#levy’s 400+ event

[silvermarley]

Hey!! I see your event and I thought of something fun :) How about Choso after having a wet dream about reader?

Congrats of 400+ levy 🫶

Ty ty <33

Wet Dream

Choso x Reader

Warning: smutty, whiny Choso, soft dom?, established relationship, a bit of somno

He’s never dreamt of you this way before. Sure, he has a few less than appropriate thoughts every now and then. But it’s never carried on into a dream until now.

Choso swears it was real. The touch of your hands gliding down his chest as he fucks into you from above. The heat from it all felt so so real..

So when he opened his eyes to see you sleeping on your side of the bed, he was shocked, ashamed. He felt his wetness covering him from below. Oh.. he came in his pants while dreaming. More embarrassment sunk in as he stared up at the wall. Fuck, he’s still throbbing.

You have such an effect on him that it always surprises him. And now his current dilemma was that you were asleep, but he needed you so bad it almost hurt. Choso wanted that dream to be real because god, it felt like he was really fucking you.

Before his mind could stop him, he’s trailing his hand on your side, and over your waist. He pushes his clothed cock to your ass as he almost whined for you to wake up. He gripped your hips in restraint. “Please baby..” he whispered lowly, whining when he puts his head on the back of your neck.

You woke up to the feeling of him holding you from behind. The moment he noticed you were awake, he’s subtly grinding on your ass. “Had a dream.. ‘n-need you so bad..”

Your breath hitched. His hand glided over your stomach and to your inner thigh. “Can I..?”

You bit your lip and nodded, still dazed from your sleep. You felt hot as he wasted no time in indulging in his desires.

———

400 EVENT <3

[kissatoru]

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐘𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍!

🪦 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎 ⭑ to celebrate spooky season and reaching 400+ followers (oh my god?! thank you so much?!), i’ve decided to do a mini halloween smut event !! since i’m starting quite late in the month, the event may be moved further into november if i need more time.

💀 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 ⭑ all fics will be sub!character x dom!reader with a spoooky~ halloween twist! the reader’s anatomy and position (top/bottom) will vary depending on the fic. more content info will be added once the fic has been posted. the tag for this event is #( ★ ) hornyween ‘23.

please remember to read the warnings and, as always, do not interact if you are under 18 !!

🕸️ 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ⭑ the form for the taglist is here. if you have trouble accessing the link, feel free to dm me or reply to this post with which fic(s) you’d like to be tagged for.

please note that you must be 18+ and have your age or an indicator of it somewhere on your blog or you will be blocked!

☆ 𝐑𝐄𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 ☆

🩸 OUR LITTLE SECRET ; levi ackerman [ ✓ ]

content. sub!vampire!levi, dom!gn!reader, implied virgin/touch-starved!levi, ooc levi at some points cause of vampire hormones, plot before porn, blood/blood-drinking kink, oral fixation, dry humping, handjob, inappropriate use of cravats, petnames (dearest, darling)

synopsis. in 19th century society, everyone has secrets they want to keep from seeing the light of day — so what will happen when you unveil levi’s?

🦴 BAD DOG ; toji fushiguro [ ✓ ]

content. PORN WITH PLOT YAYY, no curses/modern/alternate magic au, bratty asf sub!toji, mean dom!reader, reader is super strong and beats toji’s ass lol, canon-typical violence, cigarette smoking, outdoor sex, degradation, brat-taming, mild pet play, shoe humping, cock stepping, pain kink, s/m dynamic, handjob, edging, pet (?) names (darling, sweetheart [receiving; condescendingly] + pup, puppy, puppy dog [giving; also condescendingly]), anal fingering, spit and cum as lube, spanking, reader refers to themself as ‘master’ once, morally grey + dubcon ending

synopsis. stories and fables always warn of the big bad wolf, but personally, you think he makes quite a cute pet.

🫀 INSATIABLE ; keigo takami [ ??? ]

content. sub!incubus/succubus!keigo, dom!gn!reader, multiple orgasms, overstimulation + more ...

synopsis. lust demons are known for their hunger, but when one visits you in the night, your appetite turns out to be larger than his.

🪞 PRETTY GIRL ; mitsuri kanroji [ ??? ]

content. sub!mitsuri, soft dom!ghost!gn!reader, modern au, mirror sex, praise kink, cunnilingus + more ...

synopsis. strange paranormal encounters have mitsuri considering moving out — until an encounter unlike the others persuades her to stay.

[natimiles]

Nati!! Congrats on (almost) 400 followers!! 🎊🎉🥳🎉🎊

First off, mad respect for your ability to just crank out stories at the speed you do! 😅 That's a gift 💕

Secondly, could I request sweet Leviachan and top of foot, please and thank you 🙏🙏

Thaaaanks! And thank you so much for your kind words 🥹🤲🏼🤍

Here we go with a sweet (and very embarrassed) Leviii! 

Leviathan + Top of the foot

Words: 404

Tags: you’re injured, but nothing serious; no descriptions of the injury; established relationship; no pronouns for reader.

You just finished dinner, and both of you are excited and anxious to go back to Levi’s bedroom and continue playing the new game he bought. You are laughing and jokingly racing up the stairs, and then the next moment you slip and fall.

You let out a shriek, which easily turns into a whimper when you try to balance yourself on your feet. Levi is right beside you in a matter of seconds, holding you before you hit the ground.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m fine,” you try to reassure him with a smile.

He doesn’t buy it. His face is burning red, and he’s sure his heart is about to leap out of his chest, but he fights through it to lift you in his arms and carry you bridal-style to his bedroom. With utmost care and gentleness, he places you on your gaming chair. Kneeling in front of you, he begins to take off your shoes, but then his wide eyes dart to yours as if he’s just thought of something.

“C-can I? Does it hurt?”

