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#the walking dead is ending
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A rant about TWD S11 and the amount of screen time for different characters
This is a BIG rant, so I'm putting a break here to not annoy anyone who don't want to read it. If you want to read it, there's lots of love for TWD characters and hate for AMC right bellow.
Okay, so I'm seeing a lot of hate to the amount of screen time Eugene/Josh McDermitt had this season. And I would like to point out how this makes me both sad and angry - and how it begins with Eugene but it's not about him.
So, Eugene deserves to be developed as any other character on the show. He's part of TF/main cast. McDermitt's on the show since S5! That's seven years of commitment! And McDermitt always gave us an incredible performance - so much that he had to quit SM on 2018 because he suffered so much online abuse from the fandom who disliked Eugene's arc with the Saviors. He could have left the show altogether but he stayed because he has love for his character and TWD.
But, as said, this is not just about Eugene - it's much deeper than that, I think. It involves all the main characters arcs on S11.
Other talented and marvelous actor who decided to stay with us until the end, dedicated years of his life to TWD and also got his share of online abuse? Seth Gilliam/Father Gabriel. Gabriel's arc was pretty chopped on S11. Remember all of his struggles with his faith on 11 A? It got mostly resolved off screen. And don't even get me started with his relationship with Rosita.
What about Christian Serratos/Rosita and Ross Marquand/Aaron? Fan favorites since their first appearances on S4 and S5. Legitimate TF members and two others main characters left to dry on S11! We've barely saw them!
Aaron's arc begun with him struggling to keep ASZ running, then they got him randomly involved with another weird cult-like group that ended up being Negan's new group because oh yeah he used to work on something like that before the world ended lets use that so GA can see we didn't forget this info about him whatever and now he is stranded in a horde with chances of being killed by a smart walker just, you know, because.
Rosita was supposed to be part of the CW rebel group and fight corruption inside the police force but we never saw that happening! And don't even get me started with her relationship with Gabriel. Yep, I'm repeating the phrase because COME ON!
Ok, GA didn't like their romantic relationship, but at least let us see they properly ending it and being a good example of respectful exes who are still friends and co-parents. TWD IS ABOUT FOUND FAMILY DINAMICS! GIVE US THE DAMN FOUND FAMILY DINAMICS! Oh, with this I also wnat to highlight that we should have seen more Aaron + Gracie and not those what three scenes they gave us in 24 fucking episodes.
My point is: Father Gabriel, Rosita and Aaron deserved to be featured as much as Eugene was this past season. Especially because none of them have spin-offs on the future. These actors had to say goodbye to their characters with only a handful of scenes. Characters they cherish and love, characters they brought to life for years!Seth, Christian and Ross stuck with them (and TWD fandom, a very difficult fandom, by the way) even when they were gifted shit arcs and/or minimum screen time. Most of them got screwed over by the storytelling season after season. McDermitt/Eugene got a few chances to shine on S11 and we are complaining??? We should be complaining about how Gabriel, Aaron and Rosita didn't had the same chances! Not hating on Eugene! They all deserved to be upfront this last season and have really meaningful and deep arcs to reflect their years and journeys. But nope. Sidelined, all of them, Eugene being the exception but mostly on 11C.
Lets now talk about the main MAIN characters of the show, shall we?
Lauren Cohan/Maggie and JDM/Negan got stuck together on a never ending fight for dominance that is STILL not resolved (and bordered on sexual tension. Why? Just..why??)! What's the point of having so much time wasted/dedicated on such angsty and tiring relationship?
I'm sure Lauren would have preferred to explore Maggie's relationship with her son and her found family and to fight to rebuild The Hilltop or face the consequences of being a leader who abandoned their people and came back to find almost all of them dead. We could have seen the motherly love, the undying grief for Hershel/Beth/Glenn, the struggle to reconnect with TF and The Hilltop folk, the urgency to prove herself worthy of the title of leader again. It would be interesting and play with Maggie's layers.
I don't know what JDM would've liked for his character but he must also be tired of Negan's never ending redemption arc. And I have nothing against Annie and the baby thing besides the fact that looks unrealistic as fuck after we saw him begging to Maggie to murder him so he could be with his dead wife on S9 + "Here's Negan" especial episode. Yeah, okay, he burned Lucille twice - wife and bat - on said episode so he got closure. I get that. A new wife and baby on the way off screen? Not so much. Joining a weird group with a rough leader that looks like a cult? Even less. By the way, you guys remember those people? Did they even got a name?
And then, obviously, Caryl. I don't have the energy to discuss anymore how incredibly wrong Caryl were handled this entire season. No energy. Just tired. All the missing opportunities. All the time spent apart. All the incredibly necessary heart-to-heart's that not happened. All the pointless Leah thingy - by the way, every single point of the Reapers arc (Gabriel and the other priest; Pope choosing Maggie because God or a bonfire told him to; Leah trying to recruit Daryl who wanted to save her after she tried to kill him multiple times, only so she could become Maggie nemesis without never seeing her before; everyone that was killed for shock value; Alden's death and its 3 seconds impact; Elijah mourning his sister and then being pushed to be Lydia's new boyfriend because we have to do something with this kid, yada, yada, yada) had no payoff whatsoever.
Anyways..what I'm trying to say is: every OG/main/important character of this fucking show suffered from mediocre storytelling throughout the entirety of S11. All of them.
Even fan favorites newbies got sidelined. Eleanor Matsuura/Yumiko is the only one who had personal reasons to not appear on 11A and 11 B (she had a baby). I'm not a Nadia Hilker/Magna fan but I hate how she was mostly forgotten this season. She's an interesting character and after being missing for most of S10, she got sidelined for S11 too. Angel Theory/Kelly and Cassady McClincy/Lydia are SO TALENTED and loved by everyone and were rewarded, respectively, by becoming a walking translator and an unwilling participant of the 'let's see who unnecessarily loses a limb this season' game.
I could go on and on and on but, again, no energy. And I think I wrote too much already. In short: Eugene is not to blame. Everyone should have had meaningful arcs like Eugene. He deserved every second of it. ALL OF THEM EQUALLY DESERVED IT. All of them characters are special and loved and deserving and should be treated with respect and celebrated after so many years of existence. AMC, Gimple and co. made the decision to waste their (and ours) precious time with Reapers and other groups and characters that I don't remember or weren't even given names, CW stormtroopers, an anti-capitalism narrative that was very important but lasted two episodes, impossible to understand time jumps followed by a creeping pacing also impossible to understand followed by more wtf time jumps, and lots of Carol scenes on the kitchen because obviously that's what we want to see her doing..cooking and baking! Ha!
It's not about the amount of screen time each character got. It's about the non-existent quality of it.
AMC plays dirty, guys, and all of us suffer the consequecences. Even side characters like Diane, who is owned some peace of mind after being a soldier for every fucking battle TPTB invents. If any side character deserves a happy ending is her.
I rest my case.
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juha-art · 6 months
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Tula's heart
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Touching her heart in the character art
Edit: Tularemia is a disease that can infect animals and people. Rabbits, hares, and rodents are especially susceptible and often die in large numbers during outbreaks.
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Something settles heavy on your heart
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Edit: Tula only lost health from using Lay on Hands to cure a disease, not every time she healed
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Her magic feels wrong for the first time
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There's a little too much in common
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Listen to your heart / something foundational to her is a lie
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ex0rin · 2 months
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TWD: The Ones Who Live S01E03 | Bye
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recycledraccoon · 5 months
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Burrows End is SO SO good and Aabria is such a master of story telling. This season, despite being genuine DnD vs other systems Aabria has used, hasn't actually seen all that much full blown combat. Like, of course they've fought things throughout, but it's been so much more information hunting and puzzling together all the lore. But this obviously means those scenes we do have such full blown COMBAT with sets so much more important, which was obvious in the reactor....but the bear....so obviously it's been focused on in reference to Tula's reveal, or as a show of how fucked up biology wise this world they live in is and how dangerous it is in the forest.
