#choices wake the dead brynn

[fairymatchmaker]

🏹SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

CHOICES - Wake the Dead🧟🧟‍♀️

F!MC and M!MC with Brynn

@choicesficwriterscreations

Zombies are perfect for Halloween but in a form of angst and despair😅

one of my favorite fan arts I've done aside from COP arts. Hopefully I can draw some fan arts for BoLaS too 🥲

A repost from Instagram with some adjustments, again.

Characters from @playchoices

[dutifullynuttywitch]

Sisterly advice

Wake the Dead fanfic

Pairing: Brynn Archer / Eva Archer (sisters)

@choicesfebruary2024 Prompt: Family

Summary: Eva and Brynn Archer enjoy a rare day off in the Tower.

Word count: 1,200

Rating: Teen

Today has been an almost perfect day, Eva Archer reflects.

She’d had the day off from pest control. Brynn and her crew were also on a rare break from scouting.

She and Brynn had woken up late, enjoyed a half decent meal for a change – scavengers had brought back apples from a nearby grove – and spent the afternoon playing cards with Cassidy, Dirk, Troy and Mack.

Even Troy had refrained from cheating, mostly. He’d slipped her a couple of aces under the table when her pile of chips had run dangerously low, grinning charmingly at Cassidy’s amused smirk, the others oblivious to the maneuver.

This was about as perfect a day as she could hope for within the confines of the Tower.

Her wandering thoughts sour at that.

The Tower.

Forever cooped inside a large, windowless, oppressive bunker. Surrounded by too many people, all busy eking out a living, oblivious to the world around them, living and working under the flickering of artificial neon lights.

Of course, there were bright spots in that otherwise bleak world.

Her Sister Brynn and her scouting crew, Cassidy, Dirk, Brianna. Their quirky friend Mack. And Troy, her best friend and partner in crime. They had become her adopted family. Made her existence in the Tower more bearable.

Eva dreams of being able to head out and see the world. Feel the grass between her toes again. Visit some old world relics she faintly remembered from her childhood and would avidly read about in Troy’s magazines - amusement parks, libraries, museums... She wants to swim in the sea. Feel the warm, salty breeze on her face.

Eva barely remembers life before the drones, before the Tower. She had been so young when people had started to change, when they’d lost their fathers and had been forced to flee. Brynn, still a child herself, taking on the parenting role.

“Hey! Earth to Eva! What are you daydreaming about?”

It’s the main reason she wants to become a scout so bad. To Brynn’s immense displeasure. Too dangerous, she’d growl, shutting down every attempt at a conversation.

Brynn pulls her out of her reverie with a light tug. Both sisters are sitting cross-legged on Brynn’s bottom bunk, the older sister’s hands nimbly working on braiding Eva’s fiery red hair.

“Nothing... I just.. I’m realizing, I’m starting to forget what the outside world looks like, feels like...” Eva murmurs, looking at her hands.

Brynn freezes, a pained look on her face.

“Eva...”

“And I know what you’re going to say, outside is dangerous, full of drones. And I know you’re right, I’m not trying to minimize the danger. But still, you get to actually leave this place for a while, breathe fresh air, feel the sun on your face... The last time I saw any of the outside world was when Troy ...”

Eva clamps her mouth shut, realizing she’d said too much.

“When you what? Eva, when the hell did you see the outside world with Troy?!” Brynn rounds on her, furious.

“It’s not like we left the tower or anything, Brynn! A... a few months ago, he took me to see the northern lights up on one of the top floors. We may have snuck back up a few times since... but only at night, with no one around to see us, I swear!”

“Are you kidding me, Eva?! Do you have any idea what’ll happen if Blackstock’s people find you sneaking into off limit areas? And after curfew at that?! God, I don’t know who's the worst influence between the two of you.”

Brynn stares at her, furious, then lets out an amused chuckle.

“You know, I thought the two of you were sneaking around making out or something. Was working myself up to the birds and bees talk. I definitely did not suspect late night stargazing. You’re such dorks!”

“Making out?! Birds and - what on earth gave you that ridiculous idea?” Eva splutters, face heating up.

“Oh come on, little sis, I’m not blind. I can see how you look at each other. And the not-so-subtle flirting.”

Wait, what does Brynn mean about Troy looking at me like… Eva’s mind spins as she thinks back to their daily interactions. His charming smile, his soft brown eyes sparkling with mischief and affection…

Nah, he’s just being friendly, as he’s always been. My best friend, nothing more, nothing less.

Could they ever be something more?

She shakes the thoughts away.

Brynn smirks, enjoying her sister’s discomfort a little too much.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eva mumbles, “Troy's just a friend. Besides, he’s a huge flirt. And a goofball. And an ass more often than not. He’s really not my type.”