You let out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt.”

Levi nods and turns his attention back to your feet, now properly taking off your shoes to get a better look. At first glance, everything seems normal.

“See? I told you I’m fine,” you say with a soft smile.

“I know, I just…” he mutters under his breath. He is still intently analyzing your foot, making sure there is not a single scratch or bruise on you, and then he finally sighs in relief. “I wanted to make sure.”

His orange eyes shift to look into yours, showing you he is seriously worried about you. Never breaking eye contact, he gently holds your feet, bringing them close to his lips. He places a kiss on the top of each foot in succession, hoping you know but also don’t know what it means. You blink, surprised by his actions, but you can’t hold back the smile spreading across your face, especially when he has that adorable blush spreading over his entire face.

Levi’s soul is about to leave his body from how nervous he is, but he fights it again. He will fight all his embarrassment if it means making you smile, ensuring you’re happy, showing you how much he loves you, and making sure you never stop loving him back.

Taglist: @sh0jun @chandeliermichel @judejazza

Beneath The Milky Twilight ♥ Event Masterlist

[ivystoryweaver]

EVENT CLOSED

My Masterlist

1000 Follower/Holiday Celebration Masterlist

THANK YOU for every single follow and interaction! Every single reply, comment and rb makes my heart explode! I'm a bit overdue for a 1k so I thought I would combine it with a ✨Holiday Celebration✨

There will be 2 parts to this party:

Celebration Part One✨

Based on this poll, 400 of you voted, and the Moon Dads/Hanukkah idea won.

However, the Miguel/Christmas idea was such a close second, I decided to make a holiday event. LET'S DO THEM ALL!

Here's the schedule for Nov. 26-Dec. 30: (I will try to post on Saturdays or Sundays)

UPDATE: They have titles now! Each one is a holiday song title

WEEK 1: 🫂💖 "Jingle Bells" - Santiago Garcia comfort/cheer-you-up ficlet (1000 words or less) for this busy, sometimes lonely time of year. Occurs during the holidays, but is not holiday-specific. Fun fact: Jingle Bells is actually a Thanksgiving song. Thanks to the moots who helped me pick Santi

WEEK 2: 🌙��� "Eight Nights (in December)"* Moon Knight System as dads/Hanukkah short story (3500-7500 words). Thanks for voting! This story is your winner! 🏆

WEEK 3: 🕷️🎄"(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man With the Bag" Miguel O'Hara/Christmas one-shot (1000-3500 words)

WEEK 4: 🎅🏼🐶 “Fairytale of New York” 18+ Pathetic Puppy Llewyn Davis on Christmas Eve one-shot (1000-3500 words) ^ This occurs on Christmas Eve, but doesn't necessarily mean characters celebrate Christmas

WEEK 5: 💫🌳 "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" Poe Dameron/Life Day ficlet (1000 words or less) coming Holiday 2024 *"Eight Nights" is a gorgeous Hanukkah song by Rosi Golan if you're not familiar

Celebration Part Two✨

And here's how you can get involved in the celebration:

I will be taking specific requests for the following characters. Please read this entire post before requesting:

Askbox

🌙Moon Knight - Marc Spector, Steven Grant and/or Jake Lockley 🕸️Across the Spiderverse - Miguel O'Hara 💫Star Wars - Poe Dameron 🤖Ex Machina - Nathan Bateman 💵Triple Frontier - Santiago Garcia 🎬Scenes From a Marriage - Jonathan Levy

There are a few other Oscar Isaac characters I might attempt, if asked.

— rules: • must be following me & must be 18+ • No request limit at this time, but let me know your top priority request if you have more than one. • requests don't have to be holiday based, but they can be!

Pick a character (above) and request:

1.🖼️- a moodboard - you can tell me the scenario or vibe, or I can pick for you! Telling me a little about yourself will help 2. 🦸🏽- a character blurb from one of my stories My Masterlist 3. 🤔- headcanons for blorbos. Requests for stories/ficlets/one shots, etc. are not open for this event

Ideas below if you need them:

here - romantic confession dialogue prompts here - married life prompts here - tender prompts here - affectionate prompts here - protective prompts here - variety prompts: angst, fluff, smut, bittersweet

4. 🎮 - games - "Would You Rather?" or "FMK" (I'll probably answer you with kiss rather than kill) 5. 📚- fic recs - Recommend a fic for me to read - can be yours or someone else's, OR ask me for recommendations because I've been reading for FOREVER and I have some writer moots who are rad af 6. ❓- questions about me, my stories or anything at all 7. 📸- send me your favorite pic or thoughts about your blorbo 8. 🤍- get-to-know-you questions here or Top 3's here - ask me to get to know me, I'll answer and ask you one back! 9. ➡️⬅️- follow backs - I need more blogs to follow. Tell me why I should follow you. What are you into?

1000 Follower/Holiday Celebration Masterlist

My Masterlist

Askbox

[scotianostra]

September 13th 1645 saw Royalist troops under Marquis of Montrose defeated by Covenanters led by David Leslie at Battle of Philiphaugh.

Exactly one year on from the day they sacked Aberdeen James Grahams makeshift army tasted defeat. The mixture of Highlanders and Irish mercenaries marched into the Borders to disrupt the mustering of the Covenanter levies. On the night of the 12th September they camped at Philiphaugh, just to the west of Selkirk. But Montrose was poorly served by his scouts throughout this campaign.

Most importantly he seems to have been unaware that, on the 6th September, Sir David Leslie had marched north out England with a large Scottish army. On the 11th Leslie had rendezvoused with Lothian forces at Gladsmuir, East Lothian, and marched south. On the night of the 12th, unbeknown to Montrose, the Covenanter army approached Selkirk, beating up the quarters of Montrose’s advance guard.