But it's also Aabria laying such incredibly subtle groundwork. It's showing us "this is possible in this world. This happens. They can get inside of you, burrow into you, and you will be their walking warren. Parasite and host intertwined."
And then we move on...we focus on the secrets of the first stoats and learning of all these human things, and the chipmunks and bear are just fun tidbits to throwback to about how scary and fucked up things are, but no longer relevant.
Last week we heard those tapes, and I thought "that voice change there...the 'they're so sneaky'...was that a first stoat, who we only heard as squeaks, instead speaking through Dr. Wenabocker as he died?"
And I forgot about the bear too.
But the SECOND it was revealed that Wenabocker left, that his body was gone and that Phoebe left too? It all clicked.
The Bear wasn't just a fun, really cool fucked up battle set for an episode, it was incredibly important foreshadowing. The foundation, the trap, the big bad all at once hidden behind a cool, fucked up bear in the second goddamn episode of the season.
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terriblegam2r · 2 months
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Andy was probably like “You shoulda let him jump”
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lab-gr0wn-lambs · 4 months
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Daryl Dixon's impressive range of totally different voices and accents
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lexavillanelle · 5 months
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“You think I’d leave you all hanging? Never.”
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spacedlexi · 4 months
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making this was a battle between me and the fluid brush tool and i almost lost
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laangdonn · 4 months
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not anymore
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summary: the aftermath of glenn and abraham leaves carl and y/n’s relationship in shambles.
pairing: carl grimes x female reader
a/n: first carl grimes post yayy, i love him so much and in my mind he lives on.
*read part 2 here*
*************************
the house was quiet minus the occasional sniffle from carl and i. he was sat with his head in his hands on the leather sofa, his fingers lightly gripping his brown curls. i watched him carefully through blurry vision from behind the kitchen counter, supporting myself with my hands on the cold marble.
it was dark, the moon and a single saucer light in the kitchen shining as light.
it was so fucking quiet but my head had never been louder.
“so what are you saying?” i whispered, carefully watching my words.
he lifted his eyes for a moment until he brought his head back into his palms. he refused eye contact. “i don’t know what i’m saying.”
“you don’t love me anymore?” every word i spoke sent my stomach falling into my feet.
he didn’t answer. i didn’t know if that made it better or worse.
“jesus, carl, answer me-“
“i still love you,” he finally responded, his hand rubbing his face in stress. “of course i still love you.”
“then what’s wrong?” i pressed, a sudden urgency filling my veins. “why are we even having this conversation? why did you come home and suddenly act as if we’ve been fighting for weeks-“
“cause we have been, y/n!” his voice picked up now, throwing his hands in the air and standing up. he still hadn’t looked at me. “we have been fighting for weeks! we cant even look at each other without fighting! ever since glenn-“
“stop.” i cut him off, feeling my chest clench. “this wasn’t them, it wasn’t.”
but it was, and i knew it. the aftermath of glenn and abraham put a strain on the whole group, especially me and carl. we came home that morning, stumbling out of the RV and hadn’t been the same since. every time i looked at carl, all i saw were the tears streaming down his face and the reflection of glenn’s bloody skull in his eyes. i saw the black line drawn on carl’s left arm, and the axe raised in the air.
i looked at carl and i saw death.
i knew he felt the same.
“that day…” he started, taking a breath. “that day i had no other wish but to die. to keep you safe if that’s what it took. i couldn’t protect you from him and i don’t know if i can even try. i put you in danger by loving you.”
i shuddered a breath as the tears began to
clog my throat.
“that’s why i can’t love you, y/n. not anymore.”
“you act like that’s a choice you can make.” i choked out, a feeling of anger pushing forward. anger at the way he thought he could fool anyone who knew him.
“i can try.”
“BULLSHIT!” i snapped, slamming my hand against the cold counter and feeling it sting.
he buried his face in his hands and i could see his shoulders shaking. i felt my heart break then, knowing i wouldn’t be able to change his mind.
a sob broke its way through my throat, wet and rough, and i instantly regretted it because carl looked straight at my eyes and i felt myself sink deeper into the ground.
“don’t do this, carl…” i whispered, looking into his crystal blue eyes, a raging ocean encased in this beautiful human who i’d have to let go. i shook my head at him slowly.
“i’m going to get you killed,”
“then let me be killed knowing you loved me! isn’t that the best we can do?!”
“the best i can do is keep you alive.” he countered strongly. his voice was no longer broken or shaken, but determined.
i realized in that moment nothing could be done to change his mind, it had already been made up. carl was stubborn, too stubborn for his own good and he’d never be swayed by anyone, even me.
no words were spoken between us as we stared at the floor, drowning in the absence of each other. all i wanted in that moment was to touch him, to feel him under my skin and prove to me that he’s still real and he’s still here after everything that had happened. but he was taking that away from me and ripping my heart out along with it.
he inhaled a sharp breath, rubbing his hand on his face once more before he said, “it’d be best if you went to carol’s tonight.”
i swallowed harshly, nodding. at least he was right about one thing.
too tired to argue further, i walked past him and to the front door. he kept his head bowed, not looking at me. i could sense the tension as i barely grazed his shoulder, walking so fast i barely registered the soft material of his flannel on my skin. i paused in front of the door, gripping the handle and hoping he’d call out my name and beg me to stay.
but he didn’t. and i turned around to see his eyes were still trained on the floor, back turned. i felt the cold air envelop me and i slammed the door shut, reverberating and practically shaking the house. i sucked in a breath and pushed forward to the blue house a few doors down.
i knocked wearily, feeling my knees begin to wobble as the effects of what had just transpired hit me. suddenly i was a mess on the porch, breathing erratically as i tried to process what just happened. but, when i saw carols face when she opened the door, concerned at my state of being, i lost it.
she carried me into the house and let me sob my way through the story. she held me while i cried and laid me down once i had fallen asleep in her grasp, eyes crusted shut with tried tears, cheeks red, and lips swollen.
i dreamt that night of glenn.
———
in the morning i woke to the smell of toast and eggs. my stomach growled harshly and i realized i hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.
i gripped the banister on my way downstairs, being created with carol’s sympathetic smile. i sat down on the island counter as she pushed a plate of breakfast in front of me.
“i’m leaving for hilltop today.” i announced suddenly. her back was turned to me but i could sense the blank stare that must’ve washed over her. the sizzle of the pan of eggs on the stove top was the only sound heard for a moment.
then, she continued tussling the eggs in the pan, continuing on as if i hadn’t said anything. “it’s dangerous.”
“maggie needs me.” i answered simply.
“she’d feel much better if you stayed here. safe, with rick.”
i took a small bite of my toast, “she knows i can take care of myself. i should’ve gone with her and sasha right after…” i let my voice drift on, knowing i didn’t have to be specific. “i need to do this for her. for me. i cant stay here, carol, i can’t. not anymore.”
carol turned around at that, pouring her own eggs onto a plate. “well, i’m not going to stop you.” she said, taking a bite, “but i don’t think you should go alone.”
“i don’t need a babysitter,” i mumbled, beginning to lose my appetite. “im going by myself and that’s final.”
———
i opened the front door to the grimes’ home we shared cautiously. i anticipated to see carl in the front room with judith, as he always was, but to my surprise it was rick instead.
he was sat on the couch while judith babbled and played on the floor. his eyes were tired and lost, his face sunken with grief. he turned to look at me walking in and gave me the same, sympathetic smile i had gotten from carol.
i stood awkwardly in front of the door, looking anywhere but his eyes.
