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itsgrimeytime · 11 months

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Maneater (Part One) || Rick Grimes (TWD)

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Dialogue Prompts: "Don’t play friendly with me." + "Try me."

Summary: You and Rick Grimes had a backstory, one no one knew except you and him. It's one you refused to share, you never really wanted to get into it. All anyone needed to know was you hated the man. When you're in a rough spot, and you could use the shelter the question is... does he hate you?

TWS: Blood, gore, mentions of death, gun violence (just violence in general), swearing, angst, a touch of abandonment, grudges, and all things typical of TWD.

[[A/N: y'all ever heard of TENSION?? Or enemies to lovers??? Because I'll tell you what, I have :))) Lowkey, you have a good reason to hate Rick, but like... you'll see. also I am living in delusion for what Rick looked like in the Alexandria timeline, so just know I picture the gif, okay? Thx <3 ]]

Before you go thinking this is another long series, this is just a two/maybe three-parter. There was more to this idea than what I felt I could naturally convey in one one-shot. So, let me know if you want to be tagged for the continuation.

"Shit."

This really, truly, was never supposed to happen. This was the worst-case scenario, the kind of thing that plagued your dreams with things that were so not probable they shouldn't be scary. And yet here you were, in nightmare territory.

"Y/N? Really, is that- is that you?" the familiar face spoke -Glenn, you realized now.

God, it had been so long, you'd thought for sure at least half of that group had vanished.

Well, maybe they had. You weren't exactly sure, but Glenn hadn't really looked worse for wear. He suited the lifestyle well, actually, which you were a little impressed by -the pizza delivery guy had come a long way.

"We thought you..." he faltered off, still a bit in disbelief.

"Died? Nope," you finished, bitter, sure, but you'd never really had the chance to get over it, "-despite your wonderful leader's best efforts, I remain unscathed."

Glenn frowned.

The joy from moments before dissipated in the now fairly tense air between the two of you -others you recognized weren't there, but you imagined they were wherever he came from. Which you were currently trying to keep in the very back of your mind -you'd never follow him to them, you just couldn't.

"I should've..." he began, words seeming to come to a stop, "-Any of us should've stuck up for you. It wasn't right."

There was a bit of pleasure hearing that, somewhere deep in your chest, you appreciated it. But while the idea was good, it was very much too late. The resentment that had developed in your chest, had only solidified there -unbreakable and set in stone. You hadn't trusted a soul since, not fully anyway.

This world was filled with broken hearts, and yours was one of them.

And that was something Rick and his group had to live with, whoever they were now because that... was their fault.

You hadn't meant to hate Rick Grimes specifically, above everyone else, but the words came out of his mouth.

'Get out of here, we can't... we can't have a group this divided.'

You could still see him now in your head, clean-shaven and dressed in his uniform, taking the world by storm despite not knowing what the fuck he was doing. You were different then, scared but ready to do what you needed -hell, the first time you'd ever even held a gun was against a walker. It was with that group, they'd taught you.

You swallowed down the bile in your throat, and pushed through the rubble -your feet ached from being on the move for so long. You couldn't remember the last time you slept, or even sat down.

You couldn't not in this world, it was all about motion, about survival, about getting through the next few hours at a time.

"Look, I know you're upset, and you have every right to be," Glenn began -following you close behind, "-but we have a place... It's safe, you could sleep. You could eat. There are houses, hot water-"

You froze in place, the idea spreading a sort of warmth in your chest, something you'd forgotten somewhere along the path. Hope. Yet, there was still a sting there -deep under your skin, "Glenn-"

"It doesn't have to be forever," he added, and now that you looked at him, he did seem clean -his clothes washed and the desperation that dusted your skin was so distant you could hardly see it, "-just for a few days."

Feet frozen to the spot, you exhaled -the breath shaking you to the root, it had been so long, but how could you trust him? How could you trust any of them?

You remembered Glenn had looked hesitant, that day, his own suspicion drawn in his eyebrows but it hadn't gone farther than that. He hadn't said a word. No one had. But now, he was here offering solace, safety. And you knew it wasn't just out of pity.

The world had enough of that on its own. You had enough of that on your own, your story spilling to listening ears -they'd all been the same. Still, you could use a break.

And as much as you didn't trust the group, whatever it had become, you knew that if anyone had survived this long -they'd been skilled. Skilled enough for you to breathe, for you to close your eyes and sleep.

You sighed, wiping the sleep from your eyes, or rather the lack of, "Just a few days?"

"As long as you need," Glenn reiterated, somehow conveying that you never had to leave, it was a small thing. But comforting.

"I get to decide when to leave?"

Glenn frowned, his own body almost shrinking in on itself, disappointment. You'd never thought you'd see this, someone from so long ago -the regret, the remorse, "Yeah, of course."

