#I WAS MORE UPSET THAN NEGAN TBH

[theteasetwrites]

The Negan Love /Maggie Hate these past few seasons is proof history repeats itself.

In season one is was Shane Love/Lori Hate. They loved Shane cause he 'adapted quickly' and he was 'misunderstood'. They hated Lori cause she cheated on Rick and hated Shane for telling her Rick died. They loved Shane even after he almost killed Rick (THREE TIMES!) and sexually assaulted Lori, but hated lori for being upset with shane and making human mistakes.

Maggie hates Negan for what he did to Glenn, but people say he's a *gag* sigma male, that Negan changed and Maggie needs to get over it.

It's just misogyny. Hating a female character cause said female character dislikes a male character for, in her eyes, ruining her life. But loving that male character who's made significantly worse choices.

Omg is this a really big thing? I haven’t seen any of it but I totally believe it. People are always trying to demonize female characters while praising male characters who are way worse than them. Also Maggie literally did nothing wrong??? Like ever???

And yeah I can definitely see the parallels with the Shane and Lori thing and now the Negan and Maggie thing. Shane was such a shitty character and I have absolutely no time for anyone who likes him sorry. Same with Negan tbh. I mean Negan is at least entertaining but he is also a piece of shit (let’s not forget that he coerced women into sleeping with him, as our king Ezekiel so eloquently pointed out).

Negan apologists (along with Carol apologists tbh) are so weird man. Who tf thinks that man is a sigma male?? He’s literally so pathetic. I hate him lmao. Season 11 hasn’t even made me like him more, it’s just made him even more pathetic to me. I actually liked him better when he was a villain. Rick should’ve killed him. The fact that he didn’t is honestly one of the things that I dislike about Rick. Not that I fully dislike him, but I definitely have criticisms.

It’s definitely misogyny. Lots of misogyny in this fandom (probably because there are a lot of dudes in it). Maggie has every right to hate Negan and she should NEVER forgive him. That’s just how it is.

[emersonfreepress]

What would the ro's be like in a zombie au?

whyyyyy anon whyyy. I'm actually gonna write this in like.. slightly different terms, you'll see. any time I even briefly think of a zombie au I'm just like

I WANNA WRITE IT SO BADDD

i don't even allow myself to entertain it for very long because getting into that would be the worst thing ever for my productivity with the alpha omg 😂😂 so I'll put like the ideas that pop into my head for writing a zombie au, to work some of that creative frustration out 😆

so in this very general, absolutely noncommittal idea of mine, the main cast are older and the setting is in and around a civilian settlement led by the Emersons.

and as a refresher, i like my zombie aus to have fast zombies and fast infections ^ ^ 28 Days Later/Train to Busan style babyyyy, we the Sprinting Dead up in this bitch 😆

= = =

Gabe is, predictably, looking for what's left of his family. Following rumors of safe havens and bunkers and such. Starts the story as someone who tries to be diplomatic, if not outright pacifist, but as times get tougher and resources dwindle, he'd become one of the most cutthroat motherfuckers in the wasteland. Low-key though, low-key. People won't trust you if they know you’re capable of throwing them to a horde for strategic reasons. Like if Rick turned into Shane (for those of us familiar with early Walking Dead--idk did that happen eventually? i gave up before we even met Negan lol). The end justifies the means :) Damn, I can legit see Gabe going full evil in a zombie au omg 😂😂 i want to write it so fucking bad

Preferred weapon for zed encounters: rifle

Preferred weapon for human encounters: handgun

Faith in humanity: fucking zero

Zombie kill count: plenty; the type to kill every zombie he has spare ammo and time for

Human kill policy: When it benefits him or the people he’s looking after

Survival rating: B+; he can make it out of some pretty dire situations through sheer will to live and ruthlessness

- - -

Kile has arrived--clearly, this is the timeline they belong in. They start their journey with Gabe (and their doggo) and stick to him like glue, even reluctantly so when Gabe eventually has them join the settlement. This can only go one way, though: Kile's just too much of a wildcard for the group and hates being told what to do. (Especially now that society has fallen, wtf) They'd make their exit alone and unannounced aside from a brief head’s up to Gabe. It's slightly bittersweet, but also? They get to loot and hunt and sneak around and kill fucking zombies, all by themself. Kile is a loner, a hiker, and a hunter to begin with so they do beyond fine on their own. However, once the inevitable violent human threat comes for the settlement, Gabe is sent out to convince Kile to come out of isolation, just this once please, to be the camp’s super soldier help defend the camp.

Zed weapon: p much anything they can get their hands on, ranged or melee, blunt or sharp, w/e; improvised weapons

Human weapon: hunting knife

Faith in humanity: never had any to begin with

Zombie kill count: lol infinite?? any zed they come across is double-dead if they have the time for it

Human kill policy: at Gabe’s direction or when provoked enough/threatened

Survival rating: A-; they trust no one, live in isolation, and prioritize survival above all else. only reason it’s not higher is they would risk their life for Gabe or their furbaby and also... their own Rambo-esque antics def attracts the occasional horde lmao

- - -

Jack... this poor boy, he doesn't deserve a zombie au 😂 He's one of those people that first believes zombies are just sick people, too squeamish to keep up with TV news coverage at the onset and too upset to consider anything else. He'd hunker down at home, staying holed up even while his neighbors evacuated, and probably be discovered while the main group is looting the same place as him. When people try to tell him the real state of the world, he'd be in denial until he absolutely couldn't be anymore. idk, probably after Kile shooting a bunch of non-lethal holes thru a zombie to make a point (attracting more in the process lol).

He’d almost immediately join the medical team at the settlement and as word spreads about how easy he is to talk to, he quickly becomes the literal on-site therapist. It's a role he embraces but... idk if it's an emotional burden he can bear. He's very emotionally resilient! But he ain't a professional lol imagine a whole settlement of traumatized zombie survivors seeking you out for counseling, yikes. He also can't say no to a person in need, so instead he quietly spirals into a very private depression while continuing to help others!!

Zed weapon: Oh gosh, do I really have to?

Human weapon: ...Kindness?

Faith in humanity: Unrealistically high

Zombie kill count: Single digit

Human kill policy: Not ever, unless completely unavoidable and to defend the defenseless

Survival rating: C...? idk, that feels generous. D+. To be protected at all costs!!

- - -

Jessie also had the initial reaction of hoping zombies could be saved, but she woke up from that dream swiftly. The science-minded person that she is, esp with her interest in biology, leaves her determined to find anybody who's got the intellect, expertise, and resources to start doing actual work toward a treatment, cure, vaccine—anything. Nothing would get her to finally unabashedly embrace her love of science (and innate leadership skills!!) faster than a zombie apocalypse! In fact, it’s thanks to her that the Emerson settlement’s got a small but growing team of scientists doing as much research as humanly possible to best educate the others on the outbreak and zombie behavior. Def no zombie experimentation going on though lol. ...Not yet, at least.

