#rick could have chosen anyone

[wrongcaitlyn]

for pride month how abt we don't ignore the aro/ace rep that rick has given us with the hunters of artemis. this is a reminder that they are not allowed to date girls. and reyna's arc in toa is not of her realizing she is a lesbian, it is of her realizing that she is ace (very heavily implied aroace, even if rick hasn't said that exactly).

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

Let Your Heart Be Light

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader

Setting: Alexandria Era

Warnings: None

Summary: You want to make the holidays something special for Daryl. Throw in a little Christmas magic and it just might mean something more to you too.

*gif is not mine

This run hadn’t been about gathering supplies or intel. This run had been about making a holiday for Judith. The adults understood that just being alive and together were gifts. But little Jude? Smart as she was— and she was smart —hadn’t yet grasped that concept. 

Things had already been gathered for her by everyone else, but Daryl had never really celebrated as a kid. Never gave gifts or received them. Before Alexandria, there was never a reasonable sense of safety that allowed for celebration. This would be a first for the archer. When you asked what he had found or made for the little girl he so obviously adored, he had appeared gutted. Of course, you had offered to go with him and help him find something. 

The sky was thick with purple clouds as you burrowed into Daryl’s back and tilted your face upward just enough to watch the puffs of lavender magic float carelessly across the limitless expanse. The wind was icy but the elements never seemed to bother the hunter. You, on the other hand, were freezing your proverbial balls off. Your heavy jacket, gloves, scarf, and toboggan hat did little against the onslaught. You couldn’t help but wonder how Daryl hadn’t turned into an ice archer. You also weren’t above pondering why the fuck he had insisted on taking the motorcycle!

When the bike rolled to a stop outside a little strip mall, you could hardly wait to jump off. You squealed about your ass being numb and zipped past him and up to the first door. Daryl started to intervene but swiftly shut his mouth when you acted accordingly, tapping the blade of your knife against the window to lure any walkers. 

When none shuffled forward, you gave him a thumbs up. “You start on that side, I’ll go here. Look for coloring books, crayons, stuffed animals. Nothing with small pieces that she could choke on.” You advised, watching him nod blankly. You smiled at his adorable cluelessness and ducked inside, willingly leaving him on his own. Usually you would pester him to stay together but you had your own search to conduct. Judith wasn’t the only one getting a gift this year. 

You did intend to help Daryl as you’d promised, but you had some selfish reasons for coming along as well. You hadn’t heard if anyone else had come up with something for the archer, but you sure as shit would. He was your best friend. Your person. This would be the start of happy memories for the season.

None of you could be sure when Christmas actually was but hell, it didn’t really matter at the end of the world. Decorations had been found here and there, enough to decorate Rick and Michonne’s house. You’d all gather there so it made the most sense. 

The store you had chosen appeared to have once been a pawn shop. Toys were in abundance so you took a moment to grab a babydoll and a stuffed monkey before heading to the display cases. The glass had long ago been broken and weapons all swiped. That wasn’t what you were looking for anyway. You wanted something less—violence oriented. No jewelry either. He wasn’t the type. You would know the perfect gift when you saw it. 

And you did. 

Grabbing it up, you stuffed it and the toys into your rucksack and headed to the next mall space, hoping it held what you needed to go along with the first present. Considering how certain items were treated like gold in those times, you didn’t hold your breath. 

You had to be sneaky or Daryl might catch on, considering the type of store. You watched for him while repeating the process to check for walkers. Met with silence, you ducked inside. Pickings were slim— almost nonexistent—just as you’d expected. You had just allowed yourself to be bummed when you spotted one peeking out from beneath the counter. After a short happy dance, you hid this one in your bag as well.  You grabbed a few newspaper pages to use as wrapping paper and started to open the door when you saw the archer walk by and into the pawn shop you had just vacated. 

Perfect!

Stepping outside, you moved off the walkway and waited for him. He emerged a moment later, looking a little concerned. 

“Thought ya’d still be in there.” He huffed, holding out two coloring books—one of safari animals and the other, Dora the Explorer—and a box of crayons with two missing. 

“Were you worried, mister Dixon?” You smiled sweetly while taking the items to place in your bag. “Hey!” You dissolved into giggles when he pulled the front of your toboggan hat down over your face. He was already walking back toward the back by the time you fixed it. “I found a couple of toys too!”

“Got what we came for.” He swung a leg over to straddle the bike and waited for you to climb on. “Let’s head back. Snow’s comin’.” You grumbled and secured your scarf around the majority of your face. “S’the matter? Don’t like snow?”

“I love snow. Just not on a motorcycle.”  Taking your place behind him, you wrapped your arms around his middle and went ahead with burying your face in his back. You felt more than heard his chuckling. 

Without a way to predict the weather, there was no way of knowing that scattered flurries would soon turn into a complete whiteout. Daryl had pushed the bike as far as he could before the snow on the ground became too dense. You hated watching him leave it behind, but if he was distraught, he didn’t show it. 

You both had your packs, yours full of gifts and Daryl’s stuffed with a little food, a canteen, and scant medical supplies. You’d be okay for a day or two until the weather cleared. You had radioed home while the archer brought the fireplace to life. Your signal was choppy but the message was received. 

A little while later, the snow was surging down outside, making it impossible to see even the trees that were littered around the small cabin the two of you had stumbled upon. Literally. You’d almost walked into the side of it with the limited visibility. 

Your coats were hanging up near the fire to dry. You had a small meal of jerky and an apple. Now the two of you sat quietly, the silence not uncomfortable. You were bummed that you couldn’t make it back for Daryl to give Judith the gifts. More disappointed for him, really. This was supposed to give him good memories. 

Your gaze left the winter wonderland on steroids to shift over where the archer was perched by the fire. He was holding the stuffed monkey while he stared into the flames. Standing from the chair by the frosty window, your bare feet hardly made a sound as you padded across the room to sit cross-legged by his knees. 

“Don’t be sad.” You folded your hands on his thigh and rested your chin on them, looking up at him from under your lashes. 

Those ice blue eyes slid over to you and held your gaze before he looked away with a dismissive pfft, tossing the stuffed animal on top of his rucksack. “Ain’t sad.”

The smile you gave him was soft, sympathetic. “Yeah, you are. But you shouldn’t be. She’ll be just as excited tomorrow as she would have been today.” Your head tilted, smile broadening. “Judith doesn’t care what day you give her a gift. You’re Uncle Daryl. She’ll beam at you like you hung the moon no matter what.”

One corner of his mouth ticked upward. He hummed and ruffled your hair, the other side of his lips mirroring its counterpart. Sitting back, you swatted his hands away with an exaggerated series of waves. 

“We can still make this special.” Teeth worried your bottom lip but you fought to push down the anxiety slithering around in your tummy. When the archer tilted his head, waiting for an explanation, you crawled across the floor and reached into your bag. The newspaper wrapping was sloppy with no tape or bows to make it nice but it was the end of the world. You worked with what you had. Shuffling back to him on your knees, you sat back on your heels and held out the black and white papered mess. “Here.”

His face was unreadable, that scowl firmly in place as he stared at your offering. You would have felt dejected had you not seen the myriad of emotions steadily streaming through those pretty blue eyes. After what felt like hours, Daryl cleared his throat and reached for the wadded mess. 

“Ya didn’t—uh—ya didn’t hafta do nothin’ like this.” It was easy to discern the slight tremor in his hands. 

“Yeah, I did. I wanted to.” You wiggled back and forth, both eager and nervous for him to unwrap it. When he just held it, you stilled. “What’s wrong?”

“I, uh—” The archer carefully lowered the gift to his lap but kept his hands around it, his thumb rubbed back and forth across the newspaper. “Never really had stuff like this growin’ up—presents an’ shit.”

Rubbing your lips together, you placed a hand on his knee, just beside the gift. He didn’t look away from it. “Just open it when you’re ready. I’m in no hurry.” Keeping your hand where it was, you maneuvered into your previous position: cross-legged with your chin on the very edge of his leg. 

He was committing the moment to memory. You could tell by the way he studied the object, tilting it back and forth just so. But this is what you wanted; to break through the past he had suffered with thoughts of a future full of new memories to make. And to share. 

He cleared his throat again. It was then that you noticed the shine of moisture holding steady on his waterline. “I—got ya, uh—I got ya somethin’ too.” He balanced the gift on his lap with one hand and dug around in his pocket before finally pulling out a small, blue drawstring bag. So much hesitance; he started to hand it over before pulling it back. He did that three more times before he allowed you to take it. 

Now, your eyes began to leak. “Oh, Daryl.” You pulled the little bag toward you and pressed it against your chest. Whatever was concealed inside was hard and twisted but you didn’t venture to guess. You wanted complete surprise. 

His eyes flitted between your gift and his. Still, he made no move to open his own. The present you’d given him was quite a bit larger. Maybe he was worried that that somehow bothered you. When he finally looked up at you, your heart clenched. He was adorably lost. 

“Open it?” You suggested gently, lowering your hands to your lap with the small bag visible in your cupped palms. He was chewing on the inside of his bottom lip for several seconds before he slowly began to unfold the paper. You watched with bated breath as the items were revealed, studying his demeanor as discreetly as possible. If he didn’t like it, you wanted to know for next year. 

Next year. A bittersweet thought. How many of you would even still be there to see it? You minutely shook away the distressing notion and just in time, too. 

The corners of his mouth slowly lifted into the smallest yet most genuine smile you’d ever seen him wear. A calloused finger traced over the image of a motorcycle on the shiny Zippo. There was a carton of cigarettes and a small container of lighter fluid as well but the lighter had his complete attention. 

“Now look, mister. I don’t condone your habit but I figure we all need our guilty pleasures now more than—”

“Thank you.” So soft that you barely heard it. 

You melted in an instant into a gentle smile that he didn’t see, hiding behind a fringe of dark hair. “You’re welcome.” You waited him out. He was having a hard time with the entire concept and you may have heard a quiet sniffle but no, you didn’t. 

“Ya gonna,” he cleared his throat and sniffed, “ya gonna open yours?” You looked down at the bag, seeing him wipe his face on the back of his hand from the corner of your eye. You’d never tell him, though. You’d let him keep that one. 

You were careful with your expression, keeping the excited gleam in your eye as you pulled the top of the bag open. It could be an acorn and you’d adore it because it was Daryl who went through the trouble of finding such a pretty little bag for it. Just for you. 

You dipped two fingers inside, curling them around cold metal, prodding your curiosity. What you began to pull out was a thin, braided chain. It was still a shiny silver. You weren’t even sure what it was made from and it didn’t matter. It would remain around your neck even if your skin turned green. Still, once the entire thing was revealed, it wasn’t the chain that held your focus. 

