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#Rhea's Retired Life series
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Mystery/Thriller Books I Read This Year with LGBTQ+ Main & Side Characters 🏳️‍🌈
This year I read so many interesting mystery and thriller books and wanted to make this list because I didn't even know that there were that many mystery/thriller books that featured LGBTQ+ characters until this year. These books were all a joy to read and I hope that you'll enjoy them as well. I don't want to mislead anyone so I'll put the pairings in parentheses and let you decide which ones speak to you or not.
Ace of Spades - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Main Characters)
Students Chiamaka "Chi" and Devon are tormented by an anonymous gossip account that is hellbent on ruining their senior year. If you like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars you'll love it.
All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology - Edited by Circe Moskowitz (Various Characters) and features the following authors:
Kalynn Bayron, Ashia Monet, Liselle Sambury, Sami Ellis, Joel Rochester, Joelle Wellington, Brent C. Lambert, Donyae Coles, Ryan Douglass, Circe Moskowitz
I'm not a big fan of horror novels but I found all of these short stories to be really interesting. They range from confusing to mildly unsettling to very creepy so there is something for everyone. Just a heads up there's a bit of gore but that's something to be expected in a horror novel.
And Don’t Look Back - Rebecca Barrow (Main Characters)
Harlow Ford is a teenager who has bounced from place to place her whole life due to her mother Cora attempting to outrun something or someone. While attempting to flee their current location, Harlow and her mother get into a car accident and her mother dies from her injuries. Before she dies, Cora instructs Harlow to take a key and find a safety deposit box and to "Keep running, and don't stop". In this box Harlow discovers money and new identities as well as a deed to a house and pictures of aunts she never knew existed. Harlow then has to decide if she wants to run forever or solve the mystery to her past. Nearly everyone in this book is sapphic except for a few characters.
Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson (Main & Side Characters)
Estranged siblings Byron and Benny Bennett, affectionately called B&B by their mother Eleanor, have to put aside their differences after her sudden death. The family lawyer reveals that Eleanor left behind various tapes detailing her life and that the last Black cake she made is in the freezer but cannot be cut until the time is right. Told in two timelines, we learn about Eleanor's life and how she came to be her mother and it's a tale of loss, heartbreak, and perseverance. If you haven't already seen it, Hulu has adapted it into a tv series and all episodes are available to watch.
Cutting Teeth - Chandler Baker (Side Characters)
The book's selling point is vampire preschoolers, but it's mainly about three mothers Rhea, Mary Beth, and Darby and their struggles with motherhood. When their children's teacher Ms. Ollie is found dead, cracks form in their friendships and personal lives as they struggle to manage their children's thirst for blood. There are two lesbian moms of one of the preschoolers that are mentioned here and there but they don't play a big part in the story.
The Golden Spoon - Jessa Maxwell (Side Character)
Six amateur bakers are invited to compete on The Golden Spoon, a baking competition hosted by a famous baker Betsy Martin. They're all whisked away to Grafton manor, Betsy's family home. The competition starts off with undetectable acts of sabotage and ends in a shocking murder. One of the reviews compared it to Only Murders in the Building because of some amateur sleuthing done by middle aged tech guru bachelor Pradyumna and retired nurse Lottie, but I don't think they're similar at all just because of the age gap. One of the contestants Peter is gay and has a husband and daughter but he is not a major player in this book. Hulu got the rights to adapt this book into a series so I can't wait to see it in the next year or two.
Their Vicious Games - Joelle Wellington (Side Characters)
After getting into a fight with a classmate, Edgewater Academy student Adina Walker loses her spot at her dream college. In hopes of reclaiming her future, she charms her way into getting accepted into a competition called The Finish. Held at the estate of the Remington family, the founders of the Edgewater Academy itself, The Finish is an intense competition that consists of three challenges: a Ride, a Raid, and a Royale. Competing along 11 other girls, many of which are bloodthirsty for victory, Adina tries to keep her humanity intact to not only win but stay alive. If you like The Hunger Games I think you'll enjoy this book. While their sexual identities aren't clearly defined, two of the female characters are in a queerplatonic relationship that at times seems more romantic than platonic. The Gotham Group has acquired the rights to a live adaptation but I'm unsure of whether or not this book will become a tv series or a movie.
Books that are part of a series are mentioned below. Struck titles are the books that were read in previous years.
Andy Mills Series - Lev A.C. Rosen (Main Characters)
Evander "Andy" Mills is a gay cop who was fired after being caught in a raid at a gay club and is now a private investigator for the LGBTQ+ community in 1950s San Francisco. I can't say too much about the series without spoiling the contents of either book so be sure to check out the goodreads pages for the summaries of the books.
TW: because of the time period there are a lot of homophobic slurs, graphic or off-page police brutality, and some violence in general
Lavender House
The Bell in the Fog
Secret Staircase Mystery Series - Gigi Pandian (Side Characters)
Tempest Raj, a former magician, joins her father's Secret Staircase Construction company that specializes in creating secret rooms for clients. In each book she encounters seemingly impossible locked in mysteries that occur in the homes of their clients while also trying to figure out the mystery behind a family curse that claimed the life of her aunt and possibly her mother who disappeared several years ago. Dahlia, a true crime writer is the older sister of Tempest's best friend Ivy is married to Vanessa, a criminal defense attorney. They along with their young daughter Natalie often end up providing advice or clues needed to help solve the mysteries.
Under Lock & Skeleton Key
The Raven Thief
Thursday Murder Club Series - Richard Osman (One of the main characters but not revealed/confirmed until Book 4)
In the Coopers Chase Retirement Village, four retirees get together every Thursday to solve a murder: Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Ron, and Joyce the newcomer. With the help of their friends Chris and Donna on the police force as well as handyman with a shady past Bogdan, there's no case this crew can't solve. The books are full of charm, wittiness, and excitement and I can't wait for book number five. Not much is known yet, but there is going to be a movie! Filming is supposed to start next year but I don't think they have released the casting information yet but I hope that they choose their cast well.
The Thursday Murder Club
The Man Who Died Twice
The Bullet that Missed
The Last Devil to Die
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amandamazzillo · 1 year
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REVIEW: Linoleum - Surrealist Sci-Fi Meets Heartfelt Family Drama
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Colin West's Linoleum builds a unique world imbued with nostalgia and its influences are felt, but never become overpowering--creating a wholly unique experience through its perfect blend of mystery, sci-fi, and heartfelt human drama.
Linoleum tells the tale of Cameron (Jim Gaffigan), a middle-aged scientist who hosts children's science show Above and Beyond, but dreams of something bigger. As a rocket crashes in his backyard, Cameron's life comes sharply into focus. Cameron spent his life wanting to be an astronaut, and now even his TV show is being taken away from him. Even worse, his replacement is Kent Armstrong (Jim Gaffigan), a retired astronaut who bears an uncanny resemblance to Cameron.
In addition to dreaming of being an astronaut, rather than an astronomer, Cameron's wife Erin (Rhea Seehorn) wants to get a divorce--and the film explores their changing relationship especially well through segments of his show.
Exploring concepts of regret and trying to live our dreams, when they feel so far away from our current lives. Erin can't seem to remember what she once dreamed of doing, but it isn't her present job working at an air and space museum. When a chance comes to try and rediscover what she once loved about science--and in turn, what she once loved about her husband--we see Erin juggling between her heart and her head.
Rhea Seehorn's performance is nuanced and subtle, allowing small moments to speak volumes of her character's internal dilemmas and questioning of life and time.
Jim Gaffigan gives one of his best performances playing both the distant and awkward Cameron as well as his slick, somewhat menacing doppelganger Kent. As the film progresses, Gaffigan plays each part, building these two complex and extremely different characters. One moment which especially sticks out is an uncomfortable moment between Kent and his son Marc (Gabriel Rush).
Linoleum poses interesting questions about sexuality that are not often explored in film, especially related to bisexuality. The moments between Kent's son Marc and Cameron's daughter Nora (Katelyn Nacon) are some of the most memorable in the film, crafting a sweet dynamic that feels natural and introspective.
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Marc and Nora are both outcasts at school, and as they bond, their conversations about sexualities and identity are surprisingly thoughtful.
The unique tone of Linoleum builds from a world which feels both absurd and surreal, while staying extremely grounded in reality. The relationships and problems facing the central characters feeling so real makes the more surreal moments pack even more of an emotional punch.
Linoleum is a beautiful and strange exploration of the mind and the human idea to always compare ourselves to everyone else, rather than enjoying the unique beauty of our lives. Linoleum is a heartfelt and uplifting film with dark undertones, expressing to everyone that our own universe--and the people who make up our world--are worth more than we could ever imagine.
The tone of Linoleum shifts--taking the audience on a mysterious journey that sometimes drifts into unsettling territories with images such as a lone woman far off in the frame, a cracked astronaut helmet, and a shadow-filled street. The cinematography of Linoleum crafts a unique world which feels both timeless and filled with nostalgia.
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Linoleum's blend of surrealism with family drama and dark comedic moments brings to mind Dave Holstein's series Kidding--with its focus on an extremely realistic failing marriage amid a surreal, darkly comedic world. Like Kidding, Linoleum utilizes its surrealist visuals to build a world that feels natural and emotionally poignant, especially when exploring the changes Cameron and Erin's marriage has experienced over time.
Gaffigan and Seehorn's performances perfectly capture the chasm erupting between their memories co-hosting Above and Beyond together and their challenging present life. The difference between the Erin in these TV segments and her present life--far removed from the dreams she once held--is apparent.
Linoleum is a unique blend of science fiction and heartfelt dramady, brought to life through poignant performances, especially from Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn. The visual style crafts an unforgettable exploration of what it means to be human.
Linoleum released in select theaters February 24th by Shout!
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legendsoffodlan · 3 years
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The Unwritten Supports: Marianne and Hapi
@xpegasusuniverse requested:  Could please write a C to A support between Marianne and Hapi? For some reason I’ve always really wanted them to interact.
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C-Support
(OST: Respite and Sunlight)
Location: The Cathedral, evening.
Marianne, head lowered in prayer: Dear Goddess, in your grace and your love-
*Hapi walks in, sees Marianne and considers just leaving*
Marianne: -take this curse away from me and bring me to your side.
*Hapi’s eye widen and she clears her throat*
Hapi: Heya Blue. Up to somthing?
Marianne: *jumps* EEK!
Hapi: Sorry, Blue. It’s just me.
Marianne: Oh. I-I’m sorry Hapi.
Hapi: No problem. Just looking for a place to nap. The Cathedral is usually quiet round this time, you know?
Marianne: I see. I’ll just... uh, leave. I’m sorry for bothering you.
Hapi: Hold on Blue.
Marianne: Huh?
Hapi: Now, uh, I couldn’t help but overhear a bit of what you were praying for... what’s this about a curse?
Marianne: My- uh- my Crest...
Hapi: Your Crest? Your Crest is cursing you.
Marianne: I- I have to leave! I’m sorry Hapi. You should stay away from me!
*Marianne practically runs from the cathedral leaving a confused Hapi in her wake*
Hapi: I... may have approached that the wrong way...
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B-Support
(OST: Recollection and Regret)
Location: The Stables, evening
*Marianne is tending to the horses*
Marianne: There you go, see? Not broken. You’re a good girl.
*Hapi enters the stables quietly and sees Marianne there. She feels a sudden rush of Deja Vu*
Marianne: You’ll be on your feet in no time. It’s okay.
Hapi: Huh, you’re really good with them Blue.
Marianne: *jumps, but doesn’t shriek this time* Oh! Hello there Hapi.
Hapi: Sorrya bout sneaking up on you like this again. Just here to check up on Edge.
Marianne: Edge?
Hapi: Big mean guy in the corner? He’s the one I like to use.
Marianne: Ooh! That one. Most students won’t go near him because of how ornrey he is.
Hapi: Let me guess, you’ve never had any trouble with him?
Marianne: No... I haven’t
Hapi, smiling: Heh, makes sense.
Marianne: Have you had any trouble with him?
Hapi: Oh sure, plenty at first. Then I got to know him and he’s been a lot better since.
Marianne, feleing the this conversation has some sort of hidden meaning: I see.
Hapi: Say, uh, Blue, I wanted to apologize for in the Cathedral. That was, uh, kind of crappy of me. What goes on between you and the Goddess is your business.
Marianne: Oh, no, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been there so late. But, you believe in the Goddess?
Hapi: Sure do.
Marianne: Oh, it’s just... you always seem so dismissive of the Church...
Hapi: My problem is with the Church, not the Goddess. The Goddess is fine. The Church is the one who screwed me over for my Crest.
Marianne: Your Crest?
Hapi: Yeah. The one that summons monsters for me when I sigh? Instead of trying to help me the shoved me into Abyss.
Marianne: Oh... I’m so sorry Hapi.
Hapi: I’m used to it. Just... be careful Blue. If your Crest really is cursed they might get it in their heads to do the same to you. Be careful.
*Hapi leaves*
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B+-Support
(OST: Recollection and Regret)
Location: Cathedral, night.
*Hapi is looking up at the front of the Cathedral when Marianne comes in*
Marianne: Oh, hello Hapi.
Hapi, turning around to see Marianne: OH, hey there Blue. What’re you doing up this late?
Marianne: I- I couldn’t sleep. I was having bad dreams.
Hapi: Huh, Same. I was just thinking, you know.
Marianne: Hapi... I wanted to tell you. About what I was praying for in the Cathedral that day.
Hapi: Blue, you don’t have to. 
Marianne: I know but... I want to. You trusted me with your burden, I want to trust you with mine.
Hapi: Blue...
Marianne: My Crest... it is cursed. The it’s cursed to bring misfortune to those around me. It hurts people. It- ...It got my mother and father killed.
Hapi: Blue... don’t take this the wrong way... but I think you just feel guilty.
Marianne: Huh? What do you mean?
Hapi: I mean, your parents died and it sucks. And you feel guilty about surviving. So, you looked for a way to make it your fault.
Marianne: No, Hapi! It is. It’s my Crest. It’s evil, and it will hurt you too if you stay too close!
Hapi: Blue, I’ve got some experience with Crests that hurt people. Even if your Crest is cursed, it can’t be any worse than what mine does.
Marianne: I see... I suppose.
Hapi: Heh, two Cursed girls hanging out. Look out world!
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A-Support (This Support is only available Post-Timeskip and after the Paralogue Forgotten Hero)
(OST: Somewhere to Belong)
Location: Rhea’s Garden, night
*Hapi and Marianne are in the garden, stargazing*
Hapi: And that series of three stars is the Dragon’s Belt.
Marianne: I- I never noticed how beautiful they all were before.
Hapi: Heh, that’s cause you were always looking down, Blue.
Marianne: Yes... I suppose I was.
Hapi: Heya, I kind of... wanted to ask... how are you holding up. After Maurice and all that.
Marianne: Honestly... I feel relieved.
Hapi: Heh, I get that. Still think you’re cursed?
Marianne: No... how could I be when I met someone as wonderful as you Hapi?
Hapi, blushing: Aw, come on Blue!
Marianne: *giggles* I’m sorry. But, I feel truly blessed to have someone like you in my life, Hapi. Someone who understood.
Hapi: Well, uh, I’m glad I met you too Blue. Despite everything that’s going on and that we’ve been through... I’m glad I got to know you.
