The runner 5 that mostly jogs (and/or walks)

ZR sideblog! (Main - @linda-lua) Icon by the lovely @mattythemeeper!

[fen-the-magnificat]

playing zr s2 ep 42 today and

zr: collected a pack of batteries

me, forced onto a treadmill at gunpoint: i find that hard to believe

zr: collected a box of nine millimetre bullets

me, now being administered a mystery treatment that is “turning my veins to fire”: i find that HARDER to believe

zr: collected a pair of trousers

me: WHO’S?? AM I DACKING VAN ARK?

[enbeast]

i always just imagined five snatching shit off tables out of some mix of spite and stress-based kleptomania

[ianthewife]

free my girl she did all that and should’ve fucking done even more

[joggerfive]

ZR Secret Santa

Happy holidays @qkhilltop - I'm your secret Santa! You said that you liked the doctor girlfriends and Sara, so I've written this fic for you, I really hope you enjoy, and that your festive season is full of laughs, food and some rest!

Contains S4 spoilers (regarding a character, not a mission plot)

~~~

“Close your eyes and hold out your arms, Maxie.”

For anyone else, Maxine would’ve felt a pang of dread surge through her body.

But as she sat in the rickety bed in their shared dorm, she was more than happy to drop the book she was reading (after folding down the top corner of the page to save her space) and do exactly as she was told.

She heard steps coming closer as worn leather boots stepped on the hard floor, and when they stopped, she heard the rustling of clothing.

The clothing made contact with her open palms, slightly scratchy but still warm. And then the clothing was squirming beneath her.

She opened her eyes and immediately laughed at the sight before her.

Their daughter – still being securely held under the arms by Paula – was dressed as a brown Christmas pudding, complete with a massive tulle skirt and a matching hat with a fabric holly leaf sticking out of the top like an antenna.

“Oh, baby,” Maxine took the baby out of Paula’s hold and pulled her to her chest, even as tiny legs kicked against her midsection with glee. “You look beautiful.”

“Doesn’t she?” Paula agreed, eyes brimming with equal measures of adoration and amusement, “Runners Four and Five found it on their supply run for some winter clothes and asked Janine if they could hand it straight to us, since not many citizens could fit in it. Or pull it off as well as our little pudding.”

As if she knew they were saying her praises, Sara let out a stream of babbles, her mouth pressed against Maxine’s red cardigan, leaving a wet mark right on the shoulder.

“My favourite Christmas pudding, by far.” Maxine lifted Sara so she was face to face with her, then mimed eating her stomach, causing more violent kicking feet and loud squeals.

“Remember the first time you tried it?” Paula mused, sitting down next to her partner and hearing a mattress spring twang beneath her.

Maxine grimaced at the memory, “It was so dense! And made of pure alcohol!”

Paula hummed, narrowing her eyes, “I seem to remember that you didn’t mind pure alcohol back in those days.”

“I did when I wasn’t expecting it! And I definitely wasn’t expecting it from a weird little fruit cake that your mother had made!” She argued lightheartedly as she bounced Sara on her lap on instinct as she started to fuss.

“Poor Mama. First, I bring home my new Yank girlfriend with only a couple of hours’ notice, and then, after being so hospitable and feeding her a full dinner, she insults the dessert she’d been slaving over for months leading up to the big day.”

Maxine’s mind flitted back to their first Christmas together as a couple, which was as great as it had been… accidental.

The two had met up after their last shifts, spending the night watching movies together in Maxine’s tiny apartment cuddled on the sofa, never bothering to move over to the bedroom and instead just falling asleep curled up entangled in each other until Maxine’s phone alarm blared at 3am, signalling it was time for her to get ready to head to the airport for her flight home to the States.

After saying a grand goodbye – as if they weren’t going to see each other again in just 14 days – Paula received a call from a slightly panicked and very annoyed Maxine a few hours later, who’s flight had gone from “on time” to “delayed” to “cancelled” due to severe weather.

Neither of them expected the words ‘why don’t you just come to my family’s house?’ to come out of Paula’s mouth, but it was somehow the most practical solution, compared to Maxine sitting alone in her cold London apartment or Paula telling her family that she couldn’t come.

It had been a baptism of fire as Maxine met everyone, answering the same questions repeatedly. ‘Yes, I am Paula’s girlfriend.’ ‘Yes, I’m from America.’ ‘No, I don’t know that person that is also from America, as it is rather big.’  

The day was full of traditions that Maxine had never participated in before yet loved all the same. And as the two sat next to each other at the dinner table, hands clasped under the tablecloth, hidden from view, they both had a feeling that it would be the first of many holiday seasons together.

“I got something else,” Paula said, bringing Maxine’s attention back to the present, “Wait here.”

Maxine kissed her daughter’s chubby cheek as Paula hurried out of the room. “What’s your Mama doing, hey?” She whispered, bouncing the girl as they both waited.

When Paula reappeared, there was a wreath of artificial pine branches with four candles around it, all of different sizes due to how much they’d been burned.

Maxine considered the object, “Do you have some news to share?” She asked jovially.

Paula took her place next to Maxine once more, “Sara was Catholic.”

For a split second, she looked at their daughter in her lap, then realised. “I’m… not sure how practicing she was, but yeah. I think so.”

