#make caryl canon | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

my-mt-heart · 3 months

Text

Why Explicit Caryl Canon Matters

Daryl and Carol (Caryl) fans make up a large portion of the spinoff's audience, and this audience wholeheartedly believes that Daryl and Carol are each other's only choice. It's in the writing. It's also reinforced by cast, crew, and EPs. For example, Norman has repeatedly said “If Daryl falls in love, it's forever."

There's a misconception that Carylers are a bunch of hysterical saps – fans who only want their ship "fucking under the stars" and only care about Daryl because of Carol, but that’s not true. In reality, Caryl fans are the deepest, most intuitive thinkers in the TWD community. To them, story matters. While they recognize and adore all of the subtext, they understand that it's supposed to lead to something worth the 13-year wait. They're expecting that major sense of relief and joy from watching explicit, undeniable, canon.

Explicit canon respects Carol's and Daryl's character development – individually and together. They started out way behind everybody else in life, convinced they weren't worthy of love. Daryl thought he was better off alone and Carol thought she was just a burden, but then they showed each other their true potential. Carol told Daryl he was a "man of honor" and Daryl taught Carol to have hope for a better future. They've struggled and suffered and strived to be good enough for each other. So, where's the payoff?

I understand not all fans want the same things, and maybe there's pressure to “keep everyone happy." Maybe it feels like a lose-lose situation. But from a marketing perspective, Caryl fans are a very reliable source of revenue for the show, so keeping them happy secures a reliable audience for future seasons of the show. They'll show up with their wallets out and their enthusiasm turned all the way up for Norman's and Melissa's nuanced performances. They'll create more fanart and other content. They'll make the show trend on Twitter constantly. Fans already adore Norman and Melissa, but explicit canon will amplify it further whereas keeping things ambiguous will cause a significant decline in viewership.

Ambiguity is the reason that the "I love you" scene in the flagship's finale got mixed reactions. For the fans who also struggle with their self-image, it was important to see Daryl and Carol overcome their own insecurities and finally "take whatever happiness they could get." But instead, many saw Carol's lighthearted "I love you too" and Daryl's departure as if they were both forfeiting what they always wanted. Daryl was submitting to his solitary nature again while Carol assumed she still owed a debt to her community and Daryl would be happier without her anyway. Both of them deserved a happy ending, or at least a piece of happiness to launch them into the next part of their journey. As far as many fans were concerned, neither of them got that.

That's why a lot of fans had a hard time watching S1 of the spinoff or opted out of watching all together. There were so many moments that teased the "possibility" of Daryl getting together with a younger, blonder woman nun while hints of Caryl's relationship were buried under more subtext. Keeping Daryl's feelings ambiguous just for the "fun" of shipbaiting cheapens Caryl's one-of-a-kind relationship, falsely indicating that their iconic beats can be recycled with someone else and still evoke the same passionate response from fans.

Ambiguity also perpetuates ageism and gives non-Caryl fans the excuse to say hurtful things to or about Melissa. Whether or not she's online to see it makes no difference because it still degrades her and it damages other women's perceptions of beauty and worth. Explicit canon on the other hand raises both Melissa and Norman up as two powerhouse actors utilizing their unparalleled chemistry to celebrate mature romances. It brings Daryl’s defining character traits to the forefront – the nurturing traits and the epic ones. It positions Daryl and Carol as equals, and it helps drown out the harmful comments against Melissa.

Hopes for season 2 of the spinoff are high. Confirmation of Carol's and Daryl's romantic relationship in a way that needs no interpretation and no explanation from anyone offscreen is a dealbreaker. I know in terms of explicit canon, post-production can make all the difference, so it's crucial someone in a position of power pushes for canon that fully and unapologetically lives up to the fans' expectations, does right by the characters, and respects what Melissa wants.

#caryl #carol peletier #daryl dixon #norman reedus #melissa mcbride #carol x daryl #the book of carol #twd caryl

99 notes · View notes

indigoraysoflight · 23 days

Text

Thoughts on the TBOC teaser + sneak peek

There is a ton of fandom discourse on this, and I appreciate you all for taking the time to share your thoughts and perspectives. I discussed a bit of this in episode #26 of our podcast, but I wanted to expand on my perspective here in a nuanced way. If you choose to read this, know that I will be very candid in this post. If your mental health needs a respite from heavy discourse, please take care of your mental health first.

It's absolutely wonderful to have Carol back. The sneak peek was exactly what I expected. It built intrigue from Daryl's POV, expanded on Carol's headspace, and set the stage. But I wish I could be excited about the teaser.

Carol's POV was beautifully nuanced and as angsty as I wanted it to be, but there was a disconnect with Daryl's POV. Although you hear the frustration in his voice, it doesn't sit well with me that a show called The Book of Carol starts with the voiceover + a shot of another character positioned with Daryl in soft lighting gazing at sunset with the juxtaposition of Carol's raw loneliness as she desperately tries to get to him.

Carol's desperation is explicit, clear, and heartbreaking, but there is an imbalance because Daryl's POV needs to convey the same level of need to "find home." Obviously, we don't have enough promo material to define that clearly yet, which is why I'm hoping that people speaking up about their true feelings will help the marketing team position future promo in a way that elicits more overwhelmingly positive reactions from their audience.

I want to make it explicitly clear that my issue here is not with Daryl's character. I'm noticing discourse around how harshly he is judged sometimes, and I agree. My issue is with the way the teaser was spliced together and marketed. My concern for the season is because his character has historically been used to incite fandom wars through shipbaiting in an attempt to please all audiences. Which never worked, festered misogyny and fandom infighting, produced mixed reactions and resulted in Daryl's character paying the price for it.

At the root of it is ambiguity. Their audience was unequivocally united when the first teaser featured the following tagline. There's a reason for it.

