#Pole Folder

[unlimitedrec]

Stream Unlimited Music Podcast 112 by Soundae—featuring music by Pole Folder, Sasha, Maceo Plex & more! 🔈

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFIDb93h68s Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlimited-music-podcast/id530396355

[australmixing]

AUSTRAL MIXING #055 - POLE FOLDER

[skitskatdacat63]

2023 Bahrain Grand Prix - Free Practice 1 - Felipe Drugovich & Stoffel Vandoorne

[cccshutdown]

Trick or treatos!!!

REJOICE! GIFT OF SRIMP!

[thatfanfictionchick]

TWST - Leona's braid

╔═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╗

Leona x Val[OC]

Rating: G

Warnings: Mention of blood;

Word count: 1351

╚═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╝

“What’s the herbivore doin’ here?” Leona strolled into the Savanclaw Spelldrive field, his gaze sweeping over Val sitting in the bleachers. She had her feet kicked up and was flicking through a book, a comically large straw hat on her head.

Jack pointed his thumb at Ruggie. “He invited her.”

“What?” Ruggie said innocently. “Leona likes having people watch him.” Leona glared at the smug tone in Ruggie’s voice but Ruggie was overtly interested in tying his laces. 

Leona growled and grabbed his broom. “Whatever, let’s get started.”

Val was half-heartedly attempting to catch up on her Potionology reading while also watching the Savanaclaw team play. They were really good, and it made her wonder what the Diasomnia team must be like to have beaten them as easily as Leona claimed. Savanaclaw was agile and brutal; even against their own dorm mates they didn’t hold back. Jack was an absolute powerhouse, easily clearing the way for his side to score. Ruggie tended to hang back, causing all sorts of mayhem, but when he made his move he made it as flashy as possible. Leona seemed not to be trying to intentionally show off for once, but it was near impossible not to watch him anyway. He really was a sight to behold when he was actually making an effort.

She was trying to finish a passage on mandrake roots with little success when she heard someone yell. She lifted her head, barely catching a glimpse of the disc flying straight at her. She flinched, bracing herself for the pain. Instead there was a shadow falling over her, a grunt and a sound like a firecracker going off. She opened her eyes, holding her breath, only to see Leona crouched on his broom in front of her. The disc, sent arcing away, made a sharp turn midair and was quickly snatched up by Ruggie who raced to the far side of the field. Leona shook his hand before turning his head to look at her. He was careless with that block and blood welled up on his rapidly swelling knuckles. “You okay?”

She was halfway down her seat, her ridiculous hat lying on the ground behind her. Her hair was a riot of rainbow colors twisted together in at least a dozen braids. Her eyes were huge and as he watched she took a gasping breath before finally squeaking out “holy shit!” She stared at him for a long second before continuing. “That was…really cool.”

He had to look away so she didn’t see him smirking. Standing on the broom he waved his uninjured hand at her. “Well then…” but he trailed off as dark waves of hair suddenly fell over his shoulders. Somehow the elastic holding his hair had snapped. He scoffed and hopped to the ground, growling about the sudden inconvenience. He didn’t even have an extra to use. A small cry caught his attention and he turned to see Val tugging a black hair tie off her wrist from among the tangle of beaded bracelets.

“Here,” she said. “You can - your braid is loose.” He looked down and sure enough, another elastic was missing from the end of a dark braid, the hair beginning to unravel. “How did that even happen?”

There was just a moment for Leona to think, and suddenly he was leaning over Val in her seat, making her lean back in surprise. “Well?” he taunted. “Hurry up ‘n fix it.”

Val swallowed hard, huffing as she straightened up. He was very close and it was doing strange things to her heart. “Fine,” she said. “Because I owe you now.” He was smirking and it took a very concentrated effort to look at his hair and not his lips. She carefully ran her fingers down the loose braid and gathered up the strands, quietly surprised by how soft his hair was. For some reason she’d always expected it would be coarse. The hair was thick and it took her a second to adjust to it; her own hair was so fine in comparison. She reached the end and realized that the hair tie dangling from her pinky would be way too big. Fortunately when Epel had braided her hair early that morning he had used small different colored elastics which left her plenty to choose from. To be annoying she picked a pink one, pulling it free and quickly tying the end of Leona’s braid before he could complain.

“Cute,” he drawled. “Now finish.”

She scowled at him. “Oh come on, you can make a ponytail yourself.”

Leona lifted his injured hand, blood dripping freely from the broken skin. “Not really, no.”

“Ah!” she shrieked. “Your hand!” She made to hold it and he moved it away.

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’ll deal with it after. Finish what you were doin’.”

She looked unconvinced, her brow drawn in concern, but after a moment she reached around his neck and combed her fingers through his hair. It would have been easier if he’d turned around but she got the feeling he wouldn’t just to continue tormenting her. “You’re a pest,” she muttered.

He didn’t reply. She was being stupidly gentle with his hair and it was honestly taking everything in him not to shiver as she carefully gathered it up before winding the elastic around it. It was almost enough to make him rethink his decision to tease her.

“There.” She gave the ponytail one last tug, maneuvering her fingers around his ears as she carded them through the hair on top of his head to smooth down any bumps and finished by brushing his bangs to the side. She smiled. It was always kind of nice to do someone else’s hair. Even if that person was the resident grumpy cat. She reached for his hand saying “now can I please-”

“Nope.” In an instant Leona had jumped back on his broom and was gliding away. There was absolutely no way she was going to hold his hand after that.

“Leona!” Val sprang from her seat. “Get back here! We have to take care of your hand!”

There were easy magical fixes for his hand, but he wasn't going to tell her that. She should know that. Besides, it was funnier to know she was worrying about it.

They made two more goals before Ruggie noticed his injury and put a stop to practice, chastising Leona for being careless. Val was waiting and she glared at him while Ruggie easily mended the broken skin.

"There," he drawled while flashing his hand at her. "All better. Ya happy now?"

"No!" she snapped. "You shouldn't have gone back out there with it like that in the first place!"

"You get hurt sometimes, not a big deal," he said. She huffed angrily and folded her arms across her chest, her foot tap-tapping on the ground. "Why're you so worked up about it?"

She refused to look at him, her fingers gripping her upper arms tightly. After a moment she quietly said "you got hurt because of me."

Ruggie's ears perked and a few feet away Jack stopped what he was doing. The both of them looked at Leona, waiting to see what happened next. A slow grin spread across Leona's face and he stepped right in front of her. She lifted her eyes to his and he held his newly healed hand in front of her face. "It's still sore," he taunted. "If you're feelin' that guilty you can kiss it better."

Her cheeks flushed and for a very long second she stared at him in disbelief. Then she did what Ruggie would go on to describe as “just about the suavest thing I’ve seen in my life”; she carefully took Leona’s hand in her own and, while maintaining direct eye contact, kissed each knuckle. Leona’s ears were plastered to his skull and Val was grinning like Floyd, which was unnerving all on its own. “All better!” she chimed in a sing-song tone. Dropping his hand she waved at Ruggie and Jack, making a swift exit. “See ya later!” 

If her burning face was any indicator, she desperately did not want to see them later.

[gooberdotnet]

I wish pose mods worked for me but *OBNOXIOUSLY PATHETIC SIGH* I've tried everything that I have the patience to do 😔😔😔😔

[kotoku]

ꜱᴜɴᴅᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ɪɴᴊᴜʀᴇᴅ! ꜱ/ᴏ

pairings - sunday x injured! reader / aventurine x injured! reader

content - reader is gender-neutral/ angst but with comfort/ fluff in the end

warnings - a bit of angst (?), maybe like two sprinkles..

⋘ ʟᴏᴀᴅɪɴɢ... ⋙

Sunday had been filing through his paperwork, eyes skimming over the contents before tucking it into its rightful folder. The ticking of a clock was the only sound that filled the room, besides the noise of papers being shuffled. It was then his mind had begun to wonder, filtering out the ambiance and recalling the last conversation the two of you had shared before leaving for work. 

“It seems that something urgent has come up at work. I’ll be leaving now, Sunday.” You quickly put on your footwear that you normally use for work, making sure that it isn't loose. Sunday stood near the front door and offered you your bag that held your belongings when you got up.

“Alright, stay safe, my dear.” 

And with a quick peck on the lips, you had set off to work, leaving Sunday in the doorway feeling a little lonely. 

With a shake of his head and the shutting of the door, Sunday had made his way to the bedroom to start his own routine.

There was no need for him to feel lonely. As you would be back in his arms later that day. 

He wouldn’t have had to wait that long, as he was notified of your disappearance by your boss. 

Sunday had dropped whatever paperwork he was doing, the papers that were once neatly organized scattered across his desk. When he had got the call from your superior, knots of dread had weaved itself in his stomach and it made him want to puke. 

He left his office in a hurry, not bothering to close the door fully as he sprinted to the place your superior had sent you to. Your superior had said that you had an assignment within the real dreamscape, something about the memetic entities within it that were disrupting the environment. The group that was sent to the area had lost you somewhere deep within it before they were attacked by those monsters. 

