#twd diverged

[allzelemonz]

I went on AO3 for fics and was disappointed yet again, so I made a list of who I'm vibing right now. All of them had under ten fics (not counting my own). Who should I tackle first?

[tullytruther]

ms. carol “i don’t need a savior and i don’t need a martyr, i just need a friend” peletier, ladies and gentlemen

[everythingwrongwithizumi]

Hello there!

+ Hihi, my name is Izumi but feel free to call me Zumi! I am 20 years old and I go by she/her! I am Japanese but I was born and raised in the Yehaw state TT . I enjoy many things, but pleasing people and having fun is definitely the most satisfying for me.

+ I plan to make this blog 18+ so please MDNI however I can only do so much from where I am so I cannot control you, but don’t complain when you see something you do not like.

+ I am a struggling(aren’t we all) college student so please bear with me as I attempt to stay to a schedule! Please don’t be afraid to reach out if u need anything like support!!

Without Further Adoo-

Who I write for ...

Criminal Minds

The Walking Dead

Jujutsu Kaisen

The Maze Runner

Hunger Games

Harry Potter

My Hero Academia

Attack On Titan

Marvel

Divergent

[im-immortal]

Small Miracles

Beth Greene is not dead. Though it is not for a lack of trying.

After eight long years spent in the CRM's grasp, struggling to find reasons to continue surviving, Beth finally finds her reason: Rick and Daryl are alive, and they are closer than she ever could've guessed. Now she must take advantage of her only opportunity to escape and track them down.

Along the way, she revisits all of the places that changed her into who she has become. And she is forced to remember who she truly is at heart despite how unrecognizable she finds herself.

But she has an unexpected ally along for the journey. Just the same as her, he is somewhat of a living miracle. Except he's no longer living... he's a walker.

Chapter 17 // Part 9: Grady Memorial Hospital

There is still plenty of evidence of the mass bombings that occurred right after The Turn, but more than that, there is evidence of time and weather eating away at everything. Nature is reclaiming what has been abandoned by humans. The once-pristine buildings are now covered in sprawling ivy and patches of moss, the neatly-manicured parks and lawns are overgrown and flowing out into the streets. There are flowers and lush green plants everywhere. The trees have grown taller, larger, more formidable than ever before. Strange fungi sprout up in even stranger places. Birds fly overhead, flocking from one tree to the next, making nests in the ledges of shattered windows and calling out to one another. Beth spots stray cats and wild dogs darting from one dark place to another, no longer accustomed to the presence of living humans and wary of the very sound, hiding away as soon as she rounds a corner or takes a step in their direction. There are field mice, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, and even deer in places where, a decade ago, they would’ve never dared tread. At one point, Mae stops and lets out a little gasp. Beth whips her head around, expecting the worst, but only finds Mae turning to her with a wide smile on her face. She holds out one hand and Beth sees multiple ladybugs crawling across her skin from where she reached into an overgrown patch of leaves stretching out from the shattered window of a convenience store.  “Look at ‘em!” Mae whispers loudly, her eyes filled with wonder as she watches the ladybugs crawl up and around her wrist and lower arm, some of them getting caught on the edges of her long sleeve. Beth feels something twist inside her chest. A memory flashes through her mind very briefly: a single ladybug settled on a leaf, crawling onto her finger as she patiently waited and gazed at it with a dream-like wonder. The first thing to bring a smile to her face in many days. Gale says, “A sign of good luck.” Mae carefully brushes the insects off her skin and back to the leaves they occupied. “Let’s hope so.” Beth doesn’t say anything, but she most certainly agrees. Only a couple of hours after noon, with the sun high in the sky and beating down upon them, they reach Grady Memorial Hospital. Beth stands in the middle of the street and stares up at the burnt-out shell of what was once a grand building. She does not dare circle around to the other side, already well aware of what awaits her there: the various abandoned cars, one of which she had been laid to rest in by her own family. She doesn’t even know if that car is still there. She doesn’t want to know.

[moronic-validity]

Do you have any OCs? Talk about them!

okay so I have a lot of OCs (technically, kinda, sorta) bc every character I pull out of thin air for my original works are my OCs

but my fandom associated OCs? Oh buddy....

Oldest? Period? My x-men oc I made when I was 8. Never threw much detail into her (again, I was 8), but she was my very first. My first intentional oc? When I was 12-13 and stupidly into Hetalia, I made the personifications of two states (The one I was born in and the one I currently live in) and, for some reason, all the Canadian provinces. I...can't explain that one. I think I have sketches of them all somewhere....

