#it's just that i'm really ?????? about many of the choices rick made with this show

[moodyseal]

Imagine Percy telling Nico about his quests and mentioning at some point that Hades straight up told him "Okey-doke" when he was twelve. He'd have a stroke I think

[richonnesbitch]

hey babe! I was wondering what do you think Rick’s best friendships are (besides the obvious Daryl) and what about Michonne?

And other than each other of course

Great question!

To be honest, I haven't seen the original show in a while but if I remember correctly Aaron was a great friend to both Rick and Michonne! Aaron supported Rick throughout his choice not to fight against the saviors while most people were really against it. Rick even opened up to him about how Michonne disagreed with his choice, which is a big thing for Rick to do imo. And also Aaron supported Michonne when everyone was against her for not letting new people into Alexandria! Again my memory may be wrong but I think he was the only one to defend Michonne at that meeting about the Kingdom and their fair? He said something along the lines of "We put Michonne in charge of security for a reason. Her judgement has saved us time and time again."

Michonne has had many friends but sadly they all died. Btw, I don't include Andrea has a great friend. She chose a warm bed over a friend. Some of her great friends would include Carl, Siddiq, Nat, Bailey and Aiden! I think her and Rosita also had a good friendship but we never really got enough focus on it, sadly. Carl and Nat were definitely her BESTEST friends though. They were always very protective and supportive of her and its heartbreaking she lost that.

Anyway this is why I'm so glad Rick and Michonne have each other again. I can't help but think about how when Rick was having Lori hallucinations literally everyone thought he was crazy. Remember the one person who didn't? Michonne. She told him it was normal and even tried comforting him by telling him she went through something similar with talking to her dead boyfriend. And I think it worked because Rick made a little joke about it with her right after. And when Michonne was out looking for Rick everyday and believing he was still alive and needing her, everyone thought she was crazy. Everyone thought she was crazy for not letting new people into Alexandria or wanting to help the kingdom with their fair. But personally I think if Rick was there, he would have done the same. He would have done whatever it takes to keep his children safe and alive, even if it meant closing out the rest of the world to Alexandria. He would have supported Michonne every step of the way and absolutely no one would have talked down on her leadership had he been around. Rick trusts her judgement and guidance wholeheartedly. And he also understands wanting to protect his children more than anything. I really love that quote about them loving each other because they both understand each other's craziness. It's just part of their beauty.

[lilyevanstan1325]

❤️ Built For This World ❤️

Chapter 11

“Ya don't have to, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know”

“But ya'll do it anyway, dontcha?”

I sigh deeply trying to stay calm.

The archer's strong yet delicate hands gently caress my back as I snuggle against his chest.

His steady heartbeat punctuates my breathing.

“I know.But I have to.I won't let you carry this burden alone” I murmur against the damp fabric of his shirt.

It stopped raining a few hours ago and now, hugging each other inside Daryl's tent, we are waiting for the fateful moment.

According to Rick we need to get rid of our problem as soon as possible.

Finally the decision was made.

Randall will be executed tonight.

And as much as I know it's the safest choice for us, there's still that little voice in my head that wonders if we're really doing the right thing.

“I can hear yer thoughts from here, sunshine” Daryl whispers, pulling away just enough to look me in the eyes.

The darkness around us is interrupted only by the dim yellow light of an old lantern lying in a corner of the tent.

His hands move from my back, in a delicate caress that slides along my arms and then finds their place on my face.

His blue eyes carefully study my face in search of any sign that could show my real nervousness so he can immediately use that pretext to convince me not to go.

And even though I would like to stay in this tent far from what awaits me, I know I can't.

Him, Rick and, why not, Shane too already carry a big load on their shoulders and with my presence I just want to lighten their souls.

Make them understand that they are not alone, that they can count on my support.

I shake my head weakly, bringing my lips closer to his in search of another kiss.

The umpteenth.

I absentmindedly wonder if he'll being sick of it.

But his mouth, as hungry as mine, quickly cancels out this thought of mine.

My hands caress the man's muscular biceps, my fingers travel undisturbed following the contours of the veins.

Daryl sighs resting his forehead against mine.

“It's just…” I whisper against his lips, “I know we have to keep our people safe, that's it our duty...it's just stressful.That's all”

The archer shakes his head in response.

“Ma’ duty is to keep ya safe.Not just from the walkers but from these things too”

The sweetness of his confession makes the corners of my lips lift up.

I bring my hands into his hair, pushing it back, pushing the messy wild locks away from his face to get a better view of the magnificence in front of my eyes.

“You can't protect me from everything, big boy.You know it?I am a strong and grown up girl.I can take care of myself”

He chuckles, with that half smile capable of making me melt.

That half smile that every single time awakens a pleasant sensation in my lower body.

That half smile that make my pants go on fire.

“Oh, I know” he whispers, grabbing my hips and scooping me so I can find myself straddling his lap.

Our chests touch.

I can feel every curve of his body molding against mine.

“Ya’re my strong and brave girl but tha’ doesn't mean I don't wan’ to protect ya anyway”

I pinch my lower lip between my teeth to try to stop the satisfied smile that threatens to spread across my face.

Again that pleasant sensation in the middle of my thighs, the same place that is currently rubbing sensually against the crotch of his jeans.

Trying to distract my mind from those thoughts, I bring my attention back to his words.

“So…I'm your girl, now?” I tease him by digging my fingers into the hair at the base of his neck.

His.

Oh, I know so many ways I could really be his…

Ways that involve a lot of things and no clothes on.

I gently rock my hips trying to find some relief to ease the pleasant sensation I feel teasing the point where our bodies meet.

A flash of lust seems to cross the man's blue irises while his digit forcefully digs themselves on the skin of my hips.

I already feel that will leave its mark, but it's something I'm not complaining about.

I would gladly and proudly carry those marks on my body every single day of my life.

His lips crash against mine, his tongue raids my mouth, tearing the air from my lungs.

His velvety muscle explores every crevice of my mouth with ferocity, with such lust that it makes me dizzy.

His hands travel up my back, insinuating themselves under my shirt, making me let out a pathetic moan.

The man swallows it happily as his teeth grab the flesh of my lower lip, pulling it slightly.

Slowly with a wet obscene sound he loosens his teeth's grip leaving my lips swollen and plump but without stopping.

His lips immediately find my chin continuing their descent along my neck leaving a wet trail in their path.

It's amazing how this man can reduce me to a panting mess with just one kiss.

“Why?Dontcha want to be mine?” he whispers against the sensitive skin of the juncture between the neck and collarbone, “Would ya like someone else?Maybe Shane?”

His mouth doesn't stop, slowly moving up until it stops in that small portion of skin behind my ear and then lightly scratches my lobe with his teeth.

This time I can't stop the smirk that presses against my lips.

“Are you jealous, big boy?”

Daryl snorts as his lips resume their journey across my skin.

“Wan’ me to ask ya?Like with some official bullshit?”

I shake my head no at his question, trembling under the sweet torture of his lips which finally stop their race at the corner of mine.

“Ya mine?”

Unable to find my voice I just nod.

“Words, sunshine”

His words are followed by his fingers gripping my hips tightly.

His lips still at the corner of mine.

It's a sweet torture.

“I'm yours”

How could I not be his as his mouth tastes everything it can reach.

How could I not be his as his fingers dig furrows into my skin, burning in their wake like molten lava.

Every inch of my body belongs to him.

Every single piece of my soul belongs to him.

“Good” the man murmurs with his lips pressed against mine, “Good.’Cause I hate sharing”

Another sweet bite on my upper lip and then his tongue takes possession of my mouth again but this time with more sweetness, more calmly, as if he wanted to enjoy every moment to the fullest, aware that maybe we won't have any more moments so only for us.

When the archer's mouth moves away from mine I find myself panting heavily.

All hot and bothered.

Shit!

I smile like an idiot as I look at his beautiful face.

With the tip of my finger I trace the line of his nose and then slowly go down and caress the mole above his lips.

My hand moves slowly, as if dancing to the rhythm of an ancient melody.

The soft and irregular beard under my fingers is an invitation to tenderness.

His face is a mosaic of lived stories, tears and pain.

His blue eyes, deep like the stormy sea, capture me and drag me into a vortex of emotions.

Around his eyes his skin is furrowed by a few small wrinkles, now more relaxed than when he is out in the world, with that frown that often makes him appear older than he really is.

Running my fingers around them I can feel every little roughness, every sign of time, and yet I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Moving down, I trace the outline of his lips with the tip of my finger, tracing a path of love that has gone through storms.

The man closes his eyes, as if he wanted to imprint every detail in his memory.

His breathing is calm and regular but I know that beneath this apparent calm there are oceans of feelings hidden.

His cheeks are warm under my touch.

Suddenly a realization hits me.

I never asked him how old he is.

No that this would make any difference after all.

I'm just curious.

“Daryl?” I ask in a whisper, afraid of interrupting the magic that surrounds us.

“Wha’?” he breathes towards my lips without opening his eyes.

“I was wondering...how old are you?”

I immediately regretting it when I feel him stiffen under my touch.

I remain silent, holding my breath for fear of saying something wrong.

After a few moments the man's shoulders relax imperceptibly, reopening his eyes and gracing me again with their splendor.

“Does it matter?”

“No” I reply with conviction and without giving him time to dwell on it too much I grab his face in my hands kissing him again.

This time I'm in charge and I try to dominate.

Daryl lets me take control.

With my tongue I trace the boundaries of his lips silently asking for permission.

I would never do anything to make him feel uncomfortable.

And so, erasing all my fears, he opens his lips allowing me to feast on his mouth.

Pressing my knees against the hard ground I push myself further against his body, I press myself with so much force against him that it is difficult to understand where I begin and where he ends.

A tangle of limbs, tongues and souls.

Something sublime that goes beyond mere physical pleasure.

It is a communion of souls, of kindred spirits.

The famous two halves of the same apple.

Timidly my hands descend along his broad and rocky chest until they find the hem of his shirt, a border that I overcome putting my hands under it.

The skin of his abdomen is like velvet covering the steel that is his muscles.

From the defined abdomen I move up towards his pectorals where I find defined muscles that welcome me flicking under my touch.

Daryl moans into my mouth as one of his hands grips the back of my neck forcefully while the other hand rests on the crown of my head, grabbing a fistfuls of hair between his fingers, pulling it forcefully.

I moan back.

With our lips locked together we swallow each other's moans, welcoming them as a thirsty person would welcome a sip of fresh water.

We part ways only when the need for oxygen becomes more burning than our passion.

Daryl brushes the tip of my nose with his and then his forehead rests on mine.

In a gesture that now comes naturally to him.

Almost domestic.

“’M old” he whispers, taking me by surprise.

I move away looking for his eyes who promptly denies me.

“Daryl” I call him softly, a note of pleading envelops the syllables of his name and his eyes shyly return to mine, revealing to me a labyrinth of doubts, an intricate path in which every step is uncertain and every crossroads hides a choice difficult for him.

“You're not old.How old do you think I am?” I giggle, kissing the tip of his nose.

Daryl shrugs.

“Dunno.Maybe, twenty?”

I wrinkle my nose smiling.

“Twenty-four.Almost twenty-five.I don't think you're much older than me.And if you don't want to tell me, I don't care.It wouldn't change anything for me.I don't care how old you are, big boy”

I stroke his hair again trying to convey the truth into my words and gestures.

I don't care about his age.

It's enough for me that he's here, with me.

And that he considers me his.

That's all I want.

His eyes carefully examine my expression looking for some hidden lie and I let him do it because I'm sure he won't find any.

He brings his lips closer again, slowly rubbing them against mine, letting me get drunk on the essence of his breath which delicately breaks on my face.

“Thirty-five”

His words are so whispered that if there had been a stronger gust of wind at that moment they would have flown away and I would have lost them.

His eyes don't leave mine probing my reaction to his revelation.

Maintaining my composure I wink in his direction earning a raise of his left eyebrow in response.

“Wha’?” he asks.

My smile widens into a grin.

“I like old men.I think it's because of my daddy's issues.This would make sense…I don't know” I blather, gesturing frantically with my hands in front of his face.

The archer looks at me with confusion written all over his face.

“Sunshine, ya know tha’ I didn't understand anything of wha’ ya said, ya know tha’, righ’?”

I laugh, throwing my head back and placing my fingers behind his neck.

“You're lucky you're cute, my big boy”

“’M yours?”

He promptly replies to my statement, his sly eyes hide an infinite sweetness.

I bite my bottom lip between my teeth as I squint at him from under my lashes.

“Don't you like the idea?” I whisper languidly with my lips brushing his earlobe.

Without waiting for his response I grab it between my teeth and then suck it.

And the sound Daryl gives me makes every inch of my body crawl.

It is a sound between a moan and a whine.

But before I have the chance to delve deeper into this sweet sound, the sound of footsteps resonates loudly and decisively on the grass outside the tent.

Immediately every excitement dies bringing me to the harsh reality.

Time has come.

I lift myself from Daryl's lap, my knees creaking in protest at the prolonged position they've assumed.

I leave the tent without saying a word while Daryl follows me closely, positioning himself at my side with his arms crossed over his chest waiting for the two men to reach us.

When Shane and Rick pass us, Rick nods towards the barn.

Sighing deeply, I walk behind the two friends but a steel grip around my wrist prevents me from doing so.

“Ya sure?”

The archer asks for the umpteenth time.

And I nod for the umpteenth time.

But despite this, the grip around my wrist does not loosen, on the contrary, it tightens as the man forcefully pulls me against his chest.

I cast a quick glance towards the barn where Rick and Shane are about to cross the threshold.

