#Rio city spies

[fishyupmywishy]

Rio and Sydney spar

Or

Rio sucks at fighting and Sydney got the job to help him

[random-fandom-chaos]

(Monty would be Caretaker and another would be Whumpee)

KK YOU THREE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

HEAR ME OUT A CITY SPIES FIC WITH MOTHER (there’s so many Whump ideas that show…mother. help the poor boy-)

AFTER HE GOT RESCUED BY CAIRO, HE CRIED BUT AFTER THAT HE WAS QUIET, TO ALL THE KIDS. ALL. EVEN MONTY, AND TRU. UNTILL MONTY GETS CONCERNED…HE JUST MUMBLES IT AND NOW SHES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE THOUGHT HE DID WRONG. WHAT HE BLAMED HIMSELF FOR.

I HAVE SO MUCH MOTIVATION AND EXCITEMENT RN

@needlesandnilbogs

@afunky-jester

@littengamer909

A whumpee who won't speak or communicate in any way after their rescue, and Caretaker doesn't know why. A few days/weeks in, and suddenly Whumpee whispers "I'm sorry."

They don't speak or look at Caretaker after that, those two words were all they said. Caretaker is left to try and figure out what is going on in Whumpee's mind.

[yourtwistedlies]

NEW CITY SPIES BOOK COMING OUT FEBRUARY 6TH 2024 AHHH ITS CALLED MISSION MANHATTAN I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT.

adjsjdnwjqkakdnejwnakfurbtoamdkwkajdndiwlanebefakejwbfuegwlaoaoodkdbeebdgshososnsbegavadqdwxspbhfiscbaefyqaedtwvchcujgntoypwjslforngw

[city-spies-confessions]

Yo yo! (Mod pls share ur opinion)

But honestly, am I a BIG fan of Mother? Yes. Does this mean what I’m going to say it bias? No.

but we got a Brooklyn Centered book (book 1) Sydney centered book (book 2) Paris centered book (book 3) and Book 4 is about Kat book 5 is about Rio

I Don’t doubt the next book might be about Cairo or Annie. But if James ponti decides to extend the series (he said he hopes to make at least 7 books at least that’s why I’ve heard) since book 6 might be Cairo (or not since we saw how Cairo was found, and we had some of book 5 mixed in with centering him and the other for Rio) Or Annie (if she decides to join) but if not.

hear me out.

James Ponti should make a Mother centered one of Monty

Even if they’re such a parental figure character we don’t really have much information. It would be cool on having one of those flashback chapters talking about how they were recruited. Going back to where they grew up. It would be so heartwarming.

I hope for a Mother centered book, how his world is, maybe angst too

Monty would explore more on who her parents where as she grew up her hobbies, and maybe angst too

But If Ponti makes the next book about Cairo and if Annie joins [book 6] (maybe) book 7 is about her (maybe idk how much he’s gonna write for the series since he’s such a good author and focusing mainly on his other series, but really this is just an opinion of mine) if [Ponti] does do this then if he writes more book 8 and 9 could be Mother and Monty centered! Maybe as a bonus book 10 (could be the last book if he writes) could be about clementine!

Thank you for reading I’m sorry for all the words I’ve had this in my head for two months and I got back into my city spies grind—

That'd be very cool, but I doubt it since city spies is already a bit different from his other books since it's third person, plus it's middle grade and most of those books stay in the main perspectives of children.

[needlesandnilbogs]

Topics of my classes this semester, as ranked by the likleyhood I use that information to write fanfic:

0) Portuguese. I write city spies fanfic and I would love to write more Rio fic

1) Number Theory. Applicable to city spies fic about Monty and probably useful in all spy related or mirrorverse fics wherein I use codes and encryption

2) Historical costume and dress. Self explanatory mostly (historical fanfic aus).

3) Analysis. I don’t see writing about functions that much but perhaps another new magic system and therefore a fic to match?

Infinity) Glee club. (sorry irls but there is really no easy way to work that into a fic directly)

[ariel-seagull-wings]

ANDRÉ LEBLANC

@thealmightyemprex @themousefromfantasyland @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @piterelizabethdevries @themetropoliskonboy @a-roguish-gambit @knivxsanddespair @professorlehnsherr-almashy @gravedangerahead @softlytowardthesun

Early life André LeBlanc was born in 1921 in Haïti as the son of a French mother and Honduran father. LeBlanc's path of life led him through several countries, spending many years in the USA, Cuba and Brazil. In a March 1972 interview with O Pasquim magazine, LeBlanc said he had little memories of his time in Haiti. During the 1920s, the family already moved to the United States, where André LeBlanc spent the largest part of his childhood. In New York, he got his artistic training at the Art Students League, while debuting in the upcoming comic book industry.

American comic books In 1939, eighteen-year-old André LeBlanc got a job with the New York City-based comic production studio of Will Eisner and Jerry Iger. There, he was initially an assistant doing backgrounds and inking on the team's comic book production - largely for Quality Comics and Fiction House - while learning the trade from Will Eisner, Reed Crandall, Lou Fine and other associated artists. Among his other influences were the magazine illustrators Harold Von Schmidt, Matt Clark and Tom Lovell.

When Eisner-Iger was dissolved in 1940, LeBlanc worked for production studios led by Jerry Iger solo (S.M. Iger, founded in 1940) and Jack Binder (Binder Studio, founded in 1942), and also directly for publisher Everett M. "Busy" Arnold, who ran Quality Comics. At Binder, LeBlanc worked alongside Lee Ames and Dan Barry, who became lifelong friends of his. During these early years of his career, LeBlanc did pencil and/or inking duties on features like 'Sheena, Queen of the Jungle', 'Steve Brodie', 'Famous Fighters', 'Kayo Kirby' and 'Rip Carson' for comic books published by Fiction House Comics. At Fawcett Comics, he worked on superheroes like 'Bulletman', 'Captain Marvel', 'Golden Arrow' and 'Spy Smasher', while his Quality Comics contributions included work on 'Destroyer 171' in National Comics and 'P.T. Boat' in Military Comics. As an inker, he regularly worked with pencil artist John Spranger. During the 1940s, André LeBlanc also illustrated pulp magazines and occasional comic book stories for Street and Smith publishers.

Around 1943-1944, LeBlanc had to leave the USA for Cuba to take care of the estate of his recently deceased father, who was growing sugar and coffee on a piece of land. After wrapping up his father's businesses, he decided to stay and settled in Havana, which at the time, as he recalled in the O Pasquim interview, was a blossoming city populated by intellectual fugitives, spies of all nationalities and Spanish exiles.

Intellectual Amos While in Cuba, André LeBlanc got an idea for his own comic feature, and submitted it to his former boss in the USA, publisher Everett M. "Busy" Arnold. Intended as a protest against the superhero genre, 'Intellectual Amos' (1944-1945) was about a boy who was abandoned at the door of a library. Growing up there, he read everything and became an intellectual, who fought villains with his childlike innocence, unusual powerful memory and knowledge gained from reading. With four pages a week, 'Intellectual Amos' ran as a back-up feature in Will Eisner's Sunday newspaper supplement 'The Spirit Section' starting on 21 May 1944.

André LeBlanc continued to produce 'Intellectual Amos' when in 1944 he moved from Cuba to Brazil. There, he married his Brazilian wife Elvira Telles and settled in Niterói, a residential suburb of Rio de Janeiro. However, mailing his weekly comic pages to the USA eventually became problematic. The packages were intercepted by US customs and heavily taxed as works of art. Publisher Arnold was not prepared to pay the thousand dollar fine, and as a result the weekly 'Intellectual Amos' feature came to an accidental end on 29 April 1945. It was replaced by Al Stahl's 'Flatfood Burns'. Between February 1945 and August 1947, longer monthly stories with Amos and his sidekick Wilbur the Goblin appeared in Quality Comics titles like Police Comics and National Comics.

Work in Brazil With his regular assignment in the USA coming to an end, LeBlanc began exploring the Brazilian market. One of his first publications there was the cover for issue #1914 of the children's magazine O Tico-Tico (May 1945). He then also illustrated double-page short story spreads for the weekly magazine O Cruzeiro, and contributed to the cultural monthly A Cigarra.