Newest? I'm making a CoD oc... I don't have many details yet because I'm embarrassed he exists and he's very much a self insert. He's not military, stupidly good with languages, and has a knack for being able to blend in anywhere he is, able to just disappear into any crowd. He has tell me your life story written across his forehead and has a knack for always being in the wrong place at the wrong time and voicing his opinions to the wrong people. Will he ever see the light of day in any of my written works? Probably not because my fingertips are burning just typing this out.

Most fleshed out? Unfortunately, again, I have to look back to 13 year old me because while that kid really needed to get out of the house and make some friends....he also had a wickedly cool Walking Dead oc. I forget what I named her, but I had everything from her birthday to her blood type figured the fuck out. Her weapon of choice was a baseball bat (THIS WAS BEFORE NEGAN WAS INTRODUCED) and she was 16 when all of this started (because to 13 year old me, 16 was basically adulthood). She had watched her grandmother die (not due to the walkers) and reanimate, so her and her crew kinda figured out that everyone was infected kinda quickly. She got separated from her parents and brother (she was at school when shit hit the fan) and everyone that was left at the school (a queer football player, two theater kids, the art teacher, the ap chem teacher, the school drug dealer, a jrotc kid, and her) kinda formed a group and just stuck together because no one ever came for them. She actually never interacted with Rick's crew, but her and her group locked down the school and reached a point where they took in any kids that had gotten separated or lost and they basically just...tried to make things a new normal... Might actually revisit her because typing this out made me realize how cool she actually was.

Least fleshed out? The CoD oc. He doesn't even have a name yet and I'm sure as fuck not giving him mine. He's a loose idea at this point.

My personal favorite? Probably my old x-men OC I made when I was 8. Don't remember shit about her other than she could talk to animals and see through their eyes, saw Wolverine as her dad (he begrudgingly dealt with this because she was young), and she was stupidly good at climbing. I've considered revamping her for shits and giggles because she was fun and contributed little to nothing. She's still my favorite though.

[dan-the-womans-blog]

If you wanna be added to the taglist then comment on this post💚

[olpie]

Chapter 27: Scout

Beth, Daryl and Aaron go on their first scouting mission.

Read it here.

[roleplayfinder]

About Me:

Flexible writer with quality and detailed posts: post length varies depending on the plot, partner preferences, and the post - but my typical range is 1-3+ paragraphs.

I'm over the age of 18 and will only write with others over the age of 18 as well

Attempts to reply every 1-2 days, but will let you know about any unusual absences.

Prefers writing in third-person.

Willing to play canon characters and original characters. Willing to do canon/canon, oc/canon, and oc only. Willing to double!

Prefers long-term plots

NSFW preferred

Fandoms: I am hoping to find a partner willing to play one of the following canon characters for me. Extensive knowledge about the world and character is not necessary. I have no issue with you portraying these characters with your own unique interpretation. Feel free to inquire about unlisted fandoms too! Once again, I am willing to play any canon character you desire in return

Outer Banks: Sarah Cameron

DC: Supergirl(CW's Arrowverse), Wonder Woman

Fear The Walking Dead: Alicia Clark

Game of Thrones: Sansa Stark, Daenerys Targaryen

The Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen

Divergent: Tris Prior

Nancy Drew (CW TV show): Nancy Drew

Riverdale: Betty Cooper

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): Cassie Lang, Wanda Maximoff, Karen Page, Daisy Johnson, Natasha Romanoff, Yelena Belova

Saint X: Emily Thomas

FBI (CBS TV show): Nina Chase

The Walking Dead: Maggie Greene

.

[findroleplay]

hi! 21+ rper searching for 18+ writer searching for the following rare / toxic ships. bolded char is who i’d write:

tris prior x jeanine matthews (divergent)

katniss everdeen x alma coin (hunger games)

bella swan x carlisle cullen bella swan x aro volturi (twilight)

hermione granger x severus snape hermione x remus lupin hermione x lucius malfoy (harry potter)

female sam winchester x chuck shurley fem sam x lucifer (supernatural)

sabrina spellman x lucifer (chilling adventures of sabrina) sabrina spellman x chuck shurley sabrina spellman x albert shaw (demon au)

clara oswald x 10/12/13th doctor (doctor who)

rey skywalker x luke skywalker (star wars)

padme obidala x obi-wan kenobi (star wars)

harley quinn x batfleck (dc) harley x negan (twd x dc crossover)

wanda maximoff x stephen strange (marvel) wanda x clint barton

peter parker x quentin beck (marvel)

natasha romanoff x bruce banner (marvel)

irene adler (megan fox fc) x sherlock holmes

female oc x john watson (bbc sherlock)

beth davenport x mr. grieff (inside man) OR lydia west x dracula ( bbc dracula)

daenerys targaryen x jorah mormont (got)

alison cameron/female oc x dr. house/dr. wilson (house md)

i have more but this is getting long lol. i don’t do doubles. i love smut but am looking for smut with plot and a bit of angst. i prefer to write bratty / power bottoms. i’m a novella writer (around 3-5 paras at a min.) and a slow replier, sometimes i get 3-5 replies a week, sometimes 1 or none for a few days, i'm looking for someone who is patient as i am very chill with reply pace. i’m open to ocs and discussing wanted plots and FCs. i have a lot of fcs and tropes i'd be willing to discuss!

