve done something-” You intervened, hoping you could bring into the conversation the fact that you were planning on going back, but Glenn interrupted you:

“I don't mean to bring race into this, but it might sound better coming from a white guy.” You hated it, but if Daryl was as bigoted as his brother, then Glenn was right.

“I did what I did. Hell if I'm gonna hide from him.” T-Dog stated, completely convinced of facing the consequences.

“And we keep on making a competition out of this. We all should be there and say whatever we have to say.” You said in a determined tone. You were all responsible, one way or another.

“Look, Y/N… maybe I can tell him?” Mayra whispered as the rest kept on debating who should speak up.

“I don’t know how it could help…” You said back. Yes, Mayra knew him better than you, but she hadn’t been involved, she didn’t have to.

She opened her mouth to protest, but T-Dog’s words captured your interest instantly:

“My point... Dixon's alive and he's still up there, handcuffed on that roof. That's on us.”

When the fire was out and everyone got into their tents, including your sister, you still sat on the same log as before. The scenario felt strange, almost unknown to you: outside at night, under the cloudy night sky, and still not unsafe. It had been so long since you felt immortal and undefeatable, just like any other girl your age felt... like nothing could happen to you, not ever. You missed it. But beautiful as that night was, the imminent danger thickened the air.

You felt your eyes growing heavier each second. You were ready to go to sleep, so you got up and started to walk to the tent you and Mayra would share, but the sight of someone on the roof of Dale’s RV made you stop on your tracks.

Shane was keeping watch, and you wondered if he did it each night, or how had they arranged the shifts. He looked tired and the look on his face was anything but friendly.

“Hey, want to switch?” You asked approaching the stairs and climbing up, not waiting for an answer. Once you got off the stairs, your eyes wandered through the trees and landed up in the sky. If he kept watch every night, then you knew why. The view wasn’t mesmerizing, you had seen more beautiful countless times before, but the air up there was lighter, and the breeze, soothing. 

“Sorry ‘bout Ed today.” Shane ignored your question. You sat down next to the chair he was sitting in.

“Don’t be, he’ll pay for what he’s doing to his family someday. Soon, I hope.” You looked up and realized his eyes were lost somewhere in the horizon. He looked tired, and if you read more into it: defeated. “Go to sleep, I’ll stay. I want to.”

It came as a surprise to you: that was all he needed to hear. He didn’t protest, he got up, handed you the shotgun and left. You didn’t know if he would be able to get some sleep, at least he could try to.

But what you did know was that you weren’t suddenly concerned about the sleeping schedule of a man you had just met. You were desperately in need of being alone. Being around so many people was something you had only dreamt about, at least for the last weeks, and although you felt the luckiest you had ever felt, the safety you had found allowed you to put your feet back on the ground.

Everything had happened so fast. You almost died, and more than once. You met people, they saved you, you left one of them to die, you found out Mayra was alive and safe, Rick’s family was with her… and you still had to figure out how to break the news to Merle’s brother. 

You were going back to the city, too, as if everything that had happened wasn’t enough. You’d do it for your sister, and for the men who saved her, as questionable as they were.

And suddenly, it clicked.

The bag. The guns.

You had to remind Rick. It could save the group from an attack from walkers, or from other people. That way you knew somebody else would go back with you and you would actually have a shot of coming back alive, even if they despised Merle.

“Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up.”

You had just finished hanging some of your clothes to dry when an unbothered and loud voice caught everyone’s attention. From their wide eyes, you could tell who had just gotten back. Merle’s brother, Daryl, sounded, moved, and acted just like him. It wasn’t just the accent, but his words, how his presence made everyone uncomfortable… you could tell they were expecting him to snap as soon as he found out. Behind him, Shane and Rick looked and nodded to each other. You approached them, determined to be a part of it even if hell broke loose.

“Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there.” Rick got to the point with no rambling.

“We locked the door, he’s safe from walkers.” You dared to look at him in the eyes, but regretting it as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!”

“Yeah.” Rick stepped in front of you, and without skipping a beat, Daryl attacked Rick, who shoved him off. 

You took a few steps back and spotted your sister, who was just getting out of the RV. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as soon as she realized what was happening: Daryl, Shane, T-Dog and Rick were yelling at each other. She stood in her place, everyone in the camp knew well not to intervene. Shane had Daryl on a chokehold as Rick explained to him that he wanted to have a calm discussion, which seemed to force Daryl to give in. Shane let go of him.

“What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others.” Rick kept going. At that point, you guessed nothing could actually calm Dixon, he was still breathing heavily.

“It's not Rick's fault. I had the key. I dropped it.” T-Dog cut in.

“You couldn't pick it up?” Daryl snarled.

“Well, I dropped it in a drain.”

“If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't.” 

“Hey, I told you, the door’s chained with a padlock. There’s no way walkers could get to him.” You repeated, trying your best to be concise and get to the point: Merle was still out there. 

“And who the fuck are you?” Daryl took a few steps forward and stared at you in the eyes. You weren’t scared, but it did take you by surprise. You stumbled back and raised your hands, putting them in between you.

“She’s my sister, Daryl!” Mayra’s shaky voice made him turn around. You couldn’t see his face, but hers was filled with heartbreak. She felt she had failed him, as if she had broken an unspoken promise. Daryl faced you again.

“Funny, huh? How I saved your sister but you left my brother to rot.” He growled. His voice low and irritated.

Your eyes jumped from Mayra to him. You straightened your body and took a deep breath. He was right. You felt miserable, and you couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Mayra, you knew you would have to do something as soon as she told you her story.

“I know, that’s why I’m going back there. With or without you.”

[twdthot]

Causalties Part 1

SUMMARY: (Season 6-?) Millie is innocent, as innocent one can be in the apocalypse. When her group starts killing people from a group called the Saviors, Millie can't help but feel wrong. But in the end, everyone knows innocence is the first causality of war.

PAIRING: OCxNegan

WARNINGS: slow burn, violence & blood (twd things), swearing

AN: i really am just winging this whole fanfiction thing, feedback is appreciated <3

1300+ WORDS

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"We're going to kill them in their sleep?" I sputtered, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach. Rosita had explained it over and over to me, rationalizing the massacre that was going to take place later tonight. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"If we don't do something now we'll end up like the people at Hilltop or maybe worse," She repeated what she had been trying to instil into me the last hour. She kept trying to drill that it was well deserved, but my unwilling brain was screaming in opposition. With how much effort she was putting into convincing, I wonder if she was trying to convince herself too.

I've known Rosita since the beginning of the end of the world. We lived right next to one another in the same apartment complex before all the madness ensued. I was too intimated by her to ever talk to her before the apocalypse, but when I saw dead people eating one another all bets were off. She was leaving and seemed to know what she was doing, so I asked to come with. I didn't have anyone else, minus a couple friends, and Rosita didn't seem to mind. Quickly, Abraham found us with Eugene and we were sent on a mission to get Eugene to DC.

I was never really a strong type. I usually hung back with Eugene. I was the "last leg of protection" according to Abraham, but I really knew he just didn't want me getting in the way. Or throwing up. I tended to do that when the walkers were particularly disgusting. Luckily, because I had been nurse before, they found me valuable enough not pressure me into the front lines. But that only made me feel incredibly guilty when others got hurt.

People joined us here and there on the mission to DC, some left and most died. Eventually, Glen and Tara came along and then Maggie. Then Eugene revealed the truth. Everything seemed to fall apart for a bit. I won't lie, I was disappointed when I found out there wasn't a cure. But I think I realized it was too good to be true long before.

Terminus was a bust and is now a special folder in my trauma cabinet. That's how we met Rick and the rest of his group. They were good people, and even better survivors. I was grew closest with Carol after we met her outside of Terminus. She liked to take care of me and always tried to toughen me up. Sometimes I talk with Daryl too, whenever he actually felt like talking. 

After Terminus, came Aaron. He came to us when we needed something the most. We had been on the outside for too long, or at least that's what Michonne would say. I could see her point. We were losing ourselves to the outside. We were going to die by surviving, a tough and slow death. Although there was some mistrust, we finally gave Aaron a pinch of trust.

Now we have Alexandria. A home. A place to fight for. After the drama with native Alexandrians ended, I finally let myself feel safe. Of course that rug was pulled out from under me when the Wolves broke in. Another folder in the cabinet. That's one I don't care to ever open.

Finally, as we were rebuilding, Jesus came along. I understand Rick's desire to obtain them as an ally, or at least I think I do. They have resources we need and the most valuable thing we have to offer is our skills to kill. Not necessarily me, but the others.

However every time we had to kill before this, we were attacked first. Whenever we killed people they were undoubtedly bad. They hurt us. It was kill or be killed. That's what Carol told me after she found me with the Wolf man.

This was different.

We were going out of our way to kill. I always have had good intuition, and I had a horrible gut feeling about this. I can't help, but think we're poking a sleeping bear.

"From what Maggie told me the Saviors sound like bad news..." I mumbled, nervous. I was always nervous speaking my mind, especially in this environment. Everyone has to have their opinions of course, but it's a lot more cut throat nowadays. If you thought differently than the group's majority it seemed like you'd get shunned. I noticed that happened to Morgan after he tried to explain to the group his pacifism.

"Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have told you. You aren't coming anyways." Rosita sighed, looking tired. The plan tonight didn't seem to be the only thing stressing her out. Abraham had been distant apparently. There was probably more to that story, but I didn't want to upset her further. But I knew what I was going to say next would anyways.

"Actually..." I fiddled with my shirt, unable to meet her eyes, "I am going."

"I'm sorry?" Rosita sounded like she genuinely didn't hear me, but I knew she had.

"Rick asked me to come on the mission tonight. He wanted to have someone on hand just in case someone gets hurt. I didn't know what I was agreeing to at the time but... yeah. That's why I asked you about it in the first place." I gulped when I saw Rosita's eye start to twitch. She always has been very protective of me. It's probably because I'm weak and she feels bad. I know she does the same thing for Eugene.

It's okay because I know I'm weak. But it's mostly because I can't hurt people. Even if they're hurting me. Rosita has tried to help me toughen up time and time again, but I always flop. Carol too. Even Abraham gave it a go, but he gave up in ten minutes flat and told me I was an angel. It was a nickname he never gave up.

"Why can't Denise go?" Rosita snapped more, looking upset.

"Denise hasn't been outside yet, I know how the outside works. Besides I'm just a nurse... Denise has done surgery." I explain, but Rosita didn't look any more calm.

"She's a psychologist! You're more valuable. You shouldn't go!" She began to pace, riling herself up.

"A psychologist that saved Carl from a gunshot wound." I pointed out, but it didn't seem to help much.

"Exactly! She should come in case something like that happens again..." She sighed heavily, clearly frustrated.

"Don't argue with me," I held my hands up in surrender, "Take it up with Rick."

"You're right I'm sorry, it's just you shouldn't be around this," She finally seemed to settle, even if it was just slightly.

"So you admit it's not good?" I asked bravely.

"Of course it's not good, we're killing people," Rosita sighed, not wanting to start up again.

"It's murdering people..." I sighed too, just as tired.

"I can't argue anymore and I can't change Rick's mind. Just be careful tonight." She looked serious and forced me to keep eye contact.

"I'll try. But you need to be careful too." I reached out and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze in which she returned.

"I will," She pulled away and started for the exit, "Love you." She batted her eyelashes at me teasingly and shoved me after I was quiet for too long.

"Love you too, freak." I finally returned with a smile, cheering up a tad.

"Weirdo." She quipped back before leaving the room I shared with Eugene. He was a bit of creep of a roommate, but he wasn't messy and he always shared his midnight snacks with me. 

I settled back into bed, attempting to take a nap before we had to hit the road. I couldn't seem to fall asleep though. I was too paranoid that this was going to go bad.

When I finally began to dose off, I remembered something the butterfly affect.

Every action has a reaction.

comment to be added to taglist x

[the-walking-memelords]

r there any characters from TWD that remind you of characters from TWDG?

