* HEADCANONS. Daryl’s mom was suffering from a psychotic break from watching her husband beat her boys. And she knew about the sexual abuse with Daryl and his dad and blamed Daryl for it?? And would tell him it was his fault and he was the reason his dad never paid attention to her. So she did things to fuck with him… And it escalated to where she thought he was in bed and she stabbed the sheets thinking it was him…. and he was standing in the doorway watching…. And he did nothing because… What else did he have to go to? He had no one. Nowhere to go.
She died soon after, and to this day he blames himself for the abuse his dad gave him and her death. Funny how moms are supposed to be nurturing…
Daryl has to lean back a little when the bartender gets a little tooclose, and it’s mostly out of reflex than discomfort. He hesitates a little before sitting back in his seat and rubbing the back of his neck, clearly a bit apprehensive to share his story.
He sighs, shrugging. “Got a titanium eye socket. Four screws in my nose… Got in a fight. Punched s’damn much m’face looked like mashed p'tatoes” It wasn’t a fight so much as his daddy slamming his face into the steering wheel of his truck when Daryl wrecked it trying to drive away from him.
* HEADCANON. Daryl once got in a fight with Ed after seeing him hit Carol. From the beginning, the ever observant Daryl had noticed the signs of the abuse, and it reminded him of his own mother, dismissing her husband hitting her. And Daryl hated it, hated that he couldn’t stop his dad or save his mom from it. Merle kept telling him to keep his mouth shut because whenever he did end up protecting his mom he’d get the beating.
But one day on a water run Daryl actually sees Ed hit Carol and he snaps and stomps over, telling Ed he had no right doing that to her. Ed just sneered and pushed Daryl back a bit, which Daryl retaliated with a punch in the jaw.
It escalates and Ed is obviously able to subdue Daryl, and had Daryl’s head dunked under water before Rick stepped in and separated them.
Thankfully, Ed died soon after and wasnt able to kill Daryl for the act.
theres been a lot of scenes in twd that have freaked me out but i think the one that takes the cake is when shanes yelling at everyone and he turns on daryl and just spits out
“ill beat yer ass, boy!”
and daryl like reels back like holy shit if that didnt make me want to throw up
there’s a reason i don’t fuck wit shane. walkin up on my baby like that. i'da killed that bastard on the spot. cause shane’s not stupid, he probably guessed that daryl had been abused. and he’s a cop, he probably knows shit like talking to victims like that can fuck them up. there’s a moment where he kinda pushes daryl around, like he’s actually trying to start shit with him.
i mean there’s a lot more reasons why i can’t stand shane, but the way he treated daryl, like daryl was literally worth less than trash and not the goddamn good man that he is, that is what fucking ruined him.
TONES. okay, guys you know i love my boy Daryl but I’m not one of those stans that dismisses anything Daryl does as “bad writing” or “oopsie daisies it wasn’t his fault”! Because my home dog Daryl has done some gross things:
That episode when he got drunk on moonshine with Beth and yelled at her and manhandled her around like a damn ragdoll? Then called her out for cutting herself? That was so hard to watch. I wanted to bitch slap that boy for that. It was abusive as fuck and I think it was his dad shining through, so in a way, we got a glimpse of how nasty his dad was… Yikes. Still, Beth didn’t deserve that, and abuse is no excuse. However, as a victim of childhood abuse, I can sometimes catch myself repeating things my mother did to me. It’s hard to break the cycle, and I think Daryl has moderately good self-control… Just not when he’s drunk / emotionally compromised. And Daryl, baby… You burn yourself with cigarettes. You got no right yelling at her for cutting her wrist. Fundamentally, there is a difference between someone who is reckless, impulsive, and immature and someone who is an abuser. It was never Daryl’s intent to cause harm to Beth and he never gained or benefitted from harming others. It was never a ‘power trip’ for him. He was reckless, careless, and not thinking at all about the consequences of his actions. That’s why he’s not his father.
