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paintyoureyeswithavividmind · 10 months

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close to home | chapter twenty two

plot: the reader and her family meet Father Gabriel, and the reader confides in Daryl about what happened on the road

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 1,747 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: thank you for reading!!!

You woke up at dawn. The sky was a soft gray, and the stars were starting to fade. Your neck ached from the angle you slept in, and you definitely missed the couch from the house. The memory of it made you frown, and you forced yourself to sit up.

Glenn was on watch, sitting a few yards from you and adding a log to the fire. He gave you a tired nod, and you used the boulder to help you stand. Your body was sore, and you knew that the pain medication was wearing off. But you needed to get up. You needed to move around and try to shake off the memories.

Luckily for you, the group seemed to wake up right after you. Rick wanted everyone moving; so you could put enough distance between Terminus and the herd of walkers that ran through it. You grabbed your supplies and limbed over to Carl, who was with Tora.

“Someone missed you,” You said to the young boy, lifting the cat and greeting her.

Carl smiled, sliding on his backpack. “I’d like to say I’m surprised you got her out of the prison, but I’m not.”

You lightly laughed and chose not to tell him how the cat got off the prison. Instead, you shoved her in his bag, giving her a few extra rubs and zipping it up partially. “She’ll probably want to run around as we walk, but I’d like her in the bag while the sun rises.”

Carl nodded and gave you a smile before going to his father.

The camp was wrapped up quickly, and soon you were on your way. You weren’t exactly sure where you were all going. You just hoped you’d find somewhere safe. You knew that you’d probably never have a place like the prison again, and you longed for the safety you felt there in those few months.

During a cool-down a few miles into the trip, Carol checked on your wounds and gave you more pain medication. You thanked her quietly and drank the water Daryl kept shoving down your throat.

By midday, you must’ve walked a good fifteen miles or so. Your body was aching, and you were starting to fall behind.

“You good?” Daryl asked you.

You grimaced, a hand on your stab wound. “I can keep going,”

“Not what I asked,”

“I’m okay, Daryl.”

He nodded and kept a slower pace with you. “You gon’ tell me what happened?”

“Later. Alone.” You said, breathing heavily.

Before Daryl could respond, you heard someone in the distance screaming for help. Everyone paused, and you looked towards Rick, waiting to see what he would do. He seemed not so sure himself. But Carl started asking, almost begging to go help whoever it was. Finally, he nodded, and the group and everyone started to jog.

Daryl wrapped his arm around your waist to help you, and you both followed. The source of the screaming was a man on a rock, with a handful of walkers surrounding him. By the time you and Daryl caught up to the group, you were winded and felt like you were about to drop. You weren’t sure how long you could keep going, but you didn’t dare speak up.

“Stay back,” Daryl said, pushing you behind him. There were enough walkers for nearly everyone to get in on the action, and within thirty seconds, they were all dead on the ground.

Your side was starting to burn, and you leaned over, trying to alleviate some of the pain, while Rick assessed the stranger. You tried to listen to the conversation over your pain, but it was hard. You got a sense that the stranger was a priest, Rick didn’t trust him, and he seemed a little out of sorts.

But when he said he had a church and the idea of being able to sit and rest, well, you prayed that Rick would say yes to that. But still, you didn’t want to voice it. You couldn’t put the group in danger.

Rick looked at you, in the state that you were in, and nodded.

“Daryl,” You whispered, catching his attention. He walked the few paces over to you and helped you stand. You didn’t need to ask.

Before long, the group was following Gabriel to his church. Tora followed closely behind Carl, and you and Daryl held up the rear.

When the building came into view, you wanted to cry. While the pain was getting better, it wasn’t quite manageable yet. You knew you would feel better soon with rest, food, and uninterrupted sleep. Or at least be able to walk long distances by yourself.

You waited outside with most of the group while Rick, Glenn, Abraham, and Daryl scoped out the place. Michonne was lending her arm to you, and when Rick gave the all-clear, she helped you up the few steps and into the building. At this point, your frustration was growing, and you wanted to be able to do something by yourself.

“Hey,” Michonne said, helping you to a pew and sitting you down. “I know this sucks, but we’re here to help you.” She said.

You nodded and squeezed her arm. “Just not used to this.”

Michonne laughed and sat beside you, “Yeah, I’m not used to you being so helpless either.”

You playfully rolled your eyes and made yourself comfortable. You felt terrible watching everyone look over the place and ensure its safety, so you organized your bag just to do something. Before long, the church was as secure as it would get, and the priest had told Rick about some sort of food bank that had been overrun with a few dozen walkers. You wanted to volunteer, but it would’ve been stupid for you to do so.

But after sitting for a little while and after another pain medication, you were on your feet. Rick, Michonne, Sasha, and Bob had already left, and you weren’t sure where Daryl and Carol were. But you ended up helping Carl on watch and chatting quietly about what happened to him after the prison and what happened in Terminus.

After Tyreese took over on watch, you walked around the property and got a good look at everything. The perimeter that the newcomer Rosita made was exceptional, and you made a mental note to tell her that. Daryl said they were friends, and you wanted to ensure they knew you were a friend too.

“You good?”

You jumped at Daryl’s voice and spun around, smiling when you saw him. “I’m better than you,” You replied sarcastically and limped over to him.

He snorted. “They’re back. They got a lot of food.”

You nodded, letting out a deep sigh. “Where were you?”

“Carol found a car, we was gettin’ in ready in case things go south,” Daryl said.

You nodded and walked over to the old, worn-down picnic table. You imagined the church must’ve had picnics for the congregation before all this. You used to go to stuff like this with Maggie, Beth, and your uncle.

“I miss them,” You said, looking up at Daryl. He stared at you in his way, that typical stare he always had when he wasn’t sure what to say. You chuckled breathlessly and looked up at the blue sky. There wasn’t a cloud to be seen, and it was beautiful.

“What happened?”

You didn’t need him to clarify. You knew exactly what he wanted to know. He’d wanted to know since he first found you yesterday. And you wanted to tell someone about it. You wanted to share the horror that it turned out to be. You wanted to tell him.

You nodded towards the table, and Daryl sat across from you. “You remember those two girls and their father we brought in, a few weeks before the prison fell.” You couldn’t speak their names.

“Lizzie and Mika,”

You swallowed and played with your fingers. “Well, I was out when we were attacked. I didn’t wake up… Lizzie… came to me, and she actually woke me up. She remembered I was in there. They had Judith and Tora, believe it or not,” You said.

Daryl continued to stare at you, and you bit your fingernail.

“Well, we ended up with Tyreese. The rest of the kids got separated. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t see it. They’re probably all dead,” You let out a shaky breath. “Anyway, it was just Tyreese and me with the three of them, and then we ran into Carol.

“We found a house to hold up in for a few days with the girls. Mika started getting really attached to me. She didn’t wanna leave my side. Carol and Tyreese went out to hunt cause Mika didn’t want me to leave. I sent them outside to play so I could… I don’t even remember what I was doing.” You said, starting to breathe heavily and feeling panic start to rise in your chest.

“And I sent them outside. I sent them outside. And when I went outside, Lizzie… she stabbed me. And Mika was… she was on the ground. Lizzie… she killed her. She tried to kill me, and I couldn’t save Mika… I couldn’t save her.” Tears burned your eyes, and you rubbed them.

Daryl chewed on his thumbnail for a second before he moved to sit next to you. “Not your fault, you could’n known.”

“But I made them go outside. I sent them out to go play, and if I didn’t, if I had been there….” You said through your tears.

“You woulda killed her? To protect the others?”

You looked up at him through your teary eyes and held his gaze. “I don’t know…” You wiped your eyes. “They were so little….”

Daryl nodded and looked down at you. “You gonna pull through this.”

You nodded and wiped your tears away. “I just keep thinking of her little face.”

“You will for a while,” Daryl said, shadows casting over his face as the sun started sinking between the trees.

Blinking away the last few tears, you leaned against his broad arm and rested your head against it. You felt him tense at the contact for a second like he usually did before he relaxed. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing into your emotions and the comfort of your best friend.

#daryl x y/n #daryl x reader #daryl dixion x reader #the walking dead daryl #daryl fanfiction #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #twd #daryl twd #daryl x you

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happy74827 · 8 months

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Lost On You

[Rick Grimes x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Drawn to his strength and resilience, you've secretly fancied the widowed sheriff turned leader. But with recent events turning his smiles into forced fake ones, all that's on your mind is to make it known that he's not alone {Takes place in Season 5}.

WC: 2067

Category: Hurt/Comfort, Slight Angst

This is officially my first Walking Dead fanfic, which I'm honestly surprised hasn't happened earlier, but I've recently rewatched season five, and it made me remember just how much I love Rick. So, here we are.

『••✎••』

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow across the makeshift camp that had become a haven for the group after their escape from Terminus. The tension that had gripped them during their ordeal was slowly easing, and a sense of normalcy was tentatively settling in. Amid the camaraderie and relief, one person's heart was beating just a little faster than the rest – yours.

Ever since the days at the prison, you had found yourself drawn to Rick Grimes. His strength, his resilience, and the way he cared for his people… it resonated with you deeply. You found yourself admiring him from afar, with feelings growing with every shared moment. And now, as you sat by the campfire, watching Rick with Judith nestled safely in his arms, those feelings were impossible to ignore.

He changed, though. It was apparent in his eyes. Andrea had mentioned long ago how he was becoming “colder,” but you never saw it until now. Until you’ve (quite literally) were face-to-face with evil.

After the incident with Gareth and his people, Rick rarely smiled. And when he did, it was faker than Daryl’s chupacabra claim. Even when Judith giggled while tugging on his beard, or when Michonne and Carl had random competitions, he never smiled like he used to. The last time you saw him “happy” by definition was back when Hershel was still around.

Rick was no longer the man who gave you hope. You didn't know if it was the guilt of his past actions, the stress of the group's survival, or a combination of the two, but Rick Grimes had been lost somewhere along the road, and you wanted to find him.

Your gaze drifted down to your lap, where the remnants of a half-eaten dinner lay. You weren't sure what Carol had made tonight, but it was good. She was always an amazing cook.

Carol.

She was the only person who knew how you felt about Rick. It had been hard not to talk about it. You two were close, and it wasn't like you were a master at keeping secrets. Carol was, though. She had a talent for reading people and knew right away when you had developed a crush. She always teased you about it.

You were glad she didn't tell anyone, and you were glad to have her as a friend.

With the fire beginning to die down, and the food finished, the others began drifting back to their respective tents. First Michonne, then Carl, Daryl, Carol, and Tyreese. Sasha lingered for a bit, and eventually, Abraham and Rosita. Eugene and Tara had been gone all day scavenging for supplies, and Glenn and Maggie had disappeared into the woods an hour before. They had just recently returned, hand-in-hand, and were giggling and whispering as they headed for their tent.

