#bethyl one shot

[bethylmethbrick]

BETHYL FanFiction THE WITCHES LUNCHEON a Halloween Bethyl One Shot

New: She’s drunk enough that she’s willing to tell him the whole story, without being so drunk she can’t remember it all. It’s a fine line. She proceeds to tell him everything, starting with how she wanted to make friends, and right through to the Witches Luncheon. BETHYL

Read on AO3

Read on FFN

[pageslearntothink]

lol not me daydreaming a rockstar!daryl au and it’s literally just the plot of Disney’s Starstruck.

[mistressheroine]

Keep me honest,

Keep me kind,

Keep me as your finish line.

Keep me, keep me on fire.

TWD season 11 AU - After a difficult first week as a Commonwealth Peacekeeper, Daryl goes for a drink with Carol and there’s an open mic night at the bar. A girl with long blonde hair and faded scars across her face starts to sing the next song and he instantly recognises her voice - it’s Beth, singing the song she wrote thinking they would never see each other again 🤍

[im-immortal]

A Kiss For A Drink a beth greene/daryl dixon Valentine’s Day one-shot

Beth Greene finds herself stood up for a date on Valentine's Day. However, just when she thinks the whole day has gone to hell, she runs into an acquaintance, Daryl Dixon.

After a couple drinks, a clever little plan pops into her head. And Daryl turns out to be the perfect accomplice.

He noticed and asked, “‘S a matter? Lose somethin’?”

She frowned, scooting her chair back a bit as her eyes darted all over the floor. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “My earring.”

Without hesitation, he scooted his chair back as well and began searching the floor. A second later, he pointed down and said, “There it is—under the table. Here, I’ll get it.”

He was getting out of his chair and leaning down before Beth had a chance to move, ducking his head beneath the table and retrieving the earring as he knelt on the floor. There was a grunt, then he was leaning back up and holding out the piece of jewelry for her to take, the small golden hoop pinched tightly between his thumb and index finger.

Maybe it was the alcohol swimming through her head and putting her in a goofy mood—Beth wasn’t sure. But all she could think about as Daryl knelt before her was how he looked like he could’ve been proposing.

A few of the patrons seated nearby had turned to look and she could feel their eyes on her, as though they were thinking that they might be witnessing a public proposal on Valentine’s Day. The gold hoop even kind of resembled a ring. It made her grin and nearly laugh aloud.

But instead of laughing, she let out an exaggerated gasp and put her hands to her face, feigning gleeful surprise.

Why not give them a show? Plus, it would undoubtedly be hilarious to see Daryl’s reaction.

“Oh my god, Daryl!” She squealed, loudly enough that all the surrounding customers overheard. A dozen more heads turned to look in Beth and Daryl’s direction.

Daryl’s brow furrowed and he remained kneeling in front of her with the earring held out, an expression of confusion on his face. “What?”

Beth’s grin grew a little wider and she started nodding eagerly, fully aware of all the eyes that were on her and the sudden silence that had fallen over the bar.

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

[bitchywaldof]

make me forget

“Is it bad that i just want to forget today?  I just want to spend time with you and not think about life outside the walls of this room for a little while..”

“More than okay actually”

“We don’t even have to have sex, although y’know that that would be also okay.. Just so you know.”

“Yes, Beth.”

“It’s just sometimes I just dont want to think.  Sometimes my head is so filled with worry about everyone.  About you mostly..”  “Judy, RJ, Maggie, Herschel.  Sometimes i feel like i can't breathe. And I love you okay.  So much, I am so glad I found you.”

“Baby.. It’s okay, I get it. 

“Thanks Daryl”  Breathing finally settled.  Beth leaned into Daryl engulfing herself into his chest.  Beth’s ear to his beating heart.  This is where she felt safest, and listening to his heartbeat was one of Beth’s most favourite things.  It was the melody she could hear in his heart that rhythm that would console her worst fears. 

She had started to care about things again.  Care about people.  Specifically Daryl.  She could not separate this new found concept from her reuniting with Daryl Dixon.  Sometimes Beth needed the stillness of laying on his chest in their bed in their house to remember that this was all real. 

Beth could be happy again, she could feel things and care about people. That feeling though was so different to how things were in the before where she was walking through a life she didn’t feel at all like living for very much longer. 

She would take the anxiety over the depression though because she had a life now that was worth worrying about.  She had a family now, a collection of things that were his and hers.   She had three children all under the ages of 10 years old that called her aunty Beth.  An older sister who teased her constantly but who loved her endlessly and would talk to her about the difficult stuff.  But also about Glenn, their daddy Herschel, Shaun and her mama with her. 

Daryl’s hand in Beth’s hair slowly stilled and he whispered “It’s okay Beth.” and Beth thought that yes it was going to be okay she was home and she could coin on them each looking after each other here. 

