#Top real estate offices near me

[cursedwoman1859]

Arm Candy (Silco/F!Reader)

“I need someone who can look pretty on my arm and be trusted not to make off with the silverware from a topsider estate. That’s you.” Silco needs a plus-one for a fancy topsider party. You don't really have a choice but to agree.

AO3 Link

Rating: Explicit (18+, MDNI)

Words: 5.8k

Content: Resolved sexual tension; semi-public sex; vaginal fingering; dirty talk; dubious business ethics

---

It wasn’t often you got called into Silco’s office first thing in the morning. You were a paper-pusher, not one of the battle-hardened henchmen who usually hung around the Last Drop, and your work mostly kept you at your desk. Calculations came as naturally to you as breathing, and you could crunch numbers faster even than Silco himself. In the few months you’d been working for the Eye of Zaun, you’d made yourself indispensable. You helped keep track of the Shimmer shipments going to and from Zaun, you effortlessly slipped the profits from the drugs business into the earnings from the various factories and bars and properties that Silco owned, and once a week you’d spend the evening alone in the office with your stern, exacting boss while you went over that week’s financial reports. Silco needed someone to cook his books, and you prided yourself on being the best damn chef in the undercity. You kept to yourself, you prayed he never noticed your furtive glances up at him when he was absorbed in his work, and you did not cause trouble.

So it was only natural that your stomach twisted itself into knots as you stepped into his office, and that those knots tightened when he looked up from the paper he was reading, his bicoloured stare pinning you and making your walk to stand in front of his desk feel like miles instead of metres.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” you said when you were near, and the way his eyes flicked over you, almost too quickly for you to notice, did nothing to calm you.

“I did,” he said, his chair creaking as he leaned back in it. You’d definitely never wondered if it could hold two people. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

You could swear that sentence made your brain fritz like a faulty wire. “I, um—” Absolutely nothing was the real answer, but for some reason you didn’t want to admit that. “I made plans with…Ran and Dustin,” you said, saying the first names that came to your mind even though you’d never shared more than small talk with either of them.

Silco’s eyebrow raised as if he could see right through your lie. Which he probably could, because it was completely transparent. “Then cancel them. I need your help at an event.”

“What kind of…event?” you said, your mind reeling with all the things Silco could be alluding to. Shakedowns, back-alley deals, assassinations…

“Don’t look so frightened,” Silco said, taking a cigar from his ashtray and lighting it. He took a deep drag, letting the smoke billow around him as he spoke. “Are you familiar with Ko Shosu?”

It took you a moment to remember the name from some of the background research you’d carried out on Silco’s competitors. “Doesn’t he own that factory that makes gears or something?”

“The very same. He’s hosting a party at his residence topside tomorrow night and unfortunately, I’ll need to make an appearance. Shosu seems to think we’re acquaintances. And on top of that, I happen to know that one of his associates has run into some financial trouble as of late. His factory makes components that are essential to the Shimmer-tanks we’re developing. Now isn’t that a stroke of luck?”

“You want to get to this associate so you can get him to work with you?”

“Exactly. His name is Rupert Torek and he’s run up gambling debts with some very unsavoury people. I’m sure he’ll be cooperative once he realises I can lend him enough money to get himself out of debt before his wife finds out.”

You decided not to ask how Silco could have information like that on someone he’d never even met. For your sanity’s sake, it was better not to know. “And why do you need me, sir?”

It might have just been your imagination, but you could swear Silco looked you up and down again. Slower this time. “I thought that would be obvious. I cannot exactly show up to something like this alone. I need someone who can distract Torek’s wife so I can get five minutes alone with him, and who can look pretty on my arm and be trusted not to make off with the silverware from a topsider estate. That’s you.”

“I, um—” you floundered for a minute – the words look pretty on my arm setting your heart racing, which was stupid, he’d literally just said he wanted you to be his arm candy for a night, it meant nothing – and Silco raised an eyebrow at your hesitation.

“You’ll be paid overtime for your trouble, of course,” he said.

“That wasn’t—thank you, sir,” you said quickly.

“Good,” he said, flicking through some of the papers on his desk, his focus already slipping back to his work. “Meet me outside Ko Shosu’s house at eight sharp. Wear something nice and do not be late.”

It was a struggle to focus on your work for the next two days. The figures that usually came so easily to you seemed to blur together until you had to triple-check your spreadsheets in case you’d made an error while your mind insisted on screeching Silco think’s I’m pretty over and over like a stuck record. You were sure he’d meant nothing by that offhanded comment, but that didn’t help anything.

It was almost a relief when the next evening rolled around just so you could focus on doing something.

But that relief didn’t last long when you realised you didn’t have the first clue what you should wear to a party at a topsider’s fancy estate. There wasn’t time to hit up the markets even if you could justify the expense, so you settled for a black dress that was simple, but showed off your figure without showing too much of anything else, as you could at least guess that anything shorter than the knee-length hem of your dress might not go over well among the stiff, buttoned-up topsiders. You’d had the dress a long time and had to stitch it once or twice, but surely nobody would notice a little thing like that.

You felt strangely buoyant as you made your way through the upper districts of Zaun, where at this time in the evening business was just starting to pick up. Lines were forming outside the nicer clubs, the street hawkers were packing up to make way for the crowds, and the air nearly sparkled with Shimmer residue as you passed the open doors of some of the edgier establishments, where topsiders went to get a taste of the undercity without actually having to venture below. You couldn’t even find it within yourself to be annoyed at the arrogant topsiders who came to Zaun to indulge in all the things they couldn’t in Piltover before returning to their cushy homes and easy lives. Tonight felt like an infiltration, and it was you who would be inserting yourself somewhere you could never belong.

-

You met up with Silco outside the gates of Ko Shosu’s estate. He’d gone straight there from a meeting with some topsider businessman, and he was dressed as elegantly as he always was. As you approached you glanced at the people milling around on the wide driveway, and you suddenly felt underdressed.

“You’re almost late,” Silco said by way of greeting, and the nervous knot in your stomach only tightened.

“Sorry, sir. Border guards held me up. You know how they are.” The Enforcer at the checkpoint on the bridge had made a huge fuss over your ID photo having a slightly different hairstyle than you did now, just being an asshole because he was an Enforcer and he could.

“Hm,” was all he said as his eyes raked over you, and your mind instantly went to those little stitches in your dress. You suddenly felt as if he could see every little flaw in you, and the feeling only worsened when a couple of women in glittering floor-length gowns swept past, arm-in-arm and laughing airily.

“Do I look all right?” you said just to break the tense silence. “This is the best I have.”

“You look perfectly acceptable,” Silco said, and that was almost worse than if he hadn’t said anything. Acceptable. You’d be lucky if you weren’t mistaken for a servant. “Shall we?” he said then, offering you his arm. When you hesitated, he rolled his eyes. “Take my arm. We have to at least appear as if we both want to be here.”

“Do you want to be here?” you said as you curled your hand around his elbow, trying to ignore the jolt you felt at touching him, even if he was wearing a coat.

He scoffed. “Of course I don’t. But needs must.”

As you made your way up the long driveway, you couldn’t help but gawk at your surroundings. You knew this wasn’t even close to being the grandest house in all of Piltover, but at that moment you could have believed it. There were at least four floors, the upper two ringed in balconies spilling over with hanging flowers and vines. The next closest house had to be at least a hundred metres away, and in the dark space between you could make out the open expanse of a lawn lit by a ring of ground-level lamps, and manicured trees on each side. You couldn’t imagine what the topsiders would do with such a space – you could probably fit a whole other house in there, even one as large as Shosu’s.

And when you entered the house itself, you actually gasped. “Someone lives here? It looks like a palace.”

Silco shot you a glare as you stared at your surroundings with wide eyes, barely even registering the doorman who came to take your coats. “Remember how I said you were the only one I could trust not to fill your pockets? Don’t make me regret it.”

But you were hardly listening as your eyes roved over the crowded ballroom. It was a sea of fine suits and jewel-toned gowns, with servants darting through the throngs like the quick little fish that lived in the shallows of the river, trays of drinks and tiny pastry-like things balanced on their fingertips. Music drifted from somewhere you couldn’t see, almost drowned out by the chatter, and diamonds glittered at fingers and throats – and even on the ceiling, you noticed as your eyes drifted upwards, or at least it seemed like the chandeliers were draped in strings of gemstones that scattered the lights in every direction.

“Concentrate, girl,” Silco muttered close to your ear, making you shiver. “Remember why we’re here. Torek is over there,” he said, though you couldn’t possibly guess which of the guests he was indicating. “Do you remember your task?”

You dragged your eyes away from the spectacle before you to meet his mismatched eyes. “Keep his wife distracted while you get him to consider working with you. I’ve got it.”

“Good. We won’t need to stay long – an hour at most, then you can go home and do whatever you’d like. Maybe you can even catch Ran and Dustin.” As he said this the corner of his mouth tilted up, and you realised with some shock that the Eye of Zaun was teasing you.

You shrugged in what you hoped was nonchalance. “It takes as long as it takes. You know I’m not one to rush a job.”

“I’m aware,” he said as you started to make your way through the crowd, weaving through the throng as if you weren’t aiming straight for your unfortunate target. Perhaps it was because people knew he was from the Undercity, or maybe whispers of the things his people did in dark alleys and dingy establishments travelled ahead of him, but the dense crowd of people seemed to loosen before him, as if people suddenly remembered they had other places to be when he approached. If it offended him, Silco gave no sign, but instead he leaned in to you again. “He is close now. Laugh like I’ve said something terribly clever, you look petrified.”

“I’m fine,” you insisted, but you did as he asked anyway, and it seemed to help. The tension you had felt in the air around you receded a little, and before you knew it Silco was shaking hands with a tall, portly man. You barely heard as he introduced you as his guest for the night, your heart was pounding so loudly in your ears. Rupert Torek had an open, kind face, his eyes crinkling at the sides when he smiled, and he didn’t seem surprised that Silco had sought him out. You wondered if he had any idea how fucked he was.

“We haven’t met before! I’m Liana, Rupert’s wife,” a voice at your side said, making you start, though you quickly smoothed it over with a smile as you turned to the woman who had appeared next to you, introducing yourself and hoping you sounded like you knew you belonged here, just like she did.

Liana glanced between you and Silco, who had already captured her husband’s full attention. Her brows lowered slightly, and you wondered if she had suspicions about her husband’s gambling. “I didn’t know Silco had a partner,” she said carefully.

“Oh, we’re not…together,” you said, laughing airily. “I’m just accompanying him tonight.”

“I see,” Liana said, though now her smile seemed frozen in place, and you wondered if you’d offended her somehow. But nevertheless she called over a couple of her friends, whose names you quickly forgot, and for a moment you were very pleased with yourself. There was no chance Liana would try to join her husband’s conversation while you had her distracted like this.

It was at this point that things started to go wrong.

In hindsight, you should have realised what Liana thought you were implying when you’d said you were accompanying your boss, and what a topsider would think of that particular occupation. But you were a few minutes into a banal, vapid conversation with Liana and her friends about something that you weren’t really paying attention to before you realised that they all thought you were a whore he’d hired for the night, and apparently found this very offensive judging by the bladed smiles and barbed compliments that started heading your way. It didn’t help that you were inadvertently showing much more skin than any of them – and how you were supposed to know the current fashions topside, you had no idea. Pretty soon your fingers were itching to take off one of your high-heeled shoes and beat Liana’s face in with it, but you couldn’t exactly square up in the middle of a ballroom as if you were in a Zaunite dive bar.

So instead, you just played dumb.

You let the thinly-veiled insults, the insinuations that you didn’t belong among them, glance off you. Nobody spent their whole life in Zaun without growing their own kind of armour. Right now yours was keeping your smile frozen firmly on your face, and so Liana was too busy with you to notice that her husband was making a business deal with the Eye of Zaun himself, right under her powdered nose.

That thought made you glance over at Silco, and the second your eyes met his, you felt a strange sort of calm descend over you. Rupert Torek was still chatting away, not even a hint of discomfort on his round face. Silco gave you a minute, almost imperceptible nod, raising his glass of wine slightly.

It had actually worked.

You tried to keep your face blank. That only became harder when Silco turned his attention back to Torek and you realised that when you’d looked over at him, he’d already been watching you.

-

Soon after, you excused yourself to go to the ladies’ room. You were pretty sure Liana and her friends forgot all about you as soon as you were out of sight – or at least you hoped so. You didn’t want to know what they’d be saying about you as soon as you were out of earshot.