Marianne: I, uh, I know it may be a bit forward of me, but, after this is over, if we’re both still alive, would you like to come to my estate?
Hapi: Huh?!
Marianne: To- to work on your Crest! Find a way to- to neutralize it’s effects!
Hapi: Oh... I mean... yeah! Sure. But... only if you promise to come with me to my village. I... I’d really like you to meet my family.
Marianne: Oh, Hapi! I’d be honored.
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Paired Ending (I know you didn’t request one, but I really wanted to do one. You’re welcome)
Survivor of the Curse and Beastmaster: Following the events of the war, Hapi and Marianne retired to von Edmund lands. They would not linger, as Marianne’s new love of life proved infectious and they traveled Fodlan and further lands to see and partake of it. It is unknown if Hapi ever removed the effects of her Crest, but by all accounts she was happy regardless. When they grew too old to travel safely, they converted Castle Edmund into Fodlan’s first proper orphanage. Together they raised hundreds of children, giving them the love and hope that they themselves had found in each other, so long ago.
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randomnameless · 3 years
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There was a “joke” post that circulated about lords siding with a certain person (the result is... no one picks her path), and I didn’t want to reblog it with serious thoughts - and I was like, the second any Lord hears about certain ideas regarding another race, they’d bail out immediately.
While fantastic racism is still racism, the main issue depicted in the game (but hidden or not picked upon because framing is a thing) is coexistence.
... Right ?
Each time Edel harps about “creatures” it is because she thinks they are controlling Fodlan, or are just living here with humans :
“You are a child of the goddess. You must not be allowed power over the people”
“Should the one leading the people of the world be someone with humanity or a creature that can merely masquerade as a human at will?”
A redditer once put it in simple terms, but it feels like the “Separate but Equals” doctrine, with all its implications - creatures should not have power over humans, but humans are allowed to have power over them.
Creatures are not allowed to live near human settlments and are allowed to “retire” from the world, but banned from interacting with it.
So while I do not think CF!Edel is going to destroy Macuil, who is living in Sreng (unless she uses him as a pretense, she will send troops to free her Sreng allies from his evil yoke and forget to pull them back when the bird’s dead?), CF!Edel still has the ominous
“You could have had a peaceful life... Why did you have to come to Garreg Mach?”
when pitted against... Flayn.
If Flayn never came to Garreg Mach, she would have been allowed to live a peaceful life, but far from... humans? Humanity? Civilisation?
But this? This is what we are supposed to think!
Bar the, um, ludicrousness of thinking Flayn rules over humans, especially since the person thinking this is the leader of the country who gave the biggest middle finger to the Church, there is the Indech paralogue.
No matter how many twists or paperwork involved, the fact is the BE knows Edel will terminate Indech. Euphemisms like “It will be troublesome” cannot shake the feeling that since day 1, Edelgard, who said she wishes to obliterate Children of the Goddess because they are controlling the world, obliterates many things to get control of various countries, but not Children of the Goddess.
Dimitri and Claude must disappear for Fodlan to be united, thus to gain control over the world, but Rhea? Why is she on the hit-list, especially after having been driven away from Garreg Mach and not having any power over “the people” anymore?
Again, CF is very revealing about her views on Children of the Goddess, even if the lolcalisation team tried to smooth the angles :
In the localised version, against Rhea, during their final fight, she says :
So it's true. You don't value human life at all. Isn't that right, Immaculate One? 
But in the original, jp, version, she says this instead :
やはり、貴方が大事なのは人ではないのね。 “白きもの”……女神の眷属よ !
After the “Immaculate One”, Edel pauses and adds... Child/ren of the Goddess.
So it isn’t Rhea, the IO, who doesn’t “value human life at all”, nope. It’s something inherent to all “children of the goddess” (or other reading, Edel thinks CoG is an insult, which... doesn’t help her case.at.all.).
From a doylist POV, I can see why this only comes late in the game, and was hidden, in CF at least, because Billy has to be misguided, starting with “I hate children of the goddess because they abuse power”.
Then it becomes “I hate children of the Goddess because they have power over humans”.
The ultimate CF golden nugget, is “I hate children of the Goddess because they do not value human life”. Indech’s paralogue (meaning you recruited someone else from the usual BE member, hinting at a second PT?) heavily suggests “I hate children of the Goddess, even if they don’t have power over humans”.
So, both to fit with the theme Billy’s lied to in CF and because finding justifications to hide why you hate a different race/species is what is commonly done to hide your most hideous opinions, Edel couldn’t have started CF saying, overtly, “I hate Children of the Goddess, they’re not like us, look they don’t value human lives!” - Watsonian wise... if the game didn’t have big issues with framing, it would sound weird because, hm, Flayn was a member of their House and apparently managed to get along with several people, you do not bother to get along with people you don’t care about and/or value.
But in a way, isn’t it, just the same thing?
By hiding behind “I don’t mind them, just hidden from my eyes and without influence over the world”, it doesn’t remove the main issue, coexistence with Nabateans is impossible.
Let it be their physical or spiritual presence, their existence is outright rejected - as I pointed out in an earlier post, wanting to get rid of “crests” effectively means, wanting to get rid of Nabateans.
“They” are not like “us”. They do not value our lives (or being called a “Child of the Goddess” is an insult).
This is where the most beautiful redshit takes grow, from the “it isn’t racist to call them beast because they technically are “beasts”” - I am sure if I call you an evolved paramecia, even if it might be technically true, you will not feel honored - to the emmy worthy takes “Nabateans are responsibles for what happened to them, it’s their fault because they flaunted their superpowers”.
As an evil person said :
Everyone has something that is unacceptable within them. I certainly do, and I'd wager you do as well.
I wonder which is best, Professor... To cut away that which is unacceptable, or to find a way to accept it anyway...
Post CF, Nabateans are effectively cut away, since their existence was unacceptable. Let it be physically or condamned to a life in hiding.
For someone who cannot accept Nabateans, the most suitable ending is to remove her love interest’s nabatean blood, Billy can reject their blood, their life support and even their tacky hair!
i forgot the point i wanted to make  In the FE series, coexistence is always sought after, let it be between two different species, or two different nations, or even two different people and their visions. In FE16? No one gives a frick about this issue, even when it is the leitmotiv of the primary force in the game (save for the aforementionned evil person).
We can even say this game, with its hard-on for unification, gives a negative answer - there is no need to accept the unacceptable or to try to get along or to coexist with others, if others are part of you.
CF at least had the balls to drop the mic and go full “you should cut away the things you cannot accept”, while it can be foggy at first, it hits hard when the “things you cannot accept” are... a group of people.
Tl; Dr : When usual lords pick the “find a way to accept and get along with everyone”, Edel fully embraces the “cut away and destroy it”, even if this mindset leads to finishing Nemesis’s party and removing Nabateans from Fodlan. The game doesn’t challenge it though, and it’s a pity.
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likeholymary · 3 years
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— one with the force
the phantom menace i: 1.8k words
AU: What if the Clone Wars never happened, but instead Darth Sidious cast aside the Rule of Two, forging a new way for the Sith and began amassing an army of Sith warriors to overthrow the Jedi and the Republic?
A/N: hello friends! so, i actually posted part one for this series a few days ago, but ultimately decided it wasn’t how i wanted to start this series. i also just don’t want to have to write for the entirety of the phantom menace, lol. however, Rhea’s story will still be the same, a young padawan just abandoned by her master, Dooku, who has left the Jedi Order to chase his families fortune. she still grew up with Obi-Wan, and hopefully we will delve some more into their past together as younglings soon:) this chapter will take place towards the end of the phantom menace, so we will be quickly be on chapters with bearded Obi-Wan!! please comment any thoughts or ideas you would like me to incorporate into the story! reblog if you’d like, and comment below if you want to be added to the tag list i will be starting very soon! again, thank you all for reading!
warnings: angst. mentions of abandonment.
She had once had such future, such promise, and now, she felt as though she were nothing. Being abandoned as a padawan was not something many Jedi experienced often, if at all, and yet here she was, the third padawan of her master, abandoned, alone.
Master Dooku had left so quickly that twenty-one year old Rhea did not have much time to process what the cause could be. She supposed she should call him Count Dooku now. Her nose wrinkled at the thought. What was once a great Jedi Master, was now a man who had wealth beyond measure and power that was rarely attainable.
Had it been her fault? What had she done to have failed him, to cause him to leave the Jedi Order he so dearly loved? She asked the question so many times, but she knew it was better to not reflect on the situation so selfishly.
Surely, it could not be entirely her fault. She recalled how he seemed to wane in the Force, his light turning into a flickering speck over the course of the past few years she had known him. What power he had as a Jedi that once blazed soon became disillusioned, something she could feel each time they spared or sat on the brig of their ship while on mission. He had retreated, growing into something she no longer knew, and when he left it should not have come to such a shock.
But she could not forget the fatherly affection he had for her, the kind eyes he would spare her in the library while she studied tirelessly over the Jedi prophecies and scripts of old.
She could not forget his encouragement, nor his sarcastic tone, nor the way he would lift her up and direct her in the ways of the Force so brilliantly so much so that she felt like some chosen creature, blessed to be taught by such a master.
She could not forget the attachment she held to him, and how it was slowly severed as he began to drift away from the Jedi.
And now, it had ended. Now she knew why the Jedi did not allow attachments.
Rhea Illyria tried to catch her breath but the brilliant purple lightsaber of Master Windu came rushing towards her head, and she quickly had to block it from severing it off from her shoulders.
“Concentrate, Illyria! Your heart betrays you. Let go of your attachments. Focus on the present or fail.”
With her lightsaber still above her and blocking Windu, she closed her eyes, breathing through her nose. Focus on the present or fail. Let go.
Releasing the breath through her mouth, she pushed forward with her saber against Master Windu’s, watching as he stumbled back a few steps before raising her blue lightsaber once more to clash with his.
Master Mace Windu was to train her for the foreseeable future until she was to have her trials. Despite her feelings of confusion, she actually hoped that this could mean her trials would come sooner, that she was one step closer to becoming a Jedi Knight. After all, she had been practically born in the Jedi temple, having no home of her own, having only been a babe who was dropped off on the steps of the temple on a summers day in the pouring rain. The Jedi were the only family she had ever known.
As the new master and apprentice continued to spar, Mace’s comm link beeped, signaling a meeting with the council.
“Jinn and Kenobi must have returned from Naboo. Our lesson is done for the day, my young apprentice.”
Rhea bowed her head respectfully, but also to hide the growing smile on her face. She was glad to see Master Windu jog out of the training area, as he grin began to stretch at the thought of seeing her old friend Obi-Wan Kenobi.
She and Obi-Wan had been in the same youngling clan together. The spent time together, side-by-side training in the art of the lightsaber, meditating on the mysteries of the force, sneaking off to steal baked goods from the pantries, and had lived life together as the best of friends. However, this did not mean that the two were entirely the same, and in fact they often got in trouble for causing trouble, often bickering with one another or just creating some sort of ruckus.
This quickly changed when they became padawans.
Although in his youth a willful-rebel, Obi-Wan quickly became disciplined, determined to follow the rules and make his master proud. Rhea, already a force of nature and dutiful, was placed with Master Dooku, who guided her more deeply in the knowledge of the Force.
Rhea was elated, and could not wait to see the boy from Stewjon, who she could not recall the last time she had seen, but the presence of who she could always feel.
She slowly began to make her way towards the Council’s chambers, crossing through the temple gardens and through a case of stairs, hoping to make it just as the meeting concluded. Rhea made her way through the hall, before nestling herself between one of the pillars close to the doors.
Rhea could feel him in the Council room, the anxiety rolling off of him at his masters words. Something about a boy... Whatever it was, she could feel him growing more tense and frustrated as the situation progressed. It only lessened for a moment, and it was almost as if she could feel him breathing beside her.
It was then that the Council doors swung open and Qui Gon Jinn exited with his padawan trailing behind him. They talked in hushed voices outside the doors, slowly walking in her direction. Moving from behind the pillar, she nodded at Master Jinn as she came into their view.
“Master Qui Gon, I am glad to see you returned safely from your mission.”
“Young Rhea, it is good to see your face once again. I am sorry to hear about our Master,” He commented lightly.
“Yes, it was quite unexpected but I suppose it was the will of the Force.” She paused, taking a silent breath before asking, “Could I perhaps speak with Obi-Wan?”
Qui Gon was not surprised in the slightest. He remembered on the night of his padawan’s Initiate Trials how closely he was to a small girl with brown pigtails and olive toned skin. He remembered how fierce the girl was, how she never once faltered in the ways of the Force. And how she surpassed him as their Master’s apprentice, something which shocked him, considering how he assumed Dooku would never take on another padawan. But he seemed to have a special interest in this youngling girl, whereas Qui Gon soon began to feel weighed down by the ways of his padawan. Obi-Wan was his complete opposite in every way, and did not have the same relation his former master and he had.
“Go on, young ones. Obi-Wan, I will see you later this evening at the Council meeting.”
“Yes, master.”
Rhea and Obi-Wan began to walk side by side down the hall, as Qui Gon went the other way. Taking a look behind their shoulders and seeing that his master was gone, Obi-Wan turned to Rhea and engulfed her in such a warm embrace. The girl sighed, taking in the scent of his freshly washed robes as well as the warmth emitting from him.
“I missed you so much.”
Obi-Wan pulled back slightly, giving her his signature cheeky grin. “Oh really? Are you sure? Because I quite remember you saying you couldn’t wait for me to leave on my next assignment the last time we saw one another.”
She playfully shoved his shoulder, and began to walk away, but he simply began to follow in step, slinging an arm around her shoulder like old friends do.
“It’s not my fault you can be so aggravating. Especially when you’re being competitive.”
“Hey, I totally won that sparring match!”
“You cheated! We agreed not to use the Force, simply testing our abilities with a saber.”
Obi-Wan shrugged. “I would have beat you either way.”
“And why do I highly doubt that?” Her eyes looked up to meet his, an eyebrow raised in a cocky attitude, but she couldn’t help the smile that creeped upon her face. A friendly silence sat between them.
“Care to take a stroll in the gardens, old man?”
“Only with you, dearest.”
Rhea let out an airy chuckle at that. It was the nickname he had so kindly doted upon her as younglings, he at the tender age of twelve and she at the age of eight. The two were bickering about something, who knows what now. However, in the heat of the argument he groaned in frustration when she compared them to sounding like some old married couple.
“Well, fine then, dearest. Why don’t we end this nonsense and retire for the evening?” It had only been three in the afternoon, causing the two to burst into a fit of laughter which ended their nonsensical debate.
The garden looked exceptional that warm afternoon, the sun shining above, casting rays of light that in turn cast shadows from the leaves through the branches. Rhea took in the meadowy scents from the flowers all around them, smiling at the willow tree that they would always sit beneath, either talking or laughing, sharing tears or a stolen pastry. It was peaceful. It was home.
“Why did Master Dooku leave?”
Obi-Wan was never the type to sly away from the obvious. He could feel Rhea’s fear, her confusion. It was a ripple in the Force, growing as each day passed and something he no longer could ignore. It was always so strange how easily he could feel her emotions from parsecs away, but in an even more mysterious way, he felt comforted knowing how his dearest was doing.