And you were thinking about it. As your joints ached and your throat burned for water, the breeze felt cold against your bones, and you truly couldn't imagine it getting any warmer. The sun setting only meant it could get colder, and you were currently without a roof.

"Okay," you quietly agreed, despite the churning in your stomach saying otherwise.

That was when one of the others, neither of which you knew, spoke, "But, didn't Rick say-"

"Shut it," Glenn exhaled, tone icy and you suddenly realized maybe they were new to him too.

The walk was long, not grueling since Glenn had known exactly where he was going -he'd always had that sense of direction though. You remembered the early days when he'd been the one to volunteer to go back to the city, he'd known so much. Maybe he was just made that way? Or it was some sort of thing they'd invented. It had been a long time.

"There's a few of us that'll be happy to see you," Glenn spoke, casually walking beside you as the other two paired off behind you.

You swallowed the tensing of your shoulders, the last time you'd been in a group it hadn't ended well, and every time before that too actually. You didn't meld well with groups, let's just say that.

"I don't think so," you hummed, remembering so far back in your brain that day -the eyes all set on you, strong and decisive. You couldn't imagine who else survived other than Rick Grimes himself. Because this world wasn't what you expected, you shouldn't have survived more that a week... but here you were.

Glenn didn't say anything else, you assumed he noticed your more pressed tone -as the opposite of an invitation to keep talking. It stung a bit, watching the man's face solemn considerably, but there was also a sick part of your brain that had been waiting for this day.

As you approached the new community, Glenn spread out his hands -with a voice close to an announcer, "Welcome to Alexandria!"

Alexandria was big, bigger than you thought really. When you pictured the homes, there was bordered up windows and broken glass -blood stained into the wood. But these?

They were almost pristine.

Your head spun as you made your way through the gate, Glenn casually guiding you through the space without much forethought. It seemed he'd known this daze, he'd experienced it himself, maybe?

You knew how this world was, Alexandria seemed to be a new wave of something fresh.

Actually, you'd seen signs once or twice but never pursued it. Things like that didn't quite work in this world, you were scared of what it may truly have been. But Glenn had brought you hear with the promise of a bed to sleep in, so you assumed whatever kinks were there had already been worked out.

Or maybe you hoped they would.

In your haze, you hadn't noticed the two other members bump ahead -headed straight for a particular place, you assumed. Nor did you really notice Glenn kind of easily navigating in front of you.

Until, you heard the voice you'd vowed to never hear until the day you died.

"Glenn?" the drawl was deeper now, older and a touch more dangerous, "-The others told me you brought someone back, I thought we talked about-"

"Rick," Glenn interrupted, voice steady and calm -he had been prepared for this, "-it's Y/N."

There was silence there, as you trailed your fingers along the trim of the house ever-so-gently -the dirt stained into your fingertips didn't need to smudge there. It would've ruined it.

"What?" His voice was low, and despite how much you wished you could understand the tone, you couldn't -you didn't know him.

He could be angry, in disbelief, in shock. You had no clue, instead focusing on the ivy running up the sides of some of the houses -rubbing the leaves with your thumb, muttering, "Wow."

"Y/N?"

You blinked out of your haze, stilling at the direct contact with you -it felt odd, hearing your name out of his mouth. So familiar yet, so so far off. Yet, the sting still burned deep under your skin -it would probably never go away.

Without turning around, you acknowledged him simply -direct and without much other force, "Rick."

Then the space grew even quieter, the tension laying thick into the air -you could feel it set the prickling of goosebumps on your skin.

With a heavy breath, you turned around -equipped to set your eyes on his skin.

He looked... different. His hair was much longer, curled at the nape of his neck, and he had a beard -now littered with grey. It suited him, he'd been too uptight back then, now though, he'd seemed more adjusted.

"Y/N, I-" he began, and you could hear it -the pity, the 'I'm sorry'. You couldn't take it, not from him. Not now.

It was too late, it made you want to rip your hair out. And thrash and cry and scream. Scream for all you'd lost, scream for the fear you felt that day, pushed into the woods -separated.

You spoke, pushing back the bite in your tone as much as you could, "Don't play friendly with me. I'm here for a few days, at most."

Rick's mouth snapped shut, jaw setting. He seemed frustrated, but that was hardly your problem, the whole thing was his really. He could die with that regret, aching to give an apology for his wrongdoings... and you would let him.

The area, which you now realized was slowly filtering people in, eyes all beginning to focus on you and Rick. Questioning, mostly, but you figured any pushback on Rick and you'd end up dead. So, you pushed back -the strength of your tone settling and the brush of the cold warming.

You didn't need to make enemies.

And then you heard it, a familiar voice, older than you'd expected, you'd known that voice younger... what was-

"Y/N?"

