#save the atlanta forest

[mypatchworkreflection]

Apparently, being aware that you might be targeted and have your rights violated by police is proof of intending to do crimes these days.

[thatwitchybitchandco]

[solarpunkwitchcraft]

A video explaining the current fight against Atlanta’s cop city and the repression activists are facing.

These are the sites linked in the video description for how to learn more, help, and get involved:

Stop Cop City https://stopcop.city/

Atlanta Solidarity Fund https://atlsolidarity.org/

Community Movement Builders https://communitymovementbuilders.org/

[atlantathecity]

I took a walk in a forest today and was reminded of the precious Georgia Piedmont that needs to be protected from urban sprawl.

Compact forms of development, and infill growth, should be the rule throughout the Atlanta region -- along with affordable walkability. Our use of land should lift up humanity while also protecting natural ecosystems.

Enormous damage has already been done in terms of forest loss and fragmentation through our urban sprawl in the Atlanta region. And it's still happening. The need for policy that prevents further sprawl is crucial.

From 'The impacts of Atlanta’s urban sprawl on forest cover and fragmentation', Matthew D. Miller, Applied geography 2012 v.34:

"Urbanization of the counties surrounding the city of Atlanta, GA resulted in broad deforestation and forest fragmentation of the region...enabling individuals to live in areas converted from forested areas to suburban expressions of the American Dream. This sprawl development of the region has come at the expense of habitat integrity and poses complex environmental conservation issues for the metro Atlanta counties."

[icarusxxrising]

Important, PLEASE Read and Share.

TW // Violence and Police Brutality.

Protesters in Atlanta Georgia are being threatened on bogus charges by the state.

For the past 2+ years, protesters in Atlanta Georgia have been protesting and camping out in the Weelaunee Forest, Atlanta's largest remaining green space. With so little of these vast spaces left, and more being taken, it is so important to save what we can.

The Atlanta Police Foundation chose the Weelaunee Forest to establish a massive training complex which would include fake city like buildings for Police training, which is why the project has been dubbed "Cop City". This training facility would no doubt be used to increase the militarization of the Police, and add to the harassment and brutalization both black communities and protesters face when trying to live and exercise their rights.

The facility would be built adjacent to a majority Black, working class community that was not only promised the forest for trails and park space, but would surely be subject to even more policing instead of a Third Space* they can use as a community.

The facility would desecrate 87 acres of land, spanning over 381 acres, and costing around $90 million dollars that could have gone back into community projects and care instead of further the subjugation of the working class.

Police have been extremely violent towards the dubbed "Forest Defenders", raiding the forest multiple times to shoot pepper balls at nonviolent protesters and also destroying shelters, water/food storage, and even purposely destroy Jewish religious sites, including a Sukkah that was built for Sukkot and was destroyed by police in a raid 2 months after, along with a large Menorah which "disappeared". The forest camps has become an important religious site for Jewish people in and around Atlanta, as more than 60+ Jewish People have traveled to the forest for Shabbat, with hundreds more joining the live stream for Shabbat.

The forest is not just important for nearby Black and Jewish communities, the Defenders adding shelters, cafeterias, and even a small stage venue in the forest in an effort to Squat the forest has provided local homeless communities with a warm place to eat and shelter. The forest has transformed into a safe space for the community as Defenders educate each other and the Atlanta communities on first aid, cultural differences, leftism and anarchism in practice, and more.

Following violent interactions with Police, protesters have responded by burning down construction equipment (with no construction workers nearby), and throwing rocks at Cops who attempted to get close to harass the protesters. When it comes to the safety of our planet and communities, property is replaceable.

However, a life is not. On January 18th, 2023, a nonbinary anarchist eco activist, who was knowledgeable as a street medic and worked tirelessly as a forest defender, was shot and killed by Georgia State Troopers during another raid on the forest. Their name was Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán.

Police claimed Tortuguita shot first and injured a trooper, which the media picked up and began to circulate. However, multiple autopsies have confirmed not only did Tortuguita have no gunpowder residue on their hands, but Tortuguita was shot while on their knees, hands in the hair, surrendering to Police. Autopsies also concluded Tortuguita was hit with at least 57 gunshot wounds across their entire body, showing Tortuguita was executed by a police fire squad.

Police body camera footage also showed a Cop admitting that the Troopers had "fucked up their own guy", which authorities of course dismissed and refuse to participate in proving their innocence that they're so sure of.

In response to this, protesters took to the streets and burned a cop car, leading to police arresting 40+ activists. Police also arrested, threatened, and intimidated anyone who was peacefully discussing and sharing information about Tortuguita's murder on the streets of Atlanta, attempting to silence anyone who was even peacefully raising awareness.

Atlanta Police also conducted a random raid of a legally operating Bail Fund based in Atlanta, The Atlanta Solidarity Funds. The raid came as the Atlanta Solidarity Funds was legally raising money and awareness to help with Bail and Legal Defense, as protesters who were arrested peacefully were being charged with Domestic Terrorism, and now RICO/Racketeering charges. The Atlanta Police claim that the Bail Fund was laundering money, but other Bail Funds are calling this out as an obvious act of intimidation since absolutely no stories or proof has been released in conjuction with these financial charges.