Rhea shook her head, turning away from him to stare at the starflowers nearby. “I-I don’t know. I’m so unsure of what reason he could possibly have to leave the Order. It was his life. He was one of the most brilliant Jedi I ever knew, and he abandoned it. He abandoned—”
“He abandoned you.”
She only nodded in response.
“Rhea, look at me.”
When she did not turn, he gently grabbed her chin and turned her face to look in his cerulean eyes. “It isn’t your fault. You didn’t fail. If anything, I believe Dooku failed the Order and himself. But most importantly he failed you. He left you at the height of your training. You are no less worthy of becoming a Jedi because of his failures and weaknesses.”
And she fell right into his arms, silent tears pouring down her face. “Thank you, Ben.”
Although she couldn’t see it, Obi-Wan was glad his face was tucked into her dark hair, so she could not see the blush that boomed across his cheeks at the mention of her coined nickname for him. Instead of being like hers, his was only used between them in moments like this, moments of honesty, kindness, friendship.
But to Obi-Wan, it always felt like something more.
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mumbai-local · 3 years
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The Mirror Shaped Hole in Our Hearts
So this is it, this is where we get off.
There would be no Mumbai Mirror in our palms on weekday mornings, and even though we’d get it on Sundays and it would have a ‘strong digital presence’, we know they’re just ways to say ‘shop’s shutting, go home.’ For something that we spent no more than ten minutes on every day, it’s going to be a tough loss to digest. If you too have a hole in your heart, let me measure it for you.
At arguably one of the peaks of its 15-year life cycle, Mirror, the ‘compact’ daily from the Times Group, would break stories from IPL 2009 in South Africa that would read like nothing filed on the sports pages of The Times of India (TOI). Mirror held this cut-throat exclusivity as a filter for its news every day, across beats, to build a distinct voice for itself. The parent company, Bennett, Coleman and Co. (BCCL), would routinely fly separate correspondents to the same events, whether at Jamaica or Dunedin, and it was also common for the competing correspondents being friends and even sharing hotel rooms while despatching reports. The cumulative impact of TOI and Mumbai Mirror (MM), bundled together for distribution, years after Mirror’s 2005 launch, was a telling blow on competitors, most remarkably Mumbai’s oldest tabloid, Mid-Day.
At arguably another peak, MM had an extensive, snappily designed 16-page edition dedicated to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, put to bed hours after the main edition, which in itself would be of 56 to 64 pages. All this free-flowing newsprint, a continuously expanding market and most importantly, reams of full-page adverts, seems to be an obscene tale from another era.
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To think that Mirror, from those highs, faced such a nosedive is ironically like one of the Bombay stories it loved telling. We know the arc well - the rise, the reign, the plot to bring it down, the fall and the end. It’s almost as if the ghosts of all those exclusive stories - of fallen industrialists, flopped film stars and failed society doyens - that Mirror unabashedly broke day on day, plotted this. BCCL attributes this closure to ‘the pandemic, lockdown and unprecedented economic crisis’ but we as Mirror faithfuls, take this as with a sack of salt. 
This seems more of a jettison, and while not much is public as the BCCL empire isn’t a listed company, it’s safe to say the Jains wanted bleeding pets off their green books. There were reports of BCCL facing a consolidated net loss of Rs 451.63 crore in FY 19-20, a bungee jump from the net profits of Rs 484.27 crore in just the previous year.
Net-net, it’s this: Even before the ‘C word’ took the world economy down in 2020, the ‘bad news’ vibe was strong, and it must not have taken Mirror employees, adept at joining the dots while reporting on Bollywood’s love affairs, much time to update their LinkedIn profiles.
Hence, it’s intriguing that the official statement by The Times of India Group on this would mention a thing such as ‘the economy now officially in recession’. I’m no pink paper reader but to think that a behemoth such as the Times, running entities such as Medianet and Brand Equity Treaties and verticals such as Times Internet (which has brands such as Cricbuzz, Gaana and MX Player in its portfolio), is hurting from an ‘import duty adding to newsprint costs’... seems a wee… bit dodgy, much like Mirror’s famed ‘tailpiece’ blind items - you could only speculate the truth. But hey, what I’m sure of is this - that one primetime anchor going by the initials 'RSS’ on the Group’s alleged ‘news’ channel Times NOW, has not even mentioned the word ‘recession’ in a very long time, let alone cover it. 
So to find out why the most profitable media house in the country with annual revenues of $1.5 billion and an average of over 30 per cent returns on investment in previous years did not want to ride out Mirror’s losses, you’d probably require a seasoned Mirror reporter, ideally from its film or crime beats.
But if you have been a reader of The Illustrated Weekly of India, Indrajal Comics or Times Crest, you are again disappointed, not surprised, that the owners have once again pulled the plug, but this time it’s on Bombay’s boldest voice. And no Saamna, you can’t come close.
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In just April last year, MM was the only single edition newspaper to be among the top five newspapers in India, quite a feat given its perennial label of being a sibling to the older TOI beast. This younger one, and every younger sibling from Prince Harry to Hardik Pandya will agree, remained feisty, unabashedly self aware and delightfully anti-establishment through its lifetime, owing to the mother who raised it, the venerable Meenal Baghel.
Some credit this to ‘the nature of the beast’ that tabloid culture is - a naked, annoying, indelible aspect of big city life. But we - and by we, I mean those who got to work with Meenal - know that as the handler of this beast, she fed it meatloaf with one hand and held a whip in the other. That’s how the beast grew stronger every day and mauled the mighty.
The beast emboldened us to ask uncomfortable questions of our society and culture, and not in a Republic-reporter-chasing-Rhea’s-car manner, but in a civil, restrained one where Oxford commas and em dashes had pride of place.  
It made photojournalist Sebastian D’Souza jump out his seat next to mine on the night of November 26, 2008, and dart out with his camera when we heard gunshots within metres of us, only to return with this photo.   
It made us have the bravado to pick up the phone and call anyone in the country for an exclusive quote. “I’m XYZ from the Mumbai Mirror,” we’d say, not from The Times of India. 
Mirror broke stories that stirred us in those ten minutes or less. Stories of blacklisted contractors winning road repair contracts using their wives’ names, of unscrupulous builders who’d unflinchingly steal lifetimes’ savings of retired peons, of principals who’d be sacked for exposing sexual harassment scandals, of everything adulterated - milk, water, air.  
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Trigger warnings be damned - don’t like, don’t read if you can dare. While TOI and other dailies touched upon the city’s underbelly, Mirror thrived in it. It kept on showing us what’s under that flyover while we glided to work over it - the blood, gore and heartbreak. Wait, it literally did a story this year on cancer patients living under a flyover (and they promptly got help). Of course, there was gloss and fun and those ridiculous non-news about Kareena Kapoor juggling ‘work with motherhood’, but those were just the mixers to the other potent stuff. 
You know what the real loss for Mumbai is, right? That most of these stories just won’t be reported in print. And no corrupt contractor or conniving criminal may lose sleep over a Sunday paper or a publication with ‘strong digital presence’ exposing them.
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The other ‘happy to see Mirror go’ could be Bollywood’s A, B and no-listers, who, once upon a time, would get palpitations if they’d see incoming calls from a certain Vickey Lalwani. “Dibakar, give me a story! Give me a sensational story! Mumbai Mirror has circulation of 750,000. Make it exclusive, okay?” 
But I doubt they’d be too happy too - after all, if Mirror’s calling you, you’re hot currency.  
(That said, there is a negligible number of people who are elated to see Mirror go, and they’re fans of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It so happened that on the morning of the launch of the much anticipated last book of the iconic series, Mirror carried a spoiler on its front page. ‘First things first, Harry Lives.’ Ouch. Younger siblings, after all, can also be incredibly cheeky and embarrassing at times. But we cannot do without them.)
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In July 2019, I had asked Meenal, the finest editor I will ever work under, about just how she found the energy to run a tabloid compact like this every single day for so many years. “As long as the good days outnumber the bad, I keep going,” she’d replied. It was a fair way to convey how she and her team (me gratefully being a small part of it from 2005 to 2011) worked. We went out to battle every day and slept well every night, and the lakhs of readers, in return, gave us a high. 
Now, when the dreaded ‘last edition’ is probably being wrapped around a vada-pav somewhere in Mumbai, all of us - Meenal, us former colleagues, the readers, the haters, the Mahinder Watsa fan club, everyone - will have our heads held up for knowing that the Mumbai Mirror era indeed had way more good days… well, even bloody good days, than the bad ones.
At least we won’t be shaking our heads and eye-rolling while looking at the front page of that old flagship broadsheet daily.
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loyalflutist · 4 years
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Fifth Time Around (Prequel) (f!Byleth x Edelgard)
Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Words: 3,568 Summary:  The Divine Pulse is a powerful ability granted by Sothis to turn back the hands of time. However, with each cycle, Byleth is one step closer to being by Edelgard's side. Upon receiving her happy ending, what happens if Byleth decides to strive for the impossible with another Divine Pulse?
*This is a prequel to the upcoming Final Fantasy Type-0 x Fire Emblem: Three Houses crossover series. However, it can act as a standalone Edeleth OS.
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A/N: This is more for my own guilty pleasure and making my own food since no one seems to be writing about this crossover. I decided that a prequel should be in place in order to set the mood and circumstances for the series. However, this OS can act as a standalone Edeleth fiction, so one can read it without any need to read the series. I had fun writing this! Kind of makes you wonder if there's ever going to be a revelation route for this... but at the same time, makes you not want it. Hope you enjoy it! I enjoyed writing it. 
Next Chapter: [to be edited]
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It has been exactly five months since she had been a professor at Garreg Mach Monastery. It has been exactly one day since her departure from Garreg Mach Monastery. It has been exactly five hours since her encounter with the Knights of Seiros and Adrestian Empire’s troops. It has been exactly three hours since she lost Jeralt in the clash. It has been exactly one hour since she last saw Edelgard von Hresvelg.
A shudder ran down Byleth’s spine, the seated professor pressing the Sword of Creator close to her chest. Byleth, Sothis, and a few surviving members of Jeralt’s battalions currently hid out under a stony shelter, the thunders roaring ferociously in conjunction with the pouring rain late into the night. They were fatigued and sustained numerous injuries. (Were it not for the lone healer in their group, they would have all succumbed to their wounds by now.) Byleth wearily stared at the man-made fire as her remaining comrades slept against the wall; the shadows continuously danced amongst the rocky terrains of the ground with each flickering of the flames. Byleth struggled to stifle her yawn.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Byleth glanced at the nearby floating girl. Sothis, the all-powerful and all-knowing goddess, had features riddled with concern. When Byleth shook her head, Sothis loudly exhaled.
“It’s unfortunate that the war has begun much earlier than expected,” Sothis murmured with arms crossed, her gaze now elsewhere. “As expected of that child.”
“…Could I have been the cause of it all?”
“Perhaps.”
“…”
It crushed her. This fifth cycle amounted to nothing more than tremendous agony and unwarranted heartaches.
The first time, she sided with Dimitri because of his beliefs.
Byleth liked him. He was a young man for a brighter future. Dimitri was always so gentle with his comrades. He was always a people's person. The way he carried himself drew Byleth towards him. However, his true nature would leak out on occasion, his startling dark demeanors overwhelming the instructor. When Edelgard initiated the war, the Faerghus prince bellowed out as if he were a beast. His words coated with poison and burning lust to tear Edelgard’s head off her shoulders… Had it not been for Byleth’s presence, he would have spiraled into nothing more than a man seeking vengeance for everything that went wrong in his life.
“I grow weak when I face you…”
Edelgard’s final words struck something deep within her chest. It didn't help that Edelgard intentionally lowered her guard and held back on her strikes. That nearly caused Byleth to falter in her final attack as she, Dimitri, and the Blue Lions watched the vermillion lord fall. Surprising how a single sentence, a timid, almost quiet remark would be so powerful.
At that time, Byleth did not understand what Edelgard meant to say. Or rather, she chose not to understand what Edelgard meant to say.
The deadlocked war finally settled to a conclusion. Members from the Kingdom of Faerghus all cheered for their well-deserved victory. As for their professor, Byleth did not wish to continue her service under Dimitri’s ruling. It was time she earned her rest as well.
She proposed to Mercedes. It was her first love and the older female graciously accepted the proposal. They retired to the outskirts of the Kingdom of Faerghus. Mercedes would volunteer and run a charity organization for the orphanages throughout Fodlan. Byleth would tend to their farm and place food on the table. A simple life many yearned for. The two remained married until Mercedes died from old age.
As Byleth merged her soul with Sothis, her god-like longevity eventually outlasted all her comrades. The world moved forward and she is by herself. Seteth, Flayn, and Rhea would occasionally visit her, but not for long. They too would pass on from this world. And at that very moment, she found herself staring at the nameless, worn tombstone where Edelgard von Hresvelg laid to rest.
“…”
Byleth soon laid down next to the buried emperor. Could it be because she's lonely all these past decades that she decided to visit an old enemy? But why this enemy? Why this particular person and not someone like Claude? A melodic tune that's closely related to the little vermillion princess’s voice softly hummed in the air. It lulled the retired instructor into a deep slumber and encouraged her to be enveloped in the warmth of the song. If only Byleth could turn back time… If only she could ask Edelgard what she meant by those uttered last words…
Byleth closed her eyelids, sleeping by Mercedes and Edelgard, and never awakened.
Yet it appears the Divine Pulse worked in her favor. When she cracked opened her eyes, she found herself staring at Jeralt. Originally, Byleth expected to be finally sent up to the heavens. After prolonged periods of life on earth, the ex-mercenary yearned for nothing more than eternal slumber.
“Let’s go, kid.”
Turns out, Byleth’s physical appearance not only reverted back to its original state, but the female also stared in horror as the entire day began to slowly unfold itself in a predictable manner. Every interaction, every movement, every reaction… It was as if she turned back the hands of time!
“Did I surprise you?” Sothis later appeared. She bopped the mercenary on the forehead and smiled. “I’ve given you another chance to deal with those regrets.”
The Divine Pulse is a wonderful ability. Byleth was sure she would not waste this opportunity.
The second time, she sided with Claude because of his plans.
She respected him. Claude’s endeavors, track record, and perky attitude colored him in a brighter light compared to the Blue Lions’s House Leader. Yet his carefree personality hid a rather sly version of himself. The young man was not as foolish as he appears to be. Questions that were meant to be answered finally unveiled themselves that surrounds Those Who Slither in the Dark and the Church of Seiros. Byleth was also one step closer to figuring out Edelgard’s feelings and opinions towards the now-Golden Deer’s professor.
Unfortunately, Byleth found herself fighting not just against Edelgard again, but against Dimitri too. The three nations that once stood in the practice field for a friendly tournament five years ago now fight for survival and bloody victory. Weapons were tossed and exchanged. Blows landed and missed. The number of casualties steadily rising to unfathomable degrees. Byleth tearfully steeled herself when she faced members of the Blue Lions. Many of them mourned and expressed grief when she tore them apart, the tears running down her face as she impaled her Sword of Creator into Dimitri’s chest plate.
“Professor… why…?”