I look back at Daryl as his face gently drops towards mine.

Just a breath from my lips he whispers three simple words.

Three simple words that have the power to make me go weak in the knees.

“’M yours too”

I smile again and standing on my tiptoe I kiss him for the umpteenth time.

It is a moment suspended in time, an instant in which everything else fades away.

I wish I could stop the world, stay here forever wrapped in his warm embrace.

Words are superfluous, because our souls are already communicating through this delicate contact.

Right here, between the folds of his beard and the deep gaze of his blue eyes, I know I have finally found my home.

In the silent cold of the barn Daryl grabs Randall by the arm, yanking him to stay upright.

The boy whimpers begging us to let him go, not to kill him.

The dim moonlight illuminates his pale face and frightened eyes.

Each of his tears reduces my heart to a mass of nothingness.

Seeing this poor young boy cry and beg for his life destabilizes me more than I thought it would.

I feel my knees wobble, my breath catching in my throat as I try to tame the shaking of my hands.

I hug my mid section trying not to shatter in front of my friends.

Rick slowly joins Daryl while the trembling boy kneels on the ground after the calm but peremptory order from the former officer.

I am aware that I myself agreed to be here but now, as Rick loads the gun, I feel the anguish and horror suffocating me.

I know this is necessary for us, for our safety, but my mind and my heart are in conflict.

Randall's eyes beg for mercy.

He is just a boy, with a life, with stories and perhaps many regrets.

I close my eyes trying to block the image.

But I can't.

Horror and sadness surround me like a suffocating cloak.

The weight of this choice will remain with me forever.

Shane at my side nudges my arm gently with his elbow.

Grateful for this distraction I turn my gaze full of desperation towards his face.

“You can go” he whispers so that only I can hear him.

I shake my head no, thanking him with my eyes for the humanity he is showing me.

He nods once, leaving my side to reach Randall and blindfold him, trying to silence him with the same delicate note of voice that he had addressed to me a few moments ago.

As absurd as it may seem, even Shane finds himself feeling a minimum of pity for this poor boy whose only fault is having found himself with the wrong people at the wrong time.

Daryl moves nervously but his gaze shows no sign of weakness, no second thoughts, but the moment his gaze meets mine something cracks him.

Something that makes him come closer to me and wrap his arm around my shoulders.

His large, warm hand rests on the crown of my head, guiding it to his shoulder.

His lips caress my hair, I don't know if in an attempt to console me or to ease the turmoil inside his heart.

Peering over at Rick I see him nod briefly at Shane and then bring his gaze to Daryl and me.

In his tired eyes there is all the pain a man can feel.

Because one thing is kill to defend yourself and another thing is to execute someone for your own gain.

I would never want to be in his shoes now but I certainly won't leave him alone in this fucking shit.

So, as a lone tear rolls down my face, I nod in response.

Rick returns his gaze to the boy kneeling in front of him.

“Do you have any final words?” he asks, triggering an uncontrollable cry in the boy who, trembling like a leaf shaken by the wind, whispers only a weak please don't, immediately suffocated by whines of pure terror.

My heart beats so violently that it echoes in my ears.

The gun is ready, cold and inexorably pointed towards the boy's forehead.

The sound of the bullet being loaded into the barrel of the gun makes me jump, Daryl tightening his grip around my shoulders.

“Do It, dad.Do it”

Carl's voice tears us out of our bubble.

Rick gasps, immediately shifting his gaze to his son standing on the threshold of the door.

Shane immediately abandons his position to reach Carl, scolding him harshly and grabbing his arm he drags him out.

Rick seems torn by his own feelings and his stormy gaze returns to rest on us.

Then he lowers the gun and turns to Daryl whispering “Tie him”

The archer does as he is ordered and this triggers a nervous reaction from Shane who, slamming his hand against the barn door, turns on his heel and disappears into the dark of the night.

I slowly approach Rick, placing my hand delicately on his forearm.

“It's ok, Rick.It's ok”

Our eyes meet again.

I try to smile at him even though I'm sure that more than a smile what came out was a sympathetic and pained look.

“Your son needs you.Go” I encourage him.

Rick nods and walks away taking Carl with him, Daryl and I follow them in silence, reaching the others gathered around the fire.

“We’re keeping him in custody, for now” begins Rick.

I look around at the tense faces of my friends.

“Where's Dale?” I ask, addressing no one in particular.

“Him and Amy are walking around checking the perimeter.I'm going to look for them and tell them the news” Andrea replies, offering me a shy smile.

I nod without saying anything else.

Carol watches me from afar.

A shaky sigh slips from my lips, immediately catching Daryl's attention.

“Wha’?” he asks me, coming closer and looking for my gaze.

“I need to talk to Carol.Apologize to her, you understand?”

He nods reassuringly and leaving a delicate kiss on my forehead encourages me to go to our friend.

With an uncertain step I reach her and sit next to her on the cold ground.

The fire crackles happily in front of our eyes.

I made an unforgivable mistake by hurting with sharp and senseless words the only person who doesn't deserve it.

“I thought a lot about the words I said to you” I whisper with a lump in my throat, “I don't know what happened to me.I was angry.I'm ashamed of myself.I'm really sorry.I swear that I will do anything to make it up to you, anything to make you understand that I am truly sorry for the horrible words I said to you”

My river of hasty apologies is interrupted by my friend's hand which delicately rests on my hands clasped in my lap.

“You have nothing to make up for, Summer”

I shake my head as if to dismiss her words.

It's not true.

With my behavior I hurt everyone, especially her.

The one person who didn't deserve it.

I didn't care about her pain, I was selfish.

Yet Carol is here, next to me.

She is ready to forgive me.

The tears begin to flow timidly as I rest my head against her shoulder, searching for that consolation that was offered to me and which I denied.

Not wanting it, not feeling adequate to receive it.

But everything changes quickly.

A scream pierces the silence.

A desperate scream, full of terror.

Then a shot.

More screams.

I jump up, my heart in my throat and my heartbeat racing madly in my ears.

Without even seeking the gaze of the others I launch myself into a desperate run using the screams carried by the wind as if they were a compass, orienting myself in the dark night.

My legs burn as my breath rasps my dry throat, but the adrenaline keeps me going.

Behind me I can hear more heavy footsteps.

His unmistakable breathing.

Daryl.

Reaching the edge of the woods, what I find in front of me freezes my blood in my veins.

Amy is struggling with all her might to keep a walker away from her face.

The girl lies on the ground, her limbs moving frantically as she screams and tries to defend herself.

Daryl passes me, lunging towards the girl.

Recovering from my moment of confusion I continue my run but my feet trip on something sending me to the ground.

I try to cushion the fall by putting my hands forward but the impact is equally violent, capable of tearing the air from my lungs with a hiss.

Trying to stay clear, I immediately get back on my feet, grabbing my knife from its holster and slowly walking towards the point where my feet lost their grip on the ground.

It could be another walker but to my surprise it's Dale.

The man lies supine on the ground.

Putting the knife back in its place, I kneel down, placing a hand on the man's neck, searching with my trembling fingers for his pulse.

And thank goodness I find it but my fingers get damp.

Behind me, Amy's agonized scream pierces the night and Daryl begins to scream for help, urging the others to reach them.

My heart tells me to go to him but I can't leave Dale, not before making sure he's okay.

I gently run a hand behind his neck, where a thick liquid flows between my fingers.

“Dale?C'mon man”

I shake him delicately and after a few moments his eyelids flicker, opening and revealing a haunted look.

“Amy…Amy…”

The man whispers agitatedly, coughing.

With effort I help him sit down again.

His eyes travel from one side of the field to the other as if he expects to be attacked at any moment.

“Dale.Dale it's over.Stay calm” I reassure him but my words are drowned out by Andrea's scream.

A scream full of pain and desperation.

And I understand.

Amy.

We're late.

Dale forcefully avoids my hand and staggers dangerously when he reaches the others.

I followed him, already knowing what I would find.

Lying on the cold, bare ground, Amy gurgles meaningless words while her insides glisten with thick dark blood from her totally torn abdomen.

Rick yells to go get Hersel.

But even if the old doctor tried hard there would be nothing that could be done.

The sweet Amy is slowly dying in front of our eyes.

Her sister kneels next to her, crying desperately while her fingers move delicately through her hair, whispering sweet words of love and comfort.

Don't give up.

Hold on.

I'll not leave you.

Many small and painful goodbyes whispered by the trembling and desperate lips of the woman.

Daryl stands still with his knees sunk into the cold ground, his eyes full of pain and guilt.

Yet another victim that he failed to save.

Yet another family member that this world is taking away from him.

Hersel comes running in followed by Maggie and Glenn.

And the moment the vet's eyes stop on the girl on the ground it is clear as day that there is nothing left to do.

A sob shakes my chest.

We have lost another person.

The acrid smell of death fills my nostrils.

In this new world ruled by walkers I tried to close my heart.

I have seen many, too many, people die and yet every time a face fades away, the pain hits me like a punch in the stomach.

Amy's blood flows, staining the ground below, glistening macabrely under the silvery moonlight.

Cries and sobs pass through my ears.

Rick's scream of rage fills my spine with shivers.

Letting my arms fall lifeless to my sides I notice all the people surrounding me and with a trembling step I approach Amy, stopping right behind Andrea.

Shane next to me offers me a look full of anger and pain and in a completely spontaneous gesture I tighten my fingers around his strong upper arm, demonstrating my closeness to him in this terrible moment that has shaken everyone's hearts.

The roars of her pain hurt.

Amy is in pain.

Poor little girl.

The painful moans and whines that roll from her lips are a stab to my heart.

Every gasp, every gurgle, every whine only increases the anger.

The frustration.

The impotence.

“She's suffering.Do something” Carol whispers through her tears, begging anyone to put an end to this havoc.

Shane next to me moves, pulling out his gun and when the sharp noise of the bullet loaded into the barrel resonates in the air Andrea raises her head abruptly, interposing her body between her sister and the man's gun.

“Andrea” the man murmurs, “She's in pain.We must give her a dignified death”

Andrea, with a look full of anger, gets up and with an unexpected move grabs the man's gun, ripping it from his grip.

Shane takes a step in her direction but I quickly stop him by wrapping my fingers around his wrist.

His eyes move quickly between my grip and my face.

I shake my head no slowly.

Shane seems to think about it by taking a step back and letting Andrea decide what is best to do.

It's right that she makes the choice.

“She's my little sister.I'll take care of her”

The woman's words are decisive.

No tremor in her voice.

The resolve in her eyes is icy as she turns to her adored and beloved sister.

With a firm hand she raises the gun pointing it towards Amy's forehead who is now breathing heavily while with an imperceptible nod of her head she makes it clear that she's okay with it.

“I love you, Amy” whispers Andrea.

The words wrapped in infinite love hover lightly in the air, dispersing among the stars.

I squeeze my eyes shut, holding my hands to my ears, but this isn't enough to cut out the reverberation of the shot that makes the depths of my soul vibrate.

We find ourselves in a distorted world, where life and death are intertwined in a dark embrace.

Despite the eyelids closed, behind them the scene repeats itself in an infinite loop.

Amy.

A young woman, once alive and vibrant, brutally devoured by one of those rotten, disgusting beings.

Beings who in turn were human beings with a life, with dreams.

Her poor body torn from her, her insides exposed, her scared look slowly fading away.

I feel paralyzed with horror.

My heart beats wildly in my chest, as if it wants to break through my rib cage to escape this ominous reality.

Anger envelops me, making me tremble, my hands closed in two trembling fists, an impotent rage against the injustice of it all.

Why?

Why Amy?

Why the walkers?

Why has life become so cruel?

The pain clouds my mind.

The pain for the young woman, for Andrea, for everything that was torn away in an instant.

The pain for the fragility of human life, for its ephemeral beauty.

Anger at a plague so devastating that it erases everything.

I just want to scream but my voice is lost in the depths of my dark mind.

Defeat envelops me, its claws planted ferociously in my heart.

I have seen death in the face, I know there is no escape.

No matter how bravely I fight, how much I cling to hope, death will prevail in the end.

I feel helpless, useless, like a leaf blown away by the wind.

Like someone at the mercy of a greater force.

Indestructible, unstoppable.

Only emptiness and darkness remain.

An arm wraps around my shoulders while another sneaks around the bend of my knees and a moment later someone is carrying me away in his arms.

I don't have the strength to open my eyes again but the intense smell of woods and leather under my cheek makes me understand who he is.

And this only triggers a crying fit.

Big, fat sobs shake my chest as Daryl's soft voice whispers words of comfort that vibrate through his cozy chest.

My hands grip his vest tightly.

“Ya'll be fine, my sunshine.Ya'll be fine”

And for the first time I find myself doubting the man's words.

For the first time my heart doesn't believe in Daryl Dixon.

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[biggerbetterbat]

[26] OLD MCDONALD HAD A FARM

Daryl Dixon x OC!Charlie Reed

Summary: Good days on the farm are over. The group has to decide whether they can trust Rick and do they even want to stay together.

Warnings: language, death

Song: Everybody Dies Billie Eilish

A/N: Hello ;) WE'RE OVER FARM DAYS! I can't wait to traumatize Charlie even more!!! SPOILER: From now on it's going to be just worse and worse. Also, I don't know when the next chapter will be posted - probably next Monday, but idk for sure. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I wait for your comments and likes.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" was the first thing Daryl said as they entered the farmhouse. Everyone turned to them with curious glances.

"No."

"We heard a shot." shaking Lori walked up to Dixon.

"Maybe they found Randall," said Andrea, probably trying to calm the other woman down.

