#valley village homes for sale

[realestateagentatrodeorealty]

Best Realtor of Granada Hills

Blayne Pacelli is a best Granada Hills realtor, CA. Explore the homes with the Newest Listings that are currently for sale in Granada Hills, CA, where the average value of homes with the Newest Listings is $799,000. Visit our website and browse house photos, view details, check walk scores, and much more.

[rogerjarnigun]

Realtor in Sherman Oaks, CA

The charming suburban area of Sherman Oaks, California, is well-known for its metropolitan conveniences. An informed realtor can guide you through the market, point out hidden treasures, and assist in decision-making. They give you access to the newest listings, market trends, and area details, and their ability to negotiate can get you the greatest price. A successful and stress-free Sherman Oaks real estate transaction depends on working with a reputable realtor.

website url : https://rogerjarnigan.equityunion.com/

13400 Ventura Boulevard

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

818-521-4535

[stardewremixed]

Justice for Stardewies

Because people need jobs and purpose...

Jodi

has been a single mom for so long, even though Kent returns in Year 2. She was a Registered Nurse, and replaces Maru at the clinic when Maru decides to go back to school. Jodi starts to feel her confidence grow as she works outside her home. And Harvey is a good boss, letting her work around Vincent's school schedule.

Maru

Inspired by Harvey, Maru wants to pursue and advanced degree in medical technology. With her poor eyesight, her dreams of becoming an astronaut faded. But she still gets to tinker and play with technology, which is something she loves.

Marnie / Marlon

deserves better than a "secret" relationship with Lewis. His family has wealth and historically held positions of power. The Governor is his cousin after all. Still Marnie deserves real "out in the open" love. Marlon asks her out one day after she visits the Adventurer's Guild with the weekly dairy delivery. Their first official date is the Flower Dance. And they dance together for the whole town to see. Lewis is jealous but... he had his chance. #sorrynotsorry

Shane

is sober and working at the movie theater during the evenings. He attends vet school during the day. Shane wants to open an animal clinic, with an emphasis on chickens... 🐔 er... farm animals. And he makes his famous pepper poppers for all town events.

Pam

Pam went to rehab. She is now reemployed at Pierre's. She really enjoys helping customers find what they are looking for, and she joined Caroline's class to get fit. She has already dropped almost 20lbs.

Robin

Robin does so much for the town. She is convinced by the people to run against Lewis. And then she actually wins. Since she finally has help from Alex, Robin's business is booming. She is able to hire on another employee so she can focus on her new important duties as Mayor of Pelican Town.

Linus

Is anyone surprised he actually has money? And lots of it? Linus gets involved with other veterans like himself with much encouragement from Gus. Now with properly flowing taxpayers' dollars, Linus is able to build a tiny Veterans Village for former military men and women to "get off grid," find healing, and a fresh start. Kent gets involved too after he starts counseling for his PTSD.

Alex

Robin hired Alex as a handyman. Alex is surprisingly good with his hands and figuring things out, especially electrical. With no formal training, he can rewire televisions and stereos. At first, he just tinkers in Robin's workshop. But then he starts doing bigger projects. After getting an electricians license, Alex helps wire houses and rewire faulty electrical in other homes and businesses around the Valley. It's blue collar work but it pays really well, and his skills are sorely needed. And he can work as he wants. So he still has plenty of time to toss the gridball around with friends, and take Dusty to the dog park, and even help Granny in the kitchen.

Evelyn / George

Ev still helps out at the community garden. She starts growing spices and herbs to bake in her breads and cookies. Once the Community Center is repaired, Evelyn hosts a bake sale to help with the upkeep. And Haley joins her in organizing a cake walk. George gets motivated, with encouragement from Jodi (since she is a vet's wife), to do the Valley's own version of Special Olympics. Alex helps his grandpa train.

Abigail

finally graduates after six years. She knows what she wants. She is going to pursue a master's in folklore and mythology. While it isn't business like her dad wanted, Pierre is still proud of his little girl. Abi leaves for Zuzu City (on the repaired bus line). She also has an internship lined up, translating manuscripts (since she learned ancient Dwarven).

Sebastian

takes coding to the next level. He finds a partner in Zuzu. They start a tech company together. Seb still comes home on weekends to spend time with his family (he and Demetrius patched things up ever since his stepdad got his official diagnosis as autistic). Seb always brings rice pudding for Demetrius, from the Asian Market he lives above. Seb is also working on releasing his first video game, inspired by his experiences in the mines.

Sam

After the band breaks up, Sam decides to go solo. He leaves for Zuzu City for some gigs. The first weekend he is there, he makes a connection with a talent scout who thinks Sam is really good. Sam starts landing bigger and bigger shows. Next thing he knows, he's traveling the world, opening for big name bands. It is a dream come true. He never stays in one place too long, but that's just what he loves about his "work."

Elliott

publishes his romance novel. And then his editor suggests a series. It is super successful. With his new steady income, Elliott upgrades his cabin to a proper beach cottage. He teams up with Penny to write a children's book.

Penny / the children

returns to school and obtains a proper teaching license. With help from Robin, she opens an after school enrichment program for Vincent, Jas, Leo, and a few other children. And she partners with Professor Snail to offer summer camps on Ginger Island. Penny also organizes a beach clean-up day.

Vincent starts an entomology club with the Prof, much to his delight.

Jas works with Emily to create costumes for a play. The story of the Winter Star is the first show they put on for the town. And this seriously helps Jas' confidence.

Leo repairs the treehouse with the help of Alex. And Pam, who attended cosmetology school, gives him a proper "big kid" haircut.

[kendrene]

20. things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear + whichever ship your heart desires 🙃

Ava coming home from the bar at the end of an afternoon shift, the village unusually quiet around her. Streets empty, the houses hunkered down, squatting almost, as rain-promising clouds roll in from the north, bellies low, scraping the bottom of the valley.

A first drop of rain hits her shoulder. Cold, it sends chills down her spine. Ava is dressed for earlier heat. Tank top. Shorts. Second hand shoes that feel one step away from coming apart.

Hunching her shoulders, body curling around her prize. The croissants inside the paper bag are leftovers from the bakery - Ava got them half-price. The ones Beatrice loves, that she rarely allows them to get. They're on a budget. They need to save what they earn.

Ava thinks in part it's just excuses. Suspects that a big part of Bea, who is so efficient in taking care of her, doesn't know how to be nice to herself.

The stairs leading up to the apartment. Old and creaky, but after weeks of Beatrice teaching Ava how to move she doesn't make a sound. Ava sneaking in, pausing as Beatrice's voice drifts to her from their shared bedroom.

"I don't know how to protect her." Bea's tone is forcibly flat, tension crystallised, carefully trapped behind each word. "What I'm feeling for her-" Bea pausing. Ava unable breathe. "Yes Mother. I understand."

Heavy silence settling in. The conversation clearly ended. Then, another muted sound and Ava's stomach dropping at the understanding of what it is.

Beatrice is crying.

Ava wanting to be angry at Mother Superion for making Bea cry, angrier that she can't. It's because of her Beatrice is crying, and lashing out would mean letting her know that she heard. Letting her know that she, too, feels-

Stomping into the kitchen, she makes enough noise that Beatrice emerges from the bedroom in a hurry, a knife held in her hand. Her eyes, red and a touch puffy the only sign of her emotional distress.

