#I have so many questions after this episode

[unofficial-writing]

Sugar cookies

✵ Pairing: Fred Weasley/f!reader

✵ Word count: 2k

✵ Summary: You were notoriously horrible at any form of baking or cooking, but hopefully having another shot at it could improve the well-earned reputation

✵ Warnings: Established relationship, possible inaccurate cookie baking (I'm no chef), really nothing but fluff

Baking was a form of art, and you had never been that kind of artist. Every time the thought even crossed your mind, something had already gone wrong. Something was on fire, severely burnt, the wrong consistency, or just tasted awful. No matter how many times you tried, there was never any sort of improvement. No food or dessert had ever survived in your hands. So it wasn't often anymore you could be found in the kitchen, having mostly accepted that this was simply not your strong suit. However, every so often, you found a sudden urge to try and prove you could learn, even if you already knew the likeliest outcome. Today was one of those days, that urge tempting you into giving it another try.

It was a warm and quiet morning in the burrow, Molly and Arthur being away and most of the others busying themselves in different ways. You took the opportunity to try yet again at baking something. It was safer for everyone if there were fewer present to witness it, or possibly taste it. If you could get that far this time.

You approached the situation optimistically. The plan was to choose something simple to make and an even simpler recipe to follow. Just cookies couldn't hurt, right? It seemed easy enough, as long as you were careful.

Leaning against the counter, you studied the little book. There were very few ingredients, and that only meant fewer places where mistakes could be made. You were definitely capable of this. So with a newfound confidence, you got to work gathering an array of bowls, pans, ingredients, everything you thought you may need and more. As you scattered them across the counter at random, You were caught by the only other Weasley in the household.

Fred walked in on what was turning out to be a manic episode. You could tell he knew this based on the sudden panic in his face. "What are you doing?" He questioned, fearing the day he'd find you here again. Flashbacks of previous incidents were likely spinning through his head.

"A good morning would suffice." You replied without looking up from what you were doing. Another quick check of your book and you were ready to go, carrying hope for a more positive ending this time. Fred strode over lazily, sleep clearly still clinging to his mind. He slid his arms around you to gaze over your shoulder.

The embrace briefly distracted you from your task. And to further this, he pressed a long kiss to the top of your head. "I'm sorry, love. Good morning." His voice was muffled against your hair, but the way it sounded was almost tempting enough to drop everything in your hands and give him your full attention. Unfortunately, you were far too determined for that.

"That's much better," You remarked, earning a chuckle. Against your better judgment, you wiggled out of Fred’s arms to continue on with your cookies. After a few words of complaint, He leaned an arm on the counter beside you, finding the only open spot that hadn't yet been touched by your wave of disaster. You prepared your first ingredients, movements followed by his curious gaze.

"Now, don't tell me," He started sarcastically, continuing only once you glanced up at him. This look only lasted a moment, as you were in the middle of measuring flour. "You're making something."

"Clearly," Was your simple response. You were so focused on getting everything right.

"Something simple?" Fred gestured down to the not-so-simple mess on the counter. "I'd guess it's something even you couldn't ruin? Dare I say cake? Cookies, maybe?" He watched you pour the flour into a bowl, which came back up to coat the front of you in a white puff of smoke. A snort of laughter escaped his mouth, resulting in an immediate glare from you. It was very early in the game for you to be wearing your cookies.

"That's enough from you." You pointed a finger of your now powdered hand at him. "Unless you'd like to be covered in flour as well."

His expression changed as he considered your words. "Well, I could think of worse things to—” You put an end to his statement by launching a handful of flour at him, coating the both of you in a thin layer of white. He first tried to wipe his face with the back of his hand, only to find it would smudge. You roared with laughter at this discovery.

After your fit had calmed, you picked up a spoon in an attempt to return to your work. But you had started something Fred would be more than happy to finish. "Oh, no you don't." He grabbed your arms and pulled you to him, tickling and completely disarming you. Laughter jumped back into your throat and your utensils clattered to the ground.

"Fred! No!" You struggled to say, squirming to find an escape. By the time he had stopped, you could barely breathe and practically choked on the giggles that tried to escape your lips.

Fred picked up the spoon off the ground, narrowly dodging a slap to the arm. If your cookies turned out poorly now, you could place some of the blame on him. He went to rinse it off, which gave you enough time to add most of the remaining ingredients to your bowl.

You checked back with the book to ensure it was still going well. Other than the rapidly growing mess in the kitchen and all over you, it seemed fine so far. As long as there were no other setbacks, you may actually succeed this time.

As if you spoke it into existence, Fred turned around at the sink, just as you were placing the cookies in the oven. "Slight problem," His hands were held away from himself, face twisting into concern.

Your gaze was pulled to him to see he had tried and failed to rinse the flour off his hands and arms. Instead of washing away, it clumped and stuck to his skin. The realization hit you at the same time and you stared at each other, both covered in more flour than what was in the cookies.

Water did nothing against the powder. It was mixed with whatever other ingredients escaped the bowl, turning it into a glue and making the situation far worse. You took ahold of one of Fred's arms, but it immediately made your hands sticky as well. No matter how much you scrubbed, it only further spread across the skin

"It's not coming off," Fred announced simply, as if you weren't actively trying to fix the problem.