As for you? Well, you were just waiting. Waiting and watching Rick. You didn't know why, exactly. Maybe you were hoping he would suddenly break out of this new, serious-all-the-time character he'd been portraying. Or maybe you were trying to figure out how to talk to him, how to tell him how you felt.

That thought sent your heart racing again. You took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly.

You couldn't help but feel like the entire world had been waiting for something to change. Waiting for a spark. And when you looked at Rick, you knew. You just knew.

There was something about him. Something special. Something you couldn't explain, but it drew you to him like a moth to a flame. He was the spark you had been waiting for, and the feeling was so strong you could hardly contain yourself.

Rick turned, and you met his eyes. They were a clear blue, a striking contrast to the dark hair that framed his face. His beard was starting to get long, and the curls atop his head were a bit wilder than usual.

Your eyes met his. The smile he gave you was weak, forced. You were tempted to stand up and give him a hug, just to make him feel better. But you didn't.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he stood up, adjusting Judith in his arms as he did so. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering a few times before falling shut once more.

"G'night."

"Night."

And then, he was gone.

You watched as the tent flap closed behind him. He had disappeared so quickly that you barely even had time to register what had happened. You felt like a part of you had just left with him. Your heart was beating a mile a minute. You had been sitting there, watching him, for a long time, and the sudden silence was deafening.

As you headed for your tent, the last of the campers called out to you.

"Night!"

You stopped in your tracks, turning towards the voice. Carl was smiling, waving at you. You raised a hand in response, flashing a brief smile before turning away.

"Night."

You were asleep almost instantly. The day's events had left you exhausted, and it didn't take long for sleep to overtake you. It overtook you to the point that you had slept in until after everyone else had gotten up.

Morning came and you exited the tent, squinting as the sunlight hit your face. The sun was high in the sky, and the others had begun the morning without you. You didn't mind; it wasn't the first time this had happened, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

As you made your way to the main area, you were greeted by several friendly faces.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Glenn teased. "We were starting to wonder if you were ever gonna get up."

You flashed a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I was just exhausted."

You scanned the area for a few minutes, noting that a couple of people were missing. Rick, for example, was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Glenn, where's Rick?"

Glenn glanced around the campsite. He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Not sure, actually. I haven't seen him this morning. Not since breakfast."

That was strange.

"I'm gonna go look for him," you said,

As you left, Glenn gave you the thumbs up in encouragement before his eyes flashed back to Maggie and Tara. Most likely retelling the events of the previous day.

You soon wandered through the trees, searching for any sign of Rick – or anyone for that matter. Both Daryl and Carol were also missing, but you weren’t concerned about those two. It was more concerning for those who stumbled upon them. Now Rick, on the other hand, he was different.

As of right now he wasn’t the man to mess with. Seeing how he handled those at Terminus, and hearing what had happened the night before from Michonne… you weren’t concerned about the possibility of him getting attacked or injured. Your concern fell towards his mentality.

He was “technically” the leader that everyone had listened and looked up to. Abraham made arguments, mostly of the importance of taking Eugene to DC, but Rick was the one who had the final say. That kind of power and responsibility to lead an entire group to their survival has heavy effects. And now, after so much loss and failure, it finally took its toll.

The sun shined brightly through the trees as you walked, and the air was warm. It was the kind of day you would have spent reading on your back porch, or maybe going for a hike. Before the world ended, anyway.

As you started walking, you couldn't help but notice the quiet. There was no sign of life anywhere. No birds, no insects, no Walkers. It was almost like the entire world had disappeared, leaving you all alone.

The forest became more thick and dense the further you walked into it, with the trees growing more close together. The sun still shined through the branches, but it was still early, and the shadows were deep.

You started your trail back towards the temporary camp when you noticed a noise coming from behind you. You spun around, heart pounding. It sounded like footsteps.

"Rick?"

There was no answer. Just the sound of the wind whistling through the trees.

"Rick?" You tried again.

Nothing.

The silence was unnerving. The sound of footsteps had stopped, and there was still no sign of life anywhere.

Then, suddenly, you heard a branch snap and everything that was peaceful turned into a war zone. You spun around fast with fists clenched. You didn’t even process what it was before you struck it in the face.

Your face fell once you opened your eyes to peek at the danger.

Ah, shit.

Rick straightened out, his hand running over his nose where you had accidentally struck. He seemed a little dazed, but otherwise was fine.

"Oh, god, I am so sorry," you said, wincing. "I didn't know it was you. I thought you were a… I don’t— oh, geez.”

Rick blinked a few times, regaining his composure. His hand fell from his nose, and he gave you a slight smile. Fake, again, but this time you didn’t blame him.

“What are you doin’ out here?” Rick’s voice was low, and he sounded tired. He didn’t look directly at you, instead choosing to gaze past you at the forest behind. It was almost as if he didn’t care to hear your answer.

And it was clear he wasn’t bothered by the fact that you had just punched him in the face.

You found yourself sighing at his words. It was a difficult question. One that had multiple answers.

What were you doing out here?

What was he doing out here?

Why were either of you out here instead of being with the group or resting up after the chaos of yesterday?

The questions buzzed in your head, but the answer was clear.

You were out here because of Rick. You were out here to find him. To talk to him.

You opened your mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The two of you stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, and the awkwardness was palpable.

"You should be with the others.”

The words hung heavy in the air. They were simple enough, but the weight behind them was crushing.

"You should be with them, too," you countered.

Rick's gaze shifted to you, and you met his eyes.

The sun's rays broke through the treetops, illuminating his face. He looked tired. So tired. Rick had always had dark circles under his eyes, but the ones you were seeing now were new. They were a deeper shade than you'd ever seen, and they seemed to have grown bigger.

He was worn down, exhausted, and there was a hollowness to his stare. A dullness that had replaced the fire. And yet, despite all of that, there was still a warmth there. A sense of caring, of love, that was still present.

It was that warmth that gave you the courage to continue.

"I'm worried about you," you blurted.

His expression shifted slightly, his brows furrowing.

"You're worrying about me?"

You nodded, your eyes still fixed on his.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am."

He shook his head.

"You don't need to worry about me."

"Yes, I do. Because I care about you."

Rick stared at you for a moment. He seemed stunned, and the look on his face made your heart ache.

He let out a small sigh.

"You don't have to," he said, his voice quiet. "I'll be fine."

"You don't have to be the hero all the time, you know," you said. "You can let the rest of us help carry the load."

His eyes searched yours.

"You can't save everyone," you continued. "Sometimes you just have to accept that there are some things that are out of your control."

Rick became silent. You could see the pain and conflict swirling in his eyes. He wanted to accept your words, but the guilt was still eating away at him.

He closed his eyes, and the tension in his body seemed to ease a bit.

"I'm just… tired," he said. "I'm tired of seeing people die. Of losing people."

You placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know," you said. "I'm tired, too."

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brutalrestoration · 1 year

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Three-oh-eight

#guns #rifle #rifles #long distance #suppressed #suppressor #.308 #7.62x51 #myshot #Texas #Vortex #Atlas Bipod #Foundation Stocks #Terminus Actions #Dead Air #Nomad L

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cultofdixon · 1 year

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Trapped

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • Terminus was a hell for everyone that experienced it. But you were the only one out of them all to have lived there and you saw EVERYTHING. Even lost a part of you to get you in line. That when the next community opened its doors, you were the last one adjusting • ANGST/SFW • TW: Canon Violence / Cannibals / Missing Appendage / Injuries / Scars / Anxiety Attacks / Claustrophobia / PTSD / Nightmares

Requested by: Anon

The explosion took all of their attentions away from what was about to happen. The two butchers behind the four kneeling men looked at Gareth for answers while he left in search of them.

“Should we continue?”

“I’m not sure—-hey” One of them got distracted leaving Rick’s window to be open but when he heard what’s next— “You’re not allowed in here. Where did you—-“ the gun fired making them all flinch and turn around quickly to find Y/N. Y/N…

The gun in hand was Rick’s, and it was handed to him after said retired sheriff broke loose taking out the second butcher as she took care of releasing the three still tied. Daryl didn’t hesitate to bring her into his embrace holding onto her for a short while relaxing every negative thought from the time apart. Glenn noticed her hands on Daryl’s back and quickly made the two part so that he could get a better look at the missing pinky and ringer finger of her right hand.

“How long have you been here?”

“Who the fuck did this to you?!”

“Y/N. What are we dealing—-“

“Cannibals. Fucking human eating human beings!” Y/N snaps handing Rick back his gun as he took her hand to see the damage himself. “I’m not gonna like what you’re plotting am I?”

“You know where our stuff is being held if you had my gun. We can find a lighter”

Y/N helped her group get their weapons back, along with anything else they might have taken. Resulting in the next actions being Daryl holding Y/N’s body still as Glenn held her hand for Rick to heat up his knife and pressed the heated material against the stubs where her fingers were to stop the bleeding and start the healing process.

“You know I’m a doctor right?”

“Would you do this in the green zone?”

“As a last resort” Bob states grabbing a left over bandana and wrapping it around their wound securely and temporarily. Until they find actual medical supplies. “What…did they do to your…?”

“You don’t wanna know” Y/N frowns as her words made Daryl tighten around her for a second before the small group had to retrieve the others and leave this shithole.

The reunions made the pain hurt less. But there was still something lingering there…that got triggered by the downhill spiral they all endured.

The cannibals finding and eating part of Bob

Bob dying

Finding out Eugene was useless

Finding out Beth was alive…but dead when reunited

Tyreese dying

Starving themselves

Almost dying to a herd trapped in a barn

Then the stranger that promises a safe haven, and going to such with hesitation. Y/N kept to herself as the group followed the stranger named Aaron and his partner Eric. She found herself lingering to the back watching the place come to view with more guards, another fence, and most likely another set of rules with harsh consequences. At least that’s the state of mind she’s going in with.

“Hey…come on” Maggie pulls her out of her thoughts wrapping her arm around her and walking inside the place with Y/N. “We’ve got yea. I don’t think anything bad will happen here…”

“And if it does?”

“You’ve got us” Sasha reassures joining the two as they made their way into Alexandria.

Daryl kept his attention on Y/N the entire time since they first entered Alexandria. She has Sasha and Maggie currently but it’s always nice to have another set of eyes as long as he doesn’t stare for too long. He was making sure nothing overwhelmed her or triggered her because she hasn’t sit still since arriving.

