#laurence sanders

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

Strange Bedfellows: these unprecedented photos show a leafcutter bee sharing its nest with a wolfspider

I stumbled across these photos while I was looking up information on leafcutter bees, and I just thought that this was too cool not to share. Captured by an amateur photographer named Laurence Sanders, the photos were taken in Queensland, Australia several years ago, and they quickly garnered the attention of both entomologists and arachnologists.

The leafcutter bee (Megachile macularis) can be seen fetching freshly-cut leaves, which she uses to line the inner walls of her nest. The wolfspider moves aside as the bee approaches, allowing her to enter the nest, and then she simply watches as the leaf is positioned along the inner wall.

Once the leaf is in position, they seem to inspect the nest together, sitting side-by-side in the entryway; the bee eventually flies off again to gather more leaves, while the wolfspider climbs back into the burrow.

The leafcutter bee seems completely at ease in the presence of the wolfspider, which is normally a voracious predator, and the wolfspider is equally unfazed by the fact that it shares its burrow with an enormous bee.

The photographer encountered this bizarre scene by accident, and he then captured a series of images over the course of about 2 days (these are just a few of the photos that were taken). During that 2-day period, the bee was seen entering the nest with pieces of foliage dozens of times, gradually constructing the walls and brood chambers of its nest, and the spider was clearly occupying the same burrow, but they did not exhibit any signs of aggression toward one another.

The photos have been examined by various entomologists and arachnologists, and those experts seem ubiquitously surprised by the behavior that the images depict. The curator of entomology at Victoria Museum, Dr. Ken Walker, noted that this may be the very first time that this behavior has ever been documented, while Dr. Robert Raven, an arachnid expert at the Queensland Museum, described it as a "bizarre" situation.

This arrangement is completely unheard of, and the images are a fascinating sight to behold.

Sources & More Info:

Brisbane Times: The Odd Couple: keen eye spies bee and spider bedfellows in 'world-first'

iNaturalist: Megachile macularis

[weirdlookindog]

Rebecca (1940) - Spanish poster, R-1969

[nicki-lewis903]

I think sometimes the best films to watch during autumn and Halloween season are some of the classics; mainly because the black and white film format just adds another layer of eerie atmosphere. Case in point Rebecca from Alfred Hitchcock. This film is based on the novel by Daphne De Maurier which is about a young woman who meets widower Maxim De Winter; he they meet while he is on his first holiday after his wife’s tragic passing. Her employer knows of the late Rebecca De Winter and we get our first glimpse of this faceless and overpowering character that drives the story.

Our main character and Maxim wed soon after they meet she doesn’t want her leaving without him. She accepts and is delighted to see his home of Manderly; a manor just as imposing as the not forgotten Rebecca. No one holds onto Rebecca as much as the quiet and unsettling Mrs. Danvers, the housemaid for the late Mrs. De Winter. It’s amazing how everyone doesn’t look at the protagonist as more than just a minor inconvenience who stepped into this world and doesn’t belong. That’s how everything is played out at least and it makes you want to know just like the protagonist just what made Rebecca so captivating.

The film itself is stunning to look at. Another film that has this dreamlike haze; but being filmed in black and white makes it feel more nightmarish and gothic. The set design was so grand in scale which aids in making us and the protagonist feel intimidated by this life we’re thrown into. It’s no surprise seeing as the producer was David O’ Selznick from productions like Gone With The Wind. The cinematography is stunning with the silhouettes of the characters being illuminated by a well lit background and in some moments they focus the lighting on just the face of a character to show in moments of heightened emotion.

This film is worth checking out this autumn, if you love gothic atmosphere and films that feel like an eerie trip into another world, this would be for you.

[vintage-every-day]

''It’s blackmail, pure and simple.'' 

𝑹𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒄𝒂 1940: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. With Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson.

[kazashiniwielder]

Okay, so Twisters came out this weekend, which means I had to watch Twister again, and I really need to gush about this movie.

Twister is one of two disaster movies that I can watch repeatedly without it getting old (Armageddon is my other favorite). And part of it is because of the characters.

Jo, Bill, and Melissa aside; who were all magnificent characters, I adored Jo’s team just as much!!!

Tim ‘Beltzer’ Lewis came off like Jo’s second in command. Usually when Jo went off ahead and the group stopped to gather data, Beltzer seemed to take charge. He was usually one of the first people Jo called for and would be the first to start giving orders. Beltzer is a bit of a nerd, having quoted Star Wars in his excitement when he thought they were going to get ‘Dorthy’ up. He also a bit of a goof, saying ‘he was without apparel’ when Bill kept insisting he wasn’t butt naked when they met. It is also clear Beltzer has been doing this for a while because he was part of the retelling of stories from the early days along with Dustin and Rabbit.

Haynes travels a little with Beltzer for the first half of the movie. The two have a close relationship as they are usually together in scenes. Beltzer physically moves Haynes away to give Jo and Bill space in the beginning and even holds Haynes to give her comfort when Aunt Meg got hurt. The two also sing Oklahoma together when everyone was excitedly chasing after the first tornado of the day. Haynes for her part seems to be one of the data technicians. She helps monitor the data reports and she knows what she is looking at, being the one to identify that the F5 tornado at the end of the movie was going to shift before anyone else did. She is also usually handling data print outs.