On the morning of the 13th September, at Philiphaugh, the battle hardened forces of this Covenanter army won the decisive action of the Civil War in Scotland. Montrose’s army was effectively destroyed and, most importantly, the myth of his invincibility was shattered.

Montrose’s reputation was also in tatters and he was never able to rally support in Scotland again, although he did maintain a guerrilla campaign until being ordered by lay down his arms by King Charles, who was himself a prisoner at the time.

Many of the fleeing soldiers were slain by the local people who had suffered severely in the hands of Montrose’s men.

The officers of higher rank were taken to Edinburgh and Glasgow and there executed.

The carnage which followed was horrific even in the context of those times and was to Leslie’s eternal shame. If he did not given the orders which resulted in the following appalling events, he apparently made no effort to stop them.

400 Irish, seeking refuge at Philiphaugh Farm fought until they were all wiped out. The families of the Irish soldiers were herded up and driven into the compound at Newark Castle. There they were brutally murdered and no one was spared. They numbered over 300, almost all women and children.

Years later, in 1810, the foundations of a school was being excavated near Newark, and there was found large quantities of bones and skulls.

The field is known as Slain Men’s Lea.

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

Hurt comfort, amnesia, CanonAU GO 👀

revenge

hurt/comfort all hurt no comfort x amnesia x canonverse

It had been weeks since he last saw your eyes. Levi remembered the absolute devastation he felt when he saw your mangled body, being uncertain over whether you were even still alive. It was clear that you had hit your head on the tumble down to the ground, but he wasn't sure of the extent of your injuries.

He remembered never leaving your bedside, wanting to guarantee that his face would be the first one you see once you finally opened your eyes.

It didn't matter in the end.

He remembered looking into your eyes with anticipation and relief—and he remembered feeling like you took away his ability to breathe or move when you spoke.

"Who are you?" you asked, your voice raspy from weeks of unuse. "Do I know you?"

Levi took a few steps back, a dark look clouding over his eyes.

He knew that your injuries were bad, but some, dumb, hopeful, foolish part of him had held onto the idea that you would be fine as long as you woke up.

You weren't.

And based on what he overheard the doctor telling Erwin, it wasn't likely that you were going to be.

You had been the one thing in his life that let him fight against the thought that Levi Ackermann was doomed to be alone—and now that was gone.

