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sagaapprentice · 5 months ago

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Still no AO3 account. I think I’m supposed to get an email on the 25th? I have no idea. I don’t pretend to understand how that website works only that it makes the happy chemicals when there is a distinct shortage of them right now

I also edited Chapter 1 but I don’t want to re-post it and it’s still basically the same so whatever the updated version will be on AO3 whenever that happens.

I finished this chapter after I finished the one that comes two chapters later. I don’t know how to write in a linear manner. Hopefully this will not bite me in the ass. This chapter isn’t as long but it’s basically just set-up.

Anyway no beta we die like Ianthe in the Weavers Cottage

The Golden Fawn

Chapter One

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot of information about Hybern. Usually when researching something that may or may not be a cult, there would be stories online from former members talking about “escaping” and detailing their time in the group. However, Azriel found none of that. There was no Facebook page with a few dozen members talking about how they escaped. No Substack post from a former member talking about their time living with the group. Just…nothing.

Someone who was just casually researching them might think that, without any defectors talking about their experiences, clearly they were a trustworthy group who really were (as their website explained) “helping young people find their place in the world”. Endless photos of smiling college students and twenty-something’s that clearly just graduated were pictured on the website, and Azriel found one photo that had been uploaded recently that had Elain in it. She was smiling brightly, leaning on a man with bright red hair (Feyre explained that Elain seemed to have joined with a friend of hers from college named Lucien and, based on her vague description, he assumed that was who she was with in the photo). There was a page detailing different classes they offered (for free) for anyone who felt like they just wanted some direction. Classes from “managing anxiety” to “preparing for job interviews” running the entire gamut from what someone who was about to finish or had just finished college might be struggling with. It seemed like the absolute perfect program.

Which is exactly why Azriel was starting to take Feyre’s fears seriously.

There wasn’t a single organization on the planet that didn’t have scathing blog posts from former members talking about how terrible their experiences were. Every religion had them, every job preparedness training program had them, hell even some particularly intense exercise programs had them. So how was it that this group that boasted over 500 members, with 100 of them living together in some kind of commune, have nothing.

Something was…off.

He stared at the photo of Elain again, smiling brightly at whoever was taking the photo.

Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He figured, as long as he was being paid, he might as well find out.

Considering the internet was scrubbed of any negative experiences, he figured they were at least basically computer savvy and probably somewhat vetted the people they brought on site, so he couldn’t exactly walk in giving them his real name since it would be fairly easy to find his PI business. He needed an identity that would seamlessly fit in with the stories he’d be able to tell of his childhood, but would also stand up to a cursory search online to verify he was telling the truth. Someone who, if photos popped up, he could reasonably pass as photos of himself. With a not insignificant amount of self-hatred, he realised that the easiest identity to steal would be one of his half-brothers.

He and Rhys weren’t brothers by blood, but by choice. For the first decade of Azriel’s life, he lived with his father and half-brothers who were, to put it lightly, fucking awful. They had beaten and screamed at him and put him through all manners of abuse, culminating in the incident that permanently scarred his hands when they set him on fire. But he had also been keeping tabs on them (to make sure he could avoid them) so it would be fairly easy to slide into one of their identities to get access. The younger one, Gabriel, had been in and out of prison a couple times for assault and didn’t have a social media account, so the only photos easily accessible online were mugshots and the last one had been taken three years ago (there was a part of Azriel that thought ‘I hope he’s dead’ despite how callus it might sound).

They looked similar enough that Azriel could get away with using his name. He registered himself as his brother for classes at the local community college (because their angle was clearly towards college students and he figured they weren’t picky about which college) and as soon as he was satisfied with his backstory, he locked up his office to go home and get about four hours of sleep before getting ready for his exciting new class.

#acotar fanfiction #acotar #elriel #elain x azriel #elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger

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mariacallous · 2 days ago

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Ana Levy-Lyons was in her 20s when she found out she was Jewish. During her childhood in Tenafly, New Jersey, her family never spoke about what her mother would later call her “Jewish heritage.” Classic “nones” (what Pew calls the “religiously unaffiliated”), the family observed no religious rituals other than an Americanized Christmas and Easter.

Nevertheless, or maybe inevitably, Levy-Lyons was drawn to matters of the spirit. After a brief career in tech and the music business, she enrolled at the University of Chicago Divinity School, eventually eschewing its dryly academic approach to religion in order to train as a Unitarian Universalist minister. She served for 18 years in “UU” pulpits, including the First Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society in Brooklyn. Now 52 and no longer working as a minister, she is enrolled in the Jewish Renewal movement’s ALEPH Ordination Program to become a rabbi.

Levy-Lyons might have told a “coming home” story, but her new book takes a different direction. “The Secret Despair of the Secular Left” is less a celebration of Judaism (although there is that) than a searing critique of modern secularism.

As a church without a creed —UU’s pulpits and pews are open to believers and nonbelievers of any stripe — Unitarian Universalism came to represent to Levy-Lyons a “self-assured nothingness” that she sees among “nones” of all backgrounds. Without religious and traditional structures, she asserts, community bonds erode, people become detached from the natural world, and their souls become alienated from their bodies.

“I have come to believe that this is not just my story but the defining story of our time,” she writes. “It’s the story of disembodiment, disconnection, and dislocations. It cuts across class and race.”

She offers religious tradition, especially Jewish traditions, as an antidote to a pervasive sense of grief and longing for deeper connection and meaning. She writes from the left but also against the left, frequently challenging liberal orthodoxies when it comes to feminism, abortion and gender identity.

In an FAQ feature on her Substack, she writes that the book is neither progressive nor conservative — or rather, both progressive and conservative. “I’m hoping that this book can help elevate our discourse beyond today’s political polarization and engage our deeper cultural and spiritual struggles,” she writes. “From my perspective, despite how much the two ‘sides’ hate each other right now, in terms of these struggles we are more similar than different.”

Levy-Lyons, whose previous book was “No Other Gods: The Politics of the Ten Commandments,” recently taught a course on Jewish environmental ethics for My Jewish Learning, JTA’s partner site. She lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband and their 14-year-old twins. We spoke Tuesday about what she thinks is ailing the secular left, the alternative that Jewish tradition offers and why at least one reader had trouble squaring her liberal bona fides and some of her heterodox views.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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audreycecilemoore · 5 days ago

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An Interview with Emily Paxman, Author of Death on the Caldera

Author Interview #7

You can read here or on my Substack

Emily Paxman is a fan of musicals, local theater, Pride and Prejudice, Stardew Valley, and exclamation points

We've joked about how nobody cares about your MFA in children's lit. Anything you want to let people know before pursuing an MFA?

