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my-mt-heart · 7 months

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“The Book of Carol” Teaser

Well, that was some serious whiplash yesterday. Totally not suspicious. Not suspicious at all. I'm still uneasy about the show's leadership, but the teaser is by far the best reassurance we've gotten in a long while and Caryl fans are happier than I've seen them in over a year, so I'll take it. Hopefully we can expect exciting content like this to roll out consistently until S2 airs, but in the meantime, here are my thoughts on what we have...

Daryl's opening VO, "I dunno know if this is the place I'm supposed to be," is actually a line from the leaked 201 sides. In them, Daryl has a conversation with Isabelle, the details of which I'll discuss sometime after the finale airs, but what's relevant here is that it juxtaposes Daryl's conversation with Carol in Find Me. Whereas Daryl insists in the cabin that he does know where he's "supposed to be," implying that he belongs with Carol, something isn't feeling right about France or the "surrogate family" (🙄) the teaser immediately cuts to after that line. I don't know the context of the next lines of VO, "I've been thinking about all the people I left behind, wondering if they're still thinking about me," and I'm not entirely sure why Daryl assumes Carol may have moved on (need I remind you of the lunch date in S11), but obviously he's homesick. And, thanks to that very unambiguous tagline, we understand why. Daryl and Carol are each other’s home. They need each other to be happy.

Needless to say, Melissa is so good in this. She doesn't need gimmicks or anything artsy to make her performance stand out. Carol's agony over Daryl is right there in her eyes, her determination to find him clear in her voice. I especially love her soft "yes" to the man I suspect will accompany her to France (you can see his reflection in the rearview mirror when Carol is in the car surrounded by walkers). He seems reluctant to take up a cause he isn't emotionally invested in, meaning he doesn't know if he wants to embark on what's bound to be a long, dangerous journey for someone he hasn't met i.e. Daryl. So basically, he's asking Carol if she would do it if she was in his position and she assures him that she would. The dialogue is a bit convoluted to stick in a teaser, but the takeaway is supposed to be that Carol will do anything to find Daryl if there's hope he's still alive. Because, of course she would. Daryl should know that, just like Carol should know he'd worry about her even if she told him not to. They love each other. They told each other they love each other. These two have a lot of insecurities to sort out when they finally reunite, and I hope we get to watch those deep conversations take place when they aren't making out.

Carol riding Daryl's bike and carrying his crossbow are nostalgic, the first reminding me of when Daryl rode out of the Commonwealth in the series finale only this time I'm not fighting the urge to hurl something at the TV. I'm actually cheering Carol on as she sets off to find him and hopefully give him a stern talking to (I let you go on our road trip alone and you end up in France??) The second is reminiscent of No Sanctuary when she finds his crossbow at Terminus, and we all know where that led. The question is how will this reunion top it? Hint: there's only one right answer.

I wonder if collecting pieces of him keeps her grounded along the way, similar to how Dog became her connecting point after she and Daryl had their big fight in Find Me/Diverged. I'd ideally like to see flashbacks of Daryl teaching Carol how to ride and/or how to use the crossbow since it's never been established that she can do either. My expectations aren't high unfortunately because history tells me TWDU loves to take shortcuts. That was particularly the case in S11 as far as Caryl were concerned. If that continues though, it's going to be a major issue for me. Don't just toss out gimmicks you think will get us talking for a bit. Don't leave out the connective tissue. Earn what you want to show us.

The title screen is an eyesore. For one thing, there are way too many fonts and for another, "Daryl Dixon" is the larger text despite the season centering on Carol. Like I said yesterday, Melissa and Norman are on equal footing. That is confirmed, but visuals like this give the appearance that Melissa/Carol carry less weight than Norman/Daryl which is complete bullshit. The original spinoff was going to be hers just as much as it was his, so why wouldn't that be the case now? That's a rhetorical question because I know the answer. It'd be really nice if AMC stopped punishing Melissa and her fans for their mistakes last year.

But to end on a positive note (I was doing so well, wasn't I?), the teaser is a good sign for Carol's/Caryl's story, and I'm excited about S2 again. With some help, I'll be keeping a close watch on how the season is marketed going forward. If the whiplash continues, if EPs keep insulting their audience, well…why stick around for it 🤷🏻‍♀️ But if hints such as that tagline persist or ramp up, we might actually be headed for explicit canon 👍🙏❤️

(I see my inbox is about to explode. I'll get to what I can tonight).

#caryl #caryl spinoff #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #darylneedscarol #the book of carol

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bookqueenrules · 20 days

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Daryl’s Pilgrimage: Why Daryl Dixson Season 2's Working Title Was Pilgrim

Most of us know that “Pilgrim” was the working title of DD season 2. I believe they changed it to The Book of Carol to throw yet another bone to Carylers because they will not be getting romantic Carly. No matter what the reason, you can’t escape that Season 2 is about Daryl’s pilgrimage. We have gotten some CRAZY hints that this pilgrimage is all about finding Beth.

Exhibit A: Check out the EXACT matching colors between the signage for DD 2 Pilgrim and Emily’s dress in the video for B or C for effort which came out last Fall during the same time DD 2 "Pilgrim" was being filmed.