And he found himself alone.

~~~~~

come hang out with (and torture) me with this 200-word 400 follower event! :D

i promise i'll do other ones properly a;ldsfkj

[beardedmrbean]

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat has created a calculator to help readers determine if it is more cost effective for them to rent or buy a home in the current market.

HS noted the shifting attitudes towards home ownership in Finland, with renting becoming a viable alternative for many.

"In the 1990s, young couples were automatically asked when they planned to buy a home, now they are asked if they are going to buy one. It is no longer taken for granted," said Anne Viita, director of Finnish Tenants, an advocacy group for renters.

Viita told HS that uncertainties around job security as well as a more mobile lifestyle have made renting attractive, offering an exit option without the obligations of ownership, such as repair or renovation costs.

Rising costs in home ownership, including mortgage rates, energy and maintenance fees, have also dampened enthusiasm for buying.

Juho Kostiainen, an economist at Nordea, said that while mortgage costs can surpass rent, ownership remains appealing because loan repayments contribute to personal equity.

Economist Veera Holappa of the Pellervo Economic Research (PTT) meanwhile noted to HS that in cities like Helsinki and Tampere, owning was twice as expensive as renting in 2023. However, a recent decrease in interest rates has somewhat balanced the equation.

Holappa added that high rental supply is keeping rent increases modest in the Helsinki area.

For first-time buyers, falling property prices present an opportunity, though current owners may find it challenging to sell at past values.

Immigration has also contributed to the rental market's growth, with newcomers typically renting during their first years in Finland, according to Kostiainen.

Far-right's building burns

Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat reports that a fire broke out early on Monday morning at a building known as a hub for Finland's far-right groups in the Hiiltomo industrial area of Hyvinkää.

The blaze, which affected a single-story structure of approximately 400 square metres known as Otsola, required a response from 14 firefighting units.

Although the building was not completely destroyed, it sustained extensive damage. Authorities did not immediately comment on the suspected cause of the fire.

Otsola is unique in Finland as a space openly identified with far-right groups, the most prominent being the openly fascist Blue-Black Movement.

Members have referred to the building as a cultural centre, hosting various gatherings and events, including concerts.

Finnish forestry exports and Trump

Rural-focused newspaper Maaseudun Tulevaisuus writes that Donald Trump's re-election raises questions for Finland's forestry industry, particularly regarding his proposals to boost American manufacturing and impose broad import tariffs.

Trump's campaign included a general 10 percent tariff on imports, with a specific 60 percent levy targeting Chinese goods.

Finland's major forestry players — UPM, Stora Enso, and Metsä Group's Metsä Board — remain cautious, with all three declining to speculate on potential impacts.

Timo Tolonen of the lobby group Finnish Forest Industries emphasised that any significant change will happen over time, with Trump's term starting in January and policy shifts possibly taking even longer.

"It's too early to judge at this stage. As an industry, we support free trade and measures that do not lead to protectionism, ensuring a level playing field for industry," Tolonen told MT.

Currently, Finland exports forestry products worth one billion euros annually to the US, accounting for over eight percent of the country's total forestry exports.

For Metsä Board, which exports primarily from Finland and Sweden without local US production, new tariffs could pose challenges.

UPM, on the other hand, operates production sites in the US, potentially giving it an advantage if Trump's policies favour domestic manufacturers.

Increased tariffs may reduce demand for Finnish imports, forcing companies to seek new markets and offer discounts, especially in competitive sectors like cardboard.

Meanwhile, the US dollar's value has bolstered in the wake of Trump's victory. This could help offset some impacts by making Finnish exports cheaper for American buyers, though how long this exchange rate will hold remains uncertain.

[osaemu]

⊹ ˚. ⋆ 400 follower event works masterlist

status: event closed, six asks remaining

yandere alphabet • — b, e, g. megumi fushiguro • — h, t, w. osamu dazai • — a, b, f. levi ackerman • — z, r, t. satoru gojo • — e, m, i. nakahara chuuya • — c, t, z. megumi fushiguro • — a, k, y. kaeya alberich • — c, h, t. nakahara chuuya • — h, n, t. suguru geto • — j, n, r. sigma

fluff alphabet • — b, o, n. megumi fushiguro • — c, e, n. diluc ragnivindr • — h, f. suguru geto

event post

a/n: 400 whole followers later i still havent finished the asks my bad guys

[foreverlogical]

A Washington-based married couple's challenge to an obscure provision of the 2017 Republican tax law has the potential to become "the most important tax case in a century," with far-reaching implications for federal revenues, key social programs, and Congress' constitutional authority to impose levies on income.

That's according to a new report released Wednesday by the Roosevelt Institute and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

The policy groups estimated that if the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs in Moore v. United States—which the justices are set to take up in December—nearly 400 multinational corporations could collectively receive more than $270 billion in tax relief, further enriching behemoths such as Apple, Microsoft, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Google.

The Roosevelt Institute and ITEP also found that Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito own stock in 19 companies that are poised to receive a combined $30 billion in tax breaks if the judges strike down the 2017 law's mandatory repatriation tax, a one-time levy targeting earnings that multinational corporations had piled up overseas.

But the case could have impacts well beyond a repeal of the repatriation tax, which was projected to generate $340 billion in federal revenue over a decade.

Depending on the scope of the justices' decision, the new report argues, the Supreme Court could "suddenly supplant Congress as a major American tax policymaker, putting at legal jeopardy much of the architecture of laws that prevent corporations and individuals from avoiding taxes, and introducing great uncertainty about our democracy's ability to tax large corporations and the most affluent."

"At the best of times, blowing a $340 billion hole in the federal budget would be catastrophic," Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at ITEP and a co-author of the new report, said in a statement. "And if the court invalidates the transition tax in its Moore decision, that's exactly what would happen: possibly the costliest Supreme Court decision of all time. And it would be hard to identify a less deserving set of tax cut beneficiaries than the companies that would reap at least $271 billion from repealing this tax."

"The Roberts Court could decide with the stroke of a pen to simultaneously forgive big business decades of tax dues."

