#mackenzies raiders

[spawksstuff]

Highwayman According to De's Characters

I was a highwayman

Along the coach roads I did ride With sword and pistol by my side

Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade

The bastards hung me in the spring of '25 But I am still alive

I was a sailor

I was born upon the tide With the sea I did abide

I sailed a schooner 'round the Horn to Mexico I went aloft to furl the mainsail in a blow

And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed But I am living still

I was a dam builder

Across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide

A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below

They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound But I am still around

I'll always be around, and around and around And around and around and around and around

I'll fly a starship

Across the Universe divide And when I reach the other side

I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can Perhaps I may become a highwayman again

Or I may simply be a single drop of rain But I will remain

And I'll come back again, and again And again and again and again and again And again

[peridotsarelongterm]

I commented something the other day about those little thigh-tie strings for gun belts, and it ended up kicking off a week-long hyperfixation which I’ve decided to commemorate.

SO, here are some highlights of western!De’s thighs wearing the little cowboy garter belt. Please enjoy. 🤠 (There are probably others; please feel free to add if you’re as normal about this as I am.)

[countesspetofi]

Today in the Department of Before They Were Star Trek Stars, Leonard Nimoy guest stars in "The Imposter," episode 13 of the first season of Mackenzie's Raiders (original air date January 3, 1959). Nimoy plays the leader of a gang of horse thieves Colonel Mackenzie infiltrates in order to catch them in the act.

[kwebtv]

Character Actor

Morris Ankrum (born Morris Nussbaum; August 28, 1897 – September 2, 1964) Radio, television, and film character actor.

He had an extensive film career beginning in the 1930′s but by the end of 1958 Ankrum's film career had essentially ended, though he continued taking television roles. In the syndicated series Stories of the Century Ankrum played outlaw Chris Evans, who with his young associate John Sontag, played by John Smith, turned to crime to thwart the Southern Pacific Railroad, which Evans and Sontag held in contempt. Ankrum made 22 appearances on CBS's Perry Mason as one of several judges who regularly presided over the murder trials of Mason's clients from the show's first season in 1957 until his death in 1964. The show ended two years later.  Ankrum appeared in western series such as The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Bronco, Maverick, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Cimarron City, Rawhide and The Rifleman.

Ankrum appeared in a number of ABC/Warner Brothers westerns. On October 15, 1957, he had a major part in the episode "Strange Land" of the series Sugarfoot, starring Will Hutchins. Ankrum played an embittered rancher named Cash Billings, who allows hired gunman Burr Fulton ( Rhodes Reason) to take over his spread, but Sugarfoot arrives to bring law and justice to the situation. Ankrum appeared again, as John Savage, in 1959 in the Sugarfoot episode "The Wild Bunch". The same year, he portrayed a zealot who abused his daughter, played by Sherry Jackson, in the episode "The Naked Gallows" of the western Maverick with Jack Kelly and Mike Connors. In 1961, he again played embittered, and this time paralyzed, rancher Cyrus Dawson in the episode "Incident at Dawson Flats" of the western series Cheyenne.

In the 1958–59 season Ankrum appeared 12 times in Richard Carlson's syndicated western series Mackenzie's Raiders. In the series set on the Rio Grande border, Carlson plays Col. Ranald Mackenzie, who faces troubles from assorted border outlaws.

At the time of his death, he was still involved with Raymond Burr's Perry Mason TV series. His final appearance on Perry Mason, in the episode "The Case of the Sleepy Slayer".  (Wikipedia)

[16woodsequ]

101 Aromantic Books Rec List

For this list the goal is fiction books with a main character or significant secondary character that is on the Aromantic spectrum, or non-fiction books about being Aro-spec. Some books will overlap with my Asexual Book rec list.

Junior Novel

1. Hazel's Theory of Evolution by Lisa Jen Bigelow Hazel knows a lot about the world. But even Hazel doesn't have answers for the questions awaiting her as she enters eighth grade. What if no one at her new school gets her, and she doesn't make any friends? What's going to happen to one of her moms, who's pregnant again after having two miscarriages? Why does everything have to change when life was already perfectly fine? Hazel is asexual and aromantic (it isn't said in the book, but it is specified in the author's note at the back of the book).

2. Every Bird A Prince by Jen Reese After she saves the life of a bird prince and becomes their champion, seventh grader Eren Evers must defend a forest kingdom, save her mom, and keep the friendships she holds dear--if she is brave enough to embrace her inner truths. Eren is aromantic.

3. The Dragon of Ynys by Minerva Cerridwen Every time something goes missing from the village, Sir Violet, the local knight, makes his way to the dragon's cave and negotiates the item's return. It's annoying, but at least the dragon is polite. But when the dragon hoards a person, that's a step too far. Sir Violet storms off to the mountainside to escort the baker home, only to find a more complex mystery—a quest that leads him far beyond the cave. Accompanied by the missing baker's wife and the dragon himself, the dutiful village knight embarks on his greatest adventure yet. AroAce main character.

YA Fiction

4. Archivist Wasp by Nicole Kornher-Stace A postapocalyptic ghosthunter escapes her dire fate by joining the ghost of a supersoldier on his quest to the underworld Aromantic asexual main character. Dark fantasy/dystopian.

5. Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace Isabel, once known as Wasp, has become leader of the fearsome upstarts, the teen girl acolytes who are adjusting to a new way of life after the overthrow of the sadistic Catchkeep-priest. They live in an uneasy alliance with the town of Sweetwater—an alliance that will be tested to its limits by the dual threats of ruthless raiders from the Waste and a deadly force from the Before-time that awaits in long-hidden tunnels. Archivist Wasp Sequel. Aro/Ace protag.

6. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia defends the Gray Sisters by awakening the revenant bound to a saint's relic, even though she runs the risk of being possessed permanently by the powerful ancient spirit. Non-explicit romantic asexual main character. Fantasy.

7. Not Even Bones by Rebecca Shaeffer Nita's mother hunts monsters and, after Nita dissects and packages them, sells them online, but when Nita follows her conscience to help a live monster escape, she is sold on the black market in his place. Aro/Ace main character

8. When Villains Rise by Rebecca Shaeffer With her best friend, Kovit's, life in danger, Nita is determined to take down the black market once and for all. Latina asexual and aromantic main character.

9. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee Henry "Monty" Montague was bred to be a gentleman. His passions for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men, have earned the disapproval of his father. His quest for pleasures and vices have led to one last hedonistic hurrah as Monty, his best friend and crush Percy, and Monty's sister Felicity begin a Grand Tour of Europe. When a reckless decision turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything Monty knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores. Aro/ace secondary character (prequel to a Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy).

10. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. A highly loved book in regards to asexual portrayal, Felicity’s journey does a fantastic job of exploring the struggle of navigating a world where marriage is expected of women in order to function in society. Even more refreshing is Felicity isn’t just avoiding getting married out of a sole rebellion against the patriarchy (though those themes are also present), but simply because she doesn’t have an interest in sexual or romantic relationships at all.

11. Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp When Corey moves away from Lost Creek, Alaska, she makes her friend Kyra promise to stay strong during the long, dark winter, and wait for her return. Just days before Corey is to return home to visit, Kyra dies. The entire Lost community speaks in hushed tones, saying her death was meant to be. And they push Corey away like she's a stranger. With every hour, Corey's suspicion grows. Lost is keeping secrets-- but piecing together the truth about what happened to her best friend may prove as difficult as lighting the sky in an Alaskan winter. Aro/Ace main character.

12. Seven Ways We Lie by Riley Redgate Seven students. Seven (deadly) sins. One secret. There is a character who sounds asexual and aromantic and autistic but none of these are ever explicitly named. He seems like a stereotype at first but has his own storyline that's both important plot wise and gives him his own character arc.