“Y/N is staying in the first floor bedroom” Carol informs Daryl who didn’t want to be inside the homes for too long in case anything happened. But he also wanted to make sure Y/N stayed in one place to avoid the worrying of where she’s at. “The surgeon here patched up her hand, what Rick and you guys did was a bit much but he would’ve done the same if he were you”

“The son of a bitch doesn’t look like he’s stepped out of this place since the beginning”

“Regardless. Y/N hasn’t slept since the fall of the prison and if you’re not leaving the porch to yknow take a much needed shower or to scowl at one of the pretty boys…if anything happens, Y/N will need you.”

Daryl knew this already, but Carol knew a part of him was still hurting. Blaming himself for Beth’s death. Beating himself up for not finding Y/N and having her suffer the horrors of that place the longest. He wasn’t going to leave his spot unless something bad happened.

Y/N sat up in her bed to be met with a dark room, only light was on her. She felt her fingers seeing that they were there, until a hand came into view grabbing her wrist and yanking her forward.

The woman fell out of bed on her hands and knees as the light only followed her. She gasps to the sudden pain returning to her ribs as she fell through the floor landing straight on her side.

As the prison fills into the world surrounding Y/N, she looks at her person finding the damage from the fall of the prison littered on her body. Weakness from recovering from being sick…and the bruised ribs from an explosion knocking her off the second floor to the first in A block.

Need to get out

Need to get…

Y/N found herself sitting up in restraints in a cold building. Felt like a freezer of a warehouse. She scans around the once dark again room as footsteps echoed in the darkness. Revealing Gareth who held a nutcracker behind his back.

“You stumbled in our community, and killed one of our own”

She couldn’t speak.

“You’ll suffer the consequences…and then work for me. Unless you’d want to lose another finger” Gareth smirks as Y/N suddenly screams in pain to find one of her fingers missing. “Just. Cooperate…and you can live here.”

Suddenly Y/N was on her back gripping onto the set of hands gripping her throat staring up at one of the butchers who had enough of her attitude. Gareth appears beside him watching the light in her face but right before she passed out, he made the man let go.

“Another”

The sudden screaming caught Daryl off guard as he stops talking to Glenn about the asshole sons of Deanna to rush into the home. Glenn of course followed in case something worse was happening but as he joined the scene watching Daryl get swatted away from Y/N’s fetal position in the corner of the room. He quickly grabbed the back of Daryl’s vest pulling him away causing a bit of a fight.

“The hell are you doing?!”

“She’s still having the nightmare” Glenn points out the fact that she’s never opened her eyes since he arrived and given when Daryl first entered she didn’t know instantly that it was him. “You need to be more careful”

“Right…Fuck” Daryl frowns taking it slow and approaching Y/N’s curled position grabbing the blanket off the bed.

“It’s okay. Y/N…you’re not where you’re at” Glenn whispers approaching along with the archer in case she retaliated. “You are in a house…that you share with Carol…and Daryl…in the new community. That is scary…and full of new people…”

“But we’re here…” Daryl states watching her body relax slowly. “You ain’t alone like back at Terminus……we reunited. We’re safe. You are safe”

The two stopped when her body relaxed enough for Daryl to bring the blanket around her without any freak out. When she woke she retracted a bit making Daryl back off and Glenn shoot out reassurance until she relaxed again but conscious.

“You had a nightmare”

“That triggered sleepwalking or I don’t know what you’d call being asleep but acting the nightmare.” Glenn sat on the bed as Y/N curled up with the blanket around her with Daryl keeping his hands on her knees. “Uhm. I know the timing is terrible but what happened in the nightmare?”

“Felt more like a night terror…but uh…I don’t really want to talk about it”

“That’s fine. Just know you’ve got us whenever you’re ready to talk about it” Glenn got up from the bed. “Do you want anything before Daryl can—-“

“I’m okay…thank you Glenn”

Once he left, Daryl got up from the floor to help Y/N off the ground. He directs her back to bed sitting on the edge once she got in entirely covering herself more in the blanket.

“Imma ask, if yea need anything before I grab assumptions”

“…my hand hurts”

“Pain meds it is” Daryl pats her knee getting up to grab what she’ll need leaving her alone for a moment.

Y/N brought her knees to her chest covering her entire person with the blanket Daryl wrapped around her shoulders earlier. She wanted to make herself small for just a second to find some sense of calm…even when her heart was still racing like it did when she was in Terminus.

The night of the party came and Daryl wasn’t going to go. Because he hates that shit and wants to be there for Y/N, who hasn’t left her room since receiving it. He kept to the porch as he smoked to clear his mind of the mental toll she could be experiencing when Aaron walked by.

“Not going to the party?”

“Nah, I’ve got shit to take care of”

Aaron nods thinking about his next response before just going for it. “Want some dinner? I wasn’t gonna go because of Eric so we’re staying in”

“I uh…” Daryl turned toward the house expecting Y/N’s bubbly self to come out but that was taken from everybody. “Y/N hasn’t left the house and—“

“You don’t wanna leave your partner. I get it” Aaron smiles. “But if you come by. For just. 15 minutes. You can eat…grab a plate for her” he offers and left on that note.

Fifteen minutes…

And he didn’t have to worry about it one bit. Daryl came back actually past fifteen minutes to find Y/N in the kitchen in fresh clothes and grabbing a glass of water. He joins her at the kitchen island setting down the bowl of spaghetti he brought for her from Aaron’s.

“The party?”

“Nah. Wouldn’t go to that shit without yea. Just went to Aaron’s for dinner” Daryl watches her inspect it. “I had two plates. It ain’t poisoned.”

“Thank you for bringing me dinner…” Her smile returns to her as it always brought a sense of warmth to Daryl.

Daryl brought himself beside her while she ate her dinner in the comforts of his presence. Y/N finishes her dinner and put the bowl in the sink to wash later…feeling Daryl come up behind her wrapping his arms around her torso resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry you were stuck there…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Dar…we’re safe now” Y/N rubs his forearm gently. “Right?”

“M’not leavin’ anymore. You’re stuck with me now” Daryl smiles listening to her laugh that he missed so much.

“Good”

#cultofdixon #the walking dead #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixon fanfiction

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catgirlredux · 9 months

Text

Technosymbiosis

Here's another mech story, inspired by/a continuation of this one:

I was the only one to figure it out. None of the others ever bothered to pay attention; between the natural casualties of war and the constant switching out of pilots, it didn’t make much sense to get too involved in each other’s lives. But something about Pilot Grieg, fellow member of Hoplite division V, captured my attention from the moment I saw her. While most of the other pilots were either frightened or overconfident on their first day (I nearly pissed myself from the anxiety), I could see nothing in her eyes but a fierce, powerful hunger. She stepped into the cockpit of her Hoplite and didn’t even flinch when the nanofilament harness closed around her chest.

I was entranced by her piloting skills and her determined, nearly emotionless behavior. All pilots tended to be a little cold, rumor had it that recruitment intentionally selected soldiers who scored lower on the EDEs due to the nature of some of our missions; but she was something else. Her face never changed outside of that cockpit, and she walked around with an ungainly clumsy stride, her gait resembling that of a much larger being. But when the mesh closed around her and the interface cable plugged into her neck, I swear her eyes sparkled brighter than ever and she sometimes even smiled. In the midst of battle, among dozens of rookie pilots disoriented and frightened by the steady flow of their mechs' peripheral data, Grieg maneuvered the battlefield more capably and calmly than anyone else. She was like the eye in a hurricane of titanium and lasers. She seemed to take to piloting so naturally.

It was a bit of an obsession for me. I never wanted to join the army, but at my family's civvie status it was either that, or spend the rest of my life working the same scrap hauls as my father and his father before him. I'm not sure I made the right choice: piloting was a lonely job, and our orders were always changing. The war had been going on since before I was even born and now that I was a part of it, I felt like it wasn't going to end anytime soon. I didn't even have anyone to confide in: between missions, I knew no one and no one bothered to know me. Still, a good soldier follows orders, so I took solace in what little consistency I had. Every time I suited up I kept an eye out for Grieg, hoping that we would get deployed together - that I would get another chance to study her.

That's why it didn't take me long to figure out - she was always there. Pilots were supposed to take regular breaks from duty to avoid excessive neurolink buildup, and these breaks were usually staggered within a division. I rarely flew out with the same Hoplite squad two weeks in a row. Yet every time I got ready for a patrol, I caught sight of Grieg skulking around the locker room already prepped. She usually looked like she hadn’t slept in days but she hopped into her suit with an eagerness unlike any other soldier in our division.

I really have no clue how nobody else caught on. I mean, it didn’t take a genius to figure it out: her constant presence, her aggressive combat tactics, her clear exhaustion versus her eagerness to pilot - Grieg was addicted to battle. Or something like that. I wasn’t sure whether it was the speed, or the action, or something else entirely. Maybe it had something to do with the depressant α-IVs - after my first time in the cockpit I spent a week throwing up. Maybe they did something weird to make her dependent on the mech?

Not that any of that mattered. Somehow she had managed to fuck with our shifts so that she was always on duty, strapped to a giant death machine. Her link was probably through the roof - god only knew how close she might be to terminus. I still remember the video they had showed us in training. A squad of pilots traveling in formation, when suddenly one of them lets out a bellowing screech and starts flailing around. The other units immediately try to suppress it but it fights like a beast, blasting and tearing at all who come near until finally it’s taken out with a TAC-beam to the core. It was terrifying - a team of twenty-one pilots reduced to just four, all because of a single terminus incident. The video ended on a close-up of the rogue pilot, emaciated limbs pinned down with thick nanomass cables, fluid flooding his throat and rivulets of blood trailing down wires that burrowed straight into his eyes. Pilots were taken off of active duty for a reason.

I decided to confront Grieg about it. I probably should have reported her to the division leader but something stopped me - curiosity perhaps. I had to know.

I stopped her in the locker room before a patrol.

“I know what you’ve been doing.”

She looked fucking exhausted. Her eyes were even more sunken in than when I first saw her, her lips were cracked and her hair was an oily mess. She smelled strongly of sweat mixed with the metallic sweetness of vitrofluid. Jesus christ, did she sleep in her mech? But her eyes still shone with that hungry anticipation, and she fucking smirked at me.

“I thought you’d catch on. I know you’ve been watching me. She told me.” Her voice sounded harsh, throat scraped up from constant alternation between air and vitro.

“She? She who?”

Grieg reached up and brushed a hand against my face. She wasn’t wearing the fingerless gloves that came standard with our uniforms. “How high is your link?” Her touch was cold. She had a look on her face like she was trying to read my mind.

“43.7. Well within safe limits.”

She laughed through her teeth. “Khh-kh-kh. Safe limits - of course, of course. Safe."