You sighed. "I can see that, love." You pointed to a bar of soap at the edge of the sink, beckoning Fred to hand it over. He obliged and reached for it. The soap helped significantly, freeing some of the sticky paste.

It took no small amount of effort, but you eventually had clean arms and hands. Fred took the bar from you, wetting the soap in his hands and lifting it to work it into the flour on your face. You gazed up at him while he did this, letting out a little giggle as he struggled to keep his eyes from finding yours.

Fred had very little self-control when it came to you. It didn't take any convincing for him to give in and meet your stare. It was intoxicating. Whatever you had been doing previously was easily forgotten the moment the look was exchanged. He practically melted, thumb still brushing across your cheek while his mind drifted away from cleaning your messy faces.

You did try to resist– or so you told yourself– But a flicker of your eyes toward his lips and it was over. You met in a sweet kiss, the chalky taste of flour finding your tongue. It was warm and gentle and filled with the same longing you felt every time you kissed him; even back to the very first time. The act was so simple, and yet was more than enough for him to take over your entire mind and body. You were completely at the mercy of your lover.

His hands cupped your face, the mixture of soap and flour making a mess of your skin. He held you there with no intention of moving and in turn, rapidly draining any of yours. This only lasted until a distinct burning smell reached your nose.

Fred noticed before you, lips parting from yours as his eyes fell on the sight. "Y/n," He muttered and let his hands drift down to your shoulders.

"Hm?" Was your oblivious response, further proof you belonged nowhere near an oven. Realization hit you at the same time as the harsh scent.

"Is that supposed to be on fire?" You jerked your body around to follow his gaze, only to find that your cookies had gone up in flames. How? You had only taken your eyes off them for a few minutes at most. Your hands went to your pockets, but there was empty fabric where your wand should have been. So Fred's was the next best option.

He wasn't one to handle emergency situations well. While you calmly tried to locate a solution, Fred seemed to lose any instinct for survival. "Fred," You snapped a finger to get his attention. "Your wand, love."

"Right," He searched around the counter for it. A sigh escaped your lips and you put a hand on his arm to stop him, taking his wand from his pocket. With a swift flick, water sprayed from the tip of it and extinguished the flames, which had roared on during the moment of panic.

As the fire subsided, you lost any hope in salvaging your dessert. They came out of the oven pitch black, hard as a rock, and now waterlogged; definitely not edible. You set them on the counter so you both could get a good look.

After a moment or two of dead silence, Fred made a poor attempt to lighten your disappointment. "Well, this isn't the worst thing I've seen you take out of an oven." You shot him the makings of a glare, which confirmed his attempt had ended in failure.

The expression turned into a frown. "Maybe I'm just destined for burnt cookies." As the words came out, so did a giggle. You really were cursed. Every single time, without fail, something goes wrong. You were convinced you were the only one with such terrible luck when it came to baking.

"Or maybe you just need more practice." Fred suggested, giving you his smile. Somehow he had become more enthusiastic about this than you.

You leaned onto the counter, sinking down in defeat. "I think I’ve had a little too much practice." Adding another kitchen disaster to your resume didn't make you any more eager to jump back into it.

"One more couldn't hurt, darling." He pulled out another set of ingredients, this time indenting to help you rather than distract. With Fred, your chances for success were greatly increased but still slim. Even with the odds stacked against you, how could you refuse? Especially at the sight of him standing there, so ready to try again with you. So with an exaggerated sigh, you got back to work.

These cookies had made it much farther than the previous batch. Even just surviving long enough to make it out of the oven was a victory. You could admit there was an obvious improvement. But even though they looked the part— mostly— One taste and you found they were not the most appealing to consume. It was a sign of progress, but still not something anyone else would find edible.

Finally, you were able to start coming to terms with your skill; or lack thereof. Baking was such a delicate art, and you just had to accept that not everyone was meant to be that type of artist.

Find more like this here!

[redeyeyuna]

WWDITS is not comparable with SPN or Sherlock

So, I did a little dive into Supernatural and BBC Sherlock. I had never seen the shows and only had a superficial view of what they were about (it is just not my cup of tea). After I read a few summaries and watched video essays, I can understand more why so many ppl were disappointed by the way the Dastiel and Johnlock ships were treated. It was absolutely awful, disrespectful and literally textbook queerbaiting. It is completely understandable that many queer viewers have become more critical of queer representation in the media as a result after they saw this.

But nevertheless, I think it is absolutely not valid to equalize What We Do in the Shadows with Supernatural or Sherlock.

SPN and Sherlock are both serious shows with random comedy influences. When queer characters appear, they are supporting characters, always portrayed as threatening or evil and/or are dying. There is a general mocking of being gay: whether it's a male demon in SPN killing other men with his kiss or the running gag in Sherlock that John Watson always has to say that he is not gay when someone asks him about a possible relationship with Sherlock Holmes.