You didn’t head to the bathroom, though. Instead you went out the way you’d come in, not bothering to collect your coat from the doorman as you went down the stone steps as fast as you could without running.

As soon as you were outside, away from the glare of the house’s lights, you felt the tightness that had settled in your chest loosen. You hadn’t even noticed the anxiety creep under your skin with every barb Liana and her friends had thrown your way, but when it finally dissipated you wondered how you’d been able to breathe at all.

You should go back now that you’d got your fresh air. You couldn’t just disappear.

But one glance back at the shadowy figures moving through the ballroom windows had you moving away from the house, into the shadows of the grounds where nobody would notice the Zaunite girl who was hilariously out of place among them.

The pathways were lit by low electric lights, and there was nobody else out here. You chose a path along the edge of the grounds, shielded on one side by a high wall and on the other by a huge rosebush bordering the lawn. You weren’t sure whether you were really supposed to be out here, but nobody stopped you as you wandered further into the grounds. 

Eventually you found a bench and you sat down, tipping your head back to watch the stars in the sky. You’d only ever seen them when Silco sent you up to Piltover on business, and on those nights there was never time to stop and really look at them. Down in the Undercity it was difficult to see the sky at all through the smog, let alone the dozens of stars that shimmered through the haze of Piltover’s lights.

For some reason you couldn’t name, tears sprang to your eyes unbidden, and you tried to blink them away without ruining your makeup.

Of course, that was the moment you heard footsteps approaching.

“Drinking alone already?”

Your head snapped up to see Silco strolling towards you, and it was then that you realised you still had your glass of wine in your hand. You sighed, taking a sip as your boss sat down next to you.

“Just needed some air,” you muttered as Silco slung his arm over the back of the bench. It didn’t escape you that if you leaned back, he would have his arm around you. “How did it go with Torek?”

“I expect we’ll be getting a visit from him or one of his associates in the near future. His wife wasn’t too much for you, I take it?”

“I handled it. But they’re all just so…ugh.”

Silco chuckled as he pulled a cigar from somewhere in his coat, and you tried not to let the sound startle you. You’d never heard Silco laugh before, not even a little, and the sound was surprisingly warm. “Don’t worry, we won’t have to do this again for a while.” You watched as he held the cigar between his crooked teeth as he flicked his lighter, the strange angle of the lights highlighting his sharp cheekbones as he took a long drag.

“You know, I don’t think we’re allowed to smoke out here.”

“I don’t care.” He blew a long puff of smoke out into the crisp night air, staining it with a rich scent of tobacco and spices. “Is something bothering you?”

You searched for words to explain the anger tightening your throat, but came up with nothing that made sense. You were a numbers girl. Words were Silco’s thing. You shrugged. “It’s stupid. It doesn’t matter.”

“I’m asking, so I would say it does.” His voice had hardened, and you glanced over at him in alarm, though he didn’t look angry.

You didn’t want to push it, though, so you sighed and took a sip from your wine to buy a few seconds, feeling Silco’s mismatched gaze on you the whole time. “It’s just…all they did in there was bitch about things. What I was wearing, how I acted, their husbands, their lives. And yet…” you gestured vaguely at your surroundings. The gardens that must have needed a whole team of people to maintain. The lawn that sat empty when it could have grown enough food to feed a whole street of hungry Zaunites. The house. “They have all this, but it’s all they’ve ever had, so they can’t even see how privileged they really are. Meanwhile we have to scrape every penny just to put food on the table and some people in Zaun don’t even get that. If I lived up here I’d never complain about anything ever again,” you finished, and by now you were speaking into your wine glass, your eyes fixed on the ground.

Silco was quiet for a moment, and you didn’t dare glance up at him to see if you could gauge what he was really thinking. You’d never been so candid with your boss before, and you half expected him to leave and pretend tonight had never happened. The very last thing you expected him to say was, “What if I told you that tonight had been something of a test of your loyalties?”

Now you did look up, and he was watching you with that kind of calculated detachment he was so good at, though something in the hard lines of his face had softened. Or maybe it was just the moonlight.

“I don’t understand, sir.”

He took his time answering, taking another long drag of his cigar and releasing the smoke in a ring. “You’ve been with me a short while now, and you’re a very talented accountant. With your skills and some forged papers you could easily find work topside. Something with less risk and more pay.”

You flushed at his insinuation. “You pay me just fine.”

He rolled his eyes. “All wages are higher topside, you know that. You could have walked out of that house with a whole list of people who would pay you far more than I can for the same work, but you didn’t. Instead you stood there and allowed me to work on Torek while everyone in that room thought you were just some girl I’d hired for the night.”

You started to splutter a protest, but it died on your lips when you realised Silco was right. If you’d revealed your real job it would have raised Liana’s suspicions.

“It’s a long road ahead of us until Zaun is an independent nation. The topsiders won’t let us go without a fight,” he said, his voice dropping in case you weren’t alone in the gardens. “There will be times when you are tempted by offers of money, better jobs in better places, employers who won’t ask you to break the topsiders’ laws every day. I needed to know that you were true to the cause, that you would remain loyal to me even when you had the opportunity to make things easier for yourself.”

“You were giving me an out,” you said as it clicked into place. “Why now?”

“Because by now, you know exactly what you’re getting into by staying. Your choice to work for me is a genuine one.”

“So did I pass? Your test, I mean.”

“We would not be sitting here now if you had failed.”

You weren’t involved in the…bloodier side of Silco’s business, but you weren’t ignorant to it, either. You knew what he did to people he suspected of disloyalty. Would he really have let you go if you’d wanted? Or would you have disappeared into the shadows of the Lanes, never to be heard from again? You wouldn’t be the first. But then you realised that you’d never been afraid of that, because you would never give him a reason to doubt your loyalties. Zaun had to break free of Piltover, and he was the only one with the wits, the resources, and the sheer bloody-mindedness to finally cut the undercity free.

A sudden cold breeze blew in off the river, making the hedges surrounding you tremble, and you became acutely aware that you had left your coat inside. Before you could give yourself the chance to think better of it, you leaned back, and as you’d suspected, Silco didn’t move his arm. He didn’t quite put his arm around you, but he traced a circle on your bare shoulder with the back of his thumb, almost as if he was reluctant to touch you in case he scared you off.

“We can return to the party if you wish,” he said, and now he was near enough for his warm breath on your ear to send shivers along your skin that had nothing to do with the chilled night air.

“I prefer it out here.”

“As do I.” He held his cigar between his teeth as he reached into his coat and produced a small metal hip flask.

You couldn’t help but snort as he uncapped it and the smell of whiskey hit your nose. “You brought your own alcohol?”

He took a swig and then passed the flask to you. “Better than the swill they’re serving in there.”

“That swill is probably very expensive.”

“So is this. Drink.”

You took a small sip and were proud of yourself when you didn’t cough, even though the whiskey was strong enough to make your eyes water. A pleasant warm sensation spread out from your chest as you swallowed, though, and you shivered as you licked a drop off your lip. “Definitely tastes expensive.”

You looked up at him, and Silco’s eyes quickly snapped away from your mouth as he made a vague hum of agreement. For a while neither of you spoke, and you only passed the flask back and forth in companionable silence. The music that drifted towards you on the wind picked up in pace, and you heard the occasional drunken shout in the distance. Still nobody ventured into the dark grounds.

“Earlier I told you that you looked acceptable,” Silco said all of a sudden as he tapped out his half-smoked cigar and put it back in the tin. “I believe I should have told you that you look lovely instead.”

You felt a flush creep up your neck, and you risked a glance up at your boss – who had told you that you would look pretty on his arm, who had trusted you with this mission and had noticed when you slipped off to be alone. Nobody ever did that.

Maybe it was the whiskey. Maybe you were delusional or perhaps just stupid. You didn’t really know why you did it, but before you could think better of it, you leaned over and kissed him.

It was only a quick, chaste press of your lips against his, and you instantly regretted it when Silco stayed completely still against you. You jerked backwards, already apologising. “I’m so sorry sir, I shouldn’t—”

You didn’t get to finish your sentence. Silco’s hand was firm on the back of your neck as he pulled you towards him and kissed you. Properly this time. It was your turn to freeze in shock, but you quickly got over it as his tongue danced against yours and you tasted whiskey and smoke. You eagerly let him in as he deepened the kiss, shivering as his hand slid up your leg from your knee to your thigh, and for the first time that night you were glad of your too-short skirt.

You gasped in surprise as he pulled you onto his lap, barely breaking the kiss as he made you straddle him, your skirt riding up as your thighs spread. Feeling bold, you ran your hands through his soft hair, and he hummed in approval as you raked your nails through the short hair at the base of his neck. In response he gave your ass a firm squeeze, grinding you down onto his lap.

And onto the hard length beneath you.

You circled your hips against him as he moved down to your neck, holding you in place with a hand in your hair pulling just tight enough to hurt as he bit more than kissed you, leaving marks that would definitely be impossible to hide in this dress. You couldn’t give a shit. No way were you going back into that stupid party after this.

“Tell me how long you’ve wanted this,” Silco said, emphasising his point with a sharp snap of his hips up against you.

“I—” you started, but you could only focus on his hands creeping up your thighs again. Except this time, they didn’t stop.

“Go on,” he coaxed, as if you were supposed to focus on anything except his fingers hooking into the waistband of your panties. You hissed as he tugged them down and the cold night air hit your pussy, and it faded into a whimper as he trailed his fingers along your lips, pausing to circle your entrance in a way that made your back arch. “And don’t you dare try to lie to me, sweetheart, because you’re already wet for me.”

“Um…” you tried to focus on anything but the soft, barely-there brush of his fingers against your pussy. Every time you tried to grind against his hand he moved away, keeping his touch just a little too soft, the bastard. “I think – maybe…”

“A few weeks?” he prompted.

“Mm – no…”

He raised an eyebrow, but rewarded your answer by pressing his thumb against your clit, though he still refused to give you what you wanted. Needed.

“Months?”

“Longer. Since… I wanted this since my first day working for you.” Finally, Silco slid one long finger into you as his thumb drew an agonisingly slow circle over your clit, and your eyes fluttered closed in pleasure.

“Do you want to know a secret, my lovely?” he said, his fingers moving faster, obscene wet noises filling the air.

“M-hm.”

“I have you beat. I’ve wanted this since I interviewed you.”

Your eyes flew open at his admission just as he sank another finger into you without warning. Later. You could think about what he’d said later. For now you just let yourself enjoy the curl of his long fingers inside you, the expert ministrations of his thumb on your clit that sent waves of warm pleasure up your spine.

Until the bastard stopped.

He withdrew his hand from you, and his fingers glistened in the moonlight from your wetness. Your eyes widened as he licked them clean, then he motioned for you to stand. “Get up. Go and stand at the end of the bench.”

You followed his directions on shaky legs, and Silco followed, casually strolling around to stand behind you. You had a good idea of what he intended. He trailed his fingers up your bare arms, then fisted one hand in your hair while the other held your bicep in a bruising grip. “If you want this to stop,” he purred in your ear, “say the word now.”

You only pushed back against him, feeling his hard length behind you.

“I thought not.” Then he bent you over the arm of the bench, the ornate steel armrest digging into your hips as he lifted your skirt and pulled your panties down to your knees. You weren’t sure if you shivered with the cool breeze or the anticipation as you heard him unbutton his pants, his hand still in your hair. Then you hissed as you felt the press of his cock against your centre, arched your back as he slid it through your wetness before finally sinking into you as his free hand started playing with your clit once more.

Your voice rose in a high, keening cry as he sheathed himself inside you, easing the ache of his entry with his fingers on your clit. He stopped abruptly, pulling you up by your hair. “Hush now,” he hissed in your ear as he let go of your hair and shoved his fingers in your mouth. You could taste the echo of yourself on his skin. “You don’t want them to think you really are my whore, do you?”

You choked around his fingers for a moment before you relaxed your throat enough that you could shake your head and make a garbled nuh-uh sound, which earned you a low chuckle.

“I didn’t quite catch that, sweetheart,” he said as he started to move, setting a quick, urgent pace that reminded you that anybody could come around the corner and see you bent over a bench with the most powerful man in the Undercity driving into you from behind as you gagged on his fingers. Every thrust of his hips ground yours against the metal armrest, and you knew you’d surely have bruises in the morning. “I wish we were somewhere I could fuck you properly. Take you apart piece by piece until you’re nothing more than a writhing, crying mess in my bed. But perhaps you do like the idea of someone seeing you, seeing how well you’re taking me. How wet you are.” His breathing was becoming shallow as he fucked you, but that didn’t stop the stream of filth from his mouth. “I don’t know about you, but I would kill to see the look on Ko Shosu’s face when he realises we used his party to lure his friend into our web and then defiled his rose garden right under his nose.”