Your inquisitive gaze lifted to find his cheeks a shade of pink and one hand rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“S’a—well, s’a hex nut.” Your head tilted. “From my bike.”

You stared at him in complete awe, knowing that when he finally looked at you, he was going to panic but you’d settle him once you worked through your own emotions. You carefully placed the chain over the edge of your hand so the nut laid in your palm. It was small with small knicks and dark areas, indicating use. You were so enthralled with it that you didn’t feel the tear escaping down your cheek. 

“Know s’stupid but—” 

His arms shot out to the side when you collided with him, your arms tight around his shoulders and face against his neck. Once the initial surprise had worn off, he wrapped one arm around you and then the other, his cheek against the top of your head. 

“Thank you.” You whispered. “This is the best gift anyone’s ever given me.” When he huffed out a laugh, you sat back and wiped at your face with the tips of your fingers, the necklace he’d made for you still dangling from your hand. “Don’t say a word. I’m not just blowing smoke up your ass. It’s really the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever been given.” Your hand traveled out to rest against his cheek. “And I love it. Will you put it on me?” 

“Um, okay.” 

You beamed at him and held out the chain, spinning around and gathering your hair out of the way. Daryl was hesitant, you could just picture him trying to work through how to get it around your neck without invading your space. You knew it was impossible but you’d let him figure that out on his own. 

Finally you felt him reach over your right shoulder, then your left, to part the two ends and pull them back to fasten against the back of your neck. Your breath hitched when his fingertips lingered against your skin for a moment longer than necessary. 

“There ya go.” 

Your skin felt colder when he pulled away but you didn’t linger on it. You turned to face him, holding the piece out so you could look down at it with a brilliant smile. 

“Thank you.” You said again, twisting the gift back and forth. 

“You’re welcome.” He mumbled. 

Shimmying closer, you laid your head against his leg and looked at the fire, fingertips still brushing against the cool metal hanging from your neck. Above you, he was flipping the lid of the Zippo open and closing it repeatedly, as if it was the first one he’d ever seen. You were admittedly surprised he hadn’t already lit up at least three cigarettes.

“You did replace the nut you took from the bike, right?” You erupted into giggles when he bounced his leg and jostled your head.

It was almost comical to you that Daryl was this tough badass but so shy when it came to even someone as close as you were to him. It was incredibly endearing. Tilting your head back, you smiled up at him. He responded by placing his hand over the entirety of your face, his expression remaining neutral. You still saw the twinkle in his eye when you freed yourself. 

Then your smile disappeared, replaced with a sudden look of bewilderment. The archer noticed immediately, brow drawing in concern. 

“What?”

You weren’t looking at him though. You were looking past him, at the ceiling. Slowly you sat up straight, tilting your head while holding your gaze steady. Daryl finally followed your line of sight to the area above your heads. 

There, hanging from the wooden rafters, was a branch of what appeared to be fresh mistletoe. A red bow was tied prettily around the stem. 

“Is that—” You began. 

“—mistletoe.” Daryl finished. 

Both your heads lowered, your eyes meeting. You could tell from the way he looked at you that he wasn’t ignorant of the tradition. Your own cheeks had grown warm just as you watched the subtle flush settle over his. 

You should have been questioning the presence of the plant. How it got there. Why it looked new in an otherwise desolate, dusty cabin. 

But those inquiries paled in comparison to the way Daryl’s eyes flitted down to your lips and back up. 

“Be a shame to go against tradition.” You reasoned. 

“You’re the expert.” He gave a single-shouldered shrug. 

With a soft breath past your lips, you sat up on your knees, inching a little closer. Daryl moved toward the edge of the chair, leaning down slightly. You were so close that you could feel his breath against your lips.

“Merry Christmas, Daryl.”

A beat. 

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

When your lips met, nothing else mattered. 

Not the snow that now fell in gentle flurries. 

Not the motorcycle that now leaned against the wall just outside. 

And certainly not the bare rafters above your heads where nothing was hanging.  

[ghostboneswrites2]

ђคɭɭ๏ฬєєภ ђ๏гг๏г

A Daryl Dixon Fanfic Challenge

Welcome back, fellow Dixon fiends, to yet another mediocre challenge from yours truly. 🩸

This challenge is (obviously) in honor of spooky season, so let’s jump right in! 👻

How to participate:

Simply select a prompt from below the cut and get to writing! 🔪 Be aware, each prompt has a unique set of challenges!

🩸Deadline is October 31!

🩸Winners will be announced in the second week of November!

Once you’ve completed your story, just post it, tag me, and tag the post #ddhh so I can find them all easily!

Rules:

Daryl Dixon x Reader only!

500 word minimum*

5k word maximum*

Must be able to stand alone!

Can be part of an ongoing series, but again, must be able to stand alone without outside context.

Writers may only enter one story from one prompt.

Please clarify which prompt you chose somewhere on your post.

* minimum & maximum word counts are approximate!

Prizes & Results:

Each prompt category will have one winner each.

Results will be decided via polls beginning in the first week of November.

🩸Each poll will be up for voting for 7 days.

🩸Winners will be announced in the second week of November.

The winner from each prompt will:

🩸Be tagged in an honorary winner post!

🩸Have one story of their choosing linked to every fic I post + my masterlist until December 31, 2024.

Prompts:

Choose wisely! Each prompt has its own unique set of kill counts, quotes, advantages, and challenges.

Here is a key for reference:

Kill Count: Mandatory number of deaths.

Setting/Era: Mandatory setting/era.

Quote: A line that must be included in your dialogue.

Challenge: Something that may make a prompt harder than the others.

Advantage: Something that may make the prompt easier than the others.

Slasher

summary: A classic, gory horror trope! Someone in the group has gone insane! The horrors of the post-apocalyptic world has driven them mad! They’re killing everyone! Who are they? Why have they done this? Who will survive?

setting/era: must be set either in Alexandria or the Prison

kill count: 4 to 8 kills

quote: “How could you?”

challenge: The killer must be a canon character from your chosen era, and your kills must also be canon characters from your chosen era. Killer cannot be Daryl or Reader. Killer also cannot be a canonical villain (like the Governor, Termites, Negan, Alpha, etc.)

advantage: Kills can be done with any weapon of choice, to any character of choice.

Supernatural

summary: A (supernatural creature of your choice) is terrorizing and killing off members of the group. What is it? What does it look like? How does it kill? More importantly, how will the survivors kill it?

setting/era: The Greene Farm

kill count: 3 to 5 kills

quote: “What the fuck is it?!” / “Dead, as soon as o figure out how.”

challenge: Supernatural creature cannot be a ghost, demon, or other spirit of any kind.

advantage: Your supernatural creature can be a classic (werewolf, vampire, wendigo, etc) or it can be something completely original and unexplainable. This gives freedom to describe your monster with as much/little detail as you please.

Paranormal

summary: A paranormal force has made its presence known and brought pain and terror upon its victims. Maybe it’s a demonic possession taking over one of the survivors, maybe it’s an angry spirit taking its home back. You decide!

setting/era: —

kill count: —

quote: “Kill it!” / It’s already dead!” / “So are the walkers!”

challenge: Your paranormal entity must not be visible to the human eye, creating an extra layer of difficulty for the survivors.

advantage: Kills are optional. No mandatory setting/era.

FAQ

Do major characters have to die (like Rick, Carol, etc) or do minor characters (like Olivia, Axel, etc) count towards the kill count as well?

Anyone can die!

Can my supernatural creature be anything that isn’t a ghost or spirit?

Yes! Could even be an alien!

Can I write a story for multiple prompts and only use one for the challenge?

Sure! You can even post them! Just be sure to specify which one you’d like to enter in the challenge, even if you do so by just sending me a message.

For the Slasher prompt, who qualifies as a villain?

Good question. Lots of morally gray characters on TWD, so it can be hard to decide who’s a villain and who’s just an asshole. For our purposes, let’s say Negan, Alpha, the Termites, and the Governor are the villains that are off limits.

Credits:

dividers from: @sister-lucifer

I do not own TWD and its characters, blah blah blah.

tags: @kissmeunicornbaobei @thesadcatt0 @clairealeehelsing @duckybird101 @tmntfixationxreader @ryoujoking @blackvelveteen1339 @yondus-girl @ladylincoln @sunshinebug9 @saylum559 @yoowhatthefuck @duffmckagansbandana @celtic-crossbow @virginsexgod69 @dazzling-roaring-20s @l0kilaufeys0n7 @uhnanix @superbowlisgay @liizzygrant @eddiemunsonsupremecy @raeraegoaway @ophelialaufey @theskinniestjackson-denny @dilfsalltheway @negansbestie @mfnqueen1 @raynelbabe

[caufield193]

Just being honest here but I am trying so hard to not hate Judith… not because I hate her but because of all these yt feminist who only started liking her because RJ exist. It’s hilarious how they use her to hide their racism. Idk if it’s just me, but anytime someone says anything untrue but harmful about Rj, no one bats an eyelash… there are literal hashtags of people bullying the real kid but that’s okay. His Instagram is filled with folks calling him the N word.Yet the moment someone says something true about judith, who is FICTIONAL!!! NOT A REAL HUMAN BEING.( her not being ricks, and being the product of Shane ) man they get soooo upset… and we all know why!

Rick wanted RJ… this isn’t the same for Judith, but he learned to love her.

RJ is ricks legacy, and Judith is not. Yt feminist are accustomed to seeing themselves as wanted, as desired, and when a melanated little boy was desired and planned for, and not the child of a love affair between a white Baby mama and her baby daddy… their true colors show. Historically and stereotypically, a baby mama was a black woman begging to be free… except Michonne is so loved, and chosen, and declared to be the love of ricks life. So often, a black woman has a baby with no support, a baby by a different man, yet Rick truly wanted and planned for his little namesake. Michonne was content, Rick is the one who Wanted RJ. So when you have a flipped narrative where Lori, a white woman is the baby mama to Shane, bringing a white child to Rick that by yt feminist standards, Rick should want her and not have mixed feelings like we saw him have in the beginning, considering he couldn’t even look at Judith when she was first born. (considering that a normal human would have a hard time accepting a child that will forever remind you of how shitty your wife and best friend were) usually it would be a black child in Judith’s shoes, but it’s not. Rick has two kids, and the black one was wanted, planned for in a two parent and healthy home that wasn’t toxic, unlike Judith, who comes from a background usually associated with blackness

They use exscuses like, “ he’s not badass he doesn’t do anything like Carl .” But let’s be honest. RJ is 7… we’ve never seen Carl that young.. yet we’ve seen Judith at Carls age, and yet she hasn’t done anything remotely cool like Carl. So if anyone’s got plot armor it’s her… or they’ll say, RJ had awkward lines, when his made the most sense as he always considered his father the brave man. That is the only thing he knew him as.

