#messing with relight in my favorite house

[veone]

a typical thursday night.

[quietmyfearswith]

slipping into little space ; preferences

warnings — fluff?? mentions of nudity. hints a t sexy times

characters — andy barber, steve rogers, bucky barnes, lance tucker,  syverson, august walker

a/n — THIS IS A DDLG FIC,, was inspired by this ask! to the anon who requested for it i hope you like it and tell me what you think!

their love language | with their little | when you’re insecure

masterlist

Though the Thanksgiving dinner she was preparing was only for her and Andy, Y/N couldn’t help but stress and fret over almost every single thing; she wanted their first celebration of the said holiday to be perfect. Hence why she has been cooped up in the kitchen for almost the whole day, even though the dinner was still tomorrow. She baked a cheesecake and it was now cooling up in the fridge, the vegetable she decided to cut today so come tomorrow all she had to do was cook them, and now as she was marinating the turkey she found herself getting whiny and irritable. Andy entered their home quietly and observed his girl for a little while; her constant texts provided him updates about how hard she was working to perfect their meal tomorrow. And by the looks of it she had been working too much that her entire system was already begging for a break. “You okay in there, baby?” Hearing his voice caused Y/N to look up at him, her eyes glossy and her mouth curled up in a semi-convincing smile. Hanging his jacket by the coat hanger, he also dropped his briefcase by the door and sat on the couch.

“Come on over here, baby,”  He called for her and patted his lap. Y/N opened her mouth and was about to say no, but a stern look from Andy had her not continuing with that plan and instead she just removed her apron, leaving it on the counter, and plopping herself down on his lap. With her chest pressed against his, the lawyer then rubbed her back comfortingly, “I know you had a busy day; haven’t you, baby?” Hearing her mumble yes against his clothes, the man could only chuckle as he further coaxed her, “You can rest now, baby. You can stop being a big girl now; you can be my little missy again.” As if his words flipped a switch, she did find herself ridding of any remaining thoughts about their dinner and instead complied with his request — which was more like a demand. Peering up at him, her eyes were now wide but weren’t glossy, “Hi dada, I missed you.” Pleased with how his girl decided to let loose, Andy planted a deep kiss on her lips and after doing so he peppered kisses all over her face, “I missed you too, little missy. Now how ‘bout we both go take a bubble bath?”

One of August’s hobbies involved him fixing up his bike or adding whatever gadget he felt would look good on his bike. And since he was given a few weeks off, he took the time to get his hands oily and tinkle with his bike — but really the only reason why he was busying himself with the said vehicle was because his lovely girlfriend was busy with her own workload. Wiping his sweat with the shirt he had earlier discarded, August glanced at the clock and saw how it was already nearing the time they usually ate supper. Once entering the inside of their home, he headed straight for the office and was surprised to hear muffled cries coming from the room. Years of doing field work had allowed him to slip in easily without Y/N hearing him; he then listened closely to see if she had been talking to someone that made her cry, but after failing to hear her or someone else make a sound besides her sniffles, it was then that the CIA agent decided to intervene, “What’s wrong, Y/N?”

Her shoulders rose up and down in shock from her boyfriend’s sudden presence — by now she should have been used to his stealthily ways, but her crying lowered down her guard. She weakly pointed to her desk where pens, highlighters, papers, folders, and her laptop were scattered, “Work just got to me; it’s silly.” August, however, didn’t think of it that way and instead was worried his girl might have been overworking herself. Walking towards her, he grabbed both her hands so she could stand, “You’ve been such a good girl huh? Doing her work and working hard,” Part of Y/N was glowing from the praise and reveling in it; while the other part of her was going to complain to him how she still had more work to do. But just as she was going to do so, August lifted her chin so he could look at her, “How bout we eat dinner, hm? What would you like, little one? Some dino nuggies?” At the mention of her favorite food, she nodded her head up and down as she squealed, “Yes, daddy, I want some dino nuggies for supper!” Smiling he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her away from her cause of stress and into the kitchen, “Alright then, some dino nuggies for my little one only because she’s been such a good girl; perhaps a sippy cup as well and some ice cream sandwiches for desert.”

Bucky remembered how he needed some more hair ties for his long hair; Sam somehow thought it was a bright idea to involve his hair ties for one of his pranks wars with Scott. As he and Y/N were on the hair product aisle, he ordered her to stay put by the cart as he quickly grabbed what he was looking for. Though she wasn’t permitted to walk around, her eyes did the wandering and once she had set her sight on a My Little Pony shampoo. She was able to hold herself back from physically cooing at it; Bucky placed some of the hair tie packets on the cart and noticed how his girlfriend’s eyes were trained onto something. “You want that, sweetheart?” Shocked with how casually he offered it to her, she found herself nodding with excitement. Chuckling, the super soldier grabbed a few bottles into their cart and told her how they should get going to pay and go home already.

As they both had paid already for their grocery items and were now driving to their home. “Thank you for buying me that shampoo.” Bucky nodded as he began driving, placing a hand on her thigh, “You can let loose now, sweetie. We’re going home now,” And with that Y/N found herself playing with his hand, a telltale that she was beginning to let herself become little again. “I love you, tătic, I can’t wait for our bath time later.” As they were stopped by a relight, Bucky reached over and planted a kiss on her forehead, “Me too, sweetie; but don’t forget about our playtime alright?”

