#like I'm very glad you have that interpretation but unless it's obvious that canon is being written with this legends supplement in mind

[ct-hardcase]

one thing I have noticed in the last few years of discourse about star wars canon is the attitude from some parts of fandom, where when people go "hey, I don't like this problematic aspect of canon/I don't like that this canon significantly contradicts the other", others will respond, stating that star wars is a tapestry of stories, and that it's fine, actually, because you can just take the parts you want and/or to just cobble one's own canon together from whatever.

this isn't bad advice per se, and if that's someone's preferred way of interpreting canon or dealing with discrepancies, I'm genuinely happy they reached that solution (hell, I even do it myself sometimes—rey mind-tricking finn and poe in the tros novelization is something I absolutely choose to ignore on account of it being ooc and not in the movie), but the majority of the time, I like treating canon as a puzzle that I can put together, and when some of the pieces simply can't fit right, or if there's blatant disrespect to the other stories in the tapestry (hi, caleb in tbb), I don't think it's wrong to be pissed at that and expect the corporate entity managing the product to do better.

[dreamii-krybaby]

Hey so this might be a weird ask but this is something that's been plaguing me for a while.

I was wondering if you could give any writing tips for Yeva to me?

I'm currently writing a fic and it's at the prequel phase which obviously means I gotta include Yeva in it, already have, but I'm not really sure how to write her.

I'd also love to go more in depth with her husband and how she interacts with, both pre and post planet explosion.

Sorry if you can't really answer this ask, just figured I'd ask the #1 Yeva fan for ideas about it.

Also while I'm here, thank you for discovering that site 48 paper. I saw some stuff on that bulletin board I wanted to check out but I just couldn't read it so in a theory video I made I asked if anyone could look at it, obviously with only like 200 views no one did but I'm glad you checked it out. Super intriguing to me and something I def want to expand on in my fic.

Anyways, thanks for checking this out and keep doing what you're doing, someone's gotta be the #1 fan of my second favorite traumatized Russian robot and I'd say you're doing a damn good job.

*cracks necks and knuckles*

You came to the right place buddy.

Also, nice! Great seeing someone who likes Yeva a lot :3

Anyways now you gotta keep in mind this what I’ve gathered from Yeva, is a mix of my interpretation of what is shown off her in canon and my HCs

Yeva is also a character that can have many different interpretations which most of them IMO are valid and make sense

Now I assume you want me to help you developing her personality wise, correct?

I think Yeva is definitely someone that is the opposite of Nori, perhaps even a reflection of Nori.

Just like Uzi is a reflection of Doll, I’ve mentioned in one of my posts that each member of the Doorman’s and each member of Doll’s family could actually mirror to eachother!

So i think it’s pretty obvious that Yeva is a rather perhaps, a cold person. Doesn’t express much or isn’t the one to usually smile or be happy go lucky or interact with people all the time, that’s Nori’s thing

Doll could actually show off some characteristics she inherited from her mom apart from the looks and the AS

Probably she is aloof, brooding, speaks very little and only necessarily, her voice rarely showing much emotion. She isn’t the kind to approach or make the first move unless it is absolutely necessary, she is the kind of person to hang out by someone’s side, rather than taking the spotlight.

Of course that doesn’t mean she is devoid of emotion, she is just isn’t a very expressive and open person, normally.

Or maybe she does likes to sometimes show off some skills she has, maybe to make some of her colleagues to back off during her time at the labs/camps used her AS.

Her EP7 teaser appearance tbh screams to me “Idgaf about ur annoying ass” energy, like she will stare at you and judge everything wrong with you, I can see her definitely being snarky when she has too

Of EP4 and EP6 show that she is still able to feel intense emotions and express them even if it isn’t her thing. After all she is going through very traumatic situations in both EPs.

Maybe you could play with then idea of her showing different sides of her depending on who she interacts. Maybe she more emotional and slightly more open towards her husband and doll, and with nori (pre-core collapse) she is a bit more reserved but still somewhat sassy and snarky, like in a bestie way.