"We found him," said Charlie, furrowing her brows.

"Is he back in the shed?"

"He's back to being dead." Reed snorted as leaned on a frame. She saw how people furrowed their eyebrows, not knowing what had happened in the darkness of the woods, just moments before. For them, Randall was still alive."He's a walker."

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked.

"No, the weird thing is he wasn't bit," Glenn said.

"His neck was broken," Daryl added.

"So he fought back."

"The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other," Charlie said.

"And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together." Daryl ended her deduction.

"Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane, and find out what on Earth is going on?" Lori almost begged Daryl.

She was shaking and her face was showing worry, new information probably made her even more nervous. Obviously, they were all confused about the whole situation, but it was her husband out there in the dark. Daryl had no other choice, but to nod. "You got it."

Reed wanted to go with him and help, this way would be quicker. Besides if Shane really lied to them, if he let Randall out just to kill him almost right away...there was a big problem. He had to plan all of this and that was probably the most concerning thing.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked as she saw people just standing outside on the porch. She passed them and stopped in her tracks as she saw the most terrifying picture. "Oh...shit."

"Patricia, kill the lights," Hershel ordered.

"I'll get the guns," said Andrea.

There were probably hundreds of walkers coming right at them. Charlie was sure that she peed her pants, because how the fuck they are supposed to fight them? Another question was: where they all were coming from?

"Maybe they are just passing, like a herd on the highway," Glenn asked, looking up to Daryl. "Should we just go inside?"

"No unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about," he said examining the herd of the dead and then looked at him. "A herd that size would rip the house down."

Then of course something happened and complicated things even more. Lori ran on the porch breathlessly." Carl's gone. He...he was upstairs." she breathed out. "I can't find him anymore."

"Maybe he's hiding."

"He's supposed to be upstairs," Lori said angrily. "I'm not leaving without my boy."

"We're not," Carol said and took her hands in hers to calm her down and show her support. "We're gonna look again. We're gonna find him."

Charlie rolled her eyes. How would it be any different? The thing with that kid was that he should have a guard or a band around his ankle, so he would be easy to track. Lori should watch him 24/7 even when he was asleep.

"I got the number...it's no use," said Daryl, when he saw that Andrea came back on the porch with guns and bullets, handing everyone something.

"You can go if you want." the old man said, ignoring his skepticism.

"Wait. Do you want to stay? Like...here?" Charlie asked. "You gonna take them all on?"

"We have guns. We have cars."

"Kill as many as we can, and we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them off the farm." Andrea nodded.

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked.

"This is my farm," Hershel said straightening his back. "I'll die here."

And yet again there were two options. One: go and fight. Second: run. But if she ran and left those people who helped her and she considered them friends, she would be just heartless and ungrateful. So there was just one option: don't die. She kneeled and started loading up her gun, making sure she would have bullets even in her pockets.

"Charlie?" Daryl asked as he saw her squatting.

"This is not my farm and I won't die here," she answered him, straightening and looking him in the eyes. "Because we will fight."

"All right." he nodded as if her firm eyes convinced him immediately. "It's as good a night as any."

It was chaos. The barn was suddenly set on fire, all they could hear were screams, gun sounds, and this horrible snarling that was making her hands shake. Living were mixing with the dead, so Charlie couldn't really tell if the body she was pointing was really the one she should have. Walkers were coming from the ground that's what it seemed. She was shooting them with Hershel, but there were too many, for one killed there were immediately four in its place.

"Come on!" Hershel was screaming, encouraging Walkers to come and get him.

"Where's Lori? Did you see Lori?" she heard a male voice after a shot that killed a Walker that was right behind her.

"I don't know what happened, Rick." Hershel was trying to explain. "They just keep coming. It's like a plague. They're everywhere."

"Lori!" he screamed. "Did you see her?"

"No!"

She looked back at from where the herd was coming and didn't like the really short distance that Wakers was from them."There's no time for this!" Charlie said. "We have to go!"

"Find Lori and the others." Rick nodded and killed a couple of Walkers.

"It's my farm!" Hershel protested.

"Not anymore!"

She didn't feel safe on the highway as so many bad things had happened in this exact place. Nothing really changed here even though everything had changed. They were on a farm for a week, but in times like the one they lived in it seemed forever. Charlie saw the car with supplies for Sophia and almost vanished writing Sophia stay here on the front window. Besides those nostalgic memories, the highway was too close to the farm.

"Well, where's mom?" her attention turned to Carl as he asked. "You said she would be here. We gotta go back for her."

"Carl..."

"No," he protested. "Why are we running? What are you doing? It's...it's Mom. We need to get her and not be safe a mile away."

"Shh. You need to be quiet, all right? Please."

"Please...It's Mom." a boy tried to convince his dad.

"Look, Carl, listen..."

She was looking at angry Carl walking away from them. Rick looked at her and she just shrugged with her shoulders not knowing what he expected from her. He saved her ass as well Hershel's, but there was no possibility that she would be running after somebody's son- it was not her job. There was tension between them since their talk back on the farm, so her being stuck with Grimes was kind of ironic. Charlie didn't have to say she was grateful, it was obvious. Let's not even begin why they were in this place to begin with...

"Rick." Hershel captured their attention. "You've got to get your boy to safety. I'll wait here for my girls and the others. I know a few places. We'll meet up at one of them later."

"Where?" Charlie snapped. "Where is safe?"

"We're not splitting up," Rick said in a firm tone, ignoring her question.

"Please. Keep your boy safe." Hershel said. "I'll hide in one of the cars. If a walker gets me, so be it. I've lost my farm. I've lost my wife and maybe my daughters."

"You don't know that." Rick spat. "They'll be here."

"And you don't know that." Charlie rolled her eyes at Grimes.

"I know, Charlie. You're a man of God, Hershel." he snapped at the older man. "Have some faith."

God...

Was it even right to talk about Him in a time like this? It felt wrong that He would have let anything like that happen, considering the belief that there's an afterlife. Charlie never thought about this before and now that she did it even more made her stick to the belief that it was pointless to waste time.

"I can't profess to understand God's plan, but Christ promised the resurrection of the dead," Hershel said. "I just thought he had something a little different in mind."

"We stick together," Rick said a little less harshly, looking at Charlie and then at Hershel.

When he saw Rick and Hershel, he felt that a heavy stone just dropped from his heart. He could stop worrying about everyone he had under his wings and just come back to being...well, no one really. It felt good to see that Carl was alright and his reuniting with Lori was something he wished Carol had back on the farm.

"Where'd you find everyone?" asked Rick.

"Well, those guys' tail lights zigzagging all over the road..." he pointed at Glenn. "Figured he had to be Asian, driving like that."

"Good one." Glenn nodded and chuckled.

Daryl looked around, looking for a girl that should be here already, hugging her best friend. Charlie was nowhere to be seen though. She wasn't near Greenes, she wasn't with Glenn, and he couldn't even see her scoffing face, leaning on one of the cars. "Where's the rest of us?"

"We're the only ones who made it so far," said Rick cluelessly.

His heart dropped and he felt the urge to throw up. Did they leave Charlie on the farm and let her die? No...she was a fighter. She definitely was alive somewhere...Was she? She expressed her want to die, so maybe she just got overwhelmed but the herd and gave up. That thought just made his knees weak.

"Shane?" asked Lori, but her face fell as Rick shook his head.

"Andrea?"

"Andrea saved me, then I lost her," Carol said.

"We saw her go down," added T-Dog.

"Patricia?" asked Hershel.

"They got her too," the blond girl who tried to kill herself said. "Took her right in front of me. I was...I was holding onto her, Daddy." she cried. "What about Jimmy?"

"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Rick said.

"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked.

"There were Walkers everywhere," Lori said.

"But did you see her?"

Daryl didn't want to think about what had happened to Charlie and that's why he didn't ask. He didn't see her here, so it was obvious she was dead, but there still was the smallest hope that she was on the farm. She was a hard one, she was probably hiding somewhere, just waiting for Walkers to pass by. "I'm gonna go back."

"No," Rick said.

"We can't just leave her," Daryl said, but by her he meant Charlie.

"We don't even know if she's there."

"She isn't. She's somewhere else or she's dead." Rick answered. "There's no way to find her."

"So we're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn asked.

"We gotta keep moving," Rick said. "There have been walkers crawling all over here."

To confirm those words Daryl shot a Walker that was snarling, slowly coming towards them.

"Charlie. And where's Charlie? Where is she?" Glenn asked frantically as if remembering that she wasn't around. "If she's on the farm, we have to go back. I won't leave Charlie."

Daryl wanted to nod his head and just go back to the farm. There was no way he would leave her either. She was the only good thing that was left in his life and he knew that, he was sure of that. From the moment he met her, Charlie was the first person who didn't look at him as if he was a bad person - even though at the beginning he was and he knew that she probably thought so.

"Charlie's okay," said Rick. "She walked that way."

"And how's that okay?!" Glenn asked with anger. "This place is full of Walkers you said it yourself !"

"That's why we have to stay off the main roads," said Daryl, getting ready to follow Charlie. "The bigger the road, the more walkers," he said. "I go get Charlie and we can go."

Glenn was looking at him stunned because he was still surprised that something was behind him and he wasn't prepared for Daryl just informing everyone that he would be the one to look for Charlie.

He saw her almost immediately after he passed Hershel and his daughters. But he fastened his steps as he heard her scream and right after that she was stabbing some girl on the billboard in the face. Daryl had to really come close to realize that the girl was what he supposed would be her before. In the photo she was wearing makeup, her nails were in a red color, she was wearing a tight dress and there was a lot of shiny jewelry on her. The only thing that stayed the same was her smile- which in the photo seemed a little fake.

"Hey, hey, hey." she heard and then she felt a strong pair of arms around her, gripping her tightly. "Shh."

She heard his motorcycle and something like Glenn's voice, and her first thought was to just get up and run toward them, but then she realized that she would have to face the fact of who was left on the farm. She would have to see who's not that lucky and died. But she didn't expect Daryl to be the one to look for her and hug her as tight as he was right now.

"It's all right," he said, bringing her down to the ground. "It's all fine now."

"Nothing is fine!" she screamed trying to push him away. "All those people are dead! The farm is gone! Winter is coming and we have no place to stay, no supplies! How is it fine?!

"Hey. Shhh. We're alive." he tried to calm her down.

"And that's the problem." she said."You see her?"

Daryl looked up.

"She's a dumb bitch that was worried about fucking gluten!" she yelled. "She got her family killed! She got a lot of people killed because she lied to them! And she's a dumb fucking bitch that can't even die!"

Daryl hugged her. He wanted to take all of her pain like a sponge, so she wouldn't feel so miserable anymore. She blamed herself for everything that had happened as if there was a force that wanted to punish her for past mistakes. He couldn't care less about what she was saying about killing her family and some people, because in that moment he just wished she could see herself through his eyes.

The car stopped and Rick was out of it, anger radiating through all pores of his skin. Shortly everyone was leaving their vehicles in the middle of the road that was in the middle of nowhere. They were in the woods, not safer one bit than they were on the highway. Daryl looked back at the former cop from his motorcycle."You out?"

"Running on fumes."

"We can't stay here," Maggie said.

"We can't fit in one car." Glenn shook his head.

"We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning," Rick announced.

"Spend the night here?" Carol furrowed her brows, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her body.

"I'm freezing," Carl said, shaking.

Rick was already on the way, taking his jacket off, while Lori was rubbing her son's arm."We'll build the fire, yeah?"

"You go out looking for firewood, stay close," said Daryl. "Only got so many arrows. How are you doing on ammo?"

"Not enough." answered angry Rick.

Something felt off with Grimes. When they all met him, he was officer-friendly and now he was just different. Rick was their rock. He was calm and always was ready to listen to their problems. He was probably tired, cold, and hungry, but they all were, so the reason must have been different. Charlie could sense that any question would end up with a snappy answer in an angry voice.

"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out," commented Maggie.

"Watch your mouth." Hershel scolded her. "Everybody stop panicking and listen to Rick."

"All right, we'll set up a perimeter," Rick said. "In the morning, we'll find has and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on."

"Glenn and I can go make a run now, try to scrounge up some gas," announced Maggie.

"No, we stay together." he protested. "God forbid something happens and people get stranded without a car."

"Rick, we're stranded now." Glenn tried to reason.

"I know it looks bad, we've been through hell and worse, but at least we found each other," he said. "I wasn't sure...I really wasn't...But we did. We're together. We keep it that way." he looked around at everyone's faces and then he tightened his teeth. "We'll find shelter somewhere. There's gotta be a place."

"Rick, look around. Okay?" Rhee stepped to Grimes. "There's walkers everywhere. They're migrating or something."

"There's gotta be a place not just where we hole up, but that we fortify, hunker down, pull ourselves together, build a life for each other," he said with a much more nervous tone, trying to persuade Glenn. "I know it's out there. We just have to find it!"

"Even if we do find a place and we think it's safe, we can never be sure. For how long?" Charlie asked. Even though she completely agreed with Grimes about staying together, she had to say what she was thinking. "The quarry. The CDC. Look what happened with the farm. We fooled ourselves into thinking that that was safe."

"We won't make that mistake again." Hershel tried to calm the situation down.

But Rick seemed not even listening to her words as he pointed to some walls near them. "We'll make camp tonight over there, get on the road at the break of day."

"What if Walkers come through, or another group like Randall's?" asked scared Beth.

Charlie felt a pair of eyes on her, so she looked up and was met with Daryl's blue ones. She nodded her head slightly, encouraging him to ask the question. "You know we found Randall, right?