will ask for a writing sample as well as i want to make sure i’m finding the right partners. pls like this and i’ll reach out ❤️

-

[homeofthelonelywriter]

I'm back...I think...?

Sooooo...hi.

How are you?

What has happened in your life since my last post?

I hope you're doing well.

Anyway, no clue how many people will actually see this, but I really want to write and post again. Some of you may be asking why I ever stopped. Reason 1 is writer's block. But reason 2 is this:

I am in love with the number of entries I currently have, so I stopped posting because I didn't want to loose it...

I asked a friend for her opinion; I was actually thinking about making another account, so I could keep the number of entries; but she convinced me that that would be stupid af, sooooo, I'll continue here.

I'll make another post in a second, where I update the fandoms and characters I write for. If you have any requests, just let me know!

Okay, thank you for reading this and I hope I'll see you around!

Lots of love!

[cipher04]

Fandom Frenzy (Doubling friendly) Seeking Roleplay Partners

Note: Not replacing any current partners, just always seeking to add more partners.

About Me:

I am 18+ and will only write with partners who are also 18+

Willing to double as any gender, any pairing, any fandom

Prefers writing male characters in male x female relationships (will do AxA when doubling)

Enjoys romance and action in my stories

Laid-back, communicative. I will not ghost you!

Flexible writer, quality posts: post length varies depending on the plot and the post, but my typical range is 1-3+ paragraphs

Attempts to reply every 1-2 days, but will let you know about any unintended absences

Prefers third-person

Willing to play canon characters and original characters

Prefers long-term stories

Most of all, I enjoy writing and collaborating. I consider myself easy to get along with and being able to bring my writing partner joy with each reply is something that drives my passion for this hobby!

Open to nsfw

Bonus: Not required, but I enjoy sibling dynamics. Keep in mind, I'm talking about platonic sibling interactions. If we're doubling with OC/Canon, it could be particularly interesting for our OCs to be siblings. It increases the depth of our world and increases interaction between characters. Again, not required. 

You can add me on discord at fandomfan#0404 or send a chat or message if interested.

Fandoms:

Seeking partners who are willing to play a canon female character. I have plots, pairings, and ideas for each fandom that I list here.

I am not picky. I will not be upset if you do not portray the character with 100 percent accuracy. Please, do not expect that there will be pressure to be perfect. I enjoy it when my partner adds their own twist, anyway

Willing to double and play as anyone you want in return!

Canon characters that I am seeking a partner to play will be listed under the fandom

Fandoms:

Pairings that I am seeking are listed beside the character, but these are not the only pairings I am willing to do. Again, for your half, I'll do whatever you want.

Here is the link to the entire list of my fandoms: https://cipher04.tumblr.com/post/678212321698611200/muse-post

If you will play someone from my list below, I can play something from any of these fandoms if you so desire! There might be others I know about as well so feel free to suggest other fandoms too

Arrowverse

Supergirl

Fear The Walking Dead/The Walking Dead

Alicia Clark

Maggie Greene

Nancy Drew (CW TV show)

Nancy Drew

Riverdale

Betty Cooper

The Lost World (1999 TV series)

Veronica Layton

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Cassie Lang

Wanda Maximoff

Natasha Romanoff

Karen Page

Kate Bishop

Carol Danvers

Yelena Belova

The 100

Clarke Griffin

Raven Reyes

Lexa

Outer Banks

Sarah Cameron

The Hunger Games

Katniss Everdeen

Divergent

Tris Prior

Game of Thrones

Sansa Stark

Daenerys Targaryen

FBI

Nina Chase

Saint X

Emily Thomas

If interested, you can react to my post or you can send me a chat. Thanks!

[bellahayden23]

Hey everyone!

My name is bella im 18 and im looking for some long term roleplay partners.

I’ve been roleplaying for about 10 years and i mostly do (OcxOC) and (FxM). I am very nsfw and kink friendly, and it is a requirement. I mostly play male tops and female switches. Im looking for anyone 18+.

