uhohbestie

[uhohbestie]

hey besties i have fanfic-themed but not directly plot-related questions! well, mostly

question 1) do yall have any favorite zombie media? was there anything in particular that yall are drawing on for your fic?

personally i've been scared of zombie movies all my life lol but because of tamn i've finally been trying to finish the world war z audiobook? (the last time i tried getting thru it was pre covid which has been. a weird experience) it's fully voice acted and i like it so far! super different from the 2013 movie with brad pitt

question 2) :3 do you guys think you'd be up to talk about the no-apocalypse au where scarian get to have a normal breakup someday? :3 it doesn't have to be now or anytime soon but i'd be into hearing about it!

anyways hope yall are having a good day lock and key ^_^

These are some really REALLY good questions!!!

for starters! for me (Lock) I actually didn't start watching zombie media until Key introduced me to it! We watched the Korean series All Of Us Are Dead together, and then followed it with Last Of Us (the tv adaptation) and the first seasons of The Walking Dead, so I've have a very curated window into zombie media (actually! We watched Walking Dead as research for TAMN, because Key wanted to make sure I understood what hordes of zombies in cities look like!)

As for Key's zombie exposure (lol): I (Key) WAS BIG INTO ZOMBIES GROWING UP!! Constant zombie media consumption--probably one of my earliest hyperfixations ngl I feel like what we're drawing on while we write TAMN is an amalgamation of all our favourite bits from the things we've seen together, as well as some of my favourite formative zombie medias while growing up.

The Walking Dead Season 1 remains like, one of my all-time favourite seasons of any television show ever, so that's definitely a big influence. (Some of the later seasons get a lot less of my love LOL) The Korean movie Train to Busan is also a popular one you may have heard of--I'd definitely recommend giving that a go if you're okay with zombie media that veer on the side of tragic. When The Last of Us (Part One) came out, it quickly became my favourite zombie-oriented video game, though a lot of its predecessors (Resident Evil series esp.) really gripped me (even though it took me ages to play-through cuz they would scare the shit out of me LMAO) Its TV show is also an excellent adaptation, so if you're not into playing it or watching a Let's Play, the show is a good bet! The UK series In the Flesh was also an interesting look into After™ the apocalypse, and though it was cancelled after it's second season, it's also worth a watch for a fresh perspective on zombie media. 28 Days Later was an excellent movie and ofc Dawn of the Dead is a classic. And then the usual comedies like Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, etc.

I saw World War Z as a movie but never read the book! I should def give it a try--idk why I never did! God, honestly I could ramble about zombie media forever if given the chance 😂 None of this even begins to cover the sheer amount of zombie comics I read. I was very much a "webcomic" era kid, so a lot of my favourite old original zombie comics are either offline now or I simply don't remember what they were called anymore, so I have no way to track them down :( I did recently enjoy the webtoon Boyfriend of the Dead as a light-hearted, humourous read, but there were a lot of gripping, nuanced, plot-heavy original comics like a decade ago that I loved and I wish I could link. ANYWAYS. I'LL STOP MYSELF HERE AND LET LOCK ANSWER QUESTION NUMBER 2 LMAO

HI IT'S LOCK. I'M BACK. Now, as for a non-apocalypse Scarian scenario, we've actually thought about this a LOT! One of our favourite things to do is make an AU, and then multiple "what if one key things was different" spinoffs of the same AU.

We're gonna put this under a read-more, in case you'd like to keep the "what if" a mystery forever, but to sum up:

In an alternate reality where Scar and Grian break up and then the zombie apocalypse doesn't happen........ they stay broken up! Scar gets what he longs for in the fic: time away from Grian to hurt and grieve and heal with the support of his close friends who care about him.

It takes him a while until he feels ready to date again, but Scar does eventually start a new relationship with someone he knows really well, and has loved and trusted for a long time. They get engaged and start planning their wedding..............

............. and then Grian comes back and says he's sorry, that he misses Scar, that he was wrong, and that he doesn't want to be without him. And Scar................... takes him back.

It's-- listen, it's not the best possible outcome! But we're basing heavily on the Life Series Scarian dynamic, which is itself incredibly nuanced and complicated and tragic and a little bit "you're both bad for each other." It's part soulmates, and it's part codependence, and it's partly killing the person you love with your bare hands alone in the desert, and how that guilt ends up haunting you into every other subsequent timeline. Grian's not the best person for Scar as he is, and Scar's not the best person for Grian, but they want to be with each other, and unfortunately that desire often overrides common sense.