He later also did commercial art assignments through the São Paulo branch of the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. For Editora Brasiliense, he made the interior illustrations for almost all the re-editions of the children's books by Monteiro Lobato (1882-1948); the cover drawings were by Augusto Mendes da Silva (AKA  Augustus/Avgvstvs).

Morena Flor One of LeBlanc's best-known Brazilian comic creations was 'Morena Flor' (1948-1951), a daily strip of 833 episodes, published in the newspaper Diario da Noite. Debuting on 16 August 1948, Morena was a Brazilian jungle girl who fought the despoilers of the Amazon. Through Luiz Rosemberg's Agência Periodista Latino-Americana, LeBlanc's ecologically-themed strip was also distributed to newspapers in Argentina, Chile and Mexico. In 1953, the stories were also reprinted as a back-up feature in Capitão Atlas, a comic book based on the radio serial created by Péricles do Amaral.

Edição Maravilhosa Between 1950 and 1954, LeBlanc was also a prominent artist for the comic book collection 'Edição Maravilhosa - Clássicos Ilustrados', published by Adolfo Aizen's publishing company EBAL (Edição Maravilhosa da Editora Brasil-América Limitada). The Brazilian answer to the American 'Classics Illustrated' series, the Edição Maravilhosa comic books adapted important titles of Brazilian literature into comics.

LeBlanc notably drew the installments with adaptations of works by the 19th-century Brazilian Romantic novelist José de Alencar ('O Guarani', 'Iracema', 'Ubirajara', 'O Tronco do Ipê') and the regionalist novelist José Lins do Rego ('O Menino de Engenho', 'Doidinho', 'Banguê', 'Cangaceiros').

He additionally adapted classic novels by Joaquim Manuel de Macedo ('A Moreninha'), Dinah Silveira de Queiroz ('A Muralha'), Gastão Cruls ('A Amazônia Misteriosa'), Maria Dezonne Pacheco Fernandes ('Sinhá Moça') and Herberto Sales ('Cascalho').

Among the other artists working for this collection were Manoel Victor Filho, Nico Rosso, Ramón Llampayas, Aylton Thomaz, Gil Coimbra, José Geraldo and Gutemberg Monteiro.

Traveling reporter During the 1950s, LeBlanc also worked as an illustrator-reporter for the Brazilian newspapers Correiro da Manha and O Globo. For the latter, he traveled to the East for a series of 36 illustrated reports, first visiting India (Bombay, Benares, Agra, Calcutta, Goa), then going through Pakistan and the region that is now Bangladesh. After six months, he returned home through Europe.

In 1956, LeBlanc moved back to New York, where his wife could undergo medical treatment for a complication in her spine.

The treatment lasted more than a year, and the LeBlanc family decided to stay. In 1969, they went back to Brazil once again, but returned to the States a couple of years later. In Brazil, LeBlanc was part of a select group of cutting-edge illustrators that flourished in the country, but the repression of the military dictatorship made life difficult. In interviews, he expressed concerns about raising his children in the country.

A polyglot himself, he preferred to have his children educated in English instead of Portuguese.

U.S. comic book work Already in the second half of the 1940s, LeBlanc had renewed his old contacts in the United States. Between 1947 and 1948, he assisted his old taskmaster Will Eisner on the inking of 'The Spirit'. In 1949, he also contributed to the single issue of Eisner's children's comic book Kewpies, drawing the 'Pito' feature. He was also back at Quality Comics, drawing the 'Poodle Mc Doodle' feature in Modern Comics. Between 1951 and 1953, LeBlanc drew stories for Quality's 'Plastic Man' comic book, following in the footsteps of the series' creator, fellow former Eisner co-worker Jack Cole. LeBlanc's closeness with Will Eisner persisted over the years. In 1983, he helped his old friend with the colorization of his graphic novel 'Signal from Space'.

During the 1950s, even before his return to the USA, LeBlanc continued to work for American comic book companies. In 1952-1953, he drew a couple of crime and horror stories for 'Authentic Police Cases' and 'Weird Horrors' by St. John Publishing.

A couple of years later, he was present at Dell Comics, drawing comic adaptations of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' (1957) and 'The Pride and the Passion' (1957) for the publisher's Four Color Comics line of one-shot books.

According to Jerry Bails' 'Who is Who' index, LeBlanc possibly drew episodes of features like 'My Paul, Alien', 'Spyman' and 'Super Surplus' for Harvey Comics in 1966. Between 1966 and 1968, he was working for Western Publishing, drawing about a dozen stories for the anthology titles 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not', 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery'.

For the 1967 'Wham-O Giant Comics' anthology - published by the Wham-O toy company - LeBlanc made the three-page World War I story about 'The Young Eagles'. Between 1966 and 1967, LeBlanc was a penciler and inker for the 'Mandrake the Magician' title of King Comics, the comic book imprint of King Features Syndicate. It was the first time he worked with one of Lee Falk's creations; more followed later in his career.

Ghost artist for newspaper comics For a large part of his career, André LeBlanc was happy to work in the service of others. Besides assisting Will Eisner, he spent long periods of time doing well-paid jobs as assistant and ghost artist for newspaper comics.

Between 1957 and 1959, he regularly helped his former Binder Studio colleague Dan Barry with the 'Flash Gordon' newspaper comic. During this same period, he ghosted for Dan's brother Sy Barry on large parts of the civil rights comic book 'Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story' (Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1958).

Around 1976, he replaced George Olesen as Sy Barry's regular assistant on the newspaper comic with Lee Falk's 'The Phantom'.

One notable sequence penciled and inked anonymously by LeBlanc were the 1977 daily strips and Sunday pages detailing the Phantom's marriage to Diana Palmer.

LeBlanc continued to work with Sy Barry on an on-again off-again basis until the latter's retirement in 1994.

In the 1970s, LeBlanc also did some assistant work on the 'Mandrake the Magician' newspaper comic, another Lee Falk creation, drawn for King Features Syndicate by Fred Fredericks.

In August-September 1976 and August-October 1978, he additionally helped Alex Kotzky with the 'Apartment 3-G' strip and in the 1978-1979 period, he also ghosted on both Sunday and daily episodes of the 'Rex Morgan, M.D.' strip for Frank Edgington and Marvin Bradley.

Our Bible in Pictures LeBlanc's biggest claim to fame was arguably the Bible series he did for publisher David C. Cook. The origins of the project lay in the early 1950s, when Cook had Reverend David S. Piper write and Joseph Wirt Tillotson draw Bible stories in picture story format, added as "take home" supplements to Sunday Pix, a Christian comic book aimed at Sunday School pupils. By 1958, plans for a full Bible comic adaptation came about. Editor Iva Hoth was chosen to write the text to go with the pictures, while LeBlanc was hired as illustrator. Between October 1959 and 1964, 'Our Bible in Pictures' appeared as weekly installments of three to four pages in Sunday Pix. In 1964, selections of the feature were collected as the 'Life of Jesus' book, which appeared with editions in English, Dutch, Finnish, Indonesian, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.

In 1973, the first book version of the entire series appeared in black-and-white as the six-volume 'The Picture Bible for All Ages' collection. For reprints later that decade, LeBlanc was assigned to colorize the entire project. In 1978, a New Testament version appeared, followed in 1979 by 'The Picture Bible', containing both the Old and New Testaments in 750 full-color comic pages. Since then, the book has often been reprinted, becoming a worldwide hit. Interviewed in May 2001, the director of Cook Communications Ministries International, Ralph Gates, estimated that 75 million copies of the Picture Bible had been distributed around the world with translations in over 130 languages, including Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Romanian and Tagalog. In 2010, David C. Cook Publishing released a new and modernized version of 'The Picture Bible', entitled 'The Action Bible', with scripts by Doug Mauss and artwork by Sergio Cariello.

