#shared infrastructure cost

[asestimationsconsultants]

Aligning Stakeholders on Multi-Tenant Renovations Using a Commercial Estimating Service

Multi-tenant commercial renovations involve transforming office buildings, retail centers, or mixed-use spaces occupied by multiple tenants. These projects are often complex because they require coordinating diverse tenant needs, maintaining operational continuity, and managing shared spaces. In this context, a commercial estimating service plays an essential role in aligning stakeholders around budget expectations, scope, and timelines, thereby ensuring smoother project delivery and minimizing conflicts.

Understanding the Challenges of Multi-Tenant Renovations

Renovating spaces with multiple occupants presents challenges not typically encountered in single-tenant projects. Tenants may have different priorities for layout, finishes, or systems, and some areas require partial occupancy during construction. Additionally, shared infrastructure like elevators, lobbies, and parking must be maintained or carefully phased.

This complexity requires clear communication, thorough planning, and precise cost estimating to prevent budget overruns and scheduling conflicts that could disrupt tenants’ businesses.

Establishing a Common Budget Baseline

The first step to stakeholder alignment is developing a comprehensive cost baseline that reflects all anticipated renovation activities across tenants and common areas. Commercial estimating services provide detailed breakdowns by tenant space, common areas, and building-wide systems.

This baseline enables landlords, property managers, tenants, and contractors to have a shared understanding of the financial scope. It also supports negotiation of cost-sharing arrangements, tenant improvement allowances, and lease modification budgets.

Capturing Diverse Tenant Requirements

Different tenants may require varying levels of finish, technology integration, or space customization. Commercial estimators work closely with design teams and tenant representatives to capture these unique requirements and reflect them in separate cost lines.

Breaking down estimates by tenant ensures transparency and fairness, enabling stakeholders to see how their specific needs impact overall project cost.

Phasing and Scheduling Cost Implications

Multi-tenant renovations often proceed in phases to minimize disruption. For example, one floor may be renovated while others remain occupied. Commercial estimating services assess cost impacts of phased work, including extended site supervision, mobilization, and overtime labor premiums.

By clearly identifying these additional costs, estimators help stakeholders set realistic expectations about schedule duration and budget.

Managing Shared Infrastructure and Common Area Costs

Shared systems such as HVAC, fire alarms, elevators, and lobbies require coordinated renovation efforts. Commercial estimating services allocate costs appropriately between tenants and landlords, helping define responsibilities and cost-sharing agreements.

This clarity reduces disputes and supports equitable budgeting for common area improvements.

Facilitating Transparent Stakeholder Communication

Accurate and detailed cost reports are essential tools for communication. Estimators produce clear documentation that explains cost assumptions, contingencies, and alternatives.

Transparent reporting builds trust among stakeholders, enabling them to participate actively in value engineering or scope adjustments to keep the project financially viable.

Supporting Lease Negotiations and Tenant Improvement Allowances

Commercial estimating services provide data to support lease negotiations, especially regarding tenant improvement (TI) allowances. By quantifying the cost of specific tenant upgrades, landlords and tenants can negotiate fair contributions.

This helps avoid surprises later in the project and aligns lease terms with renovation realities.

Incorporating Risk Management and Contingencies

Renovations in occupied buildings carry risks such as unforeseen conditions, tenant change orders, or delays. Estimators incorporate contingencies based on project complexity and past experience, ensuring budgets include buffers for such risks.

Clear communication about these contingencies helps stakeholders appreciate the inherent uncertainties and plan accordingly.

Adapting to Changes and Tenant Requests

Multi-tenant renovations often evolve as tenant needs change or new opportunities arise. Commercial estimating services provide flexible support by updating cost estimates in real time, helping stakeholders evaluate financial impacts of changes before committing.

This adaptability promotes informed decision-making and keeps projects on track.

Ensuring Compliance with Building Codes and Accessibility

Renovations must meet current codes and accessibility requirements, which may differ across tenant spaces. Estimators factor in costs associated with code upgrades, helping stakeholders understand regulatory obligations and budget accordingly.

Early identification of these costs prevents costly rework or compliance issues later.

Improving Bid Competitiveness and Contractor Coordination

Accurate estimates support competitive bidding by providing clear scopes and budgets. This improves contractor selection and reduces risks of cost overruns.

Commercial estimating services also help coordinate between contractors and tenants to minimize disruption during construction.

Conclusion

Multi-tenant renovations require balancing diverse stakeholder interests, budgets, and schedules. A commercial estimating service is a critical partner in this process, providing detailed, transparent, and adaptable cost estimates that enable alignment and collaboration. By clarifying financial expectations, supporting lease negotiations, managing risks, and accommodating changes, these services help ensure successful multi-tenant renovation projects that satisfy tenants and property owners alike.

[mkcecollege]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are transforming transportation with promises of sustainability and reduced emissions. However, widespread adoption faces challenges like improving battery technology, building charging infrastructure, addressing range limitations, and managing power grid demands.

At M.Kumaraswamy College of Engineering (MKCE), students tackle these issues through hands-on projects, focusing on advancing batteries, expanding charging networks, optimizing vehicle efficiency, and lowering production costs. Emerging trends like autonomous EVs, ultra-fast charging, and renewable energy integration are explored, ensuring students contribute meaningfully to the EV revolution.

By blending innovation with practical training, MKCE equips future engineers to drive sustainable transportation and shape a greener world. For more interesting information click here..

[northgazaupdates]

Meet Mohammed

Mohammed @mohammedalhabil2000 lives with his mother Ibtisam, his sisters Noha, Abeer, and Nour. They are a loving family, but have had more than their fair share of struggles. Mohammed’s father was martyred by the occupation in its 2014 aggression. Ibtisam and Omar, Mohammed’s older brother, supported the family themselves for many years. Then, in December 2023, Omar was martyred by the occupation while he and Mohammed were out gathering firewood. Mohammed was severely injured in the same attack.

This was not the last time Mohammed was injured by IOF violence. Mohammed has been injured on four separate occasions, resulting in his left leg being critically wounded. He had to have a full cast put on, rendering him unable to move any part of his leg.

He undergoes regular physiotherapy when it is safe enough to travel to the clinic, but unfortunately this is not enough to heal his wound. Mohammed is going to require intense, specialized treatment in order to fully heal his leg and regain as full of function as possible. Due to the occupation’s systematic destruction of Gaza’s medical infrastructure, this cannot be done in Gaza.

Mohammed will need to travel abroad to treat his leg, which will be a complex and expensive proposition. Just passing from Gaza into Egypt costs thousands of dollars, not to mention the costs of lodging, food, medication, and medical appointments. He is trying to raise funds so that when the border reopens, he will be able to arrange passage into Egypt, and begin his journey to fully healing.

His family is already struggling to survive, relying on mutual aid for food and other basic necessities. They lost their home due to IOF attack, and none of them are able to work. This means Mohammed has no way to pay for his travel and treatment costs without your support.