Charles and Kathleen Moore brought their challenge to the repatriation provision after they were hit with a roughly $15,000 tax bill stemming from their stake in an Indian farm equipment company. As the Tax Policy Center recently observed, the Indian firm is a "controlled foreign corporation (CFC), or a foreign corporation whose ownership or voting rights are more than 50% owned by U.S. persons who each own at least 10%."

The Moores' cause has been championed by billionaire-backed organizations and corporate lobbying groups, including the Manhattan Institute–which is chaired by billionaire hedge fund mogul Paul Singer—and the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"That such a case involving such modest sums would make it all the way to the high court indicates that there is much more at play than a single family's tax refund," ITEP's Gardner and Spandan Marasini and the Roosevelt Institute's Niko Lusiani note in the new report.

The plaintiffs' legal team argues that because the Moores' shares in the Indian firm were not "realized"—they did not sell or receive a distribution from the company—they should not have been on the hook for the repatriation tax.

"The government, on the other hand, argues that almost a century of tax law precedent has established Congress' broad authority to decide when and how to tax income, even without a specific realization event," the new report explains. "What's more, the income was clearly realized by the corporation, which is sufficient for income taxation of shareholders under various provisions of the existing tax code."

While it's possible that the Supreme Court will rule narrowly on the specifics of the Moores' situation, the report authors cautioned that the justices "could also issue a broad decision that taxing income—of an individual or a corporate shareholder—requires realization, and that income taxation on multiple years of accrued income is unconstitutional."

Such a sweeping ruling could preemptively ban a wealth tax—an outcome that right-wing supporters of the Moores have explicitly advocated.

"This case presents the court with an ideal opportunity to clarify that taxes on unrealized gains, such as wealth taxes, are direct taxes that are unconstitutional if not apportioned among the states," the Manhattan Institute declared in a May amicus brief.

A broad ruling by the high court could also imperil key elements of the existing tax code, according to ITEP and the Roosevelt Institute.

"One of the most established of these pillars is known as Subpart F, which was enacted in 1962 to prevent American corporations from avoiding taxation through offshore entities or controlled foreign corporations," the new report says. "Provisions related to Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI), the branch profits tax; tax treatment of corporate debt; and others could be uprooted by five justices."

"The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax—enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to create a basic corporate tax floor—as well as international efforts to curb international tax avoidance could be made constitutionally invalid," the report adds.

The analysis stresses that the consequences of a broad ruling in the upcoming case would be profound, affecting more than just a handful of corporate tax provisions.

"In Moore," the report warns, "the Roberts Court could decide with the stroke of a pen to simultaneously forgive big business decades of tax dues, increase the federal deficit over the long run, jeopardize future public revenue and essential social programs, escalate these multinational companies' already sizeable after-tax profits, and further enrich their shareholders."

[lovelynim]

400 Followers Event Master Post

Since all the event's works were split into 2 parts, I'll be organizing them all in this post to make it easier for you guys to track it down later ~ heheh

Below the cut you can find the links to all the posts, including the one with the event rules in case you feel like doing something similar!

Opening Post

Durarara!!

Izaya x Shizuo

Genshin Impact

Alhaitham x Kaveh

Thoma x Ayato

Aether x Wanderer

Honkai Star Rail

Caelus x Dan Heng

Nijisanji EN

Ren Zotto x Kyo Kaneko

Ike Eveland x Mysta Rias

Obey Me!

Mammon x Levi

Oshi No Ko

Aquamarine & Ruby

Your Throne

Medea x Helio

Again, thank you guys so much for all the support. I hope I can share more exciting stories with you in the future!

[silvermarley]

Hello there! For your 400+ followers event, may I request an Obey me! Mammon who is so incredibly in love with an MC that doesn't feel pretty? After she/they acknowledge it or he realizes how she/they feel, he's determined to make her/them feel otherwise (This has nothing to do with my own traumas. What are you talking about?).

You can do it NSFW or simply Fluff, and AFAB reader or gn!neutral, that's really up to you.

If you decide to do this one, please feel free to tag me if you want to, so I won't miss it. Also, it's totally fine if you don't want to write it.

I hope you have a great week!

I wholeheartedly see mammon being like that 😭 but anyways, I hope yours is too <3 @treasureofmammon

Warnings: angst to fluff, comfort, mammon in so in love aw

A/N: dear lord I was so unmotivated but I’m back with this

You’ve always held yourself in low self esteem. Even when you got to the Devildom. If there would be anyone who would notice your dismay regarding your looks, it would be your “first” right?

Of course. Your first man, and the one meant to protect you, Mammon. He notices the little things.

It all started when he would notice how you put yourself down in what you hid as a solely joking manner. You two were just lounging around in your room, watching “some show” you put on (so he tries to tell himself, but he’s actually invested in it and refuses to admit it). And the female lead character is shown modeling for a clothing brand. You frown to yourself, wishing you could be as stunning as she is.

“I wish I was her.” You joke, although the meaning of your words was lacking in humor.

Mammon glanced over at you and then back to the screen. “Ya want to model or somethin’?” He asked, the true meaning lost on him.

You shrug, leaving the statement out in the air. His eyes fall back to you. Oh. You weren’t smiling, as someone who just made a playful comment would.

He didn’t quite understand why you would say that in such a way if you weren’t jesting about it. From that moment on, he would listen for alternative messages in your words. Mammon may be a little.. slow at noticing the undertones of what you say. But he picks up on it.

He’s not one to confront someone about their emotional state. But you are a different case. You’re the one he adores, the one that it’s so painfully obvious that he’s in love with to anyone that sees the two of you. You’re his beloved.

The state of your mindset clicks with him when he catches you staring at yourself in the your mirror, which was propped up against the wall. You were fumbling with your clothing to make yourself possibly look better while also moving your hair around to see if that helps, with no luck. Along with that, you were almost obsessively staring at your face, scrutinizing how you look.

Your mind were a mess. A jumble of thoughts reminding you that you don’t feel pretty. You were so in your head that you didn’t notice him. Mammon leans on the doorframe as he watched you do that for a moment, seeing that to his dismay he was right about something being wrong.

“MC?” He calls out, making you jump from where you stood and snapping you out of your thoughts. “You doin’ alright?” He inquired, the question rhetorical because he knew you were acting off.