“Uh Huh. You keep telling yourself that.” Brynn smiles, amused.

“Okay, since we’re going there, what about you and Dirk? I see the way he looks at you. The guy worships the ground you walk on!” Eva turns towards her big sister, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Brynn becomes serious, a little hesitant.

“Dirk and I... It’s complicated. I know he cares about me. And I do have… feelings. But when you’re out with someone risking your lives on a near daily basis, you need to fully trust them. Right now, we have a great dynamic going with him, Cassidy, Brianna. We have each other’s backs, but we also know none of us will hesitate to do the hard thing if one of us got bit. If Dirk and I became something more, I’m worried it’d cloud our judgement if things went south...”

Eva takes in the admission, brows knitted, then grabs her big sister in a crushing hug.

“Brynn, you deserve happiness. And love - even if it’s with someone as grumpy as Dirk.”

Brynn scoffs at that, but Eva continues.

“I swear, you’re always putting everyone’s needs and wellbeing ahead of yours. Even the damn job. You’re always looking out for me -”

“It’s my job, even though you don’t make it easy, you brat!”

“Well, if you weren’t such a stuck-up ass all the time ...”

“Watch it, lil sis...” Brynn growls, eyes narrowing in warning.

“Or what? You gonna -”

Eva squeals as Brynn lunges at her, jumping off the bed. She ducks as a pillow sails right above her head.

“I swear Eva, I don’t know how I even put up with you.” Brynn mutters, getting up to grab her boots.

“’It’s cause you loooove me!”

“You’re lucky we’re related or you’d be out on your ass. Now get a move on or we’ll miss evening rations.”

“Yeah yeah.” Eva smirks.

She suddenly turns serious, pensive.

“For what it’s worth, Brynn, I get your concern that letting someone in may… complicate an already good thing. But if you don’t, you can also miss out on the chance of something amazing.”

Brynn stops to ponder. Then smirks.

“Wait, actual words of wisdom from my little sis? I guess you did learn something in between all your suspensions. Any chance you’ll follow your own advice?”

“… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Riiiight.”

Eva rolls her eyes, wrapping an arm around Brynn to give her a hug.

Brynn reaches up and playfully rubs her knuckles on her sister’s head.

“Ouch! Brat!”

Both sisters giggle and tease each other as they head out into the labyrinth of neon-lit hallways.

[talesfromcordonia]

Brynn Archer

[choicesficwriterscreations]

June MC of the Month: Eva Archer

Please welcome June 2024's MC of the Month: @dutifullynuttywitch's Eva Archer

Each month, we highlight one MC or OC on our Meet My MC / OC List. They are selected randomly on the Wheel of Names, and eligibility requirements can be found here. We accept MC / OC profiles on an ongoing basis. Please feel free to send yours in!

Learn more about Eva below

1- In your own words, tell us what you like most about your MC / OC.

She’s an idealist, preoccupied by social justice. While at the Tower, she constantly fought the authoritarian leaders, which resulted in her and her sister needing to flee so she wouldn't ‘get disappeared’. Now that she’s leading her own colony, she is still trying to find the right balance, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and feels welcomed.

2- Do you feel your MC / OC is like you at all? How are you alike or different?

I think we both lean towards social justice and fairness in our decision-making. And I definitely gave her some of my musical tastes! (Though I have more grunge and alternative in my repertoire.)

But other than that, Eva is much cooler than I could ever hope to be!! 🙂 She’s a fighter, brave, willing to put her life on the line for others.

3- What is most important to your MC / OC? What is their motivation in life?

Eva is not the bravest, but she is fiercely loyal to her friends. Being forced to leave her fatally injured sister Brynn, her only family, behind after narrowly escaping The Tower was the hardest thing she’d ever done. It left her deeply scarred. She refuses to lose anyone else she's close to and will put her own life on the line if she can save her friends or members of her colony.

Her friendship and frequent quests with Eli and Angel help her gradually feel more confident in her fighting skills. As a leader of the newly established Olympus Colony, she speaks up against injustices and tries to be conciliatory. What are their biggest pet peeves/dislikes?

She despises cruel, self-centered people. Unfortunately there are too many in her post-apocalyptic world, who will do anything, kill anyone just to survive a day longer.

While she generally loves Troy’s easy-going attitude, she absolutely loses her temper when he shirks on his chores - which he unfortunately does regularly.

4- If your MC / OC could change one thing - anything - what would it be?

She would find a cure for the parasite that converts people into zombies. She’s in no way a scientist, but she wholeheartedly supports her best friend Shannon Fox in her ongoing investigations.