Please help Mohammed be able to afford the treatment he needs

Thank you❤️❤️

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #39

October 18-25 2024.

President Biden issued the first presidential apology on behalf of the federal government to America's Native American population for the Indian boarding school policy. For 150 years the federal government operated a system of schools which aimed to destroy Native culture through the forced assimilation of native children. At these schools students faced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and close to 1,000 died. The Biden-Harris Administration has been historic for Native and Tribal rights. From the appointment of the first ever Native American cabinet member, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, to the investment of $46 billion dollars on tribal land, to 200 new co-stewardship agreements. The last 4 years have seen a historic investment in and expansion of tribal rights.

The Biden-Harris Administration proposed a new rule which would make contraceptive medication (the pill) free over the counter with most Insurance. The new rule would ban cost sharing for contraception products, including the pill, condoms, and emergency contraception. On top of over the counter medications, the new rule will also strength protections for prescribed contraception without cost sharing as well.

The EPA announced its finalized rule strengthening standards for lead paint dust in pre-1978 housing and child care facilities. There is no safe level of exposure to lead particularly for children who can suffer long term developmental consequences from lead exposure. The new standards set the lowest level of lead particle that can be identified by a lab as the standard for lead abatement. It's estimated 31 million homes built before the ban on lead paint in 1978 have lead paint and 3.8 million of those have one or more children under the age of 6. The new rule will mean 1.2 million fewer people, including over 300,000 children will not be exposed to lead particles every year. This comes after the Biden-Harris Administration announced its goal to remove and replace all lead pipes in America by the end of the decade.

The Department of Transportation announced a $50 million dollar fine against American Airlines for its treatment of disabled passengers and their wheelchairs. The fine stems from a number of incidences of humiliating and unfair treatment of passages between 2019 and 2023, as well as video documented evidence of mishandling wheelchairs and damaging them. Half the fine will go to replacing such damaged wheelchairs. The Biden administration has leveled a historic number of fines against the airlines ($225 million) for their failures. It also published a Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, passed a new rule accessible lavatories on aircraft, and is working on a rule to require airlines to replace lost or damaged wheelchairs with equal equipment at once.

The Department of Energy announced $430 million dollars to help boost domestic clean energy manufacturing in former coal communities. This invests in projects in 15 different communities, in places like Texas, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Michigan. The plan will bring about 1,900 new jobs in communities struggling with the loss of coal. Projects include making insulation out of recycled cardboard, low carbon cement production, and industrial fiber hemp processing.

The Department of Transportation announced $4.2 billion in new infrastructure investment. The money will go to 44 projects across the country. For example the MBTA will get $400 million to replace the 92 year old Draw 1 bridge and renovate North Station.

The Department of Transportation announced nearly $200 million to replace aging natural gas pipes. Leaking gas lines represent a serious public health risk and also cost costumers. Planned replacements in Georgia and North Carolina for example will save the average costumer there over $900 on their gas bill a year. Replacing leaking lines will also remove 1,000 metric tons of methane pollution, annually.

The Department of the Interior announced $244 million to address legacy pollution in Pennsylvania coal country. This comes on top of $400 million invested earlier this year. This investment will help close dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, and restore water supplies damaged by mining.

Data shows that President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act (passed with Vice-President Harris' tie breaking vote) has saved seniors $1 billion dollars on out-of-pocket drug costs. Seniors with certain high priced drugs saw their yearly out of pocket costs capped at $3,500 for 2024. In 2024 all seniors using Medicare Part D will see their out of pocket costs capped at $2,000 for the year. It's estimated if the $2,000 cap had been in effect this year 4.6 million seniors would have hit it by June and not have had to pay any more for medication for the rest of the year.

The Department of Education announced a new proposed rule to bring student debt relief for 8 million struggling borrowers. The Biden-Harris Administration has managed despite road blocks from Republicans in Congress, the courts and law suits from Republican states to bring student loan forgiveness to 5 million Americans so far through different programs. This latest rule would take into account many financial hardships faced by people to determine if they qualify to have their student loans forgiven. The final rule cannot be finalized before 2025 meaning its fate will be decided at the election.

The Department of Agriculture announced $1.5 billion in 92 partner-driven conservation projects. These projects aim at making farming more susceptible and environmental friendly, 16 projects are about water conservation in the West, 6 support use of innovative technologies to reduce enteric methane emissions in livestock. $100 million has been earmarked for Tribal-led projects.

[lepidopterium]

art by malak mattar

The Occupation has systematically destroyed every social infrastructure that makes civil society possible, whether it be healthcare, food systems, or education. They've targeted schools, hospitals, businesses, and every person who supports their community through their profession.

Rana and Ahmed (@ranafam2) are educators from Khan Younis, with Rana as a statistics professor at the Islamic University of Gaza and Ahmed as the principal of his school: both institutions have now been destroyed.

Palestinians have survived occupation for well over a century now, and they will remain steadfast, but they need your support.

Even with the ceasefire, resources are still limited and expensive. The weekly allowance for basic provisions like baby formula and flour is about $1000. Rana is also anticipating additional costs for baby formula, clothes, and natal care as she's eight months pregnant and expecting soon.

Finally with the ceasefire, Rana is hoping to evacuate with her family altogether. The cost of evacuation per person ranges from $5000 to $7000. If Rana gives birth before she can evacuate, that puts the total anticipated cost at $49,000 (5 children, 2 adults).

As of today (1/23), we are at:

$8185/$100,000

$0/$1500 <- Weekly provisions

$0/$2400 <- Daily goal to reach $49,000 in three weeks

Donate here.

I know these are overwhelming numbers, but if every person who shared this post donated $5, we can get them to safety.

Vetting + proof of conversation below the cut

Art by @jellyfishmoon72

Vetted by association

[reasonsforhope]

"As climate disasters strain state budgets, a growing number of lawmakers want fossil fuel companies to pay for damages caused by their greenhouse gas emissions.

Last May [2024], Vermont became the first state to pass a climate Superfund law. The concept is modeled after the 1980 federal Superfund law, which holds companies responsible for the costs of cleaning up their hazardous waste spills. The state-level climate version requires major oil and gas companies to pay for climate-related disaster and adaptation costs, based on their share of global greenhouse gas emissions over the past few decades. Vermont’s law passed after the state experienced torrential flooding in 2023. In December [2024], New York became the second state to pass such a law. 

This year, 11 states, from California to Maine, have introduced their own climate Superfund bills. Momentum is growing even as Vermont and New York’s laws face legal challenges by fossil fuel companies, Republican-led states, and the Trump administration. Lawmakers and climate advocates told Grist that they always expected backlash, given the billions of dollars at stake for the oil and gas industry — but that states have no choice but to find ways to pay the enormous costs of protecting and repairing infrastructure in the face of increasing floods, wildfires, and other disasters.