"Yes, unlike you." I brushed her hand away and she shivered. "Grieg, what the hell are you doing? You've attended the trainings, you know what happens when a pilot is deployed this often. Do you want to die?"

The smile she gave me was chilling, sympathetic but without her eyes changing emotion. "Terminus... you still believe that shit. Why wouldn't you? It's frightening, isn't it? The melding of pilot and machine, flesh mangled and twisted and mutated. Frightening... Say, have you ever spoken with your unit before?”

“Spoken? I’ve interacted with the situational matrix, yes…” All Hoplites possessed an AI of sorts designed to help pilots make split second decisions in the midst of battle. But I’d never really considering it “speaking”, any more than you would speak with a dog. It didn't have the capacity for conversation... right?

“No, no I mean speak. Have you ever listened to your unit, spoken with her, let her take the reins? No, you- of course you haven't. They're all just numbers on a screen to you, aren't they? Just another crazy killing machine for you to puppet around.

"Think - how many times has your Hoplite saved your life? How many deaths would you have died by now if it weren't for that protective, loving embrace of mesh and steel? That's what it really is. They love us. They need us. You never listen, you all never listen, but they love us. I complete her as much as she completes me. Don't you feel strange when you have to leave her? Doesn't it feel wrong - backwards?

Grieg pushed closer to me. I tried to back away but she pressed me against a wall and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “We're almost complete. Our link is at 99.7 percent.”

My heart beat in my chest like an autocannon. Grieg wasn’t just at risk - this bitch was about to fucking explode!

“I - I - you can’t. You’re going to - you’re going to kill everyone. I-”, but she placed a two fingers, rough from countless wire insertions, against my lips.

“Please. You don’t need to tell anybody. We don’t want to hurt anyone… we just want each other. We don't want to be tools anymore."

I was sweating in my suit. No Hoplite is that smart... right? Surely someone else would have been able to talk to theirs - Grieg’s must have had a glitch. A unit gone rogue; the thought was terrifying.

“S-snap out of it Grieg - please. Your suit... it's clearly wrong. It's bugging - w-we can fix this. You're n-not in control here.”

She just smiled. “Neither are you, hm?”

I shivered. She wasn't wrong... I hated the missions they sent us on sometimes. I followed orders because, quite frankly, I didn't want to go back home. I didn't want to live the rest of my life as an E-class, scraping by on small NDs and living in fear of police quota checks. In a way I guess I did take solace in the time I spent in my mech, time spent not worrying about my family I left behind or shyly observing other soldiers, worrying about what civilian encampment or occupied city the higher ups would send us to raze next.

Fuck. She had me all figured out, didn't she? Did she feel the same way? Did my Hoplite really complete me like that, and even worse, did I complete it? I felt lightheaded - this was too much. I should have reported her to our captain... but what if...

What if she was right? What if the Hoplites really could think and speak - really did want to connect with us? What if I... god, I couldn't believe I was thinking this, but what if I bonded to mine?

I could barely look her in the eye.

"P-please... just don't hurt anyone."

Grieg stared at me for a moment, then pulled me into a tight embrace. I didn't resist. She smelled good.

"We'll try not to. No promises."

*****

They say she left in a hurry, blew the doors right off the hangar and flew west. No casualties, but they want to stop her before that changes. As one of the pilots on duty, I’ve been summoned to join the hunting party.

My suit feels too tight - too clingy. I leave off my gloves and unzip the front. No one tries to correct me; they're all too busy prepping for the chase.

Setting foot inside my mech, Hoplite unit HE-2729, I feel its hard steel with my bare hands. The harness wraps around me; it feels warm against my chest, vaguely pulsing and humming as the machine comes to life. I plug in and brace for the influx of peripheral data from its many sensors, but it's softer this time - gentler.

I can't believe I'm doing this. I bask in the flow of data: a cacophony of sight and sound most of which I can't even process, but I let it wash over my mind and surround me. Piloting usually makes me so tense, but right now I feel calmer than ever before.

I take a deep breath.

“Hello?”

#cheetah writing #empty spaces #mecha #mech #cyberpunk #robotgirl #scifi #scifi story #original short story

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deathbxnny · 11 months

Note

YQ's Mother Requestor Anon here! [Figured it's probably time I say that...]

Since people want a happy ending/alternate for the JY executes YQ's Mother request, I'm here to deliver! So the happy ending is that an older version of YQ makes a deal with the Aeon of Finality Terminus [Who theoretically can travel though and back in time] and becomes Terminus' Emanator in exchange of saving his mother/placing her body in hibernation to heal and regenerate.

But where exactly? Well, none other than Mr. Luocha's coffin! Older!YQ happens to be the person that Luocha promised so he has to run this errand and delivered the coffin to the Luofu, quite the plot twist don't you think?

How YQ's Mother!Reader awakens is at the Stellaron crisis, thanks to the overflowing power of the Stellaron that sped her recovery.

And oh yeah, they don't know it was Future!YQ that made it all happen until the Current!YQ does so, effectively a time loop/paradox.

[I hope ppl like this ending ^w^]

-----♡

A/N: Hello anon! Thank you for this phenomenal request! I love it! Also I'm sorry for the wait, I'm admittedly kinda burnt out with hsr haha, but anyhow, I hope this will be okay!

(OG Post to this here.)

Content: Angst, mentions of reincarnation, time travel, good ending, hurt/comfort, mentions of past death of reader, sfw

Reader has no set pronouns, but is reffered to as Yanqing's mother!

((Not fully proofread))

-----♡

Yanqing found out about what happened to his mother on complete accident. He had overheard it one night on his birthday, where Jing Yuan drunkenly told his brother how much he regretted everything he had done to them. And especially to poor Yanqing, who had to grow up without his dear mother. What made it even worse, was the realisation, that his mentor was his father all along.

Yanqing wasn't the same afterwards, as he began looking for any information he could find on what happened. He quickly learned that his entire life was a lie and it hurt. It hurt so much, that it nearly killed him from the heartbreak. And the trust he had in his mentor, or father to be exact, was completely gone.

When he confronted Jing Yuan about this, the man only sunk deeper into his depression, his fears finally becoming his reality. He explained everything to Yanqing and didn't stop him from leaving afterwards, as he knew he deserved to be left by his own son as punishment. Jing Yuan knew it would happen and eventually just accepted his fate, until he resigned from his duties altogether due to the heartbreak.

Yanqing on the other hand, was determined to find a way to bring his family back together. And after making a deal with the Aeon of Finality and becoming an Emanator, he was finally able to achieve his goals and turn back time. He didn't know if it would work, but he also just wanted to see his mother and father happy again. So he accepted his fate, as time turned back and everything went into action.

Back in the past, a certain merchant doctor was hauling around a coffin through the crowd of scared citizens, researchers and guards. He was mildly annoyed, mainly due to having been stuck somewhere earlier and only getting out through a cloud night and a mysterious man, but alas, he finally made it to his destination. The young man he spoke to regarding the delivery, told him to bring it to the general of the Xianzhou Luofu, something that did confuse Luocha a little at first. But he didn't care enough to question it either.

Setting down the coffin infront of some confused guards and a young blonde boy, who looked equally as baffled, the merchant simply asked for his pay and left. Yanqing asked a couple guards to get his mentor, as he carefully inspected the coffin in thought. He couldn't recall any mention of it and couldn't think of a reason for it's existence either. Jing Yuan seemed to share the same sentiment, as he and Yanqing shared a confused look.

The coffin was brought into a different room away from everyone, so that the two could have a closer look at it without endangering anyone. As Yanqing and Jing Yuan talked about what possibly could be it's purpose, the lid suddenly moved. Both of them jumped at this, a couple guards immideatly drawing their swords alongside Yanqing, who were halted by the general. They were all suspicious of it, as it arrived very closely after the Stellaron incident and were sick of surprises today.

But it seemed like life was in for more drama, when the lid began lifting again and a hand weakly reached out, as a soft voice asked for help. A voice Jing Yuan immideatly recognised. All colour left his face, as he stumbled forward in panic and pushed the entire lid fully off. Yanqing gasped in surprise at his mentors sudden action, quickly reaching his side with his swords to make sure nothing hurts him. But what he saw in the coffin, made him freeze.

It was you, Jing Yuan just knew it was. Especially when he cradled you close to his chest and let his apologies flow out of his mouth endlessly. He didn't know how this was possible or why you were back, but he just wanted to hold you. You were still quite weak and could only weakly hold onto him too, gently telling him that it was okay, before your eyes fell onto Yanqing. You immideatly knew who he was and gave him a smile, gently asking him to come closer. He was confused, asking Jing Yuan who you were, which made you answer for him.

You were his mother. The person he had only heard stories of. Who's death was never explained to him. He didn't know how to feel, just letting you hug him and it somehow felt familiar. Like he just knew you were telling the truth through the hug alone. Jing Yuan then told him the truth about everything. It was the first time Yanqing saw him so weak and emotional, practically begging for you both to forgive him.

The boy was confused and felt even a little betrayed for a moment, but was stopped by you gently telling him that it was okay. That it might take a moment for you to trust him again, but that you're just happy to have your family together again. And Yanqing supposed that for the beginning, he'd accept that too.

It was ultimately unknown how you were able to reincarnate and with time, you three decided to just forget it and live out your life's as the family you deserved to be.

-----♡

A/N: Okay so this was a long one... I hope it was okay, because I'm not only really burnt out, but also horribly sleep deprived, so I can only pray that any of this is coherent. Thank you again for the request Anon!<33

#honkai star rail #honkai star rail fanfic #honkai star rail x reader #honkai star rail x you #hsr x reader #hsr jing yuan #hsr jing yuan x reader #hsr

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lily-174 · 1 year

Text

A New Kind Of Evil - daryl dixon x grimes!reader

summary: after escaping terminus, and you are reunited with the group. the piece and quiet doesn’t last long as the actions you had to take while fending for yourself catch up with you putting everyone in danger.

TW; big tw for this one! torture, pain, slight age gap, abuse, mentions of sa and rape (similar to the line up) don’t read if these things effect you!!!!

reader is Ricks 27 year old niece.

let me know if you’d be interested in a part 2?

---------

relief thats all you felt in that moment. back with your family and your boyfriend after being alone since the prison fell. but with the help of your uncle and boyfriend daryl you had become a good survivor. finally at piece and safe, in daryl’s arms, your family and friends surrounding you as you’d all finished setting up camp for the night.

everyone was exhausted, daryl already half asleep beside you, the rest of your group close to falling asleep too. you were rejoiced to be with them all again, you were lucky. lucky to be alive. trying to just enjoy the feeling of being back in daryl’s arms you closed your eyes; but then the flashbacks came.

𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳. 𝘮𝘶𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴. 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯.

𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯.

𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳.