Now some people see her basically as an anxious wet cat and a bit paranoid. Which I can also see that, mostly due to the AS and after witnessing the horrors after the core collapse, I personally think she is aware on how dangerous the AS is, mostly by possibility witnessing Nori’s possession and she herself getting momentarily possessed causing the site-48 incident

She is clearly a traumatized woman who knows how badly the AS can be, and has probably developed certain coping mechanisms like other characters, maybe some of her stand-off-ish characteristics are a way for her to “shield” herself or to not feel so much pain.

She may be someone who is stuck in the past, or is having a hard time to moving on, which tbh I cannot blame her. This is mostly an inference from the fact she kept the exact same outfit she had at CFL, unlike Nori possibly.

I can also see her having a progressive change of character/personality the more shit she has to deal with, going from a cold, snarky, resting bitch face girlboss to an anxious, traumatized, low socializing woman.

Or again, these are different sides she shows in different moments or characters, maybe she sometimes “cracks” and shows how truly she subconsciously feels sometimes.

Its also worth mentioning that my theory, her dying outside possibly looking for answers or a cure for the AS or something that could stop the AS’s plans by going back to the labs truly shows she was willing to take the risk of death for the sake of her family and maybe the other WD’s.

I feel like she wanted to give Doll everything that she never had, giving her the best life, she could also be a sort of slightly reserved mom but like still cares for her kid.

I can also see her teaching her early on how to handle herself on her own and survive. Definitely see her as someone who taught Doll to keep herself as 1st priority.

[nazuna-tunnel-vision]

re:your post about the she/her-ing of enstars characters! i just wanted to provide A Perspective on it. i recognize this probably isn't everyone's perspective and i don't want to claim to speak for everyone but i figured providing a perspective could maybe be helpful in some way and i do like thinking about fandom behaviours critically yknow! (and ig disclaimer ahead of time that i always use she/her for arashi, she's the exception to whatever i'll say below bc canon transfem character)

for me at least i tend to refer to characters with she/her if they're ones i specifically headcanon as transfem/mainly using she/her pronouns or if it's specifically requested by op of an art/etc and i'm reblogging it and adding commentary in the tags. for me the regulars are ibara/mayoi/sometimes hokuto or tomoya or hiyori, with veeery occasional one-offs of other characters . which is a fairly small group of characters in the grand scheme of things! but if everyone in the tag was doing that for the small group of characters they personally have those headcanons for, then eventually at some point it'll go around to every member of the cast. that might be part of why it seems to be oversaturating the tag; there's a lot of unique people here on enstarsblr with their own unique interpretations of the characters' genders.

another thing i think is worth pointing out is that since the characters for the most part in canon are cis men, it's not going to be as visibly obvious when someone headcanons a character as transmasc, since for the most part a transmasc version of an existing enstars character will be referred to similarly as they would be in canon. unless op specifically states it, there's no way of knowing if the he/him they're using to refer to an enstars character is meant in an adhering-to-canon cis way or an i-hc-this-character-transmasc way. i personally headcanon every iteration of nazuna, natsume, or jun that i talk about as transmasc, but that's not going to be as visibly obvious as my ibara/mayoi/etc. headcanons because there isn't a difference in pronouns between canon and the headcanoned version of them that exists in my head.

additionally, i'm asian - which has a big effect on how i personally approach trans enstars hcs, because my view on gender + the social structures informing it is directly informed by my lived experience as a trans asian person. i've personally lived through a LOT of microaggressive feminization sourced from the general feminization of the 'East' and asian people and bc of that (+ my general interest in studying gender + related expression as a social construct) i can say that i, at least, am critical of those potential sources of headcanons because of my personal experience and awareness of them. i can't guarantee this for every enstarsblr blogger obviously but idk. you can't know a person's entire lived experience and why they have the headcanons they do just by seeing them use she/her for a character consistently. i do think that you're bringing up a good point in that asian men - and in particular the specific kind of 'soft' masculinity that asian idols generally try to achieve - are overly feminized by the west, and it's definitely a good thing to keep in mind when making these hcs, but i also think it might be less of a source of these headcanons than we might think. nevertheless i will always encourage ppl to be critical of their own thought processes and think about why they make the headcanons they do!

i hope this uh. i dont know if this will help at all it got a bit long and rambly but i hope the perspective i brought could at least add something to the conversation!

hiya, thank you for writing this thoughtful reply! i was hoping for someone to provide some perspective when i wrote that post so i’m glad i got a reply, especially one as long as detailed as yours.

you bring up a very important point that we can't know a person's lived experiences and why they chose to use certain pronouns for a character just from their posts. it definitely would be bonkers to expect people to explain themselves every time they use not-usual pronouns for a character, or to expect them to add disclaimers that they are thinking critically.