This protectiveness and comfort from Daryl came easy from him soon after things had become physical between them.  He never would have thought himself one of those men who was into public displays of affection but with Beth he wanted everyone to know that Beth was his.   It was in the familiar touches they shared, his hand on her waist when he approached her while she worked with the children.  The kiss on her forehead when he would return from outside the walls.  Beth really enjoyed it, it was no secret.  That affection was how she felt connected with her family, her friends and her boyfriends.  It made her feel secure and reminded her that the people she loved, loved her just as equally.

[ghostboneswrites2]

My Reading List:

Daryl Dixon

This is a masterlist of some of my favorite works by other writers on tumblr! Features, one shots, drabbles, headcanons, etc. Anything reader x daryl that I enjoyed a lot. Will constantly update as I find more.

To the authors whose work is linked here: I wasn't sure if I should tag you or if that would be rude or annoying plz lmk if tagging is not preferred and I will remove your tag and leave it as just the link!

2 Batteries Away (mildly angsty smut) - by @pirateprincessblog

Wha's up there? (funny little convo) - by @celtic-crossbow

She's alrigh' (another funny little convo. This author is great with these) - by @celtic-crossbow

Can you flip me on my back? (smutty drabble that made me die) - by @dixonzzgirl

Dog headcannons (omg?? this was geniusly adorable????) - by @dixonzzgirl

Sins and Honey Flavored Sweetness (smutty one shot) - by @scudslut

Long Before (long, smutty, beautifully written reader!greene x Daryl) - by @ladywuvly

When Skies are Gray (we only have the first chapter so far but I'm already hooked) - by @optimist-pine

The World Keeps Getting Hotter (Daryl fears death for the first time, because of you) - by @celtic-crossbow

Older and Older Pt 2 (first fic is younger reader tormenting Daryl with her suggestiveness, second is the smutty payoff for his suffering) - by @d1xonss

Love me, love my cat (Daryl isn’t a cat guy but he doesn’t have a damn choice) by - @spectacular-skywalker

Best Served Cold (Walsh!Reader gets revenge on cheating fiancé with Daryl) - by @gutsby

Afterglow (a lovely Bethyl where Beth survived and ends up in the CRM) - by @galadrieljones

Failed to Protect You (a sad self insert but worth the tears) - by @on-twd-writing

Sleeveless (suggestive & lusty little one shot) - by @fluffy-dixon

Get Off My Back (angsty and cute) - by @metanoiahh

Shane’s Girl (ongoing Walsh!Reader x Daryl Dixon) - by @wannabespacesmuggler

“You’re so, so, so pretty.” (drunk!daryl fluff) - by @daryl-dixon-daydreams

Take me High and I’ll Sing (Daryl overworking himself like the stubborn princess he is) - by @celtic-crossbow

The Fair (very sad but very good!) - by @xoxo-sarah

There Ain’t No God Here (spicy breath play smut) - by @darylbae

[bookqueenrules]

Coda, Coda, Coda-DD Episode 4

In this post, I asked TDers to be on the look out for the Easter Egg that's not really an Easter Egg which Gimple mentioned on the NYCC panel. It was unclear if he was saying it was in episode 4 or not, but if he did mean episode 4, he was clearly referring to the Coda symbols in this is episode. For a reference as what a Coda is and how it is connected to Beth and her return, here is a wonderful post by @twdmusicboxmystery

I found two coda symbols in the episode. Please let me know if anyone found others. Interestingly, there are other TD related symbols above each of the codas.

In the garage with Theo and the other older gentleman, I don't remember his name, the coda symbol is clearly reflected on the top of the car.

The fact that this coda symbol is literally a reflection on a CAR is like a neon sign for TDers. If Beth did survive by being left in a car, either in the backseat or the trunk, putting the coda symbol on the car would be a clear sign that Beth was "resurrected" from the car as TD believes. Above it is a car sign for a brand of car, these cars no longer sold in North American, with a Chevron pattern like the one in the gray sweater Beth wore during Coda.

Next, there is the coda painted on pillars at the Nest. Soon after Isabelle's Coda-like death, this appears clearly in the shot behind Losang. Above the coda is a compass rose. I won't go over the compass rose symbolism as many other TDers have written about it for years.

So what do these codas mean? If this is the "mythology" Gimple is referring to, why is he calling it out? We know he uses symbols of all kinds in every episode. So, why call out this symbol now? The obvious answer is that the episode is the second Coda and now we will be going back to the first coda and Beth will return. Another NYCC tidbit is that right before the question that elicited Gimple's "Easter Egg" response was a question about crossovers and cameos. Gimple and Zabel looked at each other, laughed, and Zabel said that they are working on something right now.

By the end of season one and now throughout season two of DD, they have clearly repeated parts seasons 4 and 5. Based on this, below is my conjecture as to when Beth will return.

There may be post credits scene that airs after the cable broadcast of 2x6 where we see that Beth is alive like we saw Morgan after 5x8 Coda.

2. It could mean that we are in middle of a replay, but the replay isn't complete. I did a post explaining how we have seen a replay of 5x01, 5x02, and 5x03 here. However, knowing how the rest of the season goes, I don't think we have seen the replay of these episodes yet.