As for what happens after that.... we don't know yet! It was a thought experiment we worked through and ultimately realised "oh, it's WAY better for them that the zombies DID happen in the long run, 'cause without them this would be awful." (Not that the zombies are great, but woof......... Scarian, c'mon.) In this version of events, they lose a lot of friends when Scar takes Grian back, and the isolation suits Scar poorly. It takes them a much longer time to work through how to be good for one another. If the zombie apocalypse was good for anything, it was forcing a reckoning of what they wanted and how to get it--the only other option was death. Without that hanging over their heads, it takes Scarian years to reach any sort of resolution, which (no spoilers but) takes TAMN!Scarian a much shorter amount of time to get to.

Hope that answers your question! The 'what ifs' are our favourite, so we love to ramble about them hahaha <3

#asks #anonymous #tamn #also love that you referred to us as bestie HAHA #I know it's in our username but it's so cute to hear used and directed at us #HOPE YOURE HAVING A GREAT DAY TOO!

[uhohbestie]

Absolutely smitten with all of this (especially pearl!!! PEARL!!!! THERE SHE IS), but especially Grian's little spiritual wingies in the centre drawing, and then this part:

Nothing has ever captured the pre-zombies dynamic so perfectly as this. It's so perfect. It's so them. Oh Grian........ :') what a mess you've gone out of your way to make.

THANK YOU FOR THIS, we're so glad you enjoyed the new chapter, too! >:D

it's literally 6am dude i could NOT fall asleep after reading @uhohbestie's newest chapter (16) of TAMN are you kidding??

#Talking about this with Key and we both LOVE how u drew Grian's hair #the little hand-holding drawing in the corner.......... #there's still hope :') - lock #TAMN fanart #TAMN #literally can’t get over pearl she’s so good she’s so GOOD #I love her sm I miss her sm PEARLLLL #also Grian all happy in the corner LETS GOOOO while Scar is just Suffering #if that ain’t the whole fic LMAOOO 😂 #THANK U SM LOVING THISSSS -Key

[uhohbestie]

i caaant with the new episode this week oh my god. oh my god. going directly to yall's ask box because i CANNOT be coherent enough for a full on chapter review like usual i'm so. oh my god. oh my god. the revelations (PLURAL. PLURAL) at the end actually made my blood run cold. TWICE. TWICE. GOD. I NEED TO ?? I NEED TO EXPLODE <3

:D

:D :D :D

>:D >:D >:D

We're so so soooo glad you liked the most recent chapter!!! This next part is one of the main reasons Key and I wanted to write this fic in the first place, so it's sooooo satisfying to finally be at the point where we can say "it's happeningggggggg."

#it'll be fine though! #it'll be fine! #there's nothing to worry about #i'm sure it'll all work out fine! #TAMN #asks #anonymous #(Key: Just adding on to say #originally when I brought up what I wanted to happen in this arc #I was SO nervous #but I won Lock over pretty quickly >;D)

[uhohbestie]

There Are Monsters Nearby [Chapter 16]

🏜 Pairing: Grian/Scar

🧟‍♂️ Tags: zombie AU, zombie apocalypse, lovers to exes, slow burn, eventual reconciliation

📖 Summary: The day after Scar breaks up with Grian, the dead come back to life. Knowing that venturing out alone is a death sentence, the sudden onset of the apocalypse forces them to stick together despite the tensions between them. In the wreckage of the world, they're forced to survive side-by-side, coming to terms with the fact that—try as they might—there's still no one they trust more than each other.

Chatper 16 - The trio return and everyone is forced to move on, leaving the motel behind. Grian clings to the olive branch Scar continues to extend to him, but as more and more inconsistencies reveal themselves, it becomes harder for him to believe that everyone around him is being completely honest.

Ironically... he doesn't take well to being lied to.

📝 Words: 7,496

🔗 Link: Read Chapter 16 on AO3

—

It doesn’t take him long to reach the summit–a few minutes at most–but there’s a satisfaction to it anyhow. The top of the rise is flat and nearly level, almost as if it’s already been squared off in preparation for some sort of building. Again, Grian imagines it crested with a tower- parapets running along its top, lanterns hanging from every corner. He sighs as he surveys the area, a small smile playing on his lips as he stares out from his elevated vantage point, proud of his little accomplishment.

There’s not much to see, the desert as unimpressive from above as it is at ground-level. Still, Grian finds himself staring at it for a while, feeling a strange sort of calm settle over him that he doesn’t know what to make of.