Listen, I love how Michonne loves Judith because she truly adopted her, not because she had to but because she wanted to…. But I am so happy that Rick, a white man who married a black woman wants his biracial son, cared about his personality, and not just whether he was alive or not, because it really is making these dude bros upset… and yt feminist

It’s the fact that you can make fun of any child on the show, but god forbid you make fun of Judith or say something that’s the true, it’s the end of the world… a hit dog gonna holler

Have you ever noticed.. it’s okay to say RJ doesn’t deserve the hat… despite him being a grimes. It’s okay to say “RJ live execution.” It’s okay to say that RJ is lame and weak, despite him being 7. But if you point out that Rick has a hard time accepting Judith in the beginning, if you point out that he dreams of Carl and Michonne to stay alive at the CRM, but dreaming of Judith never even crossed him mind… if you point out that everytime Rick asked about Judith it was only to ensure that she was alive… which is on brand considering he told Michonne, “ I had to accept that… so I could keep her alive.” Not so he could love her or bond with her… if you point out all these little nuggets that shows that Rick, a fictional man, struggled to accept a fictional child that will forever carry the DNA of Shane and Lori… suddenly every yt feminist within two mile radius becomes triggered.. I’m just sick of it. Truly I hope there is a S2, where RJ is older and more marketed… purely just to piss certain people off.

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter twenty eight

close to home | chapter twenty eight

plot: the reader and her group start their journey north

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 1,699 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: thank you for reading!!! How is everyone liking the build up with reader and Daryl? I know it's slow.... but it'll be worth it! Let me know what you all think!! Love you all for reading 😘

It was getting close to nightfall when the apartment building was cleared. You all played it safe, taking one apartment at a time, clearing it, scavenging it, and then repeating it. Your body was aching and sweating, and your new shirt was riddled with walker blood. But it was worth it. 

You’d scavenged enough food and water to last most of the trip. It could take days, and with so many people needing to eat, it was better to be safe than sorry. 

The Acadia was chosen to put the supplies in, and Rick offered to drive it back for you since you were exhausted and it was a bigger car. Michonne went with him while Carol drove the car you all drove up here in, and you can Daryl took the one Rick found. 

The sun was nearly set as Daryl drove, the car’s AC blasting and a random CD playing in the background. Yours and Daryl’s weapons were all lying at your feet, and your legs were up on the dash. 

“I should’ve grabbed another snack before Rick got there. I’m so hungry,” You said, touching your growling stomach. 

Daryl didn’t say anything, but he did glance at you.

“At least we found some canned food,” You said, yawning and turning so you were facing Daryl. “I’m just glad I had the sense to grab another shirt. I hate having blood stains.”

“More than just blood stains,” Daryl said quietly. 

“Don’t remind me. This world is disgusting.” You said. You glanced at him, watching how the setting sun lit up his face. He was squinting as he drove. “Do you miss your bike?”

He nodded. 

“You should teach me to ride one day,” You said. “I always thought it was too dangerous, but living nowadays is too dangerous, so I wanna learn.”

Daryl glanced at you. “Why?”

“Because you do,” You said honestly, then you smirked. “Can’t be that hard, can it?”

Daryl shook his head, “Shut the hell up,”

***

While your group had success, Maggie’s group didn’t. They found a few things--formula for Judith, thankfully, and a lake where they filled up containers of water--but that was it. So when everyone saw what your group had brought back, they were all happy. Especially the clothes. 

You, Michonne, and Rosita organized the cars and got them ready while Rick reviewed the plan with everyone else. They’d be taking the van, the Acadia, and a car and leaving in the morning. 

You ensured that each car had water and a full tank of gas. Under Rick’s advisement, all food rations would be kept in the back of the Acadia. You and Rosita rationed enough for each car and its riders, but the remainder would stay in reserve for the next day. He didn’t want anyone touching anything during this trip. You thought he was going crazy with it, but you didn’t question him. He was right more often than not. 

Maggie used the oats and water to make everyone dinner, and you were looking for Daryl to eat with when you realized he was gone. You started growing worried when Rick saw you and told you he’d gone out to hunt. You didn’t like that he was hunting at night, but if he could bring something back, it would be worth it. 

Still, he was gone for a long while. And your heartache started to set in as the camp settled for the night. You ended up eating with Tyreese, who was more than enough company. He was one of the only other people you felt safe with. You have to, after what you went through together. 

Tyreese talked, and you listened. His voice was soothing and comforting. And while when you looked at him, sometimes being reminded of what happened, you were glad to have someone understand what you went through. You were happy about it, even. You felt close to Tyreese, and you respected him. You weren’t as close with him as with Daryl, Michonne, and Maggie, but it was something. And he liked to talk while you liked to listen. 

Eventually, though, you settled down to sleep. Rick still didn’t want you on watch just yet, not until you were one hundred percent. You didn’t mind so much. It was nice to be able to sleep through most of the night. Especially being in a group this large, it made things easier. 

You knew you couldn’t sleep until Daryl was back, so you counted the few stars you could see through the trees and waited. Tora bounced between you and Carl before she settled on your stomach, and you were petting her softly. You weren’t sure how long it was, the fire was dimming, and the second watch rotation started when Daryl was finally back. 

He paused when he saw you; the past few nights, you’ve slept next to him on the outskirts of the camp. But tonight, you were sleeping beside Tyreese and Sasha, with Maggie and Glenn close by. He met your eyes through the firelight and felt disappointment. 

But you smiled and nodded him over. You could tell he hesitated for a moment, really hesitated before he came over. 

“Catch anything?” You asked. 

He shook his head as he laid down next to you. He felt uneasy about sleeping so close to everybody. He preferred there to be a bit of distance. Not because he felt unsafe or didn’t like the group he was with but because he liked space while he slept. But he didn't want to give up the idea of not sleeping next to you because it was so new. 

You were glad he came over, you didn’t really want to move, and you didn’t want anyone to see you follow him to wherever he slept. Besides, the fire was warm against the air, and despite the hard ground, you were somewhat comfortable. 

“I would’ve gone with you,” You yawned.

“Nah, ‘s okay,” He responded. 

You nodded, “Next time, remind me to look for a pillow. I miss mine,”

He laughed under his breath and nodded but didn’t say anything. Not that it mattered, you’d fallen asleep in seconds. 

***

The group moved at sunrise. Another meal of oats was quickly devoured, the campsite was packed up, and everyone was eager to hit the road. Rick took the car with Michonne, Carl, and Judith, and made Gabriel ride with them as well. It was the easiest place to put the car seat. Abraham took the van with Rosita, Eugene, Sasha, Tyreese, and Tara, while you, Daryl, Maggie and Glenn, Carol, and Noah took the Acadia with Tora as well. 

You sat in the back seat. Tora was riding in the trunk with a bunch of bundled-up clothes that had yet to be picked through. You checked on her, already sleeping, while the car loaded up. 

You watched as Daryl looked around for you, and when he spotted you in the back, he gave you a look before climbing in and sitting on the other side of the backseat. 

“Why ya sat in the back?”

“No one said you had to sit with me, you know,” You replied. “And the seat reclines. Not much with all the supplies, but it’ll be nice a few hours in, and I wanna take a nap.”

Daryl snorted and shook his head. He put his crossbow on the ground, where your machete and gun were. “Where the bow and arrow?”

You nodded towards the trunk. “Not enough room in here.”

The SUV filled up quickly, Carol and Noah taking the middle-row seats, with Glenn and Maggie at the front. Soon everyone was ready to go, and you finally hit the road. If everything went well, you’d be there in about eight hours. You could only hope. 

Glenn played whatever CD was in the player and opened the windows, so a dull breeze filled the stuffy car. You glanced at Carol, who was already falling asleep in her seat. She has an early morning watch, and with all the prep last night, she probably didn’t sleep well. Noah was snoring. 

You glanced at Daryl, who looked too big and too uncomfortable in the backseat. You smiled and shook your head at the idea of him cramming himself back here to sit with you. Surely it would’ve made more sense for Noah or Carol since they were smaller. But it made you smile and nearly blush at his actions, with a weird flutter in your stomach that felt inappropriate for your situation. Still, you couldn’t help it. 

The sudden urge to scooch into the middle seat and curl up beside him made you look away. You could vaguely remember the feeling of sitting so close to him in the truck when your loss and grief were so overpowering. You felt so safe. You felt warm and protected. You hadn’t felt it in a long time, not since your fiance. But you missed it. And you wanted it again. 

Luckily you could focus on other things, like your growling stomach. You sighed and pressed your hand against it. 

“You okay?” Daryl asked you, his voice below the music. 

You nodded, “Hungry. Same as everyone.”

“That reminds me, here,” Daryl said. You watched as he dug something out of his vest pocket. “Got crumbled.”

He handed you a pop-tart, and you laughed quietly, glancing at the rest of your group in the car. Maggie and Glenn were engrossed in their own conversation up front, and both Carol and Noah were already asleep. 

You smiled at Daryl as you took it, opening it as quietly as possible and giving him the second one. “You shouldn’t have done that. But thank you,” You whispered to him and reached over to squeeze his arm. You had to touch him; you couldn’t stop yourself. 

Daryl nodded and looked at the food in his hand. “Don’ gotta thank me,”

You smiled at him again and took a bite. "So," You said through a full mouth, "Wanna play I-Spy or something?"

[veethewriter]

Can I make a Twisted Wonderland request pls?

(If so, here it is: Yuu/MC decides to prank the NRC Staff by switching up Crowley's PowerPoint Presentation of potential changes to the school with the "Never Gonna Give You Up" song/aka getting Rick Rolled. Ofc, none of the staff know how to turn off the computer, so let the chaos ensue 😎)

Thank you anyway!

Of course! This is like a crack fic so it's just for fun! Nothing serious. Also I don't write this often so sorry if it's bad.

Everyone had gathered at the purple stage per Crowley's request. It was time for his once a year run over plan, what events would happen and so forth. Of course there always had to be something mischievous happening in the background and this time it was actually coming from our Ramshackle perfect instead of the other students.

Of course she had to set up her little prank first and that meant getting someone to watch over grim for a couple of minutes while finding out when Crowley wasn't in his office. Telling you had to go to the bathroom during lunch and making him watch grim, knowing grim wouldn't want to leave his food. Of course having chosen the day Crowley had also chosen to go out to eat for lunch. You had set your prank into action, quickly doing what you needed to do and leaving before anyone could catch you, now you just had to wait for the chaos to begin.

Everyone was now sat down and waiting for the two hour long boring presentation of the same school events they did every year. However as Crowley had turned on the presentation, all the blasted through the speakers was - "never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you!"