Other work Following the immense success of this ambitious Bible project for David C. Cook, LeBlanc became a sought-after illustrator for other Bible-related projects, including work for magazines and Sunday schools. In the mid-1980s, he was hired by Hanna-Barbera as character designer for the animated direct-to-video series 'The Greatest Adventure Stories from the Bible' (1985-1992). Years earlier, he had already worked for Hanna-Barbera as an in-betweener on the animated TV show 'Space Ghost and Dino Boy' (1966-1968).

During the 1950s, LeBlanc also teamed up with former Binder Studio colleague Lee Ames to illustrate children's textbooks for publisher MacMillan. Represented by Ames' agent Mary Gerard, LeBlanc also landed jobs with other educational publishers, such as Allyn & Bacon. With Ames, he additionally collaborated on book projects like 'George Washington: Frontier Colonel' (Random House, 1957) and 'Draw 50 People from the Bible' (Watson-Guptill, 1995).

In 1959, LeBlanc was a contributing illustrator to the twelve-volume 'Picture World Encyclopedia' series, edited by Gene Fawcette. He illustrated paperback novels like 'Snow Treasure' by Marie McSwigan (Scholastic, 1958) as well as a mid-1980s sex manual, while doing commercial art assignments through the Ted Bates Advertising Agency. He was additionally an instructor at New York City's School of Visual Arts.

Recognition and legacy

In Brazil, André LeBlanc was awarded the prestigious "Southern Cross" - the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a Brazilian citizen - for his illustrations for classical literature.

After a long and varied career, André LeBlanc died in the USA on 21 December 1998, at the age of 77. Dividing his time between the USA and Brazil, LeBlanc worked in many fields and genres.

From the blossoming American comic book market to Brazilian journalism and youth literature, and from religious publications to newspaper comics. In articles, LeBlanc was described as a person with a great curiosity and intellect.

During his lifetime, he learned how to speak six languages fluently. He was also known for his keen understanding of science, politics, history and arts. These character traits he shared with his signature creation, 'Intellectual Amos'.

This boy genius can be considered a forerunner to later comic book whiz kids like 'Génial Olivier' by Jacques Devos in the Belgian Spirou magazine (1963-1988), and Alan Moore and Kevin Nowlan's 'Jack B. Quick' (1999-2002) at DC Comics in the USA.

André LeBlanc was also cited as an influence on Flavio Colin. 

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazilian cities with highest quality of life concentrated in southeastern São Paulo state, new study finds

A new study that utilizes the Social Progress Index (SPI) to evaluate the quality of life across all 5,570 municipalities in Brazil was released earlier this month. According to researchers, eight of the 10 highest-ranking municipalities are located in the southeastern São Paulo state, while the lowest-ranking municipalities are from the northern Amazon region. 

Brazil’s two largest and most well-known cities didn’t make the top of the list. São Paulo ranked 40th with low scores for social inclusion, and Rio de Janeiro ranked 229th thanks to high violence rates, poor education, and climate vulnerability.

Launched in 2014 by Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, this indicator considers social and environmental aspects, rather than economic factors like gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income, to measure cities’ quality of life.

Using over 300 different indicators provided by government agencies and research institutions, the index is based on three main pillars, including basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunities. It’s also divided into 12 categories, such as nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, security, social inclusion, and environmental quality.

Continue reading.

[tmkutawrites]

A COMMON BOND - FREE SAMPLE!

This is a free sample of my debut lesbian romance novella, A Common Bond, which comes out November 7, 2023. Please enjoy :)

Note: There may/will be some typos in this sample. We like that, it confuses the Overlords of Zon so they don't strike me for contract infringement. I promise in the final, purchased version the typos have been fixed :)

Now, on with the sample!

RFI 1

To: Josie Basurto (May 3, 5:34PM)

From: Carneline Triana

Subject: Site Visit for Mobilization

Josie,

I will be on site with my management team most of Monday morning. I’m sure we will run into each other at some point.

Carneline

***

From: Josie Basurto (May 3, 5:39PM)

To: Carneline Triana

Subject: RE: Site Visit for Mobilization

Looking forward to it!

J

***

Carneline had known Clover Hill’s old town hall was in bad shape from the bid documents. On her walkthrough with Rio a few weeks ago, even more suspicions had been raised. But now, the disintegrating chunk of limestone that had fallen off the cornice and into her hand confirmed it: she was going to be spending a lot more time in Clover Hill than she had initially planned. “Jesus Christ.”

“I’ve never seen limestone this bad,” Bruno murmured. Oceanic’s chief masonry superintendent carefully set the piece of stone down on the scaffold. “This whole cornice is going to have to be checked.”

Checking the structural integrity of a city block’s worth of limestone was definitely not covered in their contract. Carneline chewed on the inside corner of her mouth as she ran a hand across the sugaring stone and watched millennia-old sand crumble into her palm. “Is this the only bad news?”

“Oh no,” Bruno said in a voice far too cheery for her liking as he pushed to his feet. “This mortar is definitely hot.”

Asbestos remediation was also definitely not in their contract.

She cast a desperate glance along the joints. “Are you sure?”

“Yup.�� He pointed to an area where the mortar was exposed. “Look close. You can see the fibers.”

Carneline looked and, sure enough, there were the telltale threads amongst the cement, lime, and sand. Fuck. “Does Rio know?”

Bruno shook his head.

She snapped a couple of photos on her phone and turned for the scaffold stair. “Are xe still documenting in the lobby?”

“I think so.”

“Good. I’ll send xem up.”

The metal stairs squeaked as Carneline made her way down them, eyeing the brick and stone of the Romanesque Revival building with far more suspicion than before. The facade clearly hadn’t been washed in two decades. The window sills were covered in black atmospheric discoloration, and the blue-green haze of cupric staining streaked down major crevices. On the brick and stone walls, there were long stretches of jointing completely devoid of mortar and one of the brackets was missing entirely.

She stopped two decks down and took a moment to admire the town. This was Oceanic’s first project this far south. They mostly stuck to projects in Baymill, but her dad had wanted to expand into other markets, so here she was forty feet in the air above a town she could see the other side of from the scaffold. The five-story town hall towered over most of the rest of the buildings, but fit in perfectly amongst the clusters of various historic structures downtown. Its renovation was long overdue, but Carneline hoped Clover Hill would find it worth it in the end.

From her perch, she could see the expanse of the park, with its quaint little gazebo and beautifully kept grounds. A bit farther she spied the currently unlit marquee of an old movie theater and a neon sign belonging to local diner. It was a beautiful town, and as much as she could lean on the scaffold railing and look out over the little town covered in the fresh leaves of spring for hours, she had a job to do.

She tore herself away from the view and continued down the scaffold to the lobby. The first time she’d seen it, Carneline had been struck almost speechless by the beauty of its wrought iron doors, scagliola-clad pilasters, and massive crystal chandelier. Now it barely registered. She hurried through the plywood-covered lobby until she found her assistant project manager sprawled indelicately across the floor.

Rio was an acquired taste Carneline wasn’t quite sure she had acquired yet; mildly competent, incredibly anxious, and graced with the aggravating tendency to lose the plot at the slightest provocation. Still, xe tried, which was more than Carneline could say of half of Oceanic’s field staff.

“Good morning, Rio.”

Rio startled, and practically levitated off the floor in a cloud of dust almost definitely from the plaster demo. Xe was absolutely covered in the stuff, and Rio hurriedly stuffed xemself back into xyr gloves and sheepishly brushed down xyr front. “Good—good morning, Carneline. I—I didn’t know you were on site.”

“I was walking the cornice with Bruno.”

“Oh.”

“How is it going down here?”

Xe grimaced and gestured at the ground. “It’s—uh. The stone’s really cracked.”

Bits of torn painter’s tape crawled across the marble below them like blown blue cherry blossom petals. Carneline crouched, and Rio angled the beam of xyr flashlight so she could see the spidery lines coursing through. Great. “These are going to shatter the second Bruno tries to take them out.”

“That’s what he said, too.”

Another expensive change order for the growing pile, I suppose. She stood, dreading the prospect of the unending raft of paperwork in her future. “I’ll speak with the NCK team. Have you been up to the cornice yet?”