When Y/N found out that Steve volunteered to be the overall head for the Avengers’ Thanksgiving outreach program, she decided to help along and shoulder half of the responsibilities that had been put on the hero’s shoulder. Which led them to the current situation they were in — they both were sorting out the food that had been cooked by the other team members and agents. “Okay, turkey, veggies, pasta,” Y/N listed out as she put the food in the bag and laid out in front of Steve so that he could place a greeting card on the basket before wrapping it up. “This makes it the 100th basket we did,” Steve took note as he was preparing the next card. 

The next few minutes were filled with hums from the two as a song played on the background while continuing on with their duties. Perhaps it was how repetitive the task got or tired Y/N was in overlooking the whole program, she was too far absent in her mind that she dropped some of the potatoes and made quite a mess. Looking over to Steve, she quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, Steve! I didn’t mean to drop it, I just got tired and was distracted.” Quickly putting down the cards he was holding, he made his way to over where she was and hugged her tight, “I know it was an accident, doll,” He felt his sweater dampen slightly with her tears, he didn’t want her to stop her crying but instead just let her cry out her frustrations. “I might have pushed you to work too much, doll.” She lifted her head up from where it rested on his chest and looked up at him, “You didn’t sir; I just wanted to help you.” Wiping the remainder of her tears, he was quick to counter, “And you were a big help, doll. But it’s time we both took a quick nap before continuing our work, okay? You’ve been such a good doll for me.”

Following Sy’s retirement from the army, he and Y/N decided to accomplish step one of their settling down plan and go buy a house. The move from their apartment to the detached bungalow they purchased had been a big one; but one they absolutely loved and looked forward to. Their new home had been filled with boxes — some were the things they brought from their old residence, while the others were newly purchased furnitures and appliances. “Hey Y/N are our clothes upstairs or in here?” Sy wondered after he walked through the first floor and didn’t catch a glimpse of the bag that contained their clothes. “Shit, hold on I’ll check,” She mumbled to herself and looked at the small notebook she had which contained the information about their move. Upon realizing that the mentioned bag would arrive tomorrow afternoon due to a mix up with the moving company, she could only groan out loud, “God, I’m such an idiot!”

Sy heard her from where she was currently sitting on the floor and pulling her hair out from the pantry, “What’s going on, baby girl?” There was an intention as to why the former Captain had dropped that pet name on her; he was already sensing how the whole move had overwhelmed Y/N and that she was reaching her limit of handling it. It was his way of allowing her to destress and engage in her comfort zone. “I’m sorry Captain, there was a mix up and the bag that had our clothes will be brought here tomorrow. The bags that are in the room are the linens for the bed,” She sobbed out and feared that he’d punish her for stupidity. But that wasn’t what was on the veteran’s mind as he crouched down in his knees and held his girl tight, “It’s okay baby girl, today was real stressful for the both of us,” Feeling her nod against him, he tried his best to reassure her that the day’s gone and it was time to rest, “Don’t worry about the clothes okay? At least they’ll be arriving tomorrow.” Kissing the top of her head, Y/N then asked softly, “What do we do now then?” Lifting her chin with a finger he smirked at her, “Well we can go put some linen and blankets in the bed; then we get to cuddle and sleep naked. How’s that sound, baby?”

When Lance brought up that he wanted to give little tokens of appreciation to his gymnasts for Thanksgiving, Y/N brought up that there were a lot of cute items that his students would love. They both were spending their afternoon on the couch; Lance was watching old performance videos of the gymnasts he was training as well as those of the competitors they were up against. While his girlfriend laid her head on his shoulder, scrolling through Etsy and bookmarking some gifts that stood out to her. There were also a few items that she saved that were things she liked — a stuffie, blanket, sippy cups or some pajamas. As she let out a whine about how cute the items were, the gymnastics coach paused the video he was watching and looked to his side, “What’s that all about?”

Pushing her phone to his sight, Y/N pouted, “I was looking at some gift ideas for your students but somehow I ended up looking at these little space items.” The man beside her chuckled as he took the phone and looked at some of the products she saved, “My angel wants some gifts too, huh?” Bashfully nodding her head, Y/N whispered, “Yes, papa, I do want some.” Swiping through some of the ideas she found he then declared, “And gifts you shall receive, since you’ve been a great help to me all the time, angel.” Y/N then shot up from where she was sitting and litter kisses on Lance’s face, repeatedly thanking him for generosity.

[grantyort]

Prelude IV: Relight

Post-Surgery: DAY ONE

[Sean sits in the hospital bed, legs crossed, staring into space when he hears a familiar voice.]

Joey: Sean, Sean Diaz? Well damn. I never thought I’d see your sorry ass again!

Sean: Geez Joey. Is that how you talk to all your patients?

Joey: Just the ones I like.

[Sean chuckles]

Joey: C’mere big man.

[Joey gives Sean a big bear hug]

Sean: How’ve you been Joey?

Joey: Can’t complain. These days, they got me up in hospice care. You’re probably the first person I’ve seen today that didn’t need their bedpans changed.

Sean: Sounds terrible.

Joey: It’s all not all bad. Lot of these folks have stories that you wouldn’t believe. One of my patients has lived through five wars and two depressions, tells me I’m a credit to my race.

Sean: Yeesh.