To find home is to find each other

It's at the core of Carol and Daryl's relationship. That is the foundation of this show, the connective tissue that the majority of their fans instantly resonated with. It's the key.

I understand that they're at the start of their promo campaign and will continue to map the viewer's journey. Promo content from now on should ideally build hype, give narrative cues/hooks, and build audience awareness and understanding to set expectations for The Book of Carol. So, we may not see this tagline written out on every teaser, but it should still reflect in the content seen on the screen so the viewers make the connection.

In the current teaser, it shows up very sharply for Carol, but with Daryl, that messaging is muddled. This is why it's not resonating with some fans — everyone is interpreting it through their own unique lens.

TWDCaryl

It's nice to see the official accounts use this tag and pro-Caryl copy to promote the show; it's a huge step forward. But again, the feelings need to be reflected in what we see on the screen. If it's generating mixed reactions — the promo content isn't hitting the mark, and in this case, it's too ambiguous.

Any marketing team worth its salt won't give you any inclination of canon, reunion, or interactions between Daryl and Carol during the promo campaign — at least not this early in the campaign. They would want to save your excitement for when those scenes show up on screen.

But I hope the promo that comes out after this gives me more snippets of Daryl's desperation to find his way back. People invest in your brand if they believe they can trust you. Trust is earned. Many people have valid trust issues after the last few years. And this is the way they can build trust with people who have felt betrayed in the past and left the fandom.

The Daryl I know, love and trust

I fell in love with Daryl first. He's one of the strongest characters on the show, not only because of what he endured but also because of his determination to nurture and protect the people he loves. Most of all, because I resonated with his unwavering loyalty to Carol and their family.

The Daryl I know struggles to understand his worth and retreats into the darkness when he is isolated. His demons find him there. Carol is the only one who can pull him out of the darkness, just like Daryl is the only one who can pull her out of hers. They're each other's guiding light. The Daryl I know and love doesn't need to choose. There is no choice. His loyalty to Carol and their family is his first priority. Always.

The articles published by big media outlets surrounding the spinoff often suggest that Daryl is "conflicted". These articles started sprouting after the showrunner's interview, which added more ambiguity to the mix. Every writer added their own understanding of the ambiguity and wrote the articles accordingly, which muddled the messaging even further.

Whether people like it or not, these articles build awareness and set the stage for the show. They're an essential form of digital marketing, offering content that audiences can consume to understand the show. So if they're missing the mark, people consuming these articles will rightfully feel confused about what the season will bring.

A showrunner who gets them

I trust Daryl completely. I know where his heart lies, what his motivations are, and how desperately he wants to get back to Carol and their family. But I don't trust the showrunner who is writing him, and I don't think his motivations align with Daryl's.

Clémence is a talented actress. Her character had the potential to be a strong ally to Daryl and Carol. But her character was twisted to suit the narrative, which included a heavy helping of unnecessary shipbaiting. I'm tired of that.

Melissa's EP status gives me hope for Carol's story, but she's not the showrunner. Norman and Melissa's acting, chemistry, and understanding of their characters and relationship can only do so much.

I really hope they pick a pro-Caryl showrunner who can do justice to Daryl and Carol's story going forward and fill it with the love, vulnerability, gentleness, and deep richness it deserves. I'd personally like to see a progressive female showrunner who isn't afraid to support Caryl and write nuanced female characters who can hold their own regardless of the circumstances.

My hopes and fears for Caryl's future

I love Daryl to pieces, but I'll be honest and say I love Carol more. If you've ever listened to the podcast, that is clear. I'm so happy to have Melissa back. I cannot wait to see Norman and Melissa act together. But, to me, this season is make-or-break. It's a chance for the network to show their audience they're listening and ready to deliver satisfying, undeniable canon for Caryl.

I don't know if your thoughts align with what I said, but I think most of us can agree that we're absolutely tired of shipbaiting, ambiguity, and seasons that promise but don't deliver explicit moments between Caryl.

I hope to god this season proves me wrong. I hope they hear the thoughts that Carylers are bravely sharing here and adjust course accordingly, not only in the promo circuit but beyond. Because whether the posts are more positively inclined or negatively inclined, the ones I read more or less hit this note — Daryl loves Carol deeply, and they will fight the world to find each other, because they are each other's home. Always.

Whether any of this resonates with you or not, I encourage you to share your own thoughts and remember to tag caryl. Share why they are important to you, why you want them to go canon and what this show and these characters mean to you. Speak from the heart and share whatever you're comfortable with because your voice has power, and you deserve to take up space.

2024 is the year of Caryl. So many have waited a long time for it. Let's hope they honour that.

To those who are genuinely excited, I'm glad you're able to find something to hold on to. I wish I could join in, but I have to be honest about my reservations to honour how I feel about this. If you took the time to read this, I thank you. Stay safe and be well. ❤️

#caryl #caryl spinoff #the book of carol #twd caryl #discourse

30 notes · View notes

cultofdixon · 1 year

Text

Knowing Enough for Her

Daryl Dixon [PLATONIC] • She/Her Pronouns • Dixon’s Little Sister!Reader / Mute!Reader • Hints of Caryl • If you asked Merle, he thinks you’re mute because of the shit you witness your dad do to your brothers. Daryl thinks you’ve always been that way, which is correct. Honestly, you didn’t mind it. Even in the end of the world…but some moments made you wish you could just scream off the top of your lungs your frustrations • ANGST/SFW • TW: Injuries / Canon Violence / Anxiety Attacks / Abuse

Requested by: Anon

“The cop is gettin’ frustrated with y’all” Merle makes the comment quick to draw his siblings’ attentions toward Shane who was arguing with Dale about letting them into their group.

“You sure it ain’t your bitchass?” Daryl snaps at Merle who gave him an eye roll as a response. He felt Y/N tug on his shirt for his attention as she started to sign toward him.

