☠ :Are there any recent/daily thoughts they have about death or dying?
Daryl thinks about dying all the time. He knows that if he messes up even a little bit, he’ll end up losing his own life. It’s not something that he likes to dwell on but he knows that eventually his time is going to come. There’s a desire in him to want to create his own legacy but he knows that it’s unconventional with the dead running around unchecked.
He sees Rick’s struggles with Carl and Judith and somewhat substitutes them as his own as well. Daryl wants them to continue on and live but he also feels the need to protect them even though he knows that Carl can do well enough on his own. Daryl worries about them and the rest of their group and knows that he’d rather not see anyone die or leave them.
☯ :Do they believe for every darkness there is a lightness? If not, why?
He really wants to believe that there is. He’s almost desperate in wanting to believe it but Daryl knows that the light might end up being dimmer than what it is that he’s wanting. If there’s a light, then he’s not completely sure what or where it’s going to lead them. He knows there’s not ever going to be some kind of utopia for them or a 100% walker-free zone, but if there were, he doesn’t think they’ll get to it.
Daryl has to be realistic in his views for the future but he knows that it’s pipe dreams that keep the group’s moral up enough to keep going. If they have a goal other than survive, they can work harder and he recognizes that. In a way, he has to believe there’s something even if there really isn’t other than an ‘I told you we’d make it here.’
♥ :Name one thing about the way their emotions work that they despise.
The quick temper. Daryl logically knows that there are ways for them to solve issues and that if they just think a little, they can overcome it. At the same time, his emotions pile up until they become an avalanche that threatens to cover up anything resembling a chance to move forward.
He’s worked hard on making certain that he remains calm and takes a chance to actually think before going off. However… this doesn’t work all the time. When things aren’t piling up on him, Daryl often feels a need to snap when he feels it’s appropriate.
For example, when he ended up getting onto Lori when she asked him to find Rick, Daryl couldn’t quite find it in himself not to snap. It wasn’t that he hated her or anything like that, he simply disliked the idea of being used. He felt that she was just looking for a scapegoat to blame when Rick couldn’t be found and he wasn’t about to be taken advantage of. In a way, it reminded him when Merle would ask him to do something that might get him in legal trouble.
☆ :Would they ever wish upon a falling star? If so, what would they wish?
Even though he wants to believe in a light at the end of the tunnel, Daryl would never resort to leaving his fate up to a star. Sure, it’s a nice concept to try and leave things to fortune and luck, but he knows that it’s ultimately up to himself.
He learned when he was younger that wishing upon a star doesn’t make things stop. He used to do it when he was a boy and wished that his father would stop drinking and that his brother would come back and actually be a brother. Of course, the harder he wished, the worse it seemed to get so he ended up stopping.
That was right around the time that Daryl ended up running away from home for a few days [the infamous poison ivy as toilet paper incident].
☁ :Describe how they would spend a stormy, overcast/rainy day.
Back when the world was ‘normal,’ Daryl would usually not care about stormy/rainy days. There were some that he felt relaxed int the turbulent weather, especially on days when he wasn’t feeling his greatest. He did enjoy watching thunderstorms until one produced a funnel cloud when he was a teenager.
It was after that when Daryl took a small shine to checking out whatever weather pattern books that he could find at the local library. He could never actually check them out, he didn’t have a library card, but he always went in to see the books when he had the chance. Of course he was a slower reader than most though.
When the library closed down, his curiosity dimmed and his grades started failing because of his home situation.
☂ :Storms or clear skies?
Clear skies are better for hunting food but storms help provide a natural shower. Daryl’s pretty neutral on this question as they each have their merits.
εжз :What about nature do they find calming? What about nature do they find disagreeable?
Positive: The quiet. Daryl can escape to a world all his own in nature and can realign himself the way he needs to. Being introverted, he needs to recharge himself to be able to deal with the stresses of the group. Even with all the time he’s been there, he still needs to be able to just have a little bit of time to himself. It’s nothing against them, he just needs to listen to something that’s not arguing, screaming, or the sounds of walkers shuffling by.
Negative: His biggest issue is the lack of toilet paper as he’s had bad experiences with certain leaves. Now that he’s older, Daryl can tell the difference, but he does miss the luxury of toilet paper. Of course, he also had an affinity for dark chocolate…
☎ :List three or more people they would call out for during an emergency.
1. Rick: Daryl knows that he can trust Rick with anything, even if it’s something that he normally wouldn’t tell anyone. It doesn’t matter if it’s romantically or not, Daryl knows that Rick won’t let him down and he’d never let Rick have to face an enemy on his own if he can help it.
2. Carol: Despite seeing how weakened she was with Ed and how heartbroken she was over Sophia, Daryl’s seen how much stronger Carol’s become. They’re starting over now, everyone gets their own restart, and he feels that he can trust her to be there if he needs her. Daryl knows that he would do the same for her since he can feel that she’s a kindred spirit.