Joey: (shrugs) She means well. It’s almost flattering compared to some of the stuff I’ve heard. Been on this job almost ten years now, some people still treat me like I have no idea what I’m doing.  

Sean: That sucks Joey.

Joey: Yeah... Anyway, you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself. From what I heard, this procedure cost a small fortune. You must have friends in high places.

Sean: Yeah, something like that.

Joey: And no guard at the door this time. I assume everything got cleared up with the police? Not planning to make a break for it again are ya?

Sean: Nah, no daring escapes this time.

Joey: Good. I don’t think I’d survive another blow to the head.

Sean: Listen Joey I’m really sorry-

Joey: (laughs) Relax Sean! I’m just messing with you! It’s ancient history as far as I’m concerned. Say, did you ever end up finding that brother of yours?

Sean: Yeah. He’s actually coming to visit me tomorrow.

Joey: Can’t wait to meet him!

Sean: Famous last words.

Joey: So… what you been up to these days?

Sean: Mostly just cramming for the SATs, drawing, listening to music. Normal teenage shit.

Joey: That’s good to hear. I was worried about you man. You went AWOL after the hospital. I got police and Feds breathing down my neck for weeks. Then a month later, I hear about a couple of kids trying the border to Mexico on the news.

Sean: Sorry I never reached out. I just didn’t want to get you more involved than you already were-

Joey: You made the right call. They questioned me for hours. My apartment was filled with G-men, my girlfriend was freaked. I honestly thought she was going to dump my ass.

Sean: I’m really sorry Joey.

Joey: Don’t sweat it Sean, it was for a good cause. Besides, everything worked out in the end.

Sean: Yeah I noticed, how long have you been-

Joey: Almost a year now. We’re expecting our first baby in the summer.

Sean: Congratulations dude!

Joey: Thanks, but honestly, I’m kinda nervous, don’t think I’m ready to be a father.

Sean: You’ll be a great dad, Joey. You’re awesome at taking care of people.

Joey: You’re damn right. Speaking of which, we should probably take a look at that eye of yours.

[Joey takes off the bandage and gives Sean’s eye a thorough examination]

Joey: Well it looks a helluva lot better than the last time I saw it.

Sean: That’s good to hear. I wasn’t sure it would work.

Joey: Well it’s too early to say if your vision will fully recover. But at the very least you won’t have to walk around with a patch anymore.

Sean: Good. It’s hard enough finding a prom date let alone one that’s willing to go with a pirate.

Joey: Still with the pirate jokes huh? Hopefully, you’ll have to write some new material after this.

[Joey applies a new bandage on Sean’s eye]

Joey: And you’re all set. Now as much as I love our talks, I gotta make my rounds. Buzz me if you need me.

Sean: Later Joey.

Joey: See ya tomorrow Sean.

 [Joey leaves the room. Sean turns to look out the window. The door shoots open, and a small figure comes bursting in.]

Daniel: Sean! 

[He jumps onto the bed and into Sean’s arms]

Stephen: (out-of-breath) Sorry, I tried to stop him, but he outran me.

Sean: You okay Stephen?

Stephen: I am… just need a minute to catch my breath. The old ticker ain’t what it used to be- I need to sit down.

Daniel: Take it easy grandpa.

Sean: What are you doing here, enano? I wasn’t expecting you guys until tomorrow.

Daniel: I made grandpa book an earlier flight. I just couldn’t wait! 

[he hugs Sean again]

Sean: Haha easy. I just had surgery, remember?

Daniel: Oh right, s-sorry.

[There’s a brief flash, followed by a shutter click]

Sean: What’re you doing, gramps?

Stephen: Oh nothing, just commemorating the moment. Thanks to your brother, I finally got the hang of this newfangled smartphone camera.

Daniel (whispering): He had it stuck on selfie mode for days. Anyway, did it go? Is your eye…

Sean: I mean… it’s not 100% yet but I can sort of see again.

Daniel: T-that’s awesome! Can I see it?

Sean: Dude last time I showed you my eye, you almost cried. Besides, the doctors say I still need to keep the bandage on for a bit, while it heals.

Daniel: Right. That makes sense. Oooh this room looks cool. Do they have Netflix or a Playbox?

Sean: It’s a hospital, dude.

Daniel: Lame.

Sean: So catch me up. Did I miss anything interesting at home?

Daniel: Nah… Chris is still on that fishing trip with his dad so there’s no one to hang out with. Oh I almost forgot. He made you this card. Isn’t it awesome?

[Daniel gives Sean a hand-drawn “get-well-soon” card from Chris]

Sean: Yeah. It’s pretty cool. We can have Claire put it up when we get back.

Daniel: Grandma’s still in that feud with the lady from church.

Sean: Which one was that again?

Daniel: Agnes, the one who gives off major Lisbeth-vibes. She says grandma stole her casserole recipe for the church bake-sale. Lying bitch.

Stephen: Language!

Sean: Maybe one of us should try to smooth things over before it gets nasty.

Stephen: Hell hath no fury… lemme tell ya. I’ve been married to your grandmother long enough to know once that woman sets her mind on something… there’s no stopping her. Best to just let things run their course.

Sean: Claire can get a little… passionate sometimes. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen her lose her temper for real.

Stephen: There’s a fire in that woman. It’s part of the reason I married her. Just pray she never turns it on you. I hope I’ll never live to see that day, god willing.