He said something else after that too, but you’d stopped listening to his words and let the low, rough cadence of his voice be the final push you needed over that peak you’d been approaching, once interrupted and now higher than ever. Even Silco’s fingers in your mouth weren’t enough to muffle your cries as you came, your thighs shaking from the strain of standing while your walls clamped down on Silco’s cock, over and over again in waves of agonising bliss. He followed soon after, and you felt a warm rush as he spilled himself inside you with a groan he muffled in your neck.

For a moment you both stood there, catching your breath. You sighed in relief as Silco removed his fingers from your mouth, and after tucking himself away he cleaned you up with a handkerchief before pulling your panties back up for you. “You felt just as good as I’d imagined you would,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to your abused scalp.

“Is that something you imagined often, sir?” you said teasingly.

“Most nights,” he murmured into your hair. “And perhaps some days, too.”

Well, damn. You had no idea what to say to that, other than, “Me too.” Maybe you had actually drank too much. “Take me home,” you said, leaning back against his chest as he straightened out your skirts. You felt him smile against your hair.

“It would be my absolute pleasure.”

[flatbstanley]

Wednesday, 9:13 am - Office of Fr. Benedict Crane

Fr. Crane: Good to see you, Justin. And this must be the acquaintance you mentioned on the phone?

Justin: Yes, this is Claire Newton.

Fr. Crane: A pleasure, Miss Newton. Why don't you both have a seat.

Fr. Crane: I was sorry to hear that Taylor demanded a divorce from you. I'll never understand why people feel the need to leave a good partner and to break the sacred bond of marriage.

Justin: Yes indeed, Father. And on top of that, she wants to take my kids from me, and I'm hoping you can help me with that.

Fr. Crane: I did find your phone call rather confusing. Could you explain again what you need from me?

Justin: That leftist social worker appointed by the judge said that my kids couldn't be with me - not even just for the weekend - because my house wasn't big enough. Can you imagine?

Claire: Real estate is getting expensive in Chestnut Ridge, Father. It's hard to afford a big house unless you, um, well...

Justin: But Claire's house has a room with plenty of extra beds. If we did weekends at her place instead of mine, the social worker would be just fine with it.

Justin: I know what this might look like, Father, and that's why I wanted to talk it over with you. I don't want to lead Claire into the near occasion of sin, and I certainly don't want to make others think we aren't living a Christian life. But I take my responsibilities as a father very seriously, and if this gives me a way to make sure my children are trained properly in the Faith, isn't that the most important thing?

Claire: And I'm happy to help Justin out. As a friend, of course.

Fr. Crane: Ah, I understand. Yes, you were right to be concerned about how this might appear to others. But I agree with you, Justin, that upholding your duty to your children is paramount. Particularly when we consider the training they'll otherwise be receiving from their mother. I take it the two of you will sleep in separate rooms?

Justin: Of course, Father.

Fr. Crane: Well, that settles that. I would simply love to take more time to chat with you, but I do have another appointment coming up.

Fr. Crane: Before you leave, Miss Newton, I must say that your dress is simply lovely. Recently I've felt increasingly convicted that skirts are the only proper attire for a Catholic woman.

Claire: Really? I mean, I don't mind them when I'm doing stuff like this, but I've got a horse at home. I couldn't ride or take care of her if I had to wear skirts all the time.

Fr. Crane: Well. Something to think about, at any rate. Have a lovely day, and God bless you.

[unforgottenrobot]

Broadchurch: The Next Chapter

Chapter 13 - The Keys

The day had finally arrived for Alec and Anna to finalize the purchase of their new home. As they drove to the real estate office, Alec glanced over at Anna, his usual calm exterior masking the slight nervousness he felt about such a big step. But Anna, in contrast, looked confident, even a little pleased with herself, and Alec couldn’t help but wonder why.

They parked, and as they stepped into the office, Anna turned to Alec with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I’ve been doing a little extra research,” she said, casually smoothing her skirt. “You know, about the property.”

Alec raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. “What kind of research?”

Anna smiled. “Well, you’ll see.”

Inside, they sat down with the real estate agent, and as they were going over the paperwork, Anna smoothly brought up a little-known local property rule. It had something to do with an old zoning law from decades ago, and how it affected properties near the coastal area. The agent looked surprised, admitting that the rule was rarely invoked but still valid. It essentially allowed for a reduction in the sale price, something the sellers hadn't accounted for.

Alec sat back, impressed. He hadn’t seen this coming. Anna, always so thorough and thoughtful, had managed to uncover a detail that even the professionals had overlooked. After some back and forth, the agent confirmed that they could indeed negotiate a reduction in the price, shaving a significant amount off the final cost.

When they stepped back out into the bright afternoon, Alec gave Anna a long, thoughtful look. “I didn’t know I was with a real estate mastermind,” he teased, though the admiration was clear in his voice.

Anna laughed lightly. “Just paying attention. I thought it might help us get a better deal.”

Alec shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “You never cease to impress me, Anna Bailey.”

She grinned back at him, feeling a small swell of pride. “Well, I figured we could use the savings for something else. Maybe even some new furniture for the house.”

——————————————————————————

With the paperwork signed and the deal officially done, they made their way to pick up the keys. The moment felt surreal as Alec jingled the set of keys in his hand, the metal cool against his palm. This was it. Their house.

They drove to their new home and picked up Daisy along the way, a sense of excitement building in the car. When they arrived at the now-empty house, it seemed even more expansive without furniture, but it was filled with possibilities.

Daisy was the first to suggest pizza. “We have to make our first memory here,” she said, her voice full of enthusiasm. “We’ll eat on the floor, like people do in the movies when they move into a new house.”

Alec chuckled at her energy, while Anna gave her an approving nod. “Sounds like a plan.”

Soon enough, they were sitting on the hardwood floor of their new living room, pizza boxes spread out in front of them. The house lights casting a warm glow over the bare walls and floors. They had no furniture yet, but none of them seemed to mind.

As they ate, laughter filled the empty space. Alec leaned back against the wall, watching as Daisy and Anna bantered, while Daisy picked out the toppings she didn’t like and piled them onto Alec’s slice. It felt easy, natural - like they had always belonged here, the three of them.

“This feels good,” Daisy said, looking around the room. “Like really good.”

Anna smiled at her. “It’s just the beginning. We’ll fill it with memories.”

Alec watched the two of them, his heart full in a way that he hadn’t experienced in a long time. There was something profoundly right about this moment. It wasn’t just the house, or the new chapter they were starting - it was the feeling of finally building a life together, as a family.

As they finished up the pizza, Daisy stretched out on the floor, her head resting in her hands. “I think this is going to be a great home.”

Alec leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. “I think you’re right.”

Anna, sitting beside him, nudged his knee with hers. “We’re going to make it everything we’ve ever wanted.”

Alec turned to her, his gaze soft and full of gratitude. “You’ve already done more than that, Anna. You made this possible.”

She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. “We did it together.”

And as the three of them sat there, the empty house around them already beginning to feel like home, Alec felt the weight of the past lift just a little more. This was their future, and it was already better than anything he could have imagined.

[lucidmagic]

I posted 4,768 times in 2022

221 posts created (5%)

4,547 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

wishful-thinkment

@bearlybella

fluent-in-lesbianism

@redoqs

@lelianasbitch

I tagged 549 of my posts in 2022

#my asks - 118 posts

#asks - 115 posts

#donna beneviento - 101 posts

#my fic - 96 posts

#phyto's guide - 83 posts

#donna beneviento x reader - 74 posts

#lucidmagic asks - 71 posts

#anon asks - 61 posts

#critical role - 59 posts

#lucidmagic - 45 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#i have no preference but considering the lack of complexity most people write the family dynamic with i’m definitely intrigued by writing

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Donna, when you come home from eating at Olive Garden:

460 notes - Posted September 27, 2022

#4

Modern AU BusinessWoman!Alcina x PersonalAssistant!Reader (part 1?)

Not me getting another AU idea while I need to finish Phyto's Guide and wanting to expand on my Werewolf/Assistant!Reader story for Alcina 😭😭😭

(Please, don’t steal any of this.)

But anyway. . . here's Modern!AU BusinessWoman!Alcina x PersonalAssistant!Reader that I need to get out of my head and share:

Alcina Dimitrescu is the CEO/president/top dog of some sort of business (wine? real estate? record label? IDK I don't do business people), and has been so for the past decade or so.

She's a mixture of Miranda Presley (The Devil Wears Prada) and Cat Grant (Supergirl)-- some would say an absolute demon, others would say a big ole bitch, but there's no doubt she gets her job done and done right the first time. Very high standards, very efficient.

She's also 6'5"-- 6'9" in heels, which intimidates the fuck out of her insecure male coworkers all the time.

She also goes through assistants like bubblegum, not in the sexual sense, but in the incredibly demanding and near-impossible boss way. The longest someone has lasted with Alcina was five months. The shortest = 1 1/2 months. Her standards are that high. (As you can see I drew a lot from Cat Grant because I was in the Supergirl fandom for a while don't shame me)

She is also an incredibly devoted mother to her 3 daughters, aged 12 to 16 (ages pending) and she somehow balances work-life very well. And those who can look Alcina in the eye can tell her family means the world to her and it's likely the only time she genuinely smiles and laughs when her daughters are in the office or she tells a story about them.

Not that those in the office would know-- they don't meet her gaze lest they chance being turned to stone.

(There are also rumors she's related to Countess Elizabeth Báthory or even Vlad the Impaler himself, what with her Romanian ancestry)

Anyways, she has the world in her palms, uber-rich, super fucking hot, and could get anyone and anything with a flick of her wrist. Top of the line style. Heels and eyes that could slice. And yet, in desperate need of a competent assistant that'll last more than 3 months.

On the other hand, you are quite the opposite of Miss Alcina Dimitrescu: practicality over panache for fashion, rather wear pants and loafers than skirts and heels (more for efficiency and comfort than anything else), not really into flaunting what you got. You come from a simple background, never really had money, just enough that it kept food on the table-- especially when you had a falling out with your parents.

You’re frugal as well. Your clothes are at least two years old, you dare not to shop too much for yourself, as you’ve been insecure with money before because of your parent’s kicking you out. Your phone is too many years out of date. A small one bedroom apartment. You prefer glasses over contacts because contacts are too expensive and its cheaper to just wear glasses everyday.

And yet, you’re whip smart. Efficient, stubborn, and determined to boot if you have the resources. You managed to make your way through college despite your parents not helping and you managed to land a good jig as the assistant to Nepotism Junior, one where you can afford a good, single, albeit small apartment, and you have at least a comma to your name when it comes to savings.

But it’s hard-- especially when you’ve been doing Nepotism Junior’s job for over a year during the year and half stint at the company. Long arduous hours where you are not only doing your job but also his while he does god knows what. It keeps you busy yes, but it also keeps his grubby hands and prepubescent one-liners away from you. So you can’t complain that it is all that bad.

(There is other things that may bring Alcina and the Reader first together, but I don’t want to divulge it here) It comes to a head one day when some misadventures and drunkenness leaves Nepotism Junior down for the count for an important meeting with some head honchos at the company. So you stand before them, giving them a presentation on the work he’s (read: you’ve) been doing for the past month. And frankly, it is some of your best work.

There are little hiccups, mostly just reanswering questions that some old geezers missed the first time. And Alcina has been quiet, for the most part as well, only sounding when she wants you to clarify somethings in “Nepotism Junior’s” presentation.

Somehow you don’t turn to stone when you meet her gaze at the head of table. Somehow your voice doesn’t waver like it would normally do. You know what you’re talking about.

“Give Nepotism Junior our congratulations for his work and presentation. We have a feeling we’ll be moving forward with his proposal.” She says, eyes on you the whole time. You can’t help how your mouth twitches at it.

And they leave. You go back to your desk and continue with your work, while Junior sleeps off his hangover. And that’s that.

Until it isn’t.

Because next week, you’re suddenly transferred to the Alcina Dimitrescu’s floor and you’re now her assistant. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

To say you hit the ground running would be an understatement. It’s more like dropped in the middle of the ocean and expected to get to land miles way by a deadline, no boat or raft in sight.