Emily Paxman: I actually did love doing my MFA in Creative Writing, despite the way I talk about it! I learned a ton and wouldn’t be the writer I am today without it. What I always want to warn people of is that these degrees really are optional, from a publishing standpoint. Your bio is not what gets you a book deal and very few programs can actually hook you up with industry insiders who can fast-track you towards publication. So I don’t recommend them for that purpose. What you will get out of an MFA is a chance to dedicate yourself to studying your craft with both peers and published experts (your professors).

A quick note about how mine focused in Writing for Children and Youth: I would advise people who write genre fiction and are in an MFA program to take some classes from the Children’s lit side of the department. In my program, those were the people who were publishing the most commercially and using the most “genre” elements (like sci-fi, mystery and fantasy) in their work. I kind of drifted into Children’s lit because of it and it isn’t something I regret at all, even though I ended up writing for adults as a published author.

If Death on the Caldera was a musical, what would be the names of the opening and closing numbers?

Emily Paxman: LOL, this question! So first off, Death on the Caldera would be a very weird musical. I’m not going to say it WOULDN’T work, but it would be tough. I guess there would at least be lots of fun ensemble numbers!

As for opening and closing numbers, I am a big fan of when those mirror each other. So to that end, I’m going to say the opening would be titled: “A Short Trip” and the finale would be: “A Short Trip (reprise).”

Do you have a fancast for any of your characters?

Emily Paxman: I have a few, though I can be a bit fussy about these sorts of things. And unfortunately, I am not super well versed in up and coming stars, so a lot of these are going to be “so and so, but probably like 10 years ago, because they got old.”

Davina is the easiest - if Anya Taylor Joy had simply worn a darker haired wig while playing Emma, you would have Davina incarnate.

Kellen has always been tough because Hollywood doesn’t cast very many tall, stringy men in films. A young Domnhall Gleeson is about the closest I’ve ever found to what I picture for Kellen. The nose and cheekbones are at least right.

Morel is Pearl Harbour era Josh Hartnett. I’ve never actually seen the film, but what a cute boy!

And finally, about the only character I actively DID picture a film star for is Lord Ambrose Carey. He’s Dev Patel.

AC: Yes, Dev Patel! I fully endorse this casting. Get him on the phone!

You're from British Columbia and it's well-known that a big disaster is supposed to be coming to the PNW in the foreseeable future. Did that help to influence the worldbuilding, such as the royal family taking different names to hide from a vengeful volcano god?

Emily Paxman: Possibly? I think my earthquake anxiety shows up more in other books I’ve written, but I do find natural disasters interesting. I think the thing about BC that really influenced the book was the Rocky Mountains. I spent a lot of my childhood driving back and forth between the BC coast and Alberta, where my dad’s extended family lives, and in order to do that, you’ve got to cross the Rockies. When the characters get stranded by a train crash in the mountains, this was the placeI was thinking about. It’s a beautiful and forbidding land where your cellphone still drops service and internet between the little towns dotted along the route.

We gotta know Emmy: what's your favorite character you've ever played on stage?

Emily Paxman: As of right now, Paulette Bonafonte in Legally Blonde! She was an absolute blast.

There are a lot of POV characters in Death on the Caldera. Who was your favorite to write, who surprised you the most, and who did you almost kill off so you'd never have to look at them again and why?

Emily Paxman: Great question! My favorite was probably Davina, which is a good thing, since she’s the main character. I think she would be absolutely miserable to deal with in real life, but that’s what made her fun to write. She’s a tenacious, angry girl and it was always very easy to get her to do things in the story, because she’s so willing to go into harm’s way for what she wants.

For who surprised me most, Emeth took me the longest to really unpack and understand. He’s a quiet, sensitive man who keeps things very close to his vest and I went through several versions of his character before I really felt like I “got” him just right.

As for who I almost killed off so I wouldn’t have to write them again? Um… I mean, I DID kill them off. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Any tips or tricks for balancing a large cast, especially when word counts are going down?

Emily Paxman: Kill some of the POV characters before the book is done. You don’t have to do a full character arc for every POV character if some of them die.

Okay, okay! In terms of more practical advice, I would say, know WHY you’re using the POVs you’re using. This book is heavily inspired by Agatha Christie and while the aesthetics are largely coming from Murder on the Orient Express, the plot is much more directly inspired by And Then There Were None. One of the things that book does incredibly well is introduce ambiguity by making EVERYONE - including the murderer - a viewpoint character. There’s a degree of unreliability in everyone’s point of view, but also hints that will help you catch the killer, especially on a reread. I used the structure I did because I think it’s incredibly effective. I didn’t want the reader to have the comfort of knowing that just because they were currently “with” a particular character, that meant the character wouldn’t die eventually or wasn’t a killer. To me, that was part of making the mystery fair play.

In terms of overall balance, I would also say that even in a large cast, there probably SHOULD still be a central protagonist. Someone is going to go on the biggest journey. Someone’s growth and choices are going to define the climax. That person’s story should be the organizing principle for all the others. In And Then There Were None, that character is Vera Claythorne. In Death on the Caldera, it’s Davina Linde.

Character, plot, voice/prose, and worldbuilding can all be used to drive a story forward. Which is your favorite way to write and your favorite when you read?

Emily Paxman: I feel like this might be a bit of surprise, but I’m easily a character writer and reader. Character drives all my choices in voice and prose. Worldbuilding to me exists to support the characters and their conflicts. And plot is really just the thing that happens when characters react to external events, then make choices to resolve those situations and likely cause more problems. Character all the way.

Death on the Caldera has been sold and marketed as ‘Murder on the Orient Express with witches.’ What have been the challenges of adapting a classic murder mystery to fantasy?

Emily Paxman: I think the biggest one is that Agatha Christie had the advantage of not needing to do worldbuilding and that allowed her books to be incredibly tight. She leaned heavily on stereotypes and stock characters to get readers into her stories very quickly, then would peel back the facades later on, adding depth to the initial caricatures. But if you remove real world context, a lot of those stock characterizations are kind of flat in fantasy. There’s a big difference between the stereotypes we have in mind for a “police officer” and “a British police officer” and in high fantasy (like my book) you don’t get the advantage of context for those more specific stock characters that Christie used, like “British police officer.” So all while writing Death on the Caldera, I tried to establish the equivalent fantasy context for the reader, so that they could have a Christie-like adventure in a wholly new world. But that cost me words and eventually I realized I would never be able to copy Christie’s pacing the way I wanted. Both Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None are under 60K words. My book is twice that length.

I also purposely made the choice to make my story more character driven than Christie’s. Poirot is what’s known as an “iconic” hero–one who doesn’t change book to book, but rather is the unchanging, constant in a rotating cast of characters. I wanted the Linde family to have more traditional character arcs. That also meant I needed more words. The action couldn’t be fully confined to the mystery because there were character moments to track as well.