Paula nodded, looking down at the advent wreath, her thumb brushing against the foliage. “She once told me how she used to take her boys to midnight mass, bribing them by saying they could open one present each when they arrived home.”

Maxine chuckled, a pull tugging at her heart as she remembered their fallen friend, “Always the negotiator.”

“I thought,” Paula began quietly, still looking down, “maybe we could pass on a small part of her tradition?”

Maxine moved the baby over to one side to free up an arm, using her hand to cup her partner’s face and tilt her head towards her. “Absolutely. I love that.”

Paula beamed, seemingly relieved, “We’re… still in the first week of advent, aren’t we?”

Maxine thought about her calendar at the hospital where she marked off each day that had passed since she’d been at Abel Township, even though she knew there was a chance it wouldn’t be 100% accurate, “Yeah, I think so.”

Paula shuffled forward to produce a purple lighter from the back pocket of her trousers, the exterior scuffed and scratched. Maxine was tempted to make a joke about her having a secret bad habit but refrained as to not ruin the heartfelt moment.

The advent wreath was placed on top of their bedside table, and – after a few failed attempts to get the lighter to spark - Paula lit one of the candles in silence.

Sara immediately stared at the small flame, her brown eyes wide as saucers as she reached out a hand to try and touch it. Her mothers laughed, Paula instead grabbing her outstretched hand and rubbing her thumb against the soft skin.

“She loves danger,” Paula mused, shaking her head as she joined her girls, cuddling up beside them, “Just like her namesake.”

[runnerfiveready]

I never know what to put here, so I guess I'll get straight into it, haha. @joggerfive, you were my secret santa this year! I drew your Five and Jody together <3 I hope you like it- I don't think I've ever drawn Jody, so I was very excited to finally give her a go!

Thank you to the wonderful people who make this happen every year, it's always such a blast and forces me out of my inevitable art rut xoxo

~As per usual I am stressing about the fact that my timezone is far ahead of everyone else, and so I have left it til the very last minute on Christmas Eve to post this xD~

@delucadarling @notforconsumption @zrsecretsanta

[joggerfive]

Aaaaaa I love this!! It’s so adorable!!

Thank you so so much! I hope you have an absolutely wonderful Christmas break, love! 💖🎄

[delucadarling]

One of my favorite things about Janine de Luca is that the first time she takes over the comms she tries to have you murdered.

[snakesartblog]

i made this way back in.... august? and i don't quite feel like it's finished but i still like it. abel township <3

[swordmaid]

never make ocs or else u will spend ur afternoon going crazy abt a woman who is not Real

[butchvarric]

let's give it up for emotionally constipated women. let's give it up for women who can't think about being vulnerable without throwing up in their mouth a little. let's give it up for women who don't have the words to say what they feel even if they wanted to

[millieways42]

I’m so obsessed with Season 3

[zrsecretsanta]

ZOMBIES, RUN! SECRET SANTA 2025

HEY THERE ZR FOLK 🎉

IT'S NOVEMBER AND THAT MEANS IT'S TIME FOR THE ZOMBIES, RUN! SECRET SANTA!

It's been a difficult year for ZR, its employees, and those of us who care about the story and its people - still we persist! Into our ninth year (almost ten, look at us). [Edit to acknowledge the news!! Alderman has scooped the ZR IP so ZR itself may well also persist!]

Entries are open from now (right now, actually) until December 2nd.❄

The form will stop accepting entries after 2 December which means we'll get to work assigning each of you a gifter and a recipient.

Gifts can be art, fic, a combination of both, graphics, compositions, interactive fic, playlists (so long as the playlist is complementing something else!), or whatever you think will bring your secret giftee some joy.

SIGN UP HERE: https://forms.gle/ERzeAQBzN8yLP2916

The only rules are to keep it secret, and spend some time on it!

Dates!

December 2nd: Sign ups end!

December 3rd: You recieve your secret santa giftee

December 24th: Entries due! Post 'em on tumblr, send 'em direct to your recipient, do both! It's up to you.

December 25th: We post all the entries in one mammothly festive post (if you'd like to be included!).

If you've any questions, concerns, confessions feel free to message this blog direct, or for a more timely response message @notforconsumption or @delucadarling on tumblr or at @bubosi or @perscoot on discord.

[glowelle]

Kinda wanna put Sam Yao in a jar and shake him.

[millieways42]

Some Zombies Run fanart (specifically based on the mission where Sam’s sick cuz I recently played that one)

[fukkce]

your speed doesn’t matter, forward is forward

[five-on-a-bike]

sooo I finished season 2 and....wow poor five. Like, my girl got tortured, got accused of working for the guy that tortured her, one friend dies and the other turns out be the actual traitor. All in the span of, what? two day?? damm. I also know all the angst to come in season 3 and I can't wait.

[molabuddy]

Imaginr if there were Two women with something Gay & Weird going on

[gopherarun]

I’m perfectly fine

(mild S5 spoilers in picture)

[aphdinme-blog]

A sentiment we all can share.

I sincerely hope he gets his comeuppance in a satisfactory fashion.

[scorrigan]

@gopherarundoes not, er… Go Lightly

[scorrigan]

Most epic use of the township minigame to express feels? It certainly makes a statement.

[five-on-a-bike]

when you're in the middle of the apocalypse but also a girls girl

also tried a few different designs for my five and I'm really liking the third

I'll try to make an actual illustration next lol.