driftfleet | Bloodsport Mingle

[ Of course he's going to go in, but before he does, Carl drops the backpack to the bottom of the ladder. Not a big enough drop that anything will crush or break. ]

Daryl? I'm coming down. [ Even if he's not in there, he can leave the backpack with a note and leave, right? ]

[The door opening had Daryl suspicious and he had his hand on the small knife he'd been working on making. Ok, so it was a shank made of cloth and a piece of metal he'd managed to twist off from one of the walls. Only half done, but it'd get the job done if he had to shove it into someone's neck.

The voice that came next had him freezing in place, eyes narrowing, getting ready to jump. The only light in the room at the moment came from the three fishbowls and the fish inside. Enough to see by, but not so bright it'd be easy to see him right away.

He'd been hoping to get a chance to take out the fucker pretending to be Carl. And now here he was coming right down the ladder to meet him. Throwing that fake voice around. Turning to show that fake face with two goddamned eyes...

Daryl had the kid pressed back against the ladder as soon as his feet hit the floor and he'd turned around. One arm up against his neck, the other holding the shank at eye level.]

Who the fuck are you?

[ However Carl had been expecting their interaction to go, all of that goes out the window in an instant. He beats himself up mentally for not just sticking his head in, first. His back hits the ladder, one of the rungs digging into his shoulders. He yelps in surprise, his hands coming up to defend his face. He really isn't ready to lose an eye.

Carl can feel his heart threatening to slam its way out of his chest, and even though he's been learning some self defense over the past month, all of it is forgotten right now. The threat is there, but it's Daryl. He's got to see that this isn't a trick, right? ]

Whoa, whoa!! Daryl, it's me, I promise!

[ God, he doesn't even know what to say that could convince him of it, either- but Carl needs him to see. They're all stuck in this hell hole together for who knows how long. ]

The last time I saw you was after the church-- we were all on the road together. [ Technically still, since they'd only managed to find a barn that looked like it had seen better decades. ]

SHUDDUP!

[Daryl shouted it right into the kids face. He looked so much like Carl. Every little detail right except the eyes. And the memory he was trying to invoke.

He huffed out heavy breaths, whole body shaking with the anger he was trying not to let get the better of him.]

You ain't him. Don't know how you made yerself look like 'im, but you ain't. So stop pretendin' and take off his face.

[So he could gut the shit on a clear conscience.[

[ He can't help the flinch that follows being screamed at, and his brain scrambles to come up with something else. Something believable. ]

Why would somebody go through this much trouble to fuck with you?

[ Oh, if only he knew. His hands come down from in front of his face, though it feels more like baiting a tiger than trying to reason with him. ]

Ask me something only I would know?? [ Please let that work. Please let Daryl see. Please just let this go right.. ]

CAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE FUCKING DOES! THAT'S ALL HE FUCKING DID!

[Daryl pushed hard against Carl's throat, choking him for a moment before he used the force to push himself back a few steps where he could get some room. Get some air. He kept his eyes on Carl, but he paced in what little space he had to do it. The shank in his hand just loose enough to adjust his grip in an agitated fashion.]

You can't prove shit with words. Yer nothin' but another mind game.

[ His hands move immediately to the arm pressing against his throat, fingers digging in, fighting to get air back. Carl coughs when he's released, hand going to his neck. Staying where he is, those eyes watch Daryl pace like a caged animal in the small space. The silence lingers before his brow furrows, the confusion written plainly on his face. ]

Who? I don't know who you're talking about..

[He snorted a laugh. Dry and unamused. His pacing continuing and his grip on the shank getting tighter. But despite the attempt to hold himself in check, he couldn't stop how his body started to shake just a little at the thought that this was all something Negan was doing to him. It made sense. Not the spaceships or crap, just... he was seein' things cause of whatever Negan was doing to him right then. Trying to break him.

That's why his bedroom was so small. It wasn't much bigger than that damn closet he'd been put in for who knows how long. Locked up with no light. Just enough from under the door to illuminate the picture of Glenn they'd left him with. About the same amount of light the fish gave off...

