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alicenpai · 3 months ago

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hi! ive been a big fan of your work for a while now, and i was just wondering if you have any tips or anything for selling merch online? :>

hi anon! so you want to be a con artist huh 👁👁 ...

^ a real con artist..

i’m not sure if you wanted online specific tips or general merch tips, but i compiled a bit of both! (also not sure if you're a beginner to art in general, there's a difference between a more experienced artist doing merch for the first time + beginner artists trying merch for the first time bc the risks involved are different)

i wrote more on the subject but i cut some out because it seemed too long.. and i tend to ramble ^__T it's hard to answer questions like these because they're so generalized, but if you had any more specific questions feel free to send another ask!

^ random image for visual interest

general tips for beginners(?)

merch can be fun, and it is! but in the end always remind yourself you're running a business, and it's real money you're going to be spending. it's good to take risks (on things like, new product types if you think your art is ready for it, or less popular series/more experimental designs, etc.) as you learn a lot from them, but always think over financial decisions carefully at the same time.

what helped me grow a lot as both a merch artist (and as a general artist) over 10 years is - a lot of reflection. and i mean a LOT of it. in terms of art in general i don't personally do a lot of studies (which is probably my downfall and i need to get back to it) but i think im pretty observant and introspective which helps me improve a lot. i often write my silly little blog posts on tumblr, I'll write notes on my phone if i have a train of thought i need to get down quickly.

i also often discuss merch things with friends and it really helps to get varying perspectives. (though i admit i should really share wips more, i used to but not as much anymore. blame the working life haha, not as many people have time to discuss non-work art anymore ;_;). all of these things keep me on my toes and weigh my strengths and weaknesses. if anyone is interested i could write more on the specific topics i reflect on after every con/shop opening.

stick to the tried and true 5-10 copies per design for beginners! this range sounds too little, but don't forget the big picture as well... you'll likely also have multiple different designs, across different product types.

e.g. 5 copies x 4 characters/designs, and let's say you do this for every product type (e.g. postcards, stickers, charms), 5 x 4 x 3 = 60 individual pieces of merch. that's a pretty solid number for a first timer!

i also personally print 5-10 copies of designs im doing for a test print run, or for characters that don't seem particularly popular.

15 is the average amount for me for a short run product (1 con season)

i certainly reprint often + go higher sometimes if i dont mind the product being in my catalogue for years.

15 is not too many in case the design is unpopular and doesn't sell, and it's also not too little that it won't be enough sales to break even.

promo images & taking photos (online specific)

i'm not a professional photographer and these photos might be absolute ass to some people. i will accept that, and honestly id agree with you. this is just my advice for straightforward, simple photos.

good quality and clear photos are best. it's great fun to use props in photos, and they can certainly turn your photos from plain to impressive. but it's easy to get carried away with props and fancy scrapbook paper imo, and i prefer to let the artwork speak for itself. honestly keeping it simple can be the best option sometimes. i used to take a lot more photos back in 2022 when i had less new products, but nowadays i find that i have too many products to take photos of, so i prefer to just keep my photos simple with a white piece of paper as my backdrop. i just. shrimply cannot be bothered taking out all of the props anymore...

above: the backdrop in this photo is bad, it's distracting and takes away from the artwork. (fe charms from 2016)

this are photos taken on a sunny day.

if you don't have a good phone camera (mine is ~5 years old), ive found that taking photos on a sunny day, either inside or outside, work great for me, as it shows off the natural colour of your product best. i either take it to the garden or i like to find a patch of sunlight filtering through the window. be wary of glare or too much light reflecting on your merch in photos though, because it can be distracting and take away from visibility on the product. but i can understand if a bit of glare ends up on one's finalized merch photos.

this is an example of utilizing light at a certain angle to show off the holographic film on this charm.

sunny photo vs cloudy photo.

taking photos inside on a cloudy day during daylight hours is also a popular option, especially if you live in an area where there isn't much direct sunlight/cloudy season, but for me personally i find cloudy day photos come out a bit dull and do take a bit of colour correcting. all of my cloudy day photos are tweaked and i find the colours to be a bit off from the original products, but that's just how it is with taking photos i guess.

because i don't have a great phone camera, my personal alternative is to make graphics! i just think of it as a collage to use fun textures and PNGs! im obviously not a professional, and these probably look very bad in a professional's eye. but i think it's fun. i like to incorporate the aesthetic or visual style of the series into the graphic if i do make em. ^_^

store platform

each one has their pros and cons. many store platforms have trial periods/free plans for people to try out.

bigcartel is what i use and i'm familiar with, and i would honestly recommend it. (i'm too lazy to move or try another platform right now...) for big store openings ill pay for a month or two of the basic $15 plan. ill use the free gold plan on bigcartel if im only planning to open my store for a limited time and don't want to commit to a full monthly plan.

storenvy: i've used storenvy from about 2014-16. i moved from storenvy for issues such as charging customers fees for purchasing from storenvy's marketplace page (and not from your actual personalized storefront) and urging me to use stripe even though it wasn't supported in canada at that time. im not sure if theyve fixed these issues but they were pervasive issues at the time that honestly forced me to quit. it also has a kind of outdated UI (e.g. can't zoom into pics on mobile?).

i think storenvy is a very easy to use platform for beginners because it's very basic! but i wouldn't recommend it if you have a great number of products, or if you're looking for more advanced features.

tictail isn't available anymore, i couldn't recommend it for that reason. i used it from around 2016-18.

i don't have any experience on shopify or etsy. shopify i heard is great because of all of the neat features you can implement, which you can use to really make your store yours. etsy has a huge marketplace which helps discoverability, but i have also heard there are many fees, so a lot of artists unfortunately make their prices a bit higher on etsy.

ecwid is also one that i've heard pop up. some also host shops on weebly or squarespace.

shipping

if you don't already have a kitchen scale, it's a good idea to get one if you think you'll be using it a lot to weigh packages! a postage scale is probably better. i just have a kitchen scale because it's cheap. as long as the measurements are precise (don't use a bathroom scale with a dial like me when i started out lmao).

thermal labels are also a good investment if you think youll need em!! i actually don't personally use them, because i have way too much hand-me-down stacks of paper in my home, so i don't see the need to make an extra investment. the downside to printing shipping labels on paper is taking the time to cut and stick them on packages.

i'm from canada (surprising the amount of people who think im from the US T__T) so these tips will be canadian specific, but you can hopefully get the gist.

when i was starting out, i used canada post (usps is the american equivalent) to send out store orders. however shipping labels from your govt post office can be pricey. which is why it's a good option to join their small business program if they have one, where you'll receive discounts on shipping labels. i don't use canada post shipping anymore, but i will use them for countries that my shipping agent doesn't ship to.

also take advantage of their free shipping tuesdays for domestic packages in october!! i believe you can receive 2 free labels per tuesday, up to 4 or 5 tuesdays for the entire month = 8-10 free labels in october.

next step is shipping agents!! if you live close to a chitchats or stallion express facility, they're great, and they usually provide tracking on shipping by default. in my opinion, tracking on orders is a MUST, so customers can have peace of mind! (minus like sticker-only shipping because that could be sent with postage stamps)

they also do home pickup if you have a bunch of packages in bulk/can't get to a facility. i believe americans have pirate ship.

you print and stick on your shipping labels at home, then you just travel to the shipping facility and throw your packages in the right bins (e.g. domestic, US, international). that's it! easy as pie!

i personally use chitchats because that is closer to me. i had heard stallion provides better rates for international shipping, which i'll have to look at at a later date.

most of my orders come from the US and canada. (funnily enough it is unfortunately cheaper to send packages from canada to USA, than it is for me to send packages within canada.) international orders are a bit of a pain, and you will need to know tariff codes for your product types (e.g. prints have a diff code than buttons) while writing the customs form. people in some countries will get taxed on all imported packages (e.g. packages marked as "sold goods" and not "gifts"). an alternative to this is to use etsy, so that customers can pre-pay for the tariffs before the order is processed. this is something i'll also look into for the future.

posting

wow now you're now done organizing your shop and promo images and you're ready to post! a good strategy is to post across multiple platforms to see what sticks. it takes effort and time but it can have a solid turnout! (i forget sometimes, don't be like me)

i don't know if this is true, but a lot of keywords words such as "shop", "store", "link" and etc. are apparently suppressed on social media (particularly twitter). don't take my word for it however.

shop posts don't generally do as well as regular art posts for most artists. but disregarding censored words for a second, it can also be attributed to psychological reasons, generally people don't like to be advertised to. (e.g. tumblr doesn't have an algorithm and shop posts usually dont do as well here either. tumblr users are just not receptive to clicking on links apparently).

personally, writing alternate terms like "sh0p" just isn't for me, but no shade though, bc i do understand workarounds are hard and everyone needs to make a living somehow. ill instead use words like, "leftovers are in" or "new items are up!" something more vague, but with the accompaniment of merch images, will still be clear to people that it's a shop update.

sharing your shop promo posts in artist alley discord servers also help a lot, especially if you don't know too many artists when starting out. they're a great resource and community full of passionate individuals who will boost your art. if you're not familiar with them, you can find some public ones on google or maybe even artist communities on reddit. a big one is Artist Alley Network International.

if there are some topics you think i've missed, feel free to send em over to my inbox!! ill also think more about this in the coming days and edit this post as i see fit 🫡

#ask #anonymous #tutorial #sorry for the saul jumpscare

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ghostytoad · 1 year ago

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* Fun n' Games *

ROTTMNT Boys x GN! Leo-esque reader who enjoys drama, making jokes, and being overall awesome

