#link mcneil

[snottly]

i am having an existential crisis

[ashton-slashton]

I FINALLY GET TO POST THIS!!!!!!

Isaac-Louis on Instagram did this for me, just sent it in my DMs spontaneously! I'm posting it here (with explicit permission of course!)

I'm just so over the moon with this art, it's absolutely amazing!!! Love that he kept the detail of Lily wearing a white waistcoat under his uniform similar to the way Fitzjames does, and the lower lashes! He's utterly perfect 😭

[sickness-stricken]

Analyzing Lily Orchard losing her fucking mind in real time

@lily-is-a-gooner has the post debunking the fact that this event was not staged, but I wanted to go over some of the noteworthy things I think are worth dissecting. Strap in, this one’s probably gonna be long.

Video link for anyone playing along at home:

[3:15] “You’ve got these things causing fucking car crashes, cuz they go off in people’s cars, startle them and cause them to veer into oncoming traffic!”

I’ll need to see a source on that before I believe it. Looking up “car crashes caused by amber alert” only brings up instances of kidnapped children that the amber alerts were for being involved in a car crash. Wouldn’t there be some study showing that reports for car crashes have an uptick within the hour of an EAS alarm being sent out?

[3:26] “AND THEY SEND THEM ALL THE GODDAMN TIME! […] You’re gonna get one of these things once a fucking week!”

No you won’t. Like. That is factually false. Excluding the test that just got sent out this month I get MAYBE one every three months. They are NOT common.

I thought maybe I was the outlier in that I live in Middle-of-nowhere, Alberta so I asked my Ontarian friend if they were more common there (you know, given the larger population) and what do ya know

[3:42] “We had one of these come out when Covid was happening! Like, Stephen, we all knew Covid was deadly, we didn’t need you to blow up everyone’s phones over it!”

I was ready to clown on this given I thought she was referring to Stephen Harper who hasn’t been PM since 2015 but I THINK she’s referring to Stephen McNeil who was the Premier of Nova Scotia in 2020. I don’t personally remember that alert going out (but I also have the memory of an anemic goldfish so that isn’t a high bar to clear) so maybe it was only a NS thing but I would assume for a national state of emergency that would be sent out by the NPAC? So, all parts of Canada? What would that have to do with Premier McNeil?

Don’t take this part super seriously I’m mostly just spitballing, this very well could just be an honest slip up on Lily’s part

[5:52] “I get amber alerts for shit that happens in Yarmouth! That’s a 3 hour drive away from me, the fuck you want me to do?!”

Hey, you know how earlier you said the amber alerts are usually about kids that wander off or are taken by a parent in a CUSTODY DISPUTE? Ya think that parent taking the kid is gonna STICK AROUND? They very well could be in Halifax by the time the alert actually goes out depending on how far the parent is willing to go. I myself jumped provinces to escape an abusive situation, that’s not exactly a long drive in comparison.

[6:36] (I’m gonna paraphrase this but essentially she’s talking about how 911 got swarmed with calls just bitching about the alarm going off in the first place and when they said not to abuse the line Lily calls this hypocrisy)

Lily the alerts are reporting imminent emergencies. If a kid (or really anyone) goes missing and they aren’t found in 48 hours it’s safe to assume they’re GONE. Calling 911 to complain about the alarm waking you up (despite them not being responsible for it) clogs up the lines when an ACTUAL report could be trying to get through. This is not comparable to a province using an emergency line for something that needs immediate attention just because it doesn’t affect you directly.

Feel like it’s also worth noting I’ve never seen anyone who wasn’t a conservative complain about the alerts at night. If it’s really that much of an issue you can turn your phone off at night (which you really should do anyway, it’s better for the battery) and get an alarm clock. If you know this to be an issue for you and the solution is completely within your control it is your responsibility to avoid this specific issue.

[7:46] (paraphrasing again: Lily is accusing people who are okay with the alerts going off at night of being hypocrites because they’ll just click their phones off and go back to sleep)

Again, this reeks of self-centrism and I’m once again unsure if Lily is aware that people who aren’t her exist. Yes, the person who acknowledges night alerts as a good thing may dismiss the notification. However, they acknowledge that people working night shift, such as hospital workers or those working at 24hr drive thrus/gas stations ARE awake and able to keep an eye out for certain descriptors, licence plates etc. This is not a hypocritical stance.

[9:10] “I can’t do anything while [the alarm] is playing. I just have to clap my hands over my ears and wait for it to end.”

…no??? You can literally swipe it away like any other notification and the noise stops. What are you talking about.

[9:30] (Not typing allat: Lily uses Japan as an example of how they use different alarms for different emergencies)

Oh hey look! Lily saying Japan did something good for once!

Gotta love how she picked the one country that doesn’t have an alarm that’s ominous as hell because literally almost every other country has an alarm that is just as if not more shit-in-pants worthy than Canada’s if it was played abruptly and at max volume

Maybe this is just personal opinion but I think it’s a good thing that all emergencies are regarded at the same level here. If we had a different, lessened alarm for when a child goes missing then people could immediately go “cool don’t care” instead of reading it at least once quickly to see what it says.