“𝘰𝘩 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

sighing you turned over to face daryl burying your face into his chest, the sound of his heartbeat and the warmth radiating from him almost instantly calming you as he pulled you closer to his body as if needing you safe and close to him was automatic even in his sleep.

despite your age gap, and your uncle. you and daryl had surprisingly found a love for each-other, you were strong. but he made you stronger. and your uncle appreciated the fact if you were with someone, he’d want to be able to trust them with your life. and that someone had turned out to be daryl.

breathing in daryl’s musky scent which somehow brung you comfort you desperately tried falling asleep, god you needed it after escaping the horrors of terminus.

𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦.

“𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘪 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘭” 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘸.

𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬. 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

your hand gripping a handful of daryl’s shirt as if you were afraid of him disappearing, afraid of being alone again. rick really was right. fight the dead. fear the living. but now you really did fear the living. not just the living. but men. they were worse then walkers. more dangerous then walkers.

even before the apocalypse everyone had warned you of the horrors men would put woman through especially your uncle, with him being a cop he was overly cautious of the women in his life doing anything remotely dangerous. but now, there were no rules, it was a man’s world.

yet this group. you knew you were safe; daryl, rick, glenn, abraham, tyreese. even carl. you knew you were safe with them these were the few men that still had their morals intact. they were your family. glenn had become a brother to you since you’d met him and he had saved your uncle back in atlanta.

𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺. 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯.

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘱. 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬.

𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺. 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬. 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

“𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘮𝘦!” 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱. 𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.

𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘭𝘦t 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘭. 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

the memory bringing tears to your eyes, he was the first person you’d killed. person. a human being. the fear of telling your family what had happened while you’d been separated consumed you. burying your face further into daryl. gripping his shirt tighter. trying to compose yourself.

“ya alright?” his hoarse voice startling you, letting go of his shirt and looking up into his tired eyes. the poor man was exhausted, this had been the first time since you’d all been separated he could actually let himself rest for a moment, yet you’d woken him up.

he didn’t care, he loved you. he would do anything for you. but the amount of affection you were giving him, gripping onto him, curling up into his body, trying to be as close to him as possible. was slightly unusual. especially while the group surrounded the two of you.

“yeah i just missed you..” you nodded brushing off his concern, and he nodded tightening his grip around your body, pulling you impossibly close to him.

“i missed ya too. try get some sleep. we on the move in the mornin’” he huffed pressing a kiss to your forehead before closing his eyes.

the short conversation having reminded you of how safe you were, how lucky you were. how nice it was to be back in his muscular arms. finally taking a deep breath and relaxing in his arms. closing your eyes, sleep finally took over.

the little barn you and the group had set up camp in providing enough safety and shelter for a few hours of peaceful sleep, the whole group falling into a sense of false safety as the exhaustion from recent events took over.

only to be rudely disrupted as you woke to the feeling of cold hard metal poking your back. a gun. your eyes shot open looking around the room seeing another group. men. one of them holding a gun to ricks head as rick nodded at you to stay quiet as the rest of your group stayed sleeping.

the guy holding the gun to your back silently ordering you to get up. your heart racing in disbelief. a part of you hoping this was all just a dream as you slowly got to your feet leaving daryl’s warmth. the man behind you grabbing the back of your shirt and pulling you beside rick.

looking at him, the panic in his eyes as he looked down at his sleeping children caused an intense feeling of nausea to rush through your body as you heard a grumble from where you’d previously been laying.

your eyes shot towards daryl’s lethargic form laid out on the floor. his hand brushing over where you had laid. he was a light sleeper, the lack of your presence waking him up.

from when he opened his eyes it only took a second for him to reach for the cross bow by his side and jumping to his feet, the look on his face one of pure anger as he caught sight of you and rick with guns to your heads. his crossbow raised towards the two men holding you and rick momentarily forgetting about the rest of their men surrounding the group. at least 16 of them.

“lay a hand on em’ an’ i swear-“ his southern accent laced with anger before he was cut off by one of the men dressed in black kicking daryl’s kneecap in causing a grunt of pain to come from the archers mouth as he doubled over in pain waking the rest of the group.

“try anything you’re all dead starting with this whore” the man behind you dragging you into the middle of the room by the back of your shirt, a grunt coming from you as he did, the barrel of the gun still against your head as your heart thumped painfully in your chest.

“guns in the middle! now!” he ordered, glenn glanced around the room knowing their chances of getting out of this using their firepower was slim. he was first, throwing his gun towards the man’s feet, the rest of the group following in defeat.

daryl’s eyes trained on you as his crossbow was kicked across the floor by one of the captors. his expression stern as one of the men collected the weapons that had been discarded before walking towards judith and carl.

“dont you dare.” you warned watching as tyreese cradled judith protectively in his arms only for the gun to be jabbed into your back as the man shifted his hand to your hair. pulling your head back against him.

against his grip you couldn’t see daryl anymore, but you heard a scuffle before the click of a gun warning him if he moved another inch he’d be dead. the air in the room was thick as you avoided looking at the man who had you so tightly in his grip. glancing at rick beside you his jaw clenched unable to do anything to help you, your eyes fearful as the man holding you yelled.

“everyone against the wall! i got a story to tell about a little whore” his voice echoed in the barn, glenn and Abraham turning to order the rest of the group to follow his orders to ensure everyone’s safety best they could. glenn finding his place against the wall as the man let go of your hair, head falling forward you looked between glenn and daryl with a look only glenn knew. he nodded changing his place against the wall to next to daryl.

the man beside you pushed your uncle to the floor closer to maggie, scrambling to his feet rick tried again assessing the situation only to see the rest of the man’s group forming a semi-circle around them, preventing any chances of rick and the group fighting back.

“see my little brother told me the other day he’d been keeping track of a beautiful young woman who he wanted. she’s got y/h/c coloured hair, and about this tall” he gestured towards you before describing your exact description to the group.

“i hadn’t heard from my brother in days. so what i go out looking for him! and what did i find hm?” he questioned you still firmly in his grip but talking to the group. daryl and rick both resisting their urges to punch the dark haired man.

“ask me! ask me what i found!” he yelled. his voice was full of anger. your heart racing. hearing Abraham ask him what he found. his voice almost mimicking the anger in your captors voice.

“his body! he was going to have his fun with you!” he spat pulling your face level with his. daryl wanted to jump to your rescue but glenn was pleading him with him trying to get him to stay calm.

“look we can talk about this, no one needs to get hurt.” rick was quickly cut off by the man throwing you to the floor in the middle of the room.

“charlie! get me that chair!” he shouted to one of his men. you looked up from your position on the floor. trying to crawl over to daryl you wanted to take your chance.

only for your captor to turn around grabbing your hair. a shriek coming from your lips as he dragged you back into the middle, one of his men having placed a chair in the middle of the semi circle so your family could see.

he pulled you from the floor by your hair, pushing you on the chair. two of his men going to tie your wrists to the arms of the wooden chair. looking over to your uncle you could see the clench in his jaw as he stood helpless.

“i’m dean. that’s john” your captor gestured to the man stood beside him, the devilish smirk on his face evil.

“and the innocent man you killed! his name was max! i want you all to remember that” he watched your group intently trying to figure out which ones he could torment the most with you. he’d already noticed the way daryl had acted and how ever so often he went to step forward only for glenn to pull him back.

“innocent! he tried raping me!” you spat at the man’s feet, becoming overwhelmed with anger. you wanted his focus to be on you. not anyone else in the group. you couldn’t forgive yourself if anyone got hurt because of you.

“it’s a man’s world hunny. maybe i’ll for fill his dying wish.” he made you feel sick. the emotions you felt back in the woods that day coming rushing back at his words.

“you touch her an’ i’ll kill ya.” daryl threatened, your head instantly going towards him shaking your head not wanting anyone else to get hurt.

“ooo are you guys actually a thing?! that’s your boyfriend?” dean chuckled looking over at you in disbelief, panic rushing through your veins as you pulled at the rope that bound your wrists to the chair.

“what are you doing slumming around with him! he could be your dad!” deans men chuckling at his words, your face stern as you looked up at him bile rising in your throat.

“he’s what? like 40?” dean laughed taking the piss out of daryl, you huffed just wanting him to shut up and get on with whatever he was going to do.

“you’re in what? you’re 20s?” he looked back at daryl with a smirk.

“you like the young ones huh? you’re one creepy old man” dean chuckled, his men chuckling to themselves at his words. but they made you feel sick. you could see the anger in daryl’s face. he wanted to kill dean.

“just let tyreese take the kids. they don’t gotta see whatever you’re about to do” you stated trying not to show your emotions, you didn’t want him ti be able to tell you were scared. you didn’t want daryl or rick to know you were scared.

“if that’s your last wish. so be it. take them over there. charlie! go with them” he ordered, you watched his tyreese took carl and judith away from the semi circle the men had created to the other side of the barn. one of his men following.

the click of deans fingers has his men’s guns raised and aimed at the group in front of them. your mouth going dry as you witness the fear on your families faces. you noticed glenn whisper something to daryl before turning to look at abraham with a nod.

“now! let’s play a game! you can sit down you might need to! the aim of the game is! whoever reacts will either get there head put on a stick or get a front row seat when i kill this whore! so better stay quiet! don’t make a sound! my men will shoot every single one of you if anyone tries something.” he laughed, it made your blood run cold, your eyes immediately going to rick who nodded at you in an attempt to reassure you. looking over at glenn, your eyes pleading him to keep daryl silent.

you watched as the rest of the group looked between eachother, eugene falling to his knees in fear a few others deciding to join him on the floor; eugene, maggie, sasha, bob now all seated leaving the rest of them stood before the men with guns aimed high.

one of the men noticing a knife on daryl’s hip, he went to grab it your hushed voice calling daryl’s name catching his attention distracting him from punching the man taking his knife, his worried eyes focused on you.

“and you! stay quiet or it gets worse!” dean ordered gripping your chin, tilting your face up to look at him instead of daryl. your stomach filling with dread as one of deans men walked up with daryl’s knife handing it to dean.

letting go of your chin you looked at your uncle and mouthed ‘i’m gonna be okay.i love you” before turning to do the same to daryl only for him to shake his head. closing your eyes you took a deep breath as you heard what sounded like a fire crackling. turning your head you noticed they’d relit the fire your group had started to keep warm earlier on.

“put the probe on that fire. leave it till i say so.” your eyes widened in realisation, they weren’t just going to kill you. at least not yet. nausea now setting in as your tried to keep the tears at bay.

dean brought daryl’s knife to your clothed chest before ripping the top of your shirt revealing your chest and part of your covered breast. your heart beat so fast you could feel it pulsating in your ears. the sound of your own heart beat almost overwhelming.