“he told you didn’t he.” i mumbled, not even being able to bring myself to say his name.
“no,” his voice was rough as he spoke, “i heard him last night crying in his room, after you’d left. and i knew.”
i felt my heart clench and my nose begin to sting. i nodded slowly, knowing i wouldn’t be able to choke out words i so desperately wanted to say.
“im going to hilltop today. only carol knows. i came to grab my stuff.”
his eyebrows furrowed at me and once i saw the disapproving look i spoke fast.
“i can make it there.” i promised, “we need each other.”
rick knew exactly who i was referring to and suddenly the look of disapproval vanished from his face. he nodded at me slowly, accepting the fact that this battle would be one he lost in trying to keep me here. he turned to judith and i took that as my cue to head upstairs.
“carl is at the armory, but he should be back soon,” i heard rick say, “i suggest you leave before he gets back, for both of your sakes.”
i didn’t answer, only continued up the steps. i didn’t want to see carl because i knew if he begged me to stay i would. it hurts knowing i perhaps don’t have that same control over him.
pushing open his door and revealing his room, our room was harder than i had imagined. i wanted to be out quickly, without hassle. i went through drawers, grabbing my things, stuffing them into the two duffel bags i had underneath our bed.
my heart dropped when i heard the front door open and close. i hadn’t been quick enough.
“where is she?” i heard his voice from downstairs and it motivated me to work quicker.
i managed to close the zipper on the second duffle bag but when i turned to the door i almost fainted. carl stood there with his arms hanging limp at his side, a blank stare on his face as he watched me pack my life away.
we stood facing each other for a long time. i stressed another fight, perhaps a bigger blowout than the last, but i looked into his sad, tired eyes and realized there wouldn’t be any fighting between us.
“how did you know i was here,” i mumbled.
“i went to carol’s looking for you. she told me you were leaving for hilltop.” his face scrunched up in disgust at his own words, as if just the thought of me leaving left a sour taste in his mouth.
“i am.” i said, voice feeble in an attempt to remain confident.
he shook his head slowly as tears began to rise up in his eyes. “don’t, y/n.”
“why not?” i pushed, crossing my arms over my chest. “why wouldn’t i leave? what’s left for me here?”
he didn’t answer.
“you let me go last night.” i stabilized my voice a bit, straightening my back to make myself look stronger as i spoke the words. “you can let me go again.”
“is that what this is?” he questioned, “is this reckless stupidity to punish me for last night?”
i scoffed, rolling his eyes at his narcissism. “no,” i chuckled in disbelief.
“then why? because this is the first time i’ve heard about this from you. not once have you said you’ve wanted to go to hilltop.”
“why wouldn’t i go?” i asked rhetorically, “maggie’s there and i want to help her. i feel so… so useless here! like, nothing is going right in this godforsaken place and last night was the last thing i needed to set me off.”
his face suddenly paled, his eyes softening. words were stuck on the edge of his tongue and i could see in his expression he contemplated letting them spill over. “i wanted to talk about last night.”
i turned around at that, beginning to rustle with my bag to occupy my hands. to do something other than hear him talk. especially about last night.
“i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to hurt you, you have no idea how hard it was for me, letting you go like that.”
i scoffed again, “you don’t even have a clue how i feel, carl, so don’t even try to sympathize with me.”
“i-“
“save it.” i spat, anger beginning to rise up my veins at the idea that he was about to pity me. “nothing you can say, nothing you think you can do to make it okay won’t keep me from-“
a loud bang on the front door shook me from finishing my sentence, both our eyes widening as carl ran out of the room and to the stairs.
“anyone home?” a booming voice spoke. i knew that voice.
carl, eyes still wide, turned to me in shock. i stood frozen, my hand still clutching the strap of my duffel bag filled with things.
“aww, you are a cutie-pie aren’t you! where’s your mommy, huh?”
at that, my blood ran cold.
judith was downstairs, by herself, with him.
without another moment of hesitation, carl was booking it down the stairs. i closely followed; forgetting our fued and any other reason why i would be angry in the first place. judith came first.
when i got to the bottom of the stairs carl was already in a staring match with negan as he held judith in his burly arms. the sight almost made me vomit. if he was capable of all he did that night, what was stopping him from harming a baby?
“well would you look what we have here,” he smiled his wicked smile. “i remember you,” he said, pointing at me.
“give me the baby,” carl demanded, his eye narrow. i wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of his glare.
negan chuckled, “and why would i do that? she’s so precious, i don’t think i’ll ever let her go.”
i felt my eyes sting when he lifted her up higher, examining her small, angelic face with devil eyes.
“i’m not asking,” carl said confidently, his voice didn’t shake or tremble. surprisingly, he was calmer than me, and it was his sister. he kept his eyes trained on negan, never once allowing him to leave his hard gaze. “give her to me.”
negan looked between the two of us before letting out a large gasp, his eyes widening, “no fucking shit, pardon my french but, aren’t you two a little young…”
my cheeks flushed once i realized what he was implying. i slowly shook my head, staring at carl out of the corner of my eye. his eye narrowed further.
“that’s my sister.” he spat.
“this is rick’s baby girl?” negan bounced judith in his arms again, eliciting a small giggle from her. “wow! now it’s a grimes’ party!”
he eyed me up and down, “sweetheart,” he beckoned me to take the baby, and without question i stepped up, carefully taking her out of his grasp and into the safety of my arms. i let out a sigh of relief, smoothing her golden hair back.
i backed up to carl’s side again, keeping my arms strongly around judith’s small body. she twirled a strand of my brown hair around her stubby finger, giggling again.
ever so slightly, carl stepped in front of me, shielding judith and i from whatever this man could do.
“so, where’s rick?” negan asked as he began trodding around the room, picking up trinkets left in the house by the previous owners.
“not here,” carl answered stiffly. out of the corner of my eye, i saw his hand lightly graze over the top of his jeans. my heart pounded a little faster.
negan sighed disappointedly, “well, im gonna go look for him! in the meantime, a few of my men will be by here to collect half your shit for me to take! kapeesh?”
he walked over to me and patted judith’s back, getting sickenly close. i held my breath, attempting to shield my fear. “i’ll be back for you, sweetheart.”
a chill ran down my spine when judith giggled at the man’s words. it felt like i was holding that breath in all the way until the front door closed and i could breathe again.
suddenly, carl gripped my shoulders and forced me to face him. “take judith upstairs and stay there.”
boots crunching against gravel outside made my stomach drop, the sound getting closer as each second passed. i shook my head violently. “i’m not leaving you down here by yourself.”
“i’ll be fine, go upstairs. now!” he pushed me in the direction of the stairs, judith cooing. i suddenly felt the urge to tell him i loved him, to hold him and make sure he’s safe. i never wanted to leave his side.
i had barely made it up the stairs and out of sight by the time the men had opened the door and i heard carl already start with the spiteful comments. he’s gonna get himself killed.
i placed judith in her crib, cooing to her softly to make sure she was settled. i locked her door from the inside, stuffing the key in my back jean pocket and headed for the stairs. i peeked through the railings, watching carl argue with one of negan’s men while the other ransacked the kitchen.
“you said half!” carl growled, watching the men stuff cabinet after cabinet of food into a large bag.
“we’ll take as much as we want.” one of the men replied, his tone snark and condescending.
my eyes bulged when i saw carl turn around and raise his gun to the man in the kitchen. he cocked it, his finger edging the trigger. “put it back.”
at this, i ran downstairs to carl’s side, just in time for the man behind him to cock his gun, right at my head.
carl’s head turned, his face pale when he saw the cold metal pressed up against my head, and the man’s strong arm around my torso.
“put the gun down, kid.” the man with the gun to me demanded. carl didn’t budge.