In the next vehicle you got Robert ‘Rabbit’ Nurick. Rabbit is a pretty heavily featured character and part of that is because he is the primary navigator of the group. The cab of Rabbit and Sanders’ truck is full of maps which Rabbit uses to help find the fastest and most efficient ways for the group to chase the tornado. Rabbit has to know the area well, has to fully understand how to read maps, and how to quickly adapt. Rabbit is also particular. His first scene is him snapping at Sanders due to one of his maps being folded instead of rolled. He also tries to sooth others, explaining very patiently to Aunt Meg that she can’t drive herself to the hospital due to her car being in a tree.

Rabbit rides is a car with Sanders. Sanders is one of the younger members of the group. He is still pretty excitable, being one of the people to chime in over the radio when they were looking at a tornado and having nothing useful to really add except that it was ‘beautiful’. Sanders also helps with data analysis and navigation.

The next vehicle is probably the most green members of the group. Joey and Laurence. Both of them know Bill, so they were there when Bill was earlier, but they are more inexperienced than the rest of the team. Laurence was probably on his first major field project. Jo had scolded him at the beginning for not properly maintaining the equipment and he referred to Beltzer as ‘Sir’. He is only one to suggest they throw in the towel after the first close call and when they are taking cover in the drive in, Laurence was the only person to try to hide in a car instead of underground. He also froze in fear and Jo had to pull him out. So he likely hasn’t done this before. Joey in addition was a little inexperienced but he and Laurence were monitoring the satellite data. Joey is also a little looser in his priorities. When the others are excited about the data they were getting from ‘Dorthy’ finally flying, Joey yells ‘we are going to be so popular!’

The two also appear to be close. Not only are they in a truck together but at the end of the movie when Laurence collapses on the ground in relief, Joey immediately starts playing rock-paper-scissors with him until Dusty interrupts and Laurence then clings to Dustin’s leg. They are younger, more playful, and Dusty clearly enjoys that.

Speaking of Dusty, let’s talk about Dustin Davis. Dustin is probably the most goofy one, and the craziest after Jo and Bill. However unlike those two, he doesn’t have a death wish either. Dustin is one of the older and more experienced members of the team. He knows a lot about tornadoes but he’s very unorthodox. He knows the principles and the concepts but he has no patience for the scientific terms so he makes up his own that make sense to him. He is also the most outgoing of the group, going out of his way to look after Melissa and try to make her feel welcome to the group. He keeps the rest of the team smiling.

Then we have Jason ‘Preacher’ Rowe. Preacher is another older more experienced member. He seems to be in the middle of experiences, with Dusty, Rabbit, Haynes, and Beltzer on one side with Sanders, Laurence, and Joey on the other. He likes upbeat music and judging from his name and his ‘finger of god’ comment, he was likely religious.

The entire team are very intelligent individuals. They are working hard on their research project, something they are on one of their last field projects for if they don’t get results judging from Dusty’s comment about the grant money running out at the beginning. They are all adrenaline junkies for the most part (minus Laurence) but they aren’t crazy either. The entire team shows they know when to have fun and when to get serious. They know when the danger is too much and when the risks are not worth the potential rewards.

They are also a very ride or die team. Jonas was portrayed to be an enemy of Bill’s. According to Bill; he, Jo, and Jonas started in the same lab together (it’s quite possible that Jonas was part of Jo’s group when they met Bill and eventually Jonas split off to do his own thing). Jo mentions that Jonas would let Bill take the lead and then swoop in and take his ideas or the credit. It has created a huge rivalry between Jonas and Bill, which Jo’s team clearly takes Bill’s side on. Jonas doesn’t once acknowledge the others but they are quick to make fun of Jonas and his team.

The entire team also adores Jo’s Aunt Meg. Aunt Meg is the team aunt. They all adore her and she loves them. She knows this is what they ‘live for’, so she uses her home as a rest stop for them. A place where they can recharge and regroup. They come by for showers, changes of clothes, food, and momentary rest. She cares for them all and they care about her. Knowing she was in danger, the entire team rushes out to find her without a moment of hesitation. They all try to make Meg feel better and even look after her dog while she is in the hospital.

I honestly always loved this movie because of the chemistry with all the characters, how they interact, and how they all weave through the story.

I will probably watch it again soon, but I just wanted to gush about how much I adore these characters!!!!

[letterboxd-loggd]

Village of the Damned (1960) Wolf Rilla

July 5th 2024

[halloweenmoviewatchlist]

Rebecca (1940)

[bob-the-movie-man-film-reviews]

Rebecca (PG): Classic Hitchcock, but heavy on 40's mysogeny.

#onemannsmovies review of "Rebecca" (1940). The Hitchcock classic doesn't fare well wrt sexism, but its still a fabulous movie. 4.5/5.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Rebecca” (1940). The photo above for “Rebecca” comes from the special poster produced for the film by Harbour Lights cinema in Southampton (a splendid little cinema!). Harbour Lights staff, in this case Anastasia, get their personal film favourites shown again on the big screen. And what a joy it was to see again this Hitchcock classic – an Oscar “Best Picture”…

[halloweenhundreds]

Rebecca is one of the ultimate haunted house stories, ghost or no ghost. Its relationship politics have sure aged but it remains beautiful, haunting, creepy, unsettling, and frustrating. Amazing cast, direction, and design.

[cinevisto32]

Rebeca (1940)

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: Rebecca

👻 You can support me on Ko-Fi! ❤️

★★★★½

Plot: A young woman marries a wealthy widower only to find herself haunted by the memory of his dead wife.

Review: Though perhaps a bit slow for some tastes, this film is an exceptional exercise in subtle unease and manipulation.