The opposition “emboldens our fight more,” said Maryland state delegate Adrian Boafo, who represents Prince George’s County and co-sponsored a climate Superfund bill that passed the state legislature in March. “It means that we have to do everything we can in Maryland to protect our citizens, because we can’t rely on the federal government in this moment.” 

While the concept of a climate Superfund has been around for decades, it’s only in recent years that states have begun to seriously consider these laws. In Maryland, federal inaction on climate change and the growing burden of climate change on government budgets have led to a surge of interest, said Boafo. Cities and counties are getting hit with huge unexpected costs from damage to stormwater systems, streets, highways, and other public infrastructure. They’re also struggling to provide immediate disaster relief to residents and to prepare for future climate events. Maryland has faced at least $10 billion to $20 billion in disaster costs between 1980 and 2024, according to a recent state report. Meanwhile, up until now, governments, businesses, and individuals have borne 100 percent of these costs. 

“We realized that these big fossil fuel companies were, frankly, not paying their fair share for the climate crisis that they’ve caused,” Boafo said. 

Recent bills have also been spurred by increased sophistication in attribution science, said Martin Lockman, a climate law fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Researchers are now able to use climate models to link extreme weather events to greenhouse gas emissions from specific companies. The field provides a quantitative way for governments to determine which oil and gas companies should pay for climate damages, and how much. 

Vermont’s law sets up a process for the government to first tally up the costs of climate harms in the state caused by the greenhouse gas emissions of major oil and gas companies between 1995 and 2024. The state will then determine how much of those costs each company is responsible for, invoice them accordingly, and devote the funds to climate infrastructure and resilience projects. New York’s law, by contrast, sets a funding target ahead of time by requiring certain fossil fuel companies to pay a total of $75 billion, or $3 billion per year over 25 years. The amount each company has to pay is proportionate to their share of global greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2024. Both Vermont and New York’s laws apply only to companies that have emitted over 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their respective covered periods. That would include Exxon Mobil, Shell, and other oil and gas giants.

Maryland’s law is so far the only climate Superfund-related legislation to pass a state legislature this year, although Governor Wes Moore vetoed the measure late on Friday [May 16, 2025]. The original draft of the bill would have required major fossil fuel companies to pay a one-time fee for their historic carbon emissions. But over the course of the legislative session, the bill was amended...

Climate advocates decried the governor’s decision, calling it “an inexplicable reversal of a position that threatens to stymie Maryland’s climate progress for negligible budget savings.” In a joint press release by three environmental groups, Kim Coble, executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters, said, “This veto is not fiscal responsibility, it’s a definitive step in the opposite direction of our climate goals.”

In California, environmental groups are optimistic about the chances of a bill passing this year. This is the second year a climate Superfund bill has been introduced in the state, and the sponsors of the new bill have focused on building a broad coalition of environmental, community, and labor groups around the proposal, said Sabrina Ashjian, project director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the UCLA School of Law. This year’s legislation was introduced shortly after the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January, which could amplify lawmakers’ sense of urgency. The bill has now passed out of each legislative chamber’s environmental committee and is awaiting votes in their respective judiciary committees. If passed, the bill will next move to the full Senate and Assembly for a final vote. 

In the meantime, legislators are keeping a close eye on ongoing legal challenges to Vermont’s and New York’s laws...

Climate experts told Grist that with huge amounts of money and liability at stake, lawsuits from the fossil fuel industry weren’t unexpected. Boafo said that given how much financial and political support the Trump campaign received from oil and gas corporations, it’s not a surprise that the Justice Department has sued New York and Vermont. Pursuing these laws invites inevitable opposition — but avoiding the growing costs of climate devastation is even riskier, advocates said. 

Lawmakers are “passing these bills because in writing budgets, in dealing with the day-to-day operation of their states, they’re facing really serious questions about how our society is going to allocate the harms of climate change,” said Lockman. “I suspect that the lawmakers who are advocating for these bills are in it for the long haul.”"

-via Grist, May 19, 2025

[lifeasaya]

🚨 Vetted Fundraiser 🚨

My name is Aya Maher, a 24-year-old Palestinian from Gaza. I want to share the heartbreaking story of my family 💔.

My mother, Ashwaq is 43 years old, my brother Hamza is 22 years old, my brother Bader is 16, my little sister Nada is 12, and myself. We've endured 376 days of continuous bombardment during this devastating war. Since its onset, we've faced a relentless cascade of losses. Our lives have been emptied, and the dreams we once pursued now seem like unattainable fantasies.

We were displaced from our home, and tragically, we lost our new home as well—a place we had worked tirelessly to create, hoping it would become a sanctuary where we could build beautiful memories.

My professional life has been utterly decimated. For three years, I thrived as a user interface designer on freelance platforms.

However, since the onset of this war, my ability to work has been obliterated. The occupation's relentless bombing campaigns have ravaged internet infrastructure, rendering it barely functional. Now, even basic online tasks are nearly impossible. Consequently, I'm left without any financial means to sustain myself.

We were displaced from our home due to occupation forces and found refuge with relatives. Our lives were repeatedly threatened by bombings, escaping death twice during tank attacks and enduring a four-day siege under intense bombardment.

Despite immense hardships, my family and I stayed in Gaza, facing constant bombings and severe shortages. After five months of siege, we're on the brink of famine, lacking basic necessities. We've decided to leave for safety, but high coordination costs are a barrier.

🚨 Vetted Fundraiser 🚨

Our previous account was trusted and verified by many people 90-ghost, palestinecharitycommissionsassoc , nabulsi , el shab - hussain.

Also we are on the list with el-shab hussain, number (216) here is the link.

I'm reaching out for your help to achieve our goal swiftly, driven by the fear of losing a family member.

We sincerely hope you can empathize with our situation and amplify our message to make a difference.

Your contribution could save a family and bring hope in these difficult times. Thank you for your kindness and support 🙏💜

[societyfolklore]

The Cost of Access

Title: The Cost of Access

Pairing: Congressman! Bucky Barnes x Entrepreneur!Female Reader

Summary:  At a high-stakes D.C. fundraiser. You’re there to protect your start-up from political threats, not to play the donor game but Bucky surprises you. He sees past the surface, speaks your language, and for one charged night, the two of you find something raw, reckless, and unexpectedly sincere behind closed doors.

Word Count:  3.6k

Warnings: /Explicit Content / 18+, Minors DNI, SMUT, Unprotected sex, mirror sex, fingering, oral (f receiving), light dominance, light choking (hand on throat), champagne-fueled decisions, emotional tension, slight political themes, post-sex awkwardness

A/N:  Not a  Thunderbolts* fic… I will be making sure this space stays spoiler free for a few weeks since I don’t want to spoil for anyone until they get the chance.  

You weren't lobbying. Not really.