5- What is your MC / OC’s favorite quote or song?

Wild Horses, The Rolling Stones.

It’s a bittersweet reaction, really, having lost both of her fathers in a horrible way (one became a zombie and killed his husband), and more recently her sister. She holds on dearly to the lyrics that “wild horses couldn’t keep me away”. It’s how she feels about Troy, and her friends Eli, Shannon, Angel, little May…

Her favorite quote is more inspirational: “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.” – Emily Dickinson

6- Is there anything else you’d like to share about your MC / OC?

I adored the Choices book Wake the Dead. Such an interesting, dark concept, where your choices matter, with tons of potential for world-building… I wanted to create a character that had lived through terrible things, resulting in deep-seated trauma, but at the same time could see the light in the world and continue to strive to better her life and that of those around her. This is how Eva was born!

7- Other facts about Eva

Eva was born close to Reno, Nevada before the zombie apocalypse.

She previously worked in pest control from the age of 18, then became a scout at 25 at her former colony, The Tower.

Eva is dating Troy Hassan, her childhood best friend from her Tower days. This was a slow burn, friendship to love. Troy’s an absolute charmer, knows her better than anyone and is her emotional support. He’s much more carefree, which brings out her lighter side – necessary with all the stress and pressures of running a colony during an apocalypse!

She dearly misses her sister Brynn, who died shortly after escaping the tower. Eva admired her fierceness and how she bravely ventured out as a scout every day to support the colony. Eva hopes to become as tough as her sister.

Thank you so much for reading through my MC profile, I had a blast sharing Eva Archer with you!! And thank you @choicesficwriterscreation for giving us the space to gush about our fictional babies!!

[choices-binglebonkus]

PB should just hire you to revamp WTD.

Part of the reason stories like ILITW and ILB left me so *shook* after playing them is because of decreasing nerve scores and the main characters' lives are at stake because of that. And of course these death sequences are well written to boot. Even though I was deliberately making the bad choices in my first playthroughs just to see what would happen, even though I was well aware it was gonna be horrifying, it still left me nearly unable to sleep. I'm not even kidding. ILS knew what they were doing and it did it good.

Having LIs' fates be determinant not just on specific stat levels but also your hard choice decisions would have been some very next-level goodness. But unfortunately, PB still played it just too safe even in one of the more respectable modern Choices books. #WakeTheDeadDeservedBetter

Absolutely, anon. That’s one of the biggest issues with modern books. For books where they need to take risks and get creative, they just don’t.

The It Lives series was so impactful because there were very real stakes. You could die. Your friends could die. There were lives on the line and they made that very clear early on in ILITW, letting us know that their nerve at the end of the game would directly tie in to their fates. If, say, Lily and Dan died, it was YOUR fault. If Lucas and Andy died, it was YOUR fault. If all of your friends died, well, you know the drill.

Plainly put, important characters integral to the plot could die because of your mistakes. And PB was absolutely not afraid to make you feel that in the most visceral, gut-wrenching ways.

Branching off of that, zombie media also tends to do this sort of thing particularly well. Wake the Dead wasn’t fully inspired by it, but had some very loose inspiration from The Walking Dead. In both the comics and the show (more so the comics), The Walking Dead isn’t afraid to let you know that absolutely no one is safe. No one.

Wake the Dead has many issues, but that, I think, is the biggest. It simply had no stakes whatsoever. Unlike some of the best zombie media, the zombie bites weren’t always fatal, and that took away a HUGE amount of what made the zombies so scary.

When the raiders attacked Sunflower Creek, I knew the main group would survive and there would be minimal casualties among the side characters. When the MC was taken by the raiders, I knew they were going to survive. When Eli was bitten, I knew he was going to survive, even when they gave us the choice to shoot him. When the main group went into the freaking zombie hive, I knew they were all going to survive. When Blackstock came to the colony and tried to execute us and all hell broke loose, I knew everyone was going to survive (but Blackstock).

There. Were. No. Stakes. NONE! None of them!

The closest thing we got to any sort of urgency was Brynn’s “death” early on. But that was it. That was the only major casualty in the book because PB played it safe in a zombie book of all books.

At the same time, PB tried to create an artificial sense of urgency by throwing different types of zombies into the mix. Types of zombies that the main group had never even seen before, even though the apocalypse had gone on for 21 years at that point, and two Solstices had already occurred since they happen like clockwork every 7 years. I don’t understand how not a single one of the people in our main group had never seen any of these variants.