Everyone is super hungry for fantasy mysteries after the success of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Do you think it's gonna be the next big trend or is it just gonna be you, RJB, and Antonia Hodgson after publishers try to make fetch happen?

Emily Paxman: I have NO idea! I really wish I could guess. I think it will depend on how much the trend is able to draw people from mystery into fantasy, because that was a huge part of what made Romantasy as big as it became–it wasn’t just that it appealed to fantasy readers, it’s that it actively converted Romance readers to the genre. As of right now, I’m more seeing the mystery trend take off within pre-existing Fantasy circles. These are readers who already read fantasy books who are interested in seeing more mystery elements in their work. That being said, things could change! I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised with how many mystery and thriller book lists, instagrammers, influencers, etc have been interested in Death on the Caldera. The lines between different genres are growing fainter, so who knows?

OK, you have all the money in the world to adapt any book ever, including your own, into any medium you pick. Musical, concept album, movie, ice skating program, anything. What are you adapting and how are you gonna do it?

Emily Paxman: Well okay, if my own is an option, then let’s do Death on the Caldera! I think it would be phenomenal as a TV mini-series. It’s actually got a few elements that would make it a really good property for film and television - the magic is fairly grounded and there aren’t a ton of locations needed for filming and the special effects needed are moderate. Most of the book takes place at a crashed train on a mountain and that’s it. So cost effective! Come buy my rights, Hollywood!

For a “not by me” project, someone needs to adapt Miss Congeniality to a musical and then let me play Grace Hart, thanks. Whoops, you said book. Whatever. I want to sing a little song while beating a man up on stage for my “talent” and I want it now.

AC: And we need to keep the ‘One in a Million’ dance number

As a fellow romance fan, I would love to know what is your favorite trope in the genre and how do you feel about the third act break-up, which has become less common in recent years?

Emily Paxman: I go absolutely wild for marriage of convenience. It’s my favourite romance trope ever, partially because its conflicts largely come from trying to make a relationship work, whereas a lot of other romances seem totally uninterested in the types of conflicts that happen after a relationship has formed. As for the third act break-up… I’m mixed on it. I think in some scenarios, it makes a lot of sense and I don’t mind it at all. But when the characters go through it as a matter of course, it becomes quite grating. I guess I just want whatever conflict is inserted into the third act to feel motivated. Because I agree! We need SOMETHING there to put the happy ending in jeopardy. But it should be something that grows naturally out of the story, not something shoe-horned in for the sake of ticking a box.

I was really impressed with how you wrote Rae. It's hard for a lot of people to nail a child character, especially one that young. What do you suggest people do so they can improve that aspect in their own writing?

Emily Paxman: Treat kids as just as intelligent as you. Kids are making the best choices they can with very limited knowledge about the world they’re in. They’re trying to get what they want and they’re trying to be understood. They are almost never consciously trying to be cute or inspiring or whatever secondary characteristics the adults in their lives ascribe to them.

Also, write from your own self as a child. Rae and I grew up in very different circumstances, but the way she thinks about the world and reasons about it is essentially me at that age. Her questions are the questions I would have asked. She worries about the things that would have concerned me.

You've sold two books but didn't have that ‘sold in three hours for ten bazillion dollars’ experience that takes up a majority of the buzz around publishing deals. Is there anything you want to tell the majority of authors out there who are in the middle of or are about to have a similar experience to you?

Emily Paxman: Mostly, don’t give up hope too soon but also, yes. You need to write the next thing. I’ve got the very good fortune that I wrote my second book long before my first one will come out, and that’s largely because I wrote it while on submission for Death on the Caldera. I can’t tell you how much less stressful it is knowing that I won’t be doing “book 2” syndrome with a book that I have to write totally from scratch during a frantic publishing schedule.

And second, once you’ve sold, don’t make assumptions about what the “ceiling” is for your book. Be easy for your publishing team to deal with, but don’t conflate that with being a doormat. Believe in your work. Advocate for it. Ask for things you don’t think you’ll get. You would be surprised how often someone actually says “yes” to those asks. I feel like even though I didn’t have the buzzy start, we’re in a really good position now with lots of great hype going into the release. My team did end up really throwing their shoulders behind the book and I’m so grateful for that. Overall, it’s been a wonderful experience and I’m so excited to work with Titan on my second book.

You had the very cool chance of including your own artwork in the first edition printing. How did that come about?

Emily Paxman: Yes! I’m so happy about the art cards! The art isn’t in the book itself, of course, but Titan has been sending ARCs out with a gorgeous postcard sized piece of artwork that features all 10 viewpoint characters, staring at a dead arm peeking into the image frame. We’re calling it our suspect line-up, lol!

And this is a perfect example of asking for things, even if you don’t think they’ll happen. During my big, “meet-the-team” call with the publicity and marketing departments, I mentioned how much I would love character art, since that tends to play well on social media, plus as a bit of an artist myself, I just love character art. The big issue, however, was budget, which I completely understand. It costs a lot to commission good quality character art and something featuring all 10 characters??? Get out of town. That would cost a bundle.

But they started batting around the idea of doing something simpler, like silhouettes, and since I’d mentioned that I did art, the team lead suggested I send in some reference sketches, so that they might have something to work off of. When I did, she liked the rough sketch so much, she asked if I would be okay with Titan using my artwork to promote the book. To which I said, “give me a couple weeks” and painted the scene now winging its way to book people the world over!

I’m incredibly proud of it. It’s one of my favourite pieces I’ve ever painted. All those years making comics for fun feels like it’s really culminated in this! I’m excited for people to get to see this comic book style take on what my characters all look like and who knows? Maybe someone else can come up with a better actor reference for Kellen, lol!

AC: There's all kinds of advice out there in regards to the writing process, but I've found that the best thing to do is experiment with a lot of authors' processes until you find a combination that works for you. What's your process like?

Emily Paxman: I consider myself a pantser, in that I don’t really plan out much before starting to write. With Death On the Caldera, there was a bit of an exception, in that I did pick who would have “done” it fairly early on, but it was a bit arbitrary. I really didn’t know their “why” yet and made myself figure it out on the fly.

In recent years, the way I’ve tried to bridge my natural instincts toward writing chaotically from the seat of my pants and building something with a functional structure, is that I usually have some sort of clear “mentor text” I’m working from for the plot, plus a book on plotting at my disposal for clarifying what beats I should be hitting when. In this book’s case, those were the books of Agatha Christie and the craft book Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron.

AC: We talk a lot in writers spaces about how you have to read modern authors to be part of the conversation going on in our genres. What books are your book in conversation with?