Summary: The Hamato brothers unexpectedly fall for the smug, but genuine, fun-loving reader despite their egocentric habits

Headcanons for: Casey Jones

GN! Reader; Romantic; Fluff; Mild angst || Words: 1.2k

Raph | Donnie | Leo | Mikey

Casey Jones Jr.

the moment the boy lays eyes on y/n and sees their easy-going nature, he is head over heels. the emotion practically hits him like a truck and it's all so… new?

it's something he can't initially explain and for a little while, he worries that he's dying or sick from the new york air - he will constantly check in with donnie and ask for every test under the sun to determine the cause

all he knows is that when y/n is around, his face gets hot, his knees are weak, his palms start sweating, and his heart beats wildly in his chest. being an apocalypse survivor, this adrenaline-like feeling can only be attributed to danger or shock

and as far he knows, y/n doesn't pose any danger, right? they've been like family to him and he sees so many admirable traits in them that he had once seen in his sensei (who happened to be the greatest ninja ever); he's genuinely confused by the whole thing

he might try to keep his distance until he figures out why this is happening, but he won't say no to joining y/n on little adventures. he enjoys the company and he especially appreciates how helpful they've been in getting him adjusted to life in present-day new york

"hey, why don't i come along? i'm sure you can handle yourself but i'd be happy to be there for you."

he can't help but compare a lot of what y/n does to how his sensei was in his old timeline. he doesn't mean to do it, he just misses his old mentor and y/n's presence is a familiar comfort to him. leo is great and all, but there's something special about y/n.

casey deals with some pretty major insomnia and when he finds it hard to sleep at night, the first thing he does is call up y/n. they thankfully answer every time and their voice easily manages to soothe the poor boy to sleep (he will snore LOUDLY into the phone when he falls asleep during the call)

he's constantly worried about y/n's safety and will check in on them often when they're not in the lair or at home. he's even asked donnie to make y/n their own communicator so he can keep in contact with them if they're ever in danger.

y/n is one of the first people casey jr will open up to about his rough upbringing. some things are just too painful to bring up to the hamato family, but he knows it hurts more to keep it all bottled up. he loves how accepting they are of him and how sympathetic they can be about his… shall we say, emotional fragilities.

not that he's emotionally fragile, but he sure enough has a lot to sort through and y/n gives him the courage to tackle it head-on and accept where he is and who he is now

on his first attempts at flirting with y/n, he managed to straight out admit he had a crush on them without realizing it. boy is so clueless that he doesn't realize what he's done until he sees the shock on their face

"Hey, Y/N. I, uh, have another joke for you." Casey hadn't looked up from his little joke book as he spoke, squinting as he studied the content as if he'd suddenly understand it better if he just stared at it long enough. Y/N sat lazily on a couch not too far from the boy, head buried in a copy of the latest Jupiter Jim comic book. They paused their reading only to let out a hum of acknowledgement.

"What is it this time? Chicken cross the road again or knock knock?"

"Who's there?" the boy chimed absent-mindedly.

Y/N let out a soft giggle as they set their book down.

"No, genius, you're the one that's supposed to start." They couldn't help but roll their eyes as a smirk tugged at the corner of their lips. Though progress had been slow, they'd hoped a joke book would give Casey a much needed boost considering his previous, pitiable attempts at jokes that more often than not became a moment of oversharing his tragedy. The poor boy was utterly hopeless when it came to comedy.

"Oh, right." Clearing his throat, he straightened himself as if he were getting ready to give a speech, "Okay, knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Candice…"

"Candice who?"

"Candice be love I'm feeling for you?"

The weight of his words were completely lost on him as Casey beamed with pride, his joke landing with no mistakes or stuttering. It was no secret that Y/N and Casey were close, but in the short period of time they'd come to know each other, Y/N had developed some deep affections for the boy. The constant struggle to keep themselves in check around him had started taking its toll. It had gotten to the point that Y/N needed to keep their yearning eyes on something- ANYTHING ELSE- when he was around to keep from visibly flustering, the ever-present blush threatening to expose their true feelings. Feigning a soft chuckle, Y/N could only hide their face deeper in the comic they were reading and hope that any flutter of emotion went totally unnoticed.

"R-Really, was that your idea of a good joke?" their attempts at a tease came off a tad more hostile than playful.

Casey responded with a chuff of his own, "Ah, yeah I guess it doesn't make sense if I already know it's true."

"Sometimes comedy takes-" the sudden impact of his words hit them all at once, caught like a deer in headlights while they froze mid-sentence. Peering over at the raven-haired boy revealed an equally shocked expression painted across his reddening face. His mouth opened only to shut itself again and again clearly trying and failing to summon the words to explain his little blunder. Y/N had him beat in regaining some semblance of composure, shaking off the bashfulness.

"Did…" their voice caught in their throat before they started again, "What exactly did you mean by… erm, by that?"

Casey's eyes darted in every direction attempting to search for an answer anywhere he could find it.

"Well, I just- It was really-" he let out a sigh and braced himself, "I'm not sure what to call this feeling but I think it's something like love. I might… maybe love you?"

"Maybe?!"

Y/N shot up from their seat, arms over their head in disbelief and their steps beginning to pace.

"Y-You can't maybe love someone! That's a pretty serious feeling!"

They stopped partway through their rapid pacing to search Casey's bewildered expression causing it to soften a bit under their close observation.

"I don't know if what I feel is exactly what you'd call love, but it... feels close enough to that. I mean... Y/N, when I look at you, my heart starts racing, my head starts spinning, everything feels light and airy. And when you're gone, all I want to do is look for you and see your smile, see the way your eyes light up, listen to your laugh."

His unfocused gaze forced itself up to meet theirs, wide with earnest affection.

"Life here's been… heh, it's confusing to say the least. And these feelings are just as confusing. And for a while I thought it was crazy. Thought I was crazy to believe I could love someone this quickly. But… It'd be so much easier for me to understand if I knew you felt the same?"

Even if this new emotion had been confusing for him, this very moment was one that made it all click in his mind. He was in love all along.

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black-rabbit-razumikhin · 3 months ago

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Raz Reads Les Mis (X)

Cosette - The Ship Orion

So Valjean is in prison

Again

How many escape attempts has it been now? At some point you need to start admitting that your current strategy is not working

Hugo tells us that his identification has gone from 24601 to 9430, except I don't remember him ever being mentioned as 24601 in the text

Anyway, Valjean is an evil, terrible, horrible criminal and even though he was a mayor for eight years and nothing but good happened, he has not been reformed

He tricked us! He lied to us!

Oh no now he's gone and the town suddenly isn't doing as well

(For those in the back, please read that sarcastically; me personally, I think I like Valjean)

If Valjean needs a new escape tactic, the people of France need to accept that reformation is possible

Especially when bishop Charlie has anything to do with it

We take a quick sidebar to talk about an old legend

If you see a man in the woods at night, it's the devil burying his treasure

Run up to him? Die in a week

Dig up his treasure? Die in a month

Run away? Die in a year

It's high-stakes 'curiosity killed the cat'

So this man called Boulatruelle is our little curious cat

And the man getting the story out of him is none other than foster father Thenardier

Except Boulatruelle did not see the literal devil, but a convict he had been at the galleys with

And both just ignore looking at each other. "Touching display of feeling in two old companions unexpectedly meeting!"

The sarcasm does not mean you're forgiven, Hugo

But this convict has buried something in the fashion of the devil in the story, and nobody can find it

The final part of this is about another Valjean escape attempt, but first it gets very poetic about conflict

That any war that France is in after 1792 is an insult to the French Revolution

That the strength of armies is built on the weakness (willingness to obey authority) of its soldiers

That the building of a ship is beautiful, that she has a soul, that she has indescribable strength

That some guy trying to sort out the topsail got himself over balanced by his head and has fallen over into the ropes

And who happens to be one of the prisoners helping unmoor the ship but Jean 'failed escape attempts are my love language' Valjean

He far too easily breaks the chain attached to his ankle - with prior permission - and shimmies up the ship to rescue the sailor

Gasp, shock, horror! The convict has fallen into the ocean!

Oh no the search party can't find him!

RIP bro, drowned and body unrecovered

Valjean, if you get caught again, you have nobody to blame but yourself. But at the same time, the fact that France refuses to forgive him infuriates me. He's obviously not a danger to society, and hasn't been for nearly a decade, what is the goal for having him in prison? Is he guilty for his crimes? Yes. Was it extended years in the penal system that made a change to anything? No. So what's the point?

#raz reads les mis #les mis #les miz #les miserables #victor hugo #les mis book #literature #The Brick #french literature #classic literature #books #booklr #reading #books and reading

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genshin-obsessed · 2 years ago

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Oh Pocky! I finally have a request idea lmao 👀

Any of the boys you want (but specifically Wanderer bc I've been thinking about him nonstop) with a reader who looks really weak (bc they're a nerd magic user) surprising him by picking him up bridal style. Reader's secret? They're using anemo to support his weight. Up to you if the reader tells him or if he figures it out lol. I just want to see these boys flustered >:3c

(If you want more details maybe it's after he got injured somehow and reader's like "you're not walking after this")

Jayyyy!! It's been so long! This was actually really fun to do! Thanks for the request<3

➺ Characters: Wanderer, Cyno, and Alhaitham ➺ Genre: Fluff ➺ Note: In Wanderer's portion, (w/n) mean's wanderer name in the event you chose something for him. If you chose a name as a joke (i.e edgelord lmao) you're welcome to use that or just keep it as wanderer.

Picking Him Up!