The first week is hell. Week two and three is practically purgatory. And week four is back down to hell (you swear Miss Dimitrescu was testing you that week and expecting you to break under the strain, however, you’re fucking stubborn like a bull and won’t be pushed around by this entitled, snobbish, egotistical--)

The money is far better than before (like nearly double) and you actually do things in your job description (and then some). And you don’t have to deal with Nepotism Junior’s remarks and alcohol breath at 10am. So frankly, it’s a pretty damn good upgrade.

Week 5 is marginally better, things start to settle. Week 6 is when you begin to get Miss Dimitrescu’s temperament and routine predicted and you start to notice things you didn’t before.

She likes her coffee with two creams and one sugar one lighter days. One cream and no sugar on harder days. On Wednesdays she’s noticeably happier and more relaxed as you’ve learned that it’s her and her girls game night. Her brow creases in a particular way when she’s reading business jargon. It furrows in a different way when she has to read horrible drivel. She likes talking to herself through problems. She likes that you know what she’s talking about and sometimes bounces ideas off of you. When she likes your ideas she hums and follows up with it. If she doesn’t she sends you on a fetch quest.

Alcina Dimitrescu also has a horrible sweet tooth, especially when she’s stressed, and there’s a secret cabinet, you learned, where she keeps her stash. You walked in on her stuffing her face with chocolate one time and was nearly impaled with a fountain pen. (You make sure to keep it well stocked after that)

She’s a stern, but predictable woman. With moods you’re slowly starting to foresee even before 9:30am, before she’s half-way through her morning latte.

See the full post

462 notes - Posted May 15, 2022

#3

There’s an abrupt clatter to the ground as a surge of something dark crashes into you, the journal falling abandoned on the ground. Pale hands slip out from between your bodies and come to clasp at your shoulders, digging into the material and muscle with determined strength. You stagger back as warmth blossoms as your bodies come together and Donna’s grip brings you downward and downward and downward. . .

Oh.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Oh.

The veil’s layered fabric crashes onto your lips and you gasp as you feel Donna beneath it. Her lips are pleasantly cool and oh so perfectly soft, even behind the cloth separating you. Despite the chasteness, a fervent fire ignites and radiates between where two of you meet, curling and spreading and utterly encompassing. She’s now a blaze you can’t control and have no care to. You’re being consumed. You’re being razed. Her breath is sweet, too sweet that it has your mind reeling and spiraling. Until thoughts slip away into blissful nothingness as she presses further in, sating all your worries and doubts.

The shock has you stiffen from her kiss.

Her kiss. Donna’s kiss.

Donna is kissing you.

-- Chapter 6, The Phytologist’s Guide to Falling in Love

___________________

Thank you anna-sassi-art for bringing this scene to life! Absolutely wonderful work and I’m practically shaking with excitement to share this commission everyone. Agh! So ecstatic!

It was also so fun to brainstorm a description for the reader and honestly I think now have a crush on them. Oops.

822 notes - Posted June 16, 2022

#2

Alcina: *takes a sip of Coke* *looks disappointed* *sighs* They just don’t make them like they used to…

Reader: “????? You mean with the actual cocaine?????”

Alcina: *visibly sheds a tear* yeah…..

1,092 notes - Posted June 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The most unrealistic part of Stray is it’s an orange cat being Smart

6,487 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fss-123]

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[lmp-04]

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Whether you're looking for residential property management or commercial services, Look My Property can connect you with reliable professionals. The services provided cover every aspect of property management, ensuring you can trust the experts to handle your property with care.

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Farm lands in Hyderabad are a great investment, and Look My Property offers a wide range of agricultural land options. Located in prime areas such as Shadnagar, Kothur, and Sangareddy, these farm lands provide excellent opportunities for future development or agricultural use. Whether you're looking for agricultural land or open plots for sale, Look My Property offers a variety of options to meet your needs.

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[cvr198]

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[seo-expert-2022]

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[dankusner]

The Americans Prepping for a Second Civil War

“Did he say fight?” Drew Miller asked me.

It was July 13th, and we were in rural Colorado, near an outpost of Fortitude Ranch, a network of survivalist retreats that Miller has constructed in anticipation of civilizational collapse.

News of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump—the first one—had just pinged:

a young man named Thomas Crooks had shot at Trump from a rooftop near a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, striking his right ear.

Trump had stood, with blood on his face, and shouted to his crowd, “Fight, fight, fight!”

The shooter’s motives were unknown, but Republicans were blaming Democrats.

“File charges against Joseph R. Biden for inciting an assassination,” Representative Mike Collins posted on X.

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene accused the “evil” Democratic Party of attempting “murder.”

Miller’s phone began to make the sound of a dog barking—his ringtone—as members and employees of the ranches sent texts and e-mails.

A salesperson in Nevada was seeing a sudden increase in requests to join:

“Member interest. I’m already getting previous leads texting me.”

A member in Colorado wondered if it was time to mobilize: “Should we do an alert?”

As the barking continued, I asked what Miller thought.

“This could stir things up,” he said, after a heavy pause. “Things could escalate.”

Miller, a fit and unnervingly analytical sixty-six-year-old, was wearing a Fortitude Ranch T-shirt and had a handgun holstered on his cargo pants.

He grew up in Nebraska, and served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force for thirty years before retiring as a colonel, in 2010.

He has long maintained a fixation on disaster.

A “Unabomber-type person,” he told me, could release a bioengineered virus to kill off “mammalian weeds,” as one prominent scientist has called humans;

an electromagnetic-pulse attack could cause months-long blackouts.

After retiring, Miller had an idea that combined his interest in readiness for such events with an entrepreneurial streak: establishing a survival community that was both comfortable and armed to the teeth.

He reached out to real-estate agents in West Virginia.

“I just said I wanted a remote location with year-round water, off the beaten path, accessible in all kinds of weather,” he told me.

“The first one said, ‘Oh, you’re looking for a survival location.’”

After several more agents had the same response, Miller asked one how they knew what he was after.

The agent replied, “We have people from every three-letter agency in D.C. with little places out here.”

Miller told me, “She even showed me a few! I thought, God dang it, people, you shouldn’t do that!” In 2015, Miller opened the first Fortitude Ranch in the mountains a couple of hours outside D.C.

Its proximity to the capital was strategic.

“That’s the obvious big target,” Miller told me.

At the time, foreign terrorist attacks were at the top of people’s minds.

“Now, for many, it’s civil war,” he said.

According to an analysis of FEMA data, some twenty million Americans are actively preparing for cataclysm—roughly twice as many as in 2017.

Political violence, including the spectre of civil war, is one of the reasons.

A recent study conducted by researchers at U.C. Davis concluded that one in three adults in the U.S., including up to half of Republicans, feel that violence is “usually or always justified” to advance certain political objectives (say, returning Trump to the White House).

In May, Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, told the Financial Times that he believed there was about a thirty-five-per-cent chance of civil war breaking out in America.

“We are now on the brink,” Dalio said, noting that a modern civil war—though it might not involve muskets—would see the fracturing of states and widespread defiance of federal law.

In June, Dalio upped his estimate to “uncomfortably more than 50 percent,” predicting “an existential battle of the hard right against the hard left in which you will have to pick a side and fight for it, or keep your head down, or flee.”

Fortitude Ranch has more than a thousand members of all political persuasions, including doctors, engineers, restaurant workers, pilots, and entrepreneurs.

“I’m not some hard-core prepper survivalist,” George, a retired C.I.A. officer in Texas, who asked that I use only his first name, told me.

“I don’t want to live without running water or air-conditioning or run around in the woods for long. But it’s like the old saying goes: When trouble is on the horizon, a wise man takes precautions. Civil war is a definite possibility.”

A man named Pat, who works as a computer scientist in Colorado, agreed.

“The potential for violence across the country scares us,” he told me. “Fortitude Ranch is insurance.”

Where possible, ranches have farm animals, fishponds, fruit trees, edible bugs, and “survival crops,” including Jerusalem artichokes, which yield roughly sixty times more calories per acre than beef.

Miller’s goal is to open dozens of ranches around the country.

There are currently seven, which range in size from ten to a hundred and sixty acres.

Their precise whereabouts are officially secret, but all are strategically remote.

The Colorado ranch, I can confirm, is a few hours from the closest Home Depot.

On the drive in, Miller had stopped there to buy drywall for the ranch’s quonset hut—a three-story structure with a galvanized steel roof, bullet-resistant walls, and enough underground rooms to cozily house a hundred new neighbors.

We pulled into a clearing with a view of the ranch: a scattering of structures on a dozen acres of arid, rocky land beneath snow-dusted peaks.

There were some penned-up dogs and chickens, a greenhouse, a broken tractor.

Forty years ago, for a Ph.D. at Harvard, Miller wrote a dissertation on “underground nuclear defense shelters and field fortifications,” so I’d expected the ranch’s living quarters to look formidable, if not fancy.

But as I stepped inside the quonset hut, which Miller had dubbed the Viking Lodge, my first impression was of a hastily erected college dorm.

There were three dozen rooms, and half had been claimed.

Members had paid between four thousand and sixty thousand dollars to join—depending on time frame (five to fifty years), group size, and amenities (en-suite toilets cost extra)—plus annual dues of up to fifteen hundred dollars.

Inside the rooms, I saw bare mattresses, stacked furniture, a PlayStation, sacks of rice, pallets of canned tuna, boxes of Pop-Tarts, Costco emergency food buckets (potato potpie, vanilla pudding), packs of D batteries, pairs of snake boots, reams of toilet paper, some Dan Brown novels, and containers of coffee.

“My wife says my espresso is a religious experience,” Larry, the ranch’s assistant manager, told me, as we examined some coffee beans he’d stockpiled.

“I’ve got enough dark roast here to keep us all going for six months at five cups a day.”

Larry, who is sixty-nine, explained that his full-time job is with a “three-letter government agency” that deploys him to war zones.

Like most Fortitude Ranchers, Larry could foresee society breaking down in a number of ways:

a nuclear detonation,

another pandemic,

or rising political violence that could split the country into warring factions.

He drew a crude map of the U.S. on scrap paper.

Two squiggly lines partitioned off the east, the west, and the middle. “I can see three different Americas,” he said.

Miller had told me earlier that day that he thinks Texas, where he lives, will likely secede if Trump loses again.

If Trump wins, states such as Oregon and Colorado could break apart along political lines.

War might follow, even accidentally.

“Maybe someone shoots Governor Abbott and then other nuts start shooting at Fort Hood,” Miller said.

“The media misreports it and some militias form and fight. It would be irrational, but irrational wars are perfectly normal.”

So what then?

When disaster nears, Larry told me, an alert will go out to members via an app.

(If messages can’t be sent, “it’ll be pretty obvious you should go to the nearest ranch,” he added.)

Only paid-up members will be allowed in.

Pets are welcome, though they might be consumed in a pinch.

Each ranch, Larry explained, has a natural water source and a year’s worth of food per member.

But, because that food may run out, there are also—where possible—farm animals, fishponds, fruit trees, edible bugs, and “survival crops,” including Jerusalem artichokes, which yield roughly sixty times more calories per acre than beef. But the tuber, I learned, can also be hard to digest.

“Constipation in a SHTF ain’t going to be pretty,” one commenter, using prepper shorthand for “shit hits the fan,” posted on a Reddit thread about Fortitude Ranch.

Larry reassured me, “Coffee helps.”

After walking past a reading nook, Larry and I climbed a spiral staircase to a roof deck with a grill and solar panels.

During a collapse, ranch members would come here to survey for threats.

There were waist-high walls, which, Larry told me admiringly, “can sop up an AK round.”

He gestured out at the wilderness.

“A thousand-yard shot? I own you.”

Earlier, Miller had casually remarked that members would “shallow-bury dead marauders”—his preferred term for attackers—“to produce worms for our chickens.”

I’d seen the chickens, but I asked Larry where the weapons were.

He led me to a neighboring log cabin and opened a hidden door.

Shotguns, pistols, AR-15s, and boxes of ammo sat by a bunk bed, along with a crossbow.

“There’s enough here for at least a month of fighting off marauders,” Larry said.

One member of another ranch, he added, has cached nineteen guns and thirty thousand rounds just for himself.

Back at the Viking Lodge, I met Benjamin, a middle-aged restaurant manager, who was hanging around the ranch, as members sometimes do.

He was marinating lamb in a subterranean kitchen.