[Sean notices Daniel circling the hospital bed, pressing his hand on various parts of the mattress]

Sean: (laughs) What are you doing, enano?

Daniel: Just trying to figure which side of the bed I want to sleep on tonight.

Sean: Dude. There’s no way this bed’s gonna fit both of us.

Daniel: The one in Mom’s trailer was way smaller!

Sean: Yeah well… you were a lot smaller back then.

Stephen: They have a nice area for visitors down the hall.

Daniel: But I want to stay with Sean!

Sean: I guess I could ask Joey to bring in a couch or something.

Daniel: Who’s Joey?

Sean: The nurse who took care of me after the accident. I told you about him, remember?

Daniel: Oh right! I can’t wait to meet him!

 DAY TWO

Joey: How are we doing today? Any headaches, dizziness, socket pain?

Sean: Nah it’s all good. Still getting used to having depth perception again. It’s kinda weird.

Joey: You’ll get used to it. Anything else to report?

Sean: Nothing major. I’ve just been having some really weird dreams.

Joey: We have a psychiatrist on-site if you need a professional to talk to.

Sean: Nah it’s alright, probably just the drugs messing with my brain.

Joey: Well your vitals look good. We’ll go over some basic tests. You know the drill.

(Sean covers his right eye and tries to read the chart. Joey then shines a light and asks him to follow along. Finally, he asks Sean to put the cap back on the pen.)

Joey: You passed with flying colors. The doctor will be in for a final exam tomorrow and then we can discharge you.

Sean: (sarcastically) Too bad, I was ready to become the first Mexican pirate to attend college. So much for being a trailblazer.

Joey: Good to see you haven’t lost that snarky-ass sense of humor.

Joey: Anyway, I’m taking my lunch now. Want me to get you anything from the cafeteria? Wait… don’t tell me. Chocolate pecan?

Sean: You know it.

Joey: I met your brother in the hall. Cute kid.

Sean: (deadpans) Give it a few days. Then see if you get a “second opinion.”

Joey: He does seem a little… “energetic”. But that’s normal for kids his age.

Sean: Yeah one minute I’m his favorite person in the world. The next, he’s off doing God knows what, and doesn’t want me “bossing him around”. You know how it is.

Joey: Can’t say I do. Grew up in a house with three older sisters. Guess I must have been the annoying one. Daniel’s lucky to have you looking out for him. Must be tough sometimes.

Sean: Oh you have no idea.

[Joey claps Sean’s shoulder, he feels a jolt shooting up his spine, everything goes white] 

(Sean sees a door marked: “Miranda A. Connolly, Hospital Director”)

Connolly: You’ve been a valuable asset to this hospital. Stellar feedback from all of your patients and attendings.

Joey: I sense a “but” coming.

Connolly: But, given the dubious circumstances surrounding your transfer and your past involvement with the law. The Board thinks it might be better for one of the other nurses to take this spot.

Joey: Please. I’ve got a kid on the way. We just bought our first house. Can you at least consider bumping up my pay? I haven’t gotten a real raise since I started here. There are kids coming out of nursing school that make what I make!

Connolly: The hospital has limited resources as it is, and the State just slashed our funding again. I just can’t justify raising anyone’s salary right now.

Joey: I break my back for this hospital, work extra shifts, get to know the patients. You promised me at the annual review that I’d-

Connolly: That was before this new information came to light. I’m sorry Joseph, maybe next year.

[Sean snaps out of his trance]

Joey: Sean? Sean are you okay?

Sean: Sorry, Guess I spaced out. Must just be the medication.

Joey: I can have the doctor come by and adjust your dosage.

Sean: I’m fine Joey. I swear. Weren’t you about to take lunch?

Joey: Oh right. We’ll pick this up later.

[Joey leaves the room, looking slightly puzzled.]

Sean: (thinking) W-what what was that? A dream? But It felt so… real.

[Sean takes out his phone and enters the name of the hospital, He finds their website. Under the ‘About’ section he scrolls to the Executive team bio. There is a photo of the woman he saw in the vision followed by a small blurb]

“Miranda A. Connolly is the President and Chief Director of Mt. Cedar General Hospital. She was appointed back in 2016 as Associate Director and has since made ground-breaking changes to the field of medicine and medical care. Under her leadership, this hospital was able to expand greatly, hiring new diverse staff members and vastly improving quality of care for all its patients.”

Sean: (thinking) Holy shit… it’s real. Does that mean I…?

Daniel: Hey Sean! What you looking at?

Sean: Dude! Don’t sneak up on me like that!

Daniel: I wasn’t sneaking. I was practicing my stealth!

Sean: Yeah sure.

Daniel: Are you looking at the new Playbox Pro? My birthday is right around the corner you know.

Sean: Birthday? It’s still January!

Daniel: Never too early to start preparing.

Sean: (rolling eyes) Yeah cuz everything’s always about you.

Daniel: Oooh I bet you were watching those dirty videos again. I’m tellin’ grandpa!

Sean: Hey hands off my phone you little-

[Daniel tries to grab Sean’s phone. Sean wrests his hand away. There is another a jolt]

[Daniel stands in front of the vending machine, staring at the jumbo chock-o-crisp. He looks around to check that the coast is clear. Then he waves his hand causing the chock-o-crisp to fall off the rack and into the dispenser slot.He gleefully retrieves it and devours the candy bar in a matter of seconds]

Sean: Dude, I told you not to eat any more chock-o-crisps! Do you want another trip to the dentist?

