#but I wouldn't sleep on shane here

[squidsquadlove]

On whether he agrees with Ron Francis that he was playing his best hockey in the series against Hershey (which he really was, he was incandescent):

"I would agree... I was just playing hockey. I was having fun. I was looking forward to coming to the rink every day and enjoying playing in the playoffs and being in that atmosphere. Going that far, making a run like we did, that's fun hockey. You enjoy playing in those games and playing in those loud buildings and having those experiences. I was really happy with the way I was playing. I'm trying to build off that, how I was playing at the end of the season, build that into this development camp, and then through training camp as well."

On how different it feels being at this development camp vs. last year:

"Definitely feel older, that's for sure. 😄 Definitely feel a little more comfortable coming to this environment-- I've obviously been here, practiced in this arena, I've been around the coaches and been around all the staff... as much as I don't want to say it, I'm kind of one of the older guys now, here, I'd say 😆 I want to be a little bit of mentor, as much as I can, towards all these younger guys. But yeah, I definitely feel more comfortable, more at ease here. It's nice to be back. It's really fun being here. Good skate today, and great crowd as well, so it's always fun to be back."

"The Kraken offered you a chance to have a rest after your last playoff run in Coachella. [Shane played 24 of the record-breaking 26 games the Firebirds played in the playoffs; the team played every one of the five series to the maximum length except one. Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye were excused from dev camp due to playing about 100 games each this year!] What made you want to come out here and be a part of this?"

"Yeah! I mean, I wanted to be a part of this. First of all, just to be around the new draftees-- it's always cool seeing some other guys get drafted. I'm only a year older, but I feel like I have a lot of experience at the pro level. Being able to be a mentor and help teach and help those guys learn as much as I can-- be a role model, be a leader here is what I really want to do. Also, just love being here 😃, love skating 🥰. They kind of gave me the option to come, but no question, I definitely wanted to be here, definitely wanted to skate at dev camp."

"How long did it take the full [and EPIC] playoff beard to come in?"

"🤣 I mean, it just kept going and going and growing! 😄 By the time it was game 7 there, it was the longest it's ever been in my life! 😄 I've never really been able to grow it out that much, and 😂 the guys on the team were saying it was one of the best on the team 🥰 so I was definitely pretty proud of that 😁."

"You look like you've put on some muscle mass in the last year-- have you? Or am I imagining it?" [It sure looked like it by the end at CV!]

"Um... maybe a little bit, yeah! I think just playing at the pro level for the amount of playoffs that I did, just naturally you have to adapt and you naturally grow stronger playing against those bigger, stronger guys. I think... 😁 I don't know if I have or not, but if you think I have 😃 that's great news! Yeah! 😆"

(Not a complete transcript, just the smiliest happiest baby squid parts! SO SMILEY.)

[veren-cos]

Bachelors (Sdv) x reader!

Comfort after a rough day. Nothing too specific in this one, really lighthearted ngl

Sam

• Would definitely let you sit on his lap and just let everything out

• Whether it is anger, sadness, general overwhelmed, he does not care and just wants to br there for you.

• Once you cry it all out you are just. So tired.

• He would for sure sing you to sleep. Like, he is the leader of a band, he has to be good at it!!

• Eventually carries you to your bed, and in the morning he wakes up extra early to make you breakfast.

Sebastian

• He would prep everything at home to literal perfection.

• Bed would be made, crops would be watered if you hadn't yet, animals fed.

• Specifically the bed tho. He washed and dried (with extra time to make them super warm) the sheets and blankets. Even fluffed the pillows, but he doesn't think it actually does anything.

• Once everything is all done, it is definitely cuddle time

• Wraps you up in his arms and just starts talking

• You love the sound of his voice, and just listening to him talk about his day is really comforting

• He is big on distracting people to comfort them, and then talking about it later.

• The next morning you two talk about what was going on, but he is just a big sweetie.

• Very much an actions instead of words man with comforting.

Alex

• Would cook something

• Aka cookies

• He spent a lot of time with his grandma cooking so yeah

• He is almost definitely an acts of service or physical touch kinda guy.

• Will help you with everything on the farm for the rest of they day.

• If he isn't doing anything, he would probably give you extra help the whole week just to make it up to you.

• Wouldn't exactly know how to be comforting but he would definitely listen about whatever is going on. He just maybe wouldn't know what to do after (me too buddy me too-)

Harvey

• Oh he would know you were off right away.

• He isn't necessarily good with words and providing comfort, but he is still extremely successful in showing he cares.

• He makes you your favorite dinner, and while he won't prod, he encourages you to talk about your day and how your feeling.

• You watch a comfort TV show together, and end up just spending a lot of time together as a distraction.

• If you do talk about it. Harvey will try and help in whatever way possible.

• But he just wants to be there for you!

Elliott

• Runs a bath for you

• Uses all his fancy stuff that even he barely uses

• Washes your hair and talks to you about your day

• Gets you to calm down and relax!

• Might play the piano as you fall asleep?

• Once you actually are asleep, he gives you loads of cuddles!

Shane

• Sets a chicken on your lap when you come home for the day.

• That's it.

• It always makes him happy to spend time with the chickens and other animals.

• So yeah. Chicken!

An* I don't remember writing basically any of this. I found it in my notes app and literally Harvey was the only one missing. So yeah! This was a surprise for me too lol

Want more? Here is the Masterlist!

[deuteragonists-mismatched-socks]

A Break In Routine - Shane x Reader (Stardew Valley)

Another Shane SDV fic from my drafts with a couple strange gaps in it.

Warnings: mentions of recovering from alcoholism, being imperfect, guilt and self-loathing to a certain extent. Alcohol.

Word Count: 1.4k

Shane wasn't stupid. He knew you knew that. He noticed that, the closer you got, especially after that night on the cliff, you changed. Not so much in the way you dealt with him—you were kind and persevering as ever.

You stopped brewing. He had been out to the farm before, you had like ten kegs and an evergreen crop of hops and wheat to fuel them. And Shane wasn't stupid—he'd almost gone broke from buying the stuff before, so he knew it was lucrative. You'd have to be crazy to give that up. Farmers had it rough, especially ones that worked as hard as you. Having such an easy source of passive income should've been a no-brainer.

Oh, and you stopped bringing him alcohol. You were a social drinker—he'd seen you share Kahlua-and-coffee martinis with the good doctor or bond with Leah over a sweet red. But when it came to Pam and him, you were only ever seen with soda and some filling food in hand. He wondered if you thought he wouldn't notice. If he was too out of it or too naïve.

You visited JojaMart sometimes—normally just to check on him, never to buy anything—and you always had a tense look on your face whenever he was stocking the drinks section. That, that one actually hurt. Yeah, he had bad habits. He was working, only half successfully, on breaking them. But that made him think you really thought he had no self-control. That he was going to wander forward like a zombie and mindlessly rip into the Jack Daniels and Bud Lite. He shouldn't be trusted super far, but he thought he at least deserved the sliver of faith that would be required to believe that wouldn't happen.

That was what he was thinking about as he sat next to the fireplace, cola in a stein in his hand. See, he was doing better. He wasn't used to being fully lucid at this hour of the night, but he was getting there. It was significantly more uncomfortable, sitting there in silence when he wasn't half-catatonic. Everyone else was having a great time. Even Marnie was having a... whoa, beyond friendly conversation with the mayor. Hell, where were you, anyway? You were always trying so hard to make sure he wasn't alone, and now you leave him alone? Maybe he deserved it for all those times he blew you off.

"Hey!" You suddenly appeared in his line of vision. Suddenly, even completely sober, he couldn't sort out his feelings. He was grateful to you for watching out for him; he obviously couldn't do that himself. He was annoyed that you infantilized him. He was confused that you put up with him. Why didn't you just cut loose and stop holding yourself back for someone who has done nothing but screwed over their own life?

"What are you doing here?" Shane said. Crap. That wasn't what he meant to say, not at all. He meant to say 'Why do you stay? Why do you care? I'm not worthy of you.'

Your face fell and Shane needed a drink or six. "Trying to hang out with you," you responded, your voice edged with anger and sadness. "I was—y'know what, I'll leave you be, I just wanted to give this to you."

You held your closed hand out expectantly, and he obliged with an extended palm. 

You dropped a pearl into it.

"Wha—" his mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Oh, wow, Farmer, how did you know this is my favorite?"

You were already gone. He checked the clock on the opposite wall. Well, it was already 12. Maybe you just wanted to get a good night's sleep. He hoped that was all.

But Shane wasn't stupid.

When you exited your house at 6:10 AM sharp the next morning, you almost tripped over him before noticing that Shane was sitting on your steps. This was a huge break in his routine, and it worried you. "Shane? What're you—" You stopped yourself, realizing that you were parroting his words from the previous night. 

"I didn't mean what I said," Shane said abruptly. His murky brown eyes looked into yours with absolute earnesty, and you noticed something rather special about them. They weren't teary or red-striped. He wasn't hungover, at all. 

Your brow furrowed. "About what?"

"About—about... just, how I treat you, y'know. Always blowing you off and acting like you're not worth my time. I know it should be the other way around," his gaze dropped to the ground and he scuffed his foot against the wood of the front steps.

You lowered yourself to sit next to him, knees nearly touching. Time always seemed to stand still when you spoke to him—the sun was stuck in the sky, and you weren't worried about what you were going to get done that day.

"What do you mean, Shane?"

"You know what I mean, Farmer," he said, before exhaling and rubbing his hands on his pants. "I just... I'm not... good enough, for you. I'm a, uh, flash in the pan, I guess. What I'm trying to say... is I'm sorry," he sighed, risking looking up at you again.

Your eyes seemed to look through him. "Shane," you said gently. "You're good enough, for me, for anyone," you emphasized. "And I... do understand why you say the things you do, and they are unfortunate, but I appreciate you recognizing that and apologizing."

Shane looked from your piercing eyes, to your hand that was resting on your knee, centimeters from his, back to your eyes. "I'm trying. Really trying."

You took his hand, and his heart rate spiked. "I know you are, and I know that Marnie and Jas and I really appreciate it."

"Yeah," Shane whispered. Part of him felt guilty—that somehow, Jas wasn't enough to straighten him out. But he was grateful that somehow, you were.

Your thumb rubbed the back of his hand,  comforting him further. He wondered how you could stand touching him. Even after that touching speech, he had a hard time believing you. Even if his personality, his character, was something you seemed to admire, which was beyond him on its own, look at him. He had gained... a number of pounds in the past eight months, he shaved maybe every three days, despite getting a five o'clock shadow by the end of that day. His hair was a genuine disaster, even though Marnie refused to admit it. He was physically clean (most of the time), and that was basically where the pros stopped.

"Thank you so much for coming over here this morning, Shane," you said. Shane had to suppress a shiver at the way you said his name. It didn't sound the way anyone else ever said it. Maybe it was just his imagination. 

But he was more than happy to keep imagining it. "I can't tell you... how much it means to me, that you're reaching out and, and trying. In the most non-patronizing way, I'm proud of you."

He could almost feel tears welling in his eyes. "You're—you're proud of me?"

He hadn't heard that since high school.

"Yeah, of course," you nodded genuinely.

He laughed, almost in disbelief. "Thanks."

You let go of his hand, and Shane had the chance to experience a split-second of disappointment before you used your now free arms to wrap him in a hug. "You can tell me if this is okay or not," you said, your words muffled by his Joja jacket.

"It's okay," he responded quickly, trying not to squeeze you too tightly.

You pulled back, wondering for a moment if it would be going too far, before you decided to press a quick kiss to his cheek. You stood, walking off to water your crops. "I should probably let you go, you don't wanna be late for work."

Shane's face was all pink, and he nodded after a moment's delay. "Right, yeah, um...thanks for listening to me," he stood as well. "See you later."

You watched him take the path from your house into town, zipping up his jacket against the wind. He had patched the holes in it.

[dixons-sunshine]

Shopping Spree, Hangout Dreams AU Headcannons Part 4 | Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Word count: 625.

A/n: Okay, so here's some more of my own personal headcannons for this au because I have nothing else to post lol. However, these focus more on the canon timeline, because I want to write more for this au in the show's events. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoy!

★ When the quarry camp got overrun with walkers, Daryl couldn't find you at first.

★ His whole world shattered for a moment when he called for you but you didn't answer him. He thought that the walkers had gotten you, and he was ready to kill anyone and anything in his path.

★ However, you finally called out to him. When you did, he ran to you and practically crushed your body to him.

★ He had just lost his brother. He couldn't handle losing you, too.

★ He held you that entire night. He wouldn't let you go.

★ When everyone got to the CDC, Daryl was relieved. Not only were you safe, but there was a doctor that could help deliver the baby.

★ He spent the night (while very slightly intoxicated) cuddled up on your stomach. Before he fell asleep, he whispered sweet nothings to your baby, his baby, as well as saying an endless amount of “I love you's” to you.

★ Yeah, that dream of his got ruined quickly. You think he was pissed at Jenner in the show? Multiply that by a hundred when his wife and unborn child are in danger. The only reason Jenner didn't get a beating was because you were clinging to him and trying to calm him down.

★ When those doors opened, he practically dragged you out of there. The others were still stumbling around, but the two of you were running for those doors upstairs the minute Jenner opened the doors.

★ When the horde on the highway passed and everyone was looking for Sophia, you were right by his side. He wanted you to stay by the RV but with T-Dog injured and him not fully trusting only Dale to keep you safe, he brought you along.

★ Not without a gun, though. He trusted your shooting skills. The two of you had taken up shooting practice with guns for hunting back in the day, so he felt comfortable enough with letting you carry a gun.

★ It did take a lot of threatening convincing for Shane to give in, but Daryl wouldn't let up.

★ When the farm finally came along, your escapades were put on a temporary halt.

★ Not because he didn't trust you to help look for Sophia, but because with the safety the farm provided and with a doctor available, it was time to properly start thinking of the baby.

★ Hershel gave the two of you a few baby books to read, and Daryl stayed up late into the night while you slept, reading and preparing himself for everything.

★ He did get excited when he learnt that having sex didn't hurt the baby, but he would never force you into that. It was just nice knowing that if you wanted to, he could give you what you wanted without having to worry about hurting the baby.

★ You did want it, more easily aroused than ever before because of your hormones, but there was a time and place for that—Hershel's farm while sleeping in a tent near everyone wasn't the time nor place for that.