Those were the last words from the person that she ringed in her past life. Byleth wailed into the ironic sunny day with Mercedes in her arms. Endless tears spilled forth from the professor as the crimson gash that penetrated the holy maiden’s chest continued to flow with magma fluid. She had struck down students from the previous cycle with little hesitation due to a lack of familiarity. Yet when it came to the Blue Lions, she did so with a heavy heart. Byleth leaned forward and buried her face into the soiled woman’s shoulder, her weeping almost never-ending. It devastated her to murder the one that she once called her wife.
Claude had to pull her back to reality with a slap on the shoulder. The young man knew the heavy burden that rests on her shoulders as it did for everyone in the Leicester Alliance. However, it would be unfair if she were the only person left behind. Everyone had no choice but to recover. With that in mind, Byleth eventually recuperated and regained her strength to move onward.
“I wanted to walk by your side…”
Those words were different from when she was with Dimitri, but those words still haunted her. The two had finally faced one-on-one with each other and Byleth was the clear victor. But Edelgard had begged for her to be slain by Byleth. If anything, she wants Byleth to be the only person to kill her, and so she delivered.
Blood slowly trickled from the Sword of Creator’s tip as the professor stared at the fallen emperor. Then, Byleth grit her teeth.
Why did Edelgard have to say this? She still couldn’t understand what she had meant by those words. If Edelgard wanted to walk by her side, why can’t Edelgard just drop everything and join her and Claude’s vision for a better future? Or is Byleth simply deluding herself again and wished to look away from the damages she had done?
“…”
After the war had ended, Byleth found herself married to Claude, though this was more of a political move in order to maintain peace and balance between Fodlan and Almyra. They’ve never had any children and simply passed the royal title of Almyra to the next heir. For Byleth, she continued to act as an important figurehead for Fodlan well after the natural death of Claude and her comrades.
She eventually finds herself looking at the same nameless tombstone again. Here lies the young girl who wishes to be by her side and someone she had to kill once again. Byleth brushed her fingertips on the stony exterior as her eyelids closed once more. This lifetime came to a standstill with the passing of the Enlightened One from Fodlan, her funeral held for countless days.
Yet once more, Sothis turned back the hands of time. "You still have your regrets, don't you?"
The third time, she sided with Rhea because of circumstances.
This was more so out of anger and frustration from Byleth. The instructor, usually so composed and collected, flew into a fury when she realized the dangers Edelgard had posed against the Church of Seiros. Having to choose between the two women, Byleth bore the blunt end of the former Black Eagle’s House Leader attack, her arms shielding the holy maiden from further harm. Disappointment and sadness colored the white-haired’s features. She looked away, retracted her axe, and bit the bottom of her lip. Dorothea had come up to cast a healing spell on the professor as Byleth trucked through the pain.
Byleth taught the Black Eagles and she finally spent time with Edelgard. Why would Edelgard do this?! She stepped forward and sternly demanded answers from Edelgard. Couldn’t there have been another way to resolve the growing tension between the church and her?
The recently-ascended emperor chose to say nothing. Instead, Hubert and Edelgard forcefully retreated from the premise via teleportation, their silence the only answer provided at the time. That was the last she had seen the pair. After all, it wasn’t long until the neon-haired woman fell into another five-year coma once again.
Deep in her unconscious thoughts, Byleth frequently repeated the same question over and over: Why did she protect Rhea, but not Edelgard? Byleth would not be able to get an answer out of herself any time soon… and she would never as she found herself repeating the same course of action as the second time around.
“I wish we could be something more…”
They were out of breath, lacerations of varying depths scattered among their exposed skin, and their gaze ever so penetrating. Edelgard could barely raise her head, her hands using the Levin Sword as support for her weakened figure. Byleth’s relic trembled when she raised the weapon high above her head. Though she was grateful not to have met with Claude nor Mercedes in this route, the pent-up emotions that swirled and muddled together exploded in a single outcry, the blade flying down with startling power.
When the serrated edges came to contact with the emperor’s head, a sorrowful smile crawled on the lord’s lips. The instant Edelgard collapsed, so did Byleth, the tears dripping onto the dirtied pavement. That obliterated the dam that Byleth desperately tried patching up. She clawed at the ground and pounded the rough terrain until her fists were bruised and bloodied.
Why…?
Why?
Why?!
WHY?!
JUST WHY?!
WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE AGAIN?!
“EL!!!”
Had it not been for Dorothea, she would have committed suicide on the spot, the opera singer pulling her back to reality. If anything, Byleth finally realized why Edelgard had uttered those tragic last words, and she regrets learning about it. New regrets had bloomed in place of old ones.
Byleth’s internal struggle continued to grow and it became even worse for her psyche. The truth of Byleth’s birth and her origin nearly spiraled her sanity out of control. Once again, had it not been for Dorothea, Byleth would have offed herself. It was almost laughable that every single cycle she went through, she was subjecting herself to a new form of torture. New knowledge meant new forms of pain. Just how much more can she take?
After the war and slain of the Immaculate One, the professor desperately married Dorothea, their love burning for lust and relief from the war with their severe PTSD. Their relationship had become parasitic in hopes of tending to each other’s scars and unhealed wounds. It took another five years for them to stabilize their attitudes and, finally, fell in love beyond physical euphoria.
“…”
Unlike the previous times, to which she lived for hundreds to thousands of years, the neon-haired woman laid in her sickbed. Not even 20 years ticked by and Dorothea is forced to watch her passionate wife succumb to a mysterious illness. Delirious fevers plagued the few unlucky ones in the remote village from the Adrestian Empire and Byleth had caught it. No treatments were available to cure her of the disease. She was bound to die in a sickly manner. Dorothea stayed by her side up until the time of her passing, her songs lulling the weak warrior into another slumber.
“Fourth’s time the charm, Byleth. Don’t mess this up.”
Sothis was right. The fourth’s time the charm. Byleth’s fingertips dug into the palms of her hands as she greeted Jeralt once more upon reawakening.
The fourth time, she sided with Edelgard because of love.
Finally… finally! It was the cycle that Byleth had dreamed of achieving and ridding of the original regrets that gnawed at her when she was with Dimitri. She stuck by Edelgard’s side like glue from beginning to end since the first time they’ve met. When it came to choosing between the two women again, the professor did not hesitate to choose the young house leader. Edelgard was colored with shock, but Byleth wasn’t. Instead, she immediately greeted the student with plenty of support for her endeavors. Of course, this infuriated Rhea, driving her into the corner and lashing out at the two in future events.
The battles were harsh and Byleth struggled to kill those that had once been her students. Dimitri’s battle cries and lamentations drained her of energy alongside Mercedes inevitable death and Claude’s banishment replayed in her head over and over again. At least Edelgard had always remained by her side during those difficult moments. The young vermillion emperor would hug Byleth as the instructor crumpled into a messy heap. Soothing messages empowered the ex-mercenary for one more day. It was for their future and Byleth fought hard for their future. They were going to make it. This was especially prominent when they fought the Immaculate One and defeated her.
When Byleth died, Sothis departed from her body and provided enough life force to revive the originally-still born woman. Byleth was immediately greeted with a kiss from Edelgard once she had awakened from the temporary loss, the professor’s eyes glistened with a range of emotions. It turns out that she has finally found her happily ever after.
“I’ve originally thought that I would walk on this road on my own, but then you came into my life.” Edelgard extended her hand outward. She took her professor’s hand and brightened her features. “Now, we can walk together. I love you… Byleth.”
Their marriage came to fruition after they wiped off Those Who Slither in the Dark and war criminals with some help from their comrades. Progenitor God no more, both females had adopted a daughter child, and peacefully died in each other’s embrace from old age.
Warmth had embraced them into the heavens. Their hearts were always connected with one another and they would always be together.
Yet there was a tug. Byleth felt torn apart from the comfort of her third wife and spiraled into the darkness once again.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Byleth nodded, her navy hues weary from the anguish she bore through. No amount of weight in the world would be able to appropriately describe the impact the four previous cycles would have on Byleth. It was all to achieve the ending she desired with Edelgard von Hresvelg.
But what about those that she had loved previously?
What about Mercedes, her first wife? The one she first fell in love?
Or what about Claude, her first husband? The one she and he worked so hard to maintain peace and a steady relationship between Almyra and Fodlan?
How about Dorothea, her second wife? The Dorothea from the time she sided with Rhea was distraught from an early loss of her lover?
Then, there are her old comrades. The students that she had taught, the allies she had made, the friends she had met in all four factions… Isn’t it possible for everyone to achieve their happily ever after? Is it possible to save them all from their impending doom?
“I can’t promise you that it will end well. Are you willing to give up your current happiness and peace for a near-impossible fate?” Sothis grimaced when the young woman agreed to one last cycle. The female reached out to touch Byleth’s chest. She lowered her head and muttered, “This is going to be a cycle that will change everything.”
And so, it did change.
Thunder continued to boom in the background. Byleth was startled awake from her nap, her head raised. She rubbed one bagged eye and managed to hold back a profound yawn. Just as she had awakened, so did Sothis. The green-haired readjusted her posture mid-air and stared at her host.
“Is this all a mistake?” The hoarse voice that crackled out of Byleth was out of character. Tonality that would’ve brimmed with confidence and brevity was reduced to uncertainty and anxiety. When Sothis remained silent, she added, “I’ve thought removing myself from the monastery would’ve worked. I thought… I thought I could come back and encourage everyone to openly communicate their problems.”
The mercenary felt her foot twitch as she shifted the weight of her arm onto the relic. “I’m a fool. Even dad died.” Byleth unconsciously smirked. “What’s to say about my other students? They ended up fighting each other in the end, blind to the very end.”
Gruesome blood splattered the field, every flick of a weapon having produced the grimy substance onto the greeneries. Returning in hopes of achieving an almost impossible reality did become impossible. The dream of a happier and more gleeful ending is nothing more than a fleeting wish. Persistence may be the key to success as Sothis was more than available to use the Divine Pulse a number of times for her host. Byleth is free to abuse the power with the guidance of the goddess. Yet the previous four cycles had done a number on the woman.
Sothis recalled the worrisome nature of Byleth when they began the new academic term. She had naturally chosen the Black Eagles House in order to revitalize and restart her relationship with Edelgard. Unfortunately, past red strings of fate wind around her pinkie with three other students, causing the professor to relapse into a potential romantic relationship with Mercedes, Claude, and Dorothea. It was not surprising to see Edelgard, Mercedes, Claude, and Dorothea’s relationship with Byleth become estranged thanks to past commitments.
There were also the nightmares that had plagued the instructor. Post-traumatic stress disorder had gotten severe enough to strangle Byleth into submission almost every night. She would desperately cling to her pillow and violently shiver underneath her blanket. Incoherent mumbles blubber out of her mouth as if she were possessed by the ghost of her past. If it weren’t for Sothis soothing the ex-mercenary, the teal-haired would never be able to retain her sanity.
The goddess watched her host immediately jump to her feet. Sword of Creator readied, Byleth glanced out of the shelter and into the dark, wet field. Two of the five mercenaries stirred from their sleep. When they spotted their leader in an offensive posture, they scrambled and posed similarly to her. Byleth’s knuckles whitened as she dryly swallowed.
“I have no choice but to see this through.”
She raised the now-brightened ancient blade at the approaching enemies. When she took a step forward, an arrow suddenly slammed into her shoulder. The pain receptors delayed its delivery as the chilled rain numbed her body, Byleth reeling her unaffected dominant arm back. Those Who Slither in the Dark raised their weaponries and prepped their magical spells once Byleth and the two warriors ran in their direction.
Sothis face contorts to pure horror when their assaults were exchanged. “Child… You should’ve listened to me before we did this.” Then, she squeezed her eyes and glanced away.
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mybookplacenet · 4 years
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Featured Post: Full Force: First Novels from the World of Iniquus Romantic Suspense Mystery Thrillers by Fiona Quinn
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"About Full Force: First Novels from the World of Iniquus Romantic Suspense Mystery Thrillers: USA Today Best Selling Author Fiona Quinn writes smart, sexy, suspense in the World of Iniquus where ex-special forces security teams live, work, and love in a tightly knit family. Here are the first novels from the first five Iniquus Series: Weakest Lynx - the Lynx Series What she wanted was a simple life. What she got was simply terrifying. A madman forces his way into Lexi's home. Her survival means she is the only one who can identify the stalker. Lexi becomes the critical witness who holds the key to stopping the serial killer, terrifying Washington families. Striker Rheas, an ex-Navy SEAL, and his team of expert operators are charged with protecting Lexi. Striker knows Lexi is keeping secrets and protecting her is not going to be an easy task if he's missing vital information, and losing his heart to her. With her psychic antennae tuned in, time is running out. WASP - Uncommon Enemies Zoe knows the secrets, now they're coming for her. The enemy will stop at nothing to get to Zoe and the military secrets that could change everything. What Zoe knows is getting people killed. Is she next? Gage is a hardened Marine special forces operative with only one soft spot: Zoe. Her desperate screams echoing from inside her home switch his instincts from lover to guardian. To keep America safe, to protect the love of his life, Gage is coming full throttle. Take a thrill ride, weaving through an intricate plot that puts Zoe’s scientific mind and Gage’s battle-hardened skills to the test. With the safety of the US at stake. In Too DEEP - Strike Force Sometimes Trust Can Get You Killed Retired Marine Special Operator Deep Del Toro watched the newscaster play the video of the woman he loves fighting off the FBI agent and escaping from a murder scene the night before. Now, Lacey's turning herself over to the police. What Deep’s practiced eye saw in the video was a highly-choreographed crime. But somehow Lacey had thwarted the professionals’ plans. She is in imminent danger. Enmeshed in a mystery that includes the FBI, the CIA, and a tangle of interconnected international crimes, Deep and Lacey work to discover who plays the good guy and who plays the bad guy in a gray world where right and wrong easily overlap. Lives depend on them. Mine - A Kate Hamilton Mystery Novella A sleepy town in southwest Virginia wakes up to a nightmare of untimely deaths. Not safe at home in Boston, science teacher Kate Hamilton seeks refuge in the small Virginia town where she was born and raised. Scarborough is no longer the bucolic village that she remembered. Pleasantries are only skin deep as big city issues and the politics of the world roil just under the surface. A string of untimely deaths has the whole town grieving. Kate is determined to solve the puzzle and save lives, especially her own. Open Secret - FBI Joint Task Force 280 characters can destroy a nation. Avery Goodyear, a romance editor from the suburbs, becomes a player in an international game of psychological warfare. Russia is playing mind games. The FBI watches the attacks unfold in real time. The enemy’s strategy: win hearts and minds to destroy American unity. The FBI focuses their secret weapon, ex-Army Ranger Rowan Kennedy, at the crisis. With a PhD in propaganda, Kennedy risks his life to expose the wealthy oligarchs and high-powered schemers threatening our way of life, and to protect Avery. Targeted Age Group: 18-50 Written by: Fiona Quinn Buy the ebook: Buy the Book On Amazon Author Bio: I have a philosophy. Actually, I have many philosophies and am glad to, with very little encouragement, wax poetic on any one of them. Subjects I know about, subjects I know nothing about -I'm an equal opportunity philosophizer. One of my favorite philosophies is that education should be a life-long endeavor and should look like a toolbox. You’d think this image was pretty funny if you knew me. I am awkward at best if you put a tool in my hand. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t give it a go. It’s just to say it might not be the most graceful display that you’ve ever seen. Living life directed by the Toolbox Philosophy means I'm acquiring new skills so that whatever life hands me, I have something at the ready to tackle the projects or emergencies that arise, and it explains a lot about my resume. I’m world traveled; I’ve ridden camels across Egypt, an elephant in Prague, and eaten horse in Moscow (sure wish I had Google Translate back then!) I’ve danced the jig in an Irish castle, hula-ed in O'ahu, and did some weird techno thingy in East Berlin (when there was still a wall). I have degrees out the yin-yang. I have B.A.s in History, Foreign Language, Psychology, (almost Art History), and an M.S. in Counseling from the Medical College of Virginia. I’m a Reiki Master/Teacher and Second Dan Tae Kwon Do Black Belt qualified. I am a certified archery instructor and shoot my Springfield 9mm in a very Zen fashion with much deep breathing and bulls-eye accuracy. I've restored an 1887 shotgun house and successfully trained a medical alert service dog for my daughter who has Type 1 diabetes. My paid jobs have been as far reaching as being a governess and model in France to bridal florist. Marketing for the symphony to suicide/homicide intervention for the court system (although those might be closer together than farther apart). I've even been paid to scream - but that's a different story for another day. Right now I’m writing a book series: one part romance, two parts suspense, with a twist. As I read that over, it sounds like the recipe for a cocktail. I promise you, this is no Happy Hour. Of course my heroine was raised as an unschooler under the Toolbox Philosophy. She’s a pretty cool chick. I’m having tons of fun! Canadian born, I am now rooted in the Old Dominion outside of D.C. with my husband and children. I homeschool, pop chocolates, devour books, and tap continuously on my laptop. I use my background to volunteer and give back to my community CERT - Community Emergency Response Team/FEMA Medical Reserve Corps - mental health support PSAR - Search and Rescue Proud Member of Sisters in Crime Follow the author on social media: Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author's Website Facebook Fan Page Twitter Instagram Read the full article
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scifigeneration · 6 years
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Astronaut Sally K. Ride's legacy – encouraging young women to embrace science and engineering
by Bonnie J. Dunbar
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On June 18, 1983, 35 years ago, Sally Ride became the first American woman to launch into space, riding the Space Shuttle STS-7 flight with four other crew members. Only five years earlier, in 1978, she had been selected to the first class of 35 astronauts – including six women – who would fly on the Space Shuttle.