Honestly, as disappointing as it may be, I think season 3 will be about replaying some of these episode before we get Beth.

I'll post more about it later, but we already have a S3 spoiler that during a celebration a military like vehicle pulls up. Then, a man was heard yelling, "They kidnapped my daughter." I believe they were filming episode 2. So, @galadrieljones I believe you were correct about the kidnapping. It's not Laurent but a new character in Spain. Assuming D and C go after the girl, and I am sure they will, that episode may be the replay of Consumed and/or Crossed.

Another confirmation from S3 spoilers is the train connection. Trains are mentioned strangely in a couple of places in episode 4 as @twdmusicboxmystery pointed out in her video. She predicted that we would see a train soon. Guess what? A BTS picture was posted of a yellow(the color of reunion) train being filmed in Spain.

I'll post all the BTS pics I have as soon as S2 is over. I mention all the things TD has been and continues to be right about to show that we should not be too upset if she doesn't show at the end of season 2. She will show soon. Judging by the replays, she will show by the end of season 3 at the latest. Hang in there! In the mean time, Bethyl has the BEST fanfiction writers to keep us entertained!

TD is right. All the signs and symbols point to Beth's return. She will return. Unfortunately, TPTB are not in as a much of hurry to get there as we are.

[ultimatebethylficlist]

#BHF24: Christmas

better angels by devils_might_heed_us ( @lemortehomme )

A winter night and the giving of a gift. [a comic]

The Man On The Mountain by gneebee ( @gneebee ) [chapter 25]

She finally got her dream job, working at a small regional hospital near the Rosewood Mountains. Everything just fell into place and it's all going great, until a new, unexplained virus begins spreading through the area, and everywhere else in the world. People are scared, panicking and desperate. Everyone except the reclusive man on the mountain. He's isolated and blissfully unaware.

Snowflakes by @mistressheroine

Huckleberry Windbreak by Kat_Parrish

"...I’m not tryin’ to force you into anything, but I know you’re not prepared for winter. I can help. I don’t even need to be inside; I just need a warm spot.” “I have a gun.” “I’m sure you do. Can you use it?” “Good enough.” “Good.” Beth and Daryl live together in a cabin on an isolated mountain.

What Do You See? by Kat_Parrish

Daryl is coerced into a Christmas party a few months after a break-up. "The first time he received a proper, wrapped Christmas present, he was twenty-six. He sat on the couch watching while his girlfriend rummaged around under her tree until she produced a package wrapped in shiny green paper with a gold ribbon. "

The Christmas Party by gneebee ( @gneebee )

Merry Christmas! I wrote this one shot Bethyl story in response to the Bethyl Holiday Fest 24 Prompt "Ribbons." Beth gets herself in a situation when she invites Daryl to attend her Christmas Party. Thank you for taking the time to read it!

Thank you to everyone who submitted their creations! Merry Christmas!

[angelthefirst1]

Welp...Bethylers.🐇 ✝️♾️✝️🐇

From what I'm seeing in 104 and the trailer for 105, I would say she's close.

VERY CLOSE!

Could we really get her back on resurrection Sunday? ✝️

It's very possible, and I'm excited because wow, they are laying it on thick.

Still and Alone are on repeat once again, but this time, it's with Rick and Michonne, so it's important. Due to the Sheriff's hat.

The following are from episode 104 and the trailer for 105. To show you just how much Beth is being repeated.

Identical mirror head wounds for Rick and Beth...

Rick and Beth's story is mirrored/flipped, so he gets the head wound on the opposite side, and it's after he leaves the building that collapses with the elevator.

A mystery figure appears in a Coda after Beth gets the head wound it's Morgan.

And a mystery figure appears in the same episode Rick gets a mirror head wound...

Remember Morgan picked up the cross ✝️ and the rabbit foot in the church ✝️ in Coda?

Rabbit 🐇 Easter 🐣 resurrection of Christ.

The cabin with alcohol...🍸

Rick and Michonne will visit a cabin and drink alcohol next week.

Pine vista with the lake...

Green Wood is also mentioned when they go to the lab/gym.

Golf club sheets where a community was living.

While Rick and Michonne find a similar layout in a new building in 105...

The boots (Michonne finds Rick's boots) and the prosthetic hand...

Home sweet home...

Everyone we know "will be" dead - You don't know that.

It's Bullshit...

You don't get to treat me like crap because you're afraid...

I know you look at me and just see another dead girl...You don't know nothing!

Entering the clean house...Roomba

Chandelier trap (note the chandelier above)

Changing clothes...

I'm going to leave a thank you note...

Why did you come after me? What changed your mind?

Say it! Don't Ah-ha...

"Oh" You're the love of my life!

I'm not going to leave you...

The elevator

System failure elevator has 10 minutes left of emergency power.

Elevator has 2 minutes left of emergency power...

10.2 get well soon.

Proof they put Beth on the back seat of the car after Grady and that Beth's return will lead to a cure.

They think she's a hybrid, aka Zombie, but she's associated with fire 🔥 so the flammable liquid is her.