Zed weapon: rifle

Human weapon: rifle

Faith in humanity: High! We’ll find a solution! Don’t give up hope!

Zombie kill count: Double digits, but less than 30

Human kill policy: Only in unavoidable self-defense or defense of others

Survival rating: B! She has experience with ranged weapons, farming and gardening skills, first aid, camping experience, and a can-do attitude with a healthy dose of realism!

- - -

Rain remains cargo as I said in the last post about this 😆 They'd be very good for keeping clothes repaired and making useful modifications in the settlement, but their life up to this point has been very sheltered and privileged. We're talking somebody with a chauffeur and a personal chef before the outbreak! They would contribute to quality of life and homemaking efforts more than anything—an overlooked aspect of these scenarios tbh! After as many months of dragging their feet as possible and being nigh impossible to track down when you need them, they eventually become involved in meal planning and even help out with medical stuff if they're asked.

Zed weapon: how do you reload this thing again?

Human weapon: switchblade or other concealable sharp-pointy

Faith in humanity: Very low

Zombie kill count: 0! Can you believe it!

Human kill policy: Well if it’s you or me, of course I’m choosing me.

Survival rating: C. Being so tiny helps them find good hiding spots and their self-preservation is high enough to keep them from unnecessary risk-taking. Plus they're very stealthy! Self-defense is a major issue though, so hiding is always their best option.

- - -

Rupan/Rohan scouts for and leads scavenging missions and is Curt's right hand on the recruitment team. The two of them together are the perfect combo of diplomacy, debate, and deception--although R is more honorable about the last one and will only deceive for strategic reasons. When they aren’t looting and recruiting, they’re doing peacekeeping inside the settlement. Most social disputes end up getting brought to them for mediation and they’re pretty dang good at making and enforcing calls. One day they’ll wake up to realize they’ve basically become a sheriff and feel the need to puke their guts up and do something, anything, to reassure themself they’re still punk 😂

Zed weapon: SMG

Human weapon: shotgun

Faith in humanity: Believes in fundamental goodness but knows better than to trust first impressions

Zombie kill count: decent, more than 40; you won’t catch them having a field day tho, they’re trying to gtfo of most zed situations

Human kill policy: Violent threats have to be taken out. And they aren’t, at all, immune to a revenge rampage either...

Survival rating: B-. Can handle themself both with humans and zeds but is vulnerable to hostage situations and truly difficult sentimental/interpersonal decisions!

- - -

Vivian/Vincent manages inventory and stock and they run it so efficiently it’s scary! They're the perfect pick: a hawk-eyed tyrant and tattletale 😂 Despite constantly butting heads with just about everyone on every imaginable thing, they quickly become an important part of the inner circle of decision-makers for the settlement at large. Terrible at stealth, jumpy, and squeamish at the sight of blood and gore, they literally never go on missions unless they're 100% needed for their expertise on a supply run. (They would deny all of these shortcomings are that big a problem, meanwhile R is definitely acting as their bodyguard lol.) When they do tag along, they're prone to becoming the damsel in distress. Seriously, it happens near every fucking time. It's like they just attract only the most improbable and perilous zombie attacks and hostage situations 😆

Zed weapon: shotgun

Human weapon: handgun

Faith in humanity: Medium; seeing people work together at the settlement helps restore it a bit

Zombie kill count: Double digits, under 25

Human kill policy: Violent threats have to be taken out. Well, no, not by me! Get one of the ruffians to do it!

Survival rating: C-. They’d be higher if they weren’t such natural zombie bait.

- - -

Heidi is running the settlement, well-organized to the degree of actually managing to bring bureaucracy to a post-zombie apocalypse settlement 😂 People are free to come and go, but getting in if you don't live there requires trading something of value (fuel, med supplies, food, etc), temporary surrender and registry of firearms and explosives, and you gotta GTFO at the time and date specified upon entry! You can stay long-term if you contribute to the community in a tangible way—and each person admitted is approved by Heidi personally. Yes, every individual. No, she has no free time. And she is not known to be lenient with rule breakers—you want rule bending, you’ll have to go to Curt for that. People kind of hate her, but it can't be denied that she runs a tight ship. She kind of throws herself into the work to avoid the harsher reality at large and hasn't left the settlement in a long time. She's out of touch with how bad things have gotten in the wastes, but she knows better than to take reports at anything less than face value--even when she's skeptical.

Zed weapon: rifle

Human weapon: handgun; dagger

Faith in humanity: Medium. It fluctuates, honestly

Zombie kill count: Double digits, less than 20

Human kill policy: Violent threats must be taken out if they can’t be reasoned with. Spare those who surrender, eradicate those who don't, keep an eye on the newbies. Not tryin’ to nurse any vendettas around here lol

Survival rating: B. She's good with a firearm, masterful at persuasion, and savvy enough to calculate risks appropriately. Also far tougher than her prim exterior and demeanor suggests!

- - -

Curt leads the recruitment and reconnaissance teams! When a new person or group shows up in the area, Curt's the one who stalks watches them, decides if they're worth approaching, and if they should be approached with an invitation, a simple acknowledgment/announcement of their presence, or an outright armed warning to leave the area. He also keeps tabs on morale and general confidence inside the settlement, alongside R. When he isn’t leading those efforts, though, he’s flirting with settlers and squirreling his way out of manual labor and other chores. He’s also secretly growing weed at his place--don’t tell Heidi or Vi ‘cause they’ll wanna yell at him and ration it UGH.

Zed weapon: SMG, explosives

Human weapon: handgun, dagger

Faith in humanity: Pft, sorry, what now?

Zombie kill count: ...way more than you’d expect

Human kill policy: I don’t start confrontations, but I sure as fuck end them.

Survival rating: A! He’s good at playing hapless idiot when it suits him to be underestimated, good with firearms, and capable of being ruthless and decisive in life or death situations! Plus he has no qualms about ditching the settlement if he decides it’s not working out for him. Just don’t tell Heidi lol

[staliasjeronica]

Riverdale S5 Ep11 Thoughts *Spoilers*

thoughts under cut to keep tag from being cluttered :)

- Oh yeah I forgot that Chad was blackmailing Veronica about the dirty dealings in her company even though it’s not her at all (unless it’s just been so long and I’ve forgotten but she’s my baby and I feel like I would’ve remembered but-

- Hiram and this dumb prison is one of the worst things for this show it’s a constant plot of people escaping and it’s so annoying like sure Hiram owns it and he was in the jail but no one has, like, taken him back to jail…??? Hiram is a fucking disease smh

- “back to remote learning” why didn’t you just stay that way though… like even right now in covid schools are opening back up and kids are complaining because it’s still not safe so like… just… go back to it??? I’m so not built for this world fasdhfkahf

- Veronica and Smithers 🥺🥺💞💞

- the way Veronica hugs Archie is so cute bc she’s so tiny but like she always gives her all and Archie is just 😐 never giving anything ahjfsdfsh it’s quite sad you can tell how done KJ is with Varchie lol

- “I really hate that I’m dragging you through this.” … what about constantly pulling him into your mob boss father mess that the writers refuse to allow you to escape from?