“carl…” i whispered carefully, my heart thumping in my ears loud enough to the point where i could barely hear myself talk aloud. “put it down…”
he stood there for a moment, his hand holding the gun beginning to shake as his pupil turned into a devilish slit to the man threatening my life. after what felt like hours, he finally lowered the gun, and i let out a sigh of relief when the metal left my hair.
we watched in distraught as they picked apart every inch of our home. luckily, we were able to keep him from going upstairs, and they left without another word to either of us. as the front door slammed shut i was pulled harshly into carl’s arms, his whole body shaking in rage.
his grip was tight and constricting, as if the anger was flowing into the hug. i could barely get a breath out, and i felt him shakily let out a few of his own into my ear, his chin digging into the crevice between my neck and my shoulder.
i could feel his rage. it coursed through him like the blood in his veins. his brain pumped more thoughts of negan, his saviors, their wrath, and i felt him slip into his emotions.
“i love you,” he whispered, his voice harsh, embrace still solid.
a tear dropped onto the warm skin of my shoulder, and by then i knew, everything he had said to me last night was nothing but a mistake.
i nodded against him, “i know.”
———
the rest of the day he didn’t let go of me, refused to. we laid in bed and i realized he was still thinking of this mornings’ events.
rick had come back an hour after the saviors left and panicked, asking about judith and if we were okay. he saw carl practically in tears from anger on the couch and me coddling his fragile ego.
he told us to stay in the house the rest of the day, and he’d be back to salvage whatever food he could find for dinner after our kitchen became nothing but a hollow, empty shell.
laying on carl’s chest, i drew patterns onto the grey of his shirt. we laid in silence, comfortable yet uncomfortable silence, until he broke it.
“today,” he started, his voice low, “when he had his gun up to your head, i realized something.”
i lifted my head slightly to look at him, his eye trained on the wall in front of us.
“you were about to die without me saying i love you today.” he sucked in a sharp breath, “and- and i realized i couldn’t live with myself if that happened.”
he finally looked down to me, his eye glazed over, staring at my with a heartbreakingly beautiful gaze that told me everything i needed to know.
“carl-“
“if you still want to go to hilltop i wont stop you.” he continued, cutting me off, “but if they come there-“ his voice hitched, his chest tightening under me. “remember that even after what i said, i cant ever stop loving you, y/n.”
the tears that had been building in my eyes finally spilled over. i realized the extent of what we were all going through, what our reality is. that we don’t know if today is promised, more so than before we met the saviors. that humans are far more dangerous than any walker we’d ever come across.
we were all living on borrowed time, and at some point, we’d have to return it.
i buried my head in his warm chest and sobbed. sobbed for glenn, for abraham, for maggie, for judith, for me, for carl, for us together. i sobbed for what we’d never have again as far as it seemed.
safety.
“what are we gonna do,” the words tumbled out of my mouth deliriously, through snot and sobs.
he didn’t answer, but carl’s grip around me tightening, and the way his chest stuttered, answered for him when his throat had nothing to offer.
but then he spoke. low and menacing. he acquired a sort of vendetta he didn’t have the night prior. he wasn’t about to let me go for them. not anymore.
“we’re gonna make them pay.”
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grimesgirll · 2 months
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you and daryl are smoking out the window when rick walks in.
"what do you two think you're doin'?"
mid hit, you almost choke at the sight of the sheriff. breathing in deeply to prevent yourself from wheezing, you pass the joint to daryl as cooly as you can after that hit.
daryl grunts. "buzzkill."
"how quick on your feet are you two right now?" rick questions, blue eyes dark and annoyed.
"we're not on watch." you say in a matter-of-fact way.
"no," rick agrees, "you're not. thank god." he runs a hand through his chocolate curls hurriedly.
"glenn's got it," you assure him, offering him a smile at the same time. "you should sit with us. you don't have to have any, drink one of the beers we brought back." you gesture to the full six packs leaning against the wall, branded with the faded logo of the brewery you guys had picked clean the other day while looking for supplies.
"he doesn't know how to relax," daryl tells you with a scowl.
neither do you, you think, but you just frown and shake your head. "rick, c'mon," you croon from your seat by the window.
"yeah, and shut the door," daryl barks.
rick turns and shuts the door lightly. surprisingly, he does what you suggested and picks up a six pack, errantly dropping it by the foot of the loveseat you're cozy on. he takes up the seat next to you, dark stained bottle in hand.
you grin. this is so not how you expected things to go. usually, rick was all pissed off and disappointed about the fact that you guys were getting high of all things. beside you, he twists on the bottle cap. high and focused on his hands, you watch them struggle against the aluminum cap, tensing and unclenching. with a huff, he uses his white t-shirt to grip the bottle again to no avail. the older man looks up from his ordeal to see you absolutely engrossed in him and smirks at you.
he says your name, breaking you out of what your high ass thought was a self-contained act of voyeurism. "wanna try?" he tilts the bottle your way.
you raise an eyebrow. "if you can't get it open, i don't think i can."
rick just smiles at you, like you said something funny. "i don't want you to use your hands, doll. try your teeth." he catches your confused expression. "remember when you did it at the bonfire a few weeks ago?"
suddenly, you recall standing outside around the fire with the group and accepting a request from maggie to open a beer bottle for her with your teeth. you could never say no to her - neither would you pass up the opportunity to hang out with a buzzed maggie for the night. so you showed everyone how to use your chompers to open the bottle. looking back, rick's eyes had never left you as you slipped the neck of the bottle into your mouth to quickly twist the cap off with your teeth. a move you later told carl not to try. you didn't want to be responsible for any dental damage.
you nod and take the bottle from his hands, sitting up in the loveseat. daryl watches, joint in hand, from the other side of the window while you take the bottle into your mouth and the cap at angle just between your molars. you feel two pairs of eyes on you as you struggle for a moment, the cap not coming loose as easily as you'd thought it would. usually, you could just maneuver it a bit for the cap to pop off, but now you're wondering if this cap is just too old, and you consider giving up. that is until suddenly, you angle your teeth just the right way and the cap comes free. it falls into your palm and you wipe the neck of the bottle off with your shirt for rick, just in case any of your spit got on it.
you try to hand the bottle back to him but rick shakes his head. "no," he gestures back to you. "i think after all that, you deserve the first sip."
who are you to say no?
you bring the bottle to your lips and drink, rick's gaze still on you. you consider chugging the entire thing but first of all, that would be rude and second of all, you're not at college anymore. wiping your mouth with the sleeve of your henley, you pass the bottle back to rick who takes a long, ginger sip as you free your hair from your ponytail and settle deeper into the loveseat.
you remember daryl's there when he offers you the halfway done joint. you want to turn it down but suddenly you're craving more. as the skunky smoke fills the air and drains out the window, you start to even crave a beer. you wouldn't mind getting crossed right now; getting a good mix of buzzed and stoned like in your college days back before the world went to shit. it was a nice way to relax, and it wasn't like you were neglecting your responsibilities.
after that hit, you're zoning out more and more. you had set up the cd player with a lynyrd skynyrd album daryl'd found in a record store with you. they weren't your favorite rock artists, but you guys could've been listening to worse bands in the apocalypse after all. you loosely follow the lyrics of one of their songs while daryl finishes off the joint.
"where'd you even get that?" rick asks, breaking the silence.
"you know some places you would get shot for asking that, 'fore all this?" daryl had told you when you'd asked him that.
"house down the road." daryl answers between puffs. "looks like they were tryna' get ahead of that medical shit."
you snicker. the story was true but without seeing those folks, you really didn't know what kind of operation they had going on. the way daryl phrased it though was a nice way to phrase it to a cop. better than we just found it.
"and you'd smoke it without knowing where it came from?" rick inquires, hand wrapped around the dark bottle.
