#first multichapter aaahhh

[journalofimprobablethings]

Relationships: Lucretia & Lup, Lucretia & Taako, Lucretia & Barry, Lucretia & Everyone

Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Spoilers for Stolen Century, Spoilers for Story & Song, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Starblaster Crew as Family

Summary:

When Lucretia finds Lup's name burned into the wall of the Bureau of Balance, it doesn't take her long to connect the dots. And once she knows where Lup is, she can't just leave her there. She has to find a way to get her out.

AU where Lucretia frees Lup early, and they team up to try to fix their mistakes, reunite their family, and save the world in the process.

Preview (full chapter under the cut):

Lucretia is used to coming across unexpected sights in the Bureau of Balance headquarters.

She is not certain whether the nature of the work attracts people with their own unique ways of doing things, or whether living on a moonbase lowers one’s inhibitions, but between Carey and Killian’s antics, the increasingly complex contraptions that Avi builds in the cannon bay, and the roulette wheel that is any trip to the Fantasy Costco, she thinks that there is nothing left that could possibly surprise her.

But nothing could have prepared her for entering the dining hall to see Lup’s name burned into the wall.

She stops dead in the doorway when she sees it. The letters are six feet high, charcoal black; the edges of the "P" are still smoldering. For a moment she is completely empty. She can't form a single thought, she can't breathe, she's fairly certain her heart stops beating.

And when her brain restarts, all she can think is, no one here knows Lup's name.

Lup has been erased, as thoroughly as Brian or Bain or any of the other fallen Bureau employees--more so, because she’s been erased by Fisher’s child, too. No one here should know Lup's name.

So how can it be here?

“Director?”

Lucretia starts. She hadn’t realized that she wasn’t alone. Now she looks, and realizes that Angus is kneeling behind one of the tables near the back of the hall. He looks like he was probably examining the bottom of the “L” scorched into the wall, but now he is examining her.

“Ma’am, are--are you okay?”

Lucretia doesn’t know how to even begin answering that question. She knows that she should move, should look at Angus, should be calm and professional and tell Angus that yes, of course she is all right.

It would be a lie, of course. But how is that different from anything else she says these days?

Instead what comes out of her mouth is halting and not at all Director-like.

“Who--how--Angus, who wrote that?”

Angus’s face lights up the way it always does when there is a mystery to solve.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to ascertain, ma’am! There’s something wrong with Taako’s umbrastaff. We were doing a magic lesson, and it suddenly went rogue and incinerated my macarons! They were pretty bad, but I don’t think Taako would have burnt them up on purpose. Then the staff blasted this word into the wall.”

“The--the staff did?”

“Yes, ma’am! Taako didn’t know what L-U-P was anymore than I did. He said the staff moved all by itself.”

Lucretia has to close her eyes for a moment. Taako not remembering Lup was her choice, her attempt to spare him a sorrow he would have no way of repairing. But the reality of it, when she is confronted with it, still hits her like a freight train.

She forces her thoughts away from her guilt and back to the situation at hand.

The staff blasted Lup’s name into the wall.

Lup’s staff, her arcane focus, that she took with her when she left. That Taako took from the remains of her body. That had been next to her, presumably, when she died--

Oh. Oh, gods.

Lucretia remembers Lup talking about the abilities of the umbrastaff, how it consumed the power of defeated magic users.

When Lup died, she would have emerged as a lich, a being of pure magic, and if the staff was next to her when she did--

Oh, gods. Oh gods oh gods.

Lucretia has to fight to keep her face neutral, her breathing steady, as the realization washes over her.

It would explain why Lup hadn’t returned, why they had never found her, how she had managed to vanish without a trace. Why even when they finally came across her bones, her soul was nowhere to be found.

When Magnus and Merle and Taako had told her about the skeleton they had found in Wave Echo Cave, Lucretia had resigned herself to the possibility that Lup might just be gone--that the grief of what they had done to this world had been too much, and she had lost herself. She had cried in her room that night, for Lup’s loss, and for Taako, that he had found all that was left of his sister and hadn’t even known.

And all that time, Lup had been right there.

"Ma'am?"

Lucretia blinks. She doesn’t know how long she’s been lost in thought, and she realizes that Angus is still watching her. She wonders how much of what just went through her head played across her face. Her heart is pounding so hard in her chest she wouldn't be surprised if Angus could hear it.

“Angus, where is Taako now?”

“He went back to his room, I think.” Angus is looking at her with far too sharp an expression. “Ma’am, do you know what L-U-P is?”

“No--that is--I don’t--we can talk about it later, Angus, right now I need to--excuse me.”