- “until you and Chad are officially done, I think we should keep our distance.” Varchie bones!!! you just KNOW that Archie has been looking forward to this because that man is whole heartedly in love with Betty and has been since forever and that while Chad prolongs the divorce papers, Archie will not be waiting for Veronica considering he doesn’t want her. Varchie = bones we love to see it!

- now who tf would join Penelope Blossom’s ministry… no one, realistically.

- can Cheryl stop being given the craziest and usually most boring plots ever please...

- Not someone holding a gun to Tabitha literally don’t hurt Riverdale’s best girl weirdo

- these bitches really haven’t aged huh…. poor Veronica though being robbed but like they stole some watches or something and the opal like that’s all you take..?? okay-

- Fangs 💞💞💞💞💞 also rip to him having to work with his ex tho

- STOP HAVING ARCHIE GO TO HIRAM WE’RE TIRED

- You know considering the whole reason why Hiram is still here as the villain and ruining Veronica’s life/growth to keep her in his plots al because Mark is a big soap opera celeb and apparently brings in money, you’d assume they would give him GOOD shit instead of everything he’s gotten. If they hadn’t of hired Mark can you imagine how much better off the show would be if they didn’t have to keep him around bc of his status????? God why-

- Reggie’s always there for Veronica muah…. oh fuck me I guess fjasjkdf

- “I work for one Lodge and it’s not you.” lmao okay??? you acting like that’s a flex, and that you’re working for the better Lodge who literally left you to die after the Serpents thought you shot Fangs so-

- MARTY BEING WHY REGGIE IS WORKING FOR HIRAM…….. YOUR DAD IS ABUSIVE LET HIM HANDLE HIS OWN DEBT??? God both Veronica and Reggie are always fucked over when it comes to their parents huh

- don’t you just love when they make characters act ooc for a plot ahhhhhh it’s totally fun to watch and totally not frustratingly annoying

- “FOR OLD TIMES SAKE.” 💞💞💞 we love Veggie even though they made Veronica act ooc and hurt him back then and they weren’t given an actual chance.

- “don’t be such a Betty” now why is Betty so surprised she only ever had fun when she was with Archie, when she’s with Jughead all she did was do what she wanted and order him around so likeefjhakdfh

- “he shouldn’t really be my problem anymore.” BUGHEAD BONES YASSSSS

- I know it was just a sound they used but like that squish sound when Darla kicked Tom’s face… did she like smash his face in damn what is this The Walking Dead?

- see the problem with them randomly bringing characters/parents in when they need them is that they’re never around so like no one really cares… like they could have utilized the parents so much (and Skeet and Marisol never would have left) and it would have been so much better than random appearances that make them look incompetent and awful parents because they’re never there during all the other times their kids need them. but we have to see the two toxic parents that won’t go away constantly??? literally what the fuck

- Betty calling Jughead’s writing cringey wbk she’s never liked his writing she was just stroking his ego bc she was his gf and had to be supportive lmaoo

- why are these 60+ year old men beating up Jughead like for why???

- so they just forgot that Tom was checking in on the convict huh gotta love dumbing down characters for plot!

- Fangs with his switchblade muah

- jealous Tabitha muahhh over a password

- “wait THE BETTY?"

- Cheryl looks so good

- Find meaning in his death… girl didn’t you not care that your husband killed your son over the illegal maple stuff I forgot the plot but it was something illegal and dumb

- “drain the vein” …...

- Reggie helping muah

- Why is Archie acting like an ass? like sure he doesn’t know that Chad is abusive and toxic but c’mon fucker you cheated on her and never apologized and you don’t even wanna be with her in the first place so why are you acting like you’re personally hurt sit down

- God Archie really hates Veronica huh… I don’t even blame him considering the shit she’s brought him into time and time again.

- Jughead was kicked like maybe five times yet he was fine falling out of a two story window and the serpent imitation but now he needs antibiotics..? plot convenience!

- literally don’t remember anything about Doc tbh or him talking to Donna and Bret like—

- ever since Negan people are obsessed with bats with barbed wire.

- also! yes please kill Hiram <3 I know they end up saving him bc of the opal but c'mon

- they searched basically nothing for five seconds wow such great detective work you guys!

- we know you just want his manuscript Jessica

- Cheryl with her rainbow skirt how cute!

- “daddykins” girl you’re like 25

- Veronica acting like she cares about Hiram fjsadhkfhas these guys thinking that they’d kill Hiram even though they need him lol

- bad bitch Ronnie we love her even though she’s gonna have to save her father to save others and get her opal </3

- not Veronica calling Archie first and not Kevin considering Kevin’s dad is there…. this is the pandering va fan service bs we have bc it makes no sense and it’s so forced

- Fangs knowing Archie rides with tools in his truck mmhm that’s a little sus idk how but archiefangs agenda coming through!

- no one would actually believe that Jessica ashkjdfsj and they take this bait…??? you gotta be joking lmao

- Jug got to help doc this time 🥺😭

- …. tell me why when he said boyfriend I immediately thought of Reggie I hate myself for wishing fahsdjkfsafj

- okay as cheesy and corny and awful the fight scene is since they posted a clip of it, them working together is so refreshing and nice we love leader!Veronica bc she’s so good at it. but the show only cares for Betty which is funny since she’s an awful detective fbahsdjfj

- my god enough with Jason’s body!!!!!!!!! you burned his body please let him stay dead let his body rest

- okay but the back and forth from Betty and Jessica is so good like I wish we could get that kind of rivalry drama type stuff all the time. too bad they refuse to let Veronica act like a normal person and get angry at being cheated on and such :/ when will Veronica slap the fuck out of Betty

- he’s not a blameless victim but Betty take responsibility for how awful a person you are PLEASE

- THE VOICEMAILLLLLLL Jughead only speaks the truth! it’s weird that he only realized what we all knew about Betty after but whatever, finally he gets upset like damn. also jeronica crumb he’s the only one to ever include Veronica smh ALSO Cole acted the fuck outta this voice mail muah

- the way Betty just sits there uncaring… she really is a freak huh god when will someone punch her in the face and take her ego down a million notches she’s so annoying

- “that’s darkness.” …?? what?