"we know where it came from," you speak up from in between them. "it came from that house's backyard."
he repeats what he asked daryl.
"there could be anthrax in your beer."
that's when you realize you're super high.
rick doesn't have the opportunity to be confused because he's laughing and suddenly you're giggling in his face. he doesn't take it as an accident when you lean forward and fall into his lap on the loveseat. in fact, he takes the opportunity to lift your chin up, saying, "silly girl," and flipping you over to sit on his lap.
"wanna finish my beer, baby?" he offers it to you, holding it up to your lips.
"i don't need it," you reply but your words are cut off when the bottle breaches your lips anyway and you gulp down the drink. beer wasn't your favorite beverage but, in the apocalypse, beggars really couldn't be choosers. he takes the empty bottle from you and sets it on the end table before leaning back up to connect your lips.
you lean into the kiss as he pulls you closer in his lap. the satisfying pressure on your ass from his squeezing has you hazy minded and wishing he would speed up now that you realize what's happening.
then you remember daryl, the one who you'd originally been hanging out with. you hadn't even planned on seeing rick tonight.
you look up from rick towards the auburn-haired man who was ashing the joint out the window. you frown. isn't that what the ash tray on the windowsill is for? you give him a look that says come here and he walks towards the loveseat, sharing a look with rick that has the men positioning you in their favorite way.
you move willingly; they pull you, pliant and eager to please - eager to just do what someone else says and relax. the joint was supposed to help you shut off your brain after a long day but now you can only think about being pressed in between the two pent up men on the loveseat with you. rick has your bottoms off now and is two fingers deep inside of you when you start helping daryl undo his jeans.
"you feelin' ready or do you need more, baby?" your leader asks you, lips bruising your shoulder.
you shake your head. "i don't need any more fingers." you clarify. "wanna feel your big cock inside of me," you blurt out. usually, it takes you a bit to warm up and they're the ones who talk filthy but tonight you're feeling a little less inhibited.
he raises an eyebrow with condescension. "sure you can handle it, doll? last time i thought i broke you."
you snort. "i think the proper word is reset."
you feel a low rumble from rick's chest and he gently lifts your hips to remove his fingers and lower you onto his cock. you whine at the blunt intrusion but the more you grind your hips down into him, the better it feels, especially once you find a good rhythm. you're pretty sure rick's dick is way bigger than it should be but that doesn't stop you from letting him stuff you whenever you two get the chance to sneak away. it was even more rare to find the time for all three of you to be together like this. speaking of, daryl is standing on your side, dick in hand now that it's been freed from the confine of his pants, looking down at you with darkened eyes.
"wanna finish me off, baby?" he mocks and you roll your eyes, opening your mouth for him as rick bucks into you.
he gladly accepts and just like that, you can feel rick smirking as he fucks into you, barely letting you hold on as he drags your hips up and down. he hijacked your smoke session and it ended just the way he wanted. typical.
even more typical when he makes you switch positions so he can finish in your mouth, not taking his eyes off you while daryl lines himself up with your sopping entrance. rick couldn't help but twitch in your mouth watching how you reacted to daryl's cock in your freshly pounded pussy. his face tenses as he nears his orgasm, hands in your soft tousled hair while you take him in your throat so well. he's ready to just let go, he knows you can handle it, after all he knows you can get off more than a bottle cap with your mouth.
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katakaluptastrophy · 6 months
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The Nine Houses must be absolutely terrifying to fight.
And not just because their invasions start with a drop ship full of pimply 14 year olds inexplicably armed with zweihanders whose entire remit is to cause a mass casualty event for necromantic purposes...
We're mostly introduced to the schools of necromancy at the beginning of GTN, before we have broader context beyond "ooh, new magic system." But if you think about it in light of what we later learn about the Cohort:
Second House: they can literally drain your life force to power up their cavaliers. "It’s said they all die screaming"
Third House: that pile of corpses in no man's land? They're being used as a power up. Also, someone's just rearranged your face; your arse is on backwards.
Fourth House: that pile of corpses in no man's land? They're bombs now. And if you corner a Fourth House necro, they're a bomb too!
Fifth House: at best, they're the weird technicians for the Houses' horrifying blood and monolith based FTL system. At worst, it doesn't matter if you kill yourself to avoid capture or if you hold out under interrogation until you expire, they can still interrogate your ghost.
Sixth House: drop a cigarette or shed a hair on a clandestine operation? These guys now know your age, shoe size, and approximate location. They know what you had for breakfast. They know what you held in the last 12 hours.
Seventh House: that pile of corpses in no man's land? They're armed and marching on you now.
Eigth House: why is he glowing? WHY IS HE GLOWING?!
Ninth House: the guy next to you's bones just became an IED.
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Things that I want to see on the TWD finale, no particular order, because I hate loose ends:
- Baby Adam and his little potato nose. Where the fuck is this kid? Who adopted or is taking care of him after Alden died? The last conversation Alden had with Maggie was about the boy and now I'm supposed to believe he just vanished in thin air? That she and no one else on TF felt responsible for him??
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- Virgil. You know, the only adult who knows what happened to Michonne. Who created a bond with Connie and was later seeing on ASZ helping taking care of the kids while the walls were down. That Virgil. Where the fuck is he? Diane reappeared on the last episode to help invade the CW, why didn't Virgil?
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- the people of Oceanside or, as I like to call them, TWD's Schrodinger Cat. Are they alive and working as slaves of the CW? Are they dead and invading the CW right now as part of the horde? Who knows? Things could have changed since Luke and Jules got out. Who cares? Me! I care! I hate loose ends!
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- walker Hornsby! We've got a photo shared on SM a few months back of Josh Hamilton with walker make up. He would do a great smart/climber walker. I want him to attack Pamela and EAT HER FACE! It would be a fitting ending to both characters. Also, I miss Josh/Lance, let him shine one last time!
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- Michonne and Rick back to ASZ. Let TF completely reunite on the last scene, please, I'm begging you. And by TF I mean Daryl, Carol, Maggie, Hershel, Eugene, Rosita, Gabriel, Aaron, Ezekiel, Jerry, Judith, RJ and everyone else! Just let everyone LIVE! Let them be happy just for once, kissing, partying, making babies. And if a gore death it's really needed, kill Luke! Kill Jules! We won't miss them, just don't kill anyone else, please!
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And, of course, last but definitely not least:
- THEM! CARYL! Daryl and Carol. Carol and Daryl. Just let them be together and kiss, please. 12 years in the making. There's no looser end bigger than this. Just let them love each other like they're supposed to and deserve!
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Come on, AMC, come on. Give me my answers! It's time!
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dandrew-stuff · 20 days
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Now that it’s officially the end of (season 1🤞) The Ones Who Live. Let me share some of my favs BTS of them❤️‍🔥🤧
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asavt · 8 days
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Into the confessionary a little spider walked
Mind not quite there
Quite lost
Memories scrambled around, confused
Pain flaring up, things that shouldn't have been said out
Siblings falling apart
Guilt over forgotten acts
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hidtired · 17 days
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A Single Punch [Part 2]
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Description: The aftermaths to the line up leaves you with serious injury. With most of the group to believe you dead. How will your recovery go at Hilltop? How will people react to seeing you?
2.6k words
Warnings (much angst, injury, near death, depression, recovery, typical walking dead shenanigans) [happy ending… eventually]
(Daryl Dixon x Reader) Masterlist
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Your POV
The steady hum and rocking of the truck bed is what woke you from unconsciousness. The wind ripping around you. It was hard to breathe. Even more so when you realized that you were next to two bodies, presuming that they used to be your friends. What had happened again? A bat? Line of your family being chosen for death. You were one of those chosen. The thought of "I'm alive." While not necessarily feeling like it. You were alive. Your body moving on it own slapping the back of the truck with your bloody hand. Bloody and very broken if the sharp pain sent threw you didn't tell you anything.