"I brought snacks!" Ava reveals the croissants with a flourish. Puts on a smile she does not really feel. Beatrice opens her mouth, eyebrows drawn, and Ava hurries to add that she got the croissants on sale. They could have them for breakfast in the morning, or heat them up now. In the small toaster oven the last tenant left, the way Bea taught her to do so that the pastry doesn't go all floppy and wet.

Bea has taught her so many things.

The can do whatever she likes.

"I think we could have them now." Bea's smile, a little strained but there. Like glimpses of sunlight through quilted clouds after the rain. "I'll brew us some tea."

Things clicking in a different way. How they move around inside their tiny kitchen without jostling. Ava grabbing the plates stored in the cupboards over Bea's head. Beatrice reaching behind her for their stash of tea. There's little left, Ava notes, her mind stumbling over the smallest of details so that she doesn't have to think of what she heard.

Bea has feelings for her.

Bea likes her. Likes her back, likes her back, likes her back.

And later that night the bed being too small to contain their tired bodies and their shared secret. Ava making sense of the nightmares that wake Beatrice up. Of the nights when Bea doesn't come to bed at all, nights in which she sits by the window, keeps watch until dawn.

Afraid to fall asleep and wake up tangled, warm back against her front. The stretch of space between them a chasm. An intractable ocean. Their bodies obeying other laws - like hydrogen and oxygen the two of them a whole that can't be decomposed.

Beatrice stammering apologies in the light of morning. Ava waving them away. I know. She says by looks and touch alone. I feel it too.

I love you.

[fountainpenguin]

"You're on your own- So what? Have you gone blind? Have you forgotten what you have and what is yours?" (x)

---

For Sale: Bird Wings (Never Worn)

❤️ Read on AO3

💛 Complete! - 7/7 chapters - 37k words

💚 More Neighborhood Watch AU

I just finished a chill, T-rated found family 'fic from my "Life Series but it's a single timeline" AU project. Check it out!

---

Synopsis: When Grian Ties’g was 16, the last Totem of Undying in the known world swapped his soul with the Grian one universe to the left… sparing him a perma-death, but at what cost?

An overwhelmed Grian Xelqua - who did not sign up for this, thank you very much - jolts awake in a world where Red Names are no joke and stealing someone’s life is fair play.

And a very Red Tango now has a sword at his throat. ❤️

(First 1,300 words under the cut)

---

For Sale: Bird Wings (Never Worn)

Those Who Came Before

🖤  🖤  ❤️

The first Totem of Undying in the Four Lands passed through the wrinkled hands of many wealthy folks in Crimson City before falling into possession of a princess who went Red young and fled her home. She kept it all her life, but when the time came to breathe her last, she unwound it from its place at her bosom and clasped it around the neck of her only son.

"I've lived enough," she simply said. "I've led so long and you've been faithful. Go now and do as you see fit with your given lives."

Steve Wandering watched his mother die as he had watched his father, burying the memories of both with shovel and silence. He'd always been a silent man. He took up his sword and from then on traveled decade after decade, sharing food with the needy and braving the hissing creatures of the night. He invented many things, discovered many treasures, and died glorious in a fight against the Dragon That Ends All.

And lived.

And lost those memories like the wind.

The second Totem of Undying in the Four Lands belonged to Alex Wolftamer in the east, who claimed to care not for the treasure passed down through her ancestral line of Wolf Kings and Queens. They had no palace, but called themselves such titles in their stand against Kingdom Crimson. Rather than flaunt that totem around her own neck, she wrapped it like a collar at the throat of her dog. Across the years, far too many people of sinister desire fought sword and pick to win her hand or win the hunting hound. It's with a shout and diamond axe that she lunged at the cloaked stranger who ventured through the valley forest. With cheery, bellyaching laugh, Herobrine caught her hand and spun her dangerously near the mountain drop.

"Why should I take from your beloved she-wolf?" he asked, and dangled a totem from his own wrist where she could see. "I've already got one. I did not come to take what loved ones gave unto you, but to inquire of your wisdom… for I have no one I love as much as you care for your dear wolf. I am but a cowardly man who's worn the totem for himself for security and peace. I cannot imagine surrendering it. Tell me, warrior… How did you find such inner peace?"

"Who says I have?"

"What ails you, then?"

"I fear the encroach of the Red Army. Their farms extend ever nearer to our forests. Their high-ranking officers, bearing the Hand mark upon their chests, come demanding tribute and insist we raise their banner. So many from our village have sought the safety of their walls. I wish for nothing but food for my dogs, repairs for my roof, and safe passage through the land."

"Ah… What have you done to incite their displeasure?"

"I haven't raised hand against them unless they've come directly in conflict with me."

"How frequent are their conflicts?"

"They've claimed our cows. They flood the roads to market with lava and have taken two lives- nearly three. They harass the trades I make with my own neighbors of my own free will."

"Let us go secretly, then, and burn the walls that have reached your valley's edge."

They married two years later, and it was four after that that Alex fell from a great height, one arm wrapped around her canine companion and the other reaching for a husband who lunged and missed her hand vanishing from the cliff. Alex hit the ground a block away from the rushing river that saved her dog.

And lived.

And lost those memories like rain. Not even the dog recognized her then, growling and nipping when Alex rose to her feet, and Snowflake followed Herobrine when they parted ways. They say he never took Snowflake's totem from her collar, but that Snowflake wriggled out of it the day after Alex died, took the chain in her teeth, and presented it to him with grief in her dark eyes. It may be just a story - a personification of a ragged beast - but it's a prettier tale than the alternative way this tale could end.

That third Totem of Undying, the one that Herobrine Mapcrafter wore on his wrist for much of his life, originated from the North. It tumbled through the hands of wizards and they say Herobrine was gifted it for his proven mastery in breaching the Nether dimension- the secrets of which had only been held by the Westlands until now.

Prior his apprenticeship beneath the wizards' eyes, he'd been raised a cartographer. Following the death of Alex, he took up mapmaking again with Snowflake by his side. He entered the Nether dimension for what he knew would be his final time. They never came out again and no record survives depicting full details. People speak often that he perhaps saved a community of Netherborn folks from a hissing, snarling Wither Boss that clawed its way out of the ground. Others whisper he released that Wither himself out of grief and wished for death. Witnesses claim he leapt before the beast, taking the hit on Snowflake's behalf.

And lived.

And lost those memories like they'd been scorched alive. They say he went mad, never the same again. Some claim they've seen Snowflake's white fur dashing through the Nether even now, her howl weeping for her masters and the moon and the feel of grass beneath her paws.

The last Totem of Undying in the Four Lands (rumor claimed) lay hidden in the Southlands. For three decades since the rise of the Dragon That Ends All, the unremarkable little thing drifted and tumbled and snagged or… something of the sort. Details unknown. It passed into the sewers at some undefinable point, where it floated until it didn't. It caught and clung to the sewer's edge year after year after year.

There it stayed until a ragtag tangle of friends - a trio - sought shelter in the tunnels after their brotherhood of Bad Boys split and turned against each other. They trekked without hesitation into the grime, for they were Red of name and disgust could graze them not. The youngest, with his gray and yellow wings, sat down near the entrance to clean an open wound. The eldest began to organize their meager food supply. The middle child, aged only 16, waded deeper through the passageway, wandering with little purpose but to scout for things to have; things to take. Red Lives, as a rule, are very, very greedy.

