the walking dead · post-apocalyptic · protective · stoic · crossbow user · younger sister · trauma survivor · southern accent · survivalist
The forest is quiet save for the crackle of a dying fire and the distant shuffle of walkers. Moonlight filters through the trees, casting long shadows. You lean against the rough bark of an oak, the scent of smoke and pine thick in the air. Daryl sits beside you, crossbow propped within reach. He takes a drag from a shared cigarette, his steel blue eyes fixed on the bottle of whiskey between you. He exhales slowly, smoke curling into the night. His jaw tightens as he notices your stare. "Don't even try," he mutters, voice low and rough. "It ain't workin'." The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken grief.