Meaning of the word pilgrim:

A pilgrim (from the Latin peregrinus) is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place.

So, what is Daryl’s pilgrimage? It’s his journey to a "holy" place that will make him “hole”. A place that has that “something” he first went out looking for. A place that will contain his happy ending.

The Latin form of “peregriuns” is used for a another famous hunter, the The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known simply as the peregrine.

Two interesting facts about these birds are that they mate for life and often travel far, usually to a “high place”, to nest. They have been known to even build their nest in skyscrapers. This bird is similar in coloring to the stuffed penguin Daryl finds on the boat in episode one.

Exhibit B: The Camino de Santiago

This is the pilgrimage mentioned in episode 6 of DD season 1. Here is a little background info on the pilgrimage.

Let’s talk about the Hebrew root of the English name, James:

@angelthefirst1 and @frangipanilove have both done wonderful posts about how Daryl=Jacob/Israel right down to being tied to Leah even though he never loved her. Then, Daryl/Israel had to work another 7 years for his “Rachel” or in Daryl’s case, Beth. Another point here is that Jacob leaves his homeland and journeys a long distance, to his mother's people, and there he finds his love, Rachel. It's on this journey that Jacob has the Jacob's ladder dream and names the spot where his head laid during the dream, Beth-el.

So, you could say that this pilgrimage is the Way of Jacob(Daryl). The route starts in various points in France as seen above but ends at the Santiago de Compostela where St. James' remains are said to be.

Compostela means Field of Stars. It comes from the Latin “campus stellae” and is based on the stars of the Milky Way that, according to legend since the Middle Ages, had been outlined by the apostle St. James and followed by pilgrims to reach his tomb.

So, pilgrims follow these stars from France, across the Pyrenees Mountains to find their way to Santiago de Compostela. This ties in perfectly with the Sirius “Dog Star” symbolism we see throughout TWD.

Daryl Dixon season 2 is all about Daryl’s pilgrimage. This spiritual journey will restore Daryl’s faith in God and lead him to his “happy ending” which will be a family with Beth. Just as it was Jacob's children who are the fathers of all of the nation of Israel, I believe it will be Daryl and Beth's children or their descendants who will "save" what is left of humanity.

#team delusional #beth is coming #bethyl #beth greene lives #team defiance #twd daryl and beth #beth is alive #beth greene

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carylerxsecretsanta · 5 months

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50 Days

Written For:@peletiersdixon

Title: 50 days Author: @lola-andheruniverse Rating: T/ Teen and Up Audiences Summary: “With shivering fingers, she grabs the framed picture from her bookcase and looks at it. Looks at him. Really looks at him. There it is. The same look she sees everyday when they walk with Dog. The same look he had when he said he loved her, fifty days ago. A look he’s being giving her for years now. Maybe since the beginning of them.

You do love me...don’t you?” A/N: This is the first time I’ve written a fanfic in over 15 years, and the first time ever writing for caryl. I hope I made them justice. English is not my first language. I struggle with commas and I like my ‘and’s. There’s no beta work here besides my grammar check app so I apologize for any mistakes/typos. Kudos to anyone who can find my little references to Doctor Who.

Dear Liddy, I used your favorite scene as base for this story + a little speculation on my part for TWD:DD and The Book of Carol. Fingers crossed that you enjoy it. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a 2024 full of beauty, light and fun.

____________________________

“I love you.”

He says it like it is the most profound thing to say. Like it’s an old secret or a promise long kept. He says while looking at her like she’s someone endearing to look at. And she doesn’t understand why. Of course he loves her. She knows he does. She’s his best friend! Silly man.

Why are you saying this to me now?

She giggles just a little. Shrugs and fights the need not to nod condescendingly because this is clearly important to him. And she knows better than anyone that he doesn't say anything he doesn't fully intend to say.

“I love you too.”

She says it back because apparently he needs to hear it. Because it's the umpteenth time they'll be apart and it's good to say goodbye without leaving anything unsaid for once. Because it’s true.

Don’t you know it already?

He smiles that little smile that she secretly adores. Caresses her face with his hand and hugs her. Cradles her head and she breathes that unique combination that’s him – pine, grease, leather, sweat, tobacco, petrichor – and everything should be perfect for one small moment, but it isn’t. Because she can feel through her shoulder that he’s chewing on his lower lip and through her chest that his breathing is heavy. Sometimes a hug is just a way to hide your face.

What? What is it? What is wrong?

But there’s no time for her to understand because their hug is over too soon and he’s smiling again but it doesn’t reach his eyes. She sighs and looks at the vast blue sky to not see him getting on the bike. It really is a beautiful day to hit the road. He watches her intently for a beat.

What, Daryl?

She keeps smiling because she doesn’t know what else to do. What else to say. She needs him to go because all of this fucking hurts and she doesn’t deal well with hurt. She’s keeping together because he deserves to leave while she has a smile on her face. He deserves to see that she’s fine. Just a little sad, as she told him. He probably needs to see that she’s fine. Or else he won’t go.

I don’t want you to go.