- the way bh’s relationship parallels jughead’s with Jessica though. the unhealthy habits, the bad energy, etc. except Jessica left it and Betty didn’t and it turned Betty into whatever the fuck this is. I miss s1 Betty :/

- so when will they sue Jessica for drugging them? mmhm probably never

- poor Tabitha being the only one who cares about jughead tho

- oh no I forgot there was a random musical number…

- you’re gonna have Betty and Tabitha act like THAT and not put them together so rude

- when will Cheryl be free from her mom. is was like turned on by abuse or something sigh why do the toxic (and most boring!) parents get plots and screen time and everyone else doesn’t...

- Veronica would be able to do Moree than pepper spray but whatever only Betty is allowed be “badass"

- fangs being fangs ugh so sexy my babyyyyy

- Trevor Stines is so attractive it’s a shame they only bring him back for five seconds to traumatize Cheryl over and over again though </3

- wow varchie in a pop’s booth what season is this again??

- god it’s so upsetting how amazing varchie would have been as just friends…

- the way he smiled at Veronica was so contradicting to the blank, “please don’t” expression when she was telling him she was gonna get divorced as fast as possible. why can’t he just admit he doesn’t want to be with her!!!!!! my god they’ve put off barchie long enough just let them be together so their characters can finally act in character and stop being so awful and annoying

- “this cause” what cause you fucking weirdo

- not Hiram threatening the mayor he could literally be your downfall if we had good writers fjasdkjfasf

- jughead how would you have killed him with a small wooden basket

- I like doc so much but I know we’ll never see him again until we randomly need him seasons from noow

- Betty wasn’t hit by the drugs until after the message though… how would she not remember? it didn’t seem to be doing anything to Betty until the bunker

- hopefully since they’re friends now Tabitha can make Betty act like a decent human being <3

- the way Tabitha looked at Betty please stop doing this to me...

- maybe we can finish that dance!!!!!!!!!!!!!! jabitha rising bughead dying we love to see it!

wow that episode felt like it was two hours long but thankfully I finally finished it… don’t have many actual thoughts but anyways hope you enjoyed my live blog of my thoughts!

[twdbegins]

LISTEN UP

my homie @birdieofloxley wants to know good ol’ #9 (tbh this was like the main one I wanted someone to ask, BUT KEEP SENDING ME QUESTIONS TO MY INBOX) AND I HAD TO DEDICATE A WHOLE POST TO THIS. SO.

Simon’s backstory. I’ve thought a lot about this. Like A LOT. We know very little about everyone’s favorite right-hand man. He know his name is Simon (ofc), he likes gin, he was at one time in charge of the Sanctuary (before Negan), and that he’s maybe slightly psycho because he wiped out all of Oceanside (but we don’t talk about that). Unfortunately, none of these details really give any insight to what Simon was like pre-apocalypse (we don’t even know how OLD HE IS). I’ve spent years dwelling on this and I think I have a few agreeable theories. Feel free to agree or disagree or let me know your ideas! Before I begin, I would like to say that NONE OF THESE THEORIES ARE PROVEN. It’s just simply what I have come up with based on his personality and things of that nature.

Let’s start with his occupation. What the hell did Simon do for a living before running the show with Negan? So, APPARENTLY Simon was a sketchy mortgage broker (whatever the HELL that means) pre-apocalypse. I don’t think that’s been confirmed but FOR SOME REASON THAT SEEMS TO BE THE GENERAL CONSENSUS. But allow me to completely ignore that detail and allow my own thoughts to come forth. He’s a very muscular guy and very much more in touch with his masculine then his feminine side. I highly doubt he was working in an office space or in a desk work environment. I think we can agree that his job was more than likely very hands on and work-you-to-the-bone sort of labor. I originally had the idea of some sort of medical background, perhaps a surgeon or a paramedic. But I scratched that theory because nowhere in the show is that mentioned (and as we all know medical based characters are usually very crucial to the show and is always mentioned). I ended up settling between 2 different job ideas. A car mechanic and a fire fighter. NOW. I have a feeling I’ve caused some brows to raise here. Think about it. Car mechanics definitely get their hands dirty and is very much a male dominated field of work (as is being a fire fighter). Both require strength, agility, intelligence, and a dedication for hard work. While fire fighters have medical training of sorts, it’s nowhere on the level of say an ER doctor. To wrap that section up, I like to think that he was either working on cars or putting out fires.

Moving on. Relationship status. Do I think that Simon had a lover pre-apocalypse? Simple answer. Yes. I tend to think that while he probably wasn’t married, I bet he had a steady girlfriend or possibly a fiancée who was lost sometime after the world fell. I think it definitely hurt him and left him heartbroken. Which is what probably contributed to some of the things he did and his strive for power towards the end of his run. He did the things that he felt would make her proud of him or admire him more than she already did. He was ever so slightly dependent on her, which he would’ve never admitted because, if anything, he’d want it to be the other way around.

Next course. Family life. As sad and dark as it may seem, I feel as if Simon didn’t have any family left. I feel like he had an older sister and a younger brother (Simon SO gives off middle child energy). He understands women (or at least we make it canon that he does) and this is due to the fact that he got to see a lot of the things his sister liked. He often heard her talk about the things that boys did that made her upset or made her happy. To which Simon didn’t realize he took note of and applied to when he started dating. Simon was definitely closer to his younger brother. It was his little guy that he got to teach things to. His ultimate buddy to play in the backyard with. If their sister was having one of her “bad days”, then the dynamics bros would just go off and do something else until she was better. His dad left when he was young and Si never saw him again. This would make him try his absolute hardest to be the best son/boyfriend/husband he could be. Because of this, Simon was a HUGE momma’s boy. Like would do anything for his mom. Which is why he took it so hard when she died. She died when he was in his mid-thirties and just a few years before the apocalypse. He had watched her get sicker and sicker and there was absolutely nothing he could do. That was the hardest part. Not being able to help her or make her feel better. He was an ultimate family man. It was a shame he lost it all so quickly.

On a happier note, let’s talk about Simon’s hobbies! I def think Simon could hold his own in the kitchen. Maybe not on a Bobby Flay level, but Simon could make a mean steak or cheeseburger. He enjoyed thumbing through cookbooks and recipe catalogs to see what new things he could attempt to try and possibly perfect down the line. I also like to think that he could draw. I don’t know why, but I feel as if Simon had some visual art skills that he discovered as a kid. In school, he would often pick up his pencil and doodle little sketches on the corners of his notebook. I don’t think he ever really put a lot of time and effort into it, simply because art wasn’t something he wanted to make a career out of. However, he had 2 or 3 sketch pads that he kept in case inspiration struck.