13. Not Your Villain by C. B. Lee Bells Broussard thought he had it made when his superpowers manifested early. Being a shapeshifter is awesome. He can change his hair whenever he wants, and if putting on a binder for the day is too much, he's got it covered. But that was before he became the country's most-wanted villain. After discovering a massive cover-up by the Heroes' League of Heroes, Bells and his friends Jess, Emma, and Abby set off on a secret mission to find the Resistance. Aromantic Black secondary character.

14. Not Your Backup by C. B. Lee Part 3 in the Sidekick Squad series by C.B. Lee. Follows a questioning aromantic asexual latinx superhero sidekick fighting to prove her worth on the team despite her lack of superpowers, all admist the team's battle against the corrupt League of Heroes.

15. Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor With only a drop, one can light the night sky with fireworks . . . or burn a building to the ground. The few flare families on top — the so-called “elite” — hoard the magical resource for themselves, and seventeen-year-old Ingrid Ellis wants her fair share. Main character is demiromantic.

16. Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying she doesn’t have the answers to everything. What to eat, where to go, whom to love. But there is one thing she is absolutely sure of—she wants to spend the rest of her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and her mother sends her away to live with her aunt in Hawaii while she deals with her own grief. While not the main focal point of the book, Rumi does grapple throughout the story about where exactly she lands on the ace and aro spectrum—and whether she has to label herself at all.

17. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to the best place on earth. No, not Disneyland–her Granny’s diner, Goldeen’s, in the small town of Misty Haven. While there, she works in her fabulous 50’s inspired uniform, twirling around the diner floor and earning an obscene amount of tips. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall. …until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen in a highly anticipated matchmaking tradition that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Aro/ace secondary character.

18. The Trouble With Robots by Michelle Mohrweis Evelyn strives for excellence. Allie couldn't care less. Together, these polar opposites must work together if they have any hope of saving their school's robotics program. Allie is asexual and/or aromantic.

19. Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong In 1931 Shanghai, two Nationalist spies pose as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders causing unrest in the city. Rep: demisexual Chinese protagonist, bisexual Chinese protagonist, bisexual Chinese main character, Chinese trans woman main character, aromantic asexual side character; (Chinese-Kiwi author).

20. It Sounds Like This by Anna Meriano Yasm Trevi didn't have much of a freshman year thanks to Hurricane Humphrey, but she's ready to take sophomore year by storm. That means mastering the marching side of marching band--fast!--so she can outshine her BFF Sofia as top of the flute section and earn first chair. But Yasm steps off on the wrong foot when she reports an anonymous gossip Instagram account harassing new band members and accidentally gets the entire low brass section suspended from extracurriculars. Rep: Biracial Latina fat asexual-questioning cis female MC, Jewish gray-aromantic gray-asexual male side character with ADHD and APD.

21. An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows When an Australian teenager follows a world walker through a magical portal, she lands herself in the middle of a deadly web of politics and a potential civil war. Saffron’s fate is intertwined with that of many women, and the whole world hangs in the balance. Gwen Vere – allosexual (queer) and aromantic. (source)

22. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger What if America had monsters, magic, and interdimensional beings? For Elatsoe, this is real, and she has to uncover her cousin's murder! She can do this with the help of her ghost dog, Kirby, but has to remember not to wake human ghosts. Aromantic ace main character. Paranormal mystery. Casual representation which extends to Ellie’s identity as Lipan Apache. This identity is asserted more often and firmly than her asexuality, and Little Badger drops in nuggets of education for us settlers about what Indigenous people, and the Lipan Apache in particular, suffered at the hands of settlers.

23. Loveless by Alice Oseman A queer coming of age story featuring a romance obsessed aromantic asexual main character discovering her sexuality and coming to terms with what that means, and a variety of other queer characters that support her on her journey.

24. Aces Wild A Heist by Amanda DeWitt An all-asexual online friend group attempts to break into a high-stakes gambling club and commit a heist together. Includes a male asexual character navigating what love looks like for him, an aromantic asexual Latinx gender-nonconforming boy, a Vietnamese American and German asexual nonbinary teen, and a black asexual girl. This cast represents a range of ace and aro identities.

25. Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all. This YA novel features an aroace character gradually coming to accept his orientation in the midst of everything else that is happening in his life. Perfect for older teens who also enjoy WLW representation and dark themes.

26. Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno While anyone would love to have a bit of magic, what happens when magic turns dark? Georgina Fernweh will come into her magic someday soon. Before she does, Georgina faces a tragedy that tests the islanders' trust. In this book, Georgina’s best friend Vira is aroace, and it’s addressed somewhat in the story at different points. There is a sweet strength between Georgina and Vira, full of loyalty and support that is lovely to see.

27. Hullmetal Girls by Emily Skrutskie Aisha Un-Haad, seventeen, and Key Tanaka, eighteen, have risked everything for new lives as mechanically enhanced soldiers, and when an insurrection forces dark secrets to surface, the fate of humanity is in their hands. In Hullmetal Girls, Aisha is not only ace/aro but she is also happy with her identity. Crucially, so is everyone else.

28. The Trouble by Daria Defore Danny Kim is a college student and the frontman of a Seattle based indie band. He also happens to be aromantic, and completely matter of fact about that aspect of his personality; The Trouble is not a coming out book, which is refreshing. (source)

29. A Promise Broken by Lynn E. O'Connacht/S.L. Dover Cooper Four-year-old Eiryn tries to grieve her mother while her uncle and caretaker, Arèn, fights accusations of her upsetting the world’s balance with a song. Arèn, aromantic and asexual.

30. Birthday Landscapes by E. H. Timms in Queerly Loving Anthology A disabled and aromantic warrior-mage and legend returns home on leave in time to celebrate his twin children’s birthday with his family.

31. Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slips into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined and left to die - directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that's keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation... and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities. Multiple AroAce characters.

32. Sea Foam and Silence by S.L. Dove Cooper Maris has only a month before she turns into sea foam, and she has no voice to help her. Love comes in many form, however, and she is no closer to understanding which will earn her life among friends and family on land. Aro and demi-aro characters.

33. A Harmony of Water and Weald: a Sea Foam and Silence collection by S.L. Dove Cooper A Harmony of Water and Weald is a collection exploring some of Maris's darker moments as she learns what it means to be human and a glimpse at what her life and family is like after the Sea Witch's deadline has passed.

34. Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver Sohmeng Par is sick of being treated like a child. Ever since a tragic accident brought her mountain community’s coming-of-age ritual to a halt, she’s caused nothing but trouble in her impatience to become an adult. But when she finally has the chance to prove herself, she’s thrown from her life in the mountains and into the terror of the jungle below. Aromantic and nonbinary rep are woven through the world and characters seamlessly.

35. We Go Forward by Alison Evans Two sad queer girls roadtrip around Europe (Germany, Austria and a little of Prague) while developing a deep and supportive friendship.

36. A Word and A Bullet by Rachel Sharp When the real apocalypse hits, three zombie-LARPs friends discover their skills may not be enough to get them through the road trip to safer communities in Canada. Asexual, aromantic, and touch-averse major character.

37. Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn't listen. Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people's souls while they sleep. But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. Demi-romantic main character.

38. Lemon & Salt by Claudie Arseneault Two aromantic singers renegotiate their queerplatonic partnership within through a one-of-a-kind concert. Puns included!

39. Warrior Anthology by E. H. Timms

Twelve writers. Twelve worlds. Twelve warriors. Multiple AroAce character.

40. Nkásht íí by Darcie Little Badger A short story featuring two friends and a paranormal murder mystery. AroAce main character.

41. Haunted Hearts by Amelia Faulkner When Basil and Jon meet over a rumored haunting, they agree to work together. But when the ghost proves itself not only real but also insanely homicidal, Basil and Jon are caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, and whatever feelings they might have for one-another have to take a back seat to a desperate fight for their very survival. Queerplatonic, arodemi character.