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Sally’s first ride, with her STS-7 crewmates. In addition to launching America’s first female astronaut, it was also the first mission with a five-member crew. Front row, left to right: Ride, commander Bob Crippen, pilot Frederick Hauck. Back row, left to right: John Fabian, Norm Thagard. NASA
Much has happened in the intervening years. During the span of three decades, the shuttles flew 135 times carrying hundreds of American and international astronauts into space before they were retired in 2011. The International Space Station began to fly in 1998 and has been continuously occupied since 2001, orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes. More than 50 women have now flown into space, most of them Americans. One of these women, Dr. Peggy Whitson, became chief of the Astronaut Office and holds the American record for number of hours in space.
The Space Shuttle democratized spaceflight
The Space Shuttle was an amazing flight vehicle: It launched like a rocket into Low Earth Orbit in only eight minutes, and landed softly like a glider after its mission. What is not well known is that the Space Shuttle was an equalizer and enabler, opening up space exploration to a wider population of people from planet Earth.
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STS-50 Crew photo with commander Richard N. Richards and pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, mission specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ellen S. Baker and Carl J. Meade, and payload specialists Lawrence J. DeLucas and Eugene H. Trinh. The photo was taken in front of the Columbia Shuttle, which Dunbar helped to build. NASA
This inclusive approach began in 1972 when Congress and the president approved the Space Shuttle budget and contract. Spacesuits, seats and all crew equipment were initially designed for a larger range of sizes to fit all body types, and the waste management system was modified for females. Unlike earlier vehicles, the Space Shuttle could carry up to eight astronauts at a time. It had a design more similar to an airplane than a small capsule, with two decks, sleeping berths, large laboratories and a galley. It also provided privacy.
I graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Washington in 1971 and, by 1976, I was a young engineer working on the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, with Rockwell International at Edwards Air Force Base, in California. I helped to design and produce the thermal protection system – those heat resistant ceramic tiles – which allowed the shuttle to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere for up to 100 flights.
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Mike Anderson and Bonnie Dunbar flew together on STS-89 in 1998. They both graduated from University of Washington. Anderson was killed in the Columbia accident, in 2003. NASA
It was a heady time; a new space vehicle could carry large crews and “cargo,” including space laboratories and the Hubble Space Telescope. The Shuttle also had a robotic arm, which was critical for the assembly of the International Space Station, and an “airlock” for space walks, and enabled us to build the International Space Station.
I knew from my first day at Rockwell that this vehicle had been designed for both men and women. A NASA engineer at the Langley Research Center gave me a very early “heads up” in 1973 that they would eventually select women astronauts for the Space Shuttle. In the 1970s there were visionary men and women in NASA, government and in the general public, who saw a future for more women in science and engineering, and for flying into space. Women were not beating down the door to be included in the Space Shuttle program, we were being invited to be an integral part of a larger grand design for exploring space.
1978: Becoming an astronaut
The selection process for the first class of Space Shuttle astronauts, to include women, opened in 1977. NASA approached the recruitment process with a large and innovative publicity campaign encouraging men and women of all ethnic backgrounds to apply. One of NASA’s recruiters was actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lt. Ohura on the “Star Trek” series, which was popular at the time. Sally learned about NASA’s astronaut recruitment drive through an announcement, possibly on a job bulletin board, somewhere at Stanford University. Sally had been a talented nationally ranked tennis player, but her passion was physics. The opportunity to fly into space intrigued her and looked like a challenge and rewarding career she could embrace.
Sally and I arrived at NASA at the same time in 1978 – she as part of the “TFNG” (“Thirty-Five New Guys”) astronaut class and I as a newly minted mission controller, training to support the Space Shuttle. I had already been in the aerospace industry for several years and had made my choice for “space” at the age of 9 on a cattle ranch in Washington state. I also applied for the 1978 astronaut class, but was not selected until 1980.
Sally and I connected on the Flight Crew Operations co-ed softball team. We both played softball from an early age and were both private pilots, flying our small planes together around southeast Texas. We also often discussed our perspectives on career selection, and how fortunate we were to have teachers and parents and other mentors who encouraged us to study math and science in school – the enabling subjects for becoming an astronaut.
STS-7: June 18 1983
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In January 1978, NASA selected six women into the class of 35 new astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle. From left to right are Shannon W. Lucid, Ph.D., Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D., Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., Judith A. Resnik, Ph.D., Anna L. Fisher, M.D., and Sally K. Ride, Ph.D. NASA
Although Sally was one of six women in the 1978 class, she preferred to be considered one of 35 new astronauts – and to be judged by merit, not gender. It was important to all the women that the bar be as high as it was for the men. From an operational and safety point of view, that was also equally important. In an emergency, there are no special allowances for gender or ethnicity: Everyone had to pull their own weight. In fact, it has been said that those first six women were not just qualified, they were more than qualified.
While Sally was honored to be picked as the first woman from her class to fly, she shied away from the limelight. She believed that she flew for all Americans, regardless of gender, but she also understood the expectations on her for being selected “first.” As she flew on STS-7, she paid tribute to those who made it possible for her to be there: to her family and teachers, to those who made and operated the Space Shuttle, to her crewmates, and to all of her astronaut classmates including Dr. Kathy Sullivan, Dr. Rhea Seddon, Dr. Anna Fisher, Dr. Shannon Lucid, and Dr. Judy Resnick (who lost her life on Challenger). With all of the attention, Sally was a gracious “first.” And the launch of STS-7 had a unique celebratory flair. Signs around Kennedy Space Center said “Fly Sally Fly,” and John Denver gave a special concert the night before the launch, not far from the launch pad.
Continuing the momentum
One of the topics that Sally and I discussed frequently was why so few young girls were entering into math, technology, science and engineering – which became known as STEM careers in the late 1990s. Both of us had been encouraged and pushed by male and female mentors and “cheerleaders.” By 1972, companies with federal contracts were actively recruiting women engineers. NASA had opened up spaceflight to women in 1978, and was proud of the fact that they were recruiting and training women as astronauts and employing them in engineering and the sciences.
National needs for STEM talent and supportive employment laws were creating an environment such that if a young woman wished to become an aerospace engineer, a physicist, a chemist, a medical doctor, an astronomer or an astrophysicist, they could. One might have thought that Sally’s legendary flight, and those of other women astronauts over the last 35 years might have inspired a wave of young women (and men) into STEM careers. For example, when Sally flew into space in 1983, a 12-year-old middle school girl back then would now be 47. If she had a daughter, that daughter might be 25. After two generations, we might have expected that there would be large bow wave of young energized women entering into the STEM careers. But this hasn’t happened.
Rather, we have a growing national shortage of engineers and research scientists in this nation, which threatens our prosperity and national security. The numbers of women graduating in engineering grew from 1 percent in 1971 to about 20 percent in 35 years. But women make up 50 percent of the population, so there is room for growth. So what are the “root causes” for this lack of growth?
K-12 STEM education
Many reports have cited deficient K-12 math and science education as contributing to the relatively stagnant graduation rates in STEM careers.
Completing four years of math in high school, as well as physics, chemistry and biology is correlated with later success in science, mathematics and engineering in college. Without this preparation, career options are reduced significantly. Even though I graduated from a small school in rural Washington state, I was able to study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, math analysis, biology, chemistry and physics by the time I graduated. Those were all prerequisites for entry into the University of Washington College of Engineering. Sally had the same preparation before she entered into physics.
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As part of NASA’s commitment to the next generation of explorers, NASA Ames collaborated with Sally Ride Science to sponsor and host the Sally Ride Science Festival at the NASA Research Park. Hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area girls, their teachers and parents enjoy a fun-filled interactive exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics on Sept. 27, 2008. NASA Ames Research Center / Dominic Hart
Although we have many great K-12 schools in the nation, too many schools now struggle to find qualified mathematics and physics teachers. Inspiring an interest in these topics is also key to retention and success. Being excited about a particular subject matter can keep a student engaged even through the tough times. Participation in “informal science education” at museums and camps is becoming instrumental for recruiting students into STEM careers, especially as teachers struggle to find the time in a cramped curriculum to teach math and science.
Research has shown that middle school is a critical period for young boys and girls to establish their attitudes toward math and science, to acquire fundamental skills that form the basis for progression into algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and to develop positive attitudes toward the pursuit of STEM careers. When Dr. Sally Ride retired from NASA, she understood this, and founded Imaginary Lines and, later, Sally Ride Science, to influence career aspirations for middle school girls. She hosted science camps throughout the nation, exposing young women and their parents to a variety of STEM career options. Sally Ride Science continues its outreach through the University of California at San Diego.
Challenging old stereotypes and honoring Sally’s legacy
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Sally Ride and Bonnie Dunbar are fighting outdated stereotypes that women are not good at STEM subjects. Creativa Images/shutterstock.com
However, there are still challenges, especially in this social media-steeped society. I and other practicing women engineers have observed that young girls are often influenced by what they perceive “society thinks” of them.
In a recent discussion with an all-girl robotics team competing at NASA, I asked the high school girls if they had support from teachers and parents, and they all said “yes.” But then, they asked, “Why doesn’t society support us?” I was puzzled and asked them what they meant. They then directed me to the internet where searches on engineering careers returned a story after story of describing “hostile work environments.”
Sadly, most of these stories are very old and are often from studies with very small populations. The positive news, from companies, government, universities and such organizations as the National Academy of Engineers, Physics Girl and Society of Women Engineers, rarely rises to the top of the search results. Currently, companies and laboratories in the U.S. are desperate to employ STEM qualified and inspired women. But many of our young women continue to “opt out.”
Young women are influenced by the media images they see every day. We continue to see decades-old negative stereotypes and poor images of engineers and scientists on television programs and in the movies.
Popular TV celebrities continue to boast on air that they either didn’t like math or struggled with it. Sally Ride Science helps to combat misconceptions and dispel myths by bringing practicing scientists and engineers directly to the students. However, in order to make a more substantial difference, this program and others like it require help from the media organizations. The nation depends upon the technology and science produced by our scientists and engineers, but social media, TV hosts, writers and movie script developers rarely reflect this reality. So it may be, that in addition to K-12 challenges in our educational system, the “outdated stererotypes” portrayed in the media are also discouraging our young women from entering science and engineering careers.
Unlimited opportunities in science and engineering
The reality? More companies than ever are creating family-friendly work environments and competing for female talent. In fact, there is a higher demand from business, government and graduate schools in the U.S. for women engineers and scientists than can be met by the universities.
Both Sally and I had wonderful careers supported by both men and women. NASA was a great work environment and continues to be – the last two astronaut classes have been about 50 percent female.
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I think that Sally would be proud of how far the nation has come with respect to women in space, but would also want us to focus on the future challenges for recruiting more women into science and engineering, and to reignite the passion for exploring space.
Bonnie J. Dunbar is a retired NASA astronaut and a TEES Distinguished Research Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University.
This article was originally published on The Conversation, a content partner of Sci Fi Generation.
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erhiem · 3 years
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Hey Millennials: This Year Was Started no statement made Reboot makes you feel old? Maybe it feels like only yesterday that you were hooked up with Nickelodeon Drake and Josho; Today, Drake Bell Making headlines for allegations of endangering children. Or maybe it’s hard to believe Jamie Lynn Spears– known as high schooler Zoey Brooks – is the mother of two children.
Which is to say, we can’t believe how much time has passed since we first met these child stars. And it’s equally unbelievable that after all these years, they continue to make headlines (some for better reasons than others.) Take a trip down memory lane and find out where all your favorite exes are. Nickelodeon Stars are now.
Victoria Justice
(s_bukley/Shutterstock.com, Ron Adar, Shutterstock.com)
what are they most famous for
Victoria Justice made her TV debut in a 2003 episode Gilmore Girls, but children’s channels are where he got fame. after three seasons Zoey 101 and appearances on shows like Zack & Cody’s Suite Life And no statement made, Justice earned top billing in sitcoms victorious. For four seasons, she won over millions of teens with her role as aspiring singer Tori Vega. The series earned two consecutive Kids’ Choice Awards (2012 and 2013) for Favorite TV Show.
what are they doing now
Now 28, Justice is an all-around entertainer who divides her time between singing and acting. One of her major projects included starring alongside Laverne Cox in 2016 The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again. She also self-released two singles this year: “Stay” and “To F-Kin’ Nice.”
She has not forgotten her roots either. In 2020, he hosted a virtual edition of the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards.
Drake Bell
(Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com, David Livingston / Getty Images)
what are they most famous for
Drake Bell was 13 when he first appeared on Nickelodeon amanda show; Five years later, he and co-star Josh Peck earned their own spin-off. Drake and Josho. NS odd Couple-esque sitcom ran for four seasons between 2004 and 2007 and spawned three full-length TV movies. Bell also found success as a musician, writing and performing the series’ theme song, “I Found a Way”. His role helped him win several Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actor and Favorite TV Show.
what are they doing now
Bell had a successful career following Nick, voicing Spider-Man in various TV series: Avengers Assemblehandjob Hulk and SMASH . agent of, And ultimate Spider Man. They have also released a total of five studio albums, including one in the U.S. Board 200.