The thought of you being by yourself while facing those things made a shiver run up his spine. He knew how capable you were but he didn’t want to risk losing another person again. 

Not after what happened to his sister.

When Sunday got to the real dreamscape, he had met with the group you were sent with before leaving on his own to find you. He tore the entire place apart, searching for any traces of where you could have gone before stumbling upon a trail of freshly spilled blood. Your blood. 

Sunday cursed under his breath, following the trail that led him through door after door. It was then the trail stopped, your beaten up form sitting up against the wall, a pool of blood beneath you from the blood that you were losing. You were on the verge of unconsciousness.

For a moment he felt his heart stop, hands clenching in anger and fear at what had done this to you. But despite the urge to eliminate whoever was responsible, he needed to focus and bring you somewhere safe. 

You hadn’t registered the footsteps that were quickly approaching you, the gentleness of the person who was carrying you and the soft fluttering of wings against your face, nor the warm grip on your hand while you got transported to the infirmary. It was then when you could barely make out a couple of people above you that you were swept away to darkness.

-----

There was a faint noise coming from beside you. It was the sound of the monitors that were hooked up to you, the IV pole sitting nearby with its saline bag half empty. The bright lights that flooded your vision as soon as you woke caused you to wince, slowly shuffling in the medical bed you were set on. 

The pain you felt was almost unbearable. The myriad of bandages on your body and the cast around your leg were proof of where the pain originated. You could barely move around that much with how everything was restricting you, yet you attempted to find a comfortable position. 

However, you felt a lightweight resting on your thigh and a loose grip holding your hand. 

“Sunday..?” You croaked out, peering over at the man who slept peacefully with some of his loose feathers around you. You figured that he must’ve been so stressed that some had popped right off, poor thing. 

Reaching out a hand and carefully swiping away some of his disheveled hair, you saw the bags that had formed under his eyes. How many days has it been? It was clear that he had spent a while there with you, waiting for the moment that you’d awaken, but his tiredness eventually caught up to him. You couldn’t help but shake your head, feeling a little guilty you had caused your lover this much stress. 

Sunday stirring awake snapped you out of your thoughts. He slowly blinked his eyes open and lifted himself away from where he lay as he noticed that you were awake.

“_____..? You’re awake..! Thank Xipe..I almost thought you weren’t going to wake up anytime soon.” Sunday breathed a sigh of relief, the feelings of stress and anxiety that ate away at him disappearing. He carefully cupped your face and pressed his forehead against yours. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get there in time, My Love…”

“Sunday… You don’t need to apologize for that. I should be apologizing for my recklessness…” You murmured, feeling the warmth radiating from him. You sunk further into his touch, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles on your cheek. 

“Nonsense, you were only doing your duty.” Sunday firmly stated, nudging you to look him in the eyes. “There is nothing for you to be sorry for.”

Tears began to well in your eyes, not just from the pain but the reassurance that Sunday gave you. You would not have known what to do if either one of you lost the other, so you were eternally grateful that both of you were alive at this moment. 

A brief silence fell between the both of you. It wasn’t uncomfortable but rather comforting, enjoying the presence of each other for a little longer before the nurses would check in on you. 

“If you think about it… You’re kind of like my guardian angel, Sunday.” Sunday chuckled. 

“I guess I am."

-----

You and Aventurine had an..interesting start to your developing friendship that brought you to where you are now. The both of you had first started working at the IPC in the same department so the frequent appearances of the other never really surprised either one of you. There would be times when you’d guys share small talk, but that never really lasted long as you got swept away to another assignment. 

When you had started rising through the ranks, there was an unspoken rivalry that began to form between you and Aventurine. You never really cared or bothered to feed into this ‘rivalry’, but you had to admit that it was pretty funny seeing Aventurine so fired up if something fortunate happened to you. This led to constant teasing and bickering whenever the two of you encountered each other. It got even worse when you got paired to the same assignment as him. Yet he did know when to take things seriously so you both could get the job done. 

It had been a rather uninteresting day of work for Aventurine, bound to his desk and reviewing important documents that had been submitted to him from his subordinates. Eventually, he had concluded everything and placed them into a cabinet for further inspection later. He just wanted to take a quick walk to stretch out his body after being strapped to his chair for the entire day. 

The scenery outside the spaceship was what you’d expect, yet he never grew bored of it. Sometimes he’d stare out into the vast sea of stars and planets, distracted by the idea of just how small he and his problems were. In a way, it distracted him from the stresses of life.

Aventurine had begun to near the area where people would come in, a group of workers that had recently finished an assignment passing him. He noticed some familiar faces amidst the group and started to wonder when you’d be back to see him. 

It had been 2 weeks since you left for your assignment, giving him a long kiss that left him dazed before departing. Aventurine didn’t lie when he said that he’d miss you as he whined about you leaving for 2 weeks, clinging to you when it was the morning of your departure. Yet he whined a little less when you promised to text him whenever you had a moment of free time.

Speaking of which… The last message you sent to him was a while ago, around 2 days in fact. He never heard anything from you since you bid goodnight to him which made him a little worried. But he knew more than anyone that you were a capable and dependable person, so his worries grew a little less. 

…Yet he could feel a small twinge of dread in his stomach whenever he thought about the time span. 

The opening of the doors leading to the docking area brought him out of his thoughts, glancing over to check what ship had come back. To his surprise, it was you..but in crutches and countless bandages as you awkwardly made your way past the door with someone assisting you. 

Aventurine stared for a couple of seconds, registering your beat-up form before rushing over. “_____!”

You had strained your neck to look towards where the voice came from, seeing a distressed Aventurine catch up with you and your coworker.

“Ah.. Aventurine–,” you started, giving him an awkward smile. “--didn’t think I’d see you so soon. How has work been–”

“What happened to you??” Before you could finish your sentence, Aventurine had taken your coworker’s place, assisting you towards the infirmary. You were trying to explain what happened during your mission and brushed off the injuries, as it was never uncommon to come out with a few scratches and bruises… Aventurine disagreed in a heartbeat.  

“Missions can be dangerous so you must take care of yourself.” Aventurine huffed, getting you checked into the infirmary. 

After you were settled into your room with everything taken care of, Aventurine came back in to stay by your side. You could tell he was upset and concerned for your well-being, sighing as he continued to whine and lecture you about safety. 

“You should’ve given me a call, you know I’d be there in a heartbeat–” 

“Aventurine…”

“Who knows what could’ve happened to you if the circumstances were different–” 

“Aventurine.”  

“Whatever happened… Whoever did this to you I’ll–”

“Aventurine!” 

He stopped pacing around the room, head snapping towards you when your voice finally got his attention. You sighed softly, looking down at your hands that had medical equipment attached to them. “I’m okay. Everything is fine–” “How can you say that?” 

Aventurine gave you a frown, crossing his arms as he stood at the foot of your bed. “You came out with multiple injuries, hell you could barely walk. How could you say that everything is fine?” His eyes had narrowed, staring down at the tiled floor that reflected back at him.

You stared at him for a bit, thinking of what you could say to him. After all, he was right, you came out bearing a multitude of injuries that would leave a couple of scars. But..you didn’t want him to be so worried for your sake, you couldn’t bear burdening him. The grip you had on the sheets loosened, your head leaning back onto the pillow. 

“I…” A pause. “..I’m sorry, Aventurine. I didn’t want to cause more stress for you but.. I’ll be fine. I promise.” You firmly spoke, watching him look back at you before coming over to sit beside you.

“No I… You don’t need to apologize.” Aventurine sighed, moving to hold your hand. “I was just..scared. I’m sorry for lashing out on you, _____.” His gloved fingers felt warm against your bare skin, thumb gliding over your knuckles. 

You hummed in response, your hand interlocking with Aventurine’s. “I know, Aven.” He gave your intertwined hands a kiss, pressing his forehead against them.

“Geez… You really don’t know how worried I was when I didn’t hear anything from you for two days.” Aventurine whined, head moving to rest on your stomach. You stroked his hair, fingers gliding through his golden strands as he sighed in bliss. 

“...I missed you.” He mumbled, peering up at you like a kid through his lovely eyes. You smiled softly at him. 

“I missed you too, Aven.”

“You won’t believe how work has been without you, though…” “Really? I’m all ears.”

⋘ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ! ⋙

note - sorry for the sudden disappearance everyone! 😀 i hope that you guys haven't missed me too much but i'll promise to post stuff soon! thank you guys for your patience and i hope you guys have a safe and wonderful break/week!

[jaegersdevil]

dreamland [satoru gojo x reader]

summary: on a mission to thailand, you and satoru realise you actually like like each other w/c: 1.3k / cw: idiots in love ig?? a little rushed masterlist

“You need anything?” The question broke the silence of the thick, humid air. A light touch grazed your upper arm in concern, and you looked up to meet the azure gaze upon your face. “Water, snacks, a smooch?”