Education wise, Simon acted like he didn’t care about school, but he actually would freak out if he made below a B. He enjoyed the sciences and math based subjects more than English or literature. He never could quite get the hang of outside-of-the-box thinking that was usually important for literature classes. As far as classroom behavior, it was about a 50/50. Some days he would come in and do his work quietly and be respectful. Other days he would come in talking to his friends and get absolutely nothing done. He was a hit with teachers, so he usually escaped detention. I don’t see him as a high school football player. I’m willing to bet he was a soccer or baseball player. While school was important, I feel as if college wasn’t in the cards for him. He was one of those “college isn’t for me” people (this also ties back to my firefighter theory, considering most of the time a college degree isn’t required to be one).

That’s really all I’ve got and all I’ve ever spent time thinking about. If anybody’s got other ideas, hit me with them because, again, I’m up for debate and possible change of mind.

[boltsandashes]

TWD 10x05 first impressions

bullets and overall reactions under the break:

Kelly BABE. God, I can’t even imagine how frightening that must be. Trying to adjust to that kind of new normal (and not even a ‘new normal’ because it’s going in and out at this point) while you’re in a constant fight for survival.

Why would they have the doctor out searching for Negan? Protect your doctors, guys!!

Ughhhhh that cough from Zeke. I’ve been worrying all season about him being maybe being sick....

Omg he’s just a fanboy. He’s a Negan fanboy I’m dying.

Daryl let you out of the cell, #1 theory. (Aaron is #2 but it’s shakier.)

DAMN, the Rick and Carl mentions. Love Negan’s reactions to that assumption about Carl.

Aaron baaabe why you out alone?

Ugh that is so shitty. Contaminating the water supply? :/

Rating Walkers on hotness omg XD

“I don’t wanna be recognized.” Immediately in front of new people: “DAMN, classic Negan!” This idiot.

OMG Daryl is the actual cutest thing what the hell. That Merle story? The fact that he’s sharing a Merle story? And I just love how expressive he is with Connie, ok, I know it’s partly because he’s signing and gesturing to make things clearer for her but it is fucking adorable. He’s the most alive we’ve ever seen when he’s with her tbh I’m full on board shipping them.

oh my goddddd Zeke. oh my god this breaks my damn heart.

Ohh Negan... I don’t know if you wanna insult the obsessive fanboy. They tend to get vicious.

What I don’t love about this whole subtle Whisperer strategy thing is that it means Lydia was dead wrong about Alpha in the town meeting, that she actually doesn’t understand the people she grew up with, while the people like the Highwayman woman were right. Why have her insist it wasn’t Alpha behind the small herds if she’s just gonna be wrong?

AARon are you actually being the soft sweetheart I know you are?? (be careful babe)

Magna.... I get it girl but c’mon. You’ve been with them for like a year now.

ho ly shit this psycho fanboy. I honestly really love this story; it’s showing Negan exactly the kind of behavior he inspired with his leadership. It’s not what he WANTED to inspire but he did anyway. He preached no-nonsense brutality and domination and, just a step or so removed, this is what people took from it and I love that the show went there and explored that, and also showed clearly how that’s not what Negan actually wanted, that’s never what he wanted, but now he has to live with the consequences anyway. It’s complex shit and I love it.

zeeeeeke... god you know what I was preparing myself for a story like this and I’m still not prepared.

Magna and Yumiko... that was rough, wow. I feel like Yumiko’s probably more upset about the lie than the killing? Hopefully. We’ll see how that goes.

You know I didn’t realize at first that Gamma was Thora Birch. Cute little Hocus Pocus munchkin Thora Birch.

I am audibly awwing at every Daryl & Connie moment. Daryl lying for her family is a big deal; Daryl’s very blunt and honest by nature. And then Connie saying they’re family, I just..... all the hearts for that.

I’m intriiiigued by Negan going to the Whisperers. Is he planning to make a deal with them? I’d have hoped the lesson he’d have gotten from Obsessive Fanboy would be that the way he used to operate wasn’t the right path, but maybe he took it as “why bother trying/caring about people,” which would suck. For now though I’m gonna assume that he’s going to the Whisperers to try and do the right thing –– either by getting inside information to relay back to our people or by taking out Alpha, himself. Anything else would be a serious character backslide and kind of a disappointment imo.

Ok so I just really adored this episode, it’s one of my favorites in the season so far (I really loved, I think, 10x03 as well). I’m heartbroken about Zeke, I so wanted him and Carol to patch things up and have a happily ever after. Maybe that’s naive but that’s what I wanted for them. But at the same time it makes sense that this would happen at some point. Now that things are settled down a bit, time is passing, people are still gonna get sick like they do in our world.

The Magna and Yumiko stuff was rough, but that reveal explains so much about why they’ve never seemed on a level playing field in their relationship. Magna had this huge secret the entire time –– for thirteen years, damn –– that was keeping her from being completely open with Yumiko, and it turns out she might’ve been right not to because Yumiko’s reaction to the truth... really sucked. We’ll see where they go from here I guess.

I’m kind of laughing internally at the Alpha plan for Gamma because, what it sounded like to me, and I don’t know if I’m right on this, is that she wants Gamma to flirt with Aaron and that would just be such a fail I wanna see it in action.

And yeah, I think I rambled enough about the Daryl/Connie stuff and the general Negan story in the bullets. Awesome episode honestly, what’d you all think?

[mypapawinchester]

Is it bad to laugh to all the Negan haters and Glen supporters that Negan had more backstory than Glen and how angry they are because people like him now and want to see more of him? Is it bad? Lol I'm going to hell but it's funny! I mean the antagonist is waaaay more interesting than any other character.

It’scomplicated. We are talking about fictional characters in fictional settings,there’s nothing wrong about loving or hating either. It’s fiction. However,respect must go both way. If have the right to love/hate something in peacethan other people have the same right. That’s why it’s nice to tag our hate andcriticism.

Anyway, itshouldn’t be a competition. Liking Negan doesn’t mean hating everyone else. Iget why Glenn fans are upset and I agree that Glenn and StevenYeun deserved better.  Glenn was animportant part of the show and people should be upset by the treatment he got (especially inseason 6). But none of that is Negan’s fault (or JDM’s or his fans). Hating thecharacter who killed your favorite character is okay. Harassing people forlike a character you don’t, it’s not.

All characters(and stories) have the potential to be interesting but in the end it comes towriting, directing and casting. And, tbh, TWD has been missing that high-quality mind-blowing writing for some time now. But part of the fandom is stillfocused on blaming Jeffrey Dean Morgan and/or Negan for all the show’s problems.I don’t think they realize that when they are criticizing a character they arealso criticizing the writers but I guess it’s easier to just blame one actorfor all of it.

Personally,Negan is so fun to watch because he’s refreshing. He doesn’t fit that charactermold TWD has been exploring to death since season 1: we need to kill/crisis of conscience/killing is bad/traumatic event/weneed to kill/crisis of conscience/killing is bad……..