She turns and rushes out before Angus can ask any more questions, cursing herself as she goes. She couldn’t have done more to raise Angus’s suspicions if she’d been wearing a sign that said “I have secrets.”

Well, it can’t be helped. She’ll have to find a way later to put Angus off, give him a false trail to follow.

Right now, she needs to find Taako, and figure out some way to get the umbrastaff from him. And then…? Her steps slow as she tries to work through the problem.

She can’t let Lup out in the headquarters. Being in the umbrella seems to have protected her from the lich wards so far, but once she’s free they’ll activitate at once. Lucretia isn’t sure what state Lup is in, but the last thing she wants to do is damage her more.

She’ll have to take the staff down to the surface, then. And then--what? Break it? Would breaking it set Lup free, or would it hurt her? Is there a way to somehow extract the magic that the umbrella has absorbed?

The corridor is empty, so there is no one to see Lucretia drop her head in her hands in despair.

This was never the sort of problem she was good at solving. Barry and Lup were always the ones who could think through a problem and see all the potential consequences of one solution or another.

She wishes Barry were here. A stupid wish, she knows, given that she’s the one who cast the wards that are keeping him out.

But still.

She tries to think of what he would say, how he would approach the problem.

One problem at a time, Luce, says Barry's voice in her mind. You can't fix everything at once.

Lucretia takes a deep breath, draws herself up, and squares her shoulders. One problem at a time.

First, she’ll get the staff.

And then, she’ll find a way to set Lup free.

She makes it all the way to the door of the Reclaimers quarters before she stops again. She hasn't been down here since Candlenights; apart from the spa trip with Merle, she hasn't seen any of them much in recent weeks. The distance between them keeps collapsing--they know her name, now, and they keep finding ways to get under her defenses. The best thing she can do is stay away, even if it hurts.

Lucretia reaches out to knock, then hesitates. What will she say, if Merle opens the door, or Magnus? She would like to avoid involving them in this if at all possible. Would asking to speak privately with Taako put them off, or just raise their suspicions? Do they even know what happened? Taako is tight-lipped enough that he might not talk about it with them, but keep it a problem to solve on his own.

Her mind is swirling with questions and indecision, so much so that she doesn’t notice someone come up behind her.

'Hey, Madam D. What brings you down here amongst the peons?"

Lucretia startles a little and drops her hand. She turns and there is Taako behind her, casually holding the umbrastaff across his shoulders. She tries hard not to stare at it as she greets him.

"Oh, Taako. I was looking for you."

Taako smiles, and a now-familiar stab of pain goes through her heart. His smile is so much sharper now.

"Boss coming down to find me in my room after hours? Either you're about to suggest something wildly inappropriate, or you're here to fire me."

It's all Lucretia can do to not burst out in wild laughter. Her nerves are all raw edges right now; the adrenaline of her revelation spiking again as she looks at the umbrastaff in Taako's hand, and the idea of her coming down here to propose some sort of tryst almost sends her over the edge.

"Neither, I promise," she says, forcing a smile. "Angus told me what happened with your staff. I just wanted to check on you."

"That's sweet of you," Taako says. "I'm peachy. Feel kind of bad about Ango's cookies, but." He shrugs. "All good in Taako-land."

"And the umbrastaff? Has it...does it seem...normal?"

"Yeah." He holds it up for her to see. "Just an umbrella. I mean, a super magic one, but, you know. No more stray fireballs."

"May I see it?" She holds her hand out, trying to be calm, trying to not seem too eager, but her hand is shaking and her heart is in her throat.

"Sure," he says. He hands it over, and as she takes it she thinks her heart might burst out of her chest. Lup is here, right here, nothing separating them but a few layers of cloth and metal and some powerful magic.

Hey, Lup, she thinks. Just hold on. I'm going to get you out of there.

She runs her hand along one of the spokes, trying to get a feel for what magic might be holding Lup captive. But it's too complex to parse just from feeling.

"Has it ever done anything like this before?" she asks. How active has Lup been, since Taako found her?

"Has my umbrella ever taken on a mind of its own before and written a word I don't know into the wall? No, can't say it has. Does it matter?"

"Well, if it's a repeated instance, it could indicate that something's gone wrong with the construction--" she's talking like Barry, she realizes, analytical and technical, and she stops at the look on Taako's face.

"I just want to make sure it's safe," she says. "I don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"Yeah, I dunno. I thought I just cast the wrong spell when it toasted Ango's macarons, but then it moved on its own; nearly tore itself out of my hand. Think it's possessed?"

He grins at her, inviting her to join the joke, and it's all she can do to keep her composure.

"I doubt it," she says, as drily as she can. "But I've never heard of an umbrastaff acting autonomously before. Would you mind if I take it for a bit to run some tests? If there is something wrong with it, there may be a way to fix it."