Alright that’s it for me I didn’t have a closing statement I’m gonna go take a nap… with my phone off

[workingclasshistory]

Today in the US, Black history month begins, on the anniversary of civil rights sit-ins beginning in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960 when four Black college students refused to move from a Woolworth lunch counter when they were denied service. While many sit-ins had taken place in years prior, none had previously sparked a mass direct action movement against Jim Crow segregation laws. On this day, 1 February 1960, Joseph McNeil, Jibreel Khazan, David Richmond and Franklin McCainand began their protest, and refused to leave Woolworth's when directed to by management. A police officer soon arrived, but didn't appear to know what to do other than look vaguely threatening. Eventually the manager decided to close the store, and then the men went home. McCain later told Christopher Wilson, a journalist with Smithsonian magazine, “Almost instantaneously, after sitting down on a simple, dumb stool, I felt so relieved. I felt so clean, and I felt as though I had gained a little bit of my manhood by that simple act”. The protesters then continued organising, importantly including young Black women at Bennett College, and came back the following day with up to 16 more people. Within a few days there were hundreds, including some white students from the Women's College of the University of North Carolina. The movement then spread around the country. By the following September over 70,000 people had participated in sit ins against segregation. The Greensboro Woolworth's desegregated on July 25, 1960, and overt segregation was eventually banned in 1964. * In our new Stories web app, you can browse all of the stories in our archive about Black history and see sources and links to more information, as well as map locations where available: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/tag/7662/black-history https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2199822513536220/?type=3

[broadwaydivastournament]

Movie Musical Divas Tournament: Round 1

Betty Hutton (1921-2007): Incendiary Blonde (1945) - Texas Guinan | The Stork Club (1945) - Judy Peabody | Red Hot and Blue (1949) - Eleanor Collier | Annie Get Your Gun (1950) - Annie Oakley | Let's Dance (1950) - Kitty McNeil

"She's literally Annie Oakley! Anything you can do she can do better! We love a diva who brings energy and comedy along with her singing and dancing chops." - anonymous

Vera-Ellen (1921-1981): On the Town (1949) - Ivy Smith | White Christmas (1954) - Judy Haynes | Call Me Madam (1953) - Princess Maria

"She’s so PRETTY and CAT-LIKE this little pixie FELINE QUALITY she is so tiny but her dancing is BIG" - anonymous

This is Round 1 of the Movie Musical Divas tournament. Additional polls in this round may be found by searching #mmround1, or by clicking the link below. Add your propaganda and support by reblogging this post.

ADDITIONAL PROPAGANDA AND MEDIA UNDER CUT: ALL POLLS HERE

Betty Hutton:

Vera-Ellen:

"Not her most impressive number [video below] of all time, but I think it's very charming and shows off her tap and singing skills as well!" - anonymous

Photos and video submitted by: anonymous | Photos submitted by: @funnygirlthatbelle

[covid-safer-hotties]

Slightly old news, but proof that Covid is still here and still a concern

Also preserved on our archive

Thanks to the person who sent me the link to this story!

By Emma Convey

Nova Scotia Health is introducing new masking requirements for visitors and health-care workers in provincial hospitals.

Beginning Thursday, masking will be required in ambulatory and inpatient care areas.

“Anybody who is in clinical area in the hospital’s inpatient units and clinics where we are providing direct patient care. We will still have masks available at entrances, but we won't be making people put them on just yet in the common areas, cafeterias, elevators, those sorts of places,” said Doctor Shelly McNeil, senior medical director for Nova Scotia Health(opens in a new tab).

McNeil says the idea of implementing these changes now is to get ahead of the spread of respiratory illnesses that come along with colder weather.

“We sort of monitor several different ways to see how many respiratory viruses are in the community. We can look at the number of people presenting or care for respiratory illnesses. We can look at the number of people hospitalized with respiratory infections, people getting tests or treatments for respiratory infections," said McNeil.

"It's usually around this time of year when we see an upswing in that, and we have been seeing that very consistently in Nova Scotia and given that we are looking to reduce the risk inside of hospitals as early as possible."

Dr. John Gillis, an emergency room doctor at Dartmouth General Hospital in Dartmouth, N.S., says he has seen many patients experiencing these illnesses already this year.

“We are starting to see more cases of respiratory illness, Covid is certainly still out there, RSV is out there, influenza and other viruses and colds as we are heading into the bad season and we are seeing a fair bit of it now,” said Gillis.

IWK Health Centre(opens in a new tab) is also reinstating masking rules.

In a statement to CTV Atlantic, IWK said it is seeing an increase in local viral respiratory illnesses, and they are implementing masking requirements to protect their patients, families, support persons, staff and physicians starting Oct. 1. Masks will be required in inpatient units at IWK Health Centre on University Avenue, the emergency department, early labour assessment unit and any ambulatory care interactions.