42. No More Heroes by Michelle Kan The peaceful nights are kept under the clandestine and watchful eye of young, gifted Vigilantes the world over. But a sudden rash of Vigilante deaths heralds the arrival of a new and unfamiliar enemy – one whose motive is as unclear as their identity. Ace and greyromantic.

43. Second Chance by Chelsea M. Cameron When Serena Nolan decides to spend the summer at her cousin’s house and queer café, she doesn’t expect to run into her ex, Fiona … or to discover she’s still very much in love. Demi-ace, demi-aro.

44. The Reckless Kind by Carly Heath It's Norway 1904, and Asta Hedstrom doesn't want to marry her odious betrothed, Nils—even though a domestic future is all her mother believes she's suited for, on account of her single-sided deafness, unconventional appearance, and even stranger notions. Asta would rather spend her life performing in the village theater with her friends and fellow outcasts: her best friend Gunnar Fuglestad and his secret boyfriend, wealthy Erlend Fournier. AceAro.

45. The Last Chronomancer by Reilyn J. Hardy Haunted by the curse that follows his bloodline, it soon becomes apparent to Mae that no matter what you do or how far you run, your past will always catch up to you. The tale of two, cursed for destruction.

One with the strength to kill and the other, the courage to resist. AroAce.

46. Unburied Fables by Rachel Sharp This collection enlisted talent around the world. From students to seasoned professionals, these writers came together to raise awareness and reinvent classic stories. While they showcase a wide variety of origins, styles, and endings, all the tales in this anthology have one classic element in common: a happily ever after. AroAce main character (Match Girl).

47. Any Way the Wind Blows by Carlin Grant Callie lives on the road, trading labor for food and lodging through a farm work-exchange program. She's perfectly content with the life she's created, but it is shaken up when she meets Jo, a mechanic and sister of Callie's latest boss. For the first time, Callie begins reconsidering the choices she's made. But Jo's life is far more complicated than her own and as family tensions rise, they threaten to pull Callie in, and her growing bond with Jo might not be reason enough to stay.

48. epicene: a short story by Ulysses Constance Bougie "Charlie never said a word during English, but they had plenty." An hour in the life of Charlie, a high school student with social anxiety. Over the course of a class period, Charlie considers their anxiety, their desire to express the things they feel, and their very aromantic crush on the beautiful Q.

49. A Murder's Hunt by Danica Taylor Othloh is a city run by criminals. It’s in constant chaos, and no one comes out unscathed. The only law they have is Occisor, a small mercenary group that keeps the fragile peace between the rivaling gangs intact. But when Kestrel Fulani, the newest of the four Crime Lords, begins causing too much trouble, Occisor is hired to remove him from the playing field. Aro heterosexual main character.

50. Loose in the Heel, Tight in the Toe by Valentine Wheeler Prince Heinrich doesn’t want a wife, but as the only heir to the throne he knows he'll need to marry–even though he has no interest in romance or sex. When a mysterious woman at the ball in his honor is completely unimpressed by him, he’s intrigued. Could she be the partner he’s been looking for? And when catastrophe strikes both their families, how can their arrangement hold together? Cinderella retelling.

51. Skybound series by Alex London The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists. Brysen strives to be a great falconer--while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She's nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe.

52. Tower In The Crooked Wood: A Novel Paula Johanson A woman walks across the continent to track down a sorcerer who nightly enslaves random victims, magically transporting them to various work camps to help build his sorcerer's tower. Whenever Jenia, our heroine, is taken, she finds small ways to attempt to sabotage the sorcerer's efforts. In between magical abductions, she walks on, encountering communities so isolated and self-contained that they appear blissfully unaware of the sorcerer setting up shop in the neighbouring wood.

53. This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army. In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons. Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.

Graphic Novels

54. A-Okay by Jarad Greene Eight grade can be tough, especially if you have acne and bullies, and lose friends. But our relatable asexual and aromantic protagonist, Jay, pulls through. This is a relatable memoir with colorful artwork.

55. Jughead, Volume 1 by Chip Zdarsky A comic book reboot of the Archie comics centered around Jughead Jones. Follows an aromantic asexual main character in typical Archie-style shenanigans. Part 1 of a 3 part series.

56. Is Love the Answer? by Uta Isaki A poignant coming-of-age story about a young woman coming into her own as she discovers her identity as aromantic asexual. A complete story in a single volume, from the creator of "Mine-kun is Asexual." When it comes to love, high schooler Chika wonders if she might be an alien. She’s never fallen for or even had a crush on anyone, and she has no desire for physical intimacy. Her friends tell her that she just "hasn't met the one yet," but Chika has doubts... It's only when Chika enters college and meets peers like herself that she realizes there’s a word for what she feels inside.

57. I Want to be a Wall, by Honami Shirono Any love story aficionado will say that the key to a successful couple is intense desire for one another—but what if the characters in question are an asexual woman with a passion for Boys Love stories and a gay man whose heart forever belongs to his oblivious childhood friend? Although romance will never be in the cards for newlyweds Yuriko and Gakurouta, the bond blossoming between them promises to be a wonderful relationship—the likes of which neither has ever experienced before…

General Adult Fiction

58. Common Bonds A Speculative Aromantic Anthology by Claudie Areseneault Common Bonds is an anthology of speculative short stories and poetry featuring aromantic characters. At the heart of this collection are the bonds that impact our lives from beginning to end: platonic relationships. Within this anthology, a cursed seamstress finds comfort in the presence of a witch, teams of demon hunters work with their rival to save one of their own, a peculiar scholar gets attached to those he was meant to study, and queerplatonic shopkeepers guide their pupil as they explore their relationship needs and desires.

59. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata Convenience Store Keiko Furukura. Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of "Smile Mart," she finds peace and purpose in her life. Keiko is very happy, but the people close to her, from her family to her coworkers, increasingly pressure her to find a husband, and to start a proper career, prompting her to take desperate action... Aromantic, possibly asexual and autistic.

60. Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn't belong. Not with his mother's new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father's wife. Not at school, where he's an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he's tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who's introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez? Mildred Gutermann, a German Jew who narrowly escaped the Holocaust, has been alone since her caretaker disappeared. She turns to Raymond for help, and as he tries to track Luis down, a deep and unexpected friendship blossoms between the two. Raymond is aroace. And he is depicted as kind, loving, sensitive and realistic.

61. Stake Sauce, Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really by RoAnna Sylver In which: A cute punk-rock vampire and a disabled firefighter-turned-mall-cop with a dark past join forces to battle the forces of evil–vampires that hunt the streets of Portland. Jude, the protagonist, is gay and grey-aro-ace, trans, has PTSD and wears a prothesis, Eva is aro-ace as well, Jasper has migraines, Pixie is chubby, and while we don't know the identities of all the other characters, all of them are queer (or seem to be) and there's a poly relationship in the works.

62. Walking the Wall of Papered Peaces by Penny Stirling in Capricious: The Gender Diverse Pronouns Issue A asexual clockmaker pursues her non-binary plumber fiancé on a quest along a magical wall of origami animals to work out communication issues in their relationship. Ace and demiromantic.

63. The Melankholia Series by A.N. Mouse and Ace Layton Explore the dreamy, decaying world of the Endless City, where human dreams lend strength to the hunters's unique powers, and where human nightmares spawn into terrifying monsters with no warning. Follow the nightmare hunters, ravens, runners and regents of the shadowy underworld as they fight monsters, fate, and each other.

64. Ice Castle: A Queerplatonic Love Story by Katie Fouks Shoveling dirt over slippery patches while dressed as a Christmas fairy isn’t the most glamorous job in the world, but Rachel Forrest doesn’t mind spending another holiday season as “dirt girl” at the Ice Castle ice maze if it means she gets paid. She never expected one such patch of ice to lead her to Cassie Harlan. Cassie is cute and funny and shares Rachel’s aromantic asexual identity. Rachel finds herself drawn to Cassie in a way she’s never experienced, and as her feelings grow, she questions what exactly they are. Does Rachel want to be her friend? Or something else? She’ll have to learn to trust Cassie and herself in order to figure it all out before they lose their chance at anything.