He was racist in the beginning of the show, but I blame that on how Merle imprinted on him. Daryl has the habit of absorbing other people’s personality. I feel like Daryl didn’t think he had an identity other than Merle. Like he had to do everything Merle did to actually function. But when Merle is removed, Daryl slowly becomes an entirely different person. He isn’t racist anymore, and you can see it when he corrects Merle when he calls Glenn a “Chinese kid”. Daryl’s not racist. It would’ve been an issue and would have been brought up… I would not write a racist character because um?? Gross. THe creators set out to make Daryl Dixon a racist druggie ( basically a mini Merle ) but Norman Reedus stepped in and was like N O P E.
AND THE NEGAN AND LUCILLE AND GLENN THING AHhaa… Daryl fucked up. If he hadn’t punched Negan Glenn would probably still be alive, and Daryl knows that. He knows he got a member of his family killed and he fucking suffers. He breaks down and cries because he knows what he did. He’s reckless and has bad self-control. He lunged at Negan because he was taunting Rosita, not even thinking of the consequences. You can call it bravery, I guess, but I just think it was reckless and stupid.
Daryl doesn’t flinch away when people touch him. You’d expect an abuse victim to be jumpy, right? To weasal away at any physical touch? Daryl doesn’t.
It’s particularly because he’s slow at processing things (like it’s a blur, and sometimes he doesn’t even realize someone’s touching him) and because… Well. every time he’d flinch his dad or Merle would laugh at him. Two for flinching, right? He taught himself to be still. It’s a coping skill. Freeze up like a scared animal. It helps with his hunting, the ability to stay so still, and it helps him to not panic.
But when you have the urge to flinch and you don’t, you gain a kind of strength. He wants to be strong. Not weak. Not Darylina. He finds it weak to flinch or show any sign of cowardice. Weakness is showing fear. Daryl refuses to do that.
For example, if someone were to put their hand on Daryl’s shoulder, Daryl would most likely narrow his eyes at the person and shrug them off. His skin would crawl. It’s different when it’s someone he trusts. It’s awkward for him, but he lets it happen. Sometimes it feels nice to him.
My headcanon is steeled by 7x03 when Negan swings Lucille at Daryl and Daryl doesn’t so much as bat an eye. His stance is battle-ready and he’s glaring through his bangs. Negan, in Daryl’s mind, is like his father, and Daryl would die before showing any sign of fear in front of him.
When it comes to people he actually loves, yes- he will flinch when they shout at him. It’s him feeling momentarily betrayed. Like a child almost, and it always ends in him regressing. If someone touches him for too long he will retract into himself.
“S’that right?” The redneck snorts and gives a discreet eye roll. “What’cha gonna do after that?” Oh wait, that was a kink, wasn’t it? Spanking and shit. Daryl didn’t really get it- hell, his pa beat the shit out of him and he never got a stiffy from it. To each their own… Still, he kind of wants to see where this is going…
oKAY so im like super emotional over daryl. like daryl is such an important character to me. there are so many aspects of his character that speak to me as being a victim of abuse myself.
TONES. mE too omfg alskjdas ?? the way he deals with his demons is,,, very unhealthy, but picking up that book was a great step tbh. But i love characters with abusive parents because they’re always the most broken? People don’t understand how shattering it is when the one who’s supposed to love you hurts you every day.
Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse may be the most striking and overt
causes of low self-esteem. Being forced into a physical and emotional
position against your will can make it very hard to like the world,
trust yourself or trust others, which profoundly impacts self-esteem. It
may even feel like your fault when it couldn’t be less your fault.
It can make you
feel like nothingness. x
I'm Lyns! I'm 19, non-binary (i prefer she/they pronouns), gryffindor, ESTP, psych major, and an huge mess. I'd like to think I'm an overall friendly person? I love making new friends so plEAse contact me. I may not answer right away because I have an avoidant personality and tend to stray from messaging and such. I swear i'll get to you, but please don't spam me. I tend to distance myself from people who bombard me in messages / attention. I live with my grandparents and I have BPD, PTSD, and depression so my posts can vary depending on my mood.
TRIGGERS & CERTAIN THEMES.