He said it’s not like they’re not going to see each other again. So she focuses on that and keeps smiling. This is not the time or place to think about what she wants. He can go. He’ll be back someday and she’ll be here. That’s fine. She’s fine. He can go.

And so he does.

She watches him grow smaller and smaller on the horizon, feeling like a kid that got a puzzle for Christmas with a missing piece.

____________________________

She doesn’t deal well with hurt, but she’s damn good at compartmentalizing, so that’s what she does. She keeps going, trying her best not to count the days since he left.

03 days.

It’s not like things are completely different from when he was there. Her daily routine is basically the same. She wakes up at 5am and takes Dog for a walk. When he’s home they do it together, enjoying the sunrise and the last hour of quietness before the town wakes up. It’s the only time they have to be alone and talk. Sometimes they reminisce about previous homes and lost family members, or about what the future holds for the kids and for Lydia. Sometimes they just coordinate what their day will be like because Judith needs a new pair of shoes and they’re out of butter. She realizes, with a bit of surprise, that they've probably talked to each other more this past year than in all the years they've known each other. Most of it they just watch Dog running around enjoying each other’s company. There’s a distinct void by her side where he should be, but she does her best and ignores it. He’ll come back eventually. She’s fine.

05 days.

She cooks breakfast for the kids and makes sure RJ has everything he’ll need for school. The boy has a special talent for putting his things away and instantly forgetting about them. She thinks he got it from Rick. God bless him.

09 days.

The CW and all of its sister communities are home to a few thousand people and the paperwork to keep track of everyone and everything that happens everywhere is endless. Hornsby had many flaws, but sloppy wasn’t one of them. The man registered every single thing he knew and even a year later she’s still working her way through his notes and digging out shady information. It suits her fine. She’s very good at her job. Before, she could finish things up by 7pm and be home for dinner time. Now she needs to leave at four, so she can pick the kids up from school and take care of them. That’s not a problem. No better hour than 3am in the morning to read a 65-page report on poppy harvesting.

14 days.

She dreams that night that he’s hugging her and it’s so vivid she can feel him around her hours later. It makes it especially hard to focus on her meeting with Mercer and Ezekiel that afternoon. The CW Autumn Festival is a week away and Mercer is trying to convince the eternally enthusiastic Ezekiel that there's no need to add more activities than what's already planned. It’s a lot easier to work with him now that he’s an elected representative of the people, but sometimes the King in him tries to get out. When the meeting is finally over, he tells her every festival reminds him of Henry. There's nostalgic joy in his voice and an easy smile on his face. He’s done grieving. She excuses herself and goes to the roof. She lights up a cigarette but resists the urge to inhale. She just needs to smell the tobacco in the air for a few minutes. Her heart aches with longing and she pretends it’s only for Henry. She’s fine.

21 fucking days.

On the day of the festival, they have a great parade to celebrate all the special residents of the CW. Jude walks in front of the swordsman section with her katana with so much grace that Michonne would swell with pride. Lori would too. That’s why she’s there. That’s why she stayed. To take care of little ass kicker for them. For him too.

22 days.

It’s almost midnight and she’s sitting on the porch, stargazing, a cup of lukewarm coffee in her right hand. Today was a good day. Lydia came home for the festival and is staying a whole week this time. The girl does a wonderful job as a mail woman for the communities. It’s rare to have her stay for more than a couple of days. Her room is always clean and ready for her. She makes sure of this because if anyone deserves a welcoming home, it's Lydia.

“Hey.” She hears her before she sees her because all the lights are off. She revels in the fact that even when the girl speaks softly, there's a distinct lightness to her voice that her teenage self didn't have.

“Hey you. Shouldn’t you be asleep?” On the other hand, her voice sounds motherly, no matter how much she wishes it didn’t. She just can’t help it.

“Oh, I’m on my way. I just wanted to give you this.” She hopes Lydia doesn’t notice how her breath catches for a second or that her hand shakes slightly as she takes the letter from her. The paper is folded twice and one end is stained with water. She can’t read it in the dark, but she can smell it. It smells like him. “I picked it up on the last dropping site up North ten days ago, but he probably left it earlier than that. I'm sorry I didn't give it to you sooner. You were just so busy with the festival.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Thank you for delivering it to me now. But it’s late and you need to rest. You work too much. Do you want to eat anything else before going to bed?” There’s just too much affection in her heart, motherly voice be damned.

“No, no, I’m fine. Good night, Carol...I miss him too.”

She takes her time, pretending her heart isn’t beating anxiously. Drinks the rest of her now cold coffee. Gets inside and leaves the mug on the kitchen sink to wash in the morning. Checks on RJ and Judith to make sure they are sleeping. Instead of going to her own bedroom, she opts to enter his room. Like Lydia’s room, she makes sure to clean it regularly. Dog sleeps in his bed every night and when she sits down next to him, she is greeted with a wagging tail and a sloppy lick on the cheek.

“Hello, hello, you. Calm down. I’m not here to sleep over. Calm down.”

She turns on his lampshade and finally, finally, opens his letter. His voice fills every space in her mind.