WWDITS is a queer silly comedy show. All main characters are openly queer and the show makes fun of everything and everyone without attacking the queerness of the characters. And yet WWDITS also manages to use serious queer scenes, such as the heartbreaking coming out of Guillermo to his family.

And the sex scenes/mouthkisses in WWDITS are ALL to be seen as funny, whether same-sex or not (except for the kiss between Charmaine and Seanie – that was cute!).

When Jeremy has sex with one of the vampires, the joke is that the other vampires do not wanted to eat him anymore cause of his lost of his virginity. Nandor and Gail hump in a silly position on the hotel floor, which looks anything but passionate. Nadja and Laszlo crash into the floor while fucking on the sofa. The guide is hitting on Guillermo madly, which he obviously doesn't want. They make fun of Nandor and Marwa about Nandor coming too early (we all know why), Laszlo fucks Dolly-Nadja and Colin while they are both inside Vamp-Nadja's body at the same time, and the Monster fucks a fucking stuffed bear. Oh, and not to forget the kiss between Evie and Colin to suck energy and the silly tongue kiss between Colin and Nadja, etc...

WWDITS is thoroughly insane and hilarious, with morally questionable and fucked up characters who are all queer. This fact is never ridiculed or questioned! It is integrated into the show.

I agree that the homoerotic tension between the ships Destiel, Johnlock and Nandermo and the “will they, won't they” style are very similar and kind of comparable.  All three shows even have other characters who think they are a couple despite them not being together. In WWDITS, however, the subtext between Nandor and Guillermo is so obvious and jumps out at viewers that it is actually no longer subtext.

Unlike Destiel and Johnlock, we know that Nandor and Guillermo BOTH have feelings for each other, without either of them having to officially tell the other or anyone else. It was made clear so often in this show, right up to the very last scene of the final episode , where it was confirmed that they having a thing when the cameras are off and they just disappear into the secret underground lair together.

Of course, it would have been nice if Nandor and Guillermo had admitted their feelings to each other on camera. And I can understand that many were disappointed that this did not happen. But as has been said by so many others, that would simply be out of character.

And considering the style of WWDITS and the fun, wacky sex scenes, would that fit Nandermo? No! Would a serious passionate scene or even sex scene suit Nandermo? Yes! But that would break with the rest of the show's style. The writers knew what they were doing and they make fun of everything else and not about queer representations. Quite the opposite. We know that Guillermo has a problem even saying sexual things on camera and Nandor has a problem to admitt his feelings. So why should they choose to act out this sensitive topics on camera?

This also has nothing to do with Guillermo being fat. He is openly portrayed as a hot and desirable character (in case it wasn't visually clear to anyone anyway). He really nails it as a vampire slayer and several characters have a crush on him: a girl from the Celeste-Familar Clan in Season 2, the guide, Laszlo when he thought Guillermo was talking about his penis, Laszlo's father and of course NANDOR with many of his typical hints.

Stupid comments are made about all the characters, vampire or not, which should never be taken seriously. Guillermo is said to „look like an ork“ (which was just a failed attempt at flirting by Nandor anyway), Laszlo is the “king of pigs“, Nandor has an “ugly man bun” and Nadja has sat on her dolly with her “big ass”, etc.

And regarding Nandors comment in the Newhart Hypnosis „We were fucking each other all the time but not with you, Guillermo“: This is Nadjas hypnosis. Of course she is teasing. Nandor also said in that hypnosis that Nadja would be „more clever than him“. And she's actually right. Guillermo never was and wanted to be involved in an orgy. However, this does not exclude that Guillermo had Sex just with Nandor anyway, if Nadja even would be certainly sure about that.

WWDITS is a lovable show that manages to combine queerness and comedy. It is absolutely not comparable to SPN or Sherlock. These two shows were primarily intended for a heterosexual audience and were supposed to attract queer viewers with queerbait to increase the ratings. WWDITS was labelled as a queer show from second one and is in a completely different genre. And yes, even though there are mostly f/m relationships in WWDITS, the show is still queer.

I'm not saying that WWDIT is free of mistakes. No show is perfect. But the accusation of queerbait, that the creators would hate their queer audience or that the ending of Nandermo would be worse than Destiel is absolutely out of place.

If a straight viewer watches the series without realizing that there is something going on between Nandor and Guillermo, then that's because of the personal view of the person themselves. I've also seen posts saying that some straight ppl were surprised by Blackbonnet's kiss in OFMD... So there will always be ppl who can't recognize queer relationships in shows/films, even if it's right under their noses (Reference intended).

It's okay to dislike the finale, I just think it's sad to break down the whole show so negatively just because the ending was not that was has been expected. WWDITS doesn't deserve that.

[bwat5-blog]

A Clear Logical Look At The Grey: Warcrime or not?

**Spoilers For Arcane**

Alright. By now, I and many others have gone over "The Grey" in one way or another many times over. The discussion regarding Caitlyn's arc and story in season 2 has sparked just about every reaction imaginable, and the show has been over long enough that it seems the lines in the sand are drawn, and people are pretty much settled where they landed.