★ Daryl really wanted the farm to work out. Unlike in the show, he'd be on Rick's side with wanting to stay. It was the safest option for you and your unborn baby, and he'd be damned if someone (Shane) ruined everything.

★ When Daryl got shot, he may or may not have been proud of you when news of you punching Andrea circled back to him.

★ He did get a proper scolding from you for scaring you like that, though.

★ He wasn't mad because he understood, and when he saw your tears, he brought you into his arms, despite the pain in his body.

★ You were the only one who was able to reach out to him when everyone found out that Sophia was dead.

★ Seeing walker Sophia instilled a new yet old fear in him—what if he failed your baby? What if your baby died because he couldn't protect them? What if you died because he couldn't protect you?

★ It took a lot of comforting to calm him down. You knew that you wouldn't be able to erase his fear, but you could be there for him and reassure him to the best of your abilities.

©dixons-sunshine 2024. I do not give permission for my works to be copied, modified, adapted or translated to any other site or platform without evidence of my given consent.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Spouses worried because the farmer didn’t come home last night. (Thinking they passed out in skull cavern/mines and nobody found them)

Sure thing. Enjoy, dear anon 😊💕

_________________________________________

Poor Penny, crying quietly, will ask all the residents if they have seen the Farmer. Eventually will walk into the Clinic where her spouse will be sitting bandaged. She will immediately cry louder and hug them. Penny almost goes crazy!

Sebastian will take his handmade obsidian dagger with him and go to the Mines to look for his spouse. But ends up finding Farmer right outside the entrance to the Mines, where they're sleeping. Phew, at least they're okay. The dagger won't be needed.

"AAAAAAAA!" So, with a battle cry, Abigail grabs her sword and goes to rescue the Farmer, since she can't sit still and worry anymore. Scolds them severely when she finds out they overworked themselves and fell asleep outside again, but quickly forgives them.

Yoba, oh Yoba, where is Elliott's dear lover? They haven't returned, though they promised they would. He must do something! Gather people, organize a search. Oh, Farmer! He was so worried about them! Asleep again?! Please, Farmer. A writer's heart may not be able to take this kind of stress....

Shane wanted to simultaneously swear and hug Farmer after they were found unconscious and brought home the next day. He wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to Farmer...

Maru knows the necessity of Farmer's dangerous ore mining, but... She can't help but worry about them. And when Farmer returns in the morning, a little battered but alive, the girl thinks of making a robot to mine the ore instead of Farmer.

Naturally, Harvey's heart raced at the fact that Farmer hadn't returned last night. But when they were found, 'super doctor' mode kicked in. First - to cure the spouse, then - to scold them.

Emily is somewhat reassured by the fact that she gave Farmer a charged with good aura amulet and a couple of stones before she left that are supposed to protect them. It's unclear if they work or not, but Farmer, though only by morning, came back in one piece. Phew!!!

Nothing Alex's spouse can't handle. He believes them. But he's ready to snap out of his seat at any second and beat the Farmer off the monsters with his bare hands if necessary. Alex is a little nervous but he believes in them.

Haley tries to think of the good things. Her favorite spouse is a very strong and very brave person. She will wait for them, wait for them to come, for the worried girl to scold them a little and then hug them tightly.

Sam has to go back and forth and find something to do to take his mind off the bad thoughts. The farmer might have stayed a day before, nothing new here. But when they come back, Sam's gonna be all puppy dog-eyed, like, "I was so worried!"

Leah has plenty of tools that can easily be made into weapons, and the brave artist is ready to get her spouse out of Hell. She's a bit worried and anxious, but she'll follow them into the Mines. And she'll get them out of there.

[ashtheketchum]

Hey, no pressure but when can we expect the next chapter of A New Family? I really love the concept of Daryl x Single Mom Reader!

A/N: As stupid as it sounds, questions and messages like these always make me happy. I never expected so many people to like this story! I always try to publish one chapter per week by the way ;D (Picture from Pinterest!)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

Taglist: @lowkeyhottho

Warnings: Blood, Injuries, Typical TWD Content

Masterlist!

____________________________________________

PoV (Y/N):

After the walkers were taken care of, we decided to go to the CDC. At first Shane was against it, as were some others, but Jim then convinced them. Not because he spoke well to them, but because he was bitten. When we found this out, we headed to the CDC. However, not everyone wanted to go there. Morales and his family wanted to go their own way and we accepted it. Rick gave Moales another gun and some ammunition while the others separated from his family.

(D/N) and I kept our distance, we didn't have any real contact with Morales and his family, so we didn't say goodbye. "Okay, we're leaving!" And with those words we set off to the CDC.

Rick, Carol, Lori, Sophia and Carl rode together, Dale, Jim, Tdog, Glenn, Andrea and Jacqui rode in the RV. I actually wanted (D/N) to go with one of them, but there was no more space. We sat with Daryl in his car. It had a huge loading area on which he had placed his brother's motorcycle. We had put our bags next to it because they would have taken up too much space at the front. While Daryl drove, I sat between him and (D/N), who was sleeping. She rested her head on my arm and I stroked her hand gently.

There was silence between Daryl and me. I didn't know what it was like between us now. He insulted me, then apparently wanted to spend time with (D/N). Then he snapped at me and then saved my and (D/N)'s life. It was confusing. I briefly thought about how (D/N) sees Daryl and I had to smile slightly. I sighed briefly in amusement, which Daryl probably noticed. ,, Wha´? Why´r ya laughing?" He asked, not annoyed, but more curious. "I didn't laugh…" I then said quietly and then turned my head away.

Daryl gave a brief snort of amusement. "F´course not…" Strangely, I couldn't hear any annoyed or offended tone in his voice. Maybe he was a little calmer now and I could tell him. It wouldn't really change anything anyway. “(D/N)… said that she sees you as a new father…” I then murmured quietly. A sad smile crept onto my lips and I looked down at her. She was breathing very calmly and had now laid her head on my lap. Daryl remained silent, although I could feel him tense briefly. "Wha´? Why tha´?" If I only knew that, Dixon.

Shrugging my shoulders, I looked out the window again. The streets were quiet and we didn't see a single walker. You might think that there wouldn't be any more, but this picture is deceptive. "I don't know…" I then sighed quietly.

Before Daryl could ask anything else, we suddenly saw the RV and Rick's car stop. Daryl stopped too and Rick motioned for us to come out. Just as I was about to unbuckle myself, Daryl moved his hand in front of my face. "Stay here, I'll go…" He just murmured quietly and he walked out. I stayed quiet for a moment, actually I didn't even have to listen to him, but if Daryl gave me the order not to do anything (which had never happened before), then there was probably a reason for it. So I stayed seated and watched the other group members talk.

Lori and Andrea looked at me briefly before tilting their heads towards me and speaking. For a while, I felt very uncomfortable, what were they talking about me? Did you want to get rid of us? Daryl spoke briefly before moving back to us. He opened his door and slammed it again. “Everything okay…?” Daryl remained silent for a moment. "Yeh… Jim wan´s ´ta stay here and be dropped off… we should say bye…" Daryl then said.

His answer chastised me a bit. Jim had lasted a really long time, but I expected him to give up now. He probably suffered terribly. "What did Lori and Andrea say?" This question slipped out of my mind. I didn't really want to ask, but somehow I had a right to know if it was about me. "They asked if ya should also say bye ta´ Jim… Andrea sai´ tha´ ya and (D/N) should do tha´…" Daryl explained briefly. "I said that ya should decide for yarself."

I was grateful and pissed. Why did Andrea take the right to decide over me and my daughter. However, I really wanted to say goodbye, out of respect. "It's okay… but thanks, Daryl…" I murmured quietly. I gently lifted (D/N)'s head to get out. I didn't want her to have to say goodbye, she wasn't ready for that. Daryl got out from his side so I could climb after him.

Rick and Shane sat Jim by a tree and we said goodbye. It took a lot of people away, Jacqui even gave him a kiss before she walked away. I then knelt down next to Jim and I nodded at him gratefully. "I hope you won't be in pain anymore…" "I won't… and take good care of your daughter…" He coughed quietly. I smiled lovingly at him before standing up and distancing myself again. After everyone said goodbye, we continued driving until we hit a traffic jam. (D/N) was awake again by now and I explained the situation to her with Jim before we all got out and listened to Rick.

(D/N) was a little sad, but she didn't cry because of the news with Jim. I didn't know if she was angry that she couldn't say goodbye or disappointed. But it didn't feel right for me to let her do something like that.

Since there were a lot of cars here, we had to somehow find resources to help us. Food, medicine, clothes, water and more. Just anything you could find. So we split up a bit and started looking. (D/N) and I went with Tdog. How the others divided up was different. "Maybe we can find new clothes or even medicine." (D/N) said, looking around too. "Let's hope so, little one." Tdog agreed with her. Tdog and I searched in the cars while (D/N) stayed outside and instead looked under them or looked around.

I found some clothes and a bottle of water. Smiling, I got out of the car again and I showed this to (D/N). She smiled brightly and reached for the fabric I had pulled out. It was a t-shirt, her size and she seemed to like it. "Can I keep this?" I acknowledged her question with a nod. “Walker!” Tdog suddenly said. Immediately we saw the huge herd coming towards us from the distance and we ran between the cars to the others.

“Mom!” (D/N) suddenly shouted. I immediately turned around and I saw (D/N) lying on the ground, blood flowing out of her leg. She had cut off a part of the rust. I immediately ran to her and I picked her up. My clothes soaked up her blood before it continued to drip to the floor. Breathing heavily, I kept running before Lori grabbed me and told me to hide under a car.

“Come on, get under the car, honey!” I said to (D/N), who slowly went under the car. I climbed after her and looked at her wound under the car. It was a deep cut, but it wasn't big. I looked deep into her eyes before tearing off some fabric from my top and wrapping it around the wound. In the background I could already hear the walkers running past us and (D/N) pressed her hands to her mouth to keep quiet. We were now trapped under the cars and (D/N) was bleeding non-stop.

Next Chapter ->

[dyns33]

Dead man walking

He's an ass, but I love Shane, so I'm writing some Shane's stories now.

Shane had called her when it all started. Even though he didn't want to believe it was serious, his instinct told him to call her, and Y/N answered while continuing to watch TV.

They had been together for a little over a month.

After what happened to his best friend and partner, Shane went to bars a lot, drank a lot, got into fights, and found a different girl to spend the night with.

When he approached Y/N, she knew he wasn't looking for anything serious, but above all she saw the sadness in his eyes, the desperation in his forced smile, the loneliness in the hand that touched her shoulder.

They had discussed. A lot of talking, and not the stupid, insubstantial discussions he had with all the other girls.

It surprised Shane that someone was interested in him. Really interested in him, not just his looks, his attitude, his invitation to jump into bed. He wasn't used to it.

Usually, people saw an idiot, an asshole, a seducer, a fighter, but nothing more. Before, people didn't really see him most of the time, because they were too busy seeing Rick.

He had cried that evening, in the arms of Y/N, who had comforted him with great patience and gentleness.

Shane had fallen in love. It was new to him, but not unpleasant. He had always dreamed of having a family, like his best friend. He wished he was there to share his happiness, but he talked to him all the time about Y/N when he went to the hospital.

Then there were the announcements. While Y/N was on a business trip to Jacksonville. 5 hours drive drom Atlanta.

Shane called her because some people losing their minds and attacking other people wasn't normal. He wanted to check that she was okay. He asked her if she was going to come home early.

As this did not seem to disrupt her boss's plans, she told him that she would be home as planned the following week.

"I miss you, baby. I don't like you being so far away." he sighed, realizing that he couldn't convince her to jump in her car.

“Everything will be fine, we’ll be together soon.”

Two days later, it was already chaos. There were no more telephones, everyone was running in the streets, the highways were blocked, there were no planes or trains.

Y/N witnessed terrible scenes. Dead people rising to eat the living. With a small group, she managed to hide in the woods, with water and food. It wouldn't last, even if they were safe.

But all she could think about was Shane. She had to find Shane.

Without a car or any other means of transportation, 5 hours became a lot longer to get home. If he was still home. If he was okay… No, she didn't want to think about that. Y/N knew Shane, he was alive, she was sure of it.

An excellent shooting instructor, he had taught her how to handle several firearms. She stole some from an abandoned gun store, with a knife, and after filling her backpack with provisions, she headed to Atlanta.

Avoiding the roads, making no noise, sleeping in trees, Y/N approached the goal after several weeks. She had been forced to fight, and kill some walkers, and that allowed her to discover that they detected her less easily when she was covered in their blood.

It was a real relief to see the town sign. Then she lost hope a bit, seeing that the streets were deserted. There was little chance Shane would have stayed here.

Maybe he had decided to join her, and their paths had crossed. Y/N went into the forest to rest, and she saw a camp from afar.

Suspicious, she used her sniper to determine if the survivors looked dangerous. There were women, a man on a camper van, kids.

Continuing to observe, she saw a couple away from the group, as if they were hiding.

The woman looked familiar. Y/N was sure she had seen her before. When they separated, she almost dropped her gun.

Shane. Shane and Lorie, Rick's wife, his best friend. Kissing.

She had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle the cry that wanted to come out, tears streaming down her cheeks. While she was risking her life to find him, Shane was sleeping with another woman, quietly installed in a camp, not caring at all about her.

If she had wanted, she could have shot them in the head before leaving.

But she held back, crying silently in a tree. She stayed there for several days, not knowing what she was going to do next. Her reason for living was to find Shane, she had no purpose now.

When the camp became agitated, she used her sniper again, seeing a sheriff approach, taking Shane in his arms, then kissing Lorie and her son.

Rick. The friend in a coma. He was alive, he was back, and he was going to cause a big mess. This made her smile. She really wanted to see what that would be like, so she decided to follow them.

They made a lot of bad decisions along the way, but Y/N could understand that it was more complicated to survive as a group. She saw the girl coming out from under the car, panicking.

Even though she was further away, Y/N observed her trajectory and she ran very quickly to catch up, while the group pushed the dead away.

Sophia was an annoying little girl. Stubborn. But after Y/N killed the walkers chasing her, she agreed to trust her, taking her hand to return to the group.

They had moved, again, so it wasn't easy.

Y/N didn’t really want to talk to them. To talk to Shane. But she couldn't leave a child alone.

The farm was in the middle of nowhere, but you could see it was inhabited. She approached slowly, her weapon against her chest, Sophia remaining behind her.