He sucked in a shuddering breath and looked Carl dead in the eye.]

The hell you don't.

[ The worry increases, though not for his own sake. Daryl's not adjusted to this place, but it's already playing head games with him? His mind goes to the planet a few months back when Maggie kept seeing Beth. The Atroma have the power, but they wouldn't use it so soon, would they?

This doesn't seem like that's what it is, though. He looks right back at Daryl, his chin jutted forward and that Grimes determined expression on his face. ]

Won't know until you tell me.

YOU KNOW WHO THE FUCK I'M TALKING ABOUT!

[Daryl roared, stepping forward in on one large stride to push chest up against Carl - Carl who was nearly as tall as him now. Carl who he could almost look at eye to eye.

Two eyes.

Why was it so difficult to hold that eye contact? He forced himself to try, but within seconds he was shaking so hard, nearly tearing up that he had to pull away again and start pacing once more. Something to get the energy out.

Why did the kid have to feel so real? Look so much like him?

With a shaky voice, one so soft and almost like he was scared of what would happen to him for his words, he said:]

Ain't gonna say his name. You cain't trick me into it. Ain't doin' it.

I'm telling you I don't!

[ Daryl isn't the only one that has had trouble looking him in the eye, lately. That girl's words hit him again, and he passes a brief, worried glance at the makeshift shiv still gripped tightly in Daryl's hand.

His tone changes to match and he frowns. ]

Look-- tell me or don't. I'll stop asking. [ Slowly and being sure to telegraph his movements, he gets the toe of his boot behind the forgotten backpack and nudges it into the empty space between them. ]

Brought some stuff. Thought it might help, take it.

Edited 2017-06-04 04:51 (UTC)

[At the offer of 'stuff' Daryl went stock still. Was he supposed to take it? Was he going to be allowed to have it? Or was it going to be one of those tricks where if he took it, he'd be punished for trying? He'd gotten some of that in Alexandria. Dwight had flaunted his bike in front of him. All he had to do was say one word and he'd be given it back. Was this the same?

He was trembling when he answered, voice small, almost inaudible, looking more scared than he'd ever let anyone see him look.]

Didn't ask for it.

Edited 2017-06-04 04:57 (UTC)

Wanted you to have it, anyway. The first few days sucks. I dunno, I thought it would help.

[ Even if he doesn't touch the stuff in the backpack, Carl doesn't intend on taking it back with him. Daryl can put it out the airlock if he wants. ]

[Daryl stayed where he was, eyes dropping to the bag and blinking a couple times before he lifted his chin at it. He still didn't like that this kid was wearing Carl's face. But as long as he did, he didn't feel right making a mess of it.

Maybe that was what Negan was hoping for. That he'd lash out and hurt the kid that looked enough like Carl to throw him off. That he'd have nightmares of hurting one of his family. Of being the one to physically do the deed in the way he hadn't with Glenn. Glenn was his fault, but he hadn't brought the bat down. Maybe Negan wanted to change that...

The shank hung loosely from his fingers for a few seconds before they went limped and it dropped to the floor. He stood there, still and haunted, not really seeing anything now.]

Kay.

[ That all sounds like something only an extreme asshole would do. Carl is at a loss for how to approach this change. All the fight he'd gotten from Daryl before is gone. Sure, he's a little further away from death now, but this isn't a much better step.

He wants to know what happened, but he said he wasn't going to ask. So long as Daryl is okay, he can tell Carl when he's ready. Even if he's not, it doesn't matter because they have him back. Not in the ideal place, but it counts for something.

Since the tension has all but bled out, Carl reaches out tentatively to give Daryl a gentle squeeze on the arm. He's here, but he doesn't want to hover. Doesn't want to assume while he's in this state. ]

Not a lot, but it should get you started until you get credits.

[His eyes drifted to the hand on his arm. It was so real. The kid looked so real. Was it just his mind seeing things that made him look exactly like Carl in every way but that eye? Was it just cause the kid Negan had playing this role still had both of his that he kept seeing the two instead of the one?