Source Material: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Year: 1940 Genre: Psychological Horror, Drama Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writers: Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison Cinematographer: George Barnes Editor: W. Donn Hayes Composer: Franz Waxman Cast: Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Reginald Denny, Gladys Cooper, C. Aubrey Smith

------

Story: 4/5 - An effective slow burn built upon convincing intercharacter drama and quietly shocking twists.

Performances: 4.5/5 - Everyone is wonderful. Fontaine is lovable as the kind heroine, and Anderson is very unnerving as the obsessive Ms. Danvers.

Cinematography: 4/5 - Great shadow usage and an especially iconic final tracking shot.

Editing: 4/5

Music: 5/5 - Perfectly suited for every story beat.

Effects & Props: 5/5 - Fantastic pyrotechnics.

Sets: 5/5 - The hotel and manor sets are just gorgeous and ornately decorated.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 5/5 - The heroine's costume ball gown is especially striking.

Trigger Warnings:

Emotional abuse

Incest (not shown)

Discussion of suicide

Brief ableist caricature

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

Proud

May and June, through the years.

Pairing: platonic familial May & Everybody basically

Word count: 3108

Warnings: Hey Look At Me. Theres some pretty serious homophobia at the beginning of this, and references to homphobia throughout

Notes: part of my Love and Other Fairytales verse, spanning from Abby, Dot, and Larry being teenagers to a little less than a year after Linda’s birth.

for @creativity-no-renewal

thank you to @airiervessel for beta-reading!

---

There was a lot May could say about Lazarus Sanders.

None of it was kind.

She hadn’t been angry when she’d found Abigail hiding Laurence in her closet – she’d mostly just been confused. She wasn’t entirely sure she knew what the three of them had going on, and if Abigail was going to give up her disdain for dating for anyone (which May found entirely unlikely) she would have guessed Dorothy before Laurence, who was obviously infatuated with Dorothy himself.

When Larry tumbled out of the closet looking like he’d been crying for hours, she shuffled through the possibilities and came up empty.

“C’mon, up ya get,” she said gruffly, helping him to his feet, “Abigail, did you kidnap the poor boy? The hell is going on?”

Larry, in a rather uncharacteristic move, shrugged off her hands harshly, darted across the room, and- hid.

Hid, behind Abby, like he was- like he was afraid of May.

“Hey, baby,” she said, raising her hands non-threateningly, “What’s wrong? Are ya alright?”

Abby turned and whispered something to Larry, pressing her forehead almost to his temple. Larry looked on the verge of a fresh round of tears, and Drusilla climbed out of Abby’s shirt pocket to clamor up the fabric and onto Larry’s shoulder.

“Promise?” she made out Larry whispering.

“I swear,” said Abby fiercely, “And I can take ‘er if not.”

May recoiled a little. There was a very, very short list of things that Larry could do that she might get genuinely angry at him for, and fewer still that would make him this terrified to tell her. She flipped through them frantically, her heart rate picking up.

“Larry, baby, I need you to tell me straight right now,” she said cautiously, “Do I need to deal with a body?”

Larry actually barked a wet, startled laugh.

“Uh. No,” he choked, “You know, uh. Unless Poppop makes good on the threat to shoot me if he sees me again.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah, well, you might want to wait until I tell ya why, in case you agree with him.”

“Laurence Sanders,” she said, some part of her heart crumpling like wadded up trash, “There is not a goddamn thing on this earth you could do that would make me hurt you.”

Larry swallowed hard, and Abby squeezed his hand; he curled into her in spite of having a good six inches advantage, and May wanted to wrap him in knitted things.

“He… found some stuff,” he said, wincing, “You know, like… embarrassing teen boy stuff, please don’t make me say it.”

“He threatened to kill you over smut rags?” she said incredulously.

“No,” said Larry, laughing bitterly, “He threatened to kill me over gay smut rags.”

“… Oh.”

May was ashamed to admit it, but she did blank out a bit. She’d never met a gay – she didn’t really think they even existed this far out of the city. She had a better understanding of the mechanics than most – she was very thorough when giving sexual education to idiot teenagers who were liable to stick their bits damn near anywhere they’d fit – but that was about it. “How to Talk to a Gay Kid” had never been something she’d gone about making a script up for. She was also scrambling to figure out what exactly was going on with Larry and Dot if Larry was gay - she’d been pretty sure, but maybe not-?

“I’ll leave with him,” blurted Abby furiously, shoving Larry further behind her, “If you make him leave I’ll go with him and you’ll never see me again and I’ll make yer life hell from three states away, Momma, I swear I will-”

“Calm down, ya hot-headed little shit,” said May, back on surer footing in the face of Abby jumping the gun like a fool, “No one is leaving. I’m taking a minute to process but let’s make that damn clear.”

“I- No one-?” said Larry, and god, what an awful expression; hope buried under layer after layer of misery, a baby bird too afraid to break the rest of the shell and face the snake.

“No one,” she said, firmer, settling in herself, “I don’t really know what ya need from me right now, baby, I’ll be honest. But you can stay long as you need, and if your granddad comes around I’ll put a bullet in ‘im. Sound doable?”

May had an armful of teenage boy then, and that settled that.

---

Abby had set up this little… picnic. There was only the four of them (Larry, with Abigail and and Dorothy there for moral support and May there for security), the little picnic table covered in knick knacks (crocheted miniature flags, a tub of pins, stacks of hand-drawn pamphlets that they’d had to buy their own printer to copy because no copyshop would let them in) and Jax, circling above and behind. The pamphlets weren’t anything special; black and white, L-G-B-T and a page to explain each that May had had to surreptitiously swipe one of and read rather than put Larry through the misery of explaining what exactly his… situation was when he clearly found the topic very embarrassing. She was pretty sure he was the B, but she wouldn’t say anything until she at least overheard something to that effect.