Your breath stuttered, as you spun on your feet and there he was, taller and older, "Carl? Oh my god-"

You hadn't even thought about it, that where Rick was Carl would follow. You had less than high hopes that he'd even survive this far, and yet, here he was right in front of you.

You'd known Carl early on in the group, he had been so young. Lori needed help sometimes, and she'd grown close to you, so, pretty quickly, she'd trusted you with him. In the early days, he was stuck to your side -playing games with the sticks and rocks you could find nearby, giving him comfort when his Mom seemed too far to touch -she was often like that. Her eyes were far, and her mind farther.

Without much less of an introduction, he ran to you with ease, despite the filth you must've been covered in. Especially compared to him, who seemed to be as perfectly clean as the rest of them. He ran into you, arms wrapping tight around your figure -and god, he was so much taller. You bit back a sob, how much had you missed?

"I thought you were dead," he spoke, muttering into your shoulder and his hands gripping desperately at your shirt.

You remembered the tiny version of him kicking and screaming, 'Why do they have to leave, Dad?!' He had been crying so hard his body was shaking, they practically had to tear him off you. You'd told them you'd leave in the night when he was sleeping, so it wouldn't be so hard on him. He couldn't put up as much of a fight if he wasn't there.

"You've gotten so tall," you laughed, pulling back and wiping at your eyes -gesturing to his stature.

Carl laughed too, wiping away his own tears.

You forgot for a second where you were, and how long it had been. Only reuniting with someone you cared tremendously about. The moment was bittersweet with the eyes of many sliding across your figure, the scar detailed across your arm, or maybe the bandage wrapped around your head. You'd had some run-ins, but you'd taken care of them with what you could.

The next few days were a bit stuffy, the doctor (who you didn't bother to learn the name of) had been keeping a close eye on you -consistently telling you to rest and sticking the one and only sheriff on you when you resisted.

Apparently, she thought that it was the best idea.

The single thread that didn't have you running out of this place wore a sheriff's hat and seemed to relish in your arrival. Carl had been by your side frequently, introducing you to practically everyone (including Glenn's wife, Maggie, what-) -which you had originally been strictly against, but the kid was your soft spot.

You'd felt more at ease after a run-in with two familiar faces, Daryl and Carol. They both did similarly to Carl, and you couldn't seem to fault them too much. Not at that moment anyway. It was midday and Carl had run off with some people his own age, which you refused to separate him from that. It was important, he needed it.

And you needed something too.

The space felt cramped, with someone constantly looking over your shoulder and someone else always in your area. It was a far cry from your previous loner life where your days fell to silence and the slice of whatever your blade was echoed through it. Before Glenn, you hadn't spoken out loud in months.

So, with new energy from the hot water and regular meals, you'd found yourself roaming the streets towards the fence. Just for a sense of normalcy, you needed to taste the adrenaline, feel the blade in your hands, and the urgency in your movements. Dancing with death.

Trying to watch your back, you kept your eyes behind you -ducking behind some of the unused houses that you'd scouted out earlier in the day. It wasn't like you were leaving forever, just a few hours that's all you needed.

"And where are you going?"

You jumped, turning to the sound in front of you, and because god simply hated you it happened to belong to one Rick Grimes. His eyes leveled with you, standing confidently in your way like he'd expected you. And shit, maybe he had.

Stammering, you regained your composure, "Where's Carl?"

"Asleep," he responded with ease.

"Look, I'm not-" you groaned, "-Why are you keeping me here like a prisoner?"

"Doctor told me to keep an eye on ya," he answered, once again too prepared, it infuriated you to no bounds, "-you don't think I'd notice you scopin' out an exit?"

"That's not-" you straightened your posture, pressing your lips into a thin line, "I don't have to explain myself to you. So, kindly, if you would get out of my way, I'll be back in an hour."

Rick chuckled, not in a really joyful way either, neither of you was quite joking, "Yeah, not happenin'."

"Rick," you echoed, tone ice and hand tightening on where your blade rested on your hip -a handmade hilt someone had made you a long time ago, "-move, or I'll make you."

He paused, licking a line across his teeth, and slowly making his way into your space. Your breath caught in your throat, but you stayed strong in your place -eyes set on his and shoulders set in place. He didn't speak until his face was right in yours, a breath away, and his expression remained unchanged -his eyes only betraying the heaviness of his words, "Try me."

Rick didn't reach for his gun, which sat with was at his hip -inches from his hands. You knew he wouldn't pull it on you, it wasn't in his character, but there was a chill in his tone -something new.

What happened to him?

You washed out the worry that settled under your skin for a second, that didn't need to be there. He'd abandoned you -they all had.

Setting your jaw, you exhaled -pulling back and letting your hand fall to your side, "Look, I just need an hour."