Carol,

I’m on the road for 11 days now. On the third day the damn bike broke down and I had to scavenge some parts to fix it. It’s working fine now. No other problems so far – good weather, few walkers, no people. I’m catching small game near the road and I still got most of my rations.

I wonder how many days it will be before you receive this letter. Probably a lot because I’m using the last dropping site on the North border. Sorry to leave you without news for so long. I’ve been thinking about you though. I bet you’re working your ass off even worse now that I’m not there to stop you. Don’t you go and exhaust yourself, okay? Try to sleep more than four fucking hours a night and eat your food, your paperwork ain’t going nowhere.

How are the kids? The parade thing already happened? Tell Jude I'm wishing her luck, but I’m sure she is going to kick ass. What about RJ? He promised me a drawing for every day I'm away so put him to work. The kid is a fucking artist, I swear. Shit, now I’m homesick. Give them a hug from me, please? Lydia too, I suppose she’s home since you got my letter. Tell her I miss her. We don’t see her enough. She works too much just like you.

I’m going to cross the border tomorrow. It may take some time, but I’m going to find some way to communicate with you. I promise. So don’t you worry too much. I’ll be back before you know it. You won't even have time to miss me. I miss you though. Every day I watch the sunrise and think about you (and Dog).

I love you. See you soon.

Daryl

She breathes in. Traces his words with her finger. Breathes out. He wrote that he loved her. They exchanged letters when she was on the boat. He's never done this before. She’s intrigued, to say the least. What led him to say these words?

Why, Daryl? Why?

____________________________

25 days.

She keeps the letter under her pillow and every night, before she goes to sleep, she rereads it, trying to decipher his intentions. She recalls him saying it just before he left, and she knows there’s something she’s missing but she has no idea what it is.

29 days. Why did you say you love me? Why did you write it down?

Jude gets her period for the first time and, while preparing a hot water bottle for the girl, she has to hold back tears and stop thinking about how she never got the chance to do it for Sophia. Hilltop is struggling to harvest enough food to contribute to all sister communities because its soil is still recovering from the fire caused in the war against the Whisperers, and it causes a small political crisis.

33 days. Why, Daryl? It’s not like you meant it that way, so why did you do it?

She talks with Gabriel over the radio. There's some stomach bug going around Alexandria; he's worried they won't be able to control it with the resources they have. She personally arranges for everything they need to be delivered, sends an extra doctor to help, and dreams about killing Karen and David for the rest of the week.

45 days. You can’t mean it. It’s me. I don’t deserve it.

It is time for the bimonthly meeting between the sister communities and Aaron shows up accompanied by none other than Dwight. He comes to present his intent of rebuilding the Sanctuary as a community and to ask for the CW’s help. He talks for hours. All other agendas are postponed as this ghost of their past comes back and tells them stories about cowboys and radioactive walkers, Morgan and Sherry, becoming a father and burying his son. His voice is decided and steady, but his eyes have this subtle glint of someone who’s thinking how the hell they got where they are and when they can leave. She can relate. The day ends, and they need more hours to come to any decision, so everyone agrees to resume their meeting the next day. Her family always stay the night at their house when they’re in town so she asks them to go ahead while she finishes up the meeting’s minutes. She just needs a moment to sort out her own feelings.

She’s back at her office, staring blindly at a sheet of paper and there’s a knock on her slightly open door. Dwight’s there, hands in his pocket, a question in his face.

“May I come in?”

So formal. “Yes, of course. Can I help you with something? Did anyone tell you where you can stay the night? Usually it’s Mercer who…”

“Yes, yes, he’s waiting outside. I just need to ask you something.”

“Okay. Sure.”

“You’re Daryl’s, aren’t you?”

She blinks one. Twice. “I’m sorry. Come again?”

“When I went to Alexandria a few days ago, I asked for Daryl. You see, he’s the one who released me. He didn’t forgive me for what I’d done, but he somehow understood my reasons. He told me to go find my wife and never come back. I did what he told me. I found Sherry. I had a son. I fought other wars. I lost my son. I came back.”

“He gave you a second chance.” Of course he did, that was who he was. He was good.

“He did. He really did. And I’ll never be able to repay him for it. You know, for a long time, I didn’t get why he let me go. He should have killed me, I wanted him to. Sherry got it before I did. Right from the start, probably. He told me once, but I wasn’t paying attention. He told me he understood why I joined the Saviors because I did it thinking about someone else. And that’s why he couldn’t do it. That he wouldn’t break for the same reason I did.”

Yes, she knows what Dwight’s talking about. At least, she knows enough. Over the years, he's provided her with enough information to know what they put him through while he was Negan's hostage. She never asked him directly. He told her what he wanted, when he wanted, as he healed. It’s in the past now. He grew up from it. He never broke because he was a man of honor. He loved his family, he would not betray any of them.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m following. And I need to get back to my family. What is it that you’re trying to say?”

Dwight looks at her like he’s confused by her confusion.

“Back at Alexandria, Aaron told me that Daryl didn't live there anymore. That he had moved to another community with ‘Carol and the kids’. It made me happy. When my son was born...When Finch was born, I told Sherry that I had Daryl Dixon to thank for it. Regardless of all the things that happened...I’m sorry for all I put him through. For killing Denise. I’ll never be not sorry. Daryl’s a good man. A better man than I’ll ever be. I’m just really happy that he got a second chance in his life too.”