"He had turned, but he wasn't bit," Charlie said and saw how Rick was looking down, turning his head away.

"How's that possible?" Beth asked.

"Rick, what the hell happened?" Lori furrowed her eyebrows.

"Shane killed Randall," Daryl answered her as Rick was still quiet.

"Just like he always wanted to, right?" Charlie raised her brow.

"And then the herd got him?" Lori asked her husband, expecting whatever explanation he had.

Charlie was looking at him, like everyone right now. He was thinking hard about his answer, weighing words, so he wouldn't say something that wouldn't be right. He was thinking so intensely, that a wrinkle was created between his brows. "We're all infected."

Bomb.

Just bomb. He dropped the strongest artillery he owned in the least favorable moment. They lost people, they lost place to stay and now they were all carrying the virus? Charlie wanted to sit and cry at this point because the day was getting harder and harder.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"At the CDC, Jenner told me," he said. "Whatever it is, we all carry it."

"And you never said anything?" Carol said.

"Would it have made a difference?" Rick asked.

"You knew this whole time?" Glenn asked.

"How could I have known for sure?" he turned to the Asian, pointing a finger. "You saw how crazy that mo..."

"This isn't your call." Rhee interrupted him. "Okay, when I found out about the walkers in the barn, I told, for the good of everyone."

"Well, I thought it best that people didn't know."

It was the coldest she was in forever. A small fire was doing nothing, but they had to keep the fire low. Charlie wanted to be alone, not that she had anyone to sit with. Glenn was sitting next to Maggie and Hershel, who was hugging Beth. Carol was with Daryl and Lori was rubbing her son's back. Most of them were planning on leaving Rick because they thought he was their worst enemy now. Even Lori was mad at him for something.

What was Charlie thinking? She was with Daryl - or at least she agreed with what he said to Carol. Rick was an honorable man, who pulled them out of the deepest shit. Even though he was different lately and something was clearly bothering him, she would stay with Grimes. From the very beginning, he was doing whatever he could to protect them. He was running around trying to find Sophia, he was trying to convince Hershel to let them stay. So even though she was feeling reserved towards him, she wouldn't leave just because he made a decision for them.

"What was that?" Beth asked as they all heard rustling nearby.

"Could be anything," Daryl answered, getting up. "Could be a raccoon, could be a possum."

"Walker." Glenn furrowed his eyebrows.

"We need to leave." Carol panicked, looking around. "What are we waiting for?"

"Which way?" Glenn nodded.

"It came from over there," said Maggie, her gun ready. "Back from where we came."

"The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark," said Charlie, who was still sitting in her place, near the fire. "We don't have the vehicles. No one's traveling on foot."

"Don't panic." Hershel nodded.

"I'm not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through," answered Maggie, turning to Rick. "We need to move, now."

"No one is going anywhere." the cop said in a stern voice.

"Do something," Carol said.

"I am doing something!" he snapped at her. "I'm keeping this group together, alive! I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake!" he yelled and Charlie looked up at him and stood up. She didn't feel sad or devastated, she was just shocked and in awe that he did this. It was unexpected and it felt strange that he was no longer with them. "You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing and led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice. He was my friend, but he came after me. My hands are clean." he tried to explain himself. "Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe...maybe it's another pipe dream. Maybe...maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you...why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard! Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get." he said, but there was no answer to his words. People seemed to be afraid to breathe. "No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight...You're staying...this isn't a democracy anymore."

After Rick walked away, she sat back down and wrapped her arms around her knees that were up to her chin. That way she wanted to keep herself warm and stop the waves of cold shaking her body. It was an intense night and day, but she couldn't sleep, too afraid to close her eyes. She tried to make up her mind, everything that happened was still chaos in her head.

"Amy...Jim...Jacquie...Sophia..." she whispered, thinking who was gone next. "Shane...Jimmy...Patricia...Andrea. Amy, Jim, Jacquie...Sophia, Shane, Jimmy, Patricia, Andrea. Amy, Jim, Jacquie, Sophia..."

"What are you doing?" Daryl asked and he sat up.

"I can't sleep," she whispered.

"You cold?" he asked as he saw a shiver running down her body. Daryl stood up and quietly he closed the distance between them. He sat down and then as if testing the waters he placed his hand on her arm, bringing her closer. A shiver ran through his body when he felt her body in his arms. It was comfortable to just have her like this in his embrace, keeping her warm and making sure she was okay. "Better?"

"Yes." she nodded her head, feeling her body warming just a little. Even though she wanted to just melt into him and fall asleep as she felt calm, she was making sure her body was still. "I'm sorry. That you had to calm me down. It's embarrassing."

"You don't have to be sorry," he answered.

"You probably think I'm crazy."

"I don't think you're crazy," Daryl said. "You're just a person. You're not a robot and you have a heart. It's okay to cry." he said.

"Do you cry?"

"Sometimes," he said. "Well...not recently. But good people cry."

"You don't know me, Daryl."

"I know you enough," he said. "I saw how worried you were about Sophia. I saw how hard you tried to convince Hershel to let us stay when you found out that Lori was pregnant. You were really concerned about this girl's life. And...you were worried when I got shot, not letting Andrea forget it when I'm not even worth being worried about. That's how good people do."

He looked down as he felt her head in his neck. She had her eyes closed and her breathing was regular. Her whole body weight was now on him, he sighed and pulled her closer, keeping her warm and feeling relieved that she still was here with him.

previous masterlist next

[angelthefirst1]

Gone 102 - main takeaways.

Besides the connection to Beth being just GONE.

The other MASSIVE takeaway for me in this episode is the symbolic fulfilment of Christ ✝️ being found or returning...

Christ... is that him? ✝️

Michonne nods. Yes...

Rick becomes Beth as the Christ figure. He is part of the CRM or Trinity (God)

If Rick came back with the fulfillment of coming/returning Christ symbolism, then so will Beth they are one and the same in many ways.

The writers seem to be using both of them to portray the first and second comings of Christ.

Beginning to end.

I'm seeing a portrayal of the Old Testament to a degree by showing Rick symbolically as the first coming of Christ who came to die in order to fulfill the law.

The Old Testament (the 10 commandments specifically) is known as the law.

I've gotta say, seeing the symbolism, I'm worried Rick might actually die at some point in order to change the CRM and bring in something new.

More symbolism from the Old Testament...

We see the literal parting of the Dead (Red) Sea 🌊

And Michonne gets knocked off her horse 🐎

The parting of the red (dead) sea is an interesting addition because for those who don't know the story, Moses leads a caravan of Israelites out of Egypt and across the red sea.

Moses used a bostaff. Michonne later lies to the CRM and tells them her weapon of choice was a bostaff.

The Egyptians come after them and get knocked of their horses 🐎 and drown in the red sea. 🌊

Later that night, Michonne talks about knowing a story well and getting knocked off her horse to Bailey and Aidan. What story? The parting of the red sea...

After the Red Sea, the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years, during which time God talked to Moses through the burning bush and he also gives Moses the 10 commandments to give to the people (also known as the law)

We have seen this Moses symbolism before in season 5 right around the time of Beth being found and then "dying." So I'm SUPER excited to be seeing it again.

When the group gets to Father Gabriel's Church in season 5, we see Carol look at the ten commandments (the law) and Michonne specifically looks at drawings depicting Moses in the river, the burning bush and the Israelites being led by Moses through the desert for 40 years. Rick like Moses was placed in the river (baby Moses was placed in a river), and God (CRM) saved him.

It's during the 40 years Moses gets given the law or commandments.

We also saw the group in season 5 desperate for water depicting the desert wandering.

Now, there was an interview back in season 5 with Andrew Lincoln (which I annoyingly can't find now), and he made a point of saying that the beard and leading the group to Alexandria safe zone (the promised land) made him feel like Moses.

Everything gets a return and we are repeating season 5 as well as season 1 mixed together.

A few more Beth and post Grady related bits...

We see the sisters (a representation of Maggie and Beth) One of whom is labelled as "Jesus Christ" and was "left behind" thought to be dead.

Nat, as a representation of Daryl, is furious as he wanted to go after Beth, after Grady (indicating she got left behind as we've always suspected) but they stopped him.

Maggie (the sister), in season 5, must have played a part in not wanting to risk more people trying to find Beth.

Nat is also a representation of beginning to end ♾️ losing and finding Beth all in this one moment.

The "dead," "left behind" sister, "Jesus Christ," returns and gets the reunion with Nat (Daryl), who is shocked to see her.

Lastly, we saw more hints at Beth's recovery post, Grady.

The group gets bombed, and luckily, there are medical supplies nearby (oxygen, a wink to Maddison from FTWD), and to recover, they stay a long time in one place...

Years have gone by, and Beth will be returning soon, because just like Rick she is (Symbolically) Jesus Christ...

Lastly, really this time...the symbolism for Rick as Christ was also seen in episode 1, we saw Rick pull the King of Hearts ❤️ card in poker, giving him a winning hand of a straight Ace high.

I talked about the poker game being a rework of Beth's "death" in the Grady hallway with Thorne as Dawn in my 101 post.

Christ is also called the King of Kings 🤴 so while they didn't give Rick the cross symbolism like Beth got at Grady. They did use a different symbol, the "King" symbolism to portray the same thing.

❤️🤴❤️♾️❤️🤴❤️

[franki-lew-yo]

The General is also Elktaur.

He is Elktaur as much as Nowhere King is. Elktaur is a bad person who’s flaws are equally divided between his two parts.

Here. I wrote a thing out months ago and have been editing it bit by bit over the course of these months to distract myself from my SSI sitch and now to get me thru our national health crisis (in my country). Read it before I eat your cat.

((content warning: horror gifs and, ab*sive relationships and self harm talk))

Part of the reason I love this story +character is because it’s such a new take on the "corrupted-now''/''meevil"-villain trope AND the "love was my motivator"-villain backstory! Usually the idea behind these kinds of tragic villains is there's a 'good side and a 'bad side' and the bad side overcomes but because their love for this ONE person is their only redeeming feature that then 'redeems' them at the last moment before death. Elktaur, and by extension his two halves, is not this.

According to Megan Dong's interview with Vortexcentral, the reason the General 'turned' on the elk is because the General’s what happens when power and privilege corrupt a person’s influence, i.e. the General got everything he wanted when he was Elktaur and is terrified of losing it or “going back”, now that he feels he is his 'best self'. - he is Arial+Aladdin but if they took a VERY dark turn - The General is the side of the Elktaur that hated being a centaur; not hated centaurs, but hated himself and valued human life more; he’s the side that outwardly dreams of glory and being a hero, and tbf, probably thinks he does care about people. The way he says “sorry kid” after stabbing Rider and tries to appeal to Mystery Woman doesn’t sound like some halfhearted, backhanded Rick Sanchez-style neg to me. They sound like the words of someone who earnestly believes they have no choice other than to do what they did. They sound like someone who believes their own lies. From everything that's shown in the show, the ''poison you [General] fed me [Woman]'' that Mysterious Woman's talking about were NOT words of gaslighting or emotional abuse, but they were still lies; they were hollow words. It doesn’t matter how many times he says he’s sowwy and how much he thinks he cares for her and the people under his command: he does not. He doesn't actually care cuz he's not willing to take the sacrifice that would actually save his people or admit even wrongdoing. Horse even outright calls him out as such, to his wife -

"He doesn’t love you. THAT is not what love looks like!"- Horse

As the General, Elktaur entrapped Mysterious Woman in a marriage and lived life as someone he wasn't. This isn’t a Rose Quartz trying to tell Greg abt her past as an abusive monarch and him telling her it doesn’t matter now; the General was ALL about living with Mysterious Woman as the human he was determined to be. He didn’t trust her. He didn’t really respect her or any of the humans who’d he’d come to rule. He wanted her love as he wanted every other vague concept of respect and was determined to keep it, but in the fullest sense, he did not truly love her back. Nowhere King is the half that earnestly loves Mysterious Woman and I think a lot of fans already know/feel that. The problem is they (and me in the past hey I'm not perfect but I'm trying to fix this) treat it like General’s inability to love is the ONLY problem and that Nowhere King’s love is ''pure'' because it’s 'honest'.

Nowhere King (and Elktaur)'s love is Not pure just because he at one point, values her. Nowhere King is possessive. “She was meant to be mine”. He’s a self-AWARE possessive bastard who wants to end the pain and I think wants her to be happy and free of him, BUT-- never forget it's the NWK’s side who outright negs Mysterious Woman for HIS failure as Elktaur:

“ You made me what I am, but it’s okay. I forgive you.” - Nowhere King, decoded meaning thru links

Much in the same way General doesn't think he's hurting others but is, I don't think NWK wants to hurt her by saying that but at this point in time he's a monster who can ONLY commit suffering, so he does, even to the one person he doesn't want to hurt. That's all he is now.

There's also the bit where -you know- when NWK can’t have her, when she tells him to get over her because his obsession with her got him into this mess; HE DOESN'T and opts to torturing humans by turning them into minotaurs and then trying to destroy EVERYTHING that isn’t her. Love not only doesn't always redeem someone it can make someone more dangerous. >> The General doesn’t care about MW to the point that when they’re separated he seems more annoyed and he tries to soften her pain by just telling her more of what she wants to hear; the Nowhere King is obsessed with her to the point of putting the weight of ending the war all on her shoulders because of his mistakes. -This, by the by, is why I structured my playlists in chronological order rather than out of sequence as Horse sees it in the show. When you see the whole story from point a to point b makes you see firsthand how Elktaur is lying to the woman he loves and slipping more bit by bit into becoming a complete monster-

The General is unselfaware, prideful, self loathing, determined to save the world while not actually CARING ABOUT ppl he hurts. He's a narcissist; The Nowhere King is self aware, cares for only ONE person, but makes her and everyone else miserable and wants to destroy everything if he can't have his way = He's a Bojack Horseman. These people are what the Elktaur, now separated, became. 