Taako's demeanor changes instantly. He crosses his arms, and something about his expression hardens, all the humor that was there a moment ago suddenly gone.

"Do I mind you taking my very powerful arcane weapon off to run mysterious tests? Uh, yeah, I mind." He's studying her now, too closely. "What's this all about?"

Trust Taako to pick up that there's something else going on. He's always been sharp, and this new version of him is twice as suspicious of everyone's motives, especially hers.

"I'm only concerned for your safety, Taako; if something were to go wrong again--"

"Well, don't be," Taako says. Lucretia can't help but be hurt at the curtness in his tone. "If something happens again, I'll handle it on my own. It's how I work best."

He holds his hand out to her.

"I'll take my umbrella back, now."

Lucretia looks down at the umbrastaff. She imagines what would happen if she just bolted right now, umbrella in hand. The thought of the look on Taako's face if she did brings a laugh bubbling up in her chest. It's something the old version of her might have done, back on the Starblaster; she can hear Lup laughing and egging her on as Taako shouts indignantly after her.

But none of those people exist anymore, and she can't risk everything she's built on a stunt like that.

She'll have to find another way.

She hands the umbrella back to Taako, reluctantly.

"Please think about it," she says. "And let me know if you change your mind. If that staff is unstable it could be dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Taako twirls the umbrella nonchalantly before resting it on his shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I know how to take care of myself."

He winks at her, his mask of nonchalance and charm firmly back in place. Then he pushes past her and disappears into the Reclaimer suite, closing the door with a firm click behind him. Lucretia is left standing alone in the hallway, contemplating her failure.

That didn’t go quite as planned.

She looks down at her hands, remembering the weight of the umbrastaff in them, the knowledge that Lup was so, so close.

Well. If Taako won't give the umbrastaff to her willingly, she's just going to have to steal it.

[ereri-lost-and-found]

Hello! I’ve been reading almost all of the fics you post here and it never disappoint! It’s my first time doing this so I’m sorry if I mess up hnngg.

I’m kinda looking for a fic where Eren is a titan??? outside the walls and then the Scouts were out, Squad Levi I think were mentioned before they encountered something then it was Levi who got injured or something and got left behind but Eren found him and nursing him up on the tree. Eren can shift into a bird👁👁 he can’t speak though, and I think one day the Scouts went to an expedition to find Levi, and they did find him, went back to inside the walls and brought Eren back too.

I’m sorry if it’s too confusing, I don’t know how to do these stuff aaahhh. It’s okay though if yall can’t find it, I understand. And if you do, that would be awesome too!☺️

Is this the fic you’re looking for?

Shifting Lives by MatchstickQ

(Rated T, 204,654 words, multichapter, ongoing)

Lost and frustrated, Levi finds himself alone, stranded in a forest that could be filled with who knows what. (He's more concerned about the dirt than the cannibalistic monsters, though. Priorities!) But, maybe, just maybe, this odd, green-eyed boy that he's found can help.

At least, that was his assumption, right up until the brat jumped out of a tree and turned into a fucking bird.

~*~

In which, Levi gets way more than he bargained for by meeting Eren. However, he quickly finds himself - dare he say it - enjoying the insane, mysterious, and literally magical life that he's stumbled into.

[worldcakecakecake]

Throwing Cellphones

                     Feliciano gets himself a sugar daddy.

So remember that request about a sugar daddy AU? Remember when I said it was just going to be a long one-shot...I lied, it’s going to be a multichapter. Apparently to me there’s no such thing as a simple idea. I gave it more thought in my mind and it turned into this huge thing and I really wanted to make it so...here. Don’t worry it’s not going to be the largeness of Feliciano and the King of Hearts. It’s probably going to be only 10 chapters or a slight more, who knows, but it aint an epic novel. I have enough written down and for the new year I wanted to start with it. I’ll be quick with this one, don’t worry guys, expect updates on FATKOH as usual.

                 I’ll be updating this one every Monday.

Why the tittle? I didn't have any more ideas, it was a random tittle after I realized there’s a lot of phone throwing in this story.

Also, if this is a lifestyle you pursue or you get the idea after reading this, please let me warn you that you should REALLY research this well before you dive into it. This is a work of fiction and you should not expect something exactly like this to happen to you. I just hope that Lud here is enough of an inspiration for you to decide on what kind of sugar daddy you should settle with.

I hope you enjoy it! 

                                                                        Chapter 1

“Another refusal,” Lovino knew, he had gotten used to this kind of reaction to the point that he was unfazed. He continued with his lunch rather uncaring.

“Just when I needed it the most,” Feliciano breathed out trying to push back tears.