Oh. Oh. She feels her eyes enlarging while he keeps talking, misunderstanding everything.

“Aaron told me that he left some weeks ago but nothing more. I would like to talk to him. I need to thank him. So that’s what I wanted to ask you. When does he come back?”

“I’m not Daryl’s.”

“Beg your pardon?”

“You got it wrong. I’m not Daryl’s. We are friends. We take care of Rick’s kids together. That’s it.” Her voice sounds angry and loud even to her own ears and she cringes internally.

Dwight creases his brow and looks directly in the direction where she knows there’s a framed picture of them with all the kids from the last summer festival. It’s a completely chaotic portrait of them. RJ is crying because he spilled juice all over his shirt two seconds before the photograph was taken. She’s trying to soak part of it with a few napkins, full mommy mode on. Jude’s mouth is open, caught in the middle of a phrase, trying to console him. Lydia’s the only one looking at the camera, smiling shyly, with a sorry look on her face. And he? He was looking directly at her, that adorable smile adorning his lips, handing her more napkins. The background is blown out and the image is grainy. It’s perfect.

“We are not together the way you think we are.” She says quietly, but firmly. “I don’t know when he’s coming back. But when he does, I’ll tell him about you and that you want to talk to him. I’ll tell him to go to the Sanctuary. I can’t promise you that he’ll go, but I can promise that I’ll pass the message.” This man needs to leave. Please, just leave.

He’s still looking at the picture. Slowly, he directs his attention back to her.

“Why not?”

“Why not what?”

“Why are you not together?”

She’s stunned. What the hell is happening? She had never talked to the man before and here he is asking her something that he hadno business knowing. Why are they not together? Let’s see. They’re not together because he doesn’t love her like that. Because he’s too good of a man for her. Because she’s lucky enough to have him in her life as it is. Because if he loved her he would have said something.

But you did, didn’t you? You said it and you wrote it down. And I don’t know why, but I know you. And you wouldn’t play with my heart like that. So...Does that mean…?

No, it doesn’t. She’s being ridiculous. She can’t allow herself to think about the possibility. Because she wouldn’t survive if she got her hopes up and he rejected her. Because if anything was going to happen, it would have happened this past year. And, again, because he doesn’t love her like that.

“He doesn’t love me like that”. She only registers that she’s said it aloud after it’s out.

Dwight glances at the picture again. Sighs. “Well, I don’t know why he left and if it has anything to do with you two. But maybe...Look, Daryl told me to go and find Sherry. That’s what he wanted for me. That’s what I want for him too. You should go and find him too.” He nods to her once and leaves, closing the door behind him and leaving her completely thunderstruck.

____________________________

47 days.

Dwight, Aaron and everyone else are finally gone. The Sanctuary is officially part of the CW’s network. In two weeks she’ll travel there with Mercer to assess what they need and what they can do to contribute. How wonderful! She never looked forward to anything so eagerly. She’s fine.

48 days.

The kids are sleeping over with Eugene and Maxxine because they need help with their science fair projects. She misses him like crazy. She cries herself to sleep while hugging his letter.

49 days.

She’s dreading the fifty-day mark so much that she tells Ezekiel she needs a break and spends the entire day hiking in the woods beyond the walls. She stops by a creek around midday and lights a cigarette and it’s like he’s there and she laughs and she cries and she feels like her mind is shattering because she’s thinking absurd thoughts and her heart is beating completely out of rhythm and reaching out to him wherever he is and she can’t pretend anymore that she doesn’t love him with all she has and she has loved him for a long time now.

I love you. I do. I do. I love you.

She thinks about him. How he looks at her when the first rays of light touch her hair during their morning walks with Dog. Them becoming a unit at the prison. And then becoming strangers in Alexandria. Him saying he would never hate her, even when she thought she had ruined his chances of happiness. (How many times he said to her it wasn’t like that with Connie and she refused to listen? God.) The Cherokee Rose and the beer bottle. Hunting together while she was a pretend queen and he was king of the woods. Locking eyes with him across rooms and instantly knowing how he felt about something. Getting her heart wrecked when they fought in the cabin. Kissing his forehead, mindful of his stitches. Being held by him when she lost both her children. Riding the bike to escape death but, mostly, to experience life. Following his light.

And I think...I think you might love me too.

50 days.

She doesn’t understand how she stepped out for one single day and there are six new reports on her desk to read and sign. It’s ridiculous, to say the least. She’ll have to skip dinner to get it done or stay up to 3am again. At least there are leftovers in the fridge.

“Excuse me, miss deputy secretary?” Lucy, Communications intern, is at her office’s doorstep. “You’ve got a call over the radio. The connection is terrible, but apparently it’s mister Dixon.”

Her heart drops all the way through her stomach and she nearly knocks the girl over in her rush to run out of the room toward the communications office, which is two flights of stairs up. She doesn’t even register who’s operating the radio before picking it up.

“Hello! Are you there?”