Gore and other themes are tagged, and definitely welcome here! Violence is typical because this is a WALKING DEAD blog. I mean, ya gotta expect some guts and gore here and there. It's a zombie show. Any kind of NSFW will be put under a tag for your consideration. I love dark themes, just ask me about any certain topic.
DARYL'S ATTITUDE.
Daryl's like a stray cat.. You threaten him or make him nervous and he's not going to wanna stick around. If he thinks someone doesn't like him he becomes defensive and prickly. His trust is hard as hell to earn, but I recommend praising him, giving him gradual love, and treating him like your equal. He doesn't appreciate being belittled and will be quick to harden his guard.
If your muse reminds him of his father ( tall, masculine, domineering. ) then he will immediately be more at edge. Just be patient. He'll warm up if your muse gets on his good side.
Do not let his attitude towards your muse reflect how I feel about you as a mun. Daryl is a lot different from me, and can be rude as hell.
SHIPPING.
He's homosexual. Please don't have your female character hit on him... It makes him super uncomfortable. That said, it’s possible for him to grow attached to a woman; Carol's like his mother for petesake! I won't have any ships with anyone under at least 25. Makes him feel awkward if they're any younger- and he'll probably end up treating them like a younger brother or his own son.
I shouldn't have to explain why I've made Daryl gay, but that's my interpretation of him. It's fine if you don't agree; just move on and please don't harass me. There are plenty of fantastic Daryls here! And just because he's gay doesn't mean I don't like writing with female muses. He grows bonds with them and in my opinion, platonic ships are gorgeous and... Daryl needs all the love he can get.
FORMATTING.
I do that teeny font nonsense so please tell me if you'd like it regularly small. I also like using icons, but hey- it's not needed. I'm just interesting in writing with you! I love rping on Discord and honestly, at this point I prefer writing over there because it's quick and easy! But never be afraid to ask for a thread.
You’re free to turn any answered asks into threads! All I ask is that you start it on a new post. Reblogged asks look kinda gross. Feel free to message me about anything. I’m always looking for new friends and screaming about new ships.
CANON CHARACTERS.
My Daryl's relationship with Rick is really deep. Daryl has sort of... More than platonic feelings for him, but he'd most likely never pursue them until a sign of something not-brotherly happens. They have a really intense bond; and Daryl's content to keep it that way. Rick's pretty much the only person Daryl trusts with his life. Carol is basically like a mother to Daryl. He loves her on a purely platonic level and gets hella uncomfy when she hits on him. But he just rolls his eyes and snorts, knowing she doesn't really mean it and probably just likes to see him blush.
Beth and Daryl share a very deep bond. She makes him feel safe and loved, and they had somewhat of a soul bond going.
Teenage Daryl, struggling with an abusive dad and raging testosterone levels. He's avoidant, quiet, and mostly sticks to himself in school. When his dad isn't beating him, or when he isn't at school, Daryl is in the woods reading a book about plants.
(age ranges) Mostly it's Daryl's life before the world went to shit. He drifts from place to place with his big brother, Merle. They hang out with gangs and Daryl spends his time fucking around with guys he meets at bars. Jobs differ for Daryl; you can catch him either at the mechanics or bartending.
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BASICS
Name: Daryl Dixon Nicknames: Archer, Pookie Personality type: ISTP Birthday: Dec 1976 Zodiac: capricorn Alignment: chaotic good Age: 36 Sexuality: homosexual, demiromantic Socially: introverted Temperament: melancholic Mental health: PTSD, is withdrawn, has reactive attachment disorder, has moments of regression, has sensory processing disorder, occasionally has auditory and visual hallucinations
APPEARANCE
Height: 5'8 Body type: sinewy, broad shoulders Skin color: peachy, pale under clothes Eye color: stormy blue Hair color: brown - long and shaggy
Postitives: observent, loyal, an amazing tracker, hunter, street fighter, can fight like a bulldog, and is highly moraled. Negatives: reserved, aggressive, distrusting, cold, highly guarded, feral at times, resorts to violence over deplomacy, cusses too much, snaps easily, emotionally withdrawn... Habits: bites at his nails until they bleed, chews on random objects, stares into space, avoids eye contact unless he's trying to appear dominant, afraid of intamacy but craves it from those he loves, can sit very still if he needs to, tends to sit in dark places and sleep anywhere but a bed, sits by himself in a room full of people. Weaknesses: women, children, his brother, degrading name calling, emotions, differintiating love and friendship. Fears: large dogs, thunder, falling in love, being totally alone
Daryl grew up in the mountains of Northern Georgia with his older brother Merle, under the roof of their neglectful parents; their father, an abusive alcoholic and their chain-smoker mother. Merle was the only one he had to confide in and look up to during his childhood and in a way, Merle became his inner voice and the person he molded himself after.