Although this may be new to Nova Scotia, this is not the first Maritime province to reintroduce these rules.

Horizon Health Network in New Brunswick reintroduced masking(opens in a new tab) for all health-care workers, patients, social visitors, and support workers in all patient facing and clinical areas on Sept. 3.

Some community members feel this change is crucial in Nova Scotia as well. Local resident Shannon Jack explained her views on the importance of masks.

“I think people everywhere, not just in hospitals, should wear a mask now that it's fall. The coronavirus is still around, and masks should be made mandatory again," said Jack

Others feel it's important to have a choice as well.

“It's a lot easier to comply as best as you can than be the rebellious person. But then again, free will always accommodates for people's differences of choice," Neria Atwine.

As the cold and flu season begins, doctors say if you feel sick, stay home. If you must go out when you aren’t feeling well, wear a mask to avoid passing it on to others. They also recommend people get their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations when they become available.

[kuiperoid]

My "Nickstorian" (people neurodivergently fascinated by Nick Fuentes, but not for shared ideology reasons) entry point

It started in late winter/early spring of 2023. I was dealing with a mix of stress from my second semester of graduate school and not being able to pin down a thesis topic, plus devastation from the ending of a relationship, my shortest romantic relationship at just over a month, but she'd been my friend for around fifteen years, back when we were awkward young nerds that gave our classmates "school shooters vibes" (perhaps foreshadowing, as we were exactly the kind of kids who could have gone down the groyper path if things had gone a bit differently) and who hadn't transed our genders yet, so I was dealing with a lot of stuff emotionally. I was watching a video upload of one of Shark3ozero's streams when he started discussing one of Nick Fuentes's tweets. I had heard of Nick Fuentes and his "groypers" before, but didn't really know what made him unique among the far right Internet personalities. Some of Shark's chatters remarked about Nick, "isn't he gay?" and Shark responded with something along the lines of, "yeah, he searched his friend's room for cum who he tried to make watch Euphoria with him and went on a date with a Nazi catboy." Now, I'd heard of plenty of rightwing talking heads being called called gay before, but that particular statement was so incredibly specific and strange that I had to verify what it meant. Surely this was some kind of terminally online joke that I wasn't getting? Alas, Shark did put some images on screen in reference to the latter claim. I was intrigued by this odd claim, so I did some Internet searching, initially just for "Nick Fuentes catboy" and found YouTube videos by CreationistCat, Vaush (despite the fact that I hate him), and more (several rightwing critics, I found, which added to the intrigue; as a leftist, we often lament how unified the right is and here was an exception). I got to a point where I was watching the entire ten hour stream in pieces between my classes as I ate in the grad student lounge. The catboy question was answered, but there was more. KiwiFarms and similar platforms kept on talking about his "friend Jaden," who he'd incidentally referenced during the "date" multiple times, and I figured there was some equally bizarre story there and I went down that rabbit hole as well. I was wrong about it being equally bizarre; it was more bizarre. Needless to say, over the next few months, I ended up learning his entire life story for which I wrote a thirty page essay for a project about rightwing Latinos in the US that ended up being abandoned in favor of another subject, though I keep that up for anyone else who shares my bile curiosity (most everyone who follows me has read that madness, so I won't bother linking it again). I have more or less followed him and his ex-associates, namely Jaden McNeil (who I find just as ideologically repulsive, though I do have slightly more sympathy for him for other reasons), from a distance ever since. It is a bit funny, at the time I was learning about him, I truly thought that Nick's relevance was waning. He was in deep trouble after an ex-associate of his, Ali Alexander, was exposed for sexually abusing teenage boys in his organization and a lot of people on the right found him to be a contrarian grifter, while leftists viewed him as more of a joke than a threat. It was a pretty big surprise when he managed to thrust himself back into the spotlight with the whole "your body, my choice" thing after the election, a bit ironic given he had spent almost all of the election season criticizing Trump for supporting Israel and issues with JD Vance. It's interesting watching someone, especially one I've had this bile curiosity about for almost two years, so successfully regain relevance he'd lost, maybe even become more relevant, from what was essentially a publicity stunt that ended up being weaponized beyond him. At the moment, it seems like his previous reputation as a joke and possibly gay is returning, what with the Destiny leaks (which probably weren't even him, but the Internet doesn't care) and then his arrest, but we'll see.

[danjaley]

House Overview Season 4

Of course Jon didn't turn the family house into a classicist temple :) At a first glance, not very much changed. Since Andrew didn't need the top-floor room any more, it could be a nursery again and Fiona and Ysobel could keep the second bedroom. The back-house got linked with a covered passage after all. There are servant- and guestrooms there, which are rarely shown in the story. Alasdair got some privacy, as his room is no longer the passage to the study. The study is now reached by the main staircase - which means that the stairs come up on the other side of it. Heating was modernized with tiled stoves, but the family kept two open fireplaces for gathering round.