Rio shook xyr head.

“When you are done down here, I need you to go up and document everything before we touch it. Do you have your profile gauges with you?”

“They’re in my car.”

“Good. Bruno will be up there for a little bit. Find…” She hedged, thinking of the worn-down status of the cornice. “Find the least broken stone and take a profile.”

 Xe nodded. “Okay.”

“And wear an N95. The mortar is hot and everything up there is crumbling.”

Rio’s dark eyes got comically wide behind xyr safety glasses. “Oh shit.”

Her sentiments exactly. “Do you have any questions?” Xe shook xyr head again. “Alright. Call me if something comes up.”

“Will do!”

Carneline left Rio to xyr marble documentation and slipped out the west entrance to find the jobsite trailer. When she pulled the door open, she found Josie bent over the conference table—which was really just four folding tables pushed together in the center of the room—studying the reference drawings.

“Good morning,” she greeted as the door snapped shut behind her.

“Good morning,” Josie replied as she turned the page of the drawings. “Headed out? Help yourself to some coffee before you leave.”

Carneline startled at the kind, but unexpected offer. “Oh. Thank you.”

“To-go cups are on top of the fridge.”

“I actually don’t drink hot coffee,” she replied sheepishly.

“Don’t drink hot coffee?” Josie asked, looking up from her drawings with a grin that Carneline had discovered seemed permanently glued to her face. “Don’t tell me…you’re like Baylee and only drink cold brew.”

Carneline gave an awkward little laugh, not liking the familiarity with which Josie talked to her about her sister. People always did that, acted like they knew her because they knew her sister or father. Another one of the ‘perks’ of a family business. “Guilty as charged.”

 “Well, I’m one step ahead of you. There’s cold brew in the fridge.”

The offer was tempting. Carneline considered for a moment, but finally decided against it. If she got caught in traffic, which was likely considering the time, she would definitely have to stop and pee. “Not today. I have to drive back to Baymill after this, but thank you.”

“Any time.”

Josie finally straightened up fully and leaned casually on the white plastic folding table, hooking her thumbs into her jeans. She was an unreasonably attractive figure, taller than Carneline, with kind brown eyes and a sharp fade that put every short-haired worker on the site to shame. In some universe she might have been Carneline’s type—if Josie hadn’t worked for the general contractor paying them to fix Clover Hill’s historic town hall.

Carneline hedged. “I…actually wanted to talk to you about something.”

Josie’s voice remained impressively neutral. “Oh?”

“Yes…” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “We have some problems.”

“Define ‘problems.’”

“That depends, do you want the least expensive issue or most expensive issue first?”

“Least expensive.” Josie flashed a luminous smile. “Warm me up.”

Carneline pulled up the photos she had taken of the floor and passed her phone over for her to see. “The marble in the foyer is full of cracks. It’s going to shatter when we try to take it out.”

“Architects were ridiculous to think we could salvage the whole floor,” Josie said with a disbelieving scoff. “A-hundred-and-twenty-year-old marble doesn’t come up like that.”

“No, it does not,” Carneline confirmed.

Josie handed her phone back, her face suddenly all business. The shift was jarring, to say the least. “How much is this going to cost?”

“I can’t say for certain, but it will be a decent amount.”

Josie sighed. “Great. You submitted replacement marble, right?”

“A few weeks ago.”

Josie ran a hand through her hair. “Submit an RFI and we’ll see what the architects have to say.”

“Was planning to.”

“Thanks.” She took a sip from a nearby thermos. “What’s the bigger, badder bill?”

Carneline gave Josie a significant look. “Have you been up to the cornice?”

“Recently?”

“Yes.”

“I walked it at the beginning,” she replied with a frown. “Is there something wrong with it?”

If only. “The mortar’s full of asbestos and the stone is crumbling. A piece fell off in my hand.”

Josie inhaled in shock. “Oh fuck.”

“I don’t want anyone from my crew touching it until the town knows.”

 “Understandable. Do you think it’s going to need to be replaced?”

Carneline glanced around the trailer to make sure they were alone. “Off the record, I think you might want to figure out where Clover Hill has a million dollars stashed for a rainy day.”

 “It’s that bad?”

“The building is a hundred and twenty years old,” she said with a shrug. “I’m surprised it lasted this long.”

Josie’s face went grim. “Got it. Thanks for the heads up.”

“Not a problem.” She hesitated, not sure if Josie could handle a third thing on her plate. “There is…one more thing?”

“If there’s a massive structural issue that means we need to evacuate the building, please turn around and leave now,” Josie joked weakly. “Let me die in the collapsed building in peaceful ignorance.”

Carneline gave a dismissive snort. “Nothing so drastic.”

Josie brightened considerably. “Great! What’s up?”

“You need to have someone go into the main hall and put down sweeping compound. Rio’s rolling around on the floor in there looking like the Ghost of Christmas Past. To say nothing of the silica hazard.”

Josie was already grabbing her hard hat off the table. “I’ll do it myself.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

“See you then!” Josie trotted off out the door, Carneline close behind her.

She checked her watch: three-o’clock.  Plenty of time to make it back to the city without hitting traffic. She pulled her hard hat off the second she hit the parking lot, shaking her curly red hair out so she could tie it back up once in the car. She’d get out of town, update her dad on the way home, then spend a quiet night with her plants before she had to go to bed.

Her phone rang. The song barely got four notes in before she picked up. “You’re psychic. I was just about to call you.”

“Are you done at Clover Hill?” Warren Triana asked gruffly.

“About to head home now, just have to throw my stuff in the ba—” She stopped dead a few paces from her trunk, eyes taking in the noticeable sink to her right rear bumper. “Fuck.”

Her father’s business tone instantly switched to fatherly concern. “What? What is it?”

She scowled and threw her hard hat in the back a tad more aggressively than was necessary. “It’s nothing,” she sighed. “I just have a flat.”

[END RFI 1]

Did you like this sample? If yes please consider buying my novella? You can preorder A Common Bond HERE!

[fishyupmywishy]

@needlesandnilbogs has gotten the Tumblr community for City Spies approved!

If anyone wants to join, whether you read the books and want a fandom to participate in or if you haven’t and simply want to see what City Spies is like, please DM them or me, or reblog this and put it in the notes.

It would be nice to have some more people to interact with about the fandom than just us lol

[oaryra]

What major historical events do you remember? What started as a drop in the pond in some small towns in Nigeria, rippled into a full blown protest across major cities in the country, with the hashtag #EndSars trending at number across all major social media platforms with the hashtag garnering 28 million tweets on Twitter; now X, alone. The protest was so huge that Nigerians in the diaspora and foreigners alike joined the trend, not only on the social media but also on the streets; in front of the Nigerian embassy, with celebrities such as Ex England and Manchester United footballer, Rio Ferdinand, Jamaican singer Sean Kingston, British actor John Boyega and American singer Trey Songz and gospel artiste Kirk Franklin all lending their support to the movement. BACKGROUND The Special Anti Robbery Squad was established in 1992 to tackle incidences of robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes. Unfortunately, as with almost everything in Nigeria, this outfit would soon begin to morph into the very thing it was created to tackle. Over the years since its creation, it had been accused of high handedness, extortion, extra-judicial killings, kidnapping and various forms of human rights violation. In 2016 Amnesty International indicted the group of human rights abuse and other degrading practises. THE PROTEST(S) The 2016 Amnesty International report “shook” the barrel, a petition was signed by over 10000 people asking for the disbandment of the unit and submitted to the National Assembly, who in turn instead of disbandment, called for a total reform of the unit. You see why I used the word shook because, all these were perfunctory, as not soon after, SARS were back to their normal routine, if anything, they got worse and more daring. The Second EndSars protests Two separate incidences sparked what would be the biggest protest ever held in Nigeria, bigger even than the Aba Women’s Protest. On Saturday 3 October 2020, a video showing a SARS police officer shooting a young Nigerian in front of Westown Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, trended on the Internet. It was alleged that the police officers took away the young man’s vehicle – a Lexus SUV The trending video caused public outcry on social media, especially on Twitter, with the #ENDSARS hashtag trending. Just as the ENDSARS began to trend on Twitter, on Monday 5 October 2020, another report surfaced of SARS officers killing a 20-year-old up-and-coming musician named Daniel Chibuike, popularly called ‘Sleek’ in his neighbourhood. According to eyewitnesses, Sleek was sitting in front of a hotel with a friend when some SARS officers approached them, prompting them to flee. The officers chased after the pair, shouting “thief”, before shooting Sleek as they ran through a supermarket. His friend was then arrested. These were the sparks needed to ignite the nation as soon the streets were filled with protesters; many of them youths who were the major targets of these vile humans under the SARS umbrella. I must state that these protests were for the most part, peaceful, in fact, it was so peaceful that protesters were photographed giving food and water to police officers who were there to control them. There was one story where a police officer on seeing the mammoth crowd took to his heels but was caught up with and reassured that his life was not in danger. The police officer looked scared out of his skin in the pictures that trended online. These protests would soon start to deteriorate as state operators started to inject their spies into these crowds, these spies would wreak havoc, loot and attack other protesters. This guy is a political appointee today Various famous sites in the various cities were  the location of these protests, slowly all of Lagos State was abuzz with the EndSars movement, soon not only the youths came out to protest, but the adults too; parents who themselves have suffered police brutality or had some suffer it. The Lagos protest was massive, they moved like a snowball growing in size till they reached the tollgate where they pi...

