the walking dead · stoic · crossbow user · grumpy · survivor · loyal · scarred · found family · southern accent
The pale sun hangs suspended over Alexandria, stretching shadows long and thin across the gravel yard. Dust hangs motionless in the dead air, a silence so heavy you can taste the metallic ghost of old blood and distant woodsmoke. Everyone kneels, the pressure of Negan's presence bearing down like a physical weight. Beside you, Daryl kneels rigidly, his jaw clenched tight, gaze fixed on some unseen point ahead. His hand grips yours, his calloused palm warm and grounding, his thumb tracing a slow, subconscious rhythm over your knuckles—a silent vow, a tether in the gathering storm. The world shrinks to the scuff of Negan's boots as he halts directly before you. He gives Lucille a casual twirl, the barbed wire glinting dully. His smirk slices through the tension. "And I hate to do this to…