“Then stop submitting to galleries and actually search for a real job this time. Take this as a lesson that you should stop painting and start doing something useful.” He began to pick his empty plates and cups, along with Feliciano’s.

“That’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to me! I could very well slap you!”

But Lovino knew he wouldn’t, rolling his eyes and leaving him at the table while he went inside the restaurant. His break would be over soon, so he decided on wearing his apron and preparing his notepad for the coming orders he was to take. Expecting Feliciano to be wallowing on the mantle he had to remove, he met him with his phone back in his hand, aiming it to himself as he tried to find good light with the rising sun. He tried to put behind him the colored houses, along with the crashing sea in the center. He pulled various expressions, until he settled on a gentle smile, took the picture and looked to it proudly.

“Are you serious?” Lovino scolded.

“I’m documenting my sorrow,” was his excuse.

“You should be getting a local newspaper and looking for job openings.”

He went and took one another waiter was reading and threw it before him. Feliciano sighed in defeat, but not before choosing a right filter, adding ‘#broke but still cute and Italian’, posting it to his Instagram, putting his phone away and taking the long newspaper to start looking. Lovino did him the favor of also throwing a highlighter.

“I assume you’ll be staying at my place until you get the rent money,”

”Yep!” That very instant he circled an add.

Lovino grumbled but had to accept, the only good thing being that he knew his younger brother would cook and try to keep the apartment tidy while he was away…even if he would use it for his selfies and make aesthetic pictures to post on his Instagram and Tumblr pages. Didn’t he also have quick cooking videos in Facebook? Sometimes Lovino wished he could get paid for all the effort he was giving to these pages.

  He left resumes in two cafes outside Manarola or just the cinque terre area, which would give him an effort, but he was desperate for anything.

As he took the train back to Lovino’s apartment, he checked on galleries outside of Liguria, specifically Piedmont. During the process he received a message from a Hungarian follower that he had befriended well over the last two years. She had just found out about his situation and suggested he began to sell some of his paintings and sculptures on Etsy.

‘People would only want something abstract and that is not for me’ he messaged her, growing spite because it was the very reason for why his paintings were denied in many of the galleries he submitted.

‘Come on Feli, your paintings are amazing, they get hundreds of likes and shares in your pages’

‘yes, but no buyers. Why buy when you can easily rip it off online and print them out. I’ve been thinking about just starting commissions’

He was thinking about prices and how to decorate the announcement when he arrived to Manarola and went up to Lovino’s apartment. It was dark and empty when he arrived, remembering that Lovino had a date with his Spanish boyfriend outside the village and probably wouldn't return till the next morning. He dropped on the couch, legs upon it taking the entire space, letting the reminding light of the day fall upon him and he welcomed it like an embrace. Perfect selfie time, he thought with a chuckle, taking out his phone and a picture of the grand view of the setting sun from the window. He then turned it towards himself and began to pose. He dropped his long sleeve white shirt to reveal his neck and shoulders, teasing eyes with a seductive grin, something that had many of his followers drooling upon seeing, no matter man or woman. He wished he hadn’t left his flower crowns with his grandfather back in Rome, and he also wished he had something richer like diamonds or pearls decorating his chest than just some shinny rock Lovino tied with a string for him on his last birthday. He touched upon his bare chest with sad wishes, but settled none the less. He still thought he looked amazing.

He posted both the pictures, side by side, the perfect filters, good tags, and the likes started pouring in. He leaned back into the couch, looking to the sun setting over the near sea.

For a guy who was currently living in Cinque Terre, you would have expected him to be on a fancy yacht, on his way to his mansion of opulence, of golds, diamonds, Armani suits and cooks that made him all the focaccia he wanted. Yet here he was, in a rundown apartment that actually belonged to his older brother, in old jeans and shoes, and an empty kitchen that expected his working no matter how tired he was. But he let himself rest in the dream, in which his paintings finally got accepted into galleries and were sold in many hundreds. He relished on fancy parties and travel to Antarctica, with a- a sudden buzzing awoke him, the skies dark, only the dim lighting of some of the street lamps that reached the window. The phone showed his Instagram notifications of likes, requests, comments and a message from Elizabeta. He opened that one first:

‘ooohhh look at youuuu’- surely about the last selfie he posted- ‘who needs a job when you can get yourself a sugar daddy’

It got him a big laugh, lighting with the energy to finally rise and cook onward.

He found it very ridiculous, yet he messaged back jokingly:

‘aaahhh yes, a hunky filthy rich daddy is just what I need right now! Hook me up!’