And this goes without saying, but this artificial sense of urgency they tried to create with the variant zombies? It didn’t work. Why didn’t it work? Because the main character and love interests all had the most impenetrable plot armor in quite literally the entire app. I mean, Eli cheats death for Pete’s sake. He was on death’s doorstep from his bite (ON THE NECK, MAY I ADD, RIGHT BETWEEN THE HEART AND BRAIN) and still managed to survive and recover with no problem???? What????????

I get wanting to play it safe to an extent. This was a horror book that clearly had a lot go into making it. But you absolutely cannot be cautious in writing a zombie book. You simply can’t. Zombie media is absolutely notorious for killing off both main and side characters, whereas Wake the Dead only kills off side characters who otherwise don’t have much impact on the story.

Yes, some zombie media does get a happy, or at least, a realistically bittersweet ending. The Walking Dead comics, show, and Telltale series do. The Evil Dead does. 28 Days Later, I Am Legend, Zombieland all do. They have stakes which make us more invested, but also use those stakes in some way to tie up loose ends and give us an ending that really makes us think.

So yeah. As you said, anon, PB just played it too darn safe. And you can’t do that with zombie media. It’s not in the spirit of the genre, and its effect on the book quality was very evident.

[missameliep]

I posted 3,172 times in 2022

171 posts created (5%)

3,001 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@missameliep

@storyofmychoices

@lilyoffandoms

@lorirwritesfanfic

@princess-geek

I tagged 3,017 of my posts in 2022

Only 5% of my posts had no tags

#not choices - 416 posts

#choices fanfic - 206 posts

#lol - 203 posts

#writing - 195 posts

#desire and decorum - 129 posts

#self reblog - 114 posts

#quotes - 113 posts

#writing inspiration - 108 posts

#choices fanart - 102 posts

#ask box! - 95 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#besides it's not inclusive if it disregards people who needs to use accessibility aids and this word is unreadable to the softwares 🤦‍♀️

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Miniseries: Safe

Book: Wake the Dead

Summary: After two decades living in the New World and with major threats looming on the horizon, Troy Hassan reminisces about his childhood, life and what being safe means after the end of the world came, and about his relationship with the Jones' sisters, Malia and Brynn.

Chapters: 6

Series status: Completed

See the full post

36 notes - Posted July 14, 2022

#4

In Your Arms - Tyril Starfury x Arwen (F!Elf!MC)

Book: Blades of Light Shadow Pairing: Tyril x Arwen (f!Elf!MC) Summary: A late night at Undermount, after Adrina's engagement, a delicate subject is posed and Tyril and Arwen will have to make a decision about their futures. Word count: ~3.3k Rating: Teen and up Notes: No warnings. Based on this ask by my dear @princess-geek and the prompt from day 14 : gold | pi | shapeshifter of the March @choicesmonthlychallenge

Flames dance, casting a golden light over the elves’ features who seek warmth by the hearth during a particular cold night at Undermount. The only other sound besides the crackling of the fire is their conversation about Adrina’s impending marriage.

Being alone like this, next to the fire and having one another so close, remind them of many late nights at camp.

Though, no camp could match the comfort and luxury found at the Starfury’s home, and very few things in this life might be as soft as the thick rug where they are sitting. Making herself more comfortable, Arwen's back presses against Tyril's chest. Revelling on the closeness he pushes her hair aside, giving him full access to her bare neck.

“Tonight was merely the first step..." Tyril explained, whilst peppering kisses on her neck as soft as his voice, "From this moment on, Adrina and Vaeril must undergo different trials until their betrothal is confirmed...”

“But why?”

His raven black eyebrows raise in unconcealed astonishment.

However, considering who was asking, it wasn’t an impertinent question at all. After the wars, Arwen might have decided to settle with him at Undermount, but, in spite of her thirsty for knowledge, growing up amongst humans made her ignorant of most of the Elven civilization’s practices.

“To prove they share great Kilvali.”

“Isn’t Kilvali like love?”

“Not quite the same...” He paused and pondered on how to explain something that is obvious to their kind, but not to her. “It is a strong bond. A sort of compatibility when shared by two elves is greatly desired, specially when it comes to joining Great Houses and forming stronger alliances.”

Twirling a lock of his long hair around her fingers, she mulled in deep consideration.

“And how does one even prove that?”

Leaning closer, his chin reposed on Arwen’s shoulder; her hair tickled his face when she tilted her head to steal a glimpse of him and listen to the words coming out of his mouth about the Elven wedding traditions.

As an outcome of their movements, the blanket slipped from her shoulder.

Without pausing his detailed explanation about the month of isolation, his hand deftly pulled the edge of the blanket upwards. Aiding him in the process, her fingers lightly brushed his whilst covering her shoulder.

Her touch makes the corners of his lips curl up and his mind loses the train of thought for almost as much time as the big hand in the ancient clock takes to complete its rotation.

