Lets Have A Chat, Shall We?

COMIC READER ENTERS THE RING!

I've decided to make this a multi-post series to make it more palatable not only for me but for the reader as well. Since Tumblr only allows 30 pictures per post, breaking this series into parts is the best overall option. Since I have lots of pictures and references to show. And YEARS of information to go over.

My series of upcoming posts I am making are in a flux state. Meaning I will most likely be going back to these posts and add things to them at a later date if I missed something/found a link I was looking for that I couldn’t. Red text are links/interviews/videos that I remember but couldn’t find at the time of making the post. And blue text is just quick notes i wrote for myself to do. Text in orange are my Works In Progress posts to note that I am still working on them; editing them frequently. I will make it clear to know when the post is officially finished with the word FINISHED in green text at the bottom of my posts to notify that I have nothing more to add.

This is where I need Team Delusional's help. Your help. To prove my/our case of Beth still being alive! If anyone can find me the source/link/screenshot of ANYTHING I mention in red, that I can't locate please let me know if you have anything on what i'm trying to find or reference. This is going to be a Team Delusional community based endeavor everybody! So tell your friends of Team Delusional or of days past, let me know if they know anything about the notes I made in red. Thank you in advance! They are mostly things I noticed on @BethGreeneIsHopeUnseen's account back in the day that stood out to me. The help would be greatly appreciated!

"We've all got jobs to do." - Beth Greene

Before I start this series I want to cite my sources here first. So you can look at them for yourself as I go along. Here are links to the websites, tumblr blogs and tumblr posts I am cross referencing throughout this whole series.

@twdmusicboxmystery's entire account/ Youtube channel. I reference her theory index quite a lot in this series. (Love the videos!)

Team Delusional Masterpost by @arabianbaby53 (Thank you for the archival of everything you have!)

TWDBrasil's post (A big fan site for TWD)

The Spoiling Dead's facebook (The OG coverage of BTS activity of the show)

This Walking Dead photo gallery (Archived more pictures filming from on the sets during that time)

And all the knowledge over my years on Team Delusional thanks to @BethGreeneIsHopeUnseen's account (The OG Archivist of Beth/Emily content for Team Delusional to be here to this day)

Here is a list of unanswered TD questions that I will be referencing throughout this series. Here is a playlist going further in depth by @twdmusicboxmystery. To better get an understanding of why so many of us are still on Team Delusional.

The Walking Dead is one of the few franchises I have been invested in since I was young and the media I consume the most. Engaging with The TV show, the spinoffs, the comics and the Telltale Games series. I feel like I have a lot of expertise when it comes to TWD. Most importantly, Team Delusional! As I was there when TD formed in real time during season 5B. I remember most of the information back from my formative years looking at it constantly. As well as when I started getting back into TD around 2021/2022. My love for lost media/cut content started here and it being about my favorite character Beth Greene always interested me. So I am going to try my best to compile the evidence neatly in these posts. Not only appealing to Team Delusional, but to prove my case to the general audience as well. Or at least convey that something strange happened to Beth after Coda. I may not have went to college but The Walking Dead Universe is where I know my facts! The Walking Dead shaped me into the man I am today! The Walking Dead is biblical to me. And I will not tolerate anymore slander for my favorite ship Bethyl anymore!!!

So I am presenting my case with all the evidence I know! I also try to recall what I remember from BethGreeneIsHopeUnseen's account from when i skimmed through it back in 2021 before it locked, so it's kinda recent in my mind and I reference things from her account from memory the best I can. I would like for you to go into this series with an open mind. Thank you!

(Sarah aka Lightenerrthang on X/Twitter and MyTayTayHeart always dissing @twdmusicboxmystery made me want to do these posts. It's you versus me ladies! Now get in the ring! I'm about mop the floor with you two! Actually never mind. I don't want to resort to fighting. There's too much fighting in the world going on. So let me just spit some facts real quick instead!)

This is how you research people! Pay attention toxic Carylers! When I do research, I do research. My time on Team Delusional taught me how to think critically about what we are seeing in TWDU as a whole. You guys (Sarah and TayTay) were the catalyst for this whole entire series! Thanks for the help guys!