Emily Paxman: While Christie is the most obvious one, I think my book also owes a lot to Six of Crows. That book was still relatively new when I started drafting Death on the Caldera and I thought it was one of the best fantasy/genre mash-ups I’d ever read. Since then, The Tainted Cup obviously comes to mind too, though that wasn’t out yet when my book sold to Titan. Instead, it’s an example of how something can kind of be in the air and several different authors are all picking up on the same vibe at the same time!

Author as Brand feels like a big part of being a writer these days. What do you want your Brand to be?

Emily Paxman: Fun, genre blending books. I don’t think I really want to be limited by a more specific brand than that, as is fairly apparent by the differences between Death on the Caldera and the second book I sold to my publisher. Book 2 is a post-apocalyptic romcom and has VERY different vibes from my first book. I feel very lucky that I haven’t been limited by a super specific “brand” and don’t have to treat my persona like a product. I hope I can maintain that with time.

Some authors focus on food, others on clothes. What's your favorite way to worldbuild?

Emily Paxman: Probably plants. I love to garden and while I don’t do it consciously, plants play a huge role in the way I describe physical locations. I spent a lot of time looking up tree varieties that grow in the Rockies while writing Death on the Caldera and my next book has even more local plant knowledge that I just flex on for fun all the time.

What's next on the horizon for you?

Emily Paxman: So as mentioned, Titan just bought a second book from me! It’s not officially announced yet, so I’ll spare any details regarding the title for the time being, but I’m dipping my toes in sci-fi now, with a post-apocalyptic romantic comedy. I LOVE this big, silly book. Can’t wait for people to read it next year!

Are there any writers you wanna give a shout-out to?

Emily Paxman: Christie is the obvious one, but if I were to shout out a couple contemporary favourite authors, it would be Emily Henry for romance, Attica Locke for mystery, Fonda Lee for fantasy and Martha Wells for science fiction. I’m also a massive Hunger Games fan. I refuse to believe Suzanne Collins has ever written a bad book.

Thank you, Emmy!

Where to buy:

Amazon

Bookshop.org

Indigo Books

Barnes and Noble

Waterstones

#emily paxman #death on the caldera #fantasy mystery #fantasy #author interview #spotify #canadian author

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darkmaga-returns · 3 months ago

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Monday April 7, 2025 Truth Bomb

Karen Bracken

Globalists, Satanists, and Pedophiles - I had never heard of the guy (Col. Larry Kaifesh) doing this presentation so I looked him up and found him to be legit. He has been referred to as the Constitutional Colonel. Worth taking a listen. 1 hr. 32 min. ARTICLE/VIDEO (the presentation is 60 min. the rest is Q&A)

A review of the $2.2 TRILLION blown in the CARES Act - now where is DOGE on this one?? ARTICLE

British man’s body flown 3,700 miles to ‘deep freeze’ chamber for chance of reawakening - ARTICLE

Planned Parenthood's gift to kids: Sexually graphic coloring books - ARTICLE/VIDEO (4 min.) just remember the earlier people start having sex the more abortion customers for Planned Parenthood…THAT is the REAL reason they exist. Just follow the MONEY.

State Dept. Shuts Down Country’s Entire Visa Program After They Refuse Deportees - Rubio should shut down ALL immigration from ALL countries until every illegal is removed from America. Then we need to scale back the immigration laws to what they once were. LIMITED. Had to have promise of a job and a sponsor and only people with skills to fill American jobs in which there were not enough Americans to fill…..In todays world I can never see a REAL situation in which they could not find an American to fill a job need (aside from seasonal work) or find an American willing to be trained. Immigration was never meant to be an open door to our country. Immigration was meant to benefit America. That is why immigration from the Middle East was banned at one time. It was well known they would not and could not ever assimilate to America culture and assimilation was also a requirement. It was US Senator Ted Kennedy that fought to have that changed and of course he was successful in convincing (?) his fellow Congressmen that people from the Middle East could and would assimilate. That was a lie then and it is a lie today. ARTICLE

Freedom-loving Scotsmen protested the National Museum's Pro-Globalism, Pro-Lockdown, Pro-W.H.O. exhibit - more and more countries are following the US lead to get out of the WHO - they will need 2/3 of the member states in June to vote in favor of the Pandemic Treaty and it is quite possible they will never reach that objective - ARTICLE

How MMR Adverse Events Led to Market Removal in Japan and Change from Mandatory to Elective Childhood Vaccine Schedule - Those that have followed me for years (even before Substack) is well aware that I have repeatedly talked about how the Japanese addressed their extremely high SIDS rate. Understand, healthy babies do not die for no reason. SIDS deaths are deaths with no apparent cause. Well I believe Japan proved that to be false many years ago. Today Japan has one of the lowest infant mortality rates of any industrialized country (while the US doesn’t even make the top 20) and it all started to decline after they made changes to their vaccine agenda. They no longer give the combined MMR shot. So glad someone of importance has finally talked about this. I felt like I have been screaming into the wind for years. What Japan proved is ignored here in the US. Gee, I wonder why??? Ya’ll know why. M O N E Y. ARTICLE

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mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog · 5 months ago

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Featured Newsletters by Substack Mastery Boost Pilot: Episode 17

Curated Newsletters Community nominated newsletters of writers contributing to the Substack Mastery Boost, Curated Newsletters, and Magnetic Newsletter Pro publications on Medium and Substack to create synergy Non-members can read this story on our community blogs. Dear Writers and Readers, Happy February, We, as the volunteer curation team of ILLUMINATION, are excited to curate and feature…

#" "How blogs drive traffic to your Substack" "#1 Best Selling Substack Book on the Market #A Powerful Toolkit for Advanced Substack Newsletter Mastery #A Powerful Toolkit for Advanced Substack Mastery #A training program for Substack in 2025 #Advanced Substack Mastery #Advanced Substack Mastery book by Dr Mehmet Yildiz #Advanced Substack strategies #Advanded Substack book #Advice to beginers of Substack #Audience building on Substack #audience bulding on substack #Author of the Substack Mastery book #Curated Substack Newsletters #Featured newsletters from Substack #ILLUMINATION Substack Mastery Boost Program

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davidshawnsown · 9 months ago

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USA BASEBALL RPF (MODERN SETTING) 2 - Campaigns in the Ukraine (Chapter 5a)

(AN: It's been a long way since I last wrote on Tumblr. I've been doing one shots set in the war on Discord on my server there and will transcribe them here. With the situation as worse as two years ago, I have long had a writing pause to focus on Discord. But still, I did some content there, here on Tumblr, and now on Substack. I am still writing now on what the 78th BCT prepared for in the weeks and months before and after the start of their Ukrainian deployment, and expect that there will be chaptered one shots set in Ukrainian battlefields, both on the perspective of the 1st Battalion and of those individual fighters as well. I have resumed writing the RPF of the hockey boys and girls too. All these I do so that not only the world be aware of what is going on in Ukraine be known and that every effort be made to help arming the nation and financially assist its defense industry and national reconstruction, but also so that the memory of the fighting men and women of Ukraine and the many international fighters especially those who have perished will be remembered long after the end of this war. These first chapters will also serve as an introduction to the cast of characters of this series.)