65. Play It Again by Aidan Wayne When Seattle-based blind YouTuber Dovid Rosenstein finds Sam Doyle's Let's Play channel, playitagainsam, he's instantly captivated by the Irish gamer. Everything about Sam is adorable, from his accent to his personality, and Dovid can't get enough of his content. Dovid's glowing shout-out on Don't Look Now, his own successful channel, sends Sam's subscriber numbers skyrocketing overnight. He has more comments than he can read. And while the sudden surge in popularity is anxiety inducing, Sam decides it's only right to dedicate his next episode to Dovid...which soon leads to a heart-pounding exchange of DMs. Aro Ace Jewish side character.

Fantasy

66. Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault When her twin—a powerful witch and prime exocore material—disappears, Claire redoubles in her efforts to investigate. She keeps running into Adèle, however, and whether or not she can save her sister might depend on their conflicted, unstable, but deepening relationship. Baker Thief is the first in a fantasy series meant to reframe romance tropes within non-romantic relationship and centering aromantic characters. Those who love enemies-to-lovers and superheroes should enjoy the story!

67. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. Aromantic main character.

68. The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia Based on Persian mythology, this is a stunning story of a nonbinary blood magic user who is kept on the outskirts of society. Firuz finds themself a refugee, and gets a job working at a free clinic using their power for good. While working they discover a new disease that threatens to spread across the empire if it isn’t stopped soon. Now Firuz must convince the world to trust the very people they shun to stop the disease and save the world. From the author: it's about an aroace nonbinary refugee healer who is trying to cure a magical plague in their new home while hiding their blood magic.

69. City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault City of Strife is the first installment of the City of Spires series, a multi-layered political fantasy led by an all-queer cast. Fans of complex storylines criss-crossing one another, elves and magic, and strong friendships and found families will find everything they need within these pages. This series has many AroAce characters.

70. The Ice Princess's Fair Illusion by S.L. Dove Cooper To ensure she will never be forced into marriage, Marian pushes back suitors with cold cruelty–under the day her father promises to marry her to the first beggar to come. Edel, who knows well the weight of society’s expectations, ensures she gets the hand, and they must learn to trust and respect each other to survive. AroAce main character.

71. The Necromancer in: Myriad Lands: Volume 2: Beyond the Edge by David R. Stokes A necromancer raises his fellow magician and best friend, a trans man, to give him a second chance at life without the interruptions of dysphoria. AroAce main character.

72. The Faerie Godmother's Apprentice Wore Green by Nicky Kyle The village of Styesville has a dragon problem, but when Dea — a faerie godmother’s apprentice — comes to investigate, she discovers the problem runs much deeper than a simple creature. AroAce main character.

73. Holding Onto Day by E.H. Timms Half a lifetime after the Split, when a world of myth and legend took over the night, grieving aro-ace widower Cal winds up snowed in at a waystation with post-breakup aro-allo Evvi. Proximity and patience draw them closer, both in the day when they are human, and at night, when they become vampire and werewolf.

74. Create My Own Perfection E.H. Timms Emma Stone, medusa, is the groundskeeper for Olson College of Extensive Education, a place where everyone is welcome, from the mythical to the magical. When her selkie best friend loses her skin in Fresher's week, the race is on to find it before someone uses it against her. The search brings Emma face to face with her oldest enemy - and forces her to confront the worst nightmares of her past.

75. Mahou Shonen: Just Say No by Nico H In a world where becoming a "magica" is a phenomenon known to and highly frowned upon by the public, a middle school teacher leading a normal life finds himself involved with Horace Giorno, a young man known as the Prince of Magical Boys, and the brutal, murderous magical girl Pretty Fighter Ribbon Red.

76. Come Drink With Me by Michelle Kan A Dragon, a Phoenix, and an Opera House. Bonds that transcend time, loyalties that defy hardship, and the magic of the places we call Home. (Wherein a Dragon and a Phoenix make their living on earth in an Opera House.)

An Aromantic Chinese Fairytale.

77. The Caelish Order Series by A.J. Barber Ever since her brother murdered four of his closest friends, Alicia Omura has been trying to start over. She changed her name, got a new job, did everything she could to make sure no one ever pegged her as Devon Blaine's sister. Now she's a Hunter for the Caelish Order, protecting Seattle from rogue summoners like her brother, and from their Elaiyu servants. But when Devon himself turns up in the middle of her first big case, he turns everything she thought she knew on its head. His story is outlandish--traitors within the Order, corruption at the highest levels. If he's telling the truth, Alicia has more to worry about than rookie jitters and an inconvenient crush on her partner, Jordan Morrow. AroAce male main character.

Science Fiction

78. Rainbow Lights by Polenth Blake A deep-sea robot tells stories in every colour, but no shade can describe meeting a giant squid. Rainbow Lights is the first collection by science fiction and fantasy author Polenth Blake. Alien scorpions, vampire ice cream sellers and clockwork flies, try to find their place in worlds where being human is optional. AceAro main character.

79. Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace Mal is one of many war survivors in the old town working multiple jobs to scrimp by, one of which is her team's streaming video game play. The team lives with several other roommates in a converted hotel room run by Stellaxis, the company that owns half of town, and is the only legal provider of drinkable water. When Mal catches sight of an elusive SecOps character, special non-player characters (NPCs) modeled after Stellaxis' twelve bioengineered operatives, the team pursues her inside the game to catch her on video for two seconds before their power curfew kicks in. By the time Mal heads down for her daily ration of water, they've secured a lucrative contract, involving an in-person meeting and a conspiracy theory, paying them to capture images of the three living SecOps characters. When Mal returns to find out why the next payment failed, she becomes involved in a fracas that will endanger everyone she knows. Aroace main character.

80. Werecockroach by Polenth Blake As aliens hover above London, three flatmates scuttle across the city to escape. They have more in common with coackroaches than hoarding cardboard and hissing at people, however. The narrator is agender, aromantic, and asexual. Science Fantasy.

81. Faction Paradox: Liberating Earth by Kate Orman and E.H. Timms Just what would happen if a couple of Cousins used our planet as their personal game board? As they create one alternative reality after another, twisting history and reality into knots, only one outcome is sure: whoever wins, the human race loses. AroAce.

82. The Changing of Allison Dutch by Michón Neal This is the first in a trilogy of Allison Dutch's life on earth. Follow along as she comes to terms with vampirism, sexuality, and the outer limits of reality. This book incorporates the realism of human growth and human potential while set in a highly unusual background of sci-fi, fantasy, and sheer horror. What does it take for a person to want to conquer the world? Find out in this coming-of-age story about a girl caught in the intersections of time, reality, sanity, normality. Aro Pansexual.

83. The Dreamhealers Princes Series by M.C.A Hogarth Seersana University is worlds-renowned for its xenopsychology program, producing the Alliance's finest therapists, psychiatric nurses and alien researchers. When Jahir, one of the rare and reclusive Eldritch espers, arrives on campus, he's unprepared for the challenges of a vast and multicultural society... but fortunately, second-year student Vasiht'h is willing to take him under his wing.

84. Novis by Rachel Tonks Hill Novis Colony has a reputation for being cursed. *Something* is killing the colonists, and every single mercenary team that has been sent to protect them. Ros Lamarr is the best mercenary captain in the Commonwealth and even she thinks twice about taking the job. But she's sick of low paid jobs and bored of sitting in a station bar pickling her liver and getting into fights. Breaking the curse on Novis Colony is going to ask more of Ros than any other job she's ever done but if she can do it the rewards will be bigger than even she can imagine. But she can't do it alone. Aro characters. Queerplatonic relationships.

