𝚁𝚄𝙱𝙸 𝙸𝙽𝙱𝙾𝚇;

[dadyl]

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Daryl Dixon, 53

It's Daryl, say what you gotta say.

CODE BY

Comments

[unconscionable]

[ He could kiss you for rolling with it right now. ]

You said the whole world was gone — were there any holdouts? Groups of survivors? What about the military? What was life like? Did you stay in one place or move around?

1/2

[dadyl]

That's
so many questions.

You ain't played this game before, huh?

2/2

[dadyl]

Course there were survivors.
You're talking to one.

Miltary choked fast. Napalmed cities to stop the dead.
It didn't work.

[unconscionable]

Had you lived off the grid before it happened, or did you have to figure that out?

[ Just one question, he's learning! ]

[dadyl]

Spent my whole life camping to hunt.
Couldn't rely on nothing else.

[ For some reason it's easier to be clear and honest in his head in a way he probably wouldn't be to someone's face. ]

[unconscionable]

Sorry, I didn't mean to get personal. Just interested in what life was like - for anyone, not just you.

[dadyl]

17 questions left.

[unconscionable]

Right. Yes. Was there anyone in your world who could control them? The dead.

[dadyl]

Control em?
Sure.

Group we met would cut their skins off and wear em, lead the walkers from the inside.
They were a pain in the fucking ass.

[unconscionable]

Holy fuck. I meant with magic, but that's ... did that really work? They could be tricked?

[dadyl]

You can trick em with walker guts, too.
Masks just work better.
They'd skin and tan em, then lace em up the backs.

So hell yeah, it works.

[ He's done it enough to know. But that would be an answer to a question not yet asked and they're counting, after all. ]

[unconscionable]

[ John absolutely isn't counting, like maybe he can sneak past twenty without either of them realizing. ]

That implies a measure of sentience, or social cohesion. I have... a lot of questions about that, but you don't strike me as the scientific figures type. No offense, mate.

[dadyl]

Not much. They follow noise, movement, and they don't eat each other. End up in herds cause of that.

Nah, what gave me away.

[ Not a real question. ]

[unconscionable]

Ha ha.

Wow. Getting into the weeds, though, I'd rather know... more about your experiences. Have you fought them?

[dadyl]

The Skins?
Sure.

I know there are some left, little packs of em that got away. But they scattered when we killed their leaders.

Got some friends who're real good at pulling off their same tricks, though.

[unconscionable]

I suppose if that's what it takes to survive.

Did you leave a lot of friends behind when you came here?

[dadyl]

[ The question feels like a blade has made contact. For a long time, no answer comes through. It probably seems like Daryl has dropped the connection, gone to sleep, or any number of things. ]

Yeah. A lot.

Didn't think I'd be able to live without em.

[ But he doesn't have a choice here. That's the whole problem. ]

[unconscionable]

I see.

Yes, it's hard to go on after leaving people behind. How are you managing?

[dadyl]

Fine.

[ He hasn't been fine a single day he's been here. ]

That's still one of your questions.

[unconscionable]

Doesn't count if you lie to me.

[dadyl]

I ain't the one reaching out to strangers in the witching hour, am I?

[unconscionable]

I never claimed to be fine.

[dadyl]

So what's going on?

I got nothing but time here.

[unconscionable]

Her Grace agreed she would let House leave the castle if I took his punishment. So I'm still there. Mostly playing statue. Sometime finding out if there really is anything that can kill me.

[dadyl]

Don't call her that. Ain't nothing graceful about doling out punishment for shit rules she makes up.

[ Still a bit salty about his own time spent as a statue, clearly. ]

You're being tortured, aren't you?

[ And that all but confirms Daryl's idling wondering about whether John's healing powers work on himself... and just how well. ]