Rick was the first to come towards them, his eyes bright and smiling when he saw the little one, thanking Y/N for finding her. Her mother followed, then everyone else.

Shane's look was indescribable. He stopped in the middle of the camp, as if unsure of what he was seeing. For a moment, Y/N wondered if he was going to look at Lorie, hesitate because of what he had done, but instead he let out a huge scream.

He screamed her name, running like crazy towards her to hug and kiss her, surprising everyone.

"Y/N ! Y/N, you're alive ! You're here ! I can't believe you're here ! I thought…I'm a moron, sorry. Forgive me."

“I told you I was going to come home.” she said coldly.

"Oh, baby… I wanted to find you, but I had to take care of the group. They needed me."

“Yes, I noticed they had certain needs.”

He didn't seem to understand her sentence, but Shane didn't have time to ask her any questions, the others inviting them to enter the farm to rest, and for Y/N to tell them her story.

Strangely, some people knew who she was. Shane had talked about her, even if the subject made him melancholic and aggressive. They knew she was far away when it all started, and no one thought she would make it here, even if she was still alive.

Shane hadn't thought she was alive. This hurt her deeply, on top of everything else. She suddenly felt dead inside, remembering herself walking for hours, days, weeks, just to find him, just like those inhuman things.

She was able to hurt him in turn when Rick said that they were lucky that she arrived at the moment when Sophia separated from the group, and she contradicted him, revealing that she had been following them for several weeks.

"… What ? You found us several weeks ago and… And you didn't say anything ?"

"I was watching from afar. I saw… a lot of things."

Her eyes quickly landed on Lorie, who trembled, understanding what Y/N meant. Shane understood too, swallowing what he was going to say as he looked down in shame.

Not wanting to create discord when their son Carl had been injured, Y/N said nothing, finding a corner of the house to sleep. She thought things wouldn't go any further for tonight, but she had forgotten what Shane was like.

Once everyone was asleep, he snuck over to her corner, lying down next to her.

"I'm glad you're alive. I love you."

“Shut up, Shane.”

"I'm sorry." he sighed, staring at the ceiling, his hand still remaining close to hers. "I thought… At first, I wanted to keep hope. Then seeing all this shit, I thought it would be better if you weren't here anymore. I didn't want to imagine you alone, trying to survive. It was already horrible here, and I had people I knew. You have to understand… We felt alone and lost. We needed comfort. It was nothing else, and we weren't proud of it. I thought about Rick all the time, and about you, but I needed that to keep from breaking down. Do you understand ? Can you forgive me, baby ? My darling, my love ? I only love you, I swear.”

It still hurt, but Y/N could understand.

Nothing was simple, everything had changed. She wanted Shane to go looking for her, but he might have died on the road. She would have liked him not to sleep with another woman, but he might have lost his mind with the pressure and depression. She would have wanted him to keep hope, but this hope would have eaten away at him, torn from the inside, because he wouldn't have known what to do between staying with the group and leaving.

It hurt, but she couldn't judge him. He thought she was dead, he thought Rick was dead, the world was on fire, and he just wanted to hold on to something.

Gently, she took his hand, and she heard him sob, turning his head towards her to place it on her shoulder, kissing her skin.

"I only need you, baby. Always have."

“You’re still so excessive.”

“Yeah, and you love me like that.” he purred, clinging completely to her. "You don't know how happy I am that you're here. Fuck. I didn't think I could still be happy like this."

Y/N didn’t tell him that she was going to need time to completely forgive him. She didn't tell him that Rick would eventually find out too. She also didn't know that they were going to run into a lot of other problems, within the group and because of everything that was going on.

No, she decided not to ruin this moment, for which she had traveled several kilometers, taking him in her arms as during their first meeting.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

86&76 w shane 86&76 w shane 86&76 W SHANE- -galaxy

PERFECT angst for his six-heart event (sorry not sorry, kids)

76) "You're not alone"

86) "Don't be scared, I'm right here"

.......

You don't know why, but your gut was calling you to Cindersap Forest this morning.

Something was wrong with Shane, it told you, and you had to check on him.

The heavy rain and occasional rumbles of thunder were of no deterrence to you as you grabbed your jacket and slipped on your boots, ensuring barn and coop were closed up tight before leaving your farmland.

First you headed to Marnie's ranch, hoping that you were just becoming paranoid for no reason at all. For all you knew, he could just be hanging out in the kitchen, with his aunt at the shop counter and his goddaughter playing in her room.

It could just be a normal rainy day.

Yet the moment you entered, you saw the two ladies there, their expressions looking rather grim...and Shane nowhere to be found.

Of course, you remember how tense things were between the three of them. Only a week ago, you walked in on Marnie urging you to help Shane, who was passed out on the floor, requiring the use of your watering can to wake him up.

His mental health had sunken low, to the point where he accidentally said something in front of Jas that had you genuinely concerned for his well-being:

"Hopefully I won't be around long enough to need a "plan"."

After she ran out of the room in tears, you were left trying to pick up the broken pieces that made up Shane...as he fell apart and began crying himself, feeling so incredibly guilty for allowing her to hear such a terrible thing come from his mouth.

A selfish, selfish thing..from the person her parents entrusted her to.

In the following days, everyone acted like nothing ever happened, but you could still feel that heaviness in the air every time you entered the ranch to shop.

And it's clear that Shane was spiraling, doing more to hide it despite it being clearly visible to you.

He drank more heavily at the saloon (becoming the first and last customer to leave), barely noticed you on his way to work in the mornings, and the letters he sent to you had sloppier handwriting.

On the days he was off, Marnie would tell you he was sleeping, so you wouldn't think to disturb him.

Even so, it was worrying, and today you wanted to check up on him around the time he got ready to leave for JojaMart. Maybe you could convince him to talk to somebody..

But now you knew something was seriously wrong from the moment you saw his family members' faces.

"Is Shane here?" You frowned slightly, looking around. "Usually he's heading to work around this time."

"Th-That's the thing, Farmer..um..he's not here, or at JojaMart." Marnie spoke up, looking rather anxious herself. "Morris called up the shop and gave me quite an earful, saying that never showed up to his shift today. I checked his room, but..he was gone. He emptied all the beers out of his fridge and-"

"He left this..it was in the trash." Jas approached you, teary eyed as she handed you a heavily crumpled paper.

Seeing that alone filled your heart with immense dread, but you took it anyways and did your best to smooth it out. You tried to convince yourself it was one of his many drafted letters to you he just tossed out.

It wasn't.

It was short.

Yet it made you worst fear come true.

"Farmer & Marnie, I'm sorry, but I'm done being a burden on you all. Don't look for me. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Tell Jas I'm in a better place now."

There was no signature at the end, but it didn't take a genius to know who this was.

"Where's Uncle Shane? Why would he write this and disappear??"Jas began to sob a little, clearly terrified. "Please..you have to find him, Farmer! You have to!"

It took you a moment to find your voice, still reeling from the horror of this note and whether you could actually find him in time--as you didn't know how long ago he even wrote this--but you knew you had to..

Before he did something stupid.

"I will. I promise." You hugged her for a few moments, looking to Marnie. "I think it's better if I go alone."

"O-Okay.." She nodded, watching as Jas let you go and returned to her side. "Be careful out there. I'd hate for him to get caught up in this nasty storm.."

..........

'This wind..oh my Yoba..'

Clinging to the hood that kept slipping off your head, you headed deeper into Cindersap Forest, your gut instincts once again telling you that Shane was around here somewhere.

You didn't know why they'd point you this far inward, but you followed them through and through..

Until they turned out to be correct, as by the cliffside, you came out into a small clearing with beer cans strung out across the grass...as well as somebody familiar laying among them.

It was Shane, the man you were looking for all morning, facedown in the dirt.

At first you were relieved to find him, being careful not to slip as you approached him, but then you began to wonder what happened to him and why he wasn't moving.

Did he pass out again? Or...were you in fact much too late to help him?

God, you pray he didn't drink himself to death here.

Before your mind could fully freak out, you saw him stirring at last, lifting his head up to see you kneeling beside him in the wet grass. And all you saw as you removed your hood...was someone who had truly hit rock bottom.

What was he planning to do all the way out here?

"Farmer..." He finally murmured.

"Shane-" You started, yet he cut you off with a loud sniffle, followed by a drunken hiccup.

"I..I'm sorry," his words were heavily slurred. "M..My life. It's a pathetic joke. Look at me, why do I even try?" A small sob came from him, causing his entire body to shudder. "I'm too small and stupid to...to take control of my life. I'm just a p..piece of soiled garbage fluttering in the wind.."

"That's not true, Shane." You gently rested a hand on his back, feeling it heave with every other sob he let out. "Come on, it's not safe here. We should get you back home."

However, you attempts to tug on his Joja jacket's hood failed, as he didn't even budge.

"I've been coming here often lately..looking down." He continued, as though not hearing you. "Here's a chance to finally take control of my life....these cliffs..."

"...so that's why you're here.." Your voice trembled a bit, your heart breaking more for this man who was just starting to open up to you--and now contemplated jumping down into the sharp rocks and waves below, thinking nobody would notice or find him. "You know, I saw your note."

"You...did..?" He mumbled. "How did..you know where to..?"

"Gut feeling." You simply answered, deciding it was better not to tell him that Jas found the note. You didn't wanna make him feel any worse than he already did. "Is this..what you really wanna do? This is how you wanna go out?"

"I....I-I don't know anymore. I should'a done it, but..." Shane buried his face into his arms. "I'm too scared, too anxious...just like always."

"Shane, I'm glad you didn't go through with it. You can't-"

"Can't what? D..Decide what I wanna do with my existence now? It's a waste..you'll forget me s...s-soon enough. You..never should'a looked for me-"

"But-"

"Farmer, all I do is work, sleep, and drink t...to dull the feelings of self-hatred. Why should I even go on?"

"Shane-"

"Tell me..." Looking up at you, you could see his reddened face, the raindrops mixing with the tears that stained his cheeks. "T...Tell me why I shouldn't roll off this cliff right now!" He snapped, part of him frustrated that you were here, ruining his "plan".

But at the same time..he was relieved you were here, talking to him, giving him a chance to reconsider what he was about to do.

You're the only real friend he had in this town. The only one who came looking for him, yet it also made him shitty, knowing you had to see him like this.

It was bad enough when he made Jas cry when all you wanted to do was buy hay for your animals. You never should've had to deal with him or his family drama.

You never should have seen that note. He didn't want you to find it. He didn't want you to find him.

You should've been taking care of your farm and fixing up that old community center, not stand here in the cold pouring rain and see what a mess he's become.

It would've been better for you and everyone else if he just-

"That decision is your own, but..just know that I'm here for you."

He blinked, finding your response to be most unexpected.

He thought you'd tell him how selfish and horrible he was for "abandoning" Jas, or claim there was "so much" to live for when he just got done telling you he felt like there was nothing left for him in this world...or scornfully remark that throwing his life away was a "sin" in the eyes of a god he never believed him.

Anyone else in town would've told him off.

But not you.

You're different. You understood him better than anyone. Even better than the town doctor who never came even remotely close to chipping away at the walls he built up.

Maybe..

You're worth sticking around for. If not anybody else.

"T-Thanks..I appreciate that." He mumbled, laying his head back down. "Really, I do.."

"Of course, Shane." You continued rubbing his back comfortingly, feeling the rain lightening up. "You're not alone, even though it might feel that way."

"...you're..so stubborn, y'know?"

"Hm?"

"All I've done was..t..treat you like shit. But you still wanna be my friend..wha...what have I ever done to deserve that? How can you see me like this..and...and not think of me as some drunken, weak coward?"

"Because you're not your bad habits."

"...buh?" He slowly blinked at you, looking utterly confused.

"What I mean is..you're so much more than just the "town drunk". I know you love caring for chickens. You always ask Emily how she's doing at the saloon and distract her from Clint's..uh..weirdness." You awkwardly chuckled. "And you love pissing off Morris by sneaking me free food. Shows you're quite the rebel yourself, just like Sam. Plus, you were nicer than Haley was when I first moved to town. You never insulted my looks or my work. I was honestly more scared of her at the time."

"Really..?"

"Really." You repeated, smiling. Although you felt like his clouded mind didn't catch half the stuff you were saying, you wanted him to least hear it....even if he were to forget about it tomorrow. "And the fact that you hesitate to go through with this plan...it shows strength. It shows that just the tiniest part of you doesn't wanna leave just yet..and it's okay to admit that. It's not weak at all."

"....right..you've..convinced me how stupid this is.." He mumbled, slowly picking himself up off the ground, coming to a kneeling position. Then he stared back at you, half of his jacket slipping off his shoulder, eyes tinted red and puffy as his hair clung to his skin. You could tell he was having a hard time keeping himself steady.

"Farmer?"

"Yes, Shane?"

"...I think you should take me to the hospital."

A moment later, he slumped into your arms, startling you. But you were quick to keep ahold of him and help him to his feet, slinging his arm around your shoulders to support him better.

Even though the storm had eased up at this point, Shane still felt like there was a dark cloud of shame over his head--and eventually he felt a burning pain in his abdomen, groaning as he clutched it tightly, nearly collapsing again.

"Woah--easy, I got you..what's wrong?" You asked in worry.

"M-My stomach..it's...god...I had too much...t-too much.." He shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm scared..what if I don't make it? What if this is my body-?"

"Don't be scared, I'm right here. You're gonna be okay. We'll get to Harvey, and he'll take good care of you." You consoled him, letting him lean on you as much as he wanted..even though the extra weight brought on by both of your soggy clothes didn't help much.

But right now, you didn't care about any of that.

Getting Shane as far away from those cliffs as possible was all that mattered.

[storywriter12]

When you are scared/sad

Rick:It was after when the farm fell Shane was dead. Lori was pregnant with Judith and the group had nowhere to go. The weather was getting colder and you started to pull away not saying much. After everyone stopped for lunch you walked some more and it was getting darker. Rick was in front but you didn't even know he was right next to you “hay (you) “ you looked up because he called your name, you smiled at him. Hi.