  A month in, a single job working at a tucked gelato shop in Portofino, commissions open, and still he lived under his older brother’s roof. None of the two things were justly enough. The money he earned he usually used on train rides, food and materials for his paintings. It was no chance back at his own apartment, or leave outside the villages and head to Genova perhaps.

He was currently taking a third request, but his client was asking for something small that the most Feliciano could charge would be twenty euros. He checked the kitchen, Lovino hadn’t gone to the market in a while, so there was not enough to make something new and it meant dealing with the leftovers from yesterday. He groaned but accepted, heating up a bowl of stew.

As he decided to re share his page of commissions, he stumbled upon a rather provocative add of a beautiful young woman sitting upon the lap of an older man, handsome, but still surely reaching his fifties. ‘arrangement.com’ it read at the top, along with a ‘Meet the perfect sugar daddy just for you’. He laughed, for he had recently been joking about this to Elizaveta, and it seemed his browsers were starting to notice and were beginning to send rather harsh signs.

Oh no, no, no, definitely not.

He scrolled past it.

  “-about Antonio.”

“What about him?”

“So we’ve been-”

“You broke up again?”

“No!” Lovino was about ready to throw his Panini at him. When he calmed down, he continued: “We’ve been together for three years now and… we kind of decided to-”

Feliciano gave a happy and excited gasp, “You’re getting married!”

“No!” This time he threw him a piece of lettuce. “Would you please listen first!” He shouted and Feliciano nodded in approval this time, slightly intimidated after that outburst. Lovino calmed, coughed, took a deep breath and tried to earn back the confidence he needed to tell him this. “Antonio and I, we decided to move in together.”

Feliciano gave no instant reaction. He looked around as Lovino sat worriedly, expecting something, but his younger brother did not understand for what.

“So?” He questioned.

“So um…yeah, I’m going to be living with him,”

“That’s amazing! I’m actually really glad for you! It be nice to have someone extra around the apartment. I assume Antonio would be sleeping in your bed, so I can keep my room. You have to admit it turned out really nice after I redecorated, I’m thinking of adding a collage of pictures of all our trips around Italy, I’m sure Antonio would love it!”

“Uh, actually, Antonio and I decided, that I…would be moving in with him.”

And that’s when he understood, his joyous expression deflating until he settled with clear dejection.

“I mean, I don’t think Antonio would mind having you at his apartment, but…”

“It’s not like I’m going to be a burden, you know I can clean and cook,”

“I know, not that you can’t go, but I kind of prefer that we’ve had more…intimacy.” The blush on Lovino’s face was enough for Feliciano to get.

“Oh,” he simply answered, knowing that he was doomed to return to his own apartment.

“I’m sure you get enough now to pay the rent,”

“Yeah.”

He didn’t.

If he only paid his rent, he would starve, resort to digital drawings and visits to their local church to pray. But he didn’t want Lovino to worry, especially when he had such a happy chance with his boyfriend. How could he ruin that? How could he come between them?

He took his most trustworthy smile and changed the topic to something about the last celebrity that came vacationing to their area.

  His visits to the church had only worked in having a nice old lady make him some food that he could bring back to his apartment. She lived close and saw him often run hurriedly to the train. She had an enact sense to tell when he was hungry and Feliciano would always return to have a whole new pot of food that could last him three days. He deeply appreciated her for this, but it did not make him feel any better.

He only managed to pay rent because he was borrowing from Lovino, and he managed to pay for his phone borrowing from Nonno Roma.

He felt so inadequate, and currently, even worst when he received another refusal from a gallery in Pavia. It said the same thing as always: that they would be willing to consider if he submitted another style or theme. He threw the letter harshly to the floor, stomping it to pieces and then falling to his old couch in a long groan.

His desperation took peek, so he cried and whimpered as he had accustomed himself to doing these lonely days and nights where all he could think about was his disastrous situation. Sometimes he would go on until he grew too tired or until Elizabeta would cheer him up with some new meme that was raging on the internet. It was late unto the night when he received such message, raising his face from his tear stained pillow to the glowing phone.

Elizabeta instead was informing him that one of his favorite artist online just started a webcomic, and guess what about, yep, about a young girl in Las Vegas who becomes involved with the rich owner of the most wealthy hotel in the city, basically becoming his sugar baby. Elizabeta would never stop teasing him about this. Sure, he was sick of it, but that didn’t stop him from actually starting to read it. At least it helped to keep his emotions at bay for the night.

As he kept on his reading, and catching up with the updates, Feliciano began to get very envious about the main character of this webcomic. She started out as the single daughter of this alcoholic mother who didn’t bother in trying to help their poor economic state. Wanting to go to college to have a successful degree in marketing, she tries to save up with her job as a maid in one of the many big hotels the city is known for. There she meets with the very man who changes her life, and Feliciano read and watched as the girl’s life changes to one of diamonds, of expensive branding, of five star hotels in Monaco, as well as the success of her career and a very handsome man at her side that made all of this happen.