My list of fandoms:

TWD

TVD

Harry potter

ACOTAR

Divergent

Supernatural

MCU

The Hunger Games

The Maze Runner

Shatter me

The peripheral

ATLA

Shadowhunters

Stranger things

Shadow & Bone

The 100

John wick

Other rps i can do:

Male Mafia oc x oc

Female mafia oc x oc

Greek mythology

Norse mythology

Egyptian mythology

Celebrity x bodyguard

Anything fantasy

High school rp

If you have any other requests you can dm me, i will most likely say yes.

Xx- Bella

[dickfics69]

Emotional Motion Sickness FIC link

hey all! I've posted the first part of my Rickyl fic over on AO3 incase anyone prefers reading it there :)

[whitleystardust]

Chapter Three - Hello

Third chapter for “A Safe Haven” is posted!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44760358/chapters/113232784#workskin

Daryl and Alex officially meet, bread is baked and offered, and Alex gets the opportunity to know a few of our survivors better. 

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | masterlist

Series Summary: When a run goes poorly, and Daryl is separated from his group, a stranger and her companion help get him out of a sticky situation. Little does Daryl know this stranger is much closer to home, and his life is going to get a bit more complicated

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader (s3 - s11) (ongoing)

A/N: Thank you for checking out close to home, it means the world to me 🖤 I've been going back and forth about diving into fanfiction, and I'm really excited about this! I think this will be a nice slow-burn angsty-type story. This will follow the entirety of the show--so if you have not finished the show, there will be spoilers!! Plot arcs, events, and character deaths will be spoiled, so read at your own risk!!

Warnings will be mostly chapter specific, but some general warnings for the story are adult language/content, sexual assault/mentions of assault, violence, descriptions of blood/injury, character deaths, and all of the typical TWD content. The story will mostly follow the TWD plotline with mild canon divergence. Therefore there will be plot lines and dialogue from the show. Additionally, there will be background information for the reader and mild descriptions of her features, but they can be ignored! Basically, the reader is almost like an oc, but self-insert for the most part lol

I try to post every day, but I do work full time so sometimes I might be unable to.

Chapter Directory (1-45)

chapter one chapter two chapter three chapter four chapter five chapter six chapter seven chapter eight chapter nine chapter ten chapter eleven chapter twelve chapter thirteen chapter fourteen chapter fifteen chapter sixteen chapter seventeen chapter eighteen chapter nineteen chapter twenty chapter twenty one chapter twenty two chapter twenty three chapter twenty four chapter twenty five chapter twenty six chapter twenty seven chapter twenty eight chapter twenty nine chapter thirty chapter thirty one chapter thirty two chapter thirty three chapter thirty four chapter thirty five chapter thirty six chapter thirty seven chapter thirty eight chapter thirty nine chapter forty chapter forty one chapter forty two chapter forty three chapter forty four chapter forty five CONTINUED CHAPTER DIRECTORY (46-ongoing)

[ghostboneswrites2]

Crush (2)

<- (1)

Summary: In this continuation of Crush, you and Daryl struggle to survive together against both outside threats and interpersonal turmoils.

Warnings: profanity, TWD typical violence, allusions to intended SA, grief/trauma, mean!Daryl, angst, kind of lengthy, lots of action in this one, not proofread, typed on my phone, mild comfort/fluff at the end

A/N: Some canon divergence here! In the show, the Claimers are first seen in an interaction with Rick. For storytelling purposes, the first and only interaction with the Claimers is with you and Daryl. This also didn’t necessarily go in the direction I originally intended 😬

(Masterlist) (Taglist) (Daryl Dixon Fic Challenge)

dividers by @sister-lucifer

By the time the prison fell, you and Daryl had barely spoken a word to each other. You both seemed to decide that the easiest approach was no approach at all. Resolution and closure were far to unattainable to strive toward for either of you.

The day the Governor came back and destroyed your home, you almost perished with it. Had it not been for Daryl being there to drag you by the arm as he fled the scene, you’d have been walker-chow for sure. Your legs seemed to move on their own for a long time. Your mind had long since tapped out and left you running on autopilot. Days passed like this; wide traumatized eyes staring into the distance as you stumbled over crunching leaves, unfazed by protruding branches that scraped past and tore your clothes. You were dirty, hungry, thirsty, empty.

Daryl wasn’t much better off. I’m his desperate attempt at survival, he was violently forcing his trauma and grief down the hatch. He was wound tight as a thread, ready to snap at any moment.

Perhaps, in hindsight, this was the best case scenario for you both. Had either of you been in your right minds — in touch with your human inhibition — then neither of you would have survived the night that the Claimers attacked you.