(Rick) everything OK? You seem to be pulling away

(you) you looked at him and he was so sweet with you, he always was, you huffed and looked at him. I'm scared rick we've been going for weeks now. And we haven't found anything. What if this is it? What if we don't find anything? What if Carl and the baby have to live out here? You felt your eyes well up with tears and you let a few drop. He found it nice that you were so concerned about Carl and his baby he hugged you playing with your hair. “We will find something “ he said and kissed your head. You smiled up at him and nodded “rick “you heard Daryl call his name and he walked off. Though all that you saw that lori was looking at you, you looked at her and walked away to go and find Rick. When you did rick and daryl found somewhere “see I told you “he said and kissed your cheek

Daryl:you were out hunting with him, you found some rabbits. When you heard a walker you followed the noise moving some leaves away and you saw a shocking scene, blood was everywhere, clothes were scattered, the walker was eating what was left when the walker looked up to you. It was a kid the kid looked no more than 10 he was skinny and you could tell that he just turned he started to walk to you, you held out your knife but your hands were shaky “I'll do it”you hear daryl say you looked at him and he walked to the walker and stabbed him in the head and gently laid him down, he looked up at you and hugged you tightly you wrapped your hands around his neck as you cried he pulled away after a few minutes to look at you, he wiped the tears away from your cheeks and kissed you softly on your lips “let's go”he said holding your hand until you both got to the car after you got home he spent the night with you just holding you.

Negan:It was night time and a storm was in the air thunder and heavy rain. The rain drops sounded like bullets against your window you were cuddled into a tight ball shaking, negan was a sleep near you it was rare he slept over you must have woke him because you felt his arms around you pulling you to his body you felt so much better he held you until you slept through the night

Simon:you were exhausted and you couldn't deal with anything all what you wanted was your bed and Simon so when one of the men was shouting at you for not doing what you were told you couldn't handle it so you just told him to shut up the fuck up and you walked away of course that got back to negan and the guy was tell all sorts of stories about you to negan and also to Simon bad things so a hour later your door was banging so hard it scared you when you opened it simon was standing there with a pissed look on his face you asked what was wrong and he shouted at you telling you about all of theses lies he has heard you were stunned as he was shouting you told him to stop as you hate it when people shout but he wouldn't listen that's when you sat on the floor covering your ears and then he stopped you didn't even realise that you were crying like made that's when he knew he made a mistake you didn't even know what was going on he rudhed to you to comfort you but you jumped away which hurt him he told you he was sorry you cried as you stood up and cried into the pillow he sat on your bed lying down and just holding you tell you how sorry he was and he was such a jerk he held you whilst you cried and held you when you were sleeping he kissed the top of your head and stroked your hair you cling to him hearing his heart beat was soothing to you you fell asleep but had nightmares but he was there for you which made it all better

Glenn:you were upset after the whole thing with Sophia and with the barn, and she walked out as a walker rick shot her. And now everyone was in shock you ran away from the group she was such a sweet girl you sat down on the floor crying that's when you felt arms around you holding you tightly you looked up seeing glenn you hugged him, back crying. Into his shoulder “it's OK “he said stroking. Your hair you pulled away looking at him both if his hands cupped your face giving your lips a little kiss

(you) what do we do now this place isn't going to stand glenn.,... I'm, scared

(glenn) it's going to be OK I said hugging her again

Abraham:you were in an accident one day and a bunch of the group went to go and fine you and the person you were with you were hurt but alive better than your friend the group took you back to alexandria and to see Olivia when he heard he burst through the doors and to your bedside when you saw him you hugged him tightly and you couldn't help but cry into the hug you friend died he rocked you in his arms he pulled away and kiss your lips softly

Dwight:it was night time and lately you've been having nightmares about your family you lost them when this whole thing started they were ripped apart right in front of you, when you had this nightmare you screamed jumping up dwight jumped out of his skin when you felt his hand in your shoulder you jumped away from his touch when you knew it was him you felt back you said sorry to him and told him the dream you had. When you were telling him he held you to his chest. You felt better with him with you. He whispered you to sleep telling you loving words and just held you until the morning.

Paul rovia “jesus “:today wasn't a good day as you weren't in the mood for any kind of shit so when gregory shouted at you, you shouted back at him and stormed. Out and sat next to a tree you couldn't help but cry as tears came down your cheeks “what's up babe? “you hear Jesus's voice as you turned to look, at him his eyes went soft as he crouched next to you you told him what happened with gregory but it wasn't even that lately you've just been feeling down like nothings going to get better he kissed you and hugged you telling you to have hope he went to go and have a word with gregory to never shout at you again and then you two spent the day together he cooked and you two cuddled in bed

King ezekiel: You had this necklace which was. Really special to you your dad gave it to you on your 16th birthday and you never took it off but today it broke you didn't even know how it happened you fell to the floor crying that's when ezekiel walked passed seeing you on the floor crying made his heart break he crouched next to you and asked you what happens you told him about the necklace sadness filled his eyes he wiped your tears away and hugged. You. picking you up and taking you to his and yours. Room he places. You on the bed as. He took the necklace onto his hands and walked out of the room, you cried. Yourself to sleep until you heard his voice calling your name. When you opened your eyes he was holding a red box he sat on the bed and you say up you opened it and it was your necklace all fixed you smiled and happy cried as you hugged him.

Merle:It was a sunny day and you were bringing drinks outside and someone bumped into you. Making you spill all of the drinks on the floor and all over the man you looked up and the man was angry he shouted at you yelling at how you ruined his shirt you froze on your spot not saying anything you were shaking in fear as you felt a hand on the back of your shoulder you heard merle’s voice asking the man what the hell was his problem when the man said what happened merle made a comment about it was only a shirt and that's when the guy swung for you but merle his him first locking the guy on the floor he looked at you and tears were rolling down your cheeks he held you feeling you shake on his arms from fear hurt him so bad he wished he killed that guy but he didn't he rushed you away and you enjoyed yourself as merle made you laugh and her never let you go all day and night.

[brattyprettysub2]

Daddy's New Friend

I'm taking recommendations of good M/m blogs to follow (cis or transmasc)! My dash is incredibly cisgender and M/f at the moment.

All characters in this piece of fiction are role-playing adults. The voice leaned further into regression vibes than I usually do and I like it a lot.

*

When I wake up, Daddy isn't there. It makes me feel all bad and wobbly inside, because I like it when Daddy's there, I like rolling over and finding his nipple with my mouth and sucking on it as I wake up. He always pats my nappy while I do, no matter how wet it is. Sometimes he teases me for being so little and soggy, but he only does that because he loves me.

But Daddy's not here and I need to be a big, brave boy, so I sit up. My nappy squishes under me and I whimper at the horrible wet cold feeling. I need Daddy to change me, to wipe me clean and kiss my tummy and help me into my big boy underwear. I don't have accidents most days, so Daddy lets me wear pick out a pair each day. There are so many to choose from, ships and sea creatures and aliens and jungle animals and cars and kitties and teddy bears, but I only get one pair a day and if I wet myself, Daddy puts me in a nappy for the rest of the day.  

Nappies are nice and cozy to sleep in, but I don't like them as much as my big boy underwear. I like the way the soft cotton rubs against my pussy and little cock when I walk. I like the way Daddy squeezes my bum with his big hands when I wear them.

But I'm not allowed to take off my nappy on my own, so I have to get up. My socks have slipped down to my ankles and I pull them up to my knees again. They're my stripey blue-and-white pair, which I like better than the pink ones. Daddy makes me wear the pink ones when I'm not a brave boy about my punishments and he says I'm crying like a little girl. 

(Last time, he put horrible spiky things in my underwear and made me wear them all day, and I don't think I was a baby for crying because it hurt so much, but Daddy said if I was a brave boy, I wouldn't have cried even when he made me sit on his knee and rub against it.)

I go downstairs, holding tightly to the banister since Daddy isn't here to hold my hand. There are low voices coming from the kitchen and I twist both my fists in my T-shirt as I step into the doorway. There's a person there, a man. I don't recognise him, but Daddy's very close to him, pressing him up against the counter, and the man's laughing and Daddy's leaning closer and he's smiling and then he's kissing him.

I squeak and Daddy turns around. He smiles when he sees me, but doesn't move away from the man. "Hey, sleepyhead," he says. "Look who's finally awake."

I whine, trying to tug my T-shirt down to hide my soggy nappy. I want to say something. Hello or who is this? or Daddy, can I talk to you alone? Grown-up things that I used to say easily, but they now feel so different. All I can do is whine.

Daddy walks over and squeezes my crotch. "Someone needs a change," he says. To the man, he adds, "He always pisses himself at night. Wants to suck my tits when he wakes up, too."

The man looks like he's about to start laughing, so I hide my face in Daddy's chest. He pats my bum. "Come on, let's give you a change," he says. "I want to show Shane how excited your little cock gets when I wipe you down."

And instead of taking me up to the bedroom, where everything's soft and warm and dark and safe, he leads me further into the kitchen, where Shane is waiting with his laughing eyes.

*

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[theblackhate]

Home Is Where The Heart Is | Negan Smith

check the other parts here!

Summary:

There is no longer a home, no place of comfort in that world. One survives to live, risking life to move forward and protect one's people.

But there are always two sides of the same coin. So, is the villain truly the villain? Or is He just the villain in your story?

Pairing: Negan Smith x reader

Word Count: 6.8k

Home?

“The world’s gone to shit.”

“Don’t talk like that, Delilah!” her mother scolded while thanking Emily for finding mushrooms to eat. “There’s only one way to know.”

“Asking Shane when he gets back?” asked the blonde, who was perhaps a few years older than Delilah.

Around them, a large group of people kept themselves busy in any way they could, trying to fill the empty moments and be helpful during this crisis. It was a kind of routine, something that allowed everyone to feel useful.

Delilah, however, seemed unable to adapt like the others. It had been a week since they had gathered at a mountain clearing, hoping they were far enough from the city to avoid attracting any of those things. Yet, every day, she found herself just watching the people moving around her.

The only useful thing she had done was help Daryl Dixon skin a squirrel. Daryl was a peculiar man—gruff, yet always ready to lend a hand around the small camp.

She glanced at her mother from the corner of her eye as she saw her stand up, looking for Dale, an old man with his beloved RV, to inform him she was going for a walk. Dale preferred spending his time on the roof of his RV with binoculars, keeping an eye on the surroundings and ensuring everyone was safe.

The man nodded, and Delilah looked away, feeling a strange sensation in her stomach. She knew that every time her mother left the camp when Shane was absent, it meant they were meeting secretly. Delilah knew what they were doing, and the mere thought made her nauseous.

Shane had been her father’s best friend and had recently returned with the news that her father was as good as dead in that hospital. Since then, her mother had thrown herself into Shane’s arms. Maybe out of desperation, but Delilah couldn’t find a good reason no matter how she looked at it.

“How are you?” Emily took Lori’s place, sitting closer to Delilah. “I know it’s not easy.”

Delilah shrugged. “Doesn’t change much for me,” she lied. “The gnats are bothering me more than this shitty situation, to be honest.”

Emily nodded. “Then you’re handling it better than many others.”

“We can say that. There’s not much we can do, in the end, whether we like it or not.”

Let me know if there are any more adjustments or details you’d like to add!

Delilah wanted to believe her own words, to find a light within that abyss, but it seemed impossible. She felt exhausted; sleeping with the constant fear of dying was something she wasn't used to and probably never would be.

Learning to live differently, finding a new balance—that was what they needed to do, and Delilah was afraid she wouldn't be able to manage it. She couldn’t accept that her world was truly over; everything that once mattered now meant nothing.

Emily sighed, getting up to go to her sister. Delilah knew she was drawing more and more glares each day, always sitting on the same log doing nothing. But she couldn’t bring herself to get up and help more.

Sometimes, she helped Daryl skin his catches or sat under the umbrella with Dale, watching the landscape while he obsessively scanned the area. She felt like she was going crazy, having to look after Carl because her mother was too busy screwing her dead father’s best friend.

Carl interrupted her thoughts, practically sitting on her lap, forcing a smile. "Hey, troublemaker, what’s up?"

"Nothing. Mom told me to stay where you could see me," he said, returning to playing with the toy cars Shane had given him. "And I’m bored."

Delilah hugged him, resting her head on his. "I’m bored too."

She glanced over at her mother, venturing into the woods under the watchful eyes of several survivors. Her mother’s affairs weren’t exactly a secret. Delilah felt almost embarrassed, uncomfortable with her mother’s behavior, as if her betrayal struck her on a personal level.

She could hear Andrea whispering to Emily, the curious looks from Carol. It wasn’t a secret, just like the fact that her mother had been married until a few days ago.

"Come on," she said, turning to Carl as she stood up and took his hand. "Let’s go bother Dale up there."

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

The October breeze sent a shiver through Delilah as she sat atop Dale's camper. She found the spot strangely comforting; observing the world from above allowed her to feel a semblance of control over her life.

She hadn’t shed a tear since what she considered the apocalypse began. She couldn't feel anything but a deep emptiness inside, like she was a soulless body, just like the dead roaming their land.

Sometimes she woke in the middle of the night, gasping, hoping to find herself back in her bed, with Carl tucked under the covers after a bad dream, or her mother coming in to wake her, smiling at the sight of the two siblings.

But nothing was the same anymore, even though many struggled to accept it. The world had changed, and with it, the people. Her mother was a perfect example; it had been two months since the world ended, and the woman she once loved now only evoked disgust in her, just like Shane. Shane, who she had once had a crush on as a child, who had taught her to ride a bike, was now just a stranger.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Dale took a seat next to her, resting his rifle on his lap, ready if needed. “I know you’re scared, we all are. But we have to stick together and find a way to move forward.”

Delilah glanced at him, chuckling. “Is that a nice way of telling me I should get off my ass and help?”

The old man laughed, his laughter echoing in the quiet morning. They were probably the only ones awake at that hour, except for Dixon, who preferred wandering the woods over staying with the group. Delilah couldn’t blame him.

“You know what?” Dale turned to the girl, curious about what she meant. “There’s nothing worth my time. I don’t want to go picking mushrooms or berries with Emily, fishing with Andrea, or doing laundry with Carol and the others!”

She sank deeper into her chair. “I want to be really useful, to have a purpose. Helping Daryl, for example, or going into the city with Glenn, Andrea, Merle, and T-Dog. Not stuck here, in a glass bubble because my mom is paranoid.”

“Your mother cares about you and Carl; it's completely understandable why she wouldn’t want to throw you into the middle of all those walkers. I get it, it's a mother’s love speaking.”

The two fell silent after their brief interaction, listening to the birds' chirping and enjoying the last rays of sun before winter. October was unusually warm that year, but nothing guaranteed the winter would be the same. They had to prepare for a possible sudden cold snap.

