#peter lynne

[nokkiart]

Today’s my birthday!! It’s hard to believe I’ve been around for 36 years now.

I can’t remember the last time I celebrated my birthday with friends, so I started daydreaming about what would happen if my characters threw a birthday party for me. I think it would be chaotic but lovely, especially with Freefall around. XD

[kelzebub]

Zombies, Run is back! Just thought everyone should know. Naomi Alderman bought it back from OliveX and is fixing bugs, creating more stories, and talking to the fanbase. Go check Rofflenet!

[joggerfive]

Smile at Snow - ZR Secret Santa

My secret santa gift for @snakesarebitingatmyheels - I hope you enjoy and that you have a lovely festive period, whatever you’re up to! <3 

Set during season five with minor spoilers!

~~~~~

“now somewhere in winter misery old excitement makes people happy and now they all know that people will smile at snow”

- Smile at Snow - dodie

~~~~~

“D’ya reckon it’s close to Christmas?”

Five glanced over to the person that had spoken, distracted from their post-run stretches. 

Peter was laying to their right on a bright purple yoga mat which contrasted the green grass it was sprawled out on. The top left corner was missing, leaving a ring of jagged teeth marks instead. It wasn’t clear whether it was from a dog, zom, or a mystery third option, but it had been disinfected thoroughly nonetheless.

He showed no sign of having actually said anything, still holding the pigeon pose with his head facing the ground, hair falling over his face.

Even though they weren’t in his sight, Five tilted their head to the side in curiosity as a form of reply as they sat with their legs straight in front, reaching for the tips of their trainers.

“The days have been getting shorter,” Peter said after a while, looking up towards Five and therefore Janine a few paces behind them as she sat on a navy camping chair, cataloguing the supplies the two had found on their run into her notebook, scrawling with a short pencil.

Five considered this for a second, then nodded.

“So soon it’ll be the longest night-” he continued.

They couldn’t see Tom, but soon his quiet muttering could be heard by them all.

“Winter solstice. Symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun. Time to prepare for the year ahead.” He said in a rush, each word blending into the next.

Peter didn’t even falter, pointing in the direction of the voice, “Yep, that.”

Five began to stretch again, wincing as they felt the pull in their calf muscle. The two stayed in silence for a while, hearing the distant sounds of birds chirping high in the trees and a few of the other ex-Abel residents chatting around the bonfire that someone was roasting coffee beans on.

“Man,” Peter spoke again, voice softer and reminiscing, “I used to love Christmas.”

He was not a person that mentioned a lot about his past, even more so after coming to Noah Base, so Five stopped their movements and instead sat still, looking at Peter to show that they were listening intently.

“Not something you expected me to like, eh?” He said, mild amusement in his tone, “Especially with the whole…” He flapped his hands around in a circle, “You know.”

Five could think of a few things that he could’ve meant but wasn’t sure which one he was alluding to. They nodded anyway.

“People just seemed happier. Like, overall. With the lights going up and stupid adverts on the telly and everyone wishing each other a merry Christmas at the shops.” 

They nodded again, fiddling with the cool grass underneath their hands.

He sighed, eyes downcast, “Wish I’d made the most of it while I could’ve.”

“I miss the food.” 

The two looked to their far left to see Sam walking up to them, holding a mumbling baby Sara in one hand and a red thermos mug of coffee in the other, handing it to Janine. 

She took it graciously, nodding once in thanks then returned to the task at hand, checking how many tampons were in the dented cardboard box that Five had swiped from the pharmacy.

Sam walked towards the other two, bouncing Sara in a manner that looked like second nature to him.

“We used to have two Christmas dinners round my grandparent’s house: a traditional Chinese one on Christmas Eve and then a British one on Christmas Day,” his eyes brightened at the memory, “We’d be eating leftovers ‘til New Years, but it was worth it.”

Peter grinned up at him, “That sounds amazing. God, I’d kill for some pigs in blankets right now. Or stuffing. Or even just parsnips. Not brussel sprouts though. Wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole even now.”

“Aw, no way, I loved brussel sprouts! My mum would make them with bits of bacon and tiny cubes of cheese-”

A new voice piped up.

“We should have a Christmas celebration.”

They all turned sharply to look at Janine. Even Sara’s big eyes were focused on the woman, mouth slightly agape.

No one refuted her, so she added, “How about in five day’s time?”

“You think it’s the 20th today?” Peter asked.

“Not for certain since my diary is still in Abel,” she replied matter of factly, “but five days seems like an ample amount of time to get everyone on board and procure supplies.”

He smiled, giving a mock salute with two fingers, “Yes, ma’am, Mrs Claus.”

Janine gave the first semblance of a smile in a while, then quickly smoothed it out, “Back to your stretches, Mr Lynne. You too, Runner Five. We can’t afford for anyone to get injured, especially now.”