She will return as Christ to bring the last judgment of fire 🔥 and destroy the fake cure of the Mark of the beast and beast kingdom before the Millennial Kingdom begins.

The whole end scene when the building collapses and Rick and Michonne get out in the nick of time is a repeat of the CDC collapse.

The building Rick and Michonne are in has AI and all the modern tech just like Vi at the CDC.

It's about to be destroyed and the group run for the cars. One of which is yellow.

While the high tech building they destroy is connected to the CDC, it's also connected to Grady, so by connection, they were working on a cure at Grady.

At the CDC test, subject 19 (Beth was 19 at Grady) took 2 hours, 1 minute, and 7 seconds till resurrection...

21 days = 7x3 = 3 missing weeks.

Dr Jenner shoots his test subject in the head...

For Beth, it will be reverse shot in head resurrection after 3 weeks.

Instead, it will be Grady that collapses most likely from an earthquake.

When Jesus died, there was a massive earthquake, so...

Anyway Danai says she wrote this episode, i say hogs-wash, she re-wrote this episode!

The elevator timer says Beth is about to Get Well Soon.

[doe-rose-q]

On April 18th, 2024, the official Instagram account of The Walking Dead shared the post shown within my edit in the left pane of the first of the photos shown ☝🏼here☝🏼. Beth Greene (Emily Kinney) was on a relatively short list of deceased characters from the series with this query—if we (the viewers) could bring back any character, which one would it be??? There goes that often annoying TWD account… trolling yet again in regards to Beth. *SIGH* 🙄😑🤨🤔

But I was so heartened when I looked through the comments and saw the huge volume of fans of the series—and not just Beth/Emily stans or Beth x Daryl shippers—stating that it is indeed Beth Greene whom they would want to see come back… ALIVE. This coming November will mark TEN YEARS since Beth was tragically shot in that heartbreaking episode of “Coda.” And there are still SO MANY Walking Dead fans who would have been thrilled to see her return during the run of the series. THAT is a true testament to the impact of Beth as a character and how she has enduringly resonated with so many people… with her sensitivity, her empathy, her beauty inside and out, her strength, and her spirit. The faint Team Delusional fire within me sparks a fantasy of her showing up in the second season of Daryl Dixon. Hey… stranger things have happened, right? Just the fact that Daryl floated all the way across the Atlantic to France(!?!) in the first place certainly demands a substantial suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewers. 😐

Anyway, feeling inspired by the sight of the voluminous outpouring of love and devotion for Beth, I combed through the comment thread on the post and took screenshots of any comments of Beth positivity that I could find. I then took all of those comments and poured them into a total of 17(!!!) separate Instastories (shown here in the above photos) that I shared on my Instagram—doeroseq. I tagged Emily Kinney on each story. Because I wanted her to see just how much she and Beth are both beloved and still missed by TWD’s fandom… all these years later. 👱🏻‍♀️💚🐞

And I later saw the confirmation in my Instagram messaging that she saw at least one of them. So that made me feel really good. 🥰

When I saw @bethiscomingsoon’s recent tumblr posts about their similar observations of the Beth/Emily adoration within the post’s comments, I decided to share my Instastories here too. 😁

We Beth/Emily and Bethyl fans need to stick together. 💞

I continue to love my Bethyl shipping fandom and I care deeply for all of the people in it. 😍

[galadrieljones]

AO3 Year End Roundup 2024

Thank you for the tag, @myreia ❤️

Tagging: @thevikingwoman @im-immortal @vir-tanadahl @pikapeppa @roguelioness and any other of my writing friends, who I am completely blanking on right now. Ily.

—Words posted: 193,053

—Additional Words Written: Unknown, countless on the editing room floor lol

—Grand total of words: ???? Let's round up to 200k lol

—Fandoms: Dragon Age, The Walking Dead

—Works: 3 (two wips, one one-shot)

—Highest Kudos: afterglow (twd/bethyl)

—Highest Hit One-shot: My only one-shot last year was Possession (Dragon Age/Emmrook), and tbh I have no idea what's normal for a ship like this, and so I am happy with the response in any case lol.

—New Things I Tried: Sene and Ameridan developed into a very unique ship for me, in that they are largely, platonically in love. Romantically, their hearts sort of belong to Solas and Telana, but this does not deter them from cultivating a great love between them. As Sene describes it, they are friends who have "expanded the definition of friendship." I like their devotion to one another in that it sort of demands so little beyond itself. It is truly spiritual and very comforting to write.

Also, in both my major fics this year, in two separate fandoms, I am writing couples who are reuniting after having not seen one another physically in ten years (bethyl and solavellan). It's a little strange how that turned out. The emotional maturity involved in this sort of pursuit has been eye-opening. I feel I could not have written these fictions 5-10 years ago in my life.

—Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Likely afterglow, though churning out the first three sections of Riptide in like a month was quite challenging 😅

—Fic I Spent the Least Time On: Possession. It came to me quickly, as I had this idea for Emmrich and Rook falling in love almost vicariously through their pursuit of more information on Solas and Sene during their time in the Inquisition. It was always based on the plot of the A.S. Byatt book Possession, which I love. I wrote it first as a chapter for Riptide, but I realized it could easily stand alone with few tweaks. I wrote the whole thing in probably two sittings.