Shane scoffs pinching the bridge of his nose. “If she’s deaf, she can cause problems. Kill herself maybe”

“Shane I wouldn’t—-“

“What? Bring a bunch of rednecks and a disable into our group?” Shane turned toward the group once again but up close was Y/N as she suddenly socks the cop in the face knocking him on the ground.

The cop stumbles to the ground making the man he was talking to step back. Dale quickly looks at Y/N seeing the rage radiate off of her person as he held his hands up in surrender.

“Okay. Not deaf. I’m just gonna assume and say mute?” He tilts his head with a questioning look waiting for Y/N to inevitably nod as her tense composure relaxed. “Alright. Now that that’s clarified, we’d love to have yea. Uhm. Just…leave him down there” he states directing them toward their camp as Merle approaches the cop who was stunned on the ground while his siblings went head.

“I wouldn’t fuck with my sis, pig” Merle laughs picking up the pace to catch up with them.

So you’re gonna go on this dangerous run into the town? Could it be a ploy to get rid of you? Y/N frowns signing to Merle as he couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him to that last part.

“They wouldn’t survive if they tried to kill me”

“Can’t hold it against them” Daryl scoffs. “Watch your back, man. We may hate you too but—“ Y/N smacked Daryl in the chest. “Your family. We want yea back in one piece”

I can go with him Y/N states to Daryl as he shakes his head. He’ll be safer with another one of us

I don’t give a flying fuck. Merle is a big boy he’ll be fine Daryl frowns signing to his sister who grew frustrated instantly. “You’re staying here”

“Y’all know I know sign right?”

Everyone is listening Y/N points with her eyes to the few that would watch them talk with sign language and when they got noticed, they’d turn away. This shit isn’t foreign.

Don’t get feisty. I will be fine, kid Merle scoffs, still awful with his signing but it was enough for Y/N to understand. “Yer gonna go on the hunt with Daryl. I’m going on the Atlanta run. Nothing can go wrong”

Then of course, Merle didn’t come back. But another cop did.

Y/N watches her brother go off on the poor guy after he had just reunited with his wife and son. She watches as Shane turns toward her looking for her to stop Daryl’s outburst toward his best friend Rick. But if she could speak, she’d expose what she sees in the trees.

“Stop your brother!”

The youngest Dixon met him with silence but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a plan.

Shane groans as the situation started to escalate and before either cops could get a hand on Daryl. Y/N suddenly came forward and pinched a nerve to make her brother instantly drop to avoid him landing a shot with his knife.

“Thank you” Rick thanks Y/N as she nods before going to Dale writing in the air knowing that would tell him to get her something to write with.

It took some time to get Daryl to calm down as he was now mad at his sister for what she did. Y/N wrote on the pad of paper with Rick and Shane on either side of her.

Is Merle dead?

“No, just chained to a roof”

Is it easy to get there?

“Also no, Atlanta is infested with the dead that we can’t risk going back in there”

“But I can find us a way” Glenn chimes in getting two concerning looks and Y/N’s curious one. “We have to plan this out though.”

“If that’s the case we can also grab the weapons I left behind” Rick adds only for Lori to protest the possibility of actually losing her husband.

Daryl finally calmed down enough to join the planning process as Y/N taps him giving him a concerning look.

If they won’t help us, we’ll do this ourselves Y/N signs but Daryl’s facial expression gave away to the rest of what she told him.

“What’d she say?”

“I’ll agree with her. We’ll take care of it ourselves if yea don’t—-“

“Nah. We ain’t risking lives. If there’s a way? We’ll do it.” Rick insisted and left to talk to Lori about such.

Once it came time to preparing to leave, Y/N got in the hull of the truck with Daryl as she had her axe strapped to her back watching Rick and Shane talk.

You think he’ll tell his friend?

“Nah. Hell I wouldn’t if I did” Daryl scoffs only for his sister to smack him. Why do you care?

We act on emotions. No one really uses their brain anymore. Y/N frowns. Merle must’ve asked for a death wish. Dumb bitch acts more than thinks

He better be okay Daryl frowns signing that last bit as Y/N takes his hand into hers.

But not finding Merle was just the start. Then the outbreak in the camp. And it continued going down hill…

After helping her drunk brother to their room, Y/N went back to the common room of the CDC hearing Shane’s voice and the heat in such toward who she can only assume to be Lori. Even if the girl had no booze in her system, she had to help a friend out.

Before Shane could even lay a hand on Lori is when the door suddenly flew open and Y/N stumbles forward to the couch. She gave out short laughs or what sounds like puffs of air that could mimic such.

“She had a bit too much” Shane rolls his eyes as Lori shoved him away from her before helping Y/N by wrapping her arm around her shoulders. “We were talking”

“I’m taking care of her” Lori’s glares shot like daggers through his chest as she directs Y/N out of the room.

Once the two were alone in the hallway for a short moment, Y/N straightens herself out which confused Lori but she watches her face grow in concern resting a hand on her arm.

“Am I okay?” Lori asks watching her nod as she couldn’t be happier that she had someone who cared for her, even without knowing everything in its entirety. “I’m good. Thanks to you”

Y/N smiles warmly. Good she signs seeing the confusion grow but given what Lori just said.

“Good?” Lori smiles as she nods happily before making sure she got back to her room with her family.

When the CDC was a blow, literally, and the group was a back on the road. Y/N was in the car with Lori, Carl, Carol, and Sophia as she started to teach the kids a few signs with the same pad and pen given to her from Dale. The four started to get the hang of it, the moms more than the kids.

Especially when Y/N signed to Carol that she was going to go look for her daughter. Even if she ended up finding her brother injured along the way. To add more to his state, the two standing close to one another looking like undead blobs in a crosshair to an idiot who’s never shot a hunting rifle before.

“Y/N, we’ve got him” Rick reassures holding him up gesturing for Shane to help hold him up on the other side in place of Y/N.