Rick stared at you, you couldn't read him -years of age, and most likely tragedy by the missing faces, gracing features you once knew. And even then, he was new -you hadn't known him.

"This place is-" you faltered off, looking back to the houses, where most lights were switched off in the dark -except for just a few spare ones, "-suffocating. I've been on my own for so long, I feel like I'm having an out-of-body fucking experience here. This isn't... I need something familiar."

He still hadn't said a word.

"So," you began, strong, before deflating, "-just let me kill some of the dead, yeah?"

Rick pursed his lips, before sighing deep and heavily, "Okay."

You opened your mouth to rebuttal, before the words set in, "Okay?"

"Just let me tell Michonne and Daryl I won't be around for a bit," he continued, seeming to waltz on past you, and then those words hit you.

"Rick, I don't need a babysitter," you answered, that lick of bitterness slinking through your skin again -your mouth opened before you could stop it, "-you weren't worried years ago, were you? Why now?"

He stopped in his motion, frozen solid by your words. A part of you felt vindicated, he deserved it -it may have been years for him, but that was the way your way in this world had started.

You hadn't expected him to speak, but he did.

"You can't do that."

A flash of frustration hummed under your skin -burning hot and bright -who was he to say anything to you, "I can't do that? Do what? Talk about what you did to me? The day you kicked me to the curb at the beginning of the fucking apocalypse...?"

"I've been tryin' to apologize since you got here-" he started, tone angry in the way of hands shaking not voice raising, "-you won't let me."

Something in you snapped.

"So what?" you started, tone shaky and you'd say it was for rage but you could feel the tears burning behind your eyes, "You think I want an apology from you?"

Rick looked lost then, and something in you begged to keep going. The dam was cracked now, and the water could flood out -who better than the man who hit the nail in the coffin, "What...?"

"You, you don't get the resolution that would get you. You don't get to sleep well at night because you said sorry, no."

He didn't speak.

You laughed, the tears were free now, years of being locked behind something as thick as the shell you wore after that day -your breaths were ragged and you felt like maybe your heart would be out of your chest, "I never wanted to live through this."

"Y/N-"

And there was something there in those words, heavy and gravelly against the cool night air. But you couldn't dwell on it. You had too much to say to him, to all of them really, but just him would do.

"No," you exhaled, taking a deep shaky breath in, "-Rick, I just need to know one thing."

He opened his mouth, assumedly to answer your question, but you still couldn't let him speak. Your brain was going so fast, you had to keep up.

"Did you ever ask them why?"

Rick spoke then, slowly, "Who?"

"Shane," you spoke, the air seemed to get heavier, "-and Lori. Did it never seem odd to you that it came out at the same time? That they'd both seen me that exact same day?"

Rick stilled, and his jaw seemed to set.

That was what had gotten you kicked out, Shane and Lori had alleged you'd taken more supplies for yourself -stolen from everyone. You weren't sure of the specifics, whether it be an extra graham cracker or a tissue to wipe your busted lip, as you didn't let them get too far into it. They'd been egging him on, Shane on some sort of masculine level and Lori using their love as a pawn -you'd seen it clear as day. Rick hadn't.

"I was going to tell you," you spoke quietly, barely a brush over the wind of the chillier nights.

He didn't have to ask what. He knew you assumed he had known pretty much immediately after you noticed their absences. Something had happened, maybe not long after you'd left. You could only assume so much.

"I didn't know," he echoed out, his voice strained in a way you'd never heard from him -pained, regretful.

Without much else, you turned back the way you came -voice steady and strong across the space between you two, "I know."

#rick grimes #rick grimes x reader #its griming time #stuff n' thangs #rick grimes x you #rick grimes x y/n #ricky dicky doo dah grimes #twd #twd rick #rick grimes x y/n fanfiction #rick grimes oneshot #twd twoshot #does that make any sense?#maneater #twd oneshot #angsty

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theformerbastard · 7 months

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• I don't mean to sound like the little kid whinin' about how his sister crossed the imaginary line he drew in the backseat but why in the name of Zeus's butthole do people always seem to park right beside me when there are dozens of empty spots around?

• My customer the other day was so goddamn sweet. I won't bore you with the whole story but when I told her that Enterprise called to tell me they didn't have a car for me she was like "I am not leaving here until you have a car" and, sure enough, she stayed until she saw me get into a car. I wish I'd met her a different way. That's another downside to this job that I hadn't quite prepared myself for: I've met a few people that I've thought I hit it off with but it feels unprofessional/creepy to be like "I wanna be your friend!" So I just give em their keys and accept that I'll likely never see em again.

• Your disposition is more important than your position. Jimmy Carr brought that up more than once in an interview I listened to today. The whole interview gave me a lot to think about, but I especially loved that.

