oasisnetwork | 03: Niceties (Forward dated to the 22rd)

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03: Niceties (Forward dated to the 22rd)

[Daryl takes to the earpieces about mid-morning.]

Alright, so it looks like most of us have been settling in at one of two places. The Hotel and the Warehouse. Some of you have taken yourselves elsewhere and as long you got shelter and can defend it, you're okay.

For those that ain't in the know, the Warehouse is this old building some of us found near the wall on the edge of the lake. Sound walls, one of them iron fences around the parking lot got them spikes on the top. Turned into loft space before everything went the way it did. Point is, we found a storm drain that's bringing water in pretty directly. So we got plenty of that for boiling. We got a fence we can defend. Room inside that to start a garden. Plenty of space inside for them that wants it. Found a bedding store, gonna be dragging some mattresses over from there...

[Not being all together was a little frustrating, but there was so much room and no walkers in the city (that they'd found so far), so it wasn't as worrisome. And hell, if the hotel got compromised, those that were there could find refuge in the warehouse.]

We got ourselves a friend that landed alone last week. Brought me something of a peace offering couple days back, after Newt went and got himself stuck up a tree.

[And the day Daryl yelled at everyone.]

Good sized deer. Been smoking the meat so it'll keep. Most of it's ready. You want some, you can come get some. Plenty to go around and deer's worth the effort of making the walk.

[Anything else he needed to bring up? ...oh, right.]

For those that need to be concerned about it [Alex], tonight is the first night of this month's full moon.

[There. Leadership for the day done with.]

[[action for those partaking in the smoked deer or anything else at the warehouse is perfectly fine.

EDIT: I misunderstood how the lake was butting up to the city, so there's been an edit regarding the warehouse location! It's close to the wall that has the lake on the other side. Not on the water itself. Sorry for the confusion.]]

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[After everything that had happened with Castiel, Athena had been keeping to herself. She was silent and somber and kept to her own space. She thought she had been adjusting well to being here but now she wasn't so sure.

It was hunger combined with Daryl's message that made her get up and seek him out where he was tending to the deer.]

I'm not sure how people get anything done with hunger.

[It was supposed to be light humor but it came out more like complaining. She was starving and it was her own fault for hiding away. She smiled up at him to let him know that she wasn't mad. Just in case he had been worrying that she was.]

I thought I could help you with dividing the meat.

[The last couple days, Daryl had been keeping to himself, too. Gone out to hunt for a short while to bring in meat for dinner and help the non-perishables they'd brought from the crash last a little longer. But other than that, he'd been focusing on making sure the meat cured right. Letting Glenn keep track of the others. Let them have their space.

He was glad to see Athena being personable again. It was odd to not see a smile on her face. And he felt bad because he knew he'd been the cause of her losing it for a while there.

Her complaint was understandable. She was getting used to being alive. Hunger came with the territory.]

Gotta get our energy from somewhere.

[Daryl answered back, attempting to sound conversational as he pointed to the remains of one of several sheets he'd cut up after bringing them back from the mattress store. There were more, plenty still whole. But this one he'd cut into 1x1 squares and stacked up to the side. He still hadn't found any decent twine, but some old hair ties from that mini-mart would do just fine.]

Put those in front of you diamond style. Put two strips on each and fold the side corners in. Then roll 'em from top to bottom. Should be just thin enough you can stretch a hairband around 'em to secure 'em.

[The meat had to be cut before it'd been smoked over the pit he'd made and been feeding. So most of the actual butchering had long since been done. There were still a couple larger pieces that he could pare down, but otherwise...]

Thanks.

[She nodded in response to the instruction and got right to work, doing exactly as she had been told. Wearing jeans instead of her dress made it possible to sit down and work quickly without worrying about sitting properly. She worked quietly for a few minutes and got a few bundles done before she looked up at him.]

I'm sorry. If I upset you when we met with Dean and Castiel. Looking back on what happened, I shouldn't have said anything at all.

[She had been upset and self-conscious that day and it had influenced her decisions and her words. She had come to care enough about Daryl that she wanted to apologize. She also had come to know Daryl well enough that she knew he might feel uncomfortable with her apology so she pressed on past it.]

I thought that I could take Newt and go by the grocer we found. We can find seeds to bring back with us, to start a garden. Would you mind if we did?

Weren't your fault.

[He grunted, going grumbly again. He didn't really know how to say he was sorry for hurting her. Though he did still have the blue hair bows she hadn't seen him grab during their first shopping trip. Might be a good time to give them to her. A peace offering. He'd have to hope she understood.

After the meat was done being packed up.]

I told him to talk to you about that. Surprised he hasn't yet. Probably still nursing that ankle.

I think I scared him when I said I didn't hit my patients anymore.