The fire was the first mistake. It was a dry and cloudy night littered with gusts of chilly wind. With the lack of shelter to shield you from the harsh breeze, neither of you moved to put the fire out before bed. That was your second mistake: sleep. After all this time, you should have known sleep was a privilege you couldn’t afford.

“Well, what do we have here?” Joe mused from above, sadistic grin just barely visible in the dark. Your eyes were wide open in an instant, body scrambling to reach for a weapon before a baby boot impacted your chest, pinning you down in the dirt. You gasped, struggling to breathe under the weight of the man who led the Claimers. “Ah-ah… I’ll take that.” He chuckled as he reached down and unsheathed your knife.

Panicked, your eyes darted around in search of Daryl. He was already kicking and fighting as two other men held him back.

“Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about your friend.” Joe sighed. “Or— Boyfriend? Husband? Uncle? Makes no difference, really.” He shook his head.

“I’m claimin’ the vest.” A scraggly man piped up, snickering through crooked yellow teeth.

“I got the crossbow.” Another one chimed in.

“And, I… claim you.” Joe concluded, leaning down over you, showering you in his rancid breath. You flared your nostrils in disgust as you squirmed under the worn rubber of his shoe. “No use in fightin, darlin’. Hell, if ya make it easy on me, I might even let one of ya walk away from this.”

As Joe straightened himself to listen his jeans, the weight of his foot on your chest lightened just enough for you to shove him off. He found amusement in this act of rebellion, having faith in his men to hold Daryl back and keep you in line for him. With two on Daryl, Joe on you, and one bystander on the lookout, the odds would have appeared to have been in his favor. The only flaw in this plan was the gun you had tucked in the back of your jeans.

As you pushed Joe’s foot away, the only response he afforded was a cocky laugh. Otherwise his attention was still set on the belt he had just unfastened, fingers moving toward his zipper. You took this moment to sit straight, pulling your gun from behind you and aiming it right at Joe’s head. The contented smirk her wore quickly faded as his fingers came to a halt. Slowly, he lifted his hands in the air and frowned at you.

The two men that held Daryl had been watching with hungry eyes up until this point, excited to see what Joe had in store for you. When your gun raised and Joe froze, their expressions dropped to show concern, eyes bouncing between you and their leader with anticipation.

“That was not a good idea.” Joe scolded you lowly, drawing the attention of the man keeping watch who lifted his gun and aimed it down at you. “You kill me, these guys are just gonna kill you.”

“So I finally get some good shut-eye and I get to take at least one of you assholes out with me?” You fired back coolly. Days and days running on autopilot had allowed you the calmness you felt under such immense pressure. The threat these men posed was not lost on you, but neither was the hopelessness of life on the run. You truly had nothing left to lose, except a life that didn’t really meet the criteria of living.

“Huh.” Joe clenched his jaw as he huffed, glaring at the other men as if they were to do something about the situation. Feeling the pressure of his pack-leader’s short fuse, one of the men hanging onto Daryl decided to reach for his knife and hold it up to Daryl’s temple.

“Drop it, or the boyfriend gets it.” The man threatened, lips curled into a proud smile. Daryl’s head hung slightly forward, greasy tufts of hair dangling over his eyes. He kept his sights on the man, ignoring the idiot on his other side who’s grip had listened enough to break free from had Daryl wanted to.

See, your strength may have been rooted in the ability to remove yourself — to shut off all parts of you that didn’t serve your survival — but Daryl’s strength was in his passion for survival. It was all he had known from boyhood to manhood, and he was good at it. He knew how to watch and wait for the time to strike. He had patience, he was resilient, and he was strong. If Daryl knew nothing else, he knew how to live. It was not only a primal instinct but a guiding principle. Devoid of love and connection, he was filled to the brim with determination and brute force. So, he analyzed.

The man who held him at knifepoint had a flimsy hold of his blade, and his grounding was amateurish. His body bounced side to side giddily and his feet held no real bearing on the ground. The other one seemed to have a careless hold on Daryl, not really focused on the fact that he was responsible for preventing Daryl from breaking free. He was too distracted by the stick-up between you, Joe, and their lookout.

Daryl knew he had a fair chance at turning the tables and gaining an upper hand on the band of brutes, he only needed to choose the right time. As he prepared to strike, his breaths quickened in pace, huffing loudly into the tense silence. The lookout turned his attention to Daryl for a moment, sim following his gaze. When the lookout’s eyes and gun made their way back to you, Daryl shoved his shoulder to his right as hard as he could, knocking the man with a knife to his temple off balance.

The man struggled to find his bearings. With the knife no longer an immediate threat, daryl was able to swiftly pull the other guy into a headlock. Now, he had a human shield, and the lookout nor the man with the knife could hurt him without hurting their friend.