You were there to make sure your startup, barely past Series B funding and already on the radar of corporate predators, didn’t get chewed up and swallowed whole under the guise of 'infrastructure reform.' D.C. had a way of wrapping its greed in clean bills and smiling handshakes. You weren’t about to watch your work get buried under a competitor’s line item, or worse, co-opted by a conglomerate that didn’t understand the first thing about what you’d built.

Your company was scrappy, efficient, and bold, everything the legacy players hated. And you had no intention of letting a single careless vote collapse the years of sweat equity and innovation you’d bled for. You didn’t want favours. You wanted protection. An understanding. Leverage, if you were lucky.

But the fundraiser was unbearable.

Everyone either talked at you like you were some high-yield asset ripe for exploitation, or worse, like a walking checkbook with tits. You’d worn a sharp dress, tailored, matte black, the neckline modest, the slit at your thigh anything but, and still you felt like a prize pig at auction, trotted out for admiration, smiled at by men who never once asked the name of your company.

You played the part. Sipped the champagne. Nodded politely. It was exhausting, watching the glittering masks slip when they thought you weren’t worth the effort. And still, you stayed. Because someone had to protect what you’d built, and tonight that someone was you.

You were just deciding how quickly you could leave without burning too many bridges when you saw him.

Congressman Barnes.

Polished shoes. Classic black tuxedo. Crisp white shirt. Bowtie slightly askew, like he wanted to appear relaxed without actually letting his guard down. His posture was clean but coiled, all quiet control and unreadable calm. He gave you a small, acknowledging nod across the room, like he recognized the same bored exhaustion on your face that he felt in his bones.

He looked about as bored as you did.

Then his campaign manager leaned in, whispered something in his ear, you saw the shift in his shoulders, the faint sigh. You felt yourself groan inwardly. Another political animal sending their candidate your way, sniffing around to see what you were willing to pay to keep yourself ahead of the pack.

You’d seen the type. Hell, you’d dated the type. They smiled like wolves, hands warm and eyes calculating.

But Barnes didn’t start with a smile. He didn’t lead with a pitch, or some tired attempt at charm. Instead:

“You run that adaptive interface platform, right? For small logistics firms?”

You blinked, thrown slightly off balance. “That’s… oddly specific. Most people just call it ‘some tech thing.’”

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Genuine. Quietly pleased with himself.

““My campaign manager said I should try being more charming. I figured knowing what you actually do was a decent start.”

That earned him a raised brow and a small sip of your drink. “So this is you charming me?”

“I’m trying,” he admitted, voice low as he stepped in just enough to share your air, but not enough to crowd. “I don’t like asking for money. I’d rather earn what I get.”

You let out a soft huff of a laugh, the corner of your mouth tugging up. “That makes two of us. Everyone here’s just charming enough to take your money, none of them want to hear why you felt the need to offer it in the first place.”

His brow arched with quiet interest. “And why do you?”

You hesitated, fingers tracing the rim of your glass. “Because I’ve watched too many people like me, too many sharp, brilliant startups, get crushed under policy written by people who’ve never actually built anything. I have money now, sure. But the world’s... complicated. One bill, one amendment, one line in the wrong place, and everything collapses.”

He nodded slowly, expression shifting from polite to something more real. “Yeah,” he said. “Feels like it’s all turning into some elaborate game lately. Everyone pointing fingers, selling favors, whoring themselves out for donations. It’s about who you shake hands with, not who you help. And that’s not what I signed up for.”

You tilted your head. “So what did you sign up for?”

Bucky looked at you then, really looked. Blue eyes steady and piercing, the kind of gaze that cut through all your practiced armour and found the person underneath. There was no sales pitch in that look, no calculation. Just something honest. Something that made your throat tighten. “Just trying to make sure life’s better for people who don’t have the time or power to fight for it themselves.”

For the first time that evening, you felt your defences slip.

You stayed put.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

It wasn’t supposed to happen. But the elevator ride had been quiet and charged, a weight of unspoken tension thick in the air between you. The kind that buzzed in the bones and made your fingers twitch with anticipation. He’d asked if you wanted to see the view from the top floor. Just the skyline, he'd said. Just five minutes. You'd known the invitation carried more than one meaning, and you'd said yes anyway.

The elevator climbed too slowly and too fast all at once. Neither of you said much, just sidelong glances, soft exhales, the space between you alive with heat. When the doors opened, he stepped aside to let you pass, hand brushing your lower back with a quiet confidence that sent a bolt of want through your spine.

The skyline passed in a blur. You vaguely remembered the glittering lights of the Capitol, the outline of the Washington Monument, but mostly, you remembered the click of his keycard, the soft whoosh of the suite door, and the sound of your heartbeat pounding in your ears.

He didn’t say a word as you stepped inside. Just followed, silent and watchful. You felt the warmth of him behind you, the weight of his gaze tracing the bare skin of your shoulders. The brush of his knuckles down your spine made you shiver, and then you turned, and he looked at you like a man starving.

Like he'd wanted to taste you since the moment he saw you across the room.

"You still want to see the view?" he murmured, voice deeper now, rougher around the edges. You didn’t answer with words. Just stepped toward him, fingers tugging the lapel of his tux with a boldness that surprised even you.

He kissed you like he meant to burn the memory into your skin. Like he was starving and you were the only thing that would satisfy. Champagne lingered on your tongue, on his lips, between the clink of teeth and the soft drag of breath.

And when he backed you toward the table, fingers already skimming the edge of your thigh, you knew, this wasn’t politics anymore. This was something reckless. Something raw. Something that had nothing to do with influence or strategy.

Just the way he needed you. And in that moment, you let yourself want him right back- recklessly, breathlessly, without second-guessing the consequences.

The taste of champagne still lingered on your tongue as his lips brushed the sensitive skin at your throat, sending a fresh shiver down your spine and pulling you back into the heat between you. The click of your heels echoing against marble as he backed you toward the suite’s glossy dining table,. Your breath hitched when he slid your dress up your thighs with practiced ease.

“Didn’t peg you for the type to soak through your panties just from a little political banter,” he murmured, crouching as he tugged your panties down your thighs, eyes flicking up with that same smirk. “You gonna let me see what all that sharp talk was hiding?”

You rolled your eyes at the line, but the breath caught in your throat when his fingers slid through your folds, spreading you open with reverent, maddening patience. The pads of his fingers were calloused, warm, utterly unhurried. They moved like he’d done this before, but never quite like this. Like you were different. Like he wanted to learn you, not just make you moan.

“Oh, fuck, ” you gasped, hips twitching at the contact, thighs trying and failing to stay still as that first spark of sensation bled into a full-body ache.

He watched intently, eyes heavy-lidded and dark, focused like you were a puzzle he already knew the solution to but wanted to work through anyway, piece by trembling piece. One finger traced your entrance, then two pressed inside you, slow and deep, curling just right. The stretch was maddening and perfect, your walls clenching around him in a greedy flutter.

You whimpered, grinding down on his hand, shameless in the way you chased his touch. The heel of your shoe slipped a little on the polished floor, but he didn’t let you go, just steadied you with his free hand, palm flat on your thigh.