(putting everything else under read more bc this made me think a lot. basically lots of thoughts about what it means to engage in fandom with a lot of conflicting interpretations of the work, especially with respect to gender)

---

i’m sort of thinking out loud here but like. i think it's a. very strange conundrum we face regarding gender in fandom. irl i usually use the principle of "we should just use whatever pronoun the person uses for themself". i’m a huge supporter of prioritising that individual above others who might be uncomfortable using a certain pronoun for a person they coded a different way.

i instinctively use this principle when engaging with fiction too, but. "use whatever pronoun the person themself uses" does not necessarily work in fandom because the characters themselves aren't real; they won't feel dysphoria from us assigning them genders or misgendering them. 

i think we should prioritise readers' experiences. but sometimes that reader experience involves headcanons and certain degrees of projection that makes interpretations diverge quite a bit. i'm not saying that projecting on characters is wrong, it’s quite the opposite; i know it can have very transformative and constructive impact on how the reader thinks about things and i 10/10 support it.

but it’s like. which interpretation do you privilege? can they even coexist? it’s not the same as more inane headcanons like “nazuna always cooks fried rice for others bc it’s the only thing he can actually cook”. (this is wrong, by the way. source: Trust Me [this is a joke, i’ve never actually given nazuna’s cooking skills much thought, despite being tumblr user nazuna-tunnel-vision. i don’t actually have thoughts about this. he does cook fried rice for ra*bits on multiple occasions though and they all love it. sorry for the sudden nazuna fun fact intermission. i couldn't help it])

gender headcanons inadvertently become a lot more personal and political. i can just ignore or skim over whichever fic or post that incorrectly talks about nazuna being terrible at cooking and still enjoy other nazuna-centric posts by that person. but i can’t really do the same for posts with differing interpretations of gender bc i’ll be reading normally and then get smacked out of the immersion with “???! the pronoun??”

i'm a little. sad and miffed about this because i think people who assign non-usual genders to characters tend to be very enthusiastic about these characters. i sure would love to read what they have to say and to bask in that energy, but i truly do not enjoy the physical sensation of being metaphorically hit in the face every time i come across a pronoun i did not expect to be used for that character.

---

and i know that this reply has already gotten plenty long but i’m also starting to wonder how much of me preferring people to stick to the pronouns that i’m used to comes from a place of privilege or conservativeness. there is my concern about people needlessly feminizing men who aren’t Buff Hollywood Male Men, but also the majority of my reply so far has basically just been “man i would prefer if people just stuck to my interpretation of gender where i can see it :/”. it reminds me a lot of straight pride and the protection of prevailing gender norms - you know, when people are homophobic and transphobic not necessarily because they’re evil and want to actively want to repress people, but because they’re personally uncomfortable with it. they just don’t want to see it and be made uncomfortable. the whole political stance of, “i don’t care if people want gay sex - they can do their own thing, it’s none of my business. but i do NOT want them to demand marriage equality where the rest of us can see it”. because marriage & the law is in the public sphere and isn’t easily blocked out. obviously these things are not of the same severity because we’re talking about headcanons about fictional characters here, but you get the idea. 

in hindsight i do wonder if my previous post should be archived because it does sort of send the message that it’d be nice if people change the pronouns they use for everyone-sans-arashi in the public enstars tag. like yeah it would be nice for my personal fandom experience, but i don’t want people in the tag to feel like they have to censor their words to make others in the fandom comfortable - especially if their gender headcanons for characters help them to explore their own conceptions of gender. or if it just makes their engagement with the story more fun. you guys have my full support even if the she/her-ing of enstars makes me instinctively flinch and bang my knee on the table every time i come across it. i will grit my teeth - or find some way to mute or block you guys if it really comes down to it - but never change!!