“What was I saying?”

Amused, she guided his hand to rest on her thigh.

“You were about to tell me all the delightful activities the couple engage during isolation...” she teased and a flow of blood colored his cheeks in a purple shade.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Not your sister, of course,” Arwen said innocently, “She will absolutely not do any of that.”

“That is not what... The isolation does not serve that purposed... and –” he paused, and recomposed himself. Her sense of humor sometimes is a bit too much for him to keep up with. “You tease me.”

“Always.” She chuckled and kissed his cheek.

“Besides, Kilvali and Dinvali –”

“It’s rare to share both,” she completed his sentence. “We were amongst the very few blessed...” She winked at him. “Go on, and tell me, after the isolation, if they don’t kill each other or die of boredom, are they done? Can we have a party and get completely sloshed with honey wine?”

“Afterwards, they must journey to Undermount’s depths.”

She whistled. “Pleasant place. Guarantee of a good time.”

A snort of laughter was muffled against her shoulder, and he let his thumb caress the side of her neck.

See the full post

45 notes - Posted March 20, 2022

#3

What if some of our favorite series in the Choices fandom were books? What the covers would look like? Would they have special editions? Hard covers? Covers portraying the actors who portrayed the characters in the movie/series adaptation?

Fanfic Writer's Appreciation Day had me wondering about this and I'm starting something here...

The first one is Meant to Be by the talented Lori and I have a couple more planned.

1. Meant to Be by @lorirwritesfanfic

2. Unspoken Desires by @princess-geek

3. The Cursed Heiress by @noesapphic

4. The Greatest Con by @lorirwritesfanfic

5. For Love and Duty by @noesapphic

Bear with me and share your thoughts on the matter.

I'm tagging a few of you who might enjoy the idea: @princess-geek @noesapphic @lorirwritesfanfic @storyofmychoices @aallotarenunelma @lilyoffandoms

48 notes - Posted August 25, 2022

#2

Like Poetry – Blades of Light and Shadow – Tyril Starfury x f!human!MC

Book: Blades of Light and Shadow

Pairing: Tyril Starfury x Nayeli (f!human!MC)

Characters: Tyril Starfury; Nayeli (MC); Nia Ellarious (the Priestess); Kade (the Bard); Imtura Tal Kaelen (the Princess) and Mal Volari (the Rogue).

Rate: Mature (Read notes)

Word count: 7k

Summary: More than three decades have elapsed since Tyril Starfury left Undermount and joined a party in their quest to save the world from the Shadow Court. Reminiscing about the time spent amongst humans, he ponders about life, friendship, love and time itself.

Notes:

• Story freely based on a prompt from @the-modern-typewriter, in bold is the part of the prompted used, which also inspired the title, and you can find the original post here;

• All characters belong to Pixelberry, I’m just borrowing them;

• TW: character death (not graphic but still 2 characters die), violence, and mature subjects that might be triggering to some readers;

• The name Nayeli is of Zapotec origin and means “I love you”, and I think it’s quite appropriate to the MC in this story;

• Events take place three decades after the end of book 1 and I'm experimenting with different things narrative-wise in this story, so feedback is appreciated ☺️;

• English is not my first language.

I.

Time flows at its own pace.

Steadily.

Unstoppable.

Just like a river.

Always moving.

The apparent stillness of the surface sometimes tricks the eye, but time never stops; not even in those moments when it seems to stand still, like the first time Nayeli kissed him or when she confessed her love for him or whenever she cries his name when their bodies and souls unite in the most intimate expression of their love, it does not stop and one should not be fooled by it.

Impossible to block its path with a dam or slow it down. Impossible to press it forward either. The winds cannot change its course. Not even all the known magic in all the kingdoms can change that despite every attempt in doing so. Time never stops.

And that is the beauty of it. A beauty lost on Humans, the Elves used to say.

Humans seem to always be at war against time.

A war fated to be lost.

Not because of death, everyone dies, and everything shall perish eventually. Even the elves in their timeless grace shall meet their end. But humans, it seems, choose to focus on the losses and despair long before the end. Grasping for what’s impossible to hold, watching it slip through their fingers like sand, their eyes miss the true beauty of this world. The beauty in permanency. The beauty in order. The beauty that remains even when one is gone.

Prior to leaving Undermount, Tyril Starfury agreed with the scholars of his land: this behavior is nonsensical, why rebel against what cannot be stopped?

Time flows and Immortality is nothing but an impossible dream.

Nevertheless, more often than not these days, he wishes seconds would slow down and stretch indefinitely.