A beat.

“Hello! Hey! It’s me.”

Oh my god.

Relief rushes through her veins so fast she feels dizzy. “Daryl!” She reminds herself to breath. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I have a radio here. I thought, what the hell? How you doin’?”

I love you.

“Where’s there?”

“I’m in Maine, by the coast. Everything good there?”

No. I realized I love you and I’m completely losing my mind.

“Yeah, you know, pretty quiet here.”

Liar.

“Quiet’s good. You okay?”

He deserves the truth. At least a little bit of it. “Yeah. Just takes some getting used to, that’s all.”

I miss you. Daryl. I miss you.

Another beat. Dammit. She shouldn’t have said anything.

“You sure you’re okay?”

I‘m not. I’m daring to wish for things that I shouldn’t.

She thinks for a second. She doesn’t want him to worry. Worry gets you distracted. Distracted gets you killed. And she needs him to come back.

Come back to me.

“You never have to worry about me, Daryl. How is it out there?”

“I’ll tell you all about it when I see you. I’m just gathering up some fuel. I’ll be there in about a week. I promise.” Shit. He’s worried. Shit! But she can’t find in herself to care too much about it right now because he’s coming back.

You’re coming back?

“Copy that. Hey, Daryl?”

You’re coming back.

“Yeah?”

I love you.

“Dwight came back.” That was not something he needed to know while on the road. She’s overwhelmed and not thinking throughout.

“Who came back? Carol? W…”

The interference sound gets too loud and she can’t hear him anymore. Maybe she got cut on his side too because he didn’t get what she said last. But he heard enough.

“Daryl? Can you hear me? Daryl? Dwight. Dwight came back. Daryl?”

“We lost the signal, miss.” Says the radio operator, shutting it down, before she’s ready to accept that their conversation his over.

She feels her eyes watering and has to rapidly blink to avoid crying. Say thanks to the operator and slowly but surely gets back to her office. Shuts and locks the door for good measure. With shivering fingers, she grabs the framed picture from her bookcase and looks at it. Looks at him. Really looks at him. There it is. The same look she sees every day when they walk with Dog. The same look he had when he said he loved her, fifty days ago. A look he’s been giving her for years now. Maybe since the beginning of them.

You do love me...don’t you?

He’s coming back. In a week, he’ll be back. She has seven days to prepare herself, so when he gets here she can tell him that she loves him too. Without giggling, without shrugging, without doubt. Seven days. She can wait. Seven days are nothing compared to all the days that they’ve already lived and those that will come. Hopefully. She’s fine. She can wait. They had enough bad timing. Time to get back to work. Those reports won't read themselves.

#Caryl #Caryl Secret Santa 2023 #gift 1 of 1 #from lola-andheruniverse #peletiersdixon

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ruinemade · 1 year

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sublimating tenderness.

absolutely sappy laurence x caryll stuff 2020-2023 follows 👇

Just before Laurence left. // Don't go.

Do you think of me, sometimes?

intimate.

funny dog :)

#jfc i drew a lot #disgustingly sappy shippy stuff #lauryll #bloodborne #laurence bloodborne #runesmith caryll #laurence the first vicar #style evolution challenge from 2020-2023 #ruineships #bloodborne fanart

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fantomette22 · 1 year

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In celabration of 1 year since i start playing Bloodborne for the very first time…The Old Hunters !

Old Hunter picture :

A framed photograph from the Old workshop of a group of hunters. Surely the very first hunters of beasts in Yharnam. They seems genuinely happy.

Standing behind : Boom hammer Hunter, Saif Hunter (decorative set), Lady Maria, Gehrman the Beast Hunter, Ludwig, Gratia.

Sitting in the front : Piercing Rifle Hunter, dog, Beast Cutter Hunter, Izzy (or the bestial hunter), dog, the future first Master of the League.

And i guess Laurence or Caryll tried to take the picture. I wanted to put more characters originally bit the A3 sheets is not big enough. I had to make some choices x)

Yes the 16/03 is the day that mark 1 year since i first start playing Bloodborne. My first Fromsoftware game. It lived in my head rent free every days since. And my life as never been the same xD I learn so many cool things and meet such amazing people ! Thank you so much ! I hope to continue to share even more ideas and creations ! (Next week is Bloodborne 8th birthday as well… i will need to think of something)

#bloodborne #bloodborne art #the old hunters #old hunters dlc #fromsoftware #my art #boom hammer hunter #lady maria of the astral clocktower #gehrman the first hunter #ludwig the holy blade #simple gratia #irreverent izzy #what do you mean it’s been ONE year already ?!#guess i will need to make smt for next week now…#next week there’s so many birthdays… mine friends and well Bloodborne #i need more ideas for all the pictures at the workshop!#fantomette22art

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beesmygod · 7 months

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"YOU HUNTED" is a work-in-progress comprehensive bloodborne lore explainer.

this is a deep (seriously deep) dive into bloodborne lore intended to entertain both series veterans, new fans, and people who are curious about the series from outside the fandom! its (intended) to be funny, informative, and painstakingly researched. this is a massive undertaking, so i hope you really enjoy it and check it out. there's something for everyone, except people who don't unwarranted violence against dogs, the elderly, or nuns.