Delilah wrapped herself in her red leather jacket, perhaps a bit too heavy for the mild weather, but the warmth reminded her of home, when everything was normal.

Home—a concept that had lost all meaning in a few weeks. None of them had a home anymore, even though Lori insisted that as long as the four of them stayed together, they were home. But Delilah had never heard anything more ridiculous.

Shane wasn’t home, and her mother might as well leave if it were up to her. She couldn’t look her in the eye anymore; the only thing her presence reminded her of was the constant orders. Do this, do that.

A noise from the woods caught Delilah's attention, causing Dale to jump to his feet and aim his rifle in the direction of the sound. Soon, the figure of Daryl emerged from the trees, with squirrels slung over his shoulder. The man shot a glare at Dale and gave Delilah a quick nod. She obeyed, quickly climbing down from the camper to meet him.

“Here,” he handed her the squirrels before heading back into the woods. Delilah watched him until he disappeared, finding him to be a particularly intriguing man. Without wasting time, she settled into her usual spot, took out her knife, and began making a circular cut around the tail.

When she finished, her hands were covered in blood, but at least they would have something to eat. The sun had fully risen by now, waking up the rest of the group and starting the daily chores. Carl soon joined her, clinging to her side out of boredom, following her around all day until Sophia invited him to play with the other kids.

In a way, she envied them as she watched them run around the camp, seemingly unfazed, as if they were just at a summer camp while she was stuck rotting in her usual spot. T-Dog had joked that she’d probably wear a hole in the log from sitting there so much.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Lori's voice came from behind her as she placed a kiss on Delilah's head. “Did you sleep well? How long have you been up?” Delilah shrugged.

Lori sighed, placing her hands on her hips, clearly distressed. She knelt in front of her daughter, trying to catch her eye. “Delilah... please look at me,” she said, taking Delilah's face in her hands, forcing her to make eye contact. “I know it’s tough, but—”

“No, don’t lecture me. You don’t have the right when you’re sleeping with Dad’s best friend,” Delilah interrupted, her tone harsh. Lori was taken aback, left speechless. She looked at her daughter, mouth agape, unable to find a defense because, in reality, she didn’t even know how to defend herself. “Do you really think you're being discreet? Everyone here knows! And you don’t know how ashamed I am that you’re my mother. You come off as nothing but a slut right now. You jumped into his arms right away, you didn’t even mourn Dad.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that!” Lori snapped, but Delilah stood up, leaving her mother alone, ignoring her calls. She had no intention of wasting time arguing about something that should never have been up for debate.

Hearing the commotion, Shane got up from the chair where he was cleaning knives and grabbed Delilah's arm. “Is everything okay?”

She looked at him, wondering if his kindness and concern were just a ploy to win her over, but she had no intention of playing his game. “Don’t touch me, you disgust me,” she snapped, shaking off his arm and walking away, hoping to find some peace and quiet.

Shane turned to Lori, confused, and seeing her devastated expression, he quickly pieced together what had happened. He rubbed his forehead, unsure of how to handle the situation, knowing that from now on, working with Delilah would be even more challenging.

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

“What are you doin’ out here, kid?” Daryl's voice startled her. She turned quickly, noticing him sitting under a tree, working on his crossbow. “It’s dangerous.”

“I needed some space,” she shrugged, wrapping her arms around herself, feeling self-conscious under his gaze. “What are you doing?” she ventured to ask.

He looked her up and down, a perpetual scowl on his face. “Stuff.”

Delilah stared back, unfazed by his usual cold demeanor. Gathering her courage, she sat down next to him, leaning against the tree, hoping he wouldn’t shame her by sending her away. To her surprise, he said nothing, only casting the occasional sidelong glance.

“Not here to comfort you, if that’s what you want,” he said abruptly, making her turn to him. His eyes were fixed on his crossbow, his thick fingers adjusting a loose string.

“I just need some silence,” she replied, closing her eyes and enjoying the breeze rustling the leaves above them, the sunlight warming her face. Finding moments of peace in this new world was rare. One always had to be on guard, and Delilah just wanted to rest for a few hours. Surprisingly, Daryl let her.

They stayed there for what felt like hours, lulled by the chirping of birds and occasional laughter from the camp. Her tranquility was abruptly cut short when Daryl nudged her foot with his boot. She opened one eye, raising an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“Get up. I’m going huntin’.”

“Can I come with you?” Delilah's request seemed to put Daryl in a quandary. He looked at her with annoyance, but she took it as a victory that he didn’t immediately say no. She stood up, brushing dirt and leaves off her pants, following him into the woods. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

He stopped, turning to her and pointing a finger in her face. “Stay behind me. Don’t make noise.”

Delilah mimed locking her lips and throwing away the key, earning an eye roll from him. She would do anything to break the routine, and if that meant staying silent as a mime, so be it.

She drew a knife from her belt, ready for any unexpected encounter with one of the undead. Daryl moved through the forest as if he knew it like the back of his hand, his steps silent despite his size. Occasionally, he would stop, aim his crossbow at the treetops, and fire, hitting a squirrel that fell to the ground, lifeless. 

He handed them to her, instructing her to tie them to a rope he gave her so they could carry more than a couple at a time. She obeyed, finally feeling genuinely useful for something other than playing house.

The sun was high in the sky, indicating it was probably early afternoon when they were drawn to a strange noise. “What the hell is that?”

“Sounds like an alarm,” Delilah said, moving next to Daryl, trying to determine the source of the noise. But another thought invaded her mind. She turned to him, panic rising inside her. “Won’t it attract the walkers?”

Daryl seemed to come to the same conclusion because he nodded and started retracing their steps. “Let’s get back to camp. It’s not safe.” She followed him like a faithful puppy, worried he might leave her in the woods with no way to find her way back because, if she were completely honest, she hadn’t paid attention to their direction.

It took them a while to return to camp, but when they arrived, they noticed the alarm had stopped. The source was a sleek red car. She turned to Daryl, hoping he might appreciate a good engine, but when she looked, he was already heading back into the woods.

She sighed, guessing they had only returned so he could ditch her there, getting rid of her presence. “Jerk,” she muttered, placing the squirrels near the makeshift kitchen and turning back to inspect the car.

“We’ll get some good parts for the RV from this,” Dale said, coming up beside her, examining the engine to check its condition. Delilah grimaced. “Do you really have to tear it apart?”

The old man smiled, leaning over the hood. “We need the parts. Besides, believe me, you’ll find another nice car. Not like anyone can do much with them now.”

“Dad!” Carl’s shout made her turn quickly, searching for her little brother. When she saw him, her knees nearly gave out. If not for the car, she would have collapsed.

Carl and her mother were running toward a man in a sheriff’s uniform, and Delilah thought she might be losing her mind. Maybe she had hit her head somewhere or was having a stupid hallucination. Maybe it was finally her time; maybe she was truly going crazy.

But when her father picked up Carl, falling to the ground and holding him as if his life depended on it, she realized her father was really there. Rick Grimes was alive.

Her heart tightened in her chest as she watched her mother hug and kiss him, but it couldn’t distract her from the fact that her father was alive. She saw him cry with joy as he embraced his family, then pull back slightly to look around, asking Lori something.

Delilah moved from where she had been leaning against the car, meeting her father’s eyes before running toward him. He caught her in his arms, lifting her off the ground and kissing her head, repeating how much he loved her like a mantra.

For the first time since the end of the world, Delilah Grimes cried in her father’s arms.

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

“Can I come with you?” Delilah asked, approaching the group preparing to head back into the city to search for Merle Dixon and the bag full of guns. Rick didn’t even turn around before responding.

“No, sweetheart, it’s too dangerous. Stay here with your mom and Carl.”

“But—”

“No way, Lilah, don’t even think about it.” Rick insisted, giving her a kiss on the head before setting off with the group towards the city, once again leaving the rest of the camp to fend for themselves.

Delilah sighed, returning to her usual spot until Carl approached her with a smile. “Wanna come catch frogs with us?”

Delilah glanced at Shane behind the boy, noticing how his demeanor had shifted since her father's return. The mere thought made her nauseous, but what worried her most was the change in his gaze—possessive, dangerous.

“Uh, okay,” she agreed, letting the two boys lead the way while maintaining her distance from Shane and staying silent until they reached the women at the river, who were washing clothes.

It was a sweltering day for October, but none of them complained, instead relishing the warmth. They had been lucky to find a quarry so close to camp, providing them with fish and water to sustain them.

“I can’t catch anything,” Carl whined, his feet in the water, while Delilah watched from a rock, not entirely convinced to join them in the cold water.

Shane glanced around, then turned to the boy. “Yeah.” The atmosphere between the two was tense, different from just a few days ago, and Delilah was curious about what had happened, what had been said, to change their relationship so drastically.

In all the years Shane had been part of family events, dinners, lunches, and birthday parties, there had never been such a strange tension between them.

“They’re smart, they stay underwater,” Shane added.

“Maybe they’re just not interested in you,” Delilah commented. Her remark wasn’t entirely ignored, but Shane chose not to respond beyond a tight smile, not letting on that her words had irked him. He couldn’t afford to lose his temper in front of Carl.

“Little bastards, they know something’s up. That’s why you have to do it the old-fashioned way.” Shane proceeded to explain a rather pathetic plan to Carl, to which the boy responded with lukewarm enthusiasm.

Shane lay in wait before diving into the water, splashing Delilah. At least Carl seemed to be enjoying himself, laughing as he watched Shane thrash around in the water and warning him about the frogs swimming towards him.

There were no frogs, but that was a detail Delilah chose not to share with Carl.

When Shane sprayed water towards Carl, it hit Delilah square on, causing her to stand up and try to wring out her clothes. It wasn’t the time or place to get sick from a sudden gust of wind.

"Come on, Delilah! It's just a game!" Carl exclaimed when he saw her walking away from the quarry, a little sad that his sister had left. "Wait for me!"

He left the net in the water, moving away from Shane and trying to catch up with Delilah, catching her by the shirt. "You're not mad, are you? It wasn’t Shane's intention to get you wet."

"No, Carl, I'm fine. I just don't want to get sick, that's all," she reassured him, and the boy looked at her in silence. "I promise, pinky swear." She extended her little finger, and Carl smiled, hooking his with hers. Shane caught up with them shortly after, soaked from head to toe, a serious look on his face as he watched Delilah crouch down to Carl's level.

She took him by the hand, leading him out of the quarry to dry him off and make sure he didn't catch a cold either. Once she was sure he was in dry clothes, Delilah insisted he take a nap to recharge his energy, especially since there was nothing else to do, trying to fill his time as much as possible.

But voices outside the tent woke him up, also stirring Delilah from her daze. "What's going on?" he asked, yawning and stepping out of the tent, his sister following soon after.

They saw much of the group heading towards a side of the camp, and they decided to join them, holding Carl's hand in case there was danger. She kept him behind her, acting as a shield until they stopped in front of a rather bizarre scene.

Delilah approached Carol. "What's happening?"

The woman shook her head. "I have no idea. It seems like it's been going on for hours. The heat must have gotten to him, poor thing."

A man named Jim was digging holes in the ground, and the most frightening and chilling thing that gave Delilah goosebumps was the fact that they were human-sized. She held Carl close, worried that Jim had really lost his mind and was about to do something foolish.

"Jim, why don't you stop?" Shane tried to talk to him, but the man continued undeterred, acting as if he hadn't heard him, and given his condition, it was highly likely that he hadn't.

The sun beat down harder than ever, and Delilah found herself compelled to take off her jacket to avoid risking heatstroke; her shirt was sticking to her back due to a thin layer of sweat that was starting to cover her forehead as well.

"What do you want?" Jim's voice was hoarse, tired, and irritated.

"We're all just worried, that's all. Dale says you've been here for hours."

"And so?" the man seemed genuinely confused, looking around to take note of the worried and frightened faces of the rest of the group.

"Why are you digging? Are you heading to China, Jim?" Shane tried to lighten the mood, ignoring the clear signs of stress in the man in front of him.

Jim raised his arms, smiling sarcastically. "What does it matter? I'm not hurting anyone," and he resumed digging.

"If not yourself, then, Jim, it's 37 degrees now. You can't go on like this," Delilah realized it was hotter than she thought, not imagining that October could become so hot even though it was normal to have high temperatures around this time where they were. Not this high, though.

Shane approached him, preventing the others from understanding what he was saying, and in no time, he had Jim pinned to the ground, forcing him to stop. "It's for your own good, Jim," he said.

Delilah took Carl away from the scene, not wanting him to witness such acts of violence not so much for fear that he would get strange ideas, but because she knew how much he cared about and admired Shane; she didn't want to ruin his vision of him. She ignored his complaints, assuring him that Shane was more than capable of handling the situation on his own.

But Delilah knew she couldn't protect Carl forever, especially since that same evening the first attack would reduce the group and bring death into their existence.

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

Delilah watched her father talk into the walkie-talkie while looking out at the city of Atlanta from a distance, lost in his conversation with someone she had no idea about. It still felt strange to her, surreal even, that her father was there with them and not in a hospital turned into one of those walking dead.

It was a miracle.

But the peace after the previous night's attack had been shattered. The now smaller and frightened group no longer felt safe in the woods and intended to move towards the CDC in the hope of finding some answers.

She watched Carl and Sophia reluctantly say goodbye to Eliza and Louis, the only other children in the group, before heading down a different path, most likely never to see them again.

"Everything alright, sweetheart?" Rick put an arm around his daughter's shoulders, pulling her into a sideways hug as they watched the same scene. "I promise you, everything will be fine. I swear."

But Delilah didn't know if she could believe that. She had learned more than once since the beginning of this new world that things wouldn't always go the right way, yet a part of her wanted to believe it. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting his gentle touches soothe her in the hope of dispelling the fears that formed in her mind every day.

"I want to believe you," she whispered, pulling away when she saw Shane approaching from a distance. She excused herself, moving away from the two men and joining Carl, who was now watching Jim with an expression of distrust.

She couldn't blame him. It had only been a few hours since they discovered he had been bitten, and the idea that he might turn into one of those things made everyone tense, scared that something like last night's incident could happen again. "Hey, little man."

Carl barely turned, his gaze still fixed on the man tied up under the tree. "Want to help me finish putting away the stuff? I need your strong arms to move all that gear, or I'll be here until tomorrow."

She tried to lighten the mood with humor. It was hard to put on a smile that wasn't genuine, but she did it for Carl, for his safety.