Judith has big S2 Clem energy

both little badasses

that can and will kill a man

Omid was like a less badass Jerry (then again Omid didnt live long enough to get badass)

charming comic relief character that makes jokes even in serious situations

I guess Mary and James would have a lot in common since they both got sick of Alpha's shit and didn't believe their violence was deserved so they fucked off (plus they both got stabbed and turned into walkers)

S4 Clementine and Michonne have a similar energy.

Walker killing badasses with leader qualities who want to do what's best for her people and will kill whoever she has to to keep them safe. plus the mom energy is u real

I KNOW IM COMPARING A LOT OF CHARACTERS TO CLEM BUT CMON IT FITS

Carl "Died Because Bullshit" Grimes (who deserved better btw) ALSO reminds me of clem because they grew up from little kids to late teens in the world of walkers and adapted into true survivors WHO WILL SURVIVE A LING DAMN TIME FUCK THE SHOW CARL IS ALIVE IN THE COMICS AND THATS ALL THAT MATTERS

ok if yall have characters that remind u of other shit send em I guess my sleeping meds are kicking in and my head hurts i must pass out now

[screametc]

AHHHH 6x10 favourite episode favourite episode favourite episode!!!! top 5 at least... ahhhhh I have been waiting for richonne to become canon for SO LONG. vindication!!!! and I forgot just how good their whole kiss scene & everything before it is. them telling each other about their day... the mints instead of toothpaste... the HAND HOLDING... and then the way they were smiling while they were kissing... hhhhh richonne literally make me believe in love. “the next world” is just peak twd for me, it has so much found family/domestic content. i was smiling the whole episode. carl and rick both teasing michonne. rick calling judith sweetheart. carl teaching judith the names of the constellations in the night sky. rick and daryl being out on a run together, so completely in sync. rick subjecting daryl to his terrible music taste. JESUS! daryl chasing after jesus in the field like they’re playing fucking tag or something. rick being allowed to say fuck!!!! rick wearing blue and looking so incredibly good in it. rick and michonne, rick and michonne, rick and michonne... sorry im gushing but im just :’))) after having to sit through so much bs this season, bs which felt even more excruciating what with this being a rewatch, it feels SO good to have an episode like this. we deserved it!!! the survivors deserved it!!! i love them so damn much ahhhh

[agirlinhell]

my blog: [reaches 100+ followers]

my eyes: ey yo look like i’m goin for a swim

HOLY SHIT IT’S BEEN A BIT OVER A YEAR AND Y’ALL ARE STILL HERE?? jfc I LOVE YOU GUYS. in all seriousness, though, i met just the greatest people ever while i’ve been here and uuuuuuuugh, I LOVE interacting with each and every one of you, i love seeing you guys on my dash and I JUST AGLGGALJGAGALJGAGLAJ so thank you all so much for sticking with me through this. i probably don’t deserve it and you’re all here anyway<333

before we get real deep into this: thank you. whoever you are, if you’re reading this, i’m thanking you. for being here, for following this trash ass blog and loving this muse as much as i do. also i’m thanking you for waking up today, for drinking water and eating your food, for doing your chores, for taking a shower, brushing your teeth, for taking a nap, for getting through yet ANOTHER DAY OF THIS BITCH OF A PLANET. and even if you did none of those things — thank you. stay with us. this world needs you. all of us are unique. there’s no one like you, 

thank you for existing - i love you.

NOW LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS TO DEFEAT THE HUNS

i hope you’re all ready bitches bc IMMA SHOWER Y’ALL WITH LOVE:

@keptmanners​ / @morefinesse​ / @worldendured​ : I’VE SAID THIS SO MANY TIMES BUT UUUUUUUUUGH, this person right here, ande, is one of the people responsible for this blog being what it is today. no joke. when i was at my worst (activity wise) ande was always here, replying to our shit, plotting and discussing concepts and screaming about our muses and just being nice and kind and understanding to me whenever we talked. the relationship we built between clem and ruby/louis/your muses was one of the things that kept me from leaving this blog altogether, so thank you so much - i honestly really appreciate and admire you.

@taggedbastard​ / @paulklee-guild​: listen to me YOU LITTLE SHIT AKJAJGAGLJGA no jk, i love you so much and that’s so crazy because we haven’t even been talking for that long - we deadass started talking like two-three days ago? like, we fell in love with each other bc we’re cancerians and with the OTP in like 0.2 seconds and it was beautiful??? UGH I LOVE YOU BITCH AND I AIN’T NEVER GONNA STOP LOVING YOU BITCH.

@prctecthem​ : TSUKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!! i got you, okay? but seriously, thank you for becoming such a good friend and great person to talk to these last few weeks. i am so glad to have met you <3 AND I LOVE OUR THREADS WHAT THE FUCK?? like we should have hundreds of them, honestly. no jk <3 bUT MAYBE???

@weprevail​ : BABEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!! I LOVE HOPE SO MUCH??? A VALID LEGEND IN THE RPC!! SHE SPOILS ME WITH LEE, DUCK, MITCHENTNE AND VIOLETINE CONTENT AND I CR Y!!! i love when we talk about stuff!! you can do it, you can accomplish your dreams, i believe in you - i’ve got your back okay??<33

@rcdhccdie​ : IRL BESTIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I’M SO HAPPY YOU’RE GRADUATING AND THAT YOU’RE ABLE TO KICK SCHOOL RIGHT IN THE ASS!! ILY ILY ILY ILY - I’LL SEE YOU SOON, OKAY??<333

the bad bitch brigade:

@dcadrct​, @stillgcod​ & @mortuism​: MY HOMIESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. no seriously like, artie, merc and jude are the some of the bestest friends on tumblr/discord that i could have ever asked for and i can’t imagine my life without them anymore. i mean, lmao, i have more verses with them combined than anyone else in the world, artie and merc are just ALWAYS THERE WHEN I WANT TO TALK TO THEM AND I JUST !!!! <#3333 AND JUDE IS DOING HIS BEST AND I LOVE AND SUPPORT A LEGEND!! artie destroys my ass with marlontine / clouis angst/fluff, merc has me crying up in the club about sophietine and jaiko and jude makes me cry like a little bitch with his lee, carl, violet, brody and lilly content  i am truly honored and glad to share this muse with such wonderful people ( or at least formerly in merc’s case ALGJGAAGLAGALJ ) and to just be your friend???? y’all have always been there to call me out on my shit if i ever fuck up and i get my shit together accordingly so i really appreciate it - y’all are also some HILARIOUS ASF PEOPLE

the gay juicebox squad

(or people i love interacting with and want to interact with/talk to even MORE &&& people that i JUST started interacting with and WANT TO KEEP GOING BC YOU’RE PERFECTION – &&&&&&& PEOPLE I HAVE PLOTTED WITH BUT I STILL OWE A STARTER / REPLY TO BC I SUCK, BUT I’M EXCITED TO RP WITH AAAAAAAA ):

@twdgdeadmanwalking, @rcdhccdie @creolejesus, @corpsepaintd, @zombeam, @pyrrhaeic, @weprevail , @crackinthewhip, @youngshct @we-are-strcng @livesrot @reekcd @corpsepaintd​ @forgedvalor @goldenngore @emsorcism @thecomplication @sympaheart @almostskylight @agirlofwinterfell​

the SENPAIS

(bc i stalk you from far, far away and we either don’t talk much/at all and never interacted and i want that to change but i’m too intimidated by your everyday PERFECTION AND FLAWLESSNESS ON MY DASH):

@killthebxy​ @sevenbled​ @plannedahead​ @zaldrczes​ @highhking​ @creaturologist​ @dracharenae​

IF I FORGOT ANYONE: i am sorry. i occasionally suck. plus, it’s deadass late. but i suck. yeah. love y’all <3

now let’s do the giveaway thing!!!

MY APPRECIATION FOR THE GOOD, ACTIVE (some inactive bc i’m trash) & TALENTED PEOPLE THAT I FOLLOW & THAT FOLLOW ME, CATEGORIZED.

THE WALKING DEAD

@twdgdeadmanwalking​, @crackinthewhip​, @keptmanners​ @prctecthem​ @morefinesse​ @stillgcod​ @dcadrct​ @victuus​ @weprevail​ @mortuism​ @shitbircl​ @ofstonerisms​ @worldendured​  @childtroubled​ AND SO MANY MORE

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE/GAME OF THRONES

@killthebxy, @longmayshereignxcersei @reekcd, @zaldrczes, @dracharenae @goldenngore @mcsttrusted @bcarexiled​ AND SO MANY MORE

HARRY POTTER

@creaturologist​

                      NARUTO

@bitiing​ @cursemcrked​

GANGSTA.

@taggedbastard​ @paulklee-guild​ @forgedvalor​

FANDOMLESS & MUMU & OTHER FANDOMS & FANDOMS I’M NOT TOO FAMILIAR WITH

@emsorcism @ncvabcrn @illicios @corpsepaintd @creolejesus @xendure @sevenbled @bonezone @bloominghands​ AND SO MANY MORE

;& PERSONALS

YOU’RE LIKE THE BEST? i have no idea why so many of you follow me, but i’m super happy to know that you like this blog for some reason. thank you for being here with me. you ROCK!!! ALL OF YOU!!! 

a few honorable mentions: @aesthetic-survivor-of-twd​ @thewalkingclementine​ @rascet​ and @twdgjames​!!<3

____________________________________________________________________________________________

As for the giveaway, I offer the following prizes: one drabble, one edit/promo, five to ten icons, or an aesthetic / moodboard - the choice is entirely yours.

-None of the art unless otherwise stated that will be used in aesthetics and edits are mine.

-I will mostly be doing individuals for aesthetics/drabbles/promo’s/icons, but if you want me to have it ship related, and if i can find the right pictures for aesthetics and icons, this will be done, too.

-If a winner desires a drabble for a prize, I will write any genre you want me to, but you must tell me what exactly you want. The genre, the characters, the settings, the events, canon or alternate universe, what happens in a plot ( if there is any ), whether or not there’s a ship. Lengths and verses may vary. Oneshot, only, no multichapters.

-For aesthetics, the programs I use are ipiccy because unfortunately I don’t have nor use photoshop at the moment. You must tell me exactly what you want.

-My drabbles / aesthetics / icons DO NOT HAVE TO BE THE WALKING DEAD RELATED. I’m perfectly happy with doing prizes in relation to our muses and in other fandoms / alternate universes / crossovers.

-I can show you previews of icons, drabbles, aesthetics and edits while I am doing them, but once I am done with the results, I will not be doing a second version or an update.

-THERE WILL BE FOUR WINNERS.

-We MUST be mutuals - meaning you must be following me in order to have a chance to win.

-Feel free to like and reblog this as many times as you want - it increases your chances.

-However, I must warn you that, due to time restrictions on my part, your prizes might possibly come in a bit slower, I apologize, but it’s the constraints that bind me to this.

-The winners have until tonight at 8:00PM EST, approximately TWELVE HOURS FROM NOW, to be exact, due to time constraints on my part, to contact me. If you do not contact me after tonight is over, you will not earn your prize and it will be given to someone else at random, just as it is with the chosen winners.

[bethgreeneishopeunseen]

TWD just killed off Frankie :( and Eugene was looking for her. Genekie is always live on in our hearts. Your's and mine.

If I didn’t have to do some reading for a paper due on Thursday, I would go off on a full-on rant. (I already spat out three angry tweets.) I didn’t watch this episode, but from your description it’s clear what happened. She was in only two episodes this season just so she could be discarded for shock value and for Eugene’s man pain. Why else have him look for her if the writers weren’t going back to the relationship they seeded before dropping like it was nothing. Why bring her back in the last episode if not to remind the audience of her character before the reveal? Frankie was one of their most interesting characters from the AoW arc being one of the Wives, specifically one who made the choice initially and who then attempted to assassinate Negan. And now she’s gone.

