#stopshipwars

So I've been looking at the Caryl tag...and all the mess that goes on in there and I'm throwing in my two cents...but I'm not tagging anyone else because...well...tagging anything ruffles feathers.

The ship wars are out of control...if they actually are wars.  I'm not certain I think there are ship wars.  I think there are little people in life boats tied to all the ships that are being tugged along in the wake of the ships and are throwing rocks at each other while the bulk of the people on the ship could really give a rat's behind about what they're doing.

But here's my take on all the ships and all the mess that I've been seeing.  

First off, to the certain someone that is always, and I mean always, responding negative to everything (absolutely everything) posted that might be even somewhat hinting at Caryl...you don't need to comment, honey...I've had you blocked a while and won't see it.  But if it makes you happy...go right ahead and try to annoy anyone reading this that hasn't blocked you yet.  I won't mention names...I'm sure you know who you are. 

I ship Caryl.  But let me give you a little back story into how I started shipping Caryl...and this is where you can stop reading if you aren't interested...it won't hurt my feelings.

I started shipping Caryl by shipping Dixonne.  Yep.  You read that right.

So I started writing Dixonne fanfic.  And I did it because I loved Michonne dearly, and I loved Daryl dearly, and I thought...well what if?  So I started writing it.  I didn't think it would ever happen, not in a million years, but I liked the idea of it.  And I still like it...and I still love Michonne.

But through writing the story, I realized that I wanted the story to be more than just a romance.  I wanted it to be a meat and potatoes story...and that meant I needed to get to know the other characters that I didn't pay so much attention to.  And Carol was one of those.  So I rewatched the seasons, focusing just on the characters I'd ignored and developing them in my mind.

And it was then that I realized how amazing, and understated, Carol is.  And I fell totally and completely in love with her.  And I realized how much there is there, really and truly, between her and Daryl if you pay attention to it and don't dismiss it because you want to dismiss her.  

And I became a Caryl shipper...

But I don't hate Michonne.  I actually truly love Michonne too, though now I have to admit that Carol is my number one love on the show.

I don't, actually, care for Daryl that much at this point.  The writers have turned him into a Gary Stu character for the most part.  There you go...that's my ugly opinion.  Hate away...I really don't care.  

So I love, above and beyond all, Carol.  I write Caryl fics, but I manipulate Daryl since I'm not in keeping with his new Gary Stu design.  I don't see Daryl as blindly following along behind Rick and being, as Merle so truthfully and eloquently put it, Rick's "little bitch".  

I'm not bothered in the slightest by the "Carol is the killer" story arc.  I'd explain it all...but I won't bore you.  If you really care for me to expand on why I feel like I do about this or any other part of this speech, feel free to message me.

I don't care for Rick.  He's a poorly written character.  That's my opinion...he's not been strongly written, not even as strongly as in the comics, and this season has even highlighted more how much the writer's have made him a wishy washy mess.  

And guess what...I don't have to like him.  (Notice, I didn't tag this...so if you're panties get twisted about it, you came looking for it.)

I love Michonne.  I really do.  I think she's an amazing character and I *could* see her getting with Daryl...and you know what?  If she did, I wouldn't even be mad about it.  I love what the show has established for Caryl, but if they go a different way (and it's actually well written...something they've dropped the ball a good deal on so far this season) then I'm cool with that.  And I could argue reasons why Dixonne could happen.

I also ship Caronne/Micharol...because I think that Carol and Michonne could be great friends...they could actually be epic friends...and again...I have my reasons for thinking that.  

That being said, yes, many of my stories that are Caryl stories have Michonne tagged.  Why?  Because she's an important character in some of my stories...and no, I don't mean a flat character that's barely mentioned.  I mean that, for me, Michonne is often a central character even if she's not part of a "romance".  

I don't buy into the idea that fanfics just need to be lemon shots or smut or whatever.  I write those pesky fics where plot sometimes get in the way of your smut.  

So I tag Michonne because she's an important character.  

And I don't ship Bethyl.  I never could and I can't even stand to read it.  I don't hate Bethylers (to each his own) but I couldn't ever get behind Bethyl.  And here's why...it doesn't contain the "pedophile" arguments or anything of the like.

Beth on the show is a flat character.  She's  had hardly any development at all.  Therefore it's hard to see her actually being central to anything and frankly I've always thought that she was written specifically to be a character that would die.  There...I said it.  I figured she'd be used for Maggie's development, maybe Hershel's if he lived (RIP), but I never thought she'd be anything significant because the writers have never made her anything significant.  Randall had as much development as she's had.

And what they showed of her, pre season 4 and even some in season 4, has shown her as 17, 18, etc. (I don't know...don't care), but it has shown her as very juvenile for her age.  People *can* develop early, mentally and physically, but Beth's "youth" and "immaturity" have been shown in a number of ways.  She's getting some development now, and she's starting to seem a little more mature...though still not even as much as Carl even...and that's great...and I hope it continues so that she's not just a flat character destined for a semi-shocking death (or not so much), but until she's fleshed out, I just can't ship her with anyone because she almost doesn't exist...not in a full bodied manner.  

Does that mean I hate any other ships?  Nope...not at all.  Does that mean that I have the desire to go about telling people their ships are "wrong"?  Nope.  

Everyone has the right to ship, peacefully, what they want to ship.  Having opinions is great and delightful...but so is keeping them in your backyard.  There's no need to seek people out to tell them that you don't like what they like or you don't think that something they like to daydream about will happen.  Chances are, they know, like we all do, that it might not happen...after all, none of us are the writers of the show...but that doesn't mean that they can't daydream.  

Don't make it your job to go about trying to down other people.  It just shows immaturity to go to their space and throw rocks.  That goes for all the ships.  Ship what you want...but don't seek to bother others.  

We don't all have to agree...and no one needs your opinion, pro or anti anything, constantly shoved down their throat. 

That's all...speech over...at least for now.  LOL  

*Picks up soap box.*