Lunchtime.

“You want to be a minimum of five miles off pavement,” Benjamin said. “We’re ten and a half.”

I asked about the possibility of marauders.

“We’ve got plans to contend with them from the time they get to the gate,” he said.

“There’s a lot of ambush spots.”

Military know-how distinguishes Fortitude from “your average prepper bugout setup,” Miller had told me.

“Solo preppers will mostly get wiped out.”

Most of the ranches have a few members with medical training, which will help, too.

“We don’t recruit for skills,” Miller said.

“But it’s nice when members are useful.”

Before I left, Larry had me do some target practice.

From various distances, I fired an AR-15 at a paper plate pinned to a tree.

Members would soon gather for preëlection firearm trainings of their own.

Larry and Miller have their quarrels—for example, over whether to raise tilapia in a cattle trough inside the hut.

(Larry thinks it would require too much energy; Miller wants fresh fish.)

But they agree that the period between now and the Presidential Inauguration is a time of especially high risk.

The morning after my visit, Miller sent out his monthly newsletter early.

“Trump assassination attempt moves us closer to Civil War,” he wrote.

“We are of course monitoring this situation, and will issue an alert if irrational violence erupts, bad people and looters exploit it, and law and order breaks down.”

The ranches would be prepared during Election Day and the uncertain period to follow.

Miller told me, “Trump is still dodging the question of whether he’ll accept the results. We’ll be ready.”

There has been a growing understanding, felt on a sensory level, of what the World Economic Forum recently referred to as the “polycrisis.”

A warming planet does not exist in a vacuum, separate from global pandemics and widening wealth gaps; crises amplify one another.

Still, some stand out.

A recent study found that half of Americans expect a second civil war to happen “in the next few years,” even if the specifics vary according to one’s politics and imagination.

A liberal writer in Los Angeles recently told me that he imagines “duelling militias, like the Lebanese civil war,” following a “fascist takeover” in January.

A family member of mine who supports Trump told me that she believes a more traditional civil war will begin, “if they kill Trump.”

She wasn’t clear who “they” are.

But she reminded me that, like many of her friends, she is well armed.

(I was aware; I’d once stumbled upon one of her guns hidden behind a toaster.)

A progressive lawyer I know in Atlanta, who is Jewish, bought an AR-15 after January 6th as a hedge against antisemitic and political violence.

“If Harris wins, tensions could escalate,” he said.

“The divisions in the country are so strong, and they’re not going to go away.”

Some politicians are even speaking about civil war publicly.

In July, after Trump selected J. D. Vance as his running mate, George Lang, a Republican state senator in Ohio, told a crowd at a campaign rally, “I’m afraid if we lose this one, it’s going to take a civil war to save the country.”

He went on, “And if we come down to a civil war I’m glad we got people like . . . Bikers for Trump on our side.”

Lang later apologized for the incendiary remarks, but he is hardly alone in expressing such sentiment.

Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, recently referred to a “second American revolution,” now under way, “which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

The pro-Trump commentator Tim Pool has invoked “civil war” dozens of times on X, where he has more than two million followers.

Marjorie Taylor Greene prefers calling for “a national divorce.”

Trump increasingly refers to the “enemies within.”

It’s not just rhetoric.

A Reuters investigation identified more than two hundred cases of political violence between January 6, 2021, and August of last year, and noted that “America is grappling with the biggest and most sustained increase in political violence since the 1970s.”

Each of Fortitude Ranch’s compounds has enough food and provisions to sustain members for a year.

Last year, Michael Haas, a former political-science professor at the University of Hawaii, published a book titled “Beyond Polarized American Democracy: From Mass Society to Coups and Civil War.”

Haas, who is now eighty-six and has retired to Los Angeles, told me that he, too, is more concerned than ever about the threat of civil war.

He thinks that it could begin with an armed attempt to stop the counting of electoral votes in December.

“They’ll start shooting,” Haas told me.

“And in the chaos they—these pro-Trump anarchists—become the party of power. That’s where Sinclair Lewis hit it right on the button.”

(Lewis’s novel “It Can’t Happen Here,” from 1935, imagines a fascist leader imposing totalitarian rule over the United States.)

“The reason they want anarchy is they will be in charge. They have the guns.”

I asked Haas what preparations he’s made for such a conflict.

He seemed to be relying mainly on topography.

“I live on a hill with a gate that’s usually closed,” he told me.

Barbara Walter, a professor at U.C. San Diego and an expert on civil war, recently detailed a worst-case election scenario. Trump loses, and protests of the result, inflamed by the former President, turn into riots.

What’s left of the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys join in.

Assassinations first target Republicans deemed traitorous.

“The Adam Kinzingers and Liz Cheneys of the world,” Walter said.

The mob turns on minorities, immigrants, and other scapegoat communities.

Judges are shot.

The worst of this violence occurs in fairly diverse states—Georgia, Nevada, Arizona—as it did during Reconstruction in places where whites felt their privilege endangered, such as Birmingham and Memphis.

An economically powerful red state, perhaps Texas, attempts to secede.

Ignoring the lessons of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the Harris Administration uses disproportionate force to deter other states from following suit.

Innocent people die.

Everyday Americans are radicalized by the apparent validation of the extremists’ claim that federal power is the enemy.

Civil war is on its way.

Walter’s scenario gets foggy from there, but we know that economic growth declines during civil wars, as do health outcomes.

Travel is hard.

Most troubling to Walter, outside actors get involved.

“China, Russia, and Iran would want to help Texas militias,” Walter told me.

“Texas could become a dictatorship run by some crazy guy whose best friends are Putin and Xi Jinping.”

Such a chain of events still seems unlikely.

But Anna Maria Bounds, a sociology professor at Queens College, told me that people are already “taking sides and prepping for violence.”

Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly spent more than a hundred million dollars building what Wired called “an opulent techno-Xanadu” on a Hawaiian island, “complete with underground shelter and what appears to be a blast-resistant door.”

Average Americans are preparing in less costly ways.

Some are stocking up on toilet paper, or buying Taser guns or fish antibiotics.

(They’re cheaper than human antibiotics but lack F.D.A. approval.)

Others are getting Lasik, filling gas cans, or withdrawing “go money” from the bank.

A Utah company called Armormax has been bulletproofing vehicles for three decades.

Until recently, most customers were foreign dignitaries with fancy cars.

Now many Americans are armoring normal ones.

Protecting a vehicle’s glass from .44-calibre or 9-millimetre fire starts at around forty thousand dollars.

For twice that, an entire vehicle, including its tires, can be made AR-15- and M16-proof.

Domestic demand for these services is nearly seven times what it was in 2020.

“We’re selling as many as we can build,” Mark Burton, the C.E.O., told me. On the company’s blog, he recently wrote a post with a section called “How to Survive a Civil War.”

(Advice: “Make sure that the gas tank is full.”)

In late September, the Wall Street Journal published a story titled “The Most Surprising New Gun Owners Are U.S. Liberals.”

It noted the recent creation of gun groups marketed to Democrats, including one in Los Angeles called L.A. Progressive Shooters.

Nearly three in ten liberals now own guns, according to a University of Chicago survey; researchers at Johns Hopkins have determined that more than half of Democratic gun buyers since 2020 are first-time owners.

One of them is Bradley Garrett, a forty-three-year-old academic and the author of “Bunker,” an account of Americans planning for the end times.

This sort of prepping seems to have increased in the run-up to the election, he said.

“You can imagine infighting breaking out in pockets of the United States, and progressives would be at a severe disadvantage,” he told me.

“They don’t have the weapons or the preparation.”

Garrett, who lives in Southern California, bought a shotgun this spring:

“I’m on a five-acre ranch pretty far out. But, if things devolved in L.A. very quickly, I can imagine people fleeing to the desert and looking for a refuge—and that’s not gonna be at my house.”

Others are taking less militaristic measures.

A recent attendee of a Homesteaders of America event where participants preserved food told me that some were preparing provisions in case of political violence.

“They kept talking about being ready for when ‘they come,’ ” she recalled. “Just ‘they.’ ”

In May, I spoke on the phone with a man named John Ramey, who was vague about his location.

“I’m at the homestead of someone who hired me to help him choose where and how to build a home to deal with the full range of threats,” he said.

The panhandle of Idaho and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are both good places to weather the worst of climate change, he explained, “but, depending on your politics, you’re very clearly going to choose one over the other for the threat of civil war.”

Ramey has done as much as anyone to help the act of prepping trade its tinfoil hat for an Eagle Scout badge.

He worked as a Silicon Valley investor and entrepreneur, and then as an “innovations adviser” in the Obama Administration.

In 2018, he launched a Web site called the Prepared, a resource for people interested in disaster packing lists, gear reviews, and emergency plans, offered in a refreshingly measured tone.

Readers can learn how to use two-way radios, safely store water, and obtain body armor.

Also, where to buy the best wet wipes.

When Ramey sold the site, in 2022, it had eight million annual readers.

“Preparedness is now part of modern adulting,” he said.

Today, Ramey is a disaster consultant who, among other services, helps clients build fortified homesteads in rural areas.

His own politics seem to lie in a no man’s land: he’s a supporter of both expansive gun rights and expanding the number of Justices on the Supreme Court.

But, like Drew Miller, he doesn’t particularly care who hires him.

“There’s the guy quoting a bullshit Newsmaxy thing about how ‘eight hundred thousand illegals have a voter I.D.,’ ” he told me of his customers.

“Then, there’s a Silicon Valley leader, a blue-hearted liberal, who’ll point to what the Supreme Court is doing with Roe. They’ve both concluded the system is broken.”

Twice during our recent conversations, Ramey quoted a grim Thomas Jefferson line:

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

He told me, “It’s proven in human history that you create an institution, you create rules, and they’ll eventually reach their endgame. Things become unrepairable. The only answer is to build a new house.”

He meant this both metaphorically and literally.

“A client worked for an elections bureau in a blue state during the last cycle and the MAGAs wanted to kill him,” he said.

“So he sold his house and left.”

(Such threats have since become commonplace. In Georgia, election officials have started keeping Narcan beside voting tabulators, after receiving a spate of fentanyl-laced letters. In Pennsylvania, a building that houses an elections office is now encircled by a barricade of protective boulders.)

In early August, I met Ramey in the mountains of central Colorado.

He is a tall, languid man in his late thirties who sometimes lapses into tech-bro speak, as when referring to his “founder” pals.

A few weeks earlier, a federal judge had dismissed Jack Smith’s classified-documents case against Trump, in a move that many considered partisan.

“Our society put a lot of effort into building systems for redress, like the justice system,” Ramey told me.

“But when they fail—as they are now—we go back to the only tool available: violence.”

He showed me around the remote mountain home of one of his family members, for whom he had created an elaborate prepping setup.

Cisterns held three thousand gallons of water;

solar panels and batteries stored three weeks of power;

dehydrated food was stacked high in a barn.

“The people talking about civil war are not pariahs anymore,” he said.

We sat down on a porch with a friend of Ramey’s, Chris Ellis, who’d just come from a cold swim in a nearby alpine lake.

In the course of a decade, Ellis conducted military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo and then earned a Ph.D. in political science from Cornell.

In 2023, he became the chief of future operations for the United States Northern Command, which is in charge of assessing disaster threats to the U.S.

“We look at everything from fentanyl to nuclear threats and wildfires,” he said.

“The only conversation I have not had is zombie apocalypse.”

(Ellis spoke to me as a private individual, not on behalf of the Department of Defense.)

Ellis and Ramey diverge on the likelihood of civil war.

“Are there concerning things happening? Yes,” Ellis said.

“But I don’t like ‘civil war’ being thrown around.”

Still, he acknowledged a real fraying of the social fabric.

Most people, Ellis and Ramey concede, can’t afford a worst-case homestead.

But they can make their current homes more resilient by tightening the screws on the front door, adding window bars, securing a backup power source, and getting to know their neighbors.

“The people around you are often your best protection,” Ellis said.

“Say hello.”

And, if all else fails, drive.

Ramey took me out to his Ford F-350.

“I’ll show you my bag in the back seat,” he said.

Bugout bags are an essential prepper accessory, subject to endless dissection and debate.

Dion Coleman, who goes by Marine X on his YouTube channel, recommends packing pepper gel in anticipation of political unrest, to “disengage the enemy and get away,” as he put it to me recently.

Coleman said that a Bic lighter offers a cheap combat hack:

“Hold it in your fist and you’re less likely to break fingers when you throw a punch.”