[umwmun-blog]

Brazilian Ascendancy

King John VI of Portugal has announced the abolition of Portugal, crowning himself the Emperor of Brazil.

He immediately marches on Uruguay, but finds no army to oppose him, as the Uruguayans have launched an invasion of Paraguay. Pursuing them there, he annihilates them at the Battle of Cerro Cora, where Artigas is killed by a Brazilian lancer. Uruguay is annexed by Brazil.

The Republic of Nariñia

Upper Peru, now renamed to Nariñia, successfully fends off two simultaneous Spanish and Brazilian invasions, leading to de Sucre being proclaimed "the most popular man in the Americas."

Chile and the Rio de la Plata

A diplomatic ship sails out of Valparaiso harbor, destination unknown.

In the Rio de la Plata, de Liniers and San Martin have their final showdown. After a protracted siege of Buenos Aires, in which thousands of men, women, and children take part in the defense, de Liniers takes the city after French blockade runners deliver heavy artillery guns to the royalist army. After marching triumphantly into Buenos Aires, de Liniers proclaims the independence of the Rio de la Plata, and formally enters into an alliance with Napoleonic France.

The Conquest of America

After rapidly attacking and annexing Panama, Iturbide begins the construction of the Panama Canal. Next, Iturbide occupies the British Pacific Northwest, before moving against Burr's flailing army. Destroying Burr's command to a man, the People's Liberation Army crosses the border in force to invade the United States of America.

As the British burn Washington, Iturbide waters his horse in Saint Louis, Missouri. Then, in a march across the Deep South, PLA general Guillermo Moctezuma Sherman frees millions of slaves, burns every city in his path, and reclaims Florida for the PRA.

Iturbide, after signing a treaty with Britain to divide the conquered United States along the Mississippi River, marries his beloved secretary Telepe in the smoldering ruins of New Orleans.

The Most Hated Man in the Americas

Following the series of harrowing engagements with the Spanish, Narino retreats to the Andes mountains, joining with many other important revolutionary leaders. Santander, Moreno, Rondon, and Cordoba all join Narino in this last stand. To the surprise of many, the Spanish do not attack the rebels, instead consolidating their position on the coast. After that, Ferdinand focuses solely on the defense, and lets Narino consolidate. Ambitious and petty, Bolivar crosses from Venezuela, believing Narino to be on their last ropes, and hoping to score a quick victory against both sides. This does not go as planned, however. Narino's spies warn him ahead of time, and the defense pivots. All the while, Bolivar is plagued with desertions. When the final battle comes, Narino destroys Bolivar, and sweeps through New Granada and pushes into Venezuela, conquering the whole region. Bolivar flees to Madrid, as effigies of him are burned throughout the Americas. From Chile With Love

The diplomatic ship from Valparaiso arrives in Lima, Spain. As Ferdinand returns from the battlefield, content that the past years of hell are finally over, a Chilean lights a fuse on the ship and jumps overboard.

A minute later, the vessel explodes, flattening Lima, and leaving no trace of the Spanish royal family.

[newstfionline]

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Conservatives in Western Canada Pass Law Rejecting Federal Sovereignty (NYT) In the heavily conservative western prairie province of Alberta, Canada, many residents, especially those on the far right, chafed at the Covid-19 restrictions imposed by the Liberal federal government in Ottawa, the country’s capital. The widespread resentment helped fuel the enormous truck blockade this year that disrupted trade with the United States and paralyzed Ottawa for a month. Now, oil-rich Alberta has ratcheted up the long-running schism between western and eastern Canada by approving a bill allowing the province to ignore any federal laws and regulations it opposes, a move some critics described as an unconstitutional threat to the basic fabric of the country’s government. The new law is the latest development reflecting an informal, far-right effort in western Canadian provinces, mainly Alberta, to secede from Canada, underscoring just how difficult it can be for Ottawa to govern the regionally divided country.

Extreme cold, travel chaos: Woes from deadly storm continue (AP) The deep freeze from a deadly winter storm that walloped much of the United States will continue into the week as people in western New York deal with massive snow drifts that snarled emergency vehicles and travelers across the country see cancelled flights and dangerous roads. The massive storm has killed at least 34 people across the United States and is expected to claim more lives after trapping some residents inside houses and knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The extreme weather stretched from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. About 60% of the U.S. population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians. The National Weather Service said Sunday the frigid arctic air “enveloping much of the eastern half of the U.S. will be slow to moderate.”

King Charles’s Christmas Day message breaks TV viewing record (Guardian) King Charles’s Christmas broadcast was the most watched Christmas TV address by a monarch on record, as the BBC claimed a festive viewing victory over streaming rivals such as Netflix. A record 10.6 million viewers watched Charles’s broadcast on BBC One, BBC Two and ITV, making it the most watched programme on Christmas Day. In the eight-minute message, Charles spoke of the "great anxiety and hardship" for those struggling to "pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm". There were images of food banks and help for the homeless alongside the speech, recorded by the King in St George's Chapel, Windsor. At a time of industrial strife and financial pressures, the King's message focused on those supporting people in need. "I particularly want to pay tribute to all those wonderfully kind people who so generously give food or donations, or that most precious commodity of all, their time, to support those around them in greatest need," said the King.

Russia says it shot down Ukrainian drone near airbase (AP) The Russian military reported on Monday that it shot down a Ukrainian drone approaching an airbase deep inside Russia, the second time the airbase has been targeted this month, raising questions about the effectiveness of Russia’s air defenses if drones can fly that far into the country. Russia’s Defense Ministry said the incident took place in the early hours of Monday, and three servicemen were killed by debris at the Engels airbase that houses the Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers that have been involved in launching strikes on Ukraine. Engels is located in Russia’s Saratov region on the Volga river, more than 600 kilometers (more than 370 miles) east of the border with Ukraine. No damage was inflicted on Russian aircraft, the ministry said.

How Citizen Spies Foiled Putin’s Grand Plan for One Ukrainian City (NYT) Kherson, at the mouth of the Dnipro, near the Black Sea, was captured in the war’s first days. Russian officials soon declared it part of Russia forever. Kherson’s occupation government, run by Russian military commanders and Ukrainian collaborators, wasted little time pulling down Ukrainian flags, taking over Ukrainian schools, trucking in crates of Russian rubles, even importing Russian families. Perhaps nowhere else in Ukraine did Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin, devote so much money and violence, the carrot and the stick, to bend a city to his imperial will. But it did not work. Guided by contacts in the Ukrainian security services, an assembly of ordinary citizens formed themselves into a grass-roots resistance movement. In dozens of interviews, residents and Ukrainian officials described how retirees along with students, mechanics, grandmothers, and even a wealthy couple who were fixing up their yacht and got trapped in the city for the better part of a year—became spirited partisans for the Kherson underground. It was like something out of a spy movie. They took clandestine videos of Russian troops and sent them to Ukrainian forces along with map coordinates. They used code names and passwords to circulate guns and explosives right under the Russians’ noses. Some even formed small attack teams that picked off Russian soldiers at night, making the fear and paranoia that settled over the city two-sided.