“I’m okay, ‘Toru,” You scoffed, squinted through the relentless sun rays on your body, and shook your head at the taller male. “And I definitely do not need a smooch.”

He leaned down slightly, his face appearing in front of you. “Are you sure? Because I heard Shoko and Utahime talking about a certain someone’s crush—”

“Satoru,” You interrupted, nudging your shoulder into his arm, your cheeks heating up in embarrassment at the mention of your best friends speaking of such things behind your back. “Quit talking shit. We’ve things to do.”

With his fair eyebrows and hands raised, he turned to face you, walking backwards. “Fine.” 

“Fine.”

“But,” He slid his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to peer at you and winked. “Don’t pretend I don’t know exactly who and what they were talking about.” 

If he saw the falter in your step, he didn't say. “Keep dreaming, Gojo. Get moving.”

Yaga had sent the pair of you to Thailand under the ruse of a reward for your handwork – you’d rolled your eyes when he handed you a manila folder, but Satoru was ecstatic to travel with you. And despite the steep temperatures and sticky humidity, it had been an experience like no other: fruit juice dripping down chins, salty hair, flirty teasing, bright smiles, karaoke in busy restaurants, sandy feet, warm cheeks, running through sudden downpours, private villas, and the street markets that provided Satoru with enough gifts for you to last a lifetime. 

A clap in front of your face struck you from your daze. 

“Got it!” Satoru exclaimed, opening his palms to show the squashed mosquito between his hands. He stepped back beside you and swung his arm over your shoulders, to which you shrugged off sheepishly.

“Gross,” You mumbled, adjusting your sunglasses and checking your phone. The cursed spirit was around here somewhere…

“You know, I love being here with you…”

Rolling your eyes at his casual flirting and the familiar warmth filling your cheeks, you stopped walking and looked to your left. There. 

You took a step toward the abandoned hospital. It’d taken two buses and four taxis to get here, and you weren’t wasting any more time not exorcising this curse when you headed to the building’s entrance. 

“…and I thought Yaga was up to something when he mentioned this trip, but I truly believe—hey!”

You ignored Satoru, who stood a few ten yards away with his arms up. Holding up your hand to silence him, you peered into the window of the facility. Beside a few dusty chairs, it was empty. 

“Don’t run off without telling me,” He grumbled when he stepped beside you. “What if you got hurt?” 

You tilted your head. “I’m standing here uninjured, aren’t I?”

“You are so—” 

The door creaked open when you pushed on it. “Let’s go.” 

Satoru swore he was pointing lasers at you when his eyes met the back of your head. He mimicked you quietly, throwing his head back in exasperation before following you. 

Glass cracked under his sandals when he stepped through the main lobby, sidestepping a stray IV pole. You were already heading up the stairs on the other side of the building when Satoru pushed his sunglasses over his hair. The dense cursed energy of something lurked nearby, and he was sure as hell not going to let it near you. Yes, you would be pissed, he thought as he wandered the lower corridors, but he’d rather have you angry at him than dead. 

When did you get to the 16th floor? You thought as you passed the sign on the stairwell. Clasping your phone firmly, you hopped over fallen wheelchairs and discarded papers with agility, careful not to make a sound. You could feel the cursed energy far more on this level than any other, and it was just a matter of steps until—“Satoru!” 

The panic in your voice was palpable, and Satoru couldn’t move his legs fast enough as he took the fire stairs two at a time, his heart seemingly working over time both in exertion and anxiety. 

Crashing through the door to the sixteenth floor, Satoru paused—a burly deep green creature twisted over you, its claws disturbingly close to your throat. 

The curse giggled manically at the sight of you, one of its many talons brushing your cheek softly. With hurried breaths and glassy eyes, it was the first time Satoru had seen you caught off guard—it was terrifying.

“Dirty humans,” The curse leered, bending down to swipe its tongue along your collarbone. You recoiled in disgust, daring a look back at Satoru, who stood with his eyes focused on the green thing above you. “So repulsive to look at, but so tasty.”

Satoru’s scoff caused the curse to break its gaze from you. 

“Little thing about humans…” The white-haired male teased, his words light. “We don’t really like it when the people we love are about to get eaten.”

You closed your eyes at Satoru’s sentence but had no time to think it over when the curse groaned, unfolding to its full height. “What a pity.”

“It is!” Satoru laughed dryly, stepping over debris. “Because I hoped to have so much fun with you, but this will only take a second.”

Clenching your fist tightly, you flicked your pointer finger out, the action prompting the rumble of concrete in the corner of the corridor to form together. But with the curse’s focus on the male behind you, it didn't notice the lingering mass of rock at its rear. Perfect. 

And when you felt the familiar suffocation of the Limitless technique, Satoru expelled the tiniest flash of red from his fingertips. You threw your arm up, and with the collective strength of both techniques, the curse was crushed between Limitless and your wall of solid stone until it was purple sludge. There was a quiet moment before Satoru rushed toward you.

You coughed at the feeling of guts on your body as he checked you over for injuries. His hand held yours tightly, and he didn’t care when his sunglasses slipped off his head and cracked on the floor. 

“You’re okay,” he whispered, though you think it was more to himself than to you. 

“I’m okay,” You reassured him, resting your other hand on his cheek. “And you’re okay.” 

Satoru shook his head. “I don’t care about me.”

Sighing, you ran your fingers through his hair. “I do, so let me look at you.” 

Pink dusted his sunkissed cheeks, and when you finished running your eyes over him slowly, he stood, pulling you up with him. 

“I thought you were gonna die there.”

You looked up at him in shock. “I didn’t.” 

“Why?” He asked, his forehead creased. 

“Because the rock I formed would’ve taken him out instantly,” You said, reaching to flick his forehead. “And because you’re here.” 

Satoru’s expression switched instantly, blue eyes bright as they flickered between yours. His heart squeezed in his chest at the fondness in your gaze and the feeling of your arms circling his waist. 

“Can we go home now?” Satoru asked, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “I wanna take you out.” 

And this time, you didn’t shrug his arm off. “You're not joking this time?"

Satoru's eyes widened and he mumbled your name softly. "It was never a joke. Not to me."

You were silent in contemplation until Satoru's lips pressed tenderly against your temple, and you knew you'd been too blinded by his usual teasing to see the good, genuine intentions behind his every move toward you. And now you'd do anything to keep it.

So, you closed your eyes, your chest tingly and warm and full of confidence. "Satoru, you can take me out anywhere if you provide the smooches.”

A cackle escaped him. “Oh, that can definitely be arranged.” 

[dirtyvulture]

Can you make like...How do you think the avengers would react if they found a Flashdrive witn Y/n modeling pictures... after she forgot in a table

I’m not technically taking requests right now, but I’ll give this one a shot:

“I thought you said we weren’t supposed to stick unknown flash drives in our laptops,” Steve points out as Tony spins the silver flash drive with a coating of chipped red paint towards himself.

“I said you guys aren’t supposed to,” he says, “But I can do whatever I want.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. You’re still putting everyone at risk if–” Steve continues, as Natasha rolls her eyes next to him and wonder why he’s even putting up an argument.

“What do you humans keep on those tiny sticks anyway?” Thor asks, his entire hand shoved into a nearly empty box of Poptarts.

“We’re about to find out.” Tony connects the flash drive to his laptop. He opens the drive to reveal a single folder. Steve, Natasha, and Clint crowd closer to him to get a better view, while Thor discards his box of Poptarts and goes hunting through the cupboards for another snack.

“It looks like a bunch of pictures and some videos,” Tony says, reading off the file names. But the thumbnails are too small to tell what they are, so he double clicks on one, opening a very high-resolution photo of you in black lingerie, posing by a stripper pole on some kind of stage.

“Oh no,” Steve squeaks, turning away as if to protect your modesty.

“Hell yeah,” Clint says in approval. “Go Y/N.”

Natasha feels her mouth go dry as she stares at your hardly covered body.

“Is this what Y/N does on her days off?” Tony says, clicking through the photos. The photoshoot seems to have no end, as you move from posing on the stage to lying out on a couch, progressively losing more and more of your clothing until–

“Yep, that’s enough for the day.” Tony shuts the lid of his laptop. “Someone should tell Y/N to at least password-protect her flash drive.” 