May sat a bit away from the kids. They were excited – flush and adrenalined with the excitement of doing something they shouldn’t, high on their defiance. May could give them the space for that.

They were just kids. They were old enough to know they were rebelling, to know Lazarus had meant what he said about killing Larry, to know that they were in danger.

And yet still young enough that Abby’s Momma and a twelve-gauge were enough to set them dizzy with victory, make them feel untouchable even in broad daylight, in full view of a road that was gathering increasingly gawking traffic. Some folks drove past four or five times, gaping or glaring or flipping them off. Jax circled the treeline, looking out for anyone sneaking up from the back, and May kept a white-knuckled grip on the shotgun and her eyes glued to the road.

No one stopped. Nobody had the balls or the stupid to face May Gage at her worst, and May was just fine with that. If they could get through this with just the threat alone, she’d be well pleased.

When someone finally crossed that line, she knew it was definitely stupid and not balls.

She stood from her chair, hefting the shotgun, and turned to the kids.

“You hear a shot fire, you run,” she said, “No heroics. You follow Jax back to the house and you lock up and you do not open the door for even god himself, you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Abby, steel in her eyes. Larry was looking over May’s shoulder, his face ashen.

“Larry,” she said, “If there’s one thing your granddad is, it's a grand ol’ coward. I can take him.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said tremulously.

May turned, stalking across the field toward the incoming column of fury that was Lazarus Sanders.

“What the hell is this?” he demanded, “May fucking Gage and her degeneracy again, your feminism turning my boy into a damn sissy-”

“Let me make this quick,” said May, “You’re gonna leave. You’re gonna let my babies have their picnic. You’re gonna never speak to any of ‘em, ever again. And if you don’t, I am gonna kill you, Laz, and I ain’t even gonna feel bad about it.”

“You threatening me, Gage?”

“I damn well am,” said May, “On my life, on God, on Eve and all her daughters, if you raise a single hand to my kids for the rest of your life, I will put you in the fuckin’ ground, Lazarus Sanders.”

Jax finished his third circuit around them, high over their heads, and even Laz wasn’t stupid enough to not notice the June warm climbing to August blood-hot. Jax swooped down to land behind her, wings spread wide, and Lazarus paled like the cowering dog he was.

“You,” he hissed, furious and terrified, “You did this. Possessed him with your- your devil worship!”

“Larry is the sweetest boy who ever lived in this town, no thanks to you,” said May, “If he’s possessed, may we all be so lucky.”

Lazarus’s eyes bugged out of his head, and apparently that was just too much for him. He turned tail and booked it for his car, and May waited until it was full out of sight before she turned to walk back to the kids.

Dorothy was looking at her with wide, astonished eyes, like May had summoned lightning or something, and Abby looked as smug as a Gage ought to.

May turned to Larry, only to find him already half in her arms, bullying under a damn shotgun like an idiot and hiding his face in her neck, shoulders shaking under her hands.

Well. She’d give him the gun safety lecture after the hug then.

---

Dot and Larry had been running the pride picnic long before their falling out, and May had to admit that she’d missed it. It hadn’t gotten much bigger by then, but it had fairly exploded in the past five or so years. Sure, there were still grousing folks, even a few protesters a handful of times, but even that had died down once May came back with the shotgun in tow once more.

She’d sat a bit further away this time, not without ulterior motive. She was glad she did – Roman, Patton, and Logan ran their own little mini-booths apiece, and Virgil would have been alone if not for the spot saved just for him next to her.

“Seems odd.” he muttered.

“How so?”

“To celebrate something like that,” said Virgil, “I mean... is it like the difference between Seelie and Unseelie, for humans? Or more like springs and summers?”

“Is what?” said May, furrowing her brow, “Sexuality?”

“Yes.”

He was looking up at her with those big, wide-set purple eyes. He was tall and gaunt, no baby fat left on him, but he still had the knobby-limbed gangliness of a teenager, looking a bit like he’d been stretched like taffy too quickly. She didn’t know if he’d fill out over the next few years, if he’d age with her boys. His head was tilted so like Logan’s, his fingertips gripping the hem of her skirt as if to ground himself. The Lord of the Forest, clinging to a grandma’s skirt, nervous around a bunch of strangers.

He was just a kid. And May ought to tell him the truth.

But it was a happy day. And something cold and miserable curled up in her belly at the thought of the way his face would crumple if she told him that some – a lot – of the world hated his boyfriends, for no good reason at all.

“Everybody loves a good party,” said May, shrugging.

Virgil nodded, accepting her explanation easily, and May swallowed the guilt like she did everything else.

“Mamaw!”

May looked up at Roman, who was out of breath and flushed pink, beaming and holding out a pamphlet.

“Okay, so- I know this is weird,” said Roman, “But- Dot said- Dot said she thought Mom would have used it if she'd heard it and I know it's not really cool to speculate on people's identities but I thought- I thought maybe it's a bit different? Because you knew her, and I was wondering, if- what you thought. Maybe.”

“Hm,” said May, nodding, “I have no goddamn idea what ya just asked me.”