So, why am I getting into this again? Because I keep seeing the same term over and over from the anti-Caitlyn folks. "War Crime". And to be honest, I realized while I like every other adult in the world had heard the term in the news, movies, tv shows and more throughout my life, I really don't have a strong understanding to say one way or another if this was what people say it was. This will ONLY be related to her use of The Grey, as that is what I keep seeing pop up regarding this discussion.

To that end, what I'm doing here is attempting a clear, logical, easy to follow analysis of this question using real world sources and laws. A few things of note for clarity and fairness:

I am not educated or working professionally in any field related to this topic. I am a layman trying to present the argument and analysis in a clear and unbias way based the research I am able to do.

I am a huge fan of Caitlyn's story and have advocated logically only for the use of "The Grey" many times. For some of you that will invalidate anything else I say. That's fine. For the rest of you I just don't want you feeling that I was trying to get one over on you. This discussion is not going to deal with the story of the show, Caitlyn's growing aggression or any of that. I am simply hoping to address this particular issue.

Obviously, this is a discussion of a fiction substance in a fictional world. So while I am going to try and keep this as grounded as possible there may have to be a mental leaps required.

The use of chemical weapons in warfare and "war crimes" is an extremely serious topic with a history of death and horror. Any lack of sensitivity or respect on my part is not intentional I assure you.

WHAT WE KNOW:

Origin:

It is factory smog trapped underground. Caitlyn learns that her forebears created the ventilation system used to remove it from the Undercity. It is clearly harmful over extended exposure. Caitlyn sees medical sketches of people who have grown up under continuous exposure.

-"The people of the underground deserve to breathe"

First Time We See It Used:

Season 1 Episode 7: The Boy Savior-

Silco meets with the chem-barons and seems to use The Grey to put them in their place, although it is worth noting it seems different. We don't see that particular green haze when he releases it. Although I admit it is possible this was simply an artistic choice later. it is possible this is entirely different. But it gets mentioned quite a bit, so I think it is worth including.

The Strike Team:

This is part of Caitlyn's story where this comes into play. After the attack on the memorial a full force of Enforcers armed with Hex-Tech entering Zaun is imminent. Vi comes to Caitlyn assuring her that is not the way, as they will be on the Zaunite's terms and she must find an alternative. Caitlyn forms her team and goes to the council announcing her intent to enter Zaun. The Strike Team has 3 goals:

Dismantle Shimmer

Apprehend Jinx

Neutralize agents still loyal to Silco

Something to note for understanding:

Zaun is not independent. It is its own city yes, but it falls under the jurisdiction of the Council. Hence the need for the vote at the end of season 1. For further evidence, in the beginning of season one we see multiple instances of Enforcers moving freely in the Undercity with no issue.

What They Do-

With all that in mind, we see them actually engage in their mission. Using the very ventilation system the Caitlyn's family built they engage in a series of tactical strikes carrying out their objectives, using the grey to clear the streets of civilians and incapacitate enemy combatants in controlled and specific areas. Things of note to consider here:

Amanda Overton recently confirmed use The Grey was "strategic to a pinpoint". But did ask "still does that make it forgivable?"

2. Vi tells Jinx in 2x03: " We used the Grey to clear the streets. To keep people safe"

Now, there of course can be an argument made that Vi was simply trying to justify it to herself given the conflict she was obviously dealing with acting as an Enforcer. But I'm really trying to stick to what we know here and not interpret intention. So let's go over a few points:

They are after Jinx. And good or bad, love her or hate her, she likes to blow things up. Using that information anything that would clear innocents from the area before the Strike Team engages would be a logical decision.

I have seen this image making the rounds being used as proof that they targeted civilians-

This comes from the early portion of the Hellfire cinematic. This is not showing something they did in the current story. The dress of the people and the appearance of Zaun in the image tell us this. Additionally, the image is of the same color scheme and style as the older images Caitlyn sees while using the Kiramman key.

Known Exposures And Confirmed Symptoms:

Exposures-

Silco's Table:

Silco: Died by gunshot

Finn- Died by sword wound

Renni- Died when throat cut

Smeech- Died in fight with Sevika

Chross- Arrested? Hard to tell

Margot- Arrested? Hard to tell

Strike Team:

Jinx- Alive (we all know it)

Vi- Alive

Heenot- Alive (we assume, Caitlyn had him arrested)

Loris- Died from multiple arrow wounds

Maddie- Died of gunshot

Caitlyn- Alive

Steb- Alive

Unknowable amount of people in Zaun who were cleared from streets

Jinx's Attack On Piltover:

Unnamed little boy- Presumably alive

Unknowable amount of people in Piltover

*Presumably each of the surviving Barons. Various guards. Native Zaunites like Vi and Jinx have been exposed to it before certainly. These were just the ones I was confidant enough to document here*

Symptoms-

Painful irritation of eyes: Seen in essentially every exposure

Nasal irritation: Many characters sneeze but Heenot especially

Coughing: Essentially every exposure

Breathing Trouble: Seems to make it harder for some targets to breathe than others. (Assuming it was the same, Finn had extremely violent reaction to exposure compared to say Silco himself, who was standing there completely unmasked)

** It should be noted that we see multiple chem-baron foot soldiers laying on the ground when Smeech and his people arrive, in 2x02, however we get shots each of them confirming they are awake and breathing**

Possible Long Term Effects: Many people have expressed concerns over the potential of long term impact to the health of any and all who were exposed. In truth we just can't know. Obviously there are side effects to the people who have spent their lives breathing the Grey. But it is logical to suggest that short single exposure would not carry the same risk.