“Let me make a copy first,” Natasha mutters.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: This is a Nat x R blog after all, so hopefully you didn't expect anything less. :)

[awingedllama]

replies

updated the folder with some cabinets! also, i lightened the black swatch because it was a bit voidish before

a separate object! you can dl them here

hi! that bassinet is outdated, but i fixed the link for the deco version (to use with the invisible bassinet mod). you can also download my updated one if you like

i'm open to making a thermostat! ATS4 has a bunch that are perfect for older homes though. if you don't like any of those you can always shoot me a reference pic

the ones i posted most recently are here

they're live edit objects, so you need the cheat. you can find them in sculptures. also make sure to download the 10mb one, that's the one that the others texture reference

recoloring objects to match is the bane of my existence (photoshop actions never work for me???), but i will put it on the list <3 they need more colours anyhow, i keep getting frustrated that they don't match

making cc is super intimidating when you first get into it, for sure. i broke a sweat doing my first recolor lol

i've got a post about good resources for beginners here

fortunately, with so many people in the community sharing their knowledge, it's a lot easier to get into modding/cc making than it used to be. and when you get stuck, the Sims 4 Studio forums are your friend!

also, i'm always happy to answer questions via DM if it's something you can't figure out

i will make some! i found the perfect CC for what you want, but of course it was behind an ad paywall *sigh*

edit: got past the paywall hehe

this is the cc, if you're interested ^^^ and here's a nice sensible SFS link

also, speaking of wires, here are the telephone poles for you @luvlyysimmer. batuu wires + edited telephone poles from snowy escape (added rust, changed wood texture). they're live edit objects, in sculptures category: dl folder

hi! it's CC - a custom background replacing one of the base game mattes. some of them are city living mattes recolored to be warmer, and others i found on google and edited to be transparent

you lose the magic when you zoom out though lol

my parents had the one on the left but i like the one on the right better bc it's more versatile. both make me itchy and i love them

i have a dining set like this on the list. also i promised someone awhile ago banquette seating, so i'm doing that too

i want the TS3 trim so bad in ts4 but i don't know how to make half-wall trim. i got it in S4 Studio but she's a mess in game

i know it's possible to do, as syboulette has custom trims, but i'm stuck rn. will keep you posted if i figure it out!!

[javierpena-inatacvest]

Chapter 1- I D.A.R.E. You

Summary: After starting your new job as a 3rd grade teacher at Alma Pierce Elementary School, you meet a handsome Javier Peña who has been forced to come give a presentation to your grade. Although you've never met him, you're shocked to find out you may have more in common than you'd think.

Warnings: Mentions of Javi's past work for the DEA, mentions of death and grief, language, financial compensation if you were subjected to the D.A.R.E program as a child, Javi's family friends giving him sass

Word count: 6.2K

A/N: Post Season 3 Javi lives forever in my brain, as the first chapter of this story takes place in Laredo, May of 1997. This man deserves love, and boy is he going to get it.

Series Masterlist Next Chapter

“It’s your lucky day, Peña!” 

Javier glanced up from the pile of paperwork scattered across his desk to acknowledge the voice coming from the doorway to his office. 

“What do you want, Carter?” 

Javier's voice half grunted in response, his eyes shifting back down to the pile of papers on his desk. In his doorway stood his office mate, Detective Eric Carter. When Javier began his new position with the Laredo County Sheriff's Department 4 months ago, it took everything in him to keep from calling his new co-worker Steve. At a glance, he looked just like his old DEA partner. Tall, lanky, with a wiry head of blonde hair and bright blue eyes. 30 seconds into meeting Carter, it didn’t take long to realize looks were about the only thing he and Steve Murphy had in common. Eric Carter was a human ray of fucking sunshine, and his chipper demeanor was blinding Javier this early in the morning. 

“It’s your turn!” Carter replied in a sing-songy voice, slapping a red file folder onto Javier’s desk, covering the papers he had been sorting through. Javier picked up the folder and crinkled his brows in confusion. He turned the cover towards him, holding it just far enough away so that his squint trying to read its contents wasn’t too obvious. God, he just needed to give up and buy reading glasses already. 

As he got the folder just the right distance away from his face, he gave Carter a look that said absolutely fucking not. The folder read D.A.R.E school assembly lessons, with a picture of the Lion mascot giving a big thumbs up in his black D.A.R.E shirt. The office had recently been recruited by Laredo Public School District to start giving presentations to the Elementary schools, using the program aptly abbreviated for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. 

“Just take away the “R” and rearrange some letters and it spells DEA!” Carter laughed to himself. “It’s like it was made for you!” 

“No.” 

“Sorry Peña, you’re bottom of the totem pole this week. We’ve all done our time, and you’re the last one left in the office who has yet to go present. It’s not even that bad, you just basically go talk to these kids for an hour and tell them drugs are bad, don’t do them, yadda, yadda, yadda, you get the gist, and then it’s done. Piece of cake!” 

“I’m not fucking going.” Javier scoffed. “I have shit I have to get done.” Gesturing in annoyance to the piles of papers on his desk, now in disarray from the folder being thrown on his desk. 

“Not a choice, Mr. Peña.” 

A new voice passed by the doorway, and a much broader frame stood behind Carter’s. Chief Deputy Dean Morris, had joined the conversation, knowing that it wouldn’t end easily for Detective Carter if he kept harassing Javier about it. Morris was head of the department, and what he said, went. Coming from a background in the Air Force, Morris knew how “civilian” a position at a sheriff’s department must have felt for Javier after his time in the DEA. 5 years ago, it seemed fair to think that neither of them would have assumed paperwork, mundane training programs, and now, arguing over talking to 10 year olds about the dangers of doing drugs would have played any importance in their jobs. 

 “Right of passage. Ever since the school board dropped this on us last year, we’ve all done our time. Believe me, no one wants to do it, but like Carter said, today is your lucky day!” Morris’s voice oozed with sarcasm, knowing that Javier would absolutely hate every second of what he was about to have to do. 

“You lucked out on your day to go too, Peña. It looks like you get to go to the school with the hot teach-OW! Hey! What was that for?!” Morris had slapped Carter’s shoulder before he could get out the rest of his sentence. 

“Keep it in your pants, okay Carter?” 

Carter let out a huff of defeat. “I’m just saying, he could have gotten worse days to go…” 

“Just read from the notes, let the kids ask a couple of questions at the end and then you’re on your way. Easy peasy. When you get to the school office they’ll let you know where to go.” 

Javier opened his mouth to rebuttal, but before he could even get out a word, Morris held up his hand to stop him. 

“Not a choice. I’ll have Carter help you finish sorting paperwork, so don’t try to bullshit me and tell me that you have too much work to get done.” 

Javier let out a sigh of frustration that was a little louder than he intended it to be. His hands rested on his forehead as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before replying. 

“Fine. But this is one and done.” 

“Good man.” Morris reached over Javier’s desk and gave him a pat on the shoulder. He and Carter started to make their way out of Javier’s office when Morris turned his head over the back of his shoulder. 

“Carter’s right about the teacher, too. She’s a catch.” He winked and shut the door behind him. 

Javier gathered his things and made his way through the office, passing by Detective Carter’s desk. 

“Have funnnnnnn! Say ‘hi’ to the hot teacher for me!” Carter mocked, twinkling his fingers, waving at Javier. 

Without saying a word, Javier flipped him off, and kept walking. 

Settling into his truck, Javier set down his belongings in his passenger seat, and opened up the red file folder to see where his unexpected journey was taking him. 

This is fucking ridiculous He mouthed to himself as he cranked up the AC in the truck with one hand, and rummaged the other through the items on the seat. Reaching next to him, he grabbed and opened the folder, and grazed his index finger down the inside cover, where a schedule of schools, dates, and times were printed. At the bottom, he found 

5/27/97- Alma Pierce Elementary School, 12:00-12:30 pm, school cafeteria

 Javier’s heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. He read the line several times, re-checking the location and date to make sure what he read was true. 

Fuck. 

To any of his other co-workers who had been tasked with giving one of these D.A.R.E. presentations, the elementary school they were assigned to that day most likely held little to no significance. Of course, out of the 16 elementary schools in the Laredo Public School District, Javier was assigned to the one that held the most significance to him. 

The school that his mother taught at for her entire teaching career before she passed away. 

Since returning home from Colombia, Javier had been avoiding human contact like the plague. He had returned as somewhat of a “hometown hero” after his accomplishments with the DEA but couldn’t have felt further from it. He had become Laredo’s hottest topic. 

“What was it like to help catch Escobar?! The Cali Cartel?!” 

“We’re so proud of you, the DEA couldn’t have done it without you!”

“When are you going to come over and tell us all about Colombia? We want to know everything!” 

Each question, compliment and conversation about his time in South America was like a knife to his heart, slowly twisting with each word that came out of someone’s mouth. He could feel the guilt and burden of his time away growing heavier and heavier as he politely smiled through these conversations. 

But worse than the strangers who felt entitled to berate Javier about his time in Colombia, were his friends and family who he had been actively avoiding since returning home. Besides his father, Javier hadn’t seen anyone close to him since his mother’s funeral 8 years ago. It hurt Javier knowing that he had returned to Laredo a changed man, haunted by the things he had seen and done. His mother’s closest friends, those that she worked with at Alma Pierce Elementary School, had promised to fulfill Lucia Peña’s dying wish that they would look out for Javi and made sure that he came home okay. 

Well, Javier was home. He wasn’t quite sure how to break it to them that he wasn’t really okay. 