The totem lasted exactly 4 minutes and 36 seconds in Grian Ties'g's possession. He found it tangled among the filth and wasted no time taking it for himself. To prevent his fellow Bad Boys from sniping it away, he scrambled up a dirty shaft to the surface like an eel gifted flight. His wings were soaked from sewage water, so he did not fly. He bolted across the open field, laughing like a madman.

"Yes! YESSSS!"

His foot crossed a boundary line he never could have seen. Grian charged straight into a shrieker trap laced with TNT. Set them all off. He died to the gasping cheers of a Red who'd only just finished all the set-up. The last thing he ever heard was the "OH-hoh-hoh-ohhh!" of a shrieking onlooker. He blew up instantly, scarlet feathers and blobs of purple soul energy scattered in all directions. The central core melted free from flesh and dribbled to the ground in a gooey heap.

In a word? Perma-killed. The totem vaporized before anyone ever confirmed he had it, so people seek it in the Southlands even now (It might be right here; it's been hiding right here).

This story is not about that Grian. Not anymore. It's about the one who lived… whose memories do not match this world at all.

[ Full 'fic up on AO3 ]

[captainofthetidesbreath]

I often see (and this is common again with the strike) people criticize actors and other film and TV industry people who live in LA or New York for "living in million dollar homes", but as someone who lives in New York in a million dollar home (four bedroom, one and a half bath), people simply do NOT grasp the cost of living crises in these two cities and how expensive even smaller homes are here.

Here's some Zillow for sale listings for some perspective. This is generally without much consideration for whether the neighborhood is considered "upscale" or upper middle class, because this is mostly to illustrate that a million dollar house in LA and NYC isn't necessarily the sprawling manor that many imagine. All of these are two- or three-bedroom homes, and the largest is 2,730 square feet.

Left: Encino Village, LA, $1,560,00. Right: Flushing, Queens, $1,050,000.

Left: Madison, Brooklyn, $1,599,000. Right: Van Nuys, LA, $1,275,000.

Left: Valley Village, LA, $1,199,999. Right: Astoria, Queens, $1,850,000 (originally listed at $1,950,000!).

[naturalwomensparty]

A community in the mountains: The New Sheperds.

submitted by @edneilus

The community consists of tens of thousands people living in a mountain range, on average at 1500 meters of altitude, with abundant valleys and lush forests. The community lives in several villages connected by roads but cars are rarely used. Self suffiency is a goal of these people. Each village is organised around a stone temple, a market place in front of it and several shops nearby, offering the few commodities imported from outside the mountains.The New Sheperds villages are united by their religion, Sheperdism, which teach that men are the natural leaders of women, being referred collectively as a flock. Men are in charge of all decision making and heavy labour, with agriculture being the most important economic activity ; women are valued for their greatest ability : carrying life. Families are very large, six children on average per couple. Men dress as needed while women wear simple and modest clothes, most often long linnen dresses and aprons.The 18th birthday of a woman is also the day she is married to a man who becomes her sheperd and will rule over her. The ceremony mimics that of a sale. Outside the house of her father, the bride is fitted a steel colar around her neck to which a chain or rope is attached. She is then lead by her husband to the temple where she is blessed by the local priest, followed by prayers for her fertility and obedience.After this, she will join the house of her husband. Homes are multigenerationals, sometimes up to four generations living under the same roof. The women live together in an area of the house called the pen, symbolizing their status as property. Most of the time, the women aren’t leashed but it happens that a man ties his woman to prevent her from moving too far from her assigned place.If motherhood is the destiny of the majority of women, a minority joins a female religious order dedicated to helping the rest of the community. The nuns dress with long white robes and veils. Focused on teaching girls, healing and praying, they welcome pregnant women to help in the later stages.

[dessi1998]

TentooRose month - 2nd week: Firsts

a/n: trying something new for me here, I had not written any of these bulletpoints fics before so here is my first try (on theme with the prompt lol), hope you enjoy

(you can see the Steam sale kinda inspired me)

there are so many firsts for this new new new (first of his kind) Doctor

everything is new, everything is human, he has so much to learn suddenly

first shave, first shopping for clothes, first job (at Torchwood)

and of course the firsts with Rose

first kiss, first hug, first time holding Rose’s hand

first adventure on Earth together

so many firsts and new things

but one of his favourite (and not that scary) firsts was discovering gaming

more specifically quiet nights at home with Rose, playing some game together

usually, with all the travels and adventures, he did not have time to sit down and do something for relaxation

so gaming was something new for him

and Rose was more than happy to indulge him and even join him in this newfound hobby

his first game was… Fortnite

Tony and his friends were crazy about it and so, one day at the Tyler mansion, the Doctor had found himself coerced into joining the little boy for a few matches

and ending up liking it - a lot

Rose had told him she’d join if he found a less stressful and fast-paced game

so with Tony’s help, the Doctor found Minecraft

mining, crafting, building, taking care of villagers - it was relaxing enough for Rose to join in

they got their own world to play on together with Tony popping in from time to time as a honorary player

(they definitely did not use one of Torchwood’s servers for hosting it, no no no)

(the Doctor’s tinkering with the settings and mods definitely did not make even it lag, with all its specs and power, noooo no)

Come on, Rose! How can such powerful machinery be stumped by one game?! (the game in question was trying to render a whole universe but eh, should be easy, right?)

after that came Stardew Valley, Terraria, even Animal Crossing - all the chill vibe games

then the Doctor wanted to explore some more adventurous pixel worlds

Life is Strange, Red Dead Redemption, The Witcher, Elden Ring

he played and commented on every little detail he saw, explained his plans and actions

and Rose just sat with a bowl of popcorn, head on his shoulder, watching him geek out, asking questions from time to time or giving him hints if he somehow got stuck (after a quick and secret google search)

eventually both her and Tony suggested that the Doctor should try streaming online - twitch of youtube, people were sure to geek out over little details with him

surprisingly, he declined

this hobby of his was now too intertwined with Rose and Tony, it was domestic and homey, it was a family activity - he couldn’t share it with strangers

and so, the Doctor discovered his first human hobby - quiet nights with Rose while farming pixelated food

or not so quiet nights with some pixelated adventures while Rose teased him for failing to aim

or loud weekends with Tony whenever Jackie and Pete had to be at some company event or just run away for a weekend vacation somewhere

that was not the most important or big first, but it was the most family one for the Doctor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Doctor loved playing The Doctor - his favourite killer on Dead by Daylight

Rose always giggled whenever he chose him in the selection menu

surprisingly she didn't mind playing this one scary game with him, they partied up when playing as survivors

'it's just a game of tag' Rose said

until one of the sneaky killers surprised them

it was the Doctor that yelled out in surprise (and a little bit of fear)

[stardropcritter]

I have absolutely been hyperfixating on this game again now that I'm finally home and have been able to play for a little bit. And by a little bit I mean it's all I've done whenever I can. So, here's my first farmer for the 1.6 update! <3 The meadowlands farm has my heart This is Iris, who recently moved from Zuzu City to Stardew Valley. I play with both Stardew Expanded and Ridgeside, so there will be content and (possibly spoilers) of those storylines as well as the main game. But mostly silly screenshots and maybe the occasional doodle or drabble :)

I have no idea who she might romance. I'm developing her story in my head as we go, and honestly, she's close with Seb, Leah, Shiro, June, Kiarra, and Sam. If I were to guess, I think Shiro or June are the most likely bachelors for her. She's 22 and I headcannon most of the young-ish bachelors and bachelorettes to be between 20-30, and I think Jenna Ortega probably would be one of my bigger models for how I imagine her facial features, with some obvi changes once I eventually put pencil to paper. She was planning to graduate with a double major in psych and lit, but tuition fees and cost of life in a city are monstrous. Working two jobs was not the good idea she thought it would be. While she loved her job at the coffee shop, balancing that with her office job at Joja AND school was a nightmare. Plus, the coworkers were a little creepy and the work environment at Joja was generally toxic, let's be real.