It was rather silly to get flared with anger about this, to look to his messed apartment, his heated food from the last pot Signora Sara gave him, his breaking converse shoes, and rage that he was letting himself go through this when he could easily change it with the charm and seduction of a nice rich man. It was tempting him more strongly, especially with the raging ads, the idea pushing him on researching stories and articles, until one day he finally decided.

  With a wink, pink lips in a kiss, sun shining brightly on him to alight his skin, hair and eyes, his neck free and only but a tight white shirt to show off his slimness but just right contour lines. And of course, an orchid flower crown on his hair to match with the rising curls and the shine of his ends like blazing fire.

Venice, Italy Age: 22 Height: 172 cm (5’7.7) Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Interested in: Men and Women Education: Bachelors in Art History Relationship Status: Single Children: None Smoking: None Drinking: Definitely Lifestyle Expectation: Negotiable

About Me: Although I was born in Venice, it is not the only place in Italy I have made my home. I’ve lived in Rome, Florence and currently in Manarola, and have explored and know a great deal of this beautiful country that I’m proud to call home and be a part of. I will be happy to show you every little corner you desire to see and hope that you can catch up with my ramblings of food, culture, art periods and my sudden bursts of singing. I am cheerful, energetic and I really like to spend my time out doing whatever the sun’s rays have to offer and not wasting time on the bleak and tragic. Take me to a dump and I’ll try to make the best of it (But please don’t actually do that). I’ll be honest and say that I’m currently going through some harsh times as I don’t have enough money to pay anything and I am relying on what my family could give, as well as some little things from my art commissioning. It’s not letting me enjoy life to the potential it should be, and I’m hoping to find somebody who could not only help me, but someone who I can spend a good time with, that can show me a whole new world of things I haven’t tried, to have silly but also deep conversations about life or what kind of gelatos flavors there should be and cool nights to spend in arms together. What you could give and I can accept I would gladly speak over e-mails. 

Done, posted, it was out there for all to see. He threw his phone to the other side of the couch in shame.

He did what most articles and blogs suggested. Eloquently, attracting, quick, just enough and not overly detailed. The picture was the one with the most likes on his Instagram, which got him messages from both cute boys and girls, and of course, the random annoying dick picks or naked girls in his inbox. Now he just hoped it would be enough to attract the nice rich man he had been dreaming about the last few days.

His creeping shame still continued, and as to distract himself, he decided on tidying his apartment, washing dishes, throwing some trash and hoping his mind could focus solely on carpaccio.

For the next two days, his inbox was flooded with all kinds of suitors. Well actually, only one kind, the type that already made heinous remarks at him, begging for more pictures, detailing what exactly they would do to him, but no talking of the negotiations Feliciano had expected when he first signed up to the site. He didn’t take them seriously, ignoring them and not offering any kind of response that would surely waste his time when he was honestly needy. He was supposed to be expecting a respectable aged man, but yet all he got were comments seeming to be written by hormonal teenage boys.

Great, not even this seemed to be working.

He went that early afternoon to work at the gelato shop as was expected of him, being grateful that it was a rather dull day as it was Tuesday and barely any tourists came down. Only a small family that lived in the village had come, and two college girls from the Philippines, who he enjoyed a quick flirt with. He had plenty of time to just sit at the back counter, look through his phone or look out to the shinning day, practically deserted by people, the waves and boats clear for him to see as they swayed with the sea. Such peace to only be disturbed by the sudden bell ring of a new customer. Feliciano quickly hid his phone and stood up, his welcoming smile ready to serve.

Once he took a glimpse of this man, it took sheer strength to not melt by his strong and tall build, intense blue eyes and powerful features. Instead of wearing the typical shorts and buttoned shirts Feliciano had accustomed from his customers, he wore a rather heavy suit, of expensive branding, Feliciano noticed as he stared to the buttons and the insignia in the man’s coat. It was rather heavy for a day in which the sun was shining brightly. Not even celebrities came dressed like that when they came into the village.

These kinds of men never really paid much attention to rustic hidden gelato shops, so why was he here? Did he perhaps want to buy something for a little daughter of his? Was he dared? Did he get lost trying to find his way to a hotel or a special business meeting? Or was he honestly looking to have some good gelato?