A bit I know some critics are gonna throw back at me is the part where MW says “you locked him up in the dungeon, did you think it’d have no effect?”, which, to some people, is confirmation that ALL the problems of the show happened because the General locked up and abused the Nowhere King- that if he hadn’t done that then the Nowhere King wouldn’t have become so possessive, cruel, and hateful. I object to that take. It’s not what the General did at that moment but what Nowhere King points out was the mistake Elktaur made earlier:

"We [Elktaur] made a mistake, WE [Elktaur] have to undo it!"- Nowhere King who is also Elktaur but only half of him-flonking christ- YOU GET IT

The moment when Elktaur decided to change himself at all was his first step toward evilll. He was not his worst parts yet, but he was acting upon his worst instincts the character sings about in ''Ghosts''/''Elktour Suite part 5'' - he let in his ghosts because he didn’t know any other way or any life without them; by the time the General was accustomed to living his new life as a human, he (General) probably saw the elk as the ghosts that were wearing him down while the elk, now alone, recognized that he was always better than those ghosts.

Elktaur wasn’t a bad person, or at least he was no better than Horse was shaping up to be in ep 2 and 8 of season 1 - ONCE. It's as understandable as it is selfish but what Elktaur wanted was respect: he appreciated human stuff and human culture even though he didn’t like humans themselves. He wanted understanding when humans wouldn't understand him and none of his own kind 'knew him' Jack Skellington-style. He was smitten by and then hooked on Mysterious PrincessWoman when she did the thing he always wanted and NOTICED him, and she knew her magic. Lord knows how much of a simp he'd be had he really gotten to know her - the tragedy in the actual story is he didn't. He let the ghosts in. He was too wrapped up in his own self loathing and inferiority complex that for this one moment, he made what would be the biggest mistake of his life. Not just his life, EVERYONE's lives. Anyway

this is why Elktaur 100% deserved to die and why his death was actually a HAPPY ENDING for the character.

We don't see the final look on his face when Mystery Woman stabs down but we do see him reach for the shadow of his antlers. He’s finally back together, his pain’s finally over, he wouldn’t hurt her anymore- he prolly still didn't want to die but he even says he has peace. Best of all, he got to hear what the General needed to hear and what the Nowhere King had longed to hear for so many years:

''Don't you know I would have loved you the way you were?'' - Mysterious Woman

-------------------------------------------

A lot of my sizzling hot Nowhere King (I refer the whole character; elktaur, elk/nwk, and the General as that cuz that's how I knew him for months before the finale +makes it easier) takes are rooted in my amateur horror junkieness

Already made this point but Nowhere King is a reversed-Seth Brundle: Brundlefly is horrifying because he's conflicted about, but still absolutely willing to do, what he almost does to Veronica- you can't completely blame the fly part of him any more than you can't completely blame Seth. Just as Brundlefly as a whole isn't blameless for what either side of him did, neither Elktaur's sides can't be the 'good' or 'bad' side and can't really be forgiven for either's actions - they are one in the same. NWK in particular reminds me of Frankenstein's monster from the book:

'' I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other. I may be a Hogwarts Student, but I'm also a satanist '' - The Wretch, 4 real

Maybe another reason I'm protective of my General boi getting the diss is because General reminds me of Adelaide from Us. ((major Us spoilers incoming)). There's so many ways to view Us, but me personally I just can't see Adelaide as wholey evil +uncaring like Red (the REAL Adelaide) says she is. She had a very sympathetic motiv to switch herself out as a child, given what tethered are, but also given what tethered are, knew nothing BUT that reality and how to behave. By the time she was an adult she'd realized how to love others and talk she'd realized the gravity of what she'd done as a child, buried that reality until she believed she WAS the real Adelaide at heart, and in the end she would do anything to protect the family she had and had 'earned' but was still responsible for the Tetheredpocalypse and everyone who wasn't her fam dying.

Final thoughts/TL:DR --

-In "Once Shattered Now Whole" NWK's not just reliving the memory of him cucking himself, he's remembering witnessing in real time him LYING to the woman he loves and being unable to do anything about it.

Dying with regrets IS NOT the same as a 'last minute redemption arc'- ohmayhawd get off TvTropes whydon't you?

Nowhere King/Elktaur is a war criminal and an emotional abuser but I draw the line at the insistence he doesn't genuinely love Mystery Woman. He does; genuine love doesn't make you a good person or your actions hurt any less. Want a familial example of this with a better ending and an antagonist who isn't a villain? See Encanto.

I wonder how much less hate there'd be for General if he were also voiced by Brian Stokes Mitchell. Mitchell can do a younger voice and has range- I think the inference that General is a completely different person is swayed by him having a different VA.

Yes I watched all of Centaurworld again to proof read this and wholy moley is General so much more interesting when you realize he's Elktaur AND I love all the hints to his true nature. ((when he arrives back in the camp in S2 ep 6 it first appears as though a centaur is approaching: "I know my enemies better than I do my Allies": him playfully pretending to not be who he is when he first meets Rider feels very Elktaurish to me: I HAVE MORE...))

Elktaur is the ACTUAL king of the tumblr sexymans and NOT Onceler cuz he's multiple characters at once and actually well written. Lorax 2012 could maybe be saved if Lorax DeVito had killed Oncie with his own ax but you can't have everything,can you...

[the-ghost-king]

so you shared your thoughts on tsats and i think most if not all of the points you made seemed to be criticisms (many of which i agreed with) but did you have any positive thoughts on the book? what were some moments, plot points, scenes etc etc you really liked? or maybe none at all thats fair too I guess lol

Odd one, but I liked seeing Nico cry! Personally I feel like it showed growth on his part and showed him being more vulnerable with his emotions and such, it was something I said I would like to see before the book came out and even though Nico crying was more plentiful in the book than I anticipated it was still kind of nice. I had personally hoped for a single dramatic scene where he felt like he couldn't go on, too scared to actually go to tartarus, or something where he lost Will, as the big emotional scene where he let some tears loose but I guess the few throwaway lines were nice too!

I believe I mentioned liking the hut scene as well? Something about them setting up camp there felt domestic and sweet, I liked as well Nico wanting to wake Will up to share with him his emotional state as it showed a lot of growth on Nico's part again in terms of being vulnerable, and a desire to share himself with others. I do wonder if he would have actually woken Will up if they were in a more peaceful setting and Will missing an hour of sleep wouldn't have been such a big deal in a more day to day life setting.

I thought Will and Naomi's relationship was cute and sweet from just the brief portions we got to witness of it, and I would love a short story like some of the others Rick's written about the two of them doing something. I can totally see Will growing up chilling in the tour bus or just off stage tbh. Him traveling around with her so much also makes me wonder if he was homeschooled? I like that there's some stuff to explore there I wish we would have had more of his perspective and more memories of Will, not just of his mom but of his siblings, and camp, and such. Even if there was a lot of missed potential there, and I'm not super in love with the direction they took Will's character (and even less pleased with the fact it doesn't line up with previous arcs of his) I do like the little snippets of the life he has lived that we got to see.

Another thing I can say I did like about Will's characterization was the choice to be really explicit in him having SAD. I always have headcannoned Will to have depression and anxiety and I've considered over the years if he has OCD or not too, and even though I never particularly headcannoned him having SAD specifically it was still nice to see mental health discussed, especially a specific form of depression that can be less often talked about.

I liked the brief bits of Maria we got to see and hear about as well (except for the end scene with Hades, I'll be honest, I didn't care for that one) and I wish we would have gotten a deeper look into Nico's past, though I've always wished for that.

And while I didn't necessarily care for the way they bonded entirely, I do think Will and Persephone could have a cute son-in-law/mother-in-law relationship. To me it's similar to the way people talked about Nico and Apollo getting along well, though maybe Apollo seemed a little too interested in Nico at points, but I could see in the future playing around again with the idea of those Underworld family reunion dinners Hades probably (definitely) hosts and Will being able to come along and him and Persephone walking in the gardens after or something along those lines.

I liked as well when Will sang to open Orpheus's entrance to the underworld that those little flowers bloomed 1) because I'm in love with the idea that Will is very over powered and either doesn't know it or doesn't care and 2) I thought about Orpheus and his (sometimes) stated ability to beckon plants towards him when he sang and I think it would again add a layer to Will's abilities that would be nice! I've always thought it would be cool for the infirmary to have planters or a garden nearby full of medicinal things and it could be kind of neat to connect those abilities together in Will. I'm also just in love with the fact that Will has all these weird nontraditional abilities from Apollo sort of hodgepodged together in himself, the mismatch nature of it feels extra Apollo to me as so much of what Apollo sees to is a miscellaneous assortment.

There's some other smaller things, and I'm sure I'll find some additional enjoyment in my reread but those are some of my highlights for now!

[bloody-frank]

Can you write a fic where Shane Walsh has a crush on reader and ends up relieving her(your choice could be fingering,fucking idc) and makes her squirt?

"stress relief" - shane walsh x f!reader

summary: shane notices how stressed you are and helps by fucking you during a supply run :)

warnings: dom!shane, rough sex, choking, squirt, walkers, anger.

words: 1542

note: thank you for the request, it’s my first one! i really liked it, i miss shane so much :(

your stomach rumbles as you clean your gun, bored and nervous; you've been looking for food on the supply runs for days, but you haven't found anything edible.

the environment in the group is tense, there are some fights lately with rick and the others, and hunger doesn't help. you feel pretty useless, and you think about how you can help. you have no close friends, you are silent but you have always been available to the group and everyone appreciates it.

almost everyone tends to ignore you: daryl is always hunting and grumpy with others, rick is often busy; there is a man, shane, who tends to be on his own.

you have seen him oppose decisions, argue, and you don't know him well but you respect his determination, he knows his stuff; sometimes, when you are near the fire, at night and alone, he sits next to you but he doesn't say anything, he just looks at you, thinking.

during the missions, you get along well, you have the same survival strategy and you are both good with weapons, but beyond the few words and the looks, there was nothing else. he's older than you, certainly at least ten years old, but you've always found him interesting... and cute.

trying to make yourself useful, you take the last two fish, caught yesterday by shane with a makeshift fishing rod, and put them on branches to cook them on the fire. lost in your thoughts, you do not realize that you have placed them too close to the flames and after a few minutes they catch fire.

"fuck! no!!"

you swear, angry, the last food gone to waste. everyone stops what they are doing, they looks at you, understanding the accident but pissed off about the food. you kick a nearby log to let off steam, you made the situation worse.

You run your hands on your forehead trying to compose yourself, shane looks at you seriously, maybe you seem to see concern in his eyes.

"I'm going to look for food." you say taking the car keys.

"alone it's dangerous, and it's late, soon it will be dark" rick approaches you, sighing.

"you're not my fucking father rick, don't treat me like a child."

you say too coldly, you are not mad at rick with you feel like your head is going to explode.

rick looks at you sadly, but he nods, and you enter the car in the driver seat; while you turn the key, the door of the car gets opened and shane sits on the passenger seat.

"what are you doing?"

you ask him annoyed, tired, you don't even want to talk.

"i'm coming with you. -before you can reply, he looks at you darkly- i have things to do, i'm not coming to be your god-damn babysitter."

you sigh, starting to drive the car to some places that have not been checked yet on your run supplies.

the trip is silent, your hands hold the steering wheel tightly, you feel so many emotions inside you that they would like to go out but you hate showing yourself vulnerable, so you just drive staring at the road.

shane looks like he's having fun, with a little smirk on his face.

"what the fuck is wrong with you? do you think i'm funny? that this is funny?"

you almost yell, even if you don't want to; he keeps looking at you, he runs a finger on his lower lip.

he shrugs, smiling.

"i like when you're mad."

you look at him confused, not understanding, "what ..?"

"i mean, you've been all nervous for days, with your quick footsteps and your frown... i like when you show your kick-ass side, walking in the campus without even give a single look to all the boys that will literally kill for one single touch of your. -he gives you a little dirty smile- we live in a fucking apocalypse, we have tough days but you don't have to blame yourself. -his eyes are getting sweeter now- you should let yourself go, and I know one thing that could make you feel better..."

his voice is lower now, his eyes go down and pass from your eyes to your body. you are speakless, analyzing his words too quickly in your head. what does he mean?

“i- i don’t...” you try to find something to say as your cheeks turns pink; you realize that you have been arrived to the house so you stop the car, going out without saying anything else, a little too clumsy.

he follows you into the home, carefull for the walkers that may be in.

“i’ve been watching you lately, always on your own.. so mysterious -he easily kill a walker that was approcing you from the other room, you do the same and some drops of blood come on your cheek, he gets closer and put an hand on your cheek, cleaning the blood with his thumb- walking with that tight shorts that you always wear like they did nothing to us men, to me...”

he sigh, looking at your lips. you are enchanted, mouth half open, legs feels weak.

“tell me you don’t want this, i’ll stop”

he says it like a last warning, trying desperately to contain himself.

“i want it..” with a tired moan, you admit; he throws himself on your lips, kissing you, as if you were his source of air. oh, he waited so long for this. he caresses your hips with his big hands, but after a few seconds he moves away; you moan, but he holds you close and takes you by the hand, walking into the house, holding you behind him and ready to kill other walkers. after making sure that the house is free, he picks you up with ease. 