But recent legal troubles have put his career and reputation at risk. In early July, Bell pleaded guilty to charges of attempt to endanger a child in relation to an incident involving a 15-year-old girl. He was sentenced to two years’ probation and 200 hours of community service.
Jennette mccurdy
(Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com, Janet McCurdy / YouTube)
what are they most famous for
Janet McCurdy is best known for playing Sam Puckett no statement made. After running for five years, she starred in two seasons of the spin-off Sam and Cato. He also showed promise as a musician, landing on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the 2012 single “Generation Love”.
what are they doing now
But McCurdy didn’t capitalize on his teenage fame the way his fellow Nickelodeon peers did. He eventually quit acting and also recently declined the opportunity to appear in no statement made reboot.
Earlier this year she said, “I’m annoyed with my career in many ways.” “I feel so unfulfilled by the roles I played and realized it was the sweetest, most embarrassing.”
McCurdy revealed that his acting years had hidden personal traumas, including a history of eating disorders and a toxic relationship with his mother. Today, she has changed her life and focuses on work behind the camera. She has written and directed three short films since 2018 and currently hosts the podcast empty inside.
Keke Palmer
(Jaguar PS/Shutterstock.com, Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
what are they most famous for
Keke Palmer was a promising star with an impressive resume (akila and beehandjob Tyler Perry House of Payne) long ago Nickelodeon scooped her up to play the lead True Jackson, VP. Palmer’s role on the sitcom made her the fourth highest-paid child star of 2010; She also linked her success to a fashion line she runs at Walmart.
what are they doing now
True Jackson, VP lasted three seasons and ended in 2011, but Palmer continued to work on other projects for Nickelodeon, including voiceover work. Winx Club and a starring role in the film rags. However, she didn’t trust the teen demographic forever. In 2019, he co-hosted the daytime news program GMA3 (Or Strahan, Sara, and Keke) with Sarah Haines and Michael Strahan. She also had a role in Lorraine Scarafia hustler.
Palmer, who has one studio album and four EPs, has also continued to pursue music. (The Twitter controversy doesn’t seem to have affected his career.) In 2020, he hosted the MTV Video Music Awards, where he performed the single “Snack”.
Jamie Lynn Spears
(s_bukley/Shutterstock.com, ViacomCBS)
what are they most famous for
Jamie Lynn Spears was not one to live in the shadow of her older sister, Britney. From 2002–2004, he starred in episodes of the sketch comedy show all that. The following year, she created her own show, Zoey 101. The series ran for three years and was one of Nickelodeon’s highest-rated shows of the 2000s. In 2006, Spears won the Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite TV Actress.
what are they doing now
Spears became pregnant during the final season of Zoey 101 And is currently the mother of two children, Maddie Brian Aldridge and Ivy Joan Watson. She dropped out of the limelight for a few years to focus on motherhood, but in 2019 she was cast in the Netflix series sweet magnolias. The following year, he confirmed that a Zoey 101 Reboot in progress after cast reunion all that.
All eyes are currently on Spears as her older sister is fighting for her independence. Perhaps she will provide more details in her memoir, which is set to be released in January 2022.
Amanda Bynes
(Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com, Instagram)
what are they most famous for
Amanda Bynes was Nickelodeon’s golden child in the 1990s. His natural comedic talent in sketch shows all that Make your own popular variety led series amanda show. From there, he spent four years starring in the WB comedy what I like About You While working on his budding film career. with positive reviews for she’s the Man And spray, fans and critics see a promising future for Bynes.
what are they doing now
In 2010, Bynes announced his retirement from acting after filming his final film, easy a. After a string of disturbing and controversial behavior, in 2013 her parents for stereotyping. She turned a new leaf as a student at the Los Angeles Fashion School, graduating in 2019. Bynes continues to struggle to restart a stalled career, but worried fans on social media are in favor of a comeback.
Miranda Cosgrove
(Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com, Paramount+)
what are they most famous for
Miranda Cosgrove Showed Promise Ever Since She Played Sassy Little Schoolgirl Summer Hathaway school of Rock. But it was his lead role on Nickelodeon no statement made Which made him a household name. In addition to starring in six seasons of the teen sitcom, she also starred in other shows for several channels (Drake and Joshohandjob Zoey 101handjob all that) and had a starring voice role in despicable Me film series.
what are they doing now
Cosgrove releases studio album Sparks fly in 2010, but it seems she prefers acting over music. Most recently, he received two Daytime Emmy nominations for his CBS series Mission Invincible with Miranda Cosgrove. And earlier this year, he starred in the reboot of iCarly on Paramount Plus. Cosgrove also served as an executive producer on the series—a reminder that she’s come a long way from being a beloved child star.
josh peck
(Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com, Matt Winkelmayer/Getty Images)
what are they most famous for
Like Drake Bell, Josh Peck Got His Start amanda show Before transitioning to my own sitcom Drake and Josho. Since then, his varied career has included indie films, voice roles for the Ice Age animated film series, and primetime network series. His role on the short-lived Fox comedy grandfathered He even received a 2016 People’s Choice Award nomination for Favorite Actor in a New TV Series.
what are they doing now
In 2017, Peck made an unusual transition from acting to vlogging. He started out as a regular member of David Dobrik’s vlog squad and then set up his own YouTube channel.
But he has not stopped acting completely. In July, he returned to the screen as the star of turner and hooch on Disney+. He is also currently filming 13: musical, co-starring Peter Hermann (Small, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Rhea Perlman.
Devon Workheiser
(s_bukley / Shutterstock.com, @devonwerkheiser / TikTok)
what are they most famous for
Devon Verkheiser came to the senses of children after playing Ned Bigby in the popular Nickelodeon sitcom neds declassified school survival guide. The series ran for three seasons between 2004 and 2006, after which the young actor started working in musicals. Between one-time spots on various TV shows (2 Broke Girlshandjob Greekhandjob criminal mind), they released their 2016 studio album Proposal and three EPs.
what are they doing now
In 2019, Werkheiser appeared in the film crown vic, starring Bridget Moynahan and David Krumholtz. The following year, he starred in 10 episodes of the Twitch original series. Synthetic. He keeps his fans busy these days on TikTok, where he has 1 million followers.
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screenandcinema · 5 years
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Coming Attractions - May 2019
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Five years ago today, here on the S&C, we presented for the first time a list of the movies what would be hitting your local cinemas that month. That initial list included The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Chef, Godzilla, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Every month since then over the course of five years we have done the same rundown of movies coming soon and you have been there to read them all along the way. Thank you for that. We thought this was a special day to reflect on in the history of the S&C.
With that said, here are what movies are coming out this month:
May 3rd
Long Shot - Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron star as an odd-couple in this upcoming comedy, him an unemployed journalist and her a candidate for President of the United States. Long Shot premiered to great reviews at South by Southwest in March and I for one can’t wait to see it.
UglyDolls - Quick! Is UglyDolls an original film or one based on existing IP? Do you know the answer? I don’t. (Well I do now, cause I looked it up, but I didn’t know when I asked it.)
The Intruder - Meagan Good and Michael Ealy star in this thriller as a couple who buys a house from Dennis Quaid’s character, and he refuses to let go off his long-term home. The film hails from the same screenwriter as 2009′s Obsessed and 2008′s Lakeview Terrance, so audiences should know what they are getting into with The Intruder.
Extremely Wicked, Shocking Evil and Vile - If you are keeping score at home, it is now Ted Bundy: 1, Oxford Comma: 0. Zac Efron stars as the notorious serial killer in this new film coming to Netflix this month. Reviews of the film have been fairly solid since its premiere at Sundance earlier this year. 
May 10th
Pokémon: Detective Pikachu - Though I have never been a fan of Pokémon in the least, Detective Pikachu looks to me like the film I wanted The Happytime Murders to be, a noir-ish fantasy mystery made in the same vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And while I have no interest in the film, I do have an 8-year nephew who does.
The Hustle - Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson take the lead in this comedy film that is a remake of 1988′s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, which is itself a remake of 1964′s Bedtime Story starring Marlon Brando and David Niven. Still one remake shy of a full A Star is Born.
Poms - In this comedy, Diane Keaton starts a cheerleading squad at her retirement community and her friends played by Jacki Weaver, Pam Grier, and Rhea Perlman, join up!
Tolkien - Nicholas Hoult is J.R.R. Tolkien in this biography of the famous author. Like similar more recent works Finding Neverland, Goodbye Christopher Robin, Becoming Jane, and half of Saving Mr. Banks, audiences will surely seeing Tolkien’s future works come alive in his life experiences through his time as school and World War I.
May 17th
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - John Wick is back for installment number 3. The John Wick film series has been a surprising revelation and it is always good to see Keanu Reeves back on the big screen. Prepare for war.
A Dog’s Journey - This is a sequel to 2017′s A Dog’s Purpose. Did you see that one? Oh, you didn’t. Then my job is done.
The Sun is Also A Star - It is a race against time for two young students hoping to fall in love before one of them is forced to leave with her family forever. My prediction? She is an alien.
May 24th
Aladdin - Disney’s 1992 beloved animated classic is back with a live action version directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Will Smith as the Genie. As a kid, I remember seeing Aladdin in theaters five times and it was a personal favorite. Unlike some of the recent and forthcoming Disney remakes, Aladdin doesn’t appear to be a scene-for-scene rehash of the original, which is extremely refreshing.
Brightburn - James Gunn produces this superhero horror film written by his cousins Mark and Brian Gunn. “Superhero horror” might be the best genre name imaginable. Essentially, Brightburn is a twist on the familiar Superman story - what if a child gave from space with amazing abilities and instead of trying to save us all, he tried to kill us all. Count me in!
Booksmart - Olivia Wilde makes her feature film directorial debut with the coming-of-age comedy in Booksmart. In the film, two smart good girls try to make four years worth bad dumb decisions over the course of the night before high school graduation. The film premiered at South by Southwest in March to fantastic reviews.
May 31st
Godzilla: King of the Monsters - On the surface, it is hard to tell how much of King of the Monsters is a sequel to 2014′s Godzilla and how much of it is set-up for 2020′s Godzilla vs. Kong as Legendary Entertainment continues to build their MonsterVerse. As much as I enjoyed Godzilla and 2017′s Kong: Skull Island, nothing about King of the Monsters is really exciting me at this point, which in itself is disappointing.
Rocketman - The music biopic craze continues with Rocketman starring Taron Egerton as Elton John. The film is directed by Dexter Fletcher, who you may or may not know as the guy who came in and finished directing Bohemian Rhapsody after Brian Singer was fired. Rocketman looks to be everything Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t, including an actor who sings throughout the movie and a historically accurate portrayal of the musician's life and times. Fans of music who were disappointed by Bohemian Rhapsody should be eager to take a ride with Rocketman.
Ma - Octavia Spencer stars a lonely woman who befriends a group of mischievous teenagers only to viciously turn on them in this upcoming thriller from Blumhouse. Watch this one with the lights on.
Now for a quick look ahead to June, my top picks for next month are Dark Phoenix, Men in Black: International, and Toy Story 4.
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New top story from Time: The 50 Most Anticipated Movies Coming Out in Summer 2019
Blockbuster film season has arrived, and its first entry will almost certainly be its biggest. Avengers: Endgame opened last week and shattered all kinds of box office records; its reviews have also been extremely strong.
But the rest of the slate of summer movies is just as intriguing: ambitious live-action Disney adaptations, a star-studded Tarantino return, terrifying original horror stories and soundtracks from rock legends. Here are 50 of the biggest summer movies coming to theaters (and, in some cases, streaming in a living room) near you.
Avengers: Endgame (April 26)
If you’ve stayed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for 21 films, you’ll probably be happy to sit through the climactic film’s monstrous three-hour runtime. Those of the Avengers extended family who survived Thanos’ devastating final attack in Avengers: Infinity War—including Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow—are joined by newcomer Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) to turn the tables against him.
Knock Down the House (May 1, Netflix)
In 2018, a record 529 women ran for Congress. This documentary, which won the Festival Favorite Award at Sundance this year, follows four of them, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as they attempt to overcome skepticism and long odds on the campaign trial.
Long Shot (May 3)
For some reason, beautiful and impressive women, from characters played by Katherine Heigl to Rose Byrne to Elizabeth Banks, tend to fall in love with Seth Rogen in movies. The latest to do so is Charlize Theron’s Charlotte Field, the poised and intelligent U.S. Secretary of State running for president who hires Rogen’s schlubby journalist to punch up her speechwriting.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (May 3, Netflix)
This controversial film about Ted Bundy has received mixed reviews since its Sundance premiere, but Zac Efron has drawn raves for his shivering portrayal of the serial killer. Lily Collins plays Bundy’s girlfriend, who witnesses his descent into a steadily darkening place.
Wine Country (May 8, May 10 on Netflix)
A group of SNL pals—Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer, Paula Pell, and Emily Spivey—have been taking real-life vacations together for years. Those uproarious, disastrous trips served as the inspiration for this warm comedy, which is Poehler’s directorial debut.
Detective Pikachu (May 10)
The creatures of Pokémon invaded the real world three years ago thanks to Pokémon Go—but they lacked fur, scales or saliva. This quasi-live-action film, in which Ryan Reynolds voices Pikachu, imbues Pokémon with all of those physical attributes, making them alternately unsettling and adorable.
The Hustle (May 10)
Scam Season never ends. This remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels features one experienced con artist (Anne Hathaway) taking a small-time scammer (Rebel Wilson) under her wing, as they embark on a quest to swindle a tech billionaire. Hathaway slips into her British accent and sillier side.
Poms (May 10)
A group of legendary actresses (Diane Keaton, Pam Grier, Jacki Weaver and Rhea Perlman) play women in a retirement community who shake off rust and bad hips to form a cheerleading squad.
Tolkien (May 10)
The $1 billion Lord of the Rings Amazon series won’t arrive for awhile, but Tolkien fans can bide their time with this biopic starring Nicholas Hoult. The film presumably takes liberties, as many biopics do, with the writer’s life; Tolkien’s family recently issued a statement expressing their disapproval.
The Souvenir (May 17)
Two generations of Swintons appear in critical darling Joanna Hogg’s latest film, which premiered to raves at Sundance. A shy film student (Honor Swinton Byrne) enters into a turbulent and destructive relationship which threatens to throw her off her path. Her real-life mother Tilda Swinton plays her buttoned-up mother in the movie.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (May 17)
The legend of Keanu Reeves has only seemed to deepen over time. He returns to play the title character of this cult-favorite franchise, which features plenty of exquisite hand-to-hand combat and canine love.
The Sun Is Also A Star (May 17)
Grown-ish star Yara Shahidi and Riverdale‘s Reggie Charles Melton play star-crossed lovers in this adaptation of the YA novel by Nicola Yoon.
Aladdin (May 24)
Disney hopes that the live-action reboot of its beloved animated take on the Middle Eastern folktale will be a huge hit. For better or worse, much of the recent discourse surrounding the film has centered on Will Smith’s bewildering body paint. “Will Smith as #Aladdin’s genie makes me want to uninvent CGI,” wrote one user on Twitter. Blue paint aside, the film itself looks like a splashy, effects-heavy take on the original.