Bugout stashes are ultimately idiosyncratic.

“I have guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force,” Sam Altman, the C.E.O. of OpenAI, has said.

The writer Walter Kirn recently told his hundred and seventy thousand followers on X that, along with Oreo cookies and a multi-tool, his car’s bugout kit has “an emergency library of essential world literature,” including “The Arabian Nights” and “old copies of Norton Anthologies.”

These, he explained, are to “restart civilization.”

Reached by phone, Kirn noted a number of other books in the trunk—“Moby-Dick,” Sherlock Holmes, and a compendium of Oxford philosophy—and joked that, using the contents of his car, he could “probably found Christ Church college again.”

He went on, “In a real breakdown, I might be able to trade them or teach. Prepping is really a meditation on what you value.”

Ramey pulled a first-aid kit from his bugout bag.

“If you get shot in the lung, I can save you,” he said.

Next, he took out a portable solar panel for charging devices.

He withdrew charging cables, laminated maps, a compass (“ ‘Death by G.P.S.’ is a term in the search-and-rescue community”), duct tape, a multi-tool, a battery bank, a ham radio, a USB drive containing vital personal documents, food that wouldn’t cause thirst or require cooking (“compressed bricks of carbs held together by coconut”), a butane stove, a lightweight sleeping bag, a set of clothes, a water filter, two water bottles (“Two is one, and one is none”), a waterproof deck of cards (“mental health”), a wad of cash, and—without comment—a 9-millimetre pistol.

Ramey asked how I was feeling.

I was, to use a phrase he likes, somewhere near “the bottom of the ladder in the pit of despair.”

He nodded.

Time to climb out.

Start by stockpiling two weeks of food, water, and power, he advised, calling this “turtle mode.”

He also suggested learning new skills.

Knowing how to use a gun is good, he said, but so is being able to make a fire and read a map.

Ramey repeated a prepper truism: “The more you know, the less you need.”

I called up some survival schools, which are now catering to a new clientele.

“It used to be mostly soldier-of-fortune and doomsday-prepper guys who took the courses,” Shane Hobel, who runs Mountain Scout, in East Fishkill, New York, told me recently.

“Now it’s women. Even Democrats. People who used to make fun of my school.”

He said that he’s noticed a “quiet desperation building into a slow hum: people concerned about political unrest, the dollar dropping.”

He teaches how to improvise rustic shelter, use tools and weapons, rely on camouflage, and administer first aid.

Dave Canterbury, the founder of the Pathfinder school, in Ohio, and the author of the popular Bushcraft book series, told me that his courses are gaining popularity, too, though most of his students aren’t specific about why they’ve come.

“They probably don’t want to end up on watch lists,” he said. “And, anyway, it’s nobody’s business.”

Anamaria Teodorescu, who immigrated to the U.S. from Romania twenty-two years ago and now lives in New Jersey, decided to pursue survival education last year because, she told me, “America is dying.”

She sees food shortages and election malfeasance on the horizon.

“I lived through it in Romania,” she said.

“Hungry people won’t ask for bread—they’ll kill for it.”

She’s taken ten of Hobel’s courses, bringing her six-year-old daughter along.

“She learned camouflage a couple of weeks ago,” Teodorescu said.

Hobel shared other stories.

The parents of a group of homeschoolers had signed up because, they said, the government can’t be trusted.

An elderly Jewish couple in Greenwich Village had learned how to repurpose sidewalk detritus (cardboard can be used for warmth; scraps of clothing can filter water or mark trails), but “they wanted more,” Hobel said.

He helped them plan an escape route from their home.

Among Hobel’s special offerings is a course on the “art of invisibility”—also helpful, he said, in times of unrest.

“Never walk down the street with your viewpoint,” he told me.

“Always walk with the viewpoint of the person who wants to attack you. When he turns around to look at you, you’ll already be behind the dumpster.” I tried this while walking my dog.

Miller at Fortitude Ranch’s compound in Texas. “Solo preppers will mostly get wiped out,” he said.

At Fieldcraft Survival, a training outfit in Provo, Utah, students study jujitsu and firearms.

The school recently débuted Program 62—a reference to the Homestead Act of 1862, which was designed to grant land to Americans who hadn’t fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War—in which online students create personal preparedness plans and learn about things like ballistic sunglasses, conflict code words, canning, and sealing chest wounds (cost: eight hundred and fifty dollars).

Greg Lapin, an instructor at Fieldcraft, told me that most clients “can’t do ten burpees in a row or run up two flights of stairs” and will be “dead within the first five minutes of a gunfight.”

He added, “What you should be doing now to prepare is get a gym membership.”

I already had one.

So, in September, I visited Sarcraft, a survival school closer to my home, in Atlanta.

Alex Bryant, a thirty-three-year-old Eagle Scout, started it in 2017.

For the first few years, his students mostly were white outdoor enthusiasts and military types, but lately he’s had an influx of newcomers “who’ve never hunted, fished, or started a fire,” he told me.

“They realize that we have the markers of a very tumultuous time.”

He will soon begin teaching a course related to civil unrest, in which students pack “get home” bags.

In the meantime, they continue to learn the essentials: shelter, fire, foraging.

A wealth-management adviser who lives in an Atlanta suburb told me that he took Sarcraft’s introductory navigation course this summer to prepare for “some militant right-wing nutjobs pulling off acts of violence around the election.”

He added, “Some people just buy guns. I wanted to know how to get home, too.”

Another Sarcraft navigation seminar recently took place in the hills of northern Georgia.

Eight of us sat on wooden benches in an open-air shelter, including Ray and Rachel, a father and daughter from Braselton, who had just stocked up on emergency food from 4patriots.com; a young woman named Valerie, from Sharpsburg, who works in finance at a Fortune 500 company and had recently taken up archery; and a middle-aged scientist from Atlanta who was considering buying a gun.

Our instructor was a stout, silver-haired veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division named Buck Freitag.

“Nobody is shooting at us yet,” Freitag deadpanned, when an acorn smacked the metal roof.

“If it’s gunfire, I’ll tell everyone to get down.”

The second assassination attempt on Trump in a little more than two months had taken place only a few days earlier.

A man named Ryan Routh had allegedly set up an SKS-style rifle in the bushes lining the Mar-a-Lago golf course.

The Secret Service spotted his weapon before he could fire.

“I tried my best,” a note that he’d reportedly left behind read.

“It is up to you now to finish the job.”

He offered a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to anyone who did so.

At the navigation course, a tattooed mechanic named Mark, sitting next to me with his notebook open, shook his head.

“Now they’re going to start talking about taking our guns again,” he told me.

“That could start a civil war.”

Miller shows some of the munitions stockpiled at one of his compounds.

Shaun, a bearded fifty-nine-year-old insurance-claims adjuster and a Sarcraft graduate, who was assisting Freitag, nodded.

“We’re heading for a societal upset,” he said.

“I look at what Scripture says about what’s coming, and I believe it.”

Moments later, Mark showed me his Glock, tucked in his belt.

“It’s already happened,” he said.

“Revolutionary War. Civil War. No society lasts. We’re on the edge again.”

When society collapses, the biggest threat, he figures, will be “the ex-Navy seal that’s come out of retirement.

The government is paying him.

All this guy knows is blood.

He’s Rambo.

And if he’s got a killing itinerary and they’re paying the bill, that’s all he cares about.”

Mark had seen something about this on YouTube.

At the moment, he felt reasonably prepared.

He can shoot, ride a motorcycle, and administer first aid.

He has a bugout bag in his truck.

But he wanted to know how to “read the squiggly lines on a map.”

Freitag passed out compasses and demonstrated how to plot a precise path.

We split into groups, each with a handful of navigation targets: metal posts with buckets on them, labelled with a letter indicated on our map.

I was partnered with Mark, who decided to pretend that we were fleeing government troops.

“Federales,” Mark exclaimed.

“We’re trying to get free from federales!”

We reached the first target, a bucket marked “Q”—for “Quebec,” Mark determined, a safe haven from the authorities coming for our guns.

After pausing for a moment, we headed to the next target and stumbled off course into someone’s yard.

A Confederate flag was visible on the porch.

“See, that wasn’t so long ago,” Mark said.

Most experts think that another full-scale American civil war is highly unlikely in the near term.

Ellis, the future-operations director, explained that it would take leadership, funding, and a singularly explosive disagreement to start such a conflict.

“The eighteen-sixties had slavery,” he said.

“You may despise your uncle at Thanksgiving. But do you disagree about something enough to get in a gray coat, he gets in a blue coat, and you meet on a field of battle to shoot at each other?”

And if so, he said, who are the opposing generals?

Could Erik Prince—the founder of Blackwater, who recently said,

“Maybe it’s worth going to war over defining what a gender is”—command a MAGA army? Would an Antifa member lead a coalition of the left? America has periodic eruptions of political unrest, Ellis argued, but none has come close to a civil war.

“It’s not Black Lives Matter protests, or January 6th, or Thomas Crooks,” he said.

Even the hypothetical secession of Texas might fall short of provoking civil war.

“President Harris would have a decision,” Ellis theorized.

“Am I going to commit federal forces to bring a rebellious state to heel through war? Or am I just going to send in the military and treat it more like a civil criminal action and arrest Governor Abbott and the legislature that voted for this to happen?”

Garrett, the author of “Bunker,” thinks that there is still too much fellow-feeling in America for a civil war—a conclusion he reached while witnessing surprising moments of coöperation and camaraderie between militaristic MAGA types and back-to-the-land hippies at bunker communities that he has visited in recent years.

Some recent research can be read optimistically, too: only three per cent of U.S. adults—around eight million people—are “very or completely willing to threaten, injure, or kill to advance a political aim,” according to the U.C. Davis study.

Sarah Kreps, a professor of government at Cornell, pointed me to another reason for hope.

“I’ve heard about the ‘cyber 9/11’ or the ‘cyber Pearl Harbor’ for at least two decades,” she said, referring to the possibility of a large-scale hack that causes national paralysis.

“Nothing remotely of that magnitude has happened. So it’s this question of whether these were just fearmongers, or whether that prediction of an apocalyptic scenario was, in fact, a reason why it didn’t happen.”

The more we discuss threats, Kreps said, “the more we guard against them.”

In this way, the civil-war talk of late has, counterintuitively, given her reason for optimism.

“As these scenarios get gamed out, the political space has more capacity to anticipate and guard against them,” she told me.

Still, our deepening obsession with civil war points to something real.

“It’s not 1861,” Bounds, the sociology professor, said. “But there’s a hostility growing in this country.”

Members of Fortitude Ranch pay thousands of dollars to join, plus annual dues.

For those who remain concerned about civil war but can’t leave the couch, there are apps.

Earlier this year, Drew Miller, of Fortitude Ranch, released one called Collapse Survivor, whose full suite of features costs ten dollars a year.

In addition to helping users assemble survival supplies, and alerting them to impending disasters “before the government will,” the app allows users to play out a number of disaster scenarios, including “AI Uranium Enrichment Terrorist Nuclear Attacks,” “Grid Down, Cyber,” and “End of Earth Asteroid.”

(Pro tip: gather bugs.)

This summer, I spent an hour going through one of Miller’s civil-war scenarios.

It had several precipitating events, according to the troubling text that filled my smartphone’s screen:

killings at Democratic events and offices;

attacks on judges and courthouses;

a proposed AR-15 ban.

A Democratic congresswoman announced, “This is a civil war, and if we don’t start fighting fire with fire, we will lose.”

There was widespread looting and home invasions.

Police quit.

Prison inmates escaped.

A neglected nuclear reactor released tons of radiation.

Members of Greenpeace killed climate deniers, and police shot curfew breakers.

Millions of residents fled New York and other cities after they were suddenly seized by gangs.

Militias spread.

Food dwindled.

Biden died of a stroke after winning a close election—this was before he dropped out—and Kamala Harris was sworn in, prompting Trump to announce, “If she stays on as an unelected President you’re really going to see violence, this country truly ripped apart.”

I was prompted with questions as the crisis worsened.

If there was a ten-per-cent chance of being shot or severely injured at a voting precinct, would you vote?

A private militia is forming in your neighborhood—will you join?

Where is a safe location to bug out?

Some of the questions, I noticed, seemed to point to the wisdom of joining Fortitude Ranch.

For most of them, I had no answer.

At the end of the simulation, Texas seceded in what was dubbed Texit, and various counties in Oregon and Colorado did the same, creating “American Oregon” and “Real Colorado.”