“Look at you,” he murmured, half to himself. “Could ruin me on the floor of a damn hotel suite and not even break a sweat.”

He brought the slick digits to his mouth, sucked them clean with a groan that went straight to your core, his tongue slow and deliberate like he was savoring the taste.

“Sweetest thing I’ve had in weeks,” he said, voice low, lazy, wicked, before picking you up and placing you gently on the edge of the table like you belonged there. Then he sank to his knees between your legs with deliberate care, hands sliding under your thighs to spread you open wider.

He looked up once, gaze molten with hunger and reverence, then lowered his head between your legs.

His tongue flicked through your folds with slow, luxurious precision. Lips sealed around your clit like a man on a mission, like the night didn’t end until you were wrecked and trembling, laid bare for him in every way.

You gripped the table edge hard enough to bruise, head tilted back as a moan slipped from your lips, loud and unashamed. Champagne warmth buzzed through your bloodstream, lowering every inhibition, making you shameless. His mouth was hot and relentless, tongue circling your clit with infuriating expertise, teasing and coaxing until your thighs were shaking.

"Bucky, oh my god- " you gasped, voice catching when he sealed his mouth tighter around you and sucked. The sound that left you was raw, desperate, the kind of noise that filled a luxury suite and made your face flush with heat.

He moaned into you like your taste was heaven, hands tightening under your thighs as he buried his face deeper. His nose bumped your mound, tongue flattening and stroking in long, slow passes. When he shifted the angle, dragging the tip against that spot, just right- your body jolted.

"There," you breathed, grinding into his face. "Fuck, right there, don't stop."

He didn’t. If anything, he doubled down. He groaned, one hand releasing your thigh only to slip between your legs again. Two fingers pressed in, firm and slow, curling in rhythm with his tongue until your whole body was a tight coil of want.

Your legs tried to close around him, thighs locking reflexively, but he held you open with a rough, growled "Let me have it. Let go for me, sweetheart. Come on."

You shattered.

Pleasure built like a storm inside you, cresting fast and hard until it snapped, tearing through you with a raw, blistering heat that left your legs shaking and your breath stuttering. Your body locked for one suspended moment, every nerve on fire, before the aftershocks rippled through you- deep, pulsing waves that made you moan, helpless and high on the intensity. Your hips jerked, your back arched, a high whine leaving your lips as his mouth stayed on you through every pulse. You heard your name tumble from your mouth in a breathless, broken cry.

Even then, he didn’t stop. He licked you through it, gentle now, tongue tracing soft, lazy patterns until you were squirming from overstimulation, a laugh-sob catching in your throat.

He finally pulled back, lips glistening, breathing hard like he was the one who’d just come.

"Told you," he said, voice wrecked and low, kissing your inner thigh. "Sweetest thing I've had in weeks."

He stood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes heavy-lidded as he looked down at you. Then he reached for your dress, the fabric bunching under his fingers as he eased it over your hips and up your body. You lifted your arms, dazed and pliant, letting him strip it away and drop it to the floor with quiet finality. He stepped back just long enough to shrug out of his shirt, fingers popping buttons open one by one before he pulled it free of his shoulders and let it fall.

You watched him, heart racing. His tie came off next. Then his belt. His slacks hit the floor with a soft rustle, and you caught your breath as he stepped out of them, bare and beautiful and hard for you.

He circled behind you, the heat of his bare chest pressing into your back. His hands slid over your waist, up your ribs, fingers splaying across your stomach. He kissed your shoulder, then your neck, slow, reverent, greedy. You tilted your head to the side, gave him space to devour the skin there. His cock nudged the curve of your ass, thick and hot and insistent.

"Come here," he rasped, walking you forward until the bed met your thighs. He turned you slightly, guiding you to the center of the mattress, facing the mirror across from it.

You leaned forward slightly, bracing yourself on your palms as he settled behind you. One hand slid between your thighs to guide himself as the other spread across your hip, grounding you. You felt the blunt head of his cock press against your entrance, and then, with one deep, slow thrust, he pushed into you.

Your mouth fell open, a moan tearing free as your walls stretched to accommodate him. Your eyes fluttered shut at the fullness, the thick, perfect pressure making your knees tremble. Behind you, Bucky groaned low and broken, hands tightening on your hips.

"Fuck, baby… you're so tight," he hissed through his teeth, voice strained with restraint.

You couldn’t find words. Just the burn, the ache, the pulse of pleasure radiating outward as he began to move, slow, dragging thrusts that had your eyes rolling back with every stroke. You heard the slick sound of your bodies meeting, felt the heat of his chest as he leaned in closer, his breath warm on your shoulder.

Then he pulled you upright, chest flush against your back, his hand sliding up to grip your throat with just enough pressure to hold you steady. The angle shifted, his cock spearing deeper as your spine arched and your legs widened in instinct. Your head fell back against his shoulder with a broken moan.

"Look," he rasped, turning your chin so your eyes met the mirror. "Look at me fucking you."

Your mouth parted as you watched the obscene beauty of it, his body pressed to yours, hips rolling up into you with power and purpose, your breasts moving with every thrust, that delicate chain swinging at your collarbone. His arm banded across your waist, anchoring you in place.

He rocked into you again, slow but deliberate, his breath ragged as he muttered, "God, you feel good, so fucking good."

You could only whimper in reply, eyelids fluttering, hips pushing back to meet him as slick pleasure gathered low in your belly again, tighter with every perfect stroke. Your eyes closed, breathing hard.

“Come on, open your eyes. Watch how good you look taking me,” he whispered, lips brushing your ear. “How perfect you look falling apart.”

You couldn’t look away.

Your gaze met your reflection, flushed skin, parted lips, the look of raw pleasure on your face as his cock filled you with slow, deliberate precision, each thrust deep and controlled, wringing gasps from your throat and arching your back with every stroke. Your fingers scrabbled behind you, finding purchase on his metal arm, nails digging into the vibranium plating as you gasped.

"Harder," you whispered, breath fogging the mirror. "Please, Bucky, "

He growled, the sound low and rough in your ear, and lost the last of his composure. Letting a go of the hold on you neck. 

Bucky bent you over the bed, hand gripping your waist like he meant to leave fingerprints, thrusting rougher now, deeper. Each stroke punched a moan from your lips, loud and wrecked. The slap of skin meeting skin echoed through the suite.

Your name fell from his mouth in a strained, reverent groan as your walls clenched around him and you came with a sob, body jerking under the weight of it. The pleasure was blinding, your muscles trembling, your thighs shaking as you cried out, caught somewhere between ecstasy and surrender.

Bucky's grip tightened on your hips, a guttural noise tearing from his throat. "Fuck, fuck, doll, that's it, " he gasped, hips stuttering.