Wanderer:

“Are you sure you can walk?” You asked in a teasing tone, making (w/n) scoff a little. Just a few moments ago, the two of you were walking back home from your little day out, but (w/n) had stepped on a rock weirdly and fell. It seemed as if he really hurt his heel, but he refused to say anything other than he was fine. Not wanting to push the subject, you just accepted and continued walking on your way. However, he had been limping the entire time.

“I’m fine, you worry about yourself.” He replied as he limped onwards. You couldn’t help but chuckle, but at the same time felt really bad. He hurt his foot that much?

“Come on, (w/n), I can help you walk.” You offered to which he shook his head and sighed.

“It’s fine, really. I just hurt myself a little and I’m fine.” He admitted and kept limping. But now you felt even worse! He didn’t even wanna pretend he wasn’t hurt. Deciding to ignore him, you moved behind him and- rather easily- lifted him up. His eyes widened and he looked around frantically.

“Th-the hell?!” Weren’t you a little weakling?! How’d you pick him up?

“Surprised? I’m plenty strong too, yanno.”

“Bull! You're weak as hell!”

“Who’s carrying who right now?” And for the rest of the entire trip, he kept trying to get you to reveal your secrets. But you weren’t gonna tell him you were using your anemo vision to carry him. He looked kinda cute all shocked like this!

Cyno:

Cyno had been sparring earlier with a friend of his and you had been watching. Everything was fine and the little match ended. Thing was… he seemed to hurt his leg at some point. He was sitting for an extended period of time before you approached him.

“Cyno? Are you ok?”

“Oh, (y/n). I didn’t know you were here.” He said, eyes wide when they landed on you.

“Oh, yeah! I just got here earlier today! Are you ok? Is your leg hurt?” You asked with a frown as you crouched down next to him to see the extended leg before you.

“A little,” he admitted, “it’s my ankle. But I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me. What brings you buy?” He inquired as he pushed himself to stand. You stepped back to allow him, eyes locked onto his face just in case you saw him wince, and you did.

“Are you sure? I just wanted to see you, that’s all.” He nodded to your previous question and began to walk back to his little house. But you noticed he was limping. Though you two were making conversation, you had a hard time following what he was saying because you were just so worried. If he couldn’t walk, then he needed to rest.

“Cyno, I can help you walk.” You offered, to which he shook his head.

“No, I’m ok, really.”

“You’re limping.”

“Nothing I haven’t dealt with before.” The way he said it clearly meant the end of your conversation. But you were relentless, so you just scooped him up and held up in your arms with relative ease.

“Wh-what?!” His eyes were wide and his cheeks were red from your actions, unable to understand how someone as weak as you just picked him up! Sure, he wasn’t the tallest, but he still had muscle on him- that weighed something! But the way you walked made him feel as light as a feather.

To you, he was, anyway. You had used your anemo vision to help you lift him up. The look on his face was just the icing on top.

Alhaitham:

“Alhaitham! Hi!” You called as you ran towards him. He perked up from his place on the desk when he heard your voice, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He turned to see you, waving a little.

“Hello, (y/n). What brings you buy?” He inquired as he watched you stop in front of him.

“I wanted to go out to eat today! You said your lunch was soon, so I wanted to know if you wanted to grab a bite!” You had offered with such enthusiasm, not even the cruelest could say no. Certainly not Alhaitham.

“Of course, I would love to.” He said as he closed his book and stood up. The two of you walked out of the building and down the path, talking as you went along. However, you two hadn’t noticed the run away card, flying down the hill. With his quick reaction speed, Alhaitham yanked you back, falling to the ground with you, the cart just barely missing you two. However, a crate fell on his leg, making him groan in pain as the owner of the cart stopped for only a second to push the crate off, offer an apology, and kept chasing. Alhaitham wouldn’t have had a problem helping… but his leg hurt.

“Are you ok?!” You yelled in panic, sitting up a little. Your boyfriend nodded, frowning a little.

“Yeah, just… I’m good.” He said as you helped him stand up. He winced again as he tried to step on his left leg, making you frown.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” He looked hurt- you could tell. He could barely apply pressure to his leg. “I can help you walk.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just a little ache.” His words seemed strained and he began to walk down to a nearby ledge to sit but it seemed kind of hard for him. So, deciding to ignore him, you just lifted him up. It wasn’t easy since he was taller than you, but with your abilities, he wasn’t heavy.

“Wh-what are you doing?! P-put me down!” Alhaitham protested almost the second he was off his feet. “H-how did you do that?!” He was conflicted between asking you to put him down and asking you to explain how you lifted him so easily. You only chuckled and kept walking.

“Didn’t think I could, did you? Well, it’s my little secret, darling~” you said with a wink, making his cheeks flush bright red. He was so embarrassed but at the same time, he found it kind of sweet. But too many people were looking now!

#genshin impact x reader #genshin wanderer x reader #genshin cyno x reader #genshin alhaitham x reader #genshin wanderer #genshin cyno #genshin alhaitham #genshin fluff #🖊─ pocky’s writings

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hinatastinygiant · 1 year ago

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5 | Смърт

Pairing: Uzui x Fem!Reader

The Emptiness You Left

It has been almost five months since the death of your little sister. You have been training every second you can. At first, you started alone in your room, practicing moves you learned from gym class and the limited amount of background knowledge in working out that you have. When Uzui found out, he was pretty pissed. But as long as you were alone in your room, he didn't seem to mind.

After that, you began going outside to train alone. You worked tirelessly every day and have gotten stronger in return. Adventuring away from home, you did meet a few fellow non-demon slayer humans, but decided never to admit that to anyone at the house, including Suma.

Now, as you train by yourself outside of Uzui's home, you find a new stranger with firey yellow and red hair approaching you.

"Hey, you must be the new recruit that Lord Tengen was talking about," the guy calls out, his arms crossed over his chest.

"No, not really," you shake your head, walking closer to him. "He won't let me train. I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"Really? Cause it looks like you're training to me," he smiles. "My name is Kyojuro Rengoku. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," you bow to him. "I am Y/N Hashibira. This training is the only kind that I am allowed to do. Lord Tengen will not allow me to fight."

"And why is that?"

"Because, according to him, I am weak," you admit.

"Well, then let's fix that," Kyojuro smirks.

You furrow your eyebrows together at his comment, not sure what he means. Then, only to add to your confusion, he swings one side of his cape to the side and pulls out a wooden sword.

"Here, take this," he instructs, holding the weapon out to you.

"What's this for?"

"A sparring match," he explains, his eyes glimmering.

"You want to spar with me?"

"I don't see why not?" he nods as you accept the sword. You take a moment to practice your swings, a complete novice to the art of sword fighting.

"You know, this isn't exactly the same as fighting a demon," he chuckles, noticing how clumsy you are.

"How many demons have you fought?"

"Oh, plenty. My brother and I have fought more than our fair share," he informs you.

"You have a brother?" you question.

"Yes, his name is Senjuro. He's a year younger than me," he nods.

"Oh, I have a-" you begin, before stopping yourself. You're still unsure about revealing the location of your brother. "uh, a little sibling, too. Well, I did..."

"What happened?"

"She died," you mutter, trying not to make a big deal about it.

"That's right, I'm sorry for being so forgetful. How awful," he sympathizes.

"Yeah, well, I've got a lot of pent-up energy and rage," you explain, smiling. "Now, what was that you said about sparring?"

Rengoku laughs. "I'm not quite sure you're ready for that yet. I didn't think you'd struggle holding a sword but it seems as though what you said before was true. You are indeed weak."

"Excuse me?" you snap.

"And a bit too slow," he points out.

"I am not!"

"Really? Then you should catch on quickly," he hums, walking around behind you and gripping the wooden sword to show you how to properly hold it.

You're a bit stunned by the close proximity and the warmth of his breath against your neck. You can't help but lean into him just a bit, his large chest pressed against your back.

"Like this," he instructs, wrapping his hands around yours and guiding the sword up and down in a fighting motion.

"Yeah, I got it," you whisper, clearing your throat. And then, when you turn around to face him, you notice there's not much space between the two of you.

But before either of you can say anything else, another voice booms out from across the yard. "Rengoku!"

The both of you turn around to see Uzui walking towards the two of you, his wives standing a few feet away.

"Ah, Lord Tengen!" Rengoku greets him as he takes a couple steps away from you.

"It's been a while," Uzui says. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just showing your new apprentice a thing or two about swordsmanship," he explains, and you can't help but roll your eyes.

"She's not my apprentice, and she certainly isn't yours, either," Uzui corrects, seething through his teeth. "Y/N, I thought I told you not to train."

"I never agreed to anything," you remind him.

"This is unacceptable behavior, Y/N," Uzui sighs. "Why can't you just listen to me and let me take care of things?"

"Because, Lord Uzui," you start, walking closer to him. But, like always, you need someone to step in before you say the wrong thing.

"I'm afraid that I can't spar with you today, Miss Y/N," Rengoku apologizes. "Though I do hope one day I will get the pleasure to."

"You can't seriously think sparring with her could ever be a good idea," Uzui scoffs, looking back at Rengoku.

"If she is determined to become a demon slayer then she must be a worthy opponent. I see no issue in sparring with her."

"You're much more experienced than her, it would hardly be a fair fight."

"Which is why I agreed to some day in the future," Rengoku agrees, nodding his head. "Once you train her properly. But I do apologize for overstepping."

"It's not you who needs to apologize," Uzui grumbles, and you feel the guilt set in.

Uzui places his hands down hard on either of your shoulders and stares right into your soul. "You can't spar like that with people way stronger than you. Be smart."

"But if I did, then it's a lesson learned," you try to tell him.