Roman laughed nervously, and held out a little green, purple, and black pamphlet. May vaguely recognized the colors from a couple of the flags up, though she’d never bothered to keep track of them. She remembered that first little picnic with Dot and Larry and Abby arguing over which of the rainbows they ought to be using, eight or seven or six stripes, and she’d thought it was silly then and she thought it was silly now.

“Do you think Mom- do you think Mom would have identified as aroace, if she’d known the terms?” said Roman, his voice small, “Do you... do you think she would have been queer, too?”

May skimmed the pamphlet... and a lead ball dropped right into her belly.

Aromantic...asexual... lack of attraction... sex repulsion...

May was old. Old enough she’d thought she was just about unflappable – that she’d seen too much of the world to get caught off guard.

Her baby. Always managing to surprise her, even beyond the grave.

“Yeah, baby,” said May, handing it back to him and for once thanking the shake in her hands that never left, giving her an excuse if either of them noticed, “That sounds like my girl.”

Roman beamed, swooping in to kiss her cheek and pressing the pamphlet to his chest.

May decided she was gonna tell him more stories. It hurt, it hurt more than almost anything, to talk about Abigail, to talk about the baby she’d loved with every cell in her body and betrayed and lost without ever the chance to apologize. To make it right. Abigail died angry at her and she deserved it.

But Roman deserved this. To know her, as best he could. To know how alike they were, how much she saw pieces of Abby embedded in him like crystals on a fresco. May’s pain would have to take second fiddle to that.

Virgil set his head on May’s thigh, and she rested her hand on his head as Roman trotted back to his booth with a spring in his step.

Anything. Anything, for her kids.

---

“What’s that one?”

“That’s the demisexual flag,” said Roman, “Your Papa is demisexual. It means not feeling attracted to someone until you already love them.”

“And that one?”

“That’s the genderqueer flag! Avaun Ellie is genderqueer, and so is Vati, a little bit.”

“That doesn’t sound like Vati’s gender,” said Linda, wrinkling her nose at the flag.

“That’s why I said only a little bit,” said Roman, bouncing her a bit on his knee. May listened with half her attention, the other half on Brian in the bassinet next to her as she jingled his little teething keys.

“Vati’s gender doesn’t really fit any of the ones humans have named,” Roman continued, “Because he grew up among the fae, and not among humans.”

“That makes sense.”

“So he says that agender and genderqueer are closest to his gender, and he likes just ‘queer’ for his sexuality. They aren’t perfect words for him, but they don’t bother him, so he uses them for conversations with humans.”

“What about you?”

“I’m a queer gay man,” said Roman, “That means I’m a man who likes other men.”

“But Vati’s not a man?”

“Ah but that’s where the queer comes in!” said Roman, tickling her stomach and making her giggle, “We aren’t supposed to fit into the words; the words are supposed to fit us! I know Vati’s not a man, but the word ‘gay’ is important to me, and Vati doesn’t mind. I use it because it feels good to me and makes me happy, not because I fit the dictionary definition perfectly.”

“That makes sense,” said Linda, “Like how you’re not really a prince cuz you're a consort but Papa and Daddy and Vati call you Princey anyway cuz it makes you smiley.”

Roman laughed aloud, and May cracked a smile too.

“Yes, exactly.”

“What about the green and black and white one over there?”

“That’s aromantic,” said Roman, “Like... well, like my mom.”

“You have a mom?”

The pause lasted just a touch too long, and May ached.

“I did,” said Roman softly, “She passed away when I was very little.”

“And she was aro-mat-ic?”

“Aromantic, yes,” said Roman, “It means someone who doesn't experience romantic attraction.”

“How’d she have a baby if she didn’t have a husband?”

“Stubbornness,” muttered May, and Roman laughed.

“I wish I could tell you more,” said Roman, “But I don’t actually know much about aromanticism, it’s never come up. The only aromantic person I ever knew was my mom, and I don’t remember her.”

May was old. Older everyday. More forgetful too – there were some things even the fae couldn’t delay, the slow creeping away of her memory being one of them.

She might not have many more chances to say it.

“Roman,” she said, shifting in her wheelchair, “Gimme.”

Roman blinked, startled, and turned to Linda.

“Do you want to sit with Mamaw?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, be gentle.”

Linda was, ginger and feather-light as down as she crawled over the armrest to sit in May’s lap. May breathed her fruit-and-earth smell, and steeled herself.

“... Mamaw?” said Roman softly.

“Actually, baby,” she croaked, “I’m aromantic.”

Roman stiffened, but Linda perked up curiously.

“How’d you get a baby without a husband?”

“I did have a husband,” said May, “I got my baby the usual way.”

“Why’d you have a husband, if you didn’t love him?”

May breathed around the lump, in through the nose, out through the mouth.

“You see this festival, all around ya?” she said gently, gesturing around, “How it’s a big party, and most everyone in town comes, and we’re all happy?”

“Yeah?”

“It wasn’t always like this,” said May, “It used to be scary, to be different this way. People might hurt ya. And so nobody talked about it if they could help it. When I got married, it was because I was lonely, and I thought that if he loved me, and I had company, well, that would be enough. I didn’t know there was a word for what I was, I thought... I just thought there was something wrong with me.”

“Mamaw,” choked Roman, clutching her hand hard.

“But... that’s sad,” said Linda, furrowing her brow in confusion.

“It is a bit, ain’t it?” said May, “But now things are better, and we have a grand ol’ party, don’t we? And I’m happy. Happy enough that I can admit it and not feel like I’m doin’ somethin wrong. I’m so, so happy, baby.”