The writers killed a domestic abuse survivor while kept her mass murdering, raping, and overall tyrannical abuser alive against all logic. And I just checked GE & found out about the other characters who were killed off. All of it predictable in the worst ways. One of the actresses mentioned that her death was hinted early in the filming season, but it wasn’t confirmed for her until a week before the actual episode shoot. Which is just so irresponsible, callous, and frankly illogical from a show that’s gotten flack for that behavior numerous times. It seemed like Gimple was changing the show in season 4 and at the beginning of 5, and I had hope for Kang, but they just pulled the wheel towards the cliff. A part of me accepted that the show was beyond salvaging when Carl was killed, and I’ve slowly come to terms with it holistically. This is the final straw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqnysuqHSt5/

You know what’s terrible about this picture now? It’s probably from the death episode. They gave Frankie comic!Rosita’s personality and elements of her backstory and now her death, without even the dignity of being used as a character. Just a prop for TPTB, using her just like Negan used her.

I’m at a point where I don’t need the show to validate Beth’s survival to me. Her injury in Coda was done in such a way, combined with her missing body and overall narrative cues, that she can and should survive. I was fine with not watching the show again and catching up to the new episodes. I will always have episodes like Still, The Well, and Hostiles & Calamities. (Thank Bethus for bottle episodes.) In my canon, she’s alive. Beth has belonged to the fandom for years, and so does Frankie now too. I had started writing a fic from her POV last summer, before things escalated to impossible levels with my family, and it’s initial framework is more original and thought-provoking than what professional, more experienced writers can come up with. Maybe I’ll start working on that again this summer. Give her the story that she deserves.

[shimmershae]

Twenty years after TWD has gone off the air...lasting impressions of characters.

What do you think they're going to be?  Hmm.  I've mulled this over and with the way all the characters have basically devolved into caricatures of themselves, I think it's going to be something like this: 

  Rick Grimes

 Officer Friendly. 

"Coral!  Coral!" 

head tilt

"I'm going to kill you."  Only he usually didn't kill them.  Except that one time he ripped that dude's throat out with his teeth. 

 Lori Grimes

 "Has anybody seen Carl? I can't find Carl." 

The one that had her baby cut out of her belly.   

 Shane Walsh

 Aggressive and trigger happy partner to Officer Friendly

Wanted his best friend's family to himself

  Daryl Dixon

 The dude with the crossbow and the greasy hair in his face. 

Always had a motorcycle even when gas was surely in short supply. 

Dirty mumbler that leaned into that Pixie Lady's touch like a cat getting pets. 

Abuse survivor. 

Liked blowing shit up.    

Pookie.

  Merle Dixon

 Redneck asshole that cut his own hand off. 

Got the clap on occasion. 

Always had a nickname on the tip of his tongue. 

 Carol Peletier

 Scared Pixie lady that lost her little girl but gained her confidence and became a badass. 

Best friends with the dude with the crossbow and always gave him nonplatonic heart eyes. 

Had every child she loved cruelly stripped away from her. 

"Look at the flowers."

Abuse survivor that wore many figurative masks. 

Liked blowing shit up. 

No matter what she couldn't lose her Pookie. 

 Glenn Rhee

 Baseball cap wearing pizza boy that can't keep a secret. 

Awkward Korean cutie that fell for the farmer's daughter. 

Oh man.  He didn't deserve THAT. 

  T-Dog

 Dropped the key to that redneck asshole's cuffs. 

Saved the Pixie Lady at the Prison by sacrificing himself to Walkers and nobody ever really talked about him again.  So sad. 

 Hershel Greene

 Farmer and father of two daughters that lost his leg and later his head.

Oh.  And he was also the de facto doc for them all, even though he was a country veterinarian.   

  Maggie Greene

 Farmer's daughter that fell in love with the pizza boy. 

Leader of Hilltop until she went poof. 

  Beth Greene

 Farmer's daughter that was always singing at the weirdest times.

In fact, you could say timing wasn't her strong suit--i.e. the alcohol and the scissors. 

  Michonne

 Mysterious lady with the dreads and the katana that arrived on the scene with pet walkers. 

Best friend of first Andrea Harrison then Carl Grimes. 

Rick Grimes right hand(wo)man and second chance at love. 

 Abraham Ford

 Big redheaded Army dude. 

Always had something colorful and bawdy to say. 

"Dolphin smooth."  "Who's Deanna?"

Was all about Rosita until he was suddenly into Sasha. 

  Tara Chambler

 Fist bump cutie that liked girls. 

Lost everybody she cared about but nobody else seemed to/showed that they cared.

 Jesus

 Kung fu Jesus looking dude that never got anything else to do except be Maggie's de facto BFF until they killed him off. 

  Ezekiel

 Had a pet Tiger. 

The pontificating day player calling himself King that the Pixie Lady married instead of her beloved Pookie. 

 Jerry

 Big smiling teddy bear of a man that loved himself some cobbler. 

  Negan

 Foul-mouthed cartoon contortionist that had an unhealthy fixation on a bat he named Lucille and dick size. 

Obsessed with dicks in general.  

Gave more monologues than the man who called himself King. 

 So.  Just a few of my observations.  Feel free to add your own.   

[jodiereedus22]

TWD Drabble - Prompts 23&28

Requested by @livingdecdgirl

A/N: I couldn't fit the OC in this little prompt, but if you want to request a normal story then I'd be happy to try and do that for you.

Hope you guys enjoy this one!! :)

After the Governor destroyed the prison, you were all parted, you had all gone your separate ways not knowing if you would ever see each other again.

Although you had not gotten out with Daryl – which broke your heart, not knowing if you’d ever find each other – you had to be grateful you were not alone.

You managed to make it out with Rick and Carl, and with them two at your side you knew you would be alright, but you were more worried about Daryl.

He was a survivor, you knew he would make it, that’s not what you worried about, you worried about whether he was on his own, you worried if he was with someone who would be a hindrance to him, you worried that he blamed himself for ceasing his manhunt on the Governor and the deaths that occurred at his hands.

But you had to stop yourself thinking about that, you had to focus on surviving if you were to ever have a chance of seeing him again.

Days went by, Rick’s injuries got worse before they got better, Carl was in the middle of an early rebellious streak, and you were stuck in the middle not knowing what the best was.

Luckily your answer came knocking on the door in the form of Michonne, and you were thrilled to have found another member of your family, even though deep in your heart you knew it wasn’t the right one.

Returning from a scavenge with Michonne and Carl distracted and happy at your loot, Rick ran quickly in your direction, ushering you away from the house.

Rick explained why you had to leave in such a hurry, he told you about the bad men, and that he had to kill one. Luckily being on the road you were somewhat safe.

The road was littered with signs for a sanctuary called Terminus, deciding that if the others saw this sign they would head there, it was the only chance to see Daryl again.

Camping out in the open on a road, there was something cosy about sitting around the fire just you four, talking like you used to with Carl sleeping in the car.

When a rustle pulled you from your conversation you remembered what kind of world you lived in and you were now more alert to your surroundings, but when nothing came of it you started talking once more.

When a crack of a twig sounded behind you it was too late to react.

With a gun at each of your heads, there was no way of getting out of this.

Kneeling in the dirt shaking from fear at these men surrounding you with guns pointed at your heads another rustle pulled your attention to the treeline. You watched intently as Daryl walked out from the darkness of the trees towards your group.

You tried to make your way towards him as a set of hand grabbed your collar and pulled you back and held you in place.

Daryl clearly not thrilled about what was happening started reasoning with them, not being able to hear what was said over the beating of your heart, a fight broke out and Daryl was getting beaten up so bad that all you could do was to beg them to stop and cry.

Everything happened so fast, it seemed to have ended as quickly as it started and suddenly Daryl was in front of you pulling you from your daze.

Looking up into the eyes you thought you were never going to see again, you just nodded, you and Daryl were always able to have a silent conversation.

Once morning broke, the extent of Daryl’s injuries was clearer.

You grabbed a rag and a bottle of water and made your way over to him.

You sat down quietly next to him and began cleaning up his wounds.

“It's my fault,” Daryl broke the silence.

“What? Nothing is your fault. None of this is your fault,” your voice slightly raised at the last sentence, hoping that would help it sink in.

“You didn’t deserve that!” you placed your hand on his face to turn his eyes to yours. “you didn’t, this isn’t on you.”

“You’re too good for me (Y/N), I don’t know why you’re with me,” Daryl turned his head out of your hand and stared at the ground.

“Hey…” you said forcefully as Daryl turned his head to face you once again.

You leaned in and placed your lips on his, pulling away you rested your forehead in his and stared into his beautiful blue eyes.

“I’m with you because you’re a wonderful man who deserves to be loved, I’m with you okay? Always.”

You stared into each other eyes for a moment longer until Daryl pulled you in for an embrace.

If you want to be added to my Taglist just let me know!!! :) <3 :)

Taglist: @crossbowking @viralutoutbreakcontrol @coffee-obsessed-writer @bluesfortheredj @shutupimtryin2write @hyphymanatee @selenedixon @cbarter @cole-winchester @alyisdead @hopplessdreamer @infinitewcr @blogsporadicartist @mtngirlforever @serfyan18 @sassi-luna @twdsunshine @momc95 @emo-potato-virgil @sourwolf-sterek32 @tatertot1097 @wilhelmjfink @coffeebooksandfandom @twdeadfanfic @cutiepiemimi13 @kickin-with-dixon

[lupienne]

Comic Negan Fic Recommendations

Welcome to my compiling of compelling Comic Negan fanfiction! If you’re looking for fics that focus more on Negan’s comic incarnation, well, here you go!

I used to try to update this list monthly, but it’s going to be probably every few months from now on. New additions are at the bottom and in italics.

As of this update, I’m also including fics I’ll describe as (Exception To) These are fics that are either based off TV Negan or seem to be based off him, but I still think Comic Negan aficionados will enjoy as well.

As always, if you like a fic, please leave the writer a comment or give them a kudos/like/reblog or whatnot. Writers appreciate your support and feedback so very much!

(updated on Sept 1, 2018)

---

In no particular order:

Stigmatic by 217. Follow Negan’s POV as he leads the Saviors in what starts off as comic canon, before venturing into wonderfully AU territory. Also featuring 217’s most excellent OCs; she is truly a master at crafting real, well-rounded and interesting characters. She also has such a talent for writing Negan true to the comics and yet making her own unique version of his character as well. The plotline of this story is always moving forward as the Saviors travel through the highs and lows of life in the apocalypse. On ff.net On A03

217 has also done some AU series within the Stigmatic verse:

Phlegmatic: which is an AU take on Alice and Negan if they had met before the ZA. On ff.net On A03

Haematic which is another pre-ZA AU take where Negan struggles to raise his and the late Lucille’s daughter, Lulu (and her pet lobster, Crusty!), all by his lonesome. On ff.net On A03

Fics by WattStalf. She has quite a few Negan fics, most of which are nice bite-sized reads and quite enjoyable. Here’s three of my favorites.

His Favorite Girl Smut involving Negan and his favorite girl… why, who else but Lucille the Vampire bat?

Making Like A funny and sexy Negan/Rick fic.

One Night Stand Negan and Olivia smut. Hell yeah.

And here is her complete TWD list

A Wolf at the Door by Misterkingdom: A very well-written fic where Negan makes sure Rick knows who the King Dick Motherfucker is around here.

Beautiful Tragedy by 217: Yet another gem by this master writer of ole Negan. However, RM (aka ‘Rude Motherfucker’) the OC of this story, doesn’t see Negan in the most flattering light. One of Negan’s (aka ‘Dumpy’s) wives, she uses his perks to support her ongoing drug addiction, that is, until Negan takes note…and he doesn’t approve. The dialogue in this story is absolutely a riot, as RM’s mouth and thoughts are every bit as vulgar and outrageous as Negan’s! On ff.net On A03

217 also has quite a few shorter fare for those that balk at lengthier stories (but trust me, they are worth every word!) My personal favorites are The Cleansing which is a pitch-back affair, Negan’s Number What? (a birthday present to me a few years ago, and the hottest Negan/Sherry smut EVER!), and Non-NEGotiable which is a Stigmatic smut where Negan loses a bet and his ass to Alice. On ff.net On A03

The Life of Negan & Lucille by TeamCarlisle: Based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory, it’s Negan and Lucille’s pre-apocalypse days before it all fell apart. Sweet and yet heartbreaking, it’s a treat to see Negan in his pre-Savior days. But get your tissues out for this one!