She's the type to walk around town with a fresh cup of coffee in hand or her nose in a book and has probably bumped into many of the villagers this way. She often has panda eyes to rival Seb- she suffers from occasional insomnia and, if that wasn't enough, she's very likely to be so engrossed in a book that she loses track of time and now she has to go feed the chickens and tend to the crops already.

She has slight corvid vibes- not in the emo way per se, but because she loves collecting random little shiny or interesting things and has a growing collection of trinkets at home, and she -will- start leaving random gifts for the people she likes without them necessarily noticing. So if you come home to a random shiny object (especially if there's a small label with a pressed flower attached), you've got her to blame. She can also be an absolute little shit when she feels like it. And she's loyal as fuck. Iris loves music. She grew up playing piano and guitar with her dad. This is part of why she gets along so well with Seb and Sam, and she often hangs out w them when they have band practice. Maybe sometimes even jams with them a bit or sings along (she has a decent voice). She does -NOT- get along with Abby for reasons we'll get into eventually. She loves myths and folklore, so you can imagine she is going crazy trying to discover the secrets of the valley and is constantly hounding Marlon and Rasmodius (the Wizard) for more information. Oh, and she had never held a sword before in her LIFE, so she's had to take up weekly lessons with Marlon since moving to the valley. She kind of loves it though. My girl is terrified of heights, so as you can imagine her first trip on the cable car to Ridgeside was... something. I'll write that one up eventually. First few trips, even.

She loves reading by the ocean so if you can't find her anywhere, try there. Or the library, she might be begging Gunther to order in more books. Pressed flower art is one of her hobbies, and her farming style largely focuses on growing flowers for sale and her own art/gifts, as well as livestock. Although she's started with only the two little chickens that come with the Meadowlands farm, Viola and Piccolo.

Hmmm.... Ask me anything you want! I want to play more tonight, but then I'll start organizing some of my screenshots and maybe also organizing my ideas for some one-shots or drabbles I want to write of how the first year is going. Have some portraits :3

[anywaymuahahahaha]

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Chapter Three: Snack Run! 🍎

Heading towards the village on Kirby’s behalf, Magolor and Elfilin flew across Dream Land together. They sped through the green valleys and over the prairies. After a while they came to a stop for a brief moment. From where they were, everything in Dream Land was perfectly visible. Elfilin was in pure astonishment. Magolor smiled and nodded.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

“It sure is!”

“I travel a lot…but this is my home now. It’s my favorite in the whole universe!”

Magolor pointed towards an open field in the distance.

“See that? That’s where Kirby and I first met! He was so quick to help me when I was in trouble!”

“You were in trouble?”

“That’s right. Kirby saved me from a terrible fate…Things got…a little hectic…I thought I was a goner for sure! But that’s a story for another day!” Magolor said with a laugh.

“You know…Kirby saved me once. A couple times actually! He’s so brave! I don’t know what I’d have done without him.”

“Yeah, he really is the best isn’t he? He’s one of the very few people who gave me a second chance.”

“A second chance?”

“Yeah…You see, Little Dude…some folks around here…aren’t quite as welcoming to me as Kirby has been…I guess I didn't really make a good first impression when I first arrived here in Dream Land...”

“Really!?…What happened?”

“Well…let’s just say…” Magolor appeared uncomfortable about the subject. He grew silent and then laughed nervously.

“You know what?…how about I tell you all about that later! Right now, we need to focus on getting that fruit for Kirby!” Magolor floated overhead and surveyed the village.

“Follow me, Little Dude!” They both took off fast through the fields of Dream Land. Magolor showed Elfilin around the Whispy Woods, showed him the Float Islands down by the oceans, and took him through the famous Bubbly Clouds. Elfilin was taken aback by the splendor of it all.

“Wow…everything here is so beautiful!” he said.

“I couldn’t agree more! I can definitely see why Kirby loves this place so much.” Magolor looked around and nodded. He pointed towards an area below and smiled.

“There’s our stop, Little Dude. You’ll love this place! It’s the real deal!” Magolor lead Elfilin towards what appeared to be a small outdoor kiosk selling various fruits and vegetables. There were crates of fruit for sale everywhere. Oranges, bananas, peaches, and plenty of apples, which Kirby specifically requested.

“If you want the best fruit Dream Land has to offer this is the place to go!” Magolor and Elfilin began browsing the vast selection. The shopkeeper in charge noticed Magolor and his expression soured.

“Oh, no! Not you again!” He said stomping towards them.

“How many times do I have to tell you, Magolor, you are not allowed at my shop!”

He flailed his arms at Magolor in an attempt to shoo him away. Elfilin backed away nervously.

“Yo, relax! I’ll have you know, I’m here on official Dream Land business!” Magolor exclaimed proudly.

“You were sent by the King!?”

“Nope, even better! I’ve been sent by Kirby himself!”

“Kirby sent you?…I’ll never understand why he chooses to associate with someone like you!”

“Kirby and I are best friends as a matter of fact! I’m actually here to pick up some fruit for him! So…what do ya got today?”

“Nothing for you! Beat it!” The shopkeeper yelled angrily. Elfilin scurried to over to Magolor’s side.

“Magolor, maybe we should go…” he tried to pull him away but Magolor was undeterred.

“Don’t worry, Little Dude, I’ll handle this.” Elfilin stood back and watched as Magolor boldly approached the shopkeeper.

"After everything Kirby has done for the people of this country, why would you deny him the delicious food he craves?"

"If Kirby needs fruit, he can come here and get it himself, just like he does every day! Why would he send someone like you here! Doesn’t he know you’re banned?!” The shopkeeper then pointed to a placard displayed near the front of the shop. It said DO NOT ALLOW ON PREMISES above a crude picture of Magolor. He glared at the unflattering depiction of himself and sighed deeply. He turned away from the shopkeeper and spoke softly.

“Well…I promised Kirby I wouldn’t say anything but…” Magolor picked up an apple and clutched it tightly.

“Truth be told….Kirby is….dying!” Magolor said dramatically throwing his arms in the air.

“D-dying!?” The shopkeeper exclaimed.

“That’s right! Kirby is deathly ill. Why, he’s bedridden even as we speak.”

“But…he was just here yesterday! He looked fine to me!”

“Oh, he took a turn for the worst this morning! It breaks my heart to see him in such a state. I’ve actually been staying with him and taking care of him during his time of need. It’s not easy but…that’s what friends are for!” Magolor said with a determined expression on his face. Elfilin stood by watching with a puzzled look on his face.

….Kirby isn’t sick? Why is Magolor lying about something like this?…

Magolor continued his dramatics.

“Why, just this morning, when he finally mustered enough strength to speak…he took my hand…”

Magolor then dramatically took the shopkeepers hand in his own.