Roman jumped from his chair to kneel beside hers and wrap his arms around both of them. May slipped a gnarled hand into the peppered white at his temple. Her boy, all grown. Maybe grown enough that May could put a little bit down, and trust he’d help her out.

“I’m so proud of you,” said Roman wetly.

And there was no better feeling in the world.

---

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Main Taglist (Everything)

@guardian-of-the-bears @nonbinarynerdbot @cloudchaser7 @fall-chemically-atthedisco @v-blue-writer @lucifer-in-my-head @pearls-of-patton @greeneggsandham1998 @sleepyssnail @jemthebookworm @friedlieb-ferdinand-runge @erlenmeyertrash @flix-net @whizzie72 @justadamfangirl @holy-anxiety-batman @starrycari  @flamingfawkes  @storytellerofuntoldlegends @animegirlz7 @magimerlyn @quietwords-loudthoughts @anxie-teaa @edgy-gremlin @daydream-anons-blog   @somehowsnakesblog @mintydoesart   @airiervessel @music-magic-mayhem @angels-and-dreams @life-is-things @gattonero17 @escalatingtoofast @lightenian @slitherynchiken @awkwardcat @trashcanego @izzynuggets @backatthebein @stubbornness-and-spite @suffering-is-my-comfort-zone @librowyrm @booklover223 @chaoticpanenergy @hazelswann @sarcasmremovedsoul @sparrowflysouth @banjoline-artichoke @disasterbri @sergeantsarcasm7 @elvis-has-been-dug @agirlinthegalaxy @anxie-teaa @embers--and--ashes @anxiousandanalytical @anxious-l0ser @do-you-want-hugs @jerrythefroggy @justthatamount @stopthe-presses  @madamedraconis @imtryingthisout @briarthetownfool @eatmygayfist @ohheavenlylord @mamacesawrites @all-time-logan @glitterandgaybriel @just-reblogging-stuff-yeet @ollyollyoxinfree @frogdog145 @lickoutyourbrains @anteonnix @actually-nikola-tesla @olitheenby @empressserelene @nandysparadox @starshineandbooks @the-hoely-bleach @awkwardjester-blog @csi-baker-street-babes @deniedmysign @shrubs-and-bushes @aries-puddles @sunflowersand-butterflies-blog @cephy-the-squid @thatonechicken @m1dnight-rains @starry-eyed-spectre @foggy-lavender-grey @vinbee631

Writing Only

@leafy-autistic @fandomsandanythingelse @boopypastaissalty @coquettishcass @anxious-cherryblossom @icecoldparadise @maybedefinitely404 @peruviandesertfox @the-inky-isles @lilacbutbackwards @penguins-penguins @larkiaquail @oblivionartworks

@tiredsystem-r-us @indecisive-asexual-space-dork 

Love and Other Fairytales @tom-is-in-a-trashcan @ab-artist @levy-the-b00kw0rm

@justanotherpurplebutterfly

@agirlinthegalaxy

@why-should-i-tell-youu2  @lovelylogans @notall2gether

@zaisling @ninja-wizard101 @gabe-killed-me-with-ace-cream @thebirdsofgay @iwillsithereandtrytocontribute @joaniejustwokeup @nyafangirlingnya @count-woelaf @icecoldparadise @silvermasquerade @timegirl @let-janus-blep @alittleyellowdinosaur @yay-gay-ships @pattonsanders2070 @ivaryn0

[undeath1245]

Headcanon full names for the TD contestants

I figured that I should share my list of headcanon full names of each of the characters of Total Drama, with a couple of exceptions here and there (i.e. Chris McLean, Blainely O'Halloran, Alejandro Burromuerto, Cody Anderson, Harold McGrady, Devon "DJ" Joseph, Dakota Milton, Lightning Jackson, Cameron Wilkins, Nichelle LaDonna, Valentina MacArthur). Results may possibly vary.

Original Total Drama contestants

Gwendolyn York (sharing the same name as the York Region)

Trent McAllister

Duncan van Jensen

Courtney Ferrera

Heather Yang

Lindsay Berglund

Tyler Greenwood

Bethany Collins

Geoff Baskerville

Brigette Heinemann

Justin Carroway

LeShawna Martin

Isabella Crampton

Eva Alexandrova

Sierra McAnthony

Katie Bisonette

Sadie Jeong

Ezekiel Brimstone

Revenge of the Island contestants

Michael Holmvik

Zoey Abendroth

Brick Hopkins

Scott Bronson

Josephine "Jo" Arnold

Samuel Braxton

Anna Marie Lombardi

Dawn Nicholson

Beverly "B" Norwood

Staci Murray

Pahkitew Island contestants

Shawn Romero

Jasmine Abbott

Sky Rouleau

David Corduroy

Sugar van Hoffman

Amanda Dufresne

Samantha Dufresne

Topher Fellows

Ella Grimm

Maxwell Hunter

Scarlett McGrady

Rodney Fieldston

Leonard Hammersmith

Winslow Beardman

The Ridonculous Race contestants

Devin Letterman

Carrie Brennan

Thomas Wesley

Jennifer Walcott

Brody Simpson

Stephanie Fairchild

Ryan Carmichael

Rosalind Sanders

Josée Guillaume

Jacques Beaumont

Emma Zhong

Katherine Zhong

Stuart Rockford

Theodore Spudman

Dwayne Broker Sr.

Dwayne Broker Jr.