Recollection by 217: Another goodie by 217, this is based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory and contains part of his life with Lucille. On ff.net On A03

Embracing the Apocalypse by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed) Sanctuary and the Saviors has gained a new member, Rebecca, who struggles to find a foothold in this new society, but soon has captured the attention of Negan. He himself has been newly reinstated as the Savior’s leader and is also on unsure ground, unlike his previous bout of leadership. The two share a similar sense of humor and a need for a new start, but nothing is ever easy in the post-apocalyptic world.

This is yet another story that captures the charm, awkwardness and humor of Comic Negan, and features a very funny OC as well. Very much worth a read!

SomewhatSlightyDazed also has several shorts (mostly smutty, but a few aren’t.) They’re great for a quickie. A quick read, that is. ;) My personal favorites are: Post-Apocalyptic Driving School, Guys Like Him (Olivia and Negan, always a treat!), and Double-Dare (Smutty threesome with Negan and his wives. Yum!)

Through the Valley by Dusty Cookie Another merry jaunt into Sanctuary and the lives of the Saviors. Several Saviors, while out on a run, spot a female apparently living all on her lonesome and think she might be a good asset for Sanctuary. Now Negan just has to convince her she has a place there, and our story begins. :)

Dusty writes an absolutely fantastic Negan and her OCs are also well-written and interesting. Her dialogue and overall writing style is also so entertaining, witty, and just a pleasure to read. Try Chapter 1, and you’ll be hooked! On ff.net on A03

Dusty also has several short fics that are all equally great… but watch out for that catty Miss Fiona in The Hand that Feeds!

Tender Prey by bigcatsandkatanas I’m very bad and haven’t reviewed this one yet. I haven’t read a lot of them, so maybe it’s a bit pre-mature to say, but I think this is my favorite Regan fic. We have a bit more of a humble and lonely Negan due to his incarceration by good ole Prick Grimes, and it makes for one smutty tale I adore. Negan is written really great in this and despite being mostly smut, it’s also got some nice character moments for Negan. I really like it.

Gifts by redheadedwhat A nice little Negan/OC smut for your reading pleasure. Some humorous bits and of course, some very lovely smut.

Hurt by opheliadawnwalker3 Perhaps leaning more towards TV Negan, this is still a really good (and heart-wrenching) short about Negan and Lucille and her very bad news.

Satellite Days by Kinkozan After the Whisperer War, Negan has been living in an old outpost from the Savior days, and he finds himself in the company of Toni, another survivor who isn’t quite welcome around her old communities anymore either. They must try to survive in their new environment, as well as survive each other.

Backspin by Kinkozan Negan’s wife Charli’s plans of giving him a much-deserved spanking and trying to assert herself in the relationship might come back to bite her in the ass. Smut and angst.

Lupienne’s Negan fanfictions. Here’s my additions to the Comic Negan bookcase. I have a long WIP involving Negan and the boring domestic affairs of his wives, as well as a few shorter reads that are mostly of the smut variety. On A03 On ff.net (I don’t have them all on there, but if you prefer reading on this site…)

Enigmatic by 217: Based off Here’s Negan 15, where Negan receives a nasty wound from a fellow survivor. Upon going to clean out his wound, Negan meets an OC who is all too eager to give him some ‘healing.’ On ff.net On AO3

Love(d) by Dusty Cookie A pre-ZA short with Negan and Lucille. Dusty doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings, she rips them right out of your body.

WIP by Metal Butter Metal Butter mentioned a prisoner Negan fic they were writing, and upon my request, posted a snippet of it! It’s not complete, but it’s awesome just as it is. I love the way Negan is written as he narrates from his prison cell. Also contains shades of Regan. Yum!

In the Twilight Kingdom by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed) Filled with grief over his recently deceased Lucille, Negan struggles to live and find a reason for doing so in the dangerous new world of the apocalypse.

Decomposition by 217: “Do you know what decomposition is? Answer the goddamn question.” A dark short of Negan’s thoughts as Lucille claims another life.

Bedtime Stories by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed): What happens when Negan finds out some of the Sanctuary women have been writing porn about him?

Last Chance Revival by 217. This fic follows an AU, non-ZA Negan as he tends bar in a rough part of town, where the highlight of his night is watching quirky OC’s Murphy’s ass leave the bar in her tight leopard print spandex. On ff.net On AO3

Heart in a Blender by Bigcatsandkatanas. A Negan/Rick fic set in a non-apocalyptic AU verse. Negan, lonely and despondent after his divorce with Lucille, decides to take a chance and use a dating app. When he accidentally matches with Rick Grimes, it’s the start of an awkward friendship (and maybe more?) Bigcatsandkatanas writes an excellent Negan, from his personality to his dialogue.

I Bless the Rains Down at Sanctuary by Redheadedwhat. Negan’s wife Tallulah discovers the hilarity of a drunken Negan. And an important question is pondered…just what did happen to the band members of Toto after the apocalypse?

Exhaust by Spliced-up Angel. An AU take on All out War. What if Negan hadn’t lost that last battle? Told from Carl’s POV, the young Grimes struggles to adapt to Negan’s rule over Alexandria. Since the story is all from Carl, Negan isn’t painted in the most flattering light. His dialogue is hilarious and poor Carl finds himself in a few embarrassing situations due to Negan’s lack of shame.

The tumblr Masterlist for Dusty-cookie. Suitable for liking, rec’ing and reblogging!

Dixon Dallas by 217. An AU smut involving Negan as a porn star :D

Priorities by Dusty Cookie. A fluffy short, perfect for snuggling up with on a cold winter day!

Happy Fucking Birthday by Dusty Cookie. Negan gives the present of smut to his favorite birthday girl.

Careful What You Wish For by Dusty Cookie. More glorious smut! I only wish for more!

The tumblr Masterlist for Embracetheapocalypsewithme. Great for reblogging and giving this writer more exposure. Do it!  

An Enemy of the Crows by redheadedwhat. A chance encounter with a crow will change Negan’s life forever. :)

Cursed Land by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). This tale begins with a map with a blacked-out section Negan refuses to speak about… a fic to read with all the lights on!

The Love You Take by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). A lonely, exiled Negan investigates mysterious music he keeps hearing at night…

Yes, Mistress by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightlyDazed on AO3). Negan gets some new jewelry for Sherry to wear. She isn’t exactly enthused about it…but Negan can be pretty convincing ;) Glorious smut!

I’ll Always Be With You by Maggie Monster. Lucille has passed on, yet she has never left Negan’s side.

Irrational Fears by Embracetheapocalypsewithme. Even the fearless Negan has some irrational fears.

Hush by Dusty Cookie. Nothing like some public sex to get Little Negan all riled up ;)

Illicit Intervention by 217. This fic takes place before the apocalypse and involves Negan’s troubled marriage to Lucille and the woman he finds outside of it.

After Life by Dusty Cookie. Angsty Negan and Lucille.

Untitled (Regan smut) by Likeagoddamn cat. Some nice Regan smut based off Negan’s infamous ‘sad eye contactless handjob’ line from the comics.

His Beautiful Lady by Dusty Cookie. Negan foot-fetish smut! The world needs more of this! ;P

217fanfic’s Tumblr masterlist, suitable for reblogging and bookmarking. :)

Help Me Out by genevievedarcygranger. Prisoner Negan, Rick, and comments about handjobs lead to some Regan goodness.

Fics by Bunnylouisegrimes. Bunny is a new writer to the Negan scene and here’s some of her works I’ve enjoyed. Since I believe she writes more for TV Negan, these are (Exception To) :)

Lullaby of a Dead Man - Negan finds himself betrayed and fighting for his life.

Regret An intro to Bunny’s OC and a look into Negan’s regrets.

My Imaginary Friend isn’t that Imaginary AU in which Negan is the guardian to a young girl who is very special to him.

Gone Away, Out of Reach by Marium. (Exception To) TV based/AU and heavy on the angst. While in his cell, Negan learns some tragic news.

Fuck You by Annablack1102 (Exception To/seems comic-Negan enough to me) Sub Negan, smut, and strap-ons....what is not to like?

--

Ok guys, that’s it for this update! Happy reading! I’ve got a big ole reading queue to catch up on, so hopefully come next update, I’ll have another heaping pile of fictional joy for ya’ll.

(Reblogs of this post are appreciated to help give these writers more exposure. :))

[zutaralesbian]

I'm greedy... all the questions for the ask meme

I’m sorry that this took so freaking long. Between thinking about my answers, work, school, and my laptop getting pased around, it’s been hard to get it done lol. But thanks so much! 

I answered 6, 11, 25 here: http://lukesandwalker.tumblr.com/post/173277826118/6-11-25

And 30 here: http://lukesandwalker.tumblr.com/post/173275820343/i-would-like-30-please-because-i-live-to-see

But here’s the rest of them:

1: Top 3 heroes/protagonists

To narrow it down a little, i’m going to consider this as meaning MAIN protagonists.

Luke Skywalker (Star Wars) (Surprise surprise) I’ve already gushed so much about why I love Luke so i’ll keep it short this time. But I love that he’s a male lead in a science fiction movie series heavily geared towards dudebros that defies so many of the toxic tropes that usually come with male leads in that genre. Luke’s journey is about refusing to succumb to the darkness even while people from both sides of the conflict are urging him to do so. And he ultimately wins via compassion and his belief of inherent goodness. He’s a male lead that’s ultimately led by his heart, which is so refreshing. I remember being so surprised by how much I loved him the first time I finally sat down and watched Star Wars.

Buffy Summers (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer) Buffy was one of the first female protagonists of a TV like BTVS that I was ever fully invested in and she was a good place to start. Buffy doesn’t fall into the typical trope of being emotion-free or hateful towards other women like so many people believe a “badass” female character like her needs to be. Buffy loves and cares about her friends and family and even craves romance, and none of that detracts from the fact that she’s also the slayer and kicks ass. She’ll always be one of my role models.

James Flint (Black Sails) I’ll admit that calling Flint a hero is a stretch since…he’s done some bad things, but I couldn’t not include him in this. He’s such a rarity…I don’t know of any other lead protagonists that are like him. The writers could have easily made him the typical straight douchebag that are usually in shows like this (a la Jax Teller). But instead, he’s a gay man with a lot of righteous anger towards the world for the unfairness of homophobic society. And he’s NOT ashamed of being gay! One of his most iconic speeches is about refusing to apologize to England because in his mind, he did nothing wrong. And he has multiple profound relationships with women that do not boil down to him wanting to fuck them and are actually filled with respect. I just….James Flint man. I could talk about him all day.

Honorable mention to Harry James Potter, who I love a lot as well.

2: Top 3 villains/antagonists

Azula (Avatar: The Last Airbender) One of the most complex and well written female villains ever. She’s never redeemed, but she was still given enough genuine qualities and backstory to feel sympathy for her. But at the same time….she’s also just really twisted and awful at times. “Don’t flatter yourself. You were never even a player.” How iconic??? (Also, the reason Zuko is not on this list is because I don’t really consider him a villain. At least not in the classic sense).

Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars) He scares the shit out of me and actually has enough of a story and background to be interesting. Kylo Ren who?

Cersei Lannister (ASOIAF/GOT) Such an evil bitch….but once in a while, I find myself rooting for her lol. She’s the only typical villain that I really love in ASOIAF though.

3: Top 3 supporting characters

(Oh god….in no particular order. And i’m not even 100% sure of these answers lol. And for this, i’m assuming they just mean not the #1 main character.)

Bonnie Bennett (The Vampire Diaries)  I don’t talk about her much anymore because i’m pretty much over TVD but she was the first character I ever stanned in a typical fandom way and therefor will always have a special place in my heart. I’ll be forever angry about how that demon show treated her.

Sansa Stark (ASOIAF/GOT) I’m not sure who would be considered the main character of ASOIAF. (I think Ned might have been the main character in the first book but after that….idk) but i’m going to go on a limb and assume that Sansa would be considered a supporting character lol. I love my survivor wolf daughter who is underestimated but manages to outsmart everyone.