BETTER BUCKLE UP guys! It's a long journey on THE ROAD AHEAD! This is THE CALM BEFORE the storm. DON'T LOOK BACK! It's gonna be a bumpy, deadly, heartbreaking and grim ride... That's all I can say. It's LIFE AND DEATH! But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Beth Greene! THE LAST LIGHT! Hang in there guys! Hope is on it's way!

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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that" - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" : Romans 12:21 

But "My mercy prevails over my wrath" - Rick Grimes (A lesson I learned watching the show. And inferring the messages the comics and shows were trying to convey and apply to my own life. You could learn a thing or two about watching it critically too... Especially YOU Sarah.)

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I think these quotes pertain to the toxic Carylers (the darkness) and me/Team Delusional as a whole (the light). Study them! You may want to look more closely! Anything's possible if you just believe! Things are a lot closer than they appear.

I see you, Sarah, have only been in the fandom for a few years and not knowing much about symbolism from the comic and what is being adpated. I don't blame you for that. It seems like you are more of a casual viewer. But I was there when the GOSPEL was written! I lived it! You're older than me and have no media literacy? Must be why you like Caryl so much. A BIG NOTHING BURGER! In Gimple's TWD at least. Seeing things that aren't there and reading too much into things that aren't true. As it was said by Glen Mazzara in this PBS interview that only he saw POTENTIAL with the two of them, Daryl and Carol, not that they were destined to be a pairing planned at the start. Because Mazzara did not have a plan. He was focused on making cool scenes/shots and working on his experimental version of TWD. Which led to his firing. Let's listen to the man, shall we?

Sorry Caryl fans. (I am excluding the calm and collected Carylers here. No disrespect! Stay calm you guys! Not about you. I promise!)

In my first post I discussed when I was on Team Delusional from the back end of season 05, took a break around season 08 and now back on board in full force in 2026! I browsed TWD Wiki constantly growing up during TWD golden era and to this day. Reading interviews, trivia on the characters and BTS stuff as well. And all the comic/TV show counterparts differences. I was a Walking Dead fanboy at heart! And always will be. I love these characters and their stories/relationships! Especially Bethyl! When I left Team Delusional I would still read the symbolism analyses that @twdmusicboxmystery would make. Plus her symbolism videos made me understand things more clearly. I appreciate her analysis videos that made me a better analyst myself! Which is why I am here today! Those videos and tumblr asks videos made me come back to Team Delusional fully with brand new eyes.

Daryl Dixon is Beth Greene's love interest, not the other way around! Like Michonne Hawthorne is for Rick Grimes. Also Maggie Greene and Carol Peletier are also SECONDARY main characters. With Negan Smith being one of the bigger VILLAINS of the story. With the CRM being the BIGGEST force in the TWDU. Also Rick and Michonne were equally capable leaders of Alexandria in their respective seasons and capable of leading. Just like with Beth and Daryl. At least we think Beth will be a leader of some kind when she returns. Possibly involving the Civic Republic. (See fan interpretation here and here). She just needs to reach Daryl first as he is away on a business trip in France. A LARGER WORLD. Daryl just wants to come back home to his wife and kids, but he has none... Laurent? Where are you? Maybe something happened on that plane trip back to America... I hope the plane didn't spark ashes and catch fire or something! Or CRASH AND BURN! Because he CAN'T GO BACK to France. Or was he captured? Or attacked by some group? I guess they are all TOO FAR GONE and far away from Daryl for him to realize. Don't have your EYES WIDE SHUT. You just needed to OPEN YOUR EYES. And GET WELL SOON! Beth Greene is close. But not close enough. Stopped by something. A strong force perhaps. Beth is still alive and breathing. She is just taking a little while to come home to her family. There are more background details not as noticeable. We have to dig a little deeper. With symbolism and easter eggs galore. Also this “Greg Nicotero tells Zap2It that the seeds for their relationship were actually planted earlier in the season, when Daryl tells Beth that her boyfriend Zach (played by Kyle Gallner) had been killed during the events of the first episode.” Confirming that there are hints and foreshadows to what is to come when the season started. (i.e. damn romance novel line, clues in Beth's cell, 04x01 Bethyl hug, etc.)