—Favourite Thing I Wrote: One of my favorite single scenes that I wrote last year is probably, weirdly enough, the scene with Sene and Abelas in the Crossroads, discussing Abelas's past with Solas and Mythal in Chapter 21 of Riptide. At this point, Sene and Abelas have been broken up for a long time, and Abelas is married to another woman. But their devotion to each other is still very strong, as friends and comrades at arms, and I enjoyed exploring these tender, platonic moments between them, how they know each other so well, and how they comfort one another in such a strange and difficult time that really only the two of them, given their respective relationships to Solas, can appreciate.

—Favorite Thing I Read: Most of what I read is for work, and I read many stories last year that inspired me. I reread a lot of work by two of my favorite authors as well: Ann Beattie and Joy Williams. Their work brings something so interesting and dark to this notion of femininity and what happens when a female character gets into this place where she is constantly feeling the need to justify herself to a man, as something slowly withers away inside of her. Meanwhile, in the face of her acceptance toward resignation, he simply seems to flourish, unaffected by matters of the heart, and this is a necessary feature of their duality. One of my favorite short stories ever is Ann Beattie's "The Burning House," published originally in 1979, which is really a perfect encapsulation of this kind of thing.

—Something I Finished: Just Possession. I think...???? Lol

—Miscellaneous Highlights: In both of my fics this year, I have focused on my heroines first, which is not typical for me. Usually, and in the past, I have focused foremost on my tragic male heroes and their singular journeys, ie: Daryl and Solas, and how learning to be loved has been a motivating factor for them and their pursuits. But this year, I have been much more motivated by the heroine's journey. I guess I am still really proud of my characterization of Beth Greene and her life in the Civic Republic in afterglow. I am also really proud of how in-depth I've gotten with my Lavellan, Sene, and her journey in the ten years between Inquisition and Veilguard. In both afterglow and Riptide, we see women trying to move forward with their lives in the face of immense loss, which has evolved and continued to take from them over a period of ten years. They become harder and sadder because of it, but also much wiser and more aware of their potential. They find productive ways to wield their anger, and they grow. They make friends, and they try to find happiness with other people. These relationships don't work out, but they provide valuable tools and wisdom in order to light the way forward, to a grander destiny.

—Writing Goals for 2025: I would simply like to finish my long fics. Lol. I have no idea what else the future may bring.

—Final Thoughts: Last year was a bit of a turning point for me in my writing, as I feel it has matured quite a bit, and while the process was somewhat slow, it feels like it's found its footing now. Very clearly, I can see how my writing for both solavellan and bethyl has changed and grown up in a massive way, mainly via the themes and focus on different kinds of love, how love changes over time, and the pursuit of stoicism and self-actualization on one's on. Riptide, which spans eleven years of Sene's life, sees her changing dramatically from beginning to end, finding a great deal of calm where she used to just be sort of mad with anger. It definitely feels like a more mature companion to my first solavellan fic The Dead Season, in which Sene was very young and still trying to figure out who she was with Solas, let alone without him. Afterglow, meanwhile, feels like a much more mature companion to my first bethyl fic Magnolia, as it is focused on Beth, and how she has grown up as well over the past ten years.

I guess we're all getting older lol (in a good way). That's the theme of the year for me.

[bethylmethbrick]

BETHYL FanFiction THE CHRISTMAS PARTY Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene One Shot Christmas AU

In Response to the Bethyl Holiday Fest Christmas Prompt, Ribbons.

She casually pushes her buggy over to register number four and gets in line right behind him. He hasn’t noticed yet. He’s busy thumbing through some magazine as he waits for his turn. As for Beth, she’s snooping, checking out...BETHYL CHRISTMAS

Read it on AO3

Read it on FFN

[majicmarker]

get to know me

tagged by: @thecryptkeeperskeeper 👻💕

favorite color(s): depends on the Thing. clothes? black. blankets? navy or mocha. phone cases? whatever complements my phone’s pale pink. flowers? yellow. her energy? amber. (bah-dum-tss)

last song: “i’ll still feel for you,” by pretty bleak

currently reading: christ i’ve not been much for reading lately. my last one was over the summer, the murdstone trilogy by mal peet (and *highly* recommend), but haven’t been in the bookish mood. it’ll come back around, tho, and then i’ll hit the library for another funky little book i’ve never heard of before <3

currently watching: rewatching criminal minds, rewatching the boondock saints + the sequel every few days bc Nothing Else quite scratches that particular itch, catching up with st. denis medical whenever i need a break from all the murder, new eps of the sex lives of college girls on thursdays, stephen colbert when i feel out of touch with the world’s goings-on, and friends or daria while i’m falling asleep

(it’s been a tv mood lately, hence my reading not-happenin’-at-the-moment)

currently craving: the healing power of true love, and i wish that was a joke.