There's a lot more, this has been going on for years, but one thing is certain. If we do not stop this here, they will tear the forests in your cities down and continue to militarize the police, furthering the oppression of the working class and continuing to make Black and marginalized communities lives hell.

Please read up on what has been happening in Atlanta because there's way more than the bits I talked about here. The Forest Defenders have been through so fucking much, and they still have a lengthy battle. But you cannot kill an idea. You can follow the Atlanta Solidarity Fund and the Forest Defenders on Social Media to keep up with them.

PLEASE boycott when possible, or be extremely vocal, towards the companies backing cop city. PLEASE tell them they have Blood on their hands.

Please continue to raise awareness, and follow Cop City closely. Please Read and Share.

[thatsleepymermaid]

I regret to inform everyone that it seems like cop city is currently being built over the remains of Weelaunee. Now, this article was written by the AJC which is funded by the Atlanta Police Foundation so it could very well be propaganda to discourage the stop cop city movement from progressing.

We should remember that cop city will be used to train cops all over the world. From Australia to Israel. And, word on the street says that they'll use the cops train here to union bust as well and surpreses protests of all types.

[threadatl]

Study: Atlantans drive more than the national average, but only in sprawling places

There's some significantly good news for Atlanta mixed in with the bad news, from a recent study of our driving habits...

According to Axios Atlanta, a new Brookings report found that Metro Atlantans drive thousands of miles per year above the national average.

This is obviously due to the dominance of car-dependent sprawl across our metro. When we build places in a spread-out footprint at low densities, we get a lot of car trips (not to mention the damage done to forests by dividing them into pieces, per the image of Atlanta sprawl here).

But there's a ray of sunshine in the report! Atlantans who live in centers with destinations that are reachable by walking, cycling, and transit drive 40% less than those who don't!

The best transportation plan is a good urban design.

If we build things in more compact footprints with a mix of activities (homes, retail, offices, parks) we have a chance to connect people to places in sustainable ways. And that kind of environment needs to be affordable and available for all -- not just the limited number of Atlantans who can afford to move to our precious few walkable places.

There's a huge benefit for the metro in retrofitting car-dependent sprawl with better urban design.

[haggqueen]

East Palisades Trail

Atlanta, GA

June 4th, 2022

[bash-the-fash]

🏴 There's a rally in Atlanta, Georgia in support and solidarity with the forest defenders. Get out there show the pigs the people still don't support their terrorism! 🏴

[atlurbanist]

It's a forest. Just say it.

This is the exact section of South River Forest property that's becoming the "cop city" training facility for the City of Atlanta.

I'm no expert on what constitutes a forest. But from Google Earth, this sure resembles one.

And yet the City of Atlanta put out some "facts" about the police training center being built here, and they're trying to convince us this is no big loss because it's not really a forest:

Weird. They know we have access to the internet, right?

Whatever this greenery is (and I still say it's a forest) it's going away for the training center. We're losing a huge stretch of trees -- which was supposed to all be a public green space, per the Atlanta City Design -- while massive highways stay the same & even get bigger. It's screwed up.

Remember this:

Nobody regrets the forests we saved. Just the ones we lost.

-----

Darin Givens is co-founder of ThreadATL, an urbanism advocacy group in Atlanta.

[thatwitchybitchandco]

[renren-006]

Savior | Daryl Dixion x fem reader

plot: Daryl saved you, and you want to kiss your savoir warning: slight mentions of almost taken advantage of, violence word count: 1518 a/n: I just had to write this idea!

taglist: @rosecentury

Back when the world had just ended, and things were still unknown, you were wounded around Atlanta's wooded, less populated areas. You had run from your car that got overrun, remembering the screams of your parents and the harsh pain in your ankle after you fell from the car watching them. You still struggled on your ankle; hisses escaped your lips as you walked. You had not stopped long through the days to heal or to rest, not knowing where the next undead would come for your flesh. Your jeans were worn and dirty, your red shirt now had holes, and you desperately wanted a bath. 

The day Daryl came to your rescue was the first day you had fallen asleep next to a tree with the fire embers still cooling in the morning rays. You heard the crunch and woke with a startle; there were three men watching you, all eyeing your body like a prise. 

"Well, lookie here, boys, some fresh meat for us," one of them said, toying with his belt to hide the painfully evident erection there. All three of them had one. You didn't know what to do, had nowhere to go, and knew you wouldn't make it far with your ankle.

"Please don't," you said, your voice coming out louder than you intended, maybe preying someone would hear you. 

"Aw, look at her. She's begging. I want her first," the second man said, and the others shook their heads. 

"no way she's mine," The third said, pushing his friend back before strutting twords you.

"No, No!" you said, shouting; maybe even the undead would save you. "Please!" he came to you, and you struggled to push him off. The others were smiling, ribbing their pants, and wanting their turn. 

"Hurry up, man", the first man said. Wanting the man who was trying to get your belt off to rush. That was when an arrow went through the man's skull, making his body thud against the forest floor, and then the second man went down with a knife in the head. The man on top of you looked back and gave you just enough room for you to knee his body off you. The man looked angry as you went back further, your pants even more ruined from the mud. Thankfully, your belt was still on, and your pants only ripped slightly from his strength. The man went down soon after, and two men peered around the trees twords you. 