"baby, I'll make you feel good. Do you trust me?”

you nod, and he kisses you, leaning you on the table of the kitchen; he gets between your legs as he quickly takes off his shirt: his muscles are perfect, strong, and you touch them with eyes full of lust.

“god, i haven’t done this in a long time”

you say a little bit scared to disappoint him.

“me too baby, i don’t care. -he cups your breast after taking off your shirt, admring you- god, you’re perfect.”

he takes your nipples in his mouth, god, it feels like heaven, his tongue twisting, biting. his touch is rough and needy, you already know that you’ll miss it.

“i wanna taste you.” 

he groans and he kneels on the floor, as if he was worshiping you. he looks at you and then tears off your shorts, looking at your glimmering cunt.

he moans at the sight, and holding your thighs open with his hands he starts licking you hard. you arch your back, finally feeling your body relax under his touch. your hands slide into his hair, pushing him into your aching pussy even more. 

“shane -you moan- don’t stop, please, it’s so good”

“i got you baby. i’m here.” 

he whispers without detaching his lips from you, alternating between your clit and your opening. you feel your juice running down your tights, your walls clenching around nothing, it’s too much.

“please! shane fuck me!” you cru out, desperate.

shane stands up, stopping for a few seconds, intoxicated by your taste and your moans; he quickly lines up to your entrance, collectiong the juice with the tip of his cock.

“you’re so cute. begging for my cock” my smiles proudly.

“god, don’t tease, please” you whine.

he nods and with a single push, he enters. god, you have never felt so full. a loud moan escapes your lips, he places a hand on your mouth and leans over your body, entering even more. 

"ssh baby, you can't be heard.” he whispers as he starts to push himself deeper. it’s not long and he is thrusting into you mercilessly, keeping your legs wide apart with the weight of his body. the other free hand wraps around your neck, squeezing just enough to make you feel that indescribable pleasure, given by the lack of oxygen.

you’re a moaning mess, you can’t think anymore. he loves to see you like this, he imagined it many times, alone, in the shower. 

you wrap your little hands around his wrist, if it weren't for his hand on your mouth you'd be screaming. his thrusts become more erratic, from his gaze and his breath you understand that he is near. 

you feel too the knot in the stomach approaching, but it’s different, more intense. the pleasure is too much, then you hear a watery noise and you can't move even if you want to: you're already squirting on shane’s cock.

with open eyes shane looks where your bodies meets, tightening his hand around you neck.

"holy shit... fuck me..." 

he whispers pushing even harder, trying to make room inside of your clenched pussy, and spilling ropes of his hot cum inside you.

you both catch your breath slowly, ke takes your hands off your mouth and your neck, tomorrow there will be bruises.

“fuck, that was hot. -he smiles- i will make you stressed more often”

[the-firebird69]

Soon as people are still up to stupid s*** and it was sort of see their point but we don't if you're not stopping them in some way and they can just pour out this a threat it's like they're validating their threat all the time is there a ignorant and we're going down and we're doing the job and the stuff that it's really not us and it takes care of the problem and we want to do much.

But things are moving finally and boy I didn't freaking stifle it was very stifled

It says to Rick Steves you would not be the first subject suspect in my subject setting I wouldn't think that you would be the person but you were a library curator. And preservation of history is important to me and you said it's to me too and I respect it I believe he does father says actually Thor and Freya and I mentioned it because he's here during the shows and said I'm going to try and preserve it as an issue and they should not be taking it for no reason and it's your voice erase that doesn't care and your race and bja and Tony F wants it and he keeps doing things that are very rude and destructive to it and there's nothing you can really do when we would like to preserve it and we have Tommy f as Putin saying that he is Trump and he is bombarding the Ukraine and we must step in and we have to do something we can't have him doing it and we can't have a huge earthquake and it's Jason and we can't have them running around free and I'm putting it down there that we are jeopardizing Our lives by allowing these terrorists to roam around it inspires others it's inspiring them shaking that country is a huge risk and we live there too how people felt it and think that we're out of control and our leader and his wife say it where out of control and we're allowing stupid s*** to happen all the time and setting dangerous presidents every few minutes and it's true we're trying to get a handle on it and we have to raise the Army and it's been ordered and there's good reason for it and he told me conscription we're not doing it and he wants to force it because we have to it has nothing to do with making it perfect it's simply not going to happen that way and it doesn't have to it will still be perfection and I'm tired of saying this stupid s*** everyday it's a lie to say I'm not pissed off very badly and I'm going to order it that we have conscription and at least screen everybody and rescreen. He says I better get to it cuz she's going to start lumping on all these projects and it all understand and everybody is upset but we have to get through it because where this kind of people saying more projects are coming up and they're already lined up to start we have way too many idiots an attack and you just fry I mean this is getting ridiculous it's so many stupid idiots dying it's gross. I'm going to do this job I'm going to make sure it works I want people to know I am upset and I rate our people you should hear what I'm saying I'm angry at you for not signing on I took care of you and made sure that you are well fed and safe and you're trained well your whole lives and your training seems to not work at all I told you to sign on I told you why I inspire you got leaders going what is the problem

Thor Freya

You can't give up holding the retards they're running all over the countryside as if you don't exist

Zues Hera

We're mad too can't seem to sign up why not we do follow that we have to sign up don't we this is not a place for you childish retorts this is a very serious business that we're in if you're not in the business and we're saying you're going to be left behind we mean it you're going to be left behind in a bad place simply because you're not signed up and you refuse to sign up and you are ordered to if you don't follow the orders of our people and the orders are strict on purpose and real and they're there because we care about people we don't have any choice we have to capture you interrogate you if you like don't like the idea so much you want to die for your freedom you stay behind on the planet you will die. So we sort of get something's wrong with the planet or something might be it's like Earth but a lot less of it would have happened or could have or it could be sitting on something inside the planet but we know about all that or do we so we actually see what you're saying you can't see in the planet with us anyway and that's sitting on it the planet you can't scan it that's right

[my-mt-heart]

I disagree that Maggie ‘has’ to coexist with Negan. She chose not to kill him in his cell or even in the clearing during the season 8 finale. She chose to go back to Alexandria after meridian was attacked. She could’ve found a new community. I’m not saying that she needs to forgive him but he’s apart of Alexandria now and she has to accept that if she wants to stay there.

I do agree about using Negan as a tour guide through dc being dumb. Honestly, this whole plan makes no sense especially with the ending of ep 2. Maggie doesn’t even know how many reapers there are yet she expects to outgun them with less than 10 people? I think the only reason she made the plan was to get Negan out of Alexandria and kill him which is fucked up considering Alexandria is going to starve

I would argue that Rick made the choice for her in the S8 finale, and the reason she chose not to kill him in S9 is because he was "already worse than dead." Killing him then would be like showing him mercy, which she didn't think he deserved and still doesn't. That's why she resents the idea of him being out of his cell when she comes back. Not that it should make a difference, but I guess it can still be pointed out that Maggie never witnessed any of his emotional growth in S9/10. As far as she knows, he's still the same old Negan. In her mind, it's as if the man who killed her husband is being exonerated, granted a fair chance at life just like any of the rest of them.

With that said, I think Maggie does “accept” Negan to the degree that she doesn’t just put a bullet in his head right on the spot. Like she told Daryl in "Home Sweet Home," she's finding a way to deal with him. It's unclear (for now) if that really involved a conscious plan to kill Negan on their excursion to the Meridian or if that's just amplified paranoia on Negan's part. I absolutely think Maggie is concerned about feeding the children (including her own son), but to your point, it does seem like she’s simultaneously on a quest for revenge, one she's hoping to fulfill by getting rid of the Reapers, though it is likely just a way to scratch an itch she can't with Negan. Is that impacting her ability to make sound decisions? Probably. I'm not trying to argue that Maggie's doing no wrong, just that I understand where she's coming from emotionally.

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

Do you reckon you could do a seven deadly sins list but with Rik characters? :eyes:

This is tricker than it looks, primarily because so many of Rik's characters fit into multiple sins. Here's a take:

Pride - Adonis Cnut

A bit of a left field choice, I know. Especially as most of Rik's characters are hugely egotistical and full of themselves - usually undeservedly so, which is where the humour comes in - so there were certainly a lot of contenders for this spot (hello, Rick, Richie, Alan). I chose Adonis because of what Rik had to say about him in an interview for Believe Nothing. Adonis is extraordinarily intelligent, unlike most Rik characters, so I suppose you could say he has reason to be prideful. However, this aloofness makes him detached from normal people. Rik pointed out that he doesn't understand what pubs are for, or popular TV entertainment (and isn't there a bit where he questions what Birmingham is?). He's so full of himself and his intellect that he's actually quite incompetent where normal things or popular knowledge is concerned, so his pride leaves him with several cultural blind spots.

Greed - Alan B'Stard

He was obviously going to be on this list. The most evil of Rik's characters just had to be on a list for the seven deadly sins. Alan could easily be any of these sins but I think greed best suits him because Alan. Is. So. Very. Very. Greedy. Most of the episodes revolve around his financial exploits and we again and again see that he will always, always prize his own bank balance above human life (unless it's his human life, of course). He's the spirit of Thatcherism: greedy and self-serving. I mean, he readily admits it:

PIERS: Yes, but you're a millionaire already! You don't need the money!

ALAN: No, I don't need it, Piers, but you see I want it. Because I'm very, very greedy, Piers! That is why I became a Conservative.

Lust - Lord Flasheart

Alright, so again, most of Rik's characters would fit into this box. Rik had the pervy face down to a fine art. I've picked Flash because his whole thing is that he's sex mad and always up for it. It's all he talks about. I believe Rik described him as "a walking penis". Is there a sentence that passes his lips that isn't some kind of sexual innuendo or boast about his own sexual prowess? Flash is a guy so controlled by his lust that, on the wedding day of his old school chum, upon meeting the bride to be he immediately begins snogging her in full view of everyone gathered and then whisks her away without a care in the world. This comes, of course, after he flirts with almost all of the guests.

I've seen Flash compared to Red Dwarf's Ace Rimmer and in many ways he's a more vulgar version of Ace. The swashbuckling hero... With an insatiable libido.

Envy - Micky Love

The rest of these were all done and dusted before I figured out who to select for envy. Rick and Richie and even Alan in a certain way could have fit this, but I thought other sins fit them better. A lot of Rik's characters are deeply insecure and bitter, and lash out at others because they're intimidated and jealous. The problem is, usually one of the other sins is more dominant in them. Then I remembered Micky Love - a character who made several big wigs in showbiz just a little uncomfortable.

He's a showbiz "has been" who has already gone through the obligatory divorce, drugs, drink and sex scandals, and has rehabilitated his image via a family gameshow. He isn't cool anymore and he doesn't understand how to be cool anymore. In normal life, that's just what happens; that's what differentiates the generations, in a way. But Micky is (or was) a star and so he can't afford to be out of touch, so instead has become increasingly paranoid about his image and whether or not his show is going to be axed. He's also deeply resentful of a younger comedian called Greg Deane, who he thinks is going to replace him. He says he doesn't think Greg is funny, but really he is envious because Greg "gets it" in a way Micky just doesn't anymore. Micky is exactly the type of figure the whole of Filthy, Rich and Catflap is satirising and I think he's seething with envy.

Gluttony - Richie Rich

This might seem a bit a random choice. I struggled a little with gluttony and did almost pick Rik's Dreamytime Escort because of all the binge drinking. Richie for gluttony is... Less straight forward.

This is more to do with desiring excess than indulging in ten course banquets. Richie is so desperate to make it big - even though if you ask him he'll tell you he already has - so in that respect I could have possibly put him down for envy or greed. But, really, Richie isn't envious of the stars - he loves them and thinks he is one of them! And I think his desire for fame comes more from a delusion about being talented and because he wants attention, rather than simply because he is greedy. So, why is he gluttonous? Because he is wasteful and lacking in self awareness. Part of the sin of gluttony is taking excess resources that those less well off would have needed and Richie does do this - whether it's smashing milk bottles and running over milkmen; stealing and destroying food in a supermarket and then not even using any of it; merrily caking himself in dishes from a fancy restaurant; or, the big one, getting all other British celebrities blacklisted so only he can appear on TV, Richie frantically indulges in whatever he thinks you do when you're in showbiz and then moves on to the next thing five seconds later. For the image? The life? He seems to do it without a thought. So, this one might be a more tenuous link (and to be fair, Eddie also joins him on most of these exploits, they're a tag team) but I think Richie Rich is quite gluttonous.

Wrath - Rick the Prick

And here is our beloved People's Poet! I had to include dear rat boy, how could I not? Rick could also be a few of these (namely pride or envy or perhaps lust) but. Really. He is so angry! And so quick to anger too. That's why Vyvyan has so much fun teasing him - he's so easy to set alight. I know the character of Rick was an amalgamation of some of Rik's standup characters: mostly Rik/Rick(?) The Poet, who I think is more dominant in Rick, but also Richard Dangerous, which is why Rick is so bloody loud and chaotic.

Rick's fury is the self-righteous wrath of a wannabe lefty anarchist leader of his generation, who has just discovered politics and social justice and thinks the world is so unfair and that only he notices this. It stems from something well meaning (in most people, in Rick it's also pretty self serving) but the uncontrollable nature of his wrath is a sign of immaturity. It's a stage of immaturity that I think a lot of us go through... It's just Rick is going through it a little late. As well as this, there's the factor that Rick is a posh little rich boy who was bread on conservative values and isn't what he pretends to be and I think that knowledge only adds to his wrath, because at the end of the day he's probably a very confused and frustrated young man.