3. Glenn: He went from being just the Chinaman to a warrior and Daryl had trusted him before even at Herschel’s farm. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Daryl hasn’t acknowledged Glenn’s growth as well.
All in all, if they’re in the group and trusted by Rick, Daryl’s pretty much perfectly fine with them. The ones that he’s iffy on are newcomers but he just needs to have more time with them to see how they act. Daryl’s alright with giving chances until a newcomer messes with established members.
☛ :What is their typical response to being given orders?
Before, he wouldn’t have been okay with it but he’s grown to be a bit of a follower. Daryl can lead if he needs to but he prefers to be able to follow orders and do so efficiently. He does better with specific orders than generalized ones as the former help to let him know what’s needed and what isn’t.
Although, if the person giving the orders isn’t trust worthy or they’re mean without cause, Daryl likely won’t listen. He’s similar to a loyal dog in this case. Treat him right and he’ll do whatever the person asks him to in most cases, treat him wrong… well, someone might get hurt.
☢ :Describe a thought or dream that would cause them to have a mental meltdown.
One of the worst thoughts that goes through his mind is whether or not the spirit is trapped inside of the walker body. Daryl often wonders if those people can actually see what their bodies are doing or whether they’re simply unable to stop themselves. He knows that they’re dead, but he doesn’t want his soul trapped.
He doesn’t want to be able to feel himself biting into another human and eating them. He certainly doesn’t want to see his own body yanking his companion’s intestines out. Daryl would rather have to sniff Satan’s armpit than have to see something like that, especially if he knew it were his own body. That would be one of the biggest things that would rip his heart apart.
If it were a dream, he likely wouldn’t sleep for a long time after that. It’d be noticeable that he wasn’t sleeping too because he gets bruise-like bags under his eyes and he gets snappy a lot faster. In order to make him talk about it, someone would have to physically sit him down away from the group and just start talking to him. This kind of dream would disturb him in his waking hours, it likely would feel very real, and it would bother him immensely. Daryl’s not the type to be able to brush something like that off if it felt real enough.
✄ :Are there any reasons why they would ever think of self-harm? If so, what are they?
The only way that Daryl would think of hurting himself intentionally would be if he ever was bitten by a walker. He’d rather turn a gun on himself before letting the group deal with him turning on them in the middle of the night. Of course, he’d think about taking off a limb if it were bitten, but if it’s on the main trunk of the body, he knows he won’t last long afterward.
He probably wouldn’t even give them a warning either. Daryl would likely end up going to see each of them with the wound covered so he would have a few minutes with them all. He’d give them a piece of his own insight, maybe an item of his, and then just leave the area. This plan would count on them being in separate places because it’s possible they would end up catching on after a little bit.
❤ :Describe a physical action that shows complete trust.
Careful or gentle touches, half-hugs and hugs, even a hand on the shoulder. Daryl is not a big fan of touching people or being touched, so if he touches you then there’s a good reason for it. These touches from him are important, they’re similar to written words of gratitude or love. If he misses someone enough, a hug is something that is precious from him.
Don’t ever overlook Daryl’s touches. They all mean something even if it’s just a ‘I’m glad you’re here.’ They say what he can’t express with words.
Now kisses? Those are even more precious, he very rarely ever gives these out. If he gives them to the dead, that means the person was extremely important to him, enough that he may have held a special place in his heart for them. When he does so to a living person, it usually isn’t for nothing. It’s usually because he wants to keep that person and have them to himself.
If he does something more intimate, like having sex with them while sober, that will be the one that he chooses. Now that Daryl knows that their moments are more valuable than gold, he doesn’t want to waste them, and he won’t just fuck someone to fuck them. No, Daryl wants something meaningful. He wants to make sure that is the person that he gets to spend whatever is left of his life with. He doesn’t play for maybes.
❥ :Describe a verbal way they would express complete trust.
Verbally, Daryl’s not much of a talker as he doesn’t take words for much. If he does express trust verbally, it’s a little jumbled and confused but he will thank someone. That much doesn’t bother him to just say thank you but if he does, don’t make fun of him. He may not say it again.
So if he does say something similar to that, just take it as it is and give him a nod. That’s better than laughing at him or making some snarky remark like ‘well, you do know how to thank someone.’ Those are sure fire ways to make him lose his trust in someone and Daryl’s trust isn’t easy to earn after it’s lost.
✗ :Explain how they portray feelings of hostility or dislike.
Distance and out right meanness, sometimes he’ll get physical if they say something he doesn’t like. If the person is someone that he doesn’t trust, Daryl’s not likely to be nice or treat them with respect. He’ll get mouthy and let any offhand comment come out of his mouth that he feels is fitting.