Joe was growing impatient, but he had to remain calm. Things were quickly turning upside down, and he couldn’t afford for his men to make any more mistakes.

“Now boys.” He spoke up calmly as the lookout and the man with the knife kept their attention trained on Daryl. “We don’t wanna let things get too out of hand. I’m sure Len wouldn’t appreciate getting hit in the crossfire.”

You figured Len must’ve been the man Daryl was slowly choking to death in a headlock. You kept your gun aimed at Joe, deciding he was the main threat given his status amongst the others. With Daryl broken free and their leader at gun point, you realized you might have had the upper hand.

“The one with the gun.” You said.

“Tony.” Joe nodded.

“Tony.” You repeated. “Toss the gun to my friend.”

Tony hesitated, eyes pleading for guidance from Joe. Joes eyes traced around the camp, taking everything in, weighing his options. With a defeated sigh he nodded to Tony, who did as you demanded and tossed the gun over to Daryl’s feet. Daryl slid it closer to himself with the tip of his boot before dragging Len down with him to retrieve it. Now, you and Daryl both had a gun and a hostage. Daryl kept one arm around Len’s throat while the other pointed the gun and Tony and the guy with the knife. “Toss it.” Daryl ordered. Knife-Guy glanced around at his friends before reluctantly tossing the knife a few feet away.

“Now, lay down flat. Face down. Tony and the other one first.” You instructed. They obeyed. Daryl finally grew tired of Len’s choking sounds. He pushed Len to the ground and stepped on his back to keep him still. You finally looked to Daryl for any clues on what to do next.

Daryl glanced around, seemingly considering your silent request for guidance. He knew these men would have to die. It was the only way it could be.

Joe, though, a resourceful man, took the only chance he could when you looked away from him and at Daryl. He tackled you down and wrestled you for the gun, knowing Daryl wouldn’t have a clear shot to stop him. As Daryl’s attention fell on you and your struggle for the upper hand, Tony pushed himself up and lunged for Daryl. Chaos broke out. Punches and kicks were thrown and desperate curses echoed into the night.

Len wrestled the gun away from Daryl, but he couldn’t get a clear shot while he fought Tony and the one who had the knife. Daryl ended up finding the knife once the other two got the upper hand and kicked him into the ground. He aimlessly slashed the blade, luckily slicing Tony’s Achilles tendon. Blood spurted from the wound as he fell to the ground, crying out in pain, cursing Daryl with any insult he could muster up. Len and Knife-Guy took a step back from Daryl as he climbed back up to his feet. Daryl’s face was bloody and beat up, but somehow it made him more intimidating.

Len held the gun up nervously, gulping as Daryl paced side to side, just as predator waiting to pounce on his prey. “Cmon.” Knife-Guy urged Len impatiently. “Shoot his sorry ass.”

Len couldn’t, though, because he had no bullets left. He hadn’t come across the ammo he needed in weeks, but it had really been an issue up until that moment.

The thing was, Daryl knew the pistol wasn’t loaded when he held it. It wasn’t nearly as heavy as it should have been. So, without hesitation, Daryl stepped forward and slashed the blade once more, just barely missing Len’s arm as he and the other man dodged backward.

Meanwhile, Joe had finally wrestled your gun out of your hands and dragged you to your feet. He pressed the barrel against your cheek harshly and chuckled with triumph.

“Well, ya gave it a damn good shot. I respect that. Life is precious, and whatnot.” He said as he caught his breath. His face was tatted and scratched up from your attempts at self defense.

Daryl stopped his assault on Len and the other man when he noticed you had lost the battle against Joe. Knife-Guy moved to reach for his knife but Daryl was quick to lash out again.

“Uh-uh-uh.” Joe scolded. “See, when you have the upper hand, you get to make those kinds of decisions. Now, I have the upper hand again. You don’t get to make those decisions. See how that works?”

Daryl scoffed and wiped his arm across his bloodied nose.

“This is the part where you give Dan his knife back, so I don’t blow your lady’s brains all over the place.”

“Nah. You won’t. Her gun’s been jammed for weeks.” Daryl bluffed as he paced side to side, fist still clenched around the handle of the blade.

“Oh, now I find that hard to believe. See, you���re tellin’ me she’s been travelin’ with a man who knows his way around a bow, but you couldn’t un-jam a cheaply made Girsan MT14 .38? I’m not buyin’ that for one god-given minute. My minutes are precious. I don’t waste them on bluffs. You shouldn’t either. It makes things simpler.” Joe lectured.

“Okay.” Daryl nodded. “Dan can have his knife back.”