Finally, he snaps. "Y/N, I can not stand for this nonsense anymore! I've given you time, I've given you patience, I've given you sympathy, and still nothing. You are not a demon slayer, you will never be one, so stop wasting my time! I am not letting you live in my house just for you to go and get yourself killed!"

After that, he sighs before releasing his grip on your shoulders. Everyone else is completely stunned by his words. He's certainly made sure there was nothing else to be said.

"Apologies, Master Tengen," you mutter before walking off in the other direction, leaving the rest of them behind.

"She's a bit fiery, isn't she?" Rengoku comments, and Uzui rolls his eyes.

"You have no idea," he replies.

"I'd think that's what you'd like about her, Tengen," Rengoku continues, smirking at his friend.

"Hmph," is all he responds with, making his way back inside.

"I'm gonna go talk to her," Suma announces. "See if she's okay."

"Good luck, Suma," Makio wishes.

The Emptiness You Left

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letstalkaboutfandomsbaby · 2 years ago

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Aizawa who gets off on being forcefully taken care of :(((

WAAAAAAAHHHH NO BC HE WOULDDD 😭😭😭

CW: smut, somewhat dominant reader

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No but i genuinely can't stop thinking about this now 😔

And it's so hard for him to explain it bc it's not like he wants to he dominated or forced to do things but? Being taken care of? Having someone who just wants the best for him?? God, it... it just makes him weak

He's not used to being taken care of. He's been independent for the majority of his life, he's used to taking care of himself, he doesn't have experience letting ppl in and letting his guard down

Oh but then you come into his life and he just can't help himself. He can't stop himself from letting go

It starts out small, letting you make him coffee in the morning after you slept over, then breakfast, soon after it's dinner, and once you live together it's lunch

And that's not easy for him by any means! He struggles letting ppl do things for him. Shit, the first time you brought him coffee he felt like he had guilted you into doing it

But after plenty of reassurance, he's accepted that you enjoy taking care of him, so he doesn't complain as much as he used to

After that you start doing completely unnecessary things: giving him a massage, washing his hair, even shaving him, sorting through his mail so he doesn't have to weed out all the junk

He never asks you to do these things; you either volunteer yourself or do it without mentioning it

He has a hard time accepting this level of comfort as well, so used to being sore and dirty and scruffy

But he has to admit, there's something nice about your hands all over him, touching him so gently, caressing him, making him feel soft and loved

He tries to hold himself back, not let himself indulge. Who knows if this'll last?

But you're so persistent. You know just how to get under his skin and make him feel safe and loved

It's when your generosity leads to the bedroom that he realizes how much he loves being taken care of

When you pushed him down and rode him until your legs gave out, forcing him to lay back and just enjoy the experience? He came three times, almost blacking out after the third orgasm.

He was almost embarrassed by how enjoyable the whole experience was. Wasn't he supposed to take the lead in the bedroom? He'd always done so in the past, why should now be any different?

Oh but your weight always feels so good on top of him, you're always so warm and secure, your soft hands stroking along his muscles, soothing them

On late nights when he's too exhausted to fuck you, having you take care of him and make him cum while you use him for your own pleasure?? It's pure bliss 💕

He also loves when the two of you are just relaxing and you just casually give him a handjob.

Having you reach over and slip your hand in his pants, jerking him off while you keep watching tv or scrolling on your phone?? There's something very sexy about it, as if taking care of his sexual desires is as simple as playing with a stim toy.

Overall, yes, he loves being taken care of, especially by force 💕

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#ask #aizawa #smut #☀️ asks #i completely forgot this in my drafts i am soooooo sorry

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vdragon-creations · 7 months ago

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Look I had some time to cool down. I admit what I said was uncalled for. Yes I am aware he’s violent af in the OG comics and yes he should talk more than act out. I just had a knee jerk reaction because well i relate to him. I am a very passionate person I care a lot and no one ever listens to me. I could have disagreed with you without the name calling sorry. The writers do need to cut it out though the whole Leo and Raph thing got old fast. But that’s not why I am here. I don’t like Mikey so I wouldn’t like it if someone did the same to me.

You know what, apology accepted. And I'm sorry if I came off as super mean too.

And i get you man, it can suck when you feel ignored. Or like you opinion doesn't matter. Trust me, we all get that way. The important things to remember are:

Your opinions, are valid. As are everyone's. (Within some limitations guys. behave yourselves.) And everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Remain open, but firm. If you can argue your view point, then do so. But remain respectful of the other side side too. They might have a thought or two that can help you see things you never saw before. And you can get a read on their reasons behind an opinion. From there, you can choose if it's worth further debate or not.

Finally, being silent is always an option. You're not less of a fan or weak for letting others think one way or another then you. I believe being able to let other be is a true test of strength. We all get that urge to argue or get mad. But the thing we all must learn is where and when anger are arguments are needed or warranted.

Don't hate you Anon, you have some growing to do, as do I. But I hope my words helped in some way. As Raph once had to learn in 2012, you gotta sometimes let things that would normally bother you rush over you like a river over stone. If not, then your anger could harm those around you, even those who you care for or those who are innocent. You have a nice day, and take care of yourself.

#dragon talks #and that's how things should go folks #we don't have to just hate each other #we can all learn #we can all change #no hate to anon I hope you're doing good #pat pats for your head

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behindthewox · 10 months ago

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In my aim to highlight issues within WoX and hopefully provide some helpful advice and guidance to make the improvements I'd like to see, I really want to get into the management stuff. I have some experience when it comes to management and leadership, but I'm by no means an expert in the field and I'm only educated enough to openly admit that I can be wrong. However, I do have the time and internet access to educate myself on the subjects that I'd like to analyse and dig deeper into.

Since my findings may be valuable to others, especially site leaders, I figured I'd share it in the hope that it will come to good use within the WoX community. So watch out for educational material, coming soon from a rebellious blogger near you...

Keep in mind, this blog is a longterm hobby project of mine, posting may be sporadic and will probably vary in content: everything from praise and feedback to criticism, reports of concerning practises and highlighting the discontent that won't be expressed in the official WoX forums. I believe it's important to make Dan aware of the discontent that stems from his actions, but also to offer our appreciation, advice and support.

Whether Dan follows the advice or not, that's on him. It can be hard to admit that someone else is better than you, especially if you take pride and comfort in doing it yourself, but sometimes you have to accept that you can't be the best at everything and there will be other people who are far better equipped in matters like finance, sales, communication and management. We have those people in the WoX community, people who are willing to share their knowledge and experiences to help keep WoX alive. People who would share and help, if given the chance and a place to do so. I'm just one of them.

This blog has been somewhat rebranded over the 2 weeks it has existed: it's gone from a tea blog for exposing bad practices behind the scenes, to something closer to a feedback and information hub place with a rebellious blogger analysing and ranting about WoX management.

I received criticism regarding the tea blog concept and I realised the critics were right: it's far more productive to point out flaws and offer feedback on them than to just point at things and say that it's wrong without explaining how or why or what to do about it. And maybe, just maybe, I can serve as a helpful example of how you can face criticism in a productive way. It takes a bit of humility to admit when you're wrong, but don't mistake humility for a weakness: I'd argue that it's a strength and a skill worth learning.

I'm still up for the tea by the way, if you see bad practises or have any concerns, please share it - the more people who hear about it, the greater the pressure will be on the leadership to adhere to good practise and avoid foul play. I will do my best to keep it civil and professional out of respect for everyone involved, and I hope you will too. Remember that there can be several sides to a story and it's important to consider all of them.

Don't hesitate to raise your teacup for the sites and heroes that deserve more recognition and appreciation though, it's important to celebrate the good things too!

#wox #wox site

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vizthedatum · 2 years ago

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Let them be scared when they see the fire in my eyes

"There's no way your IQ is that high" (intelligence tests are a scam - end of story) "That's not going to fit" "There's no way you can do that" "You're too loud" "You're way too intense" "Your plans are too ambitious" "Too much glitter" (NO SUCH THING - I WILL ADD MORE) "I can't handle this relationship and my job at the same time" "You're crazy" *laughs derisively in my face* "You won't get a job" "You'll be homeless" "Have you tried yoga?" (what the actual fuck y'all) "You're overqualified" Me, my whole life: "I feel like I need to go masking my behavior again so I can be less intense, more acceptable, less me" ... it's not that I can't take criticism. Or correction. Or direction. Or boundaries. I can. I welcome it. I'm open to changing my perspectives and respecting people if they communicate with me. But if you put me down without my consent, I will leave. And, news flash, you can leave too - I would rather you walk away than doubt me ever again. I hate to admit it because I'm scared of how weak it sounds but the more people have put me down... I started to believe that I couldn't do it. I literally would hide and black out parts of myself. I would forget the knowledge and self-confidence that I had worked so hard to obtain. And then I felt weak for asking for validation, even though I know that validation and reassurance are fine to ask for! Especially when I know it helps me. So yeah - anxiety and trauma and PTSD and all the chronic inflammation/pain and fucking humanity are plagues, just absolute plagues. But I feel everything, and I know I know a lot. I know I don't know a lot too. I feel: creative, rational, collected, anger, extreme nervousness, sadness, grief, hurt, rage, happiness, joy, enthusiasm, love, curiosity, judgment, indignation, stubbornness, obsession, madness, calm, peace, and ALL OF IT. I know: I am a polyglot data scientist, engineer, epidemiologist, informaticist, statistician, and academic with a lot of interest in writing, art, swimming, travel, philosophy, music, and more. I am: spiritual as fuck, and I don't care if people don't think it's real. It's real to me. When I say reading the Bhagavad Gita in high school saved my life - it literally saved my life, and that has meaning regardless of whether or not the information within the text is something that people believe or not. I don't care: if I'm not "good" at the things I like doing - I am probably the slowest hiker/walker/explorer (and right now, a pretty slow swimmer but that will change) I know... and I am not classically trained in art, BUT WHO CARES. I’m self-conscious about the things I know and what I feel. So many ppl in my life have doubted me. And when I try to burst out, they ridicule or suppress me. Disgusting. If you're doing that to me, are you doing that to yourself too? Fuck, that's upsetting on so many levels.