85. Retaking Elysium: a Mars Consortium story by M. Darusha Wehm The woman now calling herself Lisa Marie has spent her whole life trapped by the struggle to make ends meet, and sometimes held hostage by her own memories. On Mars she might finally find financial security, but will she also find something to care about today, and maybe even for the future?

Historical Fiction

86. Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on grand stories about the might and benevolence of the gods. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, her own worth measured by how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the ancient texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. Kaikeyi is asexual and aromantic. Although the words "asexual" and "aromantic" aren't used in the book.

87. Daughters of Britain by S.M. Carrière 68 ad. The Roman Empire has swallowed most of Europe. There are pockets of resistance...

but nowhere, no one, is safe. Mederei, eldest daughter of the fallen war-queen Boudicca, fled north with her sister to continue the fight for British freedom. But nowhere is safe from Rome. Now she must fight for her life for the amusement of her enemy. Adalbern, a proud Batavian, serving in the Roman auxiliary, lived by their rules. But no one is safe from Rome.His people scattered and his nephew held hostage in Rome itself, he is now nothing more than a glorified prisoner. It's life or death both in the arena and out for Mederei and Adalbern as they try to survive and save their people. Aro Ace side character.

Romance

88. The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them. AroAce coded character.

89. Syncopation by Anna Zabo After a viral confrontation with one of his bandmate, Ray and his fledgling band are in a tight spot, and in need of a new drummer. Enter Zavier Demos–insufferable, sexy, talented… and Ray’s high school crush. Pansexual aromantic character.

90. Dithered Hearts by Verity Chase A gender-confused farmer desperate to reclaim her farm and escape her stepparents’ abuse. A closeted prince more interested in helping his people than finding a bride. A fairy godfather with a ton of secrets and no powers. In this diverse fairy tale, everyone is searching for a happy ending. Aro pansexual character.

Psychological Fiction

91. The Bone People by Keri Hulme Our main character Kerewin Holmes is a mixed race (Maori and White European), asexual and aromantic woman who lives in solitude in New Zealand. She meets Simon, a young boy recently rescued from a shipwreck by his Maori foster father, Joe, and the three quickly come to find comfort and support in one another. (source).

Horror

92. Cold Ennaline by RJ Astruc Ennaline Whitehall has always been faithful. The god’s love is all encompassing, after all. Besides, she hardly had a choice growing up in the church alongside Ro and Ray, the twin sons of Father Piedmont. Now the twins are talking about marriage—all three are reaching the age for betrothal—but Ennaline doesn't feel that way about the boys. She doesn't feel that way about anyone, and who knows what the other faithful will do if they learn of her peculiar coldness? AroAce.

Speculative Fiction

93. Margins and Murmurations Trilogy Otter Lieffe An aromantic trans woman with the ability to move through time return to a highly-militarized city with her lifelong friend, Pinar, to help queer activists, sex workers, and other organizers of the underclass rebel.

94. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takács Power to Yield is a collection of speculative tales exploring gender identity, neurodivergence, and religion from author Bogi Takács, who deftly blends sci-fi, fantasy, and weird fiction. ​These are stories about the depth and breadth of the human condition—and beyond—identifying future possibilities of conflict and cooperation, identity and community.

Mystery

95. Same River Twice by Janet Poland When reclusive reporter Miren Lassiter inherits her scientist uncle's riverside cottage, her carefully guarded world is upended. She discovers the body of a local historian hanging from antique gallows in a museum, and soon becomes a suspect in his murder. Mysterious intruders break into her home. When she catches one of them in the act, he is the last person on earth she expects to see. As Miren struggles to get answers from scientists, history buffs, and nosy neighbors, she must face the reasons behind her fear of intimacy and commitment and reach out to others to identify a murderer...before she becomes the next victim. Aro-heterosexual main character.

96. The Courtyard Clairvoyant Mysteries by J.J. Brass Ace Aunt Elise lives in a cozy small-town courtyard with her twenty-something niece Val, a polyamorous pansexual who is currently recovering from an untimely stroke. When Val’s wheelchair is stolen, Elise realizes she’s in a unique position to investigate which of their neighbours played a hand in the theft.

Nonfiction

97. Aro Eros Arrows by Michón Neal This is a fantastic indie book that explores aromanticisim in the context of friendship and polyamory. Aromantic doesn’t mean that there is no love in your life, just that love looks different. Michón Neal also explores aromantic identities in a Black and queer context. A truly empowering and impactful book that breaks down the aromantic identity in such a clear and insightful way. (source)

98. Ace Voices: What It Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-ace by Eris Young How do we experience attraction? What does love mean to us? When did you realise you were ace? This is the ace community in their own words.

99. Ace and Aro Journeys A Guide to Embracing your Asexual or Aromantic Identity by Various Authors What does it mean to be ace or aro? How should I approach the challenges that come with being ace or aro? How can I best support the ace and aro people in my life? Join the The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project (TAAAP) for a deep dive into the process of discovering and embracing your ace and aro identities. Empower yourself to explore the nuances of your identity, find and develop support networks, explore different kinds of partnership, come out to your communities and find real joy within. Combining a rigorous exploration of identity and sexuality models with hundreds of candid and poignant testimonials -- this companion vouches for your personal truth, wherever you lie on the aspec spectrum. You are not invisible! You are among friends.

100. Ace What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen Angela Chen does a remarkable job exploring asexuality and aromanticism in a modern context. She relates the identity back to how queerness is represented or underrepresented in popular media. By looking at these identities in a large context, we get to learn a lot more about how amazing these identities actually are. An asexual person herself, Angela Chen has such a fantastic narrative voice that keeps the reader engaged.

101. The Invisible Orientation An Introduction to Asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker The perfect book for those struggling with their identity, and for people whose loved ones are asexual or aromantic. It goes into how these identities are treated and are largely ignored. It does a great job of analyzing all this data, as well as pointing out how reception of this identity is changing to being not so invisible anymore. A much more academic text than others in this list, it’s still an easy enough read that you shouldn’t be intimated by the academic language. It’s very much an accessible read.

.

I have not read all this books, but I did my best to ensure the representation of the chracters when I was looking for books for this list. I did my best for genres, but sometimes it was hard to know.

I hope you enjoy this list! Isn't it amazing how many aro books there are out there?!

People who requested being tagged: @snailoutofwhack

[bestofsophieturner]

Sophie Turner & Lucy Boynton Testing For Lara Croft In Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Amazon Series

In what is shaping up to be one of the hottest TV casting searches this fall, Amazon MGM Studios has assembled a wishlist of accomplished young actors for the role of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, Prime Video’s high-profile series adaptation of the video game franchise from Emmy-winning Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Sophie Turner (Game Of Thrones) and Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody) are poised to test for the part previously played on the big screen by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, sources tell Deadline.

It is unclear who else would be doing a test for the famous role, a process that has been shrouded in secrecy. Some of the names on the wishlist alongside Turner and Boynton, including Emma Corrin and Mackenzie Davis, are not believed to be testing. A rep for Amazon MGM Studios declined comment.

[afaims100arrowversefavs]

My 250 Favorite Arrowverse Episodes: Part 10: 25-1

Taken from „Arrow“, „The Flash“, „Supergirl“, „Legends of Tomorrow“, „Constantine“, „Black Lightning“, „Batwoman“, „Stargirl“ and Season 1-3 of „Superman & Lois“:

In honor of Seaosn 4 of "Superman & Lois" being the end of the Arrrowverse, the end of DCTV like we knew it and the end of The CW like we knew it, a final time before the final season all Seasons ends of all the 250 best Arrowverse Episodes (according to me):

I did include "Stargirl" this time, since it has as much connection as "Superman & Lois" to the rest of the Arrowverse, but One Hit Shows like "Gotham Knights" and "Naomi" (anyone still remember this one?) are not on this list, neither are Arrowverse unrelated DC shows:

25. Haunted (Arrow 4x5)

The One in which: John Constantine gives Sara her soul back.