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF WILLIE MAYS AND ORLANDO CEPEDA

youtube

DUKE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Friday, January 15, 2022

1045H EST

For the first time since activation elements of A and B Companies of 1st Battalion performed their first weekly Combat Water Survival tests in preparation for their potential Ukrainian deployment. The reason why is not just as a refresher training given that all those who were called for the mobilization program already had it done, but also to prepare for scenarios of crossing the rivers and lakes of Ukraine - as well as marshlands and swamps - without any vehicle or boat support, as well as in any scenario of any type of bridge being destroyed by Russian enemy fire as well as any Russian destruction of vehicles while crossing waterways by any means. Plans are made to make this a weekly duty as the other companies of the battalion are being activated from reserve and cadre status.

However Captain Frazier's 1st Platoon under 1LT Tyler Austin - the so-called Tokyo Boys - have some more time for swimming duties and water survival outside these, as per the behest of one of its men, as MAJ Sogard and some others view the proceedings. He can hear him shout "On me, go!" as the water splashes.

"Is that Sergeant Joe Ryan leading the company staff and 1st Platoon elements?"

BG Randolph replies, "He's the one. We all saw those swim pictures and videos he frequenly sent to us in Cary via email. He's grown so much since Tokyo."

"That's one of my A Company sergeants," the major answered.

Planned to be promoted to lieutenant colonel for his work in the brigade's reactivation to active duty, MAJ Scott Brosius added, "He's definitely been training in the pool in between our combat and training operations, Sogard."

"I'm sure he has been. And is that Major Nick Swisher?"

"Affirmative. Part of the 3rd NY, and as part of our brigade's training program, he has returned here to help in mobilization efforts. Ever the natural swimmer he is."

"Has Captain Plata known of this?"

"Has his seal of approval. And he's gonna make it a near daily duty outside of the weekly combat swim survival drills because 1st Battalion needs to be the vanguard in Ukraine operations."

"All normal so far for these lads, " added 1LT Mattalino. He says that through these and the other exercises they have been kept even more fit and healthy for operations ahead.

Sergeant Joe Ryan of 2nd squad, 1st platoon of A Company had been a part of the 2021 mobilization unit and ever the swimmer he was, alongside some of that unit, he was the lead NCO whenever pool and open water swims would occur. A native of San Francisco, CA, Ryan was selected to be a part of the 98th Tampa Bay but by the time he was already in Japan as a member of the 78th Brigade's Tokyo task unit in July of 2021, he had been transferred to Minneapolis and the battalion of the 1st Minnesota based in St. Paul operationally, since he had been named a part of its 1st Battalion upon his transfer. Being the lead swimmer in such training fixtures whenever a water scenario occurs he has been a big motivator for everyone in A Company. Captain Jake Arrietta of B Company could not help but watch from the sidelines at poolside as Joe and the 1st platoon finished their individual swim drills and emerged from the pool, all wet and bodies drenched by the water, before transitioning to combat water training invidiually - this time wearing combat shorts or speedos unlike in the earlier training in full battle gear. In both cases, the servicemen would carry their M4 rifles, which they have been inspected so that they would not be damaged by exposing to the water. It has been Joe's duty to help the company adapt to their role as the assault vanguard and to help them be ready for such scenarios in inland waters or in ocean waters. In this manner and reflecting where the 78th BCT is planning to head for deployment duties, preparing to swim in the fast flowing rivers of Ukraine, its lakes and swamps would be very easy if everyone would be prepared either if the crossing would be by themselves carrying their gear and rifles, inflatable boats or by their combat vehicles. All this was Joe's proposal when the 2021 contingent got formed up, for while this would be a reminder of his swimming days out west when he was young, it would also prepare them for the hard tasks of having to cross any inland body of water without any form of vehicular support. All of these, supervised by the medical staff, lifeguards and battalion and company leadership, would continue even during their deployment as preparation for the tasks they would do there.

"Cannot believe this Dex. How cost THEY do that?" Jake asked his XO.

1LT Dexter Fowler replied, "They did this before in Japan, I was told, and right here at stateside."

SFC LaPorta added, "I'm sure Baker Company will do the same iin the future."

"Same for me here, hoping that we would do the same as they do", added SSGT Blaine Neal.

After individual and then squad level drills, Joe's group - the A Company officers and assigned NCOs and 1st platoon personnel together - would do platoon level swim duty as a group, as usual wearing speedos or shorts to simulate a platoon level river crossing without uniforms but with rifles. Everyone at poolside has been impressed by what they have done.

And then comes that part wherein the whole drill is repeated but with combat gear and bags to simulate moving these thru rivers and lakes.

After all come out of the pool and bring their bags and gear to poolside for a final inspection, Major Sogard greets them. "Well done 1st Platoon of A Company, and to you Sergeant Ryan. Your efforts will make this unit ready for what the coming weeks and months will bring."

"It was my idea after all, for I've been a swimmer all my life," the sergeant replied. After learning that the 78th would plan to come to the aid of Ukraine in case of the feared Russian invasion that week and indeed he and his companions were the first to be mobilized officially, he devised a plan, he said, to prepare his mates in the Tokyo contingent - the first ones of A Coy 1-78th IBCT that got mobilized - for the challenges that lay in Ukraine's rivers, lakes, marshes and swamplands and how to cross them in the absence of amphibious-ready armored vehicles and any crossable bridges in the immediate vicinity, either temporary or permanent. This would continue even after they have been deployed because such a duty would happen by order of company leadership.

"Have the rifles been checked, sarge, post-swim?"

"Yes sir, all well and in good condition."

"Well noted Ryan. Well done everyone. This is just a start for this company, right Captain Frazier?"

"Affirmative sir, " Todd replied. "We will do this again in a few days and then we will do it twice every week to prepare the boys for such scenarios."

"Same for me major," added CPT Tulowitzki.

"I hope this continues well for A Company. Dismissed."

As the major left, Todd looked to Sergeant Ryan, saying "There's more we can do to prepare for these. We have a hard task to do."

"Noted, captain. Is that the same, SFC Gose?"

The company first sergeant replied, "Yup. That's the same thing Joe."

"Hoping we're ready for the next one lads. There will be more of these that will come as we prepare to answer Ukraine's call."

78TH BRIGADE COMMAND MESS

1600H EST

"Maxwell, we now have a commander for D Company of 1st Battalion, also set to be activated from cadre status."

That was the word that LTC Dale Murphy informed BG Maxwell. The search was over, 1LT Bailey Ober can finally be appointed D Company CO by the orders of LTC Fenster.