“Uhm..-yeah!” You try to smile to hide how you felt moments ago. “Why do you ask?”

The demon now stood right next to you, his face oddly serious. “What’s really goin’ on with you?” Before you tried to cover for yourself he spoke again. “Don’t lie.. clearly there’s somethin’ on your mind.”

You looked down. You really couldn’t lie to him when he confronted you like this. The thoughts from before still swirled in your head. Though.. the caring tone of his voice alone made you want to spill. But you didn’t want to cry right now. You couldn’t.

The tears flowed faster than you could stop it. “Am I pretty to you..?” Your voice waivers. You plop down on your bed, shoulders slumped and you can’t even look at him.

His eyes widen a little as he sat next to you. “What..?” He couldn’t believe you just asked that. You, who was the prettiest girl he has laid eyes on. You, who captivated him the day you met by the moment he saw you. You, who makes his heart flutter on the daily when he so much as sees you. And yet here you were asking him if he thought you were pretty.

His question was left unanswered as you sniffled and laid your head on your knees. Fuck, how couldn’t he notice sooner you thought this way?

He places a comforting hand on arm. “MC.. can ya look at me? Please?”

You hesitantly lift your head. The tear filled e/c eyes he could get lost in finally met his gaze once more. He smiled a little before returning to a more calm-serious expression. “You’re more than pretty to me..” he said, his cheeks rosy as he continues, “Y-You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever seen.”

It was like he needed to confess this, given the timing and the overwhelming feelings he has for you even as you cry. He never wants to see you like this. Even at your worst times, he can’t help but fall harder. His heart is pounding and there was so many things he wanted to say. But instead of rambling or trying to play it cool by denying his love for you (as a tsundere does), he takes one of your hands and places it on his chest.

“Feel that? I… I get like this just from being around you. E-Even just seeing you.” The sincerity in his tone made your tears begin to slow down. You sniffled, in awe of his words. You wanted to believe him, but you couldn’t quite yet.

“Mammon..” is all you managed to murmur. He held your hand on his chest with his above your own for a bit longer, before shifting it to his lap where he softly grasped it. Almost like he didn’t want to let go.

“I think you’re beautiful, ya know?” He cleared his throat, looking away embarrassingly as you stared at him. “So stop puttin’ yourself down like that..”

Your legs fell back down to where you were now in a normal seated position. Mammon’s kind words made you feel some sort of comfort in yourself. While you still didn’t quite think you’re pretty, it helped.

What he wasn’t expecting was for you to lean your head on his shoulder, squeezing his hand in gratitude. “Thanks..”

He melts at this, his heart leaping. Now, he knew that this wouldn’t mean you automatically think differently. And that only made him want to try harder to convince you that you’re absolutely stunning. The demon knew he was positively whipped for you, and he was determined to eventually make you see yourself as he sees you. No matter how long it takes.

[sanguishqsgossip]

BoyToy Auction Winners!

Congratulations to all of our winners! We must thank everyone who bid for making this event a roaring success! Truly, we did not expect such generosity. Know that you're money will only be put to the best of causes. Now, will the winners please come grab their BoyToy when their name is called!

Miriam Aydin won Declan O'Connell with a bid of $1,480.

Kayleigh King won Isaac Steele with a bid of $1,000.

Rose-Marie Ortega won Damon Salvatore with a bid of $3,000.

Elijah Mikaelson won Alfonso Delgado with a bid of $5,000.

Gracie Campbell won Sevilin O'Connell with a bid of $500.

Cemille O'Connell won Noah Anderson with a bid of $500.

Caitrin Jamison won Atlas Campbell with a bid of $500.

Rebekah Mikaelson won Marcel Gerard with a bid of $1,000.

Ileana Whitlock won Orion Kugler with a bid of $500.

Jennifer Salvatore won Phoenix de Martel with a bid of $200.

Stefanie Salvatore won Tobias Granger with a bid of $200.

Sarah Nelson won Topher Lange with a bid of $280.

Silas won Skylar Forbes with a bid of $400.

Caroline Forbes won Eli Forbes with a bid of $100.

Esther Mikaelson won Tristan de Martel with a bid of $1,000.

Klaus Mikaelson won Stefan Salvatore with a bid of $2.5 million.

Fallon De Martel won JD Salvatore with a bid of $280.

Meredith Fell won Enzo St. John with a bid of $1,560.

Noelle Bennett won Nik Mikaelson with a bid of $100.

Mikael Mikaelson won Oliver Gauthreaux with a bid of $500.

Aiden Lebeau won Josh Rosza with a bid of $100.

Jale Polat won Kadir Sadi with a bid of $400.

Qetsiyah won Chronos with a bid of $1,500.

Jinora de Martel won Nick Lebeau with a bid of $40.

Katherine Pierce wonMason Lockwood with a bid of $400.

Hope Mikaelson won Joel Anderson with a bid of $600.

Joel Anderson won Levi Mikaelson with a bid of $200.

Sybil won Otto Tig-Williams with a bid of $1,000.

Sage Faremore won Clyde Wan with a bid of $400.

[jarvis-invest]

What is the windfall tax?

We often hear of windfall tax! Whenever there is news related to windfall tax, it impacts some stocks in the market. If you were not aware of it, it is going to change as we give you an overview of windfall tax in this short write-up.

A windfall tax is a special tax levied by the government on certain industries or companies that experience unexpected and above-average profits. It's essentially a way for the government to capture a share of these windfall gains, often due to external factors beyond the company's control.

Imagine an oil company, "Drill Limited," typically makes a profit of Rs 100 crore per year. It is their normal profitability level based on factors like production costs and market prices. Suddenly, due to a global event like a war disrupting oil supplies, the price of oil skyrockets. Drill Ltd. finds itself selling oil at a much higher price, resulting in a surge in profits. Assume that this year, they make a profit of Rs 500 crore, a significant increase of Rs 400 crore from their usual earnings.

This unexpected and substantial increase in profits due to an external factor (war) can be considered a windfall gain. The government might decide to impose a windfall tax on oil companies like Drill Limited to capture a portion of these windfall profits.

The government sets a windfall tax rate of 25% on profits exceeding the normal level. In Drill Ltd's case, their usual profit is Rs 100 crore, and their windfall profit is Rs 400 crore (total profit - normal profit). The windfall tax would apply to the Rs 400 crore of windfall profit. So, the windfall tax for Drill Ltd. would be 25% of Rs 400 crore, which is Rs 100 crore (tax rate * windfall profit).

We hope you learned something new today, and if you liked it, please share it with your friends. To create a portfolio of the best equity stocks, explore Jarvis Invest.

[scotianostra]

September 13th 1645 saw Royalist troops under Marquis of Montrose defeated by Covenanters led by David Leslie at Battle of Philiphaugh.

Exactly one year on from the day they sacked Aberdeen James Grahams makeshift army tasted defeat. The mixture of Highlanders and Irish mercenaries marched into the Borders to disrupt the mustering of the Covenanter levies. On the night of the 12th September they camped at Philiphaugh, just to the west of Selkirk. But Montrose was poorly served by his scouts throughout this campaign.