When I let what others say get to me, I truly become a shadow of myself - I trick my brain into forgetting... when all I need to do is remember.

#a lifetime of self-disrespect #trauma #healing #harm #love #abuse #being prolific #queer #neurodivergence #ranting #useful ranting #self conscious #remember #hello kitty

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highermagic · 2 years ago

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thoughts from Neverafter as they're happening (light spoilers honestly mostly just reaction)

fuckkkk me Brennan don't do this to me in the intro!!! Lou I fucking love you coming in swinging you're best boy <3 Brennan as the evil stepmother is so fucking hot I can't stand it oh my god. Evil stepmommy I adore you. Lou does such an endearing child, his character is so good and Lou and Brennan's chemistry is so electric all the time I love how they play off each other. I literally can't concentrate on the story because I'm so enamored with their performances jeebus xmas. SENATOR!!!! SHOUTOUT TO SENATOR!!! Lou is always so sassy I love him. Brennan you need to CALM your VOICE and EYES okay I can only be so Normal about this. fdadlsf the nat20 oh my god what timing. that was fucking wild WHAT DOES IT MEAN BRENNAN WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT ALL MEANNN.

oh my god. it's infinite stories. infinite chances, as long as you're willing to sacrifice all the potential happiness of other versions of yourself oh my god. how many versions of yourself must you kill to get your happy ending. THAT'S POETIC AS FUCK BRENNAN OH MY GOD.

why do they have to do all these things individually my poor babies /sob curiosity killed the cat Pib pls my boy do not I believe in catboy Zach supremacy o7 Zach is so funny I can't stand it. I love this sort of surrealist comradery shit so much ahhh Fox & Rabbit & Cat adventures when. PIB GETS REINCARNATIONS BC CATS HAVE NINE LIVES I'M!!!! This is so pure I love them so muuuuuuuuuch /sob ZACH BRO YO??? THREATENING KITTY CAT??!!! YOOOO??? I love themmmm I'm going to lay down on the floor and cry, Zach is the best <3

breaks my heart they're doing all this separately though I know why, I feel like Emily is probs the only one watching everyone's to keep things separated.

NO NOT THE GLASS GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY GIRL YOU GLASS BITCH. tho I will admit that glass armor idea is metal as fuck so I love that. ooooooof the lore of princesses who get a perfect happy ever after and cinderella's bitterness and OOOOOOOOOOOOF subversion is so delicious omnomnomnom Rosamund is so precious I love her <3 Brennan choosing to expose the entire multiverse to the character least equipped to understand it is such a Brennan thing to do I cannot with this man. I retract my complaint about Cinderella I love her now lmao

I fucking love existential dread fuck me up with that good shit!!! Scream at destiny question everything rewrite the stories and examine everything!!! Fuck me up!!

"Just because you were lied to doesn't mean everything is a lie. Do not take the crimes of those who manipulated you and lay them at the feet of the world. We write the story." ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU FOR THE FREE THERAPY D20!!! <3

FUCK 'EM UP ROSAMUND!!! FUCK 'EM UP!!!!

big bad wolf Brennan is also very very hot I can't help myself and I won't apologize, it's the Calroy voice too it's just, oof, monsterfucker card presented and ready. fdsjdlsfs Emily you're so cute stop it right now 'I'm sorry I said freak at you' stop <3 BRO??? 'the only time you'll accept to make your life worthwhile is forever' ????? WHAT THE FUCK BRENNAN JESUS. you can't just 1 hit K.O. philosophy like that without warning jesus FUCK that is so attractive I'm going to die. morally neutral predatory monster is my fucking WEAKNESS GAWWD. Emily is so chaotic oh my god I love this so much. her commitment to a bit is god-like <3 "You're my princess" PLEASE I love them ahhhhhh

This is so fucking cool as a premise honestly like. Every time I get so blown away by Brennan's lore and storybuilding he one-ups it again I can't fucking deal with it.

MURPH C'MON BABY BOY LET'S GO. I love when they come in and sass Brennan, bestie behavior <3 oh feck off you fairie bish fdsjkdls cutting from Murph's hysterics to Brennan's hands to face thing was so goddamn... the drama, the vibes of this interaction is so fucking good omfg it's giving 'diva and overworked PA' energy Gerard 'keep my wife's name out your fucking mouth' Greenleigh my beloved <3 hhhhhhhh Brennan does such good subtle shit and inflection I can't, it's got big priest character vibes right now oof also pretty gold sparkles in the background love that for Murph, v flattering. ummm that origin story??? o.o

Brennan is going to get his PVP before he dies calling it now.

HYONK HYONK MOTHERFUCKER LET'S GOOO I hope Nat King Cole is the running joke of the seasons pls. such geese slander lmao but consider: they are delicious pls confirm my book theoryyyyyyyyyyyyy probably not but like. god. imagine if that's how it has to end. the perfect ending is the one immortalized in the books. I M A G I N E. OH MY GOD IS IT?? AM I??? WAS I RIGHT omg oh that's so cool, the multiverse trippiness is the best thing ever golden goose really said no notes lmao fdhasadsfs that beanstalk retelling I love it so soft omg goose hugs <333

OH MY GOD THEY DON'T GET TO KNOW EVERYONE ELSE'S STORIES I KNEW IT THEY'RE GONNA BE SO CONFUSED FUCK!!!

I'm so fascinated by this world building and I love it so much, 1000/10 Brennan no notes.

#dimension 20 neverafter spoilers #dimension 20 neverafter #dimension 20 #d20 neverafter spoilers #d20 neverafter #d20

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inkfire-scribe · 1 year ago

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To all my neurospicy friends out there, I want to add a little reminder that The Latest Kate and ChiBird share with me on an almost daily basis:

Some days are going to be hard. There will be days when nothing feels right, when the anxiety won't shut up, when the autism won't let you get comfortable, when the OCD is scratching at the back of your brain like nails on a chalkboard. But that doesn't mean that you're lesser or that you're failing.

Being kind to yourself is not selfishness. It's not weakness. And it's most definitely not going to disappoint anyone. Your limitations are valid, and they won't be the same from day to day.

A reminder for all of us:

Breathe. Unclench your jaw. Lower your shoulders.

Have you eaten? Maybe go get a snack.

Are you hydrating? Refill your water bottle.

Do you need a break? Switch tasks if you need to. It's okay.

Have you gotten up to stretch in the last couple hours? Maybe go for a quick walk around the house, or even outside.

Do you need to use the bathroom? Maybe take care of that.

Feeling better? Good. You got this.

And to wrap up this little affirmation: needing or wanting help? That's okay too. You do not deserve the judgements you heap on yourself. If someone offers, it's okay to accept. Asking for help is okay too. Not because "weakness" is acceptable, but because needing or wanting help is not weakness. It's not bad.

My partner watched me struggle to keep up on outings for two years before they finally persuaded me that it was more convenient for them if I admitted to wanting extra support. I thought they just meant mobility aids (I now have a set of walking sticks for everyday use and a walker for trips to the zoo) but they really meant all of it. Hiring someone to help me clean the house. Paying a subscription for an app that reminds me of small self-care tasks I forget. A budget for nostalgic movies that help me calm down from panic attacks.

In order to make me accept taking care of myself was a valid use of resources, my spouse had to make me believe that I was making things easier for THEM. I would not under any circumstances try to hold anyone else to the standards I enforce for myself. Seeing that was what allowed me to relax those rules I hadn't even realized I was trying to obey.

Making myself more comfortable or more capable of working inside my own limitations does not make me a selfish person. It just makes me a person that's aware of my own needs.

Your needs are valid, friend.

What’s going to make you happy right now? Is it some cake? Is it a nap? Is it calling your mom? Is it going on a drive and blasting music? Is it taking a bath? Is it reading a book?

Check in with yourself because you deserve that happiness, whatever it is.

#life #ink speaks #neurospicy #hard days #self care #self love

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pos-syscourse · 3 months ago

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Saturday Songs!

youtube

Kangaroo Court by Capital Cities! TW for gore and animal violence.

This song is a bit... graphic, if you know the proper meaning behind it. The music video makes it more obvious!

Kangaroo Courts are loaded courts; they are a court where you are guilty the instant you step in. There is no "innocent until proven guilty." The judgement is predetermined based on evidence that doesn't exist.

Lately, in syscourse, I see a lot of kangaroo-courting going on. People have made judgement calls about others, coming into the system community with preconceived notions, and they are not open to seeing the other person as anything other than what they predetermined. There is no evidence to point to the other person being "bad" by any measure, but because of the judgement they came into the space with, they have already determined what 'sort of person' the other party is.

The thing I find so remarkable about this song is... the protagonist accepts it from the very start. "I've got every excuse to dance these blues away - ain't coming home, I ain't coming home." He knows he will be found guilty for a crime. He knows that defending himself won't work in a kangaroo court, but he goes anyways, despite all the risks. He stands up for himself, but it gets exhausting. "Too weak to fight," he says.

Then the "judge pulls him aside" and tells him to "let his darker side out to feed." I feel like that happens often here, too; people feel backed into a corner, like they have to fight, and those around them say, "everyone will believe you're guilty whatever you do, so just fight without caring about them. What do you care about someone who will just see you as guilty anyways?"