Matt also had a proper horse-stable built on the sheep-run lot. This has the advantage that the horses can live on that lot, under the care of Walter McNeil's youngest son.

[protoslacker]

F. W. Woolworth's Building; International Civil Rights Center & Museum

Surfing around I saw this photo out of the corner of my eye. I knew exactly where it was taken and its significance. I was kinda shocked.

The photo link is to a page at The Civil Rights Trail, The Civil Rights Center and Museum are in Greensboro. There's a short video of Robert Petterson talking about the lunch counter sit-ins in 1960. Four freshmen students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University--Aggies--led the demostrations: and became known at the Greensboro Four : David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Ezell A. Blair, Jr., and Joseph McNeil.

I was pretty little in 1960, I am not even sure we had a televison set at home. That those stools at Woolworth"s are so iconic to me shows how powerful the movement of sit-ins were. Certainly I'm old enough to remember racist segregation. The thousands of young people who participated in sit-ins inspired me as a lad. I knew they were creating something good. At least trying to make living better for all of us.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Do the baby rats ever return to the bilges? And by that do they spend much time with the old man? Are they free to drop in and make themselves at home?

I think it varies between them and over time.

Alfred drops in a lot. God knows there's hardly a spot in the world he hasn't made himself known but I still couldn't quite believe how many statues and memorials. The eagle squadron, the Eisenhower statue, the Reagan statue, the 9/11 memorial garden. Mark Twain, James McNeil Whistler, Harry Selfridge, FDR, Abraham Lincoln. Like goddamn I'm not sure why I was surprised but whoo. So many statues of Yanks paid for by the British.

Anyway: In the 19th century he'd actually spent time in England indulging his need for the latest technology and satiating whatever advances François or Gilbert wouldn't keep him abreast of. Nowadays, especially since the age of flight, he travels a lot and has no shame in rolling up, insulting the food but savoring the whiskey, crashing wherever he likes and drunkenly asking his father's advice. He's very free in how much space he takes up and how much time he feels entitled too. If he's jet lagged he'll just conk out on the old man's spare room and complain it smells like sheep but very much appreciate a night's sleep in a place he once called home.

Matt... He should be very comfortable in that space but he's a dipshit so imposing feels illegal. He kind of knows he can but he's also not willing to test his luck the vast majority of the time. If he's invited he'll show up on time, clean up after himself and promptly leave without causing a fuss. At least the cat's happy he's back to visit lmao. He got permission to pay for a wee fountain in the green park memorial. There was a gate we bought when Victoria locked it and we were still first dominion (Australia was still in the process of confederating.) But yeah he's welcome? Arthur doesn't mind him around if he's not underfoot. But it really was kind of a sign Jan had no idea what Matt's life was like anymore when he asked him to go stay at his dad's in the aftermath of their break up.

Jack lmao he's shameless when he wants some of the old man's attention. I don't think it's all the time, but there are a lot of links there. I swear to God I met so many Australians in England. I tumbled out of a test pit off a corner off a Hadrian's wall fortlet and there were like 6 Australians in every pub in fricken Yorkshire. He will just kind of show up with a very casual but somehow kind of prickly invitation to go to a cultural event of his artists or bands in England and the old fart isn't objecting. It took Arthur a minute to figure out that "Accadacca" meant they were going to go see AC/DC but he wasn't mad about it! Two manic fucks can have a lot of fun. They party quite hard sometimes. Jack was also very responsible for the old man's cooking improving by a metric and imperial fuck tonne. The espresso machine under the cabinet is his baby.

Zee I think is the easiest. She's as independent as Jack but that not quite dead idea that daughters are kind of allowed to be more in and out of the house makes it slightly easier for them. She rolls up and flops on the sofa demanding to be fed and watered. A full fifth of the NZ population lives overseas with Australia and the UK topping the list and if there's things she can't really do in New Zealand or she just doesn't want to live alone she'll just hop over. I feel like she goes in cycles of how independent and revolutionary she's feeling and will just kind of make herself at home if she wants another degree or something similar. She spent time in London without the old man too especially during the peak punk years and they ran into each other at a sex pistols concert. She had a full set of tattoos, an undercut and half a blunt in her system, Arthur had green hair and absolutely ripped on god knows what. She's never seen him so panicked. They stumbled home together having a hoot and throwing beer bottles at cops. Grade a hooligans, those two.

[fredbydawn]

So, I finally finished reading the book, so here's my updated thoughts on that theory I kinda made as a joke but oops kinda like it.

So, I know Merrin says that there's only one demon, but I disagree.

Basically, I think Pazuzu did start to contact Regan as a form of protection. I think he is probably the original Captain Howdy, and he talks to her to elevate the stress of her parents' divorce and the stress of being the child of a famous actress.

I’m not totally sure if Dennings is already acting predatorily towards Regan before or after she starts contacting Pazuzu, but I think that some of the initial, like, strong paranormal stuff is the result in of an escalation of abuse. I also think it’s important to note that the book repeatedly mentions that some of the weird things going on (noises in the attic for example) might be due to Regan having a form of telekinesis due to extreme emotional duress.