Most importantly he seems to have been unaware that, on the 6th September, Sir David Leslie had marched north out England with a large Scottish army. On the 11th Leslie had rendezvoused with Lothian forces at Gladsmuir, East Lothian, and marched south. On the night of the 12th, unbeknown to Montrose, the Covenanter army approached Selkirk, beating up the quarters of Montrose’s advance guard.

On the morning of the 13th September, at Philiphaugh, the battle hardened forces of this Covenanter army won the decisive action of the Civil War in Scotland. Montrose’s army was effectively destroyed and, most importantly, the myth of his invincibility was shattered.

Montrose’s reputation was also in tatters and he was never able to rally support in Scotland again, although he did maintain a guerrilla campaign until being ordered by lay down his arms by King Charles, who was himself a prisoner at the time.

Many of the fleeing soldiers were slain by the local people who had suffered severely in the hands of Montrose’s men.

The officers of higher rank were taken to Edinburgh and Glasgow and there executed.

The carnage which followed was horrific even in the context of those times and was to Leslie’s eternal shame. If he did not given the orders which resulted in the following appalling events, he apparently made no effort to stop them.

400 Irish, seeking refuge at Philiphaugh Farm fought until they were all wiped out. The families of the Irish soldiers were herded up and driven into the compound at Newark Castle. There they were brutally murdered and no one was spared. They numbered over 300, almost all women and children.

Years later, in 1810, the foundations of a school was being excavated near Newark, and there was found large quantities of bones and skulls.

The field is known as Slain Men’s Lea.

[humanitys-strongest-bamf]

Hello Kat, hope you’re doing well!

Congrats on reaching 400! For your event, could you please do something with a angst, canon verse, & forbidden love combo?

Thank you and have a nice day/night!!

hi dee :D i'm doing alright! today's my "forget about school and rl" day so i'm just vibing :3

205 words but i'm sad enough that i'm okay with it a;ldkjf

i wanted to end it with levi muttering "night" while watching you walk away but i couldn't do it without adding a shitton more words so that scene will just stay tucked away in my head u.u

come hang out with (and torture) me with this 200-word 400 follower event! :D

Futile Love | 400-Follower Drabble Event

✧ notes ➼ angst x forbidden love x canonverse

Your lips brushed against one another's. You could feel his breath on you. You could feel his heart rate beat in sync with yours. Everything in this moment screamed that this was right and this was meant to be. You desperately wanted it to be right, but it wasn't.

"We can't, Levi," you said, immediately pulling away.

You avoided eye contact with him, knowing the disappointment that undoubtedly entered his eyes.

"It's not right. You're the captain of the squad and I'm-"

"I know," he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. His chest hurt as he spoke, as if every beat of his heart felt like it was ripping him apart from the inside out.

It broke your heart to pull away from him. Every time you met together ended in pure bliss. You were undoubtedly in love with each other, but doomed by the fact that he could not be yours. No matter how hard you tried, how long you waited, or how much you wanted him, you knew that you could never be with him in the end—and it was too painful to continue this song and dance the two of you had created if it was ultimately futile in the end.

[dankusner]

I Biked 165 Miles Behind the Pine Curtain of East Texas

On a damp March morning, I strapped bags full of camping gear to the frame of my gravel bike and joined about 250 cyclists for the fourth annual East Texas Showdown, one of the state’s biggest and longest bikepacking events.

The starting line was in Point Blank, about twenty miles east of Huntsville.

For the first hour or so, the pack rode east together, swarming the two-mile stretch of U.S. 190 spanning the massive breadth of Lake Livingston.

Those first ten miles were deceptively smooth as we fell into pace and familiarized ourselves with the faces we’d get to know for the next 165 (or 280 or 400) miles.

We said goodbye to the smooth highway as we turned onto our first gravel road.

Then we hit peanut butter: thick, sticky mud with water pooled on top like the oil in a Jif container before you stir it around.

I churned the pedals in an effort to keep my tires cutting through the muck, moving just barely fast enough to keep from falling over.

When cyclists sign up for the East Texas Showdown, they agree to face whatever the elements toss their way, be it loose dogs, craggy potholes, flat tires, or fearsome East Texas drivers.

Bikepacking, in which riders carry everything they need to support themselves along their chosen route, was once the domain of a relatively small yet serious endurance cycling community, but in recent years it’s become more popular with weekend warriors like myself.

Along with gravel grinding, bikepacking surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when thousands of Texans headed outdoors as a respite from cabin fever.

For many, the longer distances of bikepacking are a natural progression from shorter, off-road routes.

Online interest in the sport appears to have exploded since the early 2010s, with the rise of websites like Bikepacking.com, which publishes user-submitted routes and other useful information for cyclists.

The sport encourages individualism, resourcefulness, and a good sense of humor to deal with unexpected challenges.

The Showdown’s turnout reflects bikepacking’s popularity; it has sold out and had a waiting list every year since the event began in 2020.

Last year, a heavy rain swept East Texas the night before the race.

The flood that followed broke a levy on the route, forcing some riders to wade through a waist-deep creek while carrying their bikes overhead.

This time, mud threw riders for a loop on the predominantly off-road course, coating the trails for miles on end.

As I watched several riders fall into the gooey, treacherous mud, I remembered something race creator Patrick Farnsworth had said the night before.

“Be selfish,” he’d encouraged the crowd at the pre-race meeting. “We live in a crazy world that is full of demands. Starting now, you have the opportunity to be a steward to yourself.”

Between the 400-mile Showdown, the 280-mile Slowdown, and the 165-mile, untimed Lowdown, riders choose their own flavor of so-called type II fun.

(That’s the term outdoors enthusiasts use to refer to a pursuit that is miserable while you’re doing it but seems fun with the benefit of hindsight.)

As a new bikepacker, I signed up for the Lowdown and planned to finish in two days—though there is no cutoff time for any of the routes.

Farnsworth said he designed the three routes as a natural progression for new bikepackers to immerse themselves in the sport.

Four hundred miles may sound like a lot, but it’s actually pretty short in ultra-bikepacking terms.

The sport’s Tour de France is the Tour Divide, which follows the Continental Divide for 2,750 miles between the Canadian and Mexican borders.

For Hannah Simon, a well-known ultracyclist in Austin, the East Texas Showdown served as a launch pad.