The narration concluded, “The POTUS election collapse is over, but the U.S. breakup and civil war has just begun.”

Suddenly thirsty, I went to the sink.

A post-simulation summary appeared on my screen:

I was among the survivors.

I plugged the phone into an outlet and went for a long walk.

It was a late summer day in America.

I smiled at my neighbors and wondered what plans they’d made.

I considered the lay of the land more closely now, and noted what was edible, and what would be edible soon, in the parks and the public spaces I passed.

When I got home, I did something I’d been putting off:

I began to pack a bag.

[realestate0707]

Unlocking the Secrets to Buying the Best Plots in Gurgaon: A Personal Journey

In the heart of India’s National Capital Region (NCR), Gurgaon stands out as a beacon of opportunity for real estate investment. With its rapid development, robust infrastructure, and a booming job market, it's no wonder that many individuals are looking to secure the best plots in Gurgaon. As a satisfied customer of RP Icons Homes Pvt. Ltd., I want to share my journey and insights on unlocking the secrets to buying the perfect plot in this vibrant city.

Why Choose Gurgaon?

Before diving into the process of purchasing a plot, let’s explore why Gurgaon has become the go-to destination for real estate investments:

Strategic Location: Gurgaon is strategically located near Delhi, making it easily accessible via major highways and the metro rail. This connectivity not only benefits residents but also attracts businesses looking to establish a presence in the region.

Economic Growth: With numerous multinational corporations and startups setting up shop, Gurgaon has become a hotbed for employment opportunities. This economic growth translates into a rising demand for housing and commercial spaces.

World-Class Infrastructure: The city boasts excellent infrastructure, including top-tier schools, hospitals, and recreational facilities. As a resident, I have witnessed first-hand how these amenities enhance the quality of life.

My Experience with RP Icons Homes Pvt. Ltd.

Before embarking on my journey to purchase a plot, I decided to partner with RP Icons Homes Pvt. Ltd. Their expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction played a crucial role in helping me navigate the real estate market in Gurgaon.

1. Thorough Research and Guidance

One of the first steps in buying the best plots in Gurgaon was conducting thorough research. RP Icons Homes offered invaluable guidance, helping me understand market trends, property prices, and potential areas for investment. Their real estate experts provided insights into various neighborhoods, ensuring I was well-informed before making any decisions.

2. Assessing Locations

The location of the plot is perhaps the most critical factor to consider. During my discussions with RP Icons Homes, we explored several promising areas.

Sector 63: Known for its luxury developments and proximity to corporate offices, this sector caught my attention. The availability of amenities and the potential for appreciation made it a compelling option.

Golf Course Extension Road: This area is synonymous with opulence and has several high-end projects. The beautiful surroundings and excellent connectivity made it an attractive choice for future investments.

Sohna Road: As an affordable alternative, Sohna Road has been rapidly developing, making it ideal for first-time buyers. The increasing number of residential projects suggested a promising future.

3. Legal Verification

Navigating the legal aspects of buying a plot can be daunting, but RP Icons Homes guided me every step of the way.

Documentation: They emphasized the importance of verifying the property documents, ensuring that the plot had a clear title and was free from disputes. Their thorough approach to legal verification gave me peace of mind and built trust in the entire process.

4. Understanding Market Trends

RP Icons Homes provided detailed insights into market trends, which played a vital role in my decision-making process. Understanding the dynamics of property prices, demand, and upcoming developments helped me make an informed choice about where to invest.

Future Developments: Their foresight into upcoming infrastructure projects, such as new metro lines and road expansions, indicated which areas would likely appreciate in value. This knowledge was invaluable for long-term investment planning.

5. Evaluating the Developer’s Reputation

Working with a reputable developer is essential when purchasing a plot. RP Icons Homes offered recommendations for trusted developers in the area. This was crucial for ensuring the quality of construction and timely delivery.

Research and Reviews: They encouraged me to read reviews and feedback from previous buyers, which helped me gauge the credibility of various developers in the market.

6. Smart Negotiation Strategies

Once I identified the plot that resonated with my requirements, RP Icons Homes equipped me with effective negotiation strategies. They taught me the importance of staying calm and composed during negotiations, allowing me to secure a fair price for my investment.

7. Finalizing the Purchase

After careful consideration and negotiation, it was time to finalize the purchase. RP Icons Homes guided me through every detail, ensuring that all documents were in order and the transaction was smooth.

Transparency: Their transparent approach made the entire process seamless. I felt confident and well-supported throughout the finalization, knowing I had a reliable partner in RP Icons Homes.

Tips for Buying the Best Plots in Gurgaon

Based on my experience, here are some essential tips for anyone looking to invest in the best plots in Gurgaon:

Conduct In-Depth Research: Understand the real estate market and identify areas with growth potential.

Engage with Experts: Work with reputable real estate companies like RP Icons Homes that offer valuable insights and guidance.

Prioritize Location: Choose a location that meets your needs in terms of amenities, connectivity, and future development potential.

Verify Legal Aspects: Ensure all documentation is in order and consult legal professionals if needed.

Be Informed About Market Trends: Keep an eye on property prices, demand, and upcoming projects that may affect your investment.

Evaluate Developer Credibility: Research developers thoroughly to ensure quality and reliability.

Negotiate Wisely: Approach negotiations with confidence, using your research as leverage.

Conclusion

Buying the best plots in Gurgaon is a journey filled with opportunities and potential rewards. My experience with RP Icons Homes Pvt. Ltd. has been nothing short of exceptional. Their dedication to customer satisfaction, expertise, and personalized guidance made the process not only straightforward but enjoyable.

If you're considering investing in Gurgaon, remember that thorough research, expert guidance, and a strategic approach are key to unlocking the secrets to successful plot purchasing. With the right partner by your side, you can navigate this vibrant market with confidence and secure a valuable investment that meets your needs.

[lmp1]

Property Management Portals Assist with Rental Property Management and Tenant Communication in India

Welcome to Look My Property, your premier real estate property portal that connects you with your dream property among over 10,000 listings across Hyderabad. We specialize in rental property management, ensuring a seamless experience for both landlords and tenants while enhancing communication and service efficiency in real estate management in India.

Extensive Property Listings for Diverse Needs

Look My Property offers a wide array of property listings that cater to various preferences and budgets, including options for rental property management. Explore our listings for residential property management, where you can find everything from cozy apartments to luxury villas. Our real estate property portal features:

Residential Apartments: Whether you're seeking a cozy apartment in Aurum Pragathi Nagar or a luxurious 4 BHK villa in Kismatpur, our platform has something for everyone looking for effective rental property management.

Commercial Spaces: From office spaces to shops, we provide listings that suit business needs, promoting efficient real estate management in India.

Open Plots and Villas: Discover open plots for sale in Hyderabad, including DTCP and HMDA approved lands, ideal for your investment in residential property management.

With 500+ properties listed in each category, our real estate property portal simplifies the search process, making it easier to find suitable accommodations for effective rental property management.

Enhanced Tenant Communication

Effective communication is crucial in rental property management. Our portal incorporates features designed to improve tenant interaction and satisfaction, making it an essential tool for real estate management in India. Key features include:

Direct Messaging: Tenants can easily communicate with property owners or managers, facilitating quick resolution of queries related to rental property management.

Automated Notifications: Receive timely reminders about lease agreements, payment deadlines, and maintenance requests, ensuring smooth communication throughout the rental process in our real estate property portal.

Feedback Mechanism: Tenants can provide feedback about their living conditions, allowing property managers to address concerns quickly, thus enhancing the overall rental property management experience.

These features help property owners and tenants maintain a positive relationship, making Look My Property one of the top property management companies in India focused on residential property management.

Comprehensive Property Management Tools

Our property management portal offers robust tools for landlords, enabling efficient management of rental properties and simplifying the tasks associated with real estate management in India. Key features include:

Online Rent Collection: Streamlined rent collection through our portal ensures timely payments, benefiting both landlords and tenants involved in rental property management.

Maintenance Tracking: Property owners can track maintenance requests and their resolution, ensuring properties are well-maintained and issues are addressed promptly as part of our residential property management services.

Financial Reporting: Access detailed financial reports that help landlords monitor rental income and expenses, making it easier to manage investments within our real estate property portal.

By providing these tools, Look My Property allows landlords to focus on maximizing their investments while ensuring tenant satisfaction in their rental property management.

Exploring Real Estate Options in Hyderabad

With Look My Property, you can explore a diverse range of options across Hyderabad, making it a reliable choice for property management companies near me. Here are some highlighted properties for rental property management:

Luxury Villas: Experience ultra-luxury living with our 4 BHK villas in Shankarpalli and Kismatpur, perfect for families seeking spacious homes in the real estate management in India landscape.

Open Plots for Sale: We feature 300+ open plot listings, providing opportunities for investment in areas like Ravalkole and Sangareddy, ideal for those looking to develop residential projects within our residential property management offerings.

Our extensive database of properties ensures that you have access to the best options for your real estate needs, reinforcing our position as a top property management company in India.

Why Choose Look My Property?

At Look My Property, we pride ourselves on being a reliable resource for property management companies near me. Our commitment to enhancing the rental property management experience for landlords and tenants makes us a trusted partner in the real estate management in India market. Here’s why you should choose us:

Wide Range of Listings: From residential to commercial properties, we cover all aspects of rental property management and real estate management in India.

User-Friendly Interface: Our real estate property portal is designed to make property searching easy and efficient for those involved in rental property management.

Dedicated Support: Our team is always available to assist you in your property search and management needs, ensuring a top-notch experience in residential property management.

Conclusion

In summary, property management portals like Look My Property are essential for enhancing rental property management and improving tenant communication in India. By providing a user-friendly platform with extensive listings, efficient communication tools, and comprehensive management resources, we empower landlords and tenants alike. Whether you’re looking for your next home or managing multiple properties, Look My Property is your go-to destination for all your real estate management in India needs.

[expert-painter-melbourne]

Boost Your Property Value with Weatherboard Painters in Altona North

One may enter a world where colours come to life and walls tell stories with the best painting services offered by the top painters for building and weatherboard painters in Altona North. Commercial painters are capable of painting structures that might significantly increase the property's worth, whether the goal is to modernise the inside, enhance the outside curb appeal, or completely overhaul the commercial space.

Let's Examine the Area of Painting Services Offered by Skilled Painters:

Deck Painting: Painting the deck of the house is very crucial to prevent it from getting stained by weather elements and one can search for deck painting near me by doing a quick search online. Also, the leading painters offer a variety of colours and hence one can get the deck painted in the way they would like for a colourful home.

Residential Interior Painting: By adding your favourite colours to your living space, residential painters can help you express yourself more fully and enhance your quality of life. Painting a home also significantly increases its market value and enhances the quality of the air within.

Commercial Interior Painting: A qualified painter may paint a facility in a way that compliments the company's style. The office is a representation of the brand's identity, not just four walls. Because commercial interior painting services offer a range of solutions to revitalise an office, retail space, or commercial property, clients are thrilled with the building.

Commercial Exterior Painting: Companies may make a lasting impression on clients the moment they step into their facility by employing commercial exterior painting services. Professional painters have the skills and expertise to enhance the visual appeal of business real estate, whether it's a basic paint job to boost curb appeal or a comprehensive overhaul to align with the brand. They may collaborate with the company owner to choose the perfect colour palette. Experts pressure wash the whole surface before starting the painting process, then seal the cracks to ensure the painting is done correctly.

Professional painters, whether you're remodelling your home or updating your business space, bring creativity, talent, and attention to detail to every task. Get in contact with professional painting services right now to take advantage of the opportunity to enhance your buildings.

Source

[assets-galleria]

Top Commercial Shop for Sale in Gurgaon: Why Golf Course Road is a Prime Choice

Golf Course Road in Gurgaon has rapidly become a premier business hub, attracting investors and startups alike. This area’s established reputation for success and its premium location attract a high-spending customer base. For those looking for the top commercial shop for sale in Gurgaon, this area is a goldmine for commercial opportunities.

Why Invest in Commercial Shops on Golf Course Road?

Golf Course Road's strategic location, high foot traffic, and upscale clientele make it a highly desirable area for commercial ventures. Its proximity to major corporate offices, residential complexes, and entertainment hubs ensures consistent customer flow. Investing here helps businesses to tap into one of the most strategic commercial locations in Gurgaon. The area is surrounded by high-end residential complexes, five-star hotels, and corporate offices, making it an ideal hotspot for businesses.

