An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
THANK YOU GUYS!!! thank you so much for all the love. 😭 i said it in the notes, but this one i kind of set post them blowing up the crm and pre the helicopter home since i thought they mustve had to wait out for a bit somewhere...i just put them back in the cabin lol. i was thinking to continue with this setting if any body has any ideas for a certain type of smutty little one shot theyd like to see, ik its a bit lazy but theres really not that many opportunities i could think of for them to have sex past what i already did 😭 theyre so busy and stressed ugh! anyway, so much love to all u guys. i hope you enjoy it and thank you thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!! inspired by this picture of andrew lincoln.....oh em ge.
Ilya cheated and murmured, “I would stay here forever if I could” in Russian. He felt Shane sigh around him, but it sounded more dreamy than exasperated. Maybe he understood what he meant. Maybe some feelings couldn’t be hidden behind foreign words.
Just wanted to wish you a HNY and send some positive energy your way. Your analysis on Richonne and all things twd is a gift to the community, and you deserve every flower for it 🌹🌹🌹
One ask if you haven’t already spoken on it: do you have any thoughts about Michonne’s backstory before the ZA? How do you interpret her life in the before times — what parts of her character seem innate and what evolved to be able to survive the apocalypse?
Hi lovely! Thanks so very much for this.🥹 And happy new year to you! This is such a thoughtful question thinkng about which of Michonne’s characteristics were innate pre-ZA and which might've evolved more from their new world. I wrote my thoughts out below 💗:
I do feel like Michonne’s profession in the world before was a lawyer, like she was in the comics. And as such a balanced character, I feel like what made her excellent in her profession was having a great blend of traits, like being genuinely warm and benevolent while also being razor sharp and no-nonsense when she needed to be.
With her initially telling Carl that one kid was enough for her, it makes me think that Michonne may have been more career-minded in the world before, wanting to make a positive difference in her community through her work. But she always had this innate nurturing side which was able to come out and flourish even more when she became a mother and had Andre.
I also think she was always big on cleanliness, and she definitely seems like a girl who spent more time in cities than rural areas and enjoyed the finer things. But the way she successfully adapted to survival in the new world, I could see it being that maybe growing up, her family still would take occasional camping trips because her dad was well-versed in the outdoors or something. And while she always preferred their resort vacations with AC & modern amenities, the camping did at least equip her to navigate the wilderness.
I think 3 qualities Michonne for sure had before the apocalypse are her self-sufficiency, her thoughtfulness, and her determination. That story Joycelyn(😒) told about Michonne in college really painted the picture of Michonne’s determined spirit and the way she was an ambitious go-getter who knew how to rally people and get results. Something Michonne remained great at doing in the post-apocalyptic world.
It was interesting trying to think about which traits might have evolved in her more after the apocalypse hit. What first came to mind for me is her personal decisiveness. I can envision that in the world before, if Michonne had to make big decisions for the sake of others, she could do it with solid wisdom and keen instinct. But when it came to making personal decisions for herself, I could see that being an area that perhaps caused her to struggle in the world before and became a stronger quality of hers once every day became about life or death decisions.
Like even her changing her mind several times about what she wanted to study in college - that's totally normal, but it also shows how, because she has so many aspirations, interests, and skills sets, it made concretely deciding for her life a bit of a challenge. And that might be further reflected in Michonne not being sure how to answer Deanna’s question when asked what she wants for herself. I think it could indicate that becoming firmly decisive in knowing what she wants for herself was an attribute that the new world helped grow stronger over time, rather than just being an innately strength. But it did eventually become a sincere strength of hers, I’d say.
In thinking about it, I feel like there’s also something that Rick was particularly instrumental in helping her cultivate so that it became a quality she got better at in the new world than before. And that’s being willing to take breaks and just be present in a moment. Michonne is a woman who is always willing to step up, take action, and contribute. Which could potentially cause her to put pausing to just breathe and enjoy the moment on the back burner a bit. Because even with me assuming she enjoyed luxuries in the world before, I still think true, uninterrupted leisure might’ve been tough for her to substantially sit in before she was already up and ready to take on a new task.
I feel like Rick helped Michonne to remember it’s okay to step away sometimes and just be. Because it’s not only okay, it’s important to give yourself the time to recharge, and not solely when you’re sick or hurt, either. Because Michonne is so capable, I could see it being that she would’ve worked herself to the bone trying to help and build up her family and society both in the world before and after. But I think forming her relationship with Rick and their kids showed her there are things and people she just wants to let herself bask in and live in the moment with, instead of moving on to the next task at hand.
(also i love how the 3 moments in these gifs are all from different seasons. gotta love Rick's consistency, always wanting more peaceful alone time with his wife. 😋)
I was thinking the other day about how I feel like Michonne is confident in herself, but also doesn't fully know just how phenomenal she is, because she thinks that all the great things she does are just what goodhearted people should do. When really, everything she does for others and how gifted, capable, and great she is at so many things is rare even among the goodhearted. That's yet another reason I cherish that she has Rick, who constantly wants to give her her flowers and express his thankfulness to remind her that she's not just good, she's exceptional. And she deserves to be celebrated for all she is and does, as well as deserves to take a break from all she does every now and then, too.😊
I planted hundreds of tulips, lilies and alliums over fall/winter, and now all I do is check to see if anything has sprouted yet. So far it’s still just dirt.. But good things are coming
“You were are the best thing that happened to my life, and my dad’s life after everything went down.”
“You and Judith, I don’t know who I’d be, who my dad would be without you.”
“You helped me heal from so many things. Brought me through a lot.”
“I know this is going to be so hard with what happened to Andre -“
“For me. For my dad. For Judith. They need you more now than ever.”
“You got him to take that risk, to trust Aaron. Only you can do that again.”
“fight for the future, Michonne.” (Michonne saying "for the future" hits even harder now 🥲)
“You are the strongest person I’ve ever known.”
“I love you, Michonne. Thank you for your love for me, my dad, and my baby sister.”
“Keep me in your heart. Love always, your bestie Carl.”
Real tears were shed, ngl. That letter is beautiful. And had me low-key wanting to write another breakdown reveling over each line lol. I'm marveling over the fact that in 2025, we’re still being fed, particularly with one of the things I always most wanted to know, which is what Carl wrote to Michonne. Never has it been more rewarding to revel in characters than it has been the Grimes 2.0 family. And Carl and Michonne’s love for each other will forever move me. 🥹🙌🏽
dededos
theartofmadeline
turnnoffyourmind
janainaart
stormborns
origamiaround
ellievsbear