Kelly Greenwood

Taylor Greenwood

Jay Henderson

Mickey Henderson

Ennui Craven

Marie Crimson

Tammy Lundgren

Laurie Delcroix

Kristoffersen Miles

Ellody Newton

Marie Poindexter

Chet Levett

Lorenzo Antonelli

Gerry Drummond

Peter McLean

Total Drama Revival contestants

Caleb Edwards

Priya Rouhani

Millie Baldridge

Hezekias "Zee" Wanchai

Julie Martinson

Mary Kate "MK" Chung

Wayne Rupert

Raj Samaroo

Bowie Davison (based on the late English pop star)

Emma Wahlgren

Damien Laurence

Ripper Alderman

Axel Emerson

Chase Rodgers

Lauren "Scary Girl" Metcalf (sharing the same name as the actress)

Why don't you share me your fan name ideas?

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Alan Watts, spiritual entertainer:

* * * * *

“Although my parents suffered through two horrendous wars and the Depression, which hit them hard, I cannot imagine being born to a more harmonious and unostentatiously virtuous couple. Yet I feel that I never quite gave them what they wanted. I don't know what that was, and perhaps they didn't either. But I was a weird child. I was a fantast who believed in fairies and magic when all the other children had given them up for twaddle. I preferred watching birds to playing cricket. I adopted a strange and un-English religion, and went off on my own to a far country.

They said I had "imagination," which was good but dangerous, and the neighbors would speak of Mrs. Watts as "Alan Watts's mother." I told anyone who would listen endless tales of fantasy and of blood-and-thunder. I would conduct funeral ceremonies for dead birds and bats and rabbits instead of learning tennis. I read about ancient Egypt and Chinese tortures and Aladdin's lamp instead of "good books" by Scott, Thackeray, and Dickens. I have no idea how I came to be so weird, but never for a moment have I regretted that I forgetfully reincarnated myself as the child of Laurence Wilson Watts and Emily Mary Buchan, at Rowan Tree Cottage in Holbrook Lane, in the village of Chistlehurst, Kent, England, almost due south of Greenwich, on the morning of January 6, 1915, at about twenty minutes after six, with the Sun in Capricorn, conjuncted with Mars and Mercury and in trine to a Moon in Virgo, with Sagittarius rising, and under bombardment in the midst of the First World War.”

~ Alan Watts, 'In My Own Way: An Autobiography'

(Ian Sanders)

[kwebtv]

Sneaky Pete - Amazon Prime Video - August 7, 2015 - May 10, 2019

Crime Drama (30 episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Giovanni Ribisi as Marius Josipović / Pete Murphy

Marin Ireland as Julia Bowman

Shane McRae as Taylor Bowman

Libe Barer as Carly Bowman

Michael Drayer as Eddie Josipović (season 1)

Peter Gerety as Otto Bernhardt

Margo Martindale as Audrey Bernhardt

Jane Adams as Maggie Murphy (season 2, guest season 3)

Recurring:

Ethan Embry as the real Pete Murphy

Bryan Cranston as Vince Lonigan (season 1)

Victor Williams as Richard (season 1)

Karolina Wydra as Karolina (season 1)

Jacob Pitts as Lance Lord

Michael O'Keefe as Detective Winslow (season 1)

Virginia Kull as Katie Boyd (season 1, guest season 2)

Alison Wright as Marjorie

Mike Houston as Dennis

Tobias Segal as Sean

Brad William Henke as Brendon Boyd (season 1)

Jeté Laurence as Ellen

Justine Cotsonas as Shannon

Kevin Chapman as Bo Lockley

Jay O. Sanders as Sam

Chaske Spencer as Chayton Dockery

René Ifrah as Wali

Jasmine Carmichael as Gina (seasons 1���2)

Pej Vahdat as Raj Kumar Mukherjee (season 1)

Max Darwin as Tate

Jeffrey De Serrano as Ayawamat

Malcolm-Jamal Warner as James Bagwell

C.S. Lee as Joseph Lee (seasons 1–2)

Ben Vereen as Leon Porter (seasons 1–2)

Domenick Lombardozzi as Abraham Persikof (season 1)

Debra Monk as Connie Persikof (season 1)

Joseph Lyle Taylor as Frank (seasons 1–2)

Michael DeMello as Mikey (season 1)

Desmond Harrington as Joe (seasons 1–2)

David Kallaway as Bako (season 2)

Jesse Lenat as AJ

Michael Oberholtzer as Colin (season 2)

Jennifer Ferrin as Joyce Roby (season 2)

Miriam Morales as Teacher (season 2)

John Ales as Luka Delchev (season 2)

Sara Tomko as Suzanne (season 2)

Chris Ashworth as Miro (season 2)

Justine Lupe as Hannah (season 2)

Efrat Dor as Lizzie DeLaurentis (season 3)

Jeff Ross as D.C. Doug Decker (season 3)

Leonardo Nam as Alexandre Park-Sun (season 3)

Ricky Jay as T. H. Vignetti (season 3). This was Jay's last performance before his death in 2018.

Darren Pettie as Chuck Johnson (season 3)

Stephanie Faracy as Dotti (season 3)

Charlayne Woodard as Hickey (season 3)

Amy Landecker as Lorraine Sheffield (season 3)

M. Emmet Walsh as Tex Hopkins (season 3)

Patrick J. Adams as Stefan Kilbane (season 3)

[glapplebloom]

The new songs I listened to this year...

Song’s Eligable for this...

NOTE: I have decided to disclude Death Battle and Death Battle related songs since I feel those would be too easy to fill up this list since I do tend to listen to those songs. Songs used in fan made Death Battle Trailers on the other hand will be okay.