[She laughed because she found the fact she potentially intimidated a boy to be hilarious. Even if it was one who had a hurt ankle and needed her help not her teasing.]

He should be able to walk there and back just fine. I'll keep him safe.

[The grin on her face said she may or may not have every intention of teasing him further. Newt was someone she viewed as being her own age and felt more comfortable teasing and playing around with him than anyone else there.]

Yeah, he walk. That Maya woman said she'd look him over and she can do some of that -

[Daryl lifted his hands and just kind of shook them side to side.]

- magic that ain't magic healing shit.

[At her grin and the intentions he read in it, his lips twisted up playfully. And while he wasn't directly addressing said intentions, he was already in a better mood.]

You been practicing with your knife?

[She arched an eyebrow at that question.]

I haven't felt like practicing the past couple of days. But I think I'm ready to start again.

[It was a silent request for him to teach her more. She enjoyed spending time with him and liked it when he taught her things. She had opportunities to impress him and make him proud.]

[Her answer twisted his lips into a frown and he glanced over at her, brows furrowed. She needed to be practicing even when she was upset. Until she could peg a walker at twenty feet with that knife, or grew another foot so she could reach their heads, she needed to practice.

With a bit of a huff, Daryl turned his attention back to banking fire.]

Should set up some targets. A good throw could do a lot for you.

[She wasn't sure how throwing a knife would do a lot for her, but he knew more about living like this than she did. So she looked perplexed for a moment before nodding.]

Setting up targets is a good idea. I need to practice.

[Just in case Newt needs her to protect him.]

You won't always be able to be there to help me. Even if I had it my way, you always would be with me.

[You would always be with me

Either the girl was lying to get points with him or she was delusional. And as much he really hoped she was lying, he knew she wasn't that good at it. Which left delusional. And delusional in a way that made his heart hurt and his head panic.

And when he panicked, Daryl often got mad. At himself, mostly. But it was hard to make that difference easily known.

And that led to incidents like him kicking at the fire pit, sending ashes flying for a moment while his shoulders heaved with suddenly heavy breathing. He couldn't even look at her, for fear of both an earnest honesty and a teasing grin.]

Why'd you want a damn fool thing like that?

[Daryl managed to growl out, tone a lot uglier than it should have been. Trying to cover for the fear he hated to show. He kept his body turned from her, leaned away, so there was distance. So she wouldn't think he was about to lash out at her.]

Edited 2016-02-24 23:37 (UTC)

[His tone made her jump and she distinctly resembled a deer that was close to running away. He had his back turned to her and she wondered what she had said that was wrong. He hadn't been like this with her and she wasn't sure what to do or how to take it.

Unsure of what to do, she rose to stand up and rubbed her hands on the side of her jeans in order to clean them off. She was so painfully human now that she had formed attachments and felt emotions strongly, and she didn't understand any of it as well as someone her age should have.]

I care about you, Daryl Dixon.

[She was capable of feeling love before, and she did love Frank Walker. But the love she felt for Daryl was something different. It was something more innocent and pure, something that made her feel like she belonged and was safe. He was her family and they had been through so much together in such a short time. But she wasn't sure if that was acceptable for her to feel or not.]

Who else would I want with me all the time?

[She looked past him, and wondered if he was going to turn her away. If he didn't approve of how she felt, it was likely he would want her to go so that she didn't keep feeling the things that weren't appropriate or wanted. He didn't ask to have a child latch onto him like a parent, she could see why it wasn't something he viewed as acceptable.]

[Anyone else.

...maybe mot anyone. But Glenn was a much better man than Daryl was. Steve seemed to be good, too. Gamora could be trusted. Peter... yeah. Even Peter was a decent option. Better people than he was.

So why did the words catch in his throat and choke him up to the point he couldn't voice those suggestions?

Because in a little under two weeks, she'd gone and wrapped herself around his heart and he'd damn well let her.

Shit sucked.

He wanted to say he wasn't worth it. It was his first instinct. To push her away and fight with her until she saw it to be true. But he hated yelling at them he cared about. And he knew others cared about him the same as her. Valued him. So it wasn't like the feeling was completely alien to him.

It was just... Him. She'd decided she wanted to be with him. All the time or as much as possible. That was... No one wanted him all the time.]

Someone else.

[Daryl eventually got out, words sounding as hollow as he felt. Said for the sake of saying them. To get something said in protest even if he wasn't really protesting it. It was just very hard to believe someone like her would want to be around someone like him. Or latch onto him like was her brother or... whatever she saw him as.]

[She hated that she didn't have programming to fall back on right now. She needed it, to be able to come up with an alternate plan of action or a different conversation. All she wanted to do though was go over and hug him. Which she walked over to do but stopped short and stood there awkwardly.]

Is that what I should do now?

[Her voice cracked and she reached up to wipe at her eyes. The things were starting to leak again. Emotions were hard to navigate, she was coming to realize.]