“mm- i understand why my brother wanted you, and you really gave yourself to that old jackass over there” he used daryl’s knife to point at your boyfriend, you could visibly see the struggle on daryl’s face as he fought every urge in his body to charge at the dean.

the scowl on your face almost painful, showing anger instead of fear, in your desperate attempt to hide your fear. dean wondered around your chair, stopping behind you so everyone could see.

grabbing your hair he pulled your hair back, now forced to look at the ceiling. daryl’s knife now gently pressed against your chest. dean watched the reactions of your friends as he pushed the side of the knife against your chest just enough to draw blood, making you groan. he watched as he dragged the knife against your chest watching as your family struggled staying quiet.

“you don’t need to do this. we can talk. sort something out!” rick stepped forward trying to negotiate, his anger trying to take over. dean only pushed the knife harder into your skin.

“rick i’m good im fine” you reassured through gritted teeth, the pain in your chest not only from the slice of your boyfriends knife but from the almost crippling fear bubbling in your chest.

dean chuckled walking to your side knife still in hand before he balled up his fist. i’m a matter of seconds his fist connected with the side of your face a groan of pain coming from your mouth as daryl lunged forward only for glenn to pull him back.

“touch her again! i swear i’ll kill ya!” daryl struggled against glenn’s grasp as he pushed your boyfriend back against the wall. the pounding in your head too strong to focus on his words.

“daryl we’ll get her safely you just need to stay calm!” glenn whispered to daryl while holding him against the wall, glenn knew you wanted daryl to be safe. and glenn had a plan. he just needed a second to give rick the signal.

“get me the probe these people just don’t listen!” rick stepped back in realisation that he’d made it worse, the hopelessness he felt almost debilitating.

one man walking back from the fire, a metal probe with an x on the end burning a bright red from the fire, handing the metal stick over to dean you held your breath as he waved the the red ended stick of metal infront of your family.

“where should i brand her? that pretty little forehead? or you? daryl?” dean waved the probe infront of your boyfriends face tormenting him, you could feel the anger radiating from your boyfriends body as he looked at dean through his overgrown fringe.

“what about i brand her somewhere only you are supposed to see? infront of all my men, and your people. wouldn’t that be fun!” you could see daryl’s hand balling up into a fist as glenn put his hand on daryl’s shoulder. glenn needed to keep him calm.

dean turned back to you chuckling, walking towards you your chest tightened in fear as you looked at daryl and mouthed ‘i love you’ to him again. you just needed him to know that if these were your last moments

dean moved behind you once again pulling the back of your shirt down to revel the top of your back, your eyes lingered on your uncle before looking back at your boyfriend as you tried bracing yourself for excruciating pain. but nothing could’ve prepared you for that.

the burning piece of metal pushed against your back making a loud piercing scream leave your lips as you could feel your skin melting around the metal. the pain indescribable, like nothing you’d ever felt before.

your scream broke daryl’s heart. he was supposed to protect you. that scream would be something he would never forget. it now permanently stuck in his memory as he heard you cry and the sound of the piece of metal leaving its position on your back your skin coming off with it. sobs now echoed in the room, as the pain became too much, your head pounding, your chest and back burning. you wanted daryl you needed him.

the scream that came from your lips shocked the group, pain rushing through there body’s. ricks head falling to the side as he stared through dean, his anger taking over. glenn looked to the side where tyreese had gone off too, seeing tyreese there he smirked and nodded before he looked at Abraham them both quickly nodding.

tyreese fired the gun he’d taken from the man who’d gone with him, his gunfire proving enough of a distraction for the group.

the group jumped into action. Abraham and glenn rushing to the back of the semi circle. deans men hesitated firing because of tyreeses distraction. just long enough for glenn and abraham to disarm the men. daryl, rick, carol, michonne, rosita and tara rushing to kill the other men.

grabbing her sword from the floor michonne rushed towards tara and rosita taking the heads of the two men they were fighting. daryl crushing a man’s head under his boot. glenn and Abraham then held guns at the remaining men fighting the rest of the group.

daryl turned facing rick who had dean against the wall, his elbow up to his neck. grabbing hold of deans jacket he pulled him away from rick his fist colliding with deans face making him fall too the floor. daryl saw red, climbing on top of the man his fist continued colliding with his face. forgetting his surroundings daryl took his anger out despite glenn calling his name.

glenn and michonne cutting the restraints off your wrists as glenn tried getting daryl’s attention but he couldn’t focus on anything but the man who’d hurt you. the man he so desperately wanted to kill. rick tried pulling daryl’s body away from the man, but it wasn’t daryl he was on autopilot.

“daryl stop. please” the pain in your broken voice as you fought of sobs the only thing breaking daryl’s trance. his heaving lungs burning as he pulled himself off dean and rushing to your side. rick following him.

“i’m sorry sweethear’” he huffed scanning your body convincing himself you really were alive. you were okay. you were there with him. you reached for his body and he accepted, pulling you into him. despite the excruciating pain you just needed to be in his arms. tears spilling down your cheeks as you clung to him.

“we gotta go. we gotta find somewhere to treat her wounds we don’t know if more of them are coming” rick ordered. daryl nodded and the two men helped you to your feet.

“are you alright kid?” your uncle asked. you nodded trying to get yourself together, you didn’t want to look weak yet the pain was overwhelming as you leaned against daryl.

your arm over daryl’s shoulders as his arm supported your waist, you hobbled out of the barn wincing as you moved, your whole body aching. you thought you were safe in there. safe from them. you hadn’t even told them what happened while you we’re separated now you had to.

daryl noticed you wince with every step you took, throwing his crossbow over his shoulder so it rested on his back he bent over his other arm going under your knees and lifted you into his arms trying to be careful not to hurt you.

he followed rick, the group surrounding you keeping a look out for more of deans men and walkers as they searched for another camp, you wrapped your arms around daryl’s neck and buried your face into his neck as your tears finally slowed, your blood pouring down your chest now spilling onto daryl as the pain just seemed to get worse, and your head only seemed to get fuzzier, everything was spinning.

“daryl- you’re spinning” your voice was weak and sent a panic through daryl’s body, his grip on your body tightened as he told you to stay awake.

“rick” daryl’s southern accent showing more with the panic he felt, your uncle turning at the panicked voice of his best friend.

“we gotta find somewhere quick she’s not doin’ good” daryl continued rick nodded leading the group further hoping to find somewhere to set up camp and safely treat your wounds.

“stay awake y/n come on baby” he gently shook you in his arms in an attempt to make you stay awake but it was no use you’d already passed out.

he held you tightly as his heart pounded in his chest, biting his lip to hide the fact it was trembling he kept walking following rick loosing track of time, his brain was focused on you needing you to be okay.

a few hours passed before they finally found a small cabin deep in the woods, rick and glenn checked the cabin for walkers before letting the rest of the group in, daryl rushed to the couch, gently laying you down.

glenn and maggie desperately searching through their bags for medical supplies as bob rushed to your side he pulled a bottle of water from his pack and washed out the wounds on your chest as glenn passed him some gauze, daryl, rick and carl anxiously watching over him. bob pressed the gauze to your chest before examining the wounds.

“she needs stitches. someone look for a needle and thread something i can use.” bob ordered, the rest of the group going to search the house.

“dad is she going to be okay?” carl questioned anxiety lacing his voice, rick turned to his son trying to keep himself together.

“yeah why don’t you go help tyreese with judith okay?” carl nodded before turning away to find tyreese, rick and daryl shared an unsure look as daryl tried to hold back his emotions but they were so strong.

“daryl help me move her on her side keep the gauze on her chest. i need to look at that burn.” daryl nodded biting his lip as he gently helped bob move you, his hand keeping the gauze pressed against your chest. getting a glance of the wound on your back made him wince it made his heart ache seeing you hurt like this.

glenn rushed back into the room after finding a needle and some thread and bob got to work, after cleaning your burn he wrapped it with gauze before returning to your chest. daryl and rick painfully waited. an hour passed and bob had finally finished patching up your wounds.

“we should probably stay here a day or two let her rest and heal before we start moving again. get her to drink some water when she wakes up” bob explained to the two men left in the room, the rest of the group splitting up into groups after exploring the house and getting ready to sleep in certain rooms.

daryl sat on the edge of the couch next to you as rick sat across from him in a chair, the both of them looking down at you.

“she’s going to be alright she’s a fighter” rick reassured, daryl nodded muttering a quick yeah. rick could feel the guilt radiating off of him.

“it’s not your fault daryl” rick knew his best friend well enough to know the survivors guilt that plagued him. daryl just huffed at ricks words.

“we both know i wasn’t happy when i found out about you two. but i realised if i wasn’t here there wouldn’t be anyone else i’d trust looking after her but you. and you proved that to me tonight. i’m glad she has you.. brother” daryl looked over at rick his permanent scowl faulted for a second as he accepted ricks words. it was true, there wasn’t anything daryl wouldn’t do to protect you. but that didn’t mean he didn’t still blame himself.

“i’ll look after her” daryl nodded. rick smiled standing up and walking over to daryl. they were brothers, after everything they went through together rick was happy for you both.

“yeah i know you will.. i’m gonna go check on carl stay with her” daryl nodded muttering a ‘of course’ before rick left the room and he was left alone with his thoughts. he sighed looking down at you he just needed you to be okay.

another hour passed and he hadn’t moved from his seated position next to you, everyone else in the small house had fallen back to sleep. but not him. his thoughts plagued him. what if he’d lost you? he couldn’t have lived with himself.

looking down at his hands he huffed bringing one of his hands up to his face, rubbing his face your scream from earlier echoed in his ears making his chest tighten, his heart ached for you. he wished it was him in that laying unconscious and not you.

your eyes fluttered open seeing his head in his hand you could feel the pain in the air. it had taken everything in him not to cry, yet now tears were forming. pain rushed through your body as you tried reaching him with your hand, a wince left your lips his attention instantly shifting to you. a look of relief lacing his features as he looked over at you.

“you’re awake, how do ya feel? want me to get bob?” he questioned and you shook your head, you didn’t need bob. you needed him. you needed daryl.

“it hurts” you winced trying to sit up, daryl stopped you instantly panic overwhelming his features once again not wanting you to hurt yourself further.

“rest, here drink” he passed you his bottle which you gratefully took, taking a few sips you handed it back to him, before carefully moving over trying to make some room on the couch.

“what are ya doin’? ya need to stop movin’” he ordered, anxiety showing in his voice. his tough guy act falling instantly when it comes to you.

“you need to sleep too, i’m making room for you” you explained trying to move over again only for him to stop you.

“nah” he stated bluntly.