Booksmart (May 24)
The trope of the Last High School Party has been told time and time again through the years—from Dazed and Confused to Superbad—but very rarely has it been seen through female eyes. Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut features two goodie-two-shoes seniors (played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) as they attempt to leave high school with a bang.
Always Be My Maybe (May 29, May 31 on Netflix)
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Randall Park and Ali Wong play childhood best friends-turned lovers in this will-they-won’t-they rom-com. Look out for lots of delicious-looking food, a spot-on D’Angelo impression and a hysterical cameo from one of the superstars on this list.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 31)
The mythical Japanese monster was given a jolt in 2014, when Gareth Edwards’ film was largely praised (though not in this magazine) for its jaw-dropping visuals and action sequences. The sequel features Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown and an array of leviathans and giant brutes.
Rocketman (May 31)
The latest entry of the classic rock biopic boom traces the life of Elton John, who is imbued with flair and an impressively accurate singing impression by actor Taron Egerton.
Domino (May 31)
The director Brian De Palma celebrates 50 years in cinema with this grisly thriller starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. The Game of Thrones alumnus plays a Copenhagen police officer tracking down the killer of his partner.
Ma (May 31)
Octavia Spencer has often been typecast as sweet or wearied characters, perhaps in part due to what she terms her “nurse face.” She is far more sinister in this new psychological thriller, in which she plays a woman who begins to terrorize a group of teenagers in small-town Ohio.
Deadwood: The Movie (May 31, HBO)
Fans of the HBO Western series have been begging for a reboot since the show was abruptly cancelled after three seasons. The film, which has been in development hell for more than a decade, will finally come to fruition and grapple with death and memory loss—themes that creator David Milch has confronted in his real life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Dark Phoenix (June 7)
Game of Thrones will be wrapped up by early June, but Sophie Turner’s rise is just getting started. The actor who portrays Sansa Stark on the HBO series will lead the latest X-Men installment; she plays Jean Grey, a telepathic mutant struggling with the power of her alter ego, Phoenix.
Late Night (June 7)
Emma Thompson plays a curmudgeonly late-night talk show host opposite Mindy Kaling—who also wrote the movie—as an idealistic writer and the only woman in the writers room. The unlikely pair attempts to lift the show out of white-male mediocrity and prevent a looming cancellation.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco (June 7)
Joe Talbot’s directorial debut won rave festival reviews for its wistful portrayal of a rapidly-gentrifying San Francisco. A black San Franciscan named Jimmie Fails plays himself as he attempts to reclaim his childhood home in the Fillmore District.
Secret Life of Pets 2 (June 7)
Patton Oswalt, Tiffany Haddish and Harrison Ford join an already star-studded cast of voice actors for the second installment of this chipper animated franchise. Oswalt takes over for the disgraced Louis C.K. in voicing the protagonist Jack Russell Terrier.
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (June 12, Netflix)
From The Last Waltz to Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese has proven that few directors can match his ability to capture the intimacy and kinetic energy of a rock concert. Here, he turns his focus to Bob Dylan—whose life he explored in the 2005 documentary No Direction Home—and his legendarily freewheeling 1975-1976 tour, which featured appearances from Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez.
Shaft (June 14)
The third generation of “the black James Bond” arrives in the guise of Jessie Usher. He is joined by the Shafts who came before him: his father (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and grand-uncle (played by Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft). The last Shaft movie, released in 2000, was directed by the late director John Singleton.
Men in Black: International (June 14)
Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson showed off a crackling rapport in Thor: Ragnarok. The duo reconvenes in this latest installment of the alien franchise that leaves Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones on the sidelines. In this one, Hemsworth and Thompson take their carbonizers to London.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (June 14)
Spider-Man: Homecoming served as a welcome reprieve from the weary darkness of much of the rest of the Marvel Universe. In this sequel to that 2017 movie, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) sets off on a European vacation, where Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits him in a fight against Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).
The Dead Don’t Die (June 14)
Jim Jarmusch, a titan of independent film, wrote and directed a movie populated by what is being billed “the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled”: Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny play police officers who lead the defense against a zombie attack on a small town. They are joined, in living and undead form, by Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Selena Gomez and Iggy Pop, among others.
Wild Rose (June 14)
A brash ex-convict and single mother from Glasgow, played by Jessie Buckley, strives to become a Nashville country star. Buckley has received rave reviews for the role: “As a musician, she’s terrific, but as an actress she’s even better, with ceaselessly mobile features like a changeable Northern sky,” Leslie Felperin wrote in the Hollywood Reporter.
Child’s Play (June 21)
Mark Hamill, who in addition to playing Luke Skywalker is one of the great voice actors in film and television history for his Joker and other roles, lends his pliable vocal cords to another terrifying villain: Chucky. Aubrey Plaza plays a mother who gifts her son that unsettling doll before realizing it has started murdering people.
Toy Story 4 (June 21)
Woody, Buzz and the gang meet a new friend: a plastic spork with googly eyes and an existential crisis. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest of the talented voice cast return for the fourth installment of this beloved series—as does the voice of Mr. Potato Head, the irascible, late Don Rickles, whose parts were assembled through archival recordings.
Annabelle Comes Home (June 28)
The Conjuring universe continues to expand and terrify. This film—the third of the hugely successful Annabelle subfranchise—takes place between The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2 and follows the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) as they bring home a doll that will soon torment their young daughter.
Yesterday (June 28)
A mediocre singer-songwriter (Himesh Patel) is hit by a bus during a global blackout and wakes up to a world in which nobody but him remembers the Beatles. He begins passing their songs off as his own, kickstarting a long and winding road through fame and disillusionment.
Midsommar (July 3)
Director Ari Aster shocked the world last year with his grotesque and exhilarating horror film Hereditary. From the looks of it, his follow-up will be equally unsettling: it follows a summer festival in a small Swedish village that quickly turns into a bloody competition.
Crawl (July 12)
You’ll probably want to stay away from bodies of water after seeing Alexandre Aja’s latest horror flick. The film sees a daughter and father trapped inside a house during a hurricane—along with a teeming horde of alligators from the Florida Everglades.
Stuber (July 12)
Kumail Nanjiani is a nebbish Uber driver; Dave Bautista is a gassed-up cop. They bounce off each other in this 21st-century take on the odd-couple road trip.
The Farewell (July 12)
Courtesy of A24Awkwafina stars in The Farewell, written and directed by Lulu Wang.
Awkwafina is best known for her uproarious, scene-stealing turns in Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. But she shows off her range in The Farewell, a sensitive family drama in which her character and her family travel to China from New York City to say goodbye to her dying grandmother.
The Lion King (July 19)
The big cats of this computer-generated, photorealistic remake of Disney’s animated classic have some new and famous voices: Donald Glover will voice Simba, while Beyoncé lends her pipes to Nala. But one voice will remain from the original 1994 film: the deep, reassuring tones of James Earl Jones as Mufasa.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26)
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film—he has said he’s retiring after ten—takes place in 1969 Los Angeles as the city reels from the Manson Family murders. Leonardo DiCaprio took a pay cut to star as a washed-up Western actor; Brad Pitt plays his body double and Margot Robbie is Sharon Tate. Al Pacino, Bruce Dern, Lena Dunham and Luke Perry—in his last credited role—also star.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold (July 31)
Dora, the diminutive explorer, charmed a generation of children on Nickelodeon with her whimsical, low-stakes cartoon adventures. Will those fans follow her into this live-action adventure film? Dora, now in high school, plunges into the jungle to confront a familiar foe (Swiper the fox) with a terrifying new voice (Benicio del Toro).
New Mutants (August 2)
Two months after Dark Phoenix, it’s the little Stark sister’s turn to plunge into the X-Men universe. Maisie Williams plays one in a group of young mutants who are held against their will and attempt to break out of their captivity. The movie is being billed, unlike its more action-oriented predecessors, as horror.
The Nightingale (August 2)
Jennifer Kent’s harrowing follow-up to the global horror phenomenon The Babadook had a successful run at film festivals beginning last summer. The movie, which stars Aisling Franciosi and Sam Claflin, follows a young woman seeking revenge for the murder of her family.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (August 2)
The latest Fast and Furious spinoff knows exactly what it is, and so do you: there will be fast cars, flying fists, hair-raising explosions, sweeping waterfront locales, and grandiose paeans to importance of family. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham frontline this mission against a menacing and cyber-genetically enhanced Idris Elba.
Artemis Fowl (August 9)
It’s been 18 years since the twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl hacked his way into the hearts of young readers across the world. Seven novels later, the precocious criminal will finally arrive on the big screen in the hopes of kickstarting the next blockbuster fantasy franchise.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (August 9)
Guillermo del Toro loves his monsters, and especially the ones found in this book by Alvin Schwartz. Del Toro stumbled upon the series at a bookstore in Texas and was compelled to produce this adaptation; it will likely feature a handful of the series’ creepiest and most compelling tales.
The Kitchen (August 9)
Alison Cohen Rosa—Alison Cohen RosaElisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish in The Kitchen.
Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss and Melissa McCarthy play mob wives-turned-mobsters in this 1970s period drama. They confront rival gangs, the FBI, and their own criminal husbands with barrage after barrage of gunfire.
Blinded By the Light (August 14)
Nick Wall—Nick Wall(L-r) Nell Williams, Viveik Karla and Aaron Phagura in Blinded by the Light.
Sarfraz Manzoor was born thirty years after Bruce Springsteen and grew up more than three thousand miles away. But as a teenager, he came to realize that the existential dread of Thatcherite Britain closely mirrored the “death trap” of Springsteen’s New Jersey. This film, which Manzoor co-adapted from his memoir, Greetings from Bury Park, dramatizes the story of how he turned to The Boss’ music for escape and uplift.
Good Boys (August 16)
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg specialize in the hijinks of juvenile men. But this film, which they produced, might be their first since Superbad in which the characters’ maturity levels properly match their ages. It centers around three middle-schoolers as they enter the agonies and ecstasies of teeangerdom. Jacob Tremblay, one of the youngest Oscar nominees ever, gets in on their potty-mouthed humor.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette (August 16)
Maria Semple’s 2012 novel about a disappearing mother spent a year on the New York Times‘ bestseller list. Cate Blanchett stars in the titular role; Richard Linklater directs.
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Astronaut Sally K. Ride's legacy – encouraging young women to embrace science and engineering
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Mission specialist Sally Ride became the first American woman to fly in space. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
On June 18, 1983, 35 years ago, Sally Ride became the first American woman to launch into space, riding the Space Shuttle STS-7 flight with four other crew members. Only five years earlier, in 1978, she had been selected to the first class of 35 astronauts – including six women – who would fly on the Space Shuttle.
Sally’s first ride, with her STS-7 crewmates. In addition to launching America’s first female astronaut, it was also the first mission with a five-member crew. Front row, left to right: Ride, commander Bob Crippen, pilot Frederick Hauck. Back row, left to right: John Fabian, Norm Thagard. NASA
Much has happened in the intervening years. During the span of three decades, the shuttles flew 135 times carrying hundreds of American and international astronauts into space before they were retired in 2011. The International Space Station began to fly in 1998 and has been continuously occupied since 2001, orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes. More than 50 women have now flown into space, most of them Americans. One of these women, Dr. Peggy Whitson, became chief of the Astronaut Office and holds the American record for number of hours in space.
The Space Shuttle democratized spaceflight
The Space Shuttle was an amazing flight vehicle: It launched like a rocket into Low Earth Orbit in only eight minutes, and landed softly like a glider after its mission. What is not well known is that the Space Shuttle was an equalizer and enabler, opening up space exploration to a wider population of people from planet Earth.
STS-50 Crew photo with commander Richard N. Richards and pilot Kenneth D. Bowersox, mission specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ellen S. Baker and Carl J. Meade, and payload specialists Lawrence J. DeLucas and Eugene H. Trinh. The photo was taken in front of the Columbia Shuttle, which Dunbar helped to build. NASA
This inclusive approach began in 1972 when Congress and the president approved the Space Shuttle budget and contract. Spacesuits, seats and all crew equipment were initially designed for a larger range of sizes to fit all body types, and the waste management system was modified for females. Unlike earlier vehicles, the Space Shuttle could carry up to eight astronauts at a time. It had a design more similar to an airplane than a small capsule, with two decks, sleeping berths, large laboratories and a galley. It also provided privacy.
I graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Washington in 1971 and, by 1976, I was a young engineer working on the first Space Shuttle, Columbia, with Rockwell International at Edwards Air Force Base, in California. I helped to design and produce the thermal protection system – those heat resistant ceramic tiles – which allowed the shuttle to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere for up to 100 flights.
Mike Anderson and Bonnie Dunbar flew together on STS-89 in 1998. They both graduated from University of Washington. Anderson was killed in the Columbia accident, in 2003. NASA
It was a heady time; a new space vehicle could carry large crews and “cargo,” including space laboratories and the Hubble Space Telescope. The Shuttle also had a robotic arm, which was critical for the assembly of the International Space Station, and an “airlock” for space walks, and enabled us to build the International Space Station.
I knew from my first day at Rockwell that this vehicle had been designed for both men and women. A NASA engineer at the Langley Research Center gave me a very early “heads up” in 1973 that they would eventually select women astronauts for the Space Shuttle. In the 1970s there were visionary men and women in NASA, government and in the general public, who saw a future for more women in science and engineering, and for flying into space. Women were not beating down the door to be included in the Space Shuttle program, we were being invited to be an integral part of a larger grand design for exploring space.
1978: Becoming an astronaut
The selection process for the first class of Space Shuttle astronauts, to include women, opened in 1977. NASA approached the recruitment process with a large and innovative publicity campaign encouraging men and women of all ethnic backgrounds to apply. One of NASA’s recruiters was actress Nichelle Nichols who played Lt. Ohura on the “Star Trek” series, which was popular at the time. Sally learned about NASA’s astronaut recruitment drive through an announcement, possibly on a job bulletin board, somewhere at Stanford University. Sally had been a talented nationally ranked tennis player, but her passion was physics. The opportunity to fly into space intrigued her and looked like a challenge and rewarding career she could embrace.
Sally and I arrived at NASA at the same time in 1978 – she as part of the “TFNG” (“Thirty-Five New Guys”) astronaut class and I as a newly minted mission controller, training to support the Space Shuttle. I had already been in the aerospace industry for several years and had made my choice for “space” at the age of 9 on a cattle ranch in Washington state. I also applied for the 1978 astronaut class, but was not selected until 1980.
Sally and I connected on the Flight Crew Operations co-ed softball team. We both played softball from an early age and were both private pilots, flying our small planes together around southeast Texas. We also often discussed our perspectives on career selection, and how fortunate we were to have teachers and parents and other mentors who encouraged us to study math and science in school – the enabling subjects for becoming an astronaut.