Clearly the guys helping never “heard” a mute person before but still felt awful listening to Y/N’s crying as it sounded more painful than a regular cry.

“He’ll be okay” Glenn reassures hugging the girl as she watches Dale and Andrea run over to the group which lead to him getting pushed and Y/N rushing Andrea.

“Jesus Christ!” Dale freaks out when Y/N tackled Andrea down to the dirt, pinning her down and not taking any hits on the woman. “Y/N she didn’t mean to”

Y/N just stared at Andrea ignoring Dale and given the ones not carrying Daryl weren’t breaking the two up. They knew she was trying to teach Andrea something but it was never going to get through to her.

A few hours went by and Carol came into the room Daryl was resting in with dinner for him and to thank him for looking for her daughter. But to add…

“Your sister went back out there. Followed your footsteps…more carefully…to figure out more. But given you found something of Sophia’s. You both are doing so much for me that I don’t want you to risk yourself”

“No one should feel that pain of losing somebody…”

“Then don’t let Y/N feel such. I like her” Carol smiles kissing the archer’s temple before leaving the room.

Everything seems to escalate in the apocalypse. Sophia had met her fate too soon, Carol was heartbroken and Daryl was frustrated. Y/N knew not to get in the middle of Daryl’s outburst but he knew that she’d give him a new one to hurt a grieving mother’s feelings even further.

But his frustration turned when Hershel went missing, because so did Y/N.

The Dixon brothers can be idiots for acting on their emotions before even thinking. But their sister knows to think ahead.

Ahead being the attack on the bar that held Rick, Hershel, and Glenn. When Glenn went ahead and Rick thought he was shot, he quickly ran to his friend finding Y/N had pulled him out of the way just in time.

“How did we not see hear you coming?” Rick laughs relieved as she shrugs with a smile before pointing in the direction she was going to help give them a window of escape.

That act lead to Rick and Glenn finally gaining an interest in learning to sign. But that had to wait for their return with a hostage that didn’t really give anything useful except reveal that Shane was more psycho then they thought. And the farm was just as temporary as the CDC.

House hopping gave them time to learn more signing and for Y/N to grow close with everyone left. So the pain she endured when Lori died broke Daryl watching her sob. He didn’t hesitate to help in that split second as he and Maggie left to get formula and other necessities that’ll benefit the baby that was later named Judith.

“You stick close”

You be safe

Daryl nods continuing to follow the group into Woodbury with Y/N covering their backs. Saving Glenn and Maggie lead to be difficult especially when the one that hurt Glenn was their own blood.

Y/N had managed to get out of getting caught up in the trouble her brothers were now facing. But she helped Maggie and Rick get them out of there, even if the two were only trying to get Daryl out of there.

We can’t have him come back with us

He risked himself to help Daryl. Merle isn’t the same man you met back at Atlanta Y/N sighs at Rick who wasn’t going to have someone who worked for the enemy in their space.

Y/N. Think about the baby. We can’t have the Governor knocking on our door Rick frowns signing back as he really didn’t want to argue with Y/N about this.

He also knows what we are signing. Y/N crosses her arms as Rick turns to Merle who was only growing more annoyed. Ain’t good at it. But still. Regardless. He’s family

“HE CAN GET US KILLED” Rick suddenly yells at Y/N shocking all of them and without a second she shouted back. Sounding strangulated but it made it clear that he made a mistake yelling at her.

“Holy shit” Merle scoffs surprised that even came out of Y/N and in regards for him in that matter. “Look. I can help y’all take down Woodbury if shit ever hit the fan. Hell I can even be chained outside like a dog if it means—-“

“We don’t want you there” Glenn frowns still frustrated with what Merle did. Maggie held his arm keeping close and still worried about his injuries.

“Then…we’ll leave” Daryl states not letting any protests from the others who don’t want the good Dixons to leave.

Yet that didn’t last long and Merle could’ve seen it coming a mile away…but part of him was relieved they didn’t stick with him and he wasn’t going to let his family get hurt.

Even though the world keeps taking and Daryl came back to the prison with dried tears and horrible news to Y/N who could already know by the look in his eyes. She turned to Rick with tears in her eyes as she couldn’t even think of the words to say before looking at her feet then signing.

He has to pay.

And he did. The prison then got an infusion of the Woodbury folk and they started to make the place more of a home.

“I’m gonna go huntin’, wanna come or busy?” Daryl knew she was busy given his sister was currently holding baby Judith and listening to her soft coos that she happily expressed.

Don’t forget to check the snares Y/N signs with her focus still on the little baby but before he left her cell she tapped the metal bars to get his attention. Ask Carol to join you she signs with a smirk that was met with a scoff from her older brother.

“Your sister is in love with that baby”

“She’s always wanted to be a mom” Daryl lead the way to track down the rabbit he spotted tracks for with Carol happily joining him.

“But she doesn’t cuz she’s mute? That stops someone?”

“Stops her but Judith fills that void and I ain’t taking that away from her” Daryl knelt down by a snare handing Carol his crossbow for a second to untie the rabbit that was caught. “Make that stew of yours?”

“Let’s find another and then I’ll make your favorite” Carol smiles watching the heat meet the tip of his ears. “I’ll make it for you regardless of how many you get me”

“Hey uh” Daryl straightens up putting the rabbit in the bag. “Maybe we can do the late watch together instead of switchin’ off?”

Carol couldn’t help the excitement to rise in her chest as she nods with that signature smile of hers.

“Then hurry up Pookie.”

The good days were limited, when Carol disappeared and the illness took out a good handful of people with it’s hell and the undead’s involvement. Daryl knew Y/N took care of herself and was taking care of Judith, Carl, and Beth when the illness came through. Protecting them. Even if she didn’t get sick, she was the first person he had to check on once the medicine got into their people.