“He looked at me with those big, blue eyes…He said…Magolor…my dearest friend…you’ve taken such good care of me! The only thing that can save me now is a delicious piece of fruit! A red, juicy apple! Then, and only then will I have the strength to carry on! Please, Magolor…do me this favor…my closest friend…” Magolor began to choke back tears. The shopkeeper rolled his eyes.

“Oh, cut it out, Magolor! I’m not buying your fake story or your fake tears!”

Magolor clenched his fists in anger.

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this!” He then turned to Elfilin.

“You’ll back me up, right Little Dude?”

Elfilin was caught off guard by Magolors sudden interjection.

“Oh…well…um…” Elfilin nervously approached the two of them. He nodded at the shopkeeper with a smile.

“Hello sir, my name is Elfilin! I’m also Kirby’s best-…I’m one of Kirby’s friends! Magolor is, uh…” he glanced over at Magolor’s who was giving him a desperate expression.

“He’s telling the truth!…Kirby is..he’s very sick! He asked us to come here and get him some fruit! He’s really looking forward to it!” The shopkeeper looked bewildered at Elfilin.

"Is he really telling the truth? Kirby is seriously ill?" Elfilin returned his gaze to Magolor, who nodded with tears in his eyes.

“…Yes.” Elfilin looked down sadly.

“Well…I am very sorry to hear what has become of Kirby! Does the King know about this?!” The shopkeeper asked.

Elfilin glanced to Magolor for direction once again, and he promptly nodded his head "yes."

“…Yeah…he knows…in fact..” Magolor gestured for Elfilin to continue his story.

“In fact the King has already visited Kirby and sent his best wishes!” Magolor smiled as he gave Elfilin a thumbs up. Elfilin returned the smile before soon returning to his solemn demeanor.

“Well…then by all means, please take what you’ll need. However…I’ll only serve you-Not him!” The shopkeeper angrily pointed at Magolor who appeared to be putting eye-drops in his eyes in order to mimic crying. He then dropped the bottle and attempted to act like he didn’t see it.

“Go stand over there!” He said shooing Magolor aside. He angrily rolled his eyes and backed away from the kiosk leaving Elfilin make the purchase himself.

“Oh, dear. Poor, Kirby…” the shopkeeper began as he handed Elfilin a large sack.

“I’ll have to come visit him tonight and send him my wishes.”

“That won’t be necessary!” Magolor shouted from afar. “As Kirby’s caretaker I’m allowing only close family and friends and I’m sorry to say you don’t make the cut!”

The shopkeeper scowled at Magolor but ignored him as Elfilin filled his bag full of all kinds of different fruits.

Look how delicious everything here looks! Kirby’s sure gonna love all this!

Elfilin filled his sack to the brim and waved to the shopkeeper and smiled happily.

“Thank you so much! Kirby is gonna be so happy!” Elfilin turned away to leave but the shopkeeper stopped him.

“Woah there, young man!…You can’t just take all that for free! Here’s your bill!” He handed Elfilin a small receipt. He took it and and looked up at him sadly.

“…A bill?…But I…I don’t have any money!” Elfilin said. The shopkeeper nodded his head slowly and took the sack of fruit away from Elfilin. Magolor glanced over with discontent.

“I’m sorry, young man. But if you don’t have any money you’re gonna have to put all this back…”

Magolor grew furious as the shopkeeper took away Elfilin’s fruit.

Who does this jerk think he think he is? After everything Kirby has done for the people of this country?…

Elfilin panicked as he sought to come up with a solution.

“But…what about Kirby!” He exclaimed loudly.

“Don’t you care that he’s sick? You wouldn’t deprive Kirby of food over something as silly as money would you?”

“Alright, I tell you what…” the shopkeeper handed Elfilin one single red apple.

“Kirby can have this apple for free. That’s all I’m willing to give you! Look, I’m sorry to hear about Kirby not feeling well. But this is a business! I can’t give someone as gluttonous as Kirby free fruit! The guy’s great and all- but I just can’t afford it! I’m confident he’ll pull through. He always does!”

Magolor began to tremble with anger.

ONE APPLE!?!…Thats the best he can do for someone as important as Kirby!?…and on his death bed no less!…

He clenched his fists and scowled angrily at the shopkeeper.

Perhaps this moron should be taught a lesson…

Elfilin was well aware of Kirby's voracious appetite, and one apple wouldn’t be enough for him. Not by a long shot. Not to mention Bandana Waddle Dee as well. He couldn’t come back to them empty handed like this.

“Magolor…what should I do?” He whispered over to Magolor but to Elfilins surprise he was gone.

“Magolor?…” he looked around desperately but it appeared that Magolor had vanished completely.

Elfilin felt the ground begin to shake. He could hear gasps coming from behind him. The shopkeeper and Elfilin both turned around to see all of the shop's fruit crates were floating in the air.

“Wha?!…What is the meaning of this!?” The shopkeeper exclaimed. He looked up and saw a black hole above his shop was beginning to suck up all of the fruit and sending everything else flying all over the place. Elfilin froze in panic.

Woah, is that a black hole!? Where did that come from!?

Elfilin began to panic as he frantically searched for Magolor.

“Magolor!?! Where are you!?” He yelled over the chaos. Fruit was being flung everywhere, and the sky darkened to the point that it appeared that Dream Land was about to be hit by a devastating storm. Elfilin froze in fear as this storm reminded him of that terrifying moment he nearly watched two planets collide. Citizens who were out and about began to panic as it appeared Dream Land was now under attack.

What am I gonna do!?…Did that black hole suck up Magolor somehow and take him away!? Oh, no!…This is terrible!…

Just as Elfilin began to panic over what happened to Magolor, he suddenly appeared right next to him holding a large sack stuffed full of fruit. He then handed Elfilin an empty one. Magolor wasn’t phased one bit by the turmoil going on around them. In fact, he almost seemed amused by it.

“Here, Little Dude!” He whispered as he gently nudged Elfilin towards a pile of displaced fruit on the ground.

“Magolor! You’re okay!! Hey, did you see that black hole back there?! What should we do!?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that! Just grab some fruit and let’s go!” Magolor said anxiously.

Elfilin gave him a worried glance.

“You want me to…steal this?”

“It’s not stealing! It’s for a good cause! Besides, that ingrate tried to charge someone like Kirby money when Kirby deserves to have anything he desires for free! Wouldn’t you agree, Little Dude?”

“Magolor, I don’t know…Stealing?…“ Elfilin looked down nervously.

“He won’t even notice we took anything! As you can see, he seems to have his hands full at the moment…” Magolor motioned to the shopkeeper, who was busy picking up all the fruit and vegetables that had fallen all over the place. He was paying no attention to Magolor and Elfilin.

“Magolor…I don’t think I can do this…”

“Hurry, Little Dude! Kirby’s waiting! We can’t let him down, can we!?” Magolors eyes shined bright as he leaned in closer to Elfilin’s face.

“He won’t be mad! I promise!” Magolor winked at him. Elfilin peered deep into his eyes and sensed some kind of sincerity in them. He knew Magolor's heart was in the right place, but this didn’t feel like the right way to convey it…

“After all” Magolor continued, “We didn't cause that mysterious black hole to appear! Yikes, what a freak accident! We should return to Kirby’s house fast before something like that happens again! Here…I’ll help you fill this sack!” Magolor snatched the sack Elfilin was holding and quickly loaded it with as much fruit as the bag could handle. He handed it back to Elfilin and smiled happily. It was so heavy that Elfilin struggled to take hold of it.