Stupidly, Dan stepped forward to grab his knife when Daryl held it out for him. In the blink of an eye, Daryl had Dan in his grasp, knife pressed to his throat. Joe took in a deep, expressive breath, and let it out slowly to convey his frustrations.

“I gotta be honest, you’re really pissing me off.” Joe warned.

“The feelin’s mutual.” Daryl retorted, earning a chuckle out of Joe.

“Ya know, I — I actually like you. You’re funny!” Joe admitted. “It’s a real shame we had to meet this way.”

“Wouldn’t’ve been no different any other way.” Daryl insisted. “Either way I kill you.”

“Well, that’s just bad sportsmanship. I expected more out of a bowman.” Joe shot back.

“Never claimed to be a good sport.” Daryl rasped.

“No. No, I guess you’re right.” Joe sighed. “So, then. What’s next? Are we gonna stand here all night with our metaphorical dicks in our hands, or are we gonna settle this like men?”

Daryl seemed to actually consider his question for a moment.

“Alright.” Daryl nodded. “Let’s settle it.”

With that, Daryl slit Dan’s throat with ease, blood pouring from the wound as the man gurgled and choked on it. Joe immediately pulled the gun from your cheek and aimed for Daryl, but the shot missed as Daryl pushed Dan into Len and knocked him down. Joe fired again, this time grazing Daryl, but by then Daryl had managed to dive down and tank Len back into him, serving as a new human shield.

“Dick move, asshole!” Joe bellowed, shoving the gun against our head again. You struggled against him, but you couldn’t break free.

“Just evening out the odds.” Daryl said as he dragged Len back to his feet and kept the knife pressed to his neck.

“Well I guess there’s only one way for this to end.” Joe said.

“Your brains soakin’ in the dirt?” Daryl taunted.

“Somebody’s brains for sure, but not mine.” Joe threatened.

With timing running out and desperation overwhelming him, Daryl finally relented.

“Alright.” Daryl said. “Let her go and I’ll let him go. Take it out on me.”

“Drop the knife first.” Joe demanded. Daryl complied, strategically tossing the knife too far away for Len to grab it before he let Len go. Len stumbled forward, having grown dizzy from the chokehold Daryl kept him in. Joe, keeping one hand on the collar if your shirt to hold you still, used the gun to motion Len to the side.

“Move, Len. It’s time to finish this.” He said.

“Nah. Wasn’t the deal.” Daryl argued.

Both men seemed breathless at this point, worn out from the lengthy struggle to maintain power over the other.

“Well, I like to say I’m a man of my word but… You killed two of my men tonight and for that someone must pay.” Joe informed him.

“Yeah, me.” Daryl insisted.

“Precisely, actually. First, you’re gonna watch her die. Then, I’m gonna kill you. Two for two.” Joe said, as a matter of fact.

“That ain’t gon’ work.” Daryl shook his head.

“Well the way I see it ya ain’t got much of a choice.” Joe chuckled in disbelief.

“There’s always a choice.” You finally chimed in, using Daryl’s distraction as your chance to fight. In a swift motion you turned and bit down on Joe’s neck, clenching your jaw as tightly as you could. Eventually your teeth met, slicing through the flesh. You pulled back, ripping a chunk out of Joe’s neck.

In his shock and agony, he squeeze the trigger, firing a round into Len’s shoulder just before Daryl rushed over to you and tackled Joe to the ground. As Joe gasped and reached for the gushing wound in his neck, Daryl gripped either side of his head and twisted. A loud crack sounded and Joe was lifeless.

Len, in one last effort to avenge his friends, charged after you and Daryl. Daryl grabbed a large stone and smashed it into Len’s skull. Len fell back, and Daryl straddled him, bringing the same heavy Rick down repeatedly until Len no longer resembled a human being.

Daryl slumped in top of the dead man, shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he caught up with his breaths.

You sat in shock for a time, eyes glued to Daryl. Eventually, his head turned a little, and you could see his eyes peeking back at you through the mop of sweat drenched hair.

Slowly, he lifted himself up to his feet and stumbled away from the carnage, running a hand through his hair as he came to terms with what he’d had to do. What you both had to do. He looked down at his bloodied knuckles, images of beating a man to death repeating in his psyche.

Suddenly, his eyes broiled with rage as he looked back at you.

“This is what ya want? Huh? Is this the kinda man you wanna love?” He spat.

Shakily, you stood up and stared at him with eyes as round as saucers. The taste of blood still coated the inside of your mouth and dropped down your chin. Bits of flesh were noticeably lodged between your teeth. Your lip quivered as you held your hands out and looked down at your red-soaked clothes. Daryl then realized that he wasn’t the only one who had to be a monster. He wasn’t the only one who had to cope with such heinous actions.