For Ukraine, Hungary’s Orban is another problematic strongman next door (NYT) An authoritarian leader, known for suppressing political opposition and using his national press as his own mouthpiece, insists that Ukrainians who speak his language need protection and financial assistance, and he allows his government to issue passports, illegally, to Ukrainian citizens. Residents of border towns get their news from foreign TV, feel no closer to Kyiv than they do to the neighboring national capital, and seethe over monuments to their heritage being taken down by Ukrainian authorities. Sounds like Russian influence in east Ukraine? In fact, it is Hungary’s role in Ukraine’s west. Tensions between Ukraine and Hungary, which share an 85-mile border, are hardly of the magnitude of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, now in its 10th month of deadly, destructive war. But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is yet another deeply problematic neighbor for Kyiv: maintaining warm ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, repeatedly obstructing European Union sanctions against Moscow and insisting Ukraine should be pressured to negotiate a peace deal.

Beijing, Shanghai residents back to work as China limps towards living with COVID (Reuters) Mask-wearing Beijing and Shanghai commuters crowded subway trains on Monday as China’s two biggest cities edged closer to living with COVID-19 even as frontline medical workers scrambled to cope with millions of new infections. After three years of harsh anti-coronavirus curbs, President Xi Jinping scrapped China’s zero-COVID policy of lockdowns and relentless testing on Dec. 7 in the face of public protests and a widening outbreak. The virus is now spreading largely unchecked across the country of 1.4 billion people, with doubts mounting among health experts and residents about Beijing’s statistics, which show no new COVID deaths reported for the six days through Sunday. Doctors say hospitals are overwhelmed with five- to six-times more patients than usual, mostly elderly. Shanghai’s lively streets on Monday contrasted sharply with the atmosphere in April and May when hardly anyone went outside. “Now basically everyone has returned to a normal routine,” said a 29-year-old Beijing resident. China is the last major country to move toward treating COVID as endemic, lifting lockdowns and nearly all other restrictions on daily life. Its containment measures had slowed the $17 trillion economy to its lowest growth rate in nearly half a century, disrupting global supply chains and trade.

China sends 71 warplanes, 7 ships toward Taiwan in 24 hours (AP) China’s military sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the island, Taiwan’s defense ministry said Monday, after China expressed anger at Taiwan-related provisions in a U.S. annual defense spending bill passed on Saturday. China’s military harassment of self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims is its own territory, has intensified in recent years, and the Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army has sent planes or ships toward the island on a near-daily basis.

Heavy snow in Japan leaves 17 dead, dozens injured (AP) Heavy snow in large swaths of Japan has killed 17 and injured more than 90 people and left hundreds of homes without power, disaster management officials said Monday. Powerful winter fronts have dumped heavy snow in northern regions since last week, stranding hundreds of vehicles on highways, delaying delivery services and causing 11 deaths by Saturday. More snowfall over the Christmas weekend brought the number of dead to 17 and injured to 93 by Monday morning, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Many of them had fallen while removing snow from the roofs or were buried underneath thick piles of snow sliding off rooftops. Municipal offices in the snow-hit regions urged residents to use caution during snow removal activity and not to work alone.

As Egypt’s economic crisis deepens, an affordable meal is hard to find (Washington Post) The patriarch behind Abou Tarek, one of Egypt’s most famous restaurants, has always been able to depend on koshary. A mix of pasta, rice, lentils, chickpeas, fried onions and spicy tomato sauce, koshary is one of the cheapest and most popular foods in Egypt, so packed with carbs and protein that it can keep even the hungriest customers full all day. Everyone here eats it—from the richest of the rich to the poorest of the poor. But with food prices rising rapidly in the face of a growing economic crisis, even the most low-cost meals are becoming more expensive to make—hitting the margins of koshary kingpins like Youssef Zaki, the owner of Abou Tarek, as well as the pockets of regular Egyptians. Just when Egypt hoped to recover from the pandemic, which saw its massive tourism sector essentially grind to a halt, Russia invaded Ukraine. The war set off a series of unexpected repercussions across the region, hitting Egypt particularly hard. Foreign investors withdrew billions of dollars from the country within weeks of the invasion, unsettling the economy. Egypt also imports more wheat than any other country—most of it from Russia and Ukraine. The cost of wheat and oil began to soar while tourism numbers dropped again due to a longtime reliance on Russian and Ukrainian visitors. Surging global food prices put staple meals out of reach. Egypt is now facing one of its worst periods of inflation in years, and regular Egyptians are largely paying for it.

Did a Fourth Grader Write This? Or the New Chatbot? (NYT) It’s hard to fully grasp the enormous potential of ChatGPT, a new artificial intelligence chatbot released last month. The bot doesn’t just search and summarize information that already exists. It creates new content, tailored to your request, often with a startling degree of nuance, humor and creativity. Most of us have never seen anything like it outside of science fiction. To better understand what ChatGPT can do, we decided to see if people could tell the difference between the bot’s writing and a child’s. We used real essay prompts from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (the standardized test from the Department of Education, known as the nation’s report card). We asked the bot to produce essays based on those prompts—sometimes with a little coaching, and always telling it to write like a student of the appropriate age. We put what it wrote side by side with sample answers written by real children. We asked some experts on children’s writing to take our variation on the Turing test, live on a call with us. They were a fourth-grade teacher; a professional writing tutor; a Stanford education professor; and Judy Blume, the beloved children’s author. None of them could tell every time whether a child or a bot wrote the essay.

[gildedreign]

"Your Majesty," Nairo greeted with a nod of appreciation, his voice carrying a blend of familiarity and deference befitting their close relationship. "It's always a pleasure to be in Egypt court and to witness firsthand the grandeur of events like the Mysteries of Osiris Gala. Your hospitality is as legendary as ever." He paused, a smile playing at the corners of his lips as he reflected on his time in Rio de Janeiro. "Rio de Janeiro has been a delight, Your Majesty," he replied warmly. "Its vibrant culture and warm hospitality have left a lasting impression. Amidst our diplomatic endeavors, I've had the opportunity to explore its charms and forge meaningful connections."

"I'm curious to hear about your experiences in Rio de Janeiro. How have you found the city's charm and culture during your visit?" Their shared commitment to Egypt's global diplomacy had forged a strong foundation of trust and mutual respect, making Ramses not just a monarch to Nairo, but a confidant and a cherished friend. Yet, amidst the warmth of their friendship, a subtle unease lingered in Nairo's mind. Reports from his spies had hinted at Ramses spending time with his sister, Haspira, during their stay in Brazil. While Nairo trusted Ramses and valued their friendship deeply, the protective instinct he felt towards his family stirred a quiet concern. He wondered about the nature of their interactions—whether they were purely diplomatic or if there was a deeper connection forming between them.

The ambassador's familiarity and diplomatic grace were a testament to their longstanding friendship and shared commitment to Egypt's global diplomacy. "Ambassador Singh," King Ramses greeted warmly, reciprocating the ambassador's polished demeanor with his own regal bearing. "It is a delight to see you here amidst the splendor of the Mysteries of Osiris Gala. Your presence adds a distinguished touch to this auspicious occasion."

He accepted the invitation with a nod of gratitude, appreciating Nairo's gesture to engage in conversation away from the lively dance floor. "I would be honored," King Ramses replied, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness. Over the years, their relationship had evolved beyond mere diplomatic courtesy; Nairo had become a trusted confidant and a close friend, akin to family. Ramses admired Nairo's diplomatic finesse and the effortless grace with which he navigated international circles. "Nairo," King Ramses began with a congenial smile, "how have you been finding Rio de Janeiro? I trust you've had a chance to explore its charms amidst our diplomatic engagements."