[amethyst-dreams-and-candy-canes]

Reap What You Sow

Author’s Note: Oh dear, I’m late and I do apologize. This is my second prompt and second submission for #Ash’s Round 3 Negan Challenge. My prompt was Negan x Sasha. 

 Word Count: 2,127

Paring: Negan x Sasha

Warnings: NSFW, oral sex, some angst when you realize how I set it up. I hurt my own feelings tbh.

Tags: @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash, @genevievedarcygranger, @negans-network

The breeze felt good against her warm skin. The hot Georgia sun had been unforgiving and a breeze was hard to come by. Sasha closed her eyes and tried to make the moment last as long as she could. If she could bottle the breeze and carry it around with her, she would. Closing her eyes, she felt the intensity of the wind die down and she knew her small reprieve from the heat was coming to an end. Oh well, at least she had something. And something was better than nothing.

Sitting in the driver's seat of the old pickup truck, Sasha took a deep breath and smiled. The soft smell of lavender filled her lungs and seemed to clear her mind. Exactly what she needed. This had been her favorite hiding spot. There would be many a day where she would sneak off with snacks and water and books and sit in the truck for hours. Not having any doors to restrict her movements, the truck was positioned in the perfect location so she had a good vantage point; she could hear the Geeks approaching and she’d see the living before they’d see her. She found it by accident on a scavenge trip with Aaron and it became her get away. Perfect for when she needed to be alone and clear her head.

Like now. Too much was going on at home. First issue was that Rick wanted to attack this group of people we didn’t know based solely on the word of another group of people we also didn’t know. And second there was trouble in paradise. Or as close as paradise would get nowadays. Abraham and his indecisiveness was diving Sasha crazy. One night he’s leaving Rosita and the next he’s back in her bed. Sasha snorted at the thought and tapped her fingers on the wheel. All this stress was enough to drive one to drink.

“Stupid men. Who needs them?” Sasha grumbled to no one in particular.

“Yeah, stupid me. Fuck em. Amiright?” a deep voice responded causing Sasha to nearly jump out of the truck. She didn’t hear anyone walk up on her and she instantly became upset with herself that she left herself be snuck up on. In a instant her hand was on the gun at her waist and she pointed it at the direction of the voice. Peeking out of the driver’s side, she saw a tall man leaning casually against the trunk bed. He was dressed in a white tee shirt with black jeans and black boots. A knife was fastened to the belt loops of his jeans and over his shoulder he had what looked like a baseball bat over his shoulder. Sasha eyed his cautiously as she pointed her gun at him. He smirked at her, not seeming to be alarmed that she was pointing a gun at him.

“Well aren’t you a beauty.” he complimented as he eyed her up and down slowly. Sasha frowned as she continued to take a mental note of him.

“Who are you?” she asked as he unceasingly drank her body in. She was on the verge of clearing her throat to bring his attention to his her face when he finally brought his eyes back to her face.

“I’ll be whoever you want me to be.” he replied, his deep voice seductive. Sasha scoffed and lowered her gun but still kept it poised in his direction. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m pointing a gun at you.” Sasha gestured towards the gun before looking back to him.

“And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m pointing one right back at you. Except, you can’t see mine. But if you ask nicely, I’ll let you see it.” he mocked, gestured towards his crotch. Sasha scoffed again and shook her head. She assumed that this new man must have been crazy since he was out wandering alone with just a baseball bat as protection. She figured that maybe she’d try to get some information out of him.  

“Hey mister. Do you know anything about a group called the Saviors?” she asked as she moved the gun to rest against her hip, the barrel pointing towards the ground. Sasha studied his face and watched for any signs of deceit. Tilting his head to the side, he looked at her curiously.

“What about the Saviors? Who wants to know?” he asked amused. He shifted from one foot to the other and moved the bat to tap on his boot. Sasha was stunned to see that the bat was wrapped in barbed wire and eyed it warily. His eyes followed her gazed and lifted the bat so she could get a better look. Sasha reflextafly took a step back and her fingers twitched around the gun’s trigger.

“This is Lucille.” he announced proudly while pointing the bat and extending it towards Sasha. “And she is awesome.” he finished, speaking affectionately of the bat. Sasha nodded and for the briefest of moments she contemplated shooting him coming to the conclusion that he must be insane. Relaxing her grip on the gun, she studied him. He was handsome, there was no debate about that with hazel eyes that conveyed boyish charm but there was also another element there that was sending warnings to Sasha that she couldn’t decipher.

“So beautiful, you got a name? Why are you out here all alone and why do you want to know about the Saviors?” he asked taking a step forward, reaching the back passenger side of the truck. Sasha eyed the bat again as he began to twirl it now in his left hand away from the truck.

“Name’s Sasha, I’m taking a break and I just wanna know.” she answered matter of factly with a shrug. “What’s your name? Where are you from?”

“Me?” he pointed dramatically to himself. “I’m Negan.” he said proudly. Sasha sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes and the man looked at her with genuine dismay. Seeing the look on his face was the fuel for her fire and she let herself laugh.

“So you’re a Savior. That’s why you asked why I want to know. God, everyone is Negan.’” Sasha laughed ironically. Eyeing the man who stared back at her just as confused, Sasha put her gun away. “You’re not gonna tell me what I wanna know so why bother? Just go.” she sighed as she climbed back into the truck, its worn polyester having cooled from her missing body heat. She placed her elbows in the nooks of the steering wheel and rested her head in her hands. Just what she needed, more stress. The man walked to the driver side and leaned against the area where the door should close and watched her quietly.

“What if I want to stay here with you a little longer? Shoot the breeze and whatnot?” he spoke low leaning close so she could hear him. Sasha snorted with indignation and turned her head to look at him, her head still near the wheel.

“You're a Savior.” she responded matter of factly. He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a ‘so what if I am’ look. Inching closer to her, he brushed against her thigh and Sasha froze. Side-eyeing him, she lifted her head from her hands and propped her elbows up on the wheel. “What are you doing, mister?”

“What was that you were saying? Men being stupid or what-fucking-ever?” he asked flashing her a brilliant smile that nearly threw her off guard. Sasha withdrew into herself and placed her head back into her hands. His comment brought back all the thoughts of Abraham and Rosita being together and Sasha sucked her teeth in annoyance.

“Men are stupid. End of discussion.” she responded curtly. Laughing the man reached out and began ran a long finger down her exposed arm, the touch sending an unwanted jolt of electricity throughout her body. She didn't flinch away however and instead sat back in the seat to get a good look at him.

“You know I have a gun, right? Any funny business and I'll blow your damn head off.” she warned, her eyes staring up at his sternly.

“No funny business here, ma’am. I just hate to see a woman not be taken care of. I can take care of you.” he offered, his deep voice laced with unspoken promises. Sasha huffed and turned to face him, her legs crossed inside the bed of the truck.