Max (Black Sails) I pretty much love all of the female characters in Black Sails but Max would have to be #1 for me. (Although Eleanor is a veeeeeery close second. And sometimes they’re tied). I love how much of an enigma of a character she is. She’s manipulative but also one of the most genuinely compassionate characters on the show. And she has one of the most profound overall arcs on the show imo. Also….a lesbian icon.

Honorable mentions: Eleanor Guthrie (Black Sails), Tara Knowles (SOA), Arya Stark (GOT/ASOIAF), Michonne (TWD), Faith Lehane (BTVS), Leia Organa (Star Wars)

4: Top 3 background characters or side characters (Skipping this one because I honestly have no clue what to put lol)

5: Top 3 romantic relationships between characters

(So….i’m only going to include relationships that are already explicitly romantic in canon. So that excludes ships like Zutara, Bamon, and Fuffy).

Max & Anne (Black Sails) My tender pirate lesbians. I love them so much

Chloe & Max (Life is Strange) The childhood best friends to lovers trope. They’ll literally go to the ends of the earth for each other.

Ian & Mickey (Shameless) Siiiiiiigggggghhhhs. I hate Shameless.

7: Top 3 fictional families

The Starks (ASOIAF/GOT) It’s a hard life being a Stark stan but…I really do love my tragic wolf family so much. And I only hope that the surviving members of it can one day find some semblance of peace.

The Skywalkers Obviously not a traditional family, but I love my trashy dramatic space family. And i’ll forever hate Disney for killing them. No Star Wars without Skywalkers imo.

The Weasleys (Harry Potter) Weasley stan forever and always. They took Harry under their wing as much as they were allowed to and probably would have adopted him if Dumbledore had let them. And they did all that even though they weren’t well off themselves.

8: Top 3 fictional parents

Ned & Catelyn Stark (ASOIAF/GOT)  (Although if i’m being honest, mainly just Catelyn lol.)

Stef & Lena Adams-Foster (The Fosters) My beautiful lesbian moms

Jack & Emily Spier (Love, Simon) Going by the movie and not the book. But they were lovely

9: Top 3 fictional siblings

Luke & Leia (Star Wars) My beautiful space twins who absolutely adore each other

The Starklings (ASOIAF/GOT) And this includes several different combinations. Arya/Jon, Sansa/Arya, Sansa/Jon, Robb/Jon, Robb/Bran, ect.

The Gallagher siblings (Shameless): They’re trashy and downright awful to each other sometimes but…I still get the feels. My favorite pairs are Fiona/Lip, Ian/Lip, and Fiona/Carl.

Honorable mention to Damon/Stefan from TVD (Trash, trash, trash but still….feelings). And once upon a time Bellamy/Octavia would be on this list if I hadn’t stopped caring about The 100 lol.

10: Top 3 child characters

(I’m going to define this as meaning really little kids, not teenagers)

Lilo (Lilo & Stitch)

Rickon Stark (ASOIAF)

Boo (Monster’s Inc)

(I feel like I cheated my having 2/3 of them being Disney characters but…I don’t have a lot of child faves)

12: Top 3 fictional animals/pets

Appa & Momo (Avatar: The Last Airbender) (They’re both pretty prominent and sort of go together so i’m counting them as one.)

Hedwig (Harry Potter) (RIP :( )

Ghost (ASOIAF/GOT) (Along with all of the direwolves tbh. Where is Ghost @GoT?????)

13: Top 3 fictional locations

Hogwarts (There are sooo many HP answers in this, I know. Even though I don’t like J.K R*wling anymore, I can’t erase the years i’ve spent loving this series).

Ba Sing Se (Avatar: The Last Airbender) (Not so much because of the location itself but because some of the best and most intense episodes of ATLA took place in that location).

Winterfell (ASOIAF/GOT) (The origins of my wolf family :( Although….my love for it probably stems more from the books now.)

14: Top 3 fictional gadgets/devices

The Skywalker Lightsaber (Star Wars) (RIP…..I hate Disney/Lucasfilm)

The Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) (Not really a device or gadget since it’s a space ship but….i’m going to go ahead and count it anyway.)

The Marauder’s Map (Harry Potter)

15: Top 3 character backstories

James Flint (Black Sails): I will never get over the fact that not only did they make their lead character on a violent TV show like this gay, but that they also made a lot of his motivations revolve around his sexuality and the loss of a man that he was in love with. Sometimes I wish I went into this show completely blind because the “Flint and Thomas reveal were in love” reveal would have hurt and shocked me in the best way. It’s one of the biggest reasons why Black Sails is one of my favorite shows despite the issues I do have with it.

Zuko (ATLA): His backstory is really sad but his character wouldn’t have been the same without it. The two prominent episodes that showed his backstory (The Storm and Zuko Alone) are both in my top 5 ATLA episodes. It also makes his eventual happy ending seem even more rewarding.

Severus Snape (Harry Potter): I’m not a Snape apologist but i’d be lying if I said that the reveal that he was a double agent against Voldemort the entire series didn’t fuck me up for months after I finished reading Deathly Hallows lol. I did not see it coming, I was so shocked.

16: Top 3 characters who die

Eleanor Guthrie (Black Sails) Sometimes I legit have to pretend that she didn’t die in order to fully enjoy my Black Sails experience tbh. My biconic queen deserved so much better :( I’ll die mad about it.

Poussey Washington (OITNB): Her death was the final nail in the coffin of me caring about that show. They killed her off when she was finally getting some semblance of happiness :(

Tara Knowles (Sons of Anarchy): All she wanted to do was protect her sons and she was rewarded for it by being brutally murdered by Gemma and being taken for granted by Jax for seasons. FOREVER BITTER

17: Top 3 non-human characters

Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars: The Clone Wars/Rebels)

Katherine Pierce (TVD)

Rebekah Mikaelson (TVD/TO)

(Lol I feel sort of wrong for including any TVD characters that aren’t Bonnie Bennett since….I really don’t care about the majority of it anymore. But once upon a time I did love Katherine and Rebekah.

18: Top 3 fictional worlds/universes

The Avatar Universe/Four nations (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

The Wizarding World (Harry Potter)

The Star Wars universe (IDK what else it’d be called lol)

19: Top 3 animated series

Avatar: The Last Airbender: I’ve loved this show since I was a kid and still love it immensely. Such a good show with a great plot and amazingly developed characters. The only thing that sucks about it is the majority of the canon romances lol)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: I’m not a prequel hater but….this show had soooo much better writing in terms of developing Anakin’s character. Also….Ahsoka Tano! And the tragic friendship between the two of them will forever make me emo.

And I think the third would just be comprised of some of the cartoons I liked as a kid. Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, Kim Possible, American Dragon, Spongebob, The Wild Thornberries, and ect.

20: Top 3 live-action series

Black Sails

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer

How I Met Your Mother (even though that god awful finale ruined it for me for a long time)

21: Top 3 animated movies

(Ooooooh boy. The only one i’m 100% sure of it the first one. And yes, I know i’m cliche for it lol)

The Lion King (Disney)

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Dreamworks) This movie is sooooo underrated

Anastasia (Idk the studio that made it…but I know it’s a Don Bluth movie)

22. Top 3 live-action movies

(Again, not completely sure of my answers here….there are a lot of movies that I love)

Love, Simon God this movie was so gpoy

The Parent Trap (1998)

Juno

23: Top 3 books

The Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling: Siiiiiiiggghhs

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie Evvvvvveeerrryone should read this book! It has such a good f/f slow-burn romance.

Honorable mentions: The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult, The Darkest Powers series by Kelly Armstrong, The Outsiders by S.E Hinton, A Song of Ice and Fire series by G.R.R Martin

24: Top 3 comics/webcomics

Top 3 obscure series/movies/books I recommend

Idk I don’t think I have any answers for this one either? Most of the stuff i’m really into is at least kind of known.

27: Top 3 musicals or plays

The only musical i’ve seen in person so far has been The Lion King. But it was fantastic. I also watched all of the A Very Potter Musical plays on YouTube if that counts.

28: Top 3 songs from musicals

I’m going to go by musical movies for some of these.

Breaking Free (High School Musical) (Lol)

Summer Nights (Grease)

Defying Gravity (Wicked) (This one is actually from a musical. I listened to it on YouTube and loved it).

29: Top 3 funny moments in fiction

1.That scene in Prisoner of Azkaban when Ron used a phone for the first time to call Harry over the summer and ended up screaming into the phone when Vernon answered it lol. (Harry Potter)

2. Katara: You’ve been hallucinating on cactus juice all day, and now you lick something you find stuck to a wall of a cave?!

Sokka: I have a natural curiosity (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

3. All of the Catherine and Henry scenes in that one episode of Regin when Henry accidentally killed that noble lady and they were trying to cover it up. (Reign)

31: Top 3 heartwarming moments in fiction

1. Sansa and Jon’s reunion (Game of Thrones)

The only good Stark reunion on the show so far (Sansa and Arya were cute until they ruined it with that bullshit storyline). It has everything. The slow approach after they first see each other, the initial shock slowly melting away as they leap into a hug, all while the Stark theme plays in the background. I have hopes that all the Starks will get better reunions in the books but until then….I truly do love this scene.

2. Zuko and Iroh’s reunion (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

This scene makes me emotional….pretty much every time I watch it. Zuko approaches Iroh cautiously out of a shame for his betrayal of him and because he’s positive that Iroh is going to be furious with him and reluctant to forgive. But then he doesn’t even have to fully finish his apology before Iroh is pulling him into a hug. It’s the unconditional love that he never got from his biological father.

3. Flint and Thomas’ reunion (Black Sails)

The fact that the very last shot of James Flint was him reuniting with the man he loved after ten years of believing him to be dead is something that I will never forget. 

(I realize that all of these moments are reunions but….ohhhh well.)

32: Top 3 scary moments in fiction

I can’t really think of too many scary moments because I don’t watch a lot of horror stuff. I’m sure if I thought deeply about it I could come up with stuff from shows like The Walking Dead or Hemlock Grove but since it’s been so long since i’ve watched either of those shows, my mind is coming up blank.

But I will say…that scene where Matilda and Miss Honey were trying to escape Trunchbull’s house always used to scare me as a kid lol.

33: Top 3 awesome moments in fiction

(Another one where i’m very unsure of my answers because there are a lot of awesome moments in fiction that I love. But i’m just going to list the ones that come to mind first.)

1. Zuko leaves the Fire Nation and tells off Ozai (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How could you possibly justify a duel with a child?

The scene goes on longer than that but i’m not going to post the full transcript for the sake of not making it insanely long. But I loved it because it was a full display of how far Zuko had come in his character development. And he finally, after almost the full duration of the series, came to fully understand that his abuse wasn’t his fault. And got to fully confront his abuser. I just…this scene is so important. 

2. Max’s speech to Anne in 4x08 (Black Sails) 

I remember when I first met Eleanor, how stunned I was. A woman who spoke the way she did, who had no fear of the world or the men who reigned over it.mWhen I became her lover, I watched the decisions she made and resolved to learn from them. When I became her rival, I watched the mistakes she made and resolved never to repeat them. But at the end, when I felt I had surpassed her in every way, it seemed as though there was something she was still trying to say to me. Surrendering everything she had sacrificed so dearly for, because it would have come at the expense of the one she loved. She was trying to tell me, I just could not hear her, about what is truly important. I said no to Marion Guthrie’s plan, despite having no alternative and at the risk of losing the entire endeavor, because I refuse to situate a man in a position where he might interfere one day with my ability to repair things with you.  You are the bravest person I have ever known. The truest person I have ever known. And I betrayed you and it sickens me. I’m so sorry for trying so hard to protect the wrong things. For failing to see that there is nothing important that does not include you.

I’ll always be upset that Eleanor died and that this was the last Maxanne scenes of the series (side-eyes the finale) but I will forever love this scene because it represents so much about what I love about the Maxanne and Maxanor relationships. The fact that Max, a lesbian character, had her arc and development throughout the show so beautifully shaped by her relationships with two women (both of whom were her lovers at some point) will forever make me emotional. 