---

the topic of the privilege of comfort & the fact that i flinch at the she/her-ing mostly because of how it conflicts with my own interpretation of the characters also makes me wonder - is it the same for you when you come across people using he/him for characters that you identify as using she/her? since from your perspective, we are misgendering them.

my current guess is that it’s a little different because he/him is generally the more popular & mainstream interpretation. so you might be more aware of and prepared for he/him misgendering. or you’re simply more accepting of different gender interpretations because that was already your starting point to begin with. it probably doesn’t hit you out of the left field like it always does for me. i think! i dunno.

or maybe the characters’ gender identities are like little secrets between you and the character. so looking at people who misgender them might instead make you go, “haha look at this idiot who doesn’t know”. (i’m not sure if it’s appropriate to bring this up in a discussion that unexpectedly became pretty serious, but i think that’s a fun way of engaging with fiction and fandom.)

if there is a difference in the way we react to gender interpretations different from our own, i think it might reflect, to an extent, the way people irl deal with queerness and the whole sentiment about how being queer is valid, but somehow not valid enough to be seen in public (like at gay pride) or in the public sphere (like in laws). again, how we address fictional characters really doesn’t have the same gravity or consequence, but i think the sentiments behind it might be similar.

(another possible explaination is that i unfortunately need to touch grass because i'm taking headcanons and fictional characters' genders too seriously. can't cross that out!)

you don’t have to answer this though; it’s already more than enough that you took the time to reply to my initial post with my perspective! your reply really made me think a lot. thank you <3

[bethgreeneishopeunseen]

Robert Hurst commented on the video of Car0l and Daryl that Norman reposted from a fan account on Instagram and he said "She's kinda like a mom to yo---oh no!!!" I'm so nervous that this means C@ryl is going to happen :( I don't know exactly what he meant by it so you have any thoughts?

Hey anon, I’m sorry for the late response. For context, Robert Hurst plays Beta, one of the higher-ranking Whisperer antagonists, and he goes by the username randomdonkeykong on his social media. Last month Norman Reedus posted a C@ryl-centric picture on May 6th and then a video on May 8th, both to commemorate the start of season-10 filming. While I don’t trust the writers anymore, I don’t think Hurst’s comment, or even the posts themselves, mean that C@ryl is going to happen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxIE5PunwS3/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxNnq2vnOkK/

For one thing, Hurst could have been joking. We don’t know the full context of his comment, and I don’t know much about him, so this might be on par with his personality/style of humor. More importantly though, TPTB have used C@ryl in the marketing before, and nothing came of it (x) (x). AMC knows that C@ryl is a popular ship, so any social media posts will draw attention. Again, the writers could completely ignore the characterizations they’ve developed over the years, but I’m a fandom elder. I’ve seen this panic come up many times. Anytime Daryl is near a non-attached female character inevitably talk will arise of a romance. It’s why I’m not worried about the C0nnie ship – I remember people panicking over D@rsita leading into season 8 (x).

In regards to the characters themselves, a romantic relationship goes against their established histories, their actors’ interpretation, and the current storyline. Daryl loves Beth, and he will only ever love her (x); C@rol is and always has been a sororal-maternal figure to him. Because this subject has been beaten beyond death, I will direct you to my Bethyl-canonicity tag: x. Below I have also included quotes about Daryl’s lupine-like monogamy and about his relationship with C@rol. NR first described Daryl as being only to love romantically once, for life, back in 2013 and he’s said that up through 2016. (I don’t keep up with interviews so if he said something different after 2016, please let me know, but I won’t trust it unless someone can give me a direct source.) Daryl’s monogamy fits into the lupine and aquiline imagery he’s been connected to as both animals mate for life (x) (x).