"Hey there, girlie?" one of them asked, the same face the men had before they died. The shorter one pushed him back, walking over to you, bending down by the man, and pushing him away so you couldn't see his dead eyes. 

"We ain't goin' to hurt ya," he said, his voice soothing you from wanting to leave. "We got ya know."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," the taller one said. 

"He ain't going to hurt you either. hands off, Merle," the man sad

"I got it", Merle said, getting the hint that I wasn't to be touched by him at all. 

"I'm Daryl, that ma brother Merle. He won't get his hands on ya," Daryl said to you, holding out a hand; this seemed to be the first act of kindness this man had shown anyone in a while, and his face read it all too well.

"You don't save many people, do you?" you asked him. He shook his head, lagging slightly.

"Nah, normally we don't run into people. ya needed help, coulden't leave" Daryl told you, gripping your hand in his as he lifted you up. "You aint got no weapons on you?"

You told him, "No… I didn't prepare for the world to end." He nodded his head. Merle looked around, noticing a few of the undead heading your way.

"We gotta move." 

That started your journey with the brothers for a few months. It was just you two. They trained you on how to hunt and how to fight, and most importantly, how to piss Merle off, so he left you alone. Daryl also made sure your ankle was looked after, and in no time, it was better. Merlemeantt, no harm to you; he was just desperate for action you never wanted to give him. Daryl became your savior and bodyguard, making sure Merle understood that would NEVER happen. 

The three of you traveled until you met others who welcomed you into their small, little mountain-top community. It was you, the brothers, some sisters, and a man named Dale for a bit. Soon, the group grew and grew, but you only hung with Daryl and cursed off Merle. 

However, the time with him on the mountain made you aware of your attraction twords Daryl, the want you craved when you were near him. You were late in your 20's20s, having experienced college before traveling home to your parents just before the world ended. In those times before Daryl, you felt like you were younger, but now you feel your age, you feel strong. For the time being, you felt strong until your group had to pack up and leave because of a walker outbreak. 

Months later, you were entering the farm, your hands wrapped around Daryl as he rode into the grounds. You were mesmerized by how quiet and large it was here. While the others were setting up, you glanced over at Daryl, who was setting his tent up a bit away from them but not so far that he was secluded. 

"You got a tent?" Carol asked. You looked back at the woman. You didn't know what you were going to do. For the past months, you had slept by Daryl and Merle, but now, you were not sure what you would do.

"She with me," Daryl said, coming over to you. You looked beside you at the man who had apparently finished setting up and had walked over. "That good?"

"Of course," you told him, smiling; he nodded and walked over to Rick and the others.

"You both need to talk about your feelings for one another," Carol told you. "I can see it clear as day."

"Carol!" you said to the woman who had become a mother of sorts to you over the months. “I…cant”

"I think you can. I think you should," she told you, patting your back and going over to the others, leaving you thinking about how exactly you could even begin to explain to Daryl how Head becomes the soul man you wanted to be with for the rest of this apocalyptic world. 

It took you weeks and weeks to gain the courage, and only after he got shot did you tell him. He was lying in that recovery bed, not able to move a lot. You came in and sat beside him. 

"Whatcha doing in 'ere," He asked you as you sat down in the chair by his bed. 

"I…needed to tell you something…" You said to him, referring to the breakfast you had only a few hours earlier, which was being eaten away by the nerves. 

"What? Ya hurt?" he asked, concern spreading fast across his face.

"No, no," you told him, "I…god, I don't think I can tell you."

"Tell me what?" he asked, his southern accent so strong inside that room that it made your head spin.

"How you've been making me feel," you started, "I just didn't. I don't want to lose you, and after you got shot, I figured I might as well tell you before you died, and I never did."

"What are ya going on about?"

"I love you, Daryl. I've loved you since you saved me, and God, I love you even more since you've shown me how to be strong in this world", you rambled to the man in the bed beside you. Your hands were in your lap, and your eyes were glued to them. 

"Y/N," Daryl said in a soft tone you had never heard from him. 

"I know I should have told you you were the man who saved me, and you probably think I'm some kid to you", you said. Worry eating at you again.

"I don't think you're some kid." he told you, "I think you're a lot more than that."

"You do? You asked, eyebrows scrunched together. 

"That first night you spent with us, I didn't sleep cause I couldn't keep my eyes off ya," he told you, "I thought you were…blessed by a god or somethin'" he told you, holding your stare; there were tears in your eyes now 

"I don't think I ever heard you talk like that," you said, smiling through the slight tears brimming your eyes. 

"Ya won't again," he told you, pulling you down to him and kissing your lips so deeply. The door behind you opened, and then the person proceeded to fall into the door.

"Finally," Carol screeched. Smiles stretched over her face, as well as Ricks', who came to check on Daryl. Finally, you got to kiss your savor after all these months.

[darkarches]

Help protect Weelaunee Forest and stop the construction of cop city!

There was a conference last night for the Stop Cop City week of solidarity coming up February 19th-26th.

The main takeaway is that if people are interested in taking action, the best thing to do would be to target the construction company that the police have contracted, the funders of the project, and the insurance company insuring the project. The cops are the ones who want cop city built, but they can't do it without the groups mentioned above.