• I was kinda gettin' excited about wakin' up to flannel weather in the midwest but now I'm headin' to Phoenix where they haven't gotten word that it's Fall yet. Weak.

• I saw this dumb thing on instagram the other day that I've let occupy more of my thoughts than I care to admit. I keep tryin' to write it out but I can't quite get the words right. The gist is that I see fragile men moanin' about how men have become feminized but I'm not seein' it anywhere other than on social media. It's like these chicken shit pussies see a picture of Harry Styles in a dress and think that every guy but them dresses that way. I love nail polish and jewelry but I've found myself scalin' back because I don't like callin' too much attention to myself and everywhere *I* go, I see dudes in grunt style shirts with beards that would flip shit if their son wanted pink crocs.

I don't think I'm articulatin' my point as well as I would like. I'm just incredibly fascinated by how we all see this world very differently. I wonder how much of it is based on what we actually see vs. what we see in our phones.

#does that make ANY sense?#what is a horseshoe?#what does a horseshoe do?#are there any horse socks?#is anyone listening to me?

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causetheturtle · 7 months

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I don’t know how to explain it but like this is how I view Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead respectively

#does that make any sense?#probably not #riverdale #archie andrews #betty cooper #veronica lodge #jughead jones

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existential-labrador · 1 year

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I was thinking about Tedbecca last night (shocker) and telling @movrings about my ‘Mighty Clown Energy’ 💪🏻🤡

And the thing is, I joke about clowning but it’s absolutely not clowning to me. My certainty that this ship is real is because…it is. Regardless of whether I believe it will happen or not (and for the record I still do), it’s real to me. It’s real to a lot of people. And yeah I know it’s not canon (hopefully with the crucial addition of ‘yet’) and that canon is what we want and trust me, I want that as much as anyone, but even if it doesn’t become canon, it’s still real. If Tedbecca doesn’t happen I’m not gonna think, oh well, I was wrong, I was deluded etc. I will think (after presumably a fair amount of tantruming processing) well, that’s the direction they chose, good for them, that’s their version of the story. But it won’t diminish the version I see.

And I hope different ships feel the same about theirs. Cause if that’s the way they have interpreted and enjoyed it, then good for them! Need I mention that Mark Hamill quote?

I feel really strongly about this with ships in general, particularly if it’s a case of characters who respect and hold affection for one another (on whatever level) and support each other and make each other happy or challenge and bring out the best in one another and if there’s chemistry then…of course the ship can be real, even if not canon.

And if we’re talking about the above criteria then, yeah, I’d say Tedbecca exists.

#does that make any sense?#it does in my head #waffling #tedbecca #ted lasso spoilers

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notahorseindisguise · 3 months

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so today..this morning. my little brother took the wrong medication. he took his sleeping drugs at the top of the day and as such he was out COLD allllll day. genuinely like, all day he was asleep. meaning he was not gonna sleep tonight.

mum knows i stay up til like 3am normally anyway, so she was like can you be on babysitting duty you might have to be up all night. i was like sure.

we watched the karate kid 3 together, cause hes been hyperfixating on cobra kai recently (the karate kid sequel series), then i put on a couple cooking videos to make him hungry, then let him take his time to get the words out and tell me all about cobra kai while i was using the leftover pizza dough to make a pizza for us to share (i was also very hungry, and he didn't get any of my pizza at lunch cause he was asleep)

we talked about heaps of stuff and he wanted to talk about eminem so we showed our favourite eminem songs and then we ate the pizza. then i cleaned up and i unpacked and repacked and turned on the dishwasher. and i told him after i was done with the kitchen id get him some dessert, but by the time i was finished he was tired. so he went up to bed and i am the best big brother and im gonna make an incredible parent

#im really proud of myself #i normal struggle with him due to his disabilities like. our mannerisms and everything #are quite polar opposites #and that makes it hard for me to stay calm sometimes #but if im in control of the situation its ok #which is why im a great big brother when mum and dad arent around but its harder for me when they are #does that make any sense?#anyway. im really proud of myself i feel really good :33 #i like being a good parent #sorry for posting such a long post lol ill post a pic of the pizza to make up for it

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thomas-mvller · 9 months

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Look everyone i love manu with all my heart but in my very personal opinion i think bayern should not let sommer go or loan a new keeper until the next transfer window at least, because sure manu is our captain and forever our number one keeper and all but according to media he had another surgery back in may and it's inconceivable that he'll be 300% fit for the upcoming season. Maybe they should let him recover properly until winter break so sommer can play with confidence and then all parties can make a proper decision 🤔

#idk man if we let sommer go then only sven and johanes are left so it's like... nonsense #also sommer wants to play! makes sense he wants to leave!#so if bayern assures him he won't be benched to give manu time to recover then he'll reconsider until the next break #does that make any sense?#rambless

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gender-luster · 2 months

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we have got to expand our ideas and categories when it comes to types of close interpersonal relationships. because as it is, we only really have three (romantic/sexual [counted as one because they are still considered pretty much inseparable by society] familial, platonic) when there is just so much more nuance to the human experience than can really be accurately contained in those three (really four) labels

#*frustrated aspec noises*#indefinable relationships are wonderous and amazing but an absolute pain in the ass to explain to anyone #because they are well. indefinable. which again is fine.#but i do think it would be great to vastly increase our language when it comes to relationships in general #does that make any sense?