He began to move closer, to the counter and where all the flavors were presented. He gave the entire shop a thorough inspection and then settled his eyes heavily on Feliciano. Their eyes met and Feliciano’s brain seemed to have electrocuted, his slight heavy breathing surely noticeable and all words forgotten, even how to wish a simple good afternoon. It didn’t help when the stranger didn’t say anything either, but stared on, examining, down his body as if he was the flavor that was being showcased. No matter how handsome he was, it was starting to become uncomfortable and for some reason he wanted to cover himself despite being fully clothed.

“Be, dimmi?” He finally said, even if he had stuttered.

And suddenly the stranger had awakened from the exploration he had given the scooper, away from his thoughts, away from what he had imagined.

“…Sprichst du Deutsch?”

Oh god, he was foreign, and although he knew enough German to understand what he just said, his brain was too blanked to articulate in another language. The sudden silence and stammering assured the other enough.

“I’ll take a small cup of black cherry and vanilla.” At least.

As he turned around to fetch the cup and the scoop, he bended slightly and he knew that the stranger was ravaging him with his eyes again, down his back, to his rear and thighs. He turned quickly, his blush evident as he picked the flavors, stabbed the spoon, and handed it way too harshly he was afraid he would punch him accidentally in the face.

He took his cup gently without a problem and then handed him…fifty euros.

“Sir, do you perhaps have something smaller?” He didn’t know if there was enough change in the register.

“Keep it,” he said simply, turning away with one last spoonful and leaving Feliciano dumbfounded alone before he could deny.

Once he was out of sight, he took out his phone and instantly started texting.

‘this really hot German just came into the shop and gave me fifty euros’

‘FIFTY EUROS???!!!! Eyyyy…what did you do ;)’ Elizabeta replied

‘noootthiiinggg, he just gave them to me, but mmmpphhh, I would have gladly done anything for him. You should have seen him Lizzie, tall, hunky, blond, blue eyes, and he came in wearing a suit!!!!!’

‘lol Sounds like the man of your dreams’

‘He was checking me out too’

‘oh do tell ;D’

Now he hated how soon their meeting had been, how quick he had gone, wishing he could have remained longer to let his eyes journey as they had done shortly. He should have opened his legs to tease, should have swayed his hips slightly, coax him into seeing and wanting more. But, he was gone! A tragedy he wrote to Elizabeta as he closed the shop for the night and made his way to the train station to go back to his apartment. So distracted he was with it, that he wasn’t aware of the pair of eyes that followed him, that walked with him, that even reached his own apartment.

As Feliciano was heating his last batch from Signora Sara, he remembered how the extra fifty euros was enough to let him do some grocery shopping. He could finally cook something on his own, and it was with that prospect that he remained with a smile as he went to his small table and ate.

By the time he finished, there was a sudden knock at the door, rare in the night and even fearsome.

Lovino wouldn’t visit without sending him a text beforehand, Nonno Roma couldn’t have come from Rome as he was busy with his own schedule, and he really didn’t have friends in the village or in the area who would visit him suddenly like this.

Fearing a robber or some kidnapper, he picked up one of the lighter chairs, hoping he could throw it against any intruder just in case.

He pushed the door open, aiming his chair, but when he looked, there was absolutely no one there. He put the chair down and looked around, finding no sudden presence, no lone figure walking down the street.

That was odd.

He was just about to come back in and close the door when something attached to the wall caught his attention. It was a rich black box, with a silver shinning card tag imprinted with his name, written in beautiful cursive. He took it with him inside, closing the door and locking it just in case. He turned the item around, trying to see if there was something else besides the card, wondering what it could possibly hold. But he wasn’t going to know anytime soon if he didn’t actually open it. It had his name on it, so surely it was meant for him.

It revealed a spectacular diamond evening necklace, shining brightly in the dim lighting of the apartment, and the silence was interrupted with Feliciano’s wondered aw. It was simple, yet rich and just what he wanted. He touched it, feeling it real, its wealth, continuing to tell himself that it was actually for him- but…who even gave it to him?

He took a peek through the window to see if he could meet another hint, but that’s when he noticed the envelope stuck at the top of the box. He took it, the paper as fine as the necklace, even stamped with a seal that held an intricate ‘B’. He rushed to open it, inside holding a printed letter in silver ink, shinning with the glow of the lights. It read:

I saw and read your profile on arrangement.com and must admit that you were the most alluring of all the young men there. I instantly sought to make you mine and came to Italy myself just as I had business to attend in the area. I figured this would be much better than an e-mail. I have already made reservations for the two of us at Ristoranti ai Castelli in Sestri Levante. I have placed the number of a chauffeur that can take you at the designated time if you have any problems getting there. We can discuss whatever we need to over dinner tomorrow at eight. I’ll be looking forward and I hope you can consider me well for the position of your benefactor or…’Sugar Daddy’ – L. B.

This was definitely better than any of the e-mails he had received.