I know there are people who’ve analyzed the film and explored the idea that Regan was being abused by Dennings due to things like what could he possibly have been doing in her bedroom to begin with or his voice being prominent in the crucifix scene, so I won’t go too much into that. What I will say is that Dennings is more queer coded in the book, using Polari phrases like “Ducky” for instance. And considering when the book was released many straight audience members would have been under the homophobic impression that queer people were dangerous to have around children, I wonder if that may have been a deliberate decision to get readers to wonder if the possession stuff, which is often of a sexual nature, is actually just a troubled girl experiencing and reliving trauma even after killing her abuser. I also want to point out one moment in the book when he comes over to the McNeil house while Regan is sleeping and Chris says his facial expressions and demeanor remind her of a time she saw him skulking around while looking for a prostitute.

So I think Pazuzu starts to possess Regan in order to protect her from Dennings, but this leaves her open to possession by other, more malevolent forces. I don’t know if I 100% believe the spirit is The Devil, but I do think that the spirit is the one who engineered Regan and Pazuzu first coming into contact. I think this malevolent spirit traps Pazuzu as the backwards talking entity. Like I noticed in the book it mentions that in the backward portion of the tapes, it sounds like there are multiple people arguing and one of them is afraid of Merrin. Considering Pazuzu and Merrin are linked in the opening scenes, I think Pazuzu is the one who’s afraid of being cast out of Regan and into the void. I’m not really sure why the entity wants Pazuzu inside Regan, but maybe that’s so it can leach off of his power or because if he was outside he’d be able to ward the evil way, idk.

So while he’s stuck only talking backwards, I think Pazuzu does have enough power to leave if he wanted, so the malevolent spirit does things to make Pazuzu want to remain in Regan to protect her, like keeping the threat of Dennings around as a spirit (cuz I do think Exorcist III rules apply where if you kill someone while possessed, their soul gets trapped in you). Like I think Pazuzu was probably the one who killed Dennings, but it worked out for the malevolent spirit because now Pazuzu would be spending most of his energy trying to stop Dennings from taking control instead of being able to challenge the malevolent spirit.

The more Regan suffers at the hands of doctors, psychologists, and priests, the more Pazuzu clings into Regan, wanting to keep her safe even if that means lashing out violently. But I think in the end he realizes that Regan will die if the possession doesn’t end, and I think that one shot in the movie of Regan and Pazuzu is of him allowing himself to be pushed out in order to save her. I think this then leaves the other spirits vulnerable to being thrown out and that’s one of the reasons why Karras is able to force the malevolent spirit into himself.

So, yeah, it not perfect, but that’s kinda my way of justifying the presence of Pazuzu, cuz tbh I’m super not sure why he was picked as the icon of the devil

And no I will not count the lore of the second movie cuz I don’t feel like it :)

[thelesseroftwoweevils]

Okay it makes sense that Mariner would open up to a stranger like Ma'ah more than her friends but on the other side it's pretty sad that she won't and they can't get through to her. The character links between the main four should be important thing.

And it's Sito Jaxa's death that is at the root of her issues? Hmm. I mean I guess mythologically it's interesting that Lower Decks the series has a such strong link to Lower Decks the episode but... not sure how I feel about it.

Wanting the reveal is better than getting it, I guess.

As with Tom Paris, I can't recognise McNeil's voice well enough for it to really matter that he's back and not a sound alike tbh.

[ashton-slashton]

Btw for all my Terror buddies, I wrote a short little exchange between Lily and Crozier, while Lily is recovering from the Tuunbaq attack. Just a little something-something, I did at least a teensy bit of research. A link to the doc, since I'm not quite ready to post anything on AO3.

[lessthanpure]

Making the Best of it Chapter 15

Fandom: Baseball RPF

Pairing: Pete Alonso/OFC, Pete Alonso/Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso/Jeff McNeil/OFC

Summary: Sloane's birthday is coming up- the boys give her an early present.

Notes: Thanks for being patient! I'm a slow writer (and also keep forgetting about this blog, lmao).

Wordcount: 1,679

AO3 Link

18+

Jeff looks down when his phone pings and checks it- Pete. It’s in a solo secure messaging conversation, not the one with the three of them in it, and he frowns in confusion. He opens the message. ‘So I think we should treat Sloane for her birthday.’ 

Jeff’s heart lodges in his throat. ‘Shit, when is it? I never knew.’

‘Relax, babe, it’s in a month.’

‘Oh thank God. What does she like?’

‘I’ll tell you another time. I mean, I think we should surprise her. Maybe treat her. In bed.’

Jeff swallows. ‘Yeah,’ he types back. ‘What do you have in mind?’

Sloane and Pete go to Jeff’s place two weeks later and Jeff cooks. After dinner, Pete washes the dishes while Jeff dries. “Jeff, you cooked,” Sloane protests. 