As he drove and parked in front of the school building, Javier’s heart began to beat heavier in his chest. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel as he started at the entrance to the school. He couldn’t decide if the feeling swirling around in his stomach was comfort or terror, knowing that Alma Pierce Elementary looked exactly the same as it did the last time he was here 9 years ago with his mother. 

He did know that part of that feeling definitely had to be terror, as he began to think about the fact he was about to be interrogated relentlessly by his late mother’s closest friends. Might as well sign these women up to work for the DEA- they were probably more terrifying than anyone Javier had encountered in his time working there. 

After a few more deep breaths, Javier gathered his things out of his truck and headed towards the main doors. Each footstep felt like he was walking through wet cement, questioning if it was too late to turn around.

Practically tip toeing in to the office, hoping to be as inconspicuous as possible, Javier let out a soft “Hi, I’m from the sheriff's department, I’m here for-“ 

Before he could even finish his sentence, the office secretary, a tiny and graying Señora Gutierez was thrusting her arms across the threshold of the office desk to wrap Javier in an impressively strong hug. 

“JAVIER PEÑA. I cannot believe it’s you! oh my sweet mijo, look at you! The older you get, the more like Chucho you look, dios mio! Why haven’t you stopped by?! We have all missed you so much, what have you been doing? It is so good to see you!” 

Here we go.

“Hola, Señora.” Javier half grunted from how tight he was being squeezed. “It’s nice to see you too.” 

“I have lots to ask but I know you need to go, or they will know that this old woman has been running her mouth, making you late.” Señora Gutiérrez began shooing her hand, as to send Javier on his way. 

Javier chuckled. He felt his body begin to ease slightly, letting the familiarity of friendly faces bring him a small sense of comfort. 

“I would hope after this VERY LONG time that you have not been to see your mamà’s dearest friends, you still remember where the cafeteria is?” She gave Javier a playful grin.

“Sí, Señora.” 

“Everyone will be so happy to see you, mi amor. Now go, or everyone will be after me for keeping you!” 

Grabbing his things, Javier made his way down the bustling hallway. Tiny faces stared up at his, as he shuffled his way towards the cafeteria doors. There, he was greeted by a sea of children chatting amongst themselves and 3 smiling faces, patiently waiting for his arrival. 

“JAVI!” 

Out of any of the faces he was bound to see today, these were the 3 he would recognize anywhere. The ladies who stood before him were the fellow 3rd grade teachers who had taught alongside his mother for almost 20 years. 

The ladies surrounded him in a bear hug, Javier quietly noting to himself that he had definitely reached his hug quota for the next several weeks. 

“It’s so good to see you, Javi.” The first of the 3 women spoke, her words sweet like honey. Linda Garcia was short and stout, her gray bangs brushing over the brim of her glasses as she looked up at Javier. Linda had always had a soft spot for Javi, and reminded him the most of his mother. 

“It’s good to see you t-“ 

“PENDEJO. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHY HAVE YOU NOT CALLED?! WE SWORE TO YOUR LATE MOTHER THAT WE WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU, AND IF IT WASN’T FOR CHUCHO KEEPING US UPDATED TH-” 

“Maria, let the boy breathe, this is the first time you’re seeing him in years, and this is the route you’re going to take? Dios Mio.” 

Standing next to Linda were her 2 partners in crime, Maria Rogers and Estelle Lopez. 

If you didn’t know Maria Rogers, you would be shocked to see the ferocity that came out of such a tiny woman. Javier’s mother used to refer to her “el vòlcan”- a matching nickname for her fiery personality. 

Estelle, on the other hand, was one of the most soft spoken people that Javier had ever meant. If she had something to say, he knew it was time to listen. 

“Hi everyone, it’s really great to see all of you.” Javier meant it. As overwhelmed and flustered as he was, it brought him peace to know after the hell that these last 8 years had been, some things never change. 

“MRS. ROGERSSSSSSS. WHEN IS THIS GONNA START?! I’M HUNGRY AND I KNOW LUNCH IS AFTER THIS.” 

“BE QUIET, MICHAEL. YOU KNOW WE’RE STILL WAITING FOR ONE MORE CLASS. YOU’RE SO ANNOYING.” 

“AM NOT!” 

“AM TOO!” 

Chatter and fidgeting amongst the 3rd graders instantaneously increased, the crowd of children now growing restless. 

“Oi, these niños will be the death of me, thank goodness this school is almost done.” Maria mumbled under her breath, the other 2 teachers rolling their eyes and laughing in agreement. “We’re just waiting on one more class, but they should be here any minute.” 

Overhearing the conversations shouted across the cafeteria, Agent Carter’s voice wandered through Javier’s thoughts. 

“You get the school with the hot teacher!” 

Obviously, Carter was not referring to the 3 women who stood before him. Although he wasn’t one for crude office banter, Javier couldn’t help but wonder if Carter’s statement really held true. With a genuine curiosity and a slight smirk on his face, he leaned back, arms crossed and asked, “Yeah wait, there’s still four 3rd grade teachers right?” 

The women all shot him a look that took him aback, their eyes burning a hole though Javier. 

“Jesus, you men really have a one track mind don’t you. Yes, I’m sure all of your friends from the department have been more than happy to tell you about our new teacher who just joined us. She is a sweet girl, and I am sure she is sick of getting harassed by all of you.” 

“Maria, I was just asking a quest-“ 

“Javier Jesus Peña, I have known you since before you were born. Wipe that smug look off your face, I know exactly why you asked the question”. 

Yup, things haven’t changed a bit. 

Before he could retort, the cafeteria doors began to swing open, followed by a long line of children, and you. 

“1, 2, 3, eyes on me!” 

“1, 2, eyes on you! 

God, the amount of times you’d had to repeat that phrase as the end of the school year approached, you might as well have gotten it tattooed on your forehead. 

“Okay 3rd graders, we’re already 5 minutes late for our assembly, and I’m sure the other classes are not going to be happy that we’re holding them up, and probably making us late for lunch after” 

The chatter stopped. With only a few days left in the school year, you were running out of ammunition to keep your class’s attention. At least the threat of being late to unch would work for now. 

A little hand shot up from the middle of the line you were about to trail down the hallway, like a mother duck with her babies following in line. “What’s your question, Jaun?” 

“Do you know if it’s gonna be the same guy as last time? He was kind of scary.” Mumbles of agreement came from the voices surrounding him. The Laredo Sheriff's Department had sent in a slew of their employees each week for these presentations, and you had been convinced none of them had ever even attempted to talk to a child. Last week’s presenter, Martin, Michales, something like that, had spent the large time of his presentation talking about getting murdered by the Cartel, leading to tears from many of your students, and a prompt request to not have him back. 

“I don’t know sweetie, it seems like there’s someone new who comes every week, but I sure hope it’s not him.” The class let out a small giggle. These were the moments you loved about your job as a teacher, especially now that you had moved to an older grade where your kids finally picked up on your subtle jokes with them. 

You had been with your class since after Christmas break, filling in as a long term sub for a 3rd grade teacher on maternity leave. The job followed an impromptu move from Chicago to Texas after breaking off your relationship with your boyfriend (regrettably, almost fiancé)  of 3 years, who had been cheating on you behind your back for 2 of them. You felt like an idiot that you hadn’t seen it coming, but it still hit you like a ton of bricks. Paul had plenty of red flags, but your optimistic demeanor and the mounting peer pressure of watching your friends get married and start their own families made you feel trapped. It still stung to think you would have settled for a miserable life with Paul out of the fear you wouldn’t find anyone else. 

 Desperate to get as far away from Illinois as possible, you packed your bags and made the nearly 4 day drive down to Laredo, Texas. Laredo,  a strange choice to many, but made nothing but complete sense to you. Your best friend since the 2nd grade, Sarah Alverez, had moved to Laredo your Freshman year of high school, her father accepting an agricultural engineering position in ranching country. You spent every summer until college visiting her and her family, having nothing but the fondest of memories for a sleepy town outside of San Antonio. It was a stark chance from the hustle and bustle of Chicago suburbia where you had spent your childhood. Long, carefree summer days made you promise yourself that if you ever did leave Chicago, you’d find yourself here. Well, you had made good on your promise, but for reasons that still made your stomach churn in gut-wrenching knots. 

You and your class journeyed down the hallway to the cafeteria. Thank god it was a short trip, because you were far too tired to put up with the bickering and shenanigans the back of your line often seemed to plague you with. Just as you were entering through the cafeteria doors, you promptly turned around, your body facing the line as you walked backwards further into the cafeteria. “Isabella and Jorge, keep your hands to yourself! You two know you’re not supposed to be in line togeth-” Before you could finish your sentence, the back of your body collided with one behind you that you hadn’t seen since turning around to stop a near WWE smackdown in the hallway. You had bumped into kids more than once who weren’t paying attention to their surroundings, but it became very clear, very quickly, that the body you had backed yourself into was not a child’s. 