Daryl took a moment, his reactions slow. Almost lethargic in their hesitance. He didn't move the arm Carl was touching, but the other one. Hand coming up and reaching out to rest fingers against the kid's cheek. Run a thumb under the right eye.]

He's not... he's not gonna punish you for failin' is he?

[Even if he was mad at the kid for playing along, causing another one that same age to lose his eye or get half his face burned off wouldn't be right. It wasn't really the kid doing this, after all. It was Negan. Had to be Negan. Only thing that made even a lick of sense.]

Nobody's gonna get punished, Daryl.

[ The tension leaves his shoulders now that things seem to be smoothed over, though Carl still doesn't like how subdued and avoidant Daryl is being. Maybe he'll talk to Maggie about and see what she thinks. His hand rests on top of the one on his cheek and he gives Daryl a quick smile, though his concern definitely seeps through. ]

[Daryl stilled again as the hand came to rest over the top of his. When the smile came, he pulled his hand away, then his body. Moved to the furthest corner he could get. Which, obviously, wasn't that far. But it put space between them. He turned his head away from the kid that looked too much like Carl.]

You don't do what yer told, you get punished. If he told ya otherwise, he lied ta ya.

Nobody told me anything. I came on my own. Maggie doesn't know I'm here, either.

[ Pretty much against what he promised her, but it's too late to go back, now. He frowns in confusion up at Daryl, but stays planted where he is. ]

[Maggie. Why did he have to bring Maggie into this? Why did he have to talk like she was real and Negan hadn't stood there, at her grave, making sure he saw it. Making sure he knew.

A sob choked it's way up his throat and he barely held it back. The force of trying making him shake as his fists balled up and he put all his effort into not breaking down in front of the kid that was wearing Carl's face. Maybe that was the play. He didn't know, could only guess at it all.]

Shut up.

[ This conversation is a roller coaster he doesn't know how to navigate. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up Maggie, but his hope was that it would ground Daryl to the fact that this is real and she is here. Carl's heart nearly breaks watching him war with himself.

Surely the damage can be undone, right?? ]

I don't know what you want me to say.

[He didn't want anything from the kid but to be left alone. To have Negan's sick joke gone from his sight. To have the room to himself again where he could curl up against the wall and wait. For Dwight. Or Fat Joey. For Negan. Hell, for that damn song to play again. Something familiar that he could deal with easier than all the head games shit Negan kept pulling on him.

Daryl lifted his head and looked at the kid, slowly shaking it before dropping his eyes away again. He was on the verge of tears and he knew it. So he tried to keep the eye contact short and his hair in his face to hide it as best as possible.]

[ Of course he's gone and made it worse, now. How much longer should he stay around and try to fix it? Carl wars with himself before hanging his head and nodding a fraction. Right. He takes a step back, putting a hand on the ladder. ]

I know you don't think we're here for you, but we are. Even if you want to tell me to go to hell, just call. Okay? There's um. Some food in there. [ He nudges the pack again, pushing it a bit more toward Daryl. ]

Edited 2017-06-08 23:39 (UTC)

[Were they leaving the dog food in the room with him now? Or was it real food in can's he had nothing to open them with? It'd be crueler to do the second, so that was probably it.

Daryl's eyes flicked to the kid, to the hand on the ladder. He didn't say anything until after the kid had started to climb, though.]

Tell 'im if he wanted ta be convincing, he shouldn't'a sent a kid with two eyes.

[He wasn't trying to be mean when he said it. But he was emotionally exhausted so it probably came out a lot gruffer than intended.]

...Yeah. I guess so.

[ It feels like a personal defeat, leaving things like this. He doesn't want to give up, but clearly, they've both had enough of this for now. He's not going to be able to convince Daryl of anything the way he is now. With that girl, either. The Atroma must have screwed something up when they brought him here. Here's hoping they'll fix it. ]

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dirtyredneck - 2017-06-08 23:56 (UTC) - Expand