If you could do the things he could do in order to survive, maybe those things weren’t as unforgivable as he’d thought. Maybe it could be forgiven, maybe he wasn’t a lost cause. His eyes softened a little as your eyes welled with tears, a shudder washing over you as you gagged.

You were disgusted with what you’d done. Horrified by the violence and gore. As if the events that led you to the Claimers in the first place weren’t bad enough, you were utterly traumatized.

He walked over to you and placed his hands on your shoulders, hoping to ground you as his rage and terror simmered down.

“I — I” You struggled to speak, short quick breaths quickly evolving into a panic attack.

“You had to.” He assured you. You tried to nod, frantic and uncoordinated as the discomfort and sensory overload set in. You could taste blood and flesh, your clothes were sticky, everything smelled like death. Rapidly, you began slapping your hands against your body and attempted to wipe away all the gore. Firmly, yet still ever so gentle, Daryl’s hands wrapped around your wrists to hold you still. “Breathe.” He urged you. “It’s gon’ be alright. We can head back to that pond we passed earlier, get cleaned up.”

“I — I don’t — I don’t — I can’t —“ You began to sob, trembling as you tried to communicate through struggled breaths and hit tears.

“Breathe.” He cooed. “Slow down.”

“I can’t change.” You cried. “I don’t have clothes I can’t change.”

It might have seemed silly, but he understood. You were distressed and covered in the aftermath of something straight out of a horror film. You probably couldn’t think of anything other than getting the disturbing remnants of your attackers off of you.

“We’ll find ya some. Promise.” He assured you. “Let’s just go. I got your bag.”

It took the better half of an hour to calm you down to a point where you could travel. The pond was only a thirty minute hike back the way you came that day. There, you surrendered to the water, sinking into it fully clothed. You sat down and hugged your knees to your chest, distant and out of touch. Daryl couldn’t witness your unraveling for very long before he stepped in.

He kicked off his boots, peeled his dirty socks from his clammy skin, and rolled his jeans up before he waded in the water to meet you. Tenderly, he scooped water in his hands and trickled it over your head, dampening your hair enough to stub the grime away. His hands worked to wipe away the dried blood from your neck and shoulders. When you made no move to pick up where he left off, he went ahead and cleaned your face too.

You were completely catatonic. He pulled you to your feet and wordlessly guided you back to shore. He then removed his shirt and motioned for you to do the same. You finally let your eyes meet his, questioning him with your gaze.

“Your clothes are all wet. Take my shirt.” He insisted. With no energy to argue, you complied. You tossed your shirt to the side and replaced it with his. It hung down just past your butt. “Should cover ya up good. Wanna let your pants dry too? I’ll wash ‘em for ya.”

Grateful for the kindness, you stepped out of your jeans and handed them over.

“Go on an’ get the fire started.” He instructed softly. Thoughtlessly, you did so, while he scrubbed away at your clothes in the pond. When the fire was burning, you settled against a tree and hugged yourself, knees brought to your chest. When Daryl fit your clothes hung up to fry near the fire, he sat beside you and studied you.

Unable to ignore his presence, you looked over at him.

Two broken souls, horrified with the things they’d seen and done, just staring at each other.

Finally, Daryl scooted you forward from the tree trunk and slid in behind you, pulling you back into his bare chest and hugging you tightly. You easily melted into his embrace, allowing the awful pit in your gut to ease up a little.

“Gon’ and get some sleep.” He whispered into your hair. “I’ll watch over ya.”

That was the first night either of you truly let your guard down and allowed each other to care. From then on, there was no need to wonder. He kept you near him as much as he could, and you never strayed too far from him. Small grazes and lingering affectionate gazed slowly evolved into warm embraces and tender touches.

It wasn’t easy after that. Not by a long shot. You were both still learning to love. You were codependent and moody, Daryl was withdrawn and temperamental. The path to happiness for the two of you would be a rougher travel than most. You’d fight, swear you’ll never talk to each other again, and wind up right back by each others side. The cycle would continue for years to come, until you both grew older and calmer and found peace with each other. This would be around the time Daryl finally left his camp in the woods after Rick blew up the bridge. You’d go on to fight every battle with him.

You both would learn how to care for each other, all your little quirks and triggers. You’d be perfect for each other, because you’d both have to evolve in order to make the other happy. You’d finally be able to live and be loved the way you’d always imagined. Daryl would experience true partnership for the first time.

You’d often joke about it. Having to go through so much trauma just to open up to each other. You’d laugh about all the stubborn fights and petty squabbles. None of them would matter in the end, because you’d always have each other.

Might write an alternate version of this one. Unsure. Went in a whole different direction than I planned 😅

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