"Who's that?" Maxwell asked.

"Assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Minnesota based out of Minneapolis. He's from Huntersville."

"Why he is being recalled?"

"Part of 2014 contingent from universities and colleges, general. The very things he learned there he now applies as a platoon XO there," Dale replied.

"That explains everything. And who chose him?"

"Major Sogard, sir. On the suggestion of no less than Sergeant Joe Ryan from A Company."

Jason then ended the talk saying, "I therefore hope he will be informed at once that he's being recalled to the active ranks. He must be ready for his first command billet. So have you guys have found a company first sergeant for these boys now that this company will be reactivated from being in the reserves?"

"Yes also. SSGT Lucas Sims, 1st Battalion 1st Cincinnati City. He too will be informed in a few days of his appointment to the role."

Then Major Sogard arrived, stunned by the decision to activate D Company.

"It now has a new commander and first sergeant? That D Company?"

"Yes Major, the one being set to be prepared for active duty," replied LTC Murphy.

"Noted gents. In a few days from now we can finally activate this. We have to hand over command to the newly selected members of the command team. Those being cadre, the last of the peacetime rifle companies, are being transferred to the battalions being activated."

"Affirmative, major. Slowly 1st Battalion is completing its mobilization phrase."

"But how about the rest of 169th Corps? Have they been informed?"

BG Maxwell replied, "Now more than ever, we have to inform them we are being mobilized given what's going on in Ukraine. They better be ready to recieve the mobilization order from USEC Manfred and his command team led by LTG Halem, who for the past years was also Corps JAG until he handed over to a new general officer this year. We must be ready to tell them now is the time to prepare the work needed for mobilization, whether Russia gears up to invade Ukraine or not."

"Noted sir. And has Swaggerty been informed of the appointment of his company XO?"

"Yes he has been called of this," Sogard replied.

"I'm sure he will be ready to be recalled to active service."

"He will be ready, Josh, to renew his commissioning oath as he prepares for this new assignment."

"And is the 4th and 5th battalions set for activation orders?"

"Yes major. They will be raised soon."

"And our tank battalion?"

"Its M60s and Abrams are being reconditioned as well. They too will have drills with us. The same goes for our field artillery battalions, soon being set to become a regiment under brigade headquarters. We have a whole lot to do to prepare for our future operations in Ukraine, even the equipment, uniforms, weapons and logistics assistance needed."

"Noted sir. Back to D Company. Are we looking on who will be filling its ranks?"

"2013-2015 collegiate, 2017 and 2018 pre-training, 2011-2015 high schools. We will notify them at home and their families. If the names called are absent due to various reasons we will be informed. If overseas by the time they are being called, we will email them to ask them to be here in Cary. Those who are overseas who are willing to wear the uniform, we will try to call them even if not named in these lists. For they too will be a part of this if they accept that mission."

@joeybosa-aaronjudge @lukeexplorer @lightninging @homerofthebraves @dilangleywritesfanfic @alekmanoah @ilovetheyankees @darkorderaf @highwaytothedangerzone502 @zackcollins

#usa baseball #baseball rpf #usa baseball cnt #usa baseball rpf #baseball fanfic #baseball fanfiction #ukraine fic #ukraine war fanfiction #ukraine war au #usa softball #usa softball rpf #softball rpf #a league of their own #athletes unlimited #ukraine au

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 4 months ago

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Adam Zyglis ::@adamzyglis :: Emergency responder…

* * * *

Putting democracy above decorum

March 7, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Note: I will hold a Substack livestream on Saturday, March 8, at Noon Pacific / 3:00 PM Eastern. The livestream is open to everyone who has the Substack App on their phone or tablet (The App not available on computer). I have moved the livestream later in the day because Jill and I will be traveling by train from Edinburgh to London on Saturday. I will host the livestream after we arrive in London.

Overview

There is a lot going on—to the point that it feels overwhelming. Which is Trump's point. Democrats can fight back in court on some of Trump's efforts but must rely on political blowback to slow or undo the damage that he is causing in other areas.

Democrats are doing great work in protesting and calling their representatives. Don’t let anyone tell you that such efforts are ineffective. To the contrary, they are grabbing the attention of every member of Congress, especially Republicans. We must keep up the fight on all fronts.

Trump continues to cause chaos in global trade markets, the American economy, and the lives of Americans who depend on the federal government to help keep them safe, healthy, and financially secure.

Trump's chaos will harm every American—ensuring that a backlash will eventually overwhelm Trump and his enablers. We must endure, we must not quit, we must turn our outrage and anxiety into action.

This period will not only pass but it will be recognized by future Americans and historians as a period of great peril during which ordinary citizens held the line against the forces of chaos and hate. They will regard your resistance as one of America’s finest hours. So, let’s keep our heads down and continue the hard work of defending democracy. Together, there is nothing we cannot do.

Trump backtracks on tariffs—slightly.

Trump is flip-flopping on tariffs within 48 hours—changes that are causing as much economic harm as the tariffs themselves. See AP, Trump's erratic trade policies are baffling businesses, threatening investment and economic growth.

Don’t be fooled by the headlines: Trump has not paused tariffs against Mexico and Canada. It is true that he has paused some tariffs on certain goods, but tariffs will remain on billions of dollars of goods. Per The Hill,

Officials said roughly 62 percent of imports from Canada are not covered by USMCA and would still be subject to tariffs, while 50 percent of imports from Mexico are not USMCA-compliant. . . . the White House’s unpredictable approach to tariffs has rattled financial markets, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq composite and the S&P 500 all taking on losses earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, per the Irish Times, China has issued a rebuke to the US after Trump announced tariffs against that country. Per the Irish Times,

China’s ministry of foreign affairs has promised that China will “fight to the end” with the US in a “tariff war, trade war or any other war”, marking China’s strongest rhetoric on US president Donald Trump since he entered the White House.

Tariffs are taxes on Americans! Tell a friend!

Interim US Attorney Ed Martin in D.C. threatens Georgetown Law Center over DEI

In a truly despicable, Orwellian move, Interim US Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin has threatened to investigate Georgetown Law Center unless it agrees to “remove DEI” from its curriculum. Ed Martin wrote, in part,

It has come to my attention that Georgetown Law School continues to teach and promote DEI. This is unacceptable. I have begun an inquiry into this and would welcome your response to the following questions: First, have you eliminated all DEI from your school and its curriculum? Second, if DEI is found in your courses or teaching in anyway, will you move swiftly to remove it?

At this time, you should know that no applicant for our fellows program, our summer internship, or employment in our office who is a student or affiliated with a law school or university that continues to teach and utilize DEI will be considered.

