﹒⌗﹒Interview with the Star Witch ⸝⸝

Tell me, how did you come to your selfship?

ZV: I came to this unconsciously, I’ll be honest. It all started with a love for one character from Genshin, and so for some time I got involved in this hobby. My love for the characters with whom I had OCs did not last long, it could even last up to a couple of days. I couldn’t find something in the characters that would hook me, or find myself in them. But then I saw him - Norton, or rather Pyrite. After all, I once came across an edit on it, and that’s how I came to where I am now.

Who was this character from Genshin?

ZV: Komisato Ayaka. It was like this: the announcement of Inazuma, and the leak of Ayaka’s meeting with the Traveler, and at that moment there was a tug in my chest, because I liked this lady. Then, when she came out, I went to unscrew her (it didn’t work), but I read her story later, and understood one thing - she needs someone who understood her. And so my oc/canon with Ayaka appeared.

How did you find out about Eden's fandom?

ZV: All because of Edit Pirita, in addition to my interest in Campbell, I had a desire to learn about the game itself, and so from the end of autumn 2023 to the beginning of 2025 I plunged into the lore of the game, becoming a lore specialist.
(I want to say a big thank you to one lady, known for analyzing the lore of the universe, because she inspired me to study the lore of the game and love Campbell.)

That is, you reacted normally to the appearance of pyrite and, in fact, came to the FD at the expense of it?

ZV: I won’t even try to hide it, but it’s all because of Pyrite. After all, looking at him, I realized that he was the one I had been looking for all my online life. And I was actually glad to see him when I learned more about the game.

Why this particular character? What attracts you most about him? How did you even realize that Norton was your favorite character?

ZV: He is the only one who can reflect my true nature, without falsehood and masks. What attracts me most about him is his own tragedy: how he fights for his future, how he wants to get rid of hated poverty and find peace in wealth, and how, in classical drama or in life, the hero did not achieve this. Alas and ah. Norton and I have too many common character traits, life situations and worldviews. And this realization came to me by chance, because I compared our stories and behavior with him. So I realized that he is me. So he became my beloved and սիրված (favorite from Armenian).

So, do I understand correctly that what attracts you to him is that you look alike?

ZV: Yes, it’s like looking at yourself with a mirror, only with a distortion of time, age and gender. Even I myself was surprised by this, because it’s not customary to see in a character too much similarity with my most complex nature

A very interesting position, indeed. I can understand her! What's your favorite thing about Norton?

ZV: Perseverance and determination! After all, they really inspire me to move on towards my goal and dream of getting out of my golden cage in which I find myself. And the way he persistently pursued his dream of a normal life cannot pass me by

Probably, the question about the cell is quite personal, so we can move on to the next one. How important is canon to you? How do you feel about fanon?

ZV: Thank you.
The canon always came first, because I always immersed myself with it. And it would be a shame for me not to appreciate what the developers wanted to convey.
But you can’t call me an ardent fan, because I treat fanon with warmth. I like to see how people see this or that character differently, and I even like some of the headcanons people make about Norton.
But if fanon goes too far, making the character look like nothing, then it becomes uncomfortable for me to have a dialogue with a person who considers Campbell an open person, with a lot of friends and a harem.
I think it’s important to maintain a balance on the issue of canonicity and fanonity.

Do you have a favorite Fanon vision of Norton and do you use Fanon in your Hume?

ZV: Of course, I like to add my own spices to the characters.

The fact that he is capable, in principle, of experiencing love, is that he could feel it. That he's not that money-obsessed. And probably that he could let someone into his heart
And I use it, to be honest, in moderation - after all, I don’t forget that this is still my Yume pairing, and not a Frankenstein made from a social concept

Were there any difficulties in creating the selfship? If yes, then with what exactly?

“Difficulties give rise to the abilities necessary to overcome them”
There was one difficulty for me - writing an acquaintance for Northdani, because it has always been difficult for me to write an acquaintance for an oc/c, but then the problem was solved when I found in the revision of the cartoon "Cinderella" how Cinderella lost her shoe while rushing home, and so the idea for an acquaintance between an actress and a miner appeared

What's your Yume's trope? How did you come up with the lore?

ZW: My favorite question~!
Secret lovers with a bad ending. After all, their love was hidden, for the sake of safety for themselves - for Daniela for the sake of reputation, and for Norton so that he would not be mocked for loving such a lady.
The idea for the lore came to me, not only from rewatching Cinderella, but also from fairy tales, because I wanted to convey the fairy-tale quality and the belief that they have a chance for a relationship, and then rudely break it down. This is how the lore of Northdani appeared - it began as a fairy tale, and ended as a drama with tragedy

It sounds very glassy... Have you encountered any misunderstanding on the part of others regarding your interest in Yuma and in Norton as well?

ZV: There was one little thing - when they tried to convince me that yuma is disgusting. It was a long time ago in the FD of the blade, when I decided to release a video about os/c with Kaigaku, poor me at 12 years old, I faced bullying for this poor os/c.
But thanks to my friends, I survived this and was able to continue studying Yuma.
As for Norton, the most that comes to my mind is how a very stupid person wanted to prove to me that Norton hates women. But these are minor things.

I am very sorry for your unpleasant experience... Bullying is always difficult.
How does the US affect you in general?

ZV: Antidepressants. After all, the love of Norton and Daniela is the only thing that can please me in the darkest moments of a witch’s life and saved me from refusing to believe in love.
I can’t imagine life without them now, because it’s as if they have become a part of me and my world