Shatter by Code Orange (Premiered in 2022, but only heard the full version in 2023)

You've Got a Friend in Me - Disney Friendship Mash-Up presented by Thomas Sanders

Priceless from VHS Christmas Carol Live

Moon Girl Soundtrack

Greedy Greedy by the Kuromis

Big Balls (Cover) by Scratch21

Ayleeyuns by Scratch21

Delivered Us The Moon (Feat. Tony Mac & Sega) by Jakeneutron

Lil Nuggit by Chi-Chi

Ordinary (Cover) by Anna

Jack Hornet Vs Dr. Eggman by Freshy Kanal

Rocket Queen by Team Shachi Featuring MCU

Happy Sounds by Kyle Allen Music

Smell of the Game from Guilty Gear Strive

Just the Two of us by Neco Arc

Look at This from Helluva Boss

Red Flags by Tom Cardy Featuring Montaigne

Song of the Dead by @kana-boon

Kindness by BB-Panzu

Evil As Can be from Broken Karaoke

Nerdy Prudes Must Die from Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Our Love is God from Heathers

Komi-San Vs. Wile E. Coyote from Rabi

A Little Theorizing by the Stupendium

Wah & Only (Waluigi Rap) from Mashed

Sidechain Fever from Scratchin’ Melodii

Voices (2023) by Rev Theory

Unbeatable from Mario’s Madness V2 

#10 - Look at This from Helluva Boss

I enjoy Helluva Boss. It’s crass but there are definitely worse shows out there. And I have no real connection to Fizzarolli’s voice actor, who was apparently Beetlejuice for the Broadway Play. Still, between this song and Two Minute Notice he has proven to be my favorite singer among the cast. Hopefully things turns out well for this series as well as Hazbin Hotel.

#9 - The Beyonder from Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

Talk about a Glow up! The Beyonder was pretty meh despite being so powerful in the comics. But Moon Girl really showed just how entertaining he could be with the right people behind it. Laurence Fishburne does a great job with him and honestly the Music Choices throughout the show was great! I got the soundtrack too! So here’s hoping Season 2 continues to bring banger after banger.

#8 - Rocket Queen by Team Shachi Featuring MCU

So I found out this year Capcom did a crossover with some K-Pop Band and they were going to take down the game based on it this year. Never noticing this, I decided to listen to the song and I enjoyed it. It has the energy I really enjoy in songs and even though I don’t know the lyrics it was well performed that I could enjoy it regardless. I also love the Sax part in the song and the music video.

#7 - Red Flags by Tom Cardy Featuring Montaigne

This year, I’ve seen a lot of memes based off one part of this song. The original singers even did an Uno Reverse version of that part so people can have more options. But I wanted to hear the original to see why this was memable. And MAN, I feel like people overlooked the HUMAN CENTIPEDE part to focus on the awkward date part. The song is hilarious and I am glad I gave it a shot to listen to the full version. The Meme is definitely underselling this song.

#6 - Nerdy Prudes Must Die from Nerdy Prudes Must Die

I feel bad for putting Starkid on twice but man, this year showed off their best stuff. Their newest part in the Hatchetfield Series was so fun and the best song in my book is the title song: Nerdy Prudes Must Die. I also like Hatchet Town. But man, the main song is so fun for a villain. And the whole “who will pray for me” bit was definitely selling how much of a threat he is.

#5 - Priceless from VHS Christmas Carol Live

I instantly fell in love with the VHS Christmas Carol Live when I saw it early this year. It is so good, not only did I get the soundtrack I also downloaded the Live Performance so I can listen to it all on my i-Pod. My favorite song from the entire thing is Christmas Day, but it is pretty much combining the best songs from the show into one. So I’m picking Priceless because that part really gets me on Christmas Day. I recommend everyone to watch it.

#4 - Shatter by Code Orange

While he appeared with this song in 2022, I never got the chance to hear the full version until this year. And I love every minute of what I listened to. I was listening to this song so much even before Bray Wyatt’s sad passing. He was taken from us too soon. I hope whoever is close to him is alright. Still, this is a great song and while I don’t think it is great for a tribute to him, it is great to listen to and remember the great stories he given us during the time he was alive.

#3 - Happy Sounds by Kyle Allen Music

I’m not much of a gamer. I’m more interested in the stories of games than playing them. So My Friendly Neighborhood was definitely a story I was interested in since I was curious how they would do this story compared to many other games. To my surprise, as Game Theory suggested, it's not a story about corrupted souls trapped in puppets, it's about the puppets trying to save a world already corrupted. This song captures that story in 3 minutes and I love it for that. I would recommend this song and the game in general.

#2 - Song of the Dead by @kana-boon

I will talk about my experience more in the One Shot next month, but this song is the reason I saw Zom 100. The song is full of life and energy and it's everything I want in a song. And if you want an English version, I think Dangle did a great job transferring it to English. Regardless, this was a song that was instrumental into me trying a series I would have probably passed by. Definitely give it a watch.

#1 - Smell of the Game from Guilty Gear Strive

So how did I find out about this song now of all times? Well, I noticed Evo was actually streaming this year and decided to give it a watch. It was before the Guilty Gear Strive and during the countdown I hear people singing the chorus of this song. That got me interested in hearing the full version and I don’t regret it. The Lyrics may sound random but man, it really gives you the energy to sing it out loud when you do hear it. I get teared up a little bit too. So thank you Evo for letting me get the Smell of the Game.