3. Luke refuses to fall to the dark side (Star Wars)

Never. I’ll never turn to the Dark Side. You have failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.

I’ve already talked at length about why I love this scene so I won’t go into it too much. But it represents everything I love about Luke’s character. The ending of his journey is not the typical violent fest that most male protagonists in this genre end with it, it’s refusing to fall into the same trap that Palpatine had lured Anakin into years before. I just…freaking love Luke Skywalker. 

[just-whelmed]

A Long, Rambly, Incoherent Rant Regarding TWD

!WARNING!: a lot of complaints, a lot of tangents, specific shipping of specific pairings, wishful thinking and weird ideas, probably unpopular opinions -- all up ahead.

[i just needed to get my thoughts out there; i’m not looking to fight anyone over things i think/believe/like or don’t like about the show. i’m aware my opinions are not fact, nor are they the end all, be all for the walking dead. i’m just a fan who has no one to talk to about all this junk. nothing more. ignore if you want.]

I love The Walking Dead. It’s been a huge part of my life, my family’s life, for going on 5 years now. I’ve sat down every Sunday (when the show is airing) since the season 4 premiere to watch live, I’ve argued with family members after episodes, I’ve analyzed and defended characters, spent time making stupid edits and writing fluffy fanfics and just generally thinking about this show for an admittedly unhealthy amount of time.

I’ve never liked zombie entertainment. I didn’t even want to watch this show initially, but I’d been convinced by my sister one day and so we sat down in my room and watched season 1, which we rented from a video store before it went out of business. Right away, during 1x01, I realized that this wasn’t a zombie show—it was a show about survivors. It was a show about one man waking up to a dead world and wanting nothing more than to find his family. It was about seeing all these characters with all their complexities, whether you liked them or not, trying to keep themselves afloat while anyone could die at any moment. But that was never the point. The point was to follow these characters we meet right alongside Rick and root for them to conquer the threat of the world, no matter the cost. Because amongst all the loss and sadness, there was survival and hope. That’s how I convinced my grandparents to watch, too. 

And so it makes me sad, mad, frustrated, that I can barely recognize the show anymore. That I can rarely even enjoy it. Where’s the fun in watching characters you’ve cared about for years get killed off without any payoff (especially when it’s falsely promised that it’s for some type of “reason”)? Where’s the fun the show either being so predictable that it becomes stupid, or so outlandish that you have to laugh at the ridiculousness of it?

I know the common arguments, just as I know my opinions are purely my own. This is a show that’s created by a team who can do whatever they want with it. They don’t have to take the fan’s wants and desires into account (they rarely do, anyhow). They don’t have to cater to anyone. However, why should they then expect the fans to keep watching when they (Gimple) consistently flush everything we love about what made TWD what it is right now down the drain? Actions have consequences, and while yes, this is a show and what happens shouldn’t revolve around whether or not people are going to get mad, I do think TWD deserves a little more care and common sense.

And I’m in no way saying that this show should not evolve every season, that it should only be about 5 people and no one else, that threats can’t be bigger and greater or that main characters can’t eventually die. I know all these things, I accept all these things, I even like some of these things. But there’s a time, a place, and a way to do all of this, and the way it’s been done recently… it’s just frustrating.

Of course, no matter what happens on the show, someone will always complain. There’s too much plot, not enough character moments; too many character moments, not enough action; too much action, not enough plot. Etc, etc. Nothing can please everyone 100% of the time and that’s fine, but where’s the balance? Where’s the forethought? It seems like Gimple plans a season without thinking about the future of the show, and now said future is far too bleak—in terms of TWD itself and the state of how long AMC can keep this train running before it completely wrecks.

And everyone has an idea on when this started happening. For reference, my favorite seasons OVERALL are 1, 2, and 6. S3 had a lot of great episodes, but too much focus on Woodbury too suddenly. S4 had some stand out episodes, but was slow a lot of the time and had weird plot moments intertwined. S5 might be my least favorite, really, though it contains a couple of my favorite episodes in the series. The first half with all that hospital shit? No thanks, but the second half was pretty good. A lot of people disliked s6 and cite this as the season that things started to fall apart, but aside from the completely random obsession Rick had over Jessie and the fakeout dumpster with Glenn (also, Denise’s too-soon death), I think the season was strong. It had a lot of little character moments where most everyone got to shine and essentially helped change the course of the show in new and interesting ways.

Unfortunately, s7 took those changes and ran in the wrong direction. The pacing was off, half the focus was about Negan when we had three communities (two of which were extremely new) to learn about, and practically all the deaths were for shock value. (Also, the whole “blame Daryl” bullshit really blew up here in full force, stopping Negan from taking accountability for anything because he’s so ~charming~.) Now, I have a lot of individual episodes in this season that I actually really like, for various reasons (7x02, 7x03, 7x05, 7x08, 7x13, 7x14, 7x15, 7x16; obviously, 7B was better than 7A in my eyes). And there were a lot of things in the other episodes I enjoyed, too, but overall? S7 was kind of a big mess.

Why did Glenn need to die, honestly? What was the point of the dumpster bullshit if he was going to get his comic death anyways, only this time as an afterthought and therefore the exact opposite of the huge show-changing event they’d claimed it would be? Abraham dying, alongside maybe a surprise someone else, would’ve done the same damn thing that s7 showed us, except Maggie wouldn’t have lost yet another person she cares the most about, Daryl wouldn’t be persecuted for something Negan did on solely his own will, and we’d still have some fucking hope for a little bit. TWD immediately started feeling less like TWD when Glenn was killed off. 

Why is Negan’s characterization so flip-floppy? He was, to me, a threat in 6x16 and 7x01, as well as 7x03, and then for the rest of the season (as well as 8a) he’s just a joke-cracking, lame ass leaning cartoon who likes to pretend he’s not coercing his “wives” into being with him and who seems so obsessed with Rick’s dick that I’m not sure how he thinks about anything else. His relationship with Carl also falls flat. Yeah, I can see maybe if he had some kind of fatherly feelings towards him, but he just seems like a sociopath. He makes fun of Carl and then apologizes when he starts to cry, only doing so to gain control. He carts Carl around to show him the workers he treats as slaves, the “wives” that are only with him because they want to avoid a worse fate, and tries to emasculate his father by propping himself up as some kind of God to his “Saviors,” as if Carl will think that’s cool. He used Carl to break Rick in 7x01 and then was ready to bash his head in during 7x16, but it’s okay because he feels bad, right? Negan is a villain who has no empathy, who makes excuses for his actions the same way his fans do; there’s nothing to make the audience connect with him in a way that even the Governor, as whiny and dumb as he was, had. His s8 tragic backstory? Cheated on his dying wife. Okay. But it’s alright because he’s funny sometimes, yeah? In my opinion, Negan is a weak villain who’s plot armor is so obvious that so much of the show has become stupid. He controls so many people and yet you’re telling me that only Dwight hates him? That no one can just freaking shoot the guy who strolls around without a care? You’re telling me that Rosita is suddenly a shit shot and hits the small surface of baseball bat instead of Negan’s forehead? You’re telling me Sasha couldn’t take the knife from the rapist in the cell and stab Negan? She was going to die anyways, so why not just do it? You’re telling me they had Daryl on the B-Team in 8x01 because… why? He had a bike to lead walkers to Sanctuary? No, it’s because he would’ve popped Negan between the eyes if he’d been in that crowd, instead of shooting out windows too many stories up to even matter. Like… not to shit on Rick’s plan, because it’s pretty clever when you take the whole thing into account, but really? They could’ve killed Negan in 8x01 and the show would have been more interesting with Simon as the new main villain.

Also, what’s the deal with introducing characters (Heath, Sherry) that suddenly just disappear? I get actors have other things going on, but then there’s literally no mention of them again. Tara finds a sheet of paper, which we have no clue what would even have to do with anything, and hopes Heath is okay. Dwight gets Sanctuary’s doctor killed so he can lie about Sherry being dead. That’s it. And then what’s the deal WITH BRINGING BACK A CHARACTER FROM SEASON 1, SOMEONE THAT COULD HAVE HAD POTENTIAL TO SHOW MORE TENSION WITHIN NEGAN’S RANK, SOMEONE WHO COULD’VE HELPED DWIGHT TURN ON THE SAVIORS AFTER RECONNECTING WITH RICK, SOMEONE WHO COULD’VE AT LEAST FILLED THE EMPTY SPACE MORGAN WILL BE LEAVING ONCE HE HOPS SHOWS, ONLY TO KILL HIM AT THE START OF THE VERY NEXT EPISODE??? The most random shit you have ever seen, right up there with scavenger freaks that talk like robots even though the apocalypse has only been around for like 2-3 years.

It really pains me to complain about a show I love so much, but maybe it’s because I have such strong feelings for it that I have to air my grievances.

But wait, there’s more!

So, sure, season 7 had a nice finale, with Sasha at least going out on her own terms and Glenn finally really being acknowledged by newly appointed leader Maggie, plus the cool visual of seeing Rick, Ezekiel, and Maggie give rousing speeches to their followers, but we then get s8.

It had a strong start. Rick’s plan is confusing and, for some reason, not fully explained when it’s the ONE thing that should be talked about. But, essentially: Rick teams up with other communities to trap Negan inside until they can no longer survive, with the threat of walkers looming, rather than outright killing anyone because he wants them to surrender. Then, with Dwight’s information, they go to every outpost to clear them of outside Saviors and to arm themselves with more weapons. His back up plan, in case something goes wrong, is to call upon the group that already betrayed them. Then, they just need to wait it out.

Except a lot of things go wrong, as they usually do, and this makes up a lot of the plot. Great! I enjoy the fact that many of our favorite characters are disagreeing. Daryl, Tara, and Morgan want revenge at all costs; Rick and Maggie are struggling with morality; Ezekiel loses nearly all of the Kingdom and needs Carol to get him steady; Jesus, the new moral compass, has taken prisoners because he’s thinking not just about the present, but also the future and what the cost of winning will do to everyone; Rosita’s learned her lesson, Michonne is on neutral ground, Carl once again won’t stay in the house, Eugene’s become an asshole as well as a coward, and Aaron is dealing with the loss of Eric (which was unnecessary, but whatever).

But within these neat little things are several problems. For one thing, Tara in s7 seemed to care about the innocent workers, even after she learned about Denise, Glenn, and Abraham. Now, she wants them all dead and is kind of manipulating the fragile state of mind that Morgan and Daryl are in. Like don’t get me wrong, crashing a truck into Sanctuary was Daryl’s big idea (and it was NOT a bad one, entirely, just morally incorrect, which he even knew and seemed to struggle with at times), but after Michonne tried to talk some sense into him and we saw that he’s once again suicidal, Tara is right there to make sure he goes through with it, just like she said Morgan was right after he had a breakdown and nearly killed Jesus. As for Eric, I get that we need casualties in war, and considering that they never developed the background characters (Tobin, Francine, etc) like they should have, Eric is the only one people would have cared enough about. It’s all about impact. (Note: If it wasn’t clear, I do not ship Aaron and Jesus on the show. I don’t read the comics, I don’t like the comics, and I don’t care if they’re a thing in them. On the show, they’ve not spoken ONE WORD to each other on screen. They’ve never interacted, which is a shitty setup if the plan is to then try and convince us later that a relationship can form there, especially if they killed Eric just for that. Why does Aaron need to be with Jesus when he was already in a perfectly loving relationship? Tom Payne said it best: it would be lazy plotting. Aaron is grieving. Give him the random baby, since Ross mentioned that he’d clung to that bit of life in the wake of losing Eric, and leave him alone.)