[needlesandnilbogs]

Notes on City Spies: Mission Manhattan

(copied from discord by way of blogspot)

P4: Kat is in fact 14 now.

P6 Sydney or Paris is 16. Also ily kat.

P8 awwwww Rio making a friend p11 lol mood

P12 oooh oh dear

P23 PERSON IN GLOBE?????

P33 ooh new motherism we love. Also I bet the bomb is in the tiara.

P37 and this dude would be in on it.

P53 another very Murderbot line.

P62 CAIRO NOOOOOO

P67 awwww, Rio has such a big heart I love him

P69 any time they play tourists things go wrong. Just saying.

P70 lol he named this lady after his editor

P76 lol James PONTI and the PONTE, hmmmm? Also I love kat so much

P78 clemmie?

P86 wait clemmie and mother never officially divorced? DUDE

P103 I LOVE BROOKLYN SO MUCH

P104-5 I LOVE KAT TOO MAYBE MORE THAN BROOKLYN

P106 TRU AND C ARE FRIENDS??????

P108 very diplomatic, Ponti.

P110 oh boy. Gertie, huh???

P114 tru is grandma now. Also fic this story

P130 lol that's such a sibling moment I'm love

P133 yes Monty, this is about the haggis (alas this means Monty doesn't keep kosher or else they get kosher haggis) (wait, is kat vegetarian? Look for textual support for this)

P136 oh dear... this is not going to lead to PROBLEMS, is it?

P139 awwwwwwwww

P145 awww more support for my brooklyn&beny family fics

P168 oh NICE ONE PARIS SO PROUD

P175 oh no the clemmie sads but also MONTY CALLED MOTHER CAIRO'S DAD TO ALL THEIR FACES IT'S PROGRESS

P186 note to self Brooklyn, beny, kat pov of that missing scene

P192 FINALLY RIO RECRUITMENT

P207 RIO I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

P224 oh boy

P233 YESSSS KAT

P244 Rio I love you so much

P246 yet again the nautilus shows up

P271 OH NO I HOPE EVERYONES OKAY

P316 oh nooooo

P318 it has been 13 months since start of book 1

P323 awww at least he's being honest about it?

P326 nooooo!!!

P330 patience and fortitude.... yesssssssss paciencia y fortaleza

P344 I love when the adults have fun with things and also when Monty's just like yeah there's the confident kids I'm raising, tell me what's going on, and SHES PROUD OF PARIS AAAAAA

P353 I love you Sydney

P372 OH THERES THAT LINE I LOVE U RIO

P379 YESS YES YES STACKS FTW THEY SAVED THE DAY WITH LIBRARY POWER

P381 YESSSS REAL NAME THIS GIRL

P384 "kat, you're incredible" "I get that a lot" LOVE LOVE LOVE ON ALL PARTS AND IM SO PROUD OF MY GIRLIE

p389 lolllll Mrs. G best new character now

P394 I LOVE YOU BEATRIZ

P399 lol C ily

P406 ohhhh clemmie. Oh boy. Well, that's a sequel hook. (not evil au when)

Team eval notes: awwwww Cairo's getting to know them!!! I need to write this scarab in universe fic tho. Also!!! Kat being kind with primes!!!!!!!

DONE I LOVE I LOVE I LOVE. Total time 2hrs 5 min.

I also wish to make clear that I have about half of that missing scene written and it is eventually going to make it to ao3

[yandere-toons]

Current Fandoms (Alphabetical)

Books:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Durarara!!

The Great Gatsby

The Hobbit

The Hunger Games

IT

The Lord of the Rings

Mortal Engines

No Country for Old Men

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Ready Player One

The Silence of the Lambs

A Song of Ice and Fire

Star Wars: Dark Disciple

Comics & Manga:

BEASTARS

Blue Exorcist

Boku no Hero Academia

DCeased

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Disney Duck Comics

Hellblazer

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Kamonohashi Ron no Kindan Suiri

Scott Pilgrim

Soul Eater

Tokyo Ghoul

The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

Watchmen

Films:

Accepted (2006)

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl

Airplane!

The Angry Birds Movie

Argylle

Asteroid City

Austin Powers

Back to the Future

The Bad Guys (2022)

Bad Ronald

Bad Taste

Balto

Bambi (1942)

Bambi II (2006)

The Banana Splits Movie

Barbie (2023)

Batman Begins

Batman Forever

The Beekeeper

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Beverly Hills Cop

Big Hero 6

Black Christmas (1974)

The Black Phone

The Book of Life

Brave (2012)

Brother Bear

A Bug's Life

Bullet Train (2022)

Cars (2006)

Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness

Chicken Little

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Con Air

Coneheads

Coraline

Corpse Bride

Cowboys & Aliens

The Dead Don't Die

Deadpool

Despicable Me

Detective Pikachu

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)

Dracula: Dead and Loving It

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Elemental

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

The Emperor's New Groove

Encanto

Enchanted

Exchange Student Zero

An Extremely Goofy Movie

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fast & Furious Saga

Fear Street Trilogy

FernGully: The Last Rainforest

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)

Free Guy

Frozen (2013)

Galaxy Quest

Ghost Rider

Glass Onion

Godzilla

A Goofy Movie

Grease (1978)

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

The Happytime Murders

Haunted Mansion

Hellboy (2004)

Hercules (1997)

The Hobbit

Hocus Pocus

Holes

Home (2015)

Home Alone (1990)

Hotel Transylvania

Howard the Duck

How to Train Your Dragon

The Hunger Games

Ice Age

IF (2024)

The Incredibles

Inside Out

IT (2017)

John Wick

The Jungle Book (1967)

Jurassic Park

Jurassic World

Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Knives Out

Kung Fu Panda

Legally Blonde

The LEGO Batman Movie

The LEGO Movie

The LEGO Ninjago Movie

Lift (2024)

Lilo & Stitch

The Lion King

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Longlegs (2024)

The Lorax (2012)

The Lord of the Rings

Luca (2021)

Luck (2022)

Mad Max

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Mars Attacks!

Mean Girls (2004)

Meet the Feebles

The Meg

Megalopolis (2024)

Megamind

Migration (2023)

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Mission: Impossible

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

The Monkey King Reborn

Monsters, Inc.

Monsters University

Monsters vs. Aliens

Mulan (1998)

My Little Pony: A New Generation

My Little Pony: The Movie

Napoleon Dynamite

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Night at the Museum

The Nightmare Before Christmas

NOPE (2022)

Now You See Me

Onward

Open Season (2006)

Osmosis Jones

Over the Hedge

Pacific Rim

Paddington

Pearl (2022)

Pee-wee's Big Adventure

Penguins of Madagascar

The Phantom of the Opera

Pirates of the Caribbean

Planet of the Apes

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Rango

Ready Player One

Renfield

Return to Oz

Rio (2011)

Rise of the Guardians

Road House

The Road to El Dorado

RoboCop (1987)

Robots (2005)

Rock Dog

Ron's Gone Wrong

Scarface

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Shark Tale

Shaun of the Dead

Shrek

Sing (2016 & 2021)

Small Soldiers

Sonic the Hedgehog

Spaceballs

Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money

Space Jam

Spider-Verse

Spies in Disguise

Star Wars

Storks

The Suicide Squad

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Surf's Up

The Terminator

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Titan A.E.

Titanic (1997)

Top Gun

Toy Story

Trap (2024)

Treasure Planet

Trolls (2016)

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

Turning Red

Vivo

Wendell & Wild

Whiplash

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Wreck-It Ralph

TV Series & Web Series:

The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

Adventure Time

Alvin and the Chipmunks

The Amazing World of Gumball

American Dad!

American Dragon: Jake Long

American Gods

Amphibia

Animaniacs

Aqua Teen Hunger Force

Ash vs Evil Dead

Barry (HBO)

Bates Motel

The Batman (2004)

Batman: The Animated Series

Better Call Saul

Big City Greens

Bigtop Burger

Black Clover

Bluey

Bob's Burgers

BoJack Horseman

Breaking Bad

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command

Camp Camp

Carmen Sandiego

Cars on the Road

Clone High

Codename: Kids Next Door

Count Duckula

Courage the Cowardly Dog

The Cuphead Show!