Sloth - Richie Richard

I debated briefly which one to give to Richie. Envy was a close contender and so was pride. To be frank, however, it has to be sloth. Richie is one of Rik's most miserable characters - perhaps the most miserable. He's so lonely and sexually frustrated and desperate for meaning in his life... But he never seeks to do anything about this. Not really. He'd rather just moan about it. We're given the impression that Richie comes from a higher social class than Eddie so the fact that Richie is also at the "bottom" with him suggests he fell there. He clings on to the myth that he is "better" than his contemporaries - smarter than them, more moral, with more social nous - but in many respects he is worse. Eddie is on the dole. What about Richie? Has he ever had a job or sought to acquire one? Why does he choose to spend his days inside their dirty flat, wanking? It's because it's easier than trying to make his life better. Because that's hard, especially considering how far he's let himself drift. And so he just does nothing and stays miserable.

He's quite a tragic character, though still very funny for us. I think he sort of represents a fear of what it's possible to become if you don't push back against your struggles and instead just let yourself go, having no control over your life. Rik did say he thought Richie and Eddie were what he and Ade would be like if they hadn't made it... Depressing, eh?

~

And on that cheerful note, we're done! 😂 Please excuse how my waffles got increasingly longer, I really can't help myself. What do you lot think? Which Rik characters would you list as the seven deadly sins?

Thank you for the ask! I've had lots of fun with this. ❤️

[twdmusicboxmystery]

D's red on white armor is the reverse of L3ah's white on red mask, for what it's worth, but she looks totally like a female S1 D@ryl in that last scene. I wonder if she's meant to be what he might have become without R1ck, as in the road not taken?

Interesting idea! I like it. I'm not a huge fan of the "road not taken" idea. Don't get me wrong, I can totally get behind the general idea of stuff. But I was never a fan of them saying that if we'd followed Negan from the beginning instead of Rick, he would be the good guy. It's kind of in the same vein, and I disagree with that idea.

While Rick definitely made some questionable moral decisions over the years, he never beat anyone's head in with a bat because they wouldn't bow down and worship him. I don't see many people getting behind that kind of behavior.

And I totally get that they said that about Negan because they were always planning his redemption arc and wanted viewers to be open minded to it. Fair enough.

But more to my point, to say that if not for only one person, this character would have turned out good or would have turned out evil, takes away the character's freedom of choice, and I think that's key here.

If you're right (and I really think you may be) then Daryl was Leah's Rick: the person who could have helped her become a hero instead of a villain. And Daryl gave Leah every chance to make the right choice. He tried really hard to "save" her, and she still chose betrayal and murder. So, I'm not disagreeing. Just getting on my soap box about how she already had her chance and squandered it. ;D

And in this past episode, we saw her very brutally murder one of the CW soldiers while the woman screamed for mercy. Leah is on a very dark path and I don't really see her coming back from it.

But I really like the idea of the inversion between her and Daryl of white and red. Just another way to show that they're on opposite paths now and will probably never be friendly again.

Great insight! Xoxo! 🍀😋

[bunkernine]

Reviewing PJO Short Story: Hotel Lotus

Rating: 4.5/5

⭐⭐⭐⭐

So after reading Hotel Lotus, I had a few thoughts about it!!! Honestly, it's a really great story but there are some problems imo. The title being referenced like the song Hotel California, is honestly good in itself. So here's the summary:

Follow the never before seen adventure of the Di Angelo siblings' life at the Lotus Hotel. For some reason, Bianca feels like she's been there for a very long time. Nico, however, can't wait to beat the high score to every game he can find. With a few hotel friends and a very suspicious staff, Bianca and her hyperactive neighbor are off to figure out what the mystery is about this hotel... or at least until room service comes back.

Right from the start, I love it!!! I wasn't that much of a fan of the Di Angelo's at first, but the side story really made me love them. I enjoyed Bianca's drive and it reminded me of why she chose the Hunters 🤔 Honestly, that scene where she snuck into the kitchen even though she knew she would get caught? Brilliant.

As for Nico? He was soooo cute 🥺 The way he learned all that history from everyone around him and kept sharing stories??? So cute 😭... Sometimes he got annoying but he's a kid AND a little brother so... speaking of, I LOVED their dynamic? I feel like Bianca and Nico didn't show their dynamic that much in TTC so this really brought it how much they annoyed but loved each other. Excellent choice on Rick's part 😌

I didn't like the ending though. I felt like maybe Bianca should've actually learned that she was stuck there? Like there were so many times where she was really close to figuring out, but when the employees tricked her again, it made me roll my eyes. Like... 😐 Bianca is smart enough to figure it out wtf

Anyway 4.5/5, because GREAT characterizations for the Di Angelo's, and it really helped me understand how messed up it was that they were there for so long. I didn't like when Bianca's friend just disappeared 🤔 but I'm assuming maybe she found a way out? All the background characters were good and kept adding to the story, and this was honestly the most refreshing sibling story in PJO!!! Like, a lot of PJO is focused on family, and yet we never really see how much that's played with. So this was good!!!

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/4/2020: SOCIETY

Without having a survey to back me up, I feel comfortable asserting that as a horror fan, you go through different phases with SOCIETY. It’s a basic fact of life, and yet it morphs and mutates underneath you, shocking you anew just when you think you’ve got a grip on it. You never forget your first time, because there is simply nothing like it. Then, after you get over the initial shock of its patented brand of body horror, you start to take it for granted; it's so broad and monolithic that it becomes something like the Grand Canyon--when it’s not right there in front of you, you begin to experience it more iconically, as part of the wallpaper of existence, rather than an in-your-face confrontation with the limits of experience. Then, you revisit it every few years (or months, depending on what sort of person you are), and the prophylactic layer that your brain has wrapped around your memories of it--the one that allows you to think of SOCIETY as a fun, wacky cheap thrill--begins to crumble, and you realize all over again how iconoclastically vile it is. Wherever you happen to be at, with this inimitable genre landmark, you'd be hard pressed to deny that it earns its royal status among horror movies, just for being so uniquely fucked up.

Filmmaker Brian Yuzna is best known as the co-creator of the indispensable RE-ANIMATOR (or as the co-writer of HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS...depending on what sort of person you are, again), itself a milestone achievement in the blending of sex and gore that so characterized '80s horror production. That film clearly brought out the best in Yuzna and frequent collaborator Stuart Gordon (also of HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS fame...among other things), but it's interesting to see how they operate apart, to understand the unique ingredients that each filmmaker brought to the more perfect union of their classic Lovecraft adaptation. Gordon skewed darker and more intellectual, as evidenced by the end of his career with the shattering mob thriller KING OF THE ANTS, the disturbing true crime drama STUCK, and the Mamet-penned EDMOND. Yuzna, for his part, is almost anti-intellectual, preferring to cook up blackly comic, semi-pornographic nightmares like his two increasingly horny RE-ANIMATOR sequels, the terminal S&M fantasy RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3, and the shamelessly hokey comic book adaptation FAUST: LOVE OF THE DAMNED. Yuzna's lack of shame is really his defining feature as an artist, and nowhere is this more obvious than in his directorial debut and signature masterpiece, SOCIETY.

Salvador Dali's "The Great Masturbator," a chief visual inspiration for SOCIETY.

Yuzna was able to leverage the success of RE-ANIMATOR to lock in two directorial opportunities, BRIDE OF RE-ANIMATOR, and a bizarre body horror exercise about a Beverly Hills orphan who discovers that not only are his adoptive family from a different bloodline, but they're not even from the same species. That both pictures employed the writing team of Woody Keith and Rick Fry gives you a little taste of what to expect from SOCIETY, but to be frank, the latter threatens to make the former look like a very special episode of ER; "overkill" barely begins to describe SOCIETY’s ambitious assault on the human body. In a recent interview, the philipino-american director giggles perversely, "I think my friends were a little embarrassed for me (when they saw SOCIETY)," and this sound bite reminded me that the last, most important ingredient that Yuzna contributes to any project is unabashed joy. It's a little hard to imagine stomaching SOCIETY without it.

In this unusual scene from the class struggle in Beverly Hills, Billy Warlock (son of HALLOWEEN 2's Michael Myers, Dick Warlock) plays Bill Whitney, a rich, handsome, athletic high school student with a heavy duty anxiety disorder. Although he appears to have it all, he is plagued by nightmares and hallucinations, reflecting suspicions that the family that spoils him is also out to get him. Perhaps this is all understandable, though. Bill is under a lot of pressure these days, with his parents devoting all of their attention to his sister's coming out party, and his narcissistic girlfriend pushing him to ingratiate himself to the assholes higher up the social ladder; it's enough to make any teenager feel alienated and insecure. But, do these garden variety anxieties account for his visions of his sister's body deforming itself unnaturally, or the dubious evidence he finds that her debutante ball involves incestuous orgies and human sacrifice? Is Bill simply crumbling under the strain of societal expectations, or is the friction with his shrink, his parents, and his peers all symptomatic of an elaborate plot against him by elites who are truly less than human?

I can’t believe they use this cheapo blanket trick MORE THAN ONCE in a movie that is famous for its unforgettable special effects, and I guess I kind of love it.

In case I haven't made the answer abundantly obvious, I'll add that while SOCIETY is the purest expression of Yuzna-ness on the market, it has an important co-author in Screaming Mad George. The eccentric japanese FX master, whose name is apparently an amalgamation of Mad Magazine, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and...George, has produced some of horror's most outrageous makeup and visual effects, mostly for Yuzna, many of them in SOCIETY. If you've seen even a trailer for Alex Winter's 1993 oddity FREAKED--which is itself a grossout criticism of American social standards--then you are already familiar with SMG's trademark style. He specializes in twisted perversions of the human form that would make a cenobite blush, driven by a penchant for puns, and influenced equally by THE THING's Rob Botin, and Big Daddy Roth’s Rat Fink style. Screaming Mad George is instrumental in articulating Yuzna's premise: that behind the shimmering veneer of success and sophistication, the upper class are just a bunch of degenerates, who literally degenerate into something unimaginable behind closed doors. It's impossible to imagine SOCIETY without his sinuous, slithering monstrosities, or his indescribable realization of their most important social event, "the shunt".

One of many great images from a zine I wish I owned, on SMG’s Facebook page.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by SOCIETY's visual impact, but its message is just as potent now as it was at the end of the Reagan era: Rich people are not only different from the rest of us, but in fact, they aren't even human. Writers Keith and Fry make an interesting choice of hero to help put this across. A lazier writer would have selected any archetype from the Freaks and Geeks set to create an easy Us vs Them tension, but SOCIETY is led by a promising young man who, for reasons he himself does not yet understand, is just not "the right kind of people". Bill appears to have every advantage in life, including a level of popularity that wins him presidency of the debate team despite his nerdier rival’s superior prowess--and yet, he suffers from a stigmatizing psychiatric disorder that is the natural result of feeling indefinably different from one's peers, and intuiting that, as a consequence, they don't even really like you. The shallow jock with deep-seated emotional problems is a much more interesting protagonist for this kind of social allegory than the charismatic outcasts that you get in movies like THE FACULTY and DISTURBING BEHAVIOR, for whom the idea that the elites could be aliens is just de rigueur.

It's worth noting that this complexity of character extends to Bill's love interest, sympathetic society girl Clarissa Carlyn (Playboy Playmate Devin DeVasquez). At first, she seems villainously eager to introduce Bill to the many splendors of "the shunting", but as the plot against him mounts to its horrifying conclusion, she defects. There appears to be a reason for this, although honestly, this is the most difficult part of SOCIETY for me to wrap my head around. Clarissa lives as an essentially independent adult, only burdened by her mother (Pamela Matheson), a possibly brain damaged hulk who lurks in and out of various scenes just to be disturbing, always announced by some toots on a tuba, before eventually siding with our heroes. I'm really not sure what's supposed to be going on in this part of the movie, except that this character contributes to a number of distasteful jokes. But, I hold on to the idea that by virtue of whatever disorder Mrs. Carlyn suffers from, she serves the purpose of priming Clarissa to rebel, since her very existence makes her daughter something of a societal outcast herself. That's the best I can do.

In any case, everyone working on SOCIETY commits completely, with Mrs. Carlyn being no exception. The movie's climactic orgy of the damned is an all hands on deck operation, just as reliant on Screaming Mad George's artistic abilities as it is on the actors' responsibility to make you believe that this fucked up shit is really happening. There's a visceral patina of sleaze spread over the entire film, dripping from the way that characters talk to and touch each other, flirting and flaunting their bodies in a distinctly unseemly fashion, even when it stays within the realm of mundane reality. This constant sinister, insinuating attitude on the part of the whole cast lays the foundation for what is to come, and while I appreciate everybody's hard work, my favorite performance is from an actor who only comes in at the very end: David Wiley as society king Judge Carter. Wiley's career consisted almost exclusively of the most ordinary sort of television work, which makes his outrageous turn in this alien porno flick all the more respectable. While other characters transition from suspicious pod people to full-on mutated perverts, Judge Carter has to show up just for the finale, establish his authority, rip off his clothes, and plunge straight into a sea of slime, happily fisting his way through the cast. Wiley meets this challenge with aplomb, making of himself a hybrid of Robert Englund and Gene Hackman, perfectly embodying the movie's joyful absurdity, and never betraying the slightest hint of embarrassment. 