A part of him, small but persistent, begins thinking of all the times Scar had made it clear all he wanted was to get some distance from Grian. He thinks about how every instance had made him cling to Scar even tighter, terrified that letting him go, even temporarily, would mean he’d be gone forever.

Now, looking at the view, alone with his thoughts, Grian wonders if this is what Scar had been craving.

A sudden, strange impulse in him tells him to take a step forward, and Grian does so cautiously, approaching the edge of the rise. The other side of the hill is steeper—more like a cliff than the gentle slope he climbed up.

An odd, weightless feeling settles in his stomach—indescribable, like deja vu.

Unprompted, he looks down and wonders if a fall from this height would kill him.

—

A lot is happening in this chapter! It'll probably be fine, though. No doubt it'll be fine. It's gotta be fine. I'm, like, 90% sure it'll be fine.

You can read the whole fic thus-far via the link below!

You may not rest now, There Are Monsters Nearby (on ao3!)

#trafficshipping #scarian #life series fanfic #zombie au #TAMN #TAMN fic

[uhohbestie]

Final request for now! Mumbo and Grumbot :')

They're at Bring Your Robot Son To Work day.

#thank u for all the requests! #it is back to writing TAMN now #a new character approaches >:3 #hermitcraft #hermitcraft fanart #mumbo jumbo fanart #lock art #thathorriblebitch

[uhohbestie]

Hi hi for a drawing request how about a Pearl :D could I possibly even request a TAMN Pearl :00

Pearl and Tilly! This is pre-zombie apocalypse, because Pearl (and Tilly)'s status is a bit up in the air, at the moment. What with.... what with the zombie uprising and the collapse of society, and all.

#pearlescentmoon fanart #pearlescentmoon #zombie au #lock art #lovely-lee

[uhohbestie]

may i request a quackity from las nevadas?

it's time for requests!!! I'll never turn down a chance to draw Big Q.

#dsmp #dsmp fanart #quackity fanart #dragon-mantis #lock art

[uhohbestie]

ohhhhhHH we love this!!! Your style is SO cool!

I love love love seeing Scar happy and enthusiastic for a change :') Finally someone who appreciates his endless chatter! It's so fun to see the dynamic visually like this, with Grian sitting there seething because...? Because why, Grian? Because someone else is talking to him? (Sweet little Karl, too. So polite. Too good for this messed up zombie-infested world.)

Our first fanart that involves the trio! Loving this so much! Thank you thank you! <3 <3 <3

didnt have the time or the energy to finish but i still like it sooo.. THERE ARE MONSTERS NEARBY FANART WOOHOO!

[ trmn is an ao3 fanfic made by @uhohbestie ! go check it out its very good! ]

#i love their little abandoned make-a-house-a-home #I wish they could've stayed there forever #Thank u so much for this!! #u spoil us!! -🔒 #TAMN #TAMN fanart #once again #your style kills it fr GOSHHH #I love how expressive it it!!! #and I love how bubbly the stars around Scar's head are HAHAHA #thank you I'm enthralled by thissss ;w; -Key

[uhohbestie]

Yes!!! aaaAAAA! YES!!!!!

Ohhhhh we're in LOVE with this! I love their pose-- literally at odds, refusing to face one another, while still having each others' backs. All their little details here are perfect, and they just look soooooooooo tired. That end-of-the-world exhaustion's gotta be brutal. (I just love how you've drawn Grian's hair, too. it looks EXACTLY like how I imagine it)

This is so gritty and textured and awesome. I'm so thrilled we could get you drawing again!! Thank you for this, we adore it!

Scar and Grian from There Are Monsters Nearby by @uhohbestie

I want to thank Lock and Key for writing such a wonderful, emotionally charged tale and also for making me brush up on my art skills after such a long time. They are truly doing some of the best work out there and I cannot thank them enough for their kindness and hard work.

#all alone in that desert #look at them tho...... #aaaa they mean everything to me -🔒 #TAMN fanart #JASOMBEE IT'S YOU #FROM THE COMMENTS!! :D :D!! #HI HI HI OMG THANK YOU FOR THE FANART?!?! #this was NOT what I was expecting when you asked to pester us on tumblr #because this isn't pestering at all #this is like #so nice I don't even know what to say AAAAAA #seconding everything Lock's already mentioned #your art looks so gorgeous and I love how gritty and tired they both look here #the poses are great the colours and the details UGH UGH I ADORE IT #THANK YOU SOOO MUCH #- Key

[uhohbestie]

I LOVE how invested everyone is in the Ranchers Mention™ in the most recent chapter!! And this drawing of them is SO sweet. Maybe hung somewhere in the lobby......... Another life another timeline, where two people met and were happy together with their little small-town motel. What could have been.................