“Consider it an early present,” Jeff smiles. “Don’t worry, I got you something, too.”

“My birthday isn't for another week, hon.”

“That’s why it’s early.”

“Smartass.”

Pete chuckles quietly at their quips. He finishes washing the last dish and dries his hands. He makes sure Sloane isn't looking when he looks at Jeff and raises an eyebrow. Jeff smirks and nods.

“Speaking of early presents,” Pete says casually.

“Not you too,” Sloane groans. 

“Yes, me too. Me three, technically,” Pete smiles. 

Sloane smiles gently at their shared joke. “Fine. What is it, Pete?”

“Come here, sweetheart,” Pete says, extending an arm. She comes close and he pulls her in, kissing her deeply. She hums and kisses back. 

“I like this early present,” she murmurs, reaching for Jeff with one hand as she drapes her other over Pete’s shoulder. Jeff obliges, coming up behind her and ducking his head to kiss her neck. She purrs, tilting her head to give him more access. Pete follows her movement, kissing her again.

Pete slides his free hand up her side, palm catching on her shirt and making it ride up. Jeff, ever the opportunist, seizes the chance and touches her skin, his hand brushing Pete’s. She shudders and moans quietly. Jeff chuckles and slides his hand up further, her shirt bunching around his wrist. “Shall we go to bed,” Jeff asks quietly before mouthing at her neck. He can smell that Sloane wants to, can smell her start to get aroused though she isn't wet yet. They’ll fix that. 

“Yeah,” she breathes. Pete backs up, making her whine when his mouth leaves hers. He chuckles and takes her hand, bringing her to Jeff’s room. Jeff keeps contact with Sloane the whole way, licking and scraping his fangs down the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. She whimpers, reaching and touching the back of his head, nails scratching gently against his scalp. He shivers. They reach the bedroom and Jeff gives her skin a final kiss before he turns her around. She smiles at him and pulls him down, kissing him. Pete presses against her back and Sloane moans softly. Pete waits for Jeff to finish kissing her before he tugs at the bottom of her shirt. She puts her arms up. Pete pulls off the fabric, smiling. Once it’s off, Sloane hums, reaching for Jeff’s shirt. He lets her take it off, then kisses her again. He winds a hand into her hair and scratches gently and she moans quietly into his mouth. 

“What do you want first, sweetheart,” Pete whispers in her ear. “Hmm?”

Jeff pulls away to let her answer, smirking. “God, you two are gonna be the death of me,” Sloane says breathlessly. The Alphas chuckle before they duck their heads. They both go to mouthe at the same side of her neck, making them laugh again before Jeff switches. “Fuck.”

“You didn’t answer the question, darling,” Jeff says. 

“Because you’re making my brain goo.” She tries to sound scolding, but isn't successful. 

The men laugh. “If you want us to stop,” Pete shrugs, leaning back. Her hand shoots back and grabs his shirt.

“Don’t you dare.”

Jeff smirks at Pete and reaches around Sloane, tugging at his shirt. Pete takes it off. Pete hooks his chin over Sloane’s shoulder and Jeff kisses him gently. 

“Fuck,” Sloane breathes. Pete kisses Jeff deeper. Sloane kisses behind Jeff’s ear. Jeff pulls back, shuddering.

“This is about you,” he says, smiling at Sloane. 

“This is about all of us,” Sloane says earnestly, stroking his hair. 

“We have time,” Jeff murmurs, kissing her again. “It’s your birthday.”

Sloane rolls her eyes fondly. “Not yet.”

“Soon enough,” Pete agrees. He comes to her front and gently guides her to Jeff’s bed. She gets on her back and lounges on the pillows. She crooks her finger and both men get on with her. 

Pete kisses her again and Jeff works on her pants. They take their time undressing each other until all of them are naked. Jeff slides down, licking and kissing randomly, before he settles between her thighs. Pete kisses her gently before he slides his hand down, pressing into her where she’s wet. Jeff licks her gently, working around Pete’s fingers. Sloane arches at the sensation, winding her hand into Jeff’s hair. 

Jeff shudders and licks deeper. He loves doing this, loves having Sloane leak onto his tongue and knowing that she feels so good. Pete draws his fingers back and Jeff chases them to her clit. “Fuck,” Sloane moans. She arches into Jeff’s mouth and shivers. Jeff makes her cum and looks up, smirking. “Jeff, get up here,” she says. He chuckles and crawls up. “Knotting,” she says, curling a hand around the back of his neck. Pete hands him the right condom and he puts it on. He reaches for lube but Sloane just puts her legs around his hips. 

“Don’t wanna hurt you,” he says, leaning down and nudging noses with her. 

“You won’t.” 

“You sure, baby?”

“I’m sure.” Jeff nods, smiling a little. 

He slowly sinks in, giving her time to adjust. And she isn’t tight around him, which is good. He gets all the way in and pauses. She kisses him and he smiles into it. Then Pete noses his cheek and he pulls back, giving him a long kiss, too. Pete strokes his hair and kisses Sloane. Jeff starts moving, slow and easy. Sloane hums, arching and smiling. Jeff dips his head and mouthes at her throat. She purrs, pulling his head closer. 