After three decades living amongst the humans, one could not ignore that the elf has learned too much about their ways – even if it is worth mentioning most of the knowledge about humankind was acquired against Tyril’s own will – and his mind and views about the world have changed. Evidently, they have not changed to the point to become foolish enough to go on a quest against time. Or death.

See the full post

59 notes - Posted July 1, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

tag game!

Thanks for tagging me @remys-lucky-franc ❤️

hot shower or cold shower // texting or calling // earbuds or headphones // paperback or hardcover // matte or gel // 12 hour clock or 24 hour clock // blue or green // sunsets or sunrises // tulips or orchids // candle light or moonlight // sci-fi or horror // pen or pencil // pandas or koalas // gold or silver // sneakers or boots // denim jacket or leather jacket // pink or purple // chocolate or sour candy // deodorant or perfume // drive-in movie theater or the cinema // pastel colors or neutral earth tones // lemonade or fruit juice // past or future // constellations or aurora borealis

tagging a few of you who might like it: @princess-geek @lorircreates @noesapphic @thequeenofpixels @mrsnazariowrites @peonierose @ladylamrian (feel free to ignore)

195 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[thelonewolfstar]

I'm replaying WTD and pick all the opposite choices I've made in the previous game. I chose another name, pick different MC and with different Brynn. Can we talk about how cute asian Brynn is?

She's also cute as Queen. She's my favorite Brynn.

Previous game vs new game colony(opposite choices)

Previous game vs new game stats(opposite chooces)

In the first game I was completely asshole to dirk and he was feeling guilty betraying MC. But in the second game I was playing nice to him and he was completely asshole to my MC. Probably the colony upgrades and hard choices affects Dirk.

SPOILER AHEAD

This scene moved me. The last time I felt like this was in DD(when MC's dad died) and ES.

IF PB changed their minds about making a continuation for WTD. I am hoping for new MC, new LI, new survivors and antagonist (whoever made Candace the Queen). Like 10 years after, the old book MC will be in their late 20's, some LIs will be on their 30s and May is one of the survivor. Plot like May will become the new Queen at age 18. MAYBE the reason why the Queen kept her because the Queen wanted to make her the new Queen but her body couldn't handle it because she isn't strong enough, so she implanted parasite in her DNA that will grow as she age. If they're implying that zombies were nothing without a Queen controlling them, then there's someone who made Candace, like a mad scientist decided to play God in the middle of Zombie Apocalypse.

I want to post my opinion about the book but nevermind.

[princepotatosack]

didnt really vibe with the white and hispanic brynns so i made my own tee hee

[choices-and-voices]

This is a rollcall for those fellow players who named their Wake the Dead colony after MC’s sister 🥺

[julia-highstorms]

Nooooooo, Brynn 😭 I legit cried

[yourqueenb]

Damn that final scene in today’s chapter was so good

[storyofmychoices]

SpreadJoy #518: spreading positivity with quotes and @playchoices characters.

Quote in edit by Heather Stillufsen

[trinittyy]

WTD went from being one hell of a book bringing me back to Choices in one chapter to bringing me great pain in the very next chapter. I knew Brynn wasn't going to last that long, but I didn't think it would hurt so much. Especially with how they described it.

It's like they were going for optimal pain here. I shouldn't be in my room crying over a set of pixels, but here I am.

[ladyvendetta]

The two types of siblings (plus one time they save each other's asses and the other knew the consequence)

[choices-binglebonkus]

He was my LI but sometimes I think PB should have followed through with Eli dying if MC takes the hard choice to shoot him. There was a lot of angst missing from WTD where the love interests are concerned, and it would actually make me want to replay

There was a lot of angst missing in general. All of the deaths were minor and the characters move on really quickly except for Brynn’s. Brynn’s death was the best death and the best angst we got, yet it still came with its own set of issues.

First, we lost Brynn way too soon in the story for her death to have any impact. It was sad that the main character’s sister died, sure, but we didn’t really know Brynn well enough to truly care.

Second, the final standoff with Brynn and the Queen against the main character was very poorly done. The writers didn’t seem to really know what to do with the scene and it was very evident while playing through it. The diamond flashback in the middle of the life-or-death standoff also didn’t help, as it interrupted the flow and progression and made things feel less tense.

And the Eli hard choice was so bad it was laughable. I think it was actually my least favorite hard choice in the book. It ultimately served no purpose whatsoever and didn’t add anything to the story in any way, because no matter what you choose, the outcome is the same. Eli survives his bite. They should have replaced that hard choice with something totally different.

Wake the Dead is the highest-stakes series in the entire app and yet we suffer no consequences if we do poorly throughout the book. The colony survives. The love interests survive. The forgettable side characters who had little to no development or screen time survive. The main character survives.