The construction company is Brasfield and Gorrie. My understanding is the company itself probably won't turn a huge profit from the project and is mostly doing it to strengthen relations with the police. If we can show them they will lose money from this project they may pull out. One way to show them how unprofitable this venture would be for them is to make it harder for them to complete other projects they're working on. One suggestion from the conference is that those who live near construction projects being done by Brasfield and Gorrie could try to obstruct progress on these projects to show there will be repercussions if they don't pull out of cop city.

The main funders of the project are big banks and corporations. I've included a link at the bottom with more details but some of the groups funding this are Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Target, Home Depot, and Chik-fil-a. The Atlanta Police Foundation is also helping fund and support the project. Below I've linked a map that shows the locations of these funders and offices of members of the Atlanta Police Foundation.

The insurance company signed onto the cop city project is AXA. At the conference last night it was emphasized that AXA is the main target we want to go after during the upcoming week of solidarity. The destruction of the forest cannot continue without an insurance company covering them. I did a quick google search and was able to find several AXA offices near me. Like with Brasfield and Gorrie, if we put the pressure on AXA they will hopefully realize this project is simply not worth it and pull out.

This is a list of targets which includes a map of where these targets are located throughout the US. There is also a list of actions that people can take, but be creative.

Nobody wants cop city except the police and corporations. Let's help save the Weelaunee Forest!

[cultofdixon]

Hard Exterior, Soft Interior

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • After the loss of Merle, he couldn’t lose you too. • ANGST/SFW • TW: Injuries / Scars / Anxiety / Depression

Requested by: Anon

You know those hard candies with the gooey interior? Can I think of an example?…uhh…bon bons? Tootsie pops have the soft interior…then there’s the gross lollipops with gum inside.

But anyway. The general idea of hard candies with soft insides.

That’s kind of like Daryl…and when I told him that. He of course thought it was a stupid concept.

I’ll always think that tho

~

Oh, you’re wasting my time

“Hey”

You’re just, just, just wasting time

“Hey Y/N?”

Something happens and I’m head over—- Y/N quickly removes the headphones to her walkman to finally acknowledge Dale’s existence. “Hey, sorry”

“Lost in your own little world huh?” Dale laughs as does she but a bit more embarrassment infused. “I need a favor”

“Oh Uhm. Dale I hear what comes from your RV at night and I’m not—-“

“OKAY” Dale yells laughing nervously. “Not the kind of favor I’m askin’…you know the new guy that came back?”

“Lori’s husband? Yeah he seems nice”

“Oh yeah he is. Just. Uhm.”

“Dale. Just spit it out” Y/N started to get annoyed.

Wait for the sign to flick the switch of death

“Merle!”

It’s the beginning of the end

“Merle come on out!” Daryl snaps returning from his hunt to this new guy with familiar faces getting up in his.

Sweat, chilling cold, as I watch death unfold Y/N watches Daryl get up in the faces of the others in the camp while having her headphones on. To avoid hearing Daryl’s enraged yelling. Consciousness, my only friend

“You left him?! ON A GODDAMN ROOF?” Daryl snaps at the sheriff standing before him.

My fingers grip with fear

What am I doing here?

Y/N suddenly lunged forward and her headphones slipped off her ears naturally as she grabs Daryl’s arm pulling him back after he got a punch in.

“Stop”

“They left him. They fucking LEFT HIM” Daryl yells feeling the anger continue to brew inside of himself. He was about to act on it once more until Y/N brought herself right in front of him pressing her hands firmly on his chest.

“Hurting him, will do nothing for you and won’t bring him back” Y/N states not moving from her spot until he relaxed.

“Who’s that?” Rick questions his best friend as Shane turns to who he was talking about.

“Y/N”

“Sister?”

“Fuck no. If she was, I wouldn’t have a hidden interest” Shane whispers the last part. “She’s one of the only few that’s close to the redneck.”

“Well I gotta thank her, or I’d be on the floor in a pool of my own blood…already was before this hell” Rick laughs slightly before pulling Shane with him to discuss the Merle situation.

We can go dancing, we can go walking

Daryl frowns holding the walkman in hand after Y/N has given it to him to listen to some of her cassettes to calm him down.

As long as we’re together (As long as we’re together)

Listen to some music, maybe just tal—- Daryl quickly removes the headphones when Y/N approached his little campsite away from the main one. “Hey…”

“Hey so, Rick has a plan to go back and get Merle. Wanted me to come get yea to see if you’ll join them”

A sense of relief washed over him the first time when Y/N pretty much stated she will stay at the campsite while they take care of rescuing his bitchass brother.

“Hey”

Daryl brought his attention back to her eyes full of worry. “Yeah?”

“If you do this. Go back to the city? Please be safe. Okay?” Y/N’s smile temporarily returned to grace her features as he mentally took a picture of such.

As long as she’s safe…

He will be

What do I do to ignore them behind me?

Do I follow my instincts blindly?

The scream rang through the forest and startled everyone in the campsite. Y/N immediately grabbed the bat that helped her from the city before Glenn saved her and went to help her newfound family.

Do I hide my pride from these bad dreams?

And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?

The small Atlanta group returned from a failed mission and was met with sickos infesting. Daryl gripped his crossbow tightly and went in search for her.