74, Written by: Brian Ford Sullivan, Oscar Balderrama, Directed by: John Badham

 24. Kapishon (Arrow 5x17)

The One in which: Adrian breaks Oliver.

109, Written By: Brian Ford Sullivan, Emilo Ortega Aldrich,Directed By: Kevin Tancharoen

23. WVRDR_Error_100 Not Found (Legends of Tomorrow 7x3)

The One in which: Gideon’s memory is corrupted.

100, Written by: Phil Klemmer, Matthew Maala, Directed by: Caity Lotz

22. The Bottle Episode (Supergirl 5x10)

The One in which: There are multiple Brainys.

97, Written by: Derek Simon, Directed by: Tawnia McKiernan

21. Welcome to Earth-2/Escape from Earth-2 (The Flash 2x13-14)

The Ones in which: Barry and Cisco go to Earth-2.

36-37, 36: Written By: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Katherine Walczak, Directed By: Millicent Shelton, 37: Written By: Aaron Helbing, Todd Helbing, David Kob, Directed By: J. J. Makaro

20. Out of Time (The Flash 1x15)

The One in which: A tidal wave hits.

15, Written By: Aaron Helbing, Todd Helbing, Directed By: Thor Freudenthal

19. Bizarros in a Bizarro World (Superman & Lois 2x10)

The One in which: We see what the other half lives like.

25, Written by: Brent Fletcher, Todd Helbing, Directed by: Louis Milito

18.  Starling City (Arrow 8x1)

The One in which: Oliver is back in Starling City.

161, Written by: Beth Schwartz und Marc Guggenheim, Directed by: James Bamford

17. Flash VS Arrow (The Flash 1x8)

The One in which: Oliver comes to Central City just in time for Barry to break bad.

8, Written By: Ben Sokoloswki,m Brooke Eikmeier, Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Directed By: Glen Winter

 16. Worlds Finest (Supergirl 1x18)

The One in which: The Flash lands on Supergirl’s earth.

18, Written by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Michael Grassi, Directed by: Nick Gomez

15. Myriad/Better Angles (Supergirl 1x19-20)

The Ones in which: Maxwell, Cat and Kara team up.

19/20, Written By: Yahling Chang, Caitlin Parrish; Ali Adler, Andrew Kreisberg, Robert Rovner, Jessica Queller Directed By: Adam Kane; Larry Teng

14. Camelot 3000 (Legends of Tomorrow 2x12)

The One in which: Ray becomes a knight of the round table.

28, Written by: Anderson Mackenzie, Directed by: Antonio Negret

13. Meet the Legends (Legends of Tomorrow 5x1)

The One in which: There is a documentary about the Legends.

69, Written by: Grainne Godfree, James Eagan, Directed by: Kevin Mock

12. Invasion! (Arrow 5x8)

The One in which: Every dream comes true.

100, Written by: Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Wendy Mericle, Directed by: James Bamford

11. Raiders of the Lost Art (Legends of Tomorrow 2x9)

The One in which: Phil is very confused.

25, Written by: Keto Shimizu, Chris Fedak, Directed by: Dermott Downs

10. Beebo the God of War (Legends of Tomorrow 3x9)

The One in which: The blue god is hungry.

42, Written by: Grainne Goodfree und James Eagan, Directed by: Kevin Mock

9. Elseworlds 1-3

The Ones in which: Oliver and Barry switch idenities and meet Batwoman.

Part 1: The Flash Episode 5.9/101, Written By: Eric Wallace und Sam Chalsen, Directed By: Kevin Tancharoen und Tom Cavanagh, Part 2: Arrow Episode 7.9/147,  Written by: Marc Guggenheim und Caroline Dries, Directed by: James Bamford, Part 3: Supergirl Episode 4.9/74, Written by: Mac Guggenheim, Derek Simon und Rob Rovner, Directed by: Jesse Warn

8. Legends of To-Meow-Meow (Legends of Tomorrow 4x8)

The One in which: John and Charlie break time. More than once.

59, Written by: James Eagan und Ray Utarnachitt, Directed by: Ben Bray

7. The Scientist/Three Ghosts (Arrow 2x8-9)

The Ones in which: Barry Allen comes to Starling City.

31/32 Written by: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns, Ben Sokolowski, Directed by: Michael Schultz, John Behring

6. Resist/Nevertheless she Persisted (Supergirl 2.21-22)

The Ones in which: Cat returns just in time for an invasion.

41/42, Written by: Derek Simon, Jessica Queller, Andrew Kreisberg, Robert Rovner, Caitlin Parrish, Directed by: Milicent Shelton, Glen Winter

5. Reset (Arrow 8x6)

The One in which: Oliver has to watch Quentin die a lot.

166, Written by: Onalee Hunter Hughes und Maya Houston, Directed by: David Ramsey

4. Fast Enough (The Flash 1x23)

The One in which: Barry makes a decision.

23, Written By: Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, Gabrielle Stanton, Directed By: Dermott Downs

3. The Faithful (Supergirl 3x4)

The One in which: Supergirl learns there is cult that sees her as a goodess.

46, Written By: Paula Yoo, Katie Rose Rogers, Directed by: Jesse Warn

2. Duet (The Flash 3x17)

The One in which: There is a Crossover Muscial.

63, Written By: Aaron Helbing, Todd Helbing, Greg Berlani, Andrew Kreisberg, Directed By: Dermott Daniels Downs

The One Where We're trapped on TV (Legends of Tomorrow 5x13)

The One in which: Charlie put the Legends in our TV.

81, Written by: Grainne Godfree, James Eagan, Directed by: Marc Guggenheim

[thornfield13713]

So, this was fun. Good to know you get to have this conversation even if you sided with the traders and wiped out the raider gangs at Nuka-Town. I really like the idea of the traders moving out to the rest of the park, maybe setting up more settlements there - actually, I do sort of wish you got to see the park's aesthetic change with the change of management and as people get settled in, get used to all these gazelles that are...suddenly wandering about the place. For no reason. Ignore the still-working cloning machine in the basement that somebody forgot to turn back off after it started making gazelles.

Hopefully things will work out okay - Mackenzie seems a decent sort, and she's the de-facto leader around here, so put in a word with her to leave Cito and his family alone and let them live life as they please, and hope that works out for them. There's plenty of places in the park to live, after all. Though I'd want to strip all the machinery out of the Vault-Tec display before I let anyone move into it. It really is just typical of those arseholes that they'd turn a theme-park advertising display into a social experiment.

[maccreadysbaby]

Male Companions React: MacCready Only Edition

(TW: MENTIONS OF BLOOD AND GORE)

Request: macky has some kind of breakdown after a huge fight with enemy of your choice. Maybe it’s about Duncan or sole or maybe he’s just sick and tired and weak. F!sole plz

(p.s. this hurt me)

MacCready’s mind was nothing more than a blurry haze as he loaded a few more rounds into his sniper rifle, keeping his 10mm close by his side. When Sole first spoke to Mackenzie Bridgeman about dispatching the raiders of Nuka-World, he thought it would be like any other raider gang. A quick and easy fight with a few quips thrown back and forth, but it was nothing like that. What it really was was a bloodbath.

He’d never seen so many raiders in once place. They kept coming out of the woodworks. Many of the vendors in Nuka-Town Market had been murdered mercilessly by the raiders for their betrayal, leaving only Sole and MacCready, who were laying on the top of the market booths to get a slightly elevated position.

That’s how every fight had been lately. Harder. Bloodier. Longer. The mutants seemed to grow stronger, and the raiders seemed to be higher. Everything was growing in numbers. Everything but their group, which had stayed at a steady two for as long as MacCready had known Sole.