Then the panic comes, all the beast men covering their ears from the loud music and Crowley plus all the other teachers trying to figure out how to shut it off quickly. Of course no one else probably understands this joke so you're the only one holding in your laughter. Eventually they get some of the students from Ignihyde to shut it off. Then more madness ensues everyone mad trying to figure out who did it, but of course no one suspects it's you, knowing your one that always solves the problems not beginning them....

[youledmehere]

https://www.tumblr.com/youledmehere/756637426413338624/the-only-time-i-feel-safe-is-when-im-with-you-the

I was having a TWD rewatch and this post made me extra emotional because I was thinking about a scene in season 3 episode 8 where Michonne leads Rick and co. to Woodbury. After she discovers the governor’s daughter/has a huge brawl with him and Andrea betrays her— Michonne purposely finds her way back to Rick as they are trying to escape. Even way back then, barely knowing him at the time where he came off a bit threatening because his guard was up— Michonne STILL felt safe with him. She could already tell the difference between Rick and the governor. She felt alone in that moment, her friend had just chosen an evil man over taking her side instead and Rick’s about to split off and Michonne tells Rick in the scene “you need me” but really she needed him, too. She’s pleading with her eyes to go back with him to the prison, to be accepted and to have a home. Because he made her feel safe. Safer than she had been in a long time.

okay I’m crying x

i don’t know if she felt the same safeness then but there was definitely more of a comfortable feeling when she found rick and his group. i think she recognized early on that rick wasn’t a bad guy even if he was overly hostile and aggressive towards her. after clocking the governor and being suspicious of him and woodbury i think being at the prison was a big change for her and she kinda got to have a second to breathe. she also got to see how rick and his group were (glenn/maggie going on a run for formula, rick embracing carol after everyone thought she died, the groups obvious closeness, rick being worried for his people) after being attacked and betrayed going back with rick was the best option for both of them. i think in that situation they both knew they needed to help each other because they didn’t end anything even if they got their people back/they got away.

but i also can’t help but think of all the other times michonne must’ve felt safer just because rick was there. finding him and carl after the prison fell? the three of them together on the road? getting attacked by the claimers? being stuck in that traincar in terminus? being homeless on the road? the hoard situation? the savior war? like the levels to that statement drive me up the wall because he has always been a safe place for her even before they became romantically involved. she was closer to him within the group dynamic, she let her guard down around him, the two built a strong friendship/partnership of course she’s going to feel safe with him. that feeling probably became heightened after they were officially together which makes ricks disappearance for years even more heartbreaking since she lost that feeling of BEING SAFE! DG writing that line..and she knows michonne and the character better than anyone. for her to verbalize that michonne only feels safe when she’s with rick……it’s too much for me

[presidentpawn]

(A signal of static started to be transmitted, before a proper voice could be heard)

"Alright, kid, here's the deal. I don't want any trouble, especially with my boyfriends. If you want to attack anyone in "self defense" or whatever, it should be me.

I just want to have answers. First question, mind telling us what's up about the wires in your Rick's brain?"

Pawn kept a keen eye on his transmitter even before the drama with the Ricks began. He made sure he was aware at all times in case something came up, which did him well as he heard the voice on the other end.

The gruff tone was one he knew very well, eyes narrowing as he allowed it through. He chuckled to himself at the words chosen, biting through his annoyance and the slight pang of fear that split through his mind.

"Don't call me kid. And it's interesting to contact me after all the ensuring I've done to be left alone. If I do anything out of self defense, it will be done to all of you." He said sharply, his words crisp.

"I do mind, and he isnt my Rick. I don't have a Rick. I'll give you the chance to rephrase, but choose your words carefully."

[tearfallpixie]

Make Mama Happy - Chapter 3

Tags: @nerdraging4point0 @thesazzb @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @beaker1636 @itsjustemily @witchyweeb34 @agravemisstake @cookiesupplier @cncohshit @faceless-mirror @nonamessblog @yournecessaryevil @black-damask1999

@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover

I pouted in the back seat while simultaneously glaring at the driver of the vehicle. Heather had convinced me with her stupid puppy dog eyes to tag along to Vinny's place with her and Rick to watch a movie. I didn't know how I would survive tonight, but at least it was just the four of us instead of a party.

"Oh, come on. It won't be so bad. I promise, Chole," Heather tried to appease me. Ricky had apologized for what he said, and I could tell he was sincere, so I forgave him, but it didn't make us buddies.

"One night. And then never again," I declared, crossing my arms and resigning myself to the impending social gathering. I didn't share with Heather the information about seeing Vinny at the winery, so as far as she was aware, the last time I had seen him was at the party.

We all walked up to Vinny's door, which he opened before we stepped onto the porch. The atmosphere felt tense, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this movie night might not be as uneventful as Heather hoped.

"Hey guys, come on in," Vinny greeted us, his gaze lingering on me before turning his attention to the group. We walked in, and I couldn't help but feel the weight of his scrutiny as we settled on the couch. Ricky and Heather claimed one side, leaving only two spots available, forcing me to sit next to the drummer.

Vinny had chosen an action movie that Heather and Rick had shown interest in, and I found it mildly intriguing. I decided to tag along because it had only recently been released, and I hadn't had a chance to watch it yet. As we settled in, I tried to focus on the movie, but the tension in the room was palpable. I could tell that we were all tense, expecting someone to pop off at any moment.

"Do any of you want popcorn?" Vinny asked, pausing the movie. We were only about 20 minutes into it and had forgotten to consider the snacks beforehand.

"Oh, that sounds delicious! Please?" Heather cheered. Vinny stood and padded to the kitchen quietly.

"Oh, I need something to drink. Anyone else?" I asked, taking the opportunity to escape the tense atmosphere on the couch. Once I took their orders, I followed the drummer into the kitchen. "Just need to get some drinks," I mumbled.

I reached into the fridge and pulled out two water bottles and a Sprite before turning to Vinny. "Do you want me to grab one for you since you'll have your hands full with the popcorn?"

"Sure," he said after a moment of silence. "A Sprite is fine. Thank you." I nodded, sensing the awkwardness but choosing to maintain a level of courtesy. There was the sound of the door opening, prompting us to perk up. Vinny grabbed the bowl and stepped back into the living room to see an older woman standing there holding a comically large box. "Mama? What are you doing here?"

"Well, I forgot to bring over that statue you asked for last week. So I thought I would stop by on my way home today. Hello, Richard and Heather. It's always good to see you," she greeted warmly.

I exchanged a surprised glance with Heather and Rick, Vinny’s mum’s arrival seemed to catch everyone off guard, and I couldn't help but glance over at Vinny. He had a guarded expression on his face so I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

"Hello, Mama Mauro. Looking beautiful as always," Rick flirted, earning an eye roll from me as I went over to set the drinks on the table. Vinny followed me, setting the popcorn down too.

"I don't believe we have had the pleasure of meeting yet," Mrs. Mauro said, holding out her hand. I shook it, introducing myself. 

"I'm Nichole."

"Kyle said my Vincenzo had a girlfriend. I didn't know you would be so pretty," she remarked, casting a discerning eye over me. I glanced at Vinny in alarm, a sentiment mirrored in his expression, but there was an underlying look of pleading in his eyes.

"I wasn't aware that Kyle had said anything," Vinny spoke up, wavering a bit.

"You flatter me, Mrs. Mauro," I mumbled, attempting to maintain a bashful tone. I felt Vinny move into my space, a hand touching the small of my back. Glancing at Ricky and Heather, who looked confused, I silently pleaded for them to keep their mouths shut.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce her sooner, Mama. We just wanted to make sure it would work before we told anyone," Vinny explained, a hint of unease in his voice.

"How did you two meet?" Mrs. Mauro pressed, her curiosity evident.

"He came by my winery a few weeks ago for a tasting with Kyle. We started talking then and just never stopped," I smoothly replied, sticking to the fabricated story.

"How sweet. You know, Vincenzo used to be such a play—"

"Mum, let me take that from you," Vinny cut her off, stepping forward and taking the box from her. "I will see you at family dinner this weekend." His interruption distracted her from her thoughts and I couldn't be more grateful.

"Of course, baby. Nichole, you must come. I insist. I won't take no for an answer," Mrs. Mauro demanded, her determination clear.

"Mum, I'm sure she has her own plans," Vinny tried to interject.

"Nonsense. She's family now. I'm sure she can arrange her schedule," she insisted. Vinny looked at me for help, but I couldn't come up with a convincing excuse.

"I don't mind," I conceded, realizing that it might be the path of least resistance.

"Wonderful! I will see you both Saturday," Mrs. Mauro declared, bustling out of the house and leaving all of us in stunned silence.

"What the fuck just happened?" Ricky asked, his confusion mirroring my own.

"Well, it seems as if Nichole and Vinny started dating, and we weren't aware," Heather giggled, seemingly entertained by the unexpected turn of events.

"No. I still hate her. But my brother fucked me over, and if I don't do this, my mum will start setting me up on blind dates," Vinny muttered, stepping away from me quickly, making it clear that this was nothing more than a charade to appease his mother. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a hint of amusement at the absurdity of the events.

"Well, you're in for it now, so you better start playing nice," Ricky teased, adding a touch of humor to the situation. Vinny and I took our places on the couch again, both of us lost in thought about the impending friday dinner.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or is Ricky Olson being nice to my best friend?" Heather snickered, noticing the change in Ricky's demeanor.

"I'm just here to watch her fail," the guitarist shrugged, maintaining a facade of indifference. His girlfriend swatted his chest and scowled, signaling a playful reprimand.

"I only just forgave you. Don't be stupid," Heather scolded Ricky before turning back to us. "You two need to practice before you go on Saturday. You will need to actually look like a couple." Both Vinny and I exchanged glances, our reluctance evident. Neither of us wanted to pretend, but we also didn't have a choice now.

"I'm sure we can fake it well enough," Vinny protested. "Only need to stay together for a little while. Then we can break up and forget about each other."

"You can't do that to Mama Mauro. You'll have to be together for a few months at least. Now cuddle. I want to see how you two look together," Heather insisted, determined to make her point. I knew she was right, but I didn't want to get closer to the drummer than necessary. Glancing at him, he shrugged, equally annoyed. I scooted closer to him, and he reached around me to drop his arm across my shoulders.

"God, you two are so stiff," Richard spoke up, expressing his discomfort with the situation. "I don't like this, but I'm going to help you two out. Look at each other and try to relax." As I sat there, curled awkwardly in the drummer's arms, I glanced up at him to see his hazel eyes staring back down at me. Initially filled with curiosity at the request of the guitarist, his gaze softened to something almost kind as we held eye contact. I felt his arm grow heavy on my shoulder, and surprisingly, I found myself relaxing into his side.

"That's a little better. Now kiss," Richard suggested, adding a touch of mockery to the situation. Our eyes snapped over to him, anger filling my bones as he made light of the entire predicament. 