The dean of Georgetown has responded, saying in part,

The First Amendment . . . guarantees that the government cannot direct what Georgetown and its faculty teach and how to teach it. The Supreme Court has continually confirmed that among the freedoms central to a university’s First Amendment rights are its ability to determine, on academic grounds, who may teach, what to teach, and how to teach it.

Given the First Amendment protection of a university’s freedom to determine its own curriculum and how to deliver it, the [letter’s] constitutional violation behind this threat is clear, as is the attack on the University’s mission as a Jesuit and Catholic Institution. [¶] We look forward to your confirming that any Georgetown-affiliated candidates for employment with your office will receive full and fair consideration.

The legal profession has been doing a great job in standing against ethical violations by attorneys promoting Trump's unlawful agenda. The attack on Georgetown is unethical and depraved. It deserves to be condemned by every lawyer in America. The American Bar Association should issue a condemnation of Ed Martin’s tactics and suggest that the licensing authority for D.C. open an investigation into Ed Martin’s ability to practice law in the District of Columbia.

Trump is threatening to shutter the Department of Education

Per CNN, Trump will sign an executive order to begin dismantling the Department of Education. Per CNN,

President Donald Trump could decide this week to take the first steps to eliminate the Department of Education, people familiar with the matter said, as he looks to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government. White House officials have prepared an executive order directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of dismantling the department, the sources said.

Trump recognizes that he cannot close the Department of Education without legislative action by Congress that would require overcoming the filibuster. But the need for congressional action has not stopped Trump from closing USAID without formally doing so. By the simple expedient of placing most employees on administrative leave, all work at the agency will stop.

Although such an approach is plainly unconstitutional, the Courts have yet to restrain Trump's willingness to engage in unlawful efforts to illegally do that which he cannot do legally.

In preparation for the move, the Trump administration has leaked copies of the executive order to several media outlets—even as Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt calls the reports “fake news.”

Trump's willingness and ability to shut down congressionally created agencies within the federal government demonstrate that he no longer views the Constitution as binding on his actions. This is an unequivocal sign that Trump has mounted a coup against the Constitution.

Federal Judge orders Trump to resume distributing grants to states

US District Judge John McConnell has extended indefinitely his order requiring Trump and his administration to distribute funds to 23 states that sued to force Trump to resume distributing funds appropriated by Congress.

See CBS News, See Judge extends block on Trump's federal assistance freeze indefinitely.

Per CBS,

U.S. District Judge John McConnell issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that prohibits agencies from halting the flow of federal funds awarded to the states through grants, contracts or other financial assistance based on a memo from the Office of Management and Budget issued during President Trump's first days in office.

Judge McConnell wrote:

The executive's categorical freeze of appropriated and obligated funds fundamentally undermines the distinct constitutional roles of each branch of our government. The interaction of the three co-equal branches of government is an intricate, delicate, and sophisticated balance — but it is crucial to our form of constitutional governance. Here, the executive put itself above Congress.

Good for Judge McConnell! His ruling exposes the attack by Trump on the fundamental concept of separation of powers under the Constitution. If this case makes its way to the Supreme Court, the issue will be joined in a way that will force the Court to resolve the question head-on. We should not fear that confrontation! We are on the right side of the law and history. We will be vindicated by the Court. And if we are not, we will know everything we need to know for the struggle to come.

Trump fires FEMA lawyer who refuses to prepare a memo defending clawback of $80 million in FEMA funds

See The Handbasket, FEMA’s top lawyer placed on leave after less than one week in role.

Per The Handbasket,

Josh Stanton [a FEMA senior lawyer] was asked sometime this week to write a memo stating that the mid-February seizure of $80 million from the city of New York meant for migrant shelters had legal justification; this was despite the fact that it almost certainly did not. The money that was taken back was lawfully obligated by FEMA pursuant to congressionally allocated funds. Stanton reportedly refused to write such a memo, The Handbasket has learned, and then he was put on leave.

We need more lawyers like Joshua Stanton to stand up against Trump's illegal actions. It only takes a handful of resisters to open the floodgates!

Concluding Thoughts

I have run out of steam and must end here, even though there are other significant stories to cover. But I cannot close without mentioning two unsettling developments within the Democratic Party on Thursday.

First, California Governor Gavin Newsom said during a podcast that it was “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to be allowed to compete in collegiate sports. Newsom’s comments are unfortunate and wrong on many levels. Trump and MAGA are attacking transgender people because they know they can get away with it. After Trump has succeeded in normalizing discrimination against transgender people, he will expand his target to include LGBTQ people and women.

We should defend transgender people because it is the right thing to do; but if that doesn’t convince us, we should defend transgender people because we are “next” if Trump succeeds in normalizing discrimination against any group.

Second, ten Democrats joined all Republicans in voting to censure Democratic Rep. Al Green for interrupting Trump's speech to the joint session of Congress. The ten Democrats are identified in this article: The Hill, 10 Democrats join Republicans in censuring Al Green.

Trump stood before Congress as a tyrant working to overthrow the Constitution and neuter Congress. As between Al Green’s comments during Trump's speech and the lies spewing from Trump's mouth, the problem is not Al Green.

Shame on the Democrats who are putting decorum and arcane rules above the need to defend democracy as vociferously and ferociously as we can. It is time to stop being polite. It is time to speak the truth, including by shouting it from the floor of the Capitol. Democratic leaders must break free of convention and custom to respond to the urgent need to defend democracy!

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

#sign of the times #c'mon democrats #political cartoons #Robert B. Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell newsletter #resist #al Green #SOTU #FEMA #Federal Judges #Georgetown Law

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alltoowellread · 1 year ago

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What is Chasing After You going to be about?! (I just saw it’s your original fic 😃)

Yes, my original fic which is a second chance, new adult (college) running romance! Here's a snippet from the chapter that will be published on Substack on Friday!

The conversation starts to flow naturally between us, although there's still a slight distance between us. I'm not sure if it's because we're still trying to get used to being around each other or because neither of us wants to cross a line. Either way, we are having a nice time. We talk about classes, our friends, and the training program. It's weird, because when we dated, we rarely talked about anything going on in our lives. This time around, we seem to have no trouble sharing. It's refreshing. When our food arrives, we both dig in. The food is delicious, and the conversation continues. Eventually, Ethan says, "This has been nice. Just hanging out." I nod. "Yeah, it has." "You know, if we had done this in high school, maybe we would've lasted." My heart stops. The words hang in the air between us. Ethan's eyes widen, and I know he didn't mean to say them. But they're out there now. I try to swallow the lump in my throat, and I'm not sure if it's due to anger or sadness. I don't want to react.