STS-7: June 18 1983
In January 1978, NASA selected six women into the class of 35 new astronauts to fly on the Space Shuttle. From left to right are Shannon W. Lucid, Ph.D., Margaret Rhea Seddon, M.D., Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D., Judith A. Resnik, Ph.D., Anna L. Fisher, M.D., and Sally K. Ride, Ph.D. NASA
Although Sally was one of six women in the 1978 class, she preferred to be considered one of 35 new astronauts – and to be judged by merit, not gender. It was important to all the women that the bar be as high as it was for the men. From an operational and safety point of view, that was also equally important. In an emergency, there are no special allowances for gender or ethnicity: Everyone had to pull their own weight. In fact, it has been said that those first six women were not just qualified, they were more than qualified.
While Sally was honored to be picked as the first woman from her class to fly, she shied away from the limelight. She believed that she flew for all Americans, regardless of gender, but she also understood the expectations on her for being selected “first.” As she flew on STS-7, she paid tribute to those who made it possible for her to be there: to her family and teachers, to those who made and operated the Space Shuttle, to her crewmates, and to all of her astronaut classmates including Dr. Kathy Sullivan, Dr. Rhea Seddon, Dr. Anna Fisher, Dr. Shannon Lucid, and Dr. Judy Resnick (who lost her life on Challenger). With all of the attention, Sally was a gracious “first.” And the launch of STS-7 had a unique celebratory flair. Signs around Kennedy Space Center said “Fly Sally Fly,” and John Denver gave a special concert the night before the launch, not far from the launch pad.
Continuing the momentum
One of the topics that Sally and I discussed frequently was why so few young girls were entering into math, technology, science and engineering – which became known as STEM careers in the late 1990s. Both of us had been encouraged and pushed by male and female mentors and “cheerleaders.” By 1972, companies with federal contracts were actively recruiting women engineers. NASA had opened up spaceflight to women in 1978, and was proud of the fact that they were recruiting and training women as astronauts and employing them in engineering and the sciences.
National needs for STEM talent and supportive employment laws were creating an environment such that if a young woman wished to become an aerospace engineer, a physicist, a chemist, a medical doctor, an astronomer or an astrophysicist, they could. One might have thought that Sally’s legendary flight, and those of other women astronauts over the last 35 years might have inspired a wave of young women (and men) into STEM careers. For example, when Sally flew into space in 1983, a 12-year-old middle school girl back then would now be 47. If she had a daughter, that daughter might be 25. After two generations, we might have expected that there would be large bow wave of young energized women entering into the STEM careers. But this hasn’t happened.
Rather, we have a growing national shortage of engineers and research scientists in this nation, which threatens our prosperity and national security. The numbers of women graduating in engineering grew from 1 percent in 1971 to about 20 percent in 35 years. But women make up 50 percent of the population, so there is room for growth. So what are the “root causes” for this lack of growth?
K-12 STEM education
Many reports have cited deficient K-12 math and science education as contributing to the relatively stagnant graduation rates in STEM careers.
Completing four years of math in high school, as well as physics, chemistry and biology is correlated with later success in science, mathematics and engineering in college. Without this preparation, career options are reduced significantly. Even though I graduated from a small school in rural Washington state, I was able to study algebra, geometry, trigonometry, math analysis, biology, chemistry and physics by the time I graduated. Those were all prerequisites for entry into the University of Washington College of Engineering. Sally had the same preparation before she entered into physics.
As part of NASA’s commitment to the next generation of explorers, NASA Ames collaborated with Sally Ride Science to sponsor and host the Sally Ride Science Festival at the NASA Research Park. Hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area girls, their teachers and parents enjoy a fun-filled interactive exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics on Sept. 27, 2008. NASA Ames Research Center / Dominic Hart
Although we have many great K-12 schools in the nation, too many schools now struggle to find qualified mathematics and physics teachers. Inspiring an interest in these topics is also key to retention and success. Being excited about a particular subject matter can keep a student engaged even through the tough times. Participation in “informal science education” at museums and camps is becoming instrumental for recruiting students into STEM careers, especially as teachers struggle to find the time in a cramped curriculum to teach math and science.
Research has shown that middle school is a critical period for young boys and girls to establish their attitudes toward math and science, to acquire fundamental skills that form the basis for progression into algebra, geometry and trigonometry, and to develop positive attitudes toward the pursuit of STEM careers. When Dr. Sally Ride retired from NASA, she understood this, and founded Imaginary Lines and, later, Sally Ride Science, to influence career aspirations for middle school girls. She hosted science camps throughout the nation, exposing young women and their parents to a variety of STEM career options. Sally Ride Science continues its outreach through the University of California at San Diego.
Challenging old stereotypes and honoring Sally’s legacy
Sally Ride and Bonnie Dunbar are fighting outdated stereotypes that women are not good at STEM subjects. Creativa Images/shutterstock.com
However, there are still challenges, especially in this social media-steeped society. I and other practicing women engineers have observed that young girls are often influenced by what they perceive “society thinks” of them.
In a recent discussion with an all-girl robotics team competing at NASA, I asked the high school girls if they had support from teachers and parents, and they all said “yes.” But then, they asked, “Why doesn’t society support us?” I was puzzled and asked them what they meant. They then directed me to the internet where searches on engineering careers returned a story after story of describing “hostile work environments.”
Sadly, most of these stories are very old and are often from studies with very small populations. The positive news, from companies, government, universities and such organizations as the National Academy of Engineers, Physics Girl and Society of Women Engineers, rarely rises to the top of the search results. Currently, companies and laboratories in the U.S. are desperate to employ STEM qualified and inspired women. But many of our young women continue to “opt out.”
Young women are influenced by the media images they see every day. We continue to see decades-old negative stereotypes and poor images of engineers and scientists on television programs and in the movies.
Popular TV celebrities continue to boast on air that they either didn’t like math or struggled with it. Sally Ride Science helps to combat misconceptions and dispel myths by bringing practicing scientists and engineers directly to the students. However, in order to make a more substantial difference, this program and others like it require help from the media organizations. The nation depends upon the technology and science produced by our scientists and engineers, but social media, TV hosts, writers and movie script developers rarely reflect this reality. So it may be, that in addition to K-12 challenges in our educational system, the “outdated stererotypes” portrayed in the media are also discouraging our young women from entering science and engineering careers.
Unlimited opportunities in science and engineering
The reality? More companies than ever are creating family-friendly work environments and competing for female talent. In fact, there is a higher demand from business, government and graduate schools in the U.S. for women engineers and scientists than can be met by the universities.
Both Sally and I had wonderful careers supported by both men and women. NASA was a great work environment and continues to be – the last two astronaut classes have been about 50 percent female.
I think that Sally would be proud of how far the nation has come with respect to women in space, but would also want us to focus on the future challenges for recruiting more women into science and engineering, and to reignite the passion for exploring space.
Bonnie J. Dunbar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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swipestream · 6 years
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Fantasy and Adventure New Release Roundup: 2 December 2017
With the holiday season now upon us, this roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure is bursting at the seams, featuring a wife pressed back into her former role as an assassin, a desperate fight to save a friend from a magical kangaroo court, the first hard-boiled detective fighting the Klan, and a quest for revenge that will not end until a murder’s head sits upon a pike.
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The Awful Truth About Forgetting (Books of Unexpected Enlightenment #4) – L. Jagi Lamplighter
What she knows, she dare not tell.
Rachel Griffin should be having an amazing freshman year. She has the Princess of Magical Australia and crazy orphan Sigfried the Dragonslayer for friends and a handsome sorcerer boyfriend romancing her with charms magical and otherwise.
But otherworldly forces conspire against those she loves.
While all others can be made to forget the truth, Rachel cannot. When she runs afoul of the hidden force hiding these terrible secrets, Rachel must face her most desperate hour yet.
This on top of winter fairies, missing friends, Yule gifts, flying practice, and a rampaging ogre…oh, and schoolwork.
Then there is the matter of a certain undeniably attractive older boy…
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Ghost in the Glass (Ghost Night #2) – Johnathan Moeller
Caina Amalas was once a deadly Ghost nightfighter, a spy and agent of the Emperor of Nighmar. Now she only wishes to live quietly with her husband.
But civil war grips the Empire, and Caina’s skills are needed against the cruel sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order. Now Caina has a deadly problem.
Specifically, she carries the Ring of Rasarion Yagar, a relic created by the tyrannical necromancer-king who once ruled Ulkaar. The deadly sorcerers of the malevolent Umbarian Order wish to seize the Ring for themselves, as do the sinister priests of the ruthless Temnoti cult.
And to make matters worse, the Ring is not the only powerful relic of Rasarion Yagar.
And unless Caina can escape her foes, the wielders of those relics will kill her…
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Graduation Day (Schooled in Magic #14) – Christopher G. Nuttall
Frieda is one of Emily’s closest friends, a young girl she saved from Mountaintop and brought back to Whitehall. But Frieda found herself the victim of a deadly soul-destroying plot – and the true target may well be Emily herself. Now, after Emily saved Frieda from a magician who was slowly driving her mad, Frieda stands accused of attempted murder – and worse. She must now stand trial for her crimes.
Worse, Fulvia – Matriarch of House Ashworth – has returned. Humiliated by Emily, years ago, Fulvia burns for revenge – and the chance to regain her lost power. Calling in favors from all over the world and rigging the trial against Frieda – and Emily – it looks as if her time is finally at hand. With no clear proof of Frieda’s innocence – and a jury that can be manipulated at will – Fulvia has all the leverage she needs to bring Emily to heel.
Gathering her friends around her, and calling in favors of her own, Emily must find a way to outwit a kangaroo court and save her friend from a fate worse than death, little realizing that Fulvia’s true target is Emily herself …
… And that Fulvia’s desperate quest for revenge will bring the entire world crashing down.
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Head Down (The Valens Legacy #4) – Jan Stryvant
Things are starting to look up for Sean, he has a safe place to stay, allies, way too many wolves and a couple of dangerously cute werefoxes around now as well. However the other Councils now know that he’s serious, after the raid on Gradatim that left several important people dead.
Battle lines are starting to be drawn and the Council of the Ascendants realizes that they’re next in line and starts to take precautions while the other councils start to play politics and jockey for position. Even the Council of Vestibulum, the most powerful in both Reno and the rest of the country, is starting to be concerned.
And how could any conflict between these major powers be complete without the assassin hired twelve years ago, being brought back to deal with the son of the man he killed?
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Knights of the Open Palm (Race Williams #1) – Carroll John Daly
The first hard-boiled detective Race Williams, runs up against the Klan in his premiere adventure, which leads him to fast and tragic action. Plus two other early Daly hard-boiled classics: “The False Burton Combs” and “Dolly.” Story #1 in the Race Williams series.
Carroll John Daly (1889–1958) was the creator of the first hard-boiled private eye story, predating Dashiell Hammett’s first Continental Op story by several months. Daly’s classic character, Race Williams, was one of the most popular fiction characters of the pulps, and the direct inspiration for Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.
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Lifemarked (The Fatemarked #5) – David Estes
The Four Kingdoms and the fatemarked face the most powerful army the world has ever seen…
In Phanes, Roan Loren, the Peacemaker, has high hopes for a united response to the threat from the Horde, but swiftly realizes the only true ally he has is his arch nemesis, Bane. Meanwhile, Rhea Loren, a new mother with a secret must decide whether to protect her child or share what she knows with the fatemarked…
To the north, Annise Gäric, Tarin Sheary and their allies are hunted mercilessly by the army of barbarians known as the Horde, led by her long-lost uncle Helmuth, now known as Klar-Ggra. While she seeks refuge in the east, Tarin once more struggles with his own demons…
In the west, Ennis Loren and his brothers, including self-proclaimed king of the west, Sai, return to Knight’s End against the advice of the fatemarked, who they despise. Secretly, they plot another attack on the south…
In the east, Gareth Ironclad returns to Ferria hoping to find a unified people with a common enemy, but instead faces a fractured kingdom uncertain of its future. But when he makes a drastic decision, everything begins to unravel…
In Calyp, Raven Sandes returns with the most unlikeliest of friends: Gwendolyn Storm. But when tragedy strikes at the heart of the empire, the survivors are left behind and forced to pick up the pieces…
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Necrosis (Omens of Gaia #1) – H. C. Damrosch
A tyrant has conquered the land she holds dear; friends and family slain to build a kingdom of despair. Her own faith has fallen into doubt…
She must escape, no matter the cost.
Visions of light and shadow beckon from beyond the world’s edge; haunting dreams, waking nightmares, rivers of energy beneath the earth…
There is a warrior who would oppose death itself to uncover the secrets of his birth.
Subhuman and superhuman creatures arise to test them; powers of earth and spirit whose revelations shake the very foundations of reality.
Is it wisdom to believe, or madness…?
Only by coming to terms with their own humanity can they defeat the Lord of the Necrow.
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Shadow Games (The Collector Chronicles #2) – D. K. Holmberg
Born of shadow magic. Gifted with the power to control the flame that burns within her. A master strategist. Tested by the mysterious Collector.
With the Collector thwarted, Carth realizes that until she uncovers his allies in Keyall, he will continue to threaten the city. When the city is attacked, the ruling tribunal blames Carth and uses the power of the city to confine her.
The Collector demands that Carth find the Elder Stone in exchange for her freedom, but there is much more to the demand than it seems. Now she’s caught in a game that she might not be able to win and manipulated by someone more skilled than her. In this game, not only is her life at stake, but the lives of her friends are in danger if she loses.
Worse, the person making the moves might be someone much closer to her than she had ever realized.
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Thunderbolt (Dynasty of Storms #2) – Brandon Cornwell
After the liberation of the Greenreef islands, Elias has returned to the mainland of Lonwick, a new purpose burning in his heart; hunting down and killing the Felle general who murdered his love, and purging the land of the scourge that is the Felle. When he returns, he finds that the war brewing to the south is on the verge of erupting, and his allies back home have found themselves in dire situations. Can he muster the strength to build an army strong enough to find the vengeance he and his companions yearn for? Will the cost be too great? And what power lies behind the sudden emergence of the unholy Felle army?
In the second book of the Dynasty of Storms saga, Brandon Cornwell brings us back to the mainland of Erde to follow Elias of Stromgard as he forges a path through ancient forests, burning caverns, and wintery mountains. Challenges await and dangers lurk on his quest to find Darius Tessermyre and put his head where it belongs – on a pike.
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War Hammer (Nate Temple #8) – Shayne Silvers
Two old dudes want to kill me. Oh, and one of them is my ancestor…
And after centuries of practice, they’re pretty good at the whole murder thing. But at least they want to kill each other just as badly.
Now, I’ve taken down a Greek Goddess, worn a Horseman’s Mask, and I ride a homicidal unicorn who hates rainbows with a passion. Some might say sending two senior citizens to a permanent retirement home should be a breeze.
It ain’t.
Because that’s not my biggest concern. One of my friends is in danger, or possibly dying, and I need to get her back before her fiancé kills me. But finding her introduces me to new worlds of pain. The biggest of these being my own past – which has been a blatant lie – and a parting gift from my parents – which might have just been the coin toss for the Apocalypse Olympics.
I’m beginning to realize that none of the old Gods, Legends, or Monsters have been idle the last few centuries. They’ve been waiting, picking sides, and scheming schemes.
Of course, maybe one of those two old dudes will punch my ticket and save me the headache. A wizard can Hope, right? Because either way, I’m about to have a very bad series of days…
  Fantasy and Adventure New Release Roundup: 2 December 2017 published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi
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