The boy nodded slowly, walking towards the last tent that needed to be packed up, and Delilah followed shortly after, closing it all up and loading it into Dale's RV for the journey.

She took one last look at the breathtaking view they were leaving behind, hating the fact that such tranquility was a result of the world's end and not just a simple family trip. She climbed into the RV with the others, silently complaining about the fact that they had brought Jim along in the hope of finding a cure at the CDC.

Dale glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as he drove, feeling pity for the girl's lack of liveliness. He had gotten to know her a bit during those weeks they had spent together and found her to be a bright girl, perhaps too bright for her own good, and in a normal life, she could have been very successful with that sharp mind.

He sighed, seeing the light in her eyes dimmed, knowing there was nothing that could restore it. In this world, you had to learn to survive, or you perished.

"Damn," Dale exclaimed as he saw smoke billowing from the RV's hood, pulling over in the middle of the road to check if the damage was severe. "This old clunker won't last much longer."

It took Delilah a moment to realize they had stopped. With her eyes closed, she'd been trying to block out Jim's agonized groans from the back, where he was starting to lose his mind.

She leaned forward to look out the window, noticing the entire group had halted. Rick was next to Dale, inspecting under the RV's hood. He gave his daughter a reassuring nod before returning to his conversation with Dale.

She settled back into her seat, trying to get some sleep. She had no idea how long they'd be stopped or on the road, what awaited them at the CDC, and certainly didn't want to face it with only a few hours of rest. It was hard to get a good night's sleep under their conditions, but inside the RV, she felt somewhat safe, if not for Jim.

She growled in frustration when she couldn't relax, the man's presence too overwhelming. She opened her eyes when she felt movement, the RV rocking slightly, and soon after saw her father making his way inside.

"Everything okay?" she asked, watching him head toward where Jim lay, drenched in sweat and his face twisted in agony. She went silent, pressing herself against the seat to overhear their conversation.

Rick stood by the bed. "We'll be back on the road soon, don't worry."

"Oh, Christ. No," Jim moaned. "My bones… my bones are like glass, every little bump…. God, this trip is killing me. Leave me here. I'm done." He looked at Rick, resigned to his horrible situation. "Leave me here."

His request stunned the entire group, making the rest of the journey solemn as they lost another member. Delilah watched through the window as Jim's figure under a tree grew smaller. She closed her eyes when she saw him put the gun barrel in his mouth and pull the trigger.

Delilah woke up when she subconsciously felt the RV stop, realizing they were in front of what she assumed was the CDC.

"Are we here?" she asked, stretching, her muscles stiff from the position she had slept in all day. Dale nodded and got out, grabbing his rifle and waiting for everyone to disembark before closing the door. "Wow."

The entire group paused to take in the scene before them; abandoned military vehicles were everywhere, barricades at every corner, but the most disturbing sight was the hundreds of bodies scattered across the area. They were careful not to touch them, unsure if they were truly dead or the walking dead.

The putrid stench of the corpses made Delilah gag, forcing her to turn away from the group and vomit the little food she had eaten. She felt the acidity of her stomach in her throat and was grateful when someone placed a hand on her back and handed her a bottle of water, until she saw who it was.

"Alright, keep moving, let's go!" Shane ordered quietly, understanding that the less attention they attracted, the better. Delilah cringed as she felt his hand still on her back. "Thanks," she muttered, handing back the bottle and shrugging off his hand.

She quickened her pace to rejoin the group, ignoring Shane’s intense gaze boring into the back of her head. Carl reached out his hand to his sister, and she took it, squeezing tightly, not wanting to be separated again.

It felt like navigating a minefield. Glenn pointed out a few walkers with his rifle, who were wandering aimlessly instead of lying still. Carl’s grip tightened painfully on her hand, making her wince slightly from the pain.

The odor grew more pungent, and Delilah had to cover her nose with her arm, like many others in the group. When they finally reached the CDC, they found the shutters closed, the place seemingly barricaded from the inside. The faint glimmer of hope within each of them began to fade.

“Walkers!” Daryl shouted, rushing forward and firing his crossbow. Glenn and Dale joined in, trying to protect the group as they desperately searched for a way in. “You led us to a graveyard!”

“He made a decision,” Lori said, letting go of Carl’s hand and moving closer to Rick.

Daryl snarled, “A bad decision! Look around, damn it!”

“Shut up. You hear me?” Shane snapped, getting in Daryl’s face and escalating the situation. They started shoving each other, making enough noise to attract even more walkers.

Rick tried to calm things down, but even Shane seemed to lose his patience. He argued that they were at a dead end and if they stayed there any longer, they’d all be dead. Suddenly, the shutters began to move.

The group fell silent, watching hopefully as the shutters slowly rose just enough to let them pass through. A voice crackled through the speakers.

“Get inside! Quickly!”

The faint hope that had almost vanished suddenly returned. Delilah squeezed Carl’s hand tighter, almost pulling him along as they ran towards the entrance. Once inside, the shutters closed behind them with a definitive clang, shutting out the chaos and the walkers.

Rick led the group down a dimly lit hallway until they reached a large metal door that slowly opened, revealing a tired but kind-looking man in a lab coat.

“Welcome to the CDC. I’m Dr. Edwin Jenner,” he said, his voice weary but welcoming. “You got here just in time.”

The group exchanged uncertain but relieved looks. Delilah felt a semblance of safety for the first time in ages, hoping they had finally found a place to rest and, maybe, some answers.

Rick stepped forward. “Thank you for letting us in. We didn’t know how much longer we could hold out out there.”

Jenner nodded, his eyes scanning the tired and worn faces before him. “We’ll do our best to help you. But you need to understand... there aren’t many answers here. Just attempts and hopes.”

Delilah, still holding Carl’s hand, knew those words held the harsh truth of their new world. However, even a glimmer of hope was better than the complete darkness they had been facing.

━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━

She had no idea how long she had stood under the hot water, but she couldn’t bring herself to step away from the soothing sensation she had missed so much. When she finally emerged from the shower, wrapped in a bathrobe, it felt like she was in a dream.

The room had a single bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and finally, some privacy. If it weren’t for the barricaded window, it might have felt like a hotel room.

As she started getting dressed, a knock on the door startled her. “I’ll be right there!” she called out, quickly pulling on some clean clothes. She hurried to the door and was surprised to see Dr. Jenner standing there, gloves on and a kit in hand.

“May I come in?” he asked, stepping inside and setting the kit on the desk. He looked at her for a moment. “Please, take a seat. I need to draw some blood.”

Delilah sat down and extended her arm. Goosebumps rose on her skin as he took her wrist and gently straightened her arm. “Why? None of us have been bitten or sick.”

“It’s protocol. I’ve already drawn samples from your family. Nothing to worry about,” he said. He didn’t smile or offer any reassurance, but his straightforwardness brought her a sense of comfort.

She nodded, watching him tie a tourniquet around her bicep. Curiosity got the better of her. “Where are all the other doctors? Shouldn’t this place be full?”

Jenner glanced up for a second before returning to his task. “I’m the only one left.”

“How did they die?”

Jenner paused, swallowing hard. “Various reasons, but there wasn’t an attack here at the CDC.”

Delilah felt a chill despite the warmth of the room. “So, why did they leave?”

“Some left to be with their families. Others... gave up.” He didn’t elaborate, but the weight of his words hung in the air.

“Gave up?”

“Losing hope in a place like this can be worse than the infection itself,” he admitted quietly, focusing on drawing her blood. “When you’re faced with the end of the world, not everyone can keep going.”

Delilah looked at Jenner, seeing the exhaustion etched into his features. “How do you keep going?”

He didn’t answer immediately, finishing up and placing a bandage on her arm. “I keep going because I have to. Because if I don’t, then all those people who gave up did so for nothing.”

She watched as he packed up his kit. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Jenner nodded, pausing at the door. “Get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

As he left, Delilah felt the weight of his words settle over her. She lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The world outside was falling apart, but in here, they had a chance. It wasn’t much, but it was something to hold onto.

She decided to join the group in the cafeteria, smiling at the sight of such a peaceful, almost normal scene. "Have you been here for long?" she asked, noticing Glenn struggling to contain his laughter and maintain a serious demeanor.

The boy handed her a glass of red wine, and Delilah thanked him, wetting her lips with the intense red liquid. "Can I try?" She almost spat out the wine when she heard Carl's question, and after briefly glancing at her mother, she passed him the glass.

The table fell silent as everyone watched the boy take a sip of the wine, grimacing in disgust as soon as the liquid touched his tongue. They all burst into laughter, and Delilah hugged her little brother, tousling his hair. "You're a big boy now."

"Come on! Leave me alone," Carl tried to squirm out of her grasp, but she didn't let him go.

The two siblings began to playfully wrestle, ending up on the floor with Delilah on top of Carl, pinning his limbs and tickling him. The boy turned red from laughter and the effort of trying to flip his sister over, but to no avail.

"I surrender! I surrender!" Carl shouted, waving the white flag, and Delilah got up, giving him a hand to stand. When the group started applauding, she took a bow before sitting down again to fill her stomach that she had emptied earlier.

During dinner, as it started to get late, the group began to disperse to retire to their rooms for a good night's sleep. Carol took the opportunity to take Sophia and Carl to a room resembling a library to read them a book before bedtime.

Even Rick and Jenner stepped away from the banquet to discuss what Delilah presumed was their overnight arrangements. When her mother left to follow Carol, she frowned upon seeing Shane, a little tipsy, following shortly after.

She started to get up, but Glenn's hand pulled her back into her seat, making her smile at his tipsy appearance. A faint smile was present on his features, his head slightly tilted to the side, the bottle of red wine in his hand.

"Stay here," he slurred.

Daryl, on the other side of the table, chuckled, catching Delilah's attention as she turned, unaware of his presence. She thought she was alone with the Asian boy. "Good luck with that," he said.

"What do you mean by that?" Both struggled to understand what he was saying, as alcohol muddled his words and made it nearly impossible to comprehend. Delilah chuckled, getting up and offering him an arm. "Let's go, Glenn, let's get you to your room."

"Oh, and then you'll stay with me?" The suggestive comment made Delilah pause in her tracks, supporting him with one arm and giving him a light smack on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You're drunk, Glenn, watch what you say," she scolded, pulling him away from the wall he had leaned on.

The boy followed her, leaning on her for support when his head spun too much. In no time, they found themselves in front of his quarters, a few doors down from hers. “Where’s your key?”

“Uh…” The boy let go of her arm and began patting his pants pockets until he found it, smiling and holding the keys up to her eyes. “Ta-da!”

Glen struggled to insert the key into the door, his hand wavering left and right due to his state. The girl had to stifle her laughter when she had to catch him as he leaned against the open door.

“You’re really wasted,” she said, struggling to carry him to the bed and throwing him onto it with all the strength she could muster. She turned to leave, feeling the alcohol she had drunk beginning to get to her. “Goodnight, Glenn.”

“Wait,” he tried to sit up but sank back down when dizziness overcame him. “Stay, please?”

Delilah turned to look at him, searching his eyes for any sign of malice, but saw only a boy around her age, alone and scared. She closed the door and sat beside him, gently stroking his shoulder. “Are you okay, Glenn?”

The boy slid to the floor, leaning against the mattress, and Delilah followed, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. The atmosphere between them had shifted dramatically; the lightheartedness and carefree attitude from a few minutes ago had been replaced by the heavy weight of their reality.

“I don’t know…how to feel,” Glenn said, staring at the wall in front of them. “I can’t stop wondering how my family is, if they’re okay. If they’re alive.”

Delilah didn’t know how to respond. She wasn’t the best at comforting others, especially someone she didn’t have a close bond with. She rested her head against his, hoping the silence wouldn’t be too oppressive for him.

“Everything will be alright, Glenn, I promise,” she said. But what Delilah didn’t know was that not everything would be alright. They would face many obstacles on their journey, and not all of them would leave them unscathed.

[scarisd3ad]

Betty

Masterlist

Taglist

Pairing - glenn Rhee x fem!reader and Glenn Rhee x Maggie Greene

Warnings - mentions of cheating, cursing

‘The worst thing that I’ve ever did was what I did to you’

August - betty - cardigan

"You had sex with Maggie?" her heart broke into a million pieces; she didn't expect the person she loved so dearly to break her heart. his mouth fell open as he stuttered "y-y/n-" she didn't let him finish his sentence, she slams the rv door closed and turns around with tears falling down her cheeks.

"shit" Glenn muttered as he got up and ran after her. by the time he was outside it seemed like she was miles away. once he got to her, he grabbed her wrist "y/n honey I-I didn't mean for you to find out like that." at this point tears as streaming down her cheeks as she tried pulling her wrist out of his grip, but he wouldn't let go. "Fuck you, Glenn let go" she cried as she still tried pulling away. "no! we need to talk y/n" there was no talking needed she knew everything she needed to know.

"I don't want to talk to you!" he felt really bad, he really did. he hated seeing her hurt. he hated the fact that he hurt her. they had now caught the attention of almost everyone in the group. y/n was still trying to pull away from Glenns tight grip. "We need to talk!" she shook her head as tears kept falling "I told you I don't wanna!"

"What the hell's goin' on over here?" rick asked as he walked up with Shane following. y/n's still trying to pull away when Shane said "come on man let go of her" Glenn reluctantly let go as he whispered "y/n come on talk to me" as y/n swiftly turned around walking towards her and Glenns shared tent. she hated the fact that she'd either have to sleep outside or next to him. "y/n come on- I-I'm sorry."

"What the hell did you do?" Shane asked with brows furrowed as they watched y/n storm off. "Fucked up...I fucked up" Glenn whispered as he turned around to see Maggie stood on her father's porch. she rolled her eyes as they made eye contact.

Glenn gives y/n time to cool down he doesn't want to piss her off even more. he sits in dales rv contemplating what he's going to do to get y/n back. the worst thing that he had ever did was this, hurting her. would she let him talk to him, would she even trust him?

y/n sat in her and Glenns shared tent, the only way anyone could identify that she was there was because of the quiet sobs coming from the tent. she hated him, how could he do that to her. after 7 years he just threw it all away. she could handle this type of heartbreak, he had been her first love, her first real boyfriend, she felt like she had wasted her entire life.

to say Maggie felt horrible was an understatement. she had torn two people apart on accident. she didn't know that what she told herself over and over again to try and make herself feel better, but it didn't work. she needed to talk to y/n and explain what had happened. Maggie felt heartbroken too, but it wasn't the same, and she knew it wasn't the same because he wasn't hers to lose.

when Maggie went over to y/n and Glenns tent y/n was still inside the tent crying. "Hey? y/n?" Maggie called out. y/n didn't want to talk to anyone, she just wanted to sit with her emotions, but she reluctantly pulled herself together and muttered an almost inaudible "what?" through sniffles. if Maggie wasn't so close to the tent, she wouldn't have even heard y/ns quiet words.