SOCIETY is very much a don't-look-down type of endeavor, a fairy that could expire at the slightest lapse in faith. There's a visual pun in the last act that's so gross, so offensive, so frankly idiotic, that I don't have the courage to describe it; my whole body tenses up when I know this scene is coming, as if it were the meat hook scene in TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE or the brutal rape in the middle of SHOWGIRLS. I don't like it, but at the same time, I respect Yuzna's unhesitating commitment to show it to me, and I think that actor Charles Lucia should get some kind of award for shouldering the burden so valiantly. SOCIETY is a daring movie in the truest sense, a film with more balls than brains, and in this it exposes the limitation of intelligence and taste, and the real need for pure transgression, in producing art of any real value. You might argue with me about whether Yuzna's masturbatory magnum opus really qualifies as art, but to respond to that, I'll quote the great transgressor Alejandro Jodorowsky: "If you are great, EL TOPO is a great picture. If you are limited, EL TOPO is limited." So stick that in your shunt and smoke it.

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PS Here, have this stuck in your head for the rest of your life.

[twh-news]

Miss Minutes voice actress Tara Strong says there's more to Loki's cartoon breakout character

One of the unexpected joys of Loki has been seeing the Time Variance Authority's animated mascot, Miss Minutes, popping in and out of the series with a heady dose of Southern charm. She lays out the purpose of the TVA in the premiere, but goes on to appear to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in semi-sentient ways as the series moves forward.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t cast just anyone in the role, they went with a legend. If you throw a rock at IMDb, chances are you’ll hit something that Tara Strong has been in. She’s a DC veteran (Raven on Teen Titans, Harley Quinn in multiple projects, etc.), a Marvel veteran (the animated Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers Assemble, Marvel Rising, etc.), and has also appeared in Rick & Morty, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, The Powerpuff Girls, and Family Guy, to name just a few. Perhaps you caught her voicing Sunny in A Series of Unfortunate Events?

SYFY WIRE caught up with Strong before the Loki finale to discuss how her performance as Miss Minutes developed, how much Miss Minutes actually knows, and more.

At what point in the Loki process did you get involved?

The Loki series was completely finished filming by the time I came on board, which was great because I got to watch all the action unfold as I was doing it, as if I were really shooting with them. If I had to go first, it would be much more challenging. To play off Tom Hiddleston was so much fun.

Did they have any ideas on what direction they wanted you to take Miss Minutes, or was it more like, "She's Tara Strong, we're going to stay out of her way?"

When you have an audition for an animated character, they'll give you a drawing of the character, a character bio — something about their world. And the more information I get, the more I can feed that into developing a character. It is a very collaborative process generally by the callback stage. The director, the writer will put in some ideas, and then you come up with the perfect voice for this character. And that was not the case for Loki.

I didn't even know it was for Loki, I didn't know who Miss Minutes was. There wasn't a visual, it was kind of limited information. I just knew they wanted something like a Siri voice but more human. Then they said to play around with an accent, which I got to do. And then, when I started working with Kate [Herron], who has such incredible vision on every single part of this process, we collaborated and came up with this sort of Southern belle that can say horrible things with a smile on her face. And it's such an extraordinary, fun character. It's definitely unique. I've never seen or done anything quite like her.

In the premiere, she gives a whole spiel as to what's going on, or what we think is going on. We've now found out that most of that is not necessarily true. Is she aware of that and is faking it, or is she as clueless as everyone else?

I think that's a great question, and I think there's more to be revealed about how much she really knows, and obviously, you'll have to wait for the finale. But that's a great question because even in the audition, I was like, "Is she sentient? Is she this?" And along with the Marvel imagination of how it all works, a lot of that is still to be discovered. And looking at it, it's very easy to say, "Oh, maybe she's the ultimate being behind all this," or "Maybe she knows more about this," but it's really a play-as-you-go kind of thing. But she's certainly more knowledgeable than in the first episode, she seems to be a lot more sentient than in the first episode. In the first episode, you think it's just a video, and then of course she comes to life and hangs out on Tom's desk. So [there's] more to be revealed as she goes, for sure.

Because she's been such a hit with fans do you think there's a life for Miss Minutes outside of this series?

Of course, Miss Minutes definitely needs her own series! I am so excited to see all the fans cosplaying her at cons. There's already been some incredible art. I'm so grateful that the fans have fallen in love with her, and they did before the show even aired. There were a bunch of videos made with the trailer and people saying, "That's Tara Strong, that's Tara Strong." And you never know with an animated character that's part of such a huge franchise. Or even in something on camera, you don't know how the fans are going to respond. So I can't say how grateful I am that the fans love her and have warmed up to her. She's rapidly become one of my favorite characters I've ever done.

She would get along really well with Mr. D.N.A. from Jurassic Park.

Everybody talks about that online, and some artists, forgive me for not knowing [their names], did a really cute picture of the two of us together as a couple or something. People made that comparison pretty quickly.

If you had your choice for her to be involved in any of the many upcoming MCU projects, is there any particular one that you'd really love to be a part of?

That's a good question. I mean, anything in the MCU, it's such an honor to be a part of it. I've been in the animated world for so long, but to join this cinematic universe is just incredible. And I think she's the kind of character that could maybe now she's working for this person or that person, and she could change, and morph, and her whole character dynamic could go into a million different directions. I mean, sky's the limit for Miss Minutes, so it'd be fun to see her alongside other heroes, or villains, or whatever people perceive them to be.

In terms of your entire body of work, which is enormous at this point, you've already done several Marvel animated projects, and DC, you name it. This is probably an impossible question, but Miss Minutes aside, is there another character that stands out as being very special to you?

You know, there's so many. I always say that my favorite job I ever did was The Little Mermaid II, because I was such a big fan of the original and I used to run around impersonating her. So to get in the studio and sing with Jodi Benson, and then they drew my face and animated her onto this mermaid. So that was a very, very special time in my life. But I don't know what horseshoe I was born under, but to get to play Harley and Batgirl... Batgirl I worked alongside Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy. The Powerpuff Girls was so fun, The Fairly OddParents was so fun. And Raven, she's so important, she's just saved so many lives. When I meet kids at cons, they say, "Raven got me through my parents' divorce or depression," or, "I thought I was alone till I met her." I just feel very blessed to have been a conduit for these characters, to bring them to people. And I take that responsibility pretty seriously. I love meeting fans at cons and interacting with them on social. It's really beautiful.

[the-ghost-king]

So I'm not going to start like an Anti-Chiron tag because I don't find that enjoyable personally, but every so often people ask why I dislike him so here's essentially a "masterpost" of my thoughts on that situation for when anyone asks, just so I have it to explain some...

This isn't nearly a full list, and there's many more "incidents" that make me less than fond of Chiron, I don't hate the old man but he leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I'm not a fan of that. He's a very twisted character.

- The Lightning Thief

This quote is literally just after Percy's mom "dies", they're all sitting on the porch of the Big House right after he's finally woken up after days of sleeping, and that's the line Chiron pulls out on him.

That's straight up emotional manipulation which was entirely unnecessary in the context of what Chiron was trying to explain. There wasn't a single reason for that, in the slightest.

Immediately following that, and Percy, who canonically has anger issues, does his best to remain calm, he is immediately threatened by Dionysus, and Chiron doesn't even tell Dionysus off for doing that; Chiron just let's it happen. It's Grover who has to speak up to tell Dionysus off...

The only reason Chiron comes out looking like a old guy in this scene is because Dionysus was so much worse in his behavior, at one point intimidating Percy with his power over madness.

- The Titan's Curse

This is the aftermath of when Nico ran away upon confirmation of Bianca's death. When Percy is telling Chiron about the situation, Chiron wishes Nico had been eaten alive rather than recruited into an army.

He'd rather a child be dead than fight against him, and he openly tells this to other children he's in charge of. If Percy went missing would he have said "I hope he was eaten <3" as well?

I don't blame Perry for not delivering the truth here, it was done in an effort to protect Nico; which wasn't something Annabeth had planned on doing... I don't blame Annabeth for that though either, she's been beneath Chiron so long that she probably doesn't realize the shady stuff he does, and to her "going to tell" probably was the "right" move because she was a child...

But the fact that Chiron believes Nico truly would be better off eaten than alive :/

- Tower of Nero

This quote from Tower of Nero shows that Chiron lied to a bunch of young children (most of them were young because the older campers are largely dead because of the war or too old for camp now). It wasn't just a little white lie that adults sometimes tell kids either; they were walking into battle and he told them it was a field trip.

Did he even begin to explain the danger he was putting these kids in? Did the children understand their situation? And how dangerous it was?

Kayla has been blindsided over the years into thinking that telling children they're going on a field trip instead of fighting a battle is something to make a joke of and not be questioned... (Again, I don't blame her she's only like 12 in the book, but still)

Apollo also agrees, which isn't on Chiron but it's a whole mother reason why I can't stand Rick's interpretation of Apollo...

<><><><><>

This isn't me being like "oh Chiron is the worst most evil character ever" I just think that he has numerous flaws which are largely ignored in favor of the "perfect wise teacher" narrative when in fact Chiron and Dumbledore share a lot of.. Offputting qualities.

I do think that some of the situation is simply a result of Chiron having his hands tied behind his back by the gods some. And he even goes so far as to confirm this in a scene of TLT

However many of the scenes in which he exhibits behaviors like that in my first three screenshots are not related to anything the gods require and are, in fact, of Chiron's own free will.

Some things I would blame Zeus and the council for, such as how he withholds information from Percy to an excessive amount for long periods of time even when Percy straight up asks about things. I could easily see that being Zeus trying to prevent Percy from claiming the prophecy as his own, and I could see reasoning that maybe Chiron had sworn over the River Styx or something similar.

But those things don't apply to Chiron making such an unnecessary comment about Percy's mother so close to her "death". It doesn't explain why he would say he hoped Nico had been eaten out loud, and it doesn't cover the fact that he led children into a battlefield without telling them that's what was happening.

I think the context of Chiron's choices and comments would be different if the campers were older. If they were in their late teens or early twenties for the most part, I wouldn't really have much to say about how Chiron handled the situation.

But this man is in charge of children and extremely young teenagers, Percy is only 12 in TLT, maybe if he would have been 16 or 17 then I could give Chiron a pass, but he wasn't. Within the context of the comment he made in the Titan's Curse, Percy is only 14 and Nico is 10 at the beginning of the book... You don't wish a 10 year old had been eaten alive by a monster no matter how bad you think the alternative is, and if you do wish that you don't say it out loud to a group of other children. In the battle from Tower of Nero we get a quick look at the battlefield, and although Ben's age, and the age of another girl fighting alongside him are never confirmed they are implied to be fairly young, and we know Kayla is only 12 at the time too; yet Chiron told them it was a field trip instead of a battle, limiting the time they would have to mentally prepare themselves for what was coming.

On top of that, the nods the reader gets to the fact that Chiron can't act out against the gods depletes over the course of the series. After TLT the amount of times the situation involves the gods interfering with what Chiron is allowed to say lessens, and by the time the Heroes of Olympus series comes around, these limitations on his speech is almost entirely gone. Yet as seen in Tower of Nero he still does morally questionable things in regards to how he treats the campers.

Like I said, I recognize that in many scenes Chiron's hands are tied behind his back because of the gods.. But there are undeniably things he does of his own free will that are, in the nicest manner, very :/

This also isn't a full list of comparisons just a few notable scenes. I don't think Chiron is equally as bad as Dumbledore, but I think it undeniable that Chiron has some significant flaws built into his character design.

A good character has flaws, and there's nothing wrong with having a character that doesn't always conduct themselves properly or have good intentions- it's actually good writing, and I can appreciate that, but for some reason I find myself personally rubbed the wrong way by Chiron. This doesn't make Chiron badly written, or poorly designed, in fact I would say Rick's Chiron is very well designed in lots of ways, but I just don't like how it's never acknowledged by anyone in the series.

Like I said, I'm not starting an anti-Chiron situation, I just think little events like those mentioned, the way he's built a child army, and how he doesn't even try to plead with the gods over raising the ages on campers being allowed to battle is a little sus. But it more so bothers me that there's no attention payed to this problem anywhere in the books, not even by a side character or Luke, nowhere.

I don't actually care that much and this isn't that important to me, but sometimes people ask why I don't like Chiron and this is basically just my explanation to hand off to them... It's not even so much that I dislike Chiron entirely, he's well written and has his "good" moments, I just don't like the way other characters interact with him and his actions.

It's more a personal beef with him rather than an aspect of poor writing or him "being bad"... PJO in general (and HoO/ToA to a much lesser extent) shows that there's not such an inherent good vs bad in the world, and that sometimes people are victims of circumstances in some situations, or they're horribly misguided in their actions, but the series does a good job of showing those people as human still, and I applaud that.

I don't really know how to tie this up in its entirety, but there's nothing wrong with having a morally grey character who does questionable things and in many aspects it is good writing. I think Chiron is a result of Rick not thinking through the implications what he's doing in lots of situations, and I can see a fairly consistent drop in Chiron's characterization from PJO-ToA which is consistent with most other aspects of Rick's work.

I also want to clarify that if you like Chiron and disagree with me, that's absolutely 110% okay, I just personally dislike Chiron and that's on me. Like my problem with many of Rick's other immortal characters, I think he missed important aspects of them in some manner and slightly (or entirely in some cases) mischaracterized them in comparison to their original myths.. Some of these characters he came around on and fixed their character in many aspects to their more "correct" characterization (like Hera), while others (like Chiron and Apollo) he never quite figured them out. Which is a running complaint I have with Rick so I'm just adding this to his tab.

But yeah, I don't hate Chiron I just dislike him and those are different things, and I don't think it's a bad thing to have a morally questionable character, Chiron just personally rubs me the wrong way and I just wanted to explain that more fully because I've been asked about it multiple times.

Also I apologize for not adding a [read more] to this, it's a complaint of mine often when scrolling through the tags but I'm on mobile currently and don't have immediate access to a computer so~