"Like hell!" I snapped in response to Ricky's suggestion.

"You'll have to eventually. Might as well get the first awkward one out of the way so you are used to it later," Ricky shrugged, seemingly unperturbed by my resistance. I looked back up at the drummer, and although he looked unhappy, both of us knew that he was right. He sighed, leaning down to peck my lips.

"No, stupid. Kiss her properly," Ricky insisted, pushing for a more convincing display. The tension in the room increased as I hesitated, grappling with the discomfort of the situation.

"Make it deep, sweet, soul-stealing," Heather ordered.

"Oh, come on! We will never have to kiss in front of his parents. It's not that big of a deal," I protested, trying to reason with them. However, neither of the others would have it. I glared at them hard until a hand took my chin and turned me to face Vinny.

His lips met mine again in a longer kiss this time, one that truly took my breath away. His lips were soft, and they tasted of movie theater butter from the popcorn we had in front of us. He must have snuck some before we left the kitchen. As his lips moved against mine, we both relaxed further into each other, and his arms found their way around my waist. He pulled me into him for a moment before letting go and pulling away.

"Now that's more like it," Heather declared, seemingly satisfied with the performance. I snapped away from his gaze and looked at my best friend. 

"Are we good?" I asked, breaking the silence that hung in the room.

"I think that's passable," Richard shrugged, offering a smirk. I scoffed and stood up.

"Cool. Enjoy the rest of your movie. Vinny, I guess I'll see you Saturday," I announced, ready to make my exit. I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the door when a hand grabbed my arm, turning me back around. Vinny was standing there, staring down at me, appearing like he wanted to say something.

"Yes?" I prompted.

"I- just- thank you. I'm sorry I dragged you into this," he mumbled, a hint of sincerity in his voice.

"It's whatever. I'll keep up appearances as long as you need me. I should go," I replied, deciding to keep my response casual. I exited the house, dropping into a squatting position on the porch for a few minutes to take a deep breath. I could handle this. It was going to be fine.

[alandemoss]

There's No Hate Like Christian Love: Exposing the Hypocrisy and Bigotry Behind Religious Dogma

Why I Refuse to Watch The Chosen and What It Reveals About Christian Hypocrisy

I refuse to watch The Chosen, a show tainted by Mormon influences, and I find the anticipation of it by several Baptists I know deeply troubling. When I hear about this series, I’m reminded of the repellent concept of “the elect” as twisted by Reformation, Calvinist, and Presbyterian traditions. Predestination in these doctrines is a grotesque, isolationist, and heretical interpretation of selective scripture. It renders much of creation meaningless, all to defend the fearful cultures it infects. Let’s be real—there’s no hate like Christian love when it’s wielded to justify exclusion and marginalization.

The Brutal Reality of Christian Bigotry

I am neurodivergent, a fact that has made me endlessly curious and painfully aware of the injustices faced by those like me. The traits that define me—deep yet detached emotions, intense focus, and an unyielding sense of justice—have isolated me from those who cannot comprehend a life spent in constant pursuit of truth. This isolation is not just a personal struggle but a reflection of a wider, systemic issue within Christianity. It’s not just me—it's the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and anyone who doesn’t conform to their narrow ideals who are cast aside. They cherry-pick verses to justify their hate, dismissing the very essence of Christ's teachings.

The Sin of Cherry-Picking Scripture for Hate

The very essence of Christian love is betrayed when used to marginalize and condemn. Pastor Rick Morrow of Beulah Church in Richland, MO, embodies this hypocrisy with his vile claim that neurodivergent individuals are either demonically afflicted or simply not favored by God. “Either the devil has attacked them, he's brought this infirmity upon them, he's got them where he wants them, and/or God just doesn't like them very much,” Morrow says. This is nothing short of spiritual malpractice, and it makes me question the salvation of those who spew such hatred. Where are the fruits of the Spirit in this? There’s no evidence of grace, love, or goodness in such zealotry.

The Dangerous Pretense of Purity

I am outraged by the far-right "Christian" pundits calling for the elimination of autism, using it as a sick excuse for purification. Such ideologies not only marginalize but endanger the lives of countless individuals. The zealots who hold these beliefs are convinced that God requires them to purify humanity through exclusion and purging. This is a clear perversion of true Christian doctrine and a direct violation of the command to love one another.

Jesus’ True Message Versus Christian Hypocrisy

A search for historical context reveals that even Jesus’ disciples could have had traits that would now be labeled neurodivergent. Thomas’ skepticism and Peter’s intense loyalty suggest that even the earliest followers faced misconceptions and judgment. The portrayal of Matthew as autistic in The Chosen is a step in the right direction but also a stark reminder of how poorly “weirdos” are treated within church walls. I would have fought for my place and for others like me, and I’m disheartened to see such prejudices persist.

A Call to Genuine Christian Conduct

It’s high time Christians remember their true calling—to correct and rebuke one another in love and follow Jesus’ greatest commandment to love your neighbor as yourself. If you cannot exhibit the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—then you are failing at the very core of your faith. The current state of Christianity is deeply troubling. We have strayed so far from the teachings of Christ that it’s become almost unrecognizable.

We must urgently address this crisis within the faith, or we risk losing the essence of what it means to truly follow Jesus. My heart aches for a faith that once stood for unconditional love but is now plagued by hypocrisy and exclusion. We need a return to grace and a recommitment to genuine Christian values before it’s too late.

In Faith, With Christ

[yourlastbraincell-kiwi]

Hi there

Could you please do a Carl Grimes x fem!reader angst to fluff that takes place during beginning of season 6? Carl and the reader are a couple and super close. Ron likes the reader and is jealous of their relationship. Ron also wants revenge for his father’s death so he kidnaps Carl knocking him out and taking him outside beyond Alexandria. The reader finds a letter Ron left telling her he took Carl. Reader goes over the walls and tracks Ron and Carl and finds where they are. Ron threatens Carl and is about to kill him when the reader shows up just in time. Her and Ron fight with her winning the fight. She then frees Carl and once Carl is free a swarm of walkers start coming. Ron tries to escape but is surrounded and killed by the walkers. The reader and Carl escape the herd just in time and return to Alexandria. Carl kisses the reader all emotional while holding her not wanting to let go telling her he was afraid he’d never see her again and that Ron was going to hurt her. Reader and Carl then have a cozy night in cuddling with each other by the fireplace. Thank you.

A/N: This has been sitting in my asks for a while and I finally got around to it. And I’m sorry it does seem and feel rushed, but I will def come back to it, as well as my other stories, to tweak it and add stuff.

But for now this is the masterpiece, and I’m hopeful it’s still good nonetheless.

Pairing: Carl x Fem!Reader

—————

“Hey, how you been?” I smiled, seeing Carl walk over to me as I helped removed some supplies from out of the truck.

“Good, glad to see save.” Carl said and planted a kiss to my cheek, I laugh. My eyes trailed over to Ron as he huffed and quickly helped get the supplies off the truck.

“What’s up with, Ron?”

“I’m not sure actually, but what you can do- yeah? Is help me with the supplies.” I grin and handed him one of the boxes.

“Fine, fine.” He smiles back and went into the room Ron had just entered.

He placed the box on the floor, and went to go look into the boxes of food and various other items.

Carl picked up one of the cans and examined it, he was just about to put it back when hands grabbed onto him and one held a cloth to his mouth.

Carls screamed were muffled and quiet against the cloth, the can fell from his fingers as he suddenly fell unconscious. Ron taking this moment to drag him out of the room and just beyond the gated perimeter of the community.

(Y/N) waited for Carl to come back, but he didn’t.

‘It normally wouldn’t have taken him this long..’ She thought. She asked around Alexandria, Daryl, Michonne, Rick. Hell, she even asked Gabriel if he’d seen him.

No one. No one knew. No sign of him. Just left without a trace.

(Y/N) then began to panic, she checked the pantry one more time, and noticed something was placed down on the top of the boxes.

It was almost strategic. Like they wanted her to find this.



It was a note, but on the backside it was a hand-drawn with a red circle encompassing one of the locations on it.

She quickly let everyone know where she’d be and left with a gun and knife.

All she needed. Nothing more, nothing less.

She made it to the spot, just before sun down and called out to Carl.

“Carl? Carl? You here?”

“Shut up, or you’ll draw them in.” Ron said, as he held a gun to Carls head.

“Ron, listen to me.”

“No! You listen to me! We’ve known each other fro the start of this shit, and you go ahead and be with him? Him! Of all people?”

Ron exclaimed and (Y/N) slowly creeped closer to Ron. His seemingly still in his long explanation of why I should’ve chosen him instead of Carl.

“And he’s a murdered! He got my dad killed, why would you want to be with someone like that?”

“You’re right he is one, but why would you stoop to that level? His level?” I asked, reaching for the gun. “Gimme the gun and we can talk about it, no harm done to anyone.”

She was close to grabbing the gun, and Ron looked like he was going to give in but took it away last second and aimed it back at Carl.

She pushed the gun away from his hand, it fired. It missed Carl by a centimeter, but she didn’t have time to get Carl up, as she tackled Ron to the ground.

She took out her knife and stabbed Ron in the side he winced and pushed her off with a quickness, and had his hands around her throat trying to choke her out.

She was starting to lose consciousness, as she was feeling for a rock underneath her palm and quickly picked it up and hit Ron in the head with it, knocking him out instantaneously.

(Y/N) quickly unties Carls after cutting it with her knife, and noticed that walkers were coming.

“We gotta go! Now!” She exclaimed, grabbing her knife, and both her and Ron’s gun. And held onto Carls hand trying to run in the direction of Alexandria.

“Wait.” Carl stopped her wanting to see what happened to Ron. They watched as the walkers bit down onto his shoulder and his stomach. (Y/N) audibly groaned and looked away.

Carl hearing her sounds of disgust, stopped watching and followed her all the way back home.

Once they got there they banged on the gate, Sasha opened it and looked at them concerned. “The hell happened out there? You guys alright?”

We nodded, breathing heavily. They both hugged each other like their lives depended on it. “He, didn’t hurt you did he? Let me see.” He held my neck up to see if he left any bruises, “I’m fine. I swear it.”

“I was so scared he would hurt you, or take you away from me, or anything else. I just couldn’t-”

“And you didn’t, I’m here with you in this moment. So, let’s cherish it, yeah?” I kissed his cheek and led him into the house that was provided to us when we first got to Alexandria.

And one by one took turns taking a very much needed and well deserved, hot shower.

—————

After that whole thing, they set up a bonfire near the lake, and relaxed. Not a care in the world.

Nothing was wrong in the world, just them too.

“Hey, did you mean what you said back there? About me being a murderer and all?”

“No. No, no, I didn’t mean any of that. It was just to get Ron to drop the gun. I promise you anything I said back there wasn’t true. Okay?” He nodded and smiled. They leaned in and planted a kiss to each other’s lips, before admiring the night sky together.