They make love while Pete watches, fond. Sloane reaches for his hand and he holds it. He presses a kiss to the back of it and she cups his cheek. He leans down and kisses her deeply. She hums and scratches down his back, curling her other hand and sliding it down Jeff’s. Jeff hums and angles his hips, and she arches, whimpering. He makes her cum and pauses, panting into her throat. When she’s come down, he starts again. Pete smiles, nosing at his temple. He pulls back enough to kiss him, and Sloane’s hands tighten on them. 

Jeff makes her cum again and thrusts a few more times before he knots. He noses into her throat and hums. “Good, sweetheart,” he asks gently.

“More than good.”

Jeff blankets her and she hums, scratching a hand through his hair and down his back. He flexes against her, rumbling. She smiles and kisses the tip of his nose, making him chuckle. Pete’s hand joins Sloane’s, and he pets down Jeff’s spine. He hums, relaxing. 

“So what brought this on,” Sloane asks. “Besides my birthday, smartasses.”

“Just wanted to treat you,” Pete says, nosing her jaw and pressing a kiss to the hinge. 

“Mostly for your birthday, but because you deserve it every day,” Jeff says, nosing the other side of her jaw.

Sloane hums and smiles. “Thank you.”

“For what,” Jeff asks.

“Being you two.”

Jeff smiles. “I don’t know how to be anyone else.”

“Good.”

Jeff’s knot deflates and he pulls out, tying off the condom. Pete takes his place, stroking down Sloane’s sides. “Pete, baby, I-”

“I can tell,” Pete murmurs, kissing her. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Today’s about you,” he promises, lying next to her. Jeff glances down, and Pete’s mostly soft. 

“You sure,” Sloane asks quietly, and she really does sound concerned.

“I’m sure,” Pete reassures her, stroking his hand through her hair. Jeff comes back to bed, lying on the other side of Sloane.

“You’re too good to me,” Sloane says, getting on her back and looping an arm around either man.

“I happen to think we’re just good enough,” Jeff says, nose in her throat. 

“Yeah,” Pete agrees, the same way on her other side. She pets both of their heads, purring. 

Sloane’s phone pings and she groans. “Ignore it,” Jeff mutters. 

“Nope.”

He sighs and rolls over, getting it for her. He hands it over and cuddles close again. She checks it, scrolling. Pete looks up to see her eyebrows are furrowed. “What’s wrong,” he asks, and Jeff looks up, putting his chin on Sloane’s collarbone.

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t look like a ‘nothing’ face,” Jeff says. “What’s wrong?”

Sloane sighs. “My family’s throwing me a party.”

“Ok,” Pete draws out. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“I want you both there, but,” she trails off.

“Baby,” Jeff says. “If you want me, I’m there,” he promises.

“We can say you’re friends with Jeff, too,” Pete says.

“Ok,” she says, noticeably more relaxed. The Alphas settle down again, heads pillowed on her shoulders. 

Sloane looks down when Jeff falls asleep, Pete not too far behind him. She smiles. She wishes, desperately, that her family would understand. That everyone would understand- that this isn’t a kinky thing, that she truly cares for both of them. That she loves both of them. She bites her lip. She and Pete had said it before Jeff joined, but hadn’t said it recently. She doesn’t want to make Jeff feel excluded. She carefully puts her phone aside and warms when Jeff hums in his sleep, throwing an arm around her waist. Pete makes a sleepy noise and curls around her more, head on her heart. She smiles and goes to sleep. 

[thryth-gaming]

How my various campaigns are becoming a multiverse:

Whateley Academy Shared Universe - Fiction - Jay Donohue is a character.

M-Com - Monster of the Week - Violet McNeil is an NPC

Scion 2012 - Scion 1e - Dr. Tom McKay is a PC.

Sydney Scion - Scion 1e - Juri Como, my PC, writes/draws the manga "Combat Hurricane". Ryoko Satomi is the protagonist of Combat Hurricane. Explicitly the same setting as Scion 2012, Kaji Souta, a PC, is explicitly a new alias of Dr. Tom McKay.

Everyday Life of Monsters - Chronicle of Darkness - Bel and Deme are PCs in the homebrew city of Blackmouth.

In Shadow of Black Wings - Chronicles of Darkness - Also set in Blackmouth. I played Emma Terreal. Ames is a PC from this and linked to Jay Donohue as in may be a variant of them.

Tales of Blood and Water - Chronicles of Darkness - Set in Blackmouth, I played Cheyenne Belmont.

Shougnai Mists - City of Mist - Patricia Althius and Lady Eldred are PCs. Haley Hayami is an NPC.