also and more attainably, tacos and like 60oz of margarita from the local chain

coffee or tea: i’m a prepared can of iced coffee kinda caffeine gremlin—starbucks, international delight, whatever, i just wanna get my white chocolate mocha and/or various candy flavors on

hobby to try: i’ve been meaning to kinda junk journal my way through my new book of shadows, which means what i really need to do is haul all of my supplies out of their cupboard so i stop forgetting they exist.

i’ve also gotten into collecting and listening to vinyl, but a girl’s only got so much spare cash ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬

current au: the big ongoing project rn is the bethyl boondock saints-inspired au, buuuuuut i’m also playing with a one-shot inspired by luke bryan’s “crash my party” (among my most romantic songs of all time)—

summary: “Daryl keeps doing nice things for Beth and gettin’ the hell outta there before she can thank him.” it’s very slice-of-life feel-good butterflies romance and not that i’ve been yearning lately or anything—

tagging: whoever wants to and also @carry-the-sky @redbelles @sluttyhenley @hangon-silvergirl @littlelindentree @maybedeadbutstillpretty @sail-not-drift @woodswit @winterrose527

[mistressheroine]

The first time he kissed her there had been snow on the ground. Only three weeks later, under the hazy cool evening light with snowflakes caught in their hair, he whispered softly that he loved her. He’d never said that to anyone before, never meant it in the way he did for Beth. The way Daryl fell for her felt like the falling of snow; gentle, quiet and so light at first you don’t even realise it’s happening.

So, it’s been a while! Between house issues, a 4 year old starting school and finding out I was pregnant back in September, I’ve had no time to dedicate to writing over the past few months which has made me really sad. I was, however, determined to contribute something to BHF24 in some way so here it is!

There is another idea in my WIP doc for “ribbons” which will unfortunately have to wait until I can write it the way I want to, along with finishing the chapters/one-shots I currently have in the works too (along with an epic multi-chapter idea I have been slowly nurturing for the past year based on “Timeless” by Taylor Swift which I plan on writing in its entirety before posting).

For now though, I wish you all a very happy Christmas & new year. Thank you for all the love and support always. I’ll be back in the new year with more Bethyl love 🖤❤️

[im-immortal]

AO3 Roundup 2024

thank you so much for the tag @galadrieljones ! (seriously such an honor from a writer i admire so much)

tagging: @mistressheroine @pipergirl17 @piper1016 @littlelindentree @weapon13whitefang @not-so-austen @lemortehomme @raginglittlehurricane @spield @rckyfrk @deerdens @xx-cherryballerina (and anyone else who feels like doing this, pls tag me so i can read and like your post, i love you all)

—Words posted: 327,634

—Additional Words Written: unknown, but probably close to 450,000

—Grand total of words: girl idk. let's call it 500k just to be safe, especially if we're including all the words i deleted lmao

—Fandoms: The Walking Dead

—Works: another installation of Let us always find each other, To Love is To Be Alive, and Small Miracles

—Highest Kudos: Small Miracles

—Highest Hit One-shot: To Love is To Be Alive

—New Things I Tried: writing an almost-cross-over with Beth/Daryl and Detroit: Become Human. that was a fun venture into a different universe that was not of my own creation, fitting in two characters who definitely didn't belong and somehow making them belong. writing not one, but two OC's that people actually care about in Small Miracles. i genuinely didn't think anyone would care much for Gale or Mae, but now they've become nearly as beloved to the readers as they are to me and honestly, i cannot describe how good that makes me feel! particularly for my little sentient zombie boy <3

—Fic I Spent the Most Time On: Small Miracles ... and i am still spending time on it. y'all have no idea. i made playlists, i listened to songs on repeat, i added and extracted and added again to the outline, i brainstormed during downtime at work, i got new ideas while watching movies and shows. i am still doing all those things, i'm just not quite capable of putting thoughts and ideas into words like i was throughout the majority of 2024.

—Fic I Spent the Least Time On: To Love is To Be Alive -- it came to me fast and hard, i wrote it in about 2-3 weeks because it was so rapidly coming into my head and i just had to get it out.

—Favourite Thing I Wrote: Small Miracles ... duh. i fucking love this fic and still do. i can't wait to finish it.

—Favorite Thing I Read: as far as books go (pls message me if you want to add me on Goodreads), my favorite reads this year were:

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

The Nanny by Lana Ferguson

Last Light by Claire Kent (this one is for all my Bethyl girlies--it's extremely Daryl/Beth-coded, so if you love Bethyl and you love post-apocalypse fiction with a healthy dash of smut, you should definitely give it a try)

and for fanfiction, i'm gonna narrow it down and say it's a tie between:

afterglow by galadrieljones

Love in the Wilderness by LeighJ

Sweet Willow by CherryParfait

Revenant by devils_might_heed_us

La Dame Blanche by MistressHeroine

genealogy by wandering_gypsy_feet

qué será, será by moonshineshacks

—Something I Finished: ummm let's be so real... the only thing i actually finished this year was To Love is To Be Alive ... sorry about that for my readers. i swear to GOD i'm doing my best to finish at least ONE more thing omg