He watched several raiders collapse to the concrete as Sole’s bullets pierced their bodies and brains. He landed a few more headshots, but his mind was swimming. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d actually sat down, took a break, talked. When had they eaten last?

He had no idea. All be knew was that his adrenaline was through the roof — a feeling that was becoming ever more familiar and constant. His heartbeat was rapid, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and lay there. Life had been throwing punches ever since he left little lamplight. He thought that, after meeting Sole, things might be a little easier with her around. Safety in numbers, right? Wrong. Her bright blue vault suit made them nothing more than walking targets.

The entire floor of the market was running red, glowing thanks to the evening sun, as the pair hastily let more bullets fly. He watched in silence as raiders fell, crumpled to the ground, lifeless. When was he given authority to take lives? Wasn’t he still just that kid from little lamplight? The boy with the weight of his family on his shoulders? The weight he wasn’t strong enough to carry, the weight he shouldn’t be carrying alone?

Yet there he was. Carrying it all by himself. Just like he did then, just like he always would.

He hadn’t realized the fight was over until Sole’s light falsetto broke him out of his trance. “How are you, RJ? Are you hurt?” She was suddenly crouched beside him with a hand on his shoulder, worried irises trailing over his body for injuries. “I think that’s all of them. Let’s get out of here, yeah?”

He nodded in response, and followed her lead back down to the main market. There were so many dead people. So many dead people that had once had a family. That even in this screwed up world, found people to accept them, to take them in. People that were just people, fallen victim to the horror of the wasteland. Who gave him the authority to kill?

“I just…” His voice sounded foreign in his ears. He hadn’t noticed his hands were shaking until he hung his rifle around himself. “I’ll be back in a second.”

Sole sent him a confused glance, but even if she was worried, she let him walk away by himself.

He found himself hop-scotching over bodies to make it to the back of the Market, as far as he could get from Sole. His hands were shaking almost vigorously at this point, and he could practically feel the color draining from his face. He felt like he was going to vomit and scream and pass out all at once. He hadn’t felt like this since right after Lucy, when he couldn’t hold it together anymore. He thought he wouldn’t have to go through that again.

But now, with all of the lives he’d taken, Duncan’s fleeting time, and the unwanted independence and responsibility that had been forced on him for his entire life whirled around in his mind, he had to put his hands on one of the transaction counters to keep himself standing.

His chest and throat were getting tight like they used to before. He felt the back of his eyes burning as the tears he tried to desperately to shove aside built against his eyelids. His entire body was trembling now, despite how many times he told it not to. He wasn’t built to handle this. The killing. The death. The weight of his son’s life on his shoulders, and now, Sole’s protection, too?

He was just a kid.

He wasn’t sure when he’d started crying so violently, but his shoulders were bouncing with every sob and it felt like he wasn’t getting enough air. One of his hands managed to find its way to his eyes — where it always went when he cried, hoping it would hide the tears just a bit — and the other stayed on the counter. If he moved it he’d fall over.

His chest was heaving with his violent sobs as he put nearly all his weight on the counter ahead of him. His knees felt like they were about to give out. He was about to hit the pavement.

And suddenly, two arms snaked around him from behind. Two dainty, small arms that could only belong to one person. One person that, despite their gentleness, was the only thing left really holding him together.

“I know,” She whispered so softly it was almost inaudible. “It’s just me and you.”

He almost fell right then and there. His cries seemed to grow just a little louder, just a little more violent after her quiet consolation. If it wasn’t for her tiny arms clasped around his abdomen, he’d surely be in a million pieces.

“I-I,” He hiccuped, rubbing furiously at his leaking eyes with one hand. “I don’t.. I don’t want t-to… I can’t… do this any-anymore.”

“Shh, shhh,” She said almost desperately, tightening her grip around him. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

His entire body shook with the force of his sobs as he let his knees give out, the pair sinking pitifully onto the bloody concrete. Sole moved quickly, transitioning from hugging around his waist to sitting up on her knees with her arms around his shoulders from behind. “Just let it happen, RJ. Don’t try to stop it.”

He felt himself grabbing for her arms, for some small part of her to hold onto. He was sure he looked absolutely pitiful. But, as she freed her hands so she could hold onto his, he decided he didn’t care what it looked like, because she didn’t.

“I… I…”

“Shhhh,” She trailed on. The warmth of her body against his back and her head against his shoulder was what he tried to focus on, but even then, he couldn’t seem to stop shaking, to stop crying.

“You… you… why are y-you s-still…?” He stammered, sniffing like a child.

He felt her bury her head further into his shoulder. “If you think for one second I’m going to up and leave, you’re crazy. I’m with you, RJ. And that means during times like now. Especially times like now.”

As they sat there, on the bloody ground of the market, one of them sobbing and the other trying their best to console, he hated how much she reminded him of Lucy. She’d even unintentionally said the last words he’d ever heard from his late wife:

I’m with you, RJ.

And even if it would send him into a world of pain, just like it did last time, his tired and battered soul believed it with every broken part. Because he needed it.

He needed her.

[r3d-f0xs-blog]

In other games

Be sharing some OCs from other games and bits of their lore. Maybe some more in depth posts another time.

This is Knight-Captain Blake Forder, later becomes Paladin.

Blake was a member of the Appalachian chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel until the Scorched overran them at Fort Defiance. A few of them left under cover of fire from the last who made one final stand with the hope that they would be able to find a way into one of the nuclear silos to launch a strike on the Scorched nest. But thanks to the desertion of their one remaining leader, Bernice and Blake left to try and bring a message to the chapter in California.

They ended up staying in a town they found under attack from Raiders, in what had been Indiana and made their home there. Blake mostly hung up his power armour and found a friend and later, a lover in one of the engineers there, Alejandro. Alejandro learned his skills from his mother, one of the engineers who worked in developing power armour and had been part of the T-60 project.

With the Californian chapter sending an expeditionary force years later after Bernice's attempts to relay a message to them bearing fruit, Blake returns to the fold. He's determined to wipe the scourge of the Scorched from the planet and the threat it poses to humanity. Alejandro follows him, keen to stay together and make greater use of his knowledge.

Blake takes the role of Paladin when the one who led the expeditionary force, Paladin Richard Miller, was revealed to be an Enclave agent. From then on Blake leads the Brotherhood in Appalachia along with the cooperation of Foundation, Joel MacKenzie (one of the surviving original Responders) Gilda O'Sullivan a Free States survivor.

Blake may be serious about his life in the BoS and the weight of responsibility can be hard to bear at times but he is also kind, compassionate and prefers to see the BoS as serving humanity by protecting and guiding with their knowledge or all technology they find rather than being secretive and hermetic. Some technology should be kept locked away but Blake believes in educating people why rather than a blanket denial and expecting people to accept their word.

[spawksstuff]

The De Completionist Checklist Part 9

1959

Note on the dates: I will mostly be going by when a show/movie was shot rather than its release date. Variety Magazine will be given first priority.

My score: 14 15 / 19

Need To Find: Bold Venture, The Line Up, Special Agent 7, Man From Blackhawk thanks to @iamenits for the link!, Rogue for Hire

Favorite Movie: N/A

Favorite TV Show:  Mike Hammer – Bride and Doom (The wheelchair scene! More on that later)

Favorite Quotes: “I been dead a year. It’s lonely down there. I’m going to take some company back with me.” (Richard Diamond – The Adjustor)

Good roles and good stories this year.