“I think Kirby will be very pleased!” Magolor said with a nod.

"Hey, you two!" The shopkeeper and other nearby residents became aware of the two of them attempting to flee with the stolen fruit.

Magolor took Elfilin by the hand and quickly sped off with the sacks of fruit in tow. The shopkeeper chased after them swinging his fists angrily in the air.

“CURSE YOU, MAGOLORRRRR!!!” He yelled.

Magolor stopped for a brief moment and turned to laugh at the shopkeeper’s tantrum.

“Thank you for the fruit! Kirby sends his regards!” He waved and then quickly sped off once again.

Elfilin and Magolor both flew as fast as they could through Dream Land. Magolor moved quickly, but Elfilin was able to keep up. They drove further and further away from the village, eventually coming to a halt to collect their breath. Magolor smiled at Elfilin who seemed to be slightly distraught from the ordeal.

“Nice job back there, Little Dude!” Magolor said as he pat Elfilin on the head.

“Look at all this delicious fruit! I sure hope you’re hungry!” Magolor giggled as he rummaged through his ill-gotten gains.

Elfilin sighed, regretfully looking down at the sack of stolen fruit.

“What’s the problem?…Aren’t you excited about all these goodies we managed to snag?”

“Well…I guess…it’s just that…”

“The audacity of that jerk…to charge Kirby for fruit…has he forgotten what Kirby has done for the people this land?! Without Kirby there would be no fruit to sell! It wasn’t ideal…but it had to be done! Maybe next time he won’t be so foolish…” Magolor said snickering.

"What a mess that thing caused...” Elfilin was still very concerned about the sudden black hole that appeared earlier. “Should we go back and help that guy?” He said staring anxiously behind them.

“And keep Kirby waiting?!” Magolor exclaimed with a gasp.

"We're already taking much longer than I expected! Thanks to that ungrateful moron running that fruit stand, Kirby could be suffering from starvation already!" He said while feverishly pacing about.

"Should we tell Kirby about that black hole we saw, Magolor? Maybe he’ll know where it came from!”

“NO!-I mean…We don’t need to get Kirby concerned with something so trivial when he’s trying to relax and enjoy himself with his friends!”

“But that black hole-“

“Little Dude…trust me. I live here. I see things like this all the time. That black hole you saw back there? That was nothing…Folks around here are numb to it at this point.”

“Numb to it? Really?” Elfilin said a bit surprised.

“Oh, sure…and that was just a little one, too! It’s nothing these folks haven’t seen before! Believe me, Little Dude, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Magolor gave Elfilin a comforting nod. Something about the way Magolor looked at him made him feel like everything was going to be all right. The way he handled such a frightening situation with such quick thinking. He admired that Magolor seemed to always have Kirby’s best interests at heart. He could clearly see he cared a lot about Kirby. But…he couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to Magolor than he was leading on. He suspected that Magolor may be keeping something a secret…something…dark. Could it be the circumstances surrounding his meeting with Kirby? When that was brought up earlier, he did become rather quiet...and Bandana Waddle Dee has made several remarks about Magolor’s character as well as not seeming to get along with him…What was Magolor trying to hide? Elfilin was determined to find out.

“So what do you say, Little Dude. Ready to head back?” Magolor said with a smile.

Elfilin nodded, gripping the fruit sack tightly.

“I’m right behind you, Magolor!”

“I’m gonna go even faster this time! Think you can handle it?” Magolor said with a sly grin.

“I can show you some of my cool moves!” Magolor said as he twirled about.

“I can handle it! In fact…” Elfilin laughed and then quickly sped off leaving Magolor behind.

Magolor gasped as he watched Elfilin fly off without him. Elfilin giggled as he flew as fast as he could towards Kirby’s house. Magolor sped past him not too long after. He quickly surpassed Elfilin who in turn used all his energy to catch back up with Magolor. He finally caught back up with him and they flew side by side down the fields of the countryside. Elfilin cast a glance over to Magolor, who was staring straight ahead. He then noticed Elfilin watching him. He winked at him and took his hand. Magolor then sped up significantly the two of them began to their journey back to Kirby’s house with their newly acquired fruit.

｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡

[previous chapter]

[table of contents]

[next chapter] (COMING SOON)

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[scotianostra]

On April 11th 1958 the Scottish musician, singer and co-founder of Big Country, Stuart Adamson was born.

William Stuart Adamson was born in Manchester to Scottish parents who moved the family back home when Stuart was four, they settled in the small mining village of Crossgates in Fife. Stuart’s well-travelled father was in the fishing industry. Both his parents had a love of folk music and encouraged their children to pursue literature and music. He grew up in a household where it wasn’t unusual for a few folk to come home after the pub shut, a guitar or even a fiddle would be brought out and a singsong would happen, maybe Stuart, like me, and probably countless others out there, would sit at the top of the stairs and listen to the sounds coming from the livingroom, before of an age he would start making his own……

The punk rock ethos that dictated anyone could be in a band regardless of musical ability further inspired Adamson. After he saw a performance by The Damned in 1976, he formed his first band, The Tattoos. Two years later, he recruited singer the subject of Saturdays post, Richard Jobson, a teenager Adamson described as “the only other punk in town,” and formed The Skids.

The Skids had a UK Top 10 hit with 1979’s Into the Valley and, despite being a relatively short-lived outfit plagued by a host of line-up changes, would manage to chart in the UK four times.

It is his work with Big County for which Adamson is chiefly remembered. The band formed in 1981 and spent eight months rehearsing in a furniture warehouse before emerging with a triumphant gig in their hometown of Dunfermline. After playing an ill-conceived opening slot for Alice Cooper (the band was dropped from the tour after only two gigs), Big Country first charted with 1982’s “Harvest Home” and would later reach the Top 10 on the UK Singles chart with Fields of Fire.

But it was In A Big Country"that became a worldwide hit, propelling their album The Crossing to a million sales in the UK and gold record status in America, where they’d make appearances on Saturday Night Live and at the Grammys.

During the 1990s, Adamson’s personal problems came increasingly to the fore. After he and his first wife divorced, she detailed his struggle with alcoholism to the tabloids. He moved to Nashville in 1996 and with songwriter Marcus Hummon recorded an alt-country album as The Raphaels. Despite joining AA and achieving short-term sobriety, he still struggled with relapses. He disappeared for a time in 1999, failing to show for a series of gigs.

In 2000 Adamson returned to Big County for a successful farewell tour, including a well-received, sold-out performance in Glasgow. But 2001 saw him drifting again, unable to decide whether to record another Big Country album, to continue with The Raphaels, or to record a punk rock solo album he’d been mulling over. A lifelong football fan, he was a friend of Alex Ferguson and even contemplated a life away from the spotlight as a youth “soccer” coach in Atlanta, like the punk album it never materialised.

It was while watching a football match in an Irish pub in Atlanta that Stuart Adamson was last seen alive leaving the bar. He was found a few days later having hung himself in a hotel room in Honolulu, he was 43.

[amewinterswriting]

Ame Plays: Littlewood

A cute little life sim that's perfect if you like Stardew Valley but felt the pesky 'farming' bit was keeping you away from more interesting things.

You are the hero who vanquished the Dark Wizard and saved the world. The problem is, you can't remember any of it. Still, there's a town to rebuild and your trusty travel companions are by your side. Along the way, you can make new friends, pick up some new hobbies and maybe learn about what really happened in your past...