The Accusation:

Okay. The accusation of being made is that by using The Grey Caitlyn Kiramman committed what would be a war crime in the real world. In our world, this sort of thing is defined and laid out by something called "The Chemical Weapons Convention".

Classifying "The Grey"-

For our purposes, the comparison here is "Chemical Weapons" versus "Riot Control Agents".

Chemical Weapon- "A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Munitions, devices and other equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall under the definition of chemical weapons"

Riot Control Agent- "Riot control agents are intended to temporarily incapacitate a person by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin. Riot control agents, such as tear gas, are considered chemical weapons if used as a method of warfare. States can legitimately possess riot control agents and use them for domestic law enforcement purposes".

Effects: Tears, coughing, and irritation to eyes, nose, mouth and skin; constricts airway

_______________________________________________________

Now there are other types of Chemical Weapons of course. I list these only so you have all the various categories to investigate for yourself so you can see I'm not hiding something that matches The Grey.

Choking agents- Effects include fatal fluid buildup in lungs

Blister agents- Burning and blistering skin/eyes/windpipe/lungs

Blood agents- Cell's ability to use O2 impaired, leading to damage to all vital organs

Nerve agents- "Overstimulation of parasympathetic system effecting the peripheral and central nervous system, including: lacrimation, salivation, sweating, blurred vision, headache, difficulty in breathing and vomiting. In higher doses, nerve agents cause seizures, loss of body control, muscle paralysis (including heart and diaphragm) and unconsciousness"

Returning to RCA'S (Riot Control Agents)- As you can see above, states are permitted to possess and utilize RCA's for domestic law-enforcement purposes. But they are prohibited and classified as Chemical weapons when used in warfare. Which brings us to our next questions.

Summary: "The Grey" is essentially a symptom-for-symptom match for their example of an RCA.

Domestic Law Enforcement Or Warfare-

For a reminder:

Caitlyn is acting as essentially part of the council (since the seat is hers even though she never really takes it) but also under the auspices of the Council Of Piltover. Both Piltover itself and Zaun fall under their authority. Meaning they are quelling a domestic threat to public safety.

The show makes a point of Vi needing to be an Enforcer to assist them in an official capacity. The team Caitlyn leads is a team of Enforcers.

We see various instances in the show to reinforce this idea anyway, but in LOL lore, the enforcers are actually known as the "Piltover Wardens". The LOL official wiki describes them as: "The Law Enforcement organization in Piltover". But, for a more relevant Arcane example, the entire hunt for the kids after the explosion in season 1 act 1. Grayson and Marcus are tasked by the council with solving the crime.

They do not use the Grey to kill or harm. It is very specifically said by Vi to be used to reduce harm as much as possible and has no evidence of being fatal. It is being used to reduce violence and control the situation.

Summary: Caitlyn leads a team of members of the law enforcement agency that answers to the Council, into a city they have equal jurisdiction over, to quell a threat to public safety. While doing so they use The Grey with no intent to harm, but to control the situation and reduce violence.

Was Caitlyn's Use Of The Grey Proportionate and Targeted?-

So essentially what we need to consider is was Caitlyn's use of the grey while conducting the strike team's mission fair and disciplined. They knock over a stop sign you don't get to blow up the town square for example.

LSD Law defines Proportionality as the following: " A principle in international law that states the use of force should be proportional to the threat or grievance that provoked that use of force"

The Threat/Grievance (I realize there is nuance/detail to all of this just listing the hard details from Piltover's POV:

Jinx kills six enforcers and burns down a building so she can steal hex-tech gemstone

Caitlyn first hand has been almost killed by Jinx repeatedly

Jinx kills the sheriff of Piltover (corrupt coward but still happened) and several Enforcers in a massive explosion

Jinx easily abducts the daughter of a councilwoman from her own home

Jinx assassinates three councilors of Piltover, seriously wounding 2 others and several other people, and destroys the council chamber

Piltover is attacked by a large force of Zaunite warriors, including Shimmer hulks during a memorial that was supposed to be secure. Several fatalities. Confirmed attempt to assassinate at least one other surviving Councilor. They would have every reason to assume Jinx was involved given her recent activities.

The Strike Team's Response:

Five person team of Enforcers working in city they have full authority to be in.

Targeting Jinx, Shimmer, and Chem Barons.

Moved primarily through Ventilation system (they were not marching through the street in the open getting into firefights like storm troopers, for example)

Use of The Grey to clear the streets in areas there was going to be conflict and reduce/control violence. Which based on the parameters we have discussed I feel comfortable classifying an "RCA".

Grey was used only in extremely specific tactical locations as confirmed earlier in this doc by Amanda Overton.