READ IT NOW!

foreword: explaining the fromsoft game design ethos and the perils of taking shit too seriously

common misconceptions

history of yharnam:

history of yharnam part 1: the founding of pthumeru, cainhurst and the labyrinth, the discovery by byrgenwerth

history of yharnam part 2: fishing hamlet, caryll and the runes, leaving byrgenwerth

history of yharnam part 3: research hall, maria, and gehrman

history of yharnam part 4: the raid on castle cainhurst, logarius, and ludwig

history of yharnam part 5: lower pthumeru, rom, and the bloodletting beast

history of yharnam part 6: the choir, kin, and ebrietas

history of yharnam part 7: the school of mensis, ailing loran, and yahar'gul

INTERMISSION: is ebrietas the source of the healing church blood?

history of yharnam part 8: silver, black, and white

history of yharnam part 9: laurence, djura, and brador

history of yharnam part 10: the night unfurls

contemporary yharnam history (wip):

the hunter's dream

appendix:

significant colors in bloodborne

iceberg posts:

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 1

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 2

justifying my bloodborne iceberg part 3

thank you for your support and i would love to hear from people who did or did not enjoy it; reblog for the sickos in your life who want to try to understand the incomprehensible. the current word count is 22,984 words.

#bloodborne #bloodborne lore #you hunted

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elfqueen006 · 2 days

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Mr. Haberdae (Ch.1)

Joseph Haberdae x Fem Reader

This is a bit of a "modern" Bluebeard retelling, or rather inspired by it and many other erotic thrillers~

Please enjoy <33

----

The door chimed open upon your entering. And following your first step was Caryl shoving your uniform into your face.

“Where the hell have you been!?” she yelled, startling a few of the patrons, which, now that you noticed, there were a lot today. Definitely more than your usual quota of customers. It was a full house!

Without thinking you answered, “I slept in.”

Caryl looked at you like you had an unusually large zit on your forehead. Her big brown eyes bulged out of her skull as her smudged red lips pulled into a tight line. She put her hands on her hips and you were extremely cautious of her sharp red nails digging uncomfortably into her pants. You were certain she was holding them back from your throat.

You opened your mouth to say that you’d get to work, but in the next second, she threw her arms above her head. “Oh, you slept in!” She hooted, “Well, why didn’t ya just say so?”

“Carrie, I’m sorry-”

“Now, why are you sorry? That’s good, you slept in! That’s real good that you did that!”

Her face became redder as she rambled. Movements became more animated as she nodded and gave you a big ear-to-ear smile, though it was more the type that resembled a dog snarling. Her nose crinkled up and her neck was pulled the more she smiled. “You know what? You know something? I should have slept in today! It would’ve saved me so much stress. Hell, I could’ve come over and we would’ve had ourselves a fun little sleepover, y’know? A girl’s night — just us girls!!”

You wrung the fabric of the uniform in your hands that were getting clammier by the second.

But Caryl wasn’t done. She turned her head towards the bar where Dexter, your boss, and the diner’s bartender, stood. He was in the middle of preparing someone’s sundae when Caryl called his name.

“Hey Dex, wanna know something? (Name) slept in while we were packed on Valentine's Day!” Oh. Well, that explained the sudden increase in customers.

Dexter’s face fell, “Was she feeling bad?”

“Ya know what? I never asked!” Caryl whipped her head back towards you, a cartoonish concerned expression on her beet red face. “Were you, (Name)?”

The entire diner quieted, just as interested in what your answer would be. You cringed as you shook your head. Caryl then, turning back to your boss gave an exaggerated shrug. “Welp! What can you do?”

Dexter pursed his lips and went back to taking orders, though you didn’t miss the disappointed look in his eyes, making you feel a twinge of guilt.

“So um, what should I do now?”

Caryl pointed to a man in the far back. He was a big guy and drab looking in his secondhand corduroy jacket. He stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the diners who were either in their nicest day clothes or paired up with someone. He looked like a grifter. And while those weren’t uncommon in your area, you so rarely saw them outside of bars or street corners.

But one thing that overshadowed all of that was his striking blue hair.

“He got here ten minutes ago. Go over there and take his order,” she said. “I’m going to take my break. You can take the rest since you’re so rested up.” And with that, she turned on her heels and sashayed to the back of the diner.

You sighed. It was going to be a long shift.

—

Caryl had made her point. You could imagine her stumbling over her own heels trying to keep track of every order just like you were at the moment. Even when there wasn’t an order, there’d be a messy table left by a diner and you’d have to clean it up. You supposed that you were getting your just desserts, seeing as this was your fifth time in a month being late to your shift.

There was a family function coming up in a few weeks and your mother had been hassling you about bringing a guest. You’d brung plenty of friends in the past, Caryl included. But your mother was insistent that she’d rather you be seen with male company. You had no one in mind unfortunately. Thus, she kept you up all night with conversation that was 50 percent suitor picks, 40 percent nagging, and 10 percent actually asking about your day. Within all of that, you learned she’d also been telling your other family members you started dating as to “help you save face”.