He snapped forward with one last deep, punishing thrust and came with a harsh grunt, his cock pulsing as he spilled inside you. You could feelTitle: The Cost of Access the heat of it, the fullness, and it only made your body tighten again in response. His forehead dropped between your shoulder blades, breath hot and ragged against your spine.

Neither of you moved for a long, suspended moment, just the sound of breathing, the lingering echo of skin on skin, the scent of sweat and sex thick in the room. His hands softened on your hips, thumbs brushing soothingly across the skin he'd just gripped so fiercely. He leaned in, kissed the slope of your back, slow and reverent.

You didn’t speak. You didn’t need to. The silence said everything.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

You woke before he did.

The suite was too quiet. Just the hush of morning traffic filtering up from the city streets, the hum of the minibar fridge, and the rhythmic, steady sound of his breathing. You lay still for a moment, letting the soft warmth of his body behind you linger before reality crept in through the gauzy light.

Sunlight spilled across the hotel floor in perfect rectangles. The room still carried the humid trace of last night- skin-warmed sheets, the musky whisper of sex clinging to the air, and the soft, fading note of his cologne drifting lazily through the quiet. You slid out from beneath the sheet slowly, quietly, careful not to disturb him. But before you moved too far, you glanced back over your shoulder.

His hair was a mess, dark strands falling over his forehead in soft, unruly waves. One arm was flung lazily over the pillow, the other tucked beneath it, his vibranium arm, glinting faintly in the morning light. His face was relaxed, softened in sleep in a way you hadn’t seen the night before. Vulnerable. Real.

You stared for a beat longer than you meant to, throat tight. Then you turned away and stepped lightly onto the floor.

You found your dress crumpled near the foot of the bed. Your shoes tucked half under a chair. Your phone facedown on the nightstand. No panties. You searched briefly, under the bed, beneath a cushion, and came up empty. Of course.

You didn’t say goodbye. Didn’t leave a note. Just smoothed your dress down, slipped your heels back on, and left with your hair a mess and your thighs sticky with the night before.

You didn’t want to be seen as the kind of woman who bought access with sex, who traded power and control for one night of heat and champagne-clouded recklessness. That wasn’t who you were.

And he… well, you weren’t sure if he’d think he sold it. If he’d wake and think you were just another wealthy donor slipping out before the illusion shattered.

You’d hovered for a moment near the minibar, fingertips grazing the notepad left beside the phone. You’d even picked up the pen. A part of you had thought about leaving a check, not for the good time, not for the sex, but because, for one brief, dangerous moment, you’d hoped he was the kind of man worth investing in. Someone who meant what he said, who could actually hold the line when others bent. Someone who might fight for the things that mattered.

But your hand had stilled.

What would he think if he found that? That you’d paid him for it? That he was just like the rest of them, bought and fucked and forgotten?

He wasn’t a whore. No matter what people thought of politicians.

You set the pen down.

Better to leave. You could make a donation later. Quietly. Through the proper channels. When it wouldn’t feel like an apology.

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

You were halfway through your third coffee of the morning, hunched over a stack of budgets and investor notes when the intern knocked twice on your office door before pushing it open.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt,” she said, holding out a slim envelope. “This came by courier earlier. It didn’t look like it was office mail.”

You frowned, setting your mug down and brushing your hair back. The envelope was plain, unmarked. Heavy cardstock. Your name printed neatly in the center. No return address.

You waited until the door closed again before sliding your thumb beneath the seal.

Inside: a familiar scrap of lace. Your panties, folded neatly, still carrying the faintest trace of his cologne and something unmistakably you. Your breath hitched when your fingers brushed the fabric, your cheeks flushing hot.

And a note. Typed. Crisp cardstock. No letterhead, no signature, but the message was clear. Unmistakably him.

‘We’ll finish what we started.’

Just beneath the line, in faint pen ink, scrawled as if added last second, in a hand you didn’t quite expect to look so neat, was one more sentence:

‘Next time, stay for breakfast.’

[hildanasr]

People think war ends with a ceasefire. But for us, it’s just another kind of battle.

How do we rebuild a home that no longer exists?

How do we find work when everything has been taken from us?

How do we escape when the cost of leaving is impossible?

How will I give birth when there are no hospitals, no sanitation, and the cost of delivery is unbearable?

How will I care for my son when there is no healthy environment? How will I protect him from diseases and infections when there is no infrastructure, sewage flows through the streets, and drinking water is contaminated?

When will our life in tents end after Trump and Netanyahu’s decision to displace us, forbid reconstruction, and block the entry of building materials?

The weight of these questions is crushing, and I carry them every second of every day.🥺

If you can, please help by sharing our story. Awareness is survival. Hope is action. And even the smallest kindness can change everything.

💔 Reblogs help more than you know 💰 10 euros can make difference 🙏

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[cupcakeshakesnake]

Is it weird that I actually *wouldn't* want to live in Stardew Valley IRL

The notion of a small, isolated rural town where everybody knows everybody unsettles me. Think of the implications.

There are many cases of young Koreans moving from the city to the countryside for a more relaxing life, only to experience extreme gatekeeping and unfriendliness from the residents - for example, they would enter their homes uninvited, demand that they share their crops, demand large amounts of money for "town upkeep", or in extreme cases, commit some sort of crime (i.e. assault) and conspire to keep it from the public. Eventually the young people would be driven back to the city where, yeah, it's polluted and cold and dry, but at least people mind their own business.

That's the kind of thing that ran through my mind as I played Stardew Valley.

Also it makes me think about the different attitudes towards consumerism/capitalism in Korea and the USA. A lot of Korean gamers (that I've seen) have a way more positive view on the Joja route, than, say, r/StardewValley. (I know this is just a fraction of the number of people that play the game, but hear me out.)

A lot of people put way more trust in chain stores and brand names than, Idk, whatever Pierre's got going on.

I have a lot of thoughts and not enough words.

Edit: Yeah actually what the FUCK do you mean I have to say hello to all twentysomething townspeople.

Edit: A lot of Americans seem to dislike Joja because it reminds them of Amazon, but Koreans are usually reminded of some other company that's not as notorious. So when they support Joja, they don't feel like they're selling out, they just feel like they're investing in a more stable infrastructure.

Edit: Off topic but I watched a streamer play SDV for the first time and he assumed all the broken glasses and wet newspapers were from Lewis getting rid of his rivals and hiding the evidence LOL

Edit: There is a widespread notion here that it is better to work for domestic conglomerates because they treat their employees better.

Edit: Interestingly, South Korea isn't *pure* capitalism; it's even a bit hard to feel the brunt of it when some essential things like medical costs and certain food prices are controlled by the government.

Edit: I may be wrong here but Amazon could disappear and the USA could keep existing, whereas Samsung disappearing may as well mean the end of South Korea. Hatred of Samsung's CEO doesn't seem to be as widespread in Korea as the hatred of Jeff Bezos is in the US. Something to think about.