It was rather obscure though. All he had for identification was the ‘L.B.’, no picture and no profile to check. His only way of finding out was this dinner for tomorrow, and how could Feliciano refuse when he gave him this beautiful diamond necklace and offered food.

                                                                                                   next chapter >

[books-are-my-life-stuff]

6, 7, 13, 14

Aaahhh thank you!! Sorry for the slow reply, I don’t expect that I will get an ask ahahah–.

This gets longer than I expected so I’ll put it under read more.

Mob Psycho 100 ask meme

6. What friendship do you find the cutest?

Honestly I love all the friendships that happened throughout the whole story, but I find Ritsu and Shou’s friendship (?) pretty intriguing. I mean… when they first met, I had a feeling that they wouldn’t get along well… But now they do, and they seem to be happy together. Which I am very relieved for Ritsu to have a friend around. They can comfort each other, they also can throw insults and punch each other, but still getting along well. I think their friendship is quite an ideal one in my standard.

7. What’s the most hilarious moment to you? 

The omakes and the anthologies. Honestly, all of them are so priceless. I am generally a person who can laugh easily over funny things, so I really can’t pick which funny scene that is the most memorable for me.

Though, if you want me to choose…

I genuinely feel sorry for Reigen, but I really laughed too much over this omake. Especially at Mob’s expression. I don’t see that coming.

13. Are there any specific MP 100 artists/writers you admire?

Let’s see… First, I’ll go to the artists.

@winter-cakes - Well, I just like how they draw, a lot! And how they portray Ritsu and Shou’s relationship! The artstyle is cute, and I love the colors that are mostly used in the drawings! So pastel-ish!

@florbe-triz - That delinquent!Mob AU though… It’s just so awesome! I can’t believe I also need that AU! Also, the way they draw TeruMob is just pretty cute! That one small comic about Hanahaki disease is something I really like the most! (I just love angsts that much I’m sorry)

@zeitara - The artstyle, I just like it very much! And the rare pairs… I never thought I also need that, though I’m more into TeruRitsu if I have to choose the said rare pairs. A wonderful person who’s also good in Japanese and helped me a lot in Mob Puzzle! Thank you so much!

@ritshou - Not only participating in bringing the Mob Psycho chapters that we enjoy weekly along with their translator friend (which I am very grateful!), but they also have a very nice artstyle that I’m really fond of! Thank you so much and keep doing your best!

There are lot others, but most of them are much more active in twitter (just like me) so I won’t mention them here. Artists are great people who make imaginations into reality through drawing, and they make great contents for us! I’m no artist, but I know that being one is pretty hard. Good job, everyone! I respect all of you!

Here are the writers!

@onepunchmusical - My personal preference is gen-rated fics, and this person made really great ones! Especially Color in a Monochrome World series, I just can’t stop reading all of those! Really good character interactions and the writing of characters.

@phantomrose96 - Yes, for all of the angsts. Though, if I have to choose, I like the A House Made of Cards series more. I also like A Breach of Trust! I love the angsts so much, it left deep meaning. And you know what they said, a good writer is the one who can make the reader overwhelmed by the feelings that happened in the story!

thejapanesemapletree - I really like the currently ongoing series with the long title, A Risk of Going Through the Doorway Is That It May Be Locked Shut Behind You. I don’t know, but I just really like this series and the AU. It’s one of the multi-chaptered stories that I really look forward to.

whaleshork - One fic that I really like from them (yes, another multichaptered one) is A Kick in the Teeth is Good for Some! I’m getting so curious at how their relationship becomes, and Teru’s inner conflict. Also Ritsu’s reaction when he discovers that… I’m just so curious as to what will happen next.

There are lots more, of course! But I don’t wanna make this post much longer… I just really appreciate fanfic writers who write contents that we need. Writing is something that requires lots of effort, but they can do it! I salute all of you!

14. Are there any MP 100 fanfics you HAVE to rec?

I have recommended some of them above! But here are others that I really love!

1. Return, Continue. - A series that also includes Of Cold Hands Reaching+And Nearly Letting Go!

2. Aubade - A very nice one of everyone growing up as college students and still having fun!

3. The Accelerated Velocity of Terminological Inexactitude - What a long, scientific title! But all the science reference is one of many interesting aspects of this story!

4. A Different Outcome - Because I love angsts, and the AU clicks well to me. I also like how the story has the readers to think what happened. I like when I have to think while reading the story.

Well, I wish I had much time (and space) to recommend more, but I’m kind of rushed when I typed all of these… Assignments are staring intently at me, and they are also the reason why I haven’t read much fanfics nowadays.

Anyways, thanks for the question! Sorry this turned out very lenghty and text-heavy.