Do I sit here and try to stand it?

Or do I try to catch them red-handed?

Y/N crushed the head of the walker that was tripped by the archer standing behind it. She sighs relieved that he’s safe and sound. While the sense of relief graced him a second time. Daryl gestures for her to remove her headphones which she did.

“You always fight better listening to music?”

“I do a lot of things better when listening to music” Y/N smiles looking at the damage taken to her bat and dropped it once she made the executive decision that it was unusable. “Guess I need a new one or something brand new”

“Yknow I could always teach yea to use one of these” Daryl smirks gesturing to his crossbow as his smirk fades slightly when she laughs a little.

“I’d love that, D”

And his smile planted itself on his face thankful this horror show was over with.

Now after said horror and coming to the decision, everyone who was alive started to pack up for the CDC and Y/N put her backpack in the passenger seat of Daryl’s truck while he got his bike situated in the bed of it.

“Got a cassette ready?”

“You know me so well” Y/N smirks holding up said cassette tape before putting her bag by the feet of the seat and climbing in.

Here we go to another candle I know

All the girls, they’re playing on a jelly roll

Time to take a ride, time to take it in a midnight eye

And if you wanna go, get on below

“Y/N…yea think we’ll find Merle?”

“Probably. Just one less hand.” Y/N smiles trying to hide her laugh when stating that, even if Daryl thought it was a bit funny as well. “He’s like a roach in this world. It’s gonna probably take a nuclear bomb to get him off the planet”

“I hope he turns up soon. Yknow? He’s the only family I’ve got”

“Hey!” She playfully acted offended as she took his unoccupied hand into hers. “We’re family”

Pinking out the day

Dreaming out the crazy way

Finger on the love

Their connected hands never parted once she took a hold of it.

It’s all above

The CDC felt like a luxury…no one deserved. Especially after all the lives that were lost because someone failed to inform about this virus. Or however the hell this could’ve been avoided.

Y/N suddenly felt stressed being in this glorified bunker as she mainly observed the others enjoy themselves. She only really felt better about the overwhelming emotions coursing through her when he would look at her. Even as drunk as he was.

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

And everything you do

Yeah, they were all yellow

The archer offered the bottle to Y/N as she happily declined. She watches him hand the bottle over to Glenn as he took it for himself to get drunk for probably the first time in his life. Daryl then got situated right beside her turning to her reading what he could from her expression.

All she was, was tired. In that moment none of them had to fight or fear for their lives. Y/N wanted to remember this always. Being right beside him.

I came along, I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do

And it was called “Yellow”

________

The Dixons joined the campsite and did their part by hunting for the group. In return they got a group to watch their back and help with whatever may be asked. Even if they were stubborn enough to not accept the help offered.

Daryl returned from a quick hunt with a minor injury that he didn’t think much of. But after dropping off the catch, he didn’t think it would be noticed. The cut on his arm.

Then she came to their small camp set up holding her first-aid kit in one hand and her walkman in the other.

“Hey pretty lady”

Of course Merle was first to acknowledge her existence and make Daryl come out of his tent to try to prevent his brother from saying anything vulgar to who came. But hell. The pretty lady was indeed very pretty.

“Uhm. It’s Y/N…not whatever you said. Anyway” Y/N tossed the kit to Daryl as he fumbled a bit. “Thought you could use that”

“Don’t wanna stay?” Merle pouts as Daryl groans to his question before elbowing him to go away which he did with a groan.

Leaving the two alone for a moment.

“Thanks…I’ll uh. Give it back when I’m done”

“Okay. You’ll know where to find me” and that smile of hers struck him right in the heart.

________

So then I took my turn

Y/N laid comfortable in the bed made for her as she shared a room with Daryl. She laid on her side facing the archer who slept peacefully.

Oh, what a thing to have done

And it was all yellow…

In the middle of the night, Daryl woke out of anxious habit from when he was younger. He brought himself to turn toward the person he was sharing the room with to find her dangerously close to him.

Your skin, oh yeah, your skin and bones

Turn into something beautiful

He quietly lays back down after sitting up slightly, gently brushing the hair back out of the way of her face. Watching her face scrunch up a bit before finally relaxing and snuggling closer without touching him.

You know, you know I love you so

You know I love you so

As the next morning came around…and most were painfully hungover, Daryl found himself still laying down beside Y/N not wanting to move from his spot. Watching her be content, safe, alive and well…he didn’t want the moment to end. Didn’t want to feel like the world would end a second time if she were to leave it.

The second she stirred awake, part of him wanted to stay…tell her something that’s been on his mind since the day he met her…but instead. Daryl brought himself to sit up and sit on the edge of the makeshift bed giving the two a bit of space.

“Good morning” She yawns out the greeting listening to him reply with the same phrase as his voice was music to her tired ears. “How are you feeling?”

“Alright. Got a bit of a headache”

“Mm. You did drink a lot” Y/N laughs softly as she grabs her backpack taking out a small bottle of pain killers and handing it to him while he grabbed his canteen shortly after.

“Yea didn’t—-“

“I wanted to” Y/N smiles warmly as she pulls the blanket gently off of her and put her important belongings back in her backpack “You think someone is making breakfast? Or literally doing anything”

“Smelled somethin’ but don’t know what” Daryl handed her back the pain killers as she tossed the bottle carelessly into the bag before pulling out her earbuds that she could use to share her tunes with.