Back in the day a few years ago I saw that one toxic Caryler on X (who beefed with Abraham's actor over the word pookie on this X post, and how it was inherently a romantic word. But Cudlitz said his mom called him that. In a familial setting. Sarah did not like that. Insinuating that his mother was bad for calling him that... (um ok?) The toxic Carylers only love that word because Carol called Daryl that in season 04 and see it as evidence to a Caryl romance foreshadow. How lame do you have to be to get into fights with the actors of a show you claim to love over a word's interpretation.

I also noticed Dawn Glen, the reviewer of season 03 of DD who referenced Team Delusional on X before s03 aired. She said Team Delusional would get a lot out of DD s03. Stated here on X. She saw the symbolism of Beth in Justina and the conversation with Paz, even though she said it was meant to refer to Isabelle. After s03 aired she posted this here on X too. I thought to myself if she was seeing the parallels to Beth, why can't the other Carylers? (They just don't want to.) I was so tired of the toxic Carylers and some of the general audience calling us crazy over the years, but I'm so lucky that I searched the Bethyl and the DD series tag on X so frequently during that time/saw posts regarding this on tumblr. Which ignited me to make these posts to being with! Dawn Glen was also shutting down the idea that there would be no mention/sighting of Beth. Or even hear her as @stillaswind asked in her DMs. She mentioned TD but is shutting down every possible outcome of Beth somehow being mentioned. Why did she even mention or give hope to TD at all with her comment in the first place? Strange...

And for any toxic Carylers reading this post or my upcoming theories/analyses, I just want them to know that I love that you love Caryl! Ship and let ship! Let me be clear this is not a message for the nice/calm Carylers in your fandom. But I don’t think Bethlyers should get flack for seeing Beth and Daryl’s relationship as potentially romantic. As Norman himself has stated many times. And Lauren Cohan, Nicotero and a lot of the cast/crew being fine with it. She was not a child. Nor a full adult woman like Carol. Beth Greene was a young adult who sparked a connection with a man (Daryl Dixon) who was a bit older than her. I also saw Daryl/Beth as the visual adaptation of comic Rick/Andrea with her taking the age gap love storyline from comic Andrea's relationship with Dale. Yes, they met on the farm when she was 16, but they hardly interacted with each other. I don't even think they have a one on one scene together. Season 03 yes, but not season 02. Forming no romantic connection at this time in either season until she was 18 at the start of season 04. Also they share the ICONIC Piéta pose and physical similarities to each other in each medium.

Both Emily and Norman were adults playing younger characters than their actually ages. Even Lauren Cohan was almost 30 playing a 22 year old Maggie Greene in season 02. TWD does this a lot with aging down characters. Remember Norman originally auditioned for Merle. Thus making Norman act out Daryl a little younger and hot headed as he is the Dixon baby brother. Whereas Melissa was more closely playing her real age/ a few years younger as well playing Carol. (Early 40s) Unlike Emily and Norman who are playing the characters much younger than they actually are in real life. With Emily being in her late 20s during this time playing an 18 year old as confirmed by Emily in this AccessOnline interview back in season 04. (Note how she addresses Daryl's age and shutting down the father/daughter bond that people seem to claim it was. With her seeing Daryl as an adult while playing Beth, an adult at the time herself.)

As well as Daryl's age being up for debate in the fandom and Daryl Dixon season 03 clueing us in on the time frame of his childhood. You don’t have to like them together. That’s fine. I see many toxic Carylers online (mostly on X) still holding grudges over the great Caryl/Bethyl shipping war that happened over 10 years ago now. Saying that Bethylers said some horrible things about Melissa. I didn’t really see that at the time personally, but I have no doubt that there were some toxic Bethylers in our community too. No fandom is without sin.