But isn't that the same thing that happened, in reverse? You've set up this notion that the other side will do nothing but see you as guilty in every case, so... what, you set yourself up to be a monster?

I find the actions of the protagonist at the end to be the most admirable conclusion, even though it ends poorly for him. Because he admits who he is, proudly, and says what he's actually guilty of.

"I commit the crime of wasting time always trying to rhyme, yes I am guilty, but don't misunderstand me."

The crime is wasting so much of your life trying to follow in other people's footsteps; to play along with the court.

Even though it ends in misery and tragedy here... The news report in the music video shows riots. Shows progress, however grim.

I guess what I'm trying to get at (as I write this somewhat late at night -- sorry y'all!) is that people are coming into these spaces with preconceived notions, and playing into those preconceived notions very firmly. How is this helping anything? Is it really doing anything to play along with the crowd?

Yes, there is some value in labels and judging people based on them. But... at the end of the day, following the norm is not always best, and playing along with those norms just allows the norms that harm groups to be... well... normalized!

I hope that makes a little bit of sense.

#Also called 'Pos went on a date today and was very busy and forgot they hadn't made a post yet'#Sorry it's a bit late today!#My words are all messy today regardless #syscourse #pro endo #anti endo #endo friendly #self care #syscourse unaligned #endo safe #endo neutral #syscourse positivity #syscourse neutral #Saturday Songs #Youtube

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mortelle-moi · 1 year ago

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[ 3 ] Open the door for yourself.

Hi, Brenda. I want you to read this whenever you have the time to do so. Before anything else in the world, before you start your day, before you make a big decision, you have to make sure you know yourself and upgraded yourself enough in order for YOU to feel finally comfortable living inside your body and mind.

What other thinks doesn't matter and doesn't affect you.

For God's sake, stop thinking what other will think. Get a grip on yourself, let it go, focus on yourself. Focus on what you need, take a horrible decision if you want to as long as it's for YOU. Fuck them for being angry to you for absolute no reason, fuck them for meddling into your business and make it theirs, and fuck them for not listening to your explanation.

You don't have that much of a time. It's not your responsibility to make them feel good about you, and/or your responsibility to explain yourself to them. Be crazy, be cringey, be confident. You are you and don't ever hide that.

2. Find you.

Find what you like, find what you need, find your main character traits. Build a you that you want, manifest your presence. You can't change who you are but you can control everything that lives within you. Make it comfortable living inside you, admit your wrongdoings, admit your bad sides and if you don't like it then what are you gonna do about it?

3. Stick with your feminine energy.

You're not weak if you're on your feminine energy. It's not only letting others do the job, no, it's more than looking pretty and shit. Be open and positive towards anything, treat yourself well, don't be afraid to ask for a help and if someone else lend you a hand then just accept it, embrace all the goodness in the world and let it come to you. Being masculine is needed but it doesn't mean you have to forget everything about your feminine sides.

4. Never be afraid of being alone, or even lonely.

Being alone is needed and you know that, when it gets too lonely that means you're not ready enough to face yourself. You are not comfortable enough with yourself. Do your thing, get to know your thoughts, speak to yourself, be comfortable living inside that body. It's okay to be alone and lonely, trust me, it's better than be with someone but still feeling lonely.

5. Friends doesn't mean 24/7.

You're not necessarily have to be around your friends 24/7 to keep them. True friends will be there days or weeks without contacts. The truest of them all is those who still be there, and there's no need to trying so hard to keep them around because the ones who shouldn't wouldn't bother even if you give them everything in the world. Appreciate what you have around you, always be kind and don't worry or trying too much.

6. Keep your hands clean, stop chasing.

What happens when you try so hard but still don't get what you want? Yes, disappointment. We don't want that. It's not important whether you look good or not, you do always look good. Or, people don't even give a shit about that. It's not important if you're cool, everyone has their own way on expressing themselves. No need to impress or intended to attract something new, it will come to you if you stay true to yourself. And if it doesn't, why should you give a fuck about that?

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littlegodzilla · 2 years ago

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Say in your bio that your requests were open🫣 …so don’t mind if I do request something.

First off, before the actual request I wanted to say that I appreciate all the work you’ve made and will do in the future. Second, the way you write things and the talent you behold just amazes me every single time I read something of yours. Third, I would write this myself but I love your writing too much to not request it here😭 I’m fr weak for your fics. Fourth and final, I hope you’re doing well and everyone else reading this🫶

I just got this idea in my head, now it’s not something massive just cute as hell but a little angsty and pretty short if I do say it myself.

So to the request,

What I was thinking is that Daryl who in this case don’t think of himself as anything special or anything to have. He also believes that he’s a complete asshole. So when the reader (fem!reader preferably but if you wanna do gender neutral!reader that’s completely fine with me!!) anyways, when the reader catches feelings for Daryl and begins to show it, he pretends like he doesn’t notice because he’s afraid that he will just end up hurting the reader. Therefore the reader doesn’t give up the hope for him and them to be together, but they’re too shy to actually make a bold move. Daryl is in fact interested in them but won’t admit it. So when it has passed a couple of years and nothing has happened between them (thinking like pre-negan Alexandria era) the reader makes a bold move. Like they try to kiss him or something, he accepts it. Yet he cuts it off and walks away after telling the reader that he likes them too but can’t be with them. He proceeds to ignore them for a couple of weeks until one day they find him and confront him since they didn’t have a shot to before he ran off. When they talk it out he reveals that the reason he can’t be with them is because he thinks so lowly of himself and is afraid he’ll hurt them. Then they tell him it’s okay and they start to kiss then the rest you decide yourself…

I literally wrote up there “it’s nothing massive” and “it’s pretty short” then I proceeded to write a full on essay🥲

Hiii!!

Wow I never expected that you liked my work, I read your stories and I loved them, it's a honor to me to do this request, your words mean a lot to me, I'm really happy and I hope you'll enjoy the story.

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Not Good Enough

Daryl Dixon x Reader.

Requested by: @rickgrimeswifey

Warnings: Fluff. Confessions. Daryl POV.

Words: 4800

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(N/A: the look of the gif is important for the story, sorry I needed to do that)

***

Daryl can't stop looking at you, it's not the first time, and he's sure it won't be the last, he can't help it. You're talking to Michonne and Tara as you play with Judith, sitting on the porch in the house that is now yours in Alexandria, some want to find their own place, you've been stabilized there for a while, Maggie and Glenn are having a baby and have found their own home, though not too far away, always close to Rick and the others.

Daryl would like to have that too, with you, but he's not blind, he knows he never will. how could he? Ever since you came to Alexandria you've joked, you've played around telling everyone you're boyfriend and girlfriend, but it's not true, you've never had that kind of relationship. How could you want anything with him? What good is he? Nothing, he's just a sniffer dog, a hunter, a squirrel eating redneck with a lousy sense of humor who doesn't know how to socialize with anyone. Yet Daryl would love to be able to play along with your game and joke and fool around in front of the rest like you do. But he gets blocked every time you touch him or look at him.

It wasn't an immediate thing, he knows that. You met at the Greene's farm, Maggie's friend, you were there because your family fell ill and were in the barn with the other Walkers, though at first Daryl and the others didn't know that, of course. You were studying the medical books Hershel had, which you had taken from the town library when it all went down. Daryl saw you as a lost girl, innocent and locked in your world, the security the farm gave you with the family put you in a bubble, but you had strength, you didn't hesitate to help Carl, you didn't hesitate to help him when he appeared as a rag, when Andrea shot him.

He started to see changes in you and himself when the farm fell, you cried for all you had lost and left behind, but soon you became one of the group, you didn't mind standing guard at night, you took care of Carl when Lori was exhausted from pregnancy, you tried to cheer up Beth and Maggie, you kept studying with Hershel. Daryl started to feel something after a few weeks of travel, when he discovered you trying to learn how to fight, you had a hunting knife and a rudimentary bow that almost made the hunter laugh, but you were trying, he wanted to teach you and from that day a beautiful friendship was born between you.

Not only that, Daryl knows now and he knew soon after, in prison, how fucked up he was when he looked at you and felt his skin crawl, how his stomach would shrink when other men approached you. Jealousy. Daryl had never experienced that kind of jealousy before and he felt stupid. He had no right to feel jealous, not because you were nothing more than good friends. You had every right to look for someone better, someone who truly deserved you.

"Why don't you tell her how you feel about her?" insisted Carol a couple of times, Daryl growled like a wounded animal.

"Ain't gotta feelings for her. She's just a friend."

"Of course..." She snorted in amusement leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Then the prison fell and for a moment he thought he had lost you, chaos, gunshots, Hershel's death, zombies invading the prison, everything on fire, the group dispersed completely, he was left alone, running into a group of drones before falling into Terminus with several other comrades, Daryl was relieved to see them, but at the same time the panic was greater.

Then Carol blew it all up and you were with her. He hugged Carol with all his might and with you he did exactly the same, he pressed you against his chest feeling his arms shaking around your body.

"Easy Dixon, you're not getting away from me that easy." You joked and Daryl wished he could tell you he didn't plan to, but he bit his tongue in time.

Now in Alexandria everything is much more relaxed, everything seems to fit, the group has adapted quickly, there have been some altercations that they have had to solve, they have shown that they are of use, that these people need to know how to defend themselves for whatever has to come, because peace, unfortunately, does not last forever, but it is a good place, Daryl knows that, when Deanna asked him that first day if he wanted to be there, he said yes, that the children deserved a safe place, he never thought of himself, he was just passing through, if his people decided to stay and he was not comfortable, he was willing to leave, not to be a burden. But he was never able to truly walk away.