Now. Daryl. Obviously, he’s my favorite character, so no matter what I say it’s going to seem like I’m defending him just because. But what you don’t know about me is that I actually like to see both sides to a situation. I don’t think one character is always right or wrong, I’ll admit to anyone if something happens that I don’t agree with, and then I try to see the other side if I can. So… Daryl’s been a popular character since his first appearance. Like him or not, he’s a mainstay and a huge part of the show. Daryl has always been hot-headed, violent, and emotional. He’s also always been caring, loyal, and an outsider. In 6x16, he goes out to find and kill Dwight, despite the fact that it would probably get him killed in return. Why is he doing this? Dwight, who he’d helped in the woods, betrayed him and stole his stuff. Then, he killed Denise for no reason and showed zero remorse. Rick, Michonne, and Rosita followed him out because they cared about him and thought what he was doing was stupid. People act like Daryl is the only character who does stupid shit. Yeah, he’s not, but anyway. Instead of realizing Glenn, Michonne, and Rosita have their own minds and make their own decisions, people want to blame Daryl for them getting captured instead of blaming Dwight and the Saviors for acting on Negan’s orders. In 7x01, when everyone is in the lineup, after Abraham is murdered, Negan taunts Rosita. He’s looking for an excuse to kill someone else. He’s purposefully going around, trying to see who he can rile up. When he starts shouting at Rosita, Daryl snaps and punches him. Stupid, stupid, stupid. BUT look what happens after. The punch, which Daryl no doubt thought would get himself killed, backfires and makes Negan like him because he’s not a “bitch” like Rick. Immediately, Negan turns to Glenn, who’d already spoken out of line, and beats him to death. Aside from the fact that the writers wanted Glenn to die, if we’re looking at it in the scope of canon, do you really think it was random? Do you really think Abraham was random? Abraham, who’d straightened up as a challenge to Negan when he first went down the line? He was a threat and Eeenie Meenie Minie Mo was a farce. He picked Abraham for a reason, just as he picked Glenn—because he saw how Glenn reacted to Negan suggesting he would kill Maggie, and then with Daryl’s outburst on Rosita’s behalf he realized how much pain it would cause everyone if he killed someone else (someone who already showed strong ties to another in the ine) instead of the one who punched him. This is behavior he carries out constantly: choosing someone at random to hurt when someone else acts out because it’s cruel, because the person who defies him is doing so thinking they’re going to die, which means they’re ready to die, and killing someone else leaves that person living with pain and guilt. He tries to make Rick cut Carl’s arm off to get him to break. He was going to kill Dwight for when he, Sherry, and Tina escaped, leaving Sherry alive to ive with it. He burned Mark’s face for seeing Amber. He killed Spencer when he sucked up to him about hating Rick. He told Arat to kill someone random after Rosita shot at him. On and on. This is a pattern. Would people be less pissed if it had been Glenn who punched Negan and if someone else died in his place? Is it only Daryl (who has always been portrayed as impulsive and angry in hard situations) that elicits this reaction? It continues into season 8. Daryl goes against Rick’s plan, just like pretty much everyone else has been going against his plan, and he’s actually got sound reasoning. He wants to blow a hole into Sanctuary to let Walkers inside, furthering the threat and shortening the timeline of their surrender AFTER they’ve lost many of their Kingdom fighters. Rick cites the innocent workers and Daryl tries to make himself feel better about the plan by saying the workers could possibly escape (showing he cares, but not enough in his mindset to back down). Rick pretty much tells Daryl he cannot do it, which is a bad idea, and Daryl decides to disobey. But honestly, Rick’s plan is to recruit the trash people that betrayed them and have shown not to care about anything other than themselves, so how is Daryl’s plan, as ruthless as it is, any worse? Then, when he carries it out, with the help of Tara and Morgan, it succeeds in what he wanted it to. BUT THEN PEOPLE WANT TO BLAME THE WALKERS ROAMING OFF ON DARYL, WHEN HIS PLAN DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE. AND EVEN AFTER IT WAS STATED TWICE IN ONE EPISODE THAT EUGENE WAS AT FAULT, I STILL SAW PEOPLE BLAMING DARYL. It makes no sense. But neither does the show half the time, so whatever.

Sorry. I needed to get all that Daryl stuff off my chest.

Let me talk about Jesus for a minute.

Jesus had one of the best introductions on the show in 6x10 (which is my all-time favorite episode ever). Tom Payne is strong in the role, which, from what I understand, is quite different than the one from the comics… and that’s okay. And no matter what people say, I actually think Jesus has been characterized consistently since he’s been introduced, we’ve just seen it expanded on in unexpected ways. The issue comes with the fact that we haven’t seen enough. Gimple has underutilized him constantly, for no reason. After a good start at the end of s6, he was a background piece for a lot of s7, which is a shame since he shined whenever he was on screen. We established that Jesus is pretty much the only real fighter at Hilltop, the only scout, the only person who’s out more than he is in. But when we see him in s7, he’s just hanging around Hilltop like no big deal. If the point was for him to be there for Maggie and Sasha, then maybe more than a couple of little scenes was necessary to show that. And in 7x16? They took away his big Negan moment without giving a single fuck. That moment would’ve solidified him immediately as a member of Team Family instead of being just on the edge of it, but nope, give it to the cgi tiger (i love her, but let’s be real). And in 8a? We’ve seen his morality, his philosophy, and some of his many capabilities as a fighter, but there’s so much more to explore and I have little hope that they will in 8b, especially in the right ways. I so hope I’m wrong because I love his character and there are countless possibilities for him (one of which is a relationship with Daryl, but maybe I shouldn’t get into that. Yet).

I’ve liked a lot of little moments in 8a. I like the action, the conflict, the spotlight on multiple characters in an episode, the dynamics. But Negan’s plot armor is still around, the trash people are still around for no reason, shocking deaths are still around, and it’s exhausting. For as good as the pacing has generally been, the little details of the overall plot are convoluted.

The show that’s been about survival and hope no longer has either.

As bad as Glenn’s death was, even with the way he’d been slowly phased out before that point, Carl’s impending death is somehow worse. Carl, who was Rick’s reason for living since the start; Carl, who we’ve watched go through so much, who’s grown up so fast, who was just a kid who kept losing himself and is now a man who is capable of so much compassion; Carl, who is the future of the show, literally and figuratively. It’s all gone. For nothing.

For all the talk about “anyone can die at any moment,” no one ever really thought that Carl would be an option, and it’s precisely this reason they did it. I don’t care what excuses Gimple and Kirkman give. I really don’t. There will be no payoff for this, just acceptance from those who haven’t yet already quit. There are people who might think this is overdramatic or who don’t care or who are happy because oh how shocking or because maybe they didn’t like Carl, but this is legitimately a huge blow to the show. Not even simply because TWD is losing Carl himself, but because it’s losing everything he represents to the show and to the other characters. This is a big impact and it’s entirely negative. The trailer for 8b has Carl mentioning Lori telling him he would beat this world, which is sad and poignant, but why does it have to be? Why couldn’t she be proven right? Why does Gimple have to ruin the very foundation of the show with dumb stunts like this?

Deaths are no longer shocking or a good idea. Killing off main characters when you have so few remaining is no longer a good idea. Focusing on the horrors of their world with so few moments of happiness and love to counteract it is no longer a good idea. (How many couples on the show are there at this point?) Watching the characters we actually care about get kicked down over and over again, without getting to see them stand all the way back up, is no longer a good idea.

We have 8 episodes of the season left. A lot of things can happen, good or bad, we can only speculate right now, but based on the course season 8 has taken so far? I’m not too hopeful. We’re going to lose Carl, we’ll lose Morgan in some way since he’s crossing over to the other show, and I would be majorly surprised if Negan dies. It’s hard to be excited for whatever else might happen when most of the possibilities are disappointing. Even with Angela Kang ready to run s9, right now I feel kind of apathetic. Will she have as much control as Gimple had? Can she mend whatever else s8 breaks and create a new, interesting story with our remaining characters for s9? Or will it just be more of the same—maybe even worse—because AMC can’t get it together?

I complained about Gimple sticking far too closely to the comics during 7, which forced the show in awkward directions that it hadn’t been on track for (Spencer becoming a random douchebag for the guts death, for example), but instead of finding a middle ground between adapting and tweaking storylines from the comic for the screen and creating original ideas in s8, Gimple’s now strayed so far from not only the “source material,” but also from what the show has been and what it should.

How can it get back to its roots while becoming fresh in a way that’s actually logical and interesting? Maybe one day we’ll see. Cross your fingers.

You guys probably don’t care about my undeniably optimistic desires for the future of the show, but maybe I can list them anyway, since I’ve rambled enough as it is. 

One: Get rid of Negan. As much as I love JDM and think he’s a fantastic actor, Negan’s run his course. I vote for Rick not sparing Negan, but instead sparing the workers and those like Siddiq who he would have otherwise ignored, if not for his son’s interference. If Carl wants Rick to be merciful, it should be a side effect of Negan’s death, maybe make him feel guilt about how he went about the whole thing, but don’t keep him alive. Heck, Gimple recycles plotlines so much, why not have Rick take the workers into Alexandria like he had with the Woodbury citizens? It’d make more sense than the mustache-twirly villain living while Rick’s own child dies. At least the Governor had some humanity.

Two: Slow down on the character deaths. Seriously. How many nameless Alexandrians are left? How many nonfighters at the Kingdom? Oceanside has already been touched by Negan and Rick, and while the Hilltop is currently intact, I doubt they won’t suffer some damage by the end of this season. No more main or side characters should die this season; no more mains in s9, either. There’s barely anyone left. The characters we’ve already established are what make this show worth anything.

Three: Time jump for season 9? I think the show needs it, at least a couple of years. We’ve got a new showrunner, now we need a fresh slate. If a few years pass between 8 and 9, more options for what to do with the plot will open up. (Will they do the Whisperers? Will it be some big remix, like turning Lydia into a boy for Enid, having Lydia develop a mother/daughter relationship with Carol, having no kid at all? Will Jadis live to become Alpha by finally shaving off that horrible haircut? Maybe we’ll get an original villain? Who knows.) But people will be healed up, rebuilding can be under way, and we can explore storylines for characters that could have started during the jump, making things feel natural.

How about some little things I’d love to see, but that we probably won’t? Buckle up for some major wishful thinking and maybe exit the vehicle if you aren’t on the same page as me for certain things... like desus, carzekiel, etc.

Maybe we can recycle Rick not knowing if he should lead or not, still struggling with the loss of his son and trying to live on for him and Judith. Maybe Michonne is more driven after the initial mourning of another son and takes a more active role in getting Alexandria back on its feet, since she didn’t want to leave it for the Saviors in 8x08. She and Rick are stronger together and can focus on raising Judith to know her roots, like Lori’s sacrifice and how much Carl loved her, keeping his spirit alive. Maybe they recreate the council from the prison and any new characters (Siddiq, perhaps the introduction of Magna and her crew) can be part of it, alongside the oldies like Rosita, Aaron, and Gabriel (if he survives).

Maybe Daryl has decided to stick around at Hilltop. Not only did he never fit in at Alexandria, but perhaps he feels an obligation to look after Maggie and the baby. Maybe Enid’s come into her own (with the help of Maggie and Jesus?) and can have a critical role within the group, maybe as kind of a runner like Glenn had been at the start?

Maybe Jesus is more secure in his position in the community(ies), more secure in himself, and gets a personal story… like, say, developing a relationship with Daryl. And maybe this, too, can be a new start/story for Daryl; a departure from all the self-sacrificing and depression he’s been getting these last few years. Daryl’s sexuality has been ambiguous since the beginning, basically, as we usually know or see who a character is interested in fairly quickly (Rick with Lori and then Jessie and then Michonne, Glenn and Maggie, Tara and Alisha(?) then Denise, Sasha and Bob, Abraham with Rosita and the Sasha, Eugene’s interest in Tara and Rosita, Aaron and Eric, Carl with Beth and then Enid, Jesus coming out to Maggie...). And the fact that it has continued to be ambiguous, and to be covered as some kind of mystery as of late, leads directly into a chance for one final, organic reveal. Daryl has always been a character that’s formed unique and important bonds with others. He was integral to Jesus being introduced into the show and they’ve shared some very important scenes since; plus, it’s easy to pick up on signs that Jesus might have a bit of a crush on, or is at least attracted to, Daryl. (There are so many desus scenes, shots, parallels, etc. that have already been talked about, so I won’t here, but you know. you know you know.) Showing a bond between Daryl and Jesus that turns into romance would be an interesting story, a new one for both characters, it would make sense in a myriad of ways, and it would also be groundbreaking. (Also, Daryl deserves some freaking happiness and dialogue for once, just as Jesus deserves to be pushed to the forefront, and something like this could do just that.)