[notladylikes]

let's talk about mackenzie and her bff claire in the fallout universe.

mack is the daughter of a raider, her mum gets killed in the crossfire, dad abandons his kid before he's gunned down by minutemen. she's only seven when it happens and is left to wander the wastes.

at some point in time - after she's gone and grown up a little, she meets claire. who subsequently saves her from a group of cannibal raiders who are wanting to feast on her flesh in order to sacrifice her to the mothman.

claire and mack travel the wasteland - taking settlements from raiders, helping save fallen individuals, just casually causing chaos and wreaking havoc on the world around them. all the while mackenzie keeps claire's secret that she's going ghoul, vows to protect claire with her life.

eventually mackenzie dies - by the hand of an institute merc. claire is the one to bury her body and eventually visits it everyday. when claire turns feral, she is the one that now haunts mackenzie's grave site, a silent protector over her fallen friend even after she's lost all her faculties.

in life and eventually in death, claire and mackenzie stick together through the ins and outs and everything. mackenzie is sure she wouldn't have survived without claire at her side.

@hollowtissue.

in short i love claire and mackenzie's friendship and i will sacrifice anyone and everyone to the gods if it means keeping them safe and together, don't try me.

[countesspetofi]

Today in DeForest Kelley in Westerns, MACKENZIE'S RAIDERS S01E22, "Son of the Hawk" (original airdate March 7, 1959). Kelley plays the titular "Hawk," an outlaw known as El Halcón, who dresses in black and throws daggers with hawk's-head handles. It's the first time I've seen him play a proper, out-and-out Bad Guy instead of just a curmudgeon, and it's kind of disconcerting.

[kwebtv]

Series Premiere

MacKenzie's Raiders - Night Raid - Syndication - October 1, 1958

Western

Running Time: 60 minutes

Written by Barney Slater

Produced by

Directed by Walter Doniger

Narrated by Art Gilmore

Stars:

Richard Carlson as Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie

Morris Ankrum as Sgt Lund

Brett King as Lt.

Louis Jean Heydt as Secretary of War

James Bridges as Pvt. Lewis

Charles Boaz as Corporal Dixon

Kenneth Alton as Trooper

Billy McCoy as Trooper

Jack Parker as Trooper

Joe Phillips as Trooper

Harry Strang as MSgt Shaugnessy

George Bell as Bandit

Joe Ferrante as Bandit

Milan Smith as Bandit

[things-45]

Things to Do in Lubbock: A Guide to the Best Attractions in the Hub City

Lubbock, Texas, may be a small city, but it packs a big punch when it comes to things to do. Known as the “Hub City” due to its central location in West Texas, Lubbock offers visitors a blend of history, culture, music, and outdoor activities. Whether you’re in town for a short visit or planning to stay a while, there’s no shortage of things to do in Lubbock that will make your trip unforgettable. From local landmarks to hidden gems, here’s your ultimate guide to the best things to do in Lubbock.

1. Visit the Buddy Holly Center

One of the most iconic things to do in Lubbock is to visit the Buddy Holly Center, dedicated to the legendary rock 'n' roll star who was born in Lubbock. The museum features exhibits on Holly’s life, music career, and his lasting impact on rock and roll. From his signature glasses to his original guitars, the Buddy Holly Center is a must-see for music lovers and anyone interested in Lubbock’s rich musical heritage. It’s one of the top things to do in Lubbock for visitors of all ages, with interactive displays and educational exhibits about one of rock's greatest pioneers.

2. Explore the National Ranching Heritage Center

For a taste of Texas history, the National Ranching Heritage Center offers a fascinating look into the state’s ranching traditions. Located on the campus of Texas Tech University, this open-air museum features more than 40 historic structures, including barns, ranch houses, and other artifacts that showcase the evolution of ranching in Texas. Whether you’re a history buff or just curious about life in the American West, exploring the National Ranching Heritage Center is one of the top things to do in Lubbock.

3. Take a Walk Through Lubbock Lake Landmark

Nature lovers and history enthusiasts alike will enjoy a visit to the Lubbock Lake Landmark. This 300-acre archaeological site offers walking trails through scenic landscapes, where visitors can learn about the area’s history dating back over 12,000 years. The preserve is home to a wealth of prehistoric and historic sites, making it a great destination for outdoor exploration and learning. If you’re looking for a peaceful and educational outdoor activity, walking through the Lubbock Lake Landmark is one of the most unique things to do in Lubbock.

4. Stroll Through Downtown Lubbock

Lubbock’s Downtown Cultural District is full of charm and character, offering a wide range of activities, shops, and restaurants. Whether you’re looking to explore local art, grab a coffee, or enjoy a meal, downtown Lubbock has something for everyone. Visit the Charles Adams Studio Project for contemporary art, or catch a live performance at the Cactus Theater. This area is also home to some of Lubbock’s best restaurants, offering everything from Texas BBQ to international cuisine. For a mix of food, culture, and entertainment, downtown Lubbock is one of the most vibrant things to do in Lubbock.

5. Catch a Game at a Texas Tech Sporting Event

Lubbock is home to Texas Tech University, and there’s no better way to experience the city’s vibrant atmosphere than by attending a Red Raiders sporting event. Whether you’re into football, basketball, or baseball, the energy at Texas Tech games is infectious. The Jones AT&T Stadium and the United Supermarkets Arena are two prime locations for enjoying college sports in Lubbock. If you’re a sports fan or just looking to soak in the local culture, attending a Red Raiders game is one of the most exciting things to do in Lubbock.

6. Relax at Prairie Dog Town in Mackenzie Park

For a fun and quirky activity, head to Prairie Dog Town in Mackenzie Park, where you can observe a lively colony of prairie dogs in their natural habitat. It’s a charming and family-friendly spot that offers a relaxed atmosphere for visitors of all ages. Whether you’re enjoying a picnic or simply taking a leisurely stroll, Prairie Dog Town is one of the most unique and delightful things to do in Lubbock for families, animal lovers, or anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors.

7. Tour the Silent Wings Museum

The Silent Wings Museum is dedicated to the history of glider pilots who served during World War II, and it’s a must-see for history enthusiasts. The museum showcases a variety of military gliders, along with artifacts and personal stories of the brave men who flew them. For those interested in aviation or WWII history, this museum offers an engaging and educational experience. It’s one of the more informative things to do in Lubbock that provides visitors with a unique perspective on wartime aviation.

8. Sample Local Wines at the Lubbock County Winery

Wine lovers will find a hidden gem in the Lubbock County Winery, located just outside the city. The winery is known for producing wines made from grapes grown in the Texas High Plains, and visitors can enjoy a tasting of various wines in a scenic and relaxing environment. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning your wine journey, visiting the winery is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Lubbock. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon sipping wine while enjoying the beautiful Texas landscape.

9. Shop at the Lubbock Farmers Market

For a taste of local flavor, head to the Lubbock Farmers Market, open on Saturdays from May through October. The market is full of fresh produce, artisanal goods, and handmade products from local vendors. Whether you’re picking up fresh vegetables, sampling homemade pastries, or browsing handcrafted items, the Lubbock Farmers Market is a great place to experience the city’s local culture. Shopping here is one of the most fun things to do in Lubbock, especially if you love supporting local farmers and artisans.

10. Experience Lubbock’s Nightlife

When the sun sets, Lubbock comes alive with a vibrant nightlife scene. Whether you're into live music, craft cocktails, or dancing, there’s something for everyone in Lubbock after dark. Popular venues like Blue Light Live and the Depot District offer live music and entertainment for a memorable night out. If you prefer a more relaxed evening, Lubbock also has plenty of cozy bars and lounges. Experiencing the nightlife is one of the most exciting things to do in Lubbock for those looking to have fun after the sun goes down.

[moviereviews101web]

The Long Good Friday (1980) Movie Review

The Long Good Friday – Movie Review ABC Film Challenge – Set in the UK – H (Harold) Director: John Mackenzie Writer: Barrie Keeffe (Screenplay) Cast Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit) Helen Mirren (Fast X) Paul Freeman (Raiders of the Lost Ark) Leo Dolan (Keeping Up Appearances) Kevin McNally (Pirates of the Caribbean) Patti Love (Woman in Gold) Plot: An up-and-coming gangster is…