“Don’t ever leave, okay?”

“As long you promise the same thing.”

“Deal.” They smiled and wrapped and arm around her shoulder.

[fandomwe1rd0]

Hey I was just wondering, do y'all think the "Morty say you'll marry me." joke in Full Meta Jackrick was making fun of the Rickortys of the fandom? Because I do believe some staff members working on Rick and Morty know about the Rickorty ship, because it is WAY too popular, (For example the Rick Sanchez/Morty Smith tag on a03 is more popular than the Rick Sanchez & Morty Smith tag, so ew <3)

I mean, Rick and Morty writers making fun of their fans wouldn't be anything new, they have made fun of the dudebros and people who want to show to be "like season 1" before. I wouldn't be surprised since a staff artist did make some...ahem...interesting joke art having to do with Rickorty (Please do not search it up, especially if you value your eyes and sanity) and Justin Roliland (Fuck him btw) did make fun of Rickortys when he was still working on the show, he said something like "In many realities Morty and Rick are in a healthy, loving, passionate, romantic relationship. We might even make an episode about it!" People have chosen to take it as a joke and I do as well :)

The "Give grandpa a kiss" scene and the virginity vile in "Morty's Mindblowers" seems to be making fun of Rickorty as well, even though I really do think it's about the experience that happened with Mr. Jellybean, so maybe they added the "Morty, say you'll marry me" joke to fuck with the Rickortys and show how weird that would be if they did it in the show? (Also, before anyone says anything, yes I know Rick only did that so they could get Previous Leon so shush)

[angelwings-crossbowstrings]

So I Live a Lie in the Light

Setting: Forest (6 year gap) Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Tabby O’Sullivan (OC) Warnings: Typical TWD violence and gore; mentions of child abuse; mentions of pregnancy Summary: Daryl has a secret. He’s always known it could affect all of those he loved. Just not like this. A/N: Tumblr is being an uber twat right now and won’t let me edit so hopefully there are no mistakes.

It had been getting more difficult to hide. Emotions always made it worse. For most of his life, he had tried to hide from them; push them down and bury them. And that was before he was bitten. He had been so young and careless, out in the woods after a particularly heavy beating from his father. Nature had always been his safe place. That night, it was anything but safe. 

He had thought it was a dog at first, a low growl the first indication he hadn’t been alone. He had stumbled through the bushes and landed directly in the middle of the dinner table. The creature was kneeling over the deer carcass, its clawed hands holding open a gaping hole so its canine-like maw could delve inside. 

It had heard him, probably smelled him now that he thought back on it. Running had proven useless, its long legs catching up to him with ease. He remembered thinking he would die right there that night. Even now, he could feel the pain flare to life around the scar its teeth had left on his shoulder. 

Then it had let him go. 

His daddy had been passed out drunk when he got home, allowing him to care for the wound without explanation. He would find out on the first full moon since the attack that the creature had been Merle and what exactly that bite meant for the rest of his life. 

So Daryl, a lycan, had kept his secret. It made slaughtering the undead while alone a piece of cake. Even when he was with his chosen family, he had strength he would never be able to explain if he didn’t hide it well. Had he not been so consumed by fear, he could have saved them. He could have saved so many of them. 

After Rick’s supposed death, he had skulked off into the woods to find his brother’s body, dead or alive. He had left everyone behind. He had left her behind. If there had been anyone he would have told, it would have been her. He wanted to tell her; wanted to show her how much he trusted her. How much he loved her. 

But he was afraid. The walkers had done nothing more than die and had become the enemy. What would that mean for him? A lycan. A werewolf. 

Rather than live with her rejection, he chose to live with her absence. It was better for both of them this way. 

Daryl had made her promise to never visit aside from after each full moon. He had been adamant and, so far, Tabby had held to the promise. She’d set the world on fire for that man, so even when her heart ached for his presence, she held fast to the agreement. 

Until now. 

Circumstances called for an earlier visit. She brought supplies with her but secretly hoped this would be when he’d return. It had been six years. Two day visits every 30 days or so just wasn’t cutting it. He’d always allow her to stay in his camp, sharing touches and sweet kisses and whispered words. Sharing his bed and his body. She yearned for those moments. 

Maybe today was the day. 

“Daryl, are you here?” Tabby peeked into the tent, surprised to find Dog stretched out on the bedroll but no archer. “Daryl?” With careful, quiet steps—just like he’d taught her—she crept across the forest floor. It wasn’t long before she heard the familiar snarls of a herd. Oh god, no! 

She didn’t call for him. It would only alert them to her presence when he could be perfectly fine and hiding to wait it out. But why would he leave Dog? There was a new, unfamiliar sound as she closed in, an animal of some sort. Probably, being mauled and eaten, the poor thing. When she could see a few of the uncoordinated, shuffling bodies, she pressed herself against the nearest tree, carefully leaning around to the other side. 

What she saw defied everything logical she had ever been taught up until the dead began to walk. 

A large, black creature was slaughtering walkers left and right; taking heads and limbs and tossing them carelessly. It was covered in fur and stood on two legs at about seven feet, with decipherable knees but canine hocks below them. The fingers and toes were tipped with large, razor-sharp claws that were slicing through flesh like butter. The torso was comparable to that of a human but larger, broader with pronounced skeletal and muscular features. But its head—Its head was large with canine features: elongated snout, pointed ears, and a mouth full of dangerously sharp, dripping teeth. 

Tabby was frozen to the spot with wide eyes, tears on her lashes, and only one coherent thought: Daryl. 

Had it killed him? 

The creature paused with a walker’s head in its grasp, raising its snout to sniff the air—and turned its black gaze right to where she was hiding. 

“Oh fuck.” She whispered, stumbling backwards before she turned around and began to run back to the camp. There was a roar unlike any she had ever heard from somewhere behind her but then the sound of more walkers being dispatched. “Dog!” Tabby screamed, relieved when the canine poked his head out of the tent. “Dog, come! We have to find Daryl!” She saw the archer’s pack on the ground, choking on a sob. Why would he go anywhere without supplies? “Come, Dog! We have to—”

When she turned, she was face to face with an open maw of pointed fangs, rivulets of thick saliva stretching and falling to the leaves. She lifted her foot to take a step back, watching its eyes lower and then rise before it growled. She couldn’t die. Not now. She hadn’t survived years of slow moving corpses to be taken out like this when she was so close to everything she could have ever wanted, apocalypse or not. 

“Dog.” She whispered, oddly concerned that the canine hadn’t made a single sound. She started to risk a glance but didn’t have to look far. Dog was sitting calmly at her side, looking up at the creature with his tongue hanging out the side of his open mouth. 

Movement in front of her brought Tabby’s eyes forward. A huge, clawed hand was reaching for her, slowly. She whimpered, raising her shoulders and screwing her eyes shut. The touch on her face was shockingly gentle. When it pulled away, she released the breath she had been holding and opened her eyes. It was backing away. 

It made a noise before things began to shift. Bones and colors and size, shrinking and morphing until—

“Daryl?!”

He was naked as the day he was born, a hand out against a tree to balance himself as if the change had sapped his energy. The look he was giving her was unreadable, so many emotions flitting across his face that she couldn’t pinpoint just one. 

“Ya weren’t s’posed to come here.” He whispered. 

“Yeah, I get that now.” She snapped. “What the fuck is going on?” He stepped toward and when she stepped back, his expression crumbled. 

“You’re afraid of me now.” He choked on a sob, his chin quivering. Daryl walked briskly past her and grabbed his pack, jerking out clothing and proceeded to begin dressing himself. “Ya can go if ya want.” The tremble in his voice made it clear that wasn’t what he truly wanted. Besides, she came to tell him something and now, more than ever, it seemed more imperative. 

“Daryl, I—” The redhead braved a step toward him, visibly trembling. Yes, she was afraid. Even so, something in her gut told her that he would never hurt her. She was afraid because she didn’t understand. She needed to know what this meant for her. How it changed things. “I need an explanation. I need to know—”

Tabby paused, standing straighter when he went still with his shirt halfway pulled over his shoulders. Daryl sniffed the air—once, then twice—and turned to her, his brow creased. “Ya smell diff’rent.”

“You can smell me? Like—a dog?”

“Lycan.” He corrected, pulling his shirt the rest of the way down. The archer began to step toward her, but she consciously made her feet stay planted. 

“Lycan?” Tabby queried, blinking.

“Werewolf.” Daryl stated calmly, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. He was nearly in front of her now, taking a moment to lean in and inhale through his nose once again. “Why do ya smell diff’rent?”

“New body wash?” She giggled nervously, a fine shaking to her person but still not moving away. 

He actually dared to look insulted. “Ain’t like that, Tabby-cat. S’ya scent. Your smell. Ain’t your clothes or soap or perfume. S’you.” The jig was up. She had to tell him and then he’d need to her what it meant; if it was dangerous. What she needed to do. 

“So,” The redhead dropped her gaze, toeing at the rocks. “What happens when—lycans?” He nodded. “When lycans and humans have sex and that results in the creation of a little being?” 

Daryl stood up straight, looming over her in a way that had never intimidated her before that moment. “You’re—pregnant?” Tabby nodded, her chin quivering. Daryl barked out a laugh and doubled over, hands on his knees.

She stared with wide blue eyes, incredulous. “You’re seriously laughing right now?”

The hunter shook his head and stood up with an expression of pure relief. “Thought ya’d got bit. Didn’t have the—dead stench but I didn’t know how else to take it. Ya weren’t s’posed to be able.” He sobered quickly, reaching cautiously for her shoulders. When she didn’t back away, he pulled her in against him. “Anyway, aint been through it ‘fore n’ haven’t ran into many others like me, but s’far s’I know, ain’t no diff’rent than a human. Just—” he trailed off, easing his hold on her so that she could move back a little. 

Tabby looked up at him, fear present in her trembling orbs. “Just what?”

Daryl bit his lip nervously. “Kid’ll have the curse. Ain’t no two ways ‘bout it. Don’t know how much or how lil’ it’ll show up. Could be born like a pup, could be human. Could change immediately, could take months, years. S’a lot I don’t know.” He let her go and turned away. “M’sorry. Didn’t think ya’d ever—”

Tabby stood in stunned silence, completely overwhelmed and more than a little frightened. One thing hadn’t changed, though. She didn’t think it ever would. She stepped up after a deep breath, wondering if he already knew she was closer because of super hearing or smell. Regardless, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head between his shoulder blades, pushing back the mental image of them snapping and shifting only a few minutes before. 

She still loved him. He was still somehow her Daryl, even if she had a lot to learn. 