“Men always make promises they can't deliver on. What makes you so different, mister?” Sasha taunted, exhaling impatiently. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, the man sunk to his knees and placed a hand on her thigh, the other propping the bat Lucille against the front tire of the truck.

“Trust me.” he cooed as ran his hand up her thigh and gently squeezed. “I always deliver.” Sasha swallowed hard as an involuntary shiver traveled down her spine and seemed to rest in her groin. Every inner alert system was telling her to run, to scream, to take her gun and blow his brains out and decorate the lavender field red. But in the back of her mind there was also a small voice telling her that one time couldn’t hurt, Abraham was having his fun so why can’t you and if you were to have a one time rendezvous this guy wasn’t bad looking. Biting her lower lip, thoughts of Abraham and Rosita laying in bed together flooded her mind and she uncrossed her legs turning to him slightly.

“If you do anything I don’t like, we’re stopping. I mean it. I’m serious when I say no funny business, mister.” Sasha cautioned as she fully turned to him, allowing him to be partially between her legs. He nodded in agreement and ran his hands slowly up the front of her jeans. She watched as he expertly unfastened the button and then the zipper, his hands moving swiftly and with urgency. Sasha attempted to reason with herself once more as she felt him grip the waistband of her jeans and underwear yank them down to her halfway her calves, nearly pulling her off the truck seat. Sasha yelp as she blindly grabbing for the back of the seat, catching it before she could be dragged out out the truck. She look down at the man in wonder and realized that he had also taken her boots off; Sasha not even feeling them come off her feet. He had propped her legs up on his shoulders and was examining her. Using his fingers, he gently spread her outer lips and ran his thumb over her sensitive area. Sasha squirmed under his prying eyes and sighed as his touch sent a surge of pleasure to her core.

Noticing the increased moisture, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her thigh. He kissed her up her inner thigh to her now swollen lips and kissed them as if he were kissing a lover. Sasha moaned low and continued t o squirm, anxious for him to get to the prize. Bringing a hand up, he parted her lips once again and dipped his tongue into her opening, licking upwards in a circular motion and just missing her clit. Sasha whined as he repeated the cycle, each time his tongue delving deeper inside of her. Shifting forward, his nose brushed against her nub and Sasha moaned loudly, the brief contact setting her aflame. He smirked as he used his nose to nuzzle against her again and swirl his tongue around her now very sensitive clit before he latched his lips around her and sucked. Sasha’s hands instantly flexed around the seat as her hips bucked and she came, moaning louder than she intended to. Her legs clamped around his head and he laughed as he pried himself from her clutches. Standing, he wiped his face with the back of his hand and stared down at her in amusement.

“Did I fucking deliver?” he asked, clearly proud of himself. Sasha sat up and located her discarded jeans. Standing on wobbly legs, she pulled them back on and next her boots.

“Sure, if you say so.” she quipped back. He scoffed and looked affronted. He picked up the bat against the tire and began to walk away.

“Better get moving, the sun is setting. Next time maybe we meet, we can do more. That is if you’re agreeable to it.” he mused as he walked away. Sasha shook her head as she watched him disappear into the wooded area whence he came. She smiled to herself as she gathered her things and began to make her way home and wondered if she’d ever see him again.

[psychosexualnegan]

more discussion about negan hate under the cut

anonymous: also don't forget that during the governor arc Rick was single, recently a widow, no romances on the table and the governor didn't show any kind of 'special' interest in Rick. the governor had an endgame, negan is still alive in the comics and after the time jump a good part of his scenes are with rick. translate that to screentime. and that to pissed off people that hate on negan.

I don’t really know. I mean yeah there are people who are aware of the comics but there are still ones holding out hope on him being killed off. I think it’s just he killed two fan favorites (glenn) especially vs the governor killing Andrea who everyone pretty much hated (but I didn’t but whatever). 

anonymous:  Some people don't like Negan because of the wives situation, his long speeches and the fact that he killed Glenn (and Abraham). Not all of R!chonne and Michonne fans hate him. Some people feel more passionate in their "hate" but they do not speak for all of us. I like Negan and his storyline. Not everyone feels like I do and that's okay. I don't like being lumped in with anti fans. I'm not one of them. I'm a big fan of Jeffrey and have been for over ten years.

Sorry I didn’t clarify that I’m not lumping everyone together I mean I am team r!chonne all the way. I started fyr!chonne before they even met on the show, I was into them since I was reading the comics. There’s some great r!chonners I met. I mean I’ve made best friends so I don’t think it’s just a r!chonne thing. I think what some r!chonners got upset about was some people crosstagging r!chonne and reg@n and I guess that lit their asses on fire. 

I mean I get it on some level but no one was really hating and there wasn’t much of an excuse for the anon hate that was going around. I like multishipping and the fanart that was celebrating both ships really made my day tbh because I’d never been a part of a ship that for the most part still love and respected michonne. 

Anyway if they’re gonna go around talking what’s problematic we should discuss the whole hating on Jessie thing, that was a mess and I got bullied when I was more active on the r!chonne side just cause I said she wasn’t asking for Rick’s attention and was a victim. Like that was a fucking mess so honestly no one should be shitting on anyone. 

The whole fighting thing to me is hella depressing. And I’m not really telling people to not hate Negan I was just asking why do they hate him more than the Governor who took up even more screentime. 

I think I’ve probably gotten my answer already though.

[boltsandashes]

TWD 10x07 first impressions

Bullets and overall impressions under the break.

Why the fuck is Daryl so terrible with Lydia? Just... doesn’t even talk to her, doesn’t look at her. She goes to stay with Carol like... idk, maybe I’d just built their bond up more in my head than was really there but I don’t think so. s9 really set him up to be looking after her and for them to be a sort of family and I don’t get this total disinterest at all.

That Daryl with Dog scene though is something I will happily rewatch for years to come.

Siddiq babe stop saying you’re fine and get therapy.

Aaron where have you been honestly. You’ve been back to town have you not seen the sick people? Ok I think I’m just gonna have to ignore the whole “Aaron not realizing he should mention the whole polluting the water thing” issue.

Dude that Whisperer guy eating the bread got me emotional and then he spit it out, damn. Acting.

I want a gifset paralleling Carol calling Daryl out for torturing Randall in s2 next to Carol beating the shit out of this guy.

Ooh Daryl paraphrasing the Princess Bride speech threatening that prisoner XD

Ahh there’s some Daryl caring.

Ok I love that Aaron just straight up calls out that she’s digging for intel.

Godddd guys do I trust Dante or not? Is Siddiq just losing it or is he using Siddiq’s instability to infiltrate and fuck things up? That made me really suspicious tbh I’m curious if later in the season Siddiq’s gonna have some memory flashes remembering Dante there on the day of the pikes.