Divine Blood Playtest 4 - Divine Blood: Fate - Ryoko Satomi is an NPC cameo

Golden Ticket - Patricia Althius, Hayley Hayami, and Lady Eldred are NPCs, Random with the Hunter's Garden is a PC

East Texas University - MotW - A player stumbled into The Hunter's Garden, Violet McNeil is an NPC, Aetherials and Bloodsworn are antagonists (they're from the Grim Dawn ARPG)

Late Start - Fanfic - Kasumi Tendo is an oni working for the Templars

Turquoise Plains - Scion 2e - Combat Hurricane is in stores, the players may have created the Hunter's Garden, Canopy Research is a major antagonist, Late Start version of Kasumi Tendo does the visitation for Rei Mochizuki

Estonia Divine Blood - Divine Blood: Fate - Bel and Deme appear as NPCs

Ghost Bros/Canton Crew - Monster of the Week - Canopy Research is a minor antagonist, Bloodsworn are major element/minor antagonist, Violet McNeil is an NPC.

Erika - She has appeared in multiple D&D games, Estonia Divine Blood, Blackmouth, and Shadowrun

Shouganai's Themebook - Referenced Patricia Althius's family and the Infinite Hallway from Monster's Playbook podcast.

[himebushou]

So... there's a slight hole in my heart now that I've finished my Zoids: New Century Zero rewatch.

Man, it was so much fun! Overall, the pacing was excellent — but being the big tournament fan that I am, I definitely would've welcomed more episodes being dedicated to the Royal Cup. I was a bit baffled that it all got wrapped up in just three eps... it would have been a great opportunity to introduce another solid team rather than focusing purely on the four rivals we saw (the Lightning Team, the Champ Team, Naomi's team and the Fuzzy Pandas Zaber Fangs). However, to dedicate another ep to the Royal Cup, we would have had to drop a filler and the only real contender I can think of is the Sebastian-has-a-crush episode. I would be slightly reluctant to drop it since it gave us some sweet moments where Bit helped out Harry and the gang so it was sorta cute in its own way.

Still, some of the Backdraft's motivations were a bit whacky and needed more exploration. There doesn't seem to be much correlation between shooting down the judges' satellites and taking over the Zoid Battles Commission. And Altile being ready to kill a 10-year-old in order to undermine a colleague was definitely a theme that could've used some expansion! Nevertheless, the tension was effectively built up all the way through and seeing Bit win the final battle with the original Liger Zero was lovely.

Though the poor Panzer unit only got two outings!!

It was bizarre/incredible to hear so many people from the Gundam Wing dub! Picking up on Duo's voice was definitely a bit of a shock, lol. And man, all the DBZ voices... we always had a huge laugh in our household about Harry and the Great Saiyaman having a voice actor in common.

/looks up Scott McNeil

WHAT? He voiced Stoeller too?!? Oh wow oh wow —

I think the women in Zoids were all great: Leena was obnoxious, brash, loud and trigger happy (big heart emoji); Naomi was cool, calm and collected; Mary Champ was materialistic, refined and caring; the Tasker sisters had incredible battling skills (though very little development, sadly); Pierce was cool; Fuma was super cool and Sarah was ambitious and motherly. I loved that they all had very different roles and character motivations. And man, even the comic relief ladies were sweet — like the poor Royal Cup reporter and the woman in the parts shop who was rightfully terrified when Bit couldn't find the order form, lol. They all had autonomy and a part to play... and they all had a very deep appreciation for Zoids.

(Some sports anime could take note.)

And, once again, there's a tenuous link between a series I love and Sengoku BASARA. I came to know of Fuuma Kotarou through Basara — and, given that the Fuma team were super stealthy and could suddenly appear like ninja when Altile summoned them, I'm assuming the leader, Fuma, was based on the historical figure. So that was fun!

I'm wondering if what I watched was the HD version, after all? The episodes included scenes that hadn't made it to the dub — there were only about 4 or 5 in total, and with the exception of the scene where Laon was in a bar and then approached by the Backdraft Group, the cut scenes didn't really add anything.

It's a shame that Zoids: New Century Zero didn't get a second season because wow, I definitely could spend more time with these wonderful characters. At the same time, the whole series was incredibly satisfying to watch, so I'm not too torn up, I suppose.

But scenes I'd like to see!

- Bit taking a break, as promised, and returning in Episode 3 or 4 to save the day and join the series properly

- Top-notch warriors in S Class; the Blitz Team losing a few battles

- A new armour for the Liger Zero

- More exploration of Organoid systems

- Definitely some more stuff with Vega, Stoeller and the other cool folk from the series... I think the Lightning Team would make it to S Class, but I'm not sure about Naomi

- More battles being won by Leena, Brad or Jamie — one thing that disappointed me in Zoids a little was that Bit was the deciding factor for too many battles

- A short tournament for Brad and Naomi to participate in, since they made that promise?

- Absolutely no change to Steve Toros; I LOVE HIM

- Please... cool new Zoids...

- Something cool to replace the Backdraft Group... or maybe Toros goes on a wild hunt to find another Ultimate X (in which case, we'd need a new character to pilot it).

I think that's it for now!