“Wanna just…sit and listen to music for a bit then? Before the world needs us?”

Daryl couldn’t and never would say no to that. He brought himself back to her side taking one earbud as she put hers in before getting her mixtape in.

Love of mine, someday you will die

And I’ll be close behind, I’ll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white

The two instinctively laid down side by side, their hands barely touching.

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark

Daryl’s pinky tapped Y/N’s hand a few times before hers locked with his.

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied

Illuminate the “no”s on their vacancy signs

Y/N brought herself to turn to Daryl watching him do the same as they kept their attention on the other. They slowly inched toward the other when the sudden yelling caught their attention.

If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks

Then I’ll follow you into the dark

The clock. The clock that everyone took noticed in the CDC when they first entered the giant room of computers…was a doomsday clock on its own. Once it hits zero, the power goes out and the building goes.

That’s a fiery death no one wants…unless, they are done with the horrors of what’s outside the CDC.

In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman rule

I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black

And I held my tongue as she told me, “Son..

Fear is the heart of love,” so I never went back

“Y/N! Come on!” Daryl yells to her frozen state as Y/N’s gaze was glued to the clock on the wall watching it slowly go down. “Y/N!” He continues to yell before running over to her and noticing the questioning look on her face. “Nah. You ain’t staying”

“Daryl…”

“No!”

“But this…just…” Y/N started to tear up at the thought that she wanted an escape like this. “Daryl I don’t…I don’t know what I want anymore”

“But I do! I know what I want” Daryl himself, the hard exterior of the tough lone wolf redneck that stood before her, cracked open. “And that’s you. You in my life” to show that soft interior.

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied…

“I can’t lose you too. I don’t want to lose you ever” Daryl admits watching her features soften as he carefully pressed his forehead against hers which lead to the tears pouring from her eyes. “I’ve lived. I understand that. But I haven’t truly appreciated the life I was given until you came into it. I need you to stay in it” he begged and no one has ever heard him beg once before.

Illuminate the “no”s on their vacancy signs…

As the group tried to get the glass to break, Daryl came running in with Y/N in his arms. The moment he came is when he saw the grenade in Rick’s hand right as he pulled the pin. He quickly crouched covering Y/N’s body with his own feeling her tighten her grasp on him as the explosion shook them both slightly.

Daryl quickly pulled back to check her features feeling her hand gently caress his cheek before he got back up carrying her out.

If there’s no one beside you when your soul embarks…

The archer got her to his truck when the eruption of the CDC shook the ground they stood on as Daryl quickly knelt to the ground gripping onto Y/N for dear life as she did the same while the tears poured from her eyes.

“Please don’t ever let go of me”

“I won’t. I promise. I’ll promise every day if I gotta Y/N” Daryl states pulling back once the eruption settled and Y/N was gently placed on her own footing.

Y/N straightened up with Daryl feeling his hands plant on her hips as she couldn’t help the tears from falling even faster.

“I love you”

Daryl quickly moved his hands from her hips to her face, firmly pressing his lips to hers. Finally after all this time of pining. He felt his own tears fall as he gently pulls away from her lips bringing her body close to his.

“I love you so much you have no idea”

Then I’ll follow you into the dark

[deansapplepie]

Till THE DEAD do us part | Chapter 1

A/N: This story will take place in all the seasons, but it’s not exactly a rewriting cause I’d have to re-watch everything to use the exactly lines of the characters, also I think it’s better if I tell a side story without changing the main facts of the story. I’m not good with synopses, so sorry about that.

This story has a Female Reader, but I don’t describe her appearance, so anyone can identify with her.

Summary: Y/N Grimes is Rick’s younger sister, when the world ended she had Lori, Carl and Shane. But did she really have them? Her brother was dead, her sister-in-law was sleeping with her brother’s best friend and her nephew was just a small kid. She had him, Daryl Dixon was no knight in a shining armor and she was no damsel in distress, but maybe they were exactly what each other needed.

*gif is not mine, credits on the gif.

Chapter 1: Vulnerable

Summary: Y/N sees something she wasn’t supposed to see, she need to vent about it but she can’t do it with Lori or Shane, because they are the main reason about it. So she goes to the woods hoping to find some peace.

Warnings: mentions of sex, swearing, kinda angsty, a little bit of fluffy, comfort, mentions of death, mentions of violence

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Grimes!Reader

Word Count: 2,072

Extra notes: I proofread the text, but English is not my first language, so feel free to correct any mistakes, of course with a lot of love.

Chapter 2

It was again one more boiling hot day in the Quarry near Atlanta, you thought the temperature would for sure kill you, but there was another thing threatening to take your life and it wasn’t a Zombie.

Before everything, before the world ended, life wasn’t easy. You wanted it to be, but you were living one of the worst moments of your life. You had just lost your job as a vet because you couldn’t save a rich man’s cat and he demanded that you were fired. You felt bad for the poor cat, for your lost job, for your name as a professional that was now forever marked and also for your dog a female German Shepherd called Luna that had to see you not acting like your usual self.