And there he is now, trying to fix a bike Aaron found some time ago, he told him if he could rebuild it he could go out with him to explore, to find more people who needed shelter, Daryl was fine with that, getting out of there even if it was just for a few hours took his mind off the thinking and the burden.

"Congratulations Mr. Explorer." You had joked when he told the rest of the group. "I hope you'll give me a ride one day." You smiled winking at him and he felt himself blush.

"Oh come on, you're his girlfriend, I'm sure he gives you more than that." Rosita joked and you laughed hysterically, but Daryl had to pull away feeling like his face was going to explode.

He's concentrating on repositioning some parts that from rattling along the forest roads have come a little loose when he hears a male voice near where you are. Trying to disguise his anxiety he raises his head to discover Spencer talking to you, he has completely ignored Michonne and Tara who look at the man between amused and curious, the eldest Monroe son has leaned over the stairs and caresses Judith's hands as he talks to you. You smile politely and respond, but Daryl can read what he can't see; your body tense, leaning back slightly, your eyes shifting nervously, your lips forced into that smile. You're uncomfortable.

He gets up from the ground wiping the grease off his fingers with the red scraf he always carries with him, puts it in his back pocket and walks straight towards you, he's left the crossbow next to the bike, he doesn't know what he might hear when he gets there and he doesn't want to put an arrow in Spencer's head 'by accident.' When he reaches the porch he sees your eyes looking at him and your body instantly relaxes, your gaze soften and your smile becomes sincere. Daryl's heart hits his chest hard and he feels his cheeks burn, but he tries to appear normal.

"What's wrong Monroe?" he wants to sound calm and relaxed, but his words come out as a bark startling the younger man.

"Dixon..." He greets him reluctantly and breaks away from you to look at him. Your body relaxes a little more and you use Judith's hand to greet him, Daryl feels his mouth curve into a small smile, but he turns his attention back to Spencer when he moves. "Nothing, I was just talking to the girls."

"My mom's having a party, it's been two years since you guys got here and she wants to celebrate that everything is still peaceful." He says matter-of-factly. "I guess you're not interested, it wouldn't be the first time you didn't show up..."

"Sure... What about, is everything okay?" he shrugs and Spencer mimics his gesture.

Daryl bites his lip several times, trying to control what he wants to say, he knows it's not the time or the place, Spencer is just a kid in his eyes, he's just teasing him to set him off, but Daryl has learned to have some self control, he's not as volatile as he used to be. Or at least he tries to be. Then he sees you get up leaving Judith with Michonne and walk towards him. He holds his breath as your arms wrap around his arm and you press yourself against him. Again that game pretending to be his girlfriend.

"Of course he's coming, we were all adjusting that night, but this party we're not going to miss, are we?" You look at him with bright expectant eyes, he knows you're really proposing, he knows if he says no Spencer will take the opportunity to invite him himself. He grunts low and shakes his head.

"Sure, we'll go." He huff nodding again.

"Okay, great, the more the merrier." There's a hint of annoyance in his voice and it makes Daryl's chest swell and at the same time his alarms go off even more.

He knew Spencer had an interest in you, but he never thought it was that much, in everyone's eyes you're a couple and yet he's still trying to hit on you, he's certainly not to be trusted. Daryl has to be careful with him. Before he's aware you are left alone on the porch, Spencer is gone and Michonne and Tara laugh as you let go of the hunter's arm.

"You can't refuse now." Your voice brings Daryl back to Earth. "You're coming with me to the party." You insist and Daryl mentally curses.

"It's okay, I dunno know why you guys insist on those stupid parties, it ain't the world it used to be."

"That's exactly why, a little 'normalcy' never hurt anyone. I'll be at Rick and Michonne's." You inform him. "And shower!" you order him, Daryl rolls his eyes in disgust as he walks away hearing your friends' laughter.

***

Hot water running over his entire body, hair plastered to his face, dirt being washed down the torrent getting lost in the shower drain, Daryl has his hands resting on the wall of the small room and his head sunk between his arms. He really doesn't believe he's doing this. He really can't believe he's nervous about this. He could have talked to you, he could have told you to forget it, that he wasn't going to that party with you, but something inside him stopped him from doing it. He was curious, not about the party, but about seeing you, you had said you were going to be at Rick and Michonne's house which meant you were going to get ready for the event and Daryl wants to see you. He's never been a detail man, he's never stopped to look at how a woman dresses, before or after the zombie apocalypse, but he has to admit that if you're going to wear a dress, he's eager to see how it looks on you.

He turns off the shower tap at last, brushes several strands of hair away from his face and steps out, rubbing his body against the towel. His reflection looks back at him in the mirror and he stands there staring at himself for a few moments. The dripping hair, long and matted, the unkempt beard from several weeks of routing with Aaron, his body, his skin, always full of wounds, scars covering his chest, his shoulders, not to mention his father's gift on his back, no, he certainly wasn't the kind of man you deserved to see or touch. He chews his lip several times before wrapping his towel around his waist and exits the bathroom. His steps are hesitant until he reaches Carol's room where he very slowly knocks on the door. After a few seconds in silence the door opens and Carol looks at him in surprise.

"Daryl, is something wrong?"

"I need yer help." He confesses and the woman looks him up and down before nodding her head.

He clenches his hands nervously by the door of the Grimes' house. His heart is about to pound out of his chest and he's almost startled when he rings the doorbell and it rings louder than he expects. He's never felt nauseous before, not from nerves, maybe after a bad hangover, but this is different. It's like he's a virgin boy going after the most popular girl in high school to go to the prom, when has he ever been fifteen again? There's still time, he could turn around and run away, but it wouldn't do much good, Alexandria is fenced in by high walls and even if he took the bike and escaped, he knows you'd find him. The door then opens and Daryl loses all sense of speech.

"Wow Dixon, you look amazing." You say with a wide, sincere smile.

Yes, Carol maybe have done wonders with him, she had done his hair and cut it a bit, even shaved and fixed his goatee giving him a more handsome touch, or so she had said, they had found a black shirt and jeans that he fit into well, without being too baggy or too tight, the only thing Carol had allowed him to wear with him was his vest and even that had cleaned it up a bit.

But you look beautiful.

You've pulled your hair up in a nice headdress, with a few loose strands, falling wildly down your face, you've let them paint your eyes and lips a little, though you're clearly not comfortable in it, but the dress, Daryl looks you up and down several times, is a nice dress that fits the shape of your chest with a black belt to then fall free to your knees, it has a suggestive neckline, without being obscene, and Daryl would swear your legs are longer thanks to the high heels you're wearing. He smiles and clears his throat trying to get the words back in his mouth.

"Ya look good." It's the only thing she's able to say coherently. A snicker escapes your nose and you nod.

"Thanks, so... shall we go?"

Daryl shakes his head and walks down the porch steps waiting for you to follow him, however, you don't move from the door, he turns back to look at you and you wave your hands for him to come back with you.

"I'm sorry, but I'm unable to walk in these, I need help."

"Then why did ya put them on?" he comes back to your side and you hold tightly to his arm, so you walk to the Monroe's house.

"Never mind, Daryl, just help me." You laugh and he knows he's missing something, but he doesn't insist either.

At the party no one takes their eyes off you, Rosita and Abraham comment several times that you look spectacular, that dress looks amazing on you and you are only able to smile and blush, there are also words for Daryl, loaded with jokes and trying to tease him because he finally knows what a shower and a comb is, but he ignores them, even Deanna seems surprised when she approaches to greet you two.

"Wow, Rick surprised me back in the day, but he's certainly not the only one." She says looking at him and you laugh, Daryl tenses when your fingers brush his cheek leaving a warm trace on his skin.

"My man has always been very handsome, but he's a little shy." You joke and Deanna laughs with a nod.

"Of course, enjoy the party." She encourages you and walks away to continue talking to the rest of the guests.

Daryl can't deny that parties are still not his thing, too many people, too much noise, engrossed laughter, repetitive music, constant greetings and conversations that lead nowhere, he has stayed on one side of the room, with the first drink he's been given and hasn't tasted yet, observing everything, every inhabitant of the community, every movement, conversation, laughter, everything he studies intently while not losing detail of where you are, it's hard not to, every time your dress dances, his eyes are riveted on your figure and he feels like a pervert because he would love to get lost under your skirt.

"Daryl!" he freaks out when your face appears in front of him closer than he thought you were, he tries to back away, but the wall cuts off his escape. "Let's dance."

"What?"

"Dance, it's a party! at parties you dance."

"No, ain't dance." He quickly denies. "I think I should go now."

"It's still early, besides, are you going to stand up your girlfriend? That would be ugly."

"I don't..." He bites his lip again. "We ain't boyfriend and girlfriend..." He whispers feeling those words burn in his throat.

"But they don't know that." You say laughing mischievously and grab his arm dragging him along with the rest of the crowd.

"W-Wait!" he tries to stop you, but it's too late.

Your hands wrap around his neck, your fingers crossing over the back of his neck, you cling to him to start moving to the soft rhythm of the music, the mood has completely changed and Daryl is feeling a little overwhelmed. Not knowing how to act he places his hands on your ribs and you laugh again.

"Lower them a little, Robocop, to my waist." You guide him.