The sharp pain making you groan and rolling into yourself. A wheeze still in your lungs. You felt like you were spinning. The loud bang of the tail gate making you jump. Everything felt wrong something is wrong.
"I can't, please it hurts."
Sasha flinched when you spoke. Believing for a second she dreamt it. But your small whimpering and sobs made her drop closer to you. "Y-your still alive- I don't-" Your face and hair were covered in your own blood. Not knowing the location its coming from. Sasha pulling herself together after the initial shock. She turned to Maggie who stood wobbly and in shock seeing you trying to move and talk. Your speech was becoming incomprehensible now. Sasha slipped off a layer of clothing to hold to your head. She turned back to Maggie again, ''Go get back into the car!" Sasha felt you go still again. She had to move fast. Jumping over the side of the truck closing the tailgate. She was not letting Negan have you to.
Days later...
You opened your eyes groggy and confused. Looking over to see Maggie in a bed herself. You try and move your hand up to remove something blocking your right side of your head. Expect your hand stopped bounded to the bed. Maggie heard you move and slowly approached you, "Shh, your safe." This wasn't your first time awake but it was the first that you were more aware.
"W-wha?" Your speech was slurred. But Maggie saw it in your eyes. For the first time she saw you in them. She sniffled, "Y/n thank goodness. I thought you were..." She shook her head and put a hand to your shoulder. "I'll be right back ok? I need to get the doctor?" You simply tried to look at her face trying to gauge what was wrong. She sped out the room leaving you to stare out after her.
She came rushing back into the room with a man. He was speaking to fast at you but they were questions asking your name and if you knew where you were. The man shined a light in your face. You tried to look away from the light because it hurt. You looked at the man with squinted eyes, "H-errrs-sel?" You looked back to Maggie with a questioning look. Only to get a sad look back. Sasha then came through the door in a haste hearing you were awake again.
"Is she doing any better?" She huffed out of breath. The man you had zero clue about simply looked back to you and sighed. "It looks like the swelling in her brain is reducing. I don't know the extent of the brain damage she will have, but her chances of survival just increased." Maggie sighed with the first bit of good news about you. Tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. She smiled at you. You with having no clue what's going on simply mirrored her back with your own smile. You try and raise your other hand but not feeling it at all you look down to see your arm in a cast and bound close to your chest.
The man who you couldn't place, doctor man, started talking again. "Its only been 2 days, for that much time she is doing better then I could have ever imagined. I think she may have taken most of the blow to her hand. However, head trauma is always unpredictable." They jumped at the sound of your gasp looking at you to see what was wrong. You were just looking at Maggie looking her up and down.
"Ba-baby?!" Maggie moved closer to you and started to try and sooth your worry. "Is fine, the baby and me are ok." You relax back into your sheets. Dr. Carson simply studied you. "I would like someone to be with her at all times now. She could have a stroke or start seizing. She still needs to be bound to the bed for all are safety. If she is still awake in a hour try having her eat or drink." Maggie and Sasha both nodded and looked at each other giving a determined look.
Few hours later you were still awake having to be reminded to 'keep your eyes open' and 'need to stay awake.' You would ask things, try to at least. Most of what you said didn't make sense to anyone but you. The worst was the look on your face remembering about something or someone that was lost along the way. When you were asking about a baby you were meaning Lori and Judith. You knew something with a baby was wrong and that was the only one you could think of until Maggie said that her and her baby was ok that you remembered.
The longer you were awake you would get better minimal but still better. But you began asking for something they couldn't give you.
"Dar-ryl?" They always try to come up with something. 'he is on a run' or 'he is out hunting.' But that didn't stop the want for him. You were frustrated at the broken bits of your brain. You knew Daryl always put those pieces together.
Daryl POV
His cell was cold, dark, and always seemed to have one song playing on loop. It was torture. Not however as much torture then the loss of you was. He never knew the kind of love she gave him. She was a first, and now last. The pain in his shoulder and face from the beating he has gotten were nothing like the one in his heart, his soul. That night replayed over in his head. He thought about how he deserved to have gotten killed not Glenn. He cause Maggie to be a single mother now. He deserved this. Being here.
He thought back to when Rick lost Lori. He didn't understand then. But sure as hell did now.
The door handle started to move, the music cutting off, assuming he was getting the normal moldy bread and dog food. Dwight walked in throwing the food down to the floor. "The sooner you join the sooner this will stop." Daryl all but chuckled, "and what become like you?" Now that pissed Dwight off, striking a nerve. But Daryl lead on more, "I get it. Your doing it for someone else. But I don't have that anymore." Daryl sent a look that could kill. Dwight only studied him and shook his head at him. Throwing two polaroid to the floor, "Someone else doesn't have that anymore either." Before slamming the door shut. The music came on but then changed to a more somber tune.
Daryl hesitated to pick up the pictures before doing so and seeing the images with the smallest light coming from under the door. Yours and Glenn's bodies. His breath hitched looking at it. You the women he loved and a friend who would still be alive with his wife and child if he never existed. He lost it. Sobbing. Broken.
He made a promise to not just you but himself that he was going to do right by you. He still had a mission. By the end of it this place will be burning to ground. Even if he had to go with it.
Maggie POV
After having to deal with a man like Gregory she needed to clear her head before it was her turn to sit with you. Making her way over to were Glenn and Abraham were buried. She was met by Enid staring down to the graves.
''Enid?" She walked over to the young teen and hugged her. Enid sniffled before explaining why she was there, wanted to see if she and the baby were ok. Enid gestured to the two graves. "I didn't know which one was his." Enid the paused, "Why is there only two, where is the third?"
With that Maggie smiled and waved her hands to come follow her. Enid was confused at the action. They stepped into Jesus trailer were they all have taken over at this point. There Enid saw you, she gasped in surprise and disbelief at the sight of you. You jumping at the noise. Breaking your focus from a card game that was to help your memory. Also keeping you distracted. Sasha sitting next you surprised to see Enid, "Are you with the others?" Enid shook her head while approaching your table. "How is this possible..." She sat down across from you. You simply stared back but continued with your cards pointing to one for Sasha to flip. You were struggling with mobility.
Sasha sighed catching the hint and continued flipping cards for you to match. Enid looked at you more closely. Your face was still swollen and was a mix of purples, blues, and yellows. The top to the right of your head had a part of your hair shaved with stitching. You looked pale. Your speech has gotten better but you were just to tired to speak much. It showed in your eyes. You still had your arm in a cast brought close to your chest by a sling. Watching Enid study you Maggie decided to add some insight. "We didn't know she was alive until half way to Hilltop. Didn't know if she would make it even a few days after."
Enid look to you with pity. She saw how sick you were even before leaving Alexandria. At least that seemed to be better. Maggie cleared her throat, "How is everything back at Alexandria."
Enid explained about how they took and trashed everything back home. Maggie could only scowl at the thought of them. At the mention of how they brought Daryl with them and he looked to not be doing to well but still alive. You had looked up and just stared intently, "He ok?" With you gaining some abilities back it was harder to lie about what happened. You had yet to know of his capture and Glenn's death. It was only a matter of time before you found out.
Your mind seemed to be other wise fine. Most of the trouble was how it was trying to move your body. Walking was going to need to be learned again. When you got your right hand back writing and holding things as well. Nothing time couldn't fix. Maggie was the person to mostly look after you. You were a welcome distraction from her mind.
Later that day was when you said something that shook her. To see your mind healing and remember. You were just staring out the window while the sun started to set.
"I was a mercy kill."
You went to sleep shortly after. It was probably time to tell you the truth. Before you could think of all the worsts before hand.