Merle was sent away to juvenile detention on multiple occasions and became frequently absent from Daryl’s life. Daryl was forced to fend for himself and eventually adopted a survivalist mindset.
The brothers lost their mother in a house fire which had been caused by a cigarette while she was drunk in bed. Daryl was eleven. He was supposed to be watching her. After this event, Daryl found himself lost in the woods for nine days after he ran away. Eventually, he managed to find his way back home and was shocked when his father hadn’t even noticed he was gone. He walked through the back door and made himself a PB&J sandwich.
The siblings were mentally and physically abused by their father, which eventually made Merle abandon the family and join the military, subsequently leaving Daryl. Daryl’s father would get drunk and beat Daryl, and sometimes sexually abused. Merle is never aware of the abuse, but finds scars on Daryl’s back, a dead giveaway of the shit his brother suffered.
Daryl’s dad gradually became more and more neglectful and abusive, spurring Daryl to go out and hunt for his own food and steal things from grocery shops. Often, his father would yell at him for not being a good enough hunter, which Daryl challenged by hunting every day, not even going to school.
After his father goes as far as r*ping him, a 17-year-old Daryl runs away to find Merle in Atlanta. He checks the enlisting offices and finds out Merle was discharged for reckless behavior. Somehow, he manages to run into him on the streets and starts to follow his lead. The two became drifters and dwindled into a dangerous life style.
At one point, the pair resided in Merle’s drug supplier’s house where the trio watched TV and by noon had gotten high. A discussion went violent and the dealer punched his Merle, where Daryl retaliated by savagely beating the guy. The dealer then threatened to shoot Daryl, a large argument ensued, which ended with the dealer punching Daryl in the gut, causing him to vomit. Merle and the dealer laughed the incident off. Following this near-death experience, Daryl gradually came to view himself as an unimportant individual who held no value or purpose in life, increased by Merle’s deprecating talk and his father’s abuse.
Throughout his life, he trailed Merle like a lost puppy. When dragged to bars and slipped a fake ID, Daryl would get drunk and led into bed with random men. Always made sure to do it in towns over so Merle never found out. He was never able to find someone he truly loved, or to actually date anyone; they moved around too much and Daryl was never able to open enough to let someone that close.
When the zombie apocalypse comes, they return to their childhood home for their guns and Daryl’s crossbow. Daryl walked into his father’s bedroom, for his pistol, and was attacked by his zombified dad, who had tried to overdose with cocaine to escape the apocalypse. Daryl was pushed to the ground and wasn’t able to kill him, even though he had the gun loaded and ready to go. Merle saved him and shot their father, and they didn’t say anything for the rest of the day.
Along the way to Atlanta (safe zone), they both met up with Shane’s group. They helped set up camp near a quarry. During their stay at the camp, they spent a considerable amount of time hunting animals. According to Merle, they had planned to rob the camp blind before Merle was left in Atlanta.
"I've never... never eaten frozen yogurt. Never had a pet pony. Never got nothing from Santa Claus. Never relied on anyone for protection before. Hell, I don't think I've ever relied on anyone for anything".
you best pray
ind. sel. pri rp blog for Daryl Dixon from AMC's The Walkig Dead, canon divergent and heavily based on headcanons.
adored by Lyns.