Carol will come back Y/N reassures with a smile as Daryl brought his arm around her shoulders bringing her in.

“Can I be honest?” Daryl frowns as she nods. “I don’t have a good feeling…”

There seems to be a pattern. The good then bad then good again. But next was bad and the Governor’s comeback was that.

As Daryl got Beth out of the prison hoping Y/N made it out safe, his anxiety was relieved when she ran into the two right before Beth was taken. Y/N felt awful as if everything happening to them was her fault…guess she shares that with Daryl. The silence between the two grew worse when they came in contact with the Claimers. Y/N didn’t want to sign in case any of them knew but by the looks of them, she really could’ve whenever she had a suspicion. But she thought Shane was insensitive toward her…this group was worse

Daryl woke one night with the Claimers to hear Y/N struggling. He was about to get up and knock the lights out of the guy when he was stopped. No leader in sight meant, they were going against his agreement of not laying a hand on her if he did whatever was asked.

“Stop! You’re hurting her”

“Just trying to get words outta her man” One of them laughs crushing her hand which only resulted in more screaming. “Wow she’s real good with no begging to stop”

“Yknow” Len, the one giving Daryl the most trouble, approaches and took her other hand into his. “We gotta go hard” then suddenly a loud crack was audible as he broke not one, but two of her fingers. Making Daryl break loose from one’s grasp and shoving the other into the guy to avoid being grabbed again as he grabbed Len.

Len was instantly tossed to the ground right as Daryl socked the other Claimer in the face finally letting go of Y/N as she knelt to the ground feeling her hands shake trying to get a look through the blur that her tears caused. But all she saw was bent out of place blobs and felt all the unbearable pain that made her scream for the rest of the night.

Which lead to Len’s death the next morning, done by Joe without a second thought. Daryl, bloody and bruised, took the tape he had to buddy tape her broken fingers after snapping them into place as it only brought more pain. He got a good look of the other hand as they were more of the cutting and brushing type with the other. Daryl watched as her hands shake but he couldn’t hold them to comfort her…that would only cause more pain. He took his rag out wrapping the other hand the best he could even if her tears continued to fall.

“They’ll pay” Daryl whispers only for Y/N to bonk her head against his causing a wince from him and his eyes to lock onto hers. “We gotta find the others quick”

Quick came but lead to another fight and Rick killing the one threatening him and the one trying to have his way with Carl. While Michonne takes out her handler and Y/N held her axe with the one hand with no broken fingers, taking out the one that dared lay a finger on her brother then the siblings took out the last two.

As morning came and Rick was talking about going to this Terminus to see if it’s actually safe or not what it is. He was going to ask Y/N if she’s seen any of their own before meeting with Daryl when he noticed what the Claimers had done.

“Fuckers…”

“You’re just gonna have to do all the talking” Daryl states, checking how bad the bruising was on her arms after taking a few hits during their fight on the road. “It’s a safe bet headin’ to this sanctuary”

“Maybe we’ll find the others”

Hopefully Y/N thought blinking away more tears as she sat on the ground for a bit given they’ve all been through hell. A few more minutes didn’t hurt anyone.

The group got to following the tracks to this Terminus and Daryl couldn’t help but check in on his sister even if it was met with tired and pained expressions. He knew what she meant by them.

When they reached Terminus, Daryl instructed Y/N to keep an eye out in case anything goes south. He doesn’t want to risk her life in there. But she was going to anyway.

Y/N heard the gun shots and right as she was about to head inside, the relief that washed over her when Carol met up with her. She couldn’t be happier to devise something to help get their family out of there.

“Who the fuck are—-“ the gunshot cut the guy off as did Rick stabbing the drift wood in the neck of the other one.

Rick sighs thankful seeing Y/N helping them get out of there as she helped let loose the others with her knife. Daryl instantly brought her face into his hands making sure they didn’t lay a hand on her but she smiled in that second to reassure him.

Finally their group got outside of that hell, with new members as well. Daryl didn’t hesitate to hug Carol when they spotted the other in the woods. Y/N watches the two smiling warmly.

Soon the group was pieced together…with a few missing pieces along the way…the good. Then the bad…this should be the good part now?

“Y/N”

Y/N looks up at her brother confused seeing his usual worried expression burden him.

“Please. Please give me somethin’ that’ll confirm this will be alright”

The youngest Dixon knew the words wouldn’t come out in any way to communicate to him, so all she did was take his hand squeezing it with the strength she had left.

Then the gates opened to Alexandria…

The good.

#cultofdixon #the walking dead #daryl dixon #daryl dixon x reader #PLATONIC #caryl #hints of it at least #daryl dixon fanfiction

281 notes · View notes

darylandcarol4ever · 1 month

Text

What Carol WANTS 🔥❤️‍🔥🔥❤️‍🔥🔥❤️‍🔥🔥❤️‍🔥🔥

#caryl #twd caryl #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #carol x daryl #twd family #daryl dixon #norman reedus #make caryl canon

67 notes · View notes

xplrandgoodomensfan · 1 month

Text

Caryl

Sometimes when I am sad I go on the Fandom wiki and write about the different Caryl things that have happened in each episode I have actually wrote majority of the episode summaries of what happened with the in each episode.

#caryl #carol twd #daryl twd #the walking dead #twd #make caryl canon

17 notes · View notes

superleeleehipster · 6 months

Text

Feeling Nostalgic...

Hey everyone, long time no talk... very long time, lol.

I just wanted to get something off my chest.

So I was going through some stories on Nine Lives, wanting to find something to read and get lost in, and I was just kind of hit with nostalgia.

I was by no means here when the official Caryl fanbase really kicked off, but I began following it in the year 2015. Doesn't sound very far now, but if you think about it, that was nearly 10 years ago, and I fell in it hard. I began looking at all of the amazing blogs and posts that talked about how awesome caryl is and how there were hints here and hints there about them eventually getting together. I soon began making my own posts and trying to keep everyone positive and just talk about our common love. I started writing my own fanfiction, and some of the stories that came out of me in those years, I'm even surprised at how creative I was.