Your POV
Being woken up by Jesus pulling you out of bed with haste and to carry you and hide you under the trailer was not what you were expecting. He was saying 'their here' and 'need to stay here and be silent.' You were laying under the trailer in dirt. It was finally catching up to what had happen just then. You didn't know all the things you probably should but you knew it would come naturally. While you lay there waiting for Jesus to tell you it was safe you remember that a few days ago you thought he was the literally Jesus for a second longer then you would like to admit.
You saw men taking things all around you. These were the asshole who did this to you. You remember when you woke up in the back of the truck. Two bodies beside you. You knew one was Abraham but didn't have the guts to ask who the other was. You just couldn't handle it at the moment. Others thought that to if they didn't say anything about it.
You were starting to get cold. But you saw that the men were leaving now. When the men were gone you don't think you could get out of there by yourself if you tried. When a group of people were quickly making your way over to you, you sighed ready to get up out the dirt. It was Maggie's voice you first heard. She sounded like she was panicking, "Did you hide her? Where is she?" She sounded to be directing this to Jesus. Then you heard a voice that surprised you, "What? Hide who?" It was Rosita. They got closer to you before Jesus spoke and lent down to were he put you. "She's ok, I put her here."
Jesus start to pull you out revealing who you were to Rosita. You just popped out being dragged by under your arms. "Hi" She gasped and lent down to help pick you up off the floor. "Your still alive..." she looked about ready to cry. You smiled, "Damn r-right I am." You would have had more trouble standing if Jesus wasn't helping but also leaning into Rosita while hugging you helped. It was Sasha who came to help you back to your bed while the others talked some more.
It was later that evening eating dinner when everybody was in Jesus's trailer. Everyone was talking while you stared at your left hand trying to move it to the best of your ability. Your body felt like it had latency that's why is was so hard to do anything. You and Maggie were now on your own with them taken Dr. Carson. You sighed and looked around you decided it was time. You needed to know.
"What happened that day..."
It went quiet before all eyes went to you. It was Maggie who first tried to start but Rosita cut in. "What do you remember." You bit your lip and look off into the distance. "Seeing what happened to Abraham, I was struggling to breath... I remember the feeling of the bat. I didn't pass out as soon as it hit me. I froze. Played dead even." You paused before sucking in a breath, your voice was still slow and looked to take a lot of focus to do, because it did.
"I woke up next to two bodies..."
Now is when Maggie spoke, "Daryl had punched Negan after he hit you." You sucked in a breath and held it. "He tried to kill you unprovoked, I don't blame Daryl." She looked into your eyes. "Negan killed Glenn." The air in your lungs released and a shaky hand came to cover your mouth, tears filling your eyes. The room was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Daryl punched him and distracted him from you. Negan would have kept swinging at you." You closed your eyes to soak in the information. You were alive at Glenn's expense. "There's more." You opened your eyes to look at her.
"They took Daryl as there prisoner."
Part 3
Feedback welcomed and requests open!
Reunions coming next part :)
Also little disclaimer I’m really dyslexic so sorry with grammar or spelling that is messed up!
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celtic-crossbow · 8 months
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Help Me Hold Onto You
Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader (Ended relationship)
Setting: Alexandria after 6 year jump
Warnings: Angst, More angst, No happy here, mentions of pregnancy
Summary: Daryl comes back after his 6 year absence to talk to you. He receives quite the shock.
A/N: Feeling blah. Needed to channel negative energy. Sorry!
*Click here to be added to taglists.
Moodboard by @dannyo000
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Daryl gnawed on the skin of his thumb while staring at the edge of the crop rows. Michonne had told him you would be there and that he should really go see you. She was, in fact, rather insistent. He nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. Would you even want to see him? Things hadn’t exactly ended amicably when you had stumbled upon him with Leah. Even allowing the other woman’s name to occupy his thoughts for a mere second brought an onslaught of guilt and self-loathing. He had been caught in a moment of weakness, not putting a stop to Leah’s advances when it was your lips he craved. 
‘Idiot.’ With a heavy sigh, he trudged forward, scanning over the individuals hard at work maintaining the surplus of crops in the community. It was your hair he noticed first, no longer flowing wildly down your back but cropped off just below your shoulders. His eyes studied the visible skin below the spaghetti straps of the sundress you were wearing. He had always envisioned you in a dress. It was not the right color and looked to be a little longer than the one his imagination supplied, but it was hard to tell while you were kneeling in front of the tomato plants. 
The familiar spread of freckles were shining with a sheen of sweat from work in the midday sun. With narrowing eyes, he took in the way your shoulder blades seemed more pronounced and your arms were much slimmer than the last time he saw you. He could see the muscles flex beneath your skin as you dug in the soil. Even from his limited vantage point, you appeared…frail. 
Forced to steel his nerves, he stepped closer, only coming to a stop when a few feet separated you. “Hey, Y/N.” The archer eyed you carefully, even took a step back when your movements froze and a visible tension seized across your body. 
“What are you doing here, Dixon?” 
Your cold tone forced his heart to freeze and drop into his stomach, twisting a knot that made him nauseous. What the hell had Michonne been thinking? Daryl closed his eyes briefly, inhaling through his nose. Words were failing him, any and all logical responses lost in the tension. “How, uh…how are ya?” 
“Fine. You done?”
You had yet to move, to even look at him. He had definitively fucked this up royally. One kiss—a kiss he neither wanted nor reciprocated—had destroyed this precious relationship that had taken years to build. The archer sighed. “No. M’not.”
You stood then—with quite a bit of difficulty, he noted—but kept your back to him. “Just save it. I’m not interested.” Your gardening gloves were peeled from your hands and tossed roughly to the dirt. “Unless you’ve got other business here, you can go.” He watched you pivot away from him, but he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. 
“Damnit, woman, m’trying t’ fix this!” Daryl was careful not to raise his voice, to not be so quick to anger; something he was still learning to control after all these years. 
Your steps halted, eyes hesitantly peering back at him from over your shoulder. Pale skin gave way to dark circles around dull orbs. You really didn’t look well. He opened his mouth to inquire and was quick to close it when those same eyes narrowed angrily. 
“There’s nothing to fix, Dixon.” 
It was more than clear that you didn’t want him there. He could feel the anger permiating the air in waves, the knot in his gut twisting tighter. He was treading dangerous ground. He could push you, say what he needed to say and hope for the best. Or he could obey your wishes and go, maybe try again in the future. Maybe not. 
You were still watching him as the breeze picked up, cool but not chilling the early autumn air. He was still weighing his options when your shorter hair blew to the side and revealed the back of your neck. Light reflected off a silver chain there and hope rekindled in his chest. You were still wearing the necklace he had gifted you during one of your nights on the riverbank. 
“Y/N, I—”
You rounded on him so quickly that he stumbled back a step, hands out in a placating manner as you reached for him and shoved him back further. “You stupid, selfish, cowardly pig! How dare you! I can't believe you came here now with this shit!” Your shoves continued but Daryl had stopped blocking, taking each hit with an unreadable expression. You stopped, breathing heavily, and stepped back to throw up your arms in exasperation. 
“Y/N.” It was almost a whisper, so quiet and full of emotion that if you hadn’t been so angry with him, you would have gathered him into your arms and never let go. 
But you were angry. “What?” You bellowed. “What do you want?” 
Daryl couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. His heart was slamming a tattoo into his ribs. The world around him was blurry, voices fuzzy like being underwater. Except yours. Except you. The archer finally managed to bring you into focus, just as realization of what you had revealed became evident on your pale face. 
Yes, you did indeed look thin and sickly but that wasn’t why Daryl couldn’t seem to look away. He couldn’t even seem to blink. Your dress, loose as it was, still managed to hug your swollen stomach. The bump was not large but still evident, your small hands now twisting into the fabric of the dress nervously. 