Norman Reedus on Daryl’s monogamy:

“I like playing these awkward moments in between that build relationships. I don’t ever want to play that character that grabs the girl and has my way with her. That’s just not who that character is. If Daryl falls in love with you, he’s going to love you for the rest of his life.” October 10th, 2013; Daily Dead (x)

“I think if he’s going to zero in on one, it’s going to happen by accident, and he’s not going to be the one zeroing in first. Then he’ll just stay with her. I think he’s like an eagle — once they start flying together, they’ll always fly together.” February 10th, 2015; Entertainment Weekly’s Sirius radio show (x) (x)

“I like all the awkward things in between that make a person and make it honest. I think that that character, once he shacks up with somebody, he’s going to be with them for life. I don’t want to blow my wad, so to speak, right off the bat, you know what I mean?” April 22nd, 2015; Inquisitr (x)

“If [Daryl] falls in love, he’s always going to be love.” May 7th 2016; Montclair Film Festival Q & A (x) (x, skip to 00:40)

C@ryl as a platonic bond:

Daryl saved Carol during the zombie attack on the farm in true superhero style, sweeping her away on his chopper. Will love finally bloom?

Not if Norman Reedus can help it! The fan fave who plays Daryl hopes things stay platonic, though he adores working with Melissa McBride. “I’ve fought against having C@rol and Daryl hook up because there’s already too many of us doing it on this show,” says Reedus. “It’s more interesting to see these two damaged people gravitating to each other, needing each other’s friendship. But I gotta admit it would be hysterical watching Daryl put on a bunch of deodorant before he goes in for his first kiss.”

Norman Reedus; March 23rd, 2012; TV Insider (x)

IGN: Meanwhile, another interesting relationship is the one between Daryl and C@rol – two very different characters, but they’ve had this interesting bond. How would you describe their relationship? Would you like to see it go into a romantic place, or is it better to not?

Reedus: I’d actually not like to see it go in that direction. I just think it’s more interesting to have these two damaged people see something kindred in each other and gravitate towards each other in that way. I don’t think Daryl’s ever the type of guy that has game - that throws you against a tree and makes out with you as the moonlight glistens off his back. I don’t want to be that guy ever. I’m not that guy in real life, and I don’t want to be that guy in the character. I don’t think Daryl is that suave. I think that if anyone made moves on anyone, C@rol would make moves on Daryl, and Daryl would probably just prematurely ejaculate in his pants and go hide in the bushes. I’m kind of trying to keep it interesting as it is. It would just be too obvious if we made out and we were a couple. It’s been done, and I want to do stuff different on this show than what’s expected, keep it fresh and interesting. I think there’s probably a couple of neighborhood girls Daryl’s been with, and once anything emotional developed in any way I think he just bolted. I want to play him like that forever.

Norman Reedus; October 23rd, 2012; IGN (x)

Now what about your - I guess C@rol, to this point, is now your love interest, so to speak–

No.

She wants to be that way, it seems. But you said no, so–How come her hair doesn’t grow?

Who’s cutting the grass at the prison?I think we should grow weed at the prison. 

Oh yeah! [Laughter]

The thing about C@rol, is like… If we ever hooked up, I’d wanna not know what to do. I’d wanna premature ejaculate in my pants and go cry in a corner, you know? Like with C@rol and Daryl, they’re two damaged people, and that’s their sort of connection as they gravitate towards each other for that. I never want to be that character that takes his shirt off and bangs the girl against a tree in the moonlight. Like I don’t want to do that, not with this guy. So I hope that the important parts stay. I mean, everyone’s trying to get laid, zombie apocalypse, but I’m ready - if Daryl’s ready, I mean.

Norman Reedus; November, 2012; Geek Time on Howard 101 (x)

ETonline: Fans obviously love Daryl and C@rol – will we see any developments in their relationship this week? Does she try to soften his facade?

Reedus: Is she like an emotional roofie? [laughs] It’s there, but I think their bond is so much deeper than “stick your tongue in my mouth.” I like playing that and am glad the writers agree because it’s so awkward when boys meet girls, girls meet boys or boys meet boys, and they want to hook up. But this is a whole different set of uncomfortable rules. They love each other on a different level – it’s not about wanting to get together, it’s more like a sibling relationship. “If you hurt my sister, there’s nowhere you’ll be able to hide.” It’s an impenetrable bond. I know people want them together, but if that happens, I think it’ll be more epic than, “They did it!”