There is also this interview (see pic below) and Norman's Reddit AMA back after Coda aired. The review shows that not only Bethylers/Team Delusional supported their romance, but how some of the general audience did as well! The reviewer here states that "Clearly, there was a romance blossoming between Daryl and Beth." And states "Reedus' performance was clearly his best and more emotionally heartbreaking than when he lost his own brother." Again they are stomping out the false narrative of Beth and Daryl being a sibling dynamic. Going as far as saying he was more emotional over Beth than he was over his own brother. It's literally Daryl mourning the love of his life. Note he was upset about Connie's death close call in 10x09 - Squeeze, but nowhere near emotional as Beth's. Carol was more upset about losing her than Daryl... Also stomping out the narrative of Donnie being romantic as well. Sorry Donnie fans. Norman also stated on reddit that there was "a taste of it (romance) in the air" between Beth and Daryl. Reedus also stated in this interview, “There’s definitely some tension there. The thing about it is, she’s a woman. She is not a little girl. Everyone grows up real fast in this world. Daryl, being a man, starting out was really child-like." Again cementing the fact that Beth is a not a child. If she were a child why would every interviewer under the sun ask about a romantic relationship between Beth and Daryl? And why would AMC allow that if that were the case? Because Beth Greene is a grown woman! And they are ok with the romance too!

Leah Shaw and Isabelle Carrière were the only official love interests for Daryl that we see on screen. Visually similar to Beth, both blonde women who had connections with him. Dealing with arcs involving religion. (i.e. Faith/God, Pope/God and Nun/God respectively.) (Beth - "If you don't have hope, what's the point of living?/Leah - "Find me." (As we think Beth is missing from Daryl's + TF's POV)/Isabelle - "Bet on hope." Making Daryl start believing in hope again. Beth is the reincarnation of hope by way of being alive. Daryl's hope for living fully is when Beth is found alive/shows up or he confesses his love for her! This is why Isabelle shows up in his hallucination as he has not fully accepted his true feelings for Beth still. At Comic Con 2014 Reedus stated “This is how I took it, doing it. I took it like, if Daryl had feelings for Beth, he didn’t understand them.” explained Reedus. “So he was like a child, like, ‘I don’t understand what this means.’ But, it was more intimate than a coupling.” Confirming Daryl didn't understand his feelings surrounding Beth as he is was a novice at love in 04x13 - Alone. Some speculating that Daryl Dixon is a virgin at the start of the series over the years. Some have speculated that Daryl and Leah had done the deed, but on Talking Dead they were instructed not to kiss on purpose due to the director's command and not due to COVID as Lynn Collins believed. Disproving that their love was sexual, not even getting a kiss in unlike his other relationship. Daryl was never fully able to grow as close to Leah or Isabelle. Since his love still lied with Beth. Lynn Collins also spoke of the backlash of being Daryl's romantic interest and the toxic Carlyers coming after her and her comments about Daryl and Carol's relationship.

Daryl was willing to make it work with Isabelle but his heart wasn't fully committed to their relationship. Thus Daryl kissing Isabelle first. Even these Entertainment Weekly interviews here and here go over the kiss in detail. This was Daryl's best attempt to ignite the spark he had with Beth from 04x13 - Alone, but the moment interrupted. But it wasn't the same for him. Daryl desperately wants his own family by getting with Isabelle and trying to be a father figure to Laurent. But alas she died. And Laurent gone. Heading back to America with Ash. (Below are Norman's interpretations of Daryl's relationships with both Isabelle and Laurent)

Norman's thoughts on the kiss (Note Isabelle being the Beth proxy visually)

Norman's thoughts on if he loves Laurent like family discussed with showrunner Zabel. (Note Laurent being a kid who needs to be escorted/protected)

Also Emily Kinney talks about Daryl leaving with Beth after the fall of the prison and how there is an emotional connection/bond in this CBR interview. She also was a guest on Skybound's Talk Dead to Me podcast for season 10x06 - Bonds, the season where her song was used in titled The Turtle and the Monkey sung by the character Beta as he was a country star before the fall. Emily says she doesn't know what kind of relationship Beth and Daryl had and that it was too soon to tell and just called it a "connection." Before season 05 aired Emily did this EW interview where she was asked if it could go romantic with Daryl and she said "I don't know" and that there was a "connection" in season 04 that happened and "you have to wait and find out" response. Hence the title of the podcast episode, "Talk Bonds To Me." Bonds being about the bonds between Daryl and the ones he loves, especially Beth Greene. Also at A Walker Stalker convention sometime in 2014 the interviewer asked “So in this last episode, you were asking Daryl ‘how do you know there’s— you still think there’s good people out there? Why?’ And then you had a realization. Was it that he knew because of Beth? Do you know what I’m saying?” And Emily responds, "Yeah, I think she realized how much he cares about her. I don’t know, my theory is— I definitely think Beth was having a ro— felt romantically inclined towards Daryl. That’s the way it came across to me, at least.” And "Yeah, I think there’s realizing that there’s something else there.” So both Norman and Emily felt romantic feelings between the two characters as supported by Nicotero's comments about him feeling it happen in real time of the two falling in love a little during the filming of 04x13 - Alone at San Diego Comic Con 2014. He stated, "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.”