Love this! And the life-series reference on their backs. Thank you thank you! <3 <3 <3

Some ranchers duo for you <3

Idk just procrastinating my science test studying but it'll be fineeeee. Right?

*this is also a TAMN fanart <3<3 @uhohbestie

They had all that Scar could dream of, but they're dead, and he's alive... oop

#that being said...... :) #Key miiiiiight have outlined a perfect little Ranchers Lore oneshot for us #that we might be seeing how fast we can flesh out into a fic #but u didn't hear that from me -🔒 #TAMN fanart #literally we didn't think anyone would wanna hear about the Ranchers so badly #but now that everyone does #especially enough to do fanart?!??!!! #like omg THB you incredible person you #I feel like we have no choice but to write that oneshot #maybe we could have it done by next week...? #god this fanart is giving me all sorts of Writing Energy fr #- Key

[uhohbestie]

SO ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH THESE!!!!

i love each and every individual part of this. Scar (Limited Life shirt!!!) with his shirt open..... Grian laying on his back (such good attention to detail on this one!).... And the third one of Grian sitting watch while Scar's asleep aaaaaaa ;-;-;-;-; i love the colours and how warm everything is. Plus all these perfect perfect song pairings.

Thank you so much for all of these oh my god <3 <3 <3 you spoil us!

Heyyy so it's been a hot sec

I would write more but my brain is fried and it's 3 am rn soooo, here's fanart from chapter 14 & 15

CW very suggestive but no nakey

Keep reading

#TAMN fanart #mildly suggestive #just in case #love the spectrum of emotion you get with these #oh these two :') #i love them but at what cost -🔒 #GOD SCAR LOOKS SO HANDSOME WITH THAT BLUSH ON HIS FACEEE #and I love the way Grian is posed out on his back #this is incredible THB!! #the colour choices make the whole thing feel so warm ugh I love themmm #you've killed it with the fanart are usual I'm emotional over this two WAHHHHHHH #- Key

[uhohbestie]

DID U USE YHIS SONG AS A REFERENCE FOR ANYTHING IN YHE FIC??? HOW IS IR SOOO ACCURATE TO SCARS POV IN TAMN 😭😭😭😭😭😭 THIS IS SO ?!/£2&2&

eye am microwaving them in my mind rn. u don’t get the brainrot ive had the past few days when i rediscovered tamn. im insane

HANDS TO OUR HEART WE HAVEN'T, but oh my god it INSTANTLY went on my TAMN playlist because how perfect is this song oh my god????

Make up you mind/let me live or let me love you

Hello??? HELLO???????????? i'm losing my MIND. THAT'S THEM. THAT'S SCAR. THAT'S HIM waking up EVERY DAY with no one else in the WORLD but Grian, and Grian still somehow finding a way to make that HIS problem.

GREAT SONG RECC THANK YOU. Looping this in the background as i finish chapter 22 edits rn hahahaaaaaaaaaa

#TAMN #TAMN asks #flykering #a monster lives inside me and that monster is named “make a TAMN animatic” and parts of this song lend itself SOOOOO well to My Vision(tm) #one day........... one day #- 🔒

[uhohbestie]

There Are Monsters Nearby [Chapter 15]

🏜 Pairing: Grian/Scar

🧟‍♂️ Tags: zombie AU, zombie apocalypse, lovers to exes, slow burn, eventual reconciliation

📖 Summary: The day after Scar breaks up with Grian, the dead come back to life. Knowing that venturing out alone is a death sentence, the sudden onset of the apocalypse forces them to stick together despite the tensions between them. In the wreckage of the world, they're forced to survive side-by-side, coming to terms with the fact that—try as they might—there's still no one they trust more than each other.

Chatper 15 - With Scar up and walking again, the group decide to move on from their ghost town. Scar and Grian manage to get some time alone on their continued trek north, but can you really reconcile and reconnect over something you've yet to properly talk about?