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maydays-medbay · 4 months

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Some shading practice with Halcyon and Paradigm! I'm really digging this style, and I'm definitely learning a lot about the different layer types and what they can do to create these more interesting and dynamic shaded works! Overlay layers are my prized children in these. Mmm, the way they can really sell a glow is so nice.

#Halcyon #Paradigm #transformers #transformers oc #maccadam #my art #Rendering has been really fun lately #Also doing the sketching and lineart in ibispaint then doing coloring in Procreate is SO HELPFUL #I love the brushes for painting in procreate and I love the sketch brushes that I have in ibis #They don't feel the same when used by the other program #Does that make any sense?#I hope so lol #Shading practice #dynamic lighting is something I've been really wanting to work on lol

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itsgrimeytime · 10 months

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Maneater (Part Three) || Rick Grimes (TWD)

Part One, Two, Three

Taglist: @fuseburner @beltzboys2015-blog @gabrielleisalanastan @starkstiless @strnqer

AVAILABLE ON AO3

Inspiration: Slow Burn by J. Maya

TWS: Blood, gore, mentions of death, gun violence (just violence in general), a touch of abandonment, kind of like awkward affection???, alluding to sex (not it actually happening), swearing, grudges, and all things typical of TWD.

[[A/N: Actually kind of sad this one is ending. I might do an epilogue of just some fluff, we'll see. But thank you to all who were along the ride :))) Thanks for reading!!]]

"You're kidding," you spoke -doused in heavy disbelief, "-there's no way."

"I swear, every mornin'."

"In the guard tower?" You asked, not that you hadn't known, but just to be sure what you were saying was right.

"For the last time," Rick spoke through laughter, sipping on a beer, "-yeah."

"God," you paused -genuinely unsure of how to say what you wanted to, "-I mean, think of the back pain."

His laughter was even louder than before, and something in your chest filled with pride. You could do that.

It was hard, getting used to such close friendships -you hadn't been in one in years. You were honestly surprised your voice still worked after all those years solo, so to have this? This intimacy of sitting on someone's couch and rambling about the funniest things in the crappy world you lived it, it made you feel human again.

This was a routine thing, though, Rick had wanted to hear your stories. But working through a long list of trauma wasn't exactly easy, so every once in a while he'd tell a funny memory. It smoothed over the mood a bit, and helped you stay grounded -double whammy.

In the beginning, he'd even shared some memories of his own -vulnerable and open, so you could find it was a safe space. How he'd killed Shane, lost Lori when Judith was born, and the trail of death that seemed to follow him wherever he went.

You'd only listened that first day, not willing to encroach on his space -his words. The way he spoke them, it was like a weight off his chest. Like, in all these years, he hadn't told a soul.

But he told you.

You still weren't sure how to feel about it.

Because it was one thing you telling him, it was what he wanted -he wanted to know what he'd indirectly caused. What you'd gone through that he could have prevented with just one changed decision. But it was another when he told you his memories.

He wasn't doing it because you could've fixed them. Rick was doing it because he trusted you, cared about you, wanted you to feel safe-

You couldn't think about it, it only left a whirlpool in your mind -half telling you to run and hide, and the other half telling you that this was good. It was always what you had wanted. A place to belong, someone, anyone who cared.

And he was here, unflinchingly.

You knew he lost sleep, you knew he did. And yet, he'd still welcome you into his house when you needed it -sat in the living room until the early creaks of the morning.

You were a little conflicted.

"Everythin' okay?" Rick's voice was suddenly soft, the laughter that radiated the space a few spare moments before dissipating.

"Yeah," you sighed, rubbing your palms on your cheek to try and bring you back to the present, "-just thinking."

"That can't be good," he quipped, eyebrows raised and the little smile, he always got when he was teasing, spreading across his face.

You rolled your eyes, biting back your own smile, "You're an asshole, Grimes."

He was way too good at that, taking you down from edges -bringing you right back to your seat. It had surprised you at first, the ease he'd done it at, and it working. But the more you truly got to know Rick, the more it just made sense.