We weren't necessarily stressed about things or other ships or what have you; we just enjoyed caryl and what it was.

Fast forwarding to now, and I feel like this fanbase has gone through the fucking ringer. Bad writing, bad showrunning, shipbaiting, ship wars, gaslighting, trolls chasing Melissa off of Twitter, all that mayhem. We have just gone through so much crap. Now it's like we're holding our breath while we wait for the Daryl Dixon spinoff to give us what we absolutely deserve, but are constantly being pulled back and forth about it.

And the worst part is, some of us are just so tired of being let down that we might be thinking, "even if it goes in our favor... would it be worth it at this point?" And I wouldn't blame those people, I really wouldn't. We've all gone through some hell.

Anyways, to make a long story short... anyone else miss the old days?

Back then, all we did was speak about the shared Caryl scenes in the latest episode, and how Daryl's hair curling around his ears makes him look handsome. Or Carol showing her growing fierceness and self confidence. All the while, so many amazing writers were punching out fanfiction novels that would put the very show's staff of writers to shame. Life was good; we just enjoyed the fanbase we were in.

I just miss those days, you know?

Now everything is so complicated. It's like a once clean river has gotten polluted and no one knows how to clean it up. At the end of the day, most of us just want to enjoy Caryl and the beauty that it was and still is. But so many things are dirtying the water, it's so hard to bring the focus back on why we all came here originally.

Hell I haven't written anything fanfic wise in over a year, and that was only after not writing anything a year prior too. My mojo just got muddied up like the rest of it.

I don't mean to make anyone depressed of course; I'm just venting a little bit I guess. I just miss when things were so much more simple. Could we go back to that? Maybe... if Caryl actually becomes canon and it's done right for both the characters and the audience, but we'll see though.

In the meantime, I'm just going to read some fanfics and remind myself of why I joined in the first place. Maybe that'll remind me of how much I enjoyed writing for these characters.

Have a good day/night/week loves.

#caryl

45 notes · View notes

freefromthecocoon · 7 months

Text

Fandom Issues

Yesterday was a bad day all around in our fandom and I have some thoughts. Not all of them are about yesterday and I will leave them below the cut.

I’m gonna be fully transparent here. I haven’t read most of Sarah Rowan’s reviews of the spinoffs. I did read her initial review of the entire season and it wasn’t to my taste and I moved on.

That being said, Sarah and I haven’t talked in some time, but I do NOT believe for one moment that she is a racist. I did read her review of the 4th episode. She has apologized for her unfortunate choice of words and I choose to believe her.

The site she wrote for caved to mob mentality and there have been numerous instances of the mob in question going after cast members of the show for daring to be nice to Caryl fans. Don’t believe me, ask Nadine Marissa about the abhorrently racist gif that was posted about her by one of the antis ringleaders…all because she dared to have some nice conversations with people who ship Daryl and Carol. Ask YNB about the mob who attacked her because of her love of Caryl. There are numerous other examples of this behavior over the years. I, myself, was called racist because, during season 9, I posted a picture of Norman, Melissa and Macsen and captioned it “Dixon Family Portrait”

I saw things yesterday and over the past year from ALL sides of TWDFamily that made me ashamed to be part of the TWD fandom.

The Caryl family is not without fault here. I have seen people say horrible things about Norman that are simply not true. In fact if anything…basically everything that Norman has said about Melissa and Carol returning has come to fruition or is about to come to fruition.

I have seen some Carylers who have a positive view of the spinoff rejoice in the fact that Sarah was let go from reviewing episodes to further “their side.” I feel this is ghoulish behavior that should not be happening.

I also think there has been a concerted effort by a small group in the Caryl family who wish to hold on to their perceived power and to thwart anyone who might have anything positive to say about the spinoff and to maintain their negative views of it.

I hate the gatekeeping that has occurred in this fandom and will most likely continue to go on after this latest episode of drama. I think it’s sad that in a week that we should be celebrating we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot. This division within the Caryl fandom hurts my heart. And NO ONE… and I especially include myself in this…is without blame.

I think we can all agree to disagree on our views of the spinoff and what we think about it. Personally, I feel it’s great and everything is pointing toward romantic Caryl canon. I have enjoyed it immensely. I will continue to watch and make my own judgments about the characters and story as I have always done.

I do want to offer an apology to the Caryl family in general for my participation in the tearing apart of the Caryl fandom. I know we all have sincere feelings about how we feel and I have tried to allow space for people to have their viewpoints. I have not always been successful. It is my hope that everyone will be given space to express their feelings about the spinoff whether or not those feelings are positive or negative.

Daryl and Carol are pure and that’s why we are all so passionate about them. I believe we have many great things to look forward to and I look forward to celebrating with you all. So Caryl on everyone!