On top of that your older brother, Rick, got shot working… he was a Sheriff’s Deputy. That’s what made you stop feeling sorry for yourself, because you couldn’t. You needed to see your brother laying on a hospital bed in comma, you had to hold things together and take care of Carl and Lori.

Lori and Carl had you, but you had no one, Carl was just a kid and Lori couldn’t even take care of herself at the moment. There was Shane, he was like a brother to you, but even with him there… it was as if you were alone. You just had Luna.

You went to their house and stayed there, you were going to stay until Rick got better, yes, he was going to get better and you would stay just a little bit more to help during his recovery, and everything was going to be fine again. But it never was. The world ended. The dead were walking as if they were alive and Rick died.

Now you lived in a Quarry with Lori, Carl, Shane and a bunch of other survivors. Most of people were pleasant and easy to live with, the exception was Ed, Carol’s husband and Merle Dixon, Daryl’s brother, but this was the apocalypse and you don’t have much choice on the people that are going to be around you.

It had been almost two months since everything happened and the camp was created, almost two months your brother had died… and today, while you were picking some wood, you saw something that felt as if someone was pulling your guts out of your stomach and squeezing your heart.

Lori and Shane. Not Lori and Shane friendly doing what they usually do, they were in the middle of the forest, fucking, and there was no other word you’d use to describe it other than fucking. There wasn’t even two months Rick died, and his best friend and wife were fucking.

You felt nauseated, you went back the same direction you came and knew you had to do something to calm down. You couldn’t afford causing an scene or any uncomfortable situation, you could not hurt Carl.

“Hey! Aunt Y/N, did you already pick all the woods?” Carl shouted to you from the spot he was, playing with Sophia and Luna, Carol watching them.

“Er… wood wasn’t good that side, I’m going to the other side see if I find anything better.” You gave a lame excuse, you just wanted to be alone, cry all this shit out, in silence cause you didn’t want anyone to know and you didn’t want to attract any walkers near the camp.

“Can you look after them a little more, Carol?” You asked the woman, you were sure she was not going to say no, she loved being with the kids and even with Luna.

“Sure, don’t worry.” She said, you nodded and then walked to the opposite side from where you came the fastest as possible, looking down so others wouldn’t see you had started to cry.

You walked until you found a place far enough so no one would find you, but not so far that you would have any trouble. You had a gun and knife, you knew how to defend yourself, but you couldn’t make it easy to the dead to kill you, you were not that dumb.

You sat behind a tree, brought your knees to your chest and hid your face crying. Your thoughts were racing and all you could think was about what you saw, your brother and how you missed him. You listened to some light leaves hustle, but You didn’t give it importance, thinking it was probably the wind, it was so light that it couldn’t be a walker. So you continued minding your own business crying what you had to cry so you could look at your sister-in-law’s face without letting her know how upset you were.

“Ya shouldn’t be out here vulnerable like that” you jumped startled by the redneck’s voice. ‘So that was him,’ you thought, ‘of course, only he could walk with light steps, he was a hunter after all.’ You wiped your tears, not that it would help they were still falling and there wasn’t anything you could do to stop them.

“I’m not vulnerable, I just needed some time alone.” You answered, he was really trying to not be too rough on you given to your situation, but his lack of tact was something he had much difficulty to overcome.

“Ya could cry in your tent, it’s safer”

“I don’t wanna Carl and Lori to see me cry. I don’t wanna have to explain myself, things would get bad if I had to. I don’t wanna upset Carl.” You sniffed, that was one of the worst parts of crying, getting a damn runny nose.

“Shane can’t help?” He asked, you didn’t know but he probably already had some idea of the reason you were crying.

“He’s part of the problem Dixon, if I could I’d punch him and kick his balls” you answered, tears still running down but a little bit calmer.

“Did ya see him and…” he didn’t finish the question, because you completed it for him.

“Lori? Yeah”

Talking about them made you remember everything you saw and how it hurt you. You were still mourning Rick, and Shane and Lori apparently were already moving on. What hurt the most is that even mad at both of them, you still loved them. Lori was like a big sister, a sister that you wish you had while growing up, and Shane? He was your brother he taught you how to defend yourself, he gave you shooting classes, he brought you home the first time you got drunk and even took care of you while you were hangover. When Rick wasn’t there, he was. At this moment you hated him as much as you loved him.

“Do you know if anyone else know about them?” You asked after a long time, you were so lost that you didn’t even noticed that Daryl walked a bit ahead and stoped with his back turned to you. He wanted to give you privacy to cry, but he also couldn’t leave you behind, it was dangerous to you staying so vulnerable at the forest. He knew you could defend yourself, but you didn’t even listened him approaching, you sure were not going to listen to a walker too.

“I don’t know. Probably not. I’m much into the woods, so I caught them a few times.” He answered at distance, not turning to look back at you. “Do ya like him?” Daryl asked and right after he just regretted having opened his mouth, why would he ask such an intimate thing to you? He should just stay there and make sure you’d go back alive to the camp.

“Ew! No! He’s like a brother to me. We grew up together.” You answered disgusted to the idea of liking Shane any other way. “It’s not that. My brother, he died. Well, you probably know. And I know Lori needs to continue living and they are adults, but there’s not even 2 months and she moved on that fast and Shane… he was his best friend. I’m still mourning him, the world still doesn’t make any sense without him here and they are already fucking. I know I’m being selfish and emotional but…” you spoke so much that you had already lost your line of thought. Daryl was probably tired of you, he wasn’t one to talk much, but here you were opening all your thoughts to him.