The body you had backed yourself into was much taller and broader than yours. Two large hands firmly, but gently grasped around the middle of your upper arms to catch you without stumbling backwards any further. An overwhelming scent of cedarwood and sage cologne filled your senses. This obviously was not one of your coworkers, either. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorr-“ you started to apologize as you came to face the body that had stopped you in your tracks. Your apology halted as you were met by incredibly broad shoulders covered by a navy blue suit jacket. As your gaze continued upwards, the shoulders were followed by a strong square jawline and plush lips, the upper covered with an impeccable mustache. Continuing up, you were met with the most beautiful, deep chocolate brown eyes, whose soft stare soon met yours. There was no denying that this man was devilishly handsome. Realizing that you had most definitely been starting too long, you restated your apology. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were behind me.” Your eyes shifted away from his and darted down to the floor. 

A small smirk formed on his face as he looked down at you. He didn’t realize it, but he couldn’t help it. You were wearing a yellow sun dress that hit just above your knees, covered by a light washed denim jacket. Your dress swayed beautifully as he watched you take your last few steps backwards, making him question himself if he let you run into him on purpose. You smelled like vanilla and something sweet that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Pink embarrassment flooded your cheeks as a soft smile on your face met his. He now too realized that he had been staring a little too long, and that he still had his grasp on your arms as you had turned around to look at him. 

“No it’s okay.” He let out a small laugh under his breath. “I just didn’t want you to go too much further and trip over anything else.” He gently let his hands leave her arms, and watched as she brushed a piece of hair out of her face and looked back up at him. 

“Should we go sit down now?!” A small voice shouted from your line, causing you to snap back to reality, realizing that you had a line of children still standing behind you. 

“Yes, sorry sweetie” you replied, brushing your dress down back into place. “You guys can go find a spot behind Mrs. Rogers’ class.” Your class passed by you, paying no mind to the interaction that just took place between you and the man you had just bumped into. 

As you watched your class pass by, you turned back around to find the man still staring at you, causing your heart to palpably beat in your chest. The same strong hands that had caught you were now extended in your direction, offering a handshake to introduce himself. “I’m Javier Peña, uh Javi, actually” as your hand met his, realizing how small they felt in his grip. “I’m from the Laredo Sheriff's department, I uh, I’m the one that’s supposed to be doing the whole presentation thing today.” Your hand stayed in his as you introduced yourself. God, his hands were something else.

His grip loosened as your co-workers began to move towards you. You began to realize how hot your face felt, knowing that you were flushed with embarrassment not only from almost falling into a crowd of 10 year olds, but from how awe struck you were by the man who had caught you.

The three women on your 3rd grade team had taken you in as one of their own when you started your job here. They had been more than happy to step in to help you with whatever you needed, including trying to set you up with every single man your age that they knew. With the exception of the parade of overly forward sheriff's department members who had been at your school every Wednesday. Those 3 had no problem telling those men to fuck right off and leave you alone (in the nicest way possible.) The ladies slowly crept closer towards you, sly grins stretched across their faces as they giggled like school girls. 

“OH, so it looks like you met our sweet Javier!” Linda said with over exaggerated enthusiasm. 

“Sweetie, you’re SO good with the technology around here, you know how us old ladies are. Maybe you could help him set up the video he needs for his presentation today?” You knew damn well these women knew how to press play on a VCR. You grimaced your face at Maria. While you couldn’t see your face, you were absolutely positive your expression was screaming “Oh my God, could you please make it any more obvious that this man is insanely attractive and you don’t need to add to the embarrassment after I already ran into him like an idiot?!” 

“Yeah, of course, I’d be more than happy to help!” You pointed towards the stage that sat in front of the cafeteria. “Just come this way and I’ll show you how to set it up.” 

Following behind you, Javier leaned his head down towards yours. “Must be the most complicated VCR set up I’ve seen in a while.” 

You let out a giggle. “Yeah, they're all very sweet, but not the most skilled with anything that has to do with technology. When our principal had mentioned the idea of us potentially getting a computer lab, they just about had a heart attack. Setting up the TV to play a video should be no problem.” You gestured towards the stage at the front of the cafeteria where the TV cart was kept for presentations. He followed behind you, keeping a respectful distance.  Not respectful enough to keep himself from staring at the curve of your ass in your dress as you walked up the stage stairs. 

“Do you have the tape you need to show?” Your words went in one ear and out the other. Carter and Morris weren’t kidding. He hated to admit that those idiots were right about anything, but God, you were beautiful. His gaze was locked on you as squatted down next to the VCR, ejecting its previous contents. It seemed in that moment that you very much both realized that when Javier stood in front of you, you eye level with his waist, staring up at him, dangerously close to his coc- 

“Uh, yeah, yeah sorry,” he shook his head slightly to snap himself out of the thought he was about to have. “Thanks.” he smiled sheepishly. 

“Well I’m no technology expert, but all you should have to do is press play wherever you need to, and you should be good to go! Let me just roll this cart out for you and we’re good for you whenever you’re ready!” You began pushing the cart out onto the stage, but before you could get anywhere, Javi had his hand over yours. 

“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure it’s probably heavy, I can push it.” He insisted. 

You raised your eyebrows and gave him a look that made him step away. 

“What, you think I can’t do it?” Defiantly, you pushed the cart out to the middle of the stage to prove a point, looking back at him and shrugging with an “I told you so” look on your face. Any other woman he had met would have thankfully given up the task, let alone offer to do it at all. At that moment, Javier Peña knew you were not just any other woman. And that- that terrified him in the best way possible.

 Just before you hopped off the edge of the stage to re-join your class, you looked up at him as he ran his fingers through his locks of thick, curly brown hair, trying to regain his composure. 

“Good luck up there, Mr. Peña.” 

Javier couldn’t even tell you what had happened in the 30 minutes that he was up on stage. There were many times throughout his career where he had stared out into a sea of blank faces as he gave a presentation about intel, informats, wire taps… but having the eyes of 80 9 and 10 year olds glued to his every word was an absolutely terrifying experience. Not because he was nervous about the judgment of a child who may or may not even be able to tie their shoes or wipe their nose, but because of what they may say about him to you. It took everything in his power not to stare at you the entire time he was up there, but every time he glanced in your direction, your face lit up with a reassuring smile. You had even given him a little thumbs up when he had successfully started the VCR, playing a clip of Daren the D.A.R.E Lion. 

As the presentation finished, the kids applauded and gave a unanimous “thank you!” prompted by the teachers. 

As your class gathered behind you to walk down to the cafeteria, Maria tapped your shoulder. 

“Take a picture, mija, it will last longer.” 

You were too busy staring at Javi to even notice that Maria was talking to you. Her words went in one ear and out the other. 

“Huh, what? Sorry, did you say something?” 

“I said, take a picture, it will last longer.” Maria laughed to herself. “I don’t think your eyes have left him once since you walked in here.” 

You hated to admit it, but it was true. You had known this man for less than an hour, and he already had butterflies dancing around in your stomach. God, what were you, 12?! Pull it together. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Maria.” Of course you did. If you were wearing pants, they would be up in flames. Liar, liar, pants on fire. 

“I’ll take your class to lunch today. I’ll be back to help stack all of the chairs in a few. I’m sure he could use some help cleaning up, and I’ve heard that VCR is really difficult to work.” Maria nudged you before she turned around to collect your class and parade them out of the gym. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” 

Trying to contain your excitement, you playfully rolled your eyes and shook your head. 

The other teachers and students left, leaving just you and Javi. He gathered his things that he had left on the stage and started to make his way back down the stairs. It took him a moment to realize you were standing at the edge of the steps, arms crossed over your chest, smiling up at him. 

“I’m sorry if the kids were rowdy. It’s been a zoo since there’s only a few days of school left.” You both let out a small chuckle. Now that you two were alone, you became very aware of how nervous you were.

“You did a really great job! Honestly, you’re the best person we’ve had since we’ve started doing these presentations. The guy we had last time, I can’t remember his name, something with an M?! Anyways, I don’t think he’s ever spoken to a child in his entire life, and there were definitely some tears.” 

Definitely Morris, Javi noted to himself. 

“Thanks, I uh- didn’t think I’d be so nervous to talk in front of a bunch of kids. I’m glad it wasn’t too bad. I should thank you for helping me with that video. Didn’t need to get my pride bruised in front of 10 year olds.  Also glad I didn’t make anyone cry.” 

You both let out small laughs, your cheeks revealing small smiles across your faces. While the silence between you grew, the distance between you began to shrink as you both subconsciously took a small step towards each other. 

He watched as a small wave of sadness flooded your expression. “Stinks that this is the last week of presentations before the school year ends. it would have been nice to have you back.” You looked at him with a half hopeful smile. You saw the same feeling reflected back in him as his brow scrunched and bottom lip entered a small pout. 