#caryl #twd #daryl dixon #carol petelier

25 notes · View notes

queermania · 7 months

Note

Wait does The Walking Dead make Caryl canon? I stopped watching when they killed Glenn because it felt like the show was going downhill so fast and that was the last straw. Plus they were going out of their way to make Caryl not be a thing. Carol went away and didn't even tell Daryl and Daryl didn't even really care that she was gone.

coincidentally, i also stopped watching when they killed glenn for pretty much the same reasons, but i will say that upon rewatch, i liked everything leading up to it a lot better. it definitely seems like this is a show that needs to be binged. it doesn't really lend itself to weekly viewing because every time they build up momentum, an episode ends and the next one is about something different. it's fine when you're binging but watching it week to week was not fun.

and i'll be honest, the show really takes a nosedive after they kill abraham and glenn. (warning: spoilers ahead) glenn's death really changes the tone of the show in a way nothing before it did. everything feels kind of hopeless and pointless after it, even though they eventually find some stability and peace. the episodes immediately following 7x01 are just... insufferable. it's the only way to describe them. negan is insufferable. i can't believe he's a character they chose to have stick around and eventually give a spin-off to. it's miserable to watch him. the show grinds to a halt whenever he's on screen. his monologues are boring more than menacing, and our people just have to suffer through his cruelty and it's miserable to watch. the show picks up again when they finally decide to fight back (even though there is still a sense that nothing will ever really be okay again because glenn is dead and his death was just so cruel) but after they defeat negan, it grinds to a halt again, and it becomes an entirely different show. i'm only about halfway through s10 right now, but everything after negan is defeated feels like a cw show. rick "dies" and then there's a time jump and it's all just hollow.

the only thing that has an ounce of authenticity to it is carol and daryl's relationship and they really shine a light on it. it's not canon in the sense that they're not together but it really gives the impression that daryl is in unrequited* love with carol. basically what happens is that some time after daryl gets away from negan, he finds carol in that cottage/cabin place she's staying at and he lies to her about what's going on with the saviors. he tells her they took care of it and they won and everyone's fine and he does it to preserve her peace. he very clearly wants her to be a part of it and help them but he swallows down what he wants in order to give her what she needs.

morgan eventually tells her the truth about what's going on so she gets involved again and then she gets married to king ezekiel and they raise henry. i'm not sure if either of those characters exist yet by the time glenn dies but it doesn't matter. carol marries someone else and raises a child with him and after the time jump (which is about 6-7 years) it's revealed that like... everybody is all split up?? michonne lives in alexandria (with gabriel, rosita, and eugene). maggie lives at hilltop with jesus, tara, and enid (and maggie and michonne aren't talking for vague reasons but also maggie is actually gone and nobody's told michonne). carol lives in the kingdom with her husband and child. and daryl lives in none of the communities. he just lives out in the forest but carol knows where/how to find him and her child (who is a teenager now) also knows him.

then her kid is murdered and she leaves her husband because it's too hard for her and she basically goes right to daryl. not in a romantic sense but in a He's Here Person sense, like to the point that her husband asks daryl to stay out of it so their marriage can have a chance. (daryl doesn't). and then carol and daryl have a lot of bestie chats. carol goes away on a boat for a little bit but on one of the turn around days, before she goes back out on the boat, daryl asks her to stay. they talk about running away together. they don't end up doing it but they essentially move in to a house together in alexandria.

carol's still fucked up though and daryl is like pleading with her to talk to him and there are a lot of really good moments between them: a lot of talks, a lot of tears, a lot of hugs, a lot of sitting side by side, some bestie fights.

there's also a woman that seems to maybe have a thing for daryl and he's obviously fond of her but he also just... doesn't seem interested in her like that. like there's a moment when she's flirting with him and he's like "oh hey look my best friend carol is back let me go give her the biggest hug in the world."

like it just seems to obvious that carol is the most important person in the world to daryl by several miles (and there are enough lingering shots on his reaction to her with her husband, and her husband's feelings about him, that make it seem like it's more than just friendship for daryl).

as for carol's feelings.... they seem less straight forward but i think there's a very strong argument to be made that it's less that she doesn't feel that way about him and more that she won't allowed herself to. it's a line she doesn't want to cross for Reasons but those reasons aren't that she doesn't or couldn't feel that way. at one point, after her kid dies and she leaves her husband, she has a dream that she comes downstairs and daryl is cooking eggs and her son is sitting at the table and like... her husband is just straight up not a part of that dream. the family in her dream is her, daryl, and the kid. so. you know.

anyway. i still have about a season and a half left and i doubt they make it Confirmed Romantic in that time but i'll let you know if it happens.

#replies #anonymous #twd #caryl

23 notes · View notes

bananafire11 · 6 months

Text

Summary: On a supply run, Daryl gets himself stuck. Carol's there to the rescue. Pairing: Caryl TW: Briefest mention of Daryl's scarred back, reference to previous canon character death, and spoilers for season 4-5

Stuck

The streets of Atlanta certainly weren’t what they’d been before. This far into the apocalypse, and with the walkers migrating out of the city, there were only small bundles of the dead mulling about the roads. Now, Carol hadn’t seen what it was like right after the outbreak. After all, she’d never gone on any runs but instead stayed at the quarry camp to do the laundry and cooking as Shane –a name she had not thought of in a long time– had informed.

Of course, she’d heard the stories from Glenn about how they’d barely gotten out of there. Therefore she was grateful for the decrease in rotting corpses populating the dead city.

Her and Daryl had been sent out to gather supplies for the group. The small houses and neighborhoods they’d run across had been raided already, leaving them with no other option than to try their luck here.

Better yet, Carol knew her way around this area of Atlanta. They’d been around this area once before – before Beth’s death – and so they waded easily between towering buildings and around the huddles of moaning walkers, keeping low amidst the rusted vehicles and blackened debris.

The goal was to make it into the building that Carol knew stored donated goods for the families who needed them. She’d been there a few times herself from Before.

With the city previously overrun and dense with the dead, there was plenty of buildings to be scavenged. They were skimming along the alleyway and Carol patted Daryl’s bicep. He turned around to peer at her from underneath his curtain of greasy bangs.

“We need to take that entrance over there,” she gestured to a doorway right on the side of the building across from them, “should be a straight shot from there.”

Daryl’s eyes tracked the area she had pointed to. “Alrigh’,” he gripped the strap of his crossbow. “C’mon,” he took one last glance over his shoulder at her before they both sprinted off towards the door, weaving between cars and staying out of sight from the walkers grumbling about.

Daryl yanked the door open, holding it open for her as they entered. The hallway was lit by the broken windows reaching toward the ceiling and Carol could practically taste the dust on her tongue. Daryl locked the door behind them with a soft click.