He had such a heavy sense of empathy, much too large for the way the world had treated him, and always seemed to be so vulnerable and open about his feelings. You couldn't count on one hand how many times he'd hugged Carl today. Seeing love so openly displayed, was odd. Not because it should be there, but because it was forgotten in this world. You could've sworn it was forgotten.

In a world of rotting corpses and survival, Rick Grimes found the time to love.

At that thought you opened your mouth, leaning your head back against the pillows and staring up at the white ceilings, "Did anyone ever think about me?"

The words were quiet, barely a whisper in the room but something in yourself told you that Rick has heard.

He leaned back, a bit softer as if it meant more, "I don't know about the others but..."

You traced the designs of the roof with your eyes, mind in a sort of fuzz -it was nice this time. Reminded you of fireplaces and couches and blankets, a warm feeling trickling along your arms -safety.

"I did," Rick spoke so quietly, you weren't sure you'd even heard it, "-it's somethin' I don't think I'll ever forget."

You questioned, "Why?"

He pursed his lips, seeming to try to think -eyes glazing across the roof in a sort of scattered flicker. Your eyes skimmed over his face, a few seconds wouldn't hurt.

The pull of his eyebrows was strong, lips still set in a purse -it was odd seeing him so relaxed. Along his jaw the salt and pepper beard was making its way back ever-so-lightly, you briefly wondered what it felt like. A few curls were making themselves known, tussled in a kind of way that still felt like they laid perfectly -like he was written in some sort of poem. You thought he might make a good subject if you were a writer-

"I think it's kinda," he started, letting out a long breath -like he was choosing his words carefully, "-two things. I always wondered if you were alive, and got to a point where I thought you weren't. It was like I was holding on to hope so I wouldn't have another life on my hands...? That make sense? When I... When I thought you were dead, you woulda been the first one."

You knew the importance of that, having lived as far as you had -you remembered the first person you killed. It was in self-defense, sure, but it didn't change the shake in your hands or the deep-seated guilt you could never imagine going away. That feeling would go with you to your grave-

"And I guess I wondered just what I had robbed you of?"

"You mean-" you interrupted.

Rick continued like he hadn't even heard you -far too focused on the thought, "If you would've fallen in love like Glenn and Maggie did. If I hadn't kicked you out so early, would you have found the right someone? And then, if you would've felt safe. Did I take that from you? The security of the group had been so natural, like breathin', to me. I always knew there was someone watching my back, always. And I just... I ripped it out of your hands."

You were silent, a wave of feelings creeping up your throat -the loneliness, the rejection, the wishes on falling stars. It had always been something you'd wanted -security, safety. Even as you joined ragtag groups, you'd had a sort of mistrust as if they'd leave you in the night. You'd even stashed away food, just in case they decided not to give you any.

But then, you thought of now.

All the support you had in Alexandria, you have regularly visited houses -always welcomed to any kind of supplies you needed. And although you started holed up and afraid, everyone took in at your pace. Never too fast to scare you off, and never too slow to have you think they'd leave.

And where you were now, staring up at the ceiling -vulnerable and open, the thing you were the most afraid of, but Rick was right there with you. Every crack in you, he showed his own.

"I think we're working on it," you finally said.

He asked, facing you -head still leaned back, "-Workin' on what?"

"The security," you hummed, light like the words you were saying weren't such a big step, "-the safety. I think we're working on it."

Rick didn't respond -the air so heavy a new kind of suffocating. Like you wished to shut away the vulnerability. Looking over at him, you watched as he seemed to endlessly stare -not there with you.

It was your turn.

"The love thing, though," you joked, tone teasing, "-I think that one might be a little far-fetched, sheriff."

He grinned, arguing his case, "Why? Maggie an' Glenn did it, didn't they?"

"Well, they're different," you relented, pointing out, "-I'm sure even if the apocalypse hadn't happened, they'd end up together. That's destiny shit."

"What, and you don't have destiny shit?"

"I-" you paused, "-I guess I never thought about it. It just seems... so impossible. I mean, find your true love in the zombie apocalypse? It's hard enough to find someone interested."

Rick seemed to think for a moment, "I'd know someone."

"What?" you turned to him -finding it fairly ridiculous that he knew someone so quickly, "-You cupid now too?

He stayed silent, eyes a little heavier on yours. You tried to read the oddly serious look on his face, blue eyes right on yours almost expectantly. Like he was-

"Oh," you realized, blinking a few times to test the sort of disbelief you found you were in. And somehow in your nerves, you let a laugh slip through your lips.

"Are you laughin' at me?" he spoke -playful, grin bright enough to warm up your soul, "-Really? Am I that bad an option?"

"Wait, wait," you laughed out, trying to stop his train of thought, -this was new, but not in the scary way, "-let me think about it."