“Oh shit. Yeah, I uh, I guess I forgot it’s the end of the school year. That would make sense there wouldn’t be anymore presentations.” He rested one hand on his hip, as the other traveled through his thick, brown locks. You bit down on your bottom lip, stunned by his broadness and shoulders to waist ratio, which was made even more apparent as his fingers combed through his hair. His deep brown eyes met yours, melting you instantly.  “If I had known that you would have been here, I would have signed up to come a lot earlier.” 

Before you had a chance to recover yourself from the puddle you had just turned into, the cafeteria doors swung open once again. Maria was a woman on a mission. Her tiny, thin frame marched with purpose towards you both. 

“Oh good thing I caught you, amor! I was just thinking that I had something important to tell Javier before he left and I’m so glad you’re here to hear it too. Javi happens to be a dear familiar friend, and I was just telling him before the presentation how excited I am to see him and his father at my cookout this Saturday! I know you had mentioned you were thinking about going! You’ll be there, won’t you Javier? Aren't you so excited to come to the party this Saturday?”

Maria and Javier entered a silent stare down. Their expressions allowed them to have an entire conversation without speaking a word. 

There’s a party on Saturday? What are you talking about? What does this have to do with anything?

Dios Mio, Pendejo. Take the hint. I already invited her. She will be there on Saturday so you can see her again. Don’t mess this up. 

“Oh really?” You chimed in, perhaps a bit too over enthusiastic. “I wasn’t really going to know anyone besides the staff at school, so it would be nice to see another familiar face!” In all honesty, you were trying to find a way out of going before just now. Huge social gatherings of strangers weren’t really your thing, but if it meant it was a chance to see Javi again, you would brave it. 

“Oh yeah, the uh, the cookout! Yeah, uh, yeah, I’ll be there. It would be really nice to see you again, too.” Although Javier’s tone carried a tint of confusion, his smile was confirmed that his statement was genuine. 

“Bueno!” Maria clasped her hands together and shook her head in delight. “So you will BOTH be there on Saturday!” 

You could already feel your heart swelling at the prospect of seeing Javi again. 

“Oh and mija”, Maria turned towards you, your face lighting up, wondering if she had even more good news to deliver. “They need you in the office. Isabella and Jorge got into a wrestling match in the cafeteria and the secretaries needed to call their parents. Oi, these niños are like wild animals, summer cannot come fast enough!” 

“Of course they did. They might as well put WWE referee under our job description because it seems like that’s all I’m doing all day. It’s like herding feral cats.” you groaned. “Those two cannot be together next year…” 

Javi let out a snort. “Sorry”, he said, trying to contain his laughter. You joined in, realizing the ridiculousness of your statement. 

“Alright, well I guess that’s my cue to go. It was really nice to meet you, Javi. I’m really glad I get to see you again.” It took every ounce of strength in your body to move yourself out of the cafeteria doors. As you walked away, you turned once more to look back over your shoulder, to find that Javi’s eye’s hadn’t moved from your direction since you turned around. “See you on Saturday.” 

Even after you were out of sight, Javi still stood frozen, his eyes wide and jaw still half open. 

“Hola, earth to Javier, are you there?!” Maria interjected, waving her hand in front of Javi’s awe struck face. 

Snapping out of his trance, Javier began to speak, but was stopped before he could get out a single word. 

“Listen to me mijo. I want you to be happy. That was all Lucia asked for before she passed. So first and foremost, you are welcome.” Maria gestured, alluding to the fact that Javier owed her big time for what had just happened. “Secondly, she is a sweet girl. If you do anything to break her heart, so help me, I will come to the ranch and run you over with your father’s tractor. Understood?” 

“Understood.” Javier understood that this was not a threat, it was a promise. 

“Good. She’s a good one, Javier. She reminds me so much of your mother. Lucia would have loved her.” She reached up her hand to cup the side of Javi’s face, before bringing her other arm around him for a hug. 

Javier exhaled, trying his best to hold back the tears that were welling in his eyes. It was the first time since returning home that he felt a sense of relief and comfort fill his body. Maybe, he was more than the man he was returning home from Colombia. Maybe, the people who loved him before he left still loved him now, despite the person he’d become. Maybe, just maybe, someone else could love him for the new man he now hoped to become.  

[unlimitedrec]

Stream Unlimited Music Podcast 105 by Soundae—featuring music by Pole Folder, The MFA, Kölsch & more! 🔈 YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD5U38uZDkk Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unlimited-music-podcast/id530396355

[simdertalia]

💜 🎈🎡 ACNH Carnival Set - Part 2 🎡🎈

49 items | Sims 4, Base game compatible

Use the scale up & down feature on your keyboard to make the items larger or smaller to your liking. If you have a non-US keyboard, it may be different keys depending on which alphabet it uses. This is useful for the plushies in this set, you can make size variations in the game booths 💗

Always suggested: bb.objects ON, it makes placing items much easier. For further placement tweaking, check out the TOOL mod.

Set contains: -Arch | 4 swatches | 3479 poly -Balloon 1 & 2 | 5 swatches each | 1178 & 586 poly -Chair (Arcade) | 4 swatches | 1118 poly -Clock Tower | 4 swatches | 1197 poly -Clock Tower Souvenir | 4 swatches | 967 poly -Confetti Machine Decor | 5 swatches | 1197 poly -Crane Game | 8 swatches | 1202 poly -Decoration Poles | 5 swatches | 774 poly -Drum | 5 swatches | 1200 poly -Ferris Wheel | 4 swatches | 7130 poly -Fortune Cookie Cart | 3 swatches | 3197 poly -Game Ducks | 4 swatches | 5516 poly -Game Ball | 3 swatches | 194 poly -Ball Box (created by me) | 3 swatches | 2596 poly -Game Ring Toss | 4 swatch | 1218 poly -Game Ground Lines (created by me) | 8 swatches | 6 poly -Ring Toss Box (created by me) | 4 swatch | 1060 poly -Ring | 16 swatches | 210 poly -Gazebo | 8 swatches | 9208 poly -Goldfish Prize | 8 swatches | 600 poly -Ground Display (feathered vase-looking item) | 5 swatches | 1032 poly -Lockers 1 & 2 (2 items, 2 heights) | 6 swatches each | 946 & 1878 poly -Mask Decor | 6 swatches | 702 poly -Parasol | 5 swatches | 2288 poly -Pergola | 7 swatches | 9652 poly -Pinball Machines | 5 swatches | 1198 poly -Pole with Tapestry | 5 swatches | 2106 poly -Shopping Bag | 4 swatches | 964 poly -Sign (Wood) | 10 swatches (one dark brown set) | 906 poly -Street Clock (2 versions, 2 items) | 6 swatches each | 1176 poly each -Teacups | 4 swatches | 8893 poly -Tip Jars (3 versions) created by me | 1 swatch each | all low poly -Toy Beau | 4 swatches | 1500 poly -Toy Bianca | 4 swatches | 1476 poly -Toy Boots | 4 swatches | 1342 poly -Toy Cyrus | 4 swatches | 1624 poly -Toy Gracie | 4 swatches | 2212 poly -Toy Julia | 4 swatches | 1472 poly -Toy Katrina | 4 swatches | 2071 poly -Toy Marina | 4 swatches | 1376 poly -Toy Molly | 4 swatches | 1348 poly -Toy Reese | 4 swatches | 1665 poly -Toy Scapegoat | 7 swatches | 2493 poly -Toy Tiger | 1 swatch | 1200 poly

📁 Download all or pick & choose (SFS, No Ads): <HERE> https://simfileshare.net/folder/194099/

📁 Alt Mega Download (still no ads): <HERE> https://mega.nz/folder/ltgVRC6C#njn2P7agN4wzxHHxJK_3AQ

📁 DL on Patreon

Will be public on July 20th, 2023

Happy Simming! ✨ Some of my sets will be early access from now on. If you like my work, please consider supporting me:

★ Patreon  🎉 ❤️ |★ Ko-Fi  ☕️  ❤️ ★ Instagram  📷

*Deco sims by xldkx

Thank you for reblogging ❤️❤️❤️

@sssvitlanz  @maxismatchccworld @mmoutfitters  @coffee-cc-finds  @itsjessicaccfinds  @gamommypeach  @stargazer-sims-finds  @khelga68  @suricringe  @vaporwavesims  @mystictrance15 @public-ccfinds

This set is brought to fruition by my lovely Patrons who voted in the poll 💗 Last month this set lost a tie-breaker by the tiniest amount, so I’m so glad I got to make it this time for the people who wanted 💗

[radioactivedotcom]

☣️ rust set ☣️ [conversions] - SIMBLREEN 2023 TREAT 05

this is basically 3 sets in one. an abandoned playground, a modular fence (with a bunch of different graffiti swatches) and some good ol’ rusty pipes for walls, floors and ceilings.

– 64 packages –

all lods

bgc

find them by typing [RDC] in the search bar

credits for 3D models&textures can be found in the description boxes

recolors are very welcome!! (and yes you can include the mesh, in builds as well, as long as there’s NO PAYWALL)

– through here for all my s4 downloads –

tag me if you use!

download: sfs - mediafire (unzip and drop in your mods folder)

––– links not working? try right-clicking and opening in a new tab!