Daniel: What are you talking about? I haven’t had one in weeks!

Sean: Yeah sure. So you didn’t pig out at the vending machine before coming in here?

Daniel: How did you-

Sean: Maybe I have magic powers or maybe… you’ve still got crumbs on your collar.

Daniel: Aw, damn it. Promise you won’t tell grandpa.

Sean: Oh so you can tell on me but I can’t tell on you?

Daniel: (smugly) Exactly.

Sean: C’mere ya little shit!

Daniel: Sean stop! Ha that tickles. Quit it!

(After their little bout, Daniel curls up next to Sean, resting his head on Sean’s lap. Sean ruffles Daniel’s hair absentmindedly)

Sean: You ever wish you were… you know “normal” again?

Daniel: You mean not have my powers? Nah. They’re a part of me now. Besides, being normal is overrated.

Sean: (chuckles) I guess it is. But do you ever get that feeling like you thought you wanted something for a really long time but when you finally get it, it nothing like you thought it’d be?

Daniel: Uhhh… you mean like how I begged grandma to get me a PlayBox Live Subscription, but then the exclusives turned out to be shit? And now I have to act like I love it?

Sean: Yeah something like that.

Daniel: (yawns) Meh I’ll just ask for a gaming PC for my birthday.

Sean: Dude you’re like the greediest ten year-old I know.

Daniel: How many ten year-olds do you know?

Sean: Uh… just you and Chris.

Daniel: So, you want me to be more like Chris?

Sean: Wouldn’t hurt.

Daniel: (imitating Chris) “Only the purest of hearts may wield the power of Captain Spirit!”

Sean: Guess that rules you out.

Daniel: (playfully) Shut up.

DAY THREE

Doctor: Okay Mr.Diaz. I want you to follow the light. Look to your right, up and to the right. Good, good, excellent pupil response.  Now look at the chart, cover your right eye and read this line.

Sean: Uh… A, O, E, P… T? Sorry I can’t really make out the last one.

Doctor: That’s okay, it takes time.

Doctor: Now this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but I recommend that you wear a patch over your right eye. It’ll be temporary of course, just until you learn to see with your left eye again.

Sean: (laughs dryly) And here I thought my seafaring days were behind me.

Doctor: You know… pirate actually wore patches so their eyes could easily adjust to the darkness and see below deck- Sorry my son’s going through a pirate phase.

Sean: I know the feeling. My little brother’s been through every phase imaginable.

Doctor: Kids, you gotta treasure every moment. Because before you know it, they’ll be all grown up, ready to go off on their own. Look at me, rambling on. Anyway, I signed your discharged papers. They’ll schedule you for some outpatient care in the coming months.You’re almost ready to go. 

Sean: Sounds good.

Doctor: And you’re sure you don’t want to get do something about that nasty scar? A good-looking kid like you, it would be a shame to-

Sean: That’s okay, I think I’ll keep it… as a reminder.

Doctor: Alright but if you ever change your mind, I could refer you to a great plastic surgeon.

Sean: Thanks Doc, for everything.

Doctor: The pleasure’s all mine, Mr.Diaz. The groundwork we laid here could help hundreds of other patients in the future. We are making history. Your nurse should be along in a moment to help you get discharged.

[Sean sits in quiet contemplation. Reflecting on his dreams and new “vision”]

Sean (thinking): Be careful what you wish for... 

Joey: Looks like everything’s good to go. Remember to use your eye-drops-

Sean: Twice a day. Yeah Joey, I know.

Joey: Guess it’s goodbye again. Don’t be a stranger this time okay?

Sean: I won’t.

Joey: Here’s my number. Call me if ever need professional advice or just want to shoot the shit.

Sean: Thanks Joey. Let me know how everything goes with the baby.

Joey: Oh don’t you worry about that. Soon I’ll be blowing up your phone with pictures.

Sean: Haha can’t wait.

Joey: Now hospital policy says I gotta wheel your ass outta here. For liability reasons.

Sean: At least it’ll be a smoother exit than last time.

Joey: (laughs) Get in the chair smart-ass.

Beaver Creek, One Week Later

Sean: Okay, you ready?

Daniel: (takes deep breath) Alright. Show it to me.

Sean: So… how does it look?

Daniel: Looks… normal.

Sean: You almost sound disappointed. Were you expecting a bionic eye or something?

Daniel: No. I just… it looks good. I like the scar; makes you look extra tough.

Sean: You think so?

Daniel: Yeah… totally badass!

Sean: Thanks, enano.

Daniel: You need a new codename, like Scarred Wolf or Deadshot Diaz!

Sean: Let’s leave the nicknames up to Chris.

Daniel: Hey! I make up awesome names too!

Sean: Whatever you say,“Superwolf”

[pseudofaux]

Poltergeist {Lucio}

This was written for the @vesuvian-nights-zine​, which is all about the Masquerade in the The Arcana. Mods have shipped all orders, so contributors are allowed to share their pieces online now. Extra stock sales are scheduled to open this summer, please see the zine tumblr for more info if you’re interested.

I wrote this nearly a year ago, and Arcana players know a lot more about Lucio now. I wrote what I could with what I had at the time! I contributed two more stories to Vesuvian Nights, a short one for Nadia and another about Mazelinka and Volta. I’ll be publishing that last one here in a few days. In the meantime... Goldest golden boy count man mess!