The good:

All characters who live in your town (except Dudley, the wise old mentor-type character who practically raised you) are romanceble regardless of gender.

There are canon queer 'default' romances between the villagers if you don't romance them.

Everyhing has clear lists of what you need to progress: I especially liked that in order to get particular travellers to visit, you need to sell certain items and it tells you exactly what you need to sell in your journal. Other games would make it a trial-and-error discovery process.

Absolutely everything about your town is decided by you - the position of houses, decor, paths, elevation, plants, etc. This can be edited at any time and destroying anything reimburses all the materials used to create it, meaning you are free to tinker and redesign with no penalty to progress.

The plot and characters are all nicely written with a surprising amount of depth.

A surprisingly good card game built-in - a simple trading card structure with a fair bit of strategy and anticipating opponent's plays.

No combat - the only 'dangers' just exhaust some energy and kick you out of an area if you are 'hit'. You mostly just have to avoid getting hit.

The bad

After marriage, your spouse just hangs out inside your home despite having their own and doesn't roam around outside or have dialogue about their interests/personality anymore.

A lot of the late game is dependent on random chance for acquiring the right items. At a certain point, you will be advancing time just to refresh the items available in the shops or areas. At this point, it starts to feel very grindy.

The last few achievements are literally just grinding for the sake of it. By this point in the game, you have more resources than you can ever use but you will still need to spend a few more hours mining and chopping trees if you want that achievement. This is more a case of 'when do you decide to stop playing?' - if you feel like you've achieved everything you want, you can absolutely call it quits earlier than this.

I thoroughly enjoyed the game while I was in the early/middle stages of it, but it felt like it just needed a little more to keep it interesting in the late game. Perhaps more interactions post-marriage - not just between yourself and your spouse, but also the budding romances we get a glimpse of after the wedding. Perhaps a set of community requests where your villagers want to add in more facilities or have noticed their neighbours would benefit from a new thing. Maybe a few more events - there's usually only about 3 a month, which makes 12 all year. It often feels like a long time before anything different happens to break up the grind. That said, it's a small indie game and I've sunk a good 54 hours into it, which is comparable to most JRPGs but at a quarter of the price, even if I had picked it up at full price (I actually picked it up as part of a Humble Bundle, but it also goes on sale very regularly). I've definitely gotten my value for money out of Littlewood and would recommend for a cozy, chill game.

[clouseplayssims]

Round 5 is over!! Here is where we stand currently in the challenge. We're really, really close to Three Lakes and have made good headway on Strangetown.

Unlocking Strangetown Level 10 Science Level 10 Military 0/3 Abductions ✓ Move in Bella Goth ✓ Revive a Sim Maximum Evil Witch ✓ Maximum Good Witch

Unlocking Veronaville ✓ 2 Enemies ✓ 5/5 Fights Level 10 Intelligence Level 10 Journalism Level 10 Law Enforcement

Unlocking Bluewater Village 3 Level 10 Businesses Level 10 Business ✓ Top all 3 Pet Careers Gold Sales Badge Gold Register Badge Gold Restocking Badge

Unlocking Downtown Level 10 Entertainment Level 10 Criminal Level 10 Show Business Gold Cosmetology Badge ✓ Restore 5/5 Cars Sim Becomes Werewolf

Unlocking Desiderata Valley Max Cuisine Max Film & Lit Max Games Max Tinkering Max Science ✓ Max Arts & Crafts Max Sports Max Nature Max Fitness Max Music & Dance Level 10 Medicine

Unlocking Belladonna Cove Level 10 Architecture ✓ Level 10 Athletic Level 10 Paranormal Level 10 Politics Write 3 Best Sellers

Unlocking Riverblossom Hills Level 10 Adventurer Level 10 Law Gold Gardening Badge ✓ Gold Sewing Badge Have a Successful Farm Bring Home Bigfoot

Unlocking Sim State University Complete 0/5 LTWs Level 10 Education ✓ Learn all Life Skills Sim Becomes Vampire (Eldon doesn't count it was a RoS)

Unlocking Academie Le Tour Level 10 Artist Level 10 Culinary Level 10 Music Maximize All Skills 0/4 A+ Student Graduates 0/3 Children/Teens Get Into Private School

Unlocking La Fiesta Tech Level 10 Dance Level 10 Slacker Gold Robotics Badge Gold Toy Making Badge Build a Servo

Unlocking Twikki Island Level 10 Natural Science Level 10 Oceanography Complete Insect Collection

Unlocking Three Lakes ✓ Gold Fishing Badge ✓ Gold Flower Arranging Badge Spawn PlantSim ✓ Discover 3/3 Stars

Unlocking Takemizu Village Level 10 Gamer ✓ Find a Genie Lamp Gold Pottery Badge

[newstfionline]

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Canada mulls expelling China diplomat for targeting lawmaker (AP) Canada’s foreign minister said Thursday the country is considering the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over an intelligence agency report saying one of them plotted to intimidate the Hong Kong relatives of a Canadian lawmaker. Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said her department was summoning China’s ambassador to a meeting to underline that Canada won’t tolerate such interference. She said the intelligence agency report indicated that opposition Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong and his Hong Kong relatives were targeted after Chong criticized Beijing’s human rights record. “We’re assessing different options including the expulsion of diplomats,” Joly said before a Parliament committee. Many governments, the United Nations, and human rights groups accuse China of sweeping a million or more people from its Uyghur community and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups into detention camps, where many have said they were tortured, sexually assaulted, and forced to abandon their language and religion. China denies the accusations, which are based on evidence including interviews with survivors and photos and satellite images from Uyghur’s home province of Xinjiang, a major hub for factories and farms in far western China.

Smaller Banks Are Scrambling as Share Prices Plunge (NYT) A cluster of regional banks scrambled on Thursday to convince the public of their financial soundness, even as their stock prices plunged and investors took bets on which might be the next to fall. The tumult brought questions about the future of the lenders to the fore, suggesting a new phase in the crisis that began two months ago with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, and was punctuated on Monday by the seizure and sale of First Republic Bank. PacWest and Western Alliance were in the eye of the storm, despite the companies’ protestations that their finances were solid. PacWest’s shares lost 50 percent of their value on Thursday and Western Alliance fell 38 percent. Other midsize banks, including Zions and Comerica, also posted double-digit percentage declines. Unlike the banks that failed after depositors rushed to pull their money out, the lenders now under pressure have reported relatively stable deposit bases and don’t sit on mountains of soured loans. The most immediate threat the banks face, analysts said, is a crisis of confidence.

Oil boom starts to transform Guyana (AP) Villagers in this tiny coastal community lined up on the soggy grass, leaned into the microphone and shared what they wanted: a library, streetlights, school buses, homes, a grocery store, reliable electricity, wider roads and better bridges. “Please help us,” said Evadne Pellew-Fomundam—a 70-year-old who lives in Ann’s Grove, one of Guyana’s poorest communities—to the country’s prime minister and other officials who organized the meeting to hear people’s concerns and boost their party’s image ahead of municipal elections. The list of needs is long in this South American country of 791,000 people that is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil producer, placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico and Norway. The oil boom will generate billions of dollars for this largely impoverished nation. It’s also certain to spark bitter fights over how the wealth should be spent in a place where politics is sharply divided along ethnic lines: 29% of the population is of African descent and 40% of East Indian descent, from indentured servants brought to Guyana after slavery was abolished. Change is already visible. In the capital, Georgetown, buildings made of glass, steel and concrete rise above colonial-era wooden structures, with shuttered sash windows, that are slowly decaying.