His mouth moved but he couldn’t force his voice to work, so he clamped his lips shut. The anger was still evident in your expression, and he somehow noticed that you were trembling but he couldn’t look away from the area beneath your fisted hands. 
“How?” Daryl heard the words but didn’t remember speaking. “Ya said ya couldn’t—”
“Does it matter?” 
“S’it—” he shifted uncomfortably, pointing and withdrawing only to point again. “S’it mine?” Daryl finally forced his gaze away from your belly to lock eyes with you. It wasn’t long before your anger dissipated and morphed into something else, tears springing to your lashes. “Y/N.”
You flinched but he needed an answer and he needed it now. 
The people had heard the commotion and hushed whispers were hissing all around the two of you. Daryl could see Michonne from the corner of his eye. She had kept her distance but had apparently wanted to stay in the vicinity in case things got heated. The archer couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t still end that way. 
“It is.” You finally acknowledged, inciting a collective gasp from the onlookers. Your hands had dropped to your sides to take up twisting the fabric there. 
Michonne stepped forward after a few more unnerving moments of silence, motioning toward the small crowd that had gathered. “Okay, everyone! Nothing more to see! Let’s get back to work!” 
The two of you remained stoic as the people dispersed back to their activities, neither moving a muscle even as Alexandria’s leader stepped up to plant herself between you. “I think this should continue somewhere a little more private.” When neither indicated you had even heard her, Michonne leaned into Daryl’s line of sight to catch his eye. He seemed to snap out of his trance and gave a jerky nod. 
“Yeah. Yeah, okay.” You replied quietly when the same was done to you. You swayed a little when you took the first step. Only through sheer force of will did Daryl not reach out to steady you. It didn’t matter. Michonne had already taken hold of your upper arm. 
“Can you make it there?” The sword-wielder asked with obvious concern. “I can end this right now.”
A rush of panic surged through the archer’s chest, nearly suffocating him where he stood. What was wrong with you? Was something wrong with the baby? His baby? “I’ll make sure she’s alrigh’.” With a deep breath, he stepped forward and reached for you, careful not to touch. Neither of you needed that right now. His hand hovered as Michonne held fast. 
“Y/N?” The other woman questioned. You only spared Daryl a glance before facing your friend and nodding. Michonne returned the motion and let go to step back out of the way. Just as you started to leave, Daryl staying close by, Michonne called out his name. It was a clear warning. 
Take it easy on her.
He nodded without looking back and continued to follow. The community looked so different compared to his last visit. The rebuilt homes were less alluring, most having been constructed on top of anything that had been left of the previous structure. The place still had its appeal but it gave off more of a farmland vibe now than a prestigious community. 
The tension had seemed to fizzle out along with your energy. You walked slowly at his side, shoulders slumped and head down. Your face was hidden by a curtain of hair when he risked a sidelong glance. Daryl half wondered if you were even paying attention to where you were leading him. Just as he opened his mouth to ask, you pivoted to the left and crossed in front of him to ascend the few steps of a porch. He followed close behind but chose not to hover. You pulled open the screen door and pushed the main door inward, letting the first slam closed behind you. You had left the other open, for him, he assumed, but it felt wrong to just walk in.
Daryl pulled a cigarette from his vest pocket, along with a book of matches. When the tip had sizzled down and the first draw of smoke entered his lungs, he shook out the match and laid it on the small table next to a chair. Forgoing the obvious seating, the archer hopped up onto the railing and stared into the house. He couldn’t see you but could hear you moving around. You hadn’t come to investigate yet so you had to know he was still there. 
Daryl finished his cigarette and stamped it out on the porch, crossing the two steps to the door. The uneasy feeling was still there. It weighed heavily on him that he couldn’t just walk in like he would have before Rick.… Clearing his throat to swallow down the new flood of emotion, he raised a fist to tap on the screen door with his knuckles. You appeared from around a corner at the end of a short hall, briefly locking eyes with him. Averting your gaze, you jerked your head to invite him in. 
The home was simple inside, all mismatched furniture and mostly bare walls save for your handheld crossbow hanging next to the door. Looking for too long felt intrusive, so he lowered his eyes to the floor and proceeded down the hall and into what turned out to be the kitchen. 
You were standing there, on the opposite side of a small island with one hand wrapped around a glass of water. The other hand was sitting atop your rounded belly, mostly hidden from where he now stood. 
A few awkward moments passed with Daryl staring at the part of your hand he could see and you watching him uneasily. “Where’s Dog?”
The archer’s eyes slowly raised to your face, where he found he couldn’t seem to keep them. Leaning against the side of the refrigerator, he began to pick at his palm. “Jude’s got ‘im.” You nodded and took a sip from the glass. More silence followed before Daryl couldn’t wait any longer for the answers he felt so strongly he was owed. “How long?”
“What?”
He didn’t really feel like repeating himself but if he wanted you to answer, he’d have to be willing to communicate past the unsettledness. “How long ya known?”
Your lips formed a small “o” and you nodded. “About three months, I guess.” Your fingertips busied themselves tracing shapes on the countertop.  
“An’ ya ne’er thought t’ come tell me?” There was an edge of agitation to his voice. Hell, he was agitated. 
“Oh, I thought about it plenty of times.” You snapped, expression hardening when he looked up to meet your eyes. Your hand was wrapped so tightly around the water glass that it was a wonder it hadn’t yet shattered. “But then I always seem to remember that you have plenty of things to occupy your time.”
Daryl wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what you meant. “Ya don’ even know whatcha saw that day.” It was taking some serious control to keep his tone level now. Everything inside him screamed that this would not end well but he pressed on anyway. “Ran away an’ didn’ even gimme a chance t’ ‘splain.”
“I saw plenty, Dixon!” You wisely pushed the glass away from yourself. “That woman’s tongue down your throat! You wanna explain though? Go ahead! Explain!” You hissed, rounding the island. You stopped yourself a few feet from him. “Who is she?”
Daryl was listening as he worked hard to keep himself in check. His temper was itching to flare. “‘er name was Leah. She’s not ‘round anymore, Y/N.”
“So sad for you, I’m sure.” You mocked, crossing your arms. “So what is this? She left you so you thought you could just come back here and we’d pick up where we left off?”
“S’not like tha’.” Daryl sighed. He straightened his stance and dared a step forward, his heart nearly sinking when you stepped back. “There weren’ ne’er nothin’ with ‘er.”
You seemed to consider that, your eyes almost seeming to shake back and forth to hold his gaze. “It doesn’t matter.” You shook your head and started to turn away but the archer quickly crossed the distance between you to lay a hand on your shoulder. Your skin was so cold. You both stared at his hand before he quickly removed it. 
“Y/N, I…I stayed away cause I didn’ think ya’d want t’ see me.”
“You were right.” You answered quietly after a few moments. His heart sank. “I didn’t. And I don’t.” You did walk away then but stopped in another doorway, keeping your back to him. “I won’t keep you from your kid, Dixon. They’ll need their father.”
Daryl swallowed hard, feeling a familiar sting in his eyes. 
You reached out to place your hand on the doorframe. You looked tired. “I’m due in the winter. You can be a part of this, as much or a little as you want.” You took a step into the room and paused again. “That day in the woods, when I saw you with her… I was coming to tell you about the baby.”
And then you were gone. 
The archer sniffed, forcing back the fierce assault of emotion that threatened to take him to his knees. He wiped furiously at his eyes with each arm and paced to one side of the kitchen and then back. He couldn’t leave it like this. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. This isn’t what he saw when he would envision your future. It was all wrong. Daryl looked to the door where you had been and took a step, his body freezing afterward when he remembered Michonne had made it clear he shouldn’t upset you. 
Clenching his fists, he spun toward the hall and all but ran out the door, slamming it closed behind him. 
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