Go find someone else? Is that what you want me to do?

[No.]

I ain't...

[He choked out, hands curling into fists. She was crying he was the cause. This time because she thought he didn't want her. Which was the furthest thing from the truth. He liked having her around.

Daryl's head dropped and he forced his hands back open. Flexing his fingers instead of clenching them. Half hoping she'd take it on her own and not walk away.]

There are better men out there. Better people.

[Said so quietly, murmured in a tiny voice. He didn't want her to prove his words right by walking off. He didn't really want to push her away.

Daryl sucked in another breath and turned his head to look at her, eyes rising to hers before dropping. The arm nearest her lifted with a heavy effort so he could reach out and rest his index and middle finger on her shoulder.]

Just... there are. Why me?

[Don't leave.]

[Her eyes look down to his hand. She wants to take hold of it and reassure him that there wasn't anyone else here that she'd want to be close to. But she knew from experience that when Frank grew up, adults didn't want someone with a face as young as hers to say they cared for them.

She knew that Daryl's question required an answer, one that wasn't something sassy or dismissing his feelings. As difficult as it was for her to comprehend her emotions and feelings, she knew it was equally difficult for him to show what he was feeling.

Silently, her hand reached over to take hold of his. They stood quietly together for a couple of moments, long enough for her to figure out what to say.]

Why?

[Echoing his question was the easiest first word to say in order to break the silence between them.]

Because you don't see me as defective. For the first time ever, someone sees my potential.

[Which sounded odd, she knew. But her secret had been let out of the bag and he knew what she had been before arriving here. She wasn't that girl any longer, and he was her anchor to her rapidly developing human identity.]

It doesn't matter if you are or aren't the best man. You make me human.

[And that was what mattered so much to her.]

[She held his hand, fingers resting on his. And it was nice. Grounding in a way. He didn't know what to say to her. To articulate the emotions roiling in his cut and making him feel light headed.

But his fingers were still on her shoulder, under her hand. He curled them to hook into the shirt she was wearing. Tug her closer. Every inch she got nearer, the further down her back his hand crawled to bunch more and more into the cloth so he could pull her closer still. Right up until he was pushing her into his side.

He let himself drop into a crouch so he could wrap his other arm around her and let his head fall against her shoulder. Hugs were hard for him. But if he couldn't find the words, then maybe a hug would be enough.]

[A hug.

He was hugging her.

All of her fears that she had been feeling were drowned out with relief. He hadn't been trying to send her away at all. With a soft exhale of air she brought her arms up around him. She understood that all of this was difficult for him but hoped he knew how confusing it all was for her.]

You're family. My Us.

[She wanted to keep trying to explain and fill the silence between them but she wasn't sure what else to say other than that. Maybe other words weren't needed.]

We can throw knives now, if you'd like.

[Her Us.

His arms squeezed just a little tighter before dropped them and pulled away. Not far. Still in arms' reach. But enough to give himself room to breathe. Daryl leaned back and looked at the meat, shook his head.]

Gotta finish up. Then wait for whoever's coming.

[His voice was rougher than usual, throat parched and suddenly very dry.

Daryl wiped his hand across his eyes and nose, getting rid of any evidence that there may have been something there. His hands then dropped to his thighs and rubbed for a moment before he jerked his head to the side.]

Can set 'em up and you can practice while we wait. Work on that bow I found, if you want.

[The nerf bow. Which he was slowly making as deadly as he could.]

[She wanted to hold on a little longer, having found that hugs made her fear subside. It was amazing to her how that worked. She allowed Daryl to pull away though and kept standing in place. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms and eventually she wrapped them around herself. It was almost like a hug.]

I'll set up the targets.

[She had looked at the bow he had found and was surprised to discover it was a toy. She was honestly afraid of breaking it if she did too much with it and the last thing she wanted was to make Daryl angry by breaking it.

So she went around the area and found things that she could set up as targets. Once that was done she ran off to go retrieve her knife and she brought it back with her.]

Show me the right way to throw it. I want to make sure I'm doing it exactly right.

[She got around to getting some targets up and Daryl went to finish wrapping the meat. He was faster at it than she had been. Got it done by the time she came back with her knife. Was banking the fire so it would stay hot coals for the rest of the day and wouldn't need a lot of watching.

Daryl looked over at her declaration and couldn't help the twitch of his lips. Nor could he help the way his feet carried him to her. Or the way his hand reached out to take the knife from her and test it's weight before he threw it at the first target. He followed that up by pulling his own knife and holding it out for her.]

There's a couple different ways to hold it. I usually hold it by the blade and throw from there. But you should start by holding the grip. No chance of you cutting your fingers on accident while you're learning.

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03: Niceties (Forward dated to the 22rd)

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