📝 Words: 10,269

🔗 Link: Read Chapter 15 on AO3

—

“I need you to stop treating me like I’m made of glass,” Scar says in the privacy of his and Grian’s room, sitting on the edge of what’s become their bed as he packs the little he has into his bag. “I know my body. I know what I’m capable of. Trust me, Grian. These babies can go for miles.” He says it with a smile, patting his thigh with ample confidence.

“What if you can’t, though?” Grian asks, arms clutched around himself, saying what he no doubt feels they must both be thinking.

“Then you leave me next to a cactus to die,” Scar replies, flat. “And you hope the next time we meet we’re in a world with magic so I can wizard my legs better with a healing crystal or something.”

His words catch Grian’s attention. A tender curl of hope maybe, nurtured by the past two days of civility they’ve enjoyed.

“You think we’d meet in another life?” He asks, gentler than Scar would’ve expected.

It’s a concept Grian would’ve shrugged off before the apocalypse.

Now Scar finds him clinging to it with curiosity.

Scar gives him a look, caught somewhere between fond and frustrated by Grian’s priorities. Instead of answering, he braces his hands on his knees, leveraging himself up with a wince that he manages to almost completely hide.

“Let’s get going.”

—

Here we are with another chapter of Zombie AU! Dipping back into Scar's POV in this calm before the storm. We hope you like it!

You can read the whole story thus-far linked below!

You may not rest now, There Are Monsters Nearby (on ao3!)

#trafficshipping #scarian #life series fanfic #zombie au #TAMN #TAMN fic

[uhohbestie]

I'm editing the mid-way point of There Are Monsters Nearby (chapter 20!!! Aaaa!!!) and getting to add a lot of the environmental description and details we skipped over in our first draft as the dysfunctional duo cross from one state line into another, and I'm so stoked rn 'cause it's, like: things are getting greener, but also colder and more dead as they head into winter and it's!! all!!! metaphors!! and symbolism!!! for their relationship!!!!! There's beautiful poignant things all around us and we can write them into fanfic and i love that so much :')

but also Grian please talk to Scar and mend your relationship. I beg of you :')

#TAMN #key isn't around to tell me what a good job i'm doing and I crave The Validation™️

[uhohbestie]

There Are Monsters Nearby [Chapter 14]

🏜 Pairing: Grian/Scar

🧟‍♂️ Tags: zombie AU, zombie apocalypse, lovers to exes, slow burn, eventual reconciliation

📖 Summary: The day after Scar breaks up with Grian, the dead come back to life. Knowing that venturing out alone is a death sentence, the sudden onset of the apocalypse forces them to stick together despite the tensions between them. In the wreckage of the world, they're forced to survive side-by-side, coming to terms with the fact that—try as they might—there's still no one they trust more than each other.

Chatper 14 - Scar's worsening condition forces him to share his situation with the trio. Grian should learn that honesty is the best approach, but he doesn't. Quackity makes dinner, and Karl shows off his nail polish collection to Scar. Grian continues to be his own worst enemy.

📝 Words: 8,099

🔗 Link: Read Chapter 14 on AO3

—

“Who are you waiting for?”

The question catches Grian off guard, and he revels in it.

Everything about it reeks of distrust and paranoia. How on earth would he and Scar communicate with anyone outside the group without attracting attention? And why the hell would they do it in the first place? The sheer absurdity of it sparks a deeply satisfied, bitter validation in Grian’s chest—the proof he needed to confirm he wasn’t the only one with apprehensions lurking in the back of his head.

“Who do you think?” Grian challenges without answering the question.

“It just seems like you were really pushing for us to get us here as fast as possible, and now you’re in no hurry to move on,” Quackity deflects in a perfectly level tone, acting like he has the higher moral ground. “Put yourself in our shoes—how do you think that comes off?”

“I’m in an organ harvesting cult that’s in league with the zombies,” Grian scoffs, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of it all. “Is that what you want to hear?”

“You’re the one saying it,” Quackity pressures, relentless. “I just asked a question. You started making all these wild leaps.”

Grian doesn’t have time for this, resenting how he’s been pushed so effortlessly onto his back foot by Quackity’s clever questioning. The validation of the trio’s mistrust doesn’t benefit him, and he still doesn’t want to out Scar to people who could not only be a threat, but have just shown they don't see them as equals.

“Are we in court?” Grian snaps. “Am I on trial? There’s no hidden meeting with some ragtag party of bandits waiting in the wings. We’re just tired. It’s not a secret. And frankly, I’m sick of you three acting like we’re holding you back. I’ve said it before, but clearly it bears repeating—you can leave without us. Go ahead. No one’s going to stop you.”