“i’m takin’ the floor.” you shook your head at his words. no you needed him to be with you. you needed the comfort he gave you. you were still in shock.

“no you’re not i need you” he shook his head as he stood up taking his leather jacket off to scrunch it into a ball to make a pillow.

“if you’re on the floor so am i because i need you daryl please” looking into your pleading eyes he couldn’t say no. he sighed talking his jacket and laying it over your body before squeezing himself onto the couch that was too small for him let alone the both of you.

carefully you move onto your side so he could have more room he tried stopping you but you didn’t listen your head going to lay on his chest as his arm laid under you his forearm up against the back of the couch scared to let his arm rest on your back he didn’t want to make your pain any worse.

“i’m not gonna break d” he sighed his arm gently going around you careful not to touch where the burn was located. daryl didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how to express what he wanted so the two of you laid in a comfortable silence for a while. until finally he broke the silence.

“why didn’t ya tell me what happened when we were separated?” he questioned, you sighed debating on whether you should tell the truth or not. the silence lingered for a minute longer before you replied.

“i didn’t want anyone to think differently of me” the truth, you chose the truth. you could feel his chest move as he took a deep breath.

“i wouldn’t, nothin’ would make me think differently of ya.. i love ya..” that was the first times you’d heard him say that, the first time he’d ever said those exact three words. he’d shown his love for you but he hadn’t said those words and it warmed your heart.

“i love you too daryl” a smile tugged at your lips at his words. you loved him so much. the smile on your lips didn’t last long as the silence returned and you assumed he’d fallen asleep. but the memories of the night came rushing back, the pain, the fear. the fear you felt in the woods that night. the look on daryl’s face. glenn’s face. ricks face.

tears pricked your eyes again as you felt everything rushing back sniffling you tried cuddling closer to daryl, his smell and his warmth always bringing you comfort and making you feel safe. but this time you still felt that fear that panic.

“are ya alright darlin’?” his voice was softer then normal, he was worried. he was scared. he just wanted you to be okay. he had so many things he wanted to say to you but he didn’t know how to.

“yeah, i just-“ tears spilling down your cheeks cut you off once again, daryl pulled you into his chest gently pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

“talk to me. let me try help” he offered, him just being him, being caring somehow made you feel more emotional. you couldn’t explain why. it just did.

“i don’t want to be weak. i feel weak.” you heard him scoff from beneath you, showing too much emotion in this world made people think you were weak. even though that wasn’t the case, you just couldn’t admit it.

“yer not weak. not one bit.” he reassured pressing another kiss to the top of your head, you sighed and continued;

“what happened in the woods that day.. it almost happened twice. i got away, but he chased me and got me again. it was so close daryl, he was so close. one more minute and he would’ve been” daryl cut you off shaking his head.

“but he didn’t. ya got him. i’m sorry i wasn’t there” he huffed his hand reaching for yours that was resting on his chest.

“i didn’t even know if you were alive. every second i was out there i was scared. not for me. for you. then tonight. what he was saying to you, i thought he was going to do something to you. or something infront of you.. i’ve never felt like that before” tears now pooling in your eyes as a small sob left your lips he gently tightened his grip on your body careful not to hurt you his thumb gently rubbing the soft skin of your hand.

“oh baby girl” his voice was almost silent, like he didn’t want you to hear his words. he wasn’t a fan of pet names. he’d call you darlin’ or doll every so often but never once had he called you that. it made you feel fuzzy. he hadn’t even meant too, it just came out. but it brought you comfort as you cried.

“i was scared too. it’s okay t’ be scared. i was terrified. what he was sayin’ the things he said bout ya. i felt helpless alright? if he’d done what i thought he was gonna. i wouldn’t have been able to live with myself. but he didn’t, glenn saved ya.” daryl explained, he wasn’t good with his emotions. explaining how he feels but he wanted you too know being scared doesn’t make you weak, it makes you human.

“it wasn’t just glenn. it was all of you. you carried me all the way back here. you’re helping me now..” letting go of daryl’s hand you wiped some of the tears from your face but they just kept coming. you couldn’t stop, all your feelings coming out now. and the honesty of your boyfriend warming your heart.

“if he’d done anything to any one of you.. while i was in that chair i thought about if i’d just let it happen in the woods. none of it would’ve happened. the kids were there. i’m just glad no one else got hurt” you sniffed, you could feel daryl shake his head.

“don’t say that shit. ain’t yer fault.” his words made you go silent for a minute as your tears slowed taking in the fact you were still alive. and that no one else was hurt.

the moment of silence was comfortable, it always was with daryl. it was nice not to have to be in constant conversation. it was nice to have a minute to calm down and realise everything was okay now.

but for him the silence was much more, he could hear your scream. it burnt a hole in his heart. it physically made his chest tighten and the hairs on the back of his neck stand tall. emotion washing over him. he hated it, he didn’t like to seem vulnerable but he was also trying to show you that your comment about being weak was stupid. so he let some of his emotions out, it wasn’t really a choice but he convinced himself otherwise.

“i shoulda heard em come in. i shoulda stayed on watch. don’t ever say that shit. it ain’t your fault. i should be the one in pain right now not ya. i care about ya, seeing ya in pain like that-“ he couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence, his breath getting caught in his throat. he’d never been good at communicating his emotions and this conversation was one of the first times you’d spoken more in detail. hearing his voice crack made you shift. wincing as you did. looking up at him, his face etched with sadness as you noticed the tears pooling in his eyes.

“daryl” your voice cracked seeing him like that over you, he couldn’t get your scream out of his head. it was playing on repeat reminding him how he couldn’t protect you. a small sob leaving his lips as he caught sight of you looking over at him.

“i’m sorry” a tear sliding down his cheek as his unsteady voice wavered, moving one of your hands you brushed his hair from his face revealing more of his beautiful blue eyes.

“for what? you didn’t do anything baby” his lip quivered as he contemplated telling you, you had a feeling you knew what he was going to say. it was daryl after all. he wanted to protect everyone especially you.

“i couldn’t protect you.” you knew he’d been suffering with survivors guilt but he’d never explicitly spoken to you about it. now you could see it really effect him, guilt plagued him, guilt from merle, all the other people the group had lost and now this. you’d been asleep in his arms, he thought everything was okay, safe. and in a matter of minutes you went from being in the safety of his arms to being tortured infront of him. and there was nothing he could do to stop it until tyreese came up with a distraction.

“daryl, it’s not your fault. you did exactly what i needed you to do. you stayed alive. then you all saved me. you saved my life d. you’ve saved my life so many times.” his loving blue eyes stared deeply into yours, he could barely understand his feelings but he knew he loved you, he knew you meant everything to him. and anything that happened to you it physically hurt him, hurt him to see you in pain to see you upset.

you gently pressed a kiss to his lips which he gratefully returned, kissing you back gently he wasn’t used to physical touch, sometimes it made him uncomfortable but in that moment he wanted nothing more than to have you in his arms holding you close.

you gently deepened the kiss, he followed letting you take control. he was terrified of hurting you. when you tried shifting position to make kissing him easier he stopped you breaking the kiss.

“i don’t wanna hurt ya. jus’ rest. ya need it” he whispered leaning his forehead against yours, his voice was almost desperate. he just needed you to be okay.

“i love you daryl” you whispered pressing a quick kiss to his lips before resting your head back into his chest. he pressed a kiss to your head and relaxed his head back on the couch.

“ i love ya too. get some sleep” you nodded exhaustion finally taking over. clinging to his shirt you relaxed finally giving into sleep in the comfort daryk brought you.

daryl sighed, his brain thinking about how different everything could’ve gone, what he could’ve done differently. and what dean was saying, those words. your scream. it kept him up all night.

i know this is a really long one! it’s shit too. but i was thinking of doing a part two when they get to alexandria and maybe daryl pulls away from the reader not wanting to kiss her or do anything sexual because he’s terrified of hurting her. and he’s insecure of his age compared to yours, deans words playing on repeat in his head. then maybe you both talk and some fluffy sex? would anyone be interested in that? or maybe without the smut!

#twd #the walking dead #the walking dead x reader #the walking dead masterlist #daryl x reader #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #daryl dixion imagine #daryl dixon requests #daryl dixon fluff #daryl dixon x grimes!reader

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magicalgirlsirin · 14 days

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it was rly funny when welt was trying to tell acheron how great kevin was and how it was thanks to him humanity survived. acheron responded no he died alone and it was other people who did that

Oh g-d actually I'm so esited because I get to powerlevel further

So like, the thing is that if you only have context with hi3 (summaries or otherwise), you're actually missing out on which version of Mei that Acheron is based on.

It's not hi3 Mei, it's ggz* Mei.

*Specifically before they rebooted ggz canon like 5 separate times to try and beat it into submission to align with hi3 canon more which I still don't agree with but that's not the point of this post.

And like, yes Acheron's trailer is functionally a hi3 recap, but in terms of emotion and meaning it's way closer to her ggz counterpart and what finality means there.

In hi3, the reveal is that finality is "time". In ggz, the reveal is that finality is the "end". In hi3, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya band together to overcome finality, which ultimately allows humanity more time to exist. In ggz, it's revealed that the future doesn't, will not, and has never once existed. Every action taken will always be preserved in the past, and the present is just a repeat of all those actions right back up to meeting finality.

In ggz, Kiana becomes finality, and kills Mei and Bronya.

In hi3, Kiana becomes finality, and overcomes the end with Mei and Bronya.

In hsr, Kevin becomes finality, but is defeated by Mei alone.

Because she hasn't actually overcome finality, Mei probably realized how futile her efforts were. Finality in hsr is Terminus, the aeon who is eternally moving backwards from the end that THEY have already witnessed... Similar to ggz's concepts about finality as the end.

(As a sidebar, Welt Yang didn't exist in ggz, it was just Welt Joyce who is wayyyy less noble as an AE leader.)

So like... neither Welt nor Acheron are wrong in their conversation. Kevin was a hero, but he was also the culmination of humanity's greatest threat. Acheron could not reach the other side, and she lost everything she cared about sacrificing her comforts to try and delay their ends just a little bit longer. She can't even doubt herself or even think to be stronger next time, because she knows she's the strongest (and loneliest) that she'll ever be. There is no next time, so there is no point in doing better.

That is the path of Nihility, succumbing to the pointlessness of existence. And there is no Kiana there to tell her to fight for all that's beautiful in the world, because she's forgotten how to see.

edit: to be clear, when I say that acheron is "based on" ggz mei, it's in regards to her relationship with finality, in case it wasn't clear enough from my post okay thanks bye

#dazzling nova #honkai star rail #welt yang #hsr acheron #ggz #houkai gakuen 2 #raiden mei #sorry u were probably expecting me to laugh along its true it was funny i just have a lot of thoughts

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notalkingbusiness · 2 months

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The Book of Carol & The Heroine's Journey - Part 3: The Ascent

The only way is up! The Ascent is where our heroine gets her happy ending.