This is really too much. Even on this night, they can’t see him? This party is only being thrown because of him!

Lucio, Count of Vesuvia, currently temporarily incorporeal, has tried goulish howling, he has tried blowing out candles in the chandeliers most inconvenient for the servants to relight, and he has tried enlisting the dogs. All on his own, he has tried all this, and still no one has so much as peered curiously in his direction. With all the talk of spooky, the people in the palace can’t see one ghost? One great ghost?!

It is really too much, and he won’t stand for it. He will not think about what he stands on, either. There, he’s floating. That will show them, provided anyone things to look. But because they are all too busy putting the Masquerade together, he must lead them and do something that will truly show them. He decides in a flash of needy malevolence to hurl fruit. He will hurl his favorite fruit, and surely that will remind someone of him! They must be missing him terribly. He expects that they are throwing themselves into their work for the party as a means of coping.

Lucio wills substance into his hand, determination wavering under the hurt of loneliness (for the briefest of seconds), and then he reaches for the soft gold of an apricot at the top of a platter and--

His fingers close through it with that odd, phantom squelch, like he is actually dreaming of this instead of attempting it. The frustration of the setback makes him attempt to flip the platter over, but someone from the kitchens is already carrying it away and ignoring his endeavor entirely.

FINE.

Lucio, Golden Count of Vesuvia, has more than one idea, naturally. If the kitchen staff are determined to press their luck this way, he’ll get housekeeping’s attention instead. And there’s something that has been needing housekeeping’s attention! His room has been left in disgusting shape and it is high time they were shamed for it.

Whooshing through the air back to his rooms nearly has him smiling. He can really drive the point home by draping himself in his old bedding and haunting the palace properly.

Realizing he cannot tear the ruined curtains off his bedposts any more than he can pick up an apricot puts him back in a foul mood. His only consolation is that the fabric is grimy, the soot gone to oily blackness. Disgusting. Who would want to wear those rags, anyway?

He knows if he were a lesser man, he would be pouting at the pathetic condition everyone has left him in. But Lucio, stylish and ever-clever, is already trying to wake up Mercedes and Melchior to get them to make a scene downstairs.

...Someone has set out jeweled dishes of twin feasts for his dogs, and they are now deeply asleep. Their ears do not even twitch when he calls for them. When he whistles, Mercedes sighs in her sleep.

Well. That’s how it’s going to be, then. No one will talk about or think to be grateful to him or even NOTICE him. This is the worst Masquerade of all time and it is exactly what every single one of them deserve.

He moves through the ballroom and sees Asra, all dressed up. Lucio does not even try to upend a table filled with cakes and breads. He sighs and then sighs again when his first sigh sways not a single garland.

The big one is there, he sees! How can he not? Mort-- Martin? Lucio doesn’t remember. Used to do well in the fighting pit. Hasn’t really dressed up for the occasion, which is a pity. A party is a party! And whatshisname can enjoy it much better than Lucio can, at least.

Is it Marcus...? This is depressing him. Lucio leaves the ballroom. On the way, he tries to trip people or pull bits of their costumes-- they call these costumes?! Standards have truly fallen-- but his heart isn’t in it. He makes his way to one of the grand fountains in the garden. If they’re all going to be so faithless, he won’t let them enjoy his company. HA.

He mopes, but he has the fountain to himself, and if no one sees than he is certain it doesn’t count. Even by misery’s clock, it is hardly any time at all before Mercedes and Melchior bound out to him, happily yowling behind something in their mouths. They delicately set pomegranate halves on the ledge of the fountain, then nudge the fruit toward him. Unfortunately, the pieces go right through his legs and roll into the basin. There’s a quiet splash and the dogs’ eyes flick to his: good

Lucio sighs, because it’s really just been a dreadful excuse for a party and an evening, the whole thing. But he loves that the dogs, at least, tried. He tells them how good and smart they are, and they romp around and nudge at the air closest to his legs. They are always careful not to push through him. Much better manners than all the rabble in his house!

When Lucio glances behind him, there are swirls of inky red in the water from the pomegranate juice, delicate but spreading out and tinting the entire pool. He realizes it will be hell for the groundskeepers to deal with in the morning.

And that seems fitting.

“Go get more pomegranates,” he tells Mercedes and Melchior. They are, as ever, thrilled to be his co-conspirators, and they run off in the direction of the kitchens. He watches the white of their fur fade to blue in the night. Lucio cannot see his own smile, but he likes to imagine it is the reverse, lips revealing bright white teeth that shine in the darkness as he waits for his chance to enjoy the party at last.

If you’re looking for more of my writing about characters in The Arcana, you can find a few stories on my miscellaneous masterlist. 💜✨

[chanzicoup]

A/N: I know I said the NSFW A-Z were "canceled" but this was the only VIXX request I had so I figured why not. But any other NSFW A-Z I receive from this point on will be deleted without second thought. I've included in my Rules And Regulations post that I will no longer do these until further notice. Just a reminder because some people are getting upset with me because I deleted their requests. Just so you know, I strictly follow my own rules and rarely bend them for other people so if your request was deleted it was because it didn't follow my rules. (I got this template from chantenyongs and I could not find the original creator to give proper credit to.)