Beyond King Charles (Washington Post) Though the British monarchy attracts the most global attention, there are wealthier, more powerful royals among the 28 monarchs around the world. Seventeen of them are kings. Margrethe II of Denmark is the only queen. The microstate of Andorra has co-princes, the president of France and a Spanish bishop. Japan has an emperor. Brunei and Oman have sultans. Liechtenstein and Monaco have princes. Qatar and Kuwait have emirs. Luxembourg has a grand duke. And the United Arab Emirates has a president, though he is a monarch. Although Charles is estimated to have a personal net worth between $750 million and $1.44 billion, others far surpass him. Leaders in Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Brunei are estimated to be worth well over $10 billion.

Italian foreign minister calls off Paris trip after French ‘insults’ (Reuters) Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called off a trip to Paris on Thursday, saying the French interior minister had offended Italy and its Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with unacceptable “insults”. Earlier, the French minister, Gerald Darmanin, told RMC radio that Meloni was “unable to solve the migration problems on which she was elected” and accused her of “lying” to voters that she could end a crisis over growing numbers of boat migrants. News of his comments came as Tajani was preparing to fly to Paris to see his French counterpart—a trip that was aimed partly at improving relations between the two European Union countries that have grown increasingly brittle. France swiftly issued a statement in which it sought to reassure Rome of its willingness to work closely with Italy, but it was not enough to persuade Tajani to catch his plane. It was the latest in a series of clashes between Paris and Rome since Meloni took office last October at the head of a nationalist, conservative government which has a very different world vision to that of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Kremlin accuses Washington of directing drone attack on Putin (Washington Post) The Kremlin spokesman on Thursday accused the United States of ordering what Moscow alleges was an assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin with two drones that were sent to attack the Russian president’s official residence. “We know very well that decisions about such actions, about such terrorist attacks, are made not in Kyiv, but in Washington, and Kyiv does what it is told,” Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday. John Kirby, the spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said Peskov “is just lying.”

Russian mercenary chief Prigozhin says his forces will leave Bakhmut next week (Reuters) Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary force, said in a sudden and dramatic announcement on Friday that his forces would leave the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut that they have been trying to capture since last summer. Prigozhin said they would pull back on May 10—ending their involvement in the longest and bloodiest battle of the war—because of heavy losses and inadequate ammunition supplies. He asked defence chiefs to insert regular army troops in their place. “I’m pulling Wagner units out of Bakhmut because in the absence of ammunition they’re doomed to perish senselessly,” Prigozhin said in a statement. Prigozhin has vented increasing anger at what he describes as lack of support from the Russian defence establishment. Earlier on Friday he appeared in a video surrounded by dozens of corpses he said were Wagner fighters, and yelling and swearing at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov. He said they were to blame for Wagner’s losses because they had starved it of ammunition.

Earthquake-Proof, Not Corruption-Proof: Turkey’s Needless Deaths (NYT) The building began convulsing at 4:17 a.m. Firat Yayla was awake in bed, scrolling through videos on his phone. His mother was asleep down the hall. The region along Turkey’s border with Syria was known for earthquakes, but this apartment complex was new, built to withstand disaster. It was called Guclu Bahce, or Mighty Garden. Mr. Yayla’s own cousin had helped build it. He and his business partner had boasted that the complex could withstand even the most powerful tremor. So, as the earth heaved for more than a minute, Mr. Yayla, 21, and his 62-year-old mother, Sohret Guclu, a retired schoolteacher, remained inside. At that very moment, though, Mr. Yayla’s cousin, the developer, was leaping for safety from a second-story balcony. What Mr. Yayla and his mother had not known was that the system to ensure that buildings were safely constructed to code had been tainted by money and politics. A developer won zoning approval for the project after donating more than $200,000 to a local soccer club, where the mayor is an honorary president. The building inspector said that, even after the project had failed its inspection, the developers used political influence to get the doors open. The Feb. 6 earthquake revealed the shaky foundation on which so much growth was built. More than 50,000 people died as buildings toppled, crumbled or pancaked. Guclu Bahce, the mighty earthquake-proof complex, was among them. An estimated 65 people died there.

8 Are Dead in Shooting in Serbia, a Day After School Massacre (NYT) The Serbian police arrested a suspect early Friday after an hourslong overnight manhunt for a gunman who killed eight people and injured at least 14 others near Belgrade, according to Serbia’s Interior Ministry. The attack late Thursday was the nation’s second mass shooting in two days and rattled a country still reeling from an attack at a school that killed eight students and a security guard. Hundreds of police officers had gone door to door in the search for a 21-year-old male suspect, according to RTS, Serbia’s public broadcaster. They deployed helicopters and surrounded the area where they believed he was hiding, the report said. The gunman, who was in a moving vehicle, used an automatic weapon and fled the scene, according to RTS, which said the attack took place around Mladenovac, a municipality in the southern part of the capital, Belgrade.

Press group: China biggest global jailer of journalists (AP) China was the biggest global jailer of journalists last year with more than 100 behind bars, according to a press freedom group, as President Xi Jinping’s government tightened control over society. Xi’s government also was one of the biggest exporters of propaganda content, according to Reporters without Boarders. China ranked second to last on the group’s annual index of press freedom, behind only neighbor North Korea. The ruling Communist Party has tightened already strict controls on media in China, where all newspapers and broadcasters are state-owned. Websites and social media are required to enforce censorship that bans material that might spread opposition to one-party rule.

Israelis call out perks for ultra-Orthodox in latest protests (Washington Post) Israel’s protest movement, having forced the government to pause its attempt to overhaul the national judiciary system, pivoted to other targets in demonstrations across the country Thursday, including the exemption from military service and other special privileges long granted to the growing ultra-Orthodox community. Thousands marched for a “Day of Disruption to Demand Equality” focused on the unequal burdens of citizenship and status of the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim as they are known in Israel. Ultra-Orthodox citizens are largely shielded from the country’s mandatory draft and educational standards and their families benefit from heavy public subsidies that allow boys and men to devote years to religious study instead of working and paying taxes in the mainstream economy. Demonstrators blocked roads, lined bridges and picketed the homes of cabinet members. While many still chanted against the judicial overhaul, which some ministers are seeking to revive, most focused on other concerns, including spiking inflation and rising crime. The anger against the special status of the Haredi has long been a dynamic in Israeli politics, but it has grown more intense as the community has ballooned to roughly 13 percent of Israel’s total population, making them the country’s fastest growing demographic.

Fighting rages in Khartoum, civilians complain of being forgotten (Reuters) Heavy gunfire echoed around Khartoum again on Friday as civilians trapped by fighting in the Sudanese capital said the army and rival paramilitary forces were ignoring their plight. “It’s been four days without electricity and our situation is difficult... We are the victims of a war that we aren’t a part of. No one cares about the citizen,” said Othman Hassan, 48, a resident of the southern outskirts of Khartoum. Despite multiple ceasefire declarations, the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) appeared to be battling each other for control of territory in the capital ahead of proposed talks. The sudden collapse into warfare has killed hundreds, triggered a humanitarian disaster, sent an exodus of refugees to neighbouring states and risks dragging in outside powers, further destabilising an already restive region.