"I wanted to just say I'm sorry." y/n was tired of sorry, a sorry wasn't going to fix what was already broken. "He um....I asked him if he had a girlfriend before I even offered and he said he didn't." he lied, she really didn't understand did he really just not love her anymore? did he hate her so much that he thought it would be fun to fuck with me like this? her now knowing that he lied crushed her heart again. "oh" y/n mumbled as she begun to crawl out of the tent. "And I wouldn't have even offered if I knew you were together."

y/n stood up facing Maggie with her arms crossed over her chest, her cheeks tear stained, and her eyes red. "I-I we were together for 7 years." y/n whispers, "I love him so much...I don't know why he would do this to me" she cries as fresh tears start to fall down her cheeks.

Glenn watches from afar, he was going to talk to y/n when he saw Maggie and her talking. he just wanted to squeeze y/n so tight and tell her he loved her, because he really did. he loved her so much and never wanted her to think the opposite, but obviously she thinks that now. he wanted to make it up to her, show her how much he loved her, but he didn't think she'd let him.

"y/n?" he took a few steps forward toward the two girls. "i'll let you guys talk" maggie said as she quickly walked away. glenn walks closer and tries to take y/ns hands in his "y/n hon-" but she quickly cuts him off as she slaps his hands away "dont touch me" her words were full of hate, her words stab him right in the heart. it breaks his heart knowing that he's made the girl that once had nothing but love for him hate him. "y/n- im sorry please im sorry" he's begging for her to take him back but she wont, atleast right now. a sorry isnt going to make her trust him again.

"im leaving, ill find some where else to sleep" she whispers, he shakes his head as he tries once again to touch her but she steps back. 'you-you dont have to sleep here" she shakes her head "i dont want to" the tent was full of too many memories. memories of the sleepless nights where he'd hold her and press sweet kisses to her neck and shoulders, memories of all the love she once had for him.

-

y/n doesn't even talk about Glenn for the next few days. the only time his name is even mentioned in her head is at night when she curls up and lets herself cry. Glenn hates himself; he hates that he hurt her. he needs to talk to her, he needs to win her back, but he doesn't even know how to do it. he spent the few days after the day y/n had found out fantasying about how he'd explain everything, and she'd kiss him and forgive him. he knows that that might not happen though, y/n wouldn't even look at him.

at night he'd fall asleep and dream of her forgiving him and taking him back. he dreamed of her soft hands on his face, and her soft lips against his, he dreamed of being able to hold her in his arms again, he dreamed of her being his again.

when he finally had the balls to go to dales rv, where she had been staying for the past couple of day, it was late. the sun was setting, and everyone was getting ready to go to bed. dale and Andrea were on top of the rv still keeping watch as he walked up to the rv. dale wasn't going to step in unless he heard screaming, but he was sure that wouldn't happen. Glenn makes sure to knock on the door before walking in. y/n is sat at the table with her elbows propped up against it. "What do you want?" she asks. he slowly walks toward her "I-I want to talk" she rolls her eyes but ends up muttering a quiet "fine" and scooting over so he could sit next to her. he smiles and takes a seat next to her. he missed her so much, even though it had only been a few days he just missed everything about her.

"y/n I'm so sorry" he whispered; she nods in response. she can tell he's sorry, and she knows what he's going to ask. he's going to ask her to give him another chance, but she doesn't think she can trust him again. "why'd you do it?" she asked, he's a little taken aback by the question, he doesn't even know how to answer it because he doesn't know why he did it. "I-I don't know." he whispered. he knows his answer is pathetic, he can't even make an excuse for himself. she scoffed and turned away from him. he decided just to go for it what's the worst that could happen? "y/n honey please give me one more chance I miss you so much" he whispers as he grabs her arm. she turns toward him, and Glenns heart fills with hope. she takes her hand and places it to his cheek before pressing her lips to his. Glenn is about to cry because he didn't think he'd ever get to kiss her again, but y/n just wanted one last kiss. one last kiss before she lets go of him forever. she pulls away just as he kisses back. his brows furrowed together as y/n said "Glenn I-I can't, I don't trust you anymore."

his breath gets caught in his throat, and tears form in his water line. she didn't trust him, that was the only thing going through his mind. she really didn't trust him anymore, but can he blame her? he caused this and he knows it. "y/n- no please I didn't mean to hurt you" he pleaded his grip around her arm tightening. "Glenn, I love you I really do but I can't trust that you won't hurt me again." but she loved him, she said she loved him. if she loved him, why couldn't she take him back, Glenn didn't understand. his brows furrowed together as a tear fell down his cheek. "b-but I won't." he whispered. she feels like she's punishing herself more than she's punishing him, but she's already made up her mind and didn't want him to have the expectation of him being able to take advantage of the fact that she had a soft spot for him. she hated seeing him cry but he needed to know that just because she still loved him doesn't mean the relationship would even work anymore.

"Glenn, I can't give us another chance, but we can be friends."

[mediocre-stories]

The Cliffs

TW: mentions of depression, mentions of alcoholism, mentions of suicide, mentions of death, vulgar language

Authours Note: Hi everyone! Thank you for your patience with me! I am officially done school for the summer so I will have tons of time to write! I hope you enjoy this one, writing it broke my heart a little bit but there is a happy ending! Once again this story is based off of Shane's six heart event from Stardew Valley. I hope you enjoy reading and as always feel free to leave me some constructive critism!

It was another sleepless night. You had been having a lot of those lately. The air in the farmhouse was heavy with the summer heat, your sheets clung to your body, and the mattress you laid on itched at your skin. You rolled over, peering to your wallclock.

2 am. You groaned.

You made the decision to go for a walk, you slipped on your work boots, pulled on a wool sweater, and headed out the door.

It was raining hard, the water hitting your skin with enough force to make it lightly sting. The trees lit up with the flashes of lighting, and the valley air felt crisp as it entered your lungs. You walked to your favourite place, Cindersap Forest. The quiet of the trees and the calm of the lake soothed your nerves. You walked along the edge of the lake, letting the rain cool your flushed skin.

You made your way towards the cliffs. As you walked, a flash of lightning revealed the figure of a man laying near the edge of the cliffs. You jumped. As the lightning illuminated the forest again, you realized the figure was Shane. You approached him cautiously.

"Shane?"

He lifted his head off the ground, looking up at you. His dark hair stuck to his face due to the rain. His eyes were glazed over and he slurred his words as he spoke.

"Y/N...I-I'm sorry." He hiccuped.

You felt a pit grow in your stomach, "why?"

"My life... it's a pathetic fucking joke." Shane paused to let out a small chuckle, resting his head on the ground again. "I mean look at me." The smile disappered from Shane's face as his voice cracked with tears, "I'm too small and stupid to... to take control of my life."

As Shane spoke, you moved to sit beside him. You hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting to find some form of comfort to provide him. He seemed to flinch at your touch.

"I'm such a fucking piece of shit, Y/N. I do nothing but disappoint everyone around me. Marnie can hardly look at me, Jas is scared to talk to me. Did you know I'm her godfather? At least I'm supposed to be, but I can't even do that. Her parents were my college friends, they died in a car accident and left her with me. They trusted me, and look what I've done."

Shane's body racked with sobs as you rubbed his back. "Shane, you're doing all you can. You were put in a difficult situation, but Jas has a roof over her head, food in her belly, and people who love her."

"But none of that is because of me, that's all Marnie Y/N, not me."

The storm seemed to get stronger as Shane talked. The thunder rumbled through your body and the lightning illuminated the rocky cliffs below.

"I've been coming here often lately...looking down. Here's my chance to finally take control of my life. I could just jump, I wouldn't hurt anyone anymore."

You sighed, looking out at the sky. You let Shane rant, knowing that nothing you could say would help, he had to want to help himself. You just prayed to Yoba that he would realize this sooner than later. He laughed again.

"I can't do it Y/N. I'm too fucking scared, just like always. It's pathetic. All I do is work, sleep, and drink just to try and forget about how much I hate myself. Why should I even go on Y/N? Tell me why I shouldn't jump."

You paused, racking your brain for the right words, "Shane, I can't tell you what to do and what not to do. You have to make your own decisons, but I am here for you. Always."

He rolled onto his back and looked up at you, gently grabbing your hand that was rubbing his back. He interlocked his fingers with yours and squeezed. "Thank you Y/N. Thank you for telling me like it is. I'm tired of the bullshit I hear from people. I'm so sorry I've been so mean to you."

"Hey, don't worry about it. It was refreshing to talk to a real person again. People in this town can be too cheery sometimes." you joked. He smiled, rolling back over to face the cliff.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you should take me to the hospital now."

"Okay."

You stood up and helped Shane to his feet. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you stumbled to the hospital. You had to stop a few times to let him vomit, rubbing his back each time.

-----------------------------------

You were sat in the waiting room. Maru had brought you a blanket, as the rain had soaked through your clothes and chilled you to the bone. You waited anxiously for what felt like hours. You had called Marnie, who was now sitting beside you, picking at her nails to distact herself. When Dr. Harvey finally emerged from the emergency room, you both stood up.

"You can come and see him."

You and Marnie entered the emergency room. There was Shane, laying on a hospital bed. His skin was pale and sickly looking. He was hooked up to so many unfamiliar machines. He looked so small laying in that bed, you heard Marnie sob. Dr. Harvey broke the silence.

"I've pumped his stomach and rehydrated his body. He's going to be okay. It's good that you brought him in though, Y/N. " Dr. Harvey sighed, "Too much alcohol is terrible for the body, but right now I'm most worried about his mental health."

Dr. Harvey moved towards Marnie, pulling out a pamphlet from his pocket, "When he comes to, I'll have a chat with him about his treatment options. I know an excellent counselor in Zuzu City. Life can be painful sometimes, but there's always hope for a better future. You've got to believe in that."

-----------------------------------

It was the next afternoon. You left the hospital early in the morning, returning to the farm to do your chores. After everything was tended to, you fell asleep on your couch, finally catching up on the hours of sleep you had missed last night. You awoke to a knock on your door. You moved to your front door and opened it, rubbing your eyes groggily at the light from outside entering your small farmhouse. There stood Shane, looking sheepish, but much better than last night.

"Hey." you spoke.

"Hey..." he replied, looking at his shoes. "Oh man, how do I say this? I'm really sorry about what happened last night at the cliffs. That was embarrassing."

You gave him a small smile, "it's okay. I'm just glad you weren't alone."

He looked up and smiled back, "yeah, thank you for being there for me."

"I told you I always will be."

The conversation went silent, the only sound coming from the whistling of the wind. Shane spoke again.

"I've decided I want to see a therapist. Harvey got me in touch with a colleague of his. Anyways...I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me. And I want you to know that I am going to take things a little more seriously from now on."

"I'm really happy for you Shane." In the heat of the moment, you hugged him, wrapping your arms around his neck, taking in the smell of his colonge. You felt his body stiffen for a moment, then relax at your touch. He brought his arms around your waist. You stayed there for a moment before you both pulled away.

"Well uh, I should get going. Thanks again Y/N." Shane said, you noticed a small blush creep across his cheeks. "Maybe after my first counselling session I could stop by and we could talk?"

"Of course, you're always welcome on the farm."

"Thank you Y/N, I haven't had a friend in a long time."

[final-girl96]

Broken World: Chapter Eighteen

"Oh, calm down, Dixon.” I pulled a shirt on and a pair of sweats. “There I'm fully clothed.” I pulled a pair of clean socks out of my duffle and sat on the couch. It's funny, I have a ton of underwear and socks but only have five shorts and three pairs of pants. My closet at my apartment is full of clothes, but I only grabbed a few things then practically shoved my whole sock and underwear drawer in my bag. I also only grabbed two regular bras and like five sports bras. Of course, at some point I will only end up with everything. “I'm going to check out that wreck room real quick, see if there are any good books.”

Daryl hummed and took a swig from the bottle in his hand. I stood up and started for the door. With my hand on the handle I paused. “Hey, Daryl?” I waited for a response, not turning around. I heard a grunt of acknowledgement. “I'm sorry.” I turned my head, making eye contact with him. A look of confusion washed over his face. He opened his mouth to say something but I walked out of the room before he could.

I walked down the hall, passing Lori, who had her head down and was walling fast. I caught sight of a couple tears running down her face when she lifted her head just a fraction. “Lori, are you alright?” I asked. She stopped in her tracks, straightened up, and whipped her cheeks. She had her back to me when she said, “yeah.” Turned around and gave me a weak smile. “It's just been a little overwhelming these past couple days with Rick coming back losing Jim and Amy, along with others. I'm grateful Jenner let us in here. We can be safe here.”

I noticed how she was a little shaky. Her hands and voice trembled and she looked distraught. I didn't say anything though and just nodded. “Yeah, hopefully this place is good.” I didn't want to say that we weren't going to be here long. That the clock in the great room was counting down. It was probably counting down to the end of this place. There was no way this building could keep going for long. It was designed to keep very dangerous diseases from getting out into the world. Disease that could be weaponized. They wouldn't let that happen even in an event like the one we're currently battling.

I said my good night's to Lori and headed to the wreck room. I was looking at the books when the door opened. “Lori?” I turned my head to see Shane standing by the door. “She went to bed,” I told him. He looked me up and down, leaned on the door and smirked. He was clearly very drunk and I was starting to wonder if he was the real reason behind Lori's tears. I wouldn't be afraid to bet he was, seeing as I started feeling very uneasy when he moved further into the room. I decided to ditch the books and just head back to the room. “Well, I'm going to bed,” I said, walking around the opposite side of the pool table from where Shane stood.

I didn't even make it to the door before he quickly moved to stand in front of me. “Wow. Wow. Hold on there. How about we get to know each other better.” I stepped back from him when he reached out his hand to touch me. “Yeah, I'd rather not. Now if you'll excuse me.” His hand caught my upper arm as I went to walk past him. “Come on now, don't be like that.” His grip tightened on my arm when I tried to pull away. “Let…go…of…me!” I yanked my arm free, stepped away from him moving closer to the door. “Don't ever put your hands on me or anyone else ever again. I won't hesitate to put you down.” When I got back to the room Daryl was passed out on the couch. I walked in quietly, locked the door behind me, and laid down, quickly falling asleep.