A = Aftercare

After going down on you a little too rough by mistake, he'll guiltily massage your shoulders and linger his hands over your body in worship of it's beauty. He may give you a few kisses here and there but most importantly he wants you to get rest because he knows you are drained.

B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Leo just loves your hips, mainly because he'd grip them while thrusting into you or while he eats you out. You on the other hand have an infatuation with his shoulders/back. Even when things aren't "passionate" you surprise hum with back hugs and "back cuddles" on a regular basis. The massive height difference between the two of you is only a benefit in this case.

C = Cum

We all know Leo would be the best dad in the future and that he'd be ready for children ASAP, but he would respect that you weren't ready for kids or if you two hadn't discussed it yet. He would use a condom, first of all, but to be extra careful he'd still pull out. I can't see him being into the whole "marking you with cum" thing but if you told him directly that you wanted to have ex with out a condom and have him cum inside of you he'd begin to ask if you were on the pill and what you two would do if you got pregnant.

D = Dirty Secret (a dirty secret of theirs)

If he has any dirty secrets (that you don't know of yet) it would probably be something to do with a kink. Maybe he has a secret bondage kink? Perhaps a blindfold? Surely if it's either of the two it would be you being tied up or blindfolded, he's a dom! most of the time.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Since Leo is a committed guy I don't see him having sex too much, the reason being that if he has dated before it would have been a serious relationship if he's had sex with that person. Like sex it a big deal for him and it's like starting a new chapter with that person who he must trust with the world if they were to be getting that personal. Surely he knows what he's doing, he's a grown ass man for crying out loud. But experience wise, he's more then a virgin but not a man with a body count of five or more.

F = Favorite position

Only once in a while will things get kinky so most of the time you two are in the missionary position, whoever is on top will definitely change from time to time. If it's your turn tonight Leo's going to cheer you on and help you out if you get tired.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Maybe if he and you were drunk you two would laugh like hyenas but normally things get as far as smiling into each others eyes, maybe a chuckle when the other moans a little too loud and gets embarrassed.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they)

Leo seems like one of the cleanest members of VIXX aside from Hongbin so he'd be well groomed. Besides, he doesn't like being all hairy, it'll make him feel unhygienic and if anything it'll get him out of the mood for sex. ha, He turned himself off.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

OMG HE'S THE ROMANCE MASTER I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ROSE PETALS AND CANDELS, HE'S WAY BETTER THAN THAT. I'M TALKING ABOUT HIM RENTING AN ENTIRE HOTEL ROOM IN LIKE FRANCE OR SOMETHING WITH SMOOTH JAZZ PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND AND YOUR FAVORITE DINNER. WHEN  "YOUR SONG" COMES ON HE'LL ASK TO SLOW DANCE WITH YOU AND HE'LL SNEAK KISSES IN THERE AND BAM! Y'ALL ARE MAKING LOVE ON THE COUCH, THE BED, THE FLOOR, EVERYWHERE!

J = Jack Off (Masturbation)

Eh, i guess he would've done it while he was single a.k.a before he met you. But as soon as he gets into a relationship all of his focus is on his partner. He's attracted to them so he wouldn't really feel the need to jack off.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Body worship kink (giving). 100%.

L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)

His reservedness keeps him from wanting to have sex in public or being too loud as to when the neighbors  or other people can hear you so sex at the dorms or in bathrooms are out unless it was your place. Meaning he'd come over to your house more often than you went to his. If the vixx members wanted to hang out they'd have to go to your house. Going deeper, at your house, he'd prefer to have sex in your bedroom. He still has this paranoia that someone will walk in on you two if you guys are going at it in the living room.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Leo hates to admit it but when he's stressed or had a bad day he'd want you to make it all better. Sex would be a given after dating for a while but he'd vocally ask for it when he's stressed out or just needs a break. It would catch you off guard at first but after some more time you pick up little tricks to help him get back on track.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

I just can't see Leo being the kink of dom! that spanks/hair pulls/etc. He's weary of his actions 24/7 and would never want to cause you any pain. Even if you asked him to he'll refuse to do it, afraid of accidentally going overboard or not knowing your boundaries well enough even though he has them down.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He'd totally prefer giving you oral as opposed to receiving  but he wouldn't stop you if you really wanted to do it. What is he gonna do say no to getting head?

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

Usually Leo's more on the slow and sensual side, which you love because he can get you to three orgasms while going turtle speed. But sometimes he'll spice things up a little and go rougher towards the end, without giving you a warning. He'd feel sorry for doing that but you and him both know you wouldn't have it any other way.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

Quickie's with Leo would only be in the morning before he has to go to work. None before a concert in the dressing rooms, none in the bathroom during a group dinner. After the morning quickie he'd send you pictures of things he's doing or places he's at with cuter captions because you my friend have made his entire day, week, month, and year.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Hell no.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He'd be able to last three to four rounds, but since you two have sex semi often he'd be happy with going just one round. He knows more is coming in the future. But the thing is, you two go through these time periods when you have sex like every night and then boom, no sex for months. If this is one of those times when you two are going through your "sex droughts" then the night you relight the flames it's an all night event, sweetie. Cancel your plans for tomorrow and call off work, you aren't going anywhere.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He wouldn't have any at all since he's pretty vanilla. If you had them he'd try to figure out what the heck they were but eventually he'd be giving up and just tossing them to the side. He doesn't need toys to make you whimper his name.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Leo would tease you through out the day playfully, giving you a hint as to what he want to do. But they'll be subtle until you two are alone. All day it was winks from across the table and a tighter grip on your leg in the car. No one else even noticed but you sure did. When you two were left alone by people leaving the room in a group, Leo would stare at you dead in the eyes and say "We're going home." ;););)