Norman Reedus; March 29th, 2013; ETonline (x)

“It’s also why Reedus is reluctant to let Daryl have a love interest on the show. He came close with the battered wife C@rol. played by Melissa McBride- “damaged people gravitate toward damaged people,“ Reedus says-but he has resisted the occasional plotting of the producers to toss him in the sack with a co-star. “Sometimes they suggest this or that, but if Daryl’s going to get busy with another character it has to be just right,” he says. Reedus gives them credit for letting him make the calls sometimes: “The producers are smart, man. Smart enough to know that Daryl can’t have the kind of love interest that you might think. I feel pretty strongly about it.’”

Norman Reedus; February/March 2014; Nylon Guys (x)

Carol has continued to be a force of her own within Alexandria. Could you see a romantic future for Daryl and C@rol? 

I’ve had lots of talks with Scott about it. I like our relationship how it is. We don’t have to make out to be who we are. We’re kindred spirits; there’s a brother-sister bond there that’s almost stronger than a lovey-dovey bond. I’m not totally against it, but I’m not totally for it. It’s tricky. Once you do that, it’s there forever. To be honest, I’m not begging for it, and I’m not opposed to it.

Norman Reedus; March 29th, 2015; The Hollywood Reporter (x)

“I mean, I get it with the fans who want the C@rol and Daryl thing, but I am just telling you in real life you would not set those two people up with each other!” Jason explained. “You would not do it!” […] We have to admit, Jason make a pretty valid point. But, that doesn’t explain the endless chemistry between C@rol and Daryl, does it? Even Jason knows that, adding: “They care about each other, they are deeply connected on a certain level and I would argue that — why do they need to hook up in order to validate the deep friendship they have? Think about it! They are already connected! That is how I feel about it!”

Jason Douglas (Tobin, C@rol’s love interest from season 6); February 16th, 2017; Hollywood Life (x)

“I turned into a little kid, it was like talking to your Mom…”

Norman Reedus; February 19th, 2017; Talking Dead for 7x10 on Daryl asking C@rol why she left (x).

“Because I feel like [C@ryl is] more of like a brother/sister… mother/son relationship.”

Josh Mc Dermitt; March 1st, 2017; WHOSAY (x) (x, skip to 16:27)

“There is a part of me that sees them both when they are with another as sort of a wounded child,” McBride said. “It’s like sometimes I see them when they joke together, or they’re happy together, or they’re sharing smokes together, or arguing together, being nit-picky together. I just see like Daryl could have reverted to that wounded child on the porch at the reunion, and I sometimes I see C@rol the same way, like a little girl almost, younger. […] “I think it is they’re wounded children, really get one another,” McBride said. “I don’t see her becoming a mother to him at all. I see her becoming that wounded friend.”

Melissa McBride; September 5th, 2017; comic book.com (x) (x)

(x)

In addition, at the beginning of season 7 Melissa McBride explained that C@rol needed time to heal from all the killing before she could entertain a relationship (x). That’s a reason why C@rzekiel didn’t really happen until season 8. I don’t think it would be in character for her to enter a relationship so soon with anyone after her son was murdered and she ended her marriage. Daryl wouldn’t likely have romance on the brain as he is looking after Lydia. If he were pursue romance, it would be someone he’s already in love with, and that’s Beth.

Greg Nicotero’s thoughts on Alone at SDCC 2014:

When they pitched Season 4, they were talking about when the prison goes down and having Daryl and Beth be bunkered together. And it’s interesting because I get to see all the cuts and I see all the edits from the director’s cuts onward. And I loved the scene in the kitchen when they’re talking, and I got the sense that Daryl was starting to kind of fall in love with Beth a little.”

Emily’s thoughts on Bethyl for Insider October 2014:

“Last year, I definitely felt like there was a really special connection between Daryl and Beth that happened. My take on it was that there was a very deep growing connection that could become something more romantic or could become just … you know that was my personal understanding of it. I do feel like Beth has opened up to Daryl in a way that she hasn’t with other people and I do feel like Beth has never been really in love even though you’ve seen her with the two different boyfriends. I don’t think she’s ever been like, ‘grownup in love’ in the way that you feel like someone actually understands you and in sort of that special intimate way. And I do feel like she’s been closer to that with Daryl then with anyone else.”

Emily wrote a song from Beth’s POV called Last Chance, and it’s a love song with sexual overtones.While filming Still, Norman listened to Very Nervous and Love by J. Mascis for Daryl’s character and even pitched for the episode’s closing song.