Making Daryl's conversation at the end on the beach with Carol in DD 03x07 - Solaz del Mar about always running, not being grounded in something and always on the move make much more sense with this context. He has to let go of his guilt about not doing enough at Grady and Beth getting shot. Thus leaving her behind. (The unseen filming events from season 05.) Hence the quote from 03x01 - Costa Da Morte, "I have my dead and I let them go." (I will make a whole dedicated post about the arcs of the women in Daryl's life)

I'll give the Carylers this, that Beth was not a love interest for Daryl right there in the moment in season 04 since they never got a chance to explore it or at least we never saw anything happen between the two on screen. But it was foreshadowing and being set up all these years later for her return! Greg Nicotero stated in this interview, “That’s what made it effective.” complimented Nicotero. “When you’re standing there listening to her play piano, you’re just standing there watching her. And you feel like he’s thinking, ‘This may be the last living person I ever see.’ So, I thought that was a really great connection. A lot of it wasn’t in the script. The script wasn’t like, ‘Beth and Daryl totally hook up.’ It wasn’t there. But when I watched the episode, I felt I kind of wanted that, which was what he brings to it and what Emily brought to it.” This shows that the two actors had romantic chemistry the day of shooting as it was not intended to be that way in the script. And they kept it for the final cut of the episode 04x13 - Alone. If they had a problem with it they would of just scrapped their scenes all together. So we have Nicotero and AMC being fine with their romance. Also Lauren Cohan, Beth's sister Maggie, also saying on Talking Dead, one fan asked her if she thought Maggie would approve of Daryl and Beth’s relationship. - “Yeah I do think she would, actually. I’m enjoying, as an audience member, watching this happen.” Lauren answered.” Looks like a lot of people are on board with this pairing, so I don't understand why the toxic Carylers watch this show and support the company if AMC is full of predators as they would like to claim we Bethylers are... Kind of undermining the word there guys, which is really harmful. Being 18 is not a crime and is a consenting legal adult! I feel like I shouldn't have to say this. Nor did Daryl Dixon groom Beth Greene... I'm tired of this rhetoric too from them.

And with the official AMC website confirming those feelings. Before they changed them. [See more here]

(The original episode summary for 04x13 - Alone before it was changed)

(Daryl and Beth's character Bio's on the AMC website before they were changed)

So can we put the grudges aside and just wish the best for the character you all claim to love? Daryl Dixon. No matter who he ends up with. And if it is Beth then the age gap won’t matter all that much anymore since she would be much older now. A grown woman! And if it is Carol then I’d be happy for you! Or anyone else he would end up with. I just want Daryl to be happy! Although I think the symbolism suggests otherwise, with Carol staying behind with Antonio’s family in Spain. But I think we are going to see her come back to America after her Spanish summer vacation essentially. But I could be wrong. And that’s ok! Some of you guys tear Norman down constantly on social media/threatening his family. Even going after his wife and newborn daughter... You guys are terrible. Yet you say Bethylers have no morals, ok... I think some self reflection needs to be in order. We can put aside our differences and enjoy the show in our separate communities. (The Analyzers vs. the Watchers as i'll refer to our different camps.) No bad mouthing the other. Let go of the past and move forward! I’m not here to argue.