The next morning I woke up to an empty room. I groaned as I stretched my body out on the cot. I will admit that I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since this shit show happened. Staring up at the ceiling I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face then reluctantly sat up. I got dressed and headed to the dining area, where I found everyone else eating breakfast. T-dog handed me a plate with eggs, bacon and toast. I thanked him and sat down beside Glenn, who groaned and held his head In his hands. “I'm never drinking again,” he mumbled. I patted him on the back with a chuckle and took a bite of eggs. Five minutes later Rick walked in and Lori handed him a bottle of aspirin.

Shortly after that Shane walked in. I hadn't noticed last night but he had a scratch mark on his neck. Rick asked him about it and he gave the excuse of he must have done it in his sleep. He looked at Lori when he agreed with Rick that it wasn't like him to do that. This just confirmed what I had suspected last night; he was the cause of Lori's tears. Everyone ate their breakfast until Dale looked At Jenner and spoke. “Doctor, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing…” he said. “But you will anyway.” Before Dale could ask anything Ansrea jumped in, “We didn't come here for the eggs.” He looked around at everyone, sighed, and told us to follow him.

We were led to the big room and the lights flickered on as we entered. “Give me playback of TS-19,” Jenner said, walking towards the large monitor in the wall. Vi, the virtual intelligence spoke up, “Playback of TS-19.” A few beeps sounded and the screen lit up. A scan of a person showed up on the screen and Jenner looked up at it. Everyone spread out and looked from him to the screen. “Few people ever got a chance to see this. Very few,” he said. “Is that a brain?” Carl asked in amazement. “An extraordinary one. Not that it matters in the end,” Jenner told him, mumbling the last part. “Take us in for E.I.V..”

Vi listened, saying, “Enhanced internal view.” Then she changed the screen. “What are those lights?” Lori asked. Jenner looked back at her for a second before giving his attention back to the screen. “It's a person's life... experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you... the thing that makes you unique. And human.” Daryl scoffed, “You don't make sense ever.” I rolled my eyes and looked at him. “Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does or thinks from the moment of birth to the moment of death,” Jenner continued.

“Death? That's what this is, a vigil?” Lori asked. “Yes. Or rather the playback of the vigil,” he clarified. “This person died? Who?” Andrea asked. Jenner looked at the monitor and was silent for a few seconds. “Test subject 19. Someone who was bitten and infected... And volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event.”

“Scanning to first event,” she said and a new image showed up. We watched as the lights slowly faded to black. “What is that?” I asked. “It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage, the brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death. Everything you ever were or ever will be... Gone,” he explained. “Is that what happened to Jim?” I heard Sophia ask Carol. “Yes.”

Andrea was looking at the screen and a few tears fell and Jenner looked at her with a little concern. “She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister,” Lori informed him. Jenner gave Andrea a soft look, “I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is. Scan to the second event.”

“Scanning to second event,”Vi annoyed and switched to the sec9nded event. TS-19's brain lit up but not like before. “The resurrection times vary wildly. We had reports of it happening in as little as three minutes. The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours, one minute... Seven seconds.” I looked fr9mt the screen to Jenner. He was talking like he knew this person. “It restarts the brain?” I asked.“No, just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving,” Jenner said. “But they're not alive?” Andrea asked.

“You tell me,” Jenner said, looking at her. She looked back at the screen, “It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark.” Jenner nodded and hummed. “Dark, lifeless, dead. The frontal lobe, the neocortex, the human part... That doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell driven by mindless instinct.” Al of a sudden something went through the head of TS-19 “God. What was that?” Carol asked. “He shot his patient in the head. Didn't you?” Andrea asked.

Jenner didn't respond, instead he said, “Vi, power down the main screen and the workstations.” Vi shut the power down the main screen and workstations. “You have no idea what it is, do you?” Lori asked. “It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, - fungal,” he lis5ed pff. “Or the wrath of God?” Jacquie said. “There is that.”

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Bringing up some angst because I crave violence:

How would the SDV and SVE marriagables react to their kid/kids having the gift of magic, but then they learn that their children might get taken away by the ministry of magic to study under a mage in a different town?

Hello 👋 Glad to see you here again ☺️ I hope you don't mind if I only do SDV and SVE bachelors here 💕

SDV and SVE bachelors react to the news that the Ministry of Magic may take baby away from them and Farmer:

"Sam, our kid has magic." "That's awesome!" "Also, our kid can be taken away by wizards from the Ministry of Magic without our permission, to be put in the hands of a stranger for magic training..." ".... Now that's not awesome at all." Sam is completely confused and doesn't know what to do. Naturally, he doesn't want to give his own child to just anyone and to an unknown place. So he will consult with the Farmer on what to do. His first suggestion will be to make a lot of traps in house for uninvited guests, as in the "Home Alone" film. If their arrival is not avoided, the musician will not give up the baby without a fight!

"If they think they can just walk into our house and take our kids, they're very fucking wrong," Shane will not put up with the idea of some strangers coming in and dictating terms to him and his family. He will be willing to physically attack them in order to protect the people he holds dear, and will also become a little paranoid about the safety of Farmer and the little ones. Not under his watch, no way.

"What?! It's... That's... How dare they?! What right do some, pardon my profanity, imbecile have to come into our house and take our child?! Outrageous! Oh, I'm going to go over there and tell them what I think of them..... Well, where are they exactly?" Elliott may go so far as to go to Rasmodius' tower and ask him to connect him with this obscure Ministry so that the writer can vent his tirade on these upstarts. Alas, it is unlikely that a verbal altercation and bare fists will somehow cope with powerful magic, but Elliott is ready to fight to the last for his and Farmer's child.

Harvey could hardly keep calm, but Farmer sees the rage boiling inside their spouse, which is quite justified, for they too do not want to obey the stupid rules of the Ministry of Magic. Instead of aggression and emotion, the local doctor will use cold logic. In fact, the Ministry's actions can be seen as kidnapping, a violation of human rights. Farmer already famous person outside the Stardew Valley, and Harvey is not the last doctor, so if the case is made public, non-magical people will become a big problem for the magical organisation.

The news of the magical talent and the Ministry made Sebastian very worried. It's one thing to simply be offered a choice and quite another to be almost forcibly taken away from your family. Sebby wouldn't let that happen. Even though he doesn't know much about adventurers and the concept of magic yet, he believes that he and Farmer together can handle the trouble and protect their child from toxic people from some stupid Ministry.

Alex has a similar situation with Shane, except the athlete is now even more fixated on the child's safety. He knows Farmer will always be able to protect themself, but what about their baby? He's going to start being with his baby and Farmer almost 24/7. Farmer will have to calm down the worried young dad and together solve the problem, for Alex, who is guarding the crib for the fourth night without a proper sleep, already realizes himself how this stress is taking a heavy toll on his health.

Magnus knows how the system works in the magical world and realizes that sometimes the rules of the Ministry of Magic sometimes are... questionable, but he doesn't worry about this much. He is an official wizard and it makes no sense to give another wizard their gifted baby. If someone at the top does want to give the baby to another person, Magnus has enough connections (and Camilla as a bargaining chip), to give the Ministry hell on earth. But this is as a last resort, he hopes the Ministry will make the right choice.

Yoba... Victor had once read about the Ministry of Magic and the rather strange rules and code of wizards/witches/mages, but taking a child away from their family? That's not right. The poor man is utterly confused and doesn't know who to turn to for advice. All he can do is hope they can enlighten the Ministry members when they come to their farm. Or protect the child. He may not be as brave as his love, but a parent, when they feel threatened towards their child, is capable of many things in a rage.

"Don't worry, my love. No one will take our little one because the mage who will train them is standing right in front of you." Lance himself was given to his Dragonmaster for training, but it was his meaningful choice at the time, and his parents were okay with it too. And Lance realises that it didn't go as smoothly for other families. However, he, like Magnus, is officially a mage on par with his position as an adventurer, so it doesn't make sense to give the child to someone else. Lance will not give the baby to anyone, he will defend with words (maybe even sword and magic) his spouse and his child if need be.

[a-sad-mage]

Slugterra OC - Lilith - Lore/Art Dump

I can and will draw Tezz as tiny as possible

Name: Lilith

Gender: Female, she/her

Human

Home Cavern: Futuria Cavern

Age: 17

Occupation: at the start she is a Slug Energy Researcher working for Blakk Industries Slug Energy Research Division [SERD].

At some point, after almost punching Blakk when getting Tezz and a bunch of her colleagues Slug back after they were almost Ghouled, Blakk calls Lilith to his personal Lab and ask's her to be his assistant/lab apprentice(Twist is his slugslinging apprentice).

Lilith agrees. Lilith sill works with the SERD she just now directly reports to Blakk and helps him with his research. This mean's she had a hand in building the Gatling Blaster and Terra Portal Research.

Lilith is also leaking information to the Shane Gang using a Hacked Tablet. She dose so anonymously, but sparingly and when something big is going to happen as she is afraid of being caught.

Personality: Very stressed and needs sleep like yesterday. Despite that, Lilith is relatively calm and naturally curious and its not uncommon for her to go down a slug hole or two when researching. she is very protective of Tezz. and while it takes a lot to anger her, if and when Lilith gets mad, she gets mad.

Skill's

Smart

Is freakishly strong like Cave Troll strong

Knits and sows

Ambidextrous

Is relatively sneaky, this is because, when on her day's off she sneaks into Shadow Clan territory to research the area and any Shadow Clan member in the area.

Background

Futuria Cavern is the home to many bright minds, Lilith among them.

growing up Lilith had a keen interest on Slug Energy, and how it was connected to the Caverns. And subsequently the Shadow Clan as well as while there was little on them, there were old journals from a Researcher who had attempted to study them years ago in the library.

Due to the fact the research was incomplete and that the Researcher went missing, the librarian let Lilith keep the journals, mainly to see if they would one day help in her endeavors in the future. But also because those journals were taking up space and having Lilith take them was better than just throwing them out.

When Lilith was 10, she and her class visited the Slug Energy Research Wing on a field trip. On this tip the kids pass by a Slug Hatchery and are allowed to see and interact with all the Sluglings and their parents.

While looking at a small family of Tazerlings, Lilith notices one of the hatchlings is smaller than the others and ask's one of the Researcher's about it. It's a runt and the Researcher say's it probably wouldn't live long, and even if it did they wouldn't be able to utilize it in their work. So Lilith ask's if she could take the runt. After some humming and hawing from the Researcher and the teacher, Lilith is allowed to keep the runt, so long as she keeps her teacher updated on the runts wellbeing, and uses it as a learning opportunity as well, whether the runt lives or die's.

She names the small Tazerling, Tezz. Tezz would becomes Lilith's pride, joy and key to her mental health.

A classmate also went missing and was found in a slug pit, very traumatized. But that's nether here nor there.

-

Lilith's parents while smart, were power hungry. And when Blakk Industries started becoming more prominent in the STEM field, they packed up and moved to Blakk's Citadel in hopes of landing high positions in the RND departments.

Lilith was 11 when this happened.

At this point in time Blakk wasn't ghouling slugs so openly, but Lilith just had, bad vibes about the place, but put up with it because of her parents.

Eventually by the time Lilith was 13, her parents had worked their way up the ladder and were two of several lead researchers on Negative Slug Energy, and Dark Water.

By now Lilith was helping the SERD in caring for the none Ghouled slugs and doing coffee runs for them.

Despite Blakk being, Blakk, he had a thing about underage kid's doing hard labor work.

And anyone under fifteen was basically treated like an intern, doing simple things like sorting papers, looking after the regular slugs and making coffee runs for which ever department they worked for.

The head Researcher for the SERD more or less took all the interns of the SERD and did his best to prep them to become actual scientist/researchers for the division, and if any of them wanted to work else were he made arrangements for a transfer for them.

-

When Lilith was 15, her parents got busted for embezzlement. And were kicked out of Blakk Industries, but Lilith being 15 was given a choice and as much as Blakk Industries irked her, she had friends here, and had been helping out with research that she had become rather attached to, so she stayed.

She even went as far as to drop her family name.

Within a month Lilith was an official Black Industries Scientist/Researcher for the Slug Energy Research Division.

-

Lilith at the start of the show is 17, and has been working on the 'Purifier' with her lab mates for the last year and a half.

The 'Purifier' is a device that can power a Cavern that has been completely corrupted. In short if a Cavers Slugs were all Ghouled, the 'Purifier' would keep the Cavern running as if they weren't. Blakk was going to use it to turn the Citadel into the only 'clean' Cavern in Slugterra once he took over and Ghouled all the slugs, forcing people to either A) Pay to live in the Citadel and work for him or B) Buy a smaller 'Purifier' themselves that they would need to keep buying filters for.

When Lilith, like most employees of the company, is absolutely terrified of Dr. Blakk.

Even more so since she doesn't duel.

But when Eli Shane show's up and declares, what is basically War on Blakk and his Ghouls, Lilith see's a spark of hope.

A Shane, much like Blakk feared, gives someone for people to rally behind. And Lilith hacks an old tablet and uses it to occasionally leak information to the Shane Gang anonymously. She would do it more often, but she is scared of being caught.

one day Lilith enters the SERD, and Tezz and a bunch of the other normal Slugs are missing(their is a little slug hang out spot in the lab).

A grunt, who was dropping off supplies earlier noticed the non-ghouled slugs and rounded them up and took them to the ghouling room.

Lilith is able to find Tezz and the other slugs before they are turned. And she is pissed, yelling at the grunt, completely unaware/ignoring the fact Blakk is their as well, almost decking him thinking he was just another grunt worker.

Lilith then proceeds to punch the control panel, as Blakk side stepped out of the way, and the Ghouling device is stopped and temporally destroyed.

Lilith gets Tezz and the rest of the slugs back :)

The next day she gets called to Blakk's office and is offered a position as his lab assistant/lab apprentice.

After ten(10) whole minutes of blue screening, Lilith agree's(mostly out of fear), so long as Tezz doesn't get ghouled, and is still able to work on the 'Purifier' project, and can still do her weekend hobby of studding the Shadow Clan.

And so begins Lilith's most stress induced year of her life!

:D

Zoom in on the pictures to get a better look at the tiny Slugs lmao