They didn’t need to be told twice.

~~~~~

And so, on a morning they were almost certain was in December, the criminals from Abel township had their own makeshift Christmas. 

There was an excited buzz in the air as soon as people began to leave their sleeping bags, even if they knew there weren’t going to be mountains of presents and tables full of food. There was enough for them.

Every single person had a knitted gift from Jody, only in two different colours since that’s all the yarn she could scavenge. 

Only one of the three bottles of red wine they had found under a shelf in a tesco express was corked, which they considered an absolute win.

The crackers all had no working card strips left in them (Peter noted that they should’ve been modified by The Builder to get a real bang), but the crappy gifts inside were just as good. Janine and Tom had been playing with a miniature noughts and crosses board for the better part of an hour, their sibling rivalry reignited. 

Everyone spoke about their favourite family traditions, the best gifts they’d ever received, memorable moments from Christmasses past.

And when the snow fell and they made for their vans, there was no complaining of the cold, but instead just a stunned silence as they watched it slowly descend on the ground together, with similar smiles adorned on their faces.

[snakesartblog]

wanted to try drawing in ryoko kui's style :)

[disabledrunner5]

Back on season 7 after the season 1 community run and I did something different today….a run round a local park after work!

Surprised to get an note from Peter after, but yes my Five totally 100% took him up on that Lightsaber Battle offer, she’s a huge nerd and Peter is the closest thing she has to a brother in the apocalypse of course she’ll have taken him up on it without any hesitation 😁

[abeltownshipslittlebitch]

Peter: But what about Five?

Sam: I wouldn’t worry about her. I once saw her trip and fall down five flights of stairs, get up, and keep eating her peanut butter sandwich as if nothing happened.

Peter: Oh… Well that’s-

Sam: Then she choked on her sandwich because she spilled her drink falling down the stairs and Tom had to perform the Heimlich Maneuver to keep her from dying.

Peter: You are nOT MAKING ME FEEL ANY BETTER!

@dorkylittleweirdo

[artist-issues]

Sometimes I interact with the tiny little Zombies, Run! Fandom and I wonder how some people can view the story the way they do.

Specifically, I keep seeing that Sam and Five are "drifting apart," and I keep seeing lots of attention for Peter. Like, going into Season 6, 7, and 8 (which is the one I'm on now) I kept waiting for something big to happen to suggest that Peter was as impactful to Five as Sam seems to be.

But there just isn't anything. I mean, if you tilt your head and squint, and take everything Simon did or said to Five before dying and coming back as "Peter," and combine that with Peter...you still only have a handful of moments where they even seem close.

Like. Sure. Peter was willing to die for Five several times since coming back, but...he was lowkey willing to die for literally everybody? Because he wanted to heroically sacrifice himself? He had a whole character arc about it?

And it's not like he knows Five better than anyone, either. He has one or two moments where he notices that Five is being asked to do dangerous things even though Five is not indestructible, but that's really it. He doesn't even seem to get more concerned for Five than he does for others; just that one time, in the catacombs or whatever, when he's like "IS FIVE ALL RIGHT?"

And sure, that was sweet, but also, the writers clearly put that line in there so that Colonel Sage could point out that Peter shouldn't sacrifice himself if he really cares about his friends' safety, in general, because he can do more for them alive than dead. It wasn't a line to communicate to us that Peter cares a special way about Five. It was a line to communicate to us that Peter cares about friends, conveniently placed so that Sage could use that to convince him not to sacrifice himself.

Guys, one time should not a strong connection make.

I guess I remember he also said, when Janine was hinting that he was Simon under a different name, that Peter said "I don't want to talk about it in front of Five!" But...again, that's just. Or enough for me to believe that Peter is replacing Sam in estimation.

And speaking of Janine, there is WAY more evidence that Five is getting closer to Janine, if any character. Janine is given much more story focus than Peter, throughout the most recent Seasons. She runs more missions with Five. She's present for moments when Five is given rare character beats, like being visibly distressed at the Glassdoor Monster chasing her or ANNIE playing Five's friends' screams.

Which, is another thing, by the way. When the player is meant to notice that Five is being emotionally traumatized by a demonic A.I., the writers choose to play clips of Simon screaming and dying--sure--but the A.I. also plays those same screams for Janine. And the A.I. spends MORE time replaying Sam's screams and taunting Five with the idea of Sam Yao's mortality.

AND SPEAKING of Sam, the other side of this conversation-coin is the idea that while Five and Peter "get closer" (which I see very little evidence for,) Sam and Five are "drifting apart."

I keep looking for a big falling out, or a difference in the character of Sam Yao's reactions when Five is in danger or has to do something hard or is in an emotional situation, etc. But like...I'm halfway through Season 8 and zip. Zilch. Nada.

There's just as many instances of Sam insisting on helping Five, or appealing to Five, or hinting that he knows Five better than everybody else, or exhibiting special concern for Five, as there have been in any other season. The only thing I could maybe say is that the writers no longer put Sam on every single mission...but that's still not saying much. And all the post-mission email material? It's all still Sam writing to Five. I get maybe one or two letters from other characters, but literally only like, two letters from Peter, at most.

DISPROPORTIONATELY, Sam is still the closest character to Five. No matter how you spin it. And Peter is no closer to Five than Janine, or Jody, or even Veronica.

Now.

I'm not trying to start a shipping war or anything. If you want to say Sam and Five are drifting apart in your specific, in-between-canon-missions headcanon, go right ahead. If you LIKE Peter more than Sam for some reason, go right ahead.

But unless something happens further on in Season 8 or 9 or some extra-mission stuff I haven't unlocked yet, why are you saying they're drifting apart in-canon? Are you just...projecting that on it, because you find Peter more interesting, or because Sam's character has more going on than just "radio guy directing Five and missing his dead girlfriend" in later seasons?

This has been a niche rant that basically nobody but the teeny tiny ZR fandom will bother reading all of, but it felt good to get off my chest. Cuz sometimes, with the self-indulgence/self-insert trends of modern fandom, I think we're losing the ability to understand story. And we just blur the lines between what's actually in the story, and what we like to imagine ABOUT the story.

[desirunnerfive]

Peter: I love you.

Janine: I trust you.

Peter: …

Janine: That’s bigger to me than “I love you”.