This book should have gone the route of It Lives, or maybe even The Heist: Monaco where if you fucked up, you’d pay the price for it. Leading by It Lives’s example, the love interests and main character should have died depending on different stats and choices made. Leading by The Heist: Monaco’s example, we should have gotten different endings: a good ending, a neutral ending, and a bad ending. Or, if PB didn’t want to go to the extra lengths of writing three endings, they could’ve just given us a good and bad ending.

The exaggeratedly saccharine and lackluster victory of the ending of Wake the Dead was unbefitting the zombie genre, as was the lack of emotional impact due to poorly-written and invincible characters.

[missameliep]

Safe - Chapter 4: Hope is a weird thing

Book: Wake the Dead

Characters: Troy Hassan; Brynn and Malia Jones.

Rating: M (see notes bellow)

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: Troy Hassan reminisces about his childhood, life at the Tower and hopeful days, when he was gifted friendship and love.

Notes:

English is not my first language;

Troy Hassan and Brynn belong to Pixelberry;

Pre-WTD events;

I threw canon through the window, I had written this part already when I read the last chapter and I'm actively ignoring how Troy and MC met and keeping my version because it fits the plot and the relationship better;

Just like the book, the entire series is rated M because of triggering subjects: throughout there are mentions of death, trauma and violence compliant to canon; readers discretion advised.

The sisters who were rescued by the scouts’ team were finally cleared and joined the other kids at the collective room. Brynn and Malia were their names. At bedtime, they huddled in the upper berth assigned for the eldest of them. They were ten and five years old, and wary of loud noises like him. Many kids at the Tower were not. Why would they be? They were brought to the colony before the outbreak, their eyes never contemplated what happened to the outside world or the face of a real zombie. They fear zombies in theory as much as they fear dragons, and Troy is almost sure the latter are not real.

Malia, the younger sister, didn’t speak for days and quietly followed her sister like a shadow.

“Trauma”, a doctor said one morning scribbling down on some paper when all the orphaned children were queued and examined.

Troy didn’t know what trauma meant and assumed it was a disease common in this New World, considering how many times the word flies from the doctors’ mouths.

Late at night, after most kids were fast asleep, whisperings were heard coming from the berth across from his. Malia spoke in the lowest tone possible to her older sister.

Sisters always speak to each other, don’t they?

It appears so.

Troy listened to them, Brynn’s voice morphed into a calm and affectionate tone lulling her little sister.

He wished he had a sister too. Or a brother.

Brynn smiled when Troy got closer to her sister one morning after breakfast and handed an improvised doll made from a piece of cloth and rubbish discarded by the scavengers. It was the best he could do with the material found and his limited manual abilities. In fact, it was hideous. He thought about throwing it away and almost dropped the idea entirely half-way from the door to the place the two girls were sitting together.

But perhaps they could laugh about it? Laughing is good.

“It’s a doll,” he said holding the hideous thing in front of the little girl’s face. “For you.”

Malia stared at it in awe and thanked him not with words – it would take a few more attempts until she finally spoke to him –, but with her eyes and a wide smile.

They would be friends; he knew that ever since.

And Troy was right.

They became inseparable.

So far, their friendship outlasted that excuse of a doll she carried around.

The Jones’ sisters quickly became Troy’s favorite people.

In fact, they became sort of his family.

Unlike Troy, Brynn is quiet and far too no-nonsense for a ten-year-old. Seldom one would see a smile and any happiness transpire, making her warm brown skin glow – he’s one of the few who had the privilege. Some older kids say she is one of the prettiest girls in the colony, but she prefers to ignore that sort of attention. Most of the time, she keeps to herself. Miss Little Goody Two-Shoes. Discreet. Resourceful. Loyal. Tough. The toughest person to have around. She will do anything for Malia; and so much more than Troy deserves to keep him out of trouble.

Troy became Brynn’s little brother. Sort of. She'd never admit it out loud.

Even when he and Malia started getting into too much trouble, despite her sister’s warnings, Brynn did not turn her back on him. Often, he would be in the receiving end of Brynn’s glares and scolds, but he doesn’t mind if she is hard on him, because it means she cares. She wants to protect Malia, and he gets that. If he had a sister or a brother, he would do that too.

Troy is two weeks older than Malia, but she’s taller, better at hide-and-seek and, despite the physical resemblance, she's nothing like her sister Brynn. Malia is her own person. Clever. Effortlessly funny. Whenever she’s around, you’ll laugh until your tummy aches. Kindhearted. Despite repeating she does it for personal gain, she loves drawing the residents of the colony. Their gratitude makes her emotional and he knows how many sheets of the little notebook she carries around were spent on perfectioning the portrait of Mrs. Gonzales and her son Willie, who got bitten by a drone on his first mission as a scout. Malia didn’t charge for it and her eyes glistened with tears afterwards, which she fiercely denied and tried to divert the subject with a game of tag.