Summary: A small, controlled, goal oriented team of people acting with full legal authority specifically targeting threats to public safety, moving as much as possible in way that does not endanger the public, and using RCA in pin-point tactical fashion for purposes of reducing violence as much as possible.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, I'm just another fan, and this is a very complex topic with way more to it than I'm probably qualified to speak on. I can say based on my reading and learning I do not believe it to be accurate or reasonable to call Caitlyn a war criminal for the use of The Grey. I recognize there plenty who will read this and disagree. And that's okay! Sadly though there are also those who won't bother to read it, and stick to their guns without being willing to broaden their understanding.

Like I said in the beginning I really just wanted to focus on the question at hand so I didn't get into the story motivations or anything. That being said, I hope this broadens your understanding and appreciation of the character and her story as it did for me. To all those who take time out of your day to read my rambling, I love and appreciate you all. See ya next time!

***I didn't want to put this in the beginning because I was trying to leave anything with any attitude out of it. Yes RCA's are permitted in domestic law-enforcement situations and not in warfare. This can lead to statements like " Your defending her for using something we can't even use in war"..... You know what is allowed? bullets'. Bullets are allowed***

[nataliescatorccioapologist]

Starting a Yellowjackets tag!

I want to get my mind off of things so: If you want, answer any or all of the questions below and tag 10 people (or however many you want) who also might want to share! I would love to see what you guys have to say!

1. Are you team Rational or Supernatural?

2. Who is your favorite teen timeline character? Favorite adult timeline character?

3. What is your favorite needledrop?

4. What is your favorite ship?

5. What is your favorite episode?

6. Who do you want the Antler Queen to be?

7. What is your favorite scene in the entire series?

8. A theory or prediction you have about Season 3?

9. Which character do you relate to the most, and why?

10. What is the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of Yellowjackets?

Bonus:

11. What’s your most controversial Yellowjackets take?

—

Here’s mine!

1. I am mostly Team Rational because I love the way this show depicts trauma but I also love seeing the supernatural side of things through the survivors’ eyes if that makes sense.

2. Natalie in the teen timeline because I love her compassion and softness underneath the front she puts on. Lottie in the adult timeline because I love her internal battle with herself and how afraid she is of her own mind. Misty is a close second in the adult timeline!

3. “Cornflake Girl” playing while Nat sees the mossy tree for the first time, Callie seeing the Adam Martin driver’s license in the barbecue, and Shauna eating Jackie’s ear. It just goes so perfectly with everything that’s going on (especially the elevated piano while Nat and Travis are scaling the mountain and the lyrics while Shauna takes the bite!)

4. LottieNat is my favorite ship I can’t help it Nat and Lottie are my favorite characters so having them together is a dream (TaiVan, JackieShauna, and TravNat are up there, too).

5. 1x09 “Doomcoming” is just amazing and captures everything I love about Yellowjackets. I love when they let the girls go batshit crazy, hoping we get more Doomcoming vibes in S3.

6. I want the Antler Queen to be Natalie because that would show a true descent for her in the Wilderness from being the most morally grounded one to the leader of the group at their most unhinged and primal. But honestly I think that Shauna might be the AQ after all…

7. I think the Jackie-eating scene is the best in the entire show. The “Climbing Up the Walls” song choice, the bacchanal feast flashes as a way of coping with the horror of what they’re doing, seeing them go fully feral for the first time, it’s such a well crafted scene.

8. I know this probably won’t happen but I’m just going to throw it out there that Cabin Daughter is alive and she will be revealed to have been Javi’s “friend”!

9. I relate to Shauna the most because I also admittedly have a bit of an obsessive/intense personality and I, too, internalize my emotions to a very unhealthy degree sometimes. I also grew up being in love with my childhood best friend who is very, very much like Jackie (and now we have been dating for 7 years!)

10. Mine is a mix of going to a Yellowjackets panel and sitting like 5 feet from the showrunners, doing everything in my power to score early screening tickets to Heretic and Companion, and pretending I was sick so I could go home early from work the day that the S3 trailer came out.

11. The male characters on this show get too much hate🫢 I like Travis, Jeff, Kevyn, and Walter (even though his introduction and storyline are rushed and forced). I don’t like them more than the female characters, but I like them nevertheless and appreciate their contributions to the plot.

No pressure tags! (I’m tagging 15 bc I feel like it) @before-it-felt-like-a-sin @baked-potatoes-rule @jackiesnats @deerest-deer @whodoesnataliehave @stilllsage @fairytwles @glitterfairy-21225 @lesbianforlottie @tr4vnat @lauraleetaylor @cassioo @natsboygirlfriend @soapyjackets @pinkkkkat @natgf123 +literally anyone else who wants to!

[annunen]

NHLWAM S12 E6: Anton Lundell & Sasha Barkov

Translated the highlights from this one too! Other FLA episode's translations here.

Again, Putkonen and Manninen are the NHLWAM hosts.

TLDR: Sasha is a proud dad, he praises his teammates and chirps Lundy a lot. Sunscreen discourse.

Under the cut!

-----

Manninen: Lunkka, it's been a couple years since we last sat there on the beach. How are you feeling, are you settled in Florida now?

Lundell: Yeah, it feels like home now. Even on that first season. No complaints, this is a cool place to play in and there aren't many places like this where you can go to the beach even in the winter.