Of course, if they get aggressive in return, that just gives him a reason to kick their asses. Daryl tries not to do anything like that because he knows that it’ll disappoint the others, but he wants to make his own stance on the person known. It’s not a conscious thought that makes him do this, it’s quite subconscious, so much that he doesn’t even realize it.
The person’s definitely going to know he has a problem with them, that’s for sure.
⊗ :What is something that causes them to question themselves?
There are a lot of things that make Daryl question himself but he tries not to let it get in his way. If he starts making mistakes because his mind is elsewhere, he’s going to get himself killed.
If he finds himself able to afford the luxury, whether in a car [not driving] or right before sleeping, it would likely be the deaths of those around him. He often thinks of things that could have gone differently.
If he would have been close enough to grab Sophia, maybe he could have saved her?
If he had kept Beth closer to him in that house, maybe she wouldn’t have been taken to Atlanta or been shot.
If he had gotten to talk to Merle one last time, would he have stayed there with them at the prison and integrated back into the group?
He could question himself all that he wants to, but he knows it’s not going to bring them back. As much as that makes his chest hurt, there’s little he can do about it and he knows it.
☾ :On a sleepless night, what would they be found doing?
If he has a book and some way to do it, he’ll read. Aside from that, he won’t really do anything but try and force himself to sleep. There’s always the option of masturbation but Daryl isn’t a fan of being caught with his hand in his pants.
☤ :Is there anything about their health they are continuously on edge about? Something they disregard?
If he gets sick, normally something like a cold, Daryl will do his best to overlook it because he feels that he needs to keep a strong front. He’s never been one to have a lot of serious illness and it usually goes away after a while, so he just hopes it’s the same each time.
Aside from that, there’s the mental issues from childhood abuse that he does his best to ignore. Memories can be triggered by certain words or scents but if it bothers him enough, Daryl knows to leave or go to a different room. Rarely will he ever try and change the subject, he feels that doing something like that will make him look weak. As far as he’s concerned, ignoring it is the best way to go.
✖ :Describe a way to make them uneasy or apprehensive.
If it’s a touch that he doesn’t initiate, Daryl doesn’t want it. It makes him very uncomfortable and he won’t do well with it unless it’s someone that he trusts enough to allow their touch. Anyone in the group? They’re okay by him. Other people are not.
Another way would be trying to pry into his past or get information out of him about something he might have unwittingly hinted toward. Daryl doesn’t appreciate it when people try and get into his business and he’ll become fidgety very easily. This leads to nail biting, mostly isolated to the thumbnail.
✏ :What are their creative outlets?
Wood carving mostly. When he was younger, Daryl would sometimes draw little birds that he saw on trees or even make cheap dream catchers with his grandfather. It was never anything very big.
♡ :Is there a certain scent that brings about nostalgia? If so, describe a memory this scent brings back.
Black cherry pipe tobacco. Daryl’s grandfather had smoked it constantly when he was younger and the man’s house, near his own with his father and brother, was usually filled with the scent. It’s a peaceful type of smell for him and, if he can find a bag of that tobacco, he’ll definitely be taking it just for the smell alone.
It reminds him of a much more peaceful time between four and seven years old when he could pretend that everything was alright. In the back of his mind, Daryl always knew that something wasn’t right at home but he never tried to bring it up. By the time he got the courage to do so, his grandfather had died.
His father got the life insurance money and ended up drinking it away mostly. Merle managed to get a good portion of it after the check was cashed and simply bought drugs. Daryl was his grandfather’s favorite and was given the house for when he was older, the only issue was that he never got the change notarized. Therefore, after his death, the house was seized and then torn down after the man’s belongings were auctioned off.
Daryl still has his memories of the man and his old stories of wars and even Native Americans. His grandfather had been very interested in their culture and often told Daryl what he remembered.
۞:Are there any inner demons they can never seem to get rid of? What are they?
Before the world went to shit, Daryl had been sucked into a part of Merle’s world in the way of alcohol. He had seen what it did to his father but Daryl ended up becoming a lightly habitual drinker. He would have gotten quite a bit worse had things stayed the same, he probably would have made another version of his father out of himself. The only thing that would have been different would be that he wouldn’t have kids to deal with him.
Now drugs were a bit of a different issue. Where he was a lighter abuser of alcohol, Daryl was worse with pills. Whether it was crushing and snorting them or just plain using them in clubs, he didn’t care. There were several instances where he’d managed to get into raves, drinking and doing drugs. It was where he’d had one of his encounters with other men but there were a few he doesn’t recall.
The drugs that were used were usually just whatever was on hand. It was never anything like crystal meth, like Merle did, but Daryl did consider it once. He doesn’t enjoy the idea that he might have ended up getting into it but he’s glad that he never did. The urge is still there but his will to keep living is much more powerful, if he were a weaker man, he might have dived right in a long time ago.