—Miscellaneous Highlights: i played a lot more video games and read a lot more books this year than i think i have in the last five years, so that's a highlight for me (hello, i actually discovered, played, and rapidly became obsessed with the entire Life is Strange series and its universe, as well as all of the Supermassive games, from Until Dawn to The Quarry and through the entire Dark Pictures Anthology!) because i love taking inspiration from other fiction in every form. i'm very proud of myself. also, i started converting my fic Lunacy Fringe into an original novel, and it's about 3/4th of the way finished, so i am actually excited to finish that and put it out into the world just to say i did it, just to say that i actually wrote my own original novel and contributed it to the millions upon millions of self-published novels available online lol (i guess i wanna contribute to The Zeitgeist ?? idk if i'm even using that correctly??). i also pushed myself and delved into writing OC's into one of my fics and found that it was well-received, which gave me a bit of a confidence boost! not to mention, i reread Wild Love by LeighJ and commented (because for some reason i didn't comment the first time i read it?? what the hell was wrong with me?) and it ended up sparking her to add some deleted scenes and create a series that i now ADORE, and there is nothing i love more than encouraging other writers and seeing what they can come up with when they're reminded of how much their writing is appreciated. i am also incredibly proud and appreciative of @mistressheroine for everything she's written this year and all the help she's given me in my own writing, and for being such an amazing friend and just an overall great person to talk to and fangirl with. also mad kudos to @raginglittlehurricane for our shared obsession with Kyle Gallner and the Dinner in America movie, and all those countless tiktok edits we send to each other (girl, i am impatiently awaiting the release of that DiA fic... just saying).

—Writing Goals for 2025:

finish Small Miracles.

finish hot girl summer (playing by the rules).

start posting and continue writing cuffing season (part 6 of in for a penny, in for a pound).

add some chapters/possibly complete who we gotta be and Redire A Morte.

finally finish and publish Lunacy Fringe as an original novel.

somehow make time to finish and post the final chapters of Don't Make Me Haunt You.

make some more headway on my original zombie apocalypse novel, even if it's just a fully-fleshed outline.

—Final Thoughts: i have a lot of shit on my plate, especially for a sleepy bitch who works full-time and also enjoys other endeavors like movies, shows, and video games. (ps: give me a follow on twitch @im1mmortal to see me livestream like two or three times a month lol) but all in all, i feel like i am continuing to learn and grow as a writer and at the end of the day, that's all that really matters to me. i want to read as many books as i can, consume as much well-written media as possible, and learn as much as possible when it comes to making my own dreams come true. i know i have a lot of WIPs sitting around just waiting to be finished, and believe me, i see all the comments urging me to continue and finish, and i desperately want to, but i have to go off of vibes. it sounds lame, but it's true. i refuse to write unless i feel like i am writing from my heart. i erase anything that feels forced or soulless. quality over quantity all day, every day. but i also recognize that i'm kind of an idiot who has a strength in starting things and reaching the point of climax, and my greatest weakness is actually writing the climax and reaching the conclusion. i'm working on that all the time, and i strive to change it. but what really keeps me going is the feedback and the random comments and messages, even if they're months or years later, letting me know that something i wrote resonated with someone far away who i will never meet or actually know. it gives me all the motivation i need. i just have to find that last little passage past the mental block to continue writing and actually finish something. oh... and the energy LOL. seriously tho, i love this fandom, i adore all of the various fics i've been blessed enough to read because they offer such different perspectives on characters and settings and they open up my mind to entirely new possibilities. not to mention, i've made some of the absolute best friends through fandom and fanfic. i wouldn't trade it for the world. all i ask for is a little patience and understanding. and i really hope to keep you all in my heart and see y'all on the other side of whatever this is as we traverse life and fiction and discover how the two overlap in ways we never could have imagined <3

as we all get older, in the best of ways, let's fuck 2025 right in the mouth

[frangipanilove]

The Book Of Carol; A Damn Romance Novel...?

...ok hear me out before you go into anaphylactic shock...

I came across an interesting gif set in the Daryl Dixon tag the other day. It was by zehiiro on Tumblr, and I truly thought it was a great observation. I don’t want to tag them in case they'd rather not be dragged into Bethyl/TD stuff and thangs, but the parallels were convincing, and they deserve cred for their observation. Naturally, I interpret it differently than they do, but I will never claim to have the full truth on how anything in TWDU is meant to be interpreted. I can only offer my point of view, and I quite enjoy reading other people's perspectives, it's often very enlightening.

In any case, the parallels are solid, here's a screenshot:

It makes a lot of sense if what we saw in Carol's sneak peak was shot intentionally to reference the scene from 7x10 New Best Friends. This was after Carol and Daryl had been apart for an extended period of time, just as they are in the current timeline. It was directly before they reunited, something we have to assume will happen relatively soon after the sneak peak takes place in current time. And it references a scene that, in my opinion, heralds rebirth, reunion and resurrection. I'll try to explain how below.