It’s a bold ultimatum, one that Grian’s sure Scar wouldn’t appreciate, seeing as he's made it abundantly clear they benefit from the strength in numbers.

Quackity gives Karl a look, loaded. He then makes a gesture that communicates something Karl clearly understands, but Grian can’t decipher. It feels damning.

It feels like he’s been caught.

It’s a feeling he’s been experiencing way too often, lately.

“I think we should talk to Scar,” Karl says at last, gentle but firm in a way that’s clear he wants to put an end to the argument.

“Scar’s going to agree with me,” Grian mutters anyway.

—

Another Friday with another chapter of zombie au! This chapter has some of my favourite Vulnerable Grian Moments™. We hope you like it!

You can read the whole story thus-far linked below!

You may not rest now, There Are Monsters Nearby (on ao3!)

#trafficshipping #scarian #life series fanfic #zombie au #TAMN #TAMN fic #updated the banner too :3

[uhohbestie]

oh my gosh, fastest turnaround from chapter-posting to fanart-receiving ever!!

i love how you captured Grian's sulky mood. He's all alone, and it's a bed eternally of his own making, but he's still gonna be insufferable and bitter about it. That's our Grian :")

Thnak you so much for this! We love it! <3 <3 <3

got bored and inspired after reading the new chapter of there are monsters nearby by @uhohbestie and doodled something sort of meant to be grian after he lashed out at quackity for flirting with scar :-3

man stock photos help a lot when you can't draw backgrounds, huh?

#he such a little sulk and it's like... grian YOU did this buddy #ahhh i love him so much :') #-Lock #this actually reminds me sooo much of a scene that's coming up in a few chapters #no spoilers but I had a jumpscare for a second #cuz I was like #wait did we post that chapter already? 😂 #GREAT WORK TYSM!! -Key

[uhohbestie]

There Are Monsters Nearby [Chapter 13]

🏜 Pairing: Grian/Scar

🧟‍♂️ Tags: zombie AU, zombie apocalypse, lovers to exes, slow burn, eventual reconciliation

📖 Summary: The day after Scar breaks up with Grian, the dead come back to life. Knowing that venturing out alone is a death sentence, the sudden onset of the apocalypse forces them to stick together despite the tensions between them. In the wreckage of the world, they're forced to survive side-by-side, coming to terms with the fact that—try as they might—there's still no one they trust more than each other.

Chatper 13 - Scar's condition gets worse, and Grian continues to not get along well with others. Moving on doesn't seem likely-- in more ways than one-- and though everyone around him seems determined to make the best of a bad situation, Grian alone bitterly continues to engage in even more self-sabotage.

📝 Words: 7,693

🔗 Link: Read Chapter 13 on AO3

—

The second the door shuts behind the trio, Scar is shifting in his seat, the wince in his expression obvious. Something worrisome grips tight around Grian’s heart, and he resists the urge to gravitate to Scar’s side and fuss.

“Grian,” Scar says, serious.

“How bad?”

Scar looks towards the door, expression inscrutable before he breathes out, slow and even. “Bad.”

Silence settles between them, the air suddenly thick and stuffy, heavy with the implication.

“I need you to help me get back to the bedroom.”

The reality of what Scar is saying unfolds in Grian’s chest like something dreadful and rancid. The worst case scenario of Scar pushing himself too hard for too many days.

“Okay.” Grian’s numb as he says it, stepping forward on autopilot as he slings Scar’s arm across his shoulder and helps leverage him to his feet. Scar’s expression is tight, determined to look strong even in a vulnerable moment. He lets a short breath in and out through his nose before he nods and they move with slow, careful steps down the hall.

They’re lucky they have a bed. For a moment, Grian tries to imagine what would have happened had Scar seized up in the open desert, but the horror of the hypothetical compresses the question into an impenetrable knot in his mind.

Working together, Grian helps Scar lay down on the mattress, expression creased as he focuses and tries not to panic. Once safely down, Scar closes his eyes and tilts his head back, exposing the long column of his throat as he heaves a long, pained sigh.

Hesitant, Grian deliberates for a moment before he asks, “What do we tell them?”

—

Another Friday another chapter of zombie au! We broke the 100k word count with this one- a nice milestone for us >:3 hope u enjoy this one!

You can read the whole story thus-far linked below!

You may not rest now, There Are Monsters Nearby (on ao3!)

#trafficshipping #scarian #life series fanfic #zombie au #TAMN #TAMN fic