He obeys, his hands sliding down your sides to rest on your waist, he breathes heavily, as if short of breath and feels warm, it's possible he's having a panic attack, he's never experienced one, but he's sure that's what it is. You smile again and as the two of you move slowly like the rest of the couples, you rest your head on his chest and close your eyes. Daryl is convinced you can hear his heart beating a mile a minute, his hands are shaking on your body and he's sweating like he's inside a sauna. His eyes then discover that Spencer isn't taking his eyes off you and his hands tighten on you out of pure instinct. You sigh without waiting for the grip and your fingers tangle in his hair.

"I like the way you've done your hair...your messy, disheveled style doesn't bother me either, but you look...cute"

"Thanks...I guess, that a woman call a man 'cute' ain't sure if is a good thing." He says in a breathy whisper, his eyes riveted on Spencer, challenging each other and you laugh. "I asked Carol for help..."

"Uhm right, I should have figured." You laugh again and your body vibrates with his. "I have to thank her." You say it sincerely, even though he doesn't appreciate it.

The party is behind you when you decide to leave, it's still early, but you feel that Daryl has hung in there long enough and delivered better than you expected, you really didn't even think he was going to show up and you'd go to the party alone, it was a pleasant surprise to discover him on the other side when you opened the door. You are elated, you haven't had much to drink, you know it's not because of that, you feel good, like you haven't for a long time, you are safe, you live in a great community, your people are adapting, you have a present and the future doesn't seem so bad. You have Daryl and you can't say for sure, but for the first time since you started testing the waters, you seem to be on the same page, Daryl doesn't reject your flirting, he still gets nervous, but he handles it better than before, you can even tell he seems jealous of Spencer to you. Maybe he's finally lowered his walls himself, he's showing himself to you freely.

"Daryl..." You call out to him and he stops.

You look at each other for a few seconds that seem to last an eternity. He doesn't know what to do, why you've stopped, what you really want. You take a few steps closer, rest a hand on his chest and luckily those heels are high enough, you just have to lift your head a little and kiss him. Very shallow, testing the waters, however when you want to pull away Daryl grabs you by the waist and kisses you back. An intense, almost fierce kiss, he holds you by the nape of your neck and his tongue bursts inside your mouth. You moan and Daryl's eyes widen. He pulls away from you as if you're on fire and takes a few steps back.

"What?" you gasp, your head spinning. "What's wrong?"

"No, this isn't right." He shakes his head, his fingers rubbing his lips. "No..."

"Daryl, hey, listen to me. I kissed you." You try to move closer, but he pulls back again.

"No, fuck no, no, not this..." He runs his hands over his face and growls. "Why did ya do that?"

"Why? I think it's clear, Daryl, I-I lo..." You start to say, but redden.

"No, don't say it. There are thousands of guys better than me here." He spits angrily. "Why me?"

"Why you? Oh for God's sake Daryl, you're better than them..."

"No! I'm no good at anything, I'm just a fucking redneck, I only know how to go out there, kill zombies and hunt squirrels. I don't..." He shuts up and looks at you, he can see the doubt and confusion on your face and it makes him feel even worse. "No, find someone else who really deserves ya. Because I'm not good for this, I'm not... I'm not what ya deserve." He growls finally and like a wounded puppy he turns and runs away from there.

You don't even have time to think, nor to defend yourself, nor to run after him, because when you try your heels prevent you from doing so, making you stumble. This was certainly not how you expected the night to end.

Daryl ignores you. No. Daryl runs away from you, every time you meet in any place or room, the archer turns around and disappears. He knows he's acting like a real asshole, but he's really just a scared little boy. That kiss haunts him every night, he dreams of what might have happened next, the feel of your body next to his is so real that every morning he wakes up covered in sweat and with a painful, as well as embarrassing, erection. He can't look you in the face, not when every time he does his dreams come back to his mind. Not after everything he said to you.

He regrets it because he knows he could have handled the situation differently, you could have talked and made things clear, but he panicked because you love him, his feelings are reciprocated and that terrifies him. It terrifies him because he doesn't want to tie you to him. It's not fair to you. He knows you'll find something better, even Spencer would be a better candidate than him.

He grunts and shakes his head at his own thoughts. No, maybe not him, but surely someone would come along who would.

"What have you done now?" Carol's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. He peers over the side of the bike and shrugs.

"Why did I have to do anything?"

"Because she's in a rage and I'm sure it's your fault."

"Who?"

"For God's sake, don't play this game, Daryl, you know perfectly well who I'm talking about." She replies angrily, crossing her arms. "So you tell me the easy way or I'll end up getting it out of you the hard way, your choice."

Daryl gives her a sidelong glance, he hates it when his friend uses that overbearing motherly tone, he's unable to deny her what she asks whenever she does, he nods and stops what he's doing, wiping his hands.

"What happened at the party?"

"...We kissed..." He whispers and Carol's eyes sparkle with excitement.

"Oh Daryl, what kinky thing did you propose to do?" he knows his friend's voice is laced with irony, but he doesn't feel like playing along.

"I told her she deserved better..." he confesses and Carol's smile falters.

"But Daryl, she..."

"Yes, I know, but no." He denies again. "And ain't need yer advice, or yer comfort, not this time, Carol. It's my decision."

"It's a stupid decision, you know that, don't you?" She's still angry, but she can't burden him within her nonchalant gesture she knows her friend is having a hard time.

That doesn't mean she's going to listen to him.

***

"Daryl." Carl shows up by the garage that afternoon, Daryl has returned from a patrol with Aaron after several days of scouting around.

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"Uhm I need your help, Dad and Michonne have left me in charge of Judith, but something's happened..." He lowers his head nervously and Daryl gets nervous.

The two rush home, Carl looking so agitated that the older man's distress grows by the minute. When they arrive at the Grimes' house, Carl stands in the doorway and points upstairs to where the baby's room is. Nothing is heard, no crying, no laughter, nothing, and that shrinks the archer's heart. Without waiting for the young man to follow him, he goes up the stairs two at a time. Everything is in darkness, in the distance, in a room with a half-open door, a small hand can be seen, someone lying on the floor.

Daryl enters the room like a hurricane, his heart hammering in his ears, his pulse racing and barely able to breathe. But there is no Judith. What's on the floor is a doll. He hears the street door close and the bedroom door close. When he turns around he discovers you there, leaning against the door, arms folded across your chest, scowling at him. His heart stops and the blood freezes in his veins.

Caught.

He shifts nervously, picks up the doll from the floor and looks at it in his hands, looks at you and points at the object.

"Twisted..."

"You asked for it, it's impossible to talk to you." You shrug, you know it was cruel, putting Judith in danger even if it's fictional.

Daryl puts the doll down on the bed and looks around, there's a window, the house isn't very high and there's the porch roof, he could jump through it and run away that way.

"Don't even try." You say reading his mind. "I've jammed the window so you can't open it, so you have no escape."

"How did ya come up with all this?"

"Carol gave me some ideas."

"Of course..." He growls clenching his fists. he's going to kill his best friend. "Listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me." You cut him off. "That night you walked out without letting me explain myself, you spouted all that shit and you didn't even hear my opinion, well, now you're going to hear it, whether you want to or not." You're still angry, hurt, anger makes your voice vibrate just like your body, you don't handle anger well, you're not an irascible person and it frustrates you when you find yourself like this.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"No! Fuck no, we kissed, I kissed you and you kissed me and suddenly everything went to shit." You snap and fidget nervously. "I love you, Daryl, a lot and for a long time, but I'm sure you knew that, but it was easier to pretend I didn't." You lick your lips and sigh. "I joked and fooled around trying to figure out where the line was, but you never stopped me, so I thought maybe it wasn't just me, that you were too..." You look sideways at him, but he has his eyes glued to the floor. "Then you got jealous with Spencer and my hopes went up..." You feel tears welling up in your eyes and you rub your eyes. You don't want to cry. "But you can't tell me you don't want to be with me because I don't deserve you..." Your voice sounds broken and Daryl lifts his head, he doesn't want to make you cry. "If you don't feel the same way, if I've misunderstood all this, I apologize and I'd like us to be friends again, like before, but you can't reject me just because you think I don't deserve you..."

"It's just that ya deserve better, ain't..."

"How can you say that? I don't know anyone better than you, Daryl. You say you're just a redneck, you're good for nothing and I say bullshit!" You burst out and Daryl looks at you with wide eyes. "I don't know anyone who deserves to be happy more than you." You whisper and wipe away a few tears that run down your face, Daryl slowly walks towards you. "I don't care that you're made for this world, because, after all, we've all adapted, but you're so much more than a soldier, than a redneck; you're a good man, and kind, you're faithful and loyal to your people, you're protective and loving, you take care of the children, you make sure no one lacks food, no one is cold or afraid at night. You are everything I want..." You confess and Daryl feels as if he himself could burst into tears at any moment. "So if you don't feel the same way I do, I'll understand and let you go, but if you really have feelings for me, I don't..." You can't finish the sentence.

Daryl holds your cheeks and kisses you intensely. You gasp for a second, but you're not going to let him pull away, you stand on your tiptoes and reciprocate his kiss. Daryl growls against your mouth and pushes your body against the door as his tongue tangles with yours, your whole body trembles, wrapped in too many feelings you don't know how to express, too long repressing yourself and finally being reciprocated.

"Yer everythin' I want too..." Daryl whispers when you break the kiss and you both smile.

***

The End.

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Again, thank you so much for the request idea I loved to write it! And thanks for trust in my writing for make this idea real. It was a honor to me. At first I wanted to make smut but I liked the romantic moment, I hope you don't mind.

I hope you liked it and it was what you expected!

See you in the next stories!!

#my stuff #norman reedus #normanreedus #daryl dixon #daryldixon #twd fanfiction #ask me #one shot #daryl x reader #resquest #fanfic request #fluff one shot #fluff stuff

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