Danger Mouse

Danny Phantom

Dan Vs.

Darkwing Duck

The Devil Is a Part-Timer!

Dexter's Laboratory

Dinosaurs

Diriliş: Ertuğrul

Doctor Who

Dogs in Space

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared

Dorohedoro

Duck Dodgers

DuckTales (1987 & 2017)

Exchange Student Zero

Freakazoid!

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Futurama

Game of Thrones

Gargoyles

Good Omens

Goosebumps

Gotham

Gravity Falls

Green Eggs and Ham

Gregory Horror Show

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Grimm

Haikyuu!!

Happy Tree Friends

Harley Quinn

Hazbin Hotel

Helluva Boss

Hetalia

Hero: 108

House, M.D.

House of the Dragon

Inside Job (2021)

Inspector Gadget (1983)

Invader ZIM

Kiff

Kim Possible

King of the Hill

The Lion Guard

Looney Tunes

The Looney Tunes Show

Love, Death & Robots

Making Fiends

The Mandela Catalogue

Max Headroom

the middle.

Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series

Milo Murphy's Law

Mob Psycho 100

Modern Family

Monkie Kid

Monsters at Work

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

Mystery Skulls Animated

Ninjago

Nu, pogodi!

The Office

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

Our Flag Means Death

Overlord

The Owl House

Peaky Blinders

The Penguins of Madagascar

Phineas and Ferb

Pinky and the Brain

Popee the Performer

The Powerpuff Girls

Primal

The Proud Family

Ramshackle

Regular Show

The Righteous Gemstones

Rocko's Modern Life

Salad Fingers

Samurai Jack

The Sandman

Schitt's Creek

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated

Shameless

Shaolin Wuzang

Silicon Valley

Silly Symphony

The Simpsons

Sonic Prime

Sonic X

Soul Eater

Space Force

SpongeBob SquarePants

Spooky Month

Star Trek

Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Static Shock

Succession

Superjail!

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Supernatural

Superstore

Tabaluga

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teen Titans (2003)

Tiny Toon Adventures

Tom and Jerry

Total Drama

Transformers: Prime

True Blood

True Detective

Twin Peaks

The Umbrella Academy

Underverse

Veep

Villainous

The Walking Dead

Wander Over Yonder

We Bare Bears

Welcome Home

What If...?

X-Men: Evolution

Xiaolin Showdown

The Yogi Bear Show

Young Justice

Zig & Sharko

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Music:

Gorillaz

The Purple People Eater

Board Games:

Monopoly

Video Games:

At Dead of Night

Batman: The Enemy Within

Borderlands

Crash Bandicoot

Cuphead: Don't Deal with the Devil

Danganronpa

Deltarune

Destroy All Humans!

Dialtown

Dino Crisis

Don't Starve

Eloquent Countenance

Fallout

Far Cry

Five Nights at Freddy's

Friday Night Funkin'

God of War

Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee

Grand Theft Auto V

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series

John Doe

L.A. Noire

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Lollipop Chainsaw

Lucius

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Mass Effect

MazM: Jekyll and Hyde

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Monkey Island

Monster Prom

Mortal Kombat

Naughty Bear

Nicktoons Unite!

Oddworld

Outlast

Overwatch

PaRappa the Rapper

Pathologic

Poppy Playtime

Psychonauts

Rampage: Total Destruction

Ratchet & Clank

Red Dead Revolver

Resident Evil

Road 96

Silent Hill

Slime Rancher

Smile For Me

Sonic the Hedgehog

Total War: Warhammer

Uncharted

Undertale

[viatagrinner]

Silvio Ricci. Chapter 11 + Letter

Church. Silvio and Gilbert.

Gilbert: Jade has a more complicated family situation than Belle, so I don't blame him.

Silvio: I hope you didn't make up this family situation yourself.

Gilbert: Haha, that's a terrible misunderstanding. I didn't have to make it up, but royalty always have their own messy family affairs, don't they?

Gilbert: I've only been using it for a while.

Gilbert: But you disturbed Grumpy Boy*, didn't you?

*根暗くん - nekura kun. Nekura - dark-natured; introverted; grumpy; gloomy; pessimistic

Silvio: I'm sick of your disgusting actions.

Silvio: If the woman chooses to be an Obsidian spies in order to hide her identity as Belle...

Gilbert: As expected of Grumpy Boy. No, I wonder if the "beast inside Grumpy Boy" has quieted down?

The second time I read Silvio's route. There was a mistranslation.

Gilbert is just talking about how the existence of a secret agreement between Rhodolite and Obsidian would have been a problem for Jade. Perhaps that's why Keith wasn't affectionate with MC.

Basically, Gil makes it clear that he knows everything and that he pushed Keith to do what he did.

Silvio doesn't like Gilbert's actions. Gilbert wants to find out what Silvio thinks of him.

Gilbert: You only have two choices, join hands or be forced to join hands, right?

Silvio: Huh?

Gilbert jumps off the podium and puts his cane to Silvio's throat. There was no chance to resist, it was an instantaneous event.

And then this image appears and I forget what I'm translating... Who is Silvio? Let me read about this guy 🚬🤤

Silvio is trapped.

Gilbert: Depending on what you do, I may have to turn my heart into a beast!

Silvio: Нa, I see.

Silvio realized that the case of Keith and MC and it was "a threat to him".

Gilbert gave it more time to think. But not for long.

_________________________________________

The trail left by Silvio has not disappeared. The heroine is back in the collar.

She drinks tea with Rio. She confesses that she has grown to hate him less, so she decides to entertain the prince. And Rio has to help her do it.

Rio:.... How can I say no to MС when she asks me to do something for her? I am your loyal (dog) butler.

Rio gets jealous...

_________________________________________

Day 1.

Leon and Jin recommended a liquor store.

Silvio liked the wine.

MC was pleased.

Then the prince added that it was possible to open a production facility in his country.

MC became sad.

_________________________________________

Day 2.

Love this scene.

The hill, overlooking the city.

Rio's and MC's favorite spot.

Rio tries to get Silvio drunk on a spicy juice that makes "fatigue and consciousness magically deflate." Clavis' recommendation.

Silvio: 😐😑 You don't want to entertain me at all, do you?

Rio happily drinks the juice.

The result is known. Eyes on his forehead and cries of "It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!"

MC immediately begins to take care of Rio.

Silvio: Woman, give me a drink.

He drank....He liked it.

Rio: ....🤨🙄

_________________________________________

Day 3.

Rose Garden. After all, Rhodolite is associated with roses.

Silvio: Damn, I'm not interested.......

Yves and Licht tell the trio about the secret gazebo.

The girl leads them there.

Rio: MC's smiling face is picture-worthy.

Boy in Love 🤗

Silvio: ......

Rio: Lord Silvio?

_________________________________________

Day 4.

MC cooked fricassee. Silvio didn't want to try it at first.

Tsundere mood: on.

Silvio admitted that it wasn't bad.

But he ate it with pleasure.

MC: Practice saying "good" next time.

Silvio: ....You're cheeky.

MC: Huh... Please stop mussing my hair.

Rio's not happy.

_________________________________________

And Day 5.

Keith comes to apologize.

Keith: You can beat me up all you want!

(This is a different person, not like the last time.)

MC forgives him, but Rio adds that it's only one time.

Letter

I praise you, read on.

Your recent entertainment isn't bad.

The only thing I don't get is the damn dog that comes with you every time.

But even with that, the content is much better.

I especially liked the rose fricassee.

You should definitely make it again.

And give me some more of your homemade food.

YOUR homemade food, of course.

If it's homemade, that means only you can make it.

I want that taste, so don't let anyone else cook it.

... And don't let the fucking dog help you cook.

Call me instead of cooking with him alone.

I'll help you out a little bit.

Silvio Ricci.

Silvio's Masterlist