“I’m scared. You can’t blame me for that.” She felt more than heard him sigh. “But I’m not scared of you.” Now a sharp intake of breath, blue eyes searching for her over his shoulder. Tabby leaned back, only enough for him to turn within her embrace, pressing herself right back into his chest. His arms encircled her immediately, warm and familiar. “I’m scared for our baby, what it means for them. What sort of life they’ll have to lead. What precautions we’ll have to take.”

Daryl nodded but didn’t interrupt. 

“I do know that I want this and I want it with you.” She smiled against his shirt, squeezing him tighter. “We’ll figure it out. Together.”

“Together.” He repeated softly, a hand coming up to cradle the back of her head. 

Pulling back, she gave him an all too familiar smirk, a mischievous twinkle in her wet eyes. “So, if I scratched behind your ear, would your leg shake?”

“Stop.”

[grlsavior]

i  will  eventually  write  up  a  much  longer  &  more  detailed  version  of  this,  but  for  now  this  is  at  least  a  brief  write  up  of  tilly's  canon  verses  within  the  walking  dead.     i  have  not  added  details  about  a  lot  of  relationships,  just  ones  that  have  been  majorily  plotted.     everything  is  open  to  plotting  &  discussion  -

𝗽𝗿𝗲 - 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻  &  𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻  :     tilly  was  with  negan  when  lucille  died,  after  travelled  with  him  to  try  and  find  her  new  medicine.    once  they  return  to  find  lucille  having  killed  herself  to  set  them  free,  it  is  her  who  puts  lucille  down  as  a  walker,  having  promisied  her  mom  to  do  that  if  her  dad  could  not.     the  two  of  them  become  increidbly  inseparable  and  she  is  with  him  during  his  rise  up  to  leader  of  the  saviours.    living  at  the  sanctuary,  only  a  trusted  few  are  actually  aware  that  tilly  is  negan's  ( @sav1ored )  daughter,  she's  very  much  kept  out  of  things  but  is  fully  aware  of  what  is  happening,  purely  from  overhearing  the  others  talking  when  they  don't  realise  she's  there  and  whilst  she  knows  her  dad's  bruality,  she  has  not  seen  it  firsthand  since  the  night  lucille  died.     she  has  a  strong  relationship  with  laura,  since  they've  been  together  nearly  from  the  start.     she  does  not  have  a  good  relationship  with  simon  whatsoever.

𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁  :     after  being  attacked  at  alexandria,  negan  thought  tilly  would  be  safer  out  of  the  sanctuary,  having  her  moved  to  the  satellite  outpost,  where  she  met  alden  campbell  ( @leagueofdccm ).     she  was  there  when  the  hilltop  community  attacked  and  was  taking  prisoner  alongside  all  the  other  prisoners,  able  to  stay  hidden  considering  that  no  one  knew  her  connection  to  negan     -     until  gregory  revealed  it,  having  been  told  by  simon,  to  try  and  gain  favour  with  maggie.     she  had  been  convinced  that  maggie  would  kill  her  for  what  negan  did  to  glenn,  but  she  didn't.     she  remained  a  prisoner  at  hilltop,  even  staying  when  given  the  chance  to  escape  alongside  some  of  the  others,  a  claim  of  self  preservation  since  she  hadn't  really  been  out  of  the  sanctuary,  didn't  know  how  far  she  was  from  there  and  didn't  trust  anyone  to  keep  her  safe  or  alive,  esepcially  after  simon  attacking  hilltop  and  not  making  any  attempts  to  save  any  of  the  saviors.     after  rick  returns  from  going  after  the  saviors  that  escaped  hilltop,  he  took  tilly  back  to  sanctuary,  although  she  had  thought  he  would  kill  her  after  learning  that  carl  had  died.     tilly  was  there  that  day  when  negan  was  stopped  and  the  saviors  lost  the  war,  thinking  she  had  just  watched  her  dad  be  murdered.

𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲  :     with  negan  imprisioned  and  the  saviors  no  longer  the  powerful  group  they  were,  tilly  has  chosen  to  stay  in  alexandria,  in  an  attempt  to  be  close  to  her  dad.     even  though  she's  not  been  allowed  to  see  him,  more  a  punishment  for  him  than  her,  but  it's  hard  for  her  to  sometimes  see  it  that  way.     she  wasn't  exactly  welcomed,  she  was  often  treated  badly  by  a  lot  of  people,  but  she  takes  it  all,  determined  to  not  give  up.     after  rick's  disappearance  and  in  the  six  year  time  jump,  tilly  forms  an  extremely  close  familial  bond  with  rosita  espinosa  ( @leagueofdccm ),  who  she  fully  will  credit  for  her  survival  in  that  time.     she  feels  a  more  a  part  of  alexandria's  community,  allowing  her  to  build  trust  and  bonds  with  a  lot  of  people  there,  but  there  is  still  some  uneasiness  for  a  few.     she  just  continues  to  try  to  help  alexandria  as  much  as  she  can,  especially  with  the  growing  threat  of  the  whisperers.     towards  the  end  of  the  six  years,  she  has  started  learning  from  siddiq  to  be  a  doctor  and  learn  medicial  skills.

𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝘁𝗲𝗻  :     tilly  had  travelled  to  oceanside  to  train  to  fight  in  the  potential  war  with  the  whisperers,  it  is  here  that  her  relationship  with  alden  ( @leagueofdccm )  starts.     after  returning  to  alexandria,  she  keeps  a  close  eye  on  lydia,  understanding  what  it  is  like  to  be  the  child  of  the  person  everyone  hates.     after  negan  accidentally  killed  margo,  she  planned  to  break  him  out  and  escape  with  him,  not  allowing  him  to  be  killed  for  protecting  someone,  only  to  discover  that  he  has  already  gone,  released  unknowingly  by  carol.     she  helps  defend  alexandria  when  beta  brings  some  walkers  to  try  and  find  gamma.     due  to  dante's  arrival,  she  hadn't  been  learning  as  much  from  siddiq  but  did  insist  on  travelling  with  rosita  to  hilltop  after  her  fight  with  beta,  meaning  she  is  at  hilltop  when  the  whisperers  attack,  as  well  as  finding  out  then  that  negan  had  joined  them.     she  manages  to  escape  alongside  rosita,  reuniting  with  the  others  and  helping  as  best  as  she  can  with  the  evacuation  of  alexandria  to  the  tower.     when  daryl  brings  negan  back,  telling  them  what  had  actually�� happened  and  that  alpha  was  dead,  it  leads  to  a  tense  reconiliation  with  negan.     which  is  only  made  more  tense  with  the  return  of  maggie.

𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻  𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻  :     at  some  point  between  the  gap  between  the  seasons,  maggie  had  told  tilly  about  the  day  she  went  to  negan's  cell  and  he  had  begged  her  to  kill  him,  leading  to  an  extremely  tense  dynamic  between  tilly  and  her  dad,  with  her  not  speaking  to  him.     during  this  time,  tilly  and  alden's  relationship  has  strongly  developed,  with  her  basically  being  an  adoptive  mother  to  adam.     when  the  mission  to  maggie's  former  communities  comes  up,  tilly  volunteers  alongside  alden  to  go,  citing  her  medicial  training  which  she  had  been  working  on  again  with  the  hilltop  doctor  for  the  reason  she  should  be  a  part  of  the  team.     a  part  of  it  was  to  also  keep  an  eye  out  for  her  dad,  even  though  they  weren't  speaking.     unknown  to  everyone  except  tilly,  she  is  at  least  a  few  months  into  her  pregnancy  with  her  &  alden's  child,  but  had  been  able  to  hide  her  small  bump.     after  alden  is  hurt  during  the  reaper  ambush,  tilly  remains  behind  with  him  at  the  church,  canon divergence  :  due  to  this,  she  is  able  to  kill  the  reaper  scout  who  finds  them  and  the  two  remain  hidden,  meaning  alden  survives.     it  is  here  that  tilly  tells  him  that  she's  pregnant.     when  they  return  to  alexandira  and  the  commonwealth  arrives,  the  two  of  them  don't  go  to  the  commonwealth,  instead  go  to  hilltop.

     during  the  six  month  time  jump,  her  &  alden's  daughter,  lucy  rose  campbell,  is  born,  but  even  after  that,  they  still  refuse  to  go  to  the  commonwealth.     she  joins  in  the  fight  with  maggie  and  the  others  against  lance  hornsby  and  his  soldiers.     she  is  also  kidnapped  alongside  the  other  survivors  on  pamela  milton's  orders,  both  adam  &  lucy  are  taken  to  the  commonwealth  orphanage  along  with  coco  &  mariam.     tilly  is  the  one  who  is  nearly  executed  alongside  negan  instead  of  annie  ( something  @sav1ored  &  i  have  discussed ).     tilly  joins  the  fight  into  the  commonwealth,  determined  to  get  her  children  back  and  help  stop  pamela  milton.     yet  after  judith  is  shot,  she  chooses  to  stay  to  help  daryl  with  her  till  they  can  get  her  to  tomi,  making  alden  promise  to  get  their  kids  back  alongside  rosita,  gabriel  &  eugene.     after  pamela  is  stopped,  she  celebrates  alongside  everyone  else,  but  in  turn  finds  out  about  rosita  being  bitten.     she  is  one  of  the  last  ones  to  stay  with  her  whilst  she  passes,  but  cannot  be  the  one  to  make  sure  she  doesn't  turn,  not  wanting  to  have  to  do  it  again  to  the  woman  she  considered  her  mother,  grateful  that  eugene  tells  her  to  go.

     during  the  year  time  jump,  tilly  &  alden  are  living  in  alexandria  as  she  had  wanted  to  remain  close  to  coco  and  gabriel.     they  live  there  with  all  three  of  their  children,  adam,  lucy  and  their  newest  son,  dorian  who  is  named  after  alden's  older  brother  who  had  passed.     she  is  the  doctor  at  alexandria,  a  part  of  the  council  and  finally  feels  like  she  has  a  home.

[spinelli-gemelli]

A Degrassi Essay Series About Rick Murray

(Part 7)

In the last essay, I mentioned that it was difficult to have an unpopular opinion about the Rick debate. In this essay, I'm closing in on one specific question: how could one feel sorry for Rick, a woman beater? This question still boggles most Degrassi fans today. After all, it's a valid opinion to not feel sorry for the guy. Once you put all of his wrongs in writing, it proves even more difficult to empathize with him. Consider all of the following of which Rick is guilty:

Domestic violence: he attacked his girlfriend three separate times.

Aggravated assault: this resulted in landing Terri in a coma. If she had died, he would have been possibly charged with third degree murder.

Vandalism: he spray painted a giant "X" on Spinner's and Jay's car windows.

Possession of a deadly weapon: He brought a gun to school. This is exacerbated by the fact that Rick is also a sixteen-year-old adolescent/minor.