Once she found her tongue, Malia could speak almost as much as Troy. She’s a big mouth, that’s for sure, and never knows when to shut up no matter how many times she gets into trouble. So full of opinions. He loves it about her, how she always speaks her mind and always keeps her head up. Unlike him. In fact, he loves many things about her, even the annoying things she does or how awful her musical taste is.

Malia doesn’t remember much from the Old World; she doesn’t remember her dads, the two old retrievers her sister misses deeply or their house. Therefore, her world is Brynn and Brynn alone.

As time went by, however, it seems that it expanded to include Troy, which made him happy – as much as a boy living the end of the world could be.

From the stories he heard, the Tower used to be some sort of secret military facility, and in the first months after the outbreak most who lived there were the military and their families, many of which arrived right before the outbreak reached the US. The years changed this and everything else. There was twice as many people living there now, but many more could be welcomed considering all the empty bunks and rooms.

Troy was nine years old when a group of adults arrived at the Tower. They came from some colony at the West looking for shelter after the rainy season.

Amongst the new arrivals was tall and scrawny looking Mr. Lee, with his unkempt beard, quiet voice, and even quieter laugh. The man was in his early forties and used to be some kind of teacher at a big school or something, but now it seemed he was the one who needed to be taught – at least about the ways of the New World and the Tower.

Some people said he went a little crazy after the death of his spouse; others said he was a subversive, whatever that meant.

Troy thought he was the coolest adult around.

Mr. Lee wanted to teach kids about art and music, like it was his mission in life. He loved movies, old Hollywood and told them about musicals. The idea of people singing instead of talking was ridiculous, therefore Troy became obsessed with it and might have started pretending to be the protagonist of his own musical just because… He would sing about everything and nothing at all, and Malia eagerly mimicked this habit simply to annoy the hell out of people, especially Brynn. Good times!

Like most good things, it didn’t last...

With a religious fervor, Mr. Lee proclaimed the beauties of the Old World none of which kids like Troy had seen, and insisted that kids should be taught about it – music, art, history… In one of the assemblies, he shared his ideas. Half the presents booed and used stronger words to shut him up; there was no time to lose with Old World nonsense. The other half remained strangely silent. Later, Troy learned what they feared.

Soon, there were no more assemblies, fewer debates, and plenty new rules.

Why would anyone need the meetings when Marcus Blackstock was such a competent leader? Adults often said this kind of thing to each other and to the kids.

After that evening, Troy cannot remember the last time he saw Mr. Lee. Officially, it was said he had chosen to leave, there were rumours that he was banished… Some were sad for a while, others grateful to have a mouth less to feed, specially one from a troublemaker.  Soon he was forgotten, like so many were over the years.

It was not the strangest thing that nobody ever questioned – at least in public – the Tower’s teaching methods: kids learning to fight and survive, the bare minimum of math, writing and reading to be resourceful workers. No one wants you to bring the wrong supplies or drink bleach and miss your shift.

Obedience was taught at school – a lesson lost on him and Malia.

Discipline and punishment go hand in hand in the Tower.

Vigilance increased and the same surveillance cameras pointed at the outside world were installed in the hallways too. Just another toll for Blackstock’s protection.

If you’re following the rules, you need not to worry, right? Who needed privacy or any of those Old World’s fancy schmancy anyways? People need order and protection, they said.

Around that time were implemented new rules and the first orders to destroy every reminiscence from the Old World that was not catalogued as weapon, amno, food, medicine, fuel, or other useful resources in the descriptive list afixed at the supply room Troy started helping when he was eleven.

It was a shame, really.

Troy often looked through the discarded items, searching amidst shredded pictures and ripped albums for something that could have belonged to his family. He did that for years, even after Mr. Deniz told him the scavenger teams never went that far and even if they did, the houses they lived would have probably been looted by now.

But hope is a weird thing, isn’t it?

Watching the rare home-made videos that were smuggled into the Tower, usually mistaken by porn, became something he looked forward to, even if it wasn’t his family. Despite the bad lighting, unflattering angles and people speaking over one another, it was one of those few chances to have a real glimpse at what life used to be like, how people sang at birthday parties or cheered silly things like a little kid who would not fall on their butt.

Going through this stuff made him feel like that dude with the fedora and whip recovering artifacts from ancient times... even though this stuff was from just a few decades ago, plenty of them were as mysterious and unfamiliar as if they were from like Ancient Egypt or something. And did he crave that knowledge? Abso-fucking-lutely!