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He'd prefer to keep it quiet obviously, but sooner or later he has no control and the both of you are trying to muffle your moans in each other's shoulders and kisses. It's just a mess.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Lowkey Leo wants to have sex in a hot tub. Sadly those bitches are expensive as hell to install and the ones he knows of are in public areas so now way is that going to happen.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

His entire body is "longer(?)" than most males, his dick is no different. He's huge, lucky you.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Like I said, before, it goes up and down all the time. There really is no constant with him.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He'd fall asleep after you did, being reassured you were taken care of before he was.

~Blake

[drycoin14-blog]

VINTAGE KITCHEN TOUR // SPONSORED BY CAFE APPLIANCES

I’m so excited to share my kitchen with you! I’ll get into the details deeper in the post, but this is the only time that I haven’t had to do a giant kitchen renovation in a new house. The biggest challenge was finding elements to update the space while keeping the mid century aesthetic. This is why I partnered with Cafe Appliances – their refrigerator in white and bronze blends perfectly into my vintage kitchen, while giving me the benefits of modern appliances.

My husband Craig and I are searching for our family home, and when we set foot into your house, it felt so right. Jack, an architect and UCLA professor, built this house with his wife, Marilyn, in 1953. They lived in it all their lives, and even planted a palm tree on the day they moved in – it’s now about 60 feet tall, towering over our backyard. You could feel the love in this house, and standing on the back porch, looking at Jack and Marilyn’s Palm Tree, we knew this was a special place. It felt like the last 6 years had led up to this moment and like we had finally found our forever home.

I’ve renovated a few single-owner mid century homes before, and it’s always a balance of respecting the past while adding modern comforts, but with this house, that was on an entirely other level. I walked in the house and didn’t want to change anything – it was like a perfect time capsule of 1953 Los Angeles. The wood-clad walls, hidden bar, room dividers, the chrome edged streamline kitchen – everything was so rooted in Danish modernism and deco references from the late 40s rather than the atomic “Palms Springs” modern of the late 50s. This was Jack and Marilyn’s dream home, and it showed. I have photos of them digging the dirt as the building process started. They lived there for 65 years without changing anything other than the wallpaper. That’s rare – usually someone gets bored and decides to make everything Southwestern or they tear out the kitchen and add some terribly clunky 90s monstrosity instead. Not in my time machine. I loved it so much I even kept the 65 year old drapes. This was my first time having fun with color on the walls, rather than just with furniture and objects. I’ve played around with tile and wallpaper for color, but usually keep spaces minimalistic. With this mid century gem, I used the original paint colors as my jumping off point, and researched the color palette of the era.

Every time I’ve renovated a home I’ve had to completely gut the kitchen. The kitchen is usually something dysfunctional from the 70s, with hideous oak upper cabinets, and I turn it into an open, white, modern space. But this was the first time I couldn’t – the kitchen is too special. It’s an original St. Charles kitchen in gorgeous condition. In the 50s, you’d have a company like St. Charles do your entire kitchen: floors, cabinets, countertops – the whole thing. The cabinets are painted steel (I’m pretty sure mine are “Chiffon Yellow”), so they’re incredibly durable. I also never imagined having a not white kitchen, but I love the butter yellow hue. It’s just so joyful and soothing. The fact that I didn’t need to repaint my kitchen cabinets that are 65 years old is just wild. There’s little details, like lucite protectors on each cabinet, chrome handles, stainless steel panels on either side of the oven, and a special cupboard with retractable shelf for your mixer that make this kitchen so thoughtful. The one thing I thought I’d have to do is add power outlets throughout the kitchen – I only saw one, and thought that was because of the time period the kitchen was originally built in. Nope! All of the plugs are hidden on the underside of the upper cabinets.

One of my proudest moments was figuring out how to relight the pilot light and the reconnect the gas in our vintage stove. This thing must weigh 800 lbs and has little windows like a submarine. I love it. When it works it’s a beast – it is so incredibly hot! The BTUs are insane and it makes the most delicious roast chicken.

The only updates to the kitchen were the new Cafe Appliances fridge and the banquette and light above the breakfast nook. For the fridge, I knew I needed something with plenty of space (the French doors make the fridge especially efficient), that was easy to clean (each shelf has curved edges), and had a water dispenser. One of my favorite features is that the fridge dispenses hot water for my tea in the morning. Plus, there’s a handy locking feature – James is exactly the right height to think that a water dispenser is exciting entertainment, and that lock has prevented quite a few messes.

One corner of the kitchen that I updated was the banquette. The original banquette was upholstered in a drab green vinyl, and the light fixture was from the 1980s. I had my upholsterer, Marianna from Leija Designs, rip out the banquette and cover it in gorgeous tween from Kravet’s performance line. It’s incredibly durable and has a soft, nubby texture that looks totally mid century. I added the Kiki pendant by Mitzi Lighting, and the whole corner blends perfectly into the butter yellow and chrome kitchen.

Source: https://www.thekitchykitchen.com/kitchen-tour-sponsored-by-cafe-appliances/