She’s now completed the Triple Crown, a designation reserved for three of the longest and most difficult bikepacking races the sport has to offer: the Tour Divide, the eight-hundred-mile Arizona Trail, and the five-hundred-mile Colorado Trail.

Ultimately, Farnsworth envisions the East Texas Showdown as one in a series of three races that will serve as the Lone Star State’s answer to the Triple Crown.

The routes increase in difficulty as they progress westward: The East Texas Showdown reveals what lies behind the Pine Curtain, guiding cyclists through numerous sleepy downtowns and swampy palmetto groves and into two of the region’s four national forests.

The Central Texas Showdown, which Farnsworth organized for the first time last fall, takes riders up and down 22,000 feet of elevation over 467 miles in the Hill Country.

Finally, the West Texas Showdown, which Farnsworth plans to launch next February, will be about 400 miles and the most difficult yet.

That race will be open only to more experienced riders, who will be challenged to navigate the sparse, sprawling, and dramatic Chihuahuan Desert in and around Big Bend.

“There are hardly any resupplies there. Very pokey, proddy, sunny—all the things,” Farnsworth said. “It will be the crown jewel of the series whenever it’s completed.”

Because of the nature of aerodynamics in a peloton, road cycling is infamously cutthroat.

Road races such as the Tour de France often come down to a calculated chess match of positioning with other riders, which Lance Armstrong once described as a time to “get your hate on.”

Off-road bikepacking couldn’t be more different.

Most off-road races are solo and self-supported, so drafting off other riders is prohibited.

Bikepackers fight the elements, not each other.

“You have to concentrate. Not on other people—on the road,” said Dennis Lastochkin, this year’s Showdown winner, who lives in Austin.

The race’s fastest riders don’t stop to sleep.

This year, Lastochkin rolled into the parking lot of Point Blank’s Bullet Grill, the Showdown’s start and end point, just over thirty hours after the race began.

He couldn’t let his mind wander or go on autopilot as he staved off sleep deprivation and scanned the road for potential dangers, such as cars or potholes.

The hours passed quickly as he calculated the time until his next water stop, or the number of calories he needed to consume at the upcoming gas station.

“It’s more of an internal competition. You’re competing against yourself, against the world, against the elements,” Lastochkin explained.

In the Showdown’s shorter-distance routes, stopping to smell the flowers is encouraged.

In late March, bluebonnets, pink ladies, and Indian paintbrushes bloomed in the breaks between tall pines.

I took in the views alongside Madeleine Pelzel, a Houston-based urban planner who works on bike-lane development.

Like many of the Showdown riders, she lives and breathes cycling, building the sport into her career.

Back at the Bullet Grill, I’d seen the classic trope of bikes more expensive than the beater cars their owners drove, but a good number of bikes riders could have been scored for $200 on Facebook Marketplace.

Showdown riders spanned all ages, and I was also grateful to see some women and nonbinary individuals.

But like many ultradistance sports, bikepacking is still dominated by men, who accounted for more than three-quarters of the cyclists I saw that weekend.

Participants are expected to bring all they'll need for a two-day ride, including setting up camp in the evening. Participants setting up camp in the evening. They are expected to bring all they’ll need for a two-day ride. Maxwell Johnston

Pelzel and I got to know each other on the first day of the ride as we rode together for 75 miles and chatted over a gas station feast of fried pickles on a stick, hot wings, and a can of Pringles.

The race brings bike nerds together, but it also acquaints them with communities along the route.

“The local community really embraces the race,” said Simon. “The ladies at the Dollar General get so excited when they see us.”

Farnsworth encourages a more relaxed take on bikepacking by awarding Lowdown riders prizes for the most creative outfit and best energy on the course.

The first night of the Lowdown, I joined a large group of riders who set up camp at Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest, between Lufkin and Crockett.

Two volunteers, fans of Farnsworth’s Bikes or Death podcast from Florida, grilled hot dogs for the cyclists and crew.

I sipped a Yuengling by the lake before waddling back to my tent to nurse my aching quads and chaffed behind.

Before setting out the next morning, I joined a group for some fireside commiseration about the previous day’s grueling mud. As one man, a Houston-based attorney, said, “It beats being in court.”

My second, longer day in the saddle was easier than the first.

The sun came out and baked the mud into drier clay as I rode throughout the morning.

It gleamed off the shining Trinity River as I approached Riverside, about twenty miles from the finish line. Less than two hours later, Farnsworth had his bullhorn in hand as I pulled into the parking lot of the Bullet Grill, completing my 165-mile journey.

“Thanks for riding your damn bike!” he yelled.

He wore a cowboy hat and tattoos poked out of his denim cutoffs.

Across his right forearm, Western lettering spelled out the name of his podcast, Bikes or Death.

Farnsworth started the show in 2018 as a hobby.

As a type-B recreationalist, or “pro-slow,” as he’s dubbed it, he liked how recording the podcast offered him a way to connect with the endurance athletes and bikepackers he admired.

But, as he soon discovered, “Podcasting is very lonely. I sit in my house and talk to people. Then, the listeners are having their own experiences that I never get to see.”

To bring people together, Farnsworth decided to start his own race.

A single father who juggles recording the podcast alongside his day job in real estate, he, like most people, often struggles to fit in long rides.

He wanted to create an event that amateur and elite cyclists alike could enjoy in one long weekend.

Farnsworth was born and raised in the Bryan–College Station area, where he still lives and bikes today.

“We’re not the mecca for outdoor sports,” he said. “This town does not have great cycling infrastructure, and I think that’s representative of Texas as a whole.”

As he soon discovered, the biggest limiting factor for his races is the state’s lack of public lands.

Only about three percent of the state is publicly owned, and the public spaces that are available are often overrun with visitors.

To plan a route, he needed campgrounds or other accommodations for bikepackers to sleep.

He also envies the miles of low-traffic, cyclist-friendly park roads and single-track trails available in more park-laden states like Idaho, New Mexico, or Arizona.

Farnsworth decided to make use of isolated Texas country roads for his routes, but planning around the constraints takes time.

“Scouting these routes can take six months to a year,” he said. “You plan it on the internet, put together a route, and find the best roads online, but then you have to go scout them in person. I’ll be out there for like a week at a time just driving around, trying different roads, and making notes. Then I’ll come back two or three times to revisit.”

The process has allowed him to fall back in love with his home state and see it in a new light.

“I think I sold Texas short,” Farnsworth said. “I’ve been completely awestruck by the natural beauty that is here.”Cycling East Texas