Host: About being outside - it's really hot here, even today, so during the season do you have to wear sunscreen?

Lundell: You should. I've made the mistake of thinking "i don't need it, my skin should be used to the sun by now" a couple times and then my shoulders were completely red the next day.

-----

Manninen: So about Matthew Tkachuk, he's a really colorful person, at least on the ice. What kind of guy is he?

Lundell: Yeah, he came in with a rumble and showed everyone why he's such a good player. 40 goals, over 100 points. In the playoffs he showed us the direction, and that just tells about his persona, how much he just wants to win. He hates losing.

Manninen: What about your other new guy, Niko Mikkola?

Lundell: It's nice to have him on the same team. He's quite an annoying player, at least to play against, if i'm being honest. He plays hard, he's mean, he's a big boy. It's hard to play against guys like that. He's been a great addition to the team, bringing us some physicality and experience to the d-core.

Manninen: And what kind of guy is he off the ice?

Lundell: Really nice guy, Finnish too so it's nice to talk Finnish with him. He's a really funny guy too when he tries to joke a little.

-----

Putkonen: Who has the weirdest pre-game ritual? Does anyone have any weird ones?

Lundell: Patric Hörnqvist had a really weird one. Before the game he always took a stick to the bathroom and then he would say "we're going to score some dirty goals tonight".

(Putkonen jaw drop)

-----

Putkonen: Ville Nieminen asked "what things do you think you're better in than Sasha?"

Lundell: Soccer. Definitely.

Putkonen: What about padel?

Lundell: That's good. I don't think i'm better than him but at least i'm not much worse.

-----

Manninen: Welcome to the "Know your coworker" section. Here we have the Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov and the future alternate Anton Lundell.

(Sasha smiles sooo big at that)

(They had to know each other's draft club and draft number, hometown, birth year, junior club, shoe size, first car and eye color. After the fourth question Sasha asks "do you have any harder questions?" Both scored 8 points. I'll subtitle this clip later.)

-----

Putkonen: We came outside and it's like a heatwave day today, so i have a question: do you use sunscreen during the season?

(Sasha shakes his head.)

Putkonen: You don't?

Barkov: No I don't. I was at the beach yesterday and i didn't use sunscreen. I'm a tough guy.

Putkonen: Pretty tough cause Lunkka said he uses sunscreen at least for the beginning of the season.

Barkov: Lunkka is from Espoo.

Putkonen: Yeah, he is from Espoo. Tampere guys don't wear sunscreen.

(all three laugh)

-----

Manninen: So Sasha, you became a daddy a couple years ago! How would you describe this life event?

Barkov: It's quite a big change, but for the better. It feels amazing to have a person you have to take care of and watch him grow. Probably the best thing in my life.

Manninen: Could use the classic cliche of "you don't really understand until you become a parent yourself"?

Barkov: It's exactly that.

-----

Manninen: We were watching your game against Tampa. – – What caught my eye was after all the little scrums and brawls, when there was communication between the refs and the captains, Captain wasn't there. Had you delegated that task to Matthew Tkachuk? Is this a permanent thing or why was it Tkachuk and not you?

Barkov: We have actually agreed with him that when there's scrums like that, he knows about them more than me. He goes to negotiate with the refs. If there's something else to ask, then I'll do my job. But if there's a fight, he knows what to say.

Manninen: For all who have followed Matthew Tkachuk's career at all, he absolutely has seen those scrums. Last season he came in with a crash and really brought your team some of that rough edge.

Barkov: Yeah, he's an unbelievable guy on and off the ice. On the ice, everyone can see how he scores goals and points, how he plays. But how he is off the ice, how much he affects the team atmosphere and connects teammates, that's the biggest thing i've seen about him. He really is - he's like the glue of the team.

-----

Manninen: One Finnish new teammate! Niko Mikkola arrived in Florida this season.  How do you describe Niko as a player and a friend?

Barkov: He's an amazing guy. Just what we needed, a big guy who plays physically and moves really well for a guy that size. Just a great guy, he's really chill and you can crack some jokes at him and he won't get offended like Lunkka does.

(laughing)

Barkov: That might be because he played in Tappara for a couple seasons.

[ladylaratybur]

AoT Analysis: Why I like the Tyburs as characters

A question I get a lot is why I like the Tyburs so much, especially when Willy was "evil" and Lara had so little screen time. I made a thread on Twitter about why I like them, but not everyone who asked me this has it, so I thought I'd post here too : )

DISCLAIMER 1: Please forgive any weirdness; since this is copied from Twitter there might be errors or wacky formatting. Later I'll probably go over it and polish it up.

DISCLAIMER 2: This is my opinion. If you don't like the characters, you have every right. Just don't hate on folks who don't share your opinions ^_^

Aside from being really well written and interesting to analyze (so many people misinterpret Willy as being evil but he's actually a foil to Eren), I find their vibe and aura extremely powerful and interesting for not being there for very long. I think Willy's dilemma is fascinating to analyze; he's there for only a couple episodes yet is extremely important, and so morally grey that his position and decision is interesting to ponder. Willy is extremely well fleshed out for such a short appearance.