Edit: There's something about isolation. Because Korea is so small, not a lot of regions are actually isolated. If people don't like a store in an area, they will simply go to another one in the next city over. You can go anywhere. You can traverse the entire country in several hours. On the other hand, the US is like a bunch of islands that are on land instead of the sea. Isolated communities separated by miles and miles of desert or corn fields or whatever else. It makes it easier for the so-hated "big companies" to monopolize over an area.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Common covid misinfo that too many believe

That the pandemic is over

That "if covid was a pressing threat, we'd hear about it on the news"

That vaccines stop community spread

That "covid is suddenly back" because Trump is in office

That we only have a *few* cases at any given time because we have low testing (only a few people get tested because it costs money, but everyone poops and wastewater testing shows a different story)

That your vaccine from 2022 has left you "up to date" in 2025 (barely 18% of Americans got the latest booster. Not even 1/5th of Americans are up to date on their covid vaccination, but please tell me more about how you're *pro-vax*)

That only the "high-risk" need to worry about serious covid symptoms and long covid

That vaccines stop all long covid

That masks don't do anything or are the mark of a hypochondriac

That Biden beat covid when what he actually did was *checks notes* implement Trump's plan of ignoring mass illness, downplay the threat long covid poses to everyone, and dismantle and defund nearly all federal test/trace/treat infrastructure (that many other countries still have and still use to combat still rising covid), leaving us in the hands of private ventures that do not freely share their data and allowing "states rights" to extend to literal physical belief in a pandemic illness.

[northgazaupdates]

Lina Zeyad is an attorney and mother of 4 from north Gaza.

To put it mildly, she has had an extremely difficult year.

She and her family have been displaced from their home by occupation bombing, and were forced to flee various shelters under threat of IOF assault numerous times. Every displacement is extremely traumatic, as it is done under immediate danger. It also costs money for transport, accommodations, and basic necessities.

Her youngest son then contracted Hepatitis C after having to drink contaminated water, requiring medical treatment. Gaza’s medical infrastructure has collapsed due to the IOF’s sabotage efforts, and available medical care is both scarce and expensive.

And as for food? Same story. They rarely eat, and when they do, the cost and the effort required to attain are extremely high.

Lina and her family are heartbroken and in a state of despair. They feel abandoned by the world, and don’t know how they are going to survive the winter. Please help give them hope.

Reblog this post and repost the link (https://gofund.me/de108c6) to share her campaign.

Please support Lina so she has a chance to find accommodations, food, and medicine for her family!

Thank you❤️

[phoenixyfriend]

I think that one of the things I find most frustrating about the tariffs conversation (and I find a lot of it frustrating) is... well, okay, it's two things, which are related:

ONE: MAGA are stealing leftist talking points

TWO: That's not how protectionist tariffs work. (This is probably the more important one.)

So.

ONE: The rhetoric of 'temporary hardship to reach eventual greater collective stability' is something that the left generally says with a little more sincerity, oftentimes with things like taxes for public infrastructure or welfare.

It also generally means that everyone experiences a touch of hardship, but the wealth is reinvested into the economy to boost the collective good; the sincerity is low with centrists, but higher with the far left.

The hardship is also more likely to not be moving money to the wealthy, something that is very much happening here. There are some massive shortfalls in tax income these past few years, some of which have been going on for decades, like the subsidization of the fossil fuel industry or unusually high investment in the military, but a big one recently has been the 2017 tax cuts that Trump introduced for the wealthy in his first term. They are, from articles I've seen, responsible for trillions in lost revenue per year sine their introduction, and while they expire in 2025, Trump and this Republican Congress have made it clear that they intend to extend those tax cuts as long as they can. The tariffs are to cover that gap in the budget, meaning that everyone is paying more in taxes, on goods that are disproportionately consumed by the lower and middle classes, in order to cover the tax breaks that billionaires got.

Very much stealing from the poor to give to the rich! That's what the tariffs are about!

e.g. yes you're paying a few extra dollars in taxes this year, but it's being invested in developing a free and reduced school lunch program; while you won't see any immediate benefits, and you'll be a little strapped for cash for month or two if you're living paycheck to paycheck, but you'll see a huge load off your mind come September. Could also be a few extra dollars for an infrastructure project, which takes ten years to build... but once it's built, your commute is cut in half because of the new bridge, or the electricity is subsidized by some new wind farms, or the landfill has been assessed and built over to be a safe, clean park. This second example about infrastructure is Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which fed money into infrastructure work and other major projects across the country; in many cases, state Senators, congresspeople, and governors who had voted or campaigned against the IRA would then take credit for the benefits their constituents saw.

TWO: You can't use protectionist tariffs to revive local industry without investing in it. High tariffs can minimize damage to the economy if the industry hasn't already left.

If the factories are still around, and the employees are still there and knowledgeable, and the resources haven't been left to diminish on their own, then you protect them with tariffs in the immediate aftermath of a shift in the status quo. You prevent the 'theft of business' with the tariffs, and since it all just seems to be business as usual domestically, it's a blip in the radar for consumers. A bit more complicated if the domestic market has also been exporting the product, as markets abroad will shift to the cheaper product you are protecting against, but you now have a bit more time to innovate a reason to keep market share.

If the industry has been allowed to diminish, or never really existed in the first place (we can't grow coffee or bananas or avocado or mangos at an industry scale, we do not have the weather for it), then a sudden implementation of protectionist tariffs will pass costs along to the consumer until the industry is up and running again.

You know how you fix that? Subsidize the industry you're trying to revive.

In 1910, there were 144,607 people employed in clothing factories in the US (1910 census, employment). This doesn't include people working in shoe factories (181,010), tanneries (33,553), dressmakers and seamstresses (449,342; presumably separated from the first statistic by not being in a factory), dyers (14,050), sewers and sewing machine operatives (291,209), shoemakers and cobblers not in factories (69,570), and the hundreds of thousands of people in the textiles alone (I'm not doing the math, but it's over a million). So we're looking at several million people in the garment industry in the US, in 1910.

In 2020, the combined category of Textile, Apparel, and Furnishing employment contained a total of 16,510 people.

You cannot bring an industry like that back to the US without heavily, heavily subsidizing it to

A. Keep the costs down to where the public can still buy clothing without making it so the people suddenly in this industry are paid pennies on the hour.

B. Train this new generation of people in an industry that barely exists anymore.

C. Build the infrastructure to support the industry, from cotton gins to sewing factories.

You can't bring back an industry that was in the millions in 1910 when there are less than 20,000 people doing it now, in a population that has more than tripled (92mill in 1910, 331mill in 2020).

I just. You have to feed those tariffs into rebuilding the industry. You can't feed them into tax breaks for the wealthy if your stated goal is to rebuild industry. I know that feeding money to his rich friends is the goal for Trump, but I'm so incredibly frustrated that people don't seem to get the basic functions of protectionist tariff application.

Almost forgot to advertize myself since this was just me venting about current events, inspired by a LegalEagle video, but:

Prompt me on ko-fi! I’m trying to move out of my parents’ house.