If and when Beth does eventually return, please don’t send hate or death threats to anybody in the cast or crew. Especially Emily, Norman and Gimple/Zabel on Melissa's behalf. Just look at how you treated Clémence Poésy after the kiss happened. What a big bunch of complainers. I know Melissa likes the idea of Caryl but that doesn't mean you are guaranteed it. Melissa may be scared of you guys turning on her just like you did Norman, with harassment death threats to his family. Maybe if you were all a little bit nicer to the cast/crew then something could have happened. (Not that I think it was ever going to anyway.) Maybe under Glen Mazzara's run as he said he saw a connection between the two. In that PBS interview with him discussing the Daryl and Carol relationship. But notice how he answers the question about fan backlash. "You can't be fearful of pissing off the fans." The Carylers in this case regarding Bethyl going canon. But he's been gone for ages now, whereas Gimple is still in charge, not linking Daryl/Carol romantically. Plus Angela Kang, then becoming showrunner after him, with Gimple at the helm at the top and not pairing them up either.

Who knows, maybe Melissa actually likes Bethyl too. You don't know her personally and she might be scared of the backlash from the toxic Carylers if she showed her support. We'll have to see after it goes canon what she thought about it all along. Much like us Bethylers get called weirdos and creeps for shipping Bethyl. And Norman as well. You’re within your right to not like the pairing of Beth and Daryl or when it does go canon. But please be better than that. Don’t continue this cycle of toxicity. I just wanted to clear the air on that real quick, as i can foresee the response to Bethyl going canon from the toxic Carylers. Notice how i'm reiterating the words toxic Carylers here. Not lumping them in with the respectful Carylers who just happen to like the Caryl ship. I fully agree with what Michael Cudlitz said on X here. (In response to Sarah's tweets/opinions/attitude)

I have the perfect song I think the TOXIC Carylers should listen to! You guys might be laughing at me now, but we'll see who gets the last laugh! We'll see who ends up being delusional in the end!

My reaction to all the toxic Carylers and the abuse Bethylers and TD faced over the years. This was me typing all my notes on my notes app so i didn't forget what connections I made. And this way my reaction finding about the comic connections and my TD findings. While they self reflect for a little bit, let us (Team Delusional) get back to my post.

I found these Team Delusional essays on why Team Delusional was formed and exists and the power of fandom. Tosha R. Taylor wrote this essay titled "Digital space and Walking Dead fandom's Team Delusional." Also this Harvard essay written by Ariane Damraksa titled "Thinking About What Can Still Happen: Character Death, The Walking Dead, and Transmediality’s Effect on Creator Autonomy." These are really good reads if you have the time. These are the embodiment of how niche fan communities can have a big impact! As well as the change.org petition that had 65,176 supporters to Bring Beth Back! Even going on to be on the news. ABC News being the biggest news outlet to cover the outcry and uproar for Beth to come back to life.

@twdmusicboxmystery if you feel that you have any posts/links/videos that are relevant, please feel free to message me or reply below. And if any TD go looking at your account and find something pertaining to anything I reference down the road please let me know too! Spread the word guys, we need to reach to the general public and prove the toxic Carylers wrong! And thank you to the Richonners always combatting Carylers and seeing the Bethyl relationship and your thoughts on it, when TWD : The Return came out especially. Specifically donniesrichonne on X/Twitter. Even though you don't agree with it, I respect your opinions! And that you are able to have a conversation about it. Thank you again!

Now I just need to go post by post. I'm hitting good strides! I'll do my best to get the posts out as fast as I can, but I don't want to rush it. And i'm still looking/searching for receipts. We will see how accurate my hypothesis and theories are in the end! Don't let toxic people ever tear you down! And I can't wait for Beth's return and Bethyl going canon! Thanks to all of Team Delusional! And always be kind!

And to the toxic Carylers, if you don't enjoy TWD or the Daryl Dixon series anymore... THEN LEAVE! Find something else to watch! There are plenty of shows out there! You don't need to poison this well any more than you already have. Please exit and don't let the door hit you on the way out! Thank you! We are not guaranteed Beth coming back or starting a relationship with Daryl if she does either. I am fine with that! I have been a fan since I was 13 years old, so I know what's it's like to be disappointed in a decision the writers/producers went with. But I kept watching because I am a fan at the end of the day! I just have hope that with our resilience and hard work over the years that Team Delusional will reap some kind of reward. It would be nice but we don't need it! We live on in this fandom space forever now! A nice little community with really talented writers, artists and theorists! And I wouldn't have it any other way! Thank you for reading everyone!