In 7x10 New Best Friends, Daryl has an altercation with Richard, because Richard wants to set up Carol to be killed by the Saviors, in an attempt to lure Ezekiel to go to war, along with Rick, against the Saviors.

Daryl, of course, has major objections to the idea. They fight, right next to a trailer decorated with horses, that we later learned was actually used in the movie Smokey and the Bandit. I wrote about that in an old post of mine, read it here.

Interestingly, we saw a callback to that trailer recently in TOWL 1x5 Become...

...after Rick and Michonne had escaped in that yellow car we all knew was a reference to a selection of yellow objects seen through the years...

...such as Beth's yellow polo, and a certain yellow Ford Mustang from season 2...

Remember Carol's blue Ford Mustang? I wrote about it here and here. Mustangs are horses, and I believe these shots were specifically included in reference to the symbolism around Mustangs, and I mean both the horses and the cars here.

This shot of Carol's blue Ford Mustang from TWDDD 1x6 Coming Home, shows the licence plate that points to TWD 5x2, which was when Carol and Daryl discovered a Grady car, and followed it into Atlanta, and eventually located Beth.

And like I expanded on in the post about the yellow symbolism, it all derives from Carol's yellow Jeep Cherokee from season one, plus the aforementioned yellow Ford Mustang from season 2...

...which happens to have the same licence plate as the car that Carol and Daryl drove to follow the Grady car to Atlanta, which eventually led them to Beth...

...and which I believe is a reference to the Lincoln Continental Beth and Daryl hid in in 4x12 Still (because the LC on the licence plate, in my opinion, could represent "Lincoln Continental").

What happens directly after Daryl and Richard's fight by the mustang/horse trailer, is that Daryl makes his way over to Carol's house. He knocks on her door, and reunites with Carol after a long time apart. And what is Carol doing right before she opens her door?

She’s reading a damn romance novel, called Denim Dreams, with a familiar looking Sirius Piggyback on the cover:

Sirius Piggyback; The Literal Book Of Carol

Below, we see the actual Sirius Piggyback from 4x13 Alone, along with the stock photo from Shutterstock that was used as the cover photo for Carol's damn romance novel:

In 4x13 Alone, Daryl carried Beth, piggyback-style, across a cemetary. In 7x10 New Best friends, Carol lived in a little YELLOW house, near a cemetary, enjoying a damn romance novel, with a Sirius Piggyback cover photo...

Those are some darned suspicious coincidences...

Back when 7x10 New Best Friends aired, this caused quite a stir, and it remains to this day one of my favorite Bethyl hints to ever appear in TWDU. Read more about it in these excellent posts from season 7 (here and here).

Later, we see Carol prepare food for Daryl, while explaining why she had to leave. We see the romance novel, with the Sirius Piggyback cover photo, on her bookshelf, right next to a symbol we remember from 5x8 Coda:

My take on the title "Denim Dreams", is that, long story short, "denim" is a blue clue (in the sense that "blue jeans" is an established term). And as I explained in a recent post, "blue" is a synonym for "police". Beth and Rick are both encompassed by the "blue" symbolism, Rick because he's a police officer, Beth because she's "the new sheriff in town". The "pig" in "Sirius Piggyback" refers to the derogatory term for police, "pig", which has been used as symnonomous with "police" several times in TWDU. I wrote about the "pig" symbolism recently in this post, along with my take on the cat symbolism.

Speaking of cat symbolism, there was plenty of that to be found in 7x10 New Best Friends. Here's Rick, articulating what I tried to say in my cat symbolism post:

...to replace the one you lost...

...it's just that sometimes the one you lost can't easily be replaced...

But the cat symbolism is about rebirth, reunion and resurrection, and that's something to hold on to, according to an overwhelming number of characters in this episode...

...which is interesting, concidering a certain someone sang an entire Tom Waits classic on the subject of "holding on" back in season 3:

I know I keep saying that the symbolism we see is about "reunion". I'm not taking that out of thin air. Here's Daryl's commentary as we hear Beth's voice singing "Hold On" in the background:

Straight from the horses mouth there. What Daryl is referring to is the fact that he had just returned to, and reunited with, TF after initially having wandered off with his brother earlier in the season.

So, to circle back to the scene from 7x10, and its parallel, the scene from Carol's sneak peak; they're about reunions. Sure, it's obviously specifically about the imminent reunion between Carol and Daryl, both in 7x10 and in TWDDD seasson 2, which I'm personally looking forward to immensly.

But there are multiple layers to the reunion symbolism in TWDU, many of which speak directly to TD.

Because that damn romance novel, Carol's actual book from 7x10 New Best Friends, The Literal Book Of Carol, is a story about the Sirius Piggyback. And the comment on the damn romance novel from 4x1 was about Beth, that's a 100% undeniable fact:

Sirius means return, rebirth and resurrection. She will be back. Sirius Piggyback.

Perhaps in "The Book Of Carol; a Damn Romance Novel"...