“It’s about yer brother. Ya have the right to feel.” He understood, he had never lost his brother and he hoped he’d not lose him anytime soon. Merle was a dick, and he made him mad most of the time, but he was his brother, so he understood you.

You wiped your tears, calmer and ready to continue. You were still mad and sad about everything, but now you didn’t feel like you were going to die anymore, you were not suffocated. You got up, shook the dirt from your pants and approached the archer.

“I was going to take some wood for fire. I don’t want to go back empty handed. Can you help me?” Now you gave a look at him, and noticed he had some rabbits and squirrels hanging from a rope. He was being essential to maintain everyone fed, he was not one to be socializing around the camp, but he was good and you could see it.

He just nodded and started walking by your side collecting the good woods he found along the way. “Thank you.” You said collecting a branch that you saw.

“For what? I didn’t even take the woods to the camp.” Did he not understand or was he faking?

“Not about the woods. Well, that too… but thank you for staying with me and talk to me, you didn’t have to” ‘but you did’, you completed in your thoughts. “Also, thank you for always bringing us food. I don’t know if I ever told you that.” He grunted, sometimes you wish you could know what he was thinking, you never knew if his grunts mean something good or bad.

“No need to thank me” he never knew how to react at moments like that. Should he say thanks back? Should he give another compliment?

Soon you returned to the camp, he helped you put the woods near the makeshift kitchen and was going to clean the rabbits and squirrels so they could be cooked.

“Luna likes you” you said, you saw how your dog acted around him. He was a little surprised with the comment. “You can take her with you when you want, I see that you like her too.” You smiled, a beautiful one just as if you were not broken or had cried your soul an hour ago.

“She likes my food too” he joked, it was not intentional but after what he said he even got a little smile at the corner of his mouth for some seconds. You giggled before answering.

“I know, she makes the cutest puppy eyes. It’s not her fault if you can’t resist her charms.” He snorted and for some seconds, just few seconds, he thought that maybe she wasn’t the only one he couldn’t resist. As he went to clean the hunt, you went to Carol to say you got the wood and offer to take care of the kids while she started to prepare the food.

You couldn’t take that smile from your face and you didn’t were sure why, you ruffled Luna’s fur while you sat close to the kids and released the dog so she could run around a little. You hated having to let her tied, but you were too afraid of what could happen if she went too far. She ran around the camp and soon approached the archer he pet her and she made her happy tail dance to him, he looked in your direction and you smiled watching their interaction. Your day wasn’t lost, there was still good things to be grateful for, even in a world like this.

Final notes: Please tell me your thoughts. There is a long time I don’t write and publish fanfiction in English so I’d be glad to hear from you.

[frankendykes-monster]

Check their shoes and look for mud!” shouted one Atlanta police department officer to another. The sun was setting against a tree line growing greener daily due to recent balmy, spring-like weather in Atlanta, but the bucolic setting of a Sunday in the sun at a free music festival abruptly became panic and chaos. Dozens of law enforcement officers, many with automatic weapons, swarmed into a forest of hundreds of acres, seeking to find any of the 200 or so activists who had set fire to a bulldozer, trailer and other infrastructure used for construction on “Cop City”, a $90m, 85-acre police and fire department training center, about an hour earlier. The clash was just the latest dramatic chapter to hit the Cop City project, which has already seen one environmental activist shot dead by police – the first incident of its kind in the US – and drawn national and international attention to the fight to save the Georgia forest where the giant project is planned. The one officer’s frenzied order about dirty footwear seemed as absurd as any part of the Sunday night operation, since Georgia rains had left muddy patches all over the forest, and at least 600 people were lying on the grass, or camped among the trees, or entering the forest to catch an evening’s music under the stars or leaving – thus many had mud on their shoes. But such was the situation on Sunday night, on the second night of the fifth “week of action” by activists over the last year dedicated to protecting the land called South River forest on municipal maps and Weelaunee forest by activists – using the Muscogee (Creek) word for “brown water”. The scene included police running through trees, arresting a legal observer from the National Lawyers Guild, sending a negotiator to agree on terms with five randomly chosen individuals for letting about a hundred music festival audience members safely leave the forest, and detaining journalists for questioning on “what they were there to cover”. The first two days had included free music, herbal workshops and a peaceful march through neighborhoods surrounding the forest south-east of Atlanta. Then, around 5.30 on Sunday evening, about 200 activists, most in balaclavas and camouflage clothing, began lining up to the right of the stage. They marched around three sides of the audience, chanting “Viva Tortuguita” – a reference to Manuel Paez Terán, a 26-year-old activist who was camping several hundred feet away from that spot on 18 January when police shot and killed him in another raid. It was the first time police killed an environmental activist while protesting in US history. Authorities said that Paez Terán fired first. After several hours of chaos on Sunday night, 23 people – including a legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild – had been arrested and charged with “domestic terrorism” under state law, adding to the 18 defendants facing the same unprecedented charges who have been arrested in recent months.