Golf Course Road has undergone significant infrastructure upgrades, including metro connectivity, wide roads, and proximity to airports. This accessibility factor makes it a lucrative spot for business ventures—whether you are looking to open a retail shop, restaurant, or office space. This creates a synergistic environment, fostering growth and attracting a premium customer base. Businesses that are eyeing high foot traffic and premium clientele, find this area especially beneficial.

What Top Commercial Shops Offer?

Beyond location, commercial shops on Golf Course Road come with premium amenities that cater to both businesses and customers:

Modern Facilities: Commercial spaces here are equipped with the latest technology, offering Wi-Fi, energy-efficient systems, and smart building features.

High Foot Traffic: Located near luxury housing complexes and major corporate hubs, these shops attract a steady flow of affluent customers.

Visible Frontage: Stores along the main road enjoy high visibility, a crucial factor for retail businesses seeking brand exposure.

For businesses or individuals who are searching for “top commercial properties near me Gurgaon” on the internet, Golf Course Road remains unmatched.

Advantages of Owning a Commercial Shop in Gurgaon

High Return on Investment (ROI): Commercial properties on Golf Course Road have shown significant appreciation over the years, providing owners with excellent ROI.

Premium Clientele: The surrounding high-net-worth residents and office-goers ensure a steady flow of potential customers.

Strategic Location: Gurgaon, notably Golf Course Road, is regarded as a premier business destination due to its connectivity and accessibility.

Long-term Growth: With continued development in infrastructure, the area promises future business expansion and long-term growth.

Real Estate Market Trends on Golf Course Road

The real estate market in Gurgaon has been steadily improving, particularly around Golf Course Road. Here are the key trends:

Consistent Appreciation: Due to the high demand for commercial spaces, property prices in the area have risen consistently.

Retail Expansion: Numerous national and international retail brands are setting up shops here, further boosting the area’s commercial appeal.

Corporate Interest: The presence of large corporate offices has encouraged a steady demand for commercial shops, especially those offering essential services like food, retail, and healthcare.

Successful Ventures: Numerous businesses on Golf Course Road, including established restaurants and high-end boutiques, demonstrate the area’s viability and profit potential.

Conclusion

Investing in a top commercial shop for sale in Gurgaon on Golf Course Road isn’t just a financial decision; it’s a step toward long-term business success. The area offers unmatched amenities, a prime location, and an affluent customer base, making it a smart choice for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

[twinlakes77312]

Reliable Apostille Services in Horn Lake, MS: Your Trusted Partner

In today's globalized world, the need for document authentication has become increasingly important. Whether you're planning to study abroad, work internationally, or conduct business overseas, you may require an apostille to verify your documents. For residents and businesses finding reliable apostille services in Horn Lake, MS, is essential. At Twin Lakes Notary LLC, we provide top-notch apostille services along with other notary and fingerprinting services to meet your needs.

Understanding Apostille Services

An apostille is a certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document, ensuring its acceptance in countries that are part of the Hague Convention. Documents such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, and corporate papers often require an apostille for international use. Our team at Twin Lakes Notary LLC is experienced in navigating the complexities of the apostille process, ensuring your documents are prepared and submitted correctly.

Why Choose Twin Lakes Notary LLC?

When searching for reliable apostille services near me, consider what sets Twin Lakes Notary LLC apart:

Expertise: Our professionals are well-versed in the apostille process, providing you with guidance every step of the way.

Speed: We understand that time is of the essence. Our efficient processes ensure that your documents are processed promptly.

Local Knowledge: Being based in Horn Lake, MS, we are familiar with the local requirements and can effectively handle the necessary paperwork.

Best Notary Public in Horn Lake, MS

In addition to our apostille services, we pride ourselves on being the best notary public in Horn Lake, MS. Our notaries are certified and trained to provide a variety of notary services, ensuring your documents are properly notarized. Whether you need a real estate document notarized or require an affidavit, our professionals are here to assist you.

What to Look for in a Notary Service

When choosing a notary service, consider the following factors:

Certification: Ensure your notary is licensed and certified in the state of Mississippi.

Availability: Look for a service that offers flexible hours and can accommodate your schedule.

Reputation: Check reviews and testimonials to gauge the reliability and quality of the service.

At Twin Lakes Notary LLC, we prioritize customer satisfaction and maintain a strong reputation for our notary services.

Best Notary Services in Horn Lake, MS

Our commitment to excellence extends beyond just being the best notary public. We offer the best notary services in Horn Lake, MS, tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients. From personal documents to business agreements, we handle all types of notarizations with professionalism and care.

Services We Offer

Document Notarization: We notarize a variety of documents, ensuring they are legally binding.

Mobile Notary Services: Can’t make it to our office? Our mobile notary service allows us to come to you, making the process convenient.

Document Preparation: Need help with document preparation? We provide assistance to ensure everything is in order before notarization.

Professional Fingerprinting Services in Horn Lake, MS

In addition to apostille and notary services, Twin Lakes Notary LLC also offers professional fingerprinting services in Horn Lake, MS. Fingerprinting is often required for background checks, employment, and licensing purposes. Our certified fingerprinting technicians use the latest technology to provide accurate and efficient fingerprinting services.

Why Choose Our Fingerprinting Services?

Convenience: We offer flexible appointment times to fit your busy schedule.

Accuracy: Our experienced technicians ensure your fingerprints are captured correctly, reducing the chance of errors.

Confidentiality: We prioritize your privacy and handle all information with the utmost discretion.

The Apostille Process Made Simple

If you're new to the apostille process, it can seem daunting. However, our team at Twin Lakes Notary LLC simplifies the experience for you. Here’s a step-by-step guide to what you can expect:

Document Collection: Gather all documents that require an apostille.

Notarization: We’ll notarize your documents if necessary.

Apostille Application: We’ll complete the application for the apostille and ensure all necessary paperwork is included.

Submission: Your documents will be submitted to the appropriate authorities for processing.

Delivery: Once the apostille is received, we will notify you and deliver the documents promptly.

Customer Testimonials

Don’t just take our word for it—hear from our satisfied clients:

“Twin Lakes Notary LLC made the apostille process so easy for me! Their team was professional and knowledgeable.” – Sarah J.

“I’ve used their notary services multiple times, and I can confidently say they are the best in Horn Lake.” – Mark T.

“The fingerprinting service was quick and hassle-free. Highly recommend!” – Lisa R.

Conclusion

For reliable apostille services in Horn Lake, MS, look no further than Twin Lakes Notary LLC. Our dedication to providing the best notary services and professional fingerprinting ensures that all your document needs are met with the highest level of service. Whether you’re in need of document authentication, notarization, or fingerprinting, we are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist you!

[lmp-20]

Top Property Management Portals for Managing Multiple Rental Properties in India

When managing multiple rental properties in India, having an efficient property management portal is essential. As the real estate sector grows, so does the demand for platforms that streamline rental property management tasks. One such prominent portal is Look My Property, which offers various features designed to simplify real estate property management in India for landlords and investors.

Why Look My Property Stands Out in Real Estate Management

Look My Property is a comprehensive real estate property portal designed for both property owners and renters. It specializes in residential property management and offers more than 10,000 property listings across Hyderabad. Whether you're looking to manage apartments, commercial properties, villas, or open plots, this portal provides user-friendly tools for property management companies in India to manage multiple assets.

Property Types and Listings: The portal lists a wide variety of property types, including apartments, villas, and commercial spaces, catering to rental property management and investment in real estate management India.

Comprehensive Search Options: The platform allows users to explore properties based on city, area, and budget, making it an excellent real estate property portal for finding the right investment.

Ready-to-Move and Under-Construction Properties: Look My Property provides categorized listings for residential property management professionals, including ready-to-move and under-construction projects to help with planning future investments.

Open Plot Listings: With over 300 open plots listed, the portal is ideal for property management companies near me focusing on land acquisition for future developments.

Benefits of Using Look My Property for Rental Property Management

Streamlined Rental Management: Look My Property simplifies rental property management, making it easier for landlords to handle tenant inquiries, payments, and maintenance tasks. This is crucial for those involved in real estate management India.

Advanced Real Estate Tools: This real estate property portal offers real-time updates and insights on property management companies in India, helping users stay competitive in the market.

Wide Geographic Coverage: Although primarily focused on Hyderabad, the platform extends its reach to nearby areas, making it a go-to for residential property management and property management companies near me looking for expansion.

Collaboration with Channel Partners: Property managers can take advantage of partnerships with channel partners, boosting their real estate management efforts and expanding their market presence via this powerful real estate property portal.

Exploring Residential and Commercial Property Management Solutions

For anyone managing residential property management or commercial properties, Look My Property stands out. Whether you're handling rental property management or investing in commercial real estate, the platform’s extensive listings are invaluable to property management companies in India.

Rental Property Management: Look My Property offers a streamlined platform for property management companies near me, helping manage tenant relations and rental payments.

Commercial Real Estate Management: For managers of office spaces or retail units, the portal provides tools for efficient rental property management and general real estate management India.

How Property Management Companies in India Benefit from Look My Property

Property management companies benefit from partnering with Look My Property by gaining greater visibility for their listed properties. With its vast array of listings and easy navigation, this real estate property portal is an essential resource for property management companies near me and those looking to optimize their operations across India.

Conclusion

Look My Property is an indispensable tool for those engaged in rental property management and broader real estate management India. Whether you're a landlord, investor, or part of property management companies in India, this platform simplifies the process. Offering everything from luxury villas to open plots, Look My Property ensures that managing your residential property management needs is easier than ever.

[lmp-21]

Top Property Management Portals for Managing Multiple Rental Properties in India

When managing multiple rental properties in India, having an efficient property management portal is essential. As the real estate sector grows, so does the demand for platforms that streamline rental property management tasks. One such prominent portal is Look My Property, which offers various features designed to simplify real estate property management in India for landlords and investors.

Why Look My Property Stands Out in Real Estate Management

Look My Property is a comprehensive real estate property portal designed for both property owners and renters. It specializes in residential property management and offers more than 10,000 property listings across Hyderabad. Whether you're looking to manage apartments, commercial properties, villas, or open plots, this portal provides user-friendly tools for property management companies in India to manage multiple assets.

Property Types and Listings: The portal lists a wide variety of property types, including apartments, villas, and commercial spaces, catering to rental property management and investment in real estate management India.

Comprehensive Search Options: The platform allows users to explore properties based on city, area, and budget, making it an excellent real estate property portal for finding the right investment.

Ready-to-Move and Under-Construction Properties: Look My Property provides categorized listings for residential property management professionals, including ready-to-move and under-construction projects to help with planning future investments.

Open Plot Listings: With over 300 open plots listed, the portal is ideal for property management companies near me focusing on land acquisition for future developments.

Benefits of Using Look My Property for Rental Property Management

Streamlined Rental Management: Look My Property simplifies rental property management, making it easier for landlords to handle tenant inquiries, payments, and maintenance tasks. This is crucial for those involved in real estate management India.

Advanced Real Estate Tools: This real estate property portal offers real-time updates and insights on property management companies in India, helping users stay competitive in the market.

Wide Geographic Coverage: Although primarily focused on Hyderabad, the platform extends its reach to nearby areas, making it a go-to for residential property management and property management companies near me looking for expansion.

Collaboration with Channel Partners: Property managers can take advantage of partnerships with channel partners, boosting their real estate management efforts and expanding their market presence via this powerful real estate property portal.

Exploring Residential and Commercial Property Management Solutions

For anyone managing residential property management or commercial properties, Look My Property stands out. Whether you're handling rental property management or investing in commercial real estate, the platform’s extensive listings are invaluable to property management companies in India.

Rental Property Management: Look My Property offers a streamlined platform for property management companies near me, helping manage tenant relations and rental payments.

Commercial Real Estate Management: For managers of office spaces or retail units, the portal provides tools for efficient rental property management and general real estate management India.

How Property Management Companies in India Benefit from Look My Property

Property management companies benefit from partnering with Look My Property by gaining greater visibility for their listed properties. With its vast array of listings and easy navigation, this real estate property portal is an essential resource for property management companies near me and those looking to optimize their operations across India.

Conclusion

Look My Property is an indispensable tool for those engaged in rental property management and broader real estate management India. Whether you're a landlord, investor, or part of property management companies in India, this platform simplifies the process. Offering everything from luxury villas to open plots, Look My Property ensures that managing your residential property management needs is easier than ever.