#current wip #romance writing #second chance romance #original fiction #new adult fiction

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nightmare-from-heaven · 15 days ago

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If you're not on The Status Kuo email list you're missing out article 1:

"The girls are fighting…” remarked AOC. And she wasn’t wrong. By now, everyone’s heard about the public catfight between the world’s biggest man-babies, but in case you missed any of it, let’s recap it Mean Girls style.

Elon had trash talked Donald’s Big Beautiful Bill to CBS.

Then on Friday Donald said “byeeee” and over the weekend yanked Elon’s buddy’s nomination to head NASA.

Elon went totes postal, said he couldn’t stand it any longer, and called the bill a fugly abomination.

So Donald dissed Elon before the world saying he was, “Disappointed!”

Elon was watching and tweeted, “You woulda lost without me, you ungrateful beyotch!”

“She cray,” answered Donald on his own platform. “Let’s end her Uncle Sam sugar daddy train and those billions in contracts!”

Steve Bannon entered the chat and was all, “Let’s deport her, too! She’s an illegal!”

Maybe the K kicked in because Elon was like, “You can’t use my spaceship!” “Let’s start a new party!” “I’ll outlive you by decades!”

And “Yeah, impeach Trump!”

Then Musk dropped the burn book page: “Trump is in the Epstein files!” shrieked Musk.

This is who’s running our country!?

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If you're not on The Status Kuo email list you're missing out article 2: (less cheeky -- more informative)

The Big Beautiful Breakup

There’s a lot on the line, and a lot that could go wrong, if the two don’t patch things up and quickly.

On the governance side, a continued brawl could endanger Trump’s signature legislation, that “Big Beautiful Bill” that Musk hates so much. Perhaps he hates it because, as Trump insinuated, the electric vehicle tax credits that worked so well in Musk’s favor are gone because of it.

Or perhaps Musk really does hate the idea that he spent months being a political punching bag for having sought to cut government spending, only to have the Republicans’ own bill blow the deficit up much worse.

The last time Musk threatened to use his money to oust Republicans, he managed to tank the Continuing Resolution that the GOP leadership had worked so hard to achieve. Given the narrow majorities the GOP holds, it would only take a few senators or representatives in Musk’s pocket to do the same to the big, beautiful budget bill.

Then there’s the GOP’s House and Senate majorities themselves, which could evaporate if Musk takes his resources off the table or, even worse, uses them to unseat incumbents in primaries. The 2026 midterms will be hard fought enough already, but the GOP was counting on having Musk on its side, not dead set against it.

There’s also DOGE, which is now embedded across multiple agencies but will be without a central figure like Musk to lead it and protect its members. If Musk falls out of favor entirely, his lackeys would be vulnerable to political retribution, especially if the GOP in the House decide not to oppose congressional subpoenas or if the Justice Department decides to purge all Muskovites from government. Indeed, the DOGE dudes could become useful scapegoats for when things go off the rails with government services and the economy.

Musk’s billions in government contracts are also on the line, as Trump made very clear:

But so too are critical Pentagon satellite programs involving Starlink, for which there are no realistic alternatives. This is actually a big flashing warning sign to the nation not to allow a single unstable man to control so much of our internet satellite communications capabilities. If Musk falls out of favor, the government could move to break up Starlink as an illegal monopoly or even take it over citing legitimate national security concerns.

Musk also depends on regulatory approval from the government for his Tesla-backed ventures, which is one reason shares in that company plummeted so dramatically yesterday when news of the spat with Trump broke. The fall in Tesla stock is also why I don’t subscribe to the theory that the spat was staged by the two of them as some 4-D chess move. If the fight was faked, it was a costly $150 billion ruse that did nothing but destroy market value and unsettle everyone in the Republican Party.

-----------

The "Just For Skeets & Giggles" weekly comedy mock of the current happenings is enough all on its own, but the daily, very grounded, very insightful commentary is also dose of daily sanity (and news input control without disengaging).

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sagaapprentice · 5 months ago

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I don’t think this is going to be like ???? The entirety of chapter 2? Just basically writing and posting as I go (at least until AO3 decides I am worthy enough for an account)

I know where the story is going I’m just having A Time getting us there. Build up is important and I’m trying to get better at it I just Maybe Am Not Yet. It’s why a lot of times I give up on stories half-finished because I just…don’t know how to build up to the point of the story I want to be. Part of writing this is working myself past that because obviously actually writing the build up is KIND OF IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH A STORY (I also hated writing intros to essay’s in school so go figure)

Anyway, no beta we die like Ianthe in the Weavers Cottage

The Golden Fawn

(working title) (if you have a better idea let me know)

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot of information about the group itself. Usually when researching something that may or may not be a cult, there would be stories online from former members talking about “escaping” and detailing their time in the group. However, Azriel found none of that. There was no Facebook page with a few dozen members talking about how they escaped. No Substack post from a former member talking about their time living with the group. Just…nothing.

Someone who was just casually researching them might think that, without any defectors talking about their experiences, then clearly they were a trustworthy group who really were (as their website explained) “helping young people find their place in the world”. Endless photos of smiling college students and twenty-something’s that clearly just graduated were pictured on the website, and Azriel found one photo that had been uploaded recently that had Elain in it. She was smiling brightly, leaning on a man with bright red hair (Feyre explained that Elain seemed to have joined with a friend of hers from college named Lucien and based on her vague description he assumed that was who she was with in the photo). There was a page detailing different classes they offered (for free) for anyone who felt like they just wanted some direction. Classes from “managing anxiety” to “preparing for job interviews” running the entire gamut from what someone who was about to finish or had just finished college might be struggling with. It seemed like the absolute perfect program.

Which is exactly why Azriel was starting to take Feyre’s fears seriously.

Something was…off.

He stared at the photo of Elain again, smiling brightly at whoever was taking the photo. Something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He just couldn’t stop staring at her face and the way the sun shined down making her hair glow like a halo around her.

Whatever was going on, he was absolutely determined to help her. Whatever this group was, whatever they had done to pull so many people in, he was going to find it and he was going to get her out.

There was an open class being offered at the end of the week at their compound (called “dormitory” on the website probably because it sounded better) for people “overcoming trauma” which was perfect. All he really had to do was talk about his childhood and play up how much it affected him and he would probably be fast tracked into being asked to live on site. Considering the internet was scrubbed of any negative experiences, he figured they were at least basically computer savvy and probably somewhat vetted the people they brought on site, so he couldn’t exactly walk in giving them his real name since it would be fairly easy to find his PI business.

He needed an identity that would seamlessly fit in with the stories he’d be able to tell of his childhood, but would also stand up to a cursory search online to verify he was telling the truth. Someone who, if photos popped up, he could reasonably pass as photos of himself. With a not insignificant amount of self-hatred, he realised that the easiest identity to steal would be one of his half-brothers.

#acotar fanfiction #acotar #azriel shadowsinger #elain x azriel #elain archeron #elriel

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