As for Lara, she's my prime example of how amazing a character creator Isayama is. She was there for 3 episodes and had 2 lines, yet her aura and presence were super powerful. Her expressions say so much, and was memorable as a character despite very minimal attention. There is also a lot to her if you read between the lines. Presumably she was raised as a noble child, yet probably fairly sheltered due to her family, and likely at a young age had to give up everything to be the Warhammer heir. She was entirely devoted to her mission, accepting her duty though it meant devoting herself to a life of service and secrecy. She had to endure everything alone, from the change in her life to all the memories and secrets of the Warhammer. Through it all she remained loyal and devoted, with probably only her brother to help her. She is silently strong and silently suffering all for what she thinks of as the highest good. Like her brother she was willing to sacrifice her life for this good (though we don't know how much she knew).

Something else I love about the Tyburs is how devoted to family they are; Willy with his kids, Lara smiling and giving her nieces and nephews treats, and how Lara was clearly grieving (yet strong!) when her brother got chomped.

Part of what's so fascinating about Lara is how mysterious she is and getting to read between the lines. We can clean information about her through his Eren changed after eating her as well as through Willy's character and motivations, but we don't ACTUALLY know anything. She could have been secretly in control of ALL of Marley, or she could have been a timid, manipulated, brainwashed child like the warriors. We don't know but there's reason for both. All we know is Eren seemed darker, silent, resentful after inheriting her titan. She also seemed like she could've been a support for Willy too, based on her reassuring him even after his death, even though she was younger. I choose to think she urged him to take action after the Tybur family's long years as idle rich who let their own race suffer endlessly.

True she could ask be extremely evil and conniving ... And some people who misinterpret the Tyburs believe they're like H17ler or worse some antisemit1c stereotype ... But that's, in my opinion, far from the truth. (Also Willy seems heavily NORSE inspired)

I also think people dislike Willy and Lara because there WAS some mishandling in their writing. While the mystery IS part of what's alluring about them, Eren won in a way he shouldn't have. It felt like plot armor. Lara made a big impression and then died. It felt sloppy.

Aside from that I love Willy and Lara because I really do like their character designs x) I think both of them are beautiful (though again, that's far from the only reason I like them) ... Also Lara is fun AF to cosplay and if I was a man I would cosplay Willy for sure. I also like the very WW1 vibe of the Tyburs and their aesthetic (I need to write an essay someday on why AoT is primarily inspired by ww1 and English history rather than ww2).

Thank y'all for reading and I hope you enjoyed!! <3

(also for a literature class on classical rhetoric, I did a deep dive into Willy's speech and motivations as an essay for my final. I'm still waiting to get it back. I would like to possibly transcribe it into a post since I didn't really address Willy's motives much here. It's very similar to this one except it's about Willy more than Lara.)

[fionnalovesanimeboysandholo]

What do you mean that girl isn't Labilia ?! Who the heck is she ?! Does that mean Labilia wasn't even there in the previous world too ?!

[umblrspectrum]

hi heres art so you pay attention to me now go read the tags

[deoidesign]

Thinking about vampires, death, life, and the space they occupy in between

[i-dreamed-i-had-a-son]

Broke (2016): BBC Sherlock is a phenomenal piece of media and anything that seems like a flaw just hasn't been fully explored yet

Woke (2020): BBC Sherlock is an incredibly flawed series run by an egotistical writer, it never deserved the hype and is actively bad on so many fronts (especially representation)

Bespoke (2024): BBC Sherlock is flawed and bogged down by increasingly poor writing, which many fans refused to see while it was airing, leading to hugely misplaced expectations (particularly for the final series), AND it has the seeds of some compelling characterizations and portrayals, some genuinely solid performances, and touches--albeit imperfectly--on complexities that are still being discussed today (particularly as it relates to the relationship between Sherlock and John). The huge cultural impact of the show has created a massive pendulum effect in its public perception, leading to most people today remembering a caricature of the show (whether positive or negative) rather than appreciating its nuanced merits and failings...that being said Season 4 sucked

[bumblingbabooshka]

B'Elanna, Neelix, Tuvok and Chakotay needed to star in an episode where they just talked about their different beliefs and approaches to spirituality/religion. Paired off and all together. I need to gain more insight. I need characterization and I need it to be messy.

[tiredgeekgirl]

fellas it has been three months since the beach episode and thinking about neil and eva in any capacity still makes me ILL

[lamuradex]

And final Doctor Who post before I go to bed:

Why did Sutekh growl at Rogue? The Doctor said they'd heard that noise before, and it was the noise the Tardis made at Rogue.

What does Sutekh have against Rogue?

[lilcathsmith]

Greg in every episode of CSI (149/328) • Fallen Idols •

[hecatesbroom]

every time I rewatch the Rusty Anchor bathroom scene, it becomes gayer and gayer

[broomballade]

spoilers sorta for hazbin hotel in tags

the emotional WHIPLASH i just got from episode 8 of hazbin hotel is insane and i have so many thoughts and none of them are coherent but hoo boy are they there please send help