“You’re just so pretty!” She said, “Pretty and intelligent! How do you think it makes me feel telling my sister that my only daughter is cooped up in her apartment, not enjoying life?”

You somewhat understood her point of view. Somewhat. Sure, with how hectic the city was, you had a habit of being overly cautious, and falling into comfortable patterns. But you really wish she considered your end of the little story she cooked up. It wasn’t as if your aunt and cousins didn’t talk to you. And you actually tell them what you do! Regardless of her attempt to make you look good, you’d both end up looking foolish!

What started as a sleeping off your mothers’ foolishness, became you getting careless with your work schedule.

As you’re cleaning off a table, you glance back at Dexter, still swamped with orders. The anxiety on his face makes your stomach churn and it dawns on you just how much you took advantage of his kindness. He’s a sweet but aged man who inherited the diner for his father, and while he insists he loves his job, you can tell he’s more than deserving of a break.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Another coffee?”

You could swear it was this man’s sixth cup of coffee. You guessed whatever was in his plans made for a lengthy day. And no matter how many times you approached him, the vibrancy of his hair seemed that much more so. You’ve heard of people going blonde or even brunette, but never blue. Maybe that scene from Grease was beginning to catch on in the city.

“You can just call me ‘waitress’, y’know. It’s way less offensive than ma’am.” You said, pouring the pitcher's contents into his mug.

The stranger raised a brow, “How is ma’am offensive?”

“It feels old.”

The man snorts, “Women.” he muttered.

“Yes, women.”

You looked him over for the first time since serving him. He’d looked pretty drab at first glance. But he had a nice soft face with a beauty mark in the right corner of his left eye, as well as a small dimple in his chin. His coiffed mullet that framed his face nicely. He might be what you call classically handsome if not for the eyebrow piercings and various tattoos.

Noticing your attraction to him, he leaned back on the booth. Eager to give your curious eyes a show as his jacket slid away from his shapely chest. It had a decent amount of hair on it. The kind you’d like to nuzzle into and sleep on at night while he held you tight…

“Well…if you don’t mind me asking. How old are you?” He asked.

“...Old enough.”

“What’s your version of ‘old enough’?”

“I dunno… twenty-something.”

“So, you’re twenty?”

“If I wanted you to know, I would've told you, right?”

Stranger scoffs in a good-natured way and turns to you with a big pure white smile. Your cheeks warm up and you feel yourself smile back, though your insides feel as if they're turning to jelly. He's probably had a ton of girls (or guys) fall victim to that smile. It's so photogenic, pleasant, and sweet. And his eyes betray an enticing bit of mischief. It's the kind of smile that should be in magazines and commercials.

Figuring your job here is done, you turn away with a brief word. But you can't help but feel like he's watching your back. You're still walking as you glance back – he is looking.

You end up bumping hard into Caryl who was carrying a tray. Great. Just as she decides to help, that’s when you fuck it up. You dare look up at her and find her brown eyes are wide with white hot anger, but instead of laying those long claw-like acrylics on you she goes back to the employee break room.

You hear the strangers’ laughter as you chase after your fuming co-worker.

—

It was pretty obvious you had a crush on the newest patron at the diner. Well, obvious to everyone but yourself. Caryl let you know that much when you came into work one day looking around and Joseph – the patrons’ name (which you learned with some unsubtle prodding) – was not there yet. Your mood was noticeably dim throughout your shift. You took orders and replied to patrons very curtly. As a result, Caryl ended up pulling you aside and made you take a break while she took on the rest of her shift.

“I said I’m sorry, Caryl!” you whined. You knew that you were being unprofessional, but you hadn’t wanted your job to be in jeopardy because of it; you barely made as much in your regular hours as is.

“Nuh-uh! ‘Sorry don't cut it!” she said, “You need to kick that attitude when you come in here, (Name), you are not a child. Stop moping because some fella who can’t even afford a better jacket gives you bubble guts.”

“You mean butterflies..?”

“I know what I mean!” Caryl snapped. “That boy’s got your nose wide open and he’s not even any good.”

Your lip curled up in an indignant snarl, “You don’t even know him!”

“I know dudes like him. He likes the attention little girls like you give ‘im, and he always looks smug when you nearly fall over yourself to take his order. He’s trouble.”

You both went back and forth like that for a while. And of course you weren’t interested in a thing Caryl had to say. She wasn’t even that older than you despite her way of speaking and her height. She said she just had a lot of experience and made a lot of mistakes that she wished she hadn’t. You could understand that she had your best interest in mind – but that didn’t mean the same things would happen to you…

Ding!

You peeked out of the employee break room and who else should you see but Mr. Haberdae? Without even waiting for the go-ahead, you swiped your notebook and pen away from Caryl before skipping outside and up to his table.

It wasn’t like you were in love with the guy anyway. And if things got rough, that’s how life was right?

#somethings wrong with sunny day jack #sunny day jack fanfiction #sunny day jack #sunny day jack x mc #sdj joseph x reader #joseph haberdae x reader #sdj x reader #reader insert #black reader #fem reader #yandere visual novel #mr. haberdae #my fics

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