Maybe Tara can make the move to Oceanside. She needs a break, some time to get herself together, and she’s closely tied to that community already… which is full of women. Give Tara a girlfriend that isn’t murdered. (Cyndie? How even old is she, I don’t know.)

Maybe Rosita can find happiness again, now that she’s more chill and humble. Her bond with Tara can be further explored. If they want to throw her into a romance like in the comic, it sure as hell isn’t going to be with Eugene (either kill in in redemption or do something other than this back and forth confliction), so how about Tara or Siddiq? Dwight seems likely, given their interactions thus far, and while I’m still salty about him I see that he’s trying to redeem himself and Rosita would be someone who would understand that. There’s also Gabriel, but I would rather see him continue to sort of mentor her.

Maybe Ezekiel can rebuild Kingdom and maintain his more active role as a King, letting his people know the drill instead of feeding them an image. Maybe Carol can be his queen, his second in command, and they can be themselves together as they know exactly who the other is. A romance between them already seems perfectly set up; we’ve seen that they clearly care for each other and have a deep connection. 

I could go on, but I’m just spitballing here (and probably also revealing some things i’ve planned for my fic’s sequel so oops). There are tons of things this show could do in place of constant tragedy. Yes, deaths can still happen. People can still be shitty, walkers can still bite and eat people, that’s how it’s always been. Conflict and angst have to there. But after a war this big, with so many losses from s7 and s8, we need something else. We need to bring back that feeling of survival in the face of certain death, those little rays of hope than shine after dark times. The show needs this if it wants to be good again and not just become another thing on TV that’s wasting away. 

The characters deserve better, the actors deserve better, and we deserve better.

I’m so close to quitting before we even get to what Angela might be able to do, and you don’t know how sad that makes me. It doesn’t matter that all of this is fiction; it’s such a big part of who I am at this point, and to have it screwed around with by someone who clearly doesn’t give a shit is something I still don’t understand, and I’m not even as critical about TWD as some people are! I can overlook a lot, find enjoyment in certain things that might otherwise be bad or annoying, and like… I don’t even know if I have an episode that I hate. I’m just done with wondering about what we could’ve gotten if things had gone differently. I still really wish they will, but it’s up in the air at this point.

So… Please, 8b, don’t burn that final straw. I want to tune in for s9 with real interest and investment and excitement again, not just because I’m loyal to the characters that are still standing.

Sorry.

[chittychittychatchat-blog]

TWD: Something they need

This episode had so many great moments. It also had a few fishy ones. Let’s get to it!

- Uh oh. Aaron’s boyfriend Eric joined them on the journey to Oceanside. He even spoke a few lines. Poor guy. I don’t know even know what he said but it just sealed his fate. He’s not making it out of this season! (Sidenote: Now that we know Jesus is up for grabs - maybe after mourning Eric - Aaron will move on to cuter things.)

- I’m a little shocked and sad that they didn’t show us the damage that Sasha did. Negan references it but I feel like we should have seen it. We know Sasha isn’t going to make it so I would have liked to see her go all G.I. Jane on the Sanctuary. That would have made her death worth it. I wonder what else they have on store for her. 

- I have a soft spot for Negan. He’s hot. He’s charming. I love love love to hate him. But I have to say, he made me love him just a little bit more in this episode when he killed Rapey Davey. I think it showed us a little of who Negan was before the  outbreak. He is vehemently against it and killed Davey on the spot. On the other hand, though, he has all of these wives who he uses. And he’s okay with using them for sex. That’s the complexity of Negan. There’s a little good but still a lot of bad. 

- My favorite lines of the night - I’m here to protect the pregnant lady. I don’t need a pregnant lady to protect me. MAGGGGIIIIEEEEEEE! Help me! (Sidenote: how preggers is Maggie supposed to be because she’s not showing at all?)

- Also, Gregory, please go find your balls. Are you packing a bag to go see Simon so that you can get some balls? 

- The survivors made it to Oceanside and Tara is trying to get Natania to listen. I’m trying to listen to what she’s saying but the only thing I’m thinking about is how much this lady looks like the Terminus lady. What if they were sisters torn apart by the outbreak?! What if the whole story of the Saviors killing their husbands, brothers, etc. was just a story? What if they are secretly eating the males the way they did at Terminus? I know! I couldn’t stop thinking about it either. 

- The takeover of Oceanside is brilliant. Bombs go off outside of the village and the guys guide them to one place. And then the walkers come and they all worked together. Awesomesauce. I really dug the way they worked together. I hope some of these ladies join our friends. I also hope next week goes as smoothly as this did. 

- Also, if you are living in a man-less village  and the first man faces you see are Daryl, Aaron and Jesus....don’t you sort of feel like you’ve died and gone to Heaven? I would love to be a part of that man sandwich. 

How is Negan going to use Sasha? He’s not going to have her join his team - he hasn’t broken her yet - so what exactly is he doing? Is he just using her as a hostage? I also still do not want to believe that Eugene is Negan. He can still be faking right? I mean, he still loves his friends...he wouldn’t just switch teams like that....although Negan treats him like a contributor and a leader. Rick and team never did that. They just sort of tolerated him. So maybe he did switch. I just hate that idea. 

Other tidbits:

- Loved Tara giving Rachel the finger. I don’t remember why but that kid deserves it. 

- Carl giving Enid the truth - that he thinks about those he has killed and those he hasn’t killed often - is progressing their relationship nicely. By this time next season, he might get to third base - while on rollarskates. 

- Daryl lunging at Dwight. Yes. I can’t forget Easy Street either! He must at least get one punch in. Please, Rick, pretty please!

I can’t believe we’re FINALLY headed to WAR. I can’t wait!!! Who do you think kills Negan? I would love for it to be one of our strong women to carry on the strong women theme. Maybe Carol or Maggie. Or maybe even Enid. THAT would be awesome. 

Also, besides Sasha and Aaron’s boyfriend, who else do you think dies?  

[mdwatchestv]

The Walking Dead 7x16: Zombie Space Princess

Last week I came to the realization that I had simply raised the bar of my expectations too high for this show and perhaps greater enjoyment would come through lowering them. Therefore my only expectation for this episode was to see Shiva kill and eat one person. My expectations were gloriously met and smashed as Shiva killed and ate TWO people. It was amazing and fulfilled all my hopes and dreams for the season finale. See you guys next year.

Kidding, kidding, kidding, I have MUCH more to say about the finale than that. First of all after a year of being teased with Chekhov's tiger, seeing Shiva fly through the air onto that guy just in the knick of time was pretty damn satisfying. Even if so many other aspects of The Walking Dead are kind of a train wreck right now, that moment was still pretty "Yasss"-worthy.

Overall the finale was a reflection of the season as a whole: some excellent moments standing out against a largely predictable backdrop with a villain who just isn't working. This episode also acted to serve two functions: as a culminating stand off between Rick and Negan, but also as a farewell episode to Sasha.

The Sasha storyline was the stronger of the two, so let's get into that first. The fact that Sonequa Martin-Green has been announced to star (although CBS did not officially confirm it until after Sunday’s episode of TWD) in CBS All Access's reboot of Star Trek, coupled with the time honored tradition of a beloved regular eating it in the final episodes of a season, meant that it was fairly obvious going into this episode that Sasha's time had come to an end. So I appreciated that this episode didn't set up her death as a shocking twist, but rather from the very first frame made it  clear that this was a Very Special Sasha Goodbye Episode.

I always enjoy when TWD does something a bit off the beaten path (see Tyreese's  Very Special Goodbye Episode where he too is visited by ghosts of Walking Dead past) and thought the missing scene with Sasha and Abraham was a nice narrative closure for both characters. I also liked that Sasha's reminiscences transcended her romantic life to include Maggie, her close friend, general symbol of hope, and goddess of nature. Although I was not surprised by Sasha's death itself, the manner of it was pleasantly unexpected. Sasha giving her life and becoming a kamikaze walker in order to take one last shot at Negan felt honorable in its way. It was tragic yes, but made sense in the arc of her character. Sasha had often struggled with the line between life and death, and having her choose to enter the grey space between to try and protect her loved ones was fitting . Sasha has not always been the strongest or most dynamically written character, but Sonequa Martin-Green always carried her with dignity and she putting the acting pedal to the metal during her final outing. While Sasha will be missed, I look forward to seeing Sonequa as First Officer Michael Burnham this fall. To infinity, and beyond! (That's what they say on Star Trek right?)

Moving on to the standoff we have all been waiting for...

Is anyone surprised the werido trash people turned out to be not that trust-worthy? I was surprised trust-no-bitch-Rick was so quick to hand them both guns and the keys to the farm. Like everything they did was weird from rolling in dump trucks, to smoking cigars to speaking with weird accents (why???) to carrying Schindler's List umbrellas - I did not get this group. But now they're mostly dead so BAI.

However despite the betrayal of the garbage tribe and Rick's flesh wound, this was a showdown that lacked any real tension.  After an entire episode dedicated to lovingly putting Sasha to rest, it seemed extremely unlikely that Michonne (or any other fan fav) would be killed without ceremony or fanfare. The only real tension came from finding out whether or not Negan was going to finally meet his maker. That is not to say the fight itself wasn't entertaining as all get out- Daryl got to let his badass flag fly high and proud (um where did he get that gun of the future??), my beautiful Maggie charged in like a noble unicorn to save the day and even Carl managed to do something right and helped turn the tide of the fight (no one was more shocked than I). But a conflict is only as good as it's antagonist and well...Negan has ceased to cut it for me.

First of all, what is his logic for letting Rick live?? Rick has now told him, TWICE, to his face, in a scary whisper monologue, that he will stop at nothing to kill Negan. Kill him Negan! Put someone else in charge! Create a puppet government! It works REALLY well (so I hear). Not only does Negan not have the sense to shut down the guy who is determined to end him, he also does not. shut. up. Disappointing to find that Negan is nothing more than a bad guy, in a long line of bad guys, defeated by his own monologuing.

Negan: I'm going to kill Carl.

Me: Great.

Negan: Gonna do it in one swing.

Me: Sounds good.

Negan: I'm sad to do it, but I'll still do it.

Me: Let's get to gettin.

By the time Negan finally made it to the wind up, King Ezekial had enough time to mount the hill, get out his training clicker and treats, and direct Shiva at a target. Lord have mercy does Negan talk, and the more he talks the less intimidating he becomes. Yeah, I know guy, you want to fuck your bat.

As promised the season did not end on another disastrous cliffhanger, but Negan (and Steven Ogg thank god)  did survive to fight another day. We end instead on a somewhat hopeful note as our survivors patch each other up and prepare for the war ahead as Negan rallies his formidable troops. I was glad that the finale didn't attempt to wrap up the entire Negan story in one go, but I am also tired of Negan and anxious for his storyline to be done. However the 'war' plot is at least a focussed direction for the story to go in after a season that sorely lacked real forward momentum.

On a final note this episode acted not only as a goodbye to Sasha and Abraham, but also to Glenn. As Maggie notes in her final monologue, Glenn was the inciting action that set the series as we know it in motion and he also acted as a moral center for much of the show. Initially a lot about Glenn's death frustrated me, I felt as if it was a gratuitous way for a beloved character to go, presented in a way that felt as if it was meant to punish the audience for their loyalty. Although a bit heavy handed, I was glad at least Glenn got the eulogy attention he deserved. The moral is, Maggie is the best, long may she reign.

On a side note I started this blog to see if I could blog an entire season of The Walking Dead and I DID IT. Thank you everyone who read all of my complaints and encouraged me to keep going even though I longed to fall over like a barnacled beach zombie,

XO MD