They marched on through the corridor, shoes crunching through the broken glass and dust. Carol held her right hand against the knife holster attached to her belt in case they ran into unwanted company. She glanced over her shoulder and Daryl already had his knife out, always prepared.

At the end of the hallway, there stood two double doors. Carol grasped the handle, metal chilly against her palm. She strained to pull it open, the metal hinges creaking under the pressure.

“Mh, move o’er,” Daryl's larger hand brushed hers aside and he planted his feet before throwing his weight into thrusting the door open. One yank, two yank, three yank, and it popped open, a chain rattling loud from the other side. Carol peered over his shoulder and saw a metal chain holding the door handles together on the other side, only allowing the doors to open about a third of the way. The hunter grumbled, fingers tapping idly against the wood in an agitated rhythm.

The space was probably hardly enough room for her smaller frame to fit through. Annoyance pricked in the back of her head, crawling towards her temples. She spun around, eyes scanning the floor for anything that could potentially cut the chain or break through the wooden door. Nothing.

Carol sighed, fists clenching beside her. They needed that food, and urgently. She turned back toward Daryl, “I can fit through there. You wait here and I’ll get the stuff and get out,” she proposed. Immediately, his nose twitched and she watched him bite his cheek.

“Naw, y’ain’t goin’ on yer own,” he squinted at her with tired eyes, “we go’n together.”

She shot him an incredulous look. “Daryl, you are not fitting through there,” she pointed to the width between the doors. His shoulders were most definitely broader than that. His fingers tapped against the wood, faster now.

She watched his jaw bob back and forth, his eyes flicking between her and the doors before he let out a huff. She thought maybe he’d given in just when he sat back on his haunches to shove his crossbow through first, proving her very wrong. It was almost humorous watching her hunk of a friend get on his knees and stick his head through the crack. The chains rattled when the hunter slid one arm through at a time. He pivoted onto his side, pushing himself through, only getting halfway through before he halted.

Carol crossed her arms over her chest as she watched his legs kick out, trying desperately to gain enough leverage. It proved useless when his boots slid through the dust covering the slick ground below them. He went still for another moment before she heard a comical ‘humph’ from the other side.

“Having trouble?”

“Fuck off,” came the muffled mumble beyond the doors. Carol snorted, edging closer to Daryl, watching his pants stir the dirt covering the tile. She leaned over to look down at him above the chain. He scowled up at her, “Stop mock’n me, woman.”

Carol couldn't help the smile that crept its way onto her face. “I’m not mocking you,” she insisted. He didn’t look convinced, bottom lip caught in his teeth and chewing away at the already bloodied skin. Carol’s eyes skimmed where he was stuck, the doors jamming into his back and into his belly. She grimaced, that didn’t look comfortable. “Can you turn onto your stomach? See if you can wedge your way through?”

He grumbled but slowly turned his body over until he was on his hands and knees again. It didn’t look any more comfortable than when he’d been on his side. She observed as he pushed his arms against the doors and attempted shoving his way through again. This time she couldn’t hold in her chuckle of endearment. He looked ridiculous, legs sprawling for a grip on the tiles and rusty handkerchief swaying before her eyes.

“I think you need help,” she pressed. It was pretty obvious he needed help, but knowing him, he’d be a stubborn ass about it. And as she expected, he was.

“I got it,” he drawled. But Carol could only watch him struggle for so long.

She crouched down behind him, tapping a finger to his thigh to let him know she was there. “Hold still,” she reached forward and set her arms against his lower back, digging her nails into the cool leather of his angel vest. “Alright, on the count of three. One, two, three,” and they both thrusted forward, shoes digging into the floor. She felt them move forward just slightly, Daryl’s hips now flush against the floor. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. “Ok, ok… let’s keep trying that.”

The hunter groaned but reluctantly lifted up off the ground and back into position.

Carol regained her grip on his vest, and they tried again. Only this time, her hands slipped against his back, only proving to shove the vest and his undershirt up his spine. She quickly smoothed the material back out, knowing he’d much rather not have her stare at the scars lining his marred skin.

“Wha’s tha problem?” Daryl twisted his neck enough to look at her over his left shoulder. Carol hummed, “Not working as well as I’d thought.” She puffed out a breath of air and leaned back onto her legs, between his thighs. She had an idea, but he wasn’t going to like it. She pressed her arm up against his ass and he made a noise of confusion ahead. “Sorry but this is really the only way I think I can push you through.” She planted her shoes against the tile, trying to find leverage in the crooks and crannies. He tensed beneath her touch until she heard a very defeated sounding sigh.

“Jus’ fuckin’ hurry, already,” he shifted his legs in what she assumed was impatience. Daryl braced his arms again. “Ok, push,” and she propelled against him, straining her legs and arm. His legs kicked out on either side of her in his own attempts to free himself. They both groaned in union, right up until a firm rattle and she was thrust forward through the doorway along with him.

With a ‘oumph’, they were laying on the other side of those shitty doors. She lay against the back of his thighs, him propping himself up onto his elbows. Carol sat up and he moved to sit with his legs criss-crossed underneath him. There was a moment of silence, of his cheeks turning a muted red, before she burst out into small giggles. Her heart squeezed when he let out a small laugh of his own. Laughing didn’t come easy these days and the warmth in her chest was a rare thing.

“Think I’ve learned mah less’n fer today,” he mused. Carol nodded, “I’d sure hope so.”

She raised herself to her feet, Daryl following suit. She decided their whole debacle was worth it when she spotted the rows and rows of canned goods lining the walls. She turned toward him, meeting his eye underneath his snarled mane. “Cmon, let's get us some good food.”

#fanfic #daryl dixon fanfiction #caryl #daryl dixon #carol peletier #carol twd #daryl twd

17 notes · View notes