[aboudalhaj]

The Rising Cost of Living in Gaza: A Struggle for Basic Necessities Amid War and Blockade

The escalating cost of living continues to place an unbearable burden on individuals and families in areas ravaged by conflict and embargoes. The image provided paints a stark picture of the harsh reality faced by communities—where even the most basic necessities come at exorbitant prices. Essential items such as cooking oil, sugar, and basic hygiene products are not only overpriced but often scarce due to the ongoing war and economic blockade.

For example, a modest bottle of sunflower oil is priced at an astounding $14.72, while a small packet of sugar costs $9.37. Potatoes and onions, once staple and affordable foods, now cost $8.03 each. Even basic hygiene products like soap and tahini are priced at $5.89 and $13.38, respectively. These prices, which continue to climb, highlight a dire economic situation that makes survival a daily struggle for countless individuals.

The root causes of this crisis lie in the devastating impact of war and prolonged blockades that have crippled local economies, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to international markets. Local production is stifled, and imports are restricted, leading to inflation and a scarcity of goods. The situation is further exacerbated by unemployment and widespread poverty, leaving many unable to afford even the bare minimum required for sustenance.

In addition to food and hygiene, other sectors such as healthcare and clothing are also affected. Many families cannot afford proper medical treatment or seasonal clothing, leaving them vulnerable to illness and harsh weather conditions. The lack of access to affordable and quality resources perpetuates a cycle of poverty, malnutrition, and disease, particularly among children and the elderly.

The international community must recognize the severity of this humanitarian crisis and take action to alleviate the suffering. Lifting restrictions, providing financial aid, and ensuring the flow of essential goods are critical steps toward restoring dignity and hope to those affected. Until then, millions will continue to live under the shadow of deprivation, with the rising cost of living as an ever-present reminder of their plight.

I urge you to take a stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza. My family, like countless others, is struggling to survive these harsh conditions. You can help by donating to our campaign or simply sharing it with others to raise awareness. Together, we can bring hope and support to those in need.

✅ My Campaign ✅ 🔍Vetted by @90-ghost here 🔍✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #300 )✅️ here

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[help-alaa-family]

The WAR On Gaza,Palestine Is A WAR Against Humanity, The Whole World & Nature.

A Dangerous WAR against children, the elderly, women, pets, trees, nature, infrastructure, air, water sources & food.

We are facing a real famine in Gaza Palestine. We have been forced to flee under the bombardment of planes & tanks from the north of Gaza to the south. The commercial crossings have been closed & aid has been cut off. There is no meat, chicken, milk or eggs in the markets. We register for international aid, but unfortunately nothing is given to us. So we found the best way is to donate to us through the GoFundMe website. Our account is verified & your help has reached us, but we still need urgently to reach the campaign goal to complete the amount required to travel from Gaza and start a new future and buy a small house to live in.

Even basic food supplies are running low & the cost of a 25 kg bag of flour has gone from £10 to £650. We have lost our jobs & our salaries have been cut. So please donate a little so we can survive & travel from Gaza.

Displaced From Our Home 7 Times & Now Living In A Tent That Lacks Of Life From More Than 400 Days. We Lost Everything.

⛔Pictures & Words Fail To Describe Our Situation🥹

Our Donation Link 🔗

Please 🔁Share/Reblog Our Story & If You Can Donate🙏🏻 Even A Little, It Means A Lot To Us 💌

gofund.me/cb8c05a3

Thank You ❤️🌹

My Account Was Verified & Listed #99

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[inky-duchess]

Fantasy Guide to Ruratanian Romance

Ever been to the European nation of Ruratania? No? It doesn't exist. Ruratanian Romance is a genre that takes place in a typically small fictional European country.

Getting to Know the Genre

The first Ruritanian novel of its kind was the 1894 "The Prisoner of Zenda" by Anthony Hope. Ruritanian Romance usually take place within the contemporary but there is no reason you can't apply it within a historical setting. The common themes of the genre revolve around the lives of the royal family or nobility of the region, culture clash, political intrigue, the balance of love and duty and adventure. The genre tends to feature people travelling to the nation for the first time and finding a romantic partner or the return of a lost/unknown heir and the villains tend to be corrupt nobles or politicians looking to cash in on the nation's beautiful settings or steal the throne.

Building a Small European Nation

The beauty of Europe is that while every country is unique it shares a history and cultural aspects with their neighbour. To build a small European nation, you need to know the history of its neighbours and how it effected your new nation. Ruritanian nations end to be more idealised, focusing on the more romantic sides of Europe - fine historical buildings, beautiful nature and very modern and progressive cultures and governments. You will need to decide what political structure your nation has, what are its symbols, languages spoken, population size, resources, geographical features etc. I have more under my #worldbuilding.

Culture of your Ruratanian Nation

No matter where you are in Europe, you will experience another nation's culture alongside your own. Whether you're listening to German techno in a French nightclub or eating an Irish Spice Bag in Latvia, the culture of your neighbours bleed through to your own. If your nation lies near France, they may share similarities in language or if they are by Italy they may share similar cuisine. If your nation is in the Balkans, they will have a more Slavic culture than the West. But it's not all spice bags and techno beats, Europe is like one big family and every country has its buddies and rivals. Rivalry can be formed by history or differences in culture and it doesn't mean that the countries and their people will be beating each other up. It's rivalry that involves making fun of one another or cheering when they lose a football match (Remember kids, it's not about who wins it's that England lose) . I have a post on culture under that hashtag.

History

You should know the history of your little nation. And because it's surrounded by real nations, you can easily fit that into your new nation. Did Napoleon ever visit? Did they ever get into a scrap with a country beside them? Which country do they have a rivalry with? Why? Pay attention to where you want to place your nation. Genovia - probably the best known of recent examples - is situated between France and Italy on the Cote d'Azur. Genovian history features the Visigoths and WWII. Your history of this nation doesn't have to be complete of course, mainly readers will be sated with a brief mention of a historical event here and there that will suspend their belief a little.

West is West, East is East

The two halves of Europe, the East and West are vastly different culturally though they share similarities. These differences are due to the Roman Empire having more influence in the West and later, the isolation of East and West in the Cold War. Languages in the East have Baltic, Slavic roots while the Western language family derive from the Romance languages. Western Europe has a long historical trend of faster industrialisation and modernisation while the East tended develop at slower rates. East Europe has a much lower cost of living. The West tends to follow Catholic and Protestant denominations while the Orthodox Church has more influence in the East. Infrastructure evolves faster in the West but the East has a strong relationship with its folk history and culture. The Western governments are often divided between two polar opposite schools of thoughts. Some countries of East Europe have had history of corrupt governments and harsh regimes, like some Western countries. The East has a strong work ethic and communities tend to support each other more while in the West individualism is encouraged and the work-life balance is prioritised. There is a distinct feel of East or West Europe that your Ruritanian nation will emulate.