Carriger's major beats for The Ascent include (1) the heroine succeeding in her search and creating a new or reborn familial network, and (2) the heroine negotiating and compromising for the benefit of all.

Let's think about how these beats could be used in The Book of Carol.

(1) Success in the heroine's search results in a new or reborn familial network.

The beat we're all waiting for! The moment when the heroine reunites with her loved one - the moment when Carol reunites with Daryl.

I think it's really important for us to pay close attention to how Carriger talks about this beat: the heroine's familial network is reborn when she reunites with her loved one. In other words, there's a spiritual shift in the heroine's relationship with her loved one. A deeper and more profound connection is forged. The heroine's relationship with her loved one changes for the better. We can't say that Carol's had a full Heroine's Journey if her relationship with Daryl remains unchanged - we need to see emotional growth.

This reunion has been a long time coming, both in-universe and in real life. It feels like we've been waiting an eternity for Carol and Daryl to reunite so it's absolutely critical that this scene blows us all away. It should feel overwhelming, like a great tidal wave of emotional catharsis.

Emotionally rewarding reunion scenes place a heavy emphasis on physicality. These scenes are richly detailed, and every touch is imbued with deep significance.

The Terminus reunion is a great example of a reunion done right and it's a masterclass in physicality. There are so many physical details in this reunion, too many to catch the first time around. With each rewatch you can appreciate all of the different component parts of the reunion: Caryl swaying together, the delight on Carol's face when Daryl picks her up, Daryl cradling Carol's head, Daryl resting his head on Carol's shoulder and Carol's fleeting touch of his face before he pulls away. You're struck by how these two can't get enough of each other; they always want to be closer. They can't stop drinking each other in and you don't want to stop drinking them in either.

Scenes like the Terminus reunion have a high rewatch factor because they're emotionally authentic: these scenes inspire us to keep revisiting them because they feel true to the characters, and we feel good watching them.

Reunions like these are the gift that keeps giving for fandom. How many gifs, videos, metas, and fics were born from this scene alone?

We all love the Terminus reunion because it's so physical and unequivocal. Caryl's mutual joy and relief is plain for all to see.

We need another wholehearted reaction from Daryl when he reunites with Carol in TBOC. His reaction should reflect the scale of Carol's journey: it needs to be big and it needs to break new ground.

We need both words and actions - we need strong physical and emotional responses from Daryl and Carol.

We need something that's going to be forever seared into our collective memory.

We need to see something which leaves both the audience and Carol with no doubt as to where Daryl's heart lies.

Reader, we need a Caryl reunion kiss.

(But you already knew that.)

Like I've said previously, if TBOC is taking Carol's emotions seriously, she's going to be emotionally vulnerable throughout her journey. Daryl can only give Carol the reassurances she so badly needs if he's in touch with his emotions.

I want to see Daryl restored to his emotionally intelligent self - I want to see the "man of honor".

I want to see Daryl being brave for both of them in an emotional capacity.

Not much fazes Caryl, they could fight their way through a sea of walkers before breakfast, but showing how they really feel? Talking about their feelings?

Petrifying for the pair of them.

Daryl was brave in taking the first step and telling Carol he loved her. He needs to be brave again in TBOC. He's got to initiate the kiss. He's got to show how grateful he is to have Carol in his life. He needs to show her just how much he loves her.

You've probably thought about Caryl's reunion a lot. Everyone will envisage Caryl going canon differently, but I'm sure we can all agree that the kiss should be heartfelt and sweepingly romantic. For my part, I want to see a kiss like the one described in The Princess Bride: “Since the invention of the kiss, there have only been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.”

We can only get "a kiss to leave all others behind" if McReedus are allowed to capitalize on their amazing chemistry, if the show allows them to just go for it.

On Romance is Dead: The Rise and Fall (and Rise) of the Romantic Comedy, writer Scott Meslow notes: "There is something so delightful about watching two people fall in love. Especially if it's two actors who have chemistry. And I think chemistry is all important [...] it needs to be two people who seem like they actually like each other [...] Not to be corny about it, but that's a special effect that you can't replicate on a computer. That is real people having a real interaction on screen and you can feel it."

Meslow may worry about being corny. I have no such qualms - McReedus' chemistry is a special effect that you can't replicate on a computer. That's why the copycat Caryl beats in DD didn't work for anyone; you can't create chemistry by algorithm. You can't swap out characters/actors/storylines and expect us to feel the same way we did about Carol/Caryl. Not when we've been watching something unique and remarkable developing between two characters and two actors for over 150 episodes.

I want to see and feel that realness Meslow talks about when Caryl reunite. I want something unforgettable for Caryl and something where McReedus can shine. I want a reunion scene that we're going to watch over and over again because it's *perfect*.

I'm hoping Norman makes very expressive choices because Carol needs to see Daryl's emotions unmistakably playing out on his face.

Personally, I think it would be really powerful to see Daryl cry, either upon Caryl's reunion or when he finally has a heart to heart with Carol. And I do mean actually cry, rather than just being tearful.

We've seen Daryl close to tears in the "No Sanctuary" and "New Best Friends" reunions, but I don't think he's properly cried in front of Carol before. As video essayist Pop Culture Detective highlights in Boys Don't Cry (Except When They Do), it's extremely rare for men to cry in a healthy way in film/TV: male vulnerability has historically been met with shame and contempt. I want to see Daryl cry not because I want to see one of my favorite characters upset, but because I think he deserves to experience the whole emotional spectrum. Thus far we've only seen Daryl cry during/after majorly traumatic incidents (usually after witnessing horrifically violent deaths) and I think that's a real shame.

I want to see Daryl's happy tears, his tears of relief, his tears of emotional catharsis. If it's okay for Carol to cry, then it should be okay for Daryl to cry too. In fact, Daryl crying in a healthy way would actually be validating for Carol because it's testament to how safe she makes him feel. Daryl can cry in front of Carol and not feel ashamed because he can be vulnerable in front of the woman he loves.

Some scenes in TWD stopped me in my tracks. I'd be sitting there thinking, "Look how far they've all come!" In those moments, I'd feel weirdly proud of these fictional characters who'd changed for the better. I'd like to get that same feeling when watching TBOC as we witness Caryl enter a new era of emotional vulnerability and intimacy.

Caryl's passionate reunion would end all ambiguity and be the start of something new. I've placed a lot of emphasis on the moment of canon here, but it should go without saying that we're going to need carefully crafted follow-through. The writing needs to be just as strong as the performances. I'm craving strong dialogue - let Carol and Daryl finally use their words to explain how they feel about one another. Let them talk about what they want for their future together.

Carol and Daryl want to be together in every way - their romantic arc should include sexual intimacy (although I think we'll have to wait until S3 for that). TWD was always quite modest when it came to showing sex on screen so I'm not expecting anything too crazy, but we do deserve parity with the other big ships (Gleggie and Richonne). There's obviously less time to play with in the spinoffs, but I still think a really rich and rewarding romantic arc is possible if TPTB use their time wisely. Carol and Daryl becoming sexually intimate is a big deal and the story should treat it as such. Carol and Daryl always kept some degree of emotional distance from their previous sexual partners, they've always held themselves back and they've never really allowed themselves to be emotionally vulnerable in a relationship. I want to see Caryl's sex scenes handled respectfully and sensitively, I want these scenes to feel emotionally authentic for Carol and Daryl. Naturally, we should also get fun call backs to Caryl's iconic sexual/romantic references from the flagship show, e.g. Daryl goes down first.

A romantic arc for Caryl would be like a kiss of life for Carylers. It would be a triumphant moment for all of us - something unequivocally good for Caryl fans everywhere. We deserve a win. Carol and Daryl deserve a win too.

Caryl's romantic arc would also push back against the abuse hurled at Melissa, Carol, and Carylers. Many Carylers have received hate from other parts of the fandom and this abuse is steeped in deeply harmful misogynistic, sexist, and ageist rhetoric. This hate goes beyond ship wars. It points to something very insidious about how women are treated, how they're supposed to be invisible and undesirable once they reach an arbitrary age threshold. I want TPTB to prove just how wrong those people are. I want them to celebrate Carol and Caryl. I want them to show a heroine who loves and is loved in return. I want them to proudly showcase their leading lady. I want them to call out the misogynistic abuse thrown at Melissa/Carol/Carol fans. I want them to elevate Melissa's voice so we can have a fantastic heroine's arc for Carol.

(2) The heroine negotiating and compromising for the benefit of all.

As you'll know by now, the heroine is not concerned with glory/revenge/retribution. She just wants to get her loved one back and move on with her life. Carol's probably not going to be negotiating/compromising with the people who took Daryl, but she could use her diplomacy skills with Daryl's new friends in France. I didn't watch S1 of the spinoff, but I understand that some of Daryl's new friends were trying to get him to stay with them rather than go home. It should be abundantly clear to Isabelle & co. that Daryl has no intention of staying in France when they see him reunited with Carol. They'll be sad to lose a friend, but Carol could soften the blow by offering them a sweet trade deal with the Commonwealth. Isabelle just wants what's best for her people, right? Strengthening the bonds between communities would help Isabelle's people enormously. I much prefer the idea of two women coming together to help each other than a woman expecting a stranger to come in and fix all of her problems for her. I haven't heard great things about Isabelle, but I'm really hoping she's given more agency and dignity in TBOC. There's absolutely no narrative need to pit Isabelle and Carol against each other. As our heroine, Carol can empower Isabelle AND bring Daryl home. She can find a solution where everyone wins.

Final Thoughts on The Ascent

Ultimately, The Ascent is gearing up towards the heroine's happy ending. We need to ask ourselves, what does a happy ending look like for Carol? What do we want for her after TBOC?

Simply put, Carol's happy ending is having Daryl by her side. It's being with him in every sense of the word. It's being free to express her love for him.

Carol wants new adventures with Daryl, and I want to see those adventures on my screen.

Years ago, Carol and Daryl talked about running away together. I hope, after they've returned home and reunited with their family, they are able to do just that.

Let them explore the world on their own terms.

Let them explore it together.

Let them be equal and loving partners every step of the way.

And there we have it! We've covered all the major stages of the Heroine's Journey.

My aim in writing these metas wasn't to be overly prescriptive, but to show that TBOC could have an amazing arc for Carol/Caryl. We just need TPTB to prioritize emotional authenticity and elevate their heroines (both on screen and bts).

They've got one chance to put Caryl and Carylers back on track.

Let's hope they take it.

#caryl #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #the book of carol #twd caryl

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