“I’ll help. Because it’s not your mess to clean.” Ahh Gabriel, i just love the matter of fact way he said that idk.

I can’t give a quick bullet reaction to the Siddiq scene but I loved it. I love how they’re exploring this with him.

And y’know what ok pausing for a second ‘cause I also gotta say that Siddiq’s PTSD, the way he’s flashing back to the pike beheadings and the guilt and grief and general trauma he’s feeling? That’s the same thing the survivors of Negan’s introduction would feel. We didn’t get to see that much, but they would legitimately be traumatized the same way and I’m sad that we barely got to explore it, and I wish people (Negan fans, and it’s fine to be a Negan fan I’m not saying it’s not) would understand that what he did was legitimately traumatizing, and that probably the only reason it didn’t get explored as much is because the writers wanted us to like Negan in a way they don’t want us to like Alpha. Ok I might come back to this later, back to the episode.

Ok whyyy the fuck would they design the lever that way? That could’ve blown down in a breeze.

Honestly Carol no. I mean she was fine with using Daryl last week so of course she’d be fine with using Lydia this week, but just... god it’s not ok that she’s doing this and Daryl’s BETTER be pissed as fuck when he finds out.

Oh. OH. D A M N i called that!!

WAITWHATTHEFUCK.

Ok. So. Overall reaction.

Fuck, that was not ok. Fuck. I had a creepy crawly suspicious feeling about Dante that wouldn’t go away but I legitimately did not think they would do that to Siddiq. And..... you know, I’m not one to say that they should never kill characters. But. I fucking hate that. God, ok, the problem with the way TWD kills off characters sometimes is that they kill them off when they’re getting good, when they’re just coming into their own, when they’re on their way to becoming really amazing interesting characters and then that potential is just crushed. It was the same with Jesus, and sort of the same but obviously more complicated with Carl. Siddiq just had... god he had so much potential. He was one of the most interesting characters this season. And having him survive the pikes just to.... fuck I’m upset about this.

I can’t really react to anything else right now. Come flail at me, guys.

[boltsandashes]

First Impressions 9x12

Ok so I actually loved this episode overall? I’m really glad because the last one felt weak and sloppy to me but this one had some great character moments, intimidating villain moments, avoided unnecessary drama cliches, and was just all around a really solid episode.

(This week my impressions are gonna be a little different, I kind of jotted them down as I watched instead of listing them out afterward. We’ll see if it’s better or worse this way.)

So I’ve been on the fence about trusting Lydia since day one –– was she a manipulator, playing up the abuse angle to get Daryl’s trust? ––  but as soon as I saw the preview for this week’s episode (where she said she’d been lying) I figured she must have been being honest with our group after all. Opening scene pretty much confirms it and tbh I’m pretty happy about that. I like Daryl making a meaningful connection more than him opening up and getting crushed.

“We did lose a friend.” Ah Aaron bby <3 Seriously he’s the only one showing enough love and grief for Jesus but he’s showing it so well. It hurts so much and it’s such a damn gift.

It’s kind of crazy to me that Alexandria, where Negan’s being held prisoner, is the place that took in the Sanctuary survivors. Did no one worry there’d be a conflict there? No? Okay then. (I mean, I guess there hasn’t been, so.)

Okay, you know what I love right now? That they just started this episode with Rosita having already told Gabriel about the baby. There was no secret, no tension of what happens when he finds out for drama’s sake. And Gabriel and Siddiq had an entire council scene where they were arguing on the same side without any snarking or posturing. It’s the most mature way I’ve ever seen any show handle a situation like this and I’m just super impressed by all of them.

Oh Henry, you were almost cool for a second there.

Eugene please stop.

Okay actually. I like that he’s arguing for them to stay together, I appreciate that. Again, surprisingly mature way to handle it. Of course it probably means Gabriel’s gonna die in a few episodes and Eugene will eventually step in and I’m still not at all on board with that ship, but as of now I like how they’re handling this.

I seriously love that the characters aren’t giving Negan an inch. The show’s making him earn his redemption and it’s just such a better character arc this way.

Ha yes Daryl’s gonna have to learn to enunciate! I extra approve of this partnership now, it’ll be good for him.

OMG Dog fetched his bolt. That was the most precious thing.

(Ok, he’s working on it. He’ll get there. Damn that was so cute.)

What the fuuuuck Alpha. Okay, she’s creepy. (And also has hella strong hands, wow. Beheading should not be that easy.) But that was a creepy as fuck segment. Approved.

I also like how Lydia was just standing in the background with her arms crossed looking bored like she’s seen this a hundred times.

So I know that Judith sort of has Carl’s arc from the comics in regards to Negan. I don’t know many comic details or how similar it is but I’m kind of curious about how that worked in the comics because... IMO this story works so well for Judith because she’s so much younger. She wasn’t there for the war, she doesn’t really remember it or the people Negan killed, so her seeing him differently than everyone else and being more willing to give him a chance makes a lot of sense. She’s the only person who looks at him and doesn’t see the war, or Glenn and Abraham, or all the other things he did. But it’s strange to imagine this kind of bond with Carl in Judith’s place.

(That was kind of a ramble just to say I’m really loving Judith and everything they’re doing with her right now.)

When Michonne said “And...” to Aaron and paused, I really thought she was gonna say “It’s what Jesus would’ve wanted.” I don’t know why I keep expecting things like that. (Probably because it was to Aaron. I’m still loving how Aaron’s carrying the weight of Jesus. I know people were upset with him going into isolation mode but I think it’s such a strong statement of his pain and grief rn.)

Gabriel/Rosita/Siddiq... new OT3?

I feel like the scene with Alpha telling Lydia to kill Henry was kind of rushed maybe? I don’t know, something felt off about it. Lydia could’ve argued plenty of logical reasons not to kill Henry (hello, he was their leverage with Hilltop. He had information on the town, etc). Her immediately breaking down and giving herself away after an episode of trying to play both sides felt, like I said, rushed. I wish they’d had a little more time for that to build and impact.

UNLESS Lydia’s just pretending to be upset and is gonna pull a triple twist! lol I can’t stop guessing at plot twists with her, I’m sorry.

I fucking love Daryl.

I mean. duh.

But again, that felt rushed. A hero taking one of the enemy’s masks and using it to infiltrate feels like it should’ve been a bigger moment, more drawn out and more shocking instead of a quick reveal in a 30 second Walker attack. Like if Daryl’d been there all day, just wearing the mask and following along until a crucial moment. It’s cool that he used their “lure them in” tactic against them but I feel like more could’ve been done with it.

So ending on a not so strong note just ‘cause I feel like they ran out of time a bit, but overall I really enjoyed this episode and I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts! (But no comic spoilers please!! <3 )