~ have fun ~

{•̴͈ ˔̇ •̴͈}

polygon count and other info under the cut!

Abandoned Playground - Balance: >1k - misc deco

Abandoned Playground - Bench: 2k - misc deco

Abandoned Playground - Carousel: 2k - misc deco

Abandoned Playground - Climbing Bars: >1k - misc deco

Abandoned Playground - Slide: 1k - misc deco

Abandoned Playground - Swing: 1k - misc deco

Fences 01-02: 30 swatches - >1k - misc deco

Fence Doors: 30 swatches - 1k - misc deco

Pole: 5 swatches - >1k - misc deco

Rusty pipes: 3 swatches - nearly all >1k - wall sculpture/sculpture/ceiling, depending

[cccshutdown]

Trick or treat so I don't forget tomorrow!

yes!

[linghxr]

75 essential single-character verbs (单字动词)

When I started consuming more native Chinese content, I quickly discovered an area in which my knowledge was lacking: single-character verbs. In my experience, it’s very easy to focus on learning words consisting of two or more characters and overlook single-character words.

Driven by curiosity, I went through my Anki deck (and also wracked my brain) to generate a list of characters/words that I have learned over the past couple years (roughly). Then I selected 75 verbs that are fairly common and important to know. They skew towards intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Definitions are from MDBG. For characters with additional meanings that I am not yet familiar with, I have bolded the meanings I want to share.

(1) 抢 qiǎng - to fight over / to rush / to scramble / to grab / to rob / to snatch

(2) 救 jiù - to save / to assist / to rescue

(3) 扶 fú - to support with the hand / to help sb up / to support oneself by holding onto something / to help

(4) 催 cuī - to urge / to press / to prompt / to rush sb / to hasten sth / to expedite

(5) 夹 jiā - to press from either side / to place in between / to sandwich / to carry sth under armpit / wedged between / between / to intersperse / to mix / to mingle / clip / folder / Taiwan pr. [jia2]

(6) 咬 yǎo - to bite / to nip

(7) 砸 zá - to smash / to pound / to fail / to muck up / to bungle

(8) 毁 huǐ - to destroy / to ruin / to defame / to slander

(9) 嚷 rǎng - to shout / to bellow / to make a big deal of sth / to make a fuss about sth

(10) 塞 sāi - to stop up / to squeeze in / to stuff / cork / stopper

(11) 贪 tān - to have a voracious desire for / to covet / greedy / corrupt

(12) 拆 chāi - to tear open / to tear down / to tear apart / to open

(13) 掏 tāo - to fish out (from pocket) / to scoop

(14) 跪 guì - to kneel

(15) 摘 zhāi - to take / to borrow / to pick (flowers, fruit etc) / to pluck / to select / to remove / to take off (glasses, hat etc)

(16) 拎 līn - to lift up / to carry in one's hand / Taiwan pr. [ling1]

(17) 扛 káng - to carry on one's shoulder / (fig.) to take on (a burden, duty etc)

(18) 拽 zhuài - to pull / to tug at (sth)

(19) 愣 lèng - to look distracted / to stare blankly / distracted / blank / (coll.) unexpectedly / rash / rashly

(20) 搂 lǒu - to hug / to embrace / to hold in one's arms

(21) 垮 kuǎ - to collapse (lit. or fig.)

(22) 撑 chēng - to support / to prop up / to push or move with a pole / to maintain / to open or unfurl / to fill to bursting point / brace / stay / support

(23) 甩 shuǎi - to throw / to fling / to swing / to leave behind / to throw off / to dump (sb)

(24) 围 wéi - to encircle / to surround / all around / to wear by wrapping around (scarf, shawl)

(25) 愁 chóu - to worry about

(26) 插 chā - to insert / stick in / pierce / to take part in / to interfere / to interpose

(27) 漏 lòu - to leak / to divulge / to leave out by mistake / waterclock or hourglass (old)

(28) 披 pī - to drape over one's shoulders / to open / to unroll / to split open / to spread out

(29) 歇 xiē - to rest / to take a break / to stop / to halt / (dialect) to sleep / a moment / a short while

(30) 抄 chāo - to make a copy / to plagiarize / to search and seize / to raid / to grab / to go off with / to take a shortcut / to make a turning move / to fold one's arms

(31) 哼 hēng - to groan / to snort / to hum / to croon / humph!

(32) 哄 hǒng - to deceive / to coax / to amuse (a child)

(33) 啃 kěn - to gnaw / to nibble / to bite

(34) 眯 mī - to narrow one's eyes / to squint / (dialect) to take a nap

(35) 趴 pā - to lie on one's stomach / to lean forward, resting one's upper body (on a desktop etc) / (Tw) percent

(36) 揍 zòu - to hit / to beat (sb) / (coll.) to smash (sth)

(37) 蹭 cèng - to rub against / to walk slowly / (coll.) to freeload

(38) 凑 còu - to gather together, pool or collect / to happen by chance / to move close to / to exploit an opportunity

(39) 敲 qiāo - to hit / to strike / to tap / to rap / to knock / to rip sb off / to overcharge

(40) 滑 huá - to slip / to slide / slippery / smooth / sly / slippery / not to be trusted

(41) 碎 suì - to break down / to break into pieces / fragmentary

(42) 盯 dīng - to watch attentively / to fix one's attention on / to stare at / to gaze at

(43) 塌 tā - to collapse / to droop / to settle down

(44) 背 bēi - to be burdened / to carry on the back or shoulder 背 bèi - the back of a body or object / to turn one's back / to hide something from / to learn by heart / to recite from memory / unlucky (slang) / hard of hearing

(45) 数 shǔ - to count / to count as / to regard as / to enumerate (sb's shortcomings)

(46) 按 àn - to press / to push / to leave aside or shelve / to control / to restrain / to keep one's hand on / to check or refer to / according to / in the light of / (of an editor or author) to make a comment

(47) 压 yā - to press / to push down / to keep under (control) / pressure

(48) 亲 qīn - parent / one's own (flesh and blood) / relative / related / marriage / bride / close / intimate / in person / first-hand / in favor of / pro- / to kiss / (Internet slang) dear

(49) 补 bǔ - to repair / to patch / to mend / to make up for / to fill (a vacancy) / to supplement

(50) 舔 tiǎn - to lick / to lap

(51) 拼 pīn - to piece together / to join together / to stake all / adventurous / at the risk of one's life / to spell

(52) 埋 mái - to bury

(53) 抖 dǒu - to tremble / to shake out / to reveal / to make it in the world

(54) 涂 tú - to apply (paint etc) / to smear / to daub / to blot out / to scribble / to scrawl / (literary) mud / street

(55) 抹 mǒ - to smear / to wipe / to erase / classifier for wisps of cloud, light-beams etc

(56) 吞 tūn - to swallow / to take

(57) 拦 lán - to block sb's path / to obstruct / to flag down (a taxi)

(58) 露 lòu - to show / to reveal / to betray / to expose 露 lù - dew / syrup / nectar / outdoors (not under cover) / to show / to reveal / to betray / to expose

(59) 滚 gǔn - to boil / to roll / to take a hike / Get lost!

(60) 扣 kòu - to fasten / to button / button / buckle / knot / to arrest / to confiscate / to deduct (money) / discount / to knock / to smash, spike or dunk (a ball) / to cover (with a bowl etc) / (fig.) to tag a label on sb / (Tw) (loanword) code

(61) 夸 kuā - to boast / to exaggerate / to praise

(62) 挥 huī - to wave / to brandish / to command / to conduct / to scatter / to disperse

(63) 求 qiú - to seek / to look for / to request / to demand / to beseech

(64) 吸 xī - to breathe / to suck in / to absorb / to inhale

(65) 响 xiǎng - echo / sound / noise / to make a sound / to sound / to ring / loud / classifier for noises

(66) 擦 cā - to wipe / to erase / rubbing (brush stroke in painting) / to clean / to polish

(67) 踩 cǎi - to step on / to tread / to stamp / to press a pedal / to pedal (a bike) / (online) to downvote

(68) 撕 sī - to tear

(69) 扫 sǎo - to sweep

(70) 锁 suǒ - to lock / to lock up / a lock (CL:把)

(71) 扎 zhā - to prick / to run or stick (a needle etc) into / mug or jug used for serving beer (loanword from "jar")

(72) 撞 zhuàng - to knock against / to bump into / to run into / to meet by accident

(73) 追 zhuī - to chase / to pursue / to look into / to investigate / to reminisce / to recall / to court (one's beloved) / to binge-watch (a TV drama) / retroactively / posthumously

(74) 抽 chōu - to draw out / to pull out from in between / to remove part of the whole / (of certain plants) to sprout or bud / to whip or thrash

(75) 删 shān - to delete