"Thi-"

You shushed him, dramatically closing your eyes and tilting your head back to the ceiling. Trying to clear your mind and think about it.

Rick, romantically. There was some fear there, as with everything, but... you knew he loved with all his heart. You could see it so clearly with Judith and Carl, he was a man of love. And you knew that, but what if you could see that part of him yourself? See all the inner workings of Rick Grimes.

You knew it'd be special, he'd make you feel like you belong -hell, he already did that. But, maybe that was the point. You imagined these late-night talks, just slightly different. A tick to the right. Maybe you sat closer, maybe he held your hand or wrapped an arm around your shoulder, or maybe you wiped away his tears, and pulled him into a hug.

He was a wonderful man, you knew that. You'd always known that despite the years of hatred -you knew he was a good man. A good man who was given an impossible choice.

You opened your eyes.

"Got a verdict?" he asked, still playful, but there was something else there in the softness of his tone. He was hopeful. There was something in you that twisted at that, long ago put to rest, dormant but maybe just this once?

"I'm interested."

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mushtoons · 6 months

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I was rewatching some adventure time clips and saw that Ice King thinks Simon is a weak nerd, in yalls au would Ice King ever try to tease Simon about that? Or maybe try to “protect his bro”? (In most likely a silly situation that didn’t require any “protecting” if were being honest lol)

Idk what are your thoughts?

Love yalls ice king au!

oh absolutely! making fun of his glasses, how skinny and lanky he is (despite being literally about the same size if not skinnier) or when simon says smart things or explains something complicated he gets the nerd call of shame but its all affectionate!!

as for protection part we dont know how to explain it except as long as its funny for the bit yes! even if ice king doesn't know its a bit lmaoo like okay they're out with finn on an adventure, they're expecting monsters and there are but a small lil creature moseys on up and ice king is like "stand back its got blood lust in its eyes!!" and scares it off djfjfj

#does that make any sense?#probably not #still kinda loopy #but what better way to fight off the loopy than with talking >:)c #hehehehe #wood wide web

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thr3ap3r · 9 months

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i think i undrestand why grabiel and beelzebub got together so quickly as opposed to aziraphale and crowley, and its one thing and one thing only. they know how the shitshow is ran. they were both superiors in their respective places and so they knew what to do to get away from it. they arent afraid of the consequences because they know them, because they hold a greater power over many of the angels/demons. on the flip side crowley and aziraphale are in constant fear of hell and heaven, they dont know for the most part what fully goes on in those places and they dont hold as much power. they are on earth, always afraid repercutions of their respective oppressive regime.

#does that make any sense?#idk i like to theorize #good omens

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thatgirl4815 · 2 years

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Pete as a masochist

Just saw someone on Twitter addressing a large part of the fandom’s labeling of Pete as masochistic given his response to Vegas in Ep10. I can see how people have developed this conclusion given the myriad of “Vegas finally met someone as unhinged as him” posts, but when I really think about it, there is no substantial evidence that Pete is unhinged. And to say that Pete is on the same level as Vegas mentally would be implying that Pete enjoys seeing others in pain. Pete does his job even when it means hurting potentially innocent people, but that doesn’t mean he enjoys it (and one lingering look at Vegas while he tortures a man in Ep7 does not mean he shares in Vegas’s views on pain).

To echo a sentiment by @thisautistic in this post, Pete smiling and laughing during the torture scene in Ep10 also does not mean he is enjoying what’s happening to him. Even if he craves some sort of punishment to resolve inner turmoil (just a prediction because at this point we really don’t have enough information to say), Pete’s expression in this scene is more of a challenge to Vegas than anything else.

None of this to say that I have not also enjoyed the discourse surrounding Pete’s mental state, because the torture scene in Ep10 did give me chills throughout (major credit to BibleBuild’s acting). I just don’t think it’s accurate to equate Pete and Vegas when one is a victim and the other a violent perpetrator. The reason this is a concern of mine is because I can easily see it serving as an excuse for Vegas’s actions (i.e., “Pain is a sexual kink for Pete, so if he enjoys it, it’s not really a problem”). Not trying to exaggerate this argument too much, but I think that one of the reasons why the VegasPete storyline is so potentially toxic (besides the obvious that we’ve already seen) is because Pete’s torture could easily be spun into a “kinky thing” at this stage. It very well could turn into that in the future, but this in no way excuses Vegas’s actions at this point. He’s brutally torturing Pete, and Pete is combatting him in the only way that he can. Calling Pete a masochist implies that he and Vegas are at the same level of messed-up, which just...doesn’t check out for me.

So anyway, not trying to come at any one who holds this perspective, but it’s bothered me a bit, so I had to get it off of my chest.

And for anyone interested, I go into a lot more depth about expressions and cinematography in the torture scene in this post.