Attempted murder: he shot Jimmy Brooks in the back. If he had succeeded in killing him, he would have been charged with second degree murder. He later found Emma and aimed the gun at her face. If he hadn't been stopped by Sean, he would have killed her instantly.

It goes without saying: on paper, Rick is a classic, S-tier douchebag. Heck, one could probably expand on this list. And yet...some people feel for him? Why is that? Obviously there is contextual information missing from the list that would explain why Rick was driven to make many of the decisions he did. It's not like he woke up one day and decided that he wanted to kill everyone at Degrassi. In Rick's mind, he had tried everything: he tried to make amends with Terri's friends; when that didn't work, he tried to mind his own business; when that didn't work, he began to retaliate. When he finally got the chance to show the school how valuable he was, he was pranked on camera, and everyone that previously cheered him on began to laugh at him. In Rick's mind, the school betrayed him. Nothing else he did was going to work. The only way Rick was going to right the wrongs done to him, the only way he was going to earn respect, the only way he was going to fend off his bullies--in his mind--was if he used violence. Rick bringing a gun to school wasn't premeditated: it was his last resort. You see after his interaction with Paige that he goes from intending to shoot her to immediately concealing his weapon after he realizes that Paige wasn't there to give him a hard time. He reconsidered his choice after that single conversation. He put his backpack in his locker afterwards, a clear indicator that Rick didn't want to harm anyone if it wasn't necessary. Of course, after "overhearing" Spinner and Jay, he receded back into his violent ways for good. In the beginning, Rick was looking for a second chance. In the end, he wanted to avenge his suffering. Ephraim Ellis, the actor who played Rick, talks about the psychological whiplash that Rick undergoes in the span of a second: after he is doused in paint and feathers, Rick goes from the best day of his life to the worst instantaneously. After all of the hell he had been through, that was just a devastating blow for him.

Degrassi fans aren't shallow: crimes 3, 4, and 5 would be better understood if Rick also wasn't responsible for committing crimes 1 and 2. Rick's abusive past, and a recent past at that, is the point of contempt with some Degrassi fans when it comes to exploring the school shooting plot line. For one thing, high school shooters in real life typically didn't have records of domestic violence against women, though some definitely had some misogynistic overtones. For another, it makes it difficult to sympathize with the bullied victim when the victim himself has been cruel to his own girlfriend. Why couldn't the writers have chosen another character, one who was innocent beforehand, to explore the school shooting story line with? If Rick was innocent of any crimes before the extreme bullying, there would have been a chance to make him relatable to the audience and for more people to garner sympathy for him. This is the perspective that these fans are coming from, and I can understand and appreciate their reasoning.

I can also see why the producers decided to go with Rick's character, this former abuser, to tackle the gun violence topic. From a casting perspective, the Degrassi crew saw the actor playing Rick, Ephraim, as a talented young man, so they knew after his performance in season 3 that they wanted him to be back for Rick's tragic end in season 4, which is half of the reason why Terri's abusive boyfriend and the bullied school shooter are the same person. The writers have been wanting to do a school shooting episode since season 1, but they knew that they needed to "earn" that experience before they did so; they had to wait until the actors, who were all very young in season one, were old enough and experienced enough to pull off such a heavy and demanding role. Ephraim, playing a recurring guest role, exceeded the creators' expectations, so they decided to give him the most difficult part: he had to play the school shooter. Considering that fans still are appalled by Rick's character today, I'd say that Ellis successfully played the role.

I also understand this decision from a moral standpoint. I mentioned this in part 6 of this essay series: the writers were wanting to demonstrate the vicious cycle of violence and the ripple effect it can leave on a community for years after the fact. They wanted to show teens that solving violence with violence only creates more violence in the end. We see this when Rick almost kills Terri; when the students bully Rick relentlessly; and lastly when Rick brings a gun to school and essentially gets himself killed because of it. Nothing was solved in the end. Only pain, guilt, trauma, and devastation remained. The creators were implying a lesson to their teen audience: don't bully, even if the bullied deserves it. I think this is more powerful to teach kids than if the school shooter was just a cut-and-dry, loner nerd. I also think it was a more realistic way to introduce Rick's bullying problem, which was initiated by characters we care about who traditionally aren't bullies save for Spinner and Jay. You can understand why they did it. If the victim was innocent, it would be harder to understand the motivations of the bullies, and the story would be very black-and-white obvious. As I mentioned before, a lot of the main cast aren't written as bullies, so it would be strange to see these mostly good kids decide to torture one kid for no real reason. In this case, the kids had a legitimate reason to hate Rick, so the writers used that conflict to explore school shootings. Degrassi is about the nuance, and boy did Rick's arc have a bunch of that. You may not have liked him, and it's okay if you didn't sympathize with him; he wasn't designed for you to feel sorry for him. However: right is still right, and wrong is still wrong. It doesn't matter if Rick wronged Terri in the beginning, that he wasn't the "perfect" victim. He was still wronged by the school and his parents afterwards, and in the end, Rick committed the ultimate wrong. This whole tragedy is summed up in one sentence by Snake at the end of episode 4x08: "None of us took Rick's bullying seriously enough."

That still doesn't answer the main question. Sure the majority of fans have no empathy for Rick, but there are still a few who do. Why is that? How can that be possible? Considering that there is not much in the show's writing to suggest that Rick should be pitied, except when he was humiliated on stage, all of the credit goes to his actor, Ephraim Ellis. In order to make a character believable, whether they are playing a good or bad person, the actor himself has to find a way to relate to the character he is playing. Ephraim put in the hard work and had to internalize Rick's inner world so he could deliver an amazing performance. That is very difficult to do, especially when Rick becomes violent and sinister in the end. There is an interview Ellis did for Popgurls magazine twenty years ago that I recommend you take a look at. It may seem bizarre to reference such an out of date interview, but that era of Ephraim Ellis has fresh memories of playing Rick as he shot the episodes for Degrassi just months prior. You will get a better idea of what was going through his mind as he played Rick during the date of the publication, which was December 5th, 2004. In this interview, he discusses finding common ground between himself and Rick in order to connect to the character, and he says that they were both theater nerds and hopeless romantics, which is how I think Ellis was able to make Rick believable. He bridged the gap between his conscience and Rick's with what they shared, and then went from there. Consider the following which was said by Ellis:

"...when the character grew more in Season Four, when [the audience] learned there was a lot more to him than just this evil abusive person and that underneath he was just a kid with a problem who sincerely wanted to change – that’s when things got a lot more interesting for me as an actor. I had my run-ins with bullying throughout middle school and such, but it’s unthinkable what Rick had to go through, despite his past."

This was how the actor saw the character he was playing: "just a kid with a problem who sincerely wanted to change". This puts things into perspective. I get that this was in 2004, and Ellis is now twenty years older, but, as mentioned before, this is him talking just after he finished playing Rick. I remember reading this interview when I was younger and being impressed by how Ellis was able to sympathize with a villainous character, but then I reminded myself that he's an actor. It's his job to connect to the character he's playing; that's how you sell the part. That is what every actor is required to do: they have to make you believe that their character is real, and in order to do that, they have to be able to connect to certain parts of the role. Obviously he doesn't have to relate to everything that the character stands for, especially in Rick's case, but imagine if Ephraim looked down on his character and didn't take his psychosis seriously. It would show in his acting or lack thereof. Yet Ellis encapsulated the role of Rick. He was a natural at the part.

It makes sense from an acting standpoint to connect with Rick, but what about the average viewer? It is never confirmed in the show that Rick was "sincerely trying to change" apart from Rick's declaration. Did the viewers believe him? Is that why they were more apt to feel sorry for him when bullying didn't let up? That appears to be the correlation.

Since the first essay I published about Rick Murray, I have been using hashtags that I deem relevant to the series. One of them is #Degrassi confessions. In case you were wondering what that meant, here is my confession: I can't get through "Time Stands Still" part 2 because my head canon can't help but believe that Rick never fired his gun. Up until the moment he decided to shoot Jimmy, I was a believer in Rick's repentance. I didn't want my bias to shroud the integrity of this essay series because I wanted to give validation to all sides of the debate, but there was something about the way Ephraim played his character in season four, with a complete change in his demeanor, that I couldn't help but root for. There's something to be said about him not hitting any of his classmates back in "Mercy Street" (4x04) even though many of them had no problems with pushing, shoving, or punching him. Some argue that it was because he was more intimidated by guys than he was girls, but girls were also hitting him, yet he turned the other cheek constantly. If this kid has anger issues, poking the bear would bring them out, but Rick kept his head down and didn't retaliate during the ribbon campaign, keeping his temper in check. No, I don't think he is blameless: I've laid out my case in all of the preceding essays. Everyone is to blame for participating in the cycle of violence, including and especially Rick Murray. Yes, he was deeply flawed. He was terrible at reading the room; he underestimated the difficulty it would take to earn forgiveness; he couldn't take a hint that Emma wasn't into him; and he was wrong in assuming that it was okay to force a kiss on her. It also goes without saying that it was disturbing for Rick to decide that Emma was worth killing because she didn't reciprocate his feelings for her (though I've made the argument before that at this point in his arc, no one feels bad for Rick). Still, before the shooting, I genuinely believed that Rick was making an effort to be better, however poorly he went about demonstrating this. He still had a lot to learn, but he never once, since returning to Degrassi, said or believed that the students were overreacting to what he did to Terri last year. He never denied what he did. He knew he was in the wrong, which was why he was putting in the work to be right. Maybe a different school or juvenile hall would have been a better fit for this transformation, but I do believe that Rick was trying to be better. The fandom's perception of Rick's intentions has shifted throughout the years, but even so, I still find myself wishing that things turned out better for him. The whole story is just tragic all around because, despite what happened, there were many opportunities for this to have gone the other way. As I said before, this was the story the writers wanted to tell the audience. Rick wasn't meant to have a happy ending, but there were plenty of chances for him to get one. He sealed his fate the moment he thought it was justified to shoot his classmates. It's a tragedy that Rick had to lose his life, but he was a threat, and he needed to be stopped by any means necessary.

[navylily]

I could not imagine anyone better to play annabeth in the new pjo tv show. I knew that leah was not a book accurate reflection of annabeth but I decided to trust uncle rick. As a person of color, i did have doubts about leah and I feel so guilty that I thought such things about her because leah is annabeth on and off screen. Book annabeth struggled with the dumb-blond stereotype. Thus, she needed to constantly prove herself through her intelligence and power. She was big inspiration to many young girls who saw themselves in annabeth. In this modern day, the circumstances are different. The TV annabeth struggles with stereotypes regarding her skin color. THIS IS WHY DIVERSITY IS SO IMPORTANT IN MODERN DAY MEDIA.

Leah our annabeth and I am so grateful that she was chosen!